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Low surface roughness, low residual stress, and(002) textured aluminum nitride(AlN) thin films are favored for applications in microelectronic and optoelectronic devices. In this paper, AlN thin films were deposited by reactive high power pulsed magnetron sputtering(HPPMS). The effect of aluminum target sputtering mode and sputtering power on thin film residual stress, crystalline structure, surface roughness, and morphology of AlN thin films was studied. The results indicate that, with Al target sputtering mode transfer from metallic mode to transitional and compound modes, respectively, the number of Al species decrease, and ion-to-neutral ratio of Al species increase. Comparing the AIN thin film deposited in compound mode with that deposited in transitional mode, the latter exhibited lower surface roughness and residual stress. In addition, AlN thin film with (002) texture and lower residual stress is obtained by increasing sputtering power in transitional mode. For fabricating AIN film via reactive HPPMS with a particular (002) texture, low surface roughness, and residual stress, sputtering the target in the transitional mode with high sputtering power is optimal.

We intent to use stellar models with and without alpha-enhancement, as well as asteroseismic analysis, to study two alpha-enhanced stars, KIC 7976303 and KIC 8694723. For the alpha-enhanced models, we adopt [alpha/Fe] = 0.2, and 0.4. For the evolved sub-giant KIC 7976303 with mixed-modes, alpha-enhanced models fit the observations better than the models without alpha-enhancement, and point to a star with M = 1.20 $\pm$ 0.02 M_odot, t = 4.88 $\pm$ 0.08 Gyr, R = 2.04 $\pm$ 0.01 R_odot, and L = 5.07 $\pm$ 0.05 L_odot. For the post turnoff star KIC 8694723, we find that the models fit the observations well in all three cases ([alpha/Fe] = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4). According to the observed metal abundances, only alpha- enhanced models are used to estimate the stellar parameters, which are M = 1.13 $\pm$ 0.06 M_odot, t = 5.47 $\pm$ 0.43 Gyr, R = 1.55 $\pm$ 0.13 R_odot, and L = 3.18 $\pm$ 0.26 L_odot. Our alpha-enhanced models indicate KIC 7976303 has a larger mass and younger age than in previous works based on standard models. Furthermore, the differences of estimated mass and age between the three cases are $\sim$ 0.1 M_odot and $\sim$ 0.5 - 1.3 Gyr. These results suggest that we include alpha-enhancement in the modeling of alpha-enhanced stars, such as members of GCs (Globular Clusters), metal-poor stars in the disc and in the halo., Comment: 21 pages,4 figures

We intent to use stellar models with and without alpha-enhancement, as well as asteroseismic analysis, to study two alpha-enhanced stars, KIC 7976303 and KIC 8694723. For the alpha-enhanced models, we adopt [alpha/Fe] = 0.2, and 0.4. For the evolved sub-giant KIC 7976303 with mixed-modes, alpha-enhanced models fit the observations better than the models without alpha-enhancement, and point to a star with M = 1.20 $\pm$ 0.02 M_odot, t = 4.88 $\pm$ 0.08 Gyr, R = 2.04 $\pm$ 0.01 R_odot, and L = 5.07 $\pm$ 0.05 L_odot. For the post turnoff star KIC 8694723, we find that the models fit the observations well in all three cases ([alpha/Fe] = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4). According to the observed metal abundances, only alpha- enhanced models are used to estimate the stellar parameters, which are M = 1.13 $\pm$ 0.06 M_odot, t = 5.47 $\pm$ 0.43 Gyr, R = 1.55 $\pm$ 0.13 R_odot, and L = 3.18 $\pm$ 0.26 L_odot. Our alpha-enhanced models indicate KIC 7976303 has a larger mass and younger age than in previous works based on standard models. Furthermore, the differences of estimated mass and age between the three cases are $\sim$ 0.1 M_odot and $\sim$ 0.5 - 1.3 Gyr. These results suggest that we include alpha-enhancement in the modeling of alpha-enhanced stars, such as members of GCs (Globular Clusters), metal-poor stars in the disc and in the halo., Comment: 21 pages,4 figures

Air conditioning is essential for maintaining thermal comfort in indoor environments, particularly for hot and humid climates. Today, air conditioning, comprising cooling and dehumidification, has become a necessity in commercial and residential buildings and industrial processes. It accounts for a major share of the energy consumption of a building or facility. In tropical climates, the energy consumed by heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) can exceed 50% of the total energy consumption of a building. This significant figure is primarily due to the heavy duty placed on cooling technologies to remove both sensible and latent heat loads. Therefore, there is tremendous potential to improve the overall efficiency of the air-conditioning systems in buildings.Based on today's practical technology for cooling, the major components of a chiller plant are (1) compressors, (2) cooling towers, (3) pumps (chilled and cooling water) and (4) fans in air handling units. They all consume mainly electricity to operate. When specifying the kW/R. ton of a plant, there are two levels of monitoring cooling efficiency: (1) at the efficiency of the chiller machines or the compressors which consume a major amount of electricity; and (2) at the overall efficiency of cooling plants which include the cooling towers, pumps for moving coolant (chilled and cooling water) to all air-handling units. Pragmatically, a holistic approach is necessary towards achieving a low energy input per cooling achieved such as 0.6. kW/R. ton cooling or lower by considering all aspects of the cooling plant.In this paper, we present a review of recent innovative cooling technology and strategies that could potentially lower the kW/R. ton of cooling systems - from the existing mean of 0.9. kW/R. ton towards 0.6. kW/R. ton or lower. The paper, broadly divided into three key sections (see Fig. 2), begins with a review of the recent novel devices that enhances the energy efficiency of cooling systems at t, QC 20130215

Air conditioning is essential for maintaining thermal comfort in indoor environments, particularly for hot and humid climates. Today, air conditioning, comprising cooling and dehumidification, has become a necessity in commercial and residential buildings and industrial processes. It accounts for a major share of the energy consumption of a building or facility. In tropical climates, the energy consumed by heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) can exceed 50% of the total energy consumption of a building. This significant figure is primarily due to the heavy duty placed on cooling technologies to remove both sensible and latent heat loads. Therefore, there is tremendous potential to improve the overall efficiency of the air-conditioning systems in buildings. Based on today's practical technology for cooling, the major components of a chiller plant are (I) compressors, (2) cooling towers, (3) pumps (chilled and cooling water) and (4) fans in air handling units. They all consume mainly electricity to operate. When specifying the kW/R ton of a plant, there are two levels of monitoring cooling efficiency: (1) at the efficiency of the chiller machines or the compressors which consume a major amount of electricity; and (2) at the overall efficiency of cooling plants which include the cooling towers, pumps for moving coolant (chilled and cooling water) to all air-handling units. Pragmatically, a holistic approach is necessary towards achieving a low energy input per cooling achieved such as 0.6 kW/R ton cooling or lower by considering all aspects of the cooling plant. In this paper, we present a review of recent innovative cooling technology and strategies that could potentially lower the kW/R ton of cooling systems - from the existing mean of 0.9 kW/R ton towards 0.6 kW/R ton or lower. The paper, broadly divided into three key sections (see Fig. 2), begins with a review of the recent novel devices that enhances the energy efficiency of cooling systems at the com

Single Degenerate model is the most widely accepted progenitor model of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), in which a carbon-oxygen white dwarf (CO WD) accretes hydrogen-rich material from a main sequence or a slightly evolved star (WD +MS) to increase its mass, and explodes when its mass approaches the Chandrasekhar mass limit. During the mass transfer phase between the two components, an optically thick wind may occur and the material lost as the wind may exist as circumstellar material (CSM). Searching the CSM around progenitor star is helpful to discriminate different progenitor models of SNe Ia. Meanwhile, the CSM is a source of color excess.The purpose of this paper is to study the color excess produced from the single-degenerate progenitor model with optically thick wind, and reproduce the distribution of color excesses of SNe Ia. Meng et al. (2009) systemically carried out binary evolution calculation of the WD +MS systems for various metallicities and showed the parameters of the systems before Roche lobe overflow and at the moment of supernova explosion in Meng & Yang (2009). With the results of Meng et al. (2009), we calculate the color excesses of SNe Ia at maximum light via a simple analytic method.We reproduces the distribution of color excesses of SNe Ia by our binary population synthesis approach if the velocity of the optically thick wind is taken to be of order of magnitude of 10 km s$^{\rm -1}$. However, if the wind velocity is larger than 100 km s$^{\rm -1}$, the reproduction is bad., Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in RAA

Single Degenerate model is the most widely accepted progenitor model of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), in which a carbon-oxygen white dwarf (CO WD) accretes hydrogen-rich material from a main sequence or a slightly evolved star (WD +MS) to increase its mass, and explodes when its mass approaches the Chandrasekhar mass limit. During the mass transfer phase between the two components, an optically thick wind may occur and the material lost as the wind may exist as circumstellar material (CSM). Searching the CSM around progenitor star is helpful to discriminate different progenitor models of SNe Ia. Meanwhile, the CSM is a source of color excess.The purpose of this paper is to study the color excess produced from the single-degenerate progenitor model with optically thick wind, and reproduce the distribution of color excesses of SNe Ia. Meng et al. (2009) systemically carried out binary evolution calculation of the WD +MS systems for various metallicities and showed the parameters of the systems before Roche lobe overflow and at the moment of supernova explosion in Meng & Yang (2009). With the results of Meng et al. (2009), we calculate the color excesses of SNe Ia at maximum light via a simple analytic method.We reproduces the distribution of color excesses of SNe Ia by our binary population synthesis approach if the velocity of the optically thick wind is taken to be of order of magnitude of 10 km s$^{\rm -1}$. However, if the wind velocity is larger than 100 km s$^{\rm -1}$, the reproduction is bad., Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in RAA

The frequency difference between a model used only two-point interpolation of opacity and a model used piecewise linear interpolation of opacity is of the order of several microHertz at a certain stage, which is almost 10 times worse than the observational precision of p-modes of solar-like stars. Therefore, the two-point interpolation of opacity is unsuitable in modelling of solar-like stars with element diffusion., Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure; to appear in the Proceedings of IAU Symp. 252 "The Art of Modelling Stars in the 21st Century", Sanya, China, 6th-11th April 2008, (L. Deng, K.L. Chan & C. Chiosi, eds.)

Using reconstructed opacities, we construct solar models with low heavy-element abundance. Rotational mixing and enhanced diffusion of helium and heavy elements are used to reconcile the recently observed abundances with helioseismology. The sound speed and density of models where the relative and absolute diffusion coefficients for helium and heavy elements have been increased agree with seismically inferred values at better than the 0.005 and 0.02 fractional level respectively. However, the surface helium abundance of the enhanced diffusion model is too low. The low helium problem in the enhanced diffusion model can be solved to a great extent by rotational mixing. The surface helium and the convection zone depth of rotating model M04R3, which has a surface Z of 0.0154, agree with the seismic results at the levels of 1 $\sigma$ and 3 $\sigma$ respectively. M04R3 is almost as good as the standard model M98. Some discrepancies between the models constructed in accord with the new element abundances and seismic constraints can be solved individually, but it seems difficult to resolve them as a whole scenario., Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure

The purpose of this work was to obtain diffusion coefficient for the magnetic angular momentum transport and material transport in a rotating solar model. We assumed that the transport of both angular momentum and chemical elements caused by magnetic fields could be treated as a diffusion process. The diffusion coefficient depends on the stellar radius, angular velocity, and the configuration of magnetic fields. By using of this coefficient, it is found that our model becomes more consistent with the helioseismic results of total angular momentum, angular momentum density, and the rotation rate in a radiative region than the one without magnetic fields. Not only can the magnetic fields redistribute angular momentum efficiently, but they can also strengthen the coupling between the radiative and convective zones. As a result, the sharp gradient of the rotation rate is reduced at the bottom of the convective zone. The thickness of the layer of sharp radial change in the rotation rate is about 0.036 $R_{\odot}$ in our model. Furthermore, the difference of the sound-speed square between the seismic Sun and the model is improved by mixing the material that is associated with angular momentum transport., Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures

The frequency difference between a model used only two-point interpolation of opacity and a model used piecewise linear interpolation of opacity is of the order of several microHertz at a certain stage, which is almost 10 times worse than the observational precision of p-modes of solar-like stars. Therefore, the two-point interpolation of opacity is unsuitable in modelling of solar-like stars with element diffusion., Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure; to appear in the Proceedings of IAU Symp. 252 "The Art of Modelling Stars in the 21st Century", Sanya, China, 6th-11th April 2008, (L. Deng, K.L. Chan & C. Chiosi, eds.)

Using reconstructed opacities, we construct solar models with low heavy-element abundance. Rotational mixing and enhanced diffusion of helium and heavy elements are used to reconcile the recently observed abundances with helioseismology. The sound speed and density of models where the relative and absolute diffusion coefficients for helium and heavy elements have been increased agree with seismically inferred values at better than the 0.005 and 0.02 fractional level respectively. However, the surface helium abundance of the enhanced diffusion model is too low. The low helium problem in the enhanced diffusion model can be solved to a great extent by rotational mixing. The surface helium and the convection zone depth of rotating model M04R3, which has a surface Z of 0.0154, agree with the seismic results at the levels of 1 $\sigma$ and 3 $\sigma$ respectively. M04R3 is almost as good as the standard model M98. Some discrepancies between the models constructed in accord with the new element abundances and seismic constraints can be solved individually, but it seems difficult to resolve them as a whole scenario., Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure

The purpose of this work was to obtain diffusion coefficient for the magnetic angular momentum transport and material transport in a rotating solar model. We assumed that the transport of both angular momentum and chemical elements caused by magnetic fields could be treated as a diffusion process. The diffusion coefficient depends on the stellar radius, angular velocity, and the configuration of magnetic fields. By using of this coefficient, it is found that our model becomes more consistent with the helioseismic results of total angular momentum, angular momentum density, and the rotation rate in a radiative region than the one without magnetic fields. Not only can the magnetic fields redistribute angular momentum efficiently, but they can also strengthen the coupling between the radiative and convective zones. As a result, the sharp gradient of the rotation rate is reduced at the bottom of the convective zone. The thickness of the layer of sharp radial change in the rotation rate is about 0.036 $R_{\odot}$ in our model. Furthermore, the difference of the sound-speed square between the seismic Sun and the model is improved by mixing the material that is associated with angular momentum transport., Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures

In this article, we propose a new approach to calculate the Nambu-Gorkov propagator intuitively with some linear algebra techniques in presence of the scalar diquark condensates. With the help of energy projective operators, we can obtain relatively simple expressions for the quark propagators, which greatly facilitate the calculations in solving the Schwinger-Dyson equation to obtain the gap parameters., Comment: 11 pages. Second version, minor changes, suggestions and comments are welcome

In this article, we study the structures of the pseudoscalar mesons $\pi$, $K$ and the scalar diquarks $U^a$, $D^a$, $S^a$ in the framework of the coupled rainbow Schwinger-Dyson equation and ladder Bethe-Salpeter equation with the confining effective potential. The $u$, $d$, $s$ quarks have small current masses, and the renormalization is very large, the mass poles in the timelike region are absent which implements confinement naturally. The Bethe-Salpeter wavefunctions of the pseudoscalar mesons $\pi$, $K$ and the scalar diquarks $U^a$, $D^a$, $S^a$ have the same type (Gaussian type) momentum dependence, center around zero momentum and extend to the energy scale about $q^2=1GeV^2$ which happen to be the energy scale for the chiral symmetry breaking, the strong interactions in the infrared region result in bound (or quasi-bound) states. The numerical results for the masses and decay constants of the $\pi$, $K$ mesons can reproduce the experimental values, the ground state masses of the scalar diquarks $U^a$, $D^a$, $S^a$ are consistent with the existing theoretical calculations. We suggest a new Lagrangian which may explain the uncertainty of the masses of the scalar diquarks ., Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, third version, to appear in Commun. Theor. Phys

In this article, we propose a new approach to calculate the Nambu-Gorkov propagator intuitively with some linear algebra techniques in presence of the scalar diquark condensates. With the help of energy projective operators, we can obtain relatively simple expressions for the quark propagators, which greatly facilitate the calculations in solving the Schwinger-Dyson equation to obtain the gap parameters., Comment: 11 pages. Second version, minor changes, suggestions and comments are welcome

In this article, we study the structures of the pseudoscalar mesons $\pi$, $K$ and the scalar diquarks $U^a$, $D^a$, $S^a$ in the framework of the coupled rainbow Schwinger-Dyson equation and ladder Bethe-Salpeter equation with the confining effective potential. The $u$, $d$, $s$ quarks have small current masses, and the renormalization is very large, the mass poles in the timelike region are absent which implements confinement naturally. The Bethe-Salpeter wavefunctions of the pseudoscalar mesons $\pi$, $K$ and the scalar diquarks $U^a$, $D^a$, $S^a$ have the same type (Gaussian type) momentum dependence, center around zero momentum and extend to the energy scale about $q^2=1GeV^2$ which happen to be the energy scale for the chiral symmetry breaking, the strong interactions in the infrared region result in bound (or quasi-bound) states. The numerical results for the masses and decay constants of the $\pi$, $K$ mesons can reproduce the experimental values, the ground state masses of the scalar diquarks $U^a$, $D^a$, $S^a$ are consistent with the existing theoretical calculations. We suggest a new Lagrangian which may explain the uncertainty of the masses of the scalar diquarks ., Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, third version, to appear in Commun. Theor. Phys

Transcriptional repression by nuclear receptors has been correlated to binding of the putative co-repressor, N-CoR. A complex has been identified that contains N-CoR, the Mad presumptive co-repressor mSin3, and the histone deacetylase mRPD3, and which is required for both nuclear receptor- and Mad-dependent repression, but not for repression by transcription factors of the ets-domain family. These data predict that the ligand-induced switch of heterodimeric nuclear receptors from repressor to activator functions involves the exchange of complexes containing histone deacetylases with those that have histone acetylase activity.

Transcriptional repression by nuclear receptors has been correlated to binding of the putative co-repressor, N-CoR. A complex has been identified that contains N-CoR, the Mad presumptive co-repressor mSin3, and the histone deacetylase mRPD3, and which is required for both nuclear receptor- and Mad-dependent repression, but not for repression by transcription factors of the ets-domain family. These data predict that the ligand-induced switch of heterodimeric nuclear receptors from repressor to activator functions involves the exchange of complexes containing histone deacetylases with those that have histone acetylase activity.

Thyroid hormone and retinoic acid receptors are members of the nuclear receptor superfamily of ligand-dependent transcription factors that stimulate the transcription of target genes in the presence of activating ligands and repress transcription in their absence. Transcriptional repression by the thyroid hormone and retinoic acid receptors has been proposed to be mediated by the nuclear receptor corepressor, N-CoR, or the related factor, SMRT (silencing mediator of retinoic acid and thyroid hormone receptors). Recent studies have suggested that transcriptional repression by N-CoR involves a corepressor complex that also contains mSin3A/B and the histone deacetylase, RPD3. In this manuscript, we demonstrate that transcriptional repression by the retinoic acid receptor can be either positively or negatively regulated by changes in the levels of N-CoR expression, suggesting a relatively strict stoichiometric relationship between N-CoR and other components of the corepressor complex. Consistent with this interpretation, overexpression of several functionally defined domains of N-CoR also relieve repression by nuclear receptors. N-CoR is distributed throughout the nucleus in a nonuniform pattern, and a subpopulation becomes concentrated into several discrete dot structures when highly expressed. RPD3 is also widely distributed throughout the nucleus in a nonuniform pattern. Simultaneous imaging of RPD3 and N-CoR suggest that a subset of each of these proteins colocalize, consistent with the existence of coactivator complexes containing both proteins. In addition, a substantial fraction of both N-CoR and mSin3 A/B appear to be independently distributed. These observations suggest that interactions between RPD3 and Sin3/N-CoR complexes may be dynamically regulated.

NSAF (Grant No. U1330113), NSFC 31300787, Educational Comission of Hubei Province of China (Q20164301)