265 research outputs found
Deep renovation up to zero energy through Add-ons: the ABRACADABRA Project
No full textThough housing is one of the most energy consumer sectors, it is currently extremely underestimated, because of a clear investment gap due to economic, social and legislative barriers. The EU project ABRACADABRA (Assistant Building to Retrofit, Adopt, Cure And Develop the Actual Buildings up to zeRo energy, Activating a market for deep renovation) is based on the idea that the real estate value increase given by the appropriate densification strategy in urban environments could be an opportunity to activate a market for deep energy renovation. To prove the effectiveness of the strategy more than 70 case studies throughout the EU cities have been assessed by means of a cost-effective analysis. Basing on the parametric variation of the different values involved (cost of construction, energy, etc.) the benefit of this strategy has been proved in the majority of the different building types and contexts. More interestingly, the ABRA strategy has been simulated and tested outside Europe in order to verify its scalability and the possibility of considering other non-energy related benefits in the renovation of the existing building stock. A specific study on the NYC urban context has been conducted to effectively adapt the strategy and combine the global drivers of energy consumption reduction and CO2 emission reduction with the local need of combating flood emergency and related flood-proofing measures. The results reached by this work demonstrate how the energy retrofit trough add-ons reduces significantly the payback times of the investments, preserve soil consumption, while providing a extraordinary opportunity to enhance urban resiliency by challenging the local emergencies
Improving in vivo conversion of oleuropein into hydroxytyrosol by oral granules containing probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum 299v and an Olea europaea standardized extract
No full textThis study reports novel food-grade granules for co-delivery of L. plantarum 299v and a standardized extract of Olea europaea leaves (Phenolea®) as oral carrier of probiotics and hydroxytyrosol. Different granule formulations containing either L. plantarum 299v (Lac), or the olive leave extract (Phe) or their combination (Lac-Phe) have been successfully produced through wet granulation employing excipients generally regarded as safe as granulating/binding agents. L. plantarum cells withstood the manufacturing process and were stable upon storage at 4°C for more than 6 months. In vitro dissolution studies in simulated gastro-intestinal fluids showed the capability of the granules to rapidly dissolve and deliver both olive leave phenols and living L. plantarum cells. In simulated digestion conditions, Lac and Lac-Phe granules protected L. plantarum against the harsh environment of the gastro-intestinal tract. Co-administration of Lac and Phe oral granules to healthy mice provided for higher amounts of hydroxytyrosol in urines as compared to Phe granules alone, suggesting that L. plantarum 299v boosted in vivo conversion of oleuropein to hydroxytyrosol. On the other hand, PCR-assisted profiling of the Lactobacillus population in faeces obtained from mice treated with Lac or Lac plus Phe confirmed that the probiotic arrived alive to colon and was there able to exert a sort of perturbing effect on the climax colonic microflora. Overall, these results pave the way towards the development of a nutraceutical useful for combined delivery of bioactive hydroxytyrosol and probiotics to colon site
Future-Proofing NYC: Proposta di una strategia integrata per stimolare gli interventi di Flood-Proofing e Deep Renovation su edifici esistenti nelle aree costiere di New York City
No full textLa distruzione e i danni causati dall’uragano Sandy e il lungo processo di ripresa tutt’ora in corso, hanno evidenziato l’importanza di adattare le aree costiere di New York City in modo che in futuro possano resistere e riprendersi rapidamente da uragani e inondazioni. Migliorare la resilienza delle comunità costiere significa proteggere e supportare la loro vivacità e il contributo che queste danno all’economia della città. I quartieri di New York City situati vicino all’acqua devono affrontare la grande sfida di adattarsi ai rischi di inondazione, che sono in costante aumento. Sostituire gli edifici esistenti non è una soluzione sostenibile. È di importanza critica, invece, stimolare il retrofitting degli edifici esistenti con modalità che siano praticabili dal
punto di vista economico, sociale e della sostenibilità. D’altro canto tali interventi devono essere tesi a soddisfare gli obbiettivi del piano strategico della città di New York di riduzione delle emissioni di CO2 dell 80% entro il 2050. Questo studio propone le strategie di add-on di ABRACADABRA come soluzione efficace per rispondere ai problemi di realizzabilità sia per quanto riguarda il floodproofing e sia per quanto concerne gli interventi di deep energy renovation. Tale approccio considera la vendita o la locazione degli add-on come mossa strategica essenziale per finanaziare tali interventi e ridurre con successo la vulnerabilità delle zone costiere e al contempo promuovere il retrofitting energetico su larga scala.
L’efficacia delle strategie di add-ons di ABRACADABRA è stata simulata su un isolato di row houses di Brooklyn. Grazie alla creazione di strumenti parametrici ad-hoc, sono stati elaborati differenti scenari che analizzano il rapporto costi-benefici, in modo da individuare i limiti nella realizzabilità degli interventi. In via del tutto speculativa, si è provato infine a misurare l’impatto economico di possibili guadagni derivanti dal net metering e dal footprint trading
Beta-Cyclodextrin Nanosponges as Multifunctional Ingredient in Water-Containing Semisolid Formulations for Skin Delivery
No full textA β-cyclodextrin nanosponge cross-linked with pyromellitic dianhydride (βNS-PYRO) is reported for the first time as multifunctional ingredient in semisolid formulations for drug delivery to the skin. The role of βNS-PYRO on solubilization and stabilization of the photosensitizer benzoporphyrin-derivative monoacid ring A (BPDMA) and all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) as well as its effect on skin permeation of diclofenac (DIC) was investigated. Aqueous solutions, gels, and cream-gels were prepared from mixtures of βNS-PYRO with a conventional gelling agent at specific ratios. The incorporation of BPDMA in βNS-PYRO water solutions prevented its aggregation and gave kinetically stable complexes with high photostability and singlet oxygen generation upon irradiation. atRA incorporated in the βNS-PYRO-containing gel demonstrated a remarkable stability as compared with the formulation without βNS-PYRO, resulting in an eightfold increase of its lifetime. Skin permeation studies highlighted that βNS-PYRO in gels and cream-gels containing DIC significantly decreased the amount of drug permeated through the skin while increasing its amount in stratum corneum and viable epidermis. Overall, swellable βNS-PYRO turns to be a multifunctional coingredient with potential in topical monophasic and biphasic formulations to stabilize light-sensitive drugs and to localize the action of highly penetrating drugs in the external layers of skin
The Role of Soil Type in Triggering Shallow Landslides in the Alps (Lombardy, Northern Italy)
No full textShallow landslides due to the soil saturation induced by intense rainfall events are very common in northern Italy, particularly in the Alps and Prealps. They are usually triggered during heavy rainstorms, causing severe damage to property, and sometimes causing casualties. A historical study and analysis of shallow landslides and mud-debris flows triggered by rainfall events in Lombardy was carried out for the period of 1911–2010, over an area of 14,019 km2. In this study, intensity–duration rainfall thresholds have been defined using the frequentist approach, considering some pedological characteristics available in regional soil-related databases, such as the soil region, the textural class, and the dominant soil typological units (STU). The soil-based empirical rainfall thresholds obtained considering the soil regions of the study area were significantly different, with a lower threshold for landslide occurrence in the soil region M1 (Alps), where soils developed over siliceous parent material, with respect to the whole study area and the soil region M2 (Prealps), where soils developed over calcareous bedrocks. Furthermore, by considering textural classes, the curves were differentiated, with coarse-textured soils found more likely to triggerlandslides than fine soils. Finally, considering both texture and main soil groups, given the same rainfall duration, the rainfall amount and intensity needed to initiate a landslide increased in the following order: “coarse-skeletal” Cambisols < Umbrisols < Podzols < “fine” Cambisols. The results of this study highlighted the relevant role of pedological conditioning factors in differentiating the activation of rainfall-induced shallow landslides in a definite region. The information on soils can be used to define more precise rainfall–pedological thresholds than empirical thresholds based solely on meteorological conditions, even when they are locally defined. This knowledge is crucial for forecasting and preventing geo-hydrological processes and in developing better warning strategies to mitigate risks and to reduce socio-economic damage
Influence of 150 Years of Land Use on Anthropogenic and Natural Carbon Stocks in Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy)
No full textChanges in land use/cover that are commonly associated with urbanization can dramatically influence the amount, chemical form, and spatial distribution of carbon (C) stocks. Measured values and relative literature for composition of natural and anthropogenic materials have been compiled. These data are used in conjunction with land cover statistics and expert assessment of building design to calculate C stocks associated with 150 years of land use change and development for an area of the Po River Valley, Northern Italy. Using 4 time periods (1853, 1954, 1976, and 2003), we demonstrate that the C stocks within this densely populated area have undergone considerable modification. A 52% increase in population density has been associated with an increase in the proportion of total C stored in anthropogenic stocks from 0.2% to 6%; this has been accompanied by a one order of magnitude increase in the carbon emission per capita per unit area. These changes have also been accompanied by a major shift in stocks from organic to inorganic forms of C
Using existing soil databases for estimating retention properties for soils of the Pianura Padano-Veneta region of North Italy
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