An analytical tool to support the pedestrianisation process. The case of via Roma, Cagliari

The article focuses on the case of the modification of an urban road network: the transformation of a portion of an important distributor road in the urban area of Cagliari into a pedestrian space. By means of this case study the article aims to point out how the conditions of hierarchy constitute a supporting tool for controlling and verifying the project of pedestrianisation. This analysis uses the fundamental conditions of hierarchy as a tool to assess to what extent the modification of the road network articulation has resulted in conditions of lesser inter-connectivity, legibility and functionality. This analysis evidences that pedestrianisation interventions have not been completely defined within a theoretical system that clearly establishes modes and conditions of implementation. In this perspective the article proposes a system of criteria, founded on the principles of hierarchy, meant to be a theoretical support for processes of pedestrianisation

The Multi-Method Tool ‘PAST’ for Evaluating Cultural Routes in Historical Cities: Evidence from Cagliari, Italy

Thematic paths are a central aspect of urban policies for cultural heritage valorization. In fact, thematic paths are central spatial features for structuring the image of a historical landscape. Hence, this study proposes the cultural paths assessment tool (PAST) as a methodological framework for individuating a network of routes connecting cultural heritage components and for assessing their usefulness. Usefulness is herein defined as the potential of a street network to support the meaningful experience of a historical urban landscape. PAST combines space syntax techniques, a geographic information system, and a qualitative analysis within a multi-criteria analysis framework for addressing four aspects of connecting cultural heritage components, including: i) the individuation of relevant assets; ii) the identification of the sub-network of most central street segments; iii) the definition of the street network of thematic routes; iv) the assessment of the usefulness of thematic paths, according to the criteria of usability, imageability, and accessibility. The proposed methodology, applied to the historical district of Marina in the city of Cagliari in Italy, supports planning and design processes in two ways: 1) by identifying street segments and squares comprising a network of thematic routes; 2) by individuating high-leverage interventions for improving the usefulness of thematic routes. Consequently, the proposed study addresses the need to establish methodologies and analytic tools that support decision making processes for conserving, managing, and valorizing historic urban landscapes

Il recupero dei vuoti: creare nuovi scenari urbani

A detailed urban road study cannot prescind from the theme of recovery of its role as heart of urban life. This premise implies a sub version of the common trend to consider the road as a non- place designed for the mere car transit. This presumed car hegemony is the main cause of degradation in urban areas . The increase in vehicular flow and there lated harmful phenomena ( accidents , harmful emissions , noise , landconsumption) cause the disappereance of “ relational spaces ” , therefore a n et decrease i n volume and content of activities of which the road is the scenario. On the contrary, the road has to be a scenari of or a wide range of high social context and calibre events ; these presuppose that the road is also a stage for awide range of voluntary and social activities . These activities pretend highst an dards of t h er m al , acoustic and visual comfort areas wi t h accessibility, safety and aesthet ic value necessary to persuade people to a more fruitful use of the road. It is fundamental , in the recovery of a road systems trip , to provide a holistic approach , and at avoiding the use of standard solutions , taking each area as a unique and distinctive

Smart city governance and children’s agency: an assessment of the green infrastructure impact on children’s activities in Cagliari (Italy) with the tool “Opportunities for Children in Urban Spaces (OCUS)"

The increases in urbanization, pollution, resource depletion, and climate change underline the need for urban planning policies that incorporate blue–green infrastructure (BGI) and ecosystem services. This paper proposes a framework for assessing BGI’s effect on children’s outdoor activities. This effect, called meaningful usefulness, is a central issue due to the influence of experiences with nature on children’s development and the global trend of concentration of children in urban areas. Based on the concept of affordance, the methodology formalizes meaningful usefulness in terms of an index of usefulness of individual settings (IUIS) and a synthetic index of usefulness of BGI in a specific area (ISGI). These are determined via an audit protocol, Opportunities for Children in Urban Spaces (OCUS), which incorporates a set of indicators measuring micro-scale properties of individual places and contextual macro-scale factors. The methodology is applied to BGI components in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy, which was selected for its superior density of urban green spaces. The application of the OCUS tool confirms its usefulness for investigating functional affordances incorporated into the trans-scalar structures of BGIs. The analytic protocol further contributes to the implementation of urban planning strategies within the smart city paradigm

Does a ferromagnet with spin-dependent masses produce a spin-filtering effect in a ferromagnetic/insulator/superconductor junction?

We analyze charge transport through a ballistic ferromagnet/insulator/superconductor junction by means of the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations. We take into account the possibility that ferromagnetism in the first electrode may be driven by a mass renormalization of oppositely polarized carriers, i.e. by a spin bandwidth asymmetry, rather than by a rigid splitting of up-and down-spin electron bands as in a standard Stoner ferromagnet. By evaluating the averaged charge conductance for both an s- and a $d_{x^2-y^2}$-wave order parameter for the S side, we show that the mass mismatch in the ferromagnetic electrode may mimic a spin active barrier. Indeed, in the $s$-wave case we show that under suitable conditions the spin dependent conductance of minority carriers below the energy gap $\Delta_0$ can be larger than for majority carriers, and lower above $\Delta_0$. On the other hand, for a d_{x^2-y^2}-wave superconductor similar spin-dependent effects give rise to an asymmetric peak splitting in the conductance. These results suggest that the junction may work as a spin-filtering device.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure

Odd-frequency triplet pairing in mixed-parity superconductors

We show that mixed-parity superconductors may exhibit equal-spin pair correlations that are odd-in-time and can be tuned by means of an applied field. The direction and the amplitude of the pair correlator in the spin space turn out to be strongly dependent on the symmetry of the order parameter, and thus provide a tool to identify different types of singlet-triplet mixed configurations. We find that odd-in-time spin-polarized pair correlations can be generated without magnetic inhomogeneities in superconducting/ferromagnetic hybrids when parity mixing is induced at the interface.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein is a predictive factor of adiposity in children : results of the Identification and prevention of Dietary- and lifestyle-induced health Effects in Children and InfantS (IDEFICS) study

Background-Whereas cross-sectional studies have shown that obesity is associated with increased C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in children, little is known about the impact of low-grade inflammation on body mass changes during growth. Methods and Results-We assessed cross-sectionally and longitudinally the association of high-sensitivity (hs)-CRP levels with overweight/obesity and related cardiometabolic risk factors in the Identification and prevention of Dietary-and lifestyle-induced health Effects in Children and InfantS (IDEFICS) cohort. 16 224 children from 8 European countries (2 to 9 years) were recruited during the baseline survey (T0). After the exclusion of 7187 children because of missing hs-CRP measurements and 2421 because of drug use during the previous week, the analysis was performed on 6616 children (Boys=3347; Girls=3269; age=6.3 +/- 1.7 years). Of them, 4110 were reexamined 2 years later (T1). Anthropometric variables, blood pressure, hs-CRP, blood lipids, glucose and insulin were measured. The population at T0 was divided into 3 categories, according to the baseline hs-CRP levels. Higher hs-CRP levels were associated with significantly higher prevalence of overweight/obesity, body mass index (BMI) z-score and central adiposity indices (P values all <0.0001), and with higher blood pressure and lower HDL-cholesterol levels. Over the 2-year follow-up, higher baseline hs-CRP levels were associated with a significant increase in BMI z-score (P<0.001) and significantly higher risk of incident overweight/obesity. Conclusions-Higher hs-CRP levels are associated to higher body mass and overweight/obesity risk in a large population of European children. Children with higher baseline levels of hs-CRP had a greater increase in BMI z-score and central adiposity over time and were at higher risk of developing overweight/obesity during growth

Ruthenium complexes bearing glucosyl ligands are able to inhibit the amyloid aggregation of short Histidine-peptides

Neurodegenerative diseases are often characterized by the formation of aggregates of amyloidogenic peptides and proteins, facilitating the formation of neurofibrillary plaques. In this study, we investigate a series of Ru-complexes sharing three-legged piano-stool structures based on the arene ring and glucosylated carbene ligands. The ability of these complexes to bind amyloid His-peptides was evaluated by ESI-MS, and their effects on the aggregation process were investigated through ThT and Tyr fluorescence emission. The complexes were demonstrated to bind the amyloidogenic peptides even with different mechanisms and kinetics depending on the chemical nature of the ligands around the Ru(II) ion. TEM analysis detected the disaggregation of typical fibers caused by the presence of Ru-compounds. Overall, our results show that the Ru-complexes can modulate the aggregation of His-amyloids and can be conceived as good lead compounds in the field of novel anti-aggregating agents in neurodegeneration

Impact of Hydrophobic Chains in Five-Coordinate Glucoconjugate Pt(II) Anticancer Agents

This study describes new platinum(II) cationic five-coordinate complexes (1-R,R’) of the formula [PtR(NHC)(dmphen)(ethene)]CF3SO3 (dmphen = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline), containing in their axial positions an alkyl group R (methyl or octyl) and an imidazole-based NHC-carbene ligand with a substituent R’ of variable length (methyl or octyl) on one nitrogen atom. The Pt–carbene bond is stable both in DMSO and in aqueous solvents. In DMSO, a gradual substitution of dmphen and ethene is observed, with the formation of a square planar solvated species. Octanol/water partitioning studies have revealed the order of hydrophobicity of the complexes (1-Oct,Me > 1-Oct,Oct > 1-Me,Oct > 1-Me,Me). Their biological activity was investigated against two pairs of cancer and non-cancer cell lines. The tested drugs were internalized in cancer cells and able to activate the apoptotic pathway. The reactivity of 1-Me,Me with DNA and protein model systems was also studied using UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence, and X-ray crystallography. The compound binds DNA and interacts in various ways with the model protein lysozyme. Remarkably, structural data revealed that the complex can bind lysozyme via non-covalent interactions, retaining its five-coordinate geometry