Verso la nuova stagione della sostenibilità condivisa. Effetti su territorio, città e pianificazione locale

Verso la nuova stagione della sostenibilità condivisa. Effetti su territorio, città e pianificazione locale Paolo De Pascali, Valentina Alberti, Michele Reginaldi Le politiche per la sostenibilità mostrano evidenti elementi di criticità. In particolare gli accordi internazionali si sono resi scarsamente efficaci per promuovere la sostenibilità in sede locale Il commercio delle emissioni (cap & trade) è il cardine delle politiche (anche UE). L’ipotesi che vengano favoriti interventi low carbon nella competizione con il prezzo delle emissioni finora si è rivelata errata nell’attuale sistema di mercato e di finanza speculativa Emission trading risulta inefficace per la riconversione verde dell’economia diffusa, non arriva ai territori. Anche burden sharing non ha penetrazione in basso, si ferma a regione e riguarda i grandi impianti energy intensive Sul decentramento e localismo energetico la politica UE si muove con circospezione e debolezza, senza decise direttive operative; il processo di decentramento locale della liberalizzazione risulta lento e poco pervasivo Manca una politica di supporto al localismo. Le politiche di sostenibilità non arrivano ai territori e non partono da essi; interessano poco i processi di piano locale; i PAES come strumenti di marketing politico e non piani effettivi La green economy mira a seguire i canoni della old economy del business centralizzato con scarse ricadute sulle comunità locali. La mancanza di radicamento e controllo sociale ha favorito anche nel settore delle rinnovabili l’economia del malaffare Nascono dal basso iniziative autonome di sostenibilità su modelli di sharing economy basati su fattori di condivisione e inclusione avanzate. Il processo di liberalizzazione dell’energia può essere il motore della condivisione allargata per nuova sostenibilità condivisa e non imposta La strategia delle Community Energy si basa su un quadro teso a ribaltare il paradigma procedurale centro/periferia nei modelli locali di sviluppo. Persegue inoltre l'obiettivo di qualificazione energetica delle comunità locali secondo la valutazione dei relativi benefici sociali Il modello di distretto energetico può diventare la proiezione territoriale della comunità (condivisa e inclusiva) dell’energia, il contesto fisico-spaziale in cui collimano domanda e offerta di energia, l’ambito socio-tecnico di progetto in cui convergono fattori di trasformazione del territorio e innovazioni dell’assetto sociale Incidono fattori finanziari nell’investimento; alcune attuali tendenze possono giocare a favore o contro l’autodeterminazione della comunità; ICT alla scala urbana e piattaforme di supporto all’economia condivisa possono o meno contribuire alla definizione di confini geografici della comunità e allargare a portatori di interesse esterni Se da un lato viene facilitato il reperimento dei finanziamenti necessari per l'avvio dei progetti, la perdita dei riferimenti spaziali potrebbe però potenzialmente snaturare l'intento di qualificazione sociale degli utili che la comunità locale sarebbe portata a reinvestire nel proprio territorio, indebolendo considerevolmente le capacità di controllo del processo con possibili ricadute anche sulle logiche stesse di governo del territorio. Il progetto di distretto di comunità può promuovere piani di riqualificazione urbana con recupero dell’esistente, integrazione delle funzioni, infilling, agricoltura urbana food e no food, forestazione e naturalizzazione, infrastrutturazione ecologico ambientale, rigenerazione della città sociale 20 Principi e obiettivi oramai ineludibili di sostenibilità localmente condivisa (sharing sustainability), trovano prospettive nell’azione delle comunità e dei territori in campo energetico, in tale contesto possono riempire di nuovi contenuti, procedure e attori l’azione pianificatoria locale (in evidente declino in questa fase storica), rilanciandone il ruolo e le potenzialità applicativeThe classical standards of sustainability, so defined in the last century and mostly top-down oriented, show clear signs of crisis, while the effects of the liberalisation process of the energy market, albeit still too slowly, are going to mark a new systemic change in the sustainability issues, with relevant implications at a socio-economic perspective and in the organisation of cities and rural areas. This process is opening the way for the development of models that incorporate local potentiality and the pursuit of objectives of sustainable territorial development, social inclusion and environmental respect. The current research aims to identify and examine the new innovative practices linked with the theme of sharing energy production that are arising from liberalization process, the correspondence between practices of social organization and effect of territorial governance and transformation. Production, distribution and consumption of energy, as well as the canons of expanded government that characterise them, are confronted with the functional organisation of the territory and they can produce gradual transformation towards forms of better coherence between governance and sustainability targets; the local inclusive community can determine a new energy district model and energy district can contribute to build up communities

El proceso de paz como motor de crecimiento para el ecoturismo en Colombia

"El turismo es un actor fundamental en la economía de cualquier país en desarrollodebido a las numerosas oportunidades que ofrece. Hoy en día en Colombia, es uno de los sectores con más potencial de desarrollo, gran generador de empleo y creador de nuevos proyectos en el país. Es una de las industrias más estratégicas para la economía colombiana ya que mueve millones de personas y sólo en enero de 2016 3 585.000 turistas internacionales visitaron nuestro país. De igual forma, en 2015, el sector del turismo representaba según la ANATO el 3% del PIB nacional, mostrándolo comouno de los actores más importantes para el crecimiento de la economía colombiana. Con el posacuerdo, sector turístico tendrá beneficios muy positivos ya que, con el fin de incentivar la inversión turística, las empresas que inviertan en este sector estarán exentos del impuesto de renta entre 20 y 30 años ""Se declararon exentos del impuesto de renta por un término de 30 años las nuevas inversiones para la prestación de servicios de alojamiento y hospedaje.Colombia es considerada a nivel mundial como uno de los países con mayor biodiversidad a nivel mundial. Su riqueza en fauna, paisajes exóticos y ecosistemas atraen miles de turistas cada año, convirtiendo al país en uno de los destinos más anhelados para las personas que buscan un turismo no convencional. Según Proexport, Colombia Es una de las economías más grandes y estables de Suramérica, con la segunda mayor población y las condiciones deseguridad han mejorado favorablemente. Aunque muchos no lo crean, el eco- turismo es un sector que tendrá mucho potencial los próximos años De acuerdo con la OMT, si bien el turismo en naturaleza es el 8% del total, se trata de un sector que viene creciendo tres veces más rápido que los segmentos masivos. En este trabajo, el objetivo no es ver únicamente la evolución que tendrá este sector si no ver la implementación del acuerdo de paz en el turismo de naturaleza en Colombia."Introducción. Marco Teórico. Beneficios del posconflicto según la historia de otros países. Metodología. Impactos de la paz en el ecoturismo colombiano. Propuestas de mejora para el ecoturismo en Colombia. Conclusiones y Recomendaciones. Bibliografía. Anexos.Administrador de EmpresasPregrad

The challenges of planning in the unequal cities. "Urban poverty workshop" for innovating urban planners education path.

The recent shift from the Millennium Development Goals to the Sustainable Development Goals scored a point of no return in the international debate on development, stating that the separation between the rich part and the poor part of the population is no longer with the North and the South of the world, but between nearby areas in always more highly polarized contexts. In this framework, a deeper knowledge of the spatial dimension of poverty and of its spatial implications is required; especially in the Italian Faculty of Architecture where urban design and plan-making are frequently still considered "the real core" of the discipline with the general under-evaluation of the wicked problems. On the contrary, in the United States, thanks to the passionate work of Ananya Roy, this knowledge found its place, first in the university program at the Institute of Urban and Regional Development of UC Berkeley, and then in Los Angeles, being highly appreciated both by students, scholars and NGOs. According to this awareness, the first workshop "Urban Poverty. The praxis of planning in unequal cities" organized in September 2016 at the Sapienza’s Faculty of Architecture in Rome, gave the opportunity for discussing and testing theory and practices of urban research and city planning with issues of poverty, in particular regards of western cities and the city of Rome. This first experiment offered the opportunity to think about the interdisciplinary and/or international teaching aimed at preparing students for today’s and tomorrow’s planning challenges in the unequal cities

A new targeted CFTR mutation panel based on next-generation sequencing technology

Searching for mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene (CFTR) is a key step in the diagnosis of and neonatal and carrier screening for cystic fibrosis (CF), and it has implications for prognosis and personalized therapy. The large number of mutations and genetic and phenotypic variability make this search a complex task. Herein, we developed, validated, and tested a laboratory assay for an extended search for mutations in CFTR using a next-generation sequencing based method, with a panel of 188 CFTR mutations customized for the Italian population. Overall, 1426 dried blood spots from neonatal screening, 402 genomic DNA samples from various origins, and 1138 genomic DNA samples from patients with CF were analyzed. The assay showed excellent analytical and diagnostic operative characteristics. We identified and experimentally validated 159 (of 188) CFTR mutations. The assay achieved detection rates of 95.0% and 95.6% in two large-scale case series of CF patients from central and northern Italy, respectively. These detection rates are among the highest reported so far with a genetic test for CF based on a mutation panel. This assay appears to be well suited for diagnostics, neonatal and carrier screening, and assisted reproduction, and it represents a considerable advantage in CF genetic counseling

Intravenous immunoglobulins may prevent prednisone-exacerbation in myasthenia gravis

Corticosteroids may produce a paradoxical worsening of myasthenia gravis (MG) symptoms within the first weeks of treatment. We therefore wanted to assess the hypothesis that a prior infusion of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) may have a protective effect. Our primary objectives were to show that the coadministration of immunoglobulins and glucocorticoids is safe and effective for controlling myasthenic symptoms, and to compare the exacerbation rate with this approach and historical practice without IVIG. We recruited 45 patients with generalized MG who required corticosteroids for the first time and we gave all IVIG before starting the full doses of prednisone. Monitoring was performed with validated scales, questionnaires, and blood tests over a 6-week period. Only 4.4% had severe adverse effects related to IVIG and 86.7% improved clinically. Notably, only 2.2% had a paradoxical symptom exacerbation in the first weeks of starting prednisone, which was statistically lower than the 42% reported in a historical series. We conclude that adjuvant therapy with IVIG when starting prednisone for the first time in patients with generalized MG is safe and effective. Given that the rate of paradoxical worsening was lower than that previously reported, the addition of IVIG may have a protective effect against such exacerbations

Eculizumab as a promising treatment in thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis

Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune disorder caused by antibodies directed against the neuromuscular junction. Some patients may have an associated thymoma, which confers a worse prognosis. Eculizumab, a monoclonal antibody that inhibits the activation of terminal complement, has recently been approved for the treatment of refractory generalized myasthenia gravis. This is an early case report of thymoma-associated refractory myasthenia gravis successfully treated with eculizumab in a real-world setting

The Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor: 2019 Edition

This second edition of the Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor shows how well 190 cities in 30 European countries perform on a range of measures describing the ‘Cultural Vibrancy’, the ‘Creative Economy’ and the ‘Enabling Environment’ of a city. In 2018, Madrid, Geneva and Győr used the Monitor to pursue different objectives, such as analysing investment needs and re-designing creative industries’ strategies. A paper was also published in a top-level journal in the field of urban studies (Cities) to offer policy insights to the scholarly community. As one of the 65 actions of the European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage, the Monitor wants to support the European Commission’s efforts to put culture at the heart of its policy agenda through evidence and success stories in cities.JRC.I.1-Monitoring, Indicators & Impact Evaluatio

Enhancement of TiO2 NPs Activity by Fe3O4 Nano-Seeds for Removal of Organic Pollutants in Water

The enhancement of the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs), synthesized in the presence of a very small amount of magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles, is here presented and discussed. From X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses, the crystallinity of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) seems to be affected by Fe3O4, acting as nano-seeds to improve the tetragonal TiO2 anatase structure with respect to the amorphous one. Photocatalytic activity data, i.e., the degradation of methylene blue and the Ofloxacin fluoroquinolone emerging pollutant, give evidence that the increased crystalline structure of the NPs, even if correlated to a reduced surface to mass ratio (with respect to commercial TiO2 NPs), enhances the performance of this type of catalyst. The achievement of a relatively well-defined crystal structure at low temperatures (Tmax = 150 \u25e6C), preventing the sintering of the TiO2 NPs and, thus, preserving the high density of active sites, seems to be the keystone to understand the obtained results

A user interface framework for the Square Kilometre Array: concepts and responsibilities

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project is responsible for developing the SKA Observatory, the world's largest radio telescope, with eventually over a square kilometre of collecting area and including a general headquarters as well as two radio telescopes: SKA1-Mid in South Africa and SKA1-Low in Australia. The SKA project consists of a number of subsystems (elements) among which the Telescope Manager (TM) is the one involved in controlling and monitoring the SKA telescopes. The TM element has three primary responsibilities: management of astronomical observations, management of telescope hardware and software subsystems, management of data to support system operations and all stakeholders (operators, maintainers, engineers and science users) in achieving operational, maintenance and engineering goals. Operators, maintainers, engineers and science users will interact with TM via appropriate user interfaces (UI). The TM UI framework envisaged is a complete set of general technical solutions (components, technologies and design information) for implementing a generic computing system (UI platform). Such a system will enable UI components to be instantiated to allow for human interaction via screens, keyboards, mouse and to implement the necessary logic for acquiring or deriving the information needed for interaction. It will provide libraries and specific Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to implement operator and engineer interactive interfaces. This paper will provide a status update of the TM UI framework, UI platform and UI components design effort, including the technology choices, and discuss key challenges in the TM UI architecture, as well as our approaches to addressing them