Metaheuristics for the bus-driver scheduling problem

We present new metaheuristics for solving real crew scheduling problemsin a public transportation bus company. Since the crews of thesecompanies are drivers, we will designate the problem by the bus-driverscheduling problem. Crew scheduling problems are well known and severalmathematical programming based techniques have been proposed to solvethem, in particular using the set-covering formulation. However, inpractice, there exists the need for improvement in terms of computationalefficiency and capacity of solving large-scale instances. Moreover, thereal bus-driver scheduling problems that we consider can present variantaspects of the set covering, as for example a different objectivefunction, implying that alternative solutions methods have to bedeveloped. We propose metaheuristics based on the following approaches:GRASP (greedy randomized adaptive search procedure), tabu search andgenetic algorithms. These metaheuristics also present some innovationfeatures based on and genetic algorithms. These metaheuristics alsopresent some innovation features based on the structure of the crewscheduling problem, that guide the search efficiently and able them tofind good solutions. Some of these new features can also be applied inthe development of heuristics to other combinatorial optimizationproblems. A summary of computational results with real-data problems ispresented.

Adaptive dynamics and the implementation problem with complete information

This paper studies the equilibrating process of several implementationmechanisms using naive adaptive dynamics. We show that the dynamics convergeand are stable, for the canonical mechanism of implementation in Nash equilibrium.In this way we cast some doubt on the criticism of ``complexity'' commonlyused against this mechanism. For mechanisms that use more refined equilibrium concepts,the dynamics converge but are not stable. Some papers in the literatureon implementation with refined equilibrium concepts have claimed that themechanisms they propose are ``simple'' and implement ``everything'' (incontrast with the canonical mechanism). The fact that some of these ``simple''mechanisms have unstable equilibria suggests that these statements shouldbe interpreted with some caution.

Subset correspondence analysis: Visualizing relationships among a selected set of response categories from a questionnaire survey

It is shown how correspondence analysis may be applied to a subset of response categories from a questionnaire survey, for example the subset of undecided responses or the subset of responses for a particular category. The idea is to maintain the original relative frequencies of the categories and not re-express them relative to totals within the subset, as would normally be done in a regular correspondence analysis of the subset. Furthermore, the masses and chi-square metric assigned to the data subset are the same as those in the correspondence analysis of the whole data set. This variant of the method, called Subset Correspondence Analysis, is illustrated on data from the ISSP survey on Family and Changing Gender Roles.

Taking "Galton's problem" Seriously : Towards a Theory of Policy Diffusion

This article builds on the recent policy diffusion literature and attempts to overcome one of its major problems, namely the lack of a coherent theoretical framework. The literature defines policy diffusion as a process where policy choices are interdependent, and identifies several diffusion mechanisms that specify the link between the policy choices of the various actors. As these mechanisms are grounded in different theories, theoretical accounts of diffusion currently have little internal coherence. In this article we put forward an expected-utility model of policy change that is able to subsume all the diffusion mechanisms. We argue that the expected utility of a policy depends on both its effectiveness and the payoffs it yields, and we show that the various diffusion mechanisms operate by altering these two parameters. Each mechanism affects one of the two parameters, and does so in distinct ways. To account for aggregate patterns of diffusion, we embed our model in a simple threshold model of diffusion. Given the high complexity of the process that results, strong analytical conclusions on aggregate patterns cannot be drawn without more extensive analysis which is beyond the scope of this article. However, preliminary considerations indicate that a wide range of diffusion processes may exist and that convergence is only one possible outcome.

Thyroid hormone enhances transected axonal regeneration and muscle reinnervation following rat sciatic nerve injury.

Improvement of nerve regeneration and functional recovery following nerve injury is a challenging problem in clinical research. We have already shown that following rat sciatic nerve transection, the local administration of triiodothyronine (T3) significantly increased the number and the myelination of regenerated axons. Functional recovery is a sum of the number of regenerated axons and reinnervation of denervated peripheral targets. In the present study, we investigated whether the increased number of regenerated axons by T3-treatment is linked to improved reinnervation of hind limb muscles. After transection of rat sciatic nerves, silicone or biodegradable nerve guides were implanted and filled with either T3 or phosphate buffer solution (PBS). Neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) were analyzed on gastrocnemius and plantar muscle sections stained with rhodamine alpha-bungarotoxin and neurofilament antibody. Four weeks after surgery, most end-plates (EPs) of operated limbs were still denervated and no effect of T3 on muscle reinnervation was detected at this stage of nerve repair. In contrast, after 14 weeks of nerve regeneration, T3 clearly enhanced the reinnervation of gastrocnemius and plantar EPs, demonstrated by significantly higher recovery of size and shape complexity of reinnervated EPs and also by increased acetylcholine receptor (AChRs) density on post synaptic membranes compared to PBS-treated EPs. The stimulating effect of T3 on EP reinnervation is confirmed by a higher index of compound muscle action potentials recorded in gastrocnemius muscles. In conclusion, our results provide for the first time strong evidence that T3 enhances the restoration of NMJ structure and improves synaptic transmission.

Parâmetros erosividade da chuva e da enxurrada correlacionados com as perdas de solo de um solo Bruno Não-Cálcico Vértico em Sumé (PB)

Foram estudadas correlações lineares simples entre os parâmetros erosividade da chuva e da enxurrada e as perdas de solo provocadas por chuvas erosivas num solo Bruno Não-Cálcico Vértico. Os dados correspondentes aos anos de 1986-1990 foram obtidos na estação experimental de Sumé (PB), pertencente à Universidade Federal da Paraíba-UFPB. Os parâmetros erosividade da chuva e da enxurrada estudados foram: (a) altura total da chuva (P), em mm; (b) intensidades máximas (In), ocorridas nos tempos de 5; 10; 15; 20; 25; 30; 35; 40; 45; 50; 55; 60 e 120 minutos, respectivamente, em mm h-1; (c) energia cinética total, pelo método de Wischmeier e Smith (Ec) e pelo método de Wagner e Massambani (EcW), em MJ ha-1; (d) somatório da energia cinética de intensidades superior a 10 mm h-1 (Ec > 10 e EcW > 10) em MJ ha-1; (e) somatório da energia cinética de intensidades superior a 25 mm h-1 (Ec > 25 e EcW > 25), em MJ ha-1; (f) produtos da energia cinética total pelas intensidades máximas de chuva em intervalos crescentes de tempo (EIn), ou seja: EI5; EI10; EI15; EI20; EI25; EI30; EIW30; EI35; EI40; EI45; EI50; EI55; EI60 e EI120, em MJ mm ha-1 h-1; (g) produtos da altura total da chuva pelas intensidades máximas das chuvas em intervalos crescentes de tempo (PIn), ou seja: PI5; PI10; PI15; PI20; PI25; PI30; PI35; PI40; PI45; PI50; PI55; PI60 e PI120, em mm² h-1, e (h) volume de enxurrada (Vu), em m³. O parâmetro volume de enxurrada (Vu) foi o que melhor estimou (r = 0,812) as perdas de solo em Sumé (PB). Dentre os parâmetros erosividade da chuva, o que melhor se correlacionou com as perdas de solo foi o parâmetro PI25 (r = 0,753). As equações de Wischmeier & Smith e de Wagner & Massambani, utilizadas no cálculo da energia cinética total da chuva, apresentaram o mesmo grau de precisão na estimativa das perdas de solo.

Efeito do desmatamento da caatinga sobre as perdas de solo e água de um Luvissolo em Sumé (PB)

Foram estudados os efeitos do desmatamento da caatinga sobre as perdas de solo e água provocadas por chuvas erosivas num Luvissolo. Os dados relativos aos anos de 1983-1990 foram obtidos na Estação Experimental de Sumé (PB), pertencente à Universidade Federal da Paraíba - UFPB. Os tratamentos consistiram de duas parcelas desmatadas, uma parcela com caatinga nativa, uma parcela com caatinga nova, duas macroparcelas com caatinga nativa e duas macroparcelas desmatadas. Nas parcelas desmatadas, as perdas de solo foram de 61,7 e 47,7 t ha-1 e as perdas de água de 224,2 e 241,0 mm. A parcela com caatinga nativa, quando comparada com a parcela desmatada, reduziu a perda de solo em cerca de 98% e a perda de água em torno de 73%. Nas macroparcelas desmatadas foram observadas perdas anuais de solo de 31 e 26 t ha-1 e de água de 151,3 e 131,5 mm. Nas macroparcelas com caatinga, houve uma redução de aproximadamente 99% das perdas de solo e 90% das perdas de água, em relação às macroparcelas desmatadas.

Dispersal probability distributions and the wave-front speed problem

The speed and width of front solutions to reaction-dispersal models are analyzed both analytically and numerically. We perform our analysis for Laplace and Gaussian distribution kernels, both for delayed and nondelayed models. The results are discussed in terms of the characteristic parameters of the models

Zum Problem der Übersetzung von Gedichten : auch vom Gesichtspunkt des Computers

Abstract

Genome-wide association study of blood pressure extremes identifies variant near UMOD associated with hypertension.

Hypertension is a heritable and major contributor to the global burden of disease. The sum of rare and common genetic variants robustly identified so far explain only 1%-2% of the population variation in BP and hypertension. This suggests the existence of more undiscovered common variants. We conducted a genome-wide association study in 1,621 hypertensive cases and 1,699 controls and follow-up validation analyses in 19,845 cases and 16,541 controls using an extreme case-control design. We identified a locus on chromosome 16 in the 5' region of Uromodulin (UMOD; rs13333226, combined P value of 3.6×10(-11)). The minor G allele is associated with a lower risk of hypertension (OR [95%CI]: 0.87 [0.84-0.91]), reduced urinary uromodulin excretion, better renal function; and each copy of the G allele is associated with a 7.7% reduction in risk of CVD events after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and smoking status (H.R. = 0.923, 95% CI 0.860-0.991; p = 0.027). In a subset of 13,446 individuals with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) measurements, we show that rs13333226 is independently associated with hypertension (unadjusted for eGFR: 0.89 [0.83-0.96], p = 0.004; after eGFR adjustment: 0.89 [0.83-0.96], p = 0.003). In clinical functional studies, we also consistently show the minor G allele is associated with lower urinary uromodulin excretion. The exclusive expression of uromodulin in the thick portion of the ascending limb of Henle suggests a putative role of this variant in hypertension through an effect on sodium homeostasis. The newly discovered UMOD locus for hypertension has the potential to give new insights into the role of uromodulin in BP regulation and to identify novel drugable targets for reducing cardiovascular risk.

Note on the blocking flow shop problem

We present some results attained with different algorithms for the Fm|block|Cmax problem using as experimental data the well-known Taillard instances.

Three-dimensional ordered-subset expectation maximization iterative protocol for evaluation of left ventricular volumes and function by quantitative gated SPECT: a dynamic phantom study.

The purposes of this study were to characterize the performance of a 3-dimensional (3D) ordered-subset expectation maximization (OSEM) algorithm in the quantification of left ventricular (LV) function with (99m)Tc-labeled agent gated SPECT (G-SPECT), the QGS program, and a beating-heart phantom and to optimize the reconstruction parameters for clinical applications. METHODS: A G-SPECT image of a dynamic heart phantom simulating the beating left ventricle was acquired. The exact volumes of the phantom were known and were as follows: end-diastolic volume (EDV) of 112 mL, end-systolic volume (ESV) of 37 mL, and stroke volume (SV) of 75 mL; these volumes produced an LV ejection fraction (LVEF) of 67%. Tomographic reconstructions were obtained after 10-20 iterations (I) with 4, 8, and 16 subsets (S) at full width at half maximum (FWHM) gaussian postprocessing filter cutoff values of 8-15 mm. The QGS program was used for quantitative measurements. RESULTS: Measured values ranged from 72 to 92 mL for EDV, from 18 to 32 mL for ESV, and from 54 to 63 mL for SV, and the calculated LVEF ranged from 65% to 76%. Overall, the combination of 10 I, 8 S, and a cutoff filter value of 10 mm produced the most accurate results. The plot of the measures with respect to the expectation maximization-equivalent iterations (I x S product) revealed a bell-shaped curve for the LV volumes and a reverse distribution for the LVEF, with the best results in the intermediate range. In particular, FWHM cutoff values exceeding 10 mm affected the estimation of the LV volumes. CONCLUSION: The QGS program is able to correctly calculate the LVEF when used in association with an optimized 3D OSEM algorithm (8 S, 10 I, and FWHM of 10 mm) but underestimates the LV volumes. However, various combinations of technical parameters, including a limited range of I and S (80-160 expectation maximization-equivalent iterations) and low cutoff values (< or =10 mm) for the gaussian postprocessing filter, produced results with similar accuracies and without clinically relevant differences in the LV volumes and the estimated LVEF.