Determining the materials procurement policy based on the economic order/production models with backlogging permitted

This paper considers the materials procurement decision-making based on the economic order quantity and economic production quantity models with backlogging permitted. Make-or-buy is one of the fundamental decisions routinely made by most manufacturing firms. Cost is always considered as the biggest determinant in the decision to make or buy. Four terms composing the total inventory cost per unit time are analyzed in this study; they are annual setup cost, purchase/manufacturing cost, holding cost, and backordering cost. The impact of different values of the unit backorder cost b _i , setup cost K _i, and unit cost c _i to the make-or-buy decision is studied specifically in our mathematical analysis. As a result, the guidelines in terms of simplified formulas for the make-or-buy decision makings are derived. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate their practical usages.     

Denitrification associated N loss in mangrove soil

Despite the well-known mechanism of N loss through denitrification in wetland, little information is available for mangrove soil. The aim of this study is to quantify N loss via denitrification in mangrove soil, to clarify factors affecting denitrification and to evaluate the role of plants in the mechanism of nitrification–denitrification in mangrove soil. The N loss from mangrove soil was 76%, possibly 55% through denitrification, measured using a ¹⁵N tracer technique. The N loss was reduced to 45% when a nitrification inhibitor, N-serve, was added. Planting reduced the N loss from mangrove soil more than the nitrification inhibitor. The combination of planting and applicasion of nitrification inhibitor completely prevented N loss from mangrove soil. Denitrification in fresh soil samples from a mangrove forest declined markedly from the surface to the sub-surface soil. Available C limited denitrification. The ability of glucose to induce denitrification declined with soil depth, suggesting a decline in the denitrifier population with depth. Significant reduction in N loss from mangrove soil after adding nitrification inhibitor indicates that nitrification is the key factor in N loss of mangrove soil. As there was no significant difference in denitrification between rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil, the cause of N loss in the mangrove soil may occur primarily in the surface soil rather than in the rhizosphere soil.     

Anti-Inflammatory Activity of N-(3-Florophenyl) ethylcaffeamide in Mice

In this study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity of one synthetic product, N-(3-Florophenyl)ethylcaffeamide (abbrev. FECA), by using animal model of λ-carrageenan-induced paw edema in mice. The anti-inflammatory mechanism of FECA was determined by measuring the levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the edema paw tissue, and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione reductase (GRd) in the liver. The results showed that FECA reduced the paw edema at three, four and five hours after λ-carrageenan administration. The levels of COX-2, NO, TNF-α, and MDA in the λ-carrageenan-induced edema paws were reduced and the activities of SOD, GPx, and GRd in liver tissues were raised by FECA. These results suggested that FECA possessed anti-inflammatory activities and the anti-inflammatory mechanisms might be related to the decrease of the levels of COX-2, NO, and TNF-α in inflamed tissues and the increase in the MDA level by increasing the activities of SOD, GPx, and GRd.     

Effects of manganese oxide addition and reductive atmosphere annealing on the phase stability and microstructure of yttria stabilized zirconia

The effects of Mn₃O₄ addition and reductive atmosphere (N₂:H₂ = 97:3) annealing on the microstructure and phase stability of yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) ceramics during sintering at 1500 °C for 3 h in air and subsequent annealing in a reductive atmosphere were investigated. Mn₃O₄ added 6 mol% YSZ (6YSZ) and 10 mol% YSZ (10YSZ) ceramics were prepared via the conventional solid-state reaction processes. The X-ray diffraction results showed that a single cubic phase of ZrO₂ was obtained in 1 mol% Mn₃O₄ added 6YSZ ceramic at a sintering temperature of 1500 °C for 3 h. A trace amount of monoclinic ZrO₂ phases were observed for 1 mol% Mn₃O₄ added 6YSZ ceramics after annealing at 1300 °C for 60 cycles in a reductive atmosphere by transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, a single cubic ZrO₂ phase existed stably as Mn₃O₄ added 10YSZ ceramics was annealed at 1300 °C for 60 cycles in reductive atmosphere.     

铜粉烧结毛细结构之研究

本研究针对球型、不规则及树枝状3种不同型态的纯铜粉进行不同温度之烧结,并分析烧结体之收缩率、孔隙率及渗透率特性.实验结果说明,各种铜粉比表面积以树枝状最大,不规则状次之,球型粉体最低.但随烧结温度的上升,3种不同铜粉之烧结体,皆会有体积收缩率上升、孔隙率下降及渗透率下降等现象.其中以表面积最大的3～5 μm树枝状粉体对温度的敏感性高,使孔隙率随温度变化最明显,其中并700℃烧结的毛细结构具有最高的孔隙率.铜粉的本质起始特性所造成的烧结体结构差异,对于渗透率有着关键的影响,树枝状铜粉烧结体孔隙率变化大,但其渗透率的值在10-12m2左右,明显低于35～115 μm球状铜粉在700℃烧结之毛细结构.     

Effect of aromatic and aliphatic amines as curing agents in sulfone epoxy monomer curing process

The kinetics of the curing of sulfone epoxy (SEP) monomers using aromatic and aliphatic amine curing agents was studied via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). SEP curing is a two-stage process involving SEP/electron donation and electron donation to either aliphatic or aromatic curing agents. The SEP/electron donation curing process occurred readily since semi-electron-withdrawing curing agents are induced by nucleophilic substitution in the first stage. In the second stage, SEP is cured by the semi-electron-withdrawing curing agents. The kinetic parameters of the curing process were determined using a conversional method derived from Ozawa’s and Kissinger’s methods, which are typically used for kinetic analysis of data for thermal treatments. The higher melting points and steric bulk of the aromatic curing agents resulted in higher curing activation energies than for the aliphatic curing agents. The aliphatic curing agents also increased the activation energy of the curing process due to their electron-withdrawing and cross-linking properties as well as the viscosity of the epoxy/amine curing system. Cured SEP/aromatic curing agent materials possessed higher glass transition temperatures than cured SEP/aliphatic curing agent materials.     

Effects of Nb2O5 Doping on the Microwave Dielectric Properties and Microstructures of Bi2Mo2O9 Ceramics

This study investigated the effects of the addition of Nb₂O₅ and sintering temperature on the properties of Bi₂Mo₂O₉ ceramics. The ceramics were sintered in air at temperatures ranging from 620°C to 680°C. The addition of small amounts of Nb₂O₅ as a dopant significantly affected the crystalline phase and the microwave dielectric properties of the Bi₂Mo₂O₉ ceramics. The secondary phase, γ‐Bi₂MoO₆, was observed when Nb₂O₅ was added. However, unlike the Bi₂Mo₂O₉ ceramic without Nb₂O₅ sintered above 645°C, the ceramics with 3 mol% Nb₂O₅ contained no γ‐Bi₂MoO₆ when sintered at 660°C. The Q × f value and τ_f of the Bi₂Mo₂O₉ ceramics were improved by Nb₂O₅ doping. The Bi₂Mo₂O₉ ceramics doped with 2 mol% Nb₂O₅ exhibited the best microwave dielectric properties, with a permittivity of 36.5, a Q × f value (f = resonant frequency, Q = 1/dielectric loss at f) of 14100 GHz and τ_f of +5.5 ppm/°C after sintering at 620°C.     

Phase behavior of poly(3-alkylthiophene)/polystyrene blends

Phase diagrams of blends consisting of poly(3-n-alkylthiopene) having four different n-alkyl side chain lengths (n = 4, 6, 8, 12) and polystyrene (PS) were obtained by turbidity measurement. All of the P3AT/PS blends employed in this study exhibited the upper critical solution temperature (UCST) type phase behavior. From n = 4 [poly(3-butylthipene)] to n = 6 [poly(3-hexylthipene)], the miscibility between P3AT/PS blends decreased, but with further increase in the value of n, the miscibility increased. Thus, the miscibility of the P3HT/PS blend becomes the least among four blend pairs. This interesting phase behavior depending on n was successfully illustrated via the combination of Monte Carlo simulation and molecular dynamics.