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Showing papers by "University of Science and Technology of China published in 2006"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy was applied to characterize the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) extracted from aerobic and anaerobic sludge in wastewater treatment.

627 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The shape-controlled synthesis of hematite nanostructures with a gradient in the diameters and surface areas through an improved synthetic strategy gives a guideline for the study of the size-dependent properties for functional materials as well as further applications for magnetic materials, lithium-ion batteries, and gas sensors.
Abstract: We demonstrated in this paper the shape-controlled synthesis of hematite (alpha-Fe(2)O(3)) nanostructures with a gradient in the diameters (from less than 20 nm to larger than 300 nm) and surface areas (from 5.9 to 52.3 m(2)/g) through an improved synthetic strategy by adopting a high concentration of inorganic salts and high temperature in the synthesis systems to influence the final products of hematite nanostructures. The benefits of the present work also stem from the first report on the <20-nm-diameter and porous hematite nanorods, as well as a new facile strategy to the less-than-20-nm nanorods, because the less-than-20-nm diameter size meets the vital size domain for magnetization properties in hematite. Note that the porous and nonporous hematite one-dimensional nanostructures with diameter gradients give us the first opportunity to investigate the Morin temperature evolution of nanorod diameter and porosity. Evidently, the magnetic properties for nanorods exhibit differences compared with those for the spherical particle counterparts. Hematite nanorods are strongly dependent on their diameter size and porosity, where the magnetization is not sensitive to the size evolution from submicron particles to the 60-90 nm nanorods, while the magnetic properties change significantly in the case of <20 nm. In other words, for the magnetic properties of nanorods, in a comparable size range, the porous existence could also influence the magnetic behavior. Moreover, applications in formaldehyde (HCHO) gas sensors and lithium batteries for the hematite nanostructures with the diameter/surface area gradient reveal that the performance of electrochemical and gas-sensor properties strongly depends on the diameter size and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas, which is consistent with the crystalline point of view. Thus, this work not only provides the first example of the fabrication of hematite nanostructure sensors for detecting HCHO gas, but also reveals that the surface area or diameter size of hematite nanorods can also influence the lithium intercalation performances. These results give us a guideline for the study of the size-dependent properties for functional materials as well as further applications for magnetic materials, lithium-ion batteries, and gas sensors.

613 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A generalized routing algorithm is given to find the so-called efficient path, which considers the possible congestion in the nodes along actual paths, to improve the transportation efficiency on complex networks.
Abstract: We propose a routing strategy to improve the transportation efficiency on complex networks. Instead of using the routing strategy for shortest path, we give a generalized routing algorithm to find the so-called efficient path, which considers the possible congestion in the nodes along actual paths. Since the nodes with the largest degree are very susceptible to traffic congestion, an effective way to improve traffic and control congestion, as our strategy, can be redistributing traffic load in central nodes to other noncentral nodes. Simulation results indicate that the network capability in processing traffic is improved more than 10 times by optimizing the efficient path, which is in good agreement with the analysis.

568 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
17 Aug 2006-Nature
TL;DR: High-angular-resolution observations of a representative luminous star-forming galaxy when the Universe was only 20% of its current age suggest rapid assembly, fragmentation and conversion to stars of an initially very gas-rich protodisk, with no obvious evidence for a major merger.
Abstract: Observations and theoretical simulations have established a framework for galaxy formation and evolution in the young Universe. Galaxies formed as baryonic gas cooled at the centres of collapsing dark-matter haloes; mergers of haloes and galaxies then led to the hierarchical build-up of galaxy mass. It remains unclear, however, over what timescales galaxies were assembled and when and how bulges and disks--the primary components of present-day galaxies--were formed. It is also puzzling that the most massive galaxies were more abundant and were forming stars more rapidly at early epochs than expected from models. Here we report high-angular-resolution observations of a representative luminous star-forming galaxy when the Universe was only 20% of its current age. A large and massive rotating protodisk is channelling gas towards a growing central stellar bulge hosting an accreting massive black hole. The high surface densities of gas, the high rate of star formation and the moderately young stellar ages suggest rapid assembly, fragmentation and conversion to stars of an initially very gas-rich protodisk, with no obvious evidence for a major merger.

522 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed the impact of population, affluence and technology on the total CO 2 emissions of countries at different income levels over the period 1975-2000, showing that economic growth has the greatest impact on emissions, and the proportion of the population between ages 15 and 64 has the least impact.

500 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
S. Schael1, R. Barate, R. Bruneliere, I. De Bonis  +1279 moreInstitutions (141)
TL;DR: In this paper, four LEP collaborations, ALEPH, DELPHI, L3 and OPAL, have searched for the neutral Higgs bosons which are predicted by the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM).
Abstract: The four LEP collaborations, ALEPH, DELPHI, L3 and OPAL, have searched for the neutral Higgs bosons which are predicted by the Minimal Supersymmetric standard model (MSSM). The data of the four collaborations are statistically combined and examined for their consistency with the background hypothesis and with a possible Higgs boson signal. The combined LEP data show no significant excess of events which would indicate the production of Higgs bosons. The search results are used to set upper bounds on the cross-sections of various Higgs-like event topologies. The results are interpreted within the MSSM in a number of “benchmark” models, including CP-conserving and CP-violating scenarios. These interpretations lead in all cases to large exclusions in the MSSM parameter space. Absolute limits are set on the parameter cosβ and, in some scenarios, on the masses of neutral Higgs bosons.

494 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A detailed examination of the performances of each algorithm reveals that the iterative spatial domain cross-correlation algorithm (Newton–Raphson method) is more accurate, but much slower than other algorithms, and is recommended for use in these applications.
Abstract: Developments in digital image correlation in the last two decades have made it a popular and effective tool for full-field displacement and strain measurements in experimental mechanics In digital image correlation, the use of the sub-pixel registration algorithm is regarded as the key technique to improve accuracy Different types of sub-pixel registration algorithms have been developed However, little quantitative research has been carried out to compare their performances This paper investigates three types of the most commonly used sub-pixel displacement registration algorithms in terms of the registration accuracy and the computational efficiency using computer-simulated speckle images A detailed examination of the performances of each algorithm reveals that the iterative spatial domain cross-correlation algorithm (Newton–Raphson method) is more accurate, but much slower than other algorithms, and is recommended for use in these applications

477 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Zircon U-Pb dating, Hf and O isotope analyses were carried out for ultrahigh-pressure eclogite and felsic gneiss from the Dabie orogen in China.

451 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown that a supply chain can be deemed as efficient while its members may be inefficient in DEA-terms, and several DEA-based non-linear programs can be treated as parametric linear programming problems, and best solutions can be obtained via a heuristic technique.
Abstract: An appropriate performance measurement system is an important requirement for the effective management of a supply chain. Two hurdles are present in measuring the performance of a supply chain and its members. One is the existence of multiple measures that characterize the performance of chain members, and for which data must be acquired; the other is the existence of conflicts between the members of the chain with respect to specific measures. Conventional data envelopment analysis (DEA) cannot be employed directly to measure the performance of supply chain and its members, because of the existence of the intermediate measures connecting the supply chain members. In this paper it is shown that a supply chain can be deemed as efficient while its members may be inefficient in DEA-terms. The current study develops several DEA-based approaches for characterizing and measuring supply chain efficiency when intermediate measures are incorporated into the performance evaluation. The models are illustrated in a seller-buyer supply chain context, when the relationship between the seller and buyer is treated first as one of leader-follower, and second as one that is cooperative. In the leader-follower structure, the leader is first evaluated, and then the follower is evaluated using information related to the leader's efficiency. In the cooperative structure, the joint efficiency which is modelled as the average of the seller's and buyer's efficiency scores is maximized, and both supply chain members are evaluated simultaneously. Non-linear programming problems are developed to solve these new supply chain efficiency models. It is shown that these DEA-based non-linear programs can be treated as parametric linear programming problems, and best solutions can be obtained via a heuristic technique. The approaches are demonstrated with a numerical example.

434 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a detailed X-ray spectral analysis of the sources in the 1Ms catalog of the Chandra Deep Field South (CDFS) taking advantage of optical spectroscopy and photometric redshifts for 321 extragalactic sources is presented.
Abstract: We present a detailed X-ray spectral analysis of the sources in the 1Ms catalog of the Chandra Deep Field South (CDFS) taking advantage of optical spectroscopy and photometric redshifts for 321 extragalactic sources out of the total sample of 347 sources. As a default spectral model, we adopt a power law with slope Γ with an intrinsic redshifted absorption N H , a fixed Galactic absorption and an unresolved Fe emission line. For 82 X-ray bright sources, we are able to perform the X-ray spectral analysis leaving both Γ and N H free. The weighted mean value for the slope of the power law is (F) ≃ 1.75 ± 0.02, and the distribution of best fit values shows an intrinsic dispersion of σ int ≃ 0.30. We do not find hints of a correlation between the spectral index r and the intrinsic absorption column density N H . We then investigate the absorption distribution for the whole sample, deriving the N H values in faint sources by fixing r = 1.8. We also allow for the presence of a scattered component at soft energies with the same slope of the main power law, and for a pure reflection spectrum typical of Compton-thick AGN. We detect the presence of a scattered soft component in 8 sources; we also identify 14 sources showing a reflection-dominated spectrum. The latter are referred to as Compton-thick AGN candidates. By correcting for both incompleteness and sampling-volume effects, we recover the intrinsic N H distribution representative of the whole AGN population, f(N H )dN H , from the observed one. f(N H ) shows a lognormal shape, peaking around log(N H ) ≃ 23.1 and with σ ≃ 1.1. Interestingly, such a distribution shows continuity between the population of Compton-thin and that of Compton-thick AGN. We find that the fraction of absorbed sources (with N H > 10 22 cm -2 ) in the sample is constant (at the level of about 75%) or moderately increasing with redshift. Finally, we compare the optical classification to the X-ray spectral properties, confirming that the correspondence of unabsorbed (absorbed) X-ray sources to optical type I (type II) AGN is accurate for at least 80% of the sources with spectral identification (1/3 of the total X-ray sample).

432 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
V. M. Abazov1, Brad Abbott2, M. Abolins3, Bobby Samir Acharya4  +814 moreInstitutions (74)
TL;DR: The D0 experiment enjoyed a very successful data-collection run at the Fermilab Tevatron collider between 1992 and 1996 as discussed by the authors, and the detector has been upgraded to take advantage of improvements to the Tevoton and to enhance its physics capabilities.
Abstract: The D0 experiment enjoyed a very successful data-collection run at the Fermilab Tevatron collider between 1992 and 1996. Since then, the detector has been upgraded to take advantage of improvements to the Tevatron and to enhance its physics capabilities. We describe the new elements of the detector, including the silicon microstrip tracker, central fiber tracker, solenoidal magnet, preshower detectors, forward muon detector, and forward proton detector. The uranium/liquid-argon calorimeters and central muon detector, remaining from Run I, are discussed briefly. We also present the associated electronics, triggering, and data acquisition systems, along with the design and implementation of software specific to D0.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A novel marker-controlled watershed based on mathematical morphology is proposed, which can effectively segment clustered cells with less oversegmentation and design a tracking method based on modified mean shift algorithm, in which several kernels with adaptive scale, shape, and direction are designed.
Abstract: It is important to observe and study cancer cells' cycle progression in order to better understand drug effects on cancer cells. Time-lapse microscopy imaging serves as an important method to measure the cycle progression of individual cells in a large population. Since manual analysis is unreasonably time consuming for the large volumes of time-lapse image data, automated image analysis is proposed. Existing approaches dealing with time-lapse image data are rather limited and often give inaccurate analysis results, especially in segmenting and tracking individual cells in a cell population. In this paper, we present a new approach to segment and track cell nuclei in time-lapse fluorescence image sequence. First, we propose a novel marker-controlled watershed based on mathematical morphology, which can effectively segment clustered cells with less oversegmentation. To further segment undersegmented cells or to merge oversegmented cells, context information among neighboring frames is employed, which is proved to be an effective strategy. Then, we design a tracking method based on modified mean shift algorithm, in which several kernels with adaptive scale, shape, and direction are designed. Finally, we combine mean-shift and Kalman filter to achieve a more robust cell nuclei tracking method than existing ones. Experimental results show that our method can obtain 98.8% segmentation accuracy, 97.4% cell division tracking accuracy, and 97.6% cell tracking accuracy

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the emission lines and continua of NLS1s were measured accurately with typical uncertainties < 10% for the SDSS DR3 data set and various statistical analyses were carried out, some of which were only possible for the first time.
Abstract: This is the first paper in a series dedicated to the study of the emission-line and continuum properties of narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s). We carried out a systematic search for NLS1s from objects assigned as "QSOs'' or "galaxies'' in the spectroscopic sample of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 3 (SDSS DR3) by a careful modeling of their emission lines and continua. The result is a uniform sample comprising similar to 2000 NLS1s. This sample dramatically increases the number of known NLS1s by a factor of similar to 10 over previous compilations. This paper presents the parameters of the prominent emission lines and continua, which were measured accurately with typical uncertainties < 10%. Taking advantage of such an unprecedented large and uniform sample with accurately measured spectral parameters, we carried out various statistical analyses, some of which were only possible for the first time. The main results found are as follows. (1) Within the overall Seyfert 1 population, the incidence of NLS1s is strongly dependent on the optical, X-ray, and radio luminosities as well as the radio loudness. The fraction of NLS1s peaks around SDSS g-band absolute magnitude M-g similar to -22 mag in the optical and similar to 10(43.2) ergs s(-1) in the soft X-ray band, and decreases quickly as the radio loudness increases. (2) On average the relative Fe II emission, R-4570 = Fe II lambda lambda 4434-4684/H beta, in NLS1s is about twice that in normal active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and is anticorrelated with the broad component width of the Balmer emission lines. (3) The well-known anticorrelation between the width of broad low-ionization lines and the soft X-ray spectral slope for broad line AGNs extends down to FWHM similar to 1000 km s(-1) in NLS1s, but the trend appears to reverse at still smaller line widths. (4) The equivalent width of H beta and Fe II emission lines are strongly correlated with the H beta and continuum luminosities. (5) We do not find any difference between NLS1s and normal AGNs in regard to the narrow line region. (6) We have examined the black hole mass versus stellar velocity dispersion (M-BH-sigma(*)) relation for a subsample of 308 NLS1s for which sigma(*) could be measured directly from fitting the starlight in the SDSS spectra with our stellar spectral templates. A significant correlation between M-BH and sigma(*) is found, but with the bulk of black hole masses falling below the values expected from the M-BH-sigma(*) relation for normal galaxies and normal AGNs. This result indicates that NLS1s are underage AGNs, where the growth of the SMBH lags behind the formation of the galactic bulge. (7) We also find that the FWHM of [N II] line is well correlated with sigma(*) in 206 NLS1s, for which both parameters could be derived with reasonable accuracy. The [N II] width can predict the stellar velocity dispersion to an accuracy of similar to 30%. A similar M-BH-sigma(*) relation could be found for a larger sample of 613 NLS1s on making use of the more reliable measurements of FWHM[N II].

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Lim et al. as discussed by the authors proposed a general thin plate theory including surface effects, which can be used for size-dependent static and dynamic analysis of plate-like thin film structures, and some numerical examples are provided to verify the validities of the theory.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Using a combination of static and dynamic laser scattering, this article examined the association and dissociation of linear poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) chains in dilute aqueous solutions.
Abstract: Using a combination of static and dynamic laser scattering, we examined the association and dissociation of linear poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) chains in dilute aqueous solutions There exists a hysteresis in the temperature dependence of the average hydrodynamic radius (〈Rh〉), average radius of gyration (〈Rg〉), and apparent weight-average molar mass (Mw,app) in one heating-and-cooling cycle In the heating process, the chains first undergo intrachain contraction before interchain association to form stable aggregates at temperatures much higher than the lower critical solution temperature (LCST ∼ 32 °C) of PNIPAM in water In the cooling process before the solution temperature approaches the LCST, Mw,app remains a constant and both 〈Rg〉 and 〈Rh〉 increase, but the ratio of 〈Rg〉/〈Rh〉 decreases In other words, the aggregates undergo an unevenly swelling; namely, the periphery swells more than the center, and there is no chain dissociation FTIR spectra reveal that as the temperature increases, the

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a combined study of zircon U-Pb dating, Hf and O isotope analyses was carried out for metasediments and amphibolite from the Kongling terrane, the only Archean microcontinent outcropped in South China.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This work investigates the number of packets of each node depending on its degree in the free flow state and observes the power law behavior to indicate that some fundamental relationships exist between the dynamics of synchronization and traffic on the scale-free networks.
Abstract: We propose a packet routing strategy with a tunable parameter based on the local structural information of a scale-free network. As free traffic flow on the communication networks is key to their normal and efficient functioning, we focus on the network capacity that can be measured by the critical point of phase transition from free flow to congestion. Simulations show that the maximal capacity corresponds to alpha= -1 in the case of identical nodes' delivering ability. To explain this, we investigate the number of packets of each node depending on its degree in the free flow state and observe the power law behavior. Other dynamic properties including average packets traveling time and traffic load are also studied. Inspiringly, our results indicate that some fundamental relationships exist between the dynamics of synchronization and traffic on the scale-free networks.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, an adaptive tuned vibration absorber (ATVA) based on the unique characteristics of magnetorheological elastomers (MREs), whose modulus can be controlled by an applied magnetic field.
Abstract: In this technical note we develop an adaptive tuned vibration absorber (ATVA) based on the unique characteristics of magnetorheological elastomers (MREs), whose modulus can be controlled by an applied magnetic field. The MRE used in the developed ATVA was prepared by curing a mixture of 704 silicon rubber, carbonyl iron particles and a small amount of silicone oil under a magnetic field. The ATVA works in shear mode and consists of an oscillator, smart spring elements with MREs, a magnet conductor and two coils. Natural frequencies of the ATVA under different magnetic fields were both theoretically analyzed and experimentally evaluated by employing a beam structure with two ends supported. The experimental results demonstrated that the natural frequency of the ATVA can be tuned from 55 to 82 Hz. The relative frequency change is as high as 147%. Furthermore, the absorption capacity of the developed ATVA can achieve as high as 60 dB, which was also experimentally justified.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a combined study of zircon U-Pb dating and Hf isotope analyses for the Kongling migmatite and gneiss from this craton reveals the existence of 3.5-Ga crustal fragments.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, four populations of zircons are recognized by U-Pb analyses of the Neoproterozoic Liantuo Formation in the northern part of the Yangtze Block, South China.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a combined study of geochronology and geochemistry was carried out for Neoproterozoic granodiorites at the southeastern margin of the Yangtze Block in South China, and the results demonstrate that sedimentary rocks derived from juvenile crust were melted to form strongly peraluminous granite in an arc-continent collision zone, resulting in continental growth.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Interestingly, it is found that the frequency of cooperation of the MBSG on a scale-free network peaks at a specific value of the payoff parameter, indicating that properly encouraging selfish behaviors can optimally enhance the cooperation.
Abstract: We present a memory-based snowdrift game (MBSG) taking place on networks. We found that, when a lattice is taken to be the underlying structure, the transition of spatial patterns at some critical values of the payoff parameter is observable for both four- and eight-neighbor lattices. The transition points as well as the styles of spatial patterns can be explained by local stability analysis. In sharp contrast to previously reported results, cooperation is promoted by the spatial structure in the MBSG. Interestingly, we found that the frequency of cooperation of the MBSG on a scale-free network peaks at a specific value of the payoff parameter. This phenomenon indicates that properly encouraging selfish behaviors can optimally enhance the cooperation. The memory effects of individuals are discussed in detail and some non-monotonous phenomena are observed on both lattices and scale-free networks. Our work may shed some new light on the study of evolutionary games over networks.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, an aluminum-alloy flat-box type PVT collector was constructed, with its fin efficiency approaching unity, for natural circulation and for domestic water heating purpose, and the test results showed that a high final hot water temperature in the collector system can be achieved after a one-day exposure.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It has been demonstrated that the bismuth sulfide's morphology and the constant charge-discharge current density had a noticeable influence on their capacity of electrochemical hydrogen storage.
Abstract: Bi2S3 flowerlike patterns with well-aligned nanorods were synthesized using a facile solution-phase biomolecule-assisted approach in the presence of L-cysteine (an ordinary and cheap amino acid), which turned out to serve as both the S source and the directing molecule in the formation of bismuth sulfide nanostructures. Emphatically, no nauseous scent (H2S) appeared in our experiments, which could not be avoided in other previous reports. The morphology, structure, and phase composition of the as-prepared Bi2S3 products were characterized using various techniques (scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy). The formation mechanism for the bismuth sulfide flowerlike assemblies with well-arranged nanorods was also discussed. In addition, other Bi2S3 homogeneous nanostructures (e.g., networklike nanoflakes, nanorod-based bundles, and nanoflakes) were obtained through varying the experimental parameters. Interestingly, we have found that these synthesized bismuth sulfide nanostructures using the biomoleucle-assisted approach could electrochemically charge and discharge with the capacity of 142 (mA h)/g (corresponding to 0.51 wt % hydrogen in single-walled carbon nanotubes) under normal atmosphere at room temperature. A novel two-plateau phenomenon was observed in the synthesized Bi2S3 nanostructures, suggesting that there were two independent steps in the charging process. It has been demonstrated that the bismuth sulfide's morphology and the constant charge-discharge current density had a noticeable influence on their capacity of electrochemical hydrogen storage. These differences in hydrogen storage capacity are likely due to the size and density of space/pores as well as the morphology of different Bi2S3 nanostructures. The novel Bi2S3 nanomaterials may find potential applications in hydrogen storage, high-energy batteries, luminescence, optoelectronic and catalytic fields, as well as in the studies of structure-property relationships. This facile, environmentally benign, and solution-phase biomolecule-assisted method can be potentially extended to the preparation of other metal chalcogenides including FeS, CuS, NiS, PbS, MnS, and CoS nanostructures.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: When the alpha-MnO2 hollow urchin samples were used as the cathode material in Li batteries, they performed better than the other alpha-O2 samples (solid urchins and dispersed nanorods), indicating that the electrochemical performance of the electrode material is sensitive to its morphology.
Abstract: Novel alpha-MnO2 hollow urchins were synthesized on a large scale by a facile and efficient low-temperature (60 degrees C) mild reduction route, without templates or surfactants in the system. The formation mechanism for the hollow urchins was proved to be the Ostwald ripening process by tracking the crystallization and morphology of the product at different reaction stages. The as-prepared hollow-urchin sample has a high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of 132 m(2)/g and a mesoporous structure, which were expected to help improve the electrochemical property in Li+ batteries. When the alpha-MnO2 hollow urchins were used as the cathode material in Li batteries, they performed better than the other alpha-MnO2 samples (solid urchins and dispersed nanorods), indicating that the electrochemical performance of the electrode material is sensitive to its morphology. This synthetic procedure is straightforward and inexpensive and thus facilitates mass production of alpha-MnO2 hollow urchins.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, an innovative technique of integration within an ordered product (IWOP) of operators was proposed, which made the integration of non-commutative operators possible and further revealed the beauty and elegance of Dirac's symbolic method and transformation theory.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper integrates data envelopment analysis (DEA) and neural networks (NNs) to examine the relative branch efficiency of a big Canadian bank and the results are comparable.
Abstract: In today's economy and society, the banking industry is of great importance to every one of us. We all depend on the efficiency and quality of services that the banking industry provides. With the improvement in technology, the competition in the banking industry has become increasingly intense. Therefore, performance analyses in the banking industry attract more and more attention. This paper integrates data envelopment analysis (DEA) and neural networks (NNs) to examine the relative branch efficiency of a big Canadian bank. The results are compared with the normal DEA results. On the whole they are comparable. Furthermore, the guidance on how to improve the branch performance is given. Neural networks are also applied to do short-term efficiency prediction. Finally, the comparison between these two approaches is presented.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The dependence of the amplitude of wp(r(p)) on concentration on scales less than 1 h(-1) Mpc is strongest for disc-dominated galaxies with C < 2.6 as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: We use a sample of similar to 200 000 galaxies drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) with 0.01 5 h(-1) Mpc). This large-scale clustering dependence is not seen for the parameters C or mu*. On small scales ( 1.5. In contrast, the dependence of the amplitude of wp(r(p)) on concentration on scales less than 1 h(-1) Mpc is strongest for disc-dominated galaxies with C < 2.6. This demonstrates that different processes are required to explain environmental trends in the structure and in the star formation history of galaxies.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, an aluminum-alloy flat-box type hybrid solar collector functioned as a thermosyphon system was constructed, and the test results indicated that the daily thermal efficiency could reach around 40% when the initial water-temperature in the system is the same as the daily mean ambient temperature.

Journal ArticleDOI
27 Sep 2006-Langmuir
TL;DR: Morphological and structural characterizations indicate that the shells of as-prepared In(OH)3 hollow microspheres were constructed by numerous nanocubes about 80 nm in size, and these properties derived from special microstructures are significant in the synthesis and future applications of functional nanomaterials.
Abstract: In this work, well-shaped In(OH)3 hollow microspheres have been successfully prepared via a novel surfactant-free vesicle−template−interface route in the “formamide−resorcinol−water” system, in which spontaneous vesicles were formed under hydrothermal conditions and NH3 from the hydrolysis of formamide acted as the OH- provider. Morphological and structural characterizations indicate that the shells of as-prepared In(OH)3 hollow microspheres were constructed by numerous nanocubes about 80 nm in size. As desired, In2O3 hollow microspheres were obtained from annealing the designed In(OH)3 precursors, and the as-obtained In2O3 hollow microspheres performed well as a gas-sensing material in response to both ethanol and formaldehyde gases and as a photocatalyst for photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B. The facile preparation method and the improved properties derived from special microstructures are significant in the synthesis and future applications of functional nanomaterials.