bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis, Characterization, and Antibacterial Activity of Ag–TiO2–Fe Composite Thin Films
Authors: Grine Djihad , Akkari Hocine , Fernández Paloma , Mekhalif Tahar , Hassani Salim , Lekoui Fouaz
Published: April 2022

Ag–TiO2–Fe composite thin films with different Ag contents are deposited onto a glass substrate by a thermal evaporation method. TiO2, TiO2–Fe, and Ag–TiO2–Fe thin films are characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–vis–NIR spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) to study the relation between their structural, morphological, optical, and luminescent properties with their antibacterial activities. XRD and Raman measurements show the formation of the anatase phase with increasing silver content in Ag–TiO2–Fe composite thin films. SEM images show the presence of silver in the metallic form. Optical measurements display a redshift in the optical absorption edge of TiO2–Fe and Ag–TiO2–Fe composite films with a decrease in the energy bandgap compared to pure TiO2. The antibacterial activity of the films against Escherichia coli is investigated both in the dark and under UV light. It is found that Ag plays a major role on the antibacterial efficiency in the dark. Ag–TiO2–Fe composite thin films exhibit a synergistic antibacterial effect under UV light, resulting an excellent antibacterial coating.
Magnetic Functionalization of Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) Hydrogels for Sensor Applications
Authors: Keßler Christian , Gerlach Gerald
Published: April 2022

To develop a hydrogel sensor system using the Hall effect to detect the degree of swelling, gels containing high concentrations of magnetic particles are necessary to induce a strong magnetic field. For this purpose, hydrogels based on poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) cross‐linked with Laponite XLS are modified with various magnetic nanoparticles. The focus of this work is to introduce high particle densities with a homogeneous distribution into the gel. Particles are coated with 3‐(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate to bind them into the network structure. The swelling behavior and temperature response of gels containing pure and modified particles are compared to the unmodified clay gel. Ferrogels are further synthesized in a magnetic field to permanently align magnetic nanoparticles in the network. This results in permanently embedded rod‐like structures spanning the entire length of the gel. The influence of this anisotropic distribution on the mechanical properties of the hydrogel is investigated through compression measurements.
Toward Ideal Glassy Selenium at Kauzmann Temperature
Authors: Tanaka Keiji
Published: April 2022

To get insights into glassy Se at Kauzmann temperature, Se clusters including helical and disordered H–nSe–H chains with n ≤ 20 are constructed, using an ab initio molecular orbital package. The study demonstrates the existence of kinked chains with bistable dihedral‐angular conformations, which have similar total energies to that in straight helical chains. Electronically, such kinked chains possess wider optical gaps with no gap states, which is less efficient in localized electronic excitation. This would predict that the photodarkening cannot appear in fully stabilized glasses at Kauzmann temperatures, the behavior being similar to that demonstrated for liquid Se lying in thermal equilibrium.
Compositional Dependence of Epitaxial L10‐MnxGa Magnetic Properties as Probed by 57Mn/Fe and 119In/Sn Emission Mössbauer Spectroscopy
Authors: Unzueta Iraultza , Gunnlaugsson Haraldur Pall , Mølholt Torben Esmann , Masenda Hilary , Mokhles Gerami Adeleh , Krastev Petko , Zyabkin Dmitry V. , Bharuth-Ram Krish , Naidoo Deena , Ólafsson Sveinn , Plazaola Fernando , Schell Juliana , Qi Bingcui , Zhao Xupeng , Xiao Jiaxing , Zhao Jianhua , Mantovan Roberto
Published: April 2022

The magnetic properties of Mn
x
Ga alloys critically depend on composition x, and the atomic‐scale origin of those dependences is still not fully disclosed. Molecular beam epitaxy has been used to produce a set of Mn
x
Ga samples (x = 0.7 ÷ 1.9) with strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, and controllable saturation magnetization and coercive field depending on x. By conducting 57Mn/Fe and 119In/Sn emission Mössbauer spectroscopy at ISOLDE/CERN, the Mn and Ga site‐specific chemical, structural, and magnetic properties of Mn
x
Ga are investigated as a function of x, and correlated with the magnetic properties as measured by superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry. Hyperfine magnetic fields of Mn/Fe (either at Mn or Ga sites) are found to be greatly influenced by the local strain induced by the implantation. However, In/Sn probes show clear angular dependence, demonstrating a huge transferred dipolar hyperfine field to the Ga sites. A clear increase of the occupancy of Ga lattice sites by Mn for x > 1 is observed, and identified as the origin for the increased antiferromagnetic coupling between Mn and Mn at Ga sites that lowers the samples’ magnetization. The results shed further light on the atomic‐scale mechanisms driving the compositional dependence of magnetism in Mn
x
Ga.
Coherent Acoustic Phonon Oscillations and Transient Critical Point Parameters of Ge from Femtosecond Pump–Probe Ellipsometry
Authors: Emminger Carola , Espinoza Shirly , Richter Steffen , Rebarz Mateusz , Herrfurth Oliver , Zahradník Martin , Schmidt-Grund Rüdiger , Andreasson Jakob , Zollner Stefan
Published: April 2022

Herein, the complex pseudodielectric function of Ge and Si from femtosecond pump–probe spectroscopic ellipsometry with 267, 400, and 800 nm pump–pulse wavelengths is analyzed by fitting analytical lineshapes to the second derivatives of the pseudodielectric function with respect to energy. This yields the critical point parameters (threshold energy, lifetime broadening, amplitude, and excitonic phase angle) of and in Ge and in Si as functions of delay time. Coherent longitudinal acoustic phonon oscillations with a period of about 11 ps are observed in the transient critical point parameters of Ge. From the amplitude of these oscillations, the laser‐induced strain is found to be on the order of 0.03% for Ge measured with the 800 nm pump pulse, which is in reasonable agreement with the strain calculated from theory.
Life cycle assessment of returnable mailers used for apparel electronic commerce: A case study in Canada
Authors: Park Jonghun , Waqar Zuha
Published: April 2022

E‐commerce is increasingly popular in the fashion industry in Canada. Based on a case study, this research analysed the environmental sustainability of the returnable e‐commerce package format distributed in Canadian apparel retail channels. The case study compared the environmental impacts of a returnable polypropylene mailer to those of two different expendable packaging formats currently used by a brand owner, such as a corrugated paperboard package and a low‐density polypropylene mailer. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to examine the environmental impacts of the three packaging scenarios. The foreground data of the LCA were obtained from a brand owner and packaging suppliers in 2021. TRACI 2.1, including 10 life cycle impact categories, was used for the LCA. The comparative LCA results showed that the returnable mailer generated the lowest environmental impact for eight out of 10 impact categories when the final consumers' locations were relatively close to the brand owner or returnable packaging service provider. The expendable corrugated paperboard packaging format contributed the greatest environmental burden in all the impact categories primarily because it used a large amount of material and was relatively heavy. However, the comparative results were changed for some impact indicators depending on the final consumer's location and the number of reuse cycles for the returnable mailer. Specifically, the returnable mailer had a higher environmental impact than the expendable mailer for half of the 10 impact categories when the number of reuses for the returnable mailer was decreased to 10 cycles.
Exploring the electronic, mechanical, anisotropic, and optical properties of ternary silicides TM2Si2Ys (TM = Cu, Ir, Os, Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru) from a first principles investigations
Authors: Chen Xinyue , Zhang Xudong , Guo Hui , Wang Feng
Published: April 2022

In recent years, the rare earth metal silicon‐based materials have attracted much attention. In order to accurately comprehend the application of rare earth silicides, we investigated the physical properties of the tetragonal TM2Si2Ys (TM = Cu, Ir, Os, Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru), orthogonal SiY, hexagonal Si2Y, and Si3Y5 compounds. The structural stability, electronic properties, elastic anisotropy, and optical properties of these silicides are investigated using the first‐principles calculations. The enthalpy of formation and phonon dispersions confirm that the binary and ternary silicides display the structural stability. According to the electronic structure, the stability, and mechanical properties of these silicides can be better understood. Ir2Si2Y has the stronger resistance to deformation and higher hardness. The values of v and G/B ratio confirm that Os2Si2Y, Pd2Si2Y, Pt2Si2Y, Ru2Si2Y, Rh2Si2Y, and Si2Y are the ductile materials. The 3D surface constructions and 2D projections of Young's modulus display the elastic anisotropy properties of the ternary silicides. The optical properties indicate that these silicides can be used as UV shielding materials for optical devices.
A systematic review of factors that influence farmers' adoption of sustainable crop farming practices: Lessons for sustainable nitrogen management in South Asia
Authors: Begho Toritseju , Glenk Klaus , Anik Asif R. , Eory Vera
Published: April 2022

Despite the fact that sustainable agricultural technologies and practices have been developed and introduced to farmers in both developed and developing countries, there are concerns about low levels of adoption. Empirical evidence of the past 40 years shows that adoption of new practices can be hindered by a wide range of factors, from financial to attitudinal, from personal to social, from agronomic to regulatory. Conclusions that can be generalised across different contexts could help in moving the institutional and policy environment in a direction that strengthens the move towards a more sustainable food production. This is particularly important regarding hotspots of environmental pollution, for example, the release of reactive nitrogen compounds in South Asia. This paper followed the PRISMA protocol and systematically reviewed the adoption literature in South Asia to identify factors that affect farmers' decisions to adopt sustainable agricultural technologies and practices. We found that education, extension and training, soil quality, irrigation, income and credit are significant drivers of farmers' adoption decisions. Consequently, efforts to promote the adoption of sustainable nitrogen management technologies will have to be tailored to consider these factors. We conclude that the variables that explain adoption in the studies reviewed could provide a foundation invaluable to research and policies that facilitate the adoption of sustainable nitrogen management technologies and practices in South Asia.
International trade and consumption‐based carbon emissions: Does energy efficiency and financial risk ensure sustainable environment?
Authors: Wang Chen , Elfaki Khalid Eltayeb , Zhao Xin , Shang Yuping , Khan Zeeshan
Published: April 2022

Sustainable environment is one of the many desirable goals of the modern era, both in developed and developing economies. Energy efficiency (ENEF) with lower political, financial, and economic risk reduces consumption‐based carbon emissions (CCO2) and the decisive international trade and regulatory policy concerning environmental quality. The study examines the role of ENEF and financial risk on international trade‐CCO2 in BRICS countries panel data covering 1990–2019. This study incorporated four risk indexes: political risk (PRI), financial risk (FRI), economic risk (ERI), and composite risk index (CRI). These results of the panel cointegration test confirmed the existence of a cointegration relationship between CCO2, gross domestic product (GDP), exports (EX), imports (IM), ENEF, PRI, financial risk, economic risk, and CRI in the five models. The empirical results of the second‐generation cross‐section augmented autoregressive distributed lags model indicate that EX, ENEF, FRI, PRI, ERI, and CRI are negatively associated with CCO2 in the long run and short run in BRICS countries. Inversely, GDP and IM are positively linked to CCO2 in the long run and short run. The empirical findings of this study provide some policy implications; international trade contributes significantly to improving environmental quality by importing friendly environmentally technologies and less energy‐intensive use production inputs. On the other hand, less energy‐intensive industries for export purposes will support international trade's effective role in improving environmental quality and producing less CCO2 in BRICS economies.
Robust structured heterogeneity analysis approach for high‐dimensional data
Authors: Sun Yifan , Luo Ziye , Fan Xinyan
Published: April 2022

Revealing relationships between genes and disease phenotypes is a critical problem in biomedical studies. This problem has been challenged by the heterogeneity of diseases. Patients of a perceived same disease may form multiple subgroups, and different subgroups have distinct sets of important genes. It is hence imperative to discover the latent subgroups and reveal the subgroup‐specific important genes. Some heterogeneity analysis methods have been proposed in the recent literature. Despite considerable successes, most of the existing studies are still limited as they cannot accommodate data contamination and ignore the interconnections among genes. Aiming at these shortages, we develop a robust structured heterogeneity analysis approach to identify subgroups, select important genes as well as estimate their effects on the phenotype of interest. Possible data contamination is accommodated by employing the Huber loss function. A sparse overlapping group lasso penalty is imposed to conduct regularization estimation and gene identification, while taking into account the possibly overlapping cluster structure of genes. This approach takes an iterative strategy in the similar spirit of K‐means clustering. Simulations demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms alternatives in revealing the heterogeneity and selecting important genes for each subgroup. The analysis of Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia data leads to biologically meaningful findings with improved prediction and grouping stability.
Methods Used for Indirect Comparisons of Systemic Treatments for Psoriasis. A Systematic Review
Authors: Nast Alexander , Dressler Corinna , Schuster Christopher , Saure Daniel , Augustin Matthias , Reich Kristian
Published: April 2022

Background

Indirect comparisons (including network meta-analyses [NMAs]) allow us to compare benefits and risks of multiple interventions for the same clinical condition when head-to-head comparisons are not feasible.

Objective

To provide guidance to the clinical community on better understanding indirect comparison methods to help them to interpret their results by applying two quality standards to published indirect comparisons of systemic biologics for moderate to severe psoriasis.

Methods

A systematic literature review (SLR) of published indirect comparisons of biologics for the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis in adults was conducted. Data extraction was performed using a predefined subset of NICE TSD7 (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Technical Support Document 7) checklist questions and methods used to perform each analysis were descriptively compared. Methodological quality of the SLR underlying each indirect comparison was assessed using AMSTAR 2 (A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews version 2).

Results

Twenty-two NMAs and four adjusted indirect comparisons (AICs) were identified. Although there were some similarities, for example, application of Bayesian random-effects models, several important methodological aspects varied considerably across NMAs identified, for example, classes of drugs, number of treatments and studies included, reporting and handling of different doses, and reporting of both checks for and investigations of inconsistency. Methodological comparisons across AICs were limited by the small number. The quality of most underlying SLRs described, assessed as overall level of confidence in the results, was ‘critically low’.

Conclusions

Understanding that there are different methodologies employed to answer differing research questions is key to helping clinicians to interpret the indirect evidence currently available in psoriasis.
Digital training for building resilience: Systematic review, meta‐analysis, and meta‐regression
Authors: Ang Wei How Darryl , Chew Han Shi Jocelyn , Dong Jie , Yi Huso , Mahendren Rathi , Lau Ying
Published: April 2022

Resilience is learnable and broadly described as an individual's adaptive coping ability, its potential value for stress reduction must be explored. With a global coronavirus pandemic, innovative ways to deliver resilience training amidst heightened mental health concerns must be urgently examined. This systematic review aimed to (1) evaluate the effectiveness of digital training for building resilience and reducing anxiety, depressive and stress symptoms and (2) to identify essential features for designing future digital training. A three‐step search was conducted in eight electronic databases, trial registries and grey literature to locate eligible studies. Randomised controlled trials examining the effects of digital training aimed at enhancing resilience were included. Data analysis was conducted using the Stata version 17. Twenty‐two randomised controlled trials involving 2876 participants were included. Meta‐analysis revealed that digital training significantly enhanced the participants' resilience with moderate to large effect (g = 0.54–1.09) at post‐intervention and follow‐up. Subgroup analyses suggested that training delivered via the Internet with a flexible programme schedule was more effective than its counterparts. This review supports the use of digital training in improving resilience. Further high‐quality randomised controlled trials with large sample size are needed.
Mussel Inspired Trigger‐Detachable Adhesive Hydrogel
Authors: Wang Chenlong , Gao Xiaohan , Zhang Feng , Hu Wanting , Gao Zhuxian , Zhang Yuqi , Ding Mingyu , Liang Qionglin
Published: April 2022

Adhesion to many kinds of surfaces, including biological tissues, is important in many fields but has been proved to be extremely challenging. Furthermore, peeling from strong adhesion is needed in many conditions, but is sometimes painful. Herein, a mussel inspired hydrogel is developed to achieve both strong adhesion and trigger‐detachment. The former is actualized by electrostatic interactions, covalent bonds, and physical interpenetration, while the latter is triggered, on‐demand, through combining a thixotropic supramolecular network and polymer double network. The results of the experiments show that the hydrogel can adhere to various material surfaces and tissues. Moreover, triggered by shear force, non‐covalent interactions of the supramolecular network are destroyed. This adhesion can be peeled easily. The possible mechanism involved is discussed and proved. This work will bring new insight into electronic engineering and tissue repair like skin care for premature infants and burn victims.
Modulating the Active Sites of Oxygen‐Deficient TiO2 by Copper Loading for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Nitrogen Reduction to Ammonia
Authors: Utomo Wahyu Prasetyo , Wu Hao , Ng Yun Hau
Published: April 2022

The electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) provides a sustainable route for NH3 synthesis. However, the process is plagued by the strong NN triple bond and high reaction barrier. Modification of catalyst surface to increase N2 adsorption and activation is crucial. Herein, copper nanoparticles are loaded on the oxygen‐deficient TiO2, which exhibits an enhanced NRR performance with NH3 yield of 13.6 µg mgcat−1 h−1 at −0.5 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) and Faradaic efficiency of 17.9% at −0.4 V versus RHE compared to the pristine TiO2. The enhanced performance is ascribed to the higher electrochemically active surface area, promoted electron transfer, and increased electron density originated from the strong metal‐support interaction (SMSI) between Cu nanoparticles and oxygen‐deficient TiO2. The SMSI effect also results in lopsided local charge distribution, which polarizes the adsorbed N2 molecules for better activation. This work provides a facile strategy toward the electrocatalyst design for efficient NRR under ambient conditions.
Zinc Anodes Modified by One‐Molecular‐Thick Self‐Assembled Monolayers for Simultaneous Suppression of Side‐Reactions and Dendrite‐Formation in Aqueous Zinc‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Mwemezi Manasi , Prabakar S. J. Richard , Han Su Cheol , Park Woon Bae , Seo Jung Yong , Sohn Kee‐Sun , Pyo Myoungho
Published: April 2022

Repeated charge/discharge in aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (ZIBs) commonly results in surface corrosion/passivation and dendrite formation on zinc anodes, which is a major challenge for the commercialization of zinc‐based batteries. In this work, metallic Zn modified by self‐assembled monolayers is described as a viable anode for ZIBs. ω‐mercaptoundecanoic acid that is spontaneously adsorbed on Zn (MUDA/Zn) contributes to the simultaneous suppression of side reactions and dendrite formation in ZIBs. Though one‐molecular‐thick, densely packed alkyl chains prohibit H2O and H+ from making direct contact with the underlying Zn, and surface carboxylate moieties (–COO‐) effectively repel anionic species (OH‐) in a solution, which renders a Zn anode inert against zincate formation within a wide range of pH. In contrast, the electrostatic attraction between surface‐carboxylates and cations increases the concentration of Zn2+ on the surface of MUDA/Zn to facilitate Zn plating/stripping with less overpotentials. The high concentration of Zn2+ also results in an increased number of nucleation sites, which enhances the lateral growth of Zn with no formation of dendrites. As a result, MUDA/Zn shows excellent stability during prolonged Zn plating/stripping within a wide range of pH. The advantageous properties of MUDA/Zn are also retained in full‐cells coupled with δ‐MnO2 cathodes.
A Novel Material for High‐Performance Li–O2 Battery Separator: Polyetherketone Nanofiber Membrane
Authors: Sun Yuxuan , Chen Kai , Zhang Chi , Yu Huiting , Wang Xue , Yang Dongyue , Wang Jin , Huang Gang , Zhang Suobo
Published: April 2022

The properties of separators significantly affect the efficiency, stability, and safety of the lithium‐based batteries. Therefore, the improvement of the separator material is critical. Polyetherketone (PEK) has excellent general properties, such as mechanical strength, chemical stability, and thermal stability. Thus, it is expected to be an optimal separator material. However, its low solubility‐induced poor processibility makes it difficult to be used for nanoscale product manufacturing. In this work, the soluble precursor polymer is prepared by introducing a “protecting” group into monomer, and fabricated into nanofiber membrane, which can be converted into polyetherketone nanofiber membrane by a simple acid treatment. The membrane prepared by this chemical‐induced crystallization method exhibits superior chemical, thermal stability, and mechanical strength. Li–O2 batteries with the fabricated membrane as separator have a high cycling stability (194 cycles at 200 mA g−1 and 500 mAh g−1). This work broadens the application field of PEK and provides a potential route for battery separators.
Dual Defocused Laser Pyrolysis: A Lasing‐Centric Strategy for Defect and Morphological Optimization in Microsupercapacitor Electrodes
Authors: Yan Wenrong , Hu Haibo , Wang Lei , Ho Derek
Published: April 2022

Laser‐induced graphene (LIG) has shown great potential for controllable and scalable realization of microsupercapacitors (MSCs). However, as is well‐known, LIG electrodes suffer from low charge storage capacity and conductance. In this paper, a lasing‐centric method is presented for defect control and morphological enhancement in LIG electrodes through unique dual laser pyrolysis. This method encompasses dual lasing pyrolysis, one for the synthesis of defocused LIG, and another for the decoration of Ru nanoparticles to enhance electrochemical performance. Fundamentally, the investigation simultaneously optimizes for defocused lasing distance and lasing speed, which to the best of the author's knowledge, has not been previously reported. The defocused LIG electrode exhibits a remarkably improved electrochemical capacitance of over 25 times (114 mF cm−2) compared to the one based on focused laser‐induced graphene (FLIG). As a device demonstration, a flexible and self‐healable MSC has been fabricated based on DFLIG/Ru‐PEDOT/Au electrodes, exhibiting a high areal specific capacitance (25.7 mF cm−2), excellent electrochemical stability (91% retention of specific capacitance after 8000 cycles), and good self‐healing performance (85.6% retention of specific capacitance after two cut‐heal cycles). By enhancing material properties via dual defocused laser pyrolysis, this work presents a strategy for highly controllable and scalable realization of electrodes in micro‐energy storage devices.
Magnetic Field Enhanced Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution of NiFe‐LDH/Co3O4 p‐n Heterojunction Supported on Nickel Foam
Authors: Zhang Yuanyuan , Guo Ping , Niu Siqi , Wu Jie , Wang Wei , Song Bo , Wang Xianjie , Jiang Zaixing , Xu Ping
Published: April 2022

Here, a strategy to regulate the electron density distribution by integrating NiFe layered double hydroxides (NiFe‐LDH) nanosheets with Co3O4 nanowires to construct the NiFe‐LDH/Co3O4 p‐n heterojunction supported on nickel foam (NiFe‐LDH/Co3O4/NF) for electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is proposed. The p‐n heterojunction can induce the charge redistribution in the heterogeneous interface to reach Fermi level alignment, thus modifying the adsorption free energy of *OOH and improving the intrinsic activity of the catalyst. As a result, NiFe‐LDH/Co3O4/NF exhibits outstanding OER performance with a low overpotential of 274 mV at a current density of 50 mA cm−2 and long‐time stability over 90 h. Moreover, NF can serve as a magnetic core that induces the exchange bias effect between the magnetic substrate and the active species under the action of the magnetic field, resulting in decreased magnetoresistance and weakened scattering of spin electrons, which further lowers the OER overpotential by 25 mV @ 50 mA cm−2 under a 10 000 G magnetic field. This work provides a new perspective on the design of p‐n heterojunction catalysts and a deeper understanding of the magnetic field‐enhanced electrocatalytic reactions.
Efficient Semitransparent Layer‐by‐Layer Organic Photovoltaics via Optimizing Wide Bandgap and Narrow Absorption Polymer Layer Thickness
Authors: Xu Chunyu , Jin Ke , Xiao Zuo , Zhao Zijin , Yan Yujiao , Zhu Xixiang , Li Xiong , Zhou Zhengji , Jeong Sang Young , Ding Liming , Woo Han Young , Yuan Guangcai , Zhang Fujun
Published: April 2022

Layer‐by‐layer organic photovoltaics (LbL‐OPVs) are fabricated using wide bandgap polymer D18 with narrow photon harvesting range in visible light region and narrow bandgap small molecular N3 with strong near‐infrared photon harvesting; the only difference is D18 layer thickness adjusted by spin coating speed. A 15.75% power conversion efficiency (PCE) is obtained from the LbL‐OPVs with D18 layer prepared under 7000 round per minute of spin coating condition; the corresponding D18/N3 layers have a 52.06% of average visible transmittance (AVT) in the spectral range from 370 to 740 nm. Based on the optimized D18/N3 layers, semitransparent LbL‐OPVs are built with 1 nm Au/(10, 15, 20 nm) Ag as the top electrode. The PCE and AVT of semitransparent LbL‐OPVs can be simultaneously adjusted by altering Ag layer thickness due to its variable reflectance and conductivity of top electrode dependence on Ag layer thickness. The PCE/AVT of 12.58%/22.81%, 13.80%/15.09%, and 14.85%/9.48% can be individually achieved from the semitransparent LbL‐OPVs with 10, 15, or 20 nm‐thick Ag layer, which should be among the highest values of semitransparent OPVs based on bulk heterojunction or LbL structures. Adjusting donor layer thickness may be an effective method to construct efficient semitransparent LbL‐OPVs.
Controlled Sequential Assembly of Metal–Organic Polyhedra into Colloidal Gels with High Chemical Complexity
Authors: Tsang Min Ying , Tokuda Shun , Han Po-Chun , Wang Zaoming , Legrand Alexandre , Kawano Marina , Tsujimoto Masahiko , Ikeno Yuki , Urayama Kenji , Wu Kevin C.-W. , Furukawa Shuhei
Published: April 2022

Assembling many chemical components into a material in a controlled manner is one of the biggest challenges in chemistry. Particularly, porous materials with multivariate character within their scaffolds are expected to demonstrate synergistic properties. In this study, a synthetic strategy to construct porous networks with multiple chemical components is shown. By taking advantage of the hierarchical nature of a colloidal system based on metal–organic polyhedra (MOPs), a two‐step assembly process to form colloidal networks is developed, assembling MOPs with the organic linker to form a MOP network as a colloidal particle, followed by further connection of colloids by additional cross‐linkers to construct colloidal networks. This synthetic process allows the use of different organic linkers not only for connecting MOPs and colloidal particles, respectively, but also for assembling different colloidal particles formed by various MOPs. The proof of concept of this tunable multivariate colloidal gel system offers an alternative to developing functional porous soft materials with multifunction.
Rhodium–Cobalt Alloy Nanotubes Toward Methanol Oxidation Reaction
Authors: Ding Yu , Miao Bo-Qiang , Liu Ya-Chong , Hou Nan , Yang Yun , Jin Pu-Jun , Yin Shi-Bin , Chen Yu
Published: April 2022

The sluggish reaction kinetics of the anodic methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) seriously hinders the commercial development of direct methanol fuel cells. Considering the vital role of catalysts, this work focuses on the synthesis of rhodium–cobalt alloy nanotubes (RhCo‐NTs) through a simple one‐pot reduction approach using hydrazine hydrate as a reducing agent. RhCo‐NTs with different Rh/Co atomic ratios can be handily achieved by simply controlling RhIII/CoII feeding proportions. The hollow and tubular architecture of RhCo‐NTs gains abundant boundary/defect atoms, improves the atomic utilization of Rh, and enlarges the valid connection between active sites and reactants. Compared with commercial Rh nanocrystals, RhCo‐NTs with optimized Rh/Co atomic ratio show sharply enhanced MOR electroactivity and long‐term stability because of the particular tubular morphology, big electrochemical active area, suitable Co introduction, excellent self‐stability, and eminent anti‐poison capability.
Nonlinear numerical simulation and experimental verification of bondline strength of CFRP strips embedded in concrete for NSM strengthening applications
Authors: Mosallam Ayman S. , Ghabban Naif , Mirnateghi Ehsan , Agwa Ashraf Abdel Khalek
Published: April 2022

This article presents results of an investigation that focuses on assessing bondline strength of carbon/epoxy fiber reinforced polymeric (CFRP) precured strips embedded in concrete for near‐surface‐mounting (NSM) strengthening applications. In this study, experimental evaluation and nonlinear numerical analysis of CFRP/concrete interfacial bond behavior are investigated. In this study, 15 pull‐out tests were performed on different reinforced concrete (RC) U‐shaped column specimens with different NSM groove configurations to evaluate the effect of groove size, groove depth, and adhesive bondline thickness on overall performance of the CFRP‐NSM system and to identify the optimum groove dimensions. Experimental results indicated that changing groove geometries of the NSM‐FRP reinforcements significantly affect bondline strength and associated mode of failures of NSM‐CFRP system. It was also shown that increasing bondline length lead to an increase in ultimate failure load and CFRP rupture strain. Based on results of this study, NSM materials with lower longitudinal moduli and higher rupture strains (e.g., E‐glass/epoxy or basalt/epoxy), may increase toughness and enhance performance of the NSM strengthening system.
Boosting the energy density of aqueous MXene‐based supercapacitor by integrating 3D conducting polymer hydrogel cathode
Authors: Chu Xiang , Wang Yihan , Cai Lucheng , Huang Haichao , Xu Zhong , Xie Yanting , Yan Cheng , Wang Qing , Zhang Haitao , Li Hong , Yang Weiqing
Published: April 2022

The wide‐spread proliferation of aqueous MXene‐based supercapacitor has been largely shadowed by the limited cell potential window (typically in the range of 0–0.6 V). To address this baffling issue, designing asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) is proposed as a rational strategy to enlarge the potential window (thus energy density) of individual cell in aqueous electrolytes. To this date, however, it still remains a great challenge to develop easy fabricating, 3D nanostructured, and pseudocapacitive cathode materials that can perfectly match with MXene anode materials. In this work, we propose a supramolecular strategy to construct conducting polymer hydrogel (CPH) with highly interconnected 3D nanostructures and large pseudocapacitance, which can finely match with 2D Ti3C2Tx. The as‐assembled CPH//Ti3C2Tx ASC with CPH cathode and MXene anode can operate in a broadened potential window of 1.15 V in aqueous PVA/H2SO4 gel electrolyte with remarkably improved energy density of 16.6 μWh/cm2 (nine times higher than that of symmetric MXene supercapacitor). Additionally, this ASC exhibits outstanding cyclic stability with no trackable performance decay over 30,000 galvanostatic charge and discharge cycles. It is demonstrated in this work that employing positive CPH electrode is a feasible yet promising strategy to enhance the potential window and energy density of aqueous MXene supercapacitors.
Survival of dogs with pituitary‐dependent hyperadrenocorticism treated twice daily with low doses of trilostane
Authors: García San José Paula , Arenas Bermejo Carolina , Alonso‐Miguel Daniel , González Sanz Sandra , Clares Moral Irene , Portero Fuentes Miriam , Pérez‐Alenza María Dolores
Published: April 2022

Background

Twice daily low trilostane doses have proven to be effective to manage canine Cushing's syndrome. However, survival and prognostic factors in dogs treated with this protocol have not been evaluated. The aim of the study was to evaluate survival and prognostic factors, including systolic blood pressure (SBP) at diagnosis, in dogs with pituitary‐dependent hypercortisolism (PDH) treated with low trilostane doses.

Methods

Medical records of 91 dogs newly diagnosed with PDH initially treated with 0.2–1.1 mg/kg of trilostane twice daily were retrospectively included. Survival times were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier estimator. Univariable and multivariable analysis were performed using the Cox proportional hazard regression analysis.

Results

Overall, median survival was 998 days (range 26–1832 days, 95% confidence interval = 755–1241 days). In the multivariable analysis, age (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.337,p < 0.001), presence of calcinosis cutis (HR = 5.271,p < 0.001), body condition score (BCS) ≤3/9 (HR = 8.100,p < 0.001) and higher platelet count (HR = 1.002,p = 0.022) were negatively correlated with survival. SBP was not associated with survival.

Conclusions

Low‐dose trilostane treatment twice daily provides slightly longer survival than previously reported for dogs with PDH treated once or twice daily at higher doses. Older age, presence of calcinosis cutis, low BCS and higher platelet count, but not systemic hypertension, are predictive of poorer prognosis in dogs with PDH.
A review on authorship attribution in text mining
Authors: Zheng Wanwan , Jin Mingzhe
Published: April 2022

The issue of authorship attribution has long been considered and continues to be a popular topic. Because of advances in digital computers, this field has experienced rapid developments in the last decade. In this article, a survey of recent advances in authorship attribution in text mining is presented. This survey focuses on authorship attribution methods that are statistically or computationally supported as opposed to traditional literary approaches. The main aspects covered include the changes in research topics over time, basic feature metrics, machine learning techniques, and the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. Moreover, the corpus size, number of candidates, data imbalance, and result description, all of which pose challenges in authorship attribution, are discussed to inform future work.

This article is categorized under:

Statistical Learning and Exploratory Methods of the Data Sciences > Text Mining
Liability of Foreignness, Natural Disasters, and Corporate Philanthropy
Authors: Mithani Murad A.
Published: April 2022

This study examines how philanthropy can mitigate liability of foreignness (LOF) in the aftermath of a national disaster. A major disaster restructures the social landscape, creating an avenue for corporate contributions to play a role in recovery and relief efforts. This social restructuring offers a valuable opportunity for multinational enterprises (MNEs) to establish strong local ties. In turn, MNE contributions at such times have a stronger impact on their local acceptance. Thus, MNEs can use these events to strengthen their position in the community and mitigate LOF. Using the context of a national disaster in India, I test these arguments with a sample of 190 MNEs and 660 domestic firms. I found that in the aftermath of the disaster, the increase in MNE contributions was much larger and less strongly tied to promotional activities than the increase in contributions from domestic firms, and this difference persisted over time. Moreover, the performance implication of post-disaster philanthropy was stronger for MNEs than for domestic firms. These findings suggest that philanthropy plays a more strategic role for MNEs in the aftermath of a disaster and it has a pronounced effect on mitigating LOF.
Printers, Booksellers, and Bookbinders in Wittenberg in the Sixteenth Century: Real Estate, Vicinity, Political, and Cultural Activities
Authors: Hennen Insa Christiane
Published: April 2022

In the sixteenth century, Wittenberg developed into one of the most important centers of printing in Germany. The works of Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon became exceptional bestsellers. Sacrosbosco’s Sphaera appeared between 1531 and 1600 in more than forty editions. Economically successful printers such as Georg Rhau, Hans Lufft, and Johann Krafft, as well as the booksellers and publishers Moritz Goltz, Christoph Schramm, Conrad Ruehel, Bartholomäus Vogel, and Samuel Selfisch—all of whom were involved in the Wittenberg editions of the Sphaera—influenced local affairs as members of the town council and confidants of the prince electors. Analyzing tax lists, contracts, and historic town maps makes it possible to identify the houses they owned and to reconstruct their locations. Mapping the real estate of printers, booksellers, and bookbinders who lived in Wittenberg in the sixteenth century shows this group’s economic success quite plainly and points to professional and private relationships. Some of the houses still exist. They are three-dimensional documents of the taste and home decor of a new elite.
Connecting Austria Project Outline
Authors: Aigner Walter , Kuhn Andreas , Novak Thomas , Schildorfer Wolfgang
Published: April 2022

In 2017, the core team of the Connecting Austria project faced the challenge of leveraging previous research results on cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) into the logistics domain—namely into the domain of truck platooning. Quite a lot of ideas and topics were evaluated, potential research partners explored, and funding opportunities for a cooperative research project were assessed. The window-of-opportunity opened in 2017 when the Federal Ministry on Transport, Innovation and Technology started a tender for a flagship research project on automated driving in different domains. This was the start of “Connecting Austria”. The following paragraphs outline the project in a nutshell, the project objectives, technology domains targeted and the planned test procedure, use cases and finally sketch the challenges and international uniqueness of the Connecting Austria project.
Fuel Efficiency Assessment
Authors: Carmona José , Hildenbrandt David , Hofbauer Florian , Neubauer Matthias
Published: April 2022

The assessment of fuel efficiency represents a vital element when it comes to the deployment and business model development of truck platooning. In this chapter, the methodological approach implemented in the Connecting Austria project to assess fuel efficiency is presented. The approach covers the following assessment aspects: (1) the assessment of the road infrastructure in terms of the suitability of road segments for truck platooning, (2) the assessment of driving behaviour and strategies for truck platoon formation and dissolution and (3) the assessment of efficiency in terms fuel savings for certain routes.
Application of Fuel Efficiency and Traffic Efficiency Assessment
Authors: Thonhofer Elvira , Neubauer Matthias , Hofbauer Florian
Published: April 2022

This chapter presents the application of the fuel assessment methodology developed in the Connecting Austria project. Thereby, a route analysis for an Austrian fleet operator is performed including the assessment of feasible and economic viable routes and scenarios. Furthermore, potential fuel consumption and CO$$_{2}$$

2

emission savings are discussed within the given case. The saving potential may be increased via dynamic C-ITS-based truck platoon regulations, instead of statically defined, too restrictive regulations as indicated in the C-ITS assessment section. Finally, the chapter discusses the effect of truck platooning on increasing traffic efficiency.
Introduction
Authors: Bayen Alexandre , Monache Maria Laura Delle , Garavello Mauro , Goatin Paola , Piccoli Benedetto
Published: April 2022

This book focuses on control problems for conservation laws, i.e., equations of the type:$$\displaystyle \partial _t\, u + \partial _x\, f(u) = 0 \qquad u_t+(f(u))_x=0, $$∂tu+∂xf(u)=0ut+(f(u))x=0,where$$u:\mathbb {R}^+\times \mathbb {R} \to \mathbb {R}^n$$u:ℝ+×ℝ→ℝnis the vector of conserved quantities and$$f:\mathbb {R}^n\to \mathbb {R}^n$$f:ℝn→ℝnis the flux. Most results will be given for the scalar case (n = 1), but we will present few results valid in the general case.
Boundary Control of Conservation Laws Exhibiting Shocks
Authors: Bayen Alexandre , Monache Maria Laura Delle , Garavello Mauro , Goatin Paola , Piccoli Benedetto
Published: April 2022

This chapter focuses on control of systems of conservation laws with boundary data. Problems with one or two boundaries are considered and, in particular, we focus on cases where shocks may be developed by the solution. However, for completeness we briefly discuss in Sect. 2.2 other existing results where singularities are prevented via suitable feedback controls such as in [32].
Decentralized Control of Conservation Laws on Graphs
Authors: Bayen Alexandre , Monache Maria Laura Delle , Garavello Mauro , Goatin Paola , Piccoli Benedetto
Published: April 2022

Conservation and/or balance laws on networks in the recent years have been the subject of intense study, since a wide range of different applications in real life can be covered by such a research.
Lagrangian Control of Conservation Laws and Mixed Models
Authors: Bayen Alexandre , Monache Maria Laura Delle , Garavello Mauro , Goatin Paola , Piccoli Benedetto
Published: April 2022

A vehicle with different (eventually controlled) dynamics from general traffic along a street may reduce the road capacity, thus generating a moving bottleneck, and can be used to act on the traffic flow. The interaction between the controlled vehicle and the surrounding traffic, and the consequent flow reduction at the bottleneck position, can be described either by a conservation law with space dependent flux function [200], or by a strongly coupled PDE-ODE system proposed in [112, 208].
Third-Generation Innovation Policy: System Transformation or Reinforcing Business as Usual?
Authors: Bergkvist John-Erik , Moodysson Jerker , Sandström Christian
Published: April 2022

There has been a shift in innovation policy in recent years toward more focus on systemic transformation and changed directionality. In this chapter, we describe a collection of challenges that such policies need to address. Based on a review of dominant frameworks regarding socio-technical transitions, we compare these theories with examples of innovation policy in different countries. Systemic transformation across an economy usually requires a process of creative destruction in which new competencies may be required, actors need to be connected in novel ways, and institutions may need to be changed. Our empirical illustrations show that support programs and initiatives across Europe do not always seem to result in such a process, as they include mechanisms favoring large, established firms and universities. These actors have often fine-tuned their activities and capabilities to the existing order, and therefore have few incentives to engage in renewal. As the incumbent actors also control superior financial and relational resources, there is a risk that they captivate innovation policies and thus reinforce established structures rather than contributing to systemic transformation.
The Failures of the Entrepreneurial State: Subsidies to Renewable Energies in Europe
Authors: Amenta Carlo , Stagnaro Carlo
Published: April 2022

Since the 1990s, the European Union has committed to gaining global leadership in clean energies such as solar photovoltaic and wind power. The joint amount of wind and solar capacity grew from 12.5 GW (or 2% of total installed electricity capacity) in 2000 to 261.2 GW in 2018 (or 28.1% of total installed electricity capacity). This came at a cost: In 2018 alone, the European Union (excluding the United Kingdom) spent €73 billion to subsidize green energy production. These financial aids were paid for by European energy consumers, mainly through levies charged on top of their power bills. According to proponents, these subsidies were needed to achieve sustainability while promoting the emergence of the European renewable industry. This chapter focuses on the European venture into renewable energies to answer the following three questions: (1) Was the subsidization of green electricity sources an effective environmental policy? (2) Was it an effective industrial policy? (3) Was it an effective social policy? The answer is: no, no, no.