Computational Model For The Estimation Of Thermo-Energetic Properties In Dynamic Regime Of Existing Building Components

The guidelines of the European community towards a low-carbon economic society identify one of the most important scenarios in the energy efficiency of existing buildings. The discrepancy between the requirement and availability of free heat (endogenous heat, solar radiation) in certain hours of the day and operating conditions, makes the steady-state hypothesis generally inappropriate. In particular, the oscillating component of the transmitted flow, compared to the average temperature difference, is regressive in winter and dominant in summer. From this it follows the reliability of the stationary forecast models in winter and the need for dynamic forecast models in summer. The dominance of the continental climate in the EU, compared to the Mediterranean one, led to the actual delay in the development of dynamic models, especially at a regulatory level. In this paper, a methodology for assessing the dynamic properties of a building component is evaluated. The methodology, based on heat transmission equations implements a numerical model for existing building components whose input data can be obtained from experimental measurements. The developed model has been used to estimate the energetic and thermal behaviour of a building envelope subjected to energy efficiency measure

Novel fragile X syndrome 2D and 3D brain models based on human isogenic FMRP-KO iPSCs

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, characterized by intellectual disability and sensory deficits, caused by epigenetic silencing of the FMR1 gene and subsequent loss of its protein product, fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). Delays in synaptic and neuronal development in the cortex have been reported in FXS mouse models; however, the main goal of translating lab research into pharmacological treatments in clinical trials has been so far largely unsuccessful, leaving FXS a still incurable disease. Here, we generated 2D and 3D in vitro human FXS model systems based on isogenic FMR1 knock-out mutant and wild-type human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines. Phenotypical and functional characterization of cortical neurons derived from FMRP-deficient hiPSCs display altered gene expression and impaired differentiation when compared with the healthy counterpart. FXS cortical cultures show an increased number of GFAP positive cells, likely astrocytes, increased spontaneous network activity, and depolarizing GABAergic transmission. Cortical brain organoid models show an increased number of glial cells, and bigger organoid size. Our findings demonstrate that FMRP is required to correctly support neuronal and glial cell proliferation, and to set the correct excitation/inhibition ratio in human brain development

The energetic characterization of solar-control environments

Despite the increasingly pressing regulations in the energy sector (EPBD recast, law 90/2013 and the consequent decree 162 of 2015), which push towards policies and financial measures to promote buildings with almost zero energy, the quality of the internal environment remains one of the critical parameters on which to pay more attention in view of a consistent evaluation of the Nzeb building. The authors show, in the present paper, the results related to the energetic characterization of two test rooms, identical for surface and opaque envelope, but with different typologies of windows on the South-East and South-West wall

La valutazione dell'impatto ambientale di prodotti per l'edilizia circolare

Le politiche ambientali della comunità Europea e degli organi internazionali si fondano sempre più sul paradigma dell’economia circolare, esprimendo la necessità di definire strategie di sviluppo ambientale in grado di trovare soluzioni efficaci al risparmio delle risorse ed al contenimento delle emissioni ambientali. In quest’ottica, la progettazione degli edifici riveste un’importanza fondamentale, dal momento che il settore edilizio è responsabile del 50% degli impatti ambientali prodotti. Il progettare sostenibile inizia con la “qualificazione” dell’intera filiera edilizia in cui una attenzione particolare deve essere posta alla selezione dei materiali e dei prodotti edili, a favore del modello estrai-produci-usa-riusa, in una prospettiva di attivazione di best practices che tengano conto dell’interscalarità. Pensare il processo edilizio in termini di ciclo di vita è oggigiorno un’esplicita impostazione di pensiero, che passa necessariamente attraverso la costruzione di una “cultura ambientale collettiva”, che responsabilizza tutti gli attori, dalla produzione al consumo, aumentandone la consapevolezza verso tempi e processi più rapidi. L’approccio del “life cycle thinking” applicato al settore edilizio ha come obiettivo l’ecoefficienza dei prodotti e dei processi. Gli autori propongono nel presente lavoro una metodologia di valutazione della sostenibilità di alcuni processi costruttivi per manufatti nell’edilizia, valutandone l’impatto ambientale lungo tutto il ciclo di vita. Lo studio si struttura in due parti: la costruzione di un framework di analisi, valutazione e comparazione in chiave energetica di diversi processi produttivi; lo sviluppo di un caso applicativo, che, attraverso la metodologia LCA, evidenzi i diversi impatti ambientali ed economici nelle corrispondenti fasi di produzione

La lana di pecora in edilizia: biomateriale al centro di processi locali virtuosi in Sardegna

Le politiche ambientali della comunità Europea e degli organi internazionali hanno sancito con il Paris Agreement, [1] primo accordo internazionale vincolante, un quadro di obiettivi globali e azioni volte a disinnescare il processo degenerativo legato al cambiamento climatico incui il paradigma dell’economia circolare si pone come fondante. Lestrategie di sviluppo ambientale sono pensate su scala globale ma conapprocci bottom-up che favoriscono la scala regionale e spingono a trovare soluzioni locali efficaci al risparmio delle risorse ed al contenimentodelle emissioni ambientali. Il lavoro di seguito presentato si colloca nell’ambito di una ricerca condotta dal Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Ambientale e Architettura(DICAAR) dell’Università di Cagliari in partnership con un cluster ditredici imprese presenti sul territorio sardo, finanziata dalla RegioneSardegna e dal MUR. L’obiettivo principale è verificare la possibilità diattivare filiere locali per l’edilizia circolare derivanti da materiali primario di scarto, di origine naturale, che sono presenti sul territorio e svilupparesoluzioni tecnologiche a supporto del rafforzamento del sistema imprenditoriale. In particolare vengono presentate le attività di ricerca e iprimi risultati relativi alla caratterizzazione termo-fisica della lana dipecora e viene inoltre proposta una rilettura e valorizzazione del prodottoda scarto dell’agro-industria, così come ad oggi considerato, a biomateriale edile attivatore di processi virtuosi locali orientati all’edilizia e all’economia circolare

The energetic characterization of solar-control environments

Despite the increasingly pressing regulations in the energy sector (EPBD recast, law 90/2013 and the consequent decree 162 of 2015), which push towards policies and financial measures to promote buildings with almost zero energy, the quality of the internal environment remains one of the critical parameters on which to pay more attention in view of a consistent evaluation of the Nzeb building. The authors show, in the present paper, the results related to the energetic characterization of two test rooms, identical for surface and opaque envelope, but with different typologies of windows on the South-East and South-West wall

Riqualificazione e sostenibilità. Scenari per il riuso e la conservazione degli edifici storici carcerari

Among the actions to achieve the objectives set by the European Union in the "Fit for 55 Package" which sets a target of reducing net emissions of climate-altering gases by 55% by 2030, includes the EPBD Directive, with the aim of identifying and redevelop buildings with inadequate energy performance. The architectural assets subject to protection restrictions and the "complexes of immovable things that make up a characteristic aspect having an aesthetic and traditional value" remain outside the scope of application. In Italy, most of the historic buildings fall under this definition and among these the now abandoned prison structures, characterized by very high historical and architectural value but often left unused, spread practically throughout the national territory. Several local authorities introduced rules and prescriptions for the energy efficiency of the envelope into their regulations, but these remain applications limited to the local context, unable to give a universally valid procedure for the vast cultural heritage. The sporadic initiatives carried out up to now constitute a valid testimony on the possibility of overcoming the problems connected to the change in the use of the existing building. Starting from these successful cases, and not only at a national level, this research aims to provide a methodology for analyzing the existing and the today available “bacs”, to support the design process for the reuse of these historic buildings. The proposed approach is based on environmental sustainability and tries to highlight those design choice parameters capable of solving the problems of integration with historical construction materials and ancient techniques constructive, overcoming the gap between the needs of the historical buildings and the available solutions.Abstrac

Acoustic Insulation And Building Information Modeling: A Model Of Calculation For The Code Checking In The Forecast Phase And Of Measurement Of Performance

The acoustic performance is more and more often a requirement in the construction of both private buildings and public buildings. Internationally, over the last few years we have witnessed the revision and issue of new standards relating to the project phase (calculation of the performance) based on the ISO 12354 series, and the post-building verification phase based on ISO 16283 standards. Fundamental aspects to achieve high performance consist of achieving a level of details that is increasingly high and shareable. Building information modeling, in addition to being mandatory for some types of work, is increasingly used by designers and construction companies, to gain greater knowledge of the specific case in particular and of methods of execution. In the present work a calculation code is presented which, taking advantage of the BIM model information, allows the calculation of the performance, the check of the legislative limits and the integration of the post-building data instrumentally recorded. Finally the code was tested on the considered case study and monitored in the different building phases

Bodily self-consciousness varies across the menstrual cycle

Aims: Physiological signals coming from both external and internal senses contribute to bodily self-consciousness, the basic feeling that one has a body (body ownership) that acts according to one’s will (body agency) and occupies a specific position (body location). The perception of internal signals (interoception) seems to differ between males and females, and, importantly for the present study, bodily representation changes in females according to their menstrual cycle. However, very little is known about how women integrate interoceptive and exteroceptive bodily cues and the menstrual phase in their conscious experience of the body. To fill this gap, we induced a breath-based bodily illusion (‘embreathment illusion’) that we recently described in a sample of male individuals and tested if the phase of the menstrual cycle influences the strength of the illusion in a sample of healthy young females. Materials and Methods: 15 healthy females took part in the study (age: mean ± SD = 24.67 ± 4.03 years). Participants underwent an immersive virtual reality (IVR) experience consisting of eight counterbalanced experimental conditions, combining two different avatar looks (i.e. ‘human-like’ vs. ‘wooden’ avatar) with two different points of view (i.e. first-person vs. third-person perspective) and two different breathing patterns (same vs. opposite breathing pattern as the participant). At the end of each scenario, participants answered a 5-item questionnaire on feelings of body ownership, agency, and location using a 0 to 100 visual analogue scale (VAS). Afterwards, measures of interoceptive accuracy (i.e. performance in the heartbeat counting task and pneumoception task) and sensibility (i.e. scores on the MAIA questionnaire) were collected. Results: Preliminary results showed a statistically significant main effect of feelings of bodily self-consciousness on VAS response (F=52.27; p<0.001). This main effect was qualified by an interaction between feelings of bodily self-consciousness and participants’ menstrual phase (F=2.77; p<0.05). In particular, post-hoc contrasts revealed that women in the premenstrual phase felt they controlled the avatar's movements more than participants in the menstrual phase (p<0.01). Discussion and Conclusions: The results of the experiment suggest that women do adjust their corporeal awareness to menstrual signals, with potential implications for the study of disordered bodily self-consciousness in female clinical populations (eating disorders, schizophrenia)

L’UTILIZZO DEL BIM PER L’IDIVIDUAZIONE DEGLI ELEMENTI EDILIZI VERIFICABILI AI FINI ACUSTICI

Il BIM (Building Information Modeling) è nato come conseguenza di un aspetto economico principalmente legato al risparmio conseguito nella fase di gestione dell’immobile. Oggigiorno sempre più spesso si cerca di utilizzare il modello BIM per la BPS (Building Performance Simulation) onde stimare le prestazioni dell’edificio in fase progettuale. Uno degli aspetti fondamentali del Building Information Modeling, è quello di rappresentare l’edificio geometricamente tramite la realizzazione di un modello tridi-mensionale a cui associare diverse tipologie di informazioni. Nel presente lavoro sarà descritta una procedura in cui il modello BIM sarà usato come base per identificare gli elementi edilizi da sottoporre a verifica acustica