The underlying electrode causes the reported ‘electro-catalysis’ observed at C60-modified glassy carbon electrodes in the case of N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethanamide and salbutamol

The reported ‘electro-catalysis’ of C₆₀-film-modified electrodes for the electrochemical oxidation of N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethanamide and salbutamol has been explored at boron-doped diamond and glassy carbon electrodes. Using both C₆₀-film-modified boron-doped diamond and glassy carbon as underlying electrode substrates no electro-catalytic response is observed using the target analytes but rather the C₆₀ serves to block the electrode surface.A common experimental protocol used by researchers in this field is to electrochemically pre-treat the C₆₀-film-modified electrode. The response of employing this electrochemical pre-treatment at both bare glassy carbon and boron-doped diamond electrodes using the target analytes reveals that no effect on the electrochemical responses obtained at the boron-doped diamond electrode whereas a slight but significant effect occurs on glassy carbon which is attributed to the likely introduction of surface oxygenated species.Consequently the previously reported ‘electro-catalysis’ using C₆₀-film-modified electrode is not due to C₆₀ itself being catalytic, but rather that substrate activation through electrode pre-treatment is responsible for the observed ‘electro-catalysis’ likely through the introduction of surface oxygenated species.This work clearly shows that substrate activation is an important parameter which researchers studying C₆₀-film-modified electrodes, especially in electro-analysis needs to be considered.     

Parameter estimation and optimization techniques for discrete-time semi-Markov models of H.264/AVC video traffic

We investigate a variety of known and new approaches for the estimation of the parameters of discrete-time semi-Markovian traffic models. We focus on modeling video traffic, since the accurate representation of its long-term autocorrelation is a challenge to the parameter estimation methods. The modeling techniques are applied to sample H.264/AVC-encoded video traces. We study their ability to reflect the autocorrelation and variability of the original traffic and also the delay probabilities of a resulting SMP/GI/1 queueing system. The delay probabilities are determined both by simulation and verified analysis of the queue.     

基于ZigBee无线通信的汽车倾斜度测量的应用

引言ZigBee是一种新的无线局域网传输标准,它是基于IEEE802.15.4协议基础的一个通信标准。IEEE802.15.4定义了协议的物理层和媒体介质访问控制层(MAC),而ZigBee定义了网络层、安全层和应用层,见图1。这样,     

Comparison of dual-converter-based power supply systems

Various dual-converter configurations operating in the circulating current mode are compared for use in constant-voltage DC regenerative power-supply applications. Three types of dual-converter configurations are discussed. The design of these systems, including the circulating current limiting inductors, is provided. System components were designed using the three dual-converter configurations with the following specifications: (1) AC supply, three-phase, 115 V, 60 Hz; (2) DC output voltage 135 V; (3) maximum DC load current, 100 A; and (4) ratio of the allowable average circulating current to the maximum DC load current=0.2. The results are experimentally verified     

Einfluß von thermophysikalischen Stoffdaten auf die Auslegung und den Betrieb von Destillationskolonnen

Influence of thermophysical data on the design and operation of distillation columns. It has become common practice in the petrochemical industry to utilize highly developed process simulators for the design of individual pieces of equipment or entire processes. Apart from actual model development, attention focusses on the calculation and use of efficient solution and converging algorithms in the development of such process simulators. Although frequent reference is made to the importance of the underlying material data in the literature and in practical applications there exist only scattered studies giving a suitable choice of the available substance data models and the sensitivity of the process variables to inaccuracy and uncertainty of the material data and the material data models. The present article illustrates the influence of material data (choice of model, sensitivity) for the example of the design and operation of distillation columns and several methods and recommendations are given for fast estimations. With the aid of appropriate examples, the influence of uncertainties in the underlying measured data and the phase equilibrium models on various process variables (plate number, reflux ratio, distillate and sump concentrations) is demonstrated.     

Energy Offset Between Silicon Quantum Structures: Interface Impact of Embedding Dielectrics as Doping Alternative

Ultrasmall silicon (Si) nanoelectronic devices require an energy shift of electronic states for n‐ and p‐conductivity. Nanocrystal self‐purification and out‐diffusion in field effect transistors cause doping to fail. Here, it is shown that silicon dioxide (SiO₂) and silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) create energy offsets of electronic states in embedded Si quantum dots (QDs) in analogy to doping. Density functional theory (DFT), interface charge transfer (ICT), and experimental verifications arrive at the same size of QDs below which the dielectric dominates their electronic properties. Large positive energy offsets of electronic states and an energy gap increase exist for Si QDs in Si₃N₄ versus SiO₂. Using DFT results, the SiO₂/QD interface coverage is estimated with nitrogen (N) to be 0.1 to 0.5 monolayers (ML) for samples annealed in N₂ versus argon (Ar). The interface impact is described as nanoscopic field effect and propose the energy offset as robust and controllable alternative to impurity doping of Si nanostructures.     

Landscape as an Area Perceived through Activity: Implications for Diversity Management and Conservation

This article uses an activity-based understanding of landscape to explore values related to perceived land cover diversity. Perceptions within two user groups, members of landowner families and hiking tourists in a mountain area in western Norway, were related to a simultaneous land cover survey, and compared to experts' evaluations of land cover and to the aims of landscape protection in the area. Users perceived the area as being significantly more diverse and valuable than experts did, which stresses the importance of taking user perception into account in landscape protection and management. Some central landscape values were dependent upon land use outside the boundaries of the protected area. This illustrates that measures within structurally defined land units are not necessarily sufficient for maintenance of landscape values experienced by users. Land use in both respects, as an upholder of values and as a way of experiencing or perceiving them, should receive an increased role in the determination of management units.     

Welding of twinning-induced plasticity steels

This work focuses on the technical and technological aspects of fusion welding of high-manganese steels exhibiting twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) for both similar and dissimilar joints. Changes in the alloy chemistry resulting from evaporation and dilution are discussed with respect to stacking fault energy and austenite stability. The influence of fusion welding on grain size and strength is also discussed. Conclusions are drawn with respect to optimization processes for fusion welding of TWIP steel.     

Quadratic-time algorithm for a string constrained LCS problem

The problem of finding a longest common subsequence of two main sequences with some constraint that must be a substring of the result (STR-IC-LCS) was formulated recently. It is a variant of the constrained longest common subsequence problem. As the known algorithms for the STR-IC-LCS problem are cubic-time, the presented quadratic-time algorithm is significantly faster.