聚集与向心：传统佛教建筑对场所精神的延续

“场所精神”早在古罗马的传统信仰文化中就有所体现,古罗马人认为,每一种“独立的”本体（包括人和场所）都有自己的灵魂（genius）守护神灵,灵魂赋予本体以生命,如影随形,始终决定其外在的特征并反映其内在的本质。从“genius loci”这个词的组合上就可以看出,“genius”表示“What a thing is”,即“物之为何”,意味着理解力（intel igence）或精神技能的最高水平,而“loci”则为“地点”、“场所”之意,又“特定已知存在的地方”或“某事物的中心所在”,合起来就成为了一个标识场所本质的词条。而在某种意义上讲,场所也被认为是“一个人记忆的一种物体化和空间化”,或是“对一个地方的认同感和归属感”。著名的城市建筑学家诺贝格·舒尔茨（Christian Norberg-Schulz）在1979年明确提出“场所精神”的概念,认为场所是具有清晰特性的空间。如今,“场所精神”经常被用来指具有与众不同的氛围的场所或地点,或者是某种“精神性的场所（spirit of place）”,而不仅仅指某一位守护神。而在同种类型的建筑当中,其“场所精神”所表现出的气质往往是相同的,以至于每一类别的建筑都有其共通的“场所精神”,反映着相似的内在本质。这也在一定程度上诠释了为什么具备同种精神职能的建筑能够赋予人们同样的心灵体验。通常情况下,建筑艺术通过一些相类似的外在特征来表现这种近乎“同一”的内涵。例如,传统佛教建筑就常常通过“聚集”或“向心”的符号象征来重现佛陀讲经说法时的场景,并表达宇宙人生的真相。无论何时何地,只要不偏离符号象征的原型（prototype）,这种“场所精神”就能够得到有效的延续。     

Designing and Rightsizing the Information System Architecture

Information system design and sizing constitute a complex, top-down process that tailors the technology architecture to application requirements. Practitioners usually tackle this top-down process by focusing on individual design aspects, such as data or specific applications, and by relying on their previous experiences to compare alternative architectural solutions. Acquisition costs are usually accounted for, but related operating and maintenance costs are often neglected or underestimated. The complexity of optimizing individual design problems leads researchers to avoid a global optimization perspective and, thus, the IS architecture is usually a result of the juxtaposition of multiple local optima.This paper takes an overall perspective on the cost minimization problem of information system design to achieve a better trade-off between cost and performance over the whole expected life of the technology architecture. A comprehensive design methodology is discussed as an integrating framework that accounts for all categories of costs, including design, implementation, maintenance, and operation, to achieve a globally cost-minimizing solution.     

PCBs and selected organochlorine compounds in Italian mountain air: the influence of altitude and forest ecosystem type

Passive air samplers (polyurethane foam disks) were deployed on an altitudinal transect in the rural Italian Alps to investigate the potential influence of forest cover on air concentrations. Samplers were exposed overtwo periods, each of several weeks, either in clearings or in forests. In the first period, there was high leaf coverage (high leaf area index, LAI); in the second, the LAI was low after the autumnal leaf fall. PCBs sequestered in the PUF generally declined with altitude, for example, in the clearings PCBs-28, 52, 90/101, 118, and 138, all showed statistically significant declines (p < 0.05). The mass of HCB sequestered increased with altitude, evidence of cold condensation. Ratios of the forest:clearing concentrations were calculated; this ratio expresses the filtering ability of forests to deplete air concentrations compared to the adjacent clearings. During the high LAI sampling period, these depletion factors ranged between 0.93 and 0.54 and were inversely correlated with temperature-corrected log K0A. This relationship was notobserved during the low LAI sampling period. The depletion factors were normalized using the LAI to give a density independent depletion factor (DIDF). The slopes of the correlations with K0A were comparable for broadleaf or coniferous forests at different altitudes, suggesting that leaf surfaces determine the exchanges with air. Broadleaf forests at 1000 and 1400 m showed similar behavior, while a conifer forest at 1800 m gave depletion factors which were higher by about a factor of 2. It is suggested that DIDF can be used in regional environmental fate models to estimate the contribution of forests to contaminant fate.     

Film Blowing of Biodegradable Polymer Nanocomposites for Agricultural Applications

Films for agricultural applications, such as greenhouses films or mulching films are generally made of polyolefins such as linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) or low-density polyethylene. However, the use of biodegradable and/or compostable polymers is increasing, which enjoy the additional advantage that they can be left on the site since a fine life would be gradually assimilated to the underlying soil. Nevertheless, biodegradable polymeric films often do not have suitable mechanical performances. In this work, biodegradable polymer-based nanocomposite films are prepared by film blowing and compared with traditional LLDPE based nanocomposites. In particular, a biodegradable polymer blend and two different inorganic nanofillers (an organo-modified clay and a calcium carbonate with a hydrophobic coating) are used for the preparation of the nanocomposites. A detailed investigation of obtained materials is performed through rheological, mechanical, and optical characterizations. Adding nanofillers led to an increase of rigidity and tear strength of blown films without negatively affecting their ductility.     

Easy Preparation of Liposome@PDA Microspheres for Fast and Highly Efficient Removal of Methylene Blue from Water

Mussel-inspired chemistry was usefully exploited here with the aim of developing a high-efficiency, environmentally friendly material for water remediation. A micro-structured material based on polydopamine (PDA) was obtained by using liposomes as templating agents and was used for the first time as an adsorbent material for the removal of methylene blue (MB) dye from aqueous solutions. Phospholipid liposomes were made by extrusion and coated with PDA by self-polymerization of dopamine under simple and mild conditions. The obtained Liposome@PDA microspheres were characterized by DLS and Zeta potential analysis, TEM microscopy, and FTIR spectroscopy. The effects of pH, temperature, MB concentration, amount of Liposome@PDA, and contact time on the adsorption process were investigated. Results showed that the highest adsorption capacity was obtained in weakly alkaline conditions (pH = 8.0) and that it could reach up to 395.4 mg g⁻¹ at 298 K. In addition, adsorption kinetics showed that the adsorption behavior fits a pseudo-second-order kinetic model well. The equilibrium adsorption data, instead, were well described by Langmuir isotherm. Thermodynamic analysis demonstrated that the adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous (ΔG⁰ = −12.55 kJ mol⁻¹, ΔH⁰ = 13.37 kJ mol⁻¹) in the investigated experimental conditions. Finally, the applicability of Liposome@PDA microspheres to model wastewater and the excellent reusability after regeneration by removing MB were demonstrated.     

Multidrug Idebenone/Naproxen Co-loaded Aspasomes for Significant in vivo Anti-inflammatory Activity

The use of proper nanocarriers for dermal and transdermal delivery of anti-inflammatory drugs recently gained several attentions in the scientific community because they pass intact and accumulate payloads in the deepest layers of skin tissue. Ascorbyl palmitate-based vesicles (aspasomes) can be considered a promising nanocarrier for dermal and transdermal delivery due to their skin whitening properties and suitable delivery of payloads through the skin. The aim of this study was the synthesis of multidrug Idebenone/naproxen co-loaded aspasomes for the development of an effective anti-inflammatory nanomedicine. Aspasomes had suitable physicochemical properties and were safe in vivo if topically applied on human healthy volunteers. Idebenone/naproxen co-loaded aspasomes demonstrated an increased therapeutic efficacy of payloads compared to the commercially available Naprosyn® gel, with a rapid decrease of chemical-induced erythema on human volunteers. These promising results strongly suggested a potential application of Idebenone/naproxen multidrug aspasomes for the development of an effective skin anti-inflammatory therapy.     

可持续理念下的风景园林评价体系研究

随着可持续理念在20多年的发展中被广泛接受和认可,城市风景园林的可持续性也受到广泛关注,各国都在探索可持续理念下的城市景观的建设与发展。对不同国家和中国台湾地区现阶段已经建立的可持续风景园林的评价体系,按照定性、定量及综合评价方法的方式进行分类,分别进行阐述与比较,并提出了中国建立可持续风景园林评价体系的建议。     

Bone Marrow-Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Secretome as Conditioned Medium Relieves Experimental Skeletal Muscle Damage Induced by Ex Vivo Eccentric Contraction

Bone marrow-mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) may offer promise for skeletal muscle repair/regeneration. Growing evidence suggests that the mechanisms underpinning the beneficial effects of such cells in muscle tissue reside in their ability to secrete bioactive molecules (secretome) with multiple actions. Hence, we examined the effects of MSC secretome as conditioned medium (MSC-CM) on ex vivo murine extensor digitorum longus muscle injured by forced eccentric contraction (EC). By combining morphological (light and confocal laser scanning microscopies) and electrophysiological analyses we demonstrated the capability of MSC-CM to attenuate EC-induced tissue structural damages and sarcolemnic functional properties’ modifications. MSC-CM was effective in protecting myofibers from apoptosis, as suggested by a reduced expression of pro-apoptotic markers, cytochrome c and activated caspase-3, along with an increase in the expression of pro-survival AKT factor. Notably, MSC-CM also reduced the EC-induced tissue redistribution and extension of telocytes/CD34⁺ stromal cells, distinctive cells proposed to play a “nursing” role for the muscle resident myogenic satellite cells (SCs), regarded as the main players of regeneration. Moreover, it affected SC functionality likely contributing to replenishment of the SC reservoir. This study provides the necessary groundwork for further investigation of the effects of MSC secretome in the setting of skeletal muscle injury and regenerative medicine.