A limit to alternate column recycle chromatography

Summary It was found experimentally that the potential for routine, rapid high-efficiency separations by alternate column, recycle, reversed-phase chromatography is limited by the increase of capacity factors with pressure.     

常压溶剂法合成抗氧剂3114反应热力学和动力学

研究了常压溶剂法一步合成抗氧剂3114反应热力学和动力学过程。控制温度在117±2℃,研究结果表明,反应是零级反应,反应速率常数为k=1．91×10^-3／min,反应的平衡常数为K=138．4（mol／L）^-6,反应活化能Ea=1366J／mol。     

Utilization and maintenance in a model with scrapping

We consider a productive asset, called equipment or capital good, and we examine the properties of, as well as the interactions between, the operating policies, which are determined by its optimal utilization and maintenance, and the capital policy of scrapping, which defines the optimal time when the productive asset is retired from its current use. Starting with an abstract model and using the approach of optimal control, initially we characterize the various types of equipment by assigning to them a single total profit index, which indicates how the above policies affect the flow of operating revenues plus capital gains or losses. This index is a function of market-determined prices. So using it we then investigate how the operating and capital policies are influenced by the rate of discount, the price of new equipment, and the rise or fall of the price of new equipment relative to the value of its output. Among other interesting results, we find that the effects of these prices on the nature and interactions of optimal policies depend crucially on whether the equipment is of the usual profit making type, where output is the main source of revenue, or of the antique type, where the main source of revenue is capital gains.     

灰色预测模型在汇率分析中的应用

首先建立IM（1,1）预测模型,在此基础上再使用马尔科夫预测方法,构造出一种全新的预测方法,应用于汇率的预测与控制中。     

臭氧与二乙胺和三乙胺气相反应的速率常数

利用自制的烟雾箱系统研究了臭氧与二乙胺和三乙胺的气相反应动力学. 实验过程中保证二乙胺和三乙胺浓度远远大于臭氧浓度, 使得实验在准一级条件下进行. 加入环己烷以消除实验过程中可能产生的OH自由基对反应的影响. 在(298±1) K和1.01×105 Pa条件下, 测得臭氧与二乙胺和三乙胺反应的绝对速率常数值分别为(1.33±0.15)×10^-17和(8.20±1.01)×10^-17 cm³·molecule^-1·s^-1. 与文献中已有的其它胺类的臭氧反应数据比较后发现, 臭氧与胺的反应可以用亲电反应机制来解释. 另外, 通过对比发现, 臭氧与三取代的烷基胺类的反应速率要远远大于其与二取代的烷基胺类的反应速率. 这在一定程度上可有助于解释外场观测到的气溶胶相中二烷基胺盐较多的事实. 利用测得的速率常数和大气中臭氧浓度, 还估算了二乙胺和三乙胺与臭氧反应的大气寿命. 结果显示, 与臭氧的反应是二乙胺和三乙胺在大气中的一种重要的消除途径, 尤其是在污染严重地区.     

Examining students’ variational reasoning in differential equations

In this study, we explored how a sample of eight students used variational reasoning while discussing ordinary differential equations (DEs). Our analysis of variational reasoning draws on the literature with regard to student thinking about derivatives and rate, students’ covariational reasoning, and different multivariational structures that can exist between multiple variables. First, we found that while students can think of “derivative” as a variable in and of itself and also unpack derivative as a rate of change between two variables, the students were often able to think of “derivative” in these two ways simultaneously in the same explanation. Second, we found that students made significant usage of covariational reasoning to imagine relationships between pairs of variables in a DE, and that mental actions pertaining to recognizing dependence/independence were especially important. Third, the students also conceptualized relationships between multiple variables in a DE that matched different multivariational structures. Fourth, importantly, we identified a type of variational reasoning, which we call “feedback variation”, that may be unique to DEs because of the recursive relationship between a function’s value and its own rate of change.     

A fast dual proximal gradient algorithm for convex minimization and applications

We consider the convex composite problem of minimizing the sum of a strongly convex function and a general extended valued convex function. We present a dual-based proximal gradient scheme for solving this problem. We show that although the rate of convergence of the dual objective function sequence converges to the optimal value with the rate O(1/k²)$O(1/k^2)$, the rate of convergence of the primal sequence is of the order O(1/k)$O(1/k)$.     

Competition through capacity investment under asymmetric existing capacities and costs

This paper discusses the way that different operational characteristics including existing capacity, scale economies, and production policy have an important influence on the capacity outcomes when firms compete in the market place. We formulate a game-theoretical model where each firm has an existing capacity and faces both fixed and variable costs in purchasing additional capacity. Specifically, the firms simultaneously (or sequentially) make their expansion decisions, and then simultaneously decide their production decisions with these outputs being capacity constrained. We also compare our results with cases where production has to match capacity. By characterizing the firms’ capacity and production choices in equilibrium, our analysis shows that the operational factors play a crucial role in determining what happens. The modeling and analysis in the paper gives insight into the way that the ability to use less production capacity than has been built will undermine the commitment value of existing capacity. If a commitment to full production is not possible, sinking operational costs can enable a firm to keep some preemptive advantage. We also show that the existence of fixed costs can introduce cases where there are either no pure strategy equilibrium or multiple equilibria. The managerial implications of our analysis are noted in the discussion. Our central contribution in this paper is the innovative integration of the strategic analysis of capacity expansion and well-known (s,S)$(s\text{,}S)$ policy in operations and supply chain theory.     

Flexible capacity strategy with multiple market periods under demand uncertainty and investment constraint

We establish a flexible capacity strategy model with multiple market periods under demand uncertainty and investment constraints. In the model, a firm makes its capacity decision under a financial budget constraint at the beginning of the planning horizon which embraces n market periods. In each market period, the firm goes through three decision-making stages: the safety production stage, the additional production stage and the optimal sales stage. We formulate the problem and obtain the optimal capacity, the optimal safety production, the optimal additional production and the optimal sales of each market period under different situations. We find that there are two thresholds for the unit capacity cost. When the capacity cost is very low, the optimal capacity is determined by its financial budget; when the capacity cost is very high, the firm keeps its optimal capacity at its safety production level; and when the cost is in between of the two thresholds, the optimal capacity is determined by the capacity cost, the number of market periods and the unit cost of additional production. Further, we explore the endogenous safety production level. We verify the conditions under which the firm has different optimal safety production levels. Finally, we prove that the firm can benefit from the investment only when the designed planning horizon is longer than a threshold. Moreover, we also derive the formulae for the above three thresholds.     

Make-or-buy service capacity decision in a supply chain providing after-sales service

We consider a supply chain comprising a manufacturer and a retailer. The manufacturer supplies a product to the retailer, while the retailer sells the product bundled with after-sales service to consumers in a fully competitive market. The sales volume is affected by the retailer’s service-level commitment. The retailer can build service capacity in-house at a deterministic price before service demand is realized, or buy the service from an outsourcing market at an uncertain price after service demand realization. We find that the outsourcing market encourages the retailer to make a higher level of service commitment, while prompting the manufacturer to reduce the wholesale price, resulting in more demand realization. We analyze how the expected cost of the service in the outsourcing market and the retailer’s risk attitude affect the decisions of both parties. We derive the conditions under which the retailer is willing to build service capacity in-house and under which it will buy the service from the outsourcing market. Moreover, we find that the manufacturer’s sharing with the retailer the cost to build service capacity improves the profits of both parties.