The Component Packaging Problem: A Vehicle for the Development of Multidisciplinary Design and Analysis Methodologies

This report summarizes academic research which has resulted in an increased appreciation for multidisciplinary efforts among our students, colleagues and administrators. It has also generated a number of research ideas that emerged from the interaction between disciplines. Overall, 17 undergraduate students and 16 graduate students benefited directly from the NASA grant: an additional 11 graduate students were impacted and participated without financial support from NASA. The work resulted in 16 theses (with 7 to be completed in the near future), 67 papers or reports mostly published in 8 journals and/or presented at various conferences (a total of 83 papers, presentations and reports published based on NASA inspired or supported work). In addition, the faculty and students presented related work at many meetings, and continuing work has been proposed to NSF, the Army, Industry and other state and federal institutions to continue efforts in the direction of multidisciplinary and recently multi-objective design and analysis. The specific problem addressed is component packing which was solved as a multi-objective problem using iterative genetic algorithms and decomposition. Further testing and refinement of the methodology developed is presently under investigation. Teaming issues research and classes resulted in the publication of a web site, (http://design.eng.clemson.edu/psych4991) which provides pointers and techniques to interested parties. Specific advantages of using iterative genetic algorithms, hurdles faced and resolved, and institutional difficulties associated with multi-discipline teaming are described in some detail

Endothelin-1 as a neuropeptide: neurotransmitter or neurovascular effects?

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is an endothelium-derived peptide that also possesses potent mitogenic activity. There is also a suggestion the ET-1 is a neuropeptide, based mainly on its histological identification in both the central and peripheral nervous system in a number of species, including man. A neuropeptide role for ET-1 is supported by studies showing a variety of effects caused following its administration into different regions of the brain and by application to peripheral nerves. In addition there are studies proposing that ET-1 is implicated in a number of neural circuits where its transmitter affects range from a role in pain and temperature control to its action on the hypothalamo-neurosecretory system. While the effect of ET-1 on nerve tissue is beyond doubt, its action on nerve blood flow is often ignored. Here, we review data generated in a number of species and using a variety of experimental models. Studies range from those showing the distribution of ET-1 and its receptors in nerve tissue to those describing numerous neurally-mediated effects of ET-1

A Dimension-Reduction Algorithm for Multi-Stage Decision Problems with Returns in a Partially Ordered Set

In this paper a two-stage algorithm for finding non- dominated subsets of partially ordered sets is established. A connection is then made with dimension reduction in time-dependent dynamic programming via the notion of a bounding label, a function that bounds the state-transition cost functions. In this context, the computational burden is partitioned between a time-independent dynamic programming step carried out on the bounding label and a direct evaluation carried out on a subset of “real" valued decisions. A computational application to time-dependent fuzzy dynamic programming is presented

Linear optimization with multiple equitable criteria

The standard multiple criteria optimization starts with an assumption that the criteria are incomparable. However, there are many applications in which the criteria express ideas of allocation of resources meant to achieve some equitable distribution. This paper focuses on solving linear multiple criteria optimization problems with uniform criteria treated in an equitable way. An axiomatic definition of equitable efficiency is introduced as an refinement of Pareto-optimality. Various generation techniques are examined and the structure of the equitably efficient set is analyzed

A Generalization of Dynamic Programming for Pareto Optimization in Dynamic Networks

The Algorithm in this paper is designed to find the shortest path in a network given time-dependent cost functions. It has the following features: it is recursive; it takes place bath in a backward dynamic programming phase and in a forward evaluation phase; it does not need a time-grid such as in Cook and Halsey and Kostreva and Wiecek's "Algorithm One”; it requires only boundedness (above and below) of the cost functions; it reduces to backward multi-objective dynamic programming if there are constant costs. This algorithm has been successfully applied to multi-stage decision problems where the costs are a function of the time when the decision is made. There are examples of further applications to tactical delay in production scheduling and to production control