Lexical Functions For Ants Based Semantic Analysis.

Semantic analysis (SA) is a central operation in natural language processing. We can consider it as the resolution of 5 problems: lexical ambiguity, references, prepositional attachments, interpretative paths and lexical functions instanciation

Roles of polymorphisms and expression of genes coding for chemokines CX3C ligand 1 and CXC ligand 16 and their receptors in the development and progression of multiple sclerosis in Serbia

Multipla skleroza je hroniĉna inflamatorna, autoimunska, demijelinizaciona i neurodegenerativna bolest centralnog nervnog sistema (CNS-a). Hemokini i njihovi receptori predstavljaju znaĉajne medijatore inflamacije koji uĉestvuju u patogenezi odreĊenih hroniĉnih inflamatornih i autoimunskih bolesti meĊu kojima je i multipla skleroza. Ciljni hemokini u ovoj studiji, CX3C ligand 1 (CX3CL1) i CXC ligand 16 (CXCL16), specifiĉni su po tome što postoje u dve forme - kao transmembranski adhezivni molekuli i kao solubilni hemoatraktanti koji nastaju nakon proteolitiĉkog seĉenja vanćelijskih hemokinskih domena njihovih transmembranskih formi. U toku inflamatornog odgovora, na membrani endotelnih vaskularnih ćelija eksprimirani su CX3CL1 i CXCL16, a na membrani leukocita receptori za CX3CL1 (CX3CR1) i CXCL16 (CXCR6), te ovi hemokini i njihovi receptori posreduju u prodiranju leukocita iz krvi u tkivo zahvaćeno inflamacijom, podsticanjem hemotaksije i adhezije leukocita za aktivirani endotel krvnog suda. Ova studija obuhvata genetsko-epidemiološku analizu polimorfizama zamena pojedinaĉnih nukleotida u kodirajućim regionima gena, koje rezultuju zamenama aminokiselina. To su polimorfizmi V249I i T280M u genu za CX3CR1, i I123T i A181V u genu za CXCL16. U prethodnim studijama je pokazano da ovi genski polimorfizmi menjaju funkcionalna svojstva CX3CR1 i CXCL16, kao i da su asocirani sa patogenezom odreĊenih hroniĉnih inflamatornih bolesti. Uzimajući to u obzir, ova studija je imala za cilj da po prvi put ispita asocijaciju navedenih polimorfizama u genima za CX3CR1 i CXCL16 sa nastankom i progresijom multiple skleroze. Primenom alel-specifiĉne PCR metode i PIRA PCR-RFLP metode detektovani su genotipovi polimorfizama V249I i T280M u genu za CX3CR1, kod zdravih kontrola i pacijenata sa multiplom sklerozom. UtvrĊeno je da haplotip I249T280 u genu za CX3CR1 ima znaĉajno veću uĉestalost kod pacijenata sa relapsno-remitentnom (RR) formom, u odnosu na pacijente sa sekundarno-progresivnom (SP) formom multiple skleroze, što znaĉi da ovaj haplotip ima protektivni efekat na progresiju RR u SP formu bolesti...Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory, autoimmune, demyelinating and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Chemokines and their receptors are important mediators of inflammation, which are involved in pathogenesis of certain chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis. Chemokines of interest in this study, CX3C ligand 1 (CX3CL1) and CXC ligand 16 (CXCL16), are specific in that they can exist either as transmembrane adhesion molecules or soluble chemoattractants being generated by proteolytic cleavage of their transmembrane forms’ extracellular domains. During the inflammatory response, CX3CL1 and CXCL16 are expressed on the surface of vascular endothelium, while the leukocytes produce membrane receptors for CX3CL1 (CX3CR1) and CXCL16 (CXCR6). Therefore, these chemokines and their receptors mediate the infiltration of leukocytes from blood into the inflamed tissue areas, by stimulation of both chemotaxis and adhesion of leukocytes to the activated endothelium of blood vessels. This study is based on genetic epidemiological analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms, which are located in the coding regions of genes and result in amino acids’ substitutions. These are V249I and T280M substitutions in the gene coding for CX3CR1, and I123T and A181V substitutions in the gene coding for CXCL16. In previous studies these polymorphisms have been associated with the functional properties of CX3CR1 and CXCL16 as well as the pathogenesis of certain chronic inflammatory diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association of the polymorphisms in CX3CR1 and CXCL16 genes with the development and progression of multiple sclerosis. Using the allele-specific PCR and PIRA PCR-RFLP methods, genotypes of CX3CR1 V249I and T280M polymorphisms were detected in healthy controls and patients with multiple sclerosis. Following statistical analysis showed significantly higher frequency of CX3CR1 I249T280 haplotype in patients with relapsingremitting (RR) form, compared to patients with secondary-progressive (SP) form of multiple sclerosis, so this haplotype had a protective effect on progression of RR to SP form of the disease..

Contribution to the development of efficient algorithms for solving complex single-objective and multi-objective optimization models

L’optimització en enginyeria de processos és un àrea molt estesa que ha anat evolucionant al llarg del temps i ha passat de ser una metodologia d'interès purament acadèmic a una tecnologia que té, i que contínua tenint, gran impacte en la indústria. En aquesta tesi ens hem centrat en el desenvolupament mètodes basats en dues eines típiques d'optimització: programació matemàtica i metaheurístiques. Els objectius d'aquesta tesi són: el primer és desenvolupar una metaheuristica híbrida per a l'optimització del disseny de cadenes de subministrament, d'un sol objectiu (cost o benefici), on tots els paràmetres són coneguts a priori; el segon és desenvolupar un algorisme efectiu per a reducció d'objectius facilitant la resolució de problemes multi-objectiu; i finalment s'han implementat una sèrie de millores en el mètode de la restricció èpsilon per millorar l'eficiència en la resolució de problemes multi-objectiu. Tots els algorismes presentats han estat comparats i avaluats amb els mètodes establerts per la literatura.La optimización en ingeniería de procesos es un área muy extensa que ha ido evolucionando a lo largo del tiempo y ha pasado de ser una metodología de interés puramente académico a una tecnología que tiene, y que continua teniendo, gran impacto en la industria. En esta tesis nos hemos centrado en el desarrollo de métodos basados en dos herramientas típicas de optimización: programación matemática y metaheurísticas. Los objetivos de esta tesis son: el primero es desarrollar una metaheuristica híbrida para la optimización del diseño de cadenas de suministro, de un solo objetivo (coste o beneficio), donde todos los parámetros son conocidos a priori; el segundo es desarrollar un algoritmo efectivo para la reducción de objetivos facilitando la resolución de problemas multi-objetivo; y finalmente se han implementado una serie de mejoras en el método de la restricción epsilon para mejorar la eficiencia en la resolución de problemas multi-objetivo. Todos los algoritmos presentados han sido comparados y evaluados con los métodos establecidos por la literatura.Optimization has become a major area in process systems engineering. It has evolved from a methodology of academic interest into a technology that has and continues to make significant impact in industry. In this thesis we have focused on development of tools based on two standard optimization methods: mathematical programming and metaheuristics. The objectives of this thesis are: firstly, the development of a hybrid metaheuristic for optimizing the design of supply chains, single objective (cost or benefit), where all parameters are known previously; secondly, the development of an effective algorithm for objective reduction facilitating the resolution of multi-objective problems; and finally, we improved the epsilon-constraint algorithm in multi-objective optimization. All the algorithms presented have been assessed with the methods established in the literature

Multi-Agent Modeling for Integrated Process Planning and Scheduling

Multi-agent systems have been used for modelling various problems in the social, biological and technical domain. When comes to technical systems, especially manufacturing systems, agents are most often applied in optimization and scheduling problems. Traditionally, scheduling is done after creation of process plans. In this paper, agent methodology is used for integration of these two functions. The proposed multi-agent architecture provides simultaneous performance of process planning and scheduling and it consists of four intelligent agents: part and job agents, machine agent, and optimization agent. Verification and feasibility of a proposed approach is conducted using agent based simulation in AnyLogic software

Multi-Agent Modeling for Integrated Process Planning and Scheduling

Multi-agent systems have been used for modelling various problems in the social, biological and technical domain. When comes to technical systems, especially manufacturing systems, agents are most often applied in optimization and scheduling problems. Traditionally, scheduling is done after creation of process plans. In this paper, agent methodology is used for integration of these two functions. The proposed multi-agent architecture provides simultaneous performance of process planning and scheduling and it consists of four intelligent agents: part and job agents, machine agent, and optimization agent. Verification and feasibility of a proposed approach is conducted using agent based simulation in AnyLogic software