The diversification of electrochromic materials greatly expands the application fields of electrochromic devices. However, highly flexible electrochromic materials remain challenging due to the inherent limitations associated with the existing electrochromic processes. Inspired by the hydrogen bonding effect in the hydrogel structure, a highly elastic and bistable electrochromic ionic gel based on a hydrogen bonding cross-linking network is prepared by solution polymerization having excellent tensile resilience, uniform coloring, reversible switching (≤24.3 s), maximum transmittance change (≥80%), bistability (54 h), reversibility (>500 cycles), and coloration efficiency (≥85.3 cm2·C–1). This method has been used to develop bistable electrochromic displays. The unconventional exploration of the bistable design principle may provide a new idea for the realization of bistable electrochromic devices.

A novel polymer microcapsule-filled dye-doped liquid crystal (DDLC) and phase-change material (PCM) system inspired by biological materials was first proposed, which was further encapsulated into a calcium alginate substrate by wet spinning for making an electrochromic fiber with both bistable electric–optical capability and knitting characteristics. Results show that the optical appearance of the optimized microcapsules and fiber can be reversibly changed between colored and colorless states according to the electric field by switching the DDLCs between isotropic (I) and anisotropic (A) states. Moreover, both I and A states can remain stable for more than 1 week after removing the electric field, due to the synergy of the greatly increased spatial hindrance of the PCM with core loading of 22.58% and the confinement effect from the polymer microcapsule shell material. Aside from the long-term optical stability, the high content of the densely packed DDLCs also endows the electrochromic fiber with a satisfactory driving voltage of 9.7 V, which is below the human safe voltage, showing great potential in a wide range of applications, such as flexible displays, energy-saving smart windows, and wearable advanced textiles.

N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) plays a key role in regulating gene expression in myriad organisms. Diapause is an important plastic phenotype that allows insects to survive under specific environmental conditions. However, the diapause molecular mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we analyzed the phylogenetics of genes related to the m6A modification complex in the silkworm (Bombyx mori) based on identified sequences from other organisms. We detected the expression of these genes during different developmental phases from four strains with different voltinism. We also determined total m6A content in cells treated with different diapause hormone concentrations or eggs exposed to hydrochloric acid. Our data revealed that m6A‐modification‐related gene expression and m6A content were greater in diapause‐destinated compared to nondiapause‐destined strains. Our findings suggest that m6A modification may provide significant epigenetic regulation of diapause‐related genes in the silkworm.

Based on the research basis of single-layer cross-shaped frequency selective fabrics, the electromagnetic transmission characteristics of double-layer and three-layer cross-shaped frequency selective fabrics were explored in this paper. The frequency selective fabrics with different multilayer structures and specific-sized conductive units were designed, and then prepared by the computer engraving method and tested using the free-space method. The results show that the single-layer sample is less affected by the polarization mode of the electromagnetic wave, while the effect of the incidence angle is slightly larger. For the frequency selective fabric samples with the same frequency selective surface layers, the frequency selective characteristics of the double-layer samples are more ideal than those of the single-layer samples, while the electromagnetic loss of the three-layer samples is large and the narrow-band transmission characteristic is weakened. For the frequency selective fabric samples with the complementary frequency selective surface layers, the double-layer sample mainly shows band-pass characteristics and the narrow-band transmission characteristics are better than the single-layer sample. The three-layer sample of ‘patch + aperture + patch’ presents band-pass characteristics, and the ‘aperture + patch + aperture’ sample generates resonance at multiple frequency points, but the resonance peaks are all less than –10.00 dB, meaning that the sample presents full shielding characteristics in the test frequency band. The equivalent circuit model was built to explore the electromagnetic transmission mechanism, revealing the fabric type and structure, and the conductive unit type and size will affect the equivalent impedance of the frequency selective fabrics, thus further influencing the electromagnetic transmission characteristics.

Diapause is an important characteristic of insects used to adapt to extreme changes in environmental conditions. Embryonic diapause of the bivoltine silkworm (Bombyx mori) is determined by environmental conditions experienced by the mother while in the embryo stage. If they are incubated at 25°C with natural light, their progenies will be diapause‐destined. If they are incubated at 17°C in darkness, their progenies will be non‐diapause‐destined. The molecular mechanism of diapause remains unknown. In the present study, we analyzed two downregulated genes (BGIBMGA003835, BGIBMGA012335) and two upregulated genes (BGIBMG012996, BGIBMG002426) related to carbohydrate metabolism, verified differentially expressed in ovaries and heads of 1‐day‐old fifth‐instar larvae to 6‐day pupae by quantitative real‐time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). In line with published data, the expression level of these genes in larvae were generally lower than in pupae. We further analyzed the expression levels of the four genes in BmN cells that had been treated with various concentrations of diapause hormone (DH). It demonstrated that the expression of these genes was affected by DH. Knockdown of the selected genes in non‐diapause‐destined female pupae changed the fate of the progeny from non‐diapause‐ to daipause‐destined, as seen by the appearance of diapause eggs. Our study provides insight into the molecular mechanism of diapause in B. mori.