Structural and Thermodynamic Peculiarities of Core-Shell Particles at Fluid Interfaces from Triangular Lattice Models

A triangular lattice model for pattern formation by core-shell particles at fluid interfaces is introduced and studied for the particle to core diameter ratio equal to 3. Repulsion for overlapping shells and attraction at larger distances due to capillary forces are assumed. Ground states and thermodynamic properties are determined analytically and by Monte Carlo simulations for soft outer- and stiffer inner shells, with different decay rates of the interparticle repulsion. We find that thermodynamic properties are qualitatively the same for slow and for fast decay of the repulsive potential, but the ordered phases are stable for temperature ranges, depending strongly on the shape of the repulsive potential. More importantly, there are two types of patterns formed for fixed chemical potential—one for a slow and another one for a fast decay of the repulsion at small distances. In the first case, two different patterns—for example clusters or stripes—occur with the same probability for some range of the chemical potential. For a fixed concentration, an interface is formed between two ordered phases with the closest concentration, and the surface tension takes the same value for all stable interfaces. In the case of degeneracy, a stable interface cannot be formed for one out of four combinations of the coexisting phases, because of a larger surface tension. Our results show that by tuning the architecture of a thick polymeric shell, many different patterns can be obtained for a sufficiently low temperature.     

电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱(ICP-AES)法测定胡蜂酒中无机元素

采用电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法测定胡蜂酒中20种无机元素,建立无机元素对照指纹图谱,对重金属元素进行风险评估。结果表明,胡蜂酒中无机元素种类丰富,其中P、K、Na元素占测定总元素的96.14%。有害元素Pb、Cd、As、Hg、Cu含量符合国家药典标准要求,Cu的靶标危险系数(THQ)为1.00×10^-2,THQ<1说明摄入的重金属对人体健康造成的影响不明显。不同产区胡蜂酒金属元素含量存在差异,根据金属元素图谱得出元素含量按原子序数顺序出现相似的分布态势。结果表明,胡蜂酒中含有丰富的金属元素,很多为营养微量元素,有害元素(Pb、Cd、As、Hg、Cu)含量符合药典要求,从金属元素方面单一来看,饮用胡蜂酒没有明显的健康风险。胡蜂酒无机元素指纹图谱可为胡蜂酒的鉴别提供一定的的参考依据。     

The fundamental theorem of mutual insurance

The essence of mutual insurance is the notion that re-distributing risk in a pool of risks is more beneficial than taking the risk alone. Interpreting ‘more beneficial’ as an increase in utility and considering sequences of exchangeable risks, we are able to formalize this notion from the policyholder’s perspective and demonstrate its validity for various alternative preference functionals (e.g., expected utility, Choquet expected utility, and distortion risk measures). To obtain this result, we exploit that for a sequence of exchangeable risks the corresponding sequence of arithmetical averages is a reversed martingale.We conclude that pooling risks is fundamental for understanding the mechanisms of insurance because it favourably affects the utility of policyholders, and we refer to this phenomenon as the ‘utility-improving effect of risk pooling’. Moreover, we demonstrate that the utility of the policyholder is (strictly) increasing with the size of the risk pool.     

Tail asymptotics of random sum and maximum of log-normal risks

In this paper we derive the asymptotic behaviour of the survival function of both random sum and random maximum of log-normal risks. As for the case of finite sum and maximum investigated in Asmussen and Rojas-Nandayapa (2008) also for the more general setup of random sums and random maximum the principle of a single big jump holds. We investigate both the log-normal sequences and some related dependence structures motivated by stationary Gaussian sequences.     

Likelihood Inference under Generalized Hybrid Censoring Scheme with Comp eting Risks

Statistical inference is developed for the analysis of generalized type-II hybrid censoring data under exponential competing risks model. In order to solve the problem that approximate methods make unsatisfactory performances in the case of small sample size, we establish the exact conditional distributions of estimators for parameters by conditional moment generating function(CMGF). Furthermore, confidence intervals(CIs) are constructed by exact distributions, approximate distributions as well as bootstrap method respectively, and their performances are evaluated by Monte Carlo simulations. And finally, a real data set is analyzed to illustrate all the methods developed here.     

Optimal proportional reinsurance with common shock dependence

In this paper, we consider the optimal proportional reinsurance strategy in a risk model with multiple dependent classes of insurance business, which extends the work of Liang and Yuen (2014) to the case with the reinsurance premium calculated under the expected value principle and to the model with two or more classes of dependent risks. Under the criterion of maximizing the expected exponential utility, closed-form expressions for the optimal strategies and value function are derived not only for the compound Poisson risk model but also for the diffusion approximation risk model. In particular, we find that the optimal reinsurance strategies under the expected value premium principle are very different from those under the variance premium principle in the diffusion risk model. The former depends not only on the safety loading, time and interest rate, but also on the claim size distributions and the counting processes, while the latter depends only on the safety loading, time and interest rate. Finally, numerical examples are presented to show the impact of model parameters on the optimal strategies.     

An overview of emerging pollutants in air: Method of analysis and potential public health concern from human environmental exposure

Air pollutants are perhaps the largest cause of diseases and death in the world today. Increasing urbanization and industrialization have caused an increase in number of diverse forms and types of new pollutants, which are difficult to detect and characterize due to their stench behaviour and complex sources of production. Such pollutants have been called emerging pollutants (EPs) and their list is ever increasing. Therefore, the understanding of the method of analysis and health implication of (EPs) in air is critical to providing a more robust understanding of exposure routes, regulations and mitigation. EPs in air discussed in this study are not in any way exhaustive but limited to emerging VOCs (including acrylonitrile, 1−3-butadiene, chloroform, dichloromethane, ethylene oxides, formaldehyde, toluene, trichloroethylene, 1,4-Dioxane) and metals (arsenic, manganese, and vanadium), ultrafine particles, micro- and nano- plastics, engineered nanoparticles, diesel/black carbon and bioaerosols. Occurrence, detection and health implications of these EPs in air are still unfolding due to limited monitoring studies, lack of standard methodology and regulations. To address this knowledge gap, authors conducted an in-depth review of available information. Their spatial distribution, analytical methods and health implications are discussed including the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as a potential EP in air. The study concluded with highlights of gaps in knowledge and suggestions to key areas for future research. This information is of general interest to environmental scientists and of specific interest to both health and sanitation workers and policymakers at private, government and international organizations.     

EXISTENCE OF POSITIVE PERIODIC SOLUTIONS TO A DISCRETE TIME NON-AUTONOMOUS COMPETING SYSTEM WITH FEEDBACK CONTROLS

In this paper,a class of discrete time non-autonomous competing system with feedback controls is considered. With the help of differential equations with piecewise constant arguments,we first propose a discrete model of a continuous non-autonomous competing system with feedback controls. Then,using the coincidence degree and the related continuation theorem as well as some priori estimations,a suficient condition for the existence of positive solutions to difference equations is obtained.     

基于期权的树形供应链应急模型与仿真

在多级树形供应链网络环境下,基于实物期权策略并引入中断风险成本,建立了树形供应链应对中断风险的保护与应急模型,通过求解模型得到最优策略并进行了数值仿真分析.仿真结果表明该模型能够显著降低树形供应链系统的中断风险成本与系统中断时间,从而提高供应网络的鲁棒性.     

Risk externalities and too big to fail

This paper establishes the case for a fallacy of economies of scale in large aggregate institutions and the effects of scale risks. The problem of rogue trading and excessive risk taking is taken as a case example. Assuming (conservatively) that a firm exposure and losses are limited to its capital while external losses are unbounded, we establish a condition for a firm not to be allowed to be too big to fail. In such a case, the expected external losses second derivative with respect to the firm capital at risk is positive. Examples and analytical results are obtained based on simplifying assumptions and focusing exclusively on the risk externalities that firms too big to fail can have.