Index Heuristics for Multiclass M/G/1 Systems with Nonpreemptive Service and Convex Holding Costs

We consider the optimal service control of a multiclass M/G/1 queueing system in which customers are served nonpreemptively and the system cost rate is additive across classes and increasing convex in the numbers present in each class. Following Whittle's approach to a class of restless bandit problems, we develop a Langrangian relaxation of the service control problem which serves to motivate the development of a class of index heuristics. The index for a particular customer class is characterised as a fair charge for service of that class. The paper develops these indices and reports an extensive numerical investigation which exhibits strong performance of the index heuristics for both discounted and average costs.     

A novel approach to the acoustic characterisation of porous road surfaces

Porous road surfaces offer an effective means of reducing the generation and propagation of noise from road traffic. However, the porosity of these surfaces can deteriorate over time, leading to a reduction in their noise reducing properties. Efficient methods are therefore required for monitoring this performance. Existing techniques for performing in-situ measurements of acoustic absorption are unsuitable for use within the traffic stream. Static measurements using time domain Maximum Length Sequence (MLS) based techniques have been demonstrated to offer advantages over traditional techniques, presenting the opportunity for measurements under dynamic conditions. This paper describes the design of a system for carrying out dynamic MLS-based measurements. Results are presented which demonstrate that stable dynamic measurements can be carried out at speeds of up to 30 km/h.     

Liquid Ion-Selective Electrodes for Determining Nonionic Surfactants

It was shown that nonionic surfactants (NS) can be determined by potentiometry using liquid NS-selective electrodes. The effect of medium acidity and foreign substances on the operation of liquid NS-selective electrodes was studied. Some properties of NS-selective electrodes were determined.     

A note on strong β-I-sets and strongly β-I-continuous functions

Summary In [6], we introduced and investigated the notions of strong β-I-open sets and strong β-I-continuous functions in ideal topological spaces. In this paper, we investigate further their important properties.     

Pressure Stabilization Method for Steady Viscous Flows in a System of Pipes

This paper deals with a singular perturbation of the stationary Stokes and Navier-Stokes systems. The term ε²Δp is added to the continuity equation, where ε is a small parameter. For a domain with cylindrical outlets to infinity and exponentially decaying data, existence and uniqueness of solutions under flux conditions at infinity are established for the linear problem and also for the nonlinear problem in the case of small data. Asymptotically exact estimates are proved for ε tending to zero. For sufficiently regular data, these estimates imply the convergence in H _loc ^5/2−δ for the velocity parts and in H _loc ^3/2−δ for the pressure parts, respectively. Bibliography: 17 titles.Dedicated to V. A. Solonnikov on the occasion of his 70th birthday__________Published in Zapiski Nauchnykh Seminarov POMI, Vol. 306, 2003, pp. 107–133.     

Variational Derivative for Buckling Loads of Beams and Frames

The finite-difference method is a numerical technique for obtaining approximate solutions to differential equations. The main objective of the present study is to give a new aspect to the finite-difference method by using a variational derivative. By applying this formulation, accurate values of the buckling loads of beams and frames with various end supports are obtained. The performance of this formulation is verified by comparison with numerical examples in the literature __________ Published in Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 41, No. 7, pp. 139–144, July 2005.     

Dielectric investigations of associate formation process in thin nitrobenzene interlayers formed between metal substrates

Studies of thickness and temperature dependencies of the dielectric susceptibility of nitrobenzene interlayers formed on conductive substrates were carried out. The obtained data were processed under the assumption of the existence of dimers (with opposite directions of molecular dipole moments) in orientationally ordered wall-adjacent layers. The results were treated on the basis of Lifshits theory.     

Ac behaviour and phase transition in PLZT 6/80/20 ferroelectric ceramics

The Ac behaviour of PLZT 6/80/20 ferroelectric ceramics was analyzed around and above the phase transition. Two relaxation processes are identified, showing that the so-called ‘universal relaxation law’ holds for the ceramics. A critical point in the values of the Ac conductivity, around the temperature corresponding to the maximum of the dielectric losses, is observed below the transition temperature due to the relaxor behaviour. The frequency dependence of the Ac conductivity at various temperatures and the hysteresis loops show classical relaxor behaviour with a diffuse phase transition.