Approximating the multi-level bottleneck assignment problem.

We consider the multi-level bottleneck assignment problem (MBA). This problem is described in the recent book 'Assignment Problems' by Burkard et al. (2009) on pages 188-189. One of the applications described there concerns bus driver scheduling.We view the problem as a special case of a bottleneck m-dimensional multi-index assignment problem. We give approximation algorithms and inapproximability results, depending upon the completeness of the underlying graph. Keywords: bottleneck problem; multidimensional assignment; approximation; computational complexity; efficient algorithm.Bottleneck problem; Multidimensional assignment; Approximation; Computational complexity; Efficient algorithm;

On the completability of mutually orthogonal Latin rectangles

This thesis examines the completability of an incomplete set of m-row orthogonal Latin rectangles (MOLRm) from a set theoretical viewpoint. We focus on the case of two rows, i.e. MOLR2, and define its independence system (IS) and the associated clutter of bases, which is the collection of all MOLR2. Any such clutter gives rise to a unique clutter of circuits which is the collection of all minimal dependent sets. To decide whether an incomplete set of MOLR2 is completable, it suffices to show that it does not contain a circuit therefore full knowledge of the clutter of circuits is needed. For the IS associated with 2-row orthogonal Latin rectangles (OLR2) we establish a methodology based on the notion of an availability matrix to fully characterise the corresponding clutter of circuits. We prove that..

A socio-cultural analysis of the transition from school to university mathematics

This research project investigates first year mathematics students' transition from school to university mathematics. I focussed my attention on the messages that students receive from their lecturers during the teaching and learning of mathematics at this level. By decomposing each transmitted message into the underlying structures of power and control that it carries I investigated in what ways these affect students' adjustment to the new context. In order to examine students' interactions with the messages I took into account their previous experiences while working with mathematics. The results of the study reveal a direct influence of the degree of power and control of the transmitted messages on students' adjustment. This influence is highly dependent on students' interpretations of the messages which are mediated through their identities as mathematics learners. With this work I approached the secondary-tertiary transition as a multifaceted process which accounts for the development of students' identities as mathematics learners while they interact with the transmitted messages and try to position themselves in the new context

On the completability of incomplete orthogonal Latin rectangles

We address the problem of completability for 2-row orthogonal Latin rectangles (OLR2). Our approach is to identify all pairs of incomplete 2-row Latin rectangles that are not com- pletable to an OLR2 and are minimal with respect to this property; i.e., we characterize all circuits of the independence system associated with OLR2. Since there can be no poly- time algorithm generating the clutter of circuits of an arbitrary independence system, our work adds to the few independence systems for which that clutter is fully described. The result has a direct polyhedral implication; it gives rise to inequalities that are valid for the polytope associated with orthogonal Latin squares and thus planar multi-dimensional assign- ment. A complexity result is also at hand: completing a set of (n - 1) incomplete MOLR2 is NP-complete

“This is what you need to be learning”: an analysis of messages received by first-year mathematics students during their transition to university

This paper explores the messages that first-year mathematics students receive in the context of their academic studies during their transition from school to university mathematics. Through observations of lectures and discussions with first-year mathematics undergraduates in an English university, we identified and analysed the messages that two of their lecturers transmitted to them during this transitional phase. The results suggest that strongly framed messages are more easily perceived by students and affect them during their transition. Additionally, messages that have been received in the school context continue to have control over students’ thinking and on many occasions can impede adjustment to the new setting

The Cardiff University buddy scheme: how to prepare outgoing students using the experience of the year abroad and final-year students

This article describes the extra support required for outgoing students on their Year Abroad (YA) journey. It highlights the increasing need for and relevance of peer mentoring of YA students in preparing them to deal with different structures and organisations where external support might be insufficient or even non-existent. It also outlines different approaches to establishing relationships with allocated ‘buddies’. It finally identifies the outcomes and benefits of the project, including personal development for all students involved in the scheme. Keywords: year abroad preparation, buddy scheme, students’ experience, student’s well-being, employability skills. Keywords: year abroad preparation, buddy scheme, students’ experience, student’s well-being, employability skills

Integrated signaling and transcriptome analysis reveals Src family kinase individualities and novel pathways controlled by their constitutive activity

The Src family kinases (SFKs) Lck and Lyn are crucial for lymphocyte development and function. Albeit tissue-restricted expression patterns the two kinases share common functions; the most pronounced one being the phosphorylation of ITAM motifs in the cytoplasmic tails of antigenic receptors. Lck is predominantly expressed in T lymphocytes; however, it can be ectopically found in B-1 cell subsets and numerous pathologies including acute and chronic B-cell leukemias. The exact impact of Lck on the B-cell signaling apparatus remains enigmatic and is followed by the long-lasting question of mechanisms granting selectivity among SFK members. In this work we sought to investigate the mechanistic basis of ectopic Lck function in B-cells and compare it to events elicited by the predominant B-cell SFK, Lyn. Our results reveal substrate promiscuity displayed by the two SFKs, which however, is buffered by their differential susceptibility toward regulatory mechanisms, revealing a so far unappreciated aspect of SFK member-specific fine-tuning. Furthermore, we show that Lck- and Lyn-generated signals suffice to induce transcriptome alterations, reminiscent of B-cell activation, in the absence of receptor/co-receptor engagement. Finally, our analyses revealed a yet unrecognized role of SFKs in tipping the balance of cellular stress responses, by promoting the onset of ER-phagy, an as yet completely uncharacterized process in B lymphocytes

Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that RNA three-way junctions can act as flexible RNA structural elements in the ribosome

We present extensive explicit solvent molecular dynamics analysis of three RNA three-way junctions (3WJs) from the large ribosomal subunit: the 3WJ formed by Helices 90–92 (H90–H92) of 23S rRNA; the 3WJ formed by H42–H44 organizing the GTPase associated center (GAC) of 23S rRNA; and the 3WJ of 5S rRNA. H92 near the peptidyl transferase center binds the 3′-CCA end of amino-acylated tRNA. The GAC binds protein factors and stimulates GTP hydrolysis driving protein synthesis. The 5S rRNA binds the central protuberance and A-site finger (ASF) involved in bridges with the 30S subunit. The simulations reveal that all three 3WJs possess significant anisotropic hinge-like flexibility between their stacked stems and dynamics within the compact regions of their adjacent stems. The A-site 3WJ dynamics may facilitate accommodation of tRNA, while the 5S 3WJ flexibility appears to be essential for coordinated movements of ASF and 5S rRNA. The GAC 3WJ may support large-scale dynamics of the L7/L12-stalk region. The simulations reveal that H42–H44 rRNA segments are not fully relaxed and in the X-ray structures they are bent towards the large subunit. The bending may be related to L10 binding and is distributed between the 3WJ and the H42–H97 contact