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Simple Summary: This study explores how having pets influences Chinese university students' attitudes and willingness to buy animal welfare certified products. It finds that students from households with pets are more empathetic toward animals and show a greater willingness to support animal welfare certified products, even if it means paying a premium. The research highlights the important role of pet ownership in shaping ethical attitudes toward animals and suggests that this background could be valuable for promoting animal welfare more broadly across society. Additionally, the study emphasizes that policies, businesses, and education should work together to raise awareness about animal welfare and encourage ethical consumption. As global awareness of animal welfare continues to rise, it has become essential to understand the factors that shape individual attitudes and consumption behaviors related to animal welfare. This study empirically investigates how pet ownership influences attitudes towards animal welfare and related consumption intentions among Chinese university students. Findings demonstrate that students from pet-owning households exhibit significantly more favorable attitudes and behaviors concerning animal empathy, awareness of animal welfare, willingness to purchase animal welfare certified products, and the willingness to pay a premium for animal welfare labels. Pet ownership fosters emotional resonance, enhancing empathy and perceptions regarding animal welfare, and influences preferences for animal welfare certified products through simulated consumer choices. By applying propensity score matching (PSM) to mitigate endogeneity concerns, this research advances theoretical discussions surrounding animal welfare attitudes and consumption behaviors. Looking ahead, the promotion of animal welfare should involve coordinated efforts across educational institutions, policy frameworks, and market mechanisms to cultivate a broader understanding and adoption of animal welfare principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LiMnPO4 is a promising cathode material for lithium-ion batteries, but it has drawbacks of poor electronic conductivity and low Li+ diffusivity. Here, we have attempted to simultaneously improve electron transfer and Li+ migration by preparing LiMnPO4/CNTs hollow microspheres. These LiMnPO4/CNTs hollow microspheres are synthesized using precipitated Li3PO4/CNTs hollow microspheres as a sacrificial template and a subsequent solvothermal reaction. In these LiMnPO4/CNTs hollow microspheres assembled using radial-aligned (010)-exposed nanorods, the embedded CNTs form connecting electronic conductive network and the aligned pores form straight Li+ diffusion channels. Due to these synergistic effects, the LiMnPO4/CNTs hollow microspheres present superior electrochemical performance. The capacities of the LiMnPO4/CNTs hollow microspheres only decrease from 166 to 116 mA h g−1 as the rate increases from 0.05 to 5 C. Even when cycled at a rate of 1 C, the LiMnPO4/CNTs hollow microspheres achieve a discharge capacity of 134 mAh g−1 with about 96% capacity retention after 100 cycles. The excellent electrochemical performance can be ascribed to their CNT-embedded pore-aligned structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As global awareness of animal welfare continues to rise, it has become essential to understand the factors that shape individual attitudes and consumption behaviors related to animal welfare. This study empirically investigates how pet ownership influences attitudes towards animal welfare and related consumption intentions among Chinese university students. Findings demonstrate that students from pet-owning households exhibit significantly more favorable attitudes and behaviors concerning animal empathy, awareness of animal welfare, willingness to purchase animal welfare certified products, and the willingness to pay a premium for animal welfare labels. Pet ownership fosters emotional resonance, enhancing empathy and perceptions regarding animal welfare, and influences preferences for animal welfare certified products through simulated consumer choices. By applying propensity score matching (PSM) to mitigate endogeneity concerns, this research advances theoretical discussions surrounding animal welfare attitudes and consumption behaviors. Looking ahead, the promotion of animal welfare should involve coordinated efforts across educational institutions, policy frameworks, and market mechanisms to cultivate a broader understanding and adoption of animal welfare principles.

Phototrophic Gemmatimonadetes evolved the ability to use solar energy following horizontal transfer of photosynthesis-related genes from an ancient phototrophic proteobacterium. The electron cryo-microscopy structure of the Gemmatimonas phototrophica photosystem at 2.4 Å reveals a unique, double-ring complex. Two unique membrane-extrinsic polypeptides, RC-S and RC-U, hold the central type 2 reaction center (RC) within an inner 16-subunit light-harvesting 1 (LH1) ring, which is encircled by an outer 24-subunit antenna ring (LHh) that adds light-gathering capacity. Femtosecond kinetics reveal the flow of energy within the RC-dLH complex, from the outer LHh ring to LH1 and then to the RC. This structural and functional study shows that G. phototrophica has independently evolved its own compact, robust, and highly effective architecture for harvesting and trapping solar energy.