Restructuring bank networks after mergers and acquisitions: A capacitated delocation model for closing and resizing branches

During restructuring processes, due to mergers and acquisitions, banks frequently face the problem of having redundant branches competing in the same market. In this work, we introduce a new Capacitated Branch Restructuring Model which extends the available literature in delocation models. It considers both closing down and long term operations׳ costs, and addresses the problem of resizing open branches in order to maintain a constant service level. We consider, as well, the presence of competitors and allow for ceding market share whenever the restructuring costs are prohibitively expensive.We test our model in a real life scenario, obtaining a reduction of about 40% of the network size, and annual savings over 45% in operation costs from the second year on. We finally perform a sensitivity analysis on critical parameters. This analysis shows that the final design of the network depends on certain strategic decisions concerning the redundancy of the branches, as well as their proximity to the demand nodes and to the competitor׳s branches. At the same time, this design is quite robust to changes in the parameters associated with the adjustments on service capacity and with the market reaction.     

Combination of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and nonlinear methods to analyze the copolymerization of phosphonic acid derivatives

We demonstrate in this study that the combination of modern inline monitoring methods [here: inline nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)] with simulations gains more exact and profound kinetic results than previously used methods like linearization without that combination. The ¹H-NMR spectroscopic data (more than 100 data points) are used to construct the copolymerization diagram. The reactivity ratios are obtained applying the van Herks nonlinear least square method. The examination of the radical copolymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) with (2-{[2-(ethoxycarbonyl)prop-2-en-1-yl]oxy}ethyl) phosphonic acid (ECPPA) as important adhesive monomer used in dentistry yields reactivity ratios of r_HEMA = 1.83; r_ECPPA = 0.42. The copolymerization diagram reflects nonideal, non-azeotropic copolymerization. The sequence distribution of the obtained by Monte Carlo simulation indicates the generation of statistical copolymers. As an important finding, it is demonstrated that the repeating units responsible for etching and adhesion are arranged over the whole polymer chain, which is necessary to achieve proper functionality. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 48256.     

Low cycle fatigue behavior of a eutectic 80Au/20Sn solder alloy

The eutectic 80Au/20Sn solder alloy is widely used in high power electronics and optoelectronics packaging. In this study, low cycle fatigue behavior of a eutectic 80Au/20Sn solder alloy is reported. The 80Au/20Sn solder shows a quasi-static fracture characteristic at high strain rates, and then gradually transforms from a transgranular fracture (dominated by fatigue damage) to intergranular fracture (dominated by creep damage) at low strain rates with increasing temperature. Coffin-Manson and Morrow models are proposed to evaluate the low cycle fatigue behavior of the 80Au/20Sn solder. Besides, the 80Au/20Sn solder has enhanced fatigue resistance compared to the 63Sn/37Pb solder.     

汽车雨挡导流片浮顶式侧抽芯机构注射模设计

介绍了一款汽车雨挡导流片异型塑件两板注射模的结构设计,该模具基于采用常规的滑块抽芯机构及斜顶机构难以实现塑件完全脱模的机构设计困难问题,突破常规设计思路,设计了一种型芯浮顶式侧抽芯机构来实现塑件的自动化注射生产。机构中,在模具开模打开后,通过顶出板及顶杆将塑件和部分成型一同顶出,而后再通过侧边二次顶出机构将塑件从局部型芯上顶出而实现塑件的完全脱模,有效地简化了模具结构设计,降低了模具的加工制造难度,降低了模具的制造成本,模具结构复杂新颖,工作稳定可靠,为异型类塑件的模具结构及机构设计创新设计提供了一个较好的案例借鉴。     

电场对竖直矩形微槽群润湿及表面温度的影响

微槽群在热流密度较大时会达到其毛细极限，可通过主动换热方式之一——电水动力学效应对其进行强化。本文为了研究电场对微槽群表面润湿特性和温度分布的影响，采用平板电极提供电场，蒸馏水作为工质，使用高速相机拍摄微槽内液体润湿长度，测量误差为2.97%～7.46%；使用红外热像仪拍摄电场作用下微槽群表面温度分布，测量误差为2.1%～2.39%。热流密度测量误差范围是9.66%～11.11%。结果表明：电场通过驱动微槽内流体向加热区域流动而提升其润湿性能，且较低热流密度下提升更好。因润湿性能的提升，微槽表面温度得以下降。随着电场增强，微槽横向温度分布的“波峰”、“波谷”差别加大，微槽纵向温度明显降低。当热流密度加大时，温降更为显著，1.4W/cm²热流密度、6kV电压下温降可达到30℃以上。温降的增加反映了电场对微槽的强化润湿进一步提升了微槽换热性能，且电场对较高热流情形下的微槽换热有着更为显著的强化效果。     

改性Kevlar纳米纤维对天然橡胶耐溶剂性能和交联密度的影响（英文）

制备了改性Kevlar纳米纤维(m-KNFs)填充天然橡胶硫化胶,研究了不同用量的m-KNFs对天然橡胶耐溶剂性能和交联密度的影响。结果表明,m-KNFs可有效增强天然橡胶的耐溶剂性能,当m-KNFs的用量为7份时,天然橡胶的溶剂吸附常数比未填充时降低了11. 7%。同时,天然橡胶的交联密度随着m-KNFs用量的增加而增大。     

Formation of Chlorotriophenoxy Radicals from Complete Series Reactions of Chlorotriophenols with H and OH Radicals

The chlorothiophenoxy radicals (CTPRs) are key intermediate species in the formation of polychlorinated dibenzothiophenes/thianthrenes (PCDT/TAs). In this work, the formation of CTPRs from the complete series reactions of 19 chlorothiophenol (CTP) congeners with H and OH radicals were investigated theoretically by using the density functional theory (DFT) method. The profiles of the potential energy surface were constructed at the MPWB1K/6-311+G(3df,2p)//MPWB1K/6-31+G(d,p) level. The rate constants were evaluated by the canonical variational transition-state (CVT) theory with the small curvature tunneling (SCT) contribution at 600–1200 K. The present study indicates that the structural parameters, thermal data, and rate constants as well as the formation potential of CTPRs from CTPs are strongly dominated by the chlorine substitution at the ortho-position of CTPs. Comparison with the study of formation of chlorophenoxy radicals (CPRs) from chlorophenols (CPs) clearly shows that the thiophenoxyl-hydrogen abstraction from CTPs by H is more efficient than the phenoxyl-hydrogen abstraction from CPs by H, whereas the thiophenoxyl-hydrogen abstraction from CTPs by OH is less impactful than the phenoxyl-hydrogen abstraction from CPs by OH. Reactions of CTPs with H can occur more readily than that of CTPs with OH, which is opposite to the reactivity comparison of CPs with H and OH.     

Optimal filtering and control for wireless networked closed-loop control systems

This article studies the optimal filtering and control for wireless networked control systems (WNCSs). In WNCSs, packets may be lost in both control and feedback channels and user datagram protocol is usually used to improve the performance of the real-time control. Relevant literature indicates that the conventional optimal filtering for such a system cannot be applied in practice due to the complex calculation with Gaussian mixtures. This paper proposes a novel scheme to realize the optimal filtering and the linear quadratic Gaussian control for WNCSs, in which the controlled node performs a local estimation and the remote-control node performs the final estimation and control, and a synchronization of two estimators is guaranteed by a communication mechanism. An optimal filtering algorithm is developed, the stability condition of the filtering error covariance is obtained, optimal finite-horizon and infinite-horizon control are derived, and the stability of the closed-loop control system is proved. Numerical simulations show the validity and feasibility of the theoretical results.