A synthesis of assignment and heuristic solutions for vehicle routing with time windows

This paper proposes a three-stage method for the vehicle-routing problem with time window constraints (VRPTW). Using the Hungarian method the optimal customer matching for an assignment approximation of the VRPTW, which is a travel time-based relaxation that partially respects the time windows, is obtained. The assignment matching is transformed into feasible routes of the VRPTW via a simple decoupling heuristic. The best of these routes, in terms of travelling and vehicle waiting times, form part of the final solution, which is completed by the routes provided by heuristic methods applied to the remainder of the customers. The proposed approach is tested on a set of standard literature problems, and improves the results of the heuristic methods with respect to total travel time. Furthermore, it provides useful insights into the effect of employing optimal travel time solutions resulting from the assignment relaxation to derive partial route sets of the VRPTW.     

A simple and rapid fluorimetric method for the microdetermination of isonicotinic acid hydrazide

A simple, rapid and sensitive fluorimetric method has been developed for the microdetermination of isonicotinic acid hydrazide, based on its formation of a hydrazone with 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde in acidic medium, in the presence of excess of scandium ions, and the consequent formation of a strongly fluorescent complex (lambda(ex) 430 nm, lambda(em) 510 nm) between the hydrazone and scandium in weakly acidic medium. Kinetic and equilibrium procedures for isonicotinic acid hydrazide determination are proposed. A calibration graph linear up to 5.00 mug/ml is obtained by both procedures, with a mean relative error of about 2.0%. The detection limit for the kinetic procedure is 0.4 ng/ml and for the equilibrium procedure about 0.2 ng/ml.     

On the Reaction of Triaryl Trithioarsenites, (ArS)3As,with Octasulfur

para‐Substituted with electron donating or electron withdrawing groups triphenyl trithioarsenites, (ArS)₃As, and octasulfur in refluxing carbon disulfide or chloroform do not give the triaryl tetrathioarsenates, (ArS)₃As=S, as was claimed in the literature for tris(4‐methylphenyl) tetrathioarsenate. In some cases oxidative decomposition to As₂O₃ and disulfides ArSSAr was found. When equivalent amounts of the same esters and octasulfur were heated at 105 or 150 °C no As^V compound was detected or isolated and again some esters decomposed to As₂O₃ and disulfides. These experiments demonstrated that the aromatic trithioarsenites do not react with octasulfur, probably because they cannot open the octasulfur ring. These esters in solution react with octasulfur in the presence of a catalytic (10—20 mol%) amount of triethylamine giving disulfides, As₂O₃ and colored solids which could not be characterized.     

Deprotonated and non-deprotonated cobalt(II) complexes of the bis-amide tetradentate ligand N,N′-(dipicolyl)-1,8-naphthylene diamine. Three different modes of coordination by the ligand

The preparation and some properties of the cobalt(II) complexes Co(LH₂)Cl₂·2H₂O, Co(LH₂(NCS)₂ and CoL·H₂O (whereLH₂=N,N-(dipicolyl)-1,8-naphthylenediamine) are reported. On the basis of magnetic moments, visible reflectance and IR data, the structure is proposed to be pseudo-octahedral for Co(LH₂)Cl₂·2 H₂O, pseudo-tetrahedral for Co(LH₂)(NCS)₂ and square planar for CoL·H₂O.

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Deprotonierte und Nicht-deprotonierte Co(II)-Komplexe des vierzähnigen Bisamid-Liganden N,N-(Dipicolyl)-1,8-naphthyldiamin. Drei verschiedene Koordinationstypen

Zusammenfassung Es werden die Darstellung und einige Eigenschaften der Kobalt(II)-Komplexe Co(LH₂)Cl₂·2 H₂O, Co(LH₂)(NCS)₂ und CoL·H₂O [LH₂=N,N-(dipicolyl)-1,8-naphthylendiamin] diskutiert. Auf der Grundlage von magnetischen Momenten, von Daten der sichtbaren Reflektions-und IR-Spektren wird eine pseudooctaedrische Struktur für Co(LH₂)Cl₂·2H₂O, eine pseudotetraedrische für Co(LH₂)(NCS)₂ und eine planar-quadratische für CoL·H₂O vorgeschlagen.

     

Simultaneous determination of acetylsalicylic acid and its major metabolites in human serum by second-derivative synchronous fluorescence spectrometry.

A method is described for the simultaneous determination of acetylsalicylic, salicylic, gentisic and salicyluric acids (ASA, SA, GA and SU, respectively) in serum, based on their native fluorescence. The ASA-SA-GA-SU-containing serum samples are extracted with chloroform-1% acetic acid solution; ASA and SA are determined in the organic phase, and GA and SU in the aqueous phase, after removal of protein with trichloroacetic acid, at pH 5.0 and 11.6, respectively. The ASA-SA and GA-SU-SA mixtures are resolved using second-derivative fluorescence spectrometry and the appropriate empirical equations involving the effect of each acid on the signal of the other. Recoveries from sera spiked with ASA (1.0-10 micrograms ml-1), SA (25-50 micrograms ml-1), GA (0.05-0.2 micrograms ml-1) and SU (1.0-5.0 micrograms ml-1) ranged from 100 to 104% (mean 101%), from 93 to 99% (mean 97%), from 94 to 104% (mean 99%) and from 94 to 107% (mean 98%), respectively.     

Ascorbic Acid/Iodine and Triphenylphosphine/Iodine as Reducing Agents for the As(V)[dbnd]O Group

The scope of ascorbic acid/iodine and triphenylphosphine/iodine in methanol for the direct reduction of arsenic(V) compounds having the As[dbnd]O group has been investigated. Ascorbic acid/iodine reduces arsonic acids, diphenylarsinic acid (but not dimethylarsinic acid), and triphenylarsine oxide. The rates of reduction depend on the electronic effects of the ligands bound to arsenic and on the hydrogen-bonding strength of the species, when present. When the As(V) compound has an [sbnd]NH ₂ or an [sbnd]NH ₃ ⁺ group, the reduction product reacts with a ketonic form of dehydroascorbic acid, giving condensation product(s). Triphenylphosphine/iodine reduced slowly the zwitterionic o-aminophenylarsonic acid but reduced faster the hydrochloric acid salt of the same acid. It reduced dimethylarsinic acid as well because the powerful electron-withdrawing Ph ₃ P ⁺coordinated to As[dbnd]O seems to outweigh the electronic and hydrogen bonding effects.     

On the role of organic adlayers in the anomalous water sorptivity of Lépine limestone

Sorptivity data are reported for the capillary absorption of water, ethanol, propan-2-ol, and n-heptane by the calcitic limestone Lépine (Lavoux à grain). The data confirm that the water sorptivity is anomalously low, an indication of partial wetting by water. Results are expressed in terms of a wetting index. The water sorptivity increases after heat treatment and chemical oxidation by hydrogen peroxide bleaching, while the sorptivity with organic liquids is unchanged. These treatments, therefore, increase the water wetting index. The results provide strong evidence that the presence of a natural organic adlayer is responsible for the anomalously low water sorptivity of this particular limestone. This natural water repellency effect may be exploited in developing chemical treatments to modify the water transport properties of stone.     

A reactive variable neighborhood tabu search for the heterogeneous fleet vehicle routing problem with time windows

This paper presents a solution methodology for the heterogeneous fleet vehicle routing problem with time windows. The objective is to minimize the total distribution costs, or similarly to determine the optimal fleet size and mix that minimizes both the total distance travelled by vehicles and the fixed vehicle costs, such that all problem’s constraints are satisfied. The problem is solved using a two-phase solution framework based upon a hybridized Tabu Search, within a new Reactive Variable Neighborhood Search metaheuristic algorithm. Computational experiments on benchmark data sets yield high quality solutions, illustrating the effectiveness of the approach and its applicability to realistic routing problems. This work is supported by the General Secretariat for Research and Technology of the Hellenic Ministry of Development under contract GSRT NM-67.