ABSTRACT Irregular strip packing problems are present in a wide variety of industrial sectors, such as the garment, footwear, furniture and metal industry. The goal is to find a layout in which an object will be cut into small pieces with minimum raw-material waste. Once a layout is obtained, it is necessary to determine the path that the cutting tool has to follow to cut the pieces from the layout. In the latter, the goal is to minimize the cutting distance (or time). Although industries frequently use this solution sequence, the trade-off between the packing and the cutting path problems can significantly impact the production cost and productivity. A layout with minimum raw-material waste, obtained through the packing problem resolution, can imply a longer cutting path compared to another layout with more material waste but a shorter cutting path, obtained through an integrated strategy. Layouts with shorter cutting path are worthy of consideration because they may improve the cutting process productivity. In this paper, both problems are solved together using a biobjective matheuristic based on the Biased Random-Key Genetic Algorithm. Our approach uses this algorithm to select a subset of the no-fit polygons edges to feed the mathematical model, which will compute the layout waste and cutting path length. Solving both strip packing and cutting path problems simultaneously allows the decision-maker to analyze the compromise between the material waste and the cutting path distance. As expected, the computational results showed the trade-off’s relevance between these problems and presented a set of solutions for each instance solved.

RESUMO Coffea canephora (café Conilon) tem grande importância econômica para o estado do Acre, porém o uso de inseticidas nessa cultura tem aumentado consideravelmente nos últimos anos. A fim de prospectar espécies de Chrysopidae (Neuroptera) com potencial para uso em programas de controle biológico de pragas dessa cultura, nós amostramos crisopídeos em um plantio experimental de café Conilon no Acre durante um ano, para avaliar a diversidade, abundância e ocorrência sazonal de espécies deste grupo de insetos. As amostragens foram semanais por meio do uso de rede entomológica. Foram coletados 1079 espécimes de sete espécies de crisopídeos: Ceraeochrysa cincta, Ceraeochrysa claveri, Ceraeochrysa cubana, Ceraeochrysa everes, Chrysoperla externa, Leucochrysa (Nodita) cruentata and Leucochrysa (Nodita) marquezi. Ceraeochrysa cubana foi a espécie mais dominante e constante, constituindo 97% dos exemplares coletados e ocorrendo em 82% das amostras. Esses resultados, somados ao fato de que C. cubana é predadora de diversas pragas agrícolas e possui resistência a vários inseticidas, indicam que essa espécie é candidata potencial para o uso em futuros programas de controle biológico de pragas de café Conilon no sudoeste da Amazônia brasileira.

ABSTRACT Coffea canephora (Conilon coffee) has great economic importance for the state of Acre, in northern Brazil. The use of insecticides in this crop has increased considerably in recent years. In order to find species of green lacewing (Chrysopidae, Neuroptera) with potential for use in biological pest control in coffee plantations, we sampled green lacewings during one year in an experimental plantation of Conilon coffee in Acre, in order to assess the diversity, abundance and seasonal occurrence of Chrysopidae species. Samplings were carried out weekly using an entomological net. Overall, 1079 specimens of seven green lacewing species were collected: Ceraeochrysa cincta, Ceraeochrysa claveri, Ceraeochrysa cubana, Ceraeochrysa everes, Chrysoperla externa, Leucochrysa (Nodita) cruentata and Leucochrysa (Nodita) marquezi. Ceraeochrysa cubana was the dominant and constant species, comprising 97% of the sampled specimens and occurring in 82% of the weekly samples. The abundance and constant presence of C. cubana, which preys upon several agricultural pests and has shown resistance to various insecticides, make this species a potential candidate for future programs of biological control in Conilon coffee plantations in the southwestern Brazilian Amazon region.

ABSTRACT Solving nesting problems or irregular strip packing problems is to position polygons on a fixed width and unlimited length strip, obeying polygon integrity containment constraints and nonoverlapping constraints, in order to minimize the used length of the strip. To ensure non-overlapping, we use separation lines, i.e., straight lines that separate polygons. We present a nonlinear programming model that considers free rotations of the polygons and of the separation lines. This model uses a considerable smaller number of variables than the few other approaches proposed in the literature. We use the nonlinear programming solver IPOPT (an algorithm of interior points type), which is part of COIN-OR. Computational tests were run using established benchmark instances and the results were compared with the ones obtained with other methodologies in the literature that use free rotations.

RESUMO CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO: Em idosos, diversas ferramentas antropométricas podem apresentar complicações durante a mensuração. Embora a circunferência do pescoço pareça evitar tais problemas, os pontos de corte e fatores de risco cardiovascular associados a essa ferramenta em idosos permanecem desconhecidos. Este estudo foi desenvolvido para identificar os valores de ponto de corte e fatores de risco cardiovascular associados à circunferência do pescoço em idosos. DESENHO E LOCAL: Estudo transversal, realizado em dois centros comunitários para idosos. MÉTODOS: 435 idosos (371 mulheres e 64 homens) foram recrutados. Os voluntários foram submetidos a avaliação morfológica (índice de massa corporal e cintura, quadril, e circunferência do pescoço) e hemodinâmica (valores da pressão arterial e frequência cardíaca). A análise pela curva receiver operating characteristic foi usada para determinar o valor preditivo dos valores de ponto de corte da circunferência do pescoço para identificação de sobrepeso/obesidade. Análise multivariada foi usada para identificar os fatores de risco cardiovascular associados com circunferência do pescoço larga. RESULTADOS: Os valores de corte para circunferência do pescoço (homens = 40,5 cm e mulheres = 35,7 cm) para detectar adultos idosos obesos, de acordo com o índice de massa corporal, foram identificados. Depois da segunda análise, circunferência do pescoço larga foi associada com elevado índice de massa corporal em homens e mulheres e elevados valores de pressão arterial, prevalência de diabetes mellitus tipo II e hipertensão em mulheres. CONCLUSÃO: Os dados indicam que a circunferência do pescoço pode ser utilizada como ferramenta de rastreio para identificar sobrepeso/obesidade em idosos. Ademais, altos valores de circunferência do pescoço podem estar associados com fatores de risco cardiovascular.

ABSTRACT CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: In elderly people, measurement of several anthropometric parameters may present complications. Although neck circumference measurements seem to avoid these issues, the cutoffs and cardiovascular risk factors associated with this parameter among elderly people remain unknown. This study was developed to identify the cutoff values and cardiovascular risk factors associated with neck circumference measurements among elderly people. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study conducted in two community centers for elderly people. METHODS: 435 elderly adults (371 women and 64 men) were recruited. These volunteers underwent morphological evaluations (body mass index and waist, hip, and neck circumferences) and hemodynamic evaluations (blood pressure values and heart rate). Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were used to determine the predictive validity of cutoff values for neck circumference, for identifying overweight/obesity. Multivariate analysis was used to identify cardiovascular risk factors associated with large neck circumference. RESULTS: Cutoff values for neck circumference (men = 40.5 cm and women = 35.7 cm), for detection of obese older adults according to body mass index, were identified. After a second analysis, large neck circumference was shown to be associated with elevated body mass index in men; and elevated body mass index, blood pressure values, prevalence of type 2 diabetes and hypertension in women. CONCLUSION: The data indicate that neck circumference can be used as a screening tool to identify overweight/obesity in older people. Moreover, large neck circumference values may be associated with cardiovascular risk factors.

ABSTRACT Two-dimensional rectangular strip packing problems belong to the broader class of Cutting and Packing (C&P) problems, in which small items are required to be cut from or packed on a larger object, so that the waste (unused regions of the large object) is minimized. C&P problems differ from other combinatorial optimization problems by the intrinsic geometric constraints: items may not overlap and have to be fully contained in the large object. This survey approaches the specific C&P problem in which all items are rectangles, therefore fully characterized by a width and a height, and the large object is a strip, i.e. a rectangle with a fixed width but an infinite height, being the problem's goal to place all rectangles on the strip so that the height is minimized. These problems have been intensively and extensively tackled in the literature and this paper will focus on heuristic resolution methods. Both the seminal and the most recent approaches (from the last decade) will be reviewed, in a rather tutorial flavor, and classified according to their type: constructive heuristics, improvement heuristics with search over sequences and improvement heuristics with search over layouts. Building on this review, research gaps are identified and the most interesting research directions pointed out.

INTRODUÇÃO: O acometimento laríngeo por tumores cartilaginosos é raro. No entanto, apesar de representarem 1% da patologia tumoral laríngea, são as neoplasias não epiteliais mais frequentes. Localizam-se mais frequentemente na face endolaríngea da cartilagem cricóide. Tem sintomatologia variável consoante o tamanho e a localização, podendo incluir disfonia, estridor e dispneia. O tratamento é essencialmente cirúrgico. Alguns centros levam em conta o grau de diferenciação e de se tratar ou não de recidiva, quando da decisão de ressecção mais ou menos radical. OBJETIVO: Avaliar esta patologia numa amostra da população portuguesa. MÉTODO: Revisão da casuística no intervalo de tempo 2002-2012, através de consulta dos processos clínicos. Foram coligidos os dados demográficos e clínicos relevantes, os tratamentos efetuados e os resultados. RESULTADOS: Foram incluídos seis pacientes. Cinco foram submetidos à laringectomia total e um foi submetido à excisão da asa esquerda da cartilagem tiroide. Nenhum apresentou metástases ou morte relacionada com o tumor. CONCLUSÃO: Os condrossarcomas laríngeos permanecem como patologia rara, de etiologia desconhecida, com crescimento lento e clínica insidiosa. O tratamento é cirúrgico, com prognóstico favorável, com a metastização a ocorrer raramente. A maior preocupação decorre da sua propensão à recidiva.

INTRODUCTION: Laryngeal involvement by cartilaginous tumors is rare. However, although accounting for only 1% of laryngeal tumor pathology, they are the most frequently occurring non-epithelial neoplasms. The most probable location is the endolaryngeal surface of the cricoid cartilage. Their symptoms are variable, depending on the size and location, and may include hoarseness, stridor, and dyspnea. Treatment is based on surgical excision. Some centers take into account the degree of differentiation and whether it is a case of relapse when deciding to perform a radical resection. AIM: To evaluate this disease in a sample of the Portuguese population. METHODS: A review of the medical records from 2002 to 2012 by assessment of clinical processes was performed. Data on demographics, clinical treatments, and outcomes were collected. RESULTS: Six patients were included in the study. Five of them underwent total laryngectomy, and in one case, partial excision of the thyroid cartilage was performed. None of the patients had either metastases or tumor-related death. CONCLUSION: Laryngeal chondrosarcomas remain a rare disease of unknown etiology, with slow and insidious symptoms. The treatment is surgical, with favorable prognosis, and metastases rarely occur. The main concern regards their propensity to relapse.

Partindo da idéia de que um processo/método de TVA deve ser capaz de se adaptar às rápidas mudanças do mundo global, conferindo uma adequada preparação para o mundo de trabalho, gerando expectativas positivas, desenvolvendo nos jovens com potencial para serem integrados profissionalmente as características pessoais e competências necessárias Este estudo dá, igualmente, na nossa perspectiva, um contributo importante para a compreensão dos fatores que podem levar a um aumento da empregabilidade das pessoas com esta patologia e dos jovens deficientes em geral.

Starting of the idea that a process/method of transition to the active life must be able to adapt to the fast changes in a global world, conferring a suitable preparation for the world of the work, generating positive expectations, preparing to the young people for its professional integration and equipping them with the necessary competitions. From this idea, we presented/displayed this work that contributes of important form to the compression of factors that can lead to an increase of the use of the people with trisonomy 21 and deficient young people in general.

Partimos de la idea de que un proceso o estrategia de transición a la vida activa (TVA) debe ser capaz de promover adaptarse a los rápidos cambios en un mundo global, confiriendo una adecuada preparación para el mundo del trabajo, generando expectativas positivas, preparando a los jóvenes para su integración profesional y dotándolos de las competencias necesarias. Desde esta punto de partida, presentamos este trabajo que contribuye, creemos que de forma importante, a la comprensión de factores que pueden conducir a un aumento del empleo de las personas con trisomía 21 y de jóvenes deficientes en general.

Mensurações pélvicas internas e externas foram realizadas in vivo em 255 búfalas mestiças. Para a pelvimetria interna, utilizou-se o pelvímetro de Menissier-Vissac. Os resultados foram confrontados com a idade, perímetro torácico, peso, altura e comprimento. Para comparação das medidas pélvicas, os animais foram divididos equitativamente em 3 grupos (n=85), segundo a ocorrência e freqüência de partos (nulíparas, primíparas e multíparas). Os diâmetros pélvicos internos: biilíacos superior e inferior (horizontais) e sacropúbico (vertical) apresentaram respectivamente as seguintes médias e desvios padrões: 17,1 ± 2,17 cm; 15,7 ± 2,11 cm e 22,3 ± 2,51 cm; e os externos: biilíaco, biisquiático e ilioisquiático, da mesma maneira: 59,8 ± 6,13 cm; 32,4 ± 3,56 cm e 44,5 ± 3,31 cm. Correlações positivas significantes (p < 0,01) foram verificadas entre todas as medidas, porém, dentre as medidas corpóreas gerais, o perímetro torácico revelou o mais alto índice de correlações com as medidas pélvicas internas e externas. Diferenças significativas (p < 0,05) entre os 3 grupos foram observadas em relação à pelvimetria interna, quando comparados através das médias ajustadas em função do perímetro torácico, porém em relação à pelvimetria externa somente entre as nulíparas e os demais grupos para os diâmetros biilíaco e ilioisquiático. Para o diâmetro biisquiático externo nenhum dos grupos revelou tais diferenças. A pelvimetria interna em relação à externa mostrou-se menos correlacionada com o desenvolvimento corpóreo e mais nitidamente influenciada pela ocorrência dos sucessivos partos.

In vivo internal and external pelvimetry was carried out in 255 mixed female buffaloes. A Menissier-Vissac pelvimeter was used for the internal measurements. The results were compared to age, heart girth, body weight, height and length. In order to compare the pelvic measurements, the animals were equitably divided into 3 groups (n=85) according to parturition occurrence and frequency (nuliparous, primiparous and multiparous). The internal transverse (horizontal) pelvic diameters, dorsal and ventral bi-iliac and the sacro-pubic (vertical) were respectively: 17.1 ± 2.17 cm; 15.7 ± 2.11 cm and 22.3 ± 2.51 cm; and the external bi-iliac (hipwidth), bi-isquiatic (pin width) and ilioisquiatic (rump length): 59.8 ± 6.13 cm; 32.4 ± 3.56 cm and 44.5 ± 3.31 cm, respectively. Significant positive correlations (p < 0.01) were obtained for all measurements but heart girth was found to have the highest correlations to pelvic measurements. Adjusted means by heart girth revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) for the 3 groups in respect to internal pelvimetry. However, as it concerns to external pelvimetry, significant differences were found only between the nuliparous and the other two groups for the bi-iliac and ilioisquiatic; for the bi-isquiatic diameter no significant differences were found. The internal pelvimetry was found to be less correlated to the body size and more evidently affected by the successive parturition occurrence.