bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Regulating the Conformational and Macroscopic Properties of Inorganic Nanowires by Polymer Grafts
Authors: Liu Jing , Dong Wenhao , Xia Yifan , Zheng Di , Duan Xiaozheng , Nie Zhihong 
Published: October 2023

AbstractUltrathin inorganic nanowires are an emerging class of building blocks for creating functional materials and devices, but there remains challenging to fine‐tune the structure and property of the nanowires at the molecular level. Here, this work shows that ultrathin polymer‐grafted gold nanowires (PG‐AuNWs) can exhibit bottlebrush polymer‐like physical behaviors and macroscopic properties. The hybrid PG‐AuNWs in solutions show polymer‐like viscoelasticity which can be finely regulated by controlling the structural parameters (e.g., length of the AuNWs, molecular weight of grafted polymers) of the PG‐AuNWs, the environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, solvent compositions), and the aging time. Furthermore, this work unravels at the molecular level that the conformational properties (e.g., contour length, persistence length, and mean‐squared radius of gyration) of the PG‐AuNWs can be correlated to their structural parameters following similar power‐law relations as molecular bottlebrush polymers. This work bridges the fundamental gap between polymer‐like inorganic nanowires and bottlebrush polymers, thus accelerating the development of new nanowire‐based functional hybrid materials and devices.
Scalable Construction of Multifunctional Protection Layer with Low‐Cost Water Glass for Robust and High‐Performance Zinc Anode
Authors: Zhu Yuxuan , Huang Zimo , Zheng Mengting , Chen Hao , Qian Shangshu , Sun Chuang , Tian Yuhui , Wu Zhenzhen , Lai Chao , Zhang Shanqing , Zhong Yu Lin 
Published: October 2023

AbstractZinc ion batteries (ZIBs) have recently attracted tremendous interest for being low‐cost, environmentally benign, and high energy density. However, the large‐scale practical application of ZIBs is hampered by well‐known undesirable dendrite growth and serious side reactions of the Zn anode during the long‐term cycling process. Herein, a multifunctional water‐glass artificial protection layer with enormous Si─O functional groups is constructed on Zn anode through a simple spin‐coating method. The theoretical and experimental investigation suggests that the as‐constructed interface with rich Si─O hydrophilic functional groups on Zn anode could facilitate the even distribution of electric field distribution and homogeneous wettability, navigate uniform zinc deposition/stripping along the (002) plane, and subsequently lead to well‐suppressed dendrite growth and effective prohibition of oxygen‐involved corrosion. Consequently, the water glass‐modified anode achieves highly reversible Zn plating/stripping over 1500 h at a high current density of 10 mA cm−2 in symmetrical cells, and a high capacity retention ratio of 79.4% at the current density of 5 A g−1 in full cells paired with V2O5 cathode. This proposed water glass coating layer design is cheap, up‐scalable, and facile, which could substantially accelerate the rapid commercialization of zinc anodes and unleash the full potential of renewable ZIBs for next‐generation large‐scale energy storage.
Impact of Molecular Weight on the Ionic and Electronic Transport of Self‐Doped Conjugated Polyelectrolytes Relevant to Organic Electrochemical Transistors
Authors: Chae Sangmin , Nguyen‐Dang Tung , Chatsirisupachai Jirat , Yi Ahra , Vázquez Ricardo Javier , Quek Glenn , Promarak Vinich , Kim Hyo Jung , Bazan Guillermo C. , Nguyen Thuc‐Quyen 
Published: October 2023

AbstractOrganic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) have gained considerable attention due to their potential applications in emerging biosensor platforms. The use of conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) as active materials in OECTs is particularly advantageous owing to their functional, water‐processable, and biocompatible nature, as well as their tunable electronic and ionic transport properties. However, there exists a lack of systematic studies of the structure‐property relationships of these materials with respect to OECT performance. This study shows how by tuning the molecular weight of self‐doped CPE (CPE‐K) it is possible to fabricate OECTs with a µC* value of 14.7 F cm−1 V−1 s−1, one order of magnitude higher than previously reported CPE‐based devices. Furthermore, OECTs with a transconductance of 120 mS are demonstrated via device engineering. While CPE‐K batches with different molecular weights show good doping behavior and high volumetric capacitance, as confirmed by spectroelectrochemistry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, the medium molecular weight possesses the highest carrier mobility of ≈0.1 cm2 V−1 s−1 leading to the highest transconductance. The enhanced charge transport is due to a favorable charge percolation pathway, as revealed by the combination of X‐ray analysis and conductive atomic force microscope. These insights provide guidelines for further improving the performance of CPE‐based OECTs.
High‐Hole‐Mobility Fiber Organic Electrochemical Transistors for Next‐Generation Adaptive Neuromorphic Bio‐Hybrid Technologies
Authors: Alarcon‐Espejo Paula , Sarabia‐Riquelme Ruben , Matrone Giovanni Maria , Shahi Maryam , Mahmoudi Siamak , Rupasinghe Gehan S. , Le Vianna N. , Mantica Antonio M. , Qian Dali , Balk T. John , Rivnay Jonathan , Weisenberger Matthew , Paterson Alexandra F. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe latest developments in fiber design and materials science are paving the way for fibers to evolve from parts in passive components to functional parts in active fabrics. Designing conformable, organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) structures using poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) fibers has excellent potential for low‐cost wearable bioelectronics, bio‐hybrid devices, and adaptive neuromorphic technologies. However, to achieve high‐performance, stable devices from PEDOT:PSS fibers, approaches are required to form electrodes on fibers with small diameters and poor wettability, that leads to irregular coatings. Additionally, PEDOT:PSS‐fiber fabrication needs to move away from small batch processing to roll‐to‐roll or continuous processing. Here, it is shown that synergistic effects from a superior electrode/organic interface, and exceptional fiber alignment from continuous processing, enable PEDOT:PSS fiber‐OECTs with stable contacts, high µC* product (1570.5 F cm−1 V−1 s−1), and high hole mobility over 45 cm2 V−1 s−1. Fiber‐electrochemical neuromorphic organic devices (fiber‐ENODes) are developed to demonstrate that the high mobility fibers are promising building blocks for future bio‐hybrid technologies. The fiber‐ENODes demonstrate synaptic weight update in response to dopamine, as well as a form factor closely matching the neuronal axon terminal.
Numerical Study of Graphene‐Based Wideband Solar Absorber using MIM Structure for Solar Thermal Energy Conversion
Authors: Patel Sanket , Patel Shobhit K. , Almawgani Abdulkarem H. M. , Armghan Ammar , Alzahrani Ahmad , Taya Sofyan A. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractA super‐wideband solar energy absorber (SWBSEA) design is proposed in this research. In order to achieve high absorption in the design, a thin film of graphene is also used as a substrate coating that is exposed to the medium of air. The metal‐insulator‐metal (MIM) is designed with a Ti‐SiO2‐TiN structure. The fractal interwoven shape (FIS) resonator layer is constructed of titanium material, which is based on a layer of silicon dioxide, and a ground layer of titanium nitride. The spectrum of solar radiation that is typically absorbed spans from the Ultraviolet (UV) to Mid‐infrared (MIR) range, with 92.81% average absorption. The absorption bandwidth of 0.61 µm is achieved with 96.21% average absorption. The designed solar absorber has a wide angle of incidence ranging from 0° to 80°. The design is also polarization insensitive for Transverse Electric (TE) and Transverse Magnetic (TM) waves. The created SWBSEA solar absorber design is extremely effective, polarization, and angle‐insensitive, and offers broadband absorptance that may be put into the solar cell as an absorber and is frequently utilized in heating, drying, and photovoltaic applications.
Active Metasurfaces for Non‐Rigid Light Sail Interstellar Optical Communication
Authors: Taghavi Mohammadrasoul , Sabri Raana , Mosallaei Hossein 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe non‐rigidity of the nanophotonic metasail platform and the intense imparted optical force from the terrestrial laser source lead to deformations during the propulsion stage. These deformations must be taken into consideration due to their potential adverse impact on communication performance. Alterations in the shape of the sail body result in varying angles of incidence and polarization components observed by the photonic unit cell, significantly impacting their intended performance. Based on this premise, this paper proposes utilizing a reflective all‐dielectric, low‐power active metasurface that dynamically compensates for the effects of deformation and facilitates beam‐steering for communication purposes among different light sails in interstellar space. Configured as p‐n multi‐junction layers, the constituent elements of the metasurface enable modulation of carrier concentrations through multigate biasing. Through electrostatic simulations, it demonstrates that the required permittivity modulation of can achieve a wide phase span of 320°. Furthermore, it has investigated the effect of the presence of non‐functional portions in the far‐field radiation pattern of the light sail and highlighted the critical role of tunable elements in mitigating its impact. The obtained results hold great promise for realizing successful interstellar downlink communication between such gram‐scale nano‐crafts and Earth.
Loss of ATOH1 in Pit Cell Drives Stemness and Progression of Gastric Adenocarcinoma by Activating AKT/mTOR Signaling through GAS1
Authors: Zhong Qing , Wang Hua‐Gen , Yang Ji‐Hong , Tu Ru‐Hong , Li An‐Yao , Zeng Gui‐Rong , Zheng Qiao‐Ling , Yu Liu Zhi‐ , Shang‐Guan Zhi‐Xin , Bo Huang Xiao‐ , Huang Qiang , Li Yi‐Fan , Zheng Hua‐Long , Lin Guang‐Tan , Huang Ze‐Ning , Xu Kai‐Xiang , Qiu Wen‐Wu , Jiang Mei‐Chen , Zhao Ya‐Jun , Lin Jian‐Xian , Huang Zhi‐Hong , Huang Jing‐Min , Li Ping , Xie Jian‐Wei , Zheng Chao‐Hui , Chen Qi‐Yue , Huang Chang‐Ming 
Published: October 2023

AbstractGastric cancer stem cells (GCSCs) are self‐renewing tumor cells that govern chemoresistance in gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC), whereas their regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. Here, the study aims to elucidate the role of ATOH1 in the maintenance of GCSCs. The preclinical model and GAC sample analysis indicate that ATOH1 deficiency is correlated with poor GAC prognosis and chemoresistance. ScRNA‐seq reveals that ATOH1 is downregulated in the pit cells of GAC compared with those in paracarcinoma samples. Lineage tracing reveals that Atoh1 deletion strongly confers pit cell stemness. ATOH1 depletion significantly accelerates cancer stemness and chemoresistance in Tff1‐CreERT2; Rosa26Tdtomato and Tff1‐CreERT2; Apcfl/fl; p53fl/fl (TcPP) mouse models and organoids. ATOH1 deficiency downregulates growth arrest‐specific protein 1 (GAS1) by suppressing GAS1 promoter transcription. GAS1 forms a complex with RET, which inhibits Tyr1062 phosphorylation, and consequently activates the RET/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway by ATOH1 deficiency. Combining chemotherapy with drugs targeting AKT/mTOR signaling can overcome ATOH1 deficiency‐induced chemoresistance. Moreover, it is confirmed that abnormal DNA hypermethylation induces ATOH1 deficiency. Taken together, the results demonstrate that ATOH1 loss promotes cancer stemness through the ATOH1/GAS1/RET/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in GAC, thus providing a potential therapeutic strategy for AKT/mTOR inhibitors in GAC patients with ATOH1 deficiency.
Fabrication of Flexible and Transparent Metal Mesh Electrodes Using Surface Energy‐Directed Assembly Process for Touch Screen Panels and Heaters
Authors: Yuan Siqing , Fan Zebin , Wang Guangji , Chai Zhimin , Wang Tongqing , Zhao Dewen , Busnaina Ahmed A. , Lu Xinchun 
Published: October 2023

AbstractTransparent conductive electrodes (TCEs) are indispensable components of various optoelectronic devices such as displays, touch screen panels, solar cells, and smart windows. To date, the fabrication processes for metal mesh‐based TCEs are either costly or having limited resolution and throughput. Here, a two‐step surface energy‐directed assembly (SEDA) process to efficiently fabricate high resolution silver meshes is introduced. The two‐step SEDA process turns from assembly on a functionalized substrate with hydrophilic mesh patterns into assembly on a functionalized substrate with stripe patterns. During the SEDA process, a three‐phase contact line pins on the hydrophilic pattern regions while recedes on the hydrophobic non‐pattern regions, ensuring that the assembly process can be achieved with excellent selectivity. The necessity of using the two‐step SEDA process rather than a one‐step SEDA process is demonstrated by both experimental results and theoretical analysis. Utilizing the two‐step SEDA process, silver meshes with a line width down to 2 µm are assembled on both rigid and flexible substrates. The thickness of the silver meshes can be tuned by varying the withdraw speed and the assembly times. The assembled silver meshes exhibit excellent optoelectronic properties (sheet resistance of 1.79 Ω/□, optical transmittance of ≈92%, and a FoM value of 2465) as well as excellent mechanical stability. The applications of the assembled silver meshes in touch screen panels and thermal heaters are demonstrated, implying the potential of using the two‐step SEDA process for the fabrication of TCEs for optoelectronic applications.
Microfluidic Design of Streamlined Alginate Hydrogel Micromotors with Run and Tumble Motion Patterns
Authors: Luan Jiabin , Kuijken Peter F. , Chen Wen , Wang Danni , Charleston Levy A. , Wilson Daniela A. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractAutonomous micromotors demonstrate remarkable advancements in biomedical applications. A noteworthy example is streamlined motors, which display enhanced movement efficiency with low fluid‐resistance. However, existing streamlined motors, primarily constructed from inorganic materials, present challenges due to their complex fabrication procedures and lack of a soft interface for interaction with biological systems. Herein, a novel design of biodegradable streamlined alginate hydrogel micromotors with a teardrop shape by microfluidics is introduced. The platform enables the high‐throughput fabrication of monodisperse micromotors with varied dimensions. By incorporating Pt‐coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles, micromotors are equipped with dual capabilities of catalytic propulsion and accurate magnetic guidance. Through precisely tuning the localization regions of catalysts within the micromotors, the streamlined hydrogel micromotors not only exhibit enhanced propelling efficiency, but also accomplish distinct motion patterns of run and tumble. The design provides insights for developing advanced micromotors capable of executing intricate tasks across diverse application scenarios.
Light‐Induced Frenkel Defect Pair Formation Can Lead to Phase‐Segregation of Otherwise Miscible Halide Perovskite Alloys
Authors: Sabino Fernando P. , Dalpian Gustavo M. , Zunger Alex 
Published: October 2023

AbstractAlloys of ABX3 halide perovskites (HP) exhibit unique phase behavior compared to traditional III‐V and II‐VI semiconductor alloys used in solar cells. While the latter typically have good mutual miscibility when their mixed components are size matched, and phase‐segregate when size mismatched, HP alloys show good miscibility in the dark but can phase‐segregate under light. Quantum mechanical calculations described herein reveal light‐induced defect formation and migration hold the key. Specifically, the interaction between a halogen vacancy VX with halogen interstitial Xi forming together a Frenkel‐pair defect emerges as the enabler for phase‐segregation in HP alloys. At a threshold bromine composition in the Br‐I alloys, the photogenerated holes in the valence band localize, creating thereby a doubly‐charged iodine Frenkel‐pair (VI + Ii)2+. Faster migration of iodine over bromine interstitial into the vacant iodine VI site leads to the formation of iodine‐rich and iodine‐depleted regions, establishing phase‐segregation. Removal of the mobile defects–the agent of segregation–by dark thermal annealing, supplies the opposing force, leading to reversal of phase‐segregation. This atomistic understanding can enable some control of the phase‐segregation by selecting substituting elements on the B site–such as replacing some Pb by Sn–that are unable to form stable Frenkel defects.
The Belt and Road initiative and food consumption in countries along the route
Authors: Wang Xuejun , Cui Rongrong , Tian Xi , Qian Jiarong 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe economic impact of the Belt and Road (B&R) initiative has received extensive academic attention, but few existing assessments have focused on the impact of the initiative on consumer welfare. Therefore, this paper empirically investigates the impact of the B&R initiative on food consumption levels and dietary diversity in B&R countries and its inherent channels through the difference‐in‐differences model with the propensity score matching method (PSM‐DID). The results indicate that the B&R initiative has a significant positive effect on improving food consumption levels and dietary diversity in B&R countries, and the promotion‐effect is stronger for the Maritime Silk Road countries. Further, the B&R initiative has led to a dietary shift in B&R countries, with a decrease in the calorie share of cereals and an increase in the calorie share of fruits and vegetables, oils and fats, and meat, eggs and milk. The mechanism analysis reveals that income and prices may be important channels for the impact of the initiative on food consumption in B&R countries, and that the B&R initiative may have led to changes in tastes in B&R countries. [EconLit Citations: D12, F13, Q11].
Nudging Chinese consumers to embrace sustainable milk consumption: How should information be provided?
Authors: Wang Hongsha , Chen Qihui , Katare Bhagyashree 
Published: October 2023

AbstractChina's per capita dairy consumption has been far below the intake level recommended by the World Health Organization. Since the dairy industry is a significant contributor to carbon emissions, the recently launched “Double‐Carbon” goals in China may also suppress the supply of dairy products, further reducing Chinese residents' dairy intake. While the notion of sustainable (i.e., nutritious and environmentally friendly) food consumption has recently gained popularity in the policy arena, whether Chinese milk consumers are ready to embrace this notion and what specific measures can effectively promote sustainable milk consumption in China remain unclear. On the basis of a discrete choice experiment, this paper examines how information nudges (i.e., randomly provided messages with different contents and details) may steer Chinese consumers into choosing liquid milk products with attributes that are more nutritious and environmentally friendly. Our analysis, involving 839 consumers randomly selected from Beijing, China, shows that consumers value carbon labels the most, followed by nutrition claims, sustainable production claims, and energy conservation certificates. Meanwhile, nutrition information induces consumers to place higher values on nutrition claims; in contrast, environmental information raises consumers' willingness to choose environmental sustainability‐related attributes. Finally, the concreteness of the information provided strengthens these effects [EconLit Citations: D12, Q01, Q13, Q18].
Carbon tax on milk products and the exact consumer welfare measure in emerging economies
Authors: Wehner Jasmin , Yu Xiaohua 
Published: October 2023

AbstractCurrent milk prices do not account for the emissions, environmental externalities, and the excessive resource use that occur during milk production. Imposing a “carbon tax on food” can be a very effective climate change mitigation policy and the ultimate distributional effect depends heavily on the way the tax is implemented. To offset the regressive financial effect, redistribution measures need to be designed and the financial welfare loss can serve as a first orientation for designing these redistribution measures. Current literature mainly uses estimated elasticities from empirical demand systems to approximate the welfare change which can lead to a substantial bias if the tax rate is sufficiently large. In contrast, we calculate the welfare change by using the Exact Consumer Welfare of a carbon tax on milk for selected emerging economies. We show that on average, consumers in upper‐middle‐income economies would face a financial welfare loss of 19.4–176.9 USD (in the value of 2017) measured by the compensating variation (CV), depending on the tax scenario. Among a set of 16 emerging economies, consumers in Argentina (ARG) and Türkiye (TUR) face the highest financial welfare losses. We also find that discrepancies between the Exact Consumer Welfare and the consumer surplus are very small. [EconLit Citations: Q11, Q18].
Can homestead gardens improve rural households' vegetable consumption? Evidence from three provinces in China
Authors: Deng Taian , van den Berg Marrit , Heerink Nico , Cui Haoyang , Tan Fuli , Fan Shenggen 
Published: October 2023

AbstractVegetables play a vital role in human health. However, the average vegetable consumption among Chinese rural residents does not meet the minimum intake (300 g/adult person/day) recommended by the Chinese Dietary Guidelines. Homestead gardening—defined as growing vegetables or other food for home consumption, usually in the backyard of the household or on collectively allocated garden land—can play a significant role in promoting vegetable consumption in rural areas of developing countries. But empirical evidence on the effects of homestead gardening in China is scarce. This paper sheds new insights on the impacts of homestead gardening on rural households' vegetable consumption. We employ the three‐stage procedure instrumental variables methods to disentangle the endogeneity of the homestead garden variable and propensity score matching for robustness check. The results show that homestead gardening increases vegetable consumption by 12.7% on average. Further heterogeneous analysis shows that homestead gardening has a larger effect on those groups with vegetable intake levels in the middle of the distribution. The impact of homestead gardening was strongest for the consumption of dark‐colored vegetables. Our results can provide new perspectives for future rural planning, dietary and nutritional health transformation, and precision policy formulation. [EconLit Citations: Q1, D1, Q13].