A GEO-DATABASE FOR 3D-AIDED MULTI-EPOCH DOCUMENTATION OF BRIDGE INSPECTIONS

The recent collapse of bridges in Italy has prompted numerous studies on monitoring and maintenance. Many structures in Italy have been in service for over 50 years, necessitating new approaches to ensure their safety. To address this issue, Italy's Consiglio Superiore dei Lavori Pubblici (Superior Council of Public Works) has developed the Guidelines for Risk Classification and Management, proposing a multi-level approach to bridge management within a complex geomorphological environment. The guidelines outline a multi-level process that includes surveying the structures, conducting detailed inspections, and assigning risk classes based on hazard, exposure, and vulnerability. Current inspection processes are time-consuming and costly. Therefore, alternative monitoring technologies are crucial. Unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with cameras, laser technologies, and GPS systems offer flexible and cost-effective solutions for visual inspection. These technologies enable the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data, such as size, material properties, and overall condition. In this context, efficient data management and exploration systems are necessary to handle the vast amount of geo-referenced information. Multi-epoch databases play a crucial role in documenting the conditions of bridges and supporting a maintenance and structural health monitoring workflow. These databases can be utilized within a Bridge Management System to aid road managers in decision-making processes. Additionally, 3D exploration platforms provide visual analysis and highlight areas of interest within the structure. This work presents a multi-epoch geo-database that adheres to the Italian guidelines, offering optimized data management and queryability for 2D and 3D information. The entire process is designed using open-source and reproducible solutions

Towards nationally curated data archives for clinical radiology image analysis at scale: Learnings from national data collection in response to a pandemic

The prevalence of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 disease has resulted in the unprecedented collection of health data to support research. Historically, coordinating the collation of such datasets on a national scale has been challenging to execute for several reasons, including issues with data privacy, the lack of data reporting standards, interoperable technologies, and distribution methods. The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 disease pandemic has highlighted the importance of collaboration between government bodies, healthcare institutions, academic researchers and commercial companies in overcoming these issues during times of urgency. The National COVID-19 Chest Imaging Database, led by NHSX, British Society of Thoracic Imaging, Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust and Faculty, is an example of such a national initiative. Here, we summarise the experiences and challenges of setting up the National COVID-19 Chest Imaging Database, and the implications for future ambitions of national data curation in medical imaging to advance the safe adoption of artificial intelligence in healthcare

Towards nationally curated data archives for clinical radiology image analysis at scale: learnings from national data collection in response to a pandemic

The prevalence of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 disease has resulted in the unprecedented collection of health data to support research. Historically, coordinating the collation of such datasets on a national scale has been challenging to execute for several reasons, including issues with data privacy, the lack of data reporting standards, interoperable technologies, and distribution methods. The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 disease pandemic has highlighted the importance of collaboration between government bodies, healthcare institutions, academic researchers and commercial companies in overcoming these issues during times of urgency. The National COVID-19 Chest Imaging Database, led by NHSX, British Society of Thoracic Imaging, Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust and Faculty, is an example of such a national initiative. Here, we summarise the experiences and challenges of setting up the National COVID-19 Chest Imaging Database, and the implications for future ambitions of national data curation in medical imaging to advance the safe adoption of artificial intelligence in healthcare

A HOUSE IN TANZANIA TO MEET GOD. NATURAL VENTILATION

In this paper it is presented a method of calculation for the design, sizing and verification of natural ventilation for the "St. Maria del Carmelo" in Dar es Salaam – Tanzania, a house to meet God. A wind tower is adjacent to the bell tower and is called to collect the wind to enter into an underground pipeline. There are two principles that govern the dynamics of natural ventilation: 1. the hot air, being less dense than cold air, tends to rise, thus generating the "chimney effect"; 2. the circulation of the wind around and above the building that creates a pressure difference. Another factor that causes current of air is the temperature, the more it increases more and the gas expands decreasing its density. So if the day is captured the cooler air and faster at a height higher than that of the soil, the latter being then channeled into an underground conduit, through which disperses heat still decreasing its temperature, then when this air will enter the church in touch with people, it will tend to heat up quickly, thus leading to the chimney effect, flowing so naturally by the openings at the highest altitudes of the structure. This phenomenon is even more accentuated by the presence of the solar chimney placed on top of the roof which causes a greater pressure difference between the air captured and the one that enters the environment. The study of the natural ventilation system, first shown, it was particularly complex due to the large volume of the church (designed for 2,000 faithful) and the local weather conditions. In the paper, after a brief presentation of the architectural design of the church, the basic criteria are discussed for the design of this particular ventilation system

Hospital-acquired infections documented by repeated annual prevalence surveys over 15 years

International audienc