Horizontal and Vertical BIM Interoperability Aimed at Seismic Vulnerability Assessment

A vital task of this millennium is to protect the existing heritage, also through the adoption of resilient management systems. In this framework, the organization of knowledge remains one of the critical points. For this reason, new methodologies and cross-disciplinary technologies are increasingly being chosen to optimize resources toward more sustainable interventions. Therefore, the ability to model the building geometry and behavior must be maximized through interoperable processes between Building Information Modeling and Finite Element Modeling methods aimed at the seismic vulnerability assessment. Setting up an integrated digitalization process is undoubtedly challenging initially but returns more significant benefits during the infrastructure life cycle. The interoperability tests' bi-directionality is essential for constantly evaluating activities to update data following facilities' modifications. The Modal Assurance Criterion indicator is used to assess the coherence of the models after possible simplifications introduced for non-linear state analyses

A Nonlocal Elasto-Plastic Model for Structured Soils at Large Strains for the Particle Finite Element Method

This work presents a robust and mesh-independent implementation of an elasto-plastic constitutive model at large strains, appropriate for structured soils, into a Particle Finite Element code specially developed for geotechnical simulations. The constitutive response of structured soils is characterized by softening and, thus, leading to strain localization. Strain localization poses two numerical challenges: mesh dependence of the solution and computability of the solution. The former is mitigated by employing a non-local integral type regularization whereas an Implicit-Explicit integration scheme is used to enhance the computability. The good performance of these techniques is highlighted in the simulation of the cone penetration test in undrained conditions.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Role of In Vitro Stimulation with Lipopolysaccharide on T-Cell Activation in HIV-Infected Antiretroviral-Treated Patients

We investigated the effect of LPS in vitro stimulation on T-cell activation in HIV-infected patients with different CD4+ recovery on HAART. PBMCs from 30 HIV-positive, HAART-treated, aviremic individuals with different CD4+ reconstitution (Low Responders: CD4+ < 350/μL; Intermediate Responders: CD4+ 350–599/μL; High Responders: CD4+ ≥ 600/μL) were cultured with LPS and the proportion of HLA-DR/CD38- and Ki67-expressing CD4+/CD8+ T-cells was measured (flow cytometry). Upon LPS stimulation, significantly higher CD4+ and CD8+HLA-DR+ cells were shown in LR and IR versus HIV-negative controls. While no differences in the proportion of LPS-stimulated CD4+CD38+ cells were recorded amongst HIV-positive subgroups, CD8+CD38+ cells were more elevated in patients with lower CD4+ recovery on HAART (i.e., LR and IR). Upon in vitro LPS stimulation, HLA-DR and CD38 expression on T-cells are differentially regulated. While HLA-DR induction reflects impaired CD4+ reconstitution on HAART, cell-surface CD38 expression is increased only on CD8+ T-cells, allowing to speculate that the sole induction of CD38 on CD4+ cells may not be sufficient to depict LPS-driven immune activation in HIV

Antiulcer Activity of Salvadora persica on Experimental ASA-Induced Ulcer in Rats: Ultrastructural Modifications

The lyophilized decoction of Salvadora persica L. roots possesses a significant protective effect on ulceration induced by ethanol, indomethacin and cold restraint stress in rats. In this work, we study the effect of chronic intragastric administration of S. persica decoction on experimental acetylsalicylic acid (ASA)-induced ulcer in rats. The ulcer index significantly decreased (U.I. 0.9 ± 1.6; P < 0.05) after treatment with a lyophilized decoction of S. persica (500 mg/kg, os), once daily for seven days, with respect to controls (U.I. 11.4 ± 2.3). The modification of gastric mucosa was observed by transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) confirming this result. In fact, in treated rats, the mucosa recovered to normal distribution. After S. persica treatment, some changes were detected in profiles of various cytoplasm organelles of parietal cells. Particularly, the intracellular canaliculi show an enlarged lumen with an increase in the number and length of microvilli. These morphological features of ..

Computational and synthetic approaches for the discovery of HIV-1 integrase inhibitors

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Chest pain and a left parasternal soft tissue swelling in an immunocompetent refugee with disseminated tuberculosis

An immunocompetent migrant with chest pain was admitted to an Italian hospital. CT scan showed a left pectoral abscess and osteomyelitis of the sternum. The infection spread into the anterior mediastinum near to the pericardium and the heart, where an atrial mass was confirmed by echocardiography. Disseminated tuberculosis was diagnosed