Adaptive modelling with tunable RBF network using multi-innovation RLS algorithm assisted by swarm intelligence

In this paper, we propose a new on-line learning algorithm for the non-linear system identification: the swarm intelligence aided multi-innovation recursive least squares (SI-MRLS) algorithm. The SI-MRLS algorithm applies the particle swarm optimization (PSO) to construct a flexible radial basis function (RBF) model so that both the model structure and output weights can be adapted. By replacing an insignificant RBF node with a new one based on the increment of error variance criterion at every iteration, the model remains at a limited size. The multi-innovation RLS algorithm is used to update the RBF output weights which are known to have better accuracy than the classic RLS. The proposed method can produces a parsimonious model with good performance. Simulation result are also shown to verify the SI-MRLS algorithm.

Microwave-assisted hydrogel synthesis: a new method for crosslinking polymers in aqueous solutions

It has been found that hydrogels may be formed by microwave irradiation of aqueous solutions containing appropriate combinations of polymers. This new method of hydrogel synthesis yields sterile hydrogels without the use of monomers, eliminating the need for the removal of unreacted species from the final product. Results for two particularly successful combinations, poly(vinyl alcohol) with either poly(acrylic acid) or poly(methylvinylether-alt-maleic anhydride), are presented. Irradiation using temperatures of 100–150 °C was found to yield hydrogels with large equilibrium swelling degrees of 500–1000 g g−1. Material leached from both types of hydrogel shows little cytotoxicity towards HT29 cells.

Assisted remote viewing of a teleoperation work cell

Intelligent viewing systems are required if efficient and productive teleoperation is to be applied to dynamic manufacturing environments. These systems must automatically provide remote views to an operator which assist in the completion of the task. This assistance increases the productivity of the teleoperation task if the robot controller is responsive to the unpredictable dynamic evolution of the workcell. Behavioral controllers can be utilized to give reactive 'intelligence.' The inherent complex structure of current systems, however, places considerable time overheads on any redesign of the emergent behavior. In industry, where the remote environment and task frequently change, this continual redesign process becomes inefficient. We introduce a novel behavioral controller, based on an 'ego-behavior' architecture, to command an active camera (a camera mounted on a robot) within a remote workcell. Using this ego-behavioral architecture the responses from individual behaviors are rapidly combined to produce an 'intelligent' responsive viewing system. The architecture is single-layered, each behavior being autonomous with no explicit knowledge of the number, description or activity of other behaviors present (if any). This lack of imposed structure decreases the development time as it allows each behavior to be designed and tested independently before insertion into the architecture. The fusion mechanism for the behaviors provides the ability for each behavior to compete and/or co-operate with other behaviors for full or partial control of the viewing active camera. Each behavior continually reassesses this degree of competition or co-operation by measuring its own success in controlling the active camera against pre-defined constraints. The ego-behavioral architecture is demonstrated through simulation and experimentation.

PSO assisted NURB Neural Network Identification

A system identification algorithm is introduced for Hammerstein systems that are modelled using a non-uniform rational B-spline (NURB) neural network. The proposed algorithm consists of two successive stages. First the shaping parameters in NURB network are estimated using a particle swarm optimization (PSO) procedure. Then the remaining parameters are estimated by the method of the singular value decomposition (SVD). Numerical examples are utilized to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach.

'Between slavery and freedom': the expulsion and enslavement of free women of colour in the US South before the Civil War

For free black women in the pre-Civil War American South, the status offered by ‘freedom’ was uncertain and malleable. The conceptualization of bondage and freedom as two diametrically opposed conditions therefore fails to make sense of the complexities of life for these women. Instead, notions of enslavement and freedom are better framed as a spectrum. This article develops this idea by exploring two of the ways in which some black women negotiated their status before the law—namely though petitioning for residency or for enslavement. While these petitions are atypical numerically, and often offer tantalizingly scant evidence, when used in conjunction with evidence from the US census, it becomes clear that these women were highly pragmatic. Prioritizing their spousal and broader familial affective relationships above their legal status, they rejected the often theoretical distinction between slavery and liberation. As such, the petitions can be used to reach broader conclusions about the attitudes of women who have left little written testimony.

EU enlargement and consequences for FDI-assisted industrial development

Many of the new member states as well as candidate and accession countries of the EU are confident that membership will result in substantially increased inward foreign direct investment (FDI) in manufacturing. This paper discusses the policy issues and challenges that cohesion and accession countries face, applying lessons that by now have become mainstream in the parallel discussion of FDI-assisted development in the developing economies. We argue that globalisation has attenuated the benefits that accrue from EU membership for latecomers, and they must now compete for FDI not just with other European countries but also with non- EU emerging economies. We posit that they should not base their industrial development strategy on mere passive reliance of FDI flows without considering how to concatenate their industrial development and the nature of the MNE activities they attract.

Photovoltaic and solar-assisted ground-source heat pump systems

This review investigates the performance of photovoltaic and solar-assisted ground-source heat pumps in which solar heat is transferred to the ground to improve the coefficient of performance. A number of studies indicate that, for systems with adequately sized ground heat exchangers, the effect on system efficiency is small: about 1% improvement if the heat source is photovoltaic, a 1–2% decline if the source is solar thermal. With possible exceptions for systems in which the ground heat exchanger is undersized, or natural recharge from ground water is insufficient, solar thermal energy is better used for domestic hot water than to recharge ground heat. This appears particularly true outside the heating season, as although much of the heat extracted from the ground can be replaced, it seems to have little effect on the coefficient of performance. Any savings in electrical consumption that do result from an improved coefficient can easily be outweighed by an inefficient control system for the circulation pumps.

Formation of vesicles through solvent assisted self-assembly of hydrophobic pentapeptides: encapsulation and pH responsive release of dyes by the vesicles

In the biomimetic design two hydrophobic pentapetides Boc-Ile-Aib-Leu-Phe-Ala-OMe ( I) and Boc-Gly-Ile-Aib-Leu-Phe-OMe (II) (Aib: alpha-aminoisobutyric acid) containing one Aib each are found to undergo solvent assisted self-assembly in methanol/water to form vesicular structures, which can be disrupted by simple addition of acid. The nanovesicles are found to encapsulate dye molecules that can be released by the addition of acid as confirmed by fluorescence microscopy and UV studies. The influence of solvent polarity on the morphology of the materials generated from the peptides has been examined systematically, and shows that fibrillar structures are formed in less polar chloroform/petroleum ether mixture and vesicular structures are formed in more polar methanol/water. Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies reveal that while beta-sheet mediated self-assembly leads to the formation of fibrillar structures, the solvated beta-sheet structure leads to the formation of vesicular structures. The results demonstrate that even hydrophobic peptides can generate vesicular structures from polar solvent which may be employed in model studies of complex biological phenomena.