"Baumeister". Architettura urbana tra cultura accademica e cultura politecnica. Riflessioni e linee possibili per una ricerca - "Baumeister". Urban architecture between academic culture and polytechnic culture. Thoughts and possible research lines

il contributo esamina le linee di diffusione di una prassi edilizia "raisonnable", in particolare tra Torino e Milano tra 1870 e 1930, con riferimenti alla cultura architettonica italiana ed europea. The paper examines the diffusion lines of a " raisonnable " building practices , particularly between Turin and Milan between 1870 and 1930, with references to Italian and European architectural culture

Architetture salesiane per la formazione e per la produzione: linee per un'indagine

L'articolo esamina aspetti e luoghi comuni delle architetture salesiane, con particolare riferimento a quelle per la formazione e per la produzione ma senza escludere alcuni esempi di architetture religiose. The article examines aspects and clichés of the Salesian architectures , with particular reference to those for training and for the production but without excluding some examples of religious architecture

Selective Protein Conjugation of Poly(glycerol monomethacrylate) and Poly(polyethylene glycol methacrylate) with Tunable Topology via Reductive Amination with Multifunctional ATRP Initiators for Activity Preservation

In this study, we compare poly(glycerol monomethacrylate) (PGMA) of different chain lengths and architectures (linear and two-arm) with poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) (PPEGMA) as an alternative polymer platform for the synthesis of a new generation of protein-polymer conjugates. Mono-and two-arm functional atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiators were designed and selectively attached to lysozyme at the N-terminus via reductive amination. Site-specific, grafting from activator regenerated by electron transfer (ARGET) ATRP was carried out in phosphate buffer, and the reaction parameters were optimized to obtain polymer conjugates with predetermined molar mass and topology. The activity preservation under proteolytic and high-temperature conditions showed a clear dependence on the structure of the repeating unit and on the macromolecular architecture. These results highlighted the potential of PGMA as a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) alternative for the half-life extension of biotherapeutics. Moreover, this synthetic approach may inspire the design of a new class of protein-polymer conjugates through an optimal combination of macromolecular composition and topology

Finding needles in haystacks: linking scientific names, reference specimens and molecular data for Fungi

DNA phylogenetic comparisons have shown that morphology-based species recognition often underestimates fungal diversity. Therefore, the need for accurate DNA sequence data, tied to both correct taxonomic names and clearly annotated specimen data, has never been greater. Furthermore, the growing number of molecular ecology and microbiome projects using high-throughput sequencing require fast and effective methods for en masse species assignments. In this article, we focus on selecting and re-annotating a set of marker reference sequences that represent each currently accepted order of Fungi. The particular focus is on sequences from the internal transcribed spacer region in the nuclear ribosomal cistron, derived from type specimens and/or ex-type cultures. Re-annotated and verified sequences were deposited in a curated public database at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), namely the RefSeq Targeted Loci (RTL) database, and will be visible during routine sequence similarity searches with NR_prefixed accession numbers. A set of standards and protocols is proposed to improve the data quality of new sequences, and we suggest how type and other reference sequences can be used to improve identification of Fungi

Factors That Affect Large Subunit Ribosomal DNA Amplicon Sequencing Studies of Fungal Communities: Classification Method, Primer Choice, and Error

Nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA is widely used in fungal phylogenetics and to an increasing extent also amplicon-based environmental sequencing. The relatively short reads produced by next-generation sequencing, however, makes primer choice and sequence error important variables for obtaining accurate taxonomic classifications. In this simulation study we tested the performance of three classification methods: 1) a similarity-based method (BLAST + Metagenomic Analyzer, MEGAN); 2) a composition-based method (Ribosomal Database Project naïve Bayesian classifier, NBC); and, 3) a phylogeny-based method (Statistical Assignment Package, SAP). We also tested the effects of sequence length, primer choice, and sequence error on classification accuracy and perceived community composition. Using a leave-one-out cross validation approach, results for classifications to the genus rank were as follows: BLAST + MEGAN had the lowest error rate and was particularly robust to sequence error; SAP accuracy was highest when long LSU query sequences were classified; and, NBC runs significantly faster than the other tested methods. All methods performed poorly with the shortest 50–100 bp sequences. Increasing simulated sequence error reduced classification accuracy. Community shifts were detected due to sequence error and primer selection even though there was no change in the underlying community composition. Short read datasets from individual primers, as well as pooled datasets, appear to only approximate the true community composition. We hope this work informs investigators of some of the factors that affect the quality and interpretation of their environmental gene surveys

Paleogene Radiation of a Plant Pathogenic Mushroom

Background: The global movement and speciation of fungal plant pathogens is important, especially because of the economic losses they cause and the ease with which they are able to spread across large areas. Understanding the biogeography and origin of these plant pathogens can provide insights regarding their dispersal and current day distribution. We tested the hypothesis of a Gondwanan origin of the plant pathogenic mushroom genus Armillaria and the currently accepted premise that vicariance accounts for the extant distribution of the species. Methods: The phylogeny of a selection of Armillaria species was reconstructed based on Maximum Parsimony (MP), Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Inference (BI). A timeline was then placed on the divergence of lineages using a Bayesian relaxed molecular clock approach. Results: Phylogenetic analyses of sequenced data for three combined nuclear regions provided strong support for three major geographically defined clades: Holarctic, South American-Australasian and African. Molecular dating placed the initial radiation of the genus at 54 million years ago within the Early Paleogene, postdating the tectonic break-up of Gondwana. Conclusions: The distribution of extant Armillaria species is the result of ancient long-distance dispersal rather than vicariance due to continental drift. As these finding are contrary to most prior vicariance hypotheses for fungi, our result

Serpentine Soils Do Not Limit Mycorrhizal Fungal Diversity

Background: Physiologically stressful environments tend to host depauperate and specialized biological communities. Serpentine soils exemplify this phenomenon by imposing well-known constraints on plants; however, their effect on other organisms is still poorly understood. Methodology/Principal Findings: We used a combination of field and molecular approaches to test the hypothesis that serpentine fungal communities are species-poor and specialized. We conducted surveys of ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity from adjacent serpentine and non-serpentine sites, described fungal communities using nrDNA Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) fragment and sequence analyses, and compared their phylogenetic community structure. Although we detected low fungal overlap across the two habitats, we found serpentine soils to support rich fungal communities that include representatives from all major fungal lineages. We failed to detect the phylogenetic signature of endemic clades that would result from specialization and adaptive radiation within this habitat. Conclusions/Significance: Our results indicate that serpentine soils do not constitute an extreme environment for ectomycorrhizal fungi, and raise important questions about the role of symbioses in edaphic tolerance and the maintenanc