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Fluorescence microscopy is an excellent tool to gain knowledge on cellular structures and biochemical processes. Stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy provides a resolution in the range of a few ten nanometers at relatively fast data acquisition. As cellular structures can be oriented in any direction, it is of great benefit if the microscope exhibits an isotropic resolution. Here, we present an isoSTED microscope that utilizes water-immersion objective lenses and enables imaging of cellular structures with an isotropic resolution of better than 60 nm in living samples at room temperature and without CO2 supply or another pH control. This corresponds to a reduction of the focal volume by far more than two orders of magnitude as compared to confocal microscopy. The imaging speed is in the range of 0.8 s/μm3. Since fluorescence signal can only be detected from a diffraction-limited volume, a background signal is inevitably observed at resolutions well beyond the diffraction limit. Therefore, we additionally present a method which allows to identify this unspecific background signal and to remove it from the image.

An improved cloud detection algorithm for the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) is presented. This new algorithm is based on a feedforward artificial neural network and uses as input, for each MLS limb scan, a vector consisting of 1,710 brightness temperatures provided by MLS observations from 15 different tangent altitudes and up to 13 spectral channels in each of 10 different MLS bands. The model has been trained on global cloud properties reported by Aqua’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). In total, the colocated MLS-MODIS data set consists of 162,117 combined scenes sampled on 208 days over 2005–2020. We show that the algorithm can correctly classify > 96 % of cloudy and clear instances for previously unseen MLS scans. A comparison to the current MLS cloudiness flag used in “Level 2” processing reveals a huge improvement in classification performance. For all profiles in the colocated MLS-MODIS data set, the algorithm successfully detects 97.8 % of profiles affected by clouds, up from 15.8 % for the Level 2 flagging. Meanwhile, false positives reported for actually clear profiles are reduced to 1.7 %, down from 6.2 % in Level 2. The classification performance is not dependent on geolocation. The new cloudiness flag is applied to determine average global cloud cover between 2015 and 2019, successfully reproducing the spatial patterns of mid-level to high clouds reported in previous studies. It is also applied to four example cloud fields to illustrate the reliable performance for different cloud structures with varying degrees of complexity. Training a similar model on MODIS-retrieved cloud top pressure yields reliable predictions with correlation coefficients greater than 0.99. The combination of cloudiness flag and predicted cloud top pressure provides the means to identify MLS profiles in the presence of high-reaching convection.

In recent years, the management of health systems is a main concern of governments and decision-makers. Home health care is one of the newest methods of providing services to patients in developed societies that can respond to the individual lifestyle of the modern age and the increase of life expectancy. The home health care routing and scheduling problem is a generalized version of the vehicle routing problem, which is extended to a complex problem by adding special features and constraints of health care problems. In this problem, there are multiple stakeholders, such as nurses, for which an increase in their satisfaction level is very important. In this study, a mathematical model is developed to expand traditional home health care routing and scheduling models to downgrading cost aspects by adding the objective of minimizing the difference between the actual and potential skills of the nurses. Downgrading can lead to nurse dissatisfaction. In addition, skillful nurses have higher salaries, and high-level services increase equipment costs and need more expensive training and nursing certificates. Therefore, downgrading can enforce huge hidden costs to the managers of a company. To solve the bi-objective model, an &epsilon, constraint-based approach is suggested, and the model applicability and its ability to solve the problem in various sizes are discussed. A sensitivity analysis on the Epsilon parameter is conducted to analyze the effect of this parameter on the problem. Finally, some managerial insights are presented to help the managers in this field, and some directions for future studies are mentioned as well.

In this chapter different statistical models for the observations in nanoscale photonic imaging are discussed. While providing models of increasing accuracy and complexity, we develop a guideline which model should be chosen in practice depending on the total number of detected photons as well as their spatial and temporal dependency structure. We focus on different Gaussian, Poissonian, Bernoulli and Binomial models and link them to projects treated within the SFB 755.

Spectral radiance measurements collected in nadir and sideward viewing directions by two airborne passive solar remote sensing instruments, the Spectral Modular Airborne Radiation measurement sysTem (SMART) and the Differential Optical Absorption Spectrometer (mini-DOAS), are used to compare the remote sensing results of cirrus optical thickness τ. The comparison is based on a sensitivity study using radiative transfer simulations (RTS) and on data obtained during three airborne field campaigns: the North Atlantic Rainfall VALidation (NARVAL) mission, the Mid-Latitude Cirrus Experiment (ML-CIRRUS) and the Aerosol, Cloud, Precipitation, and Radiation Interactions and Dynamics of Convective Cloud Systems (ACRIDICON) campaign. Radiative transfer simulations are used to quantify the sensitivity of measured upward radiance I with respect to τ, ice crystal effective radius reff, viewing angle of the sensor θV, spectral surface albedo α, and ice crystal shape. From the calculations it is concluded that sideward viewing measurements are generally better suited than radiance data from the nadir direction to retrieve τ of optically thin cirrus, especially at wavelengths larger than λ = 900 nm. Using sideward instead of nadir-directed spectral radiance measurements significantly improves the sensitivity and accuracy in retrieving τ, in particular for optically thin cirrus of τ ≤ 2. The comparison of retrievals of τ based on nadir and sideward viewing radiance measurements from SMART, mini-DOAS and independent estimates of τ from an additional active remote sensing instrument, the Water Vapor Lidar Experiment in Space (WALES), shows general agreement within the range of measurement uncertainties. For the selected example a mean τ of 0.54 ± 0.2 is derived from SMART, and 0.49 ± 0.2 by mini-DOAS nadir channels, while WALES obtained a mean value of τ = 0.32 ± 0.02 at 532 nm wavelength, respectively. The mean of τ derived from the sideward viewing mini-DOAS channels is 0.26 ± 0.2. For the few simultaneous measurements, the mini-DOAS sideward channel measurements systematically underestimate (−17.6 %) the nadir observations from SMART and mini-DOAS. The agreement between mini-DOAS sideward viewing channels and WALES is better, showing the advantage of using sideward viewing measurements for cloud remote sensing for τ ≤ 1. Therefore, we suggest sideward viewing measurements for retrievals of τ of thin cirrus because of the significantly enhanced capability of sideward viewing compared to nadir measurements.

A research-level retrieval algorithm for cloud optical and microphysical properties is developed for the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) aboard the Terra satellite. It is based on the operational MODIS algorithm. This paper documents the technical details of this algorithm and evaluates the retrievals for selected marine boundary layer cloud scenes through comparisons with the operational MODIS Data Collection 6 (C6) cloud product. The newly developed, ASTER-specific cloud masking algorithm is evaluated through comparison with an independent algorithm reported in [Zhao and Di Girolamo(2006)]. To validate and evaluate the cloud optical thickness (τ) and cloud effective radius (reff) from ASTER, the high-spatial-resolution ASTER observations are first aggregated to the same 1000 m resolution as MODIS. Subsequently, τaA and reff, aA retrieved from the aggregated ASTER radiances are compared with the collocated MODIS retrievals. For overcast pixels, the two data sets agree very well with Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficients of R > 0.970. However, for partially cloudy pixels there are significant differences between reff, aA and the MODIS results which can exceed 10 µm. Moreover, it is shown that the numerous delicate cloud structures in the example marine boundary layer scenes, resolved by the high-resolution ASTER retrievals, are smoothed by the MODIS observations. The overall good agreement between the research-level ASTER results and the operational MODIS C6 products proves the feasibility of MODIS-like retrievals from ASTER reflectance measurements and provides the basis for future studies concerning the scale dependency of satellite observations and three-dimensional radiative effects.

The management of a military supply chain (SC) involves the integration of production, packaging, warehousing, repair, maintenance and transportation of army supplies. In this paper, we focus on the integrated demand-responsive scheduling of maintenance and transportation operations within the SC. We consider a modular representation of a SC, in which the maintenance and transportation operations constitute the corresponding modules. An efficient integration of these operations is carried out by an additional controlling (commanding) module. We describe and analyse the optimisation problems arising in each module. The main contribution of the paper is that the analysis and optimisation of the controlling module permit to enhance the performance of the entire SC. Computational experiments prove the validity and effectiveness of the suggested models.

This edited book presents new results in the area of algorithm development for different types of scheduling problems. In eleven chapters, algorithms for single machine problems, flow-shop and job-shop scheduling problems (including their hybrid (flexible) variants), the resource-constrained project scheduling problem, scheduling problems in complex manufacturing systems and supply chains, and workflow scheduling problems are given. The chapters address such subjects as insertion heuristics for energy-efficient scheduling, the re-scheduling of train traffic in real time, control algorithms for short-term scheduling in manufacturing systems, bi-objective optimization of tortilla production, scheduling problems with uncertain (interval) processing times, workflow scheduling for digital signal processor (DSP) clusters, and many more.

The cloud droplet number concentration (N d) is of central interest to improve the understanding of cloud physics and for quantifying the effective radiative forcing by aerosol‐cloud interactions. Current standard satellite retrievals do not operationally provide N d, but it can be inferred from retrievals of cloud optical depth (τ c) cloud droplet effective radius (r e) and cloud top temperature. This review summarizes issues with this approach and quantifies uncertainties. A total relative uncertainty of 78% is inferred for pixel‐level retrievals for relatively homogeneous, optically thick and unobscured stratiform clouds with favorable viewing geometry. The uncertainty is even greater if these conditions are not met. For averages over 1° ×1° regions the uncertainty is reduced to 54% assuming random errors for instrument uncertainties. In contrast, the few evaluation studies against reference in situ observations suggest much better accuracy with little variability in the bias. More such studies are required for a better error characterization. N d uncertainty is dominated by errors in r e, and therefore, improvements in r e retrievals would greatly improve the quality of the N d retrievals. Recommendations are made for how this might be achieved. Some existing N d data sets are compared and discussed, and best practices for the use of N d data from current passive instruments (e.g., filtering criteria) are recommended. Emerging alternative N d estimates are also considered. First, new ideas to use additional information from existing and upcoming spaceborne instruments are discussed, and second, approaches using high‐quality ground‐based observations are examined., Key Points Satellite cloud droplet concentration uncertainties of 78% for pixel‐level retrievals and 54% for 1 by 1 degree retrievals are estimatedThe effective radius retrieval is the most important aspect for improvement, and more in situ evaluation is neededPotential improvements using passive and active satellite, and ground‐based instruments are discussed

A traditional problem in LCA is how to deal with processes where recycled material is used as an input or where the output of a process is further used as raw material in another product system (open-loop recycling). Allocation is needed to partition the responsibility for the environmental impacts caused by the raw material extraction, the recycling and the final disposal of a material over different product systems in some proportional shares. The norm ISO/DIS 14’04T. 1998 now explicitly allows the use of an economic value as a basis for the allocation of open-loop product systems, where material is recycled into other product systems while undergoing a change in its inherent properties. In a case study for aluminium window frames, an economic allocation procedure for aluminium is developed based on different market prices for secondary materials with different alloy content. Market prices are assumed to reflect the functionality of a material quality within a techno-economic system. Therefore, market prices permit the qualitative description of the degradation of a material over a product system. Based on this qualitative degradation, a ‘relative resource consumption’ can be defined. This relative resource consumption is used to allocate the environmental impacts related to recycled material entering or leaving the product system under study. The results of the new allocation principle are compared to results of a former study on window frames out of various materials, elaborated by EMPA in 1996. The conclusions underline the importance of the recycling of aluminium with a high quality and give some criteria for a more ecological design of aluminium windows. Finally, methodological advantages and obstacles of the presented economic allocation procedure are pointed out.

Goal and Background: The treatment of allocation in the descriptive LCA of wood-based products has been discussed for a long time and different solutions have been presented. In general, it is accepted that the influence of different allocation procedures on the results of LCA of wood-based products can be very significant. This paper is a result of the Cost Action E9 'Life cycle assessment of forestry and forest products' and represents the experience of involved Cost E9 delegates. Objective: Wood is a renewable material that can be used for wood products and energy production. Consistent methodological procedures are needed in order to correctly address the twofold nature of wood as a material and fuel, the multi-functional wood processing generating large quantities of co-products, and reuse or recycling of paper and wood. Ten different processes in LCAs of wood-based products are identified, where allocation questions can occur: forestry, sawmill, wood industry, pulp and paper industry, particle board industry, recycling of paper, recycling of wood-based boards, recycling of waste wood, combined heat and power production, landfill. Methodology: Following ISO 14 041 a step-wise procedure for system boundary setting and allocation are outlined. As a first priority allocation should be avoided by system expansion, thus adding additional functions to the functional unit. Alternatively, the avoided-burden approach can be followed by subtracting substituted functions of wood that are additionally provided. If allocation cannot be avoided, some allocations methods from case studies are described. Conclusions: The following conclusions for allocation in LCA of wood-based products are given. 1) Avoid allocation by expansion of system boundaries by combining material and energy aspects of wood, meaning a combination of LCA of wood products and of energy from wood with a functional unit for products and energy. 2) Substitute energy from wood with conventional energy in the LCA of wood products to get the func-tional unit of the wood product only, but identify the criteria for the substituted energy. 3) Substitution of wooden products with non-wooden products in LCA of bioenergy is not advis able, because the substitution criteria can be too complex. 4) If avoiding allocation is not possible, the reasons should be documented. 5) Different allocation procedures must be analysed and documented. In many cases, it seems necessary to make a sensitivity analysis of different allocation options for different environmental effects. It can also be useful to get the acceptance of the chosen allocation procedure by external experts. 6) Different allocation factors, e.g. mass or economic value, are allowed within the same LCA. 7) For allocation of forestry processes it is necessary to describe the main function of the forest where the raw material is taken out. In some cases different types or functions of forests must be considered and described. 8) Regarding the experiences from the examples, the following most practical allocation for some specific processes are identified: forestry: mass or volume; sawmill: mass or volume and proceeds; wood industry: mass and proceeds

International audience; Smart factories Industry 4.0 on the basis of collaborative cyber-physical systems represents a future form of industrial networks. Supply chains in such networks have dynamic structures which evolve over time. In these settings, short-term supply chain scheduling in smart factories Industry 4.0 is challenged by temporal machine structures, different processing speed at parallel machines and dynamic job arrivals. In this study, for the first time, a dynamic model and algorithm for short-term supply chain scheduling in smart factories Industry 4.0 is presented. The peculiarity of the considered problem is the simultaneous consideration of both machine structure selection and job assignments. The scheduling approach is based on a dynamic non-stationary interpretation of the execution of the jobs and a temporal decomposition of the scheduling problem. The algorithmic realisation is based on a modified form of the continuous maximum principle blended with mathematical optimisation. A detailed theoretical analysis of the temporal decomposition and computational complexity is performed. The optimality conditions as well as the structural properties of the model and the algorithm are investigated. Advantages and limitations of the proposed approach are discussed.

Many passive remote sensing techniques have been developed to retrieve cloud microphysical properties from satellite-based sensors, with the most common approaches being the bispectral and polarimetric techniques. These two vastly different retrieval techniques have been implemented for a variety of polar-orbiting and geostationary satellite platforms, providing global climatological datasets. Prior instrument comparison studies have shown that there are systematic differences between the droplet size retrieval products (effective radius) of bispectral (e.g. MODIS, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and polarimetric (e.g. POLDER, Polarization and Directionality of Earth’s Reflectances) instruments. However, intercomparisons of airborne bispectral and polarimetric instruments have yielded results that do not appear to be systematically biased relative to one another. Diagnosing this discrepancy is complicated, because it is often difficult for instrument intercomparison studies to isolate differences between retrieval technique sensitivities and specific instrumental differences such as calibration, atmospheric correction, etc. In addition to these technical differences the polarimetric retrieval is also sensitive to the dispersion of the droplet size distribution (effective variance), which could influence the interpretation of the droplet size retrieval. To avoid these instrument-dependent complications, this study makes use of a cloud remote sensing retrieval simulator. Created by coupling a large eddy simulation (LES) cloud model with radiative transfer models, the simulator serves as a test bed for understanding differences between bispectral and polarimetric retrievals. With the help of this simulator we can not only compare the two techniques to one another (retrieval intercomparison), but also validate retrievals directly against the LES cloud properties. Using the satellite retrieval simulator we are able to verify that at high spatial resolution (50 m) the bispectral and polarimetric retrievals are indeed highly correlated with one another. The small differences at high spatial resolution can be attributed to different sensitivity limitations of the two retrievals. In contrast, a systematic difference between the two retrievals emerges at coarser resolution. This bias largely stems from differences related to sensitivity of the two retrievals to unresolved inhomogeneities in effective variance and optical thickness. The influence of coarse angular resolution is found to increase uncertainty in the polarimetric retrieval, but generally maintains a constant mean value.

The improvement of the performance of material handling tools (MHTs) and the work in process (WIP) in a discrete manufacturing system have a great importance for increasing the efficiency of the production. To this end, the dynamic status of MHTs is analyzed in this paper. A Markov decision process (MDP) is used to model the MHT problems. The quantified relationships between MHTs and WIP will be discussed within the CONWIP (constant WIP) and Little's law methodologies. A dynamic programming (DP) based algorithm is developed to determine a solution for the MDP model. To reduce the computational complexity of the DP algorithm, an appropriate modification is introduced. Computational experiments are conducted in a discrete semiconductor factory and the proposed MDP+DP method is compared with simulation. The computational results show that the developed method produces rather good feasible solutions.

The so-called bi-spectral method retrieves cloud optical thickness (τ) and cloud droplet effective radius (re) simultaneously from a pair of cloud reflectance observations, one in a visible or near infrared (VIS/NIR) band and the other in a shortwave-infrared (SWIR) band. A cloudy pixel is usually assumed to be horizontally homogeneous in the retrieval. Ignoring sub-pixel variations of cloud reflectances can lead to a significant bias in the retrieved τ and re. In this study, we use the Taylor expansion of a two-variable function to understand and quantify the impacts of sub-pixel variances of VIS/NIR and SWIR cloud reflectances and their covariance on the τ and re retrievals. This framework takes into account the fact that the retrievals are determined by both VIS/NIR and SWIR band observations in a mutually dependent way. In comparison with previous studies, it provides a more comprehensive understanding of how sub-pixel cloud reflectance variations impact the τ and re retrievals based on the bi-spectral method. In particular, our framework provides a mathematical explanation of how the sub-pixel variation in VIS/NIR band influences the re retrieval and why it can sometimes outweigh the influence of variations in the SWIR band and dominate the error in re retrievals, leading to a potential contribution of positive bias to the re retrieval.

This paper describes an innovative approach to adopt the next-generation manufacturing paradigm based on flexible production units and eco-systems that can be quickly reprogrammed to provide fast time-to-market responses to global consumer demand, address mass-customisation needs and bring life to innovative products. The approach utilises the capabilities offered by digitalisation to facilitate (i) in-depth (self-) monitoring of machines and processes, (ii) decision support and decentralised (self-) adjustment of production, (iii) effective collaboration of the different IoT-connected machines with tools, services and actors (iv) seamless communication of information and decisions from and to the plant floor and (v) efficient interaction with value chain partners. The paper presents the conceptual architecture under development to support those functionalities for two specific domains in manufacturing.

The job shop scheduling problem with blocking constraints and total tardiness minimization represents a challenging combinatorial optimization problem of high relevance in production planning and logistics. Since general-purpose solution approaches struggle with finding even feasible solutions, a permutation-based heuristic method is proposed here, and the applicability of basic scheduling-tailored mechanisms is discussed. The problem is tackled by a local search framework, which relies on interchange- and shift-based operators. Redundancy and feasibility issues require advanced transformation and repairing schemes. An analysis of the embedded neighborhoods shows beneficial modes of implementation on the one hand and structural difficulties caused by the blocking constraints on the other hand. The applied simulated annealing algorithm generates good solutions for a wide set of benchmark instances. The computational results especially highlight the capability of the permutation-based method in constructing feasible schedules of valuable quality for instances of critical size and support future research on hybrid solution techniques.

Between 1 September and 4 October 2014, a combined airborne and ground-based measurement campaign was conducted to study tropical deep convective clouds over the Brazilian Amazon rain forest. The new German research aircraft, High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO), a modified Gulfstream G550, and extensive ground-based instrumentation were deployed in and near Manaus (State of Amazonas). The campaign was part of the German–Brazilian Aerosol, Cloud, Precipitation, and Radiation Interactions and Dynamics of Convective Cloud Systems–Cloud Processes of the Main Precipitation Systems in Brazil: A Contribution to Cloud Resolving Modeling and to the GPM (Global Precipitation Measurement) (ACRIDICON– CHUVA) venture to quantify aerosol–cloud–precipitation interactions and their thermodynamic, dynamic, and radiative effects by in situ and remote sensing measurements over Amazonia. The ACRIDICON–CHUVA field observations were carried out in cooperation with the second intensive operating period of Green Ocean Amazon 2014/15 (GoAmazon2014/5). In this paper we focus on the airborne data measured on HALO, which was equipped with about 30 in situ and remote sensing instruments for meteorological, trace gas, aerosol, cloud, precipitation, and spectral solar radiation measurements. Fourteen research flights with a total duration of 96 flight hours were performed. Five scientific topics were pursued: 1) cloud vertical evolution and life cycle (cloud profiling), 2) cloud processing of aerosol particles and trace gases (inflow and outflow), 3) satellite and radar validation (cloud products), 4) vertical transport and mixing (tracer experiment), and 5) cloud formation over forested/deforested areas. Data were collected in near-pristine atmospheric conditions and in environments polluted by biomass burning and urban emissions. The paper presents a general introduction of the ACRIDICON– CHUVA campaign (motivation and addressed research topics) and of HALO with its extensive instrument package, as well as a presentation of a few selected measurement results acquired during the flights for some selected scientific topics.

Spectral radiance measurements from two airborne passive solar remote sensing instruments, the Spectral Modular Airborne Radiation measurement sysTem (SMART) and the Differential Optical Absorption Spectrometer (mini-DOAS), are used to compare the remote sensing of cirrus optical thickness τ in nadir and off-nadir geometry. The comparison is based on a sensitivity study using radiative transfer simulations and on measurements during the North Atlantic Rainfall VALidation (NARVAL) mission, the Mid-Latitude Cirrus Experiment (ML-CIRRUS) and the Aerosol, Cloud, Precipitation, and Radiation Interactions and Dynamics of Convective Cloud Systems (ACRIDICON) campaign. Radiative transfer simulations are used to quantify the sensitivity of measured upward radiance I with respect to cirrus optical thickness τ, effective radius τeff, viewing angle of the sensor σL, surface albedo α and ice crystal shape. From the calculations it is concluded that off-nadir measurements at wavelengths larger than λ = 900 nm significantly improve the ability to measure clouds of low optical thickness. The comparison of nadir and off-nadir retrievals of τ from mini-DOAS, SMART and independent estimates by the Water Vapour Lidar Experiment in Space (WALES) show general agreement within the range of measurement uncertainties. For the selected example case a mean optical thickness of 0.54±0.2 is derived by SMART and 0.49±0.2 by mini-DOAS nadir channels, while WALES obtained a mean value of 0.32 at 532 nm wavelength respectively. The mean of τ derived from the scanning mini-DOAS channels is 0.26. For the few simultaneous measurements, the scanning mini-DOAS measurements systematically underestimate (−17.6 %) the nadir observations from SMART and mini-DOAS, most likely due to the different probed scenes. The different values of τ derived by SMART, mini-DOAS and WALES can be potentially linked to spatial averages, ice crystal shape and the measurement strategies. The agreement of the simulations and retrievals indicate that off-nadir measurements are generally suited better to retrieve τ of thin clouds.

Clouds exhibit significant horizontal inhomogeneities of their optical and microphysical properties, which complicate their realistic representation in weather and climate models. In order to investigate the directional, horizontal structure of cloud inhomogeneities, two-dimensional (2D) horizontal fields of optical thickness of subtropical cirrus and Arctic stratus with a spatial resolution of

International audience; Continuous flow scheduling problems have their place in many industries such as gas, oil, chemicals, glass and fluids production as well as production of granular goods and steel details. The disruptions in processing capacities may result in schedule performance decrease. In this paper, we develop a new method for robustness analysis of those schedules that are formulated in continuous time in the state-space domain. The developed method is based on attainable sets (ASs) that allow computing a form to represent the states and performance of schedules in regard to different capacity degradation levels. Having such a form, it becomes possible to estimate the schedule robustness. The technical development and approximation of ASs are presented. A robustness index is developed on the basis of the minimax regret approach, and it can be used for decision-makers regarding the trade-off ‘performance vs. robustness’. As such, it becomes possible to compare maximal possible profits in situations without disruptions and realistic profits subject to some robustness investments and costs of protection against disruptions. With the presented results, it becomes possible to obtain ASs for interval data with no a priori information about perturbation impacts, i.e. for non-stationary perturbations. ASs permit to consider perturbations and schedule performances as time functions. Perturbation functions may be set up for different uncertainty scenarios, including interval perturbations.

In structural engineering models are used to represent the behavior of structures close to reality and subsequently to allow a safe design. Scientific investigations, as well as experiences from the daily practice are the basis for the view of the relationship between reality and model. This paper deals with the evaluation of coupled numerical models without a calibration using experimental data as an approximation of physical reality. Here, the focus is on developing a new evaluation method for determining the prognosis quality of complex engineering models. The prognosis quality of coupled models is evaluated using a two-stage model quality analysis which is based on a multicriterial evaluation method. In particular, the probabilistic criteria have a high significance during the evaluation process. Therefore, methods for predicting the uncertainty, sensitivity, robustness and reliability are proposed. Furthermore, aleatoric and epistemic uncertainties are to be taken into consideration when comparing different engineering models with different levels of complexity. For this purpose, different approaches for predicting these uncertainties are implemented. Finally, the model qualities for a complex structure are exemplarily evaluated using the model quality analysis developed.

For an assembly line, it is necessary to minimize the cycle time for processing a partially ordered set of operations V = {1, …, n} on a set of m linearly ordered working stations. The number m of stations and the initial processing times t = (t1, …, tn) of the operations V are given. However, for a subset V ⊆ V of the manual operations j ∈ V, it is impossible to fix the processing times tj for the whole life cycle of the assembly line. On the other hand, for each automated operation i ∈ V \ V, the processing time ti is fixed. We investigate the stability of an optimal line balance b0 of the assembly line with respect to variations of the processing times tj, j ∈ V. It is shown how to calculate the stability radius ρb0 (t) of an optimal line balance b0, i.e., the maximal value of simultaneous independent variations of the processing times of the manual operations with keeping the optimality of the line balance b0. We survey known results on the stability radius of an optimal line balance for a dual problem which is to minimize the number m of the working stations for the given cycle time.

This article focuses on important but widely neglected problems of supranational employee involvement both at the level of information and consultation as well as at board level. It takes the most important pattern, the European Company (SE), and presents a systematic empirical analysis of its negotiated forms of worker representation and employee involvement. The questions addressed are: What do these new forms of collective voice and representation at the supranational level look like? What is the relevance of SEs for the development of an emerging system of European industrial relations in a broader perspective? Is the negotiated form of employee involvement likely to lead to new forms of harmonization and convergence or rather to heterogeneity and fragmentation?

Bauen stellt eine komplexe Interaktion der Gesellschaft mit der naturlichen Welt dar. Bauwerke sollen i. a. uber eine sehr lange Zeit, haufig langer als ein Menschenleben praktisch nutzbar sein. Die Anforderungen an die Zuverlassigkeit, insbesondere Sicherheit, sind ungewohnlich hoch und deutlich groser als in anderen Bereichen der Technik. Bauen unter den Bedingungen des okonomischen Wettbewerbs erfordert Regeln und Richtlinien fur die Beurteilung der zu erwartenden Zuverlassigkeit eines Bauwerkes. Modelle bilden die Interaktion zwischen Bauwerk und vorhandener Umgebung unter Nutzung probabilistischer Methoden naherungsweise ab. Die Beurteilung von Robustheit und Sensitivitat der Modelle erhalt eine steigende Bedeutung. Die Definition von allgemein anerkannten Regeln der Technik fur die Bemessung von Bauwerken muss den aktuellen Bedingungen angepasst werden. Zukunftsfahige Normenkonzepte mussen sich an der Entwicklung der Entwurfsmethoden und der Informationsund Kommunikationstechnik orientieren. Vereinfachende empirische Formeln, Diagramme usw. verlieren ihre Gultigkeit auch auserhalb eingefuhrter Normen nicht und mussen nicht neu aufbereitet werden. Reality – Model – Code. Construction involves a complex interaction with the physical world and with society. Buildings are expected to be usable for a very long period of time, often longer than the span of a human life. The requirements with regard to reliability and security in particular, are extraordinarily high – considerably greater than in other technical fields. Construction, particularly under the pressure of free market competition, requires rules and regulations for the assessment of the anticipated reliability and performance of a building. To a certain degree, models can be used to anticipate the interaction between a building and its environment by applying probabilistic methods. The robustness and sensitivity of models therefore increasingly gains importance. The definition of commonly accepted technical rules for the design of buildings has to be matched to the current conditions. Concepts for developing design codes must be futureproofed such that the codes are complimentary to the progress of new design methodologies, and also to the innovation and development of information technology. However, traditional empirical simplifying formulas, diagrams, etc., are still valid and do not require updating.

An increased use of wood products and an adequate management of forests can help to mitigate climate change. However, planning horizons and response time to changes in forest management are usually long and the respective GHG effects related to the use of wood depend on the availability of harvested wood. Therefore, an integral long-term strategic approach is required to formulate the most effective forest and wood management strategies for mitigating climate change. The greenhouse gas (GHG) dynamics related to the production, use and disposal of wood products are manifold and show a complex time pattern. On the one hand, wood products can be considered as a carbon pool, as is the forest itself. On the other hand, an increased use of wood can lead to the substitution of usually more energy-intense materials and to the substitution of fossil fuels when the thermal energy of wood is recovered. Country-specific import/export flows of wood products and their alternative products as well as their processing stage have to be considered if substitution effects are assessed on a national basis. We present an integral model-based approach to evaluate the GHG impacts of various forest management and wood use scenarios. Our approach allows us to analyse the complex temporal and spatial patterns of GHG emissions and removals including trade-offs of different forest management and wood use strategies. This study shows that the contributions of the forestry and timber sector to mitigate climate change can be optimized with the following key recommendations: (1) the maximum possible, sustainable increment should be generated in the forest, taking into account biodiversity conservation as well as the long-term preservation of soil quality and growth performance; (2) this increment should be harvested continuously; (3) the harvested wood should be processed in accordance with the principle of cascade use, i.e. first be used as a material as long as possible, preferably in structural components; (4) waste wood that is not suitable for further use should be used to generate energy. Political strategies to solely increase the use of wood as a biofuel cannot be considered efficient from a climate perspective; (5) forest management strategies to enhance carbon sinks in forests via reduced harvesting are not only ineffective because of a compensatory increase in fossil fuel consumption for the production of non-wooden products and thermal energy but also because of the Kyoto-“cap” that limits the accountability of GHG removals by sinks under Article 3.3 and 3.4, at least for the first commitment period; (6) the effect of substitution through the material and energy use of wood is more significant and sustained as compared with the stock effects in wood products, which tend towards new steady-state flow equilibria with no further increase of C stocks; (7) from a global perspective, the effect of material substitution exceeds that of energy recovery from wood. In the Swiss context, however, the energy recovery from wood generates a greater substitution effect than material substitution.

In this paper we propose a decomposition approach that hierarchically integrates the batching and local search heuristics in manufacturing scheduling. The problem comprises two main interrelated stages embedded in any production-transportation supply chain, namely (i) scheduling processing of raw materials and robot's transportation operation within each individual cell, and (ii) scheduling of transportation and distribution of batches of semi-finished products between cells. Several efficient heuristic algorithms are proposed. This work has been motivated by a real-life problem of production planning for a CIM system for manufacturing of multi-component products served by robots.

This article analyses the negotiations on worker involvement in the first almost four years of the European Company SE and their outcomes. First, some basic institutional aspects of the SE itself and its current empirical situation are described and explained. Then, the focus is on questions of employee involvement in this new legal form. Again some main institutional provisions on employee involvement are assessed, before a detailed empirical analysis on specific issues is presented. A final appraisal based on this assessment concludes the article. Key words: European Company / Societas Europaea (SE), industrial relations in the EU, worker participation 1. Introduction The idea to create a "European" legal form for companies dates back to the early years of the European Union. It took more than 30 years before it could be finalized. The Nice Summit in 2001 passed the "Council Regulation on the Statute for a European Company" (EC/2157/2001) and the "Directive supplementing the Statute for a European Company with regard to the involvement of employees" (2001/86/EC). The European Company (Societas Europaea, SE) was created and a long-lasting stalemate, that focused on the question how the employees' interests should be guaranteed in this new legal form, was solved (for an analysis of the historical processes Gold/Schwimbersky 2008). Until autumn 2004, the Directive had to be transposed into national law and since October 2004 companies are free to choose this additional legal form; of course, national ones continue to exist. Meanwhile, quite a few companies have already chosen the SE as "their" legal form. In this article, we will have a closer look on these first cases and especially on the processes of the negotiated forms of employee involvement. First of all, we describe and briefly discuss some basic institutional aspects of the SE itself and elaborate on the present empirical situation. This new legal form gains gradually in importance, especially in specific member states and for companies with certain characteristics. Then, we will come to our focus, the question of employee involvement. Again we first describe some main institutional provisions on employee involvement before we present our detailed empirical analysis. Some virulent problems are, probably not surprisingly, already laid down in these institutional preconditions. Finally, we come to an appraisal based on our assessment. The empirical base of our study is, on the one hand, the European Company database. It is prepared by the "SEEurope-Network" of the European Trade Union Institute in Brussels in Co-Operation with the German Hans-Bockler-Foundation (http://www.worker-participation.eu/european_company). It constitutes the most reliable source available in the field of this new legal form and is also used by the European Commission. On the other hand, we also conducted a series of semi-structured interviews with representatives of both sides and had the unique opportunity of nonparticipant observation in some official meetings. In substantive regard we benefited from previous research on European Works Councils (EWCs). 2. The legal form of the SE - brief institutional remarks and the present "state of the art" 2.1 Institutional remarks An SE, whose seat must be located in one of the member states of the European Economic Area (EEA) and can be transferred from one member state to another at any time once an SE was formed, may be established in four different ways. A necessary precondition for the establishment is a transnational element. Without such a cross-boarder factor, the establishment of an SE is - at least according to the Statute -not possible. Furthermore, each way of foundation can have, and this is of specific interest from our perspective, specific implications for employee involvement. There are, for example, different quotas for the application of the so-called standard rules of employee involvement according to the different forms (for details Kosder 2006). …

We revised the results of approx. 20 years of international research on the environmental impact of the life cycle of wood products used in the building sector compared to functionally equivalent products from other materials. Original studies either technical reports or scientific papers in English or German were considered. This literature was obtained via an extensive literature review (February 2006), via a consultation of compilations of life cycle assessments (LCA) of wood products (e.g. elaborated during the COST action E9) and from secondary literature. The resulting list of literature is considered to be quite complete and therefore covers the most relevant original comparative LCA studies of wood products in the building sector in Europe, Northern America and Australia. The documentation of the studies differs considerably in terms of completeness (life cycle stages included, assessment methods), transparency (description of methodological assumptions, characteristics of the products, available data, etc.) and scientific rigor (e.g. related to the functional equivalency). All encountered original studies are cited and their scope and transparency is shortly described. For the environmental ranking of wood products compared to functionally equivalent products, only quantitative, transparently described studies with no obvious methodological flaws were included, preferably covering the whole life cycle and conducted according to the ISO series of standards 14’040ff. For the assessment, the contribution of each product to an impact category was compared to the mean of all functionally equivalent products included in a study. Among the most important results are: fossil fuel consumption, potential contributions to the greenhouse effect and quantities of solid waste tend to be minor for wood products compared to competing products; impregnated wood products tend to be more critical than comparative products with respect to toxicological effects and/or photosmog depending on the type of preservative; incineration of wood products can cause higher impacts of acidification and eutrophication than other products, whereas thermal energy can be recovered; although composed wood products such as particle board or fibreboard make use of a larger share of wood of a tree compared to products out of solid wood, there is a high consumption of fossil energy associated with the production of fibres and particles/chips as well as with the production of glues, resins, etc. In LCAs of whole buildings, the materials used outside the areas of applicability of wood dominate the environmental profile of the building; current methods used for the impact assessment do not allow to consider (also favourable) impacts of forests, such as land occupation, impacts on biodiversity, purification of air, etc. Wood products that have been installed and are used in an appropriate way tend to have a favourable environmental profile compared to functionally equivalent products from other materials. For the dispersion and application of these conclusions, it is necessary to adapt LCA to a form, which can be used on a regular basis for the decision making of different actors in the construction sector. LCA methodology in general (the series of standards ISO 14’040ff) and for the environmental assessment of wood products in particular have been developed and consolidated considerably in Europe and Northern America during the last decade; the more and more representative and reliable LCI data for wood products and competing products has become available. For the future use of the environmental value of wood products within sustainable development, the general perception of the beneficiary use of wood products has to be increased at various stages of decision-making.

Risk management is an important part of the software quality management because security issues can result in big economical losses and even worse legal consequences. While risk assessment as the base for any risk treatment is widely regarded to be important, doing a risk assessment itself remains a challenge especially for complex large scaled networked systems. This paper presents an ongoing case study in which such a system is assessed. In order to deal with the challenges from that case study, the RACOMAT method and the RACOMAT tool for compositional risk assessment closely combined with security testing and incident simulation for have been developed with the goal to reach a new level of automation results in risk assessment.

Background. In product life cycle assessment (LCA), the attribution of environmental interventions to a product under study is an ambiguous task. This is due to a) the simplistic modeling characteristics in the life cycle inventory step (LCI) of LCA in view of the complexity of our techno-economic system, and b) to the non-tangible theoretical nature of the product system as a representation of the processes 'causally' linked to a product. Ambiguous methodological decisions during the setup of an LCI include the modeling of end-of-life scenarios or the choice of an allocation factor for the allocation of joint co-production processes. An important criterion for methodological decisions – besides the conformity with the relevant series of standards ISO 14 040 – is if the improvement options, which can be deduced from the LCI, are perceived by the decision-maker as to redirect the material flows at stake into more sustainable paths. Methods. From this functionalistic conception of LCA, this article develops a set of wood-specific requirements, an LCI of wood products has to fulfill to give adequate decision support under Central European conditions. These requirements serve as a basis for the evaluation of different allocation procedures in a case study related to the modeling of end-of-life scenarios in a product LCA of wood products. The case study discusses how the recycling and incineration of a creosote-treated railway sleeper (Am. tie) are modeled according to various methodological propositions for the solution of the allocation problems related to recycling and final disposal. A partial life cycle model of the railway sleeper demonstrates the effect of the different allocation procedures to the over-all result. Results and Discussion. The most important conclusion – apart from proposing a functionalistic approach to solve allocation problems – is that under Central European conditions both the material and energy aspects of wood and the related substitution and opportunity effects (opportunity 'cost') should be considered for the modeling of post-consumer waste wood in attributive product LCA, even when comparing products made of different materials.

Long-living wood products contribute to the mitigation of climate change in many ways. They act as a carbon pool during their service life, as they withdraw CO2 from its natural cycle. After their service life, they can stitute for fossil fuels if they are incinerated in adequate furnaces. Furthermore, wood products can stitute for more energy-intense products made of ‘conventional’ materials. This paper quantifies the stitution and pool effects of an increased use of wood in the building sector in Switzerland for the years 2000–2130. Life cycle data on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 12 wood products and their stitutes are used as proxies for relevant building products; this data is linked to the forecasted wood flows for each group of building products in a cohort-model. For the political assessment, GHG effects occurring abroad and in Switzerland are distinguished. The results show that the pool effect of an increased use of long-living wood products is of minor importance, whereas the energetic and material stitution effects are much more relevant, especially on a long-term. For construction products, the Swiss share of the GHG effect related to the material stitution is relatively high, as mainly nationally produced materials are stituted for. For interior products, the Swiss share of the GHG effect related to the material stitution is rather small because mainly imports are stituted for. The results must be considered as rough estimates. Nonetheless, these calculations show that an increased use of wood in the building sector is a valid and valuable option for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and for reaching GHG emission targets in a mid- to long-term. Still, the pool and stitution capacity of an increased use of wood is relatively small compared to the overall GHG emissions of Switzerland.

Bisher kommt Stahl als primares Baumaterial hauptsachlich im Industriebau, Bruckenbau und bei hohen Geschosbauten zum Einsatz. Das Projekt SEQD – Steel Earthquake Design – hatte zum Ziel, eine sichere und kostengunstige Losung fur kleinere Wohnbauten in Erdbebengebieten zu entwickeln; Grundpfeiler zur Erreichung dieses Zieles sollten ein standardisiertes Grundtragsystem aus Stahl und die weitgehende Anwendung lokaler Baumaterialien fur alle weiteren Elemente, wie z. B. ausfachende Wande, sein. Dazu wurde ein System entwickelt, das neuartige Anschlusse und eine spezielle einaxiale Kopplung zwischen Wanden und Stahlrahmen besitzt. Die ausfachenden Wande sollen mit hochfesten Kunststoffgittern bewehrt werden. Anfang Oktober 2004 wurden in einer Werkhalle der Rudolstadter Stahlbau GmbH zum neu entwickelten Konzept Versuche durchgefuhrt. The SEQD – Steel Earthquake Design – project for earthquake-resistant residential buildings. The construction material steel is currently mostly applied in highly-engineered structures like bridges, industrial halls or high-rise buildings. The SEQD – Steel Earthquake Design – project had the aim of developing a safe and economic solution for small residential buildings in earthquake regions. The basic idea of the system is to combine an engineered steel frame as primary structure with non load-bearing infill walls from local materials. The new design includes innovative connections between frame elements and special uniaxial couplings between walls and steel frame. Reinforcement of the infill walls is achieved by applying grids from synthetic materials. In October 2004 experimental tests on a prototype structure were carried out in an assembly hall of the Rudolstadter Stahlbau GmbH.

MATERIAL NATURE VERSUS STRUCTURAL NURTURE: THE EMBODIED CARBON OF FUNDAMENTAL STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS Roger Sathre, Ambrose Dodoo, Leif Gustavsson, Bruce Lippke, Gregg Marland, Eric Masanet, Birger Solberg, and Frank Werner Environmental Energy Technologies Division Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley, CA 94720 May 2012 Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.

Goal, Scope and Background: This paper gives an overview on how the wood and packaging material production is inventoried in ecoinvent. Packaging materials have been a very important topic in the area of Life Cycle Assessment for more than twenty years. Wood is the most important renewable material and regenerative fuel used worldwide, and an important raw material for paper / board. Several methodological problems arising when inventorying wood for material and energetic uses in a generic database are discussed in more detail. Within the ecoinvent project, the Swiss data base for life cycle inventory data, two reports are dedicated to these two important topics – report No. 9 for wood and report No. 11 for packaging materials. Methods: The whole wood chain has been modeled in a consistent way. This allows one to use this data for LCAs of building materials, bioenergy or paper production. The data represent average technologies used in Central Europe in the year 2000. A revenue-based co-product allocation approach is used for the different outputs. Correction factors are introduced for the consistent modeling of mass-based, material inherent wood properties such as solar energy, carbon uptake and land use. For packaging materials, the datasets represent European average data for the most often used materials as well as specific datasets for the production of actual packaging boxes and containers. Results and Discussion: For wood, revenue-based allocation and the use of the correction factors for mass-related wood properties are shown and explained. For packaging materials, the importance of the raw material wood to the total load is shown. Furthermore trends in the data inventories for board packaging materials over the last two decades are discussed: mainly due to the increased comprehensiveness of the data, higher cumulative emissions can be observed. Conclusion: For wood, the database ecoinvent provides consistent datasets for the entire chain from forestry to intermediate products such as timber, different types of wood-based boards, chips, pellets, etc. For packaging materials, the number of datasets of basic materials has been extended. A modular concept for actual packaging container datasets allows the user an easy modeling of various types of packaging containers/boxes. In the area of paper and board, a comprehensive database for the production of various types of pulp, paper and board is provided, which is representative for the average European production situation. Outlook: Since wood is only limited and representative data for Europe is therefore not included, an update in the near future would be reasonable. Possible further extensions in the future could include various, final wooden products. For the data on paper/board, different levels of quality are observed, requiring a selective up-date of these data. Future extensions could include datasets for the import of pulp from overseas – especially from South America and Canada

The effects of serum starvation on radiation sensitivity, cell proliferation and apoptosis were investigated with particular consideration of the p53 status.Four human tumor cell lines, Be11 (melanoma, p53 wild-type), MeWo (melanoma, p53 mutant), 4197 (squamous cell carcinoma, p53 wild-type) and 4451 (squamous cell carcinoma, p53 mutant), were used. After the cells had been incubated in starvation medium (0.5% FCS) for 1-6 days, changes in cell cycle distribution, induction of apoptosis and necrosis, and changes in radiation sensitivity were assessed by two-parameter flow cytometric measurements of DNA-dye-exclusion/Annexin V binding, and a conventional colony assay, respectively.p53 wild-type cell lines showed a decrease in the BrdU labeling index and an increase in the apoptotic cell frequency in starvation medium. p53 mutant cell lines showed a decrease in the BrdU labeling index but no evidence of apoptosis. These cells went into necrosis instead. The radiation sensitivity was increased in 4451 and slightly decreased in Be11 and 4197 in starvation medium.These data suggest a functional involvement of p53 in starvation-induced G1-block and apoptosis in tumor cells. Altered radiosensitivity after culture in starvation medium seemed to be explained at least in part by the starvation-induced G1-block. The frequency of starvation-induced apoptosis or necrosis was not correlated with radiation sensitivity.

Goal and Background: The treatment of allocation in the descriptive LCA of wood-based products has been discussed for a long time and different solutions have been presented. In general, it is accepted that the influence of different allocation procedures on the results of LCA of wood-based products can be very significant. This paper is a result of the Cost Action E9 ‘Life cycle assessment of forestry and forest products' and represents the experience of involved Cost E9 delegates. Objective: Wood is a renewable material that can be used for wood products and energy production. Consistent methodological procedures are needed in order to correctly address the twofold nature of wood as a material and fuel, the multi-functional wood processing generating large quantities of co-products, and reuse or recycling of paper and wood. Ten different processes in LCAs of wood-based products are identified, where allocation questions can occur: forestry, sawmill, wood industry, pulp and paper industry, particle board industry, recycling of paper, recycling of wood-based boards, recycling of waste wood, combined heat and power production, landfill. Methodology: Following ISO 14 041 a step-wise procedure for system boundary setting and allocation are outlined. As a first priority allocation should be avoided by system expansion, thus adding additional functions to the functional unit. Alternatively, the avoided-burden approach can be followed by subtracting substituted functions of wood that are additionally provided. If allocation cannot be avoided, some allocations methods from case studies are described. Conclusions: The following conclusions for allocation in LCA of wood-based products are given. 1) Avoid allocation by expansion of system boundaries by combining material and energy aspects of wood, meaning a combination of LCA of wood products and of energy from wood with a functional unit for products and energy. 2) Substitute energy from wood with conventional energy in the LCA of wood products to get the functional unit of the wood product only, but identify the criteria for the substituted energy. 3) Substitution of wooden products with non-wooden products in LCA of bioenergy is not advisable, because the substitution criteria can be too complex. 4) If avoiding allocation is not possible, the reasons should be documented. 5) Different allocation procedures must be analysed and documented. In many cases, it seems necessary to make a sensitivity analysis of different allocation options for different environmental effects. It can also be useful to get the acceptance of the chosen allocation procedure by external experts. 6) Different allocation factors, e.g. mass or economic value, are allowed within the same LCA. 7) For allocation of forestry processes it is necessary to describe the main function of the forest where the raw material is taken out. In some cases different types or functions of forests must be considered and described. 8) Regarding the experiences from the examples, the following most practical allocation for some specific processes are identified: forestry: mass or volume; sawmill: mass or volume and proceeds; wood industry: mass and proceeds

This paper considers a generalization of the permutation flow shop problem that combines the scheduling function with the planning stage. In this problem, each work center consists of parallel identical machines. Each job has a different release date and consists of ordered operations that have to be processed on machines from different machine centers in the same order. In addition, the processing times of the operations on some machines may vary between a minimum and a maximum value depending on the use of a continuously divisible resource. We consider a nonregular optimization criterion based on due dates which are not a priori given but can be fixed by a decision-maker. A due date assignment cost is included into the objective function. For this type of problems, we generalize well-known approaches for the heuristic solution of classical problems and propose constructive algorithms based on job insertion techniques and iterative algorithms based on local search. For the latter, we deal with the design of appropriate neighborhoods to find better quality solution. Computational results for problems with up to 20 jobs and 10 machine centers are given.

This paper develops and compares different local search heuristics for the two-stage flow shop problem with makespan minimization as the primary criterion and the minimization of either the total flow time, total weighted flow time, or total weighted tardiness as the secondary criterion. We investigate several variants of simulated annealing, threshold accepting, tabu search, and multi-level search algorithms. The influence of the parameters of these heuristics and the starting solution are empirically analyzed. The proposed heuristic algorithms are empirically evaluated and found to be relatively more effective in finding better quality solutions than the existing algorithms.

This paper presents the challenges to the use of RFID in Brazilian wood crossties considering factors related to mechanical, physical, drying properties, aspects of anisotropy and hygroscopicity. The challenges to using RFID in this material consider dielectric loading, encapsulation for resisting the natural efforts within wood, and design for automation.

The tumor suppressor protein p53 which can mediate an ionizing radiation-induced G1 arrest in mammalian cells, forms complexes with SV40 large T antigen (l-T-Ag). We have analyzed the p53 levels, the capability to undergo a G1 arrest and the radiosensitivity of two SV40 transformed fibroblast strains differing in their large T antigen expression. Material and Methods: One of the two strains (VA13F) is the commercially available form of Wi38VA13, the other (VA13E) arose spontaneously from the original one in our laboratory. Their p53 levels were measured by means of flow cytometry (FCM) and Western blot (WB) with two p53 antibodies (Ab-3, clone PAb240; Ab-6, clone DO-1; both Oncogene Science). Cell cycle distributions were determined flow cytometrically after BrdU labeling at regular time intervals after exposure to 250 kV X-rays. Radiosensitivity was assessed in a clonogenicity assay. Results: The p53 levels of the two strains correspond to their large T antigen expression, presumably due to complex formation between the two proteins. The strain with a high p53 level did not show a G1 arrest and had a relatively high radiosensitivity, whereas the strain with a low p53 level showed a significant G1 arrest and a lower radiosensitivity. Conclusion: These results suggest that 1. complex formation between the large T antigen and p53 reduces the latter's functionality; 2. in these two strains the G1 arrest is one of the factors determining radiosensitivity.

In this paper we consider permutation flow shop scheduling problems with batch setup times. Each job has to be processed on each machine once and the technological routes are identical for all jobs. The set of jobs is divided into groups. There are given processing timest ij of jobi on machinej and setup timess rj on machinej when a job of ther-th group is processed after a job of another group. It is assumed that the same job order has to be chosen on each machine. We consider both the problems of minimizing the makespan and of minimizing the sum of completion times, where batch or item availability of the jobs is assumed. For these problems we give various constructive and iterative algorithms. The constructive algorithms are based on insertion techniques combined with beam search. We introduce suitable neighbourhood structures for such problems with batch setup times and describe iterative algorithms that are based on local search and reinsertion techniques. The developed algorithms have been tested on a large collection of problems with up to 80 jobs.

We investigate the application of the software bounded model checking tool CBMC to the domain of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). We automatically generate a software behavior model from a network protocol (ESAWN) implementation in a WSN development and deployment platform (TinyOS), which is used to rigorously verify the protocol. Our work is a proof of concept that automatic verification of programs of practical size (≈ 21 000 LoC) and complexity is possible with CBMC and can be integrated into TinyOS. The developer can automatically check for pointer dereference and array index out of bound errors. She can also check additional, e.g., functional, properties that she provides by assume- and assert-statements. This experience paper shows that our approach is in general feasible since we managed to verify about half of the properties. We made the verification process scalable in the size of the code by abstraction (eg, from hardware) and by simplification heuristics. The latter also achieved scalability in data type complexity for the properties that were verifiable. The others require technical advancements for complex data types within CBMC's core.

This chapter introduces Decision-Based Partnering (DBP) as a concept formulated by the Department of Defiance (DOD). This concept helps to reduce the administrative cost of extended conflict during environmental restoration. The objectives of the partnering approach are to make communication more interactive; to reduce disputes by working together to plan site activities; and to develop ground rules for interaction among clients, regulatory agencies, and contractors. A highly productive behavioral or procedural change that fosters teamwork and cooperation so that all parties are working toward the common goal of protecting human health and the environment are presented. The chapter gives an in-depth application of (DBP) which includes assessment, privatizing, benchmarking, and monitoring. The argument on a pilot study at Seymour Johnson Air Force base are based in this chapter. The concluding remarks are that implementation of DBP at SJAFB (Seymour Johnson Air Force Base) promoted fast-tracked decisions, accelerated remediation activities, reduced risk, and led to more rapid site closures.

This article presents the first systematic empirical analysis of all European Companies established at the time of writing, and focuses on industrial relations issues and the negotiated rules of employee involvement in particular. It elaborates on the election procedures, the special negotiation body and the mechanisms of employee information and consultation and board-level representation. Some tentative conclusions consider the likely impact on the development of European industrial relations.

On considere un probleme d'ordonnancement pour une machine avec dates de mise a disposition et minimisation du nombre pondere des travaux en retard. Ce probleme est NP-dur. On developpe un algorithme a une passe (insertion heuristique) qui donne une solution localement optimale dans un graphe special de voisinage par translation a gauche. Finalement, on examine quels sont, parmi les cas speciaux connus comme polynomialement resolubles, ceux pour lesquels l'heuristique donne une solution optimale.