A memetic algorithm for minimizing the total weighted completion time on a single machine under step-deterioration

In this paper, we consider minimizing total weighted completion time criteria on a single machine. Jobs processing times are step function of its starting time and all jobs have a common due date. First, we present some new lemmas and dominance properties for this NP-hard problem, and then a memetic algorithm using these properties is developed. We compare the solutions of the memetic algorithm with optimal solutions obtained from complete enumeration. The results show that the average percentage error of the proposed algorithm from optimal solutions is about 2% and as the variance of processing time increase, the percentage errors decrease.     

The impact of website content dimension and e-trust on e-marketing effectiveness: The case of Iranian commercial saffron corporations

By considering the problems that commercial saffron companies have faced in international markets, the aim of this study is to investigate the impact of website content, including informational and design dimensions, on the effectiveness of e-marketing and e-trust as mediator variables. These aspects are examined with reference to sales and marketing division managers in a sample of 100 commercial saffron corporations in the Khorasan province. The findings support the ideas that website content has an effect on e-marketing and e-trust and that e-trust plays a mediating role in the relationship between e-trust and e-marketing effectiveness.     

Solving a bi-objective cell formation problem with stochastic production quantities by a two-phase fuzzy linear programming approach

We propose a bi-objective cell formation problem with demand of products expressed in a number of probabilistic scenarios. To deal with the uncertain demand of products, a framework of two-stage stochastic programming model is presented. The proposed model considers minimizing the sum of the miscellaneous costs (machine constant cost, expected machine variable cost, cell fixed-charge cost, and expected intercell movement cost) and expected total cell loading variation. Because of conflicting objectives, we develop a two-phase fuzzy linear programming approach for solving bi-objective cell formation problem. To show the effectiveness of the proposed approach, numerical examples are solved and the results are compared with the two existing approaches in the literature. The computational results show that the proposed fuzzy method achieves lower objective functions as well as higher satisfaction degrees.     

A latency-aware task scheduling algorithm for allocating virtual machines in a cost-effective and time-sensitive fog-cloud architecture

The Journal of Supercomputing - Recently, with the expansion of communications and generated data, the need for processing this high volume of data in minimum time and maximum speed has increased....     

Cyclic scheduling of a robotic flexible cell with load lock and swap

In this paper, we study the problem of robotic cell scheduling with m machines with flexibility, load lock and swap assumptions. The robotic cell repetitively produces parts of identical types. We determine the cycle time of all 1-unit cycles in this type of robotic cell and present two new lower bounds for robot move cycles with load lock and swap, either there is flexibility or inflexibility. We also provide a new robot move cycle and prove that it dominates all classical robot move cycles considered in the existing literature of m-machine robotic cells.     

In situ solvent formation microextraction based on a new ionic liquid for green preconcentration of trace amount of Cu (II) ions in water samples

A simple, fast, and effective analytical technique known as in situ solvent formation microextraction was used to preconcentrate/separate trace amounts of Cu(II) ions in water samples prior to determination by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. In the present method, 6,6′-(1Z,1′Z)(butane-1,4-diylbis(azan-1-yl-1-ylidene)bis(methan-1-yl-1-ylidene)bis-3-bromophenol (Schiff base ligand) as the complexing agent and 1-methyl-3-pentylimidazolium bromide (ionic liquid) as an extracting agent were successfully synthesized and characterized by FTIR, C-NMR, and H-NMR spectroscopies. The effects of several analytical parameters on the method were studied and optimized, and the merits of the method, such as LDR (0.2–1000 µg L^?1), LOD (0.12 µg L^?1), RSD (4.1%), and preconcentration factor (70) were evaluated.     

Effect of mixer geometry and operating conditions on flow mixing of shear thinning fluids with yield stress

Flow mixing of a non‐Newtonian fluid in a stirred tank equipped with a side‐entry impeller was observed using particle image velocimetry (PIV). The effects of some geometrical parameters including the mixer shape and impeller type and position on the flow pattern were studied on velocity fields obtained at different locations inside the mixing domain. The different flow structures revealed that the ratio of inertial and viscous forces largely defines the flow pattern. Dead zones were observed inside the tank due to the rheological properties of the fluid. The size of the dynamic regions and the average velocity near the impeller were enhanced by increasing the suction area. Likewise, large pitch ratios were found to improve the active mixing zone and the axial discharge. Curves for the power and pumping numbers are reported for different axial flow impellers. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 1156–1167, 2014     

Investigation of well test behavior in gas condensate reservoir using single-phase pseudo-pressure function

Gas condensate reservoirs present complicated thermodynamic behavior when pressure falls below the dew point pressure, due to fluid dropout and change in the fluid composition. Condensate blockage in the near wellbore region reduces the well deliverability. Mixture composition change in the reservoir makes the interpretation of well tests in gas condensate reservoirs a serious challenge. In this study, at first the capillary number effect and Non-Darcy Flow on compositional simulation of gas condensate reservoirs were investigated and then well test analysis was carried out. The main objective of this work was to examine gas condensate well test analysis using single-phase gas pseudo-pressure and radial composite model assuming capillary number effect and Non-Darcy Flow. For this purpose some fluid samples were selected and results compared. Results indicate that estimation of reservoir properties below the dew point is in good agreement with actual input, particularly for lean fluid samples.     

Maximum likelihood estimation from interval censored recurrent event data

In this paper, we consider the recurrent failures of several repairable units, which can only be observed at periodic inspection times. A unit is not aging over the period between a failure and its detection. The failure times are interval censored by the periodic assessment times. The observed data consists of censoring intervals of failure times and the unobserved data are the actual ages of the units at the failure times. We formulate the likelihood function and use several iterative algorithms to find the maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) of the parameters. The complete Expectation–Maximization (EM) algorithm, the EM gradient, full Newton–Raphson (NR), and the Simplex method are used. We derive recursive equations to calculate the expected values required in the algorithms. We estimate the parameters for four failure datasets, assuming that the failures follow a non-homogeneous Poisson process (NHPP). Three datasets are obtained from a hospital for the components of general infusion pump, and the fourth dataset is simulated. Since the estimation could take a long time, we compare the performance of the algorithms in terms of the required number of iterations to converge, the total execution time, and the precision of the estimated parameters. We also use Monte Carlo and Quasi-Monte Carlo simulation as the substitutes for the recursive procedures in the Expectation step of the EM gradient and compare the results.