IRIS Università degli Studi dell'Aquila
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Enhanced temperature measurement using infrared thermography in dynamic environments through an automated robust detection-tracking approach
No full textThis work presents a robust approach for temperature measurement in dynamic environments, integrating detection and tracking techniques to enhance accuracy. The proposed method utilises deep learning, particularly convolutional neural networks (CNNs), to detect and track objects of interest within infrared thermography images, eliminating the need for unreliable GPS coordinates. CNNs excel at extracting complex patterns and features from dynamic datasets, enabling effective identification of thermal signatures in varying environmental conditions. The method includes an active learning component to iteratively improve detection and tracking performance, adapting to new data and feedback over time. The proposed system undergoes thorough evaluation, initially using a laboratory prototype to test various configurations, including synthetic false positives and missed detections. The system is then deployed in an industrial facility with a large pipeline system, where an autonomous aerial vehicle performs fully automated inspections, including a possible angle-corrected emissivity handling. A mission planning proposal is also introduced to outline the drone flight execution. The approach addresses several challenges, such as navigation inaccuracies, weather variability, image quality, and processing speed, demonstrating its capacity for accurate temperature measurements even in challenging conditions. Rigorous testing confirms the reliability of the method, highlighting its potential for real-world applications in dynamic industrial environments
Photochemistry of Resveratrol: Beyond the Reactivity of Metal‐Free Porphyrins Immobilized on Lignin
Get PDFThe photochemistry of resveratrol with singlet oxygen (1O2) under blue-LED irradiation is explored in the presence of three metal-free porphyrins as photosensitizers. Irradiation at 450 nm yields products of C.C bond scission, 6-electron electrocyclic ring closure, and [4 + 2] cycloaddition, including benzaldehydes, 2,4,6-trihydroxyphenanthrene, and resveratrol cyclic endoperoxide. The selectivity of the process is controlled by the structure of the metal-free porphyrin and by the nominal capacity of the blue-LED photon. The scope of the reaction is extended to sustainable heterogeneous photosensitizers produced by immobilization of metal-free porphyrins on lignin, the most abundant polyphenol in nature characterized by beneficial photochemical properties
Influence of Different Land-Use Types on Soil Arthropod Communities in an Urban Area: A Case Study from Rome (Italy)
Get PDFSoil represents a fundamental yet delicate ecosystem susceptible to threats and alterations that can significantly impact its biota, especially in urban areas. Soil microarthropods may serve as bioindicators of soil quality. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive investigation of the response of soil microarthropod communities to anthropogenic pressures and to assess the biological quality of the soil in urban Rome (Italy). Microarthropods were extracted from soil samples collected at 16 sites, representing four distinct land-use types (disturbed unmanaged green spaces, disturbed managed green spaces, urban forests, and natural forests as reference) along a disturbance gradient. The basic soil properties and landscape characteristics were measured at each sampling site. Values of community diversity (calculated as Hill's numbers based on biological forms reflecting specialization to the edaphic life), total microarthropod density, and soil biological quality indices based on microarthropod biological forms (QBS-ar and its variation QBS-ab, which also considers group abundances), were calculated for each sampling site and compared among land-use types. Land-use types varied in soil chemo-physical characteristics, with soils of managed and unmanaged green spaces being more alkaline, sodic, and compacted, and with lower organic matter, carbon, and nitrogen levels compared to urban and natural forests. Microarthropod diversity decreased from semi-natural or natural forests to highly disturbed urban sites. QBS-ar and QBS-ab values significantly differed among almost all land-use types, with managed urban green spaces exhibiting lower values than the unmanaged ones. No significant differences were observed between urban and natural forests. Soil pH, soil compaction, cation exchange capacity, C/N ratio, and vegetation cover appeared to be the most significant factors influencing the diversity and composition of microarthropod biological forms, as well as the QBS-ar and QBS-ab indices. Although with the limit of using biological forms instead of species, our investigation reaffirmed the valuable role of large, forested patches within cities for soil conservation and the preservation of their microarthropod communities. The potential of green spaces as suitable habitats for soil microarthropods should be carefully considered in urban management plans
«Eppure mi sorprendo sempre a tornare a quegli anni». Straniamento e nostalgia in Bambini bonsai di Paolo Zanotti
Get PDFL’articolo analizza le modalità narrative attraverso le quali Bambini bonsai di Paolo Zanotti mette in scena le conseguenze apocalittiche della crisi climatica. Il romanzo combina elementi stranianti, volti a rinnovare i modi della rappresentazione finzionale dell’Antropocene e la consapevolezza del lettore di fronte alla crisi ecologica contemporanea, a stilemi marcatamente regressivi e
nostalgici. Esaminando alcune componenti formali – la focalizzazione infantile, il peculiare trattamento della temporalità, il riscorso a tropi e modi della tradizione, tra cui spicca il fiabesco – l’articolo si propone di dimostrare che in Bambini bonsai il racconto della natura sconvolta dai cambiamenti climatici passi attraverso un punto di vista obliquo, che consente di riflettere in modo complesso sull’Antropocene e, in particolare, di mettere in scena i sentimenti, sfaccettati e contradditori, che la vita nell’era della crisi ecologica comporta
Linking Structure and Optical Properties of Plasmonic Nanoparticles on Tunable Spherical Surfaces
Get PDFThe complexation of plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) and thermoresponsive microgels is widely recognized as a powerful route to realize hybrid systems with tunable optical properties for different applications. At the same time, it provides a unique experimental platform to investigate the physics of NP organization on curved two-dimensional surfaces, a fundamental problem with implications spanning from biology to materials science yet unexplored at the nanoscale. However, a microscopic description of the mechanisms governing the spatial organization of the NPs and their rearrangement across the microgel volume phase transition (VPT) is lacking so far. Combining small-angle X-ray scattering and state-of-the-art simulations, we uncover how the microgel VPT controls NP-NP interactions, showing that temperature-induced microgel collapse drives a redistribution of NPs toward the periphery, with a tendency to order on the spherical surface. Moreover, we quantitatively reproduce both the structural and optical experimental data through a simple toy model, ultimately establishing for the first time a direct link between the interparticle distance and plasmon coupling. Our study paves the way for experimentally investigating phase transitions on tunable curved surfaces at the nanoscale, achieving fine control of their plasmonic response
Approcci circolari e sostenibili per il riuso dell’ambiente costruito. Il caso di studio di un edificio multiuso a Chimilin. Circular and sustainable strategies for the reuse of the built environment. A case study of a multi-functional building in Chimilin.
No full textThe current climate emergency and the urgent need to reduce the use of non-renewable resources position
the reuse of the built environment as a strategic action to promote sustainable development. In this context,
the repurposing of existing buildings offers an effective solution to limit land consumption, reduce carbon emissions,
and enhance local architectural heritage. This paper presents a design methodology focused on sustainable
regeneration, based on circular economy principles and applied to the case study of a former school in Chimilin,
France. The intervention aims to transform the building into a cultural hub, reconfiguring its interior spaces with
dry construction techniques and implementing both passive and active energy-saving strategies, material reuse,
and integration of renewable energy sources. The project becomes an opportunity to re-establish urban and social
connections, promoting a flexible and collective use of space. Through in-depth historical analysis, the use of local
materials and the reinterpretation of the relationship between the building and its context, the intervention proposes
a replicable model of architectural reuse capable of combining environmental sustainability, cultural enhancement,
and social innovation
Evaluation of Antitumoral Activity in a 3D Cell Model of a Src Inhibitor Prodrug for Glioblastoma Treatment
Get PDFBackground: Three-dimensional (3D) cell models may bridge the gap between two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures and animal models. Technical advances have led to the development of 3D-bioprinted cell models, characterized by greater reproducibility and the ability to mimic in vivo conditions. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly aggressive brain tumor with poor clinical outcomes due to its heterogeneity, angiogenic activity, and invasiveness. Src family kinases (SFKs) play a crucial role in GBM progression, making them attractive targets for drug development. Here, we show results about the pharmacological profile of a new prodrug synthesized from a Src inhibitor, SI306. Methods: Three-dimensional-bioprinted GBM cell models were used in predicting the antitumor activity of the prodrug SI306-PD2 with respect to its precursor, SI306. Results: Since the prodrug releases the active inhibitor through the cleavage by specific enzymes, SI306-PD2 was analyzed for stability and release kinetics in various media, including fetal bovine serum (FBS), which is normally used in cell culture. In comparison to SI306, SI306-PD2 demonstrated higher solubility in water, higher permeability across gastrointestinal and blood-brain barrier membranes, and the ability to release the drug in the presence of FBS progressively. In the 2D GBM cell model, using U87 and U251 cell lines, both compounds similarly reduced tumor cell viability. In 3D-bioprinted cell models, in the presence of an FBS-free medium, SI306-PD2 exhibited a more effective antitumor activity compared to SI306, reducing the proliferation and diameter of U251 spheroids grown within the bioprinted scaffold in a statistically significant manner. The analysis of proteins extracted from 3D scaffolds confirmed that SI306-PD2 inhibited Src activation more efficiently than SI306. Conclusions: Our study suggests that, when tissue permeability represents a discriminating characteristic, bioprinted cell models can provide a valid alternative for studying the cytotoxicity of new antitumor compounds. This approach has permitted us to ascertain the potential of the prodrug SI306-PD2 as a therapeutic agent for GBM, demonstrating better tissue penetration and antiproliferative efficacy compared to the precursor compound SI306
Modeling of Radiation-Molecule Interaction in Nanophotonic Environments
Get PDFChirality, the property characterized by broken mirror symmetry, is a widespread
trait of nature, manifested in the twist of galaxies to the handedness of molecules.
Enantiomers, the two mirror counterparts of a chiral molecule, exhibit distinct biochemical
properties, making chiral sensing crucial in pharmaceutical and biomedical
industries. Current state-of-the-art techniques are effective for macroscopic operational
volume; however, they lack real-time compatibility and are inefficient for
lab-on-a-chip integration platforms. This work advances a step forward toward improving
the sensitivity of enantiomeric excess detection by exploring chiroptical interactions
in nanophotonic environments, utilizing realistic pharmaceutical drugs.
The radiation-molecule interactions are demonstrated through a perturbative theory
in the density matrix formalism, and the microscopic molecular observables
are evaluated through a robust computational method combining Molecular Dynamics
(MD), Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT) and quantum
chemical calculations. We observe that Surface-Plasmon Polariton (SPP)s at
the noble metal interface can significantly enhance circular dichroism differential
absorption by chiral samples. Additionally, we investigate enhanced vibrational
circular dichroism offered by Localised Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR)s in
plasmonic nanostructures embedding chiral mixtures. Thanks to intense nearfields
produced by SPPs and LSPRs, we attain significant enhancement of chiroptical
signal in an nl-volume chiral sample, paving a way to design highly sensitive,
laboratory-friendly, innovative chiral sensors
On structured finite–rank perturbations of positive operator semigroups
No full textIn this note, we give a Weiss–Staffans type perturbation result for
the generator A of a positive semigroup on a Banach lattice X. Assuming
that the perturbation P : Z → X−1 can be factorized as P = BC for positive
operators C : Z → RN and B : R^N → X−1 , we show that the admissibility and
invertibility conditions for the associated input-output map F_∞ follow from
the spectral condition r(CR(λ, A_−1 )B) < 1 for some λ > ω_0 (A). The abstract
results are applied to domain perturbations of generators and perturbations of
the first derivative