Application of GA in optimal robot selection for bridge restoration

This paper further expands and tests a method for optimising construction robot's kinematic parameters using a genetic algorithm (GA) technique as a tool, proposed earlier by Navon and McCrea [J. Comput. Civ. Eng. 11 (1997) 175]. The approach to selecting an optimal robot is demonstrated on a steel bridge restoration robot. Optimising a robot's kinematic parameters is divided into a two-stage problem. Distinctions among the criteria, different ways of assessing the robot's behaviour according to these criteria and ranking the criteria according to their importance lie at the base of this division. The robot's parameters: (i) major configuration, (ii) minor configuration, (iii) optimal division of the unit length between both links in RRR (revolute configuration) option, (iv) determination of the joints' movement ranges, (v) determination of joints' velocities and accelerations are optimised simultaneously, based on: (i) collision avoidance including arm and wrist singularity avoidance, (ii) percentage of coverage, (iii) dexterity, and (iv) productivity. The procedure for analysis of the inter-relation between the task characteristics and robot design characteristics enables extensions to disparate structures. The GA general function optimisation software is customised here, to be used as the optimisation tool. Comments on the effectiveness of the method and quality of the outcome conclude the paper.     

I want to be creative: Exploring the role of hedonic contingency theory in the positive mood-cognitive flexibility link.

Three studies explored the role of hedonic contingency theory as an explanation for the link between positive mood and cognitive flexibility. Study 1 examined the determinants of activity choice for participants in happy, sad, or neutral moods. Consistent with hedonic contingency theory, happy participants weighted potential for creativity as well as the pleasantness of the task more heavily in their preference ratings. In Study 2, participants were given either a neutral or mood-threatening item generation task to perform. Results illustrated that happy participants exhibited greater cognitive flexibility in all cases; when confronted with a potentially mood-threatening task, happy participants were able to creatively transform the task so as to maintain positive mood and interest. Finally, Study 3 manipulated participants' beliefs that moods could or could not be altered. Results replicated the standard positive mood-increased cognitive flexibility effect in the nonmood-freezing condition, but no effects of mood on creativity were found in the mood-freezing condition. These studies indicate that the hedonic contingency theory may be an important contributing mechanism behind the positive mood-cognitive flexibility link. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Active Sites in Heterogeneous Catalysis: Development of Molecular Concepts and Future Challenges

The concept that catalytic turnover occurs at a small fraction of the surface sites dates back to the 1920s. The application of modern surface science techniques and model catalysts confirmed the presence of active sites and identified their structures in some cases. Low coordination defect sites on transition metals, steps and kinks, or open rough crystal faces that make high coordination metal sites available have been uniquely active for breaking H–H, C–H, C–C, C=O, O=O and NN bonds. Oxide–metal interfaces provide highly active sites for reactions of C–H and C=O bonds. Electron acceptor and proton donor sites are implicated in hydrocarbon conversion (acid–base catalysis), and sites where metal ion–carbon bonds can form are active for polymerization. The observations of dynamic restructuring of catalytic surfaces upon adsorption of reactants indicate that many catalytic sites are created during the chemical reaction. Similar restructuring is detected for enzyme catalysts. The high mobility of both surface metal atoms and adsorbed molecules during the catalytic process observed recently bring into focus the dynamic nature of active sites that may have a finite lifetime as they form and disassemble. The development of techniques that provide improved time resolution and spatial resolution, and can be employed under catalytic reaction conditions will provide information about the time dependent changes of active site structure and molecular intermediates at these active sites as the reaction products form.     

Structural nanocrystalline Ni coatings on periodic cellular steel

This study develops a new type of hybrid material that is a composite of a plain carbon steel micro-truss and a structural nanocrystalline Ni coating. The plain carbon steel micro-truss was made by a simple stretch–bend sheet forming method. It created a low density cellular material (～5% relative density), combining the low embodied energy and cost of the starting precursor material with the structural efficiency of pyramidal micro-truss architecture. The nanocrystalline Ni structural coating was designed to provide both corrosion protection and inelastic buckling resistance. Because the ultra-high strength material was optimally located at the furthest distance from the neutral bending axis, only a thin coating of nanocrystalline Ni (～50 μm) is needed to double the inelastic buckling resistance of the 1.13 mm × 0.63 mm plain carbon steel struts.     

Identification of two minor subunits in the pilus of Haemophilus influenzae

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) organisms produce pili, which mediate attachment to human cells and are multimeric structures composed of a 24-kDa subunit called pilin or HifA. Although pili from other organisms contain additional proteins accessory to pilin, no structural components other than pilin have been identified in Hib pili. Previous analysis of a Hib pilus gene cluster, however, suggested that two genes, hifD and hifE, may encode additional pilus subunits. To determine if hifD and hifE encode pilus components, the genes were overexpressed in Escherichia coli and the resulting proteins were purified and used to raise polyclonal antisera. Antisera raised against C-terminal HifD and HifE fragments reacted with H. influenzae HifD and HifE proteins, respectively, on Western immunoblots. Western immunoblot analysis of immunoprecipitated Hib pili demonstrated that HifD and HifE copurified with pili. In enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, antisera raised against a recombinant HifE protein that contained most of the mature protein reacted more to piliated Hib than to nonpiliated Hib or to a mutant containing a hifE gene insertion. Immunoelectron microscopy confirmed that the HifE antiserum bound to pili and demonstrated that the antiserum bound predominantly to the pilus tips. These data indicate that HifD and HifE are pilus subunits. Adherence inhibition studies demonstrated that the HifE antiserum completely blocked pilus-mediated hemagglutination, suggesting that HifE mediates pilus adherence.     

L-dopa-induced air-stepping in preweanling rats. I. Effects of dose and age

The effects of several doses of L-DOPA (25, 50, 75 and 100 mg/kg) on air-stepping were studied in rats on the day of birth and on 5, 10, 15 and 20 days of age. Occurrence of air-stepping increased and latency to air-stepping generally decreased with dose except at 10 days of age; duration of air-stepping increased with increasing dose of L-DOPA at every age. The occurrence of a variety of air-stepping gaits was age-dependent. On the day of birth, air-stepping consisted primarily of episodes of forelimb alternation; on days 5-20, diagonal progression was the predominant gait, but beginning at day 10, episodes of air-swimming, air-galloping and other locomotor patterns were interspersed. Not only could the durations of most of these gaits be increased with increasing dose of L-DOPA, but at some ages, increasing the dose of L-DOPA led to gait changes.     

Diversity of flaA genotypes among Campylobacter jejuni isolated from six niche-market poultry species at farm and processing

PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism of the flagellin (flaA) gene in Campylobacter jejuni was used to determine the relationships of isolates collected at the farm and throughout processing for six niche-market poultry species. This study focused on two specialty chicken products, poussin and free range, and four other specialty products, squab, duck, guinea fowl, and quail. Cloacal and carcass samples were collected from three flocks from each of the six niche species. Three processing plants in California participated in a 2-year investigation. A total of 773 isolates from farm, posttransport, and the processing plants were genotyped, yielding a total of 72 distinct flaA profiles for the six commodities. Genetic diversity of C. jejuni at the farm was greatest for ducks with up to 12 distinct flaA types in two flocks and least for squab 1 flaA type between two farms. For two of the guinea fowl flocks, one free-range flock, two squab flocks, and all three poussin flocks, the flaA types recovered at the prepackage station matched those from the farm. Cross-contamination of poultry carcasses was supported by the observation of flaA types during processing that were not present at the farm level. New C. jejuni strains were detected after transport in ducks, guinea fowl, and free-range chickens. Postpicker, postevisceration, and prewash sampling points in the processing plant yield novel isolates. Duck and free-range chickens were the only species for which strains recovered within the processing plant were also found on the final product. Isolates recovered from squab had 56 to 93% similarity based on the flaA types defined by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism profiles. The 26 duck isolates had genetic similarities that ranged from 20 to 90%. Guinea fowl and free-range chickens each had 40 to 65% similarity between isolates. Poussin isolates were 33 to 55% similar to each other, and quail isolates were 46 to 100% similar. Our results continue to emphasize the need to clean processing equipment and posttransport crates in order to decrease cross contamination between flocks. This study also determined that several strains of C. jejuni had unique flaA types that could only be recovered in their host species.     

PCBs, PBDEs and pesticides released to the Arctic Ocean by the Russian rivers Ob and Yenisei

The Ob and Yenisei Rivers contribute 37% of riverine freshwater inputs to the Arctic Basin and thus represent an important pathway for the land-Arctic ocean exchange of contaminants. Sampling was carried out in the Yenisei (2003) and Ob (2005) River estuaries and Kara Sea to address the general lack of reliable dissolved contaminant flux data for these major rivers. Contaminant analyses were performed by high resolution mass spectrometry on sample extracts taken from filtered large volume water samples (50-100 L) and concentrated in situ onto XAD-2 resin columns. Hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixtures Sovol and trichlorodiphenyl, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), as well as "penta" brominated technical mixtures of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are important contributors to persistent organohalogen contamination for these waterways. Dissolved fluxes to the Kara Sea were estimated at sigmaHCH 246 kg/yr, sigmaPCB 63 kg/yr, sigmaDDT 16 kg/yr, hexachlorobenzene 8 kg/yr, alpha-endosulfan 8 kg/ yr, dieldrin 5 kg/yr, sigmaPBDE 4 kg/yr, and chlordanes 4 kg/yr. Contaminant fluxes from these rivers are similar to those reported for major Canadian rivers, confirming expectations that the Ob and Yenisei are also major point sources for the Arctic basin.     

Molecular surface studies of adsorption and catalytic reaction on crystal (Pt,Rh) surfaces under high pressure conditions (atmospheres) using sum frequency generation (SFG) – surface vibrational spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)

Sum frequency generation (SFG) – surface vibrational spectroscopy and the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) have been used to study adsorption and catalyzed surface reactions at high pressures and temperatures using (111) crystal surfaces of platinum and rhodium. The two techniques and the reaction chambers that were constructed to make these studies possible are described. STM and SFG studies of CO at high pressures reveal the high mobility of metal atoms, metal surface reconstruction, ordering in the adsorbed molecular layer, and new binding states for the molecule. CO oxidation occurs at high turnover rates on Pt(111). Different adsorbed species are observed above and below the ignition temperature. Some inhibit the reaction, and others are reaction intermediates since their surface concentration is proportional to the reaction rate. The dehydrogenation of cyclohexene on Pt(100) and Pt(111) proceeds through a 1,3‐cyclohexadiene surface intermediate. The higher dehydrogenation rate is related to the higher surface concentration of these molecules on the (100) crystal face. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.