A Psychoacoustic Investigation on the Effect of External Shading Devices on Building Facades

Due to energetic and natural lighting factors, building facades often present external shading devices, but the acoustic properties of such devices have not yet been well studied. This study was carried out using a full-scale model of a portion of a shading device, in a semi-anechoic chamber, using traditional and sound absorbing louvres. The psychoacoustic effects produced by the shading system were evaluated through comparisons between averaged values of loudness, roughness and sharpness levels, as well as sound pressure levels as reference. Results highlighted that the sound absorbing shading device offers good attenuation in terms of loudness, roughness and sound pressure level, with a small reduction in sharpness. The traditional shading system studied does not efficiently reduce the analysed parameters, or even worsens the situation. Several analyses of variance were carried out, one for each situation studied. The sound source position and the louvres’ tilt angle both produce statistically significant effects on almost all of the variations of the parameters studied. The analyses of the partial eta squared factors highlighted that source position and louvre tilt angle affect the variations of the parameters studied to a different degree in respect of the two types of louvres

Analysis of Direct and Flanking Sound Transmission Between Rooms with Curtain Wall Facades

Curtain walls have nowadays reached good performance in terms of façade sound insulation, thermal insulation and solar protection. In this work, flanking and direct structural transmission are analysed with reference to the joints of the mullion of the curtain wall with lightweight plasterboard partitions. Airborne sound insulation and vibrational measurements were made in two adjacent rooms affected by the acoustic problems determined by the curtain wall joint. Traditional acoustic measurements carried out according to EN ISO 16283-1 highlight problems in sound insulation between rooms, but without any indication on different sound transmission paths through the wall. Vibrational measurements were made for every part of the system (frame columns and beams, windows’ glasses, plasterboard wall, plasterboard false ceiling, etc.) to better understand the sound transmission paths in these kinds of structures. Taking into account previous works and measurements made in this research field, different solutions for curtain wall structures are analysed and technical suggestions are given to improve airborne sound insulation between rooms separated by partitions mounted up to metal frames

Multiple solutions to a magnetic nonlinear Choquard equation

We consider the stationary nonlinear magnetic Choquard equation [(-\mathrm{i}\nabla+A(x))^{2}u+V(x)u=(\frac{1}{|x|^{\alpha}}\ast |u|^{p}) |u|^{p-2}u,\quad x\in\mathbb{R}^{N}%] where $A\$is a real valued vector potential, $V$ is a real valued scalar potential$,$ $N\geq3$, $\alpha\in(0,N)$ and $2-(\alpha/N) <p<(2N-\alpha)/(N-2)$. \ We assume that both $A$ and $V$ are compatible with the action of some group $G$ of linear isometries of $\mathbb{R}^{N}$. We establish the existence of multiple complex valued solutions to this equation which satisfy the symmetry condition $$u(gx)=\tau(g)u(x)\text{\ \ \ for all}g\in G,\text{}x\in\mathbb{R}^{N},$$ where $\tau:G\rightarrow\mathbb{S}^{1}$ is a given group homomorphism into the unit complex numbers.Comment: To appear on ZAM

Population Genetics of Franciscana Dolphins (Pontoporia blainvillei): Introducing a New Population from the Southern Edge of Their Distribution

Due to anthropogenic factors, the franciscana dolphin, Pontoporia blainvillei, is the most threatened small cetacean on the Atlantic coast of South America. Four Franciscana Management Areas have been proposed: Espiritu Santo to Rio de Janeiro (FMA I), São Paulo to Santa Catarina (FMA II), Rio Grande do Sul to Uruguay (FMA III), and Argentina (FMA IV). Further genetic studies distinguished additional populations within these FMAs. We analyzed the population structure, phylogeography, and demographic history in the southernmost portion of the species range. From the analysis of mitochondrial DNA control region sequences, 5 novel haplotypes were found, totalizing 60 haplotypes for the entire distribution range. The haplotype network did not show an apparent phylogeographical signal for the southern FMAs. Two populations were identified: Monte Hermoso (MH) and Necochea (NC)+Claromecó (CL)+Río Negro (RN). The low levels of genetic variability, the relative constant size over time, and the low levels of gene flow may indicate that MH has been colonized by a few maternal lineages and became isolated from geographically close populations. The apparent increase in NC+CL+RN size would be consistent with the higher genetic variability found, since genetic diversity is generally higher in older and expanding populations. Additionally, RN may have experienced a recent split from CL and NC; current high levels of gene flow may be occurring between the latter ones. FMA IV would comprise four franciscana dolphin populations: Samborombón West+Samborombón South, Cabo San Antonio+Buenos Aires East, NC+CL+Buenos Aires Southwest+RN and MH. Results achieved in this study need to be taken into account in order to ensure the long-term survival of the species.Fil: Gariboldi, María Constanza. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas. Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Biotecnológicos, Ambientales y de Diagnóstico; ArgentinaFil: Tunez, Juan Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Luján; ArgentinaFil: Dejean, Cristina Beatriz. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas. Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Biotecnológicos, Ambientales y de Diagnóstico; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Instituto de Ciencias Antropológicas. Sección Antropología Biológica; ArgentinaFil: Failla, Mauricio. Fundación Cethus; ArgentinaFil: Vitullo, Alfredo Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas. Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Biotecnológicos, Ambientales y de Diagnóstico; ArgentinaFil: Negri, Maria Fernanda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ; ArgentinaFil: Cappozzo, Humberto Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas. Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Biotecnológicos, Ambientales y de Diagnóstico; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ; Argentin

Relationship between Hexokinase and the Aquaporin PIP1 in the Regulation of Photosynthesis and Plant Growth

Increased expression of the aquaporin NtAQP1, which is known to function as a plasmalemma channel for CO2 and water, increases the rate of both photosynthesis and transpiration. In contrast, increased expression of Arabidopsis hexokinase1 (AtHXK1), a dual-function enzyme that mediates sugar sensing, decreases the expression of photosynthetic genes and the rate of transpiration and inhibits growth. Here, we show that AtHXK1 also decreases root and stem hydraulic conductivity and leaf mesophyll CO2 conductance (gm). Due to their opposite effects on plant development and physiology, we examined the relationship between NtAQP1 and AtHXK1 at the whole-plant level using transgenic tomato plants expressing both genes simultaneously. NtAQP1 significantly improved growth and increased the transpiration rates of AtHXK1-expressing plants. Reciprocal grafting experiments indicated that this complementation occurs when both genes are expressed simultaneously in the shoot. Yet, NtAQP1 had only a marginal effect on the hydraulic conductivity of the double-transgenic plants, suggesting that the complementary effect of NtAQP1 is unrelated to shoot water transport. Rather, NtAQP1 significantly increased leaf mesophyll CO2 conductance and enhanced the rate of photosynthesis, suggesting that NtAQP1 facilitated the growth of the double-transgenic plants by enhancing mesophyll conductance of CO2

Exploitation, integration and statistical analysis of Public Health Database and STEMI archive in Lombardia Region

We describe nature and aims of the Strategic Program \u201dExploitation, integration and study of current and future health databases in Lombardia for Acute Myocardial Infarction\u201d. The main goal of the Program is the construction and statistical analysis of data coming from the integration of complex clinical and administrative databases concerning patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes treated in Lombardia Region. Clinical data sets arise from observational studies about specific diseases, while administrative data arise from standardized and on-going procedures of data collection. The linkage between clinical and administrative databases enables Lombardia Region to create an efficient global system for collecting and storing integrated longitudinal data, to check them, to guarantee for their quality and to study them from a statistical perspectiv