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Multiferroic laminated composites, (1-x)BCZT-xLCMO, consisting of Ba 0.85 Ca 0.15 Zr 0.10 Ti 0.90 O 3 (BCZT) layer and La 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 (LCMO) layer with different thickness ratios were prepared by Plasma Activated Sintering, and the effect of thickness ratio on their multiferroic properties was investigated. The SEM and TEM analyses demonstrated the high-quality interfacial bonding of BCZT layer to LCMO layer with a compact interface and semi-coherent boundary structure. The ferroelectric and ferromagnetic features confirmed that the (1-x)BCZT-xLCMO laminated composites were multiferroic in nature. Our results further indicated that the thickness ratio had a great influence on the multiferroic properties of the laminated composites, not only electrical and ferromagnetic properties but also magnetoelectric coupling effect. The (1-x)BCZT-xLCMO laminated composites exhibited the largest values of dielectric constant ε m  = 25097, remnant polarization P r  = 10.3 μC/cm 2 and piezoelectric coefficient d 33  = 355 pC/N. The high magnetoelectric coefficient with the maximum value of α E31  = 6.57 mV/cm·Oe was also obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel method, ultra-high pressure sintering (UHPS), for preparing highly-dense La 2 NiMnO 6 (LNMO) ceramic at a ultra-high pressure (4 GPa) and a low sintering temperature (800 °C) over a short duration (10 min) had been developed. TEM images and Rietveld fitted XRD patterns confirmed the coexistence of monoclinic P 2 1 /n and hexagonal R 3 ¯ phases in the ceramic. Compared with the samples prepared by conventional sintering, the grain size of the LNMO ceramic obtained by UHPS was remarkably decreased (from 3-10 μm to 300–500 nm) while the relative density was increased significantly (from 65-95% to 98.5%), which could be attributed to the unique UHPS sintering process. It was further noted that the ferromagnetic-paramagnetic transition temperature ( T C1 ≈ 277 K) as well as the saturation magnetization ( M s ≈3.6 μ B /f.u.) were improved due to the denser structure and smaller grain size, as compared with the conventionally sintered LNMO samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the microstructure, dielectric, ferroelectric and magnetoelectric properties of Ba 0.85 Ca 0.15 Zr 0.10 Ti 0.90 O 3 /La 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 (BCZT/LCMO) laminated composite prepared by Plasma Activated Sintering. A perfect bonding BCZT/LCMO interface without structural defects was demonstrated by SEM and TEM analysis. The remnant polarization, coercive electric field and ME coefficient of the composite were 10.1 μC/cm 2 , 1.97 kV/cm and 2.65 mV/cm·Oe, respectively. Enhanced dielectric properties (Room-temperature ε r = 7217, ε m = 25,097, at 1 kHz) were achieved for the laminated composite, as explained by the contribution of ferromagnetic LCMO and Maxwell-Wagner model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(Ba 0.85 Ca 0.15 )(Zr 0.10 Ti 0.90 )O 3 (BCZT) ceramics were prepared by Plasma Activated Sintering (PAS) followed by annealing, and the effect of annealing temperature on structural and electrical properties was investigated. XRD patterns and Raman spectra indicated that all the BCZT ceramics annealed at different temperatures exhibited MPB structure consisting of rhombohedral and tetragonal phases. A strong dependence of piezoelectric, dielectric and ferroelectric properties on annealing temperature was observed in the annealed BCZT ceramics. With increasing annealing temperature, the Curie temperature shifted toward lower temperature, while the activation energy of both grains and grain boundaries decreased gradually. BCZT ceramics annealed at the optimum temperature of 1400 °C exhibited the best properties of d 33 = 501 pC/N, ε m = 14000 and P r = 18.1 μC/cm 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly dense La 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 (LCMO) ceramics were prepared by plasma activated sintering (PAS) and hot-pressing (HP). The comparison of structural, magnetic, and electrical transport properties of the LCMO ceramics after PAS and HP were investigated. XRD and SEM analyses confirmed that both samples exhibited orthorhombic phase with highly dense microstructure. The differences of magnetic and electrical transport properties in PAS and HP LCMO ceramics could be attributed to the different grain sizes, which have an effect on grain boundaries, domain states, Mn–O–Mn bond angles and Mn–O bond lengths. On analyzing the fitting data with several empirical equations, the conduction mechanism of the samples was found to be electron-magnon scattering in the ferromagnetic low-temperature region and variable range hopping (VRH) in the paramagnetic high-temperature region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrical, ferromagnetic and magnetoelectric properties of the (1-x) Ba 0.85 Ca 0.15 Zr 0.10 Ti 0.90 O 3 -xLa 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 [(1-x)BCZT-xLCMO] laminated composites were investigated. The ferroelectric and ferromagnetic characteristics demonstrated that the laminated composites are multiferroic in nature. Our results indicated that the performances of the laminated composites showed strong dependence on the thickness ratio between the ferroelectric BCZT layer and ferromagnetic LCMO layer. Enhanced dielectric properties were obtained for the laminated composites compared with that of the pure BCZT. The piezoelectric coefficient (d 33 ) and coercive electric fields (E C ) of the laminated composites declined with the increasing LCMO nonferroelectric layer, while the saturated magnetization (M S ) increased and the coercive magnetic field (M C ) kept constant. The 0.3BCZT-0.7LCMO composites obtained the largest magnetoelectric coefficient of α E31 = 1.66 mV/cm·Oe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead-free [Ba(Zr 0.2 Ti 0.8 )O 3 -x(Ba 0.7 Ca 0.3 )TiO 3 , BZT-xBCT] ceramics were prepared by Plasma Activated Sintering (PAS). The effect of composition fluctuation on structural and electrical properties of BZT-xBCT ceramics was investigated. It was found PAS can obtain compact BZT-xBCT ceramics and BZT-0.50BCT ceramic possessed a MPB structure consisting of rhombohedral and tetragonal phases. Impedance spectroscopy confirmed two contributions from grains and grain boundaries, and the ceramics showed typical characteristic of diffuse phase transition. As compared with the BZT-xBCT ceramics with the pseudo-cubic phase, PAS-ed BZT-0.50BCT ceramic exhibited better properties of d 33 = 127 pC/N, k p = 25.1%, ε r = 2614, ε m = 6655, and 2P r = 25.2 μC/cm 2 due to the existence of the MPB structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La 0.9 Sr 0.1 MnO 3 (LSMO) thin films were grown on (100)-oriented MgO, LaAlO 3 and SrTiO 3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition, so as to investigate the effect of substrate-induced lattice mismatch on epitaxial growth, electrical resistivity and transport behavior of the films. The X-ray diffraction patterns and pole figures indicated that the LSMO thin films were epitaxially grown on the three kinds of substrate, and the orientation relationship was found to be LSMO (100) [010]//substrate (100) [010]. The measurement of electrical resistivity showed that the LSMO thin films were characteristic of semiconductor, and the transport mechanism was dominated by the small polaron hopping (SPH) model. Compared with MgO and LaAlO 3 substrates, the LSMO thin films grown on SrTiO 3 substrate exhibited lower resistivity and smaller conductivity hopping energy, due to the less lattice mismatch at film/substrate interface which tended to reduce the Jahn-Teller distortion and thus the localization of charge carriers was decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron carbon nitride (B-C-N) thin films have been grown by pulsed laser deposition under different laser fluences changing from 1.0 to 3.0 J/cm 2 . The influence of laser fluence on microstructure, bonding structure, and mechanical properties of the films was studied, so as to explore the possibility of improving their mechanical properties by controlling bonding structure. The bonding structure identified by FT-IR and XPS indicated the coexistence of B-N, B-C, N-C and N C bonds in the films, suggesting the formation of a ternary B-C-N hybridization. There is a clear evolution of bonding structure in the B-C-N films with the increasing of laser fluence. The variation of the mechanical properties as a function of laser fluence was also in accordance with the evolution of B-C and sp 3 N-C bonds whereas contrary to that of sp 2 B-N and N C bonds. The hardness and modulus reached the maximum value of 33.7 GPa and 256 GPa, respectively, at a laser fluence of 3.0 J/cm 2 , where the B-C-N thin films synthesized by pulsed laser deposition possessed the highest intensity of B-C and N-C bonds and the lowest fraction of B-N and N C bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron carbon nitride (BCN) thin films were deposited on Si (100) substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) under various nitrogen pressures ( p N2 ) changing from 2.5 to 5.0 Pa. The influences of p N2 on the deposition rate, bonding structure and hardness of the films were studied, so as to explore the possibility of improving their mechanical properties by controlling bonding structure. The deposition rate was found to be increased with increasing p N2 , while the hardness of the films fluctuated in the scope of 14.8 to 25.2 GPa. The bonding structure identified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated the coexistence of B–N, B–C, and N–C bonds in the films, suggesting the formation of a ternary B–C–N hybridization. The variation of hardness as a function of p N2 was in accordance with the evolution of C–B and sp 3 N–C bonds whereas contrary to that of sp 2 h-B–N bond. The hardness reached the maximum value of 25.2 GPa at p N2 = 3.5 Pa, where the BCN films possessed the highest intensity of C–B and sp 3 N–C bonds and the lowest fraction of sp 2 h-B–N bond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tb-doped bismuth ferrite (Bi 1− x Tb x FeO 3 , 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15) films were prepared on Pt(1 1 1)/Ti/SiO 2 /Si substrates using a pulsed laser deposition method, so as to modify the multiferroic properties of BiFeO 3 films by appropriate Tb doping. The effects of Tb concentration on the crystallographic structure, surface morphology as well as the dielectric, ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties of the films were investigated. Single-phased Bi 1− x Tb x FeO 3 films were obtained at x = 0.05–0.15, and the structural transition from tetragonal or orthorhombic to rhombohedral occurred as increasing Tb concentration, with the decreasing in grain size. The addition of Tb improved the ferromagnetic property of BiFeO 3 films although the ferroelectric polarization was slightly degraded, showing obvious magnetic hysteresis loops and typical antiferromagnetic characters. The coexistence of ferroelectric property and ferromagnetic property was realized at room temperature in the Bi 1− x Tb x FeO 3 films by appropriate Tb doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single phase Sr-doped lanthanum manganite (La 1− x Sr x MnO 3 , 0≤ x ≤0.4) ceramics have been prepared to study the transport property and conduction mechanism in these materials above the metal–insulator transition temperature ( T p ). The measurement of resistivity showed that the conductivity increased with the increasing of Sr concentration. The samples with 0.1≤ x ≤0.3 exhibited T p between 258 and 281 K, depending on x . We then fitted the resistivity data in the semiconducting region ( T > T p ) to check the possible conduction mechanism through two models, i.e., small polaron hopping (SPH) and variable range hopping (VRH). It was found that the transport mechanism in the higher temperature region above θ D /2 ( θ D is Debye temperature) was dominated by the SPH model. But for the lower temperature region (between T p and θ D /2), the conductivity data could be well fitted to the VRH model, where some fundamental parameters (hopping energy E h and hopping distance R h ) estimated from Mott's relation also obeyed the VRH mechanism. The doping of Sr in the samples caused the reducing of the localization of charge carriers, which thereby led to a decreasing in E h and R h . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat heterogeneity, physical barriers, and the uplift of the Yungui Plateau were found to deeply affect the phylogeographic pattern and evolutionary history of Cephalotaxus oliveri , a perennial conifer endemic to China. In this study, we explored the phylogeography using three chloroplast sequences ( trn L– trn F, trn T– trn D and atp B– rbc L) in 22 natural populations of C. oliveri distributed throughout its range. The Yungui Plateau populations of C. oliveri were revealed to origin ca. 9.15 Ma by molecular clock estimation, which is consistent with rapid uplift of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) ca. 8–10 Ma. Additionally, geological effects of the Yungui Plateau were suggested to promote the rapid intra-specific differentiation of C. oliveri in the Pliocene and Early Pleistocene. The relatively low level of genetic diversity ( h = 0.719, θ = 1.17 × 10 −3 ) and high population differentiation ( N ST = 0.771 and G ST = 0.642) implied restricted gene flow among populations, which was confirmed by the Nested Clade Analysis (NCA). Mismatch distribution and haplotypes network provided evidences of recent demographic population expansion. Furthermore, the statistical dispersal–vicariance analysis indicated that the center of origin was in Central China. The comparison of haplotype distribution patterns indicated that the regions of HNHPS and HBLD were the potential refugia during the Pleistocene ice ages. Our results highlighted that habitat heterogeneity and physical barriers presenting in a species range can predict genetic patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Carbon emissions due to rural energy consumption in China have not yet been sufficiently addressed or quantified. In this work systematic accounting with a life cycle perspective was used to estimate both the direct CO2 emissions from fuel combustion and the indirect emissions from the production and provision of rural energy carriers. The results indicate that the total direct CO2 emissions resulting from rural energy consumption have nearly tripled, from 0.79 billion metric tons (hereafter ton) in 1979 to 1.98 billion tons in 2008, whilst indirect emissions have nearly quadrupled, from 0.27 billion tons to 0.85 billion tons for the same period. This finding quantitatively illustrates the importance of rural energy consumption as a contributor to China's overall carbon emission. In addition, the analysis of per capita emission from rural energy revealed significant regional disparities and similarities in emission and energy sources used. Both total and per capita CO2 are significantly higher in the North China, which is largely due to the colder climate and the relatively high economic development levels for multi-demands of energy utilisation. The analysis and results presented here provide substantial information for policy makers in relation to energy and emission targets in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Given the rising expectations for the substitution of fossil energy with renewable energy as one of the solutions to cope with climate change, the carbon emission reduction potential of possible solutions should be evaluated in a holistic and systematic way. In this paper, a systematic account of carbon emission reduction potential was conducted for a typical household biogas system with a digester volume of 8 m3, using a hybrid life-cycle assessment method. Using a 20 year operation scenario, the total life cycle CO2 emission of this family-size biogas utilization system is 2.60 tons, i.e., 0.02 kg CO2/MJ, of which 98.46% is attributed to indirect emissions from building materials and labor inputs. Considering the carbon emission savings due to energy and fertilizer substitution, the annual CO2 emission reduction potential is 1.25 tons for the biogas system that is under consideration. Consequently, such rural household biogas systems should be operated for at least 1.78 years to achieve a positive reduction benefit, i.e., cumulative CO2 emission savings could offset the life-cycle-related CO2 emissions. The results also indicate that long-term, stable running and maintenance are key points to maximize the benefits of household biogas as an effective approach for carbon emission abatement in the rural areas of China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sip/Al composites with various Sip fractions ranging from 9 to 45vol.%, which are attractive packaging materials for the microelectronic applications, were prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS). The densification behavior, microstructure, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and thermal conductivity (TC) of the composites were investigated. All the composites were densified by SPS at a lower temperature of 510°C, whose relative densities were higher than 99% and densities were smaller than 2.65g/cm3. The composites were the mixtures of Si and Al phases without any interaction, and Si grains distributed in the Al matrix homogenously. Both the CTE and TC of the Sip/Al composites decreased with increasing Si volume fraction, and the dependence of CTE on Si content agreed well with the Turner’s theoretical model. The average CTE and TC of the Sip/Al composite containing 45vol.% Si were 12.7×10−6/K and 113W/mK, respectively, indicating better performances of the spark plasma sintered composites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: CuO/C microspheres are prepared by calcining CuCl2/resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) gel in argon atmosphere followed by a subsequent oxidation process using H2O2 solution. The microstructure and morphology of materials are characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transition electron microscopy (TEM). Carbon microspheres have an average diameter of about 2μm, and CuO particles with the sizes of 50–200nm disperse in these microspheres. The electrochemical properties of CuO/C microspheres as anode materials for lithium ion batteries are investigated by galvanostatic discharge–charge and cyclic voltammetry (CV) tests. The results show that CuO/C microspheres deliver discharge and charge capacities of 470 and 440mAhg−1 after 50 cycles, and they also exhibit better rate capability than that of pure CuO. It is believed that the carbon microspheres play an important role in their electrochemical properties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Amorphous silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) films were prepared on Si (100) substrates by laser ablation at 773K using mixed targets with different ratios of SiO to 3C–SiC. The structure and composition of the as-deposited films as a function of target content were investigated. With increasing the SiO content in the targets, the contents of Si–C and Si–O–C bonds decreased while that of Si–O bond increased. The mixing ratio of the targets had a dominant effect on the film composition and the stoichiometry of silicon oxycarbide films could be controlled by varying the mixing ratio of the targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Amorphous boron carbon nitride (BCN) thin films were deposited on Si (100) and quartz substrates by laser ablation of a boron carbide (B4C) target in nitrogen atmosphere. The effects of the nitrogen pre ssure (p N2 ) on the film deposition rate, composition, structure and optical properties were investigated. The film deposition rate was measured by a surface profiler, which increased from 3.4 to 6.25nm/min at elevated p N2 . Structure and composition of the films were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. FTIR and XPS analyses indicated that the as-deposited BCN films contained B–C, N–C and B–N chemical bonds, implying the formation of ternary BCN compounds. The nitrogen content in the films increased gradually and then saturated up to ∼26at.% at 10Pa p N2 . The optical band gap (E g) increased from 3.78 to 3.92eV with increasing p N2 from 2 to 15Pa. The evolution of E g is in accordance with the change of film compositions and bonding states. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: BaTi2O5 thin films were prepared on MgO (100) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The effect of substrate temperature (T sub) on the structural and optical properties of the films, such as crystal phase, preferred orientation, crystallinity, surface morphology, optical transmittance and bandgap energy, was investigated. The preferred orientation of the films changed form (710) to (020) depending on T sub, and the b-axis oriented BaTi2O5 thin film could be obtained at T sub =973–1023K. The surface morphology of the films was different with changing T sub, which showed a dense surface with an elongated granular texture at T sub =973–1023K. The crystallinity and surface roughness increased at the elevated substrate temperatures. The as-deposited BaTi2O5 thin films were highly transparent with an optical transmittance of ∼70%. The bandgap energy was found to decrease with increasing substrate temperature, from 3.76eV for T sub =923K to 3.56eV for T sub =1023K. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Boundary element methods (BEM) have been implemented for solving multi-region elastoplastic problems with the maximum efficiency. A new form of Newton–Raphson algorithm in nonlinear BEM is established in which the formation of the right hand side terms in each iteration is accurately represented. In this new algorithm, only the equations related to the yielded nodes need Gaussian elimination, at each load step. This advantage combined with the sub-region technique now makes BEM a viable tool for multi-region elastoplastic analyses. A combined analytical and numerical integration of boundary and volume integrals have been performed for both two- and three-dimensional analyses. Whenever the geometry of the volume cells meets the straight line or flat surface requirements, the analytical integration is faster and more accurate than numerical integration. The numerical results using the above formulation have been presented for some two- and three-dimensional practical problems commonly encountered in structural and geotechnical engineering and compared with other available solutions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Eosinophils are principal effector cells of inflammation in allergic asthma, characterized by their infiltration and accumulation at inflammatory sites mediated by chemokine eotaxin, and interaction with adhesion molecules expressed on bronchial epithelial cells. In this study, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and/or the interaction of eosinophils and bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells were found to up-regulate the cell surface expression of adhesion molecules intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and vascular adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 on BEAS-2B cells, and ICAM-1 and leukocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) on eosinophils. Interaction of eosinophils and BEAS-2B cells could induce the release of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and activate both p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor (NF)-κB activities in BEAS-2B cells but only NF-κB activity in eosinophils. Both proteasome inhibitor MG-132 and selective p38 MAPK inhibitor SB 203580 could significantly decrease the expression of ICAM-1 on BEAS-2B cells and CD18 on eosinophils upon co-culture with or without TNF-α treatment. However, the expression of VCAM-1 on BEAS-2B cells was only up-regulated by TNF-α-induced NF-κB activity. The interaction of eosinophils and bronchial epithelial cells therefore plays an important role in the up-regulation of adhesion molecules on eosinophils and epithelial cells via differential intracellular signalling pathways during allergic inflammation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, the friction and wear behaviors of filled PTFE/steel couples are studied. The stationary specimen was made of filled PTFE. The rotating specimen, made of steels, underwent various treatments. The experimental results showed that the frictional coefficient and wear rate were low when the surface of the steel specimen contained nitrogen. The structure of the transfer film was examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The transfer film containing nitrogen on the steel surface was thick. The authors consider that the hypothesis of the adhesion of the n–p–n structure may explain the characteristics of the different sliding couples in this paper and might be an important way to improve the friction and wear properties of the filled PTFE/metal sliding couples. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, an unique environmentally friendly electroplating process of hardfacing nanostructured WC/CoNi or WC/CoNiP coatings was developed. In the coatings, the nanophase WC particles are uniformly dispersed in a cobalt–nickel or a cobalt–nickel–phosphorus matrix, resulting in a “near net coating” with high hardness (650–850 VHN), low coefficient of friction (0.1–0.31), low wear rate (0.41×10−5 mm3/N m), and smooth as-coated surface (0.7 μm). This new coating technology is anticipated to emerge as a next generation high performance coating replacing electroplated hard chromium and thermal sprayed WC/Co for specific applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Lead-free Ba 0.85 Ca 0.15 Zr 0.10 Ti 0.90 O 3 (BCZT) ceramics were prepared by Plasma Activated Sintering (PAS). The influence of PAS sintering temperature on the crystalline phase, microstructure, and, dielectric and ferroelectric properties of BCZT ceramics were studied. The phase structure of BCZT ceramics first changed from rhombohedral phase to the coexistence of rhombohedral and tetragonal phases and then to tetragonal phase as the sintering temperature increased. Microstructural characterization of BCZT ceramics indicated that PAS can obtain a compact microstructure at lower temperatures of 1150–1300 °C compared with that from common pressureless sintering. The BCZT ceramics showed different degrees of diffuseness with increased temperature, and the diffuseness exponents C are all approximately on the order of 10 5 °C. The dielectric and ferroelectric properties of BCZT ceramics were enhanced with increased sintering temperature. BCZT ceramics sintered at 1250 °C exhibited optimum properties of room-temperature ε r =2863, ε m =6650, and 2P r =25.24 μC/cm 2 , resulting from the relatively higher tetragonal phase content of the MPB between tetragonal and rhombohedral phases together with a compact microstructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY A unitized regenerative solid oxide fuel cell (URSOFC) can be considered as a next-generation power source and a storage device in the future since it can generate electricity in the SOFC mode and also produce H2/O2 in the solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) mode. In this paper, a two-dimensional axisymmetric model is developed to simulate the characteristics of a URSOFC. The performance curves for an in-house button URSOFC under different operating temperatures of 600, 700, and 800 °C are measured to validate the present model. Both the measured data and the prediction results reveal the beneficial effects of higher temperature on the cell performance. Based on the results of numerical simulations, the majority of the fuel gas is consumed at the interface of the electrolyte and the electrode, causing a great fuel concentration gradient near the interface. In addition, the predicted cell performance curves in both the SOFC and the SOEC modes correspond well with the measured data, demonstrating the applicability of this model in a button URSOFC. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new and modular sampling system was developed for open ocean observations, which is relevant to international GEOTRACES studies. • The system has low blanks for trace elements and good reproducibility for chemical determination at concentrations of down to pmol kg−1. • Data obtained by this study show the oceanographic consistency in vertical profiles and comparable feature with results in the literature. A new modular system was reported in this paper for the purpose of sampling and processing of trace elements in the open ocean. The idea of designing is based on the concept of assembly and combination, which is so called "Modular Ocean Trace Elements Sampling" (MOTES). In application, the system is tested during a cruise in the Subtropical Pacific Ocean between 140° E to 142° E, and between 6° N and 20° N, with sampling water depth down to 7000 m. The results provide evidences for low procedural blanks and good reproducibility in repeated samplings through the entire water column for trace elements work. Data illustrate low, reproducible and representative concentrations of dissolved Fe (dFe) and Pb (dPb) compared to the results reported in the literature and show the consistency of oceanographic profiles in sub-basin-wide spatial dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ag-DLC different films with six Ag contents on AISI 440 steel substrate were deposited with a multi-ion beam assisted deposition, and attempt to correlate the incorporation of silver with the sliding tribological behavior was performed. Results show that: (i) increasing Ag content leading to an upward tendency of Ag of nanocrystallite size; (ii) superior tribological behaviors for the films with Ag content ranging between 4.3 and 10.6 at%; and (iii) the best tribological behaviors for the film of 8.3 at% Ag and 12.9 grain size. It also confirms that the evolution of the tribological properties is closely related to the level of the interaction of incorporated silver in forming sp3 hybridization in the DLC films. These phenomena imply that the energetic particles may induce a balance between the recombination of particles and the change of internal stress in the DLC films. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: KNbO3 films were prepared on Si (100) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The effect of experimental parameters on the films structure and composition was investigated. Well crystallized and single-phase KNbO3 films were obtained at the substrate temperature of 650 °C, laser energy of 7.5 mJ/pulse and target-substrate distance of 40 mm, but a severe potassium-deficient was observed in the deposited films. The mechanism of K deficiency in films was explored and a method to control the composition was designed. The experimental results indicate that the composition of films can be well controlled by adjusting the oblique angle of substrates from the axial direction of plume. The stoichiometric KNbO3 films with K/Nb molar ratio of 0.98 were obtained by locating the substrate at an oblique angle of 3–12° from the plume axis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The composition of KNbO3 thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition is crucially influenced by the deposition configuration. In the present study, the composition of KNbO3 thin films grown on Si (100) substrates by pulsed laser ablation was tried to be controlled by adjusting the target–substrate distance and the oblique angle of substrate from the plume axial direction. It was found that the K deficiency in the films can be effectively avoided by setting the substrate at an appropriate oblique angle from the plume axial direction. The stoichiometric KNbO3 thin films with a K/Nb molar ratio of 0.98 were successfully obtained, where the substrates were set at an oblique angle of 3–12° from the plume axis while the target–substrate distance was kept at 40 mm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Iridium oxide (IrO2) thin films were deposited on Si (100) substrates by means of pulsed laser deposition technique at various substrate (deposition) temperatures ranging from 250 to 500 °C. Effects of substrate temperature on the crystalline nature, morphology and electrical properties of the deposited films were analyzed by using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy and four-point probe method. It was found that the above properties were strongly dependent on the substrate temperature. The as-deposited films at all substrate temperatures were polycrystalline tetragonal IrO2 and the preferential growth orientation changed with the substrate temperature. IrO2 films exhibited fairly homogeneous thickness and good adhesion with the substrate, the average feature size increases with the substrate temperature. The room-temperature resistivity of IrO2 films decreased with the increase of substrate temperature and the minimum resistivity of (42±6) μΩ cm was obtained at 500 °C. The resistivity of IrO2 films correlated well with the corresponding film morphology changes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The volumetric swelling and hardening effect of irradiated Hastelloy N alloy were investigated in this paper. 7 MeV and 1 MeV Xe ions irradiations were performed at room temperature (RT) with irradiation dose ranging from 0.5 to 27 dpa. The volumetric swelling increases with increasing irradiation dose, and reaches up to 3.2% at 27 dpa. And the irradiation induced lattice expansion is also observed. The irradiation induced hardening initiates at low ion dose (≤1dpa) then saturates with higher ion dose. The irradiation induced volumetric swelling may be ascribed to excess atomic volume of defects. The irradiation induced hardening may be explained by the pinning effect where the defects can act as obstacles for the free movement of dislocation lines. And the evolution of the defects' size and number density could be responsible for the saturation of hardness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Microbubbles (MBs) can augment the acoustic cavitation’ (US), thereby facilitating the thrombolysis of external ultrasound. But we observed re-thrombosis after successful thrombolysis by MBs and transcutaneous ultrasound in an endothelium injury model. This study was designed to explore whether platelet-targeted MBs can prevent the reformation of thrombi. Arterial injury was induced in canine femoral arteries with balloon, and the arteries were completely thrombotically occluded. The arteries were treated with intra-arterial MBs or platelet-targeted MBs (TMB) and transcutaneous low frequency ultrasound (LFUS) to achieve complete thrombolysis. The arterial flow was monitored with angiogram for 4h following treatment. Results showed that both MBs and TMBs produced successful dissolution of clots in the presence of ultrasound. The re-occlusion began to occur 1h after thrombolysis in MB/LFUS treatment, and 7 of 8 arteries were re-occluded within 3h. Most of the arteries (7 of 8) in the TMB/LFUS group remained patent for 4h following treatment. The flow tended to decrease after thrombolysis in MB/LFUS treatment. These results indicated that platelet-targeted microbubbles were beneficial in preventing re-thrombosis in vivo and microbubbles served as good carrier of thrombolytic and anticoagulation drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To understand the nationwide seroprevalence of bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1) infection of cows in China, 1344 sera of dairy cows from 29 provinces and 765 sera from 6 herds in Hubei province were collected with stratified random sampling. Another 483 sera from imported cows were included. The serum antibody was tested by BoHV-1 gG ELISA. The results demonstrated that the overall nationwide seroprevalence was 35.8% (481/1344), while the prevalence for individual province ranged from 12.1% to 77.8%. Although each province had positive samples, the prevalence was clustered in areas based on the cow population size. In Hubei Province, the overall seroprevalence was 22.2% (170/765) while the prevalence for individual farms varied greatly from 0.0% to 41.5%. The sera from imported cows had a moderate prevalence of 21.7% (105/483). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The key reaction 12 in nuclear astrophysics is difficult to be performed experimentally at low energy because of the Coulomb barrier. But it is different if we use its inverse reaction 16 because the cross-section of 16 is almost 100 times larger than the cross-section of 12 at the same center of mass energy based on our study. In the present work, we study the angular distributions and total cross-sections of 16 which are induced by polarized photon using the resonance theory of low energy reaction. The differential cross-sections as well as E1 and E2 transition cross-sections at low nuclear astrophysics energies are also calculated. The feature of the future Shanghai Laser Electron Gamma Source (SLEGS) facility, a low energy -ray beam line with a high photon flux, is presented. The experiments of 16 are simulated with a time projection chamber (TPC) and a realistic SLEGS layout. The lowest , which can be obtained from the simulation, is 0.8MeV with the 20–30% uncertainty for the one-month beam time of SLEGS. The extracted factors of 12 and their statistical uncertainties from the simulation are compared with the existing data and some theoretical calculations. It is shown that the promising 16 experiment at SLEGS can largely reduce the statistical uncertainties of the 12 experiment at low energies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The design of an X-ray source based on Compton backscattering of laser and 100MeV electron beam is introduced. This instrument can produce X-ray and will be installed as a prototype for the Shanghai Laser Electron Gamma Source (SLEGS) at the end of 2007. Some detailed descriptions for the related instruments are presented. The related simulation results are provided and discussed. The backgrounds from the dipole magnet of the 100MeV LINAC and bremsstrahlung of the 100MeV electrons are also estimated. Due to the large power of the employed laser, the expected flux of X-ray will be able to achieve the order of , and the corresponding signal–noise ratio is about . [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Shanghai Laser Electron Gamma Source, a high intensity beam line of -ray, has been proposed recently. The beam line is expected to generate -rays up to the maximum energy of 22MeV by Compton backscattering between a laser and electrons in the 3.5 GeV storage ring of the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility. The flux of non-collimated -rays is estimated to be – when a laser of several hundred Watt power is employed. We will discuss physics issues in the design and optimization of the beam line. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Geothermal power has received a great deal of attention in China as the country strives to be less dependent on coal energy and to seek stable and base load renewable power. The country's 13th Five-Year Plan for geothermal energy calls for an additional 500 MW by 2020. To assess whether this ambitious target can be achieved, this paper provides an overview of the environmental and economic performance of geothermal power based on an emergy evaluation and economic analysis of the Yangbajain plant in Tibet, the largest working geothermal power plant in China. The results indicate that the full flow system that the plant currently uses has a much higher production efficiency than the dry steam geothermal power plant in Italy. In addition, the system exhibits a relatively good environmental sustainability compared to other renewable energy generation technologies. However, it is still not economically feasible without government subsidies. Labor is expensive due to the high demand for trained professionals and the harsh working conditions in Tibet. Since China's high-quality geothermal resources are mainly located in Tibet, it would be quite challenging to achieve the ambitious 500 MW target by 2020. However, considering its environmental competitiveness, attractive subsidy policies and support for scientific research to promote technological innovations are proposed in this study to encourage the growth of the geothermal power industry in China, which would provide the country with another valuable alternative to coal. • The development course of geothermal power in China was reviewed and analyzed. • The Yangbajain geothermal power plant was assessed via emergy and economic methods. • It obtains good environmental performance but has no economic competitiveness. • Future directions of the geothermal power industry in China were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]