University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
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Effects of Couple Tractions on Contact Problems at the Microscale
No full textIn this study, the problem of a thin film loaded at both ends and in contact with a microstructured substrate modelled by the couple stress theory of elasticity is investigated. To appropriately define the microstructural contact conditions the contribution of couple tractions is considered. By using the Green's functions for a tangential point force and a couple acting on the surface of a couple stress elastic half-plane, the extended boundary conditions, which enforce compatibility between the displacement and rotations along the contact region, provide two singular integral equations. One of them yields an explicit relation for couple tractions in terms of the interfacial shear stress. By assuming a series of Chebyshev polynomials for the distributions of shear stress along the contact region and using a collocation method, the remaining integral equation is reduced to an algebraic system for the Chebyshev series coefficients. Finally, the axial load in the thin film is computed while varying the characteristic length of the substrate, revealing significant deviations from the classical elastic solution
Protonation dynamics of confined ethanol–water mixtures in H-ZSM-5 from machine learning-driven metadynamics
No full textZeolites are indispensable heterogeneous catalysts in industrial chemical processes, valued for their strong Br & Oslash;nsted acidity, well-defined microporous frameworks, and tunable pore structures. Their catalytic activity arises primarily from Br & Oslash;nsted acid sites (BAS), typically present as bridging hydroxyl groups (Si-OH-Al). Under aqueous reaction conditions, these protons interact dynamically with water and alcohol molecules, leading to complex solvation and protonation behavior within confined pores. In this study, we investigate the protonation equilibrium occurring between ethanol and water at the BAS of acidic zeolites under varying hydration levels, i. e., C2H5OH-(H2O)n, n = 1-4. Local structure was analyzed through an adaptive-learning global optimization algorithm, while enhanced sampling molecular dynamics simulations with Well-Tempered Metadynamics (WTMetaD) and machine learning interatomic potentials (MLPs) provide free-energy surfaces (FES) at variable hydration levels. The results reveal a strong dependence of proton localization on the degree of hydration. In presence of just 1 water molecule, the proton resides predominantly on ethanol; with 2 water molecules, it shifts toward water, and starting at 3, it becomes delocalized over the water cluster. These findings underscore the critical role of solvation in modulating acid site behavior and suggest that a minimum of three water molecules is necessary to fully stabilize the proton on water within the zeolite framework. This solvation threshold has significant implications for catalytic processes, particularly in biomass conversion reactions where alcohol protonation is a key step in dehydration mechanisms
Carbonate deposition during the Messinian salinity crisis in the Romagna Apennines, Italy
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Giuristi del Novecento tra scienza e politica: il caso di Marcello Finzi (1879-1956)
No full textIl saggio di propone di riflettere sulla figura e l’opera scientifica di Marcello Finzi, docente ordinario di Diritto e procedura penale nelle Università di Ferrara e di Modena nei primi decenni del XX secolo, per mettere in luce i legami con gli ambienti politici della sua città natale, Ferrara, e con gli orientamenti più generali che segnano il governo dell’Italia in seguito all’affermazione del Fascismo. In questa fase, tra gli anni Venti e Trenta del Novecento, si manifestano le scelte di Finzi sia a livello professionale come avvocato penalista, sia come docente e tecnico del diritto, che riflettono la sua adesione ai principi e ai valori imposti dal governo fascista alla società italiana. L’esperienza accademica di Finzi si concluderà improvvisamente nell’autunno del 1938 in seguito all’entrata in vigore delle leggi razziali, ma potrà continuare dall’anno successivo grazie al suo trasferimento presso l’università di Cordoba in Argentina.The essay proposes to reflect on the figure and scientific work of Marcello Finzi, full professor of Criminal Law and Procedure at the Universities of Ferrara and Modena in the first decades of the 20th century, to highlight the ties with the political circles of his hometown, Ferrara, and with the more general orientations that marked the government of Italy following the affirmation of Fascism. During this phase, between the 1920s and 1930s, Finzi’s choices emerged both professionally as a criminal lawyer and as a professor and legal technician, reflecting his adherence to the principles and values imposed by the fascist government on Italian society. Finzi’s academic experience ended suddenly in the autumn of 1938 following the entry into force of the racial laws, but he was able to continue from the following year thanks to his transfer to the University of Cordoba in Argentina
Meccanismi di resistenza nei tardigradi: evoluzione e adattamenti molecolari a condizioni ambientali estreme in diverse linee evolutive
No full textI tardigradi sono micrometazoi acquatici presenti in quasi tutti gli ecosistemi. Sono noti per le loro peculiari strategie di dormienza che includono criptobiosi e diapausa. Entrambi i meccanismi sono caratterizzati da un arresto del metabolismo e consentono loro di sopravvivere in condizioni estreme. L'anidrobiosi, una forma di criptobiosi, permette ai tardigradi di sopravvivere alla completa disidratazione attraverso adattamenti molecolari, fisiologici e morfologici. Tra i principali fattori protettivi figurano le TDP, proteine intrinsecamente disordinate specifiche dei tardigradi. Le attuali conoscenze sull’anidrobiosi si basano su poche specie, lasciando aperti interrogativi sulla distribuzione, evoluzione e ruolo dei fattori coinvolti nell’essiccamento in diverse linee evolutive. L’incistamento, una forma di diapausa, è stato descritto in poche specie, pur essendo diffuso nelle diverse superfamiglie, e resta in gran parte da chiarire dal punto di vista ecologico, fisiologico e molecolare. Per approfondire la diversità dei meccanismi di dormienza e determinare se possano condividere processi molecolari è perciò necessario considerare più taxa. Lo scopo di questa tesi è quello di indagare ruolo, diversità e storia evolutiva degli adattamenti molecolari nei tardigradi, con particolare attenzione a strategie di dormienza e linee evolutive poco rappresentate in studi omici. Un passo in questa direzione ha previsto l’analisi di Bertolanius volubilis, raro esempio di specie in grado di entrare sia in criptobiosi che diapausa. Questa specie appartiene alla superfamiglia Eohypsibioidea, un taxon di eutardigradi scarsamente caratterizzato in termini di specie descritte e disponibilità di dati molecolari. Sono state condotte due analisi trascrittomiche distinte per chiarire le basi molecolari della dormienza in B. volubilis. La prima analisi è stata finalizzata a caratterizzare i meccanismi molecolari alla base dell’anidrobiosi. Il profilo trascrittomico osservato è caratterizzato da un’espressione costitutiva dei geni TDP e da una loro limitata sovraespressione durante l’essiccamento, suggerendo che B. volubilis impieghi un repertorio molecolare già assemblato in grado di rispondere efficacemente a rapidi e frequenti eventi di essiccamento. Le TDP identificate sono state confrontate con sequenze precedentemente caratterizzate per indagarne le relazioni evolutive. Un’analisi comparativa ha suggerito che specifiche TDP possano rappresentare determinanti fondamentali dell’anidrobiosi in molteplici specie. La seconda analisi ha esplorato per la prima volta il profilo trascrizionale associato all’incistamento nei tardigradi. Lo studio dell’incistamento su B. volubilis è stato poi esteso a Dactylobiotus parthenogeneticus e a una nuova specie di Hypsibius, confermata come tale mediante tassonomia integrata. Le dinamiche di espressione negli animali incistati hanno evidenziato una profonda riorganizzazione trascrizionale e, in tutte le specie, è emerso un coinvolgimento ricorrente dei geni delle TDP. Nonostante una globale riduzione dell’attività genica, la concomitante induzione di geni altamente espressi suggerisce un processo di rimodellamento trascrizionale. Le analisi comparative dei geni differenzialmente espressi tra le diverse specie hanno permesso di individuare un insieme di componenti molecolari conservati, comprendenti sia fattori già associati alla criptobiosi, sia altri finora non collegati alla dormienza nei tardigradi, che potrebbero rappresentare adattamenti molecolari chiave della diapausa.Tardigrades are aquatic micrometazoans inhabiting nearly all ecosystems on Earth. They are renowned for unique dormancy strategies enabling survival in extreme conditions, encompassing cryptobiosis and diapause, both characterized by suspended activity and metabolism. Anhydrobiosis, a cryptobiotic form, allows tardigrades to survive complete desiccation through coordinated molecular, physiological, and morphological adaptations. Key protective factors include tardigrade-specific intrinsically disordered proteins (TDPs). Current anhydrobiosis molecular models, based on a few species, leave open questions on the distribution, evolution and role of desiccation mediators across tardigrade lineages. Encystment, a diapause form, has been confirmed in few species yet widespread across lineages, and remains poorly characterized at the ecological, physiological, and molecular levels. Broader investigations across taxa are needed to clarify the diversity of dormancy mechanisms and to determine whether cryptobiosis and diapause share common molecular pathways. This thesis aims to investigate the role, diversity, and evolutionary history of molecular adaptations in tardigrades, with a particular focus on dormancy strategies and lineages that are still underrepresented in omics-based studies. A step toward this goal involved the analysis of Bertolanius volubilis, a rare example of a tardigrade species capable of entering both cryptobiosis and diapause. This species belongs to the superfamily Eohypsibioidea, an eutardigrade lineage characterized by few described species and limited molecular data. To elucidate the molecular basis of dormancy in B. volubilis, two distinct transcriptome analyses were generated. The first was aimed at characterizing the molecular machinery underlying desiccation. The resulting transcriptomic profile, characterized by constitutively high TDP gene expression and limited upregulation upon desiccation, suggests that B. volubilis likely relies on a molecular toolbox ready to effectively handle rapid and frequent dehydration events. The identified TDPs were also compared with previously characterized sequences to investigate their evolutionary relationships. A comparative analysis across species suggested that specific TDPs with shared evolutionary histories may represent key determinants of anhydrobiosis. The second analysis represented the first attempt to explore the transcriptional landscape associated with encystment in tardigrades. To broaden the scope of this exploration, encystment was investigated in B. volubilis and in two additional species from distinct evolutionary lineages: Dactylobiotus parthenogeneticus and a previously undescribed Hypsibius species, confirmed as new to science through integrative taxonomy. Expression dynamics during encystment revealed a deep transcriptional reorganization and a consistent involvement of TDPs was observed across all species. Despite a global decrease in gene activity, the concomitant induction of highly expressed genes suggests a remodeling process rather than a gene activity shutdown. Comparative analyses of differentially expressed genes across species revealed a set of conserved molecular components, comprising both factors already linked to cryptobiosis, and others not previously associated with dormancy in tardigrades, which may represent molecular signatures of diapause
Cardiovascular health in women: a consensus document of the Italian Cardiovascular Societies
No full textCardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women, yet sex-specific and gender-specific differences in disease pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and treatment response are often underappreciated. This article presents the findings of a multidisciplinary expert consensus involving 59 specialists from cardiovascular and affine scientific societies. Experts were divided into 11 working groups, each focusing on distinct aspects of cardiovascular risk, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in women. Utilizing a Delphi-like method, 71 key statements were developed, refined, and evaluated to establish a consensus on best practices for addressing sex-specific and gender-specific disparities in cardiovascular care. The findings underscore critical gaps in current guidelines, particularly regarding hormonal influences, pharmacological responses, and environmental and socioeconomic determinants of cardiovascular risk in women. The consensus highlights the need for improved screening strategies, individualized risk assessment models incorporating female-specific factors, and increased representation of women in cardiovascular research. Telemedicine and digital health tools offer promising solutions for bridging existing disparities. The study reinforces the necessity for a paradigm shift in cardiovascular medicine, advocating for gender-sensitive policies and clinical guidelines. Future research should focus on integrating gender-specific considerations into all facets of cardiovascular care to optimize outcomes for women
Exploring variables related to teachers' self-efficacy in inclusive education: A network meta-analysis approach
No full textInclusive education requires teachers to feel confident in addressing student diversity, yet their self-efficacy can vary based on several psychological factors. This study aimed to identify the key variables associated with teachers’ self-efficacy for inclusive practices, modeling their interrelations through a Bayesian network meta-analysis. A systematic review of 128 studies involving 50,878 teachers was conducted, and 399 correlations were synthesized. The analysis revealed that social modeling, behavioral practices, and intentions to act inclusively were most strongly associated with self-efficacy, while concerns and resource limitations showed weak or negligible links. The Bayesian framework enabled the ranking of variables based on their strength of association with psychological variables. Findings highlight the importance of peer learning, intentional inclusive behavior, and structured experiences in fostering teachers’ self-efficacy. These results offer evidence-based directions for enhancing inclusive education through teacher training, collaboration, and policy support
