A new indoor LiDAR-based MMS challenging complex architectural environments

The use of moving devices equipped with range- and image-based sensor, generically defined Mobile Mapping systems (MMS), have been quite a disruptive innovation in the development of Geomatics techniques for 3D surveying large indoor-outdoor spaces and offer multiple solutions. The recent expansion of portable devices in the form of trolleys, backpacks, handheld tools largely implements SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) algorithms and technology based on both Lidar and/or visual solutions for answering to the positioning and the 3D reconstruction problems. The research on MMS is directed to improve both multi-sensor integration implementation and usability of systems in diversified use contexts and application fields. The aim of the presented research is the evaluation of the potential of the Swift system recently developed by FARO Technologies, that has been fine-tuned for regular and large extent interiors mapping (such as factories, hospitals, airports, offices). The work tries to preliminary investigate the data delivery and usability of the integrated system. This is based on three elements mounted on a sliding trolley moved by the operator walking: the ScanPlan profilometer working for the 2D SLAM mapping, the static TLS Focus S-series, and the smartphone managing the sensors operation and the acquisition progress. The evaluation strategy undertaken will be based on the global and local performance analysis related to the trajectory, the data accuracy, the metric content and consistency. Two test studies belonging to the 20th century. architecture are presented in a preliminary framework of evaluation and validation: a Liberty-style cinema and the Torino Esposizioni Hall B designed in ferrocement by pier Luigi Nervi

Riabitare le Alpi

The protection of Mountain environmental uniqueness as well as the enhancement of its landscape heritage – which is the result of a long history of anthropization – is a complex process interlacing many of the current challenges related to sustainability issues, and searching for new social and economic environmental balances. From such a premise, the experimentation of an interdisciplinary research method has been carried on. The research has closely linked the historical investigation to theories, methods, tools analyses with particular reference to the recovery of the rural alpine heritage, together with the study of landscape systems, using qualitative and quantitative spatial and non-spatial data, managed by GIS tools. The research and didactic experience focuses on the Stura of Demonte Valley in South Western Piedmont, and proposes design ideas for new sustainable scenarios. Riabitare le AlpiLa montagna: la tutela della sua unicità ambientale, la valorizzazione di un patrimonio paesaggistico frutto di una lunga storia di antropizzazione, è un processo complesso, che interseca molte delle attuali sfide legate ai temi della sostenibilità, alla ricerca di nuovi equilibri ambientali sociali ed economici. Da questa premessa nasce la sperimentazione di una modalità di ricerca interdisciplinare che vede l’indagine storica strettamente legata all’analisi di teorie, metodi, strumenti con particolare riferimento al recupero del patrimonio rurale alpino, uniti allo studio, con i dati qualitativi e quantitativi, dei sistemi di analisi territoriale gestiti tramite strumenti GIS. Il percorso di ricerca e didattica, concentrato nella Valle Stura di Demonte nel Piemonte Sud Occidentale, mette in campo spunti progettuali per nuovi scenari sostenibili.La montagna: la tutela della sua unicità ambientale, la valorizzazione di un patrimonio paesaggistico frutto di una lunga storia di antropizzazione, è un processo complesso, che interseca molte delle attuali sfide legate ai temi della sostenibilità, alla ricerca di nuovi equilibri ambientali sociali ed economici. Da questa premessa nasce la sperimentazione di una modalità di ricerca interdisciplinare che vede l’indagine storica strettamente legata all’analisi di teorie, metodi, strumenti con particolare riferimento al recupero del patrimonio rurale alpino, uniti allo studio, con i dati qualitativi e quantitativi, dei sistemi di analisi territoriale gestiti tramite strumenti GIS. Il percorso di ricerca e didattica, concentrato nella Valle Stura di Demonte nel Piemonte Sud Occidentale, mette in campo spunti progettuali per nuovi scenari sostenibili.  Living The AlpsThe protection of Mountain environmental uniqueness as well as the enhancement of its landscape heritage – which is the result of a long history of anthropization – is a complex process interlacing many of the current challenges related to sustainability issues, and searching for new social and economic environmental balances. From such a premise, the experimentation of an interdisciplinary research method has been carried on. The research has closely linked the historical investigation to theories, methods, tools analyses with particular reference to the recovery of the rural alpine heritage, together with the study of landscape systems, using qualitative and quantitative spatial and non-spatial data, managed by GIS tools. The research and didactic experience focuses on the Stura of Demonte Valley in South Western Piedmont, and proposes design ideas for new sustainable scenarios

B cell depletion in diffuse progressive systemic sclerosis: safety, skin score modification and IL-6 modulation in an up to thirty-six months follow-up open-label trial

INTRODUCTION: An over-expression of CD19 has been shown in B cells of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and B cells are thought to contribute to the induction of skin fibrosis in the tight skin mouse model. The aim was to define the outcome on safety and the change in skin score after rituximab therapy in SSc patients and to correlate the clinical characteristics with the levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and with the immune cell infiltrate detected by immunohistochemistry. METHODS: Nine patients with SSc with mean age 40.9 +/- 11.1 years were treated with anti-CD20, 1 g at time 0 and after 14 days. Skin biopsy was performed at baseline and during the follow-up. B-cell activating factor (BAFF) and IL-6 levels were also determined at the follow-up times. RESULTS: After 6 months patients presented a median decrease of the skin score of 43.3% (range 21.1-64.0%), and a decrease in disease activity index and disease severity index. IL-6 levels decreased permanently during the follow up. After treatment, a complete depletion of peripheral blood B cells was observed in all but 2 patients. Only 3 patients presented CD20 positive cells in the biopsy of the involved skin at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-CD20 treatment has been well tolerated and SSc patients experienced an improvement of the skin score and of clinical symptoms. The clear fall in IL-6 levels could contribute to the skin fibrosis improvement, while the presence of B cells in the skin seems to be irrelevant with respect to the outcome after B cell depletion

Trawling disturbance effects on the trophic ecology of two co-generic Astropectinid species

Physical disturbance by trawling can have both negative and positive effects on populations of scavenging benthic organisms. In the present study the impact of fishing activity on feeding behaviour of the two Astropectinids, Astropecten bispinosus and A. irregularis, was assessed based on stomach contents analysis. The study was carried out along trawled seabed highlighting the positive response of the two facultative scavengers to carrion generated by trawl disturbance. Furthermore, there was greater food specialization in areas that were more heavily exploited by trawling. This specialisation could be linked to the availability of certain prey that results from the passage of fishing gears across the seabed. Interestingly, differences between the two species analysed have been highlighted in term of population dynamic, feeding rate, diet composition and diet diversity, testifying their capacity to coexist in the same fishing grounds

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements