Runtime Distributions and Criteria for Restarts

Randomized algorithms sometimes employ a restart strategy. After a certain number of steps, the current computation is aborted and restarted with a new, independent random seed. In some cases, this results in an improved overall expected runtime. This work introduces properties of the underlying runtime distribution which determine whether restarts are advantageous. The most commonly used probability distributions admit the use of a scale and a location parameter. Location parameters shift the density function to the right, while scale parameters affect the spread of the distribution. It is shown that for all distributions scale parameters do not influence the usefulness of restarts and that location parameters only have a limited influence. This result simplifies the analysis of the usefulness of restarts. The most important runtime probability distributions are the log-normal, the Weibull, and the Pareto distribution. In this work, these distributions are analyzed for the usefulness of restarts. Secondly, a condition for the optimal restart time (if it exists) is provided. The log-normal, the Weibull, and the generalized Pareto distribution are analyzed in this respect. Moreover, it is shown that the optimal restart time is also not influenced by scale parameters and that the influence of location parameters is only linear

Velocity-Based Heuristic Evaluation for Path Planning and Vehicle Routing for Victim Assistance in Disaster Scenarios

Published in "Robot 2019: Fourth Iberian Robotics Conference. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, Vol 1093. Silva M., Luís Lima J., Reis L., Sanfeliu A., Tardioli D. (eds)" published by Springer, Cham. Avalaible online at: https://doi.org/10.1007.987-3-030-36150-1_10Natural and human-made disasters require effective victim assistance and last-mile relief supply operations with teams of ground vehicles. In these applications, digital elevation models (DEM) can provide accurate knowledge for safe vehicle motion planning but grid representation results in very large search graphs. Furthermore, travel time, which becomes a crucial cost optimization criterion, may be affected by inclination and other challenging terrain characteristics. In this paper, our goal is to evaluate a search heuristic function based on anisotropic vehicle velocity restrictions for building the cost matrix required for multi-vehicle routing on natural terrain and disaster sites. The heuristic is applied to compute the fastest travel times between every pair of matrix elements by means of a path planning algorithm. The analysis is based on a case study on the ortophotographic-based DEM of natural terrain with different target points, where theUniversidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. This work has received funding from the national project RTI2018-093421-B-I00 (Spanish Government), the University of Malaga (Andalucía Tech) and the grant BES-2016-077022 of the European Social Fund

La Planificación Estratégica como proceso de integración de un equipo de salud.

Strategic Planning is a process that leads to human capital to establish organizational goals, strategies and policies for achieving those goals, develop plans to ensure implementation of strategies and obtain the ends sought. This study is framed in the research: Human Resource Management, whose purpose was to design a strategic plan for integration of the healthcare team to optimize service to users who visited the outpatient IVSS" in the state of Carabobo. This study was characterized as a feasible project, based on field research and descriptive, the sample was intentional and consisted of 17 people who belong to health strategists of the ambulance team. For data collection technique was used as an instrument survey and structured questionnaire of 30 items, which was validated by experts, who provided positive results to determine the internal reliability was calculated Cronbach alpha coefficient, obtaining significant value of 0.83%. The data were analyzed using simple percentage analysis technique and were presented by tables and circle graphs. It proposes anintegration plan based on strategic planning in order to provide the tools necessary to enable it to overcome the weaknesses and threats and capitalize on the strengths and opportunities to improving health care for the users who come to the ambulanceLa Planificación Estratégica es un proceso que conduce al capital humano a establecer metas organizacionales, definir estrategias y  políticas para el logro de esas metas,  desarrollar planes para asegurar la implantación de las estrategias y así obtener los fines buscados. Este estudio está enmarcado en la línea de investigación: Administración de los Recursos Humanos, cuyo propósito fue diseñar un plan estratégico de integración del equipo de salud para optimizar la atención a los usuarios que acuden a un ambulatorio del IVSS“en el Estado Carabobo. Este estudio se caracterizo como un proyecto factible, basado en una investigación de campo de tipo descriptivo, la muestra fue de tipo intencional y estuvo conformada por 17 personas que corresponden a estrategas del equipo de salud del ambulatorio. Para la recolección de la información se utilizó la técnica de encuesta y como instrumento el cuestionario estructurado en 30 ítems, el cual fue validado por juicio de expertos, quienes aportaron resultados positivos; para determinar la confiabilidad interna se calculo el coeficiente Alpha de Cronbach, obteniendo un valor significativo de 0,83%. Los datos fueron analizados mediante la técnica de análisis porcentual simple y fueron presentados por cuadros y graficas circulares. Se propone un plan de integración  fundamentado en la planificación estratégica con el objetivo de proporcionar las herramientas necesarias que le permitan superar las debilidades y amenazas y aprovechar las fortalezas y oportunidades para optimizar la atención en salud a los usuarios que acuden al ambulatorio

Estudio de la botica de la Alhambra en el siglo XVI

Stock inventories are a very useful source of information in the study of the history of pharmaceutical science. Thisarticle reports on two accounts from the XVI century related to this subject, which on analysis provide interestingand relevant information on the functioning of a pharmacy in the citadel of the Alhambra Palace in Granada,during the early modern age.Los inventarios que recogen las existencias de las boticas son documentos de gran interés para la Historia de laFarmacia. Se informa en este artículo del hallazgo de dos relaciones de este tipo, fechadas en el siglo XVI, cuyoanálisis ofrece interesantes datos sobre la botica de la Alhambra de Granada en la Edad Moderna

Cyclosporine A toxicity and effect of the S-adenosylmethionine

We studied the simultaneous changes undergone by the main indicators of hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity and diabetogenicityin rats treated with cyclosporine A (CyA) for one, two, three and four weeks, using the dose of 10 and 20 mg/kg/day.The effects of the drug on the biliary excretion of several biliary compounds as well as on the bile flow fractions -dependent and independent- of the biliary secretion of bile acids and glutathione were also studied. A further aim ofthis research was to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) against the action of CyA. Ourresults show that CyA treatment alters hepatic, renal and pancreatic functions rapidly and simultaneously; the changeswere slightly more intense with the higher dose but they did not become more pronounced when the treatment wasprolonged for 4 weeks. The cholestatic effect of the drug is a multifactorial phenomena and develops accompanied bysimultaneous decreases in the biliary secretion of bile acids, lipid, glutathione and proteins. SAMe plus CyA cotreatmentantagonizes the main hepatotoxic effects of CyA in this species. This hepatoprotective effect of SAMe could be relatedto its regulatory function as regards membrane lipid composition and fluidity and to its key role in promoting the hepaticsynthesis of thiol compounds

Structure–properties relationships in fibre drawing of bioactive phosphate glasses

New bioactive phosphate glasses suitable for continuous fibre production are investigated in this work. The structure of both bulk and fibres from Na2O–CaO–MgO–P2O5 glasses has been studied by means of Raman and 31P and 23Na nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies, and the structural results have been correlated with the mechanical properties of the fibres and the dissolution rate of the bulk glasses. It has been observed that the mechanical properties of the phosphate glass fibres are influenced by the glass network connectivity, while the dissolution rates are governed by the Qi speciation of the PO4 units. As seen in previous studies, molar volume seems to play an important role in the fragility behaviour of phosphate glasses. Here, a lower molar volume resulting from the increase in the oxygen packing density hinders the cooperative flow of the PO4 units throughout the glass network and, therefore, causes a reduction in the kinetic fragility

Effect of Ku80 Deficiency on Mutation Frequencies and Spectra at a LacZ Reporter Locus in Mouse Tissues and Cells

Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) is thought to be an important mechanism for preventing the adverse effects of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) and its absence has been associated with premature aging. To investigate the effect of inactivated NHEJ on spontaneous mutation frequencies and spectra in vivo and in cultured cells, we crossed a Ku80-deficient mouse with mice harboring a lacZ-plasmid-based mutation reporter. We analyzed various organs and tissues, as well as cultured embryonic fibroblasts, for mutations at the lacZ locus. When comparing mutant with wild-type mice, we observed a significantly higher number of genome rearrangements in liver and spleen and a significantly lower number of point mutations in liver and brain. The reduced point mutation frequency was not due to a decrease in small deletion mutations thought to be a hallmark of NHEJ, but could be a consequence of increased cellular responses to unrepaired DSBs. Indeed, we found a substantial increase in persistent 53BP1 and γH2AX DNA damage foci in Ku80−/− as compared to wild-type liver. Treatment of cultured Ku80-deficient or wild-type embryonic fibroblasts, either proliferating or quiescent, with hydrogen peroxide or bleomycin showed no differences in the number or type of induced genome rearrangements. However, after such treatment, Ku80-deficient cells did show an increased number of persistent DNA damage foci. These results indicate that Ku80-dependent repair of DNA damage is predominantly error-free with the effect of alternative more error-prone pathways creating genome rearrangements only detectable after extended periods of time, i.e., in young adult animals. The observed premature aging likely results from a combination of increased cellular senescence and an increased load of stable, genome rearrangements

Dentin dysplasia type I: a case report and review of the literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Dentin dysplasia is a rare hereditary disturbance of dentin formation characterized by defective dentin development with clinically normal appearing crowns, severe hypermobility of teeth and spontaneous dental abscesses or cysts. Radiographic analysis shows obliteration of all pulp chambers, short, blunted and malformed or absent roots and peri-apical radiolucencies of non carious teeth.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We present a case of dentin dysplasia type I in a 12-year-old Iranian boy, and the clinical, radiographic and histopathologic findings of this condition and treatment are described.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>There are still many inconclusive issues in the diagnosis and management of patients with dentin dysplasia. The diagnostic features of this rare disturbance will remain incompletely defined until additional cases have been described. Early diagnosis of the condition and initiation of effective regular dental treatments may help these patients to prevent or delay loss of dentition.</p