STING is redundant for host defense and pathology of COVID-19-like disease in mice.

Critical COVID-19 is characterized by lack of early type I interferon-mediated host defense and subsequent hyper-inflammation in the lungs. Aberrant activation of macrophages and neutrophils has been reported to lead to excessive activation of innate immunological pathways. It has recently been suggested that the DNA-sensing cGAS-STING pathway drives pathology in the SARS-CoV-2-infected lungs, but mechanistic understanding from in vivo models is needed. Here, we tested whether STING is involved in COVID-19-like disease using the K18-hACE2 mouse model. We report that disease development after SARS-CoV-2 infection is unaltered in STING-deficient K18-hACE2 mice. In agreement with this, STING deficiency did not affect control of viral replication or production of interferons and inflammatory cytokines. This was accompanied by comparable profiles of infiltrating immune cells into the lungs of infected mice. These data do not support a role for STING in COVID-19 pathology and calls for further investigation into the pathogenesis of critical COVID-19.

Assessment of Disused Public Buildings: Strategies and Tools for Reuse of Healthcare Structures

The aim of this paper, in line with the 2030 European Agenda and 2021 Italian “Recovery and Resilience Plan” objectives, is to define an evaluation methodology and tool to support public administrations to detect buildings, currently unused or underused, that might be apt for transformation interventions. The focus is on historical Italian healthcare buildings since these show widespread decay and neglect. A five-step methodology has been developed: screening of public assets;classification, evaluation, and identification of buildings, based on the “potential index”;GIS mapping and inventory;selection of buildings for in-depth analysis;BIM digitization and definition of the “transformability index”. In the fifth phase, an evaluation tool is integrated into the BIM software to automatically calculate the transformability index of each building using six indicators: usability, fragmentation, modifiability, roof implementation, external envelope, and window-to-wall ratio. The “transformability index” helps define the most appropriate buildings to intervene with for reuse. Building transformation is connected to construction features and layout organization and it is limited by architectural, structural, and artistic constraints.

Cycling Master Plans in Italy: The I-BIM Feasibility Tool for Cost and Safety Assessments

Interest towards urban micromobility has been growing lately, and it will now increase further due to the measures used against COVID-19. It is recommended to avoid close contact to prevent contagion. Municipalities have been called to implement wider cycling networks so that people may go to their work place by cycling rather than by using public transport. This paper focused on cycling path design using an infrastructure-building information model (I-BIM). The issue covered was how to connect cost and safety requirements in the first steps of the project. We set a methodology that gives, after identifying the intervention area and defining the available economic resources, the key elements needed to design possible cycle path solutions. It guides the designer step-by-step, starting from basic assumptions related to a cycle path’s location (urban/non-urban), budget (by range), and safety (according to Bicycle Compatibility Index BCI and Bicycle Level of Service (BLOS) index), up to the definition of preferred options in terms of materials to be selected. As a case study, we implemented this methodology in the old city center of Catania in Sicily (Italy), designing a cycle path that connects the city center with the existing cycle path on the coast, while aligning with safety requirements within budget constraints.