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Introduction Recent research suggests that health disparities among low-SES and ethnic minority populations may originate from prenatal and early life exposures. Postpartum maternal depressive symptoms have been linked to poorer infant physical health, yet prenatal depressive symptoms not been thoroughly examined in relation to infant health. Methods In a prospective study of low-income Mexican American mothers and their infants, women (N = 322, median age 27.23, IQR = 22.01-32.54) completed surveys during pregnancy (median gestation 39.50, IQR = 38.71-40.14 weeks) and 12 weeks after birth. We investigated (1) if prenatal depressive symptoms predicted infant physical health concerns at 12 weeks of age, (2) whether these associations occurred above and beyond concurrent depressive symptoms, and (3) if birth weight, gestational age, and breastfeeding were mediators of prenatal depression predicting subsequent infant health. Results Higher prenatal depressive symptoms were associated with more infant physical health concerns at 12 weeks (p < .001), after accounting for 12-week maternal depressive symptoms, breastfeeding, gestational age, and birth weight. Twelve-week maternal depressive symptoms were concurrently associated with more infant health concerns (p < .01). Birth weight, gestational age, and breastfeeding were not associated with maternal depression or infant health concerns. Discussion Results establish a link between prenatal depressive symptoms and an elevated risk of poor health evident shortly after birth. These findings underscore the importance of the prenatal period as a possible sensitive period for infants' health, and the need for effective interventions for depression during pregnancy to mitigate potentially teratogenic effects on the developing fetus and reduce risks for later health concerns., Author(s): S. S. Coburn [sup.1] [sup.2] , L. J. Luecken [sup.1] , I. A. Rystad [sup.1] , B. Lin [sup.1] [sup.3] , K. A. Crnic [sup.1] , N. A. Gonzales [...]

Background: The vaccine elicitation of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) is a key HIV-research goal. The VRC01-class of bnAbs targets the CD4-binding site on the HIV-envelope trimer and requires extensive somatic hypermutation to neutralize effectively. Despite substantial progress in developing germline-engaging immunogens to activate VRC01-class bnAb precursors and using transgenic mouse models for eliciting VRC01-class antibodies, vaccine-induced VRC01-class antibodies starting from unmutated precursors have exhibited limited neutralization breadth, particularly against viruses bearing glycan at residue N276 (glycan276), which is present on most circulating strains. Methods: Here, using an immunoglobulin (Ig)-humanized mouse model in which the VRC01-class germline VH gene recombines with diverse mouse D and J.sub.H] gene segments and pairs with an unmutated rearranged light chain to create a diverse repertoire of unmutated VRC01-class precursors, we compared a 'multi-strain, heterologous boost' sequential immunization strategy, which presents the conserved CD4bs in different gp120 cores or trimers for better immune focusing on the CD4bs, with previously tested strategies based on germline-binding 426c cores with different levels of glycan shielding of the CD4bs (Tian et al, 2016) or repeated eOD-GT8 60mer priming followed by diverse Env boosts. Results: With both the new strategy and the 426c-core strategy, we elicited cross-clade neutralizing serum titers against a sentinel pane of eight HIV-1 strains, including five bearing glycan276. We further identified multiple lineages of VRC01-class bnAbs from the immunized animals, including two neutralizing >50% of a 208-strain panel, and carried out mutagenesis and crystal structure analyses, revealing key sites of SHM and mechanisms for surmounting glycan276 to achieve neutralization breadth. Conclusions: Overall, our study provides proof-of-concept for the induction of VRC01-class bnAbs of greater than 50%-neutralization breadth by sequential immunization, succeeds in eliciting antibodies capable of recognizing glycan276-bearing strains, and uses longitudina analysis to pinpoint the development of specific SHM in response to specific immunogens., OA08.02 X. Chen (1); T. Zhou (1); S. Schmidt (1); H. Duan (1); C. Cheng (1); G.-Y. Chuang (1); Y. Gu (1); M. Louder (1); B. Lin (1); C.-H. Shen [...]

Using actual retail purchases from the 2006 Nielsen Homescan panel data, we estimate a hedonic model on price premiums and discounts associated with household characteristics, market factors, and product attributes focusing on the organic attribute for fluid milk. The organic attribute carries a significant price premium, which is largest of all product attributes considered in this study. Further, additional price variations among organic milk are observed for differences in fat content, container size and branding. Specifically, the results suggest that organic price premiums for half-gallon milk range from $1.23 for whole private label organic milk (60-68% above conventional counterpart) to $1.86 for nonfat/skim-branded organic milk (89-109% above conventional counterpart). The study also found that milk sold in a discount store (i.e., supercenter or club warehouse) was price 13 cents per half gallon, or 7.4%, below milk sold through other venues, and that milk on sale was priced 26 cents per half gallon, or 14.3%, less than the regular average price. Although household characteristics exert little influence on price relative to product attributes and market factors, the study does find that unmarried households and those with children under six pay slightly higher prices for milk, possibly due to time constraints. Key words: organic milk, hedonic price, market factors, product attributes, branding, Nielsen Homescan, organic premium

There are strong links between obesity, elevated free fatty acids, and type 2 diabetes. Specifically, the saturated fatty acid palmitate has pleiotropic effects on [beta]-cell function and survival. In the present study, we sought to determine the mechanism by which palmitate affects intracellular [Ca.sup.2+], and in particular the role of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In human [beta]-cells and MIN6 cells, palmitate rapidly increased cytosolic [Ca.sup.2+] through a combination of [Ca.sup.2+] store release and extracellular [Ca.sup.2+] influx. Palmitate caused a reversible lowering of ER [Ca.sup.2+], measured directly with the fluorescent protein-based ER [Ca.sup.2+] sensor D1ER. Using another genetically encoded indicator, we observed long-lasting oscillations of cytosolic [Ca.sup.2+] in palmitate-treated cells. In keeping with this observed ER [Ca.sup.2+] depletion, palmitate induced rapid phosphorylation of the ER [Ca.sup.2+] sensor protein kinase R-like ER kinase (PERK) and subsequently ER stress and [beta]-cell death. We detected little palmitate-induced insulin secretion, suggesting that these [Ca.sup.2+] signals are poorly coupled to exocytosis. In summary, we have characterized [Ca.sup.2+]-dependent mechanisms involved in altered [beta]-cell function and survival induced by the free fatty acid palmitate. We present the first direct evidence that free fatty acids reduce ER [Ca.sup.2+] and shed light on pathways involved in lipotoxicity and the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. diabetes; free fatty acids; fluorescence resonance energy transfer; calcium homeostasis; endoplasmic reticulum

This study investigated the effects of supplementation of various sources of Met and Lys on nutrient digestion, N utilization, and duodenal AA flows in growing goats. Four 4-mo-old Liuyang Black wether goats were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square experiment and were assigned to 4 dietary treatments: (1) control, (2) control + lipid-coated Met-Zn chelate and Lys-Mn chelate (PML), (3) control + Met-Zn chelate and Lys-Mn chelate (CML), and (4) control + DL-Met, L-Lys-HCl, ZnS[O.sub.4] x 7[H.sub.2]O, and MnS[O.sub.4] x [H.sub.2]O (FML). Compared with control, PML reduced (P < 0.05) ruminal N[H.sub.3] concentration, urinary N excretion, and plasma urea N concentration and increased (P < 0.05) the activity of ruminal endo-l,4- [beta]-D-glucanase and [beta]-glucosidase, the duodenal flow of N, N retention (g/d as well as % of absorbed N), the duodenal flows of Met, Lys, His, Val, and total essential AA, and plasma concentrations of Lys, Val, Phe, and total essential AA. Supplementing Zn-Met and Mn-Lys chelates had similar (P > 0.05) but lesser effects on these measures compared with PML, and the effects on most of the measures were not statistically significant (P > 0.05) when compared with control. Supplementing free-form Met and Lys had no effects compared with control (P > 0.05). The results indicate that lipid coating and chelating of AA provide a protection, and to a lesser extent by only chelating, of the AA from microbial degradation in the rumen and possibly has effects on rumen fermentation, which increases MP supply. This technology could improve productive performance and be of potential benefit to ruminant production if cost-effective products are developed. Key words: goat, rumen-protected amino acid, methionine, lysine, nitrogen balance, rumen fermentation

Finding good drug leads de novo from large chemical libraries, real or virtual, is not an easy task. High-throughput screening is often plagued by low hit rates and many leads that are toxic or exhibit poor bioavailability. Exploiting the secondary activity of marketed drugs, on the other hand, may help in generating drug leads that can be optimized for the observed side-effect target, while maintaining acceptable bioavailability and toxicity profiles. Here, we describe an efficient computational methodology to discover leads to a protein target from safe marketed drugs. We applied an in silico 'drug repurposing' procedure for identification of nonsteroidal antagonists against the human androgen receptor (AR), using multiple predicted models of an antagonist-bound receptor. The library of marketed oral drugs was then docked into the best-performing models, and the 11 selected compounds with the highest docking score were tested in vitro for AR binding and antagonism of dihydrotestosterone-induced AR transactivation. The phenothiazine derivatives acetophenazine, fluphenazine, and periciazine, used clinically as antipsychotic drugs, were identified as weak AR antagonists. This in vitro biological activity correlated well with endocrine side effects observed in individuals taking these medications. Further computational optimization of phenothiazines, combined with in vitro screening, led to the identification of a nonsteroidal antiandrogen with improved AR antagonism and marked reduction in affinity for dopaminergic and serotonergic receptors that are the primary target of phenothiazine antipsychotics. androgen receptor | drug design | prostate cancer

Many of the clouds important to the Earth's energy balance, from the Tropics to the Arctic, contain small amounts of liquid water. Longwave and shortwave radiative fluxes are very sensitive to small perturbations of the cloud liquid water path (LWP), when the LWP is small (i.e., < 100 g [m.sup.-2]; clouds with LWP less than this threshold will be referred to as 'thin'). Thus, the radiative properties of these thin liquid water clouds must be well understood to capture them correctly in climate models. We review the importance of these thin clouds to the Earth's energy balance, and explain the difficulties in observing them. In particular, because these clouds are thin, potentially mixed phase, and often broken (i.e., have large 3D variability), it is challenging to retrieve their microphysical properties accurately. We describe a retrieval algorithm intercomparison that was conducted to evaluate the issues involved. The intercomparison used data collected at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) site and included 18 different algorithms to evaluate their retrieved LWP, optical depth, and effective radii. Surprisingly, evaluation of the simplest case, a single-layer overcast stratocumulus, revealed that huge discrepancies exist among the various techniques, even among different algorithms that are in the same general classification. This suggests that, despite considerable advances that have occurred in the field, much more work must be done, and we discuss potential avenues for future research.)

The complex hydroenvironmental computer models are used for predicting flow, water quality and sediment transport processes in coastal, estuarine and inland waters. The limitations and restrictions of both physical and numerical hydraulic models used in the planning and management of aquatic basins along the South Wales coast are discussed.

[CgtA.sub.E]/[Obg.sub.E]/YhbZ is an Escherichia coli guanine nucleotide binding protein of the Obg/GTP1 subfamily whose members have been implicated in a number of cellular functions including GTP-GDP sensing, sporulation initiation, and translation. Here we describe a kinetic analysis of [CgtA.sub.E] with guanine nucleotides and show that its properties are similar to those of the Caulobacter crescentus homolog [CgtA.sub.C]. [CgtA.sub.E] binds both GTP and GDP with moderate affinity, shows high guanine nucleotide exchange rate constants for both nucleotides, and has a relatively low GTP hydrolysis rate. We show that [CgtA.sub.E] is associated predominantly with the 50S ribosomal subunit. Interestingly, [CgtA.sub.E] copurifies with SpoT, a ribosome-associated ppGpp hydrolase/synthetase involved in the stress response. The interaction between [CgtA.sub.E] and SpoT was confirmed by reciprocal coprecipitation experiments and by two-hybrid assays. These studies raise the possibility that the ribosome-associated [CgtA.sub.E] is involved in the SpoT-mediated stress response.

Multiple-finger transistors with nonuniform distribution of ballasting resistors are analyzed. Analytical formulas for the best ballasting resistor distribution for optimum thermal stability operation were derived.

Tilapia is used as an animal model to determine the in vitro and in vivo effects of Lipid-lowering and LDL-oxidation inhibition of a hot water extract (FC-HW) of freshwater clam (Corbicula fluminea). The analysis proves that FC-HW can be easily used as a nutraceutical for reducing the risk factors of atherosclerosis.

A new phenomenological model for the lifetime reliability prediction of the GaAs based heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) is developed and studied. The model is shown to be extremely efficient and useful, as it is valid for all the values of stress temperatures and stress currents.

Byline: K. Nikolopoulos, C.Z. Patrikakis, B. Lin The term e-government refers to the use by government agencies of information technologies that have the ability to upgrade relations with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government. So far, most e-government activity has focused on publishing information via the internet rather than actively interacting with citizens (G2C) or business enterprises (G2B). Forecasting is undoubtedly one of the key processes in operations management and is based on sufficient historic data. Government is the key holder of the majority of crucial databases in the market and projections of those data are pretty important. Thus, forecasting systems are more than necessary for an effective government. Sectors such as healthcare management, real estate market, and financial markets are in great need of adequate forecasts. In the 21st century, e-forecasting replaces traditional forecasting and evangelises an indispensable part of e-government in a rapidly changing cyber world. This study presents a survey on the available bibliography and applications of forecasting systems within the e-government framework and proposes the basic architectural elements of a forecasting system for e-government.

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2010.04.034 Byline: Cheng-Ru Wu (a), Chin-Tsai Lin (b), Pei-Hsuan Tsai (a) Keywords: Wealth management; Banking; AHP; Grey relational analysis; Balanced scorecard Abstract: This study applies the balanced scorecard method to build a performance evaluation framework for wealth management (WM) banks. Next, the study builds a framework for dealing with sub-criteria using the Delphi method and finally, the article evaluates the business performance of WM banks in Taiwan by applying the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and grey relational analysis (GRA). Importantly, the proposed model can benefit the banking sector in assessing the business performance of WM banks, making it highly applicable for bank managers and financial sector analysts. Author Affiliation: (a) Graduate Institute of Business and Management, Yuanpei University, 306 Yuanpei St., Hsin Chu 30015, Taiwan, ROC (b) Graduate School of Management, Ming Chuan University, 250, Section 5, Chung Shan North Rd., Taipei 11103, Taiwan, ROC Article History: Received 9 July 2008; Accepted 30 April 2010

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2010.08.002 Byline: Shasha Li (a), Bo Yu (b), Zhenlang Lin (b), Songhe Jiang (c), Jing He (d), Lin Kang (e), Wei Li (b), Xiang Chen (a), Xiaotong Wang (f) Keywords: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); Electro-acupuncture; Behavior therapy; Preschool children Abstract: To study the effectiveness of electro-acupuncture with behavior therapy on preschool children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Author Affiliation: (a) Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, China (b) Department of Pediatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, 325027, No. 109, Xueyuanxilu Street, Wenzhou, China (c) Department of Physical Medicine & Acupuncture, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, China (d) Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, China (e) Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, China (f) Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, China Article Note: (footnote) [star] This work is supported by the program of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Zhejiang province, China (no: 2006Y016), and the construction project of medical key subject in Zhejiang province, China (Rehabilitation Medicine, July 2007-July 2010).

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2009.12.029 Byline: Qing Lin (b), Lan Lin (a), Jumin Zhou (a) Keywords: Homeotic genes; Enhancer timing; Insulator; Fab-8; PTS; Abd-B Abstract: The homeotic genes are essential to the patterning of the anterior-posterior axis along the developing Drosophila embryo. The expression timing and levels of these genes are crucial for the correct specification of segmental identity. The Abdominal-B (Abd-B) gene is first detected in the most posterior abdominal segments at high levels and gradually appears in progressively anterior abdominal segments in lower amounts. Regulatory mutations affecting this expression pattern produce homeotic transformations in the abdomen. The promoter targeting sequences (PTS) from Abd-B locus overcome the enhancer blocking effect of insulators and facilitate long-range enhancer-promoter interactions in transgenic flies (1, 2). In this study, we found that transgene activation by the IAB5 enhancer can be delayed by inserting a 9.5 kb 3' Abd-B regulatory region containing the Frontabdominal-8 (Fab-8) insulator and the PTS element. We found that the delay is caused by the PTS and an insulator, and it is not specific to the enhancer or the promoter tested. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that the delay of remote enhancers is responsible for the Abd-B expression pattern, which is at least in part due to the regulatory activities of the PTS elements and chromatin boundaries. Author Affiliation: (a) The Wistar Institute, Gene Expression and Regulation Program, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA (b) University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Division of Neonatology, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA Article History: Received 9 September 2009; Revised 10 December 2009; Accepted 19 December 2009

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2009.06.002 Byline: Amy H.I. Lee (a)(b), Wei-Ming Wang (b)(c), Tsai-Ying Lin (b) Keywords: Technology transfer; Buyer-supplier relationship; Knowledge management; Fuzzy Delphi method (FDM); Interpretive structural modeling (ISM); Fuzzy analytic network process (FANP) Abstract: With the rapid advancement of technology, product life cycle is shortening continuously. In order to compete against other firms in fiercely competitive global markets, a firm has to keep developing new technology to differentiate itself from others. The acquisition of new core-technology equipment is especially important for manufacturing advanced products, and the technology know-how of the equipment must be transferred completely from equipment supplier to engineers and operators of the firm to effectively utilize the equipment. The objective of this paper is to explore the technology transfer of equipment and to establish a comprehensive framework for evaluating and selecting new equipment with critical technology transfer. Influence factors for technology transfer of new equipment are first collected by literature review and interviews with related experts in the thin-film transistor liquid-crystal display (TFT-LCD) industry in Taiwan. Fuzzy Delphi method (FDM) is applied next to select the most critical factors. Then, interpretive structural modeling (ISM) is employed to determine the interrelationship among the critical factors. A fuzzy analytic network process (FANP) model is constructed to evaluate the technology transfer performance of equipment suppliers. The results of this study should provide a base for firms in evaluating the purchase of new equipment and a reference for equipment suppliers to strengthen their technology transfer process to their buyers. Author Affiliation: (a) Department of Industrial Management, Chung Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (b) Graduate Institute of Technology Management, Chung Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (c) Department of Architecture & Urban Planning, Chung Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan Article History: Received 27 September 2007; Revised 4 October 2008; Accepted 15 June 2009

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.comnet.2009.08.002 Byline: Yixin Jiang (a)(b), Yanfei Fan (a), Xuemin (Sherman) Shen (a), Chuang Lin (b) Keywords: Network coding; Entropy attacks; Packet filtering; Probabilistic; Linear-dependency Abstract: In this paper, based on a novel self-adaptive probabilistic subset linear-dependency detection (S-PSLD) algorithm, we propose an efficient packet filtering scheme against entropy attacks in network coding. The scheme verifies the received packets probabilistically instead of exactly, and thus it can rapidly filter out the resultant packets from entropy attacks. Moreover, to minimize the packet detection cost at forwarder while keeping the false positive rate at an expected low level, a self-adaptive algorithm is introduced such that each forwarder can dynamically tune the system security parameters according to the available bandwidth or the number of the received packets in buffer. Theoretical analysis and performance evaluation are given to demonstrate the validity and efficiency of the proposed scheme. Author Affiliation: (a) Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1 (b) Department of Computer Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China Article History: Received 6 January 2009; Revised 27 April 2009; Accepted 3 August 2009 Article Note: (miscellaneous) Responsible Editor: J. Misic

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2008.10.009 Byline: Ching-Ter Chang (a), Teng-Chiao Lin (b) Keywords: Goal programming; Penalty function; E-learning system Abstract: The approach of Jones and Tamiz (1995) [Jones, D.F., Tamiz, M., 1995. Expanding the flexibility of goal programming via preference modeling techniques. Omega 23, 41-48] has been accepted as the most efficient approach in the field of interval goal programming (IGP). Although several modifications to the original approach have been proposed recently [Vitoriano, B., Romero, C., 1999. Extended interval goal programming. Journal of the Operational Research Society 50, 1280-1283; Chang, C.-T., 2006. Mixed binary interval goal programming. Journal of the Operational Research Society 35, 389-396], all of them cannot formulate IGP with an S-shaped penalty function. In order to improve the utility of IGP, we extend the model of Chang (2006) [Chang, C.-T., 2006. Mixed binary interval goal programming. Journal of the Operational Research Society 35, 389-396] to be able to model an S-shaped penalty function. The newly formulated model is more concise and compact than the method of and it can easily be applied to a decision problem with the S-shaped penalty function. Finally, an illustrative example (i.e. how to build an appropriate E-learning system) is included for demonstrating the usefulness of the proposed model. Author Affiliation: (a) Department of Information Management, Chang Gung University, 259 Wen-Hwa 1st Road, Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan 333, Taiwan, ROC (b) Department of Education, Taipei City Government, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC Article History: Received 20 October 2007

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2008.08.004 Byline: Gary J. Young (a), Mark M. Meterko (b), David Mohr (a), Michael Shwartz (c), Hai Lin (b) Keywords: Social information processing theory; Quality management; Customer satisfaction; Bayesian statistics; Veterans Health Administration; Congruence research Abstract: Using social information processing theory, we examined the congruence between employee and customer assessments of organizations' service quality. The setting was a public health care delivery system. Contrary to expectations, employee assessments of service quality were lower than those of their customers. Also unexpectedly, employees with professional training had less congruent assessments than other employees. As expected, employees with longer tenure and those in departments with stronger customer service work climates had more congruent assessments relative to their customers. The results have implications for both management theory and for managers interested in developing customer-centered organizations. Author Affiliation: (a) VA Center for Organization, Leadership, and Management Research, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, T3-West, Boston, MA 02118-2526, United States (b) VA Center for Organization, Leadership, and Management Research, VA Boston Healthcare System (152-M), 150 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130, United States (c) VA Center for Organization, Leadership, and Management Research, Boston University School of Management, United States Article History: Received 1 June 2007; Revised 1 April 2008; Accepted 1 August 2008 Article Note: (footnote) [star] The research in this paper was supported part by a grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development Service, IIR 05-221.

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2008.08.023 Byline: Lin-Yu Tseng (a)(b), Ya-Tai Lin (b) Keywords: Genetic algorithm; Local search; Hybrid genetic algorithm; Flowshop scheduling; Total flowtime; Makespan Abstract: Traditionally, the permutation flowshop scheduling problem (PFSP) was with the criterion of minimizing makespan. The permutation flowshop scheduling problem to minimize the total flowtime has attracted more attention from researchers in recent years. In this paper, a hybrid genetic local search algorithm is proposed to solve this problem with each of both criteria. The proposed algorithm hybridizes the genetic algorithm and a novel local search scheme that combines two local search methods: the Insertion Search (IS) and the Insertion Search with Cut-and-Repair (ISCR). It employs the genetic algorithm to do the global search and two local search methods to do the local search. Two local search methods play different roles in the search process. The Insertion Search is responsible for searching a small neighborhood while the Insertion Search with Cut-and-Repair is responsible for searching a large neighborhood. Furthermore, the orthogonal-array-based crossover operator is designed to enhance the GA's capability of intensification. The experimental results show the advantage of combining the two local search methods. The performance of the proposed hybrid genetic algorithm is very competitive. For the PFSP with the total flowtime criterion, it improved 66 out of the 90 current best solutions reported in the literature in short-term search and it also improved all the 20 current best solutions reported in the literature in long-term search. For the PFSP with the makespan criterion, the proposed algorithm also outperforms the other three methods recently reported in the literature. Author Affiliation: (a) Institute of Networking and Multimedia, National Chung Hsing University, 250 Kuo Kuang Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan (b) Department of Computer Science and Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, 250 Kuo Kuang Road, Taichung, Taiwan Article History: Received 10 August 2007; Accepted 28 August 2008

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.comnet.2009.05.010 Byline: Ben-Jye Chang (a), Shu-Yu Lin (b), Jun-Yu Jin (b) Keywords: TCP; Logarithmic Increase Adaptive Decrease; RTT-based; Shrink factor; Congestion control; Wireless error links; Heterogeneous wireless networks Abstract: For accessing plentiful resources in the Internet through wireless mobile hosts, diverse wireless network standards and technologies have been developed and progressed significantly. The most successful examples include IEEE 802.11 WiFi for wireless networks and 3G/HSDPA/HSUPA for cellular communications. All IP-based applications are the primary motivations to make these networks successful. In TCP/IP transmissions, the TCP congestion control operates well in the wired network, but it is difficult to determine an accurate congestion window in a heterogeneous wireless network that consists of the wired Internet and various types of wireless networks. The primary reason is that TCP connections are impacted by not only networks congestion but also error wireless links. This paper thus proposes a novel adaptive window congestion control (namely Logarithmic Increase Adaptive Decrease, LIAD) for TCP connections in heterogeneous wireless networks. The proposed RTT-based LIAD has the capability to increase throughput while achieving competitive fairness among connections with the same TCP congestion mechanism and supporting friendliness among connections with different TCP congestion control mechanisms. In the Congestion Avoidance (CA) phase, an optimal shrink factor is first proposed for Adaptive Decreasing cwnd rather than a static decreasing mechanism used by most approaches. Second, we adopt a Logarithmic Increase algorithm to increase cwnd while receiving each ACK after causing three duplicate ACKs. The analyses of congestion window and throughput under different packet loss rate are analyzed. Furthermore, the state transition diagram of LIAD is detailed. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed LIAD outperforms other approaches in goodput, fairness, and friendliness under diverse heterogeneous wireless topologies. Especially, in the case of 10% packet loss rate in wireless links, the proposed approach increases goodput up to 156% and 1136% as compared with LogWestwood+ and NewReno, respectively. Author Affiliation: (a) Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Taiwan, ROC (b) Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taiwan, ROC Article History: Received 23 March 2008; Revised 21 March 2009; Accepted 13 May 2009 Article Note: (footnote) [star] This research was supported in part by the National Science Council of Taiwan, ROC, under Contracts NSC-96-2221-E-324-019 and NSC-97-2221-E-224-072-MY3.

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2008.07.018 Byline: Ching-Jong Liao (a), Chien-Wen Chao (a), Chien-Hung Lin (b) Keywords: Parallel machine scheduling; Availability constraints; Branch and bound algorithm Abstract: This paper considers a scheduling problem with two identical parallel machines. One has unlimited capacity; the other can only run for a fixed time. A given set of jobs must be scheduled on the two machines with the goal of minimizing the sum of their completion times. The paper proposes an optimal branch and bound algorithm which employs three powerful elements, including an algorithm for computing the upper bound, a lower bound algorithm, and a fathoming condition. The branch and bound algorithm was tested on problems of various sizes and parameters. The results show that the algorithm is quite efficient to solve all the test problems. In particular, the total computation time for the hardest problem is less than 0.1second for a set of 100 problem instances. An important finding of the tests is that the upper bound algorithm can actually find optimal solutions to a quite large number of problems. Author Affiliation: (a) Department of Industrial Management, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, 43, Keelung Road, Section 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan (b) Jinwen University of Science and Technology, Taipei County 231, Taiwan Article History: Received 28 October 2006; Accepted 14 July 2008