Old regionalisms and new imperialism: the U.S. embassies in Baghdad: from Sert- Gourley-Jackson to Bergerm-Devine-Yaeger

Muovendo dalle campagne archeologiche svolte nel diciannovesimo secolo dagli inglesi e dagli americani in quella che era allora una provincia dell’Impero Ottomano, dopo aver sinteticamente ricostruito gli eventi che condussero alla indipendenza dell’Iraqmonarchico nel 1932 e alla transizione repubblicana del 1958, si assumono come immaginiiconiche dell’ambiguità regionalismo/imperialismo l’ambasciata degli Stati Uniti realizzatada Sert, Gourley e Jackson (1955-1961) e la nuova sede progettata da Bergerm, Devine eYaeger (2007-2011).Starting from the archaeological excavations carried out in the nineteenth century by the British and the Americans in what was then a province of the Ottoman Empire, after having synthetically reconstructed the events that led to the independence of Iraqi monarchy in 1932 and the Republican transition in 1958, the Embassy of the United States built by Sert, Jackson and Gourley (1955-1961) and the new building designed by Bergerm-Devine-Yaeger (2007-2011) are assumed as iconic images of the ambiguity regionalism/imperialism.Peer Reviewe

Role of uL3 in Multidrug Resistance in p53-Mutated Lung Cancer Cells

Cancer is one of the most common causes of death among adults. Chemotherapy is crucial in determining patient survival and quality of life. However, the development of multidrug resistance (MDR) continues to pose a significant challenge in the management of cancer. In this study, we analyzed the role of human ribosomal protein uL3 (formerly rpL3) in multidrug resistance. Our studies revealed that uL3 is a key determinant of multidrug resistance in p53-mutated lung cancer cells by controlling the cell redox status. We established and characterized a multidrug resistant Calu-6 cell line. We found that uL3 down-regulation correlates positively with multidrug resistance. Restoration of the uL3 protein level re-sensitized the resistant cells to the drug by regulating the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, glutathione content, glutamate release, and cystine uptake. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments and luciferase assays demonstrated that uL3 coordinated the expression of stress-response genes acting as transcriptional repressors of solute carrier family 7 member 11 (xCT) and glutathione S-transferase α1 (GST-α1), independently of Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Altogether our results describe a new function of uL3 as a regulator of oxidative stress response genes and advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying multidrug resistance in cancers

Historic tuff masonry in Naples: different approaches to its conservation

[EN] Tuff, a sedimentary rock made of volcanic ash, is a traditional building material in the Campania region. Since its foundation Naples’ architecture, whether monumental or vernacular, has been erected in tuff masonry and only the arrival of concrete and steel has meant its downfall. Due to the soft nature of tuff, traditionally the building material was designed to be covered by plaster and very few and monumental architectures, by selecting and sculpting to the purpose the rock, were designed to be fair-faced. In years the exposition to natural and artificial degradation agents has brought a wide variety of deterioration phenomena both on the fair-faced tuff masonry and the ones that had lost plaster. In approaching the restoration of these architectures, the conservator is faced with a challenging task. This is due to the difficulty of balancing the pursue of minimum intervention and authenticity respect, the conservation of the historic consolidated image of the architecture and the necessity of using the best restoration techniques that guarantee the highest conservation of the material in future years, with particular regard to bio-compatible and sustainable materials both for operators and the environment. By analyzing the restoration of various architectures, both archaeological and modern, the paper will address this difficult task and the different decisions made by the conservators in relation to the monuments’ nature, identity, history and status of conservation. The paper is based on a multidisciplinary approach due to the contribution of the expertise of an architect, a restorer and an archaeologist.Balbi, B.; Bosso, R.; Russo Krauss, G. (2022). Historic tuff masonry in Naples: different approaches to its conservation. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 963-970. https://doi.org/10.4995/HERITAGE2022.2022.1505396397

L’architettura americana cerca una identità : 1932-1948

The thesis analyses the debate on the architecture of the European Modern Movement that took place in the United States during the period between the two world wars. With regard to this debate, which not only involved those operating in the architectural sector, but that ended up involving vast sectors of American society and the organization of architectural schools, the extreme characteristic features that lead back to a dialectic of modernity are emphasized gathering around the polarities represented by regionalism and universalism. The aim was to analyse the social, cultural, and artistic context where an idea of architecture was being defined that, at the same time, was "modern" and "American", during the period between the Great Depression, which reached its peak in 1932, and the beginning of the Cold War, with the post-war reconstruction and the Marshall Plan of 1948. The starting and ending dates of the period under study were precisely established in correspondence of two events organized by the MoMA in New York, since these two events were believed to mark two moments of crucial reflection in modern architecture. In the sixteen years between the two events organized by the MoMA, American architecture demonstrated a progressive emancipation, as much from the cultural domination imposed by few isolated "pioneers", almost all European, as from the mythology of an American technological "exceptionalism" symbolized, in architecture, by the skyscraper and, therefore, the outlets of a process that was taking root and spreading were questioned: architecture no longer appeared indifferent to place and time but, on the contrary, it needed to be attentive to a topographical, climatic and cultural context. lt was no longer the legacy of a functional and rigidly sachlich culture of the early twenties, but it was the product of a personal and creative approach towards design. After all, during the period that separates the two dates, social, political and economic events occurred that would have extraordinary repercussions on architecture, as well.El trabajo de tesis analiza el debate sobre la arquitectura del Movimiento Moderno europeo que se llevó a cabo en los Estados Unidos en el período que transcurre entre las dos guerras mundiales. De este debate, en que parteciparon no sólo los protagonistas de la arquitectura, sino que terminó involucrando a amplios sectores de la sociedad norteamericana y a la organización de las escuelas de arquitectura, se remarcan las características extremas que reconducen a una dialéctica sobre la modernidad que se aglutina alrededor de las polaridades representadas por el regionalismo y por el universalismo. Se ha analizado el contexto social, cultural y artístico en que se estaba definiendo una idea de arquitectura que fuera, al mismo tiempo, "moderna" y "americana", en el período que transcurre entre la Gran Depresión, que alcanzó su cumbre en 1932, y el comienzo de la Guerra Fría con la reconstrucción pos-bélica y el Plan Marshall de 1948. Las fechas inicial y final del periodo objeto del estudio se han fijado precisamente en correspondencia de dos eventos organizados por el MoMA de Nueva York, ya que se ha considerado que estos acontecimientos marcan dos momentos de reflexión cruciales para la arquitectura moderna. En los dieciséis años que transcurren entre los dos eventos organizados por el MoMA, la arquitectura norteamericana había mostrado una emancipación progresiva, tanto del dominio cultural impuesto por un pequeño número de "pioneros" aislados, casi todos europeos, como de la mitología de un "excepcionalismo" tecnológico americano cuyo símbolo, en arquitectura, es el skyscraper, y se interrogaba sobre las salidas de un proceso que se estaba arraigando y difundiendo: la arquitectura ya no parecía indiferente al lugar y al tiempo sino, al contrario, tenía que prestar atención al contexto topográfico, climático y cultural; ya no representaba la herencia de la cultura funcional y rígidamente sachlich del comienzo de la década de los Veinte, sino el producto de una aproximación personal y creativa al proyecto. Por otra parte en el período que separa la dos fechas ocurren eventos sociales, políticos y económicos que tendrán consecuencias extraordinarias incluso para la arquitectura

Old regionalisms and new imperialism: the U.S. embassies in Baghdad: from Sert- Gourley-Jackson to Bergerm-Devine-Yaeger

Muovendo dalle campagne archeologiche svolte nel diciannovesimo secolo dagli inglesi e dagli americani in quella che era allora una provincia dell’Impero Ottomano, dopo aver sinteticamente ricostruito gli eventi che condussero alla indipendenza dell’Iraqmonarchico nel 1932 e alla transizione repubblicana del 1958, si assumono come immaginiiconiche dell’ambiguità regionalismo/imperialismo l’ambasciata degli Stati Uniti realizzatada Sert, Gourley e Jackson (1955-1961) e la nuova sede progettata da Bergerm, Devine eYaeger (2007-2011).Starting from the archaeological excavations carried out in the nineteenth century by the British and the Americans in what was then a province of the Ottoman Empire, after having synthetically reconstructed the events that led to the independence of Iraqi monarchy in 1932 and the Republican transition in 1958, the Embassy of the United States built by Sert, Jackson and Gourley (1955-1961) and the new building designed by Bergerm-Devine-Yaeger (2007-2011) are assumed as iconic images of the ambiguity regionalism/imperialism.Peer Reviewe

Through-and-through nasal reconstruction with the bi-pedicled forehead flap

BackgroundNasal reconstruction is one of the most difficult challenges for the head and neck surgeon, especially in the case of complex full thickness defects following malignant skin tumor resection. Full-thickness defects require demanding multi-step reconstruction.MethodsSeven patients underwent surgical reconstruction of full-thickness nasal defects with a bi-pedicled forehead flap shaped appropriately to the defect. Patients were aged between 58 and 86 years, with a mean age of 63.4 years. All of the tumors were excised using traditional surgery, and in 4 of the patients, reconstruction was performed simultaneously following negativity of fresh frozen sections of the margins under general anesthesia.ResultsNasal reconstruction was well accepted by all of the patients suffering non-melanoma skin tumors with acceptable cosmetic outcomes. The heart-shaped forehead flap was harvested in cases of subtotal involvement of the nasal pyramid, while smaller defects were reconstructed with a wing-shaped flap. No cartilaginous or osseous support was necessary.ConclusionsThis bi-pedicled forehead flap was a valid, versatile, and easy-to-implement alternative to microsurgery or multi-step reconstruction. The flap is the best indication for full-thickness nasal defects but can also be indicated for other complex facial defects in the orbital (exenteratio orbitae), zygomatic, and cheek area, for which the availability of a flap equipped with two thick and hairless lobes can be a valuable resource

Investigation of Mechanical Properties of Aluminum Tailor Welded Blanks

Nowadays, the reduction of CO2 emissions and the decrease in energy consumption are the main aims of several industries, especially in the automotive sector. To comply with the increasingly restrictive regulations, the automotive industry is constantly looking for innovative techniques to produce lighter, more efficient, and less polluting vehicles. One of the latest technologies, and still developing, is based on the fabrication of the body-in-white and car parts through the stamping of aluminum Tailor Welded Blanks. Tailor Welded Blanks (TWBs) are generally the combination of two/three metal sheets with different thicknesses and/or mechanical strengths, which are commonly butt-welded together by laser sources. The use of aluminum TWBs has several advantages such as low density and corrosion resistance adequate. However, their use is still limited by the lower formability with respect to the parent materials and the more intrinsic difficulty of laser welding of aluminum sheets (i.e., internal porosity) that, although its use in automated industries is constantly growing, remains a process to be further developed and improved. This study has investigated the effect of the main laser welding process parameters (laser power, welding speed, and focal distance) on the mechanical properties of aluminum TWBs made of 6xxx series. The research results show that a narrow weldability window can be found to ensure welded joints with high strength and limited or no porosity

Investigation of Strength and Formability of 6016 Aluminum Tailor Welded Blanks

The automotive industry is constantly looking for innovative techniques to produce lighter, more efficient, and less polluting vehicles to comply with the increasingly restrictive environmental regulations. One of the latest technologies, which is still developing, is based on the fabrication of the body-in-white and car parts through the stamping of aluminum tailor welded blanks. Tailor welded blanks (TWBs) are generally a combination of two/three metal sheets with different thicknesses and/or mechanical strengths, which are commonly laser butt-welded. Even though the aluminum TWBs have the main advantage of producing lightweight parts, their use is still limited by the lower formability than their parent materials and by the fact that laser welding of aluminum sheets still remains a process easily subjected to weld defects (i.e., internal porosity) and, hence, requires strict control of process parameters. This study has investigated the effects of the main laser welding process parameters (laser power, welding speed, and focus position) on the mechanical properties and formability of aluminum TWBs made of the 6xxx series. The research results show that the welding conditions highly influence the weldability of such alloys. Heat input over 70 J/mm is responsible for excessive porosity and molten pool (and consequent root concavity), which are responsible for the lowest mechanical strength and formability of joints. Differently, low amounts of imperfections have a limited influence on the mechanical behaviors of the TWB joints. Overall, a narrow weldability window is required to ensure welded joints with proper strength and limited or no porosity