Modellazione numerica e analisi tecnico-economica di manufatti atti a garantire l'invarianza idraulica in un nuovo complesso residenziale a Bologna

L’incremento dell’impermeabilizzazione del suolo, causato dall’espansione delle zone urbanizzate, determina la modifica del naturale ciclo idrologico, ovvero la riduzione dei volumi d’acqua che si infiltrano in falda e l’incremento dei volumi che defluiscono superficialmente e arrivano ai ricettori. Con l’obiettivo di minimizzare gli effetti dell’urbanizzazione, la normativa vigente impone il rispetto del principio dell’invarianza idraulica che sancisce che la portata al colmo di piena risultante dal drenaggio di un’area debba essere costante prima e dopo la trasformazione dell’uso del suolo. La presente tesi si inserisce in questo contesto attraverso la progettazione del sistema di drenaggio delle acque meteoriche in un nuovo complesso residenziale nel Comune di Bologna. Si è ipotizzato di garantire l’invarianza idraulica del comparto attraverso l’uso di una vasca di laminazione e di trincee drenanti (tecnica di drenaggio urbano sostenibile che consente di ripristinare l’infiltrazione delle acque meteoriche). Attraverso l’uso di un modello numerico della rete, realizzato con il software SWMM, si è valutata l’efficacia di 5 scenari progettuali: il primo prevede lo sversamento dei volumi nel ricettore, il secondo prevede l’inserimento di un invaso interrato per evitare di sovraccaricare il ricettore, il terzo ottimizza lo scenario precedente, il quarto ed il quinto prevedono l’inserimento di trincee drenanti, in parallelo all’invaso. Dai risultati ottenuti dalle simulazioni, si denota come la presenza delle trincee nello scenario 5 determini una riduzione dei volumi sversati nel ricettore. Viene effettuata un’analisi economica delle soluzioni progettuali proposte dal quale emerge che l’ultimo scenario risulta il più vantaggioso sotto il punto di vista tecnico, poiché l’utilizzo di più tecniche di laminazione porta alla riduzione del 18% dei volumi defluiti nel ricettore, ed economico, in quanto si presenta un risparmio di almeno il 13% rispetto agli altri scenari

Polycistronic Delivery of IL-10 and NT-3 Promotes Oligodendrocyte Myelination and Functional Recovery in a Mouse Spinal Cord Injury Model.

One million estimated cases of spinal cord injury (SCI) have been reported in the United States and repairing an injury has constituted a difficult clinical challenge. The complex, dynamic, inhibitory microenvironment postinjury, which is characterized by proinflammatory signaling from invading leukocytes and lack of sufficient factors that promote axonal survival and elongation, limits regeneration. Herein, we investigated the delivery of polycistronic vectors, which have the potential to coexpress factors that target distinct barriers to regeneration, from a multiple channel poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLG) bridge to enhance spinal cord regeneration. In this study, we investigated polycistronic delivery of IL-10 that targets proinflammatory signaling, and NT-3 that targets axonal survival and elongation. A significant increase was observed in the density of regenerative macrophages for IL-10+NT-3 condition relative to conditions without IL-10. Furthermore, combined delivery of IL-10+NT-3 produced a significant increase of axonal density and notably myelinated axons compared with all other conditions. A significant increase in functional recovery was observed for IL-10+NT-3 delivery at 12 weeks postinjury that was positively correlated to oligodendrocyte myelinated axon density, suggesting oligodendrocyte-mediated myelination as an important target to improve functional recovery. These results further support the use of multiple channel PLG bridges as a growth supportive substrate and platform to deliver bioactive agents to modulate the SCI microenvironment and promote regeneration and functional recovery. Impact statement Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in a complex microenvironment that contains multiple barriers to regeneration and functional recovery. Multiple factors are necessary to address these barriers to regeneration, and polycistronic lentiviral gene therapy represents a strategy to locally express multiple factors simultaneously. A bicistronic vector encoding IL-10 and NT-3 was delivered from a poly(lactide-co-glycolide) bridge, which provides structural support that guides regeneration, resulting in increased axonal growth, myelination, and subsequent functional recovery. These results demonstrate the opportunity of targeting multiple barriers to SCI regeneration for additive effects

Formamide as the main building block in the origin of nucleic acids

The simplest molecules grouping the four most common elements of the universe H,C,O and N (with the exception of the biologically inert He) are isocyanate HNCO and formamide H2NCOH. Reasons for the availability of formamide on prebiotic Earth are presented. We review evidence showing that formamide in the presence of largely available catalysts and by moderate heating yields the complete set of nucleic bases necessary for the formation of nucleic acids. Formamide also favours the formation of acyclonucleosides and the phosphorylation and trans-phosphorylation of nucleosides, thus providing a plausible chemical frame for the passage from a simple one-carbon compound to nucleic polymers. Physico-chemical conditions exist in which formamide favours the stability of the phosphoester bonds in nucleic polymers relative to that of the same bonds in monomers. Starting from a formamide-laden environment subject only to the laws of chemistry, a hypothesis is outlined sketching the passage towards an aqueous world in which Darwinian rules apply

PLG Bridge Implantation in Chronic SCI Promotes Axonal Elongation and Myelination.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition that may cause permanent functional loss below the level of injury, including paralysis and loss of bladder, bowel, and sexual function. Patients are rarely treated immediately, and this delay is associated with tissue loss and scar formation that can make regeneration at chronic time points more challenging. Herein, we investigated regeneration using a poly(lactide-co-glycolide) multichannel bridge implanted into a chronic SCI following surgical resection of necrotic tissue. We characterized the dynamic injury response and noted that scar formation decreased at 4 and 8 weeks postinjury (wpi), yet macrophage infiltration increased between 4 and 8 wpi. Subsequently, the scar tissue was resected and bridges were implanted at 4 and 8 wpi. We observed robust axon growth into the bridge and remyelination at 6 months after initial injury. Axon densities were increased for 8 week bridge implantation relative to 4 week bridge implantation, whereas greater myelination, particularly by Schwann cells, was observed with 4 week bridge implantation. The process of bridge implantation did not significantly decrease the postinjury function. Collectively, this chronic model follows the pathophysiology of human SCI, and bridge implantation allows for clear demarcation of the regenerated tissue. These data demonstrate that bridge implantation into chronic SCI supports regeneration and provides a platform to investigate strategies to buttress and expand regeneration of neural tissue at chronic time points

Pianificare su base regionale un programma di intervento audiologico precoce dell’ipoacusia infantile: introduzione a uno studio italiano

Una presa in carico non uniforme, tardiva o inappropriata dei bambini con deficit uditivo aumenta il rischio di sviluppare difficoltà comunicative-comportamentali e psicosociali che possono persistere fino all’adolescenza o all’età adulta. Nel Marzo 2014 il Centro di Controllo Malattie (CCM) del Ministero della Salute Italiano ha finanziato il progetto “Programma regionale di identificazione, intervento e presa in carico precoci per la prevenzione dei disturbi comunicativi nei bambini con deficit di udito”. Il progetto coinvolge 5 centri di III livello in cui il programma di screening uditivo neonatale è stato approvato dalla regione di appartenenza. Lo scopo principale del progetto è quello di definire e proporre un modello di salute pubblica su base regionale per l’identificazione delle ipoacusie infantili permanenti, la diagnosi e l’intervento. La prima fase del progetto prevede di indagare lo stato dell’arte e di produrre raccomandazioni che possano portare a cambiamenti positivi nell’identificazione, nella diagnosi, nella terapia e nella presa in carico dei bambini con deficit uditivo, tenendo presenti le innovazioni diagnostiche-riabilitative, il sostegno e l’alleanza terapeutica con la famiglia, un approccio interdisciplinare. Le raccomandazioni emerse da questa prima fase rappresenteranno le basi per un sistema regionale di intervento precoce che sia valido, integrato e condiviso da tutte le cinque regioni coinvolte

Opportunistic Data Collection and Routing in Segmented Wireless Sensor Networks

International audienceIn this paper we address routing in the context of segmented wireless sensor networks in which a mobile entity, known as MULE, may collect data from the different subnetworks and forward it to a sink for processing. The chosen settings are inspired by the potential application of wireless sensor networks for airport surface monitoring. In such an environment, the subnetworks could take advantage of airport service vehicles, buses or even taxiing aircraft to transfer information to the sink (e.g., control tower), without interfering with the regular functioning of the airport. Generally, this kind of communication problem is addressed in the literature considering a single subsink in each subnetwork. We consider in this paper the multiple subsinks case and propose two strategies to decide when and where (to which subsink) sensor nodes should transmit their sensing data. Through a dedicated simulation model we have developed, we assess and compare the performance of both strategies in terms of packet delivery ratio, power consumption and workload balance among subsinks. This paper is an intermediate step in the research of this problem, which evidences the benefit of storing the information on the subsinks and distributing it among them before the arrival of the MULE. Based on results, we provide some information on further works

Adaptation of the methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis knowledge questionnaire (MiRAK) for use with parents of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)

Background: Although Methotrexate (MTX) is one of the most commonly prescribed disease-modifying drugs in JIA no questionnaire exists that assesses the knowledge of parents about this drug. A 60-item questionnaire was recently developed to measure rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients’ knowledge about MTX; the Methotrexate in Rheumatoid Arthritis Knowledge Test (MiRAK; Ciciriello et al. (Arthritis Rheum 62:10–1009, 2010)). This study aimed to adapt the MiRAK for parents of children with JIA. Methods: Adaption of the MiRAK involved: 1) email consultations with clinicians working in the field of paediatric rheumatology (Panel 1) to ascertain the potential adaptations of the MiRAK from a clinical perspective, 2) synthesis of clinicians’ suggestions by a panel of experts, researchers and MiRAK developers (Panel 2) to reach consensus on which items needed to be modified and create a draft Methotrexate in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Knowledge Test (MiJIAK), 3) a review of the draft by 5 parents of children with JIA (Panel 3) using the cognitive ‘think-aloud’ method, 4) a second consultation with Panel 2 to review parents’ suggestions and determine the final items. Results: A total of 9 items remained unchanged, e.g. “Methotrexate is effective at relieving joint stiffness”, 19 were deemed inappropriate in the paediatric setting and deleted, e.g. “It is safe to become pregnant 3 weeks after methotrexate has been stopped”, 32 underwent editorial changes largely to indicate that the questionnaire was about the children with JIA, e.g. “If you forget to give a dose of Methotrexate, you can still take it the next day” became “If your child misses a dose of Methotrexate, they can still take it the next day”, and 1 new item was added. A new 42-item questionnaire was produced and was found to be well understood by parents of children with JIA. Conclusions: The systematic modification of the MiRAK, a patient-centred MTX knowledge questionnaire, has generated a comprehensive new questionnaire for use in the JIA setting. The wide consultation process, including cognitive testing, has ensured the tool is both relevant and acceptable to clinicians and will therefore be a valuable addition in understanding the parents’ perspective of this treatment in JIA