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Citizen science-informed co-design: community devised technologies for sustainability awareness
No full textThis dissertation investigates the intersection of Citizen Science, sustainability, and technological innovation, emphasizing the co-design of interactive digital tools to foster sustainability awareness. Framed within participatory methodologies, it examines how Citizen Science democratizes knowledge, engages diverse age groups, and aims to encourage sustainable behaviors and civic participation. Leveraging Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) principles, the study integrates tools like serious games and digital platforms to enhance education and community involvement. Through four case studies— GameOn!, CitizER Science in action, AlmAware, and Adrinclusive— this work examines the role of co-design in democratizing technology and fostering active engagement. Each initiative highlights the interplay between Citizen Science, co-design, and HCI, demonstrating how these frameworks empower users to co-create solutions while cultivating ownership and agency. Employing workshops, iterative prototyping, and mixed-method evaluations, the PhD Thesis underscores the effectiveness of these processes in fostering community-driven innovation. This research offers a nuanced framework for Citizen Science-informed co-design, emphasizing its capacity to merge diverse perspectives and foster practical, creative solutions for technological innovation for sustainability awareness. By engaging four cohorts as main actors in the design processes, this dissertation investigates the benefits of Citizen Science-informed co-design of interactive digital tools for addressing complex challenges ranging from ecological challenges to inclusive and sustainable tourism
The Italian musical. History, characters and market of the musical theatre
No full textLa tesi di dottorato analizza l’evoluzione storica, sociale ed economica della commedia musicale, adottando un focus interdisciplinare. Attraverso una ricostruzione storica sulle fonti dalle origini del teatro musicale leggero in Europa e negli Stati Uniti, fino alle declinazioni contemporanee in Italia, la ricerca sottolinea la complessità e la ricchezza di questa forma espressiva. Uno degli aspetti centrali del lavoro riguarda il contesto italiano, analizzato anche mediante l’analisi degli Archivi SIAE, nel quale il musical ha mostrato fasi di grande vitalità, in particolare negli anni ‘50 e ‘60, ma anche una progressiva perdita di impulso innovativo negli anni più recenti. Si sono poste in evidenza le caratteristiche peculiari della produzione, distribuzione e gestione del teatro italiano. La creazione di un database degli spettacoli di musical in Italia, basato sugli archivi del Corriere della Sera, rappresenta un contributo originale della tesi, che fornisce una mappatura storica e quantitativa che integra dati artistici, sociali ed economici. Questo strumento è stato sviluppato in collaborazione con la Scuola del Teatro Musicale, presso cui nel corso del dottorato è stato svolto un periodo di stage. Una parte della ricerca ha consistito in interviste condotte con professionisti del settore. L’evoluzione del genere è posto chiaramente in evidenza dall’analisi delle recensioni di spettacoli di teatro musicale pubblicate sul Corriere della Sera nel periodo 1936-1993. La ricerca esplora inoltre l’impatto dei nuovi media e della digitalizzazione. Essa sottolinea l’importanza di investire nella formazione professionale e nella creazione di reti internazionali per garantire la competitività del musical italiano a livello globale. In conclusione, il musical emerge dalla ricerca come fenomeno multidimensionale, capace di generare valore culturale, economico e sociale. Per garantire un futuro prospero a tale espressione artistica è necessario un approccio che unisca ricerca, innovazione e dialogo col pubblico, promuovendo il musical come parte integrante del patrimonio culturale italiano.The dissertation analyses the historical, social and economic evolution of musical comedy, adopting an interdisciplinary approach, which is often considered minor compared to other forms of musical entertainment. Through a historical reconstruction, from the origins of light musical theatre in Europe and the United States to its contemporary decline in Italy, the research highlights the complexity and richness of this form of expression. One of the central aspects of the work concerns the Italian context, also analysed through the SIAE archives, in which the musical has shown periods of great vitality, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s, but also a progressive loss of innovative impulse in recent years. The creation of a database on musicals in Italy, based on the archives of the Corriere della Sera, represents an original contribution of the thesis. This tool, developed in collaboration with the Scuola del Teatro Musicale, where a stage was carried out, is an important resource and opens up new perspectives for study. The research includes interviews with professionals in the sector which points out the role of the musical as a vehicle for social inclusion and cultural storytelling. The evolution of the genre is also highlighted through an analysis of reviews of musical theatre performances published in the Corriere della Sera from 1936-1993. The research explores the impact of new media and digitalisation. Finally, it underlines the importance of investing in professional training and the creation of international networks to ensure the competitiveness of the Italian musical at a global level. In conclusion, the research shows that the musical is a multidimensional phenomenon capable of generating cultural, economic and social value. To ensure a prosperous future, an integrated approach is needed that combines research, innovation and dialogue with the public, promoting the musical as an integral part of Italy’s cultural heritage
A humanistic approach to environmental sciences with a glance at entomology
No full textThe Anthropocene confronts humanity with a paradox: unprecedented advances in technology and culture coexist with environmental crises that endanger life on Earth. Climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion are interlinked challenges that require rethinking our place in nature. This thesis argues for an interdisciplinary paradigm that combines scientific knowledge with the ethical, cultural, and historical perspectives of the Environmental Humanities. Through case studies spanning gardens, cultural landscapes, ancient water management, entomophagy, sustainable tourism, and entomological collections, the research explores how past knowledge and humanistic insights can guide contemporary strategies for sustainability and resilience. Historic gardens emerge as living laboratories of stewardship, while Roman engineering and land-use practices reveal enduring lessons in resource management. The cultural and ecological value of insects—often marginalized—underscores the urgency of reimagining biodiversity conservation in a climate crisis. These examples show that sustainability is not only technical or political but also ethical, aesthetic, and social. By integrating history, literature, philosophy, and ecology, the thesis challenges anthropocentric narratives of domination and extraction, advocating instead for reciprocity, care, and interdependence. Insects, gardens, and cultural landscapes become sites where humanity and nature intersect, fostering ecological awareness, community engagement, and a sense of responsibility.
Placing the Environmental Humanities at the heart of sustainability discourse, the work argues that today’s crises are existential as well as environmental. Echoing Aldo Leopold’s invitation to see land as a community to which we belong, it proposes a vision of sustainability that honors the complexity, beauty, and wisdom of the natural world—past, present, and future
E-commerce rules in European Union and China: a comparative analysis
Get PDFE-commerce is a vital component of the digital economy and has expanded to encompass all transactions conducted through information networks. With the emergence of “platformization,” increased vulnerability of consumers, and the need for stronger protection, proactive measures are necessary to enhance e-commerce law in order to effectively address complex issues related to online transactions and their environments. The EU and China are significant global economic entities with well-developed e-commerce sectors and substantial regulatory experience. Comparative research on their distinct e-commerce regulatory frameworks can promote mutual understanding and inspire innovative legal designs. This thesis aims to explore and compare the e-commerce regulatory frameworks established by the EU and China, identify the issues covered by regulation, and examine the proposed solutions within both frameworks. Through systematic analysis of these regulations, a comprehensive understanding of key values in modern digital society, including consumer protection, corporate coordination, national economic order, digital sovereignty, and the advancement of the digital economy, can be developed. The thesis is divided into three parts: the first part examines the overall normative systems on e-commerce in the EU and China; the second part focuses on specific regulations for e-commerce transactions, revealing legislative preferences in the EU and China; and the third part discusses the regulatory frameworks for the market and legal environments of e-commerce transactions, analyzing legislative innovations respectively realized in the EU and China
Quantum properties of coherent black holes
Get PDFThe corpuscular model describes black holes as leaky bound states of gravitons.To account for the role of matter, an improved description of nonuniform geometries can be obtained by employing coherent states of gravitons, which recovers the Newtonian potential (with necessary departures) from a coherent state for a scalar field of gravitons in flat spacetime. Given that the majority of black holes in nature are very likely to spin, we study the quantum hair associated with coherent states describing slowly rotating black holes and show how it can be naturally related with the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy and with 1-loop quantum corrections of the metric for the (effectively) non-rotating case.We also estimate corrections induced by such quantum hair to the temperature of the Hawking radiation through the tunnelling method. We then provide a concise review of the key features of the horizon quantum mechanics formalism.This formalism is then applied to electrically neutral and spherically symmetric black hole geometries emerging from coherent quantum states of gravity to compute the probability that the matter source is inside the horizon.We find that quantum corrections to the classical horizon radius become significant if the matter core has a size comparable to the Compton length of the constituents and the system is indeed a black hole with probability very close to one unless the core radius is close to the (classical) gravitational radius
Comparison of different zinc sources at EU authorized level for sustaining gut health in weaned pigs in different physiological conditions
Get PDFPharmacological level of zinc oxide (ZnO) was one of the most used strategies during weaning transition. However, its therapeutic use was banned in the European Union in 2022; hence, the evaluation of different sources of zinc (Zn) that can be as effective at lower inclusion is essential and challenging. This thesis included a meta-analytical and literature review regarding the Zn effects on post weaning piglets as well as two in vivo trials where piglets with different intestinal maturity received different sources of Zn at EU authorised level. Additionally, a study investigating different Zn and copper sources and doses in post-weaning piglets’ diets is included. The meta-analysis confirmed the pharmacological ZnO positive effects, and identified promising alternatives, such as porous, nano, or chelated Zn forms. The second and third study revealed how physiological variations observed may be merely associated to the age at weaning or birth body weight. Therefore, to reduce these discrepancies, novel nutritional strategies should focus on fulfilling the piglets’ Zn requirements while alleviating post-weaning recovery. Additionally, these trials demonstrated that porous ZnO effectively mitigated weaning-associated stress, particularly in early weaned or low birth weight piglets. Both trials revealed a positive influence on the gastrointestinal microbial composition and morphology, which contributed to enhanced activation of the gut immune system and overall health. The last trial confirmed the greater positive outcomes of pharmacological dose of ZnO in piglets’ diets but also highlighted increased fecal Zn concentration as drawback. Notably, supplementation of 300 mg/kg of a porous form of ZnO showed growth performance similar to those of the pharmacological ZnO. In conclusion, despite promising alternatives, no direct replacement for pharmacological ZnO is currently available. Further research is needed to identify Zn sources that can address both local and systemic effects, ultimately improving post-weaning strategies for piglets’ health and performance
Magnetic fields and cosmic rays in the large-scale filaments
Get PDFRecent low-frequency radio observations have revealed the presence of diffuse radio emission on megaparsec scales, along the densest regions of the Cosmic-Web filaments. The discovery of these bridges has triggered the development of theoretical models to explain the particle acceleration mechanisms and the properties of magnetic fields in these previously unexplored regions of the Universe. The primary aim of this Thesis is to investigate, for the first time, the properties of cosmic-web bridges and filaments, focusing on their spectral characterisation, magnetic field properties, and occurrence. In particular, in this Thesis I will focus on the multifrequency study of the most prominent and first discovered example of a radio bridge, between the galaxy clusters Abell 0399 and Abell 0401. Additionally, I have expanded the sample of radio bridges by studying other promising systems, such as the merger between Abell 2061 and Abell 2067. The only two intercluster bridges confirmed thus far are associated with highly dynamic regions between merging galaxy clusters, but fainter, more extended filaments on scales of tens of megaparsecs remain undetected. To gain a comprehensive understanding of magnetic fields in these poorly explored environments, I employed the Faraday rotation measure of linearly polarised sources along the line of sight to magnetised plasma in three rich superclusters: Corona Borealis, Leo, and Hercules. With this method, I detected the presence of magnetic fields at levels higher that what is predicted solely by the adiabatic compression of a primordial seed in cosmic filaments. This work is a step toward constraining theoretical models of cosmic magneto-genesis and particle-acceleration mechanisms on the largest scales. Overall, the work presented in this Thesis highlights the importance of radio observations as probe of the non-thermal emissions and magnetic fields in cosmic filaments, advancing our understanding of their physical nature and role in large-scale structure formation
Investigating novel prognostic factors in patients with acute myeloid leukemia: absolute lymphocyte count and immune transcriptomic bone marrow profile.
Get PDFConcurrently to the extensive characterization of AML blast cell, in recent years the study and interest of microenvironment (ME) in bone marrow (BM) in which AML cells form and grow up and the immunological network established has been rapidly raising.
Absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) is known to be an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) in patients with lymphomas and solid cancers. In AML patients, enhanced ALC recovery after intensive chemotherapy (IC) has been associated with superior OS.
Our project explores the immune transcriptomic profile variation in AML patients treated with chemotherapy and, concurrently, the impact of a clinical prognostic parameter as ALC.
Firstly, we performed a Pancancer Human NanoString panel, using BM samples collected from 48 AML patients, to describe distribution expression before and after therapy. Of note, Nanostring analysis showed significant differences in transcriptomic immune environment between onset and post therapy, especially in gene belonging to immune response.
Secondly, we investigated ALC recovery in the total 188 patients population, from Bologna Seràgnoli Hematology Institute, who were responsive to IC. Among patients treated with “3+7-based” regimen (51,6%), a relevant correlation with OS of patients with ≥500/mm3 ALC (31,9%) vs those under the cut-off (19,6%) was observed at ALC-15. This finding was further statistically significant in patients with ALC≥500/mm3 in all 4 TPs (p=0.02).
ALC recovery was also correlated with MRD value. Among “3+7-based” patients who obtained MRD negativity (n = 52), those who had ≥500/mm3ALC in all ALC TPs (n=29) and in ALC-15 (n=35) resulted in a globally better OS as compared to patients with <500/mm3 ALC. ALC may represent a predictive biomarker to identify patients who may benefit from HSCT. A difference can be spotted when comparing BM onset samples analyzed with NanoString panel, according to ALC and MRD, but more extensive subanalysis are required
The role of INTS3 in transcriptional regulation
Get PDFIntegrator (INT) is an RNA polymerase II-associated transcription complex, comprising fifteen subunits clustered into distinct functional modules. Each module individually contributes to Integrator’s various regulatory roles in transcription which include modulation of RNA Pol II (RNAPII) pause-release transition, endonucleolytic cleavage and processing of nascent RNA species, targeted dephosphorylation of basal transcriptional machinery, and DNA repair. In particular, Integrator subunit 3 (INTS3) has been implicated in DNA damage repair in conjunction with the Sensor of ssDNA (SOSS) complex, alongside a role in preventing reassociation of RNAPII following premature transcriptional termination. However, a satisfactory model of the mechanism by which INTS3 contributes to overall transcriptional regulation still remains elusive. In this light, a dTAG targeted protein degradation (TPD) system for INTS3 was generated in OVCAR8 cells to probe the rapid effects of INTS3 ablation on transcriptional regulation. The degradation of INTS3 is observed to upregulate the expression of various INT subunits and phosphoserine states of Ser2, Ser5 and Ser7 of the carboxyterminal domain (CTD) of RNAPII, and additionally may have an effect on INTAC (INT conjugated with PP2A) complex formation. Furthermore, INTS3 ablation is correlated with changes to the transcriptome with respect to the upregulation of immediate early response genes (IERGs). In a wider context, SOSS complex constituents were found to colocalize with INTS3 across the genome, predominantly at the AP-1 promoter element which is responsible for IERG expression. Moreover, it was observed that splicing factor 3 (SF3) subunits are differentially pulled down dependent on INTS3 ablation. Lastly, INTS3 degradation results in the reduction of RNAPII across the genome alongside an increase in pSer2 and pSer5 states, as well as a more efficient release of RNAPII into the gene body indicated by a decreased traveling ratio for RNAPII
Analysis of toxins removal, inflammation marker and cardiovascular outcome in patients with End Stage Renal Disease
Get PDFIntroduction Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) have a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease due to traditional risk factors (age, male gender, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and physical inactivity) and uremic toxins, which independently contribute to CV damage. Chronic inflammation further exacerbates this risk. Methods This study evaluates the impact of hemodialysis (HD) on toxin removal, inflammatory status, and cardiac outcomes in ESRD patients starting chronic HD at the Nephrology Unit of IRCCS-AOU Bologna. Baseline clinical, biochemical, and echocardiographic data were collected at enrollment (T0) and after three years (T1). Cardiac outcomes included CV-related mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE: myocardial infarction, heart failure (HF) hospitalization, arrhythmias, and atrial fibrillation). Moreover correlation between uremic toxins retention and cardiac modification was made. Results Fifty-five patients (mean age 65.5 years, BMI 25.8) were enrolled. The overall MACE incidence was 47%. At follow-up, four patients (7.27%) died due to CV events, seven (12.7%) were hospitalized for HF, and 12 (23.5%) developed atrial fibrillation. Regarding cardiac remodeling the prevalence of pulmonary hypertension (p=0.041) and pericardial effusion (p=0.037) decreased. Significant correlations emerged between β2-microglobulin and ejection fraction (EF) (r=-0.462, p=0.035), as well as between Kt/V and EF (p=0.001) and ferritin level and interventricular septum thickness (r=0.383, p=0.031). Higher UF rate correlated with EF reduction (r =- 0.205, p=0.049). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a significant association between high UF rate and mortality. Conclusions Cardiovascular risk remains high in HD patients, potentially due to uremic toxin retention and dialysis-related factors. This study highlights the association between UF rate, toxins clearance, and cardiac function in ESRD patients undergoing chronic HD