Gas solubility of carbon dioxide in poly(lactic acid) at high pressures: Thermal treatment effect

The sorption of carbon dioxide in glassy Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) films was studied by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) at high pressures. Two thermal treatments, melted and quenched, were performed in PLA with two different L:D contents, 80:20 and 98:2, films and compared with a third thermal protocol, annealed, and used in a previous work. The results obtained show that for pressures higher than 2 MPa, the carbon dioxide solubility is larger in PLA 80:20 than in PLA 98:2, indicating that the L:D plays a dominant role on this property. The thermal treatments only affect the gas solubility in PLA 98:2. Sorption isotherms at temperatures 303, 313, and 323 K, below the glass transition temperature of the polymer, and pressures up to 5 MPa were measured and analyzed with three different models, the dual‐mode sorption model, the Flory–Huggins equation, and a modified dual‐mode sorption model where the Henry's law term was substituted by the Flory–Huggins equation. This last model performs especially well for CO₂ in PLA 80:20, due to the convex upward curvature of the solubility isotherms for that system. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 616–625, 2007     

Studies on the Synthesis and Properties of K_8[TiP_2W_17O_62]·12H_2O

The present paper covers a salt of 2:18 heteropoly complex of tungstotitanophosphate prepared with the method of improved sequence preparation. The title compound was characterized by elemental analysis, 31P NMR spectra, polarography, cyclic voltammetry, IR, UV, X-ray powder diffraction , X-ray photoelectron spectra and TG-DTA analysis. The results show that the complex with the formula K8[TiP2W17O62]·12H2O has Dawson structure. Its properties such as spectra, redox behavior and thermal stability are discussed.     

Radical Couplings as Key Steps for the Preparation of Derivatives of Nonactic Acid

Summary. Free radical couplings from furan, as cheap starting material, were studied in view of developing a rapid strategy en route to the synthesis of derivatives of nonactin. The chain containing the alcohol function was introduced in one or two steps in 86% yield. For the introduction of the second chain with the ester function two different coupling methods were tested. Starting from the advanced intermediates obtained nonactin derivatives can be prepared by catalytic hydrogenation of the furan ring.     

Capacity augmentation of a supply chain for a short lifecycle product: A system dynamics framework

For an innovative product characterized by short product lifecycle and high demand uncertainty, investment in capacity buildup has to be done cautiously. Otherwise either the product’s market diffusion is impeded or the manufacturer is left with unutilized capacity. Using the right information for making capacity augmentation decisions is critical in facing this challenge. In this paper, we propose a method for identifying critical information flows using the system dynamics model of a two-echelon supply chain. The fundamental premise of system dynamics methodology is that (system) structure determines (its) behavior. Using loop dominance analysis method we study the feedback loop structure of the supply chain system. The outcome is a set of dominant loops that determine the dynamics of capacity growth. It is revealed that the delivery delay information has little effect while the loop that connects retail sales with production order affects the dynamics significantly. Modifying this loop yields appropriate capacity augmentation decisions resulting in higher performance. What-if analyses bring out effects of modifying other structural elements. In conclusion, we claim that the information feedback based methodology is general enough to be useful in designing decision support systems for capacity augmentation. The limitations of the model are also discussed and possible extensions identified.     

Studies on O-,N-Acylation of 3-Hydroxyisoxazole and Their Regioselective Synthesis(Ⅰ)——O-,N-acylation of 5-Methyl-3-hydroxyisoxazole with 2,2-Dimethyl 3-Substituted Cyclopropanecarboxylic Chlorides

The reactions of 5-methyl-3-hydroxyisoxazole with 2, 2-dimethyl, 3-substituted cyclopropanecarboxylic chlorides give O-acyl-5-methyl-3-hydroxyisoxazole and N-acyl-5-methylisoxazolin-3-one derivatives. The ratio of O-acyl to N-acyl product depends upon the acylation reagents. O-acyl derivatives can be converted to the N-acyl compounds by isomerization under acidic conditions or heating.     

Optimization of lantadenes isolation and preparation of 22 β-hydroxyoleanonic acid

The lantadenes fraction from Lantana camara was isolated and transformed to the medicinally important intermediate 22β-hydroxyoleanonic acid. The compound was studied for hepatotoxicity using lantadene A as standard and found to be nontoxic. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 357–358, July–August, 2006.     

Practical stopping criteria for validating safety-critical software by estimating impartial reliability

In this research, we investigate stopping rules for software testing and propose two stopping rules from the aspect of software reliability testing based on the impartial reliability model. The impartial reliability difference (IRD-MP) rule considers the difference between the impartial transition-probability reliabilities estimated for both software developer and consumers at their predetermined prior information levels. The empirical–impartial reliability difference (EIRD-MP) rule suggests stopping a software test when the computed empirical transition reliability is tending to its estimated impartial transition reliability. To insure the high-standard requirement for safety-critical software, both rules take the maximum probability (MP) of untested paths into account.     

Multi-dimensional asymptotically quasi-Toeplitz Markov chains and their application in queueing theory

Multi-dimensional asymptotically quasi-Toeplitz Markov chains with discrete and continuous time are introduced. Ergodicity and non-ergodicity conditions are proven. Numerically stable algorithm to calculate the stationary distribution is presented. An application of such chains in retrial queueing models with Batch Markovian Arrival Process is briefly illustrated. AMS Subject Classifications Primary 60K25 · 60K20     

Non-self-adjoint sturm-liouville operators with matrix potentials

We obtain asymptotic formulas for non-self-adjoint operators generated by the Sturm-Liouville system and quasiperiodic boundary conditions. Using these asymptotic formulas, we obtain conditions on the potential for which the system of root vectors of the operator under consideration forms a Riesz basis.     

Dynamic Nonlinear Modelization of Operational Supply Chain Systems

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is an important activity in all producing facilities and in many organizations to enable vendors, manufacturers and suppliers to interact gainfully and plan optimally their flow of goods and services. To realize this, a dynamic modelling approach for characterizing supply chain activities is opportune, so as to plan efficiently the set of activities over a distributed network in a formal and scientific way. The dynamical system will result so complex that it is not generally possible to specify the functional forms and the parameters of interest, relating outputs to inputs, states and stochastic terms by experiential specification methods. Thus the algorithm that will presented is Data Driven, determining simultaneously the functional forms, the parameters and the optimal control policy from the data available for the supply chain. The aim of this paper is to present this methodology, by considering dynamical aspects of the system, the presence of nonlinear relationships and unbiased estimation procedures to quantify these relations, leading to a nonlinear and stochastic dynamical system representation of the SCM problem. Moreover, the convergence of the algorithm will be proved and the satisfaction of the required statistical conditions demonstrated. Thus SCM problems may be formulated as formal scientific procedures, with well defined algorithms and a precise calculation sequence to determine the best alternative to enact. A “Certainty equivalent principle” will be indicated to ensure that the effects of the inevitable uncertainties will not lead to indeterminate results, allowing the formulation of demonstrably asymptotically optimal management plans.