Workload control concepts in job shops: a critical assessment

The paper considers a (static) portfolio system that satisfies adding-up contraints and the gross substitution theorem. The paper shows the relationship of the two conditions to the weak dominant diagonal property of the matrix of interest rate elasticities. This enables to investigate the impact of simultaneous changes in interest rates on the asset demands.

Workload control concepts in job shops:a critical assessment

The paper considers a (static) portfolio system that satisfies adding-up contraints and the gross substitution theorem. The paper shows the relationship of the two conditions to the weak dominant diagonal property of the matrix of interest rate elasticities. This enables to investigate the impact of simultaneous changes in interest rates on the asset demands

Right-left discrimination among medical students: questionnaire and psychometric study

Objective To determine medical students’ self awareness and ability to discriminate right from left; to identify characteristics associated with this ability; and to identify any techniques used to aid discrimination

Job shop control:in search of the key to delivery improvements

The last major performance breakthroughs in job shop control stem from the 1980s and 1990s. We generate a new search direction for designing job shop control policies, providing a key to delivery improvements. Based on a common characteristic shared by the most effective job shop control policies, we posit that control should have a specific focus during high load periods. A probability analysis reveals that substantial periods of high load are common, and even occur under assumptions of stationarity and moderate utilization. Subsequent simulations show nearly all tardy deliveries can be attributed to high load periods; and that the success of the best control policies can be explained by their ability to switch focus specifically during these periods, from reducing the dispersion of lateness to speeding up the average throughput time. Building on this, we demonstrate that for example small capacity adjustments targeted at handling high load periods can improve the percentage tardy and other delivery-related performance measures to a much greater extent than the best existing policies. Sensitivity analysis confirms the robustness of this approach and identifies a performance frontier reflecting the trade-off between capacity resources used and delivery performance realized. We conclude that a paradigm shift in job shop research is required: instead of developing single policies for application under all conditions, new policies are needed that respond differently to temporary high load periods. The new paradigm can be used as a design principle for realizing improvements across a range of planning and control decisions relevant to job shop

Replacing the Z-phenyl Ring in Tamoxifen® with a para-Connected NCN Pincer-Pt-Cl Grouping by Post-Modification

Post-modification of a series of NCN-pincer platinum(II) complexes [PtX(NCN-R-4)] (NCN = [C6H2(CH2NMe2)2-2,6]–, R = C(O)H, C(O)Me and C(O)Et), X = Cl– or Br–) at the para-position using the McMurry reaction was studied. The synthetic route towards two new [PtCl(NCN-R-4)] (R = C(O)Me and C(O)Et) complexes used above is likewise described. The utility and limitations of the McMurry reaction involving these pincer complexes was systematically evaluated. The predicted “homo-coupling” reaction of [PtBr(NCN-C(O)H-4)] led to the unexpected formation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetra[(dimethylamino)methyl]-4,4′-bis(platinum halide)-benzophenone (halide = Br or Cl), referred to hereafter as the bispincer-benzophenone complex 13. This material was further characterized using X-ray crystal structure determination. The applicability of the pincer complexes in the McMurry reaction is shown to open a route towards the synthesis of tamoxifen-type derivatives of which one phenyl ring of Tamoxifen® itself is replaced by an NCN arylplatinum pincer fragment. The newly synthesized derivatives can be used as potential candidates in anti-cancer drug screening protocols. Two NCN-arylpincer platinum tamoxifen type derivatives, 5 and 6, were successfully synthesized and of 5 the separation of the diastereomeric E-/Z-forms was achieved. Compound 6, which is the pivaloyl protected NCN pincer platinum hydroxy-Tamoxifen® derivative, was obtained as a mixture of E-/Z-isomers. The new derivatives were further analyzed and characterized with 1H-, 13C{1H}- and 195Pt{1H}-NMR, IR, exact mass MS and elemental analysis.This research was partly funded by the Council for Chemical Sciences of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO/CW) G.D.B., M.L

Conoscopic interferometry for optimal acoustic pulse detection in ultrafast acoustics

Conoscopic interferometry is a promising detection technique for ultrafast acoustics. By focusing a probe beam through a birefringent crystal before passing it through a polarizer, conoscopic interferences sculpt the spatial profile of the beam. The use of these patterns for acoustic wave detection revealed a higher detection sensitivity over existing techniques, such as reflectometry and beam distortion detection. However, the physical origin of the increased sensitivity is unknown. In this work, we present a model, describing the sensitivity behaviour of conoscopic interferometry with respect to the quarter-wave plate orientation and the diaphragm aperture, which is validated experimentally. Using the model, we optimize the detection sensitivity of conoscopic interferometry. We obtain a maximal sensitivity of detection when placing the diaphragm edge on the dark fringes of the conoscopic interference patterns. In the configurations studied in this work, conoscopic interferometry can be 8x more sensitive to acoustic waves than beam distortion detection