Grayscale mask-assisted photochemical crosslinking for a dense collagen construct with stiffness gradient.

Despite the potential of a collagen construct with a stiffness gradient for investigating cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness interaction or recapitulating an in vivo tissue interface, it has been developed in a limited way due to the low and poorly controllable mechanical properties of the collagen. This study proposes a novel fabrication process to achieve a compressed collagen construct with a stiffness gradient, named COSDIENT, at a level of ~ 1 MPa while maintaining in vivo ECM-like dense collagen fibrillar structures. The COSDIENT was fabricated by collagen compression followed by grayscale mask-assisted UV-riboflavin crosslinking.

Degradation Mechanism of Highly Ni-Rich Li[NiCoMn]O Cathodes with > 0.9.

A series of Ni-rich Li[NiCoMn]O ( = 0.9, 0.92, 0.

High-Energy-Density Li-S Batteries with Additional Elemental Sulfur Coated on a Thin-Film Separator.

For the development of high-areal-capacity Li-S batteries, sulfur-coated separators were utilized between the cathode and anode. It was found that (1) the additional sulfur on the separator participated at the electrode reaction occurring in the cathode region, contributing to the improvement of the areal capacity of Li-S batteries, and (2) the areal capacity significantly increased with the mass ratio of sulfur on the separator (S) to sulfur in cathode (S). At the high S/S mass ratio of 5.

Facile and Low-Cost Fabrication of Cathode Protection Thin Layer for Durable Li-S Batteries.

A new and cost-efficient way of confining the diffusing polysulfides within the sulfur cathode is presented on the basis of employing a porous diatomite that is highly abundant in nature. The sulfur cathode coated with diatomite layer exhibited a significantly reduced capacity fade during the first two cycles, implying that the loss of active materials due to the migration of polysulfides can be mitigated by the protective layer. The diatomite-layered cathode demonstrated excellent cycling stability as high as 85% after 100 cycles.

Analysis of impingement-free range of motion of the glenohumeral joint after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty using three different implant models.

Background: This study aimed to investigate impingement-free range of motion (ROM) of the glenohumeral joint following reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) with three types of implant models using computational motion analysis.

Methods: Three-dimensional (3D) scapulohumeral models were created from preoperative computed tomography (CT) images of seven patients by using visualization and computer-aided design software. Three types of implant designs, namely, typical medialization, in between, and lateralization implants, were used for the reconstruction of 3D model; each design was designated as group I, II, and III, respectively.

The Mechanical Strength of Si Foams in the Mushy Zone during Solidification of Al-Si Alloys.

The mechanical strength of an Al-30% Si alloy in the mushy zone was estimated by using a novel centrifugation apparatus. In the apparatus, the alloy melt was partially solidified, forming a porous structure made of primary Si platelets (Si foam) while cooling. Subsequently, pressure generated by centrifugal force pushed the liquid phase out of the foam.

Long-Term Cyclability of Electrochromic Poly(3-hexyl thiophene) Films Modified by Surfactant-Assisted Graphene Oxide Layers.

Organic electrochromic (EC) materials are generally known to be electrochemically unstable during the ion intercalation/deintercalation process. One effective method to stabilize them is incorporating graphene derivatives in the polymer matrix, thereby creating strong interaction between graphene derivatives and polymer. However, previous studies are limited to specific polymers and bulk-blended systems, such as mixing the polymer with graphene derivatives.

VisitSense: Sensing Place Visit Patterns from Ambient Radio on Smartphones for Targeted Mobile Ads in Shopping Malls.

In this paper, we introduce a novel smartphone framework called VisitSense that automatically detects and predicts a smartphone user's place visits from ambient radio to enable behavioral targeting for mobile ads in large shopping malls. VisitSense enables mobile app developers to adopt visit-pattern-aware mobile advertising for shopping mall visitors in their apps. It also benefits mobile users by allowing them to receive highly relevant mobile ads that are aware of their place visit patterns in shopping malls.

Effect of carbon black materials on the electrochemical properties of sulfur-based composite cathode for lithium-sulfur cells.

To investigate the effect of the electrode materials on the electrochemical performance of Li-S cells, sulfur cathodes were constructed using four types of carbon blacks: Ketjenblack EC-600JD (KB-600), Printex XE-2, Cabot BP-2000, and Super-P. It was found that the electrochemical performance of sulfur cathode was strongly dependent on the type of carbon black used. In the first discharge, the sulfur cathodes containing carbon blacks with a high surface area, KB-600 (SBET = 1270 m2/g), Printex XE-2 (SBET = 950 m2/g), or Cabot BP-2000 (SBET = 1487 m2/g), showed much higher discharge capacities (>1200 mA h/g) than the sulfur cathode (710 mA h/g) with Super-P (SBET = 62 m2/g).