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Another chance: Number of exam retakes and university students’ outcomes
No full textUsing a difference-in-differences design, we demonstrate that a policy reducing the number of exam retakes per year at one Italian university significantly improved students’ first-year outcomes, resulting in lower dropout rates, increased exam pass rates, and enhanced credit accumulation. Only a small share of these improvements can be explained by changes in the average quality of students enrolling after the reform. The policy also raised on-time graduation rates – the reform’s main objective – without adversely affecting students’ grade point average. Overall, our findings suggest that a cost-effective intervention, such as limiting exam retakes, can substantially enhance student progression and reduce the age at graduation
Self-care and self-efficacy in self-care behaviors of older adults with multiple chronic conditions living in low-middle income country: an observational study
No full textMultiple chronic conditions (MCCs) are highly prevalent worldwide, particularly among adult patients living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Self-care behaviors are recommended to reduce the burden of MCCs and improve outcomes. Self-care is a naturalistic decision-making process that encompasses maintenance, monitoring, and management of chronic conditions. Self-efficacy in self-care, defined as an individual’s confidence in performing effective self-care behaviors, is essential for sustaining long-term behavioral change. However, evidence on self-care and self-efficacy in self-care behaviors among older adults with MCCs in LMICs remains limited. This study aimed to describe self-care and self-efficacy in self-care behaviors among older adults with MCCs living in Albania, an LMIC
Combining transcranial direct current stimulation with a rhythm-based intervention to improve reading fluency in young adults with dyslexia
No full textRecent evidence suggests that reading performance can be enhanced through non-invasive brain stimulation, which modulates excitability in brain regions involved in reading. However, no studies have tested a multi-session protocol combining tDCS with reading training in adults with developmental dyslexia. The present study investigated the efficacy of combining transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with a behavioral intervention – Rhythmic Reading Training (RRT) – to improve reading skills in university students with dyslexia. Twenty participants (aged 19–26) diagnosed with dyslexia completed a 10-day intervention comprising daily 30-minute sessions of RRT and 15 min of concurrent online tDCS. A constant current of 1.5 mA was applied for 20 min in a bipolar montage with the anode over the left temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and the cathode over the right TPJ. Participants were randomly assigned to either an active or sham tDCS condition, matched for sociodemographic characteristics, intellectual functioning, and severity of reading difficulties. Reading performance, verbal working memory, rapid automatized naming (RAN), and rhythm perception were assessed at baseline (pre-training), immediately after the intervention (post-training), and at a 4-week follow-up. Results showed that the behavioral intervention alone was sufficient to engage phonological processing, as evidenced by significant improvements in nonword reading speed in both the active and sham groups. Additionally, tDCS produced sustained gains in the most ecologically valid measure of reading, namely, text reading speed. These findings indicate that a short, intensive RRT program effectively improves reading speed in university students with dyslexia and that combining RRT with active tDCS over the left temporoparietal cortex may enhance the durability of text reading speed gains through brain plasticity mechanisms
BETWEEN ART AND ORGANISATION: RETHINKING CULTURAL VALUE THROUGH THE INSTITUTIONAL, ORGANISATIONAL, AND INDIVIDUAL DIMENSIONS OF CONTEMPORARY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS.
No full textLa presente ricerca esplora i processi di produzione di spettacoli teatrali attraverso un approccio interdisciplinare che integra prospettive giuridiche, economiche ed organizzative, considerando il teatro non solo come forma d’arte, ma anche come una struttura professionale complessa, sempre più assimilabile a quelle organizzazioni operanti al di fuori del settore culturale. Allo stesso tempo, la natura artistica del teatro implica che il suo “valore” non possa essere considerato esclusivamente in termini economici. Il teatro possiede un significato culturale intrinseco – che comprende dimensioni estetiche, sociali, educative ed emotive – difficilmente rilevabili attraverso variabili misurabili.
Piuttosto che richiamare il valore culturale come concetto astratto, meramente funzionale a sostenere argomentazioni politiche, questo studio intende sensibilizzare decisori politici e legislatori analizzando come il valore culturale venga generato attraverso il contributo collettivo di tutti i partecipanti al processo creativo. Il valore viene dunque interpretato sia in senso soggettivo – riflettendo i diversi interessi e obiettivi (monetari e non) delle varie figure coinvolte (quali artisti, amministratori, finanziatori, pubblico, ecc.) – sia in chiave relazionale, come risultato dell’interazione tra i vari attori coinvolti, che incide sui processi decisionali e sulle strutture di governance.
Analizzare l’intera catena del valore organizzativa consente di far emergere come il valore culturale si produca lungo tutto il processo di creazione teatrale. Le organizzazioni teatrali, spesso strutturate in modo flessibile e orizzontale, integrano finalità artistiche ed esigenze gestionali, offrendo modelli che possono fornire spunti utili anche per settori non culturali.
La natura collettiva della creatività teatrale invita inoltre ad una riflessione sul diritto d’autore. Pur essendo la tutela generalmente riservata al contributo artistico dell’autore-drammaturgo, questo studio riflette su se e come il contributo creativo di altri soggetti debba essere riconosciuto e tutelato, e se, in alcuni casi, il diritto d’autore possa ostacolare la più ampia diffusione della conoscenza e dell’espressione artistica.
Per comprendere pienamente queste dinamiche, il teatro deve essere contestualizzato all’interno dei quadri istituzionali e normativi che lo regolano, soprattutto data la sua difficoltà a raggiungere l'autosufficienza finanziaria e la conseguente necessità di un intervento pubblico.
Inoltre, questo contributo intende analizzare come la soddisfazione dei bisogni individuali e dei valori personali sia influenzata anche dall’interazione con le dimensioni organizzative e istituzionali. Il benessere, la felicità e l’autorealizzazione degli attori coinvolti possono emergere come esiti di un ambiente che garantisca inclusività, tutela dei diritti, libertà creativa e una generale responsabilità organizzativa.
In conclusione, secondo la prospettiva delineata, il teatro dovrebbe essere considerato come un sistema multilivello in cui le dimensioni istituzionali, organizzative e individuali si intrecciano e si influenzano reciprocamente, contribuendo sia alla produzione artistica sia ad una comprensione più ampia del suo valore culturale.This research explores theatrical production processes through an interdisciplinary approach that integrates legal, economic and organisational perspectives, framing theatre not only as an art form but also as a complex professional structure increasingly comparable to organisations beyond the cultural sector. At the same time, theatre’s artistic nature implies that its “value” cannot be reduced exclusively to economic terms. Theatre carries intrinsic cultural significance - such as aesthetic, social, educational, and emotional dimensions - that is difficult to capture through measurable variables.
Rather than invoking cultural value as an abstract concept merely to support policy arguments, this study aims to raise awareness among policymakers and lawmakers by analysing how cultural value is generated through the collective contributions of all participants in the creative process. Value is therefore interpreted both subjectively – reflecting the diverse interests and objectives (monetary and non-monetary) of the various stakeholders (such as artists, administrators, funders, audience, etc.) - and relationally, as a product of stakeholder interaction that shapes decision-making processes and governance structures.
Investigating the full organisational value chain helps reveal how cultural value is produced throughout the entire process of theatrical creation. Theatrical organisations, often structured in flexible and horizontal ways, integrate artistic aims with managerial needs, offering models that may also provide useful insights for non-cultural sectors.
The collective nature of creativity in theatre also invites reflection on copyright law. While protection is generally granted to the artistic contribution of the author-playwright, this study questions whether and how the creative input of other contributors should be recognised and safeguarded, and whether, in some cases, copyright may hinder the broader dissemination of knowledge and artistic expression.
To comprehensively understand these dynamics, theatre must be contextualised within the institutional and regulatory frameworks that govern it, especially given its difficulty in achieving financial self-sufficiency and therefore requiring public intervention.
Moreover, this contribution will examine how the fulfilment of individual needs and personal values is also shaped by the interaction with organisational and institutional dimensions. Stakeholders’ well-being, happiness, and self-actualization may emerge as outcomes of an environment that ensures inclusivity, safeguards stakeholders’ rights, supports creative freedom, and promotes overall organisational accountability.
In conclusion, according to the perspective outlined, theatre should be viewed as a multi-layered system in which institutional, organisational, and individual dimensions interact and influence one another, contributing both to artistic production and to a broader understanding of its cultural value
Atmospheric aerosol light scattering and absorption properties in the urban area of Milan (Italy): A focus on aerosol typing
No full textIn this work, aerosol absorption and scattering properties were investigated to gather additional information on aerosol types and sources. During a one-year campaign in Milan (Italy), a multi-wavelength aethalometer and a nephelometer were operated in parallel. Scattering coefficients are in general scarcely available at urban sites and this was the very first dataset for Milan and, more generally, for an urban site in the Po valley which is a well-known pollution hot-spot in Europe.
Time patterns of the absorption and scattering coefficients throughout the year were investigated and Absorption/Scattering Ångström Exponents (AAE and SAE, respectively) were also computed to relate the optical properties to fossil vs. wood fuel combustion emission sources and to small vs. large particle size. The average daily trends for the absorption coefficients reflected the behaviour of the sources, with peaks in the morning due to traffic emissions observed in all seasons, and high values during the night as a consequence of lower mixing heights and, in winter, of domestic heating emissions, too.
To gain knowledge about aerosol types and origin an innovative cluster analysis approach using AAE and SAE led to the identification of different aerosol types; this is an easy-to-implement approach which could be applied in monitoring networks for near-real time aerosol types identification. Moreover, episodes affected by specific aerosol types (i.e., fire event, desert dust air mass transport...) were singled out applying a more refined approach combining five intensive optical parameters
Left and right-side echocardiographic measurement of pulmonary artery stiffness in thoroughbred racehorses
No full textBackground: Pulmonary Artery Stiffness (PAS) is a non-invasive echocardiographic index of pulmonary artery elasticity. In horses, PAS has been measured only from the right parasternal short-axis view, while the influence of alternative imaging windows remains unknown. Aims/objectives: To assess the repeatability and reproducibility of Acceleration Time (AT), Maximal Frequency Shift (MFS), and PAS measurements from the left parasternal angled view of the right ventricular inflow/outflow, and to compare these parameters with those obtained from the right parasternal short-axis view in Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Forty Thoroughbreds underwent pulsed-wave Doppler echocardiography from both right and left parasternal views. Measurements included AT, MFS, and PAS (MFS/AT). The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and the coefficients of variation (CV) were used to assess intra-operator repeatability and inter-operator (three operators) reproducibility in 40 horses, day-to-day (two different days) repeatability in 5 horses, and inter-operator (two operators) reproducibility for image acquisition in 10 horses. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare left and right parasternal measurements in 40 horses. Results: Intra-operator agreement was excellent for all parameters (AT: ICC=0.94; MFS: ICC=0.95; PAS: ICC=0.97). Inter-operator agreement ranged from moderate to excellent (AT: ICC=0.63-0.87; MFS: ICC=0.96-0.99; PAS: ICC=0.83-0.96). Day-to-day agreement was good for AT (ICC=0.80) and MFS (ICC=0.71), and excellent for PAS (ICC=0.98). Inter-observer agreement for image acquisition ranged from good to excellent (AT: ICC=0.97, MFS: ICC=0.86, PAS: ICC=0.94). Compared to the right view, the left parasternal view showed lower AT (110 vs. 151 ms), higher MFS (2.6 vs. 2.27 kHz), and higher PAS (23.8 vs. 15.6 kHz/s) (all p<0.001). Conclusion: PAS can be consistently measured from the left parasternal angled view in Thoroughbred racehorses. PAS was higher when measured from the left parasternal window, possibly due to a better alignment of the Doppler beam with the pulmonary artery flow
Enhancing Multiformalism Models with Rewrite Engines
No full textThis paper explores the enhancement of multiformalism modeling frameworks by integrating rewrite engines, with a focus on SIMTHESys, a framework designed for combining and solving heterogeneous formalisms. Multiformalism modeling enables the use of the most suitable formalism for each subsystem while maintaining an overall coherent representation of the system. As model complexity and the need for dynamic adaptability increase, static modeling structures become inadequate. To address this, we extend SIMTHESys with capabilities for dynamic transformations and late binding by incorporating a rewriting system, specifically leveraging the Maude engine. This integration allows models to evolve during their solution processes, supporting more flexible, efficient, and modular analyses. We present a case study involving the dynamic management of a server system modeled through stochastic Petri nets and multiclass queuing networks, demonstrating the feasibility and advantages of the proposed approach. Experimental results highlight how rewriting enhances model expressiveness and efficiency in complex system evaluations
Modelling b ̄bH production for the LHC at 13.6 TeV
No full textWe present new state-of-the-art predictions for Standard Model Higgs boson production in association with a bottom-quark pair (b ̄bH). Updated cross sections are computed in accordance with the recommendations of the LHC Higgs Working Group, including the use of the PDF4LHC21 set of parton distribution functions, with a center-of-mass energy of 13.6 TeV. For the total inclusive cross section, we provide matched predictions of the massless five-flavour scheme (5FS) and the massive four-flavour scheme (4FS) at the fixed-order level. We further present recently obtained simulations matched with parton showers in both flavour schemes within the SM, and also discuss them in the context of potential BSM scenarios. In the massless scheme, we compare different NNLO+PS predictions obtained through the MiNNLOPS and GENEVA generators. In addition, the role of 4FS predictions is studied as a background to HH searches, considering both the top-quark and bottom-quark Yukawa contributions to b ̄bH production. Finally, we analyse the sensitivity of the Higgs transverse momentum spectrum to light-quark Yukawa couplings in the diphoton decay channel based on MiNNLOPS simulations
Upper Cretaceous (upper Turonian – lower Campanian) calcareous nannofossils and carbon isotopes from Seaford Head (southern England): critical appraisal of biozones and correlation to GSSPs
No full textThis study presents a revised calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy and a new high-resolution carbonate carbon isotope record (δ13Ccarb) for the Seaford Head section in southern England, a key reference section for the Upper Cretaceous of NW Europe. A new sedimentary log for the uppermost Turonian – lower middle Coniacian section is drawn and combined with previously published logs for the upper Coniacian to lower Campanian. The compiled isotopic record incorporates 713 new sample data along with recently published δ13Ccarb values from the section, and the calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy is supported by the detailed analysis of 68 samples, using both semi-quantitative and quantitative abundance data. The local confidence in the record of biohorizons in the section and their supra-regional reliability are addressed. These include the highest and lowest occurrences of index species, but we additionally critically assess the stratigraphic use of highest and lowest consistent occurrences and the Base and Top of taxon acme levels. Three commonly used zonal and two subzonal markers are shown to be unreliable but 10 secondary events show high reliability for correlation. Carbon isotope stratigraphy, supported by macrofossil and microfossil biostratigraphy, allows for precise correlations to other European sections like Trunch, eastern England, and Salzgitter-Salder and Lägerdorf, northern Germany. Our integrated stratigraphic approach thus allows for a more accurate assessment of biozonation schemes and chemostratigraphy. In particular, this study provides a valuable resource for the refined stratigraphic expression of Coniacian, Santonian and Campanian stage boundaries and large-scale correlation of southern England to Global Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSPs)
Leisure-time Physical Activity and Balneotherapy: A Combined Approach to Enhancing Sleep Quality
No full textPurpose Achieving and maintaining good sleep quality is increasingly recognized as essential for overall health. In a previous publication, we reported that during a week-long spa stay with balneotherapy treatments, objective sleep quality improved in association with either higher physical activity or more prolonged thermal water immersion. In the current study, we aimed to verify whether subjective sleep quality could improve in a sample of local customers undergoing two-week balneotherapy treatments and whether such improvements were associated with leisure-time physical activity.
Methods Seventy-five participants (21.3% male; 61.5 ± 10.5 years) completed the Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire (GSLTPAQ) and the Mini Sleep Questionnaire (MSQ) at the beginning and end of a two-week balneotherapy program. The treatments were prescribed by hydrologist medical doctors and conducted at Terme di Castel San Pietro (Bologna, Italy). ANCOVA analyses (covariates: age and sex) were used to evaluate differences in MSQ scores and delta values based on GSLTPAQ categorization. FORST funded the study.
Results ANCOVA revealed no statistically significant differences in MSQ scores between active and inactive participants at baseline. After two-week balneotherapy treatments, active participants (60%) reported better self-perceived sleep quality (active: 6.2±1.9, inactive: 5±2.5, p=0.03), MSQ-final score (active: 31.1±10.1, inactive: 38±13.1, p=0.02), MSQ-sleep component (active: 19.4±7.5, inactive: 22.7±8.8, p=0.08), and MSQ-awake component (active: 11.6±4.2, inactive: 15.3±6.2, p=0.02). Changes in MSQ values (delta scores) suggested greater improvements among active participants, though none reached statistical significance: delta MSQ-final score: active= -1.9±0.6, inactive= 0.57±0.4, p=0.2; MSQ-sleep component: active= -0.9±0.5, inactive: -0.5±0.4, p=0.02; MSQ-awake component: active= -1.1±0.6, inactive: 0.5±0.3, p=0.1).
Conclusions After two weeks of balneotherapy, subjective sleep quality showed greater improvements in participants who engaged in more leisure-time physical activity. Although the absence of a control group limits our findings, we may hypothesize that an active lifestyle, combined with a period of self-care such as balneotherapy, may contribute to improvements in self-perceived sleep quality