513225 research outputs found
Sort by
La diffusione degli Augustea: dall’analisi puntuale alla ricostruzione di un fenomeno complesso in Italia e nelle province iberiche.
No full textLa ricerca si concentra sugli Augustea come luoghi di culto imperiale. Questi edifici sono principalmente identificati dal ritrovamento di iscrizioni o statue legate a membri della famiglia imperiale. L'eterogeneità architettonica rende tuttavia difficile la loro identificazione in assenza di tali indizi. L'obiettivo del lavoro è la costituzione di un corpus di edifici a livello municipale e provinciale interpretati come tali e la revisione degli elementi per questa interpretazione. Lo studio contribuisce a identificare le varianti regionali e a chiarire le dinamiche di adattamento locale del culto imperiale. L'approccio adottato, basato sulla raccolta, il confronto e la normalizzazione di tutti i dati pubblicati, in particolare quelli architettonici e topografici, mira a definire meglio il fenomeno della diffusione delle Augustea nell'Occidente romano. Inizialmente, abbiamo voluto studiare l'Italia e un caso per ciascuna delle province iberiche (da cui il titolo), ma abbiamo preferito concentrarci su una provincia specifica: la Gallia Narbonense. Ciò ha permesso di evidenziare fenomeni territoriali specifici e consentirà di ampliare l'indagine procedendo provincia per provincia. Nel corpus è stata prestata particolare attenzione al caso di Rusellae. Questo caso appare come uno dei principali esempi di Augustea ed è stato possibile effettuare una documentazione inedita e un'analisi architettonica approfondita grazie alla collaborazione col progetto PRIN-GreatT. Sono state proposte simulazioni 3D per comprenderne l'integrazione nello spazio urbano e il suo orientamento.The research focuses on the study of Augustea as places of imperial worship. These buildings are mainly identified by the discovery of inscriptions or statues linked to members of the imperial family. However, their great architectural heterogeneity makes them difficult to recognize in the absence of such clues. The objective of the work is to create a corpus of municipal and provincial buildings interpreted as such and to review the elements for this interpretation. The study thus contributes to identifying regional variations and shedding light on the dynamics of local adaptation of imperial worship. The approach adopted, based on the collection, comparison and standardization of all published data - particularly architectural and topographical data- aims to better comprehend the spread of phenomenon of Augustea in the Roman West. Initially, we wanted to study the Italian peninsula and one case for each of the Iberian provinces (hence the title), but we ultimately decided to focus on a specific provincial territory: Gallia Narbonensis. This allowed us to highlight phenomena specific to each territory and will enable us to broaden the investigation by proceeding province by province. Within the corpus, particular attention was paid to the case of Rusellae. This case appears to be one of the main examples of Augustea, and it was possible to carry out unprecedented documentation and in-depth architectural analysis in collaboration with PRIN-GreatT project. 3D simulations were proposed to understand its integration into the urban space, and particularly its orientation.La recherche se concentre sur les Augustea comment lieux du culte impérial. Ces édifices sont principalement identifiés par la découverte des inscriptions ou des statues lies à des membres de la famille impériale. L’hétérogénéité architecturale rend toutefois difficile leur identification en l’absence de tels indices. L’objective du travail est la constitution d’un corpus d’édifices de niveau municipal et provincial interprétés comme tel et la révision des éléments pour cette interprétation. L’étude contribue à identifier les variantes régionales et à éclairer les dynamiques d’adaptation locale du culte impérial. L’approche adoptée, fondée sur la recueille, confrontation et la normalisation des tous les données publiés, et en particulier celles architecturales et topographiques, vise à mieux définir le phénomène de diffusion des Augustea dans l’Occident romain. Au début, nous avons souhaité étudier l’Italie et un cas pour chacune des provinces ibériques (d'où le titre), mais nous avons préféré nous concentrer sur une province spécifique : la Gaule Narbonnaise. Cela a permis de mettre en évidence des phénomènes propres à chaque territoire et permettra d'élargir l'enquête en procédant province par province. Dans le corpus, une attention particulière a été accordée au cas de Rusellae. Ce cas apparaît comme l'un des principaux exemples d'Augustea et il a été possible d'effectuer une documentation inédite et une analyse architecturale approfondie avec la collaboration à le projet PRIN-GreatT. Des simulations 3D ont été proposées pour comprendre son intégration dans l’espace urbaine et son orientation
Translating, adapting and validating the touch experiences and attitudes questionnaire (TEAQ) for the Italian population
No full textTouch plays a central role in human interaction and well-being, conveying warmth and connection. This study aimed to translate, adapt, and validate the Touch Experiences and Attitudes Questionnaire (TEAQ) for the Italian population. A total of 301 participants aged 20–66 years (M = 33.48, SD = 10.66) completed the Italian version of the TEAQ, together with the Touch Avoidance Measure (TAM) and Touch Avoidance Questionnaire (TAQ) to assess convergent validity and the Big Five Inventory (BFI) as a discriminant measure. Associations with mirror-touch synaesthesia (MTS) were also examined. Gender differences in touch attitudes and experiences were also assessed. Construct validity was established through a graded response. These findings confirm the Italian TEAQ as a reliable and valid instrument to assess individual differences in attitudes toward touch, with potential applications in both research and clinical contexts. model and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). CFA confirmed the six-factor structure of the original TEAQ, showing satisfactory fit. Reliability was high across subscales. Convergent validity was supported by significant correlations of TEAQ subscales with TAM and TAQ scores, while discriminant validity was indicated by generally low correlations with BFI traits, except for associations with Extraversion and Agreeableness. Women reported higher scores on the Friendship and Family Touch (FFT) and Attitude to Self-Care (ASC) subscales, whereas men scored higher on Attitude to Unfamiliar Touch (AUT)
Below the surface: ecological dynamics behind the observed spatial distribution of cetaceans and sea turtles in the Mediterranean Sea
No full text“Below the surface” of the Mediterranean Sea lies a complex interplay of ecological and oceanographic processes that shape the distribution of its most emblematic species: cetaceans and sea turtles. Despite their ecological importance and conservation relevance, our understanding of where, when, and why these animals occur remains incomplete. Their high mobility, ecological plasticity, and the difficulty of repeatedly observing offshore habitats have long limited basin-scale ecological assessments.
This PhD thesis investigates the ecological dynamics behind the observed spatial distribution of Mediterranean marine megafauna by integrating long-term, standardised ferry-based observations from the Fixed Line Transect Mediterranean Network (FLT Med Net), collected continuously since 2007, and harmonised within the LIFE Conceptu Maris project (LIFE20 NAT/IT/001371). This unique dataset, encompassing more than fifteen years of consistent ferry-based surveys across multiple seasons and regions, provides an unprecedented basis to explore how environmental variability drives spatial and temporal changes in species distribution. At the methodological level, the thesis develops and refines a robust modelling framework for dynamic marine environments through global syntheses and large-scale benchmarking of Species Distribution Models (SDMs) applied to the Mediterranean context. The approach is conceived primarily as a tool to answer ecological questions in a statistically rigorous way, ensuring that interpretations of species–environment relationships are both reliable and transferable. These analyses show how modelling choices influence ecological inference and highlight the importance of independent validation. The resulting workflow establishes a reproducible framework directly applicable to other taxa, datasets, and research programs. At the ecological level, building on the methodological robustness developed, the thesis leverages the exceptional temporal and spatial coverage of the FLT Med Net dataset to investigate seasonal and ontogenetic dynamics of two priority species for Mediterranean conservation, the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), which exhibit contrasting ecological strategies. The results revealed clear and recurring seasonal patterns and life-stage differences in habitat use, illustrating how species adaptively respond to oceanographic variability and highlighting the critical role of temporal resolution in understanding marine spatial ecology. By linking observed patterns to environmental processes, the work advances a dynamic, process-based perspective on species distribution across the Mediterranean. At the applied level, the validated and methodologically robust ecological results are then integrated with spatial risk assessments of key anthropogenic pressures, namely marine litter and maritime traffic. Grounded in the ecological findings, the thesis refines existing analytical approaches, still rarely implemented, both globally and within the Mediterranean context, and applies them to both loggerhead turtles and bottlenose dolphins, to identify areas of heightened exposure to these threats.
These spatially explicit results demonstrate how ecological understanding can directly inform
conservation, supporting evidence-based management and marine spatial planning under EU
frameworks such as the Habitats Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, within which both species are recognised as conservation priorities.
Overall, the thesis strengthens the ecological basis for understanding the processes that govern where, when, and why cetaceans and sea turtles occur. By integrating an exceptional long-term dataset with rigorous modelling approaches, it advances our capacity to link ecological mechanisms with observed spatial patterns, in a framework where conservation emerges as a natural and informed outcome of ecological knowledge
Dietary strategies for chronic constipation: smartly targeting hormonal and reflex pathways for optimal recovery
No full textChronic constipation (CC) is a common disorder of gut-brain interaction that markedly impairs quality of life and remains challenging to manage. Despite the availability of laxatives and prosecretory agents, up to half of patients experience suboptimal relief, underscoring the need for complementary, physiology-based nutritional strategies. Nutrients influence intestinal motility through multiple pathways, including enteroendocrine signalling, bile-acid metabolism, microbiota-derived metabolites, and intestinal taste-receptor activation. Integrating these mechanisms into clinical nutrition requires structured approaches that align fiber type, bile flow, microbial modulation, and sensory stimulation with motility phenotype and fermentation tolerance. Among dietary interventions, the most consistent clinical evidence supports the use of soluble fiber (e.g., psyllium), kiwifruit or prunes, and magnesium- or sulfate-rich mineral waters to improve stool frequency and consistency. Other components, such as fermented foods, probiotics, and generic hydration, show variable efficacy and remain supported primarily by physiological or translational data. The SMART (Sensory, Motor, bile Acid and Reflex Tailored) Constipation Diet (SCD) is proposed as a hypothesis-generating dietary framework that integrates fiber optimization, bile stimulation, microbial support, and chrono-nutritional timing into a coherent dietary model. Given the heterogeneity of CC (e.g., functional constipation, IBS-C, defecatory disorders) and the scarcity of phenotype-stratified trials, the SCD should be regarded as a translational concept rather than a validated clinical protocol. Future randomized, controlled studies with hard motility and symptom outcomes are needed to determine whether coordinated, multi-pathway dietary modulation can outperform single-component interventions and advance precision nutrition in CC
Secondary, Longitudinal, and Panel Data in Social Science Research
No full textSecondary data represent a vital components in the toolkit of social scientists. Among them, panel and longitudinal data are especially valuable for observing changes within a sample population over time. This chapter aims to highlight the power of these data sources by which social scientists can uncover valuable insights that inform policy decisions, shape interventions, and contribute to our understanding of the world. To be more effective and useful for the purposes of use by public institutions or academies and research institutions in the extemporaneous reading of social phenomena, the characteristic of the speed with which the phenomena studied are detected and analyzed constitutes a significant added value which makes Research Infrastructures on longitudinal and panel data in social science, unique in its kind, and is inserted into a lack of information that is crucial
Exploring Co-Regulation in Teams: Strategies to Mitigate Conflict and Burnout
No full textBurnout is increasingly seen as a socially shaped phenomenon, with symptoms
circulating among team members through interpersonal interactions and
straining the team as a whole. However, we still know little about how
collective and individual burnout experiences are constructed in socially
stressful team environments and how teams can protect themselves from
these effects. The present study integrates threat regulation and social allostatic
load theories to investigate whether intra-team conflicts increase the
prevalence of team burnout and, in turn, contribute to individual team
members’ exhaustion. In addition, we hypothesized that team co-regulation strategies, defined as interpersonal processes (i.e., conflict management,
emotion management, and confidence building), could alleviate the unfavorable
effects of intra-team conflict on team burnout prevalence and subsequent
individual exhaustion. We collected data from 357 employees
working in 63 teams. The results of multilevel modeling analyses showed that
intra-team conflict was positively related to team member exhaustion through
burnout prevalence at the individual and team levels. As hypothesized, teams
could effectively mitigate this process. Specifically, the results showed that
when teams actively engaged in conflict management, emotion management,
and confidence-building strategies, the indirect relationship between intrateam
conflicts and individual exhaustion (explained by burnout prevalence)
was significantly weakened at the team level. By contrast, the cross-level
interaction effects were not significant. This study adds novel insights into how
burnout prevalence shapes individual exhaustion responses to conflict, depending
on the use of team co-regulation strategies. Moreover, our results
inform targeted interventions to strengthen such strategies and promote both
team functioning and well-being
La presenza femminile nel mercato artistico parigino del secondo Ottocento
No full textLa presente ricerca, ponendosi come obiettivo la ricostruzione del rapporto tra le artiste e il mercato nella Parigi del secondo Ottocento, analizza le varie modalità attraverso le quali pittrici e scultrici si sono collocate nelle dinamiche commerciali dell’epoca, muovendosi tra i riconoscimenti e i supporti economici statali e le vendite pubbliche e private.
Dopo un’indagine sugli strumenti formativi a disposizione delle artiste, escluse dall’École des Beaux-Arts fino al 1897, si affronta il tema della partecipazione femminile al Salon parigino, luogo fondamentale per l’affermazione artistica nella capitale francese e spazio nel quale si possono ottenere premi e committenze statali.
Lo spoglio dei cataloghi del Salon del periodo compreso tra il 1850 e il 1900 ha permesso di estrapolare i dati relativi ai riconoscimenti ottenuti dalle artiste.
Un capitolo della ricerca è dedicato al rapporto tra lo Stato francese e le artiste, alla luce degli acquisti e delle commissioni di opere d’arte effettuati dal primo a favore delle seconde e studiati attraverso i documenti originali conservati agli Archives Nationales de France.
Per la mappatura della presenza femminile nelle vendite pubbliche e private a Parigi dal 1850 al 1900, è stato effettuato lo spoglio dei volumi del Dictionnaire des ventes d’art faites en France et à l’étranger pendant les XVIIIème et XIXème siècles, pubblicati da Hyppolite Mireur tra il 1901 e il 1912 e di tutti i registri di vendita di Goupil & Cie / Boussod, Valadon & Cie.
Sia i dati dei Salon che quelli estrapolati dal Dictionnaire des ventes di Mireur e dai i registri di vendita di Goupil & Cie / Boussod, Valadon & Cie, sono stati inseriti all’interno di tabelle excel e presentati nelle appendici della ricerca.
Le informazioni ottenute dalle fonti commerciali e da quelle critiche, espositive e d’archivio sono state rapportate anche alle vendite delle aste contemporanee, facendo emergere dettagli interessanti che contribuiscono a delineare in maniera puntuale la produzione di artiste ancora poco indagate
Alcuni indicatori di anomalia quantitativi per l’individuazione delle imprese cosiddette cartiere e filtro coinvolte in reati fiscali
No full textLe imprese cosiddette cartiere e filtro sono due tipologie di imprese molto pericolose per il sistema nazionale in quanto sono frequentemente coinvolte in frodi fiscali e in operazioni di riciclaggio, come il trade-based money laundering. Gli intermediari bancari e finanziari (IF), obbligati al rispetto dalla normativa antiriciclaggio (AML), devono identificare tempestivamente queste imprese tra i propri clienti e segnalarle all’Unità d’Informazione Finanziaria per l’Italia tramite una segnalazione di operazioni sospette (SOS), per evitare sanzioni e danni reputazionali. In questo contesto, questa tesi raccoglie tre studi pubblicati che propongono alcuni indicatori quantitativi utili alle funzioni AML degli IF italiani per ricercare tra i propri clienti, imprese cartiere e filtro coinvolte in reati fiscali. I lavori si basano su dataset originali costruiti a partire dalle sentenze della Cassazione e sulle SOS. Il primo studio, pubblicato sulla rivista scientifica Minerva Bancaria, analizza la durata legale delle cartiere da diverse prospettive, evidenziando, tra gli altri risultati, che il primo evento rilevante (trasferimento, liquidazione, evento giudiziario, cancellazione) avviene in media dopo 4,9 anni dalla prima iscrizione in camera di commercio. Il secondo studio, pubblicato sulla rivista scientifica Journal of Money Laundering Control, esamina il fatturato (ricavi) delle cartiere, mostrando una crescita media annua dei ricavi del 131% fino al massimo livello di fatturato; questo è raggiunto in meno di tre anni, mentre la durata operativa delle cartiere è di circa quattro anni. Inoltre, è verificata una convergenza beta e sigma nei fatturati delle cartiere. Entrambi i lavori colmano un vuoto nella letteratura, poiché non sono noti studi che analizzino questi aspetti delle cartiere da un punto di vista quantitativo. Il terzo studio, co-autorizzato con il dott. Marco De Simoni e pubblicato come working paper sui Quaderni dell’Antiriciclaggio dell’Unità di Informazione Finanziaria per l’Italia – Banca d’Italia, analizza le imprese filtro, evidenziandone la loro natura “anfibia”; infatti, le imprese filtro presentano caratteristiche simili sia alle cartiere (basso valore aggiunto, ciclo del capitale circolante rapido) sia alle imprese reali (accesso al credito bancario) oltre ad una maggiore produttività, misurata come ricavi in milioni di euro su dipendenti, rispetto alle imprese operative e alle cartiere. Viene proposto un indicatore sintetico, basato su una regressione logistica, utile per identificare le buffer companies tra i clienti degli IF. Anche in questo caso, non sono noti studi in letteratura sull’identificazione quantitativa delle buffer. I principali limiti dei tre studi riguardano la dimensione ridotta e la selezione non probabilistica dei campioni. Si suggerisce, pertanto, la creazione di un osservatorio permanente, dell'utilizzo dell'I.A. o di partenariati pubblici privati per incrementare il numero delle imprese cartiere e filtro analizzate e rafforzare così l’efficacia degli strumenti proposti
From quantum amplitudes to spacetime geometry: a multipolar framework for black hole signatures
No full textThis thesis develops a unified framework that reconstructs the full classical content of General Relativity from the classical limit of quantum scattering amplitudes. By interpreting the analytic structure of amplitudes as the field-theoretic imprint of spacetime geometry, the work establishes a direct correspondence between quantum processes and classical gravitational observables such as metrics, deflection angles, and multipole moments.
Starting from the effective-field-theory description of gravity, the thesis shows that loop amplitudes encode not only quantum corrections but also the nonlinear classical self-interaction of the gravitational field, enabling the systematic derivation of the post-Minkowskian expansion of gravitational quantities by rewriting the Einstein equations in terms of graviton scattering processes. Building upon this foundation, the framework is applied to rotating and charged sources in arbitrary spacetime dimensions. Scattering amplitudes of massive spinning fields are used to reconstruct the metrics of Kerr, Kerr–Newman and Myers–Perry black holes, leading to the discovery of higher-dimensional stress multipoles and to an amplitude-based derivation of the universal gyromagnetic factor of charged solutions in higher dimensions.
A momentum-space formulation of the energy–momentum tensor is then developed, introducing gravitational form factors and source multipoles that link, for the first time, the internal matter distribution to the external multipolar field in a completely relativistic framework. Furthermore, the thesis completes the transition from the microscopic amplitude picture to the macroscopic description of gravitational sources by engineering a multipole-based framework for black hole mimickers, then applied to build horizon-less compact objects mimicking the multipolar structure of Kerr black holes.
Finally, exploiting the Kerr–Schild gauge, the Fourier transforms of rotating black hole metrics are computed in closed form, bridging perturbative and non-perturbative descriptions of gravity, and allowing to probe the multipolar structure of higher-dimensional solutions employing scattering amplitudes
The role of microRNAs in complex diseases of the ocular surface: pathogenetic insights and translational implications
No full textAutoimmune ocular surface diseases represent a major cause of chronic morbidity, yet reliable biomarkers and targeted therapeutic strategies remain limited. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as crucial post-transcriptional regulators of inflammation, immune homeostasis, and fibrotic remodeling, making them promising candidates for precision diagnostics and intervention. This thesis investigates miRNA dysregulation directly at the ocular surface across three immune-mediated disorders with distinct anatomical and pathogenic features: primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS), ocular mucous membrane pemphigoid (oMMP), and Basedow–Graves orbitopathy (BGO).
Conjunctival epithelial samples were collected through minimally invasive impression cytology. In pSS and oMMP, global miRNA expression was profiled using NanoString technology, followed by bioinformatic functional analysis and literature mapping. In parallel, a panel of four miRNAs implicated in orbital inflammation and adipogenesis (miR-21, miR-146a-5p, miR-192, miR-96) was validated by qRT-PCR in BGO.
pSS was characterized by a distinct pro-inflammatory miRNA signature, with significant upregulation of miR-548 family members. Pathway analysis supported their role in modulating NF-κB and interferon-driven epithelial immune activation, suggesting disruption of mucosal tolerance. In oMMP, miRNA dysregulation was more pronounced: miR-223-3p emerged as a dominant signal (≈16-fold increase), forming a high-confidence interaction network enriched for DNA damage response, MAPK signaling, and oxidative stress pathways, indicating its involvement in chronic fibro-inflammatory injury. In contrast, the only downregulated transcript, miR-99, targeted antifibrotic regulators (FGFR3/MAPK axis, inflammasome control), revealing a key vulnerability predisposing to irreversible conjunctival scarring. Despite clinically significant ocular surface alterations in BGO, none of the selected miRNAs showed significant dysregulation in conjunctival cells, reflecting the orbit-centric nature of disease and highlighting tissue-specific miRNA regulation.
Collectively, these findings reveal disease-specific miRNA signatures that reflect distinct anatomical patterns and immune mechanisms across three major ocular autoimmune disorders. miRNAs such as miR-548j-3p, miR-223-3p, and miR-99 emerge as promising candidates for non-invasive diagnostics and targeted molecular therapy. This work supports the integration of ocular-surface miRNA profiling into future biomarker panels and precision-medicine strategies aimed at preserving epithelial integrity and preventing fibrosis in immune-mediated ocular disease