CRITERI PER LA CONSERVAZIONE DELLE COPERTURE LIGNEE TRADIZIONALI DELLA SICILIA OCCIDENTALE: RECUPERO DI PRATICHE COSTRUTTIVE E MATERIALI TRADIZIONALI LOCALI

The paper presents the result of a researched that aimed to identifying typical wooden span roof systems in the ancient architecture of western Sicily. For this study, seventy construction built with various building techniques have been selected for their peculiarities. The research has paid particular attention to the components and the functional parts of the covering which have also been compared with the information acquired from written historical hand book. This comparison it was aimed at the individuation of the best way to build this covering structures and the possible precautionary measures aimed at preserving the wooden structures from the development of decay phenomena. The work has been developed trough historical investigations, from which have information about the building component were realized to verify trough modern theories and laboratory tests. It’s allows to evaluation the performances given from the wooden elements both under the original conditions that different stadiums of decay

Evaluation of the Thermodynamic Performance of the Traditional Passive Systems

The need to reduce urban consumption of energy in the buildings, one of the major energy waster resulting in emission of CO2, is pushing research in the field of building design to the appreciation of passive air-conditioning systems that can be integrated with conventional systems and determine, therefore, the so-called hybrid systems. Historically this passive systems were developed in the Mediterranean and in the Middle East area. Actually the research activity has been focused on this problem, through an approach that involves the application of design strategies and the development of computational tools and control systems. The synergy between current scientific knowledge, advanced manufacturing and information technology allows to conceive hybrid systems. Through the use of computer programs CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamic) have been tested different conditions iterating the process until it gets to the structure that gives the greatest contribution for the environmental comfort. The paper shows the results of research developed to the Dipartimento di Architettura of the Università di Palermo, that develops a case study where is analyzed the effect of the natural ventilation in indoor comfort

ROCCIA E VETRO PER UNA COPERTURA TRASPARENTE

La memoria presenta uno studio condotto sulla possibilità di coprire uno spazio residuo tra il convento dei Mercedari di Modica in Sicilia e il costone roccioso adiacente. La nuova destinazione dell'edificio a Museo prevede la realizzazione di un percorso museale esterno coperto. Ciò ha fornito l’occasione per mettere alla prova le più audaci prestazioni del vetro strutturale per la realizzazione di una copertura a sbalzo. Il recente sviluppo di architetture che usano sempre più il vetro ha incentivato ricerche ed applicazioni di nuove tecnologie che hanno permesso di raggiungere elevatissimi livelli prestazionali, sia per quanto riguarda gli aspetti statici che di comfort e trasparenza: oggi è possibile combinare diversi processi di lavorazione del vetro, garantendo condizioni di sicurezza strutturale e regolando anche le proprietà di trasmissione delle radiazioni luminose. La particolare occasione di coprire il passaggio dei visitatori dagli agenti atmosferici e al contempo di lasciare integro il rapporto visivo tra la roccia viva e il profilo della facciata ha orientato la scelta progettuale su una copertura che fosse quanto meno invasiva possibile. Le lastre di vetro sono ammorsate al costone roccioso attraverso piastre in acciaio incastrate nella roccia, da questa si distaccano fino ai bordi costruiti della copertura del museo apparendo incastrate direttamente nella roccia senza elementi di supporto. The space back of the Mercedari Convent and the rock cliff, adapted to museum path, will be covered with a glass structure that gives the impression to directly come straight from the rock. The solution proposed favors both the shape of the rock and the different altimetrically trend of the building. The structure realized with stiffen and laminated glass, reaches a maximum overhang of 4.50 meters and it is made with big tile U-shaped with different dimensions

GLASS IN THE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION:BEYOND THE TRASPARENCY

In the last decades, the evolution of the methodology of the glass manufacturing processes has created the opportunity to craft external frames that include integrated multifunctional elements which enable the user to fully control different functions. The evolution of glass - from being a basic see-through material to becoming a system with high-tech potentiality - has given the designer the opportunity to satisfy different needs. These can be fulfilled without altering the structure of the material and without affecting its relation with the frame it is built for. The aim of the research was the analysis, classification and verification of the performance of the translucent products currently available in the marketplace and of the ones still at an experimental stage. As well as allowing their main function - the transmission of natural light and vision. These products are designed to control energy flows in order to manage the level of illumination and thermal insulation. The use of dedicated filtering methodologies, decreases and/or modifies the effect of the solar energy. Firstly, the performance and cost of the different translucent products were compared in order to set the standard. Afterwards, new avenues were investigated in order to elucidate some issues affecting the products currently on the market, including the cost/benefit ratio which is currently not advantageous

Daylight-Transfer Systems: Physiological And Energetic Advantages

Daylight-transfer systems are devices designed to operate according to the law of reflection: they collect and transfer it to rooms lacking in light. On the whole, possible applications can deal with rooms which do not communicate directly with the outside. For instance, it can be the case of both basements and large-sized buildings like those devoted to the service industry. In recent years, the considerable attention devoted to sustainable development has prompted planners to reconsider the use of daylighting in architecture. Current research, partly examined in this article, aims at producing a range of systematised products and techniques according to some specific characteristics in order to highlight the advantages of these systems in terms of energy conservation as for essential artificial lighting and, consequently, to contribute towards decreasing the use of non-renewable sources of energy and related problems about sustainability

Transcribed-ultra conserved region expression profiling from low-input total RNA

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Ultra Conserved Regions (UCRs) are a class of 481 noncoding sequences located in both intra- and inter-genic regions of the genome. The recent findings that they are significantly altered in adult chronic lymphocytic leukemias, carcinomas, and pediatric neuroblastomas lead to the hypothesis that UCRs may play a role in tumorigenesis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We present a novel application of Ribo-SPIA™ isothermal linear amplification of minute RNA quantities for quantifying Transcribed-UCR (T-UCR) expression by quantitative PCR. Direct comparison of non-amplified with amplified cDNA in two neuroblastoma cell lines showed that the amplification approach increases sensitivity and repeatability in T-UCR quantification. It is noteworthy that the Ribo-SPIA™ step allowed us to analyze all 481 T-UCRs by using 150 ng of RNA, while introducing a minimal bias and preserving the magnitude of relative expression. Only the less abundant T-UCRs have high intra-assay variability, consistently with the Poisson distribution statistics and stochastic effects on PCR repeatability.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We demonstrated that the quantification procedure shown here is an accurate and reliable technique for genome-wide non coding gene (i.e., UCRs) profiling using small amounts of RNA. This issue is particularly important because studies of transcription regulation are increasingly conducted in small homogeneous samples, such as laser capture microdissected or sorted cell populations.</p

Nucleocytoplasmic Shuttling of Endocytic Proteins

Many cellular processes rely on the ordered assembly of macromolecular structures. Here, we uncover an unexpected link between two such processes, endocytosis and transcription. Many endocytic proteins, including eps15, epsin1, the clathrin assembly lymphoid myeloid leukemia (CALM), and α-adaptin, accumulate in the nucleus when nuclear export is inhibited. Endocytosis and nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of endocytic proteins are apparently independent processes, since inhibition of endocytosis did not appreciably alter nuclear translocation of endocytic proteins, and blockade of nuclear export did not change the initial rate of endocytosis. In the nucleus, eps15 and CALM acted as positive modulators of transcription in a GAL4-based transactivation assay, thus raising the intriguing possibility that some endocytic proteins play a direct or indirect role in transcriptional regulation

A pharmacoeconomic analysis from Italian guidelines for the management of prolactinomas

Background: Prolactinoma, the most common pituitary adenoma, is usually treated with dopamine agonist (DA) therapy like cabergoline. Surgery is second-line therapy, and radiotherapy is used if surgical treatment fails or in relapsing macroprolactinoma. Objective: This study aimed to provide economic evidence for the management of prolactinoma in Italy, using a cost-of-illness and cost-utility analysis that considered various treatment options, including cabergoline, bromocriptine, temozolomide, radiation therapy, and surgical strategies. Methods: The researchers conducted a systematic literature review for each research question on scientific data- bases and surveyed a panel of experts for each therapeutic procedure's specific drivers that contributed to its total cost. Results: The average cost of the first year of treatment was euro2,558.91 and euro3,287.40 for subjects with micro- prolactinoma and macroprolactinoma, respectively. Follow-up costs from the second to the fifth year after ini- tial treatment were euro798.13 and euro1,084.59 per year in both groups. Cabergoline had an adequate cost-utility profile, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of euro3,201.15 compared to bromocriptine, based on a willingness-to-pay of euro40,000 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) in the reference economy. Endoscopic sur- gery was more cost-effective than cabergoline, with an ICER of euro44,846.64. Considering a willingness-to-pay of euro40,000/QALY, the baseline findings show cabergoline to have high cost utility and endoscopic surgery just a tad above that. Conclusions: Due to the favorable cost-utility profile and safety of surgical treatment, pituitary surgery should be considered more frequently as the initial therapeutic approach. This management choice could lead to better outcomes and an appropriate allocation of healthcare resources

Transcribed-ultra conserved region expression is associated with outcome in high-risk neuroblastoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Neuroblastoma is the most common, pediatric, extra-cranial, malignant solid tumor. Despite multimodal therapeutic protocols, outcome for children with a high-risk clinical phenotype remains poor, with long-term survival still less than 40%. Hereby, we evaluated the potential of non-coding RNA expression to predict outcome in high-risk, stage 4 neuroblastoma.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We analyzed expression of 481 Ultra Conserved Regions (UCRs) by reverse transcription-quantitative real-time PCR and of 723 microRNAs by microarrays in 34 high-risk, stage 4 neuroblastoma patients.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>First, the comparison of 8 short- versus 12 long-term survivors showed that 54 UCRs were significantly (<it>P </it>< 0.0491) over-expressed in the former group. For 48 Ultra Conserved Region (UCRs) the expression levels above the cut-off values defined by ROC curves were strongly associated with good-outcome (OS: 0.0001 <<it>P </it>< 0.0185, EFS: 0.0001 <<it>P </it>< 0.0491). Then we tested the Transcribed-UCR (T-UCR) threshold risk-prediction model on an independent cohort of 14 patients. The expression profile of 28 T-UCRs was significantly associated to prognosis and at least 15 up-regulated T-UCRs are needed to discriminate (<it>P </it>< 0.0001) short- from long-survivors at the highest sensitivity and specificity (94.12%). We also identified a signature of 13 microRNAs differently expressed between long- and short-surviving patients. The comparative analysis of the two classes of non-coding RNAs disclosed that 9 T-UCRs display their expression level that are inversely correlated with expression of 5 complementary microRNAs of the signature, indicating a negative regulation of T-UCRs by direct interaction with microRNAs. Moreover, 4 microRNAs down-regulated in tumors of long-survivors target 3 genes implicated in neuronal differentiation, that are known to be over-expressed in low-risk tumors.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our pilot study suggests that a deregulation of the microRNA/T-UCR network may play an important role in the pathogenesis of neuroblastoma. After further validation on a larger independent set of samples, such findings may be applied as the first T-UCR prognostic signature for high-risk neuroblastoma patients.</p

Fatality rate and predictors of mortality in an Italian cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Clinical features and natural history of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) differ widely among different countries and during different phases of the pandemia. Here, we aimed to evaluate the case fatality rate (CFR) and to identify predictors of mortality in a cohort of COVID-19 patients admitted to three hospitals of Northern Italy between March 1 and April 28, 2020. All these patients had a confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection by molecular methods. During the study period 504/1697 patients died; thus, overall CFR was 29.7%. We looked for predictors of mortality in a subgroup of 486 patients (239 males, 59%; median age 71 years) for whom sufficient clinical data were available at data cut-off. Among the demographic and clinical variables considered, age, a diagnosis of cancer, obesity and current smoking independently predicted mortality. When laboratory data were added to the model in a further subgroup of patients, age, the diagnosis of cancer, and the baseline PaO2/FiO2 ratio were identified as independent predictors of mortality. In conclusion, the CFR of hospitalized patients in Northern Italy during the ascending phase of the COVID-19 pandemic approached 30%. The identification of mortality predictors might contribute to better stratification of individual patient risk