Outdoor Comfort: The ENVI-BUG tool to Evaluate PMV Values Output Comfort Point by Point

Abstract Studies on Outdoor Comfort in urban open spaces adopt several tools and software to simulate microclimate models, energy performances and the fluid-dynamics of winds. Air temperature, wind speed, relative humidity are the typical input data used by the software to evaluate comfort indexes such as the Predicted Mean Vote [PMV], the Physiological Effective Temperature [PET] or the Universal Thermal Climate Index [UTCI]. Among the available software, Envi-met provides accurate outputs as well as the PMV index space distribution starting from a three-dimensional microclimate model. However it is affected by some limitations for what concerns a user centered approach including the changes in human metabolic activity (met) or clothes (clo). This paper offers a synthesis of a study performed on ENVI-BUG, an Envi-met algorithmic app, to obtain a fast calculation and distribution of local PMV point-by-point displayed with mannequin representation

Global second-order estimates in anisotropic elliptic problems

We deal with boundary value problems for second-order nonlinear elliptic equations in divergence form, which emerge as Euler-Lagrange equations of integral functionals of the Calculus of Variations built upon possibly anisotropic norms of the gradient of trial functions. Integrands with non polynomial growth are included in our discussion. The $W^{1,2}$-regularity of the stress-field associated with solutions, namely the nonlinear expression of the gradient subject to the divergence operator, is established under the weakest possible assumption that the datum on the right-hand side of the equation is a merely $L^2$-function. Global regularity estimates are offered in domains enjoying minimal assumptions on the boundary. They depend on the weak curvatures of the boundary via either their degree of integrability or an isocapacitary inequality. By contrast, none of these assumptions is needed in the case of convex domains. An explicit estimate for the constants appearing in the relevant estimates is exhibited in terms of the Lipschitz characteristic of the domains, when their boundary is endowed with H\"older continuous curvatures

Transient spectroscopy of the reaction of cyanide with ferrous myoglobin: Effect of distal side residues

The reaction of cyanide metmyoglobin with dithionite conforms to a two-step sequential mechanism with formation of an unstable intermediate, identified as cyanide bound ferrous myoglobin. This reaction was investigated by stopped-flow time resolved spectroscopy using different myoglobins, i.e. those from horse heart, Aplysia limacina buccal muscle, and three recombinant derivatives of sperm whale skeletal muscle myoglobin (Mb) (the wild type and two mutants). The myoglobins from horse and sperm whale (wild type) have in the distal position (E7) a histidyl residue, which is missing in A. limacina Mb as well as the two sperm whale mutants (E7 His----Gly and E7 His----Val). All these proteins in the reduced form display an extremely low affinity for cyanide at pH less than 10. The differences in spectroscopy and kinetics of the ferrous cyanide complex of these myoglobins indicate a role of the distal pocket on the properties of the complex. The two mutants of sperm whale Mb are characterized by a rate constant for the decay of the unstable intermediate much faster than that of the wild type, at all pH values explored. Therefore, we envisage a specific role of the distal His (E7) in controlling the rate of cyanide dissociation and also find that this effect depends on the protonation of a single ionizable group, with pK = 7.2, attributed to the E7 imidazole ring. The results on A. limacina Mb, which displays the slowest rate of cyanide dissociation, suggests that a considerable stabilizing effect can be exerted by Arg E10 which, according to Bolognesi et al. (Bolognesi, M., Coda, A., Frigerio, F., Gatti, C., Ascenzi, P., and Brunori, M. (1990) J. Mol. Biol. 213, 621-625), interacts inside the pocket with fluoride bound to the ferric heme iron. A mechanism of control for the rate of dissociation of cyanide from ferrous myoglobin, involving protonation of the bound anion, is discussed

On the Implementation of a regional X-bandweather radar network

In the last few years, the number of worldwide operational X-band weather radars has rapidly been growing, thanks to an established technology that offers reliability, high performance, and reduced efforts and costs for installation and maintenance, with respect to the more widespread C- and S-band systems. X-band radars are particularly suitable for nowcasting activities, as those operated by the LaMMA (Laboratory of Monitoring and Environmental Modelling for the sustainable development) Consortium in the framework of its institutional duties of operational meteorological surveillance. In fact, they have the capability to monitor precipitation, resolving very local scales, with good spatial and temporal details, although with a reduced scanning range. The Consortium has recently installed a small network of X-band weather radars that partially overlaps and completes the existing national radar network over the north Tyrrhenian area. This paper describes the implementation of this regional network, detailing the aspects related with the radar signal processing chain that provides the final reflectivity composite, starting from the acquisition of the signal power data. The network performances are then qualitatively assessed for three case studies characterised by different precipitation regimes and different seasons. Results are satisfactory especially during intense precipitations, particularly regarding what concerns their spatial and temporal characterisation

Catalytic mechanism and role of hydroxyl residues in the active site of theta class Glutathione-S-Transferases: Investigation of Ser-9 and Tyr-113 in a Glutathione S-Transferase from the australian sheep blowfly Lucilia cuprina

Abstract Spectroscopic and kinetic studies have been performed on the Australian sheep blowfly Lucilia cuprina glutathione S-transferase (Lucilia GST; EC 2.5.1.18) to clarify its catalytic mechanism. Steady state kinetics of Lucilia GST are non-Michaelian, but the quite hyperbolic isothermic binding of GSH suggests that a steady state random sequential Bi Bi mechanism is consistent with the anomalous kinetics observed. The rate-limiting step of the reaction is a viscosity-dependent physical event, and stopped-flow experiments indicate that product release is rate-limiting. Spectroscopic and kinetic data demonstrate thatLucilia GST is able to lower the pK a of the bound GSH from 9.0 to about 6.5. Based on crystallographic suggestions, the role of two hydroxyl residues, Ser-9 and Tyr-113, has been investigated. Removal of the hydroxyl group of Ser-9 by site-directed mutagenesis raises the pK a of bound GSH to about 7.6, and a very low turnover number (about 0.5% of that of wild type) is observed. This inactivation may be explained by a strong contribution of the Ser-9 hydroxyl group to the productive binding of GSH and by an involvement in the stabilization of the ionized GSH. This serine residue is highly conserved in the Theta class GSTs, so the present findings may be applicable to all of the family members. Tyr-113 appears not to be essential for the GSH activation. Stopped-flow data indicate that removal of the hydroxyl group of Tyr-113 does not change the rate-limiting step of reaction but causes an increase of the rate constants of both the formation and release of the GSH conjugate. Tyr-113 resides on α-helix 4, and its hydroxyl group hydrogen bonds directly to the hydroxyl of Tyr-105. This would reduce the flexibility of a protein region that contributes to the electrophilic substrate binding site; segmental motion of α-helix 4 possibly modulates different aspects of the catalytic mechanism of theLucilia GST