A space biased-sampling approach for the vehicle routing problem with stochastic demands

International audienceThe vehicle routing problem with stochastic demands consists of designing transportation routes of minimal expected cost to satisfy a set of customers with random demands of known probability distribution. We propose a metaheuristic that uses randomized heuristics for the traveling salesman problem, a tour partitioning procedure, and a set-partitioning formulation to sample the solution space and find solutions for the problem. Computational experiments show that our approach is competitive with state-of-the-art algorithms for the problem in terms of both accuracy and efficiency

On the vehicle routing problem with stochastic demands and duration constraints: formulations and a hybrid metaheuristic

International audienceThe vehicle routing problem with stochastic demands (VRPSD) consists in designing transportation routes of minimal expected cost to satisfy a set of customers with random demands of known probability distributions. In this research we present two strategies to deal with route duration constraints in the VRPSD. To solve the resulting problem, we proposed a greedy randomized adaptive search procedure (GRASP) with a post optimization procedure. The GRASP component uses a set of randomized route-first, cluster-second heuristics to generate starting solutions and a variable neighborhood descent (VND) procedure to carry on the local search phase. The post optimizer selects the best possible routes to assemble the final solution from the set of all routes found in the local optima reached by the GRASP. We discuss extensive computational experiments analysing the cost of considering route duration constraints on the VRPSD. In addition, we report state-of-the-art solutions for a established set of benchmarks for the classical VRPSD

The electric vehicle routing problem with partial charging and nonlinear charging function

SDOElectric vehicle routing problems (eVRPs) extend classical routing problems to consider the limited driving range of electric vehicles. In general, this limitation is overcome by introducing planned detours to battery charging stations. Most existing eVRP models rely on one (or both) of the following assumptions: (i) the vehicles fully charge their batteries every time they reach a charging station, and (ii) the battery charge level is a linear function of the charging time. In practical situations, however, the amount of charge is a decision variable, and the battery charge level is a concave function of the charging time.In this paper we extend current eVRP models to consider partial charging and nonlinear charging functions. We present a computational study comparing our assumptions with those commonly made in the literature. Our results suggest that neglecting partial and nonlinear charging may lead to infeasible or overly expensive solutions

The electric vehicle routing problem with non-linear charging functions

International audienceThe use of electric vehicles (EVs) in freight and passenger transportation gives birth to a new family of vehicle routing problems (VRPs), the so-called electric VRPs (e-VRPs). As their name suggests, e-VRPs extend classical VRPs to account (mainly) for two constraining EV features: the short driving range and the long battery charging time. As a matter of fact, routes performed by EVs usually need to include time-consuming detours to charging stations. Most of the existing literature on e-VRPs relies on one of the following assumptions: i) vehicles recharge to their battery to its maximum level every time they reach a charging station or ii) the amount of battery charge is a linear function of the charging time. In practical situations, however, the amount of charge (and thus the time spent at each charging point) is a decision variable and battery charge levels are a concave function of the charging times. In this research we introduce the electric vehicle routing problem with non-linear charging functions (e-VRP-NLCF). We propose a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) formulation that, running on a commercial solver, is able to solve small instances of the problem. To tackle large-scale instances we propose a metaheuristic that uses a MILP formulation to find the optimal charging policy. We report on extensive computational experiments evaluating the performance of the proposed methods and analyzing the impact on the solutions of different charging policy assumptions

Friedreich’s Ataxia: Phenotype and Genotype in Eleven Patients

Introducción: La ataxia de Friedreich (FRDA) es una enfermedad autosómica recesiva debida a una mutación en el gen X25. Dicho gen está localizado en el cromosoma 9 y codifica para la proteína frataxina. La enfermedad es causada por la repetición del trinucleótido GAA. En individuos normales la secuencia GAA se encuentra repetida entre siete y veintidós veces, mientras que, en pacientes con ataxia de Friedreich GAA puede estar repetida cientos o miles de veces.Objetivos: Evaluar si existe correlación entre el tamaño de la expansión, la edad de inicio de FRDA y su severidad en la muestra seleccionada.Métodos:- Se estudiaron once pacientes con fenotipo típico de ataxia de Friedreich. El análisis molecular por PCR determinó la expansión del trinucleótido GAA. Se analizó la correlación entre la edad de inicio de FRDA y su progresión con el número de repeticiones GAA.Resultados y conclusiones:- El análisis molecular por PCR mostró ocho pacientes homocigotos para la expansión, y tres negativos. El promedio del tamaño de las expansiones en los alelos es 622±5 con un promedio correspondiente de la edad inicio de FRDA 13±8. Para el tamaño de la muestra no se observó una correlación estadística significativa entre la edad de inicio de la enfermedad y el número de repeticiones, pero sí una tendencia a correlacionarse de forma inversa (p<0.11). El diagnóstico molecular de FRDA, sumado a la comprensión de su fisiología y a la utilización de los criterios de inclusión de Harding, constituye un paso importante en el logro de un tratamiento óptimo de la enfermedad.Introduction:- Friedreich’s ataxia is an autosomal recessive disease due to a mutation in gene X25. This gene codes for frataxin and it is located on chromosome 9. The disease is caused by a triplet particular sequence of bases (GAA). Normally, the GAA sequence is repeated 7 to 22 times, but in people with Friedreich’s ataxia, it can be repeated hundreds or even over thousand times. Objectives:To determine if there is a correlation between clinical and molecular findings in our FRDA patients. Methods: Eleven patients with the typical Friedreich´s ataxia phenotype were studied by PCR we determined the size of the GAA expansions, and analyzed the correlation of age at onset and rate of disease progression with the number of GAA repetitions. Results and conclusions: Molecular analysis by PCR showed eight homozygous patients for the expansion and three negative. The average of the size of the expansions in the allele was of 622±5 with an average in the age of beginning of 13±8. For the sample size, there was no significant statistical correlation between the age of beginning of the disease and the number of repetitions, although there was like an inverse correlation. Besides understanding of FRDA physiology and the Harding clinical inclusion criteria, molecular diagnosis is an important step in the achievement of an optimal therapeutic treatment

Prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline mutations in patients of african descent with early-onset and familial Colombian breast cancer

Q2Q1Familias afrocolombianas afectadas por cáncer de mama y ovarioBackground: Pathogenic germline mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) genes contribute to hereditary breast/ovarian cancer (OC) in White/mestizo Colombian women. As there is virtually no genetic data on breast cancer (BC) in Colombians of African descent, we conducted a comprehensive BRCA1/2 mutational analysis of 60 Afro-Colombian families affected by breast/OC. Materials and Methods: Mutation screening of the complete BRCA1/2 genes for small-scale mutations and large genomic alterations was performed in these families using next-generation sequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification analysis. Results: Four pathogenic germline mutations, including one novel mutation, were identified, comprising 3 in BRCA1 and one in BRCA2. The prevalence of BRCA1/2 mutations, including one BRCA1 founder mutation (c.5123C>A) previously identified in this sample set, was 3.9% (2/51) in female BC-affected families and 33.3% (3/9) in those affected by both breast and OC. Haplotype analysis of 2 BRCA2_c.2701delC carriers (one Afro-Colombian and one previously identified White/mestizo Colombian patient with BC) suggested that the mutation arose in a common ancestor. Conclusion: Our data showed that 2/5 (40%) mutations (including the one previously identified in this sample set) are shared by White/mestizo Colombian and Afro-Colombian populations. This suggests that these 2 populations are closely related. Nevertheless, variations in the BRCA1/2 mutational spectrum among Afro-Colombian subgroups from different regions of the country were observed, suggesting that specific genetic risk assessment strategies need to be developed.https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1903-9621https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6444-7248https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3649-9515https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9879-9775Revista Internacional - IndexadaA1N

La genética molecular de bovinos y equinos criollos en los albores del siglo XXI

American Creole bovines and equines are direct descendant from the animals introduced by European conquerors during XV an XVI centuries. At the beginning of the last decade, new technologies based in DNA emerged for genetic analysis, and Creole breeds were not the exception for these kind of studies. During the last years, these methodologies evolved vertiginously. In a short time, the amount of available information increased, and the analysis of few loci turned into analysis of complete genomes. This work describes the evolution of Creole, cattle and equines, molecular genetic studies during the last fifteen years. Even though, Creole breeds have not entered yet into genomic and proteomic era, its study is relevant because they are suffering a progressive population reduction. In this sense, information about infectious diseases resistance, adaptability, forensic genetics, animal production and phylogeography, among others, can be obtained from them. Furthermore, Creole breeds are a unique natural reservoir of genetic variability, and strategies for its conservation should be implemented.Los bovinos y equinos criollos americanos son descendientes directos de los animales introducidos al Nuevo Mundo por los europeos durante los siglos XV y XVI. En los comienzos de la década pasada, surgieron tecnologías basadas en el estudio del ADN que permitieron profundizar el análisis genético, por su parte, las especies criollas americanas no quedaron fuera de dichos estudios. En los últimos años, estas metodologías evolucionaron en forma vertiginosa, y en poco tiempo, el aumento de información creció significativamente de modo tal que las investigaciones pasaron de unos pocos loci a la secuenciación y el análisis de los genomas completos de ambas especies. En el presente trabajo se describe como ha evolucionado el estado del arte de la genética molecular de bovinos y equinos criollos en los últimos 15 años. Si bien las razas criollas aun no han entrado en la era de la genómica y la proteómica, su estudio es valioso dado que actualmente se encuentran en progresiva reducción poblacional. Su importancia radica en que aporta información relacionada con la resistencia a enfermedades infecciosas, la adaptabilidad ante condiciones desfavorables, la genética forense, la producción animal y la filigeografía, entre otras. Además, las razas criollas son un reservorio natural e irremplazable de variabilidad genética, y el conocimiento pormenorizado de ellas es clave para la planificación de estrategias de conservación sustentables a lo largo del tiempo