A Stochastic Analysis of a Staffing Problem

Consider an organization with several categories of staff, each having a specified number of members. The age of entry into service and the age of retirement are both specified. Withdrawals occur at time-independent rates. Under this set-up, the authors have computed the maximum ages at which promotions should take place, assuming that the staff members continuing at various ages are random. Some illustrative calculations have been carried out.     

Critical phenomena in FINEMET alloy

The Fe_73.5Cu₁Nb₃Si_13.5B₉ FINEMET alloy has been prepared by the rapid solidification technique. The critical behaviour of this alloy in the amorphous as well as in its nanocrystalline states has been studied near their respective Curie temperatures. From the values of the critical exponents one can conclude that the alloy behaves like a 3D Heisenberg ferromagnet in the amorphous and nanocrystalline states. But there exists a slight increase in the value of β for the alloy annealed at 823 K (the nanocrystalline state) as observed in most of the amorphous alloys.     

Enantiomeric synthesis of the key synthon of the oviposition-deterring pheromone of Rhagoletis cerasi L

A convenient and enantioselective synthesis of ethyl (8RS, 15R)-8-acetoxy-15-hydroxyhexadecanoate15 via a chemoenzymatic approach has been described. The salient features of the synthesis were operational simplicity, use of easily accessible materials, and excellent enantiocontrol via lipase catalyzed acetylation of 2-alkanol.     

Photoinduced dissociative electron transfer (DET) interactions in methoxycalixarene–chloroalkane systems

Fluorescence quenching of methoxycalixarenes (MOCX) by chloroalkanes (CA) has been investigated in acetonitrile solutions. Observed quenching is attributed to photoinduced dissociative electron transfer (DET) interaction, which is supported by the characterization of the Cl⁻ ions and by the radical scavenging experiments. Comparing the Cl⁻ yields with different DET systems, it is inferred that both concerted and stepwise DET mechanisms operate simultaneously in MOCX–CA systems. A correlation of the quenching constants with the free-energy changes following a suitable DET theory supports the above inference.     

A high spin isomer in 153Eu

A search for new isomers of nanosecond lifetimes were carried out in ¹⁵³Eu via the ¹⁵⁰Nd(⁷Li,xnγ) reaction. The single particle angular momentum alignment and dynamical moment of inertia estimated from the experimental data indicate a configuration change at rotational energy ħω∼ 0.30 MeV. A decrease of B(E2) values is also observed at the same frequency. An isomeric level is identified at an excitation energy of 3100 keV (J^π=35/2⁻) which corresponds to this frequency. The lifetime of the level is found to be 8.6 ± 1.3 nanosecond. Received: 22 April 1997 / Revised version: 26 September 1997     

Photocatalytic polypyrrole-TiO2-nanoparticles composite thin film generated at the air-water interface

Herein, we report a new method of generation of TiO(2) nanoparticles (NPs) incorporated thin films of polypyrrole (PPy) at the air-water interface. Aqueous TiO(2) NPs when treated with H(2)O(2) and left in a chamber of pyrrole vapor resulted in the formation of a film at the interface, in addition to bulk precipitate. Spectroscopic, X-ray diffraction, and electron microscopic measurements establish the formation of a thin film of PPy with the incorporation of TiO(2) NPs. The TiO(2)-containing PPy films when transferred onto glass substrates were able to photo catalyze the decomposition of aqueous organic dyes: methyl orange and methylene blue. Further, these films could also photo catalyze the oxidation of iodide to triiodide ions in aqueous potassium iodide solution. We find that the PPy-TiO(2) composite films catalyze the reactions in the presence of light more efficiently than a suspension of TiO(2) NPs.     

Naphthyl-(2-pyridylmethylene)amine complexes of silver(I) and ruthenium(II): synthesis,spectral studies and electrochemical behaviour

Pyridine-2-carboxaldehyde reacts with /-naphthylamine to give /-naphthyl-(2-pyridylmethylene)amine [-L (1), -L (2)]. L belongs to the unsymmetric diimine (—N=C—C=N—) family which can form five–membered chelate rings with metal ions. {donor centers are abbreviated as N[N(Py)] and N [N(nap)]} [Ag(L)₂]⁺ complexes were prepared and characterized by spectroscopic data. The reaction between L and RuCl₃ in boiling EtOH yielded green and blue–green compounds of composition RuCl₂(L)₂. I.r., u.v.–vis. and ¹H-n.m.r. data determined the stereochemistry of the complexes as trans-cis-cis (green) and cis-trans-cis (blue–green) according to the sequence of the coordination pair of Cl, N [N(Py)] and N [N(nap)]. Upon treatment of Ag(L)₂ ⁺ with Ru(bpy)₂Cl₂ in alcoholic suspension the ternary complexes, [Ru(bpy)₂(L)](ClO₄)₂, were isolated and characterized by spectroscopic data. [Ru(bpy)(L)₂](ClO₄)₂ complexes were synthesized similarly from ctc-Ru(L)₂Cl₂ and 2,2-bipyridine (bpy) in the presence of AgNO₃ and NaClO₄. These complexes show well-defined m.l.c.t transitions in the visible region. The sterochemistry of the complexes was established by ¹H-n.m.r. data. Cyclic voltammetry shows a high potential Ru^III/Ru^II couple and follows the order: [Ru(bpy)(L)₂]²⁺ > [Ru(bpy)₂(L)]²⁺ > Ru(-L)₂Cl₂ > Ru(-L)₂Cl₂.