Investment Grade Energy Audit: A Financial Tool for the Cost-effective Renovation of Residential Buildings

The renovation of the existing building stock is a top priority for the European Union. In order to reach the ambitious goal of decarbonization by 2050, new financial instruments, incentives or grants and loans to support energy efficiency should be implemented, especially for public bodies. The proposed method aims to be a tool to stimulate cost-effective deep renovations. The results of its application to a multi-owner building show the benefits of using Energy Service Companies and Energy Performance Contracting to finance renovations and implement plans to maintain or improve energy efficiency in the long term

AUTOMATED IFC-BASED PROCESSES IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR: A METHOD FOR IMPROVING THE INFORMATION FLOW

One of the main challenges in the implementation of BIM-based processes concerns interoperability issues. In fact, even if IFC format is recognised as an ISO standard, different barriers and problems are often encountered in IFC adoption. Generally, obstacles are due to the difficulty of users in personalising import and export options of IFC formats in BIM authoring tools with the consequent possibility of information loss. The paper presents a method for improving the information flow, based on the connection of information stored in IFC files and in external databases through automated processes. Therefore, information concerning one single project can be stored in BIModels and linked to external sources or, conversely, referred from external databases to objects in BIModels. Benefits deriving from the adoption of the proposed solutions concern the limited size of BIModels, the possibility to store information not considered in the IFC schema, and the reduction of IT skills required to building operators for exchanging information in an interoperable way

Influence of grapevine cultivar on the second generations of Lobesia botrana and Eupoecilia ambiguella

Grapevine cultivar can affect susceptibility to Lobesia botrana and Eupoecilia ambiguella with important implications on control strategies. A four-year study was carried out in north-eastern Italy on 10 cultivars (Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Chardonnay, Merlot, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Rhine Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Terrano, Tocai Friulano and Verduzzo Friulano) grown in the same vineyard to assess whether the cultivar affects second-generation population levels of the two vine moths and L. botrana larval age composition. The influence of bunch traits measured at the peak of egg hatching on demographic parameters was also evaluated. Over the four years, L. botrana significantly prevailed over E. ambiguella in nine cultivars. Chardonnay and Tocai Friulano were the most infested cultivars and Merlot was the least infested. At the sampling date, the age composition of L. botrana varied with cultivar, with the larvae being significantly older on Chardonnay and younger on Carménère, Merlot and Verduzzo Friulano. Older larval age was significantly associated with higher bunch compactness. Larval infestation was not significantly influenced by either bunch compactness or berry volume, which suggested a more important role for contact and volatile substances mostly originating from the berries. These results allow for the improvement of Integrated Pest Management strategy against vine moths

The use of dynamic probing tests and cone penetration tests to verify the effectiveness of expanding polyurethane resin injections for ground improvement

Injection of expanding polyurethane resins is a popular method to improve both the stiffness and the shear strength of the ground below existing foundations. The effect of the polyurethane resin expansion is to increase the soil confining stress and density around the injection holes. An estimation of the horizontal stress and volumetric strain changes that are induced within the ground is derived from the theory of cavity expansion in elasto-plastic materials. A series of case-histories is presented to document the feasibility of different in-situ tests to evaluate the achieved ground improvement. The tests have been performed before and after the injection of polyurethane resins and the obtained results have been compared with theoretical predictions. The considered investigation methods include the dynamic probing tests and the cone penetration tests. The preliminary results that have been achieved using an experimental miniature cone penetration test are also illustrated. The advantages and limitations of different test methods are discussed and practical indications for conducting such verifications of polyurethane resin injection effectiveness are provided

Introduzione

Premessa Subito dopo aver appreso la prematura scomparsa di Ezio Pellizer, nel luglio del 2018, è emerso spontaneamente tra i suoi allievi il desiderio di ricordarlo dedicandogli un omaggio. Desideriamo ringraziare tutti gli studiosi che hanno partecipato sentitamente a quest’iniziativa, compresi coloro i cui contributi usciranno nella seconda parte del volume, il prossimo anno — gli effetti delle misure restrittive in tempi di Covid‑19 si ripercuotono, si sa, anche in questi ambiti —, e colo..

Por inteiro e por extenso : o processo real de formação inicial de professores de línguas

Dissetação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de letras, Departamento de línguas estrangeiras e tradução, Programa de pós-graduação em linguística aplicada. 2012.A formação de professores sempre foi uma área de muito interesse no cenário educacionalbrasileiro, especialmente sua subárea de formação de professores de línguas. Desde odescobrimento do Brasil, poucas foram as medidas em prol de um ensino escolar de línguasem nosso país. Nesse contexto, esta pesquisa longitudinal de cunho etnográfico compesquisador participante busca analisar, num só esforço, as várias dimensões pressupostas deum curso de formação inicial de professores de língua estrangeira para conhecer sua relativaforça contribuidora e almeja oferecer subsídios para a melhoria das condições de oferta doscursos de Letras no território nacional por meio da apresentação de um modelo inferido deformação condizente com os contextos mais típicos de ensino de línguas de um país que temcarências de um gigante em crescente evidência no cenário mundial. O modelo inferidoperpassa cinco dimensões distintas: tradição, ética, história, política e teoria. Desta forma,todas as particularidades do contexto foram observadas e analisadas, incluindo expectativas ecrenças, tradição de ensino e aprendizagem de línguas da região, políticas públicas para oensino de línguas e história da formação de professores de línguas. Para dar aos resultadosmaior confiabilidade, foi feita uma comparação entre o modelo inferido e o modelo observadona prática. Os resultados obtidos nos mostram deficiências na formação de professores delínguas e no processo reflexivo, de modo que novas mudanças se fazem necessárias. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTTeacher graduation has always been an interesting frame in Brazilian educational scenario,especially its subarea regarding language teacher graduation. Since the discovery of Brazilthere has been only few decisions towards language teaching scholar system in our country. Inthat context, this longitudinal research of ethnographic model aims to analyze all dimensionsof a language teacher graduation course at a time to learn its relative contributing power aswell to contribute to the quality increase of such courses all around Brazilian territory bypresenting an inferred model of teacher graduation that corresponds to the more typicallanguage learning contexts from a country which has giant needs and is in increasing evidencein world scenario. The inferred model involves five distinct dimensions: tradition, ethics,history, politics, and theory. This way all particularities of the observed context wereidentified as well as analyzed, including expectations and beliefs, language teaching andlearning tradition of the region, public politics for language teaching, and the history oflanguage teacher graduation and development. In order to give more validity to the results, acomparison was set between the inferred model and the real observed model. The resultsshow us deficiencies in language teacher graduation and on reflective process as well, andnew changes are necessary

Real world data in the era of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs): Increasing evidence and future applications in lung cancer.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting programmed death 1 (PD-1) and PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) quickly subverted the standard of treatment in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), where they were first introduced in all comers previously treated advanced/metastatic NSCLC patients and subsequently in the first line of PD-L1 selected cases of metastatic and locally advanced disease. Treatment algorithm is an evolving landscape, where the introduction of front-line ICIs, with or without chemotherapy, unavoidably influences the following treatment lines. In this context, medical oncologists are currently facing many unclear issues, which have been not clarified so far by available data. Effectiveness and safety in special populations underrepresented in clinical trials - such as elderly, poor PS, hepatitis or human immunodeficiency virus-affected patients - are only a part of the unexplored side of ICIs in the real world. Indeed, pivotal randomized clinical trials (RCTs) often lack of external validity because eligibility criteria exclude some patient subgroups commonly treated in real-world clinical practice. Similarly, cost-effectiveness and sustainability of these innovative agents are important issues to be considered in the real-world. Though affected by several limitations, real-world evidence (RWE) studies allow to collect data regarding overall treated patients in clinical practice according to local authority regulations, overcoming the intrinsic limits of RCTs. The present review focuses on RWE about ICIs in lung cancer treatment, with particular reference to special patient populations, and discusses potential application of real-world data in a potential innovative drug development model

METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK TO IMPROVE PPP PROJECTS

The Public–Private Partnership (PPP) plays a significant role in the construction industry. It is of special importance because of its weight in the global economy and the lack of funding for major projects. The PPP concept, as a procurement strategy, is successful only if the major stakeholders, namely the public sector, private consortium, and end–users are all satisfied with project outcomes. There have been reported cases of problems associated with the initial stages of the PPP process in terms of bidding costs and anticipated costs of construction and operation. The banks’ attention is currently centered on the promotors’ financial stability rather than on project quality. The key issue is to improve the efficiency for the whole building lifecycle. In this context, BIMM philosophy (not just Building Information Modeling but also Information Management) may be a powerful tool. In other words, is there room to put this concept in practice without jeopardizing service quality, innovation and efficiency? The answer to this question is explored in this paper. The use of Technical Sheets for PPP procurement like policy models may enhance systematic and integrated management of the whole building process. This technical framework allows one to collect project data, grouped into three areas: design, construction, and operation. In so doing, a Public Agency may assess project quality