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HUMAN-CENTRIC INTERACTION IN IMMERSIVE AND GENERATIVE SYSTEMS: INVESTIGATING TRUST, EMPATHY, AND INTEGRATION IN MENTAL HEALTH CONTEXTS
No full textTHE RAPID INTEGRATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) INTO DAILY LIFE HAS POSITIONED CONVERSATIONAL USER INTERFACES (CUIS) AS PRIMARY MEDIATORS OF HUMAN-DIGITAL INTERACTION. WHILE GENERATIVE AI (GENAI) AND VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) OFFER UNPRECEDENTED OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT, THEY ALSO INTRODUCE CRITICAL CHALLENGES REGARDING TRUST AND EMPATHY. IN THE FRAMEWORK OF HUMAN-CENTERED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (HCAI), THIS THESIS INVESTIGATES HOW THESE TWO FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN CONSTRUCTS ARE SHAPED, MAINTAINED, OR COMPROMISED WITHIN AI-MEDIATED INTERACTIONS. ALTHOUGH THE RESEARCH IS EMPIRICALLY SITUATED WITHIN THE HIGH-STAKES DOMAIN OF MENTAL HEALTH USED HERE AS A RIGOROUS "STRESS TEST" FOR SYSTEM RELIABILITY AND RELATIONAL ATTUNEMENT THE FINDINGS OFFER GENERALIZABLE INSIGHTS FOR THE DESIGN OF TRUSTWORTHY AND EMOTIONALLY RESONANT SYSTEMS.
THE RESEARCH IS STRUCTURED AROUND THREE CONVERGING EMPIRICAL STRANDS. THE FIRST STRAND ADDRESSES THE FRAGILITY OF TRUST IN TEXT-BASED CUI (E.G., CHATGPT). THROUGH CONTROLLED USER STUDIES, IT CHARACTERIZES HOW USERS REACT TO "HALLUCINATIONS" AND FACTUAL ERRORS. THE RESULTS REVEAL A SIGNIFICANT "PRIMACY EFFECT": WHILE USERS SHOW RESILIENCE TO OCCASIONAL ERRORS, EARLY EXPOSURE TO UNRELIABLE INFORMATION CAUSES A SHARP AND LASTING DECLINE IN TRUST THAT IS DIFFICULT TO RECOVER. THIS HIGHLIGHTS THE DANGERS OF OPAQUE "BLACK-BOX" SYSTEMS THAT FOSTER OVERTRUST.
THE SECOND STRAND MOVES TO EMBODIED INTERACTION, EXPLORING EMPATHY IN VIRTUAL REALITY. BY LEVERAGING FACIAL TRACKING TECHNOLOGY TO MEASURE MIMICRY IN INTERACTIONS WITH AVATARS, THIS RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES THAT EMPATHY IS NOT MERELY A USER TRAIT BUT A "SITUATED" AND EMBODIED PHENOMENON. THE FINDINGS SHOW THAT AN INDIVIDUAL’S CAPACITY FOR EMOTIONAL SIMULATION IS SIGNIFICANTLY MODULATED BY PERSONAL DISPOSITIONS (SUCH AS FANTASY OR PERSONAL DISTRESS) AND BY THE EMOTIONAL CONGRUENCE OF THE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT, CHALLENGING THE NOTION OF VR AS A UNIVERSAL "EMPATHY MACHINE."
SYNTHESIZING THESE INSIGHTS, THE THIRD STRAND PROPOSES A METHODOLOGICAL SHIFT FROM PASSIVE CONSUMPTION TO GENERATIVE CO-CREATION. THE THESIS INTRODUCES AND VALIDATES A NOVEL FRAMEWORK WHERE GENAI AND VR SERVE AS TRANSPARENT TOOLS FOR TRUST BUILDING. INSTEAD OF ACTING AS AUTONOMOUS ORACLES, THESE TECHNOLOGIES ARE EMPLOYED TO ALLOW USERS AND PROFESSIONALS TO COLLABORATIVELY GENERATE AND MANIPULATE 3D THERAPEUTIC OBJECTS AND ENVIRONMENTS IN REAL-TIME. VALIDATION STUDIES OF THIS PROTOTYPE DEMONSTRATE HIGH SYSTEM USABILITY (SUS SCORE OF 79) AND ACCEPTANCE (NPS OF 40). CRUCIALLY, THE SYSTEM PROVES TO BE INCLUSIVE, AS PERCEIVED USABILITY REMAINS HIGH REGARDLESS OF THE USER’S LEVELS OF ANXIETY OR DEPRESSION.
ULTIMATELY, THIS THESIS ARGUES THAT TO FOSTER GENUINE TRUST AND EMPATHY, AI SYSTEMS MUST BE REDESIGNED NOT TO REPLACE HUMAN JUDGMENT, BUT TO FUNCTION AS CONTROLLABLE, TRANSPARENT, AND EMOTIONALLY RESPONSIVE
Effectiveness of textile reinforced (TR) systems based on sustainable mortar for the confinement of clay brick masonry columns: a preliminary study
No full textThe seismic retrofitting of existing structures is a critical aspect of ensuring the safety and resilience of buildings in earthquake-regions, with particular attention when historical buildings are considered, given their cultural and architectural relevance. Textile reinforced (TR) systems have gained significant attention due to their performance in enhancing the seismic capacity of structures, with the possibility to be applied on concrete and masonry structures without compromising their aesthetic integrity. The development of sustainable and highperformance materials in structural retrofitting has led to growing interest in TR systems incorporating alkali-activated matrices. These systems, which replace traditional Portland cement with alternative binders based on industrial by-products, offer a lower environmental impact while maintaining mechanical effectiveness. In this study an experimental investigation into the axial behaviour of small-size clay brick masonry columns confined with TR systems employing both traditional lime-based mortar and alkali-activated mortar is carried out. The performance of these systems was assessed in terms of ultimate load capacity, axial strain and failure mechanisms.
It is noteworthy that the present experimental study is part of the STRIPES research project, funded by the PRIN-PNRR 2022 call, which aims at developing sustainable mortars for structural repair/retrofitting interventions
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR THE NEXT-GENERATION SUSTAINABLE AND CARBON-NEUTRAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS
No full textTHE INCREASINGLY STRINGENT WATER QUALITY STANDARDS, COUPLED WITH THE SCARCITY OF FRESHWATER RESOURCES, HAVE ACCELERATED THE NEED FOR ADVANCED WASTEWATER TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH DISCHARGE LIMITS AND PROMOTE SAFE WATER REUSE. THE DIRECTIVE (EU) 2024/3019 – DIRECTLY APPLICABLE TO MEMBER STATES AND ATTRACTING GLOBAL ATTENTION FOR ITS AMBITIOUS SUSTAINABILITY AND CARBON NEUTRALITY GOALS – INTRODUCES NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR IMPROVED REMOVAL OF BIODEGRADABLE ORGANIC MATTER AND NUTRIENTS (NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS), EFFECTIVE REMOVAL OF MICROPOLLUTANTS AND CONTAMINANTS OF EMERGING CONCERN (CECS) THROUGH “QUATERNARY TREATMENT”, ENHANCED ENERGY EFFICIENCY, CARBON AND CLIMATE NEUTRALITY, IMPROVED PUBLIC HEALTH SURVEILLANCE, AND THE PROMOTION OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY PRACTICES. ACHIEVING THESE MULTIFACETED OBJECTIVES REQUIRES HIGH-EFFICIENCY TREATMENT PROCESSES, OPTIMIZED DESIGN AND OPERATION, AND ROBUST MONITORING AND CONTROL SYSTEMS.
EMERGING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES – INCLUDING THE INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT), BIG DATA ANALYTICS, CLOUD COMPUTING, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI), BLOCKCHAIN, ROBOTICS, VIRTUAL/AUGMENTED REALITY, AND DIGITAL TWINS – OFFER TRANSFORMATIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP SMART WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS (WWTPS). AMONG THESE, AI STANDS OUT FOR ITS ABILITY TO MODEL NONLINEAR AND DYNAMIC RELATIONSHIPS GOVERNING TREATMENT PERFORMANCE, OVERCOMING THE LIMITATIONS OF CONVENTIONAL MATHEMATICAL AND MECHANISTIC MODELS. BY LEARNING DIRECTLY FROM HISTORICAL AND REAL-TIME DATA, AI MODELS CAN PROVIDE ACCURATE PREDICTIONS WITHOUT RELYING ON COMPLEX EQUATIONS DESCRIBING PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROCESSES, ENABLING NEXT-GENERATION WWTPS WITH SMART MONITORING, OPTIMIZATION, AND ADAPTIVE CONTROL CAPABILITIES. HOWEVER, KEY BARRIERS STILL HINDER LARGE-SCALE IMPLEMENTATION, INCLUDING INSUFFICIENT AND LOW-QUALITY DATA, POOR INTERPRETABILITY OF “BLACK-BOX” MODELS, AND LIMITED VALIDATION OF AI-DRIVEN TOOLS FOR PROCESS OPTIMIZATION. THIS PH.D. THESIS CONTRIBUTES TO ADDRESSING THESE CHALLENGES BY: (I) IMPROVING DATA QUALITY THROUGH ROBUST PREPROCESSING AND CLEANING; (II) MITIGATING DATA SCARCITY VIA CONTROLLED SYNTHETIC DATA AUGMENTATION; (III) ENHANCING MODEL INTERPRETABILITY THROUGH EXPLAINABLE AI (XAI) TECHNIQUES, SPECIFICALLY SHAPLEY ADDITIVE EXPLANATIONS (SHAP); AND (IV) DEVELOPING AND VALIDATING AI MODELS FOR PROCESS MONITORING AND OPTIMIZATION OF INNOVATIVE WASTEWATER TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES. THE PROPOSED METHODOLOGIES WERE APPLIED TO MODEL THE PERFORMANCE OF FOUR ADVANCED SYSTEMS: A) THE LIVING MEMBRANE BIOREACTOR (LMBR) FOR ADVANCED WASTEWATER TREATMENT; B) THE TEMPERATURE SWING SOLVENT EXTRACTION (TSSE) PROCESS FOR DESALINATION OF HYPERSALINE BRINES; C) AN INNOVATIVE CARBON CAPTURE AND UTILIZATION (CCU) BIOTECHNOLOGY INTEGRATING A MOVING BED BIOFILM REACTOR AND AN ALGAL PHOTOBIOREACTOR (MBBR+APBR) WITHIN WASTEWATER TREATMENT; AND D) NANOFILTRATION FOR VOLATILE FATTY ACID (VFA) RECOVERY FROM WASTEWATER.
RESULTS HIGHLIGHT THE STRONG POTENTIAL AND VERSATILITY OF AI-DRIVEN APPROACHES FOR MODELING, ANALYZING, AND INTERPRETING COMPLEX TREATMENT PROCESSES. OVERALL, THIS RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES THAT AI CAN EFFECTIVELY CAPTURE COMPLEX NONLINEAR DYNAMICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESSES, SUPPORTING ACCURATE MONITORING, PREDICTION, AND OPTIMIZATION. THE INTEGRATION OF XAI, HYPERPARAMETER OPTIMIZATION, ROBUST DATA PREPROCESSING, AND CONTROLLED SYNTHETIC DATA AUGMENTATION PROVIDES A METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK TO OVERCOME MAJOR BARRIERS TO AI ADOPTION IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT, PAVING THE WAY FOR SMART, EFFICIENT, AND ADAPTIVE CONTROL STRATEGIES. THIS PH.D. THESIS PROVIDES A COMPREHENSIVE SCIENTIFIC AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEXT-GENERATION SUSTAINABLE AND CARBON-NEUTRAL WWTPS THROUGH THE INTEGRATION OF AI-DRIVEN MONITORING, OPTIMIZATION, AND CONTROL SYSTEMS
Evaluation of binder and mixture performance in crumb rubber asphalt modified with Sasobit
No full textThe accumulation of waste tires and their environmental impact is a serious global issue. Incorporating Crumb Rubber (CR) into asphalt mixtures allows this waste to be recycled while improving pavement performance, but it also increases production temperatures, energy use, and emissions. Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) additives can mitigate this drawback, enabling more sustainable mixtures. This study presents laboratory investigation of the rheological properties and mechanical performance of CR–modified asphalt binder and mixtures obtained by wet process and containing Sasobit as a WMA additive. The bitumen investigation employed penetration, softening point, viscosity, and dynamic shear rheometer tests. Results showed that CR increased binder stiffness, as evidenced by reduced penetration and higher softening point, while Sasobit further contributed to lowering penetration at low temperatures but also reduced viscosity at high temperatures, thus improving workability. The formulation with 15 % CR and 3 % Sasobit (15 %CR–3 %S) emerged as the optimal compromise, achieving a high-temperature Performance Grade (PG 82) without excessive stiffness. The dynamic (complex) modulus and fatigue resistance at different temperatures and load frequencies of the 15 %CR CR–3 %S modified asphalt mixture, intended for use as the wearing course of road pavements, were evaluated through 4-point bending tests. Moreover, dynamic creep tests were conducted to assess its rutting resistance. Compared with the unmodified asphalt mixture, the modified one generally exhibited a higher complex modulus, improved fatigue resistance, and enhanced rutting resistance. These results indicate that combining CR with Sasobit enhances binder rheology and asphalt mixture performance while supporting lower-temperature production, contributing to the development of more sustainable asphalt pavements
Le morti annunciate della Carboneria. Il nemico interno e gli omicidi politici nella Napoli del 1821, in Laura Di Fiore (a cura di), Violenza politica, violenza criminale, istituzioni. Il Mezzogiorno nello spazio italiano
No full textTra la fine del Settecento e l’unificazione italiana, la penisola fu attraversata da diverse forme di violenza politica, intrecciate tanto con la violenza criminale quanto con l’azione delle istituzioni deputate alla gestione dell’ordine pubblico.
Attraverso ricerche originali, questo volume analizza l’intersezione di questi tre elementi nel contesto del Mezzogiorno, inserendolo nel più ampio spazio italiano e testandone la presunta peculiarità in termini di violenza. A emergere sono, in particolare, le forme di governance che segnarono il rapporto tra mobilitazione politica e strategie di contenimento istituzionale, le sovrapposizioni tra conflittualità politica e fenomeni criminali, le varie tipologie di violenza, dall’omicidio selettivo alla delegittimazione sul piano mediatico agli strumenti di repressione istituzionale, come la sorveglianza e la giustizia politica
MECCANICA E PROTOTIPAZIONE RAPIDA DI INNOVATIVE STRUTTURE TENSEGRITY
No full textQUESTO LAVORO DI TESI DOTTORALE AFFRONTA LO STUDIO DELLA MECCANICA, DELLA CINEMATICA E DELLA PROTOTIPAZIONE RAPIDA DI NUOVI MODULI STRUTTURALI CON ARCHITETTURA TENSEGRITY, SVILUPPATI PER APPLICAZIONI AVANZATE DI INGEGNERIA STRUTTURALE. TALI MODULI SONO CONCEPITI COME SISTEMI ADATTIVI, IN GRADO DI MODIFICARE CONFIGURAZIONE E RISPOSTA MECCANICA ATTRAVERSO IL CONTROLLO DI UN NUMERO LIMITATO DI CAVI, LE CUI LUNGHEZZE RESIDUE VENGONO OPPORTUNAMENTE REGOLATE AL FINE DI CONSENTIRE IL DISPIEGAMENTO DELLA STRUTTURA E LA FORMAZIONE DI CONFIGURAZIONI TENSEGRITY STABILI. LE PROPRIETÀ MECCANICHE DEI MODULI, IN TERMINI DI RIGIDEZZA E CAPACITÀ DI CARICO, VENGONO REGOLATE MEDIANTE LA MODULAZIONE DELLA PRETENSIONE DEI CAVI DI ATTUAZIONE, UNA VOLTA CHE IL MOTO DI DISPIEGAMENTO RISULTA VINCOLATO. IL LAVORO ANALIZZA IN MODO SISTEMATICO LA CINEMATICA E LA MECCANICA DELLE STRUTTURE PROPOSTE, FACENDO RICORSO A MODELLI ANALITICI E NUMERICI, E NE INDAGA IL COMPORTAMENTO IN DIVERSE CONFIGURAZIONI OPERATIVE. PARTICOLARE ATTENZIONE È DEDICATA ALLO SVILUPPO E ALLA VALIDAZIONE DI PROCEDURE DI PROTOTIPAZIONE RAPIDA, BASATE SU TECNOLOGIE DI STAMPA 3D, FINALIZZATE ALLA REALIZZAZIONE DI MODELLI FISICI E ALLA VERIFICA SPERIMENTALE DELLE PRESTAZIONI STRUTTURALI. LE PRINCIPALI APPLICAZIONI DEI SISTEMI STRUTTURALI STUDIATI RIGUARDANO STRUTTURE ADATTIVE PER LA CATTURA DELL’ENERGIA SOLARE, CON SPECIFICO RIFERIMENTO A DISPOSITIVI INTEGRABILI IN INVOLUCRI EDILIZI O SISTEMI MODULARI. TUTTAVIA, L’APPROCCIO PROGETTUALE E LE SOLUZIONI STRUTTURALI SVILUPPATE RISULTANO ESTENDIBILI A UNA PIÙ AMPIA GAMMA DI AMBITI APPLICATIVI, INCLUDENDO SISTEMI PER L’INGEGNERIA DELLE STRUTTURE INTELLIGENTI, DISPOSITIVI DI CONTROLLO PASSIVO E SEMI-ATTIVO DELLA RISPOSTA STRUTTURALE, NONCHÉ APPLICAZIONI NEL CAMPO DELL’INGEGNERIA SISMICA.THIS DOCTORAL DISSERTATION INVESTIGATES THE MECHANICS, KINEMATICS, AND RAPID PROTOTYPING OF NOVEL STRUCTURAL MODULES WITH TENSEGRITY ARCHITECTURE, DEVELOPED FOR ADVANCED APPLICATIONS IN STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING. THESE MODULES ARE CONCEIVED AS ADAPTIVE SYSTEMS CAPABLE OF MODIFYING THEIR CONFIGURATION AND MECHANICAL RESPONSE THROUGH THE CONTROL OF A LIMITED NUMBER OF CABLES, WHOSE REST LENGTHS ARE APPROPRIATELY ADJUSTED TO ENABLE STRUCTURAL DEPLOYMENT AND THE FORMATION OF STABLE TENSEGRITY CONFIGURATIONS.
THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MODULES, IN TERMS OF STIFFNESS AND LOAD-CARRYING CAPACITY, ARE REGULATED BY MODULATING THE PRETENSION OF THE ACTUATION CABLES ONCE THE DEPLOYMENT MOTION IS CONSTRAINED. THE DISSERTATION PRESENTS A SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE KINEMATICS AND MECHANICS OF THE PROPOSED STRUCTURES, BASED ON BOTH ANALYTICAL AND NUMERICAL MODELING, AND INVESTIGATES THEIR BEHAVIOR UNDER DIFFERENT OPERATIONAL CONFIGURATIONS. PARTICULAR EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF RAPID PROTOTYPING PROCEDURES, BASED ON ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES, AIMED AT THE FABRICATION OF PHYSICAL MODELS AND THE EXPERIMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE.
THE PRIMARY APPLICATIONS OF THE INVESTIGATED STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS CONCERN ADAPTIVE STRUCTURES FOR SOLAR ENERGY HARVESTING, WITH SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO DEVICES THAT CAN BE INTEGRATED INTO BUILDING ENVELOPES OR MODULAR SYSTEMS. HOWEVER, THE PROPOSED DESIGN APPROACH AND THE DEVELOPED STRUCTURAL SOLUTIONS ARE BROADLY APPLICABLE TO A WIDER RANGE OF ENGINEERING CONTEXTS, INCLUDING SMART STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS, PASSIVE AND SEMI-ACTIVE CONTROL DEVICES FOR STRUCTURAL RESPONSE, AS WELL AS APPLICATIONS IN THE FIELD OF SEISMIC ENGINEERING
Automatic identification of privacy and security requirements: a systematic literature review
No full textThe utmost importance of privacy and security requirements in software development calls for adopting methods that enable the identification and proactive mitigation of these issues during the system development. Our survey of 45 primary studies provides an overview of the methods, document types, and datasets employed in tackling this challenge, along with an analysis of approaches demonstrating superior performance based on document types and specific identification problems. Analysis reveals a wide adoption of ML-based systems on diverse datasets, showcasing the effectiveness of leveraging various sources of information to identify privacy and security requirements in software development
Proceedings of the International Conference "Advancing Human Dignity: International and EU Legal Pathways to Justice, Inclusion and Non-discrimination"
No full text
Compatibility of Energy Efficiency with the Protection of Historic Buildings: A Systematic Literature Review
No full textAchieving improvement of energy performance in listed buildings remains a complex challenge due to the need to combine innovative solutions with preservation of the characteristics that define the historical and architectural value of these buildings. The aim of this study is to better understand the state of the art regarding the compatibility of energy efficiency measures with the protection of listed buildings. A systematic review was performed that included peer-reviewed publications in English and Italian from Scopus,
Web of Science, and Google Scholar (last search: November 2025). Sixty-nine studies were included and organized into methodological, applicative, review and theoretical-reflective studies. Results show a European predominance, particularly Italian, and identify four
recurring themes: balancing efficiency with conservation, decision-making processes, evaluation criteria, and technological strategies. Current research is focusing on developing objective evaluation methods, moving toward multi-criteria methodologies that quantify
aesthetic, technical, and environmental compatibility. While there is a preference for minimally invasive and reversible technological solutions, the review reveals a lack of shared protocols and limited generalizability of results. The study concludes that a strategic shift
is required: moving from isolated experiments to integrated urban policies. Furthermore, it highlights a need for increased technical training to bridge the gap between research and practical plication. Future research should focus on validating evaluation criteria using real cases and developing regional policy tools to support decision-making. This review was not registered