A note on model diagnostics in longitudinal data analysis

Longitudinal study has become one of the most commonly adopted designs in medical research. The generalized estimating equations (GEE) method and/or mixed effects models are employed very often in causal inferences. The related model diagnostic procedures are not yet fully formalized, and perhaps never will be. The potential causes of major problems are the high variety of the dependence within subjects and/or the number of repeated measurements. A single testing procedure, e.g., run test, is not possible to resolve all model diagnostics problems in longitudinal data analysis. Multiple quantitative indexes for model diagnostics are needed to take into account this variety. We propose eight testing procedures for randomness accompanied with some conventional and/or non-conventional plots to remedy model diagnostics in longitudinal data analysis. The proposed issue in this paper is well illustrated with four clinical studies in Taiwan.     

D-N交替法与Schwartz交替法的收敛关系分析

This paper has demonstrated that the Schwartz alternating process must converge if D-N alternating process has converged. Its technique is that the overlapping regions in Schwartz alternating process are considered as independent domains, then Schwartz alternating process could be transformed into D-N alter-nating process. Finally the convergence estimation of Schwartz alternating process could be obtained. The results show that its convergence rate is same as that of D-N alternating process.     

Metallization of U3O8via catalytic electrochemical reduction with Li2O in LiCl molten salt

The concept of a novel electrochemical reduction process for the treatment of spent nuclear fuels in Li₂O-LiCl molten salt was proposed and fresh tests using U₃O₈ powder were carried out to elucidate the reaction mechanism and verify the feasibility of the process. Electrolysis of Li₂O and reduction of U₃O₈ powder took place simultaneously at the cathode part of the electrolysis cell via a catalytic EC mechanism and the conversion of U₃O₈ to U metal was more than 99%. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

溃坝问题的间断有限元方法

本文研究90年代初提出的Runge-Kutta间断Galerkin有限元方法，给出该方法的精度分析，通过经典算例验证该方法处理间断问题、捕捉锐利波形的能力，并将其推广到求解浅水问题．针对坝底无摩擦，无坡度的理想情形进行讨论，给出方溃坝和圆溃坝问题的数值模拟结果．     

Statistical theory for hydrogen bonding fluid system of A a D d type (I): The geometrical phase transition

The influence of hydrogen bonds on the physical and chemical properties of hydrogen bonding fluid system of A _a D _d type is investigated from two viewpoints by the principle of statistical mechanics. In detail, we proposed two new ways that can be used to obtain the equilibrium size distribution of the hydrogen bonding clusters, and derived the analytical expression of a relationship between the hydrogen bonding free energy and hydrogen bonding degree. For the nonlinear hydrogen bonding systems, it is shown that the sol-gel phase transition can take place under proper conditions, which is further proven to be a kind of geometrical phase transition rather than a thermodynamic one. Moreover, several problems associated with the geometrical phase transition and liquid-solid phase transition in nonlinear hydrogen bonding systems are discussed.     

Electrochemical behavior of Li intercalation processes into a Li[NixLi(1/3−2x/3)Mn(2/3−x/3)]O2 cathode

Li[Ni_xLi_(1/3−2x/3)Mn_(2/3−x/3)]O₂ (X=0.17, 0.25, 0.33, 0.5) compounds are prepared by a simple combustion method. The Rietvelt analysis shows that these compounds could be classified as having the α-NaFeO₂ structure. The initial charge-discharge and irreversible capacity increases with the decrease of x in Li[Ni_xLi_(1/3−2x/3)Mn_(2/3−x/3)]O₂. Indeed, Li[Ni_0.50Mn_0.50]O₂ compound shows relatively low initial discharge capacity of 200 mAh/g and large capacity loss during cycling, with Li[Ni_0.17Li_0.22Mn_0.61]O₂ and Li[Ni_0.25Li_0.17Mn₀.₅₈]O₂ compounds exhibit high initial discharge capacity over 245 mAh/g and stable cycle performance in the voltage range of 4.8 -2.0 V. On the other hand, XANES analysis shows that the oxidation state of Ni ion reversibly changes between Ni²⁺ and about Ni³⁺, while the oxidation state of Mn ion sustains Mn⁴⁺ during charge-discharge process. This result does not agree with the previously reported ‘electrochemistry model’ of Li[Ni_xLi_(1/3−2x/3)Mn_(2/3−x/3)]O₂, in which Ni ion changes between Ni²⁺ and NI⁴⁺. Based on these results, we modified oxidation-state change of Mn and Ni ion during charge-discharge process.     

Characteristics and structures of weak efficient surfaces of production possibility sets

This paper studies the characteristics and structure of the weak surface of the production possibility set. We apply techniques and methods of transferring a polyhedral cone from its intersection form to its sum form, identify an intersection representation of the production possibility set. We give the structure theorem of weak surface of the production possibility set, which includes three complementary slackness conditions. We define the input weak efficiency and output weak efficiency for different DEA models according to the representation of the intersection form. It investigates the characteristics of the weak surfaces, and proves the structure theorems of input weak DEA efficiency and output weak DEA efficiency. The structure theorems establish weighted combination of inputs and outputs that are weak DEA efficient. Numerical examples are provided for illustration.     

Crystallographic report: Bis(norfloxacin)dilead(II) tetranitrate, [Pb2(H‐Norf)2(ONO2)4]

The centrosymmetric binuclear structure of [Pb₂(H‐Norf)₂(ONO₂)₄]shows the geometry around each lead(II) atom to be distorted trigonal bipyramidal with Pb–O distances ranging from 2.357(3) to 2.769(4) Å. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the limit cycles of a quintic planar vector field

This paper concerns the number and distributions of limit cycles in a Z_2-equivariant quintic planar vector field.25 limit cycles are found in this special planar polynomial system and four different configurations of these limit cycles are also given by using the methods of the bifurcation theory and the qualitative analysis of the differential equation.It can be concluded that H(5)≥25=5~2, where H(5)is the Hilbert number for quintic polynomial systems.The results obtained are useful to study the weakened 16th Hilbert problem.