Material That Talks:Material Use of Architectural Surface in Semiotic Implications

According to the language of post-modern architecture which Charles Jencks proposed in the 1980s,form has been very crucial for architectural language expression.However,many suggestions also imply that the material which is deployed for building is also significant in the linguistic expression of architecture.Based on this consideration,the material use of architecture will also contain semiotic implications,whether for architects or for social consensus.How the material talks and what it says are two questions that need to be clarified.To answer these two questions,some empirical works in architecture will be examined to reveal the messages which could be delivered in architectural materials.Before this,semiotic debates in architecture will be reviewed.Then,two empirical works,one in the West and one in the East,will be considered particularly for their material deployments on the surface(façade).Since the architectural surface is the most tangible part of architecture in terms of material use,the surfaces of both projects will be discussed in detail with their implications and the atmospheres which the materials formulated and created.This paper will conclude with a consideration of the possible implications from these projects and also the different expressions of material use,which will help us to rethink the expression of the material use of architectural surface.

Hybrid Architecture:A Studio-Based Pedagogical Framework for Digital Architectural Design

This article intends to bring a new perspective to the discussion of how studio-based education in architectural studies can improve its quality by embedding meta-tools as paradigmatic frameworks as a learning/teaching strategy.The newly emerging creative and collaborative digital design tools and systems led to the re-shaping and re-definition of the traditional studio-based teaching/learning processes.The shift does not only comprise of a newly gained ability of using“design toolkits”,but also has substantial cognitive and pedagogical implications.The paper presents,describes and discusses the application of a new pedagogical approach through the application of a novel knowledge framework,that has been used in the teaching of DAD(Digital Architectural Design)in the context of a master’s level course.

Application of Fair-faced Concrete Material in Architectural Design

With the development of the society,the function of the building also becomes rich from single refuge,and modern architects can’t satisfy the pursuit of traditional architectural form,and design goal is transformed into emphasizing the dialogue between architecture and people,architecture and emotions,and architecture and environment.As a kind of new building materials,fair-faced concrete expresses almost any emotion and meets people’s emotional needs with its excellent structural performance and good plasticity.In this paper,the characteristics,expressive force and application of fair-faced concrete are studied and analyzed,and the application and development prospect of fair-faced concrete in architectural design are summarized.

Application of Energy-Saving Materials in Architectural Design

The conventional process of building construction is associated with issues such as the waste of construction materials and environmental pollution.Sustainable development highlights the importance of energy conservation and eco-friendly practices.It is essential to use energy-efficient and green materials in building designs to ensure the healthy growth of construction companies.This article discusses the advantages and principles of incorporating energy-saving materials in architectural design.It examines the strategies and critical control points for using energy-saving materials in architectural design,offering guidance for the sustainable development of the construction industry.

Architectural Design and Urban Planning in the New Situation

Under the influence of the world economy,China’s economic development is very rapid,the people’s living standards have been greatly improved,and the urbanization process has been accelerated.As a part of urban planning,architecture plays an important role in urban planning and construction,so urban planning must be combined with the future development goals of the city,develop in an all-round way,strengthen architectural design,ensure the consistency of urban planning and architectural design,and create a good environment for urban development.Therefore,this paper analyzes the relationship between architectural design and urban planning under the new situation,clarifies the relationship between architectural design and urban planning,and strengthens urban construction.

Digital Application of BIM Technology in the Architectural Design Stage

This paper discusses the digital application of building information model(BIM)technology in the architectural design stage.Taking the large-scale comprehensive development project of Guangxi headquarters base as an example,this paper analyzes in detail how BIM technology promotes the intelligence and refinement of the design process.Through the threedimensional modeling and simulation analysis of BIM technology,the project design has realized the accurate transformation from concept to operation,which not only improves the design efficiency,but also ensures the construction quality and economic benefits.This paper focuses on the application of BIM in the digital design of building structure,the deepening design of steel nodes,as well as the remarkable results in the comprehensive layout optimization of mechanical and electrical pipelines.Through the collision detection and optimization design of the BIM model,the potential design conflicts and construction problems were found and solved at the initial stage of the project,ensuring the efficient promotion and smooth implementation of the project.The research results show that BIM technology,as the core digital tool in the architectural design stage,is of great significance for improving the overall design level of the construction industry and realizing intelligent construction.

Application Strategies of the Bracket Set in Modern Architectural Design

The Bracket Set(dougong)is an important aspect of traditional Chinese architecture known for its exquisite structure,complexity,and rich variations.This design element has been used since the Qin and Han Dynasties and is still prevalent today.It highlights hierarchy and spiritual connotations in the design of a building.This article explores the application of Bracket Set elements in modern architectural design.It analyzes the specific application strategies of this design element,highlighting its value in modern architecture.The goal is to provide modern architectural designers with multiple perspectives and strategies to fully utilize the advantages of Bracket Set elements in architectural design and enhance the artistic value of their work.

Study on Traditional Architectural Decoration Patterns of Temple of the Three Sus

Temple of the Three Sus,which was first established during the Yuan Dynasty,features a natural,unrestrained,and classically elegant garden architectural style.This paper discusses the multiple characteristics and meanings of traditional architectural decorative patterns at Temple of the Three Sus from a semiotic perspective.First,it analyzes the denotative aspects of these patterns,including their stylistic forms,structural frameworks,and craftsmanship techniques.Second,the paper classifies the traditional architectural decorative patterns of the Temple of the Three Sus based on the types of sources of these patterns and interprets the implied meanings of each.Finally,the paper explores the application of these traditional decorative patterns in modern urban design,specifically in Meishan City,discussing the inheritance and innovation of these patterns in contemporary urban design and emphasizing the importance of integrating tradition with modernity.

Study on the Influencing Factors and Mechanisms of the Evolution of the Architectural Characteristics of Guangfu Ancestral Halls in the Ming and Qing Dynasties

This paper discusses ancestral hall architecture within the context of the Cantonese folk lineage in the Pearl River Delta.Using a typological research approach and chronological analysis,various factors that have influenced the evolution of ancestral hall architecture are analyzed.The study specifically investigates the features of ancestral halls during the Ming and Qing dynasties.Three periods of ancient China are analyzed:The transition from Ming to Qing,the mid-Qing dynasty,and the late Qing dynasty.The variables of each period and how they influence the evolution of architectural typological features are identified.Based on our analysis,architectural features are related to economic and social factors,materials available,and craftsmanship of the construction workers.

WPA1 encodes a vWA domain protein that regulates wheat plant architecture

Plant height,spike,leaf,stem and grain morphologies are key components of plant architecture and related to wheat yield.A wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)mutant,wpa1,displaying temperaturedependent pleiotropic developmental anomalies,was isolated.The WPA1 gene,encoding a von Willebrand factor type A(vWA)domain protein,was located on chromosome arm 7DS and isolated by map-based cloning.The functionality of WPA1 was validated by multiple independent EMS-induced mutants and gene editing.Phylogenetic analysis revealed that WPA1 is monocotyledon-specific in higher plants.The identification of WPA1 provides opportunity to study the temperature regulated wheat development and grain yield.

Evolutionary Neural Architecture Search and Its Applications in Healthcare

Most of the neural network architectures are based on human experience,which requires a long and tedious trial-and-error process.Neural architecture search(NAS)attempts to detect effective architectures without human intervention.Evolutionary algorithms(EAs)for NAS can find better solutions than human-designed architectures by exploring a large search space for possible architectures.Using multiobjective EAs for NAS,optimal neural architectures that meet various performance criteria can be explored and discovered efficiently.Furthermore,hardware-accelerated NAS methods can improve the efficiency of the NAS.While existing reviews have mainly focused on different strategies to complete NAS,a few studies have explored the use of EAs for NAS.In this paper,we summarize and explore the use of EAs for NAS,as well as large-scale multiobjective optimization strategies and hardware-accelerated NAS methods.NAS performs well in healthcare applications,such as medical image analysis,classification of disease diagnosis,and health monitoring.EAs for NAS can automate the search process and optimize multiple objectives simultaneously in a given healthcare task.Deep neural network has been successfully used in healthcare,but it lacks interpretability.Medical data is highly sensitive,and privacy leaks are frequently reported in the healthcare industry.To solve these problems,in healthcare,we propose an interpretable neuroevolution framework based on federated learning to address search efficiency and privacy protection.Moreover,we also point out future research directions for evolutionary NAS.Overall,for researchers who want to use EAs to optimize NNs in healthcare,we analyze the advantages and disadvantages of doing so to provide detailed guidance,and propose an interpretable privacy-preserving framework for healthcare applications.

Exploration of Graduate Student Cultivation Mode of Landscape Architecture under the Background of“Artificial Intelligence+X”

Under the background of“artificial intelligence+X”,the development of landscape architecture industry ushers in new opportunities,and professional talents need to be updated to meet the social demand.This paper analyzes the cultivation demand of landscape architecture graduate students in the context of the new era,and identifies the problems by comparing the original professional graduate training mode.The new cultivation mode of graduate students in landscape architecture is proposed,including updating the target orientation of the discipline,optimizing the teaching system,building a“dualteacher”tutor team,and improving the“industry-university-research-utilization”integrated cultivation,so as to cultivate high-quality compound talents with disciplinary characteristics.

Intelligent architecture modeling for multilevel fluvial reservoirs based on architecture interface and elements

At present,the architecture modeling method of fluvial reservoirs are still developing.Traditional methods usually use grids to characterize architecture interbeds within the reservoir.Due to the thin thickness of this type of the interlayers,the number of the model grids must be greatly expanded.The number of grids in the tens of millions often makes an expensive computation;however,upscaling the model will generate a misleading model.The above confusion is the major reason that restricts the largescale industrialization of fluvial reservoir architecture models in oilfield development and production.Therefore,this paper explores an intelligent architecture modeling method for multilevel fluvial reservoirs based on architecture interface and element.Based on the superpositional relationship of different architectural elements within the fluvial reservoir,this method uses a combination of multilevel interface constraints and non-uniform grid techniques to build a high-resolution 3D geological model for reservoir architecture.Through the grid upscaling technology of heterogeneous architecture elements,different upscaling densities are given to the lateral-accretion bedding and lateral-accretion bodies to simplify the model gridding.This new method greatly reduces the number of model grids while ensuring the accuracy of lateral-accretion bedding models,laying a foundation for large-scale numerical simulation of the subsequent industrialization of the architecture model.This method has been validated in A layer of X oilfield with meandering fluvial channel sands as reservoirs and B layer of Y oilfield with braided river sands as reservoirs.The simulation results show that it has a higher accuracy of production history matching and remaining oil distribution forecast of the targeted sand body.The numerical simulation results show that in the actual development process of oilfield,the injected water will not displace oil in a uniform diffusive manner as traditionally assumed,but in a more complex pattern with oil in upper part of sand body being left behind as residual oil due to the influences of different levels of architecture interfaces.This investigation is important to guiding reservoir evaluation,remaining oil analysis,profile control and potential tapping and well pattern adjustment.

Long-Term Impacts of Tree Architectures and Branch Configurations on Tree Growth, Yield, Fruit Quality Attributes, and Leaf Minerals in “Aztec Fuji” Apple

Canopy and branch architectures in high-density orchards can be crucial in production and fruit quality. The influence of two canopy orientations (Upright and Tilted) in combination with two arm (branch) architectures (Shortened or Overlapped) on tree growth, yield components, fruit quality, and leaf mineral nutrients in an “Aztec Fuji” apple (Malus domestica Bork.) high-density orchard was studied over five years. Tilted trees with shortened arm configuration (TilShArm) always had significantly larger trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA) than Upright trees with an Overlapped arm configuration (UpOverArm) every year from 2012 to 2016. Trees with a TilShArm system had more cumulative fruit per tree than those with an Upright orientation. Trees with a tilted canopy (TilShArm and TilOverArm) tended to have higher yield per tree and yield per hectare than those with an upright system. Trees with a TilShArm system were more precocious and had more yield per tree than those with an upright canopy orientation in 2012. When values were polled over five years, trees with an upright canopy-shortened arm system (UpShArm) treatment had a lower biennial bearing index (BBI) than those with an upright canopy-overlapped system (UpOverArm). Trees receiving an arm shortening (UpShArm or TilShArm) configuration often had larger fruits than those with overlapped arms (UpOverArm and TilOverArm). Fruit from trees receiving an UpOverArm had higher fruit firmness than those from trees with other canopy-branch arrangements at harvest due to their smaller size. Fruit from trees with a TilShArm and TilOverArm had significantly higher water core and bitter pit but lower sunburn than trees with an upright canopy (UpShArm and UpOverArm). Leaves from trees with an UpOverArm canopy-branch configuration had the lowest leaf Ca but the highest leaf K and Fe concentrations among all treatments.

Air-Ground Collaborative Mobile Edge Computing:Architecture,Challenges,and Opportunities

By pushing computation,cache,and network control to the edge,mobile edge computing(MEC)is expected to play a leading role in fifth generation(5G)and future sixth generation(6G).Nevertheless,facing ubiquitous fast-growing computational demands,it is impossible for a single MEC paradigm to effectively support high-quality intelligent services at end user equipments(UEs).To address this issue,we propose an air-ground collaborative MEC(AGCMEC)architecture in this article.The proposed AGCMEC integrates all potentially available MEC servers within air and ground in the envisioned 6G,by a variety of collaborative ways to provide computation services at their best for UEs.Firstly,we introduce the AGC-MEC architecture and elaborate three typical use cases.Then,we discuss four main challenges in the AGC-MEC as well as their potential solutions.Next,we conduct a case study of collaborative service placement for AGC-MEC to validate the effectiveness of the proposed collaborative service placement strategy.Finally,we highlight several potential research directions of the AGC-MEC.

Timing effect of high temperature exposure on the plasticity of internode and plant architecture in maize

The occurrence of high temperature(HT)in crop production is becoming more frequent and unpredictable with global warming,severely threatening food security.The state of an organ’s growth and development is largely determined by the temperature conditions it is exposed to over time.Maize is the main cereal crop,and its stem growth and plant architecture are closely related to lodging resistance,and especially sensitive to temperature.However,systematic research on the timing effect of HT on the sequentially developing internode and stem is currently lacking.To identify the timing effect of HT on the morphology and plasticity of the stem in maize,two hybrids(Zhengdan 958(ZD958),Xianyu 335(XY335))characterized by distinct morphological traits in the stem were exposed to a 7-day HT treatment from the V6 to V17 stages(Vn presents the vegetative stage with n leaves fully expanded)in 2019-2020.The results demonstrated that exposure to HT during V6-V12 accelerated the rapid elongation of stems.For instance,HT occurring at V7 and V12 specifically promoted the lengths and weights of the 3rd-5th and 9th-11th internodes,respectively.Meanwhile,HT slowed the growth of internodes adjacent to the promoted internodes.Interestingly,compared with control,the plant height was significantly increased soon after HT treatment,but the promotion effect became narrower at the subsequent flowering stage,demonstrating a self-adjusting mechanism in the maize plant in response to HT.Importantly,HT altered the plant architectures,including a rising of the ear position and increase in the ear position coefficient.XY335 exhibited greater sensitivity in stem development than ZD958 under HT treatment.These findings improve our systematic understanding of the plasticity of internode and plant architecture in response to the timing of HT exposure.

Auxin-brassinosteroid crosstalk:Regulating rice plant architecture and grain shape

Rice(Oryza sativa)plant architecture and grain shape,which determine grain quality and yield,are modulatedby auxin and brassinosteroid via regulation of cell elongation and proliferation.We review the signaltransduction of these hormones and the crosstalk between their signals on the regulation of rice plantarchitecture and grain shape.

A 48-bp deletion upstream of LIGULELESS 1 alters rice panicle architecture

Panicle architecture is an agronomic determinant of crop yield and a target for cereal crop improvement.To investigate its molecular mechanisms in rice,we performed map-based cloning and characterization of OPEN PANICLE 1(OP1),a gain-of-function allele of LIGULELESS 1(LG1),controlling the spread-panicle phenotype.This allele results from a 48-bp deletion in the LG1 upstream region and promotes pulvinus development at the base of the primary branch.Increased OP1 expression and altered panicle phenotype in chimeric transgenic plants and upstream-region knockout mutants indicated that the deletion regulates spread-panicle architecture in the mutant spread panicle 1(sp1).Knocking out BRASSINOSTEROID UPREGULATED1(BU1)gene in the background of OP1 complementary plants resulted in compact panicles,suggesting OP1 may regulate inflorescence architecture via the brassinosteroid signaling pathway.We regard that manipulating the upstream regulatory region of OP1 or genes involved in BR signal pathway could be an efficient way to improve rice inflorescence architecture.

Apical meristem transcriptome analysis identifies a role for the blue light receptor gene GhFKF1 in cotton architecture development

Cotton architecture is determined by the differentiation fate transition of axillary meristem(AM),and influences cotton yield and the efficiency of mechanized harvesting.We observed that the initiation of flowering primordium was earlier in early-maturing than that in late-maturing cultivars during the differentiation and development of AM.The RNA-Seq and expression level analyses showed that genes FLAVIN BINDING,KELCH REPEAT,F-BOX1(GhFKF1),and GIGANTEA(GhGI)were in response to circadian rhythms,and involved in the regulation of cotton flowering.The gene structure,predicted protein structure,and motif content analyses showed that in Arabidopsis,cotton,rapseed,and soybean,proteins GhFKF1 and GhGI were functionally conserved and share evolutionary origins.Compared to the wild type,in GhFKF1 mutants that were created by the CRISPR/Cas9 system,the initiation of branch primordium was inhibited.Conversely,the knocking out of GhGI increased the number of AM differentiating into flower primordium,and there were much more lateral branch differentiation and development.Besides,we investigated that proteins GhFKF1 and GhGI can interact with each other.These results suggest that GhFKF1 and GhGI are key regulators of cotton architecture development,and may collaborate to regulate the differentiation fate transition of AM,ultimately influencing plant architecture.We describe a strategy for using the CRISPR/Cas9 system to increase cotton adaptation and productivity by optimizing plant architecture.

Enhancing MXene-based supercapacitors:Role of synthesis and 3D architectures

MXene has been the limelight for studies on electrode active materials,aiming at developing supercapacitors with boosted energy density to meet the emerging influx of wearable and portable electronic devices.Despite its various desirable properties including intrinsic flexibility,high specific surface area,excellent metallic conductivity and unique abundance of surface functionalities,its full potential for electrochemical performance is hindered by the notorious restacking phenomenon of MXene nanosheets.Ascribed to its two-dimensional(2D)nature and surface functional groups,inevitable Van der Waals interactions drive the agglomeration of nanosheets,ultimately reducing the exposure of electrochemically active sites to the electrolyte,as well as severely lengthening electrolyte ion transport pathways.As a result,energy and power density deteriorate,limiting the application versatility of MXene-based supercapacitors.Constructing 3D architectures using 2D nanosheets presents as a straightforward yet ingenious approach to mitigate the fatal flaws of MXene.However,the sheer number of distinct methodologies reported,thus far,calls for a systematic review that unravels the rationale behind such 3D MXene structural designs.Herein,this review aims to serve this purpose while also scrutinizing the structure–property relationship to correlate such structural modifications to their ensuing electrochemical performance enhancements.Besides,the physicochemical properties of MXene play fundamental roles in determining the effective charge storage capabilities of 3D MXene-based electrodes.This largely depends on different MXene synthesis techniques and synthesis condition variations,hence,elucidated in this review as well.Lastly,the challenges and perspectives for achieving viable commercialization of MXene-based supercapacitor electrodes are highlighted.