A statistical comparison of metaheuristics for unrelated parallel machine scheduling problems with setup times

Manufacturing scheduling aims to optimize one or more performance measures by allocating a set of resources to a set of jobs or tasks over a given period of time. It is an area that considers a very important decision-making process for manufacturing and production systems. In this paper, the unrelated parallel machine scheduling problem with machine-dependent and job-sequence-dependent setup times is addressed. This problem involves the scheduling of tasks on unrelated machines with setup times in order to minimize the makespan. The genetic algorithm is used to solve small and large instances of this problem when processing and setup times are balanced (Balanced problems), when processing times are dominant (Dominant P problems), and when setup times are dominant (Dominant S problems). For small instances, most of the values achieved the optimal makespan value, and, when compared to the metaheuristic ant colony optimization (ACOII) algorithm referred to in the literature, it was found that there were no significant differences between the two methods. However, in terms of large instances, there were significant differences between the optimal makespan obtained by the two methods, revealing overall better performance by the genetic algorithm for Dominant S and Dominant P problems.FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia through the R&D Units Project Scope UIDB/00319/2020 and EXPL/EME-SIS/1224/2021 and PhD grant UI/BD/150936/2021

Platelet hyperaggregability in high-fat fed rats: A role for intraplatelet reactive-oxygen species production

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Adiposity greatly increases the risk of atherothrombotic events, a pathological condition where a chronic state of oxidative stress is reported to play a major role. This study aimed to investigate the involvement of (NO)-soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) signaling pathway in the platelet dysfunction from high fat-fed (HFF) rats.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Male Wistar rats were fed for 10 weeks with standard chow (SCD) or high-fat diet (HFD). ADP (10 μM)- and thrombin (100 mU/ml)-induced washed platelet aggregation were evaluated. Measurement of intracellular levels of ROS levels was carried out using flow cytometry. Cyclic GMP levels were evaluated using ELISA kits.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>High-fat fed rats exhibited significant increases in body weight, epididymal fat, fasting glucose levels and glucose intolerance compared with SCD group. Platelet aggregation induced by ADP (<it>n </it>= 8) and thrombin from HFD rats (<it>n </it>= 8) were significantly greater (<it>P </it>< 0.05) compared with SCD group. Platelet activation with ADP increased by 54% the intraplatelet ROS production in HFD group, as measured by flow cytometry (<it>n </it>= 6). N-acetylcysteine (NAC; 1 mM) and PEG-catalase (1000 U/ml) fully prevented the increased ROS production and platelet hyperaggregability in HFD group. The NO donors sodium nitroprusside (SNP; 10 μM) and SNAP (10 μM), as well as the NO-independent soluble guanylyl cyclase stimulator BAY 41-2272 (10 μM) inhibited the platelet aggregation in HFD group with lower efficacy (<it>P </it>< 0.05) compared with SCD group. The cGMP levels in response to these agents were also markedly lower in HFD group (<it>P </it>< 0.05). The prostacyclin analogue iloprost (1 μM) reduced platelet aggregation in HFD and SCD rats in a similar fashion (<it>n </it>= 4).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Metabolic abnormalities as consequence of HFD cause platelet hyperaggregability involving enhanced intraplatelet ROS production and decreased NO bioavailability that appear to be accompanied by potential defects in the prosthetic haem group of soluble guanylyl cyclase.</p

Quantification of (-) hydroxycitric acid in marketed extracts of Garcinia cambogia by high performance liquid chromatography

O extrato de Garcinia cambogia (GC), utilizado no tratamento da obesidade, é padronizado por quantificação de ácido hidroxicítrico (AHC) em sua forma salina (CaAHC). Assim, objetivou-se quantificar AHC em duas amostras comerciais de GC (A e B) com 50 % de AHC, de acordo com os laudos de origem. O rendimento extrativo por maceração foi 23,83 % (A) e 22,37 % (B). O teor do analito, quantificado por CLAE-DAD utilizando calibração com padrão de CaAHC, foi 36,09 % (A) e 41,57 % (B) sobre a fração hidrossolúvel e 8,82 % (A) e 9,70 % (B) sobre o extrato inicial. Na quantificação sobre a fração hidrossolúvel, os resultados encontram-se similares aos especificados pelos distribuidores. Entretanto, considerando o extrato inicial, os resultados encontram-se significativamente abaixo dos especificados. Visto que parte considerável do extrato não é solúvel em meio aquoso, dosear o analito apenas em relação à fração hidrossolúvel pode ser um viés para a adequação de doses deste fitoterápico.Garcinia cambogia extract, used in the treatment of obesity, is standardized by quantification of hydroxycitric acid (HCA) in its salt form (CaHCA). The aim of this study was to quantify HCA in two samples of marketed GC extracts (A and B) containing 50 % of HCA, as origins specifications. The maceration extraction yield was 23.83 % (A) and 22.37 % (B). The quantification, performed by HPLC-DAD using calibration with CaHCA standard, was 36.09 % (A) and 41.57 % (B) related to the water-soluble portion and 8.82 % (A) and 9.70 % (B), related to the initial extract. On the water-soluble portion quantification, results are similar to those specified by the distributors. However, considering the quantification over the initial extract, results are significantly below of the specified values. Observing that part of the extract is insoluble in water, to quantify the analyte considering only the water-soluble portion could lead to considerable error for the adequacy of dose of this phytotherapic.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Fast determination of voriconazole in oral fluid using microextractionby packed sorbent and HPLC with fluorescence detection

A fast and reliable method for the determination of voriconazole in oral fluid using microextraction by packed sorbent and liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection was developed and validated. MEPS was performed at basic pH with only 50 μL of oral fluid and the extract was injected without an evaporation step. The overall procedure, including extraction and chromatographic analysis, took only 15 min. Voriconazole and internal standard were separated on a Lichrospher RP 8ec column (250 x 4 mm, particle diameter 5 μm) eluted with a mobile phase composed of phosphate pH 2.3 (containing 0.1 % triethylamine) and acetonitrile (64:36, v/v) at a flow rate of 1.4 mL min-1 . Total run time was 11 min, with detection being performed with excitation at 254 and emission at 372 nm. The method was successfully applied to oral fluid samples, with voriconazole concentrations presenting an average of 57.6 % of those measured in paired plasma samples.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

RENEB intercomparisons applying the conventional Dicentric Chromosome Assay (DCA)

Purpose: Two quality controlled inter-laboratory exercises were organized within the EU project ‘Realizing the European Network of Biodosimetry (RENEB)’ to further optimize the dicentric chromosome assay (DCA) and to identify needs for training and harmonization activities within the RENEB network. Materials and methods: The general study design included blood shipment, sample processing, analysis of chromosome aberrations and radiation dose assessment. After manual scoring of dicentric chromosomes in different cell numbers dose estimations and corresponding 95% confidence intervals were submitted by the participants. Results: The shipment of blood samples to the partners in the European Community (EU) were performed successfully. Outside the EU unacceptable delays occurred. The results of the dose estimation demonstrate a very successful classification of the blood samples in medically relevant groups. In comparison to the 1st exercise the 2nd intercomparison showed an improvement in the accuracy of dose estimations especially for the high dose point. Conclusions: In case of a large-scale radiological incident, the pooling of ressources by networks can enhance the rapid classification of individuals in medically relevant treatment groups based on the DCA. The performance of the RENEB network as a whole has clearly benefited from harmonization processes and specific training activities for the network partners

A comprehensive analysis of autocorrelation and bias in home range estimation

Home range estimation is routine practice in ecological research. While advances in animal tracking technology have increased our capacity to collect data to support home range analysis, these same advances have also resulted in increasingly autocorrelated data. Consequently, the question of which home range estimator to use on modern, highly autocorrelated tracking data remains open. This question is particularly relevant given that most estimators assume independently sampled data. Here, we provide a comprehensive evaluation of the effects of autocorrelation on home range estimation. We base our study on an extensive data set of GPS locations from 369 individuals representing 27 species distributed across five continents. We first assemble a broad array of home range estimators, including Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) with four bandwidth optimizers (Gaussian reference function, autocorrelated-Gaussian reference function [AKDE], Silverman´s rule of thumb, and least squares cross-validation), Minimum Convex Polygon, and Local Convex Hull methods. Notably, all of these estimators except AKDE assume independent and identically distributed (IID) data. We then employ half-sample cross-validation to objectively quantify estimator performance, and the recently introduced effective sample size for home range area estimation ((Formula presented.)) to quantify the information content of each data set. We found that AKDE 95% area estimates were larger than conventional IID-based estimates by a mean factor of 2. The median number of cross-validated locations included in the hold-out sets by AKDE 95% (or 50%) estimates was 95.3% (or 50.1%), confirming the larger AKDE ranges were appropriately selective at the specified quantile. Conversely, conventional estimates exhibited negative bias that increased with decreasing (Formula presented.). To contextualize our empirical results, we performed a detailed simulation study to tease apart how sampling frequency, sampling duration, and the focal animal´s movement conspire to affect range estimates. Paralleling our empirical results, the simulation study demonstrated that AKDE was generally more accurate than conventional methods, particularly for small (Formula presented.). While 72% of the 369 empirical data sets had >1,000 total observations, only 4% had an (Formula presented.) >1,000, where 30% had an (Formula presented.) <30. In this frequently encountered scenario of small (Formula presented.), AKDE was the only estimator capable of producing an accurate home range estimate on autocorrelated data.Fil: Noonan, Michael J.. National Zoological Park; Estados Unidos. University of Maryland; Estados UnidosFil: Tucker, Marlee A.. Senckenberg Gesellschaft Für Naturforschung; . Goethe Universitat Frankfurt; AlemaniaFil: Fleming, Christen H.. University of Maryland; Estados Unidos. National Zoological Park; Estados UnidosFil: Akre, Thomas S.. National Zoological Park; Estados UnidosFil: Alberts, Susan C.. University of Duke; Estados UnidosFil: Ali, Abdullahi H.. Hirola Conservation Programme. Garissa; KeniaFil: Altmann, Jeanne. University of Princeton; Estados UnidosFil: Antunes, Pamela Castro. Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul; BrasilFil: Belant, Jerrold L.. State University of New York; Estados UnidosFil: Beyer, Dean. Universitat Phillips; AlemaniaFil: Blaum, Niels. Universitat Potsdam; AlemaniaFil: Böhning Gaese, Katrin. Senckenberg Gesellschaft Für Naturforschung; Alemania. Goethe Universitat Frankfurt; AlemaniaFil: Cullen Jr., Laury. Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas; BrasilFil: de Paula, Rogerio Cunha. National Research Center For Carnivores Conservation; BrasilFil: Dekker, Jasja. Jasja Dekker Dierecologie; Países BajosFil: Drescher Lehman, Jonathan. George Mason University; Estados Unidos. National Zoological Park; Estados UnidosFil: Farwig, Nina. Michigan State University; Estados UnidosFil: Fichtel, Claudia. German Primate Center; AlemaniaFil: Fischer, Christina. Universitat Technical Zu Munich; AlemaniaFil: Ford, Adam T.. University of British Columbia; CanadáFil: Goheen, Jacob R.. University of Wyoming; Estados UnidosFil: Janssen, René. Bionet Natuuronderzoek; Países BajosFil: Jeltsch, Florian. Universitat Potsdam; AlemaniaFil: Kauffman, Matthew. University Of Wyoming; Estados UnidosFil: Kappeler, Peter M.. German Primate Center; AlemaniaFil: Koch, Flávia. German Primate Center; AlemaniaFil: LaPoint, Scott. Max Planck Institute für Ornithologie; Alemania. Columbia University; Estados UnidosFil: Markham, A. Catherine. Stony Brook University; Estados UnidosFil: Medici, Emilia Patricia. Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (IPE) ; BrasilFil: Morato, Ronaldo G.. Institute For Conservation of The Neotropical Carnivores; Brasil. National Research Center For Carnivores Conservation; BrasilFil: Nathan, Ran. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; IsraelFil: Oliveira Santos, Luiz Gustavo R.. Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul; BrasilFil: Olson, Kirk A.. Wildlife Conservation Society; Estados Unidos. National Zoological Park; Estados UnidosFil: Patterson, Bruce. Field Museum of National History; Estados UnidosFil: Paviolo, Agustin Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; ArgentinaFil: Ramalho, Emiliano Esterci. Institute For Conservation of The Neotropical Carnivores; Brasil. Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentavel Mamirauá; BrasilFil: Rösner, Sascha. Michigan State University; Estados UnidosFil: Schabo, Dana G.. Michigan State University; Estados UnidosFil: Selva, Nuria. Institute of Nature Conservation of The Polish Academy of Sciences; PoloniaFil: Sergiel, Agnieszka. Institute of Nature Conservation of The Polish Academy of Sciences; PoloniaFil: Xavier da Silva, Marina. Parque Nacional do Iguaçu; BrasilFil: Spiegel, Orr. Universitat Tel Aviv; IsraelFil: Thompson, Peter. University of Maryland; Estados UnidosFil: Ullmann, Wiebke. Universitat Potsdam; AlemaniaFil: Ziḝba, Filip. Tatra National Park; PoloniaFil: Zwijacz Kozica, Tomasz. Tatra National Park; PoloniaFil: Fagan, William F.. University of Maryland; Estados UnidosFil: Mueller, Thomas. Senckenberg Gesellschaft Für Naturforschung; . Goethe Universitat Frankfurt; AlemaniaFil: Calabrese, Justin M.. National Zoological Park; Estados Unidos. University of Maryland; Estados Unido