Predictive Force Control of Fingertip Induced by Functional Electrical Stimulation Based on a Hill-Type Muscle Model.

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is an effective technique for restoring or enhancing hand motor function in patients with neurological impairments, such as those recovering from stroke or spinal cord injuries. Although many studies have used phenomenological models to investigate the control of FES, few studies have simultaneously employed both methods to study finger output force. This study aims to accurately predict finger output force using the Hill model and a multi-joint finger model under different current conditions.

Hemicellulose-Based Water-Soluble Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Advanced Flexible Electronics.

Biodegradable hemicellulose has been recognized as a promising triboelectric positive material due to its polyhydroxy structure. However, its inherently low triboelectric polarity severely limits its application in flexible wearable sensor systems. Herein, a hemicellulose-based composite film with excellent triboelectric properties was designed.

Natural lignocellulose fibers-based bio-dressing for accelerated wound healing and machine learning-assisted smart multimodal sensing.

The integration of ultrasensitive smart human-machine interaction and well skin-like healing capabilities into the biomaterials-based dressing still remains great challenges. Herein, a sort of novel multifunctional lignocellulose dressing is proposed by combining ammonia-oxygen pretreatment with papermaking strategy, which promotes wound healing and achieves synchronous and resolvable self-powered quadruple sensing. In-situ aminated lignin within lignocellulose skeleton and the incorporated foreign natural tea polyphenols (TP) on outer wall synergistically enhanced the polarity of the lignocellulose, the optimized lignocellulose/TP TENG displayed the highest output performance, with the maximum output power of 210.

Dual-Engineered Cellulosic Triboelectric Platforms with Ultrasensitive Alkaline Responsiveness for Real-Time Seafood Freshness Monitoring.

Achieving a synergy between structural stability and an ultrasensitive response to alkaline gases remains a key challenge in developing advanced gas-sensitive cellulosic triboelectric materials. Unlike conventional approaches relying on simple physical blending, this work introduces a novel coupling strategy combining in situ growth with defect engineering. The oxygen-containing groups on the cellulose skeleton coordinate with Zn, serving as nucleation sites for the in situ growth of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles, while acid vapor etching precisely creates defective regions.

Modulated D-Electron Transfer in Hypervalent Cobalt-Based Electrocatalyst for Efficient 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Electrooxidation.

5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) electrooxidation is important in producing biomass-based valuable chemicals, whereas the preferential adsorption of only hydroxymethyl or formyl on a specific catalyst limits the reaction efficiency. Herein, the electrochemical synthesis of copper incorporated CoOOH electrocatalyst is reported that can execute the synchronized adsorption of both groups. The catalyst works under a low applied potential of 1.

Modulating fatty acid metabolism to counteract cucumber green mottle mosaic virus infection in cucumber.

As plants often alter their metabolism in response to viral infections, the mechanisms involved in this process remain a research hotspot. Here, we examined the leaf fatty acid (FA) content in cucumber plants and revealed significant changes in the composition of FAs before and after severe cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) infection. Before severe CGMMV infection, saturated FAs accumulated, whereas unsaturated FAs decreased.

A Powered Prosthetic Hand With Vision System for Enhancing the Anthropopathic Grasp.

The anthropomorphic grasping capability of prosthetic hands is critical for enhancing user experience and functional efficiency. Existing prosthetic hands relying on brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and electromyography (EMG) face limitations in achieving natural grasping due to insufficient gesture adaptability and intent recognition. While vision systems enhance object perception, they lack dynamic human-like gesture control during grasping.

Improvement in lignocellulose degradation and humus synthesis by adding gallic acid during cow manure composting.

The positive effects of adding polyphenols on humification have been widely explored during composting. However, the precise impact of polyphenols on the breakdown of lignocellulose throughout the composting process has not yet been elucidated. Two experimental treatments were designed to explore the mechanism by which adding natural organic phenols affected interactive relationship between lignocellulose hydrolysis and humus synthesis: a control group and a gallic acid (GA)-amended group.

Reprogrammed Plant Metabolism During Viral Infections: Mechanisms, Pathways and Implications.

Plant viruses pose a significant threat to global agriculture, leading to substantial crop losses that jeopardise food security and disrupt ecosystem stability. These viral infections often reprogramme plant metabolism, compromising key pathways critical for growth and defence. For instance, infections by cucumber mosaic virus alter amino acid and secondary metabolite biosynthesis, including flavonoid and phenylpropanoid pathways, thereby weakening plant defences.

Multi-dimensional microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs) for noninvasive testing: A review of structural design and applications.

The rapid emergence of microfluidic paper-based devices as point-of-care testing (POCT) tools for early disease diagnosis and health monitoring, particularly in resource-limited areas, holds immense potential for enhancing healthcare accessibility. Leveraging the numerous advantages of paper, such as capillary-driven flow, porous structure, hydrophilic functional groups, biodegradability, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility, it has become a pivotal choice for microfluidic substrates. The repertoire of microfluidic paper-based devices includes one-dimensional lateral flow assays (1D LFAs), two-dimensional microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (2D μPADs), and three-dimensional (3D) μPADs.

Empowering High-Level Spinal Cord Injury Patients in Daily Tasks With a Hybrid Gaze and FEMG-Controlled Assistive Robotic System.

Individuals with high-level spinal cord injuries often face significant challenges in performing essential daily tasks due to their motor impairments. Consequently, the development of reliable, hands-free human-computer interfaces (HCI) for assistive devices is vital for enhancing their quality of life. However, existing methods, including eye-tracking and facial electromyogram (FEMG) control, have demonstrated limitations in stability and efficiency.

Design and Synthesis of a Robust and Multifunctional Superhydrophobic Coating with a Three-Dimensional Network Structure on a Paper-Based Material.

A fundamental challenge in artificial superhydrophobic papers is their poor resistance to mechanical abrasion, which limits their practical application in different fields. Herein, a robust and multifunctional superhydrophobic paper is successfully fabricated via a facile spraying method by combining silver nanowires and fluorinated titania nanoparticles through a common paper sizing agent (alkyl ketene dimer) onto paper. It is shown that the surface of the paper-based material presents a three-dimensional network structure due to the cross-linking of silver nanowires with a high aspect ratio.

A novel process for efficient utilization of bamboo fiber resource in dissolving pulp production by fiber fractionation: Laboratory study and mill trials.

The rational use of bamboo to make dissolving pulp can offer up new opportunities for cellulose production, alleviating wood scarcity. Bamboo contains a high content of non-fiber cells, which presents technical challenges in dissolving pulp production by the conventional process. In this study, a process concept of separating hemicelluloses is presented by fiber fractionation and purification for cleaner production of bamboo dissolving pulp: bamboo kraft pulp was fractionated into long-fiber and short-fiber fractions.

Biomechanical Consequences of Walking With the Suspended Backpacks.

Objective: This article aimed to investigate the biomechanical mechanisms underlying the energetic advantages of the suspended backpacks during load carriage.

Methods: In this study, we examined eight adults walking with a 15 kg load at 5 km/h with a designed suspended backpack, in which the load could be switched to locked and suspended with four combinations of stiffness. Mechanical work and metabolic cost were measured during load carriage.

A Probability Fusion Approach for Foot Placement Prediction in Complex Terrains.

Prediction of foot placement presents great potential in better assisting the walking of people with lower-limb disability in daily terrains. Previous researches mainly focus on foot placement prediction in level ground walking, however these methods cannot be applied to daily complex terrains including ramps, stairs, and level ground with obstacles. To predict foot placement in complex terrains, this paper presents a probability fusion approach for foot placement prediction in complex terrains which consists of two parts: model training and foot placement prediction.

Neural Correlation of EEG and Eye Movement in Natural Grasping Intention Estimation.

Decoding the user's natural grasp intent enhances the application of wearable robots, improving the daily lives of individuals with disabilities. Electroencephalogram (EEG) and eye movements are two natural representations when users generate grasp intent in their minds, with current studies decoding human intent by fusing EEG and eye movement signals. However, the neural correlation between these two signals remains unclear.

An Intelligent Rehabilitation Assessment Method for Stroke Patients Based on Lower Limb Exoskeleton Robot.

The 6-min walk distance (6MWD) and the Fugl-Meyer assessment lower-limb subscale (FMA-LE) of the stroke patients provide the critical evaluation standards for the effect of training and guidance of the training programs. However, gait assessment for stroke patients typically relies on manual observation and table scoring, which raises concerns about wasted manpower and subjective observation results. To address this issue, this paper proposes an intelligent rehabilitation assessment method (IRAM) for rehabilitation assessment of the stroke patients based on sensor data of the lower limb exoskeleton robot.

UV and IR dual light triggered cellulose-based invisible actuators with high sensitivity.

Actuators are widely used in bionic devices and soft robots, among which invisible actuators have some unique applications, including performing secret missions. In this paper, highly visible transparent cellulose-based UV-absorbing films were prepared by dissolving cellulose raw materials using N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) and using ZnO nanoparticles as UV absorbers. Furthermore, transparent actuator was fabricated by growing highly transparent and hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film on regenerated cellulose (RC)-ZnO composite film.

Adaptive Oscillator-Based Assistive Torque Control for Gait Asymmetry Correction With a nSEA-Driven Hip Exoskeleton.

Gait asymmetry is an important clinical characteristic of the hemiplegic gait most stroke survivors suffered, leading to restricted functional mobility and long-term negative impact on their quality of life. In recent years, robot assistance has been proven able to improve stroke patients' functional walking, but few studies have been conducted to specifically correct gait asymmetry of stroke patients during the whole gait cycle. In this work, an adaptive oscillator-based assistive torque control was developed and implemented on a unilateral hip exoskeleton driven by a novel nonlinear series elastic actuator (nSEA), aiming at correcting gait asymmetry at hip joints during the whole gait cycle.

Fully Automatic Dual-Probe Lung Ultrasound Scanning Robot for Screening Triage.

Two-dimensional lung ultrasound (LUS) has widely emerged as a rapid and noninvasive imaging tool for the detection and diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, image differences will be magnified due to changes in ultrasound (US) imaging experience, such as US probe attitude control and force control, which will directly affect the diagnosis results. In addition, the risk of virus transmission between sonographer and patients is increased due to frequent physical contact.

A Supervised-Reinforced Successive Training Framework for a Fuzzy Inference System and Its Application in Robotic Odor Source Searching.

Fuzzy inference systems have been widely applied in robotic control. Previous studies proposed various methods to tune the fuzzy rules and the parameters of the membership functions (MFs). Training the systems with only supervised learning requires a large amount of input-output data, and the performance of the trained system is confined by that of the target system.

Design of asymmetric-adhesion lignin-reinforced hydrogels based on disulfide bond crosslinking for strain sensing application.

Soft and elastic polymer hydrogel materials are booming in the fields of wearable biomimetic skin, sensors, robotics, and bioelectrodes. Currently, many researchers are exploring new chemistries for the preparation of hydrogels to improve their performance. In the present study, we design and develop a strategy to prepare lignin reinforced hydrogels based on disulfide bond crosslinking mechanisms, and resultant hydrogels exhibit excellent stretchability, with tensile strain of up to 1085.

Unsupervised Sim-to-Real Adaptation for Environmental Recognition in Assistive Walking.

Powered lower-limb prostheses with vision sensors are expected to restore amputees' mobility in various environments with supervised learning-based environmental recognition. Due to the sim-to-real gap, such as real-world unstructured terrains and the perspective and performance limitations of vision sensor, simulated data cannot meet the requirement for supervised learning. To mitigate this gap, this paper presents an unsupervised sim-to-real adaptation method to accurately classify five common real-world (level ground, stair ascent, stair descent, ramp ascent and ramp descent) and assist amputee's terrain-adaptive locomotion.

Preparation of Hemicellulose Nanoparticle-Containing Ionic Hydrogels with High Strength, Self-Healing, and UV Resistance and Their Applications as Strain Sensors and Asymmetric Pressure Sensors.

Smart functional fillers can significantly enhance the comprehensive properties of ionic hydrogels, such as their mechanical properties, which are key features of hydrogels in wearable sensor applications. As a plant-derived natural polymer, hemicellulose can serve as smart functional fillers. In this study, tannic acid-modified hemicellulose nanoparticles (TA@HC) and Fe were used in the preparation of PAA/TA@HC/Fe hydrogels.