Morphology effect of zirconia support on the catalytic performance of supported Ni catalysts for dry reforming of methane

An immature pinecone shaped hierarchically structured zirconia （ZrO2-ipch） and a cobblestone-like zirconia nanoparticulate （ZrO2-cs）, both with the monoclinic phase （m-phase）, were synthesized by the facile hydrothermal method and used as the support for a Ni catalyst for the dry reforming of methane （DRM） with CO2. ZrO2-ipch is a much better support than ZrO2-cs and the traditional ZrO2 irregular particles made by a simple precipitation method （ZrO2-ip）. The supported Ni catalyst on ZrO2-ipch （Ni/ZrO2-ipch） exhibited outstanding catalytic activity and coke-resistant stability compared to the ones on ZrO2-cs （Ni/ZrO2-cs） and ZrO2-ip （Ni/ZrO2-ip）. Ni/ZrO2-ip exhibited the worst catalytic performance. The origin of the significantly enhanced catalytic performance was revealed by characterization including XRD, N2 adsorption measurement （BET）, TEM, H2-TPR, CO chemisorption, CO2-TPD, XPS and TGA. The superior catalytic activity of Ni/ZrO2-ipch to Ni/ZrO2-cs or Ni/ZrO2-ip was ascribed to a higher Ni dispersion, increased reducibility, enhanced oxygen mo- bility, and more basic sites with a higher strength, which were due to the unique hierarchically structural morphology of the ZrO2-ipch support. Ni/ZrO2-ipch exhibited better stability for the DRM reaction than Ni/ZrO2-ip, which was ascribed to its higher resistance to Ni sintering due to a strengthened metal-support interaction and the confinement effect of the mesopores and coke deposition resistance. The higher coking resistance of Ni/ZrO2-ipch for the DRM reaction in comparison with Ni/ZrOz-ip orignated from the coke-removalabitity of the higher amount of lattice oxygen and more basic sites, confirmed by XPS and CO2-TPD analysis, and the stabilized Ni on the Ni/ZrO2-ipch catalyst by the confinement effect of the mesopores of the hierarchical ZrO2-ipch sup- port. The superior catalytic performance and coking resistance of the Ni/ZrO2-ipch catalyst makes it a promising candidate for synthesis gas production from the DRM reaction.

Nitriding of Hard Fe Electrodepositionand Its Effects on Wear Resistance

Nitriding is employed for the hard Fe electrodeposition to produce a hard-facing and antiwear coating. It only takes 1 h for the hard Fe coating, which is much shorter than nitriding the Fe and steel. The results showed that the nitriding can increase the microhardness, wear resistance of the coating, as well as the bonding strength of the coating with the substrate. Additionally it can eliminate the brittleness, turn the internal stress of the coating from tension to compression. The wear resistance of the nitrided Fe coating is 4.6 times as high as that of Cr coating. It is simple and economic to combine hard Fe electroplating and nitriding, which is a good technology of the tribological surface modification.

Effect of Dietary Resistant Starch on Prevention and Treatment of Obesity-related Diseases and Its Possible Mechanisms

Overweight or obesity has become a serious public health problem in the world, scientists are concentrating their efforts on exploring novel ways to treat obesity. Nowadays, the availabilities of bariatric surgery and pharmacotherapy have enhanced obesity treatment, but it should has support from diet, physical exercise and lifestyle modification, especially the functional food. Resistant starch, an indigestible starch, has been studied for years for its beneficial effects on regulating blood glucose level and lipid metabolism. The aim of this review is to summarize the effect of resistant starch on weight loss and the possible mechanisms. According to numerous previous studies it could be concluded that resistant starch can reduce fat accumulation, enhance insulin sensitivity, regulate blood glucose level and lipid metabolism. Recent investigations have focused on the possible associations between resistant starch and incretins as well as gut microbiota. Resistant starch seems to be a promising dietary fiber for the prevention or treatment of obesity and its related diseases.

DYNAMIC EFFECTIVE SHEAR STRENGTH OF SATURATED SAND

The dynamic effective shear strength of saturated sand under cyclic loading is discussed in this paper.The discussion includes the transient time depen- dency behaviors based on the analysis of the results obtained in conventional cyclic triaxial tests and cyclic torsional shear triaxial tests.It has been found that the dy- namic effective shear strength is composed of effective frictional resistance and viscous resistance,which are characterized by the strain rate dependent feature of strength magnitude,the coupling of consolidation stress with cyclic stress and the dependency of time needed to make the soil strength sufficiently mobilized,and can also be ex- pressed by the extended Mohr-Coulomb's law.The two strength parameters of the dynamic effective internal frictional angle φd and the dynamic viscosity coefficient η are determined.The former is unvaried for different number of cyclic loading,dy- namic stress form and consolidation stress ratio.And the later is unvaried for the different dynamic shear strain rate γt developed during the sand liquefaction,but increases with the increase of initial density of sand.The generalization of dynamic effective stress strength criterion in the 3-dimensional effective stress space is studied in detail for the purpose of its practical use.

Effects of Three Typical Resistivity Models on Pulsed Inductive Plasma Acceleration Modeling

The effects of three different typical resistivity models（Spitzer, Z＆L and M＆G） on the performance of pulsed inductive acceleration plasma are studied. Numerical results show that their influences decrease with the increase of the plasma temperature. The significant discriminations among them appear at the plasma temperature lower than 2.5 eV, and the maximum gap of the pulsed inductive plasma accelerated efficiency is approximately 2.5%.Moreover, the pulsed inductive plasma accelerated efficiency is absolutely related to the dynamic impedance parameters, such as voltage, inductance, capacitance and flow rate. However, the distribution of the efficiency as a function of plasma temperature with three resistivity models has nothing to do with the dynamic impedance parameter.

Tunneling field effect transistors based on in-plane and vertical layered phosphorus heterostructures

Tunneling field effect transistors（TFETs） based on two-dimensional materials are promising contenders to the traditional metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor, mainly due to potential applications in low power devices. Here,we investigate the TFETs based on two different integration types： in-plane and vertical heterostructures composed of two kinds of layered phosphorous（β-P and δ-P） by ab initio quantum transport simulations. NDR effects have been observed in both in-plane and vertical heterostructures, and the effects become significant with the highest peak-to-valley ratio（PVR）when the intrinsic region length is near zero. Compared with the in-plane TFET based on β-P and δ-P, better performance with a higher on/off current ratio of - 10-6 and a steeper subthreshold swing（SS） of - 23 mV/dec is achieved in the vertical TFET. Such differences in the NDR effects, on/off current ratio and SS are attributed to the distinct interaction nature of theβ-P and δ-P layers in the in-plane and vertical heterostructures.

Composition Dependence and Irradation Effects on Residual Resistivity in Cu-Al Alloys

Residual electrical resistivity due to short-range order has been calculated for Cu100-xAlx (x=9.13,13.56, 14.5 and 14.76 in at pct) alloys using pseudopotential approach, and the results have been discussed in the light of experimental studies of the local-order structure of these alloys. In case of Cu85.5Al14.5, change in the total residual electrical resistivity due to neutron-irradiation effects has been estimated by including contributions from the short-range order and static atomic displacement correction. Our results show a decrease in the residual resistivity in the irradiated Cu-Al solid solution as compared to the unirradiated sample. This is in accordance with the experimental results

Analyses of gene effects and inheritance of resistance to bacterial blight in rice

We analyzed the resistant inheritance of ajaponica variety,Jia23,to two bacterial blightpathogen strains,KS-6-6 and Zhe 173,rep-resenting respectively the two predominantpathogenic types(Ⅱ and Ⅳ)in the rice crop-ping area along the Yangtze River Valley.Jia23 was crossed with susceptible vari-eties,Ewan8 and 7416.Fplants were back-

Effect of exogenous salicylic acid on resistance of rice seedlings to blast

Salicylic acid(SA)is an endogenous regulatorymolecule for plant flowering and thermogene-sis,and has been reported as a signal moleculeof plant disease resistance in the plant-pathogen interaction.Exogenous SA is capableof inducing disease resistance in a wide range ofplants.This study was to evaluate the poten-tial for SA to induce resistance of rice seedlings

Effects of yield and resistances on rice by application of Si-fertilizer

According to the analysis of 654 soil samples collected from 45 counties in Zhejiang Provence, 73.7% of paddy field showed Si deficient. During 1991 and 1993, in Lishi, Longquang, Qingtian and Tonglu Counties, field experiments were conducted to test the effects of basal or additional Si-fertilizer on rice. Si-fertilizer was produced by Nanjing Inorganic Chemical Manufacture, containing 50% water solu

Two-dimensional tetragonal ZnB: A nodalline semimetal with good transport properties

Nodal-line semimetals have become a research hot-spot due to their novel properties and great potential application in spin electronics. It is more challenging to find 2D nodal-line semimetals that can resist the spin–orbit coupling(SOC)effect. Here, we predict that 2D tetragonal Zn B is a nodal-line semimetal with great transport properties. There are two crossing bands centered on the S point at the Fermi surface without SOC, which are mainly composed of the pxy orbitals of Zn and B atoms and the pz orbitals of the B atom. Therefore, the system presents a nodal line centered on the S point in its Brillouin zone(BZ). And the nodal line is protected by the horizontal mirror symmetry M_(z). We further examine the robustness of a nodal line under biaxial strain by applying up to-4% in-plane compressive strain and 5% tensile strain on the Zn B monolayer, respectively. The transmission along the a direction is significantly stronger than that along the b direction in the conductive channel. The current in the a direction is as high as 26.63 μA at 0.8 V, and that in the b direction reaches 8.68 μA at 0.8 V. It is interesting that the transport characteristics of Zn B show the negative differential resistance(NDR) effect after 0.8 V along the a(b) direction. The results provide an ideal platform for research of fundamental physics of 2D nodal-line fermions and nanoscale spintronics, as well as the design of new quantum devices.

A Systematic Study of the Forbidden Pitch in the CD Through-Pitch Curve for Beyond 130nm

The forbidden pitch ＂dip＂ in the critical dimension （CD） through the pitch curve is a well-known optical proximity effect. The CD and CD process window near the ＂dip＂,usually found near a pitch range of 1.1 to 1.4 wavelength/ NA （numerical aperture）,is smaller when compared with other pitches. This is caused by inadequate imaging contrast for an unequal line and space grating. Although this effect is relatively well-known, its relationship with typical process condition parameters,such as the effective image blur caused by the photo-acid diffusion during the post exposure bake or the aberration in the imaging lens, has not been systematically studied. In this paper, we will examine the correlation between the image blur and the effect on the CD, including the decrease in the CD value （the depth of the ＂dip＂） and the CD process window. We find that both the decrease in the CD value and the focus latitude near the forbidden pitch correlate very well with the effective Gaussian image blur. Longer effective diffusion length correlates well with a smaller process window and a deeper CD ＂dip＂. We conclude that the dip depth is very sensitive to the change in image contrast.

Resistance of LaCl_3 to Oxidative Stress Induced by 2, 4-Dichlorophenoxy

Cucumber seedlings were sprayed with different concentrations of LaCl_3 for 3 d continuously. After 7 d of this treatment, the plants were treated with 1200 mg·L^(-1) 2,4-dichlorophennoxy(2,4-D) for 24 h. The leaves were harvested and rinsed with 5 mmol·L^(-1) EDTA. The concentrations of photosynthetic pigments, soluble protein and metabolites related to oxidative stress and the activities of antioxidant enzymes in leaves were assayed. The results show that the treatment with appropriate concentration of LaCl_3 has resistant effect on oxidative stress induced by 2, 4-D. Proper concentration of LaCl_3 promotes the activity of antioxidant system in plants and alleviates the damage caused by 2, 4-D.

Calculation of the parameters of georesistivi－ty anisotropy and case history of earthquake precursors

This paper has discussed the effective resistivity ellipse and the paradoxical phenomenon of anisotropy. Two cases have been discussed, namely: there are three measuring lines at arbitrary angles with one another and there are two mutually perpendicular measuring lines and an additional measurement of the transversal effective resistivity. For these cases, the paper has given the methods for quantitatively calculating the parameters of georesistivity anisotropy. The formulae given include those for calculating the azimuth (of the principal axis of minimum resistivity ρ 1, the average resistivity ( ρ 1ρ 3) 1/2 , (ρ 2ρ 3) 1/2 , and the anisotropy coefficient λ=(ρ 2/ρ 1 ) 1/2 . As a case history, the data observed by the Datong geoelectricity station have been processed with reference to the results of in situ resistivity measurement in media subjected to shear. The results of analysis have led to the following understandings. Before and after the Datong M S6.1 earthquake on October 19, 1989, the abnormal rise of NE trending georesistivity and abnormal fall of NW trending georesistivity observed at the Datong and Yangyuan stations were caused by the pure shear acting on the medium. The major principal compression was in NE direction, which made an acute angle with the strike of the seismic fault plane, and thus there was a greater shear stress but very small normal stress so that the fault was likely to slide but the earthquake was only of moderate magnitude. The states of stress in medium were the same before and after earthquake and therefore the georesistivity precursor was of the same sign as that of co seismic variations.

Theoretical analysis of influencing factors on resistance in the process of gas migration in coal seams

Inspired by previous resistance models for porous media, a resistance expression of gas migration within coal seams based on the ideal matchstick geometry, combined with the Darcy equation and the modified Poiseuille equation is proposed. The resistance to gas migration is generally dynamic because of the variations in adsorption swelling and matrix shrinkage. Due to the limitations of experimental conditions,only a theoretical expression of resistance to gas migration in coal is deduced, and the impacts of tortuosity, effective stress and pore pressure on the resistance are then considered. To validate the proposed expression, previous data from other researchers are adopted for the history matching exercise, and the agreement between the two is good.

Resistance of the diffusive boundary layer to salt release from saline sediments to freshwater

The diffusive boundary layer （DBL） is the zone for matter exchange between surface water and aquatic sediments. To elucidate the influence of DBL on salt release from saline sediments to freshwater, two experiments with or without wind blowing were conducted. According to the experiments, a 3.5 cm DBL is formed above the smoothed sediments at a steady wind field and this thickness is greater than other studies. The observed flux of salt through the DBL is 6% larger than the calculated value from Fick＇ s first law. The results indicate that molecular diffusion is the dominant mechanism for salt transport through the DBL. The presence of DBL suppresses the hydrodynamic enhancement for matter exchange between sediments and overlying water. Therefore, salts in the sediments of a polder reservoir may influence the water quality chronically.

Current-voltage characteristics with several threshold currents in insulating low-doped La_(1–x)Sr_xMnO_3(x=0.10) thin films

The current-induced resistive switching behavior in the micron-scale pillars of low-doped La0.9Sr0.1MnO3 thin films using laser molecular-beam epitaxy was reported. It was demonstrated that the current-voltage curves at 120 K showed hysteresis with several threshold currents corresponding to the switching in resistance to metastable low resistance states, and finally, four closed loops were formed. A mode was proposed, which was based on the low-temperature canted antiferromagnetism ordering for a lightly doped insulating regime.

Influence of Organ Pathology on the Electrical Parameters in Organ Projection Areas of the Skin

Pathology of an internal organ causes significant rectification of electrical currents （diode phenomenon） in related skin areas - organ projection areas （OPAs）, once the resistance ‘breakthrough effect＇ has been induced in the skin. Also, the impedance of the diseased organ＇s projection areas is increased. The aim of this double-blind study was to confirm these phenomena statistically using a broad spectrum of measuring parameters. Skin impedance vs. measurement frequency, skin impedance vs. applied voltage, and skin resistance vs. voltage were evaluated at 335 auricular OPAs related to the healthy internal organs and 203 auricular OPAs related to the diseased organs. These measurements confirmed that the skin electrical characteristics of specific locations are dependent on the health state of the corresponding internal organs. It was found that the impedance of OPAs corresponding to the healthy internal organs equals 185 ＋ 291 k,Q at 10Hz and decreases to 64 ± 49 kΩ at 10kHz; and that the impedance of OPAs related to the diseased organs equals 7.5 ± 2.2 MΩ at 10Hz and 99 ± 50kΩ at 10kHz. The disparity of the impedances between the healthy and diseased organs related OPAs is greater at higher potentials. The skin resistance, when measured with a negatively polarized point electrode, undergoes a rapid resistance decrease of approximately two orders of magnitude, if the applied current is sufficient. After this reversible ‘breakthrough effect＇ is obtained the skin exhibits rectification. The degree of rectification is low for OPAs related to the healthy organs. For OPAs related to the diseased organs, the resistance measured with a positive polarisation of measuring electrode could be five times greater than the resistance measured at the same voltage with the same but negatively polarised electrode. The disparity between the resistance measured with a negatively and with a positively polarised electrode at OPAs related to the diseased organs was greater at higher measurement voltages. The influence of organ pathology on the electrical parameters of related OPAs does not depend on the kind of internal organ and is not affected by the etiology of pathology. The degree of rectification or difference in impedance is proportional to the extent of the pathological process within the related organ.

Localization of Auricular Projection Area of the Liver and Its Use in the Monitoring of Viral Hepatitis

Background： Pathology of an internal organ causes significant rectification of electrical currents （diode phenomenon） in related skin areas once the resistance ＇breakthrough effect＇ has been induced in the skin. Objective： Localization of auricular projection area of the liver and evaluation of its usefulness in the monitoring of viral hepatitis. Design, Patients and Setting： Comparative study of the degree of electrical rectification measured at various spots in the auricular concha region, in 19 inpatients with hepatitis B and 15 clinically healthy volunteers, at the Department of Infectious Diseases, Provincial Teaching Hospital, Tychy, Poland. Intervention： Evaluation of electrical rectification at various spots on the auricular concha using a ＂rectification ratio＂ that quantifies the degree of rectification （normal range： 0-60%）. Main outcome measure： The location of the skin area where a statistically significant difference existed between the rectification ratios was observed in patients （82±12% at the time of the ＇peak period＇） versus controls （42±8%）. Results： A location was identified on the ear auricle where the electrical rectification phenomenon demonstrated a dependence on the presence of hepatitis. Conclusions： Liver projection area exists on the ear auricle which is located within the region of cymba conchae, next to anthelix and the cavity of concha. The existence of viral hepatitis causes this skin area to show a higher degree of electrical rectification once the skin resistance ＇breakthrough effect＇ has been induced. Evaluation of the rectification phenomenon of the liver proiection area provides a method of non-invasive monitoring of viral hepatitis.

Depositing aluminum as sacrificial metal to reduce metal–graphene contact resistance

Reducing the contact resistance without degrading the mobility property is crucial to achieve high-performance graphene field effect transistors. Also, the idea of modifying the graphene surface by etching away the deposited metal provides a new angle to achieve this goal. We exploit this idea by providing a new process method which reduces the contact resistance from 597Ω ·μm to sub 200 Ω ·μm while no degradation of mobility is observed in the devices. This simple process method avoids the drawbacks of uncontrollability, ineffectiveness, and trade-off with mobility which often exist in the previously proposed methods.