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This article presents an intelligent system for container stacking based on fuzzy logic. The method establishes a defined criterion for accepting or rejecting in real time an entry request to the stacking areas of the port in Valparaiso, Chile. A case study based on expert knowledge illustrates the proposed method with real data. First, the optimum solution is determined for a problem of maximization of entries, based on historical records from the traffic and information center of Valparaiso Port. Second, this solution is used to establish a strategy for making “the best possible decisions.” The combination of the optimization and the fuzzy results (which consider the type of cargo, prices, and capacity) is performed at two levels. First, the optimization results are used as feed for the fuzzy system to determinate a ratio of future acceptances. Second, the optimization results are compared to the fuzzy system results in order to estimate a parameter to establish the minimal percentage value for accepting a request. As a result, a proper use of the stacking area is achieved, which results in an increase of profits and revenue management.

In this paper, we present the cost of capital estimation for highway concessionaires in Chile. We estimated the cost of equity and the cost of debt and determined the capital structure for each one of twenty-four concessionaires that operate highways. We based our estimations on the developments of Sharpe (1964), Modigliani and Miller (1958), and Maquieira (2009), which were also compared with the Brusov et al. (2015) developments. We collected stock prices for different highway concessionaires around the world from Google Finance and Reuters’ websites in order to determine the Beta of equity using a representative company. After that, we estimated the cost of equity considering Hamada (1969) and a Capital Asset Pricing Model. Then, we estimated the cost of capital using the cost of debt and the capital structure of Chile’s highway concessionaires. With all above, we were able to determine the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) for highway concessions which ranges from 5.49 to 6.62%.

The article describes initiatives concerning social responsibility carried out by Chilean universities and the way these initiatives are incorporated into their strategic processes. The main goal is to determine opportunities and limitations wherein a university could take advantages of its role as social developer to impel sustainable development in the community it is inserted in. In this context, to face the huge competition existing in the Chilean higher education system, education institution have had to discover the role played by social responsibility as a powerful source of competitive advantage allowing them to keep a determined viability and to generate value in the “market”. This work is the result of an exploratory research built on the basis of literature and experience, through observation and participation in the Chilean system of higher education. The present document is limited regarding experimental data. Future research must examine exploration factors and correlation among them for experimental research. Results show competitive advantages for universities by maximizing their contributions to social causes, thus expressing greater commitments towards the community, which yields by providing better visibility throughout time. Key words: Social responsibility, ethics, competitive advantages, higher education, Chile.

Patients on immunosuppressive therapy are at increased risk of developing tuberculosis. We report a 39-year-old female with an ulcerative colitis receiving prednisone, azathioprine and azulfidine that was admitted to hospital due to fever, anemia, diarrhea and hematochezia. A chest CT scan showed multiple miliary micronodular images diffusely distributed and mediastinal enlarged lymph nodes with central necrosis, suggestive of disseminated tuberculosis. Antituberculous treatment was started but discontinued and the patient was treated as a bronchiolitis obliterans with methylprednisolone pulses and discharged. She was readmitted in shock one week later and died. After her death cultures for Mycobacterium tuberculosis were informed as positive. The clinical picture of the patient is known as sepsis tuberculosa gravissima.

Background Outpatient scheduling has a significant impact on the perceived quality of service by the users and the efficient use of resources in the health system. There are mathematical methods that assist in solving this problem, but are seldom applied. Aim To propose decision rules that are based on the own conditions of each institution and indicate which appointment system is the most suitable for the decision makers. Material and methods Through computer simulation, the effect of a wide range of decision and environmental factors over the appointment systems performance was assessed, in order to determine how these factors affect them. Results Considering performance indicators associated to the patient's satisfaction and resources utilization, scheduling shorter length patients (e.g. check-up patients) in the beginning of the working day resulted to be in the efficient solutions frontier, as well as scheduling patients in one person blocks (shifting to multiple patient blocks only if resources utilization indicators are prioritized). Conclusions Performance indicators are more sensitive to the sequence used to schedule different length patients, rather than the number of patients scheduled per block. Moreover, decision rules based on the institution priorities are proposed, which are quite robust to environmental factors.