In this paper, an effective combination of two Metaheuristic algorithms, namely Invasive Weed Optimization and the Particle Swarm Optimization, has been proposed. This hybridization called as HIWOPSO, consists of two main phases of Invasive Weed Optimization (IWO) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). Invasive weed optimization is the natureinspired algorithm which is inspired by colonial beha...

This note discusses the interface between community-driven development (CDD) and decentralization. In particular, it focuses on the aspects of decentralization programs related to local government capacity building, where the practical application of CDD principles becomes meaningful. The note considers how the principles of CDD are being incorporated into local government capacity building pro...

This article presents a monitoring indicators system that predicts whether a local government in Taiwan is heading for fiscal distress and identifies a suitable fiscal policy that would allow the local government to achieve fiscal balance in the long run. This system is relevant to stockholders’ interest, simple for national audit bodies to use, and provides an early warning of fiscal distress ...

This study assessed the status of the availability and performance of emergency obstetric care (EmOC) in 12 functional public health facilities out of the existing 19 in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State in south-south Nigeria, prior to the midwives service scheme (MSS) launch in 2009. No facility qualified as basic EmOC, while one had comprehensive EmOC status. Signal functions that...

The study examined agrobiodiversity conservation techniques adopted by rural farmers in Kware Local Government Area, Nigeria. Multistage sampling procedure was used to arrive at 120 farmers from three selected villages. Forty (40) interview schedule were administered in each of the sampled villages. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse the primary data collected. Results of the findings s...

In this paper, an optimal design of a microgrid including four houses in Dakhla city (Morocco) is proposed. To make study comprehensive and applicable to any hybrid system, each house has different configuration renewable energies. The configurations these are PV/wind turbine (WT)/biomass/battery, PV/biomass, PV/diesel/battery, WT/diesel/battery systems. comparison factor among the cost energy ...

In this paper, an evolutionary algorithm-Invasive Weed Optimization (IWO) based power system stabilizer (PSS) is proposed for multi-machine power system. IWO is a derivative-free real parameter optimization technique that mimics the ecological behavior of colonizing weeds. Owing to its superior performance in comparison with many other existing meta-heuristics, it has used to search for optimal...

In this paper, the Invasive Weeds optimization( IWO) is exploited to produce the array radiation pattern that is nearest to the desired objective which exhibits sidelobe level (SLL) suppression and/or null placement. The inter-element position of even element Linear Arrays Array (LAA) is optimized and relocated whilst maintaining uniform excitation over the array aperture and the phase of the a...