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The present study applied the social-ecological framework to explore factors associated with adolescents’ experiences in bullying victimization in Taiwanese middle schools. Data include a random sa...

Irradiation with energetic particles has been recently demonstrated as an effective means to tailor the structures of a variety of materials with high precision, which, however, usually leading to irreversible degradation of the related properties due to defect introduction. Herein, we present a highly controllable defect handling approach, i.e. defect creation followed by their elimination in carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Technically, this can be accomplished by the alternate use of room-temperature electron irradiation and a separated heat treatment, as demonstrated here via in-situ transmission electron microscopy. The regarded CNTs thus undergo the order/disorder structural transition, which can be repeated up to at least 10 cycles with the CNT structural integrity largely retained. A temperature-dependent annealing experiment shows that the CNT recrystallization can be initiated at a surprisingly low temperature of ∼300 °C, and the irradiated CNTs can primarily regain their structural perfectness over 1000 °C. This technique allows for the reversible and repeatable tuning of a number of important CNT electrical properties, such as electron transport, as well as electron field emission that has never been achieved before. Furthermore, this defect handling technique has the potential as a general route for reversible tuning of other defect-dependent properties of sp2 carbon nanosystems.

Alcoholic abuse is one of the most serious causes of liver diseases worldwide. Although detailed molecular pathogenesis of alcohol-induced liver damages remains elusive with intensive debates, it has been widely recognized that hepatic damage caused by free radicals generated from alcohol metabolism is one of the most critical factors for alcohol-induced liver diseases. Betulinic acid is a potent antioxidant with additional known pharmacological safety characteristics and minimal toxicity. However, poor solubility limited its usage. In this study, we assessed the efficacy of BAN, a betulinic acid and nucleoside hybrid with good water solubility, in reversing acute liver damages using an established alcohol overdose animal model. The results indicated that BAN is an extremely promising therapeutic agent against acute alcohol-induced liver damage. BAN effectively protects liver from alcohol damage by reducing serum ALT level by up to 47%, as well as liver oxidative stress indicated by significantly increased SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px levels. Moreover, hepatic FXR activation and a corresponding downstream anti-oxidative stress transcriptional cascade including Nrf2, HO-1, and NOQ1 induce the protective role of BAN. On the other hand, BAN administration also leads to increase cellular autophagy response, as indicated by the key ATG protein activation. We concluded that BAN, comparing with Betulinic acid, prevents acute alcohol-induced liver damages more effectively, with the dual mechanisms of neutralizing oxidative stress and promoting autophagy.

Broad absorption, long-lived photogenerated carriers, high conductance, and high stability are all required for a light absorber toward its real application on solar cells. Inorganic-organic hybrid lead-halide materials have shown tremendous potential for applications in solar cells. This work offers a new design strategy to improve the absorption range, conductance, photoconductance, and stability of these materials. We synthesized a new photochromic lead-chloride semiconductor by incorporating a photoactive viologen zwitterion into a lead-chloride system in the coordinating mode. This semiconductor has a novel inorganic-organic hybrid structure, where 1-D semiconducting inorganic lead-chloride nanoribbons covalently bond to 1-D semiconducting organic π-aggregates. It shows high stability against light, heat, and moisture. After photoinduced electron transfer (PIET), it yields a long-lived charge-separated state with a broad absorption band covering the 200-900 nm region while increasing its conductance and photoconductance. This work is the first to modify the photoconductance of semiconductors by PIET. The observed increasing times of conductivity reached 3 orders of magnitude, which represents a record for photoswitchable semiconductors. The increasing photocurrent comes mainly from the semiconducting organic π-aggregates, which indicates a chance to improve the photocurrent by modifying the organic component. These findings contribute to the exploration of light absorbers for solar cells.

Viologen (N,N′-disubstituted bipyridinium) compounds are well known for their electron-transfer photochromic properties and many potential applications. However, viologen-based organic molecules, especially those with aliphatic hydrocarbon substituents, are inclined to be hygroscopic, and most of the known viologen compounds need dozens of seconds or even several minutes to exhibit photoinduced color change. The viologen–carboxylate zwitterion ligand, N,N′-dipropionate-4,4′-bipyridinium (L), is highly hygroscopic and its shortest coloration time is 5 s upon irradiation of a Xe lamp (ca. 110 mW cm−2). After coordination with ZnCl2, the obtained new compound [Zn2LCl4]n (ZnLCl) is highly stable in a wet environment (e.g. 60% relative humidity), and its shortest coloration time is 1 s upon irradiation of the same Xe lamp. X-ray diffraction analysis coupling with multiple experimental spectra (UV-vis, ESR, XPS, and IR) and density of states (DOS) calculations revealed that the photoinduced coloration of L and ZnLCl is contributed mainly by O → pyridinium and Cl → pyridinium electron transfer, respectively. The lower electronegativity of Cl over O and the shorter donor–acceptor separation may explain why ZnLCl has a shorter coloration time. Moreover, enhancement of molecular rigidity by the coordination structure may account for the improvement of moisture stability.

Sodium metal holds promise as the ultimate anode for high-energy-density Na battery systems. Recent progress has been made in terms of rational design of nanostructured 3D current collectors for dendrite-free Na deposition with limited dimensional changes during cycling. However, critical information such as Na nucleation and growth behavior on these hosts remains elusive. Herein, by using amorphous carbon nanofibers (CNF) as a current collector, we present the first nanoscale-resolution observation of electrochemical Na plating/stripping dynamics via in situ electron microscopies. With the use of solid electrolyte, Na metal was found to grow and dissolve reversibly as nano/micro-particles at all the possible locations around indiviual CNFs and even throughout their network. Notably, inter-fiber Na ion transport was experimentally confirmed, which enables more homogeneous Na deposition deep into the network interior without interfacing the electrolyte; this would be crucial for dendrite-free Na plating, especially in all-solid-state Na batteries. In addition, through a delicately designed in-situ experiment, the CNF interior exhibited a superior Na capacity compared to its graphitized counterpart. Thus, owning to both exterior and interior Na storage of each fiber, CNFs could be a promising host material for building rechargeable composite Na metal anodes with ultrahigh capacity.

Employment of migrant care workers (MCWs) is increasing, globalising, and is feminised, but the style, nature and extent of MCW policy in Taiwan is very different. This study explores the specific path for MCW policies amidst the globalisation of MCWs and analyses the intersection of the care, migration and employment regimes and compares these to South Korea’s and Japan’s migrant worker policies. This gives a deeper understanding of the formation and transition for Taiwan’s MCW policy. The similarities and uniqueness of Taiwan MCW policy are discussed in this study.

Full exploitation of graphene's superior properties requires the ability to precisely control its morphology and edge structures. We present such a structure-tailoring approach via controlled atom removal from graphene edges. With the use of a graphitic-carbon-capped tungsten nanoelectrode as a noncontact "milling" tool in a transmission electron microscope, graphene edge atoms approached by the tool tip are locally evaporated, thus allowing a freestanding graphene sheet to be tailored with high precision and flexibility. A threshold for the tip voltage of 3.6 ± 0.4 V, independent of polarity, is found to be the determining factor that triggers the controlled etching process. The dominant mechanisms involve weakening of carbon-carbon bonds through the interband excitation induced by tunneling electrons, assisted with a resistive-heating effect enhanced by high electric field, as elaborated by first-principles calculations. In addition to the precise shape and size control, this tip-based method enables fabrication of graphene edges with specific chiralities, such as "armchair" or "zigzag" types. The as-obtained edges can be further "polished" to become entirely atomically smooth via edge evaporation/reconstruction induced by in situ TEM Joule annealing. We finally demonstrate the potential of this technique for practical uses through creating a graphene-based point electron source, whose field emission characteristics can effectively be tuned via modifying its geometry.

Improving the stability and photoelectric properties are current aims in the field of inorganic–organic hybrid lead halides. In this work, a new covalently bonded pillared layered bromoplumbate, [Pb3Br6(CV)]n, was prepared using a photoactive zwitterion viologen, N,N′-4,4′-bipyridiniodipropionate (CV), as a ligand. It has a high thermal stability in air and shows a remarkable increase of capacitance after photoinduced electron transfer (PIET). The observed dielectric switch ratio of ∼689% at 3 kHz exceeded all reported values at room temperature for switchable dielectric materials. The capacitance gain was derived from the redistribution of electrons after PIET from the lead-halide layer to organic π-aggregates, so that the activation energy of hopping polarizability was significantly reduced.

Vapor-responsive magnetic materials are highly promising for applications as chemical switches or sensors. Compared with porous materials, nonporous species benefit in overcoming the intrinsic conflict between magnetic exchange and porosity but usually suffer from the powdering of single crystals, which hinders the understanding of the structural nature of vapor response and magnetic switch. Single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) transformation of nonporous compounds through the desorption/absorption of gaseous HCl is unprecedented. Reported here is a discrete nonporous copper(II) complex, (H3O)[K(15-crown-5)2][CuCl4], that exhibits reversible SCSC transformation and magnetic change by the chemisorption/desorption of HCl and H2O. Significant changes in the coordination number (4 ↔ 3), space group (P1 ↔ P21/c), color (green ↔ red), and magnetic behavior (antiferromagnetic ↔ paramagnetic) were found during the SCSC transformation.

Changing N-substituents to modify energy gaps is important for the diverse applications (photochromism, photocatalysis, etc.) of viologen-based compounds. In situ N-substitution using alcohols under solvothermal and acidic conditions is an effective and common synthetic method for viologen-templated metal halides. In this work, we found that replacing alcohols with alkenes could reduce the reaction temperature dramatically to room temperature. A new cis/trans-viologen-templated bromoplumbate with a novel 1-D chain structure built by edge-sharing planar [Pb3Br9]3− oligomers was successfully obtained. This bromoplumbate hybrid has a narrower energy gap compared with bulk PbBr2, which has been well explained by linear optical response spectra calculations and PDOS analysis.

Nonlinear optical (NLO) switchable materials are important for photonic and optoelectronic technologies. One important issue for NLO photoswitching, the most studied physical switching approach, is how to improve the switching contrast of second harmonic generation (SHG) in crystals, because the known values are generally below 3 times. Thermoswitching, as another approach, has shown impressive high SHG-switching contrasts (4–∞ times), but the fast decay of thermally induced states demands constant heat sources to maintain specific SHG intensities. We have synthesized a photochromic and thermochromic bistable acentric compound, β-[(MQ)ZnCl3] (MQ+ = N-methyl-4,4′-bipyridinium), which represents the first crystalline compound with both photo- and heat-induced SHG-switching behavior and the first example of a thermoswitchable NLO crystal that can maintain its expected second-order NLO intensity without any heat source. The SHG-switching contrast can reach about 8 times after laser irradiation or 2 times after thermal annealing. The former value is the highest recorded for photoswitchable NLO crystals. This work also indicates that higher SHG-switching contrasts may be obtained through increasing electron-transfer efficiency, variation of permanent dipole moment, and self-absorption.

Electron-transfer (redox) thermochromism was successfully used for switching the conductance of semiconductors, by introducing a thermally active organic component into an inorganic semiconducting framework. A moisture-resistant semiconductor {(MV)2[Pb7Br18]}n (MV2+=methyl viologen cation) has been prepared through an in situ synthetic method for MV2+. It features a rare 3D haloplumbate open framework and unprecedented electron-transfer thermochromic behavior in haloplumbates. The electrical conductivity of this compound dropped significantly after coloration and restored after decoloration, which was satisfactorily explained by valence band XPS and theoretical data. This work not only offers a new approach to modify electrical properties of semiconductors without altering components or structures, but may lead to the development of over-temperature color indicators, circuit overload protectors or photovoltaic materials.

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical features, treatment strategies, and outcomes of patients presented with petrous apex meningiomas. Methods In this retrospective clinical study, 17 patients with petrous apex meningiomas were treated microsurgically via an extended suboccipital retrosigmoid approach. Data regarding the general characteristics of the patients, surgical management, and surgery-related outcomes were obtained by reviewing patients' medical records. Results In the authors' study, the authors report that the use of an extended suboccipital retrosigmoid approach and careful microneurosurgical technique can be used to achieve improved surgical and functional outcomes. This was evidenced by gross tumor resection, which was confirmed in 12 (70.6%) patients, and by partial tumor resection, achieved in the remaining 5 patients. Using this surgical approach, the petrosal vein was preserved in 15 (88.2%) patients. In the remaining 2 (11.8%) patients, this vein was sacrificed. Postsurgical improvement of neurological deficits was consequently observed in 12 (70.6%) patients. Though 3 patients (17.6%) demonstrated a postoperative decline in neurological function, 1 patient significantly recovered facial function at follow-up. One patient with sacrificed petrosal vein experienced loss of functional hearing surgery with no recovery during the follow-up period. No operative mortality was observed. Total resection of petrous apex meningiomas is achievable using an extended suboccipital retrosigmoid approach without permanent surgery-associated neurological deficits in a majority of patients. Conclusion Our primary surgical goal was to achieve maximal tumor resection while maintaining or improving neurological function. Intraoperative protection of the petrosal vein should also be a surgical focus to avoid postoperative complications. Finally, stereotactic radiosurgery can also be useful as a supplemental treatment for postoperative tumor residuals.

The past years have evidenced the rapid development of photochromic coordination compounds; however, the impact of coordination on the photochromic behavior of organic dyes has never been explored in the pyridinium derivative photochromic system. In this work, two new coordination compounds with a photoactive pyridinium-based inner salt, [Zn(H2O)6](PTA)·(CEbpy)2·2H2O (1, PTA = terephthalate, CEbpy = 1-carboxyethyl-4,4′-bipyridine) and [Zn(H2O)2(CEbpy)2]nBr2n·[Zn(H2O)4(PTA)]n (2), were selected as model compounds for this purpose. Compound 1 features an isolated structure, where uncoordinated photoactive CEbpy ligands connect to hexahydrated zinc ions through hydrogen bonds. Compound 2 features a 1-D chain structure with CEbpy ligands coordinating to zinc ions. Compound 1 shows faster coloration speed upon irradiation than 2, demonstrating that coordination of the electron donor in CEbpy is not in favor of photochromic behavior. Both compounds show significant photoluminescence quenching after coloration, ...

Two new crystalline inorganic-organic hybrid compounds, namely, {[Zn(PCV)0.5(BDC)0.5]·3H2O}n (1) and {[Cd(PCV)0.5(BDC)0.5(H2O)]·3H2O}n (2) have been solvothermally synthesized from the 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate (BDC2−) ligand and the viologen analog 1-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4′-bipyridinium (PCV). In these two compounds, PCV ligands coordinate with metal atoms to form 1D zigzag chains, and the chains are further bridged by the BDC2− ligands to yield a wave-like layer with a (4, 4) net topology. For 1, three layers interpenetrate with each other to construct a triple-layer structure, which are stacked along the b direction through van der Waals's force to yield the final 3D structure where the channels along the a direction host the lattice water molecules. In comparison, two layers interpenetrate with each other to construct a double-layer structure, which further interpenetrate to form the final 3D structures where the lattice water molecules locate in channels along a direction. Both compounds showed photochromism accompanied with dramatic decrease of photoluminescence upon irradiation. The powdered sample of 1 can deposit easily on paper by diffusing into ethanol solution, which displays the potential application as an inkless and erasable print medium.

Two-dimensional (2D) metal oxide (MO) nanomaterials, like graphene, possess unique electrical, mechanical, optical and catalytic performances, and have attracted substantial research interest recently. However, it remains a challenge to easily obtain 2D MO nanosheets by a generalized synthetic pathway. Here, we report a general and facile strategy for the synthesis of 2D MO nanosheets induced by nonionic surfactant micelles. Notably, the novel strategy primarily relies on the thermoregulated phase transition of the micelles. The resulting 2D MO nanosheets show high specific surface areas. As a demonstration, Sb2O3 nanosheets synthesized by our method as anodes for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have a high reversible capacity of 420 mA h g−1 and a high capacity retention of 99% after 150 cycles at 0.1 A g−1. Mn3O4 nanosheets for supercapacitors have a remarkable specific capacitance of 127 F g−1 at a current density of 0.5 A g−1. Even at a large current density of 5 A g−1 after 10 000 cycles, 96% of the specific capacitance is retained, demonstrating the remarkable performance of these nanosheets for energy storage applications.

A new metal–organic framework with excellent water stability, {H[(N(CH3)4)2][Gd3(NIPA)6]}·3H2O (1, H2NIPA = 5-nitroisophthalic acid), displays a proton conductivity of 7.17 × 10−2 S cm−1 (at 75 °C and 98% relative humidity), which is among the highest values for proton-conducting MOFs.

Lanthanide(III) ion (Ln(III)) sensing has become a major research area owing to its intriguing prospect in clinic, biology, and environmental studies. However, the existing methods have limitations like requirement of expensive instrumentation, long analytical times, and sample pretreatments, revealing the necessity of other methods. In this work, by using N-methyl-4-pyridinium tetrazolate (mptz) zwitterion as an electron acceptor, we obtained several new Ln(III) compounds with electron-transfer (ET) photochromic properties: [Ln(NO3)3(H2O)4]·mptz [Ln = Sm (1), Eu (2), Gd (3), La (4), Ce (5), Pr (6), Nd (7), Tb (8), Dy (9), Ho (10), Er (11), Tm (12), Yb (13), Lu (14)]. Notably, different Ln(III) ions in these compounds can be visually identified by their different photoinduced color changes related to the ET process. This work may not only contribute to the more understanding of the structure–photosensitivity relationships of pyridinium-based compounds, but also provide a new approach for Ln(III) ion sensing.

High-performance lithium-ion batteries are commonly built with heterogeneous composite electrodes that combine multiple active components for serving various electrochemical and structural functions. Engineering these heterogeneous composite electrodes toward drastically improved battery performance is hinged on a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of multiple active components and their synergy or trade-off effects. Herein, we report a rational design, fabrication, and understanding of yolk@shell Bi

A radiochromic material with energy-dependent X-ray-induced photochromism was obtained by incorporating a radiosensitive glycolate ligand into an electron-transfer photochromic metalloviologen system. It is highly promising for detecting soft X-rays with energies less than 2 keV and may find application in qualitatively and visually distinguishing the energy range of X-rays.

Besides silicon's low electronic conductivity, another critical issue for using silicon as the anode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is the dramatic volume variation (300%) during lithiation/delithiation processes, which can lead to rapid capacity fading and poor rate capability, thereby hampering silicon's practical applications in batteries. To mitigate these issues, herein, we report our findings on the design and understanding of a self-supported Cu

Many caregivers of individuals who are frail and elderly face financial hardships that have negative consequences that compound over time. This article explores the causes of these hardships, reviews Medicaid home and community-based interventions, and related government financial supports that have been used to alleviate them and concludes with recommendations for social work practice and social policy.

A photochromic compound with fast response to Mo-Kα (4 min) and Al-Kα (1 s) X-rays was synthesized using a cluster of high-Z atoms and a flexible viologen zwitterion. The coloration time of 1 s when exposed to soft X-rays is the recorded minimum for X-ray-induced photochromic materials, indicating a potential to detect low-energy X-rays.

In this work, we report a new mechanoresponsive luminescent Cd(ii) coordination polymer that exhibits a sensitivity to mechanical stimulation. The luminescence colour changed gradually from weak yellowish-green to bright cyan in response to different grinding sizes, thereby showing interesting mechanochromic properties, namely a grinding-enhanced luminescence and good crystalline maintenance ability.

Long-lived charge-separated states and photoswitchable photoluminescence are important for many photochemical and photophysical applications. Recent studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of MOFs to achieve long-lived charge-separated states; however, the related studies are still rather rare owing to the limited numbers of photoresponsive MOFs. In this work, a new electron-transfer photochromic MOF compound, encapsulating photoactive viologen cations, was found to exhibit a charge-separated state with a lifetime value of more than 2 months, exceeding the reported values of the analogues. In addition, the photochromic process can afford a luminescence contrast up to 10 times between two stable states, which is higher than those of most known pyridine derivative-based photochromic compounds.

Using a hydrothermal reaction of SmCl3•6H2O, ZnBr2 and TPPS, a crystalline metalloporphyrinic compound (MPC), [SmZn(TPPS)H3O][Formula: see text]•2[Formula: see text]H2O (1), was synthesized. The crystal structure of the MPC exhibits a condensed and robust 3-D porous open framework. We studied the adsorption and desorption isotherms for N2, H2 and CO2 conducted at 77 K and 273 K. They show different isotherms such as Type I, II and III isotherm behaviors. We found that low temperature is propitious for the title complex to adsorb more H2, but less N2. Compound 1 showed remarkably high selectivity for CO2–N2 separation, and good thermal stability. The temperature dependent magnetic susceptibility shows an antiferromagnetic-like behavior for 1.

Using data from a national sample of 451 single mothers collected 24 months during and after the Great Recession, this study tested four hypotheses related to comprehensive measures of employment problems, number of months without health insurance, and unmet medical or dental needs. The results indicate positive relationships between employment problems and unmet medical or dental needs, employment problems and lacking health insurance, and lacking health insurance and unmet medical or dental needs. Most important, lack of health care coverage significantly reduced the relationships between unemployment (by 26%) and underemployment (by 56%) and unmet medical or dental needs. These results indicate that lack of health insurance at least partially mediates the effects of employment problems on single mothers experiencing an unmet medical or dental need. The findings have implications for these mothers’ medical and dental care access, which are discussed within the context of the recent health care reforms.

Polycyanometallate compounds with both photochromism and photomagnetism have appealing applications in optical switches and memories, but such optical behaviors were essentially restricted to the cryogenic temperature. We realized, for the first time, the photochromism and photomagnetism of 3d-4f hexacyanoferrates at room temperature (RT) in [Eu(III)(18C6)(H2O)3]Fe(III)(CN)6·2H2O (18C6 = 18-crown-6). Photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from crown to Fe(III) yields long-lived charge-separated species at RT in air in the solid state and also weakens the magnetic susceptibility significantly. The PET mechanism and changing trend of photomagnetism differ significantly from those reported for known 3d-4f hexacyanoferrates. This work not only develops a new type of inorganic-organic hybrid photochromic material but opens a new avenue for RT photomagnetic polycyanometallate compounds.

The hollow core of a carbon nanotube (CNT) provides a unique opportunity to explore the physics, chemistry, biology, and metallurgy of different materials confined in such nanospace. Here, we investigate the nonequilibrium metallurgical processes taking place inside CNTs by in situ transmission electron microscopy using CNTs as nanoscale resistively heated crucibles having encapsulated metal nanowires/crystals in their channels. Because of nanometer size of the system and intimate contact between the CNTs and confined metals, an efficient heat transfer and high cooling rates (similar to 10(13) K/s) were achieved as a result of a flash bias pulse followed by system natural quenching, leading to the formation of disordered amorphous-like structures in iron, cobalt, and gold. An intermediate state between crystalline and amorphous phases was discovered, revealing a memory effect of local short-to-medium range order during these phase transitions. Furthermore, subsequent directional crystallization of an amorphous iron nano wire formed by this method was realized under controlled Joule heating. High-density crystalline defects were generated during crystallization due to a confinement effect from the CNT and severe plastic deformation involved.

Two new isostructural coordination compounds exhibit the rare difunctional properties of both electron-transfer (ET) photochromism and ET thermochromism, which are significantly affected by halogen atoms. The thermocrystallographic studies of the same single crystal have elucidated the electron-donating nature of the halogen atoms.

Two tunable white light emitting compounds with high CRI values of 96 and 88 were obtained using an inorganic–organic hybrid strategy., Single-component white light materials may create great opportunities for novel conventional lighting applications and display systems; however, their reported color rendering index (CRI) values, one of the key parameters for lighting, are less than 90, which does not satisfy the demand of color-critical upmarket applications, such as photography, cinematography, and art galleries. In this work, two semiconductive chloroplumbate (chloride anion of lead(ii)) hybrids, obtained using a new inorganic–organic hybrid strategy, show unprecedented 3-D inorganic framework structures and white-light-emitting properties with high CRI values around 90, one of which shows the highest value to date.

Crystalline nanowire arrays would create great opportunity for novel electrical application. Herein, we report a metal halide-based crystalline nanowire array, which was the first example constructed from two types of bromoplumbate anion chains. The single crystal shows high anisotropic conductivity with semiconducting transport along the c axis and an insulating feature perpendicular to the c direction.

The interaction between graphene and various metals plays a central role in future carbon-based device and synthesis technologies. Herein, three different types of metal nanoelectrodes (W, Ni, Au) were employed to in situ study the graphene-metal interfacial kinetic behaviors in a high-resolution transmission electron microscope. The three metals exhibit distinctly different interactions with graphene when driven by a heating current. Tungsten tips, the most carbon-starved ones, can ingest a graphene sheet continuously; nickel tips, less carbon starved, typically "eat" graphene only by taking a "bite" from its edge; gold, however, is nonactive with graphene at all, even in its molten state. The ingested graphene atoms finally precipitate as freshly formed graphitic shells encapsulating the catalytic W and Ni electrodes. Particularly, we propose a periodic extension/thickening graphene growth scenario by atomic-scale observation of this process on W electrodes, where the propagation of the underlying tungsten carbide (WC) dominates the growth dynamics. This work uncovers the complexity of carbon diffusion/segregation processes at different graphene/metal interfaces that would severely degrade the device performance and stability. Besides, it also provides a detailed and insightful understanding of the sp

White light emission from single-component small organic triazole molecules in the solid state was observed for the first time. This unusual intrinsic broadband emission, stemming from the supramolecular aggregate instead of the excimer, can be tuned by controlling the degree of electron delocalization and intensities of intermolecular interactions.

Elder abuse is a serious issue in Taiwan because of rapid growth among the aging population and the deterioration of traditional values. Understanding of elder abuse in Taiwan has been fragmented, as a bulk of studies have primarily focused on socio-demographic characteristics and past childhood abuse. Only a handful of studies have focused on the environmental contexts. To address this research gap, we systematically review the prevalence, socio-demographic characteristics, and risk factors associated with elder abuse in Taiwan by applying Bronfenbrenner's ecological framework. Twenty-nine research articles are reviewed to address this research gap. Practice and policy implications are also discussed.

We report a new non-interpenetrated 2D zinc coordination polymer, [Zn(AA)(BPHY)]n (1) (H2AA = adipic acid, BPHY = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)hydrazine), which is a mixed ligand complex. The solid-state sample of 1 exhibits tunable blue emission excited by UV light with the wavelengths from 320 nm to 380 nm. The luminescent mechanism of 1 has been studied by theoretical calculation.

Using a national sample of single mothers from the 2007 and 2009 waves of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, this study examined the effects of multiple employment statuses on the selfrated health of single mothers during the recent economic recession. Unlike other studies, the current study minimized selection bias by controlling for prior self-rated health, in addition to other predisposing factors, enabling factors, and need factors. We found that underemployment, but not unemployment, is associated with lower levels of self-rated health of single mothers. Results further indicate that the 25-39 age range (compared to the 18-24 age range), lower family income, prior lower self-rated health, more chronic diseases, and binge drinking place single mothers at an increased risk of lower levels of self-rated health. In contrast, strength-building physical activity is significantly associated with higher levels of self-rated health. Implications for health care policy and social work practice are drawn from the results.

We have studied the electron-transfer photochromism of the crystalline adducts of 4,4′-bipyridine (Bpy) and carboxylic acids and revealed the key structural parameters that decide whether the photochromism can happen for the first time. Experimental and theoretical analyses on nine known examples showed that the hydrogen bonds, instead of π–π stacking interactions, are the defining factor to the photochromism. Only the presence of N–H···O hydrogen bonds can fulfill the electron transfer from the carboxylate group to the Bpy part, although both the N···O separations of O–H···N and N–H···O hydrogen bonds are suitable for the so-called through-space electron transfer. These results can not only help to screen out the photochromic species from the known hundreds of Bpy–carboxylic acid adducts deposited in the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC) database but also guide the design and syntheses of new adducts using diverse N-heterocyclic aromatic molecules and carboxylic acids.

Metallic lithium promises the ultimate anode material for building next-generation Li batteries, though some fundamental hurdles remain unsolved. Li growth induced by hetero particles/atoms has recently emerged as a highly efficient route enabling spatial-control and dendrite-free Li deposition on anode hosts. However, the detailed mechanism of Li nucleation and its interaction with heterogeneous seeds are largely unknown. Herein, we investigate this issue by visualizing Au-seeded Li nucleation processes that guide Li deposition inside the one-dimensional hollow space of individual amorphous carbon nanotubes by in-situ transmission electron microscopy. A reversible two-step conversion process during Au–Li alloying/dealloying reactions is revealed, suggesting that the formation of Li3Au plays the actual role in inducing Li nucleation. We propose a front-growth scenario to explain the spatially confined Li growth and stripping kinetic behaviors, which involves the mass addition and removal at the deposition front through ion diffusion along the tubular carbon shell. As a comparison, nanotubes without gold seeds inside exhibit uncontrolled dendrite-like Li growth outside the carbon shell. We further demonstrate that Au-seed growth can be successful in encapsulating sodium metal for the first time. These findings provide mechanistic insights into heterogeneous seeded Li/Na nucleation and space-confined deposition for design of high-performance battery anodes.