A New Cyclic Scheduling Algorithm for Flexible Manufacturing Systems

Flexible manufacturing system control is an NP-hard problem. A cyclic approach has been demonstrated to be adequate for an infinite scheduling problem because of maximal throughput reachability. However, it is not the only optimization criterion in general. In this article we consider the minimization of the work in process (WIP) as an economical and productivity factor. We propose a new cyclic scheduling algorithm giving the maximal throughput (a hard constraint) while minimizing WIP. This algorithm is based on progressive operations placing. A controlled beam search approach has been developed to determine at each step the schedule of the next operations. After presenting the main principles of the algorithm, we compare our approach to several most known cyclic scheduling algorithms using a significant existing example from the literature.     

Attenuation of radiation-induced genomic instability by free radical scavengers and cellular proliferation.

To investigate the mechanisms of radiation-induced chromosomal instability, cells were irradiated in the presence of the free radical scavengers DMSO, glycerol, or cysteamine, in the presence of DMSO while frozen, or held in confluence arrest post-irradiation to permit cells to repair potentially lethal DNA damage. Clones derived from single progenitor cells surviving each treatment were then analyzed for the subsequent development of chromosomal instability. The presence of scavengers (+/- freezing) during irradiation, and the recovery from potentially lethal damage after irradiation led to an increase in cell survival that was accompanied by a decrease in the initial yield of chromosomal rearrangements. Furthermore, analysis of over 400 clones and 80,000 metaphases indicates that these same treatments reduced the incidence of instability at equitoxic doses when compared to controls irradiated in the absence of scavengers at ambient temperature. Results suggest that preventing reactive species from damaging DNA, promoting chemical repair of ionized DNA intermediates, or allowing enzymatic removal of genetic lesions, represent measures that reduce the total burden of DNA damage and reduce the subsequent onset of radiation-induced genomic instability.     

Bacillus anthracis pXO1 virulence plasmid encodes a type 1 DNA topoisomerase

The virulence plasmid pXO1 is responsible for toxin production in Bacillus anthracis. A DNA fragment from pXO1 was isolated and was shown, by sequence analysis, to contain part of a type 1 DNA topoisomerase gene. Attempts to clone the entire wild-type gene, designated topX, in Escherichia coli, were unsuccessful. In order to obtain the complete gene, it was first insertionally inactivated and then cloned in the mutated form. The deduced amino acid sequence of Topo X1 shows similarities to that of the two E. coli type 1 DNA topoisomerases. The N-terminal two-thirds of the putative B. anthracis protein exhibits strongest sequence similarity to topoisomerase III, whereas the C-terminal portion contains cysteine residues that could form three zinc-binding domains, as they do in topoisomerase I. The suggested active-site tyrosine is conserved in all three proteins. The regulation of expression from the topX promoter is modified by addition of a gyrase inhibiting antibiotic. The Topo X1 protein is likely to be involved in the stability of pXO1.     

Effect of dose magnitude and fractionation on the radiation damage to bone marrow cells forming granulocyte-macrophage colonies in diffusion chambers

The ability of CFUdc to repair radiation-induced lesions in the irradiated body was studied by the methods of dose fractionation and dose-rate reduction. With the dose-rate decreased from 1-0.5 Gy/min to 0.02 Gy/min, a mean lethal dose per cell increased from 1.35 up to 1.93 Gy. With fractionation of the dose, the known picture of repair of sublethal radiation lesions was obtained the second survival peak being insignificant. The authors discuss the possible causes of the distinctions in the repair parameters of CFUdc obtained by the two methods.     

Variable ATPase composition of human tumor plasma membranes

Purified plasma membranes from several transplantable human tumors exhibit very high Mg²⁺-dependent ATPase activities. Three types of Mg²⁺-dependent ATPases can be demonstrated: (1) an ouabain sensitive Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase, which is a minor component of the tumor plasma membrane ATPase, (2) a Mg²⁺-activated ATPase, which is a non-specific nucleoside triphosphatase, and (3) an ATPase activity stimulated by Na⁺ (or K⁺) alone. In three human melanomas, only the first two activities are found. In an astrocytoma and an oat cell carcinoma, all three activities are found. In the same two tumors, the plasma membrane Mg²⁺-ATPase is also stimulated by Con A. The relationship of these ATPases are discussed.     

Unusual chemical properties of the amino groups of insulin: implications for structure-function relationship.

The chemical properties of the three amino groups of insulin were obtained at 10 and 37 degrees C using the competitive labelling technique with acetic anhydride as the labelling reagent. At 10 degrees C, pK values of 7.9, 7.2, and 7.8 were found for the glycyl A1, phenylalanyl B1, and lysyl B29 amino groups. When compared with standard amino compounds by means of a Br?nsted plot, the two amino-termini were found to be 'super-reactive' and the lysyl epsilon-amino group buried. In the presence of carbon dioxide at physiological pH values, all three amino groups became much less reactive indicating that they had reacted to form carbamino derivatives. Above pH 8 the reactivities of the glycyl amino terminus and epsilon-amino group increase sharply indicating that insulin is undergoing a conformational change which is most likely a change in its association state. At 37 degrees C the amino groups do not titrate normally but exhibit sharp increases in reactivity over the physiological pH range with the midpoints in the pH reactivity profiles between pH values of 7.0 and 7.3. This behaviour is interpreted as a rapid disaggregation of insulin to form monomers as a result of the ionization of the amino groups. It is concluded that at physiological pH and temperature all three amino groups are deprotonated.     

Midsummer heat wave effects on lacustrine plankton: Variation of assemblage structure and fatty acid composition

The effects of the 2003 European heat wave on a freshwater plankton assemblage and its fatty acid (FA) composition were investigated. Composition and FA profiles of four size categories of planktonic organisms collected in 2003 were compared to those of the colder year 2002.     

In vitro and in vivo activation of human mononuclear phagocytes by interferon-gamma. Studies with normal and AIDS monocytes

To determine the potential immunotherapeutic role of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) as a mononuclear phagocyte-activating agent, we examined the effector cell function of peripheral blood monocytes from healthy donors and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients after either in vitro and/or in vivo treatment with recombinant (r) IFN-gamma. When assayed immediately after a 24-hr in vitro pulse with 300 U/ml, normal and AIDS monocytes behaved similarly with little augmentation of their intrinsically high levels of H2O2 release and activity against Toxoplasma gondii; in contrast, activity toward the more resistant intracellular pathogen, Leishmania donovani, was appreciably enhanced by rIFN-gamma. In addition, upon testing 4 to 6 days after in vitro pulsing, both normal and AIDS monocytes showed clear evidence of persistent activation in all three assays. The capacity of IFN-gamma to similarly activate monocytes in vivo was confirmed in all ten treated AIDS patients by examining cells before and after 24-hr infusions of 0.03 and 0.5 mg of rIFN-gamma/square meter (M2) of body surface area. For postinfusion monocytes tested after 1 day in culture, H2O2 release and antitoxoplasma activity were essentially unchanged, but antileishmanial effects were augmented. After 5 to 7 days in culture, monocytes from treated patients showed 3.2- to 5.9-fold increases in H2O2-releasing capacity and increases of 49 to 68% and 35 to 61% in intracellular activity against T. gondii and L. donovani, respectively. These results indicate that the human monocyte can be induced by rIFN-gamma to express signs of both immediate and persistent activation and suggest that, as a direct activator of mononuclear phagocytes, rIFN-gamma may also have potential as an immunotherapeutic agent for patients with intracellular infections.