GLOBAL ATTRACTIVITY OF NEUTRAL DIFFERENCE EQUATIONS WITH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE COEFFICIENTS

A neutral difference equation with positive and negative coefficientsΔ(x n-c nx n-k )+p nx n-l -q nx n-r =0, n=0,1,2,...,is considered and a sufficient condition for the global attractivity of the zero solution of this equation is obtained, which improves and extends the all known results in the literature.

EXISTENCE OF POSITIVE SOLUTIONS FOR NEUTRAL DIFFERENCE EQUATIONS WITH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE COEFFICIENTS

In this paper the sufficient conditions for the existence of positive solutions of the neutral difference equations with positive and negative coefficients are established. The results improve some known conclusions in the literature.

MEROMORPHIC p-VALENT FUNCTION WITH FIXED SECOND NEGATIVE COEFFICIENTS

In this paper we consider the class ∑^＊（p,α,β,k,c） consisting of analytic functions with negativecoefficients and fixed second coefficient. The object of the present paper is to give coefficient estimates, convex linear combinations, some distortion theorems and radii of starlikeness and convexity for f（z） in the class ∑^＊（p,α,β,k,c） .

OSCILLATION AND EXISTENCE OF POSITIVE SOLUTIONS OF DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS WITH POSITIVE,NEGATIVE COEFFICIENTS

This paper is concerned with the existence of eventually positive solutions and oscillatory solutions of first-order neutral differential equation with positive and negative coefficients. The 'sharp' conditions of oscillation for the equation have been obtained, i.e., the conditions are sufficient and necessary when all of the coefficients are constants. These conditions are distinguished from the previous criteria in the literatures, and also weaker than those existing results.

OSCILLATION FOR NEUTRAL DELAY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION WITH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE COEFFICIENTS

In this paper, a new oscillating result is established for the first order neutral delay differential equation with positive and negative coefficients, which improves and generalizes several results in the literatures.

COMPARISON CRITERIA OF POSITIVESOLUTIONS FOR A NEUTRAL DIFFERENCEEQUATION WITH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE COEFFICIENTS

Some comparison theorems of the non-existence of positive solutions are derived for a classof neutral type difference equations with positive and negative coefficients. These results extendand improve some comparison criteria obtained in the literature [1] and [2].

Negative Temperature Coefficient of Resistivity in Bulk Nanostructured Ag

The change of the temperature coefficient of resistivity (a) with the particle size, dp, and the grain size, dc, in the nanostructured Ag bulk samples was investigated. dp and dc were controlled by heating the nano-Ag powders over the temperature range from 393 to 453 K. The electrical resistance measurements of the nanostructured Ag bulk samples obtained by compacting the Ag powders after heat treatments showed a change in the sign of a with dP and dc. When dp and dc are smaller or equal to 18 and 11 nm below room temperature or 20 and 12 nm above room temperature, respectively, the sign of the temperature coefficient of resistivity changes from positive to negative. The negative a arises mainly from the high resistivity induced by the particle interfaces with very lowly ordered or even disordered structure, a large volume fraction of interfaces and impurities existing in the interfaces, and the quantum size effect appearing in the nano-Ag grains.

Resistivity-Temperature Behavior of CB-Filled HDPE Foaming Composites

High-density polyethylene/carbon black foaming conductive composites were prepared from acetylene black（ACEY） and super conductive carbon black（HG-1P） as conductive filler, low-density polyethylene（LDPE） as the second component, ethylene-vinyl acetate（EVA） and ethylene propylene rubber（EPR） as the third component, azobisformamide（AC） as foamer, and dicumyl peroxide（DCP） as cross-linker. The structure and resistivity-temperature behavior of high-density polyethylene（HDPE）/CB foaming conductive composites were investigated. Influences of carbon black, LDPE, EVA, EPR, AC, and DCP on the foaming performance and resistivity-temperature behavior of HDPE/CB foaming conductive composites were also studied. The results reveal that HDPE/CB foaming conductive composite exhibits better switching characteristic; ACET-filled HDPE foaming conductive composite displays better positive temperature coefficient（PYC） effect; whereas super conductive carbon black（HG-1P）-filled HDPE foaming conductive composite shows better negative temperature coefficient（NTC） effect.

PTC/NTC Behavior of PVDF Composites Filled with GF and CF

Conductive polyvinylidene fluoride（PVDF）matrix composites filled with graphited fiber（GF）or carbon fiber（CF）were prepared by the melt-mixing method.The breakage and length distribution of the fibers in the polymer matrix were studied by scanning electron microscope（SEM）and optical microscope（OM）observations,respectively. The differences in the positive temperature coefficient（PTC）effects of the composites were mainly attributed to inter-fiber contact ability.The elimination of the negative temperature coefficient（NTC）effect for CF/PVDF composite was because of an increase in the viscosity of the polymer matrix.With the same filler content,CF could be more effective,to eliminate the NTC effect when compared with GF.Addition of 2%CF（mass fraction）in the PVDF composite with 7%GF（mass fraction）could effectively eliminate the NTC phenomenon of the composite.

Epoxy Resin/Nano Ni@C Composites Exhibiting NTC Effect with Tunable Resistivity

Epoxy resin/Ni@C nanoparticle composites with aligned microstructure were prepared by using a procedure of magnetic field assisted curing. The results show that the resistivity of composites exhibits negative temperature coefficient （NTC） effect above room temperature, and can be adjusted by varying the content filler and the magnitude of magnetic field applied. Hill＇s quantum tunneling model was modified to understand the electrical conduction mechanism in the composites. It shows that the NTC effect ascribes to the dominant thermal activated tunneling transport of electron across adjacent nanoparticles, as well as the low thermal expansivity of epoxy resin matrix.

Machine Learning-Based Predictions on the Self-Heating Characteristics of Nanocomposites with Hybrid Fillers

A machine learning-based prediction of the self-heating characteristics and the negative temperature coefficient(NTC)effect detection of nanocomposites incorporating carbon nanotube(CNT)and carbon fiber(CF)is proposed.The CNT content was fixed at 4.0 wt.%,and CFs having three different lengths(0.1,3 and 6 mm)at dosage of 1.0 wt.%were added to fabricate the specimens.The self-heating properties of the specimens were evaluated via self-heating tests.Based on the experiment results,two types of artificial neural network(ANN)models were constructed to predict the surface temperature and electrical resistance,and to detect a severe NTC effect.The present predictions were compared with experimental values to verify the applicability of the proposed ANN models.The ANN model for data prediction was able to predict the surface temperature and electrical resistance closely,with corresponding R-squared value of 0.91 and 0.97,respectively.The ANN model for data detection could detect the severe NTC effect occurred in the nanocomposites under the self-heating condition,as evidenced by the accuracy and sensitivity values exceeding 0.7 in all criteria.

Conductive Behaviors of Carbon Nanofibers Reinforced Epoxy Composites

By means of ultrasonic dispersion, carbon nanofibers reinforced epoxy resin composite was prepared in the lab, the electrical conductivity of composite with different carbon nanofibers loadings were studied, also the voltage-current relationship, resistance-temperature properties and mechano-electric effect were investigated. Results show that the resistivity of composite decreases in geometric progression with the increasing of carbon nanofibers, and the threshold ranges between 0.1 wt%-0.2 wt%. The voltage-current relationship is in good conformity with the Ohm＇s law, both positive temperature coefficient and negative temperature coefficient can be found at elevated temperature. In the course of stretching, the electrical resistance of the composites increases with the stress steadily and changes sharply near the breaking point, which is of importance for the safety monitor and structure health diagnosis.

A Chemical Kinetics Perspective on the High-Temperature Oxidation of Methane and Propane through Experiments and Kinetic Analysis

In the conversion of methane and propane under high temperature and pressure,the ignition delay time(IDT)is a key parameter to consider for designing an inherently safe process.In this study,the IDT characteristics of methane and propane(700–1000 K,10–20 bar)were studied experimentally and using kinetic modeling tools at stoichiometric fuel-tooxygen ratios.All the experiments were conducted through insentropic compression.The reliable experimental data were obtained by using the adiabatic core hypothesis,which can be used to generate and validate the detailed chemical kinetics model.The IDTs of methane and propane were recorded by a rapid compression machine(RCM)and compared to the predicted values obtained by the NUIGMech 3.0 mechanism.To test the applicability of NUIGMech 3.0 under different reaction conditions,the influence of temperature in the range of 700–1000 K(and the influence of pressure in the range of 10–20 bar)on the IDT was studied.The results showed that NUIGMech 3.0 could reasonably reproduce the experimentally determined IDT under the wide range of conditions studied.The constant volume chemical kinetics model was used to reveal the effect of temperature on the elementary reaction,and the negative temperature coefficient(NTC)behavior of propane was also observed at 20 bar.The experimental data can serve as a reference for the correction and application of kinetic data,as well as provide a theoretical basis for the safe conversion of low-carbon hydrocarbon chemicals.

Negative differential friction coefficients of two-dimensional commensurate contacts dominated by electronic phase transition

Friction force(f)usually increases with the normal load(N)macroscopically,according to the classic law of Da Vinci–Amontons(f=μN),with a positive and finite friction coefficient(μ).Herein near-zero and negative differential friction(ZNDF)coefficients are discovered in two-dimensional(2D)van der Waals(vdW)magnetic CrI_(3)commensurate contacts.It is identified that the ferromagnetic–antiferromagnetic phase transition of the interlayer couplings of the bilayer CrI_(3)can significantly reduce the interfacial sliding energy barriers and thus contribute to ZNDF.Moreover,phase transition between the in-plane(p_(x)and p_(y))and out-of-plane(p_(z))wave-functions dominates the sliding barrier evolutions,which is attributed to the delicate interplays among the interlayer vdW,electrostatic interactions,and the intralayer deformation of the CrI_(3)layers under external load.The present findings may motivate a new concept of slide-spintronics and are expected to play an instrumental role in design of novel magnetic solid lubricants applied in various spintronic nano-devices.

Positive temperature coefficient of resistivity effects of semiconducting (Bi(1/2)Na(1/2)) TiO_3-CaTiO_3-BaTiO_3 ceramics sintered in air atmosphere

Y^3＋-doped （Bi 1/2 Na 1/2） TiO 3-CaTiO 3-BaTiO 3 （BNCBT） positive temperature coefficient of resistivity （PTCR） ceramics sintered in air atmosphere were investigated in this study. （Bi 1/2 Na 1/2） TiO 3 （BNT） component can remarkably increase the onset temperature T c of PTCR ceramics with the expense of the resistivity R 25 increase. CaTiO 3 （9–27 mol%） component can decrease the resistivity, and adjust the effects of BNT phase on the T c point. For the sample containing 3 mol% CaTiO 3 , T c raises from 122 ℃ to 153 ℃ when only 0.6 mol% BNT added, while for the ones with higher CaTiO 3 content （9–27 mol%）, T c is only increased by a rate of 8–9℃/1.0 mol% BNT. The effects of BNT and CaTiO 3 components on R25/Rmin （negative temperature coefficient effect） are also discussed.

OSCILLATION CRITERIA OF SOLUTIONS FOR A CLASS OF DELAY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS WITH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVECOE FFICIENTS

Some sufficient conditions for the oscillation of all solutions of the delay differential equations with positive and negative coefficientsare obtained, where 0 < αi, βi <1,pi>, qi >, are constants, t = 1,2, …, n.

Fabrication of nano-grained negative temperature coefficient thermistors with high electrical stability

Dense nano-grained Ni_(0.7)Mn_(2.3O4) negative temperature coefficient(NTC) thermistors were fabricated by a novel two-step sintering approach that combines rapid sintering and principle of conventional two-step sintering technique.Samples were sintered at 1042℃ for 30 s in the first rapid step and then at 850-950℃ for 20 h in the second soaking step.Crystal phase,microstructure and electrical properties of sintered samples were studied by X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),resistance temperature relationship and aging performance.Sintered samples show a single-phase cubic spinel structure and indicate a high relative density ranging from 84% to 91% of the theoretical density.Moreover,average grain sizes of sintered samples under SEM are distributed between 254 and 570 nm.Meanwhile,the resistivity and the aging coefficient significantly decrease when soaking sintering temperature rises.In addition,the obtained material constant(B) ranges from 3931 to 3981 K.Ni_(0.7)Mn_(2.3)O_(4)-3(soaking at 900℃) and Ni_(0.7)Mn_(2.3O4)-4(soaking at 950℃) present little aging behavior,implying great electrical stability.

Enhanced conductivity and stability of Co_(0.98)Cu_(x)Mn_(2.02−x)O_(4)ceramics with dual phases and twin structures

Semiconductor materials with heterogeneous interfaces and twin structures generally demonstrate a higher concentration of carriers and better electrical stability.A variety of Cu-doped Co_(0.98)Cu_(x)Mn_(2.02−x)O_(4)(0≤x≤0.5)negative temperature coefficient(NTC)ceramics with dual phases and twin structures were successfully prepared in this study.Rietveld refinement indicates that the content of a cubic spinel phase increases with increasing Cu content.The addition of Cu can promote grain growth and densification.Atomic-level structural characterization reveals the evolution of twin morphology from large lamellae with internal fine lamellae(LIT lamellae)to large lamellae without internal fine lamellae(L lamellae)and the distribution of twin boundary defects.First-principles calculations reveal that the dual phases and twin structures have lower oxygen-vacancy formation energy than those in the case of the pure tetragonal and cubic spinel,thereby enhancing the transmission of carriers.Additionally,the three-dimensional charge-density difference shows that metal ions at the interface lose electrons and dwell in high valence states,thereby enhancing electrical stability of the NTC ceramics.Furthermore,the additional Cu ions engage in electron-exchange interactions with Mn and Co ions,thereby reducing resistivity.In comparison to previous Cu-containing systems,the Co_(0.98)Cu_(x)Mn_(2.02−x)O_(4)series exhibit superior stability(aging value≤2.84%),tunable room-temperature resistivity(ρ),and material constant(B)value(17.5Ω·cm≤ρ≤7325Ω·cm,2836 K≤B≤4315 K).These discoveries lay a foundation for designing and developing new NTC ceramics with ultra-high performance.

A Comparison Study of Sinterability and Electrical Properties for Microwave and Conventional Sintered Mn_(0.43)Ni_(0.9)CuFe_(0.67)O_4 Ceramics

In this paper, a quaternary system of Mn0.43Ni0.9CuFe0.67O4 negative temperature coefficient （NTC） thermistor ceramic prepared by solid/solid reaction was sintered by microwave and conventional method, respectively. To characterize the sinterability of the samples, the densification parameter, porosity and grain size distribution of the bulk were determined. The crystal structure, phase compositions, morphology and impedance of the samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, energy-dispersive spectroscopy （EDS） and impedance analysis. The experimental results confirmed that the sinterability and electrical properties of ceramics were homogenously improved by microwave sintering.

Analysis on First-stage Ignition of n-Heptane at Low Temperatures with a Lumped Skeletal Mechanism

Two-stage ignition exists in the low-temperature combustion process of n-heptane and the first-stage ignition also shows a negative temperature coefficient(NTC) phenomenon. To study key reactions and understand chemical principles affecting the first-stage ignition of n-heptane, a lumped skeletal mechanism with 62 species is obtained based on the detailed NUIGMech1.0 mechanism using the directed relation graph method assisted by sensitivity analysis and isomer lumping. The lumped mechanism shows good performance on ignition delay time under wide conditions. The study revealed that the temperature after the first-stage ignition is higher and a larger amount of fuel is consumed at lower initial temperatures. The temperature at the first-stage ignition is relatively insensitive to the initial temperature. Further sensitivity analysis and reaction path analysis carried out based on the lumped mechanism show that the decomposition of RO_(2) to produce alkene and HO_(2) is the most important reaction to inhibit the first-stage ignitions. The chain branching explosion closely related to the first-stage ignition will be terminated when the rate constant for the RO_(2) decomposition is larger than that of the isomerization of RO_(2) to produce QOOH. The NTC behavior as well as other characteristics of the first-stage ignition can be rationalized from the competition between these two reactions.