Relational Complexity Research Articles

Structure/function relationships in the rosette cellulose synthesis complex illuminated by an evolutionary perspective

Cellulose microfibrils are a key component of plant cell walls, which in turn compose most of our renewable biomaterials. Consequently, there is considerable interest in understanding how cellulose microfibrils are made in living cells by the plant cellulose synthesis complex (CSC). This remarkable multi-subunit complex contains cellulose synthase (CESA) proteins, and it is often called a rosette due to its six-lobed shape. Each CSC moves within the plasma membrane as it spins a strong cellulose microfibril in its wake. To accomplish this biological manufacturing process, the CESAs harvest an activated sugar substrate from the cytoplasm for use in the polymerization of glucan chains. An elongating glucan is simultaneously translocated across the plasma membrane by each CESA, where the group of chains emanating from one CSC co-crystallizes into a cellulose microfibril that becomes part of the assembling cell wall. Here we review major advances in understanding CESA and CSC structure/function relationships since 2013, when ground-breaking insights about the structure of cellulose synthases in bacteria and plants were published. We additionally discuss: (a) the relationship of CSC substructure to the size of the fundamental cellulose fibril; (b) an evolutionary perspective on the driving force behind the existence of hetero-oligomeric CSCs that currently appear to dominate in land plants; and (c) how cellulose properties may be regulated by CESA and CSC activity. We also pose major questions that still remain in this rapidly changing and exciting research field.

“If I Want to Feel My Feelings, I’ll See a Bloody Shrink”: Learning From the Shadow Side of Experiential Learning

This article discusses the value of learning from a psychodynamic approach to experiential learning. This approach is used to help students experience and understand the emotional and relational complexity of leading and managing within organizations. From this perspective, experiential learning means engaging with emotions and with embedded relations of power, to unsettle expectations of how organizations work. Here, we consider the professor’s role, which is to help students work with and through the emotional dynamics generated in work relationships, even when those dynamics are difficult to bear and the overriding impulse is to avoid or defend against them. In this way, students are being supported to better understand how organizations are emotional places, not how individuals within organizations can “manage” emotion.

Using this DEMATEL Corporate social responsibility CSR

Corporate Social Responsibility When discussing corporate social responsibility (CSR) in developing nations, academics and policymakers frequently ignore the perspectives of local producers. By explicitly adopting a phenomenological approach and mapping the justifications offered by regional manufacturers to CSR programmes in the West, this paper fills a vacuum in the literature. In order to investigate this topic provocatively, Data from two qualitative studies on CSR programmes in Sialkot, Pakistan's soccer ball industry are used. Previous research has presented technology related to managing a green aircraft fleet, including retrofits, fleet renewal, and alternative biofuels, as well as opportunities to carry out retrofits and value emissions. It has also developed an alternative integer programme model to optimise fleet replacement strategies within budgets. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change noted ineffectiveness un aeroplane operations. Since 2005, IATA's Green Teams have been working with airlines to reduce this inefficiency. Emissions will be reduced by 2020 as a result of improved operational practises. Thus, more efficient operations can reduce CO2 emissions and conserve fuel. Any financial benefits from an international plan to cut aeroplane emissions should be set aside for environmental causes. These profits must be partially reinvested. Only a few of the additional measures being done to lower the emissions profile of the global aviation industry include supporting the development and use of more fuel-efficient aircraft and low-carbon, sustainable jet fuels. Any financial benefits from an international plan to cut aeroplane emissions should be set aside for environmental causes. These profits must be partially reinvested. Only a few of the additional measures being done to lower the emissions profile of the global aviation industry include supporting the development and use of more fuel-efficient aircraft and low-carbon, sustainable jet fuels. The Program in Science and Human Affairs at the Battelle Memorial Institute in Geneva was established between 1972 and 1976 to conduct research and address complex and interrelated problem groups DEMATEL (Decision-making Testing and Evaluation Laboratory) system. One of the decision-makers with several criteria is DEMATEL. To extract the complex structure of a complex problem DEMATEL method is widely used. The objective of DEMATEL is to scale from a complex system and the relationship between causal dimensions it is to model the understandable structure of that system. When measuring complexity, the cause and effect relationship of the criteria can be clearly seen. From the result it is seen that Technology (TE) the first rank where as is the Infrastructure (IN) is having the lowest rank. Resulting in Technology (TE) ranked first, There Infrastructure (IN) has low rank.

Invasive leafminer moths (Gracillariidae stainton, 1854) in fauna of the Botanical Garden of Oles Honchar Dnipro National University

History of Lepidoptera adventitious species invasion on territory of the Botanical Garden of the Oles Gonchar Dnipro national university dates back over 15 years. During this period, four invader species belonging to leaf blotch miner moth family (Gracillariidae Stainton, 1854) were found: horse-chestnut leaf miner (Cameraria ohridella Deschka et Dimić, 1986), lime leaf miner (Phyllonorycter issikiimama, 1963), black locust leaf miners (Parectopa robiniella Clemens, 1863 and Phyllonorycter robiniella Clemens, 1859).
 Spectrum of trophic relationships of leaf-mining lepidoptera invasive complex on territory of the Botanical Garden was established, invading species of the family Gracillariidae were found on horse chestnut leaves (Aesculus hippocastanum L., 1753), Norway maple (Acer platanoides L., 1753), and linden european (Tilia ×europaea L., 1753).
 Assessment of leaf damage status was provided. The largest damages were registered on horse chestnut, up to 80% trees of which were completely defoliated by the end of summer period, which eventually leads to drying out and subsequent death of the trees.
 Of particular concern is outbreak of black locust leafminer moths complex. For the first time their mines were registered in 2007. Since then, it can be stated that all Robinia trees growing in the botanical garden were settled with the miners. Statistical processing data obtained during the morphological studies of mines of both species indicate a their great ecological plasticity.
 The most recent invasion of adventitious species Gracillariidae can be considered the emergence of Phyllonorycter issikii. The first registrations were carried out in 2015; since then the species is recorded annually on Tilia cordata. For all the time of observation, this species did not show a tendency to increase in numbers, and it has not been registered on other Tilia species.

Effect of project complexity on cost and schedule performance in transportation projects

Project complexity is a contributing factor to project performance. Understanding how project complexity interacts with management actions and project performance is imperative. This study fills this knowledge gap by empirically exploring the relationship between construction project complexity and project performance and their interaction with resource allocation. Empirical data were collected from 79 transportation projects. Due to its capability to build several regression models by adding independent variables to previous models, moderated hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to identify the underlying effect of resource allocation on the project complexity and performance relationship. The results show that: (i) project complexity was significantly correlated with schedule growth (positive correlation) but not significantly correlated with cost growth; (ii) resource allocation was significantly correlated with schedule growth (negative correlation) but not with cost growth; and (iii) resource allocation had a buffering effect where increasing resource allocation significantly decreases the effect of project complexity on schedule growth. The findings from this study contribute to the extant literature on construction project complexity by empirically showing that the impact of project complexity on schedule performance interacts with the level of resource allocation. This understanding of the role of resource allocation may help construction managers and engineers to better administer and manage their complex transportation projects. The findings also imply that organizations should appropriately evaluate project complexity to allocate necessary resources to achieve project success.

Rapid identification of homogeneous O2 evolution catalysts and comparative studies of Ru(II)-carboxamides vs. Ru(II)-carboxylates in water-oxidation

One of the major challenges in developing sustainable energy storage systems is to discover robust oxygen evolving catalysts (OECs) that can efficiently oxidize water and produce oxygen, electrons and protons under highly oxidizing conditions. Thus, developing new screening methodologies and practical tools for OEC discovery is essential. Herein, we report a screening protocol which allows the accurate identification, benchmarking and kinetic analysis of molecular OECs using chemical oxidants, based on an oxygen-sensitive luminescent dissolved oxygen optical probe (DOOP). To demonstrate the practicality of this protocol, we screened more than 100 reactions to benchmark and evaluate the structure-activity relationship of several transition-metal complexes 1–16 based on Ru, Fe and Cu. Water-oxidation by Ru(II)-carboxylates is compared to structurally similar and less studied Ru(II)-carboxamides. A new Ru(II) complex 6 containing the doubly deprotonated N,N′-bis(aryl)pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide was also synthesized and its oxygen evolution rate was found to be dramatically enhanced at neutral pH.

Large river habitat complexity and productivity of Puget Sound Chinook salmon.

While numerous studies have shown that floodplain habitat complexity can be important to fish ecology, few quantify how watershed-scale complexity influences productivity. This scale mismatch complicates population conservation and recovery strategies that evaluate recovery at regional or multi-basin scales. We used outputs from a habitat status and trends monitoring program for ten of Puget Sound’s large river systems to examine whether juvenile Chinook salmon productivity relates to watershed-scale habitat complexity. We derived habitat complexity metrics that quantified wood jam densities, side and braid to main channel ratios, and node densities from a remote sensing census of Puget Sound’s large river systems. Principal component analysis revealed that 91% of variance in these metrics could be explained by two principal components. These metrics revealed gradients in habitat complexity across Puget Sound which were sensitive to changes in complexity as a result of restoration actions in one watershed. Mixed effects models revealed that the second principle component term (PC2) describing habitat complexity was positively related to log transformed subyearling Chinook per spawner productivity rates from 6–18 cohorts per watershed. Total subyearling productivity (subyearlings per spawner) and fry productivity (subyearling fry per spawner) rates were best described by models that included a positive effect of habitat complexity (PC2) and negative relationships with log transformed peak flow recurrence interval, suggestive of reduced survival due to egg destruction during floods. Total subyearling productivity (subyearlings per spawner) and parr productivity (subyearling parr per spawner) rates were best described by models that included a positive effect of habitat complexity (PC2) and negative relationships with log transformed spawner density, suggestive of density dependent limits on juvenile rearing habitat. We also found that coefficient of variation for log transformed subyearling productivity and subyearling fry productivity rates declined with increasing habitat complexity, supporting the idea that habitat complexity buffers populations from annual variation in environmental conditions. Therefore, we conclude that our watershed-scale census-based approach provided habitat complexity metrics that explained some of the variability in productivity of subyearling juveniles among Chinook salmon populations. Furthermore, this approach may provide a useful means to track and evaluate aggregate effects of habitat changes on the productivity of Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed Chinook salmon populations over time.

Tribological behavior prediction of friction materials for ultrasonic motors using Monte Carlo‐based artificial neural network

ABSTRACTIn this article, the relationship of complexity, diversity, and uncertainty between components and tribological properties of friction materials based on a Monte Carlo‐based artificial neural network (MC‐ANN) model was predicted precisely. Meanwhile, the grey relational analysis was applied to figure out weight of factors, optimize formulation design, and calculate nonlinear dependency of ingredients. The accuracy of model was studied by comparing experimental and simulated values on the basis of statistical methods (root‐mean‐squared error). It was found that the model exhibited an excellent performance in predicting and fitting effect. Moreover, comprehensive analysis of weight indicated that nano‐SiO2and mica exerted a significant role in improving the friction stability and wear resistance. According to different contents of each ingredient, the corresponding friction coefficient and specific wear rate could be obtained by virtue of a well‐trained MC‐ANN model without experiments, which saved a lot of time and money. It can be expected that the results of this work will extend the current research and pave a route for further in‐depth studies of friction materials. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci.2019,136, 47157.

From the Himalayas to a continental Island: Integrative species delimitation in the Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler Horornis fortipes complex

As species serve as basic units of study in many fields of biology, assessments of species limits are fundamental for such studies. Here, we used a multilocus dataset and different coalescent-based methods to analyze species delimitation and phylogenetic relationships in the Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler Horornis fortipes complex, which is widespread in the Sino-Himalayan region. We also examined the vocal and morphometric divergence within this complex. Our genetic results suggested that Horornis fortipes is composed of at least three independently evolving lineages, which diverged 1.1–1.8 million years ago. However, these lineages have hardly diverged in song or morphometrics and only very slightly in plumage. Our result indicate that there are three incipient species in Horonis fortipes complex diverged in central Himalayas and Hengduan Mountains, but not between the continent and Taiwan island.

Individual differences in analogical reasoning revealed by multivariate task-based functional brain imaging

Although analogical reasoning (AR) plays a central role in higher-level cognition and constitutes a key source of individual differences in intellectual ability, the neural mechanisms that account for individual differences in AR remain to be well characterized. Here we investigated individual differences in AR within a large sample (n = 229), using multivariate fMRI analysis (a simple multiple kernel learning machine). The individual AR capability was positively correlated with activation level in a prefrontal executive network and a visuospatial network. Notably, the best predictors of individual differences in AR within these networks were activation in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (response selection) and the lingual gyrus (visual feature mapping). In contrast, AR capability was negatively correlated with activation in the default mode network. The implications of the reported findings are twofold: (i) Individual differences in AR depend on multiple executive and visuospatial brain regions, where their respective contributions are contingent upon the individuals' cognitive skills; (ii) Brain regions associated with individual differences in AR only partially overlap with brain regions sensitive to the associated task demands (i.e., brain regions sensitive to the analogy relational complexity, at the group-level). We discuss implications of such brain organization supporting AR as an example for brain architecture underlying higher-level cognitive processes.

Can We Simplify Complexity Measurement? A Primer Towards Usable Framework For Industry Implementation

The development of systems with complex interactions has led to limitations which are reflected in performance including reliability and safety of the systems. Concurrent developments of frameworks to represent and analyze complexity have aided the understanding of complexity in human-machine systems. The methodology and framework presented is proposed to aid the design of experiments to establish causative relationships of complexity attributes with performance and further deployment in industry. The framework leverages three independent measurement paradigms, at the worker level, interaction level, and task level to classify twenty measurable complexity attributes. Their deployment in key performance indicator (KPI) frameworks and procedure writer’s guides are discussed.

Computational Complexity Relationship between Compaction, Vertex-Compaction, and Retraction

In this paper, we show a very close relationship between the compaction, vertex-compaction, and retraction problems for reflexive and bipartite graphs. Similar to a long-standing open problem concerning whether the compaction and retraction problems are polynomially equivalent, the relationships that we present relate to our problems concerning whether the compaction and vertex-compaction problems are polynomially equivalent, and whether the vertex-compaction and retraction problems are polynomially equivalent. The relationships that we present also relate to the constraint satisfaction problem, providing evidence that similar to the compaction and retraction problems, it is also likely to be difficult to give a complete computational complexity classification of the vertex-compaction problem for every fixed reflexive or bipartite graph. In this paper, we however give a complete computational complexity classification of the vertex-compaction problem for all graphs, including even partially reflexive graphs, with four or fewer vertices, by giving proofs based on mostly just knowing the computational complexity classification results of the compaction problem for such graphs determined earlier by the author. Our results show that the compaction, vertex-compaction, and retraction problems are polynomially equivalent for every graph with four or fewer vertices.

On the film forming and friction behaviour of greases in rolling/sliding contacts

Abstract The film forming and friction properties of nine greases covering different thickener types, viscosities and NLGI grades have been investigated. Film thickness results are in agreement with previous work that all greases form a thicker film than the base oil counterpart at low speeds, suggesting that lambda ratio and kappa of greases can be much higher than their corresponding oils. The base oil viscosity appears to govern the grease film thickness at low speeds by a direct relationship for polyurea greases whereas by an inverse relationship for lithium and calcium complex greases. Grease friction results indicate that the shape of grease friction curves can differ quite significantly from that of oils. Possible underlying mechanisms that govern friction properties are discussed.

Coalescent Analysis of Phylogenomic Data Confidently Resolves the Species Relationships in the Anopheles gambiae Species Complex.

Deep coalescence and introgression make it challenging to infer phylogenetic relationships among closely related species that arose through radiative speciation events. Despite numerous phylogenetic analyses and the availability of whole genomes, the phylogeny in the Anopheles gambiae species complex has not been confidently resolved. Here we extract over 80, 000 coding and noncoding short segments (called loci) from the genomes of six members of the species complex and use a Bayesian method under the multispecies coalescent model to infer the species tree, which takes into account genealogical heterogeneity across the genome and uncertainty in the gene trees. We obtained a robust estimate of the species tree from the distal region of the X chromosome: (A. merus, ((A. melas, (A. arabiensis, A. quadriannulatus)), (A. gambiae, A. coluzzii))), with A. merus to be the earliest branching species. This species tree agrees with the chromosome inversion phylogeny and provides a parsimonious interpretation of inversion and introgression events. Simulation informed by the real data suggest that the coalescent approach is reliable while the sliding-window analysis used in a previous phylogenomic study generates artifactual species trees. Likelihood ratio test of gene flow revealed strong evidence of autosomal introgression from A. arabiensis into A. gambiae (at the average rate of migrants per generation), but not in the opposite direction, and introgression of the 3 L chromosomal region from A. merus into A. quadriannulatus. Our results highlight the importance of accommodating incomplete lineage sorting and introgression in phylogenomic analyses of species that arose through recent radiative speciation events.

Genetic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates circulating in an area with high tuberculosis incidence: Using 24-locus MIRU-VNTR method

We aimed to determine the genetic diversity, phylogenetic relationship and transmission dynamics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) genotypes in an area with high tuberculosis (TB) incidence. A set of 164 MTBC isolates from new TB patients of Golestan province, Iran, were subjected to genotyping using the standard 24-locus MIRU-VNTR method. Recent TB transmission was evaluated and phylogenetic relationships were analysed by minimum spanning tree and cluster-graph methods. Among the 164 isolates, 132 distinct patterns were detected. The 48 clustered isolates (29.3%) were distributed into 16 clusters ranging in size from 2 to 12 isolates. The most frequent genotype was Central Asian Strain/Delhi (CAS/Delhi) (n = 67, 40.8%), followed by NEW-1 (n = 53, 32.3%) and Beijing (n = 19, 11.6%) genotypes. Thirty five (72.9%) of NEW-1 isolates were recovered from immigrant patients and 84.2% (n = 16) of Beijing genotypes recovered from native cases. Statistically significant association was found between clustering and smoking (p = 0.047), drug addiction (p = 0.01) and prison history (p = 0.003). The estimated proportion of recent transmission was 19.5%. Presence of highly diverse MTBC isolates circulating in this province without a dominant genotype might be a consequence of importation of various genotypes in this area.

Anchored hybrid enrichment generated nuclear, plastid and mitochondrial markers resolve the Lepanthes horrida (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae) species complex

Phylogenetic relationships in species complexes and lineages derived from rapid diversifications are often challenging to resolve using morphology or standard DNA barcoding markers. The hyper-diverse genus Lepanthes from Neotropical cloud forest includes over 1200 species and many recent, explosive diversifications that have resulted in poorly supported nodes and morphological convergence across clades. Here, we assess the performance of 446 nuclear-plastid-mitochondrial markers derived from an anchored hybrid enrichment approach (AHE) coupled with coalescence- and species network-based inferences to resolve phylogenetic relationships and improve species recognition in the Lepanthes horrida species group. In addition to using orchid-specific probes to increase enrichment efficiency, we improved gene tree resolution by extending standard angiosperm targets into adjacent exons. We found high topological discordance among individual gene trees, suggesting that hybridization/polyploidy may have promoted speciation in the lineage via formation of new hybrid taxa. In addition, we identified ten loci with the highest phylogenetic informativeness values from these genomes. Most previous phylogenetic sampling in the Pleurothallidinae relies on two regions (ITS and matK), therefore, the evaluation of other markers such as those shown here may be useful in future phylogenetic studies in the orchid family. Coalescent-based species tree estimation methods resolved the phylogenetic relationships of the L. horrida species group. The resolution of the phylogenetic estimations was improved with the inclusion of extended anchor targets. This approach produced longer loci with higher discriminative power. These analyses also disclosed two undescribed species, L. amicitiae and L. genetoapophantica, formally described here, which are also supported by morphology. Our study demonstrates the utility of combined genomic evidence to disentangle phylogenetic relationships at very shallow levels of the tree of life, and in clades showing convergent trait evolution. With a fully resolved phylogeny, is it possible to disentangle traits evolving in parallel or convergently across these orchid lineages such as flower color and size from diagnostic traits such as the shape and orientation of the lobes of the petals and lip.

Structure–antioxidant activity relationship of β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes with olive tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein: Deep insights from X-ray analysis, DFT calculation and DPPH assay

Olives and olive oil, a key food type of the Mediterranean diets, are packed with various important polyphenols including oleuropein (OLE), hydroxytyrosol (HTY) and tyrosol (TYR). OLE and HTY are highly powerful antioxidants and play a prime role in the therapeutics of free radical-related diseases. Their molecular stabilities and antioxidant properties can be improved by cyclodextrin (CD) encapsulation. Here, we present a systematic investigation on the inclusion complexes of β-CD–TYR (1), β-CD–HTY (2) and β-CD–OLE (3) by combined single-crystal structure determination, DFT complete-geometry optimization and DPPH antioxidant assay. X-ray analysis and DFT calculation reveal the preference of inclusion geometry with deep protrusion of the aromatic ring moieties of TYR, HTY and OLE from the β-CD O6–H-side, and the common host-guest stabilization scheme via intermolecular O–H⋯O hydrogen bonding interactions. No polyphenol OH group is shielded in the β-CD cavity, in contrast to the structures of β-CD–tea catechins complexes. The established host-guest O–H⋯O hydrogen bonds help to elevate antioxidant capacities of the olive polyphenols upon β-CD encapsulation. The order of antioxidant activity 2 >3 ≫ 1 based on the DPPH measurement is in fair agreement with their relative thermodynamic stabilities derived from DFT calculation.

Revisiting the Anterior Glenoid: An Analysis of the Calcified Cartilage Layer, Capsulolabral Complex, and Glenoid Bone Density

In this cadaveric study, we aim to define the basic anatomy of the anterior glenoid with attention to the relationships of calcified cartilage, capsulolabral complex, and osseous morphology of the anterior glenoid. Seventeen cadaveric glenoid specimens (14 male, 3 female, mean age 53.9 ± 10) were imaged with micro-computed tomography (CT) and embedded in poly-methyl-methacrylate. Specimens were included for final analysis only if the entire glenoid articular cartilage, labrum, capsule, and biceps insertion were pristine and without evidence of injury, degeneration, or damage during the preparation process. Group 1 members (n= 9) were axially sectioned through 3 to 9 o'clock and 4 to 8 o'clock; group 2 members (n= 8) were radially sectioned through 3, 4, 5, and 9 o'clock. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis quantified the percentage of bone within a 5× 2.5mm region at the glenoid rim. Micro-CT, SEM, and light microscopy evaluated the capsulolabral complex and calcified fibrocartilage. A 7 ± 2.1mm region of calcified fibrocartilage at 4 o'clock was identified from the articular face to the medial glenoid neck supporting the overlying capsulolabral footprint and was >3× thicker at the articular attachment (316 ± 153μm) versus the glenoid neck (92 ± 66μm). At 3 to 9 o'clock and 4 to 8 o'clock 79.2% ± 5.4% and 75.2% ± 7.8% of the glenoid osseous width was covered with articular cartilage. The labrum accounted for 13.1% ± 3.4% of the glenoid width at 4 o'clock. SEM analysis demonstrated decreased glenoid bone density at 3, 4, and 5 o'clock (P ≤ .015) and no difference (P=.448) at 9 o'clock versus central subchondral bone. The capsulolabral footprint contributes significantly to the glenoid face, inserts directly adjacent to the articular cartilage, and extends medially along the glenoid neck. A layer of calcified fibrocartilage lies immediately beneath the capsulolabral footprint and is 3× thicker at the articular insertion compared with the glenoid neck. Lastly, there is a bone density gradient at the anterior-inferior rim versus the central subchondral bone. Arthroscopic Bankart repair has been reported to have a significant failure rate in many settings. It is felt that reproducing anatomy with the repair could help improve outcomes. Based on this study's findings, an arthroscopic Bankart technique that most closely reproduces native anatomy and potentially optimizes soft-tissue healing could be performed. This includes removal of 1 to 2mm of articular cartilage from the glenoid face with anchor placement at this location to appropriately reposition the capsulolabral complex.

Cherlin's conjecture for almost simple groups of Lie rank 1

AbstractA permutation group G on a set Ω is said to be binary if, for every n ∈ ℕ and for every I, J ∈ Ωn, the n-tuples I and J are in the same G-orbit if and only if every pair of entries from I is in the same G-orbit to the corresponding pair from J. This notion arises from the investigation of the relational complexity of finite homogeneous structures.Cherlin has conjectured that the only finite primitive binary permutation groups are the symmetric groups Sym(n) with their natural action, the groups of prime order, and the affine groups V ⋊ O(V) where V is a vector space endowed with an anisotropic quadratic form.We prove Cherlin's conjecture, concerning binary primitive permutation groups, for those groups with socle isomorphic to PSL2(q), 2B2(q), 2G2(q) or PSU3(q). Our method uses the notion of a “strongly non-binary action”.

A new rule-based integrated decision making approach to container transshipment terminal selection

ABSTRACTThe choice of the port or terminal to perform transshipment operations is a critical decision for container transportation companies (i.e. shipping line companies). This choice is not only affected by transshipment costs but also by the location, infrastructure, equipment, and technologies of the alternative terminals. In this study, a rule-based integrated multi-criteria group decision making approach is proposed in order to support such complex decision processes which involve substantial uncertainties and subjectivities. The proposed approach involves simple mathematics and provides a flexible modeling approach close to human reasoning that is able to consider uncertain information and relationships of arbitrary complexity. To prioritize the sub-criteria affecting the choice of the most appropriate terminal and to assess alternatives with respect to these sub-criteria, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) based on absolute measurement is used. Then, to determine the most appropriate terminal, a Fuzzy Rule-Based System is developed, which adopts the scores of criteria (i.e. the total scores of sub-criteria) obtained by AHP as input. In order to demonstrate the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed approach, an application is presented for the choice of the most appropriate container transshipment port in Turkey for a shipping line company.