Variable Neighborhood Search Algorithms to Solve the Electric Vehicle Routing Problem with Simultaneous Pickup and Delivery

This paper addresses the Electric Vehicle Routing Problem with Simultaneous Pickup and Delivery (EVRP-SPD), in which electric vehicles (EVs) simultaneously deliver goods to and pick up goods from customers. Due to the limited battery capacity of EVs, their range is shorter than that of internal combustion vehicles. In the EVRP, in addition to the depot and the customers, there are also charging stations (CS) because EVs need to be charged when their battery is empty. The problem is formulated as an integer linear model, and an efficient solution is proposed to minimize the total distance traveled. To create a feasible initial solution, Clarke and Wright’s savings algorithm is used. Several variants of variable neighborhood search are tested, and the reduced-variable neighborhood search algorithm is used to find the best solution in a reasonable time. Computer experiments are performed with benchmark instances to evaluate the effectiveness of our approach in terms of solution quality and time. The obtained results show that the proposed method can achieve efficient solutions in terms of solution quality and time in all benchmark instances

Effect of vardenafil on cerebral vasospasm following experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage in rats

We examined the effects of the phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE-5) inhibitor vardenafil on cerebral vasospasm in an experimental rat subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) model. Thirty-two albino Wistar rats were divided into five groups: G1, no experimental intervention; G2, administered subarachnoid physiological saline after sham surgery; G3, subjected to SAH; G4, subjected to SAH and administered low-dose (0.5 mg/kg) vardenafil treatment; and G5, subjected to SAH and administered high-dose (5 mg/kg) vardenafil treatment. For animals in G3, G4 and G5, SAH was induced by an injection of autologous non-heparinized blood into the cisterna magna. Immediately after SAH, for animals in G4 and G5, vardenafil was administered by gavage at intervals of 8 hours for 2 days. The rats were then decapitated, and basilar arteries and blood samples were taken for biochemical and histopathological examination. Malonyldialdehyde values in G2 (p = 0.004) and G3 (p = 0.002) were significantly higher than those in G1. G4 and G5 had significantly lower values than G2 and G3 (p = 0.014, G4 v. G2; p = 0.005, G4 v. G3; p = 0.005, G5 v. G2; p = 0.002, G5 v. G3). Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) values in G3 were significantly lower than those in G1 (p = 0.041). TAC values in G4 and G5 were significantly higher than those in G3 (p = 0.043). Mean luminal diameter in G3 was significantly smaller compared with G1 and G2 (p = 0.002), but larger in G4 (p = 0.002) and G5 (p = 0.001) compared with G3. Mean luminal diameter was also significantly larger in G5 than in G2 (p = 0.008) and G4 (p = 0.038). Mean wall thickness in G2 (p = 0.015) and G3 (p = 0.002) was significantly thicker compared with G1. Wall thickness was significantly thinner in G4 and G5 compared with G2 and G3 (p = 0.008, G4 v. G2; p = 0.001, G4 v. G3; p = 0.005, G5 v. G2; p = 0.001, G5 v. G3). Our results confirm that vardenafil may induce vasodilatation and provide potential benefits in SAH therapy by preventing vasospasm. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Asthma-specific phenome-wide association study for immunogenes in Turkish asthmatic children

Meeting of the European-Academy-of-Allergy-and-Clinical-Immunology -- JUN 11-15, 2016 -- Vienna, AUSTRIAWOS: 000383679802347European Acad Allergy & Clin Immuno