Optimized Cool Coatings as a Strategy to Improve Urban Equivalent Albedo at Various Latitudes

This research study aimed to investigate the influences of angular-selective retro-reflective (AS-RR) and retro-reflective (RR) materials on the urban equivalent albedo (αeq). Full ray tracing solar analyses were conducted through the Monte Carlo-based numerical model validated in a previous work. Different geometry scenarios with different patterns of urban density were modelled. AS-RR and RR materials were alternately applied to the street and to the most irradiated façade. AS-RR materials were proposed to enhance the αeq of the urban environment particularly during summer. Solar analyses were reiterated for three latitudes (i.e., Oslo, Milan, Cairo). RR pavements and façades were capable of increasing the αeq throughout the year. However, implementing an angular-selective behavior allowed for a reduction of the mitigation potential of RR materials during the winter season. In their best application, RR and AS-RR materials enabled higher αeq in summer (122%) with negligible effects during the winter (7%). Finally, the study highlighted the need for exploiting numerical models capable of conducting full ray tracing solar analyses when investigating materials whose optical properties depend on the angle of incidence of the sunrays (such as RR materials)

Cities in transformation.Computational urban planning through big data analytics.

Future scenarios foresee a city as a fragmented and uneven system in relation to rapidly evolving environmental, economic and social phenomena. The traditional urban planning tools, based on a theoretical-predictive appro-ach, adapt poorly. We need to rethink how to govern the transformations of a city, which can be described by models of urban metabolism. City Sensing has changed the way a city is explored and used. With the transition from di-gitisation to datafication, through a computational approach, one can process georeferenced datasets within algorithms in order to achieve a higher quality of the project. This process exploits data provided by public administrations, companies and citizens taking part in inclusive and adaptive urban planning.Keywords: City Sensing; Datafication; Big Data Analytics; Computational Urban Planning; Adaptive and Inclusive Urban Planning

architectural and energy refurbishment of the headquarter of the university of teramo

Abstract The recent seismic events, which distressed the population of the Central Italy, have caused the incompliance with national safety standards of several historical buildings. In particular, the headquarter of the University of Teramo revealed some structural damages which make necessary to operate a restoration of the buildings. It represents a rare opportunity for investigating possible applications of a cluster of technologies and approaches largely recognized as efficient and high-performing to such particular buildings in order to achieve an upgrading in terms of energy efficiency. The proposal includes the improvement of the exploitation of renewable energy sources through adequate systems, which do not modify the visual perception of the pavilions. In that regards, the required electricity could be produced by a PV roofing installed on the parking area, while a biomass boiler and an absorption chiller could allow supplying the thermal and cooling needs. Furthermore, the rain water recovery system permits to reduce the exploitation of potable water for uses which do not require a high quality, such as irrigation. On the other hand, the envelope energy efficiency could be enhanced by applying passive strategies for reducing the heat losses ( winter conditions ) and gains ( summer conditions ) through facades and roof. The results confirmed the reliability of those interventions and the consequent advantages from an economical and energy point of view

Metastasis of hormone-independent breast cancer to lung and bone is decreased by α-difluoromethylornithine treatment

INTRODUCTION: Polyamines affect proliferation, differentiation, migration and apoptosis of cells, indicating their potential as a target for cancer chemotherapy. Ornithine decarboxylase converts ornithine to putrescine and is the rate-limiting step in polyamine synthesis. α-Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) irreversibly inhibits ornithine decarboxylase and MDA-MB-435 human breast cancer metastasis to the lung without blocking orthotopic tumor growth. This study tested the effects of DFMO on orthotopic tumor growth and lung colonization of another breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231) and the effects on bone metastasis of MDA-MB-435 cells. METHODS: MDA-MB-231 cells were injected into the mammary fat pad of athymic mice. DFMO treatment (2% per orally) began at the day of tumor cell injection or 21 days post injection. Tumor growth was measured weekly. MDA-MB-231 cells were injected into the tail vein of athymic mice. DFMO treatment began 7 days prior to injection, or 7 or 14 days post injection. The number and incidence of lung metastases were determined. Green fluorescent protein-tagged MDA-MB-435 cells were injected into the left cardiac ventricle in order to assess the incidence and extent of metastasis to the femur. DFMO treatment began 7 days prior to injection. RESULTS: DFMO treatment delayed MDA-MB-231 orthotopic tumor growth to a greater extent than growth of MDA-MB-435 tumors. The most substantial effect on lung colonization by MDA-MB-231 cells occurred when DFMO treatment began 7 days before intravenous injection of tumor cells (incidence decreased 28% and number of metastases per lung decreased 35–40%). When DFMO treatment began 7 days post injection, the incidence and number of metastases decreased less than 10%. Surprisingly, treatment initiated 14 days after tumor cell inoculation resulted in a nearly 50% reduction in the number of lung metastases without diminishing the incidence. After intracardiac injection, DFMO treatment decreased the incidence of bone metastases (55% vs 87%) and the area occupied by the tumor (1.66 mm(2 )vs 4.51 mm(2), P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Taken together, these data demonstrate that DFMO exerts an anti-metastatic effect in more than one hormone-independent breast cancer, for which no standard form of biologically-based treatment exists. Importantly, the data show that DFMO is effective against metastasis to multiple sites and that treatment is generally more effective when administered early

A Comparative Study on Opto-Thermal Properties of Natural Clay Bricks Incorporating Dredged Sediments

The brick industry is currently facing a shortage of natural resources. Despite this, the demand for construction bricks is progressively increasing. Alternative materials, such as dredged sediments and solid organic waste, have been recently proposed as options to replace natural clay in brick manufacturing. Potential exploitation of dredged sediments in clay bricks is evaluated in this study. The chemical composition of the mixtures and the opto-thermal properties of brick samples, which differed for the dredged sediment content (from 10% to 50% of the clay weight), were investigated. Chemical analyses detected lower concentrations of heavy metals in bricks incorporating dredged sediments (DS). Negligible variations in thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and specific heat were observed by increasing the amount of DS in the mixture. In particular, the thermal conductivity values ranged between 0.45 ± 0.03 W m−1 K−1 (DS-50) and 0.50 ± 0.03 W m−1 K−1 (DS-30). Conversely, the color shift value and spectral reflectance in the infrared field were found directly proportional to the concentration of DS. Using dredged sediments as building material demonstrated to be a solution to the problem of their disposal and the scarcity of raw materials, reducing the global warming score by up to 2.8%

Un componente di facciata attivo integrato nell’edificio: dallo studio al prototipo innovativo Active façade component integrated into the building: from the study to the innovative prototype

L’articolo riporta i risultati di una ricerca condotta nell’ambito del progetto “Energyskin: facciate edilizie attive”, finanziato dalla Regione Piemonte e dal FSE (Fondo Sociale Europeo), tra partner industriali e accademici con l’obiettivo di sviluppare, monitorare e ottimizzare la progettazione di un componente di involucro dinamico adattivo innovativo che, integrando la tecnologia della pompa di calore e del solare termico, utilizza l’involucro come fonte/pozzo di recupero di calore. La ricerca prende avvio dall’ipotesi di mettere a sistema le competenze accademiche con quelle delle realtà industriali per innescare quel processo che porta all’innovazione, superando le barriere degli specialismi che, nella prassi corrente, caratterizzano sia gli specifici modelli funzionali delle aziende sia gli ambiti disciplinari accademici

Development and validation of the ID-EC - The ITALIAN version of the identify chronic migraine

Background: Case-finding tools, such as the Identify Chronic Migraine (ID-CM) questionnaire, can improve detection of CM and alleviate its significant societal burden. We aimed to develop and validate the Italian version of the ID-CM (ID-EC) in paper and as a smart app version in a headache clinic-based setting. Methods: The study investigators translated and adapted to the Italian language the original ID-CM questionnaire (ID-EC) and further implemented it as a smart app. The ID-EC was tested in its paper and electronic version in consecutive patients referring to 9 Italian tertiary headache centers for their first in-person visit. The scoring algorithm of the ID-EC paper version was applied by the study investigators (case-finding) and by patients (self-diagnosis), while the smart app provided to patients automatically the diagnosis. Diagnostic accuracy of the ID-EC was assessed by matching the questionnaire results with the interview-based diagnoses performed by the headache specialists during the visit according to the criteria of International Classification of Headache Disorders, III edition, beta version. Results: We enrolled 531 patients in the test of the paper version of ID-EC and 427 in the validation study of the smart app. According to the clinical diagnosis 209 patients had CM in the paper version study and 202 had CM in the smart app study. 79.5% of patients returned valid paper questionnaires, while 100% of patients returned valid and complete smart app questionnaires. The paper questionnaire had a 81.5% sensitivity and a 81.1% specificity for case-finding and a 30.7% sensitivity and 90.7% specificity for self-diagnosis, while the smart app had a 64.9% sensitivity and 90.2% specificity. Conclusions: Our data suggest that the ID-EC, developed and validated in tertiary headache centers, is a valid case-finding tool for CM, with sensitivity and specificity values above 80% in paper form, while the ID-EC smart app is more useful to exclude CM diagnosis in case of a negative result. Further studies are warranted to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the ID-EC in general practice and population-based settings

Tranexamic Acid in Pertrochanteric Femoral Fracture: Is it a Safe Drug or Not?

AbstractBackground:There is a high incidence of blood transfusion following hip fractures in elderly patients.Aim:The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and complications of use of tranexamic acid in proximal femur nailing surgery.Materials and methods:Our sample group consisted of 90 patients suffering from pertrochanteric fractures surgically treated with osteosynthesis with SupernailGT(LimaCorporate). The classification system AO/OTA was used to divide the fractures into 31A1 (n=45) and 31A2 (n=45). The patients were divided into two groups: 47 patients were administered 15 mg of tranexamic acid per kg (group A) and 43 patients were administered placebo (group B). Blood counts were monitored daily to evaluate the rate of anemia. As a safety criterion, we monitored the possible occurrence of vascular events, symptomatic or not, over the 8 weeks post-surgery. Markers predicting mortality and deep venous thrombosis (DVE) were also monitored (fibrinogen D-dimer).Results:Blood loss occurring post-surgery can be influenced by numerous factors that are not linked to the use or non-use of tranexamic acid. While closely monitoring hemoglobin levels daily, we observed that 42% of the patients in group A required blood transfusion as opposed to 60% in group B. The results of the markers predicting mortality (alpha1-acid glycoprotein; albumin LDL) and those of DVE were not statistically significant between the two groups in this study (p>0.05).Conclusion:Based on this study, the use of tranexamic acid was statistically significant in reducing post-surgery blood loss