Large‐scale Experimental Study on the Effects of Flooring Materials on Combustion Behavior of Thermoplastics

The effects of flooring materials on the combustion behavior of thermoplastics is investigated. Based on the ISO 9705 fire test setup, an experimental rig was designed. Full‐scale experiments of PP combustion were carried out using five flooring boards, namely gypsum, steel, wood, ceramic tile and PVC. The experimental results indicate that the flooring boards play an important role in the heat release rates of typical thermoplastics combustion. Specifically, the time for the sharp increase of heat release rate is generally later for the flooring boards with larger thermal conductivity, except for the case of PVC. Preliminary analyses suggest that the reason for the exception of PVC is the expansion and carbonization of PVC at high temperature. In addition, experimental results also show that the corresponding peak heat release rate of thermoplastics combustion would be generally smaller for the flooring board with a larger thermal mass, except for the case of gypsum. The primary cause for the exception of gypsum may be the heat absorption by the crystal water released from the gypsum during the burning of hot pool oil.     

Mathematical Modeling and Simulation of Corrosion Processes in Nigerian Crude Oil Pipelines

In this work, a corrosion prediction mathematical model for risk assessment in oil and gas production and transportation facilities has been created. This work focuses on partial pressure of carbon (iv) oxide, CO₂ and the operating temperature in process equipment and transportation facility pipes as a function of corrosion rate. The model equation formulated was based on the principle of multiple linear regressions of data. The final model representing the corrosion rate of crude oil equipment was obtained CR = b _o + b ₁ T + b ₂ P (CO ₂). The model was simulated using polymath software. The correlation between the experimental and simulated resulted obtained using root mean square deviation (coefficient of determination) was 99.74% which is high, suggesting that the relationship between the predictor and response variables is linear. The variation in the model equation is 0.0066374. This low value of the variance shows that the model is accurate.     

Levels of Pesticide Residues in Food: Evaluation of Data from Total Diet Studies in Italy

Abstract

Total Diet Studies on pesticide residues in foods carried out in Italy in the last two decades are briefly summarized and data are discussed. Health risk assessment is expressed by the ratio total intake/ADI (%ADI ingested) for each compound and by the sum of the percentages of ADI for each compound within the same class of pesticides.

The total dietary intake of chlorinated pesticides, that was almost 100% of ADI in the years 1970-74, decreased down to 10% in the period 1978-84. This trend was confirmed for DDT in recent years, while data on Lindane and Heptachlor seem to be constant.

As regards the organophosphorus pesticides the sum of the percentages of ADI ingested for each compound, extrapolated from recent data (1990-1991) is about 20% and can be regarded as reasonably acceptable because the study included practically all the mainly used compounds.

Only few data are available for some pesticides like dithiocarbamates, especially EBDCs and their derivatives (e.g. ETU), other carbamates (e.g. aldicarb), paraquat etc. Moreover, analytical methods for these compounds should be improved.

The need for a considerable improvement in the number and organization of monitoring structures, in the use of standardized analytical procedures, in good laboratory practice standards and in the realibility of “monitoring protocols” and their homogeneity is evidenced.     

The long‐term extreme price risk measure of portfolio in inventory financing: An application to dynamic impawn rate interval

Different from the short‐term risk measure for traditional financial assets (stocks, bonds, etc.), the key to illiquid inventory portfolio traded in the over‐the‐counter markets is to estimate the long‐term extreme price risk with time varying volatility. In this article, a new long‐term extreme price risk (value at risk and conditional value at risk) measure method for inventory portfolio and an application to dynamic impawn rate interval are proposed. To realize this, we first establish AutoRegressive Moving Average‐Exponential Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity‐Extreme Value Theory model and multivariatet‐Copula to depict the autocorrelation, fat tails, and volatility clustering of returns of inventories and the nonlinear dependence structure of inventories. Furthermore, we obtain the long‐term extreme price risk with time varying volatility via Monte Carlo simulation instead of square‐root‐of time rule. The results show that, first, benefits from risk diversification is significant; second, long‐term extreme price risk measure of inventory portfolio via Monte Carlo method outperforms the square‐root‐of time rule; the last is that the dynamic rate interval based on the long‐term price risk is superior to the crude rules of thumb in terms of reducing efficiency loss and improving risk coverage. In summary, this article provides a new quantitative framework for managing the risk of portfolio in inventory financing practice for banks constrained by risk limitation. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 20: 17–34, 2015     

Domestication of Plants of Ugni molinae Turcz (Myrtaceae) Interferes in the Biology of Chilesia rudis (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) Larvae

In terms of the domestication process in murtilla, studies have found changes in the concentration of phenolic compounds, with reduction of chemical defense of plants, depending on the change in the feeding behavior of insects. Thus, we hypothesized that the domestication of Ugni molinae decreases the content of phenolic compounds and modifies the feeding preference of Chilesia rudis larvae. Leaves of three parental ecotypes and four cultivated ecotypes were used in preference experiments to evaluate the mass gain and leaves consumption of larvae. Phenolic extracts from leaves of U. molinae were analyzed by HPLC. Identified compounds were incorporated in an artificial diet to assess their effect on mass gain, consumption, and survival of the larvae. The presence of phenolic compounds in bodies and feces was also evaluated. In terms of choice assays, larvae preferred parental ecotypes. Regarding compounds, vanillin was the most varied between the ecotypes in leaves. However, plant domestication did not show a reduction in phenolic compound concentration of the ecotypes studied. Furthermore, there was no clear relation between phenolic compounds and the performance of C. rudis larvae. Whether this was because of sequestration of some compounds by larvae is unknown. Finally, results of this study could also suggest that studied phenolic compounds have no role in the C. rudis larvae resistance in this stage of murtilla domestication process.     

Quality-by-Design-Based Development of n-Propyl-Gallate-Loaded Hyaluronic-Acid-Coated Liposomes for Intranasal Administration

The present study aimed to develop n-propyl gallate (PG)-encapsulated liposomes through a novel direct pouring method using the quality-by-design (QbD) approach. A further aim was to coat liposomes with hyaluronic acid (HA) to improve the stability of the formulation in nasal mucosa. The QbD method was used for the determination of critical quality attributes in the formulation of PG-loaded liposomes coated with HA. The optimized formulation was determined by applying the Box–Behnken design to investigate the effect of composition and process variables on particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential. Physiochemical characterization, in vitro release, and permeability tests, as well as accelerated stability studies, were performed with the optimized liposomal formulation. The optimized formulation resulted in 90 ± 3.6% encapsulation efficiency, 167.9 ± 3.5 nm average hydrodynamic diameter, 0.129 ± 0.002 PDI, and −33.9 ± 4.5 zeta potential. Coated liposomes showed significantly improved properties in 24 h in an in vitro release test (>60%), in vitro permeability measurement (420 μg/cm²) within 60 min, and also in accelerated stability studies compared to uncoated liposomes. A hydrogen-peroxide-scavenging assay showed improved stability of PG-containing liposomes. It can be concluded that the optimization of PG-encapsulated liposomes coated with HA has great potential for targeting several brain diseases.     

信息不对称理论的工程项目主体行为博弈分析

将信息不对称理论引入到工程项目风险管理中,对工程项目主体行为博弈进行了分析.首先,就业主与承包商在项目招投标阶段和合同履行阶段的博弈进行了分析,通过分析发现应当建立激励与约束机制避免逆向选择和道德风险,从而降低项目风险.随后,就业主与监理单位之间的博弈和承包商与监理单位之间的博弈进行了分析,分析表明可以通过奖励和惩罚两种方法来提高监理方的工作积极性;应当不断提高对监理单位的约束程度,促使监理系统成为一个自适应系统.     

企业战略风险的模糊评价模型

基于战略风险管理的基本概念与内容,从战略风险评价角度出发,提出了一类企业战略风险的模糊评价方法.即通过分析比较传统概率风险测度的不足,将模糊评价方法用于战略风险的评价,以更能准确地反映和把握企业战略的风险程度.     

基于ESS的银行资金营运风险系统的研究

经理支持系统ESS(Executive Support System),作为企业高层管理人员直接使用的信息系统,利用计算机技术和通信技术,专门用以支持高层管理和决策人员对企业内、外部信息的查询分析,支持高层管理人员的日常管理和战略决策工作。将ESS技术应用到银行业的资金营运风险管理中,改变了银行原资金营运风险管理模式,为银行风险管理提供了一项可行性方案,并取得了良好的效果。     

带干扰的双复合泊松风险模型

在经典风险模型的基础上,研究了带干扰的保费收取过程是复合泊松过程,索赔总额是复合泊松过程的风险模型,我们称之为带干扰的双复合泊松风险模型,该模型中的干扰项是通过标准布朗运动来进行描述的。运用鞅方法得出了破产概率满足的Lundberg不等式和一般公式,并给出了不破产概率满足的积分表示。同时也给出了有限时间内不破产概率满足的积分微分方程。