Provably Near-Optimal LP-Based Policies for Revenue Management in Systems with Reusable Resources

Motivated by emerging applications in workforce management, we consider a class of revenue management problems in systems with reusable resources. The corresponding applications are modeled using the well-known loss network systems. We use an extremely simple linear program (LP) that provides an upper bound on the best achievable expected long-run revenue rate. The optimal solution of the LP is used to devise a conceptually simple control policy that we call the class selection policy (CSP). Moreover, the LP is used to analyze the performance of the CSP policy. We obtain the _rst control policy with uniform performance guarantees. In particular, for the model with single resource and uniform resource requirements, the CSP policy is guaranteed to have expected long-run revenue rate that is at least half of the best achievable. More generally, as the ratio between the capacity of the system and the maximum resource requirement grows to in_nity, the CSP policy is asymptotically optimal, regardless of any other parameter of the problem. The asymptotic performance analysis that we obtain is more general than existing results in several important dimensions. It is based on several novel ideas that we believe will be useful in other settings

Structure and zonation of algal communities in the bay of São Vicente (São Miguel, Azores)

An appraisal of the benthic marine algal communities of the bay of São Vicente (São Miguel island. Azores) was undertaken in July 1996 and July 1997 as part of the project "Biodiversity of the archipelago of the Azores". A permanent transect was laid down across the subtidal zone. Quadrates were sampled at pre-determined intervals along the transect from the low water level, down to 30m depth. Qualitative collections were made along the transect. The relative importance of each species was determined using a semi-quantitative scale. The transect revealed the occurrence of relatively large and frondose algae establishing the transition between the intertidal and the subtidal zones. Pterocladiella capillacea was the dominant species in this transition zone and extended its presence down to 12m depth. A depth-related change in the algal flora was present in both years. Pteroclardiella, Ulva spp., Stypocaulon scoparia, Hypnea musciformis and Asparagopsis armata dominated the shallow levels; Zonaria tournefortii, together with Sphaeroroccus coronopifolius and Dictyota dichotoma dominated the deep ones

Panorama da produção de obras em terra crua com design contemporâneo nos últimos 60 anos no Brasil

As construções tradicionais do período colonial brasileiro foram produzidas em sistemasconstrutivos que utilizavam terra crua e madeira, por vezes, pedra em suas fundações, isto porinfluência da colonização portuguesa e pela abudância do material. No ínicio do século XIX,inicia-se no Brasil declínio desses sistemas construtivos. Porém, se observa um tímido retornoem meados da década de 1960, com o projeto de um conjunto habitacional denominadoCajueiro Seco, do arquiteto Acácio Borsoi, onde se retomou a utilização da técnicaconstrutiva em taipa de mão de forma racionalizada. Neste período, nota-se a produção de obrasde classe média, muitas vezes acompanhada por arquitetos, engenheiros ou mestres de obrasexperientes, construidas em terra crua, visando à sustentabilidade. Ao observamos estepanorama, resolveu-se desenvolver esta pesquisa, cujo objetivo é investigar a produção deconstruções em terra crua com design conteporâneo nos últimos 60 anos no Brasil. Logo, ométodo utilizado foi a realização um levantamento bibliográfico (portal da CAPES) e,posteriormente, a consulta de sites de construtoras e escritórios brasileiros especializados emprodução construções em terra crua. Dentre os dados coletados, tem-se: os tipos de materiaisutilizados, sistemas construtivos, a localização das obras (cidade e estado), a tiplogia das obras eo ano de construção. A presente pesquisa visa a contribuir para o panora conteporâneo daconstrução em terra crua no Brasil como tecnologia sustentável

ANÁLISE DE DESEMPENHO TÉRMICO DE HABITAÇÕES SOCIAIS EM ADOBE E TIJOLO CERÂMICO NO CEARÁ, BRASIL

This research aims to carry out a comparative analysis of the thermal performance between two types of construction systems: masonry in ceramic brick and adobe in three bioclimatic zones in the state of Ceará, Brazil: 05, 07 and 08. The methodology consisted of modeling a dwelling of rural social interest in the Energy Plus and Open Studio platform with two types of masonry: adobe and ceramic brick, in order to evaluate their thermal performance based on comfort parameters of Brazilian and international standards. At the end of the research, it was found that the housing unit with adobe masonry or ceramic brick presented similar behaviors in the 3 bioclimatic zones of Ceará, as they present similar thermal properties. In no zone did the models achieve good comfort conditions by using inadequate coverage for the analyzed climates.Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo realizar uma análise comparativa do desempenho térmico entre dois tipos de sistemas construtivos: alvenaria em tijolo cerâmico e adobe em três zonas bioclimáticas do estado do Ceará, Brasil: 05, 07 e 08. A metodologia consistiu em modelar uma habitação de interesse social rural na plataforma Energy Plus e Open Studio com duas tipologias de alvenaria: adobe e tijolo cerâmico, de modo a avaliar o seu desempenho térmico a partir de parâmetros de conforto de normas brasileiras e internacionais. Ao fim da pesquisa, constatou-se que a unidade habitacional com a alvenaria de adobe ou tijolo cerâmico apresentaram comportamentos similares nas 3 zonas bioclimáticas do Ceará, por apresentarem propriedades térmicas similares. Em nenhuma zona os modelos conseguiram boas condições de conforto pelo uso de coberturas inadequadas aos climas analisados.

Presence of sst5TMD4, a truncated splice variant of the somatostatin receptor subtype 5, is associated to features of increased aggressiveness in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Purpose: Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) are rare and heterogeneous tumors, and their biological behavior is not well known. We studied the presence and potential functional roles of somatostatin receptors (sst1-5), focusing particularly on the truncated variants (sst5TMD4, sst5TMD5) and on their relationships with the angiogenic system (Ang/Tie-2 and VEGF) in human GEP-NETs. Experimental Design: We evaluated 42 tumor tissue samples (26 primary/16 metastatic) from 26 patients with GEP-NETs, and 30 non-tumoral tissues (26 from adjacent non-tumor regions and 4 from normal controls) from a single center. Expression of sst1-5, sst5TMD4, sst5TMD5, Ang1-2, Tie-2 and VEGF was analyzed using real-time qPCR, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. Expression levels were associated with tumor characteristics and clinical outcomes. Functional role of sst5TMD4 was analyzed in GEP-NET cell lines. Results: sst1 exhibited the highest expression in GEP-NET, whilst sst2 was the most frequently observed sst-subtype (90.2%). Expression levels of sst1, sst2, sst3, sst5TMD4, and sst5TMD5 were significantly higher in tumor tissues compared to their adjacent non-tumoral tissue. Lymph-node metastases expressed higher levels of sst5TMD4 than in its corresponding primary tumor tissue. sst5TMD4 was also significantly higher in intestinal tumor tissues from patients with residual disease of intestinal origin compared to those with non-residual disease. Functional assays demonstrated that the presence of sst5TMD4 was associated to enhanced malignant features in GEP-NET cells. Angiogenic markers correlated positively with sst5TMD4, which was confirmed by immunohistochemical/fluorescence studies. Conclusions: sst5TMD4 is overexpressed in GEP-NETs and is associated to enhanced aggressiveness, suggesting its potential value as biomarker and target in GEP-NETs.This work has received the following grants: Proyectos de Investigación en Salud (FIS) PI13-01414, and PIE-0041 (funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III) and S2011/BMD-2328 TIRONET (funded by Comunidad de Madrid) (to MM). BIO-0139, CTS-5051, CTS-1406, PI-0369-2012, BFU2010-19300, BFU2013-43282-R, PI13/00651, CIBERobn and Ayuda Merck Serono 2013 (to RML and JPC). Fellowship CTS-5051 (to AIC). “Sara Borrell” program CD11/00276 (to MDG

Utility of circulating serum miRNA profiles to evaluate the potential risk and severity of immune-mediated inflammatory disorders

Immune-mediated inflammatory disorders (IMID) are a group of diseases that present inflammation as a major pathogenic mechanism. They affect 15% of the population and pose a heavy socio-economic burden. Despite the growing knowledge on the etiopathogenesis of these diseases and the marked improvement in their management, there is a lack of predictive markers of IMID development or severity suitable for early diagnosis and adjustment of treatment intensity. The possibility that certain circulating miRNA profiles could be used as biomarkers of risk of development and/or severity of several autoimmune diseases has fuelled the interest in using them to improve the selection of successful treatments. The multi-pronged approach proposed here sought to reveal circulating miRNAs and miRNA signatures that could act as new predictive biomarkers of IMID development and severity. Our results showed that the circulating levels of miR-19b and miR-26b were significantly decreased (p < 0.001) in IMID patients compared to controls. Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that these miRNAs were suitable discriminators capable to identify an IMID, with areas under the curve (AUC) of 0.85 and 0.83, respectively. In addition, we established that miR-19a and miR-143 were significantly increased in IMID patients with severe disease (p < 0.05). In summary, our findings identify two different miRNA signatures. One of them is associated with the presence of IMIDs and could lead to the development of tools for their early detection. The second signature is able to discriminate between mild and severe forms of these disorders and could be a putative tool to select patient candidates for a more intense treatment.This work was supported by the following grants: Proyectos de Investigación en Salud (FIS) PIE13-0041, PI16-02091 and PI19-00584 (funded by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)), TIRONET2-CM, B2017/BMD-3724 (funded by Comunidad de Madrid), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER GCV14/ER/12) to MM; also by grants RD16/0011/0012 and PI18/0371 from MINECO, ISCIII to IGA; PI17/01972 (MINECO, ISCIIII) to E. D; and Plan Nacional de Salud SAF2017-82886-R, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Fundación BBVA a equipos de Investigación Científica 2018 and from “la Caixa Banking Foundation” under the project code HR17-00016 to F·S.M and cofinanced by FEDER fund

Miniestaquia em sistema de hidroponia e em tubetes de corticeira-do-mato.

This work aimed to evaluate the minicutting technique as a method for vegetative propagation of corticeira-do-mato (Erythrina falcate Benth.) in terms of the production, survival of the ministumps after successive collections of minicuttings, as well as rooting and growth (height and root collar diameter) of the formed seedlings, being compared two handled systems (in hydroponics systems and in plastic tubetes). The ministumps were obtained from seedlings of Erythrina falcata, where successive collections of minicuttings were promoted. Results demonstrated to the efficiency of the technique for the vegetative propagation of this species, reaching average generality of 85,5% of rooting. In general terms, the minicuttings technique, from seminal material, is an alternative for production of seedlings of this species during the whole year and in the conditions that the seeds are limiting input or with germination problems. In the same conditions that the studies were led obtained seedlings can be gotten for the definitive planting between four to five months of age.Este trabalho objetivou avaliar a técnica de miniestaquia como método de propagação vegetativa de corticeira-do-mato (Erythrina falcata Benth.) quanto à produção e sobrevivência das minicepas nas sucessivas coletas, quanto ao percentual de enraizamento e do crescimento em altura e ainda o diâmetro do coleto das mudas originadas, comparando dois sistemas de manejo na formação do minijardim clonal (sistema hidropônico e em tubetes). As minicepas foram obtidas partindo de mudas produzidas via sementes de corticeira-do-mato, das quais se promoveram podas e coletas sucessivas de miniestacas. Os resultados demonstraram a eficiência da técnica para a propagação vegetativa dessa espécie, atingindo média geral de 85,5% de enraizamento. Em termos gerais, a miniestaquia de corticeira-do-mato, partindo de material de origem seminal, é uma popção para produção de mudas dessa espécie, nas condições em que a semente é um insumo limitante ou com problemas de germinação. Nas condições em que foram conduzidos os estudos podem ser obtidas mudas aptas para o plantio definitivo entre quatro a cinco meses de idade

Effect of excess weight and immune-related adverse events on the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy with anti-PD-1 antibodies

Immunotherapy is an effective treatment in advanced cancer, although predictors of response are limited. We studied whether excess weight influences the efficacy outcomes of immunotherapy. We have also evaluated the combined prognostic effect of excess weight and immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Efficacy of anti-PD-1 treatment was evaluated with both objective radiological response (ORR) rate and progression-free survival (PFS), and toxicity with irAEs. We studied the association between excess weight and ORR, PFS or irAEs. 132 patients diagnosed with advanced cancer were included. Median body mass index (BMI) was 24.9 kg/m2. 64 patients had normal weight (BMI<25 kg/m2), and 64 patients had excess weight (BMI≥25 kg/m2). Four patients had underweight and were excluded from further analysis. ORR was achieved in 50 patients (38.0%), median PFS was 6 months. 44 patients developed irAEs (33.3%). ORR was higher in excess weight patients than in patients with normal weight (51.6% vs 25.0%; OR 3.45, p = .0009). PFS was improved in patients with excess weight (7.25 months vs 4 months, HR 1.72, p = .01). The incidence of IrAEs was not different in patients with excess weight (54.5% vs 43.2%, p = .21). When high BMI and irAEs were combined, we observed a marked prognostic trend in ORR rate (87.5% vs 6.2%; OR 161.0, p < .00001), and in PFS (14 months vs 3 months; HR 5.89, p < .0001). Excess weight patients with advanced cancer that receive single-agent anti-PD-1 antibody therapy exhibit a significantly improved clinical outcome compared with normal BMI patients. This association was especially marked when BMI and irAEs were considered combined.This study was funded in part by the project Discovery, Validation and Implementation of Biomarkers for Precision Oncology [PIE15/00068], and the project FIS PI17/01865 from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, awarded to RC, and the projects [JR 17/00007 and PI17/008], awarded to NRL

Produtividade e sobrevivência de minicepas de Eucalyptus benthamii Maiden et Cambage em sistema de hidroponia e em tubete.

This work aimed to evaluate the productivity and survival of Eucalyptus benthamii ministumps from seminal origin, handled in hydroponics systems and in plastic tubes. The survival differences was not verified among the handling systems studied, while for the productivity of the ministumps the hydroponic systems presented best results, with average of 8,1 minicuttings per ministumps per collection in comparison with 4,1 for the plastic tubes system. These results allowed to conclude that the handling of the ministumps in tubes and in hydroponic systems is technically viable, being the latter a more promising alternative for production of vegetative propagules of the species.Este trabalho objetivou avaliar a produtividade e sobrevivência de minicepas de Eucalyptus benthamii, de origem seminal, manejados em cultivo hidropônico e em tubetes. Com relação à sobrevivência não foi constatada diferença entre os sistemas de manejo estudados, enquanto que para a produtividade das minicepas, o cultivo hidropônico apresentou resultados superiores, com média de 8,1 miniestacas por minicepa por coleta em comparação a 4,1 do sistema de tubetes. Com base nesses resultados, conclui-se que o manejo das minicepas em tubete e em cultivo hidropônico é viável tecnicamente, sendo esse último uma alternativa mais promissora para produção de propágulos vegetativos da espécie