This book presents a study of the most important methods of image segmentation and how they are extended and improved using metaheuristic algorithms. The segmentation approaches selected have been extensively applied to the task of segmentation (especially in thresholding), and have also been implemented using various metaheuristics and hybridization techniques leading to a broader understanding of how image segmentation problems can be solved from an optimization perspective. The field of image processing is constantly changing due to the extensive integration of cameras in devices; for example, smart phones and cars now have embedded cameras. The images have to be accurately analyzed, and crucial pre-processing steps, like image segmentation, and artificial intelligence, including metaheuristics, are applied in the automatic analysis of digital images. Metaheuristic algorithms have also been used in various fields of science and technology as the demand for new methods designed to solve complex optimization problems increases. This didactic book is primarily intended for undergraduate and postgraduate students of science, engineering, and computational mathematics. It is also suitable for courses such as artificial intelligence, advanced image processing, and computational intelligence. The material is also useful for researches in the fields of evolutionary computation, artificial intelligence, and image processing.

This book concentrates on real-world production scheduling in factories and industrial settings. It includes industry case studies that use innovative techniques as well as academic research results that can be used to improve production scheduling. Its purpose is to present scheduling principles, advanced tools, and examples of innovative scheduling systems to persons who could use this information to improve their own production scheduling.

From the Preface: Collectively, the chapters in this book address application domains including inpatient and outpatient services, public health networks, supply chain management, and resource constrained settings in developing countries. Many of the chapters provide specific examples or case studies illustrating the applications of operations research methods across the globe, including Africa, Australia, Belgium, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Chapters 1-4 review operations research methods that are most commonly applied to health care operations management including: queuing, simulation, and mathematical programming. Chapters 5-7 address challenges related to inpatient services in hospitals such as surgery, intensive care units, and hospital wards. Chapters 8-10 cover outpatient services, the fastest growing part of many health systems, and describe operations research models for primary and specialty care services, and how to plan for patient no-shows. Chapters 12 – 16 cover topics related to the broader integration of health services in the context of public health, including optimizing the location of emergency vehicles, planning for mass vaccination events, and the coordination among different parts of a health system. Chapters 17-18 address supply chain management within hospitals, with a focus on pharmaceutical supply management, and the challenges of managing inventory for nursing units. Finally, Chapters 19-20 provide examples of important and emerging research in the realm of humanitarian logistics.

Chemical Engineering Design, Second Edition, deals with the application of chemical engineering principles to the design of chemical processes and equipment. Revised throughout, this edition has been specifically developed for the U.S. market. It provides the latest US codes and standards, including API, ASME and ISA design codes and ANSI standards. It contains new discussions of conceptual plant design, flowsheet development, and revamp design; extended coverage of capital cost estimation, process costing, and economics; and new chapters on equipment selection, reactor design, and solids handling processes. A rigorous pedagogy assists learning, with detailed worked examples, end of chapter exercises, plus supporting data, and Excel spreadsheet calculations, plus over 150 Patent References for downloading from the companion website. Extensive instructor resources, including 1170 lecture slides and a fully worked solutions manual are available to adopting instructors. This text is designed for chemical and biochemical engineering students (senior undergraduate year, plus appropriate for capstone design courses where taken, plus graduates) and lecturers/tutors, and professionals in industry (chemical process, biochemical, pharmaceutical, petrochemical sectors). New to this edition: - Revised organization into Part I: Process Design, and Part II: Plant Design. The broad themes of Part I are flowsheet development, economic analysis, safety and environmental impact and optimization. Part II contains chapters on equipment design and selection that can be used as supplements to a lecture course or as essential references for students or practicing engineers working on design projects. - New discussion of conceptual plant design, flowsheet development and revamp design - Significantly increased coverage of capital cost estimation, process costing and economics - New chapters on equipment selection, reactor design and solids handling processes - New sections on fermentation, adsorption, membrane separations, ion exchange and chromatography - Increased coverage of batch processing, food, pharmaceutical and biological processes - All equipment chapters in Part II revised and updated with current information - Updated throughout for latest US codes and standards, including API, ASME and ISA design codes and ANSI standards - Additional worked examples and homework problems - The most complete and up to date coverage of equipment selection - 108 realistic commercial design projects from diverse industries - A rigorous pedagogy assists learning, with detailed worked examples, end of chapter exercises, plus supporting data and Excel spreadsheet calculations plus over 150 Patent References, for downloading from the companion website - Extensive instructor resources: 1170 lecture slides plus fully worked solutions manual available to adopting instructors