Scheduling Monotone Moldable Jobs in Linear Time

A moldable job is a job that can be executed on an arbitrary number of processors, and whose processing time depends on the number of processors allotted to it. A moldable job is monotone if its work doesn't decrease for an increasing number of allotted processors. We consider the problem of scheduling monotone moldable jobs to minimize the makespan. We argue that for certain compact input encodings a polynomial algorithm has a running time polynomial in n and log(m), where n is the number of jobs and m is the number of machines. We describe how monotony of jobs can be used to counteract the increased problem complexity that arises from compact encodings, and give tight bounds on the approximability of the problem with compact encoding: it is NP-hard to solve optimally, but admits a PTAS. The main focus of this work are efficient approximation algorithms. We describe different techniques to exploit the monotony of the jobs for better running times, and present a (3/2+{\epsilon})-approximate algorithm whose running time is polynomial in log(m) and 1/{\epsilon}, and only linear in the number n of jobs

Bounding the Running Time of Algorithms for Scheduling and Packing Problems

We investigate the implications of the exponential time hypothesis on algorithms for scheduling and packing problems. Our main focus is to show tight lower bounds on the running time of these algorithms. For exact algorithms we investigate the dependence of the running time on the number n of items (for packing) or jobs (for scheduling). We show that many of these problems, including SUBSET SUM, KNAPSACK, BIN PACKING, P2||Cmax, and P2||∑wjCj, have a lower bound of 2o(n)×∥I∥O(n). We also develop an algorithmic framework that is able to solve a large number of scheduling and packing problems in time 2O(n)×∥I∥O(n). Finally, we show that there is no PTAS for MULTIPLE KNAPSACK and 2D-KNAPSACK with running time 2o(1ε)×∥I∥O(n) and no(1ε)×∥I∥O(n)

In-vivo-Analyse der Rolle der löslichen Epoxidhydrolase in der Progression der Niereninsuffizienz bei der Maus

Hintergrund: Epoxyeicosatriensäuren (Epoxyeicotrienoic acids, EETs) sind antihypertensiv, anti-inflammatorisch, anti-proliferativ und pro-fibrinolytisch wirksam. Die lösliche Epoxid-Hydrolase (soluble epoxid hydrolase, sEH) wandelt EETs in ihre korrespondierenden, weniger aktiven Diole (DHETEs) um. Das legt die Vermutung nahe, dass eine Steigerung der EET-Spiegel durch sEH-Inhibition eine Strategie zur Verhinderung von Endorganschäden sein kann. Wir untersuchten den Effekt der sEH-Inhibition im Modell der chronischen Niereninsuffizienz bei der Maus. Methoden: Es wurde eine 5/6 Nephrektomie (5/6 Nx) an männlichen SV129 Mäusen durchgeführt um eine chronisch progressive Niereninsuffizienz zu induzieren. Postoperativ wurden die Tiere in Gruppen randomisiert und mit Placebo (Leitungswasser), einem ACE-Hemmer (Ramipril, 40 mg/kgKG/d), dem sEH-Inhibitor 1471 (15 mg/kgKG/d) und dem CYP-Inhibitor Fenbendazol (15 mg/kgKG/) für 8 Wochen behandelt. Ergebnisse: Verglichen mit den sham-operierten Mäusen induzierte die 5/6 Nx einen arteriellen Hypertonus, eine Proteinurie, Glomerulosklerose und eine erhöhte Sterblichkeit. Wie erwartet führte die Gabe von Ramipril zu einer Blutdrucksenkung, einer verminderten Albuminurie und einer verbesserten Überlebensrate. Fenbendazol senkte die Plasma- Konzentration von einigen EETs, hatte aber keinen Einfluss auf die Progression der Niereninsuffizienz. Überraschenderweise kam es unter sEH-Inhibitor-Therapie zu keiner Blutdrucksenkung in diesem Modell. Im Gegenteil, die Proteinurie war sogar noch verstärkt bei den 5/6 Nx-Tieren unter 1471-Therapie verglichen mit der Placebo-Gruppe. Die Plasma-EET-Spiegel waren >2 mal höher in den 5/6 Nx-Mäusen als in der korrespondierenden sham-Gruppe. Die renale sEH-Expression war in den 5/6 Nx-Mäusen vermindert, eine medikamentöse sEH-Inhibition steigerte die EET-Spiegel in diesen Tieren noch weiter. Bemerkenswert war, dass, ausschließlich in den 5/6 Nx-Gruppen, eine sEH-Inhibition und eine CYP-Inhibition zu einer gesteigerten Konzentration von 5-Hydroxyeicosatriensäure (5-HETE), 12-HETE und 15-HETE führte, welche Lipid Peroxidations- und Lipoxygenase-Produkte sind. Fazit: Im Modell der 5/6 Nephrektomie bei der Maus führt die Hemmung der sEH zu keiner Blutdrucksenkung, sondern zu einer Verschlechterung der Proteinurie. Ursächlich hierfür sind vermutlich die durch die Niereninsuffizienz hervorgerufe Akkumulation von EETs sowie eine Verschiebung des Arachidonsäure-Metabolismus hin zu Lipoxgenase-Produkten mit nierenschädigender Wirkung.Background: Epoxyeicotrienoic acids (EETs) are antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative and pro-fibrinolytic. The soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) converts EETs to their corresponding, less active diols (DHETEs). It has been suggested that increasing endogenous EET-levels by inhibition of the sEH may serve as a therapeutic strategy to prevent end-organ damage. We studied the effect of sEH inhibition in the progression of chronic renal failure. Methods: 5/6-nephrectomy (5/6 Nx) was performed in male SV129 mice to induce progressive renal failure. After 5/6 Nx mice were randomized into groups receiving Placebo, ACE-inhibitor (Ramipril, 40 mg/KgBW/d) the sEH-inhibitor 1471 (15 mg/kgBW/d) or the CYP inhibitor fenbendazole (15 mg/kgBW/d) for 8 weeks. Results: As compared to sham operated mice, 5/6 Nx induced hypertension, proteinuria, glomerulosclerosis and resulted in increased mortality. As expected, ACE-inhibitor therapy lowered blood pressure, proteinuria and mortality. Fenbendazol lowered the plasma concentration of some EETs but had no impact on disease progression. Surprisingly, sEH-inhibition failed to lower the blood pressure in this model. Moreover, proteinuria was more severe in the group treated with the sEH-inhibitor as compared to placebo-treated mice. Plasma EET-levels were >2 times higher in 5/6 Nx-mice as compared to sham mice receiving placebo. Renal sEH expression was attenuated in 5/6-Nx mice but sEH-inhibition in these animals still further increased the EET-level. Importantly, selectively in the 5/6 Nx-groups, sEH-inhibition and CYP-inhibition increased the concentrations of 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (5-HETE), 12-HETE and 15-HETE, which are lipid peroxidation or lipoxygenase products. Conclusion: sEH-Inhibition failed to exert renoprotective or antihypertensive effects in the remnant kidney model in mice and showed a tendency to aggravate the progression of the disease. The observed effects might be attributed to an excessive accumulation of EETs in chronic renal insufficiency or to a shift in arachidonic acid metabolism towards lipoxygenase-derived metabolites under sEH-inhibition

KEMAMPUAN MENGGAMBAR BENTUK PESERTA DIDIK KELAS X 1 SMA NEGERI 2 TANA TORAJA

Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mendeskripsikan kemampuan menggambar bentuk pada mata pelajaran Seni Budaya (seni rupa) di kelas X 1 SMA Negeri 2 Tana Toraja dan kendala yang dialami peserta didik dalam menggambar bentuk. Jenis penelitian ini adalah penelitian evaluatif dengan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif .penelitian ini adalah peserta didik kelas X 1 SMA Negeri 2 Tana Toraja sedangkan sampel kelas X 1 berjumlah 32 orang. Teknik pengambilan sampel yang digunakan dalam penelitian adalah sampel total. Teknik pengumpulan data adalah observasi, wawancara, tes praktik, dan dokumentasi. Serta teknik analisis data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah teknik analisis statistik sederhana. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan kemampuan peserta didik dalam menggambar bentuk berdasarkan hasil tes praktik. Dari 32 orang kelas X 1 SMA Negeri 2 Tana Toraja terdapat 15 peserta didik (46,87 %) yang berada pada kategori kurang. Adapun kendala peserta didik dalam membuat karya, yaitu pada kendala internal yang meliputi (perhatian, minat, motivasi dan kesiapan) sedangkan kendala eksternal meliputi (keluarga, masyarakat, dan sekolah) Kata kunci: Kemampuan Menggambar Bentuk Peserta Didi

Quantum spin helices more stable than the ground state: onset of helical protection

Topological magnetic structures are promising candidates for resilient information storage. An elementary example are spin helices in one-dimensional easy-plane quantum magnets. To quantify their stability, we numerically implement the stochastic Schr\"odinger equation and time-dependent perturbation theory for spin chains with fluctuating local magnetic fields. We find two classes of quantum spin helices that can reach and even exceed ground-state stability: Spin-current-maximizing helices and, for fine-tuned boundary conditions, the recently discovered "phantom helices". Beyond that, we show that the helicity itself (left- or right-rotating) is even more stable. We explain these findings by separated helical sectors and connect them to topological sectors in continuous spin systems. The resulting helical protection mechanism is a promising phenomenon towards stabilizing helical quantum structures, e.g., in ultracold atoms and solid state systems. We also identify an - up to our knowledge - previously unknown new type of phantom helices.Comment: 6+4 pages, 3 figures; version 2: minor updates, additional reference

Activation of Rac-1 and RhoA contributes to podocyte injury in chronic kidney disease

Rho-family GTPases like RhoA and Rac-1 are potent regulators of cellular signaling that control gene expression, migration and inflammation. Activation of Rho-GTPases has been linked to podocyte dysfunction, a feature of chronic kidney diseases (CKD). We investigated the effect of Rac-1 and Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibition on progressive renal failure in mice and studied the underlying mechanisms in podocytes. SV129 mice were subjected to 5/6-nephrectomy which resulted in arterial hypertension and albuminuria. Subgroups of animals were treated with the Rac-1 inhibitor EHT1846, the ROCK inhibitor SAR407899 and the ACE inhibitor Ramipril. Only Ramipril reduced hypertension. In contrast, all inhibitors markedly attenuated albumin excretion as well as glomerular and tubulo-interstitial damage. The combination of SAR407899 and Ramipril was more effective in preventing albuminuria than Ramipril alone. To study the involved mechanisms, podocytes were cultured from SV129 mice and exposed to static stretch in the Flexcell device. This activated RhoA and Rac-1 and led via TGFβ to apoptosis and a switch of the cells into a more mesenchymal phenotype, as evident from loss of WT-1 and nephrin and induction of α-SMA and fibronectin expression. Rac-1 and ROCK inhibition as well as blockade of TGFβ dramatically attenuated all these responses. This suggests that Rac-1 and RhoA are mediators of podocyte dysfunction in CKD. Inhibition of Rho-GTPases may be a novel approach for the treatment of CKD

UTILIZING EXTREME PROGRAMMING METHODOLOGY FOR DEVELOPING AN ANDROID-BASED SALESMAN VISITATION APPLICATION IN THE WATER TANK INDUSTRY

Integrating technology and industries has opened doors to new possibilities, leading to innovative solutions that reshape traditional practices. The water tank industry is an example that has witnessed significant technological influence as companies seek to optimize production processes, improve product quality, and enhance customer interactions. This article focuses on PT Sanggabuana Berjaya Indonesia (SBI), a company operating in the water tank industry in Indonesia. It discusses challenges related to conventional reporting methods for marketing visits and route determination for their marketing team. Previous studies in similar contexts have successfully addressed similar issues using technology, including GPS-based monitoring for location tracking and the development of mobile applications using the Extreme Programming (XP) model. Considering the relevant literature and interview results with SBI's sales manager, an Android-based monitoring application is proposed as a potential solution. The design process follows the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) with the Extreme Programming (XP) model, covering planning, design, coding, and testing stages. Due to time and resource constraints, further stages of integration, delivery, retrospective, and continuous improvement are left for future work. This research proves that applying the extreme programming model in designing industry applications is quite relevant. The results of the black box testing tested show that all the features in the application can be used as needed. Keywords: Android, Extreme Programming, Mobile-application, Salesman, Water-tank

A practical approach to the sensitivity analysis for kinetic Monte Carlo simulation of heterogeneous catalysis

Lattice kinetic Monte Carlo simulations have become a vital tool for predictive quality atomistic understanding of complex surface chemical reaction kinetics over a wide range of reaction conditions. In order to expand their practical value in terms of giving guidelines for the atomic level design of catalytic systems, it is very desirable to readily evaluate a sensitivity analysis for a given model. The result of such a sensitivity analysis quantitatively expresses the dependency of the turnover frequency, being the main output variable, on the rate constants entering the model. In the past, the application of sensitivity analysis, such as degree of rate control, has been hampered by its exuberant computational effort required to accurately sample numerical derivatives of a property that is obtained from a stochastic simulation method. In this study, we present an efficient and robust three-stage approach that is capable of reliably evaluating the sensitivity measures for stiff microkinetic models as we demonstrate using the CO oxidation on RuO2(110) as a prototypical reaction. In the first step, we utilize the Fisher information matrix for filtering out elementary processes which only yield negligible sensitivity. Then we employ an estimator based on the linear response theory for calculating the sensitivity measure for non- critical conditions which covers the majority of cases. Finally, we adapt a method for sampling coupled finite differences for evaluating the sensitivity measure for lattice based models. This allows for an efficient evaluation even in critical regions near a second order phase transition that are hitherto difficult to control. The combined approach leads to significant computational savings over straightforward numerical derivatives and should aid in accelerating the nano-scale design of heterogeneous catalysts

TPMS-based membrane lung with locally-modified permeabilities for optimal flow distribution

Membrane lungs consist of thousands of hollow fiber membranes packed together as a bundle. The devices often suffer from complications because of non-uniform flow through the membrane bundle, including regions of both excessively high flow and stagnant flow. Here, we present a proof-of-concept design for a membrane lung containing a membrane module based on triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS). By warping the original TPMS geometries, the local permeability within any region of the module could be raised or lowered, allowing for the tailoring of the blood flow distribution through the device. By creating an iterative optimization scheme for determining the distribution of streamwise permeability inside a computational porous domain, the desired form of a lattice of TPMS elements was determined via simulation. This desired form was translated into a computer-aided design (CAD) model for a prototype device. The device was then produced via additive manufacturing in order to test the novel design against an industry-standard predicate device. Flow distribution was verifiably homogenized and residence time reduced, promising a more efficient performance and increased resistance to thrombosis. This work shows the promising extent to which TPMS can serve as a new building block for exchange processes in medical devices