This piece of work aims at the modeling and using the finite element method approach (FEM) to analyze the fatigue behavior of bolted beam to column end-plate connection in the structural steel framework subjected to static loading. A detailed three dimensional (3D) simulation model of the bolted beam to column end-plate connection is constructed in PRO-E wildfire and it is analyzed in the ANSYS workbench to obtain its behavior. The bolted end-plate connection is chosen as an important type of beam to column joint. The end-plate connection is chosen for its complexity in the analysis and behavior due to the number of connection components and their inheritable behavior. The solid elements, bonded contact and the bolt pretension are included to obtain the behavior of the structure. The FEA results of the structure with or without bolt pretension are compared with the available literature. At last the fatigue behavior of connections under over tensioning is presented in this work.

Meta-heuristic approaches are general algorithmic framework, often nature-inspired and designed to solve NP-complete optimization problems in cellular manufacturing systems and has been a growing research area for the past two decades. This paper discusses various meta-heuristic techniques such as evolutionary approach, Ant colony optimization, simulated annealing, Tabu search and other recent approaches, and their applications to the vicinity of group technology/cell formation (GT/CF) problem in cellular manufacturing. The nobility of this paper is to incorporate various prevailing issues, open problems of meta-heuristic approaches, its usage, comparison, hybridization and its scope of future research in the aforesaid area.

This paper presents a new vendor-buyer system where there are different objectives for both sides. The proposed method of this paper is different from the other previously published works since it considers different objectives for both sides. In this paper, the vendor’s emphasis is on the crashing of the setup cost, which not only helps him compete in the market but also provides better services to his customers; and the buyer’s aim is to reduce the lead time, which not only facilitates the buyer to fulfill the customers’ demand on time but also enables him to earn a good reputation in the market or vice versa. In the light of the above stated facts, an integrated vendor-buyer stochastic inventory model is also developed. The propsed model considers two cases for demand during lead time: Case (i) Complete demand information, Case (ii) Partial demand information. The proposed model jointly optimizes the buyer’s ordered quantity and lead time along with vendor’s setup cost and the number of shipments. The results are demonstrated with the help of numerical examples.

In this article, we consider a single-unit unreliable production system which produces a single item. During a production run, the production process may shift from the in-control state to the out-of-control state at any random time when it produces some defective items. The defective item production rate is assumed to be imprecise and is characterized by a trapezoidal fuzzy number. The production rate is proportional to the demand rate where the proportionality constant is taken to be a fuzzy number. Two production planning models are developed on the basis of fuzzy and stochastic demand patterns. The expected cost per unit time in the fuzzy sense is derived in each model and defuzzified by using the graded mean integration representation method. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the optimal results of the proposed fuzzy models.

Guar gum has seen extensive use in blends, however, its application as a filler in thermoset composites has as yet not been investigated. The effect of the addition of guar gum and its acetyl derivatives on the kinetics of water diffusion in unsaturated polyester composites was studied. The effect of water on the mechanical properties of the composites was studied with respect to the nature of filler, filler concentration and time of immersion. All the mechanical properties were observed to decrease on exposure to water. Further, it was observed that acetylated guar gum, with a degree of substitution of 0.21, showed the best mechanical properties, surpassing the other filled composites and that of the pure unsaturated polyester. Thus, acetylated guar gum showed promise as eco-friendly filler in composite formulation.

The coordination complexes of Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) derived from 5-bromosalicylidene-3,4-dimethylaniline (BSMA) and 5-bromosalicylidene-3,4-dichloroaniline (BSCA) have been synthesized by conventional as well as microwave methods. These compounds have been characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, molar conductance, electronic spectra, 1H-NMR, FAB-mass, ESR, magnetic susceptibility, electrical conductivity and thermal analysis. The complexes are coloured and stable in air. Analytical data revealed that all the complexes exhibited 1:2 (metal: ligand) ratio with coordination number 4 or 6. IR data shows that the ligand coordinates with the metal ions in a bidentate manner through the phenolic oxygen and azomethine nitrogen. FAB-mass and thermal data show degradation pattern of the complexes. Solid state electrical conductivity studies reflect semiconducting nature of the complexes. The Schiff base and metal complexes show a good activity against the Gram-positive bacteria; Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative bacteria; Escherichia coli and fungi Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans.

Reverse Logistics has become buzzword in today’s industrial word and big differentiating factor in quest of success for any organization word wide. Whole world is suffering from scarcity of resources and we have finite area available for the waste disposal. One of the sustainable solutions is to design product in such a way so that we can maximize its reuse through reverse logistics. Reverse logistics is fast becoming industrial design standard for majority of organizations worldwide. Reverse logistics has become a need of an hour. Some of the organization do it voluntarily and some because of the environmental rules and legislations. In order to achieve total customer satisfaction, one has to take care of product for its entire life cycle through activities of reverse logistics. In this research I tried to investigate the factors affecting performance of reverse logistics in relation to customer satisfaction. I have used interpretive structural modelling technique to understand the complex pattern of contextual relationship amongst the most important factors through diagraph, which explain performance of reverse logistics in relation to customer satisfaction. I have also used MICMAC analysis to classify these factors according to their driving power and dependency power. MICMAC analysis facilitate in identification of most important factors in explaining performance of reverse logistics in relation to customer satisfaction. Further this research may helpful in reverse logistics design process planning, driven by customer requirement.

The dimensions of service quality and their relationship with the behavioral pattern of customers have received immense importance in the banking sector. The relational impact of service quality on customers’ propensity to switch from their banking service provider, is therefore, very much relevant. Empirical studies have revealed that there is a significant relationship between retention of customers and profitability. Therefore, to have an understanding of the behavioral pattern of the customers with respect to their intention to defect from their bank is financially justified. This paper investigates the relationship between service quality and switching behavior of customers in the context of the largest nationalized bank of India –State Bank of India (SBI) for two of their branches in sub-urban West Bengal namely Bolpur and Santiniketan.

Retail atmospherics have been well studied to have both functional and emotional impact on the behavioural intent of shoppers. The usage of well-orchestrated retail servicescape with its expanding canvas, both inside and outside the retail premise, has been targeted to induce subliminal perception of comfort and convenience in the mind of shoppers. Modern retail practice has incorporated customer relationship management (CRM), a pivotal business analytical process, to strengthen their interaction with shoppers. This paper attempts to gather empirical evidence on the possible mediating effects of CRM dimensional performance on the emotional orientation of shoppers, apprehended to be antecedent to favourable shopping behaviour. Appropriate statistical applications, following adequate literature survey, were deployed to test the hypotheses and the robustness of the default model. The results were indicative of strong moderating impact of CRM dimensional performance in augmenting emotional behaviour of customers to induce a fovourable behavioural intent. The default model also holds good confirming the causal convergence of constructs.

Active methylene compounds are regioselectively dialkylated by variety of alkyl halides using cesium carbonate in quantitative yield. The reaction yielded exclusively dialkylated products with no intermediate monoalkyaltion or mixture of products.