Speeding Up Evolutionary Multi-objective Optimisation Through Diversity-Based Parent Selection

Parent selection in evolutionary algorithms for multi-objective optimization is usually performed by dominance mechanisms or indicator functions that prefer non-dominated points, while the reproduction phase involves the application of diversity mechanisms or other methods to achieve a good spread of the population along the Pareto front. We propose to refine the parent selection on evolutionary multi-objective optimization with diversity-based metrics. The aim is to focus on individuals with a high diversity contribution located in poorly explored areas of the search space, so the chances of creating new non-dominated individuals are better than in highly populated areas. We show by means of rigorous runtime analysis that the use of diversity-based parent selection mechanisms in the Simple Evolutionary Multi-objective Optimiser (SEMO) and Global SEMO for the well known bi-objective functions OneMinMax and Lotz can significantly improve their performance. Our theoretical results are accompanied by additional experiments that show a correspondence between theory and empirical results

Effect of alloying on mechanical properties of as cast ferritic nodular cast irons

The development of low temperature applications for ferritic nodular cast irons calls for improved materials in the as cast state, e.g. for off-shore windmills components. Within this line of work, a series of 68 castings were prepared with the same casting procedure and slight changes in composition. The tensile properties at room temperature, as well as the impact energy for rupture at room temperature, 220 °C and 240 °C, were measured. Outputs from multivariate analysis performed on the data are then discussed and compared to literature results, putting emphasis on the properties of the ferritic matrix

Tratamiento de fracturas toracolumbares: nuestra experiencia en el periodo 2000-2003. Protocolo de actuación

Presentamos una revisión de los resultados obtenidos en pacientes intervenidos de fracturas tóraco-lumbares durante los años 2000 a 2003, en ambos inclusive, por el servicio de Traumatología y Cirugía Ortopédica del Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves de Granada; así como el protocolo seguido en el manejo diagnóstico-terapéutico de este tipo de pacientes. Las fracturas más frecuentes fueron en L1 y del tipo A3 de la clasificación AO. La vía de abordaje más utilizada fue la posterior (138 casos). En 132 casos se instrumentó la vértebra fracturada y en 39 casos fue necesaria la descompresión. El índice sagital medio preoperatorio fue de 17,5º y el postoperatorio de 3,5º. La pérdida de altura vertebral preoperatoria fue del 52% y del 14% al final del tratamiento. En 39 pacientes con déficit neurológico se realizó descompresión. En el 79% de los casos los resultados fueron excelentes y en el resto regulares o malos.We present the results of surgical treatment in patients with thoraco-lumbar fractures operated on between the years 2000 and 2003 at the Orthopedic and Traumatology Department of the hospital Virgen de las Nieves Hospital of Granada, Spain. The diagnosis and therapeutic protocol of this type of patients is also evaluated. A3 type from AO classification fracture of L1, was the most frequent injury. Posterior surgical approach of the spine was mainly used (138 cases), in 132 cases the fracture was stabilized by means of internal fixation and 39 cases required decompression of the lumbar canal. The average sagital index was 17,5º preoperative and 3,5º after surgery. The average loss of height was 52% preoperative and 14% at the end of treatment. In 39 surgical decompression was indicated for neurological impairment. Excellent results were obtained in 79% of the cases, the rest were fair and poor

Modelling the Interaction Levels in HCI Using an Intelligent Hybrid System with Interactive Agents: A Case Study of an Interactive Museum Exhibition Module in Mexico

Technology has become a necessity in our everyday lives and essential for completing activities we typically take for granted; technologies can assist us by completing set tasks or achieving desired goals with optimal affect and in the most efficient way, thereby improving our interactive experiences. This paper presents research that explores the representation of user interaction levels using an intelligent hybrid system approach with agents. We evaluate interaction levels of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) with the aim of enhancing user experiences. We consider the description of interaction levels using an intelligent hybrid system to provide a decision-making system to an agent that evaluates interaction levels when using interactive modules of a museum exhibition. The agents represent a high-level abstraction of the system, where communication takes place between the user, the exhibition and the environment. In this paper, we provide a means to measure the interaction levels and natural behaviour of users, based on museum user-exhibition interaction. We consider that, by analysing user interaction in a museum, we can help to design better ways to interact with exhibition modules according to the properties and behaviour of the users. An interaction-evaluator agent is proposed to achieve the most suitable representation of the interaction levels with the aim of improving user interactions to offer the most appropriate directions, services, content and information, thereby improving the quality of interaction experienced between the user-agent and exhibition-agent

Heavy metal anomalies in lagoon sediments related to intensive agriculture in Altata-Ensenada del Pabellón coastal system

Abstract Heavy metal concentrations were examined in surface sediments from 79 sites within the Altata-Ensenada del Pabello Ân lagoon system. Data were normalized to separate natural from anthropogenic factors using aluminum and lithium as conservative elements and following two different discriminating criteria. For the normalization process, the natural metal concentrations were assumed to vary consistently with aluminum and lithium, unless the metal contents were of human origin. Strong linear correlations ( P < .001) were observed between the conservative elements and the metals measured. According to Szefer's normalizing criteria, about 90% of the polluted sites, for at least one metal, occurred near agricultural discharge drains. In accordance with the Mu Èller [Umschau 79 (1979) 778.] scale, this lagoon system is subject to pollutant effects only with regard to Pb (moderately to strongly polluted). It was concluded that either Al and Li could be useful to normalize granulometric variability in heavy metal studies of these lagoon sediments, and that Summers' normalization criterion proved more rigorous than Szefer's for these types of sediments.

Quantifying the distribution of probes between subcellular locations using unsupervised pattern unmixing

Motivation: Proteins exhibit complex subcellular distributions, which may include localizing in more than one organelle and varying in location depending on the cell physiology. Estimating the amount of protein distributed in each subcellular location is essential for quantitative understanding and modeling of protein dynamics and how they affect cell behaviors. We have previously described automated methods using fluorescent microscope images to determine the fractions of protein fluorescence in various subcellular locations when the basic locations in which a protein can be present are known. As this set of basic locations may be unknown (especially for studies on a proteome-wide scale), we here describe unsupervised methods to identify the fundamental patterns from images of mixed patterns and estimate the fractional composition of them