Preparation and characterization of nanoporous polyimide films from triblock copolyimides

Nanoporous polyimide films were prepared from triblock copolyimides. A thermally labile polymer, poly(propylene glycol), was incorporated into polyimides based on 4,4-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride to obtain triblock copolyimides. Nanofoams were formed by thermolysis of the labile block. The thermal properties of the copolymers were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The nanopores were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).     

Health of female shiftworkers in Singapore

More than 200,000 persons in Singapore work shifts. Over half of these shiftworkers are females. With the continued emphasis on capital-intensive industries and growing demand for "round-the-clock" services, shiftwork is increasingly an economic necessity for more and more industries and a way of life for many Singaporeans. It is generally accepted that about 20% of those who start shiftwork may find it difficult to continue in such work, usually for social rather than medical reasons. For those who continue on shiftwork, concerns have been raised regarding possible health effects, such as increased incidence of digestive disorders and ulcers, chronic fatigue and cardiovascular disorders. In the case of female shiftworkers, there is also the concern that the added responsibilities of looking after the home and young children may further aggravate sleep problems associated with shiftwork, thus adversely affecting their health. So far, our own studies of female electronics workers on 8-hour as well as 12-hour shift schedules indicate no serious long-term health effects. The study subjects had been employed in such work for at least over a year, some as long as 17 years and 6 years, respectively. Except for complaints of sleep problems and tiredness among some rotating shiftworkers, no significant differences in symptom prevalence, blood pressure or sickness absence were found between the shift and day workers. While the findings are reassuring, further studies may be needed to determine if preventive measures can be taken to minimise the common complaints of sleep problems and tiredness, particularly among rotating shiftworkers.     

Layered image coding using the DCT pyramid

A block-based subband image coder that exploits the ability to perform decimation in the discrete cosine transform (DCT) domain to effect a pyramidal data structure is described. The proposed "DCT pyramid" has a distinct feature of improved image rendition properties without the associated blocking artifacts at low bit-rates.     

集束实验针孔成像与仿真分析北大核心CSCD

在激光装置实验中,通过小孔成像原理可获取黑腔靶中发射的X光图像的时间积分。提出一种3倍放大的新型成像设备用于集束实验,通过在与靶轴线夹角30°方向安装带多层镜选能的成像设备从而获取低能和高能段的X光时间积分图像,观察腔壁的再辐射现象。开展了用于集束实验针孔相机的研制工作,包括光路设计与结构设计,通过离线进行测试,在线实验进行打靶考核。进行成像光路仿真,模拟计算了两种镜子的选能效果,并通过光路仿真得到了多层镜、滤片和谱分布对成像结果的影响。采用FLASH对实验辐射场分布进行仿真,作为成像仿真的输入。最后,将此设备获取的成像结果与仿真计算得到的结果进行比较,实验结果与仿真结果基本一致,得到了X光信号强度的分布情况,获取了理想的实验数据,加深了对内部物理现象的理解。由此,建立了针孔成像的仿真能力,能够对成像结果进行预判,指导针孔相机的设计。     

Skin-like Omnidirectional Stretchable Platform with Negative Poisson's Ratio for Wearable Strain–Pressure Simultaneous Sensor

Conventional elastomeric polymers used as substrates for wearable platforms have large positive Poisson's ratios (≈0.5) that cause a deformation mismatch with human skin that is multidirectionally elongated under bending of joints. This causes practical problems in elastomer-based wearable devices, such as delamination and detachment, leading to poorly reliable functionality. To overcome this issue, auxetic-structured mechanical reinforcement with glass fibers is applied to the elastomeric film, resulting in a negative Poisson's ratio (NPR), which is a skin-like stretchable substrate (SLSS). Several parameters for determining the materials and geometrical dimensions of the auxetic-structured reinforcing fillers are considered to maximize the NPR. Based on numerical simulation and digital image correlation analysis, the deformation tendencies and strain distribution of the SLSS are investigated and compared with those of the pristine elastomeric substrate. Owing to the strain-localization characteristics, an independent strain-pressure sensing system is fabricated using SLSS with a Ag-based elastomeric ink and a carbon nanotube-based force-sensitive resistor. Finally, it is demonstrated that the SLSS-based sensor platform can be applied as a wearable device to monitor the physical burden on the wrist in real time.     

Recent Advances in Mn-Rich Layered Materials for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Branded with low cost and a high degree of safety, with an ambitious aim of substituting lithium-ion batteries in many fields, sodium-ion batteries have received fervid attention in recent years after being dormant for decades. Layered materials are a major focus of study owing to the extensive experience already gained in lithium-ion batteries, and the pursuit of a Mn-rich composition is critical to reduce the cost while retaining the performance. This review provides a timely update of the recent progress of Mn-rich layered materials for sodium-ion batteries based on the understandings of the phase forming principles, structure transformation upon cycling and charge compensation mechanisms and discusses potential ambiguities in the pursuit of high-performance materials.     

Application of virtual reality for peritoneal dialysis exchange learning in patients with end-stage renal disease and cognitive impairment

Virtual Reality - Cognitive impairment is not uncommon in patients with end-stage renal disease and can make it more difficult for these patients to carry out peritoneal dialysis (PD) on their own....     

Using attention LSGB network for facial expression recognition

Pattern Analysis and Applications - Both the multiple sources of the available in-the-wild datasets and noisy information of images lead to huge challenges for discriminating subtle distinctions...     

Efficient itinerary recommendation via personalized POI selection and pruning

Knowledge and Information Systems - Personalized itinerary recommendation has garnered wide research interests for their ubiquitous applications. Recommending personalized itineraries is complex...     

(CoFe)Se2@NC超级电容器电极材料的制备及其电化学性能

金属-有机框架(MOF)衍生的过渡金属硒化物和多孔碳纳米复合材料具有巨大的储能优势,是应用于电化学储能的优良电极材料。采用共沉淀法制备CoFe类普鲁士蓝(CoFe-PBA)纳米立方,并通过静电组装在CoFe-PBA上包覆聚吡咯(PPy)得到CoFe-PBA@PPy;通过在400℃氮气中退火并硒化成功制备了氮掺杂的碳(NC)包覆(CoFe)Se₂的(CoFe)Se₂@NC纳米复合材料,并对其结构和形貌进行了表征。以(CoFe)Se₂@NC为电极制备了超级电容器,测试了其电化学性能,结果表明,在电流密度1 A/g时超级电容器的比电容达到1047.9 F/g,在电流密度5 A/g下1000次循环后具有良好的循环稳定性和96.55%的比电容保持率。由于其性能优越、无毒、成本低和易于制备,未来(CoFe)Se₂@NC纳米复合材料在超级电容器中具有非常大的应用潜力。