University of Udine
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Role extraction by matrix equations and generalized random walks
No full textThe nodes in a network can be grouped into ’roles’ based on similar connection patterns. This is usually achieved by defining a pairwise node similarity matrix and then clustering rows and columns of this matrix. This paper presents a new similarity matrix for solving role extraction problems in directed networks, which is defined as the solution of a matrix equation and computes node similarities based on random walks that can proceed both along the link direction and in the opposite direction. The resulting node similarity measure shows remarkable performance in role extraction tasks on directed networks with heterogeneous node degree distributions
Development of photodynamic wastewater remediation processes using photosensitive molecules of vegetable origin on supporting materials
No full textThis PhD project focuses on addressing clean water shortages by improving wastewater (WW) disinfection methods, aligning with Goal 6 of the 2030 Agenda. Research initially examined chemical and UV disinfection at a WW treatment plant, evaluating their effectiveness and economic viability. UV-C lamps proved advantageous over chemical methods in antimicrobial effectiveness against bacteria like E. coli and Pseudomonas spp..
The study then explored an innovative photodynamic inactivation (PDI) technique using photosensitive materials developed from waste processing:
Chapter 4: Curpol, a curcumin-based coating, showed high microbial reduction and reusability.
Chapter 5: PORPEC, a pectin-porphyrin composite, displayed moderate antimicrobial activity.
Chapter 6: A vanillin-based polymer demonstrated strong antimicrobial properties and reusability.
Chapter 7: Polymers with varying carboxylic chain lengths were synthesized to optimize properties and effectiveness.
Finally, Chapter 8 explored scaling PDI using sunlight (SODIS) and visible light in a benchtop reactor, showing significant improvements in water disinfection efficacy
Modeling the Role of Big Data Analytics Capabilities in Impacting Corporate Environmental Performance: A Serial Mediation Analysis
Full text linkBig data analytical capabilities (BDAC) have emerged as a significant strategic tool for enhancing environmental performance in today's ever-growing green and digital economy. However, the serial process through which BDAC influences environmental performance remains understudied, particularly in multinational corporations (MNCs). Drawing on the dynamic capability view (DCV) and the natural resource-based view (NRBV), this study constructs a serial mediation model to explore the connection between BDAC, ambidextrous green innovation, green competitive advantage, and corporate environmental performance. A cross-sectional survey involving 244 MNCs in Germany was used for the analysis. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Our findings reveal that the impact of BDAC on environmental performance is sequential, occurring through ambidextrous green innovation and the development of green competitive advantage. Specifically, BDAC leads to ambidextrous green innovation, which in turn drives green competitive advantage and ultimately enhances the environmental performance of MNCs. The theoretical and managerial implications are drawn
Collaborative outcomes study on health and functioning during infection times (COH-FIT): Insights on modifiable and non-modifiable risk and protective factors for wellbeing and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic from multivariable and network analyses
No full textThere is no multi-country/multi-language study testing a-priori multivariable associations between non-modifiable/modifiable factors and validated wellbeing/multidimensional mental health outcomes before/during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, studies during COVID-19 pandemic generally do not report on representative/weighted non-probability samples. The Collaborative Outcomes study on Health and Functioning during Infection Times (COH-FIT) is a multi-country/multi-language survey conducting multivariable/LASSO-regularized regression models and network analyses to identify modifiable/non-modifiable factors associated with wellbeing (WHO-5)/composite psychopathology (P-score) change. It enrolled general population-representative/weighted-non-probability samples (26/04/2020-19/06/2022). Participants included 121,066 adults (age=42±15.9 years, females=64 %, representative sample=29 %) WHO-5/P-score worsened (SMD=0.53/SMD=0.74), especially initially during the pandemic. We identified 15 modifiable/nine non-modifiable risk and 13 modifiable/three non-modifiable protective factors for WHO-5, 16 modifiable/11 non-modifiable risk and 10 modifiable/six non-modifiable protective factors for P-score. The 12 shared risk/protective factors with highest centrality (network-analysis) were, for non-modifiable factors, country income, ethnicity, age, gender, education, mental disorder history, COVID-19-related restrictions, urbanicity, physical disorder history, household room numbers and green space, and socioeconomic status. For modifiable factors, we identified medications, learning, internet, pet-ownership, working and religion as coping strategies, plus pre-pandemic levels of stress, fear, TV, social media or reading time, and COVID-19 information. In multivariable models, for WHO-5, additional non-modifiable factors with |B|>1 were income loss, COVID-19 deaths. For modifiable factors we identified pre-pandemic levels of social functioning, hobbies, frustration and loneliness, and social interactions as coping strategy. For P-scores, additional non-modifiable/modifiable factors were income loss, pre-pandemic infection fear, and social interactions as coping strategy. COH-FIT identified vulnerable sub-populations and actionable individual/environmental factors to protect well-being/mental health during crisis times. Results inform public health policies, and clinical practice
Clinical Application of Large Language Models in Generating Pathologic Images
No full textPURPOSE This study investigates the potential of DALLE 3 to generate 30 synthetic images of PCa across various Gleason grades, guided by standard Gleason pattern descriptions. Nine uropathologists evaluated these images for realism and accuracy compared with actual hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)–stained slides using a scoring system. RESULTS The average realism and representativeness scores were 6.04 and 6.17, indicating satisfactory quality. Scores varied significantly among Gleason patterns (P < .05), with Gleason 5 images achieving the highest scores and accurately depicting critical pathologic characteristics. Limitations included a lack of fine nuclear detail, essential for identifying malignancy, which may affect the images’ diagnostic utility. CONCLUSION DALL$E 3 shows promise in generating customized pathologic images that can aid in education and resource expansion within pathology. However, ethical concerns, such as the potential misuse of AI-generated images for data falsification, highlight the need for responsible oversight. Collaboration between technology firms and pathologists is essential for the ethical integration of AI in pathology practices
Change, Order, Remembrance: Crisis and Religion in the Ancient Near East. A Brief Introduction
No full textThe Role of Surgery in Pleural Mesothelioma: A Journey through the Evidence, MARS 2 and Beyond
Full text linkPleural mesothelioma (PM) is a rare incurable disease, predominantly linked to asbestos exposure. Not only is diagnosis difficult, but treatment choices are often limited to systemic anti-cancer treatment with chemotherapy or immunotherapy. Surgery has been employed for decades, but its application has been fiercely debated despite some randomized controlled trials such as the recent Mesothelioma and Radical Surgery 2 (MARS 2) study. We provide a commentary on this controversial topic
Verso nuovi approcci nello studio dei prefissi verbali russi: proposte teoriche e prospettive traduttologiche (sull’esempio di Le Anime Morte di N.V. Gogol’)
Full text linkIn questo lavoro proponiamo un nuovo metodo per la sistematizzazione dei significati dei prefissi verbali russi (PVR) che sia fruibile per le necessità pratiche di discenti, traduttori e interpreti, che chiamiamo “approccio integrato” e testiamo sul caso specifico della prospettiva traduttologica. Infatti, dal momento che i PVR compongono la maggior parte del lessico verbale russo e sono altamente polisemici, essi rappresentano una sfida notevole per gli italofoni che studiano o lavorano col russo.
Nel primo capitolo presentiamo un prospetto sullo stato dell’arte della letteratura dedicato al complesso fenomeno dei PVR, analizzando in particolare questioni riguardanti la quantificazione dei PVR, l’aspetto verbale, la morfosintassi e la semantica, con particola focus sugli approcci allo studio della semantica dei PVR.
Nel secondo capitolo analizziamo i problemi della letteratura accademica e della manualistica in materia di PVR in termini di accessibilità e fruibilità per discenti, traduttori e interpreti. Combinando metodologie e convenzioni formali degli approcci già esistenti per la semantica dei PVR, elaboriamo una proposta di quello che chiamiamo “approccio integrato”: esso si distingue, tra le altre cose, per schemi visibilmente chiari e fruibili che mettono in evidenza i diversi livelli gerarchici su cui si sviluppa la polisemia dei PVR.
Nel terzo capitolo adoperiamo l’approccio integrato per presentare una classificazione esemplificativa dei significati di pri-, u-, s-, raz-, pere-, pro-, za- e pod-. Al termine dell’analisi, tracciamo una ripartizione di questi 8 PVR secondo le loro caratteristiche semantiche generali, confermando il carattere prescrittivo degli approcci precedenti in confronto a quello descrittivo dell’approccio integrato.
Nel quarto capitolo adoperiamo l’approccio integrato come strumento per una possibile applicazione pratica al caso esemplificativo della traduzione letteraria e, in particolare, sull’esempio di Le anime morte di N.V. Gogol’. Analizziamo le occorrenze di verbi prefissati e le rispettive rese in tre edizioni italiane recenti dell’opera (Guercetti, 1990; Marcialis, 2004; Nori, 2009). Sulla base di ciò, presentiamo: una ripartizione dei traducenti in base ai significati individuati tramite l’approccio integrato (sull’esempio di za-); un prospetto tipologico dei traducenti; una lista dei fenomeni traduttivi associati ai PVR.
In conclusione, l’analisi proposta integra le osservazioni teoriche con quelle della traduttologia, mostrando i diversi livelli su cui si sviluppa la polisemia dei PVR e una possibile applicazione dell’approccio integrato. Fra le possibili prospettive di ricerca, la creazione di un manuale specifico sui PVR e di giochi per l’apprendimento.In this thesis, we propose a new tool for the systematization of the meanings of Russian verbal prefixes (RVPs) specifically aimed at the practical needs of Italian-speaking learners of Russian and Russian-Italian translators and interpreters. We call this “integrated approach” and we test it here on the example of Russian>Italian translation. Since RVPs make up the majority of Russian verbal lexicon and are highly polysemous, they are particularly challenging for those who study or work with Russian.
In the first chapter, we examine the state of the art of the scientific literature about RVPs, with a special emphasis on the quantification of RVPs, verbal aspect, morphosyntax, and semantics. In particular, we focus on the approaches to RVP semantics.
In the second chapter, we analyze the problems of academic literature and textbooks on RVPs and their polysemy in terms of accessibility and usability for learners, translators, and interpreters. Combining methodologies and formal conventions of the existing approaches, we elaborate what we call the “integrated approach”: its distinctive feature, among other things, is the use of visibly clear schemes that highlight the different hierarchical levels of RVP polysemy.
In the third chapter we use our integrated approach to present a classification of the meanings of an exemplifying array of RVPs, namely pri-, u-, s-, raz-, pere-, pro-, za-, and pod-. At the end of the analysis, we categorize these 8 PVR according to their general semantic characteristics: thereby, we confirm the prescriptive nature of the previous approaches, which is in contrast with the descriptive nature of the integrated approach.
In the fourth chapter we use the integrated approach as a tool for a possible practical application to the case of literary translation. In particular, we test it on the example of Dead Souls by N.V. Gogol’. We analyze the occurrences of prefixed verbs and their respective renderings in three recent Italian editions thereof (Guercetti, 1990; Marcialis, 2004; Nori, 2009). On the basis of this, we present: a categorization of Italian equivalents for each of the meanings that were identified by means of the integrated approach (on the example of za-); a typological overview of Italian equivalents; a list of the translation phenomena associated with the PVR.
In conclusion, the proposed analysis integrates theoretical observations with those of translation studies, showing the different levels on which the polysemy of the PVR develops and a possible application of the integrated approach. Among the possible research perspectives, the creation of a specific manual on the PVR and of games for learning
Protocol for an international multicenter, prospective, observational, non-competitive, study to validate and optimise prediction models of 90-day and 1-year allograft failure after liver transplantation: The global IMPROVEMENT Study
Full text linkMore liver transplants (LT) are performed worldwide thanks to extended criteria donors (ECD). This is paralleled by a supposed increased risk of allograft failure (AF) at 90 and 365 days. This study has been designed to portray the LT practice worldwide and investigate models of AF prediction and the impact of risk mitigation strategies for further improving graft and patient outcomes. This is a multicenter, international, non-competitive, observational two segment study on consecutive LTs over two periods (2017–2019 and 2022–2024). A steering committee of LT experts defined the study protocol. The prospective segment will enroll 750 patients from 15 high-volume LT centers (50 per center), and the retrospective segment will enrol 4200 patients from 56 LT centers (75 per center). To provide a snapshot of the LT activity globally and to develop new algorithms for the timely prediction of AF at 90 and 365 days post-LT. The study also aims (1) to validate the existing predictive models and (2) to investigate the best time for re-transplantation, paying attention to the differences in AF and Ischemic cholangiopathy according to the donor types and mitigation strategies implemented in the various settings. Since the adoption of machine perfusion has increased in different proportions worldwide, models will be adjusted according to this parameter. Finally, retrospective and prospective data will be available for further stratifications and modelling according to the degree of decompensation at transplant, gender match, postoperative complications and their management. This protocol was approved by Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS Ethics Committee (study ID: 4571) and the Institutional Review Board of the University of California, Los Angeles. The provisional study protocol was submitted to the main scientific international societies in the transplant field. Results will be published in international peer-reviewed journals and presented at congresses