A multi-attribute multi-item negotiation mechanism of supply chain networks between buyers and sellers

This article focuses on the multi-attribute multi-item negotiation between multiple manufacturer agents (MAs) and multiple material supplier agents (MSAs). A coalition formation-based negotiation protocol is proposed. The MSAs are allowed to establish coalitions when the orders of the MAs exceed their abilities. Three attributes (price, quantity and lead time) of the items are considered during the negotiation. Both the MAs and the MSAs can give concessions among the attributes in tradeoff relationships according to their own preferences. The non-cooperative game is introduced to find the equilibria of the negotiations. The final allocation scheme is determined to maximise the total profit of the supply chain networks based on the equilibria. Simulations are provided to verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed protocol.     

兰阳绿洲——宜兰县立罗东运动公园

在水与绿宽阔平缓变化地形中的休闲式运动公园,跨出了宜兰县环境绿化整备的第一步.我们对规划的重要考虑,在于要能反映当地的自然、人文、历史、风土及人们的生活需求,故在规划初期便展开台湾风土的调查之旅,并在草案阶段与县府人员检讨调整,进而导出上述的基本理念.本公园虽名为运动公园,但不同以往提供竞技比赛专用或培训选手为主的运动公园,而是提供居民在日常生活中轻松休闲的活动去处.是在丰富的绿色空间中晨昏时散步、晨间体操等活动的一个自由度大、供民众自由活动的空间.目前,在早上或傍晚时有很多人来运动、散步或徜徉在绿色的休闲气氛中,从使用现状可看出达成目标的成果.     

Controlling the Synaptic Plasticity of a Cu2S Gap‐Type Atomic Switch

It is demonstrated that a Cu₂S gap‐type atomic switch, referred to as a Cu₂S inorganic synapse, emulates the synaptic plasticity underlying the sensory, short‐term, and long‐term memory formations in the human brain. The change in conductance of the Cu₂S inorganic synapse is considered analogous to the change in strength of a biological synaptic connection known as the synaptic plasticity. The plasticity of the Cu₂S inorganic synapse is controlled depending on the interval, amplitude, and width of an input voltage pulse stimulation. Interestingly, the plasticity is influenced by the presence of air or moisture. Time‐dependent scanning tunneling microscopy images of the Cu‐protrusions grown in air and in vacuum provide clear evidence of the influence of air on their stability. Furthermore, the plasticity depends on temperature, such that a long‐term memory is achieved much faster at elevated temperatures with shorter or fewer number of input pulses, indicating a close analogy with a biological synapse where elevated temperature increases the degree of synaptic transmission. The ability to control the plasticity of the Cu₂S inorganic synapse justifies its potential as an advanced synthetic synapse with air/temperature sensibility for the development of artificial neural networks.     

Formation of a-C thin films by plasma-based ion implantation

Carbon films were prepared on a Si wafer substrate by using a plasma-based ion implantation (PBII) technique. The homogeneity of the carbon films formed on the three-dimensional object and the influence of the duty ratio of the pulse bias tothe target on the property of the carbon films were investigated. The homogeneity of the carbon films formed on a convex face and that formed on a concave face by the incidence of the microwave to the target with a low angle of about — 30° wasalmost a constant. The application of the ECR plasma source, with a mirror field, to the PBII system was efficient enoughtoimprove the homogeneity, even though the plasma density was not very high. Diamond-like carbon films with a flat surface and a low friction coefficient can be formed by applying negative high-voltage pulses to a substrate with a low duty ratio of 1%.     

Toward sub-20 nm hybrid nanofabrication by combining the molecular ruler method and electron beam lithography

It is of great interest and importance to develop new nanofabrication processes to fabricate sub-20 nm structures with sub-2 nm resolution for next-generation nanoelectronic devices. A combination of electron beam lithography (EBL) and a molecular ruler is one of the promising methods to make these fine structures. Here we successfully develop a hybrid method to fabricate sub-20 nm nanogap devices at the desired positions with a complex structure by developing a post-EBL process, which enabled us to avoid damaging the molecular ruler with the high-energy electron beam, and to fully utilize the EBL resolution. It was found that slight etching of the Ti adhesion layer of the parent metal (Pt) by ACT935J solution assisted the removal of molecular rulers, resulting in improved enhancement in the product yield (over 70%) of nanogap devices.     

Antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium isolated from cattle in Japan

The antimicrobial susceptibility of 144 Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium isolates collected from all over Japan between 1973 and 1998 were investigated. All the isolates exhibited resistance to four or more antimicrobials and 22 resistance patterns were observed. Isolates showing resistance patterns to ampicillin (A), chloramphenicol (C), streptomycin (S), sulfonamides (Su) and tetracycline (T), which are typical resistance patterns for S. Typhimurium DT104 (DT104), were predominant. Thirty-six of the 68 isolates that exhibited resistance to five or more antimicrobials (ACSSuT+) were identified as DT104 by phage typing. Another 103 S. Typhimurium strains gathered from cattle between 1977 and 1999 in a limited area of Japan were analyzed for molecular epidemiological studies. Results using fluorescent amplified-fragment length polymorphism and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis suggest that clonal exchange of S. Typhimurium among cattle in Japan has occurred since 1992, and that contemporary strains show a remarkable degree of homogeneity with DT104 at a molecular level. The clonal replacement by DT104 affected the antimicrobial resistance pattern of S. Typhimurium from cattle in Japan.     

Electron scattering by Friedel oscillations in carbon nanotubes

Multi-walled carbon nanotube networks were confirmed to exhibit a linear decrease in resistivity with increasing temperature from 100 to above 400 K.The linearity was explained using a defect scattering model that involved Friedel oscillations(that is,electron-electron interactions).The applicability of this model,which was originally proposed for graphene,to carbon nanotubes was assessed based on a comparison of various experimental data.Increases in the slopes of the resistivity-temperature plots following the introduction of defects,as well as an effect of charge concentration on the slope were key predictions of this model.The results obtained from few-walled carbon nanotube networks are also shown.In the literature,linear resistivity-temperature plots were obtained from other graphene derivatives,indicating that the linearity originates from the hexagonal symmetry of these materials.The present work also indicated a relationship between the appearance of linearity and negative magnetoresistance above 100 K.Based on a mechanism incorporating scattering in association with Friedel oscillations and conventional electron conduction models,the universality of resistivity-temperature plots obtained from carbon nanotube networks is introduced.     

Identification of a Molecular Target of a Novel Fungal Metabolite,Pyrrolizilactone, by Phenotypic Profiling Systems

In the course of screening our microbial metabolite fraction library, we identified a novel pyrrolizidinone compound, pyrrolizilactone. In this study, we report the identification and characterization of a molecular target for pyrrolizilactone by using two phenotypic profiling systems. Cell morphology‐based profiling analysis using an imaging cytometer (MorphoBase) classified pyrrolizilactone as a proteasome inhibitor. Consistently, proteome‐based profiling analysis using 2D difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE; ChemProteoBase) also demonstrated that pyrrolizilactone is associated with proteasome inhibition. On the basis of these predictions, we determined that pyrrolizilactone is a novel type of proteasome inhibitor inhibiting the trypsin‐like activity of the proteasome.     

Analysis of abnormal grain growth of oriented LiCoO2 prepared by slip casting in a strong magnetic field

The relationship between the development of the crystallographic orientation and the grain growth behavior were studied. The degree of orientations of the green compacts and sintered samples were evaluated by the Lotgering factor. The f(0 0 l) of all the samples were drastically increased with the increasing applied magnetic field strength. The f(0 0 l) of the samples sintered at 1223 K were improved in comparison to those of the green compacts. However, the f(0 0 l) value of the samples sintered at 1273 K were not increased at 4 T or lower. To characterize the grain growth process, these samples were analyzed using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The sintered samples prepared in the magnetic field at 4 T or lower showed abnormal grain growth. The samples with an applied magnetic field of 8 T or higher had no abnormal grain growth. It was revealed that the orientation angle of the particles has an effect on the grain growth.