Designing and prototyping of a novel textile-based 3D panel

The paper describes the designing and prototyping process of a novel textile-based building component, named Textile Wall, conceived to quickly erect walls and roofs with a protective purpose (humanitarian sheltering, flood protection, ballistic defense etc.), or simply to divide work and home spaces. Textile Wall is an innovative foldable cell panel, lightweight and freestanding, made of semirigid PVC foils and finishing textile layers. Stabilizing or insulating materials can fill its vertical cells. The height and the dimension of cells, together with the membrane material (fabrics, mosquito netting, papers, composite fibers), can differ in relation to its final use and the expected durability. Man portable with a small logistical footprint, the use of digital technologies allows tailing the production of the Textile Wall in various, flexible and modular configurations. It can be deployed rapidly, without any engineering support; the easy set-up will encourage local users to repair or rebuild homes in case of disaster, taking into account own constructive and social background. The Textile Wall has been one of the results of the collaborative research project S(P)EEDKITS, founded from the European Union’s 7th Framework Programme - Security Theme (2012-2016), in which research institutes, universities, companies operating in the emergency sector and non-profit organizations have rethought shelters, medical care resources and other facilities provided in case of natural disaster and conflict

Aplicaciones médico-quirúrgicas de la anatomía ósea del seno frontal en relación al trauma cráneo facial

Los senos frontales son dos cavidades en forma de pirámide triangular, de vértice superior y base inferior, a cada lado de la línea media y excavados en el espesor de este hueso. La anatomía y morfología de los senos frontales se utiliza desde hace años en la medicina forense para la identificación de cadáveres dada su gran versatilidad. En lo que respecta a la cirugía maxilofacial es de suma importancia la presencia de megasenos frontales en el diagnóstico y tratamiento de fracturas hundimiento por ruptura de la tabla externa ante trauma de dicha región, observándose la presencia de las mismas ante patrones de senos anormalmente desarrollados.Facultad de Ciencias Médica

Aplicaciones médico-quirúrgicas de la anatomía ósea del seno frontal en relación al trauma cráneo facial

Los senos frontales son dos cavidades en forma de pirámide triangular, de vértice superior y base inferior, a cada lado de la línea media y excavados en el espesor de este hueso. La anatomía y morfología de los senos frontales se utiliza desde hace años en la medicina forense para la identificación de cadáveres dada su gran versatilidad. En lo que respecta a la cirugía maxilofacial es de suma importancia la presencia de megasenos frontales en el diagnóstico y tratamiento de fracturas hundimiento por ruptura de la tabla externa ante trauma de dicha región, observándose la presencia de las mismas ante patrones de senos anormalmente desarrollados.Facultad de Ciencias Médica

Aplicaciones médico-quirúrgicas de la anatomía ósea del seno frontal en relación al trauma cráneo facial

Los senos frontales son dos cavidades en forma de pirámide triangular, de vértice superior y base inferior, a cada lado de la línea media y excavados en el espesor de este hueso. La anatomía y morfología de los senos frontales se utiliza desde hace años en la medicina forense para la identificación de cadáveres dada su gran versatilidad. En lo que respecta a la cirugía maxilofacial es de suma importancia la presencia de megasenos frontales en el diagnóstico y tratamiento de fracturas hundimiento por ruptura de la tabla externa ante trauma de dicha región, observándose la presencia de las mismas ante patrones de senos anormalmente desarrollados.Facultad de Ciencias Médica

Challenges of Cryptocurrencies Forensics – A Case Study of Investigating, Evidencing and Prosecuting Organised Cybercriminals

This article presents policing challenges of investigating, evidencing and prosecuting organized cybercriminals for the crimes committed using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. A set of best practices is discussed to tackle these challenges in real world investigations. This work is a result of collaboration with a number of stakeholders the policing and judicial ecosystem with the objective of investigating and prosecuting the new generation of organised cybercriminals. Concrete scenarios of using Bitcoins in a range of cybercrimes were developed as part of this project and the devices were analysed to extract evidence to assist prosecution of organised cybercriminals. We have also presented our return of experience for various stages of digital forensics analysis of devices used in Bitcoin transactions

Contemporary Trends of Systemic Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Intravesical Chemotherapy in Patients With Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinomas Undergoing Minimally Invasive or Open Radical Nephroureterectomy: Analysis of US Claims on Perioperative Outcomes and Health Care Costs

Introduction: New evidence indicates that minimally invasive surgery (MIS) (laparoscopic or robotic-assisted [LNU, RANU]) reaches oncologic equivalence compared with Open Radical Nephroureterectomy (ORNU) for high-risk upper-tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). Recently, European Association of Urology (EAU) Guidelines suggested implementing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) to standard treatment to improve oncologic outcomes of high-risk UTUC. We aimed (1) To explore contemporary trends of MIS for RNU in the United States and to compare perioperative outcomes and costs with that of ORNU. (2) To determine the trends of NAC and postoperative intravesical chemotherapy (PIC) administration for high-risk UTUC and to assess their contribution to perioperative outcomes and costs. Patients and methods: The Optum Clinformatics Data Mart de-identified database was queried from 2003 to 2018 to retrospectively examine patients who had undergone LNU/RANU or ORNU with or without NAC and PIC. We evaluated temporal adoption trends, complications, and health care cost analyses. We obtained descriptive statistics and utilized multivariable regression modeling to assess outcomes. Results: A total of n = 492 ORNU and n = 1618 LNU/RANU procedures were reviewed. The MIS approach was associated with a statistically significant lower risk of intraoperative complications (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR], 0.48, 95% CI:0.24-0.96), risk of hospitalization costs (aOR: 0.62, 95% CI:0.49-0.78), and shorter hospital stay (aOR: 0.20, 95% CI:0.15-0.26) when compared to ORNU. Overall, adoption of NAC and PIC accounted for only n = 81 and n < 37 cases respectively. The implementation of NAC and higher number of cycles were associated with an increased probability of any complication rate (aOR: 2.06, 95% CI:1.26-3.36) and hospital costs (aOR: 2.12, 95% CI:1.33-3.38). Conclusion: MIS has become the approach of choice for RNU in the US. Although recommended by guidelines, neither NAC nor postoperative bladder instillation of chemotherapy has been routinely incorporated into the clinical practice of patients with UTUC

Influence of operative time and blood loss on surgical margins and functional outcomes for laparoscopic versus robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy: a prospective analysis

Introduction: The aim of this article was to analyze whether operative time and blood loss during radical prostatectomy (RP) can significantly influence surgical margins (SM) status and post-operative functional outcomes. Material and methods: We prospectively analyzed prostate cancer (PC) patients undergoing RP, using robot-assisted (RARP) or laparoscopic (LRP) procedures. Blood loss was defined using the variation in hemoglobin (Hb, g/dl) values from the day before surgery and no later than 4 hours after surgery. Results: From a whole population of 413 cases considered for RP, 67% underwent LRP and 33.0% RARP. Positive SM (SM+) were found in 33.9% of cases. Mean surgical operative time was 172.3 ±76 min (range 49-485), whereas blood loss was 2.3 ±1.2 g/dl (range 0.3-7.6). Operative time and blood loss at RP were not significantly correlated (r = -0.028275; p = 0.684). SM+ rates significantly (p = 0.002) varied by operative time; a higher SM+ rate was found in cases with an operative time <120 min (41.2%) and >240 min (53.4%). The risk of SM+ significantly increased 1.70 and 1.94 times in cases with an operative time <120 min and >240 min, respectively, independently to the surgical approach. The rate of erectile disfunction (ED) varied from 22.4% to 60.3% between <120 min and >240 min procedures (p = 0.001). According to blood loss, SM+ rates slightly but significantly (p = 0.032) varied; a higher rate of SM+ was found in cases with a Hb variation between 2-4 g/dl (35.9%). Conclusions: Independently to the surgical approach, operative time, more than blood loss at RP, represents a significant variable able to influence SM status and post-operative ED

La Progettazione Agile dell'Architettura. Riflessioni per un nuovo codice tecnologico per progettare e costruire

Il linguaggio architettonico necessita oggi di nuovi impulsi, in grado di portare un rinnovamento radicale nel modo di concepire l’architettura degli edifici e delle città. Innovazione di prodotto e innovazione di processo richiedono ai progettisti un approccio più attento ed informato che non può trovare risposta in una semplice analisi delle soluzioni già realizzate o nella conoscenza dei prodotti disponibili da catalogo. Al fine di arginare il protrarsi di un’omologazione delle strutture linguistiche in architettura, il testo pone l’attenzione, nella prima parte, su alcune tendenze in atto nel panorama corrente, volte a ricercare l’efficienza massima per i processi produttivi e le tecnologie edili più all’avanguardia, efficienza che viene spesso misurata mediante la riduzione percentuale dei tempi nella programmazione dei lavori o dei consumi energetici in fase di esercizio. Tuttavia, gli esiti risultano spesso poco efficaci se rapportati al quadro esigenziale di ogni singolo progetto e alle condizioni al contorno di un contesto applicativo specifico, o se semplicemente confrontati agli impatti ambientali generati nell’intero ciclo di vita dei prodotti. La seconda parte si sofferma quindi su alcuni esempi virtuosi di progettazione tecnologica on-demand che si rapportano e dialogano con le produzioni industriali correnti di semilavorati e componenti per l’edilizia, e sul ruolo sempre più cruciale del progettista/programmatore, in grado sia di gestire la progettazione computazionale delle nuove tecnologie, sia di favorire l’integrazione orizzontale dell’intera filiera mediante l’interoperabilità digitale a supporto della manifattura avanzata

Dal foglio alla forma. Le potenzialità delle lavorazioni di piegatura a freddo nel nuovo scenario di progettazione parametrica dell’architettura

L’innovazione digitale nei processi di lavorazione dell’acciaio e dell’alluminio, associata alla modellazione parametrica dei moderni software computazionali, permette oggi l’esplorazione di forme complesse che fino a pochi anni fa erano difficilmente progettabili e realizzabili a costi contenuti. I sistemi tecnologici sono oggi chiamati a rispondere a molteplici esigenze di sostenibilità, come la diminuzione dell’impatto ambientale dei processi costruttivi. L’impiego in architettura di componenti strutturali ottenuti per presso-piegatura delle lamiere permette di ottimizzare sia i flussi di fabbricazione e assemblaggio degli edifici, avvicinando il settore ai principi di produzione snella propri del comparto automobilistico (Lean production), sia l’uso delle risorse, attraverso lo sfruttamento massimo dei valori di rigidità delle lamiere piegate e la riduzione di scarti di lavorazione e computazioni errate. Attraverso tre casi studio significativi, l’articolo indaga la stretta correlazione esistente tra le nuove frontiere della progettazione parametrica e le potenzialità espressive e strutturali dei processi di presso-piegatura. L’interazione tra dinamiche di lavorazione, geometrie finali dei pezzi e sequenze di assemblaggio, rende finalmente possibile il superamento della storica dicotomia tra prefabbricazione e personalizzazione della produzione, offrendo quindi un’importante occasione per una profonda trasformazione del settore della carpenteria edil