A Morph-Based Simulated Annealing Heuristic for a Modified Bin-Packing Problem

This paper presents a local-search heuristic, based on the simulated annealing (SA) algorithm for a modified bin- packing problem (MBPP). The objective of the MBPP is to assign items of various sizes to a fixed number of bins, such that the sum-of-squared deviation (across all bins) from the target bin workload is minimized. This problem has a number of practical applications which include the assignment of computer jobs to processors, the assignment of projects to work teams, and infinite loading machine scheduling problems. The SA-based heuristic we developed uses a morph-based search procedure when looking for better allocations. In a large computational study we evaluated 12 versions of this new heuristic, as well as two versions of a previously published SA-based heuristic that used a completely random search. The primary performance measure for this evaluation was the mean percent above the best known objective value (MPABKOV). Since the MPABKOV associated with the best version of the random-search SA heuristic was more than 290 times larger than that of the best version of the morph-based SA heuristic, we conclude that the morphing process is a significant enhancement to SA algorithms for these problems

Psychological Interventions for Dementia Caregivers:What We Have Achieved, What We Have Learned

With the rising dementia population, more and more programs have been developed to help caregivers deal with the care-recipient as well as their own frustrations. Many interventions aim to enhance caregiver’s ability to manage behavior problems and other deteriorations in functioning, with less direct emphasis placed on caring for the caregivers. We argue that techniques based on psychotherapy are strategically important in assistance provided to caregivers because of their utility for promoting emotional health. This article provides a focused review of such methods used in evidence-based intervention programs, along with the mechanisms of change associated with these methods. While cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has a strong evidence base, there is also a growing trend to package CBT techniques into various psychoeducational programs. These programs, which we call psychoeducation with psychotherapeutic programs, have been consistently found to be effective in reducing caregiver distress and are suited for delivery in group format, even by paraprofessionals, to lower the cost of intervention. A recent trend is the effective use of technological aids (e.g., the internet) to deliver CBT and psychoeducation, reaching more caregivers. As for therapeutic mechanisms, use of coping skills, reduced dysfunctional thoughts, and increased self-efficacy in controlling upsetting thoughts have received support in studies. We conclude that psychotherapeutic techniques are increasingly being used effectively and efficiently to assist caregivers, aided by successful adaptation for educational or technologically advanced means of delivery. More research on therapeutic mechanisms is needed to understand how the techniques work and how they can be further refined

Idea Fare

Multiple articles that include descriptions of evaluations and test of information methods conducted by ACE members. Includes: On Dead Trees & Smudgy Ink, Keeping Pace with Exhibits, National ACE Media Sessions on Radio and Television, Publications, Graphics Design, Visual Aids Committe

Spaceflight Payload Design, Flight Experience G-408

Worcester Polytechnic Institute\u27s first payload of spaceflight experiments flew aboard Columbia, STS-40, during June of 1991 and culminated eight years of work by students and faculty. The Get Away Special (GAS) payload was installed on the GAS bridge assembly at the aft end of the cargo bay behind the Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-l) laboratory. The experiments were turned on by astronaut signal after reaching orbit and then functioned for 72 hours. Environmental and experimental measurements were recorded on three cassette tapes which, together with zeolite crystals grown on orbit, formed the basis of subsequent analyses. The experiments were developed over a number of years by undergraduate students meeting their project requirements for graduation. The experiments included zeolite crystal growth, fluid behavior, and microgravity acceleration measurement in addition to environmental data acquisition. Preparation also included structural design, thermal design, payload integration, and experiment control. All of the experiments functioned on orbit and the payload system performed within design estimates

California older adult Stroop test (COAST): Development of a Stroop test adapted for geriatric populations

An adaptation of the traditional Stroop test, the California Older Adult Stroop Test (COAST) (Pachana, Marcopulos, Yoash-Gantz & Thompson, 1995), has been developed specifically for use with a geriatric population, utilizing larger typeface, fewer items (50) per task, and more easily distinguished colors (red, yellow and green). Test-retest reliability and validity data are reviewed for both control and clinical populations. Increased error rates on the Stroop test compared to the COAST were found for the color and color/word interference tasks. These results are discussed in terms of changes in the visual system with increasing age. The implications for better test sensitivity with the COAST for older adult populations are discussed

Effect of Exercise Training on Lipoprotein Subclass Particle Concentrations and Sizes in Older Women: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Evidence suggests that lipoprotein subclass particles are critical markers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Older women have increased CVD risk related to age. The purpose of this study was to determine whether low and moderate doses of exercise influence lipoprotein subclasses. Methods: Women (60–75 years) were randomized into groups for 16 weeks of moderate-intensity exercise training at a low or moderate dose (33.6 and 58.8 kJ/kg body weight weekly, respectively). Lipoprotein subclasses were determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy before and after the training. RESULTS: The average weekly exercise duration was 109 and 164 min, for low- and moderate-dose groups, respectively. In the low-dose group, highdensity lipoprotein particle (HDL-P) concentration decreased (∆ = −1.9 ± 3.1 µmol/L, mean ± SD, p = 0.002) and mean HDL-P size increased (∆ = 0.1 ± 0.3 nm, p = 0.028). In the moderate-dose group, mean HDL-P size (∆ = 0.1 ± 0.2 nm; p = 0.024) and low-density lipoprotein particle size increased (∆ = 0.4 ± 3.9 nm; p = 0.007). Baseline body mass index, peak oxygen consumption and age were associated with changes in a few lipoprotein subclasses. Conclusions: In this sample of inactive older women, moderate-intensity exercise training at a dose equivalent to or even lower than the minimally recommended level by public health agencies induced changes in lipoprotein subclasses in line with reduced CVD risk. However, higher doses are encouraged for greater health benefits

Volume 15

Introduction Dr. Amorette Barber, Director, Office of Student Research From the Editor Dr. Hannah Dudley-Shotwell Artist’s Statement Connor Thompson On mentorship Dr. John Miller The Meat of the Matter: Allen, Human and Animal in Terry Blsson’s “They’re Made of Out of Meat” by Emily Steffenhagen “Please REBLOG!”: An Ethical analysis of Doxxing, Internet Vigilantism and Racists Getting Fired by Emily Robertson Journaling: Paper Has More Patience Than People by Luis Fernando Dos Reis The Effects of Climate Change on the Archeological World by Emily Farmer Lowered Seat Height Does Not Impair Wingate Performance in Untrained Cyclists by Samuel Villa, Robert Allison, and Zachary Chessor Intentions, Interpretations, and the Paradoxes of Asimov’s Laws of Robotics by Meagan Borden How Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists Define and Defend Women’s Spaces by Austin Burnett The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson by Larry W. Grant, Jr. “unsex me here”: Lady Macbeth’s Performance of Female Masculinity by Tristan Marowski Monstrosity, Queer Desire, and écriture féminine in Sherldan le Fanu’s Carmilla by Emma Moore The Surfaces of Loathsome Beauty in the Picture of Dorian Gray by Pearl Sif

Chicken IgL gene rearrangement involves deletion of a circular episome and addition of single nonrandom nucleotides to both coding segments

Chicken immunoglobulin light chain (IgL) gene rearrangement has been characterized. Rearrangement of the single variable (VL) segment with the single joining (JL) segment within the chicken IgL locus results in the deletion of the DNA between VL and JL from the genome. This deletion is accomplished by a molecular mechanism in which a precise joining of the IgL recombination signal sequences leads to the formation of a circular episomal element. The circular episome is an unstable genetic element that fails to be propagated during B cell development. Evidence was obtained that the formation of the circular episome is accompanied by the addition of a single nonrandom base to both the VL and JL coding segments. The subsequent joining of the VL and JL segments appears to occur at random, as we observed at least 25 unique V-J junction sequences, 11 of which are out-of-frame. A novel recombination mechanism that accounts for the observed features of chicken IgL gene rearrangement is discussed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/28019/1/0000455.pd

2006 AAPP Monograph American Series

The African American Professors Program (AAPP) at the University of South Carolina is proud to publish the sixth edition of its annual monograph series. The program recognizes the significance of offering its scholars a venue for engaging actively in research and for publishing papers related thereto. Parallel with the publication of their refereed manuscripts is the opportunity to gain visibility among scholars throughout institutions worldwide. Scholars who have contributed manuscripts for this monograph are to be commended for adding this additional responsibility to their academic workloads. Writing across disciplines adds to the intellectual diversity of these papers. From neophytes, relatively speaking, to an array of very experienced individuals, the chapters have been researched and comprehensively written. Founded in 1997 through the Department of Educational Leadership and Policies in the College of Education, AAPP was designed to address the underrepresentation of African American professors on college and university campuses. Its mission is to expand the pool of these professors in critical academic and research areas. Sponsored by the University of South Carolina, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and the South Carolina General Assembly, the program recruits doctoral students for disciplines in which African Americans currently are underrepresented among faculty in higher education. The continuation of this monograph series is seen as responding to a window of opportunity to be sensitive to an academic expectation of graduates as they pursue career placement and, at the same time, one that allows for the dissemination of AAPP products to a broader community. The importance of this monograph series has been voiced by one of our 2002 AAPP graduates, Dr. Shundele LaTjuan Dogan, a former Program Officer for the Southern Education Foundation, Atlanta, Georgia, a former Administrative Fellow at Harvard University, and currently a Senior Program Officer with the Arthur M. Blank Foundation, focusing on the Pathways to Success Initiative. Dr. Dogan wrote: One thing in particular that I want to thank you for is having the African American Professors Program scholars publish articles for the monograph. I have to admit that writing the articles seemed like extra work at the time. However, in my recent interview process, organizations have asked me for samples of my writing. Including an article from a published monograph helped to make my portfolio much more impressive. You were \u27right on target\u27 in having us do the monograph series. {AAPP 2003 Monograph, p xi) The African American Professors Program offers this 2006 publication as a contribution to its readership and hopes that you will be inspired by this select group of manuscripts. John McFadden, Ph.D. The Benjamin Elijah Mays Professor Director, African American Professors Program University of South Carolinahttps://scholarcommons.sc.edu/mcfadden_monographs/1008/thumbnail.jp