"The Changing Concept of Proportions" : Architecture, Mathematic and Geometry from Architectural Principles in the Age of Humanism to the Techno-Organic Movement

Francesca Mattei 한국미술이론학회 2014 미술이론과 현장 Vol.0 No.18

본 논문은 루돌프 비트코워의 저서 『인본주의 시대의 건축원리』의 성공을 새롭게 보려는 시도이며, 이 저서가 미국 건축구조의 역사에 미친 영향을 고찰하고자 한다. 비트코워가 추구한 기하학적 혹은 수학적 원리와 그 적용의 연결고리를 제시하기 위하여, 리차드 벅민스터 풀러, 콘래드 왁스만, 로베르 르 리콜레, 펠릭스 사무엘리, 앤 팅의 작업을 분석한다. 논문의 1장은 제2차 세계대전 이후 『인본주의 시대의 건축원리』의 성과를 분석하며, 2장은 기하학, 형태, 성장 간의 관계를 3장에서 논의되는 기하학이 구조와 사전제작과 연결되는 점과 비교하여 고찰한다. 그리고 논문을 결론지으며 “비율의 가변적 개념”이 건축의 전망에 어떻게 영향을 주었는지를 살펴보고자 한다. This paper explores a new point of view regarding the success of the Rudolf Wittkower's book Architectural Principles in the Age of Humanism. The goal is to demonstrate the influence of the book on the history of American construction. In order to show the link between the geometrical or mathematical principles – explored by Wittkower - and the application put in practice, the article analyses the work by Richard Buckminster Fuller, Konrad Wachsman, Robert Le Ricolais, Felix Samuely and Anne Tyng. The first part is dedicated to the fortune of the book Architectural Principles after the Second World War; the second one to the relation among geometry, form, and growth, compared to the link of geometry to structure and prefabrication, on which the third part is focused. At last the paper tries to show how "the changing concept of proportion" influenced the vision of architecture.

Stabilization of Rat Serum Proteins Following Oral Administration of Fish Oil

Saso, Luciano,Valentini, Giovanni,Mattei, Eleonora,Panzironi, Claudio,Casini, Maria Luisa,Grippa, Eleonora,Silvestrini, Bruno The Pharmaceutical Society of Korea 1999 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.22 No.5

The mechanism of action of fish oil (FO), currently used in different chronic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), is not completely understood, although it is thought that it could alter the metabolism of endogenous autacoids. In addition, we hypothesized that the known capability of fatty acids (FA) of stabilizing serum albumin and perhaps other proteins, may be of pharmacological relevance considering that it is shared by other anti-rheumatic agents (e.g. nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs). Thus, we studied the effect of oral administration of FO and corn oil (CO), a vegetable oil with a different composition, on the stability of rat serum proteins, evaluated buy a classical in vitro method based on heat-induced protein denaturation. FO, and, to a lower extent, CO inhibited heat-induced denaturation of rat serum (RS): based on the inhibitory activity (EC50) of the major fatty acids against heat-induced denaturation of RS in vitro, it was possible to speculate the in vivo effects of palmitic acid (C16:0) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5, n-3) may be more relevant than that of linolenic acid (C18:2). To better investigate this phenomenon, we extracted albumin from the serum of animals treated or not with FO with a one-step affinity chromatography technique, obtaining high purity rat serum albumin preparations (RSA-CTRL and RSA-FO), as judged by SDS-PAGE with Coomassie blue staining. When these RSA preparations were heated at $70^{\circ}C$ for 30 min, it was noted that RSA-FO was much more stable than RSA-CTRL, presumably due to higher number of long chain fatty acids (FA) such as palmitic acid or EPA. In conclusion, we provided evidences that oral administration of FO in the rat stabilizes serum albumin, due to an increase in the number of protein bound long chain fatty acids (e.g. palitic acid and EPA). We speculate that the stabilization of serum albumin and perhaps other proteins could prevent changes of antigenicity due to protein denaturation and glycosylation, which may trigger pathological autoimmune responses, suggesting that this action may be involved in the mode of action of FO in RA and other chronic inflammatory diseases.

Experimental Techniques for Evaluating the Success of Restoration Projects

Robinson, George R.,Handel, Steven-N.l,Mattei, Jennifer The Ecological Society of Korea 2002 Journal of Ecology and Environment Vol.25 No.1

The ecological background of a restoration project is complex and difficult to betermine without experimentation. A useful context for experiments is the well-studied process of natural succession, because the factors that drive or inhibit succession are also at work during reclamation (a form of primary succession) and restoration (which often resembles secondary succession). Using experimental studies on urban wasteland reclamation, we have tested for factors that stimulate or inhibit succession during early phases of woodland development in the Northeastern United states. The emphasis has been on mutualisms (seed dispersal, pollination, and mycorrhizae) and microsite limitations in the recruitment, growth, and reproduction of woody plants. Using plantings of seeds, seedlings, and clusters of reproductively mature plants on abandoned landfills, we have observed that (1) soil microsite deficiencies lead to very poor germination (<0.1$\%$) and seedling survival (<0.01$\%$) of most native species; (2) seed dispersal by birds is a significant and reliable source of woody plant recruitment; however (3) proximity effects are strong, with most (up to 95$\%$) of seed rain falling in the vicinity of planted clusters that are closest to putative seed sources; and (4) remnant natural woodlands are critical components of the recruitment process. To emphasize the last point, in one case, we found that the destruction of approximately 50$\%$ of nearby natural woodland vegetation led to a commensurate decline in seed rain. In another case, we found that the species richness of recruits was strictly limited by the species composition of nearby source plant communities, with no evidence of community enrichment by long distance dispersal over 5 years. We conclude from these results that the size and proximity of remnant natural populations are critical considerations when planning reclamation and restoration programs that rely on natural successional processes.

Cardiac Toxicities Associated with Immune Checkpoints Inhibitors: Mechanisms, Manifestations and Management

Abdulrazzak Zarifa,Jin Wan Kim,Juan Lopez-Mattei,Nicolas Palaskas,Cezar Iliescu,Peter Y. Kim 대한심장학회 2021 Korean Circulation Journal Vol.51 No.7

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) associated cardiovascular adverse events (CVAE) have become more frequent with the growing use of cancer immunotherapy. CVAEs include a wide spectrum of diseases such as myocarditis, pericarditis, heart failure, arrhythmias, coronary artery disease, and hypertension. The induction of cardiovascular side effects by ICI use is hypothesized to occur due to inflammation and immune dysregulation of normal tissue in response to immunotherapy. Management of ICI-associated CVAEs mitigates an overactive immune response by utilizing steroids, immunomodulatory drugs and hemodynamic stabilization. However, few controlled studies on the cardiovascular safety of ICIs exist and treatment of their side effects are mostly from limited case series. Our review seeks to provide the most recent understanding of ICI-associated CVAEs and their management.

Seismic retrofit of a steel-reinforced concrete hospital building using continuous energy-dissipative steel columns

Massimiliano Ferraioli,Biagio Laurenza,Angelo Lavino,Ciro Frattolillo,Gianfranco De Matteis 국제구조공학회 2023 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.47 No.4

Seismic retrofit of an existing steel-reinforced concrete hospital building that features innovative use of a continuous energy-dissipative steel column (CEDC) system is presented in this paper. The special system has been adopted to provide an efficient solution taking into account the difficulties of applying traditional intervention techniques to minimize the impact on architectural functionality and avoid the loss of building function and evacuation during the retrofit implementation. The lateral stiffness and strength of the CEDC system were defined based on the geometric and mechanical properties of the steel strip dampers. The hysteretic behavior under cyclic loadings was defined using a simplified numerical model. Its effectiveness was validated by comparing the results of full-scale experimental data available from the literature. All the main design considerations of the retrofitting plan are described in detail. The effectiveness of the proposed retrofitting system was demonstrated by nonlinear time-history analyses under different sets of earthquake-strong ground motions. The analysis results show that the CEDC system is effective in controlling the deformation pattern and significantly reducing damage to the existing structure during major earthquakes.

Machine-Learning for Prescription Patterns: Random Forest in the Prediction of Dose and Number of Antipsychotics Prescribed to People with Schizophrenia

Mattia Marchi,Giacomo Galli,Gianluca Fiore,Andrew Mackinnon,Giorgio Mattei,Fabrizio Starace,Gian M. Galeazzi 대한정신약물학회 2022 CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE Vol.20 No.3

Objective: We aimed to predict antipsychotic prescription patterns for people with schizophrenia using machine learning (ML) algorithms. Methods: In a cross-sectional design, a sample of community mental health service users (SUs; n = 368) with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia was randomly selected. Socio-demographic and clinical features, including the number, total dose, and route of administration of the antipsychotic treatment were recorded. Information about the number and the length of psychiatric hospitalization was retrieved. Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression and ML algorithms (i.e., random forest [RF], supported vector machine, K-nearest neighborhood, and Naïve Bayes) were used to estimate the predictors of total antipsychotic dosage and prescription of antipsychotic polytherapy (APP). Results: The strongest predictor of the total dose was APP. The number of Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC) contacts was the most important predictor of APP and, with APP omitted, of dosage. Treatment with anticholinergics predicted APP, emphasizing the strong correlation between APP and higher antipsychotic dose. RF performed better than OLS regression and the other ML algorithms in predicting both antipsychotic dose (root square mean error = 0.70, R2 = 0.31) and APP (area under the receiving operator curve = 0.66, true positive rate = 0.41, and true negative rate = 0.78). Conclusion: APP is associated with the prescription of higher total doses of antipsychotics. Frequent attenders at CMHCs, and SUs recently hospitalized are often treated with APP and higher doses of antipsychotics. Future prospective studies incorporating standardized clinical assessments for both psychopathological severity and treatment efficacy are needed to confirm these findings.

Increased Incidence of Breast Cancer in Postmenopausal Women with High Body Mass Index at the Modena Screening Program

Federica Sebastiani,Laura Cortesi,Milena Sant,Valeria Lucarini,Claudia Cirilli,Elisabetta De Matteis,Isabella Marchi,Rossella Negri,Ennio Gallo,Massimo Federico 한국유방암학회 2016 Journal of breast cancer Vol.19 No.3

Purpose: We conducted a study to evaluate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the risk of breast cancer (BC) and outcome in a population of 14,684 women aged 55 to 69 years eligible to participate in the Mammography Screening Program (MSP) in the Province of Modena, Italy. Methods: The study population was drawn from women who underwent mammography screening between 2004 and 2006 in the Province of Modena. Women were subdivided into obese, overweight, and normal-weight categories according to BMI and followed until July 31, 2010, to evaluate the BC incidence. The clinicopathological characteristics of BC were also evaluated in different groups of patients classified according to BMI. After BC diagnosis, patients were followed for a median period of 65 (range, 2–104) months. Second events (recurrences and second tumors) were recorded, and the 5-year event-free survival (EFS) was calculated. Results: After a period of 73 months, 366 cases of BC were diagnosed. Compared with normal-weight women, obese women had a significantly higher incidence of BC (relative risk [RR], 1.32; p=0.040) (RR=1), larger tumors (27% of tumors were larger than T2 size), and more nodal involvement (38.5% of tumors were node-positive). Furthermore, a significantly higher rate of total events was seen in obese women compared with overweight and normal-weight patients, respectively (17.9% vs. 11.4% vs. 10.8%, p=0.032). The 5-year EFS was 89.0%, 89.0%, and 80.0% for normal-weight, overweight, and obese patients, respectively. Conclusion: We observed a significantly higher risk of BC in obese women among those eligible to participate in the MSP in the Province of Modena. Finally, obese women had more second events and poorer EFS compared to nono bese women.

Seismic performance of composite plate shear walls with variable column flexural stiffness

Ivan Curkovic,Davor Skejic,Ivica Dzeba,Gianfranco De Matteis 국제구조공학회 2019 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.33 No.1

Cyclic behaviour of composite (steel - concrete) plate shear walls (CPSW) with variable column flexural stiffness is experimentally and numerically investigated. The investigation included design, fabrication and testing of three pairs of one-bay one-storey CPSW specimens. The reference specimen pair was designed in way that its column flexural stiffness corresponds to the value required by the design codes, while within the other two specimen pairs column flexural stiffness was reduced by 18% and 36%, respectively. Specimens were subjected to quasi-static cyclic tests. Obtained results indicate that column flexural stiffness reduction in CPSW does not have negative impact on the overall behaviour allowing for satisfactory performance for up to 4% storey drift ratio while also enabling inelastic buckling of the infill steel plate. Additionally, in comparison to similar steel plate shear wall (SPSW) specimens, column "pull-in" deformations are less pronounced within CPSW specimens. Therefore, the results indicate that prescribed minimal column flexural stiffness value used for CPSW might be conservative, and can additionally be reduced when compared to the prescribed value for SPSWs. Furthermore, finite element (FE) pushover simulations were conducted using shell and solid elements. Such FE models can adequately simulate cyclic behaviour of CPSW and as such could be further used for numerical parametric analyses. It is necessary to mention that the implemented pushover FE models were not able to adequately reproduce column "pull-in" deformation and that further development of FE simulations is required where cyclic loading of the shear walls needs to be simulated.

The expression analysis of mouse interleukin-6 splice variants argued against their biological relevance

( Giosue Annibalini ),( Michele Guescini ),( Deborah Agostini ),( Rita De Matteis ),( Piero Sestili ),( Pasquale Tibollo ),( Michela Mantuano ),( Chiara Martinelli ),( Vilberto Stocchi ) 생화학분자생물학회 2012 BMB Reports Vol.45 No.1

Alternative splicing generates several interleukin-6 (IL-6) isoforms; for them an antagonistic activity to the wild-type IL-6 has been proposed. In this study we quantified the relative abundance of IL-6 mRNA isoforms in a panel of mouse tissues and in C2C12 cells during myoblast differentiation or after treatment with the Ca2+ ionophore A23187, the AMP-mimetic AICAR and TNF-α. The two mouse IL-6 isoforms identified, IL-6δ5 (deletion of the first 58 bp of exon 5) and IL-6δ3 (lacking exon 3), were not conserved in rat and human, did not exhibit tissue specific regulation, were expressed at low levels and their abundance closely correlated to that of full-length IL-6. Species-specific features of the IL-6 sequence, such as the presence of competitive 3` acceptor site in exon 5 and insertion of retrotransposable elements in intron 3, could explain the production of IL-6δ5 and IL-6δ3. Our results argued against biological significance for mouse IL-6 isoforms. [BMB reports 2012; 45(1): 32-37]