116 research outputs found
Claw-free t-perfect graphs can be recognised in polynomial time
A graph is called t-perfect if its stable set polytope is defined by
non-negativity, edge and odd-cycle inequalities. We show that it can be decided
in polynomial time whether a given claw-free graph is t-perfect
Spondylolisthesis on bilateral pedicle stress fracture in the lumbar spine: A case study
AbstractWe report the clinical case of a 54-year-old woman presenting radicular low back pain on the right side of L4 associated to spondylolisthesis on L4-L5, without any notion of trauma or spine surgery. Furthermore this patient is regularly seen for benign rheumatoid polyarthritis complicated by steroid-induced osteoporosis. A preventive treatment was implanted with good results on pain improvement and functional capacities. For pedicle fractures the literature review reports several different etiologies: spontaneous fractures, hereditary fractures or stress-related fractures. There was a discussion on the various treatments available and in this case of spondylolisthesis on pedicle fracture a conservative treatment was implemented similar to the one for isthmic spondylolisthesis. It yielded satisfying results
Composición química, estabilidad oxidativa y actividad antiproliferativa del extracto de hexano de semilla de Anethum graveolens (eneldo)
This study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical properties, chemical composition, and antiproliferative activity of the hexane extract of Anethum graveolens L. (dill) seeds using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Two fractions, namely the lipid fraction (74%) and volatile fraction (26%), were detected. The extract content of the seeds was about 9.4% and the extract had a pleasant spicy aroma. Oleic acid (52%), cis-vaccenic acid (6.2%), linoleic acid (5.5%), and palmitic acid (3.3%) were the key fatty acids in the lipid fraction, while apiol (23%) and d-carvone (2.4%) were the major volatile components. Tocols (tocopherols and tocotrienols) were also detected in the A. Graveolens extract (155 mg/100 g) and b-tocopherol was identified as the major tocol (71%). Dill extract showed a high oxidative stability (induction time = 45.22 h). Furthermore, dill extract showed antiproliferative activity against breast cancer cell lines.Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar las propiedades fisicoquímicas, la composición química y la actividad antiproliferativa del extracto de hexano de semillas de Anethum graveolens L. (eneldo) mediante cromatografía de gases con espectrometría de masas (GC-MS). Se detectaron dos fracciones, la fracción lipídica (74%) y la fracción volátil (26%). El contenido del extracto de las semillas fue de aproximadamente 9,4% y el extracto tenía un agradable aroma picante. Los ácidos oleico (52%), cis-vaccénico (6,2%), linoleico (5,5%) y palmítico (3,3%) fueron los ácidos grasos clave en la fracción lipídica, mientras que el apiol (23%) y la d-carvona (2,4%) fueron los principales componentes volátiles. También se detectaron tocoles (tocoferoles y tocotrienoles) en el extracto de A. Graveolens (155 mg/100 g) y se identificó el β-tocoferol como el principal tocol (71%). El extracto de eneldo mostró una alta estabilidad oxidativa (tiempo de inducción = 45,22 h). Además, el extracto de eneldo mostró actividad antiproliferativa contra las líneas celulares de cáncer de mama
Vector Bin Packing with Multiple-Choice
We consider a variant of bin packing called multiple-choice vector bin
packing. In this problem we are given a set of items, where each item can be
selected in one of several -dimensional incarnations. We are also given
bin types, each with its own cost and -dimensional size. Our goal is to pack
the items in a set of bins of minimum overall cost. The problem is motivated by
scheduling in networks with guaranteed quality of service (QoS), but due to its
general formulation it has many other applications as well. We present an
approximation algorithm that is guaranteed to produce a solution whose cost is
about times the optimum. For the running time to be polynomial we
require and . This extends previous results for vector
bin packing, in which each item has a single incarnation and there is only one
bin type. To obtain our result we also present a PTAS for the multiple-choice
version of multidimensional knapsack, where we are given only one bin and the
goal is to pack a maximum weight set of (incarnations of) items in that bin
Association of Long-Term Exposure to Transportation Noise and Traffic-Related Air Pollution with the Incidence of Diabetes: A Prospective Cohort Study.
BACKGROUND: Evidence for an association between transportation noise and cardiovascular disease has increased; however, few studies have examined metabolic outcomes such as diabetes or accounted for environmental coexposures such as air pollution, greenness, or walkability. OBJECTIVES: Because diabetes prevalence is increasing and may be on the causal pathway between noise and cardiovascular disease, we examined the influence of long-term residential transportation noise exposure and traffic-related air pollution on the incidence of diabetes using a population-based cohort in British Columbia, Canada. METHODS: We examined the influence of transportation noise exposure over a 5-y period (1994-1998) on incident diabetes cases in a population-based prospective cohort study (n=380,738) of metropolitan Vancouver (BC) residents who were 45-85 y old, with 4-y of follow-up (1999-2002). Annual average transportation noise (Lden), air pollution [black carbon, particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter <2.5μm (PM2.5), nitrogen oxides], greenness [Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)], and neighborhood walkability at each participant's residence were modeled. Incident diabetes cases were identified using administrative health records. RESULTS: Transportation noise was associated with the incidence of diabetes [interquartile range (IQR) increase, 6.8 A-weighted decibels (dBA); OR=1.08 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.10)]. This association remained after adjustment for environmental coexposures including traffic-related air pollutants, greenness, and neighborhood walkability. After adjustment for coexposure to noise, traffic-related air pollutants were not associated with the incidence of diabetes, whereas greenness was protective. CONCLUSION: We found a positive association between residential transportation noise and diabetes, adding to the growing body of evidence that noise pollution exposure may be independently linked to metabolic health and should be considered when developing public health interventions. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1279
Post-treatment follow-up study of abdominal cystic echinococcosis in Tibetan communities of northwest Sichuan Province, China
Background: Human cystic echinococcosis (CE), caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus, with the liver as the
most frequently affected organ, is known to be highly endemic in Tibetan communities of northwest Sichuan Province.
Antiparasitic treatment with albendazole remains the primary choice for the great majority of patients in this resource-poor
remote area, though surgery is the most common approach for CE therapy that has the potential to remove cysts and lead
to complete cure. The current prospective study aimed to assess the effectiveness of community based use of cyclic
albendazole treatment in Tibetan CE cases, and concurrently monitor the changes of serum specific antibody levels during
treatment.
Methodology/Principal Findings: Ultrasonography was applied for diagnosis and follow-up of CE cases after cyclic
albendazole treatment in Tibetan communities of Sichuan Province during 2006 to 2008, and serum specific IgG antibody
levels against Echinococcus granulosus recombinant antigen B in ELISA was concurrently monitored in these cases. A total of
196 CE cases were identified by ultrasound, of which 37 (18.9%) showed evidence of spontaneous healing/involution of
hepatic cyst(s) with CE4 or CE5 presentations. Of 49 enrolled CE cases for treatment follow-up, 32.7% (16) were considered
to be cured based on B-ultrasound after 6 months to 30 months regular albendazole treatment, 49.0% (24) were improved,
14.3% (7) remained unchanged, and 4.1% (2) became aggravated. In general, patients with CE2 type cysts (daughter cysts
present) needed a longer treatment course for cure (26.4 months), compared to cases with CE1 (univesicular cysts) (20.4
months) or CE3 type (detached cyst membrane or partial degeneration of daughter cysts) (9 months). In addition, the
curative duration was longer in patients with large (.10 cm) cysts (22.3 months), compared to cases with medium (5–
10 cm) cysts (17.3 months) or patients with small (,5 cm) cysts (6 months). At diagnosis, seven (53.8%) of 13 cases with CE1
type cysts without any previous intervention showed negative specific IgG antibody response to E. granulosus recombinant
antigen B (rAgB). However, following 3 months to 18 months albendazole therapy, six of these 7 initially seronegative CE1
cases sero-converted to be specific IgG antibody positive, and concurrently ultrasound scan showed that cysts changed to
CE3a from CE1 type in all the six CE cases. Two major profiles of serum specific IgG antibody dynamics during albendazole
treatment were apparent in CE cases: (i) presenting as initial elevation followed by subsequent decline, or (ii) a persistent
decline. Despite a decline, however, specific antibody levels remained positive in most improved or cured CE cases.
Conclusions: This was the first attempt to follow up community-screened cystic echinococcosis patients after albendazole
therapy using ultrasonography and serology in an endemic Tibetan region. Cyclic albendazole treatment proved to be
effective in the great majority of CE cases in this resource-poor area, but periodic abdominal ultrasound examination was
necessary to guide appropriate treatment. Oral albendazole for over 18 months was more likely to result in CE cure. Poor
drug compliance resulted in less good outcomes. Serology with recombinant antigen B could provide additional limited
information about the effectiveness of albendazole in CE cases. Post-treatment positive specific IgG antibody
seroconversion, in initially seronegative, CE1 patients was considered a good indication for positive therapeutic efficacy
of albendazole
Algorithm Engineering in Robust Optimization
Robust optimization is a young and emerging field of research having received
a considerable increase of interest over the last decade. In this paper, we
argue that the the algorithm engineering methodology fits very well to the
field of robust optimization and yields a rewarding new perspective on both the
current state of research and open research directions.
To this end we go through the algorithm engineering cycle of design and
analysis of concepts, development and implementation of algorithms, and
theoretical and experimental evaluation. We show that many ideas of algorithm
engineering have already been applied in publications on robust optimization.
Most work on robust optimization is devoted to analysis of the concepts and the
development of algorithms, some papers deal with the evaluation of a particular
concept in case studies, and work on comparison of concepts just starts. What
is still a drawback in many papers on robustness is the missing link to include
the results of the experiments again in the design
On cycle transversals and their connected variants in the absence of a small linear forest.
A graph is H-free if it contains no induced subgraph isomorphic to H. We prove new complexity results for the two classical cycle transversal problems Feedback Vertex Set and Odd Cycle Transversal by showing that they can be solved in polynomial time for (sP1+P3) -free graphs for every integer s≥1 . We show the same result for the variants Connected Feedback Vertex Set and Connected Odd Cycle Transversal. For the latter two problems we also prove that they are polynomial-time solvable for cographs; this was known already for Feedback Vertex Set and Odd Cycle Transversal
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