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This paper shows the developments on the digital twinning of a set of new High speed Railway bridges located in South Western Spain. The aim of this digitization is the generation of a twin-driven maintenance planning. This research is performed within the frame of a H2020 European project called ASHVIN, related to the use of Digital Twins for Design, Construction and Maintenance purposes within the AEC sector. The project provides a series of demo cases for all stages. One of the demo cases is a series of new bridges belonging to a high speed train network in Extremadura, Spain. The demo case is aimed at establishing sensor-based and image-based requirements, procedures and examples for the generation of realistic virtual replica of the physical bridges. The twins are deemed to as living assets that can be updated during operation. The paper depicts actions and deployments undertaken during the routine static load tests. The efforts related to sensoring, simulation, modelling, assessment and validation can be wrapped up systematically for further use during regular operation of the asset. All authors acknowledge the funding of Ashvin, “Assistants for Healthy, Safe, and Productive Virtual Construction Design, Operation & Maintenance using a Digital Twin” a H2020 project under agreement 958161. Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::9 - Indústria, Innovació i Infraestructura

This paper depicts the deployment of Ground-Based Interferometer Synthetic Aperture Radars for obtaining displacements and accelerations of El Tajo and Almonte Viaducts during their routine load tests. These Viaducts belong to the Highspeed Railway Network between Madrid and Badajoz, which represents a strategic infrastructure in Spain. Both Viaducts are concrete arches whose size as well as whose height over the reservoir posed a tremendous challenge for obtaining proper field data using traditional devices. The paper shows the gathered experience on the use of this technique for subsequent routine load tests. Jose Vicente Fuente Acknowledges the support ot the program Torres y Quevedo (PTQ). R. Chacón and C. Ramonell acknowledge the funding of Ashvin, “Assistants for Healthy, Safe, and Productive Virtual Construction Design, Operation & Maintenance using a Digital Twin” a H2020 project under agreement 958161. All authors are grateful to ADIF for the invaluable collaboration and openness during the execution of the load tests vis-à-vis all research performed within the railway network premises. Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::9 - Indústria, Innovació i Infraestructura

Intrinsic localized modes, also called discrete breathers, can exist under certain conditions in one-dimensional nonlinear electrical lattices driven by external harmonic excitations. In this work, we have studied experimentally the efectiveness of generic periodic excitations of variable waveform at generating discrete breathers in such lattices. We have found that this generation phenomenon is optimally controlled by the impulse transmitted by the external excitation (time integral over two consecutive zeros, Comment: 5 pages, 8 figures

Las tropas españolas destacadas en operaciones internacionales en áreas tropicales con enfermedades infecciosas emergentes pueden verse en situación de riesgo de contagio, a lo que se suma el potencial uso de armas biológicas en los actuales conflictos de guerra desigual. Este riesgo puede hacerse extensivo a toda la población bajo responsabilidad española. Esta situación hizo que la Sanidad Militar Española y, en el caso que se presenta, la Unidad Médica de Aeroevacuación (UMAER) actualizase sus procedimientos de defensa NBQ en vigor desde el inicio de las misiones de las Fuerzas Armadas en territorio africano. Se reforzó la respuesta a la amenaza biológica en dichos ambientes tropicales y se trabajó y entrenó en la posibilidad de transporte aéreo de pacientes con enfermedades infecciosas transmisibles para su tratamiento definitivo en territorio nacional. Este artículo es un informe de lo sucedido durante estas misiones. Es un reconocimiento a todas las personas involucradas y sus esfuerzos.

Desde el inicio del trabajo de nuestras Fuerzas Armadas en Afganistán en 2002, hasta la actualidad, muchos efectivos han sido desplegados en esta Zona de Operaciones. La cadena logística sanitaria diseñada para el apoyo sanitario a la Fuerza desplegada tiene una clara misión, procurar a los heridos una asistencia sanitaria tan eficaz como la que se dispone en Territorio Nacional y una vez estabilizados solicitar su evacuación médica, que continúe y adelante los cuidados en ruta para un tratamiento definitivo en nuestro País. Esta responsabilidad corresponde a la Unidad Médica de Aeroevacuación, del Ejército del Aire. En un estudio descriptivo y retrospectivo del archivo de la unidad, se analizan las evacuaciones realizadas con origen en Afganistán, en cuanto a la naturaleza de las lesiones, los medios aéreos empleados y los recursos humanos y materiales que se implican en cada misión encomendada.

Editorial: Infraestructuras, investigación y academia en tiempos revueltos

Understanding information transmission across a network is a fundamental task for controlling and manipulating both biological and manmade information-processing systems. Here we show how topological resonant-like amplification effects in scale-free networks of signaling devices are drastically reduced when phase disorder in the external signals is considered. This is demonstrated theoretically by means of a starlike network of overdamped bistable systems, and confirmed numerically by simulations of scale-free networks of such systems. The taming effect of the phase disorder is found to be sensitive to the amplification’s strength, while the topology-induced amplification mechanism is robust against this kind of quenched disorder in the sense that it does not significantly change the values of the coupling strength where amplification is maximum in its absence.

In this paper, an in-depth analysis of the structural response of hybrid steel plate girders subjected to shear forces is presented. The analysis is focused on the Venezuelan Code for Steel Structures COVENIN 1618:1998. The study is based upon a review of experimental tests as well as upon a numerical study carried out by the authors. Both experimental and numerical results are compared with the results provided by the aforementioned Code. Likewise, other relevant Codes such as EN1993-1-5 and AISC-AASHTO are employed for the sake of comparison. The results obtained show that the values given by COVENIN 1618:1998 concerning the shear resistance of hybrid steel plate girders are particularly conservative. A design proposal that may enhance the current COVENIN formulation in this particular topic is presented accordingly. En este estudio se presenta un análisis de la resistencia a abolladura por cortante de vigas armadas híbridas según la norma venezolana COVENIN 1618:1998. El estudio se basa en una recopilación bibliográfica de ensayos experimentales encontrados así como en una base de datos numérica creada por los autores. Se comparan los valores obtenidos tanto experimental, como numéricamente con los derivados de la formulación teórica recogida en dicha normativa. Asimismo, dentro de la comparación, se incluyen los resultados derivados de la aplicación del Eurocódigo 3(EN1993-1-5) y las normativas americanas AISC-AASHTO. Los resultados que arrojan dichas comparaciones muestran el carácter conservador de COVENIN 1618:1998 en la valoración de dicha resistencia. En base a los resultados obtenidos, se proponen expresiones de diseño que permiten incluir el diseño híbrido de vigas armadas obteniendo del mismo su máximo beneficio estructural.

In this paper, an in-depth analysis of the structural response of concrete-filled tubular structures (CFT) is presented. The main objective of the study is to assess the resistance of these structural elements when subjected to lateral displacements. These displacements, together with the corresponding axial forces, represent the actions to which the integral bridges piers are subjected to. For the sake of studying this response, a numerical model is used as a simulation tool over an hypothetical matrix of CFT. These numerical studies together with a wide experimental database found in the literature have been useful for drawing conclusions concerning the cross-sectional capacity of the CFT. A design proposal for this cross-sectional capacity which accounts for confinement is given. This proposal has been compared structurally with the present formulation found in EN1994. Se presenta el análisis estructural de pilas metálicas tubulares rellenas de hormigón (CFT) sometidas a flexo-compresión. El objetivo principal es valorar los mecanismos resistentes de las pilas cuando se someten a un desplazamiento en cabeza. Estos desplazamientos, conjuntamente con el esfuerzo axil de compresión, que en este trabajo se aproxima con un porcentaje de la resistencia plástica a compresión de los CFT, representan las acciones a las cuales se ven sometidos los elementos de este estudio. Se utiliza una herramienta numérica sobre una base hipotética de prototipos de pilas. Los resultados numéricos obtenidos así como los resultados experimentales encontrados en la literatura han permitido extraer conclusiones relativas a la capacidad seccional de los CFT. Se proponen expresiones de diseño relativas a la capacidad resistente de los CFT considerando el efecto del confinamiento y se comparan con los resultados que se derivan de la formulación de EN1994.

The transfer factor (TF) was described in 1955 by S. Lawrence. In 1992 Kirkpatrick characterized the specific TF at molecular level. The TF is constituted by a group of numerous molecules, of low molecular weight, from 1.0 to 6.0 kDa. The 5 kDa fraction corresponds to the TF specific to antigens. There are a number of publications about the clinical indications of the TF for diverse diseases, in particular those where the cellular immune response is compromised or in those where there is a deficient regulation of the immune response. In this article we present our clinical and basic experiences, especially regarding the indications, usage and dosage of the TF. Our group demonstrated that the TF increases the expression of IFN-gamma and RANTES, while decreases the expression of osteopontine. Using animal models we have worked with M. tuberculosis, and with a model of glioma with good therapeutic results. In the clinical setting we have worked with herpes zoster, herpes simplex type I, herpetic keratitis, atopic dermatitis, osteosarcoma, tuberculosis, asthma, post-herpetic neuritis, anergic coccidioidomycosis, leishmaniasis, toxoplasmosis, mucocutaneous candidiasis, pediatric infections produced by diverse pathogen germs, sinusitis, pharyngitis, and otits media. All of these diseases were studied through protocols which main goals were to study the therapeutic effects of the TF, and to establish in a systematic way diverse dosage schema and time for treatment to guide the prescription of the TF.

Some antineoplastic agents alter the microtubular-microfilamentous system involved in insulin release. The authors studied the effect of the podophyllotoxin derivate VM-26 and the epipodophyllotoxin derivative VP-16-213 on the insulin release by the pancreatic beta-cell after tolbutamide stimulation. VP-16-213 produced a slowing and partial inhibition of insulin release, and VM-26 inhibited the late stage of insulin release.

This paper describes trends concerning the analysis of steel structures using FEM and Big Data from two perspectives: i) the increase of the computing capacity and ii) the de-sign guidelines. For the former, computers allow performing considerably vast studies for frames, members or cross-section verification. For the latter, guidelines follow a particularly careful pace when it comes to standardizing new methodologies related to the use of FE in the analysis of steel structures. Both trends move at a rather different speed, with consequences in steel design in a broad sense. The paper presents emphasis of the discussions in the frame of TC8 encompassing “Numerical Modeling”- “Structural Design”- “Statistics” and “Big Data” .