Hotel Performance in the UK: The Role of Information Entropy in a Novel Slack-Based Data Envelopment Analysis

Previous hotel performance studies neglected the role of information entropy in feedback processes between input and output management. This paper focuses on this gap by exploring the relationship between hotel performance at the industry level and the capability of learning by doing and adopting best practices using a sample of 153 UK hotels over a 10-year period between 2008–2017. Besides, this research also fills a literature gap by addressing the issues of measuring hotel performance in light of negative outputs. In order to achieve this, we apply a novel Modified slack-based model for the efficiency analysis and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator to examine the influence of entropy related variable on efficiency score. The Results indicate that less can be learnt from inputs than from outputs to improve efficiency levels and resource allocation is more balanced than cash flow and liquidity. The findings suggest that market dynamics explains the cash flow generation potential and liquidity. We find that market conditions are increasingly offering the opportunities for learning and improving hotel efficiency. The results report that the distinctive characteristic of superior performance in hotel operations is the capability to match the cash flow generation potential with market opportunities.     

基于分数阶傅里叶变换的模式测控一体化方法

提出了一种基于分数阶傅里叶变换的模式测控一体化方法。利用分数阶傅里叶变换光路对光纤模式耦合态进行空间调制和相位调制,以实现模式的有效分解。与双重傅里叶变换（F²）法以及空间和频谱成像（S²）法相比,采用的分数阶傅里叶变换法,通过改变分数阶参数,控制模式的空间分布以及模式间的叠加状态,更易于分解出高阶模式。基于分数阶傅里叶变换的模式测量方法可在更广泛空间,研究模式的空间和相位叠加以及模式分解,也可退化为F²法和S²法。     

SensorAware: visual analysis of both static and mobile sensor information

Journal of Visualization - Sensor networks composed of static and mobile sensors are applicable for situation monitoring. In this paper, we propose SensorAware, an interactive system for...     

缺陷单层和双层石墨烯的拉曼光谱及其激发光能量色散关系

拉曼光谱作为一种无破坏性、快速且敏锐的测试技术已经成 为表征石墨烯样品和研究其缺陷的最重要的实验手段之一. 本论文用离子注入在单层和双层石墨烯中产生缺陷, 并利用拉曼光谱研究了存在缺陷时单层和双层石墨烯的一阶和二阶拉曼模, 单层石墨烯的D模为双峰结构, 而双层石墨烯的D模具有四峰结构. 同时, 利用四条激光线系统地研究了本征和缺陷单层和双层石墨烯的拉曼峰频率的激发光能量依赖关系, 并基于石墨材料的双共振拉曼散射机理指认了离子注入后样品各拉曼峰的物理根源. 关键词： 石墨烯 缺陷 拉曼光谱 能量色散关系     

Identification of functionally key residues in maltose transporter with an elastic network model-based thermodynamic method

Periplasmic binding protein-dependent maltose transport system (MBP-MalFGK₂) of Escherichia coli, an important member of the Adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter superfamily, is in charge of the transportation of maltoses across cellular membrane. Studies have shown that this transport processes are activated by the binding of maltose and are accompanied by large-scale cooperative movements between different domains which are mediated by a network of important residues related to signal transduction and allosteric regulation. In this paper, the functionally crucial residues and long-range allosteric pathway of the regulation of the system by substrate were identified by utilising a coarse-grained thermodynamic method proposed by our group. The residues whose perturbations markedly change the binding free energy between maltoses and MBP-MalFGK₂ were considered to be key residues. In result, the key residues in 62 clusters distributed in different subdomains were identified successfully, and the results from our calculation are highly consistent with experimental and theoretical observations. Furthermore, we explored the long-range cooperation within the transporter. These studies will help us better understand the physical mechanism of the effects of the maltose on MBP-MalFGK₂ by long-range allosteric modulation.     

Preconcentration and Separation of Gold(III) from Ore Samples by Solid-Phase Extraction Prior to Its Catalytic Fluorescent Determination

ABSTRACT

A new catalytic kinetic fluorescent quenching method for the determination of trace gold(III) was investigated. The method was based on the catalytic effect of gold on oxidation of 3-(3′-methylphenyl)-5- (2′-arsenoxylphenylazo) rhodanine by hydrogen peroxide in potassium hydrogen phthalate–hydrochloric acid (pH = 3.4). Under the optimum conditions, the great decrease of fluorescence intensity has a linear relationship against the concentration of gold in the range of 0 to 12.0 µg·L^?1 with a detection limit of 6.0 × 10^?10g·L^?1. The coexistent metal ions can be separated, and gold can be enriched by TBP resin of solid-phase extraction, which greatly improves the selectivity and sensitivity of the system. The method can be used to determine trace amounts of gold in ore samples successfully with satisfactory results.     

High pressure X-ray diffraction study on BaWO4-II

BaWO₄-II has been synthesized at 5 GPa and 610°C. Its high pressure behavior was studied by in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements at room temperature up to 17 GPa. BaWO₄-II retains its monoclinic structure. Bulk and axial moduli determined by fitting a third-order Birch–Murnaghan equation of state to lattice parameters are: K ₀=86.2±1.9 GPa, K ₀(a)=56.0±0.9 GPa, K ₀(b)=85.3±2.4 GPa, and K ₀(c)=146.1±3.2 GPa with a fixed K′=4. Analysis of axial compressible modulus shows that the a-axis is 2.61 times more compressible than the c-axis and 1.71 times more compressible than the b-axis. The beta angle decreases smoothly between room pressure and 17 GPa from 93.78° to 90.90°.     

The fine structure levels and spin-singlet contributions to zero-field-splitting parameters of Cr2+ ion in CdGa2S4

A theoretical investigation is reported of the fine structure levels and the spin-singlet contributions to zero-field-splitting (ZFS) parameters for Cr²⁺ ion in CdGa₂S₄ crystals. Firstly, the complete energy matrix including all spin states for a 3d ⁴ ion in tetrahedral D _2d symmetry is constructed according the double-group chain in the strong-field scheme. Then, by diagonalizing the complete energy of electron–electron interactions, the crystal field and the spin–orbit coupling for the Cr²⁺ (3d ⁴) ion in CdGa₂S₄ crystal, the fine structure levels and the spin-singlet contributions to ZFS parameters a, D and F are calculated. The results show that the spin-singlet contribution to D is negligible, but the contributions to a and F are very important. So, to obtain more accurate ZFS parameters for 3d ⁴ ions in the tetrahedral crystals, all spin states should be considered.     

New minimax inequality with applications to existence theorems of equilibrium points

A new minimax inequality is proved on a set which is the union of an increasing sequence of compact convex sets in a topological vector space. As applications, several existence theorems of equilibrium points for different games are obtained.The authors would like to thank the referees for their helpful suggestions.