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.     

关于(?)-拟微分核的连续性

Supposa that f(x) is a quasidifferentiable function, defined on S(?)R~n where S is an open set, with a -equivalent bounded quasidifferential subfam ily. Lenma I     

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.     

稀掺杂GaNxAs1－x(x≤0.03)薄膜的调制光谱研究

利用室温下压电调制反射光(PzR)谱技术系统测量了N掺杂浓度为0.0%—3%的分子束外延生长GaN_xAs_1-x薄膜，并对图谱中所观察的光学跃迁进行了指认.在GaN_0.005As_0.995和GaN_0.01As_0.99薄膜的PzR谱中观察到此前只在椭圆偏振谱中才看到的N掺杂相关能态E₁+Δ₁+Δ_N.当N掺杂浓度达到 关键词： 压电调制反射光谱(PzR) xAs_1-x薄膜')" href="#">GaN_xAs_1-x薄膜 分子束外延(MBE)     

980 nm激发下Er3+/Yb3+共掺杂ZrO2-Al2O3粉末的上转换发光特性

通过固相反应法制备了Er3+/Yb3+共掺杂ZrO2-Al2O3粉末的样品,并对样品在980nm激光激发下的上转换发光特性进行了研究.从发射光谱可以发现,在可见光范围内有3个强的发光带,一个位于654nm附近的红光带和两个分别位于545nm、525nm附近的绿光带,分别对应于Er3+离子的以下辐射跃迁:4F9/2→4I15/2、4S3/2→4I15/2、2H11/2→4I15/2.其中又以Er3+离子的4F9/2→4I15/2跃迁产生的红色荧光辐射最强.对其上转换发光机制进行了分析,发现这三个发光过程都是双光子过程.对样品粉末进行了XRD检测,发现ZrO2主要以立方相为主,并且计算得到了这种立方结构的晶格常数.Al2O3固溶于ZrO2中,Al3+嵌入ZrO2后产生氧空位,导致ZrO2晶体的对称性降低,这种结构变化更有利于提高上转换效率,即上转换发光强度增强.     

含吩噻嗪及其衍生物的聚合物有机电致发光材料的合成和器件制备

利用吩噻嗪单体的空穴传输能力、吩噻嗪衍生物单体的拉电子特性和它们分子结构的非共面性,制备了高效的含吩噻嗪及其衍生物结构单元的对苯撑乙烯聚合物有机电致发光材料P1。同时在单体中引入了烷氧基和长链烷基,使得合成的聚合物在四氢呋喃、氯仿、二氯甲烷、甲苯等溶剂中有较好的溶解性。研究吩噻嗪衍生物单体的拉电子特性对聚合物P1的电子传输性能的影响,合成不含吩噻嗪衍生物的同一类型聚合物P2。制备以聚合物P1和P2为发光层的单层OLED器件,经测量,聚合物P1的器件外量子效率是聚合物P2器件的3.5倍。