A binary particle swarm optimization algorithm for ship routing and scheduling of liquefied natural gas transportation

With the increasing global demands for energy, fuel supply management is a challenging task of today’s industries in order to decrease the cost of energy and diminish its adverse environmental impacts. To have a more environmentally friendly fuel supply network, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is suggested as one of the best choices for manufacturers. As the consumption rate of LNG is increasing dramatically in the world, many companies try to carry this product all around the world by themselves or outsource it to third-party companies. However, the challenge is that the transportation of LNG requires specific vessels and there are many clauses in related LNG transportation contracts which may reduce the revenue of these companies, it seems essential to find the best option for them. The aim of this paper is to propose a meta-heuristic Binary Particle Swarm Optimization (BPSO) algorithm to come with an optimized solution for ship routing and scheduling of LNG transportation. The application demonstrates what sellers need to do to reduce their costs and increase their profits by considering or removing some obligations

The Association between functional-emotional development and creative thinking in preschool children

Introduction: Considering that creativity is essential to adapt to today's complex world, identification of the affecting factors on the development of this way of thinking is one of the necessities of research area. Hence, the aim of present research is to investigate the relationship between emotional-functional development as a potential effective factor and the formation of creative thinking. Methods: 80 children and their mothers were selected from preschools of Mashhad City based on cluster sampling method. The level of creativity among children was measured through Torrance Test of Critical Thinking (TTCT: visual B-form). The mothers of children in sample group answered the Greenspan Social- Emotional Growth Chart. Results: Data analysis showed a significantly positive association between functional-emotional development and aspects of fluidity, expansion and innovation in two groups of male and female preschool children as verified in creativity test. The results of simple linear regression analysis also showed that functional-emotional development can predict 0.05 percent of variance in creativity. Based on the results of t-test for independent groups, there was no significant difference in the level of functional-emotional development and creative thinking among male and female preschool students. Conclusion: The findings of present study supports the theory of Greenspan (1997) regarding the significance of functional-emotional development in integrated development of human kind and emergence of higher levels of thinking. Declaration of Interest: None.

The Effects of Imitative Vs. Cognitive Methods on The Speech Development of Children With Autism

How to Cite This Article: Jalili M, Jahangiri N, Yazdi Aa, Ashrafzadeh F. The Effects of Imitative Vs. Cognitive Methods on The Speech Development of Children With Autism. Iran J Child Neurol. 2014 Winter; 8(1):37-46.ObjectiveThe present study was performed to examine the effects of two speech therapy methods on six verbal behaviors of autistic children, including oral speech, listening, organizing, speaking, semantics, and syntax.Materials & MethodsIn this study, thirty 6-8 years old children with autism were assigned to one of two groups: imitative and cognitive groups. Before starting the main procedures of the study, the children of both groups were homogenized concerning their autism level. In the first phase of the study, the speech development level of the two groups was measured in a pre-test, in which both groups showed similar results. Then, both groups of children received 6 months of speech therapy instruction, during which one group was taught using an imitative method, while the other group was being worked with cognitive method.ResultsAfter 6-month treatment period, a post-test was done, and the t-tests based on the data of the two groups revealed a significant difference between the results.ConclusionThe statistics showed that after the teaching period, autistic that worked with cognitive method gained a better development in their speech abilities, comparing to those worked with the imitative method.Reference:Samadi SA, Mahmoodizadeh A, McConkey R. A national study of the prevalence of Autism among five year old children in Iran. Autism 2012;16(1):5-14.Fombonne E, Simmons H, Ford T, Meltzer H, Goodman R. Prevalence of pervasive developmental disorders in the British nationwide survey of child mental health. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2001;40(7):820-7.Fombonne, E. The changing epidemiology of Autism. J Appl Res Intellect Disabil 2005,18(4):281-94.Filipek PA, Accardo PJ, Ashwal S, Baranek GT, Cook EH Jr, Dawson G, et al. Practice parameter: screening and diagnosis of autism: report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society. Neurology 2000;55(4):468-79.Samadi, SA. Comparative policy brief: status of intellectual disabilities in the Islamic republic of Iran. J Policy Pract Intellect Disabil 2008;5:129-32.Rogers SJ, An examination of the imitation deficit in autism. In: Nadel J, Butterworth G, editors. Imitation in infancy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1999. p.254-83.Ozonoff S, Pennington BF, Rogers SJ. Executive function deficits in high-functioning autistic individuals: Relationship to theory of mind. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 1991;32(7):1081-105.Williams JH, Whiten A, Suddendorf T, Perrett DI. Imitation, mirror neurons and autism. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2001;25(4):287-95.Rogers SJ, Hepburn SL, Stackhouse T, Wehner E. Imitation performance in toddlers with autism and those with other developmental disorders. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2003;44(5):763-81.Gena A, Krantz PJ, McClannahan LE, Poulson CL. Training and generalization of affective behavior displayed by youth with autism. J Appl Behav Anal 1996;29(3):291-304.Ingenmey R, Van Houten R. Using time delay to promote spontaneous speech in an autistic child. J Appl Behav Anal 1991;24(3):591-6.Ayzenson J. Language and speech disorders in children. Tehran: Roshd publications; 2010.De Giacomo A, Fombonne E. Parental recognition of developmental abnormalities in autism. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 1998;7(3):131-6.Hodgdon LA. Solving behavior problems in autism: improving communication with visual strategies. Quirkroberts publishing; 2001. P.32.Bertrand J, Mars A, Boyle C, Bove F, Yeargin-Allsopp M, Decoufle P. Prevalence of autism in a United States population: the Brick Township, New Jersey, investigation. Pediatrics 2001;108(5):1155-61.Siegel B. Helping children with autism learn: a guide to treatment approaches for parents and professionals. Oxford: Oxford Press Inc; 2002. P.3.Plimley L, Bowen M. Social skills and autism spectrum disorders, London: Paul Chapman publishing; 2007.Mohammadi M, Mesgarpour B, Sahimi Izadian E, Mohammadi M. Psychiatric tests for children and young adults: CARS test. Tehran: Teimourzadeh publications; 2006.Schopler E, Mesibov GB. Diagnosis and Assessment in Autism. New York, NY: Springer publications; 1988. P.3-4.Newcomer P, Hammill D. TOLD: test of language development. (Adaption and standardization to Persian language by Hassanzadeh S and Minaei A.). Tehran: Publications of Ministry of Education; 1977.Dequinzio JA. Generalized Imitation of Facial Models by Children with Autism. J Appl Behav Anal 2007;40(4):755-9.Hatch E. Farhady H. Research design and statistics for applied linguistics. Rahnama publications; 2007. P.28.Brown JS, Rodgers T. Doing second language research. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2004. P.47.Brown J. Understanding research in second language learning. A teacher’s guide to statistics and research design. Cambridge: Cambridge university press; 1995. P.31

Numerical analysis of axial cyclic behavior of FRP retrofitted CHS joints

This paper aims to numerically investigate the cyclic behavior of retrofitted and non-retrofitted circular hollow section (CHS) T-joints under axial loading. Different joints with varying ratios of brace to chord radius are studied. The effects of welding process on buckling instability of the joints in compression and the plastic failure in tension are considered. The finite element method is employed for numerical analysis, and the SAC protocol is considered as cyclic loading scheme. The CHS joints are retrofitted with different numbers of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) layers with varying orientation. The results show that the welding process significantly increases the plastic failure potential. The chord ovalization is the dominant common buckling mode under the compression load. However, it is possible to increase the energy dissipation of the joints by utilizing FRP composite through changing the buckling mode to the brace overall buckling

Buckling behavior of non-retrofitted and FRP-retrofitted steel CHS T-joints

This paper aims to investigate the buckling behavior of circular hollow section (CHS) Tjoints in retrofitted and non-retrofitted states under axial brace compressive loading. For this purpose, two types of analysis are carried out. The first one is evaluating the critical buckling load in various tubular joints, and the other one is investigating the post-buckling behavior after each buckling mode. More than 180 CHS T-joints with various normalized geometric properties were numerically modeled in non-retrofitted state to compute their governing buckling mode, i.e., chord ovalization, brace local, or global buckling. Then three joints with different buckling modes were selected to be retrofitted by fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) patches to illustrate the improving effect of the FRP wrapping on the post-buckling performance of the retrofitted joints. In addition, FRP composite failures were investigated. The results indicate that the FRP retrofitting is able to prevent the brace local buckling, and that matrix failure is the most common composite failure in the retrofitted joints

Axial-torsional dynamics of a drilling bit with non-uniform blade arrangement

Peer reviewedPostprin

Oral Health-Related Quality of Life among Children Aged 11-14 Years Old with and without Parental Care in South-East of Iran

Objective: To measure the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) and compare children with and without parental care. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 160 schoolchildren with parental care and 100 orphans in Kerman, Iran. After fulfilling the questionnaire voluntarily, a clinical examination was performed, and indices such as decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT), molar-incisor hypoplasia (MIH), modified gingival index (MGI), traumatic dental injury (TDI), and malocclusion were recorded. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS version 25 via the ANOVA, Pearson\u27s correlation coefficient test, Chi-Square test, and descriptive statistics. Results: Children without parents scored poorly for OHQRoL items compared to those with parents (p<0.001). DMFT was not significantly related to OHRQoL; however, missing teeth were correlated with the CPQ11-14 overall. Also, the TDI index had a significant relationship with CPQ mean score (p=0.02). Moreover, the difference in the mean CPQ11-14 score in children with TDI in the two groups was significant regarding the quality of life (0.031). Conclusion: OHRQoL differed significantly between children in the two groups, which can be influenced by gender and habits. Due to the vulnerability of welfare-supported children without parental care, these findings emphasize the value of preventive and health-promoting measures for this group of children

Multi-frequency piezomagnetoelastic energy harvesting in the monostable mode

The present article investigates effects of the multi-frequency excitation on the output power of a piezomagnetoelastic energy harvester. The piezomagnetoelastic power generator is assumed to operate in the mono-stable mode. A perturbation technique based on the method of multiple scales is employed to develop an analytical solution to nonlinear differential equations governing the system dynamics. In addition, a Runge-Kutta numerical scheme is used to solve the differential equations. It is shown that the perturbation solution is in a close agreement with the numerical solution. The system response is determined for several cases including super-harmonic, combination and simultaneous resonances. The steady-state output voltage is then obtained for each case and compared with that of a single-frequency excitation. Due to nonlinearities present in the system, a multi-frequency excitation gives rise to complicated phenomena such ascombination and simultaneous resonances. It is found out that exploiting these resonances can significantly increase the amount of energy harvested

Inteligencia emocional y su papel en la flexibilidad cognitiva de niños con y sin trastorno por déficit de atención con hiperactividad

The aim of this study was to compare role of emotional intelligence in cognitive flexibility of children with and without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Participants were 20 children (mean age = 10.25, SD = 2.12) with ADHD and 30 normal children (mean age = 10.96, SD = 1.32) that all of they were boy. All participants completed the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (Schutte et al., 1998) and the classic Stroop test, as a measure of cognitive flexibility.  ADHD children performed poorer on both measures than non-ADHD children.  And emotional intelligence predictors of cognitive flexibility in two groups. Overall, in children with attention deficit – hyperactivity disorder there are low performance of emotional intelligence and cognitive flexibility.El objetivo de este estudio fue comparar el papel de la inteligencia emocional en la flexibilidad cognitiva de niños con y sin trastorno por déficit de atención e hiperactividad (TDAH). Los participantes fueron 20 niños (edad promedio = 10.25, DT = 2.12) con TDAH y 30 niños normales (edad promedio = 10.96, DT = 1.32) que todos eran niños. Todos los participantes completaron el Cuestionario de inteligencia emocional (Schutte et al., 1998) y la prueba clásica de Stroop, como una medida de la flexibilidad cognitiva. Los niños con TDAH se desempeñaron peor en ambas medidas que los niños sin TDAH. Y predictores de inteligencia emocional de la flexibilidad cognitiva en dos grupos. En general, en niños con déficit de atención - trastorno de hiperactividad hay bajo rendimiento de inteligencia emocional y flexibilidad cognitiva

The Role of Religious Attitude in Coping with Psychological Distress and Emotion Regulation Difficulties of UT Students

For downloading the full-text of this article please click here.Background and Objective: There is strong evidence to suggest that psychological distress and emotion regulation problems have adverse effects on life. Given that, finding the underlying processes seems important. Besides, since religion is a determining factor in emotion regulation and mental health, this study aimed to investigate the role of religious attitude in emotion regulation difficulties and distress. (Depression, Anxiety, stress).Method: This descriptive-correlational study used multistage cluster sampling from all students at University of Tehran in academic year of 94-95. 211 students (120 female and 91 male) were selected. They were asked to complete Religious Attitude Scale-Short Form (RAS-R), difficulties in emotion regulation questionnaire (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale or DERS-16) and Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21). Then, the data were analyzed with using Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. In this study, the ethical issues were all considered and the authors declared no conflict of interest.Results: The results show that religious attitudes negatively affect depression, anxiety and stress. Also, anxiety has negative relationships with inner spirituality, worship and religious morality. Besides, morality had predictive power for anxiety. Moreover, among the four dimensions of distress, only anxiety negatively correlated with religious attitude (morality, inner spirituality and worship) and morality had predictive power for anxiety. Furthermore, the results indicated that morality had predictive power for difficulties in emotion regulation (limited access in emotion regulation, impulse control) and the inner spirituality had predictive power for non-acceptance of emotion.Conclusion: It can be concluded that different aspects of religious attitude can both directly and indirectly play important roles in anxiety and difficulties in emotion regulation. Therefore, paying attention to religious attitude in pathology and treatment protocols of anxiety disorders is necessary.For downloading the full-text of this article please click here