A Variable Neighborhood Search for the Multi Depot Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows

The aim of this paper is to propose an algorithm based on the philosophy of the Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS) to solve Multi Depot Vehicle Routing Problems with Time Windows. The paper has two main contributions. First, from a technical point of view, it presents the first application of a VNS for this problem and several design issues of VNS algorithms are discussed. Second, from a problem oriented point of view the computational results show that the approach is competitive with an existing Tabu Search algorithm with respect to both solution quality and computation times.     

On the exact distribution of linear combinations of order statistics from dependent random variables

We study the exact distribution of linear combinations of order statistics of arbitrary (absolutely continuous) dependent random variables. In particular, we examine the case where the random variables have a joint elliptically contoured distribution and the case where the random variables are exchangeable. We investigate also the particular L-statistics that simply yield a set of order statistics, and study their joint distribution. We present the application of our results to genetic selection problems, design of cellular phone receivers, and visual acuity. We give illustrative examples based on the multivariate normal and multivariate Student t distributions.     

The nucleon and Δ-resonance masses in relativistic chiral effective-field theory

We study the chiral behavior of the nucleon and Δ-isobar masses within a manifestly covariant chiral effective-field theory, consistent with the analyticity principle. We compute the πN and πΔ one-loop contributions to the mass and field-normalization constant, and find that they can be described in terms of universal relativistic loop functions, multiplied by appropriate spin, isospin and coupling constants. We show that these manifestly relativistic one-loop corrections, when properly renormalized, obey the chiral power-counting and vanish in the chiral limit. The results including only the πN-loop corrections compare favorably with the lattice QCD data for the pion-mass dependence of the nucleon and Δ masses, while inclusion of the πΔ loops tends to spoil this agreement.     

More compact invariant manifolds appearing in the non-linear coupling of oscillators

Near partially elliptic rest points of generic families of vector fields or transformations, many types of normally hyperbolic invariant compact manifolds can appear, diffeomorphic to intersections of quadrics. To cite this article: M. Chaperon et al., C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 342 (2006).     

Relational Control Structures

In this paper, we outline the use of relational control structures (Regel-Relative) to describe continuous-time linear systems and show how well known time-invariance from control theory can be defined by these algebraic structures. Furthermore, such important system properties as controllability and reachability are introduced to arbitrary (nonlinear, non-smooth, discontinuous) dynamical systems.     

Nonlocal Effects in Two-Dimensional Conductivity

The paper deals with the asymptotic behaviour as ε → 0 of a two-dimensional conduction problem whose matrix-valued conductivity a _ε is ε-periodic and not uniformly bounded with respect to ε. We prove that only under the assumptions of equi-coerciveness and L ¹-boundedness of the sequence a _ε , the limit problem is a conduction problem of same nature. This new result points out a fundamental difference between the two-dimensional conductivity and the three-dimensional one. Indeed, under the same assumptions of periodicity, equi-coerciveness and L ¹-boundedness, it is known that the high-conductivity regions can induce nonlocal effects in three (or greater) dimensions.     

Study of a fiber-optic LAN with a distributed controller

In this paper the performance of a fiber-optic LAN with spread spectrum multiplexing is discussed from the viewpoint of transmission parameters. Two architectures are considered. The first concerns a structure with cascade-connected Y-type fiber-optic couplers. The second concerns an architecture with cascade-connected active optoelectronic repeater-coupler (ORCA) devices.     

SpecTool: a knowledge-based hypermedia system for interpreting molecular spectra

Summary A hypermedia environment was designed to set up a collection of reference data, reference spectra and computational tools. The system may serve as an aid for the combined interpretation of molecular spectra. This paper describes the context dependent presentation of the pieces of information.     

Optical properties of a high-efficiency glass ceramic X-ray storage phosphor

The turbidity, photoluminescence, and photo-stimulated luminescence (PSL) of fluorozirconate glass containing barium chloride nano- and micro-crystals have been measured for samples prepared by isochronal (70 min) annealing over a temperature range of 220–283°C, and correlated with the microstructure as determined by X-ray diffraction measurements. Crystallization of hexagonal phase barium chloride commences at around 220°C, but until 275°C the material retains excellent transparency although it displays negligible PSL. Between 275°C and 277°C, the hexagonal phase converts to the orthorhombic phase, the transparency abruptly decreases, and the PSL rises to a value of around 13% of that found for the commercial storage phosphor BaFBr:Eu. For a slightly higher temperature of 280°C, new phases appear which correspond to the onset of bulk crystallization, and at 283°C the relative PSL rises to 33%, while the transparency falls further. The trade-off between optical transparency and PSL over this narrow temperature window for X-ray imaging plate applications is briefly discussed.