Characterization of the information system integrated to the construction project management systems.

The construction industry wields significant influence in the economies of various countries. However, compared to sectors like manufacturing and aeronautics, it has lagged in terms of digitalization of processes and project management advancement. This study aims to explore how the integration of Lean principles, Building Information Modeling (BIM), and Project Lifecycle Management methodologies within an information system can enhance decision-making in construction project management as a complex environment. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to establish a conceptual framework and gather necessary information for designing an information system. The design was based on the viable systems model and the soft systems methodology, from a systemic perspective that encourages the synergistic interaction of these methodologies. The resulting abstract model would facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the interconnectedness of these methodologies, emphasizing collaborative work environments for efficient information management. This approach aims to replace the current isolated application of each of those methodologies and promises improved project management performance.

Digital tools for prevention through design application: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Prevention through Design (PtD) is a safety initiative that increases the ability of eliminating risks before construction. Implementing digital tools for PtD is an innovative way to help identify embedded risk in design phase by automating a process that is currently time consuming and extensively dependent on designers' experience. However, there is a lack of known digital safety tools available to professionals. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to systematically review published research on the development of digital tools for PtD in order to point out existing processes and limitations. METHODS: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA) guidelines were used to search publications in Scopus database. Initially, 148 publications were found, but after applying the filters, thirteen publications were read and included in this review. RESULTS: Quantitative results showed few publications and quantitative results detailed the studied digital tools workings and what limitations prevent their full implementation by designers. CONCLUSION: Although 53.84% of methods are automatic, existing barriers such as the inability to consider schedule, and to provide a complete database challenge the validity of these tools. Therefore, PtD still poses a research gap for future research on safety matters.

Circular economy in Brazilian construction industry: Current scenario, challenges and opportunities.

The effective implantation of the circular economy (CE) presents a great challenge to the industrial sectors, mostly in those of greater environmental impact, such as construction industry. In Brazil, this industry has been growing over the last 20 years; however, such growth was based on an extractivist economy without any consideration to the end of its products lifespan. Only in 2017, 45 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste were generated in the country. This paper presents the current context of public policies in the Brazilian construction industry and proposes initiatives to introduce principles of CE. An exploratory study was developed, and all the 45 references presented in Appendix A of the review paper of Benachio et al. were considered to draw new ideas. These ideas are related and compared to key points in Brazilian regulations. Twelve opportunities for the improvement are listed and organized by construction stages (planning and design, materials manufacturing, construction processes, use and demolition). The ones related to design and planning using Green building information modelling, and materials manufacturing with recycled waste are highlighted due to the existing actions, standards, and Federal legislation. It was found that some sectors and the government already have actions related to CE (based on the 3R principle), but still there are several initiatives needed for its effective implementation in the Brazilian construction industry.

Implementation of Facility Management for Port Infrastructure through the Use of UAVs, Photogrammetry and BIM.

The maintenance of port infrastructures presents difficulties due to their location: an aggressive environment or the variability of the waves can cause progressive deterioration. Maritime conditions make inspections difficult and, added to the lack of use of efficient tools for the management of assets, planning maintenance, important to ensure operability throughout the life cycle of port infrastructures, is generally not a priority. In view of these challenges, this research proposes a methodology for the creation of a port infrastructure asset management tool, generated based on the Design Science Research Method (DSRM), in line with Building Information Modeling (BIM) and digitization trends in the infrastructure sector. The proposal provides workflows and recommendations for the survey of port infrastructures from UAVs, the reconstruction of digital models by photogrammetry (due to scarce technical documentation), and the reconstruction of BIM models. Along with this, the bidirectional linking of traditional asset management spreadsheets with BIM models is proposed, by visual programming, allowing easy visualization of the status and maintenance requirements. This methodology was applied to a port infrastructure, where the methodology demonstrated the correct functionality of the asset management tool, which allows a constant up-dating of information regarding the structural state of the elements and the necessary maintenance activities.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for Physical Progress Monitoring of Construction.

The physical progress of a construction project is monitored by an inspector responsible for verifying and backing up progress information, usually through site photography. Progress monitoring has improved, thanks to advances in image acquisition, computer vision, and the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). However, no comprehensive and simple methodology exists to guide practitioners and facilitate the use of these methods. This research provides recommendations for the periodic recording of the physical progress of a construction site through the manual operation of UAVs and the use of point clouds obtained under photogrammetric techniques. The programmed progress is then compared with the actual progress made in a 4D BIM environment. This methodology was applied in the construction of a reinforced concrete residential building. The results showed the methodology is effective for UAV operation in the work site and the use of the photogrammetric visual records for the monitoring of the physical progress and the communication of the work performed to the project stakeholders.

Planificación de recursos humanos a partir de la simulación del proceso constructivo en modelos BIM 5D / Planning of human resources from the simulation of the construction process in BIM 5D models / Planejamento de recursos humanos a partir da simulação do processo construtivo em modelos BIM 5D

RESUMEN La planificación de recursos humanos de un proyecto de construcción es una actividad de gran importancia para el desarrollo exitoso de este tipo de actividades. Resulta una labor zcompleja que requiere de herramientas y metodologías automatizadas que permiten la optimización de variables relacionadas con tiempo y costos. Building Information Modeling (BIM) es una base de datos digital que proporciona una réplica virtual del proceso constructivo a partir de cinco variables: i) el tiempo; ii) el costo; y tres dimensiones: x, y z; el modelo se conoce como BIM 5D. En este artículo se propone una metodología para la planificación de recursos humanos que tome como referencia la simulación del proceso constructivo BIM 5D. Se expone un conjunto de técnicas para la planificación del recurso humano en proyectos de construcción y se realiza la planificación de un caso de estudio a partir del enfoque BIM 5D. Con base en los resultados se formaliza un método para el diseño de la planificación del recurso humano. Comparado con otras metodologías, la propuesta presenta ventajas como la automatización del proceso y la posibilidad para la evaluación de distintas alternativas en tiempos reducidos.

ABSTRACT The human resources planning of a construction project is an activity of great importance for the successful development of construction activities. It is a complex task that requires automated tools and methodologies that allow the optimization of variables related to time and costs. Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a digital database that allows to obtain a virtual replication constructive process from five variables: i) time; ii) costs; and three dimensions x, y, z; model that is known as BIM 5D. In this paper it proposes a methodology for the planning of human resources based on the simulation of the BIM 5D construction processes. A set of techniques for the planning of the human resource in construction projects is presented and planning of a case study is carried out from the BIM 5D approach. Taking in account the results, it formalized a method for human resource planning. Compared to other methodologies, it presents advantages such as automation and the possibility of evaluating different alternatives in reduced times.

RESUMO O planejamento de recursos humanos de um projeto de construção é uma atividade de grande importância para o desenvolvimento bem-su-cedido deste tipo de atividades. É uma tarefa complexa que requer ferramentas e metodologias automatizadas que permitem a otimização de variáveis relacionadas com tempo e custos. Building Information Modeling (BIM), em português, Modelagem da Informação da Construção, é um banco de dados digital que fornece uma réplica virtual do processo de construção com base em cinco variáveis: i) tempo; ii) o custo; e três dimensões: x, y, z; o modelo é conhecido como BIM 5D. Este artigo propõe uma metodologia para o planejamento de recursos humanos que toma como referência a simulação do processo de construção do BIM 5D. Expõe-se um conjunto de técnicas para o planejamento de recursos humanos em projetos de construção e realiza-se o planejamento de um estudo de caso com base na abordagem BIM 5D. baseado nos resultados, formaliza-se um método para o planejamento de recursos humanos. Em comparação com outras metodologias, a proposta apresenta vantagens como automatização do processo e a possibilidade de avaliação de diferentes alternativas em tempos reduzidos.

BIM deletion polymorphisms in Hispanic patients with non-small cell lung cancer carriers of EGFR mutations.

BACKGROUND: Germline alterations in the proapoptotic protein Bcl-2-like 11 (BIM) can have a crucial role in diverse tumors. To determine the clinical utility of detecting BIM deletion polymorphisms (par4226 bp/ par363 bp) in EGFR positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) we examined the outcomes of patients with and without BIM alterations. RESULTS: BIM deletion was present in 14 patients (15.7%). There were no significant differences between patients with and without BIM-del in clinical characteristics or EGFR mutation type; however, those with BIM-del had a worse overall response rate (ORR) to erlotinib (42.9% vs. 73.3% in patients without BIM-del; p=0.024) as well as a significantly shorter progression-free survival (PFS) (10.8 BIM-del+ vs. 21.7 months for patients without BIM-del; p=0.029) and overall survival (OS) (15.5 BIM-del+ vs. 34.0 months for patients without BIM-del; p=0.035). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that BIM-del+ was an independent indicator of shorter PFS (HR 3.0; 95%CI 1.2-7.6; p=0.01) and OS (HR 3.4; 95%CI 1.4-8.3; p=0.006). METHODS: We studied 89 NSCLC Hispanic patients with EGFR mutation who were treated with erlotinib between January 2009 and November 2014. BIM deletion polymorphisms (BIM-del) was analyzed by PCR in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues of tumor biopsies. We retrospectively analyzed clinical characteristics, response rate, toxicity, and outcomes among patients with and without BIM-del. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of BIM-del found in Hispanic patients is similar to that previously described in Asia. This alteration is associated with a poor clinical response to erlotinib and represents an independent prognostic factor for patients who had NSCLC with an EGFR mutation.

Impacto de la implementación de una herramienta para facilitar la adherencia a la guía de prevención de neumonías asociadas al respirador en una unidad de cuidados críticos / Impact of the implementation of a tool to facilitate adherence to the prevention guideline for ventilator-associated pneumonia in a critical care unit

INTRODUCCIÓN Las guías de práctica clínica (GPC) son un conjunto de "recomendaciones desarrolladas de forma sistemática para ayudar a profesionales y pacientes a tomar decisiones sobre la atención sanitaria más apropiada y a seleccionar las opciones diagnósticas o terapéuticas más adecuadas a la hora de abordar un problema de salud o una condición clínica específica". Pese a ser herramientas útiles, el grado de traslado de la evidencia a la práctica asistencial es sub óptima debido a la existencia de barreras que dificultan su implementación en los sets reales. Un grupo de investigadores desarrolló una herramienta denominada BIM Tool (Barriers Identification and Mitigation tool), que consiste en una serie de pasos sistemáticos tendientes a identificar y mitigar estas barreras. En nuestra Unidad de Cuidados Críticos (UCI) existen dificultades a la hora de implementar la GPC de prevención de neumonías asociadas al respirador y creemos que esta herramienta puede ser de utilidad. OBJETIVO Estimar el impacto del uso de la herramienta BIM para facilitar la adherencia a la GPC de NAVM en la UCI. MÉTODOS Estudio cuasi-experimental antes- después no controlado. Se evaluaron las tasas de adherencia a las recomendaciones de la guía y la tasa de neumonías asociadas a ventilación mecánica (NAVM) antes y después de la implementación de la herramienta BIM por observación directa de los pases de pacientes y los registros de la unidad. RESULTADOS Se logró aplicar la Herramienta BIM y seguir los pasos de la misma. Se formó un equipo multidisciplinario, se caminó el proceso, analizó las barreras para la adhesión a la guía, confeccionó un plan de trabajo e implementó el 100% de las acciones para derribarlas. Asimismo, se calculó la diferencia entre el periodo pre y post intervención de las tasas testeando las diferencias mediante test de chi-cuadrado. Las tasas reportadas son; Elevación de cabecera de 65,29 a 76,50 (P=0,002); Higiene Oral de 17,80 a 88,86 (p=0,000); tasa de PVE de 72,95 a 82,61 (p=0,043). Para estimar la diferencia entre las incidencias de neumonías, se calculó la Razón de tasas con sus IC 95%. La incidencia de neumonías/días en el periodo previo fue de 23,6 por 1000 días de asistencia respiratoria mecánica (ARM) y de 21,5 por 1000 días de ARM en el periodo posterior a la intervención. Aunque se notó una disminución en la incidencia, la misma no fue significativa [RR: 1,10- IC 95% (0,50-2,40)] DISCUSIÓN Concluimos del trabajo realizado que el equipo ha logrado incrementar la adherencia a la guía a través del uso de la herramienta BIM evidenciando un aumento significativo en las tasas de adherencia a las tres prácticas medidas; cabecera del paciente, higiene oral y prueba de ventilación espontánea. Sería necesario continuar midiendo la tasa de NAVM para poder evaluar en el tiempo el impacto de la mejora en la adhesión en dicho indicador

Blockade of Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla (RVLM) Bombesin Receptor Type 1 Decreases Blood Pressure and Sympathetic Activity in Anesthetized Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats.

Intrathecal injection of bombesin (BBS) promoted hypertensive and sympathoexcitatory effects in normotensive (NT) rats. However, the involvement of rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) in these responses is still unclear. In the present study, we investigated: (1) the effects of BBS injected bilaterally into RVLM on cardiorespiratory and sympathetic activity in NT and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR); (2) the contribution of RVLM BBS type 1 receptors (BB1) to the maintenance of hypertension in SHR. Urethane-anesthetized rats (1.2 g · kg(-1), i.v.) were instrumented to record mean arterial pressure (MAP), diaphragm (DIA) motor, and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA). In NT rats and SHR, BBS (0.3 mM) nanoinjected into RVLM increased MAP (33.9 ± 6.6 and 37.1 ± 4.5 mmHg, respectively; p < 0.05) and RSNA (97.8 ± 12.9 and 84.5 ± 18.1%, respectively; p < 0.05). In SHR, BBS also increased DIA burst amplitude (115.3 ± 22.7%; p < 0.05). BB1 receptors antagonist (BIM-23127; 3 mM) reduced MAP (-19.9 ± 4.4 mmHg; p < 0.05) and RSNA (-17.7 ± 3.8%; p < 0.05) in SHR, but not in NT rats (-2.5 ± 2.8 mmHg; -2.7 ± 5.6%, respectively). These results show that BBS can evoke sympathoexcitatory and pressor responses by activating RVLM BB1 receptors. This pathway might be involved in the maintenance of high levels of arterial blood pressure in SHR.

miR-17-92 cluster components analysis in Burkitt lymphoma: overexpression of miR-17 is associated with poor prognosis.

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is an aggressive B cell lymphoma characterized by the reciprocal translocation of the c-Myc gene with immunoglobulin genes. Recently, MYC has been shown to maintain the neoplastic state via the miR-17-92 microRNA cluster that suppresses chromatin regulatory genes and the apoptosis regulator Bim. However, the expression and prognostic impact of miR-17-92 members in pediatric BL (pBL) are unknown. Therefore, we investigated miR-17, miR-19a, miR-19b, miR-20, and miR-92a expression and prognostic impact in a series of 41 pBL samples. In addition, Bim protein expression was evaluated and compared to miR-17, miR-19a, miR-19b, miR-20, and miR-92a levels and patient outcomes. The expression of miR-17-92 members was evaluated by qPCR and Bim protein by immunohistochemistry. Log-rank test was employed to assess prognostic impact. We found that upregulated expression of miR-17 and miR-20a correlates with lack of pro-apoptotic Bim expression. Patients bearing tumors with upregulated miR-17 displayed decreased overall survival (OS), and multivariate analysis revealed that miR-17 was a significant predictor of shortened OS. Using hairpin inhibitors, we showed that inhibition of miR-17 resulted in enhanced Bim expression in a BL cell line overexpressing the miR-17-92 cluster. Our results describe for the first time miR-17, miR-19a, miR-19b, miR-20a, and miR-92a expression profiles in pBL. The prognostic impact of miR-17 should be validated in a larger series, and may provide new therapeutic avenues in the era of anti-miRNA therapy research. Additional functional studies are further required to understand the specific role of miR-17-92 cluster members in BL.

The proapoptotic protein Bim is up regulated by 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and its receptor agonist in endothelial cells and transformed by viral GPCR associated to Kaposi sarcoma.

We have previously shown that 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1α,25(OH)2D3] and its less calcemic analog TX 527 induce apoptosis via caspase-3 activation in endothelial cells (SVEC) and endothelial cells transformed by the viral G protein-coupled receptor associated to Kaposi sarcoma (vGPCR). In this work, we studied whether intrinsic apoptotic pathway could be activated by changing the balance between anti and pro-apoptotic proteins. Time response qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated that the mRNA level of anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2 decreased after 12h and increased after 48h treatment with 1α,25(OH)2D3 or TX 527 in SVEC and vGPCR cells, whereas its protein level remained unchanged through time. mRNA levels of pro-apoptotic gene Bax significantly increased only in SVEC after 24 and 48h treatment with 1α,25(OH)2D3 and TX 527 although its protein levels remained unchanged in both cell lines. Bim mRNA and protein levels increased in SVEC and vGPCR cells. Bim protein increase by 1α,25(OH)2D3 and TX 527 was abolished when the expression of vitamin D receptor (VDR) was suppressed. On the other hand, Bortezomib (0.25-1nM), an inhibitor of NF-κB pathway highly activated in vGPCR cells, increased Bim protein levels and induced caspase-3 cleavage. Altogether, these results indicate that 1α,25(OH)2D3 and TX 527 trigger apoptosis by Bim protein increase which turns into the activation of caspase-3 in SVEC and vGPCR cells. Moreover, this effect is mediated by VDR and involves NF-κB pathway inhibition in vGPCR.

Combretastatin A-4 induces p53 mitochondrial-relocalisation independent-apoptosis in non-small lung cancer cells.

Combretastatin A-4 (CA-4) is one of the most effective agents used in chemotherapy. Nevertheless, the contribution of p53 and Bim proteins in the CA-4-induced apoptosis in non-small lung cancer cells (NSCLC) remains unresolved, specifically on involving of p53 in the mitochondrial pathway activation by a transcription-independent mechanism. In this context, the p53-null H1299 and wt-p53 H460 NSCLC cells, in the absence and presence of pifithrin-µ (PFTµ), an inhibitor of p53 mitochondrial-translocation, were treated with CA-4 and different cellular endpoints were analysed. In contrast to previous observations in H460 cells, CA-4 failed in the activation of an apoptotic response in H1299 cells, thus indicating an involvement of p53 in the cell death induced by the drug. We found that CA-4 led to p53 cellular re-localisation in H460 cells; in particular, p53 was released from the microtubular network and accumulated at mitochondria where it interacts with Bim protein and other proteins of the Bcl-2 (B-cell leukaemia-2) family, leading to cytochrome c release, alteration in the mitochondrial membrane polarisation, cell cycle arrest at the G2/M-phase, and cell death. Interestingly, the cytosolic and the mitochondrial accumulation of protein Bim was strictly dependent on p53 status. The extent of cell death was not reduced in H460 after combined treatment of PFTµ with CA-4. Overall, the data support a model of CA-4-induced apoptosis in NSCLC, for which the expression of p53 protein is essential, but its mitochondrial function, linked to p53-transcription independent apoptosis pathway, is negligible.