Incorporating Ancestors' Influence in Genetic Algorithms

A new criterion of fitness evaluation for Genetic Algorithms is introduced where the fitness value of an individual is determined by considering its own fitness as well as those of its ancestors. Some guidelines for selecting the weighting coefficients for quantifying the importance to be given to the fitness of the individual and its ancestors are provided. This is done both heuristically and automatically under fixed and adaptive frameworks. The Schema Theorem corresponding to the proposed concept is derived. The effectiveness of this new methodology is demonstrated extensively on the problems of optimizing complex functions including a noisy one and selecting optimal neural network parameters.     

Yield and Functional Properties of Taro Starch as Affected by Ultrasound

Effect of ultrasound pretreatment on yield and functional properties of taro starch was investigated. A three-factor two-level factorial design was employed with treatment time (5 and 10 min), treatment cycle (0.5 and 1), and amplitude of ultrasound (50 and 100 %). Starch yield from ultrasonic treatment varied from 17.45 to 18.97 % compared to 15.29 % in conventional method. The highest yield of 18.97 % was obtained with treatment time 10 min, treatment cycle 0.5, and amplitude 50 %. A significant increase in swelling, solubility, pasting, and texture properties of the ultrasonically extracted starch was observed. A slight decrease in clarity of the starch pastes was also observed after ultrasonic pretreatment, but the differences were not much significant. Freeze-thaw stability of the ultrasonically extracted starches was found to be better compared to starch extracted using conventional method, making them suitable for foods subjected to refrigeration. The whiteness of the ultrasonically extracted starch powders was lower compared to conventionally extracted starch, but the differences were not statistically significant.     

Synthesis,structural and optical properties of Er doped,Li doped and Er + Li co-doped ZnO nanocrystallites by solution-combustion method

Pure zinc oxide (ZnO) and 2 mol% of Er, 1 mol% of Li individually doped and Er + Li co-doped ZnO nanopowders were synthesized by auto-combustion method. Crystal structure and grain size were characterized by X-ray diffractometer and found that all synthesized samples have hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Transmission electron microscope (TEM) studies were used to determine the morphology and size of the nanocrystallites. A UV–VIS measurement shows four absorbance peaks in the visible regions and the band gap is slowly blue shifted after annealing at 800 °C. The presence of Er, Li and the hexagonal wurtzite structure was confirmed by FT-IR studies. FT-Raman spectroscopy has been employed to study the crystalline quality and structural disorders.     

Performance analysis of tool electrode prepared through laser sintering process during electrical discharge machining of titanium

The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology - It is of great significance for intelligent manufacturing to study condition monitoring and diagnosis methods to realize early...     

Compaction and Sintering Behavior of Niobium Powder for Making Consumable Electrodes

Niobium consumable electrodes of 10?mm dia?×?50?mm length were prepared by cold isostaic pressing with compaction pressure of 125?C250?MPa. The compacts were sintered under vacuum at different temperatures in the range of 1000?C1800?oC. The CIPed and sintered electrodes were characterized with respect to chemical analysis, density, microstructure and bend strength. The results showed that there is a marginal improvement in density at a sintering temperature in the range of 1000?C1400?oC, while a significant improvement in density was observed at sintering temperature in the range of 1600?C1800?oC. The bend strength of sintered electrode was found to increase with increasing sintering temperature and that attains a highest value at a sintering temperature in the range of 1600?C1800?oC. Sintering at a temperature higher than 1400?oC leads to decrease in oxygen content of the electrodes. The oxygen content was decreased from 2000 to 500?ppm when electrode was sintered at 1800?oC.     

Ipomea carnea-based silver nanoparticle synthesis for antibacterial activity against selected human pathogens

The biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNps) has a wide range of applications, and here we develop a rapid synthesis using the leaf extract of Ipomea carnea. We demonstrated that 100?mL of a 1?mM silver nitrate solution was reduced to AgNps by 500?µL of I. carnea extract in 5?min and that one or more of the chemical constituents present in the extract acted as the reducing agent. Surface plasmon resonance peaks were observed from 410 to 440?nm for AgNps synthesised using the plant extract, and the peaks showed a characteristic blue shift with variation of pH from 2 to 8. Particle size analysis revealed the size of the AgNps to be from 30 to 130?nm, which was also confirmed by dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Additionally, the antibacterial effects of the AgNps were evaluated against selected human pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Aeromonas hydrophila, Salmonella typhi, Proteus vulgaris and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Finally, the AgNps were impregnated with a cellulose acetate membrane to form an antimycobacterial membrane. Antimycobacterial activity against a non-pathogenic Mycobacterium smegmatis showed that the AgNp-embedded membrane system has a zone of inhibition of 14?mm.     

Efficient Host-Guest Complexation of a Bisporphyrin Host with Electron Deficient Guests: Synthesis,Structure, and Photoinduced Electron Transfer

The encapsulation of 1,8-naphthalic anhydride (NAN), 9-dicyanomethylenefluorene (9-DCF), acenaphthenequinone (ANQ), and 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan (NBD-Cl) by diethylpyrrole-bridged bisporphyrin (H₄DEP) and its dizinc(II) analogue (Zn₂DEP) are employed to investigate the structural and spectroscopic changes within the bisporphyrin cavity upon substrate binding. Synthesis and X-ray structures of all four encapsulated host-guest complexes (H₄DEP⋅NAN, H₄DEP⋅9-DCF, Zn₂DEP⋅ANQ, and Zn₂DEP⋅NBD-Cl) are reported here. The binding constant calculations show strong 1 : 1 binding between the hosts (H₄DEP and Zn₂DEP) and the guests (NAN/9-DCF/ANQ/NBD-Cl). ¹H-NMR spectra also support the retention of the host-guest assemblies in solution. Negative and positive shifts of the reduction and oxidation potentials, respectively, indicate that it is difficult to reduce/oxidize the encapsulated complexes. The emission intensities of the bisporphyrins (H₄DEP and Zn₂DEP) are substantially quenched in all the complexes, owing to photoinduced electron transfer from the excited state of the bisporphyrins to guest molecules. All the experimental evidence is further substantiated by DFT calculations. Such an efficient electron transfer is only possible when the donor and the acceptor moieties are in close propinquity to each other, which eventually lowers the reorganization energy.     

Friction Buttering: A New Technique for Dissimilar Welding

This work offers a fresh perspective on buttering, a technique often considered for fusion welding of dissimilar metals. For the first time, buttering was attempted in solid state using friction deposition. Using this new “friction buttering” technique, fusion welding of two different dissimilar metal pairs (austenitic stainless steel/borated stainless steel and Al-Cu-Mg/Al-Zn-Mg-Cu) was successfully demonstrated. The results show that friction buttering can simplify a tough dissimilar welding problem into a routine fusion welding task.     

Phytochemical Constituents,Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Analysis and Antimicrobial Activity of Four Plant Leaves Used for Preparing Rice Beer in Assam,India

Phytochemicals content and antimicrobial activity of Artocarpus heterophyllus, Cyclosorus extensa, Oldendia corymbosa, and Alpinia malaccensis were investigated. Maximum alkaloids and terpenoids were found in A. heterophyllus; tannins and saponins in C. extensa; flavonoids, polyphenols, and phytosterols in O. corymbosa and anthraquinone, glycosides, and anthocyaninin A. malaccensis. Aqueous, methanolic, ethyl acetate, and hexane extracts were prepared from all the leaves. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometric (ATR-FTIR) analysis revealed that alkanes and alkyl halides were prevalent in all the extracts and the ethyl acetate extracts contained comparatively higher number of functional groups, which were also more effective against Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. The minimum inhibitory concentration values of A. malaccensis against the tested pathogens were found to be lesser than the other species.