A Unified Trading Model Based on Robust Optimization for Day-Ahead and Real-Time Markets with Wind Power Integration

In a conventional electricity market, trading is conducted based on power forecasts in the day-ahead market, while the power imbalance is regulated in the real-time market, which is a separate trading scheme. With large-scale wind power connected into the power grid, power forecast errors increase in the day-ahead market which lowers the economic efficiency of the separate trading scheme. This paper proposes a robust unified trading model that includes the forecasts of real-time prices and imbalance power into the day-ahead trading scheme. The model is developed based on robust optimization in view of the undefined probability distribution of clearing prices of the real-time market. For the model to be used efficiently, an improved quantum-behaved particle swarm algorithm (IQPSO) is presented in the paper based on an in-depth analysis of the limitations of the static character of quantum-behaved particle swarm algorithm (QPSO). Finally, the impacts of associated parameters on the separate trading and unified trading model are analyzed to verify the superiority of the proposed model and algorithm

Pricing Strategy in Online Retailing Marketplaves of Homogeneous Goods: Should High Reputation Seller Charge More?

There are two conflicting streams of research findings on pricing strategy: one is high reputation sellers should charge price premium, while the other is high reputation sellers should charge relatively low price. Motivated by this confliction, this study examines pricing strategy in online retailing marketplace of homogeneous goods. We conduct an empirical study using data collected from a dominant online retailing marketplace in China. Our research results indicate that, in online retailing marketplace of homogeneous goods, high reputation sellers should charge relatively low price, because the consumers of high reputation sellers are more price sensitive than the consumers of low reputation sellers

New solution of Einstein-Yang-Mills equations

In this paper, we show the numerical solution for spherically symmetric SU(2) EinsteinYang-Mills (EYM) equations. We show the existence of entropy weak solution for EYM

Consumers\u27 Repurchase Probability in Online Marketplace: A Belief Updating Perspective

It is commonly recognized that online transactions are “one-shot” transactions. However, a contemporary dataset from a dominant online marketplace in China reveals that averagely 24.3% transactions are repurchase transactions. Given that consumers already have purchase experience with a specific seller, their repurchase behavior may be influenced by both the seller’s reputation and their perceived seller performance. A consequent research question is: Whether and how do these two streams of information jointly affect consumers’ repurchase behavior? We adopt a belief update model, and also collect actual transaction data to examine this research question. Our findings include: (1) both seller reputation and consumers’ perceived seller performance have positive effects on consumers’ repurchase probability; (2) the effect of seller reputation is positively moderated by performance ambiguity; (3) consumers’ perceived seller performance has stronger effects on their repurchase probability when the seller has low reputation (vs. high reputation)

SEARCH AND PURCHASE IN INFORMATION-OVERLOADED RETAIL ELECTRONIC MARKETPLACE: DOES PRICE AND REPUTATIOIN MATTER?

This study explores buyers\u27 search and purchase behavior in an information-overloaded retail Electronic Marketplace (EMP). Two instrumental variables, i.e. number of visitors and number of sales for an item, are used to represent buyers\u27 search and purchase behavior. Price and reputation, two of the most frequently researched independent variables in EMP studies, are considered. The relationships between the two IVs and the two DVs are verified when transaction items are of search-type and of experience-type. This study is conducted using field data collected from Taobao (the most dominant retail EMP in China). It is found that reputation has consistent positive relationships with two DVs. Price has negative effects on two DVs. However, it might have no impacts in the case of experience-type items. Conclusively, in information overloaded EMP, reputation always matters in influencing buyers\u27 search and purchase behavior, while price only matters in the case of search-type items

N-(4-Chloro­benzyl­idene)-1-naphthyl­amine

The title compound, C17H12ClN, represents a trans isomer with respect to the C=N bond; the dihedral angle between the planes of the naphthyl and benzene groups is 66.53 (5)°

Simulation study of a novel small animal FLASH irradiator (SAFI) with integrated inverse-geometry CT based on circularly distributed kV x-ray sources

Ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) radiotherapy (RT) or FLASH-RT can potentially reduce normal tissue toxicity. A small animal irradiator that can deliver FLASH-RT treatments similar to clinical RT treatments is needed for pre-clinical studies of FLASH-RT. We designed and simulated a novel small animal FLASH irradiator (SAFI) based on distributed x-ray source technology. The SAFI system comprises a distributed x-ray source with 51 focal spots equally distributed on a 20 cm diameter ring, which are used for both FLASH-RT and onboard micro-CT imaging. Monte Carlo simulation was performed to estimate the dosimetric characteristics of the SAFI treatment beams. The maximum dose rate, which is limited by the power density of the tungsten target, was estimated based on finite-element analysis (FEA). The maximum DC electron beam current density is 2.6 mA/m

The Association of IL-12b Polymorphisms with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Chinese Han Population

Background. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex immune disease. The genetic variation in the IL-12b gene was found to associate with SLE in Caucasian population. In this study, we examined this association in Chinese Han population by a recently developed method, unlabeled probe-based high resolution melting analysis. Methods. A total of 297 SLE patients and 351 controls were recruited. Unlabeled probe-based high resolution melting analysis (HRMA) was used in genotyping. Results. Statistically significant differences were observed in both genotype and allele frequencies for rs6887695 in the SLE patients as compared with the controls. Minor allele (C) of rs6887695 (P = 0.031, OR 0.78, [95% CI 0.63-0.98]) was found to be protective against SLE. The association of SNP rs6887695 with the diagnostic criteria of SLE was also examined. Minor allele (C) exerts protective effect on the incidence of arthritis (P = 0.013, OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.47-0.92) and abnormalities of antinuclear antibody (P = 0.022, OR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.49–0.95). IL-12b SNPs were irrelevant to other diagnostic criteria of SLE. Summary. Polymorphisms of rs6887695 in IL-12b gene were associated with disease risk, as well as arthritis and antinuclear antibody synthesis, of systemic lupus erythematosus in Chinese population