Effect of ZnO layer thickness upon optoelectrical properties of NiO/ ZnO heterojunction prepared at room temperature

In this work, p-NiO/n-ZnO heterostructures were successfully prepared at room temperature using RF sputtering technique. The influence of ZnO layer thickness on the performance of the heterojunction was investigated. The deposited ZnO layers have a hexagonal Wurtzite structure with preferable growth orientations along (002) and (103) for thinner films. Increasing the thickness results in more crystallographic orientation randomness. The current–voltage measurements of the realized heterojunctions showed a clear rectifying behavior. The measured ideality factor varies from 2.5 to 1.6 according to the thickness of ZnO layer. The series resistance of the device is enlarged with increasing ZnO thickness. The deduced parameters from the I–V characteristics suggest that 200 nm is the optimal thickness of the ZnO layer according to our experimental conditions. We attribute the relatively better performance of this thickness to achieving reasonable compensation between serial resistance and ideality factor. The best heterojunction was tested and successfully used as a UV detector.     

Cross-Layer Optimization of Dynamic Packet Assignment for Video Transmission Over IEEE 802.11e Networks

Video transmission over IEEE 802.11e wireless networks still shows poor performance for large bandwidth demand and frequently changed environments. Thus, several enhancements of IEEE 802.11e were proposed. On the other hand, big frames and simultaneous sending of adjacent frames always cause packet dropping for buffer overflow. In the past, we proposed an IEEE 802.11e enhancement named DFAA and a content aware mechanism to solve the above problems. The motivation of this paper is to find a proper way to integrate these two mechanisms. A DFAA enhancement (DFAA-E) is proposed to make up the insufficiency of content aware mechanism. Experiments results show that the combination of DFAA-E and content aware mechanism improves the video decoded quality greatly. And its performance can be further enhanced by selecting the suitable settings of certain parameters.     

Discovery of Affinity-Based Probes for Btk Occupancy Assays

Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) is an attractive target for the treatment of a wide array of B-cell malignancies and autoimmune diseases. Small-molecule covalent irreversible Btk inhibitors targeting Cys481 have been developed for the treatment of such diseases. In clinical trials, probe molecules are required in occupancy studies to measure the level of engagement of the protein by these covalent irreversible inhibitors. The result of this pharmacodynamic (PD) activity provides guidance for appropriate dosage selection to optimize inhibition of the drug target and correlation of target inhibition with disease treatment efficacy. This information is crucial for successful evaluation of drug candidates in clinical trials. Based on the pyridine carboxamide scaffold of a novel solvent-accessible pocket (SAP) series of covalent irreversible Btk inhibitors, we successfully developed a potent and selective affinity-based biotinylated probe 12 (2-[(4-{4-[5-(1-{5-[(3aS,4S,6aR)-2-oxo-hexahydro-1H-thieno[3,4-d]imidazol-4-yl]pentanamido}-3,6,9,12-tetraoxapentadecan-15-amido)pentanoyl]piperazine-1-carbonyl}phenyl)amino]-6-[1-(prop-2-enoyl)piperidin-4-yl]pyridine-3-carboxamide). Compound 12 has been used in Btk occupancy assays for preclinical studies to determine the therapeutic efficacy of Btk inhibition in two mouse lupus models driven by TLR7 activation and type I interferon.     

Reoptimization framework and policy analysis for maritime inventory routing under uncertainty

We study a maritime inventory routing problem, in which shipments between production and consumption nodes are carried out by a fleet of vessels. The vessels have specific capacities and can be chartered under different agreements. The inventory levels of all consumption nodes and some production nodes should be maintained within specified bounds; for the remaining production nodes, orders should be picked up within pre-defined time windows. We propose a discrete-time mixed-integer programming model. In the face of new information and uncertainty, this optimization model has to be re-solved, as the horizon is rolled forward. We discuss how to account for different sources of uncertainty. We present a rolling-horizon reoptimization framework that allows us to study different policies that impact the quality of the implemented solution, so we can identify the optimal set of policies.     

PLC-RF diversity: channel outage analysis

Telecommunication Systems - Signals from indoor access points in a wireless fidelity suffer from high attenuation as a result of the thick walls and metal structures in the multilevel-storey...     

Robust nonlinear feedback–feedforward control of a coupled kinetic Monte Carlo–finite difference simulation

Robust nonlinear feedforward–feedback controllers are designed for a multiscale system that dynamically couples kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) and finite difference (FD) simulation codes. The coupled codes simulate the copper electrodeposition process for manufacturing on-chip copper interconnects in electronic devices. The control objective is to regulate the current density subject to the condition that the steady-state fluctuation of the overpotential remains bounded within ±0.01 V. The controller designs incorporate a low-order stochastic model that captures the input–output behavior of the coupled KMC–FD code. The controllers achieve the objectives and the closed-loop responses implemented on the low-order model and the coupled KMC–FD code match well within stochastic variations. The nonlinear feedforward control reduces the rise time of the controller response while the feedback control ensures robustness in the presence of model uncertainty.     

E. H. Dirksens Beiträge zu den Grundlagen der Analysis

Enno Heeren Dirksen (1788–1850) was one of several mathematicians originating from Eastern Frisia at the end of the eighteenth century to acquire prominence in neohumanist reformed Prussia. While striving—like so many of his contemporaries—for more rigour in the foundations of calculus, his work is significant due to his unusual emphasis on the semiotic aspects of the basic concepts. As a clear-sighted propagator of Cauchy's conceptual innovations in Germany, his achievements in improving sign expressions of such concepts enabled him to clarify hitherto not differentiated multiple limit processes—although less successfully in constructive concept formation itself. The contribution is based on the analysis of Dirksen's published texts and on the numerous texts which remained drafts for his projected voluminousOrganon der gesamten Analysis.

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Menso Folkerts zum 60. Geburtstag gewidmet     

DISPERSION COMPENSATION CFBG IN100km 10Gbit／s RECIRCULATING SYSTEMS

A 10Gbit/s recirculating system is configured with Chirped Fiber Bragg Grating (CFBG) for the dispersion compensation. For the first time, the transmission distance in the loop reaches 1000km with bit error rate of 10-9. The effect of the group delay ripple of the fiber grating is also investigated in the recirculating systems, and it is shown that the transmission distance is limited to 4 cycles (4×167.1km ) in the loop with the power penalty fluctuation below 1.0dB. Thus the group delay ripple should be reduced to allow for the wavelength drift of±5GHz. At the end of this letter, the principles are given for designing long haul recirculating systems with dispersion compensation CFBG.     

Synthesis and characterization of biocompatible hydroxyapatite coated ferrite

Ferrite particles coated with biocompatible phases can be used for hyperthermia treatment of cancer. We have synthesized substituted calcium hexaferrite, which is not stable on its own but is stabilized with small substitution of La. Hexaferrite of chemical composition (CaO)_0.75(La₂0₃)_0.20(Fe₂O₃)₆ was prepared using citrate gel method. Hydroxyapatite was prepared by precipitating it from aqueous solution of Ca(NO₃)₂ and (NH₄)₂HPO₄ maintaining pH above 11. Four different methods were used for coating of hydroxyapatite on ferrite particles. SEM with EDX and X-ray diffraction analysis shows clear evidence of coating of hydroxyapatite on ferrite particles. These coated ferrite particles exhibited coercive field up to 2 kOe, which could be made useful for hysteresis heating in hyperthermia. Studies by culturing BHK-21 cells and WBC over the samples show evidence of biocompatibility. SEM micrographs and cell counts give clear indication of cell growth on the surface of the sample. Finally coated ferrite particle was implanted in Kasaulli mouse to test its biocompatibility. The magnetic properties and biocompatibility studies show that these hydroxyapatite coated ferrites could be useful for hyperthermia.     

Electrochemical synthesis and characterization of chloride doped polyaniline

Chloride doped polyaniline conducting polymer films have been prepared in a protic acid medium (HCl) by potentiodynamic method in an electrochemical cell and studied by cyclic voltammetry and FTIR techniques. The FTIR spectra confirmed Cl^- ion doping in the polymers. The polymerization rate was found to increase with increasing concentration of aniline monomer. But the films obtained at high monomer concentration were rough having a nonuniform flaky polyaniline distribution. Results showed that the polymerization rate did not increase beyond a critical HCl concentration. Cyclic voltammetry suggested that, the oxidation-reduction current increased with an increase in scan rate and that the undoped polyaniline films were not hygroscopic whereas chloride doped polyaniline films were found to be highly hygroscopic.