A MOS-based Dynamic Memetic Differential Evolution Algorithm for Continuous Optimization: A Scalability Test

Continuous optimization is one of the areas with more activity in the field of heuristic optimization. Many algorithms have been proposed and compared on several benchmarks of functions, with different performance depending on the problems. For this reason, the combination of different search strategies seems desirable to obtain the best performance of each of these approaches. This contribution explores the use of a hybrid memetic algorithm based on the multiple offspring framework. The proposed algorithm combines the explorative/exploitative strength of two heuristic search methods that separately obtain very competitive results. This algorithm has been tested with the benchmark problems and conditions defined for the special issue of the Soft Computing Journal on Scalability of Evolutionary Algorithms and other Metaheuristics for Large Scale Continuous Optimization Problems. The proposed algorithm obtained the best results compared with both its composing algorithms and a set of reference algorithms that were proposed for the special issue

A critical evaluation of the usefulness of a coding scheme to categorise levels of reflective thinking

The use of reflective learning journals to encourage higher order learning outcomes is a growing area in higher education research and practice. However, without a unified and clear definition of reflection, identifying and assessing reflection is problematic for educators. In an attempt to address this issue Kember et al. (1999) devised a coding scheme based on the work of Mezirow (1991), to identify and assess levels of reflective thinking in students’ written journals. We evaluated the usefulness of this coding scheme in a business education context. Findings revealed that the scheme was useful in identifying categories of reflective thinking. Initial inter-coder agreement ranged from 50-79%. On average, 65% of the journal content was coded as non-reflection and 35% as reflection. A further outcome of the research was to refine the coding scheme and to provide suggestions for its application in teaching practice

Quality of Honey Bee Bread Collected in Spring

Pollen is the only source of protein that honey bees collect from nature. It is very important for the development of brood, and consequently, for the development of the colony. Honey bee bread is the pollen which the bees collect from flowers and store in honeycomb cells. Honey bee bread has a modified structure due to the fermentation process under the influence of enzymes it passes through. For this study, ten honey bee colonies were selected. Honey bee bread was sampled from the combs. The quality of pollen and honey bee bread was determined by the chemical composition, using standard methods used in food analysis. Total nitrogen was determined by Kjeldahl method. Micro- and macroelements were determined by spectrophotometric method. The pollen collected from two sites had rich protein content (29.93 % and 27.63 % on average)

Probing the structure and dynamics of molecular clusters using rotational wavepackets

The chemical and physical properties of molecular clusters can heavily depend on their size, which makes them very attractive for the design of new materials with tailored properties. Deriving the structure and dynamics of clusters is therefore of major interest in science. Weakly bound clusters can be studied using conventional spectroscopic techniques, but the number of lines observed is often too small for a comprehensive structural analysis. Impulsive alignment generates rotational wavepackets, which provides simultaneous information on structure and dynamics, as has been demonstrated successfully for isolated molecules. Here, we apply this technique for the firsttime to clusters comprising of a molecule and a single helium atom. By forcing the population of high rotational levels in intense laser fields we demonstrate the generation of rich rotational line spectra for this system, establishing the highly delocalised structure and the coherence of rotational wavepacket propagation. Our findings enable studies of clusters of different sizes and complexity as well as incipient superfluidity effects using wavepacket methods.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure

Alchemilla Vulgaris L. kao potencijalni izvor prirodnih antioksidanata

The aim of this study was to examine the total phenolic and flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity of the methanol extract of Alchemilla vulgaris aerial parts, as a potential source of natural antioxidants. The obtained results showed that extract has high total phenolic content (590,22 mg GAE/g), wheras flavonoid content was lower (12,58 mg RU/g). Antioxidant activity was determined in vitro by DPPH· and ABTS+· reagents. The IC50 values of DPPH (5,40 μg/ml) and ABTS+· scavenging capacities (60,10 μg/ml) of methanol extract showed that tested extract has extremely strong antioxidant activity.Cilj ovog rada je bio ispitivanje antioksidativne aktivnosti, kao i količine ukupnih fenolnih jedinjenja i flavonoida u metanolnom ekstraktu biljke A. vulgaris L., kao potencijalnog izvora prirodnih antioksidanata. Ispitivani ekstrakt poseduje visok sadržaj ukupnih fenola (590,22 mg GA/g), dok je koncentracija flavonoida znatno manja (12,58 mg RU/g). Antioksidativna aktivnost je ispitivana in vitro DPPH i ABTS+· metodom, a IC50 vrednosti ukazuju da ispitivani ekstrakt pokazuje izuzetno visok stepen antioksidativne aktivnosti u poređenju sa referentnim fenolnim jedinjenjima, što ukazuje na mogućnost primene ekstrakta A. vulgaris u prehrambenoj industriji

Have a Good Trip! Expanding our Concepts of the Quality of Everyday Travelling with Flow Theory

The dominant tradition in transport planning and policy practice considers travel as a derived activity and travel time as an economic disutility. A growing body of literature is challenging this perspective, demonstrating that being ‘on the move’ is a rich experience interlaced with profound shared and individual meanings that can have positive implications on quality of life, well-being and personal development. Yet, mobility in general, and commuting in particular, is often reported as one of the least pleasant daily experiences and as a source of massive environmental impacts. This exploratory article hypothesizes that flow theory, based on Csikszentmihalyi´s seminal work on optimal states of consciousness, has the potential to offer important insights that can contribute to research and policy action on achieving both sustainable and satisfying forms of daily mobility. The article draws on an online exploratory questionnaire in order to reflect on flow theory in relation to the capacity of different mobility modes to either facilitate or constrain the occurrence and duration of optimal states of consciousness. Preliminary conclusions provide a basis for outlining a set of future research directions aimed at better understanding mobility experiences and their relationships with flow theory

COMPARISON OF MOTIVATION FOR PARENTING IN HEALTHY AND DEPRESSED PATIENTS

Objective: The aim of present study was to examine whether there is a difference in parenting motives between patients diagnosed with depression and control groups (non-depressed). Material and Method: The survey included 66 patients who were treated at the Psychiatric Hospital in Novi Pazar (average age= 44.64, SD=10.00) and 65 subjects who were not diagnosed with depression (average age=42, SD=13.05). Participants volunteered to participate in the research and received no compensation for their participation. Respondents were given a Parent Motivation Scale. Results: Results showed that participants in our study are motivated for parenthood mostly by instrumental motivation, altruistic and fatalistic motivations are equally present, and narcissistic motivation is the lowest. Instrumental, fatalistic and altruistic motives for parenting are significantly lower in group consisted of depressed patients. There was no difference in narcissistic motivation between two groups. Conclusion: This finding can be seen in the light of the general condition and the characteristic of people suffering from depression. In them, namely, all aspects of motivation are reduced and it is not surprising that this is so with the motives for parenting

Stabilnost ekstrakta korena suručice i efekat na sprečavanje lipidne oksidacije u mesu

Nowadays, consumers are demanding more natural foods, obliging the industry to include natural antioxidants in foods and synthetic antioxidants have been rejected because of their carcinogenicity. Natural antioxidants have been used instead of synthetic to retard lipid oxidation in foods to improve their quality and nutritional value. The aim of this work was to evaluate pH and termal stability, and effect on lipid oxidation in meat-model system of methanolic extract of Filipendula hexapetala Gilib. Results suggest that the stability of the extract is expressed in a variety of pH and thermal conditions. The root extract of F. hexapetala exerted a concentration-dependent antioxidant activity in a meat model system, lower than synthetic antioxidant BHT.Danas je u ishrani zastupljen veliki broj prirodnih proizvoda, tako da prehrambena industrija sve više koristi prirodne antioksidante, a sintetički antioksidanti se izbacuju iz upotrebe zbog njihove kancerogenosti. Prirodni antioksidanti se koriste umesto sintetičkih da uspore oksidaciju lipida, poboljšaju kvalitet i nutritivnu vrednost namirnica. Cilj ovog rada bio je određivanje pH i termalne stabilnosti, kao i efekta na lipidnu oksidaciju u mesu metanolskog ekstrakta korena biljke Filipendula hexapetala Gilib. Rezultati ukazuju da je stabilnost ekstrakta izražena u različitim pH i termalnim uslovima. Ekstrakt korena F. hexapetala pokazao je koncentraciono-zavisnu antioksidativnu aktivnost u meso model-sistemu, nešto nižu u odnosu na sintetički antioksidant BHT