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Mental Health Status, Shift Work, and Occupational Accidents among Hospital Nurses in Japan: Kenshu Suzuki, et al. Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Nihon University—A questionnaire survey was conducted with questions from the 12‐item General Health Questionnaire, among others, targeting 4,407 nurses in 8 general hospitals in Japan, in the hope of improving the work environment of nurses and to provide data that will allow a discussion of the measures necessary for preventing medical errors, thus improving occupational health. For each type of accident, the percentage of those who had made medical errors was significantly higher for the “mentally in poor health” group than for the “mentally in good health” group (p<0.0001). The percentage of nurses in the “mentally in good health” and “mentally in poor health” groups who had experienced occupational accidents over the past 12 months (i.e., whether they were “with errors” or “without errors”) was calculated for each of the following four types of medical accident:(1) drug‐administration errors, (2) incorrect operation of medical equipment, (3) errors in patient identification, and (4) needlestick injuries. For each type of accident, the percentage of those who had made medical errors was significantly higher for the “mentally in poor health” group than for the “mentally in good health” group (p<0.0001). Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed significant associations between experience of medical errors in the past 12 months and being mentally in poor health, with night or irregular shift work, and age.

Nanostructured carbons have been widely used for fabricating enzyme-modified electrodes due to their large specific surface area. However, because they are random aggregates of particular or tubular nanocarbons, the postmodification of enzymes to their intrananospace is generally hard to control. Here, we describe a free-standing film of carbon nanotube forest (CNTF) that can form a hybrid ensemble with enzymes through liquid-induced shrinkage. This provides in situ regulation of its intrananospace (inter-CNT pitch) to the size of enzymes and eventually serves as a highly active electrode. The CNTF ensemble with fructose dehydrogenase (FDH) showed the oxidation current density of 16 mA cm(-2) in stirred 200 mM fructose solution. The power density of a biofuel cell using the FDH-CNTF anode and the Laccase-CNTF cathode reached 1.8 mW cm(-2) (at 0.45 V) in the stirred oxygenic fructose solution, more than 80% of which could be maintained after continuous operation for 24 h. Application of the free-standing, flexible character of the enzyme-CNTF ensemble electrodes is demonstrated via their use in the patch or wound form.

In 1804, Theodore von Grotthuss proposed a mechanism for proton (H(+)) transport between water molecules that involves the exchange of a covalent bond between H and O with a hydrogen bond. This mechanism also supports the transport of OH(-) as a proton hole and is essential in explaining proton transport in intramembrane proton channels. Inspired by the Grotthuss mechanism and its similarity to electron and hole transport in semiconductors, we have developed semiconductor type devices that are able to control and monitor a current of H(+) as well as OH(-) in hydrated biopolymers. In this topical review, we revisit these devices that include protonic diodes, complementary, transistors, memories and transducers as well as a phenomenological description of their behavior that is analogous to electronic semiconductor devices.

We report herein the micropatterning of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) on a hydrogel, agarose, to provide a fully organic, moist, and flexible electrode. The PEDOT/agarose electrodes were prepared through two electrochemical processes: electropolymerization of PEDOT into the hydrogel and electrochemical-actuation-assisted peeling. We also present a typical application of the PEDOT/agarose electrode to the cultivation of contractile myotubes.

Breathalyzers estimate Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) from the concentration of ethanol in the breath. Breathalyzers are easy to use but are limited either by their high price and by environmental concerns, or by a short lifetime and the need for continuous recalibration. Here, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept disposable breathalyzer using an organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) modified with alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) as the sensor. The OECT is made with the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), and is printed on paper. ADH and its cofactor nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) are immobilized onto the OECT with an electrolyte gel. When the OECT-breathalyzer is exposed to ethanol vapor, the enzymatic reaction of ADH and ethanol transforms NAD+ into NADH, which causes a decrease in the OECT source drain current. In this fashion, the OECT-breathalyzer easily detects ethanol in the breath equivalent to BAC from 0.01% to 0.2%. The use of a printed OECT may contribute to the development of breathalyzers that are disposable, ecofriendly, and integrated with wearable devices for real-time BAC monitoring.

In the pregnant women in our survey, the prevalence of RLS was found to be 19.9%, which is higher than the prevalence of RLS that has been found in the general public in a previous study. This suggests that RLS-related sleep problems may be an important public health issue among pregnant women in Japan. This finding may have implications for attempts to improve sleep hygiene in this group.