Nanodots of multiferroic oxide material BiFeO3 from the first Principles

Multiferroic nanodots can be harnessed to aid the development of the next generation of nonvolatile data storage and multi-functional devices. In this paper, we review the computational aspects of multiferroic nanodot materials and designs that hold promise for the future memory technology. Conception, methodology, and systematical studies are discussed, followed by some up-to-date experimental progress towards the ultimate limits. At the end of this paper, we outline some challenges remaining in multiferroic research, and how the first principles based approach can be employed as an important tool providing critical information to understand the emergent phenomena in multiferroics.     

z向流动RTM工艺树脂的流动浸润行为

研究了层间“离位”附载多孔薄膜结构形式增韧层的大厚度纤维预成型体中等代流体（树脂）沿预成型体厚度方向（z向）的流动行为,通过压力传感器监测z向流动RTM（z-RTM）工艺注射过程中进、出胶口压力的变化规律,进一步反推树脂在层间“离位”增韧与非增韧预成型体中的宏观流动及微观浸润模式。结果表明,在 z-RTM工艺注射过程中,树脂在沿纤维束间z向快速流动的同时完成对纤维丝束内部的浸润。层间“离位”附载的增韧层虽延缓了树脂的宏观流动,但使流动前锋曲面更加平滑。层间“离位”增韧预成型体z向渗透率为3.5×10^-15m²,与非增韧预成型体的z向渗透率2.9×10^-14m²相比,降低约一个数量级。     

氯苯标准气体的研制

介绍了氮气中氯苯标准气体的研制方法。氯苯标准气体所采用制备方法为称量法,分析方法为GC-FID法。实验结果显示,氯苯标准气体具有良好的线性、瓶内均匀性和稳定性,有效期为12个月。研究制备的氯苯标准气体标准值为1~5μmol/mol,相对扩展不确定度为5%（置信度为95%）,与美国Scott Specialty Gases的同类标准气体具有可比性。     

Effect of Dosage on the Conduction of Electron Beam Cross-Linked Thermoplastic Elastomeric Films from Blend of LDPE and EVA Copolymer

The effect of electron beam irradiation at different radiation doses (50, 100, 150, 200, and 300 kGy) on Low-density polyethylene/ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (LDPE/EVA) blend was investigated. Measurements of I-V characteristics have been carried out at room temperature. It was found that the β parameter increases with the doses. This feature was attributed to the differences in electrical conductivity of the materials. The conduction mechanism is discussed qualitatively on the basis of Poole-Frenkel conduction mechanisms (enhanced conductivity at high electric fields due to the lowering of the potential barrier), also, at low-voltage region conduction was discussed in terms of the Schottky conduction mechanism namely β_s (Schottky field-lowering coefficient). The value of the Poole-Frenkel high field-lowering coefficient β_PF increases with increasing voltage range. Both mechanisms are related and display a highly consistent response to electron beam exposure.     

Impact of β-Sheet Conformations on the Mechanical Response of Protein in Biocomposites

Proteins in biological nanocomposites play an important role in their mechanical response. Proteins in nacre, the inner layer of seashells, have been shown to have exceptional mechanical properties. One of the important nacre proteins, Lustrin-A, has abundance of polypeptides in zig-zag conformation called β-sheets. β-sheets of protein when present close to each other in multiple numbers could take the shape of a planar β-sheath like structure or a β-barrel to form a domain. In natural proteins both these types of structures are commonly found. However, the conformation of β-sheets in Lustrin-A is not known at this time. Effort has been made through this work to study the mechanical response of these β-planar sheath and β-barrel structures when subjected to external loads. Comparative study of the stress-deformation characteristics of these two types of structures has been made. Both these structures with almost similar number of amino acids have been extracted from one single spinach protein: Ferredoxin Reductase (1FNR). Steered molecular dynamics has been used to conduct these studies. The article deals with the separation of the two domains from the main protein, simulation details, and results comparing the responses.     

Evaluation of the Heat Treatment Response of a Multiphase Hot-Rolled Steel Processed by Controlled Rolling and Accelerated Cooling

The tensile properties of hot-rolled multiphase steel after heat treatment were analyzed on a laboratory scale. Subcritical treatments applied to the hot-rolled strip revealed an increase in the yield stress and elongation with increasing temperature. Normalizing of the strip at 920°C notably improved the ductile response, while both the yield stress and the anisotropy of every property evaluated at 0°, 45°, and 90° to the rolling direction in the rolling plane were significantly reduced.     

Mg-α-SiAlON/MgO复合材料中Mg-α-SiAlON的原位合成

为改善低品位Mg基材料高温性能,采用烧结Mg砂、金属Al粉、单质Si粉和Al₂O₃粉为主要原料,制备了Mg-α-SiAlON/MgO复合材料。通过XRD、SEM及EDS等检测手段,研究了不同原料质量分数及氮化温度条件下Mg-α-SiAlON/MgO复合材料中Mg-α-SiAlON的原位合成,结合热力学分析确定了合成Mg-α-SiAlON的气氛条件并分析了合成Mg-α-SiAlON的反应机制。结果表明：1 550℃时的氮、氧分压满足合成Mg-α-SiAlON的热力学条件。当烧结Mg砂粉、Al粉、Si粉和Al₂O₃粉的质量分数之和为40wt%时,1 550℃保温3 h氮化后的Mg-α-SiAlON/MgO复合材料中板片状Mg-α-SiAlON相生成量最高可达32.1%,且相互交错构成骨架,将低熔点物相包裹其中。利用烧结Mg砂原位氮化制备Mg-α-SiAlON/MgO复合材料,有利于提高Mg基材料的抗热震性能。     

Evaluation of critical formulation factors in the development of a rapidly dispersing captopril oral dosage form

New methods of manufacture have enabled the creation of novel dosage forms with unique rapid-dispersion properties. This study combines one such technique with a statistical experimental design to develop dosage forms from captopril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor used to treat cases of hypertensive emergency. The TheriForm™ process, a novel microfabrication technique, was used to build the dosage forms in a layer-by-layer fashion. Three key formulation factors were chosen for the design of experiments. A modified central composite design (Box-Behnken design) was used to maximize the efficiency of the experiments. A total of 13 distinct formulations were fabricated and tested, using mannitol as the bulk excipient. In addition, three replicates of the center point were tested to assess variability and experimental error. These formulations were tested for speed of dispersion (flash time), active content, hardness, friability, and moisture absorption. Regression analysis was performed to fit data responses to quadratic equations. Excellent dose accuracy (95% to 102% of target) and content uniformity (between 1.03% to 2.84%) were observed from all experimental formulation batches. As expected, the choice of powder additive (maltitol, maltodextrin, polyvinyl pyrrolidone), level of additive (2.5% to 7.5%), and saturation level of the binder liquid (45% to 65%) were all found to be significant factors for the TheriForm process. The regression analysis suggested that a rapidly dispersing dosage form of optimal physical properties would be obtained when a powder mixture of mannitol (97.5%) and maltitol (2.5%) is used at a saturation level of 45%. In conclusion, rapidly dispersing captopril oral dosage forms were successfully fabricated and tested. A wide range of physical properties, flash time, and hardness, were determined experimentally, and the effects of key formulation factors were identified.     

超声辅助制备β-磷酸三钙/Mg-Zn-Ca生物复合材料及性能

在生物Mg合金基体中添加β-磷酸三钙（β-TCP）颗粒可以调控其力学性能及腐蚀降解性能,满足人体不同植入部位的服役需求。本研究在机械搅拌铸造的基础上,采用超声方法对Mg基复合材料的熔体进行辅助处理,制备了β-TCP添加量为1%（质量比）、Zn含量为3%（质量比）、Ca含量为0.2%（质量比）的β-TCP/Mg-Zn-Ca可降解生物复合材料,对超声处理制备的β-TCP/Mg-Zn-Ca复合材料的显微组织、力学性能和腐蚀行为与未超声处理制备的β-TCP/Mg-Zn-Ca复合材料进行了对比研究。结果表明：超声处理可以细化β-TCP/Mg-Zn-Ca复合材料的显微组织,有利于β-TCP复合颗粒的均匀分散;β-TCP/Mg-Zn-Ca复合材料在模拟体液环境下的耐蚀性得到提高;其屈服强度、抗拉强度和伸长率分别为211.54 MPa、334.32 MPa和7.28%,与未超声处理的β-TCP/Mg-Zn-Ca复合材料相比,分别提高了8.44%、4.67%和17.99%。     

Research Trends in Fischer--Tropsch Catalysis for Coal to Liquids Technology

Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) constitutes catalytic technology that converts synthesis gas to synthetic liquid fuels and chemicals. While synthesis gas can be obtained from any carbonaceous feedstock, current industrial FTS operations are almost exclusively based on natural gas. Due to the energy structure of China where cheap coal is abundant, coal to liquids (CTL) technology involving coal gasification, FTS and syncrude upgrading is increasingly being considered as a viable option to convert coal to clean transportation fuels. In this brief paper, we review some pertinent issues about Fe- and Co-based FTS catalysts. Fe is better suited to convert synthesis gas derived from coal gasification into fuels. The authors limit themselves to noting some important trends in the research on Fe-based catalysts. They focus on the preparation of phase-pure carbides and innovative cheap synthesis methods for obtaining active and stable catalysts. These approaches should be augmented by (1) computational investigations that are increasingly able to predict not only mechanism, reaction rates and selectivity but also optimum catalyst composition, as well as (2) characterization of the catalytic materials under conditions close to the operation in real reactors.     

两相流下电磁流量计感应电势仿真研究

在电磁流量计应用于油水两相流的测量时,由于油水两相流中存在非导电物质,非导电物质对流量计测量存在一定影响。通过有限元软件ANSYS对流量计磁场分布建立了仿真模型,运用FLUENT软件对流量计的流体建立仿真,讨论了非导电物质对电磁流量计权重函数的影响。利用仿真结合数值计算的方法对电磁流量计不同含水率与流量下电磁流量计感应电势进行研究,并通过模拟井实流实验对仿真结果进行验证。     

Effect of tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate on the percutaneous penetration of minoxidil from water/ethanol/polyethylene glycol 400 solutions

We described to achieve the local retention of minoxidil which has penetrated the skin with minimization of its absorption into the general circulation and elimination of local irritation induced by propylene glycol. The effect of tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS) on the penetration flux of minoxidil and its retention in the skin from topical minoxidil formulations consisting of water, alcohol, and polyethylene glycol 400 was characterized by an experimental design of ten solvent formulations in this study. Results show that the addition of TPGS was only able to improve the solubility of minoxidil in those solvent systems containing higher proportions of water and PEG 400, and the extent of improvement was also more profound with the addition of TPGS at concentrations higher than 5%. For those solvent systems containing a higher fraction of alcohol, an insignificant change in minoxidil solubility with increasing added amounts of TPGS was noted even with the tendency to decrease the solubility of minoxidil with higher amounts of TPGS. Increasing the amount of TPGS added gradually increased the flux and the corrected flux from solvent formulations with a lower solubility parameter, but decreased those from solvent systems with a higher solubility parameter. With the addition of TPGS, solvent formulation F6 (alcohol:PEG 400 of 50:50) was demonstrated to be the optimal choice by having an improved local effect and a reduced systemic effect compared to the reference of 2% Regaine®. Tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS) was mainly retained locally in the stratum corneum, and the amount was proportional to the increase in the amount of TPGS added to these ten solvent formulations.     

新制造环境下的装备质量与可靠性研究

中国制造业大而不强的主要瓶颈之一是产品质量不高。而制约产品质量提高的重要因素是产品的可靠性。本文通过对产品可靠性形成机理的分析,提出应在产品设计阶段引入可靠性设计;为应对激烈的市场竞争,为提高可靠性设计的效率,提出了基于信息化的协同可靠性设计理论框架。     

Using support vector machine for materials design

Materials design is the most important and fundamental work on the background of materials genome initiative for global competitiveness proposed by the
National Science and Technology Council of America. As far as the methodologies of materials design, besides the thermodynamic and kinetic methods combing databases,both deductive approaches so-called the first principle methods and inductive approaches based on data mining methods are gaining great progress because of their successful applications in materials design. In this paper, support vector machine (SVM), including support vector classification (SVC) and support vector regression (SVR) based on the statistical learning theory (SLT) proposed by Vapnik, is introduced as a relatively new data mining method to meet the different tasks of materials design in our lab. The advantage of using SVM for materials design is discussed based on the applications in the formability of perovskite or BaNiO3 structure, the prediction of energy gaps of binary compounds, the prediction of sintered cold
modulus of sialon-corundum castable, the optimization of electric resistances of VPTC semiconductors and the thickness control of In2O3 semiconductor film preparation. The results presented indicate that SVM is an effective modeling tool for the small sizes of sample sets with great potential applications in materials design.     

Cyber–physical systems development for construction applications

Cyber–physical systems (CPS) are intended to facilitate the tight coupling of the cyber and physical worlds. Their potential for enhancing the delivery and management of constructed facilities is now becoming understood. In these systems, it is vital to ensure bi-directional consistency between construction components and their digital replicas. This paper introduces the key features of CPS and describes why they are ideally suited for addressing a number of problems in the delivery of construction projects. It draws on examples of research prototypes developed using surveys, field experiments, and prototyping methodologies, to outline the key features and benefits of CPS for construction applications and the approach to their development. In addition, it outlines the lessons learned from developing various systems for the design, construction and management of constructed facilities, which include building component placement and tracking, temporary structures monitoring, and mobile crane safety. The paper concludes that the construction industry stands to reap numerous benefits from the adoption of CPS. It states that the future direction of CPS in construction will be driven by technological developments and the extent to which CPS is deployed in new application areas.     

基于SQUID的直流电阻电桥指零仪设计

设计了一款基于超导量子干涉仪(SQUID)的直流电阻电桥指零仪电路,该电路可用作高精度电阻电桥中低值电阻(0.1~100Ω)测量的指零仪电路。通过自制SQUID外围电路并优化电路其输入耦合线圈的互感值,实现微弱电桥不平衡电流的精密测量。与传统电阻电桥基于测量不平衡电压的纳伏计指零仪相比,其检测灵敏度在中低值电阻测量范围有数量级的提升。设计的作为指零仪的SQUID磁通锁定环1/f转折频率在2Hz左右,磁通白噪声水平在3.5μΦ₀/左右,并且输入线圈与SQUID互感系数高达10nH,其等效的电流白噪声密度0.7pA/。将其用作电阻电桥指零仪测量100Ω标准电阻(工作电流为10mA)的分辨率可达到10^-11量级。     

不确定环境下复杂机械装配系统设备维修方法

为保障不确定环境下复杂机械装配系统的连续性并降低其维修成本,提出一种以马尔可夫决策理论为基础的设备维修策略动态选择方法。在综合考虑系统运行成本、缓冲库存成本、设备维修成本及停机损失成本的基础上,构建了装配系统可靠性成本模型。该模型以带有中间缓冲区的二级装配系统为研究对象,以设备状态和缓冲库存量为自变量,以可靠性成本为目标函数。分析了装配系统的不同运行状态,利用模拟退火算法和模糊非线性混合整数目标规划对可靠性成本模型求解,制定装配系统最优维修方法。该方法降低了装配系统停机时间,减少了设备维修次数,可为生产线设计和维修计划的制定提供依据。最后,通过算例分析验证了模型的有效性和可行性。     

Production of Carbopol 974P and Carbopol 971P pellets by extrusion-spheronization: optimization of the processing parameters and water content

Pellets obtained by extrusion-spheronization represent multiparticulate dosage forms whose interest in intestinal drug delivery can be potentiated and targeted through bioadhesive properties. However, adhesion itself makes the process difficult or even impossible. The problem of tackiness encountered with bioadhesive wet masses was previously eliminated by the use of electrolytes such as CaCl₂. This approach is known to reduce the viscosity of polyacrylic acids by disturbing the interactions between carboxylate groups on adjacent polymer molecules, thereby decreasing their bioadhesive properties. The present study aimed at producing pellets containing carbomers without addition of electrolytes in order to maintain their bioadhesive potentiality at its maximum. Carbopol® 974P (10%, 15% and 20%) and Carbopol® 971P (10%) were used in combination with Avicel® PH101. The extrusion speed (30, 45, 60, 90, and 150 rpm), spheronizer speed (350, 700, 960, 1000, and 1300 rpm), spheronization time (5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes) and amount of water (45%, 50%, 54%, and 58%) were optimized in order to obtain the highest yield of spherical pellets ranging 710-1000 µm in diameter. For pellets containing 10%, 15% Carbopol® 974P or 10% Carbopol® 971P and 45% water content, 30 rpm extrusion speed, 960 rpm, and 10 minutes spheronization speed and time led to the highest yields and sphericities, respectively, 72% and 0.91, 67% and 0.78, and 76% and 0.80. Production of pellets with 20% Carbopol® 974P could be achieved through the increase of the water content up to 58% and implementation of 30 rpm extrusion speed, 1300 rpm, and 10 minutes spheronization speed and time. The yield and sphericity were 42% and 0.78 respectively.     

Robotic GMAW forming remanufacturing technology

Robotic GMAW forming process with the advantages of high productivity and high bond strength has become an important forming remanufacturing technology. In this paper, our recent research achievements are introduced and our development prospect on robotic GMAW  forming remanufacturing is declared.