Tamkang University

In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. \n \nFor example, a key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process versus those that measure flux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process including the amount and rate of cargo sequestered and degraded). In particular, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation must be differentiated from stimuli that increase autophagic activity, defined as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (in most higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the field understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. It is worth emphasizing here that lysosomal digestion is a stage of autophagy and evaluating its competence is a crucial part of the evaluation of autophagic flux, or complete autophagy. \n \nHere, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. Along these lines, because of the potential for pleiotropic effects due to blocking autophagy through genetic manipulation, it is imperative to target by gene knockout or RNA interference more than one autophagy-related protein. In addition, some individual Atg proteins, or groups of proteins, are involved in other cellular pathways implying that not all Atg proteins can be used as a specific marker for an autophagic process. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field.

Because of their high theoretical energy density and low cost, lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries are promising next-generation energy storage devices. The electrochemical performance of Li–S batteries largely depends on the efficient reversible conversion of Li polysulfides to Li 2 S in discharge and to elemental S during charging. Here, we report on our discovery that monodisperse cobalt atoms embedded in nitrogen-doped graphene (Co–N/G) can trigger the surface-mediated reaction of Li polysulfides. Using a combination of operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy and first-principles calculation, we reveal that the Co–N–C coordination center serves as a bifunctional electrocatalyst to facilitate both the formation and the decomposition of Li 2 S in discharge and charge processes, respectively. The S@Co–N/G composite, with a high S mass ratio of 90 wt %, can deliver a gravimetric capacity of 1210 mAh g –1, and it exhibits an areal capacity of 5.1 mAh cm –2 with capacity fading rate of 0.029% per cycle over 100 cycles at 0.2 C at S loading of 6.0 mg cm –2 on the electrode disk.

The exact role of a defect structure on transition metal compounds for electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which is a very dynamic process, remains unclear. Studying the structure–activity relationship of defective electrocatalysts under operando conditions is crucial for understanding their intrinsic reaction mechanism and dynamic behavior of defect sites. Co 3 O 4 with rich oxygen vacancy (V O ) has been reported to efficiently catalyze OER. Herein, we constructed pure spinel Co 3 O 4 and V O -rich Co 3 O 4 as catalyst models to study the defect mechanism and investigate the dynamic behavior of defect sites during the electrocatalytic OER process by various operando characterizations. Operando electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) implied that the V O could facilitate the pre-oxidation of the low-valence Co (Co 2+, part of which was induced by the V O to balance the charge) at a relatively lower applied potential. This observation confirmed that the V O could initialize the surface reconstruction of V O –Co 3 O 4 prior to the occurrence of the OER process. The quasi-operando X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and operando X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) results further demonstrated the oxygen vacancies were filled with OH • first for V O –Co 3 O 4 and facilitated pre-oxidation of low-valence Co and promoted reconstruction/deprotonation of intermediate Co–OOH • . This work provides insight into the defect mechanism in Co 3 O 4 for OER in a dynamic way by observing the surface dynamic evolution process of defective electrocatalysts and identifying the real active sites during the electrocatalysis process. The current finding would motivate the community to focus more on the dynamic behavior of defect electrocatalysts.

Abstract Customer loyalty or repeat purchasing is critical for the survival and success of any store. By focusing on online stores, this study investigates the repeat purchase intention of experienced online buyers based on means‐end chain theory and prospect theory. In the research model, both utilitarian value and hedonic value are hypothesised to affect repeat purchase intention positively. Perceived risk is hypothesised to affect repeat purchase intention negatively and moderate the effects of utilitarian and hedonic values on repeat purchase intention. Utilitarian value is proposed as a formative second‐order construct formed by product offerings, product information, monetary savings and convenience. Hedonic value is also proposed as a formative second‐order construct formed by the six hedonic benefits that have been identified in prior research. Data collected from 782 Yahoo!Kimo customers provide strong support for the research model. The results indicate that both the utilitarian value and hedonic value are positively associated with buyers' repeat purchase intention. A higher level of perceived risk reduces the effect of utilitarian value and increases the effect of hedonic value on repeat purchase intention. Implications for theory and practice and suggestions for future research are provided.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to develop an original framework to explore the influences of green perceived value and green perceived risk on green purchase intentions and to discuss the mediation role of green trust. Design/methodology/approach This study applies four original concepts – green perceived value, green perceived risk, green trust, and green purchase intentions – to develop an integral model to enhance green purchase intentions. In addition, this research employs an empirical study by means of the questionnaire survey method to verify the hypotheses and to explore its managerial implications. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is applied to verify the research framework. Findings The empirical results show that green perceived value would positively affect green trust and green purchase intentions, while green perceived risk would negatively influence both of them. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that the relationships between green purchase intentions and their two antecedents – green perceived value and green perceived risk – are partially mediated by green trust. Hence, investing resources to increase green perceived value and to decrease green perceived risk is helpful to enhance green trust and green purchase intentions. Originality/value This study summarizes the literature on green marketing and relationship marketing into a new managerial framework of green purchase intentions. It utilizes four novel constructs – green perceived value, green perceived risk, green trust, and green purchase intentions – to develop an original research framework to enhance green purchase intentions. Although past research has highlighted the relevant issues about purchase intentions, none explores it about green management. Therefore, this paper develops the research framework of green purchase intentions to fill the research gap.

It is of essential importance to design an electrocatalyst with excellent performance for both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in water splitting.

Designing atomically dispersed metal catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a promising approach to achieve efficient energy conversion. Herein, we develop a template-assisted method to synthesize a series of single metal atoms anchored on porous N,S-codoped carbon (NSC) matrix as highly efficient ORR catalysts to investigate the correlation between the structure and their catalytic performance. The structure analysis indicates that an identical synthesis method results in distinguished structural differences between Fe-centered single-atom catalyst (Fe-SAs/NSC) and Co-centered/Ni-centered single-atom catalysts (Co-SAs/NSC and Ni-SAs/NSC) because of the different trends of each metal ion in forming a complex with the N,S-containing precursor during the initial synthesis process. The Fe-SAs/NSC mainly consists of a well-dispersed FeN 4 S 2 center site where S atoms form bonds with the N atoms. The S atoms in Co-SAs/NSC and Ni-SAs/NSC, on the other hand, form metal–S bonds, resulting in CoN 3 S 1 and NiN 3 S 1 center sites. Density functional theory (DFT) reveals that the FeN 4 S 2 center site is more active than the CoN 3 S 1 and NiN 3 S 1 sites, due to the higher charge density, lower energy barriers of the intermediates, and products involved. The experimental results indicate that all three single-atom catalysts could contribute high ORR electrochemical performances, while Fe-SAs/NSC exhibits the highest of all, which is even better than commercial Pt/C. Furthermore, Fe-SAs/NSC also displays high methanol tolerance as compared to commercial Pt/C and high stability up to 5000 cycles. This work provides insights into the rational design of the definitive structure of single-atom catalysts with tunable electrocatalytic activities for efficient energy conversion.

Abstract Electronic structure greatly determines the band structures and the charge carrier transport properties of semiconducting photocatalysts and consequently their photocatalytic activities. Here, by simply calcining the mixture of graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C 3 N 4 ) and sodium borohydride in an inert atmosphere, boron dopants and nitrogen defects are simultaneously introduced into g‐C 3 N 4 . The resultant boron‐doped and nitrogen‐deficient g‐C 3 N 4 exhibits excellent activity for photocatalytic oxygen evolution, with highest oxygen evolution rate reaching 561.2 µmol h −1 g −1 , much higher than previously reported g‐C 3 N 4 . It is well evidenced that with conduction and valence band positions substantially and continuously tuned by the simultaneous introduction of boron dopants and nitrogen defects into g‐C 3 N 4 , the band structures are exceptionally modulated for both effective optical absorption in visible light and much increased driving force for water oxidation. Moreover, the engineered electronic structure creates abundant unsaturated sites and induces strong interlayer C–N interaction, leading to efficient electron excitation and accelerated charge transport. In the present work, a facile approach is successfully demonstrated to engineer the electronic structures and the band structures of g‐C 3 N 4 with simultaneous introduction of dopants and defects for high‐performance photocatalytic oxygen evolution, which can provide informative principles for the design of efficient photocatalysis systems for solar energy conversion.

We report on the population properties of compact binary mergers inferred from gravitational-wave observations of these systems during the first three LIGO-Virgo observing runs. The Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog 3 (GWTC-3) contains signals consistent with three classes of binary mergers: binary black hole, binary neutron star, and neutron star–black hole mergers. We infer the binary neutron star merger rate to be between 10 and 1700 Gpc − 3 yr − 1 and the neutron star–black hole merger rate to be between 7.8 and 140 Gpc − 3 yr − 1 , assuming a constant rate density in the comoving frame and taking the union of 90% credible intervals for methods used in this work. We infer the binary black hole merger rate, allowing for evolution with redshift, to be between 17.9 and 44 Gpc − 3 yr − 1 at a fiducial redshift ( z = 0.2 ). The rate of binary black hole mergers is observed to increase with redshift at a rate proportional to ( 1 + z ) κ with κ = 2. 9 − 1.8 + 1.7 for z ≲ 1 . Using both binary neutron star and neutron star–black hole binaries, we obtain a broad, relatively flat neutron star mass distribution extending from 1.2 − 0.2 + 0.1 to 2.0 − 0.3 + 0.3 M ⊙ . We confidently determine that the merger rate as a function of mass sharply declines after the expected maximum neutron star mass, but cannot yet confirm or rule out the existence of a lower mass gap between neutron stars and black holes. We also find the binary black hole mass distribution has localized over- and underdensities relative to a power-law distribution, with peaks emerging at chirp masses of 8.3 − 0.5 + 0.3 and 27.9 − 1.8 + 1.9 M ⊙ . While we continue to find that the mass distribution of a binary’s more massive component strongly decreases as a function of primary mass, we observe no evidence of a strongly suppressed merger rate above approximately 60 M ⊙ , which would indicate the presence of a upper mass gap. Observed black hole spins are small, with half of spin magnitudes below χ i ≈ 0.25 . While the majority of spins are preferentially aligned with the orbital angular momentum, we infer evidenc

A connection to nature index was developed and tested to measure children’s affective attitude toward the natural environment. The index was employed through a survey that investigates students’ attitude toward Lagoon Quest, a mandatory environmental education program for all fourth-grade, public school students in Brevard County, Florida. Factor analyses were conducted to explore and confirm different factors in the connection to nature index. A path analysis was conducted to examine the association among variables. The results suggest four dimensions in the children’s connection to nature index: (a) enjoyment of nature, (b) empathy for creatures, (c) sense of oneness, and (d) sense of responsibility. Children’s connection to nature influences their intention to participate in nature-based activities in the future. Children’s connection to nature, their previous experience in nature, their perceived family value toward nature, and their perceived control positively influenced their interest in performing environmentally friendly behaviors.

This research investigates the relationships between knowledge sharing, absorptive capacity, and innovation capability in Taiwan's knowledge-intensive industries. We propose statistical hypotheses and a LISREL model to study these based on the data sampled from 170 Taiwanese firms, including electronic, financial insurance and medical industries, yielding 355 valid returned research samples. By testing three hypotheses, this study finds that absorptive capacity is the intervening factor between knowledge sharing and innovation capability. It also shows that knowledge sharing has a positive effect on absorptive capacity, and that a completely mediating model exhibits both model generalization and extension characteristics through multiple model comparison in different industry population samples. Finally, managerial implications are discussed and a brief conclusion is presented.

We report the observation of gravitational waves from two compact binary coalescences in LIGO's and Virgo's third observing run with properties consistent with neutron star-black hole (NSBH) binaries. The two events are named GW200105_162426 and GW200115_042309, abbreviated as GW200105 and GW200115; the first was observed by LIGO Livingston and Virgo and the second by all three LIGO-Virgo detectors. The source of GW200105 has component masses, whereas the source of GW200115 has component masses and (all measurements quoted at the 90% credible level). The probability that the secondary's mass is below the maximal mass of a neutron star is 89%-96% and 87%-98%, respectively, for GW200105 and GW200115, with the ranges arising from different astrophysical assumptions. The source luminosity distances are and, respectively. The magnitude of the primary spin of GW200105 is less than 0.23 at the 90% credible level, and its orientation is unconstrained. For GW200115, the primary spin has a negative spin projection onto the orbital angular momentum at 88% probability. We are unable to constrain the spin or tidal deformation of the secondary component for either event. We infer an NSBH merger rate density of when assuming that GW200105 and GW200115 are representative of the NSBH population or under the assumption of a broader distribution of component masses. © 2021. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.

An overview of new and current developments in state of charge (SOC) estimating methods for battery is given where the focus lies upon mathematical principles and practical implementations. As the battery SOC is an important parameter, which reflects the battery performance, so accurate estimation of SOC cannot only protect battery, prevent overcharge or discharge, and improve the battery life, but also let the application make rationally control strategies to achieve the purpose of saving energy. This paper gives a literature survey on the categories and mathematical methods of SOC estimation. Based on the assessment of SOC estimation methods, the future development direction of SOC estimation is proposed.

Understanding the role of the oxidation state of the Cu surface and surface-adsorbed intermediate species in electrochemical CO 2 reduction is crucial for the development of selective CO 2 -to-fuel electrocatalysts. In this study, the electrochemical CO 2 reduction mechanism over the Cu catalysts with various oxidation states was studied by using in situ surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS), in situ soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (Cu L-edge), and online gas chromatography measurements. The atop-adsorbed CO (CO atop ) intermediate is obtained on the electrodeposited Cu surface which primarily has the oxidation state of Cu(I). CO atop is further reduced, followed by the formation of C 1 product such as CH 4 . The residual bridge-adsorbed CO (CO bridge ) is formed on the as-prepared Cu surface with Cu(0) which inhibits hydrocarbon formation. In contrast, the CV-treated Cu electrode prepared by oxidizing the as-prepared Cu surface contains different amounts of Cu(I) and Cu(0) states. The major theme of this work is that in situ SEIRAS results show the coexistence of CO atop and CO bridge as the reaction intermediates during CO 2 reduction and that the selectivity of CO 2 -to-ethylene conversion is further enhanced in the CV-treated Cu electrode. The Cu catalysts modulated by the electrochemical method exhibit different oxidation states and reaction intermediates as well as electrocatalytic properties.

Abstract The development of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts based on earth‐abundant nonprecious materials is critically important for sustainable large‐scale applications of fuel cells and metal–air batteries. Herein, a hetero‐single‐atom (h‐SA) ORR electrocatalyst is presented, which has atomically dispersed Fe and Ni coanchored to a microsized nitrogen‐doped graphitic carbon support with unique trimodal‐porous structure configured by highly ordered macropores interconnected through mesopores. Extended X‐ray absorption fine structure spectra confirm that Fe‐ and Ni‐SAs are affixed to the carbon support via FeN 4 and NiN 4 coordination bonds. The resultant Fe/Ni h‐SA electrocatalyst exhibits an outstanding ORR activity, outperforming SA electrocatalysts with only Fe‐ or Ni‐SAs, and the benchmark Pt/C. The obtained experimental results indicate that the achieved outstanding ORR performance results from the synergetic enhancement induced by the coexisting FeN 4 and NiN 4 sites, and the superior mass‐transfer capability promoted by the trimodal‐porous‐structured carbon support.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop a self-administered scale based on the special features of smartphone. The reliability and validity of the Smartphone Addiction Inventory (SPAI) was demonstrated. METHODS: A total of 283 participants were recruited from Dec. 2012 to Jul. 2013 to complete a set of questionnaires, including a 26-item SPAI modified from the Chinese Internet Addiction Scale and phantom vibration and ringing syndrome questionnaire. There were 260 males and 23 females, with ages 22.9 ± 2.0 years. Exploratory factor analysis, internal-consistency test, test-retest, and correlation analysis were conducted to verify the reliability and validity of the SPAI. Correlations between each subscale and phantom vibration and ringing were also explored. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis yielded four factors: compulsive behavior, functional impairment, withdrawal and tolerance. Test-retest reliabilities (intraclass correlations = 0.74-0.91) and internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.94) were all satisfactory. The four subscales had moderate to high correlations (0.56-0.78), but had no or very low correlation to phantom vibration/ringing syndrome. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that the SPAI is a valid and reliable, self-administered screening tool to investigate smartphone addiction. Phantom vibration and ringing might be independent entities of smartphone addiction.

Electronic structure calculations of $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{BaB}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ from first principles are performed based on a plane-wave pseudopotential method, and the linear optical properties are then obtained. The static second-harmonic generation (SHG) coefficients are calculated at the independent-particle level with a formalism originally given by Aversa and Sipe [Phys. Rev. B 52, 14 636 (1995)] and later rearranged by Rashkeev et al. [Phys. Rev. B 57, 3905 (1998)] to explicitly show Kleinman's symmetry. The formalism is improved to be more efficient in reducing the $k$ points necessary for convergence. A real-space atom-cutting method is suggested to analyze the respective contributions of various transitions among ions and ion groups to optical response. The contribution of the cation Ba to SHG effects is found to be not important but non-negligible, while its contribution to birefringence is negligible.

Engineering phosphorous anodes A focus of battery research has been the development of a range of lithium, sodium, and potassium cathodes, but improving anode materials is also an important goal. Silicon has shown some promise for replacing graphite because of its exceptional capacity, but the dramatic volume change during lithiation-delithiation processes often leads to failure. Jin et al. developed a composite that is made of black phosphorous and graphite in its core and covered with swollen polyaniline. In contrast to previous efforts, bonding between the carbon and phosphorous allows for a high charging rate without sacrifices in capacity and cycling stability. Science , this issue p. 192

A 16-nation study involving 8,360 participants revealed that hostile and benevolent attitudes toward men, assessed by the Ambivalence Toward Men Inventory (P. Click & S.T. Fiske, 1999), were (a) reliably measured across cultures, (b) positively correlated (for men and women, within samples and across nations) with each other and with hostile and benevolent sexism toward women (Ambivalent Sexism Inventory, P. Click & S.T. Fiske, 1996), and (c) negatively correlated with gender equality in cross-national comparisons. Stereotype measures indicated that men were viewed as having less positively valenced but more powerful traits than women. The authors argue that hostile as well as benevolent attitudes toward men reflect and support gender inequality by characterizing men as being designed for dominance.

Abstract The nitrogenous nucleophile electrooxidation reaction (NOR) plays a vital role in the degradation and transformation of available nitrogen. Focusing on the NOR mediated by the β‐Ni(OH)2 electrode, we decipher the transformation mechanism of the nitrogenous nucleophile. For the two‐step NOR, proton‐coupled electron transfer (PCET) is the bridge between electrocatalytic dehydrogenation from β‐Ni(OH)2 to β‐Ni(OH)O, and the spontaneous nucleophile dehydrogenative oxidation reaction. This theory can give a good explanation for hydrazine and primary amine oxidation reactions, but is insufficient for the urea oxidation reaction (UOR). Through operando tracing of bond rupture and formation processes during the UOR, as well as theoretical calculations, we propose a possible UOR mechanism whereby intramolecular coupling of the N−N bond, accompanied by PCET, hydration and rearrangement processes, results in high performance and ca. 100 % N2 selectivity. These discoveries clarify the evolution of nitrogenous molecules during the NOR, and they elucidate fundamental aspects of electrocatalysis involving nitrogen‐containing species.