Online scheduling on a single machine with one restart for all jobs to minimize the weighted makespan

In this paper, we consider the online scheduling problem on a single machine to minimize the weighted makespan. In this problem, all jobs arrive over time and they are allowed to be restarted only once. For the general case when the processing times of all jobs are arbitrary, we show that there is no online algorithm with a competitive ratio of less than 2, which matches the lower bound of the problem without restart. That is, only one restart for all jobs is invalid for improving the competitive ratio in the general case. For the special case when all jobs have the same processing time, we present the best possible online algorithm with a competitive ratio of 1.4656, which improves the competitive ratio of $\frac{1+\sqrt{5}}{2}\approx1.618$ for the problem without restart

Layer III pyramidal cells in the prefrontal cortex reveal morphological changes in subjects with depression, schizophrenia, and suicide

Brodmann Area 46 (BA46) has long been regarded as a hotspot of disease pathology in individuals with schizophrenia (SCH) and major depressive disorder (MDD). Pyramidal neurons in layer III of the Brodmann Area 46 (BA46) project to other cortical regions and play a fundamental role in corticocortical and thalamocortical circuits. The AutoCUTS-LM pipeline was used to study the 3-dimensional structural morphology and spatial organization of pyramidal cells. Using quantitative light microscopy, we used stereology to calculate the entire volume of layer III in BA46 and the total number and density of pyramidal cells. Volume tensors estimated by the planar rotator quantified the volume, shape, and nucleus displacement of pyramidal cells. All of these assessments were carried out in four groups of subjects: controls (C, n = 10), SCH (n = 10), MDD (n = 8), and suicide subjects with a history of depression (SU, n = 11). SCH subjects had a significantly lower somal volume, total number, and density of pyramidal neurons when compared to C and tended to show a volume reduction in layer III of BA46. When comparing MDD subjects with C, the measured parameters were inclined to follow SCH, although there was only a significant reduction in pyramidal total cell number. While no morphometric differences were observed between SU and MDD, SU had a significantly higher total number of pyramidal cells and nucleus displacement than SCH. Finally, no differences in the spatial organization of pyramidal cells were found among groups. These results suggest that despite significant morphological alterations in layer III of BA46, which may impair prefrontal connections in people with SCH and MDD, the spatial organization of pyramidal cells remains the same across the four groups and suggests no defects in neuronal migration. The increased understanding of pyramidal cell biology may provide the cellular basis for symptoms and neuroimaging observations in SCH and MDD patients

Cellular 3D-reconstruction and analysis in the human cerebral cortex using automatic serial sections

Techniques involving three-dimensional (3D) tissue structure reconstruction and analysis provide a better understanding of changes in molecules and function. We have developed AutoCUTS-LM, an automated system that allows the latest advances in 3D tissue reconstruction and cellular analysis developments using light microscopy on various tissues, including archived tissue. The workflow in this paper involved advanced tissue sampling methods of the human cerebral cortex, an automated serial section collection system, digital tissue library, cell detection using convolution neural network, 3D cell reconstruction, and advanced analysis. Our results demonstrated the detailed structure of pyramidal cells (number, volume, diameter, sphericity and orientation) and their 3D spatial organization are arranged in a columnar structure. The pipeline of these combined techniques provides a detailed analysis of tissues and cells in biology and pathology

Clinical Characteristics of Inpatients With New-Onset Diabetes Mellitus in Eastern China: Based on Novel Clustering Analysis

IntroductionThis study aimed to explore the novel classification of inpatients with new-onset diabetes in Eastern China by the cluster-based classification method and compare the clinical characteristics among the different subgroups.MethodsA total of 1017 Inpatients with new-onset diabetes of five hospitals in Eastern China were included in the study. Clustering analysis was used to cluster the data into five subgroups according to six basic variables. The differences in clinical characteristics, treatments, and the prevalence of diabetes-related diseases among the five subgroups were analyzed by multiple groups comparisons and pairwise comparisons. The risk of diabetes-related diseases in the five subgroups was compared by calculating odd ratio (OR). P value < 0.05 was considered significant.ResultsFive subgroups were obtained by clustering analysis with the highest proportion of patients with severe insulin-deficient diabetes (SIDD) 451 (44.35%), followed by patients with mild age-related diabetes (MARD) 236 (23.21%), patients with mild obesity-related diabetes (MOD) 207 (20.35%), patients with severe insulin-resistant diabetes (SIRD) 81 (7.96%), and patients with severe autoimmune diabetes (SAID) 42 (4.13%). Five subtypes had their own unique characteristics and treatments. The prevalence and risk of diabetes-related complications and comorbidities were also significantly different among the five subtypes. Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) was the most common in SIRD group. Patients in SIDD, SIRD, and MARD groups were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD) and/or stroke, diabetic peripheral vascular disease (DPVD), and diabetic distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSPN). The prevalence and risk of metabolic syndrome (MS) were the highest in MOD and SIRD groups. Patients in SAID group had the highest prevalence and risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Patients with MOD were more likely to develop non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).ConclusionsThe inpatients with new-onset diabetes in Eastern China had the unique clustering distribution. The clinical characteristics, treatments, and diabetes-related complications and comorbidities of the five subgroups were different, which may provide the basis for precise treatments of diabetes

Synthesis of a soluble azomethine-containing bisphenol and the properties of its modified epoxy thermosets

A soluble bisphenol containing azomethine moiety and aromatic ether linkage, 2,2'-bis {4-[4-(hydroxy) phenytiminomethylidene] phenoxyphenyl} propane (BHPP), was synthesized from the reaction of 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde with 2,2'-bis (4-aminophenoxy phenyl) propane (BAPP) and characterized by IR, H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR, and elemental analysis. To improve the overall properties of epoxy/diamine thermoset, ternary-curing systems combined BAPP/BHPP with diglycidyl ether of biphenyl A (DGEBA) were designed. It was found that the curing behavior and properties of the BAPP/DGEBA system changed dramatically due to the introduction of BHPP. The hybrid-curing agents BAPP/BHPP exhibited more reactivity toward oxirane group than did BAPP. All the epoxy thermosets had high thermal properties, e.g., glass transition temperatures (T(g)s) are between 145 and 170 degrees C, 5% weight loss temperatures over 329 degrees C, integral procedure decomposition temperature (IPDT) varied with 682-1085 degrees C and good flame retardancy for their high limited oxygen index (LOI) values beyond 28.4

Latent profile analysis of nurses’ perceived professional benefits in China: a cross-sectional study

Objective To identify profiles of nurses’ perceived professional benefits as well as their predictors.Design Cross-sectional study.Setting The study was carried out online in China.Methods From 6 July to 27 July 2022, a total of 1309 registered nurses participated in the survey by convenient sampling. We collected the Nurses’ Perceived Professional Benefits Questionnaire and demographic data. Using latent profile analysis (LPA), subgroups of nurses’ perceived professional benefits were identified. Moreover, univariate and multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to find the factors that were linked with the profiles.Results The survey was validly completed by 1309 nurses, with a 92.9% effective return rate. The findings of the LPA demonstrated three unique profiles: low-perceived professional benefits (11.8%), moderate-perceived professional benefits (57.1%) and high-perceived professional benefits (31.1%). There was a correlation between marital status, the number of night shifts per month and leadership role.Conclusions According to our research, registered nurses have three unique professional benefit profiles. In order to sustain the nursing workforce, despite the fact that nurses get a high level of professional benefits, interventions are necessary to increase nurses’ perception of their professional value

Influence of different air distribution on ventilation effectiveness in negative pressure hospital wards

Hospital ward is one of non-negligible potential places to occur cross-infection among patients and health workers. Air-borne transmission was regarded as the main infection route of the SARS-CoV-2. Preventing the air-borne transmission should be a significant measure, which could effectively mitigate the risk of the virus infection. Based on those consideration, in this study, the influence of different types of air distribution on ventilation effectiveness was modeled through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. Several typical negative pressure wards same as the ward in Wuhan Thunder God Mountain hospital and conformed to the Chinese National Health Commission (NHC) guidelines were modelled. We simulated the influence of different locations of air supply inlets, analysed the influence of the buffer door and compared the contaminant concentration on different entry route for health workers. The results show that the air distribution required by NHC guidelines could retain a directional airflow from the bed-zone to the toilet, which also has a better accessibility of supply air, and health workers are safer to avoid standing closed to the air exhaust outlet in the downstream area of pollutants during ward rounds

Dynamic sediment discharge in the Hekou-Longmen region of Yellow River and soil and water conservation implications

The middle reaches of the Yellow River Basin transport the vast majority of sediment (>85% of the basin's total available sediment load), which has had profound effects on the characteristics of the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. Since the late 1950s, soil and water conservation measures have been extensively implemented in the Loess Plateau, China, especially since the 1970s. This has resulted in sediment discharge changing significantly. In this study, data from 22 catchments in the region of the Loess Plateau from Hekou to Longmen in the middle reaches of the Yellow River were analyzed to investigate the responses of the sediment regime to climate change and human activities. The non-parametric Mann-Kendall test and the Pettitt test were used to identify trends and shifts in sediment discharge. All 22 catchments had a significantly decreasing trend (P < 0.01) in annual sediment discharge. Change point years were detected between 1971 and 1994, and were concentrated between 1978 and 1984 in 17 catchments. Moreover, erosive rainfall exhibited a tendency to decrease, but this was not a significant trend. Compared to rainfall, human activities, primarily soil and water conservation and environmental rehabilitation campaigns, have played a more prominent role in the changes in sediment regimes. In order to reduce soil erosion and sediment yield, more attention should be paid to proper and rational soil and water conservation and eco-restoration in this region. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Label-free electrochemical immunosensor based on conductive Ag contained EMT-style nano-zeolites and the application for α-fetoprotein detection

International audienc

Platinum(II)-Oligonucleotide Coordination Based Aptasensor for Simple and Selective Detection of Platinum Compounds

Wide use of platinum-based chemotherapeutic regimens for the treatment for carcinoma calls for a simple and selective detection of platinum compound in biological samples. On the basis of the platinum­(II)-base pair coordination, a novel type of aptameric platform for platinum detection has been introduced. This chemiluminescence (CL) aptasensor consists of a designed streptavidin (SA) aptamer sequence in which several base pairs were replaced by G-G mismatches. Only in the presence of platinum, coordination occurs between the platinum and G-G base pairs as opposed to the hydrogen-bonded G-C base pairs, which leads to SA aptamer sequence activation, resulting in their binding to SA coated magnetic beads. These Pt-DNA coordination events were monitored by a simple and direct luminol-peroxide CL reaction through horseradish peroxidase (HRP) catalysis with a strong chemiluminescence emission. The validated ranges of quantification were 0.12–240 μM with a limit of detection of 60 nM and selectivity over other metal ions. This assay was also successfully used in urine sample determination. It will be a promising candidate for the detection of platinum in biomedical and environmental samples