Electrochemiluminescent tactile visual synapse enabling in situ health monitoring.

Tactile visual synapses combine the functionality of tactile artificial synapses with the ability to visualize their activity in real time and provide a direct and intuitive visualization of the activity, offering an efficient route for in situ health monitoring. Herein we present a tactile visual synapse that enables in situ monitoring of finger rehabilitation and electrocardiogram analysis. Repetitive finger flexion and various arrhythmias are monitored and visually guided using the developed tactile visual synapse combined with an electrical and optical output feedback algorithm.

Chiroptical Synaptic Perovskite Memristor as Reconfigurable Physical Unclonable Functions.

Physical unclonable functions (PUFs), often referred to as digital fingerprints, are emerging as critical elements in enhancing hardware security and encryption. While significant progress has been made in developing optical and memory-based PUFs, integrating reconfigurability with sensitivity to circularly polarized light (CPL) remains largely unexplored. Here, we present a chiroptical synaptic memristor (CSM) as a reconfigurable PUF, leveraging a two-dimensional organic-inorganic halide chiral perovskite.

A core-shell fiber moisture-driven electric generator enabled by synergetic complex coacervation and built-in potential.

Moisture-driven electricity generators (MEGs) have been extensively researched; however, high-performance flexible variants have seldom been demonstrated. Here we present a novel complex coacervation with built-in potential strategy for developing a high-performance uniaxial MEG, featuring a core of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) with a built-in charge potential and a gel shell composed of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) and sodium alginate (NaAlg) coacervate. The complex coacervation of two oppositely charged polyelectrolytes produces extra mobile carriers and free volume in the device; meanwhile, the PEDOT core's surface charge significantly accelerates carrier diffusion.

Neuro-Actuating Photonic Skin Enabled by Ion-Gel Transistor with Thermo-Adaptive Block Copolymer.

Despite significant progress in developing artificial synapses to emulate the human nervous system for bio-signal transmission, synapses with thermo-adaptive coloration and soft actuators driven by temperature change have seldom been reported. Herein, a photonic neuro-actuating synaptic skin is presented enabling thermoresponsive synaptic signal transmission, color variation, and actuation. First, a thermoresponsive display synapse is developed based on a 3-terminal ion-gel transistor with a poly (3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly (styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) semiconducting channel mixed with 2D titanium carbide (TiCT) MXene and a thermo-adaptive 1D block copolymer (BCP) photonic crystal (PC) gate insulator.

The development, use, and challenges of electromechanical tissue stimulation systems.

Background: Tissue stimulations greatly affect cell growth, phenotype, and function, and they play an important role in modeling tissue physiology. With the goal of understanding the cellular mechanisms underlying the response of tissues to external stimulations, in vitro models of tissue stimulation have been developed in hopes of recapitulating in vivo tissue function.

Methods: Herein we review the efforts to create and validate tissue stimulators responsive to electrical or mechanical stimulation including tensile, compression, torsion, and shear.

The Role of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor in Vascular Factors Related to Preeclampsia in a Smoking Mouse Model.

Smoking cigarettes is known to lower the risk of preeclampsia. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of smoking on the expression of soluble FMS-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and endoglin (sEng)-1 and the role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in pregnant mice. We developed a smoking mouse model using a gas-filling system.

Gate Controlled Excitonic Emission in Quantum Dot Thin Films.

Formation of charged trions is detrimental to the luminescence quantum efficiency of colloidal quantum dot (QD) thin films as they predominantly undergo nonradiative recombination. In this regard, control of charged trion formation is of interest for both fundamental characterization of the quasi-particles and performance optimization. Using CdSe/CdS QDs as a prototypical material system, here we demonstrate a metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor based on QD thin films for studying the background charge effect on the luminescence efficiency and lifetime.

Consensus-based clustering and data aggregation in decentralized network of multi-agent systems.

Multi-agent systems are promising for applications in various fields. However, they require optimization algorithms that can handle large number of agents and heterogeneously connected networks in clustered environments. Planning algorithms performed in the decentralized communication model and clustered environment require precise knowledge about cluster information by compensating noise from other clusters.

Telecommuting-related health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea: a national population-based cross-sectional study.

Background: Telecommuting has expanded greatly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the advent of remote working from home, there has been an ongoing controversy about the positive or negative health-related impact of telecommuting. This study aimed to investigate change in the occupational health risk in South Korean workers involved in telecommuting during the pandemic period compared to daily commuters.

Working From Home, Work-Life Balance, and Depression/Anxiety Among Korean Workers in the COVID-19 Pandemic Period: A Mediation Analysis.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the association between working from home (WFH), depression/anxiety, and work-family conflict (WFC) among Korean workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We surveyed a total of 1074 workers online. Depression and anxiety were measured using the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI).

Can deep learning reduce the time and effort required for manual segmentation in 3D reconstruction of MRI in rotator cuff tears?

Background/purpose: The use of MRI as a diagnostic tool has gained popularity in the field of orthopedics. Although 3-dimensional (3D) MRI offers more intuitive visualization and can better facilitate treatment planning than 2-dimensional (2D) MRI, manual segmentation for 3D visualization is time-consuming and lacks reproducibility. Recent advancements in deep learning may provide a solution to this problem through the process of automatic segmentation.

Association between sickness presenteeism and depressive symptoms in Korean workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Korean workers have reported various types of sickness presenteeism (SP: continuing to attend work during illness). Understanding SP through mental health perspectives will help to make practical strategy for better working conditions. We examined the association between SP and depression among Korean workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in relation with the socioeconomic and lifestyle factors.

COVID-19 and vaccination during pregnancy: a systematic analysis using Korea National Health Insurance claims data.

Objective: This study systematically analyzed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and vaccination details during pregnancy by using the national health insurance claims data.

Methods: Population-based retrospective cohort data of 12,399,065 women aged 15-49 years were obtained from the Korea National Health Insurance Service claims database between 2019 and 2021. Univariate analysis was performed to compare the obstetric outcomes of pregnant women (ICD-10 O00-O94) and their newborns (ICD-10 P00-P96) with and without COVID-19.

Wireless Stand-Alone Trimodal Interactive Display Enabled by Direct Capacitive Coupling.

With recent advances in interactive displays, the development of a stand-alone interactive display with no electrical interconnection is of great interest. Here, a wireless stand-alone interactive display (WiSID), enabled by direct capacitive coupling, consisting of three layers: two in-plane metal electrodes separated by a gap, a composite layer for field-induced electroluminescence (EL) and inverse piezoelectric sound, and a stimuli-responsive layer, from bottom to top, is presented. Alternating current power necessary for field-induced EL and inverse piezoelectric sound is wirelessly transferred from a power unit, with two in-plane electrodes remotely separated from the WiSID.

Correction: Kim et al. The Value of Posterior Cervical Angle as a Predictor of Vaginal Delivery: A Preliminary Study. 2021, , 1977.

In the original publication [...

The Value of Posterior Cervical Angle as a Predictor of Vaginal Delivery: A Preliminary Study.

Accurate prediction of failure to progress and rapid decision making regarding the mode of delivery can improve pregnancy outcomes. We examined the value of sonographic cervical markers in the prediction of successful vaginal delivery beyond 34 weeks of gestation. A retrospective chart review was carried out.

Bird-Inspired Self-Navigating Artificial Synaptic Compass.

Extrasensory neuromorphic devices that can recognize, memorize, and learn stimuli imperceptible to human beings are of considerable interest in interactive intelligent electronics research. This study presents an artificially intelligent magnetoreceptive synapse inspired by the magnetocognitive ability used by birds for navigation and orientation. The proposed synaptic platform is based on arrays of ferroelectric field-effect transistors with air-suspended magneto-interactive top-gates.

The association between non-regular work patterns and insomnia among Korean wage workers: the fifth Korean working condition survey.

Background: Non-regular workers are steadily increasing on account of improving corporate productivity. They are classified as non-permanent, part-time, or non-typical workers. Non-regular work has a negative impact on workers' physical and mental health.

The association between effort-reward imbalance, work-life balance and depressive mood in Korean wage workers: The 4th Korean Working Conditions Survey.

Background: This study was conducted to determine the association between work-life (WL) balance, effort-reward (ER) imbalance, and depressive mood in Korean wage workers when 2 models were considered simultaneously.

Methods: We analyzed 26,014 Korean workers including 13,471 men and 12,543 women from the 4th Korean Working Conditions Survey data. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the association between WL, ER status, and the depressive mood of Korean workers.

Long-Living Anions Could Dramatically Change the Overall Physical Properties of a Polyamide (Nylon 6) Synthesized by a Novel Process.

We devised a novel strategy of two-stage anionic polymerization of (ε-caprolactam) in a twin screw extruder to control the generation of branched structures. Long-living anions of nylon 6 prepared in the first extrusion gave rise to a change in the molecular structure when they interacted with diamine added during the second extrusion. It has been found that the transfer of living anions between functional molecules having the same anion-forming groups affects the structural change of the resulting polymer molecule.

Novel Dual-Curing Process for a Stereolithographically Printed Part Triggers a Remarkably Improved Interlayer Adhesion and Excellent Mechanical Properties.

Stereolithography (SL) is widely used because of its numerous advantages over other three-dimensional printing (3DP) techniques. However, SL is a layer-by-layer process, where interlayer adhesion between adjacent layers becomes more brittle than the intralayer adhesion, common to all 3DP process. Here, we report a facile method to strengthen the interlayer adhesion for SL.

Effect of Diamine Addition on Structural Features and Physical Properties of Polyamide 6 Synthesized by Anionic Ring-Opening Polymerization of ε-Caprolactam.

Synthesis of ε-caprolactam in a twin screw extruder by anionic ring-opening polymerization was successfully carried out to prepare a novel nylon 6 (polyamide 6 (PA6)) containing a small amount of diamine moiety. The produced PA6 shows a remarkable improvement of the physical properties (mechanical properties as well as rheological properties). Added diamine molecules led to some structural changes in the synthesized PA6.

Pure Piezoelectricity Generation by a Flexible Nanogenerator Based on Lead Zirconate Titanate Nanofibers.

Lead zirconate titanate (PbZrTiO, PZT) alloys have been extensively studied to be used for piezoelectric nanogenerators to harvest energy from mechanical motions. In this study, PZT nanofiber-based nanogenerators were fabricated to test their true piezoelectric performance without the triboelectric effect. Aligned PZT nanofibers were fabricated by a sol-gel electrospinning process.

Microwave Absorption and Shielding Property of Fe-Si-Al Alloy/MWCNT/Polymer Nanocomposites.

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding with the development of advanced electronic devices and communication instruments because high-frequency microwaves generate undesired noise, which can affect the proper operation of commercial, military, and scientific electronic devices as well as the health of our human body. In this study, we investigated the effect of multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) addition to the Fe-Si-Al alloy (Sendust)/polymer blend on the electromagnetic wave absorption and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. Ternary composites (flaky Fe-Si-Al alloy (Sendust)/MWCNTs/polymer) were fabricated using a twin-screw internal mixer and a roll-milling machine.