A coalition formation value for games in partition function form

The coalition formation problem in an economy with externalities can be adequately modeled by using games in partition function form (PFF games), proposed by Thrall and Lucas. If we suppose that forming the grand coalition generates the largest total surplus, a central question is how to allocate the worth of the grand coalition to each player, i.e., how to find an adequate solution concept, taking into account the whole process of coalition formation. We propose in this paper the original concepts of scenario-value, process-value and coalition formation value, which represent the average contribution of players in a scenario (a particular sequence of coalitions within a given coalition formation process), in a process (a sequence of partitions of the society), and in the whole (all processes being taken into account), respectively. We give also two axiomatizations of our coalition formation value.     

Global dynamics of a delayed SIRS epidemic model with a wide class of nonlinear incidence rates

In this paper, by constructing Lyapunov functionals, we consider the global dynamics of an SIRS epidemic model with a wide class of nonlinear incidence rates and distributed delays $\int^{h}_{0} p(\tau)f(S(t),I(t-\tau)) \mathrm{d}\tau$ under the condition that the total population converges to 1. By using a technical lemma which is derived from strong condition of strict monotonicity of functions f(S,I) and f(S,I)/I with respect to S??0 and I>0, we extend the global stability result for an SIR epidemic model if R ₀>1, where R ₀ is the basic reproduction number. By using a limit system of the model, we also show that the disease-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable if R ₀=1.     

Experimental visualization of lithium conduction pathways in garnet-type Li(7)La(3)Zr(2)O(12)

The evolution of the Li-ion displacements in the 3D interstitial pathways of the cubic garnet-type Li(7)La(3)Zr(2)O(12), cubic Li(7)La(3)Zr(2)O(12), was investigated with high-temperature neutron diffraction (HTND) from RT to 600 °C; the maximum-entropy method (MEM) was applied to estimate the Li nuclear-density distribution. Temperature-driven Li displacements were observed; the displacements indicate that the conduction pathways in the garnet framework are restricted to diffusion through the tetrahedral sites of the interstitial space.     

Effect of cochlear implants on children's perception and production of speech prosody

Japanese 5- to 13-yr-olds who used cochlear implants (CIs) and a comparison group of normally hearing (NH) Japanese children were tested on their perception and production of speech prosody. For the perception task, they were required to judge whether semantically neutral utterances that were normalized for amplitude were spoken in a happy, sad, or angry manner. The performance of NH children was error-free. By contrast, child CI users performed well below ceiling but above chance levels on happy- and sad-sounding utterances but not on angry-sounding utterances. For the production task, children were required to imitate stereotyped Japanese utterances expressing disappointment and surprise as well as culturally typically representations of crow and cat sounds. NH 5- and 6-year-olds produced significantly poorer imitations than older hearing children, but age was unrelated to the imitation quality of child CI users. Overall, child CI user's imitations were significantly poorer than those of NH children, but they did not differ significantly from the imitations of the youngest NH group. Moreover, there was a robust correlation between the performance of child CI users on the perception and production tasks; this implies that difficulties with prosodic perception underlie their difficulties with prosodic imitation.     

Transition-state characterization of the ammonia ionization process in aqueous solution via the free-energy gradient method

For the ionization process of ammonia in aqueous solution, the transition-state (TS) structure was fully optimized for the first time on the free-energy surface (FES) by applying the free-energy gradient (FEG) method combined with a hybrid quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical molecular dynamics (QM/MM-MD) method. In aqueous solution, the ionization process was found to proceed by way of a clear TS (R(N1-H5) = 1.512 A), which does not exist in the gas phase. The free-energy (FE) of activation for ionization obtained was 14.7 kcal/mol, within the classical approximation, via the QM/MM-MD FEG method, and is found to be in good agreement with 9.57 kcal/mol estimated from the TS theory using the experimental value of the rate constant. Apart from the dynamic correction, it is indicated that the theoretical value would be improved to be 10.28 kcal/mol if the electronic-state calculation could be executed at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory.     

Synthesis of 1‐acyl‐1,2‐dihydro‐3H‐pyrazol‐3‐ones VIA lewis acid‐mediated rearrangement of 3‐acyloxypyrazoles

The unusual formation of 1‐acyl‐1,2‐dihydro‐3H‐pyrazol‐3‐ones starting from 3‐acyloxypyrazoles by Fries‐type rearrangement is described. Under normal conditions, acylation of 2,4‐dihydro‐3H‐pyrazol‐3‐ones 1 and 2 with acid chlorides or anhydrides in the presence of triethylamine gave the corresponding 3‐acyloxypyrazoles 3a‐f and 4a‐f . Treatment of 3a‐c and 4a‐f with Lewis acid, e.g. titanium(IV) chloride and tin(IV) chloride, caused migration of acyl groups to afford the corresponding 1‐acyl‐1,2‐dihydro‐3H‐pyrazol‐3‐ones 5a‐c and 6a‐f . Interestingly, the reactions of 3‐acyloxypyrazoles 3e and 3f with tin(IV) chloride provided the corresponding tin(IV) complexes 8e and 8f .     

Polycondensation of α‐amino acid esters in the presence of yttrium triflate as a Lewis acid

To develop polycondensation methods for poly(α‐amino acid)s, we describe a first examination to use yttrium triflate as a Lewis acid for polycondensation of α‐amino acid esters. In the absence of Lewis acid, no polycondensation of 2‐methoxyphenyl glycinate ( 1b ) at room temperature proceeded. While the polycondensation of 1b was carried out with 5 mol % yttrium triflate, a condensation product of glycine was obtained in 16% yield. Although polycondensation of 4‐nitrophenyl L ‐leucinate ( 1c ) and 4‐nitrophenyl L ‐valinate ( 1d ) were also promoted with 5 mol % yttrium triflate, the condensation products of both α‐amino acid esters were obtained in only a few percent yield. When 1d was polymerized in the presence of 100 mol % yttrium triflate, high molecular weight poly(L ‐valine) was obtained in 91% yield. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 4731–4735, 2006     

Self‐Organized Nanocomposite of Gold Nanoparticles and π‐Electron Organic Molecules

Aggregates of gold nanoparticles were formed by simple addition of a dithiafulvene derivative (DF) to an acetonitrile solution containing gold ions. The discrete gold nanoparticles in the aggregates were separated by monolayers of oxidized DF. No aggregation was observed with the addition of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), which acted as a strong stabilizer and inhibited self‐assembly of the gold nanoparticles. DF acted as a reducing agent for gold ions, a stabilizer, and a tether for the resulting gold nanoparticles. Intermolecular S···S interaction and Au–S bonds might be the driving force for the self‐assembly of the gold nanoparticles.     

Synthesis of soluble electron‐donating polymers containing vinylogous TTF by oxidative dimerization of 1,4‐bisdithiafulvenyl‐2,5‐dialkoxybenzene

A new electron‐donating polymer composed of a vinylogous tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) unit was prepared by the oxidative dimerization of 1,4‐bisdithiafulvenyl‐2,5‐didodecyloxybenzene using iodine. The polymer was soluble in common organic solvents such as CHCl₃ and toluene. The number‐average molecular weight of the polymer with dodecyloxy group was 24,900 determined from GPC. The UV–vis spectrum of the polymer showed the absorption maxima at 587, 712, and 803 nm, which are due to a cation radical of the vinylogous TTF unit in the polymer. The reduction of the polymer to its neutral state was performed using sodium hydrogen sulfite. The structure of the polymer was confirmed by ¹H NMR and UV–vis spectra compared with that of a dimer model compound prepared by oxidation of 1‐dithiafulvenyl‐2,5‐didodecyloxybenzene using iodine. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 4600–4608, 2005