Magnetic properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes as a function of acid treatment

We investigate the electronic properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes both before and after acid treatment with concentrated sulphuric and nitric acids. Magnetic susceptibility measurements were performed using a SQUID magnetometer and show that there is a considerable enhancement in the density of states at the Fermi level. The data shows that the diamagnetic influence from the graphitic nanotubes dominates. We experimentally observe, after acid treatment, that the diamagnetic susceptibility remains unchanged at 5 K but notably decreases at 77 K. We propose the acid treatment has increased the Van Vleck paramagnetic contribution lowering the diamagnetic response from the π-electron orbital magnetisation. The Van Vleck paramagnetic contribution is finite-temperature dependent with a diminishing contribution at higher fields.     

Practical stopping criteria for validating safety-critical software by estimating impartial reliability

In this research, we investigate stopping rules for software testing and propose two stopping rules from the aspect of software reliability testing based on the impartial reliability model. The impartial reliability difference (IRD-MP) rule considers the difference between the impartial transition-probability reliabilities estimated for both software developer and consumers at their predetermined prior information levels. The empirical–impartial reliability difference (EIRD-MP) rule suggests stopping a software test when the computed empirical transition reliability is tending to its estimated impartial transition reliability. To insure the high-standard requirement for safety-critical software, both rules take the maximum probability (MP) of untested paths into account.     

Multi-dimensional asymptotically quasi-Toeplitz Markov chains and their application in queueing theory

Multi-dimensional asymptotically quasi-Toeplitz Markov chains with discrete and continuous time are introduced. Ergodicity and non-ergodicity conditions are proven. Numerically stable algorithm to calculate the stationary distribution is presented. An application of such chains in retrial queueing models with Batch Markovian Arrival Process is briefly illustrated. AMS Subject Classifications Primary 60K25 · 60K20     

Non-self-adjoint sturm-liouville operators with matrix potentials

We obtain asymptotic formulas for non-self-adjoint operators generated by the Sturm-Liouville system and quasiperiodic boundary conditions. Using these asymptotic formulas, we obtain conditions on the potential for which the system of root vectors of the operator under consideration forms a Riesz basis.     

Dynamic Nonlinear Modelization of Operational Supply Chain Systems

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is an important activity in all producing facilities and in many organizations to enable vendors, manufacturers and suppliers to interact gainfully and plan optimally their flow of goods and services. To realize this, a dynamic modelling approach for characterizing supply chain activities is opportune, so as to plan efficiently the set of activities over a distributed network in a formal and scientific way. The dynamical system will result so complex that it is not generally possible to specify the functional forms and the parameters of interest, relating outputs to inputs, states and stochastic terms by experiential specification methods. Thus the algorithm that will presented is Data Driven, determining simultaneously the functional forms, the parameters and the optimal control policy from the data available for the supply chain. The aim of this paper is to present this methodology, by considering dynamical aspects of the system, the presence of nonlinear relationships and unbiased estimation procedures to quantify these relations, leading to a nonlinear and stochastic dynamical system representation of the SCM problem. Moreover, the convergence of the algorithm will be proved and the satisfaction of the required statistical conditions demonstrated. Thus SCM problems may be formulated as formal scientific procedures, with well defined algorithms and a precise calculation sequence to determine the best alternative to enact. A “Certainty equivalent principle” will be indicated to ensure that the effects of the inevitable uncertainties will not lead to indeterminate results, allowing the formulation of demonstrably asymptotically optimal management plans.     

Optimal production and rationing decisions in supply chains with information sharing

This paper considers a two-echelon capacitated supply chain with two non-identical retailers and information sharing. We characterize the optimal inventory policies. We also study the benefits of the optimal stock rationing policy over the first come first served (FCFS) and the modified echelon-stock rationing (MESR) policies.     

On then-cutset property

For a partially ordered setP and an elementx ofP, a subsetS ofP is called a cutset forx inP if every element ofS is noncomparable tox and every maximal chain ofP meets {x}∪S. We letc(P) denote the smallest integerk such that every elementx ofP has a cutsetS with ‖S‖?k: Ifc(P)?n we say thatP has then-cutset property. Our results bear on the following question: givenP, what is the smallestn such thatP can be embedded in a partially ordered set having then-cutset property? As usual, 2 ⁿ denotes the Boolean lattice of all subsets of ann-element set, andB _n denotes the set of atoms and co-atoms of 2 ⁿ . We establish the following results: (i) a characterization, by means of forbidden configurations, of whichP can be embedded in a partially ordered set having the 1-cutset property; (ii) ifP contains a copy of 2 ⁿ , thenc(P)?2^[n/2]?1; (iii) for everyn>3 there is a partially ordered setP containing 2 ⁿ such thatc(P)<c(2 ⁿ ); (iv) for every positive integern there is a positive integerN such that, ifB _m is contained in a partially ordered set having then-cutset property, thenm?N.     

掺杂对碳纳米管拉曼光谱及场发射性能的影响

采用高温热解法在860℃分别制备出了镓、氮以及硼和氮掺杂的碳纳米管,提纯后利用丝网印刷工艺分别将它们制备成薄膜,并测试了它们的拉曼光谱与场发射性能。测试结果表明,掺杂纳米管的缺陷密集度比纯碳纳米管明显增大,而它们的场致电子发射性能则与掺杂元素的性质密切相关。镓和氮掺杂的纳米管均具有非常优异的场发射性能,而硼和氮共掺杂的纳米管的场发射性能很差。掺杂引起碳纳米管费米能级附近能态密度的变化及功函数的降低是其具有优异场致电子发射性能的主要原因。     

一种供应链中的知识管理绩效评价方法研究

作为知识管理的重要组成部分，知识管理绩效评价旨在帮助企业找出影响绩效提高的关键因素并及时采取有效措施，提高知识管理水平。本文从创造顾客价值、知识的获取能力、知识的共享与传播能力、知识的运用水平、知识的存量水平和知识管理平台等六个方面，分析了评价供应链的知识管理绩效应考虑的主要因素，建立了供应链的知识管理绩效评价指标体系，在此基础上，提出了运用D-S证据推理方法，对供应链知识管理绩效进行评价，并给出了证据推理的算法步骤，最后通过算例分析，说明该方法的有效性、实用性。     

Nanoscale surface of carbon nanotube fibers for medical applications: Structure and chemistry revealed by TOF-SIMS analysis

Surface structure and related chemistry understanding is a vital element in the design of high biocompatible materials since adsorption and adhesion of biological components are involved. These features are even more important in the case of nanostructured materials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) fibers. In our preliminary work we synthesised CNTs based fibers for medical applications. This new hybrid system combines polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with CNTs and polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA), a biodegradable copolymer. The surface properties of this material are investigated in order to guarantee a biocompatible response. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) was found to be an ideal tool for fiber characterisation owing to its capacity to provide chemical specificity combined with detection limits beyond the reach of techniques previously used. Complementary morphological information is provided by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The corroboration of both data enables us to define the chemistry and structure of this new formulation.