in this paper an efficient three- stage algorithm is developed for software production cost and time estimation. first stage includes a hybrid model composed of cocomo and function points methods to increase estimation accuracy. second stage encompasses paired comparisons matrix of analytical hierarchy process to determine amount of any resources consumed in each step of software production by ...

It is important to understand how eco-physiological characteristics shift in forests when elucidating the mechanisms underlying species replacement and the process of succession and stabilization. In this study, the dominant species at three typical successional stages (early-, mid-, and late-succession) in the subtropical forests of China were selected. At each stage, we compared the leaf cons...

Offshore jacket-type towers are steel structures designed and constructed in marine environments for various purposes such as oil exploration and exploitation units, oceanographic research, and undersea testing. In this paper a newly developed meta-heuristic algorithm, namely Cyclical Parthenogenesis Algorithm (CPA), is utilized for sizing optimization of a jacket-type offshore structure. The a...

Observed growth, as given, for instance, by the length of successive annual shoots along the main axis of a plant, is mainly the result of two components: an ontogenetic component and an environmental component. We made the assumption of a decomposition model where the ontogenetic growth component and the environmental component (mainly of climatic origin) were combined in an additive manner. T...

Orthodontics is based upon the cellular response to biomechanical forces. However, little is known about the way cells respond to such forces. An experimental model has been designed to study the morphological and metabolic behaviour of human cells, subjected to cyclical or static mechanical loads. The model involves attaching human fibroblasts to silicone collagen-coated membranes, which are s...

This paper uses long-range dependence techniques to analyse two important features of the US Federal Funds effective rate, namely its persistence and cyclical behaviour. It examines annual, monthly, bi-weekly and weekly data, from 1954 until 2010. Two models are considered. One is based on an I(d) specification with AR(2) disturbances and the other on two fractional differencing structures, one...

This qualitative study used a grounded theory methodology to analyze life-story interviews obtained from 10 family business owners regarding their experiences in their businesses with the goal of understanding the complexities of family business succession. The grounded theory that emerged from this study is best understood as a potential web of constraints that can bear on the succession proce...

Quantifying the drivers underlying the distribution of biodiversity during succession is a critical issue in ecology and conservation, and also can provide insights into the mechanisms of community assembly. Ninety plots were established in the Loess Plateau region of northern Shaanxi in China. The taxonomic and phylogenetic (alpha and beta) diversity were quantified within six succession stage...