Decoding Neural Correlation of Language-Specific Imagined Speech using EEG Signals.

Speech impairments due to cerebral lesions and degenerative disorders can be devastating. For humans with severe speech deficits, imagined speech in the brain-computer interface has been a promising hope for reconstructing the neural signals of speech production. However, studies in the EEG-based imagined speech domain still have some limitations due to high variability in spatial and temporal information and low signal-to-noise ratio. In this paper, we investigated the neural signals for two groups of native speakers with two tasks with different languages, English and Chinese. Our assumption was that English, a non-tonal and phonogram-based language, would have spectral differences in neural computation compared to Chinese, a tonal and ideogram-based language. The results showed the significant difference in the relative power spectral density between English and Chinese in specific frequency band groups. Also, the spatial evaluation of Chinese native speakers in the theta band was distinctive during the imagination task. Hence, this paper would suggest the key spectral and spatial information of word imagination with specialized language while decoding the neural signals of speech. Clinical Relevance- Imagined speech-related studies lead to the development of assistive communication technology especially for patients with speech disorders such as aphasia due to brain damage. This study suggests significant spectral features by analyzing cross-language differences of EEG-based imagined speech using two widely used languages.

Conformally Gated Surface Conducting Behaviors of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Thin-Film-Transistors.

Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNTs) have gathered significant interest in various emerging electronics due to their outstanding electrical and mechanical properties. Although large-area and low-cost fabrication of s-SWCNT field effect transistors (FETs) can be easily achieved via solution processing, the electrical performance of the solution-based s-SWCNT FETs is often limited by the charge transport in the s-SWCNT networks and interface between the s-SWCNT and the dielectrics depending on both s-SWCNT solution synthesis and device architecture. Here, we investigate the surface and interfacial electro-chemical behaviors of s-SWCNTs. In addition, we propose a cost-effective and straightforward process capable of minimizing polymers bound to s-SWCNT surfaces acting as an interfering element for the charge carrier transport via a heat-assisted purification (HAP). With the HAP treated s-SWCNTs, we introduced conformal dielectric configuration for s-SWCNT FETs, which are explored by a carefully designed wide array of electrical and chemical characterizations with finite-element analysis (FEA) computer simulation. For more favorable gate-field-induced surface and interfacial behaviors of s-SWCNT, we implemented conformally gated highly capacitive s-SWCNT FETs with ion-gel dielectrics, demonstrating field-effect mobility of ~8.19 cm2/V⋅s and on/off current ratio of ~105 along with negligible hysteresis.

Highly Sensitive Textile-Based Capacitive Pressure Sensors Using PVDF-HFP/Ionic Liquid Composite Films.

Textile-based pressure sensors have garnered considerable interest in electronic textiles due to their diverse applications, including human-machine interface and healthcare monitoring systems. We studied a textile-based capacitive pressure sensor array using a poly(vinylidene fluoride)-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP)/ionic liquid (IL) composite film. By constructing a capacitor structure with Ag-plated conductive fiber electrodes that are embedded in fabrics, a capacitive pressure sensor showing high sensitivity, good operation stability, and a wide sensing range could be created. By optimizing the PVDF-HFP:IL ratio (6.5:3.5), the fabricated textile pressure sensors showed sensitivity of 9.51 kPa-1 and 0.69 kPa-1 in the pressure ranges of 0-20 kPa and 20-100 kPa, respectively. The pressure-dependent capacitance variation in our device was explained based on the change in the contact-area formed between the multi-filament fiber electrodes and the PVDF-HFP/IL film. To demonstrate the applicability and scalability of the sensor device, a 3 × 3 pressure sensor array was fabricated. Due to its matrix-type array structure and capacitive sensing mechanism, multi-point detection was possible, and the different positions and the weights of the objects could be identified.

Highly-Sensitive Textile Pressure Sensors Enabled by Suspended-Type All Carbon Nanotube Fiber Transistor Architecture.

Among various wearable health-monitoring electronics, electronic textiles (e-textiles) have been considered as an appropriate alternative for a convenient self-diagnosis approach. However, for the realization of the wearable e-textiles capable of detecting subtle human physiological signals, the low-sensing performances still remain as a challenge. In this study, a fiber transistor-type ultra-sensitive pressure sensor (FTPS) with a new architecture that is thread-like suspended dry-spun carbon nanotube (CNT) fiber source (S)/drain (D) electrodes is proposed as the first proof of concept for the detection of very low-pressure stimuli. As a result, the pressure sensor shows an ultra-high sensitivity of ~3050 Pa-1 and a response/recovery time of 258/114 ms in the very low-pressure range of <300 Pa as the fiber transistor was operated in the linear region (VDS = -0.1 V). Also, it was observed that the pressure-sensing characteristics are highly dependent on the contact pressure between the top CNT fiber S/D electrodes and the single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) channel layer due to the air-gap made by the suspended S/D electrode fibers on the channel layers of fiber transistors. Furthermore, due to their remarkable sensitivity in the low-pressure range, an acoustic wave that has a very tiny pressure could be detected using the FTPS.

Locally Controlled Sensing Properties of Stretchable Pressure Sensors Enabled by Micro-Patterned Piezoresistive Device Architecture.

For wearable health monitoring systems and soft robotics, stretchable/flexible pressure sensors have continuously drawn attention owing to a wide range of potential applications such as the detection of human physiological and activity signals, and electronic skin (e-skin). Here, we demonstrated a highly stretchable pressure sensor using silver nanowires (AgNWs) and photo-patternable polyurethane acrylate (PUA). In particular, the characteristics of the pressure sensors could be moderately controlled through a micro-patterned hole structure in the PUA spacer and size-designs of the patterned hole area. With the structural-tuning strategies, adequate control of the site-specific sensitivity in the range of 47~83 kPa-1 and in the sensing range from 0.1 to 20 kPa was achieved. Moreover, stacked AgNW/PUA/AgNW (APA) structural designed pressure sensors with mixed hole sizes of 10/200 µm and spacer thickness of 800 µm exhibited high sensitivity (~171.5 kPa-1) in the pressure sensing range of 0~20 kPa, fast response (100~110 ms), and high stretchability (40%). From the results, we envision that the effective structural-tuning strategy capable of controlling the sensing properties of the APA pressure sensor would be employed in a large-area stretchable pressure sensor system, which needs site-specific sensing properties, providing monolithic implementation by simply arranging appropriate micro-patterned hole architectures.

The dynamics of Br(2Pj) formation in the photodissociation of vinyl and perfluorovinyl bromides.

The photodissociation dynamics of vinyl bromide and perfluorovinyl bromide have been investigated at 234 nm using a photofragment ion imaging technique coupled with a state-selective [2+1] resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization scheme. The nascent Br atoms stem from the primary C-Br bond dissociation leading to the formation of C2H3(X) and Br(2Pj;j=1/2,3/2). The obtained translational energy distributions have been well fitted by a single Boltzmann and three Gaussian functions. Boltzmann component has not been observed in the perfluorovinyl bromide. The repulsive 3A'(n,sigma *) state has been considered as the origin of the highest Gaussian components. Middle translational energy components with Gaussian shapes are produced from the 1A"(pi,sigma*) and/or 3A"(pi,sigma*) which are very close in energy. Low-energy Gaussian components are produced via predissociation from the 3A'(pi,pi*) state. The assignments have also been supported by the recoil anisotropy corresponding to the individual components. It is suggested that intersystem crossing from the triplet states to the ground state has been attributed to the Boltzmann component and the fluorination reduces the probability of this electronic relaxation process.

Dissociation of sulfur dioxide by ultraviolet multiphoton absorption between 224 and 232 nm.

Multiphoton excitation and dissociation of SO(2) have been investigated in the wavelength range from 224 to 232 nm. Strong evidence is found for two-photon excitation to the H Rydberg state, followed by dissociation to SO + O and ionization of the SO product by absorption of a third photon. The two-photon excitation is resonantly enhanced via the C (1)B(2) intermediate state, and the two-photon yield spectrum thus bears a strong resemblance to the spectrum of this intermediate. Imaging of the O((3)P(2)), S((1)D(2)), and SO products suggests that, following dissociation of SO(2) from the H state, SO is produced in the A and B electronic states. S((1)D(2)) is produced both from two-photon dissociation of SO(2) to give S((1)D(2)) + O(2) and by single-photon dissociation of SO(+). In the former process, the O(2) is likely formed in all of its lowest three electronic states.