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Effects of dry needling on functioning and pain relief in patients with chronic nonspecific neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
No full textPurpose: Chronic nonspecific neck pain frequently causes disability and absence from work. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of dry needling (DN) on disability and pain in CNSNP patients. Materials and methods: We performed a systematic search on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science following the PRISMA guidelines. Articles included: patients with CNSNP; intervention as DN (eventually as add-on to physiotherapy); comparison as sham DN, physical therapy or nothing; outcomes, Neck Disability Index and visual analogue scale. A pairwise meta-analysis was conducted to pool the effects of dry needling on reducing disability in people with chronic neck pain. Results: Five studies satisfied our eligibility criteria. The meta-analysis showed that DN analyzed was effective in improving functioning in CNSNP patients but not significantly superior to the control group (MD: 3.51; p = 0.14). However, a pain relief was higher compared to the control group (MD: 0.94; p = 0.05) Conclusion: DN is an effective rehabilitative therapy in pain relief but not superior to physical or manual therapy in terms of functioning in patients with CNSNP. Therefore, further high-quality studies are needed to broaden the research on this mini-invasive approach for neck pain
Sfumature di inciviltà nella lettura dei cittadini
No full textPerché la politica contemporanea sembra essere sempre più uno scontro senza esclusione di colpi? Perché la volgarità, l’aggressività verbale, la delegittimazione dell’avversario e la discriminazione dell’altro sono diventate pratiche comuni nella cronaca politica fino ad arrivare, talvolta, a premiare chi vi ricorre?
In un’epoca in cui la democrazia appare sotto pressione, La politica dello scontro indaga come e perché l’inciviltà sia diventata non un’eccezione, ma una componente strutturale del dibattito pubblico. A partire da una ricerca comparata in Italia, Germania e Regno Unito, il volume esamina l’inciviltà come attributo della politica attuale, analizzandone le molteplici manifestazioni e le diverse cornici interpretative: dalla percezione dei cittadini alla rappresentazione mediatica, dalle pratiche giornalistiche alle strategie comunicative dei politici, fino al ruolo delle piattaforme digitali e alla crescente mediatizzazione della sfera pubblica
Dynamic network signatures from molecular dynamic simulation: a framework for rare genetic diseases
No full textThe use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has significantly
increased the number of genetic variants identified in diagnostics and research. This
has led to an exponential rise in variants of uncertain significance (VUS), creating a
bottleneck in the molecular diagnosis of rare genetic diseases and beyond. While
Molecular Dynamics (MD) can theoretically reveal how these variants reshape
protein behavior to aid interpretation, comparing large ensembles of simulations in a
consistent way remains a challenge.
Addressing the need to bridge the gap between static genotype and dynamic
phenotype, this thesis introduces NetMD, an unsupervised, graph-based Artificial
Intelligence (AI) framework. NetMD converts MD trajectories into evolving “network
signatures” of residue interactions and aligns them to uncover shared pathways and
variant-specific departures without requiring labels or predefined reaction
coordinates.
While motivated by the challenge of VUS interpretation, we validated the framework
by applying it to characterize known pathogenic variants and pharmacological
mechanisms across diverse biological contexts. In GLUT1 (implicated in GLUT1
Deficiency Syndrome and cancer metabolism), NetMD differentiated wild-type from
pathogenic variants (R333Q/W), highlighting shifts toward inactive-like transport
states. Extending the analysis to oncology, we aligned inhibitor-binding trajectories
for reference GLUT1 blockers, capturing binding-induced network changes
consistent with the stabilization of inward-open ensembles. In KDM6A (associated
with Kabuki syndrome), the method revealed how the pathogenic R1255W variant
perturbs long-range couplings across the catalytic domain. Finally, in mitochondrial
Complex I, focusing on the ND6 M64V variant causing Leber Hereditary Optic
Neuropathy (LHON), NetMD exposed the rewiring of conserved subunit interfaces.
By summarizing complex simulations into clear, time-resolved network patterns,
NetMD provides a robust tool to define the dynamic signatures of pathogenicity and
drug response, offering a scalable route to support variant classification and rational
therapeutic targeting
Immersive pathways to create value: a dual perspective on branding strategies and consumer well-being in VR metaverse experiences
No full textIn a historical era characterized by rapid change, the metaverse is emerging as a transformative environment where brands seek to leverage advanced technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), to engage consumers in innovative experiences. This new landscape presents two fundamental challenges for brands: to harness technological opportunities to achieve strategic branding objectives, and to do so in a way that respects and enhances consumer well-being. Despite growing relevance, research addressing these dual imperatives - brand objective gains and consumer well-being enhancement - remains predominantly conceptual and fragmented.
This doctoral thesis aims to address this gap by empirically investigating how VR-based metaverse platforms generate value for both brands and consumers through four interconnected essays. From a brand perspective, it reveals how technical factors (hardware and software) and perceptual dimensions (telepresence, social presence of brand avatars, and immersion) drive outcomes such as brand anthropomorphism, brand–self connection, and brand love. From the consumer perspective, VR experiences foster both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, while also revealing potential physical, psychological, and social discomforts. Technology acceptance perceptions - including perceived usefulness, ease of use, and attitudes toward VR - emerge as key mechanisms moderating these effects and differentiating consumer segments.
Together, the essays depict a virtuous cycle of dual value creation in the metaverse: brands strengthen branding outcomes, while consumers achieve meaningful well-being benefits. By integrating technological, perceptual, and individual variables, this research offers a unifying theoretical framework that advances the literature at the intersection of branding, technology acceptance, and consumer psychology. From a managerial perspective, it calls for a responsible branding approach, balancing and integrating strategic branding objectives with consumer well-being
Motivational and health impairment processes related to technological development at work
No full textGeneral abstract
It is widely recognized that technological innovation is changing how employees perform their work and interact with their work environment characteristics, influencing their engagement and well-being. The present dissertation includes three contributions that aim to provide a comprehensive and nuanced picture of how employees perceive technological implementations in their workplace and how they influence their work experiences.
In Study 1, I investigated the reciprocal relationship over time between technostress, workload, and exhaustion to highlight the longitudinal processes that lead technology to be perceived as a potential stressor. In Study 2, I explored the nuanced nature of technology perceptions by disentangling them in technology as a resource and as a demand and investigating how they differently activate motivational and health impairment processes at two levels of analysis, stability and variability (fluctuations). Finally, in Study 3, I examined the reciprocal relationship between techno-overload, positive emotions, and well-being with a fluctuation-focused point of view.
Overall, results suggest that technology may play a double role in the work context, as a resource that enhances professional growth and engagement, and as a demand that fosters exhaustion and reduces employees’ well-being. In Study 1, I found that technostress increases workload and exhaustion. Thus, employees may perceive technology as a stressor when they have a negative appraisal of their workload and are experiencing resource loss (i.e., exhaustion). In Study 2, I found that positive and negative technology perceptions may simultaneously coexist and differently activate motivational and health impairment processes at both levels of analysis (stability and variability). In Study 3, I found that positive emotions may help employees build new resources, foster their well-being, and, consequently, help them better deal with technological demands over time. Implications for theory and practice of the present dissertation, as well as limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed
Synchronized eruptions on Io. Possible evidence of interconnected subsurface magma reservoirs
No full textOn 27 December 2024, Juno's JIRAM (Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper) instrument observed an unprecedented volcanic event in Io's southern hemisphere, covering a vast region of similar to 65,000 km2, near 73 degrees S, 140 degrees E. Within the imaged region, only one hot spot was previously known (Pfd454). This feature was earlier estimated to cover an area of 300 km2 with a total power output of 34 GW. JIRAM results show that the region produces a power output of 140-260 TW, over 1,000 times higher than earlier estimates and likely exceeding the brightest eruption ever recorded on Io, that of Surt in 2001 (similar to 80 TW). Three adjacent hot spots also exhibited dramatic power increases: P139, PV18, and an unnamed feature south of the main one that surged to similar to 1 TW, placing all of them among the top 10 most powerful hot spots observed on Io. A temperature analysis of the features supports the simultaneous onset of these brightenings and suggests a single eruptive event propagating beneath the surface across hundreds of kilometers; this is the first time this has been observed on Io. This in turn would imply a connection among the hotspots' magma reservoirs, while other nearby hotspots that have been known to be active in the recent past, such as Kurdalagon Patera, appear unaffected. The simultaneity supports models of massive, interconnected magma reservoirs. The topology of these regional magma systems may resemble that of a large-scale sponge, in which the massive reservoirs are the pores, interconnected through a largely solid outer shell
The MAPSTROKE analysis of the access to stroke reperfusion treatment and stroke units in Italy
No full textBackground
Access to reperfusion therapies and stroke unit (SU) admission remains heterogeneous across Europe. Mapping tools can reveal service gaps and guide implementation strategies. MAPSTROKE provides regional mapping of existing stroke centres and identifies potential new sites in underserved areas.
Aims
To apply a computational strategy to the Italian stroke care system to estimate national coverage for reperfusion therapies and quantify SU bed capacity under current constraints.
Methods
Using MAPSTROKE geospatial modelling, we assessed (1) 45-min access to a hospital providing reperfusion treatment and (2) SU bed coverage limited by capacity. Population and stroke incidence data for 2023 were mapped on a hexagonal grid combining sources from the Italian Ministry of Health and the Kontur Dataset. Hospitals were classified as Comprehensive (CSC), Primary (PSC), Acute Stroke-Ready (ASRH) or Potential Acute Stroke Centres (PASC). Isochrones of 45 min were generated for hospitals performing reperfusion. Regional coverage was estimated, and a Partial Set Covering identified the minimal number of PASCs required to achieve ≥ 90% coverage. Stroke unit capacity was estimated using bed counts and mean length of stay (LOS).
Results
Among 535 hospitals (80 CSCs, 132 PSCs, 22 ASRHs, 301 PASCs), 91.7% of strokes were within 45 min of a hospital providing reperfusion treatment. Seven regions were below 90%, 6 achieved this target after optimisation. National SU capacity covered 79.2% of annual incidence, with a gap of 255 beds (158 with ideal LOS).
Conclusions
The MAPSTROKE project reveals adequate reperfusion access but critical SU capacity disparities, underscoring the need for coordinated national strategies
ATENA. dATabase of ornamEntal non-NAtive trees of seven Italian cities
No full textOrnamental non-native trees play a key role in urban landscapes, enhancing the aesthetic appeal and providing many ecosystem services. This paper aims to present the data- base ATENA (dATabase of ornamEntal non-NAtive trees of seven Italian cities), which includes taxonomic information, ecological traits, and indicators of non-native ornamen- tal trees of public spaces in seven representative Italian cities (Milan, Turin, Asti, Pavia, Rome, Campobasso and Palermo). The checklist includes a total of 317 plant taxa, with most originating from temperate Asia, North America, and tropical Asia. Zoochory is the primary mode of dispersal, followed by anemochory. When looking at the distribution of ornamental non-native trees across seven different cities, it is notable that the majority of these species are found in only one city. Furthermore, more than half of the species with unique occurrences are from Palermo. In the analysed Italian cities, we observed that the majority of the species used as ornamental trees are alien (54.8%), of which 8.2% are inva- sive taxa, while 45.2% are only cultivated. This raises concerns about the risks associated with planting non-native species that are invasive or potentially invasive, despite the well- documented negative impacts these species can have on native biodiversity. The ATENA database is a crucial resource for urban afforestation and the planning and design of green spaces, as it allows highlighting and avoiding species that are listed as invasive alien plant species. ATENA db is an open-access database designed for continuous updates, allowing for the inclusion of new traits and species from other Italian cities
CO2 Valorization by CH4 Tri-Reforming on Al2O3-Supported NiCo Nanoparticles
No full textCO2 valorization from real feedstocks through CH4 tri-reforming (CH4-TR), combining steam reforming (SR), dry reforming (DR), and partial oxidation (CPO) of methane in a single process, is a desirable strategy for greenhouse gas mitigation and syngas (CO + H2) production. NiCo/γ−Al2O3 catalysts prepared by impregnation at different relative metal contents (Ni50Co50 and Ni30Co70) were investigated for CH4-TR in a fixed-bed reactor under conventional heating and characterized by XRD, FESEM, and Raman spectroscopy after catalytic runs. This study focused on the role of the Ni/Co ratio and feed composition on selectivity for CO2 valorization, syngas yield, and deactivation resistance. Both the catalysts showed high activity, with a superior performance of Ni50Co50 confirming Ni metal species as the active sites. While in DR, a slow deactivation occurred due to coke deposition, in CH4-TR, the addition of small O2 and/or H2O amounts stabilized activity and selectivity due to surface carbon removal. Large O2 and H2O amounts strongly inhibited CO2 conversion due to competition with CPO and SR, in the order CPO ≥ DR > SR. Interestingly, the stoichiometric CH4-to-oxidants ratio favored the DR pathway, giving very high CO2 conversion. Modulating CH4 addition into real flue mixtures renders CH4-TR on NiCo/γ-Al2O3 catalysts a favorable strategy for effective valorization of CO2 industrial or biomass-derived streams