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Optimization models and methods for maximum likelihood estimation of statistical parameters
No full textThis thesis proposes optimization models and methods for maximum likelihood estimation of statistical parameters from the point of view of mathematical programming. In particular, the clustering of Mixtures of Gaussians and the Clusterwise Linear Regression problems are studied. For what concerns the first problem, a new model is proposed and an algorithm based on it is shown to perform well in practice as an heuristic. Regarding Clusterwise Linear Regression, a new probabilistic branch-and-bound algorithm is proposed that achieves competitive performance in practice as a heuristic
Sustainaflow - a future where waste becomes a resource
No full textI comportamenti di consumo negli ultimi anni hanno subito variazioni notevoli, portando a livelli senza precedenti la domanda globale. Questo fenomeno ha determinato un aumento significativo della produzione in ogni settore e di conseguenza nuove sfide sempre più complesse a cui far fronte. Tra i comparti più coinvolti, il settore alimentare spicca per l’ingente volume di rifiuti prodotti, che non rappresentano solamente un onere gestionale ma anche una grande potenziale risorsa. Analizzare tutto ciò significa indagare sulla quantità complessiva di scarti generati a livello globale e comprendere il valore che possono acquisire grazie a pratiche di recupero e trasformazione.
Attraverso tecniche mirate di valorizzazione, una grande quantità di questi scarti può essere recuperata e convertita in nuove risorse, riducendo così l’impatto ambientale e promuovendo un modello di economia circolare sostenibile. Continuare a seguire un approccio lineare basato sullo smaltimento tradizionale risulterebbe ormai insostenibile, porterebbe all’esaurimento delle risorse naturali e a danni ambientali irreparabili. Al contrario, l’adozione di strategie innovative, fondate sulla circolarità, consentirebbe di preservare gli equilibri ecosistemici, tutelare le risorse vergini e preservare un futuro più resiliente e duraturo.
Per l’ analisi e la progettazione di questa tesi ho adottato un approccio progettuale sistemico. Ho analizzato la situazione attuale del sistema alimentare, prestando particolare attenzione alla gestione e valorizzazione degli scarti. Ho approfondito l’importanza strategica di queste pratiche, evidenziandone nello specifico motivazioni ambientali, economiche e sociali. Inoltre ho riportato alcune delle metodologie più innovative e all’avanguardia per la valorizzazione degli scarti in risorse utili e dimostrato casi di successo concreti in cui sono state applicate.
In fine, sulla base di queste analisi ho progettato un software aziendale innovativo, concepito per sensibilizzare, educare e promuovere la rivalorizzazione degli scarti alimentari. Questo strumento, basato su sistemi
di intelligenza artificiale, analizza le numerose caratteristiche tecniche e fisiche degli scarti inseriti e tramite criteri prestabiliti guida verso quelle che sono le pratiche più consone e ottimali per la loro riconversione in risorse. Ciò offre agli utenti supporto e una vera e propria guida step by step per eliminare i costi di smaltimento, diminuire l’impatto ambientale e trasformare i propri scarti in potenziali ulteriori fonti economiche.In recent years, consumption behaviors have undergone significant changes, leading to unprecedented levels of global demand. This phenomenon has resulted in a substantial increase in production across all sectors, consequently presenting increasingly complex challenges. Among the most affected sectors, the food industry stands out due to the large volume of waste produced, which not only represents a management burden but also a great potential resource. Analyzing this means investigating the total amount of waste generated globally and understanding the value they can acquire through recovery and transformation practices.
Through targeted valorization techniques, a large amount of this waste can be recovered and converted into new resources, thus reducing environmental impact and promoting a sustainable circular economy model. Continuing to follow a linear approach based on traditional disposal would now be unsustainable, leading to the depletion of natural resources and irreparable environmental damage. On the contrary, the adoption of innovative strategies based on circularity would allow the preservation of ecosystem balances, the protection of virgin resources, and the preservation of a more resilient and lasting future.
For the analysis and design of this thesis, I adopted a systemic design approach. I analyzed the current situation of the food system, paying particular attention to the management and valorization of waste. I delved into the strategic importance of these practices, specifically highlighting environmental, economic, and social motivations. Additionally, I reported some of the most innovative and cutting-edge methodologies for valorizing waste into useful resources and demonstrated concrete success cases where they have been applied.
Finally, based on these analyses, I designed an innovative corporate software, conceived to raise awareness, educate, and promote the revalorization of food waste. This tool, based on artificial intelligence systems, analyzes the numerous technical and physical characteristics of the inserted waste and, through predefined criteria, guides towards the most appropriate and optimal practices for their conversion into resources. This offers users support and a true step-by-step guide to eliminate disposal costs, reduce environmental impact, and transform their waste into potential additional economic sources
Analysis of gene expression profiling of Alu induction by adenovirus e1a and TFIIIC commitment in hESCs
No full textAlus represent the most abundant class of repetitive elements in the human genome. Despite their abundance, the transcription of these elements is rare, since they are generally repressed. However, some Alus are transcribed and have epigenetic characteristics of active enhancers. Adenovirus 5 has been reported to induce upregulation of Alus transcription. In this thesis, we demonstrate by RNA-seq that the adenoviral small e1a, whose ability to reorganize the epigenome of the host cell through interaction with p300/CBP and pRb has been characterized, is sufficient to trigger Alus transcription, in virtue of its interaction with the chromatin remodeler p400. We thus investigated the molecular mechanism underlying this p400 dependency. By employing genome wide ChIP-seq, we uncovered that the recruitment of TFIIIB is dependent on the interaction between e1a and p400. The epigenetic characterization of the expressed Alus confirmed their enhancer nature as these elements uphold enrichment in their upstream region for p300/CBP, p400 and the YAP/TAZ factors. Moreover, e1a reprograms the Alus in a state reminiscent of a poised enhancer, with an increase in H3K4 mono-methylation (H3K4me1) and a depletion of H3K27 acetylation (H3K27ac). As Alus could serve as platform for 3D genome organization, during our analysis of genome-wide occupancy of the RNA polymerase III machinery in cell infected by adenoviruses, we identified a cluster of genomic regions associated with genes involved in embryonic development, that were depleted of TFIIIC upon e1a expression (e1a is a known de-differentiation factor). This finding led us to further investigate this and will be described in the second part of this thesis. TFIIIC associating with Alus linked to embryonic genes agrees with the identification of the largest TFIIIC subunit (TFIIIIC220) in several CRISPR-Cas9 screenings performed on hESCs to unveil genes involved in the maintenance of stemness and differentiation capabilities. Human TFIIIC has been shown to deposit H3K18ac on Alus in serum-starved conditions and more recently was shown to have specific HAT activity against H3K18 (normally acetylated by the p300/CBP HATs). As hESCs are routinely grown in serum-free medium we, therefore, hypothesized that TFIIIC could play a role in the deposition of the H3K18ac mark in hESCs. The findings described in this thesis strengthen this hypothesis. The genome-wide comparison of H3K18ac and H3K27ac profiles with the occupancy of p300 performed in hESCs, NECs (partially differentiated cells) and IMR90 (fully differentiated cells) showed that in undifferentiated cells most acetylated regions are not occupied by p300. Thus, we produced ChIP-seq of TFIIIC and detected the regions that were bound by TFIIIC in the absence of p300 in hESCs. In these regions H3K18ac and H3K27ac were still enriched, supporting the idea that TFIIIC might be involved in the acetylation of at least H3K18. Gene Ontology and Cistrome dbToolkit score analysis showed that the TFIIIC-bound regions are involved in stemness maintenance and neurodifferentiation. Thus, we suggest that TFIIIC could play an important role in hESCs biology
Lignin-based hybrid materials for agrochemical applications and Cr(VI) water remediation
No full textThis study focuses on the sustainable transformation of lignin—an abundant byproduct of the paper-pulp and bioethanol industries—into valuable materials with applications in water remediation and agrochemicals. With approximately 100 million tons of technical lignins produced globally each year, there is an urgent need for innovative and eco-friendly uses for this underutilized resource. This research project explores the potential of lignin to address environmental challenges, particularly in the reduction of toxic hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)), a threatening environmental contaminant. We assessed the effectiveness of a Kraft softwood lignin (HMW) and a hardwood lignin (EH) in reducing Cr(VI) to the less toxic Cr(III) and lowering chromium concentrations by adsorption mechanisms in contaminated water. The study also investigates the role of lignin functionalization on Cr(VI) remediation, testing acetylated (Ac_Lig) and phosphorylated (P_Lig) lignin derivatives. When comparing the performance of HMW with the functionalized lignins (Ac_Lig and P_Lig), it became evident that the hydroxyl phenolic groups present in lignin play a pivotal role in the adsorption and reduction of metal ions. Additionally, the hybrid material HMW@Fe3O4, combining lignin with magnetite, demonstrated superior performance, reducing Cr(VI) to Cr(III) in just 2 hours. The study also highlights the exceptional chromium adsorption capacity of EH, with up to 60% adsorption, attributed to its higher surface area and syringyl unit content. These findings demonstrate lignin potential as a sustainable biosorbent for environmental remediation.
We further explored hybrid materials containing lignin and zinc oxide, which showed promise for agricultural applications, particularly in stimulating plant growth.
We successfully synthesized hybrid materials containing zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles, demonstrating their versatility for agrochemical applications. Synthesis employed a scalable, environmentally friendly process, producing materials with varying zinc content. The materials were studied from both inorganic and organic perspectives, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of their properties and behaviours. They were analysed by means of several techniques, ranging from PXRD, ICP-AES, TEM-EDS, SEM-EDS, DLS, to TGA, DSC, Pyrolysis GC-MS and SEC. TEM studies confirmed the size and morphologies of the crystalline nanoparticles, aiding in optimizing synthesis strategies for reproducibility and scalability. We also explore the use of the liquid lignin formulation Solargo™, that offers potential advantages for foliar applications. In vivo trials on tomato seedlings treated with HMW@ZnO showed reduced germination times and increased dry weight, supported by ICP-AES analysis. The incorporation of lignin enables a slow-release mechanism, preventing heavy metal accumulation and reducing potential plant toxicity. Zinc distribution analysis highlighted beneficial effects in stems with no significant increase in overall zinc content compared to controls. In vitro studies demonstrated superior antibacterial activity of HMW@ZnO against Bacillus subtilis, a Gram-positive bacterium commonly found in the rhizosphere, outperforming controls and ZnO alone. By integrating ZnO into a lignin matrix, these materials not only enhance functionality but also add value to lignin, a renewable biopolymer, aligning with sustainable agricultural practices. These findings establish a foundation for further studies, exploring these hybrid materials as sustainable fertilizers and pesticides, reducing reliance on harmful agricultural chemicals.
The research project further explored the possibility to obtain lignin-based hybrid materials, containing molybdate phases combined with zinc or copper. These materials hold promise for improving plant health through two main pathways. First, they could provide essential micronutrients that support plant growth and well-being. The incorporation of lignin in the matrix plays a critical role in enabling a slow-release mechanism for these nutrients, ensuring a gradual supply over time. This slow-release function is particularly important, as without it, heavy metals could accumulate in the plant, potentially leading to toxicity and negative environmental consequences. A second promising application of these hybrid materials lies in their use as pesticides for crop protection. Studies exploring the antifungal properties of molybdenum inorganic phases in the literature have shown encouraging results, indicating the potential for these materials to offer an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional chemical pesticides. The inorganic phases were synthesized using a sustainable and easy procedure, making it suitable for in-field applications. This method ensures that the materials are not only effective but also environmentally friendly, in line with the increasing demand for "green" chemistry in industrial applications. This research demonstrates that it is possible to obtain crystalline molybdate phases within the lignin matrix under mild and environmentally friendly conditions.
Furthermore, the research explored the use of a mechanochemical approach to provide an alternative method of synthesis for the studied hybrid materials. This approach offers several benefits, including potentially lower energy consumption and no or little solvent employed, which could further enhance the sustainability of the material synthetic process. It is a versatile technique applicable to a broad spectrum of chemical reactions and materials, and it simplifies the scaling up process . Initially, the mechanochemical synthesis of HMW@ZnO was explored, with results compared to those from wet synthesis. The materials were synthesized with different zinc content, and successful mechanochemical scale-up was achieved. Similarly, HMW@Cu₂O was synthesized based on previous studies that highlighted its promising properties for agrochemical applications, making it valuable to investigate the mechanochemical reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I). Finally, a material containing both cuprite and zincite crystals in the same biopolymeric matrix was synthesized under simple and sustainable conditions. The formation of both inorganic phases was confirmed, and EDS-Mapping analysis demonstrated a homogeneous distribution of the two metals within the matrix. Biopolymer analyses were conducted for all hybrid materials to ensure that the synthetic conditions did not negatively affect the organic component of the composite. TEM studies were conducted to analyse the crystalline nanoparticles formed and assess the similarity of the materials produced by wet or mechanochemical synthesis.
To conclude, the ability to integrate these phases into a lignin-based matrix not only enhances their functionality but also adds value by utilizing lignin, a renewable and abundant biopolymer. Ultimately, this study opens up new opportunities for developing sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective materials for agricultural applications, contributing to the future of sustainable farming practices
Gut-brain axis : relationship between gut microbiota and Parkinson's disease
No full textQuesto lavoro di tesi si propone di analizzare il ruolo del microbiota intestinale nella modulazione delle funzioni cerebrali. L’obiettivo è quello di fornire una panoramica dettagliata e aggiornata sull’attuale stato dell’arte delle conoscenze scientifiche circa le interazioni tra microbiota intestinale e SNC permettendone una maggiore comprensione. Nel primo capitolo sono illustrati i meccanismi di interazione tra intestino e cervello, descrivendone le principali vie di comunicazione. Segue un capitolo dedicato alla composizione del microbiota intestinale, al suo sviluppo nel corso della vita e alle sue funzioni. Sono riportati alcuni studi condotti su modelli animali germ-free e su pazienti clinici per illustrare il ruolo del microbiota in condizioni fisiologiche e patologiche. Inoltre, è dedicato un capitolo al Morbo di Parkinson e alle alterazioni del microbiota in pazienti con diagnosi dello stesso, esaminando le ipotesi patogenetiche e le possibili implicazioni cliniche. In conclusione, sarà esposta una rassegna delle attuali strategie terapeutiche, sia farmacologiche che non, riportando anche l’utilizzo di probiotici, prebiotici, trapianto di microbiota fecale e interventi dietetici come approcci innovativi per il trattamento del Parkinson. Le prospettive future nel campo di ricerca dell’asse intestino-cervello guardano a nuove possibilità per lo studio, la prevenzione e il trattamento del Morbo di Parkinson e non solo servendosi del microbiota intestinale.This thesis aims to analyse the role of the intestinal microbiota in the modulation of brain functions. The objective is to provide a detailed and up-to-date overview on the current state of the art of scientific knowledge about the interactions between intestinal microbiota and CNS allowing a better understanding. In conclusion, a review of current therapeutic strategies, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological, will be presented, reporting also the use of probiotics, prebiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation and dietary interventions as innovative approaches for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease
Mechanical Behavior and Failure Analysis of Additively Manufactured Cellular Structures and Architected Materials
No full textIn recent years, cellular solids and architected materials have garnered increasing attention, thanks to their superior mechanical performance. This allows scientists nowadays to explore new regions in the material property space, paving the pathway to a revolution in most of engineering disciplines. This thesis opens with an exploration on the mechanical behavior of novel multi-phase cellular structures in quasi-static and dynamic conditions: experiments and simulations on foam- and shear-thickening-fluid-filled cellular structures are performed in parallel, to analyze the influence and the interaction between each constituent material on the global composite structure’s properties. The wide spread of cellular structures is supported by the impressive advancements in additive manufacturing technologies, now able to fabricate structures with such complex geometries, otherwise impossible to obtain with traditional manufacturing processes. Following this, a further study on the failure mechanism of cellular structures and on the effect of the 3D-printing process on the mechanical properties of the material in safe and damage regimes is required. A multi-scale approach and a directional damage model, both based on microscopy analysis, are proposed to model parts produced via material extrusion and are validated against experimental tests, correctly predicting their predominant deformation and failure mechanisms. Moving the attention to the unprecedented potential of architected materials, focus is set on kirigami meta-materials. By harnessing the mechanics of a bi-stable truss, studied via analytical and experimental approaches, a new design methodology for multi-stable kirigami meta-materials is proposed, extending the kirigami world to aperiodic and potentially arbitrary geometries
Insects as alternative protein source in animal feed
No full textThe increasing global demand for sustainable and novel protein sources has drawn attention to the potential use of insects as animal feed. Hermetia illucens L. (black soldier fly) is among the most promising species due to its short reproductive cycle and rapid growth, efficient feed conversion, and ability to be reared on a wide variety of organic waste. In addition, its richness in high-quality nutrients and bioactive compounds aligns with the growing trend of functional feed components. Despite this, critical knowledge gaps persist on insect nutritional properties and functional benefits, and limited information on the quality of products from animals fed insect-enriched diets is available. Based on these premises, this thesis aimed at addressing these gaps by investigating key aspects regarding the use of insects as feed ingredients
Vibration-based damage detection strategies using piezoelectric sensors
No full textStructural Health Monitoring (SHM) techniques aim to evaluate the structural integrity of civil, mechanical and aerospace systems. All these systems have a predicted service life which can be heavily reduced because of damage occurrence; their safety, serviceability and performance need to be ensured through the most suitable techniques. Once some damage emerges in the structures, the changes in the physical properties can cause detectable changes in modal parameters such as natural frequencies, modal damping and mode shapes, which can be used to detect, characterise and localise the damage itself.
During the last few years, many techniques have been developed to identify suitable and reliable damage indices, and vibration-based structural health monitoring (VBSHM) has achieved great success and widespread adoption. The main goal is to remove or minimise environmental and operational influences such as temperature variations which can affect the quality and reliability of the analysis. Structures under investigation are typically laboratory ones representing plausible structures on a laboratory scale.
This PhD thesis studies the possibility of implementing piezoelectric transducers for SHM techniques suiting a model-based approach. The structure under investigation is a laboratory truss girder specifically designed to develop VBSHM techniques. The possibility of exploiting the electromechanical coupling between the structure and piezoelectric transducer, specifically the variation of the so-called Modal Electro-Mechanical Coupling Factor (MEMCF) between undamaged and damaged conditions to evaluate the structural health status is investigated. This scalar parameter, which measures the effectiveness of the transducer’s sensing and actuating capabilities, has been proven to be sensible to structural alterations and not to temperature variations, being a reliable damage index. Moreover, it can be easily estimated by measuring the eigenfrequencies of the electromechanical system.
This study provides numerical and experimental analysis: first, a Finite Element (FE) analysis of the electromechanical system, in different healthy conditions, has been performed to identify the best transducer and its best placement in the structure. After that, experimental tests were performed to validate the model and to estimate the variation of the MEMCF from undamaged to damaged condition of the structure. Ambient vibration excitation has been simulated with a shaker input signal control strategy to perform an Operational Modal Analysis (OMA) and properly estimate modal parameters such as eigenfrequencies. Different damage scenarios have been tested to evaluate the sensitivity of the damage indexes chosen to the damage’s entity and location
Comparative evaluation of simulator-based and cadaveric limb training for distal libm nerve blocks in the horse: a study of OSCE performance and student perceptions in two italian veterinary schools
No full textThis thesis explores the efficacy of a commercially available equine distal limb simulator as a training tool for veterinary students performing nerve blocks, compared to traditional cadaveric limb training, and introduces the initial development of a proprietary 3D-printed high-fidelity model for advanced equine limb procedures. Conducted within the context of the 2022 PRIN "WELL-FARE" project, this study aimed to evaluate the practical and perceived educational outcomes of simulator-based training as a potential alternative to cadaveric training, focusing on its viability for high-quality, ethically grounded veterinary education.
A cohort of fourth-year veterinary students from the University of Parma and University of Turin participated in structured training sessions, followed by Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) and post-training questionnaires assessing satisfaction and perceived efficacy. Students were divided into two groups: one trained on cadaveric legs and the other on a simulator, with assessments standardized across both groups.
Results indicate that both training methods led to comparable levels of proficiency in performing nerve blocks, as demonstrated by OSCE scores. However, cadaver-trained students exhibited marginally higher manual skill proficiency, likely due to superior haptic feedback in cadaveric limbs. Despite this, simulator training effectively simplified anatomical concepts, enabling students to achieve strong educational outcomes. Questionnaire data revealed high satisfaction and perceived efficacy across both training methods, with cadaver-trained students reporting slightly higher satisfaction in terms of achieving learning objectives, attributable to the tactile limitations of the simulator.
The findings underscore the simulator's potential to deliver effective, accessible, and standardized training, which holds particular relevance where cadaveric resources are limited or ethical considerations are prominent. However, enhancements in simulator design are recommended to better mimic the tactile feedback of real anatomy, supporting the development of future training tools that more closely replicate clinical experiences
Misperception of food and body in eating disorders : the Body, Food, Misperceptions method (BFM®)
No full textRazionale dello studio: I Disturbi dell’Alimentazione (DA), in particolare anoressia nervosa (AN)
e bulimia nervosa (BN), sono patologie psichiatriche che comportano frequentemente distorsioni
persistenti nella percezione dell’immagine corporea e dei volumi del cibo. Tuttavia, i programmi
terapeutici mirati specificamente a correggere queste distorsioni percettive sono ancora limitati.
Obiettivi dello studio: Lo studio mira a valutare l’efficacia del metodo “Body, Food,
Misperceptions” (BFM®) nel trattamento delle distorsioni percettive legate all’immagine corporea
e alle dimensioni degli alimenti, attraverso uno studio caso-controllo.
Materiali e metodi: Il campione sarà composto da 160 pazienti, reclutati consecutivamente tra
coloro che richiedono trattamento presso il Programma DCA dell’AUSL di Parma, con diagnosi
di AN o BN. Di questi, 80 pazienti riceveranno il trattamento BFM® in aggiunta alla terapia
multidisciplinare ambulatoriale standard per i DA (BFM® + TAU), mentre gli altri 80 pazienti
costituiranno il gruppo di controllo (TAU). Il metodo BFM® sarà somministrato a gruppi di 8
pazienti (per un totale di 10 gruppi) durante diversi incontri settimanali, condotti da uno psicologo
e un dietista. Gli incontri prevedono: 1) sessioni motivazionali; 2) un training per correggere la
percezione corporea, tramite la “tecnica della quadrettatura” per ricostruire graficamente, a
grandezza naturale e in proporzioni reali, una foto del paziente; e 3) sessioni di addestramento alla
riproduzione accurata dei volumi di alimenti di comune consumo, attraverso il disegno e l’uso
della plastilina.
Tutti i partecipanti effettueranno una valutazione prima dell’inizio del trattamento (T0, baseline)
per misurare il livello di distorsione percettiva relativa al corpo e al cibo. Gli strumenti utilizzati
comprendono i questionari Body Checking Questionnaire (BCQ), Body Shape Questionnaire
(BSQ), Body Uneasiness Test (BUT), Eating Disorder Inventory- 3 (EDI-3), Symptom Check-list
90 (SCL-90) e un test metrico (Test del cordino) per valutare l’errore percettivo, confrontando la
circonferenza di un’area corporea stimata dal paziente con un cordino e la misura effettiva con un
metro da sarta. La distorsione percettiva dei volumi alimentari sarà valutata tramite la differenza
in centimetri tra le dimensioni dell’alimento reale e la sua rappresentazione grafica e in plastilina.
L’efficacia del metodo sarà verificata ripetendo le misurazioni dopo due settimane (T1), dopo sei
mesi (T6) e dopo nove mesi (T9) dalla fine del trattamento BFM® nel gruppo BFM® + TAU. Nel
gruppo TAU, le valutazioni saranno ripetute rispettivamente a 4 e 7 mesi dall’inizio del
trattamento.
Risultati attesi: Ci si attende un miglioramento tra T0 e T1 nella percezione corporea e nei volumi
del cibo nel gruppo BFM® + TAU rispetto al gruppo TAU. In particolare, si prevede: 1) una
significativa riduzione della dispercezione corporea, misurata come differenza in centimetri tra la
foto originale e la sua riproduzione grafica; 2) una significativa riduzione della dispercezione dei
volumi del cibo, misurata come differenza in centimetri tra l’alimento reale e la sua riproduzione
grafica e in plastilina e 3) una significativa riduzione dei punteggi ai questionari BCQ, BSQ, BUT,
EDI-3, SCL-90 e al “Test del Cordino” oltre al reinserimento dei cibi “fobici” nella dieta con
conseguente miglioramento della modalità e riduzione dei tempi di consumo di un pasto e
limitazione della procedura di spezzettamento del cibo. Si prevede inoltre che questi risultati siano
mantenuti al T6 e al T9.
Conclusioni: Se confermati, questi risultati potrebbero supportare l’integrazione del metodo
BFM® all’interno dei programmi multidisciplinari per il trattamento dei DA, come tecnica utile
per ridurre la distorsione dell’immagine corporea e dei volumi alimentari, che rappresentano fattori
di mantenimento dei DA e sono spesso associati a un decorso invalidante e resistente ai trattamenti