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Enhanced financial literacy through financial education and its impact on financial behaviour
Get PDFThis dissertation aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on the effect an enhanced financial literacy, through financial education, has on financial behaviour. We posit that financial literacy is enhanced through financial education courses, but it also significantly impacts the financial behaviour of individuals. Moreover, we argue that improved financial literacy plays a significant role in mitigating behavioural biases and an asset price bubble.
Chapter 1 analyzes the impact of a financial education course in enhancing financial literacy in a high- school context. Students at specific schools in Tirana, Albania, are delivered a financial education course, which lasts one academic year. To understand the impact of this financial education course in enhancing financial literacy, PISA (2012) questionnaire on financial literacy is delivered to the students before and after the course is delivered.
Chapter 2 analysis the impact of financial literacy in mitigating behavioural biases. We focus on the impact that enhanced financial literacy through the financial education course and financial education plays in reducing the propensity to mental accounting bias.
Chapter 3 investigates how financial literacy affects the propensity to an asset price bubble occurrence. We posit that enhanced financial literacy through financial education reduces the probability of an asset price bubble occurrence.
We find that financial literacy enhanced through financial education has a significant impact in the financial behaviour of the individuals
Misura di violazione di CP con i decadimenti , con i decadimenti , e simulazione e caratterizzazione dell'ECAL per l'Upgrade II di LHCb
Get PDFThe time-dependent CP asymmetries of the and B^0_s\toK^+K^- decays and the time-integrated CP asymmetries of the B^0\toK^+\pi^- and decays are measured, using the collision data collected with the LHCb detector and corresponding to the full Run2.
The results are compatible with previous determinations of these quantities from LHCb, except for the CP-violation parameters of the decays, that show a discrepancy exceeding 3 standard deviations between different data-taking periods.
The investigations being conducted to understand the discrepancy are documented.
The measurement of the CKM matrix element using is also reported, using the collision data collected with the LHCb detector and corresponding to the full Run1. The measurement leads to
,
where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is due to external inputs. This measurement is compatible with the world averages and constitutes the first measurement of at a hadron collider and the absolute first one with decays of the meson. The analysis also provides the very first measurements of the branching ratio and form factors parameters of the signal decay modes.
The study of the characteristics ruling the response of an electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL) to profitably operate in the high luminosity regime foreseen for the Upgrade2 of LHCb is reported in the final part of this Thesis. A fast and flexible simulation framework is developed to this purpose. Physics performance of different configurations of the ECAL are evaluated using samples of fully simulated and decays. The results are used to guide the development of the future ECAL and are reported in the Framework Technical Design Report of the LHCb Upgrade2 detector
The birth of a tragic hero(ine) On tragic excess in contemporary theatre
Get PDFThe idea of the tragic is unthinkable. It is precisely within the moment in which an ordinary human being, a heroine or a hero – incapable of scrutinizing fully their own position within the whole – is invited to respond, to accept or refuse it all, that the tragic unfolds, changing their life irremediably. What are the causes and the consequences of "god’s arrival", as in case of Dionysus who visits Pentheus’ home in Euripides’ "The Bacchae"? Through episodes in the stories of characters from Ancient Greek dramas – such as Oedipus, Antigone, Ajax, Io, through Dostoevsky’s or Kafka’s imagery, in Prince Myshkin’s, the Ridiculous Man’s or Gregor Samsa’s experiences, this doctoral research proposes to examine the aspects which compete in the creation of a tragic hero. Theatrical performances – such as Jan Fabre’s "Mount Olympus: To Glorify the Cult of Tragedy, a 24-Hour Performance", immersed in a cycle of life, death and re-birth; Oliver Frljić’s "Trilogija o hrvatskom fašizmu", in its careful analysis of the wounds of a heritage of war; and Cristian Ceresoli’s and Silvia Gallerano’s tragic testimony of an estranged, almost soulless body in "La Merda" – open up the dialogue on our contemporary idea of the tragic. This doctoral work chooses excess as its privileged channel through which to approach the concept of the tragic – by its nature elusive, hostile to any definition, strictly personal and, thus, visible only through one’s own lens. In an excess of pain, devotion, desire, rage, arrogance or beauty, opposites collide, time concentrates into a moment and the hero is invited to choose, to live or die, to transform.L’idea del tragico è impensabile. È proprio in quel momento in cui un ordinario essere umano, un’eroina o un eroe – incapace di scrutare pienamente la propria posizione e dovendo ciononostante rispondere, accettare o rifiutare il tutto, quando il tragico si dispiega, cambiando questa vita per sempre. Quali sono le cause e le conseguenze dell’"arrivo di dio", come nel caso della visita di Dioniso a casa di Penteo nelle "Baccanti" di Euripide? Attraverso gli episodi nelle storie dei personaggi del dramma antico greco, come Edipo, Antigone, Aiace, Io, oppure attraverso l’immaginazione di Dostoevskij e Kafka, nelle esperienze del principe Myškin, l’Uomo ridicolo o Gregor Samsa, questa ricerca dottorale si propone di esaminare gli aspetti che contribuiscono alla creazione dell’eroe tragico. Gli spettacoli teatrali, come "Mount Olympus: To Glorify the Cult of Tragedy, a 24-Hour Performance" di Jan Fabre, immerso in un ciclo di vita, morte e rinascita, "Trilogija o hrvatskom fašizmu" di Oliver Frljić, nella sua attenta analisi delle ferite di un’eredità di guerra e "La merda" di Cristian Ceresoli e Silvia Gallerano, tragica testimonianza di un corpo estraniato, aprono il dialogo sul tragico contemporaneo. Questo lavoro dottorale sceglie l’eccesso in quanto canale privilegiato attraverso cui approcciare il concetto del tragico – per sua natura sfuggente, ostile a qualsiasi definizione, strettamente personale e, dunque, visibile soltanto attraverso un proprio sguardo. Nell’eccesso di dolore, desidero, rabbia, arroganza, bellezza, gli opposti si scontrano, il tempo si concentra in un momento e l’eroe è invitato a scegliere, vivere o morire, trasformarsi.De idee van het tragische is ondenkbaar. Precies op het moment waarop een gewoon mens, een heldin of een held - niet in staat om diens eigen positie volledig te onderzoeken - wordt uitgenodigd om te reageren, om alles te accepteren of te weigeren, ontvouwt het tragische zich en verandert zijn of haar leven onherroepelijk. Wat zijn de oorzaken en de gevolgen van de komst van een god, zoals in het geval van Dionysus wanneer hij het huis van Pentheus in Euripides' "Bakchai" bezoekt? Aan de hand van fragmenten in de verhalen van personages uit oude Griekse drama's - zoals Oedipus, Antigone, Ajax, Io, via de beeldtaal van Dostojevski of Kafka, in de ervaringen van prins Myshkin, de Ridiculous Man of Gregor Samsa, stelt dit doctoraatsonderzoek voor om de aspecten te onderzoeken die meespelen in de creatie van een tragische held. Theatervoorstellingen – zoals Jan Fabre’s "Mount Olympus: To Glorify the Cult of Tragedy, een 24-uur durende performance" die het publiek onderdompelt in een cyclus van leven, dood en wedergeboorte; Oliver Frljić's "Trilogija o hrvatskom fašizmu", dat zorgvuldig de wonden van een oorlogserfenis analyseert; en Cristian Ceresoli's en Silvia Gallerano's tragische getuigenis van een vervreemd, bijna zielloos lichaam in "La Merda" - openen de dialoog over ons hedendaagse begrip van het tragische. Dit doctoraatswerk kiest ‘exces’ als het bevoorrechte kanaal om het concept van het tragische te benaderen – dat door zijn aard ongrijpbaar, vijandig aan elke definitie en strikt persoonlijk is en dus alleen zichtbaar is door een individuele lens. In een overdaad aan pijn, toewijding, verlangen, woede, arrogantie of schoonheid botsen tegenstellingen, concentreert de tijd zich tot een moment en wordt de held uitgenodigd om te kiezen, te leven of te sterven, te transformeren
Search for direct CP violation in charm neutral meson decays at LHCb
Get PDFA search for time-integrated violation of the CP symmetry, ACP(K−K+), in the Cabibbo-suppressed D0 → K−K+ decays is performed at the LHCb detector using proton- proton collisions recorded from 2015 to 2018 at the centre of mass energy of 13 TeV. The data used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5.7 fb−1. The flavour of the charm mesons is defined from the charge of the pion in D∗+ → D0π+ and D∗− → D0π− decays. Nuisance asymmetries are constrained from D∗+ → D0(→ K−π+)π+, D+ → KS0π+, D+ → K−π+π+, Ds+ → KS0K+ and Ds+ → φπ+ decays. The ACP(K−K+) asymme- try is measured to be ACP (K−K+) = (6.8 ± 5.4 (stat) ± 1.6 (syst)) · 10−4, in agreement with the previous LHCb results and the current world average. This represents the world’s most precise measurement of this quantity to date. Combining ACP (K−K+) with the time-integrated CP asymmetry difference, ∆ACP = ACP (K−K+)− ACP (π−π+), and the time-dependent CP asymmetry, ∆Y , measured with D0 → K−K+ and D0 → π−π+ decays, the direct CP asymmetries in D0 → K−K+ and D0 → π−π+ decays, adKK and adππ, result to be adKK =(7.7±5.7)·10−4, adππ =(23.2±6.1)·10−4, where the errors include systematic and statistical uncertainties and the correlation be- tween the two values is ρ(adKK,adππ) = 0.88. The values differ from zero for 1.4 and 3.8 standard deviations, respectively. In particular, adππ shows an evidence for direct CP violation in D0 → π−π+ decays
The Moho reflectivity from ambient seismic noise autocorrelations beneath the Western Alps
Get PDFThe lower crustal structure beneath the Western Alps -- including the Moho -- bears the signature of past and present geodynamic processes. It has been the subject of many studies until now. However, its current knowledge still leaves significant open questions. In order to derive new information, independent from previous determinations, here I wish to address this topic using a different method --- ambient seismic noise autocorrelation --- that is for the first time applied to reveal Moho depth in the Western Alps. Moho reflections are identified by picking reflectivity changes in ambient seismic noise autocorrelations. The seismic data is retrieved from more than 200 broadband seismic stations, from the China--Italy--France Alps (CIFALPS) linear seismic network, and from a subset of the AlpArray Seismic Network (AASN). The automatically-picked reflectivity changes along the CIFALPS transect in the southwestern Alps show the best results in the 0.5--1 Hz frequency band. The autocorrelation reflectivity profile of the CIFALPS transect shows a steeper subduction profile,~55 to ~70 km, of the European Plate underneath the Adriatic Plate. The dense spacing of the CIFALPS network facilitates the detection of lateral continuity of crustal structure, and of the Ivrea mantle wedge reaching shallow crustal depths in the southwestern Alps. The data of the AASN stations are filtered in the 0.4--1 and 0.5--1 Hz frequency bands. Although the majority of the stations give the same Moho depth for the different frequency bands, the few stations with different Moho depths shows the care that has to be taken when choosing the frequency band for filtering the autocorrelation stacks. The new Moho depth maps by using the AASN stations are a compilation of the first and second picked reflectivity changes. The results show the complex crust-mantle structure with clear differences between the northwestern and southwestern Alps
Coastal modelling studies for forecasting and remediation solutions
Get PDFThe coastal area along the Emilia-Romagna (ER), in the Italian side of the northern Adriatic Sea, is considered to implement an unstructured numerical ocean model with the aim to develop innovative tools for the coastal management and a forecasting system for the storm surge risk reduction. The Adriatic Sea has been the focus of several studies because of its peculiar dynamics driven by many forcings acting at basin and local scales. The ER coast is particularly exposed to storm surge events. In particular conditions, winds, tides and seicehs may combine and contribute to the flooding of the coastal area. The global sea level rise expected in the next decades will increase even more the hazard along the ER and Adriatic coast. Reliable Adriatic and Mediterranean scale numerical ocean models are now available to allow the dynamical downscaling of very high-resolution models in limited coastal areas. In this work the numerical ocean model SHYFEM is implemented in the Goro lagoon (named GOLFEM) and along the ER coast (ShyfER) to test innovative solutions against sea related coastal hazards. GOLFEM was succesfully applied to analyze the Goro lagoon dynamics and to assess the dynamical effects of human interventions through the analysis of what-if scenarios. The assessment of storm surge hazard in the Goro lagoon was carried out through the development of an ensemble storm surge forecasting system with GOLFEM using forcing from different operational meteorological and ocean models showing the fundamental importance of the boundary conditions. The ShyfER domain is used to investigate innovative solutions against storm surge related hazard along the ER coast. The seagrass is assessed as a nature-based solution (NBS) for coastal protection under present and future climate conditions. The results show negligible effects on sea level but sensible effects in reducing bottom current velocity
Acculturation processes and intergroup relations of adolescents in multicultural societies: the role of family, peer, and school contexts
Get PDFAcculturation processes and intergroup relations lie at the heart of developing more inclusive social attitudes. Notably, these endeavors are embedded in primary socialization contexts of adolescents, as indicated by developmental and socio-psychological theoretical models reviewed in Chapter 1. Hence, this dissertation investigated how adolescents' acculturation processes and intergroup contact are embedded in family, peer, and school contexts. Accordingly, Chapter 2 indicated the combined effects of the perceived parents' acculturation orientations and classmates' acculturation preferences on adolescents' own acculturation orientations in Italy and Turkey. Chapter 3 showed that adolescents could be classified into one of four latent growth trajectory classes (i.e., ethnic-oriented, national-oriented, dual, and marginalized identities), which could be predicted by social identification with family and classmates. Chapter 4 highlighted that adolescents' cross-ethnic friendships mediated the positive associations of parents' cross-ethnic friendships with adolescents' psychological and social adjustment beyond the positive relationships between parents' and adolescents' friendships. Multiple studies conducted in Chapter 5 confirmed that a newly developed questionnaire (i.e., ICIS-Short Version) is a reliable tool to measure positive and negative contact among ethnic minority and majority adolescents. Chapter 6 revealed that teachers' equal treatment increased positive and decreased negative contact among ethnic minority and majority adolescents. Moreover, Chapter 7 indicated that adolescents’ positive and negative contact in the school context were related over time to higher corresponding positive and negative contact in out-of-school contexts and vice versa, while their positive contact in the school context was linked over time to lower levels of negative contact in the out-of-school contexts. Eventually, Chapter 8 strived to summarize and discuss these findings in light of social inclusivity. Overall, this dissertation tapped into the paramount importance of family, peer, and school contexts to provide a unique resource for adolescents to cope with acculturative challenges that go beyond the normative developmental tasks of adolescence
Role of non-coding RNA alterations in melanoma
Get PDFCutaneous melanoma (CM) is a potentially lethal form of skin cancer and its most important histopathologic factor for staging is Breslow thickness (BT). Its correct determination is fundamental for pathologists. A deeper understanding of the molecular processes guiding CM pathogenesis could improve diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a key role in CM biology.
The firs aim was to investigate miRNA expression in reference to BT assessment. We found that the combined miRNA expression of miR-21-5p and miR-146a-5p above or below 1.5 was significantly associated with overall survival and successfully identified all superficially spreading melanoma (SSM) patients with relapsing suggesting that the combined assessment of these miRNAs expression could aid in SSM staging.
Secondly, we focus on multiple primary melanoma (MPM) patients, which develop multiple primary melanomas in their lifetime, and represent a model of high-risk CM occurrence. We explored the miRNome of single CM and MPM: CM and MPM present several dysregulated miRNAs, including key miRNAs involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition. A different miRNA profile was observed between 1st and 2nd melanoma from the same patient. MiRNA target analysis revealed a more differentiated and less invasive status of MPMs compared to CMs. This characterization of the miRNA regulatory network of MPMs highlights molecular features differentiating this subtype from CM.
Recently, NGS experiments revealed the existence of miRNA variants (isomiRs) with different length and sequence. We identified a shorter 3’isoform as tenfold over-represented compared to the canonical form of miR-125a-5p. Target analysis revealed that miRNA shortening could change the pattern of target gene regulation.
Finally, we study miRNA and isomiR dysregulation in benign nevi (BN) and CM and in CM and melanoma metastasis. The reported non-random dysregulation of specific isomiRs contributes to the understanding of the complex melanoma pathogenesis and serves as the basis for further functional studies
Structural health monitoring of storage tanks
Get PDFIn this thesis, Ph.D candidate presents a compact sensor node (SN) designed for long-term and real-time acoustic emission (AE) monitoring of above ground storage tanks (ASTs). Each SN exploits up to three inexpensive low-frequency sensors based on piezoelectric diaphragms for effective leakage detection, and it is capable by means of built-in Digital Signal Processing functionalities to process the acquired time waveforms extracting the AE features usually required by testing protocols. Alternatively, capability to plug three high frequency AE sensors to a SN for corrosion simulated phenomena detection is envisaged and demonstrated.
Another innovative aspect that the Ph.D candidate presents in this work is an alternative mathematical model of corrosion location on the bottom of the AST. This approach implies considering the three-dimensional localization model versus the two-dimensional commonly used according to the literature. This approach is aimed at significant optimization in the number of sensors in relation to the standard approach for solving localization problems as well as to allow filtering the false AE events related to the condensate droplets from AST ceiling. The technological implementation of this concept required the solution of a number of technical problems, such as the precise time of arrival (ToA) signal estimation, vertical localization of the AE source and multilaration solution that were discussed in detail in this work.
To validate the developed prototype, several experimental campaigns were organized that included the simulation of target phenomena both in laboratory conditions and on a real water storage tank. The presented test results demonstrate the successful application of the developed AE system both for simulated leaks and for corrosion processes on the tank bottom. Mathematical and technological algorithms for localization and characterization of AE signals implemented during the development of the prototype are also confirmed by the test results
Purple bacteria for the biotechnological valorisation of agro-industrial streams
Get PDFWaste management worldwide has received increasing attention from global policies in recent years. In particular, agro-industrial streams represent a global concern due to the huge volumes generated and a high number of residues, which produce an environmental and economic impact on the ecosystem. The use of biotechnological approaches to treat these streams could allow the production of desirable by-products to be reinjected into the production cycle through sustainable processes.
Purple phototrophic bacteria (PPB) are targeted as microorganisms capable to reduce the pressure of agro-industrial streams on environmental issues, due to their metabolic versatility (autotrophic and/or heterotrophic growth under different conditions). This Ph.D. research project aims to assess the effectiveness of PPB cultivation for industrial streams valorisation in the applications of biogas desulfurization and microbial protein production.
For these purposes, the first part of the present work is dedicated to the cultivation of purple sulfur bacteria (PSB) for biogas streams upgrading, cleaning biogas from sulfur compounds (H2S), and producing elemental sulfur (S0), potentially suitable as a slow-release fertilizer. The second part of the thesis, instead, sees the application of purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) on streams rich in organics, such as molasses, generating biomass with high content of proteins and pigments, useful as supplements in animal feed.
The assessment of the main metabolic mechanisms involved in the two processes is evaluated at a laboratory scale using flasks and a photobioreactor, to define the consumption of substrates and the accumulation of products both in the autotrophic (on biogas) and in heterotrophic grow (on molasses).
In conclusion, the effectiveness of processes employing PPB for a sustainable valorisation of several agro-industrial streams has been proved promising, using actual residues, and coupling their treatments with the production of added-value by-products