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State disappearance and environmental migration: international law and climate change
No full textIl presente studio delinea alcuni degli effetti del cambiamento climatico sul diritto
internazionale. Si concentra su due principali fenomeni, la scomparsa dello Stato e le migrazioni ambientali.
Questa ricerca si pone l’obiettivo di dimostrare che, nonostante il cambiamento climatico abbia un forte impatto sulla vita di estese popolazioni e di molti Stati, il diritto internazionale attualmente non abbia ancora trovato gli strumenti adeguati per disciplinare le conseguenze di
questi fenomeni. Per farlo ci si è basati sullo studio delle fonti del diritto internazionale, soprattutto di soft law, sugli studi della dottrina e su alcuni casi giurisprudenziali.
L'elaborato è diviso in tre capitoli, un'introduzione e una conclusione. Il primo capitolo è dedicato al fenomeno dell'innalzamento del livello del mare e alle sue conseguenze sulla statualità, diritti umani e diritto del mare. Il secondo al fenomeno delle migrazioni ambientali
e all’individuazione di una tutela per questa categoria. Il terzo si concentra sui tentativi volti alla previsione di una responsabilità degli Stati per mancata mitigazione degli effetti del cambiamento climatico andando ad analizzare due casi emblematici e le richieste pendenti di chiarimenti alle Corti in questo senso. Si indaga infine sulla possibilità e opportunità di investire un organo con potere coercitivo come il Consiglio di Sicurezza della responsabilità di far fronte all’inazione degli Stati rispetto alle minacce del cambiamento climatico, allo scopo di imporre il rispetto di determinati standard. Nonostante l’interesse della comunità internazionale rispetto a queste tematiche sia dimostrato dall’adozione di svariati strumenti di soft law volte all’inquadramento di questi fenomeni e alla tutela di Stati e individui, dal lavoro svolto emerge come ancora non sia
matura la volontà di istituire un sistema adeguato ed effettivo.The study outlines some of the effects of climate change on international law. It focuses on two main issues, namely the disappearance of states and environmental migrations. Disappearance of states refers to the risk faced by some low-lying island states of disappearing due to the loss of one or more of either the territory, or population, of the state, as an effect of the gradual submergence of land due to rising sea levels. Environmental migration means a closely related issue, that is the migration of populations due to changes in the environment in which they live.
The research aims to show that although climate change has a major impact on the lives of large populations and many states, international law currently has not yet found the appropriate tools to regulate its consequences. The research has been based on the study of the sources of international law, especially soft law, on the studies of doctrine and some case law.
The research is divided into three chapters, next to an introductory and concluding section. The first chapter focuses on the issue of sea-level rise and its consequences on statehood, human rights and the law of the sea.
The second chapter studies the issue of environmental migration and the identification of protection for this category.
The third chapter addresses attempts aimed at establishing the provision of liability of states for failure to mitigate the effects of climate change. It analyzes two emblematic cases and the pending advisory opinion requests to different international courts in this regard. Finally, it investigates the possibility and appropriateness of invest a body with coercive power such as the Security Council with the responsibility of addressing the inaction of states with respect to the threats of climate change, in order to enforce compliance with certain standards
The implementation of electric source imaging and EEG/fMRI in presurgical evaluation of drug-resistant epilepsy
No full textEpilepsy surgery is a secure and effective measure for Drug-Resistant Focal Epilepsy (DR-FE), however, it is currently underused. Precisely delineating the epileptogenic zone (EZ) is crucial for favorable outcomes. Technological advances have expanded the availability of two promising techniques such as Electric Source Imaging (ESI) and EEG/fMRI for presurgical epilepsy evaluation. These techniques primarily focus on studying epileptiform activity to localize irritative and EZ. They can also be exploited to study brain connectivity change across different situations. This study aims to implement ESI and EEG/fMRI in consecutive DR-FE patients, assess concordance with invasive techniques, and study post-surgery network rearrangements. Consecutive adult DR-FE patients admitted to an Epilepsy Monitoring Unit underwent pre-operative high-density EEG and EEG/fMRI. Concordance between ESI-EEG/fMRI and EZ was established in patients with defined EZ through sEEG or surgery. Partial concordance is also acknowledged. For ESI cortical connectivity (CC) and EEG/fMRI resting-state network (RSN), functional connectivity analyses are performed using graph-theory approaches. A cohort of 21 patients (mean age 32.7 years) was included, with EZ fully defined in 10, partially in 10, and not identified in 1. Six patients underwent surgery with positive outcomes. The 38% of patients had concordant ESI-EEG/fMRI results with EZ, 42% partially concordant, and 20% discordant. Regarding the accuracy of each techniques, in 33% of patients, both techniques were spatially concordant, with ESI exhibiting better performance in correctly localizing the lobe containing the EZ. In 38% of patients, only one technique was concordant, and in 19%, both techniques were discordant. Preliminary analysis showed widespread CC and RSN changes pre-and post-surgery, with decreased functional connectivity and network efficiency post-surgery.Improving patient referrals and organizational networks is essential to increase surgical candidates. Implementing advanced non-invasive techniques requires resource allocation, personnel training, and technical challenges. The complementary nature of non-invasive techniques seems to improve EZ delineation
The baseline comorbidity burden affects survival in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia receiving hypomethylating agents: Results from a multicentric clinical study
No full textRazionale: Nei pazienti anziani con leucemia mieloide acuta (LMA), la definizione di fitness, prognosi e rischio di morte rappresenta un bisogno primario per orientare la decisione clinica.
Metodi: Nel presente studio abbiamo testato l'impatto sulla sopravvivenza di parametri legati alla malattia e al paziente in un ampio gruppo di pazienti anziani con LMA assegnati omogeneamente al trattamento con agenti ipometilanti (HMAs).
Risultati: In 131 pazienti con un'età mediana di 76 anni, abbiamo confermato che una risposta precoce (p <0.001) e una classificazione del rischio basata sulla biologia (p = 0.003) possono selezionare pazienti con una migliore aspettativa di sopravvivenza. Tuttavia, un modello completamente orientato alla biologia della malattia ha mostrato limitazioni nel stratificare i nostri pazienti, spingendoci a indagare l'impatto delle comorbilità di base sulla sopravvivenza globale basandoci su un punteggio. Il livello di albumina (p = 0.001) e la presenza di malattie polmonari (p = 0.013) hanno mostrato un impatto in univariata sulla prognosi. Il burden delle comorbilità di base è stato un potente predittore della fragilità dei pazienti, correlando con un aumento dell'incidenza di eventi avversi, in particolare infezioni, e prevedeva la sopravvivenza globale (p<0.001).
Conclusione: Il burden delle comorbilità può contribuire a influenzare la prognosi oltre alla biologia della malattia. Mentre l'armamentario terapeutico della LMA dell’anziano sta migliorando, solo un approccio olistico che combina la conoscenza della biologia della LMA con interventi su misura per la fragilità dei pazienti può sfruttare appieno il potenziale antileucemico dei nuovi farmaci.Background: In older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the definition of fitness, prognosis, and risk of death represents an open question.
Methods: In the present study, we tested the impact on survival of disease- and patient-related parameters in a large cohort of elderly AML patients homogeneously assigned to treatment with hypomethylating agents (HMAs).
Results: In 131 patients with a median age of 76 years, we confirmed that early response (<0.001) and biology-based risk classification (p = 0.003) can select patients with better-predicted survival. However, a full disease-oriented model had limitations in stratifying our patients, prompting us to investigate the impact of baseline comorbidities on overall survival basing on a comorbidity score. The albumin level (p = 0.001) and the presence of lung disease (p = 0.013) had a single-variable impact on prognosis. The baseline comorbidity burden was a powerful predictor of patients' frailty, correlating with increased incidence of adverse events, especially infections, and predicted overall survival (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: The comorbidity burden may contribute to impact prognosis in addition to disease biology. While the therapeutic armamentarium of elderly AML is improving, a comprehensive approach that combines AML biology with tailored interventions to patients' frailty is likely to fully exploit the anti-leukemia potential of novel drugs
Drug of abuse analysis: new methods in herbal and biological matrices for medicinal chemistry and forensic investigation
No full textIn this Ph.D. project, original and innovative approaches for the quali-quantitative analysis of abuse substances, as well as therapeutic agents with abuse potential and related compounds were designed, developed and validated for application to different fields such as forensics, clinical and pharmaceutical. All the parameters involved in the developed analytical workflows were properly and accurately optimised, from sample collection to sample pretreatment up to the instrumental analysis. Advanced dried blood microsampling technologies have been developed, able of bringing several advantages to the method as a whole, such as significant reduction of solvent use, feasible storage and transportation conditions and enhancement of analyte stability. At the same time, the use of capillary blood allows to increase subject compliance and overall method applicability by exploiting such innovative technologies. Both biological and non-biological samples involved in this project were subjected to optimised pretreatment techniques developed ad-hoc for each target analyte, making also use of advanced microextraction techniques. Finally, original and advanced instrumental analytical methods have been developed based on high and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC,UHPLC) coupled to different detection means (mainly mass spectrometry, but also electrochemical, and spectrophotometric detection for screening purpose), and on attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) for solid-state analysis. Each method has been designed to obtain highly selective, sensitive yet sustainable systems and has been validated according to international guidelines. All the methods developed herein proved to be suitable for the analysis of the compounds under investigation and may be useful tools in medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutical analysis, within clinical studies and forensic investigations
Innovation in aquaculture. Modeling the adoption and implementation processes of innovations in the Italian aquaculture sector
No full textSince the turn of the century, fisheries have maintained a steady growth rate, while aquaculture has experienced a more rapid expansion. Aquaculture can offer EU consumers more diverse, healthy, and sustainable food options, some of which are more popular elsewhere. To develop the sector, the EU is investing heavily. The EU supports innovative projects that promote the sustainable development of seafood sectors and food security. Priority 3 promotes sector development through innovation dissemination. This doctoral dissertation examined innovation transfer in the Italian aquaculture sector, specifically the adoption of innovative tools, using a theoretical model to better understand the complexity of these processes. The work focused on innovation adoption, emphasising that it is the end of a well-defined process. The Awareness Knowledge Adoption Implementation Effectiveness (AKAIE) model was created to better analyse post-adoption phases and evaluate technology adoption implementation and impact. To identify AKAIE drivers and barriers, aquaculture actors were consulted. "Perceived complexity"—barriers to adoption that are strongly influenced by contextual factors—has been used to examine their perspectives (i.e. socio-economic, institutional, cultural ones). The new model will contextualise the sequence based on technologies, entrepreneur traits, corporate and institutional contexts, and complexity perception, the sequence's central node. Technology adoption can also be studied by examining complexity perceptions along the AKAIE sequence. This study proposes a new model to evaluate the diffusion of a given technology, offering the policy maker the possibility to be able to act promptly across the process. The development of responsible policies for evaluating the effectiveness of innovation is more necessary than ever, especially to orient strategies and interventions in the face of major scenarios of change
Monitoring of Mediterranean marine benthic biodiversity through novel, standardized, and integrated approaches
No full textMarine healthy ecosystems support life on Earth and human well-being thanks to their biodiversity, which is proven to decline mainly due to anthropogenic stressors. Monitoring how marine biodiversity changes trough space and time is needed to properly define and enroll effective actions towards habitat conservation and preservation. This is particularly needed in those areas that are very rich in species compared to their low surface extension and are characterized by strong anthropic pressures, such as the Mediterranean Sea. Subtidal rocky benthic Mediterranean habitats have a complex structural architecture, hosting a panoply of tiny organisms (cryptofauna) that inhabit crevices and caves, but that are still unknown. Different artificial standardized sampling structures (SSS) and methods have been developed and employed to characterize the cryptofauna, allowing for data replicability and comparability across regions. Organisms growing on these artificial structures can be identified coupling morphological taxonomy and DNA barcoding and metabarcoding. The metabarcoding allows for the identification of organisms in a bulk sample without morphological analysis, and it is based on comparing the genetic similarities of the assessed organisms with barcoding sequences present in online barcoding repositories. Nevertheless, barcoded species nowadays represent only a small portion of known species, and barcoding reference databases are not always curated and updated on a regular basis. In this Thesis I used an integrative approach to characterize benthic marine biodiversity, specifically coupling morphological and molecular techniques with the employment of SSS. Moreover, I upgraded the actual status of COI (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) barcoding of marine metazoans, and I built a customized COI barcoding reference database for metabarcoding studies on temperate biogenic reefs. This work implemented the knowledge about diversity of Mediterranean marine communities, laying the groundworks for monitoring marine and environmental changes that will occur in the next future as consequences of anthropic and climate threats
Synergies among safety and security in the prevention of major accidents related to dangerous substances
No full textHistorical evidence shows that chemical, process, and Oil&Gas facilities where dangerous substances are stored or handled are target of deliberate malicious attacks (security attacks) aiming at interfering with normal operations. Physical attacks and cyber-attacks may generate events with consequences on people, property, and the surrounding environment that are comparable to those of major accidents caused by safety-related causes. The security aspects of these facilities are commonly addressed using Security Vulnerability/Risk Assessment (SVA/SRA) methodologies. Most of these methodologies are semi-quantitative and non-systematic approaches that strongly rely on expert judgment, leading to security assessments that are not reproducible. Moreover, they do not consider the synergies with the safety domain.
The present 3-year research is aimed at filling the gap outlined by providing knowledge on security attacks, as well as rigorous and systematic methods supporting existing SVA/SRA studies suitable for the chemical, process, and Oil&Gas industry. The different nature of cyber and physical attacks resulted in the development of different methods for the two domains. The first part of the research was devoted to the development and statistical analysis of security databases that allowed to develop new knowledge and lessons learnt on security threats. Based on the obtained background, a Bow-Tie based procedure and two reverse-HazOp based methodologies were developed as hazard identification approaches for physical and cyber threats respectively. To support the quantitative estimation of the security risk, a quantitative procedure based on the Bayesian Network was developed allowing to calculate the probability of success of physical security attacks.
All the developed methods have been applied to case studies addressing chemical, process and Oil&Gas facilities (offshore and onshore) proving the quality of the results that can be achieved in improving site security. Furthermore, the outcomes achieved allow to step forward in developing synergies and promoting integration among safety and security management
Power flow forecasting and smart charging for electric vehicle charging systems with photovoltaic integration
No full textAn essential role in the global energy transition is attributed to Electric Vehicles (EVs) the energy for EV traction can be generated by renewable energy sources (RES), also at a local level through distributed power plants, such as photovoltaic (PV) systems. However, EV integration with electrical systems might not be straightforward. The intermittent RES, combined with the high and uncontrolled aggregate EV charging, require an evolution toward new planning and paradigms of energy systems.
In this context, this work aims to provide a practical solution for EV charging integration in electrical systems with RES.
A method for predicting the power required by an EV fleet at the charging hub (CH) is developed in this thesis. The proposed forecasting method considers the main parameters on which charging demand depends. The results of the EV charging forecasting method are deeply analyzed under different scenarios.
To reduce the EV load intermittency, methods for managing the charging power of EVs are proposed. The main target was to provide Charging Management Systems (CMS) that modulate EV charging to optimize specific performance indicators such as system self-consumption, peak load reduction, and PV exploitation. Controlling the EV charging power to achieve specific optimization goals is also known as Smart Charging (SC). The proposed techniques are applied to real-world scenarios demonstrating performance improvements in using SC strategies.
A viable alternative to maximize integration with intermittent RES generation is the integration of energy storage. Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) may be a buffer between peak load and RES production. A sizing algorithm for PV+BESS integration in EV charging hubs is provided. The sizing optimization aims to optimize the system's energy and economic performance. The results provide an overview of the optimal size that the PV+BESS plant should have to improve whole system performance in different scenarios
Influence of cultivar choice, sowing date and abiotic stresses on tocopherol content and composition in Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz
No full textIn Europe, the current demand for vegetable oils and the need to find alternative crops for the regions most affected by climate change (i.e., Mediterranean basin) may be a launchpad for camelina [Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz] to be steadily introduced in European cropping systems. Camelina is mainly known for the unique composition of its oil, with a fatty acids profile including more than 50% content of essential linoleic and linolenic fatty acids, and a high tocopherol content. Being tocopherols part of the vitamin E family of antioxidants, the added value of growing camelina in harsh environments could be the enhancement of tocopherol content in camelina oil, thus having a more stable and nutritionally valuable product. With the final purpose of fully valorize camelina as a tolerant, valuable-oil producing crop for the Mediterranean basin, the main aim of this study was to investigate whether and how sowing date, cultivar choice, and abiotic stresses can affect tocopherol content and composition in camelina oil. The results showed that cultivar choice and growing conditions influenced total tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, and α-tocopherol contents. Moreover, heat stress trial revealed that high temperature increased α-tocopherol content, while no effect was observed in total tocopherols and in γ-tocopherol content. Finally, drought increased total tocopherols in camelina, and in drought-sensitive lines an increase in α-tocopherol was observed.
This study allowed to acquire awareness on camelina resistance to abiotic stresses, coupled with a better knowledge on tocopherol content and composition in relation to cultivar, sowing date, and abiotic stresses. This will have an impact for the introduction of camelina as an alternative crop in harsher environments, such as the Mediterranean basin, to produce an oil suitable for food, feed, and industrial applications
Benedetto Gennari portraitist and court painter in Europe between the 17th and 18th centuries. Paintings, patronage and the work diary
No full textCresciuto in una delle botteghe artistiche più prolifiche e illustri della Bologna di metà Seicento, Benedetto Gennari riuscì a distinguersi più degli altri collaboratori del Guercino per una brillante carriera all’estero internazionale che lo portò prima in Francia e poi in Inghilterra, dove seppe ritagliarsi uno spazio di rilievo tra i ranghi della corte, ottenendo finanche la nomina di primo pittore di Giacomo II Stuart. Partendo dall’analisi dei suoi Memoriali, dalla loro natura e dalle ragioni della loro compilazione, il presente studio intende indagare e restituire il profilo dell’artista. Attraverso l’analisi critica della documentazione autografa, di testimonianze edite e inedite e di informazione sui suoi guadagni e sul metodo di lavoro, il lavoro traccia le tappe della lunga attività del pittore, contraddistinta da commissioni di rilievo per importanti mecenati e collezionisti italiani e stranieri. Ben lontano dall’essere un semplice imitatore di provincia, Benedetto divenne un artista di corte, maturando un linguaggio raffinato e a tratti irriverente, che si configura come una personale variante del classicismo bolognese. Su questi aspetti fa luce l’apparato catalografico in cui trovano posto anche opere inedite, riletture iconografiche di quadri noti e indagini tecnico-diagnostiche effettuate, su due dipinti significativi, dal Laboratorio Diagnostico per i Beni Culturali del Dipartimento di Beni Culturali dell’Università di Bologna al fine di documentare la tecnica pittorica dell’artista dopo il suo trasferimento all’estero.Benedetto Gennari trained in one of the most prolific and illustrious artistic workshops of mid-seventeenth-century Bologna. He distinguished himself more than Guercino's other collaborators by having a brilliant international career, which took him first to France and then to England, where he was able to carve out a prominent place for himself among the ranks of the court, ultimately being appointed as first painter to James II Stuart. The present study aims to investigate and restore the artist's profile from the analysis of his Memorials, their nature and the reasons for their compilation. The present study traces the stages of the painter's long activity, his working method, financial situation and his network of Italian and foreign patrons. Benedetto became a court artist, maturing a refined and at times irreverent language, which takes the form of a personal variant of Bolognese classicism. The catalog is enhanced by unpublished works, iconographic reinterpretations of known paintings and technical-diagnostic investigations in order to document the artist's painting technique after his move abroad