Selected Italian Projects

Rationalism remains at the sidelines of contemporary architecture in Italy – a latent current rather than a leading force. Andrew Peckham and Lucia Tozzi reveal how this stubborn but rich seam is manifesting itself: in Cino Zucchi's substantial housing scheme on the outskirts of Milan; Werner Tscholl's insertion into Schloss Sigmundskron/Castel Firmiano; Beniamino Servino's continued work on the Nursery School in Formicola, Caserta; and C+S Associati's Nursery School at Covolo di Pederobba in Treviso. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Methods for Determining Assimilable Organic Carbon and Some Factors Affecting the Van Der Kooij Method

It has been demonstrated in many advanced European drinking water facilities that the application of ozone in conjunction with a subsequent granular activated carbon (GAC) treatment step results in reduced distribution system disinfectant demand. This is due, in large measure, to the removal of biodegradable organic substances by microorganisms colonizing the activated carbon. The concentration of easily biodegradable or assimilable carbon (AOC) can be measured in various ways. This paper compares available methods for measuring AOC or bacterial regrowth, and presents pilot plant results showing some factors affecting the van der Kooij method.     

Colour as vocation: Werner Spillmann's contribution to environmental colour design

Werner Spillmann is known as a colour consultant, influential pedagogue, and passionate promoter of colour as a primary design issue. This article aims to present Spillmann's important contribution to environmental colour design giving special attention to his noteworthy activities in the context of the International Colour Association (AIC). Since 1960, beginning with the period when he became a lecturer and subsequently professor in the Department of Architecture at the Winterthur Polytechnic in Switzerland, Spillmann has successfully introduced colour as a basic element of architectural education and also developed a method for using colour in environmental design. During the initial years of the AIC, Spillmann attended the association's rather sporadic events beginning with its first Congress in 1969. Spillmann's influence on the AIC grew with the association's own consolidation and increasing international importance. He presented his first AIC paper in 1976 and by 1977, when the AIC began to consequently fulfill its constitutional aim of realizing an annual program and had become an internationally renowned organization in the field of colour studies, Spillmann began to play a key role in the leadership of the association. In 1982, Spillmann became a member of the AIC Study Group on Environmental Colour Design. In 1983, he was invited to give a presentation at the AIC Midterm Meeting in Sweden, and, in 1985, he was elected to the AIC Executive Committee for the period 1986–1989. In serving the AIC during this time period, he organized the Interim Meeting on Colour in Environmental Design, which took place in 1988 at the Winterthur Polytechnic. Spillmann's contribution to the AIC represents the crystalization of the theoretical and practical lines of development that he pursued through his own teaching and professional design practice. During this same time period that he was intensely involved in the AIC, his importance and influence as a teacher and design professional increased as well. The intense courses he developed for architects, designers, and planners and taught in Winterthur between 1982 and 1995 were highly successful. As a teacher, Spillmann was acclaimed not only because of his consistent methodological approach and comprehensive content of his courses but especially for his charisma. Spillmann's involvement in the AIC and his teaching and personal professional development demonstrate how his assiduous striving toward a greater appreciation of colour as an imminent element in contemporary architectural design resulted in raising awareness of the psychological, social, and cultural value of colour within the related fields of architectural history and theory, cultural studies, design, and urbanism. Especially Spillmann's special contribution is underscored by his capacity to take up new approaches adapting and testing these through application in architectural education and design practice. Spillmann has published several essays on colour in environmental design and colour order systems. He presently lives in Basel, Switzerland. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 30, 53–65, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/col.20075     

Fabricating Design: A Revolution of Choice

Berlin-based practice Barkow Leibinger has become synonymous with expertise in digital fabrication. For 12 years, the firm has been engaged in designing buildings for machine-tool company Trumpf in Stuttgart - a relationship that has given the firm remarkable insights into the laser cutting of sheet metal. Here, Frank Barkow describes the fruitful research that the studio has undertaken in laser cutting as well as two innovative projects that have resulted from it. He explains why a new technology like that of digital fabrication must be for architects by necessity ‘a revolution of choice’ - a speculation on where best to exploit new possibilities, albeit informed by research and experimentation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Forming Climatic Change

The Architectural Association in London is renowned for its unique unit structure in which avant-garde research and design strategies are incubated and hatched. In a new series edited by Michael Weinstock, Academic Head at the AA, the activities of the units are brought under the spotlight. ‘Unit Factor’ kicks off with an account by Steve Hardy and Werner Gaiser of the Environments, Ecology and Sustainability research cluster they lead. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

German mathematicians and cryptology in WWII

Abstract

By now, a great deal is known about the contributions of Alan Turing, I. J. Good, Max Newman, and other mathematicians who worked at Bletchley Park during World War II. But what about the other side? Until recently, very little was known about the German mathematicians who aided the Nazi war effort: who were they, where did they work, and what did they do? But now, thanks to the release of a large number of TICOM documents in recent years, an initial picture is beginning to emerge. In this article, we identify the most important mathematicians who worked in the different German cryptologic organizations during the war: who they were, how they were recruited, which organizations they were in, and what they did (when this is known). Although their successes never rivaled those of Bletchley Park, they did have successes, and these were sometimes due to the efforts of mathematicians who went on to have distinguished careers after the war. One question that motivated this study was to understand the reasons for the German communications security meltdown during the war: how they got the Enigma and Tunny security assessments partly right but mostly wrong. As will be seen, this was not due to a lack of talent: some of the very best German mathematicians contributed to their war effort. The answer lies instead in how these potentially very useful assets were actually used (in striking contrast with what happened at Bletchley Park).     

Association of the rs1346044 Polymorphism of the Werner Syndrome Gene RECQL2 with Increased Risk and Premature Onset of Breast Cancer

Like other RECQ helicases, WRN/RECQL2 plays a crucial role in DNA replication and the maintenance of genome stability. Inactivating mutations in RECQL2 lead to Werner syndrome, a rare autosomal disease associated with premature aging and an increased susceptibility to multiple cancer types. We analyzed the association of two coding single-nucleotide polymorphisms in WRN, Cys1367Arg (rs1346044), and Arg834Cys (rs3087425), with the risk, age at onset, and clinical subclasses of breast cancer in a hospital-based case-control study of an Austrian population of 272 breast cancer patients and 254 controls. Here we report that the rare homozygous CC genotype of rs1346044 was associated with an approximately two-fold elevated breast cancer risk. Moreover, patients with the CC genotype exhibited a significantly increased risk of developing breast cancer under the age of 55 in both recessive and log-additive genetic models. CC patients developed breast cancer at a mean age of 55.2 ± 13.3 years and TT patients at 60.2 ± 14.7 years. Consistently, the risk of breast cancer was increased in pre-menopausal patients in the recessive model. These findings suggest that the CC genotype of WRN rs1346044 may contribute to an increased risk and a premature onset of breast cancer.     

Werner K. Honig (1932-2001): Obituary.

Reports the death of Werner K. Honig. The author discusses his contributions to the study of animal learning. A synopsis of his life is also given. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Starch–metal complexes and metal compounds

Recently, metal derivatives of starch evoked considerable interest. Such metal derivatives can take a form of starch compounds bearing metal atoms and metal carrying moieties either covalently bound or complexed. Starch metal complexes may have a character of either Werner, inclusion, sorption or capillary complexes. In this publication, preparation, structure, properties and numerous current and potential applications of those compounds as well as benefits resulting from the application and formation of the complexes are presented. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry