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BIM-driven transformation of waste management toward enhanced reduction and circularity in the built environment
No full text: Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) results in substantial environmental, economic and social losses. Alternatively, Building Information Modeling (BIM) was pointed as a promising technology to achieve zero-waste goals. Recent studies showed that BIM use for CDW Management and Assessment (CDWM/A) is still limited and needs a better understanding. This research addresses this gap through a systematic review. The study revealed that BIM disposes of 5 instruments and 6 functionalities that allow important CDW minimization and inclusion of extrinsic CDWM/A resources into an integrated environment. The paper classified 39 CDWM/A guidelines into 3 categories and examined 15 data inventories supporting the analysis of CDW plans and impacts. nD-BIM data scalability was demonstrated to ensure integration of these resources into a single model, enabling multiparametric simulations and accurate CDWM/A. Similarly, the study discloses 57 digital tools used to assist CDWM/A and develop new solutions, and other 51 to manage/assess CDW environmental impacts. BIM interoperability was confirmed to foster an inclusive environment in which tools can collaborate and operate with 19 other technologies, ensuring enhanced CDWM/A and leveraging existing wares. Accordingly, the paper introduces nD BIM-WMS, a CDWM/A system disclosing how intrinsic and extrinsic BIM environments can be interconnected to enable efficient BIM-based CDWM/A through a practical algorithm maximizing the 4R principle reward, thereby supporting balanced, well-managed, and optimized sustainability. Overall, the study affirms BIM's potential to advance zero-net waste and equips scholars and practitioners with well-founded knowledge and methodological system, paving the path for grounded research, regulation, and innovation in this field
Parents’ Experiences and Challenges in Communicating Pet Loss to Their Children
No full textThe loss of a companion animal can deeply affect both children and parents, often resulting in a form of grief that is overlooked by society. This research explored parents’ experiences in communicating the loss of a companion animal to their children and in understanding their children’s adaptation to the loss. Using a qualitative methodological framework, the study involved 28 semi-structured interviews with parents. A thematic analysis revealed three themes: “Communication and explanation,” “After death children’s representations and grieving reactions,” and “Children’s adaptation and integration of death and grief.” The findings reveal that parents often struggle to distinguish between sharing clear communication and providing explanations about death, sometimes omitting significant details in their narratives and feeling insincere. Children’s representations of death ranged from transcendental, narrative-based motifs to more pragmatic perspectives, revealing profound implications for their adaptation and understanding of death. Finally, children’s adaptation and integration of the experience of death were characterized by the development of new awareness, caring behaviors, and learning about the concept of mortality. This study provides unique insights into how parents can navigate communication challenges, offering practical frameworks for supporting children’s emotional and cognitive development after companion animal loss
Diagnosing intuition: a phenomenological account of intuitive knowledge in clinical practice
No full textSpatial regularities in a closed-loop audiovisual search task bias subsequent free-viewing behavior
Get PDFStatistical learning of spatial regularities during visual search leads to prioritization of target-rich locations. The resulting attentional bias may subsequently affect orienting and search behavior in similar tasks but its transfer to free viewing has not been demonstrated. We exploited a novel closed-loop paradigm where human observers searched for invisible target locations on a screen only guided by real-time auditory feedback conveying gaze-target distance. Unbeknownst to participants, location probability was biased towards one hemifield. Free viewing during rest, free image viewing, and spatial judgments were assessed before and after the search task. Search performance systematically improved and peaked in the biased hemifield, showing the unfolding of statistical learning. Importantly, the spatial bias transferred to both free-viewing conditions in terms of mean horizontal fixation position, while it did not transfer to spatial judgments. Exploratory results suggest that search performance was influenced by participants’ viewing pattern, whereas transfer was modulated by pre-existing (natural) spatial biases. Our results demonstrate that task-based statistical learning transfers to ecological scenarios, paving the way for future research and clinical applications aimed at ameliorating pathological spatial biases
Bacterial communities associated with ambrosia beetles: current knowledge and existing gaps
Get PDFAmbrosia beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae and Platypodinae) are wood-boring insects studied as examples of fungus-insect symbiosis and for their success as invasive species. While most research on their microbiota has focused on fungal associates, their bacterial communities remain largely understudied. In this review, we synthesize current knowledge on the bacterial microbiota of ambrosia beetles, identify critical gaps in the field, and provide recommendations for future research. To date, eight metabarcoding studies have explored bacterial communities in ambrosia beetles, analyzing a total of 13 species, mostly within the tribe Xyleborini (Scolytinae). These studies have examined the presence of bacteria in ambrosia beetle mycetangia, organs specialized for transporting fungal symbionts, as well as bacterial diversity in fungal gardens and whole beetles, across different life stages, and under varying environmental conditions. In general, bacterial communities appear to be highly ..
«S’avvien, che il legno mio nel mar entre»: Luchesia Sbarra Coderta nella Conegliano del Seicento
No full textL’intervento esplora la figura di Luchesia Sbarra Coderta (1576-1662) e la sua produzione letteraria sparsa. Donna colta e
consapevole, sfruttò le sue conoscenze notarili e i legami con l’Accademia degli Aspiranti di Conegliano, per affermarsi nel
panorama culturale dell’epoca e inserirsi nel circolo della poesia friulana. Le sue Rime e gli scambi poetici, ispirati al fenomeno
Marino, rivelano un’intensa partecipazione alla scena intellettuale veneta. Nonostante le limitazioni imposte al proprio genere e
ad un’educazione da autodidatta, l’invidia e le difficoltà affrontate diventano però essi stessi motivi poetici. Questo intervento
sottolinea quindi il ruolo dell’autrice come fruitrice e promotrice della nuova cultura letteraria in una zona periferica ma vivace
della provincia veneta
Unlocking the potential of microfluidic assisted formulation of exenatide-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles
No full textExenatide, a first-in-class GLP-1 receptor agonist, is used to control glycaemic levels in type 2 diabetes. There are two approved injectable formulations: one solution for immediate action and one dispersion for prolonged action. Oral exenatide has low bioavailability due to poor gastrointestinal stability and absorption. To address these obstacles, we designed Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLN) including DOTAP in the formulation to yield high exenatide encapsulation by hydrophobic ion pairing and DSPE-PEG2kDa to convey colloidal stability and mucus diffusivity. The microfluidic production of SLN yielded 9.7 % exenatide encapsulation and 94.2 % loading efficiency. SLN exhibited solid cored-spherical morphology with sizes of about 120 nm and zeta potential of + 53 mV. The SLN surface charge was modulated by DSPE-PEG2kDa coating; 10 and 30 w/w% DSPE-PEG2kDa /lipid ratios yielded slightly positive and neutral zeta potentials, respectively. All SLN formulations provided exenatide protection from proteolytic enzymes. The non-PEGylated SLN resulted in a twofold increase of exenatide delivery across Caco-2 cell monolayers compared to the peptide solution. The 10 w/w% SLN PEGylation reduced the exenatide delivery compared to non-PEGylated SLN through Caco-2 cell monolayers. However, the exenatide delivery with 10 w/w% PEGylated SLN across mucus-producing Caco-2/HT29-MTX coculture layer was 2-fold higher compared to the unformulated peptide, and 1.5 higher than non-PEGylated SLN. The 30 w/w% SLN PEGylation did not improve the peptide transport neither through Caco-2 cell monolayers nor through Caco-2/HT29-MTX coculture layer
Analysis of existing Borehole Thermal Energy Storage installations for optimized design and integration into a District Heating Network in Italy
No full textA onore della famiglia, per il decoro della città
No full textIl breve contributo ripercorre e analizza le linee portanti del volume, da un lato inserendo il libro in una precisa tradizione di studi, dall'altro sottolineando la novità, per Verona, dell'impianto a larga scala in una forbice temporale che va dal medioevo al secondo dopoguerra. Numerosi i motivi di apprezzamento, dalla ricostruzione puntuale dei passaggi di proprietà, agli interventi anche recentissimi di restauro, alla restituzione dei risultati di una ricerca archivistica condotta a tappeto. A fronte di un'attenta lettura dei fatti architettonici, si rivela meno approfondita l'analisi degli apparati decorativi, che necessitano ancora di una ricognizione generale. In tal senso, risulterebbe ancora più evidente come orgoglio dinastico, senso civico e 'decoro' della città si intreccino indissolubilmente nella rivendicazione che la magnificenza privata concorre allo splendore pubblico
Effect of intra-articular adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cell versus placebo injection on pain and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis: the ADIPOA2 phase 2b randomised clinical trial
No full textObjectives: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of intra-articular autologous adipose-derived ex vivo expanded mesenchymal stromal cells (ADSC) on patient-reported outcome (pain and function) in symptomatic mild-to-moderate tibiofemoral knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: Participants were randomised in a prospective, double-blind, controlled phase 2b study to receive 1 single intra-articular injection in 3 separate groups: ADSC low dose 2 × 106 cells; ADSC high dose 10 × 106 cells; or saline placebo. The primary outcome was the rate of OsteoArthritis Research Society International (OARSI)/Outcome MEasures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) ‘strict responders’ defined by improvements from baseline reported to 0 to 100 mm scale in Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) pain or physical function subscores ≥50% with minimal absolute changes ≥20 mm at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included an evaluation of WOMAC pain, WOMAC function, quality of life (36-Item Short Form Health Survey), WOMAC and Knee injury and OA Outcome Score global change, magnetic resonance imaging cartilage thickness changes and safety from baseline to 12-month follow-up. Results: One hundred thirty-five patients were randomised from September 2016 to March 2022 (mean age, 58.3 [SD, 6.5] years; 58 [43%] women), 99 (73%) received allocated intervention, and 97 were analysed. After 6 months, treatment with ADSC versus placebo injection, 26 patients (47.3%) versus 23 patients (54.8%) were strict OARSI/OMERACT responders (relative risk 0.86 [95% CI: 0.58-1.28]; P = .46). Individuals showed different patterns in cartilage thickness change between timepoints across tibiofemoral articular surfaces, but overall secondary outcomes showed no significant-group differences. Conclusions: Among patients with symptomatic mild-to-moderate knee OA, a single intra-articular injection of 2 × 106 or 10 × 106 autologous ADSC compared with injection of saline placebo did not significantly improve pain and function. Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02838069, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02838069/EudraCT number: 2015-002125-19, https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/search?query=2015-002125-19