Variable neighborhood search for the dial-a-ride problem

In dial-a-ride problems passengers have to be transported between pre-specified pickup and delivery locations under user inconvenience considerations. The problem variant considered in this paper aims at minimizing total routing costs while respecting maximum route duration limits, time windows, and maximum user ride time limits. We propose a competitive variable neighborhood search-based heuristic, using three classes of neighborhoods. The first neighborhood class uses simple swap operations tailored to the dial-a-ride problem; the second neighborhood class is based on the ejection chain idea; and the third neighborhood class exploits the existence of arcs where the vehicle load is zero, giving rise to natural sequences of requests. We report new best results for 16 out of 20 benchmark instances.     

Combined planning and scheduling in a divergent production system with co-production: A case study in the lumber industry

Many research initiatives carried out in production management consider process planning and operations scheduling as two separate and sequential functions. However, in certain contexts, the two functions must be better integrated. This is the case in divergent production systems with co-production (i.e. production of different products at the same time from a single product input) when alternative production processes are available. This paper studies such a context and focuses on the case of drying and finishing operations in a softwood lumber facility. The situation is addressed using a single model that simultaneously performs process planning and scheduling. We evaluate two alternative formulations. The first one is based on mixed integer programming (MIP) and the second on constraint programming (CP). We also propose a search procedure to improve the performance of the CP approach. Both approaches are compared with respect to their capacity to generate good solutions in short computation time.     

Surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) as an alternative technique for rapid and quantitative screening of small molecules, useful in drug discovery

Surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) is a label free technology for biomolecular interaction, which gives access to binding kinetic parameters from real time acquisition. It offers the possibility to test in a single run a large number of interactions, allowing rapid identification of the most suitable compounds toward a given biological entity. Until now, this technique has proven to be relevant for interaction between relatively large molecules (protein, antibodies, DNA) but has not been challenged yet for the screening of small molecules that can be of interested in the field of drug discovery. As a proof a principle, we have used SPRi to screen for interaction of several small molecules, referred to as G4-ligands on G-quadruplex DNA. This technology allowed to easy discrimination of the binding properties of four G4-ligands on quadruplex DNA models.     

Anti-windup strategies for discrete-time switched systems subject to input saturation

This paper deals with the design of anti-windup compensator for discrete-time switched systems subject to input saturation. The cases of static and dynamic anti-windup controllers are addressed aiming at maximising the estimate of the basin of attraction of the origin for the closed-loop system. Two aspects of the switching law are taken into account during the design: either it is arbitrary or it is a part of the complete control law. Theoretical conditions allowing to synthesise the anti-windup compensator are mainly described through linear matrix inequalities. Computational oriented conditions are then provided to solve convex optimisation problems that are able to give a constructive solution.     

Gambling versus Designing: Organizing for the Design of the Probability Space in the Energy Sector

The objective of this paper is to elucidate an organizational process for the design of generic technologies (GTs). While recognizing the success of GTs, the literature on innovation management generally describes their design according to evolutionary strategies featuring multiple and uncertain trials, resulting in the discovery of common features among multiple applications. This random walk depends on multiple market and technological uncertainties that are considered exogenous: as smart as he can be, the ‘gambler’ must play in a given probability space. However, what happens when the innovator is not a gambler but a designer, i.e., when the actor is able to establish new links between previously independent emerging markets and technologies? Formally speaking, the actor designs a new probability space. Building on a case study of two technological development programmes at the French Center for Atomic Energy, we present cases of GTs that correspond to this logic of designing the probability space, i.e. the logic of intentionally designing common features that bridge the gap between a priori heterogeneous applications and technologies. This study provides another example showing that the usual trial‐and‐learning strategy is not the only strategy to design GTs and that these technologies can be designed by intentionally building new interdependences between markets and technologies. Our main result is that building these interdependences requires organizational patterns that correspond to a ‘design of exploration’ phase in which multiple technology suppliers and application providers are involved in designing both the probability space itself and the instruments to explore and benefit from this new space.     

Kolmogorov complexity and combinatorial methods in communication complexity

We introduce a method based on Kolmogorov complexity to prove lower bounds on communication complexity. The intuition behind our technique is close to information theoretic methods.We use Kolmogorov complexity for three different things: first, to give a general lower bound in terms of Kolmogorov mutual information; second, to prove an alternative to Yao’s minmax principle based on Kolmogorov complexity; and finally, to identify hard inputs.We show that our method implies the rectangle and corruption bounds, known to be closely related to the subdistribution bound. We apply our method to the hidden matching problem, a relation introduced to prove an exponential gap between quantum and classical communication. We then show that our method generalizes the VC dimension and shatter coefficient lower bounds. Finally, we compare one-way communication and simultaneous communication in the case of distributional communication complexity and improve the previous known result.     

Indoor mold levels and current asthma among school‐aged children in Saskatchewan,Canada

Current knowledge regarding the association between indoor mold exposures and asthma is still limited. The objective of this case–control study was to investigate the relationship between objectively measured indoor mold levels and current asthma among school‐aged children. Parents completed a questionnaire survey of health history and home environmental conditions. Asthma cases had a history of doctor‐diagnosed asthma or current wheeze without a cold in the past 12 months. Controls were age‐ and sex‐matched to cases. Vacuumed dust samples were collected from the child's indoor play area and mattress. Samples were assessed for mold levels and quantified in colony‐forming units (CFU). Sensitization to mold allergens was also determined by skin testing. Being a case was associated with family history of asthma, pet ownership, and mold allergy. Mold levels (CFU/m²) in the dust samples of children's mattress and play area floors were moderately correlated (r = 0.56; P < 0.05). High mold levels (≥30 000 CFU/m²) in dust samples from play [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.6; 95% CI: 1.03–6.43] and mattress (aOR) = 3.0; 95% CI: 1.11–8.00) areas were significantly associated with current asthma. In this study high levels of mold are a risk factor for asthma in children.     

Line of sight controller tuning using Bayesian optimisation: application to a double stage stabilisation platform

The inertial stabilisation of the line of sight of an imager fixed on a mobile carrier is considered in order to acquire good quality images despite the disturbances generated by the carrier. A double stage mechanical stabilisation architecture is proposed, where a second stabilisation stage, based on a piezoelectric actuator, is added to the usual structure. The piezoelectric actuator transfer function and hysteresis are characterised through experiments. In order to design the controllers of both stages, a high-level image quality criterion (the modulation transfer function (MTF)) is considered, together with design constraints on the main variables of interest. The criterion and the constraints are evaluated by realistic simulations based on some input and noise profiles measured on a real-life system. The MTF evaluation being time-consuming, a Bayesian optimisation method specially dedicated to expensive-to-evaluate functions is used to obtain the parameters of the controllers. The obtain experimental results are displayed and their performances discussed.