Seismic rehabilitation of cultural heritage masonry buildings with unbonded fiber reinforced elastomeric isolators (U-FREIs) \u2013 A case of study

In order to assess the structural behavior and to evaluate the seismic vulnerability of masonry structuresof relevant historical and artistic significance, which is a widespread building type in Italy and in the world,an historical masonry church is analyzed under earthquake loading. Linear and non-linear analyses areperformed on the finite element models of the structure. From these analyses it is pointed out that thestructure does not behave elastically in its existing condition even when subjected to the frequent designearthquake (81% probability of being exceeded over 50 years). Two traditional rehabilitation methods arestudied: the placement of a rigid diaphragm which connects the top of the masonry walls only enclosingthe church entrance area and the placement of a rigid diaphragm which connects the tops of all masonrywalls. None of the traditional method is sufficient for the structure to survive basic design earthquake(10% probability of being exceeded over 50 years). Hence an advanced seismic retrofit solution usinginnovative carbon fiber reinforced elastomeric isolators is proposed. The proposed intervention consistsin the installation of six Unbonded Fiber-Reinforced Elastomeric Isolators (U-FREI) and six Flat SurfaceSliders (FSS) as passive protective devices besides the placement of a rigid diaphragm which connects thetops of all masonry walls. The process of installation of the devices is illustrated. The use of the proposedsolution leads to a remarkable enhancement of the seismic response capacities of the structure; indeeda general elastic response under the Basic Design Earthquake (BDE) is attained

For the last time: temporal sensitivity and perceived timing of the final stimulus in an isochronous sequence

An isochronous sequence is a series of repeating events with the same inter-onset-interval. A common finding is that as the length of a sequence increases, so does temporal sensitivity to irregularities - that is, the detection of deviations from isochrony is better with a longer sequence. Several theoretical accounts exist in the literature as to how the brain processes sequences for the detection of irregularities, yet there remains to be a systematic comparison of the predictions that such accounts make. To compare the predictions of these accounts, we asked participants to report whether the last stimulus of a regularly-timed sequence appeared ‘earlier’ or ‘later’ than expected. Such task allowed us to separately analyse bias and performance. Sequences lengths (3, 4, 5 or 6 beeps) were either randomly interleaved or presented in separate blocks. We replicate previous findings showing that temporal sensitivity increases with longer sequence in the interleaved condition but not in the blocked condition (where performance is higher overall). Results also indicate that there is a consistent bias in reporting whether the last stimulus is isochronous (irrespectively of how many stimuli the sequence is composed of). Such result is consistent with a perceptual acceleration of stimuli embedded in isochronous sequences. From the comparison of the models’ predictions we determine that the improvement in sensitivity is best captured by an averaging of successive estimates, but with an element that limits performance improvement below statistical optimality. None of the models considered, however, provides an exhaustive explanation for the pattern of results found

I resti scheletrici della grotta di S. Teodoro presso il Museo Gemmellaro di Palermo: il nuovo restauro conservativo di ST2

The work describes the restoration of the cranium ST2 of the Epipalaeolithic site of S. Teodoro, Sicily. This restoration has been conducted in accordance to modern criteria of conservation limiting the integrative and reconstructive interpretation to the minimum. After the restauration ST2 has been morphologically described and measured. The fortuitous recovery of a left incus bone allowed its morphological and metrical description

Synthesis and characterisation of a new benzamide-containing nitrobenzoxadiazole as a GSTP1-1 inhibitor endowed with high stability to metabolic hydrolysis

The antitumor agent 6-((7-nitrobenzo[c][1,2,5]oxadiazol-4-yl)thio)hexan-1-ol (1) is a potent inhibitor of GSTP1-1, a glutathione S-transferase capable of inhibiting apoptosis by binding to JNK1 and TRAF2. We recently demonstrated that, unlike its parent compound, the benzoyl ester of 1 (compound 3) exhibits negligible reactivity towards GSH, and has a different mode of interaction with GSTP1-1. Unfortunately, 3 is susceptible to rapid metabolic hydrolysis. In an effort to improve the metabolic stability of 3, its ester group has been replaced by an amide, leading to N-(6-((7-nitrobenzo[c][1,2,5]oxadiazol-4-yl)thio)hexyl)benzamide (4). Unlike 3, compound 4 was stable to human liver microsomal carboxylesterases, but retained the ability to disrupt the interaction between GSTP1-1 and TRAF2 regardless of GSH levels. Moreover, 4 exhibited both a higher stability in the presence of GSH and a greater cytotoxicity towards cultured A375 melanoma cells, in comparison with 1 and its analog 2. These findings suggest that 4 deserves further preclinical testing

Leg ulcer and osteomyelitis due to methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus infection after fracture repair treatment: a case highlighting the potential role of prostaglandin E₁ vasodilator

Prostaglandins appear to reduce biofilm formation and chronicization of infections, and stimulate a rapid and effective clearance of infecting micro-organisms. We report a case of recovery from methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) osteomyelitis after multidisciplinary management with antibiotics, anti-thrombotics and prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) vasodilator, in a patient with tibial plateau fracture repaired with internal fixation devices. A 47-year-old HIV-negative male with chronic ulcer on the proximal third of the left leg was admitted to the Orthopaedic Unit of the Orestano Clinic in Palermo, Italy, for suspected osteomyelitis. A biopsy of the skin ulcer and blood cultures were performed and resulted positive for MSSA. Labelled leukocyte scintigraphy confirmed osteomyelitis. No clinical improvement was observed after combined antibiotic treatment with rifampicin plus trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. The patient underwent a 4-day therapeutic cycle: PGE1 (alprostadil 60 mg/day IV) combined with nadroparin calcium plus gentamicin, followed by treatment with aminaftone plus sulodexide plus levofloxacin. At discharge, the patient's painful symptoms had completely resolved and the ulcer had cicatrized; recovery from osteomyelitis was confirmed by scintigraphy. This treatment protocol including PGE1 may result in a significant improvement in quality of life and functional status of patients with a reduction in direct and indirect costs and economic benefit for the National Health Service

The 2003 eclipse of EE Cep is coming. A review of past eclipses

EE Cep is an eclipsing binary with a period of 5.6 years. The next eclipse will occur soon, in May-June 2003, and all available past eclipses were collected and briefly analysed. EE Cep shows very large changes of the shape and the depth of minima during different eclipses, however it is possible to single out some persistent features. The analysis suggests that the eclipsing body should be a long object surrounded by an extended semi-transparent envelope. As an explanation, a model of a precessing optically thick disc, inclined to the plane of the binary orbit, is invoked. The changes of its spatial orientation, which is defined by the inclination of the disc and the tilt, induced most probably by precession of the disc spin axis with a period of about 50 years, produce strange photometric behaviour of this star. The H_alpha emission, and possibly the NaI absorptions, show significant changes during several months outside of the eclipse phase.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, LaTeX2e, accepted by A&