Ultraflexible Vertical Corbino Organic Electrochemical Transistors for Epidermal Signal Monitoring.

Skin-conformal organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) have attracted significant attention for real-time physiological signal monitoring and are vital for health diagnostics and treatments. However, mechanical harmonization amid the inherent dynamic nature of the skin surface and the acquisition of intrinsic physiological signals are significant challenges that hinder the integration of the ultimate skin interface. Thus, this study proposes a novel 4-terminal (4-T) vertical Corbino OECT, exhibiting high transconductance (>400 mS) and offering remarkable resilience and operational stability at an extremely low voltage of 10 mV (1.9% of minimal current change after 104 biasing cycles and endurance up to 103 cycles of repetitive deformation with a 5 µm bending radius). Consequently, ultralow-power, motion-resistant epidermal electrocardiogram, electromyogram, and electrooculogram sensors are developed with an exceptional signal-to-noise ratio of 40.1 dB. The results of this study present a significant stride in non-invasive, skin-interfaced health-monitoring technologies and herald a new era in integrative health technologies.

The role of supervisor support in the association between night work and depressive symptoms: a gender-stratified analysis of 22,422 full-time wage workers in South Korea.

Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between night work, supervisor support, and depressive symptoms among full-time wage workers, with a focus on gender differences. Methods: A nationwide sample of 22,422 full-time wage workers from the Sixth Korean Working Conditions Survey (2020-2021) was analyzed. Experiences of night work were categorized into 5 groups based on the number of night work days per month: 0, 1-5, 6-10, 11-15, and 16-31. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index. Supervisor support was assessed with 5 items. Results: Workers who engaged in 1-5 days (prevalence ratio [PR], 1.23; 95% CI, 1.12-1.36) and 6-10 days (PR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.06-1.30) of night work per month exhibited a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms than those without night work. After stratifying by supervisor support levels, workers with 1-5, 6-10 and 11-15 days of night work per month were more likely to experience depressive symptoms compared to those without night work in the low supervisor support group. In contrast, no association was found between night work (≥ 6 days) and depressive symptoms in the high supervisor support group. Furthermore, gender differences were notable: female workers with 6-10 days (PR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.23-1.70), and 11-15 days (PR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.08-1.90) of night work per month exhibited a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms, whereas their male counterparts did not. This pattern of gender difference was also found among those with low supervisor support. Conclusion: Supervisor support may mitigate the adverse effects of night work on depressive symptoms among full-time wage workers, with differences manifested across genders.

Analyses of Physical and Psychological Characteristics of "Squid Game" Characters Using East Asian Biopsychosocial Personality Theories and Body Mass Index.

Media characters' physical and psychological traits are crucial for character development and audience engagement. This study examines East Asian perspectives on the audience's perceptions of the physical appearance and personality, using Eum-Yang biopsychological Sasang theory, of five characters from the Netflix series "Squid Game". A total of 221 university students assessed the traits of five "Squid Game" characters using the Sasang Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) and a visual Body Mass Index (BMI). ANOVA and Profile Analysis revealed significant and comprehensive differences in the SPQ and its subscales (behavior, SPQ-B; cognition, SPQ-C; and emotion, SPQ-E) as well as BMI among the five drama characters. More specifically, Seong Gi-hun (SGH) and Han Mi-nyeo (HMN) were So-Yang types (high SPQ, moderate BMI), Cho Sang-woo (CSW) and Kang Sae-byeok (KSB) were So-Eum types (low SPQ, low BMI), and Jang Deok-su (JDS) was Tae-Eum type (moderate SPQ, high BMI). Psychological profiling showed two patterns: V-shaped (high SPQ-B, low SPQ-C, high SPQ-E) for SGH, HMN, and JDS, and A-shaped (low SPQ-B, high SPQ-C, low SPQ-E) for CSW and KSB. These results contribute to media psychology by highlighting the relevance of Eum-Yang and Sasang typology for creating and analyzing complex characters, thereby enhancing global understanding for East Asian biopsychosocial theories.

Disparities in Workplace Hazards and Organizational Protection Resources by Enterprise Size: A National Representative Study of South Korean Manufacturing Workers.

Background: This study aimed to identify the prevalence of workplace hazards and organizational protection resources according to the size of the enterprise in the manufacturing industry of the Republic of Korea. Methods: We analyzed data of waged workers (weighted N = 5,879) from the Fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey (2017). Enterprise sizes were categorized as "micro enterprises" (less than five employees), "small enterprises" (5-49 employees) and "medium-large enterprises" (50 or more employees). Self-reported exposure to 18 physical, chemical, ergonomic, and psychological hazards were measured. The presence of organizational protection resources such as a labor union, a safety delegate working at the company, designated spaces to deal with safety, and the provision of health and safety information was evaluated. Results: Compared to workers in medium-large enterprises, those in micro enterprises showed a higher proportion of exposure to most of physical, chemical, ergonomic, and psychological hazards, except for exposure to solvents, prolonged sitting, and experiencing a state of emotional unrest. On the other hand, workers in micro enterprises had the lowest proportion of access to organizational protection resources. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that manufacturing workers at the micro enterprise in the Republic of Korea are exposed to the most hazardous work environment and yet have access to the fewest organizational protection resources.

Understanding the electrochemical processes of SeS2 positive electrodes for developing high-performance non-aqueous lithium sulfur batteries.

SeS2 positive electrodes are promising components for the development of high-energy, non-aqueous lithium sulfur batteries. However, the (electro)chemical and structural evolution of this class of positive electrodes is not yet fully understood. Here, we use operando physicochemical measurements to elucidate the dissolution and deposition processes in the SeS2 positive electrodes during lithium sulfur cell charge and discharge. Our analysis of real-time imaging reveals the pivotal role of Se in the SeS2 nucleation process, while S enables selective depositions. During the initial discharge, SeS2 converts into Se and S separately, with the dissolved Se acting as nucleation sites due to their lower nucleation potential. The Se effectively catalyzes the growth of S particles, resulting in improved lithium sulfur battery performance compared to cells using positive electrodes containing only Se or S as active materials. By adjusting the Se-to-S ratio, we demonstrate that a low concentration of Se enables uniform catalytic sites, promotes the homogeneous distribution of S and favours improved lithium sulfur battery performance.

Customer verbal abuse is associated with depressive symptoms among high-workload cosmetics sales workers in South Korea.

This study sought to investigate whether association between customer verbal abuse and depressive symptoms differed by workload. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 795 cosmetic sales workers at department store in South Korea. Experience of customer verbal abuse over the past one month was measured by using a yes/no question. Depressive symptoms during the preceding week were assessed by using 20 items from the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale. Workload during the past week was measured by asking the number of customers a worker dealt with on average in a day and classified into two categories: 1) Low (15 people or less), and 2) High (more than 15 people). Cosmetics sales workers' experience of customer verbal abuse was associated with a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms (PR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.15-1.63). After being stratified by workload, customer verbal abuse showed a statistically significant association with depressive symptoms among high workload groups (PR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.19-1.79), whereas the association was not statistically significant among low workload group (PR: 1.23, 95% CI: 0.91-1.65). Our findings suggest that experience of customer verbal abuse could have a negative influence on depressive symptoms among high-workload cosmetics sales workers in South Korea.

Transcriptome Analysis of the Striatum of Electroacupuncture-treated Naïve and Ischemic Stroke Mice.

Objectives: Electroacupuncture (EA) has been demonstrated to aid stroke recovery. However, few investigations have focused on identifying the potent molecular targets of EA by comparing EA stimulation between naïve and disease models. Therefore, this study was undertaken to identify the potent molecular therapeutic mechanisms underlying EA stimulation in ischemic stroke through a comparison of mRNA sequencing data obtained from EA-treated naïve control and ischemic stroke mouse models. Methods: Using both naïve control and middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mouse models, EA stimulation was administered at two acupoints, Baihui (GV20) and Dazhui (GV14), at a frequency of 2 Hz. Comprehensive assessments were conducted, including behavioral evaluations, RNA sequencing to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), functional enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, and quantitative real-time PCR. Results: EA stimulation ameliorated the ischemic insult-induced motor dysfunction in mice with ischemic stroke. Comparative analysis between control vs. MCAO, control vs. control + EA, and MCAO vs. MCAO + EA revealed 4,407, 101, and 82 DEGs, respectively. Of these, 30, 7, and 1 were common across the respective groups. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses revealed upregulated DEGs associated with the regulation of inflammatory immune response in the MCAO vs. MCAO + EA comparison. Conversely, downregulated DEGs in the control vs. control + EA comparison were linked to neuronal development. PPI analysis revealed major clustering related to the regulation of cytokines, such as Cxcl9, Pcp2, Ccl11, and Cxcl13, in the common DEGs of MCAO vs. MCAO + EA, with Esp8l1 identified as the only common downregulated DEG in both EA-treated naïve and ischemic models. Conclusion: These findings underscore the diverse potent mechanisms of EA stimulation between naïve and ischemic stroke mice, albeit with few overlaps. However, the potent mechanisms underlying EA treatment in ischemic stroke models were associated with the regulation of inflammatory processes involving cytokines.

People-Oriented Culture and Its Association With Burnout, Depressive Symptoms, and Sleep Problems During COVID-19 Pandemic Among EMS Providers in Korea.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined how perceived people-oriented culture (POC) was associated with burnout, depressive symptoms, and sleep problems during the COVID-19 pandemic among emergency medical service (EMS) providers in Korea. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 693 EMS providers in 2021. RESULTS: Overall, prevalence of personal burnout, work-related burnout, and citizen-related burnout were 61.5%, 60.0%, and 60.6%, respectively. Prevalence of depressive symptoms was 25.1%. Prevalence of poor sleep quality, unrestful sleep, and sleep disturbance were 46.5%, 58.2%, and 52.2%, respectively. Compared to high POC group, higher prevalence of depressive symptoms was observed among medium (prevalence ratio: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.32) and low (prevalence ratio: 2.70, 95% CI: 1.92, 3.79) POC group. Similar trends were observed in the analysis of burnout and sleep problems. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings underscore that low POC could play a critical role in worsening burnout, depressive symptoms, and sleep problems among EMS providers.

Identifying Candidate Polyphenols Beneficial for Oxidative Liver Injury through Multiscale Network Analysis.

Oxidative stress, a driver of liver pathology, remains a challenge in clinical management, necessitating innovative approaches. In this research, we delved into the therapeutic potential of polyphenols for oxidative liver injury using a multiscale network analysis framework. From the Phenol-Explorer database, we curated a list of polyphenols along with their corresponding PubChem IDs. Verified target information was then collated from multiple databases. We subsequently measured the propagative effects of these compounds and prioritized a ranking based on their correlation scores for oxidative liver injury. This result underwent evaluation to discern its effectiveness in differentiating between known and unknown polyphenols, demonstrating superior performance over chance level in distinguishing these compounds. We found that lariciresinol and isopimpinellin yielded high correlation scores in relation to oxidative liver injury without reported evidence. By analyzing the impact on a multiscale network, we found that lariciresinol and isopimpinellin were predicted to offer beneficial effects on the disease by directly acting on targets such as CASP3, NR1I2, and CYP3A4 or by modulating biological functions related to the apoptotic process and oxidative stress. This study not only corroborates the efficacy of identified polyphenols in liver health but also opens avenues for future investigations into their mechanistic actions.

Ethnic discrimination, asking for fair treatment, and poor self-rated health: a gender stratified analysis of 13,443 Korean Chinese waged workers in South Korea.

BACKGROUND: In South Korea, Korean Chinese workers experience ethnic discrimination although they share physical similarities and ethnic heritage with native-born Koreans. This study aimed to examine whether perceived ethnic discrimination is associated with poor self-rated health and whether the association differs by gender among Korean Chinese waged workers in South Korea. METHODS: We conducted a pooled cross-sectional analysis using data of 13,443 Korean Chinese waged workers from the Survey on Immigrants' Living Conditions and Labor Force conducted in 2018, 2020, and 2022. Based on perceived ethnic discrimination, asking for fair treatment, and subsequent situational improvement, respondents were classified into the following four groups: "Not experienced," "Experienced, not asked for fair treatment," "Experienced, asked for fair treatment, not improved," and "Experienced, asked for fair treatment, improved." Poor self-rated health was assessed using a single question "How is your current overall health?" We applied logistic regression to examine the association between perceived ethnic discrimination and poor self-rated health, with gender-stratified analyses. RESULTS: We found an association between ethnic discrimination and poor self-rated health among Korean Chinese waged workers. In the gender-stratified analysis, the "Experienced, not asked for fair treatment" group was more likely to report poor self-rated health compared to the "Not experienced" group, regardless of gender. However, gender differences were observed in the group stratified by situational improvements. For male workers, no statistically significant association was found in the "Experienced, asked for fair treatment, improved" group with poor self-rated health (odd ratios: 0.87, 95% confidence intervals: 0.30-2.53). Conversely, among female workers, a statistically significant association was observed (odd ratios: 2.63, 95% confidence intervals: 1.29-5.38). CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to find an association between perceived ethnic discrimination and poor self-rated health, along with gender differences in the association between situational improvements after asking for fair treatment and poor self-rated health among Korean Chinese waged workers in South Korea.

Change in employment status and its causal effect on suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms: A marginal structural model with machine learning algorithms.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the causal effect of a change in employment status on suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms by applying marginal structural models (MSM) with machine-learning (ML) algorithms. METHODS: We analyzed data from the 8-15th waves (2013-2020) of the Korean Welfare Panel Study, a nationally representative longitudinal dataset. Our analysis included 13 294 observations from 3621 participants who had standard employment at baseline (2013-2019). Based on employment status at follow-up year (2014-2020), respondents were classified into two groups: (i) maintained standard employment (reference group), (ii) changed to non-standard employment. Suicidal ideation during the past year and depressive symptoms during the past week were assessed through self-report questionnaire. To apply the ML algorithms to the MSM, we conducted eight ML algorithms to build the propensity score indicating a change in employment status. Then, we applied the MSM to examine the causal effect by using inverse probability weights calculated based on the propensity score from ML algorithms. RESULTS: The random forest algorithm performed best among all algorithms, showing the highest area under the curve 0.702, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.686-0.718. In the MSM with the random forest algorithm, workers who changed from standard to non-standard employment were 2.07 times more likely to report suicidal ideation compared to those who maintained standard employment (95% CI 1.16-3.70). A similar trend was observed in the analysis of depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that a change in employment status could lead to a higher risk of suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms.

Accuracy of zirconia crown manufactured using stereolithography and digital light processing.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of zirconia crowns fabricated using stereolithography (SLA) and digital light processing (DLP) and to compare their accuracy with those fabricated using the subtractive manufacturing (SM) method. METHODS: A typodont model with a prepared maxillary first molar was scanned, and the anatomical contour crown was designed using dental computer-aided-design (CAD) software. The designed file in standard tessellation language (STL) format was used to fabricate 10 crowns per group. The crowns were manufactured using a dental milling machine (Datron D5; MLC group), SLA (CERAMAKER 900; SLAC group), and DLP (ZIPRO; DLPC group) printers. The fabricated crowns were scanned using a dental laboratory scanner and saved in three parts: the external, intaglio, and marginal surfaces. For accuracy assessment, these parts were superimposed to the reference file. Root mean square (RMS) values were evaluated using three-dimensional analysis software (Geomagic Control X). Statistical significance was evaluated using a nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test (α = 0.05) and a post-hoc Mann-Whitney U test with Bonferroni correction (α = 0.016). RESULTS: Trueness evaluation revealed the lowest RMS value in all areas in the MLC group, followed by that in the DLPC group. The precision evaluation revealed the lowest RMS value in all areas in the MLC group. Statistically significant differences were observed among the groups in the external, intaglio, and marginal surface (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Although the restorations fabricated using SM revealed higher accuracy, the crowns manufactured using SLA and DLP methods were considered clinically acceptable. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: In the production of zirconia crowns, subtractive manufacturing continues to demonstrate significantly higher accuracy compared to additive manufacturing. However, crowns fabricated using the additive manufacturing method also demonstrated high accuracy.

Female workers with long working hours are more likely to have depressive symptoms when having family-to-work conflict.

PURPOSE: Workers' health can be influenced by risk factors from their family environments as well as their work environments. This paper sought to examine how the association between long working hours and depressive symptoms differs based on the level of FWC after being stratified by worker's gender. METHODS: We used the dataset of 20,384 full-time wage workers from the sixth Korean Working Conditions Survey (2020). Long working hours were defined as working 52 h or more per week. FWC was measured using a 2-item questionnaire, and depressive symptoms were measured using the WHO-5 well-being index. Applying modified Poisson regression, we evaluated how the association between long working hours and depressive symptoms differs by the level of FWC male and female workers separately. RESULTS: In the analysis of the female workers, long working hours were associated with depressive symptoms in the high FWC group (PR 1.35, 95% CI 1.17, 1.55) after adjusting for potential confounders whereas no association was observed in the low FWC group. Among the male workers, a statistically significant association was observed in both high FWC (PR 1.22, 95% CI 1.07, 1.38) and low FWC (PR 1.28, 95% CI 1.12, 1.47) groups. CONCLUSION: FWC may act as a workplace stressor that potentially amplifies the health impact of long working hours among female workers.

Mediating effect of vascular calcification in galectin-3-related mortality in hemodialysis patients.

Galectin-3 levels have been studied as a potential biomarker for predicting cardiovascular (CV) risk and mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Recently, a close relationship between galectin-3 and vascular calcification (VC) has been reported. Here, we investigated the role of VC as a mediating factor in the association between galectin-3 and mortality. Serum galectin-3 and baseline aortic arch calcification (AoAC) score were measured in 477 incident HD patients. Mortality data were obtained at a median follow-up of 40 months. Causal mediation analysis was performed to examine the effect of vascular risk factors on galectin-3-related mortality. The prevalence of AoAC in HD patients was 57% (n = 272), and elevated galectin-3 levels were associated with a significantly increased risk of AoAC. When the galectin-3 level was divided by the median level of 37 ng/mL, a higher galectin group increased the risk of all-cause mortality by 1.71-fold (95% CI 1.02-2.92, p = 0.048), even after adjustment for multiple CV risk factors. Mediation analysis showed that both the direct effect of the galectin-3 on mortality (ß = 0.0368, bootstrapped 95% CI [0.0113-0.0622]) and the indirect effects were significant. AoAC score and high-sensitivity CRP levels significantly mediated the association between galectin-3 and mortality (total indirect effects: ß = 0.0188, bootstrapped 95% CI [0.0066-0.0352]). This study suggests that the association between high galectin-3 and mortality may be partially mediated by higher VC and inflammatory state in HD patients.

Necking Reduction at Low Temperature in Aspect Ratio Etching of SiO2 at CF4/H2/Ar Plasma.

This study investigated the effect of temperature on the aspect-ratio etching of SiO2 in CF4/H2/Ar plasma using patterned samples of a 200 nm trench in a low-temperature reactive-ion etching system. Lower temperatures resulted in higher etch rates and aspect ratios for SiO2. However, the plasma property was constant with the chuck temperature, indicated by the line intensity ratio from optical emission spectroscopy monitoring of the plasma. The variables obtained from the characterization of the etched profile for the 200 nm trench after etching were analyzed as a function of temperature. A reduction in the necking ratio affected the etch rate and aspect ratio of SiO2. The etching mechanism of the aspect ratio etching of SiO2 was discussed based on the results of the surface composition at necking via energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy with temperature. The results suggested that the neutral species reaching the etch front of SiO2 had a low sticking coefficient. The bowing ratio decreased with lowering temperature, indicating the presence of directional ions during etching. Therefore, a lower temperature for the aspect ratio etching of SiO2 could achieve a faster etch rate and a higher aspect ratio of SiO2 via the reduction of necking than higher temperatures.

High-Performance Organic Electrochemical Transistors Achieved by Optimizing Structural and Energetic Ordering of Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Based Polymers.

For optimizing steady-state performance in organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs), both molecular design and structural alignment approaches must work in tandem to minimize energetic and microstructural disorders in polymeric mixed ionic-electronic conductor films. Herein, a series of poly(diketopyrrolopyrrole)s bearing various lengths of aliphatic-glycol hybrid side chains (PDPP-mEG; m = 2-5) is developed to achieve high-performance p-type OECTs. PDPP-4EG polymer with the optimized length of side chains exhibits excellent crystallinity owing to enhanced lamellar and backbone interactions. Furthermore, the improved structural ordering in PDPP-4EG films significantly decreases trap state density and energetic disorder. Consequently, PDPP-4EG-based OECT devices produce a mobility-volumetric capacitance product ([µC*]) of 702 F V-1 cm-1 s-1 and a hole mobility of 6.49 ± 0.60 cm2 V-1 s-1 . Finally, for achieving the optimal structural ordering along the OECT channel direction, a floating film transfer method is employed to reinforce the unidirectional orientation of polymer chains, leading to a substantially increased figure-of-merit [µC*] to over 800 F V-1 cm-1 s-1 . The research demonstrates the importance of side chain engineering of polymeric mixed ionic-electronic conductors in conjunction with their anisotropic microstructural optimization to maximize OECT characteristics.

The Fate of Pre-Existing L5-S1 Degeneration following Oblique Lumbar Interbody Fusion of L4-L5 and Above.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have identified various risk factors for adjacent segment disease (ASD) at the L5-S1 level after fusion surgery, including preoperative sagittal imbalance, longer fusion, and preoperative disc degeneration. However, only a few studies have explored the risk factors for ASD at the L5-S1 level after oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) at the L4-L5 level and above. This study aimed to identify the risk factors for symptomatic ASD at the L5-S1 level in patients with pre-existing degeneration after OLIF at L4-L5 and above. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of patients who underwent OLIF at L4-L5 and above, with a minimum follow-up period of 2 years. Patients with central stenosis or Lee grade 2 or 3 foraminal stenosis at L5-S1 preoperatively were excluded. Patients were divided into ASD and non-ASD groups based on the occurrence of new-onset L5 or S1 radicular pain requiring epidural steroid injection (ESI). The clinical and radiological factors were analyzed. Logistic regression was used to identify the risk factors for ASD of L5-S1. RESULTS: A total of 191 patients with a mean age ± standard deviation of 68.6 ± 8.3 years were included. Thirty-four (21.7%) patients underwent ESI at the L5 root after OLIF. In the logistic regression analyses, severe disc degeneration (OR (95% confidence interval (CI)): 2.65 (1.16-6.09)), the presence of facet effusion (OR (95% CI): 2.55 (1.05-6.23)), and severe paraspinal muscle fatty degeneration (OR (95% CI): 4.47 (1.53-13.05)) were significant risk factors for ASD in L5-S1. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the presence of facet effusion, severe disc degeneration, and severe paraspinal muscle fatty degeneration at the L5-S1 level were associated with the development of ASD at L5-S1 following OLIF at L4-L5 and above. For patients with these conditions, surgeons could consider including L5-S1 in the fusion when considering OLIF at the L4-L5 level and above.

Peculiar transient behaviors of organic electrochemical transistors governed by ion injection directionality.

Despite the growing interest in dynamic behaviors at the frequency domain, there exist very few studies on molecular orientation-dependent transient responses of organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors. In this research, we investigated the effect of ion injection directionality on transient electrochemical transistor behaviors by developing a model mixed conductor system. Two polymers with similar electrical, ionic, and electrochemical characteristics but distinct backbone planarities and molecular orientations were successfully synthesized by varying the co-monomer unit (2,2'-bithiophene or phenylene) in conjunction with a novel 1,4-dithienylphenylene-based monomer. The comprehensive electrochemical analysis suggests that the molecular orientation affects the length of the ion-drift pathway, which is directly correlated with ion mobility, resulting in peculiar OECT transient responses. These results provide the general insight into molecular orientation-dependent ion movement characteristics as well as high-performance device design principles with fine-tuned transient responses.

Improvement of Thermodynamic Phase Stability and High-Rate Capability of Li Layered Oxides.

The use of elemental doping in lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) cathode material at high cutoff voltage is a widely adopted technique in the field of rechargeable batteries to mitigate multiple unfavorable phase transitions. However, there is still a lack of fundamental understanding regarding the rationality of each doping element implemented in this method, specifically considering the various thermodynamic stability and phase transitions. Herein, we investigated the effect of Ti doping on an O2 phase LCO (LCTO) cathode material that exhibited enhanced rate performance. We suggest that the incorporation of Ti into an O2 phase LCO results in the mitigation of multiple-phase transitions and the improvement of phase stability, thereby yielding a high-rate-capable cathode material. Through a combination of experimental and computational calculations, we demonstrate that Ti doping improves the thermodynamic stability and kinetics of Li-ions during the cycling process.

Role of neutrophil extracellular traps in vascular access thrombosis in hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: A patent vascular access (VA) is a lifeline for hemodialysis (HD) patients. However, vascular access is prone to thrombosis, which, if left untreated, can lead to permanent VA loss and increased mortality. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are known to be involved in intravascular thrombosis. We evaluated the relationship between NETs and VA thrombosis and their impact on VA prognosis. METHODS: A total of 189 patients with VA flow problems were enrolled. Among these, 93 patients underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for stenosis, and 96 patients underwent PTA with thrombectomy for thrombosis. Plasma nucleosome, myeloperoxidase-DNA complex, and von Willebrand factor (vWF) were measured as markers of circulating NETs and thrombosis risk, respectively. The primary outcome was permanent VA loss and the secondary outcome was recurrent thrombotic occlusion within 6 months. In addition, the presence of NETs in thrombi was evaluated by histopathological analysis. RESULTS: Circulating nucleosome levels were closely associated with plasma vWF levels (r = 0.172, p = 0.025), and both were higher in thrombectomy cases than in PTA alone cases (nucleosome; 0.83 ± 0.70 vs. 0.35 ± 0.26, p < 0.001, vWF: 9.0 ± 7.6 vs. 7.3 ± 6.2, p = 0.038). The highest quartile of nucleosomes (Q4) was associated with an 18-fold increased rate of access thrombotic occlusion (p < 0.001). In addition, multivariate analysis showed that the rates of permanent access loss (HR 2.77, 95 % CI 1.35-5.77) and recurrent thrombosis (HR 2.35, 95 % CI 1.22-4.54) were much higher in patients with the Q4 nucleosome group than in those with Q1-3. In addition, higher neutrophil infiltration and NET expression in thrombi were also associated with poor VA prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of circulating NETs and the amount of NET expression in thrombi may be associated with VA thrombosis and poor VA outcomes.