Local search performance guarantees for restricted related parallel machine scheduling

We consider the problem of minimizing the makespan on restricted related parallel machines. In restricted machine scheduling each job is only allowed to be scheduled on a subset of machines. We study the worst-case behavior of local search algorithms. In particular, we analyze the quality of local optima with respect to the jump, swap, push and lexicographical jump neighborhood.operations research and management science;

Оптимизация лапароскопической методики лечения тератомы яичника у женщин репродуктивного возраста

В эксперименте и клиническими исследованиями показано влияние лучевой аргоновой коагуляции, биполярной коагуляции и эндоскопического ушивания яичников кетгутом при лапароскопическом лечении дермоидных кист яичников у пациенток с бесплодием на дальнейшую их репродуктивную функцию и развитие спаечного процесса в послеоперационном периоде.The influence of argon coagulation, bipolar coagulation and endoscopic suture of ovaries with catgut at laparoscopic treatment for dermoid ovarian cysts in infertile patients on the further reproductive function and development of adhesions after the surgery were investigated experimentally and clinically

Assigning sporadic tasks to unrelated parallel machines

We study the problem of assigning sporadic tasks to unrelated machines such that the tasks on each machine can be feasibly scheduled. Despite its importance for modern real-time systems, this problem has not been studied before. We present a polynomial-time algorithm which approximates the problem with a constant speedup factor of 11 + 4√3 ≈ 17.9 and show that any polynomial-time algorithm needs a speedup factor of at least 2, unless P = NP. In the case of a constant number of machines we give a polynomial-time approximation scheme. Key to these results are two new relaxations of the demand bound function which yields a sufficient and necessary condition for a task system on a single machine to be feasible. © 2012 Springer-Verlag

Are ECG monitoring recommendations before prescription of QT-prolonging drugs applied in daily practice? : The example of haloperidol

PURPOSE: Monitoring of the QT duration by electrocardiography (ECG) prior to treatment is frequently recommended in the label of QT-prolonging drugs. It is, however, unknown how often general practitioners in daily clinical practice are adhering to these risk-minimization measures. We assessed the frequency of ECG measurements in patients where haloperidol was initiated in primary care. METHODS: Patients (≥18 years) with a first prescription of haloperidol in the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (2009-2013) were included. The proportion of ECGs made was determined in two blocks of 4 weeks: during the exposure period when haloperidol was initiated, and during the control period, 1 year before. Conditional logistic regression analysis was applied to calculate the relative risk of having an ECG in the exposure period compared with the control period. Subgroup analyses were performed to assess the proportion of ECG measurements in patients with one or more additional risk factors for QT prolongation. RESULTS: In total, 3420 patients were prescribed haloperidol during the exposure period, and 1.8% of them had an ECG at treatment initiation, compared with 0.8% during the control period (relative risk [RR] 2.4 [1.5-3.8]). Of the patients with additional risk factors for QT prolongation, 1.9% of the patients had an ECG at initiation of the prescription, compared with 1.0% during the control period (RR 2.1 [1.2-3.5]). CONCLUSIONS: Compliance with recommendations to perform an electrocardiogram when starting a new QT-prolonging drug is extremely low, when haloperidol is taken as an example

Flow chart.

<p>The source region had a population of 2 426 097 people in 2007 [Netherlands Statistics. <a href="http://statline.cbs.nl/" target="_blank">http://statline.cbs.nl/</a>. Accessed May 15, 2010].</p

Baseline characteristics of the study population.

<p>Data are number (%) unless otherwise indicated. OPD: obstructive pulmonary disease.</p>1<p>Drug use at index date.</p>2<p>Drug use at index date, or within six months prior to index date.</p>3<p>Use of systemic corticosteroids with a duration of 90 days or more.</p>4<p>Use of any of the following drugs: β-adrenoreceptor blockers, calcium channel antagonists, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, diuretics, angiotensin-II receptor blockers, nitrates, platelet aggregation inhibitors, and statins, within six months prior to index date.</p>5<p>Use of anti-diabetics within six months prior to index date.</p>6<p>Class I and III antiarrhythmic drugs and non-antiarrhythmic drugs with (possible) risk of QT prolongation (<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0065638#pone.0065638.s001" target="_blank">Table S1</a>).</p