A two-echelon base-stock inventory model with Poisson demand and the sequential processing of orders at the upper echelon

We consider a two-echelon inventory system with a number of non-identical, independent ‘retailers’ at the lower echelon and a single ‘supplier’ at the upper echelon. Each retailer experiences Poisson demand and operates a base stock policy with backorders. The supplier manufactures to order and holds no stock. Orders are produced, in first-come first-served sequence, with a fixed production time. The supplier therefore functions as an M/D/1 queue. We are interested in the performance characteristics (average inventory, average backorder level) at each retailer. By finding the distribution of order lead time and hence the distribution of demand during order lead time, we find the steady state inventory and backorder levels based on the assumption that order lead times are independent of demand during order lead time at a retailer. We also propose two alternative approximation procedures based on assumed forms for the order lead time distribution. Finally we provide a derivation of the steady state inventory and backorder levels which will be exact as long as there is no transportation time on orders between the supplier and retailers. A numerical comparison is made between the exact and approximate measures. We conclude by recommending an approach which is intuitive and computationally straightforward.     

Anion exchangers based on modified shungites

Modification of shungite with polyamines, followed by corss-linking with epoxy compounds, yielded chemically and thermally stable polyfunctional anion exchangers. The effect of the nature of a polyamine and epoxy compounds and of the carbon content of shungites and the process conditions on the ion-exchange properties of the samples obtained was studied.     

N2O emission in the 4.5 μM region: high excitation of the bending mode transitions v1v2v3→v1v2(v3−1) with (2v1+v2)=5

Eight emission spectra of pure N₂O and N₂O + N₂ + He mixtures excited by a radio frequency discharge were recorded by Fourier Transform Spectroscopy at a resolution of 0.005 and 0.004 cm⁻¹ in the 4.5 μm region. Results (wavenumbers, band centers, and spectroscopic constants) concerning nine new vibrational transitions which have not been observed before, and which occur between highly excited levels of the bending mode are reported. The derived spectroscopic parameters allow us to reproduce the experimental wavenumbers with an RMS error lower than 4.5 × 10⁻⁴ cm⁻¹.     

Coherent backscattering of light from saturated atoms

We survey recent progress achieved in understanding the impact of inelastic processes on coherent backscattering of light from cold atoms that are saturated by a powerful laser field.     

Finite-Type Invariants of Cubic Complexes

The paper is for a general audience and may serve as a preliminary introduction to the theory of finite-type invariants.     

Depth profiling of latex blends of fluorinated and fluorine‐free acrylates with laser‐induced secondary mass spectrometry

We explored phase separation and self‐assembly of perfluoroalkyl segments at the surface of polymer films obtained from latices of semifluorinated acrylate copolymers and the corresponding latex blends of nonfluorinated and semifluorinated polyacrylates. With laser‐induced secondary mass spectrometry the fluorine distribution was measured after annealing above the minimum film‐forming temperature of the polymers up to a depth of several micrometers. Depth profiles of a semifluorinated acrylate homopolymer and latex blends thereof with fluorine‐free alkylacrylates with 25, 50, and 75 mol % semifluorinated acrylate as well as a copolymer comprised of alkyl acrylate and semifluorinated acrylate (50/50 mol %) were investigated. In the case of latex blends containing both semifluorinated polyacrylates and fluorine‐free or low‐fluorine polymers, self‐assembly accounted for enrichment of the perfluoroalkyl segments at the surface. Coatings exhibiting low surface energy and having a substantially reduced total fluorine content were obtained. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 360–367, 2003     

Fuel Oil Pyrolysis Initiated by Propane-Butane-Oxygen Flame

The parameters of fuel oil pyrolysis initiated by propane-butane-oxygen flame were studied as influenced by the temperature in the pyrolysis zone, time of the fuel oil contact with the initiating flame, and fuel oil feed rate. The experimental data on thermal and flame-initiated fuel oil pyrolysis were compared.     

First measurement of the ϱ spectral function in nuclear collisions

The NA60 experiment at the CERN SPS has studied low-mass muon pairs in 158 A GeV In–In collisions. A strong excess of pairs is observed above the yield expected from neutral meson decays. The unprecedented sample size close to 400000 events and the good mass resolution of about 2% made it possible to isolate the excess by subtraction of the decay sources. The shape of the resulting mass spectrum shows some non-trivial centrality dependence, but is largely consistent with a dominant contribution from π⁺π^-→ϱ→μ⁺μ^- annihilation. The associated ϱ spectral function exhibits considerable broadening, but essentially no shift in mass. The p_T-differential mass spectra show the excess to be much stronger at low p_T than at high p_T. The results are compared to theoretical model predictions; they tend to rule out models linking hadron masses directly to the chiral condensate. PACS 25.75.-q; 12.38.Mh; 13.85.Qk