Approximating Pareto frontier using a hybrid line search approach

This is the post-print version of the final paper published in Information Sciences. The published article is available from the link below. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. Copyright @ 2010 Elsevier B.V.The aggregation of objectives in multiple criteria programming is one of the simplest and widely used approach. But it is well known that this technique sometimes fail in different aspects for determining the Pareto frontier. This paper proposes a new approach for multicriteria optimization, which aggregates the objective functions and uses a line search method in order to locate an approximate efficient point. Once the first Pareto solution is obtained, a simplified version of the former one is used in the context of Pareto dominance to obtain a set of efficient points, which will assure a thorough distribution of solutions on the Pareto frontier. In the current form, the proposed technique is well suitable for problems having multiple objectives (it is not limited to bi-objective problems) and require the functions to be continuous twice differentiable. In order to assess the effectiveness of this approach, some experiments were performed and compared with two recent well known population-based metaheuristics namely ParEGO and NSGA II. When compared to ParEGO and NSGA II, the proposed approach not only assures a better convergence to the Pareto frontier but also illustrates a good distribution of solutions. From a computational point of view, both stages of the line search converge within a short time (average about 150 ms for the first stage and about 20 ms for the second stage). Apart from this, the proposed technique is very simple, easy to implement and use to solve multiobjective problems.CNCSIS IDEI 2412, Romani

Dividends Of Disquiet: Popular Politics And Economic Thought In The History Of Government Medical Services In Nyasaland/malawi, 1914-1983

This dissertation is a history of medicine in development planning and popular politics in Malawi between the First World War and 1980. Using archival sources and oral histories, this dissertation seeks to explain when and why access to biomedical care became a central political concern and budgetary priority. During both the colonial and early post-colonial eras, Malawi\u27s governments increased spending on biomedical care to demonstrate beneficence, particularly when they faced popular reactions to widely hated policies. Government officials and international advisers persistently attributed Malawi\u27s inadequate medical provision to the nation\u27s poverty, but changes in health spending have�not�automatically followed shifts in GDP or government revenues. Instead, the construction of new hospitals and dispensaries, the purchase of new supplies and medicines, and the addition of medical staff have almost always come in the wake of social unrest (in particular, following world wars and internal protests). Only at these moments was the government compelled to devote more resources to health. Yet unrest did not automatically lead to increases in Medical Department spending. Increases in health expenditure often came only after influential officials argued that there was a link between medical spending and regime stability. The first attempts to bring “Western” medicine to Nyasaland’s African population came after the great disruptions caused by the First World War. The most rapid increase in public sector health spending came during the Federation era, when popular protests threatened the government. This rise in spending occurred even though influential modernization theorists counseled governments like Nyasaland’s to avoid spending on health care. In the months after independence in 1964, President HK Banda abandoned health fees during a moment of political crisis. In the years that followed, he turned his attention away from medicine as his hold on power solidified. Each of these episodes demonstrates that official claims that there was simply not enough money to improve health services have almost always been abandoned during periods of political crisis. Still, these moments have been infrequent; placidity, and not just poverty, helps account for Malawi\u27s dismal medical infrastructure

Dividends Of Disquiet: Popular Politics And Economic Thought In The History Of Government Medical Services In Nyasaland/malawi, 1914-1983

This dissertation is a history of medicine in development planning and popular politics in Malawi between the First World War and 1980. Using archival sources and oral histories, this dissertation seeks to explain when and why access to biomedical care became a central political concern and budgetary priority. During both the colonial and early post-colonial eras, Malawi\u27s governments increased spending on biomedical care to demonstrate beneficence, particularly when they faced popular reactions to widely hated policies. Government officials and international advisers persistently attributed Malawi\u27s inadequate medical provision to the nation\u27s poverty, but changes in health spending have�not�automatically followed shifts in GDP or government revenues. Instead, the construction of new hospitals and dispensaries, the purchase of new supplies and medicines, and the addition of medical staff have almost always come in the wake of social unrest (in particular, following world wars and internal protests). Only at these moments was the government compelled to devote more resources to health. Yet unrest did not automatically lead to increases in Medical Department spending. Increases in health expenditure often came only after influential officials argued that there was a link between medical spending and regime stability. The first attempts to bring “Western” medicine to Nyasaland’s African population came after the great disruptions caused by the First World War. The most rapid increase in public sector health spending came during the Federation era, when popular protests threatened the government. This rise in spending occurred even though influential modernization theorists counseled governments like Nyasaland’s to avoid spending on health care. In the months after independence in 1964, President HK Banda abandoned health fees during a moment of political crisis. In the years that followed, he turned his attention away from medicine as his hold on power solidified. Each of these episodes demonstrates that official claims that there was simply not enough money to improve health services have almost always been abandoned during periods of political crisis. Still, these moments have been infrequent; placidity, and not just poverty, helps account for Malawi\u27s dismal medical infrastructure

Selection of earthquake ground motions for multiple objectives using genetic algorithms

Existing earthquake ground motion (GM) selection methods for the seismic assessment of structural systems focus on spectral compatibility in terms of either only central values or both central values and variability. In this way, important selection criteria related to the seismology of the region, local soil conditions, strong GM intensity and duration as well as the magnitude of scale factors are considered only indirectly by setting them as constraints in the pre-processing phase in the form of permissible ranges. In this study, a novel framework for the optimum selection of earthquake GMs is presented, where the aforementioned criteria are treated explicitly as selection objectives. The framework is based on the principles of multi-objective optimization that is addressed with the aid of the Weighted Sum Method, which supports decision making both in the pre-processing and post-processing phase of the GM selection procedure. The solution of the derived equivalent single-objective optimization problem is performed by the application of a mixed-integer Genetic Algorithm and the effects of its parameters on the efficiency of the selection procedure are investigated. Application of the proposed framework shows that it is able to track GM sets that not only provide excellent spectral matching but they are also able to simultaneously consider more explicitly a set of additional criteria

Multiobjective evolutionary algorithms for multivariable PI controller design

A multiobjective optimisation engineering design (MOED) methodology for PI controller tuning in multivariable processes is presented. The MOED procedure is a natural approach for facing multiobjective problems where several requirements and specifications need to be fulfilled. An algorithm based on the differential evolution technique and spherical pruning is used for this purpose. To evaluate the methodology, a multivariable control benchmark is used. The obtained results validate the MOED procedure as a practical and useful technique for parametric controller tuning in multivariable processes.This work was partially supported by the FPI-2010/19 grant and the project PAID-06-11 from the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia and the projects DPI2008-02133, TIN2011-28082 and ENE2011-25900 from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.Reynoso Meza, G.; Sanchís Saez, J.; Blasco Ferragud, FX.; Herrero Durá, JM. (2012). Multiobjective evolutionary algorithms for multivariable PI controller design. Expert Systems with Applications. 39(9):7895-7907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2012.01.111S7895790739

Physical programming for preference driven evolutionary multi-objective optimization

Preference articulation in multi-objective optimization could be used to improve the pertinency of solutions in an approximated Pareto front. That is, computing the most interesting solutions from the designer's point of view in order to facilitate the Pareto front analysis and the selection of a design alternative. This articulation can be achieved in an a priori, progressive, or a posteriori manner. If it is used within an a priori frame, it could focus the optimization process toward the most promising areas of the Pareto front, saving computational resources and assuring a useful Pareto front approximation for the designer. In this work, a physical programming approach embedded in an evolutionary multi-objective optimization is presented as a tool for preference inclusion. The results presented and the algorithm developed validate the proposal as a potential tool for engineering design by means of evolutionary multi-objective optimization.This work was partially supported by the FPI-2010/19 grant and the PAID-2011/2732 project from the Universitat Polittccnica de Valencia and the projects TIN2011-28082 and ENE2011-25900 from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.Reynoso Meza, G.; Sanchís Saez, J.; Blasco Ferragud, FX.; Garcia Nieto, S. (2014). Physical programming for preference driven evolutionary multi-objective optimization. Applied Soft Computing. 24:341-362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asoc.2014.07.009S3413622

Comparison of design concepts in multi-criteria decision-making using level diagrams

[EN] In this work, we address the evaluation of design concepts and the analysis of multiple Pareto fronts in multi-criteria decision-making using level diagrams. Such analysis is relevant when two (or more) design concepts with different design alternatives lie in the same objective space, but describe different Pareto fronts. Therefore, the problem can be stated as a Pareto front comparison between two (or more) design concepts that only differ in their relative complexity, implementation issues, or the theory applied to solve the problem at hand. Such analysis will help the decision maker obtain a better insight of a conceptual solution and be able to decide if the use of a complex concept is justified instead of a simple concept. The approach is validated in a set of multi-criteria decision making benchmark problems. © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.This work was partially supported by the FPI-2010/19 Grant and Project PAID-06-11 from the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia and by Projects ENE2011-25900, TIN2011-28082 (Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation) and GV/2012/073, PROMETEO/2012/028 (Generalitat Valenciana).Reynoso Meza, G.; Blasco Ferragud, FX.; Sanchís Saez, J.; Herrero Durá, JM. (2013). Comparison of design concepts in multi-criteria decision-making using level diagrams. INFORMATION SCIENCES. 221(1):124-141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ins.2012.09.049S124141221

Drying kinetic analysis of municipal solid waste using modified page model and pattern search method

This work studied the drying kinetics of the organic fractions of municipal solid waste (MSW) samples with different initial moisture contents and presented a new method for determination of drying kinetic parameters. A series of drying experiments at different temperatures were performed by using a thermogravimetric technique. Based on the modified Page drying model and the general pattern search method, a new drying kinetic method was developed using multiple isothermal drying curves simultaneously. The new method fitted the experimental data more accurately than the traditional method. Drying kinetic behaviors under extrapolated conditions were also predicted and validated. The new method indicated that the drying activation energies for the samples with initial moisture contents of 31.1 and 17.2 % on wet basis were 25.97 and 24.73 kJ mol−1. These results are useful for drying process simulation and industrial dryer design. This new method can be also applied to determine the drying parameters of other materials with high reliability

Percentual de casos confirmados de tuberculose associado ao tabagismo no estado de Goiás de 2016 a 2019

RESUMO: A partir de 1918 o tabagismo foi descrito como fator de risco para odesenvolvimento da tuberculose. Além disso, observou-se também que prejudica notratamento, e aumenta as chances de reincidências da doença. Nesse sentido, já foiobservado mais de 20% da incidência mundial da patologia pode ser atribuída aotabagismo, levando o como um fato de risco de contrair a tuberculose. Dessa forma,como o tabagismo é um fator de risco evitável para a tuberculose, é necessárioestudos sobre a epidemiologia dessa associação a fim de pensar em estratégias paramelhorar a saúde nesse aspecto. Correlacionar a taxa de incidência total detuberculose com o índice de tabagismo no estado de Goiás no período de 2016 a 2019.Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, transversal da taxa de incidência total detuberculose com o índice de tabagismo no estado de Goiás no período de 2016 a 2019.Para a coleta de dados foi utilizado às bases de dados do DATASUS. Para taxa deincidência foi calculado através da fórmula: número de casos novos dividido pelapopulação estimada multiplicado por 100.000. Para verificação dos percentuais foirealizado cálculo do percentual do total no de casos associado ao tabagismo. Entre osanos de 2016 a 2019 no estado de Goiás foram registrados 4772 casos novos detuberculose, tendo uma média de 1193 casos por ano. Com uma média anual de taxade incidência 17,45 casos por 100.00 habitantes. Já relacionado ao percentual decasos confirmados com tuberculose e tabagista no estado, durante esse período,apresentou uma média anual de 33% de casos por ano. Em 2016, a taxa de incidênciafoi de 16,2 casos por 100.000 habitantes e dentre os casos confirmados os que eramtabagistas a taxa percentual foi de 27%. Em 2017, a taxa de incidência foi de 17,8 casospor 100.000 habitantes e dentre os casos confirmados os que eram tabagistas a taxapercentual foi de 31%. Em 2018, a taxa de incidência foi de 18,2 casos por 100.000habitantes e dentre os casos confirmados os que eram tabagistas a taxa percentualfoi de 35%. Em 2019, a taxa de incidência foi de 17,6 casos por 100.000 habitantes edentre os casos confirmados os que eram tabagistas a taxa percentual foi de 37%.Durante esse período estudado, a taxa percentual de tuberculose associada aotabagismo aumentou em 10%. O estado de Goiás vem apresentando aumento nonúmero de casos de tuberculose associado ao tabagismo. Esse crescimento pode serexplicado pela falta de medidas regulatórias e educacionais. É de suma importância adivulgação dos dados sobre a situação da tuberculose relacionada com o tabagismo afim de definir medidas de prevenção já que a exposição ao tabaco é um fator de riscoidentificável, modificável e passível de prevenção para tuberculose. E, dessa forma, caminhar para a meta global de extinção dessa doença até 2030

Fentanyl self-testing outside supervised injection settings to prevent opioid overdose: Do we know enough to promote it?

Since 2013, North America has experienced a sharp increase in unintentional fatal overdoses: fentanyl, and its analogues, are believed to be primarily responsible. Currently, the most practical means for people who use drugs (PWUD) to avoid or mitigate risk of fentanyl-related overdose is to use drugs in the presence of someone who is in possession of, and experienced using, naloxone. Self-test strips which detect fentanyl, and some of its analogues, have been developed for off-label use allowing PWUD to test their drugs prior to consumption. We review the evidence on the off-label sensitivity and specificity of fentanyl test strips, and query whether the accuracy of fentanyl test strips might be mediated according to situated practices of use. We draw attention to the weak research evidence informing the use of fentanyl self-testing strips