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
A crooked ‘smile curve’? Reassessing the relationship between foreign direct investment and development
No full textIn the last decades, non-OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) low- and middle-income countries increased their participation in global value chains (GVCs) by attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). According to the ‘smile curve’ hypothesis, most value adding functions along the GVCs correspond to pre-production and post-production tasks. We use a multilevel fixed effects estimator to assess the relationship between georeferenced FDI and economic development, proxied by nightlight emissions, at an unprecedented level of spatial detail (almost 30,000 subnational units of developing countries). We find that this relationship is positive and significant not only when knowledge intensive tasks are considered, but also for production activities, while it is negative when sales and logistic tasks are considered
Statistiche giudiziarie 2024: questioni scelte
No full textIl contributo analizza le statistiche giudiziarie della Corte di giustizia dell'anno 2024. L'obiettivo è mettere in risalto, attraverso l’analisi di alcune tra le decisioni più rilevanti (specie quelle che presentano particolari profili processuali), due tendenze di fondo che caratterizzano l’attività giudiziaria del 2024. La prima riguarda il ricorso più frequente da parte del Tribunale alla Grande Sezione (o comunque alla composizione allargata) che testimonia il ruolo crescente del giudice di prima istanza nella configurazione dell’assetto giudiziario dell’Unione. Ciò rafforza la legittimità del Tribunale anche alla luce del trasferimento della competenza pregiudiziale e del conseguente dialogo con i giudici comuni. La seconda concerne la selezione più accurata dei casi decisi dalla Grande Sezione della Corte di giustizia, tesa a rafforzare il processo di integrazione europea tramite decisioni di questioni “costituzionali”
Physicians' preferences for their own end of life: a comparison across North America, Europe, and Australia
No full textObjective: To study physicians' personal preferences for end-of-life practices, including life-sustaining and life-shortening practices, and the factors that influence preferences. Design: A cross-sectional survey (May 2022-February 2023). Setting: Eight jurisdictions: Belgium, Italy, Canada, USA (Oregon, Wisconsin, and Georgia), Australia (Victoria and Queensland). Participants: Three physician types: general practitioners, palliative care physicians, and other medical specialists. Main outcome measures: Percentage of physicians who preferred various end-of-life practices and provided information about influence on preferences and demographics. Results: 1157 survey responses were analysed. Physicians rarely considered life-sustaining practices a (very) good option (in cancer and Alzheimer's respectively: cardiopulmonary resuscitation, 0.5% and 0.2%; mechanical ventilation, 0.8% and 0.3%; tube feeding, 3.5% and 3.8%). About half of physicians considered euthanasia a (very) good option (respectively, 54.2% and 51.5%). The proportion of physicians considering euthanasia a (very) good option ranged from 37.9% in Italy to 80.8% in Belgium (cancer scenario), and 37.4% in Georgia, USA to 67.4% in Belgium (Alzheimer's scenario). Physicians practising in a jurisdiction with a legal option for both euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide were more likely to consider euthanasia a (very) good option for both cancer (OR 3.1, 95% CI 2.2 to 4.4) and Alzheimer's (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.4 to 2.6). Conclusion: Physicians largely prefer to intensify alleviation of symptoms at the end of life and avoid life-sustaining techniques. In a scenario of advanced cancer or Alzheimer's disease, over half of physicians prefer assisted dying. Considerable preference variation exists across jurisdictions, and preferences for assisted dying seem to be impacted by the legalisation of assisted dying within jurisdictions
Promoting zirconia with carbon: Enhanced hybrid ZrO2/C catalyst for the ketonization of diluted aqueous acetic acid
No full textCO2 electroreduction (CO2ER) fuelled by renewable electricity in state-of-the-art flow-cells with solid-state
electrolytes (SSE) produces aqueous solutions of C1-C2 carboxylic acids with concentrations up to 15-30 wt %,
but the synthesis of longer-chain compounds remains elusive. Multicarbon e-fuels/e-chemicals could be instead
obtained by upgrading acetic acid (AA) solutions produced by CO2ER with well-established processes (e.g.,
ketonization, consecutive aldol condensation/aromatization, hydrogenation) provided that the employed catalysts withstand water inhibition. In this work, novel hybrid catalysts based on ZrO2 deposited over a high surface
area carbon support were successfully applied for the first time to the continuous-flow, gas-phase ketonization of
AA to acetone (AC) with increasing amounts of steam in the feed. The catalysts were prepared by a simple
incipient wetness impregnation of a commercial carbon and thoroughly characterized by N2 porosimetry, XRD,
XPS, HRTEM, SEM-EDS, Raman spectroscopy, and TGA, to uncover structure-activity relationships. Steam cofeeding, even in low amounts, rendered bulk ZrO2 completely unactive due to the preferential adsorption of
water, resulting in blockage of the active sites required for AA ketonization. On the other hand, the carbon
support effectively hindered water adsorption on ZrO2 even with highly diluted feeds (e.g., 15 wt % of AA in
water), thus playing a fundamental role in the catalytic cycle by creating a hydrophobic environment at the
boundary with small (~5 nm) and highly dispersed ZrO2 nanoparticles. The comparison with the available
literature showed that the AC productivity achieved in optimized conditions with the carbon-promoted ZrO2 is
the highest reported so far
Fotografia
No full textIn una brevissima nota introduttiva alla raccolta di saggi "Sulla fotografia" (1977), Susan Sontag definisce il suo rapporto con il medium fotografico nei termini di “un’ossessione”. Non c’è, in effetti, espressione migliore per sintetizzare l’onnipresenza della fotografia come oggetto di studio da parte dell’autrice a partire dagli anni settanta sino alla fine della propria vita – l’immagine postrema dell’autrice è quella del suo corpo morto ritratto dalla fotografa e compagna Annie Leibovitz
Promoting Sustainability in Seafood Products: Consumer eco-Labeling and shelf-Life Innovation Preferences in Croatia, Italy, and Spain
No full textConsumers are increasingly aware of environmental issues such as overfishing, bycatch, and the carbon footprint of seafood production. In response, Eco-labels help link consumers to sustainable fisheries but may lack visibility or clarity. In addition, shelf-life extension technologies can reduce food waste, though they may affect product quality and consumer acceptance. Our study thus aims to explore consumer preferences regarding eco-labeled seafood products with an extended shelf life, focusing on three products (clams, sardine fillets, and seafood burgers) in three European countries (Croatia, Italy, and Spain). We carry out a labeled discrete choice experiment, collecting data from 3,713 respondents. Our research illustrates significant differences in preferences by country. Italian and Spanish consumers show a high level of environmental awareness and are willing to pay a premium for eco-labeled seafood. Contrarily, Croatian consumers are more neutral, although there is a niche market for sustainable products. Consumers in all three countries prefer locally produced seafood, highlighting the importance of regional identity. Acceptance of shelf-life extension technologies varies: Croatian consumers prefer frozen options, Italians prefer traditional methods, and Spaniards are more open to innovation. These results suggest that effective market strategies should emphasize regional origin, sustainability, and the benefits of eco-labeling to increase consumer acceptance
The OSCP Subunit of ATP Synthase is a Dimer in Solution: Strategy to Induce the Monomeric Protein as a New Tool for Drug Discovery
No full textThe F-ATP synthase subunit Oligomycin Sensitivity Conferral Protein (OSCP) contributes to the structural and functional coupling between the F1 catalytic and the FO transmembrane domains of the synthase. A body of literature suggests that OSCP is also a potential pharmacological target, as it mediates interactions with both proteins and small molecules capable of influencing ATP synthase activity and mitochondrial Permeability Transition (PT). However, the possibility of further exploring this aspect has been so far hindered by the poor properties of the isolated protein in solution, as reported by previous studies. Here, we use an integrated approach based on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) and Mass Spectrometry under native conditions (nMS) to demonstrate that the isolated OSCP subunit is not affected by nonspecific aggregation, but it is involved in a dimerization equilibrium. By the analysis of the anchoring region between the OSCP subunit and the b subunit of the ATP synthase, we identified a peptide mimicking the sequence of the C-terminal helix of the b subunit (b-CT) and capable to interfere with the OSCP dimerization equilibrium, stabilizing the monomeric state of the protein. This study offers valuable insights on the structural properties of the isolated OSCP subunit in solution, opening new avenues for future pharmacological studies and a more thorough comprehension of the emerging therapeutic potential of this protein
Prefazione a Jacques Bainville, Le conseguenze politiche della pace. Critica del Trattato di Versailles
No full textPrefazione al saggio di Jacques Bainville sul trattato di pace di Parigi del 1919, per la prima volta proposto in Italiano
[Experiences of patients and operators involved in the transition process from pediatric services to adult centers for young people with type 1 diabetes in Italy: the TransiDEA study (2nd phase).]
No full textIntroduction. Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) is a common chronic condition in children and adolescents, with increasing incidence. Adequate management is crucial for glycemic control and the prevention of complications. The transition from pediatric care centers to adult care centers is a critical phase, and its effectiveness varies among different countries and even within different areas of the same country. Materials and methods. In this qualitative study conducted in 2023, at least 30 patients with T1D who had undergone the transition between 2017 and 2022 were invited to participate by completing an online semi-structured questionnaire regarding their transition experiences. Additional questionnaires were administered to healthcare professionals to gather information on organizational barriers and patient expectations. Results. The survey conducted on 52 young adults with T1D from 5 Italian diabetes centers revealed that the transition to adult care typically occurs at an average age of 19.6 years. At the time of the survey, 73% of participants had not experienced acute complications, and 55.7% had optimal metabolic control prior to the transition. However, many patients encountered issues in the operational management of the transition, with about 40% describing the process as difficult, highlighting in some cases a feeling of “abandonment” and a desire for greater support and communication between pediatric and adult services. The majority of respondents reported an increase in autonomy in managing their diabetes. Discussion and conclusions. Although the transition process for patients with T1D is structured, the study reveals some gaps in communication and support between pediatric and adult care centers. A well-coordinated pathway is essential, considering the individual needs of patients and strengthening collaboration between care teams
Within My Walls, I Escape Being Underestimated: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Stigma and Help-Seeking in Dementia
No full textDementia-related stigma significantly influences help-seeking and affects the quality of care and support received by people with the condition. This review examines the impact of stigma on help-seeking among people with dementia and identifies key factors influencing this relationship. A systematic search across Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus identified seventeen qualitative studies that met the inclusion criteria. These criteria encompassed studies focusing on individuals aged 60 and older addressing public- or self-stigma and exploring help-seeking behaviors and related influencing factors. A thematic synthesis was employed to analyze the findings. The following five major themes emerged: reluctance to disclose the condition, internalization or rejection of stigmatizing beliefs, influence of family and community, attitudes of healthcare professionals, and lack of awareness in the broader society. Factors such as psychological decline, loss of autonomy, limited service access, peer support, and need for policy-level intervention were identified as central in shaping stigma. Findings related to the factors that influence this relationship indicate that stigma delays diagnosis and treatment, restricting access to adequate care. Both individual (e.g., autonomy, psychological well-being) and contextual (e.g., social networks, public policies) factors are crucial in moderating this dynamic. Targeted interventions addressing these dimensions are urgently needed to reduce stigma and facilitate timely help-seeking in dementia