Controlling Au electrode patterns for simultaneously monitoring electrical actuation and shape recovery in shape memory polymer

This paper presents an effective approach to achieve efficient electrical actuation and monitoring of shape recovery based on patterned Au electrodes on shape memory polymer (SMP). The electrically responsive shape recovery behavior was characterized and monitored by the evolution change in electrical resistance of patterned Au electrode. Both electrical actuation and temperature distribution in the SMP have been improved by optimizing the Au electrode patterns. The electrically actuated shape recovery behavior and temperature evolution during the actuation were monitored and characterized. The resistance changes could be used to detect beginning/finishing points of the shape recovery. Therefore, the Au electrode not only significantly enhances the electrical actuation performance to achieve a fast electrical actuation, but also enables the resistance signal to detect the free recovery process.     

On tapered warp-free laminates with single-ply terminations

This article reviews the current state of the art in the design of traditional uni-directional fibre laminate construction; beyond the ubiquitous balanced and symmetric design. A ply termination algorithm is then employed to develop permissible tapered designs, with single-ply terminations and ply contiguity constraints, which are free from undesirable changes in mechanical coupling characteristics. More importantly however, is the fact that all tapered designs have immunity to thermal warping distortion; which include all combinations of anti-symmetric (or cross-symmetric), non-symmetric and symmetric angle- and cross-ply sub-sequence symmetries. Tapered designs are presented for laminates with fully uncoupled properties, and those possessing extension–shearing and/or bending–twisting coupling. Such designs represent typical fuselage skin thicknesses, i.e., with between (n =) 12 and 16 plies, but due consideration is also given to new fuselage design concepts with grid-stiffeners and/or geodesic stiffener arrangements, for which thinner designs (n ⩾ 8) are of interest.     

Rethinking Enterprise Architecture for Sustainable Energy System Development

The development of a sustainable energy system throughout an enterprise is a complex task, which requires an agile holistic approach. Such an approach needs to include a variety of objectives including energy strategy formation and strategic decision-making, which are directly related to the analysis and management of the main areas of sustainable development:The economic, technological, environmental, and social. These multidimensional requirements of sustainability are often difficult to achieve within the enterprise, because these aspects are interrelated and influenced by various internal and external environment factors. This paper first reviews the main challenges for an energy system, and then demonstrates how a strategic agile enterprise architecture driven approach could effectively guide the sustainable energy system development. The study presented in this paper provides a holistic approach that contributes to the advancement and usage of literature dealing with issues of sustainable energy system development and agile enterprise architecture, which has not been discussed before to any great extent.     

New nanocomposite based on poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) copolymer and magnetite. Synthesis and characterization

The study presents the preparation of the new magnetic nanocomposite based on PLGA and magnetite. The PLGA used to obtain the magnetic nanocomposites was synthesized by the copolymerization of lactic acid with glycolic acid, in the presence of tin octanoate [Sn(Oct)₂] as catalyst, by polycondensation procedure. Magnetite was obtained by co-precipitation from aqueous salt solutions FeCl₂/FeCl₃. The particles size of magnetite was 420 nm, and the saturation magnetization 62.78 emu/g, while the PLGA/magnetite nanocomposite size was 864 nm and the saturation magnetization 39.44 emu/g. The magnetic nanocomposites were characterized by FT-IR, DLS technique, SEM, VSM and simultaneous thermal analyses (TG–FTIR–MS). The polymer matrix PLGA acts as a shell and carrier for the active component, while magnetite is the component which makes targeting possible by external magnetic field manipulation. Based on the gases resulted by thermal degradation of PLGA copolymer, using the simultaneous analysis TG–FTIR–MS, a possible degradation mechanism was proposed.     

Modeling the effect of deep traps on the capacitance–voltage characteristics of p-type Si-doped GaAs Schottky diodes grown on high index GaAs substrates

Numerical simulation, using SILVACO-TCAD, is carried out to explain experimentally observed effects of different types of deep levels on the capacitance–voltage characteristics of p-type Si-doped GaAs Schottky diodes grown on high index GaAs substrates. Two diodes were grown on (311)A and (211)A oriented GaAs substrates using Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE). Although, deep levels were observed in both structures, the measured capacitance–voltage characteristics show a negative differential capacitance (NDC) for the (311)A diodes, while the (211)A devices display a usual behaviour. The NDC is related to the nature and spatial distribution of the deep levels, which are characterized by the Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) technique. In the (311)A structure only majority deep levels (hole traps) were observed while both majority and minority deep levels were present in the (211)A diodes. The simulation, which calculates the capacitance–voltage characteristics in the absence and presence of different types of deep levels, agrees well with the experimentally observed behaviour.     

Optical properties and conductivity of PEDOT:PSS films treated by polyethylenimine solution for organic solar cells

We report on conductivity and optical property of three different types of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) films [pristine PH1000 film (PH1000-p), with 5 wt.% ethylene glycol additive (PH1000-EG) and with sulfuric acid post-treatment (PH1000-SA)] before and after polyethylenimine (PEI) treatment. The PEI is found to decrease the conductivity of all the PEDOT:PSS films. The processing solvent of 2-methoxyethanol is found to significantly enhance the conductivity of PH1000-p from 1.1 up to 744 S/cm while the processing solvent of isopropanol or water does not change the conductivity of PH1000-p much. As for the optical properties, the PEI treatment slightly changes the transmittance and reflectance of PH1000-p and PH1000-EG films, while the PEI leads to an substantial increase of the absorptance in the spectral region of 400–1100 nm of the PH1000-SA films. Though the optical property and conductivity of the three different types of PEDOT:PSS films vary with the PEI treatment, the treated PEDOT:PSS films exhibit similar low work function. We demonstrate solar cells with a simple device structure of glass/low-WF PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:ICBA/high-WF PEDOT:PSS cells that exhibit good performance with open-circuit voltage of 0.82 V and fill factor up to 0.62 under 100 mW/cm² white light illumination.     

杭州湾南岸滩涂沉积物中HCHs与DDTs污染特征分析

摘 要：目的 了解六六六（hexachlorocyclohexanes,HCHs）与滴滴涕(dichloro diphenyl trichloroethanes,DDTs)在杭州湾南岸滩涂沉积物中的污染现状。方法 于2018年4月，采集杭州湾南岸地区4个采样点不同深度（0~80 cm）滩涂沉积物，利用气相色谱-串联质谱法（gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, GC-MS/MS）测定了该区域中HCHs与DDTs的含量，对其分布规律进行分析，使用共识沉积物质量基准法对其生态学风险进行了评估。结果 所有样品中均检出，HCHs与DDTs含量分别为4.20~6.24 μg/kg与3.37~4.73 μg/kg，主要以β-HCH、δ-HCH以及DDE为主，其污染主要来源于历史性工业品，整体污染处于较低水平；20.3%的沉积物样品中DDEs含量以及28.1%的样品DDTs总量介于阈值效应浓度(threshold concentration, TECs) 和可能效应浓度(probable effect concentration, PECs)之间。结论 杭州湾南岸沉积物中HCHs与DDTs的污染处于较低水平，具有较小的生态学风险。     

Milk from cows fed a diet with a high forage:concentrate ratio improves inflammatory state,oxidative stress,and mitochondrial function in rats

Excessive energy intake may evoke complex biochemical processes characterized by inflammation, oxidative stress, and impairment of mitochondrial function that represent the main factors underlying noncommunicable diseases. Because cow milk is widely used for human nutrition and in food industry processing, the nutritional quality of milk is of special interest with respect to human health. In our study, we analyzed milk produced by dairy cows fed a diet characterized by a high forage:concentrate ratio (high forage milk, HFM). In view of the low n-6:n-3 ratio and high content of conjugated linoleic acid of HFM, we studied the effects of this milk on lipid metabolism, inflammation, mitochondrial function, and oxidative stress in a rat model. To this end, we supplemented for 4 wk the diet of male Wistar rats with HFM and with an isocaloric amount (82 kJ, 22 mL/d) of milk obtained from cows fed a diet with low forage:concentrate ratio, and analyzed the metabolic parameters of the animals. Our results indicate that HFM may positively affect lipid metabolism, leptin:adiponectin ratio, inflammation, mitochondrial function, and oxidative stress, providing the first evidence of the beneficial effects of HFM on rat metabolism.     

Precipitating spinel into precursor glass and its assistance in crystallization

The crystallization phenomena of spinel in CaO-MgO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂-Fe₂O₃ glass have received much attention due to the particular role in preparation of glass-ceramic materials, which represent an effective option to manage hazardous waste. In this study, both preliminary spinel and secondary spinel were precipitated in the precursor glass. The formation of these spinel was meticulously assessed by a combination of X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy. The structure of the microenvironment in the precursor glass was characterized by Raman spectrums. These advanced techniques highlight the potential for one-step crystallization of the glass. The investigation, which focused on one-step crystallization, demonstrated the growth of pyroxene on spinel accompanying a migration of chromium. The results also show the microstructure of the obtained glass-ceramic was very dependent on the heat-treat temperature. This study not only unambiguously reveals the precipitation mechanisms of spinel but also provides more documentation for one-step crystallization in the glass-ceramics field.