Association between functional outcomes and psychological variables in persons with spinal cord injury

Abstract We aimed to explore the association of functional outcomes with psychological variables, including depression, anxiety, sleep quality, and suicide risk, in persons with spinal cord injuries (SCIs). The secondary aim was to determine specific functions related to the psychological variables. This retrospective study included 259 persons with SCIs who were admitted to the Korean National Rehabilitation Center between 2019 and 2021. The participants were interviewed by a psychiatrist and completed questionnaires, including the Korean Beck Depression Inventory II (K-BDI-II), Korean Beck Anxiety Index, Insomnia Severity Index, and Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. To assess functional outcomes, the Spinal Cord Independence Measure III (SCIM III) and Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury were determined by a physical therapist. The findings revealed a negative correlation of SCIM III subdivisions 1 and 3 with K-BDI-II. Specifically, feeding and mobility in bed and actions to prevent pressure injuries were functional factors associated with all four psychological variables. Our findings can guide clinicians to focus on improving functional independence and activities of daily living during the management of persons with SCI to prevent psychological consequences. Developing devices that aid in improving functional independence is crucial and may improve psychological problems in such individuals

Coulomb drag transistor using a graphene and MoS2 heterostructure

© 2020, The Author(s). Two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures often provide extraordinary carrier transport as exemplified by superconductivity or excitonic superfluidity. Recently, a double-layer graphene (Gr) separated by few-layered boron nitride demonstrated the Coulomb drag phenomenon: carriers in the active layer drag carriers in the passive layer. Here, we propose high-performance Gr/MoS2 heterostructure transistors operating via Coulomb drag, exhibiting a high carrier mobility (∼3700 cm2 V−1 s−1) and on/off-current ratio (∼108) at room temperature. The van der Waals gap at the Gr/MoS2 interface induces strong interactions between the interlayer carriers, whose recombination is suppressed by the Schottky barrier between p-Gr and n-MoS2, clearly distinct from the presence of insulating layers. The sign reversal of lateral voltage clearly demonstrates the Coulomb drag in carrier transport. Hole-like behavior of electrons in the n-MoS2 is observed in magnetic field, indicating strong Coulomb drag at low temperature. Our Coulomb drag transistor thus provides a shortcut for the practical application of 2D heterostructures11sciescopu