The completely positive and doubly nonnegative completion problems

We prove the following. Let G be an undirected graph. Every partially specified symmetric matrix, the graph of whose specified entries is G and each of whose fully specified submatrices is completely positive (equal to BB^T for some entrywise nonnegative matrix B), may be completed to a completely positive matrix if and only if G is a block-clique graph (a chordal graph in which distinct maximal cliques overlap in at most one vertex). The same result holds for matrices that are doubly nonnegative (entrywise nonnegative and positive semidefinite).     

The Nature of Community OR

This paper outlines the results of a study undertaken to investigate the nature of Community Operational Research (COR). The objective was to contact the people involved in COR through a series of personal interviews and a questionnaire survey, in order to clarify many of the issues that have emerged within the profession relating to the practice of OR within the community and voluntary sector. A total of 20 individuals were successfully contacted, and they have been responsible for at least two-thirds of the projects in the COR area.     

An Experimental Evaluation of Interactive MCDM Methods and the Decision Making Process

Increasingly, it is becoming recognized that interactive solution methods should provide not only a solution to a multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) problem, but also the opportunity for decision makers to learn about their own preferences. In this paper, we describe an experiment that examines three MCDM solution methods and the process of converging on a final solution. Twenty-four management students participated in the experiment and were required to solve two completely different MCDM problems. Within this experimental framework, we examined the use of a two-stage approach to decision making. Both quantitative and qualitative results are presented. Preferences among the different solution methods vary significantly. Several conclusions are drawn concerning the desirable features of interactive MCDM solution methods.     

Fiber formation via solution spinning of the cellulose/ammonia/ammonium thiocyanate system

Fiber formation via the cellulose/ammonia/ammonium thiocyanate system by wet spinning has been investigated. This report presents a characterization of the structure and tensile properties of fibers spun under various coagulation conditions. Microscopic observations showed that the molecular size of coagulant was the dominant factor governing the crosssectional shape of the fibers. Density, birefringence, and crystallinity data indicated that a higher cellulose concentration and lower coagulation temperature favored development of a fiber with a denser and more oriented structure. Under optimum conditions, a welldefined fibrillar structure was obtained. Fiber tensile property measurements suggested the existence of a linear relationship between the fiber breaking tenacity and the product of the square of the Hermans' orientation factor and the infrared crystallinity index.     

Laser-induced breakdown of soda-lime glass microspheres using Nd:YAG laser

The Nd:YAG laser-induced breakdown of 20 μm glass microspheres was investigated using time-resolved optical shadow and Schlieren images. Time-resolved imaging showed the location of the initial breakdown and the shockwave motion over its first 400 μm of expansion. Measured shockwave velocities were in the range of 1–10 km/s and showed a linear dependency on laser fluence within 30 ns.     

Regular simple geodesic loops on a tetrahedron

A regular simple geodesic loop on a tetrahedron is a simple geodesic loop which does not pass through any vertex of the tetrahedron. It is evident that such loops meet each face of the tetrahedron. Among these loops, the minimal loops are those which meet each face exactly once. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of minimal loops are obtained. These conditions fall naturally into two categories, conditions in the first category being called coherence conditions and conditions in the second category being called separation conditions. It is shown that for the existence of three distinct minimal loops through any point on the face of a tetrahedron it is necessary and sufficient that the tetrahedron be isosceles, which, in turn, amounts to the tetrahedron satisfying three coherence conditions. All other regular simple geodesic loops on an isosceles tetrahedron are then classified. Finally, coherence conditions for the existence of similar loops on an arbitrary tetrahedron are found.     

Alternating copolyfluorenevinyles with polynuclear aromatic moieties: Synthesis,photophysics, and electroluminescence

Three new copolymers, namely poly(fluorenevinylene‐alt‐naphthalenevinylene) ( N ), poly(fluorenevinylene‐alt‐anthracenevinylene) ( A ) and poly(fluorenevinylene‐alt‐pyrenevinylene) ( P ), were synthesized by Heck coupling of 9,9‐dihexyl‐2, 7‐divinylfluorene with a polynuclear aromatic dibromide. The 9,10‐disubstituted anthracene was obtained exclusively for A while N and P were obtained as a mixture of two isomers with predominant the 1,4‐disubstituted naphthalene and 1,8‐disubstituted pyrene, respectively. The polymers were soluble in common organic solvents and decomposed above 370 °C. Their glass transition temperature increased from 58 to 110 °C by increasing the number of the phenyl rings of the polynuclear aromatic moiety. Rather high‐efficiency blue and blue‐greenish photoluminescence (PL) of these copolymers in solution was largely decreased in their films, indicating the presence of concentration quenching in the solid state. The OLED using these polymers demonstrated green EL in the case of copolymers N and A , and red EL in the P derivative with η_EL = 0.26–0.31%. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 4661–4670, 2007     

The variation of carrier gas viscosities with temperature

After describing simplified equations exspressing the temparature dependency of the viscosity of carrier gases (helium, nitrogen and hydrogen ) relative to a base value, absolute relationships based on the kinetic theory of gases are discussed. Comparative data obtained using various calculation methods are given and are compared to measured values. Based on the kinetic relationshipsm, of viscosity. Finally, the influence of pressure on the viscosity is also briefly discussed. As a supplement, Viscosity data are tabulated for the three gases in the range of 0°C to 400°C in increments of 2 K, calculated using the kinetic relationships.     

A goal programming approach to strategic resource allocation in acute care hospitals

This paper describes a methodology for allocating resources in hospitals. The methodology uses two linear goal-programming models. One model sets case mix and volume for physicians, while holding service costs fixed; the other translates case mix decisions into a commensurate set of practice changes for physicians. The models allow decision makers to set case mix and case costs in such a way that the institution is able to break even, while preserving physician income and minimizing disturbance to practice. The models also permit investigation of trade-offs between case mix and physician practice parameters. Results are presented from a decision-making scenario facing the surgical division of Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital after the announcement of a 3-year, 18% reduction in funding.