A stochastic portfolio optimization model with complete memory

In this article, we consider a portfolio optimization problem of the Merton’s type with complete memory over a finite time horizon. The problem is formulated as a stochastic control problem on a finite time horizon and the state evolves according to a process governed by a stochastic process with memory. The goal is to choose investment and consumption controls such that the total expected discounted utility is maximized. Under certain conditions, we derive the explicit solutions for the associated Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB) equations in a finite-dimensional space for exponential, logarithmic, and power utility functions. For those utility functions, verification results are established to ensure that the solutions are equal to the value functions, and the optimal controls are also derived.     

Heavy-traffic limits for an infinite-server fork–join queueing system with dependent and disruptive services

We study an infinite-server fork–join queueing system with dependent services, which experiences alternating renewal service disruptions. Jobs are forked into a fixed number of parallel tasks upon arrival and processed at the corresponding parallel service stations with multiple servers. Synchronization of a job occurs when its parallel tasks are completed, i.e., non-exchangeable. Service times of the parallel tasks of each job can be correlated, having a general continuous joint distribution function, and moreover, the service vectors of consecutive jobs form a stationary dependent sequence satisfying the strong mixing (\(\alpha \)-mixing) condition. The system experiences renewal alternating service disruptions with up and down periods. In each up period, the system operates normally, but in each down period, jobs continue to enter the system, while all the servers will stop working, and services received will be conserved and resume at the beginning of the next up period. We study the impact of both the dependence among service times and these down times upon the service dynamics, the unsynchronized queueing dynamics, and the synchronized process, assuming that the down times are asymptotically negligible. We prove FWLLN and FCLT for these processes, where the limit processes in the FCLT possess a stochastic decomposition property and the convergence requires the Skorohod \(M_1\) topology.     

The Cu-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition with chiral diphosphite ligands derived from D-(-)-tartaric acid

A series of diphosphite ligands, which were derived from D-(-)-tartaric acid, have been synthesized and successfully applied in the Cu-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition of organozincs to enones. There was a synergic effect between the stereogenic centers of the D-(-)-tartaric acid skeleton and the axially H₈-binaphthyl moieties of ligand 2c. And ligand 2c shows a comparative catalytic performance to ligand 1-N-benzylpyrrolidine-3,4-bis[(S)-1,1′-H₈-binaphthyl-2,2′-diyl]phosphite-L-tartaric acid1d derived from L-(+)-tartaric acid. Therefore, for cyclic enones, both enantiomers of the addition products can be obtained in high enantioselectivity (ees up to 96%) by simply selecting ligands 1d or 2c derived from D-(-)-tartaric acid or L-(+)-tartaric acid. Moreover, the sense of enantiodiscrimination of the products was mainly determined by the configuration of the binaphthyl phosphite moieties.     

Colorimetric and visual determination of DNase I activity using gold nanoparticles as an indicator

Patients with prostate cancer and systemic lupus erythematosus exhibit reduced DNase I activity, and patients with myocardial infarction exhibit increased DNase I activity. So the assay of DNase I is of high importance. A colorimetric assay is described here for the determination of the activity of DNase. It is based on strand scission of dsDNA as catalyzed by DNase I. The products of digestion (nucleoside monophosphates) can better stabilize citrate capped AuNPs than dsDNA. In the absence of DNase I, the AuNPs aggregate in presence of NaCl and then display a blue color. In the presence of the analyte (DNase I), AuNPs do not aggregate but rather remain dispersed and display a red color. These findings were exploited to design a DNase I activity assay that is based on the measurement of ratio of absorbances at 520 nm (red) to 650 nm (blue). The detection limit for DNase I activity is found to be 7.1 U?L^?1. In our perception, this assay has a large potential with respect to diagnoses of DNase I activity-related diseases and in drug screening.

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Graphical Abstract A method is described for the determination of the activity of DNase I. It is based on the capability of nucleoside monophosphates (dNMPs; formed by DNase-catalyzed scission of dsDNA) to stabilize red gold NPs against NaCl-induced aggregation. AuNPs stabilized with dsDNA, in contrast, readily aggregate in presence of NaCl to form blue clusters.

     

Sigma-1 Receptor Agonist TS-157 Improves Motor Functional Recovery by Promoting Neurite Outgrowth and pERK in Rats with Focal Cerebral Ischemia

Sigma-1 (σ-1) receptor agonists are considered as potential treatment for stroke. TS-157 is an alkoxyisoxazole-based σ-1 receptor agonist previously discovered in our group. The present study describes TS-157 profile in a battery of tests for cerebral ischemia. Initial evaluation demonstrated the compound’s safety profile and blood–brain barrier permeability, as well as its ability to induce neurite outgrowth in vitro. The neurite outgrowth was shown to be mediated via σ-1 receptor agonism and involves upregulation of ERK phosphorylation (pERK). In particular, TS-157 also significantly accelerated the recovery of motor function in rats with transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). Overall, the results herein support the notion that σ-1 receptor agonists are potential therapeutics for stroke and further animal efficacy studies are warranted.     

乙炔氢氯化反应中的负载金-离子液体催化剂:离子态金物种的稳定机制

聚氯乙烯(PVC)作为世界通用工程塑料之一,具有优异的物理、化学和机械性能,在工业、农业、建筑、包装、电力等行业中应用广泛.氯乙烯是生产聚氯乙烯的重要单体.氯乙烯的生产主要有电石法和乙烯法两种工艺路线,由于我国“贫油、富煤、少气”的资源现状,电石法产能占全部产能的83%以上.电石法生产氯乙烯的原理是在氯化汞催化剂存在下,将电石水解精制后的乙炔气与氯化氢加成直接合成氯乙烯.随着节能减排及环保要求的逐渐提高和国际涉汞公约的实施,开发新一代绿色无汞催化剂具有重要的战略意义.近年来,金基催化剂是无汞催化剂基础研究和技术开发中最重要的方向.在之前的工作中,我们课题组首先报道了负载离子液体-金催化剂体系(Au-SILP)在电石法生产氯乙烯工艺中的应用,并发现离子液体的存在可以显著提高金活性物种在载体表面的分散度和稳定其化学价态.在后续研究中,我们在负载离子液体-金催化体系中引入金属铜离子(Cu^2+),利用反应过程中Au-Cu之间的氧化还原循环,设计并制备了金属铜基配位离子液体,构建了负载离子液体-金-铜催化剂体系.铜离子的引入形成了一个催化剂自身维持氧化态的微环境,实现了被还原金物种的原位氧化再生.本文在上述研究基础上,利用配位离子液体[Bmim][N(CN)2]中[N(CN)2^–]阴离子和阳离子金之间的强配位作用,构建出比Au-Cl键更稳定的Au–N键,并通过X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、球差校正-扫描透射电镜(AC-STEM)和扩展X射线吸收精细结构(EXAFS)表征证明了Au以单原子状态存在于载体表面.制备的Au-N(CN)2/AC催化剂在乙炔氢氯化反应中表现出比Au-Cl/AC和Au/AC催化剂更高的稳定性和催化活性以及更短的诱导期.进一步表征分析发现,[N(CN)2^–]配体促进了阳离子金和配体之间的电子转移,提高了阳离子金的电子云密度,削弱了乙炔在阳离子金上的吸附强度,抑制了其还原,提高了催化剂的稳定性.更重要的是,与阳离子金配位的[N(CN)2^–]配体使得反应过程中的氯化氢在氮位点发生化学解离,促进了氯化氢活化,同时降低了反应能垒.对负载配位离子液体-金催化体系反应诱导期的分析结果表明,反应诱导期与反应物(乙炔、氯化氢)分子在离子液体层中的溶解度无关,而主要取决于催化剂中Au(Ⅲ)物种的含量和反应物分子在离子液体中的扩散速率.上述研究结果进一步深化了离子液体和活性金物种之间电子的作用机理,建立了负载离子液体-金催化剂体系对反应物的活化机制和反应机理,为进一步开发具有工业应用价值的乙炔氢氯化反应无汞催化剂提供了科学基础和参考.     

Quick assessment methodology for reliability of solder joints in ball grid array (BGA) assembly—Part I: Creep constitutive relation and fatigue model

In this study, a new unified creep constitutive relation and a modified energy-based fatigue model have been established respectively to describe the creep flow and predict the fatigue life of Sn−Pb solders. It is found that the relation successfully elucidates the creep mechanism related to current constitutive relations. The model can be used to describe the temperature and frequency dependent low cycle fatigue behavior of the solder. The relation and the model are further employed in part II to develop the numerical simulation approach for the long-term reliability assessment of the plastic ball grid array (BGA) assembly. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (59705008)     

离子色谱法测定甲醇和噻吩中硫、氯含量

建立了测定工业用甲醇和噻吩中硫、氯含量的离子色谱检测方法。样品经(700±25)℃灼烧后,残留物用蒸馏水洗涤,利用离子色谱仪进行分析。甲醇和噻吩中硫、氯检测结果的相对标准偏差为1.04%~1.26%,加标回收率为99.2%~101.2%。该方法操作简单,精密度和准确度高,可用于大部分可燃性有机化合物中硫、氯含量的检测。     

Synthesis and liquid crystalline properties of substituted 2,5‐diaryl 1,3,4‐oxadiazole derivatives without flexible chains

A series of new compounds based on aromatically 2,5‐disubstituted 1,3,4‐oxadiazoles without flexible chains, formulated as p‐R–C₆H₄–(OC₂N₂)–(p‐C₆H₄)₂–R′ with (i) R = CH₃O, R′ = CH₃O, CH₃S, F, H (Ia–Id), (ii) R = CH₃S, R′ = CH₃O, CH₃S, F, H (IIa–IId) and (iii) R = F, R′ = CH₃O, CH₃S, F, H (IIIa–IIId) (p‐C₆H₄ and OC₂N₂ represent a p‐phenylene spacer and a 1,3,4‐oxadiazole ring, respectively), were synthesised and characterised by ¹H and ¹³C NMR, MS and HRMS techniques. Mesomorphic properties were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing optical microscopy. All of the target compounds (except Id, IId, IIIc and IIId) exhibited an enantiotropic nematic mesophase with high melting temperatures. The liquid crystalline properties of these compounds were influenced greatly by polarity, steric factors and positions of the terminal groups. The effect of the terminal groups on the liquid crystal properties is discussed.