An effective numerical modelling strategy for FRCM strengthened curved masonry structures

Fabric Reinforced Cementitious Matrix (FRCM) composites are currently considered a very effective solution for strengthening masonry constructions. However, the mechanical interactions governing the response and the strength of FRCM reinforced masonry structures are very complex, especially in the case of curved structures. Moreover, these interactions involve several interfaces between different materials. Thus, the development of accurate numerical models for curved FRCM reinforced masonry structures comes up against several difficulties, and models too complex for practical applications can be obtained. In addition, several mechanical parameters needed for the calculations are generally inaccessible by conventional experimental tests. Here, a suitable numerical modelling strategy for FRCM strengthened curved masonry structures is proposed to combine the accuracy in simulating the actual behaviour in terms of stiffness, strength and collapse mechanisms with a reasonable simplicity, making the proposed approach usable also by practitioners, by adopting commercial codes and at a moderate computational effort. The relatively small number of mechanical parameters characterizing the model can be determined by ordinary experimental tests on materials or by literature formulations. The proposed modelling strategy is validated with respect to experimental data found in literature concerning a FRCM reinforced masonry barrel vault, and then is employed for studying the seismic capacity of the vault through a pushover analysis. A broad sensitivity analysis sheds light on the effect of variations of the mechanical parameters on the predicted overall behaviour, showing the robustness of the results obtainable through the proposed approach concerning inaccuracies in the determination of the parameters often very difficult to determine by ordinary experimental tests on masonry structures.Funding: Financial support from ReLUIS (Italian Department of Civil Protection) and from the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) in the framework of Project PRIN2020 #20209F3A37 is gratefully acknowledged

A chemical survey of exoplanets with ARIEL

Thousands of exoplanets have now been discovered with a huge range of masses, sizes and orbits: from rocky Earth-like planets to large gas giants grazing the surface of their host star. However, the essential nature of these exoplanets remains largely mysterious: there is no known, discernible pattern linking the presence, size, or orbital parameters of a planet to the nature of its parent star. We have little idea whether the chemistry of a planet is linked to its formation environment, or whether the type of host star drives the physics and chemistry of the planet’s birth, and evolution. ARIEL was conceived to observe a large number (~1000) of transiting planets for statistical understanding, including gas giants, Neptunes, super-Earths and Earth-size planets around a range of host star types using transit spectroscopy in the 1.25–7.8 μm spectral range and multiple narrow-band photometry in the optical. ARIEL will focus on warm and hot planets to take advantage of their well-mixed atmospheres which should show minimal condensation and sequestration of high-Z materials compared to their colder Solar System siblings. Said warm and hot atmospheres are expected to be more representative of the planetary bulk composition. Observations of these warm/hot exoplanets, and in particular of their elemental composition (especially C, O, N, S, Si), will allow the understanding of the early stages of planetary and atmospheric formation during the nebular phase and the following few million years. ARIEL will thus provide a representative picture of the chemical nature of the exoplanets and relate this directly to the type and chemical environment of the host star. ARIEL is designed as a dedicated survey mission for combined-light spectroscopy, capable of observing a large and well-defined planet sample within its 4-year mission lifetime. Transit, eclipse and phase-curve spectroscopy methods, whereby the signal from the star and planet are differentiated using knowledge of the planetary ephemerides, allow us to measure atmospheric signals from the planet at levels of 10–100 part per million (ppm) relative to the star and, given the bright nature of targets, also allows more sophisticated techniques, such as eclipse mapping, to give a deeper insight into the nature of the atmosphere. These types of observations require a stable payload and satellite platform with broad, instantaneous wavelength coverage to detect many molecular species, probe the thermal structure, identify clouds and monitor the stellar activity. The wavelength range proposed covers all the expected major atmospheric gases from e.g. H2O, CO2, CH4 NH3, HCN, H2S through to the more exotic metallic compounds, such as TiO, VO, and condensed species. Simulations of ARIEL performance in conducting exoplanet surveys have been performed – using conservative estimates of mission performance and a full model of all significant noise sources in the measurement – using a list of potential ARIEL targets that incorporates the latest available exoplanet statistics. The conclusion at the end of the Phase A study, is that ARIEL – in line with the stated mission objectives – will be able to observe about 1000 exoplanets depending on the details of the adopted survey strategy, thus confirming the feasibility of the main science objectives.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Effects of Anacetrapib in Patients with Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease

BACKGROUND: Patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease remain at high risk for cardiovascular events despite effective statin-based treatment of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. The inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) by anacetrapib reduces LDL cholesterol levels and increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. However, trials of other CETP inhibitors have shown neutral or adverse effects on cardiovascular outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 30,449 adults with atherosclerotic vascular disease who were receiving intensive atorvastatin therapy and who had a mean LDL cholesterol level of 61 mg per deciliter (1.58 mmol per liter), a mean non-HDL cholesterol level of 92 mg per deciliter (2.38 mmol per liter), and a mean HDL cholesterol level of 40 mg per deciliter (1.03 mmol per liter). The patients were assigned to receive either 100 mg of anacetrapib once daily (15,225 patients) or matching placebo (15,224 patients). The primary outcome was the first major coronary event, a composite of coronary death, myocardial infarction, or coronary revascularization. RESULTS: During the median follow-up period of 4.1 years, the primary outcome occurred in significantly fewer patients in the anacetrapib group than in the placebo group (1640 of 15,225 patients [10.8%] vs. 1803 of 15,224 patients [11.8%]; rate ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.85 to 0.97; P=0.004). The relative difference in risk was similar across multiple prespecified subgroups. At the trial midpoint, the mean level of HDL cholesterol was higher by 43 mg per deciliter (1.12 mmol per liter) in the anacetrapib group than in the placebo group (a relative difference of 104%), and the mean level of non-HDL cholesterol was lower by 17 mg per deciliter (0.44 mmol per liter), a relative difference of -18%. There were no significant between-group differences in the risk of death, cancer, or other serious adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease who were receiving intensive statin therapy, the use of anacetrapib resulted in a lower incidence of major coronary events than the use of placebo. (Funded by Merck and others; Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN48678192 ; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01252953 ; and EudraCT number, 2010-023467-18 .)

Prodotti per edilizia (capitolo 14)

L’ industria italiana sta ragionando su cosa fare per superare la terribile caduta produttiva provocata dall’ epidemia del 2020. Alla precedente e meno grave crisi globale del 2008, l’ industria aveva risposto con tecnologie innovative, nuovi prodotti, riorganizzazione delle fabbriche, acquisizioni e fusioni. Al 2019 aveva recuperato solo in parte i livelli produttivi tra l’ altro con poca guida di politica industriale. Già prima dell’ epidemia il quadro generale stava cambiando, stava finendo l’ era della globalizzazione e si è entrati nella quarta rivoluzione industriale che porterà a modificare il modo di produrre, il lavoro e gli stili di vita ad una velocità superiore rispetto al passato. In Italia l’ occupazione al 2019 non soffriva numericamente, ma il lavoro si è dequalificato. La fermata del mondo nella primavera del 2020 ha drammatizzato le cose. Sarà difficile per le imprese rispondere a questa caduta con le proprie forze, sarà erosa la loro liquidità, ma il problema non è finanziario, cioè non si risolve con i soldi pubblici, il problema è strategico ed esistenziale. Il digitale faciliterebbe il trasferimento tecnologico alle imprese anche piccole e consentirebbe loro di partecipare al progresso e allo sviluppo: ma l’ Italia è molto indietro anche in questo. Per investire in competenze, ritrovare il valore del merito, recuperare posizioni nel ranking mondiale, occorrerebbe un progetto “Competitività” serio e di legislatura ed una diffusione delle conoscenze. Il volume dal titolo “Industria, Italia” riporta i risultati di un lavoro intenso svolto da 23 docenti di “Sapienza” Università di Roma, coordinati da Riccardo Gallo, docente di Economia Applicata presso la facoltà di Ingegneri. I docenti appartengono a sei facoltà differenti: Architettura, Economia, Farmacia e Medicina, Ingegneria Civile ed Industriale, Ingegneria dell’ Informazione, Informatica e Statistica, Lettere e Filosofia. Un volume che si basa sull’ interdisciplinarità, grazie all’ incontro e alla collaborazione tra uomini di cultura, economisti e tecnologi. Il volume è strutturato in tre parti la prima esamina lo sviluppo industriale dal 2000 al 2019 (ieri), la seconda (oggi) considera la crisi del 2020 e la confronta con altre precedenti, la terza (domani) offre soluzioni tecniche ed economiche per gli anni a venire. I settori industriali presi in considerazione sono diversi, la Chimica, la Meccanica, il Sistema moda, l’ Arredamento, la Farmaceutica, la Stampa, per citarne alcuni, si sono, cioè, considerati 20 settori industriali, di cui i docenti-autori sono specialisti, analizzato il passato e proposto soluzioni per il futuro. Emerge complessivamente che il valore aggiunto pro capite per addetto sta diminuendo in tutti i settori industriali e che le soluzioni future possono essere il digitale, la green economy, specie nel settore edilizio e delle grandi opere e la diffusione delle conoscenze. “Sapienza” ha messo a disposizione della comunità le diverse competenze ed esperienze di cui dispone, interagendo con il tessuto produttivo del nostro paese, e rispondendo al concetto di “Terza missione” che l’ Università deve e può svolgere

Asthmatics and ex-smokers respond early, heavy smokers respond late to mailed surveys in Italy

Response to mailed epidemiological surveys has decreased in recent decades. Since subjects with respiratory symptoms are usually early responders to surveys performed in Southern Europe, this trend could bias prevalence estimates. The present study aimed at evaluating the impact of non-response bias on prevalence estimates of respiratory symptoms and smoking habits. METHODS: In 9 centres, participating in the Italian Study on Asthma in Young Adults (ISAYA), random samples of people aged 20-45 years were administered a mailed questionnaire between 1998 and 2000. Non-responders were contacted again first by mail and then by phone. Cumulative response percentage was 30.5%, 52.4% and 72.7% (18,873/25,969), respectively, after the 1st, 2nd and 3rd contact. RESULTS: The prevalence of self-reported current asthma, asthma-like symptoms, and chronic cough/phlegm was more than halved from the first contact (5.6%, 17.8%, 14.6% respectively) to the third contact (2.7%, 6.4%, 6.9%). This pattern was less pronounced when considering allergic rhinitis and past asthma, whose prevalence decreased, respectively, from 21.5% to 15.6% and from 3.5% to 2.6%. At the same time the proportion of current smokers increased from 29.2% to 38%, while the proportion of ex-smokers decreased from 16.5% to 10.1%. In a multinomial logistic model current asthma, asthma-like symptoms, chronic cough/phlegm and smoking habits, and to a lower extent past asthma and allergic rhinitis, were significant predictors of late response. CONCLUSIONS: In Italy when response percentage is low, the prevalence of current asthma, chronic cough/phlegm and ex-smokers is overestimated, while the proportion of current smokers is underestimated

Asthma in patients admitted to emergency department for COVID-19: prevalence and risk of hospitalization

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