Fatigue behavior of foreign object damaged 7075 heat treated aluminum alloy coated with PVD WC/C

AbstractThe effect of a physically vapor deposited (PVD) WC/C coating on the fatigue behavior of as produced and foreign object damaged (FOD) solution heat treated and aged 7075 aluminum alloy was studied. Coated and uncoated samples were tested under rotating bending to determine the fatigue strengths between 104 and 106 cycles in both damaged and smooth condition. FOD was produced with single shots of small hard steel spheres impacting at 100 m/s in the minimum cross section. SEM was used to characterize the features of the fracture surfaces

Unusual metastasis of papillary renal cell carcinoma to the pyriform sinus: case report

Renal cell carcinoma is the third most common cause of distant metastasis to the head and neck. Renal cell carcinoma metastasis should be considered in differential diagnosis when patients with a clinical history of renal cell carcinoma show a head and neck mass

DESIGNING BY STUDENTS FOR STUDENTS: AN EDUCATIONAL ROADMAP IN THE DESIGN OF UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES

The increased emphasis on the environments contributing to people's well-being has prompted a more profound contemplation within university settings. Prioritising both physical and mental well-being has compelled universities to take decisive actions to ensure the welfare of students and all staff members. The Laboratorio di Sintesi Finale (LSF) of section I1 is explicitly predicated on this premise. This course, the final design laboratory of Politecnico di Milano's three-year Interior Design degree program, gives the 57 enrolled students the chance to work on a project that will serve as the focus of their thesis. Students are expected to design spaces on Politecnico's three campuses in Milan to maximise the user experience of events and services. The intention is to engage students in working on permanent or temporary locations, as well as dedicated and interstitial spaces, both indoor and outdoor. The faculty team is multidisciplinary and includes professors and specialists from architecture, interior design, product design, and materials expertise due to the diversity and scope of the work. Giving students the assistance they require to effectively present their research and projects is crucial. Consequently, the LSF aims to give students practical tools for analysing design problems in the larger framework of cultural, social, and technological changes (discoveries, new lifestyles, and new technological scenarios). Students have to develop an interior design project that narrates and represents their ideation process using a range of methodologies and digital and non-digital media. During the research phase, the students must design printed layouts, videos and presentations to represent their project; at the same time, they collect case studies on preset boards that summarise the analysed projects and artefacts. The expected results are an in-depth representation of the research analysis and a description of the concept phase. The final documents must include technical and analytical aspects, mainly in hard copy, and emotional and conceptual elements, represented through videos. The case studies have been explored in depth in several course steps and are a reference throughout the design phase. The rules provided for the layout and organisation of the material make it possible to obtain coherent papers in proportions and format for the final exam. Upon completing the course, students have comprehensively understood interior design, material selection, and practical guidance on crafting and editing a thesis. This has equipped them with a method for effectively representing and communicating their projects

Characterisation of flow dynamics within and around an isolated forest, through measurements and numerical simulations

The case study of ‘Bosco Fontana’, a densely-vegetated forest located in the north of Italy, is analysed both experimentally and numerically to characterise the internal ventilation of a finite forest with a vertically non-homogeneous canopy. Measurements allow for the evaluation of the turbulent exchange across the forest canopy. The case study is then reproduced numerically via a two-dimensional RANS simulation, successfully validated against experimental data. The analysis of the internal ventilation leads to the identification of seven regions of motion along the predominate-wind direction, for whose definition a new in-canopy stability parameter was introduced. In the vertical direction, the non-homogeneity of the canopy leads to the separation of the canopy layer into an upper foliage layer and a lower bush layer, characterised respectively by an increasing streamwise velocity and turbulence intensity, and a weak backflow. The conclusions report an improved description of the dynamic layer and regions of motion presented in the literature

IL-10 producing regulatory and helper T-cells in systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a highly heterogeneous autoimmune disease characterised by the production of pathogenic autoantibodies against nuclear self-antigens. The anti-inflammatory and tolerogenic cytokine Interleukin-10 appears to play a paradoxical pathogenic role in SLE and is therefore currently therapeutically targeted in clinical trials. It is generally assumed that the pathogenic effect of IL-10 in SLE is due to its growth and differentiation factor activity on autoreactive B-cells, but effects on other cells might also play a role. To date, a unique cellular source of pathogenic IL-10 in SLE has not been identified. In this review, we focus on the contribution of different CD4+T-cell subsets to IL-10 and autoantibody production in SLE. In particular, we discuss that IL-10 produced by different subsets of adaptive regulatory T-cells, follicular helper T-cells and extra-follicular B-helper T-cells is likely to have different effects on autoreactive B-cell responses. A better understanding of the role of IL-10 in B-cell responses and lupus would allow to identify the most promising therapies for individual SLE patients in the future

Infectious agents including COVID-19 and the involvement of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis. A narrative review

Platelets, blood coagulation along with fibrinolysis are greatly involved in the pathophysiology of infectious diseases induced by bacteria, parasites and virus. This phenomenon is not surprising since both the innate immunity and the hemostatic systems are two ancestral mechanisms which closely cooperate favoring host's defense against foreign invaders. However, the excessive response of these systems may be dangerous for the host itself

Autoimmune liver disease triggered by SARS-CoV-2: a case report and review of the literature

Background: An increasing number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and autoimmune liver disease (AILD) has been already described so far in the last three years. This rise has set up some diagnostic and therapeutic concerns, although steroid therapy has mostly been efficient, avoiding main significant side effects. Case report: We report the case of a 52-year-old subject displaying liver function impairment at the laboratory tests while positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) swab. Needle liver biopsy showed severe portal inflammation, interface hepatitis, lobular inflammation, abundant plasma cells, bridging necrosis, endothelialitis, bile duct vanishing disease, and ductular reaction. The diagnosis of autoimmune liver disease (AILD) was performed. After a month of steroid and ursodeoxycholic acid medications, liver function fully recovered. Azathioprine was introduced, and steroids were gradually reduced. Conclusions: Probably triggered by the SARS-CoV-2-induced cytokine storm, the association between COVID-19 and autoimmune-related inflammatory injury may display a particular paradigm of AILD pathogenesis