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• Taxonomy of scheduling problem features for eventual classification. • General features related to scheduling problem domain have been mapped. • Support for selecting the best solution approach for scheduling problems. • Multi-label classification for selecting the most suitable scheduling model. • Classification approach consisting of binary optimization and support vector machine. Process scheduling problems have been largely studied in the literature, and a large number of methods and approaches are available and capable of solving them. However, the selection of the best method fitting to a real practical problem at hand, and the limited number of experts in optimization and operations research within industrial environments seriously limit the practical application of the theoretical methods. This work proposes a supporting framework based on a multi-label classification strategy, for selecting those mathematical scheduling models that are more suitable to solve a certain scheduling problem definition. We have decomposed the problem description into binary classification problems, in order to analyze the convenience of each scheduling model for a certain definition. As a result, a systematic approach to scheduling model selection is achieved, facilitating the bridge between theoretical developments and industrial practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste solvents generated by the process industry are frequently incinerated as a part of their treatment, thus allowing for a partial recovery of their combustion heat. While large chemical sites often have in-house waste incineration facilities, smaller enterprises have to outsource the treatment of their residuals, leading to significant shipments of hazardous substances. In this sense, there is a significant optimization potential to reduce both shipments and the consumption of auxiliary fuels, thus leading to an overall reduction of the primary energy required to produce and deliver chemical products and intermediates. However, inconsistent data systems and incomplete information represent main barriers for investigating the potential of such environmental benefits. As information about waste properties does not need to be reported, it is consequently not possible to rigorously estimate the energetic potential of the hazardous waste produced in a specific area, which would be a crucial first step in the optimization of both design and management of a supply chain network of industrial waste. This work proposes a novel approach for the estimation of hazardous waste properties, combining existing information stemming from industrial and institutional partners. Such framework creates a new waste classification system based on water and pollutant content that links inconsistent data sources with different degrees of detail, and allows for estimating average properties, including the energy content, of different types of primary produced hazardous liquid waste. The validity of the developed methodology for a broad application range is tested with a case study about Switzerland, which, because of its sparse chemical and pharmaceutical industry and an extreme variety in terms of generated waste residues, represents one of the most challenging cases. Such case study investigates the evolution of Swiss industrial waste from 2010 to 2014, determines average properties for 12 different waste classes and their total energy recovery potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduced work aims to systematic optimize detailed short-term scheduling for industrial waste incineration to support daily decision-making processes. The overall objective is to reduce the utilization of auxiliary fuel used to overcome waste related energy in the incineration process. The reduction is achieved through adequate mixing and scheduling of waste streams with different energy content and improved logistic strategies. With it, regulatory and technical constraints are fulfilled and holdups in production processes derived from bottlenecks in the waste treatment are avoided. The considered system consists of storage tanks, a piping network, tank wagons for waste transportation, unloading pumps and incineration lances. The optimization model is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) problem with a discrete time representation based on a single uniform grid. It consists of two blocks: i) waste transfer and mixing, and ii) the incineration process itself including energy calculations and constraints. The industrial case study of this work shows a saving potential of auxiliary fuel of up to 90%, leading to a reduction of CO 2 emissions of up to 13%. Hence, the systematic scheduling of industrial waste incineration leads to an important reduction of auxiliary fuel consumption, resulting in economic and environmental benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carotenoids refer to a wide class of lipophilic pigments synthesized by plants, exert photoprotective and antioxidant properties that are lost upon carotenoid degradation. Their inclusion into hydrophilic host-molecules could improve their stability. Cyclodextrins, provide a hydrophobic cavity in the core of their structure while the outer configuration is suitable with aqueous environments. Carotenoids can accommodate into the hydrophobic core of cyclodextrins and therefore, they are protected from exogenous stress. Literature reported that carotenoid structure could modulate stability of the complexes, however no conclusions can be drawn as the studies performed so far were not completely analogous. We describe the synthesis of several carotenoids/β-CDs inclusion complexes and provide experimental evidences that β-CDs inclusion renders these compounds more stability towards the oxidizing agents (2,2′-azobis, 2-methylpropionamidine dihydrochloride and hydrogen peroxide). Esterified carotenoids were also used in this work to screen the influence of this particular structural configuration of xanthophylls against oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimizing the scheduling of liquid drug product manufacturing is paramount for pharmaceutical companies in their increasingly competitive environment and requires the modelling of industry-specific constraints. Such constraints include: (i) changing sequence-dependent setup times; (ii) maintaining a sterile production environment (e.g., through sterile holding times); (iii) periods with limited or no plant activity (e.g., no workforce during weekends); and (iv) demand timing (i.e., delivery deadline and release date constraints). In this work, an immediate precedence model is formulated to optimize the scheduling of liquid drug product manufacturing, considering the industry-specific constraints. The primary objective is to minimize the production makespan. Four case studies comprising up to 38 batches from a real multi-product facility illustrate the performance of the rigorous optimization approach. The makespan could be reduced by up to 7.9% compared to expert schedules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of planning and scheduling decisions in rigorous mathematical models usually results in large scale problems. In order to tackle the problem complexity, decomposition techniques based on duality and information flows between a master and a set of subproblems are widely applied. In this sense, ontologies improve information sharing and communication in enterprises and can even represent holistic mathematical models facilitating the use of analytic tools and providing higher flexibility for model building. In this work, we exploit this ontologies’ capability to address the optimal integration of planning and scheduling using a Lagrangian decomposition approach. Scheduling/planning sub-problems are created for each facility/supply chain entity and their dual solution information is shared by means of the ontological framework. Two case studies based on a STN representation of supply chain planning and scheduling models are presented to emphasize the advantages and limitations of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Mathematical ontology for representing engineering systems. [•] Integration of mathematical models using semantic technology. [•] A case study based on supply chain and scheduling levels. [•] Improved modeling understanding, knowledge sharing and data mining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Waste management treatment problem from rigorous multi-objective perspective. [•] We optimize heat integration of Pareto optimal schedules. [•] A case study based on industrial practice is presented. [•] Improved solution quality and efficiency compared non rigorous approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: During batch process scheduling, products' batch size, processing conditions as well as operating times are usually established offline and considered out of the scope of the decision making stage. In practice, process dynamics may vary from the ones forecasted, in such a manner that the predicted optimal conditions will not be the best in practice. As a result of this mismatch, the plant usually operates under sub-optimal conditions, but if the process is flexible, its processing conditions can still be adapted to the actual plant needs in order to improve the overall performance. Given this situation, there is a strong motivation for developing models and optimization tools to fully integrate process dynamics into batch scheduling. In this work, the potential of directly including control variables with time varying values and variable batch sizes in the scheduling of batch plants is explored. The optimization of process dynamics, which is time varying, along with scheduling tasks is accomplished using rigorous mixed-integer dynamic optimization techniques. Through several examples, we show that integrating both decision-making levels can lead to significant economic savings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Enterprises comprise several functions, such as production, marketing, sales, human resources, logistics, safety and environment, which interact with each other. As a result, decision-making becomes highly challenging in the alignment of decisions to support the success of business goals. Specifically, environmental management is closely related to several levels in the enterprise structure, since they share a large amount of data and information. Hence, effective integration of environmental issues by means of tools improving information sharing and communication, may play a crucial role for the enhanced enterprise operation from an environmental perspective. In this sense, knowledge management technologies have proved to be highly promising for supporting this integration task. In this work, an ontological framework is developed as the technology for information and knowledge models sharing for the environmental assessment of the enterprise. The ontological model is applied to a case study considering a supply chain network design-planning and a process scheduling problem. The ontology provides an enterprise decision-making supporting tool by combining different information systems, which adapts and recognizes the different elements associated with the enterprise functions, and facilitates assessing the environmental performance of enterprises. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the domain of chemical process engineering, there is an increased interest in the integration of the enterprise hierarchical levels for decision-making purposes. At the scheduling level, decisions on the allocation of tasks to resources, sequencing and timing of tasks must be managed. However, such decisions are directly related to other enterprise actions, such as control and planning, but they are difficult to coordinate because they are modeled at different time and space scales, and their goals are not the same. In order to achieve integrated decisions supported by high quality information, there is a need to improve and develop robust computational tools and consistent models. In general, scheduling optimization approaches for decision-making differ depending on problem features, such as physical layout or time representation. Therefore, this work focuses on providing a framework based on a semantic model that captures the diversity in scheduling problem representation. Such semantic model uses the master recipe concept from the ANSI/ISA-88 standard perspective and encapsulates the scheduling decision task features. As a result, by the use of a single representation approach, any scheduling problem can be modeled and solved by its adequate optimization tool. The potential of a general model representation is presented by means of several case studies related to the scheduling function. Such case studies shed light to the model capabilities to represent different kinds and particular scheduling problems, achieving integration at the different decision support levels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Carotenoid pigments are a group of bioactive compounds that are of interest to the food scientists, nutritionists and food industries due to their positive impact on human health and their economic benefits. Carotenoids are responsible for the attractive colour of many plant food (mainly fruit and vegetables), which is perhaps the first attribute that consumers assess when determining the quality and appearance of a product, and therefore conditions its acceptability. In addition, carotenoids have diverse biological functions and activities, such as the well known provitamin A activity, antioxidant capacity and enhancement of the immune system. There are an extensive number of factors affecting the efficient incorporation of these phytochemicals from the diet, although in many cases no biological activity will be put in action within the consumer body (animal or human) without a first visual attraction. The term bioaccessibility is used to evaluate the amount of a nutrient that is released from a food during the digestion process. The bioaccessibility of lipophilic compounds, such as carotenoids, in natural foods (mainly fruits and vegetables) is usually fairly low and is constrained by various factors, particularly the degree of food processing and matrix composition. There are evidences that homogenisation and thermal treatment have positive effects on the bioaccessibility of these compounds, whereas the presence of dietary fibre has a negative effect. The presence and co-ingestion of fat in the diet are a key factor, with a minimum quantity needed to facilitate carotenoid absorption, and this seems to be one of the advantages of the Mediterranean diet. Most of the relevant data on the bioaccessibility of carotenoids from natural or processed foods has been obtained in postprandial absorption studies and supplementation studies. This approach, although highly valuable, is insufficient for a detailed analysis of the food matrix composition effects, and also it does not take into consideration other factors that may be involved in carotenoid absorption in each stage of the bioaccessibility process (digestibility and absorption). In vitro experimental processes that reproduce the physiological conditions and events that take place in the human gastrointestinal tract during digestion have been developed and fine-tuned in recent years. These digestion models become an excellent analytical resource to establish both the significance and scope of diverse factors in the efficiency of digestibility of carotenoids allowing a detailed analysis of the influence of the food matrix composition on the digestive process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The complexity of decision-making in process industries and the need of highly competitive organizations require new supporting tools to coordinate and optimize the information flow among decision levels. This work presents a framework for integrating the scheduling and control decision levels by means of an ontology, which allows and coordinates the information exchange among the different modeling paradigms/conventions currently used for the enterprise-wide optimization (EWO). The scheduling of two multiproduct batch plants with increasing complexity is presented for illustrating the proposed working procedure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The term “bioaccessibility” is a key concept to ascertain nutritional efficiency of food and food formula developed with the aim of improving human health. In this review, working definitions of bioavailability, bioaccessibility, and bioactivity are examined, taking into account the complete sequence of events that take place during the digestive transformation of food into material that can be assimilated by the body, the absorption/assimilation into the cells of the intestinal epithelium, the presystemic metabolism, and, lastly, the development of biologic actions. Comparison among in vivo and in vitro techniques to assess bioaccessibility is accomplished, considering the strengths and limitations of each experimental approach, with a complete description of in vitro procedures applied to determine bioaccessibility of carotenoids. Although a great development has been achieved on the in vitro approaches, these are especially intended for initial screening and should be complemented with in vivo studies, which will remain as the criterion standard for bioaccessibility of nutrients and bioactive compounds at specific target populations. Application of bioaccessibility assessment in foods claiming a health benefit because of their nutrients or bioactive compounds content is described. Measurement of bioaccessibility provides valuable information to select the appropriate dosage and source of food matrices to ensure nutritional efficacy of food products. In addition, in vitro bioactivity measurements to support health benefits of bioactive compounds should be accomplished with estimation of their bioaccessibility, to adequately give nutritional significance to health claims. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Here we describe the profiles of volatile compounds from the thermal degradation of carotenoids present in oleoresins of marigold, tomato and paprika. The profiles obtained by SPME-GC were complex, with identical compounds, such as toluene and m-xylene, being detected in all three oleoresins. Intramolecular cyclisation is proposed as the main reaction mechanism in the formation of the volatile compounds detected; this process is activated by the thermal impact generated during the processing and is followed by a reaction of elimination in the chain or a heterolytic fragmentation reaction. The presence of other compounds, such as various methyl benzaldehydes or isophorone (1,1,3-trimethyl-3-cyclohexene-5-one), also indicates the concurrence of carotenoid oxidation reactions that affect either the central polyenoic chain or the end-groups (β or ε rings). Ethanone,1-(methylphenyl), (4prime-methylacetophenone) not previously reported as a compound resulting from the thermal degradation of carotenoids, was also characterised and the same mechanism is proposed for its formation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Efficiency of the micellar incorporation of carotenoids was determined through the application of an in vitro digestion procedure, and in function of the composition of the lipophilic environment, where digestion was carried out. Analysed factors affecting micellization level were presence of oil in the digestion mixture, class of pigment, and cholesterol. The addition of oil to the digestion mixture caused changes of different extent in function of the class of pigment, and significant interactions between the factors presence of oil and class of pigment were detected. Accessibility of lycopene was affected negatively by an increase of the amount of vegetable oil, while lutein ester increased its presence in micelles. Although cholesterol was not a significant factor affecting the micellization efficiency, when cholesterol and oil were added to the digestion process, the amount of micellarized pigment was significantly affected, positively or negatively depending on lipophilic characteristics of the pigment. Therefore, an interaction between the factors cholesterol and presence of oil with different effects on the micellization of pigments was analysed. The physical–chemical differences of carotenoids, that are consequence of their structural features, generated diverse requirements of the lipophilic environment to facilitate their emulsion and subsequent incorporation into micelles. Industrial relevance: Carotenoid pigments are widely used by the food industry as colorants, although nutritional and functional properties make them to be applied for other purposes, as in the enhancement of functional foods. The physico-chemical characteristics of carotenoids make them to be low bioavailable, so that a correct formulation of the food matrix is required in order to achieve an appropriate bioavailability. The development of in vitro digestion methods, which allow the measurement of the potential bioavailability of carotenoids, could be considered as a useful tool to screen those factors and components that modify the bioavailability of these compounds in a given matrix composition so selection of the formulation conditions that gives the higher availability may be performed. The aim of this work was the development and application of an in vitro method to measure the potential bioavailability of carotenoids considering several factors that modulate it. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background & Aims: Alcoholic hepatitis (AH) is a severe condition with high mortality. To improve therapeutic strategies, it is important to identify factors that affect survival times. The age, bilirubin, international normalized ratio, and creatinine scoring system (also known as the ABIC scoring system) was developed previously to determine the prognosis of patients with AH. We studied effects of acute kidney injury (AKI) on survival of patients with AH. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 103 patients with biopsy-proven AH. AKI was defined as an abrupt reduction (within 48 h) in kidney function that resulted in an absolute increase of at least 0.3 mg/dL (or a 50% increase) in serum levels of creatinine from baseline (the AKI network [AKIN] criteria). Results: Twenty-nine patients (28%) developed AKI during hospitalization, with a median time to diagnosis of 3 days. Overall 90-day mortality was 23%, which was significantly higher among patients with AKI than those without (65% vs 7%; P < .0001). The age, bilirubin, international normalized ratio, and creatinine score (P < .0001) and development of AKI (P < .0001) were the most accurate independent predictors of 90-day mortality. The presence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (P < .0001), serum bilirubin (P = .01), and international normalized ratio at admission (P = .03) were the most accurate predictors of AKI. Importantly, the AKIN criteria were more accurate than traditional criteria for renal failure (serum creatinine >1.5 mg/dL) in predicting 90-day mortality (area under the receiver operating characteristic, 0.83 vs 0.70, respectively; P = .02). Conclusions: Development of AKI reduces survival of patients with AH, in the short term. The AKIN criteria are useful and more accurate than traditional criteria in predicting mortality. Strategies to prevent AKI therefore should be considered in the management of patients with AH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Numerous studies have analyzed the effects of raltegravir intensification on HIV-1 viral replication in infected individuals receiving suppressive combined antiretroviral treatment (cART). Nevertheless, there are only two studies on the effect of raltegravir in HTLV-1 infection, and none in HTLV-2. Objective: To study the effect of raltegravir on HTLV-2 infection in HIV-1-co-infected individuals. Study design: This retrospective longitudinal study included four HTLV-2-HIV-1-co-infected individuals who received raltegravir-based cART during 48 weeks and 11 HTLV-2-HIV-1-co-infected individuals under cART without raltegravir during 48 weeks. HTLV-2 proviral load, CD4 and CD8 count and frequency were analyzed. Results: HTLV-2 proviral load significantly increased at week 24 compared to baseline among all the patients who received raltegravir (p =0.003), while no significant increases were found in the control group. No significant variation in either CD8 or CD4 counts was found during the follow up in both groups. Conclusions: Raltegravir induced a transient increment on total HTLV-2 DNA proviral load in HTLV-2/HIV-1-coinfected individuals on suppressive cART after 24 weeks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, hospital-based liaison geriatric units (LGUs) were created in Spanish hospitals with the aim to improve health care coordination between nursing homes (NHs) and hospitals. Our university hospital created a comprehensive, proactive LGU serving 31 public and private NHs of different sizes and characteristics to offer support to more than 2500 residents. In the first 3 months of 2021, this LGU performed 1252 assessments (81% as outpatients, 12% at the emergency department, and 7% during hospitalization), avoiding an estimated 49 hospital transfers and 29 hospitalizations. Other activities included giving NHs support and advice during COVID-19 outbreaks, comanagement of selected residents with other hospital-based specialists (implementing telemedicine), and implementation of a protocol that allowed using drugs only approved for hospital use in selected NHs. This model of LGU has been shown to be feasible, to improve residents' health care, and avoid hospital referrals. Long-term care needs to be re-imagined, and hospital geriatric departments need to prove that they are able to offer expertise to support NH health care professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulation of intracellular ion homeostasis is essential for eukaryotic cell physiology. An example is provided by loss of ATP2C1 function, which leads to skin ulceration, improper keratinocyte adhesion, and cancer formation in Hailey-Hailey patients. The yeast ATP2C1 orthologue PMR1 codes for a Mn2+/Ca2+ transporter that is crucial for cis-Golgi manganese supply. Here, we present evidence that calcium overcomes the lack of Pmr1 through vesicle trafficking-stimulated manganese delivery and requires the endoplasmic reticulum Mn2+ transporter Spf1 and the late endosome/trans-Golgi Nramp metal transporter Smf2. Smf2 co-localizes with the putative Mn2+ transporter Atx2, and ATX2 overexpression counteracts the beneficial impact of calcium treatment. Our findings suggest that vesicle trafficking promotes organelle-specific ion interchange and cytoplasmic metal detoxification independent of calcineurin signaling or metal transporter re-localization. Our study identifies an alternative mode for cis-Golgi manganese supply in yeast and provides new perspectives for Hailey-Hailey disease treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]