Design e narração: linguagens, estruturas e modelos de narrativa como matéria para o design

Every design project is the history of a transformation occurring as an answer to a certain need or opportunity. The action of narrating is therefore implicitly (and in some cases also explicitly) present in every design process. The understanding and study of the constituent elements of narration can therefore represent an instrument of conscious appropriation of techniques and methods often enacted in a spontaneous, unconscious, habitual way. Unlike design, a young discipline whose methodological apparatuses still need to be constructed and perfected, narration has a long history. It has seen a rich and articulated decoding process, which has enriched itself from time to time by having crossed the most various fields - from visual art to music, from literature to multimedia. The aim of the present paper is to underline the potential of narrative languages, formal structures and content schemata in the design field, by putting in contact the perspective of the writer-scriptwriter (who deals with narrative design) and the perspective of the designer (who deals with design as narration and with the narration of design). As exemplifi cation of such potentialities, the paper presents some projects wittingly generated and examined with a narratological approach and some methodological remarks derived from direct experiences. The reported experiences intentionally belong to two very distant worlds, the field of the Cultural Assets and the one of the Commercial brands, to emphasize the versatility and richness of the approach.Key words: design, narration, brand, cultural assets.Cada projeto de design é a história de uma transformação que ocorre como uma resposta a uma determinada necessidade ou oportunidade. A ação de narrar é, portanto, implicitamente (e em alguns casos, também explicitamente) presente em cada processo de design. Assim, a compreensão e estudo dos elementos constitutivos da narração, pode representar um instrumento de apropriação consciente de técnicas e métodos, muitas vezes adotados de forma espontânea, inconsciente e habitual. Ao contrário do design, uma disciplina jovem cujos aparelhos metodológicos ainda precisam ser construídos e aperfeiçoados, a narração tem uma longa história. Ela tem passado por um rico e articulado processo de decodificação, que enriqueceu-se com o tempo, tendo atravessado os campos mais diversos - da arte visual à música, da literatura à multimídia. O objetivo do presente trabalho é destacar o potencial das linguagens narrativas, estruturas formais e esquemas de conteúdo no campo do design, colocandoem contato a perspectiva do escritor-roteirista (que lida com o design da narrativa) e da perspectiva do designer (que lida com o design como a narração e com a narração de design). Como exemplificação das potencialidades, o trabalho apresenta alguns projetos gerados e analisados com uma abordagem narratológica e algumas observações metodológicas derivadas de experiências diretas. As experiências relatadas intencionalmente pertencem a dois mundos distantes, o campo dos bens culturais e o das marcas comerciais, para enfatizar a versatilidade e riqueza da abordagem.Palavras-chave: design, narração, marca, bens culturais

Identifying conformational changes with site-directed spin labeling reveals that the GTPase domain of HydF is a molecular switch

[FeFe]-hydrogenases catalyse the reduction of protons to hydrogen at a complex 2Fe[4Fe4S] center called H-cluster. The assembly of this active site is a multistep process involving three proteins, HydE, HydF and HydG. According to the current models, HydF has the key double role of scaffold, upon which the final H-cluster precursor is assembled, and carrier to transfer it to the target hydrogenase. The X-ray structure of HydF indicates that the protein is a homodimer with both monomers carrying two functional domains: a C-terminal FeS cluster-binding domain, where the precursor is assembled, and a N-terminal GTPase domain, whose exact contribution to cluster biogenesis and hydrogenase activation is still elusive. We previously obtained several hints suggesting that the binding of GTP to HydF could be involved in the interactions of this scaffold protein with the other maturases and with the hydrogenase itself. In this work, by means of site directed spin labeling coupled to EPR/PELDOR spectroscopy, we explored the conformational changes induced in a recombinant HydF protein by GTP binding, and provide the first clue that the HydF GTPase domain could be involved in the H-cluster assembly working as a molecular switch similarly to other known small GTPases

The Use of Fiberoptic Bronchoscopy During Percutaneous Dilatational Tracheostomy With Laryngeal Mask

The aim of our research is to evaluate the advantage by the combined use of fiberoptic bronchoscopy and laryngeal mask during the performance of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy in an intensive care unit

Use of balloon catheter dilation and steroid-eluting stent in light and severe rhinosinusitis of frontal sinus: a multicenter retrospective randomized study

OBJECTIVE: Frontal sinus surgery has an increased rate of re-stenosis, if compared to other sinuses, that mainly depends on recurrent inflammation and abnormal scarring at the frontal recess; its reduction represents one of the keys of therapeutic success. Balloon catheter dilation (BCD) and implantable sinus stents/spacers represent strategies to improve sinus ventilation respecting the integrity of mucosa and reducing abnormal post-surgical scarring. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness, safety and correct indication for the use of BCD and a non-absorbable stent (Relieva Stratus™ MicroFlow spacer) in the management of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) of the frontal sinus. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this multicentric retrospective study we included a population of 76 frontal sinuses with non-polypoid CRS. Forty-one frontal sinuses were treated with BCD alone and 35 with BCD + Spacer. We analysed both radiological (Lund-McKay CT scoring modified by Zienrich) and symptomatologic results (SNOT-20 questionnaire) before surgery and after 12 months, dividing patients in two main groups: group “L” (light/mild frontal CRS) and group “S” (moderate/severe frontal CRS). RESULTS: Our results confirm a good safety and effectiveness of BCD in management of frontal CRS and show a good safety, although without significant effectiveness, of Relieva Stratus™ MicroFlow spacer when added to BCD in the management of light and severe frontal CRS. CONCLUSIONS: BCD is an option in management of frontal CRS; the use of stents/spacers could become a new and effective tool in management of CSR, both in addition to standard therapies and in patients where the use of systemic drugs is contraindicated

Lean body weight-tailored Iodinated contrast Injection in obese patient. boer versus James Formula

Purpose. To prospectively compare the performance of James and Boer formula in contrast media (CM) administration, in terms of image quality and parenchymal enhancement in obese patients undergoing CT of the abdomen. Materials and Methods. Fifty-five patients with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 35 kg/m2were prospectively included in the study. All patients underwent 64-row CT examination and were randomly divided in two groups: 26 patients in Group A and 29 patients in Group B. The amount of injected CM was computed according to the patient's lean body weight (LBW), estimated using either Boer formula (Group A) or James formula (Group B). Patient's characteristics, CM volume, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of liver, aorta and portal vein, and liver contrast enhancement index (CEI) were compared between the two groups. For subjective image analysis readers were asked to rate the enhancement of liver, kidneys, and pancreas based on a 5-point Likert scale. Results. Liver CNR, aortic CNR, and portal vein CNR showed no significant difference between Group A and Group B (all P ≥ 0.177). Group A provided significantly higher CEI compared to Group B (P = 0.007). Group A and Group B returned comparable overall subjective enhancement values (3.54 and vs 3.20, all P ≥ 0.199). Conclusions. Boer formula should be the method of choice for LBW estimation in obese patients, leading to an accurate CM amount calculation and an optimal liver contrast enhancement in CT

Integration of capillary and EWOD technologies for autonomous and low-power consumption micro-analytical systems

This work presents a miniaturized system combining, on the same microfluidic chip, capillarity and electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) techniques for movement and control of fluids. The change in hydrophobicity occurring at the edge between a capillary channel and a hydrophobic layer is successfully exploited as a stop-and-go valve, whose operation is electronically controlled through the EWOD electrodes. Taking into account the variety of microfluidic operation resulting from the combination of the two handling techniques and their characteristic features, this work prompts the development of autonomous, compact and low-power consumption lab-on-chip systems

Digital team coaching for workplace communication: longitudinal evaluation of recipients’ perceptions

Purpose The purpose of this study is to describe the implementation of a digital-based team coaching intervention aimed at improving team communication in the workplace through social network visualization. The study examined recipients’ perceptions of the intervention at two time points and assessed the temporal stability of various factors, including the intervention’s integrity, design, transferability, acceptance and the usability of the adopted visualization tool. The moderating role of digital usability was also evaluated. Design/methodology/approach Four team coaching sessions were delivered to 62 participants from seven teams across three departments within a large public health-care organization in Northern Italy. Perceptions of the intervention dimensions were collected after the second and fourth sessions. Findings Results indicated that, at both time points, recipients appreciated the intervention’s integrity and usability more than its design, transferability and acceptance. Furthermore, no significant changes in recipients’ perceptions were observed over time. The transferability of the intervention was significantly associated with its acceptance, but only when the usability of the digital tool was high. Research limitations/implications The study enriches existing literature on digital interventions in group communication by focusing on process dimensions like recipients’ perceptions of various aspects and the implementation process. Furthermore, the study underscores the potential of integrating specific techniques such as sociomapping and coaching within health-care organizations, encouraging more research and development in these areas. Practical implications The study emphasizes the critical role of usability and integrity in digital-based team coaching interventions, suggesting that high-quality, user-friendly tools not only lead to initial effectiveness but also sustain positive impacts over time, while also increasing transferability and acceptance. Originality/value The present study uniquely deploys a longitudinal approach to examine recipients’ perceptions of a digital-based intervention that combines social network visualization and team coaching to enhance team communication