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Objective: Tongue strength is crucial for safe and efficient oropharyngeal swallowing. This study examined the effect of tongue-to-palate resistance training (TPRT) on anterior and posterior tongue strength by conducting a prospective, randomized, parallel allocation trial.Methods: Ninety-one healthy adults were recruited in this study and were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 44) or a control group (n = 47). The experimental group performed TPRT for 8 weeks (5 days per week), whereas the control group performed the usual daily activities. Tongue strength was measured using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI) before and after the practice program was conducted at weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8, to evaluate the feasibility of the developed training protocol.Results: This experimental group demonstrated more improvements in both anterior tongue strength (p < .05) and posterior tongue strength (p < .05). The positive effects of the intervention on tongue strength appeared at 8 weeks for the anterior region and 2 weeks for the posterior region.Conclusions: These findings illustrate that TPRT can improve tongue strength. It is suggested that people integrate this exercise protocol into their daily life, positive change in tongue strength may prevent or halt presbyphagia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amphiphilic Au nanoparticle-decorated PEGylated graphene oxides (Au@PEG-GO) are used to construct multiple plasmonic nanostructures for enhancing the performance of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Because of the long side-chains of the Au@PEG-GO nanocomposites, the nanoparticles can be well dispersed both in organic and aqueous solvents, allowing them to be incorporated readily into the buffer layers, such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) and the organic photoactive layers within OLEDs during the soultion processes. Herein, the Au@PEG-GO nanocomposites are blended into either the PEDOT:PSS or the emissive layer of OLEDs to trigger surface plasmonic effects, thereby improving the device efficiencies. The current efficiencies are improved by ca. 20% for both cases. More importantly, the simultaneous addition of the Au@PEG-GO nanocomposites into both layers leads to even pronounced plasmonic effects. Under the optimized condition, the current efficiency is enhanced by up to 38%, suggesting the plasmonic fields from both layers attributed to the device enhancement. We anticipate that the accumulated plasmonic effects originating from the multiple plasmonic nanostructures will open up new avenues for improving the performance of various solution-processed optoelectronic devices involving organic dyes. Image 1 • Orthogonal solvents are required to avoid the problem of intermixing of organiclayers. • Amphiphilic Au NPs are synthesized. • The NPs and can be dispered very well in both aqueous and organc solvents. • Thereofre, the Au NPs can be added into either the buffer or the emissive layersof OLEDs. • Au NPs in both organic layers exhibit accumulated plasmonic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The deposition of Al2O3 on LiCoO2 electrodes using a low-temperature atomic layer deposition has been investigated. Scanning electron microscopy confirms that Al2O3 films can be homogeneously deposited on LiCoO2 particles of porous electrodes at 120°C. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy show that the Al2O3 preferentially deposits on the LiCoO2. Furthermore, the results of cycling stability tests show that the cells with Al2O3-coated LiCoO2 electrodes have enhanced performance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]