Revenue-sharing versus wholesale price mechanisms under different channel power structures

We consider a supply chain channel with two manufacturers and one retailer. Each manufacturer can choose either a wholesale price contract or a revenue-sharing contract with the retailer. We discuss and compare the results of two different types of contracts under different channel power structures, to check whether it is beneficial for manufacturers to use revenue-sharing contracts under different scenarios. Then we consider a supply chain channel with one manufacturer and two retailers. Each retailer can choose either a wholesale price contract or a revenue-sharing contract with the manufacturer. We analyze the likely outcomes under different scenarios to discover whether it is beneficial to use revenue-sharing contracts.     

Design of spectral-spatial outer volume suppression RF pulses for tissue specific metabolic characterization with hyperpolarized C pyruvate

[1-¹³C] pyruvate pre-polarized via DNP has been used in animal models to probe changes in metabolic enzyme activities in vivo. To more accurately assess the metabolic state and its change from disease progression or therapy in a specific region or tissue in vivo, it may be desirable to separate the downstream ¹³C metabolite signals resulting from the metabolic activity within the tissue of interest and those brought into the tissue by perfusion. In this study, a spectral-spatial saturation pulse that selectively saturates the signal from the metabolic products [1-¹³C] lactate and [1-¹³C] alanine was designed and implemented as outer volume suppression for localized MRSI acquisition. Preliminary in vivo results showed that the suppression pulse did not prevent the pre-polarized pyruvate from being delivered throughout the animal while it saturated the metabolites within the targeted saturation region.     

Optical properties of metallic nanoshell composites: The effects of temperature and particle clustering

The optical properties of a metallic nanoshell composite are studied theoretically using different effective medium theories with particular focus on the effects of variation in temperature and particle clustering on these properties. One unique result from our modeling is the persistent manifestation of the single-particle resonances of the individual nanoshells which cannot be found in a composite of solid particles. In addition, we observe red-shifts in the composite plasmon modes, as well as damping in the dielectric function spectrum as the temperature increases. Furthermore, a much greater red-shift will occur when these nanoshells coalesce to form fractal clusters in the composite, with the value of this shift increasing with decrease in the fractal dimension or increase in the cluster size. We further calculate the transmission at normal incidence through such composite thin films as a demonstration of how these effects can be observed experimentally.     

Toxicities of nano zinc oxide to five marine organisms: influences of aggregate size and ion solubility

Nano zinc oxide (nZnO) is increasingly used in sunscreen products, with high potential of being released directly into marine environments. This study primarily aimed to characterize the aggregate size and solubility of nZnO and bulk ZnO, and to assess their toxicities towards five selected marine organisms. Chemical characterization showed that nZnO formed larger aggregates in seawater than ZnO, while nZnO had a higher solubility in seawater (3.7 mg L⁻¹) than that of ZnO (1.6 mg L⁻¹). Acute tests were conducted using the marine diatoms Skeletonema costatum and Thalassiosia pseudonana, the crustaceans Tigriopus japonicus and Elasmopus rapax, and the medaka fish Oryzias melastigma. In general, nZnO was more toxic towards algae than ZnO, but relatively less toxic towards crustaceans and fish. The toxicity of nZnO could be mainly attributed to dissolved Zn²⁺ ions. Furthermore, molecular biomarkers including superoxide dismutase (SOD), metallothionein (MT) and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) were employed to assess the sublethal toxicities of the test chemicals to O. melastigma. Although SOD and MT expressions were not significantly increased in nZnO-treated medaka compared to the controls, exposure to ZnO caused a significant up-regulation of SOD and MT. HSP70 was increased two to fourfold in all treatments indicating that there were probably other forms of stress in additional to oxidative stress such as cellular injury.     

Palladacycle Catalyzed Asymmetric PH Addition of Diarylphosphines to N‐Enoyl Phthalimides

The first asymmetric phospha‐Michael addition of diarylphosphines to N‐enoyl phthalimides has been developed in the presence of a chiral palladacycle catalyst. A library of free chiral tertiary phosphine adducts were directly obtained with excellent yields and enantioselectivities. Products can be subsequently functionalized to afford β‐phosphinoamides, the direct preparation of which from cinnamides has been notoriously challenging.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel star-shaped pyridine cored compounds with altemating carbazole and triphenylamine moieties

Amorphous 2,4,6-trissubstituted pyridines containing three peripheral carbazole or two triphenylamine and one carbazole moieties, respectively, have been synthesized and characterized. The properties of the compounds are investigated by UV-vis absorption, photoluminescence spectroscopy, thermal analysis as well as cyclic voltammetry. The results show that the compounds have high thermal stability, emit blue light. Also, the compounds possess the HOMO and LUMO energy levels comparable to those of NPB. The effects of different substituents on the electronic properties of the materials have been discussed.     

Tuning the reactivity of dioxoruthenium(VI) porphyrins toward an arylimine by altering porphyrin substituents

Reaction of dioxoruthenium(VI) porphyrins [Ru(VI)(Por)O2] with arylimine HN=CPh2 in dichloromethane afforded bis(methyleneamido)ruthenium(IV) porphyrins [Ru(IV)(Por)(N=CPh2)2] for Por = 4-Cl-TPP and TMP; (methyleneamido)hydroxoruthenium(IV) porphyrins [Ru(IV)(Por)(N=CPh2)(OH)] for Por = TPP and TTP; and bis(arylimine)ruthenium(II) porphyrins [Ru(II)(Por)(HN=CPh2)2] for Por = 3,5-Cl2TPP and 3,5-(CF3)2TPP. In dichloromethane solution exposed to air, complex [Ru(II)(3,5-Cl2TPP)(HN=CPh2)2] underwent oxidative deprotonation to form [Ru(IV)(3,5-Cl2TPP)(N=CPh2)2]. The new ruthenium porphyrins were identified by 1H NMR, UV-vis, IR, and mass spectroscopy, along with elemental analysis. X-ray crystal structure determinations of [Ru(IV)(4-Cl-TPP)(N=CPh2)2], [Ru(IV)(TPP)(N=CPh2)(OH)], and [Ru(II)(3,5-(CF3)2TPP)(HN=CPh2)2] revealed the Ru-N(methyleneamido) or Ru-N(arylimine) distances of 1.897(5) A (average), 1.808(4) A, and 2.044(2) A (average), respectively.     

Assurance enzyme immunoassay eight hour method for detection of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in raw and cooked beef (modification of AOAC Official Method 996.10): collaborative study

AOAC Official Method 996.10, Assurance Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA) for Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EHEC), was modified to incorporate a new enrichment protocol using BioControl EHEC8 medium for testing raw and cooked beef. Foods were tested by EIA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS) enrichment conditions and the FDA Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) isolation and confirmation techniques. A total of 14 collaborators participated. Raw and cooked ground beef were inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 at 2 different levels: a high level where predominantly positive results were expected, and a low level where fractional recovery was anticipated. Collaborators tested 378 test portions and controls by both the 8 h EIA and the USDA/FSIS enrichment methods, for a total of 756 test portions. Of the 378 paired test portions, 75 were positive and 212 were negative by both methods. Thirteen test portions were presumptively positive by EIA and could not be confirmed culturally; 30 were negative by EIA, but confirmed positive by culture; and 65 were negative by the culture method, but confirmed positive by the EIA method. There was no statistical difference between results obtained with the Assurance EIA for EHEC 8 h method and the culture method for raw ground beef. The Assurance EIA had a significantly higher recovery for cooked beef.     

Fluorescent sensing of homocysteine by molecular imprinting

The feasibility of biomimetic molecular sensing of homocysteine, an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, was studied. The sensing approach coupled fluorescent derivatization of dl-homocysteine by a thiol-specific fluoro-tagging agent, N-(1-pyrenyl)maleimide, with molecular recognition by a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) matrix. The non-covalent MIP was fabricated using the N-(1-pyrenyl)maleimide-dl-homocysteine (PM-H) adduct as template. The PM-H-MIP was found to possess outstanding analyte-specific affinity for PM-H with binding constant, K_B, of 9.28±1.6×10⁵ M⁻¹ and density of recognition sites, B_max, of 11.9±0.8 nmol/g dried MIP. Following in situ fluorescent derivatization, luminescent response of the MIP was found to correlate linearly with concentration of dl-homocysteine in the range corresponding to realistic total homocysteine concentration in blood plasma. Besides being a passive recognition matrix for the binding of the fluoro-tagged analyte, the PM-H-MIP material was found to be able to specifically enhance the rate of derivatization reaction between dl-homocysteine and N-(1-pyrenyl)maleimide. In a sense, the MIP transformed a fluoro-tagging agent, which is generally reactive towards a broad spectrum of thiol-containing species, into a dl-homocysteine-specific derivatizing agent. The mechanism of such analyte-specific enhancement of derivatization rate and its advantages to the biomimetic molecular sensing are discussed.     

Low-rate dynamic contact angles on poly(n-butyl methacrylate) and the determination of solid surface tensions

 Low-rate dynamic contact angles of 22 liquids on a poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (PnBMA) polymer are measured by an automated axisymmetric drop shape analysis-profile (ADSA-P). It is found that 16 liquids yielded non-constant contact angles, and/or dissolved the polymer on contact. From the experimental contact angles of the remaining 6 liquids, it is found that the liquid–vapor surface tension times cosine of the contact angle changes smoothly with the liquid–vapor surface tension, i.e. γ_lv cos θ depends only on γ_lv for a given solid surface (or solid surface tension). This contact angle pattern is in harmony with those from other inert and non-inert (polar and non-polar) surfaces [34–37, 45–47]. The solid–vapor surface tension calculated from the equation-of-state approach for solid-liquid interfacial tensions [14] is found to be 28.8 mJ/m², with a 95% confidence limit of ±0.5 mJ/m², from the experimental contact angles of the 6 liquids. Received: 12 September 1997 Accepted: 22 January 1998