In this paper, we study the two-machine job shop scheduling problem with two competing agents. The goal is to minimize a given objective function for one agent, subject to a given upper bound of another objective function associated with the second agent. We prove the NP-hardness of this problem with respect to various criteria and settings. With respect to the makespan for both agents, we first exhibited polynomial time algorithms for several special cases. We then developed mathematical models, a branch and bound algorithm, and a genetic algorithm, followed by an intensive experimental simulation to study their performance.
PURPOSE:Physiotherapists are frontline providers in supporting the return-to-work process of individuals with musculoskeletal disorders. However, many report feeling unprepared for work rehabilitation following entry-level training. This study explored recent physiotherapy graduates in Quebec, Canada, perceived preparedness to practice in work rehabilitation and its influencing factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS:A convergent mixed methods design grounded in a competency-based framework was used. Recent graduates from physiotherapy programs completed a cross-sectional survey rating their perceived preparedness across seven work rehabilitation competencies. Semi-structured individual interviews explored how their training prepared them for work rehabilitation practice. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, and interviews were thematically analyzed. Findings were integrated through a joint display to contextualize preparedness ratings with qualitative insights. RESULTS:Twenty-five recent graduates from five physiotherapy programs across the province of Quebec completed both the survey and the interview. Perceived preparedness was highest for competencies on person-centered care and collaborative treatment planning, and lowest for psychosocial factors management, collaboration with involved actors, compensation system navigation, and return-to-work support. Three overarching themes influenced perceived preparedness: (1) role perceptions in work rehabilitation, (2) enablers such as supportive curriculum elements, and (3) challenges including stigma toward injured workers and limited work rehabilitation-specific training. A fourth theme described strategies to improve work rehabilitation training. CONCLUSIONS:Recent physiotherapy graduates reported varying levels of perceived preparedness for work rehabilitation, with the lowest ratings associated with managing psychosocial factors, collaborating with involved actors, navigating compensation systems, and supporting return to work. These gaps were linked to limited work rehabilitation training, perceived role ambiguity, and exposure to stigma. Future research should develop strategies to improve work rehabilitation training in physiotherapy programs.
Given its ecological and socioeconomic importance, the Atlantic tomcod (Microgadus tomcod (Walbaum, 1792)) population of the St. Lawrence estuarine transition zone is the focus of conservation efforts and requires a better understanding of its population dynamics. Here, we use otolith microchemistry to define the structure of the St. Lawrence tomcod estuarine population and identify the key contributing spawning grounds. We rely on two sampling surveys, otolith microchemistry data, and machine-learning approaches to identify two main sources contributing to the tomcod stock recruitment. The main source contributed approximately two-thirds of the recruitment, whereas the second source accounted for the residual third. Both sources exhibited distinct temporal and spatial habitat use in the St. Lawrence estuarine transition zone, highlighting questions regarding the presence of multiple stocks within the population. Our findings emphasize the importance of identifying the main contributing natal sites to fish stock recruitment when implementing effective management plans in the context of increased environmental change and human activities affecting aquatic ecosystems.
Muscle-tendon vibration (MTV) has long been employed in both experimental and clinical settings, and its interest as a neurorehabilitation tool continues to grow. Yet, two primary physiological responses elicited by MTV, the tonic vibration reflex (TVR) and the kinaesthetic illusion (KI), remain inconsistently described across studies. This raises a fundamental limitation: how can vibration-induced adaptations be interpreted when the underlying reflexive or perceptual contributions are unclear? In this topical review, we examine the key mechanisms driving these responses and clarify the conditions that shape their expression. We outline how sensory, attentional and motor contexts can transform the same vibratory-induced afferent into strikingly different physiological and behavioural effects. We also address how the variability in these responses - including the antagonist vibratory responses - may contribute to heterogeneous findings and blur the distinction between responders and non-responders to MTV. We conclude that reflexive or perceptual expression should ideally be systematically monitored, or at minimum that experimental conditions be explicitly reported, as their emergence reflects a configuration in which proprioceptive drive and sensorimotor integration are strongly engaged. By reframing TVR, KI and antagonist vibratory responses as informative physiological markers rather than confounds, this review provides a conceptual and methodological framework to improve the design, interpretation and reproducibility of future studies. This perspective may also support the refinement of MTV as a cost-effective and non-invasive neuromodulatory approach for health and performance applications.
This study examines the effects of Sc and Zr microalloying on the strength, electrical conductivity (EC), and thermal stability of Al-Mg-Si-Cu alloys developed for high-temperature conductor applications. Two alloy compositions were investigated: Alloy A (Al-Mg-Si-Cu base alloy free of Sc or Zr) and Alloy B (with 0.07 wt% Sc and 0.086 wt% Zr). Both alloys were subjected to a tailored thermomechanical treatment involving pre-aging at 120 degrees C, post-aging at 140 degrees C and 160 degrees C, and over-aging at 300 degrees C for 5 h. Alloy B was further processed using solution treatments at 500 degrees C (BS500) and 530 degrees C (BS530). The BS530 condition, post-aged at 160 degrees C, achieved the highest tensile strength of 518 MPa but exhibited relatively low electrical conductivity (45.0 %IACS). The BS500, over-aged at 300 degrees C, exhibited the best overall thermal stability due to forming finer and thermally stable Al3(Sc,Zr) dispersoids, and reached the highest EC (54.1 %IACS) with reasonably high strength (290 MPa). This strength value greatly surpasses the IEC 62004 AT2 requirement of 225 MPa, although conductivity fell slightly below the target of 55 % IACS. In contrast, the base alloy (A) achieved a maximum EC of 55.1 %IACS but significantly lower strength and thermal-resistant performance. Overall, the Sc and Zr microalloying, combined with tailored thermomechanical processing, enabled balanced combinations of strength, EC, and long-term thermal resistance-supporting the design and processing of next-generation aluminum conductors for elevated-temperature applications.
