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The efficiency of the synthesis of renewable fuels and feedstocks from electrical sources is limited, at present, by the sluggish water oxidation reaction. Single-atom catalysts (SACs) with a controllable coordination environment and exceptional atom utilization efficiency open new paradigms toward designing high-performance water oxidation catalysts. Here, using operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements with calculations of spectra and electrochemical activity, we demonstrate that the origin of water oxidation activity of IrNiFe SACs is the presence of highly oxidized Ir single atom (Ir5.3+) in the NiFe oxyhydroxide under operating conditions. We show that the optimal water oxidation catalyst could be achieved by systematically increasing the oxidation state and modulating the coordination environment of the Ir active sites anchored atop the NiFe oxyhydroxide layers. Based on the proposed mechanism, we have successfully anchored Ir single-atom sites on NiFe oxyhydroxides (Ir0.1/Ni9Fe SAC) via a unique in situ cryogenic-photochemical reduction method that delivers an overpotential of 183 mV at 10 mA ⋅ cm-2 and retains its performance following 100 h of operation in 1 M KOH electrolyte, outperforming the reported catalysts and the commercial IrO2 catalysts. These findings open the avenue toward an atomic-level understanding of the oxygen evolution of catalytic centers under in operando conditions.

In lithium-sulfur (Li-S) chemistry, the electrically/ionically insulating nature of sulfur and Li2S leads to sluggish electron/ion transfer kinetics for sulfur species conversion. Sulfur and Li2S are recognized as solid at room temperature, and solid-liquid phase transitions are the limiting steps in Li-S batteries. Here, we visualize the distinct sulfur growth behaviors on Al, carbon, Ni current collectors and demonstrate that (i) liquid sulfur generated on Ni provides higher reversible capacity, faster kinetics, and better cycling life compared to solid sulfur; and (ii) Ni facilitates the phase transition (e.g., Li2S decomposition). Accordingly, light-weight, 3D Ni-based current collector is designed to control the deposition and catalytic conversion of sulfur species toward high-performance Li-S batteries. This work provides insights on the critical role of the current collector in determining the physical state of sulfur and elucidates the correlation between sulfur state and battery performance, which will advance electrode designs in high-energy Li-S batteries.

Manipulating liquids with tunable shape and optical functionalities in real time is important for electroactive flow devices and optoelectronic devices, but remains a great challenge. Here, we demonstrate electrotunable liquid sulfur microdroplets in an electrochemical cell. We observe electrowetting and merging of sulfur droplets under different potentiostatic conditions, and successfully control these processes via selective design of sulfiphilic/sulfiphobic substrates. Moreover, we employ the electrowetting phenomena to create a microlens based on the liquid sulfur microdroplets and tune its characteristics in real time through changing the shape of the liquid microdroplets in a fast, repeatable, and controlled manner. These studies demonstrate a powerful in situ optical battery platform for unraveling the complex reaction mechanism of sulfur chemistries and for exploring the rich material properties of the liquid sulfur, which shed light on the applications of liquid sulfur droplets in devices such as microlenses, and potentially other electrotunable and optoelectronic devices.

We show that political contributions are associated with reduced civil and criminal sanctions for fraudulent executives. These managers benefit more from contributions if their firm also gained from the fraud, if they occupy top positions in firms with weak boards, or if they contribute to powerful politicians. Political contributions reduce budgetary resources for government enforcers and lengthen the Securities and Exchange Commission's case time-to-resolution. They also facilitate penalty transfer from fraudulent managers to the firm, resulting in their entrenchment and long-term destruction of shareholder value. Our findings highlight an agency cost of political contributions and a mechanism undermining the disciplining effect of regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A discrete time modeling method is employed in this paper to analyze and evaluate the reliability of a discrete time K/N: G repairable retrial system with Bernoulli shocks and two-stage repair. Lifetime and shocks are two factors that lead to component failure, and both of them can lead to the simultaneous failure of multiple components. When the repairman is busy, the newly failed component enters retrial orbit and retries in accordance with the first-in-first-out (FIFO) rule to obtain the repair. The repairman provides two-stage repair for failed components, all of which require basic repair and some of which require optional repair. The discrete PH distribution controls the repair times for two stages. Based on discrete time stochastic model properties, priority rules are defined when multiple events occur simultaneously. The state transition probability matrix and state set analysis are used to evaluate the system performance indexes. Numerical experiments are used to illustrate the main performance indexes of the developed discrete time model, and the impact of each parameter variation on the system indexes is examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Our study aims to assess the effectiveness of horticultural therapy in improving outcomes in older patients with dementia. Design: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Methods: The included studies comprised randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that aimed to assess the effectiveness of horticultural therapy on cognitive function in older patients with dementia. The study design and data extraction were independently conducted by two investigators, who also evaluated the risk of bias using RoB 2.0. The meta‐analysis was carried out using Stata 15.1 software. Data Sources: On November 2023, we searched relevant English and Chinese publications in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI and Wanfang databases. Results: The meta‐analysis included a total of 9 RCTs, involving 655 older patients diagnosed with dementia. The findings from these studies demonstrated that horticultural therapy had a significant positive impact on various aspects of the patients' well‐being when compared to conventional care. Specifically, it was found to improve cognitive function scores, alleviate symptoms of depression, enhance daily activities and enhance overall quality of life. When conducting a subgroup analysis, it was observed that horticultural therapy had a statistically significant effect on cognitive function in older patients with dementia when the intervention frequency was at least two times per week. Furthermore, interventions with a duration of less than 6 months were found to be more effective than those lasting 6 months or longer. Additionally, outdoor horticultural therapy was found to be superior to indoor interventions. Moreover, structured interventions were observed to yield better outcomes compared to non‐structured interventions. Conclusion: More high‐quality studies are needed to further corroborate these findings due to the low quality of the included studies. Horticultural therapy has been found to have a significantly positive impact on the cognitive function, depression status, ADL, and quality of life of older patients with dementia. Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care: We provide references for non‐pharmacologic treatment of older patients with dementia. What Problem Did the Study Address?: This study aimed to measure the efficacy of horticultural therapy in older patients with dementia across four dimensions: cognitive function, depression levels, daily living activities and overall quality of life. What Were the Main Findings?: In older patients with dementia, horticultural therapy has been proven to have a significant positive impact on cognitive function, depressive status, activities of daily living and quality of life. Where and on Whom Will the Research Have an Impact?: This study will inform non‐pharmacological interventions for older patients with dementia worldwide. Patient or Public Contribution: No Patient or Public Contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a case of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) in a 55-year-old male patient. The patient responded well to low-dose prednisone and eltrombopag therapy. The article also reviews similar cases of MGUS complicated with ITP and multiple myeloma (MM) concurrent with ITP, highlighting the challenges in treatment and the need for further research on the pathogenesis and effective treatment methods for monoclonal gammopathy-related thrombocytopenia (MGRT). [Extracted from the article]

We study the comparative advantage of firms with focused and multidivisional organizational forms at attracting valuable human capital. Using the merger and acquisition (M&A) advisory industry as a laboratory, we show that high-performing individuals are more likely to migrate to boutique (focused) banks, especially those who are still on the upward trajectory of their career. Such migration is amplified by the cross-subsidization inside bulge bracket (multidivisional) firms, proxied by poor performance of their non-M&A departments. The transition of skilled labor improves the performance of the boutique sector, potentially contributing to the rise of boutiques over the past two decades. Moreover, M&A deal outcomes differ when having boutique advisors. Our findings suggest that corporate organizational structure and labor migration can jointly shape industry dynamics. This paper was accepted by Victoria Ivashina, finance. Funding: W. Wang gratefully acknowledges financial support from the Daniel C. Smith Fellowship. Supplemental Material: Data and the internet appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2021.03829. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A firm's initial public offering (IPO) generates negative externalities for industry competitors. To mitigate this threat, incumbent firms manage their earnings downward, issue more negative management forecasts, and use a more negative disclosure tone when their industry peers file for an IPO. Negative accruals reverse when the threat subsides. Incumbents manage earnings more aggressively when costs are small and benefits are large, and when they follow negative disclosures of industry leading incumbents. Such strategic disclosure lowers incumbent firm valuation multiples and associates with more negative IPO firm media sentiment. IPO firms obtain lower offer prices, raise less capital, and are more likely to withdraw from the offering. They also invest less, hoard more cash, and experience lower profitability post-IPO, whereas incumbents experience higher profitability and market share growth. Our results highlight the role of strategic reporting on product market competition and identify a new cost of going public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gravity anomaly and vertical gravity gradient due to anomalous geological bodies are mainly computed by numerical methods, so it is difficult and time-consuming to use the gravity-geological method to invert seafloor topography. This paper addresses this issue by deriving an expression for gravity generated by a cylinder based on a series expansion. The choice of number for terms in the series is estimated by comparing with the numerical method, especially when the depth H=4000m, the accuracy of 1mGal(1Gal=10-2m/s2) can be achieved when the series are 9. The expressions can be used to establish the relationships between the shape of an anomalous body and the generated vertical gravity and vertical gravity gradient, respectively. Finally, the potential applications of the expressions in inverting seafloor topography are illustrated by synthetic examples.

As the major resource of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the NADPH oxidases (Rbohs) have been shown to play important roles in plant cells under normal growth and stress conditions. Although many family members of Rbohs were studied, little is known about the function of RbohI in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we report that exogenous ABA application decreases RbohI expression and mannitol significantly increases RbohI expression at transcript level. The RbohI transcripts were strongly detected in dry seeds and roots. The loss-of-function mutant rbohI exhibited sensitivity to ABA and mannitol stress during germination. Furthermore, the lateral root growth of rbohI was severely inhibited after treatment with mannitol stress. Overexpression of RbohI in Arabidopsis significantly improves the drought tolerance. Moreover, more H2O2 accumulated in RbohI overexpressors than in wild type plants in response to mannitol stress. Our conclusion is that AtRbohI functions in drought-stress response in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Transient receptor potential (TRP) melastatin member 8 (TRPM8) is a non-selective cation channel that can be activated by low temperatures (8–26 °C), cooling agents (including menthol analogs such as menthol, icilin, and WS-12), voltage, and extracellular osmotic pressure changes. TRPM8 expression has been identified in the digestive system by several research teams, demonstrating its significant involvement in tissue function and pathologies of the digestive system. Specifically, studies have implicated TRPM8 in various physiological and pathological processes of the esophagus, stomach, colorectal region, liver, and pancreas. This paper aims to comprehensively outline the distinct role of TRPM8 in different organs of the digestive system, offering insights for future mechanistic investigations of TRPM8. Additionally, it presents potential therapeutic targets for treating conditions such as digestive tract inflammation, tumors, sensory and functional disorders, and other related diseases. Furthermore, this paper addresses the limitations of existing studies and highlights the research prospects associated with TRPM8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]