THE 'MASSERIA ROTA' IN NAPLES (ITALY). A VERNACULAR HERITAGE TO PRESERVE

Abstract. The 'Masseria Rota' in Cercola, near Naples, is one of the best-preserved examples of the important vernacular architectural heritage of the Vesuvian area. Built in the 17th century upon more ancient pre-existences, the farm is an extraordinary example of the construction capabilities typical of the Neapolitan area and the dual vocation, productive and residential of the Vesuvian 'masserie'. The production area for slaughter and winemaking – located on the basement floor and still in good condition – coexists with the residential part with a sober decorative apparatus, enriched by the nineteenth-century transformations. Its planimetric U-shaped layout denounces a development for subsequent integrations that is also evident from the mensiochronological analysis of the walls. Unfortunately, despite the its indisputable historical, architectural and documentary value, the 'Masseria Rota' is in a serious state of abandonment, suffocated by contemporary buildings often devoid of specific values. The contribution to be presented illustrates the results of a teaching experiment that aims to propose methodological guidelines for the drafting of a restoration project aware and respectful of the identity of the aforementioned 'Masseria', and intends to provide a contribution of knowledge for the preservation and enhancement of a vernacular building heritage present on the slopes of Vesuvius, guiltily forgotten and abandoned in recent decades, which, instead, represents one of the most interesting and important of the settlement and construction modes of a territory inhabited since antiquity – despite the cyclical destructions caused by the volcanic activity of Vesuvius – for its environmental and landscape characteristics

Magnesium in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Obesity, and Metabolic Syndrome

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Magnesium and hypertension in old age

Hypertension is a complex condition in which various actors and mechanisms combine, resulting in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications that today represent the most fre-quent causes of mortality, morbidity, disability, and health expenses worldwide. In the last decades, there has been an exceptional amount of experimental, epidemiological, and clinical studies confirm-ing a close relationship between magnesium deficit and high blood pressure. Multiple mechanisms may help to explain the bulk of evidence supporting a protective effect of magnesium against hypertension and its complications. Hypertension increases sharply with advancing age, hence older persons are those most affected by its negative consequences. They are also more frequently at risk of magnesium deficiency by multiple mechanisms, which may, at least in part, explain the higher frequency of hypertension and its long-term complications. The evidence for a favorable effect of magnesium on hypertension risk emphasizes the importance of broadly encouraging the intake of foods such as vegetables, nuts, whole cereals and legumes, optimal dietary sources of magnesium, avoiding processed food, which are very poor in magnesium and other fundamental nutrients, in order to prevent hypertension. In some cases, when diet is not enough to maintain an adequate magnesium status, magnesium supplementation may be of benefit and has been shown to be well tolerated

OPTOELECTRONICALLY ACTIVE DINUCLEAR RHENIUM(I) AND MANGANESE(I) COMPLEXES: FROM DESIGN TO APPLICATIONS

Energy is definitely the most important resource for mankind, and sunlight is without any doubt the ultimate energy source.[1] Unfortunately, solar energy is not useful for mankind unless converted into the final usable forms: heat, electricity, and fuels. Conversion of solar energy into heat is straightforward, but conversion of solar energy into electricity or fuel poses several problems, strongly limiting the conversion efficiency.[2] Since we cannot modify the solar spectrum, we need to find materials capable of exploiting sunlight through the threshold mechanism with the highest possible efficiency. Taking into account the average spectral distribution of solar energy, the most favorable threshold is about 885 nm (1.4 eV), which, in principle, allows 33% of energy conversion efficiency.[3] Summing up, the amount of energy we can actually get from the average solar power striking the surface of the earth depends on our capacity of developing the conversion and storage devices we need with the materials we have on our planet. In the last five years, the photovoltaic systems worldwide have undergone substantial development in terms of manufacturing distribution (largely shifted from Europe to Asia), global deployment, and even new photoactive materials.[4] Over 90% of today commercial solar cells are still based on the very same material and basic concepts developed in the 50\u2019s at the Bell Laboratories: light-induced charge separation at a p\u2013n junction between two wafers of p- and n-doped silicon in either single-crystal or polycrystalline form (sc-Si and poly-Si, respectively). The global share of Si PV has increased from 80% in 2009 to over 90% in 2014, because the main competitors, the so called \u201c2nd generation solar cells\u201d, thin film technologies like cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper-gallium-indium selenide (CIGS), and amorphous silicon (a-Si) have grown at a much lower rate.[4] Indeed, Silicon is the second most abundant and uniformly distributed element on the earth\u2019s crust and there is no risk of shortage in any foreseeable future. By contrast, In, Ga, Se, Te, and Cd exhibit a way smaller crustal abundance and, accordingly, they are collected only as byproducts of minerals containing mostly other elements (Cu, Zn, and Al).[5] The third wave of PV technologies entering the market should be based on DSSC and OPV. Expectations for their market debut have been high for years,[6-8] but so far they have materialized only to a very small extent. At present, the market share of these two technologies is still virtually zero, despite a few flagship demonstration projects, which support technical feasibility.[9-10] Compared to the already established technologies, DSSC and OPV can offer easier building integration, in windows and facades, good performances also in non-standard illumination and temperature conditions, and lower requirements in terms of quantity and quality of raw materials. They can be manufactured at smaller economic and energetic cost and their energy payback times are estimated to be shorter than conventional thin-film technologies. The photoactive materials, including dyes, polymeric and small molecular semiconductors, play a key role in influencing physical processes involved in energy conversion, which in turn determine the electrical characteristics of the solar cell. Several types of organic and inorganic dyes are now available, as well as solid-state devices including the redox mediator, as a result of a massive research effort throughout 25 years. Despite the marked increase in the understanding of the DSSC and OPV solar cells, there remain numerous challenges related to cell/module performance and stability that need to be addressed before this technology can be deployed on a large scale. In this Ph.D. thesis we have focused our attention on dinuclear Re and Mn complexes able to act as active materials in optoelectronic applications, such as dye-sensitized solar cells, organic photovoltaics devices (Re) and electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 or H2 generation (Mn). Indeed, considering the state-of-the-art of the knowledge about the dinuclear rhenium complexes containing 1,2-diazine ligands developed in our research group, starting from the pioneering studies on the halide derivatives and their application as dopants in OLED devices and as dyes for bio-imaging, we tried here to extend and tune the properties of these complexes, potentially widening their possible application in various sub-fields of optoelectronics. Therefore, starting from complexes with general formula [M2(\u3bc-X)(\u3bc-Y)(CO)6(\u3bc-R-diazine)] (M=Re, Mn), being X and Y two anionic bridging ligands, we have carried out tailored syntheses with joint experimental and theoretical studies, in order to gain a deeper insight into the electronic processes involved in these classes of compounds. The spectroscopic and/or catalytic properties of the new complexes have been modulated by varying the substituents on the diazine ligand, as well as the nature of the ancillary ligands, thus modulating the LUMO and the HOMO energy level, respectively. Some of these materials were also successfully tested as dyes in DSSC devices. This thesis is basically divided in four main sections 1) New class of Re complexes with lower energy-gap and/or long lived excited state as triplet photosensitizer for triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) based upconversion 2) New class of hydrido Re complexes and their applications in DSSC solar cells 3) New low-band gap metallo-copolymers based on Re complexes as donors in bulk-heterojunction solar cell 4) New polynuclear Mn complexes containing diazine ligands It is clear that this thesis is the result of a highly multidisciplinary, and therefore collaborative, research work. We have collaborated with various research groups both in Italy and Europe: The electrochemical characterizations have been carried out in collaboration with Prof. Patrizia Mussini (Dipartimento di Chimica, Universit\ue0 degli Studi di Milano, Italy). The theoretical calculation and the molecules\u2019 design, together with the solid state analysis of the complexes, have been performed by Dr. Pierluigi Mercandelli of the same department. The test concerning the TTA upconversion (chapter 4) has been performed in collaboration with Prof. Paola Ceroni (Dipartimento di Chimica, Alma Mater Studiorum - Universit\ue0 di Bologna, Italy). A preliminary photophysical characterization was previously carried out by Dr. Matteo Mauro and Prof. Luisa De Cola (Institut de Science et d'Ing\ue9nierie Supramol\ue9culaires (ISIS), Strasbourg, France). Two different research groups have been involved in the fabrication of the DSSC devices (chapter 5): preliminary tests were performed by Dr. Francesca De Rossi and Prof. Thomas M. Brown (Center for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy \u2013 CHOSE, Rome, Italy), while the optimization of the cells and a second series of tests has been carried out in collaboration with Dr. Kazuteru Nonomura and Prof. Anders Hagfeldt (Laboratory of Photomolecular Science (LSPM), \uc9cole Polytechnique F\ue9d\ue9rale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland). Dr. Stefania Zappia and Dr. Silvia Destri have been involved in the synthesis and the characterization of the metallo-copolymers (chapter 6) (Istituto per lo Studio delle Macromolecole, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ISMAC-CNR), Milan, Italy). [1]N. Armaroli, V. Balzani, Chem. Eur. J. 2016, 22, 32\u201357 [2] N. Armaroli, V. Balzani, Energy for a Sustainable World\u2014From the Oil Age to a Sun Powered Future, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim (Germany), 2011 [3] G. Porter, Criteria for Solar Energy Conversion, in Light, Chemical Change and Life. A Source Book in Photochemistry (Eds.: J. D. Coyle, R. R. Hill, D. R. Roberts), Open University Press, Milton Keynes (UK), 1982, 338 [4] International Energy Agency, Technology Roadmap\u2014Solar Photovoltaic Energy, 2014 https://www.iea.org [5] L. T. Peir\uf3, G. Villalba Mendez, R. U. Ayres, Environ. Sci. Technol. 2013, 47, 2939\u2028 [6] M. Jacoby, Chem. Eng. News 2010, 88 (34), 12 [7] NanoMarkets Report, Dye-Sensitized Cell Markets 2012\u2014Nano-531, 2012, http://ntechresearch.com/market reports/dye sensitized cell markets 2012 [8] International Energy Agency, Technology Roadmap-Solar Photovoltaic Energy 2010, https://www.iea.org [9] \uc9cole Polytechnique F\ue9d\ue9rale de Lausanne, EPFL\u2019s Campus Has the World\u2019s First Solar Window, can be found under https://actu.epfl.ch [10] F. C. Krebs, N. Espinosa, M. Hosel, R. R. Sondergaard, M. Jorgensen, Adv. Mater. 2014, 26, 2

Can i take your subdomain? Exploring same-site attacks in the modern web

Related-domain attackers control a sibling domain of their target web application, e.g., as the result of a subdomain takeover. Despite their additional power over traditional web attackers, related-domain attackers received only limited attention from the research community. In this paper we define and quantify for the first time the threats that related-domain attackers pose to web application security. In particular, we first clarify the capabilities that related-domain attackers can acquire through different attack vectors, showing that different instances of the related-domain attacker concept are worth attention. We then study how these capabilities can be abused to compromise web application security by focusing on different angles, including cookies, CSP, CORS, postMessage, and domain relaxation. By building on this framework, we report on a large-scale security measurement on the top 50k domains from the Tranco list that led to the discovery of vulnerabilities in 887 sites, where we quantified the threats posed by related-domain attackers to popular web applications

Magnesium in infectious diseases in older people

Reduced magnesium (Mg) intake is a frequent cause of deficiency with age together with reduced absorption, renal wasting, and polypharmacotherapy. Chronic Mg deficiency may result in increased oxidative stress and low-grade inflammation, which may be linked to several age-related diseases, including higher predisposition to infectious diseases. Mg might play a role in the immune response being a cofactor for immunoglobulin synthesis and other processes strictly associated with the function of T and B cells. Mg is necessary for the biosynthesis, transport, and activation of vitamin D, another key factor in the pathogenesis of infectious diseases. The regulation of cytosolic free Mg in immune cells involves Mg transport systems, such as the melastatin-like transient receptor potential 7 channel, the solute carrier family, and the magnesium transporter 1 (MAGT1). The functional importance of Mg transport in immunity was unknown until the description of the primary immunodeficiency XMEN (X-linked immunodeficiency with Mg defect, Epstein–Barr virus infection, and neoplasia) due to a genetic deficiency of MAGT1 characterized by chronic Epstein–Barr virus infection. This and other research reporting associations of Mg deficit with viral and bacterial infections indicate a possible role of Mg deficit in the recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its complications. In this review, we will discuss the importance of Mg for the immune system and for infectious diseases, including the recent pandemic of COVID-19

Impact of mediterranean diet on chronic non-communicable diseases and longevity

The average life expectancy of the world population has increased remarkably in the past 150 years and it is still increasing. A long life is a dream of humans since the beginning of time but also a dream is to live it in good physical and mental condition. Nutrition research has focused on recent decades more on food combination patterns than on individual foods/nutrients due to the possible synergistic/antagonistic effects of the components in a dietary model. Various dietary patterns have been associated with health benefits, but the largest body of evidence in the literature is attributable to the traditional dietary habits and lifestyle followed by populations from the Mediterranean region. After the Seven Countries Study, many prospective observational studies and trials in diverse populations reinforced the beneficial effects associated with a higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet in reference to the prevention/management of age-associated non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, depression, respiratory diseases, and fragility fractures. In addition, the Mediterranean diet is ecologically sustainable. Therefore, this immaterial world heritage constitutes a healthy way of eating and living respecting the environment

Sedentary behaviours and cognitive function among community dwelling adults aged 50+ years:Results from the Irish longitudinal study of ageing

Background: Sedentary behaviours (SB) are risk factors for poor cardiovascular health and all-cause mortality. However, their role in cognitive health in older adults is unclear. A few studies have examined associations between sedentary behaviours and cognition, but are limited by heterogeneity and insufficient longitudinal analyses. Therefore more robust studies, which would address identified limitations, are needed to accurately determine associations. Method: This study analysed data collected from participants aged 50+ years of The Irish Longitudinal Study of Ageing (TILDA). We conducted cross-sectional linear regression with multivariate imputation analyses of baseline data from wave 1 (N = 8163, weekday-sitting time), and wave 3 (N = 6400, weekday-television viewing); longitudinal analyses between waves 1\u20133 (sitting) and waves 3\u20134 (television). Sedentary behaviours were analysed as both categorical and continuous variables. Outcome of cross-sectional analyses was standardised regression co-efficient of associations between sedentary exposures and cognitive function in respective waves, while for longitudinal analyses was cognitive change (verbal memory, verbal fluency, and global cognition) between waves based on standardised residuals. Result: Study found significant but mild cross-sectional associations between 1-h increase in weekday-television viewing and poorer verbal memory (b = 120.02, CI: 120.04, 120.003, P < 0.05) and verbal fluency (b = 120.02, CI: 120.04, 120.002, P < 0.05). Baseline television viewing of 3.5+ h/day had mild but significant association with a decline in verbal fluency 2 years later in participants aged 65+ years, when compared with a reference category of <1.5 h of TV viewing (b = 120.12, CI: 120.23, 120.001, P < 0.05). Conclusion: Our study findings indicated some association between increased levels of weekday-television viewing time, independent of physical activity, and poor cognition cross-sectionally and longitudinally in middle-aged and older adults. Intervention studies are needed to confirm the effects of SB on cognition in older adults. Public health campaigns should be targeted at displacing high levels of television viewing, in excess of 3.5 h/day among older adults. \ua9 2020 Elsevier Lt

Cost-effectiveness of buffered soluble alendronate 70 mg effervescent tablet for the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis in Italy

Summary: The use of buffered soluble alendronate 70 mg effervescent tablet, a convenient dosing regimen for bisphosphonate therapy, seems a cost-effective strategy compared with relevant alternative treatments for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis aged 60 years and over in Italy. Introduction: To assess the cost-effectiveness of buffered soluble alendronate (ALN) 70 mg effervescent tablet compared with relevant alternative treatments for postmenopausal osteoporotic women in Italy. Methods: A previously validated Markov microsimulation model was adjusted to the Italian healthcare setting to estimate the lifetime costs (expressed in €2019) per quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) of buffered soluble ALN compared with generic ALN, denosumab, zoledronic acid and no treatment. Pooled efficacy data derived from the NICE network meta-analysis were used for bisphosphonate treatments. Two treatment duration scenarios were assessed: 1 year using persistence data derived from an Italian prospective observational study including 144 and 216 postmenopausal osteoporotic women on buffered soluble ALN and oral ALN, respectively, and 3 years. Analyses were conducted for women 60–80 years of age with a bone mineral density T-score ≤ − 3.0 or with existing vertebral fractures. Results: In all simulated populations, buffered soluble ALN was dominant (more QALYs, lower costs) compared to denosumab. The cost per QALY gained of buffered soluble ALN compared to generic ALN and no treatment always falls below €20,000 per QALY gained. In the 1-year treatment scenario, zoledronic acid was associated with more QALY than buffered soluble ALN but the cost per QALY gained of zoledronic acid compared with buffered soluble ALN was always higher than €70,000, while buffered soluble ALN was dominant in the 3-year treatment scenario. Conclusion: This study suggests that buffered soluble ALN represents a cost-effective strategy compared with relevant alternative treatments for postmenopausal osteoporosis women in Italy aged 60 years and over. © 2021, The Author(s)

SPECIFITY OF HISTORICAL BUILDINGS AND BIM METHODOLOGIES. A FIRST EXPERIMENTATION FOR THE FEDERICO II HEADQUARTERS IN NAPLES

The Building Information Modeling is today one of the most advanced data cataloging and processing systems aimed to the digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of an object. These prerogatives make possible to create a model containing not only the geometric-architectural data of the building, but also the properties of the materials and technical elements that compose it, the construction phases, as well as maintenance operations, locating and programming them over time. Such an approach implies, therefore, not only a change of instruments for the representation of Architecture, but above all a change of "mentality", in which the building is seen as a "unitary" organism with a synchronous vision between architectural form, structural elements, construction techniques, materials and installations. The experimentation here presented concerns the case of the university complex of Federico II of Naples along the axis of Via Mezzocannone. The urban palimpsest housing the monumental front of the building, designed by Eng. Pierpaolo Quaglia and Guglielmo Melisurgo at the end of the Nineteenth century, and incorporating ancient religious complexes built in the Fifteenth century, as the monasteries of Donnaromita and the Old Jesus; heterogeneous elements that allowed to explore on the field limits and the possibilities of interoperability of BIM in which still have ample possibilities for experimentation