Shaping Emotions: a Study about the Feeling of Loneliness through the Material Interaction with Surfaces

This contribution aims to investigate how design culture can foster new models of emotional, social and cultural interaction that find in the pleasantness of the surface the creation of valuable experiences for users. In particular, the research examines interaction design from a different point of view, studying the relation of emotions and surfaces in a product-based interaction experience. Specifically, the contribution presents the results of a workshop called shaping emotions: a formal exercise based on the understanding of how user sensations - without precise references on a particular product - can play a decisive role in defining strategies that embrace the aesthetic and typological sphere of use and meanings. This study has highlighted the transfer of intangible psycho-cognitive aspects into tangible elements whose syntax and semiotics is driven by a phenomenological approach to the formal interpretation of an emotional concept. Emotions that occur from experiential states place the feelings of the human being as a focus of the project; through the design culture, the study tries to interpret experiences and desires as components of mixed emotions

Mieniplotia scabra (Müller, 1774), another gastropod invasive species in Europe and the status of freshwater allochthonous molluscs in Greece and Europe

Mieniplotia scabra (Müller, 1774), a freshwater gastropod originating from the Indo-Pacific area, has proved to be a successful invader spreading to other parts of East Asia, Middle East, the Pacific Islands, North America and West Indies. This paper reports the first record of M. scabra from Europe, where it has become naturalized in Kos Island in Greece. This new trans-continental introduction brings to nine the number of alien freshwater molluscs species in Greece and to 30 in Europe. It is therefore given an updated snapshot on the presence of the numerous non-native fresh water species in Europe, divided by nation, an account that is currently lacking in literature and in the specific databases

Savoir Faire and Innovation: Place-Based Design Heritage in undergraduate education

The concept of craftsmanship (it. Saper fare, fr. Savoir faire) means "knowing how to do things," including the arts and skills of doing, knowledge of the materials and craft processes. When this knowledge meets innovation - without to delete it - then we speak about advanced craftsmanship. Surviving of production systems in some European areas derive from this synergy between historical artisan knowledge based in specific places and advanced manufacturing processes. High-end industrialized processes are ofetn based on craftsmanship. Prototyping and hand made finishing are crucial in advanced machines setting and production planning to get the final artefact quality. Craftamanship in contemporary product manufacturing is not easly understandable for the students. In particular, Design process informed by artisan know–how, including genius loci and cultural heritage is a very difficult study; the appearance of the modern production instruments are often covering the craftman human value. An immersive experience of students in craft-based industrial process can highlight this historical heritage. University of Florence, DIDA department, structured joint labs between Product Design Course and advanded craftsmanship manufacturers in Tuscany production districs. A team of students - in 6 months cycles – is included in the company technical departments, making the scholars aware of connections between historical artisanal proctices and innovation processes

Saper fare del Made in Italy, tra tradizione e innovazione. Un confronto tra il comparto della pelletteria e quello dell'arredo in Toscana

Il valore intellettuale del gesto manuale è un elemento fondamentale per il mantenimento della qualità manifatturiera in Toscana. Gli elementi “immutabili” della produzione sopravvivono nei processi manifatturieri avanzati e contribuiscono a fronteggiare i cambiamenti radicali che hanno investito le produzioni negli ultimi vent’anni. Tramite una comparazione tra il comparto della pelletteria toscana e il distretto del mobile imbottito di Quarrata si descrive l’importanza di mantenere i valori storici dell’artigianato in contiguità ai processi di innovazione contemporanei. Questi aspetti, insieme all’integrazione delle attività nella filiera di sistemi produttivi e gestionali innovativi, nonché il legame con il contesto territoriale, risultano essere una leva di sviluppo indispensabile nell’ottica delle strategie di design.The aim of this paper is to analyze some of the unchanging elements in Tuscany production processes, unaffected by the transformation and innovation of manufacturing. Through a comparison between the leather goods sector and the Quarrata upholstered furniture district, the aim is to describe how important is to preserve historical craftsmanship values in contemporary innovation processes. These aspects, as well as the connection with the territorial context, turn out to be an indispensable tool for Tuscany SMI development in the perspective of design strategies

Involucri digitali del Patrimonio Culturale

Il contributo nasce nell’ambito delle attività di ricerca del Lab Reverse Engineering and Interaction Design del DESIGNCAMPUS dell’Università degli Studi di Firenze. Dedica parte della sua attività di ricerca alla ricostruzione 3D e riproduzione di Opere d’Arte e artigianato artistico. In questo lavoro si indaga sulle modalità con cui le discipline del design affrontano le problematiche relative alla digitalizzazione del patrimonio artistico e alla sua diffusione. Si descrive l’attività di ricerca del Lab che sviluppa un processo di scansione 3D innovativo dando grande attenzione alla qualità del prodotto digitale finito, alla sua comunicazione e divulgazione

Selective autophagy maintains centrosome integrity and accurate mitosis by turnover of centriolar satellites

The centrosome is the master orchestrator of mitotic spindle formation and chromosome segregation in animal cells. Centrosome abnormalities are frequently observed in cancer, but little is known of their origin and about pathways affecting centrosome homeostasis. Here we show that autophagy preserves centrosome organization and stability through selective turnover of centriolar satellite components, a process we termed doryphagy. Autophagy targets the satellite organizer PCM1 by interacting with GABARAPs via a C-terminal LIR motif. Accordingly, autophagy deficiency results in accumulation of large abnormal centriolar satellites and a resultant dysregulation of centrosome composition. These alterations have critical impact on centrosome stability and lead to mitotic centrosome fragmentation and unbalanced chromosome segregation. Our findings identify doryphagy as an important centrosome-regulating pathway and bring mechanistic insights to the link between autophagy dysfunction and chromosomal instability. In addition, we highlight the vital role of centriolar satellites in maintaining centrosome integrity

VgrG and PAAR Proteins Define Distinct Versions of a Functional Type VI Secretion System

The Type VI secretion system (T6SS) is widespread among bacterial pathogens and acts as an effective weapon against competitor bacteria and eukaryotic hosts by delivering toxic effector proteins directly into target cells. The T6SS utilises a bacteriophage-like contractile machinery to expel a puncturing device based on a tube of Hcp topped with a VgrG spike, which can be extended by a final tip from a PAAR domain-containing protein. Effector proteins are believed to be delivered by specifically associating with particular Hcp, VgrG or PAAR proteins, either covalently ('specialised') or non-covalently ('cargo' effectors). Here we used the T6SS of the opportunistic pathogen Serratia marcescens, together with integratecd genetic, proteomic and biochemical approaches, to elucidate the role of specific VgrG and PAAR homologues in T6SS function and effector specificity, revealing new aspects and unexpected subtleties in effector delivery by the T6SS. We identified effectors, both cargo and specialised, absolutely dependent on a particular VgrG for delivery to target cells, and discovered that other cargo effectors can show a preference for a particular VgrG. The presence of at least one PAAR protein was found to be essential for T6SS function, consistent with designation as a 'core' T6SS component. We showed that specific VgrG-PAAR combinations are required to assemble a functional T6SS and that the three distinct VgrG-PAAR assemblies in S. marcescens exhibit distinct effector specificity and efficiency. Unexpectedly, we discovered that two different PAAR-containing Rhs proteins can functionally pair with the same VgrG protein. Showing that accessory EagR proteins are involved in these interactions, native VgrG-Rhs-EagR complexes were isolated and specific interactions between EagR and cognate Rhs proteins identified. This study defines an essential yet flexible role for PAAR proteins in the T6SS and highlights the existence of distinct versions of the machinery with differential effector specificity and efficiency of target cell delivery

Restricted T-Cell Repertoire in the Epicardial Adipose Tissue of Non-ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients

Aims: Human epicardial adipose tissue, a dynamic source of multiple bioactive factors, holds a close functional and anatomic relationship with the epicardial coronary arteries and communicates with the coronary artery wall through paracrine and vasocrine secretions. We explored the hypothesis that T-cell recruitment into epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) in patients with non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) could be part of a specific antigen-driven response implicated in acute coronary syndrome onset and progression. Methods and Results: We enrolled 32 NSTEMI patients and 34 chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and 12 mitral valve disease (MVD) patients undergoing surgery. We performed EAT proteome profiling on pooled specimens from three NSTEMI and three CCS patients. We performed T-cell receptor (TCR) spectratyping and CDR3 sequencing in EAT and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 29 NSTEMI, 31 CCS, and 12 MVD patients. We then used computational modeling studies to predict interactions of the TCR beta chain variable region (TRBV) and explore sequence alignments. The EAT proteome profiling displayed a higher content of pro-inflammatory molecules (CD31, CHI3L1, CRP, EMPRINN, ENG, IL-17, IL-33, MMP-9, MPO, NGAL, RBP-4, RETN, VDB) in NSTEMI as compared to CCS (P < 0.0001). CDR3-beta spectratyping showed a TRBV21 enrichment in EAT of NSTEMI (12/29 patients; 41%) as compared with CCS (1/31 patients; 3%) and MVD (none) (ANOVA for trend P < 0.001). Of note, 11/12 (92%) NSTEMI patients with TRBV21 perturbation were at their first manifestation of ACS. Four patients with the first event shared a distinctive TRBV21-CDR3 sequence of 178 bp length and 2/4 were carriers of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A*03:01 allele. A 3D analysis predicted the most likely epitope able to bind HLA-A3*01 and interact with the TRBV21-CDR3 sequence of 178 bp length, while the alignment results were consistent with microbial DNA sequences. Conclusions: Our study revealed a unique immune signature of the epicardial adipose tissue, which led to a 3D modeling of the TCRBV/peptide/HLA-A3 complex, in acute coronary syndrome patients at their first event, paving the way for epitope-driven therapeutic strategies