Interface-dependent resistance switching in Nd<Subscript>0.7</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>0.3</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> ceramics

Interface-dependent electric-pulse-induced resistance switching effect (EPIR) in Nd_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ ceramics was studied. The results reveal that the EPIR effect originates from the interface between the electrodes and the bulk, and the EPIR ratio as well as the high and low resistance states can be strongly influenced by applying a large electrical field on the sample for different intervals. Also, the pulse parameters have great effect on the stability of EPIR and the optimal pulse width, pulse amplitude and read bias are obtained. Based on the space charge limited current mechanism together with the theory of interfacial charge-trapped state, the interface-dependent resistance switching effect is discussed.     

Effects of phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase mRNA expression on meat quality of <Emphasis Type=Italic>M. longissimus dorsi</Emphasis> in pigs

Antioxidant enzymes protect muscle tissues against oxidation from reactive oxygen species and increase the stability of the muscle. Phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (GPx4) is an important antioxidant enzyme in muscle tissue. So the aim of this study was to identify the effects of mRNA expression level of GPx4 gene on meat quality properties in Longissimus dorsi of three pig breeds. Total 36 pigs (12 pigs for each breed) were used to measure the meat quality properties and to analyze the expression levels of GPx4 gene by quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed that meat quality, GPx4 activity, and GPx4 mRNA levels were affected by pig breeds. There were the lowest expressible moisture, drip loss, and cooking loss in Laiwu Pig among the three breeds, and also there were the highest GPx4 activity and the expression levels of GPx4 gene in Laiwu Pig compared with the other two pig breeds. Analysis of meat samples divergent for water-holding capacity identified highly negative associations between expressions levels of GPx4 gene and expressible moisture, drip loss and cooking loss. These results suggest that the higher mRNA expression level of GPx4 gene up-regulate the water-holding capacity and the activity of GPx4, and the expression of GPx4 gene plays an important role in physiological changes related to the meat quality properties and the mechanisms of the antioxidant ion of meat.     

A GIS Framework for Changing Cropping Pattern Under Different Climate Conditions and Irrigation Availability Scenarios

Irrigation water availability is a main driver which determines cropping patterns for an irrigation area. Irrigation water availability will potentially reduce due to changes in climate and irrigation extraction limits. Cropping patterns should be adjusted to meet this challenge. This study presents a new approach for assessing future cropping patterns using GIS in combination with an Irrigation Water Availability Simulation model (IWAS) at irrigation area scale. The IWAS-GIS framework was developed for analysis of cropping pattern options based on the forecast of irrigation water availability in 2030 for the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA) which is one of the most important irrigation areas in Australia. Six scenarios considering climatic conditions and the irrigation availabilities were input into the IWAS-GIS framework to simulate cropping pattern changes corresponding to predicted monthly irrigation water availability. Cropping patterns were designed by integration of soil type and irrigation water availability to improve irrigation sustainability. Simulations results indicate that the total irrigated areas will likely decrease with drier climate and less irrigation availability. Rice and pasture areas change significantly when climate and irrigation availability varies. Under the same climate condition, horticulture area increases when irrigation availability decrease. The percentage of lands which are unsuitable for cropping has reduced with the drying climate and shrinking irrigation availability. The IWAS-GIS is simple to implement and provides an easy way for assessing spatial cropping pattern changes based on irrigation water availability. This framework was developed to help irrigators plan cropping patterns corresponding to irrigation water availability. It is flexible to be adopted for similar applications in other irrigation areas.     

浅谈温州市水利工程建设管理

对温州市水利工程建设管理存在的主要问题及原因进行分析,提出加强水利工程建设管理的对策和建议。图1幅。     

Large-scale synthesis of hierarchical alpha-FeOOH flowers by ultrasonic-assisted hydrothermal route

In this paper, we report a facile, an environmental friendly ultrasonic-assisted hydrothermal route for preparation of goethite flower structures using Fe nanopowders at low temperature (85°C). The flower structure consisted of tens of hundreds of nanowires and such structures can further self-assemble with the flake with micro size area. Structural, morphological, and elemental analysis revealed that the products consisted of flower-like structures with high structural uniformity, good crystal quality, and high yields. Influencing factors such as the reaction temperature, pH value, and the deposition time were systematically investigated. A possible formation mechanism was proposed on the basis of the experimental results. Magnetic measurements showed that the as-obtained goethite flowers exhibited weakly ferromagnetic characteristics at room temperature, which were quite different from those of the corresponding bulk materials.     

Innovative methodologies of circuit edit by focused ion beam (FIB) on wafer-level chip-scale-package (WLCSP) devices

As packaging technology advances to wafer level chip scale packaging (WLCSP) to enable reduced chip size and manufacturing cost, circuit edit has become a critical issue for the fully packaged integrated circuits (ICs). These advanced package types cannot be rebuilt on a single chip; therefore, function testing after circuit edit of WLCSP faces challenges. Furthermore, there are routings at the redistribution layer of WLCSP ICs. Circuit edit was applied on both the chip and the package level. In this paper the focused ion beam was applied to mill the organic material of the package structure to expose underlying ICs, instead of chemically destroying the packaging. Metal line cutting and conductive path deposition were also developed by a beam-based technique. These new approaches make the direct edit of electrical circuitry possible not only in ICs but also at package level. Therefore, for the debug process and for failure analysis, the WLCSP ICs have negligible damage and negligible signal integrity loss by retaining the original packaging structure.     

A study of the dynamic compressive behavior of Elk antler

Large mammalian antler is extremely tough and fracture resistant compared to other more brittle forms of skeletal bone. The ability of antler to resist fracture is associated with a decrease in material stiffness and yield strength and increased non-linear response, due in part to antler being fast growing, since they are typically shed and regrown annually. Since male Elk commonly engage in antler sparring as a means of making dominance displays, the ability to withstand large impacts suggest that antler may exhibit strain-rate dependent behavior even greater than skeletal bone. To evaluate this hypothesis, specimens of antler were tested in compression over a range of strain rates. Specimens were loaded either along or transversely to the osteonal growth direction, in wet and dry conditions. Results showed that antler exhibits higher compressive strengths at increased strain rates, and that strain rate and hydration are greater determinants of compressive strength than osteonal orientation. In addition, antler can sustain compressive strains a full order-of-magnitude greater than in mammalian long bone. Failed specimens showed that a hierarchical chain of deformation mechanisms sustains the large bulk strains supported by antler. These mechanisms appear to be less brittle and more fibrous than those seen previously in skeletal bone.     

Determination of volume fraction of bainite in low carbon steels using artificial neural networks

Artificial neural networks have been used to estimate the volume fraction of bainite in low carbon steels containing various alloying elements. The network predicts the volume fraction for a given composition, isothermal transformation temperature and isothermal transformation time. Additionally, the maximum transformation temperature at which bainite formation takes place is also provided as an input to the neural network. The network was trained using the experimental data from three low carbon steels and it was found to perform quite well in predicting the volume fraction of bainite. The impact of the composition of alloying elements on the volume fraction of bainite was also studied and the results were in agreement with the known metallurgical theory.