When adults without university education search the Internet for health information: The roles of Internet-specific epistemic beliefs and a source evaluation intervention

In the present research, N = 48 adults without university education were tasked to conduct two web searches on unfamiliar health-related issues. Three research objectives were examined: the predictive value of individuals’ Internet-specific epistemic beliefs for their navigation behavior and post-search decisions in Web Search Task 1; the effects of a short source evaluation intervention on individuals’ navigation behavior and post-search decisions in Web Search Task 2; and the effects of the source evaluation intervention on individuals’ Internet-specific epistemic beliefs. Results showed that beliefs concerning the justification by multiple sources were positively related to the time spent on reliable objective web pages and to the likelihood to make a post-search decision that was in accordance with the objective pages. Beliefs that the Internet is a reliable knowledge resource were also positively related to the time spent on objective pages as well as to greater certainty in the post-search decision. Second, in Web Search Task 2, the intervention group spent more time on objective web pages, was more likely to make a decision that was in accordance with these pages, and was more certain of their decision than the control group. Third, one week after the intervention, individuals possessed stronger beliefs concerning the justification by multiple sources than before. In conclusion, the present research indicates that both adaptive Internet-specific beliefs and a short source evaluation intervention have positive effects on non-university educated adults’ online health information seeking and that their Internet-specific epistemic beliefs can be fostered through such an intervention.     

Retrofitting of pedestrian overpass by Truss-Z modular systems using graph-theory approach

Installing pedestrian ramps is a common improvement towards a barrier-free environment. This paper introduces a graph-theoretical method of retrofitting of a single-branch Truss-Z (TZ) ramp in a constrained environment. The results produced by this exhaustive search method are usually ideal and better than those produced previously with meta-heuristic methods.A large case study of linking two sections of the Hongo Campus of Tokyo University using an overpass in an extremely constrained environment is presented. TZ modules with 1:12 (8.3%) slope are used, which is allowable in most countries for ramps for self-powered wheelchairs.The results presented here are highly satisfactory both in terms of structural optimization and aesthetics.Visualizations of the TZ ramp system, composed of 124 units, are presented.     

基于正交实验设计的人工蜂群算法

人工蜂群算法是近年来提出的较为新颖的全局优化算法,已成功地应用于解决不同类型的实际优化问题.然而在该算法及相关的改进算法中,侦察蜂通常采用随机初始化的方法来生成新食物源.虽然这种方法较为简单,但易造成侦察蜂搜索经验的丢失.从算法搜索过程的内在机制出发,提出采用正交实验设计的方式来生成新的食物源,使得侦察蜂能够同时保存被放弃的食物源和全局最优解在不同维度上的有益信息,提高算法的搜索效率.在16个典型的测试函数上进行了一系列实验验证,实验结果表明:1) 该方法能够在基本不增加算法运行时间的情况下,显著地提高人工蜂群算法的求解精度和收敛速度;2) 与3种典型的变异方法相比,有更好的整体性能;3) 可作为提高其他改进人工蜂群算法性能的通用框架,具备有良好的普适性.     

基于改进粒子群算法的航班降落调度问题研究

航班降落调度是多约束的整数规划问题,也是组合优化中的典型NP难题之一.针对传统粒子群算法易陷入局部最优和求解组合优化问题能力不强的缺点,提出改进策略.改进的算法通过禁忌搜索策略生成初始粒子群以满足航班调度多约束的限制,引入遗传算法的交叉变异等操作以增强粒子群间信息交流能力,重新定义惯性权重和加速度因子,以增强粒子的多样性和收敛性,加入进化交叉算子以增强粒子的局部寻优能力.通过与修补遗传算法、罚函数遗传算法进行对比,经多次运行后的结果表明,提出的改进算法的局部搜索能力和全局搜索能力都得到增强,同时也验证了算法的可行性和有效性.     

Zipf定律与网络信息计量学

作为文献计量学重要定律的Zipf定律已在许多领域得到较广泛的应用,网络信息计量学伴随着网络信息的激增而受到人们越来越大的关注。该文结合搜索结果数量的分布情况,提出了在网络信息计量学中仍然存在Zipf定律的猜想,并采用公开的词语集在几个代表性的搜索引擎中进行实验验证,证实了搜索结果数目近似服从Zipf定律的结论,其中Baidu与So搜索结果的Zipf指数为0.003。     

A cubic regularization algorithm for unconstrained optimization using line search and nonmonotone techniques

In recent years, cubic regularization algorithms for unconstrained optimization have been defined as alternatives to trust-region and line search schemes. These regularization techniques are based on the strategy of computing an (approximate) global minimizer of a cubic overestimator of the objective function. In this work we focus on the adaptive regularization algorithm using cubics (ARC) proposed in Cartis et al. [Adaptive cubic regularisation methods for unconstrained optimization. Part I: motivation, convergence and numerical results, Mathematical Programming A 127 (2011), pp. 245–295]. Our purpose is to design a modified version of ARC in order to improve the computational efficiency preserving global convergence properties. The basic idea is to suitably combine a Goldstein-type line search and a nonmonotone accepting criterion with the aim of advantageously exploiting the possible good descent properties of the trial step computed as (approximate) minimizer of the cubic model. Global convergence properties of the proposed nonmonotone ARC algorithm are proved. Numerical experiments are performed and the obtained results clearly show satisfactory performance of the new algorithm when compared to the basic ARC algorithm.     

Evolutionary algorithm with a directional local search for multiobjective optimization in combinatorial problems

Evolutionary algorithms (EAs) are often employed to multiobjective optimization, because they process an entire population of solutions which can be used as an approximation of the Pareto front of the tackled problem. It is a common practice to couple local search with evolutionary algorithms, especially in the context of combinatorial optimization. In this paper a new local search method is proposed that utilizes the knowledge concerning promising search directions. The proposed method can be used as a general framework and combined with many methods of iterating over a neighbourhood of an initial solution as well as various decomposition approaches. In the experiments the proposed local search method was used with an EA and tested on 2-, 3- and 4-objective versions of two well-known combinatorial optimization problems: the travelling salesman problem (TSP) and the quadratic assignment problem (QAP). For comparison two well-known local search methods, one based on Pareto dominance and the other based on decomposition, were used with the same EA. The results show that the EA coupled with the directional local search yields better results than the same EA coupled with any of the two reference methods on both the TSP and QAP problems.     

基于IGHS算法的分段系统鲁棒极点配置优化

针对分段线性控制系统鲁棒极点配置问题,利用IGHS算法对特征向量矩阵条件数优化具有较好的收敛性,限制了特征向量选择的自由度.优化后的控制器使闭环系统矩阵允许有更大的摄动或不确定性.与已有方法相比,本文方法对条件数优化计算既不需要考虑梯度和二次可微信息,也不需要对条件数进行凸转化处理.最后,仿真实验结果验证了本方法的有效性.