Archivio della ricerca - Fondazione Bruno Kessler
Not a member yet
21227 research outputs found
Sort by
Advancing Label-Free Biosensing Technologies Using Integrated Optical Circuits
No full textBiosensors are powerful tools for detecting specific molecules by leveraging biological interactions to generate measurable signals. This research focuses on the development of advanced label-free biosensors using Silicon Ni-tride integrated optical circuits, employing Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) structures as the sensing elements. MZIs, which combine waveguiding and in-terferometry, offer high sensitivity by detecting phase shifts induced by analyte binding in real time. The development process encompasses component simula-tion, chip design, chip fabrication, packaging, optical and electrical characteri-zation and biological testing. Although the Silicon Nitride sensor is still under development, preliminary results from silicon waveguide-based MZI devices have demonstrated their ability to accurately monitor binding kinetics. A key advantage of Silicon Nitride is its compatibility with visible wavelengths, where optical losses are lower when using aqueous cladding, as is common in biologi-cal testing. This research holds significant potential for advancing label-free op-tical biosensing technologies, with applications spanning healthcare, environ-mental monitoring, and beyond
Introduzione. Intelligenza Artificiale, etica e società.
No full textLo scritto è un'introduzione alla sezione tematica su Intelligenza Artificiale, etica e società, nella quale si riflette sulle questioni etiche, sui risvolti legali e sull'impatto sociale dell'Intelligenza Artificiale, letta da studiosi del tema in una maniera interdisciplinare e su di un piano internazionale e globale
Synchrotron light source focused X-ray detection with LGADs, AC-LGADs and TI-LGADs
No full textThe response of Low Gain Avalanche Diodes (LGADs), a type of thin silicon detector with internal gain, to X-rays of energies between 6–16 keV was characterized at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL).
The utilized beamline at SSRL was 7-2, with a nominal beam size of 30 μm, repetition rate of 500 MHz, and with an energy dispersion ΔE/E of 10-4.
Multi-channel LGADs, AC-LGADs, and TI-LGADs of different thicknesses and gain layer configurations from Hamamatsu Photonics (HPK) and Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) were tested.
The sensors were read out with a discrete component board and digitized with a fast oscilloscope or a CAEN fast digitizer.
The devices' energy response, energy resolution, and time resolution were measured as a function of X-ray energy and position. The charge collection and multiplication mechanism were simulated using TCAD Sentaurus, and the results were compared with the collected data
Risk assessment and perspectives of local transmission of chikungunya and dengue in Italy, a European forerunner
No full textTo address the growing frequency, extension, and size of local arboviral outbreaks in Europe we retrospectively analyzed dengue and chikungunya transmission in Italy from 2006 to 2023. We applied generalized additive models to the records of travel-related cases to highlight the spatiotemporal patterns of disease importation, calculated reproduction numbers for six local outbreaks based on autochthonous case data and mapped current transmission risks by applying a computational model that integrates human density, entomological, and climate data. Outbreak locations appear driven by case importation, which is notably higher for dengue - especially from June to October - rather than local transmission risks. Although reporting delays and favorable temperatures allowed onward transmission for several generations from mid-August to mid-November, upon outbreak detection control of transmission was achieved within 15 days. In high-risk areas, significantly longer epidemic risks were found for chikungunya (over 4 months). However, considering observed importation trends, increasingly frequent local dengue outbreaks are expected. Case detection should be prioritized focusing on areas, and in times, where environmental and climate conditions are permissive, regardless of prior outbreaks
Habitat drivers and predicted distribution shifts of Anopheles coluzzii under climate change: Results from the systematic review
No full textThe two main Afrotropical malaria vectors - Anopheles coluzzii and An. gambiae, formerly known as M and S molecular forms - play a crucial role in malaria transmission in Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite their recent divergence, they exhibit distinct larval habitat preferences and micro-geographic distribution in West and Middle Africa. We performed a systematic literature review to retrieve studies that report counts of An. coluzzii and An. gambiae in their sympatric range since 2001, the year of the first description of the molecular forms. The review yielded 255 papers, leading to a dataset of 211,580 individuals from 2118 sampling sites. Combining these records with high resolution geographical and eco-climatic satellite data by spatial statistical model highlighted predominance of An. gambiae in most of the range with particular reference to Middle Africa and to all areas above 100 m asl. Anopheles coluzzii shows relative frequencies ranging from 58 % to 71 % in most of a 100 km wide coastal ribbon and in the western part of the northernmost range. Between these two extremes the species are found in sympatry, with An. coluzzii frequencies <6 % in Sudan savannahs areas. Areas suitable for An. coluzzii in East Africa are predicted based on the current probability of the species occurrence and are expected to increase under future climate change scenarios. The possible spread of An. coluzzii in this region may impact on malaria transmission and pose a new challenge for innovative species-specific control activities, such as the gene-drive system, highlighting the need of specific surveillance by implementation appropriate diagnostic approaches
Lessons learned exploiting a multi‐year large‐scale data set derived from operational quality assessment of mosquito larval treatments in rain catch basins
No full textBackground: Larval control is crucial for managing mosquito arbovirus vectors. Quality control (QC) data from insecticide-based interventions are rarely exploited to assess the effectiveness of biocides in the field. This study aims to: (i) evaluate the outcomes of large-scale catch basin treatments with diflubenzuron (DFB) and Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis and B. (Lysinibacillus) sphaericus (Bti + Bs) on immature stages of Aedes albopictus and Culex pipiens, with reference to critical variables, such as the intervals between catch basin treatments and inspections; and (ii) identify areas of repeated treatment failures. Results: More than 30 000 catch basins were inspected from 2019 to 2021 for mosquito immature stages after treatment with DFB and Bti + Bs in 461 municipalities in north-east Italy. Overall, 5% of catch basins revealed the presence of live L3-L4 larvae and/or pupae. Model results showed opposite associations between percentages of positive catch basins treated with the two larvicides and the intervals between treatments and inspections, likely because of the different modes of action; i.e., a negative association following DFB treatments (day 7/day 21: Ae. Albopictus, 7%-4%; Cx. pipiens, 8%-4%), and a positive association following Bti + Bs treatments for Ae. albopictus (day 7/day 21: 2%-13%). Spatial analysis revealed repeated DFB treatment failures against Cx. pipiens in the area of the Venice lagoon, where the highest frequencies of alleles associated with DFB resistance have been reported. Conclusion: The results show that, despite unavoidable limitations, high-quality area-wide databases from multi-year QC activities of public mosquito control interventions may allow general conclusions to be reached (such as shortening the intervals between Bti + Bs treatments) accounting for real-world heterogeneities that cannot be achieved experimentally. © 2025 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry
Fabrication of Sulfonated Poly Ether Ether Ketone Membranes Reinforced With PEEK Meshes: Mos2 Sputtering to Enhance Functional Properties for PEM Water Electrolysis Application
No full textMembranes play a crucial role in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Water Electrolysis (PEMWE), a key technology for green hydrogen production. While perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membranes are widely used in commercial PEMWE systems, hydrocarbon-based membranes are gaining attention due to concerns over fluorine emissions and potential future regulatory restrictions. However, challenges such as swelling and dimensional instability must be addressed for hydrocarbon-based membranes to be viable alternatives. In this study, a poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) mesh and a modified PEEK (MPEEK) mesh, treated with oxygen and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), were incorporated into a sulfonated PEEK (SPEEK) matrix to fabricate reinforced hydrocarbon-based membranes. The structural integrity and functional properties of the membranes were investigated. The reinforced membranes exhibited higher tensile strengths, with SPEEK PEEK achieving 43.2 ± 1.6 MPa and SPEEK MPEEK reaching 48.9 ± 1.5 MPa, compared to 34.3 ± 1.4 MPa for the neat SPEEK membrane. Although the incorporation of reinforcement layers led to a reduction in proton conductivity compared to neat SPEEK, this decrease was less pronounced in SPEEK MPEEK membranes (42.5 mS/cm) than in SPEEK PEEK membranes (40.12 mS/cm). This suggests that the modified reinforcement layer in SPEEK-MPEEK better preserves proton transport pathways, mitigating the conductivity loss. Furthermore, oxidative stability tests using Fenton's reagent demonstrated that membranes reinforced with MPEEK exhibited 86.9% higher resistance to degradation than those with PEEK reinforcement, attributed to the sulfide structures in the MPEEK mesh, which effectively scavenged free radicals. These findings suggest that SPEEK membranes reinforced with MPEEK mesh offer a promising hydrocarbon-based alternative for PEMWE applications, combining enhanced mechanical strength, decreased swelling ratio, and superior oxidative stability