Optimal investment strategies and risk-sharing arrangements for a hybrid pension plan

A continuous time stochastic model is used to study a hybrid pension plan, where both the contribution and benefit levels are adjusted depending on the performance of the plan, with risk sharing between different generations. The pension fund is invested in a risk-free asset and multiple risky assets. The objective is to seek an optimal investment strategy and optimal risk-sharing arrangements for plan trustees and participants so that this proposed hybrid pension system provides adequate and stable income to retirees while adjusting contributions effectively, as well as keeping its sustainability in the long run. These goals are achieved by minimizing the expected discount disutility of intermediate adjustment for both benefits and contributions and that of terminal wealth in finite time horizon. Using the stochastic optimal control approach, closed-form solutions are derived under quadratic loss function and exponential loss function. Numerical analysis is presented to illustrate the sensitivity of the optimal strategies to parameters of the financial market and how the optimal benefit changes with respect to different risk aversions. Through numerical analysis, we find that the optimal strategies do adjust the contributions and retirement benefits according to fund performance and model objectives so the intergenerational risk sharing seem effectively achieved for this collective hybrid pension plan.     

Stabilization of stochastic singular nonlinear hybrid systems

This paper deals with the control of the class of singular nonlinear stochastic hybrid systems. Under some appropriate assumptions, results on stochastic stability and stochastic stabilization are developed. Two state feedback controllers (linear and nonlinear) that stochastically stabilize the class of systems we are considering are designed. LMI sufficient conditions are developed to compute the gains of these controllers.     

Robust pole placement controller design in LMI region for uncertain and disturbed switched systems

This paper concerns the state feedback control for continuous-time, disturbed and uncertain linear switched systems with arbitrary switching rules. The main result of this work consists in getting a LMI (Linear Matrix Inequalities) condition guaranteeing a robust pole placement according to some desired specifications. Then, external disturbance attenuation with a fixed rate according to the H_∞ criterion is ensured. This is obtained thanks to the existence of a common quadratic Lyapunov function for all sub-systems. Finally, an academic example illustrates the efficiency of the developed approach.     

Modeling,analysis and performance evaluation for fault diagnosis and Fault Tolerant Control in bottle-filling plant modeled using Hybrid Petri nets

In this paper, an approach to achieve fault diagnosis and Fault Tolerant Control in a typical bottle-filling plant using event based techniques is discussed. For this purpose, the plant is modeled using Hybrid Petri nets which enable study and analysis with regard to the working of the plant. Once effective modeling is done based on two different case studies considered, new algorithms are proposed to achieve fault diagnosis and Fault Tolerant Control on the models developed. Finally, performance measures with regard to the models proposed are evaluated to check the correctness of the models developed. Both analytical and numerical results are obtained which are highly useful to understand plant behavior.     

Green synthesis and characterization of copper and nickel hybrid nanomaterials: Investigation of their biological and photocatalytic potential for the removal of organic crystal violet dye

Nanotechnology deals with the materials at nanoscale to synthesize nanoparticles. The current study introduced a new green approach for the synthesis of Copper and Nickel hybrid nanoparticles by using Zingiber officinale rhizome extract as a capping and reducing agent. The nanoparticles were physico-chemically characterized by UV–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Scanning electron microscopy. It was revealed by scanning electron micrograph that the Cu-Ni hybrid nanoparticles have spherical geometries with average grain size of 25.12 ± 1.2 nm. Furthermore, biocatalytic and photocatalytic applications of the biosynthesized nanoparticles were assessed. The results of antibacterial assay revealed that Cu-Ni hybrid nanoparticles had an inhibition zones of 28 ± 1.0, 25 ± 0.8, and 25 ± 1.5 mm against P. aeruginosa, E. coli and Proteus vulgaris. Commercially available antibiotics were purchased and coated with Cu-Ni hybrid nanoparticles, it was found that their antimicrobial efficacy was increased twice. To evaluate the antioxidant potential, nanoparticles having a concentration of 200 µg/mL were applied against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radicals and NPs showed 42.1 ± 0.71 % inhibition. Cu-Ni nanoparticles have shown a dose-dependent cytotoxicity against amastigote and promastigote in anti-leishmanial assay. The synthesized nanoparticles were found biocompatible and safe in nature to be used in vivo, as they showed no significant hemolysis of human red blood cells at their highest concentration. In antidiabetic assay, NPs inhibited alpha-amylase enzyme up to 38.07 ± 0.65 %. An organic crystal violet dye was successfully degraded by the synthesized nanoparticles in photocatalytic assay. Hence, it is concluded that Cu-Ni hybrid nanoparticles can be used both in vitro and in vivo for drug delivery in biomedical research. These nanoparticles can also be used in the remediation of organic dyes as a catalyst.     

Preparation and Characterization of Ternary Europium ComplexDoped Thin SolGel Hybrid Film by Fluorescence Spectroscopy*

ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＴｈｅｌｏｗ－ｔｅｍｐｅｒａｔｕｒｅｐｒｏｃｅｓｓｉｎｇｏｆｔｈｅｓｏｌ－ｇｅｌｍａｔｅｒｉａｌｍａｋｅｓｉｔｐｏｓｓｉｂｌｅｔｏｅｎｔｒａｐｏｒｇａｎｉｃｓｐｅｃｉｅｓｅａｓｉｌｙｗｉｔｈｉｎａｒｉｇｉｄｇｌａｓｓｍａｔｒｉ...     

Shadow-casted ultrathin surface coatings of titanium and titanium/silicon oxide sol particles via ultrasound-assisted deposition

Ultrasound-assisted deposition (USAD) of sol nanoparticles enables the formation of uniform and inherently stable thin films. However, the technique still suffers in coating hard substrates and the use of fast-reacting sol–gel precursors still remains challenging. Here, we report on the deposition of ultrathin titanium and titanium/silicon hybrid oxide coatings using hydroxylated silicon wafers as a model hard substrate. We use acetic acid as the catalyst which also suppresses the reactivity of titanium tetraisopropoxide while increasing the reactivity of tetraethyl orthosilicate through chemical modifications. Taking the advantage of this peculiar behavior, we successfully prepared titanium and titanium/silicon hybrid oxide coatings by USAD. Varying the amount of acetic acid in the reaction media, we managed to modulate thickness and surface roughness of the coatings in nanoscale. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy studies showed the formation of conformal coatings having nanoroughness. Quantitative chemical state maps obtained by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) suggested the formation of ultrathin (<10 nm) coatings and thickness measurements by rotating analyzer ellipsometry supported this observation. For the first time, XPS chemical maps revealed the transport effect of ultrasonic waves since coatings were directly cast on rectangular substrates as circular shadows of the horn with clear thickness gradient from the center to the edges. In addition to the progress made in coating hard substrates, employing fast-reacting precursors and achieving hybrid coatings; this report provides the first visual evidence on previously suggested “acceleration and smashing” mechanism as the main driving force of USAD.     

混合线性分析-分光光度法同时测定微量锌、镉、汞

提出了以2－（5－溴－2－吡啶偶氮）－5－二乙氨基酚为显色剂分光光度法同时测定锌、镉、汞的新方法。由于在可见区3种络合物的吸收光谱具有相似的特征和严重重叠,本文采用混合线性分析进行光谱分辨,各组分的纯光谱则用最小二乘法从校正集中求出。讨论了显色条件,波长选择,纯光谱的确定和吸光度加合性等因素对测定的影响。方法具有简单,快速,准确等优点。已成功地应用于混合试样中锌、镉、汞的同时测定,并与同条件下偏最小二乘法的计算结果进行了对比。     

钙离子对支撑磷脂膜离子通道行为的诱导作用

将一种支撑磷脂膜--杂化双层膜(Hybridbilayermembrane,HBM)用于钙离子与磷脂作用的研究,以Fe(CN)₆^3-为探针,发现钙离子可诱导HBM产生离子通道,且通道的打开与关闭可反复运转,并用STM观察了这一现象.