Archivio istituzionale della ricerca - Università dell'Insubria
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Cyclic solid-state quantum battery: thermodynamic characterization and quantum hardware simulation
Get PDFWe introduce a cyclic quantum battery QB model, based on an interacting bipartite system, weakly coupled to a thermal bath. The working cycle of the battery consists of four strokes: system thermalization, disconnection of subsystems, ergotropy extraction, and reconnection. The thermal bath acts as a charger in the thermalization stroke, while ergotropy extraction is possible because the ensuing thermal state is no longer passive after the disconnection stroke. Focusing on the case of two interacting qubits, we show that phase coherence, in the presence of non-trivial correlations between the qubits, can be exploited to reach working regimes with efficiency higher than 50% while providing finite ergotropy. Our protocol is illustrated through a simple and feasible circuit model of a cyclic superconducting QB. Furthermore, we simulate the considered cycle on superconducting IBM quantum machines. The good agreement between the theoretical and simulated results strongly suggests that our scheme for cyclic QBs can be successfully realized in superconducting quantum hardware
From Wound Dressing to Tissue Regeneration: Bilayer Medicated Patches for Personalized Treatments of Chronic Wounds
No full textChronic wounds pose a significant healthcare challenge, impairing the quality of life for millions of affected individuals. This phenomenon escalates due to the aging of the population and rising comorbidities. Traditional wound care methods often prove inadequate in dealing with the complexities of chronic wounds; therefore, biomaterials have emerged as promising solutions. In response to this need, this work focuses on the development of a bilayered hybrid patch for the treatment of chronic wounds, designed with a chemical composition and morphology to exert antimicrobial activity to combat local infection and to provide specific support for cell adhesion and tissue regeneration. In particular, using gelatin and chitosan as the main constituent materials, bioactive membranes were developed and functionalized with bioresorbable hydroxyapatite nanoparticles doped with magnesium ions grown on gelatin molecules to boost regenerative stimuli. Then, they were assembled into a bilayered structure with highly tuned chemical and structural features through different fabrication techniques and biodegradation by cross-linking processes. Lastly, to confer antibacterial properties, the lower layer was medicated in situ with Vancomycin hydrochloride (VNC), selected as a case study antibiotic. The developed patches exhibit excellent physiochemical properties, including exudate absorption and moisture permeability, with both features falling within the recommended range for materials for wound healing applications. In addition, both patches exhibit adequate biodegradation times to support effective cell adhesion and proliferation, as well as drug release kinetics, with almost complete release of VNC after 48 h, necessary to achieve thorough wound disinfection. In vitro biological studies have proved their biocompatibility and on-site, long-lasting antimicrobial potential, while in vivo tests, with medicinal leeches' model, have demonstrated their affinity for live tissue and efficacy in supporting endothelial cell proliferation by stimulating the epidermal tissue healing process
The impact of maternal age and body mass index on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: Moving beyond the cut-off effect
No full textObjectives: Maternal age (MA) and body mass index (BMI) are known risk factors for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). Different threshold values are used to calculate preeclampsia risk scores, but the appropriateness of a cut point model has not been extensively evaluated. This is because the effects of both MA and BMI occur continuously. We aimed to investigate the relationship between MA, BMI, and HDP, respecting the continuous nature of the two independent variables. Study Design: We retrospectively selected all nulliparous women with singleton pregnancies who delivered after 22 gestational weeks from January 2005 to December 2019 (25,165 women). We used univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses implementing linear, quadratic, cubic, and penalized splines functions to test, investigate, and describe the relationship between continuous BMI, continuous MA, and risk of HDP. Main Outcome Measures: MA, BMI, and infertility treatments are independently associated with the risk of developing all HDP in nulliparous women. The impacts of MA and BMI on the risk of developing HDP occur gradually, and penalized splines functions resulted in the best model to describe these associations with a different model for each HDP. No interaction factors were retained between MA, BMI, and infertility treatments. Conclusions: Given the relevance of HDP on maternal mortality, an accurate identification of women at increased risk of developing the disease is crucial. In an era where technology is rapidly advancing, new models for customized risk assessment of HDP, considering the continuous nature of MA and pregestational BMI, must be implemented
Une identitè complexe masculinité, écriture et censure chez Julien Green
No full textJulien Green may be a good example of how to study the complex history of masculinity from a literary point of view. As a novelist and author of a huge autobiography and one of the most important diaries, Green never ceased to question the split between the public and private self, the strength and fragility of the masculinity. In the pages of his recently published complete diary covering the years 1919-1940, Green traces the truths and tricks of a fragile masculinity struggling to adhere to an already decaying model. I will proceed with my reflection in four parts, aimed at examining first the relationship between truth and dissimulation, then the question of wandering and the complex relation between love and desire, and finally the relation between intimate writing and publishing
Impact of spatial resolution in modelling decarbonized district heating networks
No full textThis study investigates the impact of spatial resolution on the large-scale optimization of district heating networks expansion using the hot-SPOT model. While previous research has focused on optimization of district heating expansion at district level, the effect of spatial resolution on the large-scale modelling of transport network expansion remains largely unexplored. This work addresses this gap by analysing how different levels of data aggregation, and thus spatial resolutions, influence key system parameters, including network topology, total system costs and computational efficiency. Results show that increasing spatial resolution leads to a more detailed representation of the network, with the benchmark resolution producing a hybrid transport-distribution network that is approximately six times longer than aggregated cases. Despite this, total heat generation mix and system costs remain comparable across resolutions due to the significantly shorter average branch lengths in the disaggregated case. The present work also quantifies the relation between model accuracy and computational feasibility. While finer resolutions provide more granular insights, they also introduce significant computational costs: for the disaggregated resolution, the model runtime increases to approximately 7400 min (5 days), with the optimization phase being the primary bottleneck, whereas aggregated resolutions remain below 60 min. Moreover, the study highlights a structural limitation in the cost formulation of hot-SPOT, a linear optimization model that is focused on large-scale energy transport modelling, which underestimates network costs by not differentiating between transport and distribution infrastructure, the latter typically characterized by higher specific costs. These findings emphasize the need for strategic aggregation methodologies to balance computational efficiency with network accuracy
Balancing global opportunities with religious interests: the case of halal tourism
No full textThis paper explores the dynamic interplay between global tourism opportunities and religious interests, focusing on the halal tourism sector. It examines how destinations balance the demand for halal-friendly services with the broader goals of attracting international travelers. The study highlights key challenges and strategies in promoting sustainable and respectful halal tourism worldwide
Extended reality per un turismo culturale, sostenibile e inclusivo
No full textIl contributo ragiona su come la extended reality ha saputo promuovere il patrimonio storico-artistico in maniera inclusiva e più sostenibile, quando addirittura non veicolando istanze di natura ecologica o stimolando una coscienza critica ambientale nei visitatori. Dopo una sintetica presentazione delle tecnologie di extended reality, il saggio proporrà una mappatura di progetti sviluppati in ambito italiano negli ultimi dieci anni. La recentissima diffusione e proliferazione della realtà estesa rende sicuramente parziale la ricognizione in uno scenario sfrangiato e in rapida evoluzione. La scelta del contesto italiano consente di perimetrare un ambito di ricerca, di documentare una serie di esperienze talvolta
effimere e di breve durata, di mettere in relazione il piano delle pratiche con il piano della riflessione critica e della letteratura nazionale. Saranno portati all’attenzione alcuni casi di studio ritenuti esemplari, che saranno approfonditi in merito alle tecnologie impiegate, alla progettazione dell’esperienza di fruizione,
alle strategie di impiego della realtà estesa in riferimento al tema della sostenibilità
Pellegrini o turisti? Il turismo religioso e dei cammini, nell’anno giubilare e oltre
No full textDifferent interventions have been implemented to address the growth of tourism in the
2025 Jubilee year. Alongside funding programmes, both the State and Regions issued
some acts and policies aimed at promoting religious tourism and religious walks in Italy.
Despite the increasing attention for that phenomenon, the legal framework still presents
some critical aspects
Critical Review of Guidelines for Type B Aortic Dissection
No full textThe management of type B aortic dissection is one of the most challenging and debated topics in contemporary cardiovascular surgery practice. Patients with acute or chronic dissection-related complications face high morbidity and mortality if not treated promptly. For most patients requiring intervention, thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is considered the gold standard. However, both early and late TEVAR-related complications make decision-making complex, even for experienced clinicians. In many cases, optimal medical management with longitudinal imaging surveillance may be preferred. In response to these challenges, several societal guidelines have recently been published to provide evidence-based or expert consensus "best practice" recommendations. Although these guidelines share many commonalities, they also highlight key unresolved clinical questions. For example, debates persist over the appropriate use of TEVAR for "uncomplicated" TBAD, defining "high-risk" criteria for uncomplicated presentations, and management of the false lumen, among other topics. Despite recent updates, a critical evaluation of the nuanced differences between these guidelines is lacking. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to compare current clinical practice guidelines, highlight their similarities and differences, and offer a comprehensive evaluation of the evidence surrounding management of TBAD. Moreover, this analysis will provide recommendations to address important knowledge gaps
Sex-dependent alteration of the enteric neuromuscular function after antibiotic-induced dysbiosis in juvenile mice and effect of Lactocaseibacillus rhamnosus GG
No full textPerturbations of the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota (i.e. dysbiosis) in early life may induce vulnerability of the enteric nervous system (ENS), contributing to early onset GI disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Probiotics, such as Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), may improve pediatric digestive disorders; however, the mechanisms involved, including effects on the ENS, are not yet fully understood. In this study, the long-lasting consequences of antibiotic-induced dysbiosis on intestinal neuromuscular function, as well as the effect of LGG, were evaluated in juvenile female and male mice. One week after antibiotic treatment cessation, broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment induced significant taxonomic changes in both sexes compared to untreated control animals. These changes appeared earlier and involved more potentially harmful bacterial taxa in females than in males. LGG effectively prevented alterations in microbial communities in both sexes, with a more pronounced protective effect in males. Dysbiosis reduced transit efficiency, nitrergic relaxations, and tachykinergic contractions only in females, with no significant effect of LGG in this group. In both sexes, dysbiosis decreased cholinergic contractions; however, LGG restored the excitatory responses to control levels only in males. In summary, early antibiotic-induced dysbiosis in juvenile mice leads to persistent effects during late adolescence on both gut microbiota composition and neuromuscular function. These alterations are more pronounced and less responsive to LGG treatment in females. The findings underscore the critical role of the enteric microbiota in early-life development of functional gastrointestinal disorders with sex-specific features, such IBS