On a responsive replenishment system: a fuzzy logic approach

In today's competitive business environment, it is important that customers are able to obtain their preferred items in the shops they visit, particularly for convenience store chains such as 7–Eleven where popular items are expected to be readily available on the shelves of the stores for buyers. To minimize the cost of running such store chains, it is essential that stocks be kept to a minimum and at the same time large varieties of popular items are available for customers. In this respect, the replenishment system needs to be able to cope with the taxing demands of minimal inventory but at the same time keeping large varieties of needed items. This paper proposes a replenishment system which is able to respond to the fluctuating demands of customers and provide a timely supply of needed items in a cost–effective way. The proposed system embraces the principle of fuzzy logic which is able to deal with uncertainties by virtue of its fuzzy rules reasoning mechanism, thereby leveraging the responsiveness of the entire replenishment system for the chain stores. To validate the feasibility of the approach, a case study has been conducted in an emulated environment with promising results.     

Nonequilibrium nonstoichiometry in ionic compounds

Ionic substances under normal conditions are stoichiometric compounds with phase diagrams featuring no homogeneity regions. Crystals grown under nonequilibrium conditions, in particular, under significant centrifugal acceleration, are characterized by nonstoichiometric compositions (e.g., K_2−x Br_1.07). In this way, it is possible to obtain nonequilibrium nonstoichiometric ionic compounds possessing certain homogeneity regions. Nonstoichiometric crystals of KCl, KBr, and KI grown under various accelerations ranging within (1.3–100.0)×10³ g exhibit insignificant variations in the lattice constants and a significant increase in micro-hardness with acceleration.     

Fuel‐Consumption‐Minimum‐Based Selection of the Regime of Heating of a Metal by the Main Optimization Method

Consideration is given to the solution of the problem of minimization of fuel consumption in heating a rectangular prism in a continuous furnace.     

Finite element simulation of the mechanics of flat contact pad fretting fatigue tests

An understanding into the macro kinetic and kinematic behaviour of fretted surfaces is provided. Making use of a modified version of a previously developed in‐house two‐dimensional elastic–plastic finite element analysis numerically simulates flat contact pad fretting fatigue tests. Basic macro mechanics concepts are adopted to idealise two bodies with rough contact surfaces and loaded at two different sites with arbitrary axial loading profiles. A time scale factor is devised to recognise the earliest candidate out of the events possibly accommodated at each loading increment. The present analysis utilises a relevant experimental set up developed in the Structural Integrity Research Institute of the University of Sheffield as an application. Computational results accurate to within 1.2% and corresponding to one contact pad span and six constant normal loads acting individually with four amplitudes of two sinusoidal axial load cycles are presented. The present computations include (1) the development of the global and local normal and tangential reactions and relative sliding displacement acting along the fretting surfaces and (2) contact pad deformation, generated stress fields and plasticity development within the neighbouring region of the fretted area.     

Mechanochemical modification of the phase diagrams of hexagonal oxide ferrimagnets

Mechanical activation and fine comminution of hexagonal oxide ferrimagnets by milling to a nanocrystalline state (ultradisperse powder), followed by sintering, leads to significant changes in the phase diagram, the temperature of synthesis, and the magnetic properties as compared to those of the materials obtained by traditional ceramic technology. The final material structure is formed through “chemical assembly”—sequential consolidation of nanodimensional particles (structure-forming blocks)—rather than through the formation of low-temperature phases and their decomposition with increasing temperature.     

Dissolution of U,Np, Pu,and Am Oxides and Their Mixtures in Tributyl Phosphate Saturated with HNO3

It was shown for the first time that weighable amounts of uranium dioxide and its mixtures with Np, Pu, and Am in the form of solid solutions can be efficiently and quantitatively dissolved in the presence of tributyl phosphate saturated with HNO₃. Individual PuO₂ and NpO₂ are not dissolved under these conditions. In treatment of a mechanical mixture of UO₂ with PuO₂ or NpO₂, uranium is completely dissolved, while plutonium and neptunium remain in the precipitate.     

丰富多彩的亚洲卫星电信市场

随着移动电视在美国的开始应用,新应用逐渐站稳了脚跟,并被美国消费者的要求所推动,而消费者的这些更丰富体验的要求在以前受到过抑制。为了在卫星电信领域更好契合这一趋势,注意亚洲发展并从其经验中总结教训这一做法是有意义的。     

Wave realisation of filters and equalisers in log-domain

Log-domain circuits offer a low-power property, whereas wave-derived circuits inherit a low-sensitivity property from the ladder prototypes and are less prone to transistor non-idealities. A novel approach to the design of wave filters in the log-domain is presented and several wave two-port topologies are investigated. Important design properties are examined. Realisations of direct filters, complex filters and group-delay equalisers in typical BJT and HBT SiGe BiCMOS technologies are assessed. The design procedures have been incorporated into XFTLTER design software.