Forecasting call frequency at a financial services call centre

A forecasting model is developed for the number of daily applications for loans at a financial services telephone call centre. The purpose of the forecasts and the associated prediction intervals is to provide effective staffing policies within the call centre. The model building process is constrained by the availability of only 2 years and 7 months of data. The distinctive feature of the data is that demand is driven in the main by advertising. The analysis given focuses on applications stimulated by press advertising. Unlike previous analyses of broadly similar data, where ARIMA models were used, a model with a dynamic level, multiplicative calendar effects and a multiplicative advertising response is developed and shown to be effective.     

Issues in Managing Information Technology

This paper describes three case studies which investigated issues relating to the implementation and management of advanced information technology. The benefits derived from information technology were found to vary from one organization to another. These studies provide further evidence to support earlier research findings that senior management has an important role to play in the effective exploitation of information technology, and that the investment approach taken by an organization has a significant effect on the development of computer-based information systems. The effectiveness of a system depends not only on applying the appropriate technology, but also on how successfully technical and behavioural issues are resolved.     

用短谐振腔结构优化THz电磁波参量振荡器的输出特性

以MgO：LiNbO₃为非线性光学介质，通过采用一种高性能腔反射镜实现了一种85mm短腔长的法布里-珀罗式的光学参量振荡器，产生THz电磁波的实验结果.这种短腔长THz参量振荡器比传统的160mm腔长的振荡阈值降低了22.3％；峰值能量提高了170％；频率调谐范围从0.5—2.4THz提高到0.8—3.1THz.还报道了一种基于平面金属丝网的法布里-珀罗干涉仪测量THz波线宽的实验结果. 关键词： THz电磁波 OPO 非线性光学 3')" href="#">LiNbO₃     

利用杨辉三角形对称性推导高阶运动微分方程

利用Mathematica数学软件计算函数r=r(q(t),t)各变量之间偏导和高阶导数的关系，发现具有杨辉三角形对称性.结合杨辉三角形的对称性规律和牛顿第二定律推导出了高阶运动微分方程，并讨论了理想约束系统下的高阶运动微分方程. 关键词： 杨辉三角形 牛顿第二定律 高阶运动微分方程 高阶力变率 高阶速度能量 理想约束     

A warehouse-based design model for reverse logistics

In this paper, an MILP formulation is proposed for the design of a reverse logistics network based on a warehouse location–allocation model, which optimizes, simultaneously, the forward and reverse networks. A single product model with unlimited capacity is first defined. Subsequently, the model is extended to a multi-product capacitated recovery network model, where capacity limitations and a multi-product system can be considered. The proposed model is compared to published work in the field, where different model assumptions have been proposed. Two cases are described so as to gain a better insight into the model and allow a comparative analysis.     

Electroactive conducting polymers for corrosion control

There is an intensive effort underway to develop new corrosion control coatings for structural metals. In part, this effort has been motivated by the desire to replace chromium(VI)-containing coatings currently used for corrosion control of iron and aluminum alloys. Cr(VI) has been shown to be hazardous to the environmental and to human health, and its use in many countries will be sharply curtailed in the coming years. Electroactive conducting polymers (ECPs) represent a class of interesting materials currently being explored for use in corrosion control coating systems, possibly as a replacement for Cr(VI)-based coatings. The electroactivity and the electronic conductivity (or semiconductivity) of ECPs set them apart from traditional organic coatings. As with chromate, interesting and potentially beneficial interactions of ECPs with active metal alloys such as steel and aluminum are anticipated, with concomitant alteration of their corrosion behavior. A review of this active research area will be presented in two parts. Here in Part 1, a general introduction to the topic of corrosion control by ECPs will be presented, including an overview of corrosion and its control by traditional methods, an introduction to ECPs and their properties, and a discussion of the processing issues surrounding the use of ECPs as coatings. Part 1 also includes a review of the literature on the use of ECPs as coatings (or components of coatings) on non-ferrous active metals, principally aluminum and aluminum alloys, although some work on zinc, copper, silver, titanium and silicon will also be described. In Part 2 of this review (to be published in the next issue of this journal), the rather extensive literature on the use of ECPs for the corrosion control of ferrous alloys (steels) will be reviewed. Electronic Publication     

Quadratic data envelopment analysis

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) offers a piece-wise linear approximation of the production frontier. The approximation tends to be poor if the true frontier is not concave, eg in case of economies of scale or of specialisation. To improve the flexibility of the DEA frontier and to gain in empirical fit, we propose to extend DEA towards a more general piece-wise quadratic approximation, called Quadratic Data Envelopment Analysis (QDEA). We show that QDEA gives statistically consistent estimates for all production frontiers with bounded Hessian eigenvalues. Our Monte-Carlo simulations suggest that QDEA can substantially improve efficiency estimation in finite samples relative to standard DEA models.     

Effective dimensionality approach to the RKKY interaction in multilayer systems

We consider RKKY interaction in a quasi 2D system with nonparabolic dispersion. In our paper we calculate the RKKY range function assuming the in-layer confinement via effective dimensionality approach. We show, that indirect magnetic exchange in our system can be modelled by the effective spectral dimension which equals one.     

基于Terminal滑模的有限时间混沌同步实现

提出了混沌同步有限时间实现问题，将Terminal滑模控制技术与混沌同步问题相结合，把同步问题视为响应系统的跟踪问题，给出了由线性滑模函数引入非线性项构造Terminal滑模面的充分条件，以及相应Terminal滑模控制器.以主从Duffing系统为例研究验证同步策略的可行性和有效性. 关键词： Terminal滑模 混沌同步 Duffing系统     

一类含参广义集值拟变分包含组的解的灵敏性分析

本文引入了一类新的含参广义集值拟变分包含组,应用隐预解算子技巧,建立了该类变分包含组与一类不动点问题的等价性,在适当的条件下,分析了含参广义集值拟变分包含组的解的灵敏性,所得结果推广改进了最新文献中的许多结果．