‘Acupuncture of Awareness’: a possible path for vernacular heritage preservation

[EN] The essay describes an approach developed by the author in various international contexts (India, Iran and Brazil) to raise awareness in the community of the importance of documenting and preserving historic areas, comprising mainly vernacular architecture with a very high sociocultural value. Over the last two–three decades, contemporary architectural interventions have undermined the urban setting of many vernacular sites, disfiguring them with out-of-scale projects of questionable quality, transforming traditional spaces and hybridizing historic materials. This article discusses ideas that arose from several years of research and educational projects in extremely dynamic and changing environments such as those of the historic centres of various developing countries. It presents the effects of awareness-raising projects conducted collaboratively in several historic centres by professors, researchers, local authorities, professionals, young scholars and residents. The research underlined the importance of different perspectives on the documentation and representation of cultural heritage–the meaning of which depends on local culture and traditions–in identifying future developments, low-cost methodologies and working tools in the field of education for preserving and enhancing vernacular heritage. Digitization techniques, which were also shared with a less specialized public, played an essential role in establishing a methodology capable of meeting the main knowledge and understanding needs at different levels of depth. The activities conducted and experimental methods applied identified operational processes for analysing, representing and diagnosing vernacular contexts, demonstrating the potential of interdisciplinary activities, including through the use of digital tools. The involvement of the local community proved to be a crucial issue in developing a more shared and conscious approach to preserving vernacular heritage.Rossato, L. (2022). ‘Acupuncture of Awareness’: a possible path for vernacular heritage preservation. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 647-654. https://doi.org/10.4995/HERITAGE2022.2022.1532964765

Sustainable Management of International Partnerships for Cultural Heritage Digitization in Brazil

The demand for digitized cultural heritage has increased over the last few decades; digitization is indeed considered a powerful means to preserve and enhance cultural heritage and make it accessible to the wider public for education and research purposes. However, digitizing cultural heritage is a complex process, requiring specific competencies, skills, software, technologies, and, therefore, human and financial resources. Cultural organizations are therefore rethinking their traditional business models, often deciding to outsource their digitization projects or implementing PPPs—public–private partnerships. This is particularly evident in developing countries, where it is also challenging to find the required resources locally and international cooperation is sometimes necessary. However, international PPPs for the digitization of cultural heritage present several unsustainable aspects. There is therefore a need for a deeper understanding of which practices should be implemented to sustainably manage these collaborations. This paper aims to investigate this topic using a case study analysis of two international PPPs for the digitization of cultural heritage in Brazil. The analysis highlights relevant managerial choices that led these projects to positively impact local social, economic, and environmental development, thus bringing early insights to advance the academic and practice discussions on the above-mentioned topic

Chapter Indian historic water structures: graphic studies and analyses to understand the significance of transition in a traditional stepwell

The 43rd UID conference, held in Genova, takes up the theme of ‘Dialogues’ as practice and debate on many fundamental topics in our social life, especially in these complex and not yet resolved times. The city of Genova offers the opportunity to ponder on the value of comparison and on the possibilities for the community, naturally focused on the aspects that concern us, as professors, researchers, disseminators of knowledge, or on all the possibile meanings of the discipline of representation and its dialogue with ‘others’, which we have broadly catalogued in three macro areas: History, Semiotics, Science / Technology. Therefore, “dialogue” as a profitable exchange based on a common language, without which it is impossible to comprehend and understand one another; and the graphic sign that connotes the conference is the precise transcription of this concept: the title ‘translated’ into signs, derived from the visual alphabet designed for the visual identity of the UID since 2017. There are many topics which refer to three macro sessions: - Witnessing (signs and history) - Communicating (signs and semiotics) - Experimenting (signs and sciences) Thanks to the different points of view, an exceptional resource of our disciplinary area, we want to try to outline the prevailing theoretical-operational synergies, the collaborative lines of an instrumental nature, the recent updates of the repertoires of images that attest and nourish the relations among representation, history, semiotics, sciences

SGLT2 Inhibitors and the Diabetic Kidney

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most common cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide. Blood glucose and blood pressure control reduce the risk of developing this complication; however, once DN is established, it is only possible to slow progression. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, the most recent glucose-lowering oral agents, may have the potential to exert nephroprotection not only through improving glycemic control but also through glucose-independent effects, such as blood pressure-lowering and direct renal effects. It is important to consider, however, that in patients with impaired renal function, given their mode of action, SGLT2 inhibitors are less effective in lowering blood glucose. In patients with high cardiovascular risk, the SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin lowered the rate of cardiovascular events, especially cardiovascular death, and substantially reduced important renal outcomes. Such benefits on DN could derive from effects beyond glycemia. Glomerular hyperfiltration is a potential risk factor for DN. In addition to the activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, renal tubular factors, including SGLT2, contribute to glomerular hyperfiltration in diabetes. SGLT2 inhibitors reduce sodium reabsorption in the proximal tubule, causing, through tubuloglomerular feedback, afferent arteriole vasoconstriction and reduction in hyperfiltration. Experimental studies showed that SGLT2 inhibitors reduced hyperfiltration and decreased inflammatory and fibrotic responses of proximal tubular cells. SGLT2 inhibitors reduced glomerular hyperfiltration in patients with type 1 diabetes, and in patients with type 2 diabetes, they caused transient acute reductions in glomerular filtration rate, followed by a progressive recovery and stabilization of renal function. Interestingly, recent studies consistently demonstrated a reduction in albuminuria. Although these data are promising, only dedicated renal outcome trials will clarify whether SGLT2 inhibitors, in addition to their glycemic and blood pressure benefits, may provide nephroprotective effects

Sostanza e modi in Spinoza: alcune interpretazioni recenti

Il presente elaborato tratta del rapporto tra la sostanza e i modi nella filosofia di Spinoza. Questa tematica è stata sviluppata secondo due declinazioni: in primo luogo il rapporto tra la sostanza e i modi è stato affrontato tramite le categorie di univocità e di analogia; in secondo luogo tramite le categorie di determinatezza e di indeterminatezza. Le categorie della prima declinazione sono state proposte da Deleuze e da D'Anna, mentre quelle della seconda declinazione da Giancotti e da Mignini. Oltre all'esposizione di queste quattro interpretazioni si è tentato un confronto critico tra le stesse.ope

Chapter Beyond the glass house icons: graphic documentation of the correlations between Bo Bardi’s and Johnson’s studios

The 43rd UID conference, held in Genova, takes up the theme of ‘Dialogues’ as practice and debate on many fundamental topics in our social life, especially in these complex and not yet resolved times. The city of Genova offers the opportunity to ponder on the value of comparison and on the possibilities for the community, naturally focused on the aspects that concern us, as professors, researchers, disseminators of knowledge, or on all the possibile meanings of the discipline of representation and its dialogue with ‘others’, which we have broadly catalogued in three macro areas: History, Semiotics, Science / Technology. Therefore, “dialogue” as a profitable exchange based on a common language, without which it is impossible to comprehend and understand one another; and the graphic sign that connotes the conference is the precise transcription of this concept: the title ‘translated’ into signs, derived from the visual alphabet designed for the visual identity of the UID since 2017. There are many topics which refer to three macro sessions: - Witnessing (signs and history) - Communicating (signs and semiotics) - Experimenting (signs and sciences) Thanks to the different points of view, an exceptional resource of our disciplinary area, we want to try to outline the prevailing theoretical-operational synergies, the collaborative lines of an instrumental nature, the recent updates of the repertoires of images that attest and nourish the relations among representation, history, semiotics, sciences

Obesity, Male Reproductive Function and Bariatric Surgery

Overweight and obesity are associated with several chronic complications, such as type 2 diabetes, arterial hypertension and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, with relevant consequences for patients and public health systems. Reproductive function abnormalities, such as obesity-related secondary hypogonadism, erectile dysfunction and infertility, represent other abnormalities negatively affecting the quality of life of men suffering from obesity but, despite their high prevalence, these are often understated because of a general lack of awareness in clinical practice. Obesity and gonadal function are closely related, with obesity being associated with hypogonadism that is reversed by body weight reduction thus ameliorating reproductive and sexual health. Clinical studies specifically evaluating the impact of non-surgical weight loss on testosterone levels sometimes showed conflicting results, whereas extensive literature has demonstrated that weight loss after bariatric surgery is correlated with an increase in testosterone levels greater than that obtained with only lifestyle interventions, suggesting the role of surgery also for the treatment of hypogonadism in obese male. However, studies concerning the consequences of bariatric surgery on overall reproductive function in the male, including also sexual activity and fertility, are limited and data regarding long-term effects are lacking. Here we present a brief review summarizing the evidence regarding the interplay between obesity and reproductive abnormalities in the obese male, together with the role of bariatric surgery for the treatment of these complications, describing both the positive effects and the limitations of this procedure

Innovative Minichannel Condensers and Evaporators for Air Conditioning Equipment

The use of aluminum heat exchangers for refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment is very interesting since it allows to reduce weight and manufacturing costs while maintaining high performance. In this paper a two-phase heat transfer characterization of an innovative aluminum minichannel heat exchanger is presented. The heat exchanger (HX) is composed by rectangular channels with internal perforated turbolators. A special test section has been projected and realized in the Two Phase Heat Transfer Lab of the University of Padova in order to measure the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) on the refrigerant side during flow boiling and condensation. The test section has a single refrigerant channel with a perforated fin to make the minichannels. The test section is provided with 14 water flow modules installed at top and bottom of the refrigerant channel to promote boiling or condensation of the refrigerant. Therefore, the test section is made of seven different zones: each of them is equipped with 8 thermocouples to measure the wall temperature during the refrigerant phase change. The heat flow rate in each zone is calculated by an energy balance on the water side. Pressure transducers and thermocouples on the refrigerant side allow to determine the saturation temperature and thus the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant. The operating refrigerant used during tests is R410A. The particular scheme adopted for the test section enables to measure HTC at varying vapor quality and heat flow rate. Vaporization and condensation tests were carried out with different saturation temperatures, specific heat flow rate (from 40 to 150 kW/m2) and refrigerant mass flux (50÷150 kg/(m2 s) ). Data acquired have been compared with vaporization and condensation predictions from various correlations available in literature. This part of the work is very interesting since no data is available in the literature for such a geometry in vaporization nor in condensation. Therefore, the present paper will investigate the potential performance of these innovative minichannel heat exchangers as condensers and evaporators in air-conditioning equipment

Chapter Scenari di reverse processing nel rilievo architettonico da nuvola di punti

The 43rd UID conference, held in Genova, takes up the theme of ‘Dialogues’ as practice and debate on many fundamental topics in our social life, especially in these complex and not yet resolved times. The city of Genova offers the opportunity to ponder on the value of comparison and on the possibilities for the community, naturally focused on the aspects that concern us, as professors, researchers, disseminators of knowledge, or on all the possibile meanings of the discipline of representation and its dialogue with ‘others’, which we have broadly catalogued in three macro areas: History, Semiotics, Science / Technology. Therefore, “dialogue” as a profitable exchange based on a common language, without which it is impossible to comprehend and understand one another; and the graphic sign that connotes the conference is the precise transcription of this concept: the title ‘translated’ into signs, derived from the visual alphabet designed for the visual identity of the UID since 2017. There are many topics which refer to three macro sessions: - Witnessing (signs and history) - Communicating (signs and semiotics) - Experimenting (signs and sciences) Thanks to the different points of view, an exceptional resource of our disciplinary area, we want to try to outline the prevailing theoretical-operational synergies, the collaborative lines of an instrumental nature, the recent updates of the repertoires of images that attest and nourish the relations among representation, history, semiotics, sciences