1,721,043 research outputs found
Impianti, consolidamento e pavimentazioni storiche. Il caso dei solai di Palazzo Visconti a L'Aquila
No full textNel presente contributo è illustrato il progetto di miglioramento sismico, integrazione impiantistica e restauro della volte di Palazzo Visconti in L’Aquila, danneggiato dagli eventi sismici del 2009. La presenza di affreschi e decori all’intradosso delle volte ha portato allo smontaggio del mosaico alla veneziana, al fine di realizzare il consolidamento della chiusura orizzontale mediante l’impiego di tecniche costruttive moderne di seconda generazione e l’alloggiamento degli impianti. L’intervento si è concluso con il rimontaggio e restauro della preziosa finitura
THE RESILIENT CONSTRUCTION SITE OF THE HISTORICAL CENTERS. A CASE STUDY LA CANTIERIZZAZIONE RESILIENTE DEI CENTRI STORICI. UN CASO DI STUDIO
No full textNel momento in cui si verifica un evento catastrofico è necessario porre in atto oculate strategie volte a conseguire l’obiettivo della ricostruzione di intere comunità e dei siti nei quali esse vivono. Lo studio dello stato dell’arte, soprattutto in relazione ai recenti eventi sismici che hanno colpito il Centro Italia, ha evidenziato come la comunità scientifica stia investendo nella cosiddetta ricostruzione “resiliente”, in grado di sfruttare le innovazioni tecnologiche, e nel concetto di “gestione del rischio”.
Nel presente articolo si intende illustrare una ricerca che ha come obiettivo quello di fondere tali due aspetti, in relazione alla gestione della cantierizzazione del processo di ricostruzione post-sisma dei
centri storici consolidati. Essa prende vita a partire da uno studio già svolto dagli autori che ha condotto alla definizione del cosiddetto “piano di cantierizzazione”, qui ulteriormente approfondito in termini di risposta resiliente ad ulteriori rischi. Il piano di cantierizzazione nasce come strumento di pianificazione sovraordinata che consente di gestire il processo di ricostruzione mediante regole comuni. Uno strumento programmatico che, da un lato, consente la razionale gestione dei lavori,
dall’altro implementa la sicurezza, in quanto è in grado di prevedere e quindi mitigare, le condizioni di rischio. Tale piano di cantierizzazione è stato implementato mediante l’impiego di software BIM, GIS e la metodologia elaborata è stata validata in un caso studio in Abruzzo, Italia
Direct Identification of α-Bisabolol Enantiomers in an Essential Oil Using a Combined Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry/Quantum Chemistry Approach
Full text linkEnantiomer-specific identification of chiral molecules in natural extracts is a challenging task, as many routine analytical techniques fail to provide selectivity in multicomponent mixtures. Here we describe an alternative approach, based on the combination of ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) and quantum chemistry (QM), for the direct enantiomers differentiation in crude essential oils. The identification of α-bisabolol enantiomers contained in the raw essential oil (EO) from the Corsican Xanthium italicum fruits is reported as a proof-of-concept. Accordingly, IM-MS experiments performed in Ag+-doped methanol revealed the presence of both (+)- and (-)-α-bisabolol in the EO, while molecular simulations provided the structures of the two α-bisabolol enantiomer silver(I) adducts
THE MAXIMIZATION OF THE 4TH DIMENSION OF THE BUILDING SITE
No full textThe aim of the contribution is to elaborate the digitalization of the construction process and of the management of the construction for both the organization of work activity and safety on the building site. The BIM methodology requires a digital implementation of construction through the creation of virtual models pertaining to the various professions involved. The CoSIM, acronym for Construction Site Information Modelling, is the application of BIM in the building site and where the federated model of the design phase materializes. The goal of the methodology developed is to obtain an elevated quality standard of the project, while trying to maximise costs and time as much as possible to favour an increase in the level of safety and security on the building site. The BSS, Building Site Safety, will allow a maximization of the safety design, not only by graphically depicting work activity but also forming a digital system for the documentation of the building site. To support this, the model is integrated with a simple plug-in which contains a library of objects to use for the designing and planning of safety on site, from general information to state of emergency warning. Thanks to the combination of the CoSIM and the BSS we can have a reduction of the variant, a reduction of time and costs due to an improved planning of work activity and allows the worker to be aware of all the modalities of procedure before entering the building site
Computational Alanine Scanning and Structural Analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein/Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Complex
Full text linkThe recent emergence of the pathogen severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is causing a global pandemic that poses enormous challenges to global public health and economies. SARS-CoV-2 host cell entry is mediated by the interaction of the viral transmembrane spike glycoprotein (S-protein) with the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 gene (ACE2), an essential counter-regulatory carboxypeptidase of the renin-angiotensin hormone system that is a critical regulator of blood volume, systemic vascular resistance, and thus cardiovascular homeostasis. Accordingly, this work reports an atomistic-based, reliable in silico structural and energetic framework of the interactions between the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 S-protein and its host cellular receptor ACE2 that provides qualitative and quantitative insights into the main molecular determinants in virus/receptor recognition. In particular, residues D38, K31, E37, K353, and Y41 on ACE2 and Q498, T500, and R403 on the SARS-CoV-2 S-protein receptor-binding domain are determined as true hot spots, contributing to shaping and determining the stability of the relevant protein-protein interface. Overall, these results could be used to estimate the binding affinity of the viral protein to different allelic variants of ACE2 receptors discovered in COVID-19 patients and for the effective structure-based design and development of neutralizing antibodies, vaccines, and protein/protein inhibitors against this terrible new coronavirus
Unchain my blood: Lessons learned from self-assembled dendrimers as nanoscale heparin binders
Full text linkThis review work reports a collection of coupled experimental/computational results taken from our own experience in the field of self-assembled dendrimers for heparin binding. These studies present and discuss both the potentiality played by this hybrid methodology to the design, synthesis, and development of possible protamine replacers for heparin anticoagulant activity reversal in biomedical applications, and the obstacles this field has still to overcome before these molecules can be translated into nanomedicines available in clinical settings
Cationic Dendrimers for siRNA Delivery: An Overview of Methods for In Vitro/In Vivo Characterization
No full textThis chapter reviews the different techniques for analyzing the chemical-physical properties, transfection efficiency, cytotoxicity, and stability of covalent cationic dendrimers (CCDs) and self-assembled cationic dendrons (ACDs) for siRNA delivery in the presence and absence of their nucleic cargos. On the basis of the reported examples, a standard essential set of techniques is described for each step of a siRNA/nanovector (NV) complex characterization process: (1) analysis of the basic chemical-physical properties of the NV per se; (2) characterization of the morphology, size, strength, and stability of the siRNA/NV ensemble; (3) characterization and quantification of the cellular uptake and release of the siRNA fragment; (4) in vitro and (5) in vivo experiments for the evaluation of the corresponding gene silencing activity; and (6) assessment of the intrinsic toxicity of the NV and the siRNA/NV complex
Monitoring the indoor air quality: A case study of passive cooling from historical hypogeal rooms
Full text linkAttaining a good level of internal comfort is possible by controlling various parameters. Among all, the thermo-hygrometric comfort and the indoor air quality are of fundamental importance. This research is developed with the aim of verifying the indoor air quality following the installation of a passive cooling device in a historic building located in the province of L’Aquila in the municipality of Poggio Picenze in climatic zone E. This research aims to verify the functioning of a ventilation duct installed between the hypogeal and the second level of the structure that was installed to obtain air recirculation by exploiting the inertial potential of the hypogeal room. The first phase of the research was aimed at thermo-hygrometric monitoring using sensors installed on-site and controlled remotely in order to verify the operation of the device. The second-phase object of this text was useful in investigating the acquired indoor air quality level
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