Solving stable matching problems using answer set programming

Since the introduction of the stable marriage problem (SMP) by Gale and Shapley (1962), several variants and extensions have been investigated. While this variety is useful to widen the application potential, each variant requires a new algorithm for finding the stable matchings. To address this issue, we propose an encoding of the SMP using answer set programming (ASP), which can straightforwardly be adapted and extended to suit the needs of specific applications. The use of ASP also means that we can take advantage of highly efficient off-the-shelf solvers. To illustrate the flexibility of our approach, we show how our ASP encoding naturally allows us to select optimal stable matchings, i.e. matchings that are optimal according to some user-specified criterion. To the best of our knowledge, our encoding offers the first exact implementation to find sex-equal, minimum regret, egalitarian or maximum cardinality stable matchings for SMP instances in which individuals may designate unacceptable partners and ties between preferences are allowed. This paper is under consideration in Theory and Practice of Logic Programming (TPLP).Comment: Under consideration in Theory and Practice of Logic Programming (TPLP). arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1302.725

Het Gallo-Romeinse aardewerk aangetroffen tijdens het archeologisch noodonderzoek op het toekomstige bedrijventerrein Plassendale III. (Zandvoorde, stad Oostende, prov. West-Vlaanderen) Opgravingscampagne 2000-2001

Dit artikel brengt een gedetailleerde studie van het Romeinse aardewerk, aangetroffen tijdens de opgravingscampagnes van 2000 en 2001 naar aanleiding van de aanleg van het industrieterrein Plassendale III2 (fig. 1). Grootschalige rioleringswerken op dit terrein over een totale lengte van 1,5 km (fig. 2) sneden een aantal Romeinse contexten aan met een interessant gamma aan ceramiek3. De verschillende sporen van Romeinse aanwezigheid komen samen met de natuurwetenschappelijke resultaten in een volgend volume uitvoerig aan bod. Met deze studie hopen we echter een eerste inzicht te bekomen in de kwantitatieve en kwalitatieve aspecten van het aardewerkgebruik tijdens de Romeinse periode in de kustvlakte. Daartoe achtten we het nodig om wat dieper in te gaan op de verschillende soorten van aardewerk, hun herkomst en hun mate van aanwezigheid. De procentuele gegevens hebben daarbij vooral een indicatieve waarde als vergelijkingspunt voor latere studies in het gebied, eerder dan dat ze gezien moeten worden als een strikt gegeven

Cardiac troponin I as compared to troponin T for the detection of myocardial damage in horses

Background: Different cardiac troponin I (cTnI) assays give different results. Only 1 manufacturer has marketed troponin T (cTnT) assays. Therefore, cTnT often is preferred for detection of myocardial infarction in human patients. Studies of cTnT in horses are limited. Objectives: To compare a cTnI and a high-sensitive cTnT assay (hs-cTnT) in horses. Animals: Cardiac troponin I and cTnT were determined in 35 healthy horses (group 1), 23 horses suspected to have primary myocardial damage (group 2a), and 41 horses with secondary myocardial damage caused by structural heart disease (group 2b). Methods: All cTnI samples were analyzed at laboratory A (limit of detection [LOD]: 0.03 ng/mL), whereas cTnT samples were analyzed at 2 laboratories with the same hs-cTnT assay (laboratory B, LOD: 10.0 pg/mL; laboratory C, LOD: 4.0 pg/mL). Results: The median cTnI concentration in group 2a (0.90 ng/mL; range, 0.03–58.27 ng/mL) was significantly higher (P < .001) than in group 1 (0.03 ng/mL; range, 0.03–0.09 ng/mL) or group 2b (0.05 ng/mL; range, 0.03–30.92 ng/mL), and the optimal cut-off for detection of primary myocardial damage was 0.095 ng/mL (sensitivity: 90.5%, specificity: 100%). Using an LOD of 10.0 pg/mL for all cTnT samples, a cut-off value of 10.5 pg/mL was found, but sensitivity was low (42.9%). When only samples analyzed at laboratory C (n = 58) were included, a cut-off of 6.6 pg/mL was found (sensitivity: 81%, specificity: 100%). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Despite large quantitative differences, cTnI and cTnT are both useful for detection of myocardial damage in horses

Transitional cell carcinoma of suspected ureteral origin, with intra-abdominal and distant metastases in two horses

The present paper describes two cases of suspected urothelial carcinomas with local lymphatic metastases, and distant metastases in the lungs. In one case, liver metastases were also present. Both cases are documented with an extensive clinical report, using bloodwork, rectal examination, ultrasonography, cytology of abdominal fluid and, in one case, also urine analysis, radiography and transrectal biopsy to come to a diagnosis of abdominal malignancy. Subsequently, the post-mortem exam, histopathology and immunohistochemistry are described and illustrated

Hemothorax bij een Fries paard : niet altijd een aortaruptuur!

A 16-year-old Friesian gelding was admitted to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Ghent University) with complaints of exercise intolerance, pale mucous membranes, tachycardia and an irregular heart rate. General examination revealed decreased heart sounds and bronchovesicular sounds in the ventral lung fields, combined with a low hematocrit, which led to the suspected diagnosis of hemothorax. The diagnosis of hemothorax was confirmed by ultrasonographic examination of the thoracic cavity and thoracocentesis. Because it was a Friesian horse, aorto-pulmonary fistulation was suspected, but this was excluded by thorough echocardiographic examination. The electrocardiogram showed that the irregular heart rate was caused by atrial premature contractions. The horse was hospitalized and was treated conservatively with broad spectrum antibiotics. Because both the hematocrit and the ultrasonographic images evolved well, the horse could leave the clinic after 15 days. Re-examination after six weeks showed no more abnormalities

The pottery consumption c AD 260-70 at the Roman coastal defence fort, Oudenburg, Northem Gaul

A study of military pottery consumption at the transition of the middle to late Roman period based on an important pottery group from a dump of c AD 260-70 at the Roman Saxon Shore fort at Oudenburg, West Flanders, Belgiu