The Big Roof for a Theory of Design through the Permutation of the Big Formal and Structural Types

The topic of the large centrally planned hall is one of the oldest ones in Building History; with different techniques and since Pre-Christian times, builders have always aimed at imagining and realizing a centrally-planned space surmounted by a big roof. Such ambition has never disappeared and today the projects focusing on this topic are innumerable also thanks to the advancements in the construction techniques and to better materials. Do all of these buildings, both the recent and the less recent ones, share features and rules that make them belong to a same family of structural forms? The work we carried out is not meant only to prove that the “genealogical lines” that unite different planning experiences do exist, it aims for something more. Indeed we suppose and then prove that entire families of architectures are referable to formal and structural geometry rules from which we can abstract planning codes that allow modern planners to operate through the permutation of such original types

Theoretical model for cascading effects analyses

Abstract In case of exceptional events of natural or anthropogenic type, the elements at risk (people, buildings, infrastructures, economy, etc.) are often hit by sequences of 'cascading events', function of time and space, caused by the triggering event (earthquake, landslide, volcanic eruption, fire, electric failure, etc.). Generally, sequences of events can involve the same element at risk, and the combined effects of cascading phenomena can strongly amplify the impact caused by single events in terms of extension of the affected area and damage level. The final impact on the territory can be significant and require to be carefully assessed in terms of emergency planning and management. This paper discusses from a theoretical point of view the modelling needs and the main issues to be taken into account in the development of simulation tools aiming to include cascading effects analyses to effectively support decision-makers in their preparedness and disaster mitigation strategies in the framework of emergency planning at local, national and international level. The model aims at developing cascading effects scenarios at different level of detail, depending on the availability of inventory/exposure data for the different categories of elements at risk and hazard/impact models for the various hazard sources. It has been developed within EU-FP7 SNOWBALL project (Lower the impact of aggravating factors in crisis situations thanks to adaptive foresight and decision-support tools, 2015–2017)

CAESAR II Tool: Complementary Analyses for Emergency Planning Based on Seismic Risks Impact Evaluations

Italy is a country with high seismic hazard, however since the delay in the seismic classification of the national territory, most of the existing building heritage does not comply with the current technical standards for buildings. The seismic events that have hit different Italian regions in recent years have highlighted the complexity of the challenge for the public bodies both in the emergency management and post‐event reconstruction and in the planning of effective risk prevention and mitigation measures to be implemented in ‘peacetime’. These difficulties concern, in particular, the capacity to properly manage the financial and technical resources available and to identify the intervention priorities throughout the entire emergency cycle. For correct management, the priority is to quantify and localize, through simulations, the quantification of probable damages and to evaluate in terms of cost‐benefits the possible alternative strategies for mitigation, also taking into account the potential, in terms of cost‐effectiveness, of integrated measures for seismic and energy retrofitting. In this framework, the project CAESAR II (Complementary Analyses for Emergency planning based on Seismic Risks impact evaluations) has been developed as a Decision Support System for Public Authorities in charge of developing Disaster Risk Reduction plans, with the possibility of programming mid to long‐term investments for public and private properties, as well as defining custom financial support mechanisms and tax incentives

Measuring habitual physical activity in adults with cystic fibrosis

SummaryBackgroundThe aim of the present study was to determine whether different methods of recording physical activity (PA), i.e., accelerometers vs questionnaires, provided similar information in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF).Methods20 CF (age 33 ± 8SD yrs, FEV1 68 ± 16% predicted) and 11 age-matched healthy controls completed the Habitual Activity Estimation Scale (HAES) questionnaire and wore a biaxial accelerometer (SenseWear Pro3 Armband). Exercise tolerance was measured in CF.ResultsPatients had similar values in PA compared with controls. None of PA categories estimated by HAES questionnaire correlated with PA categories measured by the accelerometer; in CF the HAES questionnaire overestimated the effective levels of PA measured by the accelerometer. There were no differences between weekdays and weekend days PA levels provided by the accelerometer. In CF the questionnaire detected different time reported during the “somewhat inactive” and “somewhat active” categories (z = 2.651; p = 0.008; z = −2.651; p = 0.008), weekdays vs weekend; patients reported more time spent in activity (somewhat active & very active) during the weekend (z = −2.203; p = 0.02). Peak oxygen uptake correlated with accelerometer activities of “moderate” (>4.8 metabolic equivalents (METS)) and “vigorous” (>7.2 METS) intensity (r = 0.503, p = 0.02; r = 0.545, p = 0.01).ConclusionsIn adults with cystic fibrosis PA levels are better evaluated by the accelerometer and are similar to the controls. PA measured by the accelerometer is similar during the week and correlates with exercise tolerance

Um ano de pandemia: como está a saúde mental dos profissionais de enfermagem?

Objetivo: Refletir sobre a saúde mental dos profissionais de enfermagem após um ano da pandemia de coronavírus.Método: Estudo teórico-reflexivo, fundamentado nas evidências encontradas em literatura científica nacional e internacional, baseado na elaboração discursiva sobre a temática e somado à percepção e análise crítica das autoras.Resultados: Após um ano de enfrentamento da pandemia observou-se uma piora da saúde mental dos profissionais da enfermagem, tendo em vista a sua continuidade e também o agravamento do cenário do sistema de saúde, com alto risco de contaminação e repercussões da doença na vida profissional e pessoal.Considerações finais: Cabe aos gestores das instituições de saúde a sensibilidade no entendimento e no atendimento de sofrimentos já existentes e também aqueles que certamente virão, possibilitando espaços que dialoguem e oportunizem a melhora e a manutenção da saúde mental dos trabalhadores da enfermagem. Palavras-chave: Pandemias. Saúde mental. Profissionais de enfermagem. Infecções por coronavírus

Enfermagem e saúde mental: uma reflexão em meio à pandemia de coronavírus

RESUMOObjetivo: Refletir sobre a saúde mental dos profissionais de enfermagem no contexto na pandemia de coronavírus.Método: Estudo teórico-reflexivo baseado na formulação discursiva acerca da temática, sustentado pela literatura científica nacional e internacional e análise crítica dos autores.Resultados: Os estudos analisados, somados à prática assistencial, têm evidenciado que os profissionais de enfermagem são suscetíveis à exacerbação de sintomas como depressão, ansiedade, insônia, angústia, estresse, em meio à pandemia de coronavírus, tendo em vista os turnos exaustivos de trabalho, a morte de pacientes, risco de autocontaminação e de seus familiares e isolamento social.Considerações finais: A saúde mental dos profissionais de enfermagem necessita ser elencada como uma das prioridades para os gestores de saúde, garantindo estratégias e políticas públicas que assegurem a sanidade para estes que estão na linha de enfrentamento da pandemia.Palavras-chave: Enfermagem. Saúde mental. Infecções por coronavírus. Pandemias. Adaptação psicológica

Itch/β-arrestin2-dependent non-proteolytic ubiquitylation of SuFu controls Hedgehog signalling and medulloblastoma tumorigenesis

Suppressor of Fused (SuFu), a tumour suppressor mutated in medulloblastoma, is a central player of Hh signalling, a pathway crucial for development and deregulated in cancer. Although the control of Gli transcription factors by SuFu is critical in Hh signalling, our understanding of the mechanism regulating this key event remains limited. Here, we show that the Itch/β-arrestin2 complex binds SuFu and induces its Lys63-linked polyubiquitylation without affecting its stability. This process increases the association of SuFu with Gli3, promoting the conversion of Gli3 into a repressor, which keeps Hh signalling off. Activation of Hh signalling antagonises the Itch-dependent polyubiquitylation of SuFu. Notably, different SuFu mutations occurring in medulloblastoma patients are insensitive to Itch activity, thus leading to deregulated Hh signalling and enhancing medulloblastoma cell growth. Our findings uncover mechanisms controlling the tumour suppressive functions of SuFu and reveal that their alterations are implicated in medulloblastoma tumorigenesis

Itch/β-arrestin2-dependent non-proteolytic ubiquitylation of SuFu controls Hedgehog signalling and medulloblastoma tumorigenesis

Suppressor of Fused (SuFu), a tumour suppressor mutated in medulloblastoma, is a central player of Hh signalling, a pathway crucial for development and deregulated in cancer. Although the control of Gli transcription factors by SuFu is critical in Hh signalling, our understanding of the mechanism regulating this key event remains limited. Here, we show that the Itch/β-arrestin2 complex binds SuFu and induces its Lys63-linked polyubiquitylation without affecting its stability. This process increases the association of SuFu with Gli3, promoting the conversion of Gli3 into a repressor, which keeps Hh signalling off. Activation of Hh signalling antagonises the Itch-dependent polyubiquitylation of SuFu. Notably, different SuFu mutations occurring in medulloblastoma patients are insensitive to Itch activity, thus leading to deregulated Hh signalling and enhancing medulloblastoma cell growth. Our findings uncover mechanisms controlling the tumour suppressive functions of SuFu and reveal that their alterations are implicated in medulloblastoma tumorigenesis

Guide cells support muscle regeneration and affect neuro-muscular junction organization

Muscular regeneration is a complex biological process that occurs during acute injury and chronic degeneration, implicating several cell types. One of the earliest events of muscle regeneration is the inflammatory response, followed by the activation and differentiation of muscle progenitor cells. However, the process of novel neuromuscular junction formation during muscle regeneration is still largely unexplored. Here, we identify by single-cell RNA sequencing and isolate a subset of vessel-associated cells able to improve myogenic differentiation. We termed them 'guide' cells because of their remarkable ability to improve myogenesis without fusing with the newly formed fibers. In vitro, these cells showed a marked mobility and ability to contact the forming myotubes. We found that these cells are characterized by CD44 and CD34 surface markers and the expression of Ng2 and Ncam2. In addition, in a murine model of acute muscle injury and regeneration, injection of guide cells correlated with increased numbers of newly formed neuromuscular junctions. Thus, we propose that guide cells modulate de novo generation of neuromuscular junctions in regenerating myofibers. Further studies are necessary to investigate the origin of those cells and the extent to which they are required for terminal specification of regenerating myofibers