Segnaletica e fruizione collettiva dei patrimoni. Un sistema di orientamento narrativo per il Castello del Valentino

Nell’ambito del progetto per la condivisione e la valorizzazione dei beni culturali, le attrezzature segnaletiche non si limitano a essere strumenti funzionali di orientamento, ma possono partecipare alla costruzione di una narrazione filologicamente corretta, favorendo una fruizione attiva e consapevole. Partendo da questa osservazione, il contributo illustra il percorso di ricerca e progetto, realizzato da un team di cui gli autori fanno parte, per una nuova segnaletica di un importante bene storico-architettonico, contemporaneamente sede universitaria e patrimonio UNESCO, inserito in un sistema territoriale più ampio. Proprio per questa sua doppia natura, il tema dell’accessibilità verso un’utenza fortemente variegata si conferma uno dei punti chiave della ricerca progettuale: la segnaletica diventa strumento di connessione tra persone e patrimonio, offrendo sia riferimenti fisici per l’orientamento, sia riferimenti culturali sull’identità, la storia e i valori del luogo stesso

Inclusive Merchandising. A Storyteller for an Accessible University

Following recent social and global transformations, cultural organizations have undergone a major redefinition in their role as keepers and promoters of knowledge and heritage, developing virtuous examples and reference models for the free, open, and autonomous enjoyment of all audiences. This contribution - contextualized in a current doctoral research on the enhancement of cultural heritage, promotion of institutional and territorial identities - is presented as a reflection on the recent awareness and attention to the issues of inclusiveness and accessibility in places of culture, especially higher education institutions. Through an analytical work on numerous university case studies, focused on institutional merchandising products, it was possible to outline common attitudes and effective communication strategies that promote core values related to multiculturalism, body positivity, gender equality, women’s empowerment, and integration of ethnic minorities

Evaluating the effect of pupil dilation on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography measurements and their quality score

BACKGROUND: Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) provides fast scan speed and high scan resolution improving its diagnostic accuracy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if SD-OCT measurements and their quality score are influenced by pupil dilation. METHODS: Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL), ganglion cell complex (GCC) and optic nerve head (ONH) were measured in one eye of 57 glaucoma patients and 36 healthy subjects using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) before and after pupil dilation. Comparisons were made between measurements and their quality score pre- and post dilation (Signal Strength Index, SSI). Overall RNFL, average GCC and ONH rim volume were considered in the analysis. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were found between pre- and post-dilation measurements in both groups (glaucoma: RNFL 80 ± 15 μm vs 80 ± 16 μm, p = 0.87; GCC 81.35 ± 13.4 μm vs 81.10 ± 13.14 μm, p = 0.92; ONH 0.05 ± 0.11 mm(3) vs 0.04 ± 0.07 mm(3), p = 0.74; controls RNFL 99 ± 12 μm vs 98 ± 14 μm, p = 0.70; GCC 92.12 ± 6.7 μm vs 91.54 ± 7.05 μm, p = 0.72; ONH 0.11 ± 0.1 mm(3) vs 0.04 ± 0.07 mm(3), p = 0.36) nor between pre- and post-dilation quality score (glaucoma SSI RNFL 54.3 ± 10.3 vs 51.7 ± 18.1, p = 0.12; SSI GCC 58 ± 9.5 vs 57 ± 8.09, p = 0.55; SSI ONH 48.5 ± 7.6 vs 46.6 ± 7.2, p = 0.16; controls SSI RNFL 57 ± 10.3 vs 54 ± 9.31, p = 0.2; SSI GCC 60.9 ± 8.1 vs 58.8 ± 7.3, p = 0.3; SSI ONH 51.5 ± 8.9 vs 50.4 ± 8.3, p = 0.59). CONCLUSION: Pupil dilation doesn’t affect SD-OCT measurements and their quality score

Levels of plasma homocysteine in pseudoexfoliation glaucoma.

BACKGROUND: To examine levels of serum homocysteine (Hcy), vitamin B12 and folic acid in patients with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PEXG), primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), and healthy control subjects. METHODS: This study included 36 patients with PEXG, 40 with POAG, and 40 age-matched healthy subjects. Fasting plasma Hcy concentrations and levels of serum vitamin B12 and folic acid were measured using competitive chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay; values exceeding 14 μm/l were considered elevated. RESULTS: Mean plasma Hcy was significantly higher in PEXG (16.55 ± 7.23 μm/l) compared with POAG (13.91 ± 3.61 μm/l) and controls (13.12 ± 5.13 μm/l) (p = 0.03 and p = 0.0007 respectively). There were no statistical differences in serum vitamin B12 and folic acid levels among PEXG, POAG and control subjects (p > 0.05). A moderate, although statistically significant, relationship between Hcy and folic acid levels was found in the PEXG group (R(2) = 0.23, p = 0.003). Hcy levels were found not to be related with folic acid or vitamin B12 in either POAG or control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, plasma Hcy is significantly higher in PEXG group than the POAG and control groups. Hyper-Hcy might play a role in the pathogenesis of PEXG. Hyper-Hcy may be an independent factor stressing vasculopathy in addition to pseudoexfoliation, so might be a modifiable risk factor for PEXG

Measurement of the (30)Si Mole Fraction in the New Avogadro Silicon Material by Neutron Activation and High-Resolution γ-Spectrometry

The use of new silicon single crystals highly enriched in (28)Si recently produced for the upcoming redetermination of the Avogadro constant requires knowledge of their molar masses. The isotopic composition data are collected independently in different laboratories but all using the virtual element technique with multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers. In this framework, the comparison of the results with an independent measurement of the amount of at least one of the depleted isotopes is useful to limit hidden systematic errors. To this aim, the (30)Si mole fraction of a sample of the new material was measured using a relative measurement protocol based on instrumental neutron activation analysis. The protocol is similar to that previously applied with the AVO28 silicon material used for the last determination of the Avogadro constant value with the exception that unknown and standard samples are not coirradiated. The x((30)Si) = 5.701 × 10(-7) mol mol(-1) estimate is close to the expected one and is given with a standard uncertainty of 8.8 × 10(-9) mol mol(-1). This value, if adopted, gives a contribution to the relative standard uncertainty of the Avogadro constant of 6.3 × 10(-10)

Il wayfinding nei luoghi della cultura. Un progetto per il Castello del Valentino

Il contributo riflette sul ruolo della segnaletica, quale strumento peculiare del wayfinding nei contesti culturali e della formazione, sottolineandone non solo l'aspetto funzionale, ma anche la sua capacità di narrare e rendere accessibili i luoghi della cultura a un pubblico variegato. L'identità visiva e il progetto di comunicazione, di cui la segnaletica fa parte, si rivelano sempre più uno strumento strategico di promozione e valorizzazione, intesa come fruizione attiva da parte della comunità. Tale riflessione ha trovato un campo di applicazione nel progetto, realizzato dagli autori, della nuova segnaletica del Castello del Valentino, sede storica universitaria e patrimonio UNESCO nel sistema delle Residenze Sabaude in Piemonte, di cui vengono presentati gli esiti

Health impact of the emissions from a refinery: case-control study on the adult population living in two municipalities in Lomellina, Italy

Background: In the municipalities of Sannazzaro de’ Burgondi and Ferrer Erbognone (District of Lomellina, Pavia, Lombardy, Italy), an oil refinery is operating since 1963. In 2008, the company running the plant (eni S.p.A.) asked the competent bodies the permission for building a new facility (“EST”). The present work is aimed at evaluating the ante-operam health impacts of the existing facility refinery. Methods: A case-control study design was implemented. Cases were subjects admitted to hospital in 2002-2014 due to acute respiratory, cardiovascular or gastrointestinal conditions. Controls were selected among those who had not been hospitalised in that timespan. Cases and controls had to be alive at enrolment, aged 20-64 years, and were frequency-matched by age, gender and municipality. Data were extracted from the health insurance registry and from Hospital Discharge Records (ATS Pavia). Enrolled subjects were asked to complete a mailed survey. Environmental exposure was the fallout of refinery emissions (PM10) at participants’ homes, as predicted by an AERMOD model. Results: 541 respondents (125 cases, 416 controls) were included in the analyses. Response bias was excluded. Individual PM10 exposure was not significantly different between cases and controls, while it was significantly associated with municipality (being higher in Sannazzaro). The crude effect estimate of PM10 over case/control status indicated a not-significant excess of hospitalisation with the increase in PM10 exposure. Multivariate analyses confirmed those results. Conclusion: Findings indicate a possible excess of hospitalisation risk in most exposed people, but the effect is not statistically significant and may be affected by bias