Competition of the connectivity with the local and the global order in polymer melts and crystals

The competition between the connectivity and the local or global order in model fully-flexible chain molecules is investigated by molecular-dynamics simulations. States with both missing (melts) and high (crystal) global order are considered. Local order is characterized within the first coordination shell (FCS) of a tagged monomer and found to be lower than in atomic systems in both melt and crystal. The role played by the bonds linking the tagged monomer to FCS monomers (radial bonds), and the bonds linking two FCS monomers (shell bonds) is investigated. The detailed analysis in terms of Steinhardt's orientation order parameters Q_l (l = 2 - 10) reveals that increasing the number of shell bonds decreases the FCS order in both melt and crystal. Differently, the FCS arrangements organize the radial bonds. Even if the molecular chains are fully flexible, the distribution of the angle formed by adjacent radial bonds exhibits sharp contributions at the characteristic angles {\theta} = 70{\deg}, 122{\deg}, 180{\deg}. The fractions of adjacent radial bonds with {\theta} = 122{\deg}, 180{\deg} are enhanced by the global order of the crystal, whereas the fraction with 70{\deg} < {\theta} < 110{\deg} is nearly unaffected by the crystallization. Kink defects, i.e. large lateral displacements of the chains, are evidenced in the crystalline state.Comment: J. Chem. Phys. in pres

Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Priority Cultural Heritage Structures in the Philippines

At the end of 2013 two catastrophic events occurred in the Philippines: the M 7.2 earthquake in Bohol and the strongest ever recorded Typhoon Haiyan, causing destruction across the islands of Cebu, Bohol and the Visayas region. These events raised the need to carry out a multi-hazard risk assessment of heritage buildings, many of which were irretrievably lost in the disasters. Philippines’ Department of Tourism engaged ARS Progetti S.P.A., Rome, Italy, and the Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics (CCCPET), University of Sto. Tomas, Manila, to undertake the “Assessment of the Multi-Hazard Vulnerability of Priority Cultural Heritage Structures in the Philippines”, with experts from University College London, UK, and De La Salle University. The main objective of the project was to reduce the vulnerability of cultural heritage structures to multiple natural hazards, including earthquake, typhoon, flood, by: (i) prioritizing of specific structures based on hazard maps and historical records; (ii) assessing their vulnerability; and (iii) recommending options to mitigate the impacts on them. The paper presents the methodology introduced to determine the seismic risk these heritage buildings are exposed to. All the selected cultural heritage structures are under the jurisdiction of the National Museum Commission of Philippines and of the National Commission for Culture and Arts

Xrn1 influence on gene transcription results from the combination of general effects on elongating RNA pol II and gene-specific chromatin configuration

mRNA homoeostasis is favoured by crosstalk between transcription and degradation machineries. Both the Ccr4-Not and the Xrn1-decaysome complexes have been described to influence transcription. While Ccr4-Not has been shown to directly stimulate transcription elongation, the information available on how Xrn1 influences transcription is scarce and contradictory. In this study we have addressed this issue by mapping RNA polymerase II (RNA pol II) at high resolution, using CRAC and BioGRO-seq techniques in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found significant effects of Xrn1 perturbation on RNA pol II profiles across the genome. RNA pol II profiles at 5ʹ exhibited significant alterations that were compatible with decreased elongation rates in the absence of Xrn1. Nucleosome mapping detected altered chromatin configuration in the gene bodies. We also detected accumulation of RNA pol II shortly upstream of polyadenylation sites by CRAC, although not by BioGRO-seq, suggesting higher frequency of backtracking before pre-mRNA cleavage. This phenomenon was particularly linked to genes with poorly positioned nucleosomes at this position. Accumulation of RNA pol II at 3ʹ was also detected in other mRNA decay mutants. According to these and other pieces of evidence, Xrn1 seems to influence transcription elongation at least in two ways: by directly favouring elongation rates and by a more general mechanism that connects mRNA decay to late elongation.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad BFU2016-77728- C3-1-P, BFU2016-77728-C3-3-P, BFU2016- 77728-C3-2-P, RED2018-102467-TJunta de Andalucía BIO271, US-1256285, BIO258, UJA 1260360Generalitat Valenciana AICO/2019/08

Contribution of innovation technology to sustainable construction

The sustainable challenge in building construction has brought new requirements the building design has to provide to. Innovation is not only a matter of technologies, but also of ideas and building conception. In the same time new elements should be considered in evaluation phases to implement the existing assessment methods or to give new ones. A theoretical analysis of innovative contributions in building process using the Extended Life Cycle Cost [ELCC] method has been developed. This study is aimed to define new sustainable requirements, and on a comparative process of existing assessment methods aimed to upgrade the assessment action with tasks related to design phases and management, maintenance and rehabilitation ones

Antifragile glass 2022

The year 2022 is the International Year of Glass, established by the United Nations with Resolution 75/279. Università Iuav di Venezia, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia and the Fondazione dei Musei Civici Veneziani are celebrating 2022 with ANTIFRAGILE GLASS: a conference, an exhibition and a publication, but also, and most of all, a celebration of a material, an ancient art form and an industry in constant evolution

INNOVAZIONE TECNOLOGICA DI SISTEMI, COMPONENTI E MATERIALI

Il fabbisogno energetico di un edificio \ue8 la somma dell\u2019energia necessaria per il riscaldamento, il raffrescamento, la ventilazione e l\u2019illuminazione. La somma di tali consumi incide fortemente sul bilancio energetico nazionale e, alla riduzione di tale incidenza, sono dedicate numerose ricerche. Alcune di queste sono tese all\u2019individuazione di nuove fonti energetiche rinnovabili, altre alla riduzione dei consumi attraverso l\u2019efficientamento dell\u2019involucro degli edifici e al miglioramento degli impianti. Tutte queste ricerche sono tese all\u2019efficientamento del consumo energetico in fase d\u2019uso degli edifici, l\u2019energia che si va a misurare \ue8 dunque detta Operating energy. La progettazione di un edificio a energia quasi zero affronta anche la scelta e l\u2019impiego di materiali, componenti e tecnologie che, nelle fasi di produzione, messa in opera e dismissione mostrino un ridotto consumo di energia e una ridotta quantit\ue0 di emissioni in atmosfera1. Tale ambito di ricerca misura, valuta e d\ue0 rilievo all\u2019Embodied energy e all\u2019Embodied carbon, intesi come il totale dell\u2019energia primaria impiegata (o dell\u2019anidride carbonica emessa) durante le fasi del ciclo di vita del bene.The building energy requirements come from the amount of energy needed for heating, cooling and lighting. Some of the researches in this field aim to discover new renewable energy, while others are focused on the consumptions reduction through the improvement of building envelope energy efficiency and through to the enhancement of Hvac per- formances. All these researches are trying to make building energy consumption in the operational phase more efficient, considering their Operating energy (Oe). Additionally, while designing a Nzeb, it is necessary to choose and use materials, components and technologies that allow to reduce the consumption of energy and also to reduce the emissions in the atmosphere during all the Lca phases. Such researches measure and evaluate the Embodied energy (Ee) and Embodied carbon (Ec), which rep- resent the total amount of primary energy used and carbon dioxide emitted during all the phases of the building life-cycl

Aret\ue9 storia e tecniche costruttive di un\u2019innovativa barca da regata

Le imbarcazioni a vela da regata costituiscono un ottimo banco di prova per la costruzione e sperimentazione di pezzi e materiali con contenuti importanti di tecnologia e innovazione In questo ambito si \ue8 sviluppato il progetto 1001Vela Cup che ha lo scopo di far progettare, costruire e sperimentare a studenti universitari un\u2019imbarcazione a vela di 4,60 metri Particolarmente innovativo \ue8 il nuovo scafo del team padovano, che \ue8 stato costruito interamente in fibra di lino e legno di balsa, materiali che sono stati uniti insieme attraverso le tecniche costruttive dei bio-composit