Cost,revenue and profit efficiency measurement in DEA: A directional distance function approach

Estimation of efficiency of firms in a non-competitive market characterized by heterogeneous inputs and outputs along with their varying prices is questionable when factor-based technology sets are used in data envelopment analysis (DEA). In this scenario, a value-based technology becomes an appropriate reference technology against which efficiency can be assessed. In this contribution, the value-based models of Tone (2002) are extended in a directional DEA set up to develop new directional cost- and revenue-based measures of efficiency, which are then decomposed into their respective directional value-based technical and allocative efficiencies. These new directional value-based measures are more general, and include the existing value-based measures as special cases. These measures satisfy several desirable properties of an ideal efficiency measure. These new measures are advantageous over the existing ones in terms of (1) their ability to satisfy the most important property of translation invariance; (2) choices over the use of suitable direction vectors in handling negative data; and (3) flexibility in providing the decision makers with the option of specifying preferable direction vectors to incorporate their preferences. Finally, under the condition of no prior unit price information, a directional value-based measure of profit inefficiency is developed for firms whose underlying objectives are profit maximization. For an illustrative empirical application, our new measures are applied to a real-life data set of 50 US banks to draw inferences about the production correspondence of banking industry.     

Flexible and Rigid Amine‐Functionalized Microporous Frameworks Based on Different Secondary Building Units: Supramolecular Isomerism,Selective CO2 Capture,and Catalysis

We report the synthesis, structural characterization, and porous properties of two isomeric supramolecular complexes of ([Cd(NH₂?bdc)(bphz)_0.5]?DMF?H₂O}_n (NH₂?bdc=2‐aminobenzenedicarboxylic acid, bphz=1,2‐bis(4‐pyridylmethylene)hydrazine) composed of a mixed‐ligand system. The first isomer, with a paddle‐wheel‐type Cd₂(COO)₄ secondary building unit (SBU), is flexible in nature, whereas the other isomer has a rigid framework based on a μ‐oxo‐bridged Cd₂(μ‐OCO)₂ SBU. Both frameworks are two‐fold interpenetrated and the pore surface is decorated with pendant ?NH₂ and ?N?N? functional groups. Both the frameworks are nonporous to N₂, revealed by the type II adsorption profiles. However, at 195 K, the first isomer shows an unusual double‐step hysteretic CO₂ adsorption profile, whereas the second isomer shows a typical type I CO₂ profile. Moreover, at 195 K, both frameworks show excellent selectivity for CO₂ among other gases (N₂, O₂, H₂, and Ar), which has been correlated to the specific interaction of CO₂ with the ?NH₂ and ?N?N? functionalized pore surface. DFT calculations for the oxo‐bridged isomer unveiled that the ?NH₂ group is the primary binding site for CO₂. The high heat of CO₂ adsorption (ΔH_ads=37.7 kJ mol^?1) in the oxo‐bridged isomer is realized by NH₂???CO₂/aromatic π???CO₂ and cooperative CO₂???CO₂ interactions. Further, postsynthetic modification of the ?NH₂ group into ?NHCOCH₃ in the second isomer leads to a reduced CO₂ uptake with lower binding energy, which establishes the critical role of the ?NH₂ group for CO₂ capture. The presence of basic ?NH₂ sites in the oxo‐bridged isomer was further exploited for efficient catalytic activity in a Knoevenagel condensation reaction.     

Equatorial Perturbation Driven Reaction Bifurcation in Non-Heme Iron Complexes for Chlorite Oxidation

Chlorine oxyanions have various applications, such as bleaching and oxidizers in rocket fuels. However, their high solubility in water and long environmental lifetimes have led to ecological concerns, especially regarding drinking water quality. This study focuses on the conversion of chlorite to chlorine dioxide, which is of significant interest as it exhibits superior antimicrobial activity and generates less harmful byproducts for water treatment. Two nonheme iron(II) complexes capable of producing chlorine dioxide from chlorite at room temperature and pH 5.0 are presented. These complexes oxidize chlorite through high-valent iron (IV)-oxo intermediates formed in-situ. The study establishes second-order rate constants for chlorite oxidation and investigates the effects and mechanisms involved by substituting a methyl group in the secondary coordination sphere of the Fe^IV(O)(N4Py) system. By employing kinetic analysis and spectroscopic investigations, the crucial elements for the reaction mechanism in chlorite oxidation are identified. These findings pave the way for future advancements in this field.     

On the order of a derivation

In this note we provide the solution to a problem posed by the first author in a previous paper. In particular, we prove a result relating the number of nonzero coefficients of a certain functional equation to the order of any derivation satisfying that equation.     

Studies on the interaction of diacetylcurcumin with calf thymus-DNA

Ongoing research on curcumin and its structural derivatives are a subject of growing interest because of their demonstrated biological properties. Diacetylcurcumin (DAC), a synthetic derivative of natural non-toxic curcumin has been shown to affect a host of activities ranging from wound healing to life threatening diseases like AIDS, cancer etc. The interaction of diacetylcurcumin (DAC) with calf thymus-DNA (ct-DNA) has been investigated by spectroscopic and viscometric techniques. The fluorescence intensity of DAC was quenched by ct-DNA. The mean binding constant obtained from the spectroscopic techniques was 3.97 ± 0.31 × 10⁵ M⁻¹. Circular dichroism studies did not reveal any unwinding of the DNA helix on interaction with DAC, implying no conformational changes. The binding mode was analyzed by competitive binding between ethidium bromide (EB) and DAC for ct-DNA and also by viscometric studies. DAC was found to be a minor groove binder with a preference for the A-T region compared to the G-C region. This was substantiated by displacement studies with Hoechst 33258, a known minor groove binder. Docking studies were found to corroborate the experimental results.     

A heterometallic (Ni(II)-Cu(II)) decanuclear cluster containing two distorted cubane-like pentanuclear cores: synthesis, structure, and magnetic properties

A new heterometallic Ni(II)-Cu(II) decanuclear cluster, {[Ni(4)Cu(6)(μ-OH(2))(2)(dpkO(2))(8)(OAc)(4)(H(2)O)(4)]·2CH(3)OH·17H(2)O} (1), has been synthesized by self-assembly of the constituent metal ions and the precursor di-2-pyridylketone (dpk) of multinucleating ligand dpkO(2)(2-) and is structurally characterized. The cluster 1 is formed by the union of two symmetry-related distorted cubane-like pentanuclear cores. A magnetic study of 1 reveals strong antiferromagnetic interactions operating through the Ni-O-Ni pathway, which is independent of the assumption D = 0 or D ≠ 0. The pentanuclear cores are ferromagnetically coupled, as supported by density functional theory calculations.     

Synthesis and X-ray Structures of Novel Macrocycles and Macrobicycles Containing N,N-Di(pyrrolylmethyl)-N-methylamine Moiety: Preliminary Anion Binding Study

The [2 + 2] Schiff base condensation reactions between the newly synthesized dialdehyde, N,N-di(α-formylpyrrolyl-α-methyl)-N-methylamine), and ethylenediamine or p-phenylenediamine dihydrochloride readily afforded the 30- and 34-membered large size macrocycles in very high yields. Subsequent reduction reactions of these macrocycles with NaBH(4) gave the corresponding saturated macrocyclic hexaamines in good yields. The analogous reaction of the new dialdehyde with a triamine molecule afforded the [3 + 2] Schiff base macrobicycle in high yield, which was then reduced by reaction with NaBH(4) to give the saturated macrobicycle. All these compounds were characterized by spectroscopic methods. The anion binding properties of the saturated macrocycles having the ethylene and the phenylene linkers in CDCl(3) were studied by NMR titration methods. Although they have similar pyrrolic and amine NH groups their binding properties are different and interesting, owing to the conformational flexibility or rigidness rendered by the ethylene or phenylene groups, respectively. The macrocycle having the ethylene linkers binds anions in a 1:1 fashion, while the other receptor having the phenylene linkers prefers to bind anions in a sequential 1:2 fashion and has a multiple equilibria between a 1:1 and a 1:2 complexes, as shown by their binding constants, curve fittings by EQNMR, and Job plots. The X-ray structures of the 1:2 methanol, the aqua and the benzoate anion complexes of the macrocycles show two cavities in which the guests are bound, correlating with the high affinity found for the formation of stable 1:2 complexes in solution. The X-ray structure showed that the macrobicycle Schiff base adopts an eclipsed paddle-wheel shaped conformation and exhibits an out-out configuration at the bridgehead nitrogen atoms.     

A new colorimetric chemodosimeter for mercury ion via specific thioacetal deprotection in aqueous solution and living cells

A sensitive and selective new chemodosimeteric chemosensor (DIBT) for mercury ions was successfully devised and characterized. Upon addition of Hg²⁺ to DIBT, a red-edge absorption band at 972 nm was observed. An important feature for the new chemodosimeter is its high selectivity toward mercury ions over the other competitive species due to Hg²⁺-triggered specific C–S cleavage, making the ‘naked-eye’ detection of mercury ions possible in aqueous solution and living cells such as Candida albicans.     

2-hydroxypyridine <--> 2-pyridone tautomerization: catalytic influence of formic acid

A 1:1 hydrogen-bonded complex between 2-pyridone and formic acid has been characterized using laser-induced-fluorescence excitation and dispersed fluorescence spectroscopy in a supersonic jet expansion. Under the same expansion condition, the fluorescence signal of the tautomeric form of the complex (2-hydroxypyridine...formic acid) is absent, although both the bare tautomeric molecules exhibit well-resolved laser-induced-fluorescence spectra. Quantum chemistry calculation at the DFT/B3LYP/6-311++G** level predicts that in the ground electronic state the activation barrier for tautomerization from hydroxy to keto form in bare molecules is very large (approximately 34 kcal/mol). However, the process turns out to be nearly barrierless when assisted by formic acid, and double proton transfer occurs via a concerted mechanism.     

The enantioselective Birch-Cope sequence for the synthesis of carbocyclic quaternary stereocenters. Application to the synthesis of (+)-mesembrine

A synthetic technique for generating carbocyclic quaternary stereocenters with exceptionally high levels of enantioselectivity is described. A sequence of three reactions, enantioselective Birch reduction-allylation, enol ether hydrolysis, and Cope rearrangement, is used to stereoselectively generate chiral quaternary centers on a 2-cyclohexen-1-one ring. The products of the sequence are 4,4-disubstituted-2-carboxamide-2-cyclohexen-1-one structures which are versatile intermediates in complex natural product synthesis. An application of the sequence to the synthesis of (+)-mesembrine illustrates the utility of these intermediates.