Search results for " Envelope"
showing 10 items of 253 documents
Grid interaction and environmental impact of a net zero energy building
2020
Abstract The concept of Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB), as a grid-connected building that generates as much energy as it uses over a given period, has been developing through policies and research agendas during the last decade as a contribution towards the decarbonization of the building sector. However, since the most applicable and widely used renewable energy supply options are non-programmable, the large-scale NZEBs diffusion into the existing power grids can seriously affect their stability having a relapse on operation costs and environmental impacts. In this context, the study aims at performing the design of the energy systems to be used in the case-study through a wide numbers of…
Establishment of an HIV cell-cell fusion assay by using two genetically modified HeLa cell lines and reporter gene.
2003
Infection of human cells with the human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) can be mimicked by a fusion process between cells expressing the HIV envelope protein (Env) and cells expressing both human CD4 together with the appropriate human chemokine receptors. In this study, a T-tropic HIV cell-cell fusion assay was established that utilized CD4, human CXCR4 and HIV NL4-3 gp160 as fusion components and a T7 polymerase-activated luciferase as a reporter system. The HeLa T4 cells used, expressed CD4 and CXCR4, and the applied HeLa KS386 cells expressed HIV NL4-3 gp160. By combining HeLa T4 cells with HeLa KS386 cells, an approximately about 100- to 300-fold increase in luciferase activity c…
Gypsy endogenous retrovirus maintains potential infectivity in several species of Drosophilids.
2008
Abstract Background Sequences homologous to the gypsy retroelement from Drosophila melanogaster are widely distributed among drosophilids. The structure of gypsy includes an open reading frame resembling the retroviral gene env, which is responsible for the infectious properties of retroviruses. Results In this study we report molecular and phylogeny analysis of the complete env gene from ten species of the obscura group of the genus Drosophila and one species from the genus Scaptomyza. Conclusion The results indicate that in most cases env sequences could produce a functional Env protein and therefore maintain the infectious capability of gypsy in these species.
Energy retrofit of a single-family house: Life cycle net energy saving and environmental benefits
2013
Abstract When a building undergoes a retrofit project, the goal of assessing energy and environmental performances of retrofit actions is a complex matter. Building and its environment are complex systems in which all sub-systems are strongly interdependent and influence the overall efficiency performance. In the following paper, starting from a literature review of building life-cycle studies, the authors highlight that there is a strong interplay among all the phases of a building life-cycle, as each one can affect one or more of the others. In detail, starting from the results of a “cradle to grave” life cycle study of an existing Mediterranean single-family house, a set of retrofit acti…
Compromised nuclear envelope integrity drives TREX1-dependent DNA damage and tumor cell invasion
2021
Although mutations leading to a compromised nuclear envelope cause diseases such as muscular dystrophies or accelerated aging, the consequences of mechanically induced nuclear envelope ruptures are less known. Here, we show that nuclear envelope ruptures induce DNA damage that promotes senescence in non-transformed cells and induces an invasive phenotype in human breast cancer cells. We find that the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated exonuclease TREX1 translocates into the nucleus after nuclear envelope rupture and is required to induce DNA damage. Inside the mammary duct, cellular crowding leads to nuclear envelope ruptures that generate TREX1-dependent DNA damage, thereby driving the …
Analysis of the Overdispersed Clock in the Short-Term Evolution of Hepatitis C Virus: Using the E1/E2 Gene Sequences to Infer Infection Dates in a Si…
2006
Abstract The assumption of a molecular clock for dating events from sequence information is often frustrated by the presence of heterogeneity among evolutionary rates due, among other factors, to positively selected sites. In this work, our goal is to explore methods to estimate infection dates from sequence analysis. One such method, based on site stripping for clock detection, was proposed to unravel the clocklike molecular evolution in sequences showing high variability of evolutionary rates and in the presence of positive selection. Other alternatives imply accommodating heterogeneity in evolutionary rates at various levels, without eliminating any information from the data. Here we pre…
Innovative Photovoltaic Translucent Components for the Building Envelope
2014
International directives that regulates buildings energy efficiency and environmental sustainability establish strict parameters for the construction of a new generation of “Zero Energy Buildings” indicating transmittance limits for building envelope components and encouraging the use of renewable sources. In this sense, the PV sector aims at the definition of novel efficient solutions for the integration in the building envelope, standing out for their multifunctional features. After an overview on the main PV technologies and building integrated applications, focusing on semi-transparent envelope solutions, the paper shows the results of a research that is being carried out at the Departm…
Design and performance of sustainable and translucent building envelopes made of ETFE cushions
2009
The paper reports the first results of a research carried out at the Department of Design and Building Construction of the University of Palermo aimed to investigate the problems related to the performance improvement of the building envelope components able to gain the sunlight. In particular we have investigated the development of sustainable building envelopes made of ETFE (Ethylene TetraFluoroEthylene) cushions. The paper shows the problems related to physics, techniques and construction derived from the use of ETFE by analysing the first use of this innovative material for the construction of more recent sustainable building envelopes all over the world. Because of the few studies avai…
Transparent and sustainable materials
2013
The search for greater transparency in buildings characterizes the current architectural scenario: the use of glass is more and more common in both the design of new buildings and for renovation. However, the design of the transparent part of the building envelope is critical to the achievement of efficiency and sustainability. There are several research companies that aim to improve the energy performance especially of the glass. Today there is a wide range of products capable of providing different solutions, depending on the aesthetic and technical requirements of the structure in question. The aim of this article is to provide a clear overview of the possibilities of the transparent mat…
Integrazione di celle solari di terza generazione nel vetromattone per la realizzazione di involucri edilizi traslucidi fotovoltaici
2013
L’integrazione di celle solari di terza generazione - Dye-sensitised Solar Cells (DSSC) - nel vetromattone consente di ottenere un prodotto edilizio in grado di generare energia pulita, personalizzabile in termini di colore, livelli di trasparenza e fi niture, adatto alla realizzazione di componenti edilizi fotovoltaici, traslucidi e multifunzionali, facilmente integrabili nelle chiusure degli edifi ci per la costruzione di involucri edilizi energeticamente effi cienti ed attivi anche in contesti climatici avversi, quali possono essere quelli del Mediterraneo e delle aree subtropicali. L’articolo illustra 4 differenti ipotesi di integrazione delle DSSC nel vetromattone fornendo, per ciascun…