bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Rights Retention Policy of Edinburgh University
Authors: Tate Dominic , Aspaas Per Pippin
Published: December 2022

As the first UK institution, Edinburgh University adopted a Rights Retention Policy on 1st January 2022. As a result, all research articles written by Edinburgh’s researchers can now be made legally available in open access immediately upon publication in a journal or a volume of conference proceedings. In this episode, head of Library Research Support at Edinburgh University Library, Dominic Tate explains how the policy came into being and how it has been received by academic publishers.

In addition to Plan S, the 41 recommendations as stated in an Open Science Roadmap developed by a working group within LERU (League of European Research Universities) served as inspiration for the latest revision of the Open Access Policy at Edinburgh University. The institution has had an institutional repository in place for two decades and most researchers are routinely depositing their articles there. The next step was to enable these articles (usually in the form of the Author's Accepted Manuscript, AAM) to be made immediately available in open access without any embargo periods or other restrictions. About 160 publishers have received prior notice about Edinburgh’s rights retention policy and the reception has been overwhelmingly positive.

The podcast recording was made in conjunction with the Munin Conference on Scholarly Publishing. It was first published online December 5, 2022.
Calendric Feast Bans and the Punishment for Violating Them in the Bulgarian Traditional Culture
Authors:   Institute of Slavic Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia, Sedakova Irina
Published: December 2022

The paper offers an interdisciplinary ethnolinguistic and semiotic analysis of the Bulgarian calendric prohibitions and the consequences of violating them. Special attention is paid to linguistic data – the chrononyms which characterize these days as ambivalent, both blessed and malevolent, days which must be observed as work-free and free from other types of activity. Folk etymology of some terms for holidays reveals how language constructs the calendric order and offers an insight into the ritual restrictions of some feasts. The list of bans in an ethnographic context is scrutinized according to which holidays are “dangerous”, who is the subject of the bans, and what punishment will follow for breaking the rules. Holidays for which non-observance is most seriously punished are Christian calendric feasts which often have many pre-Christian elements and occasionally reflect the cult of animals. Many restrictions affect women only, especially those who are pregnant and mothers, as they concern female biological and social functions. Folklore parallels to the theme of the article are investigated and a poetic means of depicting the punishment for the sins is shown. A reverse development of the motif of ‘sin and punishment’ is represented in the songs about Saint Nedelia, who does not punish the sinners but suffers herself because people work on ‘her days’, Sundays. Some of the bans and recommendations relevant for calendric rituals are still evident in Bulgarian society, confirming the continuation of certain features of the archaic worldview. The paper is based on field research data collected by the author during the last three decades and on published and archival materials.
Pilgrimages in Times of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Romania
Authors:   University of Bucharest, Romania, Stahl Irina
Published: December 2022

In 2020, religious celebrations in Romania were greatly affected by restrictions meant to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Easter, the highlight of the Orthodox Christian ritual year, was celebrated in empty churches during the spring lockdown. Participation in religious activities was later progressively permitted. During autumn, pilgrimages were allowed, but only in compliance with strict regulations. This article focuses on the restrictions imposed by public authorities, the solutions found by church representatives, and the faithful’s reaction to the new situation. The Orthodox liturgical year begins in Romania on the 1st of September, marked by a series of pilgrimages, occasioned by feasts for several saints whose relics are venerated in local churches. Some of them, centuries old, attract thousands of people. The celebrations last several days, during which people wait patiently, for hours, to touch the holy relics. In 2020, governmental measures limited participation to local residents, without previous consultation with the church authorities. This caused great discontent. Despite this, the number of pilgrims was not substantially less than in previous years, in large part due to the direct negotiations between the faithful and the local law forces.
Maastikule kleepuv tekst: põrgupärimus
Authors:   Centre for Landscape and Culture at the School of Humanities, Tallinn University, Estonia, Kõivupuu Marju
Published: December 2022

On the landscape, there are natural caves known as hells or hell graves, formed, for example, as a result of the outflow of spring water and in some cases expanded and deepened by human hands over time, as well as sandstone outcrops, feather holes or sölls or valleys, where, according to folk tales, mythological creatures-giants have lived or live: old pagans or devils. In this article, the focus is on “hell” as a traditional landscape element and places named “hell” in place lore and place creation, in original fiction based on folk tales, in tourism economy, etc. I claim that hell-themed place stories written down by folk over the ages stick to the landscape in different ways, whether it is the reuse of stories based on standard motifs in place creation, the consolidation of the landscape image embedded in traditional texts in tourism, even when the landscape itself has long since changed, etc. Scenically interesting places need attractive stories; this is one of the key themes of placemaking. As a concept, I use local place lore as an umbrella term for oral tradition in the field that can be linked to certain places in the landscape. Local place lore includes both international motifs and local legends, which in some cases have also been told as true stories. Local lore, as a type of lore that shows the connection between a person and a place, has been valued mainly because of the aspect that creates and supports local identity. However, the landscape surrounding the community is not a static but a dynamic space, in which new meanings that reflect the life of the community arise or are created, and these are also reflected in the lore related to the landscape.
Multi-label multi-class COVID-19 Arabic Twitter dataset with fine-grained misinformation and situational information annotations
Authors: Obeidat Rasha , Gharaibeh Maram , Abdullah Malak , Alharahsheh Yara
Published: December 2022

Since the inception of the current COVID-19 pandemic, related misleading information has spread at a remarkable rate on social media, leading to serious implications for individuals and societies. Although COVID-19 looks to be ending for most places after the sharp shock of Omicron, severe new variants can emerge and cause new waves, especially if the variants can evade the insufficient immunity provided by prior infection and incomplete vaccination. Fighting the fake news that promotes vaccine hesitancy, for instance, is crucial for the success of the global vaccination programs and thus achieving herd immunity. To combat the proliferation of COVID-19-related misinformation, considerable research efforts have been and are still being dedicated to building and sharing COVID-19 misinformation detection datasets and models for Arabic and other languages. However, most of these datasets provide binary (true/false) misinformation classifications. Besides, the few studies that support multi-class misinformation classification deal with a small set of misinformation classes or mix them with situational information classes. False news stories about COVID-19 are not equal; some tend to have more sinister effects than others (e.g., fake cures and false vaccine info). This suggests that identifying the sub-type of misinformation is critical for choosing the suitable action based on their level of seriousness, ranging from assigning warning labels to the susceptible post to removing the misleading post instantly. We develop comprehensive annotation guidelines in this work that define 19 fine-grained misinformation classes. Then, we release the first Arabic COVID-19-related misinformation dataset comprising about 6.7K tweets with multi-class and multi-label misinformation annotations. In addition, we release a version of the dataset to be the first Twitter Arabic dataset annotated exclusively with six different situational information classes. Identifying situational information (e.g., caution, help-seeking) helps authorities or individuals understand the situation during emergencies. To confirm the validity of the collected data, we define three classification tasks and experiment with various machine learning and transformer-based classifiers to offer baseline results for future research. The experimental results indicate the quality and validity of the data and its suitability for constructing misinformation and situational information classification models. The results also demonstrate the superiority of AraBERT-COV19, a transformer-based model pretrained on COVID-19-related tweets, with micro-averaged F-scores of 81.6% and 78.8% for the multi-class misinformation and situational information classification tasks, respectively. Label Powerset with linear SVC achieved the best performance among the presented methods for multi-label misinformation classification with micro-averaged F-scores of 76.69%.
Effects of cleaning sports mouthguards with ethylene-vinyl acetate on oral bacteria
Authors: Hayashi Hiroki , Naiki Yoshikazu , Murakami Masahiro , Oishi Akihiro , Takeuchi Rihoko , Nakagawa Masayoshi , Kimoto Suguru , Hasegawa Yoshiaki , Araki Akizumi
Published: December 2022

Background

Sports mouthguards, worn in the oral cavity to prevent sports injuries, are constantly exposed to various microorganisms that cause oral infections. Hence, the optimal cleaning methods for sports mouthguards have been thoroughly examined. In this study, we evaluated the efficiency of cleaning effects with a mouthguard cleaner (MC) on microbial biofilm formation in sports mouthguards in vitro and in vivo.

Methods

We evaluated the cleaning effects of the discs produced by ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) on bacterial biofilms formed by the commensal bacterium Streptococcus oralis, the cariogenic bacterium Streptococcus mutans, and the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus in vitro. EVA discs with biofilm were subjected to sterile distilled water (CTRL) and ultrasonic washing (UW), followed by treatment with MC and sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) as positive controls. Thereafter, the viable bacterial cell counts were determined. The bacteria adhering to the sheets before and after the treatment were observed under an electron microscope. The degree of cleanliness and measurement of viable microbial cell counts for total bacteria, Streptococci and Candida, opportunistic fungi, were evaluated on the used experimental sports mouthguards with and without UW and MC treatment in vivo.

Results

The number of bacterial cells significantly decreased against all the tested biofilm bacteria upon treatment with MC, compared with CTRL and UW. Electron microscopy analysis revealed the biofilm formation by all bacteria on the EVA discs before cleaning. We observed fewer bacteria on the EVA discs treated with MC than those treated with CTRL and UW. Furthermore, the degree of cleanliness of the used experimental sports mouthguards cleaned using MC was significantly higher than that of the CTRL-treated mouthguards. Moreover, the viable microbial cell counts on the used experimental sports mouthguard were considerably lower than those on the CTRL ones.

Conclusion

The cleaning effect of MC against oral bacteria was more effective than that of UW. MC treatment might have a potential future application as a cleaning method for sports mouthguards to protect athletes from oral infection.
Acute Aortic Dissection Masquerading a Rare Type of Congenital Bicuspid Aortic : A Case Report
Authors: Njie M. , Tahir A. Fadoul , Sidi Boutar M. , Mulendele P. M. , Haboub M. , Arous S. , Benouna M. Ghali , Drighil A. , Azouzi L. , Habbal R.
Published: December 2022

Acute aortic dissection on bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) type 0 is a rare especially in young masculine. Risk factors like smoking and intensive sport activities can hasten their apparition especially in non-diagnosed population. Trans thoracic echocardiography is very important in the diagnosis of BAV whereas Angio CT scan helps to confirm acute aortic dissection. Treatment is based on surgery for type A Stanford classification for acute aortic dissection. We report a rare case of acute aortic dissection masquerading a rare type of BAV, type 0 in a young sportive male with no history of heart disease who presented for the first-time with acute chest pain after lifting a heavy weight metal at the complex sport center. Patient was initially placed on medical treatment before surgery for heart valve and root replacement (Bentall procedure).
A Study on Adoption of Climate Resilient Technologies in Adopted Villages of Bandipora District under National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) Project
Authors: Aziz Tariq , Bhat Bilal Ah. , Bhat M. I. , Magray M. Mudasir , Yatoo M. A. , Tabina .
Published: December 2022

The need to study the extent of adoption of climate resilient technologies (CRTs) under the changing climatic conditions have been at the centre of focus of many extension programmes, aimed at improving livelihood security under the current scenario. The current study was conducted in Bandipora District of Jammu and Kashmir with the objective to investigate the adoption rate of climate resilient technologies of National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) Project and to study the adoption behaviour of the beneficiaries of the Project implemented by Krishi Vigyan Kendra of Bandipora. Eighty beneficiaries were selected from 4 strata by proportionate allocation method (PAM). In addition to this, 40 non-beneficiaries were also selected from same villages by simple random sampling technique (RST). The present study investigates the extent to which climate resilient technologies are being adopted by the farmers under the Project National Innovations on Climate Smart Agriculture (NICRA) in the adopted villages of Bandipora District. It further studied the association of personal profile of respondents with the extent of adoption of Climate resilient technologies. A structured interview was employed to obtain data from 120 respondents. Results revealed during the study medium to high levels of adoption by the respondents of climate resilient technologies. The profile characteristics viz. Age, gender, marital status, education, family size, land holding, occupation, annual income, farming experience, trainings attended, extension contacts, information source, scientific orientation, economic motivation and innovativeness had positive and significant association with the extent of adoption of climate resilient technologies by the farmers.
Yield Performance of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Varieties in Direct Seeded Condition under Organic Farming
Authors: Patel V. P. , Parmar P. N.
Published: December 2022

Field experiments were conducted during rainy seasons of 2018 to 2020 at Regional Rice Research Station, Navsari Agricultural University, Vyara, Gujarat on clayey soils. The treatment consists of four rice varieties i.e., Purna, GR 5, GNR 6 and IR 28 with 100 % and 50 % recommended dose of N through FYM. Result showed that significantly higher plant height recorded in variety GR 5 which was at par with variety Purna. Highest panicle m-2 were recorded in variety Purna followed by GR 5. Significantly higher grain yield was recorded in variety Purna which was statistically at par with variety GR 5. Significantly higher straw yield was recorded in variety GR 5 which was statistically at par with variety Purna. The treatment consists of application of 100% and 50% recommended dose of Nitrogen through farmyard manure recorded non significant difference.  Hence, farmers of south Gujarat, growing direct seeded upland rice (Purna or GR 5) organically are needs to apply 37.5 kg N ha-1 (50% recommended dose of Nitrogen) through farmyard manure for achieving profitable yield.
Mapping of Soil Physicochemical Properties of Kishtwar District of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Using Geographic Information System (GIS)
Authors: Wani Owais Ali , Sharma K. R. , Kumar Shamal Shasang , Sharma Vikas , Palmo Tsultim , Vemulakonda Amani Lakshmi , Mahale Ananta G. , Hussain Nazir , Singh Gobinder
Published: December 2022

Objective and Background: A study was carried out to assess and generate the prediction maps of the physicochemical properties of the soil in the Kishtwar district. The Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir covers an area of 7737 sq. km. and falls in the temperate zone of the state. It is an upland valley in the northeast corner of the Jammu region.

Methods: Soil samples were collected from the entire Kishtwar district in a stratified random manner. The digitization process and generation of maps were carried out with ArcGIS 10.0.

Results: Sandy loam was the dominant textural class in the district. Soil pH varied widely across the Kishtwar district ranging from as low as 4.87 to as high as 8.00, with a mean value of 6.73. The coefficient of variation CV (coefficient of variation) was 8.08%. Electrical Conductivity (EC) ranged from 0.03 to 9.80 dS m-1 with a mean value of 1.50 dS m-1. The variability of Electrical Conductivity (EC) was high. Organic carbon (OC) ranged from 0.20 to 2.68%, with a mean value of 1.18% with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 48.14%. Calcium carbonate went from traces to 3.60% with a mean value of 0.79% and had a high variability with a CV of 90.38%. Cation exchange capacity (CEC) ranged from 2.50 to 29.40 cmol p+/kg with a mean value of 17.14 and CV of 39.79%.

Conclusion: Almost all recorded physicochemical properties of Kishtwar district soils were conducive to crop growth. However, the major area of the district was either devoid of cultivation or difficult to cultivate because the region has undulating topography.
Association of Recreational Cannabis Legalization With Cannabis Possession Arrest Rates in the US
Authors: Gunadi Christian , Shi Yuyan
Published: December 2022

Importance

Recreational cannabis legalization (RCL) has been advocated as a way to reduce the number of individuals interacting with the US criminal justice system; in theory, however, cannabis decriminalization can achieve this objective without generating the negative public health consequences associated with RCL. It is still unclear whether RCL can bring additional benefits in terms of reducing cannabis possession arrests in states that have already decriminalized cannabis.

Objective

To examine whether RCL was associated with changes in cannabis possession arrests in US states that had already decriminalized cannabis during the study period and whether these changes differed across age and racial subgroups.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This repeated cross-sectional study used cannabis possession arrest data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reporting Program (UCRP) for US states from 2010 through 2019. Statistical analysis was conducted from October 6, 2021, to October 12, 2022.

Exposures

Implementation of statewide RCL.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Cannabis possession arrest rates per 1000 population per year were assessed with a quasi-experimental difference-in-differences design and were used to estimate the association of RCL with arrest rates in RCL states that had or had not decriminalized cannabis before RCL. This association was also examined in subgroups for age (adults vs youths) and race (Black vs White).

Results

This study included UCRP data for 31 US states, including 9 states that implemented RCL during the study period (4 without and 5 with decriminalization) and 22 non-RCL states. In the 4 states that had not decriminalized cannabis before legalization, RCL was associated with a 76.3% decrease (95% CI, −81.2% to −69.9%) in arrest rates among adults. In the 5 states that had already decriminalized cannabis, RCL was still associated with a substantial decrease in adult arrest rates (−40.0%; 95% CI, −55.1% to −19.8%). There was no association of RCL with changes in arrest rates among youths. In addition, changes in arrest rates associated with RCL did not differ among Black and White individuals.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this repeated cross-sectional study, RCL was associated with a sizable reduction in cannabis possession arrests among adults in states that had already decriminalized cannabis during the study period (2010-2019), albeit the magnitude was smaller compared with states that had not decriminalized cannabis before RCL. In addition, RCL did not seem to be associated with changes in arrest rates among youths or disparities in arrest rates among Black and White individuals.
Long noncoding RNAMEG3 inhibits oral squamous cell carcinoma progression via GATA3
Authors: Hu Yan , Lv Feifei , Li Na , Yuan Xuewei , Zhang Liru , Zhao Shuangling , Jin Linyu , Qiu Yongle
Published: December 2022

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) accounts for about 90% of oral cancers. Expression of the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) maternally expressed 3 (MEG3) has previously been reported to be downregulated in OSCC, and its overexpression can inhibit proliferation, migration, and invasion and promote apoptosis of OSCC cells. However, the mechanism underlying MEG3 downregulation in OSCC has not been well characterized. Here we report that low expression of MEG3 is caused by H3K27me3 modification of the MEG3 gene locus, and this is associated with the poor prognosis of OSCC. Overexpression of MEG3 inhibited the proliferation and invasion of OSCC cells. We observed that MEG3 was modified by m6A and bound to YTHDC1. Enhancer‐controlled genes positively regulated by MEG3 were functionally enriched for the ‘negative regulation of Wnt signaling pathway’ term, as determined using metascape. GATA3 was predicted to be a transcription factor for these genes, and was demonstrated to bind to MEG3. Knockdown of GATA3 countered the effects on proliferation, invasion, and increased transcription of HIC1 and PRICKLE1 induced by MEG3 overexpression. In conclusion, our data suggest that MEG3 is downregulated in OSCC due to trimethylation of H3K27 at the MEG3 gene locus. The inhibitory effect of MEG3 on proliferation and invasion of OSCC cells was dependent on the binding of GATA3.
Coverage Performance of PEDOT:PSS Against Particles on a Substrate for OLEDs
Authors: Kurosawa Yu , Murakami Tetsushi , Takahashi Tatsuhiro , Suzuri Yoshiyuki
Published: December 2022

Short‐circuit defects caused by microscale dust particles in organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) cause a decrease in production yield and hinder cost reduction. An organic layer coating by solution process is used to prevent short‐circuit defects of particles on a substrate. In this study, the coverage properties of a coated organic layer on size‐controlled particles are revealed. The surface of the substrate with size‐controlled SiO2 particles with a diameter of 0.2–5 µm is quantitatively contaminated, and the particle coverage properties of the solution‐processed hole injection layer are investigated. From the results of the leakage current measurement and cross‐sectional observation by a transmission electron microscope, it is observed that devices with 50 nm‐spin‐coated poly (3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonate) can cover SiO2 particles up to 1 µm in diameter without any increase in leakage current. It is revealed that larger‐sized particles cause electric defects, albeit with a low probability, owing to the larger space under the particles. To fabricate OLEDs with a high yield, the shape of the coverage at the bottom of the particle is important in preventing electric defects. The results of this study are useful not only for OLEDs but also for printed and coated devices.
Characterizing the Solvent‐Induced Inversion of Colloidal Aggregation During Electrophoretic Deposition
Authors: DeMoulpied Justin R. , Killenbeck Jessica A. , Schichtl Zebulon G. , Sharma Babloo , Striegler Susanne , Coridan Robert H.
Published: December 2022

Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of colloidal particles is a practical system for the study of crystallization and related physical phenomena. The aggregation is driven by the electroosmotic flow fields and induced dipole moments generated by the polarization of the electrode‐particle‐electrolyte interface. Here, the electrochemical control of aggregation and repulsion in the electrophoretic deposition of colloidal microspheres is reported. The nature of the observed transition depended on the composition of the solvent, switching from electrode‐driven aggregation in water to electrical field‐driven repulsion in ethanol for otherwise identical systems of colloidal microspheres. This work uses optical microscopy‐derived particles and a recently developed particle insertion method approach to extract model‐free, effective interparticle potentials to describe the ensemble behavior of the particles as a function of the solvent and electrode potential at the electrode interface. This approach can be used to understand the phase behavior of these systems based on the observable particle positions rather than a detailed understanding of the electrode‐electrolyte microphysics. This approach enables simple predictability of the static and dynamic behaviors of functional colloid‐electrode interfaces.
Microstructured Electroceutical Fiber‐Device for Inhibition of Bacterial Proliferation in Wounds
Authors: van der Elst Louis Alexandre , Gokce Merve , Coulter Jeffery Robert , Cavdar Zeynep Burcu , Koraganji Veda Narayana , Ozturk Murat , Ghatak Subhadip , Sen Chandan K. , Gumennik Alexander
Published: December 2022

Antibiotic‐resistant infections caused by bacterial pathogens pose a serious threat to public health, hampering wound healing and causing significant morbidities worldwide. A biomedical fiber‐device that functions as a drugless antiseptic is introduced as a solution to this problem. Through stitching, piercing, or topical application to the wound, this fiber slows down the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria, thereby reducing the risks associated with inflammation and inhibiting infections. The fiber's bacterial proliferation inhibition function is based on the galvanic effect, which disturbs bacterial quorum sensing. Detailed herein are the fiber design optimization, scalable fabrication approach, electrical function characterization, and antiseptic function verification in cultures of typical wound pathogens. Such a fiber—mechanically and environmentally resilient, insensitive to harsh storage conditions with nominally infinite shelf‐life, resulting from machining rather than pharmacochemical fabrication— provides a cost‐effective and widely available alternative to current antibiotic treatments of physical injury.
High‐Speed Superhydrophobic Swimmers Propelled by Restricted Droplets
Authors: Chen Yang , Liu Jiyu , Zhou Yuyang , Li Yuheng , Yuan Zizhen , Yan Defeng , Wu Siqi , Zhao Danyang , Liu Xin
Published: December 2022

Swimmers that can convert external energy to dynamic movement have shown great potential in different fields; however, their applications are restrained due to the demerits of high cost, environmental pollution, and low efficiency in exiting propelling methods. Herein, droplets are proposed to use whose motions are restricted to fixed positions or specified areas to propel a superhydrophobic swimmer with a superhydrophilic wedge‐shaped pattern effectively. This propelling method by restricted droplets can more effectively convert droplet surface energy to kinetic energy of the superhydrophobic swimmer, thereby achieving high‐efficient propulsion of the swimmer. The propelling mechanism and propelling force are analyzed in detail, and the movement of the swimmer can be controlled by parameters including wedge angle, droplet volume, and needle size. Based on the propelling phenomenon, an accelerator is further developed to promote the hanging droplets to move along specific tracks, and thereby achieve rapid movement of superhydrophobic swimmers on the water surface. In addition, superhydrophobic swimmers capable of reciprocating and precise movement control including position and direction are also designed, which may provide new strategy for movement control of microdevices in intelligent systems.
Self‐Assembly and Oriented Growth of Conductive Ni‐CAT‐1 Metal‐Organic Framework at Solid–Liquid Interfaces
Authors: Shin Sun Hae Ra , Tao Jinhui , Canfield Nathan L. , Bowden Mark E. , Heo Jaeyoung , Li Dongsheng , Liu Jun , De Yoreo James J. , Thallapally Praveen K. , Sushko Maria L.
Published: December 2022

Two‐dimensional (2D) conductive metal‐organic frameworks (MOF) represent a unique class of electrode materials with high capacity and power density. Understanding molecular mechanisms and pathways for heterogeneous nucleation of 2D π‐conjugated MOFs is highly desirable for controlling the structure and properties of conductive MOFs on solid substrates. Herein, a systematic study of nucleation and growth of 2D π‐conjugated Ni‐catecholate (Ni‐CAT‐1) MOFs on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and copper substrates is reported. It is discovered that the nucleation density and growth kinetics of the MOF film can be controlled by varying substrate interactions with the organic linker. Specifically, π–π interactions between the linker and the HOPG dictate lower nucleation density, whereas π–metal interactions between the linker and the copper substrate dictate faster nucleation and higher nucleation densities. These studies reveal the key mechanism for Ni‐CAT‐1 nucleation on different surfaces and provide insights into interfacial control over the growth of other 2D π‐conjugated MOF films on solid substrates to inform synthesis of functional materials.
Nonwoven Hemostatic Dressings Formed by Contact Drawing of Interposed Polyethylene Oxide (PEO)‐Fibrinogen and PEO‐Thrombin Microfibers
Authors: Verma Surendra Kumar , Yaghoobi Hessameddin , Kreplak Laurent , Frampton John P.
Published: December 2022

Textiles containing interposed layers of polyethylene oxide (PEO)‐fibrinogen and PEO‐thrombin fibers are explored as biomaterials for hemostasis. The PEO‐fibrinogen and PEO‐thrombin fibers are formed by contact drawing, an approach that uses an entangled polymer solution and a pin array to form fibers by extension of liquid bridges. The interposition of the PEO‐fibrinogen and PEO‐thrombin fibers results in polymerization of a fibrin hydrogel mesh once the textile is hydrated. This fibrin hydrogel mesh displays the expected bands and diffraction peaks by Fourier‐transform infrared spectromicroscopy and X‐ray diffraction, respectively. The functionality of the hemostatic textiles formed from the interposed PEO‐fibrinogen and PEO‐thrombin fibers is demonstrated by analyzing human blood hemolysis, complement activation, protein adsorption, and platelet and leukocyte adhesion, indicating compatibility with human blood (hemolysis ratio <5%), with minimal inflammatory response (levels of terminal complement complex equivalent to plasma). The cytocompatibility and potential for cell remodeling of the fibrin hydrogel mesh formed by this process is evaluated with human dermal fibroblasts and human keratinocytes and it is found that both cell types attach and grow on the fibrin mesh. Finally, a whole blood clotting time of less than 30 s suggests a potential use of this material in hemorrhage control.
Layer‐by‐Layer Processed Organic Photovoltaic Cells Using Slot‐Die‐Coating Methods and Non‐halogenated Solvents under Ambient Conditions with PCE of 10%
Authors: Li Pandeng , Hoff Anderson , Gasonoo Akpeko , Niazi Muhammad R. , Nazari Maryam , Welch Gregory C.
Published: December 2022

Laboratory‐controlled conditions, spin‐coating method, and non‐ecofriendly halogenated solvents that have been employed for higher‐performance organic solar cells (OSCs) are not compatible with large‐scaled, roll‐to‐roll (R2R) manufacturing in ambient conditions. Slot‐die coating is a viable upscaling method, but the investigation of slot‐die‐coated OSCs is still rare, especially OSCs with all functional layers deposited with non‐halogenated solvents in air. Herein, all slot‐die coated devices are successfully manufactured by sequentially slot‐die coating the hole transport layer (PEDOT:PSS), the photoactive layers (PM6 and BTP‐4F‐12 (Y6‐C12)), and the electron transport layer (PFN‐Br). Because of solubility variation of photoactive components in non‐halogenated solvents (o‐Xylene and 2‐methyltetrahydrofuran (2‐MeTHF)), two bilayer‐processed photoactive films have been obtained via different solvent combinations (o‐Xylene/o‐Xylene for PM6 (o‐Xylene)/Y6C12 (o‐Xylene) and o‐Xylene/2‐MeTHF for PM6 (o‐Xylene)/Y6C12 (2‐MeTHF)). Different morphologies of bilayer‐processed photoactive films influence exciton dissociation and charge extraction properties of corresponding devices. Finally, the device hosting o‐Xylene/o‐Xylene processed photoactive film has a superior efficiency (10.6%) than the o‐Xylene/2‐MeTHF processed photoactive film‐based device (7.2%). Differently from device efficiency, the device based on o‐Xylene/2‐MeTHF processed photoactive film exhibits the preferable storage stability.
Tuning of the Stretchability and Charge Transport of Bis‐Diketopyrrolopyrrole and Carbazole‐Based Thermoplastic Soft Semiconductors by Modulating Soft Segment Contents
Authors: Ji Dongseob , Yoon Su Yeol , Jeon Seungju , Go Ji‐Young , Byeon Gwon , Choi Jae Ook , Min Jiwoo , Kim Yejin , Hwang Do‐Hoon , Cho Kilwon , Lim Bogyu , Noh Yong‐Young
Published: December 2022

Polymer semiconductors are promising materials for stretchable, wearable, and implantable devices due to their intrinsic flexibility, facile functionalization, and solution processability at low temperatures. However, the crystalline domain of the conjugated structure for high charge carrier mobility in semiconducting polymers exhibits lower stretchability than that of the semi‐crystalline or amorphous domains. Herein, a set of thermoplastic soft semiconductors is synthesized with different ratios of diketopyrrolopyrrole–carbazole–diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP‐Cz‐DPP)‐based hard segments and thiophene‐based aliphatic soft segments, having the similar structure of thermoplastic elastomers. The polymers exhibit decreased glassy temperatures with the increased content of the soft segments. The polymers show high crystallinity after copolymerization with a large‐sized DPP‐Cz‐DPP core and non‐conjugated segments due to an aggregation property of the conjugated core, still possessing a semi‐crystalline domain after annealing. The polymer films exhibit stretchability under strains of up to 60%. Organic field‐effect transistors fabricated using stretchable polymers show a mobility range of 0.125–0.005 cm2 V−1 s−1 with different proportions of the soft segment. The stretchability is improved significantly and the mobilities are decreased less when the content of the soft segment is increased. Therefore, this study presents a design principle for the development of a high‐performance stretchable semiconducting polymer.
Heterometallic Porphyrin Conjugated Polymer Thin Films—A Gas‐Phase Approach for the Engineering of New Fused Porphyrin Systems
Authors: Pellegrino Anna Lucia , Bengasi Giuseppe , Baba Kamal , Cardenas‐Morcoso Drialys , Bansal Deepak , Malandrino Graziella , Boscher Nicolas D.
Published: December 2022

For the first time, the simultaneous synthesis and deposition of heterometallic porphyrin conjugated polymer thin films from a simple and scalable gas‐phase approach are reported. The oxidative chemical vapor deposition (oCVD) reaction of 5,15‐(diaryl) porphyrins chelated with different metal cations (M = Co(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), Cu(II), Pd(II)) readily yields the formation of new hetero‐metalated fused porphyrin tapes, such as evidenced by in‐depth high‐resolution mass spectrometry studies. The impact of the coreactants on the regioselectivity of the intermolecular dehydrogenative coupling reaction and the formation of double or triple bonds between the porphyrin units is demonstrated. The oCVD reaction of multiple porphyrins brings the possibility to easily engineer the chemical features and the electronic and optoelectronic properties of these highly conjugated porphyrin polymers. Particularly, it is demonstrated that porphyrin conjugated polymers having different chelated metal cations can achieve higher electrical conductivities and promote narrower bandgaps. The gas‐phase approach presented herein overcomes the main limitations of the conventional solution‐based approaches and opens the path to the engineering of a novel class donor–acceptor heterometallic polymers with high interest in several fields including multimetallic electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, sensing, and nonlinear optics applications.
Gaseous Catalyst Assisted Growth of Graphene on Silicon Carbide for Quantum Hall Resistance Standard Device
Authors: Chen Lingxiu , Wang HuiShan , Kong Ziqiang , Zhai Changwei , Wang Xiujun , Wang Yibo , Liu Zhengtai , Jiang Chengxin , Chen Chen , Shen Dawei , Chen Xipin , Zhu Yuxuan , Bao Wenzhong , Yang Zhenyu , Lu Yunfeng , Wang Haomin
Published: December 2022

Direct growth of graphene on silicon carbide (SiC) is a very promising method for preparing high‐quality graphene. However, high quality single crystal epitaxial graphene films on SiC always form at a temperature higher than 1800 °C. Here, the synthesis of graphene on the silicon surface (0001) of SiC at ≈1300 °C by gaseous catalyst‐assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method is reported. As the step height of terraces on SiC surface can influence the performance of graphene Hall devices, low‐temperature growth of graphene benefits for keeping the steps of the SiC surface at a small height, which can be achieved by a pre‐treatment before growth. A graphene quantum Hall resistance standard (G‐QHRS) device fabricated on the SiC surface with a small step height of ≈0.5 nm exhibits an accuracy of 1.15 × 10−8 and a reproducibility of 3.6 × 10−9 within 7 days in the measurement of quantum resistance at B = 6 T and T = 4.5 K. The gaseous catalyst‐assisted CVD on SiC is an effective scalable growth approach that produces high‐quality graphene for the resistance metrology, and it represents a promising step toward a low magnetic field QHRS setting the basis of low‐cost and transportable QHRS in a near future.
Liquid‐Metal‐Based Stretchable Dual‐Parameter Sensor for Simultaneous Detection of Deformation and Temperature
Authors: Zhang Pan , Fu JunHeng , Liu Mingyang , Sun Xiao , Li Qian , Cao Lingxiao , Ye Zi , Gong Jiahao , He Zhizhu , Gui Lin
Published: December 2022

Multiparameter sensors that can individually monitor mechanical and thermal signals from multiple stimuli have attracted immense attention. Due to interferences caused by signal crosstalk, it is a challenge for multiparameter sensors to simultaneously differentiate mechanic and thermal stimuli within a broad working range. Herein, a liquid‐metal‐based stretchable dual‐parameter sensor that can simultaneously detect deformation (0–4.5 mm) and temperature (0–60 °C) is fabricated. The sensor adopts a multilayer structure in which a capacitive deformation‐sensing unit is stacked on top of a resistive temperature‐sensing unit. The deformation unit possesses excellent linear responses (R2 = 0.999) and ultralow detection limit (0.04 mm, ≈0.02%). Attributed to these merits, the deformation unit can be used to monitor physiological actions (e.g., finger bending, swallowing, and speaking). The temperature unit exhibits strong stability under multiple stimuli. With the cooperation of the two units, the dual‐parameter sensor can accurately differentiate deformation and temperature stimuli with an average error of 0.04 mm and 0.82 °C. Because of these remarkable performances, the sensor can achieve real‐time acquisition of the deformation and temperature change during finger movements. The dual‐parameter sensing abilities of the sensor indicate its promising potential in human motion monitoring and wearable devices.
Thermomechanical Soft Actuator for Targeted Delivery of Anchoring Drug Deposits to the GI Tract
Authors: Levy Joshua A. , Straker Michael A. , Stine Justin M. , Beardslee Luke A. , Borbash Vivian , Ghodssi Reza
Published: December 2022

Current systemic therapies for inflammatory gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are unable to locally target lesions and have substantial systemic side effects. Here, a compact mesoscale spring actuator capable of delivering an anchoring drug deposit to point locations in the GI tract is demonstrated. The mechanism demonstrated here is intended to complement existing ingestible capsule‐based sensing and communication technologies, enabling treatment based on criteria such as detected GI biomarkers or external commands. The 3D‐printed actuator has shown on command deployment in 14.1 ± 3.0 s, and a spring constant of 25.4 ± 1.4 mN mm−1, sufficient to insert a spiny microneedle anchoring drug deposit (SMAD) into GI tissue. The complementary SMAD showed a 22‐fold increase in anchoring force over traditional molded microneedles, enabling reliable removal from the actuator and robust prolonged tissue attachment. The SMAD also showed comparable drug release characteristics (R2 = 0.9773) to penetrating molded microneedles in agarose phantom tissue with a drug spread radius of 25 mm in 168 h. The demonstrated system has the potential to enable on command delivery and anchoring of drug‐loaded deposits to the GI mucosa for sustained treatment of GI inflammation while mitigating side effects and enabling new options for treatment.
Laser Superdiffraction Optical Needle Direct Writing Lithography Method for Single‐Exposure Fabrication of High‐Aspect‐Ratio Microstructures
Authors: Wang Simo , Zhang Jiangyong , Tian Peng , Yang Fan , Yu Siyang , Wang Jian , Yan Wei , Li Fanxing
Published: December 2022

In this paper, a laser superdiffraction optical needle direct writing lithography method for single‐exposure fabrication of high‐aspect‐ratio microstructures (HARMs) is proposed. The principles of 3/4 circular image focusing and lithography exposure are theoretically analyzed, and the experimental setup is built. Experiments show that the linear interval and focusing accuracy of this method can reach 60 and 0.1 µm, respectively. Compared with the circular image focusing method, this method can determine the direction of defocus through the opening direction of the 3/4 circular spot. In addition, an optical needle with a resolution of 0.308 µm, a depth of focus of 1.836 µm, and an aspect ratio of 5.9538 is achieved by tightly focusing a radially polarized beam modulated by an annular amplitude type modulator with an annular factor of 0.7. Using this optical needle as the direct writing head, the HARM with a line width of 0.22 µm, a depth of 1.76 µm, and an aspect ratio of 8 is obtained experimentally by adjusting the photolithographic process parameters in combination with the focus detection curve. This method has the advantages of high fabrication efficiency, super diffraction resolution and high‐aspect‐ratio, which provides a new research idea for the fabrication of HARMs.
Recycled Additive Manufacturing Feedstocks for Fabricating High Voltage, Low‐Cost Aqueous Supercapacitors
Authors: Wuamprakhon Phatsawit , Crapnell Robert D. , Sigley Evelyn , Hurst Nicholas J. , Williams Rhys J. , Sawangphruk Montree , Keefe Edmund M. , Banks Craig E.
Published: December 2022

The first recycled conductive poly(lactic acid) (PLA) filament derived from post‐industrial waste sources for additive manufacturing (AM) is reported herein, presenting a paradigm shift in plastic waste recycling, AM filament production, and AM energy storage architectures. Filaments utilizing a base of recycled PLA, carbon black (CB) as a conductive filler, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a plasticizer are used to produce aqueous AM symmetric supercapacitor platforms that can reach capacitance values 75 times higher than commercially available conductive PLA filaments. Furthermore, through the rapid prototyping capabilities of AM and GCode modification, it is seen that changing the electrode architecture from solid to a mesh with additional inter‐layer spacing is able to further enhance electrode performance by 3.5 times due to improvements in the surface area, ion accommodating capabilities, and faster ion diffusion. The symmetric full cell device is capable of delivering 7.82 mF cm−2, 4.82 µWh cm−2, and 433.32 µW cm−2 of capacitance, energy, and power density, respectively. Moreover, the material cost is £0.15 per electrode. This study represents a new direction for plastic waste recycling, in which low‐value recycled base products can be manufactured into high‐value end products in their second cycles.
Structural and Electronic Properties of Metal/Oxide Nanostructures from First‐Principles: Ru13 Supported on (TiO2)84 as a Case Study
Authors: Allès Miquel , Remesal Elena R. , Illas Francesc , Morales‐García Ángel
Published: December 2022

All electron density functional theory‐based calculations are carried out to investigate the properties of metal/oxide nanostructures taking the case of a Ru13 cluster supported on an octahedral anatase (TiO2)84 nanoparticle, as a representative system. The interaction between both systems is exothermic showing binding energies below −4 eV. In spite of the large interaction, the structure of the (TiO2)84 nanoparticle remains unaltered. However, the metal‐support interaction promotes the deformation of the Ru13 cluster atomic structure. This deformation is more accentuated when the Ru13 nanocluster is situated in the facet region of the (TiO2)84 nanoparticle than when the interaction involves the edge regions. The formation of the Ru13/(TiO2)84 heterostructure leads to a decrease of the energy gap inherent to the bare (TiO2)84 nanoparticle, becoming almost negligible. This is due to the contribution of the partially filled Ru 4d orbitals with Kohn–Sham energies spanning in the energy range of those of the O 2p occupied and Ti 3d empty manifolds. This feature is systematically observes no matter the interaction involves the oxide nanoparticle facet or edge regions. This study constitutes a first step in designing a strategy to investigate metal‐semiconductor nanostructures using realistic models that go beyond the use of extended surfaces.
Anticipate, wait or don't invest? The strategic net present value approach to study expansion decisions under policy uncertainty
Authors: Yanore Lotte , Sok Jaap , Oude Lansink Alfons
Published: December 2022

Dutch dairy farmers used different investment strategies in their production capacity in the periods around the abolishment of the European Union milk quota. Some farmers anticipated and expanded their production, others waited till expected policies were implemented or did not change their production. We develop a theoretical framework that integrates investment strategies—anticipating, waiting, or not investing—in the presence of policy uncertainty. We provide a numerical illustration of the framework to a typical Dutch dairy farm considering to expand the milk production. Results show that farmers would anticipate when they expect that the right system will be implemented with delay and will have low financial consequences. A low risk aversion reinforces the adoption of the anticipation strategy. The implications for policy and practice are discussed [EconLit Citatons: D22, Q00, Q18].