Nature-Inspired Meta-Heuristics on Modern GPUs: State of the Art and Brief Survey of Selected Algorithms

Graphic processing units (GPUs) emerged recently as an exciting new hardware environment for a truly parallel implementation and execution of Nature and Bio-inspired Algorithms with excellent price-to-power ratio. In contrast to common multicore CPUs that contain up to tens of independent cores, the GPUs represent a massively parallel single-instruction multiple-data devices that can nowadays reach peak performance of hundreds and thousands of giga floating-point operations per second. Nature and Bio-inspired Algorithms implement parallel optimization strategies in which a single candidate solution, a group of candidate solutions (population), or multiple populations seek for optimal solution or set of solutions of given problem. Genetic algorithms (GA) constitute a family of traditional and very well-known nature-inspired populational meta-heuristic algorithms that have proved its usefulness on a plethora of tasks through the years. Differential evolution (DE) is another efficient populational meta-heuristic algorithm for real-parameter optimization. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) can be seen as nature-inspired multiagent method in which the interaction of simple independent agents yields intelligent collective behavior. Simulated annealing (SA) is global optimization algorithm which combines statistical mechanics and combinatorial optimization with inspiration in metallurgy. This survey provides a brief overview of the latest state-of-the-art research on the design, implementation, and applications of parallel GA, DE, PSO, and SA-based methods on the GPUs.     

Development of high‐definition aqueous polyvinylpyrrolidone photoresists for cathode ray tubes

Aqueous photoresists that are capable of higher resolutions than are currently employed by the cathode ray tube (CRT) industry were developed by combining photoactivators, which activate at shorter UV wavelengths with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Two photoactivators were synthesized: 4,4′‐diazido‐2,2′‐biphenyl disodium disulfonate (DABP), which has a maximum absorbance at 264 nm, and 4,4′‐diazido‐2,2′‐biphenylethane disodium disulfonate (DABPE), which has a maximum absorbance at 258 nm. The PVP/DABP and PVP/DABPE photoresists successfully imaged a pattern with resolution as small as 4.4 μm with photoactivator concentrations greater than 20% of the PVP concentration. Addition of silane and emulgen greatly improved the performance of the photoresists with more uniform coatings of thicknesses of up to 1.4 μm. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 1637–1644, 2006     

New aspects in cationization of lignocellulose materials. IX. Flame retardancy effect of modification with nitrogen and sulfur containing groups

Lignocellulose materials were modified with 3-chlor-2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammoniumchloride, 1,3-bis(3-chlor-2-hydroxypropyl)imidazoliumhydrogensulphate, and 2-chlorethyl-sodiumsulphonate and the flame-retardant properties of materials obtained were studied. The flame-retardant effect was proved using the limited oxygen index (LOI) method and values up to 32.8 vol % of oxygen were determined. The LOI values were higher when the modification was done without using NaOH for activation, but in that case the alkylating groups were not chemically bonded to the material. The NaOH activation was necessary to obtain material with flame-retardant properties stable against washing. No synergistic effects were observed when the material was modified with both nitrogen- and sulfur-containing groups.     

Dynamic mechanical behavior of chlorosubstituted derivatives of poly(ethyl methacrylate) and poly(ethyl acrylate)

A freely oscillating torsional pendulum was used in the investigation of the influence of trichloroethyl, tetrachloroethyl, trichloromethoxyethyl, and trichloroethoxyethyl side groups on the molecular mobility in the glassy state and on the glass transition temperature of poly(meth)acrylates. All the polymers under study, which may be used as fire retardants, exhibit a simple relaxation behavior. While the parameters of the low-temperature and secondary relaxation process in the glassy state are not noticeably affected by the substituents used, the glass transition temperature T_g, increases with rising polarity and volume of side chains. The increase is larger in the series of polyacrylates, so that differences in the softening temperatures of polymethacrylates and polyacrylates having the same side chains decrease considerably with growing substitution.     

Experiments on the suspension of spheres in inclined tubes—II. Suspension by air

Data are presented on the suspension of single spheres by air, in inclined tubes ranging in diameter from 0·97 to 5·13 cm. The angle of inclination of the tubes to the horizontal axis varied from 0 to 90°. The data, which relate the pressure drop and suspending velocity to the geometric and physical parameters of the system, are compared with data generated previously using water as the suspending fluid. Dimensionless expressions are presented which correlate both sets of data for pressure drop and suspending velocity in terms of sphere/tube diameter ratio, tube diameter, density of solid and fluid and angle of inclination of the tube.     

On Floridi’s Method of Levels of Abstraction

Abstraction is arguably one of the most important methods in modern science in analysing and understanding complex phenomena. In his book The Philosophy of Information, Floridi (The philosophy of information. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2011) presents the method of levels of abstraction as the main method of the Philosophy of Information. His discussion of abstraction as a method seems inspired by the formal methods and frameworks of computer science, in which abstraction is operationalised extensively in programming languages and design methodologies. Is it really clear what we should understand by levels of abstraction? How should they be specified? We will argue that levels of abstraction should be augmented with annotations, in order to express semantic information for them and reconcile the method of level of abstraction (LoA’s) with other approaches. We discuss the extended method when applied e.g. to the analysis of abstract machines. This will lead to an example in which the number of LoA’s is unbounded.     

Geschäftsmodelle

The business model concept, although a relatively new topic for research, has garnered growing attention over the past decade. Whilst it has been robustly defined, the concept has so far attracted very little substantive research. In the context of the wide-spread digitization of businesses and society at large, the logic inherent in a business model has become critical for business success and, hence, a focus for academic inquiry. The business model concept is identified as the missing link between business strategy, processes, and Information Technology (IT). The authors argue that the BISE community offers distinct and unique competencies (e.g., translating business strategies into IT systems, managing business and IT processes, etc.) that can be harnessed for significant research contributions to this field. Within this research gap three distinct streams are delineated, namely, business models in IT industries, IT enabled or digital business models, and IT support for developing and managing business models. For these streams, the current state of the art, suggest critical research questions, and suitable research methodologies are outlined.     

New N,O-containing ligands for the biomimetic copper-catalyzed polymerization of 2,6-dimethylphenol

Poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) (PPE), which is widely used in high-performance engineering plastics, is obtained by the copper-catalyzed oxidative coupling of 2,6-dimethylphenol. The oxidative polymerizations have been carried out in acetonitrile with structurally related [copper-(N,O-containing ligand)] complexes as the catalyst precursor compounds, which appeared to be of great interest for a better understanding of the factors influencing the catalytic activities. Steric effects (influence of a methyl group close to the metal center; ligands 4–7) or electronic effects (imino versus amino group; ligands 4, 5, 8 and 6, 7, 9, respectively) on the polymerization rates have been demonstrated. The use of mono- or dinucleating ligands has strengthened the proposed mechanism of the reaction involving dinuclear active species.     

Macromolecular stabilizers for polymers

Inherent chemical activity, physical persistence and good compatibility are factors determining the efficiency of a stabilizer observed during the degradation of amorphous and crystalline synthetic polymers. Synthesis of macromolecular stabilizers is one of the ways used to solve the problem of physical persistency of stabilizers under severe aggressive environmental attacks on polymers. General types of macromolecular stabilizers, routes to their synthesis and characteristic examples of macromolecular antioxidants, UV absorbers, hindered amine light stabilizers, flame retarders and biostabilizers, as well as of polyfunctional systems are given. Problems connected with the use of macromolecular stabilizers are mentioned.     

Methods to determine solubility parameters of polymers using inverse gas chromatography

Experimental values of the Flory–Huggins parameter, χ, between polymers and solvents, are frequently used to determine the solubility parameters of the polymers. A method using nonlinear curve fitting of RTχ/V was compared to the linear regression method commonly used. It was found that the formulas for the solubility parameter were the same, but the linear method produced a slightly different entropy term. The nonlinear method gave a lower correlation coefficient and wider confidence intervals and was more effective at distinguishing systems than the linear model. The effect of the deviation of probes in the solubility parameter model is discussed. Using probes with low solubility parameters to measure the polymer solubility parameter gave wider confidence intervals. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 2894–2902, 2004