A comprehensive dataset for home appliance control using ERP-based BCIs with the application of inter-subject transfer learning.

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have a potential to revolutionize human-computer interaction by enabling direct links between the brain and computer systems. Recent studies are increasingly focusing on practical applications of BCIs-e.g., home appliance control just by thoughts. One of the non-invasive BCIs using electroencephalography (EEG) capitalizes on event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to target stimuli and have shown promise in controlling home appliance. In this paper, we present a comprehensive dataset of online ERP-based BCIs for controlling various home appliances in diverse stimulus presentation environments. We collected online BCI data from a total of 84 subjects among whom 60 subjects controlled three types of appliances (TV: 30, door lock: 15, and electric light: 15) with 4 functions per appliance, 14 subjects controlled a Bluetooth speaker with 6 functions via an LCD monitor, and 10 subjects controlled air conditioner with 4 functions via augmented reality (AR). Using the dataset, we aimed to address the issue of inter-subject variability in ERPs by employing the transfer learning in two different approaches. The first approach, "within-paradigm transfer learning," aimed to generalize the model within the same paradigm of stimulus presentation. The second approach, "cross-paradigm transfer learning," involved extending the model from a 4-class LCD environment to different paradigms. The results demonstrated that transfer learning can effectively enhance the generalizability of BCIs based on ERP across different subjects and environments.

Prognosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients after tracheostomy invasive ventilation in Korea.

Background: Tracheostomy invasive ventilation (TIV) is applied to a subset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients; however, its frequency and impact on prognosis vary across countries. Methods: We conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort study using Korean National Health Insurance claims data. All patients diagnosed with sporadic ALS from 2012 to 2017 were included, with the observation period until 2020. The survival time between the TIV and non-TIV groups was compared using propensity score matching analysis, and prognostic factors were assessed within the TIV group. Results: This study included 3484 ALS patients (mean [standard deviation] age, 62.4 [11.9] years, 60.4% male), among whom 1230 (35.3%) underwent TIV. After 1:1 propensity score matching, the survival duration between the two groups was not significantly different (28 vs. 25 months, p = 0.057). Cox regression indicated that older age (hazard ratios [HRs] for each decade compared to <40 years: 3.89, 3.83, 5.30, 6.78, and 8.40 [≥80 years]; p < 0.005 for all) and lower income (HR, 1.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-1.52; p = 0.003) negatively impacted survival, while gastrostomy (HR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.50-0.66; p < 0.001) and supportive care services (HR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.32-0.59; p < 0.001) were associated with prolonged survival. Conclusions: TIV was administered to more than one-third of Korean ALS patients without significant survival prolongation. Older age, lower income, lack of gastrostomy, and insufficient supportive care were independent poor prognostic factors for survival, underscoring the importance of comprehensive management for ALS patients.

Unraveling Connective Tissue Growth Factor as a Therapeutic Target and Assessing Kahweol as a Potential Drug Candidate in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treatment.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by aggressive behavior and limited treatment options, necessitating the identification of novel therapeutic targets. In this study, we investigated the clinical significance of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) as a prognostic marker and explored the potential therapeutic effects of kahweol, a coffee diterpene molecule, in TNBC treatment. Initially, through a survival analysis on breast cancer patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we found that CTGF exhibited significant prognostic effects exclusively in TNBC patients. To gain mechanistic insights, we performed the functional annotation and gene set enrichment analyses, revealing the involvement of CTGF in migratory pathways relevant to TNBC treatment. Subsequently, in vitro experiments using MDA-MB 231 cells, a representative TNBC cell line, demonstrated that recombinant CTGF (rCTGF) administration enhanced cell motility, whereas CTGF knockdown using CTGF siRNA resulted in reduced motility. Notably, rCTGF restored kahweol-reduced cell motility, providing compelling evidence for the role of CTGF in mediating kahweol's effects. At the molecular level, kahweol downregulated the protein expression of CTGF as well as critical signaling molecules, such as p-ERK, p-P38, p-PI3K/AKT, and p-FAK, associated with cell motility. In summary, our findings propose CTGF as a potential prognostic marker for guiding TNBC treatment and suggest kahweol as a promising antitumor compound capable of regulating CTGF expression to suppress cell motility in TNBC. These insights hold promise for the development of targeted therapies and improved clinical outcomes for TNBC patients.

Measurement of Airborne Particles and Volatile Organic Compounds Produced During the Heat Treatment Process in Manufacturing Welding Materials.

Background: There is little information about the airborne hazardous agents released during the heat treatment when manufacturing a welding material. This study aimed to evaluate the airborne hazardous agents generated at welding material manufacturing sites through area sampling. Methods: concentration of airborne particles was measured using a scanning mobility particle sizer and optical particle sizer. Total suspended particles (TSP) and respirable dust samples were collected on polyvinyl chloride filters and weighed to measure the mass concentrations. Volatile organic compounds and heavy metals were analyzed using a gas chromatography mass spectrometer and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer, respectively. Results: The average mass concentration of TSP was 683.1 ± 677.4 µg/m3, with respirable dust accounting for 38.6% of the TSP. The average concentration of the airborne particles less than 10 µm in diameter was 11.2-22.8 × 104 particles/cm3, and the average number of the particles with a diameter of 10-100 nm was approximately 78-86% of the total measured particles (<10 µm). In the case of volatile organic compounds, the heat treatment process concentration was significantly higher (p < 0.05) during combustion than during cooling. The airborne heavy metal concentrations differed depending on the materials used for heat treatment. The content of heavy metals in the airborne particles was approximately 32.6%. Conclusions: Nanoparticle exposure increased as the number of particles in the air around the heat treatment process increases, and the ratio of heavy metals in dust generated after the heat treatment process is high, which may adversely affect workers' health.

Effect of Coating Thickness on Abrasion and Cutting Performance of NCD-Coated Ball Endmills on Graphite Machining.

Nano-crystalline diamond (NCD) coating to improve the performance of cutting tools, as the coating thickness varies, the cutting performance and lifespan of the tool varies because the radius of its cutting edge and coating surface roughness are altered. Therefore, an in-depth analysis on the impact of the variations in coating thickness on the cutting tool abrasion and quality of machined surface is necessary. In this study, two NCD ball endmills were coated with 8 and 12 µm thicknesses, and the tool abrasion and roughness of the machined plane were observed after milling. Furthermore, the morphology of the coated surface and abrased cutting edge were observed using a 3D confocal microscope. Consequently, we observed that individual nodules were formed on the continuous aggregates as the coating thickness increased, which increased the coated surface roughness. The two damage modes of the aggregation determined the dominant abrasion that occurred on the cutting edges of both types of coating thicknesses. Delamination and crater wear caused a sharp increase in the roughness of the machined surface. In summary, the increase in coating thickness delayed the delamination of the coating but increased the roughness of the cutting edge, which reduced the machined surface roughness.

A Study on the Architecture of Artificial Neural Network Considering Injection-Molding Process Steps.

In this study, an artificial neural network (ANN) was established to predict product properties (mass, diameter, height) using six process conditions of the injection-molding process (melt temperature, mold temperature, injection speed, packing pressure, packing time, and cooling time) as input parameters. The injection-molding process consists of continuous sequential stages, including the injection stage, packing stage, and cooling stage. However, the related research tends to have an insufficient incorporation of structural characteristics based on these basic process stages. Therefore, in order to incorporate these process stages and characteristics into the ANN, a process-based multi-task learning technique was applied to the connection between the input parameters and the front-end of the hidden layer. This resulted in the construction of two network structures, and their performance was evaluated by comparing them with the typical network structure. The results showed that a multi-task learning architecture that incorporated process-level specific structures in the connections between the input parameters and the front end of the hidden layer yielded relatively better root mean square errors (RMSEs) values than a conventional neural network architecture, by as much as two orders of magnitude. Based on these results, this study has provided guidance for the construction of artificial neural networks for injection-molding processes that incorporates process-stage specific features and structures in the architecture.

Systematic Analysis of Cellular Signaling Pathways and Therapeutic Targets for SLC45A3:ERG Fusion-Positive Prostate Cancer.

ETS-related gene (ERG) fusion affects prostate cancer depending on the degree of expression of ERG. Solute Carrier Family 45 Member 3 (SLC45A3) is the second-most common 5' partner gene of ERG rearrangement. However, the molecular pathological features of SLC45A3:ERG (S:E) fusion and therapeutic methods have not been studied at all. S:E fusion-positive cancers (n = 10) were selected from the Tumor Fusion Gene Data Portal website. Fusion-negative cancers (n = 50) were selected by sorting ERG expression level in descending order and selecting the bottom to 50th sample. Totally, 1325 ERG correlated genes were identified by a Pearson correlation test using over 0.3 of absolute correlation coefficiency (|R| > 0.3). Pathway analysis was performed using over-representation analysis of correlated genes, and seven cancer-related pathways (focal adhesion kinase (FAK)/PI3K-Akt, JAK-STAT, Notch, receptor tyrosine kinase/PDGF, TGF-ß, VEGFA, and Wnt signaling) were identified. In particular, focal adhesion kinase (FAK)/PI3K-Akt signaling and JAK-STAT signaling were significantly enriched in S:E fusion-positive prostate cancer. We further identified therapeutic targets and candidate drugs for S:E fusion-positive prostate cancer using gene−drug network analysis. Interestingly, PDGFRA and PDGFRB were the most frequently predicted therapeutic targets, and imatinib targeted both genes. In this study, we provide extensive information on cellular signaling pathways involved in S:E fusion-positive prostate cancer and also suggest therapeutic methods.

Two-Step Glass Molding Process for Forming Glass Edges with Obtuse Angles for Mobile Displays.

The domain of edge displays with 2.5D or 3D curved designs has been expanded to improve user convenience. The currently available 3D cover glass offers a limited curvature radius of at least 5 mm and a curvature less than 88°, due to limitations in the undercuts and formability of parts. The development of a full 3D cover, applicable to next-generation displays, requires cover glass molding technology with a curvature exceeding 90°. Here, a mold design and molding process, which addresses the current limitations by dividing the existing glass molding press (GMP) process into two stages, is proposed. The bending geometry of the glass prepared on the basis of the proposed mold design plan during single-step compression forming and two-step compression forming was predicted using commercial analysis software. A molding product with a curvature radius of 2.5 mm and an angle of curvature of 138.9° was produced when process conditions with bending by up to 180° with no damage were applied during actual forming experiments. Further research on annealing and cooling processes of GMP is expected to enable the design and process implementation to manufacture curved glass with a single curvature of at least 90° and multiple curvatures.

Analysis of Tool Wear and Roughness of Graphite Surfaces Machined Using MCD and NCD-Coated Ball Endmills.

The high-purity G5 graphite material is widely used for glass moulding and provides high hardness and brittleness because it is sintered to fine particles unlike other graphite materials. Hence, tool cutting of a G5 workpiece is performed by local fracture instead of plastic deformation of the machined surface. Although a diamond-coated tool with outstanding hardness is used to machine very hard graphite, the tool shows variability regarding the service life and machining performance depending on the grain size, even in the same machining environment. We investigated the wear and change trend of machined surface roughness considering microcrystalline diamond (MCD) and nanocrystalline diamond (NCD)-coated tools, which are generally used to machine graphite materials, and analysed their relation with coating. For rough machining, the MCD-coated tool, for which the delamination of coating occurred later, showed less wear and improved machined surface roughness. For precision machining, the NCD tool showed less tool wear rate relative to the cutting length, leading to a small difference in the machined surface roughness between the two tools. We conclude that if rough and precision machining processes are performed using the same cutting tool, the MCD-coated tool is advantageous in terms of service life, while the difference in roughness of the final machined surface between the tools is negligible.

At-home wireless monitoring of acute hemodynamic disturbances to detect sleep apnea and sleep stages via a soft sternal patch.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects more than 900 million adults globally and can create serious health complications when untreated; however, 80% of cases remain undiagnosed. Critically, current diagnostic techniques are fundamentally limited by low throughputs and high failure rates. Here, we report a wireless, fully integrated, soft patch with skin-like mechanics optimized through analytical and computational studies to capture seismocardiograms, electrocardiograms, and photoplethysmograms from the sternum, allowing clinicians to investigate the cardiovascular response to OSA during home sleep tests. In preliminary trials with symptomatic and control subjects, the soft device demonstrated excellent ability to detect blood-oxygen saturation, respiratory effort, respiration rate, heart rate, cardiac pre-ejection period and ejection timing, aortic opening mechanics, heart rate variability, and sleep staging. Last, machine learning is used to autodetect apneas and hypopneas with 100% sensitivity and 95% precision in preliminary at-home trials with symptomatic patients, compared to data scored by professionally certified sleep clinicians.

Ictal Swearing as a Lateralizing Value for the Dominant Hemisphere in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.

Ictal swearing, as an epileptic manifestation, has rarely been reported. Despite its poor localization value and unclear mechanism, several previous studies have reported that it frequently originates from the temporal lobe and more often from the non-dominant hemisphere. Herein, we report a case of a 41-year-old right-handed man with a history of stereotypical manifestation of ictal swearing with a left (dominant) hemisphere origin, confirmed by video electroencephalography monitoring. Reasonable suspicion that repetitive swearing could be a manifestation of seizures is important for clinicians not to misdiagnose the disease.

Effect of Static Posture on Online Performance of P300-Based BCIs for TV Control.

To implement a practical brain-computer interface (BCI) for daily use, continuing changes in postures while performing daily tasks must be considered in the design of BCIs. To examine whether the performance of a BCI could depend on postures, we compared the online performance of P300-based BCIs built to select TV channels when subjects took sitting, recline, supine, and right lateral recumbent postures during BCI use. Subjects self-reported the degrees of interference, comfort, and familiarity after BCI control in each posture. We found no significant difference in the BCI performance as well as the amplitude and latency of P300 and N200 among the four postures. However, when we compared BCI accuracy outcomes normalized within individuals between two cases where subjects reported relatively more positively or more negatively about using the BCI in a particular posture, we found higher BCI accuracy in those postures for which individual subjects reported more positively. As a result, although the change of postures did not affect the overall performance of P300-based BCIs, the BCI performance varied depending on the degree of postural comfort felt by individual subjects. Our results suggest considering the postural comfort felt by individual BCI users when using a P300-based BCI at home.

Effects of Emotional Stimulations on the Online Operation of a P300-Based Brain-Computer Interface.

Using P300-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) in daily life should take into account the user's emotional state because various emotional conditions are likely to influence event-related potentials (ERPs) and consequently the performance of P300-based BCIs. This study aimed at investigating whether external emotional stimuli affect the performance of a P300-based BCI, particularly built for controlling home appliances. We presented a set of emotional auditory stimuli to subjects, which had been selected for each subject based on individual valence scores evaluated a priori, while they were controlling an electric light device using a P300-based BCI. There were four conditions regarding the auditory stimuli, including high valence, low valence, noise, and no sound. As a result, subjects controlled the electric light device using the BCI in real time with a mean accuracy of 88.14%. The overall accuracy and P300 features over most EEG channels did not show a significant difference between the four auditory conditions (p > 0.05). When we measured emotional states using frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) and compared FAA across the auditory conditions, we also found no significant difference (p > 0.05). Our results suggest that there is no clear evidence to support a hypothesis that external emotional stimuli influence the P300-based BCI performance or the P300 features while people are controlling devices using the BCI in real time. This study may provide useful information for those who are concerned with the implementation of a P300-based BCI in practice.

Stretchable Nanocomposite Sensors, Nanomembrane Interconnectors, and Wireless Electronics toward Feedback-Loop Control of a Soft Earthworm Robot.

Sensors that can detect external stimuli and perceive the surrounding areas could offer an ability for soft biomimetic robots to use the sensory feedback for closed-loop control of locomotion. Although various types of biomimetic robots have been developed, few systems have included integrated stretchable sensors and interconnectors with miniaturized electronics. Here, we introduce a soft, stretchable nanocomposite system with built-in wireless electronics with an aim for feedback-loop motion control of a robotic earthworm. The nanostructured strain sensor, based on a carbon nanomaterial and a low-modulus silicone elastomer, allows for seamless integration with the body of the soft robot that can accommodate large strains caused by bending, stretching, and physical interactions with obstacles. A scalable, cost-effective, and screen-printing method manufactures an array of the strain sensors that are conductive and stretchable over 100% with a gauge factor over 38. An array of nanomembrane interconnectors enables a reliable connection between soft sensors and wireless electronics while tolerating the robot's multimodal movements. A set of computational and experimental studies of soft materials, stretchable mechanics, and hybrid packaging provides the key design factors for a reliable, nanocomposite sensor system. The miniaturized wireless circuit, embedded in the robot joint, offers real-time monitoring of strain changes during the motions of a robotic segment. Collectively, the soft sensor system presented in this work shows great potential to be integrated with other flexible, stretchable electronics for applications in soft robotics, wearable devices, and human-machine interfaces.

Efficient Luminescence of Sr2Si5N8:Eu2+ nanophosphor and its film applications to LED and Solar cell as a downconverter.

Here we present the synthesis of the efficient nanophosphor Sr2Si5N8:Eu2+ (D50 = 144 nm) by a simple milling approach, its strong Rayleigh scattering, and its film applications to white LED and silicon solar cell as a downshifting medium. The final nanophosphor product showed the quantum efficiency comparable to the bulk phosphor which is, to our knowledge, the highest record of nitride nanophosphors. Especially the nanophosphor showed the more tail emission at the shorter-wavelength side of the emission spectrum and the faster thermal quenching with the more spectral broadening along with the temperature due to Rayleigh scattering. Also the lowering in the excitation spectrum was observed due to lower absorbance. Finally, the nanophosphor-dispersed polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film was made, and its applications to white LED and silicon solar cell as a downshifting medium demonstrated that it gave the high color rendering property in white LED in spite of still lower luminous efficiency, and it caused the increase in efficiency of silicon solar cell.

Soft Materials, Stretchable Mechanics, and Optimized Designs for Body-Wearable Compliant Antennas.

Among the various methods to develop flexible wearable antennas, a serpentine, mesh structure has been a great interest because of its mechanical reliability upon applied strain. However, there is still a significant lack of design guidelines for the open-mesh concept that account for both material and electromagnetic (EM) properties of antennas. In this work, we introduce a comprehensive study of materials, mechanics, fabrication, and system integration for the development of stretchable dipole and patch antennas that have networks of two-dimensional serpentine patterns. A set of computational modeling and experimental validation of open-mesh structures provides the key design guidelines to offer the maximum mechanical stretchability and minimum effective moduli of wearable antennas. Integration of the thin-film antenna traces with various substrates captures the versatility of the deterministic fabrication and material transfer printing methods. The influence of antenna stretching on the EM properties, including return loss, electric and magnetic fields, and far-field radiation patterns, is investigated. EM characterization with mechanical stretching results in different properties of fabricated antennas. The simulation study of specific absorption rates shows a potential for safe applications of dipole and patch stretchable antennas on the human skin.

Analysis of Variation and Ferroelectric Layer Thickness on Negative Capacitance Nanowire Field-Effect Transistor.

We investigate the interrelation between some variations and the stability of Negative Capacitance Field-Effect Transistors (NC FETs). When a variation effect is considered, stability issues which are making hysteretic operation should be considered for NC FETs as well. In this paper, to make sure of stability and hysteresis-free operation, a thickness margin of ferroelectric layer is suggested. It is the easiest solution for designing and surest method of vouching for hysteresis-free operation. Although some disadvantages which make subthreshold swing (SS) a bit higher than without a margin on thickness of ferroelectric layer (TFE) can be caused, both still high performance and stable operation can be achieved.

Light Controlled Optical Aharonov-Bohm Oscillations in a Single Quantum Ring.

We found that optical Aharonov-Bohm oscillations in a single GaAs/GaAlAs quantum ring can be controlled by excitation intensity. With a weak excitation intensity of 1.2 kW cm-2, the optical Aharonov-Bohm oscillation period of biexcitons was observed to be half that of excitons in accordance with the period expected for a two-exciton Wigner molecule. When the excitation intensity is increased by an order of magnitude (12 kW cm-2), a gradual deviation of the Wigner molecule condition occurs with decreased oscillation periods and diamagnetic coefficients for both excitons and biexcitons along with a spectral shift. These results suggest that the effective orbit radii and rim widths of electrons and holes in a single quantum ring can be modified by light intensity via photoexcited carriers, which are possibly trapped at interface defects resulting in a local electric field.