2,566 research outputs found
Novel Artificial Human Optimization Field Algorithms - The Beginning
New Artificial Human Optimization (AHO) Field Algorithms can be created from
scratch or by adding the concept of Artificial Humans into other existing
Optimization Algorithms. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) has been very
popular for solving complex optimization problems due to its simplicity. In
this work, new Artificial Human Optimization Field Algorithms are created by
modifying existing PSO algorithms with AHO Field Concepts. These Hybrid PSO
Algorithms comes under PSO Field as well as AHO Field. There are Hybrid PSO
research articles based on Human Behavior, Human Cognition and Human Thinking
etc. But there are no Hybrid PSO articles which based on concepts like Human
Disease, Human Kindness and Human Relaxation. This paper proposes new AHO Field
algorithms based on these research gaps. Some existing Hybrid PSO algorithms
are given a new name in this work so that it will be easy for future AHO
researchers to find these novel Artificial Human Optimization Field Algorithms.
A total of 6 Artificial Human Optimization Field algorithms titled "Human
Safety Particle Swarm Optimization (HuSaPSO)", "Human Kindness Particle Swarm
Optimization (HKPSO)", "Human Relaxation Particle Swarm Optimization (HRPSO)",
"Multiple Strategy Human Particle Swarm Optimization (MSHPSO)", "Human Thinking
Particle Swarm Optimization (HTPSO)" and "Human Disease Particle Swarm
Optimization (HDPSO)" are tested by applying these novel algorithms on Ackley,
Beale, Bohachevsky, Booth and Three-Hump Camel Benchmark Functions. Results
obtained are compared with PSO algorithm.Comment: 25 pages, 41 figure
Experimental taxonomy of oxalis section acetosellae and maianthemum
The taxonomy distribution of Maianthemum Web. (liliaceae) and Oxalis section Acetoaellae, are discussed withreference to their variation and evolution. I n Maianthemum there are two main taxai M. dilatatum (Wood) Nels. & Macbr., confined to the Pacific region? and M.bifolitun (L.) Schmidt with a wider distribution. The latter consists of three subspecies, subspecies bifolium of Eurasia, and subspecies canadense and subspecies interius of N. America. All these have some populations or Individuals with 2n = 36, but all also have representatives with higher chromosome numbers, 2n = 54 or 2n = c72. It is not yet possible to evaluate the chromosome races taxonomically. The taxa have similar karyotypes; the chromosomes are rather large and some are satellited. The evidence suggests that the plants with 2n = 54 and 72 are autopolyploids based on 2n = 36. Hybridization experiments have produced good seeds and a few seedlings, but no hybrids have been raised to maturity; the experiments support the view of a close genetic relationship between the taxa. M.dilatatum is morphologically variable. In Asia it has been modified as a result of contact with M.bifolium;hybridization and introgression between them may have resulted in a recognised Asian variety. In Oxalis, little is known about the Asiatic taxa. Of the other northern hemisphere taxa O.acetosella L. of Eurasia and O.montana Raf. of N. America are best treated as subspecies of O.acetosella. Hybridization experiments, because of germination difficulties, have been inconclusive. O.oregana Butt, of northwest America, is distinct from O.acetosella and hybridization experiments gave empty seeds. All three taxa have similar karyotypes. Problems of phytogeography are discussed. In both genera the taxa along the Pacific coasts of N. America are different from those of C. and E.N. America, a possible indication of their early isolation from the main stock, which perhaps originated in E. Asia
Do malaria preventive interventions reach the poor? Socioeconomic inequities in expenditure on and use of mosquito control tools in Sudan.
OBJECTIVES: To determine levels of socioeconomic inequities in the prevention of malaria, and to examine the implications of the findings for improving the equitable control of malaria in the Sudan. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey using a pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire was administered to 720 randomly selected householders from six localities in Gezira and Khartoum States. A socioeconomic status (SES) index, which was developed using principal components analysis, was used to examine socioeconomic inequity in the prevention of malaria. FINDINGS: Socioeconomic status was positively related to expenditures and use of vector control tools. The poorest households spent the least amounts of money to prevent malaria and were the least likely to own mosquito nets. CONCLUSION: The inequity in the prevention of malaria in the study areas has to be redressed before malaria can be effectively controlled in Sudan. Malaria control managers should continually determine the extent to which malaria preventive tools reach the poorest socioeconomic groups, and fashion strategies that will ensure that equity is always maintained
The displaced plantation workers: A case study of rubber estates in Kedah
Eviction of plantation workers, due to the development of estate lands and changing land ownerships, has been a big and unresolved issue. Many plantation areas have been sold to make way either for housing projects or industrial sites. When an estate is sold, the estate workers lose not only their jobs, but also their homes and additional sources of income from farming and animal husbandry. They are also entitled to receive termination benefits. The majority of these displaced workers have skills only in the agricultural sector and many of them are old aged. The main objective of this study was to analysis the socioeconomic situations of the displaced workers due to the development of the rubber estate lands in Kedah. The snowball sampling
method was used to identify the respondents. The survey was based on 11 estates and 349 ex-workers of these estates were interviewed. The areas of this study were in Sungai Petani and Kulim. The results clearly showed that the majority of the evicted workers migrated to locations that were on average around 3km from their original estates. The majority of them worked with private sector companies upon their evictions. However, many of them are still in their estate houses, waiting for better compensation to be paid
in the form of new houses elsewhere. It is suggested in this paper that the compensation should be in terms of home ownership, provided jointly by the government and firms. There have also been some suggestions to solve the issue through programmes provided by the Ministry of Agriculture
Deep Loving - The Friend of Deep Learning
Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning are good fields of research. Recently, the brother of Artificial Intelligence titled "Artificial Satisfaction" was introduced in literature [10]. In this article, we coin the term 201C;Deep Loving201D;. After the publication of this article, "Deep Loving" will be considered as the friend of Deep Learning. Proposing a new field is different from proposing a new algorithm. In this paper, we strongly focus on defining and introducing "Deep Loving Field" to Research Scientists across the globe. The future of the "Deep Loving" field is predicted by showing few future opportunities in this new field. The definition of Deep Learning is shown followed by a literature review of the "Deep Loving" field. The World's First Deep Loving Algorithm (WFDLA) is designed and implemented in this work by adding Deep Loving concepts to Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm. Results obtained by WFDLA are compared with the PSO algorithm
Theory of Constraints in Construction Projects
تعاني المشاريع الانشائية في العراق من القيود (الاقتصادية والتقنية والسياسية والقانونية والبيئية) التي تعوق عملها لذا من الضروري تحديد هذه القيود من خلال إتباع النظريات من أجل تحديدها بدقة وتوفير معلومات مفيدة لاتخاذ قرارات حول قيود الإنتاج وتأثيرها على العمل، يعرف القيد بأنه: أي محدد يمنع المشروع من تحقيق أهدافه أو تحقيق مستوى من الأداء بالنسبة لهذا الهدف، لذا لا بد من استخدام بعض النظريات، بما في ذلك نظريات القيود التي تحدد لها وإيجاد حلول لتلك العقبات من خلال مخططات منهج التفكير. وتعرف نظرية القيود: بأنها "فلسفة إدارية شاملة تهدف إلى تحقيق مستمر لأكثر من هدف واحد في المشروع. فإذا كان المشروع يعمل على تحقيق إنجاز معين في مشروع ما ،بعد تحديد القيود وأنواعها وكل حسب مدى اهميته وتأثيره سوف يتم ايجاد الحلول لها بواسطة "منهج ألتفكير" الذي يعرف بأنه : يوفر اطار متكامل لإلية عمل المشاريع اذ يساعد على تحديد ومعالجة المعوقات التي تعاني منها المشاريع والعمل على تحديد الحلول الملائمة وذلك من خلال مجموعة من مخططات التفكير المنطقية التي تبدأ بدراسة واقع الحالي للمشروع الذي يعاني من المعوقات ومن ثم البحث عن مجموعة المعوقات التي تعانيها ويتم ترتيب المعوقات بحسب اهميتها ومدى ارتباطها ببعض وذلك من أجل تحديد المشاكل الجوهرية التي تسبب في حدوث الواقع غير المرغوب، يتم بعد ذلك تقديم مجموعة من الحلول المقترحة ويتم دراسة هذه الحلول وبيان النتائج المستقبلية لكل حل وفائدته في معالجة المشكلة المحددة ومدى الأثر المستقبلي لتطبيقه، اذ ستتمثل المنهجية المستخدمة في البحث في استخراج المؤشرات من الإطار النظري والعملي وإيجاد الحلول من خلال مخطط منهج التفكير للخروج بعدد من الاستنتاجات والتوصيات الرامية إلى تحقيق أهداف البحث.Construction projects in Iraq are suffering from constraints (financial, technical, political, legal and environmental) that hamper their work. It is therefore necessary to identify these constraints by following the theories in order to accurately identify and provide useful information to make decisions about production constraints and their impact on work. To achieve its objectives or achieve a level of performance for this goal, so it is necessary to use some theories, including theories of constraints that identify those obstacles and find solutions to those obstacles through the schemes of thinking. The concept of constraints is defined as "a comprehensive management philosophy that aims to achieve a continuous achievement of more than one goal in a project." If the project works to achieve a certain achievement in a project after defining the constraints and types and each according to its importance and impact, Which provides a comprehensive framework for the work of projects, as it helps to identify and treat the obstacles experienced by the projects and work to identify appropriate solutions and through a set of logical thinking throughput that begin studying the current reality of the project that suffers from the obstacles and then search for Constraints A number of proposed solutions are then presented. These solutions are examined and the future results of each solution are identified and useful in addressing the specific problem and the extent of the future impact of its application. The methodology used in the research of extracting indicators from the theoretical and practical framework and finding solutions through the curriculum of the thinking throughput will be used to reach a number of conclusions and recommendations aimed at achieving its objective
An evaluation of the stability and prevalence of alcohol and related biomarkers in biological matrices with applications to the interpretation of medico-legal cases
Ethanol is a poison that adversely affects the health of individuals and is detrimental to society as a whole. Analysis of ethanol in biological matrices is the most frequent test carried out in forensic toxicology laboratories with application across a range of cases types including fatalities, road traffic accidents, criminal investigations and workplace drug testing.
The interpretation of ethanol concentrations in post mortem samples can be challenging in relation to medico-legal investigations. The source of ethanol can be as a result of the ingestion of an alcoholic beverage or it may have been formed after death. The stability of alcohol is also adversely affected by the presence of bacteria, high temperatures and unsuitable storage containers.
A robust and sensitive method was developed for the analysis of common volatiles such as ethanol, methanol, isopropanol, acetone and n-propanol using headspace gas chromatography coupled with a flame ionization detector (HS-GC-FID). The method was validated in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025, and was used to investigate the stability of volatiles in blood when stored under different conditions, and to investigate the prevalence of volatiles in different biological matrices collected post-mortem.
Storage of blood samples in the freezer within sample vials containing preservative and antioxidant improved the stability of all volatiles with the exception of methanol which remained stable under all conditions investigated. The identification of ethanol or acetone in vitreous humour was found to be a suitable alternative matrix in cases where femoral blood was unavailable or ethanol production was suspected. The concentration of ethanol in bile correlated well with femoral blood but to a lesser extent than vitreous humour. Urine was not a suitable matrix for estimating blood ethanol concentrations.
Alcohol biomarkers, Beta-Hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) have been reported as useful markers for, investigating the role of alcoholic ketoacidosis (AKA) in post-mortem cases, and foetal exposure to chronic maternal alcohol consumption, respectively. Methods were developed and validated in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025 for BHB in blood and urine using gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and for FAEEs in meconium by liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS).
Post-mortem case samples submitted to the Forensic Medicine and Science (FMS) toxicology laboratory for routine tests were analysed for BHB using the validated method. The findings highlighted the importance of measuring BHB in blood in all cases where the deceased has a history of alcohol misuse and where the cause of death cannot be determined following the post-mortem. The role of alcoholic ketoacidosis in the cases analysed in this study was significantly under-reported.
Meconium samples collected from infants born at the Princess Royal Maternity Hospital, Glasgow, were analysed for FAEEs, using the validated method to investigate the prevalence of each FAEE (ethyl laurate, ethyl myristate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl stearate, ethyl oleate, ethyl linoleate, ethyl linolenate, and ethyl arachidonate). The study found evidence of chronic maternal alcohol consumption in approximately one third of the cases tested, in contrast to self-reported use and highlights the importance of screening for the presence of FAEEs in meconium. The identification of suitable biomarkers of excessive maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy, carried out as part of screening program, in addition to clinical evaluation would help to diagnose and support newborns with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
The method developed for the analysis of BHB in blood and urine was successfully adapted and validated for analysis of structurally similar drugs such as Beta-hydroxy-Beta-methylbutyrate (HMB), a legal dietary supplement, in plasma and urine collected from 8 subjects, pre- and post-administration of a 3g dose of HMB. A significant increase was observed in urine and plasma following administration of of HMB. The method was then applied to the analysis of post-mortem blood and urine to investigate the concentrations of exogenous and endogenous levels of γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB)
“Electronic Banking Problems and Opportunities: The Sudanese Context”
The term electronic banking means an electronic handling of all types of banking business, primarily over the internet. E-Banking is one of the most successful on-line businesses, which save the individuals and companies time and money. This paper investigates the problems and opportunities of the electronic banking in Sudan, whereas, the provision and use of financial services and products that conform to interest-free banking principles which pose many challenges. Banking sector plays a crucial role in economic growth, it allows an efficient transfer of resources from those who save to those who invest under certain rules and regulations, and this study highlights the fact that changes have always been the hallmark of this sector. Here, this study replicates, extends and adds a longitudinal dimension to a recently introduced information technology in banking and financial institutions. The study reviews the experience of the Sudan as a developing country, and it concludes that regardless of the progresses achieved in recent years namely, enacting of electronic transactions Act 2007, the study finds out many deficiencies, poor infrastructure, and lack of skilled and well-trained human resource force in banking sector and security, which remain the key factors that constrain the applicability of e-banking. Keywords: Electronic Banking, Problems, and Opportunities
Human Brucellosis in Khartoum State: A Commonly Underdiagnosed Disease.
Back ground: Human brucellosis is a major debilitating zoonotic disease. It is caused by bacteria of the genus BrucellaMethods: The serum antibody titres to Brucella melitensis and Brucella abortus of one thousand febrile patients, randomly selected from Khartoum, Khartoum North and Omdurman Teaching Hospitals, were estimated by the STAT.Results: Eighty nine (8.9%) of the febrile patients had brucellosis. The average age of brucellosis patient was 43.9 years. Sixty three (70.8%) of the brucellosis patients were males, and 26 (29.2%) were females. Fifty four (60.7%) of them had significant titres to Brucella melitensis while 23(25.8%) patients had significant titres to Brucella abortus. Twelve (13.5 %) patients had significant titres to both Brucella melitensis and Brucella abortus. The average diagnostic delay of brucellosis in this study was 88.6 days.Conclusion: Brucellosis was found to be misdiagnosed as malaria or typhoid fever. Animal contact was found to be a significant risk factor.Keywords: Brucella melitensis, Brucella abortus, agglutination
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