Search results for "Genetic algorithm"

Influences on plant nutritional variation and their potential effects on hominin diet selection

2018

The selection of foods in any environment depends on a variety of factors, including the nutrient availability and antifeedant loads in the component habitats. How these nutritional properties vary and covary in time and space is not well known, particularly among wild plant species. We collected plant samples from several habitats within the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site in South Africa, and measured their macronutrient and antifeedant properties in order to explore how season, habitat, plant type, and plant organ affected the quality of these potential plant foods. Our results have implications for early hominin use of similar habitats.

Food choices at lunch during the third year of life: high selection of animal and starchy foods but avoidance of vegetables

2007

Aim: The objective was to show patterns of food selection by 2- to 3-y-old children for a wide variety of foods in a self-service cafeteria and to assess the effect of individual variables (gender, BMI, mode of feeding after birth and rank in sibship). Methods: In a nursery self-service canteen, food choices at lunch made by children (n=418, 24–36 mo; 109 observations per child on average) were recorded by trained assistants who monitored portion size. An offer of eight dishes (animal products, starchy foods, combination dishes, vegetables and dairy products), excluding dessert-type foods, was proposed. Choice level was calculated for each food. Analysis of variance was used to compare choi…

Calibration of microscopic traffic simulation models for evaluating operation and safety performance at roundabouts

A fuzzy ranking strategy for portfolio selection applied to the Spanish stock market

2007

In this paper we present a fuzzy ranking procedure for the portfolio selection problem. The uncertainty on the returns of each portfolio is approximated by means of a trapezoidal fuzzy number. The expected return and risk of the portfolio are then characteristics of that fuzzy number. A rank index that accounts for both expected return and risk is defined, allowing the decision-maker to compare different portfolios. The paper ends with an application of that fuzzy ranking strategy to the Spanish stock market.

Determining the Parameters of a Sugeno Fuzzy Controller Using a Parallel Genetic Algorithm

2013

Developed in the mid 1970s, the technique based on genetic algorithms proved its usefulness in finding optimal or near optimal solutions to problems for which accurate solving strategies are either non-existent or require excessively long running time. We implemented a genetic algorithm to determine the parameters of a Sugeno fuzzy controller for the Truck Backer-Upper problem (This problem is considered an acknowledged benchmark in nonlinear system identification.). Less known at first than Mamdami fuzzy controllers, Sugeno fuzzy controllers became popular once they were included into the ANFIS neuro-fuzzy Matlab library. By their nature, Sugeno controllers can be regarded as interpolation…

The role of parasitism in adaptive radiations – when might parasites promote and when might they constrain ecological speciation?

2012

Research on speciation and adaptive radiation has flourished during the past decades, yet factors underlying initiation of reproductive isolation often remain unknown. Parasites represent important selective agents and have received renewed attention in speciation research. We review the literature on parasite-mediated divergent selection in context of ecological speciation and present empirical evidence for three nonexclusive mechanisms by which parasites might facilitate speciation: reduced viability or fecundity of immigrants and hybrids, assortative mating as a pleiotropic by-product of host adaptation, and ecologically-based sexual selection. We emphasise the lack of research on specia…

Mediación en derecho administrativo

2018

Presenciamos un momento de creciente fascinación por la mediación. Sin embargo, el Derecho administrativo se presenta históricamente como un ámbito plagado de obstáculos frente a las ADR y, por tanto, frente a la mediación. Sin embargo, los cambios sociales y la mutación de las estructuras administrativas llevan a buscar nuevos cauces para la resolución de los conflictos con la Administración. La mediación se ha visto fuertemente impulsada por la Unión Europea y en el ámbito interno, el Consejo General del Poder Judicial ha propiciado la incorporación de la mediación administrativa mediante proyectos pilotos que impulsan el consenso.

Novel hereditary angioedema linked with a heparan sulfate 3-O-sulfotransferase 6 gene mutation

2020

Background Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a potentially fatal disorder resulting in recurrent attacks of severe swelling. It may be associated with a genetic deficiency of functional C1 inhibitor or with normal C1 inhibitor (HAEnCI). In families with HAEnCI, HAE-linked mutations in the F12, PLG, KNG1, ANGPT1, or MYOF genes have been identified. In many families with HAEnCI the genetic cause of the disease is currently unknown. Objective The aim of this study was to identify a novel disease-linked mutation for HAEnCI. Methods The study methods comprised whole exome sequencing, Sanger sequencing analysis, pedigree analysis, bioinformatic analysis of the mutation, and biochemical analysis of p…

Improved usability of the minimal model of insulin sensitivity based on an automated approach and genetic algorithms for parameter estimation.

2006

Minimal model analysis of glucose and insulin data from an IVGTT (intravenous glucose tolerance test) is widely used to estimate insulin sensitivity; however, the use of the model often requires intervention by a trained operator and some problems can occur in the estimation of model parameters. In the present study, a new method for minimal model analysis, termed GAMMOD, was developed based on genetic algorithms for the estimation of model parameters. Such an algorithm does not require the fixing of initial values for the parameters (that may lead to unreliable estimates). Our method also implements an automated weighting scheme not requiring manual intervention of the operator, thus impro…

Association study of suicidal behavior and affective disorders with a genetic polymorphism in ABCG1, a positional candidate on chromosome 21q22.3

2000

The gene that codes for the ABC transporter ABCG1 is located in a chromosomal susceptibility region (21q22.3) for affective disorders. Genetic variations in ABCG1 have been associated with affective disorders in Japanese males. In this study, we investigated the distribution of a G2457A polymorphism in patients with affective disorders, suicide attempters with various psychiatric diagnoses and healthy subjects. We initially found a trend towards a modest association with affective disorders in males (p = 0.046 for allele frequencies and p = 0.046 for AA versus GG). We conducted a replication study with independent patients and controls. There was no association with affective disorders, eit…