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Comprehensive study of GFRP bar-concrete bond behavior using pull-out and three-point bending tests
No full textThe GFRP bar-concrete bond behavior is known to be influenced by factors such as bar surface
treatment, bar diameter, and concrete strength. This study aims to provide a comprehensive
understanding of the bond behavior of GFRP bars embedded in concrete. Pull-out specimens are
cast from two concrete batches with different compressive strengths. Two surface coating conditions
are considered, i.e., one with a lacquer finish and one without. Specimens with three
bonded lengths are used to determine the role of the bonded length in the bond mechanism (i.e.,
5db, 10db, and 20db, where db = nominal bar diameter). Two free end conditions of the pull-out
specimens are examined: one with the bar protruding at the free end and another with the bar cut
at the free end (i.e., the bar is cut flush with the concrete surface). The pull-out test responses are
analyzed in terms of applied load versus loaded end slip and free end slip. Three-point bending
(TPB) tests are conducted on concrete notched beams with two different widths (75 mm and 150
mm). Beams are either reinforced with a single GFRP bar or they are not reinforced and used as
benchmark. Notched beams are only cast from one of the concrete batches used for the pull-out
test specimens. This study shows how the protrusion of the bar can affect the bond strength in
pull-out tests. In addition, the different bond behavior of the GFRP bars observed in pull-out tests
and TPB tests of notched beams is discussed considering the length of the stress transfer zone for
bars with different surface conditions
Demand response for renewable energy communities: Exploring coordination of prosumer-generated PV and flexible aggregated demand in the Italian framework
No full textDynamic modelling of a small-scale hybrid concentrated solar-biomass trigeneration system for residential applications and comparison of operational strategies
No full textAs the operations of buildings account for 30% of global final energy consumption and 26% of global energy-related emissions, hybrid solar-biomass trigeneration systems offer a pathway to sustainable and decentralised energy solutions for residential applications. Therefore, in this study, the performance of an innovative micro-scale plant consisting of a 20 kWel/100 kWth Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system powered by a 440 m2 Linear Fresnel Reflectors solar field and a 130 kWth biomass boiler, integrated with latent and sensible heat Thermal Energy Storage (TES), a battery Electrical Energy Storage (EES), and an absorption chiller for the provision of cooling, heating and power to residential buildings, is investigated through an advanced dynamic model developed in MATLAB/Simulink. In particular, three different control strategies are evaluated: a base-case logic (L1), according to which the EES system is utilised to balance the electric power demand (including supply during outages and storage in case of overproduction) and two alternatives (L2, L3) aimed at improving energy distribution by prioritising EES supply over ORC activation. Seasonal performance variability among the strategies is evident. Under base-case controls (L1), the ORC covers 40−72.5% of electricity demand but faces massive power curtailment during summer due to EES capacity constraints. The deployment of control strategy L2, which prioritises EES activation to cover electricity demand, improves the plant's winter performance, reducing biomass reliance by 4.3% and increasing the utilisation of the latent heat storage capacity. Control scheme L3, which instead ensures priority of the EES to cover the thermal demand, emerges as the most effective strategy achieving annual reductions of 86% in grid exports and 5.8% in biomass consumption, demonstrating superior combination of renewable energy utilisation and overall system efficiency. Therefore, this study highlights the potential of hybrid solar-biomass trigeneration applications at the building-level and the benefits of improving their operation. However, the complexity of the integrated system and its reliance on advanced technologies still result in poor cost-competitiveness
Partecipazione e voice delle persone nelle cooperative. Tra coinvolgimento e sfide organizzative
No full textThe complementary role of egocentric and allocentric spatial navigation tasks for the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease: A diagnostic meta-analysis
No full textSpatial navigation impairments represent one of the earliest cognitive changes in patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease (AD), with their underlying neural circuits overlapping regions affected by AD neuropathology. Despite substantial evidence suggesting different navigational impairments across the AD continuum, the diagnostic utility of specific spatial strategies as cognitive markers remains poorly investigated. This diagnostic meta-analysis aimed to systematically evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of egocentric, allocentric, and frame-switching navigation deficits in distinguishing individuals with AD from cognitively healthy controls. First, we carried out a systematic search to identify studies assessing spatial navigation across the AD continuum, compared to cognitively healthy controls or non-AD dementias. Nineteen studies, comprising 1884 participants, were included. Then, meta-analyses quantified diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratios) of spatial navigation tasks. Results revealed complementary diagnostic profiles across spatial strategies, supporting their complementary use for AD detection. Allocentric tasks demonstrated balanced diagnostic performance, correctly identifying 84 % of AD cases while accurately classifying 83 % of cognitively healthy individuals. Frame-switching tasks provided high AD detection (84 % sensitivity) but reduced specificity (66 %), making them valuable for excluding AD but less reliable for confirming it. Combined egocentric-allocentric tasks achieved the highest specificity (94 %), while egocentric tasks showed good specificity (81 %) but limited sensitivity (72 %), suggesting that egocentric abilities remain preserved until advanced disease stages. Taken together, these findings suggest that a strategic approach to spatial navigation assessment is crucial for AD detection
Laudato si'+10. Un rinnovato impegno pedagogico per l'ecologia integrale, con e per l'altro in istituzioni giuste
No full textIl presente contributo intende riflettere in via esplorativa sul patto educativo tra la prospettiva dell'ecologia integrale, delineata dall'Enciclica Laudato si' e un paradigma epistemologico della pedagogia di tipo ontologico-ermeneutico, per rintracciare fertili percorsi transdisciplinari e ponti euristici utili tanto alla teoresi pedagogica quanto alla progettazione di strategie educative efficaci. La pedagogia dispone di teorie e studi empirici, istanze epistemologiche e metodi di ricerca utili per elaborare un corpus di conoscenze adeguato ed efficace per comprendere, progettare ed agire in un contesto complesso e per molti versi inedito. Saper dialogare verso l'esterno tanto quanto verso l'interno del proprio campo epistemico è a tutti gli effetti un elemento distintivo della pedagogia come scienza, una caratteristica che assume un'importanza rilevante nel mondo attuale, molteplice e interrelato. La natura complessa e poliedrica del campo di studi pedagogico, che si affianca a numerosi altri saperi, non ne costituisce una debolezza, bensì una peculiarità. La capacità di autoanalisi, di apertura verso altre discipline e di visione d'insieme lo rende un sapere critico, riflessivo e capace di affrontare le problematiche più disparate. Nella sua attività di ricerca, la progettazione educativa sostenibile incrocia le agenzie formative scolastiche ed extrascolastiche, le dinamiche fisico-biologiche dell'ambiente, le relazioni sociali e i processi economici, gli universi culturali e valoriali, la promozione dell’humanum, qualità primaria che ci identifica come responsabili attenti e custodi amorevoli del creato. Il concetto di sostenibilità educativa si pone innanzitutto come un'ipotesi di ricerca in ambito pedagogico, fungendo da guida euristica con funzione regolativa. Rappresenta una chiave di lettura dei sistemi formativi, caratterizzata da una forte attualità storica e da una capacità di adattarsi alla modellizzazione. Pensare agli aspetti formativi rispetto al rapporto tra ecologia integrale, sostenibilità e impegno ontologico della pedagogia significa in primo luogo sottolineare l'importanza dei concetti di limite e misura, ma anche di cura, affettuosa sollecitudine, testimonianza e contemplazione, per dare significato ad un nuovo rapporto con la Terra, o più semplicemente con il contesto d'esperienza, che possa porre un freno a concezioni predatorie dell'ecosistema
Un’etica pedagogica per le transizioni: digitali, ecologiche e sociali
No full textIn the face of digital, ecological and social transitions, this article proposes a pedagogical reflection on how to address them through a phenomenological-hermeneutic ethical approach. It considers how pedagogy can foster transdisciplinary dialogue between different disciplines, highlighting the importance of training professionals who are able to mediate between technological innovation and humanistic knowledge, promoting inclusive education. It emphasises the importance of storytelling as a means of transmitting ecological and social values, while reflecting on the need to implement socio-cultural training processes oriented towards well-being and the quality, including aesthetic quality, of the training experience. The article offers a critical and proactive view of education as an ethically oriented key to a humanised approach to emerging transitions
Thinking dispositions and epistemic cognition: Combined influences when reading to learn
No full textThis theoretical paper explores the evolving concept of critical thinking in the context of contemporary education. Critical thinking has long been a central educational goal, emphasizing the ability to evaluate information critically and make informed judgments. This study examines the interplay between three key constructs: thinking dispositions (i.e., habits of mind influencing reasoning), intellectual virtues (i.e., admirable traits of character supporting reasoning), and epistemic cognition (i.e., processes through which individuals understand, evaluate, and justify knowledge claims and beliefs), particularly in reading comprehension. By analyzing extant research and theoretical frameworks, including the AIR model, we argue that fostering sophisticated thinking dispositions and intellectual virtues—such as actively-openminded thinking (AOT) and intellectual humility (IH)—enhances epistemic reading practices. We propose a profile-oriented approach, using the AIR model of epistemic cognition to illustrate how individuals with varying levels of AOT/IH would approach a task involving the comprehension of multiple texts. Educational relevance statement: Our focus is on the ways that people's thinking dispositions and intellectual virtues may interact to inform different epistemic approaches to complex learning scenarios, even in individuals with high levels of competence. We propose a profile-oriented approach to complex learning situations, using the AIR model of epistemic cognition to illustrate how individuals with varying levels of actively-openmindedness and intellectual humility would approach a task involving the comprehension, evaluation, integration, and use of multiple texts
Embodied concepts in Parkinson's disease: Insights from fruits versus animals semantic fluency impairments
No full textObjective: Initial findings indicate that semantic memory retrieval of different categories, such as fruits and animals, is variably impacted in Parkinson's disease (PD). Importantly, theories of embodied cognition propose that these variances may stem from compromised motor processing in PD patients. Indeed, the conceptual representation of the fruits category may involve aspects of manipulability and graspability, which are less relevant for the animals category. We aimed to assess semantic memory retrieval of fruits versus animals category as assessed by semantic fluency (SF) in PD by using the Parkinson's Progression Marker Initiative database. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional study on 104 healthy controls (HC), 264 patients with sporadic de novo PD (S-PD), and 57 patients with genetic PD (G-PD). Additionally, we carried out explorative analysis concerning possible differences between S-PD and G-PF on SF. Results: We found lower fruits SF performance in PD (S-PD plus G-PD) compared to HC; however, this score could not classify the two groups. Crucially, no difference for the animals class was found. When analyzing separately S-PD and G-PD, we found that fruits SF in S-PD was lower compared to HC and was negatively associated with S-PD diagnosis. Remarkably, no difference for the animals class was found. We did not find significant SF differences in the G-PD. Moreover, SF scores, regardless of the category, were uncorrelated with dopamine integrity measures and motor symptoms scales. Conclusions: The findings reveal distinct patterns of category dissociation in S-PD and G-PD, suggesting a potential link between category dissociation and motor embodiment processes in PD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)
