Human-to-Robot Handover Based on Reinforcement Learning.

This study explores manipulator control using reinforcement learning, specifically targeting anthropomorphic gripper-equipped robots, with the objective of enhancing the robots' ability to safely exchange diverse objects with humans during human-robot interactions (HRIs). The study integrates an adaptive HRI hand for versatile grasping and incorporates image recognition for efficient object identification and precise coordinate estimation. A tailored reinforcement-learning environment enables the robot to dynamically adapt to diverse scenarios.

Transformable Gaussian Reward Function for Socially Aware Navigation Using Deep Reinforcement Learning.

Robot navigation has transitioned from avoiding static obstacles to adopting socially aware navigation strategies for coexisting with humans. Consequently, socially aware navigation in dynamic, human-centric environments has gained prominence in the field of robotics. One of the methods for socially aware navigation, the reinforcement learning technique, has fostered its advancement.

Optical Microneedle-Lens Array for Selective Photothermolysis.

Photothermolysis is the process that converts radiation energy into thermal energy, which results in the destruction of surrounding tissues or cells through thermal diffusion. Laser therapy that is based on photothermolysis has been a widely used treatment for various skin diseases such as skin cancers and port-wine stains. It offers several benefits such as non-invasiveness and selective treatment.

Biotagging method for animal identification using dissolvable microneedle arrays prepared by customisable moulds.

Properly handling animals and understanding their habits are crucial to establish a society where humans and animals coexist. Thus, identifying individual animals, including their possessions, and adequately managing each animal is necessary. Although several conventional identification methods exist, such as the use of ear punch, tattoos, and radio frequency (RF) chips, they require several processes and external apparatus.

Fabrication of an electrospun polycaprolactone substrate for colorimetric bioassays.

Colorimetric assays rely on detecting colour changes to measure the concentration of target molecules. Paper substrates are commonly used for the detection of biomarkers due to their availability, porous structure, and capillarity. However, the morphological and mechanical properties of paper, such as fibre diameter, pore size, and tensile strength, cannot be easily tuned to meet the specific requirements of colorimetric sensors, including liquid capacity and reagent immobilisation.

Annual Endovascular Thrombectomy Case Volume and Thrombectomy-capable Hospitals of Korea in Acute Stroke Care.

Objectives: Although it is difficult to define the quality of stroke care, acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with moderate-to-severe neurological deficits may benefit from thrombectomy-capable hospitals (TCHs) that have a stroke unit, stroke specialists, and a substantial endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) case volume.

Methods: From national audit data collected between 2013 and 2016, potential EVT candidates arriving within 24 hours with a baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≥6 were identified. Hospitals were classified as TCHs (≥15 EVT case/y, stroke unit, and stroke specialists), primary stroke hospitals (PSHs) without EVT (PSHs-without-EVT, 0 case/y), and PSHs-with-EVT.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG antibodies detection using a patch sensor containing porous microneedles and a paper-based immunoassay.

Infectious diseases are among the leading causes of mortality worldwide. A new coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified in Wuhan, China in 2019, and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared its outbreak, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as a global pandemic in 2020. COVID-19 can spread quickly from person to person.

Localised light delivery on melanoma cells using optical microneedles.

Light-based therapy is an emerging treatment for skin cancer, which has received increased attention due to its drug-free and non-invasive approach. However, the limitation of current light therapy methods is the inability for light to penetrate the skin and reach deep lesions. As such, we have developed a polylactic acid (PLA) microneedles array as a novel light transmission platform to perform evaluation regarding the effect of light therapy on skin cancer.

Inoculation of on Quality Traits of Dry Fermented Sausages.

In this study, fermented sausage prepared by inoculating different strains of was assessed for their physiochemical, microbiological, and textural characteristics during fermentation and ripening. Five treatments were prepared: Control (commercial starter culture, C), Korean Collection for Type Cultures (KCTC)-3802 (S1), KCTC-3598 (S2), KCTC-5053 (S3), and KCTC-3603 (S4). The different strains of did not show substantial differences (>0.

Ozonated Sunflower Oil Exerted Protective Effect for Embryo and Cell Survival via Potent Reduction Power and Antioxidant Activity in HDL with Strong Antimicrobial Activity.

Ozonated sunflower oil (OSO) has potent antimicrobial effects, making it useful for topical applications to treat various skin diseases. On the other hand, regarding mechanistic insight, the antioxidant activity and cytoprotective effects of OSO are relatively less known. The current study compared the antioxidant ability and protective ability of OSO on cells and embryos against oxidative stress, such as HO and oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL), to investigate its potential applications for wound-healing and anti-infection.

Microfluidic chip connected to porous microneedle array for continuous ISF sampling.

Minimally invasive biosensing using microneedles (MNs) is a desirable technology for continuous healthcare monitoring. Among a wide range of MNs, porous MNs are expected to be applied for sampling of interstitial fluids (ISF) by connecting the internal tissue to external measurement devices. In order to realize a continuous measurement of biomarkers in ISF through porous MNs, their integration with a microfluidic chip is a promising approach due to its applicability to micro-total analysis system (μTAS) technology.

Ethanolic Extract of Leaves Enhances the Quality Characteristics and Shelf-Life of Vacuum-Packed Pork Patty during Refrigeration Storage.

Studies reported that the moringa plant provides various bioactive compounds. The present study investigated the effect of an ethanolic extract of leaves (MLE) on the storage consistency of vacuum-packed pork patty during refrigeration storage (4°C). Four treatments prepared were: control (without any preservative) and patties blended with 0.

Optimization of the fused deposition modeling-based fabrication process for polylactic acid microneedles.

A microneedle (MN) array is a novel biomedical device adopted in medical applications to pierce through the stratum corneum while targeting the viable epidermis and dermis layers of the skin. Owing to their micron-scale dimensions, MNs can minimize stimulations of the sensory nerve fibers in the dermis layer. For medical applications, such as wound healing, biosensing, and drug delivery, the structure of MNs significantly influences their mechanical properties.

Recent progress in silk fibroin-based flexible electronics.

With the rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the emergence of 5G, traditional silicon-based electronics no longer fully meet market demands such as nonplanar application scenarios due to mechanical mismatch. This provides unprecedented opportunities for flexible electronics that bypass the physical rigidity through the introduction of flexible materials. In recent decades, biological materials with outstanding biocompatibility and biodegradability, which are considered some of the most promising candidates for next-generation flexible electronics, have received increasing attention, e.

Recent advances in porous microneedles: materials, fabrication, and transdermal applications.

In the past two decades, microneedles (MNs), as a painless and simple drug delivery system, have received increasing attention for various biomedical applications such as transdermal drug delivery, interstitial fluid (ISF) extraction, and biosensing. Among the various types of MNs, porous MNs have been recently researched owing to their distinctive and unique characteristics, where porous structures inside MNs with continuous nano- or micro-sized pores can transport drugs or biofluids by capillary action. In addition, a wide range of materials, including non-polymers and polymers, were researched and used to form the porous structures of porous MNs.

Heart failure and atrial fibrillation in patients with an interatrial shunt.

Objective: Congenital interatrial shunt can unload the left atrium (LA) and may lower the risk of new-onset heart failure (HF) or atrial fibrillation (AF). We evaluated the risk of new-onset HF or AF in patients with and without interatrial shunt.

Methods: We enrolled 2660 consecutive patients with acute stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) who underwent transesophageal echocardiography at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2018.

Flexible and porous microneedles of PDMS for continuous glucose monitoring.

Microneedle (MN) is a key technology of the biomedical engineering field due to its capability of accessing the biological information in a minimally invasive manner. One of the huge demands for next-generation healthcare monitoring is continuous monitoring, especially of blood glucose concentration. For this, MN should be kept inserted into the human skin for a certain period of time, enduring stresses induced by daily human motion and at the same time measuring biomarkers in ISF.

Nosocomial Acinetobacter baumannii infection in children in adult versus pediatric intensive care units.

Background: We hypothesized that children treated in adult intensive care units (ICUs) might be at increased risk of hospital-acquired infection. We therefore compared the incidence of Acinetobacter baumannii infection in children treated in pediatric ICUs (PICUs) and in those treated in adult ICUs.

Methods: Patients aged <18 years admitted to PICUs or adult ICUs between March 2009 and June 2017 were enrolled.

Fused Deposition Modeling 3D Printing: Test Platforms for Evaluating Post-Fabrication Chemical Modifications and In-Vitro Biological Properties.

3D printing is attracting considerable interest for its capacity to produce prototypes and small production runs rapidly. Fused deposit modeling (FDM) was used to produce polyvalent test plates for investigation of the physical, chemical, and in-vitro biological properties of printed materials. The polyvalent test plates (PVTPs) are poly-lactic acid cylinders, 14 mm in diameter and 3 mm in height.

Size and Flexibility Define the Inhibition of the H3N2 Influenza Endonuclease Enzyme by Calix[n]arenes.

Inhibition of H3N2 influenza PA endonuclease activity by a panel of anionic calix[n]arenes and β-cyclodextrin sulfate has been studied. The joint experimental and theoretical results reveal that the larger, more flexible and highly water-soluble sulfonato-calix[n]arenes have high inhibitory activity, with para-sulfonato-calix[8]arene, SC8, having an IC value of 6.4 μM.

Therapeutic Effects of Synthetic Antimicrobial Peptides, TRAIL and NRP1 Blocking Peptides in Psoriatic Keratinocytes.

Psoriasis is a chronic, recurrent, heterogeneous, cutaneous inflammatory skin disease for which there is no cure. It affects approximately 7.5 million people in the United States.

Microfluidic chip to interface porous microneedles for ISF collection.

Porous microneedles (MNs) are expected to be applied for diagnostic microfluidic devices such as blood glucose monitoring as they enable a pain-free penetration of human skin and the extraction of interstitial fluids. However, conventional microfluidic systems require additional steps to separate the liquid from a porous structure used for fluid extraction. In this study, we developed a microfluidic system with a hydrodynamically designed interface between a porous MN array and microchannels to enable a direct analysis of liquids extracted by the porous MN array.

Correction to: Functionalized microneedles for continuous glucose monitoring.

After publication of this article [1], the author noticed there are some conversion errors with the below characters and units in the article body text. The corrections are detailed below.

Functionalized microneedles for continuous glucose monitoring.

Microneedles (MNs) have been established as promising medical devices as they are minimally invasive, cause less pain, and can be utilized for self-administration of drugs by patients. There has been rapid development in MNs for transdermal monitoring and diagnostic systems, following the active research on fabrication methods and applications for drug delivery. In this paper, recent investigations on bio-sensing using MNs are reviewed in terms of the applicability to continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS), which is one of the main research focuses of medical engineering technologies.