The effects of polymer chain rigidification, zeolite pore size and pore blockage on polyethersulfone (PES)-zeolite A mixed matrix membranes

The polyethersulfone (PES)-zeolite 3A, 4A and 5A mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) were fabricated with a modified solution-casting procedure at high temperatures close to the glass transition temperatures (T_g) of polymer materials. The effects of membrane preparation methodology, zeolite loading and pore size of zeolite on the gas separation performance of these mixed matrix membranes were studied. SEM results show the interface between polymer and zeolite in MMMs experiencing natural cooling is better (i.e., less defective) than that in MMMs experiencing immediate quenching. The increment of glass transition temperature (T_g) of MMMs with zeolite loading confirms the polymer chain rigidification induced by zeolite. The experimental results indicate that a higher zeolite loading results in a decrease in gas permeability and an increase in gas pair selectivity. The unmodified Maxwell model fails to correctly predict the permeability decrease induced by polymer chain rigidification near the zeolite surface and the partial pore blockage of zeolites by the polymer chains. A new modified Maxwell model is therefore proposed. It takes the combined effects of chain rigidification and partial pore blockage of zeolites into calculation. The new model shows much consistent permeability and selectivity predication with experimental data. Surprisingly, an increase in zeolite pore size from 3 to 5 Å generally not only increase gas permeability, but also gas pair selectivity. The O₂/N₂ selectivity of PES-zeolite 3A and PES-zeolite 4A membranes is very similar, while the O₂/N₂ selectivity of PES-zeolite 5A membranes is much higher. This implies the blockage may narrow a part of zeolite 5A pores to approximately 4 Å, which can discriminate the gas pair of O₂ and N₂, and narrow a part of zeolites 3A and 4A pores to smaller sizes. It is concluded that the partial pore blockage of zeolites by the polymer chains has equivalent or more influence on the separation properties of mixed matrix membranes compared with that of the polymer chain rigidification.     

农业供应链金融能有效缓解企业的融资约束？——涉农企业参与精准扶贫的实证研究

农业供应链金融为涉农企业融资难问题提供了新思路。本文以上市涉农上市企业2016~2018年的财务数据为样本,探讨了农业供应链金融对缓解企业融资约束的影响,以及涉农企业参与精准扶贫对缓解融资约束的调节作用。研究发现:涉农企业普遍面临融资约束问题,而农业供应链金融显著缓解了涉农企业的融资约束,且对参与精准扶贫企业的融资约束缓解更为显著。本文揭示了:农业供应链金融能有效缓解涉农企业的融资约束问题,再次证明了农业供应链金融缓解涉农企业融资约束的重要性和必要性,拓展了供应链金融研究的领域,同时对企业参与精准扶贫,响应新时期涉农企业社会责任的具体要求,形成政府、企业等共同承担社会责任的多元化减贫治理机制,助力乡村振兴提供相应借鉴。     

Set controllability of Markov jump switching Boolean control networks and its applications

In this article, a novel method is proposed for investigating the set controllability of Markov jump switching Boolean control networks (MJSBCNs). Specifically, the switching signal is described as a discrete-time homogeneous Markov chain. By resorting to the expectation and switching indicator function, an expectation system is constructed. Based on the expectation system, a novel verifiable condition is established for solving the set reachability of MJSBCNs. With the newly obtained results on set reachability, a necessary and sufficient condition is further derived for the set controllability of MJSBCNs. The obtained results are applied to Boolean control networks with Markov jump time delays. Examples are demonstrated to justify the theoretical results.     

The nearest neighbor random walk on subspaces of a vector space and rate of convergence

LetX be the collection ofk-dimensional subspaces of ann-dimensional vector spaceV _n overGF(q). A metric may be defined onX by letting

Ground-state energy of a quantum chain with competing interactions

We show rigorously that the ground state of a quantum chain with competing ferromagnetic nearest and antiferromagnetic next nearest interactions undergoes a transition from ferromagnetic to helical type, in the isotropic case, for a certain value of the relevant ratio of coupling constants. Boundaries of the phase diagram are also determined in the anisotropic case. The stability of a special quantum state (corresponding to a classical modulated phase of =/3) is analyzed by an extension of Holstein-Primakoff arguments, along a line of constant ratio of couplings, showing in particular a sequence of (instability) gaps. Finally, a natural adaptation of a variational wave function due to Huse and Elser is used to study several portions of the phase diagram, with very good agreement with previous theoretical results.     

Virial expansion for a polymer with a realistic pair-potential interaction

No modern theory of polymer excluded volume adequately describes the crossover from poor solvent to good solvent conditions; a fundamental difficulty is a singularity in the binary cluster integral. Mayer expansion techniques are applied to a model with a pair interaction between monomers to clarify the distinction between geometric and solvent contributions to excluded volume. Detailed calculations are undertaken for a hard-core potential and a mimic Lennard-Jones potential. The significance of the singularity in the binary cluster integral for calculations in the crossover regime is discussed.     

On two--block--factor sequences and one--dependence

The distributions of two--block--factors arising from i.i.d. sequences are observed to coincide with the distributions of the superdiagonals of jointly exchangeable and dissociated arrays . An inequality for superdiagonal probabilities of the arrays is presented. It provides, together with the observation, a simple proof of the fact that a special one--dependent Markov sequence of Aaronson, Gilat and Keane (1992) is not a two--block factor.

     

The matched queueing network PH/M/c→oPH/PH/1

We consider a matched queueing network PH/M/coPH/PH/1, where the output of the first subsystem PH/M/c is regarded as one of the inputs of the second subsystem and matched with another input of PH-renewal process, and they are served by a single server with PH-service-distribution. The stationary state probabilities, the distribution of the virtual waiting times in the two subsystems, and the distribution of the total virtual waiting time are derived.The work was supported by the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Germany, and the Chinese Academy ofSciences.     

Evolution of the structural stability of large Cu,Ni, Pd,and Ag clusters with size: An analysis within the embedded atom method

A study of the structural stability of clusters made up of a single component has been carried out within the Embedded Atom Method. Perfect icosahedral and cuboctahedral Cu, Ni, Pd, and Ag clusters with up to 5083 atoms have been compared. The icosahedron is found to be the stable structure for small clusters, and a change of structure from icosahedral to cuboctahedral is found as the cluster size increases. A contraction of the interatomic distances results when the cluster size decreases.     

Conformational statistics of polymer chain terminally attached to wall (Ⅲ)——NRW model loop chain

When the two end groups of a linear polymer chain are absorbed on a solid surface,the polymer chain forms the "loop" conformation.Investigation has been made on the conformational statistics of a model loop chain by the normal landom walk (NRW) on a lattice confined in the half-infinite space.Based on the conformational distribution function of the NRW model tail chain,it is easy to deduce an analytical formula expressing the conforma-tional number of the model loop chain.It was found that the ratio of the conformational number of the model loop chain to that of the free chain varies with the power function N-2/3 when the chain length N→∞ The same result was obtained by means of the recursion equation.The ratio of the mean square end-to-end distance h2 for the model loop chain to its mean square bond length I2 is 2N/3 Compared with the free chain with the same length N,the mean square end-to-end distance of the model loop chain contracts to a certain extent.The basic relationships deduced were support