A Bayesian network structure for operational risk modelling in structured finance operations

This paper is concerned with the design of a Bayesian network structure that is suitable for operational risk modelling. The model's structure is designed specifically from the perspective of a business unit operational risk manager whose role is to measure, record, predict, communicate, analyse and control operational risk within their unit. The problem domain modelled is a functioning structured finance operations unit within a major Australian bank. The network model design incorporates a number of existing human factor frameworks to account for human error and operational risk events within the domain. The design also supports a modular structure, allowing for the inclusion of many operational loss event types, making it adaptable to different operational risk environments.     

Microextraction techniques in therapeutic drug monitoring

Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), as part of clinical process of medical treatments, is commonly used to maintain 'therapeutic' drug concentrations. TDM is useful to identify the causes of unwanted or unexpected responses, to prevent unnecessary diagnostic testing, to improve clinical outcomes, and even to save lives. The determination of drug concentration in blood samples requires an excellent sample preparation procedure. Recent trends in sample preparation include miniaturization, automation, high-throughput performance, on-line coupling with analytical instruments and low-cost operation through extremely low or no solvent consumption. Microextraction techniques, such as liquid- and solid-phase microextraction, have these advantages over the traditional techniques. This paper reviews the recent developments in microextraction techniques used for drug monitoring in serum, plasma or blood samples.     

Coupled-mode analysis for linear fiber Bragg grating made of metamaterial

We derive the coupled-mode equations for a metamaterial fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). The coupled-mode theory describing wave propagation in periodic structures such as FBG is generalized for studying the transmission and reflection of electromagnetic waves through a FBG containing metamaterial layers. This approach shows that the band gap becomes broader in comparison with a conventional FBG. It is observed that the central frequency of the band gap has a shift in regard of changing metamaterial thickness. We verify this investigation through attaining the transmission and reflection spectra of a conventional FBG while we are setting related parameters. Furthermore, this proposed structure can be applied as a tunable filter.     

Electron–electron interaction induced spin thermalization in quasi-low-dimensional spin valves

We study the spin thermalization, i.e., the inter-spin energy relaxation mediated by electron–electron scattering in small spin valves. When one or two of the dimensions of the spin valve spacer are smaller than the thermal coherence length, the direct spin energy exchange rate diverges and needs to be regularized by the sample dimensions. Here we consider two model systems: a long quasi-1D wire and a thin quasi-2D sheet.     

Aromatic poly(sulfone sulfide amide imide)s as new types of soluble thermally stable polymers

A new diamine monomer containing flexible sulfone, sulfide, and amide units was prepared via three steps. Nucleophilic chloro displacement reaction of 4‐aminothiophenol with 4‐nitrobenzoyl chloride in the presence of propylene oxide afforded N‐(4‐mercapto‐phenyl)‐4‐nitrobenzamide and subsequent reduction of the nitro intermediate led to 4‐amino‐N‐(4‐mercapto‐phenyl)benzamide. Two moles of this amino thiophenol compound was reacted with bis‐(4‐chloro phenyl)sulfone to provide a novel diamine monomer. The diamine was reacted with aromatic dianhydrides to form polyimides via a two‐step polycondensation method, formation of poly(amic acid)s, followed by chemical imidization. The resulting polymers were characterized and their physical properties including thermal behavior, thermal stability, solubility and inherent viscosity were studied. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solid-Phase Microextraction Gas Chromatography for Determination of Some Organophosphorus Pesticides

A simple and rapid solid-phase microextraction (SPME) method is presented based on activated charcoal–PVC fiber for determination of some organophosphorus pesticides from aqueous samples in direct mode SPME. After optimization of the experimental variables affecting SPME of the target compounds from aqueous solutions, the proposed method was applied to determine pesticides in fruit juice. The analytes in this procedure were preconcentrated for 15 min on the SPME fiber and subsequently desorbed by heating the fiber at 200 °C for 5 min in the GC injection port. Separation was on a capillary column GC followed by flame ionization detection. Recoveries of the pesticides studied in aqueous samples ranged 42%–63% and repeatability for all analytes was < 9% for a single fiber. Fiber-to-fiber reproducibility was < 18%.     

Über nichtstöchiometrische Wolfram-Verbindungen Synthese und Gitterkonstanten von Verbindungen der Mischkristallreihe WO3?NaWO3

On Nonstoichiometric Tungsten Compounds. Synthesis and Lattice Constants of WO₃? NaWO₃ Mixed Crystal Compounds In the range of temperature from 850 to 1300°C sodium tungsten bronzes with the formula Na_xWO₃ were prepared from a stoichiometric mixture of W, WO₃ and Na₂WO₄. The variation of lattice constant with nominal bronze composition was determined.     

A note on best proximity point theory using proximal contractions

In this paper, a reduction technique is used to show that some recent results on the existence of best proximity points for various classes of proximal contractions can be concluded from the corresponding results in fixed point theory.     

On the complexity of the circular chromatic number

Circular chromatic number, χ_c is a natural generalization of chromatic number. It is known that it is NP ‐hard to determine whether or not an arbitrary graph G satisfies χ(G)=χ_c(G). In this paper we prove that this problem is NP ‐hard even if the chromatic number of the graph is known. This answers a question of Xuding Zhu. Also we prove that for all positive integers k ≥ 2 and n ≥ 3, for a given graph G with χ(G) = n, it is NP ‐complete to verify if . © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 47: 226–230, 2004