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Abstract The climate responsive strategies contained in traditional earth buildings can provide a theoretical basis for the development of sustainable buildings today. This study focuses on a qualitative analysis of cliff-side cave dwelling. The analysis shows that the climate responsive strategy mainly depends on the heavy envelope structure; Under the natural operation conditions, the indoor air temperature ranges from 10.9 °C to 14.6 °C in winter, 22.7 °C to 27.9°C in summer; the indoor air relative humidity varies from 26.8% to 58.7% in winter, 68.3% to 87.6% in summer. Thermal simulations show that 40.9% time of the year is comfortable in the bedroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Advances in regeneration methods have brought us improved vascular scaffolds with small diameters (φ < 6 mm) for enhancing biological suitability that solve their propensity for causing intimal hyperplasia post‐transplantation. Methods: The correlation between the rehydration ratio of the hydrogel and its material concentration is obtained by adjusting the material ratio of the hydrogel solution. The vascular model with helical structure has been established and analyzed to verify the effect of helical microvascular structure on thrombosis formation by the fluid simulation methods. Then, the helical structure vascular has been fabricated by self‐developed 3D bioprinter, the vascular scaffolds are freeze‐dried and rehydrated in polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution. Results: The experimental results showed that the hybrid hydrogel had a qualified rehydration ratio when the content of gelatin, sodium alginate, and glycerol was 5, 6, and 3 wt%. The established flow channel model can effectively reduce thrombus deposition and improve long‐term patency ratio. After PEG solution modification, the contact angle of the inner wall of the vascular scaffold was less than 30°, showing better hydrophilic characteristics. Conclusion: In study, a small‐diameter inner wall vascular scaffold with better long‐term patency was successfully designed and prepared by wrinkling and PEG modification of the inner wall of the vascular scaffold. This study not only creates small‐diameter vascular scaffolds with helical structure that improves the surface hydrophilicity to reduce the risk of thrombosis but also rekindles confidence in the regeneration of small caliber vascular structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To screen genetic polymorphisms of Panax ginseng, as well as those of Panax quinquefolium and Panax notoginseng, analysis of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was performed using 120 random primers. Of the successful amplicons obtained, the Panax ginseng-specific RAPD marker C-12 was cloned into a TA vector and sequenced (GenBank access number KU553472). Based on the sequence analysis results, a pair of primers specific to C-12 was designed. Finally, a SCAR marker-based identification system for Panax ginseng was developed after optimization of the reaction conditions. Using this method, two positive bands were stably observed at 300 bp and 130 bp in 33 batches of Panax ginseng samples tested, while negative results were obtained for another 101 batches of samples, including Panax quinquefolium, Panax notoginseng, adulterants, and other medicinal herbs. Thus, we successfully developed a PCR-based method for rapid and effective identification of Panax ginseng, which can be effectively used for the protection and utilization of germplasm resources and identification of the origins of Panax ginseng samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: High‐voltage Li2SiO3‐composited LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 hollow spheres synthesized through a scalable in situ aerosol spray pyrolysis process combined with short‐term high‐temperature calcination are investigated as an ultralong‐life cathode for high‐energy Li‐ion batteries. The phase structure, morphology, and valence state of the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4/Li2SiO3 composites are investigated by using X‐ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The three‐dimensional Li‐ion conductor Li2SiO3 can effectively enhance the Li+ diffusion rate, alleviate the side reactions, and reduce the formation of a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) as a protective layer between the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 electrode and electrolyte interfaces. Li2SiO3‐composited LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 has a better rate and cycling performance, especially long cycling performance. After 500 cycles at 25 °C at 1 C, the capacity retention of the composite is 93.28 %, and the capacity retention is 81.23 % after 400 cycles at 50 °C at 1 C rate. The excellent long cycling and capacity retention indicate that the three‐dimensional Li‐ion conductor Li2SiO3 composite with LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 is a promising material for high‐energy Li‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the safety and cost involved, aqueous electrolyte is an extremely attractive candidate for large-scale energy storage systems. However, limited electrochemical stability window of water (decomposition potential <1.23 V) usually confines the energy density of aqueous energy storage systems. Herein, an aqueous electrolyte based on NaClO 4 solution with a high concentration of 17 m is demonstrated to enlarge the practical stability window to approximately 2.75 V, because the scarcity of free water molecules in high salt concentration contributes to their inactivity. An aqueous sodium-ion hybrid capacitor is assembled by using the electrolyte and could be operated at a large voltage of 2.0 V, in which aromatic polyimide (PI) is used as anode material and ultrahigh specific surface PI derived porous carbon microspheres as cathode. This enhanced electrochemical window of the aqueous electrolyte ensures that the sodium-ion capacitor delivers an energy density of 65.1 Wh kg −1 with high power density and good cycle stability. Most importantly, compared to most used host materials with conventional intercalation mechanisms, fast reaction kinetics and structural insensitivity of PI to the ion radius are responsible for the excellent sodium storage properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MXenes, 2D transition metal carbides and nitrides, deliver competitive performance in sodium ion batteries because of metallic conductivity, hydrophilic surface and good mechanical stability. However, similar to other individual 2D materials, the electrochemical performance of MXenes was hindered by the modest capacity and the tendency of restacking. To overcome these limitations, construction heterolayered architecture with 2D high capacity SnS 2 nanoplates is an effective strategy. The heterolayered electrode combined the metallic conductive of MXene and high redox activity SnS 2 can achieve a synergistic enhancement. When used as anodes for sodium ion batteries, the MXene/SnS 2 composite exhibited a great performance in term of capacity, rate capability, and cycling stability. A superior cycling could still obtain at extreme temperature that MXene/SnS 2 5:1 electrode maintain a reversible capacity of 120 mAh g −1 after 125 cycles at 0 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Spinel LiNi0.45Cr0.1Mn1.45O4 synthesized by a scalable solution route combined by high temperature calcination is investigated as cathode for ultralong‐life lithium‐ion batteries in a wide operating temperature range. Scanning electron microscopy reveals homogeneous microsized polyhedral morphology with highly exposed {100} and {111} surfaces. The most highlighted result is that LiNi0.45Cr0.1Mn1.45O4 has extremely long cycle performance and high capacity retention at various temperatures (0, 25, 50 °C), indicating that Cr doping is a prospective approach to enable 5 V LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO)‐based cathode materials with excellent cycling performances for commercial applications. After 1000 cycles, the capacity retention of LiNi0.45Cr0.1Mn1.45O4 is 100.30% and 82.75% at 0 °C and 25 °C at 1 C rate, respectively. Notably, over 350 cycles at 50 °C, the capacity retention of LiNi0.45Cr0.1Mn1.45O4 can maintain up to 91.49% at 1 C. All the values are comparable to pristine LNMO, which can be attributed to the elimination of LiyNi1−yO impurity phase, highly exposed {100} surfaces, less Mn3+ ions, and enhancement of ion and electron conductivity by Cr doping. Furthermore, an assembled LiNi0.45Cr0.1Mn1.45O4/Li4Ti5O12 full cell delivers an initial discharge capacity of 101 mA h g−1, meanwhile the capacity retention is 82.07% after 100 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries for large-scale energy storage applications. The intriguing 2D transition-metal carbides/carbonitrides, also called MXenes, are increasingly being investigated as anodes as for SIB applications, owing to the merits of their metallic conductivity, low diffusion barrier for Na+, and good mechanical properties. However, the issue of low specific capacity has proven to be a difficult challenge to overcome. Herein, we synthesize a composite of MoS2/Ti3C2T x to improve the ion accessibility of MXene layers by increasing the interlayer space and boost its specific capacity, where the MoS2 nanosheets are intercalated between Ti3C2T x layers through a hydrothermal route. When tested as a SIB anode, the MoS2/Ti3C2T x composite yielded a high specific capacity of 250.9 mAh g−1 over 100 cycles. More remarkably, the MoS2/Ti3C2T x electrode displayed an exceeding rate performance with a capacity of 162.7 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High energy density batteries and high power density supercapacitors have attracted much attention because they are crucial to the power supply of future portable electronic devices, electric automobiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, etc. The electrode materials are key components for batteries and supercapacitors, which influence the practical energy and power density. Metal-organic frameworks possessing unique morphology, high specific surface area, functional linkers, and metal sites are excellent electrode materials for electrochemical energy storage devices. Herein, we review and comment on recent progress in metal-organic framework-based lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, lithium-air batteries, lithium-sulfur/selenium batteries, and supercapacitors. Future perspectives and directions of metal-organic framework-based electrochemical energy storage devices are put forward on the basis of theoretical knowledge from the reported literature and our experimental experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Filopodia are dynamic membrane extensions generated by F-actin bundling and are involved in cancer cell migration, invasion and metastasis. Fascin is the crucial actin-bundling protein in filopodia, with phosphorylation at fascin serine 39 being well characterized to regulate fascin-mediated actin bundling in filopodia. However, increasing evidence indicates that fascin is phosphorylated at a number of sites. Whether phosphorylation at other sites also regulates fascin function is unknown. In this study, we show that four potential phosphorylation sites in fascin, specifically tyrosine 23, serine 38, serine 39 and serine 274, regulate cell behavior and filopodia formation in esophageal squamous cancer cells. Expression of non-phosphorylatable mutations at each of the four sites promoted anchorage-independent growth, cell motility and filopodia formation, whereas phosphomimetic mutations at each of these sites inhibited these cell behaviors, implying that fascin function in esophageal squamous cancer is regulated by fascin phosphorylation at multiple sites. Furthermore, phosphorylation at S38 and S39 cooperatively regulated cell behavior and filopodia formation, with dual dephosphorylation at both S38 and S39 residues maximally enhancing cell proliferation, migration and filopodia formation, and phosphorylation at any of the two phosphorylatable sites resulting in reduced enhancement. Taken together, our results reveal that phosphorylation at fascin amino acids Y23, S38, S39 and S274, in combination, downregulates the extent of anchorage-independent growth, cell migration and filopodia formation in esophageal squamous cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an urgent need but it is still a huge challenge to integrate high energy and power density with high safety in a single energy storage device. Addressing this issue largely depends on design of new energy storage systems with novel electrode architectures. Herein, a novel electrochemical energy storage device called a quasi-solid-state Na-ion capacitor (QSS-NIC) is designed based on a 3D self-supported Na2Ti3O7 nanoribbon array/graphene foam (NTO/GF) anode and graphene foam (GF) cathode, and a Na-ion conducting gel polymer as the electrolyte and separator, without any binders, conducting additives or metal current collectors. Benefiting from the unique 3D self-supported cathode and anode, the GF//NTO/GF configuration achieves a high energy density of 70.6 W h kg−1 and high power density of 4000 W kg−1 on the basis of the mass of both electrodes, and a prominent cycling stability over 5000 cycles (capacitance retention ∼73.2%). This work successfully demonstrates a proof of concept of QSS-NIC as a high performance energy storage device based on two self-supported electrodes, which could provide a feasible approach to bridge the performance gap between capacitors and Na-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]