A Scan-to-BIM Approach for the Management of Two Arab-Norman Churches in Palermo (Italy)

The paper shows the results of the research activities carried out by the Department of Engineering at the University of Palermo (Italy), which assessed the application of the Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM) methodology through a Scan-to-BIM approach to two local churches belonging to the medieval period. This project was motivated by a renewed interest from the city administrators towards the conservation of cultural heritage dating back to the Arab-Norman domination in Sicily since one of the two buildings was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 2015. The morpho-typological style of the churches has been acquired by high-detailed 3D surveys, which provided the base for two HBIM models suited to render the peculiarity of these buildings at their best. The BIM environment allowed both the geometrical representation of all the architectural elements and their further enrichment with the integration of non-geometric data and semantic signification through a knowledge-based workflow. This process led to a hierarchical organization of two high-accuracy digital replicas and to the creation of a database containing all of the architectural items typical of the Arab-Norman style, aimed to share the awareness of its conservation and to match all of the Cultural Heritage requirements. In the future, the features in this database can be shared with other specialists as reference objects for further studies on cultural heritage sites in the UNESCO list

Web exploration of cultural heritage with limited accessibility: First experimentation for hypogeum archaeological sites

The accessibility to hypogeum archaeological sites is still one of the main challenges for the dissemination of Cultural Heritage knowledge, especially in the territories rich of ancient ruins like the Mediterranean area, where modern cities often hide underground ruins of historical settlements making the accessibility of these sites very difficult or even impossible. Digital reconstructions and virtual reality applications result in many cases the only chance to explore these archaeological sites. Terrestrial laser scanning and photogrammetry are the main technologies able now to digitise at a very high-level detail the hypogeum environments, whilst web virtual navigation systems are smart solutions for their dissemination and virtual fruition. However, this approach has some critical issues since the online virtual fruition needs further 3D model elaborations and web design processes. The work aims to develop and implement a web exploration system for the web fruition of hypogeum archaeological sites. The research was carried out on two hypogeum sites in Marsala (Italy), part of the ancient Roman city of Lylibaeum . The system was developed using WebGL JavaScript open-source libraries, allowing the construction of a virtual 3D navigation platform accessible on the web. In particular, in this work, the 3D dataset elaboration necessary to solve the limitations relative to the web browsing of complex 3D datasets is investigated and a possible smart solution based on open-source technology is proposed

Acid catalyzed synthesis of dimethyl isosorbide via dimethyl carbonate chemistry

Dimethyl isosorbide (DMI) is a bio-based solvent that can be used as green alternative for conventional dipolar media (dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylformamide, and dimethylacetamide). The main synthetic procedures to DMI reported in the literature are based on the methylation of isosorbide employing different alkylating agents including toxic halogen compounds such as alkyl halides. A more sustainable alternative would be to employ dimethyl carbonate (DMC), a well-known green reagent and solvent, considered one of the most promising methylating agents for its good biodegradability and low toxicity. Indeed, in recent years, DMC-promoted methylation of isosorbide has been extensively exploited although mostly in the presence of a base or an amphoteric catalyst. In this work, we report for the first time a comprehensive investigation on the synthesis of DMI via DMC chemistry promoted by heterogeneous acid catalyst (Amberlyst-36 and Purolite CT275DR). Re- action conditions were optimized and then applied for the methylation of isosorbide and its epimers, isoidide and isomannide. Considerations on the related reaction mechanism were reported highlighting the difference in the preferred reaction pathways among this new synthetic approach and the previously reported base-catalyzed procedures

MOBILE MAPPING FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE: THE SURVEY OF THE COMPLEX OF ST. JOHN OF THE HERMITS IN PALERMO (ITALY)

During the 11th and 12th century, the Arab-Norman architectural style characterized the most beautiful and important Cultural Heritage buildings in Sicily, and especially in Palermo (Italy). The relevance of these monuments is highlighted by their inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List in 2015. For many years, the University of Palermo has been studying and documenting several Arab-Norman cultural assets, and in particular, the complex of St. John of the Hermits in Palermo (Italy). A first detailed 3D survey of the main structures of this complex was carried out using a terrestrial laser scanner while the 3D survey of the entire complex was made using a Mobile Mapping System (MMS). The paper describes the workflow and the results of the mobile mapping survey undertaken with a Handheld Mobile Laser Scanner (HMLS) based on Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) technologies. The work allowed surveying the entire site with an extremely fast acquisition and obtaining the geometric information useful for historical architectural valuations. In addition, due to the characteristics of the site, the work enabled the assessment of the HMLS data processing testing different automatic algorithms for point cloud filtering

IL MUTAMENTO DELLA CORTE EUROPEA DEI DIRITTI DELL\u2019UOMO IN SENSO COSTITUZIONALE ATTRAVERSO L\u2019ANALISI DELLE SENTENZE PILOTA: UNA QUESTIONE DI LEGITTIMITA\u300.

Lo studio si propone di analizzare, in primo luogo, la prassi giurisprudenziale della procedura di sentenza pilota, inaugurata dai giudici della Corte EDU per porre rimedio al problema del sovraccarico dei ricorsi, in grado di mettere a rischio il funzionamento del sistema sovranazionale di tutela dei diritti fondamentali: vengono messi in evidenza, dunque, i tratti distintivi, i presupposti e le finalit\ue0 dello strumento giudiziario, facendo ampio ricorso alla dottrina di riferimento. In secondo luogo, l\u2019analisi della procedura delle sentenze pilota si inquadra nella piu\u300 ampia questione della progressiva evoluzione verso una giurisdizione di carattere costituzionale: con particolare riferimento alle sentenze oggetto dello studio, \ue8 evidente, infatti, come la Corte EDU sia andata gradualmente modificando il proprio modo di decidere, discostandosi dalla funzione di giudice del caso concreto, finendo per effettuare un controllo astratto di compatibilit\ue0 tra le normative degli Stati-parti e la Convenzione europea; tale cambiamento comporta delle inevitabili ripercussioni sul piano della governance verticale nel rapporto con gli Stati parti, per cui ci si preoccupa di ricercare una base normativa implicita per tale controllo di "convenzionalit\ue0" che possa essere compatibile con il principio della liberta\u300 degli Stati nella scelta dei mezzi per conformarsi all\u2019obbligo di natura internazionale. Nell'ultima parte dello studio si tenta di risolvere positivamente questo problema di compatibilit\ue0 facendo riferimento alle analogie con quei modelli decisori di giustizia costituzionale interna - le sentenze additive di principio - i quali, pur partendo da presupposti completamente differenti, pongono alle Corti costituzionali interne un problema analogo a quello, che in fondo, si imputa alla Corte di Strasburgo quando emana decisioni connotate dall\u2019esercizio di un ruolo normativo positivo: l\u2019intangibilita\u300 della sovranita\u300 parlamentare.The study seeks to analyze, first and foremost, the jurisprudence practice of the pilot judgment procedure, which was opened by the European Court of Human Rights to remedy the problem of overlapping of appeals, which could jeopardize the functioning of the supranational protection system of fundamental rights: the distinctive features, assumptions and purposes of the judicial instrument are thus highlighted, making extensive use of the reference doctrine. Secondly, the analysis of the pilot judgment procedure is part of the broader issue of progressive evolution towards a constitutional jurisdiction: with particular reference to the judgments under investigation, it is evident that, as the Court has been gradually changing its own way of deciding, departing from the function of judge of the concrete case, ending to carry out an abstract control of compatibility between the laws of the States Parties and the European Convention. This change entails unavoidable repercussions on vertical governance in relations with the States Parties, so that we are concerned with seeking an implicit normative basis for such "conventionality" control that may be compatible with the principle of freedom of states in the choice of means of complying with the obligation of an international nature. The last part of the study attempts to positively solve the above mentioned compatibility problem by referring to analogies with those models of internal constitutional justice - "additive di principio" judgments - which, while starting from completely different assumptions, put an internal problem on the Constitutional Courts similar to that which, in the end, is attributed to the Court of Strasbourg when it issues decisions marked by the exercise of a positive normative role: the intangibility of parliamentary sovereignty

Performance improvement of a drag hydrokinetic turbine

Hydropower is at present in many locations, among all the other possible renewable energy sources, the best one for net cost per unit power. In contrast to traditional installation, based on water storage in artificial basins, free flow river turbines also provide a very low environmental impact due to their negligible effect on solid transport. Among them, kinetic turbines with vertical axis are very inexpensive and have almost zero impact on fish and local fauna. In application to tidal waves and sea waves, where vertically averaged velocities have alternate direction, a Savonius rotor also has the advantage of being productive during the whole time cycle. In this work, the effect of an upstream deflector system mounted upstream of a twisted Savonius rotor inside a channel has been investigated through numerical simulations and experimental tests. Numerical simulations were carried on using the ANSYS FLUENT 17.0 software. Based on this numerical study, it is shown that the proposed deflector system has improved the power coefficient of the Savonius rotor by 14%. The utilization of this new design system is predicted to contribute towards a more efficient use of flows in rivers and channels for electricity production in rural areas

Feasibility of Screening Programs for Domestic Violence in Pediatric and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: A Literature Review

Each year, 275 million children worldwide are exposed to domestic violence (DV) and suffer negative mental and physical health consequences; however, only a small proportion receive assistance. Pediatricians and child psychiatrists can play a central role in identifying threatened children. We reviewed experiences of DV screening in pediatric and child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) to understand its feasibility and provide clues for its implementation. We performed bibliographic research using the Sapienza Library System, PubMed, and the following databases: MEDLINE, American Psychological Association PsycArticles, American Psychological Association PsycInfo, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. We considered a 20-year interval when selecting the articles and we included studies published in English between January 2000 and March 2021. A total of 23 out of 2335 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria. We found that the prevalence of disclosed DV ranged from 4.2% to 48%, with most prevalence estimates between 10% and 20%. Disclosure increases with a detection plan, which is mostly welcomed by mothers (70-80% acceptance rates). Written tools were used in 55% of studies, oral interviews in 40%, and computer instruments in 20%. Mixed forms were used in three studies (15%). The most used and effective tool appeared to be the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) (30% of studies). For young children, parental reports are advisable and written instruments are the first preference; interviews can be conducted with older children. Our research pointed out that the current literature does not provide practical clinical clues on facilitating the disclosure in pediatric clinics and CAMHS. Further studies are needed on the inpatient population and in the field of children psychiatry

Discharge estimation in open channels by means of water level hydrograph analysis

A new methodology, based on the synchronous measurement of stage hydrographs in two river sections located some kilometers from each other, was developed to estimate the discharge hydrograph in the upstream section. The methodology is based on the one-parameter calibration of a numerical flow routing algorithm, solving the Saint-Venant equations in diffusive or complete form. The methodology was validated using results of laboratory experiments carried out at the Polytechnic of Bari University. A known discharge hydrograph was generated in the upstream tank of a rectangular flume, where two water level sensors were located. Two different bed materials have been used, to account for different roughness coefficients. Eight measured discharge hydrographs have been compared with the hydrographs computed using both a diffusive and a fully dynamic model. The diffusive model provides a good estimate of the measured discharge in the experiments with the highest roughness value

Impeller optimization in crossflow hydraulic turbines

Crossflow turbines represent a valuable choice for energy recovery in aqueducts, due to their constructive simplicity and good efficiency under variable head jump conditions. Several experimental and numerical studies concerning the optimal design of crossflow hydraulic turbines have already been proposed, but all of them assume that structural safety is fully compatible with the sought after geometry. We show first, with reference to a specific study case, that the geometry of the most efficient impeller would lead shortly, using blades with a traditional circular profile made with standard material, to their mechanical failure. A methodology for fully coupled fluid dynamic and mechanical optimization of the blade cross-section is then proposed. The methodology assumes a linear variation of the curvature of the blade external surface, along with an iterative use of two-dimensional (2D) computational fluid dynamic (CFD) and 3D structural finite element method (FEM) simulations. The proposed methodology was applied to the design of a power recovery system (PRS) turbine already installed in an operating water transport network and was finally validated with a fully 3D CFD simulation coupled with a 3D FEM structural analysis of the entire impeller