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John Lanchester’s The Wall Dystopian Variations on the Literary Theme of Utopia
No full textThis essay focuses on the relationship between utopia and dystopia in a recent British novel that deals with Brexit as an unnamed theme, albeit some of its preconditions can be easily identified in the fear of immigration generating the defensive device to which the title of the novel (The Wall, by John Lanchester, 2019) refers. Starting from Louis Marin’s semiotic analysis (Utopiques) of More’s Utopia, and recognizing in the paradoxical and imaginatively productive interplay between history and fiction a tool to evaluate the recent novel as a different kind of dystopia, the article develops several trajectories in the text (historically, linguistically, theatrically) that converge in conceptual and narrative blurring of the borders conventionally structured
Introduzione (al violume Coeducare. Il fare politico e poetico della pedagogia)
No full textGli autori e curatori in questa introduzione illustrano la genesi e la struttura del volume, la cui idea è nata a seguito della Tavola rotonda dal titolo "Da dove ripartire? Immaginazione, narrazione, giustizia poetica e creatività per una scuola e una società inclusive" svoltasi il 20 novembre 2024 presso l’Università di Foggia nell'ambito della manifestazione "Coeduca" promossa dalle Edizioni del Rosone
Optimal design for an urban truck-drone collaborative delivery system enhanced with relay points
No full textWith the rapid expansion of e-commerce, the express sector has experienced significant growth, and most cities have developed comprehensive relay point (RP) infrastructures. While these facilities currently only support ground logistics, the advancement and adoption of drone technology offer the potential to enhance delivery efficiency. To address this, we propose a Relay Point-Enhanced Collaborative Truck-Drone Delivery Model (RPECTDDM) to leverage existing RP infrastructure for designing a more efficient ground-air integrated logistics system. By incorporating RPs for intermediate cargo transfers, the model optimizes: (i) RP selection, (ii) customer allocation between trucks and drones, and (iii) the routing of both trucks and drones. The problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming model aimed at minimizing total costs, which include truck operations, drone deployment, and RP activation. A two-stage Adaptive Large Neighborhood Search (ALNS) algorithm is proposed to solve this computationally demanding problem. In the first stage, feasible solutions are generated using heuristic methods, while the second stage iteratively refines these solutions through destroy-and-repair operators tailored to the problem. Numerical experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, achieving near-optimal solutions in reasonable computational times, even for large-scale scenarios. A real-world case study in Chengdu further highlights the advantages of the RPECTDDM, significantly reducing total costs and truck travel times compared to three benchmark models: Truck-Drone Collaborative Delivery Model (TDCDM), Relay Point Enhanced Truck Delivery Model (RPETDM), and Truck-Only Delivery Model (TODM). Specially, RPECTDDM achieves cost savings of up to 48.47 % and reduces truck travel time by 61.21 % compared to TODM. Sensitivity analyses underscore the importance of RP activation costs and drone endurance in operational planning. This study advances urban logistics by bridging the gap between theoretical models and practical implementation, offering a scalable, efficient framework for integrating trucks and drones in delivery systems
Balancing System Service Quality and Resilience for Urban Rail Networks: Preventive Train Timetabling with Disruptions
No full textIn the urban rail transit (URT) systems of large cities, the headway and following distance between successive trains have been compressed as much as possible to maximize corridor capacity and meet high passenger demand during peak hours. However, excessively short headways often reduce the overall resilience of URT networks, leading to severe safety incidents during disruptions. Therefore, enhancing the resilience of URT networks while maintaining high service quality for passengers is crucial. In contrast to most existing studies, which focus on rescheduling train timetables after disruption happens, our study investigates a preventive train timetabling approach considering the uncertainties of potential disruptive events. Specifically, we formulate the problem into a two-stage stochastic optimization model. In the first stage, we determined the optimal planned schedule to achieve a good trade-off between the resilience of a URT network for each potential disruption scenario and the travel demand of passengers. The second stage involves determining the optimal schedule after disruptions occur, which aims to evacuate passengers stranded in the event of disruptions as quickly as possible. Additionally, our formula incorporates bus bridging services to the most congested stations, thereby further improving the resilience of the URT network to disruption. Finally, the real-world case studies based on the operational data of Beijing Metro Line 5 are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model. The results demonstrate that the resilience of the URT network to disruptions can be significantly enhanced by the preventive train timetabling approach
Breaking new ground: Gadolinium and Microplastics co-exposure and biochemical alterations in marine clam Donax trunculus
No full textToxicity of single rare earth elements (REEs) or microplastics (MPs) on organisms has been reported widely,
however, their combined toxicity on bivalves has limited investigation. In this study, the effects of gadolinium
(Gd, 500 μg/L), microplastics (MPs, Ø ≤ 150 μm, with 0.1 μg/L and 100 μg/L) and their mixture (0.1 MPs μg/L +
500 Gd μg/L; 100 MPs μg/L + 500 Gd μg/L) were evaluated in the clam Donax trunculus under laboratory
conditions. The impacts were assessed using a suite of biomarkers related to metabolism and energy reserves
content, antioxidant and biotransformation enzymes, cellular damage and neurotoxicity. In the medium, at 500
μg/L Gd, the concentration measured after exposure was similar to the nominal concentration, whereas in the
mix treatments it decreased, suggesting the adsorption of Gd onto the MPs. Regarding oxidative stress responses,
MPs and Gd alone elicited distinct responses, with MPs showing mostly non-significant or inhibitory effects,
while Gd increased oxidative stress. When both contaminants were combined, MPs acted as carriers for Gd,
demonstrating their "Trojan horse" capability. As a consequence, the mix treatments induced the most severe
oxidative stress. The toxicity order in clams was: 0.1 MPs μg/L ≈ 100 MPs μg/L < 500 Gd μg/L < 0.1 MPs μg/L +
500 Gd μg/L < 100 MPs μg/L + 500 Gd μg/L. This study advances understanding of the combined toxicity of MPs
and Gd on marine bivalves, highlighting the need for further research on their interactions and broader toxic effects
La nuova mappa di Roma: un cantiere aperto per la città che verrà
No full textA quasi cinquant’anni dalla suddivisione in zone urbanistiche del 1977, Roma ha avviato una profonda revisione
della propria geografia urbana, per rispondere ai cambiamenti sociali, demografici e territoriali in atto. La nuova
mappa nasce dall’esigenza di rappresentare con maggiore aderenza la realtà policentrica della città e di
applicare concretamente il modello della “Città dei 15 minuti”, basato su prossimità e accessibilità. Attraverso un
processo partecipato che ha coinvolto Municipi, Università, Istat e cittadinanza, sono stati individuati 327 quartieri
e 22 rioni, con un netto incremento rispetto alle 155 zone precedenti, in particolare nelle aree esterne al Grande
Raccordo Anulare. Alla mappatura, realizzata con l’impiego di dati territoriali e strumenti GIS, si affianca
l’identificazione di 104 zone funzionali non residenziali. Il progetto è tuttora in corso, aperto al confronto pubblico
e soggetto a verifiche e aggiustamenti. L’obiettivo è rafforzare la coesione urbana, valorizzare le periferie e
promuovere un nuovo modello di governance locale, in grado di rendere Roma una città più inclusiva, sostenibile
e connessa
Banned (Hi)stories: Shaking the Foundations of American Culture
No full textBook bans have a long history in the United States and, although censorship is as old as writing, its targets have shifted over the centuries. The American Library Association reports a record-breaking number of attempts to ban books in 2022—up 38 percent from the previous year. Of those challenges, “the vast majority were written by or about members of the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color.” PEN America reports that, between July 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022, there were 1,586 book bans in 86 school districts across 26 states—affecting more than two million students. Stories featuring LGBTQIA+ issues or protagonists were a “major target” of bans. Other targets included books with storylines about race and racism, sexual content or sexual assault, and death and grief. If wrestling with how history is taught and stories are told is part of a lively democratic discourse, banning books, silencing writers, and attempting to erase stories and communities represent an attack on freedoms that are fundamental to democracy