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Game e nostalgia il double screen come esperienza di retrogaming
No full textGames and nostalgia: the double screen as a retrogaming experience.
This article examines video game nostalgia through a contemporary retrogaming
practice based on a double screen experience, in which players move from a real
screen to a virtual retro screen within the game world. Drawing on the concepts of
remediation (Bolter and Grusin, 1999) and media convergence (Jenkins, 2007), the
study explores how nostalgia emerges not merely as a reference to the past but as
an experience integrated into gameplay and narrative. After outlining the evolution
of retrogaming practices – from the collection of original hardware to backward
compatibility, emulation, and the re-release of games as remasters, remakes, and
reboots – the article situates this phenomenon within the broader process of video
game romanticisation and the cultural and commercial use of nostalgia. The
analysis focuses on several case studies, highlighting the key elements of the double
screen experience: the transition between screens, the shift from modern to retro
aesthetics, and the integration of retro games into gameplay and storytelling
Exploring the efficiency of GPT models in automating trial balance mapping: applications and insights
No full textRECYCLABLE AND BIO-BASED POLYESTERS AND POLYCARBONATES ENABLED BY BIOCOMPATIBLE METAL CATALYSTS
No full textIN RECENT YEARS, THE GLOBAL SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY HAS INTENSIVELY SOUGHT SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS THE GROWING PROBLEM OF PLASTIC POLLUTION. THIS TRANSITION REQUIRES NOT ONLY THE ADOPTION OF BIO-BASED MATERIALS TO REPLACE PETROLEUM-BASED ONES, BUT ALSO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EFFECTIVE END-OF-LIFE TREATMENTS, SUCH AS CHEMICAL RECYCLING. AMONG ECO-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVES, ALIPHATIC POLYESTERS AND POLYCARBONATES STAND OUT FOR THEIR RENEWABLE ORIGIN, BIODEGRADABILITY, AND BIOCOMPATIBILITY. HOWEVER, CURRENT INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION RELIES ON HIGHLY TOXIC TIN-BASED CATALYSTS. THEREFORE, THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THIS DOCTORAL THESIS WAS TO DEVELOP NEW CATALYTIC SYSTEMS CAPABLE OF SYNTHESIZING THE TARGETED POLYMERS USING NON-TOXIC AND ABUNDANT METALS, PARTICULARLY ZINC AND MAGNESIUM.
THE STUDY INITIALLY FOCUSED ON A ZINC-NHC SYSTEM, APPLIED IN THE POLYMERIZATION OF TRIMETHYLCARBONATE (TMC) AND ITS ALKYL DERIVATIVES, MONOMERS SPECIFICALLY SYNTHESIZED VIA CO2 FIXATION. THE SYSTEMS DEMONSTRATED A HIGH LEVEL OF CONTROL, WHICH WAS SUBSEQUENTLY EXPLOITED FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF PTMC BLOCK COPOLYMERS WITH POLYLACTIDE (PLA) AND POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL (PEG) THROUGH TWO DIFFERENT SYNTHETIC STRATEGIES. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE RESEARCH WAS EXTENDED TO A NEW LIBRARY OF ZINC AND MAGNESIUM COMPLEXES, USING NHC LIGANDS FUNCTIONALIZED WITH SYN- OR ANTI-PHENYL GROUPS COMBINED WITH N-TOLYL SUBSTITUENTS. ALL CATALYSTS PROVED ACTIVE IN BOTH THE POLYMERIZATION OF VARIOUS CYCLIC ESTERS AND THE METHANOLYSIS OF PLLA. INTERESTINGLY, THE ACTIVITY OF THE COMPLEXES IS STRONGLY INFLUENCED BY THE NATURE OF THE METAL AND THE MONOMER.
IN A SECOND PHASE OF THE PROJECT, ATTENTION SHIFTED TO NOVEL HETEROLEPTIC ZINC AND MAGNESIUM COMPLEXES SUPPORTED BY TRIDENTATE NAPHTHOXY-IMINO-PYRIDINE LIGANDS. THESE NEW COMPLEXES WERE APPLIED IN THE HOMOPOLYMERIZATION OF VARIOUS BIODERIVED CYCLIC MONOMERS (BOTH ESTERS AND CARBONATES). FINALLY, CONFIRMING THE SYSTEM'S VERSATILITY, THE ZINC COMPLEX'S PERFORMANCE WAS EVALUATED IN THE COPOLYMERIZATION AND DEPOLYMERIZATION OF PTMC AND ITS COPOLYMERS, EXPLOITING MICROWAVES AS A MORE ENERGY-EFFICIENT ALTERNATIVE TO CONVENTIONAL HEATING METHODS.
THE FINAL PART OF THE DOCTORAL PROJECT FOCUSED ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF DINUCLEAR CATALYTIC SYSTEMS USING MULTINUCLEATING LIGANDS, DESIGNED TO POSITION METAL CENTERS AT OPTIMAL INTERATOMIC DISTANCES. FIRST, SULFUR-FUNCTIONALIZED SALEN LIGANDS WERE SYNTHESIZED TO PREPARE MONO- AND BIMETALLIC ZINC COMPLEXES. ALTHOUGH THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN POLYCARBONATE SYNTHESIS WAS ALREADY KNOWN, THIS WORK EVALUATED THEIR PERFORMANCE IN THE RING-OPENING POLYMERIZATION (ROP) OF ESTERS AND THE ALTERNATE RING-OPENING COPOLYMERIZATION (ROCOP) OF EPOXIDES AND ANHYDRIDES. SUBSEQUENTLY, WE INTRODUCED A NEW VARIANT OF HEXADENTATE SALEN LIGANDS, FUNCTIONALIZED WITH ORTHO-AMINE PENDANTS TO CREATE A COORDINATION POCKET FOR A SECOND METAL. THE SYNTHETIC STRATEGY AND PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON THE CORRESPONDING HOMO- AND HETERODINUCLEAR COMPLEXES IN ROCOP MODEL REACTIONS ARE DESCRIBED. TO FURTHER EXPLORE HETEROMETALLIC COOPERATIVITY, THE STUDY WAS EXTENDED TO INCLUDE HETEROTRIMETALLIC COMPLEXES BASED ON ZINC AND ALKALI METALS, SUPPORTED BY PENTADENTATE PROPHENOL LIGANDS. THIS THESIS PRESENTS A NOVEL APPLICATION OF THESE SYSTEMS TO THE POLYMERIZATION OF CYCLIC CARBONATES AND MACROLACTONES, REPRESENTING, TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, THE FIRST EVALUATION OF SUCH COMPLEXES WITH THESE SPECIFIC CLASSES OF MONOMERS
Characterization of a Lava Plain NW of Ascraeus Mons, Mars, Through Surface Morphometric Analyses and SHARAD Subsurface Detections
No full textThe Martian lava plains are characterized by their extensive, low-relief surfaces, which are the result of numerous basaltic eruptions and feature a variety of volcanic landforms, including vents, cones, pits, and skylights. The combination of these features and impact craters yields a significant understanding of the planet's geological past and subsurface composition. However, the flat terrain presents a challenge to detailed morphometric analyses, while the unavailability of high-resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) complicates the precise estimation of radar-based thicknesses and dielectric constants. To address these challenges, we investigated an similar to 8,030 km2 area northwest of Ascraeus Mons within the Tharsis Region. Prior research documented Amazonian volcanic features in this region; however, precise thickness and permittivity values remained undetermined owing to insufficient surface features and limited exposures. An enhanced, multi-scale neighborhood analysis method, adapted from terrestrial and Martian applications, was utilized to define the boundaries of a shallow lava flow sequence and identify three previously unmapped volcanic vents. Subsequently, all available subsurface sounding radar data in the region were analyzed using a simplified method. The results demonstrate that shallow, low-relief lava flows overlie a series of laterally consistent subsurface units, suggesting that volcanic and sedimentary processes occurred in multiple phases. The combination of our unique morphometric methodology using radar sounding showcases the characterization of morphologically subtle features despite the constraints of available data. This study offers a methodological framework for the investigation of other low-relief Martian regions, enhancing our understanding of the planet's volcanic and stratigraphic evolution
ORGANOCATALYSTS BASED ON CONFORMATIONALLY BIASED CYCLIC PEPTOIDS
No full textSINCE THE EARLY 2000S, ORGANOCATALYSIS HAS SEEN HUGE DEVELOPMENT THANKS TO ITS VARIOUS ADVANTAGES OVER METAL CATALYSIS, BUT ESPECIALLY DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF EASILY OBTAINING ENANTIOMERICALLY ENRICHED MOLECULES, WHICH IS PARTICULARLY INTERESTING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SYNTHESIZING MOLECULES OF PHARMACEUTICAL INTEREST. AMONG THE NUMEROUS CLASSES OF COMPOUNDS INTRODUCED IN THE LITERATURE OVER THE YEARS, TWO ARE CERTAINLY OF PARTICULAR INTEREST: ORGANOBASES AND CHIRAL AMINES. VARIOUS COMPOUNDS ALREADY KNOWN IN THE LITERATURE ARE CURRENTLY USED; HOWEVER, RESEARCH IS STILL OPEN TOWARD THE SYNTHESIS OF NEW COMPOUNDS THAT ARE MORE PERFORMANT AND UNIVERSAL.
FOR THIS REASON, THE AIM OF THIS PROJECT INCLUDES THE SYNTHESIS OF A NEW DABCO-BASED ORGANOBASE THAT IS C2-SYMMETRIC, CHIRAL, AND BIFUNCTIONAL. MOREOVER, ANOTHER AIM IS THE SYNTHESIS OF NEW CYCLOTRIPEPTOIDS THAT SHOW CONFORMATIONAL CHIRALITY, DECORATED WITH A PRIMARY AND TERTIARY AMINE IN THE SIDE CHAINS, WHICH TURN OUT TO BE VALID CANDIDATES AS ASYMMETRIC ORGANOCATALYSTS
Fast vortex dynamics and relaxation times in NbRe-based heterostructures
No full textAn in-depth analysis of Abrikosov vortex dynamics and flux-flow instabilities was performed in NbRe/Au and NbRe/Py bilayers to
compare superconducting/normal metal (S/N) and superconducting/ferromagnetic (S/F) heterostructures based on the same superconducting
layer. The heterostructures, fabricated by sputtering, were characterized through electrical transport measurements. The
I–V characteristics show that, in the NbRe/Py bilayer, vortices reach higher critical velocities than those observed in the NbRe/Au
structure. The analysis of the flux-flow instability within the Larkin–Ovchinnikov framework allows one to extract the quasiparticle
energy relaxation time. For external magnetic field values for which edge barrier pinning is dominant and thermal effects are
negligible, the relaxation times are about 150 ps and 24 ps for NbRe/Au and NbRe/Py bilayers, respectively. These results indicate
that NbRe/Py bilayers, having a relaxation time one order of magnitude smaller than values reported in NbRe microbridges, have great potential for the realization of devices where fast relaxation processes are required
Eteronomia e autonomia simbolica nei mondi videoludici: Baldur’s Gate
No full textThe essay analyzes Baldur’s Gate III (Larian Studios, 2023) as a ludic and mythopoietic space where social imaginaries, dynamics of re-tribalization (McLuhan 1964; 2015; Maffesoli 1988), and forms of individual and collective agency (Nguyen 2023) intertwine. Through a dialogue with Castoriadis (1975; 2022), Caillois (1958; 2000), Huizinga (1938; 2002), Morin (1993; 2008), and Berger Luckmann (1966; 2024), the study investigates how video games can be configured as socio-imaginal devices, capable of activating symbolic participation and fostering processes of identity construction, while reactivating rituality, mythologies, and community structures within a media context that promotes their rediscovery and reinterpretation. Baldur’s Gate III is explored as a narrative and performative device that enables symbolic participation and identity building, encouraging the rediscovery of rituals, mythologies, and communities. The tension between heteronomy (rules and structures that ensure coherence and limits) and autonomy (the player’s freedom of choice and action) is not a resolvable opposition but rather a dynamic process. Within this shifting equilibrium, video games become sites of symbolic and social production, where myths are generated, rules are tested, and norms are negotiated
Evaluation of the Performance of the Global Weather Dataset AgERA5 for Sustainable Water Management in Agriculture: A Focus on Reference Evapotranspiration
No full textAssessing water withdrawal for crop irrigation at large scale is a decisive step for arranging a sustainable development in the agriculture sector toward an optimal allocation and management of water resources. Since direct measurements of irrigation volumes are very often not available, indirect estimates are needed. These require the use of consistent time-series of gridded weather data for implementing crop-water balance models. So far, advances in meteorological numerical modelling have been encouraging the use of their outputs, including reanalysis data, as gridded weather data sources for similar purposes. As interest in meteorological weather reanalysis data increases, the need to evaluate their performance and compare the suitability of different databases for various sites becomes central. This study evaluates the performance of the weather dataset AgERA5, which was lately derived from ERA5 reanalysis with a finer resolution, for agricultural water management applications. The AgERA5 is compared with the ERA5-Land dataset, as well as with ground-based weather interpolated observations, which are the primary alternative weather database. The study focuses on the weather variables needed for computing the FAO Penman-Monteith reference evapotranspiration, ET0, such as wind velocity, surface shortwave radiation, temperature and relative humidity of air: key variables for irrigation volume estimates. The target area for the analyses is the Campania Region, a mediterranean-climate region in the South of Italy. The performances of the databases are evaluated from April to September, when irrigation occurs, respect to the years 2008–2024. Results show that AgERA5 is a reliable dataset for assessing agricultural indicators in regional studies by simply applying a local correction of the bias and it outperforms the weather dataset alternatives for assessing ET0