884 research outputs found
A Stackelberg game theoretic model for optimizing product family architecting with supply chain consideration
Planning of an optimal product family architecture (PFA) plays a critical role in defining an organization's
product platforms for product variant configuration while leveraging commonality and variety. The focus
of PFA planning has been traditionally limited to the product design stage, yet with limited consideration
of the downstream supply chain-related issues. Decisions of supply chain configuration have a profound
impact on not only the end cost of product family fulfillment, but also how to design the architecture of
module configuration within a product family. It is imperative for product family architecting to be
optimized in conjunction with supply chain configuration decisions. This paper formulates joint optimization of PFA planning and supply chain configuration as a Stackelberg game. A nonlinear, mixed
integer bilevel programming model is developed to deal with the leader–follower game decisions
between product family architecting and supply chain configuration. The PFA decision making is
represented as an upper-level optimization problem for optimal selection of the base modules and
compound modules. A lower-level optimization problem copes with supply chain decisions in accordance with the upper-level decisions of product variant configuration. Consistent with the bilevel
optimization model, a nested genetic algorithm is developed to derive near optimal solutions for PFA and
the corresponding supply chain network. A case study of joint PFA and supply chain decisions for power
transformers is reported to demonstrate the feasibility and potential of the proposed Stackelberg game
theoretic joint optimization of PFA and supply chain decisions
Effects of feeding system and pre-partum supplementation on the β-carotene status of South African Holstein cows
AbstractThe objectives were to investigate the β-carotene status of dairy cows under various production systems, and to determine the effect of pre-partum β-carotene supplementation on their post-partum β-carotene status. Ten farms were selected from each of the three production systems, namely pasture-based, hay-based total mixed ration (TMR) and silage-based TMR. Twenty cows per farm were sampled in each system, and blood plasma β-carotene concentration was determined with a portable spectrophotometer (n = 200 cows per system). Mean blood β-carotene concentrations of pasture-fed cows were 5.54 mg/L, and were higher (P <0.05) than concentrations of cows on hay-based (2.98 mg/L) and maize silage-based TMR systems (1.71 mg/L); in β-carotene status, therefore, these systems were optimal, marginal, and deficient, respectively. In the second experiment, 10 cows received a hay-based control TMR, and 10 were supplemented with 1.2 g/day of β-carotene pre-partum from day -56 to calving and monitored until day 56 postpartum. The supplemented cows were in optimal β-carotene status until calving, with a minor carry-over effect until 10 days post partum, and then declined gradually in status until they needed supplementation. The β-carotene status between the groups differed from three weeks pre-partum to two weeks post partum, with the control group being marginal to deficient from three weeks pre-partum onwards. Forage type and its β-carotene content play a major role in the β-carotene status of cows and more research is needed on the potential storage and mobilization of β-carotene in cows
Measurements of the Composite Fermion masses from the spin polarization of 2-D electrons in the region
Measurements of the reflectivity of a 2-D electron gas are used to deduce the
polarization of the Composite Fermion hole system formed for Landau level
occupancies in the regime 1<\nu<2. The measurements are consistent with the
formation of a mixed spin CF system and allow the density of states or
`polarization' effective mass of the CF holes to be determined. The mass values
at \nu=3/2 are found to be ~1.9m_{e} for electron densities of 4.4 x 10^{11}
cm^{-2}, which is significantly larger than those found from measurements of
the energy gaps at finite values of effective magnetic field.Comment: 4 pages, 3 fig
Can the study of self-assembly in solution lead to a good model for the nucleation pathway? The case of tolfenamic acid
To further our understanding of the role of solution chemistry in directing nucleation processes new experimental and computational data are presented on the solution and crystallisation chemistry of tolfenamic acid (TA), a benchmark polymorphic compound. With these, and previously published data, we were able to establish that TA is rapidly fluctuating between conformers in solution with either solvated monomers or dimers present depending on the solvent. Hence, despite the fact that conformational polymorphs can be obtained from crystallisations in ethanol, we found no links between solution chemistry and crystallisation outcomes. We discuss the implications of these conclusions for the nature of the nucleation pathway via dimers and clusters and raise experimental questions about how best to undertake relevant crystallisation studies
Birman-Wenzl-Murakami Algebra and the Topological Basis
In this paper, we use entangled states to construct 9x9-matrix
representations of Temperley-Lieb algebra (TLA), then a family of 9x9-matrix
representations of Birman-Wenzl-Murakami algebra (BWMA) have been presented.
Based on which, three topological basis states have been found. And we apply
topological basis states to recast nine-dimensional BWMA into its
three-dimensional counterpart. Finally, we find the topological basis states
are spin singlet states in special case.Comment: 11pages, 1 figur
Partially spin polarized quantum Hall effect in the filling factor range 1/3 < nu < 2/5
The residual interaction between composite fermions (CFs) can express itself
through higher order fractional Hall effect. With the help of diagonalization
in a truncated composite fermion basis of low-energy many-body states, we
predict that quantum Hall effect with partial spin polarization is possible at
several fractions between and . The estimated excitation
gaps are approximately two orders of magnitude smaller than the gap at
, confirming that the inter-CF interaction is extremely weak in higher
CF levels.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Simulation experiments for performance analysis of multiple-bus multiprocessor systems with nonexponential service times
A simulation model (program) is constructed for performance analysis of multiple-bus multiprocessor systems with shared memories. It is assumed that the service time of the common memory is either hypo- or hyperexponentially distributed. Process ing efficiency is used as the performance index. To investigate the effects of different service time distributions on the system perfor mance, comparative results are obtained for a large set of input parameters. The simulation results show that the error in approx imating the memory access time by an exponentially distributed random variable is less than 6% if the coefficient of variation is less than 1, but it increases drastically with this factor if it is greater than 1.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68518/2/10.1177_003754978905200104.pd
Non-cubic layered structure of Ba(1-x)K(x)BiO3 superconductor
Bismuthate superconductor Ba(1-x)K(x)BiO3 (x=0.27-0.49, Tc=25-32K) grown by
an electrolysis technique was studied by electron diffraction and
high-resolution electron microscopy. The crystalline structure thereof has been
found to be non-cubic, of the layered nature, and non-centrosymmetric, with the
lattice parameters a ~ ap, c ~ 2ap (ap is a simple cubic perovskite cell
parameter) containing an ordered arrangement of barium and potassium. The
evidence for the layered nature of the bismuthate superconductor removes the
principal crystallographic contradiction between bismuthate and cuprate high-Tc
superconductors.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to be published in Physical Review B as a Rapid
Communicatio
Pulsed Magnetic Field Measurements of the Composite Fermion Effective Mass
Magnetotransport measurements of Composite Fermions (CF) are reported in 50 T
pulsed magnetic fields. The CF effective mass is found to increase
approximately linearly with the effective field , in agreement with our
earlier work at lower fields. For a of 14 T it reaches , over 20
times the band edge electron mass. Data from all fractions are unified by the
single parameter for all the samples studied over a wide range of
electron densities. The energy gap is found to increase like at
high fields.Comment: Has final table, will LaTeX without error
The Solar Cycle: A new prediction technique based on logarithmic values
A new prediction technique based on logarithmic values is proposed to predict
the maximum amplitude (Rm) of a solar cycle from the preceding minimum aa
geomagnetic index (aamin). The correlation between lnRm and lnaamin (r = 0.92)
is slightly stronger than that between Rm and aamin (r = 0.90). From this
method, cycle 24 is predicted to have a peak size of Rm (24) = 81.7(1\pm13.2%).
If the suggested error in aa (3 nT) before 1957 is corrected, the correlation
coefficient between Rm and aamin (r = 0.94) will be slightly higher, and the
peak of cycle 24 is predicted much lower, Rm(24) = 52.5\pm13.1. Therefore, the
prediction of Rm based on the relationship between Rm and aamin depends greatly
on the accurate measurement of aa.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space
Scienc
- …