Material would allow users to ‘tune’ windows to block targeted wavelengths of light

Peer-Reviewed Publication

NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY

Researchers have demonstrated a material for next generation dynamic windows, which would allow building occupants to switch their windows between three modes: transparent, or “normal” windows; windows that block infrared light, helping to keep a building cool; and tinted windows that control glare while maintaining the view.

Dynamic windows based on electrochromism – meaning their opacity changes in response to electric stimulus – are not a new concept. But, to this point, most dynamic windows were either clear or dark.

“Our work demonstrates that there are more options available,” says Veronica Augustyn, co-corresponding author of a paper on the work and the Jake and Jennifer Hooks Distinguished Scholar in Materials Science and Engineering at North Carolina State University. “Specifically, we’ve shown that you can allow light to pass through the windows while still helping to keep buildings cooler and thus more energy efficient.”

The key to more dynamic window materials is water.

Specifically, the researchers found that when water is bound within the crystalline structure of a tungsten oxide – forming tungsten oxide hydrate – the material exhibits a previously unknown behavior.

Tungsten oxides have long been used in dynamic windows. That’s because tungsten oxide is normally transparent. But when you apply an electrical signal, and inject lithium ions and electrons into the material, the material becomes dark and blocks light.

Researchers have now shown that you can effectively tune the wavelengths of light that are blocked when you inject lithium ions and electrons into a related material called tungsten oxide hydrate. When lithium ions and electrons are injected into the hydrate material, it first transitions into a “heat blocking” phase, allowing visible wavelengths of light to pass through, but blocking infrared light. If more lithium ions and electrons are injected, the material then transitions into a dark phase, blocking both visible and infrared wavelengths of light.

“The presence of water in the crystalline structure makes the structure less dense, so the structure is more resistant to deformation when lithium ions and electrons are injected into the material,” says Jenelle Fortunato, first author of the paper and a postdoctoral fellow at NC State. “Our hypothesis is that, because the tungsten oxide hydrate can accommodate more lithium ions than regular tungsten oxide before deforming, you get two modes. There’s a ‘cool’ mode – when injection of lithium ions and electrons affects the optical properties, but structural change hasn’t occurred yet – which absorbs infrared light. And then, after the structural change occurs, there’s a ‘dark’ mode that blocks both visible and infrared light.”

“The discovery of dual-band (infrared and visible) light control in a single material that’s already well-known to the smart windows community may accelerate development of commercial products with enhanced features,” says Delia Milliron, co-corresponding author of the paper and the Ernest Cockrell, Sr. Chair #1 in Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. “More broadly speaking, the unforeseen role of structural water in producing distinctive electrochemical properties may inspire the research community beyond smart window developers, leading to innovation in energy storage and conversion materials.”

The paper, “Dual-Band Electrochromism in Hydrous Tungsten Oxide,” is published in the journal ACS Photonics. First author of the paper is Jenelle Fortunato, a postdoctoral researcher at NC State. The paper was co-authored by Noah Holzapfel, a postdoctoral researcher at NC State; Matthew Chagnot, a Ph.D. student at NC State; James Mitchell, a recent Ph.D. graduate of NC State; Benjamin Zydlewski and Hsin-Che Lu of the University of Texas at Austin; and Ming Lei and De-en Jiang of Vanderbilt University.

The research was done with support from the National Science Foundation, under grant 1653827; the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, under grant DE-SC0023408; and the Welch Foundation, under grant F-1848.

---

JOURNAL

ACS Photonics

DOI

10.1021/acsphotonics.3c00921 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Dual-Band Electrochromism in Hydrous Tungsten Oxide

 

Chameleon-inspired coating could cool and warm buildings through the seasons

Peer-Reviewed Publication

AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

As summer turns to fall, many people will be turning off the air conditioning and firing up heaters instead. But traditional heating and cooling systems are energy intensive, and because they typically run on fossil fuels, they aren’t sustainable. Now, by mimicking a desert-dwelling chameleon, a team reporting in ACS’ Nano Letters has developed an energy-efficient, cost-effective coating. The material could keep buildings cool in the summers — or warm in the winters — without additional energy.

Many desert creatures have specialized adaptations to allow them to survive in harsh environments with large daily temperature shifts. For example, the Namaqua chameleon of southwestern Africa alters its color to regulate its body temperature as conditions change. The critters appear light grey in hot temperatures to reflect sunlight and keep cool, then turn a dark brown once they cool down to absorb heat instead. This unique ability is a naturally occurring example of passive temperature control — a phenomenon that could be adapted to create more energy-efficient buildings. But many systems, such as cooling paints or colored steel tiles, are only designed to keep buildings either cool or warm, and can’t switch between “modes.” Inspired by the Namaqua chameleon, Fuqiang Wang and colleagues wanted to create a color-shifting coating that adapts as outside temperatures fluctuate.

To make the coating, researchers mixed thermochromic microcapsules, specialized microparticles and binders to form a suspension, which they sprayed or brushed onto a metal surface. When heated to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, the surface began to change from dark to light grey. Once it reached 86 degrees, the light-colored film reflected up to 93% of solar radiation. Even when heated above 175 degrees for an entire day, the material showed no signs of damage. Next, the team tested it alongside three conventional coatings — regular white paint, a passive radiative cooling paint and blue steel tiles — in outdoor tests on miniature, doghouse-sized buildings throughout all four seasons.

• In winter, the new coating was slightly warmer than the passive radiative cooling system, though both maintained similar temperatures in warmer conditions.
• In summer, the new coating was significantly cooler than the white paint and steel tiles.
• During spring and fall, the new coating was the only system that could adapt to the widely fluctuating temperatures changes, switching from heating to cooling throughout the day.

The researchers say that this color-changing system could save a considerable amount of energy for regions that experience multiple seasons, while still being inexpensive and easy to manufacture.

The authors acknowledge funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Taishan Scholars of Shandong Province, the Royal Society, and the China Scholarship Council.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people. The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world’s scientific knowledge. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

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JOURNAL

Nano Letters

DOI

10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c02733 

ARTICLE TITLE

"Warm in Winter and Cool in Summer" Scalable Biochameleons Inspired Temperature Adaptive Coating with Easy Preparation and Construction

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

20-Sep-2023

 

Scientists successfully maneuver robot through living lung tissue

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA HEALTH CARE

 

IMAGE: OVERVIEW OF THE SEMIAUTONOMOUS MEDICAL ROBOT’S THREE STAGES IN THE LUNGS. view more 

CREDIT: KUNTZ ET AL.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Some tumors are extremely small and hide deep within lung tissue, making it difficult for surgeons to reach them. To address this challenge, UNC –Chapel Hill and Vanderbilt University researchers have been working on an extremely bendy but sturdy robot capable of traversing lung tissue.

Their research has reached a new milestone. In a new paper, published in Science Robotics, Ron Alterovitz, PhD, in the UNC Department of Computer Science, and Jason Akulian, MD MPH, in the UNC Department of Medicine, have proven that their robot can autonomously go from “Point A” to “Point B” while avoiding important structures, such as tiny airways and blood vessels, in a living laboratory model.

“This technology allows us to reach targets we can't otherwise reach with a standard or even robotic bronchoscope,” said Dr. Akulian, co-author on the paper and Section Chief of Interventional Pulmonology and Pulmonary Oncology in the UNC Division of Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine. “It gives you that extra few centimeters or few millimeters even, which would help immensely with pursuing small targets in the lungs.”

The development of the autonomous steerable needle robot leveraged UNC’s highly collaborative culture by blending medicine, computer science, and engineering expertise. In addition to Alterovitz and Akulian, the development effort included Yueh Z. Lee, MD, PhD, at the UNC Department of Radiology, as well as Robert J. Webster III at Vanderbilt University and Alan Kuntz at the University of Utah.

The robot is made of several separate components. A mechanical control provides controlled thrust of the needle to go forward and backward and the needle design allows for steering along curved paths. The needle is made from a nickel-titanium alloy and has been laser etched to increase its flexibility, allowing it to move effortlessly through tissue.

As it moves forward, the etching on the needle allows it to steer around obstacles with ease. Other attachments, such as catheters, could be used together with the needle to perform procedures such as lung biopsies.

To drive through tissue, the needle needs to know where it is going. The research team used CT scans of the subject’s thoracic cavity and artificial intelligence to create three-dimensional models of the lung, including the airways, blood vessels, and the chosen target. Using this 3-D model and once the needle has been positioned for launch, their AI-driven software instructs it to automatically travel from "Point A" to "Point B" while avoiding important structures.

“The autonomous steerable needle we've developed is highly compact, but the system is packed with a suite of technologies that allow the needle to navigate autonomously in real-time,” said Alterovitz, the principal investigator on the project and senior author on the paper. “It's akin to a self-driving car, but it navigates through lung tissue, avoiding obstacles like significant blood vessels as it travels to its destination.”

The needle can also account for respiratory motion. Unlike other organs, the lungs are constantly expanding and contracting in the chest cavity. This can make targeting especially difficult in a living, breathing subject. According to Akulian, it’s like shooting at a moving target.

The researchers tested their robot while the laboratory model performed intermittent breath holding. Every time the subject's breath is held, the robot is programmed to move forward.

“There remain some nuances in terms of the robot’s ability to acquire targets and then actually get to them effectively,” said Akulian, who is also a member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, “and while there's still a lot of work to be done, I’m very excited about continuing to push the boundaries of what we can do for patients with the world-class experts that are here."

“We plan to continue creating new autonomous medical robots that combine the strengths of robotics and AI to improve medical outcomes for patients facing a variety of health challenges while providing guarantees on patient safety,” added Alterovitz.

---

JOURNAL

Science Robotics

DOI

10.1126/scirobotics.adf7614 

ARTICLE TITLE

Autonomous medical needle steering in vivo

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

20-Sep-2023

  

New Si-based photocatalyst enables efficient solar-driven hydrogen production and biomass refinery

The study findings have been published in the July 2023 version of Advanced Materials

Peer-Reviewed Publication

ULSAN NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY(UNIST)

 

IMAGE: PROFESSOR JUNGKI RYU AND HIS RESEARCHER YURI CHOI FROM THE SCHOOL OF ENERGY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AT UNIST view more 

CREDIT: UNIST

A team of researchers, led by Professor Jungki Ryu in the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST and Professor Soojin Park from Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), have achieved a significant breakthrough in the development of a hybrid silicon photocatalyst. This innovative catalyst utilizes solar power to produce hydrogen and high-value compounds efficiently, marking a major step forward in green hydrogen production technology.

The newly developed photocatalyst is both non-toxic and eco-friendly, addressing the limitations associated with previous catalysts that were not sunlight-responsive or posed toxicity concerns. Silicon-based photocatalysts demonstrate excellent light absorption properties, making them highly efficient in utilizing solar energy. Moreover, these non-toxic materials do not emit harmful chemicals during their production process.

Previous research faced challenges in achieving continuous production of hydrogen alongside high-value compounds due to a lack of suitable catalysts. Toxic catalysts used under strong base conditions often led to environmental pollution issues. Additionally, as oxide layers formed on traditional silicon photocatalysts during reactions, it negatively impacted hydrogen production efficiency over time.

To overcome these obstacles, the research team developed a hybrid silicon photocatalyst by uniformly coating nickel-doped graphene quantum dots onto the surface of 2 to 3 nm thick silicon flakes. The modified surface enabled significantly higher hydrogen production efficiency compared to conventional silicon photocatalysts—achieving an impressive rate of 14.2 mmol gcat−1 h−1—a substantial improvement equating to approximately 28 times higher performance.

Furthermore, through oxidation reactions using biomass instead of water—an organic substance derived from biological sources—the hybrid silicon photocatalyst demonstrated its capability for producing high-value compounds alongside hydrogen production. The catalyst also maintained 98% of its original form, ensuring long-term stability.

Professor Ryu stated, “Previous research on hydrogen production has been limited to photocatalysts that absorb ultraviolet rays or involve toxic catalysts. Our non-toxic and cost-effective silicon photocatalyst is a significant advancement as it enables high-efficiency hydrogen production through superior solar absorption.”

Professor Park added, “The surface modification technique utilizing nickel-doped graphene quantum dots can be applied not only to silicon photocatalysts but also to various other types of photocatalysts, opening up new possibilities in energy applications.”

The study has been jointly participated by Yuri Choi (Research Assistant Professor, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, UNIST) and Sungho Choi (Combined MS/Ph.D. Program of Advanced Materials Science, POSTECH). The findings of this study were published in Advanced Materials on July 27, 2023. This study has been supported by the grants through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT of Korea, as well as the Basic Science Research Program through the NRF funded by the Ministry of Education of Korea.

Journal Reference
Yuri Choi, Sungho Choi, Inhui Lee, Trang Vu Thien Nguyen, et al., “Solar Biomass Reforming and Hydrogen Production with Earth-Abundant Si-Based Photocatalysts,” Advanced Materials, (2023).

SCHEMATIC ILLUSTRATION OF THE SYNTHESIS AND APPLICATION OF SIF/NI-NGQDS FOR EFFICIENT BIOMASS REFORMING AND HYDROGEN PRODUCTION UNDER SOLAR IRRADIATION AND MILD CONDITIONS.

CREDIT

UNIST

JOURNAL

Advanced Materials

ARTICLE TITLE

Solar Biomass Reforming and Hydrogen Production with Earth-Abundant Si-Based Photocatalysts

KMOU researchers propose a novel liquid filter for enhanced solar energy utilization

The innovative emulsion filter improves the energy harvesting capabilities of de-coupled photovoltaic-thermal systems

Peer-Reviewed Publication

NATIONAL KOREA MARITIME AND OCEAN UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: THE PROPOSED FILTER BASED ON A MIXTURE OF WATER AND FISH OIL FACILITATES THE CONVERSION OF SUNLIGHT INTO ELECTRICITY AND THERMAL ENERGY AT A REMARKABLE 84.4% EFFICIENCY. view more 

CREDIT: DR. JAE WON LEE FROM KOREA MARITIME & OCEAN UNIVERSITY (KMOU).

Photovoltaic (PV) modules are devices that convert sunlight into electrical energy. However, they suffer from a low conversion efficiency of around 20% because they can only convert near-infrared wavelengths into electricity, while other wavelengths simply heat up the PV module, reducing its efficiency. To counter this, scientists have developed photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) systems, in which the generated heat is carried away by a heat exchanger containing a coolant fluid (air or liquid). This, in turn, cools down the PV module, increasing its efficiency. Moreover, the captured heat can be utilized in the form of thermal energy.

To further enhance the cooling effect of PV modules and harvest thermal energy, de-coupled PVT systems equipped with liquid filters have been devised. These filters, placed over PV modules, capture specific wavelengths of sunlight that contribute minimally to electricity generation, including ultraviolet (UV), visible light, and near-infrared, facilitating their conversion into thermal energy for various applications. However, water, a popular liquid filter, cannot absorb UV rays.

Now, a team of researchers, led by Assistant Professor Jae Won Lee from Korea Maritime & Ocean University, has introduced an innovative emulsion (mixture) of fish oil and water as a liquid filter. It efficiently absorbs both infrared and UV light, increasing the energy harvesting potential of de-coupled PVT systems. Their work was made available online on April 28, 2023, and published in Volume 287 of the journal Energy Conversion and Management on July 1, 2023.

“Most liquid filters use either water or a mixture of water and solid nanoparticles to absorb the unused wavelengths of solar irradiance. However, water only absorbs the infrared portion of sunlight with wavelengths exceeding 1250 nm. Solid nanoparticles, on the other hand, tend to settle over time, which diminishes their efficiency,” points out Dr. Lee. In contrast, the proposed emulsion remains stable at high temperatures of up to 70 °C. Furthermore, the oil droplets within the emulsion are effective at absorbing UV light with wavelengths below 500 nm.

The presence of the emulsion filter significantly improved the conversion efficiency and lowered the operating temperature compared to systems with heat exchangers alone. The efficiency increased from 70.9% to 84.4%, while the temperature decreased from 46.7 °C to 33.1 °C. The researchers found that, under a standard solar irradiance of 1000 W/m², the de-coupled PVT system with emulsion filter produced electrical and thermal energies amounting to 72.2 Wh and 1176.7 Wh per day, respectively. This proved to be economically beneficial, with a lower cost payback time than both PVT systems and de-coupled PVT systems with water filter.

The proposed system can even be operated under specific requirements and environmental conditions. For example, during summer, the fluid in the liquid filter could be bypassed to maximize electricity production, while in winter, the liquid filter could capture thermal energy for heating applications. Its implementation is also expected to be straightforward. “Emulsion technology is already well established and finds applications in various industries, such as cosmetics and food,” explains Dr. Lee. “Therefore, emulsion filters can be easily applied to existing systems. Additionally, they hold immense potential for new applications, including selective separation of the solar wavelength spectrum.”

Let us hope that this technology will take us one step closer to realizing a carbon-neutral society!

 

***

 

Reference

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2023.117087

 

About National Korea Maritime & Ocean University 
South Korea’s most prestigious university for maritime studies, transportation science and engineering, the National Korea Maritime & Ocean University is located on an island in Busan. The university was established in 1945 and since then has merged with other universities to currently being the only post-secondary institution that specializes in maritime sciences and engineering. It has four colleges that offer both undergraduate and graduate courses.

Website: http://www.kmou.ac.kr/english/main.do

 

About the author
Dr. Jae Won Lee is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Mechanical Engineering at Korea Maritime & Ocean University (KMOU). He received his PhD in Thermal Engineering from Korea University in 2017. His group conducts experimental and theoretical, fundamental, and applied research to improve the performance of a wide range of thermal engineering systems. Before coming to KMOU, he was a Research Professor at the Energy and Materials Circulation Laboratory and contributed to building energy reduction research.

---

JOURNAL

Energy Conversion and Management

DOI

10.1016/j.enconman.2023.117087 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Development of solar radiation spectrum-controlled emulsion filter for a photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) system

 

New method for purifying drinking water could be used in disaster zones

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF BATH

Scientists have developed a new method that converts seawater into drinking water that could be useful in disaster zones where there is limited electrical power.

The most popular method for removing salt (sodium chloride) from sea water is reverse osmosis, which uses a porous membrane that allows water molecules through but not salt.

However, this method requires a high pressure and substantial amounts of electricity. The membrane often clogs up, reducing the efficiency of the process.

The new technique, developed by a team of scientists from the Universities of Bath, Swansea and Edinburgh, doesn’t use any external pressure but instead uses a small amount of electrical energy to pull chloride ions through the membrane towards a positively charged electrode.

This causes water molecules to be pushed through at the same time as the chloride, a bit like a piston.

Meanwhile, sodium ions remain on the other side of the membrane, attracted to the negatively charged electrode.

The chloride ions are then recycled back into the chamber containing the salt water and the process is repeated, gradually drawing more and more water molecules through.

Professor Frank Marken, from the University of Bath’s Water Innovation Research Centre and Institute for Sustainability led the study, and predicts this could be used on a small scale where drinking water is needed but there is not the infrastructure available, such as in remote areas or disaster zones.

He said: “Currently reverse osmosis uses so much electricity, it requires a dedicated power plant to desalinate water, meaning it is difficult to achieve on a smaller scale.

“Our method could provide an alternative solution on a smaller scale, and because water can be extracted without any side products, this will save energyand won’t involve an industrial scale processing plant.

“It could also potentially be miniaturised to use in medical applications such as dosing systems for drugs like insulin.”

So far, the technology is at the proof-of-concept stage, converting only a few millilitres, however the team is now looking for partners for potential collaboration and investment to scale up the process to a litre which will enable them to calculate energy consumption more accurately.

 The team would also like to explore other potential applications such as drying processes or recovering water from different sources.

Professor Jan Hoffman, Co-Director of the Water Innovation Research Centre (WIRC) at Bath said: "Zhongkai Li and Frank Marken have developed polymeric materials that can act as a new type of molecular electrical pump for water.

“I think the discovery can potentially have a revolutionary impact on desalination of seawater and also processes for drying materials and recovering water.

“Of course, there is still a long way to go to create full scale technology based on the recent discovery, but it definitely looks promising and very innovative compared to existing pumping and desalination technologies."

Dr Mariolino Carta from Swansea University commented: "Microporous materials have enormous potential especially in separation and water purification, but also in catalysis.

“In the future even better materials and processes will be available."

The research is published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. Any individuals or organisations wishing to find out more or collaborate should contact Dr Frank Marken: fm202@bath.ac.uk.

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JOURNAL

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

DOI

10.1021/acsami.3c10220 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Tuning and Coupling Irreversible Electroosmotic Water Flow in Ionic Diodes: Methylation of an Intrinsically Microporous Polyamine (PIM-EA-TB)”

 

Curiosity about religion is viewed as morally virtuous, new research finds

Peer-Reviewed Publication

SOCIETY FOR PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

People from diverse religious backgrounds in the United States view curiosity about religion as morally virtuous, according to new research published in Social Psychological and Personality Science. Atheists also view this curiosity as moral, although less moral than a lack of religious curiosity.

Previous research has examined what makes people curious and how curiosity helps people learn new information, but psychologists know less about how displaying curiosity is viewed by other people. The current research finds that people look favorably on those who show curiosity about religion and science.

“People who display curiosity – about religion or science – are viewed as possessing other moral character traits,” says lead author Cindel White, of York University. “We found that observers perceive curious people as willing to put in effort to succeed in life, and observers perceive putting in effort to learn as morally virtuous.”

Dr. White and her co-authors asked 1,891 participants to make moral judgments about people who exhibited curiosity, possessed relevant knowledge, or lacked both curiosity and knowledge about religion and science. Participants attributed greater moral goodness to those who displayed curiosity, a trend which was consistent across Jewish, Protestant, Catholic, and other Christian participants.

“Religious people in the United States can be perceived as, or associated with movements that are, anti-science and dogmatically unquestioning of religious doctrines,” Dr. White says. “However, religious participants that we surveyed typically approved of asking question about science, one’s own religious, and other people’s religions, indicating general approval of people who desire to learn more about religious and scientific questions.”

Dr. White notes that the researchers measured observers’ perceptions of people who are curious, not what predicts curiosity or how people’s levels of curiosity are associated with their actual levels of effort or moral character. The current research also focuses on participants in the United States – White would like to see future studies involve people in a wider array of countries.

In other studies, Dr. White and her colleagues are testing how children between five and eight years old evaluate curiosity about religion and science. The team is finding that young children also positively evaluate and reward curiosity, but more research in this area is needed in order to understand the factors at play in this phenomenon.

 “There are likely to be certain questions of inquiry, cultural contexts, or settings of intergroup conflict where curiosity signals negative traits, such as disloyalty to one’s ingroup,” Dr. White explains.

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JOURNAL

Social Psychological and Personality Science

DOI

10.1177/19485506231195915 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

ARTICLE TITLE

Adults Show Positive Moral Evaluations of Curiosity About Religion

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

21-Sep-2023

Theanarchistlibrary.org

https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/petr-kropotkin-ethics-origin-and-development

Ethics: Origin and Development | The Anarchist Library 

Hence Kropotkin's ethical formula: “Without equity there is no justice, and without justice there is no morality.” Of course, Kropotkin's ethics does not solve ...

 

Inauguration ceremony of carbon future

Business Announcement

TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY PRESS

 

IMAGE: EIGHT GLOBALLY RENOWNED SCIENTISTS IN CARBON-RELATED AREAS JOINTLY LAUNCHED THE NEW JOURNAL. view more 

CREDIT: CARBON FUTURE, TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY PRESS

On September 17th, 2023, Carbon Future, an international interdisciplinary journal sponsored by Tsinghua University, has been officially inaugurated.

 

Carbon Future is an open access, peer-reviewed and international interdisciplinary journal that reports carbon-related materials and processes, including carbon materials, catalysis, energy conversion and storage, as well as low carbon emission process and engineering. The journal is published quarterly by Tsinghua University Press, and publicly released on SciOpen, an internationally digital publishing platform for science and technology journals developed by Tsinghua University Press.

 

Prof. Fei Wei, the Editor-in-Chief of the journal of Carbon Future, delivered a speech on the aim, significance and scope of the journal in the inauguration ceremony, following the official release of the journal. Eight globally renowned scientists in carbon-related areas, including one academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences Prof. Chunming Xu, Prof. Fei Wei, Prof. Qingshan Zhu, Prof. Jinping Li, Prof. Jieshan Qiu, Prof. Baojun Wang, Prof. Feng Peng, Prof. Hongwei Sun, and one editor Dr. Li Zhang, jointly launched the new journal.

 

Prof. Fei Wei, specifically pointed out that carbon has been the most important carrier for decades. The earth and the biosphere embrace the worlds of carbon cycle, thus carbon plays a unique role in our life, and it will play a more significant role in in future to achieve a sustainable society. Carbon Future focuses on the basic and applied research, related to carbon materials, carbon catalysis, low-carbon energy, low-carbon chemicals, etc., and is committed to publishing cutting-edge progress in carbon field, promoting scientific and technological innovation, and creating a multidisciplinary academic exchange platform.

 

Carbon Future has established an international editorial board with many world leading scientists in the carbon field. The first editorial board meeting of Carbon Future was held concurrently on 17th September 2023. Twenty-eight scientists participated in the meeting offline and virtually. The Editor-in-Chief of Carbon Future Prof. Wei Fei, and Associate Editors Prof. Junwang (John) Tang and Prof. Martin Oschatz delivered the opening remarks, respectively. The Editor Dr. Li Zhao introduced the progress of the journal. Subsequently, all scientists had an in-depth and enthusiastic discussion, and put forward valuable opinions and recommendations. Those famous scientists will actively promote and strongly support the journal of Carbon Future globally.

 

Journal home:

https://www.sciopen.com/journal/2960-0561

Manuscript submission：

https://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/cf

 

About Carbon Future

Carbon Future is an open access, peer-reviewed and international interdisciplinary journal that reports carbon-related materials and processes, including catalysis, energy conversion and storage, as well as low carbon emission process and engineering. Carbon Future will publish Research Articles, Reviews, Minireviews, Highlights, Perspectives, and News and Views from all aspects concerned with carbon. Carbon Future will publish articles that focus on, but not limited to, the following areas: carbon-related or -derived materials, carbon-related catalysis and fundamentals, low carbon-related energy conversion and storage, low carbon emission chemical processes.

 

About SciOpen 

SciOpen is a professional open access resource for discovery of scientific and technical content published by the Tsinghua University Press and its publishing partners, providing the scholarly publishing community with innovative technology and market-leading capabilities. SciOpen provides end-to-end services across manuscript submission, peer review, content hosting, analytics, and identity management and expert advice to ensure each journal’s development by offering a range of options across all functions as Journal Layout, Production Services, Editorial Services, Marketing and Promotions, Online Functionality, etc. By digitalizing the publishing process, SciOpen widens the reach, deepens the impact, and accelerates the exchange of ideas.

 

Scientists design fresh tomatoes suitable for mechanical harvesting

Peer-Reviewed Publication

CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES HEADQUARTERS

 

IMAGE: APPLICATION OF FS8.1 HAS FACILITATED MECHANICAL HARVESTING OF PROCESSING TOMATOES view more 

CREDIT: SCOTT

According to a study published in Nature Plants on Sept. 18, Chinese scientists have elucidated the mechanism of fruit shape formation in tomatoes and have developed fresh tomatoes for mechanical harvesting.

In the early 1960s, the fs8.1 mutation caused a shape change in tomato fruit from round to blocky, which greatly improved the stress tolerance of tomato fruit and brought about a major change in tomato processing from traditional manual harvesting to mechanized production. Since fs8.1 is located in a heterochromatic region, the underlying gene had not previously been identified.

In this study, researchers led by Prof. LI Chuanyou from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences reported the cloning, functional characterization, and breeding application of fs8.1.

They demonstrated that the fs8.1 mutation has a stronger promoting effect on cell proliferation in the ovary wall than in the columella, resulting in an elongated fruit shape. They then identified the FS8.1 gene and found that it encodes a non-canonical GT-2 factor that lacks the characteristic trihelix DNA-binding domain.

Further studies showed that FS8.1 activates the cell cycle inhibitor gene SlKRP2 by forming a transcriptional module with the canonical GT-2 factor SlGT-16. In wild-type (WT) ovaries, the expression levels of both FS8.1 and SlGT-16 are higher in the ovary walls than in the columella.

As a result, SlKRP2 expression is higher in the ovary walls than in the columella, resulting in round fruit. In fs8.1 mutant ovaries, however, FS8.1 is not functional. Thus, SlKRP2 expression is lower in the ovary walls than in the columella, resulting in elongated fruit.

Strikingly, fs8.1 was absent in fresh market varieties. Compared to the fruit of processing tomato, the fruit of fresh market tomato is of higher quality in terms of nutrition and flavor. However, fresh market tomato fruit may experience severe soft-fruit-related deterioration during harvest, transportation and storage. Natural ripening-related mutations have been used to improve fruit firmness. However, they often adversely affect color, flavor and nutritional quality. fs8.1 does not affect fruit ripening. Thus, cloning of FS8.1 offers a potential way to redesign fresh market tomatoes for mechanized production without compromising quality.

Indeed, knockout of FS8.1 in the fresh-market cultivar resulted in enhanced compression resistance. Importantly, this strategy does not affect key quality indexes of ripe fruit, including total soluble solid content and levels of sugars, acids and lycopene.

In addition, simultaneous mutation of FS8.1 and SP, which controls indeterminate growth of tomatoes, converted indeterminate fresh market tomato plants that produce round fruit into determinate plants that produce square fruit suitable for mechanical harvesting.

This study was funded by the National Key R&D Program of China and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Cloning, functional analysis and breeding application of fs8.1

CREDIT

IGDB

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JOURNAL

Nature Plants

DOI

10.1038/s41477-023-01522-w 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

18-Sep-2023