A hybrid single and dual population search procedure for the job shop scheduling problem

This paper presents a genetic algorithm and a scatter search procedure to solve the well-known job shop scheduling problem. In contrast to the single population search performed by the genetic algorithm, the scatter search algorithm splits the population of solutions in a diverse and high-quality set to exchange information between individuals in a controlled way. The extension from a single to a dual population, by taking problem specific characteristics into account, can be seen as a stimulator to add diversity in the search process. This has a positive influence on the important balance between intensification and diversification. Computational experiments verify the benefit of this diversity on the effectiveness of the meta-heuristic search process. Various algorithmic parameters from literature are embedded in both procedures and a detailed comparison is made. A set of standard instances is used to compare the different approaches and the best obtained results are benchmarked against heuristic solutions found in literature.     

DDA simulations of light scattering by small irregular particles with various structure

We present DDA investigations of light scattering by irregular particles whose size is comparable with wavelength. We consider four types of randomly irregular particles: strongly damaged spheres, rough-surface spheres, pocked spheres, and agglomerated debris particles. Each type of particle is generated with a well defined algorithm producing an ensemble of stochastically different particles that have a common origin. The different types of irregular particles produce different angular dependencies of intensity and linear polarization degree. Transformation of phase curves of intensity and polarization with changing size parameter for irregular particles tends to be more monotonic, unlike spheres. We find that the magnitude of the negative polarization branch (NPB) tends to shrink as particle absorption increases; whereas, the maximal value and position of the positive polarization branch tends to increase. The most frequently observed shape of the negative polarization at small phase angles is asymmetric with a shift of the minimum position towards the angle of polarization sign inversion. All types of considered irregular particles reveal such asymmetry at x<10. Symmetric negative polarization branches occur seldom. The necessary conditions for their appearance are a relatively large size parameter x?10 to 12 and low absorption.     

轻基体中稀土氧化物的X射线荧光分析：非相干散射应用研究

本文通过研究轻元素的非相干散机机制，将非相干散射和特征线以散射归－化相结合计算表观浓度，利用强度校正模型和线性方程组的最小二乘法回归分析以及实验室标样，建立了轻基体之－Ｌｉ２ＣＯ３中少量Ｓｃ２Ｏ３，Ｙ２Ｏ３，Ｌａ２Ｏ３，Ｔｍ２Ｏ３和Ｌｕ２Ｏ３的Ｘ射线荧光分析方法，本方法测定的精密度均优于４．０％，最佳的可达２．１％。这种定时分析方法具有准确，简便，快速和多元素同时测定等优点。     

单分子水平罗丹明B吸附在银胶颗粒上的表面增强拉曼散射光谱研究(英文)

本文研究了单分子水平上银胶纳米体系中罗丹明B和罗丹明6G的拉曼光谱,研究结果显示单分子水平上罗丹明B的拉曼光谱作为探测试剂将可能提供更加丰富的分子信息。     

Radiotherapy out-of-field dosimetry: Experimental and computational results for photons in a water tank

The first objective of this work was to check and select a set of four kinds of passive photon, dosimeters (two thermo-luminescence dosimeter (TLD) types, one radiophotoluminescence (RPL) dosimeter and one optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimeter) together with a common measurement protocol. Dosimeters were calibrated in a reference clinical linear acccelerator beam in a water tank at a reference facility at the Laboratoire National Henri Becquerel (CEA LIST/LNE LNHB, Saclay. Radiation qualities of 6, 12 and 20 MV were used with standard calibration conditions described in IAEA TRS 398 and non-standard conditions. Profile and depth dose ion chamber measurements were also made to provide reference values. Measurements were made in a water tank into which pipes could be inserted which held dosimeters in pre-determined and reproducible positions. The water tank was built to enable investigation of doses up to 60 cm from the beam axis. A first set of experiments was carried out with the beam passing through the tank. From this first experiment, penumbra and out-of-field dose profiles including water and collimator scatter and leakage were found over three orders of magnitude. Two further sets of experiments using the same experimental arrangement with the beam outside the tank, to avoid water scatter, were designed to measure collimator scatter and leakage by closing the jaws of the collimator. Depending on the energy, typical leakage and collimator scatter represents 10–40% and 30–50% of the total out-of-field doses respectively. It was concluded that all dosimeters can be used for out-of-field photon dosimetry. All show good uniformity, good reproducibility, and can be used down to low doses expected at distances remote from the subsequent radiotherapy target volume.     

City-courier routing and scheduling problems

This research seeks to propose innovative routing and scheduling strategies to help city couriers reduce operating costs and enhance service level. The strategies are realized by constructing a new type of routing and scheduling problem. The problem directly takes into account the inherent physical and operating constraints associated with riding in city distribution networks, which makes the problem involve multiple objectives and visiting specified nodes and arcs. Through network transformations, this study first formulates the city-courier routing and scheduling problem as a multi-objective multiple traveling salesman problem with strict time windows (MOMTSPSTW) that is NP-hard and new to the literature, and then proposes a multi-objective Scatter Search framework that seeks to find the set of Pareto-optimal solutions to the problem. Various new and improved sub-procedures are embedded in the solution framework. This is followed by an empirical study that shows and analyzes the results of applying the proposed method to a real-life city-courier routing and scheduling problem.     

Incorporating scatter search and threshold accepting in finding maximum likelihood estimates for the multinomial probit model

This paper presents a procedure that incorporates scatter search and threshold accepting to find the maximum likelihood estimates for the multinomial probit (MNP) model. Scatter search, widely used in optimization-related studies, is a type of evolutionary algorithm that uses a small set of solutions as the selection pool for mating and generating new solutions to search for a globally optimal solution. Threshold accepting is applied to the scatter search to improve computational efficiency while maintaining the same level of solution quality. A set of numerical experiments, based on synthetic data sets with known model specifications and error structures, were conducted to test the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed framework. The results indicated that the proposed procedure enhanced performance in terms of likelihood function value and computational efficiency for MNP model estimation as compared to the original scatter search framework.     

A meta-heuristic approach for solving the Urban Network Design Problem

This paper proposes an optimisation model and a meta-heuristic algorithm for solving the urban network design problem. The problem consists in optimising the layout of an urban road network by designing directions of existing roads and signal settings at intersections. A non-linear constrained optimisation model for solving this problem is formulated, adopting a bi-level approach in order to reduce the complexity of solution methods and the computation times. A Scatter Search algorithm based on a random descent method is proposed and tested on a real dimension network. Initial results show that the proposed approach allows local optimal solutions to be obtained in reasonable computation times.     

氧碘化学激光高反射薄膜的性能研究

通过实际测量和理论计算,给出高反射薄膜的散射和吸收数据,分析两种损耗对薄膜性能起的不同作用;同时,还讨论了热处理对薄膜吸收的影响.     

Finding local optima of high-dimensional functions using direct search methods

This paper focuses on a subclass of box-constrained, non-linear optimization problems. We are particularly concerned with settings where gradient information is unreliable, or too costly to calculate, and the function evaluations themselves are very costly. This encourages the use of derivative free optimization methods, and especially a subclass of these referred to as direct search methods. The thrust of our investigation is twofold. First, we implement and evaluate a number of traditional direct search methods according to the premise that they should be suitable as local optimizers when used in a metaheuristic framework. Second, we introduce a new direct search method, based on Scatter Search, designed to remedy the lack of a good derivative free method for solving problems of high dimensions. Our new direct search method has convergence properties comparable to those of existing methods in addition to being able to solve larger problems more effectively.