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Selenium (Se), whose electronic conductivity is nearly 25 orders higher than that of sulfur (S) and whose theoretical volumetric capacity is 3254 mAh cm

In situ imaging of LiO2 dynamics in LOBs with Au/CNT cathode was conducted by ETEM. During discharge, LiO2 formed from Li15Au4 seeds with stability for several minutes. The de-activation of Lifacilitates the nucleation and stabilization of LiO2.

PurposeWith a decrease in consumer spending during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many retailers are offering price reductions to stimulate demand. However, little is known about how consumers perceive such price reductions executed during turbulent times. The authors examine whether the timing of price reductions and individual differences impact consumers' evaluations of the retailers offering such reductions.Design/methodology/approachUsing a longitudinal design, the authors inquire into four retailers' motives that consumers may infer from a price decrease at two different times during the COVID-19 crisis.FindingsThe authors find that the timing of price reductions plays a key role in shaping consumers' inference of retailers' motives. The authors also uncover individual characteristics that affect consumers' inferences.Originality/valueThis research advances the literature by demonstrating the critical role of timing and individual characteristics in consumers' perceptions of price reductions during times of crisis. The authors findings also provide retailers with actionable insights for their pricing strategies. The findings may be generalizable to other types of crises that may arise in the future.

Sodium (Na) metal batteries (SMBs) using Na anode are potential “beyond lithium” electrochemical technology for future energy storage applications. However, uncontrollable Na dendrite growth has plagued the application of SMBs. Understanding Na deposition mechanisms, particularly the early stage of Na deposition kinetics, is critical to enable the SMBs. In this context, we conducted in situ observations of the early stage of electrochemical Na deposition. We revealed an important electrochemical Ostwald ripening (EOR) phenomenon which dictated the early stage of Na deposition. Namely, small Na nanocrystals were nucleated randomly, which then grew. During growth, smaller Na nanocrystals were contained by bigger ones via EOR. We observed two types of EOR with one involving only electrochemical reaction driven by electrochemical potential difference between bigger and smaller nanocrystals; while the other being dominated by mass transport governed by surface energy minimization. The results provide new understanding to the Na deposition mechanism, which may be useful for the development of SMB for energy storage applications.

The two biggest promises of solid-state lithium (Li) metal batteries (SSLMBs) are the suppression of Li dendrites by solid-state electrolyte (SSE) and the realization of a high-energy-density Li anode. However, LMBs have not met their expectations due to Li dendrite growth causing short-circuiting. In fact, Li dendrites grow even more easily in SSE than in liquid electrolyte, but the reason for this remains unclear. Here we report in situ transmission electron microscopy observations of Li dendrite penetration through SSE and "dead" Li formation dynamics in SSLMBs. We show direct evidence that large electrochemomechanical stress generates cracks in the SSE and drives Li through the SSE directly. We revealed that fresh Li nucleation sites emerged in every discharge cycle, creating new "dead" Li in the following charging cycle and becoming the dominant Coulombic efficiency decay mechanism in SSLMBs. These results indicate that engineering flaw size and reducing electronic conductivity in SSEs are essential to improve the performance of SSLMBs.

High interfacial resistance and uncontrollable lithium (Li) dendrite are major challenges in solid-state Li-metal batteries (SSLMBs), as they lead to premature short-circuiting and failure of SSLMBs. Here, we report the synthesis of a composite anode comprising a three-dimensional LiCux nanowire network host infiltrated with Li (Li* anode) with low interfacial impedance and superior electrochemical performance. The Li* anode is fabricated by dissolving Cu foil into molten Li followed by solidification. The Li* anode exhibits good wettability with Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12 (LLZTO) and high mechanical strength, rendering low Li*/LLZTO interfacial impedance, homogeneous deposition of Li, and suppression of Li dendrites. Consequently, the Li* anode-based symmetric cells and full cells with LiNi0.88Co0.1Al0.02O2 (NCA), LiFePO4 (LFP), and FeF2 cathodes deliver remarkable electrochemical performance. Specifically, the Li*/LLZTO/Li* symmetrical cell achieves a remarkably long cycle lifetime of 10 000 h with 0.1 mA·cm-2; the Li*/LLZTO/NCA full cell maintains capacity retention of 73.4% after 500 cycles at 0.5C; and all-solid-state Li*/LLZTO/FeF2 full cell achieves a reversible capacity of 147 mAh·g-1 after 500 cycles at 100 mA·g-1. This work demonstrates potential design tactics for an ultrastable Li*/garnet interface to enable high-performance SSLMBs.

The increasing demand for safe and dense energy storage has shifted research focus from liquid electrolyte-based Li-ion batteries toward solid-state batteries (SSBs). However, the application of SSBs is impeded by uncontrollable Li dendrite growth and short circuiting, the mechanism of which remains elusive. Herein, we conceptualize a scheme to visualize Li deposition in the confined space inside carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to mimic Li deposition dynamics inside solid electrolyte (SE) cracks, where the high-strength CNT walls mimic the mechanically strong SEs. We observed that the deposited Li propagates as a creeping solid in the CNTs, presenting an effective pathway for stress relaxation. When the stress-relaxation pathway is blocked, the Li deposition-induced stress reaches the gigapascal level and causes CNT fracture. Mechanics analysis suggests that interfacial lithiophilicity critically governs Li deposition dynamics and stress relaxation. Our study offers critical strategies for suppressing Li dendritic growth and constructing high-energy-density, electrochemically and mechanically robust SSBs.

Upcycled foods, made from ingredients that are generally discarded, are a promising new category of foods that could help reduce food waste. However, the commercial success of upcycled foods hinges...

The consumer price index in the United States has increased since the COVID‐19 outbreak. Little is known about how consumers perceive price increases during such a crisis. Our research focuses on how consumers' price fairness perceptions change at different time points of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Results from a longitudinal study (April–May, 2020, N = 271) suggest that when the lockdown restrictions were eased, consumers experienced changes in affect and perceived price increases to be less unfair. Our analysis reveals that such an effect was driven by changes in positive affect rather than negative affect. This research advances pricing literature by showing that affect, triggered by external situations such as a crisis, influences price fairness perceptions over and above the negative affect induced by the price increase.

Using a simple solid-state mixed oxides method, dense La2Mo2O9 ceramics with a relative density higher than 94% were prepared at relatively low sintering temperatures (

Lithium metal is considered the ultimate anode material for future rechargeable batteries1,2, but the development of Li metal-based rechargeable batteries has achieved only limited success due to uncontrollable Li dendrite growth3–7. In a broad class of all-solid-state Li batteries, one approach to suppress Li dendrite growth has been the use of mechanically stiff solid electrolytes8,9. However, Li dendrites still grow through them10,11. Resolving this issue requires a fundamental understanding of the growth and associated electro-chemo-mechanical behaviour of Li dendrites. Here, we report in situ growth observation and stress measurement of individual Li whiskers, the primary Li dendrite morphologies12. We combine an atomic force microscope with an environmental transmission electron microscope in a novel experimental set-up. At room temperature, a submicrometre whisker grows under an applied voltage (overpotential) against the atomic force microscope tip, generating a growth stress up to 130 MPa; this value is substantially higher than the stresses previously reported for bulk13 and micrometre-sized Li14. The measured yield strength of Li whiskers under pure mechanical loading reaches as high as 244 MPa. Our results provide quantitative benchmarks for the design of Li dendrite growth suppression strategies in all-solid-state batteries. Lithium whisker growth and mechanical properties can be studied in situ using a combination of two microscopies.

Li–CO2 batteries are promising energy storage devices owing to their high energy density and possible applications for CO2 capture. However, still some critical issues, such as high charging overpotential and poor cycling stability caused by the sluggish decomposition of Li2CO3 discharge products, need to be addressed before the practical applications of Li–CO2 batteries. Exploring highly efficient catalysts and understanding their catalytic mechanisms for the CO2 reduction reaction (CORR) and evolution reaction (COER) are critical for the application of Li–CO2 batteries. However, the direct imaging of electrocatalysis during CORR and COER is still elusive. Herein, we report the in situ imaging of electrocatalysis during CORR and COER in a Li–CO2 nanobattery using a Ni–Ru-coated α-MnO2 nanowire (Ni–Ru/MnO2) cathode in an advanced aberration corrected environmental transmission electron microscope. During the CORR, a thick Li2CO3 and carbon mixture layer was formed on the surface of the Ni–Ru/MnO2 nanowires via 4Li+ + 3CO2 + 4e− → 2Li2CO3 + C. During the COER, the as-formed Li2CO3 decomposed via 2Li2CO3 → 2CO2 + O2 + 4Li+ + 4e−, while the as-formed amorphous carbon remained. In contrast, the decomposition of Li2CO3 on bare MnO2 nanowires was difficult, underscoring the important Ni–Ru bimetal electrocatalytic role in facilitating the COER. Our results provide an important understanding of the CO2 chemistry in Li–CO2 batteries, possibly helping in the designing of Li–CO2 batteries for energy storage applications.

The study aimed to evaluate the treatment efficacy of the combination of Da-Cheng-Qi Decoction (DCQD) injected into the jejunum and as an enema in patients with critical diseases with paralytic ileus.In our double-blind randomized controlled study, 114 critically ill patients with paralytic ileus were divided into 2 groups. The control group received conventional medical treatment, and the DCQD group was treated with integrated traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine. The intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), recovery of gastrointestinal (GI) function, clinical efficacy and intensive care unit (ICU) stay in the 2 groups were recorded and compared.The IAP in the DCQD group was lower than in the control group (P.05). The recovery of GI function and clinical efficacy rate in the DCQD group were significantly better than in the control group (P.05, respectively).DCQD may be an effective method for treating patients with critical diseases with paralytic ileus and is worthy of clinical application.

High interfacial resistance and uncontrollable lithium (Li) dendrite are major challenges in solid-state Li-metal batteries (SSLMBs), as they lead to premature short-circuiting and failure of SSLMBs. Here, we report the synthesis of a composite anode comprising a three-dimensional LiCu

Food waste is a problem that manifests throughout the food supply chain. A promising solution that can mitigate the food waste problem across various stages of the food supply chain is upcycling food ingredients that would otherwise be wasted by converting them into new upcycled food products. This research explores perception of upcycled foods from a panel of 1001 frequent shoppers at a large grocery retailer in New Zealand. Findings from this research uncover several hitherto unexamined aspects of consumers’ evaluations of upcycled foods. These include consumers’ indications about shelf placements of upcycled foods, willingness to buy upcycled foods for people or pets other than themselves, and consumers’ preferences about information pertaining to these foods. This research advances our understanding of how consumers perceive upcycled foods and provides actionable insights to practitioners in the food industry.

The performance of a team is tightly connected to how well its members communicate and collaborate while working towards shared objectives, a process known as group cognition. In competitive team sports, strategic and efficient coordination between team members often makes the difference between success and failure. Professional e-sport gaming, in particular, requires competitors to engage in quick decision making, strategic thinking, and fast reaction times in order to outmaneuver the opposing team. Interpersonal neural synchrony (INS) is one proposed mechanism by which team members may achieve mutual understanding necessary for successful teaming. However, it is unknown how such measures relate to team performance and how they are affected by gaming environments (in-person vs. remote gameplay). Here, we describe a study protocol aiming to investigate the relationship between inter-individual neurophysiological measures and successful teamwork of two-player teams in Overwatch, a competitive team-based first-person shooter (FPS). The objective of this study design is to relate behavioral and subjective measures of team performance with underlying neural and physiological activity during both in-person and remote sessions of cooperative gameplay.

The use of mobile, low-cost, and wearable sensors to measure physiological activity, continuously and non-intrusively during everyday tasks has the potential to improve our understanding of human perception, cognition, and behavior at large. One applied field with the practical use of such expansive assessment is consumer neuroergonomics. In this study, we demonstrated the use of ultramobile battery operated and wireless electrodermal activity (EDA) sensors to estimate emotional arousal during the viewing of various out-of-house, printed, and e-mail advertisements of law-firm services. A total of 33 participants’ EDA data and self-reported questionnaires were analyzed to assess the impact of different ad types on consumers in terms of their age, gender and prior experience with firms (client vs. non-client). EDA results confirmed as expected that e-mail ads were the least engaging to all participants. Furthermore, participants were engaged significantly less on ads that they are already familiar with, that is existing customers. Results indicate that the use of accessible and low-cost sensors like EDA could be widely deployed to enhance our understanding of customer behavior in order to optimize ad development and delivery.

Visual messaging has been widely researched in psychology and communications specifically within the area of advertising [2, 3]. Such messaging research seeks to identify the characteristics and variables within an advertisement that contribute most to its effectiveness [4]. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the presence of a human face image in print advertising and viewer affinity for ad content. Thirty-three participants were instructed to preview 42 different personal injury law firm advertisements. Mean eye gaze fixation durations were recorded within both text and image areas of interest (AOIs). Additionally, self-reported advertisement ratings were used to stratify ads into low and high-affinity categories. Findings from the study indicate that there was less time spent engaging with text content in poorly rated advertisements when an image of a human face was present. Interestingly, this effect was not present in advertisements with favorable ratings, where longer fixation durations were dedicated to text AOIs as opposed to image AOIs regardless of the presence of a face image. These results suggest that negatively perceived human faces may impact the perception of an advertisement’s message and demonstrates that combined eye-tracking and self-reported measures can provide a comprehensive neuroergonomic assessment of advertisement preference and engagement in real-world environments.