Modelling process knowledge in architectural design: A case-based approach

The paper presents on-going research aimed at the understanding and support of process knowledge in architectural design, from early and not sufficiently defined, to satisfactorily-defined phases. Today, technical, planning, management and environmental issues have created a scenario of such complexity that traditionally efficient control tools (e.g. technical manuals) are inadequate and there is a demand for new, integrated instruments to handle the decision process underlying architectural design. We assume design as a recursive and incrementally specified intentional planning activity, involving goals, constraints and their relationships. The essence of architectural design is thus encapsulated in the continual recursive transformation of the initial model, in order to map the desired state onto the enacted one. On the basis of this concept of design we describe the model of an environment aimed at progressively representing the enlarging space of acquired knowledge, and at supporting the designer's central role in the management of complexity

Why do grape-based fruit wines could be “super” magic?

In Europe, the global consumption of wine is decreasing and new alternatives of wine have been appearing on the market. The attractiveness of these products rely on the fact that they are inexpensive and easy to drink, with low alcohol content and obtained by mixing wines with fruit juices or flavoring wine. While fruit wines represent an ancient art [1], no studies have investigated the production of beverages that are obtained by the co-fermentation of grape and fruit. The formulation of new mixed-fruit wines could represent the basis for reducing post-harvest fruit losses and contribute to the economy of the existing wine industry. Moreover, throughout the selection of useful yeasts that drive the alcoholic fermentation, the final products could be enriched in novel active bio-functional compounds not found in traditional wines. The research activity has involved the setup of fermentation trials using grape must and fruit juices of strawberry, peach, cherry and kiwi. Must fermentations were carried out inoculating Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Torulaspora delbruekii species in four musts obtained by blending grape must (Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon) and juices at 80:20 and 60:40 grape:fruit juice proportion. The aromatic profile was determined by GC-MS. S. cerevisiae was able to exhaust the available sugars in all trials. In particular, based on the proportion used, alcohol was 3-5% less in wines prepared with red grape and 6-7% (v/v) less in case of white grape. T. delbruekii showed a good fermentation performance as well, suggesting its potential use as starter yeast. Only negligible difference was found for the pH, while the total acidity was higher for mixed-fruit wines obtained with must from white grape and at the 60:40 proportion. In particular, the high level of citric acid detected (up to 8 g/L) in some products could exert a beneficial effect by protecting the wine components, bio-functional compounds included, against oxidation

The impact of IVF on deep invasive endometriosis

Objective: Ovarian hyper-stimulation during IVF is associated with a significant raise in serum estrogens and one may expect detrimental effects on estrogen-dependent diseases such as endometriosis. However, available evidence from large case series of affected women performing IVF is generally reassuring with the possible exception of women carrying deep invasive lesions. On this basis we deemed important investigating more in depth whether women with deep invasive endometriosis could be a subgroup at higher risk of recurrence or disease progression during IVF. Study design: Women with endometriosis who underwent IVF and who had a second evaluation after 3\u20136 months from a failed cycle were retrospectively reviewed. The main inclusion criteria were the presence of deep invasive endometriosis and/or a history of surgery for this form of the disease. The primary aim of the study was to determine the frequency of endometriosis-related complications in the interval between the two evaluations. Secondary aims were pain symptoms and lesion size modifications. Results: Eighty-four women were ultimately selected: baseline ultrasound documented deep invasive lesions in 60 of them. One case of possible endometriosis-related complication was recorded, corresponding to a rate of 1.2% (95%: 0.05%\u20135.5%) for the whole cohort and 1.7% (95%CI: 0.08\u20137.6%) for the subgroup of women with ultrasound detected lesions. This rate appears similar to the reported frequency of endometriosis progression in women not receiving IVF. No significant modifications in pain symptoms or lesions size occurred. Conclusions: Women with deep invasive endometriosis who underwent IVF do not seem to be exposed to a substantially increased risk of recurrence/disease progression. Larger evidence from independent groups is however required for a definitive conclusion

Autoregressive Point-Processes as Latent State-Space Models: a Moment-Closure Approach to Fluctuations and Autocorrelations

Modeling and interpreting spike train data is a task of central importance in computational neuroscience, with significant translational implications. Two popular classes of data-driven models for this task are autoregressive Point Process Generalized Linear models (PPGLM) and latent State-Space models (SSM) with point-process observations. In this letter, we derive a mathematical connection between these two classes of models. By introducing an auxiliary history process, we represent exactly a PPGLM in terms of a latent, infinite dimensional dynamical system, which can then be mapped onto an SSM by basis function projections and moment closure. This representation provides a new perspective on widely used methods for modeling spike data, and also suggests novel algorithmic approaches to fitting such models. We illustrate our results on a phasic bursting neuron model, showing that our proposed approach provides an accurate and efficient way to capture neural dynamics

Nonpegylated liposomal doxorubicin combination regimen in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and cardiac comorbidity. Results of the HEART01 phase II trial conducted by the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi

The purpose of this phase 2, multicenter study was to determine the activity and safety of nonpegylated liposomal doxorubicin as part of "R-COMP" combination in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and coexisting cardiac disorders. The study was conducted using a Bayesian continuing assessment method using complete remission rate and rate of cardiac events as study endpoints. Between November 2009 and October 2011, 50 evaluable patients were enrolled (median age, 76\ua0years). Median baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 60%. Ischemic cardiopathy was the most frequent preexisting cardiac disorder (35%), followed by atrial fibrillation (15%), left ventricular hypertrophy (13%), and baseline LVEF <50% (12%). Based on the intent to treat analysis, overall response rate was 72%, including 28 patients in complete remission (complete remission rate, 56%), and 8 in partial remission (16%). At the end of treatment, grades 3 to 4 cardiac events were observed in 6 patients. No significant modifications from baseline values of LVEF were observed during treatment and follow-up. Nonpegylated liposomal doxorubicin instead of doxorubicin in the R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) regimen is a feasible option for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma presenting with concomitant cardiac disorders

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in octogenarians aged 85 and older can benefit from treatment with curative intent: a report on 129 patients prospectively registered in the Elderly Project of the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi (FIL)

Octogenarian patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma are managed mainly with palliation, but recent improvement in their overall condition makes potentially curative treatment a possibility. Studies have shown that half of selected octogenarians may be cured using reduced-dose anthracycline chemoimmunotherapy. However, patients aged &gt;85 (late octogenarians [LO]) were underrepresented, and selection criteria were poorly defined. We analyzed the clinical characteristics and outcomes of LO enrolled in the FIL Elderly Project in terms of the treatment received (palliative vs. curative) and of their simplified geriatric assessment (sGA), then compared them with early octogenarians (EO) aged 80-84 and with those aged 65-79 classified as UNFIT or FRAIL according to sGA enrolled in the same study. Of the 1,163 patients, 370 were &gt;80 and 129 LO. Clinical characteristics were similar between LO and EO, but LO more frequently received palliation (50% vs. 23%; P=0.001) and had worse 2-year overall survival (OS) (48% vs. 63%; P=0.001) and 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) (43% vs. 56%; P=0.01). Patients receiving anthracycline did better than patients receiving palliation (P&lt;0.001), without any difference between full or reduced doses. Rituximab within palliation improved outcome (2-yr OS with or without rituximab 42% vs. 22%; P=0.008). Elderly Prognostic Index (EPI) performed better than sGA in identifying different risk categories, and high-risk EPI retained an independent unfavorable effect on OS and PFS, together with treatment without anthracycline. In conclusion, late octogenarians can benefit from a curative approach with reduced-dose anthracycline and from rituximab within palliation. EPI may help in patient selection more than sGA can

THE ELDERLY PROGNOSTIC INDEX (EPI) PREDICTS EARLY MORTALITY IN OLDER PATIENTS WITH DLBCL. A SUBSTUDY OF THE ELDERLY PROJECT BY THE FONDAZIONE ITALIANA LINFOMI (FIL)

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Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in octogenarians aged 85 and older can benefit from treatment with curative intent: a report on 129 patients prospectively registered in the Elderly Project of the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi (FIL)

Octogenarian patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma are managed mainly with palliation, but recent improvement in their overall condition makes potentially curative treatment a possibility. Studies have shown that half of selected octogenarians may be cured using reduced-dose anthracycline chemoimmunotherapy. However, patients aged >85 (late octogenarians [LO]) were underrepresented, and selection criteria were poorly defined. We analyzed the clinical characteristics and outcomes of LO enrolled in the FIL Elderly Project in terms of the treatment received (palliative vs. curative) and of their simplified geriatric assessment (sGA), then compared them with early octogenarians (EO) aged 80- 84 and with those aged 65-79 classified as UNFIT or FRAIL according to sGA enrolled in the same study. Of the 1,163 patients, 370 were >80 and 129 LO. Clinical characteristics were similar between LO and EO, but LO more frequently received palliation (50% vs. 23%; P=0.001) and had worse 2-year overall survival (OS) (48% vs. 63%; P=0.001) and 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) (43% vs. 56%; P=0.01). Patients receiving anthracycline did better than patients receiving palliation (P<0.001), without any difference between full or reduced doses. Rituximab within palliation improved outcome (2-yr OS with or without rituximab 42% vs. 22%; P=0.008). Elderly Prognostic Index (EPI) performed better than sGA in identifying different risk categories, and high-risk EPI retained an independent unfavorable effect on OS and PFS, together with treatment without anthracycline. In conclusion, late octogenarians can benefit from a curative approach with reduced-dose anthracycline and from rituximab within palliation. EPI may help in patient selection more than sGA can

Double concerto for violin, violoncello, and orchestra by Frederick Delius : historical context, form and performance challenges from a cellist's perspective

Double Concerto for Violin, Violoncello, and Orchestra by Frederick Delius: Historical context, form and performance challenges from a cellist’s perspective covers different issues related to the Delius Double Concerto, including historical context, the form of the Concerto, and the challenges faced by the soloists when preparing the work for performance, especially from the solo cellist’s perspective. The History of the Work chapter includes an overview of Delius’ life, how the Double Concerto fits into his compositional output, and background about the performers for whom the work was written, cellist Beatrice Harrison and violinist May Harrison. The Form and Analysis chapters provide different interpretations of the form of the work, particularly double-function and cyclic form models, and compare the Double Concerto with works with similar formal designs, specifically the Liszt Sonata in B Minor and the Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor. The final chapter addresses the specific challenges faced when performing the Double Concerto, including discrepancies in the score, balance and ensemble issues, and non-idiomatic writing for both soloists.Arts, Faculty ofMusic, School ofGraduat