University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Archivio istituzionale della ricerca - Università di Modena e Reggio EmiliaNot a member yet
116400 research outputs found
Sort by
A Tunable Capacitance ReRAM for Improvement of Dynamic Range in CMOS Image Sensors
No full textwork reports a tunable-capacitance resistive memory (TCReRAM) device. The TCReRAM uses a binary metal-oxide active-layer and exhibits strong voltagedependent capacitance (VDC) under appropriate operating conditions. The observed VDC dynamics is characterized experimentally, and its physical origin is investigated through comprehensive multiscale simulations. The developed TCReRAM device, integrated at the floating diffusion node of a CMOS image sensor (CIS) pixel, introduces VDC that helps mitigate saturation under high illumination conditions. Pixel-level simulations further demonstrate that incorporating the TCReRAM significantly improves the dynamic range by nearly 25% compared to the existing reported Hybrid CIS, effectively addressing performance limitations across varying illumination levels
Inclusione e tokenismo: appunti di Pedagogia critica
No full textIn un tempo in cui l’intercultura e l’inclusione rischiano di svuotarsi in slogan rassicuranti o in una sterile retorica delle «buone intenzioni», questo volume propone una visione nuova e radicale. L’educazione non è mai un atto neutro, ma un campo di battaglia teorico e politico in cui si costruiscono gerarchie, visioni del mondo e reali possibilità di convivenza. Muovendo da una prospettiva pedagogica critica, il manuale invita a superare la tentazione di un’inclusione puramente simbolica — quella forma di visibilità che rassicura le istituzioni senza intaccare realmente il potere che discrimina — per riscoprire l’agire educativo come autentica pratica di emancipazione e giustizia sociale. Attraverso una scrittura corale e rigorosa, il testo interroga le condizioni materiali e simboliche che rendono possibile l’incontro con l’altro, decostruendo il paradigma eurocentrico che ancora abita i nostri sistemi formativi e smascherando le asimmetrie nascoste dietro il lessico umanitario di facciata. Dalla sfida delle frontiere postdigitali all’analisi dei pregiudizi algoritmici nella condizione onlife, queste pagine offrono strumenti teorici e operativi per professionisti e ricercatori che intendano trasformare l’aula in uno spazio di formazione e trasformazione.At a time when intercultural education and inclusion risk being emptied into reassuring slogans or a sterile rhetoric of “good intentions,” this volume advances a new and radical perspective. Education is never a neutral act; it is a theoretical and political battleground where hierarchies, worldviews, and concrete possibilities of coexistence are produced. From a critical pedagogical standpoint, the book urges readers to move beyond the temptation of purely symbolic inclusion—those forms of visibility that reassure institutions without truly unsettling the power that discriminates—and to reclaim educational action as an authentic practice of emancipation and social justice. Through a collective and rigorous voice, the text examines the material and symbolic conditions that make encounters with the Other possible, dismantling the Eurocentric paradigm that still inhabits our educational systems and exposing the asymmetries concealed behind a façade of humanitarian language. From the challenge of post-digital borders to the analysis of algorithmic biases within the onlife condition, these pages offer theoretical and practical tools for professionals and researchers committed to transforming the classroom into a space of formation and transformation
Numerical Methods for Thermo-Structural Analysis in Tubular Heat Exchanger Reactors for Synthetic Fuel Production
No full textThe transition to sustainable energy sources has intensified interest in synthetic fuel production, offering an alternative to fossil fuels. Tubular heat exchanger reactors play a critical role in this process, enabling efficient thermal exchange and chemical reactions under extreme operating conditions. However, these reactors face significant challenges related to thermal gradients, structural stresses, and long-term material degradation, requiring advanced numerical tools for accurate analyses. This study presents the development and application of numerical methods for the thermo-structural analysis of tubular heat exchanger reactors. A comprehensive approach was adopted to assess the thermal and mechanical behaviour of reactor components, incorporating material properties such as creep characteristics. Thermal simulations revealed significant temperature gradients across the reactor walls. Thermo-structural analyses were performed comparing two different materials, considering the effects of tensile loads, internal pressure, and creep phenomena. Special attention was given to the structural influence of the catalyst mass housed within the tubes. Additionally, different mounting strategies were evaluated. This work highlights the crucial role of advanced numerical modelling techniques in the design of efficient and durable tubular reactors, supporting the development of enhanced synthetic fuel production processes. Future work will focus on the detailed analysis of the manifold system and structural connections
Phylogenetic position of Setopus (Gastrotricha, Paucitubulatina) among planktonic Gastrotricha, with the description of a new species
No full textThe understanding of phylogenetic relationships within the phylum Gastrotricha is currently evolving, revealing significant discrepancies between the evolutionary interpretations based on morphology and molecular data. This inconsistency also applies to the families Dasydytidae and Neogosseidae, which include the remarkable planktonic gastrotrich species of the order Chaetonotida. The inter- and intra-relationships within these families remain unclear, mainly due to incomplete taxonomic sampling. In this study, we describe a new species of Setopus and provide its 18S, 28S, and COI genetic sequences. We also provide the sequences of Setopus tongiorgii (Balsamo, 1983), offering the first available molecular data for the genus. The new sequences were used in a phylogenetic analysis that encompassed 53 terminals, covering a broad taxonomic range. The results indicate that the two Setopus species are closely related to Ornamentula Kisielewski, 1991 and highlight a possible non-monophyletic nature of the family Dasydytidae, with members of the family Neogosseidae falling within it
BDNF prevents amyloid-β-induced exacerbation of mGluR5-driven Ca2+ transients in astrocytes through TrkB-Tc activation
No full textBrain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophin that, through the activation of its full length receptor, TrkB-FL, plays a pivotal role in neuroprotection, namely against neuronal toxicity mediated by amyloid-beta peptide (A beta). In astrocytes, the increase of calcium (Ca2+) signaling due the increase of metabotropic glutamate receptor type 5 (mGluR5) levels, induced by A beta, has been considered deleterious for astrocytic function. In adition BDNF also increases intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i), in astrocytes, via activation of the truncated TrkB receptor isoform, TrkB-Tc. While the role of BDNF, in neurons, is well established, in terms of neuroprotection, its role in astrocytes, particularly in A beta-induced toxicity conditions, remains less clear. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the interplay between BDNF and A beta in the modulation of [Ca2+]i signaling in primary cultures of cortical astrocytes. Ca2+ transients were induced by the activation of mGluR5 through the application of its agonist DHPG. In astrocytes pre-exposed to A beta 25-35 (10 mu M, for 48-72 h), the Ca2+ transient amplitude was significantly increased compared to the control. A similar increase was observed in astrocytes incubated for 48 h with BDNF (20 ng/mL), or when astrocytes were simultaneously exposed to BDNF and A beta. The effect of BDNF was mediated by TrkB-Tc since it was prevented by a cocktail of the three siRNAs against TrkB-Tc expression. mGluR5 levels were significantly increased in astrocytes pre-exposed to A beta, while exposure to BDNF did not affect mGluR5 levels. Importantly, while the presence of A beta did affect TrkB-Tc receptor levels in astrocytes, the presence of BDNF prevented the increase in mGluR5 levels caused by A beta thus precluding a further exacerbation of Ca2+ transients caused by A beta
Narratività e logica causale
No full textAlle origini della letteratura, i grandi cicli cosmogonici concepiscono il mondo come il risultato di una serie di eventi primordiali e sacralizzati, anziché come un processo in divenire con uno scopo definito: ciò che determina tutto è l’incipit, la causa; il decorso storico ne consegue e le spiegazioni della realtà sono diagnostiche. Se invece guardiamo alla letteratura della modernità, è il senso della fine ad avere determinato intrecci puntualmente target oriented: qui le cause hanno perso valore a favore degli effetti. Questo contributo analizza gli studi di logica causale di orientamento neuro-cognitivista e definisce un quadro di sviluppo ontogenetico e filogenetico della logica causale per poi dimostrare come ciascuna epoca ricorra a una combinazione causale specifica in termini di adattività, affinchè sia utile alla crescita dell’individuo e della società. I casi di studio applicativi sono costituiti dal romanzo nella sua evoluzione dal naturalismo al postmodernismo, dal ricorso al pensiero magico e alla logica abduttiva
The aporetic dialogs of Modena on gender differences: Is it all about testosterone? Episode III: Mathematics
No full textThis report is the transcript of what was discussed in a convention at the Endocrinology Unit in Modena, Italy, in the form of the aporetic dialogs of ancient Greece. It is the third episode of a series of four discussions on the differences between males and females, with a multidisciplinary approach. In this work, the role of testosterone in gender differences in the aptitude for mathematics is explored. First, the definitions of mathematical abilities were provided together with any gender difference in the distribution of females and males in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects. A clear predominance of males is evident at most science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education levels, especially in advanced academic careers. Then, the discussants were divided into two groups: group 1, which illustrated the thesis that testosterone promotes the development of logical‒mathematical skills, and group 2, which, in contrast, asserted the inconsistency of a direct role of testosterone in improving cognitive abilities and that socio-cultural factors should be considered on the basis of this gender gap. In the end, an expert referee (a female engineer) tried to resolve the aporia: are the two theories equivalent or is one superior?
Low-Clinker Binders and Their Impact on the Tensile Properties of Strain-Hardening Cement-Based Composites Reinforced with Carbon Fiber Textile
No full textThe synergistic combination of discrete polymer fibers and continuous textile yarns as reinforcing materials in fine-grained concrete offers significant advantages in the mechanical response of the composite system, including enhanced tensile strength, ductility, impact safety, crack width control, and improved durability. However, the usual high binder demand due to the lack of coarse aggregates leads to an over-reliance on Portland cement (PC) in these composites, negatively influencing their environmental impact. This study aims to reduce clinker content up to 75% by weight of binder using limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) formulations. Tensile tests combined with digital image correlation (DIC) analysis were performed on strain-hardening cementitious composites (SHCC) containing polyethylene short fibers at a volume fraction of 2%, with and without the addition of continuous carbon fibers in the form of textiles. The findings showed that increasing PC replacement in the SHCC decreased the tensile stress-strain behavior. However, incorporating carbon fiber textiles significantly improved the mechanical response, even for the ultra-low clinker hybrid composites with a PC replacement of 75%
