A constructive approach to examination timetabling based on adaptive decomposition and ordering

In this study, we investigate an adaptive decomposition and ordering strategy that automatically divides examinations into difficult and easy sets for constructing an examination timetable. The examinations in the difficult set are considered to be hard to place and hence are listed before the ones in the easy set in the construction process. Moreover, the examinations within each set are ordered using different strategies based on graph colouring heuristics. Initially, the examinations are placed into the easy set. During the construction process, examinations that cannot be scheduled are identified as the ones causing infeasibility and are moved forward in the difficult set to ensure earlier assignment in subsequent attempts. On the other hand, the examinations that can be scheduled remain in the easy set. Within the easy set, a new subset called the boundary set is introduced to accommodate shuffling strategies to change the given ordering of examinations. The proposed approach, which incorporates different ordering and shuffling strategies, is explored on the Carter benchmark problems. The empirical results show that the performance of our algorithm is broadly comparable to existing constructive approaches.     

Influence of counterion charge on the electrochemistry and impedance of polypyrrole

Polypyrroles doped with multiply charged anions are becoming increasingly important in a wide range of energy, environmental and biomedical applications. The increased counterion charge promotes anion binding and retention and can significantly increase stability and performance. The electrochemical properties of polypyrrole films prepared galvanostatically in Na₂SO₄ (PPySO₄) where found to be similar those of PPyClO₄ prepared in NaClO₄, although there was significantly more anion retention during potential cycling. In contrast, PPyPO₄ films prepared in Na₃PO₄ under the same conditions were over-oxidised and more dense, which is beneficial for corrosion protection and electroanalysis. Paradoxically, the low mobility of SO₄²⁻ counterions results in more facile charging and discharging of the film, as observed with large and polymeric counterions. This can create significant benefits in applications that require fast cycling, such as supercapacitors and high-rate batteries. These conclusions are corroborated by electrochemical impedance measurements in various aqueous electrolytes. Ionic conductivity was dominated by anion transport for both PPyClO₄ and PPySO₄, whilst PPyPO₄ was predominantly a cation conductor.

     

A highly sensitive and specific polyclonal antibody-based enzyme immunoassay for therapeutic monitoring and pharmacokinetic studies of atorvastatin

This study describes the development and validation of a highly sensitive and specific enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for therapeutic monitoring and pharmacokinetic studies of atorvastatin (ATR). The assay employs a polyclonal antibody that recognizes ATR with high specificity and affinity, and ATR conjugated to bovine serum albumin (ATR-BSA) immobilized onto microwell plates as a solid phase. The assay involved a competitive binding reaction between ATR and the immobilized ATR-BSA for the binding sites on a limiting amount of the anti-ATR antibody. The bound anti-ATR antibody was quantified with horseradish peroxidase-labeled anti-immunoglobulin secondary antibody and 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine as a substrate for the peroxidase enzyme. The concentration of ATR in the sample was quantified by its ability to inhibit the binding of the anti-ATR antibody to the immobilized ATR-BSA and subsequent color development in the assay wells. The conditions for the EIA were investigated and optimized for the determination of ATR in plasma samples. The limit of detection was 0.04 ng mL^?1 and the effective working range at relative standard deviations (RSD) of ≤5% was 0.1–10 ng mL^?1. Mean analytical recovery of ATR from spiked plasma was 99.3?±?2.8%. The precision of the assay was satisfactory; RSD were 2.7–4.6 and 3.3–5.7% for intra- and inter-assay precision, respectively. The reliability of the EIA was confirmed by HPLC. The EIA is convenient, and one can analyze ～ 200 samples per working day, facilitating the processing of large-number of samples of ATR.     

Lectin-based electrophoretic analysis of the expression of the 35 kDa inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H4 fragment in sera of patients with five different malignancies

A 35 kDa glycoprotein whose abundance was previously demonstrated to be enhanced in sera of patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma (n = 12), was isolated from pooled sera of three of the cancer patients using champedak galactose-binding lectin affinity chromatography in the present study. Subjecting it to 2-DE and MS/MS, the glycoprotein was identified as the O-glycosylated fragment of inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H4 (ITIH4). When compared to control sera (n = 17), expression of the 35 kDa ITIH4 cleavage fragment was demonstrated to be significantly enhanced in sera of patients with breast carcinoma (n = 10), epithelial ovarian carcinoma (n = 10), and germ cell ovarian carcinoma (n = 10) but not in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (n = 13) and osteosarcoma (n = 7). The lectin-based electrophoretic bioanalytical method adopted in the present study may be used to assess the physiological relevance of ITIH4 fragmentation and its correlation with different malignancies, their stages and progression.     

Dinuclear molybdenum complexes derived from diphenols: electrochemical interactions and reduced species

The new diphenolato complexes [{Mo(NO){HB(dmpz)₃}Cl}₂Q] where dmpz = 3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl and Q = OC₆H₄(C₆H₄O (n = 1 or 2), OC₆H₄CR=CRC₆H₄O (R = H or Et), and OC₆H₄CH=CHC₆H₄CH=CHC₆H₄O have been prepared and their electrochemical properties (cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry) compared with previously reported analogues where Q = OC₆H₄O, OC₆H₄EC₆H₄O (E = SO₂, CO and S), OC₆H₄ (CO)C₆H₄ C₆H₄(CO)C₆H₄O and 1,5- and 2,7-O₂C₁₀H₆. The electrochemical interaction between the redox centres in the new complexes is very weak, in contrast to that in the 1,4-benzenediolato and naphthalendiolato species. The EPR spectra of the reduced mixed-valence species [{Mo(NO){HB(dmpz)₃}Cl}₂Q]⁻ where Q = 1,3- and 1,4-OC₆H₄O and OC₆H₄SC₆H₄O shows that they are valence-trapped at room temperature, whereas those of the dianions [{Mo(NO){HB(dmpz)₃}Cl}₂Q]²⁻ where Q = 1,4-OC₆H₄O, OC₆H₄EC₆H₄O (E = CO or S) and OC₆H₄CH=CHC₆H₄CH=CHC₆H₄O shows that the unpaired spins on each molybdenum centre are strongly correlated (J, the spin exchange integral A_Mo, the metal-hyperfine coupling constant). The electrochemical properties and the comproportionation constants for the reaction [{Mo(NO){HB(dmpz)₃} Cl}₂Q] + [{Mo(NO){HB(dmpz)₃}Cl}O]₂]²⁻2[{Mo(NO) {HB(dmpz)₃}Cl}₂Q]⁻ where Q = diphenolato bridge, are compared with related compounds containing benzenediamido and dianilido bridges.     

Entanglement Dynamics of Disordered Quantum XY Chains

We consider the dynamics of the quantum XY chain with disorder under the general assumption that the expectation of the eigenfunction correlator of the associated one-particle Hamiltonian satisfies a decay estimate typical of Anderson localization. We show that, starting from a broad class of product initial states, entanglement remains bounded for all times. For the XX chain, we also derive bounds on the particle transport which, in particular, show that the density profile of initial states that consist of fully occupied and empty intervals only have significant dynamics near the edges of those intervals, uniformly for all times.     

Solvated interaction energy (SIE) for scoring protein-ligand binding affinities. 1. Exploring the parameter space

We present a binding free energy function that consists of force field terms supplemented by solvation terms. We used this function to calibrate the solvation model along with the binding interaction terms in a self-consistent manner. The motivation for this approach was that the solute dielectric-constant dependence of calculated hydration gas-to-water transfer free energies is markedly different from that of binding free energies (J. Comput. Chem. 2003, 24, 954). Hence, we sought to calibrate directly the solvation terms in the context of a binding calculation. The five parameters of the model were systematically scanned to best reproduce the absolute binding free energies for a set of 99 protein-ligand complexes. We obtained a mean unsigned error of 1.29 kcal/mol for the predicted absolute binding affinity in a parameter space that was fairly shallow near the optimum. The lowest errors were obtained with solute dielectric values of Din = 20 or higher and scaling of the intermolecular van der Waals interaction energy by factors ranging from 0.03 to 0.15. The high apparent Din and strong van der Waals scaling may reflect the anticorrelation of the change in solvated potential energy and configurational entropy, that is, enthalpy-entropy compensation in ligand binding (Biophys. J. 2004, 87, 3035-3049). Five variations of preparing the protein-ligand data set were explored in order to examine the effect of energy refinement and the presence of bound water on the calculated results. We find that retaining water in the final protein structure used for calculating the binding free energy is not necessary to obtain good results; that is the continuum solvation model is sufficient. Virtual screening enrichment studies on estrogen receptor and thymidine kinase showed a good ability of the binding free energy function to recover true hits in a collection of decoys.     

Phenolics, flavonoids, antioxidant activity and cyanogenic glycosides of organic and mineral-base fertilized cassava tubers

A field study was conducted to determine the effect of organic and mineral-based fertilizers on phytochemical contents in the tubers of two cassava varieties. Treatments were arranged in a split plot design with three replicates. The main plot was fertilizer source (vermicompost, empty fruit bunch compost and inorganic fertilizer) and sub-plot was cassava variety (Medan and Sri Pontian). The amount of fertilizer applied was based on 180 kg K(2)O ha-1. The tubers were harvested and analyzed for total flavonoids, total phenolics, antioxidant activity and cyanogenic glucoside content. Total phenolic and flavonoid compounds were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay and aluminium chloride colorimetric method, respectively. Different sources of fertilizer, varieties and their interactions were found to have a significant effect on phytochemical content. The phenolic and flavonoid content were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in the vermicompost treatment compared to mineral fertilizer and EFB compost. The total flavonoids and phenolics content of vermicompost treated plants were 39% and 38% higher, respectively, than those chemically fertilized. The antioxidant activity determined using the DPPH and FRAP assays were high with application of organic fertilizer. Cyanogenic glycoside levels were decreased with the application of organic fertilizer. Among the two types of compost, vermicompost resulted in higher nutritional value of cassava tubers. Medan variety with application of vermicompost showed the most promising nutritional quality. Since the nutritional quality of cassava can be improved by organic fertilization, organic fertilizer should be used in place of chemical fertilizer for environmentally sustainable production of better quality cassava.     

Transition dipole moments between the low-lying Ω(g,u)(+∕-) states of the Rb2 and Cs2 molecules

For the Rb(2) and Cs(2) molecules, the adiabatic potential-energy curves and the transition dipole moments of the 43 Ω((+∕-)) (g,u) low-lying states dissociating adiabatically to the limits up to ns+(n-1)d (n = 5,6 for Rb(2) and Cs(2), respectively), have been computed as a function of the internuclear distance R for a large and dense grid. Each molecule was treated as a two-electron system. We used an ab initio approach involving a relativistic non-empirical pseudo-potential for Rb and Cs cores, core-valence polarization potentials, and full valence configuration interaction calculations for the two valence electrons. Spin-orbit effects were taken into account through semi-empirical spin-orbit pseudopotentials. Equilibrium distances, transition energies, rotational constants, and harmonic frequencies as well as depths of wells and heights of barriers are reported for all the molecular states investigated in Hund's cases (a) and (c). Extensive tables of energy values and transition dipole moments are given in an auxiliary (EPAPS) files as a database for future studies on Rb(2) and Cs(2).