Using floating car data to analyse the effects of its measures and eco-driving.

The road transportation sector is responsible for around 25% of total man-made CO2 emissions worldwide. Considerable efforts are therefore underway to reduce these emissions using several approaches, including improved vehicle technologies, traffic management and changing driving behaviour. Detailed traffic and emissions models are used extensively to assess the potential effects of these measures. However, if the input and calibration data are not sufficiently detailed there is an inherent risk that the results may be inaccurate. This article presents the use of Floating Car Data to derive useful speed and acceleration values in the process of traffic model calibration as a means of ensuring more accurate results when simulating the effects of particular measures. The data acquired includes instantaneous GPS coordinates to track and select the itineraries, and speed and engine performance extracted directly from the on-board diagnostics system. Once the data is processed, the variations in several calibration parameters can be analyzed by comparing the base case model with the measure application scenarios. Depending on the measure, the results show changes of up to 6.4% in maximum speed values, and reductions of nearly 15% in acceleration and braking levels, especially when eco-driving is applied.

Valuation of social and health effects of transport-related air pollution in Madrid (Spain).

Social impacts of pollutants from mobile sources are a key element in urban design and traffic planning. One of the most relevant impacts is health effects associated with high pollution periods. Madrid is a city that suffers chronic congestion levels and some periods of very stable atmospheric conditions; as a result, pollution levels exceed air quality standards for certain pollutants. This paper focuses on the social evaluation of transport-related emissions. A new methodology to evaluate those impacts in monetary terms has been designed and applied to Madrid. The method takes into account costs associated with losses in working time, mortality and human suffering; calculated using an impact pathway approach linked to CORINAIR emissions. This also allows the calculation of social costs associated with greenhouse gas impacts. As costs have been calculated individually by effect and mode of transport, they can be used to design pricing policies based on real social costs. This paper concludes that the health and social costs of transport-related air pollution in Madrid is 357 Meuro. In these circumstances, the recent public health tax applied in Madrid is clearly correct and sensible with a fair pricing policy on car use.

Laparoscopic biliopancreatic diversion with distal gastric preservation: technique and three-year followup.

BACKGROUND: Biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) has been used satisfactorily as one of several surgical treatments against morbid obesity in order to achieve long-term weight reduction. Our goal was to develop the BPD laparoscopically in humans in order to improve postoperative recovery and to reduce early and late complications, above all those derived from the abdominal wall, while maintaining the weight reduction results achieved. In addition, in order to reduce the laparoscopic difficulty of BPD technique and some complications associated with gastrectomy, we only carried it out in cases in which we considered it indispensable. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Since October 2000 we have performed 50 laparoscopic BPD with distal gastric preservation (39 women and 11 men). We preserve the distal stomach if the upper digestive endoscopy with biopsy does not show pathological findings. RESULTS: Two operations (within the first ten cases) were converted to open surgery. The average operating time was 177.7 minutes (range, 110-360 minutes). There were no immediate postoperative complications. There was no postoperative mortality. CONCLUSION: It has been proven that BPD can be performed satisfactorily using laparoscopy, but this technique requires a very skilled and experienced laparoscopic surgeon. Avoiding gastrectomy is a very interesting option in order to reduce technical difficulties, surgeon stress, duration of the operation, patient stress, and, probably, postoperative morbidity and mortality. Laparoscopic BPD with distal gastric preservation is a very promising bariatric procedure with potential advantages over laparoscopic BPD with gastrectomy or open BPD.

Bypass biliopancreático. Comentario / Biliopancreatic bypass. Comment

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Laparoscopic biliopancreatic diversion: technical aspects and results of our protocol.

BACKGROUND: Biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) has been an excellent operation for morbid obesity to achieve long-term weight reduction. We present our laparoscopic BPD protocol, which includes laparoscopic BPD with or without gastrectomy. METHODS: Our two interventions are: 1) BPD (Scopinaro) by laparoscopy in patients with findings on gastroscopy; 2) BPD by laparoscopy with proximal gastric division without resection in patients without findings on gastroscopy. Since October 2000, we performed 65 laparoscopic BPDs (45 women, 20 men). RESULTS: 4 cases were converted to open surgery, 3 in the first 10 cases. The average operating-time was 176 minutes (360-110). We detected 2 stenoses of the gastric anastomosis. 2 patients had to be re-operated during the immediate postoperative period because of a leak from the jejuno-ileal anastomosis and a hemoperitoneum. CONCLUSION: BPD can be performed satisfactorily by laparoscopy. Avoiding the gastrectomy is an interesting option to reduce technical difficulties, the surgeon's stress, duration of the operation, the patient's stress, and, probably, postoperative morbidity and mortality. We consider an upper digestive endoscopy to be mandatory to determine, before operating, if the patient will need a gastrectomy, depending on its results.

Derivación biliopancreática laparoscópica para el tratamiento de la obesidad mórbida.Aspectos técnicos y análisis de los resultadospreliminares / Laparoscopic biliopancreatic diversion for the treatment of severe obesity. Technical aspects and analysis of preliminary results

Objetivo. En el presente estudio pretendemos demostrar que la derivación biliopancreática puede ser llevada a cabo por vía laparoscópica, aunque con cierto grado de complejidad.Pacientes y método. Entre noviembre de 2000 y abril de 2003 hemos realizado una derivación biliopancreática laparoscópica a 40 pacientes afectados de obesidad mórbida, 33 mujeres y 7 varones, con una edad media de 44,8 años y un índice medio de masa corporal de 46,6 kg/m2 (rango, 39,9-61 kg/m2). En nuestra serie realizamos gastrectomía cuando existía algún factor de riesgo de enfermedad neoplásica y/o ulcerosa (positividad para Helicobacter pylori, pólipo,displasia o metaplasia). En caso contrario manteníamos el estómago distal, de forma similar al bypass gástrico. Mantuvimos el remanente gástrico distal en 29 casos y practicamos gastrectomía en 11.Resultados. El tiempo operatorio medio en los primeros 10 casos fue de 242 min (rango, 180-360 min) y 3 de ellos requirieron reconversión. En los últimos 10 pacientes el tiempo fue de 143 min (rango, 110-190 min). Entre los primeros 6 pacientes, 3 tuvieron complicaciones (fuga anastomótica, edema y estenosis de gastroyeyunostomía y un fallecimiento por broncoaspiración). En el resto de la serie hubo un caso de hemoperitoneo que no precisó intervención quirúrgica y otro de atelectasia. En el momento actual, 11 pacientes han superado los 18 meses tras la intervención, con un índice de masa corporal medio de 27,7 kg/m2 (rango, 20-31,8 kg/m2) y un porcentaje medio de sobrepeso perdido del 82,5 por ciento (rango, 61,3125 por ciento).Conclusiones. La derivación biliopancreática es factible por vía laparoscópica, pero está gravada por una dificultosa curva de apredizaje (AU)