Concentration and refractive index sensor for methanol using short period grating fiber

This paper reports on the spectral (response) characteristics of fiber Bragg grating sensor to various methanol concentrations. A complete experimental analysis on the use of Ge-B co-doped fiber Bragg grating sensor for a concentration and refractive index measurement is presented. The spectral changes in the grating response due to variation of concentration have been investigated in relation to new sensing configurations. The results also highlight the possibilities of using the sensor for medical and biological applications.     

COMPACT DIFFERENCE SCHEMES FOR THE DIFFUSION AND SCHRODINGER EQUATIONS. APPROXIMATION,STABILITY, CONVERGENCE,EFFECTIVENESS, MONOTONY

Various compact difference schemes （both old and new, explicit and implicit, one-level and two-level）, which approximate the diffusion equation and SchrSdinger equation with periodical boundary conditions are constructed by means of the general approach. The results of numerical experiments for various initial data and right hand side are presented. We evaluate the real order of their convergence, as well as their stability, effectiveness, and various kinds of monotony. The optimal Courant number depends on the number of grid knots and on the smoothness of solutions. The competition of various schemes should be organized for the fixed number of arithmetic operations, which are necessary for numerical integration of a given Cauchy problem. This approach to the construction of compact schemes can be developed for numerical solution of various problems of mathematical physics.     

Mixed-width aisle configurations for order picking in distribution centers

Space required for the order picking area and labor required to perform the picking activity are two significant costs for a distribution center (DC). Traditionally, DCs employ either entirely wide or entirely narrow aisles in their picking systems. Wide aisles allow pickers to pass each other, which reduces blocking, and requires fewer pickers than their narrow-aisle counterpart for the same throughput. However, the amount of space required for wide-aisle configurations is high. Narrow aisles utilize less space than wide aisles, but are less efficient because of the increased likelihood of congestion experienced by pickers. We propose a variation to the traditional orthogonal aisle designs where both wide and narrow aisles are mixed within the configuration, with a view that mixed-width aisles may provide a compromise between space and labor. To analyze these new mixed-width aisle configurations, we develop analytical models for space and travel time considering randomized storage and traversal routing policies. Through a cost-based optimization model, we identify system parameters for which mixed-width aisle configurations are optimal. Experimental results indicate that annual cost savings of up to $48,000 can be realized over systems with pure wide or narrow aisle configurations.     

Interpolation by neural network operators activated by ramp functions

In this paper, a family of interpolation neural network operators are introduced. Here, ramp functions as well as sigmoidal functions generated by central B-splines are considered as activation functions. The interpolation properties of these operators are proved, together with a uniform approximation theorem with order, for continuous functions defined on bounded intervals. The relations with the theory of neural networks and with the theory of the generalized sampling operators are discussed.     

An integrated revenue sharing and quantity discounts contract for coordinating a supply chain dealing with short life-cycle products

This paper develops a combined contract model for coordinating a two stage supply chain where the demand at the retailer’s end is price sensitive and stock dependent. It has been shown that proposed coordination mechanism achieves perfect coordination and win–win situation for both the members of the supply chain. Further, an extensive sensitivity analysis is performed to examine the impact of various parameters on supply chain performance. It has been found that stock dependency factor has positive impact on order quantity and subsequently on supply chain performance. The paper has also made a comparative statics analysis to see the impact of certain parameters on the pricing and replenishment policies of the retailer.     

Analytical models for supplier selection and order quantity allocation

In the literature, decision models and techniques for supplier selection do not often consider inventory management of the items being purchased as part of the analysis. In this article, two mixed integer nonlinear programming models are proposed to select the best set of suppliers and determine the proper allocation of order quantities while minimizing the annual ordering, inventory holding, and purchasing costs under suppliers’ capacity and quality constraints. The first model allows independent order quantities for each supplier while the second model restricts all order quantities to be of equal size, as it would be required in a multi-stage (supply chain) inventory model. Illustrative examples are used to highlight the advantages of the proposed models over a previous model introduced in the literature.     

Biaxial nematic phase of crank-like bis(β-diketonato)copper(II) complexes established by X-ray diffraction and Z-value calculations

We have synthesized a series of six novel bis(β-diketonate)copper (II) complexes, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, and 3b, substituted by two bulky substituents in the short molecular axis direction to investigate their mesomorphism. The m,p,m'-trimethoxylphenyl-substituted derivatives, 2a and 2b, and the m,p-dimethoxylphenyl-substituted derivatives, 3a and 3b, did not show mesomorphism, whereas each of the p-methoxyphenyl-substituted derivatives 1a and 1b only showed a nematic phase, which was revealed from polarizing microscopic observations. We established from X-ray diffraction and Z-value calculations that each of the crank-like derivatives 1a and 1b forms a rectangular parallelepiped dimer and shows a biaxial nematic phase.     

Order of Reactivity of OH/NH Groups of Glucosamine Hydrochloride and N-Acetyl Glucosamine Toward Benzylation Using NaH/BnBr in DMF

The order of reactivity of OH and NH groups of glucosamine hydrochloride (GlcNH₂^.HCl) and N-acetyl glucosamine (GlcNAc) toward benzylation with NaH/BnBr in DMF was investigated. For GlcNH₂^.HCl, benzyl groups were introduced in the order of N-Bn > N-Bn₂ > 1-O-Bn > 6-O-Bn > 4-O-Bn > 3-O-Bn; for GlcNAc, benzyl groups were introduced in the order of 1-O-Bn > 6-O-Bn > 4-O-Bn > 3-O-Bn > N-Bn. A range of partially benzylated 2-N,N′-dibenzyl glucopyranosides and GlcNAc derivatives were obtained in a single step.