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Wine consumption in the Etruscan necropolis of Valle Trebba at Spina (end of 6th-3rd BC). Pottery and funerary rituals
Get PDFIl progetto di ricerca riguarda l’analisi del rituale del consumo del vino nella necropoli di Valle Trebba di Spina, che rappresenta un sito straordinario nell’ambito dell’Etruscologia e dell’archeologia del Mediterraneo preromano per la quantità, la rilevanza e il vasto orizzonte cronologico coperto dal campione funerario. Questa pratica viene osservata attraverso l’importante filtro della dimensione funeraria ed in un arco cronologico piuttosto ampio che va dalla fine del VI al III sec. a.C.
L’aspetto innovativo del progetto risiede nell’analizzare l’ideologia del consumo del vino, tematica al centro della tradizione degli studi etruscologici, all’interno di un unico e coerente contesto di rinvenimento, ancora inedito nel suo complesso.
Presupposto necessario allo studio è rappresentato dalla disponibilità dell’intero campione delle sepolture. La tesi, dunque, si articola in due sezioni strettamente correlate: la prima si focalizza sull’analisi e sulla ricostruzione filologica di 304 contesti tombali, portando a termine lo studio delle 1215 tombe di Valle Trebba, progetto iniziato nel 2008 dalla Cattedra di Etruscologia e Archeologia Italica di Bologna e diretto da E. Govi; la seconda utilizza i dati scaturiti dallo studio delle sepolture per sviluppare la tematica del progetto.
Nello specifico, l’obiettivo principale della ricerca è quello di tentare di definire un servizio ceramico base per il consumo del vino, facendo emergere le pratiche rituali sottese alla selezione dei vasi, la relazione con il rito impiegato e con gli altri elementi di corredo, osservando la loro distribuzione nello spazio tombale.The research project focuses on the analysis of the ritual of wine consumption in the necropolis of Valle Trebba di Spina, which represents an extraordinary site in the field of Etruscology and pre-Roman Mediterranean archaeology for the quantity, relevance and vast chronological horizon covered by the funerary sample. This practice is observed through the filter of the funerary dimension and over a broad chronological span from the late 6th to the 3rd century BC.
The innovative aspect of this study is the analysis of a topic that has been widely dealt with in the tradition of Etruscan research, such as wine consumption and its ideology within a single context, unpublished in its entirety.
A prerequisite for the study is the availability of the entire sample of burials. The thesis, therefore, is divided into two closely related sections: the first focuses on the analysis and philological reconstruction of 304 tomb contexts, completing the study of the 1215 tombs of Valle Trebba, a project initiated in 2008 by the Chair of Etruscology and Italic Archaeology of Bologna and directed by E. Govi; the second uses the data resulting from the study of the burials to develop the project's theme.
Specifically, the main objective of the research is to attempt to define a basic ceramic service for the consumption of wine, bringing to light the ritual practices underlying the selection of the vases, the relationship with the ritual used and with the other grave goods, and observing their distribution in the tomb space
Uncovering the encoding and transmission of behaviourally relevant information in neural activity
Get PDFMost cognitive functions require the encoding and routing of information across distributed networks of brain regions. Information propagation is typically attributed to physical connections existing between brain regions, and contributes to the formation of spatially correlated activity patterns, known as functional connectivity. While structural connectivity provides the anatomical foundation for neural
interactions, the exact manner in which it shapes functional connectivity is complex and not yet fully understood. Additionally, traditional measures of directed functional connectivity only capture the overall correlation between neural activity, and provide no insight on the content of transmitted information, limiting their ability in understanding neural computations underlying the distributed processing of behaviorally-relevant variables.
In this work, we first study the relationship between structural and functional connectivity in simulated recurrent spiking neural networks with spike timing dependent plasticity. We use established measures of time-lagged correlation and overall information propagation to infer the temporal evolution of synaptic weights, showing
that measures of dynamic functional connectivity can be used to reliably reconstruct the evolution of structural properties of the network.
Then, we extend current methods of directed causal communication between brain areas, by deriving an information-theoretic measure of Feature-specific Information Transfer (FIT) quantifying the amount, content and direction of information flow. We test FIT on simulated data, showing its key properties and advantages over
traditional measures of overall propagated information. We show applications of FIT to several neural datasets obtained with different recording methods (magneto and electro-encephalography, spiking activity, local field potentials) during various cognitive functions, ranging from sensory perception to decision making and motor learning. Overall, these analyses demonstrate the ability of FIT to advance the
investigation of communication between brain regions, uncovering the previously unaddressed content of directed information flow
Modelling the infrastructure of the “Śivadharma Database”
Get PDFA Digital Scholarly Edition is a conceptually and structurally sophisticated entity. Throughout the centuries, diverse methodologies have been employed to reconstruct a text transmitted through one or multiple sources, resulting in various edition types. With the advent of digital technology in philology, these practices have undergone a significant transformation, compelling scholars to reconsider their approach in light of the web. In the digital age, philologists are expected to possess (too) advanced technical skills to prepare interactive and enriched editions, even though, in most cases, only mechanical or documentary editions are published online.
The Śivadharma Database is a web Content Management System (CMS) designed to facilitate the preparation, publication, and updating of Digital Scholarly Editions. By providing scholars with a user-friendly CRUD web application to reconstruct and annotate a text, they can prepare their textus with additional components such as apparatus, notes, translations, citations, and parallels. It is possible by leveraging an annotation system based on HTML and graph data structure. This choice is made because the text entity is multidimensional and multifaceted, even if its sequential presentation constrains it. In particular, editions of South Asian texts of the Śivadharma corpus, the case study of this research, contain a series of phenomena that are difficult to manage formally, such as overlapping hierarchies. Hence, it becomes necessary to establish the data structure best suited to represent this complexity.
In Śivadharma Database, the textus is an HTML file readily displayable. Textual fragments, annotated via an interface without requiring philologists to write code and saved in the backend, form the atomic unit of multiple relationships organised in a graph database. This approach enables the formal representation of complex and overlapping textual phenomena, allowing for good annotation expressiveness with minimal effort to learn the relevant technologies during the editing workflow
High-resolution stratigraphy and seismic site characterization of late Quaternary paleovalley systems (Adriatic coastal plain, Italy)
Get PDFIn highly urbanized coastal lowlands, effective site characterization is crucial for assessing seismic risk. It requires a comprehensive stratigraphic analysis of the shallow subsurface, coupled with the precise assessment of the geophysical properties of buried deposits. In this context, late Quaternary paleovalley systems, shallowly buried fluvial incisions formed during the Late Pleistocene sea-level fall and filled during the Holocene sea-level rise, are crucial for understanding seismic amplification due to their soft sediment infill and sharp lithologic contrasts. In this research, we conducted high-resolution stratigraphic analyses of two regions, the Pescara and Manfredonia areas along the Adriatic coastline of Italy, to delineate the geometries and facies architecture of two paleovalley systems. Furthermore, we carried out geophysical investigations to characterize the study areas and perform seismic response analyses. We tested the microtremor-based horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio as a mapping tool to reconstruct the buried paleovalley geometries. We evaluated the relationship between geological and geophysical data and identified the stratigraphic surfaces responsible for the observed resonances. To perform seismic response analysis of the Pescara paleovalley system, we integrated the stratigraphic framework with microtremor and shear wave velocity measurements. The seismic response analysis highlights strong seismic amplifications in frequency ranges that can interact with a wide variety of building types. Additionally, we explored the applicability of artificial intelligence in performing facies analysis from borehole images. We used a robust dataset of high-resolution digital images from continuous sediment cores of Holocene age to outline a novel, deep-learning-based approach for performing automatic semantic segmentation directly on core images, leveraging the power of convolutional neural networks. We propose an automated model to rapidly characterize sediment cores, reproducing the sedimentologist's interpretation, and providing guidance for stratigraphic correlation and subsurface reconstructions
Development of data-driven methods for dynamic risk management in the chemical industry
Get PDFLarge amounts of hazardous substances are handled and stored in chemical facilities, elevating the risk of accidental releases with potentially disastrous consequences. Over the last three decades, safety science has significantly improved and evolved, leading to the formulation of Risk Management (RM) frameworks to manage these risks. Traditional RM methods, however, have limitations due to their static nature, prompting the shift towards Dynamic Risk Management (DRM), which offers a more proactive, dynamic approach to safety, accounting for system changes, safety barriers, and human factors. This paradigm shift raises the need for dynamic and inherently updatable tools to capture the intricate dynamics between risk-influencing factors. In this context, Machine Learning (ML) techniques emerge as valuable tools due to their inherent ability to make predictions under uncertainty and model complex nonlinear relationships between features. However, the potential of these techniques in the context of DRM is still scarcely explored.
This Ph.D. study aims to advance DRM by developing ML methods for consequence prediction, frequency evaluation, and safety barrier monitoring. It explores the role of ML in enhancing safety and reliability through various algorithms and data sources, addressing major accident prediction, Risk Based Inspection, Time-To-Failure prediction, and monitoring of alarm systems. Additionally, it examines the integration of traditional risk assessment with ML models and the relationship between human expertise and AI in risk management. Proposed methods have been tested on real-world case studies to demonstrate their potential to leverage digitalization for safety enhancements in industrial settings. The study acknowledges limitations such as data quality, model interpretability, and the importance of human oversight in using AI tools. While the trajectory of progress suggests an increasing adoption of AI tools, domain knowledge and human expertise remain pivotal, ensuring effective oversight of intelligent systems, understanding the limitations of ML models, and contextualizing their predictions
Sensorimotor integration in visuomotor tasks: trajectory analysis in occipitoparietal lesions and action-dependent effects on perception in virtual reality
No full textSensorimotor integration is a fundamental process that underlies our ability to interact with and perceive the world around us. The integration of sensory information with motor actions enables precise movement execution and plays a crucial role in shaping our perception.
Neurological conditions caused by parietal lesions can disrupt this intricate process, leading to impairments in movement execution and control. In the first study of this thesis, we evaluated how visuomotor disruption caused by an occipitoparietal lesion in a patient with optic ataxia symptoms impairs motor trajectories during visually guided reaching movements. To this end, we compared the trajectories performed by the patient with those performed by a healthy control group by using a novel decoding approach. We found that the trajectories of the two groups were highly distinguishable already before the midpoint of the movement, suggesting the potential of this decoding method to characterize pathological
motor behaviours.
In the second study of this thesis, we investigated sensorimotor integration using another novel approach: virtual reality. In fact, previous research indicates that the perception of space and objects in virtual environments is usually inaccurate but can be improved by interacting with the environment through walking, though not by reaching. To evaluate this, we used a size-judgment task to assess how different interactions, such as simulated walking, reaching and grasping, affect object perception in virtual reality. Contrary to our expectations, which were based on real-world studies showing that grasping enhances size perception, we found that mere observation was the most beneficial interaction for performing the task.
The exploration of the effects of neurological impairments on movement trajectories and the influence of various actions on perception in virtual reality offers significant implications for clinical rehabilitation and our understanding of sensorimotor processing
Geohistory of the heritage development of a historic centre. The inhabitants and the architectural and urban heritage of Bologna since Italian unification (1860-2021)
Get PDFCe travail de recherche entend analyser les évolutions du processus de patrimonialisation dans le temps et dans l’espace. Il entreprend ainsi d’étudier les transformations et les reproductions urbaines du centre historique de Bologne depuis la période d’unification du nouvel État italien jusqu’à l’inscription des portiques de la ville au Patrimoine mondial de l’Unesco. Il part pour cela du renouvellement des représentations et des pratiques des habitants, et de la parallèle institutionnalisation du patrimoine urbain à différentes échelles. L’histoire de cet espace urbain et de ses progressives intégrations vers un territoire communal élargi atteste de la diversification des biens culturels sur la période concernée, depuis les monuments nationaux jusqu’au patrimoine diffus qui fonde la typicité des lieux. Elle révèle un système patrimonial composé d’éléments architecturaux et urbanistiques interconnectés et polarisés. Cette composition résulte de la stratification et de l’articulation des patrimonialisations dont le centre historique représente l’archétype. Suivant une démarche géohistorique, cette thèse entend comparer dans le temps et dans l’espace les rapports des acteurs à leurs biens culturels. L’enjeu est à la fois d’approfondir la compréhension de la complexification constatée du patrimoine, mais aussi de questionner les patrimonialisations comme des dynamiques socio-spatiales qui interagissent avec l’aménagement et la gestion du territoire.L'obiettivo di questo progetto di ricerca è analizzare l'evoluzione del processo di patrimonializzazione nel tempo e nello spazio. Si propone di studiare le trasformazioni e le riproduzioni urbane del centro storico di Bologna dal periodo dell'unificazione del nuovo Stato italiano fino all'iscrizione dei portici della città nella Lista del Patrimonio Mondiale dell'UNESCO. Il progetto prende spunto dalle rinnovate rappresentazioni e pratiche degli abitanti della città e dalla parallela istituzionalizzazione del patrimonio urbano a diverse scale. La storia di quest'area urbana e la sua graduale integrazione in un territorio comunale più ampio dimostrano la diversificazione dei beni culturali nel periodo in questione, dai monumenti nazionali al patrimonio diffuso che costituisce la base del carattere locale. Si tratta di un sistema patrimoniale costituito da elementi architettonici e urbanistici interconnessi e polarizzati. Questa composizione è il risultato della stratificazione e dell'articolazione degli elementi del patrimonio, di cui il centro storico è l'archetipo. Seguendo un approccio geostorico, questa tesi si propone di confrontare, nel tempo e nello spazio, le relazioni tra gli attori e i loro beni culturali. L'obiettivo non è solo quello di comprendere più a fondo la crescente complessità del patrimonio, ma anche di esaminare i beni culturali come una dinamica socio-spaziale che interagisce con la pianificazione e la gestione del territorio.The aim of this research project is to analyse the evolution of the heritage development process in time and space. It sets out to study the transformations and urban reproductions of the historic centre of Bologna from the period of the unification of the new Italian state to the inclusion of the city’s porticoes on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. It takes as its starting point the renewed representations and practices of the city’s inhabitants, and the parallel institutionalisation of urban heritage at different scales. The history of this urban area and its gradual integration into a wider municipal territory demonstrates the diversification of cultural properties over the period in question, from national monuments to the diffuse heritage that forms the basis of local typicality. It reveals a heritage system made up of interconnected and polarised architectural and town-planning elements. This composition is the result of the stratification and articulation of heritage developments, of which the historic centre is the archetype. Following a geohistorical approach, this thesis sets out to compare, in time and space, the relationships between actors and their cultural properties. The aim is not only to gain a deeper understanding of the increasing complexity of heritage, but also to examine heritage development as a socio-spatial dynamic that interacts with spatial planning and territory management
Progression from actinic keratosis to locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma: clinical, dermoscopy and molecular markers
Get PDFIl carcinoma a cellule squamose è un tumore della pelle la cui incidenza è in costante crescita. Per questo motivo si sta ritagliando uno spazio sempre più importante all’interno di quella che è la dermatologia oncologica. Sebbene la nostra accuratezza diagnostica sia in progressivo miglioramento rimangono due nodi fondamentali da sciogliere: la differenziazione delle forme precoci dalla controparte precancerosa (cheratosi attinica), ed il riconoscimento di lesioni particolarmente aggressive con possibile prognosi infausta per stabilire un trattamento adeguato.
La maggior attenzione rivolta a queste neoplasie ha portato negli ultimi anni ad innumerevoli pubblicazioni ed alla produzione di molteplici linee guida con indicazioni talvolta non conclusive, che spesso creano confusione nella pratica clinica quotidiana.
In questo studio vengono prese in esame queste due problematiche analizzando la casistica a nostra disposizione. Vengono quindi valutati i criteri diagnostici dermoscopici ed il follow-up clinico e strumentale del carcinoma a cellule squamose con un intento di semplificare per rendere più agevole la pratica clinica. Inoltre, viene valutata l’utilità di alcuni marker molecolari come le proteine p16 e Ki67, che risultano facilmente reperibili, e la cui ricerca risulta poco costosa per valutarne l’utilità di uno studio più ampio in occasione di migliorare la definizione prognostica di queste lesioni.Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin is a highly prevalent tumor with increasing incidence. As a result, it is becoming increasingly important in the field of dermato-oncology. Although diagnostic accuracy is improving, two key challenges remain: differentiating early lesions from precursor lesions (actinic keratosis), and recognizing aggressive lesions with poor prognosis to guide treatment.
The increased attention to these neoplasms has led to numerous publications and the production of multiple guidelines in recent years, with sometimes inconclusive recommendations that often create confusion in daily clinical practice.
This study addresses these two issues by analyzing our available data. The dermoscopic diagnostic criteria and clinical and instrumental follow-up of SCC are evaluated with the aim of simplifying and facilitating clinical practice. In addition, the usefulness of some molecular markers such as the proteins p16 and Ki67, which are easily available and inexpensive to test, is evaluated to assess their usefulness in a larger study to improve the prognostic definition of these lesions
Essays on asset pricing
Get PDFThe first chapter provides evidence that aggregate Research and Development (R&D) investment drives a persistent component in productivity growth and that this embodies a risk priced in financial markets. In a semi-endogenous growth model, this component is identified by the R&D in excess of equilibrium levels and can be approximated by the Error Correction Term in the cointegration between R&D and Total Factor Productivity. Empirically, the component results being well defined and it satisfies all key theoretical predictions: it exhibits appropriate persistency, it forecasts productivity growth, and it is associated with a cross-sectional risk premium.
CAPM is the most foundational model in financial economics, but is known to empirically underestimate expected returns of low-risk assets and overestimate those with high risk. The second chapter studies how risks omission and funding tightness jointly contribute to explaining this anomaly, with the former affecting the definition of assets’ riskiness and the latter affecting how risk is remunerated. Theoretically, the two effects are shown to counteract each other. Empirically, the spread related to binding leverage constraints is found to be significant at 2% yearly. Nonetheless, average returns of portfolios that exploit this anomaly are found to mostly reflect omitted risks, in contrast to their employment in previous literature.
The third chapter studies how ‘sustainability’ of assets affect discount rates, which is intrinsically mediated by the risk profile of the assets themselves. This has implications for the assessment of the sustainability-related spread and for hedging changes in the sustainability concern. This mechanism is tested on the ESG-score dimension for US data, with inconclusive evidence regarding the existence of an ESG-related premium in the first place. Also, the risk profile of the long-short ESG portfolio is not likely to impact the sign of its average returns with respect to the sustainability-spread, for the time being
Rethinking Thatcher and Europe. An alternative reading
Get PDFThe goal of this doctoral dissertation is to establish the raison d’être of the policy options that Margaret Thatcher adopted on European integration in the years of her premiership. She was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990, years of major developments in European integration. The thesis wishes to clarify the expectations Thatcher had over the European Community and the decisions she took as British Prime Minister about the integration process through archival research and by placing Thatcher’s European options within the broader context of the 1980s. I aim to show that she balanced ideology and pragmatism when reacting to the positions of the other European leaders, often very different from hers, and to the proposal and decisions of the main institutions of the Community. This research is original to the point it deconstructs the mainstream narrative of Thatcher as Eurosceptical and reconstructs a more comprehensive and nuanced outlook of her as British Prime Minister, pragmatic in her adapting to circumstances but not incoherent in her overall attitude