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This study aims to evaluate the thermal performance of sodium alginate (SA) aerogel attached to nano SiO₂ and its radiative cooling effect on firefighting clothing without environmental pollution.

SA/SiO₂ aerogel with refractory heat insulation and enhanced radiative cooling performance was fabricated by freeze-drying method, which can be used in firefighting clothing. The microstructure, chemical composition, thermal stability, and thermal emissivity were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analyzer and infrared emissivity measurement instrument. The radiative cooling effect of aerogel was studied using thermal infrared imager and thermocouple.

When the addition of SiO₂ is 25% of SA, the prepared aerogel has excellent heat insulation and a high radiative cooling effect. Under a clear sky, the temperature of SA/SiO₂ aerogel is 9.4°C lower than that of pure SA aerogel and 22.1°C lower than that of the simulated environment. In addition, aerogel has more exceptional heat insulation effect than other common fabrics in the heat insulation performance test.

SA/SiO₂ aerogel has passive radiative cooling function, which can efficaciously economize global energy, and it is paramount to environment-friendly cooling.

This method could pave the way for high-performance cooling materials designed for firefighting clothing to keep maintain the wearing comfort of firefighters.

SA/SiO₂ aerogel used in firefighting clothing can release heat to the low-temperature outer space in the form of thermal radiation to achieve its own cooling purpose, without additional energy supply.

This study aims to fabricate a multifunctional electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding composite fabric with simultaneous high-efficiency photothermal conversion and Joule heating performances.

A multifunctional polypyrrole (PPy) hydrogel/multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/cotton EMI shielding composite fabric (hereafter denoted as PHMC) was prepared by loading MWCNT onto tannin-treated cotton fabric, followed by in situ crosslinking-polymerization to synthesize three-dimensional (3D) conductive networked PPy hydrogel on the surface of MWCNT-coated cotton fabric.

Benefiting from the unique interconnected 3D networked conductive structure of PPy hydrogel, the obtained PHMC exhibited a high EMI-shielding effectiveness vale of 48 dB (the absorbing electromagnetic wave accounted for 84%) within a large frequency range (8.2–12.4 GHz). Moreover, the temperature of the laminated fabric reached 54°C within 900 s under 15 V, and it required more than 100 s to return to room temperature (28.7°C). When the light intensity was adjusted to 150 mW/cm², the PHMC temperature was about 38.2°C after lighting for 900 s, indicating high-efficiency electro-photothermal effect function.

This paper provides a novel strategy for designing a type of multifunctional EMI shielding composite fabric with great promise for wearable smart garments, EMI shielding and personal heating applications.

This paper aims to investigate the dyeability of tussah silk fabric with lotus seedpod extract as the source of nontoxic and eco-friendly dyestuffs and functional agent.

Mordant free dyeing method was carried out using citric acid (CA) as the cross-linking agent to link the fibre and dye molecules. First, the natural pigment of oligomeric procyanidins was extracted from the lotus seedpod and then used to dye the tussah silk fabric. After the dyeing process, the dyed samples were treated with CA solution under different concentrations to improve the colour fastness.

The tussah silk fabric was successfully coloured in reddish brown through the dyeing process and charactered by using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy spectrometer. Moreover, lotus seedpod extract could impart excellent UV protection ability to the dyed samples, and UPF values reached up to 2000. CA dosage influenced the colour characteristics, UV protection and anti-wrinkling performance. The optimum dosage of CA was 7% (Wt.%). In addition, dyed silk fabric showed good antibacterial activity and the calculated bacteriostatic rate against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were 83.27 and 60.2%, respectively.

This bio-dyeing strategy provided a simple and effective method for sustainable tussah silk fabric dyeing process.

This paper provides a novel dyeing strategy for mordant free dyeing and functionalization of tussah silk fabric, with lotus seedpod extract as natural pigment and CA as cross-linking agent to link the fibre and dye molecules.

China has showed its eagerness in using its economic strength in the very recent years. Is China going to be a major sanctioning state like the United States or the European Union? This chapter argues that although there have been an increasing number of economic sanctions imposed by China with its expanding national interests and growing diplomatic problems, China will still keep a low profile in using economic sanctions because of the restraining factors such as the WTO rules, inherent problems in its economy, the pursuit of a good reputation and its strategy of peaceful development. Thus the frequency and tactics of using economic sanctions may vary according to its rising economy and changing international situation, but that will go in a very limited way.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has made telecommuting widely valued, but different individuals have different degrees of acceptance of telecommuting. This article aims to identify suitable individuals for telework and to clarify which types of workers are suitable for what level of telework, set scientific, reasonable hybrid work ratios and processes and measure their suitability.

First, two working scenarios of different risk levels were established, and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) was used to introduce latent variables, constructing a multi-indicator multi-causal model (MIMIC) to identify suitable individuals, and second, constructing an integrated choice and latent variable (ICLV) model of the working method to determine the suitability of different types of people for telework by calculating their selection probabilities.

It is possible to clearly distinguish between two types of suitable individuals for telework or traditional work. Their behavior is significantly influenced by the work environment, which is influenced by variables such as age, income, attitude, perceived behavioral control, work–family balance and personnel exposure level. In low-risk scenarios, the influencing factors of the behavioral model for both types of people are relatively consistent, while in high-risk scenarios, significant differences arise. Furthermore, the suitability of telework for the telework-suitable group is less affected by the pandemic, while the suitability for the non-suitable group is greatly affected.

This study contributes to previous literature by: (1) determining the suitability of different population types for telework by calculating the probability of selection, (2) dividing telework and traditional populations into two categories, identifying the differences in factors that affect telework under different epidemic risks and (3) considering the impact of changes in the work scenario on the suitability of telework for employees and classifying the population based on the suitability of telework in order to avoid the potential negative impact of telework.

This purpose of this paper is to design a peg-in-hole controller for a cable-driven serial robot with compliant wrist (CDSR-CW) using cable tensions and joint positions. The peg is connected to the robot link through a CW. It is required that the controller does not rely on any external sensors such as 6-axis wrist force/torque (F/T) sensor, and only the compliance matrix’s estimated value of the CW is known.

First, the peg-in-hole assembly system based on a CDSR-CW is analyzed. Second, a characterization algorithm using micro cable tensions and joint positions to express the elastic F/T at the CW is established. Next, under the premise of only knowing the compliance matrix’s estimate, a peg-in-hole controller based on force/position hybrid control is proposed.

The experiment results show that the plug contact F/T can be tracked well. This verifies the validity and correctness of the characterization algorithm and peg-in-hole controller for CDSR-CWs in this paper.

First, to the authors’ knowledge, there is no relevant work about the peg-in-hole assembly task using a CDSR-CW. Besides, the proposed characterization algorithm for the elastic F/T makes the peg-in-hole controller get rid of the dependence on the F/T sensor, which expands the application scenarios of the peg-in-hole controller. Finally, the controller does not require an accurate compliance matrix, which also increases its applicability.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a planner for finding an optimal assembly sequence for robots to assemble objects. Each manipulated object in the optimal sequence is stable during assembly. They are easy to grasp and robust to motion uncertainty.

The input to the planner is the mesh models of the objects, the relative poses between the objects in the assembly and the final pose of the assembly. The output is an optimal assembly sequence, namely, in which order should one assemble the objects, from which directions should the objects be dropped and candidate grasps of each object. The proposed planner finds the optimal solution by automatically permuting, evaluating and searching the possible assembly sequences considering stability, graspability and assemblability qualities.

The proposed planner could plan an optimal sequence to guide robots to do assembly using translational motion. The sequence provides initial and goal configurations to motion planning algorithms and is ready to be used by robots. The usefulness of the proposed method is verified by both simulation and real-world executions.

The paper proposes an assembly planner which can find an optimal assembly sequence automatically without teaching of the assembly orders and directions by skilled human technicians. The planner is highly expected to improve teachingless robotic manufacturing.