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Thermochromic smart windows realize an intelligent response to changes in environmental temperature through reversible physical phase transitions. They complete a real-time adjustment of solar transmittance, create a livable indoor temperature for humans, and reduce the energy consumption of buildings. Nevertheless, conventional materials that are used to prepare thermochromic smart windows face challenges, including fixed transition temperatures, limited solar modulation capabilities, and inadequate mechanical properties. In this study, a novel thermochromic hydrogel was synthesized from 2-hydroxy-3-butoxypropyl hydroxyethyl celluloses (HBPEC) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) by using a simple one-step low-temperature polymerization method. The HBPEC/PNIPAM hydrogel demonstrates a wide response temperature (24.1–33.2 °C), high light transmittance (Tlum = 87.5%), excellent solar modulation (ΔTsol = 71.2%), and robust mechanical properties. HBPEC is a functional material that can be used to adjust the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the smart window over a wide range by changing the degree of substitution (DS) of the butoxy group in its structure. In addition, the use of HBPEC effectively improves the light transmittance and mechanical properties of the hydrogels. After 100 heating and cooling cycles, the hydrogel still has excellent stability. Furthermore, indoor simulation experiments show that HBPEC/PNIPAM hydrogel smart windows have better indoor temperature regulation capabilities than traditional windows, making these smart windows potential candidates for energy-saving building materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image schema is a kind of cognitive model consisted of fixed semantic factors and semantic relations, which is used to explain the source of the language structure. The academics use it to successfully analyze modern syntax structure. However, we do not know whether it can explain all of the language units, especially those in the Sino-Tibetan family of languages, especially ancient Chinese. This paper uses the time expressions in the oracle-bone inscriptions in the Shang dynasty (dated from 16 century B.C. to 11 century B.C.) in ancient China to study the structure of the language unit from phrases to the language unit between the phrases and sentences based on the Image Schema Theory. This paper proves that the Image Schemas Theory can interpret the language units represented by time expressions in the oracle-bone inscriptions. It also clarifies that the difficult time expressions can not be analyzed in the structuralism theory. We have found three fundamental image schemas existing in the time expressions in the oracle-bone inscriptions. All time expressions can be analyzed by these three fundamental image schemas properly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]