Predictive control of periodic-review production inventory systems with deteriorating items

In this paper a predictive control strategy is applied to a periodic-review dynamic inventory system with deteriorating items. Given the current inventory level, we determine the optimal production rates to be implemented at the beginning of each of the following periods over the control horizon. The effectiveness of this approach is the use of future information of the inventory target level and the desired production rate, which are available, along the fixed horizon. The deterioration coefficient may be known or unknown and both cases are considered. In the case where it is unknown, the self-tuning predictive control is applied. The proposed control algorithms are illustrated by simulations.     

Steady state analysis of an M/G/1 queue with two phase service and Bernoulli vacation schedule under multiple vacation policy

This paper examines the steady state behaviour of a batch arrival queue with two phases of heterogeneous service along and Bernoulli schedule vacation under multiple vacation policy, where after two successive phases service or first vacation the server may go for further vacations until it finds a new batch of customer in the system. We carry out an extensive stationary analysis of the system, including existence of stationary regime, queue size distribution of idle period process, embedded Markov chain steady state distribution of stationary queue size, busy period distribution along with some system characteristics.     

Optimal design and control of queues

We have divided this review into two parts. The first part is concerned with the optimal design of queueing systems and the second part deals with the optimal control of queueing systems. The second part, which has the lion’s share of the review since it has received the most attention, focuses mainly on the modelling aspects of the problem and describes the different kinds of threshold (control) policy models available in the literature. To limit the scope of this survey, we decided to limit ourselves to research on papers dealing with the three policies (N, T, and D), where a cost function is designed specifically and optimal thresholds that yield minimum cost are sought.     

A quorum queueing system with an unreliable server

We analyze a bulk service queueing system with an unreliable server, Poisson input, and general service and repair times. A stability condition and steady state system size distributions are obtained. The optimal management policy is discussed and illustrative examples are provided.     

Novel (4 + 1) fragment combination approach to chiral cyclopentanoids from tartaric acid

A $\text{chiral}$ cyclopentanoid building block $\text{29}$ has been synthesized in “one pot” cyclization process from epoxides $\text{22}$ - $\text{25}$ (which are readily accessible from (R,R)-(+) tartaric acid) with the carbanion derived from phenylthioacetonitrile (PhS-CH₂-CN).     

Effect of the server capacity distribution on the optimal control of a bulk service queueing system

In this paper the optimal control of a single-channel bulk service queueing system with random server capacity is investigated. Given an accumulation level r, the server stops processing new customers whenever the queue falls below r and resumes service when the queue reaches level r again. Server capacity becomes random following an idle period. A quick search procedure is designed to determine the value of r that yields the minimum expected total cost per unit of time. The effect of the server capacity distribution on the optimal control is then studied. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is conducted in order to assess the extent to which our results are valid.     

A queueing system with random server capacity and multiple control

The authors study queueing, input and output processes in a queueing system with bulk service and state dependent service delay. The input flow of customers, modulated by a semi-Markov process, is served by a single server that takes batches of a certain fixed size if available or waits until the queue accumulates enough customers for service. In the latter case, the batch taken for service is of random size dependent on the state of the system, while service duration depends both on the state of the system and on the batch size taken. The authors establish a necessary and sufficient condition for equilibrium of the system and obtain the following results: Explicit formulas for steady state distribution of the queueing process, intensity of the input and output processes, and mean values of idle and busy periods. They employ theory of semi-regenerative processes and illustrate the results by a number of examples. In one of them an optimization problem is discussed.     

Synthesis of trans-(3S,4S)-dibenzyloxycyclopentanone

The 1-cyano-1-thiophenylcyclopentone derivative $\text{1}$, obtained from (R,R)-(+)-tartaric acid, has been converted into a number of derivatives including the important $\text{trans}$-(3S,4S)-dibenzyloxycyclopentanone $\text{2}$ in 45% overall yield.     

Filtering of continuous-time Markov chains

This paper discusses finite-dimensional optimal filters for partially observed Markov chains. A model for a system containing a finite number of components where each component behaves like an independent finite state continuous-time Markov chain is considered. Using measure change techniques various estimators are derived.