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Greg Winston JOYCE AND MILITARISM GAINESVILLE, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA PRESS, 2012. $74.95. TO SPEAK OF JOYCE and militarism is a difficult task. This is due in large part to Joyce's [...]

Ternary transition metal sulfide hollow structures are promising materials for energy storage and conversion applications. However, their synthetic methods are rather complicated and time-consuming. In this work, for the first time, with FeNi2S4 hollow balloons (FNSH) as the quintessential example, a template-free solvothermal method has been developed to synthesize ternary transition metal sulfide hollow balloons. The corresponding formation mechanism is deeply investigated, and the main factors affecting the formation of the hollow balloons are confirmed to be reaction time and temperature. FNSH/graphene aerogel (FNSH/GA) is further fabricated, which has been proven to be a highly efficient electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The FNSH/GA exhibits excellent performance for the OER with a small overpotential of 273 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in 1.0 M KOH, which is even superior to the typical RuO2 catalyst. Furthermore, the FNSH/GA maintains the excellent performance for the OER even after a 10 h chronoamperometric test. Moreover, the synthetic method is universal and can be widely extended to other ternary transition metal sulfide hollow balloons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile route toward simultaneous liquid phase exfoliation and functionalization of 2D materials with amphiphilic MoS2 nanosheets is established. This scalable and low‐cost exfoliation process can be applied to myriad 2D materials. Furthermore, the addition of small amounts of exfoliated 2D materials greatly improves the mechanical and thermal properties of the resulting nanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabrication of stable, efficient, and inexpensive bifunctional electro-catalysts for water splitting has become increasingly attractive. Herein, for the first time, the direct growth of Mo-doped Ni3S2 on Ni foams using sodium molybdate as the Mo source at different temperatures is demonstrated. Effects of temperature on the morphology and water splitting performance of Mo-doped Ni3S2 were discussed in detail. It is found that the atomic stoichiometric ratios of Mo and Ni can be controlled by the adjusting of reaction temperature, while the obtained electro-catalysts demonstrate various morphologies, capacitances and chemisorption free energies of hydrogen, which lead to different current densities and hydrogen evolution efficiencies. The electro-catalyst synthesized at 200 °C (200-SMN/NF) demonstrates the best regular morphology and electrochemical properties. When employed in oxygen evolution reactions, 200-SMN/NF demonstrates a low over-potential of 180 mV at 100 mA cm−2. Adapting it as a bifunctional electro-catalyst, a current density of 10 mA cm−2 at a very low cell voltage of 1.53 V and cycling lifespan of more than 15 h was delivered. Further results indicated elevated hydrogen evolution reaction activity, consisting of a moderate 278 mV over-potential at a 100 mA cm−2 hydrogen production current density, a small 72.9 mV dec−1 Tafel slope, and a superior current density compared to that of precious catalyst Pt/C (40%) after −0.53 V. These results underscore the fact that 200-SMN/NF is a high-performance, precious-metal-free electro-catalyst, and provide the foundation for exciting opportunities in water splitting applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel ternary electrode materials based on graphene, NiCo2S4, and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) were designed and fabricated with the intention of exploiting synergistic effects conducive to supercapacitive energy storage. Compared to NiCo2S4-g-MoSe2, the NiCo2S4-g-MoS2 electrode exhibited higher specific capacitance, enhanced rate capability (1002 F g−1 even at 5 A g−1, 6.01 F cm−2 at a current density of 25 mA cm−2) and cycling stability (94.8% retention of its original capacity after cycling 4000 times). The mechanism was proposed and this pioneering work will be helpful in making judicious choices of which 2D materials to be selected for supercapacitor applications in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ternary electrode materials based on graphene, FeNi2S4, and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) were obtained via a one-pot synthesis method. Compared to binary materials, FeNi2S4–graphene (g)–2D-TMD nanocomposites exhibited better performance, which is a direct consequence of their unique ternary structures and the induced synergistic effect among their three components―ultrathin TMD nanosheets, highly conductive graphene networks, and FeNi2S4 nanoparticles. With the fabricated materials, we constructed electrodes to assess the electrochemical performance. The results are promising: the materials exhibited rapid electron and ion transport rates and large electroactive surface areas, testifying to their excellent electrochemical properties. In particular, the FeNi2S4–g–MoSe2 electrode demonstrated a maximum specific capacitance of 1700 F g−1 at a current density of 2 A g−1 (8.5 F cm−2 at a current density of 10 mA cm−2) and a capacitance retention of approximately 106% after 4000 cycles at a charge–discharge current density of 2 A g−1. These electrochemical results indicate that the ternary composite, FeNi2S4–g–MoSe2, is a promising candidate electrode material for high-performance supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Finnegans Wake Notebook VI.B.8 Joyce famously observed that Flaubert treats language "as a kind of despair." This quotation has frequently been used to assert the connection between Joyce's final work and Bouvard and Pécuchet. It is in stressing the ubiquity of intertextuality, the futility of the quest for originality, the hypocrisy of the artist, that Joyce is most Flaubertian. But for this reading to function as an all-encompassing description of Flaubert's artistic beliefs, La Tentation de Saint Antoine must be eliminated from his oeuvre. Ezra Pound, in an attempt to limit the Tentation's influence within Ulysses, claimed that Joyce had swallowed it whole within one episode, "Circe." Given how Finnegans Wake pushes the limits of intertextuality even harder than Joyce's previous work, one might expect it to be more Bouvardian, more Pécuchetian, more despairing. In this essay I intend to show how, in order to properly understand how Flaubert influenced the Wake, one must consider the Tentation. I will look at how Flaubert's saint relates to the St. Patrick of the Wake's final chapter. St. Patrick's debate with Archdruid Berkeley touches on many issues which are key to the Tentation: the relationship between form and matter, the limits of perception, the power of faith. Just as the debate is decided by a burst of heavenly light, so the Tentation closes with St. Anthony gazing up at the sun and seeing the face of Christ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oscillatory phenomena play widespread roles in the control of biological systems. In D. discoideum, oscillatory cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling drives collective behavior and induces a temporal developmental gene expression program. How collective cAMP oscillations emerge or how they encode temporal transcriptional information is still poorly understood. To address this, we identified a transcription factor required for the initiation of collective behavior. Hbx5 activity is cAMP dependent and provides a sensitive single-cell readout for cAMP signaling. Extensive stochastic pulsatile cAMP signaling is found to precede collective oscillations. Stochastic signaling induces Hbx5-dependent transcriptional feedback, which enhances signal sensitivity and cell-cell coupling. This results in the emergence of synchronized collective oscillations, which subsequently activates the GtaC transcription factor and triggers shifts in developmental gene expression. Our results suggest this temporal coordination is encoded by changes in the amplitude of cAMP oscillations and differential sensitivity of these transcription factors to the cAMP-regulated kinase ErkB., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Numerous recent research efforts have leveraged networks of rigid struts and flexible cables, called tensegrity structures, to create highly resilient and packable mobile robots. However, the locomotion of existing tensegrity robots is limited in terms of both speed and number of distinct locomotion modes, restricting the environments that a robot is capable of exploring. In this study, we present a tensegrity robot inspired by the volumetric expansion of Tetraodontidae. The robot, referred to herein as Spikebot, employs pneumatically actuated rigid struts to expand its global structure and produce diverse gaits. Spikebot is composed of linear actuators that dually serve as rigid struts linked by elastic cables for stability. The linearly actuating struts can selectively protrude to initiate thrust- and instability-driven locomotion primitives. Such motion primitives allow Spikebot to reliably locomote, achieving rolling, lifting, and jumping. To highlight Spikebot's potential for robotic exploration, we demonstrate how it achieves multi-dimensional locomotion over varied terrestrial conditions.

High-performance active materials for energy-storage and energy-conversion applications require a novel class of electrodes: ones with a structure conducive to conductivity, large specific surface area, high porosity, and mechanical robustness. Herein, we report the design and fabrication of a new ternary hybrid aerogel. The process entails an in situ assembly of 2D WSe 2 nanosheets and NiFe-LDH nanosheets on a 3D N,S-codoped graphene framework, accomplished by a facile hydrothermal method and electrostatic self-assembly technology. The obtained nanocomposite architecture maximizes synergistic effects among its three 2D-layer components. To assess the performance of this hybrid material, we deployed it as an advanced electrode in overall water splitting and in a supercapacitor. Results in both scenarios attest to its excellent electrochemical properties. Specifically, serving as a catalyst in an oxygen evolution reaction, our nanocomposite requires overpotentials of 1.48 and 1.59 V to obtain current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm -2 , respectively. The hybrid material also efficiently electrocatalyzes hydrogen evolution reactions in base solution, necessitating overpotentials of -50 and -237 mV for current densities of 1.0 and 100 mA cm -2 , respectively. The 3D hybrid, when applied to a symmetric supercapacitor device, achieves 125.6 F g -1 capacitance at 1 A g -1 current density. In summary, our study elucidates a new strategy to maximize efficiency via synergetic effects that is likely applicable to other 2D materials.