Why API documentation is insufficient for developers:an empirical study

Dear editor, Application programming interface(API)documentation plays an important role in software development and reuse[1]for both API maintainers and API us...     

Antireflection and band gap extension effects of ZnO nanocrystalline films grown on ITO-coated glasses by low temperature process

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystalline films coated on indium tin oxides (ITO, 90:10 wt%) glasses were prepared by low temperature process. The thin films were composed of uniform nanoparticles with average diameter around 8.4 nm. All samples exhibited excellent optical antireflective phenomena, and the maximum transmission reached 92.8% for the sample spin coated at 1500 rpm at 453 nm, improved by 21.5%. The antireflective results were explained by the coherence theory. And the antireflective effects were induced by the ITO and ZnO films. The calculated thicknesses of the ZnO films agreed well with the experimental results. The theoretical calculated band gap from the average diameter of ZnO nanoparticles was also well consistent with the experimental ones obtained from the optical transmission spectra. This result was promising for applications in organic solar cells.     

Preparation and thermophysical properties of nano-sized Ln2Zr2O7 (Ln?=?La, Nd, Sm, and Gd) ceramics with pyrochlore structure

Rare earth zirconates (Ln₂Zr₂O₇, Ln = La, Nd, Sm, and Gd) with pyrochlore structure were prepared by hydrothermal method with polyethylene glycol as surfactant. X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy were utilized to characterize the phase structure, thermal decomposition, and morphology of the products. Qualitative analysis indicates that the as-prepared zirconates are pyrochlore-type structures. The specific surface area, lattice parameter, and average crystallite size of the as-prepared products are closely related to the ionic radius. The activation energy of crystal growth shows an increasing trend with the decrease in ionic radii. The sintering behavior of compacted body was also investigated, revealing that the sintering-resistance properties of Ln₂Zr₂O₇ are descending as the order of La₂Zr₂O₇, Nd₂Zr₂O₇, Sm₂Zr₂O₇, and Gd₂Zr₂O₇.     

Water-Soluble,Alanine-Modified Fullerene C60 Promotes the Proliferation and Neuronal Differentiation of Neural Stem Cells

As carbon-based nanomaterials, water-soluble C₆₀ derivatives have potential applications in various fields of biomedicine. In this study, a water-soluble fullerene C₆₀ derivative bearing alanine residues (Ala-C₆₀) was synthesized. The effects of Ala-C₆₀ on neural stem cells (NSCs) as seed cells were explored. Ala-C₆₀ can promote the proliferation of NSCs, induce NSCs to differentiate into neurons, and inhibit the migration of NSCs. Most importantly, the Ala-C₆₀ can significantly increase the cell viability of NSCs treated with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). The glutathioneperoxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and glutathione (GSH) content increased significantly in NSCs treated even by 20 μM Ala-C₆₀. These findings strongly indicate that Ala-C₆₀ has high potential to be applied as a scaffold with NSCs for regeneration in nerve tissue engineering for diseases related to the nervous system.     

Influence of phosphorus on iron-based friction material prepared directly from vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite concentrates

In situ selective carbothermic reactions and vacuum sintering were used to prepare iron-based friction material directly from vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite c...     

超声纵波换能器用于平测时的测距修正方法研究

研究了超声纵波换能器用于平测时的测距修正方法.首先,根据弹性波理论分析了利用平测布置代替对测布置测量波速时的实际物理意义;然后,分析了两种换能器布置方式的真实传播距离并通过设计混凝土试件切割-测量实验进行了两种布置方式的声时对比;最后,根据实验数据在对测回归直线方程的基础上提出了计算换能器平测布置修正测距的最小二乘法....     

A novel ethanol gas sensor based on ZnO-microwire

One-dimensional (1D) ZnO microwires were successfully synthesized by chemical vapor deposition and their structural and morphological properties were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, demonstrating that the microwires were single crystalline with perfect hexagonal structure and smooth surface. Using these 1D microstructures, we fabricated a novel ZnO-based ethanol gas sensor. Operating at room temperature, the sensor was found to have good sensing characteristics. The reliability and stability of the sensor could be improved by connecting multiple 1-wire devices (1-WD) in parallel into a multi-wires device. In interior natural lighting environment and under 3 V bias, the response and recovery time of the 1-WD to 200 ppm ethanol gas were <10 s and about 300 s, respectively, and the minimum and maximum detection limit were about 2 and 200 ppm, respectively. A sensing model was proposed for discussing the performance of the sensor. The simplicity in fabrication, low power consumption and low cost make the sensor suitable for practical application in many fields, especially in identifying driving under the influence and chemical industry monitoring.     

SiAlCN前驱体低温陶瓷化过程研究

采用异丙醇铝改性氨解制备的聚甲基乙烯基硅氮烷来制备聚铝硅氮烷,研究其在200～800℃下的陶瓷化过程中所发生的结构变化.采用红外光谱(IR)、气相色谱(GC)和耦合热重/差热分析(TG/DTA)对陶瓷化过程的键变化、挥发物、热失重和差热分析进行表征.结果表明:200℃之前有吸热峰是溶剂和低聚物挥发所致,此时只有1％的质量损失;质量损失主要发生在200～600℃之间,可达28％,进一步交联成键,大量CH4,H2和NH3放出;600℃到800℃只有3％的失重,陶瓷化过程基本结束.通过IR,GC和DTA推测出陶瓷化过程可能发生的变化,XRD结果表明800℃裂解产物是非晶态物质.     

氮化铝一维纳米结构制备方法和物性研究的最新进展

全面总结了近年来氮化铝一维纳米结构的各种制备方法及物理性能等研究的最新进展,并提出了有待进一步深入研究的一些发展方向。