Modern Cause and Effect Model by Factors of Root Cause for Accident Prevention in Small to Medium Sized Enterprises.

Background: Factors related to root causes can cause commonly occurring accidents such as falls, slips, and jammed injuries. An important means of reducing the frequency of occupational accidents in small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMSEs) of South Korea is to perform intensity analysis of the root cause factors for accident prevention in the cause and effect model like decision models, epidemiological models, system models, human factors models, LCU (life change unit) models, and the domino theory. Especially intensity analysis in a robot system and smart technology as Industry 4.

An Organic/Inorganic Nanomaterial and Nanocrystal Quantum Dots-Based Multi-Level Resistive Memory Device.

A cadmium selenide/zinc sulfide (CdSe/ZnS) quantum dot (QD)-based multi-level memory device with the structure [ITO/PEDOT:PSS/QDs/ZnO/Al:AlO/QDs/Al] was fabricated via a spin-coating method used to deposit thin films. Two layers of QD thin films present in the device act as charge storage layers to form three distinct states. Zinc oxide (ZnO) and aluminum oxide (AlO) were added to prevent leakage.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Patellofemoral Morphometry Reveals Age and Gender Variations in the Knees of Children and Adolescents.

Background: The morphology and alignment of the patellofemoral joint are crucial risk factors for patellar instability, and the incidence of acute primary patellar dislocation is the highest in women in their second decade of life. The purpose of the study was to analyze age and gender variations of the patellofemoral joint using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: A total of 852 patients aged between 4 and 18 years with a history of knee MRI examinations were screened for eligibility and 663 patients (470 males, 193 females) were included.

High Sensitivity Shortwave Infrared Photodetector Based on PbS QDs Using P3HT.

Shortwave infrared (SWIR) photodetectors are being actively researched for their application in autonomous vehicles, biometric sensors, and night vision. However, most of the SWIR photodetectors that have been studied so far are produced by complex semiconductor fabrication processes and have low sensitivity at room temperature because of thermal noise. In addition, the low wavelength band of the SWIR photodetectors currently used has a detrimental effect on the human eye.

Improvement of the Uniformity and Electrical Properties of Polyaniline Nanocomposite Film by Addition of Auxiliary Gases during Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Polymerization.

The morphological and chemical properties of polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposite films after adding small amounts of auxiliary gases such as argon, nitrogen, and oxygen during atmospheric pressure (AP) plasma polymerization are investigated in detail. A separate gas-supply line for applying an auxiliary gas is added to the AP plasma polymerization system to avoid plasma instability due to the addition of auxiliary gas during polymerization. A small amount of neutral gas species in the plasma medium can reduce the reactivity of monomers hyperactivated by high plasma energy and prevent excessive crosslinking, thereby obtaining a uniform and regular PANI nanocomposite film.

A Review of Plasma Synthesis Methods for Polymer Films and Nanoparticles under Atmospheric Pressure Conditions.

In this paper, we present an overview of recent approaches in the gas/aerosol-through-plasma (GATP) and liquid plasma methods for synthesizing polymer films and nanoparticles (NPs) using an atmospheric-pressure plasma (APP) technique. We hope to aid students and researchers starting out in the polymerization field by compiling the most commonly utilized simple plasma synthesis methods, so that they can readily select a method that best suits their needs. Although APP methods are widely employed for polymer synthesis, and there are many related papers for specific applications, reviews that provide comprehensive coverage of the variations of APP methods for polymer synthesis are rarely reported.

Asymmetric Diffraction in Plasmonic Meta-Gratings Using an IT-Shaped Nanoslit Array.

Diffraction is a fundamental phenomenon that reveals the wave nature of light. When a plane wave is transmitted or reflected from a grating or other periodic structures, diffracted light waves propagate at several angles that are specified by the period of the given structure. When the optical period is shorter than the wavelength, constructive interference of diffracted light rays from the subwavelength-scale grating forms a uniform plane wave.

Ultrafast Room Temperature Synthesis of Porous Polythiophene via Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Polymerization Technique and Its Application to NO Gas Sensors.

New nanostructured conducting porous polythiophene (PTh) films are directly deposited on substrates at room temperature (RT) by novel atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs) polymerization technique. The proposed plasma polymerization synthesis technique can grow the PTh films with a very fast deposition rate of about 7.0 μm·min by improving the sufficient nucleation and fragment of the thiophene monomer.

Regeneration in Spinal Disease: Therapeutic Role of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 Alpha in Regeneration of Degenerative Intervertebral Disc.

The intervertebral disc (IVD) is a complex joint structure comprising three primary components-namely, nucleus pulposus (NP), annulus fibrosus (AF), and cartilaginous endplate (CEP). The IVD retrieves oxygen from the surrounding vertebral body through CEP by diffusion and likely generates ATP via anaerobic glycolysis. IVD degeneration is characterized by a cascade of cellular, compositional, structural changes.

Low serum vitamin B levels are associated with degenerative rotator cuff tear.

Background: Vitamin B (Vit B) deficiency results in elevated homocysteine levels and interference with collagen cross-linking, which may affect tendon integrity. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether serum Vit B levels were correlated with degenerative rotator cuff (RC) tear.

Methods: Eighty-seven consecutive patients with or without degenerative RC tear were enrolled as study participants.

Transparent Polyaniline Thin Film Synthesized Using a Low-Voltage-Driven Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Reactor.

The use of low-voltage-driven plasma in atmospheric pressure (AP) plasma polymerization is considered as a simple approach to reducing the reactivity of the monomer fragments in order to prevent excessive cross-linking, which would have a negative effect on the structural properties of the polymerized thin films. In this study, AP-plasma polymerization can be processed at low voltage by an AP-plasma reactor with a wire electrode configuration. A bare tungsten wire is used as a powered electrode to initiate discharge in the plasma area (defined as the area between the wide glass tube and the substrate stand), thus allowing plasma polymerization to proceed at a lower voltage compared to other AP-plasma reactors with dielectric barriers.

Deep learning based prediction of necessity for orthognathic surgery of skeletal malocclusion using cephalogram in Korean individuals.

Background: Posteroanterior and lateral cephalogram have been widely used for evaluating the necessity of orthognathic surgery. The purpose of this study was to develop a deep learning network to automatically predict the need for orthodontic surgery using cephalogram.

Methods: The cephalograms of 840 patients (Class ll: 244, Class lll: 447, Facial asymmetry: 149) complaining about dentofacial dysmorphosis and/or a malocclusion were included.

The Effects of Fe Film Thickness and the H₂ Annealing Time on the Spin-Capability of Carbon Nanotube Forest with Chemical Vapor Deposition Method.

The effects of as-deposited iron (Fe) film thickness and the hydrogen (H₂) annealing time on the spin-capability of carbon nanotube (CNT) forest have been studied. Both, the as-deposited Fe film thickness and the H₂ annealing time significantly changed the morphology of Fe nanoparticles (NPs) after annealing process during the synthesis step of spin-capable carbon nanotube (SCNT) forest. The spin capability of CNT forests depended heavily on the different thicknesses of Fe films and the H₂ annealing time.

Integrated Quad-Scanner Strategy-Based Optical Coherence Tomography for the Whole-Directional Volumetric Imaging of a Sample.

Whole-directional scanning methodology is required to observe distinctive features of an entire physical structure with a three dimensional (3D) visualization. However, the implementation of whole-directional scanning is challenging for conventional optical coherence tomography (OCT), which scans a limited portion of the sample by utilizing unidirectional and bidirectional scanning methods. Therefore, in this paper an integrated quad-scanner (QS) strategy-based OCT method was implemented to obtain the whole-directional volumetry of a sample by employing four scanning arms installed around the sample.

In-Situ Iodine Doping Characteristics of Conductive Polyaniline Film Polymerized by Low-Voltage-Driven Atmospheric Pressure Plasma.

In-situ iodine (I)-doped atmospheric pressure (AP) plasma polymerization is proposed, based on a newly designed AP plasma reactor with a single wire electrode that enables low-voltage-driven plasma polymerization. The proposed AP plasma reactor can proceed plasma polymerization at low voltage levels, thereby enabling an effective in-situ I doping process by maintaining a stable glow discharge state even if the applied voltage increases due to the use of a discharge gas containing a large amount of monomer vapors and doping materials. The results of field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) show that the polyaniline (PANI) films are successfully deposited on the silicon (Si) substrates, and that the crosslinking pattern of the synthesized nanoparticles is predominantly vertically aligned.

Self-Organizing IoT Device-Based Smart Diagnosing Assistance System for Activities of Daily Living.

Activity of daily living (ADL) is a criterion for evaluating the performance ability of daily life by recognizing various activity events occurring in real life. However, most of the data necessary for ADL evaluation are collected only through observation and questionnaire by the patient or the patient's caregiver. Recently, Internet of Things(IoT) device studies using various environmental sensors are being used for ADL collection and analysis.

Deep learning based prediction of extraction difficulty for mandibular third molars.

This paper proposes a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based deep learning model for predicting the difficulty of extracting a mandibular third molar using a panoramic radiographic image. The applied dataset includes a total of 1053 mandibular third molars from 600 preoperative panoramic radiographic images. The extraction difficulty was evaluated based on the consensus of three human observers using the Pederson difficulty score (PDS).

Developing a Transnational Health Record Framework with Level-Specific Interoperability Guidelines Based on a Related Literature Review.

With the advent of digital healthcare without borders, enormous amounts of health information are captured and computerized. As healthcare quality largely depends on the reliability of given health information, personal health records should be accessible according to patients' mobility, even as they travel or migrate to other countries. However, since all the health information is scattered in multiple places, it is an onerous task to carry it whenever people move to other countries.

A preliminary study of post-progressive nail-art effects on in vivo nail plate using optical coherence tomography-based intensity profiling assessment.

Nail beautification is a widely applied gender independent practice. Excessive nail beautifications and nail-arts have a direct impact on the nail structure and can cause nail disorders. Therefore, the assessment of post-progressive nail-art effects on the nail is essential to maintain optimal nail health and to avoid any undesirable disorders.

Clinical application of the experimental ADL test for patients with cognitive impairment: pilot study.

We employed a hospital-based Internet of Things (IoT) platform to validate the role of real-time activities of daily living (ADL) measurement as a digital biomarker for cognitive impairment in a hospital setting. Observational study. 12 patients with dementia, 11 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 15 cognitively normal older adults.

Deep-learning for predicting C-shaped canals in mandibular second molars on panoramic radiographs.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a convolutional neural network (CNN) system for predicting C-shaped canals in mandibular second molars on panoramic radiographs.

Methods: Panoramic and cone beam CT (CBCT) images obtained from June 2018 to May 2020 were screened and 1020 patients were selected. Our dataset of 2040 sound mandibular second molars comprised 887 C-shaped canals and 1153 non-C-shaped canals.

Recent Progress in Birdcage RF Coil Technology for MRI System.

The radio frequency (RF) coil is one of the key components of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. It has a significant impact on the performance of the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) detection. Among numerous practical designs of RF coils for NMR imaging, the birdcage RF coil is the most popular choice from low field to ultra-high field MRI systems.

Ultra-stiff compressed collagen for corneal perforation patch graft realized by in situ photochemical crosslinking.

Despite the potential of a collagen construct, consisting of a major extracellular matrix component of the native cornea, as a patch graft to treat the corneal perforation, there has still been difficulty in acquiring sufficient mechanical properties for clinical availability. This study developed a novel in situ photochemical crosslinking (IPC)-assisted collagen compression process, namely, the IPC-C process, to significantly enhance the mechanical properties of the collagen construct for the development of a collagenous patch graft. For the first time, we found that compressed collagen construct was rapidly rehydrated in an aqueous solution, which inhibited effective riboflavin-mediated photochemical crosslinking for mechanical improvement.