Un lessico per la nuova urbanistica

Il lessico per la ‘nuova’ urbanistica matura dal 1925 (prima edizione di Urbanisme) al 1946 (prima edizione di Manière de Penser l’Urbanisme e Propos d’Urbanisme) e si perfeziona nel periodo drammatico della ricostruzione post-bellica, intesa come opportunità di una rifondazione dottrinale. Attraverso tre parole – dottrina, assetto, piano – il contributo di Giovanna Bianchi riflette su alcuni elementi portanti, di natura teorica e propositiva, che definiscono per Le Corbusier lo statuto disciplinare della nuova urbanistica. In particolare, Antonella Galassi propone di interpretare il lessico come un insieme di parole e disegni che corrispondono alle componenti elementari dei suoi piani - città, funzioni, strada - dalle quali è possibile formare sequenze che generano il prototipo/modello da cui egli ottiene il prodotto/progettoThe lexicon for the ‘new’ town planning mature from 1925 (first edition of Urbanisme ) to 1946 (first edition of Manière de Penser l’Urbanisme e Propos d’Urbanisme) and perfected in the dramatic period of post-war reconstruction, understood as an opportunity of a doctrinal refoundation. Through three words - doctrine, structure, plan - the Giovanna Bianchi contribution reflects on some carrying elements, theoretical and proactive , that define for Le Corbusier the disciplinary statute of town planning. In particular, Antonella Galassi proposes to interpret the lexicon as a set of words and sketches that correspond to the basic components of its plans - city , functions , road - from which it is possible to form sequences that generate the prototype/model from which he obtained the product/project

Comparison of the historic seismicity and strain-rate pattern from a dense GPS-GNSS network solution in the Italian Peninsula

Abstract We present a dense crustal velocity field and corresponding strain-rate pattern computed using Global Positioning System (GPS)- Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data from several hundred permanent stations in the Italian Peninsula. GPS data analysis is based on the GAMIT/GLOBK 10.6 software, which was developed and maintained mainly by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), using tools based on the distributed-sessions approach implemented in this package. The GPS data span the period from January 2008 to December 2012 and come from several different permanent GPS networks in Italy. The GLOBK package implemented in the last version of the GAMIT package is used to compute the position time-series and velocities registered in the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) 2008. The resulting high-density intra-plate velocity field provides indications of the tectonics of the Mediterranean region. A computation of the strain-rate pattern from GPS data is performed and compared with the map of the epicentral locations of historical earthquakes that occurred in the last 1000 years in the Italian territory, showing that, in general, higher crustal deformation rates are active in regions affected by seismicity of greater magnitude

Fasting induces Anti-Warburg Effect that Increases Respiration but Reduces ATP-Synthesis to Promote Apoptosis in Colon Cancer Models

Tumor chemoresistance is associated with high aerobic glycolysis rates and reduced oxidative phosphorylation, a phenomenon called “Warburg effect” whose reversal could impair the ability of a wide range of cancer cells to survive in the presence or absence of chemotherapy. In previous studies, Short-term-starvation (STS) was shown to protect normal cells and organs but to sensitize different cancer cell types to chemotherapy but the mechanisms responsible for these effects are poorly understood. We tested the cytotoxicity of Oxaliplatin (OXP) combined with a 48hour STS on the progression of CT26 colorectal tumors. STS potentiated the effects of OXP on the suppression of colon carcinoma growth and glucose uptake in both in vitro and in vivo models. In CT26 cells, STS down-regulated aerobic glycolysis, and glutaminolysis, while increasing oxidative phosphorylation. The STS-dependent increase in both Complex I and Complex II-dependent O2 consumption was associated with increased oxidative stress and reduced ATP synthesis. Chemotherapy caused additional toxicity, which was associated with increased succinate/Complex II-dependent O2 consumption, elevated oxidative stress and apoptosis . These findings indicate that the glucose and amino acid deficiency conditions imposed by STS promote an anti-Warburg effect characterized by increased oxygen consumption but failure to generate ATP, resulting in oxidative damage and apoptosis

Comunità costiere tra forme di potere e ambienti ‘ostili’ nella Toscana altomedievale. Un caso di studio tra ‘polarizzazione’ e nucleazione’

Nel primo paragrafo dell’articolo si procede ad una sintetica rassegna delle indagini che hanno riguardato i paesaggi costieri della Toscana altomedievale, necessaria ad inquadrare il caso studio preso in esame. Quest’ultimo è relativo all’analisi multidisciplinare delle evidenze materiali di una corte regia identificata con quella di Valli, citata nel dotario di Ugo di Arles del 937 a favore della futura moglie Berta e di sua figlia Adelaide. Nel secondo, terzo e quarto paragrafo si illustrano in dettaglio i risultati delle ricerche per il caso studio: da quelle svolte nel centro della corte regia, ovvero nel sito dell’attuale Vetricella (Grosseto), ai survey multidisciplinari nel territorio circostante, originariamente interno alla stessa corte. Il paesaggio antropico e le modifiche del paesaggio naturale e forestale sono ricostruite dalle prime fasi di occupazione altomedievale sino all’abbandono, nel corso dell’XI-XII secolo. Nell’ultimo paragrafo i dati esposti sono comparati con quelli desumibili dalle indagini svolte nei territori circostanti, con l’obiettivo di arricchire il quadro delineato nel noto modello toscano elaborato da Riccardo Francovich, tramite il concetto di polarizzazione, a cui si legherebbe la trama dell’articolazione di queste comunità costiere rispetto a luoghi topici e dominanti

La manera de construir, habitar y percibir las casas particulares de la alta Edad Media en Italia

The first part of the article sums up the evolution of the subject of private houses and homes in Italian historiography, beginning mainly in the 1970s, when scholars began to take an interest in this subject, also thanks to the development of the modern discipline of Medieval Archeology. After identifying current lines of research, the second section analyzes the main kinds of dwellings, their geographical distribution, and their various chronologies. The third section goes on to discuss the issue of how these residential buildings were the product of particular technical skills, analyzing the characteristics of the knowledge of the people who built them, in some cases also attested to in written sources. The fourth section seeks to link specific choices of construction solution to the socio-economic context of the time, trying to establish a connection between the type of buildings that were built, the kind of life their inhabitants led, and the contemporary mentality. The last section is dedicated to a sort of final synthesis, with a brief, further examination of the various issues dealt with in the article as a whole.La primera parte del artículo hace un resumen de la evolución de las casas particulares y viviendas domésticas en la historiografía italiana a partir de los años 70, cuando los estudiosos empezaron a interesarse por el tema y también gracias al desarrollo de la disciplina moderna de arqueología medieval. Tras identificar las actuales líneas de investigación, la segunda parte analiza los principales tipos de vivienda, su distribución geográfica y diversas cronologías. La tercera aborda el concepto de las viviendas residenciales como el resultado de determinadas habilidades técnicas y analiza las características del conocimiento del pueblo que las levantó, corroborando algunos casos con fuentes documentales. La cuarta parte intenta encontrar una relación entre las decisiones tomadas en determinadas soluciones constructivas y el contexto socioeconómico de la época, con el fin de establecer una conexión entre la tipología de las viviendas, la vida de sus moradores y la mentalidad de la época. El último apartado ofrece un resumen final con un breve repaso a los temas abordados en el artículo

Propulsori di urbanità

Il saggio “Propulsori di urbanità” fa parte del volume ”La stazione della metropolitana propulsore di urbanità diffusa”, di cui Giovanna Bianchi è co-autrice con Alessandra Criconia, che raccoglie gli esiti della ricerca universitaria SURFas (Strategie Urbane Reti Forme dell’abitare sostenibile, Sapienza Università di Roma 2012), coordinata dalle stesse autrici. Il volume si interroga sui caratteri della stazione della metropolitana o della ferrovia urbana quale strumenti-chiave della multimodalità, nella convinzione che la stazione “piccola” possa diventare un propulsore di urbanità diffusa, grazie alla ricchezza e varietà di funzioni sviluppate all’interno e all’esterno, nello spazio di prossimità. Il saggio è organizzato in tre parti. La prima parte riflette sull’ipotesi della ricerca – che la stazione della metropolitana o della ferrovia urbana possa essere un propulsore urbano diffuso – a partire da tre temi di sfondo: la mobilità sostenibile declinata in termini di accessibilità a condizioni di urbanità e, dunque, quale nuovo standard qualitativo e prestazionale; una concezione rinnovata di densificazione multiscalare nello spazio ma anche nel tempo; la stazione non come nodo della rete del ferro ma come luogo urbano (microcentralità di quartiere) e, dunque, come spazio pubblico. La seconda parte offre una lettura mirata della pianificazione (PRG 2008) e della programmazione (PGTU 2015, Carte dei valori dei Municipi 2014) per i quartieri interessati dai casi di studio della ricerca (Roma, quattro stazioni della linea della metropolitana B1 e quattro stazioni urbane della linea ferroviaria FL3), alla cui luce verificare l’ipotesi di ricerca. La terza parte, infine, avanza considerazioni sintetiche sul metodo operativo proposto dalla ricerca e sulla sua utilità nel progetto della stazione/spazio pubblico.The essay "Propulsori di urbanità" is part of the volume "La stazione della metropolitana propulsore di urbanità diffusa", of which Giovanna Bianchi is co-author with Alessandra Criconia, which collects the results of university research SURFas (Urban Strategies Networks Forms of living sustainable, Sapienza University of Rome 2012), coordinated by the authors themselves. The volume questions the characteristics of the subway station and urban railway, as key tools of multimodality, this in the belief that the "small" station can become a driving force of widespread urbanity, thanks to the richness and variety of functions developed inside and outside, in the proximity space. The essay is organized in three parts. The first part reflects on the hypothesis of research - that the subway or urban railway station can be a widespread urban driving force - starting from three background themes: sustainable mobility declined in terms of accessibility to urban conditions and, therefore, as a new quality and performance standard; a renewed concept of multiscale densification in space but also over time; the station not as a node of the rail network but as an urban place (neighborhood microcentrality) and, therefore, as a public space. The second part offers a focus on planning (PRG 2008, PGTU 2015, Maps of the values of the Municipalities 2014) for the neighborhoods affected by the research study cases (Rome, four stations of the B1 subway line and four urban stations of the FL3 railway line), in order to verify the research hypothesis. Finally, the third part presents synthetic considerations on the operating method proposed by the research and on its usefulness in the design of the station as a public space

Building, inhabiting and «perceiving» private houses in early medieval Italy

The first part of the article sums up the evolution of the subject of private houses and homes in Italian historiography, beginning mainly in the 1970s, when scholars began to take an interest in this subject, also thanks to the development of the modern discipline of Medieval Archeology. After identifying current lines of research, the second section analyzes the main kinds of dwellings, their geographical distribution, and their various chronologies. The third section goes on to discuss the issue of how these residential buildings were the product of particular technical skills, analyzing the characteristics of the knowledge of the people who built them, in some cases also attested to in written sources. The fourth section seeks to link specific choices of construction solution to the socio-economic context of the time, trying to establish a connection between the type of buildings that were built, the kind of life their inhabitants led, and the contemporary mentality. The last section is dedicated to a sort of final synthesis, with a brief, further examination of the various issues dealt with in the article as a whole.La primera parte del artículo hace un resumen de la evolución de las casas particulares y viviendas domésticas en la historiografía italiana a partir de los años 70, cuando los estudiosos empezaron a interesarse por el tema y también gracias al desarrollo de la disciplina moderna de arqueología medieval. Tras identificar las actuales líneas de investigación, la segunda parte analiza los principales tipos de vivienda, su distribución geográfica y diversas cronologías. La tercera aborda el concepto de las viviendas residenciales como el resultado de determinadas habilidades técnicas y analiza las características del conocimiento del pueblo que las levantó, corroborando algunos casos con fuentes documentales. La cuarta parte intenta encontrar una relación entre las decisiones tomadas en determinadas soluciones constructivas y el contexto socioeconómico de la época, con el fin de establecer una conexión entre la tipología de las viviendas, la vida de sus moradores y la mentalidad de la época. El último apartado ofrece un resumen final con un breve repaso a los temas abordados en el artículo

Historical and archaeological analysis of the Church of the Nativity

The team has considered the special status of the Basilica of Bethlehem, which is not just a monument of outstanding historic and artistic importance, but also and fundamentally a holy place, that has long been and is still perceived as a memorial site, marking the place of Christ’s birth and transcribing into a sacred topography the main events of the Gospel narratives. Because of such a peculiarity, the team considered that it was indispensable to analyze the Basilica of Bethlehem from different viewpoints, namely those of archaeological and historical research. The historical approach aims at understanding the centuries-old development of the holy site as a ritual space and the materialized expression of holiness, the ways in which it has been perceived and used, and the messages that it was meant to convey to its beholders. It combines the findings of previous archaeological research with the data provided by the analysis of written evidence, including old textual sources about the Basilica (especially chronicles and pilgrims’accounts). For the archaeological study of the Basilica of the Nativity, we used the methodology of its investigation of the Archeology of Architecture. Stratigraphical analysis was carried out in relation to various portions of the church walls, as well as in relation to the buildings that make up the whole complex, in order to understand the dynamics of major changes in the structure in its entirety. Direct analysis of evidence from the walls was supported by the reading of existing literature and historical maps with particular reference to the plans of the church. These tools of investigation have been applied to the analysis of the church in its entirety, including its underground cavities

Gene-specific methylation profiles in BRCA-mutation positive and BRCA-mutation negative male breast cancers

Male breast cancer (MBC) is a rare disease. Due to its rarity, MBC research and clinical approach are mostly based upon data derived from female breast cancer (FBC). Increasing evidence indicate that on molecular level MBC may be an heterogeneous disease different from FBC. In order to investigate whether epigenetic signatures could define molecular subgroups of MBCs, we performed promoter methylation analysis of genes involved in signal transduction and hormone signalling in BRCA1/2 mutation-positive and -negative MBCs. We examined 69 MBCs, paired blood samples, and 15 normal tissues for promoter methylation of hTERT, ESR1, RASSF1, AR, MYC and WNT1 genes. MBCs showed higher gene promoter methylation levels compared to paired blood and normal breast samples. Significantly higher RASSF1 methylation levels were observed in association with BRCA1/2 mutations, HER2 expression and high tumor grade. Significantly higher AR methylation levels were observed in BRCA1/2 wild-type cases and higher WNT1 methylation levels in PR negative cases. Overall, our results indicate that alterations in gene methylation profiles are common in MBC and that methylation pattern of tumor-associated genes may allow for the identification of MBC molecular subgroups, that could have implications in clinical management of MBC patients

l archeologia dell elevato come archeologia

A seguito della recente comparsa in Italia di numerosi studi dedicati all'archeologia dell'architettura, si vuole proporre con questo contributo una riflessione sui rapporti tra la stratigrafia verticale e quella orizzontale e, in particolare, sui rapporti tra l'indagine dell'evidenza materiale (strutture verticali) e la sua interpretazione. In questo contesto si presentano alcuni studi coordinati dall'Insegnamento di Archeologia Medievale dell'Università di Siena, riguardanti progetti realizzati intorno alla nascita e allo sviluppo dei castelli, con particolare riferimento alla Toscana centro meridionale