Optimal control of nonlinear hydraulic networks in the presence of disturbance

Water leakage is an important component of water loss. Many methods have emerged from urban water supply systems for leakage control, but it still remains a challenge in many countries. Pressure management is an effective way to reduce the leakage in a system. It can also reduce the power consumption. To this end, an optimal control strategy is proposed in this paper. In the water supply system model, the hydraulic resistance of the valve is estimated by the real data from a water supply system and it is considered to be a disturbance. The method which is used to solve the nonlinear optimal control problem is the interior point method. The method which is used in this paper can be used for a general hydraulic networks to optimize the leakage and energy consumption and to satisfy the demands at the end-users.     

Decreasing serial cost sharing: an axiomatic characterization

The increasing serial cost sharing rule of Moulin and Shenker (Econometrica 60:1009–1037, 1992) and the decreasing serial rule of de Frutos (J Econ Theory 79:245–275, 1998) are known by their intuitive appeal and striking incentive properties. An axiomatic characterization of the increasing serial rule was provided by Moulin and Shenker (J Econ Theory 64:178–201, 1994). This paper gives an axiomatic characterization of the decreasing serial rule.     

Near arithmetic progressions in sparse sets

Nonstandard methods are used to obtain results in combinatorial number theory. The main technique is to use the standard part map to translate density properties of subsets of into Lebesgue measure properties on . This allows us to obtain a simple condition on a standard sequence that guarantees the existence of intervals in arithmetic progression, all of which contain elements of with various uniform density conditions.

     

Efficiency measurement with a non-convex free disposal hull technology

We investigate the basic monotonicity properties of least-distance (in)efficiency measures on the class of non-convex FDH (free disposable hull) technologies. We show that any known FDH least-distance measure violates strong monotonicity over the strongly (Pareto-Koopmans) efficient frontier. Taking this result into account, we develop a new class of FDH least-distance measures that satisfy strong monotonicity and show that the developed (in)efficiency measurement framework has a natural profit interpretation.     

Expression analyses of human cleft palate tissue suggest a role for osteopontin and immune related factors in palatal development

Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) is a common congenital malformation with a complex etiology which is not fully elucidated yet. Epidemiological studies point to different etiologies in the cleft lip and palate subgroups, isolated cleft lip (CL), isolated cleft palate (CP) and combined cleft lip and palate (CLP). In order to understand the biological basis in these cleft lip and palate subgroups better we studied the expression profiles in human tissue from patients with CL/P. In each of the CL/P subgroups, samples were obtained from three patients and gene expression analysis was performed. Moreover, selected differentially expressed genes were analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR, and by immunohistochemical staining of craniofacial tissue from human embryos. Osteopontin (SPP1) and other immune related genes were significantly higher expressed in palate tissue from patients with CLP compared to CP and immunostaining in palatal shelves against SPP1, chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) and serglycin (PRG1) in human embryonic craniofacial tissue were positive, supporting a role for these genes in palatal development. However, gene expression profiles are subject to variations during growth and therefore we recommend that future gene expression in CL/P studies should use tissue from the correct embryonic time and place if possible, to overcome the biases in the presented study.     

A universal formula for deformation quantization on Kähler manifolds

We give an explicit local formula for any formal deformation quantization, with separation of variables, on a Kähler manifold. The formula is given in terms of differential operators, parametrized by acyclic combinatorial graphs.     

Do efficiency scores depend on input mix? A statistical test and empirical illustration

In this paper we examine the possibility of using the standard Kruskal-Wallis (KW) rank test in order to evaluate whether the distribution of efficiency scores resulting from Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is independent of the input (or output) mix of the observations. Since the DEA frontier is estimated, many standard assumptions for evaluating the KW test statistic are violated. Therefore, we propose to explore its statistical properties by the use of simulation studies. The simulations are performed conditional on the observed input mixes. The method, unlike existing approaches in the literature, is also applicable when comparing distributions of efficiency scores in more than two groups and does not rely on bootstrapping of, or questionable distributional assumptions about, the efficiency scores. The approach is illustrated using an empirical case of demolition projects. Since the assumption of mix independence is rejected the implication is that it, for example, is impossible to determine whether machine intensive project are more or less efficient than labor intensive projects.     

Testing over-representation of observations in subsets of a DEA technology

This paper proposes a test for whether data are over-represented in a given production zone, i.e. a subset of a production possibility set which has been estimated using the non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach. A binomial test is used that relates the number of observations inside such a zone to a discrete probability weighted relative volume of that zone. A Monte Carlo simulation illustrates the performance of the proposed test statistic and provides good estimation of both facet probabilities and the assumed common inefficiency distribution in a three dimensional input space. Potential applications include tests for whether benchmark units dominate more (or less) observations than expected.     

Relation between stress relaxation and aging resistance of rubber vulcanizates—some preliminary investigations

In this paper some details are given for the construction of a simple balance for the measurement of stress relaxation at constant elongation. A simple means of obtaining equal strain in the two parts of the strained specimen is provided. By means of four typical stocks covering the widest possible range of aging resistance it is shown that the stress relaxations give approximately the same estimate of stability as does the normal Geer test using 2 mm. dumbbell specimens. As a measure for stress relaxation the time is used that is required to obtain 50% of the value of the interpolated modulus at 200% elongation 6 seconds after the straining zero time at 110°C. The parameter for the aging test is the time in days at 70°C. for the 50% value of tensile strengths. The range for the stress relaxation parameter may be estimated to 8–1200 min. and the aging parameter from 10–600 days. Finally the concordance of temperature coefficient for relaxation and oxidation rates is shown.