Path Planning for a 6 DoF Robotic Arm Based on Whale Optimization Algorithm and Genetic Algorithm

The trajectory planning for robotic arms is a significant area of research, given its role in facilitating seamless trajectory execution and enhancing movement efficiency and accuracy. This paper focuses on the development of path planning algorithms for a robotic arm with six degrees of freedom. Specifically, three alternative approaches are explored: polynomial (cubic and quantic), Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA), and Genetic Algorithm (GA). The comparison of outcomes between different methods revealed that polynomial methods were found to be more straightforward to implement, albeit constrained by the intricacy of the pathway. Upon examining the functioning of the WOA, it has been shown that it is well suited for all types of pathways, regardless of their level of complexity. In addition, when GA is applied, it has been shown less smoothness than WOA but also less complexity. In brief, WOA is deemed superior in the path planning process since it is more thorough in determining the optimal path due to the conical spiral path technique it employs in offering optimized path planning. in comparison to GA, WOA is better in implementation speed and accuracy. However, GA is smoother in start and finish path

Path Planning for a 6 DoF Robotic Arm Based on Whale Optimization Algorithm and Genetic Algorithm

The trajectory planning for robotic arms is a significant area of research, given its role in facilitating seamless trajectory execution and enhancing movement efficiency and accuracy. This paper focuses on the development of path planning algorithms for a robotic arm with six degrees of freedom. Specifically, three alternative approaches are explored: polynomial (cubic and quantic), Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA), and Genetic Algorithm (GA). The comparison of outcomes between different methods revealed that polynomial methods were found to be more straightforward to implement, albeit constrained by the intricacy of the pathway. Upon examining the functioning of the WOA, it has been shown that it is well suited for all types of pathways, regardless of their level of complexity. In addition, when GA is applied, it has been shown less smoothness than WOA but also less complexity. In brief, WOA is deemed superior in the path planning process since it is more thorough in determining the optimal path due to the conical spiral path technique it employs in offering optimized path planning. in comparison to GA, WOA is better in implementation speed and accuracy. However, GA is smoother in start and finish path

Effect of Differential Code Biases on the GPS CORS Network: A Case Study of Egyptian Permanent GPS Network (EPGN)

The Global Positioning Satellite System (GPS) Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) are popular and have become increasingly dense throughout the world. One of the important factors affecting the GPS accuracy is the ionosphere Total Electron Content (TEC). The hardware Differential Code Biases (DCB), inherited in both Global Positioning System satellites and receivers, influence the total electron content estimation accuracy. DCB can be estimated using GPS data themselves or during the GPS data processing. The effect of DCB on CORS results are studied here using nine CORS stations from the Egyptian Permanent GPS Net (EPGN). Bernese software version 5.0 is used for data analysis. Three strategies are applied to the data. The first strategy is using a special MATLAB code to estimate DCB which in turn is introduced as known input in Bernese. Using Bernese itself to estimate the DCB along with the ionosphere is the second method. The third way is to totally ignore the DCB.  The three solutions are compared based on ratio of ambiguity resolutions, standard deviations, error ellipse, and closure errors. The results indicate that the worst solution is obtained when ignoring the DCB. Both Bernese estimation and known DCB solutions are similar and gives good results. For example, the ratio of un-resolved ambiguity for baseline between Marsa-Alam and Arish is about 0.3096 for Bernese estimated DCB while it is about 0.5643 when ignoring DCB. Hence it is recommended to consider the DCB when processing GPS data for precise applications

Hormonal, follicular and endometrial dynamics in letrozole-treated versus natural cycles in patients undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation

The objective of this study was to compare letrozole-stimulated cycles to natural cycles in 208 patients undergoing intrauterine insemination (IUI) between July of 2004 and January of 2007. Group I (n = 47) received cycle monitoring only (natural group), Group II (n = 125) received letrozole 2.5 mg/day on cycle days three to seven, and Group III (n = 36) received letrozole 5 mg/day on cycle days three to seven. There were no differences between the groups in endometrial thickness or P4 on the day of hCG. Estradiol levels had higher variation in the second half of the follicular phase in both letrozole-treated groups compared to the control group. Estradiol per preovulatory follicle was similar in both letrozole cycles to that observed in the natural cycles. LH was lower on the day of hCG administration in the letrozole 2.5 mg/day group vs. the natural group. In summary, letrozole results in some minor changes in follicular, hormonal and endometrial dynamics compared to natural cycles. Increased folliculogenesis and pregnancy rates were observed in the letrozole-treated groups compared to the natural group. These findings need to be confirmed in larger, prospective studies

التركيب المحصولى المصرى فى ظل المخاطرة والمتغيرات المحلية والدولية

Cropping pattern refers to the percentage of acreage occupied by various crops within the crop rotation. It is determined through cultivated' area assigned to each crop according to the sequence system necessitated by crop rotation considerations. The optimum crop pattern is the one, which achieves the highest possible net return depending on input and output prices together with crop yields. It is a dynamic process as it changes from time to another based on farmers' needs and crops profitability in the previous year. It also may differ based on whether we are looking from the point of view individual farmer, trader, middleman, and exporter or from the point of view the society as a whole. Various crops are competing on the limited land within the agricultural season. So expanding the acreage of any crop would automatically entail contraction of another competitive crop, as total supply of land is almost fixed and limited. The major objective behind designing an indicative cropping pattern is the issue of food security. This issue is important both from strategic perspective, as well as in the context of poverty. While there is emerging consensus on the definition of food security as aiming to assure the country adequate access to food, both internally and externally generated, there is still reference to the need to grow certain strategic crops. Moreover, there is a desire to achieve a measure of stabilization in producer and consumer prices through the development of buffer stocks. There are various options available, each of which has costs and benefits related to them. One option would be a high level of risk aversion, which would entail a cropping pattern that centers on subsistence crops. Another option may pursue efficiency pricing and therefore would result in crops being growing in which the country has a comparative advantage. For example, self-sufficiency for wheat could be enhanced to 75% in an efficient manner. Meanwhile the domestic production of rice and sugar cane may expand to a frontier that misallocates resources of water and land. The agricultural production is very susceptible to risks originated from natural, economic or social fosters that are difficult to predict or control. In Egypt, cropping pattern, is influenced by local economic variables to up prices, i.e., cropped area is determined by farmer response to changes in absolute or relative prices of the preceding season, in addition to profitability of crops of the last season, where farmer can not change supply of labor, the elapse of period of time curding to the nature of the crops being produced. Egypt's cropping pattern is also affected by international variables related to transactions with international markets for food products and to transactions with international markets for food products and to problem related to world production of biological fuel, world financial crisis, world food crisis, and rules imposed by the international trade system. As a result, there is a deficit in the Egyptian balance of trade for food commodities amounting to L.E. 8 milliards on average for the last few years. The upsurge in demand for agricultural crops like wheat, maize, soybeans, vegetable, oils, and sugar crops for the use in producing biological fuel has resulted in a drastic increase in prices of food, during 2005-2007 the average rate of price increase of food commodities has been estimated at 83% which led to a high increase in import bill in developing -and poor countries among them Egypt which is a not food importer. For many reasons developing an increase in domestic agricultural production of strategic food crops, i.e., cereals legumes. Vegetable, oils, and sugar crops, is the best way to confront international variables, Either through vertical or horizontal expansion of those crops in addition to reducing the acreage of high water consuming scraps, which is the objective behind suggesting the cropping pattern in the short and long terms. Each of these objectives is direct by associated with the master end of ensuring food serenity. Indicative cropping pattern during last years varies considerably as compared to the actual cropping pattern experienced by farmers' decisions irrespective of the agricultural policy of the government Egypt. However, indicative or proposed cropping pattern could be put into action by introducing economic, institution and organization instruments. Those various instruments should be streamlined and harmonized together. Economic instruments advisable for execution of cropping pattern could include subsidizing production and inputs for strategic export and import crops that minimize consumption of irrigation water, introducing contractual agricultural production system, especially, in regard to cotton, sugar cane and sugar beet in addition to other industrial crops. It is advisable to establish agricultural stabilization funds to insure' farmers against various types of risks notably price risks. More over incentives either negative like taxes or positive like interest rate reduction, and rescheduling of debts could also be provided and operated. One major organizational instrument that has been successful recently introduced at a probation scale in three governorates is the national project for development of the field irrigation system in wade and delta. It is estimated that application of that project would save 15% of water consumed for irrigation. The saved water could be used for ameliorating and reclaiming an estimated acreage of 3 million feddans. In addition it is suggested that elimination of camels and messages on the fields would save and area of 0.5 million feddans to be put under cultivation. The study has estimated risk associated with Egyptian cropping pattern by application of linear and non-linear mathematical programming. Three models of minimization risk have been proposed and manipulated including: (1) Minimization Of Total Absolute Deviations: (MOTAD). (2) Risk Input-Output MOTAD. (3) Two Stage Stochastic Programming – (TSSP-RIO-MOTAD). In addition to the various scenarios cited above with their respective major objective functions, the models do comprise acreage, means of production in terms of cost of production, monthly year round irrigation water, and annual agricultural labor on monthly basis. Sensitivity analysis has been estimated for depicting the effect of changing prices of wheat and rice on cropping pattern disposition, by the application of TSSP-RIO-MOTAD model. Among the major results of these analyses are: 1- An increment of gross margin to farmers at L.E 3.8 milliard which deeps that suggested cropping has achieved the profit maximization goal which producers would aim at. 2- A huge amount of irrigation water has been saved estimated at 2.6 milliard cubic meters. A magnitude of water saved of this amount could be assigned for reclaiming new lands at about 0.7 million feddans. 3- Capital resources saved estimated at L.E. 985 million. 4- Augmenting acreage under wheat to reach as much as 3 million feddans, which help contributing positives to the nation's food security goal. 5- Reduction in rice acreage so as not to exceed one million feddan. Adding to the nations objectives of saving irrigation water to be used for reclamation of additional new lands. 6- Augmenting acreage cultivated to Soya beans, sunflower, maize, and summer sorghum at 84.9%, 69.5%, 41%, and 12.3% respectively, which, once again, contributes to the nation's objective related to enhancing food security. 7- Augmenting areas under lentil, lupine, chickpeas, broad bean, and fenugreek by 111%, 62.2%, 39.5%, 19.8%, and 8.6% respectively, which positively adds to food security objective. The proposed cropping pattern derived through sensitivity analysis and based on varying farm- prices for wheat and rice is heavily dependent on the effectiveness and synergy of mechanisms and instruments suggested for addressing and implementing of the indicative cropping pattern. Securing the accomplishment of maximization of farmer's profit margin are very major and essential objectives of the proposed cropping pattern

التركيب المحصولى المصرى فى ظل المخاطرة والمتغيرات المحلية والدولية

Cropping pattern refers to the percentage of acreage occupied by various crops within the crop rotation. It is determined through cultivated' area assigned to each crop according to the sequence system necessitated by crop rotation considerations. The optimum crop pattern is the one, which achieves the highest possible net return depending on input and output prices together with crop yields. It is a dynamic process as it changes from time to another based on farmers' needs and crops profitability in the previous year. It also may differ based on whether we are looking from the point of view individual farmer, trader, middleman, and exporter or from the point of view the society as a whole. Various crops are competing on the limited land within the agricultural season. So expanding the acreage of any crop would automatically entail contraction of another competitive crop, as total supply of land is almost fixed and limited. The major objective behind designing an indicative cropping pattern is the issue of food security. This issue is important both from strategic perspective, as well as in the context of poverty. While there is emerging consensus on the definition of food security as aiming to assure the country adequate access to food, both internally and externally generated, there is still reference to the need to grow certain strategic crops. Moreover, there is a desire to achieve a measure of stabilization in producer and consumer prices through the development of buffer stocks. There are various options available, each of which has costs and benefits related to them. One option would be a high level of risk aversion, which would entail a cropping pattern that centers on subsistence crops. Another option may pursue efficiency pricing and therefore would result in crops being growing in which the country has a comparative advantage. For example, self-sufficiency for wheat could be enhanced to 75% in an efficient manner. Meanwhile the domestic production of rice and sugar cane may expand to a frontier that misallocates resources of water and land. The agricultural production is very susceptible to risks originated from natural, economic or social fosters that are difficult to predict or control. In Egypt, cropping pattern, is influenced by local economic variables to up prices, i.e., cropped area is determined by farmer response to changes in absolute or relative prices of the preceding season, in addition to profitability of crops of the last season, where farmer can not change supply of labor, the elapse of period of time curding to the nature of the crops being produced. Egypt's cropping pattern is also affected by international variables related to transactions with international markets for food products and to transactions with international markets for food products and to problem related to world production of biological fuel, world financial crisis, world food crisis, and rules imposed by the international trade system. As a result, there is a deficit in the Egyptian balance of trade for food commodities amounting to L.E. 8 milliards on average for the last few years. The upsurge in demand for agricultural crops like wheat, maize, soybeans, vegetable, oils, and sugar crops for the use in producing biological fuel has resulted in a drastic increase in prices of food, during 2005-2007 the average rate of price increase of food commodities has been estimated at 83% which led to a high increase in import bill in developing -and poor countries among them Egypt which is a not food importer. For many reasons developing an increase in domestic agricultural production of strategic food crops, i.e., cereals legumes. Vegetable, oils, and sugar crops, is the best way to confront international variables, Either through vertical or horizontal expansion of those crops in addition to reducing the acreage of high water consuming scraps, which is the objective behind suggesting the cropping pattern in the short and long terms. Each of these objectives is direct by associated with the master end of ensuring food serenity. Indicative cropping pattern during last years varies considerably as compared to the actual cropping pattern experienced by farmers' decisions irrespective of the agricultural policy of the government Egypt. However, indicative or proposed cropping pattern could be put into action by introducing economic, institution and organization instruments. Those various instruments should be streamlined and harmonized together. Economic instruments advisable for execution of cropping pattern could include subsidizing production and inputs for strategic export and import crops that minimize consumption of irrigation water, introducing contractual agricultural production system, especially, in regard to cotton, sugar cane and sugar beet in addition to other industrial crops. It is advisable to establish agricultural stabilization funds to insure' farmers against various types of risks notably price risks. More over incentives either negative like taxes or positive like interest rate reduction, and rescheduling of debts could also be provided and operated. One major organizational instrument that has been successful recently introduced at a probation scale in three governorates is the national project for development of the field irrigation system in wade and delta. It is estimated that application of that project would save 15% of water consumed for irrigation. The saved water could be used for ameliorating and reclaiming an estimated acreage of 3 million feddans. In addition it is suggested that elimination of camels and messages on the fields would save and area of 0.5 million feddans to be put under cultivation. The study has estimated risk associated with Egyptian cropping pattern by application of linear and non-linear mathematical programming. Three models of minimization risk have been proposed and manipulated including: (1) Minimization Of Total Absolute Deviations: (MOTAD). (2) Risk Input-Output MOTAD. (3) Two Stage Stochastic Programming – (TSSP-RIO-MOTAD). In addition to the various scenarios cited above with their respective major objective functions, the models do comprise acreage, means of production in terms of cost of production, monthly year round irrigation water, and annual agricultural labor on monthly basis. Sensitivity analysis has been estimated for depicting the effect of changing prices of wheat and rice on cropping pattern disposition, by the application of TSSP-RIO-MOTAD model. Among the major results of these analyses are: 1- An increment of gross margin to farmers at L.E 3.8 milliard which deeps that suggested cropping has achieved the profit maximization goal which producers would aim at. 2- A huge amount of irrigation water has been saved estimated at 2.6 milliard cubic meters. A magnitude of water saved of this amount could be assigned for reclaiming new lands at about 0.7 million feddans. 3- Capital resources saved estimated at L.E. 985 million. 4- Augmenting acreage under wheat to reach as much as 3 million feddans, which help contributing positives to the nation's food security goal. 5- Reduction in rice acreage so as not to exceed one million feddan. Adding to the nations objectives of saving irrigation water to be used for reclamation of additional new lands. 6- Augmenting acreage cultivated to Soya beans, sunflower, maize, and summer sorghum at 84.9%, 69.5%, 41%, and 12.3% respectively, which, once again, contributes to the nation's objective related to enhancing food security. 7- Augmenting areas under lentil, lupine, chickpeas, broad bean, and fenugreek by 111%, 62.2%, 39.5%, 19.8%, and 8.6% respectively, which positively adds to food security objective. The proposed cropping pattern derived through sensitivity analysis and based on varying farm- prices for wheat and rice is heavily dependent on the effectiveness and synergy of mechanisms and instruments suggested for addressing and implementing of the indicative cropping pattern. Securing the accomplishment of maximization of farmer's profit margin are very major and essential objectives of the proposed cropping pattern

Simple Method for Measuring Small Retardance

Small retardances are encountered in many experimental works. Internal stresses, weakly birefringent materials, optical windows and formation of contaminating surface layers are sources of small retardances. Most known methods for retardance measurements fail to determine accurately their values which are sometimes essential in the evaluation of experimental results. In this work, we present a method for accurate measurement of a small retardance. Our study aims to find the retardance error in a birefringent full-wave plate which, if perfect, is considered as of zero retardance. Our treatment will make use of a previously presented model for simultaneous calibration of two phase plates

Hepatobiliary manifestations following two-stages elective laparoscopic restorative proctocolectomy for patients with ulcerative colitis: A prospective observational study

BACKGROUNDHepatobiliary manifestations occur in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients. The effect of laparoscopic restorative proctocolectomy (LRP) with ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) on hepatobiliary manifestations is debated.AIMTo evaluate hepatobiliary changes after two-stages elective laparoscopic restorative proctocolectomy for patients with UC.METHODSBetween June 2013 and June 2018, 167 patients with hepatobiliary symptoms underwent two-stage elective LRP for UC in a prospective observational study. Patients with UC and having at least one hepatobiliary manifestation who underwent LRP with IPAA were included in the study. The patients were followed up for four years to assess the outcomes of hepatobiliary manifestations.RESULTSThe patients' mean age was 36 +/- 8 years, and males predominated (67.1%). The most common hepatobiliary diagnostic method was liver biopsy (85.6%), followed by Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (63.5%), Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (62.5%), abdominal ultrasonography (35.9%), and Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (6%). The most common hepatobiliary symptom was Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) (62.3%), followed by fatty liver (16.8%) and gallbladder stone (10.2%). 66.4% of patients showed a stable course after surgery. Progressive or regressive courses occurred in 16.8% of each. Mortality was 6%, and recurrence or progression of symptoms required surgery for 15%. Most PSC patients (87.5%) had a stable course, and only 12.5% became worse. Two-thirds (64.3%) of fatty liver patients showed a regressive course, while one-third (35.7%) showed a stable course. Survival rates were 98.8%, 97%, 95.8%, and 94% at 12 mo, 24 mo, 36 mo, and at the end of the follow-up.CONCLUSIONIn patients with UC who had LRP, there is a positive impact on hepatobiliary disease. It caused an improvement in PSC and fatty liver disease. The most prevalent unchanged course was PSC, while the most common improvement was fatty liver disease

Search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu channel in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

A search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu decay channel, where l = e or mu, in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV is presented. The data were collected at the LHC, with the CMS detector, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 inverse femtobarns. No significant excess is observed above the background expectation, and upper limits are set on the Higgs boson production cross section. The presence of the standard model Higgs boson with a mass in the 270-440 GeV range is excluded at 95% confidence level.Comment: Submitted to JHE