8,086 research outputs found
Hedging effectiveness of US soybean oil futures
This paper study the hedging effectiveness of US Soybean oil Futures. Soybean oil was the most consumable vegetable oil in the world and the United State was the largest soybean oil exporter. Besides, the commodity market was highly impacted by the recent pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war which might have affected the hedging effectiveness. At the same time, this paper will also examine the price volatility before and after the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. The spot and futures prices for US soybean oil are used in this paper, on a daily frequency from 1st May 2012 to 30th June 2022 which is approximate a 10-year data. The data will be split into three sub-period comprised of the pre-Covid period starting from 1st May 2012 to 10th March 2020, the Covid period starting from 11th March 2020 to 23rd February 2022, and the Russia-Ukraine war period starting from 24th February 2022 to 30th June 2022. This study employed the OLS, B-VAR, B-VEC, DVEC M-GARCH, and CCC M-GARCH to compute the optimal hedge ratio. Besides, this paper also utilizes the GARCH (1,1) model for price volatility. The findings show that the hedging effectiveness during the pre-Covid period was higher than Covid and Russia-Ukraine war period as in its underlying spot position a greater percentage of risk reduction was realized. However, the result from the multivariate GARCH model has a lower risk reduction percentage than the constant hedge ratio during the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war which is opposed to the previous literature. This is because most of the literature concludes that the dynamic hedge model provides a greater hedge ratio than constant hedge models such as Park and Switzer
N-Ethyl-3,5-dinitrobenzamide
In the title molecule, C9H9N3O5, the dihedral angle between the mean planes of the amide group and the benzene ring is 31.24 (14)°. In the crystal, N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the molecules to form one-dimensional chains propagating in [100]
Holographic non-relativistic fermionic fixed point and bulk dipole coupling
Inspired by the recently discovered non-relativistic fermionic fixed points,
we investigate how the presence of bulk dipole coupling modifies the spectral
function at one of these novel fixed points. As a result, although the infinite
flat band is always visible in the presence of the bulk dipole coupling as well
as chemical potential, the band is modified in a remarkable way at small
momenta up to the order of magnitude of bulk dipole coupling. On the other
hand, like a phoenix, a new Fermi surface sprouts from the formed gap when the
bulk dipole coupling is pushed up further such as to overshadow the charge
parameter, which is obviously different from what is found at the relativistic
fixed points.Comment: JHEP style, 1+17 pages, 9 figures, 1 table, typos corrected,
references added, version to appear in JHE
Uncertainty quantification for CO2 sequestration and enhanced oil recovery
This study develops a statistical method to perform uncertainty
quantification for understanding CO2 storage potential within an enhanced oil
recovery (EOR) environment at the Farnsworth Unit of the Anadarko Basin in
northern Texas. A set of geostatistical-based Monte Carlo simulations of
CO2-oil-water flow and reactive transport in the Morrow formation are conducted
for global sensitivity and statistical analysis of the major uncertainty
metrics: net CO2 injection, cumulative oil production, cumulative gas (CH4)
production, and net water injection. A global sensitivity and response surface
analysis indicates that reservoir permeability, porosity, and thickness are the
major intrinsic reservoir parameters that control net CO2 injection/storage and
oil/gas recovery rates. The well spacing and the initial water saturation also
have large impact on the oil/gas recovery rates. Further, this study has
revealed key insights into the potential behavior and the operational
parameters of CO2 sequestration at CO2-EOR sites, including the impact of
reservoir characterization uncertainty; understanding this uncertainty is
critical in terms of economic decision making and the cost-effectiveness of CO2
storage through EOR.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, in press, Energy Procedia, 201
N,4-Dimethylbenzamide
In the crystal of the title compound, C9H11NO, molecules are connected via intermolecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a one-dimensional network in the b-axis direction. The dihedral angle between the amide group and the benzyl ring is 13.8 (2)°
Enhancement of tolerance development to morphine in rats prenatally exposed to morphine, methadone, and buprenorphine
[[abstract]]BACKGROUND: Abuse of addictive substances is a serious problem that has a significant impact on areas such as health, the economy, and public safety. Heroin use among young women of reproductive age has drawn much attention around the world. However, there is a lack of information on effects of prenatal exposure to opioids on their offspring. In this study, an animal model was established to study effects of prenatal exposure to opioids on offspring. METHODS: Female pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were sub-grouped to receive (1) vehicle, (2) 2-4 mg/kg morphine (1 mg/kg increment per week), (3) 7 mg/kg methadone, and (4) 3 mg/kg buprenorphine, subcutaneously, once or twice a day from E3 to E20. The experiments were conducted on animals 8-12 weeks old and with body weight between 250 and 350 g. RESULTS: Results showed that prenatal exposure to buprenorphine caused higher mortality than other tested substance groups. Although we observed a significantly lower increase in body weight in all of the opioid-administered dams, the birth weight of the offspring was not altered in all treated groups. Moreover, no obvious behavioral abnormality or body-weight difference was noted during the growing period (8-12 weeks) in all offspring. When the male offspring received morphine injection twice a day for 4 days, the prenatally opioid-exposed rats more quickly developed a tolerance to morphine (as shown by the tail-flick tests), most notably the prenatally buprenorphine-exposed offspring. However, the tolerance development to methadone or buprenorphine was not different in offspring exposed prenatally to methadone or buprenorphine, respectively, when compared with that of the vehicle controlled group. Similar results were also obtained in the female animals. CONCLUSIONS: Animals prenatally exposed to morphine, methadone, or buprenorphine developed tolerance to morphine faster than their controlled mates. In our animal model, prenatal exposure to buprenorphine also resulted in higher mortality and much less sensitivity to morphine-induced antinociception than prenatal exposure to morphine or methadone. This indicates that buprenorphine in higher doses may not be an ideal maintenance drug for treating pregnant women. This study provides a reference in selecting doses for clinical usage in treating pregnant heroin addicts
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF CHLORIDE-INDUCED STRESS CORROSION CRACKING (CISCC) FOR AUSTENITIC SUS 304L UNDER THERMAL INSULATION
Chloride-Induced Stress Corrosion Cracking (CISCC) has been frequently reported in the petrochemical industries where it usually causes failure to the austenitic stainless steel structures encased with thermal insulation in a chloride-containing environment. This study aims to analyze and evaluate the risk of chloride concentration and different types of insulation materials on CISCC of Austenitic SUS 304L. The experimental study was carried out for 14 days using U-bend specimens through the Drip Test apparatus, as per ASTM G30 and ASTM C692. U-Bend specimens were installed onto the test rig and shielded with different insulation materials. Sodium chloride (NaCl) salt solutions were periodically dripped onto the specimens, to simulate the wet and dry cycle. Insulation materials used were rockwool, calcium silicate and perlite, whereas the concentrations of NaCl solutions were set at 0.1, 1.0 and 3.5 wt.%. The specimens were inspected using
dye penetration tests (DPT), stereo microscope and optical microscope throughout the study to determine the CISCC susceptibility. Results showed that cracking was observed on the specimen with rockwool insulation at 3.5 wt% NaCl and 90°C. Rockwool has a high water absorption capacity at which saltwater will evaporate when in contact with a hot metal surface, resulting in the build-up of salt deposits of high concentration over time. SCC was not observed on other specimens with different conditions, but salt deposits, general corrosion and pitting corrosion were found. From the study, the thermal insulation of rockwool was found to have the highest tendency to cause SCC, followed by calcium silicate and perlite
Assessment of latent tuberculosis infection in psychiatric inpatients: A survey after tuberculosis outbreaks
AbstractBackground/PurposeTo investigate risk factors of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among inpatients of chronic psychiatric wards with tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks.MethodsIn April 2013, inpatients of four all-male wards with TB outbreaks were tested for LTBI using the QuantiFERON-TB Gold in Tube (QFT) method. Based on this investigation, a retrospective study was conducted to assess risk factors for LTBI. Inpatients exposed to cluster-A or cluster-B TB cases were defined as contacts of cluster-A or cluster-B, and others, as nonclustered contacts.ResultsAmong 355 inpatients with TB exposure, 134 (38%) were QFT-positive for LTBI. Univariate analysis showed that significant predictors for QFT-positivity were age, case-days of exposure to all TB cases (TB-all) and to sputum smear positive cases, number of source cases with cough, and exposure to cluster-A TB cases. Independent risk factors for LTBI were higher age [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.03, 95% confidence intervals (CI: 1.01–1.05)], TB-all exposure case-days ≥ 200 [adjusted OR 2.04 (1.06–3.92)] and exposure to cluster-A TB cases [adjusted OR 2.82 (1.30–6.12)] after adjustment for the sputum smear positivity, and cough variables of the source cases. The contacts of cluster-A had a greater risk of LTBI than did those of cluster-B, especially in the younger population (≤50 years) after adjustment [adjusted OR 2.64 (1.03–6.76)].ConclusionAfter TB outbreaks, more than one third of inpatients were QFT-positive for LTBI. Our findings suggest that, beside the infectiousness of source cases, intensity of exposure, and age of contacts, exposure to TB cases in potential genotyping clusters may be predictive for LTBI in this male psychiatric population
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