Application of genetic algorithm-based intuitionistic fuzzy weighted c-ordered-means algorithm to cluster analysis

Knowledge and Information Systems - With the advance of information technology, many fields have begun using data clustering to reveal data structures and obtain useful information. Most of the...     

Scheduling Optimization Modelling: A Case Study of a Woven Label Manufacturing Company

Production scheduling involves all activities of building production schedules, including coordinating and assigning activities to each person, group of people, or machine and arranging work orders in each workplace. Production scheduling must solve all problems such as minimizing customer wait time, storage costs, and production time; and effectively using the enterprise’s human resources. This paper studies the application of flexible job shop modelling on scheduling a woven labelling process. The labelling process includes several steps which are handled in different work-stations. Each workstation is also comprised of several identical parallel machines. In this study, job splitting is allowed so that the power of work stations can be utilized better. The final objective is to minimize the total completion time of all jobs. The results show a significant improvement since the new planning may save more than 60% of lead time compared to the current schedule. The contribution of this research is to propose a flexible job shop model for scheduling a woven labelling process. The proposed approach can also be applied to support complex production scheduling processes under fuzzy environments in different industries. A practical case study demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed model.     

Noise-adaptive synthetic oversampling technique

Applied Intelligence - In the field of supervised learning, the problem of class imbalance is one of the most difficult problems, and has attracted a great deal of research attention in recent...     

Investigation of long term drift of an intraocular pressure sensor

Microsystem Technologies - “Zero drift” behavior of an optical intraocular pressure sensor is studied using an analytical model based on the deflection of a circular membrane. Results...     

CLARO: modeling and processing uncertain data streams

Uncertain data streams, where data are incomplete and imprecise, have been observed in many environments. Feeding such data streams to existing stream systems produces results of unknown quality, which is of paramount concern to monitoring applications. In this paper, we present the claro system that supports stream processing for uncertain data naturally captured using continuous random variables. claro employs a unique data model that is flexible and allows efficient computation. Built on this model, we develop evaluation techniques for relational operators by exploring statistical theory and approximation. We also consider query planning for complex queries given an accuracy requirement. Evaluation results show that our techniques can achieve high performance while satisfying accuracy requirements and outperform state-of-the-art sampling methods.     

A self-learning particle swarm optimizer for global optimization problems

Particle swarm optimization (PSO) has been shown as an effective tool for solving global optimization problems. So far, most PSO algorithms use a single learning pattern for all particles, which means that all particles in a swarm use the same strategy. This monotonic learning pattern may cause the lack of intelligence for a particular particle, which makes it unable to deal with different complex situations. This paper presents a novel algorithm, called self-learning particle swarm optimizer (SLPSO), for global optimization problems. In SLPSO, each particle has a set of four strategies to cope with different situations in the search space. The cooperation of the four strategies is implemented by an adaptive learning framework at the individual level, which can enable a particle to choose the optimal strategy according to its own local fitness landscape. The experimental study on a set of 45 test functions and two real-world problems show that SLPSO has a superior performance in comparison with several other peer algorithms.     

Na+ and/or Cl− Toxicities Determine Salt Sensitivity in Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), Mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek), Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.), and Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Grain legumes are important crops, but they are salt sensitive. This research dissected the responses of four (sub)tropical grain legumes to ionic components (Na⁺ and/or Cl⁻) of salt stress. Soybean, mungbean, cowpea, and common bean were subjected to NaCl, Na⁺ salts (without Cl⁻), Cl⁻ salts (without Na⁺), and a “high cation” negative control for 57 days. Growth, leaf gas exchange, and tissue ion concentrations were assessed at different growing stages. For soybean, NaCl and Na⁺ salts impaired seed dry mass (30% of control), more so than Cl⁻ salts (60% of control). All treatments impaired mungbean growth, with NaCl and Cl⁻ salt treatments affecting seed dry mass the most (2% of control). For cowpea, NaCl had the greatest adverse impact on seed dry mass (20% of control), while Na⁺ salts and Cl⁻ salts had similar intermediate effects (~45% of control). For common bean, NaCl had the greatest adverse effect on seed dry mass (4% of control), while Na⁺ salts and Cl⁻ salts impaired seed dry mass to a lesser extent (~45% of control). NaCl and Na⁺ salts (without Cl⁻) affected the photosynthesis (P_n) of soybean more than Cl⁻ salts (without Na⁺) (50% of control), while the reverse was true for mungbean. Na⁺ salts (without Cl⁻), Cl⁻ salts (without Na⁺), and NaCl had similar adverse effects on P_n of cowpea and common bean (~70% of control). In conclusion, salt sensitivity is predominantly determined by Na⁺ toxicity in soybean, Cl⁻ toxicity in mungbean, and both Na⁺ and Cl⁻ toxicity in cowpea and common bean.     

Simulated Microgravity Inhibits the Proliferation of Chang Liver Cells by Attenuation of the Major Cell Cycle Regulators and Cytoskeletal Proteins

Simulated microgravity (SMG) induced the changes in cell proliferation and cytoskeleton organization, which plays an important factor in various cellular processes. The inhibition in cell cycle progression has been considered to be one of the main causes of proliferation inhibition in cells under SMG, but their mechanisms are still not fully understood. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of SMG on the proliferative ability and cytoskeleton changes of Chang Liver Cells (CCL-13). CCL-13 cells were induced SMG by 3D clinostat for 72 h, while the control group were treated in normal gravity at the same time. The results showed that SMG reduced CCL-13 cell proliferation by an increase in the number of CCL-13 cells in G0/G1 phase. This cell cycle phase arrest of CCL-13 cells was due to a downregulation of cell cycle-related proteins, such as cyclin A1 and A2, cyclin D1, and cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (Cdk6). SMG-exposed CCL-13 cells also exhibited a downregulation of α-tubulin 3 and β-actin which induced the cytoskeleton reorganization. These results suggested that the inhibited proliferation of SMG-exposed CCL-13 cells could be associate with the attenuation of major cell cycle regulators and main cytoskeletal proteins.     

Electrodeposition of Fe−Ni−Co alloys part I: Direct current deposition

Effects of hydrodynamic conditions, current density and solution temperature on the d.c. electrodeposition of Fe–Ni–Co alloys have been investigated with stationary planar and rotating cylindrical electrodes. The deposition rate of Fe showed mass transfer effects at cathodic potentials –1.35 V/sce. Deposition of Ni appeared to be kinetically controlled; deposition of Co appeared to be under kinetic control at potentials –1.35 V/sce but under mixed control at –1.65 V. Current efficiency of the codeposition process increased with increasing current density and decreased with increasing rotation rate. Higher solution temperatures and rotation rates extended the applied current density range where smooth, adherent, and metallic-looking deposits could be obtained. An increase in solution temperatures also decreased anomalous codeposition of Fe–Ni–Co. Calculations based on the Hessami-Tobias model provide qualitative agreement with dependence of experimental electrodeposition on applied current density, hydrodynamics and temperature.     

Darstellung,Struktur und Reaktivität quartärer Ammoniumcellulosate

Tetraalkylammonium cellulosates were prepared by means of an exchange reaction between cellulose and tetraalkylammonium methoxides in anhydrous methanol and dimethylsulfoxide up to a degree of substitution of about 0,7 without chain degradation. The course of this reaction and the structure of the cellulosates in comparison to lithium and sodium cellulosate has been studied. The reaction rate and the equilibrium substitution decreased with increasing size of the cation in the methoxide. The distribution of the alcoholate groups in equilibrium at C-2, C-3 and C-6 of the glucopyranosyl unit in the cellulosates, which was investigated by methylation, hydrolysis of the methylcelluloses, and analysis of the methylglucoses by gas chromatography, was independent of the nature of the cation. Under the given reaction conditions the hydroxyl group at C-2 was more acidic than those at C-3 and C-6, while for the latter practically no difference was found. The tetraalkylammonium cellulosates are highly reactive intermediates for the preparation of cellulose derivatives. The reactivity of the cellulosates increased with increasing size of the cation, Li^⊕ < Na^⊕ < N(CH₃)₄^⊕ <[(CH₃)₃N? CH₂? C₆H₅]^⊕.