Implementação paralela escalável e eficiente do algoritmo simplex padrão em arquitetura multicore

This work presents a scalable and efficient parallel implementation of the Standard Simplex algorithm in the multicore architecture to solve large scale linear programming problems. We present a general scheme explaining how each step of the standard Simplex algorithm was parallelized, indicating some important points of the parallel implementation. Performance analysis were conducted by comparing the sequential time using the Simplex tableau and the Simplex of the CPLEXR IBM. The experiments were executed on a shared memory machine with 24 cores. The scalability analysis was performed with problems of different dimensions, finding evidence that our parallel standard Simplex algorithm has a better parallel efficiency for problems with more variables than constraints. In comparison with CPLEXR , the proposed parallel algorithm achieved a efficiency of up to 16 times better

Photodynamic Therapy Can Be Effective as a Treatment for Herpes Simplex Labialis

Background Data and Objective: Herpes is a common infectious disease that is caused by human herpesviruses. Several treatments have been proposed, but none of them prevent reactivation of the virus. This article describes the use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) as a treatment for herpes lesions, and reports on four cases. Materials and Methods: PDT was used as an adjuvant therapy for the treatment of herpes labialis in four patients. A special type of 0.01% (m/V) of methylene blue solution was applied to the vesicular stage of herpesviral disease and the lesions were irradiated with laser energy (wavelength 660 nm, energy density 120 J/cm(2), output power of 40 mW, 2 min per point, 4.8 J of energy/point, at four points). After 24 h the patients returned and phototherapy was repeated with the same equipment, this time with 3.8 J/cm(2) and 15 mW, for a total dose of 0.6 J. The same procedure was repeated 72 h and 1 wk later. Results: Treatment with low-level laser therapy can be considered as an option in the treatment of herpes labialis, and decreases the frequency of vesicle recurrence and provides comfort for patients. No significant acute side effects were noted and the lesions healed rapidly. Conclusion: Treatment of herpes labialis with PDT was effective, had no side effects, and when associated with laser phototherapy, accelerated the healing process.

Low- and High-Intensity Lasers in the Treatment of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Infection

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is one of the most common viral infections of the human being. Although most of the seropositive persons do not manifest symptoms, infected individuals may present recurrent infections, characterized by cold sores. HSV-1 infection can result in potentially harmful complications in some patients, especially in those with compromised immunity. We report a clinical case of a patient with severe oral HSV-1 infection in the lower lip. The treatment of the lesions with the association of high-intensity (erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet, 2.94 mu m, 80 mJ/pulse, 2-4 Hz) and low-intensity (indium gallium aluminum phosphide, 660 nm, 3.8 J/cm(2), 10mW) lasers has not been reported in the literature. During treatment, no systemic or topical medication was used. Pain sensitivity was completely gone after the first irradiation with the low-intensity laser. During the healing process, lesions were traumatized twice, on the days 4 and 7. Even though the lesions were completely healed within 10 days.

A hybrid Particle Swarm Optimization - Simplex algorithm (PSOS) for structural damage identification

This study proposes a new PSOS-model based damage identification procedure using frequency domain data. The formulation of the objective function for the minimization problem is based on the Frequency Response Functions (FRFs) of the system. A novel strategy for the control of the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) parameters based on the Nelder-Mead algorithm (Simplex method) is presented; consequently, the convergence of the PSOS becomes independent of the heuristic constants and its stability and confidence are enhanced. The formulated hybrid method performs better in different benchmark functions than the Simulated Annealing (SA) and the basic PSO (PSO(b)). Two damage identification problems, taking into consideration the effects of noisy and incomplete data, were studied: first, a 10-bar truss and second, a cracked free-free beam, both modeled with finite elements. In these cases, the damage location and extent were successfully determined. Finally, a non-linear oscillator (Duffing oscillator) was identified by PSOS providing good results. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

A novel mutation in the L12 domain of keratin 5 in the Kobner variant of epidermolysis bullosa simplex

We have identified a novel mutation within the linker L12 region of keratin 5 (K5) in a family with the Kobner variant of epidermolysis bullosa simplex. The pattern of inheritance of the disorder in this family is consistent with an autosomal dominant mode of transmission. Affected individuals develop extensive and generalized blistering at birth or early infancy but in later years clinical manifestations are largely confined to palmo-plantar surfaces. Direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction products revealed a T to C transition within codon 323 of K5 in affected individuals, resulting in a valine to alanine substitution of the seventh residue within the L12 linker domain. This mutation was not observed in unaffected family members or in 100 K5 alleles of unrelated individuals with normal skin. The other critical regions of K5 and K14 were unremarkable in this family except for common polymorphisms that have been previously described. The valine at position 7 of the L12 domain is absolutely conserved in all type II keratins, and in other intermediate filament subunits as well, which suggests that this residue makes an important contribution to filament integrity. Secondary structure analysis revealed that alanine at this position markedly reduces both the hydrophobicity and the beta-sheet nature of the L12 domain. This is the first report of a mutation at this position in an intermediate filament subunit and reinforces the importance of this region to filament biology.

Increased number and function of natural killer cells in human immunodeficiency virus 1-positive subjects co-infected with herpes simplex virus 2

P>Natural killer (NK) cells bridge the interface between innate and adaptive immunity and are implicated in the control of herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) infection. In subjects infected with human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1), the critical impact of the innate immune response on disease progression has recently come into focus. Higher numbers of NK cells are associated with lower HIV-1 plasma viraemia. Individuals with the compound genotype of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) 3DS1 and human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-Bw4-80I, or who have alleles of KIR3DL1 that encode proteins highly expressed on the NK cell surface, have a significant delay in disease progression. We studied the effect of HSV-2 co-infection in HIV-1-infected subjects, and show that HSV-2 co-infection results in a pan-lymphocytosis, with elevated absolute numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and NK cells. The NK cells in HSV-2 co-infected subjects functioned more efficiently, with an increase in degranulation after in vitro stimulation. The number of NK cells expressing the activating receptors NKp30 and NKp46, and expressing KIR3DL1 or KIR3DS1, was inversely correlated with HIV-1 plasma viral load in subjects mono-infected with HIV-1, but not in subjects co-infected with HSV-2. This suggests that HSV-2 infection mediates changes within the NK cell population that may affect immunity in HIV-1 infection.

Hemorrhagic Cystitis Secondary to Adenovirus or Herpes Simplex Virus Infection Following Renal Transplantation: Four Case Reports

Viral infections are common complications following renal transplantation. However, there have been few reported cases of viral cystitis secondary to herpes simplex virus or adenovirus infection. Herein, we have reported four cases of hemorrhagic cystitis secondary to infections with herpes simplex virus and adenovirus following renal transplantation. The etiology was adenovirus in three cases and herpes simplex virus in the remaining case. In all four cases, the primary cause of the renal dysfunction was diabetic nephropathy. All four patients presented with a clinical profile characterized by dysuria, pollakiuria, macroscopic hematuria, and graft dysfunction. Three of the four patients developed these symptoms within the first 3 months after renal transplantation. In all four cases, there was an increase, albeit slight, in creatinine levels, which returned to normal or near-normal values upon resolution of the symptoms. Acute cellular rejection was observed in only one case. Although rare, hemorrhagic cystitis secondary to infection, which typically occurs early in the posttransplant period, causes pronounced symptoms. The infection appears to be self-limiting, resolving completely within 4 weeks.

Preliminary comparison of three lightcycler pcr assays for the detection of herpes simplex virus in swab specimens

Three Herpes Simplex Virus LightCycler polymerase chain reaction assays were compared for the detection of herpes simplex virus in 48 swab specimens. The assays comprised of one in-house assay and two commercial kits: the Artus HSV LC RealArt PCR kit and the Roche LightCycler HSV 1/2 Detection kit. On the whole, the three assays had comparable sensitivities. However, differentiation of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 by melting curve analysis was problematic in all assays. Overall, the results highlight the limitations of typing herpes simplex virus by melting curve analysis.

Alinhamento estrat??gico do Censipam: parceria, efici??ncia e efic??cia na gest??o p??blica

O Centro Gestor e Operacional do Sistema de Prote????o da Amaz??nia (Censipam) desenvolveu, com o apoio t??cnico do Departamento de Programas de Gest??o da Secretaria de Gest??o do Minist??rio do Planejamento Or??amento e Gest??o, o seu alinhamento estrat??gico. Essa atividade abrangeu desde a auto-avalia????o da gest??o e a an??lise dos ambientes interno e externo at?? a defini????o e an??lise de consist??ncia dos componentes estrat??gicos e finalizou-se com a defini????o, a implementa????o e o monitoramento do Plano de Melhoria da Gest??o, denominado de Plano de A????o do Censipam ??? PAS 2005/2006. Para a implementa????o e monitoramento do plano, a equipe do Censipam desenvolveu planilhas eletr??nicas, em software comercial largamente utilizado, que permitem o cadastro, o envio das informa????es e a gera????o autom??tica de relat??rios sobre o desenvolvimento das a????es e do plano. Esta experi??ncia mostra que podem ser desenvolvidas e implementadas solu????es simples, com o apoio t??cnico especializado de ??rg??os do pr??prio governo, utilizando-se tecnologias e recursos dispon??veis, para melhorar a efic??cia e efici??ncia da gest??o dos ??rg??os p??blicos, bastando, para tanto, decis??o e apoio institucionais

Coordena????o federativa como instrumento de promo????o da efici??ncia e efetividade na implementa????o de pol??ticas p??blicas

O trabalho est?? estruturado em quatro cap??tulos, seguidos de conclus??o. No primeiro, aborda-se o enfoque federalista como alternativa para a compreens??o dos problemas de coordena????o inter-governamental no campo das pol??ticas p??blicas. O segundo trata de forma resumida da coordena????o entre n??veis de governo sob o prisma da teoria do federalismo fiscal. O terceiro, tenta estabelecer um referencial para se pensar os problemas de coordena????o inter-governamental dentro do campo das pol??ticas de gest??o p??blica. O quarto e ??ltimo cap??tulo aborda a experi??ncia pr??tica de formula????o e de coordena????o do PNAGE e do PROMOEX.

A reforma administrativa da Nova Zel??ndia nos anos 80-90: controle estrat??gico, efici??ncia gerencial e accountability

O artigo discute o processo de reforma administrativa implementada na Nova Zel??ndia a partir de 1984, com a chegada do Partido Trabalhista ao poder, abordando seus principais desdobramentos nos anos 90. Parte de uma apresenta????o do modelo administrativo em vigor na Nova Zel??ndia antes das reformas empreendidas em 1984, delimitando dessa forma o quadro referencial para comparar a situa????o anterior com a atual, de maneira que proporcione uma avalia????o sobre os impactos das medidas empreendidas. Em seguida, apresenta uma descri????o dos objetivos e princ??pios norteadores da reforma tais como, separa????o das fun????es comerciais das n??o-comerciais; separa????o entre as fun????es administrativas e de assessoria; princ??pio do ???quem usa paga???, user pays; transpar??ncia na concess??o de subs??dios; neutralidade competitiva, descentraliza????o e aumento do poder discricion??rio do administrador; melhoramento da accountability, entre outros. A seguir, s??o apresentadas as principais medidas empreendidas pelo governo trabalhista entre 1984 e 1990, dando ??nfase ?? metodologia adotada para a implementa????o e accountability dos contratos de gest??o firmados entre os executivos- chefe e os ministros. Posteriormente, o autor apresenta as modifica????es introduzidas nas regras de contrata????o de pessoal no servi??o p??blico neozeland??s e, de um modo mais geral, na pol??tica de recursos humanos. Finalmente, ?? tra??ado um perfil da situa????o atual da Nova Zel??ndia, bem como ?? feita a apresenta????o sucinta daqueles que o autor considera como sendo os ???suportes conceituais da reforma???: o movimento gerencialista, a teoria do Public Choice e a teoria Principal-Agente.

Burocracia, efici??ncia e modelos de gest??o p??blica: um ensaio

Este artigo apresenta diferentes vis??es sobre burocracia e efici??ncia, fazendo o contraponto com alguns modelos de gest??o p??blica, tais como o tradicional ou ortodoxo, o liberal e o chamado empreendedorismo estatal. Discute o relacionamento entre burocracia e efici??ncia, com um exemplo extra??do do gerencialismo brit??nico, orientador de reformas administrativas em diversos pa??ses. Elenca algumas quest??es recorrentes, que norteiam diversos modelos de gest??o p??blica em sua busca por efici??ncia e que t??m indiscut??vel import??ncia no ??mbito da administra????o p??blica.

An??lise da efici??ncia relativa dos programas de p??s-gradua????o acad??micos em administra????o, contabilidade e turismo

O objetivo deste artigo ?? apresentar um modelo alternativo de an??lise da efici??ncia dos programas de p??s-gradua????o acad??micos em Administra????o, Contabilidade e Turismo, vinculados ??s institui????es de ensino superior p??blicas e privadas. O estudo tem como base te??rica a efici??ncia e a otimiza????o de recursos, tomando como refer??ncia a maximiza????o do retorno, sujeito ??s limita????es de recursos. Como modelo anal??tico foi utilizada a An??lise Envolt??ria de Dados (DEA), enquanto t??cnica n??o param??trica de an??lise da efici??ncia relativa. Os resultados apontaram que os programas de p??s-gradua????o foram mais eficientes em 2006, seguido por 2004 e 2005, respectivamente. Notou- se ainda que, em m??dia, os programas vinculados ??s institui????es privadas de ensino foram mais eficientes que os da rede p??blica no tri??nio 2004/2006. Os gestores desses programas podem utilizar a an??lise da efici??ncia relativa como estrat??gia de benchmarking, adotando as melhores pr??ticas observadas nos programas eficientes, visando ?? maximiza????o da efici??ncia em sua gest??o.