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The article presents a calendar of forthcoming congresses and conventions. The 13th International Congress on Sound and Vibration will be held on July 2-6, 2006 at Vienna University of Technology in Vienna, Austria. The 16th European Conference of Fracture will be held on July 3-7, 2006 in Alexandroupolis, Greece. The 8th Biennial ASME Conference on Engineering Systems Design and Analysis is scheduled on July 4-7, 2006 in Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy.

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Issues concerning integration and the relations between different ethnic groups within a changing contemporary society are becoming increasingly prominent in the social and scientific debate. Design skills can be employed as a tool to systematise this multiplicity, promoting innovation that respects diversity, comparison, and interaction between people and cultures. The purpose of this paper is to provide a synthesis of a research experience, the development of a new Islamic Cultural Centre in the city of Turin (Italy), in which the intercultural design approach constitutes the founding theoretical and methodological basis for the development of the project. Starting from the analysis of experiences developed in the field of national and international research, the authors developed a methodological approach to the theme of designing to promote intercultural dialogue, furthermore establishing collaboration agreements with local authorities for the development of the Cultural Centre. [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]

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.)

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.)

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]

This paper describes an experiment carried out within the project "URBAN GEOmatics for Bulk data Generation, Data Assessment and Technology Awareness (URBAN GEO BIG DATA)" on novel technological solutions for encouraging the use of time series of big geodata by scientists, public administrators, and the citizens of urban areas. In this experiment, we focus on fostering the use of ground deformation time series derived through the Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (DInSAR) measurements in urban areas (i.e., Naples, Milan, and Turin) through visualization. Two visualization applications are developed within the project. First, mean deformation velocity maps are visualized; second, the cumulative deformation time series is animated to enable the comprehension of deformation of eighteen years at a glance. The experiment allows experts and non-experts to discover spatio-temporal patterns of deformation. The paper focuses on the characteristics and implementation details of this experiment. Both visualizations are overlaid on a three-dimensional map, i.e., a virtual globe. We use open standards and free and open source software (FOSS) for Web to enable interoperability, replicability, and reusability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main potential benefits of rainwater harvesting, namely water saving and storm water management, are easily evaluable at a building scale when well-known behavioral models are used. However, the evaluation is often more complex at an urban scale, due to a lack of building characteristics and demographic data. In the present paper, we propose a method, which is based on the representative building concept that can be used to quantify the potential benefits of rainwater harvesting at different scales, that is, from the building scale to the district and city scales. Particular attention has been paid to the sizing of the system so that it can be used for different rainwater collection purposes. The method has been applied to the city of Turin (Italy) considering different scenarios: 1) domestic use (e.g., toilet flushing and the washing machine), where buildings are independent of each other, and 2) two public uses (the irrigation of public green areas and street washing), for which we have hypothesized that the rainwater collection takes place at a district scale. The non-potable water saving for domestic use varies across the city from 29% to 62%, according to the characteristics of the buildings, while the reduction of the flow peak conveyed to the sewerage system, during extreme storms, is quite constant (in the 57–67% range). Irrigation and street washing require a lower amount of water, thus about 80% of water can be saved, but the retention efficiency is low, and a slight reduction in the flow peaks can be expected. The aim of the methodology presented in this work is to provide a suitable decision-making tool for policy makers and urban planners to evaluate the capability and efficiency of rainwater harvesting systems for buildings, districts, and cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When industrial relics, such as obsolete buildings, sites, and infrastructures, enter into a process of adaptive reuse, they become transformation engines capable of shaping the urban fabric. They provide tangible and intangible links to our past and have the potential to play a significant role in today's cities' futures. One unresolved issue is the quantification of the externalities of these transformation processes. If undertaken correctly, adaptive reuse can contribute to the development of social and cultural capital, environmental sustainability, urban regeneration, and, most importantly, economic benefits to the surrounding community. In this sense, understanding the value of heritage is particularly important in light of the new European urban environmental policy movement based on the circular economy, which aims to change the way Member States consume and produce materials and energy. After a review of the externalities generated by the adaptive reuse of disused industrial heritage, the paper will concentrate on the estimation of economic benefits given by a transformation process that affected Turin's Aurora district (Northern Italy) during the last years. The hedonic pricing method (HPM) was used to investigate the effects of the construction of new headquarters and the redevelopment of an old power plant converted into a museum and conference center. This study used econometric models to identify a significant increase in market prices within 800 m of the site and calculated a EUR 16,650,445 capitalized benefit from the transformation on the surrounding residential building stock. The study thus contributed to the awareness that reused heritage not only improves the lives of residents, but it also has a positive impact on the real estate market, in terms of transactions, as well as market values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current context of the European Environmental legislation and standards, the automotive sector is expected to continuously improve the vehicles life cycle with solutions able to minimise emissions of greenhouse gases and other negative effects on the environment and on human health. The vehicle painting process has been identified to be responsible of significant potential impacts, but recent primary inventory data and impact results are currently scarcely available in the literature. The novelty of this paper is the provision of a comprehensive life cycle inventory and life cycle assessment (LCA) of a painting process, with reference to a large and highly automated plant located in Turin (Italy). To achieve these goals, the highly recognised methodology of LCA has been followed, as indicated in ISO 14040-44. A detailed inventory is disclosed (both as input/output table and ILCD file) for the four main phases of the painting process (electrodeposition, primer application, top coat application and final drying and revision). Impact results on the categories of climate change, acidification, terrestrial eutrophication and photochemical ozone creation potential are quantified as well. These latter show that the major hot points are the high-energy consumption (specifically, the integrated provision of technological heating and chilled water is responsible of almost half of the total emissions of greenhouse gases), the direct emission of volatile organic compounds into air (for a total of 7.44 kg/car) and the waste production and treatment [giving a significant contribution to the impact categories of ozone depletion (99%), freshwater eutrophication (66%) and freshwater ecotoxicity potential (60%)]. This study contributes to increase the pool of publicly available life cycle data for specific applications in the automotive sector. In addition, the easy replicability and adaptation of the provided inventory is expected to boost enterprises to increase their overall sustainability. Finally, this study provides data and tools for the development of further research in alternative painting technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nuragic civilization (Sardinia, Italy, XVIII–VIII B.C) developed a flourishing bronze metallurgy with strong connections with other civilizations from the Mediterranean basin. Within the large bronze production, there are some peculiar representations of human figures, known in the archaeological environment of Sardinia as bronzetti, depicting warriors, priests, and offerers. In this paper, an interesting couple of Nuragic statuettes representing offerers, one from the Pigorini Museum in Rome and another from the Musei Reali in Turin, were analyzed. They have been investigated with X-ray fluorescence integrated with Monte Carlo simulations (XRF-MC). The combined methodology provides more accurate results, ranging from the structural characterization to the identification of the corrosion layers to the estimation of the composition of the alloy of the artifact. One of the most striking results regards the heads of the offerers: both heads are covered with a thick iron-based layer, even though the whole artifacts are made of a copper alloy. To understand the reason behind this peculiar corrosion patina, several hypotheses have been considered, including the possibility that these iron mineralizations are the consequence of an ancient superficial treatment, intending to confer a chromatic effect on the figurine's head. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religions and religiosities are among the various social life spheres being affected by medical and political measures imposed during the health emergency. Involving a wide range of daily life dimensions and intertwining with fundamental aspects of individual and social existence, restrictions hit religions and religiosities in all those spaces where they find expression in our contemporary era. Pandemic restraints induced changes in the use of different public spaces: from school to home, from workplaces to places of worship, from prisons to squares, from hospitals to cemeteries. This also concerned the way religiosity could be performed, lived and shared in everyday life, for communities, families and individuals. In particular, during the pandemic, the role of religious environments became, once again, a place of material as well as spiritual support for migrants. And in this perspective, young people, i.e., second generations, played a prominent role, regaining prestige and recognition from adults. In fact, from being perceived as "far from religion and on the road to secularization", as one interviewee said, young people have been able to show how it is possible to reinterpret religion in emigration, without abandoning religious values. This paper discusses the results of preliminary research on the topic conducted in the first phase of the pandemic in Turin, a city that, for its history of immigration and consolidated presence of Muslim, Catholic and Orthodox communities, is an emblematic case of the Italian multicultural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of any multi-analytical and non-invasive approach to the study of cultural heritage, both for conservation and scientific investigation purposes, is gaining increasing interest, and it was tested in this paper, focusing on the panel painting Madonna della Tenda (Musei Reali, Turin), identified as a 16th-century copy of the painting by Raffaello Sanzio. As a part of a broader diagnostic campaign carried out at the Centro Conservazione e Restauro, La Venaria Reale in Turin, Italy, the potential of the combination of X-ray radiography, pulse-compression thermography, macro X-ray fluorescence, and IR reflectography was tested to investigate the wooden support and all the preparatory phases for the realization of the painting. The results of the optical microscopy and SEM/EDS analyses on a multi-layered micro-sample were used for a precise comparison, integration, and/or confirmation of what was suggested by the non-invasive techniques. Particularly, the radiographic and thermographic techniques allowed for an in-depth study of a hole, interestingly present on the panel's back surface, detecting the trajectory of the wood grain and confirming the presence of an old wood knot, as well as of a tau-shaped element—potentially a cracked and unfilled area of the wooden support—near the hollow. The combination of radiography, macro X-ray fluorescence, Near Infrared (NIR), and Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) reflectography allowed for an inspection of the ground layer, imprimitura, engravings, and underdrawing, not only revealing interesting technical-executive aspects of the artwork realization, but also highlighting the advantages of an integrated reading of data obtained from the different analytical techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of multidisciplinary research in which reconstructive digital modelling operates on different areas of heritage and at different scales to realize an analysis, interpretation, and communication experience in the field of museum valorization. It is, in fact, a work that includes both the philological reconstruction of the lost parts of a Buddha statue of Gandhāra, dating back to the second century b.C. and kept at the Museum of Oriental Art (MAO) in Turin, and its contextualization within a coeval architectural complex, recognized as philologically compatible, located in Balo-Kale, in the region of Gandhāra. The reconstructive models are finally used with communicative purposes for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications inside the museum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DC urban light railway systems are used for public transportation in many towns worldwide. In these systems, short-circuit currents are often similar, both in steady-state magnitude and in rate-of-rise, to normal operation currents. In order to properly set the protection relays, to obtain short-circuit discrimination and to avoid nuisance trippings, it is important to analyze short circuit and normal operation current patterns. It is also important to highlight that normal operation current patterns are not only those related to rolling stock acceleration, but also to zone commutation. This paper presents the results of several measurement campaigns, performed for this purpose, on the tram network of Turin, Italy. The measurements results are then used to propose optimized settings for the installed overcurrent protections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giuseppe Gradenigo was born in Venice in 1859, and he was a member of the noble Venetian family of the Gradenigo. After graduation in medicine in Padua, he went to Vienna where he deepened his studies in otology and embryology. He obtained, in 1888, the "libera docenza" in otology in Padua, and in 1889, he began to direct the section of otolaryngology of the polyclinic of Turin. After a brilliant career in 1917, he took over the chair of otolaryngology at the University of Naples. Gradenigo was a pioneer in otolaryngology and audiology and a reference figure in the clinical and scientific fields. In this paper, the most important aspects about his works and his biography will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper shows the accounting, accountability and calculative practices associated with emergency food allocations by the City of Turin through a program to feed the vulnerable during COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach: This is a single case study framed by Foucault's governmentality concept. The data was collected through interviews with key institutional actors and triangulated against decrees, circulars, ordinances and other publicly available documents. Findings: The accounting tools of governmentality are always incomplete. Sometimes unique situations and crises help us to revise and improve the tools we have. Other times, they demand entirely new tools. Research limitations/implications: Accounting needs both things to count and a context to count them. In the case of food assistance, what is counted is people. In Turin's case, many people had never been counted – either because there was no need or because they were unaccounted for by choice. Now, the government was accountable for the welfare of both. Thus, new classification systems emerged, as did organisational and accounting solutions. Originality/value: Although the accounting-for-disasters literature is diverse, studies too often favour the macro social, economic and political issues surrounding crises, neglecting the micro issues associated with governmentality and calculative practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is aimed at obtaining a better understanding of the role played by universities in the technological development and specialization of the territories in which they are located. Our methodology adopts both quantitative and qualitative techniques. First, we provide evidence of the interplay between the technological specialization of universities and the evolution of the technological trajectories of firms located in Italian NUTS3 regions. We also propose an original taxonomy of university-region technological evolution processes that leads to the identification of four possible models and reveals substantial heterogeneity in university-region specialization processes. Finally, we analyze the underlying mechanisms of university technology transfer activities in more detail, by using the Politecnico di Torino as a single case study. The case examines how the university has changed its strategy by modifying the mix of exploitation and exploration strategies to continue increasing the technological proximity with the local ecosystem under conditions of rapid and radical change. Our work offers important implications for both regional technology policies and the management of universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents and discusses the method adopted by Compagnia di San Paolo, one of the largest European philanthropic institutions, to monitor the advancement, despite the COVID-19 situation, in providing specific input to the decision-making process for dedicated projects. An innovative approach based on the use of daily open data was adopted to monitor the metropolitan area with a multidimensional perspective. Several open data indicators related to the economy, society, culture, environment, and climate were identified and incorporated into the decision support system dashboard. Indicators are presented and discussed to highlight how open data could be integrated into the foundation's strategic approach and potentially replicated on a large scale by local institutions. Moreover, starting from the lessons learned from this experience, the paper analyzes the opportunities and critical issues surrounding the use of open data, not only to improve the quality of life during the COVID-19 epidemic but also for the effective regulation of society, the participation of citizens, and their well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Megaprojects are increasingly common across countries and attract substantial political attention from a variety of actors. Recent studies have highlighted the need to move from an understanding of megaprojects as linear and rational processes towards a more nuanced approach that accounts for non-linear and conflictual aspects. Participatory governance is often proposed as a valuable resource in this regard. In this paper, we investigate the setting and design of two participatory venues operating in the context of the implementation of the Lyon-Turin high-speed railway megaproject: the Italian Observatory for the Turin-Lyon Railway and the French Public Inquiry. Empirical evidence shows that the Italian case featured substantial structural barriers to effective democratic participation. As for the French case, while better designed and implanted in its context, it featured important agentic limitations that undermined its democratic potential. On the basis of our case study, we therefore argue that both the Observatory for the Turin-Lyon Railway and Public Inquiry failed to promote democratic participation. We thus propose a deliberative approach to (the study of) of megaprojects. Whereas deliberative democratic ideas command growing interest across disciplines, these have found only limited application in the study of megaprojects. We contend that a deliberative democratic approach holds promise to improve the democratic and epistemic qualities of decision making on megaprojects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to analyse the participation of Indigenous Australians in Slow Food International's 2018 Salone del Gusto-Terra Madre meeting in Turin, Italy. Slow Food is a global grassroots organisation created to promote local food cultures and traditions, and the organisation's Terra Madre network highlights the urgent need to protect the food-production systems of Indigenous peoples, valuing their holistic approach and recognising them as custodians of biodiversity. By creating a platform for Indigenous peoples to meet and discuss their challenges and ideas, and by putting Indigenous knowledges and stewardship of the environment at the centre of discussions about tackling global environmental challenges, the organisation encourages its Indigenous members to work toward food sovereignty in their respective countries as well as on an international level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Seven emblematic Leonardo da Vinci's drawings were investigated through third generation sequencing technology (Nanopore). In addition, SEM analyses were carried out to acquire photographic documentation and to infer the nature of the micro-objects removed from the surface of the drawings. The Nanopore generated microbiomes can be used as a "bio-archive" of the drawings, offering a kind of fingerprint for current and future biological comparisons. This information might help to create a biological catalog of the drawings (cataloging), a microbiome-fingerprint for each single analyzed drawing, as a reference dataset for future studies (monitoring) and last but not least a bio-archive of the history of each single object (added value). Results showed a relatively high contamination with human DNA and a surprising dominance of bacteria over fungi. However, it was possible to identify typical bacteria of the human microbiome, which are mere contaminants introduced by handling of the drawings as well as other microorganisms that seem to have been introduced through vectors, such as insects and their droppings, visible through the SEM analyses. All drawings showed very specific bio-archives, but a core microbiome of bacteria and fungi that are repeatedly found in this type of material as true degraders were identified, such as members of the phyla Proteobacteria , Actinobacteria , and Firmicutes among bacteria, and fungi belonging to the classes Sordariomycetes and Eurotiomycetes. In addition, some similarities were observed that could be influenced by their geographical location (Rome or Turin), indicating the influence of this factor and denoting the importance of environmental and storage conditions on the specific microbiomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper illustrates the results of a survey conducted in the period January-February 2023 involving the users of the Turin Public Libraries, an urban system currently affected by a significant strategic rethinking process. Through the analysis of the answers to questionnaire provided by 3,926 people, it was possible to bring to light the complexity and the multidimensionality of the act of reading and to gather interesting information on three central issues: the process that leads readers to choose the book; the libraries' role in fostering and enriching the reading experience; the complementarity between book and other form of access to narrative world, both outside and within libraries. These cognitive elements can help both to improve the collection development policies and to favor the meeting between readers and collections, also through their integrated and transmedial organization within an enriched physical and virtual bibliographic space, which stimulates and enhances the reading experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the problem of power penetration of photovoltaic (PV) systems in urban networks. After a qualitative problem description, two different environments for PV systems have been analyzed: rural and urban networks. Concerning the rural network, a single line has been simulated in order to evaluate the relation between the number of PV systems installed along the line and the maximum PV power installable. In the second part of this paper, possible problems due to power penetration have been examined concerning a clustered PV system that will be installed in the city of Torino (Italy) within the ambit of the EU project called POLYCITY. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the framework of restoration operations, valuable assistance can be supplied from innovative techniques and methods developed in the field of Geomatics. Over the years, this continuous collaboration has produced synergistic and interdisciplinary results that have been successfully contributing to heritage conservation and valorisation. In the case of the current research, thorough multisensory investigations have been performed in order to provide a deeper knowledge of the Green Room of the Valentino Castle in Turin and to support the planning of the future restoration works that will involve this valuable asset. In the framework of this experience, four LiDAR systems have been employed in order to evaluate the different results obtainable from the sensors. Additionally, a complete photogrammetric close-range survey has been carried out, and some tests were completed using a hyperspectral camera. The workflow followed during the current research is described in this paper, and a comparison between the obtained outputs is proposed, focusing on the characteristics of these metric products, useful and sometimes necessary in the framework of the restoration project. Besides, some considerations on the advantages and the issues connected with the use of these reality-based data as a starting point for HBIM (Heritage Building Information Modeling) model generation are proposed, along with some observations about the potentialities of a photogrammetric co-registration approach using spectrum technologies for deterioration/decay detection and monitoring of heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the methodological framework set up for the analysis, interpretation, and representation of the banded vaulted systems recognized in eleven Baroque atria in Turin. In these atria, the banded vaults, locally named "a fascie", are featured by a series of arches orthogonal to the perimeter walls on which they rest. The arches divide the room's ceiling into spaces that can accommodate small vaults of different shapes. The atria have been the subject of bibliographical, historical and documentary analyses, laser scanner metric survey, two-dimensional graphic representations, and interpretative hypotheses through three-dimensional modeling of the design's geometries of the vaults.The integration between terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) technique, architectural drawing and three-dimensional modeling methods led to the definition of new workflows, aimed at optimizing the use of data. From these procedures new opportunities for the research arise, such as the comparison (metric and geometric) through the superimposition of design ideal models and point clouds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the effectiveness of a small experimental pilot addressed to foreign adolescents with low language skills and high dropout risk in lower secondary school in Turin, North-West Italy. The intervention aims at reducing Early School Leaving while supporting standard school curricula. In order to facilitate students' re-motivation and their attachment to the school environment, the pilot proposes an original VET approach that alternates standard school activities to innovative vocational training. In particular, treated students substitute 290 h VET courses for 10 standard school weeks along a scholastic year. First of all, the analysis aims at evaluating effects on Early School Leaving. Then, since the pilot requires a long period in VET away from school, the study evaluates effects on educational outcomes. Oltre I Muri is a very small pilot experiment, involving seven schools and offering 11 VET positions to migrant students. We investigated the effectiveness of the program by an experimental counterfactual approach: participants have been randomly assigned to a treated and a control group with similar characteristics. They are adolescent migrants attending the 2nd year of lower secondary school and manifesting very high drop-out risk. Treated students attend the alternating VET/school pilot, while control students attend standard school classes. Randomization inference allows assessing average treatment effects, but the very small sample size does not guarantee statistical significance at standard levels. Results anyhow suggests some effectiveness of the project in contrasting Early School Leaving. In particular, while some non-treated students dropped out from school during the pilot, all treated students regularly completed their scholastic year. This can be interpreted as a 20% increase in school attendance, with an 80% confidence level assessed by Montecarlo randomization. Finally, extreme value bound techniques applied to test scores suggest that treated students do not prejudice their learning by attending VET instead of standard school classes during the pilot. On the contrary, their school attachment is reinforced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]