Encapsulating Metal-Organic-Foam Derived Nanocages into a Microcapsule for Shuttle Effect-Suppressive Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Long-term stable secondary batteries are highly required. Here, we report a unique microcapsule encapsulated with metal organic foams (MOFs)-derived Co3O4 nanocages for a Li-S battery, which displays good lithium-storage properties. ZIF-67 dodecahedra are prepared at room temperature then converted to porous Co3O4 nanocages, which are infilled into microcapsules through a microfluidic technique. After loading sulfur, the Co3O4/S-infilled microcapsules are obtained, which display a specific capacity of 935 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at 0.5C in Li-S batteries. A Coulombic efficiency of about 100% is achieved. The constructed Li-S battery possesses a high rate-performance during three rounds of cycling. Moreover, stable performance is verified under both high and low temperatures of 50 °C and −10 °C. Density functional theory calculations show that the Co3O4 dodecahedra display large binding energies with polysulfides, which are able to suppress shuttle effect of polysulfides and enable a stable electrochemical performance.

Tuning High and Low Temperature Foaming Behavior of Linear and Long-Chain Branched Polypropylene via Partial and Complete Melting

While existing foam studies have identified processing parameters, such as high-pressure drop rate, and engineering measures, such as high melt strength, as key factors for improving foamability, there is a conspicuous absence of studies that directly relate foamability to material properties obtained from fundamental characterization. To bridge this gap, this work presents batch foaming studies on one linear and two long-chain branched polypropylene (PP) resins to investigate how foamability is affected by partial melting (Method 1) and complete melting followed by undercooling (Method 2). At temperatures above the melting point, similar expansion was obtained using both foaming procedures within each resin, while the PP with the highest strain hardening ratio (13) exhibited the highest expansion ratio (45 ± 3). At low temperatures, the foamability of all resins was dramatically improved using Method 2 compared to Method 1, due to access to lower foaming temperatures (<150 °C) near the crystallization onset. Furthermore, Method 2 resulted in a more uniform cellular structure over a wider temperature range (120–170 °C compared to 155–175 °C). Overall, strong extensional hardening and low onset of crystallization were shown to give rise to foamability at high and low temperatures, respectively, suggesting that both characteristics can be appropriately used to tune the foamability of PP in industrial foaming applications.

CsPd0.875Cr0.125I3 Promising Candidate for Thermoelectric Applications

We study the electronic structure, magnetization, and thermoelectric properties of CsPd0.875Cr0.125I3 obtained by doping CsPdI3 with atoms of the 3d transition metal Cr. By applying the generalized-gradient-approximation (GGA) and the GGA + U one, we found that CsPd0.875Cr0.125I3 alloy exhibits a completely metallic characteristic. Changes in the thermoelectric properties of the alloy are determined with the use of the BoltzTrap code. The electronic thermal conductivities (k/т), Seebeck coefficients (S), power factors (PF), and electrical conductivities (q/т) are calculated. The value of the ZT merit factor is near 1 at room temperature, by indicating that CsPd0.875Cr0.125I3 is a good candidate for thermoelectric applications at high and low temperatures.

A lack of repeatability creates the illusion of a trade-off between basal and plastic cold tolerance

The thermotolerance–plasticity trade-off hypothesis predicts that ectotherms with greater basal thermal tolerance have a lower acclimation capacity. This hypothesis has been tested at both high and low temperatures but the results often conflict. If basal tolerance constrains plasticity (e.g. through shared mechanisms that create physiological constraints), it should be evident at the level of the individual, provided the trait measured is repeatable. Here, we used chill-coma onset temperature and chill-coma recovery time (CCO and CCRT; non-lethal thermal limits) to quantify cold tolerance of Drosophila melanogaster across two trials (pre- and post-acclimation). Cold acclimation improved cold tolerance, as expected, but individual measurements of CCO and CCRT in non-acclimated flies were not (or only slightly) repeatable. Surprisingly, however, there was still a strong correlation between basal tolerance and plasticity in cold-acclimated flies. We argue that this relationship is a statistical artefact (specifically, a manifestation of regression to the mean; RTM) and does not reflect a true trade-off or physiological constraint. Thermal tolerance trade-off patterns in previous studies that used similar methodology are thus likely to be impacted by RTM. Moving forward, controlling and/or correcting for RTM effects is critical to determining whether such a trade-off or physiological constraint exists.

The study and scientifical substantiation of critical control points in the life cycle of immunostimulating products such as pastila and marmalade

Based on the study results, this paper reports a technology to produce natural fruit and berry pastila and marmalade of improved nutritional and biological value with a long shelf life. Critical control points of product safety have been identified and scientifically substantiated. The technological process to prepare pastila and marmalade involves exposing the raw materials to high and low temperatures while maintaining certain indicators of the content of dry substances. The identification feature of marmalade products is the content of a certain type of fruit raw materials, which poses risks throughout the life cycle of product manufacturing despite the fact that the preparation and storage of the raw materials implies the temperature range from 0 °C to minus 15 °C. Problematic issues of mold occurrence have been considered. It was established that the moisture content in the product above 15 % leads to an increase in the content of mold fungi and significantly reduces its shelf life. This paper gives the results of a study to identify the preservation of vitamin C in products prepared from fresh berries and from berries subjected to freezing. It was revealed that in the process of storing the raw materials at a temperature of minus 15 °C, the amount of vitamin C in the resulting product decreased by 11.3 % compared to the product prepared from fresh raw materials. The maximum limit of the high preparation temperatures of 108 °C did not significantly affect the loss of vitamin C. Studies were conducted to determine the sugar content in products whereby a high fructose content was identified. Critical control points at all stages of production were determined, which has made it possible to choose the optimal technological modes and parameters for the safety and quality of the product

A lack of repeatability creates the illusion of a trade-off between basal and plastic cold tolerance

The thermotolerance-plasticity trade-off hypothesis predicts that ectotherms with greater basal thermal tolerance have a lower acclimation capacity. This hypothesis has been tested at both high and low temperatures but the results often conflict. If basal tolerance constrains plasticity (e.g. through shared mechanisms that create physiological constraints), it should be evident at the level of the individual, provided the trait measured is repeatable. Here, we used chill-coma onset temperature and chill-coma recovery time (CCO and CCRT; non-lethal thermal limits) to quantify cold tolerance of Drosophila melanogaster across two trials (pre- and post-acclimation). Cold acclimation improved cold tolerance, as expected, but individual measurements of CCO and CCRT in non-acclimated flies were not (or only slightly) repeatable. Surprisingly, however, there was still a strong correlation between basal tolerance and plasticity in cold-acclimated flies. We argue that this relationship is a statistical artefact (specifically, a manifestation of regression to the mean; RTM) and does not reflect a true trade-off or physiological constraint. Thermal tolerance trade-off patterns in previous studies that used similar methodology are thus likely to be impacted by RTM. Moving forward, controlling and/or correcting for RTM effects is critical to determining whether such a trade-off or physiological constraint truly exists.

Rheological Evaluation of Modified Bitumen by EVA and Crumb Rubber Using RSM Optimization

In the present study, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and crumb rubber (CR) were used as bitumen modifiers. The experiment was designed by response surface methodology (RSM) at different levels of modifier additives based on the central composite design (CCD). Next, the Superpave protocol was followed to evaluate the modified bitumen performance at different temperatures compared with the unmodified bitumen. In this regard, to evaluate at high temperatures, a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) test was performed, and G ∗ /sinδ index was examined on bitumen samples after aging. Besides, the bending beam rheometer (BBR) test was performed to evaluate the low-temperature behaviour of the modified bitumen according to the SHRP standard based on the creep stiffness and creep rate. The optimal combination of additives was evaluated using RSM and analysis of statistical values to improve the performance properties of bitumen at high and low temperatures. Moreover, based on the DSR and BBR test results, 5.6% of EVA and 3.9% of CR were selected as the optimal values for the modified bitumen behaviour at the high and low temperatures of the mixture.

Temperature and Exports: Evidence from the United States

This paper estimates the effect of exogenous short-term temperature changes on the economy of the United States, using high-resolution data on monthly exports which has not been previously exploited in the literature. The detailed disaggregation of U.S. export data into sectors enables a top-down estimation of the net effect of temperature, while also identifying potential mechanisms at the micro level. Using an econometric specification which allows high parametric flexibility, I find significantly negative effects of both high and low temperatures. The magnitude of the effects corresponds to an average reduction of annual U.S. exports by 0.20%, following a uniform 2 $$^{\circ }$$ ∘ C temperature increase. Industry heterogeneity in the temperature effect suggests disparate mechanisms behind hot and cold days, which are important to take into account when estimating the future economic damages of climate change in the United States.

Ambient Temperature and Food Behavior of Consumer: A Case Study of China

Human behaviors are believed to be sensitive to environmental conditions. However, little is known about the role of temperature in individual daily behaviors. We examine the links between temperature and food intake using nearly one million purchasing records from China. The results show that a 1-degree Celsius increase in temperature would cause a 0.11% decrease in food intake, which amounts to 4.2 million U.S. dollars of daily food expenditures nationwide. Moreover, females appear to be more sensitive to the temperature in their food intake than males. Besides, we observe a U-shaped relationship between the temperature and the willingness to order a take-out online, and this observation is robust under multiple alternative estimations. Our results indicate that a higher temperature would reduce energy demand for body thermoregulation, resulting in less food intake. Both extreme high and low temperatures can cause disutility. Therefore, the consumers who still want to satisfy their needs for food intake feel compelled to alter their willingness to pay under the extreme temperature events. The quantitative analysis can provide helpful references for modeling the climate-consumer relationship in the IAM model. Thus, it is an interesting avenue for future research to bridge the climate and consumers to identify welfare loss and inequality due to climate change.