Museum Experience Design: A Modern Storytelling Methodology

In this paper we propose a new direction for design, in the context of the theme “Next Digital Technologies in Arts and Culture”, by employing modern methods based on Interaction Design, Interactive Storytelling and Artificial Intelligence. Focusing on Cultural Heritage, we propose a new paradigm for Museum Experience Design, facilitating on the one hand traditional visual and multimedia communication and, on the other, a new type of interaction with artefacts, in the form of a Storytelling Experience. Museums are increasingly being transformed into hybrid spaces, where virtual (digital) information coexists with tangible artefacts. In this context, “Next Digital Technologies” play a new role, providing methods to increase cultural accessibility and enhance experience. Not only is the goal to convey stories hidden inside artefacts, as well as items or objects connected to them, but it is also to pave the way for the creation of new ones through an interactive museum experience that continues after the museum visit ends. Social sharing, in particular, can greatly increase the value of dissemination

Aspetti della recherche patiente. Objets-types misura del corpo umano.

Dal micro al macro, Le Corbusier teorizza nei suoi scritti e nei progetti il suo “macchinismo umanistico”; un complesso di concetti estesi all’arte, al design, all’architettura e all’urbanistica che si specchia nella ricerca sullo standard perseguita negli objets-types rispondenti a besoins-type. Il saggio opera una ricognizione sull’objets-types corbuséen riguardo il culto dell’estetica machiniste così come si configura dalla seconda decade del novecento, secondo una particolare angolazione che pone lo statuto del corpo umano al centro della recherche patiente.From the micro to the macro, Le Corbusier theorised his “humanist machinism”, an ensemble of concepts involving art, design, architecture and urban planning, which is mirrored in his studies on a standard, pursued model after model in objets-type satisfying besoins-type, from the whole to the most minute detail. The paper provides a unique focus on Le Corbusier’s objet-type and the machine aesthetics of the 1920s: the human body as a key element in his recherche patiente

Nodi

Il contributo propone un excursus morfologico, tipologico e tecnologico sui “nodi”, memoria di concetti costruttivi stratificati nel tempo che si sono evoluti a partire dall’archetipo della capanna fino al progetto di superfici-pattern. La ricognizione mette a fuoco i temi progettuali che sottendono tali invenzioni. Il primo, il più antico, è quello della dimora mobile e del suo conseguente carattere transitorio. Le architetture primitive sono lo specchio della serie di gesti reiterati - prelievo della materia, riduzione in elementi, erezione prima dell’ossatura e posa poi del rivestimento - costitutivi del processo costruttivo e del suo inverso, lo smontaggio; che implica il trasporto e l’adattabilità ai siti. La leggerezza, la flessibilità dei componenti, la standardizzazione di sezioni resistenti e la loro ripetizione a formare trame, sono i principi del legame “a secco”. Le linee di ricerca sui nodi - che si definiscono a partire dalla sperimentazione delle strutture in ferro assumendo caratteristiche analoghe a quelle di un prodotto per l’industria - hanno in comune l’idea di creare lo spazio replicando un congegno di pezzi, ma una diversa concezione della gerarchia strutturale. Le modalità di assemblaggio sono da un lato riconducibili alla tettonica tradizionale in cui la matrice è ripetuta su piani paralleli; dall’altro danno forma ad un incastro di elementi liberi ed estensibili nello spazio, il cui paradigma è la cupola geodetica. Le relazioni funzionali tra le parti sono analoghe alla logica costruttiva che sottende alcuni organismi naturali, quali gli scheletri sferici dei Radiolares, il cui equilibrio è dovuto a forze identiche in tutte le direzioni. Un altro riferimento trasversale è il principio di similitudine. Concepito da Galilei e divenuto poi uno dei concetti centrali dell’anatomia di Cuvier, esso stabilisce come varia il rapporto tra le parti di corpi aventi la stessa forma al variare della dimensione. Una sua implicazione è presente nel progetto dei nodi in cui la materia è rigorosamente organizzata in elementi e le dimensioni sono in relazione con quelle della superficie che generano ripetendosi. Nella seconda parte del saggio l’autrice ricorda il tetraedro di Fuller - dalle “navi salvifiche” del 1952 a Tensegrity (1959-1962) in cui gli elementi compressi sono isolati in “mezzo ad un mare di tensione” - i primi brevetti sui nodi, le ricerche di Wachsmann e sistemi quali Spacedeck, Triodetic, Unistrut; fino ad arrivare al “Mero” di Mengeringhausen, una sfera su cui convergono 18 segmenti. Il contributo conclude con un focus sui contemporanei edifici-copertura il cui sviluppo, nel solco della linea evolutiva la cui matrice si ravvisa nelle grandi architetture fieristiche dell’ ‘800, segue parallelamente quello relativo ai “nodi”

Clinical features and outcomes of elderly hospitalised patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure or both

Background and objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure (HF) mutually increase the risk of being present in the same patient, especially if older. Whether or not this coexistence may be associated with a worse prognosis is debated. Therefore, employing data derived from the REPOSI register, we evaluated the clinical features and outcomes in a population of elderly patients admitted to internal medicine wards and having COPD, HF or COPD + HF. Methods: We measured socio-demographic and anthropometric characteristics, severity and prevalence of comorbidities, clinical and laboratory features during hospitalization, mood disorders, functional independence, drug prescriptions and discharge destination. The primary study outcome was the risk of death. Results: We considered 2,343 elderly hospitalized patients (median age 81 years), of whom 1,154 (49%) had COPD, 813 (35%) HF, and 376 (16%) COPD + HF. Patients with COPD + HF had different characteristics than those with COPD or HF, such as a higher prevalence of previous hospitalizations, comorbidities (especially chronic kidney disease), higher respiratory rate at admission and number of prescribed drugs. Patients with COPD + HF (hazard ratio HR 1.74, 95% confidence intervals CI 1.16-2.61) and patients with dementia (HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.06-2.90) had a higher risk of death at one year. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed a higher mortality risk in the group of patients with COPD + HF for all causes (p = 0.010), respiratory causes (p = 0.006), cardiovascular causes (p = 0.046) and respiratory plus cardiovascular causes (p = 0.009). Conclusion: In this real-life cohort of hospitalized elderly patients, the coexistence of COPD and HF significantly worsened prognosis at one year. This finding may help to better define the care needs of this population

Beta-Blocker Use in Older Hospitalized Patients Affected by Heart Failure and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: An Italian Survey From the REPOSI Register

Beta (β)-blockers (BB) are useful in reducing morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure (HF) and concomitant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Nevertheless, the use of BBs could induce bronchoconstriction due to β2-blockade. For this reason, both the ESC and GOLD guidelines strongly suggest the use of selective β1-BB in patients with HF and COPD. However, low adherence to guidelines was observed in multiple clinical settings. The aim of the study was to investigate the BBs use in older patients affected by HF and COPD, recorded in the REPOSI register. Of 942 patients affected by HF, 47.1% were treated with BBs. The use of BBs was significantly lower in patients with HF and COPD than in patients affected by HF alone, both at admission and at discharge (admission, 36.9% vs. 51.3%; discharge, 38.0% vs. 51.7%). In addition, no further BB users were found at discharge. The probability to being treated with a BB was significantly lower in patients with HF also affected by COPD (adj. OR, 95% CI: 0.50, 0.37-0.67), while the diagnosis of COPD was not associated with the choice of selective β1-BB (adj. OR, 95% CI: 1.33, 0.76-2.34). Despite clear recommendations by clinical guidelines, a significant underuse of BBs was also observed after hospital discharge. In COPD affected patients, physicians unreasonably reject BBs use, rather than choosing a β1-BB. The expected improvement of the BB prescriptions after hospitalization was not observed. A multidisciplinary approach among hospital physicians, general practitioners, and pharmacologists should be carried out for better drug management and adherence to guideline recommendations

Antidiabetic Drug Prescription Pattern in Hospitalized Older Patients with Diabetes

Objective: To describe the prescription pattern of antidiabetic and cardiovascular drugs in a cohort of hospitalized older patients with diabetes. Methods: Patients with diabetes aged 65 years or older hospitalized in internal medicine and/or geriatric wards throughout Italy and enrolled in the REPOSI (REgistro POliterapuie SIMI—Società Italiana di Medicina Interna) registry from 2010 to 2019 and discharged alive were included. Results: Among 1703 patients with diabetes, 1433 (84.2%) were on treatment with at least one antidiabetic drug at hospital admission, mainly prescribed as monotherapy with insulin (28.3%) or metformin (19.2%). The proportion of treated patients decreased at discharge (N = 1309, 76.9%), with a significant reduction over time. Among those prescribed, the proportion of those with insulin alone increased over time (p = 0.0066), while the proportion of those prescribed sulfonylureas decreased (p < 0.0001). Among patients receiving antidiabetic therapy at discharge, 1063 (81.2%) were also prescribed cardiovascular drugs, mainly with an antihypertensive drug alone or in combination (N = 777, 73.1%). Conclusion: The management of older patients with diabetes in a hospital setting is often sub-optimal, as shown by the increasing trend in insulin at discharge, even if an overall improvement has been highlighted by the prevalent decrease in sulfonylureas prescription

The “Diabetes Comorbidome”: A Different Way for Health Professionals to Approach the Comorbidity Burden of Diabetes

(1) Background: The disease burden related to diabetes is increasing greatly, particularly in older subjects. A more comprehensive approach towards the assessment and management of diabetes’ comorbidities is necessary. The aim of this study was to implement our previous data identifying and representing the prevalence of the comorbidities, their association with mortality, and the strength of their relationship in hospitalized elderly patients with diabetes, developing, at the same time, a new graphic representation model of the comorbidome called “Diabetes Comorbidome”. (2) Methods: Data were collected from the RePoSi register. Comorbidities, socio-demographic data, severity and comorbidity indexes (Cumulative Illness rating Scale CIRS-SI and CIRS-CI), and functional status (Barthel Index), were recorded. Mortality rates were assessed in hospital and 3 and 12 months after discharge. (3) Results: Of the 4714 hospitalized elderly patients, 1378 had diabetes. The comorbidities distribution showed that arterial hypertension (57.1%), ischemic heart disease (31.4%), chronic renal failure (28.8%), atrial fibrillation (25.6%), and COPD (22.7%), were the more frequent in subjects with diabetes. The graphic comorbidome showed that the strongest predictors of death at in hospital and at the 3-month follow-up were dementia and cancer. At the 1-year follow-up, cancer was the first comorbidity independently associated with mortality. (4) Conclusions: The “Diabetes Comorbidome” represents the perfect instrument for determining the prevalence of comorbidities and the strength of their relationship with risk of death, as well as the need for an effective treatment for improving clinical outcomes

Clinical features and outcomes of elderly hospitalised patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure or both

Background and objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure (HF) mutually increase the risk of being present in the same patient, especially if older. Whether or not this coexistence may be associated with a worse prognosis is debated. Therefore, employing data derived from the REPOSI register, we evaluated the clinical features and outcomes in a population of elderly patients admitted to internal medicine wards and having COPD, HF or COPD + HF. Methods: We measured socio-demographic and anthropometric characteristics, severity and prevalence of comorbidities, clinical and laboratory features during hospitalization, mood disorders, functional independence, drug prescriptions and discharge destination. The primary study outcome was the risk of death. Results: We considered 2,343 elderly hospitalized patients (median age 81 years), of whom 1,154 (49%) had COPD, 813 (35%) HF, and 376 (16%) COPD + HF. Patients with COPD + HF had different characteristics than those with COPD or HF, such as a higher prevalence of previous hospitalizations, comorbidities (especially chronic kidney disease), higher respiratory rate at admission and number of prescribed drugs. Patients with COPD + HF (hazard ratio HR 1.74, 95% confidence intervals CI 1.16-2.61) and patients with dementia (HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.06-2.90) had a higher risk of death at one year. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed a higher mortality risk in the group of patients with COPD + HF for all causes (p = 0.010), respiratory causes (p = 0.006), cardiovascular causes (p = 0.046) and respiratory plus cardiovascular causes (p = 0.009). Conclusion: In this real-life cohort of hospitalized elderly patients, the coexistence of COPD and HF significantly worsened prognosis at one year. This finding may help to better define the care needs of this population

New European Bauhaus. New Bounderies. Public space toward a sustainable environment

New Boundaries. Public space toward a sustainable urban environment” proposes an interdisciplinary and international dialogue on the theme of sustainable and resilient public space, with particular reference to the border spaces of urban waterfronts, as part of a comparison of research and design practices developed by the European universities involved in the framework of the New European Bauhaus. The theme of the boundary, takes on a scientifi c and technical dimension but also a philosophical and artistic one, as an area of research and design experimentation connected to the topic of public space and the space of water. The experimentation concerns urban interventions developed at different scales, from design to architecture and urban planning, with the aim of promoting sustainable lifestyles and behaviours resilient to environmental and social changes in relation to emergency and long-term health and environmental risks

Vetro. Autori e opere.

Nelle architetture del razionalismo italiano il vetro e i suoi derivati industriali sono assunti come veri e propri materiali di progetto. Impiegati singolarmente, associati fra loro o con altri prodotti dell’epoca, costituiscono un nuovo linguaggio espressivo legato alla sperimentazione figurativa e tecnica. Cristalli di sicurezza, diffusori traslucidi per strutture di vetrocemento, fibre di vetro e rivestimenti colorati in pasta realizzano nuovi involucri, esterni e interni. E con essi il nitore e la leggerezza, la trasparenza e la luminosità di una nuova concezione spaziale. In particolare, dalla fine degli anni ’20 vengono messi a punto dei nuovi trattamenti termici che consentono di ottenere vetri piani caratterizzati da un’elevata resistenza meccanica e da modalità di rottura del tutto nuove. I cristalli di sicurezza, se colpiti violentemente, si rompono infatti in frammenti poco taglienti. Questi prodotti hanno rappresentato la risposta tecnica all’esigenza di impiegare il vetro liberamente, su vasta scala, in grandi superfici montate su profili sottili e di utilizzare questo materiale in modo innovativo anche nell’ambito del design. Il saggio, legato alla descrizione dei principali prodotti e applicazioni, offre una panoramica su alcune opere significative nelle quali, dall'architettura al design, sono stati sperimentati i nuovi prodotti vetrari.In the architectures of Italian rationalism, glass and its industrial derivatives are assumed as real project materials. Individually employed, associated with each other or with other products of the time, they constitute a new expressive language linked to figurative and technical experimentation. Safety crystals, translucent diffusers for glass-fiber structures, glass fibers and colored paste coatings create new envelopes, both exterior and interior. And with them the clarity and lightness, transparency and brightness of a new spatial concept. In particular, since the end of the '20s new thermal treatments have been developed that make it possible to obtain flat glass characterized by a high mechanical resistance and by totally new breaking modes. The safety crystals, if hit violently, in fact break into little shards. These products represented the technical response to the need to use glass freely, on a large scale, in large surfaces mounted on thin profiles and to use this material in an innovative way also in the field of design. The essay, linked to the description of the main products and applications, offers an overview of some significant works in which, from architecture to design, the new glass products have been tested. The essay also offers a contribution to the main maintenance and restoration methods