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Biomechanical rationale and testing on femoral prosthetic component for amputees
No full textOsseointegrated transfemoral prostheses, like other uncemented prostheses, experience the risk of aseptic loosening and post-operative periprosthetic fractures with an incidence between 3% and 30%. Implant stability of a prosthetic device is crucial for a pre-clinical evaluation of uncemented prostheses. However, the methods to experimentally investigate the primary stability and load transfer are far from consolidated. Moreover, osseointegrated prostheses are manufactured in a limited number of sizes and several patients do not meet the strict eligibility criteria of commercial osseointegrated prostheses. To mitigate these problems, I contributed to the development of a new concept of osseointegrated transfemoral prosthesis (OsteoCustom). The aim of this PhD project was to assess preclinically the different issues of a customized osseointegrated stem. This included investigating the biomechanical rationale for the characterization of osseointegrated transfemoral stems, performing a pre-clinical biomechanical tests to evaluate the mechanical stability of the OsteoCustom stem with the bone, and developing a framework for testing the endurance properties of the stem itself. A method to quantify the primary stability and the load transfer of osseointegrated transfemoral prosthesis was successfully developed. The method highlighted the potential benefits of the OsteoCustom prosthesis in terms of primary stability and load transfer. Moreover, a framework for the assessment of the endurance properties of a discrete customized transfemoral osseointegrated stem was developed and validated. In conclusion, this PhD project has developed and defined a set of methodologies for the pre-clinical evaluation of an osseointegrated transfemoral stem. Moreover, given the problems of a commercial osseointegrated stem, it has been developed and evaluated preclinically the performance of the OsteoCustom stem with in vitro and in silico models. The potential benefits of the OsteoCustom stem were shown in this project. Further pre-clinical analyses will be necessary to understand the real applicability of this prosthesis in the clinic
Le Confessioni d'un Italiano one hundred years later. Luigi Meneghello and Ippolito Nievo
No full textQuesto lavoro propone un’indagine di tipo intertestuale fra le opere di Luigi Meneghello e Le Confessioni d’un Italiano di Ippolito Nievo. L’obiettivo principale è di chiarire il legame intertestuale, offrendo un’interpretazione inedita dell’opera di Meneghello grazie al concorrere di prospettive differenti. Dopo l’introduzione e il primo capitolo sullo stato dell’arte la tesi si sviluppa infatti in tre macrosezioni. Il secondo capitolo analizza la formazione scolastica e intellettuale di Meneghello: lo studio prende avvio dall’istruzione primaria sotto il fascismo, attraversa gli anni del liceo e dell’università, considera il contributo dell’incontro con Antonio Giuriolo alla maturazione politico-culturale, per poi sondare l’interesse didattico verso il XIX secolo e approdare infine alla curatela del Dottor Antonio di Giovanni Ruffini. Questa parte insiste sulla formazione di Meneghello relativa alla storia e alla letteratura italiana dell’Ottocento, nel tentativo di risalire al primo incontro con il romanzo nieviano. La sezione centrale sviluppa l’analisi testuale: le principali opere di Meneghello e le Confessioni sono fatte interagire mettendo a confronto le numerose corrispondenze rilevate. Un paragrafo è riservato a un caso insolito: un articolo di Meneghello ha permesso di riconoscere un ipotesto nella costruzione di un personaggio delle Confessioni. In chiusura di tale sezione vi è una parte sulle analogie trasversali, dedicata alle affinità di tipo stilistico e linguistico che si possono individuare fra più opere di Meneghello e le Confessioni. Il quarto capitolo è deputato all’analisi delle postille fra le pagine della copia delle Confessioni appartenuta a Meneghello: le numerose annotazioni costituiscono una conferma oggettiva della lettura del romanzo e rivelano una frequentazione attiva del testo. Questa parte si conclude con l’analisi delle postille vergate sul volume di Opere di Nievo curate da Sergio Romagnoli (Ricciardi, 1952), custodito dalla biblioteca dell’Università di Reading, nell’ipotesi che Meneghello potesse averlo letto e postillato prima dell’altra edizione.This work proposes an intertextual investigation of Luigi Meneghello's works compared to Ippolito Nievo's Le Confessioni d'un Italiano. The aim is to offer a new interpretation of Meneghello's works through the study of intertextual phenomena between them and Confessioni. After the introduction and the first chapter, focused on the state of the art, the thesis is divided into three sections. The second chapter explores Meneghello's scholastic and intellectual profile: the study begins with primary education during Fascism, moves into high school and university years, considers the contribution of Antonio Giuriolo to his political and cultural maturation, then gives an overview of Meneghello's interest in the 19th century as a teacher, finally investigating the editing of Doctor Antonio by Giovanni Ruffini. The central section develops the textual analysis: the comparison of Meneghello's works and Nievo’s Confessioni reveals similarities concerning different levels of their writings. A paragraph is then dedicated to an article written by Meneghello which helped recognise a model for a character of Confessioni. The closing section of chapter 3 is about stylistic and linguistic correspondences between Meneghello's works and Confessioni. The fourth chapter is devoted to the analysis of notes and signs Meneghello wrote along his own copy of Confessioni. The edition, full of annotations, is a proof of a close reading of the novel. This part ends with the analysis of annotations in Nievo's Works edited by Sergio Romagnoli (Ricciardi, 1952), found at the library of the University of Reading: Meneghello might have read this edition of Confessioni, before the one from his personal library
The impact and safety assessment of sustainable mobility by using innovative technologies and tools
No full textThis doctoral dissertation encompasses a research conducted at the Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering (DICAM) at the University of Bologna over a three-year doctoral program. The primary objective of this investigation is to demonstrate how the evolution of sustainable mobility has become increasingly integrated across various phases of project development, utilizing diverse methodological tools and technological innovations. Concurrently, a mobility system that achieves both social and economic sustainability must ensure universal accessibility while fostering enhanced employment opportunities through improved connectivity and mobility networks. Environmentally conscious transportation modes, including non-motorized alternatives (pedestrian and cycling infrastructure), electric vehicles (EVs), and hybrid propulsion systems, constitute fundamental components in achieving sustainability objectives. However, the successful implementation of these solutions requires a strategically planned approach at the municipal policy level, incorporating comprehensive urban planning frameworks and sustainable transportation initiatives. This research aims to develop and validate a comprehensive methodological framework for integrating sustainable mobility practices across various phases of urban planning and development. Through a systematic analysis of technological tools and implementation strategies, this study seeks to establish evidence-based protocols for effectively incorporating sustainable mobility solutions into urban infrastructure projects. Starting from a detailed study of the European policies and from the new form of micromobility, the case studies offered by Bologna sites (Italy) has been analysed within the European plan CrAFt. The analysis moved also to investigate the virtual and BIM approach integrated for sustainable mobility solution. In conclusion, two different methodologies for monitoring the active mobility infrastructure were carried out The dissertation also presents innovative methodologies for monitoring active mobility infrastructure, offering tools adaptable to similar urban contexts. This research ultimately strives to bridge the gap between theoretical sustainable mobility concepts and their practical implementation, providing urban planners and policymakers with robust, data-driven guidelines for sustainable transportation development
Integration of fiber tractography and functional connectomics for the investigation of brain neurological diseases
No full textFunctional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion MRI (dMRI) are two complementary neuroimaging techniques widely used in neuroscience and clinical research. Functional MRI measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow. Diffusion MRI provides structural information on the brain connectivity by measuring the diffusion of water molecules. Integrating fMRI and dMRI offers a more comprehensive understanding of brain function and structure, as it allows researchers to link dynamic neural activity with underlying structural pathways.
This thesis is divided into five chapters. Chapters 1 and 2 introduce the dMRI and fMRI techniques, respectively, and provide the basic knowledge needed for understanding the content of the following chapters. Chapter 3 describes an application of dMRI to reliably reconstruct the course of cranial nerves I, II, III, V and VII-VIII, using a fully automated tractography pipeline; additionally, an application of this pipeline in patients with sellar/parasellar tumors for the reconstruction of the anterior optic pathway is presented. In Chapter 4, the application of resting-state fMRI to a sample of long-COVID-19 patients with persistent olfactory dysfunction is presented; it is shown that, in the absence of structural modifications, functional alterations centered in the right thalamus were found in the olfactory subnetwork. In Chapter 5, a methodological work to integrate fMRI and dMRI is described: based on the original Functionnectome framework, which is used to project the grey matter functional activity onto the underlying white matter pathways, I developed a method to fully translate it at the individual level and tested it on a sample of patients with brain tumors.
This thesis seeks to showcase the efficacy and clinical significance of functional and diffusion MRI techniques in characterizing neurological disorders. It also aims to introduce an innovative strategy for integrating both methods to extract personalized data, advancing the application of precision medicine
Big data and ‘healthy cities’: regeneration of urban contexts, green systems, and safe and healthy lifestyles
No full textUrban Heat Island (UHI) is a prevalent global yet local environmental challenge characterized by increased surface and air temperatures in urban areas compared to adjacent rural regions. Impervious surfaces drive land surface temperature (LST) rise, while extreme heat endangers urban populations, causing deaths, health issues, economic losses, high energy use, and air pollution. Urban microclimate can be moderated by urban green spaces (UGS) as part of nature-based solutions (NBS), but their impact is complex due to various climatic and landscape factors. Satellite remote sensing, especially thermal infrared, has transformed urban climate research by enabling spatial and temporal analysis of surface temperatures, making it essential for assessing urban environmental quality. Motivated by aforesaid challenges and advances in thermal remote sensing, this thesis examines UGS to improve interventions and reduce heat stress. This thesis addresses key challenges in urban thermal climatology, including environmental interactions with temperature, landscape impacts on heat stress, urban morphology, and city-scale vegetation cooling variations. Using satellite remote sensing and novel machine learning (ML) methods, it advances the analysis of time-series open geo-datasets. In this work, the lesser-known details about UGS and their interplay with the climate are explored in the following ways: (i) developing an integrated framework designed based on multiple environmental and demographic factors influencing urban thermal stress; (ii) assessing the relative influence of land use type on surface thermal alterations to acknowledge the land use change impacts; and (iii) quantifying the contribution of urban morphology and landscape design towards LST at the neighborhood scale while analyzing the cooling benefits of UGS concerning local urban morphology and climate across multiple cities along a latitudinal gradient. These case studies contribute to state-of-the-art knowledge on approaches for analyzing UGS and its interactions with multiple thermal and climatic factors in diverse urban contexts, ultimately leading to sustainable green urban planning
Clausole assicurative nei contratti di utilizzazione della nave: responsabilità e surrogazione dell'assicuratore
No full textLa presente tesis doctoral pretende avanzar en el conocimiento sobre las cláusulas sobre seguro insertas en los contratos de utilización del buque, así como las consecuencias que su inclusión está llamada a tener sobre las relaciones entre las partes de tales contratos, particularmente, en materia de responsabilidad; sobre las que se produzcan entre dichas partes y el o los aseguradores, tanto del casco y la maquinaria como de la responsabilidad civil frente a terceros; y sobre el derecho del asegurador que haya satisfecho una indemnización a subrogarse en las acciones que pudieran asistir a su asegurado frente a las demás partes involucradas en el entramado contractual y frente a terceros ajenos a él.The aim of this thesis is to gain a deeper understanding of the insurance clauses included in contracts for the use of the vessel, as well as the consequences that their inclusion is bound to have on the relationships between the parties to these contracts, particularly in terms of liability; on those between these parties and the insurer(s), both of the vessel and of third party liability; and on the right of the insurer that has paid an indemnity to be subrogated in actions that could assist its insured towards other parties involved in the contractual framework and towards external third parties.La presente tesi di ricerca si propone di approfondire la conoscenza delle clausole assicurative inserite nei contratti di utilizzazione della nave, nonché le conseguenze che la loro inclusione è destinata ad avere sui rapporti tra le parti di tali contratti, in particolare in termini di responsabilità; su quelli tra tali parti e l'assicuratore o gli assicuratori, sia della nave che della responsabilità civile verso terzi; e sul diritto dell’assicuratore che ha pagato un'indennità di essere surrogato nelle azioni che potrebbero assistere il suo assicurato verso altre parti coinvolte nel quadro contrattuale e verso terzi esterni
Walking interview and other qualitative methods to monitor the efficacy of Adventure Education programs with at-risk adolescents
No full textINTRODUZIONE - La presente ricerca è incentrata sul monitoraggio dell’efficacia dei progetti di Educazione Avventura con adolescenti difficili, in particolare del progetto “Lunghi cammini educativi”.
A partire da un’analisi della letteratura sull’educazione esperienziale nature-based e in particolare sull’Adventure Education con adolescenti difficili, è stata progettata una rilevazione empirica attraverso cui sperimentare un metodo di monitoraggio finalizzato a cogliere la dimensione processuale (che nella ricerca nell’ambito resta spesso inesplorata, poiché sono maggiormente diffusi i metodi di monitoraggio cosiddetti “black-box”), utilizzando un sistema integrato di diverse tecniche di rilevazione.
Le due principali domande che hanno guidato la ricerca sono state:
1.Quali processi educativi significativi si innescano e possono essere osservati durante l’esperienza?
2.Il metodo dell’intervista camminata, integrato ad altri metodi, è utile per individuare e monitorare questi processi?
METODO - Collocandosi all’interno di un framework metodologico qualitativo (influenzato da riflessioni post-qualitative, paradigma delle mobilità e sguardo fenomenologico), la ricerca prende la forma di uno studio di caso singolo con due unità di analisi, e prevede la triangolazione di diversi metodi di raccolta dei dati: analisi documentale; osservazione partecipante nei cammini e nelle riunioni di équipe; interviste (prima, durante, dopo il cammino) con differenti tecniche: camminata, “image-elicited”, tradizionale, online.
RISULTATI - L’analisi tematica abduttiva delle interviste e delle osservazioni conferma quanto già evidenziato dalla letteratura circa la centralità della dilatazione del campo d’esperienza e del lavoro su alcune life skills (in particolare, competenze personali e growth mindset).
Emergono anche alcuni key findings inattesi: il notevole “peso” dello stile educativo dell’accompagnatore; la “scoperta” del ruolo della quotidianità all’interno dell’esperienza straordinaria; la necessità di consapevolezza riguardo al potenziale educativo dell’ambiente (naturale e/o antropizzato), per una maggiore intenzionalità nelle scelte strategiche di cammino.
L’intervista camminata, nonostante alcuni limiti, si conferma come metodo effettivamente utile a cogliere la dimensione processuale, e coerente con il contesto indagato.INTRODUCTION - The aim of this study is to monitor the effectiveness of Adventure Education projects with difficult adolescents, particularly the "Long Educational Walks" project.
Starting from a literature review on nature-based experiential education and specifically on Adventure Education with difficult adolescents, an empirical study was designed in order to test a monitoring method aimed at capturing the processual dimension (which often remains unexplored in this research field, as so-called “black-box” monitoring methods are more common), using an integrated system of different research techniques.
The two main questions that guided the research were:
1. What significant educational processes are triggered and can be observed during the experience?
2. Is the walking interview method, integrated with other methods, useful in detecting and monitoring these processes?
METHOD - Within a qualitative methodological framework (influenced by post-qualitative reflections, mobilities paradigm, and phenomenological gaze), the research consists of a case study with two units of analysis, and triangulates different data collection methods: documentary analysis; participant observation during team meetings and during the walking experience; interviews (before, during, after the project) with different techniques: walking, image-elicited, traditional, online interviews.
RESULTS - The abductive thematic analysis of the interviews and observations confirms what has already been highlighted in the literature about the effects of expanding the field of experience and working on certain life skills (especially, personal skills and growth mindset).
Some unexpected key findings also emerge: the considerable “weight” of the adult guide’s educational style; the “discovery” of the role of everyday life aspects within the extraordinary experience; the need for awareness regarding the educational potential of the environment (natural and/or anthropic), for greater intentionality in the strategic choices of the project.
The walking interview, despite some limitations, is confirmed as a useful method to capture the processual dimension, and consistent with the investigated context
Retranslating women's fantastic literature: choices and practices in the Italian publishing field, with a look at the cases of Daphne du Maurier, Shirley Jackson, and Angela Carter
No full textLa presente tesi si concentra sulla tendenza, riscontrata nel panorama editoriale italiano, al repêchage e ritraduzione di letteratura fantastica angloamericana femminile. Il corpus di case studies individuati a tale scopo è costituito da una selezione di testi delle autrici Daphne du Maurier, Shirley Jackson e Angela Carter. Di ogni autrice si sono analizzati il romanzo e il racconto con più pubblicazioni editoriali fra lingua inglese e italiana. Di questi testi si sono esaminate le ritraduzioni italiane, che vanno dal 1958 al 2017, con particolare attenzione alle ritraduzioni degli anni Novanta e Duemila pubblicate dagli editori di cultura. Lo studio prende avvio da un apparato teorico sul problema della ritraduzione e sulle teorie formulate in merito alla letteratura fantastica femminile, coadiuvato da una ricerca all’interno dei cataloghi delle case editrici di cultura che hanno pubblicato le ritraduzioni in esame, confrontati con quelli di tre case editrici di riferimento per quanto riguarda
il settore fantastico-gotico. Una seconda parte della ricerca è inoltre dedicata agli studi sulla
ricezione e sul paratesto, come ulteriore strumento d’analisi del processo di repêchage editoriale
quando coadiuvato dalla pratica ritraduttiva. L’apparato teorico è supportato da una ricerca
qualitativa in merito all’evoluzione paratestuale dei testi selezionati e della ricezione degli stessi nel loro contesto originario e d’arrivo. La
terza e ultima sezione della ricerca è dedicata all’analisi letteraria dei testi in esame. In questo
contesto ha infine un suo spazio lo studio traduttologico contrastivo di una casistica di esempi
linguistici tratti dai testi.
A partire dall’osservazione delle parabole editoriali delle tre autrici, la presente ricerca si propone
dunque di fornire uno sguardo d’insieme sul recente fenomeno del repêchage letterario di opere
fantastiche femminili nel panorama editoriale italiano, e di investigare il ruolo e la portata
socioculturale che la ritraduzione occupa all’interno di questo processo.This dissertation focuses on the Italian publishing's fascination with repêchage and the retranslating of Anglo-American women's fantastic literature. The corpus of selected case studies consists of a choice of texts by authors Daphne du Maurier, Shirley Jackson, and Angela Carter. For each author, we chose to examine their most published novel and short story in the English and Italian language. We then analysed their Italian retranslations, ranging from 1958 to 2017, in particular those carried out in the 1990s and early 2000s by élite publishers. Our study stems from a theoretical framework on retranslation and women's fantastic literature. This apparatus is then supported by quantitative and qualitative research concerning the catalogues of publishers who retranslated the examined works, comparing these to other three publishers active in the fantastic-Gothic field. Another theoretical framework is dedicated to paratext and reception studies, another useful tool for studying editorial repêchage and retranslation. This chapter is sustained by a data set concerning the evolution of the paratextual presentation of the examined texts. The last macro-section concerns the literary analysis of the texts, together with a contrastive study of translated excerpts. This dissertation aims then at investigating the phenomenon of the repêchage of women's fantastic literature in Italy, and the role played by retranslation and paratext in this process
Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of dual inhibitors of GSK-3B and Fyn kinases for the study of inflammatory pathways in neurodegenerative diseases
No full textNeuroinflammation represents a key hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases and is the result of a complex network of signaling cascades within microglial cells. A positive feedback loop exists between inflammation, microglia activation and protein misfolding processes, that, together with oxidative stress and excitotoxicity, lead to neuronal degeneration. Therefore, targeting this vicious cycle can be beneficial for mitigating neurodegeneration and cognitive decline in central nervous system disorders.
At molecular level, GSK-3B and Fyn kinases play a crucial role in microglia activation and their deregulation has been associated to many neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, we envisioned their combined targeting as an effective approach to disrupt this toxic loop. Specifically in this project, a hit compound, based on a 7-azaindole-3-aminothiazole structure, was first identified in a virtual screening campaign, and displayed a weak dual inhibitory activity on GSK-3B and Fyn, unbalanced towards the former. Then, in a commitment to uncover the structural features required for modulating the activity on the two targets, we systematically manipulated this compound by inserting various substitution patterns in different positions. The most potent compounds obtained were advanced to deeper investigations to test their ability of tackling the inflammatory burden also in cellular systems and to unveil their binding modes within the catalytic pocket.
The new class of molecules synthesized emerged as a valuable tool to deepen our understanding of the complex network governing the inflammatory events in neurodegenerative disorders
Development and characterization of innovative graphene-based composites
No full textOver the last decade, graphene and related materials (GRM) have drawn significant interest and resources for their development into the next generation of composite materials. This is because these nanoparticles have the ability to operate as reinforcing additives capable of imparting considerable mechanical property increases while also embedding multi-functional advantages on the host matrix. Because graphene and 2D materials are still in their early stages, the relative maturity of different types of composite systems varies. As a result, certain nanocomposite systems are currently commercially accessible, while others are not yet sufficiently developed to enter the market. A substantial emphasis has been placed on developing thermoplastic and thermosetting materials that combine a variety of mechanical and functional qualities. These include higher strength and stiffness, increased thermal and electrical conductivity, improved barrier properties, fire retardancy, and others, with the ultimate goal of providing multifunctionality to already employed composites.
The work presented in this thesis investigates the use and benefits that GRM could bring to composites for a variety of applications, with the goal of realizing multifunctional components with improved properties that leads to lightweight and, as a result, energy and cost savings and pollution reduction in the environment. In particular, we worked on the following topics:
• Benchmarking of commercial GRM-based master batches;
• GRM-coatings for water uptake reduction;
• GRM as thermo-electrical anti-icing /de-icing system;
• GRM for Out of Oven curing of composites