VisAct: a visualization design system based on semantic actions

Current visualization design toolkits help users to explore data and create visualizations. However, most of these systems do not record the executed actions during the visualization construction process with semantic context. In this paper, we present VisAct, a visualization design system based on semantic actions, that helps average users to construct visualizations step by step. Our system contributes a set of action-based visualization components and a high-level grammar for semantic actions. VisAct also guides the visualization construction process and provides an action tracker for history management and data collection. We demonstrate the usability of VisAct by visualizations and a plugin application. Finally, we conduct a user study to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of our system.     

Boundary Crossing Probabilities of Jump Diffusion Processes to Time-Dependent Boundaries

Methodology and Computing in Applied Probability - The finite Markov chain imbedding technique has been used to compute the boundary crossing probabilities of one and higher-dimensional Brownian...     

Microstructure and Thermal and Tensile Properties of Poly(vinyl alcohol) Nanocomposite Films Reinforced by Polyacrylamide Grafted Cellulose Nanocrystals

Abstract

Polyacrylamide grafted cellulose nanocrystals (CNC-g-PAM) were incorporated into poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) by a solution casting method to fabricate nanocomposite films with enhanced thermal and tensile properties. The microstructure and the thermal and tensile properties of the PVA/CNC-g-PAM nanocomposite films were investigated as a function of CNC-g-PAM content. Infrared spectroscopy corroborated the presence of hydrogen bonds between PVA and the PAM on the surface of the CNC. Polarized optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed good dispersion of the CNC-g-PAM in the PVA matrix and good interfacial compatibility. Accordingly, the initial degradation temperature of the nanocomposite films was elevated slightly compared to pristine PVA film. The glass transition temperature, melting temperature, and crystallinity of the PVA also varied slightly after the incorporation of the CNC-g-PAM. At both 0% and 50% RH, the nanocomposite films showed an obvious increase of elastic modulus, no apparent change of breaking strength and a drastic reduction of elongation at break with increasing CNC-g-PAM content.     

Theoretical study on the catalytic properties of single-atom catalyst stabilised on silicon-doped graphene sheets

ABSTRACT

The stable configurations, electronic structures and catalytic activities of single-atom metal catalyst anchored silicon-doped graphene sheets (3Si-graphene-M, M?=?Ni and Pd) are investigated by using density functional theory calculations. Firstly, the adsorption stability and electronic property of different gas reactants (O₂, CO, 2CO, CO/O₂) on 3Si-graphene-M substrates are comparably analysed. It is found that the coadsorption of O₂/CO or 2CO molecules is more stable than that of the isolated O₂ or CO molecule. Meanwhile, the adsorbed species on 3Si-graphene-Ni sheet are more stable than those on the 3Si-graphene-Pd sheet. Secondly, the possible CO oxidation reactions on the 3Si-graphene-M are investigated through Eley–Rideal (ER), Langmuir–Hinshelwood (LH) and new termolecular Eley–Rideal (TER) mechanisms. Compared with the LH and TER mechanisms, the interaction between 2CO and O₂ molecules (O₂?+?CO → CO₃, CO₃?+?CO → 2CO₂) through ER reactions (< 0.2?eV) are an energetically more favourable. These results provide important reference for understanding the catalytic mechanism for CO oxidation on graphene-based catalyst.     

A note on the longest matching consecutive subsequence

The longest matching consecutive subsequence plays an important role in information theory and molecular biology. We consider the Hausdorff dimension of the set of points whose rate of growth of the longest matching consecutive subsequence is almost equal to a class of monotonically increasing functions.     

Stability analysis of switched fractional-order continuous-time systems

Nonlinear Dynamics - In this paper, a class of switched fractional-order continuous-time systems with order $$0&lt;\alpha &lt;1$$ is investigated. First, an interesting property of...     

In-situ SiN combined with etch-stop barrier structure for high-frequency AlGaN/GaN HEMT

The etch-stop structure including the in-situ SiN and AlGaN/GaN barrier is proposed for high frequency applications.The etch-stop process is realized by placing an in-situ SiN layer on the top of the thin AlGaN barrier.F-based etching can be self-terminated after removing SiN,leaving the AlGaN barrier in the gate region.With this in-situ SiN and thin barrier etch-stop structure,the short channel effect can be suppressed,meanwhile achieving highly precisely controlled and low damage etching process.The device shows a maximum drain current of 1022 mA/mm,a peak transconductance of 459 mS/mm,and a maximum oscillation frequency(fmax)of 248 GHz.     

新型稀磁半导体Fe掺杂LiZnP的光电性质

采用基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理计算法研究了新型稀磁半导体Li_(1±)_y(Zn_(1-)_xFe_x)P (x=0, 0.0625;y=0, 0.0625)的电子结构、磁性及光学性质.结果表明,Fe的掺入使体系产生自旋极化杂质带,Fe的3d态与Li2s态,Zn4s态以及P3p态的态密度峰在费米能级处出现重叠,产生sp-d轨道杂化,此时体系净磁矩最大,材料表现出金属性,导电性增强.当Li空位时,导电性减弱,但杂质带宽度最大,居里温度最高.而Li填隙时,体系形成能最低,材料变为半金属性,表现为100%自旋注入,表明掺杂体系的磁性和电性可以分别通过Fe的掺入和Li的含量进行调控.对比光学性质发现,Li空位时,在介电函数虚部和复折射率函数的低能区出现新峰,扩大了对低频电磁波的吸收范围.能量损失函数表明掺杂体系具有明显的蓝移效应,且Li填隙时有更强的等离子共振频率.     

Nickel (II) tetrapyridyl complexes as electrocatalysts and precatalysts for water oxidation

Two nickel complexes, [Ni(tpen)](ClO₄)₂.0.5CH₃COCH₃ ( 1 ) and [Ni(tpbn)](ClO₄)₂ ( 2 ), of tetrapyridyl ligands N,N,N′,N′-tetrakis(2-pyridyl-methyl)-1,2-ethanediamine (tpen) and N,N,N′,N′-tetrakis(2-pyridyl-methyl)-1,4-butanediamine (tpbn) were prepared and their catalysis for water oxidation reaction (WOR) studied. In 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution (PBS) of pH 8.0, complex 1 is a homogeneous molecular catalyst with an overpotential of ~440 mV and a Faradaic efficiency of 89%. At pH ≥ 9.0, complex 1 degraded gradually during the catalytic process and formed NiO_x composite (nickel oxide with general formula Ni_xO_yH_z) active for WOR. In contrast, complex 2 deteriorated under measured conditions (pH 8.0–12.0) and formed NiO_x composite active for WOR. The NiO_x composite derived from 1 in 0.1 M PBS at pH 11.0 showed an activity with an overpotential of ~500 mV, a Tafel slope of ~90 mV/decade and a Faradaic efficiency of 97%. Mechanisms were proposed for water oxidation catalyzed by 1 and 2 . This work revealed that the catalytic activity of the nickel complexes was related to the flexibility of the tetrapyridyl ligands and the adaptability of the coordination sphere of the nickel(II) center.     

Comparative absorption kinetics of seven active ingredients of Eucommia ulmoides extracts by intestinal in situ circulatory perfusion in normal and spontaneous hypertensive rats

Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. (E. ulmoides) is a valuable and nourishing medicinal herb in China that has been used in the treatment of hypertension. Given the fact that most traditional Chinese medicine is mainly used to treat disease, investigating the pharmacokinetics of traditional Chinese medicines in the pathological state is more useful than that in the normal state. However, the differences in the absorption kinetics of active ingredients of E. ulmoides extract between pathological and physiological conditions have not been reported. Therefore, in this study, the rat intestinal in situ circulatory perfusion model was used to investigate the differences in absorption kinetics of seven active ingredients of E. ulmoides extract in normal and spontaneously hypertensive rats, namely, genipinic acid, protocatechuic acid, neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, (+)-pinoresinol di-O-β-D -glucopyranoside and (+)-pinoresinol 4′-O-β-D -glucopyranoside. Our results indicate that the pathological state of spontaneous hypertension may change the absorption of active components of E. ulmoides extracts, and these findings may provide a reference for improving the rational use of E. ulmoides in the clinic.