Genetic algorithm for facilities layout problems based on slicing tree structure

The use of genetic algorithms to solve facility layout problems has gained popularity in recent years among researchers. A difficult requirement for the use of genetic algorithms in layout problems is an efficient method of coding the relevant features of a layout as a chromosome. The slicing tree structure has gained popularity in developing genetic algorithms for layout problems. However, previous implementations based on slicing tree structure mostly require repairing procedures to ensure that the chromosomes represent legal layouts after application of genetic operators. Some representations do not permit an exhaustive search. This paper reports on design, development and experimentation results of a new genetic algorithm named (GA.FLP.STS), which always produces legal chromosomes without any need for repairing procedures. A penalty system was introduced to facilitate generating facilities with acceptable dimensions. (GA.STS.FLP) required insignificant processing times even for test problems of 100 facilities solved.     

Cost/time estimation in flat plate processing using fuzzy modeling

Cost/time estimation in flat plate processing (FPP) is a complex system of man–work–environment–organization. As the share and impact of physical, psychological, personal, and other characteristics of human in this complex system becomes bigger, the state of FPP time estimation changes from well defined to ill-defined (uncertain). Due to so many inter-related, imprecise, and ill-defined factors involved in activity time, it is too complicated; time consuming and expensive to model these factors into a universally accepted activity time/cost estimation system using mathematical or even analytical–experimental approaches. This paper addresses the issue of uncertainty treatment in activity time estimation in FPP. The emphasis is placed on modeling of non-random uncertainties using fuzzy sets.     

Investigation of port capacity under a new approach by computer simulation

This paper investigates the role of computer simulation in evaluating the performance of a container terminal in relation to its handling techniques and their impact on the capacity of terminal. The paper investigates and compares two different operational systems (current and proposed) statistically via a simulation model. The paper also addresses issues such as the performance criteria and the model parameters to propose an operational method that reduces port terminal congestion and increases the capacity of terminal.     

Optimal online pricing with network externalities

We study the optimal pricing strategy for profit maximization in presence of network externalities where a decision to buy a product depends on the price offered to the buyer and also on the set of her friends who have already bought that product. We model the network influences by a weighted graph where the utility of each buyer is the sum of her initial value on the product, and the linearly additive influence from her friends. We assume that the buyers arrive online and the seller should offer a price to each buyer when she enters the market. We also take into account the manufacturing cost. In this paper, we first assume that the monopolist defines a unique price for the product and commits to it for all buyers. In this case, we present an FPTAS algorithm that approximates the optimal price with a high probability. We also prove that finding the optimum price is NP-hard. Second, we consider a market with positive network externalities and assume that the monopolist could offer a private price to each customer. We prove that this problem is also hard to approximate for linear influences. On the positive side, we present a polynomial time algorithm for the problem when influences are symmetric. At last, we show that the seller has more ability to extract influences with price discrimination.     

Modeling Dormant Fruit Trees for Agricultural Automation

Dormant pruning of fruit trees is one of the most costly and labor‐intensive activities in specialty crop production. We present a system that solves the first step in the process of automated pruning: accurately measuring and modeling the fruit trees. Our system employs a laser sensor to collect observations of fruit trees from multiple perspectives, and it uses these observations to measure parameters needed for pruning. A split‐and‐merge clustering algorithm divides the collected data into three sets of points: trunk candidates, junction point candidates, and branches. The trunk candidates and junction point candidates are then further refined by a robust fitting algorithm that models as cylinders each segment of the trunk and primary branches. In this work, we focus on measuring the diameters of the primary branches and the trunk, which are important factors in dormant pruning and can be obtained directly from the cylindrical models. We show that the results are qualitatively satisfactory using synthetic and real data. Our experiments with three synthetic and three real apple trees of two different varieties showed that the system is able to identify the primary branches with an average accuracy of 98% and estimate their diameters with an average error of 0.6 cm. Although the current implementation of the system is too slow for large‐scale practical applications (it can measure approximately two trees per hour), our study shows that the proposed approach may serve as a fundamental building block of robotic pruners in the near future.     

Photocrosslinked Bioreducible Polymeric Nanoparticles for Enhanced Systemic siRNA Delivery as Cancer Therapy

Clinical translation of polymer-based nanocarriers for systemic delivery of RNA has been limited due to poor colloidal stability in the blood stream and intracellular delivery of the RNA to the cytosol. To address these limitations, this study reports a new strategy incorporating photocrosslinking of bioreducible nanoparticles for improved stability extracellularly and rapid release of RNA intracellularly. In this design, the polymeric nanocarriers contain ester bonds for hydrolytic degradation and disulfide bonds for environmentally triggered small interfering RNA (siRNA) release in the cytosol. These photocrosslinked bioreducible nanoparticles (XbNPs) have a shielded surface charge, reduced adsorption of serum proteins, and enable superior siRNA-mediated knockdown in both glioma and melanoma cells in high-serum conditions compared to non-crosslinked formulations. Mechanistically, XbNPs promote cellular uptake and the presence of secondary and tertiary amines enables efficient endosomal escape. Following systemic administration, XbNPs facilitate targeting of cancer cells and tissue-mediated siRNA delivery beyond the liver, unlike conventional nanoparticle-based delivery. These attributes of XbNPs facilitate robust siRNA-mediated knockdown in vivo in melanoma tumors colonized in the lungs following systemic administration. Thus, biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles, via photocrosslinking, demonstrate extended colloidal stability and efficient delivery of RNA therapeutics under physiological conditions, and thereby potentially advance systemic delivery technologies for nucleic acid-based therapeutics.     

Polyethylene friction stir welding parameter optimization and temperature characterization

The use of friction stir welding (FSW) to join thermoplastics has proven to produce strong welds with good surface quality when compared to conventional welding methods. In this study, a Teflon stationary shoulder was developed to weld 3-mm-thick plates of high molecular weight polyethylene in butt-joint configuration. Different sets of welding parameters were chosen and tested to evaluate their effect on the weld strength. Also, in order to increase joint performance, the temperature generated during welding was measured. For that purpose, thermocouples were located underneath of the weld nugget surface to measure the generated frictional heat for different tool diameters and parameters. Tool diameter and rotational and welding speeds are the most influential parameters regarding the welding temperature; however, all the input parameters had statistically significant effect on the weld quality. Unlike FSW in metals, using this tool, the heat is generated mainly by surface contact of the rotating probe and copper sleeve than the base material. The strongest welded joint was able to withstand 97% of the force that is necessary to fracture the base material, without using an external heating source.     

Co-channel Interference Assessment for Line-of-Sight and Nearly Line-of-Sight Millimeter-Waves Cellular LMDS Architecture

Behavior of co-channel interference in fixed wireless cellular systems, such as millimeter-waves Local Multipoint Distribution Service (LMDS), is different compared to what has been established for mobile microwave systems. This is due to utilization of a high-gain antenna for the subscriber. In this paper, first the analysis of signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) is presented for line-of-sight and nearly line-of-sight LMDS architecture. In this analysis, the effects of precipitation and foliage attenuation and depolarization have been considered. These two parameters have negligible effect on the microwave mobile systems but in millimeter-wave range are among the most important factors in the link budget. To mitigate the fading due to shadowing by buildings and trees, a highly overlapped architecture and macro-diversity are proposed. After analysis of downlink SIR in previously proposed cellular systems, a cellular architecture is proposed based on polarization interleaving and frequency segmentation which has a much higher SIR yield. The statistical assessment of SIR is accomplished by assuming lognormal distribution for the received signals.     

Effect of zeolite particulate filler on the properties of polyurethane composites

Polymer-Zeolites composites have been prepared, using castor oil based polyurethane (PU) as a host and AlPO₄-5 as particulate filler. The prepared PU/zeolite composites have been characterized for mechanical properties such as tensile strength and tensile modulus. These PU composites exhibited an improved mechanical performance compared to the unfilled PU. Thermo gravimetric analyzer (TGA) curve shows that all the chain-extended PUs are stable up to 250 °C and maximum weight loss occurs at 490 °C. The thermal stability of composites increases with increase in zeolite content. Microcrystalline parameters and micro voids of composites have been measured by using wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) and Positron Annihilation Lifetime (PALS) methods respectively. The microcrystalline parameters and micro-voids from PALS indicate the interaction of the filler with the matrix is stronger beyond 5% of the filler which reflect the mechanical performance as well. Surface morphology of composites has been studied using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The photomicrograph of SEM indicates a uniform distribution of zeolite filler in the PU matrix.