L’intelligenza del progetto e l’architettura di carta-moneta

Moving from the two geometries identified by Michel Serres as peculiar of the history of Western thought – the first free of utility, being the demonstration of the desire for intellectual speculation, the second functional to the achievement of practical and economic purposes as well as subject to the rules of power – the paper investigates the contradictions between the different meanings of geometry and representation, exploring the relationship between the project, its developers and user..

Combined Punctual and Diffused Monitoring of Concrete Structures Based on Dielectric Measurements

This work presents a microwave reflectometry-based system for monitoring large concretestructures (during the curing process and also while the structure is in use), through the combineduse of punctual and diffused sensing elements. In particular, the adoption of punctual probes ona reference concrete specimen allows the development of an innovative and accurate calibrationprocedure, useful to obtain the value of the water content on a larger structure made of the samematerial. Additionally, a wire-like diffused sensing element can be permanently embedded inbuildings and used to monitor the structure along the entire length of the sensing element. Theadopted diffused sensing element can be used not only to detect dielectric variation during the curingprocess, but also throughout the service life of the structure. The combined use of punctual anddiffused sensing elements represents an important innovation from a procedural point of view, ableto provide detailed and quantitative information on the health status of the structure both duringand after construction

Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Seropositive Men in Serodiscordant Couples: Effects on the Assisted Reproductive Outcomes

n/

3D active edge silicon sensors: Device processing, yield and QA for the ATLAS-IBL production

n/

Repair of composite-to-masonry bond using flexible matrix

The paper presents an experimental investigation on an innovative repair method, in which composite reinforcements, after debonding, are re-bonded to the substrate using a highly deformable polymer. In order to assess the effectiveness of this solution, shear bond tests were carried out on brick and masonry substrates within two Round Robin Test series organized within the RILEM TC 250-CSM: Composites for Sustainable strengthening of Masonry. Five laboratories from Italy, Poland and Portugal were involved. The shear bond performance of the reinforcement systems before and after repair were compared in terms of ultimate loads, load-displacement curves and strain distributions. The results showed that the proposed repair method may provide higher strength and ductility than stiff epoxy resins, making it an effective and cost efficient technique for several perspective structural applications

A identidade maya-poqomchi’ guatemalteca em suas manifestações espirituais e religiosas

Guatemala es un país caracterizado por una diversidad cultural considerable. Entre los más de veinte grupos mayas que pueblan su geografía, los poqomchi´es que habitan en Alta y Baja Verapaz han mantenido gran parte de su idiosincrasia particular, heredada de los antiguos mayas. El principal objeto de este artículo es analizar los aspectos más destacados de la espiritualidad y religiosidad poqomchi´, como herencia del pueblo maya del que proceden y producto tanto de la interacción con otros colectivos mayas cercanos como del sincretismo como respuesta de supervivencia. Para ello, nos basaremos en la observación sistemática y participante y la entrevista, para llegar a la conclusión de cómo aún en la actualidad los principales rasgos de la espiritualidad poqomchi´ continúan vigentes, no exentos de la influencia de los pueblos con los que comparte espacio.Guatemala is a country of considerable cultural diversity. Among the more than twenty Mayan groups that populate its territory, the Poqomchi´ who inhabit Alta and Baja Verapaz have preserved a great deal of their particular idiosyncrasy inherited from the ancient Maya. The main purpose of this article is to analyze the most important aspects of Poqomchi´ spirituality and religiosity as the legacy of the ancient Maya from whom they descend, as well as a product both of their constant interaction with other Mayan groups and syncretism as a survival mechanism. For this purpose, it is based on systematic participant observation and interviews which have led to conclude that the main features of Poqomchi´ spirituality remain alive even today, although not free from the influence of the peoples with whom they share space.A Guatemala é um país caracterizado por uma diversidade cultural considerável. Entre os mais de 20 grupos maias que povoam sua geografia, os poqomchi’es que habitam na Alta e Baixa Verapaz têm mantido grande parte de sua idiossincrasia, herdada dos antigos maias. O principal objetivo deste artigo é analisar os aspectos mais destacados da espiritualidade e religiosidade poqomchi’, como herança do povo maia do qual procedem e produto tanto da interação com outros grupos maias próximos quanto do sincretismo como resposta de sobrevivência. Para isso, tomaremos como base a observação sistemática e participante e a entrevista para chegar à conclusão de como ainda na atualidade os principais traços da espiritualidade poqomchi’ continuam vigentes, não isentos da influência dos povos com os quais compartilham espaço.Este artículo es el resultado de las investigaciones etnográficas llevadas a cabo por el investigador dentro del grupo HUM 556 (Universidad de Huelva, España), Mundialización e Identidad, y forma parte de una investigación sobre la esencia identitaria, los procesos de preservación cultural y transculturación de los pueblos mayas de Guatemala

Lupus en Argentina. Pacientes no respondedores al tratamiento estándar y belimumab como posible opción. Datos del registro RELESSAR

Introducción: el lupus es una enfermedad compleja y varias veces de difícil abordaje. Alcanzar la remisión es uno de los objetivos, incorporando opciones terapéuticas. Objetivos: describir las características generales de los pacientes según el estado de la enfermedad y el uso de belimumab. Materiales y métodos: estudio de corte transversal, registro RELESSAR. Se definió el estado de la enfermedad como: remisión: SLEDAI=0 y sin corticoides; baja actividad de la enfermedad: SLEDAI >0 y ≤4 y sin corticoides; control no óptimo: SLEDAI >4 y cualquier dosis de corticoides. Resultados: se incluyeron 1.277 pacientes, 23,4% en remisión, 12,6% en baja actividad y 63,8% con control no óptimo. En este último grupo eran más jóvenes y con menor duración de la enfermedad; presentaban mayores índices de actividad y cronicidad, y mayor empleo de inmunosupresores. Solo el 22,3% de los pacientes con criterio potencial de uso de belimumab (lupus eritematoso sistémico activo a pesar del tratamiento estándar) lo recibía en ese momento. Las variables asociadas a hospitalizaciones fueron: terapia con corticoides, ciclofosfamida y mayor SLICC. Conclusiones: se refleja la complejidad del manejo de estos pacientes y se visualizan aspectos estructurales como la desigualdad. El uso del belimumab resultaría beneficioso en los pacientes seleccionados

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century