412 research outputs found
Reuse of an ancient church: thermal aspect for integrated solutions
Abstract The definition of intervention strategies for the restoration and the functional actualization of historic and high artistic quality artifacts, postulates a systemic approach for the different variables that contribute to the definition of the project. This paper presents an emblematic case study of an historic building, the church of St. Francis in San Giovanni in Persiceto near Bologna, one of the most representative of the architectural construction of Bolognese Baroque, built by Alfonso Torreggiani. The expected new functions as exhibition hall and/or concert activities, requires a search for integrated strategies to ensure indoor comfort requirements (thermo-hygrometric, acoustics) and to define HVAC plant equipment for the reduction of energy consumption without affecting the historic values and artistic perception of the building. Therefore, the analysis of the church in the survey phase, besides the usual historical and architectural investigations, should investigate the potential issues and the critical aspects of structures, like the multilayered floor and refined decorations that lines the walls of the nave. Understanding the intimate rationality of the building (presence of any shafts, steps etc .) is a prerequisite for the inclusion of plant components without altering the visual perception and to optimize the acoustic and the climatization plant systems. Although the use of renewable energy are required today for all new plant systems, in this case it was decided to exclude invasive elements that could have altered the image of the entire monumental complex of which the church belongs. The proposed HVAC plant, after an analysis of dynamic thermal behaviour of the building, is an air-conditioning system coupled to radiant heating system to ensure, in a climate context with high humidity levels, the optimal temperature and humidity not only for comfort conditions but also for preservation of the building itself and of artistic works
Congenital Chagas disease in a Bolivian newborn in Bergamo (Italy)
Chagas disease (CD) is an uncommon disease in Europe. Its epidemiology has changed because of mass migration from Latin America to Europe. Herein we describe a congenital case of CD in a Bolivian newborn in Bergamo, the main city of residence for the Bolivian community in Italy. At delivery, serological analyses evidenced IgG antibodies against Trypanosoma cruzi both in the child and mother, as expected. Hemoscopic analyses on peripheral blood were repeatedly negative during the first months of life. Eventually, thanks to T. cruzi Real Time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) positivity on peripheral blood and development of progressive anemia in the following weeks, congenital Chagas disease was diagnosed and benznidazole-based therapy started. A progressive antibodies' index decrease was observed till negativity (306 days apart). RT-PCR was negative at the end of treatment. Our case is instructive and management of congenital CD is discussed from the perspective of a non-endemic country
Harmony of transitions in assessing interpersonal motivations in transcripts analysis can discriminate between Adult Attachment Interview secure and disorganized individuals
SUMMARY. Aim. Assessing Interpersonal Motivations in Transcripts (AIMIT) is a validated coding system to assess the activation of interpersonal motivational systems (IMS) in the transcripts of psychotherapy sessions. The Transition Index (TI) is an AIMIT measure that reflects the levels of organisation, synchronisation and harmony amongst two or more IMS when they are rapidly shifting or simultaneously in the clinical dialogue. It is supposed to be a measure of integration and coherence of the patient’s state of mind within the psychotherapeutic sessions. It has also been hypothesized that low TI could be a marker for disorganization of attachment of the patient leading to difficulties in the therapeutic relationships and ruptures in the therapeutic alliance. In order to assess this hypothesis we tested its capability to discriminate between Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) organized and disorganized individuals. Methods. Two groups of 15 transcriptions of AAI matched for age and sex, one classified as free-autonomous and one as disorganized, were analysed by the AIMIT method. Results. Compared to organized individuals, disorganized patients at AAI reported lower TI scores (3.7±0.63 vs 3.0±0.53; F=2.98, p=0.005). Furthermore,
TI showed a good discriminant capability (Wilks’ Lambda=0.77, p=0.004). Discussion and Conclusion. This result seems to confirm the usefulness and reliability of AIMIT analysis in evaluating the interpersonal difficulties which often characterize the therapeutic relationship with disorganized attachment patient
mRNA stability and the unfolding of gene expression in the long-period yeast metabolic cycle
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In yeast, genome-wide periodic patterns associated with energy-metabolic oscillations have been shown recently for both short (approx. 40 min) and long (approx. 300 min) periods.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The dynamical regulation due to mRNA stability is found to be an important aspect of the genome-wide coordination of the long-period yeast metabolic cycle. It is shown that for periodic genes, arranged in classes according either to expression profile or to function, the pulses of mRNA abundance have phase and width which are directly proportional to the corresponding turnover rates.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The cascade of events occurring during the yeast metabolic cycle (and their correlation with mRNA turnover) reflects to a large extent the gene expression program observable in other dynamical contexts such as the response to stresses/stimuli.</p
Unified description of equation of state and transport properties of nuclear matter
Correlated basis function perturbation theory and the formalism of cluster
expansions have been recently employed to obtain an effective interaction from
a state-of-the-art nucleon nucleon potential model. The approach based on the
effective interaction allows for a consistent description of the nuclear matter
ground state and nucleon-nucleon scattering in the nuclear medium. This paper
reports the the results of numerical calculations of different properties of
nuclear and neutron matter, including the equation of state and the shear
viscosity and thermal conductivity transport coefficients, carried out using
the effective interaction.Comment: Invited talk at the Sixth Conference on Perspectives in Hadronic
Physics (ICTP, Trieste, May 2008). To be published in the proceedings (AIP
Aprender con las audiencias, un desafĂo para los periodistas
Uno de los cambios más notables desde la apariciĂłn del periodismo en Internet es el de las audiencias, que se han vuelto interactivas, selectivas, migrantes y hiperfragmentadas. Esto ha obligado a los periodistas no sĂłlo a conocerlas e interpretarlas, sino a aprender de ellas y con ellas, en un proceso de formaciĂłn permanente. En este artĂculo proponemos una reflexiĂłn sobre las necesidades de aprendizaje de los periodistas a la luz de los cambios constantes en los hábitos de consumo y en el comportamiento de las audiencias en Internet
Aprender con las audiencias, un desafĂo para los periodistas
Uno de los cambios más notables desde la apariciĂłn del periodismo en Internet es el de las audiencias, que se han vuelto interactivas, selectivas, migrantes y hiperfragmentadas. Esto ha obligado a los periodistas no sĂłlo a conocerlas e interpretarlas, sino a aprender de ellas y con ellas, en un proceso de formaciĂłn permanente. En este artĂculo proponemos una reflexiĂłn sobre las necesidades de aprendizaje de los periodistas a la luz de los cambios constantes en los hábitos de consumo y en el comportamiento de las audiencias en Internet
El periodista frente a la tecnologĂa: un acercamiento a las habilidades tecnolĂłgicas necesarias para el periodismo digital
In the context of the transformations of journalism through the Internet, technological innovation and changes in audiences’ information consumption behavior, journalists need to develop skills in the use of technology in order to meet the requirements of the profession. In this article we propose to identify some of the technological skills needed by journalists, for which we conducted interviews with editors and reporters of Mexican newspapers. En el contexto de las transformaciones en el periodismo en Internet, de la innovaciĂłn tecnolĂłgica y de los cambios de hábito de consumo de informaciĂłn por parte de las audiencias, los periodistas necesitan desarrollar habilidades en el uso de la tecnologĂa con miras a atender las exigencias del oficio. En este artĂculo proponemos identificar algunas de las habilidades tecnolĂłgicas que necesitan los periodistas, para lo cual se realizaron entrevistas a editores y reporteros de periĂłdicos mexicanos
The Role of Attachment Trauma and Disintegrative Pathogenic Processes in the Traumatic-Dissociative Dimension
Epidemiological, clinical, and neurobiological studies of the last 30 years suggest that traumatic attachments during the early years of life are associated to specific psychopathological vulnerabilities based on dissociative pathogenic processes. It has been observed that the dissociative pathogenic processes caused by these traumatic attachments either may contribute to the genesis of well-defined mental disorders (e.g., dissociative disorders) or may variably occur in many other diagnostic categories, complicating their clinical pictures and worsening their prognosis. For this reason, we proposed to define the dimension of psychopathological outcomes linked to traumatic attachments and dissociative pathogenic processes as the “traumatic-dissociative” dimension (TDD). The clinical complexity of the TDD requires specific training to enable mental health professionals to recognize the signs of traumatic developments and to implement specific treatment strategies. The present article aims to review some crucial points about the clinical meaning and treatment strategies of the TDD, the dissociative pathogenic processes characterizing the TDD, as well as of the role of attachment trauma in the TDD. We also focused on the clinical and theoretical evidence suggesting that dissociation and dis-integration may be considered two different processes but highly correlated. The usefulness of clinical reasoning in terms of psychopathological dimensions, instead of distinct diagnostic categories, as well as several therapeutic implications of these issues was finally discussed
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