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Abstract.--Microalgae photobioreactors are among the most effective systems for capturing gaseous C[O.sub.2], the main contributor to global warming. Their capacity to generate massive amounts of biomass has been exploited serendipitously [...]

We report an exploratory forced-choice precognition study based on a protocol that utilized an immersive audiovisual environment to induce a psi-conducive state in participants. Our objective was to assess whether this optimization setup would help produce significant psi results with an unselected population. We also sought to assess whether trial-by-trial feedback would produce superior scoring to no-feedback trials. For each trial, participants selected an opaque graphical sphere that they felt contained a facial image, as opposed to being empty. After selection, the program randomly determined whether the sphere would be empty or not, and whether feedback would be shown. A preset total of 3000 binary choice trials were collected from 82 participants. Each participant contributed either 1 or 2 20-trial series, based on preset scoring criteria. The total hit rate of successful trials was 50.1%, close to expectation under the null hypothesis of no psi effect. Hit rates for feedback and no-feedback trials were in the predicted direction (51.0% vs. 48.6%). A post-hoc analysis showed that hit rates for feedback trials increased over the 20-trial series, suggesting that participants may have progressively found a mental strategy for improved scoring. Additionally, a subgroup of 26 experienced meditators had a hit rate of 52.1%, a result consistent with previous literature that suggests that meditators are particularly good participants for psi research. Keywords: precognition, optimization, forced-choice, feedback, meditators Nous decrivons une etude exploratoire de precognition a choix force basee sur un protocole qui utilise un environnement audio-visuel immersif pour induire un etat facilitant le psi chez des participants. Notre objectif est d'evaluer si ce dispositif d'optimisation va aider a produire des resultats psi significatifs avec une population non-selectionnee. Nous avons egalement chercher a verifier si le feedback essai par essai allait produire des scores superieurs aux essais sans feedback. Pour chaque essai, les participants selectionnaient une sphere graphique opaque dont ils ressentaient qu'elle contenait une image de visage, par opposition a une sphere vide. Apres leur selection, le programme determinait aleatoirement si la sphere etait vide ou non, et si le feedback etait montre ou non. Un total de 3000 choix binaires furent collectes aupres de 82 participants. Chaque participant a contribue a une ou deux series de vingt essais, en se basant sur des criteres de score predefinis. Le taux de succes total des essais reussis etait de 50,1%, proche de ce qui serait attendu selon I'hypothese nulle d'aucun efFet psi. Les taux de succes dans les conditions de feedback vs sans feedback allaient dans les directions predites (51,0% vs 48,6%). Une analyse post-hoc a montre que les taux de succes pour les essais avec feedback s'amelioraient progressivement au cours d'une serie de vingt essais, suggerant que les participants pouvaient avoir trouve une strategie mentale pour ameliorer leur score. De plus, un sous-groupe de 26 meditants experiments avait un taux de succes de 52,1 %, un resultat conforme a la litterature anterieure qui suggere que les meditants etaient des participants particulierement adaptes pour la recherche psi. Wir berichten uber eine explorative Forced-Choice-Studie, basierend auf einem Protokoll, das mittels einer immersiven audiovisuellen Umgebung bei den Teilnehmern einen psi-begunstigenden Zustand induziert. Unser Ziel war es, einzuschatzen, ob diese Optimierung dazu beitragen wurde, signifikante Psi-Ergebnisse bei einer unausgewahlten Population zu erzielen. Wir untersuchten auch, ob ein Feedback nach jedem Trial zu hoheren Treffern fuhrt als bei Durchfuhrung ohne Feedback. In jedem Durchgang wahlten die Teilnehmer eine opake grafische Kugel aus, die nach ihrer Meinung einen Gesichtsausdruck enthalten wurde, anstatt einfach nur leer zu sein. Nach der Auswahl des Probanden erfolgte jeweils zufallig die Auswahl der Kugel mit oder ohne Gesicht und ebenfalls zufallig, ob ein Feedback gegeben wurde. Eine vorher festgelegte Gesamtzahl von 3000 binaren Einzelversuchen kam mit 82 Teilnehmern zustande. Jeder Teilnehmer steuerte entweder 1 oder 2 Durchgange zu je 20 Einzelversuchen bei, die auf vorher festgelegten Bewertungskriterien beruhten. Die Gesamttrefferrate der erfolgreichen Einzelversuche betrug 50,1% und lag damit nahe der Erwartung unter Geltung der Nullhypothese, dass es keinen Psi-Effekt gebe. Die Trefferraten fur die Feedback- und Non-Feedback-Trials lagen in der erwarteten Richtung (51,0% vs. 48,6%). Eine Post-Hoc-Analyse zeigte, dass die Trefferraten fur Feedback-Trials im Laufe der Serie von 20 Einzelversuchen gestiegen sind, was darauf hindeutet, dass die Teilnehmer nach und nach eine mentale Strategie zur Verbesserung ihrer Trefferleistungen gefunden haben konnten. Eine Untergruppe von 26 erfahrenen Meditierenden erzielte eine Trefferquote von 52,1%, ein Ergebnis, das mit der bisherigen Literatur ubereinstimmt, die darauf hindeutet, dass Meditierende besonders geeignete Teilnehmer fur Psi-Experimente sind. Describimos un estudio exploratorio de precognicion de eleccion forzada basado en un protocolo que utiliza un entorno audiovisual inmersivo para inducir un estado facilitador de psi en los participantes. Nuestro objetivo fue evaluar si esta configuracion de optimizacion ayudaria a producir resultados significativos de psi en una poblacion no seleccionada. Tambien intentamos evaluar si la retroalimentacion prueba por prueba produciri'a una puntuacion superior a las pruebas sin retroalimentacion. Para cada prueba, los participantes seleccionaron una esfera grafica opaca que creian que contem'a una imagen facial en lugar de estar vaci'a. Despues de la seleccion, el programa determino aleatoriamente si la esfera estaria vaci'a o no, y si se daria retroalimentacion. Un total preestablecido de 3,000 ensayos de eleccion binaria se obtuvieron de 82 participantes. Cada participante contribuyo con 1 o 2 series de 20 pruebas, segun los criterios preestablecidos. La tasa de aciertos totales de las pruebas elegidas exitosamente fue del 50.1%, cercana a la expectativa segun la hipotesis nula de que no hay efecto psi. Las tasas de aciertos para la retroalimentacion y los ensayos sin retroalimentacion fueron en la direccion prevista (51.0% vs. 48.6%). Un analisis post-hoc mostro que las tasas de aciertos en los ensayos de retroalimentacion aumentaron durante la serie de 20 pruebas, lo que sugiere que los participantes pueden haber encontrado progresivamente una estrategia mental para mejorar la puntuacion. Ademas, un subgrupo de 26 meditadores con experiencia tuvo una tasa de aciertos del 52.1%, un resultado consistente con la literatura anterior que sugiere que los meditadores son participantes especialmente aptos para la investigacion de psi., A recent meta-analysis (Storm, Tressoldi, & Di Risio, 2010) provided evidence that experimental psi research has benefited from participant optimization or 'noise-reduction' procedures--hypnosis, relaxation, meditation, or the ganzfeld. In particular, [...]

Left turns may generate efficiency problems, which can be solved by appropriately prohibiting left turns. The goal of this paper is to propose a method for purpose of minimizing total travel times in urban road networks by prohibiting left turns. With left turn prohibition, the signal timing plan is optimized with the lane- based method because the method can adequately handle both signal timing optimization and lane assignment. The total travel time is calculated with link flows and link travel time being estimated with signal settings. As illustrated by numerical examples, prohibiting left turns reduces the total travel time of car traffic in road networks. As the left turn prohibition results can handle the randomness in the network, these results provide potential implications for congestion management.Key words: left turn prohibition, lane-based signal optimization, turning restriction, stochastic user equilibrium, left turn treatment.Les virages a gauche peuvent entrainer des problemes d'efficacite qui peuvent etre resolus en interdisant de maniere ciblee les virages a gauche. Le but de cette etude est de proposer une methode en vue de minimiser la duree totale du deplacement sur les reseaux routiers urbains en interdisant les virages a gauche. Au moyen de l'interdiction du virage a gauche, le plan de synchronisation de la signalisation est optimise a l'aide de la methode en fonction des voies, car celle-ci peut adequatement gerer l'optimisation de la synchronisation de signalisation et l'affectation des voies. La duree totale de deplacement est calculee en estimant les debits de liaisons et la duree de deplacement sur les liaisons, et ce, a l'aide de parametres de signalisation. D'apres les exemples numeriques, l'interdiction des virages a gauche permet de reduire la duree totale de deplacement pour la circulation automobile sur les reseaux routiers. Puisque les resultats d'interdiction de virage a gauche montrent la capacite de traiter le caractere stochastique du reseau, ces resultats fournissent des repercussions possibles au niveau de la gestion de la congestion. [Traduit par la Redaction]Mots-cles: interdiction de virage a gauche, optimisation de la signalisation en fonction des voies, interdiction de virage, equilibre d'utilisateur stochastique, traitement de virage a gauche., 1. IntroductionLeft turn movements may have negative impacts on the efficiency of signalized urban networks if they were not well accommodated. Permitted left turns are one of the most hazardous [...]

During planning of repetitive build-operate-transfer (BOT) construction projects, investors and (or) investor- representatives are always faced with a challenging task to identify an optimal project plan that maximizes the investor's profit within a specified concession period. Minimizing project duration in BOT projects often results in additional costs, however, it increases the project operation period and accordingly increases the investor's profit. Optimal plan of constructing repetitive BOT projects requires identifying construction methods and the associated start and finish time of each construction activity according to the availability of resources and contractors. Traditional scheduling methods such as critical path method (CPM) networks do not provide efficient planning of repetitive construction projects as they (1) do not maintain crew work continuity as well as resources availability, and (2) often result in large and repetitive number of activities to model repetitive construction projects. This paper presents the development of an optimization model using linear scheduling method that identifies the near-optimal plan for constructing repetitive BOT projects to maximize the investor's profit. The development of this optimization model includes three steps: formulation phase that formulates the model decision variables, objective function, and constraints; implementation phase that executes the model computations using genetic algorithms and identifies the model inputs and outputs; and evaluation phase that verifies the model performance and document its value. A case study of a construction project is presented to illustrate the new capabilities of the model. The results of the model showed 21% profit increase as compared to the existing schedule adopted by the investor.Key words: optimizing construction schedule, repetitive building operate transfer projects, maximizing investor's profit.Lors de la planification de projets de construction, d'exploitation et de transfert (CET) repetitifs, les investisseurs ou les representants-investisseurs font toujours face a un veritable defi a l'etape de determiner un plan optimal du projet qui puisse maximiser le benefice de l'investisseur en respectant la periode de concession indiquee. Le fait de minimiser la duree de construction d'un projet de CET entraine souvent des couts additionnels; cependant, cela augmente la periode d'exploitation du projet et augmente en consequence le benefice de l'investisseur. Le plan optimal de construire des projets de CET repetitifs requiert la determination des methodes de construction et du moment du debut et de la fin associe a chaque activite de construction selon la disponibilite des ressources et des entrepreneurs. Les methodes de planification traditionnelles comme les reseaux de la methode du chemin critique ne fournissent pas une planification efficace des projets de construction repetitifs puisqu'ils (1) ne maintiennent pas la continuite du travail des equipes ni la disponibilite des ressources et (2) entrainent souvent un grand nombre d'activites repetitives afin de modeler des projets de construction repetitifs. Dans le cadre de cet article, on presente le developpement d'un modele d'optimisation utilisant la methode de planification lineaire qui etablit le plan quasi optimal pour des projets de CET repetitifs afin de maximiser le benefice de l'investisseur. Le developpement de ce modele d'optimisation comprend trois etapes : la phase de l'elaboration qui implique la formulation des variables de decision, de la fonction objective et des contraintes du modele; la phase de mise en oeuvre comportant les calculs du modele au moyen d'algorithmes genetiques et l'etablissement des donnees d'entree et de sortie du modele; et la phase d'evaluation correspondant a la verification de la performance du modele et a la description de sa valeur. Une etude de cas d'un projet de construction est presentee pour illustrer les nouvelles capacites du modele. Les resultats du modele ont montre une augmentation du benefice de 21 % en comparaison a l'echeancier existant adopte par l'investisseur. [Traduit par la Redaction]Mots-cles : optimisation de l'echeancier de construction, projets repetitifs de construction, d'exploitation et de transfert, maximiser le benefice de l'investisseur., IntroductionRepetitive construction projects are characterized by a number of work packages that are repeated over the construction period (Yang and Ioannou 2001). These construction projects include: infrastructure systems such as [...]

There is limited information available about the effects of mental health interventions in athletes. Therefore, in this paper we (1) elucidate reasons athletes underutilize mental health interventions and highlight the need to develop and implement optimization-focused interventions that are capable of engaging athletes into mental health and sport performance intervention, (2) underscore mental and behavioral health targets for optimization planning in athletes, and (3) introduce a mental health and sport performance optimization model that incorporates evidence-supported protocols developed explicitly for athletes. The theoretical underpinnings of this approach are grounded in optimization science, utilizing skill development to advance mental health and sport performance along a continuum of optimization (non-optimal to optimal). Future directions, including the involvement of professional and amateur sport organizations, are presented to assist development of optimization programs within their unique cultures., Evidence-supported behavioral treatment programs have been developed to improve mental health in non-athlete clinical populations (Barlow, 2014). However, as indicated in other specialized populations, athletes appear to be underutilizing these [...]

The morphological control of proton conductive nanofibrous mat used in proton exchange membranes (PEMs) is a key issue to improve proton conductivity of PEMs. In this study, response surface methodology [...]

It has been commonly discovered that reducing particle size always accompanies with undesirable deterioration of drug encapsulation efficiency in double emulsion based techniques. However, a clear optimization strategy for process [...]

Single screw extrusion is a major polymer processing operation. Its optimization is crucial for producing good quality products at suitable costs. This study addresses extrusion as a multiobjective optimization problem that can be solved using evolutionary algorithms incorporating decision making and robustness strategies for selecting solutions. This approach enables focusing the search for solutions in favored regions where the preference was defined either by the relative importance of the objectives or determined considering the robustness of solutions against perturbations in the design variables. The outcome of this strategy provides not only a better insight into the problem at hand, but also facilitates the choice of a single solution for practical implementation. The usefulness of the approach is illustrated by several case studies involving the definition of the most adequate operating conditions, of the best screw geometry and the two together., INTRODUCTION Plasticating screw extrusion involves the conversion of the inlet material (usually in pellet or powder form) into a homogeneous melt that is continuously pushed through a shaping die, to [...]

Accurate prediction of Manning's roughness coefficient is essential for the computation of conveyance capacity in open channels. There are various factors affecting the roughness coefficient in a meandering compound channel and not just the bed material. The factors, geometric as well as hydraulic, are investigated and incorporated in the prediction of Manning's n. In this study, a new and accurate technique, gene expression programming (GEP) is used to estimate Manning's n. The estimated value of Manning's n is used in the evaluation of the conveyance capacity of meandering compound channels. Existing methods on conveyance estimation are assessed to carry out a comparison between them and the proposed GEP model. Results show that the discharge capacity computed by the new model provides far better results than the traditional models. The developed GEP model is validated with three individual sections of a natural river, signifying that the model can be applied to field study of rivers, within the stated range of parameters. Key words: Manning's roughness coefficient, meandering channel, conveyance estimation, gene expression programing. La prevision juste du coefficient de rugosite de Manning (n) est essentielle au niveau du calcul de capacite de transport dans les chenaux. Il y a divers facteurs qui influent sur le coefficient de rugosite dans un chenal compose a meandres, et non seulement les materiaux du lit. Les facteurs, geometriques aussi bien qu'hydrauliques, sont examines et integres dans la prevision du coefficient de rugosite n de Manning. Dans le cadre de cette etude, une nouvelle technique precise, soit la programmation d'expression genetique (PEG), est utilisee afin d'evaluer le n de Manning. On utilise la valeur estimee du n de Manning dans l'evaluation de la capacite de transport des chenaux composes a meandres. Des methodes existantes d'estimation du transport sont evaluees dans le but d'effectuer une comparaison entre ces methodes et le modele de PEG propose. Les resultants indiquent que la capacite de debit calculee par le nouveau modele fournit de bien meilleurs resultats que les modeles traditionnels. Le modele de PEG developpe est valide sur trois sections distinctes d'un fleuve naturel, indiquant que le modele peut etre applique dans le cadre d'etudes sur les lieux de fleuves, selon l'ensemble prescrit de parametres. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : coefficient de rugosite de Manning (n), chenal a meandres, evaluation de transport, programmation d'expression genetique., Introduction The stage or depth of water passing through a river is the simplest way to define its discharge. Prediction of discharge is one of the important works in river [...]

An electrospinning technique is used to obtain poly(ethylene-b-ethylene oxide) block copolymer (PE-b-PEO) fibers. Optimization of the electrospinning processing-window is carried out by varying the concentration of the block copolymer solution and playing with three different electro-spinning parameters, applied voltage, solvent and block copolymer solution flow rate. The influence of the concentration of the block copolymer solution over the length and diameter of the fibers is mainly studied and results indicate that the optimum conditions to fabricate PE-b-PEO block copolymer fibers are concentrations between 45 and 47 wt% of PE-b-PEO block copolymer and chloroform/DMF mixture ratio of 4:1 and 5:1. Moreover, low solvent and block copolymer solution flow rates led to the longest and widest fibers. Hybrid fibers are also fabricated modifying PE-b-PEO block copolymer fibers with low molecular weight N-(4-ethoxybenzylidene)-4butylaniline (EBBA) nematic liquid crystal using coaxial electrospinning technique. The morphology of the fabricated fibers is investigated from micro to nanoscale. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) results show self-organization of investigated PE-b-PEO and hybrid PE-b-PEO/EBBA fibers on the nanometric scale, which make them interesting from the point of view of novel applications as template materials., INTRODUCTION Nowadays, the need to produce novel materials, for example for packaging, tiny electronic devices and biomedical applications, has helped to develop innovative techniques and improve others for this purpose. [...]

Author(s): Alex Mott [1]; Joshua Job [2, 3]; Jean-Roch Vlimant [1]; Daniel Lidar [3, 4]; Maria Spiropulu (corresponding author) [1] The discovery of Higgs-boson decays in a background of standard-model [...]

Managing the rehabilitation of co-located infrastructure assets (pavements, pipelines, culverts, etc.) has become a major challenge for municipalities due to the varying rehabilitation requirements of these assets and the need for better coordination of rehabilitation works. Yet, most of the existing fund-allocation methods are not structured to address co-located infrastructure rehabilitation work in a systematic manner. This paper, therefore, extends the enhanced benefit-cost analysis (EBCA) optimization method that was developed earlier for a single asset type, to the case of co-located assets. The extended EBCA approach arrives at near-optimum funding decisions by achieving an equilibrium state at which fair and equitable allocations are made among all asset categories. Using a real case study consisting of bridges and culverts co-located in the right of way of a pavement network along with two different implementation strategies, EBCA proved to be able to arrive at near-optimum fund-allocations supported with a credible economic justification. Keywords: infrastructure, rehabilitation, corridor, co-located, benefit-cost, microeconomics, fund-allocation, optimization, equilibrium, marginal utility. Gerer la rehabilitation d'infrastructures installees au meme endroit (structures de chaussee, canalisations, ponceaux, etc.) est devenu un defi majeur pour les municipalites en raison des diverses exigences de rehabilitation de ces infrastructures et du besoin d'une meilleure coordination des travaux de rehabilitation. Pourtant, la plupart des methodes existantes d'attribution de fonds ne sont pas structurees de facon a aborder le travail de rehabilitation d'infrastructures installees au meme endroit de maniere systematique. Cet article, donc, etend l'analyse couts benefices amelioree (EBCA) a la methode d'optimisation qui a ete developpee plus tot pour un type d'infrastructure simple, et ce, au cas des infrastructures installees au meme endroit. L'approche de l'EBCA etendue arrive a des decisions pres du financement optimal en realisant un etat d'equilibre auquel des attributions justes et equitables sont faites parmi toutes les categories d'infrastructures. En utilisant une etude de cas reel de ponts et de ponceaux installes au meme endroit que l'emprise d'un reseau de chaussees, et ce, en employant deux strategies de mise en reuvre differentes, l'EBCA s'est averee en mesure d'arriver aux attributions de fonds presque optimums soutenues d'une justification economique credible. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: infrastructure, rehabilitation, corridor, installe au meme endroit, cout-benefice, microeconomie, attribution de fonds, optimisation, equilibre, utilite marginale., Introduction Roads and their above- and under-ground utilities represent co-located infrastructure assets that require different areas of expertise within diverse municipal departments (pavements, bridges, water and sewer, etc.). Most of [...]

This paper presents a method for improving injection molding processes having competing performance measures using multiobjective optimization. The procedure uses calibrated predictors that combine physical and simulated data to estimate the values of the performance measures. After the predictors are built, the values of the selected performance measures are estimated at a grid of process control variables, and a set of predicted Pareto solutions is identified using nondominance criteria. A refinement of the original Pareto solutions is obtained by predicting the performance measures at a finer grid of the process variables near the original Pareto set. Finally, as validation, a subset of these solutions is evaluated on the physical process. A case study with three performance measures is presented to show how the calibrated predictors allow the injection molding manufacturer to identify the processing conditions that optimize a process having competing objectives., INTRODUCTION Injection Molding Process Optimization and Flow Simulation Injection molding (IM) is one of the primary manufacturing processes for mass-producing plastic components. Today many consumer products such as automobile components [...]

Byline: Gunasekara Vidana. Fernando, Fiona. RawlinsonContext: One of the principle obstacles identified in suboptimal management of pain in worldwide cancer patients is inadequate assessment of pain which in turn leads [...]

In this paper, we consider the problem of optimal design of experiments. A two-step inference strategy is proposed. The first step consists in minimizing the condition number of the so-called [...]

Byline: Priyanka. Sabu, Divyaa. Elangovan, Agila. Pragasam, Yamuna. Bakthavatchalam, Camilla. Rodrigues, D. Chitnis, Bhaskar. Chaudhuri, Balaji. VeeraraghavanBACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance and inappropriate antibiotic regimen hamper a favorable outcome in intra-abdominal infections. [...]

Author(s): Matthijs Langelaar (corresponding author) [1] As robots gradually replace human labour in manufacturing tasks, a similar trend is emerging in product design. Computational design techniques developed over the past [...]