Power of a Unit‐Root Test and the Initial Condition

Abstract. It is now well known that how the initial observation is generated can have a significant effect on the power of a unit‐root test. In this article, we show that by taking a simple data‐dependent weighted average of the initial condition‐robust test of Elliott and Müller [Journal of Econometrics (2006), forthcoming] and the standard augmented Dickey–Fuller test, we are able to produce a new unit‐root test that can improve power, both asymptotically and in finite samples, over a wide range of possibilities governing the generation of the initial observation.     

Methane Transport Capacity of Rice Plants. II. Variations Among Different Rice Cultivars and Relationship with Morphological Characteristics

Of the total methane (CH4) emitted from a rice field during the growing season 60–90% is emitted through the rice plants. We determined the methane transport capacity (MTC) of rice plants at different physiological growth stages using an automatic measuring system under greenhouse conditions. A total of 12 cultivars (10 inbred varieties and 2 hybrids) were studied in sets of two experiments and was distinguished into three groups according to the patterns of MTC development. MTC is generally increasing from seedling stage to panicle initiation (PI), but differs in the development from PI to maturity. While the hybrid showed a gradual increase in MTC, the inbred cultivars showed either minor changes in MTC or a drastic decrease from flowering to maturity. Among tall cultivars, Dular showed the highest MTC, followed by B40; the lowest MTC was found in Intan. High-yielding dwarf cultivars showed MTC in the descending order of IR72 > IR52 > IR64 > PSBRc 20. New plant type cultivars showed very low MTC with IR65600 exhibiting the smallest MTC at PI, flowering, and maturity. Hybrids (Magat and APHR 2) showed the largest MTC that continued to increased with plant growth. The MTC patterns were attributed to growth parameters and the development of morphological characteristics of the aerenchyma. These results suggest that in tall, dwarf, and NPT cultivars, increase in root or aboveground biomass during initial growth determines a corresponding increase in MTC. Once aerenchyma has fully developed, further increase in plant biomass would not influence MTC. However, in the case of hybrids, a positive relationship of MTC with root + shoot biomass (r = 0.672, p 0.05) and a total plant biomass including grain (r = 0.849, p 0.01) indicate continuous development of aerenchyma with plant growth, resulting in enhanced MTC. In all cultivars, tiller number, but not height, was linearly related to MTC, indicating that the number of outlets/channels rather than plant size/biomass determines the transport of CH₄. These results clearly demonstrate that rice cultivars differ significantly in MTC. Therefore, the use of high-yielding cultivars with low MTC (for example, PSBRc 20, IR65598, and IR65600) could be an economically feasible, environmentally sound, and promising approach to mitigate CH₄ emissions from rice fields.     

2000—2014年辽宁省植被动态演变特征分析

基于MODIS － NDVI 数据,辅以线性回归法与分段线性回归法,并借助ArcGIS 软件,对辽宁 省2000—2014 年植被覆盖的动态演变过程进行分析。结果表明: ( 1) 时间上,辽宁省植被NDVI 在年 际尺度上呈现出明显的增大趋势,2005 年出现突变,多年平均NDVI 值为0. 496; 春季、夏季、秋季 以及植被生长季NDVI 突变年份分别为2006 年、2005 年、2009 年和2004 年,秋季波动变化的突变点 明显滞后; 植被生长最旺盛的季节为夏季,且集中于8 月。( 2) 空间上,辽宁省植被覆盖具有明显的 地域性差异,呈现出东部高、中西部低的分布特征; 辽宁省植被覆盖优良区与辽东山地的界限基本吻 合,植被覆盖贫乏区主要集中在朝阳市和阜新市的东北部地区。( 3) 辽宁省植被覆盖程度呈山地阴坡 高于阳坡的形态,并且植被覆盖程度最好的坡向为北偏西方向。( 4) 2000—2014 年辽宁省植被覆盖度 整体以维持现状和轻微改善为主,保持不变的区域集中于中东部地区,辽阳市与沈阳市一带有轻微退 化现象,辽西北地区改善情况较为明显。     

Managing knowledge on communication and information flow in global software projects

Communication is a key success factor of distributed software projects. Poor communication has been identified as a main obstacle to successful collaboration. Global projects are especially endangered by information gaps between collaborating sites. Different communication styles, technical equipment, and missing awareness of each other can cause severe problems. Knowledge about actual and desired channels, paths, and modes of communication is required for improving communication in a globally distributed project. However, many project participants know little about communication and information flow in their projects. In this contribution, we focus on knowledge about communication and information flow. It is acquired by modelling on‐going and desired flows of information, including documented and non‐documented channels of information flow. We analyzed a distributed software project from the information flow perspective. Based on the findings, we developed specific techniques to improve information flow in distributed software development according to the FLOW Method. In a second distributed project, we evaluated one of the techniques. We found the FLOW mapping technique to be suitable for effectively spreading knowledge about communication and information flow in global software projects.     

Integration by communication: knowledge exchange in global outsourcing of product software development

Global outsourcing is a growing trend among independent software vendors. In these projects like other distributed work, distances have negative effects on communication and coordination, directly impacting performance. We present a normative model designed to address this issue by improving communication and knowledge exchange. The model consists of six distinct practices and a tool blueprint, each coming with practical guidelines. It is based in part on two case studies of Dutch software vendors who have successfully outsourced part of their activities to an Eastern European outsourcing vendor, and validated by a panel of six experts from industry and the scientific community. It is concluded that knowledge exchange in global software outsourcing is a by‐product of efforts to enhance communication and coordination, rather than specific technical solutions. By committing to sharing knowledge, emphasizing transparency and integrating the outsourcing team into their organizations, customers from the product software business can realize the benefits of global outsourcing.     

ASYMPTOTIC PROPERTIES OF SOME PRELIMINARY ESTIMATORS FOR AUTOREGRESSIVE MOVING AVERAGE TIME SERIES MODELS

Abstract. Some simple preliminary estimators for the coefficients of mixed autoregressive moving average time series models are considered. As the first step the estimators require the fitting of a long autoregression to the data. The first two methods of the paper are non-iterative and generally inefficient. The estimators are Yule-Walker type modifications of the least squares estimators of the coefficients in auxiliary linear regression models derived, respectively, for the coefficients of the long autoregression and for the coefficients of the corresponding long moving average approximation of the model. Both of these estimators are shown to be strongly consistent and their asymptotic distributions are derived. The asymptotic distributions are used in studying the loss in efficiency and in constructing the third estimator of the paper which is an asymptotically efficient two-step estimator. A numerical illustration of the third estimator with real data is given.     

分子蒸馏技术与日用化工(Ⅰ)——分子蒸馏技术的原理及特点

介绍了分子蒸馏技术发展简况，并从分子运动平均自由程的定义出发，介绍了分子蒸馏技术的基本原理、特点以及与常规蒸馏、超临界萃取与层析分离等方法的不同。分子蒸馏操作温度低、受热时间短及分离效率高，特别适用于热敏性物质的提纯，有广阔的应用前景。     

动态格点搜索的改进算法用于团簇结构快速优化

结合高效的动态格点搜索(DLS)算法与扰动操作(Perturbation Operation)提出一种新的改进方法(DLS-PO),用于确定团簇的最低能量结构。针对一个特定构型,DLS算法总能给出其对应搜索空间的最规则结构。然而,一次失败的DLS优化将消耗大量的运算资源。为此,采取原子移动和结构旋转的扰动操作成功地改变了构型,再结合后续的DLS操作,提高了优化效率。将该算法用于原子数高达309的Lennard-Jones团簇及100原子NP-B函数铝团簇的结构优化。优化结果显示相比于DLS算法,DLS-PO算法更为高效。     

基于N步不变集的时滞切换系统的饱和控制

构造离散时滞切换系统的不变集,提出基于N步不变集的切换控制器设计方法,估计执行器饱和非线性的吸引域范围。首先,考虑时滞的影响,选取依赖于时滞的Lyapunov函数,构造时滞切换系统的不变集,并将其表达为若干个椭球集的凸组合,椭球集的个数与时滞常数相关。其次,在系统的前N个采样时刻,分别施加不同的饱和约束,求解得到一组椭球集,椭球集的个数与常数N相关,而每一步计算得到的椭球集均为时滞切换系统的不变集。再将N个不变集用一组凸包系数拟合,即可获取较大的吸引域估计。最后,在满足平均驻留时间约束的条件下设计切换律,并设计状态反馈控制器,保证闭环系统渐近稳定。控制器的求解转化为线性矩阵不等式的可行性问题。仿真结果验证了所提方法的可行性和有效性。     

融合LLE和ISOMAP的非线性降维方法

局部线性嵌入（LLE）和等距映射（ISOMAP）在降维过程中都只单一地保留数据集的某一种特性结构, 从而使降维后的数据集往往存在顾此失彼的情况。针对这种情况, 借助流形学习的核框架, 提出融合LLE和ISOMAP的非线性降维方法。新的融合方法使降维后的数据集既保持着数据点间的局部邻域关系, 也保持着数据点间的全局距离关系。在仿真数据集和实际数据集上的实验结果证实了该方法的优越性。