Noise can exert undeniable pressure on human minds, especially during tasks that require high precision and attention, such as those performed during surgery. To investigate whether auditory stimuli increases mental loads during laparoscopic surgery, we examined the effects of operating room (OR) noises and music by measuring mean changes in pupil sizes and subjectively assessing performances during surgery. We recruited 24 subjects with varying laparoscopic surgery experience levels to perform complete appendectomy using a laparoscopic simulator. Wearable eye trackers were worn by all subjects to monitor pupil sizes during surgery, and surgical tasks were performed under conditions of silence, background OR noise, and music. National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index scores and performance parameters were also recorded during surgical tasks. Noise distractions were associated with significant increases in pupil sizes compared with those observed in silence, and the related increases in mental loads may have affected surgical performance. However, more experienced operators had smaller changes in pupil sizes because of auditory disturbances than moderately experienced surgeons. Noise stimulation in the OR increases surgeon's mental workload and performance. Auditory regulation of the OR may be better standardized using data from studies of the effects of acoustic stimulation in the OR, and mental stresses during surgery could be considered in a more humane manner. Further investigations are necessary to determine the cognitive consequences of various auditory stimuli.

Porous single crystal In2O3 beads@TiO2-In2O3 composite nanofibers (TINFs) have been prepared via a facile electrospinning method. The beads were formed because of the existence of hemimicelles in pecursor solution. The formation of hemimicelles was attributed to the synergy of tetrabutyl titanate (TBT) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Abundant In(3+) ions were drawn toward the ketonic oxygen of PVP resulting in In(3+) ions aggregation. Compared with pristine In2O3 nanofibers (INFs), the as-prepared TINFs exhibited excellent properties for sensing NO2 gas at room temperature (25 °C). The enhanced sensing property was due to much absorbed oxygen and Schottky junctions between the porous single crystal In2O3 beads and the Au electrode of the sensor. The strategy for combining the unique In2O3 beads@TiO2-In2O3 nanofibers structure which possessed superior conductivity and sufficient electrons with the addition of TiO2 offered an innovation to enhance the gas sensing performance.

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In this study, rotten strawberries were used as carbon precursor to prepare nitrogen-doped porous biocarbons for CO 2 capture. The sorbents were synthesized by hydrothermal treatment of rotten strawberries, followed by KOH activation. The nitrogen in the resulting sorbents is inherited from the rotten strawberry precursor. This series of samples demonstrates high CO 2 uptake at 1 bar, up to 4.49 mmol g −1 at 25 °C and 6.35 mmol g −1 at 0 °C. In addition to narrow micropore volume and nitrogen content, the pore size of narrow micropores also plays a key role in determining the CO 2 capture capacity under ambient conditions. Furthermore, these sorbents possess stable reusability, moderate heat of CO 2 adsorption, quick CO 2 adsorption kinetics, reasonable CO 2 /N 2 selectivity, and high dynamic CO 2 capture capacity under simulated flue gas conditions. All these merits along with the zero-cost and wide availability of rotten strawberry precursor make this type of sorbent highly promising in CO 2 capture from combustion flue gas.