Depleción de GSH y Bcl-2 en células de melanoma maligno B16: mecanismos de sensibilización frente al estrés oxidativo/nitrosativo y la quimioterapia.

RESUMEN Introducción: La causa de muerte de la mayoría de los enfermos de cáncer es la metástasis de células tumorales. El melanoma es un modelo muy utilizado para el estudio de la progresión del tumor. La supervivencia y crecimiento de células de MB16 metastáticas está directamente relacionado con el aumento de su contenido en glutatión (GSH). Además dichas células sobreexpresan Bcl-2, mostrando un incremento de GSH sin mostrar un aumento en su síntesis pero sí una disminución en la salida de GSH. Otro punto importante es el GSH mitocondrial (mtGSH), ya que la mitocondria no puede sintetizar GSH. Se ha visto que la depleción de mtGSH facilita la liberación de señales moleculares implicadas en la apoptosis. En trabajos previos de nuestro grupo se demostró en células de tumor ascítico de Ehrlich que L-glutamato (L-Glu) derivado de L-Gln competía con el GSH inhibiendo su transporte al interior de la mitocondria. Objetivos Estudiar los mecanismos de salida de GSH de la célula tumoral para potenciarlos. Disminuir los niveles de mtGSH mediante la utilización de una dieta enriquecida en glutamina (GED). Utilizar dichos mecanismos de depleción de GSH junto con la disminución de la expresión de Bcl-2 para sensibilizar las células tumorales al estrés oxidativo que genera el endotelio y a una posible quimioterapia. Resultados Vimos que la liberación de GSH por las células B16M-F10 se lleva a cabo por dos sistemas complejos: uno dependiente de Bcl-2 y sensible a L-metionina, y otro correspondiente a MRP1. Nos planteamos identificar el mecanismo molecular Bcl-2-dependiente. Se estudió un canal que también está implicado en el flujo de GSH y que en los últimos años se ha visto que se expresa en muchos tipos de células tumorales, investigando su posible relación con los mecanismos ya estudiados. Esta proteína era el regulador transmembrana de la fibrosis quística (CFTR). Se observó que CFTR estaba directamente involucrado en el transporte de GSH desde el citosol al espacio extracelular y correspondía a un canal sensible a Bcl-2. Para potenciar la salida de GSH de las células se probó una combinación de verapamil (VRP, aumenta el transporte de GSH vía MRP1) con un antisentido contra bcl-2 (bcl-2-AS). bcl-2-AS y VRP incrementaron las velocidades de flujo de GSH. El contenido de GSH intracelular disminuyó significativamente en el caso de tratamiento con bcl-2-AS y VRP. Pero, a las 12 horas los niveles de GSH fueron un 70% mayores que los controles en el tratamiento con bcl-2-AS y VRP. Estos resultados mostraban que la pérdida de GSH aceleraba su síntesis intracelular. Vimos que podríamos limitar la síntesis de GSH si conseguíamos inhibir la actividad de la enzima -GT. Con esta idea realizamos experimentos donde inhibíamos dicha enzima mediante la utilización de acivicina (ACV), un inhibidor de la -GT. Con bcl-2-AS, VRP y ACV, la velocidad de síntesis de GSH fue similar a la condición control y la salida de GSH fue tres veces superior al control. la terapia de depleción selectiva de GSH y Bcl-2 presentada aquí, puede potenciarse al combinarla con dosis no tóxicas de TNF- y con GED. Investigamos los efectos de una depleción de mtGSH y un tratamiento con TNF sobre las células B16. El estudio se realizó con células adaptadas a glutamina (B16M-Gln+). Una combinación de GED, TNF- y bcl-2-AS podría teóricamente disminuir la supervivencia de células B16M con alto poder metastático. Se vio que, en células adaptadas a Gln y tratadas con bcl-2-AS, la viabilidad disminuyó un 88%. Con lo que el bcl-2-AS, en células metastáticas adaptadas a la Gln, facilita la citotoxicidad inducida por TNF-. El aumento en la producción de ROS inducido por TNF-, junto con el tratamiento con bcl-2-AS, afectó a la actividad de la superóxido dismutasa (SOD). Al combinar dos oligonucleótidos antisentido (bcl-2-AS y SOD2-AS) para prevenir la resistencia de las células al estrés oxidativo/nitrosativo inducido por el rmTNF-, aumentó la citotoxicidad. Con esta estrategia experimental disminuimos el número de células malignas viables aproximadamente a un 1% de los valores control. Mediante quimioterápicos clásicos conseguimos eliminar in vitro este 1% de células. __________________________________________________________________________________________________Introduction: The main cause of death from cancer is due to metastases. Malignant melanoma cell subsets show different degrees of multidrug and radiation resistance. Analysis of a Bcl-2 family of genes revealed that B16 melanoma (B16M)-F10 cells (high metastatic potential) have overexpressed preferentially Bcl-2 ( 5.7-fold). B16M-F10 cells show high GSH content and a decrease in GSH efflux. Mitochondria do not synthesize GSH. Mitochondrial GSH (mtGSH) depletion facilitates permeability transition pore complex (PTPC) opening, and the release of apoptosis-inducing molecular signals. In previous studies in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells was found that L-glutamate (L-Glu) derived from L-Gln competitively inhibited GSH transport into mitochondria, depleting selectively tumor mtGSH. Results: We found that GSH release from B16M-F10 cells is channeled through the multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1) and the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). Bcl-2 inhibits the release of GSH through CFTR facilitating accumulation of GSH within the metastatic cells. Parallel to the Bcl-2-sensitive CFTR, the transport of GSH by MRP1 can carry out by means of a verapamil (VRP)-dependent active transport. We investigate the combination of VRP with a Bcl-2 antisense phosphorothioate-derivatized oligodeoxynucleotides (bcl-2-AS). bcl-2-AS and VRP increased the GSH efflux. Intracellular GSH content decreased in bcl-2-AS- and VRP-treated B16M-F10 cells. However, at 12 h of perifusion time, GSH levels were ~70% higher. These results showed that the loss of GSH content acelerated its intracellular synthesis. tumor -GT activity and an intertissue flow of GSH increase GSH content in B16M-F10 cells. We tested if adding an irreversible -GT inhibitor (acivicin, ACV) we could decrease GSH synthesis. With bcl-2-AS, VRP and ACV treatment, GSH synthesis was similar to control values whereas the GSH efflux increased. We can combinate this selective GSH depletion therapy with non toxic dosis of TNF- and L-Gln enriched diets (GED). So, we investigated a combination of GED, TNF- and bcl-2-AS and found that viability of B16M decreased up to 88% respect control values. The increased of TNF--induced ROS and bcl-2-AS treatment afected superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Treating B16Mcells with a double anti- antisense therapy (Bcl-2- and SOD2-AS) and TNF- , metastatic cell survival decreased to 1%. Chemotherapy easily removed this minimum percentage of highly resistant metastatic survivors

Social sustainability criteria in public-work procurement: An international perspective

[EN] Scientific literature highlights the need to engage social sustainability more effectively in the construction industry through public procurement. Previous contributions have been focused on establishing strategies and defining guides to encourage and facilitate the inclusion of social criteria in public procurement. However, to reach effective results, the characterization of the current scenario needs to be clarified. With this aim, this research analyzes 451 tendering documents from 10 countries in terms of social sustainability. Three research questions are stated to characterize what the current main social criteria are, how these are defined, and what the differences and similarities are with respect to the inclusion of social criteria in tendering procedures at the international level. To analyze tendering documents, a quantitative content analysis that combines inductive and deductive approaches is developed. Descriptive statistics and statistical analysis based on correspondence analysis and the chi-square contingency table analysis are performed. The results show a lack of metrics to assess social sustainability objectively, the predominance of health and safety as the main social criteria that are included in public procurement, and the importance of the contract size in the number of social categories considered in procurement procedures. However, the main result of this research is focused on showing the important role that the variable "country" plays when the behavior regarding the inclusion of social sustainability is compared at the international level since significant differences are found between Anglo-Saxon and Spanish-speaking countries. Policies should be implemented to promote the use of social criteria and metrics in the award of projects and in the evaluation and monitoring of social performance in the construction industry. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, along with FEDER funding (Project: BIA2017-85098-R).Montalbán-Domingo, L.; García-Segura, T.; Sanz-Benlloch, MA.; Pellicer, E. (2018). Social sustainability criteria in public-work procurement: An international perspective. Journal of Cleaner Production. 198:1355-1371. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.07.083S1355137119

Social Sustainability in Delivery and Procurement of Public Construction Contracts

[EN] Boosting sustainability in public construction procurement implies new challenges associated with incentivizing integrated approaches and the inclusion of sustainability criteria in tendering procedures. Thus, the choice of project-delivery method and procurement procedure is a key decision to ensure project success for sustainable outcomes. This study focused on the social dimension of sustainability and analyzed 451 tendering documents from 10 countries to assess the influence of procurement procedures and delivery methods on the inclusion of social criteria in public construction procurement. Content analysis, descriptive statistics, and logistic regression were applied. The results show the international trends in delivery methods and procurement procedures. Country and contract size were found to be the most influential variables for the inclusion of social criteria in tendering procedures. There were no significant differences between project-delivery methods and between procurement procedures with respect to the inclusion of social criteria. However, criteria associated with employment and cultural heritage were mainly considered in traditional delivery methods, whereas professional ethics and cultural heritage were associated with the lowest price procurement procedures. Finally, subjective methods were predominantly used to assess social sustainability.The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, along with FEDER funding (Project BIA2017-85098-R) and the Valencian Regional Government (Project GV/2018//085). Furthermore, the valuable commentaries and suggestions of three anonymous reviewers are highly appreciated.Montalbán-Domingo, L.; García-Segura, T.; Sanz-Benlloch, MA.; Pellicer, E. (2019). Social Sustainability in Delivery and Procurement of Public Construction Contracts. Journal of Management in Engineering. 35(2):04018065-1-04018065-10. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000674S04018065-104018065-1035

MOTS-c promotes muscle differentiation in vitro

MOTS-c (mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12 S rRNA-c) is a newly discovered peptide that has been shown to have a protective role in whole-body metabolic homeostasis. This could be a consequence of the effect of MOTS-c on muscle tissue. Here, we investigated the role of MOTS-c in the differentiation of human (LHCN-M2) and murine (C2C12) muscle progenitor cells. Cells were treated with peptides at the onset of differentiation or after myotubes had been formed. We identified in silico a putative Src Homology 2 (SH2) binding motif in the YIFY region of the MOTS-c sequence, and created a Y8F mutant MOTS-c peptide to explore the role of this region. In both cellular models, treatment with wild-type MOTS-c peptide increased myotube formation whereas treatment with the Y8F peptide did not. MOTS-c wild-type, but not Y8F peptide, also protected against interleukin-6 (IL-6)-induced reduction of nuclear myogenin staining in myocytes. Thus, we investigated whether MOTS-c interacts with the IL-6/Janus kinase/ Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway, and found that MOTS-c, but not the Y8F peptide, blocked the transcriptional activity of STAT3 induced by IL-6. Altogether, our findings suggest that, in muscle cells, MOTS-c interacts with STAT3 via the putative SH2 binding motif in the YIFY region to reduce STAT3 transcriptional activity, which enhances myotube formation. This newly discovered mechanism of action highlights MOTS-c as a potential therapeutic target against musclewasting in several diseases.This project has been funded by the Universidad Católica de Valencia (2019-168-002, 2019-168-004, 2020-168-001, 2020-168-002, 2020- 168-004). SGB is a predoctoral fellow and RA a postdoctoral fellow of Universidad Católica de Valencia (2018-168-002).Medicin

Sustainable Decision-Making Module: Application to Public Procurement

[EN] Universities are preparing future professionals to face real problems. Sustainable development is a challenge that requires particular attention from educational programs. In their profession, civil engineers address many decisions that can compromise the sustainability of infrastructure. This paper proposes a sustainable decision-making module to promote student competencies relevant to solving real engineering decision-making problems while meeting sustainability criteria. The module is tested in a project management course for a master¿s in Planning and Management in Civil Engineering program. Students were placed in a procurement process scenario with the objective of designing a sustainable decision-making layout for selecting the best construction company to construct a highway. The assessment of the student performance revealed that most students acquired higher-order cognitive skills, and the perception survey showed that this learning method has been widely accepted for developing competencies related to both decision-making and sustainable thinking. This study could serve as an example for engineering education to promote sustainable practices through the active exploration of decision-making in real professional situations.The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Valencian Regional Government (Project No. GV/2018//085) and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, along with European Regional Development Fund (Project No. BIA2017-85098-R).García-Segura, T.; Montalbán-Domingo, L.; Sanz-Benlloch, MA.; Lozano-Torró, A. (2020). Sustainable Decision-Making Module: Application to Public Procurement. Journal of Civil Engineering Education. 146(3):04020004-1-04020004-11. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EI.2643-9115.000001404020004-104020004-11146

Influence of Pavement Structure, Traffic, and Weather on Urban Flexible Pavement Deterioration

[EN] Various studies have been recently conducted to predict pavement condition, but most of them were developed in a certain region where climate conditions were kept constant and/or the research focused on specific road distresses using single parameters. Thus, this research aimed at determining the influence of pavement structure, traffic demand, and climate factors on urban flexible pavement condition over time. To do this, the Structural Number was used as an indicator of the pavement capacity, various traffic and climate variables were defined, and the Pavement Condition Index was used as a surrogate measure of pavement condition. The analysis was focused on the calibration of regression models by using the K-Fold Cross Validation technique. As a result, for a given pavement age, pavement condition worsens as the Equivalent Single Axle Load and the Annual Average Height of Snow increased. Likewise, a cold Annual Average Temperature (5¿15 °C) and a large Annual Average Range of Temperature (20¿30 °C) encourage a more aggressive pavement deterioration process. By contrast, warm climates with low temperature variations, which are associated with low precipitation, lead to a longer pavement service life. Additionally, a new classification of climate zones was proposed on the basis of the weather influence on pavement deterioration.This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, grant number RTC-2017-6148-7, with the European Regional Development Fund.Llopis-Castelló, D.; García-Segura, T.; Montalbán-Domingo, L.; Sanz-Benlloch, MA.; Pellicer, E. (2020). Influence of Pavement Structure, Traffic, and Weather on Urban Flexible Pavement Deterioration. Sustainability. 12(22):1-20. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229717S1201222Hajj, E. Y., Loria, L., & Sebaaly, P. E. (2010). Performance Evaluation of Asphalt Pavement Preservation Activities. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2150(1), 36-46. doi:10.3141/2150-05Santero, N. J., & Horvath, A. (2009). Global warming potential of pavements. Environmental Research Letters, 4(3), 034011. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/4/3/034011Pérez-Acebo, H., Linares-Unamunzaga, A., Abejón, R., & Rojí, E. (2018). Research Trends in Pavement Management during the First Years of the 21st Century: A Bibliometric Analysis during the 2000–2013 Period. Applied Sciences, 8(7), 1041. doi:10.3390/app8071041Prozzi, J. A., & Madanat, S. M. (2004). Development of Pavement Performance Models by Combining Experimental and Field Data. Journal of Infrastructure Systems, 10(1), 9-22. doi:10.1061/(asce)1076-0342(2004)10:1(9)Ragnoli, A., De Blasiis, M., & Di Benedetto, A. (2018). Pavement Distress Detection Methods: A Review. Infrastructures, 3(4), 58. doi:10.3390/infrastructures3040058Osorio, A., Chamorro, A., Tighe, S., & Videla, C. (2014). Calibration and Validation of Condition Indicator for Managing Urban Pavement Networks. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2455(1), 28-36. doi:10.3141/2455-04Loprencipe, G., Pantuso, A., & Di Mascio, P. (2017). Sustainable Pavement Management System in Urban Areas Considering the Vehicle Operating Costs. Sustainability, 9(3), 453. doi:10.3390/su9030453LTPP Data Analysis: Factors Affecting Pavement Smoothness. NCHRP Web Document 40http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_w40-a.pdfArambula, E., George, R., Xiong, W., & Hall, G. (2011). Development and Validation of Pavement Performance Models for the State of Maryland. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2225(1), 25-31. doi:10.3141/2225-04Meegoda, J. N., & Gao, S. (2014). Roughness Progression Model for Asphalt Pavements Using Long-Term Pavement Performance Data. Journal of Transportation Engineering, 140(8), 04014037. doi:10.1061/(asce)te.1943-5436.0000682Pérez-Acebo, H., Mindra, N., Railean, A., & Rojí, E. (2017). Rigid pavement performance models by means of Markov Chains with half-year step time. International Journal of Pavement Engineering, 20(7), 830-843. doi:10.1080/10298436.2017.1353390Osorio-Lird, A., Chamorro, A., Videla, C., Tighe, S., & Torres-Machi, C. (2017). Application of Markov chains and Monte Carlo simulations for developing pavement performance models for urban network management. Structure and Infrastructure Engineering, 14(9), 1169-1181. doi:10.1080/15732479.2017.1402064Pérez-Acebo, H., Gonzalo-Orden, H., Findley, D. J., & Rojí, E. (2020). A skid resistance prediction model for an entire road network. Construction and Building Materials, 262, 120041. doi:10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.120041Pérez-Acebo, H., Linares-Unamunzaga, A., Rojí, E., & Gonzalo-Orden, H. (2020). IRI Performance Models for Flexible Pavements in Two-Lane Roads until First Maintenance and/or Rehabilitation Work. Coatings, 10(2), 97. doi:10.3390/coatings10020097Dong, Q., Huang, B., & Richards, S. H. (2015). Calibration and Application of Treatment Performance Models in a Pavement Management System in Tennessee. Journal of Transportation Engineering, 141(2), 04014076. doi:10.1061/(asce)te.1943-5436.0000738Hassan, R., Lin, O., & Thananjeyan, A. (2015). A comparison between three approaches for modelling deterioration of five pavement surfaces. International Journal of Pavement Engineering, 18(1), 26-35. doi:10.1080/10298436.2015.1030744Pérez-Acebo, H., Gonzalo-Orden, H., & Rojí, E. (2019). Skid resistance prediction for new two-lane roads. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Transport, 172(5), 264-273. doi:10.1680/jtran.17.00045Ziari, H., Maghrebi, M., Ayoubinejad, J., & Waller, S. T. (2016). Prediction of Pavement Performance: Application of Support Vector Regression with Different Kernels. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2589(1), 135-145. doi:10.3141/2589-15Pérez-Acebo, H., Bejan, S., & Gonzalo-Orden, H. (2017). Transition Probability Matrices for Flexible Pavement Deterioration Models with Half-Year Cycle Time. International Journal of Civil Engineering, 16(9), 1045-1056. doi:10.1007/s40999-017-0254-zGarcía-Segura, T., Montalbán-Domingo, L., Llopis-Castelló, D., Lepech, M. D., Sanz, M. A., & Pellicer, E. (2020). Incorporating pavement deterioration uncertainty into pavement management optimization. International Journal of Pavement Engineering, 1-12. doi:10.1080/10298436.2020.1837827Qiao, Y., Flintsch, G. W., Dawson, A. R., & Parry, T. (2013). Examining Effects of Climatic Factors on Flexible Pavement Performance and Service Life. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2349(1), 100-107. doi:10.3141/2349-12Mohd Hasan, M. R., Hiller, J. E., & You, Z. (2015). Effects of mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation on the performance of flexible pavement using ME design. International Journal of Pavement Engineering, 17(7), 647-658. doi:10.1080/10298436.2015.1019504Anastasopoulos, P. C., & Mannering, F. L. (2015). Analysis of Pavement Overlay and Replacement Performance Using Random Parameters Hazard-Based Duration Models. Journal of Infrastructure Systems, 21(1), 04014024. doi:10.1061/(asce)is.1943-555x.0000208Alaswadko, N., & Hassan, R. (2016). Rutting progression models for light duty pavements. International Journal of Pavement Engineering, 19(1), 37-47. doi:10.1080/10298436.2016.115512

Impact of game-based learning on understanding Lean Construction Principles

[EN] Lean philosophy introduces a new approach for maximizing value while minimizing waste, facilitating sustainable practices at the same time. Companies have become aware of these improvements and are demanding students well formed in Lean concepts. However, to meet this demand, universities must adapt their curricula to include courses that use alternative teaching methods to connect to real contexts. This paper seeks to analyze the benefits of lecture- and game-based learning for developing students¿ understanding of Lean Construction Principles. A case study is carried out in the ¿Lean Construction¿ course of the Master of Planning and Management in Civil Engineering of the Universitat Politècnica de València. A combination of a traditional lecture and three simple games is applied. Descriptive statistics, the Mann¿Whitney U-test, and the Wilcoxon test are performed to analyze the impact of each activity on the understanding of each Lean Construction Principle. Results highlight the importance of combining the lecture class with multiple games to effectively impart knowledge about Lean principles and their application in the construction industry. In addition, they emphasize the importance of selecting the game according to the Lean principle to be taught.This research was funded by CONICYT grant number PCHA/National Doctorate/2018-21180884 for funding the graduate research of Herrera, and by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, along with FEDER funding, grant number BIA2017-85098-R. The APC was funded by School of Civil Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso, Chile.Herrera, RF.; Sanz-Benlloch, MA.; Montalbán-Domingo, L.; García-Segura, T.; Pellicer, E. (2019). Impact of game-based learning on understanding Lean Construction Principles. Sustainability. 11(19):1-16. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11195294S1161119Gao, S., & Low, S. P. (2013). The Toyota Way model: an alternative framework for lean construction. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 25(5-6), 664-682. doi:10.1080/14783363.2013.820022González, V. A., Orozco, F., Senior, B., Ingle, J., Forcael, E., & Alarcón, L. F. (2015). LEBSCO: Lean-Based Simulation Game for Construction Management Classrooms. Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, 141(4), 04015002. doi:10.1061/(asce)ei.1943-5541.0000243Ballard, G., & Howell, G. (2003). Lean project management. Building Research & Information, 31(2), 119-133. doi:10.1080/09613210301997De Carvalho, A., Granja, A., & da Silva, V. (2017). A Systematic Literature Review on Integrative Lean and Sustainability Synergies over a Building’s Lifecycle. Sustainability, 9(7), 1156. doi:10.3390/su9071156Martínez León, H. C., & Calvo-Amodio, J. (2017). Towards lean for sustainability: Understanding the interrelationships between lean and sustainability from a systems thinking perspective. Journal of Cleaner Production, 142, 4384-4402. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.11.132Florida, R. (1996). Lean and Green: The Move to Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing. California Management Review, 39(1), 80-105. doi:10.2307/41165877Pellicer, E., Yepes, V., & Ortega, A. J. (2013). Method for Planning Graduate Programs in Construction Management. Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, 139(1), 33-41. doi:10.1061/(asce)ei.1943-5541.0000120Jeong, W., Chang, S., Son, J., & Yi, J.-S. (2016). BIM-Integrated Construction Operation Simulation for Just-In-Time Production Management. Sustainability, 8(11), 1106. doi:10.3390/su8111106Ahmed, S. M., Yaris, C., Farooqui, R. U., & Saqib, M. (2014). Key Attributes and Skills for Curriculum Improvement for Undergraduate Construction Management Programs. International Journal of Construction Education and Research, 10(4), 240-254. doi:10.1080/15578771.2014.900833Burch V, R. F., & Smith, B. (2017). Using simulation to teach lean methodologies and the benefits for Millennials. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 30(3-4), 320-334. doi:10.1080/14783363.2017.1303330Becerik-Gerber, A.M.ASCE, B., Ku, K., & Jazizadeh, F. (2012). BIM-Enabled Virtual and Collaborative Construction Engineering and Management. Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, 138(3), 234-245. doi:10.1061/(asce)ei.1943-5541.0000098Clevenger, C., Glick, S., & del Puerto, C. L. (2012). Interoperable Learning Leveraging Building Information Modeling (BIM) in Construction Education. International Journal of Construction Education and Research, 8(2), 101-118. doi:10.1080/15578771.2011.647249Kuriger, G. W., Wan, H., Mirehei, S. M., Tamma, S., & Chen, F. F. (2009). A Web-Based Lean Simulation Game for Office Operations: Training the Other Side of a Lean Enterprise. Simulation & Gaming, 41(4), 487-510. doi:10.1177/1046878109334945Pivec, M. (2007). Editorial: Play and learn: potentials of game-based learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 38(3), 387-393. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00722.xDe Freitas, S., & Oliver, M. (2006). How can exploratory learning with games and simulations within the curriculum be most effectively evaluated? Computers & Education, 46(3), 249-264. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2005.11.007Torres, M., & Macedo, J. (2000). Learning Sustainable Development with a New Simulation Game. Simulation & Gaming, 31(1), 119-126. doi:10.1177/104687810003100112Qian, M., & Clark, K. R. (2016). Game-based Learning and 21st century skills: A review of recent research. Computers in Human Behavior, 63, 50-58. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.05.023Plass, J. L., Homer, B. D., & Kinzer, C. K. (2015). Foundations of Game-Based Learning. Educational Psychologist, 50(4), 258-283. doi:10.1080/00461520.2015.1122533Badurdeen, F., Marksberry, P., Hall, A., & Gregory, B. (2009). Teaching Lean Manufacturing With Simulations and Games: A Survey and Future Directions. Simulation & Gaming, 41(4), 465-486. doi:10.1177/1046878109334331Deif, A. (2017). Insights on lean gamification for higher education. International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, 8(3), 359-376. doi:10.1108/ijlss-04-2016-0017Brioso, X. (2015). Teaching Lean Construction: Pontifical Catholic University of Peru Training Course in Lean Project & Construction Management. Procedia Engineering, 123, 85-93. doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2015.10.062Thomson, R., & McLeod, J. (2015). New frontiers in qualitative longitudinal research: an agenda for research. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 18(3), 243-250. doi:10.1080/13645579.2015.1017900Make a Card Simulationhttps://www.leanconstruction.org/learning/game-simulations/make-a-card-simulation/Thomas, H. R. (1991). Labor Productivity and Work Sampling: The Bottom Line. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 117(3), 423-444. doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-9364(1991)117:3(423)Gouett, M. C., Haas, C. T., Goodrum, P. M., & Caldas, C. H. (2011). Activity Analysis for Direct-Work Rate Improvement in Construction. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 137(12), 1117-1124. doi:10.1061/(asce)co.1943-7862.0000375Dao, B., Kermanshachi, S., Shane, J., Anderson, S., & Hare, E. (2017). Exploring and Assessing Project Complexity. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 143(5), 04016126. doi:10.1061/(asce)co.1943-7862.0001275Park, C. S., Le, Q. T., Pedro, A., & Lim, C. R. (2016). Interactive Building Anatomy Modeling for Experiential Building Construction Education. Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, 142(3), 04015019. doi:10.1061/(asce)ei.1943-5541.0000268Da Rocha, C. G., & Miron, L. I. G. (2018). The House Factory: A Simulation Game for Understanding Mass Customization in House Building. Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, 144(1), 05017007. doi:10.1061/(asce)ei.1943-5541.0000347Shaaruddin, J., & Mohamad, M. (2017). Identifying the Effectiveness of Active Learning Strategies and Benefits in Curriculum and Pedagogy Course for Undergraduate TESL Students. Creative Education, 08(14), 2312-2324. doi:10.4236/ce.2017.81415

Calcium carbonate decomposition in white-body tiles during firing in the presence of carbon dioxide

This study examines the thermal decomposition process of the calcium carbonate (calcite powder) contained in test pieces of porous ceramics, of the same composition as that used in manufacturing ceramic wall tile bodies, in the presence of carbon dioxide, in the temperature range 1123–1223 K. The experiments were carried out in a tubular reactor, under isothermal conditions, in a gas stream comprising different concentrations of air and carbon dioxide. Assuming that the relationship between the molar concentrations of CO2 on both sides of the gas–solid interface in the test pieces was conditioned by an equilibrium law of the form , the equation proposed in a previous paper was modified to correlate the results obtained when the experiments were conducted in the presence of carbon dioxide. The modified equation fitted well to the experimental data obtained in the temperature and carbon dioxide concentration ranges studied. The knowledge derived from this research has enabled the firing cycle used in the single-fire manufacture of this type of wall tile to be optimised

Poor Bone Quality in Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Objective: Musculoskeletal functional deterioration in Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is associated with an increase in bone fractures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of sex, ALS type, on bone quality in patients with ALS compared to healthy controls. The impact on bone health of the clinical status and some metabolic parameters was also analyzed in ALS patients. Methods: A series of 33 voluntary patients with ALS, and 66 healthy individuals matched in sex and age underwent assessment of bone mass quality using quantitative ultrasound (QUS) of the calcaneus. Ultrasonic broadband attenuation (BUA), the speed of sound (SOS), stiffness index and T-score were measured. Bone mineral density (BMD) was estimated using standard equations. Apart from fat and muscle mass percentage determinations, clinical baseline measures in ALS patients included ALSFRS-R score, Barthel index for activities of daily living, pulmonary function measured using FVC, and muscular strength assessed by a modified MRC grading scale. Laboratory tests included serum calcium, 25-HO-cholecalciferol (Vitamin D), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), T4 and TSH. Results: All bone parameters evaluated were statistically significant lower in ALS patients than in healthy controls. ALS females showed significantly lower bone parameters than healthy females. According to the estimated BMD, there were 25 ALS patients (75.8%) and 36 (54.5%) healthy individuals showing an osteoporotic profile (BMD <0.700 g/cm2). Only 16.7% of the ALS females had T-scores indicative of healthy bones. There was no correlation between any of the clinical parameters analyzed and the bone QUS measurements. Vitamin D and TSH levels positively correlated with all the bone parameters. Conclusions: This study confirms that ALS patients, particularly females, exhibited deteriorated bone health as compared to healthy individuals. These structural bone changes were independent of ALS subtype and clinical status. Bone health in ALS patients seems to be related to certain metabolic parameters such as Vitamin D and TSH levels