Optimization technique by genetic algorithms for international logistics

In recent years, sea and air transport has become a big trend. Getting an optimal solution with minimum costs (freight cost, warehouse cost) under certain constraints (delivery due date etc.) must be sought. Formerly, we made a mathematical formulation of the fundamental case (a single supply site and a single demand site with multiple delivery dates/different delivery quantities) and next we expanded the objective function from considering transportation costs to considering transportation costs and warehouse stock fees. Under certain constraints, a minimum cost was pursued. In this paper, the objective function is expanded to the scheme which considers a reduced cost for the volume of lots. Here, a reduced cost by the discount of volume is also taken into account when multiple lots are transported using the same type of transport. A new selection method, “Multi-step tournament selection method” which is suitable for this problem is devised and utilized in this paper. Numerical examples are examined for the cases in which the discount of volume is considered. Theoretical optimal solution is derived by using genetic algorithm. An application of genetic algorithm to International Logistics is executed before by us. In this paper, the further expansion of constraints is executed and fruitful result is obtained, which contributes to the real management of International Logistics for the better decision making.     

Preparation of ZSM-5 nanoparticles supported on carbon substrate

Influences of the pore structure and the surface functionality of carbon substrates on the formation of ZSM-5 nanoparticles were studied. The inorganic substance formed on these carbons were identified as ZSM-5 by X-ray diffraction, which also revealed the presence of an amorphous silica phase. The fraction of crystalline phase, which was evaluated from XRD, was not affected by the pore structure; however, inorganic content depended on the pore structure of carbon: i.e. 14-17% for non- and microporous carbons, and 40-55% for mesoporous carbons. TEM observation revealed that the ZSM-5 deposited on these carbon substrates was in the form of nanoparticles with 10-20 nm of diameters. The influence of the surface functionality on the formation of ZSM-5 nanoparticles was also studied with an activated carbon, of which surface functionality was modified by heat-treatment and nitric acid-treatment. A strong dependence of the fraction of crystalline phase on the treatments was observed; i.e. the heat-treatment increased the fraction and the acid-treatment decreased it. Finally, we clarified the controlling factors for the formation of ZSM-5 on carbon materials; the mesoporous surface area of carbon strongly affects the inorganic content and the total acidity of carbon influences the selectivity to ZSM-5 formation.     

Effects of Ozonated Water Application on the Population Density of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in Soil Columns

The potential of ozonated water was investigated as an alternative to soil disinfectants in reducing the population densities of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in artificially infested quartz sand and Kuroboku soil columns. Significant reductions in the population density were observed with dissolved ozone concentrations (DOCs) of 6 and 12 mg L^?1 in infested quartz sand but not in infested Kuroboku soil. The results indicate that repetitive application of ozonated water with higher DOCs should be required for reducing the population density of F. oxysporum in soils with high content of organic substances and large surface area.     

Synthesis and morphological studies of polyisoprene-block-polystyrene-block-poly(vinyl methyl ether) triblock terpolymer

The triblock terpolymer (PI-b-PS-b-PVME) consisting of polyisoprene (PI), polystyrene (PS) and poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) was synthesized by coupling reaction between living PI-b-PS anion and end-chlorinated PVME prepared via living cationic polymerization. This polymer is an amphiphilic block polymer and unique in a sense that it exhibits complex phase behavior because PS and PVME have a lower critical solution temperature (LCST)-type phase diagram while PI and PS (or PVME) have an UCST-type phase diagram. This unique architecture would result in a step-wise microphase separation to form a three-phase microdomain structure. It was observed by transmission electron microscopy with ultrathin sections that the toluene-cast film of PI-b-PS-b-PVME has a two-phase lamellar structure consisting of PI microdomains and mixed PS/PVME microdomains. Applying a drop of water onto the ultrathin sections induced further microphase separation between PS and PVME within the lamellar microdomains resulting in the three-phase structure. Water is a selective solvent for PVME and might have lowered the order-disorder temperature between PS and PVME. This step-wise microphase separation may be a new technique to control microphase-separated structures in triblock terpolymers.     

A novel ∈-lysine acylase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptomyces mobaraensis</Emphasis> for synthesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N∈</Emphasis>-acyl-<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-lysines

A novel ∈-lysine acylase (N ₆-acyl-l-lysine amidohydrolase; EC 3.5.1.17) was isolated from Streptomyces mobaraensis and purified to homogeneity by SDS-PAGE from the culture broth. The purified enzyme was monomeric, with a molecular mass of approximately 60 kDa. The enzyme was inactivated by the presence of 1,10-phenanthroline and activated in the presence of Co²⁺ and Zn²⁺. The enzyme showed a pH optimum of 8.0 and was stable at temperatures of up to 50°C for 1 h at pH 8.0. The enzyme specifically catalyzed the hydrolysis of the amide bond of various N∈-acyl-l-lysines. Furthermore, the enzyme efficiently catalyzed the synthesis of N∈-acyl-l-lysines with fatty and aromatic acyl groups in an aqueous buffer. In the syntheses of N∈-decanoyl-l-lysine, N∈-lauroyl-l-lysine, and N∈-myristoyl-l-lysine, the product precipitated and the yield was 90% or higher using 10 mM FA and 0.5 M l-lysine as the substrate.     

Synthesis and properties of sulfonated poly(2,5-diphenethoxy-p-phenylene)

A novel regio-controlled poly(2,5-diphenethoxy-p-phenylene) partially functionalized with sulfonic acids has been developed for a proton exchange membrane. Poly(2,5-diphenethoxy-p-phenylene) was prepared via the oxidative-coupling polycondensation using iron(III) trichloride as an oxidant. A high molecular weight polymer over 270,000 in the weight-average molecular weight was quantitatively obtained in mild conditions. This polymer was then reacted with two and four equimolar trimethylsilylchlorosulfonate in dichloromethane to give the corresponding sulfonic acid-functionalized polymers, whose functionalities were 0.69 and 1.19 per a polymer unit, which were translated to be 1.73 and 2.49 mequiv/g in ion exchange capacity (IEC), respectively. These polymers showed excellent proton conductivity up to 2 × 10⁻¹ S/cm at 80 °C and 95% relative humidity.     

Methionine‐Containing Poly(amino acid) Hybrid Fibers via Self‐Assembly at Aqueous Interface

Summary: Using sulfonium groups to create a novel fiber material, methionine‐containing hybrid fibers were prepared from S‐methylated poly(L ‐methionine) and poly(L ‐lysine, L ‐methionine) solutions with gellan solution by polyion complex (PIC) formation via self‐assembly at the aqueous interface. The breaking strain of the PIC fibers were increased by incorporation of methionine residues into the poly(L ‐lysine). These findings may provide a new approach for preparing a wool‐like fiber in aqueous media using the synthetic water‐soluble methionine‐containing poly(amino acid)s.

SEM image of Met‐containing PIC fiber: (a) poly[Met¹⁹Met(SMe)⁸¹]‐gellan fiber (magnification, ×500).     

Synthesis of polymers bearing azo-dye chromophore with photocrosslinkable moiety for nonlinear optics

Summary Novel photocrosslinkable second-order nonlinear optical(NLO) polymers were synthesized from radical homopolymerization of 4-[N-ethyl-N-(2-methacryloyloxyethyl)]amino-4-(2-cinnamoyloxyethyloxycarbonyl)-2-nitroazobenzene(MACN) or copolymerization of MACN with 2-(cinnamoxyloxy)ethyl methacrylate(CM), and from polycondensation of 4-[N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)]amino-4-(2-cinnamoyloxyethyloxycarbonyl)-2-nitroazobenzene(HACN) with p-phenylenediacyloyl chloride(PD). For the purpose of obtaining an optimized condition of UV irradiation for poling treatment involving photocrosslinking, photoreactivity of these NLO polymer films was investigated. There was observed considerably different photoreaction behavior, especially in photofading of the NLO chromophore, between MACN polymer and HACNPD polycondensate; the latter faded more rapidly than the former. A reason for this phenomenon was considered.     

Mixed Oxide Capacitor of CuO—BaTiO3 as a New Type CO2 Gas Sensor

An oxide capacitor consisting of BaTiO₃ and an oxide is studied as a new type CO₂ sensor based on capacitance change. Sensitivity to CO₂, as well as the optimum operating temperature, was strongly dependent on the particular oxide mixed with BaTiO₃. Among the elements investigated in this study, CuO–BaTiO₃ exhibited the highest sensitivity to CO₂. In particular, the CuO–BaTiO₃ mixed oxide at the equimolar composition is highly sensitive to CO₂. The optimum operating temperature and frequency for CuO–BaTiO₃ are 729 K and 100 Hz, respectively, and the 80% response time to 2% CO₂ is within 25 s. The equimolar mixture of CuO and BaTiO₃ can measure the CO₂ concentration from 100 to 60 000 ppm. Carbonation of oxide seems to play a key role for the detection of CO₂ on these mixed oxide capacitors. The optimum operating temperature of these mixed oxide capacitors for CO₂ detection, therefore, correlates with the decomposition temperature of the carbonate corresponding to the oxide mixed with BaTiO₃. The capacitance increase of CuO–BaTiO₃ upon exposure to CO₂ seems to result from the elevated height of the potential barrier at the grain boundary between CuO and BaTiO₃. Carbonation of CuO in the element seems to bring about the elevation in the height of the potential barrier.     

Gas hold-up and volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient in an aerated agitated vessel without baffles having forward-reverse rotating impellers

Gas hold-up and volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient were studied in a gas-liquid contactor without baffles, containing multiple impellers with four delta-type blades. The blades of each adjacent impeller were offset by 45° in an alternating manner. The direction of rotation of the impellers periodically was reversed. This new type of agitated gas-liquid contactor was denoted as “AJITER”. The effects of the gas sparging rate, the forward-reverse agitation rate and the number of impellers on the gas hold-up and volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient in the AJITER when different types of gas spargers were used were evaluated experimentally for an air-water system. Empirical relationships are presented to predict the gas hold-up and volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient. The differences in performance between the AJITER and existing types of gas-liquid contactors are discussed in terms of the differences in the gas hold-up and volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient due to changes in the superficial gas velocity.