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Basalt Fiber Reactive Powder Concrete (BFRPC) semi-prefabricated composite capping beam structures can effectively improve the shortcomings of ordinary concrete capping beams' construction difficulties and insufficient bearing capacity. In this study, with the objective of analyzing the shear damage and damage characteristics of a prefabricated BFRPC capping beam formwork, structural damage tests under different levels of loading were carried out to obtain the mechanical parameters of key nodes. Acoustic emission (AE) and Digital Image Correlation (DIC) techniques were used to acoustically and visually characterize the formwork damage. The research results showed that the damage stage of the capping beam formwork was divided, and an early damage warning method was proposed based on the acoustic parameters. Using the DIC technique to identify the crack width evolution pattern during the shear process, it was found that the cracks expanded steadily as the load increased. Combining the experimental and simulation results as well as the Subdivision Superposition Theory, a half-open stirrup strength discount factor β was introduced and suggested to take a value of 0.79. The formula for calculating the shear capacity of BFRPC capping beam formwork is proposed to provide a theoretical basis for its application in prefabricated assembled structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: This work proposes a tactic for improving the efficiency of thermal energy conversion and expanding the application scenarios of phase change materials by constructing non-binder and oriented MXene-K+ aerogel. The prepared phase change composites (PCCs) can rapidly transform solar, electric, magnetic energy into latent heat for keeping warm, power generation, and thermal physiotherapy. Owing to the suggested tactic, the prepared PCCs achieves ultrahigh energy storage density and realize 99.9998% electromagnetic wave energy attenuation. The severe dependence of traditional phase change materials (PCMs) on the temperature-response and lattice deficiencies in versatility cannot satisfy demand for using such materials in complex application scenarios. Here, we introduced metal ions to induce the self-assembly of MXene nanosheets and achieve their ordered arrangement by combining suction filtration and rapid freezing. Subsequently, a series of MXene/ K+/paraffin wax (PW) phase change composites (PCCs) were obtained via vacuum impregnation in molten PW. The prepared MXene-based PCCs showed versatile applications from macroscale technologies, successfully transforming solar, electric, and magnetic energy into thermal energy stored as latent heat in the PCCs. Moreover, due to the absence of binder in the MXene-based aerogel, MK3@PW exhibits a prime solar–thermal conversion efficiency (98.4%). Notably, MK3@PW can further convert the collected heat energy into electric energy through thermoelectric equipment and realize favorable solar–thermal–electric conversion (producing 206 mV of voltage with light radiation intensity of 200 mw cm−2). An excellent Joule heat performance (reaching 105 °C with an input voltage of 2.5 V) and responsive magnetic–thermal conversion behavior (a charging time of 11.8 s can achieve a thermal insulation effect of 285 s) for contactless thermotherapy were also demonstrated by the MK3@PW. Specifically, as a result of the ordered arrangement of MXene nanosheet self-assembly induced by potassium ions, MK3@PW PCC exhibits a higher electromagnetic shielding efficiency value (57.7 dB) than pure MXene aerogel/PW PCC (29.8 dB) with the same MXene mass. This work presents an opportunity for the multi-scene response and practical application of PCMs that satisfy demand of next-generation multifunctional PCCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The working electronic devices and batteries generate a lot of heat, if this heats not release quickly, it will not only have a great impact on the performance of the devices, but also cause certain safety hazards. The passive thermal management based on organic phase change materials (PCMs) stands out due to its excellent temperature regulation capability as well as the buffer protection capability for device overload. In view of these, a series of flexible EVA/EG@PW (EE@P) phase change composites (PCCs) with high thermal conductivity are prepared by efficiently constructing porous skeletons and thermal conductive pathways through sacrificial template method, and introducing paraffin wax (PW) by simple vacuum impregnation technique. The PCC exhibits high thermal conductivity (2.6 W m−1 K−1), high enthalpy (153.5 J g−1), and good flexibility. In addition, the PCC possesses excellent cycling stability and thermal stability. In practical application, the PCC shows good temperature control ability for LED and shows great potential application in the field of thermal management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composites with long-term stability, safety, and comfort are desired as portable equipment continues to advance quickly. However, it is challenging to achieve stability, safety, and comfort in a single composite with respect to electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, thermal management, and antibacterial performances. In this study, we developed a series of layered asymmetric multifunctional PCCs with MXene layers and phase change layers. The asymmetric structure could adjust the EMI shielding efficiency as high as 54.5 dB, and improve light-to-thermal/magnetic-to-thermal conversion to assist PCCs in maintaining a considerable temperature. As the MXene@PDA with improved structural/chemical stability was proven to exhibit high antibacterial activity at higher temperatures, the PCCs appear to have great potential in antibacterial applications. Overall, our work provides new insights into the fabrication of advanced composites through asymmetric design, and the obtained PCCs display significant application potential in EMI shielding and wireless personal thermal therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing ultimate electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials that can simultaneously upgrade the quality of generated electricity and the light‐thermal‐electric conversion efficiency based on traditional thermoelectric devices is crucially desired. Herein, a series of flexible multilayered phase change films (PCFs) is developed by a simple and novel origami strategy. The PCFs are first reported to improve the light‐thermal‐electric conversion efficiency by as high as 11.3%. Simultaneously, the PCFs could significantly upgrade the generated electricity on average voltage (27.3%), average current (23.8%), and lasting power outputs by 2010 times from microwatts to milliwatts. Besides, the EMI shielding efficiency of PCFs could be tuned from 39.2 to 71.9 dB by the origami process, the wide‐range EMI shielding performance could be suitable for varying occasions. Overall, this work provides a promising solution for both the preparation of multifunctional materials, high‐efficiency solar energy harvesting and upgrading electricity generation, which shows broad application prospects in EMI shielding, energy storage, and conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multifunctional films with integrated temperature adjustment, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, and thermal camouflage are remarkably desirable for wearable products. Herein, a novel Janus‐type multifunctional ultra‐flexible film is fabricated via continuous electrospinning followed by spraying. Interestingly, in the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/phase change capsules (PCC) layer (P1), the PCC is strung on PVA fibers to form a stable "candied haws stick" structure that obviates slipping or falling off. The film with sufficient melting enthalpy (141.4 J g−1) guarantees its thermoregulation capability. Simultaneously, its high mid‐IR emissivity (90.15%) endows the film with radiative cooling properties (reducing temperature by 10.13 °C). Mechanical strength is significantly improved by superimposing a polylactic acid (PLA) layer (P2) on its surface. By spraying a thin MXene layer on the PLA surface of P2P1 film, the obtained (MXene/P2P1) MP2P1 film is endowed with satisfactory low‐voltage heating, photo‐thermal and superior thermal camouflage performance, achieving all‐season thermal comfort. Impressively, the flexible MP2P1 film achieves enhanced EMI shielding effect from 50.3 to 87.8 dB through a simple origami process, which simplifies the manufacturing process of high‐performance EMI shielding materials. In brief, the multifunctional Janus‐type MP2P1 film is an attractive candidate for future wearable products with personalized thermal management and anti‐electromagnetic radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid advance of electronics, the light, flexible, and multifunctional composite films with high electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness and excellent thermal management are highly desirable for next‐generation portable and wearable electronic devices. Herein, a series of flexible and ultrathin natural rubber/MXene/carbon nanotubes (NR/MXene/CNTs) composite films with sandwich structure are constructed layer by layer through a facile vacuum‐assisted filtration method for EMI shielding and Joule heating application. The fabricated NR/MXene/CNTs‐50 composite film, with NR/MXene as inner layer and NR/CNTs as out layers, not only has high EMI shielding efficiency, but also has excellent comprehensive mechanical properties at the thickness of only 200 µm. In addition, the superior environmental durability, high electrothermal conversion efficiency, hydrophobicity, and fine performance stability after periodic cyclic bending make the film possess more value in practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein PDZ and LIM domain 3 (PDLIM3) is a cytoskeletal protein, colocalizing with α-actinin on the Z line of mature muscle fibers. It plays a key role in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), muscular dystrophy, and tumor progression. However, correlations between PDLIM3 expression, prognosis, and tumor-infiltrating immune cells in gastric cancer are unknown. Therefore, we leveraged the Oncomine, GEPIA, GEO, and HPA databases to evaluate PDLIM3 expression in tumors. We also quantified PDLIM3 expression in 15 matched pairs of gastric tumor and nontumor tissues by immunohistochemistry. The Kaplan-Meier method was employed to determine the relationship between PDLIM3 expression and clinical outcomes. GO and KEGG analyses were performed to illuminate the molecular mechanisms of action of PDLIM3. TIMER2.0 and GEPIA were applied to investigate correlations between PDLIM3 expression and gene marker subsets signifying immune infiltration, with TIMER2.0 exploring the correlations between PDLIM3 and related signaling pathways. Gastric cancer tissues were found to express more PDLIM3 than nontumor tissues. PDLIM3 overexpression was associated with shorter OS and PFS of gastric cancer patients (OS HR = 2.02, P = 9.8e - 10; PFS HR = 1.77, P = 7.5e - 06). PDLIM3 was also positively correlated with worse OS and PFS according to gastric cancer staging, Her-2 overexpression, differentiation grade, and Lauren classification. PDLIM3 was shown to be associated with immunological responses by GO, while it was related to PI3K/Akt signal pathways by KEGG analysis. Furthermore, increased PDLIM3 expression was significantly correlated with greater infiltration of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells. PDLIM3 expression had significant positive correlations with a variety of immune marker subsets. Finally, correlations were found between PDLIM3 and crucial markers of signaling pathways involving PI3K/Akt and p38 MAPK. Thus, upregulation of PDLIM3 was significantly associated with poor prognosis, immune cell infiltration, and activation of two key signal pathways in gastric cancer. We propose that PDLIM3 could be used as a biomarker to predict prognosis and immune cell infiltration in gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spent coffee grounds (SCGs), a kind of highly recyclable and useable biomass, are often ignored, discarded, and further become a serious environmental threat. In this work, effective high-value utilization of SCGs in the field of composite phase change materials (CPCMs) was proposed. SCGs with the introduction of 1–5 wt% reduced graphene oxide (RGO) were used as supporting material to stabilize the shape of the CPCMs to solve problems of leakage and low light-to-heat conversion. RGO-modified SCGs (SCGs@RGO) have a better three-dimensional porous structure than pristine SCGs, therefore absorbing 60.3 wt% PEG and having excellent leakage-proof performance and showing slight thermal conductivity enhancements. SCGs@RGO has strong absorption in the full UV–Vis–NIR range, hence it exhibits extremely strong light-to-heat conversion capacity and stores solar thermal energy in a short time (245 s) of light. Besides, PEG/SCGs@RGO CPCMs show good reusability, chemical stability, crystalline stability, and excellent thermal stability in phase change tests up to 100 cycles. Image 1 • Spent coffee grounds (SCGs) three-dimensional porous framework was functionalized by reduced graphene oxide (RGO). • Shape-stable CPCMs supported by SCGs@RGO were prepared by a simple vacuum-assisted impregnation method. • PEG/SCGs@RGO CPCMs show high performance in thermal stability, energy storage, reusability, light-to-heat conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase change materials (PCMs) can effectively absorb and release energy from the environment during the phase transition process. However, liquid phase leakage and poor energy storage occur easily at the same stage. Considering the good adhesion of polydopamine (PDA) and the high solar absorption properties of PDA and MXene, a new supporting material was prepared in this work by combining melamine foam (MF) and MXene under the action of PDA, which was used to encapsulate polyethylene glycol (PEG) to prepare a composite PCM (CPCM). Then, we experimentally studied the thermal properties of this new material. The results show that the proposed PEG/MPMF CPCM (PEG@MPMF) exhibits good heat storage properties, and the melting enthalpy reaches 186.2 J/g, which is 99.5% of that of pure PEG. The light absorption of PEG@MPMF is improved by the conjugate action of PDA and MXene. Additionally, this CPCM maintains excellent shape stability and reusability after 100 thermal cycles. Therefore, the PEG@MPMF shows great advantages in terms of heat storage and thermal management. • The polydopamine (PDA) and MXene functionalized melamine foam (MF) was successfully prepared. • Melamine foam can adsorb more MXene under the action of polydopamine (PDA). • The obtained composite phase change material shows excellent comprehensive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large amounts of plasticizers were added into natural starch for thermoplastic to make it processable due to the high crystallinity and large amount of intermolecular hydrogen bonds of starch. However, the traditional screw extruders based on shear deformation cannot disperse the plasticizer evenly and plasticize the starch well, which affects the comprehensive mechanical properties. In this paper, a self-developed biaxial eccentric rotor extruder (BERE) based on elongational rheology was introduced to prepare thermoplastic starch (TPS) sheets with glycerol as plasticizer at different speeds. The TPS sheets extruded by BERE all have excellent mechanical properties and optical transparency. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, dynamic rheometer and universal mechanical tester were used to reveal the morphology, type and strength of hydrogen bonds, crystal structure, dynamic rheological and mechanical properties of TPS to research the effect of elongational rheology on its plasticization and properties. The results showed that the elongational rheology produced during processing process of BERE could obviously promote the dispersion of glycerol in starch and improve the melt-plasticizing effect of TPS, and the comprehensive mechanical properties of the TPS prepared by BERE is excellent with the elongation at break of 226.1%. • A self-developed extruder based on elongational rheology was used to prepare TPS. • The self-developed extruder can obviously improve the melt-plasticization of TPS. • The prepared TPS sheet has excellent optical transparency. • The prepared TPS sheet has excellent elongation at break of 226.1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encapsulated phase-change materials (PCMs) have been widely studied in the field of solar thermal energy storage due to the advantages of stable shape and repeatability. In this work, a series of potatoes phase-change materials (PPMs) were conceived and synthesized via a common vacuum impregnation method, with biomass porous potatoes (PP) as substrate, polyethylene glycol (PEG) as phase change medium and MXene nanosheets as functional filler. The experimental results show that the introduction of MXene nanosheets not only significantly improve the photo-to-thermal conversion efficiency, but also help to increase the adsorption rate of PEG in PCMs. The PEG percentage of potatoes phase-change material (PPM) increases from 60.9% (PPM-0) to 82.1% (PPM-12.5), melting/freezing enthalpy values are also increases from 94.08 J/g/100.46 J/g of PPM-2.5 to 135.57 J/g/139.88 J/g of PPM-12.5, and its enthalpy efficiency λ and relative enthalpy efficiency η also increase from 57.6%/91.5% to 77.7%/98.3%. The results show that the prepared PPMs can be effectively applied to solar photo-to-thermal energy storage. A novel strategy for fabricating biomass PP@MXene/PEG phase change materials with reliable thermal cycle performance and excellent photo-to-thermal conversion efficiency were developed through the freeze drying and simple vacuum impregnation. [Display omitted] • The bio-based PPMs were fabricated via simple vacuum impregnation technology. • The crystallization enthalpy and melting enthalpy of PPM-12.5 are 135.57 J/g and 139.88 J/g. • The photo-to-thermal conversion efficiency of PPMs can reach 98.51%. • The obtianed PPMs owns excellent thermal reusability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the link between COL1A1 production and colorectal carcinoma and assess the value of prognosis and immunotherapy. For this purpose, the transcriptional level of COL1A1 was analyzed. The clinicopathological information and gene expression profile were analyzed to reveal the link between COL1A1 and clinicopathological characteristics. For bioinformatics examination, GSEA and GSVA were utilized. Correlation analysis was implemented to study the causal relationship between COL1A1 and immune checkpoint molecules and inflammation immune cell infiltration. Results showed that in colorectal cancer, COL1A1 was highly expressed and linked with a few clinicopathological characteristics, inflammation and immunological response, tumor immune cell infiltration, and immune checkpoint markers. COL1A1 might likely indicate a bad prognosis and serve as a target of immunotherapy for colon cancer.