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Current studies on scheduling of machines and transporters assume that either a single transporter or an infinite number of homogeneous transporters such as AGVs or mobile robots are available to transport semi-finished jobs, which seems very restrictive in practice. This paper addresses this gap by studying a job-shop scheduling problem that incorporates a limited number of heterogeneous transporters, where the objective is to minimize the makespan. The problem is modelled using mixed-integer linear programming and constraint programming. Different structure-based branch-and-bound algorithms with two lower-bounding strategies are also developed. A comprehensive numerical study evaluates the proposed models and algorithms. The research demonstrates that the adjustment of the proposed MILP model outperforms the existing formulation when applied to the homogeneous case. The study also uncovers interesting practical implications, including the analysis of the impact of different transporter types in the system. It shows that utilizing a fleet of heterogeneous transporters can improve the overall performance of the job shop compared to a relevant homogeneous case. The importance of the study is emphasized by highlighting the negative consequences of disregarding transporters' differences during the scheduling phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction According to the structuralists, all phenomena belong to a structural system whose elements and components have a purposeful and coherent relationship with each other, and understanding this relationship is possible only by discovering the differences. One of the most important of these relationships is binary opposition. Semantic oppositions are one of the branches of binary opposition at the level of the word, in which the word finds its meaning according to its opposite pair. In the field of language and literature, structuralism examines the factors that bring the structure of a work closer to the artistic structure and cause the connection of the parts of a work with its whole. One of the most important factors is binary opposition. In the story of "Harun and the Two Ascetics", Beyhaqi first describes Harun's entrance into Ibn-Omari's house, the conditions of Ibn-Omari's house, and what happens there; then he describes the conditions of Ibn-Sammak's house and the events that take place there, which are completely opposite to each other. Beyhaqi, as a master historian and storyteller, who is also well aware of the subtleties of language, has strengthened the main matrix of the story, which is the binary opposition of true true asceticism/false asceticism, with the help of various oppositions. Extracting and studying these types will introduce the way of thinking and the attitude of this capable writer. Methodology Semantic oppositions in the story of "Harun and the Two Ascetics" have a wide application in such a way that they can be considered as the important features of this story. Based on this, the main goal of this research is to determine the types of semantic oppositions in this story and to explain the processing method and its functions in a descriptive-analytical method which leads to a better understanding of the message of the story and its aesthetic aspects. In the present research, first, different types of oppositions will be discussed. Then the related items in the context of the sentence will be analyzed and the thought that causes its consistency will be analyzed.. Discussion Semantic opposition is based on the concept that is created between two opposite words, and from the linguistic point of view, it has different types: 1- Graded opposition: two words that are conceptually opposed to each other are graded; words like cold/hot; 2- Directional opposition: two words are opposed to each other; words such as going/coming or sending/receiving; 3- Complementary opposition: the negation of one of the two words proves the other; for example, the two words alive/dead; 4- Two-way opposition: the opposites are placed in a twoway relationship with each other, words like husband/wife; 5- Lexical opposition: the words are opposited with each other with the help of negative morphemes, words like aware/unaware; 6- Implicit opposition: two opposite words do not seem to have any opposition with each other and in this sense they may even be unrelated to each other; for example, elephant/cup (fil/fenjan in Persian). Apparently, these two words have nothing to do with each other, but in their implicit meaning, there is an opposition of big and small. The story of "Harun and Two Ascetics" from Beyhaqi's History is made up of the macro semantic oppositions of "hypocritical asceticism/true asceticism" and is strengthened by the help of small semantic oppositions such as "greed/contentment", "poverty/wealth" and "trust/fear". According to this story, Harun al-Rashid goes to Mecca. It is reported to him that there are two ascetics named Ibn-Omari and Ibn-Sammak living in Mecca who do not appear before any king. Harun tells "I wish to see these ascetics who do not near the kings and to hear their words, and to know what their state and character is, inside and outside.". Then he decides to test them with bags of gold. The story of Ibn-Omari is narrated firstly and then comes the story of Ibn-Sammak. The mentioned oppositions are visible both in the speech and in the behavior of the two ascetics. What Harun sees and hears in the house of Ibn-Omari is completely different from what he faces in the house of Ibn-Sammak. The reader can make a right judgment about the behavior and speech of two ascetics in front of the king. Ibn-Omari feels himself in a lower position than Harun, but Ibn-Sammak places himself in a higher position than the king and does not fear him. As a hypocritical ascetic, Ibn-Omari's greed for worldly wealth and the king's forgiveness made him speak from a position of weakness. He fulfills all the usual compliments. His words are very short and as soon as Fazl (the vizier) protests, he withdraws. It seems that his greed has folded his speech and he does not have the necessary courage to speak. Since Ibn-Sammak is a real ascetic and does not have any desire to be related to Harun, his speeches are longer and bolder, and his advice and preaching are more direct. The part of the story that is related to the house of Ibn-Omari is about one page, while the part that is related to the house of Ibn-Sammak is twice as long and is about two pages. Conclusion Oppositions play an important role in the beauty and structural coherence and content of the text. Beyhaqi's History is one of the most important Persian historical and literary texts and the story of "Harun and Two Ascetics" is one of the beautiful stories of this book. In this story Harun al-Rashid decides to visit two ascetics (Ibn-Omari and Ibn-Sammak) and ask them for advice and then test them by giving them gold bags. Ibn-Omari accepts the gold and Ibn-Sammak declines it. Everything that happens in the house of Ibn-Omari and Ibn-Sammak is in opposition to each other. Beyhaqi is not an ordinary historiographer, but the owner of a deep and profound worldview, which is evident in most of his narratives. He was well aware of the educational and moral benefits and purposes of history, and for that reason, while narrating historical events, he neglected to emphasize its educational elements. The story of "Harun and Two Ascetics" is among these stories. The text of the mentioned narrative constitutes a thought system and a matrix of oppositions. The frequency of "graded opposition" is the most. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hospital-acquired infections are among the most significant reasons of human mortality world-wide which can be controlled by efficient application of suitable disinfectant for hospital setting. The main goal of the present study was to determine the efficacy of eight routinely used hospital disinfectants against clinical isolates. Methods: In our descriptive study, in the first step the antibiogram assay of 99 clinical isolates enterococci and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were determined. Then, minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of isolates against Povidone Iodine 10%, Ethanol 70%, Savlon 3.2%, Deconex51Gastro, Procept Floor, Septo med, Surfanious and Gigasept AF were evaluated. Furthermore, the efficacy of disinfectants was reevaluated in presence of 5% (w/v) Bovine Serum Albumin. Results: The results showed that Septo med and Surfanious are the most and less potent disinfectants against clinical isolates, respectively. It is also resulted that Povidone Iodine is the most effective choice among the conventional disinfectants in this study. Clearly, addition of 5% organic substances reduced the efficacy of selected disinfectants significantly. Conclusion: Novel quaternary ammonium compounds are the most applicable choice for disinfection of hospital surfaces and instruments in this study.

This paper studies the integrated scheduling of consultation and treatment appointments for chemotherapy patients, while taking into account the stochastic duration of injection. Patients may require one or both types of consultation and treatment appointments. The objective is to minimize the clinic's overtime and the waiting time of patients in the clinic. To formulate the problem, we develop two two-stage stochastic programming models. We also propose a sample average approximation algorithm as the solution method. To improve the efficiency of our solution approach, we devise a specialized algorithm that quickly evaluates a given first-stage solution for a large set of scenarios, without solving the second-stage models. Several computational experiments are carried out to evaluate the performance of proposed models and algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Culture & Folk Literature / Farhang va Adabiyyāt-i ̒āmah is the property of Tarbiat Modares University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Prose Studies in Persian Literature is the property of Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Faculty of Literature & Humanities and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Changes in the expression of liver insulin-like growth factor IGF-I mRNA in two growing coldwater fish species Oncorhynchus mykiss (one from locally produced and one from imported broodstock) and in two warm-water species, Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix were analyzed. Gene expression analysis in liver tissues by using real-time PCR revealed a significant difference in expression level of IGF-I between native and non-native rainbow trout (P < 0.05). IGF-I levels were found to have the following order: non-native rainbow trout> bighead carp> silver carp> native rainbow trout. Local strains of rainbow trout, bighead carp and silver carp exhibited stable IGF-I mRNA levels, at different stages of growth. The imported broodstock of rainbow trout exhibited increased IGF-I levels during the entire period studied, with a peak in the IGF-I mRNA levels of fingerlings. The results indicate intra- and inter-specific variability of IGF-I expression in farmed fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of new technological tools has affected and changed the realm of education to a great extent which has led many language practitioners to adopt gradual innovative steps in their teaching methods. Accordingly, flipped learning has been adopted and implemented in different contexts such as ELT. The purpose of this paper is to provide information regarding the definition of flipped learning, its recent literature, its advantages and disadvantages, and to focus on how to apply this approach in English language teaching and learning contexts. The review shows that this approach meets the principles of personalized learning, constructivism, and student-centered instruction which has brought many benefits for both teachers and students and clearly shows teachers' and students' roles have been significantly changed comparing with traditional methods of teaching and learning. The significance of this study lies in the fact that it has brought numerous insights and implications for ELT practitioners. The paper concludes with the recommendations in the literature on promoting flipped classroom environments in ELT teaching and learning contexts, which will help ELT teachers and practitioners who are thinking of implementing new technological tools in their teaching practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]