Study on tribological behaviors of short glass fiber and polytetrafluoroethylene reinforced polycarbonate composites via a d‐optimal mixture design

This study analyzed variations of tribological behaviors that depend on the injection molding techniques during the blending of short glass fiber (SGF) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) reinforced polycarbonate (PC) composites. The proposed planning of blending experiments is to use a D‐optimal mixture design (DMD). The tribological behaviors of friction coefficient and wear mass loss were selected for discussion. Nine experimental runs, based on a DMD method, utilized to train the back‐propagation neural network (BPNN) and then the simulated annealing algorithm (SAA) approach is applied to search for an optimal mixture ratio setting. In addition, the result of BPNN integrating SAA was also compared with response surface methodology (RSM) approach. The results of confirmation experiment show that DMD, RSM, and BPNN integrating SAA method are effective tools for the optimization of reinforced process. Furthermore, the scanning electron microscope (SEM) images show that the abundant debris are peeled off from the matrix materials and predominant delamination mechanisms and plastic deformation are shown on the worn surface after tribological behavior tests. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Components of the Net Current in Differential Pulse Polarography. Part 2. Kinetics and Adsorption

Components of the net response in differential pulse polarography were studied theoretically, assuming gradually changing electrode rate constant or strength of the reactant adsorption. The difference between the maximum potential of the peak component and the half‐wave potential of the wave component appear as an important parameter. From its value, the electrode rate constant can be calculated even when the standard potential is not known. In a reversible process, effects of the reactant adsorption on the mentioned separation are less pronounced. The results were compared with experimentally obtained effects. For deeper insight into the applicability of this approach, additional experimentally obtained polarograms (that reflect different potential/timing parameters or changing character of the electrode process) should be studied in terms of their components.     

On the strong convergence rate for positively associated random variables

For sequences of the positively associated random variables which are strictly weaker than the classical associated random ones introduced by Esary et al. (1967) [7], strong convergence rate is obtained, which reaches the available one for independent random variables in terms of Berstein type inequality. Further, we give the corresponding precise asymptotics with respect to the rate mentioned above, which extend and improve the relevant results in Fu (2009) [8].     

Dynamics of the density dependent predator-prey system with Beddington-DeAngelis functional response

Two models of a density dependent predator-prey system with Beddington-DeAngelis functional response are systematically considered. One includes the time delay in the functional response and the other does not. The explorations involve the permanence, local asymptotic stability and global asymptotic stability of the positive equilibrium for the models by using stability theory of differential equations and Lyapunov functions. For the permanence, the density dependence for predators is shown to give some negative effect for the two models. Further the permanence implies the local asymptotic stability for a positive equilibrium point of the model without delay. Also the global asymptotic stability condition, which can be easily checked for the model is obtained. For the model with time delay, local and global asymptotic stability conditions are obtained.     

Dynamics of a stochastic density dependent predator-prey system with Beddington-DeAngelis functional response

In this paper, we discuss a stochastic density dependent predator-prey system with Beddington-DeAngelis functional response. First, we show that this system has a unique positive solution as this is essential in any population dynamics model. Then, we investigate the asymptotic behavior of this system. When the white noise is small, the stochastic system imitates the corresponding deterministic system. Either there is a stationary distribution, or the predator population will die out. While if the white noise is large, besides the extinction of the predator population, both species in the system may also die out, which does not happen in the deterministic system. Finally, simulations are carried out to conform to our results.     

Bifurcation analysis and control of chaos for a hybrid ratio-dependent three species food chain

In this paper, a hybrid ratio-dependent three species food chain model with time delay is studied by using the theory of functional differential equation and Hopf bifurcation, the condition on which positive equilibrium exists and the quality of Hopf bifurcation are given. Chaotic solutions are observed and are controlled by delay parameter. Finally, we indicate that when the delay passes through certain critical values, chaotic oscillation is converted into a stable state or a stable periodic orbit.     

Enumeration of non-crossing pairings on bit strings

A non-crossing pairing on a bit string is a matching of 1s and 0s in the string with the property that the pairing diagram has no crossings. For an arbitrary bit-string w=p₁¹q₁⁰…pr¹qr⁰, let φ(w) be the number of such pairings. This enumeration problem arises when calculating moments in the theory of random matrices and free probability, and we are interested in determining useful formulas and asymptotic estimates for φ(w). Our main results include explicit formulas in the “symmetric” case where each pi=qi, as well as upper and lower bounds for φ(w) that are uniform across all words of fixed length and fixed r. In addition, we offer more refined conjectural expressions for the upper bounds. Our proofs follow from the construction of combinatorial mappings from the set of non-crossing pairings into certain generalized “Catalan” structures that include labeled trees and lattice paths.     

Sensitivity of risk measures with respect to the normal approximation of total claim distributions

A simple and commonly used method to approximate the total claim distribution of a (possibly weakly dependent) insurance collective is the normal approximation. In this article, we investigate the error made when the normal approximation is plugged in a fairly general distribution-invariant risk measure. We focus on the rate of convergence of the error relative to the number of clients, we specify the relative error’s asymptotic distribution, and we illustrate our results by means of a numerical example. Regarding the risk measure, we take into account distortion risk measures as well as distribution-invariant coherent risk measures.     

Fractional normal inverse Gaussian diffusion

A fractional normal inverse Gaussian (FNIG) process is a fractional Brownian motion subordinated to an inverse Gaussian process. This paper shows how the FNIG process emerges naturally as the limit of a random walk with correlated jumps separated by i.i.d. waiting times. Similarly, we show that the NIG process, a Brownian motion subordinated to an inverse Gaussian process, is the limit of a random walk with uncorrelated jumps separated by i.i.d. waiting times. The FNIG process is also derived as the limit of a fractional ARIMA processes. Finally, the NIG densities are shown to solve the relativistic diffusion equation from statistical physics.     

A pseudo-empirical log-likelihood estimator using scrambled responses

In this paper, we propose an empirical log-likelihood estimator for estimating the population mean of a sensitive variable in the presence of an auxiliary variable. A new concept of conditional mean squared error of the empirical likelihood estimator is introduced. The proposed method is valid for simple random and without replacement sampling (SRSWOR) and could easily be extended for complex survey designs. The relative efficiency of the proposed pseudo-empirical log-likelihood estimator with respect to the usual, and to a recent estimator due to Diana and Perri (2009b), has been investigated through a simulation study.