How does environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance determine investment mix? New empirical evidence from BRICS

Integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles into investment decisions has garnered increased attention in the business landscape. Thus, the current study aims to investigate the intricate interplay between ESG performance and investment patterns (capital vs. environmental) within the corporate setting. This study sought to identify the influence of ESG scores on earnings-driven investments (capital investment) and environmental investments, exploring potential trade-offs and implications for corporate decision-making. The analysis was conducted by sampling nonfinancial sector enterprises from BRICS nations from 2010 to 2022. For regression analysis, system generalized method of moments (GMM) was employed to address endogeneity concerns. The findings revealed a significant positive correlation between ESG performance and earnings-driven investments (capital investment). However, a negative relationship emerged between ESG scores and environmental investments, signifying potential trade-offs between financial profitability and dedicated environmental spending within companies. Other variables, including firm size, debt ratios, cash holdings, and CO2 emissions, significantly impacted investment patterns. The study's outcomes provide valuable guidance for corporate managers navigating sustainable investment strategies. Emphasizing earnings-driven investments, particularly capital projects, with a high ESG focus could align financial objectives with sustainable practices, enhancing long-term viability and stakeholder trust. The study's insights contribute to the broader discourse on responsible corporate practices and sustainability. The findings shed light on the complexities of balancing financial objectives with environmental responsibilities, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach reconciling financial goals with ESG commitments. This study contributes novel insights by dissecting the nuanced relationships between ESG performance and investment decisions. The analysis provides a novel perspective on companies' trade-offs between the investment mix and pursuing ESG performance

Two-Dimensional Asymmetric Multiferroics: Unique Way toward Strong Magnetoelectric Coupling and Multistate Memory

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have provided a fascinating platform for exploring novel multiferroics and emergent magnetoelectric coupling mechanisms. Here, a novel 2D asymmetric multiferroic based on Janus 2D multiferroic MXene-analogous oxynitrides (InTlNO2) is presented by using first-principles calculations. We find three inequivalent phases for InTlNO2, including two metallic phases (p1 and p2) and one semiconducting phase (p3) with a band gap of 0.88 eV. All phases are room-temperature multiferroics with different Curie temperatures, leading to tunability by phase transitions. We show that there is a 90° rotation of the magnetic anisotropy easy axis between p1 and p2, where p1 favors the in-plane and p2 the out-of-plane easy axis. Therefore, the magnetic anisotropy can be tuned by reversing the out-of-plane polarization. Our strategy provides a unique way toward strong magnetoelectric coupling and multistate memory

Microelectromechanical Microsystems-Supported Photothermal Immunoassay for Point-of-Care Testing of Aflatoxin B1 in Foodstuff

Accurate identification of acutely toxic and low-fatality mycotoxins on a large scale in a quick and cheap manner is critical for reducing population mortality. Herein, a portable photothermal immunosensing platform supported by a microelectromechanical microsystem (MEMS) without enzyme involvement was reported for point-of-care testing of mycotoxins (in the case of aflatoxin B1, AFB1) in food based on the precise satellite structure of Au nanoparticles. The synthesized Au nanoparticles with a well-defined, graded satellite structure exhibited a significantly enhanced photothermal response and were coupled by AFB1 antibodies to form signal conversion probes by physisorption for further target-promoted competitive responses in microplates. In addition, a coin-sized miniature NIR camera device was constructed for temperature acquisition during target testing based on advanced MEMS fabrication technology to address the limitation of expensive signal acquisition components of current photothermal sensors. The proposed MEMS readout-based microphotothermal test method provides excellent AFB1 response in the range of 0.5–500 ng g–1 with detection limits as low as 0.27 ng g–1. In addition, the main reasons for the efficient photothermal transduction efficiency of Au with different graded structures were analyzed by finite element simulations, providing theoretical guidance for the development of new Au-based photothermal agents. In conclusion, the proposed portable micro-photothermal test system offers great potential for point-of-care diagnostics for residents, which will continue to facilitate immediate food safety identification in resource-limited regions

Supplemental Material - The meaning of respect and dignity for intensive care unit patients: A meta-synthesis of qualitative researches

Supplemental Material for The meaning of respect and dignity for intensive care unit patients: A meta-synthesis of qualitative researches by Xianghong Sun, Guoyong Zhang, Zhichao Yu, Ke Li, and Ling Fan in Nursing Ethics.CriteriaAuthor InitialsMade substantial contributions to conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of dataXianghong SUN, Ling FANInvolved in drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for important intellectual contentXianghong SUN, Guoyong ZHANGGiven final approval of the version to be published. Each author should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the contentXianghong SUN, Guoyong, ZHANG, Zhichao YU, Ke LI, Ling FANAgreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolvedXianghong SUN, Guoyong, ZHANG, Zhichao YU, Ke LI, Ling FAN</p

Two-Dimensional Asymmetric Multiferroics: Unique Way toward Strong Magnetoelectric Coupling and Multistate Memory

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have provided a fascinating platform for exploring novel multiferroics and emergent magnetoelectric coupling mechanisms. Here, a novel 2D asymmetric multiferroic based on Janus 2D multiferroic MXene-analogous oxynitrides (InTlNO2) is presented by using first-principles calculations. We find three inequivalent phases for InTlNO2, including two metallic phases (p1 and p2) and one semiconducting phase (p3) with a band gap of 0.88 eV. All phases are room-temperature multiferroics with different Curie temperatures, leading to tunability by phase transitions. We show that there is a 90° rotation of the magnetic anisotropy easy axis between p1 and p2, where p1 favors the in-plane and p2 the out-of-plane easy axis. Therefore, the magnetic anisotropy can be tuned by reversing the out-of-plane polarization. Our strategy provides a unique way toward strong magnetoelectric coupling and multistate memory

Contactless Photoelectrochemical Biosensor Based on the Ultraviolet–Assisted Gas Sensing Interface of Three-Dimensional SnS₂ Nanosheets: From Mechanism Reveal to Practical Application

This work reports a contactless photoelectrochemical biosensor based on an ultraviolet-assisted gas sensor (UV–AGS) with a homemade three-dimensional (3D)-SnS2 nanosheet-functionalized interdigitated electrode. After rigorous examination, it was found that the gas responsiveness accelerated and the sensitivity increased using the UV irradiation strategy. The effects of the interlayer structure and the Schottky heterojunction on the gas-sensitive response of O2 and NH3 under UV irradiation were further investigated theoretically by 3D electrostatic field simulations and first-principles density functional theory to reveal the mechanism. Finally, a UV–AGS device was developed to quantify the blood ammonia bioassay in a small-volume whole blood sample by alkalizing blood to release gas-phase ammonia with a linear range of 25–5000 μM with a limit of detection (LOD) of 29.5 μM. The device also enables a rapid immunoassay of human cardiac troponin I (cTnI) with a linear range of 0.4–25.6 ng/mL and an LOD of 0.37 ng/mL using a urease-labeled antibody as the immune recognition molecule. Both analyses showed satisfying specificity and stability, suggesting that the device can be applied to practical assays and is of great potential to increase the value of gas-sensitive sensors in chemical biosensing

Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer-Driven Photon-Gating for Photoelectrochemical Sensing of CO-Releasing Molecule‑3

Different from prevalent approaches such as immunological recognition, complementary base pairing, or enzymatic regulation in current photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensing, this study reported an excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT)-driven photon-gating PEC sensor. The sensor is developed for the detection of CO-releasing molecule-3 (CORM-3) by modifying an ESIPT-switched organic fluorescent probe molecule (NDAA) onto the surface of a p-type semiconductor (BiOI). The NDAA can be excited and exhibit strong green fluorescence after responding with CORM-3, resulting in an electrode-interface photon competitive absorption effect due to the switch on ESIPT and considerably reducing the photocurrent signal. The experimental results revealed that the as-developed PEC sensor achieved good analytical performance with high selectivity and sensitivity, with a linear range of 0.01–1000 μM and a lower detection limit of 6.5 nM. This work demonstrates the great potential of the organic fluorescent probe molecule family in advancing PEC analysis. It is anticipated that our findings will stimulate the creation of diverse functional probes possessing distinctive characteristics for inventive PEC sensors

Flexible and High-Throughput Photothermal Biosensors for Rapid Screening of Acute Myocardial Infarction Using Thermochromic Paper-Based Image Analysis

Herein, we developed a flexible, low-cost thermosensitive fiber paper for the visual display in photothermal biosensing systems for early acute myocardial infarction. The thermal signal visualization device was encapsulated with rewritable thermal fibers, which exhibited excellent stability and reversibility. The mechanism of color change in thermal paper was based on a temperature-driven reversible transformation of the structure of the dye molecule (crystalline violet lactone, CVL). It exhibits a gradation from blue to colorless at higher temperatures and gradually returns to blue when the temperature drops. Immobilization and cascade enzymatic reactions of target molecules occurred in an integrated 3D-printed detection device, a photothermal conversion process occurred under near-infrared light excitation, and the colorimetric change values of the encapsulated thermal paper were recorded and evaluated for possible pathogenicity using a smartphone. It was worth noting that the effect of the thermogenic ring-opening behavior of CVL on the macroscopic phenomenon of color change was obtained by density functional theory calculations. Under optimized conditions, the naked-eye-recognizable range of the thermal paper-based photothermal immunoassay sensor was 0.2–20 ng mL–1, This work creatively presents theoretical studies of promising thermal paper-based photothermal biosensors and provides new insights for the development of low-cost, instrument-free portable photothermal biosensors

Au Nanoparticle-Decorated ZnO Microflower-Based Immunoassay for Photoelectrochemical Detection of Human Prostate-Specific Antigen

Herein, an in situ amplified photoelectrochemical (PEC) immunoassay with ZnO microflowers (ZnO MFs) decorated with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) was developed to determine human prostate-specific antigen (PSA) using l-cysteine-loaded liposomes for signal amplification. Initially, ZnO MFs with smooth and well-defined morphology were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. The heterostructured microflowers were formed by depositing Au NPs on ZnO microflowers using trisodium citrate. l-Cysteine (l-Cys)-encapsulated liposomes conjugated with detection antibodies were used to fabricate a sandwiched immunocomplex on a capture antibody-modified microtiter plate in the presence of target PSA. The liposomes were lysed using Triton X-100 to release the encapsulated l-Cys, thereby increasing the photocurrent on Au NP-decorated ZnO MFs. Results indicated that the photoelectrochemical immunoassay displayed good photocurrents to response PSA concentrations from 0.01 to 20 ng mL–1, and the detection PSA concentration was as low as 0.79 pg mL–1. Furthermore, the photoelectrochemical immunoassay had good precision, high selectivity, and well-matched accuracy toward target PSA in human serum specimens using the commercialized human PSA ELISA kit as a reference

Bioinspired Self-Powered Piezoresistive Sensors for Simultaneous Monitoring of Human Health and Outdoor UV Light Intensity

The exact fabrication of precise three-dimensional structures for piezoresistive sensors necessitates superior manufacturing methods or tooling, which are accompanied by time-consuming processes and the potential for environmental harm. Herein, we demonstrated a method for in situ synthesis of zinc oxide nanorod (ZnO NR) arrays on graphene-treated cotton and paper substrates and constructed highly sensitive, flexible, wearable, and chemically stable strain sensors. Based on the structure of pine trees and needles in nature, the hybrid sensing layer consisted of graphene-attached cotton or paper fibers and ZnO NRs, and the results showed a high sensitivity of 0.389, 0.095, and 0.029 kPa–1 and an ultra-wide linear range of 0–100 kPa of this sensor under optimal conditions. Our study found that water absorption and swelling of graphene fibers and the associated reduction of pore size and growth of zinc oxide were detrimental to pressure sensor performance. A random line model was developed to examine the effects of different hydrothermal times on sensor performance. Meanwhile, pulse detection, respiration detection, speech recognition, and motion detection, including finger movements, walking, and throat movements, were used to show their practical application in human health activity monitoring. In addition, monolithically grown ZnO NRs on graphene cotton sheets had been integrated into a flexible sensing platform for outdoor UV photo-indication, which is, to our knowledge, the first successful case of an integrated UV photo-detector and motion sensor. Due to its excellent strain detection and UV detection abilities, these strategies are a step forward in developing wearable sensors that are cost-controllable and high-performance