Revealing the high sensitivity in the metal toinsulator transition properties of the pulsed laser deposited VO2 thin films

Vanadium dioxide (VO₂) is known as a typical 3d-orbital transition metal oxide exhibiting the metal-to-insulator-transition (MIT) property near room temperature. However, their electronic applications have been challenged by the quality and uniformity of VO₂ thin films. In this work, we demonstrate the high sensitivity in the valence charge of vanadium and the MIT properties of the VO₂ thin films to the deposition temperature. This observation indicates the necessity to eliminate the inhomogeneity in the temperature distribution of substrate during the vacuum-deposition process of VO₂. In addition, a high thermoelectric power factor (PF, e.g., exceeding 1 μWcm⁻¹K⁻²) was achieved in the metallic phase of the VO₂ thin films and this value is comparable to typical organic or oxide thermoelectric materials. We believe this high PF enriches the potential functionality in thermoelectric energy conversions beyond the existing electronic applications of the current vacuum-grown VO₂ thin films.     

Can child-pedestrians’ hazard perception skills be enhanced?

ObjectiveTraffic collisions yield a substantial rate of morbidity and injury among child-pedestrians. We explored the formation of an innovative hazard perception training intervention – Child-pedestrians Anticipate and Act Hazard Perception Training (CA²HPT). Training was based upon enhancing participants’ ability to anticipate potential hazards by exposing them to an array of traffic scenes viewed from different angles.MethodTwenty-four 7–9-year-olds have participated. Trainees underwent a 40-min intervention of observing typical residential traffic scenarios in a simulated dome projection environment while engaging in a hazard detection task. Trainees were encouraged to note differences between the scenarios presented to them from separate angles (a pedestrian's point-of-view and a higher perspective angle). Next, trainees and control group members were required to perform crossing decision tasks.ResultsTrainees were found to be more aware of potential hazards related to restricted field of view relative to control.ConclusionsChild pedestrians are responsive to training and actively detecting materialized hazards may enrich child-pedestrians’ ability to cross roads.     

Cognitive abilities,digital games and arithmetic performance enhancement: A study comparing the effects of a math game and paper exercises

Besides entertainment, games have shown to have the potential to impact a broader variety of cognitive abilities. Research has consistently shown that several aspects in cognition such as visual short-memory, multitasking and spatial skills can be enhanced by game play. In a previous study, it was found that playing Monkey Tales, a game aimed at training arithmetic skills, helped second grade pupils to increase their accuracy in mental calculation as compared to paper exercises. In this follow up study we explore whether traditional methods and game training differ in terms of the cognitive processes that both are able to impact. We incorporated standardized measures of working memory and visuo-motor skills. Additionally, the mathematics game was modified and its contents extracted to allow precise comparison between the gaming and paper exercises condition. Thus each single math exercise, type of question (e.g., multiple choice), quantity and order was perfectly matched in the game training and the traditional training conditions. Gains in arithmetical performance, and self-reported measures of enjoyment were also investigated. We found some evidence suggesting that arithmetic performance enhancement induced by game play and paper exercises differ not only in terms of enjoyment but also of working memory capacity improvements.     

Semantics for consistent activation in context-oriented systems

ContextContext-oriented programming languages provide dedicated programming abstractions to define behavioral adaptations and means to combine those adaptations dynamically according to sensed context changes. Some of these languages feature programming abstractions to explicitly define interaction dependencies among contexts. However, the semantics of context activation and the meaning of dependency relations have been described only informally, which in some cases has led to incorrect specifications, faulty implementations and inconsistent system behavior.ObjectiveWith the aim of avoiding faulty implementations and inconsistencies during system execution, this paper proposes both a formal and run-time model of contexts, context activation and context interaction.MethodAs a formal and computational basis, we introduce context Petri nets, a model based on Petri nets, which we found to match closely the structure of contexts in context-oriented systems. The operational semantics of Petri nets permits the modeling of run-time context activations. Existing Petri net analyses allow us to reason about system properties. As validation, we carried out small and medium-sized case studies.ResultsIn the cases explored, context Petri nets served effectively as underlying run-time model to ensure that declared context interaction constraints remain consistent during context manipulation. Moreover, context Petri nets enabled us to analyze certain properties regarding the activation state of particular contexts.ConclusionContext Petri nets thus proved to be appropriate to encode and manage the semantics of context activation, both formally and computationally, so as to preserve the consistency of context-oriented systems.     

四川盆地中三叠统雷口坡组天然气来源及勘探方向

四川盆地中三叠统雷口坡组天然气勘探近年来取得重要突破后继而成为业内关注的热点，但对气源的认识存在较大的分歧。基于天然气地球化学特征开展的成因鉴别和气源对比研究表明，雷口坡组天然气既有主要来自下伏上二叠统龙潭组/吴家坪组烃源岩（磨溪雷一段气藏），断裂下盘须一段烃源岩有一定贡献（中坝雷三段气藏）或供烃条件（川西雷四段气藏），也有主要来自须家河组烃源岩，雷口坡组自身烃源岩有一定贡献（元坝和龙岗雷四段气藏）。雷口坡组气藏具有3种不同的源储组合，其天然气勘探方向具有差异。上二叠统龙潭组烃源岩作为主力烃源岩构成下生上储型，切穿龙潭组至雷口坡组的深断裂周缘的正向构造是寻找雷口坡组规模性气藏的最有利区。上三叠统须家河组底部烃源岩和雷口坡组顶部储层可以构成旁生侧储型，岩溶残丘或岩溶斜坡局部构造高点是这类组合较有利的发育部位。雷口坡组自身构成自生自储型，这类组合往往作为辅助参与气藏形成。     

加热炉换热工艺特性分析软件进展

为便于对目前各类化工加热炉工艺特性设计技术软件技术进展的了解,通过7个换热特性专题分析软件的内容简介,综述了特性分析技术软件在工业炉工艺设计专业的应用,提出了当前加热炉软件技术发展中,设备结构和工艺两者结合发展面临的3个工程课题,分别是加热炉预热段、辐射段和对流段整体一体化、炉管振动计算、新智能技术的引入。     

面向21世纪的建筑学专业教学改革

21世纪即将到来，它将带来许多与本世纪完全不同的变化。新的形势要求建筑学专业教学作出相应的改革。本文针对21世纪建筑学专业教学所面临的来自各个方面的冲击和挑战，分析了国内大多数院校目前所沿用的建筑学专业教学模式存在的问题，提出面向21世纪的建筑学专业教学模式的改革至少应该从教学安排体制化、课程设置体系化、课程内容更新频繁化、教学手段高科技化、主干课程教材系统化等五个方面展开。     

Heavy metals in aquatic plants,clams, and sediments from the Chesapeake Bay,U.S.A. implications for waterfowl

Dry weight concentrations of cadmium, lead, copper and zinc were measured in clams, submerged aquatic macrophytes and sediments from several locations in the Chesapeake Bay region. Clam species included Macoma balthica, Mya arenaria, and Rangia cuneata; plant taxa included Najas spp., Potamogeton spp., Ruppia maritima, Vallisneria americana, and Zostera marina. Cadmium and lead concentrations were generally greater in whole plants than in soft tissues of clams, while the reverse was true for zinc; no marked trend was observed in copper concentrations. These results suggest that the changes occurring in the food habits of some Chesapeake Bay waterfowl towards increased clam utilization as a result of declining submerged plant abundances is not increasing ingestion of the nonessential metals cadmium and lead. Highest lead, copper and zinc concentrations were observed in sediments from the Patapsco River, which is probably due to the proximity of Baltimore Harbor. Highest cadmium concentrations were observed in sediments in the Port Tobacco River, a tributary of the Potomac River. These observations were generally consistent with high concentrations of the respective metal(s) in biota from these locations. Concentrations of the four metals in sediments were highly correlated to organic matter content.     

环境设计,永恒的主题——广州市芳村花园居住小区规划设计心得

该文从三个方面介绍了广州市芳村花园如何以居住环境设计为创造点，实现“以人为本，回归自然”的设计理念。     

建筑设计基本过程研究

论文在对建筑设计过程相关理论研究成果的归纳比较基础上，引出关于设计过程基本问题的思考，并通过建立设计过程的三维模型、设计过程的特性以及设计阶段和设计程序的分析研究，力求理解和把握建筑设计过程。