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Sense of Care in the Design of Digital Heritage Applications
No full textCultural heritage care emphasizes preservation, ethical duty, empathy, and relational bonds, with museums fostering deeper connections and historical understanding. This paper develops a design approach to interactive media applied to coloured collection, by focusing on a “care theory” for cultural heritage. The work also analyses art from diverse periods and media, exploring how various engagement types—visual, emotional, interactive—evoke care in viewers. Multimedia art similarly fosters empathy and reflection. The study utilized a Cultural Probe Kit to analyse caring behaviours, revealing traits and triggers that prompt a caring attitude. A proposed framework outlines emotional and empathetic aspects, emphasizing meaningful connections between caregivers and cultural heritage, enhanced through storytelling, engagement, and interactive technologies. Museums, as social spaces, benefit from user participation, fostering care and meaning making. Two prototypes like "ColorColab" and "MyTISSE" are described, focusing on their capacity to engage visitors with hands-on, multi-sensory technology, enhancing their personal connections to artifacts and social interactions. The chapter closes testing the framework and caring trigger on a number of different interactive projects
Prognostic role of the 2MACE score in older patients with atrial fibrillation
No full text: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in the elderly and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events (CVE); indeed, a percentage of patients develop CVE during oral anticoagulation. The 2MACE score is a clinical score used to predict the risk of MACE in patients with AF, but not in elderly patients with AF. Therefore, the purpose of this work is to evaluate the possible predictive value of the 2MACE score on MACE onset, in a cohort of elderly patients with non-valvular AF and several comorbidities for long-term follow-up. 1005 elderly with non-valvular AF were enrolled (76.4 ± 6.1 years; 291 on VKAs and 714 on DOACs) and stratified according to the median value of 2MACE score. MACE (non-fatal ischemic stroke, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular death) and all-cause mortality occurrence were evaluated during a mean follow-up of 6.2 years. In this multicenter retrospective observational study, a 2MACE score ≥ 4 pt (taken as a dichotomous value) (HR 4.38, 95% CI 3.46-5.55; p < 0.0001) was associated with a 4.3-fold increased risk of MACE, with modest discriminatory ability (AUC: 0.65; standard error: 0.018; 95% CI, 0.62-0.69). Furthermore, the presence of MMSE score < 24 pt (HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.03-1.56, p = 0.026) was associated with a 27% increased risk of MACE. In contrast, DOACs and SGLT2-inhibitor were associated with a 55% (HR 0.45, 95% CI 0.36-0.55, p < 0.0001) and 46% (HR 0.54, 95% CI 0.41-0.71, p < 0.0001) lower risk of MACE, respectively. Elderly patients with non-valvular AF whot exhibit a 2MACE score ≥ 4 pt show a higher risk of MACE and all-cause mortality
Genetic and epigenetic changes in the repetitive regions of the human genome
No full textRecent technological advances in long-read sequencing have facilitated the assembly of telomere-to-telomere (T2T) genomes. The currently available T2T assembly CHM13 provides valuable insights into the complete architecture of the human genome, yet its exploitation for functional experiments is affected by discrepancies between the reference and the native genome of the specific biological system under study. Access to complete reference genomes for stable, experimentally relevant cell lines is essential to advance functional studies and precise manipulation, including multi-omics data analyses and genome editing, particularly in highly variable regions such as the centromeres. Comparative analyses of newly available human genome assemblies have highlighted extensive variation that peaks at centromeres. Reliance on a single reference genome can thus hinder whole-genome analysis of sequencing data derived from laboratory cell lines and limit their accurate genomic manipulation. Centromeres are epigenetically specified by distinct chromatin, whereas their DNA varies between species and individuals. This extensive sequence divergence makes comparative analyses between centromeres challenging. In this study, we 1) present RPE1v1.1, the near-complete diploid genome reference for the human retinal epithelial cells RPE-1, a widely used non-cancer laboratory cell line with a stable karyotype; 2) we demonstrate that using an “isogenomic” reference genome – fully matched to the experimental cell line – substantially improves the accuracy of genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic analyses compared to a nonmatched reference; 3) we identified a chromosomespecific architectural pattern across the human genome, defined by the conserved spacing of a functionally relevant centromeric DNA motif. The distribution of these sites along chromosome arms constitutes the human “centeny map”. By using a custom Genomic Centromere Profiling (GCP) pipeline, we leveraged the motif’s position, orientation, and organization to construct structural models that enable reclassification of human chromosomal clusters, detection of centromere expansion, and identification of structural variants and misassembled regions. The high-resolution maps derived from this pattern not only provide a framework for comparative analysis of centromeres across evolution and disease but also offer a new dimension for chromosome annotation, assembly, and characterization
High-performance computing tools for simulating offshore wind turbines in deep-water environments
No full textThe work presented in this thesis is motivated by a practical, engineering-driven question: how do atmospheric boundary-layer conditions and sea waves modify near-surface shear, wake development, and wind-turbine performance in Mediterranean scenarios? This question naturally arises in the context of accelerating interest in offshore wind as one of the most promising renewable energy technologies, especially for deep-water installations in the Mediterranean Sea, where floating platforms and Mediterranean metocean conditions reshape the operational environment compared with
Northern European sites. To answer this question, from both physical and engineering perspectives, tools that can resolve the joint wave–wind–wake–turbine dynamics are required. This work adopts a high-fidelity prediction-science perspective, where offshore wind-energy predictions sit at the intersection of physics-based simulation, high-performance computing, and data-driven analysis and machine-learning modeling. Two complementary aims follow from this perspective. First, to
develop and validate high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) frameworks that incorporate realistic atmospheric boundary-layer (ABL) and sea-state effects while capturing rotor-wake dynamics. Second, to extract coherent physical structures from the resulting high-fidelity datasets by means of a lightweight, unsupervised pipeline designed to operate at runtime. To address the primary physics aim, two different simulation frameworks were developed, both built around actuator-line modeling but implemented within two different numerical solvers: i) UTD-WF, a high-order finite-difference large-eddy simulation (LES) code developed at the University of Texas at Dallas, and ii) OpenFOAM, an open-source finite-volume code. Across the two frameworks, the central question is when ocean waves inject enough energy into the surface layer to alter rotor-scale metrics, and when their imprint remains confined to the surface layer. For the UTD-WF simulation campaign, a case study located in the Sicilian Strait was investigated, where the metocean climate is swell-dominated, with a representative wave age of 1.17 and prevalent wind–wave alignment. By contrast, the OpenFOAM framework was validated through an improved-delayed detached-eddy-simulation (IDDES) campaign at Tavolara Island (Sardinia), focusing on frequent, moderate sea states. Moreover, the thesis introduces a data-driven methodology for the automatic identification and segmentation of the wake regions of a horizontal-axis wind turbine. The approach relies on fluiddynamic features of the wind-turbine flow field and a k-means clustering algorithm trained on instantaneous two-dimensional high-fidelity CFD data, then temporally propagated onto new time steps. The result is a data-driven model that is both mesh- and solver-agnostic, able to identify physically interpretable wake regions in a pipeline lightweight enough to be deployed at runtime during CFD simulations
The CMS barrel timing layer. Test beam confirmation of module timing performance
No full textFirst of its kind, the barrel section of the MIP Timing Detector is a large area timing detector based on LYSO:Ce crystals and SiPMs which are required to operate in an unprecedentedly harsh radiation environment (up to an integrated fluence of 2×1014 1 MeV neq/cm2). It is designed as a key element of the upgrade of the existing CMS detector to provide a time resolution for minimum ionizing particles in the range between 30–60 ps throughout the entire operation at the High Luminosity LHC. A thorough optimization of its components has led to the final detector module layout which exploits 25 μm cell size SiPMs and 3.75 mm thick crystals. This design achieved the target performance in a series of test beam campaigns. In this paper we present test beam results which demonstrate the desired performance of detector modules in terms of radiation tolerance, time resolution and response uniformity
Liquid metal magnetohydrodynamic mixed convection flow in a rectangular channel with volumetric heating and internally aligned cooling pipes
No full textLiquid metals containing lithium are candidate working fluids for implementation in technological demonstrators and first-of-a-kind nuclear fusion power plants. Used as tritium breeder and carrier in breeding blankets, liquid metals are tasked with producing enough tritium to ensure the machine fuel self-sufficiency and are characterized by excellent breeding potential and the possibility to perform in-line extraction and composition control. In some breeding blanket concepts, the intense volumetric heating produced by nuclear breeding reactions in the liquid metal is extracted by a secondary coolant, like water or helium, to minimize the liquid metal velocity and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects arising due to its motion in presence of the intense magnetic fields necessary for the machine operation. This study numerically investigates the MHD flow expected in a liquid metal breeding blanket that is internally refrigerated by a large number of cooling pipes aligned with the streamwise direction. In particular, this work address the effect of the interaction between buoyancy, inertial and electromagnetic forces in a prototypical configuration for an upward flow characterized by both intense uniform volumetric heating and static applied magnetic field. Forced and mixed convection MHD cases are simulated to predict the flow pattern and estimate the thermal–hydraulic performance in terms of pressure drop and heat transfer in reactor-relevant conditions. The pressure drop is found to be slightly higher (20%) for a mixed convection MHD flow compared with a forced convection case at strong magnetic field intensity due to the additional dissipation caused by buoyancy-aiding and buoyancy-opposing flow regions. Large recirculation bubbles are observed close to the pipes suggesting a potential risk in terms of enhanced tritium permeation toward the coolant. Heat transfer is mostly dominated by conduction, while advection plays only a minor role. The governing parameter Ri/N is found to be extremely important to preserve the thermal–hydraulic performance of the system when performing simulations at a lower magnetic field intensity to reduce computational cost
Le dinamiche di comunicazione del veganismo nei gruppi online: un'indagine netnografica sul loro impatto nella formazione delle percezioni, delle adesioni e dei pregiudizi
No full textLa tesi analizza le dinamiche di comunicazione del veganismo all’interno di community online, adottando una prospettiva di metodologia della ricerca sociale e un approccio netnografico. Muovendo da un paradigma interpretativo, lo studio si propone di comprendere come il discorso vegano venga costruito, negoziato e talvolta conflittualizzato nei contesti digitali, e in che modo tali dinamiche incidano sulla formazione delle percezioni del movimento, sulle adesioni e sui processi di stigmatizzazione.
La ricerca si concentra su due community online dedicate al veganismo, caratterizzate da differenti piattaforme e modelli comunicativi, selezionate secondo una logica comparativa di tipo qualitativo. Attraverso una netnografia investigativa basata su osservazione non partecipata, l’analisi integra codifica tematica, mappatura concettuale e analisi discorsiva, al fine di cogliere sia la ricchezza dei contenuti sia le relazioni simboliche e identitarie che emergono nelle interazioni.
I risultati mostrano come il veganismo online non costituisca un discorso unitario, ma si articoli in pratiche comunicative differenziate, segnate da tensioni interne, processi di negoziazione morale e meccanismi di inclusione ed esclusione simbolica. In particolare, emergono fratture tra approcci pragmatici e posizioni più ortodosse, nonché una diversa funzione delle community come spazi di supporto, confronto e, in alcuni casi, di polarizzazione.
La tesi evidenzia inoltre il ruolo delle piattaforme e delle logiche algoritmiche come attori sociotecnici, capaci di influenzare la visibilità dei contenuti e le forme di interazione. Il contributo del lavoro si colloca su tre livelli: empirico, teorico e metodologico, offrendo concetti e mappe interpretative trasferibili allo studio di altri fenomeni sociali nei contesti digitali
Biophysical features of outer membrane vesicles (ovms) from pathogenic escherichia coli. Methodological implications for reproducible omv characterization
No full textBackground/Objectives: Bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) play a role in bacterial communication, virulence, antimicrobial resistance, and host–pathogen interaction. OMV isolation is a key step for studying these particles’ functions; nevertheless, isolation procedures can greatly influence the yield, purity, and structural integrity of OMVs, thereby affecting downstream biological analyses and functional interpretation. Methods: In this study, we compared the efficacy of two OMV isolation techniques, differential ultracentrifugation (dUC) and size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), in separating and concentrating vesicles produced by two Escherichia coli strains belonging to uropathogenic (UPEC) and Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) pathotypes. The isolated OMVs were characterized using a multi-analytical approach including transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM, SEM), nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), dynamic light scattering (DLS), ζ-potential measurement, and protein quantification to assess the purity of the preparations. Results: Samples obtained by dUC exhibited higher total protein content, broader particle size distributions, and more pronounced contamination by non-vesicular material. In contrast, SEC yielded morphologically homogeneous and structurally well-preserved vesicles, higher particle-to-protein ratios, and lower total protein content, reflecting reduced co-isolation of protein aggregates. NTA and DLS analyses revealed polydisperse populations in samples obtained with both isolation methods, with DLS measurements highlighting the contribution of larger or transient aggregates. ζ-potential values were close to neutrality for all samples, consistent with limited electrostatic repulsion and with the aggregation tendencies observed in some preparations. Conclusions: This study describes features of OMV produced by two relevant E. coli strains considering two isolation strategies which exert method- and strain-dependent effects on vesicle properties, including size distribution and surface charge, and emphasizes the trade-offs between yield, purity, and vesicle integrity
Dialogo tra le Corti e ri-accentramento tra sovranità statale e federalismo europeo
No full textLa ricerca che si è condotta mira a esaminare il nesso tra l’istituto della sovranità dello Stato e una specifica declinazione del federalismo europeo a partire dal tema del dialogo tra le Corti, precisamente inteso come confronto tra le giurisprudenze della Corte costituzionale italiana e della Corte di giustizia dell’Unione europea sui rapporti tra i due ordinamenti, quello interno e quello eurounitario, in caso di contrasti tra gli stessi.
Si è partiti dall’analisi dell’orientamento derivante dalla sent. n. 269/2017, che ha inaugurato un ri-accentramento su determinate questioni di compatibilità con il diritto UE, derogando ai dettami della sent. n. 170/1984, sino ad arrivare agli assestamenti di questo filone giurisprudenziale con la recente sent. n. 181/2024, che ha configurato il c.d. tono costituzionale, confermando l’intento accentratore del nostro giudice delle leggi, seppur attenuato.
L’associazione di tale ri-accentramento alla tendenza della Corte costituzionale a promuovere direttamente rinvio pregiudiziale nei confronti della Corte di giustizia ha portato, innanzitutto, a constatare che la Consulta non intende rimanere esclusa dal circuito di tutela dei diritti fondamentali. In più, ha spinto a intravedere nei suoi recenti orientamenti l’estrinsecazione della sovranità di uno Stato membro dell’Unione europea.
Si è passati così a esaminare l’evoluzione storico-giuridica della nozione di sovranità, dagli studi di Jean Bodin e Thomas Hobbes fino alla presa d’atto che dopo la Seconda Guerra Mondiale, con la nascita degli ordinamenti sovranazionali, tale nozione risulta ad oggi ridimensionata nei suoi tratti essenziali, pur rimanendo prerogativa tipica degli stessi Stati.
Ciò ha indotto a riflettere su una prospettiva di evoluzione dell’integrazione europea, in modo da vagliare la possibilità di utilizzare gli istituti del Diritto costituzionale per giungere a configurare la nascita di uno Stato federale in Europa che incorpori gli ordinamenti giuridici degli Stati attualmente membri dell’Unione europea.
La ricerca ha portato a respingere l’opportunità di procedere attraverso l’uso dei trattati internazionali, oltre che per specifiche ragioni giuridiche anche in virtù di concreti fallimenti storici, per arrivare a prospettare l’indizione di elezioni di un’Assemblea costituente europea incaricata di redigere una vera e propria Carta costituzionale di un nuovo Stato federale.
Si sono indicati esemplificativamente gli elementi contenutistici indispensabili alla Costituzione federale europea, senza trascurare la necessità di fare i conti con le Costituzioni dei singoli Stati, rispetto alle quali, una volta intrapreso il cammino federale, bisognerà problematicamente affrontare la questione del loro adeguamento al nuovo assetto istituzionale.
Si è arrivati alla conclusione che, ai fini della formazione del nuovo Stato, non potrà non tenersi conto del principio di effettività, in considerazione della circostanza che nessuna Costituzione sovrana può legittimare procedimenti volti a cedere definitivamente la propria sovranità senza danneggiare se stesse. Ciò non impedisce che, soffermandosi sugli istituti della Costituzione italiana, non possano individuarsi strategie, suggestive sul piano della riflessione giuridica, finalizzate almeno ad agevolare la realizzazione de facto di questo processo
Empirical essays on geopolitical risk: insurance, firms and energy
No full textGlobalization shaped the world economy for much of the past three decades, but the
rise of geopolitical risk since the 2010s has accelerated geoeconomic fragmentation,
challenging that baseline. This thesis studies how geopolitical risk propagates through
the real economy and financial markets, closing evidence gaps in three domains: insurance,
commodities, and non-financial firms.
First, by introducing novel methodologies in the insurance literature, such as local
projections, we show that geopolitical-risk shocks raise premiums and strengthen technical
reserves, consistent with both stronger demand and tighter underwriting, while
simultaneously weakening solvency and market-based equity metrics, revealing distinct
underwriting and market transmission channels at work. Second, identifying producerside
geopolitical shocks using a novel granular instrumental variable approach, in oil, gas
and critical minerals markets, we find that shocks lift benchmark prices and pass through
to global inflation, highlighting the importance of the supply channel for the transmission
of producers geopolitical risk. Third, to capture the revenue transmission channel for
non-financial firms, we build an innovative firm-level geopolitical risk exposure index by
combining firms’ geographical distribution of revenues and their destination markets’
risk, finding that greater firm-specific exposure depress investment, sales and financial
performance and shapes firms’ operational strategies.
Taken together, this thesis focuses on the multi-channel transmission of geopolitical
risk across insurance, commodity, and firm outcomes, advancing the literature with
new identification strategies and underscoring the macro-financial importance of these
mechanisms for policy and research