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Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are a cornerstone technology driving transportation electrification and renewable energy storage systems [...]

Smart window is an attractive option for efficient heat management to minimize energy consumption and improve indoor living comfort owing to their optical properties of adjusting sunlight. To effectively improve the sunlight modulation and heat management capability of smart windows, here, we propose a co-assembly strategy to fabricate the electrochromic and thermochromic smart windows with tunable components and ordered structures for the dynamic regulation of solar radiation. Firstly, to enhance both illumination and cooling efficiency in electrochromic windows, the aspect ratio and mixed type of Au nanorods are tuned to selectively absorb the near-infrared wavelength range of 760 to 1360 nm. Furthermore, when assembled with electrochromic W 18 O 49 nanowires in the colored state, the Au nanorods exhibit a synergistic effect, resulting in a 90% reduction of near-infrared light and a corresponding 5 °C cooling effect under 1-sun irradiation. Secondly, to extend the fixed response temperature value to a wider range of 30–50 °C in thermochromic windows, the doping amount and mixed type of W-VO 2 nanowires are carefully regulated. Last but not the least, the ordered assembly structure of the nanowires can greatly reduce the level of haze and enhance visibility in the windows. Smart windows offer more efficient sunlight modulation and heat management. Here, the authors propose a co-assembly strategy to produce smart windows that combine electrochromic and thermochromic functions with tunable components and ordered structures for dynamic solar radiation regulation.

The global spread of SARS-CoV-2 is posing major public health challenges. One feature of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is the insertion of multi-basic residues at the S1/S2 subunit cleavage site. Here, we find that the virus with intact spike (Sfull) preferentially enters cells via fusion at the plasma membrane, whereas a clone (Sdel) with deletion disrupting the multi-basic S1/S2 site utilizes an endosomal entry pathway. Using Sdel as model, we perform a genome-wide CRISPR screen and identify several endosomal entry-specific regulators. Experimental validation of hits from the CRISPR screen shows that host factors regulating the surface expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) affect entry of Sfull virus. Animal-to-animal transmission with the Sdel virus is reduced compared to Sfull in the hamster model. These findings highlight the critical role of the S1/S2 boundary of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in modulating virus entry and transmission and provide insights into entry of coronaviruses. The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein contains a multi-basic cleavage site. Here, the authors show how this multi-basic cleavage site affects entry of SARS-CoV-2 into cells and transmission in the hamster model and identify host factors affecting entry of SARS-CoV-2 in a genome-wide CRISPR screen.

Surface solar radiation (Rs) is essential to climate studies. Thanks to long-term records from the Advanced Very High-Resolution Radiometers (AVHRR), the recent release of International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) HXG cloud products provide a promising opportunity for building long-term Rs data with high resolutions (3 h and 10 km). In this study, we compare three satellite Rs products based on AVHRR cloud products over China from 1983 to 2017 with direct observations of Rs and sunshine duration (SunDu)-derived Rs. The results show that SunDu-derived Rs have higher accuracy than the direct observed Rs at time scales of a month or longer by comparing with the satellite Rs products. SunDu-derived Rs is available from the 1960s at more than 2000 stations over China, which provides reliable decadal estimations of Rs. However, the three AVHRR-based satellite Rs products have significant biases in quantifying the trend of Rs from 1983 to 2016 (−4.28 W/m2/decade to 2.56 W/m2/decade) due to inhomogeneity in satellite cloud products and the lack of information on atmospheric aerosol optical depth. To adjust the inhomogeneity of the satellite Rs products, we propose a geographically weighted regression fusion method (HGWR) to merge ISCCP-HXG Rs with SunDu-derived Rs. The merged Rs product over China from 1983 to 2017 with a spatial resolution of 10 km produces nearly the same trend as that of the SunDu-derived Rs. This study makes a first attempt to adjust the inhomogeneity of satellite Rs products and provides the merged high-resolution Rs product from 1983 to 2017 over China, which can be downloaded freely.

Perovskites with exsolved nanoparticles (P-eNs) have immense potentials for carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) reduction in solid oxide electrolysis cell. Despite the recent achievements in promoting the B-site cation exsolution for enhanced catalytic activities, the unsatisfactory stability of P-eNs at high voltages greatly impedes their practical applications and this issue has not been elucidated. In this study, we reveal that the formation of B-site vacancies in perovskite scaffold is the major contributor to the degradation of P-eNs; we then address this issue by fine-regulating the B-site supplement of the reduced Sr 2 Fe 1.3 Ni 0.2 Mo 0.5 O 6- δ using foreign Fe sources, achieving a robust perovskite scaffold and prolonged stability performance. Furthermore, the degradation mechanism from the perspective of structure stability of perovskite has also been proposed to understand the origins of performance deterioration. The B-site supplement endows P-eNs with the capability to become appealing electrocatalysts for CO 2 reduction and more broadly, for other energy storage and conversion systems. The instability of perovskites with exsolved nanoparticles for CO 2 electrocatalysis impedes their practical applications. Here, the authors show the formation of B-site vacancies in perovskite substrate as a major contributor to the degradation and report a strategy to enhance the stability of the perovskites at high voltages.

Precise genetic modifications in model organisms are essential for biomedical research. The recent development of PAM-less base editors makes it possible to assess the functional impact and pathogenicity of nucleotide mutations in animals. Here we first optimize SpG and SpRY systems in zebrafish by purifying protein combined with synthetically modified gRNA. SpG shows high editing efficiency at NGN PAM sites, whereas SpRY efficiently edit PAM-less sites in the zebrafish genome. Then, we generate the SpRY-mediated cytosine base editor SpRY-CBE4max and SpRY-mediated adenine base editor zSpRY-ABE8e. Both target relaxed PAM with up to 96% editing efficiency and high product purity. With these tools, some previously inaccessible disease-relevant genetic variants are generated in zebrafish, supporting the utility of high-resolution targeting across genome-editing applications. Our study significantly improves CRISPR-Cas targeting in the genomic landscape of zebrafish, promoting the application of this model organism in revealing gene function, physiological mechanisms, and disease pathogenesis. The recent development of PAM-less base editors makes it possible to assess the functional impact and pathogenicity of nucleotide mutations in animals. Here the authors show that SpG and SpRY could edit NGN and NNN PAMs in zebrafish using the purified protein with synthetically modified gRNA, respectively.

Using Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-based markers to screen populations at high risk for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an attractive preventive approach. Here, we develop a comprehensive risk score (CRS) that combines risk effects of EBV and human genetics for NPC risk stratification and validate this CRS within an independent, population-based dataset. Comparing the top decile with the bottom quintile of CRSs, the odds ratio of developing NPC is 21 (95% confidence interval: 12–37) in the validation dataset. When combining the top quintile of CRS with EBV serology tests currently used for NPC screening in southern China, the positive prediction value of screening increases from 4.70% (serology test alone) to 43.24% (CRS plus serology test). By identifying individuals at a monogenic level of NPC risk, this CRS approach provides opportunities for personalized risk prediction and population screening in endemic areas for the early diagnosis and secondary prevention of NPC. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with high risk for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Here, the authors develop a comprehensive risk score that combines risk effects of EBV and human genetics for NPC risk stratification.

The hot spot effect is an important factor that affects the power generation performance and service life in the power generation process. To solve the problems of low detection efficiency, low accuracy, and difficulty of distributed hot spot detection, a hot spot detection method using a photovoltaic module based on the distributed fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor is proposed. The FBG sensor array was pasted on the surface of the photovoltaic panel, and the drift of the FBG reflected wavelength was demodulated by the tunable laser method, wavelength division multiplexing technology, and peak seeking algorithm. The experimental results show that the proposed method can detect the temperature of the photovoltaic panel in real time and can identify and locate the hot spot effect of the photovoltaic cell. Under the condition of no wind or light wind, the wave number and variation rule of photovoltaic module temperature value, environmental temperature value, and solar radiation power value were basically consistent. When the solar radiation power fluctuated, the fluctuation of hot spot cell temperature was greater than that of the normal photovoltaic cell. As the solar radiation power decreased to a certain value, the temperatures of all photovoltaic cells tended to be similar.

Salamanders serve as important tetrapod models for developmental, regeneration and evolutionary studies. An extensive molecular toolkit makes the Mexican axolotl ( Ambystoma mexicanum ) a key representative salamander for molecular investigations. Here we report the sequencing and assembly of the 32-gigabase-pair axolotl genome using an approach that combined long-read sequencing, optical mapping and development of a new genome assembler (MARVEL). We observed a size expansion of introns and intergenic regions, largely attributable to multiplication of long terminal repeat retroelements. We provide evidence that intron size in developmental genes is under constraint and that species-restricted genes may contribute to limb regeneration. The axolotl genome assembly does not contain the essential developmental gene Pax3 . However, mutation of the axolotl Pax3 paralogue Pax7 resulted in an axolotl phenotype that was similar to those seen in Pax3 −/− and Pax7 −/− mutant mice. The axolotl genome provides a rich biological resource for developmental and evolutionary studies. Sequencing and assembly of the 32-Gb genome of the Mexican axolotl reveals that it lacks the developmental gene Pax3 , which is essential in other vertebrates; the genome sequence could improve our understanding of the evolution of the axolotl’s remarkable regenerative capabilities. Axolotl genome sequence Elly Tanaka, Eugene Myers and colleagues report the genome sequence of the axolotl, a model organism for developmental, regeneration and evolutionary studies. To sequence and assemble this large and complex genome, the authors used a combination of long- and short-read sequencing, optical mapping and a new genome assembly pipeline, MARVEL, optimized for long-read sequencing of complex genomes. The genome assembly shows an expansion of long terminal repeat retroelements and the presence of a large HoxA cluster, but also a reduction in the number of Pax-family genes in the genome of this popular salamander.

To solve the problems of low detection efficiency and inability to adapt to distributed measurement in traditional detection methods, a water temperature field detection system based on a fiber Bragg grating string was designed. In this system, six fiber Bragg gratings with different center wavelengths are connected in series on a single fiber optic cable based on wavelength division multiplexing technology. The fiber Bragg grating string is encapsulated in stainless steel tube and vertically fixed in the measured water body of the fish pond. The space division multiplexing technology is employed to collect information from multiple fiber Bragg grating strings. Water temperature measurement experiments were conducted in the summer pond environment. The experimental results show that the daily variation curve of temperature in each water layer of the fish pond is relatively smooth and approximates a cosine function with a 24-hour period. In summer, the daily average water temperature in the pond is no more than 1°C higher than the average air temperature. The difference between the maximum and the minimum water temperature is approximately 2°C. During the daytime, the temperature gradually decreases from the surface to the deeper water layers, whereas at night, the temperature variation among the water layers is minimal. As depth increases, the amplitude of the water temperature curve oscillations gradually decreases, exhibiting exponential decay. However, the peak time gradually lags behind. There is a correlation between the temperatures of the water layers in the fish pond, and the smaller the distance between the water layers, the stronger the correlation. The experimental results obtained in this study are highly significant for real-time services in aquatic planting and aquaculture. Additionally, this measurement method can provide valuable reference and guidance for measuring temperature fields in other fluids.