Self-Expansion Based Multi-Patterning for 2D Materials Fabrication beyond the Lithographical Limit.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials are promising successors for silicon transistor channels in ultimately scaled devices, necessitating significant research efforts to study their behavior at nanoscopic length scales. Unfortunately, current research has limited itself to direct patterning approaches, which limit the achievable resolution to the diffraction limit and introduce unwanted defects into the 2D material. The potential of multi-patterning to fabricate 2D materials features with unprecedented precision and low complexity at large scale is demonstrated here. By combining lithographic patterning of a mandrel and bottom-up self-expansion, this approach enables pattern resolution one order of magnitude below the lithographical resolution. In-depth characterization of the self-expansion double patterning (SEDP) process reveals the ability to manipulate the critical dimension with nanometer precision through a self-limiting and temperature-controlled oxidation process. These results indicate that the SEDP process can regain the quality and morphology of the 2D material, as shown by high-resolution microscopy and optical spectroscopy. This approach is shown to open up new avenues for research into high-performance, ultra-scaled 2D materials devices for future electronics.

Effects of recalling place memory on promoting cooperative behaviors in local communities.

AIMS: The present study aimed to develop a theoretical model that explores the influence of recalling place memory on cooperative behaviors in local communities. METHODS: Five hundred ninety-five Japanese residents (mean age = 49.75 years) participated in an online survey, in which they received one of the three interventions: (1) positive memory; (2) neutral memory and (3) negative memory. Participants were instructed to recall their place memories within their living areas and provide ratings for their place attachment, emotional valence, perceived self-interest, and willingness to engage in cooperative behaviors. RESULTS: The results revealed that individuals who recalled positive-valenced place memories exhibited a higher willingness to engage in cooperative behaviors. Additionally, this study reveals the previously unreported mediating role of place attachment and perceived self-interest in promoting cooperative behaviors. CONCLUSION: The findings hold significance in elucidating the relationship between place memory and cooperative behaviors, offering novel insights for community management.

Associations of Death Anxiety, Inclusion of Smartphone in the Self, and Affiliation Motivation with Smartphone use and Addiction: A Multiple Mediation Study.

This study is the first to apply terror management theory to understanding smartphone addiction by examining the potential indirect effect of death anxiety on smartphone addiction via inclusion of smartphone in the self (i.e., self-expansion), affiliation motivation (the desire to connect with others) for emotional support, and smartphone use. The sample consisted of 1483 Chinese university students between the ages of 18 and 24 (M = 19.14, SD = 1.03) who voluntarily completed an anonymous questionnaire survey. As hypothesized, death anxiety, inclusion of smartphone in the self, affiliation motivation, and smartphone use were directly, positively correlated with smartphone addiction. In addition, death anxiety exerted significant indirect effects via various pathways, including (i) affiliation motivation for emotional support and smartphone use and (ii) inclusion of smartphone in the self and smartphone use. Findings suggest that effective interventions for smartphone addiction should include targeting death anxiety, self-expansion, and affiliation need frustration.

Social participation and marital satisfaction in mid to late life marriage.

Objectives: Research shows that social participation is beneficial for overall health and well-being. Yet, no research to our knowledge has examined whether social participation is associated with greater marital satisfaction in middle-aged and older couples. We hypothesized that middle-aged and older adults would have greater marital satisfaction when their spouse engaged in social groups because there would be greater opportunity for self-expansion and for social support from ties outside the marriage. Methods: We used background self-report data from a multi-method study of 98 middle-aged and older adult married couples (N = 196) with chronic conditions. As part of the study, spouses completed questionnaires that measured the frequency and intensity of involvement in social groups (e.g., church, business groups). Marital satisfaction was measured with the Locke Wallace Marital Adjustment Test. Results: Contrary to our hypotheses, results from actor-partner interdependence models provided no evidence that one's own social participation was associated with one's own marital satisfaction (actor effects). However, in line with our hypotheses regarding partner effects, one spouse's (a) report of any social participation with church organizations, business groups, or social groups, (b) greater number of affiliations with different organizations, (c) greater frequency of participation, and (d) being an active officer in a social organization were significantly associated with the other spouse's greater marital satisfaction. Discussion: Findings of this study suggest that having a spouse who participates in social groups is good for relationship satisfaction in mid to late life marriage.

Inclusion of Other in the Self and Couple's Sexuality: A Scoping Review.

To better understand the effect relationship closeness has on couple's sexuality a scoping review was conducted, that focused on the inclusion of other in the self scale (IOS). Authors reviewed quantitative journal articles published between 2000 and 2020 by searching PsychInfo, Medline, and PubMed, resulting in 24 studies. Results suggest positive associations between IOS and sexual well-being, functioning, desire, frequency and satisfaction, and negatively related to sexual distress. Also, the benefits of positive sexual experiences expand well beyond the sexual domain onto different personal and relational factors of health and well-being. Sampling designs considerably limit the generalizability of results.

Planning date nights that promote closeness: The roles of relationship goals and self-expansion.

Spending time with a romantic partner by going on dates is important for promoting closeness in established relationships; however, not all date nights are created equally, and some people might be more adept at planning dates that promote closeness. Drawing from the self-expansion model and relationship goals literature, we predicted that people higher (vs. lower) in approach relationship goals would be more likely to plan dates that are more exciting and, in turn, experience more self-expansion from the date and increased closeness with the partner. In Study 1, people in intimate relationships planned a date to initiate with their partners and forecasted the expected level of self-expansion and closeness from engaging in the date. In Study 2, a similar design was employed, but we also followed up with participants 1 week later to ask about the experience of engaging in their planned dates (e.g., self-expansion, closeness from the date). Taken together, the results suggest that people with higher (vs. lower) approach relationship goals derive more closeness from their dates, in part, because of their greater aptitude for planning dates that are more exciting and promote self-expansion.

Self-Expansion Construction of Ultralight Carbon Nanotube Aerogels with a 3D and Hierarchical Cellular Structure.

A novel and simple strategy is developed to construct ultralight and 3D pure carbon nanotube (CNT) aerogels by the spontaneous expansion of superaligned CNT films soaked in a piranha (mixed H2 SO4 and H2 O2 ) solution, followed by cryodesiccation. The macroscopic CNT aerogels have an extremely low apparent density (0.12 mg cm-3 ), ultrahigh porosity (99.95%), high specific surface area (298 m2 g-1 ), and a hierarchical cellular structure with giant and ultrathin CNT sheets as cell walls. The pure CNT aerogels show high adsorption abilities for various kinds of solvents, and have great potential in widespread applications such as energy storage, catalysis, and bioengineering.

Self-Expansion is Associated with Better Adherence and Obesity Treatment Outcomes in Adults.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that self-expansion (e.g., increasing positive self-content via engaging in novel, rewarding activities) is associated with smoking cessation and attenuated cigarette-cue reactivity. PURPOSE: This study examined whether self-expansion is associated with better adherence, weight loss, and physical activity (PA) outcomes within a weight loss intervention. METHODS: Participants from Shape Up Rhode Island 2012, a Web-based community wellness initiative, took part in a randomized controlled trial that involved a 12-week behavioral weight loss intervention [1]. At baseline and post-intervention, objective weights and self-reported self-expansion and PA were obtained from 239 participants. Treatment adherence was assessed objectively. RESULTS: Self-expansion during treatment was significantly associated with percent weight loss including clinically significant weight loss (i.e., 5 %), minutes of PA, and treatment adherence. These results held after controlling for relevant covariates. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to show that self-expansion is associated with better behavioral weight loss outcomes including weight loss, adherence, and PA. These results suggest that self-expansion is a promising novel target for future research which could inform health interventions.

The effects of mindful learning on pro-environmental behavior: A self-expansion perspective.

This current article explores the differential effects of mindful learning on pro-environmental behavior from the perspective of self-expansion. A total of 253 participants were recruited for four experiments. In Study 1, the mindful-learning group reported greater levels of pro-environmental behavioral intentions compared to a randomized control. In Study 2, we utilized different learning materials focusing on self, humans, or the biosphere in three sub-experiments. Study 2a manipulated mindsets by a self-related focus and revealed participants in a mindfulness condition had lower pro-environmental behavioral intentions than those in the mindlessness group. Study 2b centered on "humans" and results showed that participants in a mindfulness group reported higher levels of pro-environmental behavioral intentions. Finally, Study 2c induced mindsets with a biospheric focus, showing participants in the mindful-learning condition had greater pro-environmental behavioral intentions. Combined, the studies provide empirical evidence that mindful learning could influence self-reported pro-environmental behavioral intentions both positively and negatively.

Sexual Closeness Discrepancies: What They Are and Why They Matter for Sexual Well-Being in Romantic Relationships.

This study examined the impact of sexual closeness on sexual well-being. We developed a nuanced and multifaceted conceptualization of sexual closeness in the form of a constellation of ideal sexual closeness with a partner, actual sexual closeness, and the discrepancy between the two. Data were obtained from a diverse sample of N = 619 participants who took part in the Lives and Relationships Study: A longitudinal survey of men and women in relationships living in the U.S. and Canada. Increases in sexual closeness discrepancies over a period of 1 year predicted concomitant decreases in two indicators of sexual well-being: sexual satisfaction and orgasm frequency evaluations. Decreases in sexual closeness discrepancies resulted in improvement in sexual well-being. Individuals who reported no sexual closeness discrepancies and experienced no changes in sexual closeness discrepancies tended to have the highest levels of sexual well-being. Importantly, sexual closeness discrepancies were robust predictors of sexual well-being, above and beyond individuals' actual sexual closeness, general relationship closeness, and other demographic and relationship characteristics known to be associated with sexual well-being. The present findings demonstrate that how close people feel sexually to their relationship partners is part of a general constellation of factors related to relationship closeness that, only when considered together, sufficiently explain the ways in which experiences of closeness impact sexual well-being in romantic relationships.

Linking admiration and adoration to self-expansion: different ways to enhance one's potential.

How is admiration different from adoration? We provided one answer to this question by examining the pathways through which admiration and adoration linked to self-expansion in a questionnaire and an experimental (autobiographical recall of emotion episodes) study. Both emotions were associated with increased potential efficacy to accomplish goals (i.e., self-expansion), but different action tendencies accounted for these links. While our emotion inductions did not successfully distinguish between admiration and adoration, we could statistically disentangle their effects through mediator models. In both studies, self-reported admiration linked to self-expansion through the tendency to emulate admired others. Adoration related to self-expansion through the tendency to affiliate with adored others. These findings were obtained after controlling for other emotions in response to the target person (awe, love, hope, benign envy) and mutuality of the relationship. Our findings also suggest that considering specific emotions (rather than undifferentiated positive affect) helps uncover different pathways to self-expansion.

The Link between the Nature of the Human-Companion Animal Relationship and Well-Being Outcomes in Companion Animal Owners.

Research into the impact of companion animals on well-being has been both extensive and inconclusive, with studies finding both positive and negative relationships. The present research explored three previously unexamined relationship science concepts that may help clarify whether companion animals provide well-being benefits: self-expansion (the process of adding positive content to the self through incorporating new resources and perspectives into one's identity or engaging in novel, exciting activities), perceived pet responsiveness, and perceived pet insensitivity; as well as attachment. We focused on dog and cat owners' depression, anxiety, positive and negative affect, and loneliness through an online survey with a large sample population (N = 1359). We found that perceived pet insensitivity is a significant positive predictor of depression, anxiety, negative affect, and loneliness; that attachment is a significant positive predictor of depression, anxiety, and loneliness, and a significant negative predictor of positive affect; and that self-expansion is a significant positive predictor of positive affect, and a significant negative predictor of loneliness. Loneliness emerged as a mediator in the relationship between perceived pet insensitivity, attachment, self-expansion, and all mental well-being outcome variables. These findings indicate that perceived pet insensitivity, attachment, and self-expansion may play an important yet neglected role in well-being outcomes.

Self-expansion within sexual minority relationships.

According to the self-expansion model, people increase their positive self-concept content when they form and maintain romantic relationships, and self-expansion is an important predictor of relationship outcomes. Although thought to be universal, no prior research has examined self-expansion among sexual minority individuals. In the current study, sexual minority (N = 226) and heterosexual (N = 104) participants completed measures of self-expansion and relationship outcomes, and sexual minority participants completed measures of sexual minority stress. Overall, sexual minorities reported similar levels of self-expansion as heterosexuals, and sexual minority status did not moderate the association between self-expansion and relationship satisfaction, investments, or quality of alternatives. However, sexual minority status moderated the association between self-expansion and commitment. For sexual minority participants, self-expansion negatively correlated with sexual minority stressors (i.e. internalized homonegativity, concealment, inauthenticity) and moderated the association between internalized homonegativity and relationship satisfaction and commitment, as well as concealment and relationship satisfaction and commitment, such that the negative association between sexual minority stressors and relationship outcomes was weaker in relationships characterized by high (vs. low) levels of self-expansion.

Short-video applications use and self-concept clarity among adolescents: The mediating roles of flow and social media self-expansion.

Recently, the usage of short-video applications (apps) has become widespread and the potential influence of short-video apps use on individuals has attracted the attention of researchers. However, few studies have explored the influence of short-video apps use on adolescents' self-concept clarity. This study aimed to examine the relationship between short-video apps use and self-concept clarity among adolescents and whether this relationship is mediated by flow and social media self-expansion. A total of 721 Chinese adolescents completed questionnaires on intensity of short-video apps use, flow, social media self-expansion, self-concept clarity, and SNS use intensity. The results revealed that short-video apps use was negatively related to self-concept clarity among adolescents. Flow mediated the association between short-video apps use and self-concept clarity. Moreover, the relationship between short-video apps use and self-concept clarity was sequentially mediated by flow and social media self-expansion. These findings offer new insights into our understanding of adolescents' self-development in the context of digital media and provide implications for fostering healthier online experiences among adolescents.

Relationship evolution shapes inter-brain synchrony in affective sharing: The role of self-expansion.

The development of social relationships influences a person's self-concept, which in turn affects their perceptions and neural correlates in social interactions. This study employed an EEG-based hyperscanning technique and a longitudinal design to investigate how the evolution of interpersonal relationships impacts inter-brain synchrony during nonverbal social-emotional interactions. The framework for this study is based on the self-expansion model. We found that dyads exhibited enhanced affective sharing abilities and increased brain-to-brain synchrony, particularly in the gamma rhythm across the frontal, parietal, and left temporoparietal regions, after seven months together compared to when they first met. Additionally, the results indicate that inter-brain coupling evolves as relationships develop, with synchrony in nonverbal social-emotional interactions increasing as self-expansion progresses. Crucially, in the deep learning model, interpersonal closeness can be successfully classified by inter-brain synchrony during emotional-social interactions. The longitudinal EEG-hyperscanning design of our study allows for capturing dynamic changes over time, offering new insights into the neurobiological foundations of social interaction and the potential of neural synchrony as a biomarker for relationship dynamics.

The Double-Edged Influence of Self-Expansion in the Metaverse: A Two-Wave Panel Assessment of Identity Perception, Self-Esteem, and Life Satisfaction.

This study researches the impact of self-expansion experiences in the Metaverse on users' identity perception, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. To do so, the researchers conducted a two-wave panel study with a 3-month interval (N = 486) in VRChat, one of the most popular social virtual reality (VR) platforms. As predicted, the increase in self-expansion experience in VR environments positively predicted users' self-esteem and life satisfaction. However, when self-expansion led to a loss of coherency in the self-concept by causing identity disjunction or self-discrepancy, it damaged self-esteem and life satisfaction, respectively. The current findings exhibit that experimenting with and enlarging identity through immersive experiences in the Metaverse could benefit the individual, but only when it does not cause a disconnection between virtual and offline identities. This article discusses the potential opportunities and risks in the Metaverse, emphasizing the importance of advancing our understanding of the self-expansion experience in immersive media.

The Associations between Human-Companion Animal Relationship Duration, Companion Animal Life Stage, and Relationship Quality.

Although many companion animal (or "pet") owners report that their relationships with their pets are important, we know little about how animal ownership duration and animal life stage are related to relationship quality. In a sample of 1303 dog and cat owners, the present research explored the associations between relationship duration, pet life stage (puppy/kitten, young adult, mature adult, and senior), and four markers of relationship quality: pet-related self-expansion, perceived pet responsiveness, perceived pet insensitivity, and human-animal bond. We found that relationship duration was negatively and linearly associated with self-expansion for both dog and cat owners. Results comparing relationship quality markers across pet life stages revealed that for both dog and cat owners, self-expansion was higher for owners of younger animals compared to owners of older animals. There were no significant effects for perceived pet responsiveness, perceived pet insensitivity, or human-animal bond based on relationship duration or animal life stage. These findings indicate that the duration of the relationship with one's pet and animal life stage have implications for how much people feel a pet helps them grow, whereas other markers of human-pet relationship quality likely vary based on other experiences.

Joyful growth vs. compulsive hedonism: A meta-analysis of brain activation on romantic love and addictive disorders.

Due to the similarities in behavioral characteristics between romantic love and addictive disorders, the concept of being "addicted to someone" transcends mere literary metaphor, expanding perspectives on the study of romantic love and inspiring interventions for addiction. However, there has been a lack of studies systematically exploring the similarities and differences between romantic love and addiction at the neural level. In this study, we conducted an extensive literature search, incorporating 21 studies on romantic love and 28 on addictive disorders, focusing on fMRI research utilizing the cue reactivity paradigm. Using Activation Likelihood Estimation, we examined the similarities and differences in the neural mechanisms underlying love and addiction. The results showed that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) exhibited both shared and distinct activation clusters between romantic love and addictive disorders. Furthermore, ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) was more frequently activated in romantic love than in addictive disorders, while greater activation within the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) was found in addictive disorder compared with romantic love. We discussed that the activation of ACC and VMPFC may symbolize self-expansion, a process that characterizes the development of romantic love, contributing to a more enriched self. Our study suggests that while romantic love and addictive disorders share a common neural foundation, the discernible differences in their neural representations distinguish them as joyful growth versus compulsive hedonism.

The Influence of Self-Expansion and Consumer Engagement on Consumers' Continuous Participation in Virtual Corporate Social Responsibility Co-Creation.

Virtual corporate social responsibility co-creation (VCSRC) became an effective strategic tool with which enterprises can fulfill social responsibilities and retain customers. This study investigated the drivers of consumers' continuous participation in VCSRC based on online survey data collected from 336 VCSRC participants. From a new perspective of self-expansion theory and by integrating consumer engagement (CE), we constructed a theoretical model and proposed a set of hypotheses, which were tested by using the structural equation model (SEM). Our findings show that self-expansion (experience-based expansion, competence-based expansion, and identity-based expansion) has a significant positive impact on continuous participation, with CE (conscious attention, enthusiasm, and social connection) playing a partial mediating role. Our research not only theoretically contributes to the research on VCSRC and self-expansion theory, but also inspires the operation of VCSRC projects in motivating consumers' continuous participation.

Sustainable wheat gluten foams with self-expansion and water/blood-triggered shape recovery.

A cheap and easily obtainable wheat gluten (WG) was used to fabricate bio-foams via a simple method of stirring, heating, and lyophilization. The foam possesses a 3D layered porous structure with interconnected channels, and the biofoam has excellent mechanical properties through glycerol plasticization and glutaraldehyde (GA) cross-linking. The water absorption and volume expansion rate can reach 793.67 ∼ 918.45% and 201.47 ∼ 239.53% respectively. In dry state, the foams had good compression resilience, and can basically recover its original shape after withstanding 60% compression strain for about 7 h. In wet state, they can withstand 10 cycles of compression test, and had good compressive resilience and durability; they also had fast liquid-triggered shape recovery performance, of which the foams can reabsorb liquid, expand, and recover its original shape within 40 seconds after withstanding 80% compression strain. In addition, The hemolysis rates of red blood cells treated with 1, 3, and 5 mg/mL of 14WG-20g-5GA foam suspension were 0.53 ± 0.12%, 2.12 ± 0.34%, and 3.97 ± 0.21%, respectively, all of which were below the permissible range for biological materials (<5%). The above-mentioned advantages made the sustainable foams be potentially useful for medical dressings, especially for the treatment of non-compressible haemorrhaging, which offered a new field of application for WG protein and its added value was also increased obviously.