Gaiola vs Borbone system: a comparison between 18th Century anti-seismic case studies

This article briefly discusses the seismic-resistant heritage of the 18th century, circumscribed in Lisbon's Baixa Pombalina (post 1755) and case baraccate of Southern Italy (post 1783).A comparison of these anti-seismic systems is discussed through the architectural principles and the mechanical behavior. It is shown that, despite the wide diversity of cases and the different geo-historical conditioning, both systems arise from an intuition of the compound seismic efficiency, the typical pragmatism of the enlightenment period and an interpretation of the classic composition code.Two specific case studies, a private building in Baixa Pombalina (Lisbon) and the Bishop's Palace of Mileto (Calabria region) are compared. We briefly analyze: (i) configuration and structural principles; (ii) characteristics of the materials; and (iii) seismic behavior.A standardized spatial morphology closely linked to traditional construction techniques positively determines the seismic response and it is one of the key common factors in this heritage to be preserved.In both cases, the architectural and structural choices are crucial to the seismic response of the building and must be respected as an identity of a specific technical knowledge. Moreover, this materiality represents a historical continuity of the community's memory that requires transdisciplinary, critical understanding, and preservation.info:eu-repo/semantics/submittedVersio

The MACBETH approach to evaluate strategies for the conservation of architectural heritage

The critical appraisal of alternative strategies in conservation projects of historical buildings is often a complex task that requires balancing a variety of conflicting criteria related to multiple stakeholders and requirements. The main purpose of this study is to make the case for the use of multi-criteria decision analysis in supporting a consistent and transparent, inter-disciplinary decision-making process, using the case study of repair and strengthening techniques of timber frame walls. The MACBETH approach is particularly suitable in this field of research since the judgment procedures allow for an appropriate analysis of intangible values such as the ones at stake in architectural heritage.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Exploring viral infection using single-cell sequencing.

Single-cell sequencing (SCS) has emerged as a valuable tool to study cellular heterogeneity in diverse fields, including virology. By studying the viral and cellular genome and/or transcriptome, the dynamics of viral infection can be investigated at single cell level. Most studies have explored the impact of cell-to-cell variation on the viral life cycle from the point of view of the virus, by analyzing viral sequences, and from the point of view of the cell, mainly by analyzing the cellular host transcriptome. In this review, we will focus on recent studies that use single-cell sequencing to explore viral diversity and cell variability in response to viral replication

Back and forth between social and technical: A collective experience in the transdisciplinary making of sustainable artifacts

From Fablabs to Hackerspaces we now see the emergence of promising venues following open and collaborative frameworks mixing multiple types of knowledge and skills. They are supported by an accessibility of additive and subtractive fabrication machines, open source software and hardware, and many other personal manufacturing tools ushering in low-cost and DiY trends, to create anything from micro controllers and apps, to wearables and tangible devices in the hype of highly anticipated Internets of Everything. And, from academia, business or industry, to lay individuals or pro-amateurs, all are expected to benefit from these spaces and their material and conceptual platforms, as everyone here is ultimately encouraged to learn how to produce, use, share, copy and improve assorted objects or systems. This presentation will focus on a collective experience of learning and making in one of these spaces, by addressing both the final outputs, and the processes that led to, and occurred during STTF2013 Summer School “Sustainable Technologies and Transdisciplinary Futures: From Collaborative Design to Digital Fabrication” (http://sttf2013.iscte-iul.pt/), jointly organized by VitruviusFabLab-IUL (Digital Fabrication Laboratory) and CIES-IUL (Centre for Research and Studies in Sociology) of ISCTE-IUL (University Institute of Lisbon), with partners as the JRC-EC, and altLab - Lisbon’s hackerspace. Gathering graduate students, researchers, and professionals from STS, Design, Social Sciences, Humanities, Architecture, Computer Science, Communication and Management, the challenge was to engage all participants within a transdisciplinary collaboration model based on working groups, while generating sociotechnical debates and tangible outputs that could meet concrete social needs. From generative design, qualitative social data analysis, or ethical debates, to digital fabrication, physical computing, or open production exercises, STTF2013 participants worked in sociotechnical processes of discussion, design, and fabrication of environmentally, economically, socially and culturally sustainable prototypes for distinct social groups that pass by, use, or live near two Lisbon's waterfront territories, Cais do Sodré and Cacilhas, considering issues as cradle to cradle cycles, conviviality, empowerment, modularity, transparency, etc. Devising these prototypes through such processes allowed for each development stage to be reflected upon, worked, decided and envisioned through a broad spectrum of disciplinary views. And its particular mix of social and technical backgrounds and skills, with citizen needs and local knowledge, resulted in several routes for designing, producing, distributing, and using more appropriate artifacts. But adding issues or people often apart does not only allow methodological sharing or collective work, as it also requires careful attention to divergent goals and backgrounds, dissimilar learning needs, conflicting notions of cooperation, or disparate abilities to use available technical or social tools. The same logic that enables a transdisciplinary creation of artifacts from start to end, also provides insights on the most challenging aspects of mingling conceptual and material processes from social and technical fields in these emerging spaces. An experience such as STTF2013 present us the opportunity to rethink both the embedding of social questions and their connected stakeholders within technological outputs, and the paths that should precede some of the novel heuristic and fabrication frameworks of our nearest futures.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

A methodology to qualitatively select upcycled building materials from urban and industrial waste

The rising concern about climate change and other challenges faced by the planet led society to look for different design solutions and approaches towards a more balanced relationship between the built and natural environment. The circular economy is an effective alternative to the linear economic model inspired by natural metabolisms and the circular use of resources. This research explores how innovative strategies can be integrated for evaluating local urban and industrial wastes into sustainable building materials. A literature review is conducted focusing on circular design strategies, re-use, recycle, and waste transformation processes. Then, a methodology for the selection of upcycled and re-used building materials is developed based on Ashby’s method. A total of thirty-five types of partition walls, which include plastic, wood, paper, steel, aluminium, and agricultural wastes, are evaluated using a multi-criteria decision aid (M-MACBETH). Among these solutions, ten types of walls show high-performance thermal and sound isolation, fourteen types are effective for coating, and two exhibit structural reliability. Regardless of their functional limitations, the proposed solutions based on waste materials bear great potential within the construction industry.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Multi-criteria analysis of rehabilitation techniques for traditional timber frame walls in Pombalino buildings (Lisbon)

This research aims to evaluate the intervention techniques currently adopted for the traditional timber frame wall, using a case study in downtown Lisbon.Different rehabilitation solutions were identified and assessed through a multi-criteria decision analysis using dedicated software (M-Macbeth, Measuring Attractiveness by a Categorical-Based Evaluation technique).Five evaluation criteria, i.e. material compatibility and permanence, structural reliability and authenticity, and visual-tactile appearance, were selected for this specific context. A multidisciplinary panel of experts in conservation science were consulted for defining the performance descriptors, evaluation levels, and weightings of these criteria. Results show that Macbeth is a useful decision-aid capable of handling multiple outputs generated from qualitative expert judgments. Lastly, the predominance of five best-scoring interventions within three design-related scenarios is discussed.This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (SFRH/BD/94980/2013, SFRH/BPD/99891/2014).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Single-Cell RNA-Seq Reveals Transcriptional Heterogeneity in Latent and Reactivated HIV-Infected Cells.

Despite effective treatment, HIV can persist in latent reservoirs, which represent a major obstacle toward HIV eradication. Targeting and reactivating latent cells is challenging due to the heterogeneous nature of HIV-infected cells. Here, we used a primary model of HIV latency and single-cell RNA sequencing to characterize transcriptional heterogeneity during HIV latency and reactivation. Our analysis identified transcriptional programs leading to successful reactivation of HIV expression

A multi-agent expert system shell for shape grammars

This paper proposes a multi-agent rule based architecture of a computational system for supporting generic work with shape grammars. The key ideas and technologies involved are presented. This computational system is being developed and will give support to an urban and architecture research based on shape grammar theories