Participatory Approach to Planning Urban Resilience to Climate Change: Brescia, Genoa, and Matera—Three Case Studies from Italy Compared

Urban resilience must consider the ability of cities to cope with the effects of climate change. Community awareness raising and sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDs) are often mentioned in the literature as effective adaptation actions while the success of these solutions is highly context-dependent and improved planning procedures are urgently needed. In this framework, the URCA! project represents a good practice aiming to strengthen the resilience of urban areas by promoting the implementation of SUDs in territorial planning. The main objective of the present research deals with the role of participation in promoting the use of SUDs and their uptake in town planning and land management involving local communities, students, experts, local authorities, and enterprises. To this end, the research adopts a participatory approach to SUDs urban planning for three case studies in Italy selected under the criterion of maximum variation (Brescia, Genoa, and Matera). For the three case studies, participatory approaches are at different stages of development thus requiring appropriate ways of interacting and resulting in different impacts on decisions. Preliminary results, drivers, and barriers in the application of the participatory approach are discussed and compared in order to bring innovation into planning practices, stimulating a revision of typical governance mechanisms

A Portable Device for the Measurement of Venous Pulse Wave Velocity

Pulse wave velocity in veins (vPWV) has recently been reconsidered as a potential index of vascular filling, which may be valuable in the clinic for fluid therapy. The measurement requires that an exogenous pressure pulse is generated in the venous blood stream by external pneumatic compression. To obtain optimal measure repeatability, the compression is delivered synchronously with the heart and respiratory activity. We present a portable prototype for the assessment of vPWV based on the PC board Raspberry Pi and equipped with an A/D board. It acquires respiratory and ECG signals, and the Doppler shift from the ultrasound monitoring of blood velocity from the relevant vein, drives the pneumatic cuff inflation, and returns multiple measurements of vPWV. The device was tested on four healthy volunteers (2 males, 2 females, age 33 & PLUSMN;13 years), subjected to the passive leg raising (PLR) manoeuvre simulating a transient increase in blood volume. Measurement of vPWV in the basilic vein exhibited a low coefficient of variation (3.6 & PLUSMN;1.1%), a significant increase during PLR in all subjects, which is consistent with previous findings. This device allows for carrying out investigations in hospital wards on different patient populations as necessary to assess the actual clinical potential of vPWV

Investigations using Csiro Hi triaxal cells for measuring the stress state of rock masses subject to mining extraction: numerical modelling of in-situ extracted core samples

The measurement of the stress state of rock, carried out in-situ using the overcoring CSIro hI Cell technique, provides valuable information about the rock mass geo-structural and stress conditions. this is particularly useful for calibrating the numerical model of natural slopes and excavations fronts and for assessing their static conditions. thus, it allows to improve workplace safety conditions in both open-pit and underground quarries. During an in-situ CSIro test, the stress release strains are measured by 12 strain gauges differently oriented in the space and the stress tensor and the material elastic parameters are then computed. the classic interpretative procedure of stress release test refers to analytical formulations that assume an extracted sample of regular cylindrical shape. however, during overcoring, it may happen that a discontinuity is intercepted, causing the extracted core to break and to assume an irregular shape. to address this challenge, in this work, a Finite Element numerical simulation of stress release was conducted basing on a 3D digital model of the irregular sample resulting from a Photogrammetric Survey. this allowed for the computation of the stress tensor for both irregularly shaped and ideal cylindrical samples. the research proceeded as it follows: i) three-dimensional modelling of the irregularly shaped core using Photogrammetric techniques and mesh Editing, which enabled the accurate representation of complex geometries; ii) numerical modelling of the irregularly shaped core containing the CSIro hI Cell through Finite Element Analysis, providing insights about stress and deformation distributions; iii) stress State of the rock calculation using a multiple Linear regression Procedure by using the coefficient matrix as determined by the core numerical modelling. the implementation of this procedure may facilitate the determination of stress state for irregularly shaped cores, and it enhances to understand how shape and rock elastic properties may influence the stress release behaviour. this comprehensive approach could allow to address challenges associated to stress assessment for irregular shaped rock cores and to improve the accuracy and applicability of geotechnical engineering methods

Role of the macrophage migration inhibitory factor in the pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia

Proinflammatory cytokines are produced in pregnancy in response to the invading pathogens and/or nonmicrobial causes such as damage-associated molecules and embryonic semi-allogenic antigens. While inflammation is essential for a successful pregnancy, an excessive inflammatory response is implicated in several pathologies including pre-eclampsia (PE). This review focuses on the proinflammatory cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a critical regulator of the innate immune response and a major player of processes allowing normal placental development. PE is a severe pregnancy-related syndrome characterized by exaggerated inflammatory response and generalized endothelial damage. In some cases, usually of early onset, it originates from a maldevelopment of the placenta, and is associated with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) (placental PE). In other cases, usually of late onset, pre-pregnancy maternal diseases represent risk factors for the development of the disease (maternal PE). Available data suggest that low MIF production in early pregnancy could contribute to the abnormal placentation. The resulting placental hypoxia in later pregnancy could produce high release of MIF in maternal serum typical of placental PE. More studies are needed to understand the role of MIF, if any, in maternal PE

Stress–Strain Investigation of the Rock Mass Based on Overcoring with CSIRO HI Cell Test and Numerical Modeling: A Case Study from an Italian Underground Marble Quarry

The present research illustrates the application of a methodological approach to studying the stress–strain distribution in a marble quarry of the Apuan Alps mining area (Italy). This study has been carried out in the framework of a project involving the University of Siena and the UOC Ingegneria Mineraria—USL Toscana Nord-Ovest, Tuscany Region. This stress–strain analysis aims foremost to monitor the slope stability conditions to guarantee a safe workplace for the personnel involved in mining activities, and to enable more sustainable long-term planning for excavation and production. The involved survey activities are as follows: (i) terrestrial laser scanning; (ii) engineering–geological data mapping; and (iii) in situ marble stress measuring through four CSIRO-type cell tests executed in different locations and at various depths within the underground excavation walls. The gathered data converged into numerical models of the quarry, both in 2D (DEM) and 3D (FEM), calibrated by in situ stress results through a rigorous back analysis assessment using least squares procedures. The created models represent a valuable tool for the identification and securing of risk areas and for future excavation planning in respect of the site efficiency and safety

The Fate of Intranasally Instilled Silver Nanoarchitectures

The intranasal administration of drugs allows an effective and noninvasive therapeutic action on the respiratory tract. In an era of rapidly increasing antimicrobial resistance, new approaches to the treatment of communicable diseases, especially lung infections, are urgently needed. Metal nanoparticles are recognized as a potential last-line defense, but limited data on the biosafety and nano/biointeractions preclude their use. Here, we quantitatively and qualitatively assess the fate and the potential risks associated with the exposure to a silver nanomaterial model (i.e., silver ultrasmall-in-nano architectures, AgNAs) after a single dose instillation. Our results highlight that the biodistribution profile and the nano/biointeractions are critically influenced by both the design of the nanomaterial and the chemical nature of the metal. Overall, our data suggest that the instillation of rationally engineered nanomaterials might be exploited to develop future treatments for (non)communicable diseases of the respiratory tract