An interoperable ICT tool for asset and maintenance management -Advances in research –

Asset and maintenance management needs to store and use much information about the behaviour over time of different building materials, products and components. Service life planning and data capitalization from facility management are only the first steps for an efficient asset management because it is necessary to develop specific ICT tools for life cycle data use and sharing. Managing information related with actual maintenance works and inspection activity (condition assessment) allow handling Building Information Systems and this is fundamental in order to fit the reliability and service life evaluations for maintenance planning. For this reason, an ongoing research activity is developing some methods and tools for Service Life Planning and Management, which can be easily integrated by maintenance data to be used during planning, design, facility and maintenance activities. The aim is to develop an interoperable Life Cycle Management System (LCMS) platform where this kind of data are available and where different stakeholders can store and share information about building and constructed assets. The interoperable LCMS platform can be then used on actual maintenance works management to demonstrate the benefit as for economic (Life Cycle Costs) and environmental achievements (Life Cycle Assessment). This operation has been done according to the international standard for service life planning of building and constructed asset procedures ISO 15686, in particular in conformity with the fifth part on Life-cycle Costing, which allows a cost analysis of the entire building life cycle (maintenance included). Eventually, this ICT-tool is being developed using the standard IFC (Industrial Foundation Classes) of IAI (International Alliance for Interoperability) to define Building Information Models (BIM). In particular, interoperability will be guarantee by sharing file .ifcxml and therefore using eXtensible Mark-up Language (XML). Service life data, maintenance information, costs and each parameter for sustainability have in fact to be matched with Building Information Models attributes, upgrading BIM objects themselves in case of lack of some attributes. This database will be accessible online from a web platform, which is thought to become an interactive footbridge among different stakeholders. As the quantity of collected information will be huge, there are different views of the database according to the stakeholder profile: the aim is to facilitate its use, filtering only useful data for the considered stakeholder, but leaving the possibility to search, visualize and, possibly, modify any other information of the database. Hereafter the advances in research to structure this database and to enhance existing methods and tools for Life Cycle management are described

Gas Turbines for Power Generation on Board of Cruise Ships: A Possible Solution to Meet the New IMO Regulations?

AbstractIn order to reduce the environmental impact caused by merchant ships, the International Maritimes Organization is imposing new and stricter regulations on NOx and SOx emissions. Therefore, ships propelled by Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) burning HFO must adopt abatement devices or switch to a cleaner fuel such as MGO. If the use of MGO is considered, a further and more drastic modification of the power system can be analyzed, namely the use of Gas Turbines (GTs) in place of ICEs. GTs are an attractive solution thanks to a reduced weight, size and NOx emissions, but are penalized by a lower electric efficiency. The case of a real cruise ship is considered in the present paper and a detailed quantification of the above mentioned differences is provided by simulating the ship operation for a reference trip

The building materials’ and components’ database for an evidences-based design approach

The design process has always to meet, since the preliminary approaching step, every specific requirement which is foreseen for the building to realize. In a certain way, this operation represents an every time different prototype which varies according to the design demands for the considered room and the carried function, but also according to the used building materials: such an approach is already difficult by itself, but if we consider that at present the availability of technical information about building materials, components and systems is often incomplete or lost among many documents or even absent, it is evident that the designer’s activity becomes very uneven. That is the reason why, the definition of a database for building materials in which indicating each informative attribute to be considered becomes fundamental in order to: - provide a correct, univocal, clear and complete information for every building stakeholder; - help manufacturers to individualize the real needed information to join to their products, so to allow an easier comparison among products themselves and, as a consequence, to push towards a better quality of the entire building process (improving production, design, but also management). The paper deals with an analysis of the necessary information for designers and for maintenance planners, providing different levels of deepening according to the intended use. A particular attention will be paid on the so called “evidences-based design” which gives the opportunity to point out and to consider the most meaningful design matters, making an aware choice of building materials, components and systems. The International Service Life Data Base developed by CSTB with Politecnico di Milano will be reported as a tool for service life prediction, and buildings’ management

Evaluation of gas turbines as alternative energy production systems for a large cruise ship to meet new maritime regulations

As a consequence of the new and up-coming regulations imposed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), polluting emissions produced by large ships are now under strict control. Moreover, specific areas called \u201cEmission Controlled Area\u201d (ECA), which request even lower pollutant emissions, will be extended. To face up to this issue, ships propelled by Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) burning Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) can be equipped with abatement devices such as scrubbers and Selective Catalytic Reactor systems. Along with these solutions, which seem to be the route ship-owners will prefer, other methods can be considered, such as the use of Marine Gas Oil (MGO): a more expensive fuel, but with lower sulphur content. The use of MGO allows users to consider a further and more drastic modification of the power system, namely the use of Gas Turbines (GTs) in place of ICEs. GTs, despite being less efficient, are much lighter, more compact, and can more easily reach low NOx emissions than ICEs. Even if these aspects are theoretically well known, there are still difficulties in finding studies reporting quantitative analysis (weight, dimensions, fuel consumption) that compare GT and ICE power systems employed on board. The present paper aims to provide these data by analyzing different solutions applied to a real case. Unlike other studies, the work is focused on a cruise ship rather than on a cargo ship, because a cruise ship's operation profile is more variable during the trip

Multicenter evaluation of use of dried blood spot compared to conventional plasma in measurements of globotriaosylsphingosine (LysoGb3) concentration in 104 Fabry patients.

Abstract Objectives Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder, resulting from a deficiency of the enzyme α-galactosidase A, responsible for breaking down glycolipids such as globotriaosylceramide and its deacylated derivative, globotriaosylsphingosine (LysoGb3). Here, we compare the levels of LysoGb3 in dried blood spots (DBS) and plasma in patients with classic and late-onset phenotypes. Methods LysoGb3 measurements were performed in 104 FD patients, 39 males and 65 females. Venous blood was collected. A portion was spotted onto filter paper and another portion separated to obtain plasma. The LysoGb3 concentrations in DBS and plasma were determined by highly sensitive electrospray ionization liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Agreement between different matrices was assessed using linear regression and Bland Altman analysis. Results The method on DBS was validated by evaluating its precision, accuracy, matrix effect, recovery, and stability. The analytical performances were verified by comparison of a total of 104 paired DBS and plasma samples from as many FD patients (representing 46 GLA variants). There was a strong correlation between plasma and the corresponding DBS LysoGb3 concentrations, with few exceptions. Discrepancies were observed in anemic patients with typically low hematocrit levels compared to the normal range. Conclusions The method proved to be efficient for the rapid analysis of LysoGb3. DBS provides a convenient, sensitive, and reproducible method for measuring LysoGb3 levels for diagnosis, initial phenotypic assignment, and therapeutic monitoring in patients with FD

Safety and efficacy of topiramate in neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy treated with hypothermia (NeoNATI).

Abstract Background Despite progresses in neonatal care, the mortality and the incidence of neuro-motor disability after perinatal asphyxia have failed to show substantial improvements. In countries with a high level of perinatal care, the incidence of asphyxia responsible for moderate or severe encephalopathy is still 2–3 per 1000 term newborns. Recent trials have demonstrated that moderate hypothermia, started within 6 hours after birth and protracted for 72 hours, can significantly improve survival and reduce neurologic impairment in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. It is not currently known whether neuroprotective drugs can further improve the beneficial effects of hypothermia. Topiramate has been proven to reduce brain injury in animal models of neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. However, the association of mild hypothermia and topiramate treatment has never been studied in human newborns. The objective of this research project is to evaluate, through a multicenter randomized controlled trial, whether the efficacy of moderate hypothermia can be increased by concomitant topiramate treatment. Methods/Design Term newborns (gestational age ≥ 36 weeks and birth weight ≥ 1800 g) with precocious metabolic, clinical and electroencephalographic (EEG) signs of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy will be randomized, according to their EEG pattern, to receive topiramate added to standard treatment with moderate hypothermia or standard treatment alone. Topiramate will be administered at 10 mg/kg once a day for the first 3 days of life. Topiramate concentrations will be measured on serial dried blood spots. 64 participants will be recruited in the study. To evaluate the safety of topiramate administration, cardiac and respiratory parameters will be continuously monitored. Blood samplings will be performed to check renal, liver and metabolic balance. To evaluate the efficacy of topiramate, the neurologic outcome of enrolled newborns will be evaluated by serial neurologic and neuroradiologic examinations. Visual function will be evaluated by means of behavioural standardized tests. Discussion This pilot study will explore the possible therapeutic role of topiramate in combination with moderate hypothermia. Any favourable results of this research might open new perspectives about the reduction of cerebral damage in asphyxiated newborns. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN62175998; ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01241019; EudraCT Number 2010-018627-25</p

B-RAF and N-RAS Mutations Are Preserved during Short Time In Vitro Propagation and Differentially Impact Prognosis

In melanoma, the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK signalling pathway is an area of great interest, because it regulates tumor cell proliferation and survival. A varying mutation rate has been reported for B-RAF and N-RAS, which has been largely attributed to the differential source of tumor DNA analyzed, e.g., fixed tumor tissues or in vitro propagated melanoma cells. Notably, this variation also interfered with interpreting the impact of these mutations on the clinical course of the disease. Consequently, we investigated the mutational profile of B-RAF and N-RAS in biopsies and corresponding cell lines from metastatic tumor lesions of 109 melanoma patients (AJCC stage III/IV), and its respective impact on survival. 97 tissue biopsies and 105 biopsy-derived cell lines were screened for B-RAF and N-RAS mutations by PCR single strand conformation polymorphism and DNA sequencing. Mutations were correlated with patient survival data obtained within a median follow-up time of 31 months. B-RAF mutations were detected in 55% tissues and 51% cell lines, N-RAS mutations in 23% tissues and 25% cell lines, respectively. There was strong concordance between the mutational status of tissues and corresponding cell lines, showing a differing status for B-RAF in only 5% and N-RAS in only 6%, respectively. Patients with tumors carrying mutated B-RAF showed an impaired median survival (8.0 versus 11.8 months, p = 0.055, tissues; 7.1 versus 9.3 months, p = 0.068, cell lines), whereas patients with N-RAS-mutated tumors presented with a favorable prognosis (median survival 12.5 versus 7.9 months, p = 0.084, tissues; 15.4 versus 6.8 months, p = 0.0008, cell lines), each in comparison with wildtype gene status. Multivariate analysis qualified N-RAS (p = 0.006) but not B-RAF mutation status as an independent prognostic factor of overall survival. Our findings demonstrate that B-RAF and N-RAS mutations are well preserved during short term in vitro propagation and, most importantly, differentially impact the outcome of melanoma patients