What Soul for Europe? Unity, Diversity & Identity in the EU

Political integration has been part of the European project from its very beginnings. As far back as the early seventies there was concern in Brussels that an ingredient

PasMoQAP: A Parallel Asynchronous Memetic Algorithm for solving the Multi-Objective Quadratic Assignment Problem

Multi-Objective Optimization Problems (MOPs) have attracted growing attention during the last decades. Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithms (MOEAs) have been extensively used to address MOPs because are able to approximate a set of non-dominated high-quality solutions. The Multi-Objective Quadratic Assignment Problem (mQAP) is a MOP. The mQAP is a generalization of the classical QAP which has been extensively studied, and used in several real-life applications. The mQAP is defined as having as input several flows between the facilities which generate multiple cost functions that must be optimized simultaneously. In this study, we propose PasMoQAP, a parallel asynchronous memetic algorithm to solve the Multi-Objective Quadratic Assignment Problem. PasMoQAP is based on an island model that structures the population by creating sub-populations. The memetic algorithm on each island individually evolve a reduced population of solutions, and they asynchronously cooperate by sending selected solutions to the neighboring islands. The experimental results show that our approach significatively outperforms all the island-based variants of the multi-objective evolutionary algorithm NSGA-II. We show that PasMoQAP is a suitable alternative to solve the Multi-Objective Quadratic Assignment Problem.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables. Accepted at Conference on Evolutionary Computation 2017 (CEC 2017

Software tools for the cognitive development of autonomous robots

Robotic systems are evolving towards higher degrees of autonomy. This paper reviews the cognitive tools available nowadays for the fulfilment of abstract or long-term goals as well as for learning and modifying their behaviour.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Survey on model-based manipulation planning of deformable objects

A systematic overview on the subject of model-based manipulation planning of deformable objects is presented. Existing modelling techniques of volumetric, planar and linear deformable objects are described, emphasizing the different types of deformation. Planning strategies are categorized according to the type of manipulation goal: path planning, folding/unfolding, topology modifications and assembly. Most current contributions fit naturally into these categories, and thus the presented algorithms constitute an adequate basis for future developments.Preprin

Community Suicide Awareness and Prevention

Goal Statement: To increase awareness of suicide and identify prevention strategies and resources to reduce suicide within my community. Significant Findings: Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in Texas and suicide deaths per 100,00 is 12.41 in Fort-Bend county (Fort Bend County Suicide Death Statistics, n.d.). The lifetime medical and work-loss cost of suicide is estimated around $4.264 million and medical cost alone for every attempt is averaged around$8,849 per patient (Texas Department of State Health Services Mobile, n.d.). Key findings show risk factors and protective factors varying across the socio- ecological model of suicide. Research supports Dialectical Behavioral therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral therapy, and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training as theories of suicide prevention. In Fort-Bend county, suicide occurs disproportionately among male, white, and below 35 years of age (County Health & Ranking Roadmaps, 2020). Advocacy action to expand the conversation and awareness of suicide can increase protective factors and impact the institutional, community, and public policy levels that surround in one’s environment. Objectives/Strategies/Interventions/Next Steps: The objective is to educate, inform, and expand on suicide prevention towards the target population in the community. Strategies should focus on the implementation of protective factors in resiliency, self-efficacy, familial support, and community collaboration. Cognitive and dialectical behavioral interventions and goals target symptom reduction in suicide ideation, suicidal behaviors, and major depression. The community-based partner agency in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training supported by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is the leading evidence-based program that focuses on presenting suicide intervention skills and workshops regularly for community members. The next steps investigate the different ways suicide can be given a voice and a platform for advocacy that extends beyond the individual

Survey on assembly sequencing: a combinatorial and geometrical perspective

A systematic overview on the subject of assembly sequencing is presented. Sequencing lies at the core of assembly planning, and variants include finding a feasible sequence—respecting the precedence constraints between the assembly operations—, or determining an optimal one according to one or several operational criteria. The different ways of representing the space of feasible assembly sequences are described, as well as the search and optimization algorithms that can be used. Geometry plays a fundamental role in devising the precedence constraints between assembly operations, and this is the subject of the second part of the survey, which treats also motion in contact in the context of the actual performance of assembly operations.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author’s final draft

Inference of mixed information in Formal Concept Analysis

Negative information can be considered twofold: by means of a negation operator or by capturing the absence of information. In this second approach, a new framework have to be developed: from the syntax to the semantics, including the management of such generalized knowledge representation. In this work we traverse all these issues in the framework of formal concept analysis, introducing a new set of inference rules to manage mixed (positive and negative) attributes.TIN2014-59471-P of the Science and Innovation Ministry of Spain, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). UNIVERSIDAD DE MÁLAGA. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech