An adaptive local search algorithm for vehicle routing problem with simultaneous and mixed pickups and deliveries

The Vehicle Routing Problem with Simultaneous Pickup and Delivery (VRPSPD) is an extension to the classical Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP), where customers may both receive and send goods simultaneously. The Vehicle Routing Problem with Mixed Pickup and Delivery (VRPMPD) differs from the VRPSPD in that the customers may have either pickup or delivery demand. However, the solution approaches proposed for the VRPSPD can be directly applied to the VRPMPD. In this study, an adaptive local search solution approach is developed for both the VRPSPD and the VRPMPD, which hybridizes a Simulated Annealing inspired algorithm with Variable Neighborhood Descent. The algorithm uses an adaptive threshold function that makes the algorithm self-tuning. The proposed approach is tested on well-known VRPSPD and VRPMPD benchmark instances derived from the literature. The computational results indicate that the proposed algorithm is effective in solving the problems in reasonable computation time.     

A bat-neural network multi-agent system (BNNMAS) for stock price prediction: Case study of DAX stock price

Creating an intelligent system that can accurately predict stock price in a robust way has always been a subject of great interest for many investors and financial analysts. Predicting future trends of financial markets is more remarkable these days especially after the recent global financial crisis. So traders who access to a powerful engine for extracting helpful information throw raw data can meet the success. In this paper we propose a new intelligent model in a multi-agent framework called bat-neural network multi-agent system (BNNMAS) to predict stock price. The model performs in a four layer multi-agent framework to predict eight years of DAX stock price in quarterly periods. The capability of BNNMAS is evaluated by applying both on fundamental and technical DAX stock price data and comparing the outcomes with the results of other methods such as genetic algorithm neural network (GANN) and some standard models like generalized regression neural network (GRNN), etc. The model tested for predicting DAX stock price a period of time that global financial crisis was faced to economics. The results show that BNNMAS significantly performs accurate and reliable, so it can be considered as a suitable tool for predicting stock price specially in a long term periods.     

A novel temperature-tolerant foamed resin for enhanced oil recovery

The synthesis and performance of a novel temperature-tolerant foamed resin for enhanced oil recovery were investigated using various methods, including infrared, NMR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and displacement experiments. Polycondensation of furfuryl alcohol prepolymers was confirmed by the infrared and NMR results. The poor temperature tolerance of furfuryl alcohol prepolymers after gelation at high temperatures is mainly due to the fracture of furan rings. The addition of ester additives is an effective method of increasing the temperature tolerance of the prepared foamed resins and can effectively reduce the weight-loss rate of the polycondensation products. The SEM results show that the skeleton structure of the foamed resin remains intact after high-temperature treatment. Thus, the novel plugging agent system has excellent thermal stability and still has a high strength (>0.8 MPa) after high-temperature aging treatment for 40 days, giving the prepared foamed resin a good plugging performance (plugging rate > 91%) at 250 °C. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47161.     

Design of an antibacterial gelatin based on a covalent protein–protein coupling

An antibacterial peptide (AMP), i.e., nisin, was covalently bound to gelatin through a protein–protein coupling. Various reaction conditions were tested to study and optimize parameters of grafting e.g., orientation and density of AMP, which could impact the final antibacterial activity of the modified biopolymer. Modification was investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy and zeta potential. The antibacterial activity of the nisin‐enriched gelatin was evaluated against two staphylococci bacterial strains, i.e., Staphylococus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus. A higher activity was found for gelatin modified at pH = 7.4 revealing an influence of the nisin orientation on the protein antibacterial property. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41825.     

Micro- and macroergonomic changes in mental workload and medication safety following the implementation of new health IT

Health information technology (IT) is a promising way to achieve safer medication management in the delivery of healthcare. However, human factors/ergonomics dictates that in order to make the complex, cognitive work of healthcare delivery safer, health IT must properly support human cognition. This means, for example, that new health IT must reduce, not increase, workload during safety-critical tasks. The present study was the first to quantitatively assess the short- and long-term impact of bar coded medication administration (BCMA) IT on nurses' mental workload as well as on perceived medication safety. One-hundred seventy registered nurses across 3 dissimilar clinical units at an academic, freestanding pediatric hospital in the Midwest US participated in surveys administered before, 3 months after, and 12 months after the hospital implemented BCMA. Nurses rated their external mental workload (interruptions, divided attention, being rushed) and internal mental workload (concentration, mental effort) during medication administration tasks as well as the likelihood of each of three medication safety events: medication administration errors, medication errors on the clinical unit, and clinical unit-level adverse drug events. Clinical unit differences were assessed. Findings generally confirmed the hypothesis that external but not internal mental workload was associated with the perceived likelihood of a medication safety event. Comparisons of mental workload from pre- to post-BCMA revealed statistically significant changes in the critical care unit only. Medication safety appeared to improve over the long term in the hematology/oncology unit only. In the critical care and medical/surgical units, medication safety exhibited short-term improvements that were eliminated over time. Changes in mental workload and medication safety, two classically microergonomic constructs, were deeply embedded in macroergonomic phenomena. These included the fit between the BCMA system and the nature of nursing work, the process of BCMA implementation, and BCMA interactions with concurrent changes occurring in the hospital. Findings raise questions about achieving sustainable performance improvement with health IT as well as the balance between micro- and macroergonomic approaches to studying technology change.Relevance to industryDesigners must consider how technology changes cognitive work, including mental workload. Hospitals and other implementers of technology must ensure that new technology fits its users, their tasks, and the context of use, which may entail tailoring implementation, for example, to specific clinical units. Evaluators must look over time to assess both changes in cognitive work and implementation issues. Healthcare practitioners must also recognize that new technology means a complex transformation to an already complex sociotechnical system, which calls for a macroergonomic approach to design and analysis.     

Alloying behavior and novel properties of CoCrFeNiMn high-entropy alloy fabricated by mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering

An equiatomic CoCrFeNiMn high-entropy alloy was synthesized by mechanical alloying (MA) and spark plasma sintering (SPS). During MA, a solid solution with refined microstructure of 10 nm which consists of a FCC phase and a BCC phase was formed. After SPS consolidation, only one FCC phase can be detected in the HEA bulks. The as-sintered bulks exhibit high compressive strength of 1987 MPa. An interesting magnetic transition associated with the structure coarsening and phase transformation was observed during SPS process.     

电信运营商信息安全管控架构及集中策略研究

本文对运营商信息安全集中管控架构演进和信息安全管控策略面临的问题进行了深入分析，提出了信息安全集中管控架构的演进方向建议及对信息安全监控策略工作优化的若干意见。     

Nonlinear viscoelastic modeling of soft polymers

A one‐dimensional phenomenological constitutive model, representing the nonlinear viscoelastic behavior of polymers is developed in this study. The proposed model is based on a modification of the well‐known three element standard solid model. The linear dashpot is replaced by an Eyring type one, while the nonlinearity is enhanced by a nonlinear, strain dependent spring constant. The new constitutive model was proved to be capable of capturing the main aspects of nonlinear viscoelastic response, namely, monotonic and cyclic loading, creep and stress relaxation, with the same parameter values. Model validation was tested on the experimental results at various modes of deformation for two elastomeric type materials, performed elsewhere. A very good agreement between model simulations and experimental data was obtained in all cases. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42141.     

Simulation of thermal barrier coating spallation induced by the initiation/growth/coalescence of internal crack and interfacial crack based on a real image model

In the furnace cycle test, the growth of oxide film leads to the propagation and coalescence of multiple cracks near the interface, which should be responsible for the spallation of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). A TBC model with real interface morphology is created, and the near-interface large pore is retained. The purpose of this work is to clarify the mechanism of TBC spallation caused by successive initiation, propagation, and linkage of cracks near the interface during thermal cycle. The dynamic growth of thermally grown oxide (TGO) is carried out by applying a stress-free strain. The crack nucleation and arbitrary path propagation in YSZ and TGO are simulated by the extended finite element method (XFEM). The debonding along the YSZ/TGO/BC interface is evaluated using a surface-based cohesive behavior. The large-scale pore in YSZ near the interface can initiate a new crack. The ceramic crack can propagate to the YSZ/TGO interface, which will accelerate the interfacial damage and debonding. For the TGO/BC interface, the normal compressive stress and small shear stress at the valley hinder the further crack propagation. The growth of YSZ crack and the formation of through-TGO crack are the main causes of TBC delamination. The accelerated BC oxidation increases the lateral growth strain of TGO, which will promote crack propagation and coalescence. The optimization design proposed in this work can provide another option for developing TBC with high durability.