Effect of deposition conditions and thermal annealing on the charge trapping properties of SiN[sub x] films

The density of charge trapping centers in SiNx:H films deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition is investigated as a function of film stoichiometry and postdeposition annealing treatments. In the as-deposited films, the defect density is observed to increase with an increasing N/Si ratio x in the range of 0.89–1.45, and to correlate with the N–H bond density. Following the annealing in the temperature range of 500– 800 °C, the defect density increases for all N/Si ratios, with the largest increase observed in the most Si rich samples. However, the defect density always remains highest in the most N rich films. The better charge storage ability suggests the N rich films are more suitable for the creation of negatively charged nitride films on solar cells.Financial support from the Australian Research Council LP0883613 is gratefully acknowledged

Effects of nanoparticle zinc oxide on spatial cognition and synaptic plasticity in mice with depressive-like behaviors

Background: Nanomaterials, as a new kind of materials, have been greatly applied in different fields due to their special properties. With the industrialization of nanostructured materials and increasing public exposure, the biosafety and potential influences on central nervous system (CNS) have received more attention. Nanosized zinc oxide (nanoZnO) was suggested to up-regulate neuronal excitability and to induce glutamate release in vitro. Therefore, we hypothesized nanoparticles of nanoZnO may lead to changes in balance of neurotransmitter or neuronal excitability of CNS. This study was to investigate if there were effects of nanoZnO on animal model of depression. Methods: Male Swiss mice were given lipopolysaccharides (LPS, 100 mu g/kg, 100 mu g/ml, every other day, 8 times, i.p.) from weaning to induce depressive-like behaviors. NanoZnO (5.6 mg/kg, 5.6 mg/ml, every other day, 8 times, i.p.) was given as the interaction. The mouse model was characterized using the methods of open field test, tail suspension test and forced swim test. Furthermore, the spatial memory was evaluated using Morris water maze (MWM) and the synaptic plasticity was assessed by measuring the long-term potentiation (LTP) in the perforant pathway (PP) to dentate gyrus (DG) in vivo. Results: Results indicated that model mice showed disrupted spatial memory and LTP after LPS injections and the behavioral and electrophysiological improvements after nanoZnO treatment. Conclusion: Data suggested that nanoZnO may play some roles in CNS of mental disorders, which could provide some useful direction on the new drug exploring and clinical researches.Peer reviewe

Fabrication and properties of flame retardant composites made of abandoned peanut hull, polypropylene and thermoplastic polyurethanes

U radu se razmatra mogućnost recikliranja poljoprivrednog otpada i smanjenje zagađenje okoliša izradom polimernim kompozitima za zaštitu od gorenja od nezbrinutih ljusaka kikirikija kao materijala za pojačavanje, nezbrinutog polipropilena (PP) i nezbrinutih termoplastičnih poliuretana (TPU) kao matričnih materijala i magnezijevog hidroksida kao sredstva za zaštitu od gorenja. Ispitana su mehanička svojstva kao i svojstva zaštite kompozita od gorenja te su analizirana ortogonalnim eksperimentom i eksperimentima faktorske analize. Uključeni su i optimirani sljedeći uvjeti prerade: maseni udio ljuske kikirikija 40 %, omjer PP i TPU 3:1, temperatura vrućeg prešanja 170 °C, pritisak vrućeg prešanja 12 MPa, vrijeme vrućeg prešanja 10 min, vrijeme plastificiranja 5 min. Pri navedenim uvjetima dobivena su sljedeća svojstva kompozita: gustoća 1,12 g/cm3, prekidna čvrstoća 23,85 MPa, čvrstoća na savijanje 46,29 MPa i apsorpcija energije udara 10,19 kJ/m2. Osim toga, dodatkom magnezijevog hidroksida od 100 % (u odnosu na matricu) u optimiranim uvjetima prerade dobivena su sljedeća mehanička svojstva i svojstva zaštite od gorenja kompozita: granični indeks kisika 29,7, gustoća 1,27 g/cm3, prekidna čvrstoća 10,37 MPa, čvrstoća na savijanje 29,42 MPa i apsorpcija energije udara 3,85 kJ/m2.Fabrication and properties of flame retardant composites made of abandoned peanut hull, polypropylene and thermoplastic polyurethanes Lihua Lv*1,2, Xinyue Wang*1,2, Yongling Yu*1,2, and Jing Cui*2 In order to make possible recycling agriculture waste and decrease the environment pollution caused by high polymer, flame retardant composites made of abandoned peanut hull as reinforced materials, abandoned PP (polypropylene) and abandoned TPU (thermoplastic polyurethanes) as matrix materials and magnesium hydroxide as flame retardant reagent were discussed in this article. And the mechanical properties and flame retardant properties of composites were tested and analyzed by orthogonal experiment and single factor analysis experiments. And the optimized processing conditions were concluded as follows: mass fraction of peanut hull 40 %, ratio of PP and TPU 3:1, hot pressing temperature 170 ℃, hot pressing pressure12 MPa, hot pressing time10 min, and plasticizing time 5 min. Under above conditions, properties of composites were as follow: density 1.12 g/cm3, tensile strength 23.85 MPa, bending strength 46.29 Mpa and impact energy absorption 10.19 kJ/m2. Besides, with magnesium hydroxide whose dosage was 100 % (compared to the matrix) being added under the optimized processing conditions, the mechanical properties and flame retardant properties of composites were as follow: LOI 29.7, density 1.27 g/cm3, tensile strength 10.37 MPa, bending strength 29.42 MPa and impact energy absorption 3.85 kJ/m2

The effects of jobs, amenities, and locations on housing submarkets in Xiamen City, China

Numerous studies have found that jobs, amenities, and location influence housing prices in urban areas. However, there is still a lack of in-depth understanding of the impacts of these factors on various housing submarkets within a city. With the case study of Xiamen, this paper investigates the impacts of jobs, amenities, and location on four housing submarkets, classified by owner-occupied and rental housing, in inner and outer districts. The hedonic model, Chow test, and Tiao-Goldberger test are applied to analyze differentiation in the determinants of housing prices between four submarkets. The results show that all submarkets are influenced by blue-collar jobs (which have negative effects) and seascape (which has a positive impact). Besides, differentiated after submarkets show that school districts and public transportation have a greater influence on owner-occupied markets than on rental markets. A heterogeneity exists between inner-district and outer-district markets. For instance, bus rapid transit (BRT) has a positive effect on housing and rental prices in the outer districts but not in the inner districts. These differences are mainly caused by the disparities of spatial quality, economic development, and public facilities and amenities. The findings have profound implications for decision-making and planning practices

Thermal Coupling Simulation of Electro-hydrostatic Actuator Subjected to Critical Temperature Conditions

acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Unraveling the Regulatory Mechanism of Color Diversity in Camellia japonica Petals by Integrative Transcriptome and Metabolome Analysis

Camellia japonica petals are colorful, rich in anthocyanins, and possess important ornamental, edible, and medicinal value. However, the regulatory mechanism of anthocyanin accumulation in C. japonica is still unclear. In this study, an integrative analysis of the metabolome and transcriptome was conducted in five C. japonica cultivars with different petal colors. Overall, a total of 187 flavonoids were identified (including 25 anthocyanins), and 11 anthocyanins were markedly differentially accumulated among these petals, contributing to the different petal colors in C. japonica. Moreover, cyanidin-3-O-(6″-O-malonyl) glucoside was confirmed as the main contributor to the red petal phenotype, while cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside, peonidin-3-O-glucoside, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, and pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside were responsible for the deep coloration of the C. japonica petals. Furthermore, a total of 12,531 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and overlapping DEGs (634 DEGs) were identified by RNA sequencing, and the correlation between the expression level of the DEGs and the anthocyanin content was explored. The candidate genes regulating anthocyanin accumulation in the C. japonica petals were identified and included 37 structural genes (especially CjANS and Cj4CL), 18 keys differentially expressed transcription factors (such as GATA, MYB, bHLH, WRKY, and NAC), and 16 other regulators (mainly including transporter proteins, zinc-finger proteins, and others). Our results provide new insights for elucidating the function of anthocyanins in C. japonica petal color expression

Analysis of environmental and economic benefits of integrated Exhaust Energy Recovery (EER) for vehicles

Differing from those traditional vehicle exhaust heat recovery systems which just provided thermal energy directly for cabin warming, integrated Exhaust Energy Recovery (EER) which is researched and developed mainly in recent years aims to convert exhaust thermal energy to mechanical or electric energy for increasing the total thermal efficiency and the total power of powertrain. In the study presented in this paper, an analytic model was built for examining the environmental and economic benefits of integrated EER systems. Then the improvement on the total powertrain efficiency and net reduction of CO emissions were investigated, in terms of the average vehicle used in the UK. Results show that, for light duty vehicles fitted with thermal cycle EER system, the cost increase could be paid back in 10.1years and CO emission could be paid back in just 1.9years, compared to Hybrid Electric Vehicle's (HEV's) 11.9years and 1.4years for cost and CO emission, respectively. When the annual fuel price increase is considered, the cost pay-back is reduced to 8.1years for EER vehicles and 8.9years for HEVs. Higher mileage vehicles will have more obvious advantage for fitting EER system. When doubled annual mileage is considered, EER system can reduce the cost and CO emission pay-back times to 2.7years and 0.6years, compared to HEV's 8.5 and 2.7years, respectively.Peer reviewedSubmitted Versio

Commuting tools and residential location of suburbanization: evidence from Beijing

Since the 1990s, the population of Beijing has decentralized. This paper studies the relationship between residents’ commuting tools and their residential location during suburbanization by applying field survey data, statistical methods, and Geographic Information System techniques. The results show that public transportation is the most common choice for commuting. Residents commute the shortest distance do so by walking/bicycling and residents commute the longest distance do so by taking bus/subway. The likelihood of using bus/subway increases as the distance becomes longer; the likelihood of commuting by car/taxi has a very weak correlation with commuting distance. The results imply a public transportation-oriented suburbanization model in Beijing. By further mapping the subway lines and the geographic distribution of newly built houses from 2008 to 2012, it is discovered that public transit especially the subway plays a significant role in residential relocation in Beijing. This could explain the city sprawl in suburbanization in China

Progress in Studies of Surface Nanotextures and Coatings with Nanomaterials on Glass for Anti-Dust Functionality

Dust pollution presents a wide range of adverse effects to product functionalities and the quality of human life. For instance, when dust particles deposit on solar photovoltaic panels, sunlight absorption is significantly reduced, and solar-to-electrical energy conversion yield may be lowered by 51%- Conventional (manual) dust removal methods are costly, consume significant material resources, and cause irreparable damage to the solar glass surface. Therefore, it is critical to develop glass surfaces that can clean themselves or are easily cleaned by natural forces. Many approaches have been attempted to reduce dust deposition, such as developing superhydrophobic surfaces and preparing anti-static surfaces. This paper reviews the recent progress in studies of anti-dust and cleaning mechanisms or methodologies, which include investigation into micro- and nano-sized dust properties, dust deposition processes and adhesion mechanisms to surfaces, and the state-of-the-art approaches to anti-dust and easy-cleaning functions that tailor surface micro-/nanotextures, lowering surface energy via nanocoatings, and enhancing anti-static properties with nanomaterials. We compare the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches and discuss the research prospects. We envision that future research will be focused on developing transparent surfaces with multiple dust-proof functions to cope with dust-burdening operating environments

Eliminating Hysteresis of Perovskite Solar Cells with Hollow TiO2 Mesoporous Electron Transport Layer

Current density-voltage(J-V) hysteresis issue caused by unbalanced charge transport has greatly limited the improvement of power conversion efficiency(PCE) of halide perovskite solar cells(PSCs). Herein, hollow TiO2 mesoporous electron transport layer(ETL) was used to fabricate PSCs. The structure-dependent charge collection as well as its effect on PCE and hysteresis impactor(HI) of PSC were investigated. The results demonstrate that TiO2 hollow spheres in a size of around 50 nm (HS-50) can form a high quality perovskite/ETL interface with a less trap density. Moreover, the hollow TiO2 with the thin shell can help promote the extraction of electrons from perovskite layer to ETL, so as to reduce the charge accumulation and recombination at the perovskite/ETL interface and alleviate the hysteresis behavior. As a result, PSCs with HS-50 TiO2 delivered a champion PCE of 16.81% with a small HI of 0.0297, indicating a better performance than the commercial P25(PCE of 15.87%, HI of 0.2571)