Commercially available wearable health devices (WHDs) carry the potential to decentralize healthcare systems. These devices can empower individuals with health knowledge by offering a low-cost and accessible way to monitor physical activity, sedentary behavior, cardiac health, and sleep. However, a lack of standardization in design, health, and safety regulations means that consumer-grade WHDs on the market vary in efficacy to affect positive behavior change in users, as user compliance alone does not indicate whether these devices actually influence wellbeing outcomes long term. We use a grounded theory analysis of the experiences of seven long-term informed users of the same wearable, the Oura Ring, to propose a substantive theory describing the tacit challenges that these users face in order to truly benefit from their device even after extended use. We provide recommendations as to how designers of wearable devices can facilitate the user's journey to surpass these obstacles.
The structure of the silica mesoporous crystal MCM-48 and the argon adsorption process were studied by in situ synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The diffraction intensity data were analyzed using the maximum entropy method (MEM). The Ar adsorption process within the mesopores was directly monitored through changes in the electron density distribution in the sample. The diffraction patterns clearly reflected different stages of adsorption as the gas pressure increased: gradual formation of an adsorbed film on the pore walls at low pressures, followed by stepwise pore filling due to capillary condensation. The real-space imaging of diffraction data presented in this paper is a robust and promising approach for improving our understanding of gas-solid interactions during adsorption and for characterizing the pore structures of mesoporous crystals.
The periodic motion of the lower trunk region during human locomotion is analyzed from a kinematic perspective for different gaits using inertial measurement units (IMUs). Experiments are performed on subjects who walked or ran on a treadmill, each equipped with an IMU attached to their lower trunk. The treadmill speed was externally controlled according to a fixed protocol consisting of speed-up and speed-down phases. Time-series data of acceleration and angular velocity were collected and analyzed. We propose a method to estimate the initial elevation angle and velocity associated with the periodic motion, and we focus on the three dynamical aspects of the subject's movements: the trajectory of the lower trunk in the sagittal plane, the excess kinetic energy ratio, and the position of the least acceleration fluctuation point. The results revealed that the rotation direction of the trajectory in the sagittal plane in the moving frame differed between walking and running for almost all subjects. This difference is interpreted kinematically in terms of the direction and timing of the ground reaction force. The excess kinetic energy ratio as a function of Froude number also well characterizes the gait differences. Furthermore, it is found that the point of least acceleration fluctuation is located consistently behind the body during running.
Objectives:A novel process-based conceptual model of positive sexual aging, the Successful Sexual Aging Model, was recently proposed. Given the developmental, epidemiological, and sexological literature on gendered aspects of human sexuality, the current study explored gender differences in successful sexual aging (SSA) among partnered older adults who participated in a cross-cultural research project on aging and sexuality. The assessment was also important for the model's conceptualization of the gendered micro, meso, and macro factors that were assumed to affect SSA. Method:Three analytical approaches were employed-(a) latent construct measurement invariance testing, (b) latent profile analysis, and (c) network analysis-to tackle the gender-specificity question from distinct analytical perspectives. In total, 773 older women (M age = 69.9, SD = 4.2) and 1054 older men (M age = 70.4, SD = 4.4) from Croatia, Germany, Portugal, and Japan participated in the survey. The data was collected between June 2024 and May 2025. The 9-item Successful Sexual Aging Scale was used as the latent outcome. Results:Overall, marked similarities in SSA among older partnered female and male adults were observed in the overall latent structure of SSA, the pattern and size of participants' latent SSA profiles, and the general topology of the network of SSA items. However, at a fine-grain level, several gender-specific differences emerged-most notably women's lower latent means on two of the three SSA facets, somewhat different configuration of latent profiles, and gender-specificity in the SSA network connectivity. Conclusions:The recently introduced measure of SSA can be reliably used for direct gender comparisons. More research is needed to clarify if the observed (dis)similarities may be related to perceived quality of relationship, education, internalization of sexual ageism, or a combination of these factors. Dyadic studies might assist in illuminating some of the subtle gender differences that emerged in this study.
Ultrafast luminescence represents a frontier in optical materials science, bridging fundamental investigations of light–matter interaction and the development of next‐generation photonic devices. Enhancing the speed of luminescence has long been a central objective, with continued relevance in both fundamental and applied contexts. In advanced photonic systems, rapid light emission enables the realization of extremely bright and temporally precise optical signals. This capability is crucial for quantum information technologies, where single‐photon sources with short radiative lifetimes are essential, as well as for classical high‐speed optical communication and sensing platforms. This review highlights recent progress in accelerating the emission process by leveraging cooperative emission effects, resonator‐enhanced coupling, and nonlocal or multipolar interactions, incorporating the authors’ original contributions and perspectives. These advances have led to the realization of novel coherent and incoherent bright light sources, high‐efficiency single‐photon emitters, radiative processes robust against thermal dephasing, and photon generation from materials typically regarded as nonluminescent due to thermal relaxation or self‐trapping. These mechanisms from both theoretical and experimental perspectives are explored, and insights into their integration for future photonic architectures are offered.
