ADVANCED 3D TECHNOLOGY IN SUPPORT OF THE BIM PROCESSES IN THE CULTURAL HERITAGE: IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF THE CASE STUDY OF THE ROMAN FLUVIAL PORT OF AQUILEIA (ITALY)

Abstract. Advanced 3D technology, in line with the directives of the European Commission's Reflective 7 - Horizon 2020 project, allows to represent in an organized and accurate way (geometrically and chromatically speaking) any type of artefact belonging to the Cultural Heritage. This article will deal with the specific case-study of the research carried out in the archaeological site of the Roman fluvial port of Aquileia, in collaboration with the University of Trieste. Thirtysix MA Architecture students attending the experimental course in "Technologies for the conservation and enhancement of architectural heritage" were involved. The Advanced 3D model of the fluvial port was conveniently divided into 15 sectors, in order to allow the assignment of each sector to a different group of students. The students, using the tools provided by the proprietary EasyCUBE PRO software, were able to create a digital database with an accurate 3D representation of all types of degradation affecting the archaeological structures existing in situ. Starting from the digital database, the students created a report containing the surfaces, volumes, count of the specific elements and all the other textual and graphical data related to the degradation processes. The collected data allowed to produce a metric estimate of the restoration intervention and to realize visual simulations of the post-intervention result. This experience gave the chance to evaluate the advantages of creating a digital database of 3D representations of the various forms of degradation, also in terms of possible future developments.</p

Microwave-Hydrogen Peroxide Assisted Anaerobic Treatment as an Effective Method for Short-Chain Fatty Acids Production from Tannery Sludge

Tannery sludge is disposed of in landfills as it is considered a special residue by the Italian legislation, creating pollution and waste. This paper aims at evaluating the performance of the anaerobic fermentation process to obtain short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) from this waste. The assessment of the most appropriate conditions, in terms of pH, temperature, initial total solids (TSs) content, and application of oxidizing-thermal pretreatment has been developed. The batch test trials revealed that the combined microwave and hydrogen peroxide (MW-H2O2) pretreatment followed by thermophilic conditions gave the best results, in terms of the acidification yield (0.31 gCOD(SCFA)/g VS0) and maximal SCFA concentration (above 26 g CODSCFA/L). In the tests conducted without pretreatment, the mesophilic temperature should be preferred since the acidification performances were comparable to or even better than their thermophilic counterparts. The SCFA composition analysis showed that in mesophilic fermentation, tannery sludge can generate up to 50% acetic acid (CODAc/CODSCFA), if previously pretreated (MW-H2O2). This research acts as a forerunner for the appropriate handling of this resource, to employ it for the development of a new tannery industry focused on a circular approach, rather than to simply dispose of it in landfills

The effects of antioxidant vitamin supplementation on resistance exercise induced lipid peroxidation in trained and untrained participants

BACKGROUND: The theoretical benefits of using antioxidant vitamin supplements to quench oxygen free radicals appear large. High intensity aerobic-type exercise produces oxygen free radicals that can cause damage to lipid membranes (lipid peroxidation) that may lead to many problems such as the inactivation of cell membrane enzymes, the progression of degenerative diseases (cardiovascular disease and cancer) and lessening of the effectiveness of the immune system. The major function of vitamin E is to work as a chain-breaking antioxidant in a fat soluble environment. Little research has examined lipid peroxidation associated with high intensity resistance exercise or possible protective effects of antioxidant supplementation or the effects of training state. RESULTS: There were no significant group (trained vs untrained) or treatment (vitamin E vs placebo) effects found between the 4 groups assessed. There was only one significant difference found and that was in the main effect for time (F = 22.41, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The Resistance Exercise Test caused a significant increase in malondialdehyde in all 4 groups at 6 hours post exercise. There was no evidence that vitamin E supplementation was effective in reducing oxidative damage in comparison to the placebo group. As well, there was no difference between the trained and untrained groups with respect to their impact on lipid peroxidation measures

Advanced 3D modeling versus Building Information Modeling: the case study of Palazzo Ettoreo in Sacile (Italy)

This paper presents an experience of 3D modeling starting from laser scanning data and following two alternative approaches: the first one, called \u201cAdvanced 3D modeling\u201d, based on an original meshing algorithm, while the second make use of Revit BIM software. The case study in Palace Ettoreo in Sacile (Pordenone, Italy), constructed in Renaissance Venetian style in the 16th century: it has a trapezoid plan and is developed on three floors, with the ground one endowing a portico on two fa\ue7ades. The palace has been surveyed by two terrestrial laser scanners: a Riegl Z420i for 5 external scans and a FARO Photon 120 for 53 internal scans; also a topographic surveying of 270 targets have been carried out. The final TLS cloud has 1,4 billions of points. The Advanced 3D modeling has produced a \u201csmart\u201d mesh, allowing also to model the elements with deformations (out of plumb, bulges and troughs). Moreover, this model drastically reduce the stored data: the whole palace is modeled by 111.496 polygons only. The modeling with Revit follows the classical flowchart where the principal architectonical elements are gradually composed: this HBIM process has required a strong manual work in exploiting the available parametric objects and/or in the definition of new objects. Comparing the two models with respect the points cloud, both have evidenced advantages and limitations: therefore, the best solution is a process involving their combination. At the beginning, the Advanced 3D modeling is performed onto the points cloud, so well exploiting the segmentation tools and the smart meshing of the surfaces preserving any geometrical irregularity. Such obtained model allows metrical and morphological evaluation on the various structural and architectonical elements. Afterwards, this very light model becomes the entry data for the modeling in BIM environment, where also the shape of irregular elements are so imported

Examining the effectiveness of technology use in classrooms: A tertiary meta-analysis

Identifying effective literacy instruction programs has been a focal point for governments, educators and parents over the last few decades (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2004, 2006; Council of Ontario Directors of Education, 2011). Given the increasing use of computer technologies in the classroom and in the home, a variety of information communication technology (ICT) interventions for learning have been introduced. Meta-analyses comparing the impact of these programs on learning, however, have yielded inconsistent findings (Andrews, Freeman, Hou, McGuinn, Robinson, & Zhu, 2007; Slavin, Cheung, Groff, & Lake, 2008; Slavin, Lake, Chambers, Cheung, & Davis, 2009; Torgerson & Zhu, 2003). The present tertiary meta-analytic review re-assesses outcomes presented in three previous meta-analyses. Four moderator variables assessed the impact of the systematic review from which they were retrieved, training and support, implementation fidelity and who delivered the intervention (teacher versus researcher). Significant results were found when training and support was entered as a moderator variable with the small overall effectiveness of the ICTs (ES = 0.18), similar to those found in previous research, increasing significantly (ES = 0.57). These findings indicate the importance of including implementation factors such as training and support, when considering the relative effectiveness of ICT interventions