[en] Size, dimensionality and pressure play important roles on modulating band gap (E_g) of semiconductor nanocrystals, and have attracted extensive attention in recent years. In this letter, a simple thermodynamic model is developed and the competition relation among size, dimensionality and pressure effects on E_g is discussed. The accuracy of our prediction is confirmed by the experimental data and simulation results of CdSe and ZnO nanocrystals. This model provides a new insight into the size, dimensionality and pressure effects on E_g and guides the optimal selection as design quantum devices.

[en] In our previous work, a significant improvement in organosilicon monomer distillation using parallel double-effect heat integration between a heavies removal column and six other columns, as well as heat integration between methyltrichlorosilane and dimethylchlorosilane columns, reduced the total exergy loss of the currently running counterpart by 40.41%. Further research regarding this optimized scheme demonstrated that it was necessary to reduce the higher operating pressure of the methyltrichlorosilane column, which is required for heat integration between the methyltrichlorosilane and dimethylchlorosilane columns. Therefore, in this contribution, a challenger scheme is presented with heat pumps introduced separately from the originally heat-coupled methyltrichlorosilane and dimethylchlorosilane columns in the above-mentioned optimized scheme, which is the prototype for this work. Both schemes are simulated using the same purity requirements used in running industrial units. The thermodynamic properties from the simulation are used to calculate the energy consumption and exergy loss of the two schemes. The results show that the heat pump option further reduces the flowsheet energy consumption and exergy loss by 27.35% and 10.98% relative to the prototype scheme. These results indicate that the heat pumps are superior to heat integration in the context of energy-savings during organosilicon monomer distillation. - Highlights: • Combine the paralleled double-effect and heat pump distillation to organosilicon distillation. • Compare the double-effect with the heat pump in saving energy. • Further cut down the flowsheet energy consumption and exergy loss by 27.35% and 10.98% respectively

[en] Objective: A comprehensive clinical evaluation was conducted, assessing the Body Pro-Lok immobilization and positioning system to facilitate hypofractionated radiotherapy of intrahepatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), using helical tomotherapy to improve treatment precision. Methods: Clinical applications of the Body Pro-Lok system were investigated (as above) in terms of interfractional and intrafractional setup errors and compressive abdominal breath control. To assess interfractional setup errors, a total of 42 patients who were given 5 to 20 fractions of helical tomotherapy for intrahepatic HCC were analyzed. Overall, 15 patients were immobilized using simple vacuum cushion (group A), and the Body Pro-Lok system was used in 27 patients (group B), performing megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT) scans 196 times and 435 times, respectively. Pretreatment MVCT scans were registered to the planning kilovoltage computed tomography (KVCT) for error determination, and group comparisons were made. To establish intrafractional setup errors, 17 patients with intrahepatic HCC were selected at random for immobilization by Body Pro-Lok system, undergoing MVCT scans after helical tomotherapy every week. A total of 46 MVCT re-scans were analyzed for this purpose. In researching breath control, 12 patients, randomly selected, were immobilized by Body Pro-Lok system and subjected to 2-phase 4-dimensional CT (4DCT) scans, with compressive abdominal control or in freely breathing states, respectively. Respiratory-induced liver motion was then compared. Results: Mean interfractional setup errors were as follows: (1) group A: X, 2.97 ± 2.47 mm; Y, 4.85 ± 4.04 mm; and Z, 3.77 ± 3.21 mm; pitch, 0.66 ± 0.62°; roll, 1.09 ± 1.06°; and yaw, 0.85 ± 0.82°; and (2) group B: X, 2.23 ± 1.79 mm; Y, 4.10 ± 3.36 mm; and Z, 1.67 ± 1.91 mm; pitch, 0.45 ± 0.38°; roll, 0.77 ± 0.63°; and yaw, 0.52 ± 0.49°. Between-group differences were statistically significant in 6 directions (p < 0.05). Mean intrafractional setup errors with use of the Body Pro-Lok system were as follows: X, 0.41 ± 0.46 mm; Y, 0.86 ± 0.80 mm; Z, 0.33 ± 0.44 mm; and roll, 0.12 ± 0.19°. Mean liver-induced respiratory motion determinations were as follows: (1) abdominal compression: X, 2.33 ± 1.22 mm; Y, 5.11 ± 2.05 mm; Z, 2.13 ± 1.05 mm; and 3D vector, 6.22 ± 1.94 mm; and (2) free breathing: X, 3.48 ± 1.14 mm; Y, 9.83 ± 3.00 mm; Z, 3.38 ± 1.59 mm; and 3D vector, 11.07 ± 3.16 mm. Between-group differences were statistically different in 4 directions (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The Body Pro-Lok system is capable of improving interfractional and intrafractional setup accuracy and minimizing tumor movement owing to respirations in patients with intrahepatic HCC during hypofractionated helical tomotherapy.

[en] The summed energy spectra and the angular correlation for two alpha particles from the ¹²C(α,2α)⁸Be reaction were measured. The data show that the quasifree scattering of incident alpha particles from the alpha clusters in ¹²C is probably the main mechanism of the reaction on ¹²C. The data are analyzed by means of PWIA. The probability of forming a cluster is 0.07 which is close to the result obtained by James at high incident energy

[en] Objective: To explore the correlation between bone turnover markers and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Methods: BMD value of the lumbar and femur was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorption meter. The 136 patients were divided into osteopenia group (63 cases) and osteoporosis group (73 cases) according to the BMD level. The serum bone turnover markers osteocalcin (N-MID), N-terminal propeptide of type Ⅰ procollagen (PINP) and β collagen specific sequences (β-crosslaps) were detected by electrochemical luminescence method. Results: There was no significant difference for serum N-MID, PINP, β-Crosslaps between osteopenia group and osteoporosis group (P > 0.05). Conclusion: No significant correlation has been found between the levels of serum markers of bone turnover and BMD in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis. The serum N-MID, PINP and β-crosslaps sould only reflect the level of bone remodeling in postmenopausal women while having limited value for diagnosis of osteoporosis. (authors)

[en] The anomalous Hall effect in disordered face-centered cubic (fcc) FePt alloy films is experimentally studied. The longitudinal resistivity independent term of the anomalous Hall conductivity (AHC) increases and approaches saturation with increasing film thickness. The contribution of side jump scattering is suggested to decrease monotonically with increasing film thickness, which can be ascribed to the variation of the surface scattering with the film thickness. The sign of the skew scattering contribution to the AHC is opposite to that of the intrinsic contribution in the system. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

[en] Advanced high strength steels (AHSS) are increasingly being used in the automotive industry to reduce vehicle weight while improving vehicle crash performance. One of the concerns in manufacturing is springback control after stamping. Although computer simulation technologies have been successfully applied to predict stamping formability, they still face major challenges in springback prediction, particularly for AHSS. Springback analysis is very complicated and involves large deformation problems in the forming stage and mechanical multiplying effect during the elastic recovery after releasing a part from the die. Therefore, the predictions are very sensitive to the simulation parameters used. It is very critical in springback simulation to choose an appropriate material model, element formulation and contact algorithm. In this study, a springback benchmark test, the slit ring cup, is used in the springback simulation with commercially available finite element analysis (FEA) software, LS-DYNA. The sensitivity of seven simulation variables on springback predictions was investigated, and a set of parameters with stable simulation results was identified. Final simulations using the selected set of parameters were conducted on six different materials including two AHSS steels, two conventional high strength steels, one mild steel and an aluminum alloy. The simulation results are compared with experimental measurements for all six materials and a favorable result is achieved. Simulation errors as compared against test results falls within 10%

[en] The spin character of the splitting of the Shockley surface state on Au(111) is directly verified by measurements of the in-plane and out-of-plane spin polarizations in angle-resolved photoemission spectra. The two parabolic sub-bands that are momentum-shifted with respect to each other, reveal a distinct, opposite spin polarization that within the errors lies in the surface plane. The measured in-plane orientation of the spin vectors is consistent with the simple spin structure expected from a nearly-free-electron model, where the polarization axis is tangential to the Fermi surface of the surface state

No abstract available

[en] The controllability problem of heterogeneous interdependent group systems with undirected and directed topology is investigated in this paper. First, the interdependent model of the heterogeneous system is set up according to the difference of individual characteristics. An extended distributed protocol with the external sliding-mode control is designed, under which it is shown that a heterogeneous interdependent group system is controllable when the corresponding communication topology is controllable. Then, using the network eigenvalue method, the driving individuals are determined for a heterogeneous system with undirected topology. Under directed topology, the maximum match method is utilized to confirm the driving individuals. Some sufficient and necessary conditions are presented to assure that the heterogeneous interdependent group system is structurally controllable. Via theoretical analysis, the controllability of heterogeneous interdependent systems is related to the interdependent manner and the structure of the heterogeneous system. Numerical simulations are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results. (paper)