K-SITE RULES Integrating Business Rules in the Mainstream Software Engineering Practice

The technology for business rule based systems faces two important challenges: standardization and integration within conventional software development lifecycle models and tools. Despite the standardization effort carried out by international organizations, commercial tools incorporate their own flavours in rule languages, making difficult the migration among tools. On the other hand, although some business rules systems vendors incorporate interfaces to encapsulate decision models as web services, it is still difficult integrating business rules in traditional object-oriented analysis and design methodologies. This is the rationale behind the development of K-Site Rules, a tool that facilitates the cooperation of business people and software designers in business applications

Dynamic analysis of road vehicle-bridge systems under turbulent wind by means of Finite Element Models

When an automobile passes over a bridge dynamic effects are produced in vehicle and structure. In addition, the bridge itself moves when exposed to the wind inducing dynamic effects on the vehicle that have to be considered. The main objective of this work is to understand the influence of the different parameters concerning the vehicle, the bridge, the road roughness or the wind in the comfort and safety of the vehicles when crossing bridges. Non linear finite element models are used for structures and multibody dynamic models are employed for vehicles. The interaction between the vehicle and the bridge is considered by contact methods. Road roughness is described by the power spectral density (PSD) proposed by the ISO 8608. To consider that the profiles under right and left wheels are different but not independent, the hypotheses of homogeneity and isotropy are assumed. To generate the wind velocity history along the road the Sandia method is employed. The global problem is solved by means of the finite element method. First the methodology for modelling the interaction is verified in a benchmark. Following, the case of a vehicle running along a rigid road and subjected to the action of the turbulent wind is analyzed and the road roughness is incorporated in a following step. Finally the flexibility of the bridge is added to the model by making the vehicle run over the structure. The application of this methodology will allow to understand the influence of the different parameters in the comfort and safety of road vehicles crossing wind exposed bridges. Those results will help to recommend measures to make the traffic over bridges more reliable without affecting the structural integrity of the viaduc

Experiencias investigativas en TIC para la educación

Este artículo de reflexión muestra que la Smart Education o Educación Inteligente se constituye en una tecnología y métodos interactivos que ofrecen un enfoque más flexible y adaptado para satisfacer las diversas necesidades individuales en la formación educativa. Es una serie de sub-sistemas integrados o unidades caracterizadas por ser elementos innovadores activos en el proceso de la educación. Se exploran algunas de estas tecnologías, sus estructuras y cuál es su impacto desde la innovación educativa y se observa que las soluciones deberán llegar desde las pequeñas acciones, desde el trabajo diario y desde proyectos reales

La epigrafía romana de Augusta Emérita más allá del Museo: digitalización, modelización 3D y difusión a través de dispositivos móviles

Este trabajo ofrece la experiencia de innovación científica de digitalizar y modelar en 3D un conjunto de cincuenta y nueve inscripciones romanas del Museo Nacional de Arte Romano (Mérida, Badajoz), a través de una tecnología de bajo coste, basada en el modelado digital de imágenes en movimiento (Structure from Motion, SfM). Su difusión a través de internet y el desarrollo de una aplicación propietaria para su visualización en smartphones y tablets con sistema operativo Android. Los resultados obtenidos permiten comprobar el potencial de estas tecnologías para incrementar la visibilidad y difusión del patrimonio arqueológico que se conserva en los museos. This paper offers the experience of scientific innovation of digitizing and 3D modeling a collection of fifty-nine Roman inscriptions from the National Museum of Roman Art (Mérida, Badajoz) through a low-cost technology based on Structure from Motion (SfM). The project includes the dissemination through the Internet and the development of a proprietary application for viewing on smartphones and tablets with Android mobile operating system. The results confirm the potential of these technologies to increase the visibility and dissemination of archaeological heritage preserved in museums

Simulation techniques for design of overhead conductor rail lines for speeds over 140 km/h

In overhead conductor rail lines, aluminium beams are usually mounted with support spacing between 8 and 12 meters, to limit the maximum vertical deflection in the center of the span. This small support spacing limits the use of overhead conductor rail to tunnels, therefore it has been used almost exclusively in metropolitan networks, with operation speeds below 110 km/h. Nevertheless, due to the lower cost of maintenance required for this electrification system, some railway administrations are beginning to install it in some tunnels on long-distance lines, requesting higher operation speeds [1]. Some examples are the Barcelona and Madrid suburban networks (Spain), and recent lines in Turkey and Malaysia. In order to adapt the design of the overhead conductor for higher speeds (V > 160 km/h), particular attention must be paid to the geometry of the conductor rail in critical zones as overlaps, crossings and, especially, transitions between conductor rail and conventional catenary, since the use of overhead conductor rail is limited to tunnels, as already mentioned. This paper describes simulation techniques developed in order to take into account these critical zones. Furthermore, some specific simulations results are presented that have been used to analyze and optimizes the geometry of this special zones to get a better current collection quality, in a real suburban network. This paper presents the work undertaken by the Railways Technology Research Centre (CITEF), having over 10 years of experience in railways research [1-4]

Comparison of vibration and rolling noise emission of resilient and solid monobloc railway wheels in underground lines

Flat or worn wheels rolling on rough or corrugated tracks can provoke airborne noise and ground-borne vibration, which can be a serious concern for nearby neighbours of urban rail transit lines. Among the various treatments used to reduce vibration and noise, resilient wheels play an important role. In conventional resilient wheels, a slightly prestressed V­shaped rubber ring is mounted between the steel wheel centre and tyre. The elastic layer enhances rolling noise and vibration suppression, as well as impact reduction on the track. In this paper the effectiveness of resilient wheels in underground lines, in comparison to monobloc ones, is assessed. The analysed resilient wheel is able to carry greater loads than standard resilient wheels used for light vehicles. It also presents a greater radial resiliency and a higher axial stiffness than conventional V­wheels. The finite element method was used in this study. A quarter car model was defined, in which the wheelset was modelled as an elastic body. Several simulations were performed in order to assess the vibrational behaviour of elastic wheels, including modal, harmonic and random vibration analysis, the latter allowing the introduction of realistic vertical track irregularities, as well as the influence of the running speed. Due to numerical problems some simplifications were needed. Parametric variations were also performed, in which the sensitivity of the whole system to variations of rubber prestress and Poisson’s ratio of the elastic material was assessed.Results are presented in the frequency domain, showing a better performance of the resilient wheels for frequencies over 200 Hz. This result reveals the ability of the analyzed design to mitigate rolling noise, but not structural vibrations, which are primarily found in the lower frequency range

S isotopes on gypsum of the Oncala Group: evidence for marine influence in Berriasian carbonate-evaporite deposits of the Cameros Basin (La Rioja-Soria)

Comunicación presentada al IX Congreso Geológico de España, Huelva, septiembre 2016.[ES] Discriminar si el origen de las salmueras en las que precipitaron numerosas sucesiones evaporíticas era marino o continental puede resultar complicado usando exclusivamente criterios sedimentológicos si no contienen fósiles diagnósticos. Éste es el caso de los depósitos carbonático-evaporíticos laminados del Gr. Oncala (Berriasiense, cuenca de Cameros oriental), formados en extensos cuerpos de agua someros. En este trabajo se busca determinar el origen de la salmuera en la que se formaron estos sedimentos mediante el análisis de las composiciones del δ34S de los yesos preservados en la unidad. Los valores de δ34S de entre +18,5‰V-CDT y +21,8‰V-CDT (media de +20,5‰V-CDT) de los yesos del Gr. Oncala coinciden con la signatura isotópica de los sulfatos precipitados a partir de agua marina de edad berriasiense de acuerdo con las curvas globales más recientes (≈ +17 - +20‰V-CDT), lo que sugiere que la principal fuente de sulfato en estos cuerpos de agua procedía de aportes de agua marina, en lugar del reciclaje de evaporitas triásicas como se había propuesto anteriormente. El reconocimiento de influencia marina en estos cuerpos de agua permite clasificarlos como salinas costeras.[EN] Determining if the origin of the brine in which an evaporitic succession precipitated was marine or continental by analysing only sedimentological criteria may be difficult if it does not contain diagnostic fossils. This is the case of the laminated carbonate-evaporite deposits of the Oncala Gr (Berriasian, Cameros Basin), which were accumulated in shallow water bodies. The aim of this work is to interpret the origin of the brine in which these sediments were formed by analysing the δ34S compositions of the gypsum preserved in this unit. Gypsum δ34S values between +18,5‰V-CDT and +21,8‰V-CDT (mean value of +20,5‰V-CDT) in the Oncala Gr coincide with the isotopic signature of the sulphates precipitated in Berriasian seawater according to the most recent global curves (≈ +17 - +20‰V-CDT), which suggests that the main sulphate source in the water bodies was marine water, instead of the recycling of Triassic evaporites as previously interpreted. The recognition of marine influence in these water bodies allows us to classify them as coastal salinas.Este trabajo ha sido financiado por los proyectos de investigación CGL2011-22709 y CGL2014-52670-P.Peer reviewe

A robust bayesian approach to an optimal replacement policy for gas pipelines

En el trabajo se abordan los problemas de sensibilidad bayesiana al integrar los juicios de expertos con datos históricos disponibles en un estudio de casos sobre estrategias para el mantenimiento preventivo de tuberías de fundición de baja presión en una red urbana de distribución de gas. Estamos interesados en modificar las prioridades, según lo determinado por las tasas de fallo de las tuberías, sometidas a condiciones diferentes. Se tienen en cuenta otras propuestas, hechas en trabajos anteriores, acerca de las distribuciones previas sobre las tasas de fracaso y los cambios de estudio al modificar las prioridades bajo diferentes opciones generales de tipos episódicos de restricción. Nos centramos en un conjunto de acciones inconcretas y, entre ellas, proponemos la acción menos sensible como la opción óptima para clasificar los diferentes tipos de oleoductos, proporcionando un enfoque sólido al problema de sensibilidad. Además, también estamos interesados en determinar qué tipos tienen una tasa de fallos que supera un valor aceptable normaliado, considerado como el umbral que determina la necesidad de reemplazo. Se presentan herramientas gráficas para ayudar a los encargados de la toma de decisiones para determinar si las tuberías deben ser reemplazadas y qué prioridades deben seguirse.In the paper, we address Bayesian sensitivity issues when integrating experts’ judgments with available historical data in a case study about strategies for the preventive maintenance of low-pressure cast iron pipelines in an urban gas distribution network. We are interested in replacement priorities, as determined by the failure rates of pipelines deployed under different conditions. We relax the assumptions, made in previous papers, about the prior distributions on the failure rates and study changes in replacement priorities under different choices of generalized moment-constrained classes of priors. We focus on the set of non-dominated actions, and among them, we propose the least sensitive action as the optimal choice to rank different classes of pipelines, providing a sound approach to the sensitivity problem. Moreover, we are also interested in determining which classes have a failure rate exceeding a given acceptable value, considered as the threshold determining no need for replacement. Graphical tools are introduced to help decision makers to determine if pipelines are to be replaced and the corresponding priorities.• Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad: Proyecto MTM2011-28983-C03-02 y MTM201456949-C3-3-R • Gobierno de Extremadura: Proyecto GR15106 • Unión Europea. Fondos Europeos de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER)peerReviewe

Estudios de confort de vehículos ferroviarios mediante técnicas combinadas de simulación FEM y MBS

La elasticidad de la caja de viajeros de los vehículos ferroviarios tiene una gran influencia sobre el confort. Por esta razón, cuando se desea simular el comportamiento dinámico del vehículo para estudios de confort, resulta conveniente construir un modelo elástico de caja, a fin de obtener resultados más precisos. La construcción de este tipo de modelos pasa por el desarrollo de dos etapas fundamentales, que comprenden la generación de un modelo de caja mediante la técnica de los elementos finitos (FEM) para su caracterización dinámica como cuerpo elástico y la definición de un modelo de sistema multicuerpo (MBS) que englobe los restantes componentes del vehículo. En este artículo se presentan los resultados obtenidos en un estudio comparativo llevado a cabo con modelos de caja rígida y elástica, en los que se ha valorado el nivel de confort obtenido con ambas configuraciones. Para ello, se ha simulado el comportamiento del vehículo a dos velocidades distintas, de 70 y 110km/h, y con dos niveles de irregularidades. Se han analizado las aceleraciones de la caja, que se han procesado de acuerdo a las especificaciones de la norma EN12299, a fin de obtener el índice de comodidad. Este parámetro se ha utilizado para comparar el nivel de confort obtenido con ambos modelos, habiéndose encontrado una gran diferencia en los índices calculados con caja rígida y con caja elástica, lo que confirma la gran influencia de la elasticidad de la caja en los estudios de confort llevados a cabo mediante técnicas de simulación dinámica

Isolation of RNA from milk somatic cells as an alternative to biopsies of mammary tissue for nutrigenomic studies in dairy ewes

11 páginas, 4 tablas, 1 figura.Nutrigenomic studies of mammary lipogenesis in ruminants often rely on the use of mammary tissue (MT) collected either by biopsy or at slaughter. However, isolating RNA from milk would be a useful and cost-effective technique that may avoid distress to the animal and facilitate the collection of samples in time series experiments. This assay was therefore conducted to test the hypothesis that RNA extracted from milk somatic cells (MSC) in dairy sheep would be a feasible alternative to the performance of MT biopsies for nutrigenomic analyses. To meet this objective, 8 lactating Assaf ewes were divided in 2 groups and offered a total mixed ration without supplementation (control) or supplemented with 2.4% dry matter of fish oil, which was known not only to elicit milk fat depression but also to downregulate the expression of some candidate genes involved in mammary lipogenesis. Total RNA was extracted from MSC and biopsied MT to examine whether the potential changes in the abundance of transcripts was similarly detected with both RNA sources. Milk fatty acid profile was also analyzed by gas chromatography, and variations in mRNA abundance were determined by reverse transcription quantitative PCR. Values of RNA integrity number were always ≥7.7. The expected and designed decrease of milk fat concentration with fish oil (−29%), was associated with a lower transcript abundance of genes coding for enzymes involved in fatty acid activation (ACSS1), de novo synthesis (ACACA and FASN), uptake from plasma lipids (LPL), and esterification of fatty acids to glycerol (LPIN1), as well as of a transcription factor that may regulate their expression (INSIG1). Stable mRNA levels were showed in other candidate genes, such as FABP3, GPAT4, or SCD. Changes due to the dietary treatment were similarly detected with both RNA sources (MSC and MT biopsies), which supports the initial hypothesis and would validate the use of milk as an alternative RNA source for nutrigenomic analyses in dairy sheep.This work was supported by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO, Spain; AGL2014-54587, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, European Union). P. G. Toral gratefully acknowledges receipt of a postdoctoral research contract from the MINECO (Juan de la Cierva program).Peer reviewe