Building in Historical Areas: Identity Values and Energy Performance of Innovative Massive Stone Envelopes with Reference to Traditional Building Solutions

The intrinsic nature of local rocks shaped the features of built heritage in historical centers. The resulting building culture is part of the cultural heritage itself, and must be considered when building in such areas, while it is essential to solve the issues related to traditional constructions’ weaknesses. Nonetheless, the potentialities of massive stone envelopes, particularly the importance of thermal inertia, have contributed to redefining the language of contemporary architectural culture. Nowadays, although the trend of employing thin stone cladding panels is prevalent, thick stone envelopes are gaining a renewed importance. Previous literature demonstrated that mixed building technologies or massive stone envelopes coupled with load-bearing framed structures are able to meet comfort and safety requirements and to guarantee the integration of new constructions in the consolidated urban landscape, avoiding historicist approaches. This research, through the analysis of case studies, aims to describe innovative building solutions developed by contemporary architectural culture, comparing them with traditional stone masonry walls. Moreover, thermal energy performance of such building solutions is assessed through dynamic yearly simulations. Results show that these solutions are technically and architecturally suitable to build in historical centers, because they can express urban cultural identity and guarantee good energy performance and users’ comfort

Behaviour of a Large Anchored Basement in Dense Sands and Gravels

Prior to the excavation of half a million cubic meters of dense gravelly material within the city centre of Milan, a 24 to 27m long diaphragm wall was built to provide a 17m retained height to a four-level basement. Temporary support was offered by two to four rows of ground anchors with the exception of a portion adjacent to an existing multi-level cark park where a post-tensioned capping beam was installed to protect the car park and prevent it from being subject to sway. Other design challenges were posed by the proximity of a buried channel and of an urban rail tunnel. An extensive monitoring system was set up including inclinometers, load cells and topographical survey points to reveal lateral movements in the order of 10mm or less, negligible variation of anchor loads as the excavation progressed and heave behind the wall. In response to a general lack of case histories and design guidance on deep excavations in dense coarse material, especially in the region, a backanalysis of diaphragm wall monitoring data was carried out and its main results are commented on in the present paper. Lateral movements are best reproduced with pseudo-FE or full FE software if a soil stiffness compatible with the relevant shear strain level is adopted

UV filters bioaccumulation in fish from Iberian river basins

The occurrence of eight organic UV filters (UV-Fs) was assessed in fish from four Iberian river basins. This group of compounds is extensively used in cosmetic products and other industrial goods to avoid the damaging effects of UV radiation, and has been found to be ubiquitous contaminants in the aquatic ecosystem. In particular, fish are considered by the scientific community to be the most feasible organism for contamination monitoring in aquatic ecosystems. Despite that, studies on the bioaccumulation of UV-F are scarce. In this study fish samples from four Iberian river basins under high anthropogenic pressure were analysed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Benzophenone-3 (BP3), ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (EHMC), 4-methylbenzylidene camphor (4MBC) and octocrylene (OC) were the predominant pollutants in the fish samples, with concentrations in the range of ng/g. dry. weight (d.w.). The results indicated that most polluted area corresponded to Guadalquivir River basin, where maximum concentrations were found for EHMC (241.7. ng/g. d.w.). Sediments from this river basin were also analysed. Lower values were observed in relation to fish for OC and EHMC, ranging from below the limits of detection to 23. ng/g. d.w. Accumulation levels of UV-F in the fish were used to calculate biota-sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs). These values were always below 1, in the range of 0.04-0.3, indicating that the target UV-Fs are excreted by fish only to some extent. The fact that the highest concentrations were determined in predators suggests that biomagnification of UV-F may take place along the freshwater food web.This work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, through the project SCARCE (Consolider Ingenio 2010 CSD2009-00065). This study has also been financially supported by the EU through the FP7 project GLOBAQUA (Grant agreement No 603629), and by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Consolidated Research Groups “2014 SGR 418—Water and Soil Quality Unit” and 2014 SGR 291—ICRA). It reflects only the author's views. The Community is not liable for any use thatmay be made of the information contained therein. Biotage is acknowledged for the gift of the SPE cartridges.Peer reviewe

Tarea Docente: extendiéndose a Simoca

Este trabajo intenta mostrar una Práctica Educativa Solidaria en Educación Superior desde uno de los Talleres de Arquitectura de la FAU - UNT con estudiantes de 2do. a 6to. año. Habiéndose detectado la necesidad, en diversos sectores de la Comunidad de contar con ideas para llevar a cabo emprendimientos que tiendan a mejorar las condiciones de su hábitat, se implementó esta modalidad de práctica educativa, para que los trabajos elaborados por los estudiantes durante la etapa de su formación académica sirvan como bancos de ideas o anteproyectos que faciliten, a las organizaciones comunitarias involucradas, la gestión de emprendimientos que apunten a la mejora de su hábitat. El caso que se presenta es el del Municipio de Simoca (en quichua es Shim-mu-kay: lugar donde prevalece el silencio) ubicado a 52 km al sur de San Miguel de Tucumán y cabecera del departamento de igual nombre; se encuentra en un cruce de caminos por lo que siempre fue punto de reunión e intercambio; se accede a ella por ruta provincial Nº 325 y ruta nacional Nº 157. Tres símbolos la representan el “Sulky”, como medio de transporte, el “Pacará” con la luna de fondo y la “Feria de Simoca” nacida hace 300 años, a ella llegan todos los sábados del año productores agropecuarios, artesanos y humildes pobladores para comercializar sus productos. Hoy la feria es la carta de presentación que Simoca tiene en cualquier punto del país. Desde el Taller de Arquitectura docentes, alumnos, funcionarios municipales y habitantes simoqueños colaboraron para desarrollar esa idea de ciudad soñada en cuatro circuitos: turístico, industrial, de articulación cultural y el de educación y viviendas sustentables. Esta singular concepción del marco en que se inscriben los aprendizajes, es solamente el crear vínculos entre los que necesitan y los que pueden aportar algo en el tránsito de la adquisición de sapiencias. Saberes que no solamente se basan en los programas universitarios sino que se accede a un “saber” popular que lo complementa y enriquece.  Se pretende que el sentido de la Universidad sea, justamente, el de dar cabida a todos y el de la Extensión sea el de poner las cosas en común (Italo Barrionuevo).La civilización que confunde a los relojes con el tiempo, al crecimiento con el desarrollo, a lo grandote con la grandeza, también confunde a la naturaleza con el paisaje, mientras el mundo, laberinto sin centro se dedica a romper su propio cielo (Eduardo Galeano)

Btp Proteins from Brucella abortus Modulate the Lung Innate Immune Response to Infection by the Respiratory Route

Although inhalation of infected aerosols is a frequent route for Brucella infection in humans, it rarely causes pulmonary clinical manifestations, suggesting a mild or nearly absent local inflammatory response. The goal of this study was to characterize the early innate immune response to intratracheal infection with Brucella abortus in mice and to evaluate whether it is modulated by this pathogen. After infection with 106 CFU of B. abortus, the pulmonary bacterial burden at 7 days post-infection (p.i.) was comparable to the initial inoculum, despite an initial transient decline. Brucella was detected in spleen and liver as early as 1 day p.i. IL-1β and MCP-1 increased at 3 days p.i., whereas IL-12, KC, TNF-α, and IFN-γ only increased at 7 days p.i. Histological examination did not reveal peribronchial or perivascular infiltrates in infected mice. Experiments were conducted to evaluate if the limited inflammatory lung response to B. abortusis caused by a bacterial mechanism of TLR signaling inhibition. Whereas inoculation of E. coli LPS to control mice [phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)/LPS] caused lung inflammation, almost no histological changes were observed in mice preinfected intratracheally with B. abortus (WT/LPS). We speculated that the Brucella TIR-containing proteins (Btps) A and B, which impair TLR signaling in vitro, may be involved in this modulation. After LPS challenge, mice preinfected with the B. abortus btpAbtpB double mutant exhibited a stronger pulmonary polymorphonuclear infiltrate than WT/LPS mice, although milder than that of the PBS/LPS group. In addition, lungs from B. abortus btpAbtpB-infected mice presented a stronger inflammatory infiltrate than those infected with the WT strain, and at day 7 p.i., the pulmonary levels of KC, MCP-1, and IL-12 were higher in mice infected with the mutant. This study shows that B. abortus infection produces a mild proinflammatory response in murine lungs, partially due to immune modulation by its Btp proteins. This may facilitate its survival and dissemination to peripheral organs.Fil: Hielpos, María Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni; ArgentinaFil: Ferrero, Mariana Cristina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez, Andrea Giselle. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni; ArgentinaFil: Falivene, Juliana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni; ArgentinaFil: Vanzulli, Silvia. Academia Nacional de Medicina de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Comerci, Diego José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Baldi, Pablo Cesar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni; Argentin