New study uncovers brain damage progression in Alzheimer's disease
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 10-Jul-2025 08:10 ET (10-Jul-2025 12:10 GMT/UTC)
To address the limitations of conventional energy systems and optimize the energy conversion pathways and efficiency, a type of “five-in-one” multifunctional phase-change composite with magnetothermal, electrothermal, solar-thermal, and thermoelectric energy conversion and electromagnetic shielding functions is developed for multipurpose applications. Such a novel phase-change composite is fabricated by an innovative combination of paraffin wax (PW) as a phase-change material and a carbonized polyimide/Kevlar/graphene oxide@ZIF-67 complex aerogel as a supporting material. The carbonized complex aerogel exhibits a unique bidirectional porous structure with high porosity and robust skeleton to support the loading of PW. The reduced graphene oxide and CoNC resulting from high-temperature carbonization are anchored on the aerogel skeleton to generate high thermal conduction and magnetic effect, enhancing the phonon and electron transfer of the aerogel and improving its energy conversion efficiency. The phase-change composite not only exhibits excellent solar-thermal, thermoelectric, electrothermal, and magnetothermal energy conversion performance, but also achieves high electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness of 66.2 dB in the X-band. The introduction of PW significantly improves the thermal energy-storage capacity during multi-energy conversion. The developed composite exhibits great application potential for efficient solar energy utilization, sustainable power generation, outdoor deicing, human thermal therapy, and electronic device protection.
High-performance Ti3C2Tx fibers have garnered significant potential for smart fibers enabled fabrics. Nonetheless, a major challenge hindering their widespread use is the lack of strong interlayer interactions between Ti3C2Tx nanosheets within fibers, which restricts their properties. Herein, a versatile strategy is proposed to construct wet-spun Ti3C2Tx fibers, in which trace amounts of borate form strong interlayer crosslinking between Ti3C2Tx nanosheets to significantly enhance interactions as supported by density functional theory calculations, thereby reducing interlayer spacing, diminishing microscopic voids and promoting orientation of the nanosheets. The resultant Ti3C2Tx fibers exhibit exceptional electrical conductivity of 7781 S cm-1 and mechanical properties, including tensile strength of 188.72 MPa and Young’s modulus of 52.42 GPa. Notably, employing equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, finite element analysis, and cross-wire geometry method, it is revealed that such crosslinking also effectively lowers interfacial thermal resistance and ultimately elevates thermal conductivity of Ti3C2Tx fibers to 13 W m-1 K-1, marking the first systematic study on thermal conductivity of Ti3C2Tx fibers. The simple and efficient interlayer crosslinking enhancement strategy not only enables the construction of thermal conductivity Ti3C2Tx fibers with high electrical conductivity for smart textiles, but also offers a scalable approach for assembling other nanomaterials into multifunctional fibers.
Researchers at Harbin Institute of Technology and Singapore Management University have developed LR-GCN, an advanced AI method that significantly improves how artificial intelligence handles incomplete data. By learning to recognize hidden patterns and connections, LR-GCN increases AI accuracy by up to 17% in predicting missing information, helping AI systems make better decisions in real-world scenarios.
Dynamic-EC, developed by researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, introduces a smarter approach to blockchain storage by using real-time risk assessment to drastically lower costs and improve performance.
Abstract
Purpose – This paper originally proposed the fuzzy option pricing method for green bonds. Based on the requirements of arbitrage equilibrium, this paper draws on Merton's corporate bond option pricing model.
Design/methodology/approach – Describing the asset value behavior of green bond issuing enterprises through diffusion-jump processes to reflect the uncertainty brought by carbon emission reduction policies and technologies, using approximation methods to get the analytical pricing formula and then, using a fuzzification technique of Choquet expectation under λ-additive fuzzy measures after considering fuzzy factors, the paper provides fuzzy intervals for the parity coupon rates of green bonds with different subjective levels for investors.
Findings – The paper proposes and argues the classical and fuzzy option pricing methods in turn for both corporate ordinary bonds and green bonds, considering carbon risk or climate risk. It implements the scenario analysis varying with industry emission standards and discusses the sensitiveness of the related key parameters of the option.
Practical implications – The fuzzy option pricing for the green bonds provides the scope of the variable equilibrium values, operational theoretical supports and some policy implications of carbon reduction and promoting green funding.
Originality/value – The logic of introducing the fuzziness of the option pricing for the green bonds lies with considering the existence of fuzzy information about the project supported by the green bond and the subjectivity of investors and it also responds to changes in technological uncertainty and policy uncertainty in the process of “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.”