Archivio istituzionale della ricerca - Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna
Archivio istituzionale della ricerca - Alma Mater Studiorum Università di BolognaNot a member yet
336958 research outputs found
Sort by
Exploring a food-energy-water nexus solution towards a sustainable and resilient Europe
No full textThis study applied a three-step approach, data collection and sorting, GIS-based analysis, and technical analysis to evaluate the food, water, and energy systems in Europe. It explores a FEW nexus solution based on maize, wheat, and rice production, utilizing crop residues for bioelectricity and treated wastewater for irrigation and energy generation. The study considers four sub-regions of Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, and Western Europe to assess the impacts of the FEW nexus solution across the continent. Results indicate that under sub-regional maximum values of crop production, bioelectricity generation, and treated wastewater reuse, Europe could increase crop production by 62 % without expanding arable land. Bioelectricity could replace 10 % of Europe's current fossil-based electricity generation. The reuse of treated wastewater would reduce freshwater demand for irrigation in Europe by 86 %. The results highlight the potential of the FEW nexus approach to enhance sustainability and resilience in Europe's resource management
Hydrothermal processes and microbial signatures in the Alalobad geothermal field (Tendaho Rift, Afar, Ethiopia)
No full textDeveloping the Core Data Model for 3D – Exploring Metadata and Paradata Throughout Current 3D Infrastructure Projects
No full textThe rapid digitization of cultural heritage during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge in the creation of 3D models. However, the absence of standardized metadata and documentation practices has hindered their interoperability, discoverability, and reuse. This article presents the development of the 3D Core Data Model (3D-CDM), initiated within the DFG 3D-Viewer project, as a proposed solution for improving metadata harmonization. Drawing from comparative analysis across several German infrastructure projects and aligning with established standards, the study identifies a flexible core of documentation fields for 3D cultural heritage in the context of data aggregation. The paper proposes a tiered model of metadata necessity and highlights the importance of transparency in modeling methods, authenticity, and provenance. Recommendations are designed to support both aggregation and domain-specific needs, promoting better access and sustainability of 3D cultural heritage data across institutional repositories and research environments
Per una storia del pensiero politico internazionale
No full textNel suo volume Stagioni e teorie della società internazionale, lo storico delle idee politiche Maurizio Bazzoli, uno dei pochi studiosi italiani che nelle sue ricerche ha approfondito la genesi e i primi sviluppi in età mo- derna della teoria delle relazioni internazionali, è giunto a una particolare considerazione: «Attraverso la sua stessa rappresentazione storiografica» la Storia delle dottrine politiche «ha tradizionalmente accreditato un’imma- gine di sé come disciplina essenzialmente (per non dire esclusivamente) rivolta all’indagine sulle forme storico-dottrinali dell’‘ordine interno’, a tutto scapito della ‘sovranità esterna’»1. Martin Wight, uno dei più influenti internazionalisti del secondo dopoguerra, espose un argomento simile durante una riunione del British Committee on the Theory of International Politics nel luglio del 1971: «Per tradizione gli storici del pensiero politico [...] hanno tracciato lo sviluppo della sovranità interna, di un’autorità suprema legiferante in ciascuna comunità [...]. Noi siamo più interessati allo sviluppo della sovranità esterna, l’affermazione d’essere politicamente e giuridicamente indipendenti da ogni superiore»2.
Uno scopo di questo libro – nato nell’ambito delle attività di ricerca svolte da oltre un quindicennio dalla comunità scientifica raccolta intor- no alla «Rivista di Politica» – è seguire questo interesse per trascendere questa tradizione, contribuendo così ad accreditare anche in Italia una diversa immagine di sé della Storia delle dottrine politich
Characterization of bubble breakup mechanisms in non-coalescing electrolyte solutions
No full textThis work presents an integrated experimental and numerical investigation of bubble breakup mechanisms in non-coalescing electrolyte solutions within two geometrically similar gas–liquid stirred tanks of different scales. Bubble size distributions were measured using optical techniques in complete recirculation gas-liquid regime and varying turbulent dissipation rates. The robustness of the image analysis was validated through manual bubble counting. A lumped parameter population balance equation (PBE) was solved using the quadrature method of moments, with model parameters derived from dedicated CFD simulations. Six breakup kernels, each representing distinct physical mechanisms, were evaluated by comparing predicted and experimental bubble size distributions, moment ratios, and characteristic diameters. The Luo and Svendsen kernel, which models breakup as a function of turbulent eddy energy exceeding surface energy thresholds, showed the best agreement with experimental data. The kernels by Liao et al. and Lehr et al. also performed well, despite being originally validated in coalescing conditions. A full three-dimensional CFD-based PBE solution further validated the lumped parameter approach, confirming its reliability for preliminary kernel screening. These findings support the use of simplified PBE models for efficient evaluation of breakup mechanisms in gas–liquid stirred tanks under non-coalescing conditions
Seasoned Equity Offerings
No full textSeasonal Equity Offerings (SEOs) refer to the issuance of additional shares by a firm that is already publicly traded on the stock market. Companies typically undertake SEOs to raise capital for new investments or to adjust their capital structure. In this chapter, we introduce the mathematics behind SEOs and report the main theoretical models to explain empirical evidences around the world
Hollow fiber flow field-flow fractionation enables high-quality Extracellular Vesicle isolation from minimal plasma samples in polycythemia vera liquid biopsy
No full textIntroduction: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are crucial mediators of intercellular communication, transporting
various macromolecules between cells. They are increasingly recognized for their roles in cancer progression,
immune modulation, and therapeutic resistance. However, standard EV isolation methods often struggle to
preserve EV heterogeneity and functional integrity.
Methods: In this study, we used hollow-fiber flow field-flow fractionation (HF5) to isolate and characterize
plasma-derived EVs from just 60 μL of plasma. HF5 is a cutting-edge, disposable microfluidic technique designed
for advanced EV fractionation. EVs were from patients with polycythemia vera (PV), a rare hematological malignancy. We evaluated EVs isolated using HF5 against those obtained by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC),
assessing their physico-chemical characteristics, surface marker expression and functionality in terms of up
taking and inflammatory potential.
Results: EVs isolated through HF5 closely resembled SEC-derived EVs in size, morphology, and classical EV
markers, including platelet-specific proteins. HF5 consistently yielded purer EV preparations with reduced aggregation and greater reproducibility. Notably, HF5 achieved this using 8.3 times less plasma than SEC. HF5 EVs,
along with inflammatory potential, showed superior cell up take to the SEC counterparts. Chemical analysis
showed that HF5-EVs contained a higher protein concentration, while SEC-EVs had more aggregated material.
Conclusion: HF5 integrates EV isolation and characterization, enhancing efficiency, and preserving sample
integrity and functionality. Its minimal sample requirement and reproducibility make it particularly suitable for
clinical and translational research. Our study demonstrated HF5 as a powerful better alternative to conventional
EV isolation methods, with strong potential for standardized applications in biomarker discovery and cancer
research
tAPP OpenWhisk: A serverless platform for topology-aware allocation priority policies
No full textThe Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) paradigm offers a serverless approach that abstracts the management of underlying infrastructure, enabling developers to focus on application logic. However, leveraging infrastructure-aware features can further optimize serverless performance. We present a software prototype that enhances Apache OpenWhisk serverless platform with a novel architecture incorporating tAPP (topology-aware Allocation Priority Policies), a declarative language designed for specifying topology-aware scheduling policies. Through a case study involving distributed data access across multiple cloud regions, we show that tAPP can significantly reduce latency and minimizes performance variability compared to the standard OpenWhisk implementation
From motivation to implementation: A firm-level model of customer-oriented green actions
No full textThe integration of sustainability into business operations increasingly requires firms to align environmental strategies with customer value. This study examines how external and internal motivations influence the implementation of customer-oriented green actions through four core firm-specific practices: environmental management systems (EMS), sustainable supplier selection, product eco-design, and green human resource management (HRM). We propose a moderated mediation model to explore how different types of motivation influence green action enactment, both directly and indirectly through internal capabilities. The model is empirically tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) on a large cross-sectoral sample of 879 Italian firms. Results show that external motivations have a more substantial impact on eco-design and HRM, whereas internal motivations have a more significant influence on EMS and supplier selection. All four practices significantly enhance customer-oriented green actions, with supplier selection being the most impactful. The moderating role of firm size reveals that eco-design is more relevant for smaller firms, while HRM plays a stronger role in larger organizations. This study contributes to the environmental management literature by providing an integrated view of how motivational drivers and firm-level practices interact to promote sustainability-oriented customer engagement. The findings offer actionable insights for managers, particularly in aligning sustainability practices with customer-facing value creation, and for policymakers aiming to design targeted incentives that support sustainable transformation across various firm types and sizes
Hypothetical enrollment. An anticipatory and situated approach to assess the integration of AI diagnostics in clinical settings
No full textPurpose: The paper proposes “hypothetical enrollment” as an anticipatory, situated and performative methodological approach to appreciate the organizational and epistemological consequences of adopting AI diagnostics into clinical settings. Our method provides a methodological contribution to move between the expectations about AI diagnostics and their integration into real world, clinical settings
Design/methodology/approach: We tested the validity of our method against an empirical case, the start-up Autism Scope (AS), which applies machine learning models for the early detection of autism-spectrum-disorder. As part of this pilot study, we carried on two interviews in person with designers from AS, and three interviews with pediatric neuropsychiatrists.
Findings: Notwithstanding a generally positive attitude, several organizational and professional challenges emerged thanks to our method, such as the integration of the tool into hospital workflows and the potential effects for professional identity in neuropsychiatry.
Originality: The “hypothetical enrollment” interviews allowed comparing the expectations and implementation strategies devised by AS’ designers with the impediments and challenges highlighted by neuropsychiatrists, that is, potential users who have not been involved in development yet.
Research limitations/implications: Other healthcare stakeholders, such as hospital mangers or policy makers, were not interviewed.
Keywords: hypothetical enrollment – AI diagnostics – autism – organization of work - metho