Managing Fashion Goods Inventories: Dynamic Recourse for Retailers with Outlet Stores

The proliferation of both online and bricks and mortar outlet stores underscores the observation that secondary markets are readily accessible to retailers of short-life-cycle products. These secondary markets provide recourse channels for retailers to sell excess inventory of out-of-favor items at reduced prices when overstocking occurs in a primary market. We study the problem of determining when a retailer should terminate its primary selling season by selling remaining inventory on a secondary market. The retailer has a single opportunity to procure prior to a primary selling season consisting of multiple periods. Demand in each period is random, but correlated. At the end of each period, any remaining inventory incurs a holding cost. Then, based upon the current level of inventory and the cumulative demand-to-date, the retailer decides either to terminate the primary selling season by selling all or part of the remaining inventory on a secondary market, or to extend the current primary selling season by another period. We develop structural properties of the optimal policy for determining when to terminate the primary selling season, and we develop corresponding implications for procurement.     

Verhalten von Magnesiumlegierungen für Anwendungen im Fahrzeugbau bei mechanisch‐elektrochemischer Komplexbeanspruchung: Einfluss passivierender Deckschichten und Mechanismen der lokalen Schädigung

Behavior of Magnesium‐Alloys for Automotive Applications under Mechanical and Environmental Loading: Influence of Passivating Films and Mechanisms of Local Breakdown To assure an efficient design of components under cyclic loading, all available data concerning fatigue have to be observed. Therefore the influences of manufacturing on the material condition, the mechanical loads and environmental effects have to be analysed. Magnesium‐alloys are of special interest for lightweight applications because of their excellent strength‐density ratio. The corrosion resistance of magnesium‐alloys depends on the same factors that are critical to other metals. The alloys have a good stability to atmospheric exposure and a good resistance to attack by alkali, chromic and hydrofluoric acids. However, because of the electrochemical activity of magnesium, the relative importance of some factors is greatly amplified. The nature and composition of passive films formed on magnesium‐alloys depend on the prevailing conditions, viz. alloy‐composition, passivation potential, pH, electrolyte composition and temperature. Passive films may be damaged by local breakdown. Because of this, magnesium‐alloys suffer a degradation of their properties when exposed to an aqueous environment. The main topic of the present investigations is the verification of mechanisms of the local breakdown of the protecting film. At least two mechanisms are possible for this localization: mechanical breakdown by slip steps and electrochemical breakdown (for e.g. by the effects of chloride ions). Corrosion and passivation of different high purity alloys have been studied in different solutions (neutral, alkaline with specific anions and cations) using electrochemical techniques. The diecasted alloys were tested as produced and machined. The results clarified that depending on alloy/material and surface condition/corrosion environment different mechanisms for electrochemical breakdown of the protecting films are possible. Hence fatigue life under environmental loading is influenced by surface and testing conditions.     

Java multimedia telecollaboration

Using Java-based tools in multimedia collaborative environments accessed over the Internet can increase an application's client base. Most operating systems support Java, and its "compile once-run everywhere" architecture is easy to maintain and update. The Java-based tools presented here let users share Internet resources, including resources originally designed for single use.     

Lake Chivero: A management case study

Lake Chivero in Zimbabwe was shown to be hypereutrophic. Historical data showed that the eutrophication process had been arrested in the late 1970s. However, a combination of poor planning, multiplicity of jurisdiction, mismatch between rate of urbanization and waste management investment, recent changes in the local climate and a permissive, immature political system that called for no public accountability resulted in environmental management breakdown leading to hypereutrophication of the lake. The case of Lake Chivero is presented as an example of a wider global issue regarding the status of environmental management in competition with other priorities in emerging democracies.     

不锈钢塔器在硫酸装置中的应用

摘 要:主要介绍Sasol Agri公司硫酸四系统的技术改造,分两步进行,第一步更换转化器、热换热器及主省煤器,生产能力由1600t/d提高到1750 t/d,且鼓风机出口压力很低。第二步更换干燥塔、二吸塔及冷换热器,连续生产能力在1950 t/d以上。使用不锈钢材质及克瓦纳·凯密迪公司专有的换热器,使装置的改造相当成功,维护及操作费用较低,并具有较大的灵活性和可操作性。     

Modellierungs- und Simulationsverfahren für die optische Verbindungstechnik auf elektrischen Leiterplatten

Optical interconnection technology on the printed circuit board level is a key technology for future microelectronic equipment. The consideration of functional, technological, and economical requirements results in a hybrid solution, where electrical and optical interconnects are integrated into one substrate called electrical optical printed circuit board. The significant part of the entire design process for electrical optical printed circuit boards is marked by the design supporting modelling and simulation of optical interconnects. Based on an abstract model for an entire optical interconnect a simulation model for optical multimode-waveguides is presented, taking into account all significant waveguide properties. Apart from that, the modeling of active components (laser- and photo-diodes) is addressed.     

半导体传感器在生物分析科学中的应用(英文)

回顾了半导体生化传感器 (ISFET 和 LA PS)在医学监测、免疫检测、免疫分析、D N A 杂交以及细胞培养等方面应用的进展。为使半导体器件适用于生化检测,对其中所采用的检测手段和取得的研究结果进行了分析。展望了通过与微流体网络相结合,基于半导体传感器的实验室芯片化的可行性。     

Calibrated Free-Space Microwave Measurements With an Ultrawideband Reflectometer-Antenna System

We present a 3-12 GHz compact mixer-based reflectometer (CMR) and horn antenna system, and demonstrate its use in detecting backscatter signals with a free space calibration procedure. We evaluate the frequency-domain performance of the CMR-antenna system for measuring the complex reflection coefficient of a dielectric slab and compare it with that of a commercial vector network analyzer (VNA)-antenna setup. Time-domain responses are also investigated, and show the effectiveness of this calibration method. This low-cost, compact system eliminates the need for traditional mechanical standards and a VNA, is effective in reducing reflection artifacts, and allows for flexibility in the placement of reference planes; thus it is well suited for array-based imaging applications     

Optimal Block Design for Asynchronous Wake-Up Schedules and Its Applications in Multihop Wireless Networks

In this paper, we consider the problem of designing optimal asynchronous wake-up schedules to facilitate distributed power management and neighbor discovery in multihop wireless networks. We first formulate it as a block design problem and derive the fundamental trade-offs between wake-up latency and the average duty cycle of a node. After the theoretical foundation is laid, we then devise a neighbor discovery and schedule bookkeeping protocol that can operate on the optimal wake-up schedule derived. To demonstrate the usefulness of asynchronous wake-up, we investigate the efficiency of neighbor discovery and the application of on-demand power management, which overlays a desirable communication schedule over the wake-up schedule mandated by the asynchronous wake-up mechanism. Simulation studies demonstrate that the proposed asynchronous wake-up protocol has short discovery time which scales with the density of the network; it can accommodate various traffic characteristics and loads to achieve an energy savings that can be as high as 70 percent, while the packet delivery ratio is comparable to that without power management.