RG-flows and open/closed string duality

We discuss the interplay between IR and UV divergences in theories with open and unoriented strings in view of the AdS/CFT correspondence. We start by deriving general formulas for the computation of threshold corrections to gauge couplings in generic configurations with open and unoriented strings. These allow us to discuss the IR/UV correspondence between beta-function coefficients and "dilaton" tadpoles for several brane configurations probed by D3-branes. Finally we comment on the AdS supergravity descriptions of gauge theories that are (super)conformal in the large-N limit.