How should ecohazard of micropollutants in wastewater be gauged? Using bioassays to profile alternative tertiary treatments

The research on emerging pollutants in wastewater has become a worldwide issue of increasing environmental concern, especially considering the growing interest in wastewater reuse. However, the latter implies additional post-treatment after the conventional activated sludge processes, in order to produce a safer effluent. Our work aimed at determining the efficiency of reducing the toxicity associated with organic micropollutants (OMPs) in secondary wastewater effluents, using 3 different post-treatment technologies (granular activated carbon (GAC), sand biofiltration and UV irradiation): in particular, target chemical analysis of the OMPs most commonly founded in wastewater was coupled with effect-based assays (estrogenicity and mutagenicity). While chemical analysis assessed satisfactory performances for all 3 technologies in the abatement of selected OMPs, biological assays evidenced another perspective: both GAC and sand biofilters were significantly able to make the estrogenic load plummet; however, the UV system was ineffective in estrogenicity abatement, and its effluent exhibited also a slight mutagenicity, likely due to photo-transformation by-products. These results indicate that a synergistic combination of chemical analysis and biological assays can drive to a proper gauging of post-treatment technologies, taking into account not only the removal of OMPs, but also their overall toxicityThis work was conceived within a Short Term Scientific Mission (STSM) of the Water2020 Cost Action ES1202: Conceiving Wastewater Treatment in 2020 | Energetic, environmental and economic challenges. Authors from Universidade de Santiago de Compostela belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group GRC 2013-032 and to the CRETUS Strategic Partnership (AGRUP2015/02). All these programmes are co-funded by FEDER (UE)S

Electromechanical and robotic devices for gait and balance rehabilitation of children with neurological disability: a systematic review

In the last two decades, a growing interest has been focused on gait and balance robot-assisted rehabilitation in children with neurological disabilities. Robotic devices allow the implementation of intensive, task-specific training fostering functional recovery and neuroplasticity phenomena. However, limited attention has been paid to the protocols used in this research framework. This systematic review aims to provide an overview of the existing literature on robotic systems for the rehabilitation of gait and balance in children with neurological disabilities and their rehabilitation applications. The literature search was carried out independently and synchronously by three authors on the following databases: MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, PeDro, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. The data collected included three subsections referring to clinical, technical, and regulatory aspects. Thirty-one articles out of 81 found on the primary literature search were included in the systematic review. Most studies involved children with cerebral palsy. Only one-third of the studies were randomized controlled trials. Overall, 17 devices (nine end-effector systems and eight exoskeletons) were investigated, among which only 4 (24%) were bore the CE mark. Studies differ on rehabilitation protocols duration, intensity, and outcome measures. Future research should improve both rehabilitation protocols\u2019 and devices\u2019 descriptions

Robot-assisted upper limb training for patients with multiple sclerosis: an evidence-based review of clinical applications and effectiveness

Upper extremities limitation is a common functional impairment in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS). Novel technological devices are increasingly used in neurorehabilitation to support motor function improvement and the quantitative assessment of motor performance during training in patients with neurological diseases. In this review, we systematically report the evidence on clinical applications and robotic-assisted arm training (RAT) in functional recovery in PwMS. PubMed/MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, and the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) databases were systematically searched from inception to March 2021. The 10-item PEDro scale assessed the study quality for the RCT, and the AMSTAR-2 was used to assess the quality of the systematic review. The 5-item Oxford CEBM scale was used to rate the level of evidence. A total of 10 studies (161 subjects) were included. The selected studies included one systematic review, four RCTs, one randomized crossover, and four case series. The RCTs were scored as high-quality studies, while the systematic review was determined to be of low quality. Shoulder range of motion, handgrip strength, and proximal arm impairment improved after RAT. Manual dexterity, arm function, and use in daily life also ameliorated arm function. The high clinical heterogeneity of treatment programs and the variety of robot devices affects the generalizability of the study results; therefore, we emphasize the need to standardize the intervention type in future studies that evaluate the role of robotic-assisted training in PwMS. Robot-assisted treatment seems safe and useful to increase manual dexterity and the quality of movement execution in PwMS with moderate to severe disability. Additional studies with an adequate sample size and methodological rigour are warranted to drive definite conclusion

Upper limb robotic rehabilitation for patients with cervical spinal cord injury: a comprehensive review

The upper extremities limitation represents one of the essential functional impairments in patients with cervical spinal cord injury. Electromechanics assisted devices and robots are increasingly used in neurorehabilitation to help functional improvement in patients with neurological diseases. This review aimed to systematically report the evidence-based, state-of-art on clinical applications and robotic-assisted arm training (RAT) in motor and functional recovery in subjects affected by cervical spinal cord injury. The present study has been carried out within the framework of the Italian Consensus Conference on "Rehabilitation assisted by robotic and electromechanical devices for persons with disability of neurological origin" (CICERONE). PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) databases were systematically searched from inception to September 2021. The 10-item PEDro scale assessed the study quality for the RCT and the AMSTAR-2 for the systematic review. Two different authors rated the studies included in this review. If consensus was not achieved after discussion, a third reviewer was interrogated. The five-item Oxford CEBM scale was used to rate the level of evidence. A total of 11 studies were included. The selected studies were: two systematic reviews, two RCTs, one parallel-group controlled trial, one longitudinal intervention study and five case series. One RCT was scored as a high-quality study, while the systematic review was of low quality. RAT was reported as feasible and safe. Initial positive effects of RAT were found for arm function and quality of movement in addition to conventional therapy. The high clinical heterogeneity of treatment programs and the variety of robot devices could severely affect the generalizability of the study results. Therefore, future studies are warranted to standardize the type of intervention and evaluate the role of robotic-assisted training in subjects affected by cervical spinal cord injury

Effects of robotic upper limb treatment after stroke on cognitive patterns: A systematic review

Background: Robotic therapy (RT) has been internationally recognized for the motor rehabilitation of the upper limb. Although it seems that RT can stimulate and promote neuroplasticity, the effectiveness of robotics in restoring cognitive deficits has been considered only in a few recent studies. Objective: To verify whether, in the current state of the literature, cognitive measures are used as inclusion or exclusion criteria and/or outcomes measures in robotic upper limb rehabilitation in stroke patients. Methods: The systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Studies eligible were identified through PubMed/MEDLINE and Web of Science from inception to March 2021. Results: Eighty-one studies were considered in this systematic review. Seventy-three studies have at least a cognitive inclusion or exclusion criteria, while only seven studies assessed cognitive outcomes. Conclusion: Despite the high presence of cognitive instruments used for inclusion/exclusion criteria their heterogeneity did not allow the identification of a guideline for the evaluation of patients in different stroke stages. Therefore, although the heterogeneity and the low percentage of studies that included cognitive outcomes, seemed that the latter were positively influenced by RT in post-stroke rehabilitation. Future larger RCTs are needed to outline which cognitive scales are most suitable and their cut-off, as well as what cognitive outcome measures to use in the various stages of post-stroke rehabilitation

Revisiting ‘place’ in a realist novel: ‘Thinking space’ in Galdós’s Torquemada en la hoguera (1889)

Departing from the premise that Galdós’s close engagement with space and place deserves to be at the forefront of scholarly attention, this article provides an in-depth study of their significance in Torquemada en la hoguera. It begins by analysing the relationship between the novel’s locations and the real world, demonstrating that the author codes the city of Madrid to express social concerns and promote reader engagement. It then proceeds to examine the public and private spheres, before highlighting the “place of the imagination” in the novel. It reveals that, as in Galdós’s press articles, reality is used as a springboard in Torquemada en la hoguera and, drawing upon recent theories, it posits that places serve as a framework for engaging readers with contemporary concerns and as an imaginative springboard for Galdós. They trigger what is effectively a “thinking space” for the author and it is through unravelling their significance that we can fully appreciate Galdós’s psychological sensitivity, the novel’s modernity, its symbolic value, and imaginative depth. The article concludes by proposing that Galdós’s works deserve to be re-examined as “Novels of the Geographical Imagination” and urges readers to revisit the significance of space and place therein

Macchina solare, complesso bioclimatico, osservatorio sul paesaggio: la piazza civica di Montella

Progetto della nuova sede del Municipio e della Piazza Civica della città di Montella (AV). Problematiche della ricostruzione post-sismica in Irpinia. Inquadramento nel paesaggio. Criteri della progettazione bio-eco-compatibile: funzioni, forma e tecnica

UNO STRUMENTO DI RAPPRESENTAZIONE E INTERPRETAZIONE DELLE IDENTITÀ PAESISTICHE: LA MAPPA DI ORIENTAMENTO GLOBALE (MOG)

La “Mappa di Orientamento Globale”, che in questo scritto viene chiamata MOG (già chiamata, in studi precedenti, “Mappa di Orientamento Fisico-Simbolico”, MOFS) è un particolare tipo di disegno, insieme planimetrico e prospettico, che riassume in una immagine di sintesi i dati storici, scientifici ed estetici rilevati come particolarmente significativi per l'individuazione dell’identità di un insediamento urbano, secondo una visione ecologica globale. Tecnicamente, è un disegno che, per la sua forma circolare, può essere guardato in tutte le direzioni: in esso è rappresentato il panorama (“visione del tutto”) che può essere percepito da un panoptikon (“luogo da cui si vede tutto”). Nel caso della rappresentazione di una città, questo punto significativo, centro del disegno, viene identificato nell’originario sito di fondazione. Nel caso di un ambito non urbano, il centro è identificato nel punto più sensibile dell’area investita da una determinata significazione dell’abitare. Essendo riportati nella MOG non solo le forme ed i riferimenti rilevabili nella terra, ma anche quelli rilevabili nel cielo, il disegno contiene dati sufficienti ed è costruito in modo da poter essere letto sia come uno strumento di rappresentazione/misurazione dello spazio - come una bussola utile all’orientamento specifico di quel luogo - che come uno strumento di rappresentazione/misurazione del tempo - come un orologio utile alla decifrazione delle fasi del giorno, e come un calendario, utile alla decifrazione delle fasi delle stagioni, così come queste fasi vengono percepite in quello specifico luogo del mondo. La MOG può essere infine costruita anche come uno strumento di orientamento cosmologico tarato sulla tradizione mitologica ed immaginaria della regione oggetto d’esame. Vengono dunque descritte le fasi di costruzione della MOG, come una sorta di “bussola-orologio-calendario” in cui si sarà resa leggibile la significatività specifica dell'orientamento spaziotemporale e della struttura del sito di fondazione della città, ma anche riferimenti al suo mito di fondazione

IL VALORE ICONOLOGICO

La ricerca mette a fuoco le basi teoriche e metodologiche necessarie ad uno studio olistico delle identità ambientali, delle città e dei paesaggi. Questione centrale è quella del “significato” delle immagini spaziali, quale metastruttura di connessione tra gli aspetti formali, funzionali e tecnici dei manufatti architettonici, urbani, paesistici. Nel lavoro si assume la definizione di “paesaggio” come l’immagine condivisa di un territorio condiviso da una comunità umana (Convenzione Europea del Paesaggio 2000). Al concetto di paesaggio viene dunque attribuito un contenuto complesso, costituito da componenti materiali ed immateriali (ovvero “pragmatiche” e “semantiche”), la cui analisi deve essere condotta con un metodo progressivo, in modo da sviluppare una lettura realmente completa ed esaustiva dei valori di un certo specifico abitare. Questo tipo di analisi viene definita iconologia del paesaggio. Il metodo “iconologico” proposto è formulato, per analogia, su quello definito, nel campo della critica d’arte, da E.Panofsky (Studies in Iconology). Si avvale inoltre del paradigma indiziario, definito da C.Ginzburg (“Spie. Radici di un paradigma indiziario”). Si propone dunque, per lo studio delle identità ambientali, urbane e paesistiche, un modello di conoscenza di tipo semeiotico. Il metodo dell’analisi iconologica di E.Panofsky ed il paradigma indiziario di C.Ginzburg confluiscono in un risultato comune: quello di accogliere, in conclusione, a pieno diritto l’intuizione tra i processi legittimati a produrre conoscenza trasmissibile. La ricerca si inquadra anche nel grande tema della mitigazione dei rischio ambientale. I concetti di “paesaggio” e di “rischio” contengono fin dalla loro radice etimologica un profondo rimando reciproco. Risalendo alle radici indioeuropee dei due termini, può in effetti affermarsi che nel nome di “paesaggio” sia insito un significato di “mitigazione del rischio”. Ciò comprova la necessità di lavorare alla mitigazione dei rischi inerenti un territorio non solo attraverso i canali scientifico-tecnici, che raggiungono solo gli addetti ai lavori, ma anche attraverso i canali della percezione e della rappresentazione estetica del territorio, che raggiungono l’intera popolazione in modo universale: lavorando cioè anche, direttamente sulla coscienza e sulla cultura del paesaggio