Achieving Information Integration in Supply Chain Management Through E-Hubs: Concepts and Analysis

While supply chain integration is achieved at three levels: information, resources and organization, the emphasis of the paper is placed on how information integration can be achieved through B2B e-hubs. After reviewing how e-hubs have evolved since its inception, we examine three groups of e-hubs classified by supply chain processes, namely procurement, transportation and customer relationship management, then a value-gap analysis is performed to identify the values added by the e-hubs and their potential gaps and limitations. Finally, we present a framework for integrating existing e-hubs in order to expand their functionality to provide a better solution to supply chain integration

Long-term stability studies of a semiconductor photoelectrode in three-electrode configuration

Improving the stability of semiconductor materials is one of the major challenges for sustainable and economic photoelectrochemical water splitting. N-terminated GaN nanostructures have emerged as a practical protective layer for conventional high efficiency but unstable Si and III-V photoelectrodes due to their near-perfect conduction band-alignment, which enables efficient extraction of photo-generated electrons, and N-terminated surfaces, which protects against chemical and photo-corrosion. Here, we demonstrate that Pt-decorated GaN nanostructures on an n+-p Si photocathode can exhibit an ultrahigh stability of 3000 h (i.e., over 500 days for usable sunlight ∼5.5 h per day) at a large photocurrent density (>35 mA cm-2) in three-electrode configuration under AM 1.5G one-sun illumination. The measured applied bias photon-to-current efficiency of 11.9%, with an excellent onset potential of ∼0.56 V vs. RHE, is one of the highest values reported for a Si photocathode under AM 1.5G one-sun illumination. This study provides a paradigm shift for the design and development of semiconductor photoelectrodes for PEC water splitting: stability is no longer limited by the light absorber, but rather by co-catalyst particles

On the Toda Lattice Equation with Self-Consistent Sources

The Toda lattice hierarchy with self-consistent sources and their Lax representation are derived. We construct a forward Darboux transformation (FDT) with arbitrary functions of time and a generalized forward Darboux transformation (GFDT) for Toda lattice with self-consistent sources (TLSCS), which can serve as a non-auto-Backlund transformation between TLSCS with different degrees of sources. With the help of such DT, we can construct many type of solutions to TLSCS, such as rational solution, solitons, positons, negetons, and soliton-positons, soliton-negatons, positon-negatons etc., and study properties and interactions of these solutions.Comment: 20 page

Classical Poisson structures and r-matrices from constrained flows

We construct the classical Poisson structure and $r$-matrix for some finite dimensional integrable Hamiltonian systems obtained by constraining the flows of soliton equations in a certain way. This approach allows one to produce new kinds of classical, dynamical Yang-Baxter structures. To illustrate the method we present the $r$-matrices associated with the constrained flows of the Kaup-Newell, KdV, AKNS, WKI and TG hierarchies, all generated by a 2-dimensional eigenvalue problem. Some of the obtained $r$-matrices depend only on the spectral parameters, but others depend also on the dynamical variables. For consistency they have to obey a classical Yang-Baxter-type equation, possibly with dynamical extra terms.Comment: 16 pages in LaTe

Study on Selective Laser Sintering of Eucalyptus/PES Blend and Investment Casting Technology

AbstractThe paper studies the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) of Eucalyptus/PES blend and the Investment Casting (IC) technology of the forming part. This blend is suitable for being the raw material of SLS, because not only it has low cost, but also it can be produced by SLS to form the parts with high molding precision and mechanical strength after post processing; also the prototype can be used as the investment pattern.Combining the Eucalyptus/PES blend (which is a kind of Wood Plastic Composite, WPC), SLS with IC can reduce the production cost, also shorten the product development and manufacture cycle. Meanwhile it realizes the application of low-cost WPC in precision casting production. Mould making in investment casting is an extremely important procedure, from analyzing and calculating the physical and chemical characters of the prototypes during melting. It is known that WPC parts can be burnt off by the process of low-temperature dewaxing and high-temperature roasting before investment casting. After blowing the ash off by high-pressure air, the precision of the cavity is similar to one using a wax pattern. So for single and batch production, the WPC can be used as the investment pattern of IC technology instead of wax or resin. This paper studies the investment casting technology which is suitable for patterns produced by Selective Laser Sintering of Eucalyptus/PES blend

A method to find unstable periodic orbits for the diamagnetic Kepler Problem

A method to determine the admissibility of symbolic sequences and to find the unstable periodic orbits corresponding to allowed symbolic sequences for the diamagnetic Kepler problem is proposed by using the ordering of stable and unstable manifolds. By investigating the unstable periodic orbits up to length 6, a one to one correspondence between the unstable periodic orbits and their corresponding symbolic sequences is shown under the system symmetry decomposition

Development of Materials Resistant to Metal Dusting Degradation.

Metal dusting corrosion has been a serious problem in the petroleum and petrochemical industries, such as reforming and syngas production systems. This form of deterioration has led to worldwide material loss for 50 years. For the past three years, we have studied the mechanism of metal dusting for Fe- and Ni-base alloys. In this report, we present a correlation between the weight loss and depth of pits that form in Ni-base alloys. Nickel-base alloys were also tested at 1 and 14.8 atm (210 psi), in a high carbon activity environment. Higher system pressure was found to accelerate corrosion in most Ni-base alloys. To reduce testing time, a pre-pitting method was developed. Mechanical scratches on the alloy surface led to fast metal dusting corrosion. We have also developed preliminary data on the performance of weldments of several Ni-base alloys in a metal dusting environment. Finally, Alloy 800 tubes and plates used in a reformer plant were examined by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, and Raman spectroscopy. The oxide scale on the surface of the Alloy 800 primarily consists of Fe{sub 1+x}Cr{sub 2-X}O{sub 4} spinel phase with high Fe content. Carbon can diffuse through this oxide scale. It was discovered that the growth of metal dusting pits could be stopped by means of a slightly oxidized alloy surface. This leads to a new way to solve metal dusting problem