1,483 research outputs found
Comparison of heuristic approaches for the multiple depot vehicle scheduling problem
Given a set of timetabled tasks, the multi-depot vehicle scheduling problemis a well-known problem that consists of determining least-cost schedulesfor vehicles assigned to several depots such that each task is accomplishedexactly once by a vehicle. In this paper, we propose to compare theperformance of five different heuristic approaches for this problem,namely, a heuristic \\mip solver, a Lagrangian heuristic, a columngeneration heuristic, a large neighborhood search heuristic using columngeneration for neighborhood evaluation, and a tabu search heuristic. Thefirst three methods are adaptations of existing methods, while the last twoare novel approaches for this problem. Computational results on randomlygenerated instances show that the column generation heuristic performs thebest when enough computational time is available and stability is required,while the large neighborhood search method is the best alternative whenlooking for a compromise between computational time and solution quality.tabu search;column generation;vehicle scheduling;heuristics;Lagrangian heuristic;large neighborhood search;multiple depot
Nested and dynamic documentation systems in/for teaching and teacher learning : re-conceptualising mathematics curriculum resources and their use.
Predicting spatial spread of rabies in skunk populations using surveillance data reported by the public
Background:
Prevention and control of wildlife disease invasions relies on the ability to predict spatio-temporal dynamics and understand the role of factors driving spread rates, such as seasonality and transmission distance. Passive disease surveillance (i.e., case reports by public) is a common method of monitoring emergence of wildlife diseases, but can be challenging to interpret due to spatial biases and limitations in data quantity and quality.
Methodology/Principal findings:
We obtained passive rabies surveillance data from dead striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) in an epizootic in northern Colorado, USA. We developed a dynamic patch-occupancy model which predicts spatio-temporal spreading while accounting for heterogeneous sampling. We estimated the distance travelled per transmission event, direction of invasion, rate of spatial spread, and effects of infection density and season. We also estimated mean transmission distance and rates of spatial spread using a phylogeographic approach on a subsample of viral sequences from the same epizootic. Both the occupancy and phylogeographic approaches predicted similar rates of spatio-temporal spread. Estimated mean transmission distances were 2.3 km (95% Highest Posterior Density (HPD95): 0.02, 11.9; phylogeographic) and 3.9 km (95% credible intervals (CI95): 1.4, 11.3; occupancy). Estimated rates of spatial spread in km/year were: 29.8 (HPD95: 20.8, 39.8; phylogeographic, branch velocity, homogenous model), 22.6 (HPD95: 15.3, 29.7; phylogeographic, diffusion rate, homogenous model) and 21.1 (CI95: 16.7, 25.5; occupancy). Initial colonization probability was twice as high in spring relative to fall.
Conclusions/Significance:
Skunk-to-skunk transmission was primarily local (< 4 km) suggesting that if interventions were needed, they could be applied at the wave front. Slower viral invasions of skunk rabies in western USA compared to a similar epizootic in raccoons in the eastern USA implies host species or landscape factors underlie the dynamics of rabies invasions. Our framework provides a straightforward method for estimating rates of spatial spread of wildlife diseases
E-textbooks and connectivity: proposing an analytical framework
This paper is concerned with the development of e-textbooks. We claim that analysis (and design) of e-textbooks requires the development of a specific frame. Digital affordances provide particular opportunities (e.g. in terms of interactions between users) that require specific considerations for their analysis, as teachers and students use them for their individual and collective purposes. In this study, we develop a framework for mathematics e-textbook analysis, based on the notion of “connectivity.” We introduce criteria to assess the different aspects of connectivity and build an analysis grid for e-textbooks. We illustrate the framework proposed by analyzing 2 commonly used French grade 10 mathematics e-textbooks. The results of the analyses show that there are major differences between the 2 e-textbooks in terms of connectivity, which can be related to differences in their design. Beyond these 2 examples, we claim that focusing on connectivity is a useful and relevant way of analyzing e-textbooks, as it can provide a window into issues of interactivity, both practically and cognitively
Genome sequences of 12 bacterial isolates obtained from the urine of pregnant women
The presence of bacteria in urine can pose significant risks during pregnancy. However, there are few reference genome strains for many common urinary bacteria. We isolated 12 urinary strains of Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Citrobacter, Gardnerella, and Lactobacillus. These strains and their genomes are now available to the research community
Comparison of heuristic approaches for the multiple depot vehicle scheduling problem
Given a set of timetabled tasks, the multi-depot vehicle scheduling problem
is a well-known problem that consists of determining least-cost schedules
for vehicles assigned to several depots such that each task is accomplished
exactly once by a vehicle. In this paper, we propose to compare the
performance of five different heuristic approaches for this problem,
namely, a heuristic \\mip solver, a Lagrangian heuristic, a column
generation heuristic, a large neighborhood search heuristic using column
generation for neighborhood evaluation, and a tabu search heuristic. The
first three methods are adaptations of existing methods, while the last two
are novel approaches for this problem. Computational results on randomly
generated instances show that the column generation heuristic performs the
best when enough computational time is available and stability is required,
while the large neighborhood search method is the best alternative when
looking for a compromise between computational time and solution quality
The Nucleon-Nucleon Interaction in a Chiral Constituent Quark Model
We study the short-range nucleon-nucleon interaction in a chiral constituent
quark model by diagonalizing a Hamiltonian comprising a linear confinement and
a Goldstone boson exchange interaction between quarks. The six-quark harmonic
oscillator basis contains up to two excitation quanta. We show that the highly
dominant configuration is due to its specific
flavour-spin symmetry. Using the Born-Oppenheimer approximation we find a
strong effective repulsion at zero separation between nucleons in both
and channels. The symmetry structure of the highly dominant
configuration implies the existence of a node in the S-wave relative motion
wave function at short distances. The amplitude of the oscillation of the wave
function at short range will be however strongly suppressed. We discuss the
mechanism leading to the effective short-range repulsion within the chiral
constituent quark model as compared to that related with the one-gluon exchange
interaction.Comment: 31 pages, LaTe
Genome sequences of 14 Firmicutes strains isolated from the human vagina
Research on vaginal infections is currently limited by a lack of available fully sequenced bacterial reference strains. Here, we present strains (now available through BEI Resources) and genome sequences for a set of 14 vaginal isolates from the phylum Firmicutes. These genome sequences provide a valuable resource for future research in understanding the role of Gram-positive bacteria in vaginal health and disease
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