Sampling average approximation method for a class of stochastic Nash equilibrium problems

We consider a class of stochastic Nash equilibrium problems (SNEP). Under some mild conditions, we reformulate the SNEP as a stochastic mixed complementarity problem (SMCP). We apply the well-known sample average approximation (SAA) method to solve the SMCP. We further introduce a semismooth Newton method to solve the SAA problems. The comprehensive convergence analysis is given as well. In addition, we demonstrate the proposed approach on a stochastic Nash equilibrium model in the wholesale gas–oil markets.     

On the Accuracy of Packet Delay Estimation in Distributed Service Networks

Packet delay (either one-way time or round-trip time) is a very important metric for measuring the performance of networks in a highly dynamic environment such as the Internet. Many network applications are also sensitive to packet delay or delay variation for ensuring an acceptable level of quality in providing network-based services such as VoIP, multimedia streaming, etc. A very important property of packet delay is that it is very dynamic and therefore should be measured frequently with measurement results being updated on a timely basis. Measurement of packet delay has thus generated a great deal of interest in the past years and a lot of research has been performed in the development of measurement architecture as well as specific measurement techniques. However, how to reduce network overhead resulting from measurement while achieving a reasonable level of accuracy still remains a challenge. In this paper, we propose to use delay estimation as an alternative to delay measurement for reducing measurement overhead and, in particular, examine the level of accuracy that delay estimation can achieve. With delay estimation, measurement nodes can be dynamically selected and activated and other nodes can share measurement results by performing delay estimation, thus reducing measurement overhead while supporting the dynamic requirement for delay measurement. Consequently, while measurement overhead can be reduced by activating only a subset of network nodes to perform actual measurement, desired accuracy can be achieved by exploring the correlation between delays as well as by sharing measurement results to do delay estimation based on such a correlation. We illustrate how packet delays of network nodes can correlate to each other based on topological properties and show how delays can be estimated based on such a correlation to meet accuracy requirements, which would make delay measurement in the Internet highly dynamic and adaptable to the accuracy requirements and measurement results highly reliable. We also show how delay estimation can be applied by presenting three application scenarios as well as an example to demonstrate the usefulness and effectiveness of delay estimation in the measurement of packet delays.     

Ricci flow-based spherical parameterization and surface registration

This paper presents an improved Euclidean Ricci flow method for spherical parameterization. We subsequently invent a scale space processing built upon Ricci energy to extract robust surface features for accurate surface registration. Since our method is based on the proposed Euclidean Ricci flow, it inherits the properties of Ricci flow such as conformality, robustness and intrinsicalness, facilitating efficient and effective surface mapping. Compared with other surface registration methods using curvature or sulci pattern, our method demonstrates a significant improvement for surface registration. In addition, Ricci energy can capture local differences for surface analysis as shown in the experiments and applications.     

Enhancing social media competitiveness of small businesses: insights from small pizzerias

Social media provide an online platform for enterprises to engage existing customers and attract new customers. Although social media can be easily set up at no cost, however, due to limited human and financial resources, many small businesses find it challenging to compete against large enterprises in social media use. While more and more small businesses have jumped on the bandwagon of social media in recent years, few studies investigated the social media strategies that can help small businesses to survive and even thrive against large competitors in the social media arena. Therefore, we studied 32 small pizzerias in a mid-size U.S. city in terms of their social media use for business. Our study found that small pizzerias emphasizing social media use on community relations and social responsibility tend to be more successful in attracting and engaging local customers. This study also sheds light on both effective strategies and successful practices of social media use by small pizzerias. The insights and recommendations identified from this study can help small businesses to enhance their social media competitiveness against large enterprises.     

Experimental study of a novel hybrid constructed wetland for water reuse and its application in Southern China

A new type of hybrid constructed wetland (CW), consisting of both vertical-baffled flow wetland (VBFW) and horizontal subsurface flow wetland (HSFW), has been deployed in Southern China to naturally accelerate the removal of organic matter and nitrogen. The hybrid CW system is characterised by a combination of continuous baffled flow vertical wetland and 'S' pattern horizontal subsurface flow wetland with natural aeration ditches to increase the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the HSFW bed. An internal circulatory system from the HSFW effluent back to the VBFW may optionally be operated to enhance the biological denitrification effect. Cyperus alternifolius is the main macrophyte in the wetland bed. The performance of the hybrid CW was studied with a pilot-scale system and three full-scale systems for municipal sewage treatment in Southern China. The results suggest that this new hybrid CW can achieve removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, ammonia nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus of better than 83.6, 95.0, 71.7, 64.5 and 68.1% respectively, with a specific wetland bed area of 0.70-0.93 m(2) PE(-1). The mean effluent concentrations of these parameters would meet the regulatory discharge limits for wastewater treatment systems (GB18918, 2002) and reuse in the context of agricultural irrigation solutions in China.     

Singular Spectrum Analysis and ARIMA Hybrid Model for Annual Runoff Forecasting

High accuracy forecasting of medium and long-term hydrological runoff is beneficial to reservoir operation and management. A hybrid model is proposed for medium and long-term hydrological forecasting in this paper. The hybrid model consists of two methods, Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA) and Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA). In this model, the time series of annual runoff are first decomposed into several sub-series corresponding to some tendentious and periodic motions by using SSA and then each sub-series is predicted, respectively, through an appropriate ARIMA model, and lastly a correction procedure is conducted for the sum of the prediction results to ensure the superposed residual to be a pure random series. The annual runoff data of two reservoirs in China are analyzed as case studies. The results have been compared with the predictions made by ARIMA and Singular Spectrum Analysis-Linear Recurrent Formulae (SSA-LRF). It is shown that hybrid model has the best performance.     

高陡坡运输碾压混凝土抗分离溜管的 研制与应用

为解决黄花寨水电站大坝工程高陡坡碾压混凝土运输问题,根据混凝土拌和物流变体特征,通过试验研制出能改变混凝土运行状态、控制混凝土输送速度,并能使混凝土在输送过程多次拌和的抗分离溜管。该抗分离溜管结构简单、操作简便,运行安全,制作及使用费低,在高陡坡条件下输送碾压混凝土,可以防止混凝土分离、保证混凝土质量,具有良好的推广价值。     

黄河海勃湾水利枢纽取水影响分析

黄河海勃湾水利枢纽是一座防凌、发电等综合利用的大型水利枢纽。重点从工程建成后对区域水资源、水域纳污能力、坝下河段最小生态水量、水温、水质、水生生物、西鄂尔多斯国家级自然保护区以及内蒙古河段防凌等方面的影响进行了详细的分析论述,总结了水利水电建设项目水资源论证中取水影响分析的经验以及需重点关注的问题,可为类似建设项目水资源论证取水影响分析提供参考。     

我国山洪灾害防治技术研究综述

针对我国防洪减灾工作中亟待解决的山洪灾害问题,总结了国内山洪灾害防治技术的研究成果,从山洪灾害的成因、预测预报技术、预警技术、监测预警系统建设、灾情风险评估技术、形成机理、防治区划及防治对策等7个方面对我国山洪灾害防治技术主要成果进行分析,探讨了当前存在的不足及今后研究的方向。