Domain size and charge defects on the polarization switching of antiferroelectric domains

The switching behavior of antiferroelectric domain structures under the applied electric field is not fully understood. In this work, by using the phase field simulation, we have studied the polarization switching property of antiferroelectric domains. Our results indicate that the ferroelectric domains nucleate preferably at the boundaries of the antiferroelectric domains, and antiferroelectrics with larger initial domain sizes possess a higher coercive electric field as demonstrated by hysteresis loops. Moreover, we introduced charge defects into the sample and numerically investigated their influence. It is also shown that charge defects can induce local ferroelectric domains, which could suppress the saturation polarization and narrow the enclosed area of the hysteresis loop. Our results give insights into understanding antiferroelectric phase transformation and optimizing the energy storage property in experiments

Where to Revitalize, and How? A Rural Typology Zoning for China

Under China’s Rural Revitalization program, it is essential to accurately determine the prospects of revival or decay for the villages alongside specific goals and paths, which existing literature lacks a systematic coverage. Based on rural typology theories, this paper proposes an analytical framework to determine the type of village revitalization from the perspective of factor endowments. Utilizing five groups of 45 indicators characterizing the natural, socio-economic, and cultural endowments of villages, this paper applies the Self-Organizing Mapping neural network to cluster 2,388,579 natural villages in 48,322 townships across the nation into the four basic types of rural revitalization as directed by China’s Strategic Plan for Rural Revitalization (2018–2022): (1) Agglomerative Promotion, (2) Suburban Annexation, (3) Special Endowment-based Development, and (4) Out-migration and Relocation. The results of cluster analysis are spatially visualized to form a national rural revitalization zoning map at the township level, the first attempt to our knowledge. We conclude the paper with discussions on the revitalization paths of the various types of villages, particularly the seemingly gloomy prospect of 2/3 of the villages falling into the fourth category, and ways to interpret the deterministic nature of the conclusion. The paper expands the understanding of rural typology to a national scale with both innovative categorization processes and strong linkages to revitalization practices

Exhaustive Running Exercise Induce Tyrosine Phosphorylation of Band 3 in Rat Erythrocytes

Background/Aims: In vitro studies have shown that band-3 function is mainly regulated by its phosphorylation status. The main purpose of the study was to investigate whether band-3 phosphorylation status interferes with an exhaustive running exercise-related dysfunction of RBC deformability. Methods: Rats were divided into sedentary control (C) and exercise test (ET) groups. The ET group was divided further into exhaustive running exercise (ERE) and moderate running exercise (MRE) subgroups. Results: Tyrosine phosphorylation of band-3 was significantly elevated in the absence of reducing agent, consistent with the emergence of band-3 clustering in the ERE group compared with the control and MRE groups. The elongation index (EI) was found to decline significantly in the ERE group compared with the C and MRE groups under shear stress (control group, 0.41 ± 0.01 at 3 Pa and 0.571 ± 0.008 at 30 Pa; ERE group, 0.3140 ± 0.013 at 3 Pa and 0.534 ± 0.009 at 30 Pa; P Conclusion: Our results suggest that exhaustive running exercise results in elevated band-3 tyrosine phosphorylation and alters band-3 membrane organization. Furthermore, it appears that exhaustive running exercise induced band 3 phosphorylation is due to the oxidation of critical sulfydryl groups of a membrane phosphatase (PTP)

Photovoltaic effect of “ferroelectric” bananas

Due to the existence of ferroelectric polarization, many ferroelectric materials can have excellent photovoltaic performance, which has been widely reported. However, many other materials have also been erroneously labelled as ferroelectrics based solely on the weight of a “ferroelectric” cigar-shaped loop curve. In a past report by J. F. Scott (J. Phys.: Condens. Matter, 20 (2008) 021001), this sort of minimal analysis has been widely debunked by showing that a clearly non-ferroelectric material such as ordinary bananas can also yield such a ferroelectric loop curve. In this work, we hope to extend his work by similarly showing that ordinary bananas can also exhibit a pseudo-photovoltaic response. Our hope is that future groups researching such materials may find our work helpful in distinguishing true photovoltaic and such pseudo-photovoltaic phenomena in ferroelectric and non-ferroelectric materials with high leakage