A Redesigned Benders Decomposition Approach for Large-Scale In-Transit Freight Consolidation Operations

The growth in online shopping and third party logistics has caused a revival of interest in finding optimal solutions to the large scale in-transit freight consolidation problem. Given the shipment date, size, origin, destination, and due dates of multiple shipments distributed over space and time, the problem requires determining when to consolidate some of these shipments into one shipment at an intermediate consolidation point so as to minimize shipping costs while satisfying the due date constraints. In this paper, we develop a mixed-integer programming formulation for a multi-period freight consolidation problem that involves multiple products, suppliers, and potential consolidation points. Benders decomposition is then used to replace a large number of integer freight-consolidation variables by a small number of continuous variables that reduces the size of the problem without impacting optimality. Our results show that Benders decomposition provides a significant scale-up in the performance of the solver. We demonstrate our approach using a large-scale case with more than 27.5 million variables and 9.2 million constraints

Nonperturbative dynamics of reheating after inflation: A review

Our understanding of the state of the universe between the end of inflation and big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) is incomplete. The dynamics at the end of inflation are rich and a potential source of observational signatures. Reheating, the energy transfer between the inflaton and Standard Model fields (possibly through intermediaries) and their subsequent thermalization, can provide clues to how inflation fits in with known high-energy physics. We provide an overview of our current understanding of the nonperturbative, nonlinear dynamics at the end of inflation, some salient features of realistic particle physics models of reheating, and how the universe reaches a thermal state before BBN. In addition, we review the analytical and numerical tools available in the literature to study preheating and reheating and discuss potential observational signatures from this fascinating era.Kavli Institute for Cosmology, CambridgeUnited States. Dept. of Energy (Contract Number DE-SC00012567)Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Theoretical Physic

Life Trajectories in the Language Games of Islamic Reform and Pentecostalism in Cape Town

I present two individuals in Cape Town as they became religious leaders in Islamic reform and Christian Pentecostalism respectively. This essay pays attention to the place of charisma generated in their practices, how they relate to existing traditions and institutions, and how they introduce innovations over their life trajectories. Unlike most studies on Pentecostalism and Islamic reform, this essay analyses lesser-known leaders in their respective congregations and communities to illustrate what Wittgenstein has called a ‘language game’. The latter offers a perspective on how individuals inhabit a movement without being constrained by it. The language games of these movements come alive in the life trajectories of my subjects

Cystic tumor of the atrioventricular node of the heart appears to be the heart equivalent of the solid cell nests (ultimobranchial rests) of the thyroid

We studied a series of 10 solid cell nests (SCNs) of the thyroid and a case of cystic tumor of the atrioventricular node (CTAVN) of the heart and reviewed the literature. The CTAVN and SCNs appeared as cystic and/or solid (squamoid) structures mainly composed of polygonal or oval cells (main cells) admixed with occasional clear cells (neuroendocrine and C cells). Main cells were immunoreactive for simple and stratified epithelial-type cytokeratins, epithelial membrane antigen, carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen 19.9, p63, bcl-2, and galectin-3. Neuroendocrine (and C) cells were positive for simple-type cytokeratins, carcinoembryonic antigen, calcitonin, chromogranin, synaptophysin, and thyroid transcription factor-1. Our data support the hypothesis that the CTAVN of the heart and the SCNs of the thyroid are identical structures that represent the same lesional process. The assumption that CTAVN is a ultimobranchial heterotopia fits with the known role of cardiac neural crest cells in cardiovascular development

Effect of Composition and Annealing on Structural and Optical Properties of (ZnO)1-X (TiO2)X Thin Films Prepared by Sol-Gel Method

The study describes effect of composition parameter, x, and annealing-temperature, Ta, on structural,and opticalproperties of (ZnO)1-x(TiO2)x thin-films prepared by sol-gel method. Experimental results are explained and theoretical equations are suggested for optical-energy-gap, Eg, and Urbach-energy, Eu in terms of their variation with (x) and (Ta).With increased xand Ta, Eg decreases whereas Eu increases. Thebehavior of Egwas explainedby evokingthatincreasingx will randomize thecrystalperiodicity, andthat annealingtemperature(400,500, and600)⁰Crelaxes the structuremoretowardsbettercrystallineforms. The increase of Eu with increased x was attributed to the lower mass of Ti ions as compared to that of Zn ions. Generally, makingcompositesdestroysthecrystalinityobservedin pureZnO andpureTiO2films butannealingdoesimprovethe qualityof the filmintermsofitsdegreeofcrystal structure

Relationship between antimicrobial prescribing and antimicrobial resistance among UTI patients at Buraidah Central Hospital, Saudi Arabia

Most of the decisions regarding diagnosis and treatment are based on laboratory test results. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infections in humans. The changing antimicrobial sensitivity in UTI requires appropriate antibiotics. Antimicrobial resistance is an emerging problem in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where the complete reversal of antimicrobial resistance is difficult due to irrational use of antibiotics. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the most common bacterial agents causing UTI in different seasons among patients who were admitted to Buraidah Central Hospital (BCH), Saudi Arabia. The study also evaluated the link between prescribing and resistance toward antimicrobials. Materials and Methods: A 6-month retrospective study was conducted among adult patients who were admitted to the inpatient department at BCH. A total of 379 files were collected from microbiological laboratory for inpatients. Results: Most UTI-causing bacteria prevailed in the same season. Of 15 bacterial strains, 12 were significantly correlated with 20 (of a total of 40) antibiotics that were used. Most bacteria were gram-negative. Gram-negative bacilli including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., and Pseudomonadaceae and gram-positive Enterococcus faecalis were most frequently causing UTIs. Conclusion: Overall prevalence of antibiotic resistance was negative in bacterial isolates. However, the relationship between antimicrobial prescribing and antimicrobial resistance was significantly negative among UTI patients in BCH, Saudi Arabia

Flexural Behaviour of Reinforced Shotcrete beams Comprehending Waste Plastic Fiber

Abstract Wet-mix shotcrete is often used as a placement method in tunnelling and ground support. However, to date, only a limited number of studies have been identified the roles of waste plastic fiber (WPF) on wet-mix shotcrete mixtures. This experimental study show the flexural performance of reinforced shotcrete concrete members (beams) having waste plastic fiber, which may be considered as a new study. In order to achieve that, a manufacturing of wet-mix shotcrete machine has been developed to product special wet-mix shotcrete that will be used to cast reinforced shotcrete concrete members containing waste plastic fiber. Extensive attempts were done in this project to generate a special wet-mix shotcrete combinations using locally sourced waste materials like beverage bottles. The qualities of WPF shotcrete concrete (SC) were investigated in terms of fresh, hardened, mechanical, and bending behaviour, with extensive results analysis. Five SC formulations (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, and 1.25) percent WPF content, as well as the control shotcrete (SC0.00), were used in the experiments. In addition, the flexural behaviour of SC beams casted from the same waste materials was investigated. The results revealed that all SC beams had almost similar flexural behaviour when compared to the creation of crack patterns, as well as the ductility index and stiffness. The maximum ductility index was 2.29 for SC0.25, while the minimum stiffness was 1.31 for SC 1.25 beam. The flexural resistance of SC beams show in beams deflection state, the primary crack with presence the waste plastic fibers was small, because of the resistance of plastic fibers to tensile stresses happening at a moment of growth the crack. It also shows that adding WPFs to SC up to (Vf=1%) results in a rise in the loads that cause initial cracks when compared to beams made with reference mix

Future of Management of Multiple Sclerosis in the Middle East: A Consensus View from Specialists in Ten Countries

The prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) is now considered to be medium-to-high in the Middle East and is rising, particularly among women. While the characteristics of the disease and the response of patients to disease-modifying therapies are generally comparable between the Middle East and other areas, significant barriers to achieving optimal care for MS exist in these developing nations. A group of physicians involved in the management of MS in ten Middle Eastern countries met to consider the future of MS care in the region, using a structured process to reach a consensus. Six key priorities were identified: early diagnosis and management of MS, the provision of multidisciplinary MS centres, patient engagement and better communication with stakeholders, regulatory body education and reimbursement, a commitment to research, and more therapy options with better benefit-to-risk ratios. The experts distilled these priorities into a single vision statement: “Optimization of patient-centred multidisciplinary strategies to improve the quality of life of people with MS.” These core principles will contribute to the development of a broader consensus on the future of care for MS in the Middle East

Mapping 123 million neonatal, infant and child deaths between 2000 and 2017

Since 2000, many countries have achieved considerable success in improving child survival, but localized progress remains unclear. To inform efforts towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.2—to end preventable child deaths by 2030—we need consistently estimated data at the subnational level regarding child mortality rates and trends. Here we quantified, for the period 2000–2017, the subnational variation in mortality rates and number of deaths of neonates, infants and children under 5 years of age within 99 low- and middle-income countries using a geostatistical survival model. We estimated that 32% of children under 5 in these countries lived in districts that had attained rates of 25 or fewer child deaths per 1,000 live births by 2017, and that 58% of child deaths between 2000 and 2017 in these countries could have been averted in the absence of geographical inequality. This study enables the identification of high-mortality clusters, patterns of progress and geographical inequalities to inform appropriate investments and implementations that will help to improve the health of all populations

Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 comparative risk assessment (CRA) is a comprehensive approach to risk factor quantification that offers a useful tool for synthesising evidence on risks and risk outcome associations. With each annual GBD study, we update the GBD CRA to incorporate improved methods, new risks and risk outcome pairs, and new data on risk exposure levels and risk outcome associations. Methods: We used the CRA framework developed for previous iterations of GBD to estimate levels and trends in exposure, attributable deaths, and attributable disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), by age group, sex, year, and location for 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or groups of risks from 1990 to 2017. This study included 476 risk outcome pairs that met the GBD study criteria for convincing or probable evidence of causation. We extracted relative risk and exposure estimates from 46 749 randomised controlled trials, cohort studies, household surveys, census data, satellite data, and other sources. We used statistical models to pool data, adjust for bias, and incorporate covariates. Using the counterfactual scenario of theoretical minimum risk exposure level (TMREL), we estimated the portion of deaths and DALYs that could be attributed to a given risk. We explored the relationship between development and risk exposure by modelling the relationship between the Socio-demographic Index (SDI) and risk-weighted exposure prevalence and estimated expected levels of exposure and risk-attributable burden by SDI. Finally, we explored temporal changes in risk-attributable DALYs by decomposing those changes into six main component drivers of change as follows: (1) population growth; (2) changes in population age structures; (3) changes in exposure to environmental and occupational risks; (4) changes in exposure to behavioural risks; (5) changes in exposure to metabolic risks; and (6) changes due to all other factors, approximated as the risk-deleted death and DALY rates, where the risk-deleted rate is the rate that would be observed had we reduced the exposure levels to the TMREL for all risk factors included in GBD 2017. Findings: In 2017,34.1 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 33.3-35.0) deaths and 121 billion (144-1.28) DALYs were attributable to GBD risk factors. Globally, 61.0% (59.6-62.4) of deaths and 48.3% (46.3-50.2) of DALYs were attributed to the GBD 2017 risk factors. When ranked by risk-attributable DALYs, high systolic blood pressure (SBP) was the leading risk factor, accounting for 10.4 million (9.39-11.5) deaths and 218 million (198-237) DALYs, followed by smoking (7.10 million [6.83-7.37] deaths and 182 million [173-193] DALYs), high fasting plasma glucose (6.53 million [5.23-8.23] deaths and 171 million [144-201] DALYs), high body-mass index (BMI; 4.72 million [2.99-6.70] deaths and 148 million [98.6-202] DALYs), and short gestation for birthweight (1.43 million [1.36-1.51] deaths and 139 million [131-147] DALYs). In total, risk-attributable DALYs declined by 4.9% (3.3-6.5) between 2007 and 2017. In the absence of demographic changes (ie, population growth and ageing), changes in risk exposure and risk-deleted DALYs would have led to a 23.5% decline in DALYs during that period. Conversely, in the absence of changes in risk exposure and risk-deleted DALYs, demographic changes would have led to an 18.6% increase in DALYs during that period. The ratios of observed risk exposure levels to exposure levels expected based on SDI (O/E ratios) increased globally for unsafe drinking water and household air pollution between 1990 and 2017. This result suggests that development is occurring more rapidly than are changes in the underlying risk structure in a population. Conversely, nearly universal declines in O/E ratios for smoking and alcohol use indicate that, for a given SDI, exposure to these risks is declining. In 2017, the leading Level 4 risk factor for age-standardised DALY rates was high SBP in four super-regions: central Europe, eastern Europe, and central Asia; north Africa and Middle East; south Asia; and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania. The leading risk factor in the high-income super-region was smoking, in Latin America and Caribbean was high BMI, and in sub-Saharan Africa was unsafe sex. O/E ratios for unsafe sex in sub-Saharan Africa were notably high, and those for alcohol use in north Africa and the Middle East were notably low. Interpretation: By quantifying levels and trends in exposures to risk factors and the resulting disease burden, this assessment offers insight into where past policy and programme efforts might have been successful and highlights current priorities for public health action. Decreases in behavioural, environmental, and occupational risks have largely offset the effects of population growth and ageing, in relation to trends in absolute burden. Conversely, the combination of increasing metabolic risks and population ageing will probably continue to drive the increasing trends in non-communicable diseases at the global level, which presents both a public health challenge and opportunity. We see considerable spatiotemporal heterogeneity in levels of risk exposure and risk-attributable burden. Although levels of development underlie some of this heterogeneity, O/E ratios show risks for which countries are overperforming or underperforming relative to their level of development. As such, these ratios provide a benchmarking tool to help to focus local decision making. Our findings reinforce the importance of both risk exposure monitoring and epidemiological research to assess causal connections between risks and health outcomes, and they highlight the usefulness of the GBD study in synthesising data to draw comprehensive and robust conclusions that help to inform good policy and strategic health planning