806 research outputs found
A Component Based Heuristic Search Method with Evolutionary Eliminations
Nurse rostering is a complex scheduling problem that affects hospital
personnel on a daily basis all over the world. This paper presents a new
component-based approach with evolutionary eliminations, for a nurse scheduling
problem arising at a major UK hospital. The main idea behind this technique is
to decompose a schedule into its components (i.e. the allocated shift pattern
of each nurse), and then to implement two evolutionary elimination strategies
mimicking natural selection and natural mutation process on these components
respectively to iteratively deliver better schedules. The worthiness of all
components in the schedule has to be continuously demonstrated in order for
them to remain there. This demonstration employs an evaluation function which
evaluates how well each component contributes towards the final objective. Two
elimination steps are then applied: the first elimination eliminates a number
of components that are deemed not worthy to stay in the current schedule; the
second elimination may also throw out, with a low level of probability, some
worthy components. The eliminated components are replenished with new ones
using a set of constructive heuristics using local optimality criteria.
Computational results using 52 data instances demonstrate the applicability of
the proposed approach in solving real-world problems.Comment: 27 pages, 4 figure
Quantum Hall Transitions in (TMTSF)PF
We have studied the temperature dependence of the integer quantum Hall
transitions in the molecular crystal (TMTSF)PF. We find that the
transition width between the quantum Hall plateaus does not exhibit the
universal power-law scaling behavior of the integer quantum Hall effect
observed in semiconducting devices. Instead, the slope of the
risers, , and the (inverse) width of the peaks,
, show a BCS-like energy gap temperature dependence. We
discuss these results in terms of the field-induced spin-density wave gap and
order parameter of the system.Comment: 10 pages, RevTeX, 4 PostScript figure
Electronic structure of NiSSe across the phase transition
We report very highly resolved photoemission spectra of NiS(1-x)Se(x) across
the so-called metal-insulator transition as a function of temperature as well
as composition. The present results convincingly demonstrate that the low
temperature, antiferromagnetic phase is metallic, with a reduced density of
states at E. This decrease is possibly due to the opening of gaps along
specific directions in the Brillouin zone caused by the antiferromagnetic
ordering.Comment: Revtex, 4 pages, 3 postscript figure
Classtalk: A Classroom Communication System for Active Learning
This pdf file is an article describing the advantages of using Classtalk technology in the classroom to enhance classroom communication. Classtalk technology cab facilitate the presentation of questions for small group work, collec the student answers and then display histograms showing how the class answered. This new communication technology can help instructors create a more interactive, student centered classroom, especially when teaching large courses. The article describes Classtalk as a very useful tool not only for engaging students in active learning, but also for enhancing the overall communication within the classroom. This article is a selection from the electronic Journal for Computing in Higher Education. Educational levels: Graduate or professional
Clinical and Functional Characterization of URAT1 Variants
Idiopathic renal hypouricaemia is an inherited form of hypouricaemia, associated with abnormal renal handling of uric acid. There is excessive urinary wasting of uric acid resulting in hypouricaemia. Patients may be asymptomatic, but the persistent urinary abnormalities may manifest as renal stone disease, and hypouricaemia may manifest as exercise induced acute kidney injury. Here we have identified Macedonian and British patients with hypouricaemia, who presented with a variety of renal symptoms and signs including renal stone disease, hematuria, pyelonephritis and nephrocalcinosis. We have identified heterozygous missense mutations in SLC22A12 encoding the urate transporter protein URAT1 and correlate these genetic findings with functional characterization. Urate handling was determined using uptake experiments in HEK293 cells. This data highlights the importance of the URAT1 renal urate transporter in determining serum urate concentrations and the clinical phenotypes, including nephrolithiasis, that should prompt the clinician to suspect an inherited form of renal hypouricaemia
Heavy Quarkonium in a weakly-coupled quark-gluon plasma below the melting temperature
We calculate the heavy quarkonium energy levels and decay widths in a
quark-gluon plasma, whose temperature T and screening mass m_D satisfy the
hierarchy m alpha_s >> T >> m alpha_s^2 >> m_D (m being the heavy-quark mass),
at order m alpha_s^5. We first sequentially integrate out the scales m, m
alpha_s and T, and, next, we carry out the calculations in the resulting
effective theory using techniques of integration by regions. A collinear region
is identified, which contributes at this order. We also discuss the
implications of our results concerning heavy quarkonium suppression in heavy
ion collisions.Comment: 25 pages, 2 figure
Interactions of Bacillus Mojavensis and Fusarium Verticillioides With a Benzoxazolinone (Boa) and Its Transformation Product, Apo
En:Journal of Chemical Ecology (2007, vol. 33, n. 10, p. 1885-1897)The benzoxazolinones, specifically benzoxazolin-2(3H)-one (BOA), are important transformation products of the benzoxazinones that can serve as allelochemicals providing resistance to maize from pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and insects. However, maize pathogens such as Fusarium verticillioides are capable of detoxifying the benzoxazolinones to 2-aminophenol (AP), which is converted to the less toxic N-(2-hydroxyphenyl) malonamic acid (HPMA) and 2-acetamidophenol (HPAA). As biocontrol strategies that utilize a species of endophytic bacterium, Bacillus mojavensis, are considered efficacious as a control of this Fusarium species, the in vitro transformation and effects of BOA on growth of this bacterium was examined relative to its interaction with strains of F. verticillioides. The results showed that a red pigment was produced and accumulated only on BOA-amended media when wild type and the progeny of genetic crosses of F. verticillioides are cultured in the presence of the bacterium. The pigment was identified as 2-amino-3H-phenoxazin-3-one (APO), which is a stable product. The results indicate that the bacterium interacts with the fungus preventing the usual transformation of AP to the nontoxic HPMA, resulting in the accumulation of higher amounts of APO than when the fungus is cultured alone. APO is highly toxic to F. verticillioides and other organisms. Thus, an enhanced biocontrol is suggested by this in vitro study.
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