Spying on the cost structure of naive bidding competitors via linear programming models

A linear programming model is constructed which enables a firm to estimate its competitor's cost structure when the competitor adheres to a non-randomized strategy. The existence of the model makes randomized bidding prudent apart from game theory considerations. The need for increased curriculum attention to optimal bidding is highlighted.     

The effect of crystal structure on the thermal reactivity of CL-20 and its C4-bonded explosives

The critical temperature and mechanism functions for thermal decomposition of ε-CL-20, RS-ε-CL-20, α-CL-20, ε-CL-20/C4, and RS-ε-CL-20/C4 were evaluated based on non-isothermal TG data. A two-step mechanism has been found for thermal decomposition of α-CL-20, ε-CL-20/C4, and RS-ε-CL-20/C4, where the initial step is partly controlled by crystal structure of CL-20. The more reasonable mean activation energies could be obtained after peak separation for each individual steps. In fact, the activation energy for the post integrated process is almost equivalent with that of the second step, indicating that the total activation energy at the main decomposition process is dominated by thermolysis of CL-20 molecular. Besides, it has been found that the decomposition of C4 matrix does not affect the decomposition of normal ε-CL-20, resulting in identical activation energy and reaction model. However, the interaction between the C4 matrix and RS-ε-CL-20 is significant especially at the initial stage, where the activation energy of RS-ε-CL-20/C4 was overestimated before peak separation, while the activation energy for the second step due to thermolysis of CL-20 molecular is underestimated. The first decomposition step for α-CL-20, ε-CL-20/C4, and RS-ε-CL-20/C4 could be considered as autocatalytic process (AC model), whereas the second as JMA model, which is also applicable to that of pure ε-CL-20 and RS-ε-CL-20. Moreover, The critical temperatures of thermal explosion (T _b) are obtained as 205.6, 205.5, 209.4, 214.4, and 227.5 °C for α-CL-20, ε-CL-20, RS-ε-CL-20, ε-CL-20/C4, and RS-ε-CL-20/C4, respectively. It proves that the C4 matrix could stabilize ε-CL-20 while the crystal form of CL-20 has little effect on its thermal stability.     

Design and synthesis of a novel protected mixed ligand siderophore

A novel siderophore analog (4) has been designed to facilitate iron transport-mediated drug delivery and drug release. This mixed ligand siderophore analog includes three bidentate ligands intended to octahedrally coordinate iron (III). The ligands include a 2,3-dihydroxy benzoic acid moiety, N⁵-acetyl-N⁵-hydroxy-l-ornithine, and a β-N-hydroxy-α,β-diaminopropionic acid derivative. The total synthesis of 15, a form of 4 that is suitably protected, yet contains a free carboxylic acid for subsequent drug conjugation, is described.     

Multiblock Copolymers Based on Highly Crystalline Polyethylene and Soft Poly(ethylene-co-butadiene) Segments: Towards Polyolefin Thermoplastic Elastomers

Block copolymers based on polyethylene (PE) and ethylene butadiene rubber (EBR) were obtained by successive controlled coordinative chain transfer polymerization (CCTP) of a mixture of ethylene and butadiene (80/20) and pure ethylene. EBR-b-PE diblock copolymers were synthesized using the {Me₂Si(C₁₃H₈)₂Nd(BH₄)₂Li(THF)}₂ complex in combination with n-butyl,n-octyl magnesium (BOMAG) used as both the alkylating and chain transfer agent (CTA). Triblock and multiblock copolymers featuring highly semi-crystalline PE hard segments and soft EBR segments were further obtained by the development of a bimetallic CTA, the pentanediyl-1,5-di(magnesium bromide) (PDMB). These new block copolymers undergo crystallization-driven organization into lamellar structures and exhibit a variety of mechanical properties, including excellent extensibility and elastic recovery in the case of triblock and multiblock copolymers.     

Polymerizations of olefins and diolefins catalyzed by monocyclopentadienyltitanium complexes containing a (dimethylamino)ethyl substituent and comparison with ansa-zirconocene systems

{[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]cyclopentadienyl}titanium trichloride (Cp^NTiCl₃, 1 ) was activated with methylaluminoxane (MAO) to catalyze polymerizations of ethylene (E), propylene (P), ethylidene norbornene (ENB), vinylcyclohexene (VCH), and 1,4-hexadiene (HD). The dependence of homopolymerization activity ( A ) of 1 /MAO on olefin concentration ([M]ⁿ) is n = 2.0 ± 0.5 for E and n = 1.8 ± 0.2 for P. The value of n is 2.4 ± 0.2 for CpTiCl₃/MAO catalysis of ethylene polymerization; this system does not polymerize propylene. 1 /MAO catalyzes HD polymerization at one-tenth of A _H for 1-hexene, probably because of chelation effects in the HD case. The copolymerization of E and P has reactivity ratios of r_E = 6.4 and r_P = 0.29 at 20°C, and r_Er_P = 1.9, which suggests 1 /MAO may be a multisite catalyst. The copolymerization activity of CpTiCl₃/MAO is 50 times smaller than that of Cp^NTiCl₃/MAO. Terpolymerization of E/P/ENB has A of 10⁵ g of polymer/(mol of Ti h), incorporates up to 14 mol % (∼ 40 wt %) of ENB, and high MW's of 1 to 3 × 10⁵. All of these parameters are surprisingly insensitive to the ENB concentration. The E/P/VCH terpolymerization has comparable A value of (1.3 ± 0.3) × 10⁵ g/(mol of Ti h). The incorporation of VCH in terpolymer increases with increasing [VCH]. Terpolymerization with HD occurs at about one-third of the A of either ENB or VCH; the product HD–EPDM is low in molecular weight and contains less than 4% of HD. These terpolymerization results are compared with those obtained previously for three zirconocene precursors: rac-ethylenebis(1-η⁵-indenyl)dichlorozirconium ( 6 ), rac-(dimethylsilylene)bis(1-η⁵-indenyl)dichlorozirconium ( 7 ), and ethylenebis(9-η⁵-fluorenyl)dichlorozirconium ( 8 ). The last compound is a particularly poor terpolymerization catalyst; it incorporates very little VCH or HD and no ENB at all. 7 /MAO is a better catalyst for E/P/VCH terpolymerization, while 6 /MAO is superior in E/P/HD terpolymerization. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 319–328, 1998     

Uragogin and blepharodin, unprecedented hetero-Diels-Alder adducts from Celastraceae species

Uragogin and blepharodin were isolated from Crossopetalum uragoga and Maytenus magellanica, respectively. They represent the first examples of a triterpene-neolignan ester and a heptacyclic arylpropanoid-nor-triterpenephenol, hetero-Diels-Alder adducts built with dioxane bridges. Their proposed biosynthetic route is discussed.     

A Convenient Synthesis of N-Methoxy-N-Methylamides from Carboxylic Acids

Carboxylic acids can be converted to their corresponding N-methoxy-N-methylamides in high yields using 2-chloro-1-methylpyridinium iodide as the coupling agent. The reaction proceeds without racemization when chiral carboxylic acids are used as the starting material.     

Construction of orthonormal bases in higher symmetry classes of tensors

We present a method for constructing an orthonormal basis for a symmetry class of tensors from an orthonormal basis of the underlying vector space. The basis so obtained is not composed of decomposable symmetrized tensors. Indeed, we show that, for symmetry classes of tensors whose associated character has degree higher than one, it is impossible to construct an orthogonal basis of decomposable symmetrized tensors from any basis of the underlying vector space. We end with an open problem on the possibility of a symmetry class having an orthonormal basis of decomposable symmetrized tensors.