IRIS UNIME
Not a member yet
103940 research outputs found
Sort by
Synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of biological activities of M(II) metal complexes (M=Co, Zn and Cu) based on a bidentate Schiff base ligand 2-((4-nitrobenzylidene)amino)phenol
No full textIn this study, new Co(II), Zn(II), and Cu(II) complexes based on the Schiff base-type bidentate ligand 2-((4nitrobenzylidene)amino)phenol were synthesized and fully characterized by FT-IR, UV-Vis, NMR, ESI-MS, molar conductivity, and thermal analyses (DTA/TGA). Spectroscopic data confirmed coordination via azomethine nitrogen and phenolic oxygen, as well as a tetrahedral geometry for the Zn and Co complexes and a square planar geometry for the copper complex. Thermal analyses indicated high stability of the complexes. Biological evaluation revealed that all complexes exhibited increased antioxidant and antimicrobial activities compared to the free ligand. In particular, the Cu(II) complex showed the highest radical scavenging capacity with an IC50 of 0.00592 mg/mL, surpassing ascorbic acid, while the Zn(II) and Co(II) complexes also showed significant activity. Antimicrobial tests demonstrated selective inhibition of Gram-positive bacteria (notably Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25,923 and 6538) and enhanced antifungal activity against Candida albicans. These results highlight the potential of these Schiff base metal complexes as promising candidates for biomedical applications
Introduction—Ethnography as Medium for a Transdisciplinary Approach to Heritage
No full textDrawing on historical and contemporary ethnographic research, this edited volume addresses tangible and intangible forms of urban heritage, their impact on urban policies and their consequences for urban life, both at individual and social levels. The chapters look at culturally diverse concepts of heritage in their social and historical context, bringing out the potential conflict that cultural memories, ideological approaches and selective policies may generate and the related processes of social and political legitimation. They address a vast array of socially and politically significant aspects in the expanding field of heritage studies. Focusing on contemporary and historical urban ethnographies, the book offers different perspectives on how culturally driven urban policies interlink with power dynamics. It contributes to our understanding of how memory practices and heritage policies may reflect changing historical narratives, political and ideological projects and the (re) definition of social identities
Orientamento educativo, sviluppo e rinascita del sé Attraverso la lente dell’Analisi Transazionale
No full textCosa rende una scelta davvero autentica e significativa? Questo volume propone un modello che supera il semplice accompagnamento alla scelta scolastica o professionale per concentrarsi sul cuore
dell'orientamento: la scoperta e l'espressione autentica del sé. Attraverso la lente dell'Analisi Transazionale e l'analisi di casi concreti, il volume esplora come iperprotezioni e imposizioni possano soffocare la personalità, trasformandosi in blocchi interiori cronicizzati che limitano l'autonomia e la crescita. L'autore offre strumenti teorici e operativi per riconoscere tali condizionamenti, riappropriarsi dei "permessi" violati e ritrovare strade liberanti per la propria vita. Una guida preziosa per docenti e educatori che desiderano accompagnare i giovani in un percorso di consapevolezza, trasformando l'orientamento in uno spazio di crescita, fiducia e realizzazione personale concreta
Innovation coherence, financial slack, and SMEs' success in competitive innovation policies: Evidence from the EU SME-instrument
No full textInnovation policies are a key instrument to support small and medium-sized companies in overcoming financial
constraints and pursuing high-risk and cutting-edge innovation projects. Yet, the mechanisms through which
internal capabilities and innovation resource configurations influence success in such competitive arenas remain
underexplored. In this scenario, this study explores how innovation coherence – the alignment between a firm’s
new project and its existing patent portfolio – and available financial slack shape the likelihood of securing public
innovation funding. Funding evaluations are critical policy tools, as they not only improve access to resources but
also act as market signals of technological quality and implementation capacity during the competitive evalu-
ation process. Against this backdrop, we test our framework in the context of the EU Horizon 2020 SME In-
strument, one of the most competitive innovation policy scheme in Europe, using a novel measure of innovation
coherence derived from text analysis of firms’ patent portfolios and project proposals, and combining its effect
with financial slack. Innovation coherence and financial slack are found to strongly and positively influence
evaluation outcomes, offering both theoretical and practical contributions for SMEs and policymakers engaged in
competitive innovation policy initiatives
A methodology for urban bike network design using floating car data: evidence from a medium-size city
No full textUrban mobility plays a key-role in developing sustainable cities, prompting planners to promote alternatives to private cars. Among these, bikes offers significant potential. Therefore, this paper presents a methodology for designing bike networks using floating car data (FCD) and survey insights. FCD enables the estimation of origin-destination matrices, while surveys identify car trips that could shift to bikes. The approach is validated through a case study in Rovigo, a medium-size city in Northern Italy. Data from five working days, covering about 1,900 cars and 24,000 trips, allowed classification of travel patterns and demand analysis. Based on these findings, the proposed methodology achieved notable results, extending the existing bike network by approximately 28% in length. This study demonstrates the feasibility of leveraging FCD and behavioural data to support sustainable mobility planning and enhance cycling infrastructure
Protective role of Cynara cardunculus L. leaf extract on gut barrier and inflammation: Insights from in vitro models.
No full textIntestinal epithelial cells form a highly specialized barrier that protects the body from harmful substances present in the gut lumen through tight junctions (TJ), which connect adjacent cells, regulate paracellular transport, and maintain epithelial polarity. When TJ integrity is compromised, intestinal permeability increases, a condition commonly referred to as “leaky gut”. This phenomenon is frequently associated with gastrointestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), characterized by chronic immune-mediated inflammation and impaired intestinal function.
Polyphenols, naturally occurring compounds in plants, have gained attention for their ability to support gut health by preserving barrier integrity and modulating inflammatory responses. In this context, the present study investigated the in vitro effects of a standardized polyphenol-rich extract obtained from Cynara cardunculus L. subsp. scolymus leaves (CCLE) on intestinal epithelial barrier function and acute inflammation induced by TNF-α in Caco-2 cells.
Treatment with CCLE during cell differentiation improved barrier properties, as evidenced by increased transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), reduced fluorescein permeability, and enhanced expression of TJ proteins (occludin, claudin-1, ZO-1). CCLE also accelerated TJ reassembly in the Ca2+ switch assay, effects linked to activation of the AMPK/SIRT1 signaling pathway. Furthermore, in the TNF-α-induced inflammation model, CCLE inhibited NF-κB activation, downregulated pro-inflammatory mediators (IL-8, COX-2), and reduced oxidative stress by stimulating the Nrf2 pathway, thereby improving cellular redox balance.
Overall, these findings highlight the potential of CCLE to reinforce intestinal barrier integrity and counteract inflammatory damage. Considering that Cynara leaves are currently an agro-industrial byproduct, their valorization as a source of bioactive polyphenols represents a promising strategy for promoting gut health and supporting the prevention or management of IBD
YOLO for Human Heart Segmentation: from 2D CT Scans to 3D models
No full textAccurate segmentation of cardiac structures represents a challenge in medical imaging, as it allows for precise assessment of the heart’s morphological and functional characteristics. The aim of this thesis was to train and evaluate the effectiveness of an unconventional model to tackle a multi-class segmentation task of key cardiac structures, placing particular emphasis on reducing computational costs and inference times for potential application in the hospital setting.
To achieve this goal, three models from the YOLO (You Only Look Once) family, primarily developed for real-time object detection tasks, were used. A non-public dataset was collected, consisting of 99 Computer Tomography (CT) scans (Cardiac, Thoracic, and Total Body) partially annotated by expert clinicians. Four additional datasets were derived from this dataset: some through data augmentation techniques and others by reducing the total to 70 CT scans, removing cases with poor tagging. The YOLOv5x, YOLOv8n, and YOLO11n models were tested, and among these, YOLOv8n showed the best performance. Specifically, the best performance was achieved using the dataset reduced to 70 CT scans, applying YOLO’s default data augmentation techniques, and leveraging automatic parameter optimization via Optuna.
With the optimal setup, YOLOv8n achieved high performance in multi-class segmentation of cardiac structures, with average IoU values of 0.85, DSC of 0.91, HD of 16.37 mm, and ASSD of 1.16 mm. The results obtained are satisfactory and comparable to those reported in the literature for U-Net models, with high DSC and IoU. This pave the way for further developments aimed at further improving the performance of this model by modifying the architecture and adding, for example, spatial attention modules to improve recognition of more complex regions
Verso un nuovo paradigma di democrazia ambientale: TRASPARENZA, INFORMAZIONE E PARTECIPAZIONE IN UNA PROSPETTIVA MULTILIVELLO.
No full textLa presente tesi di dottorato intende operare una ricostruzione organica nonché una riflessione critica sull’istituto dell’accesso alle informazioni ambientali.
Al fine di conseguire tale obiettivo appare opportuno muovere dalla recente riforma costituzionale in materia ambientale, per poi giungere all’analisi dell’istituto del diritto di accesso alle informazioni ambientali, muovendo dagli istituti generali del diritto di accesso previsti dall’ordinamento interno, culminando con la comparazione con la disciplina dell’ordinamento spagnolo