Equivalent homogeneous anisotropic solids are used to represent thick laminates con sisting of large numbers of a repeating sublaminate. The typical sublaminate is used for studying its load-deformation behavior from which the effective elastic constants are derived from the constituent lamina properties. Explicit expressions for effective elastic constants for general thick laminates are presented. Reduced expressions are also derived for balanced laminates containing a single composite system. Numerical examples are in cluded.

Objectives: To examine the nutritional and functional status of community older adults in China, to identify the related factors and best predictors of elder nutrition. Design, setting and subjects: A cross-sectional, descriptive correlation design was utilized. A convenience sample of 162 community older adults (aged $65 years) were administered three questionnaires, which were used to obtain demographic characteristics, nutritional status (Mini Nutritional Assessment, MNA) and functional status (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, IADL). Results: The mean MNA score was 23?8 (SD 3?92), 36?4 % of elders were at risk of malnutrition and 8?0 % were malnourished; 61?7 % were functionally independent. Spearman's correlation analysis indicated that age, marital status, education level, personal income, number of chronic medical conditions suffered and functional status had significant correlations with nutritional status. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis identified that the best predictors were the number of chronic conditions suffered, age, functional status and marital status. Conclusions: The study has suggested that nutritional health remains a problem among older adults in the Chinese community. A large proportion was on the borderline of malnutrition, and deficiency as well as excesses coexisted. Malnutrition is an increasing hazard especially for those suffering from more diseases, at a highly advanced age, functionally dependent and widowed.

Solid polymer electrolytes show flexible mechanical characters, excellent electrochemical properties, and impressive battery performance over a wide temperature range.

Nurses should not only pay attention to stroke survivors but also to their caregivers. To help them adjust well from the stroke consequences and avoid depression, nurses should implement effective interventions.

Background Malignant struma ovarii (MSO) is a unique type of ovarian malignancy that data on the survival outcome is limited and management strategy remains controversial due to its extreme rarity. Methods To investigate the clinical characteristics and treatment options in patients with MSO confined to the ovary, while also evaluating the recurrent-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) rate in this population, a retrospective study was conducted. One hundred twenty-five cases of MSO confined to the ovary were enrolled and their clinical characteristics, treatment strategies, and results of follow-up were analyzed. OS and RFS were assessed by Kaplan-Meier analyses and Cox regression models. Results The most common pathological subtype in this cohort was papillary carcinoma (44.8%). Other reported subtypes, in order of prevalence, were follicular variant of papillary carcinoma, follicular carcinoma, and mixed follicular-papillary carcinoma. Surgical treatment options varied in this cohort that 8.0% of the patients received ovarian cystectomy, 33.6% underwent unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (USO), 5.6% received bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO), 21.6% received total abdominal hysterectomy with BSO (TAH/BSO), and 17.6% were treated with debulking surgery; 20.0% of them received radioiodine therapy (RAI). Twenty-seven patients experienced recurrence with a median RFS of 14.0 years (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.5–18.5). The 5-year and 10-year recurrent rate were 27.1, 35.2%, respectively. Eight patients died during follow-up, with five attributed to MSO; the 5-year, 10-year, and 20-year OS rate was 95.3, 88.7 and 88.7%, respectively. However, the univariate and multivariate Cox regression showed no potential risk factor for RFS and OS. Conclusion Patients with MSO confined to the ovary had an excellent survival outcome, despite varied treatment strategies, and the recurrent rate was relatively high. We recommend USO as the preferred surgical option in this population since more aggressive surgery does not improve outcomes and the benefits of RAI are uncertain.