An Enhanced Features Extractor for a Portfolio of Constraint Solvers

Recent research has shown that a single arbitrarily efficient solver can be significantly outperformed by a portfolio of possibly slower on-average solvers. The solver selection is usually done by means of (un)supervised learning techniques which exploit features extracted from the problem specification. In this paper we present an useful and flexible framework that is able to extract an extensive set of features from a Constraint (Satisfaction/Optimization) Problem defined in possibly different modeling languages: MiniZinc, FlatZinc or XCSP. We also report some empirical results showing that the performances that can be obtained using these features are effective and competitive with state of the art CSP portfolio techniques

Traditional butter making in Ethiopia and possible improvements

Summarises the results of a study on the traditional methods of butter making-conducted to determine the efficiency of the process and the quality of butter produced. Reports on initial experiments carried out to devise improved methods of butter making

Capital heterogeneity and the decline of the labour share

We investigate the decline of the labour share in a world characterized by increasing heterogeneity of capital assets. Our results show that, over the 1970-2007 period, the decline of the labour share has been mainly driven by Information and Communication Technology (ICT) assets and is mitigated by increasing investments in R&Dbased knowledge assets. Extending to other forms of intangible capital from 1995 onwards, we find that intangible investments related to innovation increase the labour share while those related to the organisation of firms contribute to its decline, particularly for the low and intermediate skilled workers. Our results are robust to an array of econometric issues, namely heterogeneity, cross-sectional dependence, and endogeneit

Technology, intangible assets and the decline of the labor share

We investigate the decline of the labor share in a world characterized by rapid technological changes and increasing heterogeneity of capital assets. Our theoretical model allows for these assets to affect the labor share in different directions depending on the capital-labor substitution/complementary relationship and the workers' skill level. We test the predictions of our model using a large cross-country, cross-industry data set, considering different forms of tangible and intangible capital inputs. Our results show that, over the 1970-2007 period, the decline of the labor share has been mainly driven by technical change and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) assets, mitigated by increasing investments in R&D-based knowledge assets. Extending to other forms of intangible capital from 1995 onwards, we find that intangible investments related to innovation increase the labor share while those related to the organisation of firms contribute to its decline, particularly for the low and intermediate skilled workers. Our results are robust to an array of econometric issues, namely heterogeneity, cross-sectional dependence, and endogeneit

A Comparison of Alcohol Abusers who have and have not Experienced Blackouts

This study examined the proposition that the experience of alcoholic blackouts is related to other indices of cerebral involvement in the alcoholic process. In particular it was suggested that those who experience alcoholic blackouts would also show signs of the effects of alcoholic damage in the form of lower scores on cognitive functions vulnerable to the effects of long-term alcohol abuse. While some evidence was found linking the experience of blackout to severity of the alcohol problem no relationship was found between cognitive functioning and the experience of blackout. The possibility that different mechanisms may underlie the various cognitive sequelae of alcohol abuse is raised

Options for smallholder milk processing in sub-Saharan Africa

Describes the major constituents of cow's milk and their exploitation in milk processing. Discusses the technologies needed for small-scale manufacture of such dairy products as fermented milks, milk-fat products and soft or pickled cheeses; and the product options most suitable for on-farm or village-level manufacturee. Suggests on how best to utilise byproducts of butter and cheese making

Explicit criteria as clinical tools to minimize inappropriate medication use and its consequences

Polypharmacy and prescribing of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) are the key elements of inappropriate medication use (IMU) in older multimorbid people. IMU is associated with a range of negative healthcare consequences including adverse drug events and unplanned hospitalizations. Furthermore, prescribing guidelines are commonly derived from randomized controlled clinical trials which have specifically excluded older adults with multimorbidity. Consequently, indiscriminate application of single disease pharmacotherapy guidelines to older multimorbid patients can lead to increased risk of drug?drug interactions, drug?disease interactions and poor drug adherence. Both polypharmacy and PIMs are highly prevalent in older people and strategies to improve the quality and safety of prescribing, largely through avoidance of IMU, are needed. In the last 30?years, numerous explicit PIM criteria-based tools have been developed to assist physicians with medication management in clinically complex multimorbid older people. Very few of these PIM criteria sets have been tested as an intervention compared with standard pharmaceutical care in well-designed clinical trials. In this review, we describe the most widely used sets of explicit PIM criteria to address inappropriate polypharmacy with particular focus on STOPP/START criteria and FORTA criteria which have been associated with positive patient-related outcomes when used as interventions in recent randomized controlled trials

Inter-relationships between composition, physicochemical properties and functionality of lecithin ingredients

Background: Lecithin is widely used as an ingredient in the food industry due to its diverse functionality, mainly attributed to phospholipids (PL), the principal constituents. However, a systematic understanding of the functional properties of lecithin ingredients is missing in the literature. Scope and approach: This review outlines recent developments in lecithin from botanical origin and reviews the complex inter-relationships between physicochemical properties of PL in lecithin and selected techno-functional properties in micelles, liposomes and oil-in-water emulsions. Key findings and conclusions: Attributed to their polar phosphatide group and non-polar fatty acids, PL have specific molecular geometries, dissociation constants and charge, which strongly influence their functional properties in micelles, liposomes and oil-in-water emulsions. The PL profile and extrinsic factors (e.g., water, oil, hexane) influence the formation of micelles during separation of lecithin from oil using membrane filtration. In liposomes, PL profile and the presence of surface modifiers (i.e., sterols) affect the particle size and encapsulation efficiency. In emulsion systems, PL and their interaction with minerals and other functional ingredients (e.g., proteins), influence the particle size and physical stability of the oil droplets. This work provides an integrated review of the links between the composition and physicochemical properties of PL, and in turn, scientifically underpins the links between physicochemical and functional properties of lecithin

Rural dairy technology. Experiences in Ethiopia

This manual is intended as a teaching aid for extension level technicians. Deals with rural milk processing at individual smallholder or small producers cooperatives levels using experiences from Ethiopia. Concentrates on traditional products, i.e, product that are easily made, need little specialised equipment and easily adapted to the rural processing plant