A hybrid CPU-GPU parallelization scheme of variable neighborhood search for inventory optimization problems

In this paper, we study various parallelization schemes for the Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS) metaheuristic on a CPU-GPU system via OpenMP and OpenACC. A hybrid parallel VNS method is applied to recent benchmark problem instances for the multi-product dynamic lot sizing problem with product returns and recovery, which appears in reverse logistics and is known to be NP-hard. We report our findings regarding these parallelization approaches and present promising computational results.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figur

Cardiac Tamponade Secondary to Metastasis from Adenocarcinoma of the Parotid Gland

BACKGROUND: Metastatic involvement of pericardium producing cardiac tamponade is rare. When occurs it is mainly from the lung, breast and the neoplasms of the lymphoreticular system. Hematogenous spread of parotid adenocarcinoma to heart is extremely rare and only two cases have been reported in literature so far. CASE PRESENTATION: We report an unusual case of a patient with adenocarcinoma of the parotid gland, which presented with cardiac tamponade and was treated urgently with pericardial drainage and intrapericardial injection of cisplatin. CONCLUSIONS: Our case demonstrates the possibility of metastatic pericardial involvement and cardiac tamponade in patients with parotid adenocarcinoma. The patient was successfully treated with pericardial drainage and intrapericardial injection of chemotherapeutic agent to control recurrent pericardial effusion

Results of chemical pleurodesis with mitoxantrone in malignant pleural effusion from breast cancer

BACKGROUND: Carcinoma of the breast is the second leading cause of malignant pleural effusions. This study reports on the efficacy of mitoxantrone as a sclerosing agent in patients with breast cancer who had a pleural effusion as a direct consequence of metastatic disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Over a 5-year period, 114 patients with a known breast malignancy and having recurrent symptomatic pleural effusion referred for chest tube drainage and sclerotherapy were considered eligible. They had received no prior intrapleural therapy and had a predicted survival of >1 month. All of them underwent pleural drainage and chemical pleurodesis with mitoxantrone. Survival, complications and response to pleurodesis according to clinical and radiographic criteria were recorded. The data are expressed as the mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM) and the median. The χ(2 )test was used for statistical analysis. To assess the prognostic value of Karnofsky's performance status score a Cox proportional hazards model was used. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 53.5 ± 2.1 years. Effusion occurred after 38.2 ± 6.2 months (range: 1–229 months) after the diagnosis. Ipsilateral effusion was seen in 73%, contralateral in 20% and bilateral in 7%. Forty patients (35%) had pleural effusion as the first evidence of recurrence. The mean volume of effusion drained was 1020 ± 125 ml and the chest tube was removed within 5 days in 82% of patients. Side effects of chemical pleurodesis included mainly fever, chest pain, nausea and vomiting. At 30 days 64 patients (56.3%) had a complete response (CR) and 30 patients (26.3%) partial response (PR) to pleurodesis (overall response: 82.6%). At 60 days the overall response was 78.5% (CR:53.5%, PR: 25%). The mean survival was 15.6 ± 2 months. Karnofsky's performance status score was found to be a statistically significant predictor. Patients with Karnofsky's performance status score >70 had a median survival of 513 days, as opposed to a median survival of only 63 days for patients with a Karnofsky's performance status score <30. CONCLUSIONS: Mitoxantrone is effective in the treatment of malignant pleural effusion due to breast carcinoma with relatively low local or systemic toxicity. Karnofsky's performance status score at the time of pleurodesis is predictive of survival

A System Dynamics Model to Identify the Impact of the Economic Crisis on Crime Rate and on Security Sensation in European Societies

Modern society is a Complicated System, in which the interaction between its essential parts is affected in a daily basis by: (a) the Economic Crisis, (b) the Feeling of Xenophobia, (c) the Interweaving of the Political System and (d) the Degeneration of Human Interpersonal Relationships. Two important facts that have been excessively observed in the European Union over the last few years are the increase of Crime Rate, and at the same time the decrease of Security Sensation. The model that we have developed simulates the way that particular social phenomena such as: (a) the taxation, (b) the reduction of the State Expenditure on Equipment and (c) the conflicts of interest caused by the Economic Crisis, affect the Crime Rate. Therefore, this study can be the starting point for identifying other social phenomena that should be taken into account in the Strategic Plan of Crime and Violence treatment in member countries of the European Union

Σύναψη συμβάσεων με τρόπο διαφορετικό από τον προβλεπόμενο στον Αστικό Κώδικα

H παρούσα εργασία εξετάζει την προβληματική της σύναψης των συμβάσεων. Εκκινεί από την ανάλυση των συστατικών στοιχείων της &quot;σύμβασης&quot;, εξετάζοντας μεθοδικά τους περιεχόμενους στις διατάξεις του Αστικού Κώδικα κανόνες για την σύναψη σύμβασης και ιδίως το υπόδειγμα πρότασης-αποδοχής. Εν συνεχεία, εξετάζει περιπτώσεις - νομοθετικά προβλεπόμενες ή κατασκευές της πράξης - στις οποίες για την σύναψη σύμβασης ακολουθείται διαδικασία διαφορετική από την προβλεπόμενη στον Αστικό Κώδικα (σύναψη σύμβασης μέσω διαδικτύου, σύναψη σύμβασης σε οργανωμένη αγορά).This thesis discusses the formation of contracts. It begins by examining the elements of the concept of &quot;contract&quot; and the rules contained in the Civil Code regarding its formation, focusing on the offer and acceptance paradigm. It goes on by examining cases in which a different procedure is followed for the formation of a contract (formation of contracts on the internet, formation of contracts in an organised market). Such cases are either provided for in the law or are the result of transactions practice

Reconstruction of a traumatic duodenal transection with a pedicled ileal loop: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Blunt duodenal injuries do not occur often. A patient with damage to the duodenal tissue around the pancreatic and common bile duct presents a challenge to surgeons. The choice of procedure must be tailored to the nature of the defect and the amount of tissue lost.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We describe the case of a 16-year-old Caucasian boy with a blunt duodenal injury after a motor vehicle accident. On admission, the patient had stable vital signs and a normal laboratory workup. Gradually his clinical condition deteriorated and a computed tomography scan showed a retroperitoneal haematoma at the level of his duodenum. A fully circumferential rupture of the second part of his duodenum was found during laparotomy, with the intact Vater's papilla lying adjacent to the defect and a superficial laceration of the head of his pancreas. The retroperitoneal haematoma was thoroughly drained and a pedicled ileal loop was interposed between the duodenal stumps to restore the continuity of the patient's duodenum. Apart from a mild postoperative pancreatitis, the patient's postoperative course evolved with no further problems. The patient was discharged on the 22^ndpostoperative day in excellent condition and has remained so to date (after five years).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In our case report, where the second part of the patient's duodenum was completely transected, our choices for reconstruction were limited. Important factors for the successful management of this patient were prompt surgical intervention and the accurate assessment of the nature of the duodenal and associated injuries. We believe that the technique we used was a reasonable choice because the anatomical continuity of the patient's duodenum was restored.</p

Bilateral Morgagni Hernia: Primary Repair without a Mesh

We present a case of bilateral Morgagni hernia in a 68-year-old male with an intermittent history of progressive onset of breath shortness and occasional cardiac arrhythmias. Diagnosis was made by clinical examination and the findings in a plain chest radiograph and was confirmed by computed tomography scan. The patient was operated electively and subjected to a transabdominal approach. A bilateral subcostal incision revealed a large right side anterior diaphragmatic defect with a hernia containing the ascending colon, the majority of the transverse colon and a huge amount of omentum. Also a second smaller defect was found on the left side with no hernia inside. After large bowel and omentum had been taken down to the peritoneal cavity, both defects were primarily closed using interrupted nylon sutures without the use of a mesh. The patient recovered very well, had an uneventful postoperative course and was released on the 5th postoperative day. 15-month follow-up failed to reveal any signs of recurrence

The impact of fertilization regime on the crop performance and chemical composition of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivated in central Greece

Potato cultivation is quite demanding in inorganic nutrients and adequate fertilization is a key factor for maximizing yield and producing tubers of high quality. In the present study, a field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of various forms of fertilization on crop performance and the nutritional value and chemical composition of two potato varieties (cv. Spunta and cv. Kennebec). For this purpose, five different fertilizer treatments were applied namely: control (C), standard fertilizer (T1), standard fertilizer + zeolite (T2), manure (T3) and slow release nitrogen fertilizer (T4). According to the results, it was observed that slow release treatment (T4) achieved the highest yield for both varieties, while the control treatment presented significantly lower yield compared to the studied fertilization regimes. The dry matter of leaves and shoots was higher in T1 treatment for cv. Kennebec and in T2 and T4 treatments for cv. Spunta, whereas the control treatment presented the highest dry matter content in tubers for cv. Kennebec and T2 and T3 treatments for cv. Spunta. A significant effect of the fertilization regime was also observed on the nutritional value of tubers and more specifically the protein, ash and fat content was increased by treatments T1 and T4, while carbohydrate content was also increased by T3 and T4 treatments for both varieties. Similarly, the total sugars, organic acids, β-carotene and lycopene content was increased in T3 treatment for the Spunta variety, while the antioxidant capacity showed a varied response depending on the fertilizer regime and the tested variety. In conclusion, the fertilization regime has a significant effect not only on the tuber yield but also on the quality of the final product and should be considered as an effective tool to increase the added value of potato crop.The authors would like to thank Mr. Nikos Vasileios (BSc) and Dr. Souipas Spyridon for their technical assistance throughout the growing period of the experiment. The authors are also grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020), national funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract for A. Fernandes and L. Barros contracts.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The optimization of nitrogen fertilization regulates crop performance and quality of processing tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Heinz 3402)

In this study, we evaluated the e ect of various fertilization regimes on processing tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Heinz 3402) yield and quality by applying the following treatments: (i) control (C), (ii) conventional fertilizer (21-0-0, N-P-K) (CF), (iii) slow release nitrogen fertilizer 46-0-0 (SR), (iv) conventional fertilizer (21-0-0, N-P-K) + Zeolite (CFZ), and v) composted sheep manure (M). The results of the study showed that the SR and CFZ treatments resulted in the highest fruit yield per hectare compared to the rest of the fertilizer and the control treatments. Fruit firmness was higher for the treatments C,Mand SR, while color parameters (chroma and hue angle) were higher for the C and M treatments, respectively. Moreover, the total soluble solids content (TSS; Brix) was higher when manure (M) was applied. In terms of chemical composition, the total and individual tocopherols and sugars were the highest for the M and C treatments, respectively, whereas the oxalic, malic and total organic acid contents were the highest for the CFZ treatment. Moreover, the tested treatments showed a varied response in di erent antioxidant assays, although the M treatment exhibited a high antioxidant capacity in most of the assays, except for the -carotene/linoleate assay. The carotenoid and chlorophyll contents were the highest for the control treatment. The main detected fatty acid was linoleic acid, followed by palmitic, oleic and -linolenic acid, while the CFZ treatment had the highest content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) due to its high content of linoleic acid. In conclusion, although the application of fertilizers increased yield, the quality parameters and chemical composition showed a varied response to the fertilization regime, especially the TSS content and juice pH and electric conductivity (EC), which are significant for the marketability of the final product.The authors would like to thank Souipas Spyridon for their technical assistance throughout the growing period of the experiment. The authors are also grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020), national funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract for A. Fernandes and L. Barros contracts.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio