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A copy of the volume Cultura e laicità published in 1914 by Gaetano Salvemini, with Antonio Gramsci’s signature, found years ago in a paper mill, adds a few elements to our knowledge of Gramsci’s training and early political activity in Turin. In 1917, he edited a publication published by the Turin editorial office of ‘Avanti!’, entitled La Cittàfutura, in which he included excerpts from writings by Benedetto Croce and Armando Carlini, and a long quotation from Salvemini’s opening essay, entitled Cosa è la coltura, in his words ‘a little book that all young people should read’. In October 1918, 17-year-old Piero Gobetti bought a copy of Gaetano Salvemini’s book, a fundamental cultural and political reference for young Gramsci. In early 1919 Gobetti was introduced to Gramsci by Andrea Viglongo, friend and collaborator of the same age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nexus Network Journal guest editor Roberta Spallone introduces the conference papers in the special issue dedicated to the Nexus Conference 2023 in Turin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognizing the omnipresence of mathematics across various contexts, this paper addresses the untapped potential of museums as rich venues for informal mathematics learning beyond traditional educational settings like classrooms. This paper presents the InformalMath program, designed for the professional development of primary and middle school teachers using integrating mathematics education within art and history museums through designing mathematics visit workshops. Specifically, the focus is placed on Phase 1 of the program, in which teachers participated in two informal mathematics education workshops at two museums in Turin, Italy, and were asked to reflect on their participation through a written essay. The analysis of the essays reveals significant engagement, appreciation of mathematics as a cultural artifact, and the emergence of creativity and inclusion among participating teachers. These findings highlight the benefits of such interdisciplinary approaches in enhancing mathematical understanding and pedagogical strategies. Conclusions emphasize the program's success in not only enriching teachers' instructional repertoire but also in promoting a more holistic, engaging, and contextualized approach to mathematics education, suggesting a promising avenue for future educational practices and research in informal learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital Contact Tracing (DCT) has been proved to be an effective tool to counteract the new SARS-CoV-2 or Covid-19. Despite this widespread effort to adopt the DCT, less attention has been paid to the organisation of the health logistics system that should support the tracing activities. Actually, the DCT poses a challenge to the logistics of the local health system in terms of number of daily tests to be collected and evaluated, especially when the spreading of the virus is soaring. In this paper we introduce a new optimisation problem called the Daily Swab Test Collection (DSTC) problem, that is the daily problem of collecting swab tests at home in such a way to guarantee a timely testing to people notified by the app to be in contact with a positive case. The problem is formulated as a variant of the team orienteering problem. The contributions of this paper are the following: (i) the new optimisation problem DSTC that complements and improves the DCT approach proposed by Ferretti et al. (Science https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abb6936, 2020), (ii) the DSCT formulation as a variant of the TOP and a literature review highlighting that this variant can have useful application in healthcare management, (iii) new realistic benchmark instances for the DSTC based on the city of Turin, (iv) two new efficient and effective hybrid algorithms capable to deal with realistic instances, (v) the managerial insights of our approach with a special regard on the fairness of the solutions. The main finding is that it possible to optimise the underlying logistics system in such a way to guarantee a timely testing to people recognised by the DCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities play a pivotal role in achieving worldwide carbon neutrality due to their significant contribution to global energy consumption and carbon emissions. Therefore, planning effective strategies and guiding evidence-based policymaking at the city scale becomes even more crucial. Composite indices serve as a valuable tool for monitoring urban energy transition trends. This paper aims to present a novel approach, robust and flexible even under conditions of data scarcity, for tracking the energy transition trend of a city by means of a composite index (UETI). The Turin case study is introduced to test the applicability of the proposed approach. Additionally, to demonstrate the robustness of the composite index framework, the paper includes the findings of correlation and sensitivity analyses. This study reveals a significant improvement in Turin's environmental and energy domains, while the socio-economic domain shows more modest improvement. Furthermore, the study highlights the need to address the shortage of urban data to enhance the accuracy and reliability of metric-based frameworks and to extend the assessment to a larger sample of cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to propose an innovative and efficient process in urban policy-making that combines a divergent and creative method with a convergent and strategic one. At the same time, the purpose is also to propose a useful innovation to enforce the usability of both methods. On the one hand, mission-oriented policies run the risk of being overly focused on the present and of not being able to develop preparedness in organization. On the other hand, scenario development has the reverse problem it often does not point out how to use scenario narratives to inform and devise short-term strategic actions. Design/methodology/approach: The paper proposes an innovative methodological approach, the mission-oriented scenarios, which hybridizes Mazzucato's mission-oriented public policy framework with Jim Dator's Manoa school four futures method. The proposed methodological innovation emerges from a urban foresight academic-led project carried out in the context of the Metropolitan City of Turin, Italy, where a first application of the mission-oriented scenarios was tested on six different focal issues (from reindustrialization to cultural policies) and the scenario narratives were used as sources for the grounding of 12 missions and 48 strategic actions towards 2030. Findings: Mission-oriented scenarios can contribute to the generation of more sustainable and inclusive urban public policies. This methodological proposal is based on an original mix of knowledge exchange procedures borrowed from methodological approaches with different backgrounds: the mission-oriented and the archetypal scenarios. Their conjunction could support the formulation of ambitious yet pragmatic policies, giving a plurality of actors the opportunity to act and establish fruitful and lasting partnerships. Originality/value: The paper reconstructs one of the first urban foresight projects carried out in a major Italian city by two prestigious universities and exposes a methodological innovation resulting from reflection on the strengths and weaknesses of the project, which opens the door to the development of a new scenario technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urban fabric of European cities is subject to significant pressures from human activity and climate change. The devastating effects of climate change on urban environments threaten the quality of life of citizens and ecosystems. In particular, historic and dense-tissue cities face challenges in adapting their established urban fabric devoid of green areas. The lack of green spaces for social gatherings becomes a critical issue in addressing the climate and environmental crisis. Dense cities such as Barcelona and Copenhagen are promptly responding to the climate emergency through adaptation plans. This essay identifies the 19th-century neighbourhood of San Salvario in Turin, as a case study to develop a morphological analysis aimed at proposing nature-based strategies to improve the adaptation potential and resilience. The design elements identified in the two best practices cities inspire hypothesizing replicable architectural solutions in dense urban contexts such as the study area under consideration. Finally, the paper addresses the limitations arising from the lack of holistic strategic planning, which in the case of Turin is based on fragmented interventions disconnected from the existing ecological network rather than on a long-term plan. The paper also reflects on the need to include additional assessments of ecosystem services, taking into account their economic valuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital twins (DTs) are highly valuable tools for urban planning as they provide a virtual replica of the physical city, integrating real-time data and simulations to enhance the decision-making and management processes. The use of DTs expands the possibilities for data integration and visualization in urban contexts. This includes real-time data measurements from multiple sources, such as sensors and IoT devices, facilitating comprehensive insights. DT's virtual representation helps authorities and planners visualize urban dynamics and improve their understanding of urban ecosystems, energy efficiency, traffic management, emergency response, and more. DT supports the simulation and modeling of different scenarios in an urban built environment, enabling the predictive analysis of transformation decisions and the anticipation of future trends and challenges. This paper highlights the assumptions and ongoing progress in the development of a DT for the city of Turin (Italy), focusing on a range of applications, such as the extraction of built and natural environment features, land use data, road network and pavement quality, and signage, along with continuous model updates over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a methodological approach to energy renovation in valuable buildings, encompassing architectural, historical, and energy analyses. The research tests its application on a case study: a retrofit proposal for Palazzo Affari in Turin, an office building designed by Carlo Mollino for the Chamber of Commerce (1964–1974). The building, still in use, has never been thermally renovated yet. Palazzo Affari gathers structural, technological, and spatial experimentation worth to be preserved. The core of Mollino's design is a versatile plan, clear from any structural encumbrances, which was made possible thanks to an innovative structural technique. Façades are cladded with finely designed concrete prefabricated panels. As a 20th-century masterpiece, it must be recognized as culturally valuable but also shows enormous energy improvement potential, as many buildings of its age. Based on a deep understanding of the building, the paper proposes a combination of traditional and innovative ad hoc solutions for its renovation, mediated by the need for material and iconic preservation. Both the substitution of the façade panels and the insulation from the outside are excluded. The opaque parts of the façade are insulated from the inside using high-performance Vacuum-Insulation-Panels, and cladded by a new counter-facade conceived to be produced in panels through digital fabrication. On the other hand, windows are fully replaced by choosing glass which is both high-performing and respectful of the original chromaticity and transparency. The new window frames with thermal break are specially designed to respect the original external thickness. The design is configured as an add-in intervention, coherent with the pre-existence. Substitutions are carefully weighted and respect the original architectural features. FEM analysis demonstrates the reduction of the thermal flux through the opaque walls by 80% and through the windows by 65%. The solar factor is reduced by 35%, thus improving the summer internal thermal comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Urban Studies (Sage Publications, Ltd.) is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The electrification of transport is expected to progressively replace significant shares of light duty mobility, especially in large cities. The European Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) aims to drive the adoption of electric mobility by establishing specific targets for charging point deployment. Innovative charging concepts may complement and accelerate the uptake of this fundamental part of the urban mobility transition. In this paper, one such innovative concept is described and its potential impact is assessed. The core idea involves integrating charging points into existing city tramway infrastructures. Turin's tramway network is taken as a representative case study. The proposed technical solution encompasses a charging hub powered by four isolated DC/DC converters of 50 kW, directly connected to the DC tramway distribution line. Three of these constitute the heart of a 150 kW charger, while the fourth acts as voltage regulator. This native DC installation greatly simplifies the architecture of the DC chargers. Using a conservative approach, it was estimated that a single recharging station could charge more than 60 vehicles daily. This highly scalable and replicable solution, with the potential for over 100 conversion substations across Italy, would enable the installation of numerous high-power chargers in urban settings. Furthermore, additional benefits could be realized through enhanced recovery of kinetic energy from trams, which is currently dissipated on-board. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2004 the SF Movement has developed a global community of food producers and activists called Terra-Madre. Every two years representatives of the community meet in Turin for five days of workshops and conferences. Due to Covid-19 crisis SF has radically changed the nature of the meeting, presenting a six-month calendar of digital and physical events around the world. The paper examines the exchange occurring between communities as a form of translocal activism and considers to what extent SF can be defined as a movement for food sovereignty. It draws on digital data collection on the online activities and research with participants involving semi-structured interviews and observation notes. The paper reflects on the experience of digital fieldwork and how the new format of Terra-Madre provides insights into SF as a translocal movement characterized by conflicts, common perspectives and emergent capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the case of the 'Grandangolo' project in Turin, funded by the European Union (EU) through the 4th call on urban security of the Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) programme, the paper discusses the role of the university and the relationship between the latter and local actors in enabling social innovation ecosystems through public funds. In a complex system where greater engagement of neighbourhoods is increasingly required in order to find solutions to local issues, university action-research laboratories can help achieve this task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public transport can play a central role in representing a viable and sustainable mobility solution, especially in urban areas. Average energy consumption and emissions per passenger are much lower than for private cars. At the same time, current buses often mostly rely on diesel, and there are different solutions that can contribute to public transport decarbonization. Biomethane is among the options to exploit local low-carbon resources to decrease the emissions of public transport in urban environments. This paper presents the analysis of a real case study considering real data on the fuel consumption and mileage of the existing bus fleet in the city of Turin, Italy, composed by diesel and natural gas buses. The aim of this study is to estimate the effect of different penetration levels of biomethane in substitution of the current fuels. The results show that the use of biomethane in urban buses could save to up to 71% of emissions compared to the current situation, and savings would increase to 75% when deploying biomethane and electric buses together. Average emissions per pkm could decrease from a current level of 85.5 gCO2/pkm to 21.3–63.4 gCO2/pkm depending on the penetration of biomethane and electric buses. The sensitivity analysis shows even higher savings when accounting for the future decrease of the electricity carbon intensity in Italy and for the additional benefits related to avoided emissions from manure disposal. The results of the analysis demonstrate the potential contribution of biomethane in decarbonizing urban buses, and the findings presented for this case study can be of use for policy makers and researchers that deal with a similar situation in other cities and countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: This paper assesses the impact of estimation methods for general and education-specific trends in alcohol-attributable mortality (AAM), and develops an alternative method that can be used when the data available for study is limited. Methods: We calculated yearly adult (30+) age-standardised and age-specific AAM rates by sex for the general population and by educational level (low, middle, high) in Finland and Turin (Italy) from 1972 to 2017. Furthermore the slope index of inequality and relative inequality index were computed by country and sex. We compared trends, levels, age distributions, and educational inequalities in AAM according to three existing estimation methods: (1) Underlying COD (UCOD), (2) Multiple COD (MCOD) method, and (3) the population attributable fractions (PAF)-method. An alternative method is developed based on the pros and cons of these methods and the outcomes of the comparison. Results: The UCOD and MCOD approaches revealed mainly increasing trends in AAM compared to the declining trends according to the PAF approach. These differences are more pronounced when examining AAM trends by educational groups, particularly for Finnish men. Until age 65, age patterns are similar for all methods, and levels nearly identical for MCOD and PAF in Finland. Our novel method assumes a similar trend and age pattern as observed in UCOD, but adjusts its level upwards so that it matches the level of the PAF approach for ages 30–64. Our new method yields levels in-between UCOD and PAF for Turin (Italy), and resembles the MCOD rates in Finland for females. Relative inequalities deviate for the PAF-method (lower levels) compared to other methods, whereas absolute inequalities are generally lower for UCOD than all three methods that combine wholly and partly AAM. Conclusions: The choice of method to estimate AAM affects not only levels, but also general and education-specific trends and inequalities. Our newly developed method constitutes a better alternative for multiple-country studies by educational level than the currently used UCOD-method when the data available for study is limited to underlying causes of death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent times, pollution has emerged as a significant global concern, with European regulations stipulating limits on PM 2.5 particle levels. Addressing this challenge necessitates innovative approaches. Smart low-cost sensors suffer from imprecision, and can not replace legal stations in terms of accuracy, however, their potential to amplify the capillarity of air quality evaluation on the territory is not under discussion. In this paper, we propose an AI system to correct PM 2.5 levels in low-cost sensor data. Our research focuses on data from Turin, Italy, emphasizing the impact of humidity on low-cost sensor accuracy. In this study, different Neural Network architectures that vary the number of neurons per layer, consecutive records and batch sizes were used and compared to gain a deeper understanding of the network's performance under various conditions. The AirMLP7-1500 model, with an impressive R-squared score of 0.932, stands out for its ability to correct PM 2.5 measurements. While our approach is tailored to the city of Turin, it offers a systematic methodology for the definition of those models and holds the promise to significantly improve the accuracy of air quality data collected from low-cost sensors, increasing the awareness of citizens and municipalities about this critical environmental information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the results obtained from an archaeometric study of a bronze Nuragic small boat model (Sardinia, Italy) dating from the Early Iron Age (presumably 9th–7th centuries BC). The artifact comes from an unknown location in Sardinia and is one of the objects that came to the Museum of Turin in the 19th century. This model is of particular interest as it is a unique Nuragic boat model containing a human figure among its decorations. The artifact is kept in the collection of the Royal Museum of Turin (Italy) and is a typical example of Sardinian manufacture from the Early Iron Age. This study was carried out using a combination of non-invasive techniques with energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (ED-XRF) integrated with Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and Raman spectroscopy, which allowed the characterization of the alloy of the artifact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underground Built Heritage (UBH) stands out among the existing Cultural Heritage sites as a peculiar scenario. The assets belonging to this type of heritage are typically difficult to manage, exploit, and promote because of a lack of knowledge and documentation. The challenges in documenting built heritage are many and wide-ranging, and the main need must be to provide an accurate and appropriate representation of the surveyed area and its geometric features without employing time-consuming processes. Mobile Mapping Systems (MMSs) are nowadays trending technologies for the geomatics community, proving to be a useful alternative to traditional surveying techniques when taking time and cost constraints into account.The paper focuses on the use of an MMS, the STONEX® X120GO SLAM Laser Scanner system, in documenting a portion of the Castello del Valentino, an articulated and complex architecture located in Turin (Italy). The underground floor of the castle, due to its complexity in terms of accessibility and the challenge it poses for the documentation approach, was chosen as a case study to assess the STONEX® X120GO's capabilities in terms of portability of the instrument, speed of acquisition, as well as completeness and accuracy of the acquired dataset. The results obtained using the MMS technique have been compared to and validated using data from a TLS (Terrestrial Laser Scanner) survey used as a ground reference. The results and considerations reported in this paper demonstrate that MMSs can accurately and completely depict built spaces and their main characteristics and have substantial potential in mapping complex assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on the case of PalaFuksas, a signature building inaugurated in 2005 and located in the central (but marginalized) area of Porta Palazzo in Turin, Italy. Originally designed to host clothing shops, the building had a history of failures and reconversions, and it is currently mainly used as a branded food hall. By mixing archive and qualitative research, the article focuses on the evolution amongst local stakeholders, of different 'expectations', intended as heterogeneous and not fully conscious and rational sets of ideas, imaginaries, forecasts. PalaFuksas was expected to be a successful and functional building to contain businesses, a flagship for the entire city, and to perform distinction and iconicity, acting as a regenerator for its neighbourhood. Failures in meeting these expectations implied a continuous renegotiation of the meanings, functions and identities of PalaFuksas, revealing the complexity of the processes at play in the attempt to sign, re-sign and ultimately 'become' a signature building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The multiple forms of living in the contemporary city clearly demonstrate how the relationship between living space and rights reveals itself in many ways, even to the point of being divergent and contradictory. Case description: In order to analyze this point, we decided to observe two case studies that are emblematic for the divergence of issues that they are able to highlight. The neighbourhood of Les Grottes in Geneva can be described as a 'manifesto of living' based on sharing, solidarity, and freedom. On the other hand, the former Olympic Village in Turin expresses the "individual need to exist" of a population (of political refugees and migrants) not legitimatized to be in that place but one which, generally speaking, has nowhere to live. Discussion and evaluation: These two situations are able to highlight how the right to housing today no longer has a universal meaning as in the struggles of the last century (70 s) but explodes in very different meanings. Conclusions: For this reason the aim of this paper is try to rethink the concept of housing rights in order to emphasize how this term is still able to tell a lot about the urban and social transformations in contemporary cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the early genesis and later evolution of the Italian automotive industry employing the traditional agglomeration approach combined with Klepper's spinoff theory. It highlights the key role played by the Turin car cluster from the late 19th century. We provide the first comprehensive database of Italian automobile companies from 1894 until 2015, based on original archival research. We use historical analysis and econometric models to identify the factors contributing to the creation and success of the automotive industry in Turin. More specifically, we investigate agglomeration economies and the part played by spinoffs and institutional factors with a special emphasis on the role of local education. Our model confirms the existence of a spinoff effect and, especially, the positive effect of inherited technical skills embedded in pilots. We find support for positive agglomeration effects at the regional level, technological complementarities with aeronautics, a metropolitan cluster effect, and importance of local education. Basic and technical education seem to be particularly important initial institutional preconditions for further technical learning and scientific advancement and would make an interesting research topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Valori e Valutazioni is the property of Societa Italiana di Estimo e Valutazione (SIEV) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The testing of vehicular communication technologies, the study of urban mobility patterns, the evaluation of new traffic policies cannot dispense from vehicle mobility simulation. As is often the case, the larger the dataset, the better. Indeed, in recent years, many projects in the fields of mobility or vehicular communication have sought new traffic simulators with extended areas of investigation, possibly covering a whole city and its suburbs. In this spirit, we have modeled an urban traffic simulation in a 600-Km2 area in and around the Municipality of Turin, leveraging the SUMO tool. This paper aims at reporting in detail the methodology we followed in the creation of this dataset. Our results demonstrate that a complete modeling of such a wide area is possible at the expense of minor simplifications, reaching a very good level of approximation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of territorial clusters where the population suffers from worse health conditions is an important topic in social epidemiology, in order to identify health inequalities in cities and provide health policy interventions. This objective is particularly challenging because of the mechanism of self-selection of individuals into neighborhoods, which causes selection bias. The aim of this paper consists in the identification of neighborhood clusters where elderly people living in Turin, a city in north-western Italy, are exposed to an increased risk of hospitalized fractures. The study is based on administrative data and is a retrospective, observational cohort study. It is composed by a first phase, in which the individual confounding variables are balanced across neighborhoods in order to make them comparable, and a second phase in which the neighborhoods are aggregated into clusters characterized by significantly higher health risk. In the first phase we exploited a balancing technique based on partially ordered sets (poset), called Matching on poset based Average Rank for Multiple Treatments (MARMoT). On the balanced dataset, we used a spatial scan to identify the presence of clusters and we checked whether the risk of fracture is significantly higher in some contiguous areas. The combination of both MARMoT procedure and spatial scan makes it possible to highlight two clusters of neighborhoods in Turin where the risk of incurring hospitalized fractures for elderly people is significantly higher than the mean. These results could have important implications for the implementation of health policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the years, the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) methods has changed the workflows of various actors, providing better integration across different domains and allowing for new ways of working. This paper outlines the interest towards the integration of BIM with geotechnical/geological modelling (GeoBIM), which still represents a major challenge in several respects. The present study aims to provide a flexible method for assessing various integration strategies and to establish a preferred workflow based on the selected requirements and preference parameters. This integration is designed to provide a final federated model that can also be archived in the as-built documentation. Four alternative processes were selected to analyse the specific types of data and transformations required in the process. Each process was applied on a real case study in order to test the developed assessment framework using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Due to technological advances, modelling and integration workflows change rapidly; however, our results show that the proposed evaluation framework is universal and adaptable to any new integration approach. Further research efforts must be undertaken to reduce attribute data losses and enhance the interoperability between systems and professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents results from a study on integrative lighting in real middle school classrooms located in a school building in Turin, Italy. The contribution of both daylighting and electric lighting was considered. Besides the existing configuration of electric lighting systems (fluorescent luminaires), a set of six possible retrofitting solutions was considered, all using LED luminaires. The research addressed two main objectives: (i) To verify if the circadian values (melanopic equivalent daylight illuminance m-EDI) in the classrooms could meet the recommended values reported in recent literature, for instance, in the WELL protocol, (ii) to assess the influence on integrative lighting (photopic and melanopic illuminances) played by the electric lighting, as a function of the different lighting systems, and by daylighting, as a function of different room orientations and sky conditions. Results showed that the existing spaces benefit from high daylighting amount, whilst the existing lighting systems provide an insufficient m-EDI. Even when last-generation LED lighting systems were ideally used for retrofitting, no solution was able to meet the three-point WELL recommendation, while two solutions only allowed the one-point recommendation to be met. Some design implications concerned with the results were critically discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food concerns practices with material and discursive effects on bodies, involving, at the same time, relations of power and care. The international debate has widely analysed food in terms of biopolitical technologies and ethics of care, paying particular attention to school meals. In particular, school canteens constitute physical and relational contested spaces, characterized by different rationalities and perspectives. Drawing from qualitative research carried out in Turin, Italy, this paper unpacks school food discourses and practices by analysing the coexistence and entanglements of biopower and care. Starting from the awareness of the fluidity of these categories, the paper suggests that food at school be neither connected nor reduced to a dichotomous and static view. It proposes a more nuanced understanding of food practices, in which forms of productive biopower and subversive care are deeply intertwined and it discusses how children, staff and parents daily negotiate these entanglements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: While the cognitive‐behavioral characteristics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients carrying C9orf72 pathological repeat expansion have been extensively studied, our understanding of those carrying SOD1 variants is mostly based on case reports. The aim of this paper is to extensively explore the cognitive‐behavioral characteristics of a cohort of ALS patients carrying pathogenetic variants of SOD1 gene, comparing them to patients without pathogenetic variants of 46 ALS‐related genes (wild‐type [WT]‐ALS) and healthy controls. Methods: All ALS patients seen at the Turin ALS expert center in the 2009–2021 period who underwent both cognitive/behavioral and extensive genetic testing were eligible to be included in the study. Only patients with SOD1 pathogenetic variants (n = 28) (SOD1‐ALS) and WT‐ALS (n = 829) were enrolled in the study. A series of 129 controls was also included. Results: Among the 28 SOD1‐ALS patients, 16 (57.1%) had normal cognitive function, 5 (17.9%) isolated cognitive impairment (ALSci) (17.9%), 6 (21.4%) isolated behavioral impairment (ALSbi), 1 (3.6%) cognitive and behavioral impairment (ALScbi), and no one ALS‐FTD. SOD1‐ALS performed worse than controls in all explored domains, in particular Social Cognition and Language domains. SOD1‐ALS patients had similar scores in all tests compared to WT‐ALS, except the Story‐based Empathy Task (SET), where they performed worse. Interpretation: Cognitive‐behavioral impairment is much more common in SOD1 patients than previously assumed. SOD1‐ALS are characterized by a more frequent impairment of Social Cognition and, less markedly, of Language domains. These findings have relevant implication both in the clinical and in the research setting, also considering recently approved treatment for SOD1‐ALS. ANN NEUROL 2024;96:150–158 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

My research is situated within the literature looking at the processes of deinstitutionalisation of the mental health system through the lived geographies placed in between the walls of the asylum. It addresses mental health geographers' call for a situated knowledge about mental health and, by using the Italian psychiatric experience of the 1960s and 1970s as an example, stresses the importance of looking at care in both spatial and relational terms. Through a geographical understanding of the Italian psychiatric reform, that goes from Franco Basaglia's renowned work to the underrepresented experience of Turin, in northwest Italy, I will examine how space is intertwined with processes of mental health care. Additionally, I assess the role played by the interaction between spatial and relational elements in potentially enabling patients' self‐determination, empowerment and inclusion. The case of Turin—the story of which will be told through the analysis of archival material from a grassroots association called Associazione per la Lotta contro le Malattie Mentali—will serve to expand the common narrative around the Italian lesson and to give resonance to the instrumental role played at the time by both patients and civil society. By looking at the key events that led to the gradual dismantlement of the traditional psychiatric institutions in the metropolitan area of Turin, this paper contributes to the spatial turn in mental health studies, calling upon researchers to look at past achievements as something we still need to learn from and safeguard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the representation of food bank users through the lens of Garfinkel's degradation ceremony (1956): that is, a communicative work aimed at transforming an individual's total identity into a lower social identity, by recalling moral indignation, in order to reassert social norms and reinforcing group solidarity. The aim of this paper is to investigate how representations on users might be put in place in a real life assistance context, as a food bank, and the ways in which this could be framed as a degradation ceremony (Garfinkel 1956), as a way to reassert the social norm by clearly separating the ingroup and the outgroup (Goffman 1963). For this purpose, the paper will discuss the results of a qualitative research held in two food banks in Turin, Italy, conducted using participant observation and qualitative interviews with users and volunteers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inlays range among the most aesthetically pleasing and technically challenging glasses produced in the Ptolemaic period. Despite the central role of this phase in the history of glass technology, little is known about the recipes and the technological knowledge of the Egyptian artisans. This paper will thus focus on the study of the materials from the secondary workshop of Tebtynis (Fayum oasis, Egypt). We report the first multi‐methodological study comprising textural, chemical, and mineralogical analyses (optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy‐dispersive system, electron probe microanalysis, and μ‐Raman spectroscopy) on a set of 81 colorless, white, blue, and green samples carefully selected among the 800+ glasses from the craft area now stored at the Museo Egizio, Turin (Italy). Our study offers the biggest compositional database of well‐dated Ptolemaic glasses currently available in the literature, highlighting some interesting novelties regarding the silica and alkali sources, and the coloring and opacifying techniques employed. The results suggest a specialized craft of traditional origin, but open to innovation and experimentation, as expected from transitional phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ingegneria Ferroviaria is the property of Ingegneri Ferroviari and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Stimuli to forgery have been manifold throughout history. This paper offers insight into two of such stimuli that prove primary significance: money and ego. It uses a series of case studies from the fields of archaeology and paleontology – namely, two religious relics, the Shroud of Turin and the James Ossuary, and two osteological remains, the Piltdown Man Skull and the Archaeoraptor Fossil – to expose the motivation and intention driving the mischievous acts in a comparative historical perspective. The paper also looks at the reception of these “discoveries” by the contemporary and later audiences, and how such a reception changed over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban nightlife is often depicted as a homogeneous category dominated by the entertainment industry and characterised by at risk drinking practices. Taking on a more critical perspective, which recognises the heterogeneity of the physical and social settings as well as how nightgoers exercise their agency to manipulate and shape products and spaces defined by the consumeristic economic order, the paper aims to 1) explore the physical and social settings of two districts of Torino (North Italy) characterised by an intense nightlife, and 2) understand young people's tactics with regard to alcohol consumption. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach including non-participant observation (40 hours) and face-to-face interviews (No. 22). Results show that youth drinking in an urban nightlife setting is a 'tactical operation' that concerns both the choice of what, how and where to consume and how to reduce potential risks. Indeed, young people embrace the possibilities offered by the night districts to achieve their goals (mainly to socialize and have fun) while limiting negative outcomes by adopting self-regulation and harm reduction practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As dramatically confirmed by the recent earthquakes in Amatrice and Visso in 2016, and by the collapse of a road bridge along the Savona-Torino highway in 2019, Italy and all its constructions and infrastructures passing through its territory are potentially exposed to considerable seismic and hydrogeological risks. Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), in its role of Infrastructure Manager, is responsible for the management and safety of the rail traffic on the Italian network. RFI has therefore implemented a safety management system that ensures the control of the risks associated with railway operations, including seismic and hydrogeological risks. The first part of the paper provides an overview on the exposition of the Italian railway network. The strategies adopted by RFI for mitigating the abovementioned risks are then described as based on a combination of passive and active countermeasures. Eventually, the paper describes the future trends and developments for updating and improving the internal procedures and the tools currently available for reducing the consequences on the railway network of potentially harmful natural events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managing stakeholders' concerns in megaprojects with an inclusive and ethical vision is a current open challenge. To overcome company‐centered stakeholder‐management practices, an ecosystem view, (i.e., one based on the network of relationships among involved stakeholders), should be adopted by designing bottom‐up participatory stakeholder mapping processes that include the stakeholders affected by the construction of a megaproject. This paper presents an analysis of the stakeholder ecosystem of a contested megaproject in Italy (the Turin–Lyon high‐speed rail) aimed at identifying similarities and discrepancies in stakeholder identification and prioritization between the managers' perception and an ecosystem point of view. The study followed a mixed‐method approach. By coding the self‐declared statements from 21 interviews with middle and top managers of the organization in charge of the construction and visualizing the emerging network of actors through a social network analysis and the use of centrality degrees, the most relevant stakeholders are identified. Our findings reveal how the prioritization of stakeholders obtained through the centrality degrees significantly differs from what the managers declare in reference to the concept of salience, highlighting how a bottom‐up stakeholder mapping process—by including the stakeholders themselves in the mapping process—should be designed and reiterated during the whole life of a megaproject in order to adopt an inclusive stakeholder management approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic and extensive analytical study was carried out on the loose inlays discovered in the Ptolemaic workshop of Tebtynis (Fayum oasis, Egypt). This paper presents data derived from the multi‐methodological archaeometric investigations (optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy–energy‐dispersive spectroscopy, electron probe microanalysis, micro‐Raman spectroscopy) performed on a set of intentionally colored and opacified glasses. In particular, we will discuss the textural, chemical, and mineralogical results related to the study of the yellow, yellowish‐orange, red, and brown inlays and semi‐finished/waste products now preserved at the Museo Egizio, Torino. The results highlight the presence of natron (low‐magnesium glasses, LMG) and plant ash (high‐magnesium glasses, HMG) base glass, coexisting with intermediate composition. Yellow samples are opacified using lead antimonates doped with iron and sometimes tin; conversely, yellowish‐orange specimens and the only brown sample are characterized by nanocrystals of cuprite. Red glasses are found in two variants: Dull reds are HMG with colloidal metallic copper particles, while sealing‐wax reds show LMG composition, associated with dendritic cuprite dispersed in a transparent, greenish matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

City leaders are advancing low-carbon transitions in urban areas that require robust operational frameworks and innovative processes. This paper presents a novel interdisciplinary framework to support urban decision-makers in the design and implementation of low-carbon strategies based on participatory approaches. Using inductive reasoning, the framework was defined according to three methodological steps: the preliminary analysis, the indicator selection, and the decision-making implementation. The work is part of the MOLOC Interreg Europe project and is applied to the revision of the Turin General Master Plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supporting festivities in the urban realm are possibilities cities have to reduce risks of exclusion and to stabilise narratives of belonging while reducing uncertainty. They are convivial forms creating territorial belonging and inclusion, beyond differences. The paper focuses on urban rituals of inclusion in Montréal, Genève and Turin as practices that foster inclusion and belonging to the city, coping with turnover of inhabitants and the change of urban spaces. In our post-migratory and mobile societies, where uncertainty bears both risks and challenges, rituals fostering a common ground, a sensus communis, as they require participation, but not necessarily a formalised affiliation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of Virtual Heritage, with particular attention to the field of knowledge dissemination, not only in the educational and scientific field, of museum collections, which are very often not accessible, have long been at the centre of the digitisation policies of major national and international institutions. Within this framework, the proposed research is part of a broader research, involving scientific figures from different disciplinary fields for the definition of a workflow for the 3D acquisition, digitisation and creation of a virtual model of miniatures of architectural artefacts kept at the Polytechnic of Turin. The paper describes part of the experimentation conducted for the creation of 3D surveys carried out using different tools, such as a portable LIDAR, Mantis F6, a low cost LIDAR, iPhone 13 Pro, and a digital camera, Nikon Z5, evaluating their performance not only from a metric point of view, but also from a methodological point of view and the subsequent sharing of models in accessible digital environments. The conducted study therefore initiates a process of memory digitisation in order to create a digital platform in which to insert, in an organised and digitised manner, models, data, historical morphological information, material, documentary, etc., in order to make interaction with the virtual reconstructions possible, promoting a new accessibility, all this to test, standardise and define a possible working protocol for massive low-cost 3D artefacts acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a decision-making model for assessing the sustainability of urban plans and programmes to envision long-term transformation scenarios through the development of consistency matrices. The tool was tested in a real case study, which is the Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Revision of the General Municipal Plan of the City of Turin (Italy). The changes that have taken place in recent years have highlighted the need for more flexible, dynamic, and streamlined tools that can help the revision of plans and programmes, which are capable also of considering the citizen's needs. The decision-making model provided in this paper was structured into five phases: normative framing of the environmental assessment procedures; spatial analysis by structures; consistency analysis of conformity between the objectives of the technical proposal of the preliminary draft and the superordinate and coordinated planning; monitoring of the technical proposal through the employment of key indicators; and the definition of guidelines for the General Regulatory Plan of the City of Turin. The tool presented in this work can support planners, municipal technicians, and general public administrations, both in the planning and assessment processes to design and implement sustainable policy recommendations capable of tackling the increasing complexity of urban transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalization techniques, such as photogrammetry (PG), are attracting the interest of experts in the cultural heritage field, as they enable the creation of three-dimensional virtual replicas of historical artifacts with 2D digital images. Indeed, PG allows for acquiring data regarding the overall appearance of an artifact, its geometry, and its texture. Furthermore, among several image-based techniques exploited for the conservation of works of art, multispectral imaging (MSI) finds great application in the study of the materials of historical items, taking advantage of the different responses of materials when exposed to specific wavelengths. Despite their great usefulness, PG and MSI are often used as separate tools. Integrating radiometric and geometrical data can notably expand the information carried by a 3D model. Therefore, this paper presents a novel research methodology that enables the acquisition of multispectral 3D models, combining the outcomes of PG and MSI (Visible (VIS), Ultraviolet-induced Visible Luminescence (UVL), Ultraviolet-Reflected (UVR), and Ultraviolet-Reflected False Color (UVR-FC) imaging) in a single coordinate system, using an affordable tunable set-up and open-source software. The approach has been employed for the study of two wooden artifacts from the Museo Egizio di Torino to investigate the materials present on the surface and provide information that could support the design of suitable conservation treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this paper is to identify the potential of electric vehicles in current car mobility scenarios. Firstly, distances traveled daily are analyzed to understand if the car usage observed can be satisfied by the expected range of electric vehicles. Secondly, idle times between trips are studied to assess vehicle needs and identify the requirements for electric charging stations to support the trip-chains observed. The datasets were derived from floating car data recorded for 365 days and include more than 30 million trips crossing the Metropolitan City of Turin (Italy). Approximately 70,000 km were observed daily for more than 10,000 vehicles for 400 different vehicle models to identify their activities over 24 hours. This daily activity in the observation period can be considered a reference scenario, in synergy with the battery range, to plan charging points in road networks. Results show that 98% of daily VKT (vehicle kilometers traveled) are lower than 300 km, over a year of observation. Cars are also classified according to their market segment to identify specific vehicle usage, defining a data dictionary to relate the models and segments. For instance, daily VKT values estimated for segment A (city cars) average 34 km, whereas for segment E (executive cars) the average is 75 km. The spatial analysis of idle times reveals a higher number of shorter breaks in the city center compared to peripheral districts, suggesting that recharging solutions should be adapted to zones according to how they are used for parking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing urbanization and climate change challenges are leading to relevant environmental, economic and social pressures on European cities. These include increasing flood hazards and the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) are increasingly recognized within strategies to provide multiple ecosystem services to mitigate existing risks and pressures, as well as to make cities more resilient and livable. Although being increasingly addressed within the literature, NBS implementation on the ground still faces many technical and financial barriers. This paper aims to test the potential of selected NBS in mitigating the effects of identified climate change risks, i.e., the UHI effect and urban floods, in the Turin urban area (north-western Italy). Four different intervention NBS-based scenarios are developed. The supply of ecosystem services by NBS in each scenario is assessed using InVEST models and the effectiveness of NBS investments is analyzed by calculating and comparing the associated costs and benefits. Different results in terms of effectiveness and economic viability are observed for each scenario and each NBS. Flood risk mitigation oriented NBS seem to have the most impact, in particular forested green areas and retention ponds. The results are relevant to suggest policy mix strategies to embed NBS in city planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of robotic technologies for caregiving and assistance has become a very interesting research topic in the field of robotics. Towards this goal, the researchers at Politecnico di Torino are developing robotic solutions for indoor assistance. This paper presents the D.O.T. PAQUITOP project, which aims at developing a mobile robotic assistant for the hospital environment. The mobile robot is composed of a custom omnidirectional platform, named PAQUITOP, a commercial 6 dof robotic arm, sensors for monitoring vital signs in patients, and a tablet to interact with the patient. To prove the effectiveness of this solution, preliminary tests were conducted with success in the laboratories of Politecnico di Torino and, thanks to the collaboration with the Onlus Fondazione D.O.T. and the medical staff of Molinette Hospital in Turin (Italy), at the hematology ward of Molinette Hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Gerion: Revista de Historia Antigua is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Peri-urbanization is a global phenomenon strongly linked to socio-demographic and settlement dynamics. Although peri-urbanization is a topic widely debated in academic literature, especially in the field of urban and regional planning, there is no universal definition, and different types and interpretations of peri-urban areas can be found in the literature. Identifying physical limits and boundaries, as well as defining what is peri-urban and what is not, are important issues for planning these spaces at city and metropolitan levels but are not easy to solve due to their heterogeneity. Establishing land use rules for peri-urban areas is a crucial issue for maintaining and fostering primary and vital ecosystem services, especially in terms of functions provided to urban core areas. Developing a replicable method to identify and regulate peri-urban areas, exportable to other European countries, is the aim of this study. In this paper, the authors propose a method applied to the case study of Turin (Italy), based on a collaborative and place-based approach, the identification of certain peri-urbanization conditions, and the definition of rules and guidelines for peri-urban areas, in order to support decision-makers at different levels. These planning tools were adopted by the recent General Territorial Plan of the Turin Metropolitan Area (TMA). In conclusion, the authors highlighted not only the strengths and possible limitations of this method but also the role of the landscape planning approach in terms of the protection and management of peri-urban areas, considering some of the new challenges that will likely involve future peri-urban research and planning practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strong processes of economic repositioning that the West experienced in the last decades of the 20th century with the transition from the industrial economy to the so-called "enrichment economy" led to the emergence of new project themes within the territorial disciplines. The decommissioning of large industrial areas is seen by the design culture as an opportunity to re-found cities through new policies and new design devices. The case of Turin is exemplary of this process in Italy. A city that symbolises Italian Fordism, from the 1980s onwards it was invested by an incremental process of large industrial areas abandonment due to the crisis of mass production. This paper aims to discuss how, after the end of the first post-Fordist cycle, decommissioned spaces accommodate not only residential or tertiary practices as in the thirty-year neoliberal era, but also new productive functions. It does so with a descriptive approach, recounting the change in Turin's production system and describing three exemplary cases of the new productive Turin: the new Pirelli in Settimo Torinese, Lavazza and the new Manufacturing Centre in Mirafiori. In this process we seem to be able to discern a paradigm shift in the design of the contemporary city, which does not deny but welcomes productive practices. However, this new model of the productive city in the West urgently needs to redefine visions, imaginaries and practices of the contemporary project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ingegneria Ferroviaria is the property of Ingegneri Ferroviari and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)