Playing Mastermind with Constant-Size Memory

We analyze the classic board game of Mastermind with n holes and a constant number of colors. The classic result of Chvátal (Combinatorica 3:325–329, 1983) states that the codebreaker can find the secret code with Θ(n/logn) questions. We show that this bound remains valid if the codebreaker may only store a constant number of guesses and answers. In addition to an intrinsic interest in this question, our result also disproves a conjecture of Droste, Jansen, and Wegener (Theory Comput. Syst. 39:525–544, 2006) on the memory-restricted black-box complexity of the OneMax function class.     

Prediction of parking space availability in real time

Intelligent parking reservation (IPR) systems allow customers to select a parking facility according to their preferences, rapidly park their vehicle without searching for a free stall, and pay their reservation in advance avoiding queues. Some IPR systems interact with in-vehicle navigation systems and provide users with information in real time such as capacity, parking fee, and current parking utilization. However, few of these systems provide information on the forecast utilization at specific hours - a process that requires the study of the competition between parking alternatives for the market share. This paper proposes a methodology for predicting real-time parking space availability in IPR architectures. This methodology consists of three subroutines to allocate simulated parking requests, estimate future departures, and forecast parking availability. Parking requests are allocated iteratively using an aggregated approach as a function of simulated drivers’ preferences, and parking availability. This approach is based on a calibrated discrete choice model for selecting parking alternatives. A numerical comparison between a one-by-one simulation-based forecast and the proposed aggregated approach indicates that no significant discrepancies exists, validating and suggesting the use of the less time consuming proposed aggregated methodology. Results obtained from contrasting predictions with real data yielded small average error availabilities. The forecast improves as the system registers arrivals and departures. Thus, the forecast is adequate for potential distribution in real-time using different media such as Internet, navigation systems, cell phones or GIS.     

Longitudinal analysis of the formation and realisation of preferences to move into homeownership in the Netherlands

This study investigates how life course characteristics and housing market circumstances affect the formation and realisation of preferences to move into homeownership. Using a data set from the Netherlands in which data from three cross-sectional housing surveys are enriched with longitudinal register data for the period 1998–2008, we follow aspiring homeowners regarding their actual residential behaviour. We find that only 31 % of the aspiring homeowners became homeowners within 2 years, approximately 13 % moved to rental homes, and the vast majority did not move at all. Insufficient socioeconomic resources and a high house price-to-rent ratio hamper the realisation of preferences to move into homeownership. However, these hampering factors are at least as important as the extent to which individuals prefer to move into homeownership. This last finding suggests that housing tenure preferences cannot be viewed as ‘pure’ preferences.     

Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Advanced Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: What Do We Currently Know in 2020?

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common skin cancer that predominantly arises in chronically sun-damaged skin. Immunosuppression, genetic disorders such as xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), exposure to certain drugs and environmental noxae have been identified as major risk factors. Surgical removal of cSCC is the therapy of choice and mostly curative in early stages. However, a minority of patients develop locally advanced tumors or distant metastases that are still challenging to treat. Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) targeting CTLA-4, PD-L1 and PD-1 has tremendously changed the field of oncological therapy and especially the treatment of skin cancers as tumors with a high mutational burden. In this review, we focus on the differences between cSCC and cutaneous melanoma (CM) and their implications on therapy, summarize the current evidence on ICB for the treatment of advanced cSCC and discuss the chances and pitfalls of this therapy option for this cancer entity. Furthermore, we focus on special subgroups of interest such as organ transplant recipients, patients with hematologic malignancies, XP and field cancerization.     

The Genetic Basis of Primary Myelofibrosis and Its Clinical Relevance

Among classical BCR-ABL-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), primary myelofibrosis (PMF) is the most aggressive subtype from a clinical standpoint, posing a great challenge to clinicians. Whilst the biological consequences of the three MPN driver gene mutations (JAK2, CALR, and MPL) have been well described, recent data has shed light on the complex and dynamic structure of PMF, that involves competing disease subclones, sequentially acquired genomic events, mostly in genes that are recurrently mutated in several myeloid neoplasms and in clonal hematopoiesis, and biological interactions between clonal hematopoietic stem cells and abnormal bone marrow niches. These observations may contribute to explain the wide heterogeneity in patients’ clinical presentation and prognosis, and support the recent effort to include molecular information in prognostic scoring systems used for therapeutic decision-making, leading to promising clinical translation. In this review, we aim to address the topic of PMF molecular genetics, focusing on four questions: (1) what is the role of mutations on disease pathogenesis? (2) what is their impact on patients’ clinical phenotype? (3) how do we integrate gene mutations in the risk stratification process? (4) how do we take advantage of molecular genetics when it comes to treatment decisions?     

铬鞣革的体相与表面化学相关性及Cr(Ⅲ)和Cr(Ⅵ)的释放

欧洲约有1%~3%的一般人群对铬(Cr)过敏。从人类健康和环境风险的角度来看,评估皮革内潜在的Cr(Ⅲ)和Cr(Ⅵ)释放十分重要。研究考察了皮革体相和表面化学的相关性、Cr(Ⅲ)和Cr(Ⅵ)的释放,以及具有联合释放能力的特定皮革,对释放的铬的还原和络合。采用SEM、EDS、XPS、ATR-FTIR和二苯卡巴肼比色法表征4种皮革。将皮样与人工汗(ASW,pH6.5)和缓冲液(PB,pH 7.5~8.0)接触,采用分光光度法和AAS,对比Cr(Ⅲ)和Cr(Ⅵ)释放效果。具有联合释放能力的特定皮革,在ASW和PB中,能够有效减少Cr(Ⅵ)的含量,其还原能力与革表面及释放的铬的含量相关。采用ATR-FTIR表征不具有该能力且含有较少芳烃基的皮革。结果表明,在革表面和PB溶液中均存在Cr(Ⅵ)。