Determinants of wearer satisfaction factors for harnesses in upper-limb assistive wearable robots.

Wearable robots are increasingly being deployed for use in industrial fields. However, only a few studies have focused on the usability of wearable robots. The present study evaluated the factors affecting the usability of a harness in securing a wearable robot to the body because the harness directly affects the work efficiency, and thus its design and use require careful consideration. A comparative evaluation of the arrangement of the Vest Exoskeleton before and after improvements was conducted, in which participants performed a benchmark assembly task while wearing the robot. Results showed that wearability decreased after the improvements due to the additional straps and buckles used, but the overall wearing satisfaction improved as a result of increased stability. Stability and convenience were the main factors affecting the overall wearing satisfaction, while sub-indicators included wearing comfort and tactile sensation. Therefore, improvements in stability, such as those related to fixation strength and tactile sensation, had a direct positive impact on the overall wearing satisfaction.

Various treatment modalities for isolated intracranial middle cerebral arterial dissection with progressive ischemic symptoms: 2 case reports of endovascular stent and bypass surgery.

Isolated middle cerebral artery dissection (MCAD) is rare but increasingly recognized as a significant clinical entity, particularly in younger adults. Ischemic stroke is the most common manifestation in symptomatic cases but symptoms can vary in severity from headaches to severe neurologic deficits. Due to its rarity and unpredictable clinical course, there is no established treatment strategy for isolated MCAD. Through two case reports, we reviewed the post-operative clinical course of MCAD under different treatment modalities. Case 1 was a 21-year-old woman who presented to the emergency department with headaches and left-side hemiparesis. Isolated MCAD was diagnosed and she was successfully treated with the placement of a self-expandable stent and subsequent chemical angioplasty for post-stent vasospasm. Case 2 was a 35-year-old woman who presented to the emergency department with left-side hemiparesis and dysarthria. Isolated MCAD was diagnosed and she was successfully treated with superficial temporal artery (STA) to middle cerebral artery (MCA) anastomosis.

Corrigendum to 'Technostress causes cognitive overload in high-stress people: Eye tracking analysis in a virtual kiosk test'; Information Processing & Management 59 (2022) 103093 /6.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.ipm.2022.103093.].

Technostress causes cognitive overload in high-stress people: Eye tracking analysis in a virtual kiosk test.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of non-face-to-face information and communication technology (ICT) such as kiosks has increased. While kiosks are useful overall, those who do not adapt well to these technologies experience technostress. The two most serious technostressors are inclusion and overload issues, which indicate a sense of inferiority due to a perceived inability to use ICT well and a sense of being overwhelmed by too much information, respectively. This study investigated the different effects of hybrid technostress-induced by both inclusion and overload issues-on the cognitive load among low-stress and high-stress people when using kiosks to complete daily life tasks. We developed a 'virtual kiosk test' to evaluate participants' cognitive load with eye tracking features and performance features when ordering burgers, sides, and drinks using the kiosk. Twelve low-stress participants and 13 high-stress participants performed the virtual kiosk test. As a result, regarding eye tracking features, high-stress participants generated a larger number of blinks, a longer scanpath length, a more distracted heatmap, and a more complex gaze plot than low-stress participants. Regarding performance features, high-stress participants took significantly longer to order and made more errors than low-stress participants. A support-vector machine (SVM) using both eye tracking features (i.e., number of blinks, scanpath length) and a performance feature (i.e., time to completion) best differentiated between low-stress and high-stress participants (89% accuracy, 100% sensitivity, 83.3% specificity, 75% precision, 85.7% F1 score). Overall, under technostress, high-stress participants experienced cognitive overload and consequently decreased performance; whereas, low-stress participants felt moderate arousal and improved performance. These varying effects of technostress can be interpreted through the Yerkes-Dodson law. Based on our findings, we proposed an adaptive interface, multimodal interaction, and virtual reality training as three implications for technostress relief in non-face-to-face ICT.

Ultra Gas-Proof Polymer Hybrid Thin Layer.

Hermetic sealing is an important technology for isolating and protecting air-sensitive materials and is key in the development of foldable and stretchable electronic devices. Here we report an ultra gas-proof polymer hybrid thin layer prepared by filling the free volume of the polymer with Al2O3 using gas-phase atomic layer infiltration. The high-density polymer-inorganic hybrid shows extremely low gas transmission rate, below the detection limit of the Ca corrosion test (water vapor transmission rate <10-7 g m-2 day-1). Furthermore, because of the remarkable nanometer-scale thinness of the complete polymer-inorganic hybrid, it is highly flexible, which makes it useful for hermetic sealing of stretchable and foldable devices.

Development of an evaluation framework for publicly funded R&D projects: The case of Korea's Next Generation Network.

For decades, efforts have been made globally to measure the performance of large-scale public projects and to develop a framework to perform such measurements due to the complexity and dynamics of R&D and stakeholder interests. Still, limitations such as the use of a simply modified model and the lack of a comprehensive viewpoint are prevalent in existing approaches. In light of these research gaps, this study suggests a practical model to evaluate the performance of large-scale and publicly funded projects. The proposed model suggests a standard matrix framework of indices that evaluates the performance of particular elements in an industrial ecosystem in vertical categories and the economic and technological outcomes of those elements in horizontal categories. Based on the application of a balanced scorecard, this study uses mixed methodologies such as social network analysis, inter-industry analysis, and the analytic hierarchy process. Finally, the model evaluates the performance of Korea's Next Generation Network project as a case study.

A non-destructive n-doping method for graphene with precise control of electronic properties via atomic layer deposition.

Graphene applications require high precision control of the Fermi level and carrier concentration via a nondestructive doping method. Here, we develop an effective n-doping technique using atomic layer deposition (ALD) of ZnO thin films on graphene through a reactive molecular layer. This ALD doping method is nondestructive, simple, and precise. The ZnO thin films on graphene are uniform, conformal, of good quality with a low density of pinholes, and finely tunable in thickness with 1 Å resolution. We demonstrate graphene transistor control in terms of the Dirac point, carrier density, and doping state as a function of the ZnO thickness. Moreover, ZnO functions as an effective thin-film barrier against air-borne water and oxygen on the graphene, resulting in extraordinary stability in air for graphene devices. ZnO ALD was also applied to other two-dimensional materials including MoS2 and WSe2, which substantially enhanced electron mobility.

Wafer-scale single-domain-like graphene by defect-selective atomic layer deposition of hexagonal ZnO.

Large-area graphene films produced by means of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) are polycrystalline and thus contain numerous grain boundaries that can greatly degrade their performance and produce inhomogeneous properties. A better grain boundary engineering in CVD graphene is essential to realize the full potential of graphene in large-scale applications. Here, we report a defect-selective atomic layer deposition (ALD) for stitching grain boundaries of CVD graphene with ZnO so as to increase the connectivity between grains. In the present ALD process, ZnO with a hexagonal wurtzite structure was selectively grown mainly on the defect-rich grain boundaries to produce ZnO-stitched CVD graphene with well-connected grains. For the CVD graphene film after ZnO stitching, the inter-grain mobility is notably improved with only a little change in the free carrier density. We also demonstrate how ZnO-stitched CVD graphene can be successfully integrated into wafer-scale arrays of top-gated field-effect transistors on 4-inch Si and polymer substrates, revealing remarkable device-to-device uniformity.

NIK and IKKbeta interdependence in NF-kappaB signalling--flux analysis of regulation through metabolites.

Activation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB is central to control of immune and inflammatory responses. Cytokine induced activation through the classical or canonical pathway relies on degradation of the inhibitor, IkappaBalpha and regulation by the IKKbeta kinase. In addition, the NF-kappaB is activated through the NF-kappaB-inducing kinase, NIK. Analysis of the IKK/NIK inter-relationship and its impact on NF-kappaB control, were analysed by mathematical modelling, using matrix formalism and stoichiometrically balanced reactions. The analysis considered a range of bio-reactions and core metabolites and their role in relation to kinase activation and in control of specific steps of the NF-kappaB pathway. The model predicts a growth-rate and time-dependent transfer of the primary kinase activity from IKKbeta to NIK. In addition, it suggests that NIK/IKKbeta interdependence is controlled by intermediates of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PRPP) within the glycolysis pathway, and thus, identifies a link between specific metabolic events and kinase activation in inflammatory signal transduction. Subsequent in vitro experiments, carried out to validate the impact of IKK/NIK interdependence, confirmed signal amplification at the level of the NF-kappaB/IkappaBalpha complex control in the presence of both kinases. Further, they demonstrate that the induced potentiation is due to synergistic enhancement of relA-dependent activation.