Evolutionary algorithms are sophisticated hill-climbers. In this paper, we discuss the ability of this class of local search algorithms to provide useful and eecient heuristics to solve NP-hard problems. Our discussion is illustrated on experiments aiming at solving the job-shop-scheduling problem. We focus on the components of the EA, pointing out the importance of the objective function as we...

[1] We use paleomagnetic data from Tertiary volcanic rocks to address the rates and timing of vertical‐axis block rotations across the central Sierra Nevada‐Walker Lane transition in the Bodie Hills, California/Nevada. Samples from the Upper Miocene (∼9 Ma) Eureka Valley Tuff suggest clockwise vertical‐axis block rotations between NE‐striking left‐lateral faults in the Bridgeport and Mono Basin...

The present investigation highlights the use of plants for various ailments by malayali tribe living in Jawadhu hills, Thiruvannamalai district, Tamilnadu, India, A total of 40 traditional plant species used by them as herbal medicines to treat several common diseases such as cold, cough, fever, skin diseases, rheumatic problems, diabetic problems and various ailments were documented. During pr...

A 27-year-old Chinese male presented with a 2-year history of headache and a right temporal field defect. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan revealed a 5cm tumour in the sphenoid with bilateral cavernous sinus extension and posterior extension to the clivus (Figure 1A). This was reported as an erosive skull base tumour and he was referred to neurosurgery. His serum prolactin was measured a...

To verify and up scale promising cold tolerant rice genotypes in the western hills, participatory variety selection (PVS) activities viz; coordinated farmer’s field trials (CFFTs), FFTs prepared from Lumle , farmers’ acceptance tests (FATs), larger plot demonstrations, and upscaling activities were conducted during 2008 to 2009. Yield and yield related parameters considering farmers’ preference...

Functional Diversity is considered an important driver of community assembly in environmental and successional gradients. To understand tree assembly processes in a semideciduous tropical forest, we analyzed the variation of Functional Richness (FRic), Functional Divergence (FDiv), and Functional Evenness (FEve) of small vs. large trees in relation to fallow age after slash-and-burn agriculture...

The bill structures of different call types of red crossbills (Loxia curvirostra complex) in western North America usually approximate the predicted optima for foraging on single species of conifers. One clear exception is the call type in the South Hills, Idaho, that is coevolving in an evolutionary arms race with Rocky Mountain lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta ssp. latifolia). Although South Hi...