The nickel hydroxides (β-Ni(OH)2) with different shapes such as hexagonal nanosheets, irregular nanosheets, and nanoparticles were synthesized in the absence of SO4 2− ions and in the presence of 0.00−3.00 mmol of the added NaOH using a hydrothermal method. The β-Ni(OH)2 phase with brucite-type structure was confirmed by an energy-dispersive spectrum (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The effect of the free OH− ions and the SO4 2− ions in the hydrothermal system on morphologies of the Ni(OH)2 products was investigated in detail. In the absence of SO4 2− ions system, when the added NaOH amount is less than 0.02 mmol, the irregular thin nickel hydroxide nanosheets with thickness of about 20−50 nm were obtained; when the added NaOH amount is between 0.35 and 0.55 mmol, the products have the regular hexagonal morphology with a width of 150−500 nm and thickness of 40−80 nm; while when the added NaOH amount is 1.50−3.00 mmol, the nickel hydroxide products became polyhedral nanoparticles with an average diameter of ca. 50−90 nm. The Ni(SO4)0.3(OH)1.4 nanowires or α-Ni(OH)2 nanowires containing the intercalated SO4 2− anions can only be obtained in the presence of SO4 2− ions. They have lengths of several micrometers and widths of 20−30 nm. A possible growth mechanism of the nanosheets, nanoparticles, and nanowires is suggested.

Mobile learning has been a very popular topic in the past several decades. As more patents in this field have been submitted, the analysis of patents has surfaced as an important mechanism to understand trends, uses, targeted audiences and other aspects in the mobile learning space. Based on the CNIPR, USPTO, and Espacenet databases, this paper provides an analysis of mobile learning from 1976, when the first patent in mobile learning emerged, to 2013. One hundred thirty patents were analyzed from two dimensions: the instructional dimension (including target audience, situation and purpose) and the patent dimension (including technology and style). It was found that "students" was the most popular target audience; "out of class for education" was the most utilized situation; "provide more friendly peripheral service" was the primary purpose; "wireless, mobile and ubiquitous technologies for learning, pervasive computing for learning, u-computing in learning" were the most utilized technologies; and "system and method" was the most common style. Currently, patents in mobile learning are more inclined to provide personalized, contextualized, easily-retrievable, auto-updated and intelligent pushed learning content. Additionally, providing multipresentation, supporting seamless learning, adopting learner analysis, improving learner diversity and context awareness are becoming the characteristics of mobile learning patents. Ethical considerationsThis research was carried out under the ethical guidelines. In this paper, the subjects were patents and all patents were open. We analyzed the content of the patents so no ethical issues existed.Research and trends in mobile learning from 1976 to 2013 11

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