513225 research outputs found
Sort by
Marco Polo’s Cultural Legacy in China
No full textThis chapter examines Marco Polo’s evolving image as a symbol of Sino-Italian relations. Adopting
a Performance Studies framework, it analyzes the Chinese ballet Marco Polo (2010), where
choreography fuses classical ballet and Chinese aesthetics to position Polo as both a diplomatic
figure and a vehicle for (re)narrating Chinese cultural heritage
The CoDesign Tool. A Card-Based Framework for Interactive and Collaborative Design in Cultural Heritage
No full textAs the demand for more engaging visitor experiences–digital, physical, or hybrid–continues to grow, cultural institutions face the challenge of structuring effective design processes. While these institutions have long relied on interdisciplinary teams, such complex projects often require external contributions. This interplay of expertise calls for timely solutions and adaptable methodologies to ensure collaboration and bridge disciplinary gaps. The CoDesign Tool, developed by CNR ISPC (Italy) and Fraunhofer IGD (Germany) within the Horizon Europe PERCEIVE project, addresses this need by providing a structured, game-like framework to support collaborative ideation in Cultural Heritage. Building on the legacy of the open-access VisitorBox toolkit (GIFT, Horizon 2020), this redesigned version introduces key innovations, including cognitive-emotional dedicated stage and cards (Audience Goals) focused on Authenticity and Sense of Care, a redesigned Disruption Stage to stress-test ideas, and an overall restructured layout for improved usability and flow. The tool’s modular format, which combines physical boards and themed card decks, encourages inclusive collaboration among practitioners of different background, regardless of their prior design expertise. Through a series of co-design workshops and evaluations, the tool has shown improved clarity, reduced cognitive load, and more balanced team participation compared to its predecessor. Results also highlight the value of structured prompts in guiding idea development and critical reflection. A digital version of the tool is currently being developed to support remote collaboration, with future work aimed at expanding content, testing new stages, and enhancing the tool’s adaptability across diverse heritage contexts
Stabilized real-time Brillouin microscopy reveals fractal organization of protein condensates in living cells
No full textMechanical alterations of protein condensates are increasingly recognized in the etiology of several neurodegenerative diseases, yet their characterization remains technically challenging. Although Brillouin microscopy could offer a promising solution, its use is hindered by instrumental instabilities demanding frequent adjustments and manual calibrations with reference materials. Here, we present an enhanced Brillouin Microscope that incorporates an electro-optic modulator, serving simultaneously as frequency reference, spectrometer calibrator, and temporal stabilizer. This integration enables robust, real-time spectral stability over multiple days in a fully automated workflow. Using this system, we quantify Brillouin shifts of several protein condensates in living cells and validate our findings with FRAP. The correlation between techniques reveals a fractal internal architecture of the condensates, providing important insights into their physical nature while probing the mechanical behavior of entire compartments containing multiple protein species. Our method offers a unique framework for distinguishing physiological from pathological condensates, paving the way for long-term, user-independent, high-precision mechanical measurements in living cells
I Wall Drawings di Sol LeWitt in Italia: la conservazione della materia e del concetto
No full textSol LeWitt realizza il primo Wall Drawing nel 1968 sulle pareti della galleria di Paula Cooper a New York: è il primo di una serie di lavori con i quali affermerà la sua idea di opera d’arte, spostando il focus dal manufatto al concetto, dal gesto individuale alla procedura collettiva, dall’opera intesa come unicum a quella che si realizza nella molteplicità.
In questo quadro, anche l’aspetto conservativo si pone in termini nuovi: non più soltanto funzionale a salvaguardare un oggetto fisico, quanto a preservare il sistema di relazioni tra concetto, progetto, esecuzione e contesto.
La presente ricerca si propone di indagare i Wall Drawings con particolare attenzione alle opere realizzate in Italia, dove, in virtù di una affezione radicata negli anni, l’artista trova un contesto ideale per stimolare le sue percezioni e far evolvere il proprio linguaggio.
Lo studio si muove su più livelli di indagine fra di loro interconnessi: il primo è quello che attiene al pensiero e al linguaggio di LeWitt in relazione al milieu nel quale lavora, considerando anche i proficui rapporti con artisti e critici coinvolti nel dibattito artistico contemporaneo. Un altro piano di studio riguarda le scelte formali alla base delle sue opere, che si traduce nell’analisi delle numerose serie dei disegni murali, codificate in quasi quarant’anni di ricerca. Un ulteriore livello analitico è incentrato sugli aspetti concettuali, riconducibili ai significati sottesi al suo lavoro, come le modalità progettuali, la relazione con il contesto architettonico e le idee di impermanenza e mutevolezza. L’indagine è quindi focalizzata all’ambito tecnico, relativo ai medium e alle procedure scelte per la materializzazione delle idee, come esse cambino all’evolversi del linguaggio formale e come sia gestita la delega all’esecuzione, aspetto fondante dei Wall Drawings. Il campo della ricerca è allargato fino all’analisi di diversi casi studio, documenti diretti che hanno la funzione di sostenere o confutare quanto è stato precedentemente tracciato. La tesi si conclude con l’analisi delle prospettive conservative specifiche per questi lavori.
Dal punto di vista metodologico, oltre allo studio delle fonti bibliografiche e archivistiche, sono state raccolte testimonianze orali, intervistando alcune delle persone coinvolte nel percorso artistico di LeWitt
Three-way data analysis with explainable Tucker3 clustering (XT3Clus)
No full textIn an era of increasingly complex data, three-way arrays capturing information across units, variables and occasions are ubiquitous in fields from chemometrics to finance. However, extracting meaningful and interpretable patterns from such data remain a significant challenge. To address this, we introduce the Explainable Tucker3 Clustering (XT3Clus) methodology. XT3Clus performs clustering on units while simultaneously identifying explainable components for variables and/or occasions, significantly enhancing model interpretability. This approach functions as a constrained Tucker3 model, where each dimension is forced to contribute to a single component. The framework supports fully confirmatory, exploratory or hybrid analytical strategies. The optimization of the objective function is carried out by an efficient Alternating Least Squares algorithm. Finally, we propose a novel quantitative metric to evaluate the interpretability of a solution and confirm the practical utility of XT3Clus in three real-world scenarios
Invasive alien plants and the city: distribution patterns in response to urban elements and urbanization in three of the largest cities in Italy
No full textCities are extensively colonised by invasive alien plants, and their spread can negatively impact urban ecosystems including remaining natural habitats. It is therefore crucial to understand how invasive alien plants spread across urban landscapes and which anthropogenic drivers favour their persistence. Accordingly, in three of the largest Italian cities (Milan, Rome and Turin), a pool of alien species highly invasive in Europe was selected and their distribution was studied. Using a stratified sampling design defined along a gradient of urbanization, we analysed the distribution and abundance of 26 target species in relation to urban elements (e.g. linear infrastructures, gardens and buildings). With almost 20,000 occurrences, the analysis highlighted that, within the species’ pool, the most widespread spontaneous alien plants were Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle, Parthenocissus agg., Phytolacca americana L., Robinia pseudoacacia L. and Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. Notably, Ulmus pumila L. was widespread in Milan and Turin. In response to the gradient of urbanization, a clear distinction emerged between species adapted to highly disturbed central areas, i.e. A. altissima, and those more suited to suburban contexts, i.e. R. pseudoacacia. Along the entire gradient, physical constraints limited the occurrence of species on buildings and other sealed areas, whereas gardens and road sides were the most receptive urban elements in terms of taxa richness and frequency. This comparative study of urban alien flora in three large Italian cities contributes to the understanding of distribution patterns and secondary spread of alien species in highly urbanised contexts of Southern Europe. Our study suggests that strategies for preventing and managing the colonisation of invasive alien plants in cities should be tailored to certain species, depending on levels of urbanisation and fine-scale land use
Neoplasie neuroendocrine polmonari resecate: analisi clinicopatologica, immunoistochimica e prognostica in una coorte monocentrica
No full textBackground I tumori neuroendocrini polmonari (NEN) comprendono un ampio spettro istologico che va dai carcinoidi tipici e atipici ben differenziati ai carcinomi neuroendocrini scarsamente differenziati a grandi cellule (LCNEC) e a piccole cellule (SCLC). La resezione chirurgica rappresenta il trattamento di scelta nelle fasi precoci di malattia; tuttavia, mancano ancora biomarcatori prognostici affidabili. Metodi È stato condotto uno studio retrospettivo su 59 pazienti sottoposti a resezione polmonare con intento curativo per NEN tra il 2007 e il 2025. Sono stati analizzati dati clinici, chirurgici, istopatologici e immunoistochimici, inclusi Ki-67, INSM1, RB1, p53, DLL3 e PD-L1. La sopravvivenza è stata valutata mediante analisi di Kaplan–Meier e modelli di regressione di Cox proporzionale ai rischi, secondo la classificazione TNM IASLC 9a edizione. Risultati L’età mediana dei pazienti era di 68 anni; il 61% erano uomini. La distribuzione istologica è risultata: carcinoide tipico 32%, carcinoide atipico 19%, LCNEC 29%, SCLC 17%, altri 3%. L’indice di proliferazione Ki-67 mediano era del 45% (IQR 18–78). La perdita di espressione di RB1 e l’alterazione di p53 sono state osservate rispettivamente nel 64% e nel 61% dei carcinomi neuroendocrini (NEC). Con un follow-up mediano di 48 mesi, il 27,9% dei pazienti ha sviluppato recidiva e il 33,9% è deceduto. La sopravvivenza globale (OS) e la sopravvivenza libera da malattia (DFS) a 5 anni sono risultate rispettivamente del 59,8% e del 55,1%. All’analisi multivariata, i fattori prognostici indipendenti associati a prognosi sfavorevole per OS sono risultati: sottotipo istologico (NEC vs carcinoide; HR 3,74, p = 0,002), coinvolgimento linfonodale (HR 2,68, p = 0,012), Ki-67 ≥50% (HR 2,51, p = 0,019) e resezione non radicale (HR 1,89, p = 0,041). Conclusioni I tumori neuroendocrini polmonari presentano un’elevata eterogeneità biologica e prognostica. Il grado istologico, lo stato linfonodale, l’indice proliferativo e le alterazioni di RB1/p53 rappresentano predittori indipendenti di esito dopo resezione chirurgica. Le indagini molecolari in corso, comprendenti analisi di next-generation sequencing (NGS) e valutazione di PD-L1, potranno migliorare la stratificazione biologica e identificare potenziali target terapeutici nei NEC ad alto grado
Financial Opportunities and Challenges in Energy Communities: Revenue, Costs, and Capital Structures
No full textEnergy Communities (ECs) have emerged as central legal instruments for decentralized renewable energy deployment across Europe; however, their long-term viability depends critically on financial sustainability mechanisms that remain inadequately understood. This study examines the economic foundations of ECs through a narrative literature review of revenue generation, cost allocation, and the capital mobilization pathways in three representative European markets (Germany, Spain, and Italy). A structured Scopus database search identified 280 peer-reviewed studies published between 2019 and 2025. Following systematic screening, 89 articles were selected for analysis through bibliometric mapping in R (Biblioshiny) and qualitative synthesis in NVivo. The analysis reveals that stable feed-in tariffs, tax incentives, and self-consumption remuneration schemes form the primary revenue mechanisms, while cost management effectiveness varies substantially across countries due to differing grid-charge structures and administrative frameworks. Capital access remains constrained for smaller communities despite hybrid financing innovations combining public grants, cooperative equity, and emerging crowdfunding mechanisms. Regulatory heterogeneity, high upfront investment requirements, and limited institutional credit availability continue to impede scalability. The findings emphasize that achieving widespread EC adoption requires harmonized policy frameworks, transparent cost-sharing arrangements, and diversified investment instruments that align local participation with national decarbonization objectives while ensuring equitable access across diverse socio-economic contexts
A Digital Geometric Comparison Between a ‘Vegetal Architecture’ and its Maquette: the Pincio Promenade and the Plastico di Roma
No full textThis research addresses the enhancement of outdoor Cultural Heritage by exploring innovative methods for integrating different digital models applied to external environments, with a specific focus on so-called ‘Vegetal Architectures’. These spaces, shaped by the interaction of natural and built elements, embody historical processes of continuous transformation and therefore require survey methodologies capable of combining material data with the reconstruction of the site’s evolutionary history. Among the case studies examined, the Pincio Promenade in Rome plays a central role. Designed by Giuseppe Valadier from 1810, it represents one of the most significant nineteenth-century urban interventions in the city. Despite its cultural relevance, existing graphic documentation remains fragmented and inadequate for an accurate architectural-scale description of its metric and geometric features. A key historical reference is the Plastico di Roma da Piazza del Popolo a Piazza Colonna con il Pincio, a maquette made by Tommaso Falcetti under Valadier’s supervision from 1822, which provides a valuable topographical record of the area. The study aims to produce a detailed digital survey of the Pincio Promenade through the integration of Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) technologies, generating numerical discontinuous and continuous models suitable for the analysis of Vegetal Architectures. In parallel, a high-resolution digital reconstruction of the Plastico di Roma is developed using colour-calibrated Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry and hybrid laser scanning. The resulting models are then compared to validate the contemporary survey and to investigate the historical transformations of the garden
Il Cinema Teatro del Dopolavoro Ferroviario a Roma di Angiolo Mazzoni
No full textAfter the early years in which the new Cinema-Theatre typology was defined, the second half of the 1910s saw the spread of new typological solutions that incorporated cinemas into larger projects covering entire blocks. Starting in the
early 1920s, the new neighbourhoods that sprang up in Rome often featured a cinema integrated into the multifunctional
structures that served as recreational centres for all the neighbourhood's residents. The cinemas, designed as recreational centres for all the inhabitants of the area and recognised as neighbourhood facilities on a par with markets, post offices and churches, were therefore integrated into the design of the new blocks as part of residential construction projects. This is the case of the cinemas designed by Innocenzo Sabbatini for the new neighbourhoods of Città Giardino, Garbatella and
Trionfale, and the Dopolavoro Ferroviario Cinema-Theatre in Rome, designed by Angiolo Mazzoni in collaboration with Efisio Vodret and integrated into the new settlement in the Italia neighbourhood. Inaugurated in 1930, the hall, whose curved surface marks the façade on Via Bari, has for years been a particularly attractive hub for the entire neighbourhood and, after a period of inactivity, was reopened in 2006