Shadowing e Gis qualitativo: due strumenti per narrare la città

Questo breve articolo descrive la città attraverso due tecniche di ricerca qualitativa (lo shadowing e il Gis qualitativo). Partendo da alcuni esempi, tratti dall’esperienza sul campo, vengono valutati limiti e possibilità delle tecniche in oggetto. L’obiettivo è quello di argomentare la necessità di utilizzare e sviluppare nuovi strumenti metodologici per conoscere le configurazioni urbane. Gli autori sostengono il bisogno di muoversi all’interno di un orizzonte interdisciplinare e di utilizzare tecniche capaci di far emergere narrazioni polifoniche della città. Analizzando le potenzialità dialogiche dello shadowing e le potenzialità sovversive dei Gis qualitativi, una cartografia capace di rappresentare lo spazio mentale degli abitanti, viene affermata la necessità di continuare nella pratica di metodi ibridi, capaci di stimolare la creazione di nuove ri-descrizioni. La città, quindi, per essere compresa, pensata e trasformata ha bisogno di creatività e sperimentazione: nuovi strumenti che tentino modalità ibride di conoscenza, scardinando l’egemonia di rappresentazioni autoritarie incapaci di dare corpo e voce ai gruppi sociali meno potenti. L’obiettivo finale, dunque, diviene il bisogno di proiettare la ricerca urbana qualitativa in un orizzonte politico, inteso come spazio pubblico della discussione e dell’interazione.This brief paper describes the city through the use of two different techniques of qualitative research: shadowing and qualitative Gis. By discussing a few examples of field research, the paper assesses the limits and possibilities of these techniques. The aim is to prove the necessity of using and developing new methodologies to investigate the most recent urban phenomena. In order to achieve this goal, only an interdisciplinary approach can help the emergence of polyphonic narrations of the city. Through the analysis of the dialogic assets that shadowing possesses, and of the subversive potential of qualitative Gis (conceived as a sort of mapping that can represent the mind-space of citizens), the authors succor the use of mixed methodologies that enhance the creation of narrative re-descriptions of the urban forms. Understanding, conceiving and transforming the city implies creativity and experimentation: therefore, we need to conceive new instruments that use hybrid knowledge systems, and shatter the hegemony of those traditional, authoritative representations that cannot give voice to the most deprived social groups. The final goal of the paper is thus defined as the need to project qualitative urban research into a political horizon that becomes the public space of discussion and interaction

INQUINAMENTO INDOOR DA RADON. UNA APPLICAZIONE DELLE RETI BAYESIANE A SUPPORTO DELLA DIAGNOSI

Nel quadro più generale della tematica del controllo della qualità ambientale e più in particolare dell’Indoor Air Quality, la presente relazione riporta lo studio di un fenomeno di inquinamento da radon riguardante la scuola “G. Mancino” di Palermo. Lo spunto viene offerto dal fatto che nel 2005, nel corso di un monitoraggio della radioattività ambientale di Palermo, i tecnici dell’ARPA Sicilia hanno rilevato in questa scuola elementare degli anni ’30, livelli di radon indoor molto superiori ai limiti di legge fissati dal D.Lgs. 241/2000. Nella prima fase, dopo lo studio delle caratteristiche tipologiche e costruttive del plesso e l’acquisizione dei dati di misura pregressi, si è proceduto ad una nuova campagna di monitoraggio rivolta al rilievo di dati e misure sperimentali sulla presenza del radon indoor e dei dati meteoclimatici del contesto specifico. Nella seconda fase è stata formulata una proposta di intervento sostenuta dall’analisi dei meccanismi di inquinamento attraverso modelli di simulazione. In particolare l’approccio metodologico dello studio procede attraverso lo sviluppo di un modello di analisi basato sulle reti bayesiane, rilevatosi uno strumento utile di supporto per la diagnosi e le conseguenti decisioni progettuali, capace di controllare e descrivere fenomeni complessi e di stimare relazioni probabilistiche tra cause ed effetti

Dynamic heterodyne near field scattering

The technique heterodyne near field scattering (HNFS), originally developed for low-angle static light scattering, has also been implemented for carrying out dynamic light scattering. While the classical dynamic light scattering method measures the intensity-intensity correlation function, dynamic HNFS gives directly the field-field correlation function, without any assumption on the statistical properties of the sample, as the ones required by the Siegert relation. The technique has been tested with calibrated Brownian particles and its performances compared to those of the classical dynamic light scattering method.The technique heterodyne near field scattering (HNFS), originally developed for low-angle static light scattering, has also been implemented for carrying out dynamic light scattering. While the classical dynamic light scattering method measures the intensity-intensity correlation function, dynamic HNFS gives directly the field-field correlation function, without any assumption on the statistical properties of the sample, as the ones required by the Siegert relation. The technique has been tested with calibrated Brownian particles and its performances compared to those of the classical dynamic light scattering method. \ua9 2008 American Institute of Physics

La durabilit\ue0 dei componenti edilizi

La pubblicazione riporta una sintesi dei risultati della ricerca scientifica nazionale (PRIN-2003) su \u201cMetodologie di progettazione e di valutazione della durabilit\ue0 dei componenti edilizi in processi di produzione sostenibili, finalizzate alla programmazione della manutenzione degli edifici\u201d delle sei unit\ue0 di ricerca (Politecnico di Milano, Politecnico di Torino, Universit\ue0 degli Studi Federico II di Napoli, Universit\ue0 degli Studi di Palermo, Universit\ue0 degli Studi di Catania, Universit\ue0 degli Studi di Brescia). La ricerca \ue8 condotta in coerenza con quanto si sta sviluppando a livello internazionale nell\u2019ambito dell\u2019International Council for Research and Innovation in Buiding and Construction (CIB), in particolare nella Commissione CIB W80 Prediction of Service Life of Building Materials and Components, nonch\ue9 nei correlati lavori dell\u2019ISO TC 59 SC14 per l\u2019elaborazione delle varie parti della norma ISO 15686 \u201cService life planning\u201d. Il lavoro ha portato nel 2006 alla uscita della prima norma italiana UNI 11156 \u201cValutazione della durabilit\ue0 dei componenti edilizi\u201d articolata in tre parti: \u201cTerminologia e definizione dei parametri di valutazione\u201d, \u201dMetodi per la valutazione della propensione all\u2019affidabilit\ue0\u201d, \u201dMetodi per la valutazione della durata\u201d. I risultati finora acquisiti costituiscono gi\ue0 un significativo riferimento per gli operatori di committenza pubblica e privata in interventi edilizi di nuova costruzione ai fini di organizzare per essi una manutenzione programmata atta ad assicurare nel tempo il mantenimento di un livello di qualit\ue0 tecnologica adeguato, con benefico effetto di riduzione dei costi di gestione degli edifici. Ci\uf2 potr\ue0 essere perseguito attraverso la conoscenza della qualit\ue0 tecnologica utile dei componenti edilizi dei componenti edilizi richiedibile attraverso le specifiche di durabilit\ue0 direttamente imponibili da parte dei progettisti nei capitolati speciali d\u2019appalto secondo i dettati della sopra citata norma UNI 11156

X-ray Near Field Speckle: Implementation and Critical Analysis

We have implemented the newly-introduced, coherence-based technique of x-ray near-field speckle (XNFS) at 8-ID-I at the Advanced Photon Source. In the near field regime of high-brilliance synchrotron x-rays scattered from a sample of interest, it turns out, that, when the scattered radiation and the main beam both impinge upon an x-ray area detector, the measured intensity shows low-contrast speckles, resulting from interference between the incident and scattered beams. We built a micrometer-resolution XNFS detector with a high numerical aperture microscope objective and demonstrate its capability for studying static structures and dynamics at longer length scales than traditional far field x-ray scattering techniques. Specifically, we characterized the structure and dynamics of dilute silica and polystyrene colloidal samples. Our study reveals certain limitations of the XNFS technique, which we discuss.Comment: 53 pages, 16 figure

Heterodyne speckle velocimetryof Poiseuille flow

We review the technique named heterodyne speckle velocimetry and present two applications for testing the method with a fluid moving under the conditions of Poiseuille flow. The fluid was seeded with small tracking particles diameter 300 nm and fluxed between the two parallel planes of a cell with constant or variable cross section. In the first case the velocity distribution was constant along the direction parallel to the planes and was in excellent agreement with the expected Poiseuille profile along the orthogonal direction. In the second case, where velocity gradients were present also along the planes, the technique was able to reconstruct both the orthogonal Poiseuille profile and the in-plane two dimensional mapping of the velocity vectors, with the possibility of measuring the fluid flux within an accuracy of 1%

Early-onset epileptic encephalopathy caused by a reduced sensitivity of Kv7.2 potassium channels to phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate

Kv7.2 and Kv7.3 subunits underlie the M-current, a neuronal K(+) current characterized by an absolute functional requirement for phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP(2)). Kv7.2 gene mutations cause early-onset neonatal seizures with heterogeneous clinical outcomes, ranging from self-limiting benign familial neonatal seizures to severe early-onset epileptic encephalopathy (Kv7.2-EE). In this study, the biochemical and functional consequences prompted by a recurrent variant (R325G) found independently in four individuals with severe forms of neonatal-onset EE have been investigated. Upon heterologous expression, homomeric Kv7.2 R325G channels were non-functional, despite biotin-capture in Western blots revealed normal plasma membrane subunit expression. Mutant subunits exerted dominant-negative effects when incorporated into heteromeric channels with Kv7.2 and/or Kv7.3 subunits. Increasing cellular PIP(2) levels by co-expression of type 1γ PI(4)P5-kinase (PIP5K) partially recovered homomeric Kv7.2 R325G channel function. Currents carried by heteromeric channels incorporating Kv7.2 R325G subunits were more readily inhibited than wild-type channels upon activation of a voltage-sensitive phosphatase (VSP), and recovered more slowly upon VSP switch-off. These results reveal for the first time that a mutation-induced decrease in current sensitivity to PIP(2) is the primary molecular defect responsible for Kv7.2-EE in individuals carrying the R325G variant, further expanding the range of pathogenetic mechanisms exploitable for personalized treatment of Kv7.2-related epilepsies

The racist bodily imaginary: the image of the body-in-pieces in (post)apartheid culture

This paper outlines a reoccurring motif within the racist imaginary of (post)apartheid culture: the black body-in-pieces. This disturbing visual idiom is approached from three conceptual perspectives. By linking ideas prevalent in Frantz Fanon’s description of colonial racism with psychoanalytic concepts such as Lacan’s notion of the corps morcelé, the paper offers, firstly, an account of the black body-in-pieces as fantasmatic preoccupation of the (post)apartheid imaginary. The role of such images is approached, secondly, through the lens of affect theory which eschews a representational ‘reading’ of such images in favour of attention to their asignifying intensities and the role they play in effectively constituting such bodies. Lastly, Judith Butler’s discussion of war photography and the conditions of grievability introduces an ethical dimension to the discussion and helps draw attention to the unsavory relations of enjoyment occasioned by such images

Doing time and motion diffractively: Academic life everywhere and all the time

This article offers a diffractive methodological intervention into workplace studies of academic life. In its engagement of a playful, performative research and writing practice the article speaks back to technocratic organisational and sociological workplace ‘time and motion’ studies which centre on the human and rational, and presume a linear teleology of cause and effect. As a counterpoint, we deploy posthumanist new materialist research practices which refuse human-centric approaches and aim to give matter its due. As a means to analyse what comes out of our joint workspaces photo project we produce two ‘passes’ through data – two diffractive experiments which destabilise what normally counts as ‘findings’ and their academic presentation. The article deploys the motif of ‘starting somewhere else’ to signal both our intention to keep data animated, alive and interactive, and to utilise visual and written modes of seriality as enabling constraints which produce a more generative focus on the mundane, emergent, unforeseen, and happenstance in studies of daily working life