A branch and bound algorithm for hybrid flow shop scheduling problem with setup time and assembly operations

A hybrid flow shop scheduling problem (HFSP) with assembly operations is studied in this paper. In the considered problem, a number of products of the same kind are produced. Each product is assembled using a set of several parts. At first, the parts are produced in a hybrid flow shop and then they are assembled in an assembly stage to produce products. The considered objective is to minimize the completion time of all products (makespan). This problem has been proved strongly NP-hard, so in order to solve it, a hierarchical branch and bound algorithm is presented. Also, some lower and upper bounds are developed to increase the efficiency of the proposed algorithm. The numerical experiments are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm.     

Broad sub-continuum resonances and the case for finite-energy sum-rules

There is a need to go beyond the narrow resonance approximation for QCD sum-rule channels which are likely to exhibit sensitivity to broad resonance structures. We discuss how the first two Laplace sum rules are altered when one goes beyond the narrow resonance approximation to include possible subcontinuum resonances with nonzero widths. We show that the corresponding first two finite energy sum rules are insensitive to the widths of such resonances, provided their peaks are symmetric and entirely below the continuum threshold. We also discuss the reduced sensitivity of the first two finite energy sum rules to higher dimensional condensates, and show these sum rules to be insensitive to dimension condensates containing at least one pair. We extract the direct single-instanton contribution to the sum rule for the longitudinal component of the axial-vector correlation function from the known single-instanton contribution to the lowest Laplace sum rule for the pseudoscalar channel. Finally, we demonstrate how inclusion of this instanton contribution to the finite-energy sum rule leads to both a lighter quark mass and to more phenomenologically reasonable higher-mass-resonance contributions within the pseudoscalar channel. Received: 15 September 1997 / Revised version: 15 November 1997 / Published online: 26 February 1998     

Stress analysis of orthotropic planes weakened by cracks

The stress fields in an orthotropic infinite plane containing Volterra type climb and glide edge dislocations are derived. The dislocation solutions are utilized to formulate integral equations for dislocation density functions on the surfaces of smooth cracks. The integral equations are of Cauchy singular type and are solved for several different cases of crack configurations and arrangements. The results are used to evaluate modes I and II stress intensity factors for multiple smooth cracks.     

Dry Reforming of Methane by DC Spark Discharge with a Rotating Electrode

A novel type of plasma reactor having a rotating electrode is proposed for CO₂ reforming of methane without catalyst at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Results indicated that employing rotating ground electrode leads to a stable discharge for any period of time. Effects of feed composition, feed flow rate, applied power and electrodes separation on the carbon dioxide and methane conversions as well as the products selectivity were investigated. Increasing CO₂/CH₄ molar ratio in the feed favors the reagents conversion and consequently promotes the formation of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. If the target product is hydrogen, it is proposed to operate the reactor at CO₂/CH₄ = 1 molar ratio and if the target product is carbon monoxide then CO₂/CH₄ = 3 molar ratio is the preferred option for feed composition. This reactor system has advantages of stable operation and high conversion ability. Also, the obtained syngas with flexible molar ratio of H₂ to CO is suitable for vast industrial applications.     

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

In this paper, we consider the problem of minimizing the total weighted completion time on a single machine. Jobs processing times are increasing linear function of start times. First, we present some new dominance properties for this NP-hard problem. And next, using these properties, we develop a memetic algorithm for the problem. The results of computational experiments show the good performance of the proposed algorithm.     

Sensitive determination of carbohydrates labelled with p-nitroaniline by capillary electrophoresis with photometric detection using a 406 nm light-emitting diode

p-Nitroaniline was explored as a derivatising reagent for UV absorbance detection of carbohydrates after separation by CE. This derivatising agent has three advantages: first, it has excellent water solubility; second, it has high molar absorptivity; and third, it is possible to obtain sensitive detection using a UV or blue light-emitting diode (LED) as the light source. The labelling reaction took less than 30 min to complete with high reaction yield. The separation process was modelled and optimised using an artificial neural network. Nine carbohydrates were separated by a CE system within 16 min using a 0.17 M boric acid buffer at pH 9.7. On-column LED detection at 406 nm allowed the detection of carbohydrates with good detection limits (<1.1 microM or 8.8 fmol) and reproducible quantification in the concentration range of 2.6-200 microM. This method was applied successfully to the determination of component carbohydrates in some food samples.     

Characterizing glottal jet turbulence

Air pressure associated with airflow from the lungs drives the vocal folds into oscillation and allows the air to exit the glottis as a turbulent jet, even though laminar flow may enter the glottis from the trachea. The separation of the turbulence from the deterministic portion of the glottal jet was investigated in the excised canine larynx model. The present study is methodological in that the main goal was to examine three methods of obtaining reasonable representations of both the deterministic signal and the residual turbulence portion: (a) smoothing, (b) wavelet denoising, and (c) ensemble averaging. Ensemble averaging resulted in a deterministic signal that disregarded gross cyclic alterations while exaggerating the turbulence intensity. Wavelet denoising can perform an excellent analysis and synthesis of the glottal velocity, but was problematic in determining which levels of analysis to choose to represent both the deterministic and turbulence appropriately. Smoothing appeared to be the most appropriate for phonation velocities because it preserved gross cyclic variations important to perturbations and modulations, while extracting turbulence at what appears to be reasonable levels.     

Flow separation in a computational oscillating vocal fold model

A finite-volume computational model that solves the time-dependent glottal airflow within a forced-oscillation model of the glottis was employed to study glottal flow separation. Tracheal input velocity was independently controlled with a sinusoidally varying parabolic velocity profile. Control parameters included flow rate (Reynolds number), oscillation frequency and amplitude of the vocal folds, and the phase difference between the superior and inferior glottal margins. Results for static divergent glottal shapes suggest that velocity increase caused glottal separation to move downstream, but reduction in velocity increase and velocity decrease moved the separation upstream. At the fixed frequency, an increase of amplitude of the glottal walls moved the separation further downstream during glottal closing. Increase of Reynolds number caused the flow separation to move upstream in the glottis. The flow separation cross-sectional ratio ranged from approximately 1.1 to 1.9 (average of 1.47) for the divergent shapes. Results suggest that there may be a strong interaction of rate of change of airflow, inertia, and wall movement. Flow separation appeared to be "delayed" during the vibratory cycle, leading to movement of the separation point upstream of the glottal end only after a significant divergent angle was reached, and to persist upstream into the convergent phase of the cycle.     

Sensitivity of Elastic Properties to Measurement Uncertainties in Laryngeal Muscles With Implications for Voice Fundamental Frequency Prediction

This paper discusses the effects of measurement uncertainties when calculating elastic moduli of laryngeal tissue. Small dimensions coupled with highly nonlinear elastic properties exacerbate the uncertainties. The sensitivity of both tangent and secant Young's Modulus was quantified in terms of the coefficient of variation, which depended on measurement of reference length and cross-sectional area. Uncertainties in the measurement of mass, used to calculate cross-sectional area of a small tissue sample, affected Young's Modulus calculations when tissue absorption of the hydrating solution was not accounted for. Uncertainty in reference length had twice the effect on elasticity than other measures. The implication of these measurement errors on predicted fundamental frequency of vocalization is discussed. Refinements on isolated muscle experimental protocols are proposed that pay greatest attention to measures of highest sensitivity.     

Conversion of ketones to trisubstituted olefins under neutral conditions

Phenylaziridine hydrazones react at 140°–160°C to provide sterically congested trisubstituted olefins in good yield.