A solvent-free Diels-Alder reaction of graphite into functionalized graphene nanosheets

A solvent-free Diels-Alder reaction was carried out by heating a mixture of graphite and a typical dienophile, maleic anhydride (MA) or maleimide (MI), in a sealed glass ampoule of argon. The functionalization of graphite with dienophiles was confirmed by various characterization techniques, suggesting the efficient functionalization and delamination of graphite into a few layers of graphitic nanosheets.close0

Exchange rate and market power in import price

This study consists of three papers in the area of international market analysis, as listed in Chapter 1, 2, and 3. Each paper has its own issue and application, but the main theme behind these papers is to figure out interactions of international firms\u27 real decisions with respect to changes in financial variables or structure attributing to the firms\u27 behaviors. The papers focus especially on a risk-averse international firm\u27s decision model with respect to fluctuations in exchange rates;The first two papers relate the international firm\u27s ex-ante real decision to the portfolio theory in correspondence to recent importance of managing risk. Chapter 1 deals with interactions between diversification strategy and currency hedging by futures contracts when a competitive & risk-averse importing agent chooses optimal import quantities and hedging levels under dual uncertainties of price and exchange rate. The resulting total import level under the scheme depends significantly on the degree of correlation among relevant currencies; that is because the currency hedging virtually determines the covariance effect of portfolio variance. Chapter 2 introduces another risk-diversification model in determining the input mixture within a framework of the capital-asset-price-model. The Chinese wheat import market is empirically analyzed to justify this portfolio approach and to explain potential conflicts between the buyer\u27s risk diversification efforts and suppliers\u27 market power. While concentrating on the risk reduction effect, these papers support hedging roles of currency futures contracts among the advanced markets in Chapter 1 and of diversification strategy in importing non-homogenous products in Chapter 2;As an illustration of the market structure related to demand functions, Chapter 3 deals with the topic of pass-through in terms of the oligopoly pricing conduct in the market. To find out the nature of demand convexity, this study draws several testable implications and also evaluates an empirical example of the import beer pricing in the US. Given the open debate on the stability of the level of pass-through, a Kalman filter estimation is adapted in the empirical application

Who are Cross-Border Online Shoppers?

Cross-border online purchase has been significantly increased throughout the world thanks to the development of transportation and technology. Understanding cross-border online shopping behavior in South Korea is particularly important due to its dramatic growth. Since 2010, cross-border online shopping has been increased by 40% every year (Korean Consumer Agency, 2014). This study is to enhance the understanding of cross-border online shopping behavior in South Korea. Based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), specifically, this study examined the relationships among consumer beliefs, attitude, subjective norms, and purchase intention for cross-border online shopping. This results of this research demonstrated that building a positive attitude toward cross-border online shopping, which was influenced by global orientation, ethnocentrism, and global brand beliefs, was the powerful antecedent of purchase intention for cross-border shopping

Higgs phenomenology in the Peccei-Quinn invariant NMSSM

We study the Higgs phenomenology in the Peccei-Quinn invariant NMSSM (PQ-NMSSM) where the low energy mass parameters of the singlet superfield are induced by a spontaneous breakdown of the Peccei-Quinn symmetry. In the generic NMSSM, scalar mixing among CP-even Higgs bosons is constrained by the observed properties of the SM-like Higgs boson, as well as by the LEP bound on the chargino mass and the perturbativity bound on the singlet Yukawa coupling. In the minimal PQ-NMSSM, scalar mixing is further constrained due to the presence of a light singlino-like neutralino. It is noticed that the $2\sigma$ excess of the LEP $Zb\bar b$ events at $m_{b\bar b}\simeq$ 98 GeV can be explained by a singlet-like 98 GeV Higgs boson in the minimal PQ-NMSSM with low $\tan\beta$, stops around or below 1 TeV, and light doublet-higgsinos around the weak scale.Comment: 31 pages, 4 figures; v2: references added, light stop effects discussed, bound on the Higgs invisible decay rate correcte

Heat shock factor 1 mediates the longevity conferred by inhibition of TOR and insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathways in C. elegans

Target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling is an evolutionarily well-conserved pathway that regulates various physiologic processes, including aging and metabolism. One of the key downstream components of TOR signaling is ribosomal protein S6 kinase (S6K) whose inhibition extends the lifespan of yeast, Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila, and mice. Here, we demonstrate that the activation of heat shock factor 1 (HSF-1), a crucial longevity transcription factor known to act downstream of the insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) pathway, mediates the prolonged lifespan conferred by mutations in C.elegans S6K (rsks-1). We found that hsf-1 is required for the longevity caused by down-regulation of components in TOR signaling pathways, including TOR and S6K. The induction of a small heat-shock protein hsp-16, a transcriptional target of HSF-1, mediates the long lifespan of rsks-1 mutants. Moreover, we show that synergistic activation of HSF-1 is required for the further enhanced longevity caused by simultaneous down-regulation of TOR and IIS pathways. Our findings suggest that HSF-1 acts as an essential longevity factor that intersects both IIS and TOR signaling pathways.X1144sciescopu

NUMERICAL STUDY ON THE PREDICTION OF THE BOW FLARE SLAMMING PRESSURE FOR THE CONTAINER SHIP IN REGULAR WAVE

A container ship has large flare on the bow flare region to accommodate more container recently. This flare region experiences the impact pressure due to slamming phenomenon under rough sea conditions. The impact pressure is transferred to the hull structure and the impact pressure causes structural damage. A strength assessment of the bow region is evaluated based on the empirical formulas according to various classifications. In this study, the numerical simulations were performed to compare with empirical method, and predict the bow flare slamming pressure on the container ship. It is found that the bow flare slamming pressure generated up to 625kPa near 0.975 station and the bow flare slamming pressure obtained from the formulas of the CSR and ABS tend to be similar to the CFD results

A New Integrated Framework for the Sustainable Performance of Fast Fashion Firms

Fast fashion as a manufacturing strategy has potential for satisfying consumer desires for new products at affordable prices, while making manufacturing more sustainable and efficient if managed right. To guide fast fashion firms in building more robust business model, this study proposes a new conceptual framework that incorporates a sustainable business strategy for a long-term business success