Beyond the Build Environment: the Role of the Human Dimension towards a Co-ownership in a Sustainable Energy Community

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insights on pro environmental behavior towards post carbon society

Abstract The increasing phenomena related to urbanization and human impact on landscape leads to re-think the future of the cities. As well as in buildings, a careful design, the use of renewable sources and the use of advanced technical solutions, to achieve a significant energy savings, are strategies not sufficient to define a "Post-Carbon city" or a "Post-Carbon building". It is necessary that the citizen/occupant become a "Post-Carbon society", i.e. they pursue conscious lifestyle marked on energy saving principles. This suggest that the occupant's behaviour plays a fundamental role. In fact, many studies have shown that the human behaviour influences, mainly, the energy performance, explaining, in this way, the discrepancy gap between predicted and real consumptions. Since human behaviour is, in large part, influenced by several factors, a behavioural change towards sustainable lifestyle is desirable and this is possible, for examples, by providing to users feedback and information on comfort condition and energy use. The main goal of this research is to identify the pro-environmental behaviour by a questionnaire survey. Specifically, the structure of the survey will be described in this paper and the main results presented

Libya between History and Revolution: Resilience, New Opportunities and Challenges for the Berbers

[Italiano]: La conferenza internazionale Libya between History and Revolution: Resilience, new opportunities and new challenges for the Berbers svolta all’Università di Napoli "L’Orientale" dal 15 al 17 gennaio 2018, è stata dedicata alla storia contemporanea della Libia. L’obiettivo è stato di comprendere una realtà che è per la maggior parte poco nota alla stragrande maggioranza del pubblico italiano, e questo nonostante la colonizzazione, le sue conseguenze e le relazioni che sono sempre esistite tra i due paesi. Al contrario, prima la promozione della logica dei colonizzatori, poi la retorica del regime di Gheddafi e infine le attuali rappresentazioni strettamente legate alle emergenze terroristiche, all’immigrazione e alla guerra all’interno e all’esterno del mondo islamico, sono tutte ben note e documentate. Questo volume Libya between History and Revolution: Resilience, New Opportunities and Challenges for the Berbers comprende articoli degli studiosi italiani e stranieri che hanno preso parte alla conferenza e mirano a fornire approfondimenti su una serie di questioni cruciali che sono state ereditate dalla storia coloniale fino alle rivolte del 2011; in particolare il ruolo dei berberi in Libia, attraverso il prisma delle nuove opportunità e le sfide che devono affrontare oggi e che sono stati discussi durante la conferenza internazionale di tre giorni ./[English]: The International Conference Libya between History and Revolution: Resilience and New Narrations of Berber Identity convened at the University of Naples “L’Orientale” from the 15th to the 17th January 2018, was dedicated to the contemporary history of Libya. Its purpose was to understand a reality that is for the most part little known to the vast majority of the Italian public, and this despite colonization, its consequences, and the relations that have always existed between the two countries. Conversely, first the promotion of the colonizers’ rationale, then the rhetoric of Qadhafi’s regime, and finally the current representations closely related to terrorist emergencies, immigration, and war within and outside the Islamic world, are all well-known and documented. This volume Libya between History and Revolution: Resilience, New Opportunities and Challenges for the Berbers brings together papers by the scholars (from both Italy and abroad) who took part in the conference. The aim of this collection is to provide insights into a range of crucial issues that affected the country as a consequence of its colonial history and informed the uprisings of 2011; the volume looks in particular at the role of the Berbers in Libya through the prism of the new opportunities and challenges that face them today and which were discussed during the three-day international conference

Preimplantation biopsy predicts delayed graft function, glomerular filtration rate and long-term graft survival of transplanted kidneys

Background The predictive value of preimplantation biopsies for long-term graft function is often limited by conflicting results. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of time-zero graft biopsy histological scores on early and late graft function, graft survival and patient survival, at different time points. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 284 preimplantation biopsies at a single center, in a cohort of recipients with grafts from live and deceased donors (standard and nonstandard), and their impact in posttransplant renal function after a mean follow-up of 7 years (range 1–16). Implantation biopsy score (IBS), a combination score derived from 4 histopathological aspects, was determined from each sample. The correlation with incidence of delayed graft function (DGF), creatinine clearance (1st, 3rd and 5th posttransplant year) and graft and patient survival at 1 and 5 years were evaluated. Results Preimplantation biopsies provided somewhat of a prognostic index of early function and outcome of the transplanted kidney in the short and long term. In the immediate posttransplantation period, the degree of arteriolosclerosis and interstitial fibrosis correlated better with the presence of DGF. IBS values between 4 and 6 were predictive of worst renal function at 1st and 3rd years posttransplant and 5-year graft survival. The most important histological finding, in effectively transplanted grafts, was the grade of interstitial fibrosis. Patient survival was not influenced by IBS. Conclusions Higher preimplantation biopsy scores predicted an increased risk of early graft losses, especially primary nonfunction. Graft survival (at 1st and 5th years after transplant) but not patient survival was predicted by IBS

Clinical, Histological and Trichoscopic Correlations in Scalp Disorders

Trichoscopy is the term coined for the dermoscopic imaging of scalp and hair. This diagnostic technique, simple and noninvasive, can be used as a handy bedside tool for the diagnosis and follow-up of hair and scalp disorders. It allows the recognition of morphologic structures not visible by the naked eye and provides the clinician with a range of dermoscopic findings necessary for differential diagnosis. Trichoscopy observation can be broadly grouped as interfollicular patterns and follicular patterns. Recently, a third mixed class, called the follicular plus interfollicular pattern, has been introduced. Some of these features are specific to a certain scalp disease, while others can be found in many hair disorders. Although studies suggest that the use of trichoscopy can improve clinical accuracy, further investigation is needed. This review provides update information on the trichoscopic features of the most common scalp disorders, striving to show a histopathological and clinical correlation

Butyrylcholinesterase and Acetylcholinesterase polymorphisms in Multiple Sclerosis patients: Implication in peripheral inflammation

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease, having not fully understood aetiology, and both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease. The cholinergic system has been indicated as a mediator of neuro-immune interactions, as well as an internal regulator of immune responses. The aim of the present research was to assess the associations between BChE and AChE genetic variations and serum cholinergic and inflammatory profiles in 102 Relapsing Remitting-MS patients and 117 healthy controls. An increased frequency of the BChE K-allele in MS patients as compared to controls was found. In addition, data showed that patients had higher BChE enzymatic activity, which is increased by the presence of the polymorphic allele and reduced amounts of circulating ACh. AChE polymorphism was significantly associated to reduced activity in both patients and controls. We propose that serum BChE and AChE activity may be used as a secondary markers to assess the role of non-neuronal cholinergic system in regulating peripheral inflammation via ACh regulation. This pilot study shed light on the role of the non-neuronal cholinergic system in immune cells to better understand MS pathogenesis. The cross-talk between the periphery and the CNS could have a new undescribed crucial role for MS, regarded as a systemic disease

Resting state functional thalamic connectivity abnormalities in patients with post-stroke sleep apnoea: a pilot case-control study

OBJECTIVE: Sleep apnoea is common after stroke, and has adverse effects on the clinical outcome of affected cases. Its pathophysiological mechanisms are only partially known. Increases in brain connectivity after stroke might influence networks involved in arousal modulation and breathing control. The aim of this study was to investigate the resting state functional MRI thalamic hyper connectivity of stroke patients affected by sleep apnoea (SA) with respect to cases not affected, and to healthy controls (HC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A series of stabilized strokes were submitted to 3T resting state functional MRI imaging and full polysomnography. The ventral-posterior-lateral thalamic nucleus was used as seed. RESULTS: At the between groups comparison analysis, in SA cases versus HC, the regions significantly hyper-connected with the seed were those encoding noxious threats (frontal eye field, somatosensory association, secondary visual cortices). Comparisons between SA cases versus those without SA, revealed in the former group significantly increased connectivity with regions modulating the response to stimuli independently to their potentiality of threat (prefrontal, primary and somatosensory association, superolateral and medial-inferior temporal, associative and secondary occipital ones). Further significantly functionally hyper connections were documented with regions involved also in the modulation of breathing during sleep (pons, midbrain, cerebellum, posterior cingulate cortices), and in the modulation of breathing response to chemical variations (anterior, posterior and para-hippocampal cingulate cortices). CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary data support the presence of functional hyper connectivity in thalamic circuits modulating sensorial stimuli, in patients with post-stroke sleep apnoea, possibly influencing both their arousal ability and breathing modulation during sleep

A survey study on Industry 4.0 readiness level of Italian small and medium enterprises

Abstract The Industry 4.0 (I4.0) paradigm is considered one of the most trending topics in the academic and industrial context, that involves emerging technologies that can make the processes increasingly integrated and provide digital solutions for supporting companies towards the greater flexibility required by the market. To date, the scientific literature strongly addressed the development of enabling technologies and the assessment of their impacts in different industrial contexts. However, there is a lack of studies providing empirical evidence about how manufacturing companies are facing the digital transformation, in particular for smaller industrial realities. For this reason, this paper aims to study the knowledge, readiness, and dissemination level of the I4.0 paradigm and enabling technologies for Italian Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). A web-based survey was conducted, and 77 companies were interviewed. The survey results underline that MSMEs still have limited knowledge about I4.0 and are not well prepared for its implementation