Sustainability based-approach to determine the concrete type and reinforcement configuration of TBM tunnels linings. Case study: Extension line to Barcelona Airport T1

Fibre-reinforced concrete (FRC) is a suitable alternative to the traditional reinforced concrete used in the manufacture of precast segments used to line tunnels excavated with a tunnel boring machine (TBM). Moreover, its use as a structural material has been approved by several national codes and by the current fib Model Code (2010). The use of FRC in segmental linings confers several technical and economic advantages, evidenced by the fact that structural fibres have been used to partially or entirely replace reinforcing bars in many TBM tunnels built over the past 20 years or currently under construction. FRC could also have been used in other tunnels, which are currently in the planning stage or under construction. However, despite its technical suitability and approval in current codes, the use of FRC was not possible in some cases. The impediment has sometimes been an incomplete understanding of the structural behaviour of the material, but a more general motive has been that comparisons of materials have taken into account only direct material costs and have not considered indirect costs or social and environmental factors. The aim of the present research is to develop a method for analysing the sustainability of different concrete and reinforcement configurations for segmental linings of TBM tunnels using the MIVES method (a multi-criteria decision making approach for assessing sustainability). This MCDM method allows minimising subjectivity in decision making while integrating economic, environmental and social factors. The model has been used to assess the sustainability of different alternatives proposed for manufacturing the segmental tunnel lining for the extension of the rail line of Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) to Terminal 1 of El Prat Airport in Barcelona.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Impact of anxiety symptoms on outcomes of depression: an observational study in Asian patients

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of anxiety symptoms on depression outcomes in Asian patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) (n=714). METHODS: The 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17), overall severity, somatic symptoms, and quality of life (QOL) (EuroQOL Questionnaire-5 Dimensions [EQ-5D]) were assessed at baseline and 3 months. Anxiety was measured using items 10 and 11 from the HAMD-17. Linear, tobit, and logistic multiple regression models analyzed the impact of anxiety symptoms on outcomes. Baseline anxiety was related to age and the presence of pain symptoms at baseline. RESULTS: Regression models showed that a higher level of anxiety was associated with a lower frequency of remission and lower QOL at 3 months. Patients with lower baseline anxiety symptoms had higher remission rates (odds ratio for each point of anxiety symptoms, 0.829 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.723-0.951]). Patients with higher levels of baseline anxiety had a lower QOL at 3 months (a decrease in EQ-5D tariff score for each point of anxiety symptoms, 0.023 [95% CI: 0.045-0.001]). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the presence of anxiety symptoms negatively impacts the outcomes of depression

Negre Mallorquí (Majorcan Black) Pig

Negre Mallorquí pig is a native breed from Mallorca, characterized by its high rusticity and adaptation to the Mediterranean climatic conditions. The present chapter presents the history and current status of this breed, its phenotypic characteristics, the particularities of its production system and main products from this Mediterranean native pig breed. Data come from the scarce literature about Porc Negre Mallorquí breed, adding non-published data obtained during the TREASURE project. Reproductive performance was estimated by means of sow age at first parturition, litters per sow per year, piglets alive per litter, piglets birth and weaning weights, percentage of stillborn per litter, death rate percentage from birth to weaning, duration of lactation and farrowing interval. Growth performance was estimated by means of average daily gain and daily feed intake in several production periods. Carcass traits were evaluated by means of age and weight at slaughter, hot carcass weight, carcass yield and back fat thickness in several points. Meat quality traits were evaluated by means of pH at 45 min and 24 h after slaughter, objective colour, intramuscular fat content and fatty acid composition of intramuscular fat and back fat. The current chapter defines a first review about this local pig breed

Water network renewal strategy: a case study of Aigües de Barcelona

This paper presents a consistent and transparent methodology for the prioritisation of the pipeline sections to be renewed in the whole Aigües de Barcelona (AB) urban water network. The prioritisation index for pipeline renewal serves to evaluate the risk impact, in terms of sustainability, of each section of pipeline in the water distribution network for the purpose of its eventual renewal. Sections with higher prioritisation indices should thus be proposed as the first to be renewed. This methodology represents a meaningful step towards a sustainable and reliable management of water assets. Different economic, environmental and social aspects were considered through a probabilistic multi-criteria decision framework and an analytic hierarchy process was used to conciliate all stakeholder interests. A case study conducted for AB, a Spanish utility company dedicated to services, distribution and treatment of water, is presented in this article to show how the method gives accurate, consistent and repeatable evaluations.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Towards the sustainability in the design of wind towers

Wind farms are both a renewable energy production alternative and a profitable economic enterprise. At the same time these groups of wind towers can be a social-friendly solution if they solve challenging demands from the society such as integration in landscape, aesthetics, low noise nuisances… This paper presents part of a complete research project that was carried out between 2009 and 2015. First this article presents a new wind tower proposal that has been designed to reduce these social impacts as well as satisfying environmental aspects, economic requirements and boundary conditions such as height, turbine power, soil conditions. This proposal is composed of precast concrete modules joined with high-resistance steel bars that define a post-tension structure. These components define an attractive and transparent tripod that is transversally reinforced with steel profiles. This system holds the Spanish patent “Support structure to wind turbines, number ES 2 319 709 B8” and aims to build 100-120m high towers. At this height there is better wind quality and large turbines of 3 MW can be installed. Second, a sustainability assessment of this new hybrid wind tower has been carried out in order to evaluate its social, environmental and economic impacts compared to other solutions. Steel lattice structures, steel tubular systems, in situ concrete towers and precast concrete structures are the alternatives for wind farms that have been considered. MIVES, a MCDM methodology based on the value function concepts has been used to do this assessment, which has relied upon seminars of experts. This sustainability assessment enabled the identification of the aspects with the lowest sustainability index. These are the maintenance and deconstruction costs and for occupational hazards. Now these weak points can be corrected in the process of bringing the patented technology to market.Postprint (published version

Comparison of clinical outcomes with orodispersible versus standard oral olanzapine tablets in nonadherent patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder

Abstract PURPOSE: Medication nonadherence is common in the treatment of patients with severe mental illness and is a frequent cause of relapse. Different formulations have been developed in an effort to improve medication adherence. The aim of this study was to explore whether there are differential clinical outcomes between two different formulations of olanzapine (orodispersible tablets [ODTs] vs standard oral tablets [SOT]) for the treatment of nonadherent patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. METHODS: Data for this analysis were from an observational study conducted in Europe (N=903). Adult schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients in outpatient settings who initiated or changed to either olanzapine ODT or SOT according to physician decision within the last 45 days were eligible for enrollment. The follow-up period was 1 year. Of the 903 participants, 266 nonadherent patients (Medication Adherence Rating Scale score 0-4 at baseline) were included in the analysis. Clinical outcomes of interest were: 1) hospitalization and 2) relapse identified by the participating psychiatrist or hospitalization. An adjusted logistic regression model was fitted. RESULTS: Patients taking ODT had more severe illness at baseline (P<0.001) as assessed with the Clinical Global Impression with mean (standard deviation [SD]) scores of ODT 4.63 (1.03) and SOT 4 (1.16). In the regression models adjusted for potential confounders, patients taking ODT had significantly lower odds for hospitalization (odds ratio =0.355; 95% confidence interval =0.13-0.974) and relapse or hospitalization (odds ratio =0.368; 95% confidence interval =0.183-0.739), respectively. CONCLUSION: Nonadherent patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder treated with the orodispersible formulation were less likely to be hospitalized or suffer relapse compared to those patients taking the standard oral coated tablets

Relationship of insight with medication adherence and the impact on outcomes in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: results from a 1-year European outpatient observational study.

BACKGROUND: Many patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have impaired insight and low medication adherence. The aim of this post hoc analysis was to explore the relationship between insight and medication adherence. METHODS: We included 903 patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who participated in an observational study conducted in Europe on the outcomes of patients treated with two oral formulations of olanzapine over a 1-year period. Evaluations included Clinical Global Impression (CGI), Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), insight (Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder, SUMD) medication adherence (Medication Adherence Rating Scale, MARS), and therapeutic alliance (Working Alliance Inventory, WAI). RESULTS: Medication adherence was higher in bipolar patients (mean MARS score (SD) 6.5 (2.8) versus 5.8 (2.7) in schizophrenia; p < 0.001). Patients with schizophrenia had lower insight (i.e., SUMD item 1, unawareness of mental disorder, mean (SD) of 2.5 (1.3) in schizophrenia versus 1.9 (1.2) in bipolar, p < 0.001). Better insight was associated with higher adherence (Spearman Correlation Coefficient, SCC, ranging from 0.39 to 0.49 for the three SUMD general items, p < 0.0001 in all cases). Higher insight was related to a stronger therapeutic alliance (SCC ranging from 0.38 to 0.48, p < 0.0001). A path analysis revealed a positive impact of insight on adherence and alliance and that stronger alliance was related to lower clinical severity (lower CGI score). CONCLUSION: Insight and adherence were found to be closely related. Insight impacts on the therapeutic alliance with mental health professionals. These factors are associated to treatment outcomes

Secure NFV Orchestration Over an SDN-Controlled Optical Network With Time-Shared Quantum Key Distribution Resources

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a state-of-the-art method of generating cryptographic keys by exchanging single photons. Measurements on the photons are constrained by the laws of quantum mechanics, and it is from this that the keys derive their security. Current public key encryption relies on mathematical problems that cannot be solved efficiently using present-day technologies; however, it is vulnerable to computational advances. In contrast QKD generates truly random keys secured against computational advances and more general attacks when implemented properly. On the other hand, networks are moving towards a process of softwarization with the main objective to reduce cost in both, the deployment and in the network maintenance. This process replaces traditional network functionalities (or even full network instances) typically performed in network devices to be located as software distributed across commodity data centers. Within this context, network function virtualization (NFV) is a new concept in which operations of current proprietary hardware appliances are decoupled and run as software instances. However, the security of NFV still needs to be addressed prior to deployment in the real world. In particular, virtual network function (VNF) distribution across data centers is a risk for network operators, as an eavesdropper could compromise not just virtualized services, but the whole infrastructure. We demonstrate, for the first time, a secure architectural solution for VNF distribution, combining NFV orchestration and QKD technology by scheduling an optical network using SDN. A time-shared approach is designed and presented as a cost-effective solution for practical deployment, showing the performance of different quantum links in a distributed environment