RootSkin: From Soil to Soil

Food and architecture have always been intertwined. When humans started to build settlements, we began to dictate where the food would be grown. Simultaneously, natural resources such as water, light and nutrients dictate how a plant grows. When a climbing plant or vines are planted, humans begin to plan the route for the plant to grow, forcing it to take on certain forms. Is it possible to control the plant below the surface of the soil as it is above the soil? Plant roots seek out and grow towards the water source, posing the possibility to control the network of roots that are often hidden deep within the soil. Today architects are working with nature to create an architecture that is both responsive to and harmonious with nature. As resources, in particular land, become increasingly scarce and our human population continues to grow, we have to find new solutions for both food production and housing. Our cities provide us with new opportunities to reshape the urban fabric while responding to these current issues. While plants provide food, they can also potentially provide other resources that could be used in architectural applications. Plants already provide us with many benefits such as food, medicine, and cleaning the air, to name but a few. Often, once the fruit or seed is removed and the plant no longer fruits, the plant is removed from the soil and discarded - hopefully composted. This poses the question; is it possible to simultaneously harvest other elements of the plants and make use of them before they biodegrade and end up back in the soil? RootSkin is a research developed to explore the creation of biodegradable textiles made from the roots of plants as well as producing food during the “growth” of the textile. The aim being that these textiles can then form part of architectural installations such as skins for pavilions or buildings, for example. In addition, the natural biodegradation allows for an element of change to be incorporated into design

Analysis of energy efficiency measures and retrofitting solutions for social housing buildings in spain as a way to mitigate energy poverty

Energy poverty is a common issue in social housing all over Europe, with a harder impact in Southern European countries. Social housing buildings play an important role in energy poverty. They are usually owned and managed by public institutions and usually share common characteristics and issues. Behavioural changes and energy retrofitting are interesting paths forward but some solutions do not fit well in this type of housing due to socioeconomic reasons. This paper makes a thorough analysis of possible energy efficiency measures in social housing buildings, characterizing them by energy and economic savings and investment and proposing different methods of prioritization. A rational approach of behavioural and retrofitting solutions that best fit into this particular housing type is delivered, with the aim to increase the thermal comfort of the residents and mitigate the energy poverty issue. Results show that there is a wide range of domestic efficiency measures to be applied in this type of dwellings at none or low costs, bringing annual savings per average dwelling of about 510 €/year (55% of initial energy costs) including measures both at domestic level, and at building level with a final aggregated payback of the investments to be about 1.5 years

Data-driven Predictive Latency for 5G: A Theoretical and Experimental Analysis Using Network Measurements

The advent of novel 5G services and applications with binding latency requirements and guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS) hastened the need to incorporate autonomous and proactive decision-making in network management procedures. The objective of our study is to provide a thorough analysis of predictive latency within 5G networks by utilizing real-world network data that is accessible to mobile network operators (MNOs). In particular, (i) we present an analytical formulation of the user-plane latency as a Hypoexponential distribution, which is validated by means of a comparative analysis with empirical measurements, and (ii) we conduct experimental results of probabilistic regression, anomaly detection, and predictive forecasting leveraging on emerging domains in Machine Learning (ML), such as Bayesian Learning (BL) and Machine Learning on Graphs (GML). We test our predictive framework using data gathered from scenarios of vehicular mobility, dense-urban traffic, and social gathering events. Our results provide valuable insights into the efficacy of predictive algorithms in practical applications

Case report: Novel FHR2 variants in atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome: A case study of a translational medicine approach in renal transplantation

Atypical hemolytic–uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a severe thrombotic microangiopathy in which kidney involvement is common. aHUS can be due to either genetic or acquired abnormalities, with most abnormalities affecting the alternative complement pathway. Several genetic factors/alterations can drive the clinical presentation, therapeutic response, and risk of recurrence, especially recurrence following kidney transplantation. We report here the case of a 22-year-old man who developed a severe form of aHUS. Renal biopsy revealed thrombotic microangiopathy and features of chronic renal damage. Despite two eculizumab infusions, the patient remained dialysis dependent. Two novel rare variants, c.109G>A (p.E37K) and c.159 C>A (p.Y53*), were identified in the factor H-related 2 ( FHR2 ) gene, and western blot analysis revealed a significant reduction in the level of FHR2 protein in the patient’s serum. Although FHR2 involvement in complement 3 glomerulopathy has been reported previously, a role for FRH2 as a complement modulator has not yet been definitively shown. In addition, no cases of aHUS in individuals with FHR2 variants have been reported. Given the role of FHRs in the complement system and the fact that this patient was a candidate for a kidney transplant, we studied the relevance of low FHR2 plasma levels through a set of functional in vitro assays. The aim of our work was to determine if low FHR2 plasma levels could influence complement control at the endothelial surface with a view to identifying a therapeutic approach tailored to this specific patient. Interestingly, we observed that low FHR2 levels in the patient’s serum could induce complement activation, as well as C5b–9 deposition on human endothelial cells, and affected cell morphology. As C5b–9 deposition is a prerequisite for endothelial cell damage, these results suggest that extremely low FHR2 plasma levels increase the risk of aHUS. Given their ability to reduce C5b–9 deposition, recombinant FHR2 and eculizumab were tested in vitro and found to inhibit hemolysis and endothelial cell surface damage. Both molecules showed effective and comparable profiles. Based on these results, the patient underwent a kidney transplant, and received eculizumab as induction and maintenance therapy. Five years after transplantation, the patient remains in good general health, with stable graft function and no evidence of disease recurrence. To our knowledge, this is first reported case of an aHUS patient carrying FHR2 mutations and provides an example of a translational therapeutic approach in kidney transplantation

Metodología de evaluación para edificios de consumo de energía casi nulo dentro del proyecto NEED4B

El sector de la edificación supone más del 40% del consumo total de energía en Europa. Por ello, la normativa europea trata de proporcionar herramientas suficientes para reducir el consumo energético de los edificios y mitigar, a su vez, los impactos mediConsejo General de la Arquitectura Técnica de Españ

Cutaneous manifestations of Mycobacterium gordonae infection described for the first time in Italy: a case report

Introduction: Mycobacterium gordonae is one of the least pathogenic of the mycobacteria. This pathogen may produce caseating or non-caseating granulomas, and skin lesions showing acute or chronic inflammation with scattered histiocytes and giant cells have been seen. The mortality rate is less than 0.1%. Mycobacterium gordonae may be a marker of severe immunosuppression in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Case presentation: We report a case of Mycobacterium gordonae infection in an 86-year-old woman and discuss the problems inherent to the identification and treatment of this emerging pathogen. Mycobacterium gordonae strain we isolated was resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole but sensitive to ciprofloxacin, and long term administration (six months) induced complete healing of the cutaneous abscesses. Conclusion: Advanced laboratory diagnostic techniques have improved the isolation and identification of nontuberculous mycobacteria. The diagnosis requires a high index of clinical suspicion, as detection by conventional methods is difficult. To our knowledge, this patient is the first documented case of cutaneous infection from this pathogen in Italy

Recent advances in molecular mechanisms of acute kidney injury in patients with diabetes mellitus

Several insults can lead to acute kidney injury (AKI) in native kidney and transplant patients, with diabetes critically contributing as pivotal risk factor. High glucose per se can disrupt several signaling pathways within the kidney that, if not restored, can favor the instauration of mechanisms of maladaptive repair, altering kidney homeostasis and proper function. Diabetic kidneys frequently show reduced oxygenation, vascular damage and enhanced inflammatory response, features that increase the kidney vulnerability to hypoxia. Importantly, epidemiologic data shows that previous episodes of AKI increase susceptibility to diabetic kidney disease (DKD), and that patients with DKD and history of AKI have a generally worse prognosis compared to DKD patients without AKI; it is therefore crucial to monitor diabetic patients for AKI. In the present review, we will describe the causes that contribute to increased susceptibility to AKI in diabetes, with focus on the molecular mechanisms that occur during hyperglycemia and how these mechanisms expose the different types of resident renal cells to be more vulnerable to maladaptive repair during AKI (contrast- and drug-induced AKI). Finally, we will review the list of the existing candidate biomarkers of diagnosis and prognosis of AKI in patients with diabetes

Circulating microRNA-150-5p as a novel biomarker for advanced heart failure: A genome-wide prospective study

Background: Circulating microRNAs (miRs) are promising biomarkers for heart failure (HF). Previous studies have provided inconsistent miR "signatures." The phenotypic and pathophysiologic heterogeneity of HF may have contributed to this inconsistency. In this study we assessed whether advanced HF (AHF) patients present a distinct miR signature compared with healthy subjects (HS) and mild to moderate HF (MHF) patients. Methods: The study consisted of 2 phases: a screening phase and a validation phase. In the screening phase, 752 miRs were profiled in HS and MHF and AHF patients (N = 15), using the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) technique and global mean normalization. In the validation phase, the miRs found to be significantly dysregulated in AHF patients compared with both HS and MHF patients were validated in 15 HS, 25 patients with MHF and 29 with AHF, using RT-qPCR, and normalizing to exogenous (cel-miR-39) and endogenous controls. Results: In the screening phase, 5 miRs were found to be significantly dysregulated: -26a-5p; -145-3p; -150-5p; -485-3p; and -487b-3p. In the validation phase, miR-150-5p was confirmed to be significantly downregulated in AHF patients when compared with both HS and MHF patients, irrespective of the normalization method used. miR-26a-5p was confirmed to be significantly dysregulated only when normalized to cell-miR-39. Dysregulation of the other miRs could not be confirmed. miR-150-5p was significantly associated with maladaptive remodeling, disease severity and outcome. Conclusions: Our data suggest miR-150-5p as a novel circulating biomarker for AHF. The association of miR-150-5p with maladaptive remodeling, disease severity and outcome supports the pathophysiologic relevance of downregulated miR-150-5p expression to AHF

Evaluation of sustainability in the energy rehabilitation of social housing in Mediterranean countries

En España, donde existen más de 18 millones de hogares según el último censo del Instituto Nacional de Estadística en 2011, alrededor del 8% de la población reside en viviendas de alquiler social. Del parque de viviendas español, más de la mitad de los edificios se construyeron antes de 1980 y alrededor del 35% entre 1981 y 2006, año en que fue implantado el Código Técnico de la Edificación. Asimismo, más del 80% de los certificados energéticos de edificios existentes registrados hasta julio de 2015, obtiene una calificación E o inferior en términos de emisiones de CO2. Para mejorar estos resultados, la Unión Europea tiene como objetivo alcanzar una tasa de rehabilitación de edificios privados del 2,5% anual, mejorando la eficiencia energética y ampliando la vida útil del parque edificatorio. Sin embargo, los CEEE únicamente representan parte de la etapa de uso, dejando atrás otras, como la de producción, cuyo impacto puede representar un cuarto de las emisiones de CO2 del edificio a lo largo de su ciclo de vida. Para desarrollar una rehabilitación óptima, se propone evaluar la sostenibilidad de los proyectos de rehabilitación incluyendo las etapas de producción, construcción, uso y fin de vida y considerando el impacto medioambiental y económico, así como aspectos sociales relativos a las características de la vivienda social. Este artículo analiza los impactos medioambientales de diferentes soluciones de rehabilitación en vivienda social, tomando como caso de estudio un edificio de vivienda social en Zaragoza. El edificio antes de la rehabilitación supone casi 50 kgCO2-eq/m2año, donde el 60% corresponden al consumo eléctrico durante la fase de uso del edificio. En el estudio también se incluye la variable de confort térmico en situaciones de vulnerabilidad energética.In Spain, where there are more than 18 million households according to the last census of the National Institute of Statistics in 2011, around 8% of the population lives in social rental housing. Of the Spanish housing stock, more than half of the buildings were built before 1980 and around 35% between 1981 and 2006, the year in which the Technical Building Code was implemented. Likewise, more than 80% of the energy certificates of existing buildings registered until July 2015, obtain an E rating or lower in terms of CO2 emissions. To improve these results, the European Union aims to achieve a private buildings rehabilitation rate of 2.5% per year, improving energy efficiency and extending the useful life of the building park. However, CEEEs only represent part of the use stage, leaving behind others, such as production, whose impact can represent a quarter of the building's CO2 emissions throughout its life cycle. To develop an optimal rehabilitation, it is proposed to evaluate the sustainability of the rehabilitation projects including the stages of production, construction, use and end of life and considering the environmental and economic impact, as well as social aspects related to the characteristics of social housing. This article analyzes the environmental impacts of different rehabilitation solutions in social housing, taking as a case study a social housing building in Zaragoza. The building before the rehabilitation supposes almost 50 kgCO2-eq / m2año, where 60% correspond to the electrical consumption during the phase of use of the building. The study also includes the thermal comfort variable in situations of energy vulnerability

Desenvolvimento de recursos visuais para o aprendizado de alunos surdos: teoria atômica de Dalton

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo apresentar a produção de materiais didáticos em vídeo, com a tradução em Libras, realizada em Projeto de Iniciação Científica. Abordamos a Teoria Atômica de Dalton, parte integrante do conteúdo Teorias Atômicas, contemplado pelo projeto Atomicidade para Surdos, realizado pelo Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia da Paraíba (IFPB), Campus João Pessoa, fundamentado teoricamente nos estudos culturais sobre os surdos, considerando a experiência visual e a Libras como principais artefatos culturais dessa comunidade. O projeto foi guiado pelas etapas metodológicas: pesquisa sobre o desenvolvimento da referida teoria atômica, definição da sequência dos conceitos abordados, escrita do roteiro, pesquisa de imagens para elaboração dos slides em PowerPoint, estudo do conteúdo e discussão da tradução para Libras, gravação da tradução, gravação do áudio, tratamento das imagens, edição final e disponibilização em site. O produto final consiste num conjunto de videoaulas em Libras, possibilitando acessibilidade linguística ao público surdo