Feasibility evaluation and critical factor analysis for subway scheduling

In strategic subway scheduling stage, the conflict sometimes comes from different requirements of the subway operator. This study aims to investigate the significant factors concerning strategic subway scheduling problem and to develop an automatic procedure of feasibility analysis in subway scheduling. To this end, accurate simulation of train movement (via a simulator, named HAMLET) is applied first by considering the line geography, train performances, actual speed restrictions, etc. The critical elements of subway scheduling and their correlations are then studied and a bound structure of the critical factors is established. The feasibility of primary plan requirements is analysed with the restrictions of the bound structure. Infeasible aspects and possible adjustments are shortly discussed. Finally, the subsequent applications including schedule generation and optimization according to various objectives are indicated as well

Assessment of electrophoresis and electroosmosis in construction materials: effect of enhancing electrolytes and heavy metals contamination

Electrokinetic effects are those that take place by application of an electric field to porous materials, with the zeta potential as the key parameter. Specifically, in the case of contaminated construction materials, the generation of an electroosmotic flux, with the corresponding dragging due to water transport, is a crucial mechanism to succeed in the treatment of decontamination. Therefore, it is of great interest trying to optimize the treatment by the addition of specific electrolytes enhancing the electrokinetic phenomena. Most of the data of zeta potential found in literature for construction materials are based in micro-electrophoresis measurements, which are quite far of the real conditions of application of the remediation treatments. In this paper, electrophoretic and electroosmotic experiments, with monolithic and powdered material respectively, have been carried out for mortar, brick and granite clean and contaminated with Cs, Sr, Co, Cd, Cu and Pb. The electrolytes tested have been distilled water (DW), Na2–EDTA, oxalic acid, acetic acid and citric acid. The zeta potential values have been determined through the two different techniques and the results compared and critically analysed

Potenciación de la respuesta inmune humoral sistémica en ratas lactantes por el ácido linoleico conjugado (CLA)

Cis-9, trans-11 (c9, t11) and trans-10, cis-12 (t10, c12) are the predominating molecules in the positional and geometrical isomers mixture termed CLA. Although CLA has shown positive effects on human health and seems to be associated with immunomodulatory activities, its effect in the developing immune system has not been studied. Thus, the present study was designed to establish the effect of CLA supplementation during gestation and/or lactation on humoral immune response, i.e. by analysing sera Ig levels during the suckling period. Wistar rats were allocated to four groups (A, B, C and W) on day 7 of pregnancy. From day 7 and throughout the study period group C and W gestating mothers were fed standard pellet chow. Group A and B dams were fed 10 g CLA (80% cis-9, trans-11, 20% trans-10, cis-12; Lipid Nutrition B. V. Wormerveer, The Netherlands)/kg pellet chow during gestation. Moreover, group A mothers were also fed the CLA-supplemented chow until the litters were 21 d old, the end of suckling period. Group B and C litters received the CLA mixture of isomers by daily oral administration while their respective dams were fed standard pellet chow during lactation. In all cases litters were equalised to ten rats per lactating mother. Pups from each experimental group were killed at the end of the second week of life (day 14) and at the end of the suckling period (day 21), and blood samples were collected. Serum IgA, IgG and IgM levels were quantified by the ELISA sandwich technique. ANOVA and post hoc comparisons (LSD test) were performed. Differences were considered to be significant at P<0.05. Animals receiving CLA passively from their mothers (group A) during gestation and the suckling period exhibited the highest concentrations of IgG and IgM at 14 d old (P<0.05; see Table). At the end of suckling period the serum IgG concentration in this group was also increased, up to three times more than in the other groups (P<0.05). Those animals supplemented with CLA only during suckling period (group C) showed no difference in relation to those receiving no supplement. Thus, these results demonstrate that CLA supplementation during gestation and lactation promotes systemic humoral immune response

Activitats d'aprenentatge basades en l'estudi de casos i aplicades en l'avaluació d'estudiants de postgrau

L'objectiu del projecte 2010PID-UB/38, ha consistit en fomentar l'autoaprenentatge i l'aplicació dels coneixements mitjançant la implementació d'activitats avaluatives de comprensió i estudi de casos en estudiants de postgrau. Els estudiants van ser avaluats després de la lectura d'un text, van elaborar un informe escrit a partir d'un cas clínic i, posteriorment, van ser avaluats dels coneixements adquirits. Es va recollir l'opinió anònima dels estudiants. En conclusió, les activitats plantejades han repercutit positivament en la formació dels estudiants, el projecte ha demostrat ser factible a través del CV, i les activitats han estat valorades molt positivament pels estudiants

Effect of cocoa-enriched diets on lymphocytes involved in adjuvant arthritis in rats

Cocoa and its flavonoids have potential anti-inflammatory properties in vitro and in acute inflammation models in vivo. The aim of the present study was to ascertain the effects of two cocoa-enriched diets on adjuvant arthritis (AA) in rats, considering not only clinical and biochemical inflammatory indices, but also antibody response and lymphocyte composition. Female Wistar rats were fed with a 5 or 10 % cocoa-enriched diet beginning 2 weeks before arthritis induction and until the end of the study. AA was induced by an intradermal injection of heat-killed Mycobacterium butyricum suspension. The hind-paw swelling (plethysmometry), serum anti-mycobacterial antibody concentration (ELISA), blood and inguinal lymph node lymphocyte subset percentage (flow cytometry), and IL-2, interferon γ and PGE2 released from splenocytes (ELISA) were assessed. Although the cocoa diets had no significant effect on hind-paw swelling, a tendency to reduce it was observed at the end of the study. Cocoa-enriched diets were able to decrease the serum anti-mycobacterial antibody concentration and the splenocyte PGE2 production, as well as the proportion of T-helper (Th) lymphocytes in blood and regional lymph nodes, which probably includes cells responsible for the arthritic process. The cocoa diets prevented a decrease in the proportion of regulatory T-cells in blood and a disequilibrium between inguinal lymph node natural killer (NK) CD8+ and NK CD8− subsets. In conclusion, the cocoa-enriched diets during AA were not able to significantly decrease joint inflammation but modified Th-cell proportions and prevented specific antibody synthesis

Activitats d'aprenentatge basades en l'estudi de casos i aplicades en l'avaluació d'estudiants de postgrau

L'objectiu del projecte 2010PID-UB/38, ha consistit en fomentar l'autoaprenentatge i l'aplicació dels coneixements mitjançant la implementació d'activitats avaluatives de comprensió i estudi de casos en estudiants de postgrau. Els estudiants van ser avaluats després de la lectura d'un text, van elaborar un informe escrit a partir d'un cas clínic i, posteriorment, van ser avaluats dels coneixements adquirits. Es va recollir l'opinió anònima dels estudiants. En conclusió, les activitats plantejades han repercutit positivament en la formació dels estudiants, el projecte ha demostrat ser factible a través del CV, i les activitats han estat valorades molt positivament pels estudiants

Heavy ion beam measurement of the hydration of cementitious materials

The setting and development of strength of Portland cement concrete depends upon the reaction of water with various phases in the Portland cement. Nuclear resonance reaction analysis (NRRA) involving the 1H(15N,α,γ)12C reaction has been applied to measure the hydrogen depth profile in the few 100 nm thick surface layer that controls the early stage of the reaction. Specific topics that have been investigated include the reactivity of individual cementitious phases and the effects of accelerators and retarders