Model approximation for batch flow shop scheduling with fixed batch sizes

Batch flow shops model systems that process a variety of job types using a fixed infrastructure. This model has applications in several areas including chemical manufacturing, building construction, and assembly lines. Since the throughput of such systems depends, often strongly, on the sequence in which they produce various products, scheduling these systems becomes a problem with very practical consequences. Nevertheless, optimally scheduling these systems is NP-complete. This paper demonstrates that batch flow shops can be represented as a particular kind of heap model in the max-plus algebra. These models are shown to belong to a special class of linear systems that are globally stable over finite input sequences, indicating that information about past states is forgotten in finite time. This fact motivates a new solution method to the scheduling problem by optimally solving scheduling problems on finite-memory approximations of the original system. Error in solutions for these “t-step” approximations is bounded and monotonically improving with increasing model complexity, eventually becoming zero when the complexity of the approximation reaches the complexity of the original system.United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate (Contract HSHQDC-13-C-B0052)United States. Air Force Research Laboratory (Contract FA8750-09-2-0219)ATK Thiokol Inc

Making Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Late-Life Depression Risk

Depression is a complex condition involving insufficient levels of brain chemicals, life stressors, thought processes, behaviors, and coping mechanisms. Medications and counseling therapy are effective in treating depression, and research suggests that several lifestyle practices also help to protect us from depression, and speed up our recovery if we do experience it. These behaviors, such as being socially connected, eating healthy and exercising, cost little to nothing but can have profound benefits on our overall quality of life and help us to stay depression-free

Maximizing the Quality of Life for Persons with Dementia

This fact sheet show how through simple adjustments to the environment and by providing opportunities for meaningful activities or pleasant experiences, caregivers can play a key role in maximizing the quality of life that people with dementia can maintain despite their impairments

Dementia Risk: Is It Nature or Nurture?

Alzheimer’s is a complex disease for which there is no known method for reversing its effects and no known cure for those who develop it. While a large part of the risk for developing AD comes from genes we inherit, there is evidence suggesting that an even greater part of our risk comes from our “environment,” and more specifically, our lifestyle

Mundo. Mapas generales (1740-1777)

Título en cartela orlada con iconografias de los cinco continentesIncluye : 'Germaniae aliorumque quorundam locarum Europae poliometria'En todos los mapas aparece : 'Cum privil S.R.I. Vicariatg in partibg Rhem, Sueviae et Juris Franconici' en forma abreviadaEs donación de : Combelles BergesEn el verso de la cubierta, nota manuscrita a lapiz : 'asuntos generales de Laracha Madrid'Copia digital. Madrid : Ministerio de Cultura. Dirección General del Libro, Archivos y Bibliotecas, 201

Psychosocial Capacity Building in Response to Cascading Disasters: A Culturally Informed Approach

The dominant paradigm guiding mental health professionals responding to major disasters is the field of \u27disaster mental health\u27, which historically focused more on psychological factors than social factors, privileging individual over collective interventions. However, resilience to complex events is a result of multiple drivers, such as social networks and local culture, that must be considered together in the assessment and planning process. This paper adopts a multi-disciplinary perspective for disaster response, applying a social-ecological approach to disaster risk reduction which has been developed through practice and a review of the literature. In particular, we investigated how psychosocial healing, collective efficacy and social justice as intertwined aspects of the recovery process may inhibit the escalation of cascading disasters. The article argues that psychosocial capacity building can be used in disaster preparation as well as to respond to cascading events, as the escalation of secondary emergencies caused by the loss of vital services can heavily influence collective behaviors, and hinder the response capacity of emergency services. Our research suggests that adopting a multi-systemic approach, drawing on local cultural practices, can deepen the capacity of local people to take control over their own process of healing and psychosocial restoration, enhancing a sustainable recovery process. The conclusions suggest some possible applications for responders, utilizing groups and activities, and raise questions for researchers in the field

Early Life Cumulative Stress To Predict Alzheimer’s Disease Risk

Coming soon

Linguistic and Cognitive Complexity from Personal Diaries Predicts Late-life Cognitive Health: the Cache County Journal Pilot Study

The aging population throughout the world is increasing, leading to larger numbers of individuals with Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD), with a price tag for services ranging in the hundreds of billions of dollars. The neurodegenerative process of AD may begin decades before symptom onset, prompting studies of early detection and prevention. The cognitive reserve hypothesis posits that cognitive stimulation throughout the lifespan (e.g. from formal education, occupations, leisure activities) builds neuronal connections in the brain that can delay onset of symptoms even once the neurodegeneration has begun. Expressive writing samples have been used to measure linguistic and cognitive complexity, both potential markers for cognitive reserve. The Cache County Memory Study (CCMS) conducted four waves of dementia ascertainment in an initial panel of 5,092 persons aged 65 and older on 1/1/95. In a sample of 67 of these participants (43% males), writing samples from personal journals earlier in life (as early as age 20), were collected and subjected to linguistic analysis using the Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC) software. Results yielded average Words per sentence (WPS), and Proportion of Words that are Numerals (PWN). Cognitive status at study entry in the CCMS was measured using the Modified Mini-Mental State Exam (3MS; range 0-100). WPS and PWN were correlated with 3MS scores, for the sample overall and separately by gender. For males, higher WPS was significantly correlated with higher 3MS score (r=0.431, p=0.020), and higher PWN was significantly correlated with lower 3MS (r=-0.504, p=.005), but there were no significant correlations for females. Word Count, Percentage of Six-Letter Words, and Percentage of Unique Words were also analyzed, although none of these predicted 3MS score. In conclusion, these results suggest that early adulthood writing samples may be used to predict later dementia risk. Early prediction would allow time for interventions to delay dementia expression