bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thermodynamically and Kinetically Stabilized Pt Clusters Against Sintering on CeO2 Nanofibers Through Enclosing CeO2 Nanocubes
Authors: Wang Jun , Liu Suting , Tang Mingyu , Fu Wanlin , Wang Yunpeng , Yin Kuibo , Dai Yunqian
Published: April 2023

Sintering is a major concern for the deactivation of supported metals catalysts, which is driven by the force of decreasing the total surface energy of the entire catalytic system. In this work, a double‐confinement strategy is demonstrated to stabilize 2.6 nm‐Pt clusters against sintering on electrospun CeO2 nanofibers decorated by CeO2 nanocubes (m‐CeO2). Thermodynamically, with the aid of CeO2‐nanocubes, the intrinsically irregular surface of polycrystalline CeO2 nanofibers becomes smooth, offering adjacent Pt clusters with decreased chemical potential differences on a relatively uniform surface. Kinetically, the Pt clusters are physically restricted on each facet of CeO2 nanocubes in a nanosized region. In situ high‐angle annular dark‐field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF‐STEM) observation reveals that the Pt clusters can be stabilized up to 800 °C even in a high density, which is far beyond their Tammann temperature, without observable size growth or migration. Such a sinter‐resistant catalytic system is endowed with boosted catalytic activity toward both the hydrogenation of p‐nitrophenol after being aged at 500 °C and the sinter‐promoting exothermic oxidation reactions (e.g., soot oxidation) at high temperatures over 700 °C. This work offers new opportunities for exploring sinter‐resistant nanocatalysts, starting from the rational design of whole catalytic system in terms of thermodynamic and kinetic aspects.
Advancing Spectrally‐Resolved Single Molecule Localization Microscopy with Deep Learning
Authors: Manko Hanna , Mély Yves , Godet Julien
Published: April 2023

Spectrally‐resolved single molecule localization microscopy (srSMLM) is a recent technique enriching single molecule localization microscopy with the simultaneous recording of spectra of the single emitters. srSMLM resolution is limited by the number of photons collected per emitters. Sharing a photon budget to record the localization and the spectroscopic information results in a loss of spatial and spectral resolution—or forces the sacrifice of one at the expense of the other. Here, srUnet—a deep‐learning Unet‐based image processing routine trained to increase the spectral and spatial signals to compensate for the resolution loss inherent in additionally recording the spectral component is reported. Both localization and spectral precision are improved by srUnet—particularly for the low‐emitting species. srUnet increases the fraction of localization whose signal can be both spatially and spectrally characterized. It preserves spectral shifts and the linearity of the dispersion of light. It strongly facilitates wavelength assignment in multicolor experiments. srUnet is a simple post‐processing add‐on boosting srSMLM performance close to conventional SMLM with the potential to turn srSMLM into the new standard for multicolor single molecule imaging.
Highly Stable Potassium Metal Anodes with Controllable Thickness and Area Capacity
Authors: Zhang Jiaheng , Cai Dan , Zhu Liping , Wang Xiuli , Tu Jiangping
Published: April 2023

K metal battery is a kind of high‐energy‐density storage device with economic advantages. However, due to the dendrite growth and difficult processing characteristics, it is difficult to prepare stable K metal anode with thin thickness and fixed area capacity, which severely limits its development. In this work, a multi‐functional 3D skeleton (rGCA) is synthesized by simple vacuum filtration and thermal reduction, and K metal anodes with controllable thickness and area capacity (K content) can be fabricated by changing the raw material mass and graphene layer spacing of rGCA. Moreover, the graphene sheet layer of rGCA can relax stress and relieve volume expansion; carbon nanotubes can serve as the fast transport channel of electrons, reducing internal impedance and local current density; Ag nanoparticles can induce the uniform nucleation and deposition of K+. The K metal composite anodes (rGCA‐K) based on the conductive skeleton can effectively suppress dendrites and exhibit excellent electrochemical performance in symmetric and full cells. The controllable fabrication process of stable K metal anode is expected to help K metal batteries move toward the stage of commercial production.
Direct Ink Writing of Pickering Emulsions Generates Ultralight Conducting Polymer Foams with Hierarchical Structure and Multifunctionality
Authors: Huang Hao , Liao Longhui , Lin Zewen , Pan Deng , Nuo Qu , Wu Ting‐Ting , Jiang Yuan , Bai Hua
Published: April 2023

Porous materials with multiple hierarchy levels can be useful as lightweight engineering structures, biomedical implants, flexible functional devices, and thermal insulators. Numerous routes have integrated bottom‐up and top‐down approaches for the generation of engineering materials with lightweight nature, complex structures, and excellent mechanical properties. It nonetheless remains challenging to generate ultralight porous materials with hierarchical architectures and multi‐functionality. Here, the combined strategy based on Pickering emulsions and additive manufacturing leads to the development of ultralight conducting polymer foams with hierarchical pores and multifunctional performance. Direct writing of the emulsified inks consisting of the nano‐oxidant—hydrated vanadium pentoxide nanowires—generated free‐standing scaffolds, which are stabilized by the interfacial organization of the nanowires into network structures. The following in situ oxidative polymerization transforms the nano‐oxidant scaffolds into foams consisting of a typical conducting polymer—polyaniline. The lightweight polyaniline foams featured by hierarchical pores and high surface areas show excellent performances in the applications of supercapacitor electrodes, planar micro‐supercapacitors, and gas sensors. This emerging technology demonstrates the great potential of a combination of additive manufacturing with complex fluids for the generation of functional solids with lightweight nature and adjustable structure‐function relationships.
High‐Performance Li‐CO2 Battery Based on Carbon‐Free Porous Ru@QNFs Cathode
Authors: Zhu Ting , Wang Sheng , Yu Zhiqian , Song Hucheng , Xu Jun , Chen Kunji
Published: April 2023

Lithium‐carbon dioxide (Li‐CO2) batteries have attracted much attention due to their high theoretical energy density. However, due to the existance of lithium carbonate and amorphous carbon in the discharge products that are difficult to decompose, the battery shows low coulombic efficiency and poor cycle performance. Here, by adjusting the adsorption of carbon dioxide (CO2) on ruthenium (Ru) catalysts surface, this work reports an ultralow charge overpotential and long cycle life Li‐CO2 battery that consists of typical lithium metal, ternary molten salt electrolyte (TMSE), and Ru‐based cathode. Experimental results show that the Ru catalysts deposited on quartz nanofiber (QF) can suppress the four‐electron conversion of CO2 to lithium carbonate (Li2CO3). As a result, the battery shows a long‐cycle‐life of over 457 cycles at 1.0 A g−1 with a limited capacity of 500 mAh g−1Ru. Remarkably, a recorded low discharge potential of ≈3.0 V has been achieved after 35 cycles at 0.5 A g−1, with a charge potential retention of over 99%. Moreover, the battery can operate over 25 A g−1 and recover 96% potential. This battery technology paves the way for designing high‐performance rechargeable Li‐CO2 batteries with carbon neutrality.
Boosting Photo‐Electro‐Fenton Process Via Atomically Dispersed Iron Sites on Graphdiyne for InVitro Hydrogen Peroxide Detection
Authors: Li Ge , Zheng Yan , Hu Guangxuan , Chen Bo , Gu Yu , Yang Jianyu , Yang Hongbin , Hu Fangxin , Li Changming , Guo Chunxian
Published: April 2023

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is essential in oxidative stress and signal regulation of organs of animal body. Realizing in vitro quantification of H2O2 released from organs is significant, but faces challenges due to short lifetime of H2O2 and complex bio‐environment. Herein, rationally designed and constructed a photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor for in vitro sensing of H2O2, in which atomically dispersed iron active sites (Hemin) modified graphdiyne (Fe‐GDY) serves as photoelectrode and catalyzes photo‐electro‐Fenton process. Sensitivity of Fe‐GDY electrode is enhanced 8 times under illumination compared with dark condition. The PEC H2O2 sensor under illumination delivers a wide linear range from 0.1 to 48 160 µm and a low detection limit of 33 nm, while demonstrating excellent selectivity and stability. The high performance of Fe‐GDY is attributed to, first, energy levels matching of GDY and Hemin that effectively promotes the injection of photo‐generated electrons from GDY to Fe3+ for reduced Fe2+, which facilitates the Fe3+/Fe2+ cycle. Second, the Fe2+ actively catalyzes H2O2 to OH‐ through the Fenton process, thereby improving the sensitivity. The PEC sensor demonstrates in vitro quantification of H2O2 released from different organs, providing a promising approach for molecular sensing and disease diagnosis in organ levels.
3D‐Printed Thermoplastic Polyurethane Electrodes for Customizable, Flexible Lithium‐Ion Batteries with an Ultra‐Long Lifetime
Authors: Hu Xin , Chen Yimin , Xu Wei , Zhu Yi , Kim Donggun , Fan Ye , Yu Baozhi , Chen Ying
Published: April 2023

3D printing technology has demonstrated great potential in fabricating flexible and customizable high‐performance batteries, which are highly desired in the forthcoming intelligent and ubiquitous energy era. However, a significant performance gap, especially in cycling stability, still exists between the 3D‐printed and conventional electrodes, seriously limiting the practical applications of 3D‐printed batteries. Here, for the first time, a series of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)‐based 3D‐printed electrodes is developed via fused deposition modeling for flexible and customizable high‐performance lithium‐ion batteries. The TPU‐based electrode filaments in kilogram order are prepared via a facile extrusion method. As a result, the electrodes are well‐printed with high dimensional accuracy, flexibility, and mechanical stability. Notably, 3D‐printed TPU‐LFP electrodes exhibit a capacity retention of 100% after 300 cycles at 1C, which is among the best cycling performance of all the reported 3D‐printed electrodes. Such excellent performance is associated with the superb stress cushioning properties of the TPU‐based electrodes that can accommodate the volume change during the cycling and thus significantly prevent the collapse of 3D‐printed electrode structures. The findings not only provide a new avenue to achieve customizable and flexible batteries but also guide a promising way to erase the performance gap between 3D‐printed and conventional lithium‐ion batteries.
Electrostatic Self‐Assembly of MXene on Ruthenium Dioxide‐Modified Carbon Cloth for Electrochemical Detection of Kaempferol
Authors: Wang Jing , Xu Qingbin , Liu Jinxin , Kong Weijun , Shi Linchun
Published: April 2023

A superior composite material consisting of MXene and ruthenium dioxide‐modified carbon cloth is synthesized by pulsed laser deposition and electrostatic self‐assembly, which is further utilized to construct a class of novel electrochemical (EC) sensors for kaempferol (KA) detection. The carbon‐cloth‐based electrodes modified by ruthenium dioxide and then MXene are characterized by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and X‐ray photoemission spectroscopy. The EC process on the modified electrodes is analyzed by cyclic voltammetry, EC impedance spectroscopy, and differential pulse voltammetry. It is found that positively charged RuO2 not only possesses the remarkable electrical conductivity and electrocatalysis activity but also hampers the restacking of MXene, which accordingly enhances the exposure of the active surface area and greatly boosts the electrocatalysis activity of the entire composite. Consequently, this newly developed composite‐based EC sensor exhibits a high sensitivity, selectivity, and remarkable stability to detect KA with two linear ranges of 0.06–1 and 1–15 µM. The inferred limit of detection is 0.039 µM via differential pulse voltammetry. More importantly, this novel EC sensor is found to be applicable for detecting KA in practical traditional Chinese medicines.
Transition between Different Diffusion Modes of Individual Lipids during the Membrane‐Specific Action of As‐CATH4 Peptides
Authors: Wu Jinfeng , Xu Cheng , Ye Zifan , Chen Haibo , Wang Yipeng , Yang Kai , Yuan Bing
Published: April 2023

The cell membrane permeabilization ability of immune defense antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is widely applied in biomedicine. Although the mechanisms of peptide–membrane interactions have been widely investigated, analyses at the molecular level are still lacking. Herein, the membrane‐specific action of a native AMP, As‐CATH4, is investigated using a single‐lipid tracking method in combination with live cell and model membrane assays conducted at different scales. The peptide–membrane interaction process is characterized by analyzing single‐lipid diffusion behaviors. As‐CATH4 exhibits potent antimicrobial activity through bacterial membrane permeabilization, with moderate cytotoxicity against mammalian cells. In‐plane diffusion analyses of individual lipids show that the lipid molecules exhibit non‐Gaussian and heterogeneous diffusion behaviors in both pristine and peptide‐treated membranes, which can be decomposed into two Gaussian subgroups corresponding to normal‐ and slow‐diffusive lipids. Assessment of the temporal evolution of these two diffusion modes of lipids reveal that the peptide action states of As‐CATH4 include surface binding, transmembrane defect formation, and dynamic equilibrium. The action mechanisms of As‐CATH4 at varying concentrations and against different membranes are distinguished. This work resolves the simultaneous mixed diffusion mechanisms of single lipids in biomimetic cell membranes, especially during dynamic membrane permeabilization by AMPs.
Two‐Step Synthesis of B2N2‐Doped Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Containing Pentagonal and Heptagonal Rings with Long‐Lived Delayed Fluorescence
Authors: Luo Huan , Wan Qingyun , Choi Wookjin , Tsutsui Yusuke , Dmitrieva Evgenia , Du Lili , Phillips David Lee , Seki Shu , Liu Junzhi
Published: April 2023

Pentagon–heptagon embedded polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have aroused increasing attention in recent years due to their unique physicochemical properties. Here, for the first time, this report demonstrates a facile method for the synthesis of a novel B2N2‐doped PAH (BN‐2) containing two pairs of pentagonal and heptagonal rings in only two steps. In the solid state of BN‐2, two different conformations, including saddle‐shaped and up‐down geometries, are observed. Through a combined spectroscopic and calculation study, the excited‐state dynamics of BN‐2 is well‐investigated in this current work. The resultant pentagon–heptagon embedded B2N2‐doped BN‐2 displays both prompt fluorescence and long‐lived delayed fluorescence components at room temperature, with the triplet excited‐state lifetime in the microsecond time region (τ = 19 µs). The triplet−triplet annihilation is assigned as the mechanism for the observed long‐lived delayed fluorescence. Computational analyses attributed this observation to the small energy separation between the singlet and triplet excited states, facilitating the intersystem crossing (ISC) process which is further validated by the ultrafast spectroscopic measurements.
Enhancing Electron Conductivity and Electron Density of Single Atom Based Core–Shell Nanoboxes for High Redox Activity in Lithium Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Guo Jiao , Jiang Helong , Wang Kuandi , Yu Miao , Jiang Xiaobin , He Gaohong , Li Xiangcun
Published: April 2023

Herein, an integrated structure of single Fe atom doped core‐shell carbon nanoboxes wrapped by self‐growing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is designed. Within the nanoboxes, the single Fe atom doped hollow cores are bonded to the shells via the carbon needles, which act as the highways for the electron transport between cores and shells. Moreover, the single Fe atom doped nanobox shells is further wrapped and connected by self‐growing carbon nanotubes. Simultaneously, the needles and carbon nanotubes act as the highways for electron transport, which can improve the overall electron conductivity and electron density within the nanoboxes. Finite element analysis verifies the unique structure including both internal and external connections realize the integration of active sites in nano scale, and results in significant increase in electron transfer and the catalytic performance of Fe‐N4 sites in both Li2Sn lithiation and Li2S delithiation. The Li–S batteries with the double‐shelled single atom catalyst delivered the specific capacity of 702.2 mAh g−1 after 550 cycles at 1.0 C. The regional structure design and evaluation method provide a new strategy for the further development of single atom catalysts for more electrochemical processes.
Assembling AgAuSe Quantum Dots with Peptidoglycan and Neutrophils to Realize Enhanced Tumor Targeting, NIR (II) Imaging, and Sonodynamic Therapy
Authors: Yang Ling , Yuan Meng , Ma Ping'an , Chen Xiaorui , Cheng Ziyong , Lin Jun
Published: April 2023

Significant progress is made in drug delivery systems, but they still face problems such as poor stability in vivo, off‐target drugs, and difficulty in crossing biological barriers. It is urgent to realize efficient targeted delivery and precisely controlled sustained release of drugs by using the integrated nanoplatform. Theranostic nanoplatform is a new biomedical technology that combines diagnosis or monitoring of diseases with treatment. Here, an integrated strategy of diagnosis and treatment is reported for delivering NIR‐II imaged and therapeutic AgAuSe quantum dots (QDs) carried by peptidoglycan multilayer networks of bacteria to hitchhike circulating neutrophils for targeting the tumor. The assembled nanomaterials have good stability, which can not only initiate endogenous cells for drug delivery and achieve efficient targeting, but also guide drug imaging with excellent fluorescence property. Meanwhile, the elimination of established solid tumor is achieved with the administration of sonodynamic therapy without recurrence. This drug system expands the application of endogenous cell to participate in drug delivery system. Thus, the assembly strategy demonstrates the potential of endogenous neutrophils in functioning as natural drug vehicles and the application of NIR‐II fluorescent QDs in biomedical engineering.
An Ortho‐Bisalkyloxylated Benzene‐Based Fully Non‐fused Electron Acceptor for Efficient Organic Photovoltaic Cells
Authors: Yang Ni , Zhang Tao , Wang Shijie , An Cunbin , Seibt Susanne , Wang Guanlin , Wang Jingwen , Yang Yi , Wang Wenxuan , Xiao Yang , Yao Huifeng , Zhang Shaoqing , Ma Wei , Hou Jianhui
Published: April 2023

To develop the low‐cost nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs), two fully non‐fused NFAs (TBT‐2 and TBT‐6) with ortho‐bis((2‐ethylhexyl)oxy)benzene unit and different side chains onto thiophene‐bridges are synthesized through highly efficient synthetic procedures. Both acceptors show good planarity, low optical gaps (≈1.51 eV), and deep highest occupied molecular orbital levels (≤‐5.77 eV). More importantly, the single‐crystal structure of TBT‐2 shows compact molecular arrangement due to the existence of intramolecular interactions between adjacent aromatic units and strong π–π stacking between intermolecular terminal groups. When the two acceptors are fabricated organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells by combining with a wide optical gap polymer donor, the TBT‐6 with strong crystallization forms large domain sizes in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) blend. As a result, the TBT‐6‐based OPV cell shows a low power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.53%. In contrast, the TBT‐2 with proper crystallization facilitates morphological optimization in the BHJ blend. Consequently, the TBT‐2‐based OPV cell gives an outstanding PCE of 13.25%, which is one of the best values among OPV cells with similar optical gaps. Overall, this work provides a practical molecular design strategy for developing high‐performance and low‐cost electron acceptors.
Two‐In‐One: End‐Emitting Blue LED and Self‐Powered UV Photodetector based on Single Trapezoidal PIN GaN Microwire for Ambient Light UV Monitoring and Feedback
Authors: Chen Kai , Wang Xingfu , Zou Can , Liu Qing , Chen Kun , Shi Yuhao , Xu Tengwen , Zhao Wei , He Longfei , Gao Fangliang , Li Shuti
Published: April 2023

With the continuous miniaturization and integration of the semiconductor industry, micro/nanoscale integrated photonics has received extensive attention as a key technology for optical communication, optical storage, and optical interconnection. Here, a two‐in‐one device is reported with both unidirectional blue light emission and UV photodetection functions based on single trapezoidal PIN GaN microwire. By constructing a Fabry–Perot resonator cavity structure, the end‐emitting blue light‐emitting diode with a low turn‐on voltage (≈0.97 V) and high color purity (full width at half maximum ≈22 nm) is implemented. Furthermore, benefiting from the slow growth rate of the semipolar planes on both sides of the trapezoidal microwire and the high diffuse reflectivity of the patterned substrate, the trapezoidal microwire sides can be used as a high‐performance UV photodetector. In self‐driven mode, the device exhibits a large responsivity (0.218 A W−1), high external quantum efficiency (83.31%) and fast response speed (rise/decay time of 0.48/0.98 ms). Finally, the prepared two‐in‐one device is successfully integrated into ambient light UV monitoring and feedback system and tested. This work provides a novel strategy to combine luminescence with photodetection, demonstrating high potential for applications, such as on‐chip photonic integration, energy‐saving communication and ambient light monitoring and feedback system.
Acceleration Factors for Combined‐Accelerated Stress Testing of Photovoltaic Modules
Authors: Hacke Peter , Owen-Bellini Michael , Kempe Michael D. , Sulas-Kern Dana B. , Miller David C. , Jankovec Marko , Mitterhofer Stefan , Topič Marko , Spataru Sergiu , Gambogi William , Tanahashi Tadanori
Published: April 2023

Combined‐accelerated stress testing (C‐AST) is developed to establish the durability of photovoltaic (PV) products, including for degradation modes that are not a priori known or examined in standardized tests. C‐AST aims to comprehensively represent the sample, stress factors, and their combinations using levels at the statistical tails of the natural environment. Acceleration factors for relevant climate sequences within the C‐AST cycle with respect to the Florida USA climate are estimated for selected degradation mechanisms. It is found that for degradation of the outer backsheet polymer layer, the acceleration factor of the tropical climate sequence (the longest of the climate sequences) isf(T,G) = 17.3 with ultraviolet photodegradation; for polyethylene terephthalate hydrolysis (backsheets),f(T,RH) = 426; for electrochemical corrosion (PV cell),f(I) = 14.1; and for PbSn solder fatiguef(ΔT,r(T)) = 17.3. Here,Tis the module temperature,Gis the broadband spectrum irradiance on the plane of array of the module,RHis the relative humidity on the module surface,Iis the leakage current through the module packaging, andr(T), the number of temperature reversals. The methods discussed herein are generally applicable for evaluating acceleration factors in other accelerated test methods.
Methanesulfinate Modifier for Printable Mesoscopic Perovskite Solar Cells with Enhanced Performance
Authors: Wang Wei , Liu Jiale , Chen Kai , Yang Jian , Xia Minghao , Hu Wenjing , Xiao Xuan , Wang Chaoyang , Cui Zhaozhen , Gong Jinwei , Gao Lingya , Mei Anyi , Han Hongwei
Published: April 2023

High‐performance perovskite solar cells require the modification of grain boundaries in the polycrystalline light absorbing layer and salt modifiers have contributed a lot toward this requirement. Herein, the application of the sodium methanesulfinate (SMSI) as the modifier for the hole‐conductor‐free printable mesoscopic perovskite solar cell (p‐MPSC) with a carbon electrode is reported. It is found that SMSI prevents the oxidization of iodine ions in the precursor and methanesulfinate coordinates more strongly than methanesulfonate with perovskite. The interaction between SMSI and perovskite brings improved crystallinity and reduced defects, and thereby suppresses nonradiative recombination in p‐MPSCs. At the same time, SMSI also shifts the Fermi level of perovskite downward and contributes to an optimized energy‐level alignment for promoted charge injection. By introducing the SMSI modifier, the power conversion efficiency of p‐MPSCs from 16.6% to 18.1% is successfully improved. The research indicates that the methanesulfinate anion is a promising candidate for salt modifier design serving high‐performance PSCs.
Effect of magnetohydrodynamic Casson fluid flow on the stretching/shrinking surface
Authors: Bhavana P. M. , Vanitha G. P. , Mahabaleshwar U. S. , Souayeh Basma
Published: April 2023

In the present analysis, we investigate the magneto hydrodynamics (MHD) Casson fluid flow on the stretching/shrinking surface with mass suction/injection. The modeled boundary problem leads to highly partial differential equations, which are then transformed to ordinary differential equations by utilizing similarity variables. Finally, the resulting ordinary differential equations are explained analytically by using different controlling parameters and corresponding boundary conditions. The results of various parameters, for example, porous medium parameter, magnetic parameter, suction/injection parameter can be analyzed using graphical form. The outcomes of the investigation reveals that, for the stretching scenario, transverse velocity and tangential velocity both drop as the values of the Casson fluid parameter rise, whereas for the shrinking case, transverse velocity rises. The present problem has demands in industrial and engineering applications for instance glass filament, paper and food manufacture, crystal growth and liquid films, and printing technology.
High-Throughput Production and Optimization of Membrane Proteins After Expression in Mammalian Cells
Authors: Gamage Nadisha , Cheruvara Harish , Harrison Peter J. , Birch James , Hitchman Charlie J. , Olejnik Monika , Owens Raymond J. , Quigley Andrew
Published: April 2023

High-quality protein samples are an essential requirement of any structural biology experiment. However, producing high-quality protein samples, especially for membrane proteins, is iterative and time-consuming. Membrane protein structural biology remains challenging due to low protein yields and high levels of instability especially when membrane proteins are removed from their native environments. Overcoming the twin problems of compositional and conformational instability requires an understanding of protein size, thermostability, and sample heterogeneity, while a parallelized approach enables multiple conditions to be analyzed simultaneously. We present a method that couples the high-throughput cloning of membrane protein constructs with the transient expression of membrane proteins in human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells and rapid identification of the most suitable conditions for subsequent structural biology applications. This rapid screening method is used routinely in the Membrane Protein Laboratory at Diamond Light Source to identify the most successful protein constructs and conditions while excluding those that will not work. The 96-well format is easily adaptable to enable the screening of constructs, pH, salts, encapsulation agents, and other additives such as lipids.
Introduction: Destabilizing Gender
Authors: Salenius Sirpa
Published: April 2023

“What is gender, how is it produced and reproduced, what are its possibilities?” asks gender theorist Judith Butler in Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity (New York: Routledge, 1999). This chapter examines the arbitrary nature of gender, the ways in which it has been, and is constructed, often tied to such concepts as biological sex, sexuality, masculinities, and femininities. Japan as a global trendsetter, with its flourishing popular culture, seems fertile ground for exploring gender as it provides various contexts and case studies for exploring gender-coding or expressing and experimenting with cross-gender identification. The chapters that follow are briefly introduced here, pointing out the ways in which they can be read to challenge conventional assumptions associated not only with gender but also with masculinities, femininities, sexuality, and normativity. Taking examples from Japanese popular culture, the chapters generate new transnational conversations about gender that move beyond any national or geographic specificity.
“I’ll Create My Own Precedents”: Female Rakugo Performers on Tokyo’s Yose Stages
Authors: Stark Sarah
Published: April 2023

Rakugois a Japanese stage art originating in the seventeenth century, and was initially popular with the lower classes. For the majority of its history,rakugostories have been performed by men for (mostly) male audiences. The misogynistic and/or male-centered characters of the stories are not the only obstacle female performers are faced with; they also have to confront the male-centered community and audience expectations. With few senior female master-performers, there is a lack of role models and younger female performers have to find strategies regarding their portfolio, voice production, stage appearance and modification of stories. This chapter looks at the history of female performers and explores the current state on Tokyo’srakugostage also providing a valuable analysis of one of the few Japanese stage arts which allows women to perform on its main stages.
Not Quite There: Nike’s Diversity and Inclusion Agenda and Japan’s Readiness
Authors: Itatsu Yuko
Published: April 2023

This chapter analyzes recent ads created by Japanese sports brands celebrating female empowerment, with a focus on ads by Nike Japan. Most of these ads, which can be found on YouTube, illustrate a nuanced maneuver on the part of Nike Japan as they heed Nike headquarter’s diversity strategy but simultaneously try to calibrate its social message to be more acceptable to the general Japanese public. The chapter argues that in this effort to cater to Japanese society, Nike Japan’s message has become increasingly conservative in tone and ironically less geared to advancing the diversity and inclusion agenda. A comparison with other domestic competitors is made to highlight Nike’s portrayal of female athletes.
Creating the Body Beautiful Cosplay: Crossdressing, Cosplay, and Hyper Femininity/Hyper Masculinity
Authors: King Emerald L.
Published: April 2023

In dressing up and performing cosplay (costume play), practitioners will often change their appearance using wigs, makeup, layered shoes, and fantastic costumes. Increasingly, cosplay practitioners of all genders will use various means to alter the way their bodies look, adding curves or muscles with padding and binding or tucking away unwanted bulges. In addition to scholarly sources, this chapter will also make use of the commentary on gender, race, and body type posted by cosplay practitioners on public, global social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter in order to understand what constitutes the “perfect” or ideal cosplay body—if, indeed, such a thing exists. Rather than asking why these cosplayers dress up as their favorite characters from popular culture, the focus here will be on examining the ways in which cosplayers create their costumes. While many cosplay practitioners buy or commission their garments from online stores, the focus here is on cosplayers who create their own costumes for the purpose of taking part in competitions. This chapter will explore how cosplay practitioners sculpt the body beautiful cosplay and what the challenges may be in portraying in 2D superheroes and magical girls in a 2.5D or 3D reality.
“Do or Die”: Creating a Culture of Philanthropy
Authors: Raddon Mary-Beth
Published: April 2023

This chapter examines fundraisers’ aspirations to introduce a “culture of philanthropy,” which was a moral and political vision of widespread giving and major philanthropy as vehicles for generosity, democracy, and social transformation. Although fundraisers held a range of political identities from social democratic to conservative, they defined the culture of philanthropy through neoliberal discourses of individualism, personal responsibility, competitiveness, entrepreneurship, devolution of government, and low taxation, and against a welfarist programme of progressive taxation and state-funded services.
Living for Philanthropy: Fundraising as a Vocation
Authors: Raddon Mary-Beth
Published: April 2023

This chapter explores the meaning fundraisers give to their work. For the first wave of Canadian fundraising executives and consultants, fundraising was not merely a job or career but a vocation. Many wished to make their mark by raising money for worthy causes and contributing to a caring capitalism, an economic system that combines investor profit and social responsibility. The most donor-centric of fundraisers also found a calling to spiritually enrich major donors. Only 1 fundraiser of the 50 I interviewed fashioned a vocation that supported political action of social movement organizations. The political subjectivity of this singular fundraiser and her uneasy relationship to her profession illustrates how the neoliberal rationality of this period, though pervasive, was not universal.
A Generosity Gap? Comparisons with the United States
Authors: Raddon Mary-Beth
Published: April 2023

This chapter examines changes in Canadian discourse on the relative generosity of Canadians and Americans. In the welfare era, public generosity through tax-funded programmes was a source of national pride, as Canadians boasted higher levels of collective provisioning for health, education, social welfare, and the arts compared to the United States. In the late 1990s, Canadians began to be reminded that we fall below the U.S. on measures of private generosity. Whereas at one time, the political left referred to Canada’s “social advantage” over the U.S., now the political right pointed to a “generosity gap” based on Canada’s lower rates and levels of charitable giving.
Introduction: Understanding Migration Controls in Europe
Authors: Finotelli Claudia , Ponzo Irene
Published: April 2023

This chapter challenges the idea of migration controls as the mere outcome of rational planning and state efficacy. Instead, it argues that migration controls respond to an imperative deeply embedded in the dynamic interplay of internal structural constraints, different geopolitics and economic priorities, and ever-changing internal contexts. Therefore, migration control policies should be viewed as a process where nation-states have to deal with different types of public and private interests, established routines and compelling public expectations. This prevents framing migration control policies in Western countries in terms of divergence and ‘‘efficacy gaps’’, as occurs in the case of Southern European countries, which are still considered to be immigration latecomers, less able to deal with the challenge of unwanted migration flows in comparison to Northern and even Eastern European countries. In this regard, the chapter illustrates the persisting opposition between Northern and Southern Europe in the public debate over migration from the 1970s to the most recent developments, and in its last section explains how each book chapter contributes to unravelling the actual functioning of migration controls beyond nationally based state typologies, and to overcoming the idea of a neatly divided and clustered European migration panorama.
Seasonal Workers in Agriculture: The Cases of Spain and The Netherlands in Times of Covid-19
Authors: Doomernik Jeroen , Garcés-Mascareñas Blanca , Güell Berta
Published: April 2023

This chapter revisits the debate on the South-North divide on migration regimes by comparing the cases of Spain and the Netherlands with regard to migrant seasonal workers in agriculture, with a particular attention to their situation before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. Starting from Pastore’s (Comp Migr Stud 2(4):385–415, 2014) concept of the governance of Migrant Labour Supply (MLS), we consider to what extent Spain and the Netherlands are as different as expected. Based on the research conducted for the EC funded H2020 project ADMIGOV, we conclude that differences are not as relevant. Indeed, in both cases seasonal labour demands were covered initially by recently arrived immigrants, in a later stage by immigrants already in the country and in the last years also by Eastern European workers that can go back and forth without the constraints imposed by international borders. In both cases, we see convergence towards a major de-regulation of the sector, particularly due to the increasing use of temp agencies. The conclusions address the role of the state (and the different actors involved) in the governance of MLS in agriculture and whether the Covid-19 pandemic has brought significant structural changes in this field.
Welcome Culture and Bureaucratic Ambiguity: Germany’s Complex Asylum Regime
Authors: Thränhardt Dietrich
Published: April 2023

During the 2014–2017 asylum crisis, millions of Germans welcomed and assisted incoming refugees, and local governments accommodated them. However, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) was unable to keep up with processing the asylum requests, leading to a large backlog. BAMF has since been upgraded, but asylum procedures are still protracted and inefficient, like in other European countries. Efficient counselling based on the Swiss model has been tested and rejected. The courts overturn a high percentage of BAMF decisions, with lawyers and volunteers assisting rejected asylum seekers. BAMF hampers integration with its slow asylum processing, yet on the other hand provides integration courses. After a long wait, most refugees stay, find work, learn the language, and become part of the social fabric. In 2022, the EU Temporary Protection Directive removed almost all bureaucratic hurdles for Ukrainian war refugees, and allowed civil society to host and help them all over the EU, creating a new welcome regime for Ukrainians beside the incoherent, complex, and dysfunctional asylum regime.
Concluding Remarks: Towards a New Conceptualisation of Similarities and Differences in European Migration Controls
Authors: Finotelli Claudia , Ponzo Irene
Published: April 2023

The main objective of this book has been to understand migration controls beyond national models and dichotomies that juxtapose “efficient” versus “inefficient” state policies. Specifically, this volume contributes to dispute some consolidated ideas about using the North-South divide as the main lens to interpret how European countries respond to common imperatives of control on the entry and residence of immigrants. In doing so, we argue that migration control policies and their results can be conceived of as a product of overlapping processes of convergence and divergence, driven by changing external contexts, different geopolitical and economic interests, and varying national constraints, all of which are engaged by a wide range of social actors.

In the first part of this chapter, we focus on convergence dynamics by illustrating the increasing similarities between Northern and Southern European countries. Then, we point out some key drivers of this convergence. Drawing on previous chapters, we find this convergence appears mainly related to shifts in external constraints in the form of increasingly similar migration inflows and Europeanisation processes.

The second part of the chapter focuses on divergence, addressing the relevance of nation-states’ geopolitical and economic interests in the European migration system and their institutional and structural constraints as crucial determinants of the logics and practices of migration control.
The Genealogy of the External Dimension of the Spanish Immigration Regime: When a Bricolage National Policy Becomes a Driver of Europeanisation
Authors: Gabrielli Lorenzo
Published: April 2023

This chapter will examine the genealogy of practices, logics and organisational strategies strongly linked to multilevel policy framework that fostered the development of the Spanish migration regime’s external dimension. The analysis focuses on the changing relations between Spain and the EU associated with the policymaking on externalisation of immigration policy in order to better understand influences, policy diffusion and circulation between these two political actors.

The evolution of the Spanish regime is segmented into three different periods, characterised by specific internal dynamics and by specific interactions with the EU. First, a focus on the period of “top-down Europeanisation” (1985–1999) where the EU asserted a dominant influence that impacted Spanish immigration policy, pushed by the conditionality of the Spanish accession to the EU, and later to the Schengen Area. Second, the chapter analyses how Spain progressed from a passive receiver of European norms and standards to become an active player in European policy-making, fostering changes and new developments in the EU immigration regime, initiating a more horizontal Europeanisation beginning in the 2000s. Third, through the development of the external dimension of Spanish immigration policy, Spain became a model and inspiration for migration policies implemented at the EU level in the 2010s, marking a bottom-up Europeanisation. In each of these phases, Spain utilised Europeanisation in a functional way to pursuit its own interests, signalling how the external dimension of its immigration regime influenced the development and the implementation of that of the EU.
“Selecting by Origin” Revisited: On the Particularistic Turn of German Labour Migration Policy
Authors: Schneider Jan , Kolb Holger
Published: April 2023

Following a decade in which German labour migration policy has developed towards a universalistic regime that applied similar conditions towards most third country nationals applying for admission, we observe a slow but steady return of ethnic selectivity and particularistic features in this area. Although human capital remains a centrepiece of the bundle of regulations and institutional settings which govern the process of selecting labour migrants, the factor of the respective country of origin of applicants has regained importance over the last few years. This Chapter explores a number of deviations from a legal framework, which in principle is universalist and claims to put merits, certificates and employers’ demand first. We demonstrate, however, that starting conditions for obtaining a work visa turn out to be unequal, as they positively discriminate particular nationalities. This prominence of ethnic origin in migrant admission policies vis-à-vis third countries is a rather recent phenomenon in Germany, but something which could be observed in other EU countries – not least in Southern EU Member States – already for some years. These observations tend to counter the proverbial North-South divide, suggesting rather unexpected policy convergences within the EU.
Propositional Proof Skeletons
Authors: Reeves Joseph E. , Kiesl-Reiter Benjamin , Heule Marijn J. H.
Published: April 2023

Modern SAT solvers produce proofs of unsatisfiability to justify the correctness of their results. These proofs, which are usually represented in the well-known DRAT format, can often become huge, requiring multiple gigabytes of disk storage. We present a technique for semantic proof compression that selects a subset of important clauses from a proof and stores them as a so-called proof skeleton. This proof skeleton can later be used to efficiently reconstruct a full proof by exploiting parallelism. We implemented our approach on top of the award-winning SAT solver CaDiCaL and the proof checker DRAT-trim. In an experimental evaluation, we demonstrate that we can compress proofs into skeletons that are 100 to 5, 000 times smaller than the original proofs. For almost all problems, proof reconstruction using a skeleton improves the solving time on a single core, and is around five times faster when using 24 cores.
A Practitioner’s Guide to MDP Model Checking Algorithms
Authors: Hartmanns Arnd , Junges Sebastian , Quatmann Tim , Weininger Maximilian
Published: April 2023

Model checking undiscounted reachability and expected-reward properties on Markov decision processes (MDPs) is key for the verification of systems that act under uncertainty. Popular algorithms are policy iteration and variants of value iteration; in tool competitions, most participants rely on the latter. These algorithms generally need worst-case exponential time. However, the problem can equally be formulated as a linear program, solvable in polynomial time. In this paper, we give a detailed overview of today’s state-of-the-art algorithms for MDP model checking with a focus on performance and correctness. We highlight their fundamental differences, and describe various optimizations and implementation variants. We experimentally compare floating-point and exact-arithmetic implementations of all algorithms on three benchmark sets using two probabilistic model checkers. Our results show that (optimistic) value iteration is a sensible default, but other algorithms are preferable in specific settings. This paper thereby provides a guide for MDP verification practitioners—tool builders and users alike.
Efficient Loop Conditions for Bounded Model Checking Hyperproperties
Authors: Hsu Tzu-Han , Sánchez César , Sheinvald Sarai , Bonakdarpour Borzoo
Published: April 2023

Bounded model checking (BMC) is an effective technique for hunting bugs by incrementally exploring the state space of a system. To reason about infinite traces through a finite structure and to ultimately obtain completeness, BMC incorporates loop conditions that revisit previously observed states. This paper focuses on developing loop conditions for BMC of – a temporal logic for hyperproperties that allows expressing important policies for security and consistency in concurrent systems, etc. Loop conditions for are more complicated than for , as different traces may loop inconsistently in unrelated moments. Existing BMC approaches for only considered linear unrollings without any looping capability, which precludes both finding small infinite traces and obtaining a complete technique. We investigate loop conditions for BMC, for formulas that contain up to one quantifier alternation. We first present a general complete automata-based technique which is based on bounds of maximum unrollings. Then, we introduce alternative simulation-based algorithms that allow exploiting short loops effectively, generating SAT queries whose satisfiability guarantees the outcome of the original model checking problem. We also report empirical evaluation of the prototype implementation of our BMC techniques using .