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The political economy of climate neutrality: building a "green consensus" with new models of deliberative and participatory democracy
Get PDFIn an era characterized by widespread skepticism of institutions at local, national, and supranational levels, the adoption of deliberative and participatory democracy models has emerged as a promising solution to address pressing global challenges, including climate change and local environmental issues. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlights the importance of deliberative policy-making processes in developing adaptation strategies and emphasizes the role of local communities in addressing the climate crisis. Adopting a mixed-method approach that combines case study with quasi-experimental research, this thesis enables a nuanced analysis of how the World Café could influence individual preferences and individual action. Specifically, this research assesses the efficacy of a World Café implemented in two urban and two rural/inner areas, in the Emilia-Romagna and Calabria regions. The fieldwork sought to engender shifts in individual preferences and to establish a ‘green consensus’ among participants regarding environmental issues. A total of 58 individuals participated in the fieldwork activities. The World Café explores three key themes: 1) separate waste collection, a common issue across the four case studies; 2) green urban areas, in Bologna and Cosenza; and 3) renewable energy, in Gazzola and Santa Caterina dello Ionio. Findings highlight the value of participatory processes in driving grassroots environmental initiatives, revealing actionable insights and innovative co-created solutions. Each dialogue empowered participants to build networks and foster collective intelligence, which in some cases led to changes in individual preferences. This study contributes to the growing body of research on participatory approaches to climate change adaptation and highlights the importance of bottom-up initiatives in driving sustainable transition
Cooperative governance in railway infrastructure renewal for new forms of sustainable mobility: the case study of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana S.p.A.
Get PDFNegli ultimi anni, la sostenibilità ha assunto crescente rilevanza, diventando un parametro fondamentale per valutare il benessere e l’efficienza delle attività economiche e umane. La tesi, articolata in tre parti, analizza il tema della sostenibilità nei trasporti, con particolare focus sul mercato ferroviario e sulla gestione della relativa infrastruttura. Le principali questioni affrontate riguardano le iniziative per ridurre le emissioni inquinanti, la modalità di trasporto più sostenibile e le caratteristiche del mercato ferroviario che ne favoriscono lo sviluppo sostenibile. La prima parte evidenzia come la sostenibilità, in particolare ambientale e sociale, sia stata integrata nella regolamentazione internazionale, europea e nazionale. Il quadro normativo analizzato mostra un sostegno prevalente allo sviluppo dei servizi ferroviari e al rinnovamento delle infrastrutture. La seconda parte confronta le quattro principali modalità di trasporto nell’UE (stradale, ferroviario, marittimo e aereo) in termini di normativa, concorrenza, volumi di traffico e sostenibilità. Sebbene il trasporto ferroviario garantisca il miglior livello di sostenibilità ambientale, non è il primo per volumi di merci e passeggeri trasportati, a causa di fattori strutturali e deficit infrastrutturali. Tuttavia, gli interventi infrastrutturali nel settore ferroviario hanno un impatto positivo sulla sostenibilità sociale, giustificando le misure adottate dalle politiche europee e nazionali. La terza parte è dedicata al case study di Rete Ferroviaria Italiana S.p.A. (RFI), che gioca un ruolo chiave nello shift modale verso il trasporto ferroviario. Attraverso un modello di governance cooperativa, RFI assicura la transizione green e lo sviluppo sostenibile delle infrastrutture ferroviarie, garantendo la partecipazione degli stakeholder e il soddisfacimento delle esigenze di mobilità degli utenti.In recent years, sustainability has gained increasing importance, becoming a key parameter for assessing the well-being and efficiency of economic and human activities. This thesis, divided into three parts, analyzes sustainability in transportation, with a particular focus on the railway market and infrastructure management. The main issues addressed include initiatives to reduce pollutant emissions, the most sustainable mode of transport, and the characteristics of the railway market that promote sustainable development. The first part highlights how sustainability, particularly environmental and social, has been integrated into international, European, and national regulations. The analyzed regulatory framework predominantly supports the development of railway services and infrastructure renewal. The second part compares the four main modes of transport in the EU (road, rail, maritime, and air) in terms of regulations, competition, traffic volumes, and sustainability. Although rail transport ensures the highest level of environmental sustainability, it is not the leading mode for freight and passenger volumes due to structural factors and infrastructure deficits. However, infrastructure investments in the railway sector have a positive impact on social sustainability, justifying the measures adopted by European and national policies. The third part is dedicated to the case study of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana S.p.A. (RFI), which plays a key role in the modal shift towards railway transport. Through a cooperative governance model, RFI ensures the green transition and sustainable development of railway infrastructure, guaranteeing stakeholder participation and meeting users' mobility needs
Control-oriented model of refrigeration units for residential and industrial applications
Get PDFThe Vapour Compression System (VCS) is the leading technology in the refrigeration sector, and it is also employed for Heat Pump (HP). The dynamical modelling could play a paramount role in the optimisation of such systems, from the design phase to the development of real-time control applications as Digital Twins. In this context, this work describes in detail the realisation of a dynamical model of a VCS in Simulink®. The model is validated employing experimental data obtained with a test machine, composed of a reciprocating compressor, two brazed-plate Heat Exchangers (HEXs) in counterflow arrangement, the electronic expansion valve and some auxiliaries. The HP behaviour is investigated during different transients of compressor speed and valve opening. The test ring is analysed, and the reliability of the available measurements for the investigation of transients is assessed. The model of each component is developed and validated experimentally; a numerical verification is proposed where suitable data are not avail able. The model of the compressor, the expansion valve, the piping and the vessels are faced with a lumped parameter approach. Much effort is devoted to the HEXs model using a finite volume approach. The work proposes some measures useful to enhance its accuracy and stability and reduce its computational load. The full machine model can predict the process variables with reasonable accuracy. The refrigerant mass flow rate is calculated within 5% of the experimental data. The average pressure deviation in the two HEX settles around 20-40 kPa, corresponding to less than 1 °C in the estimation of the saturation temperature. All the temperatures of the working fluids are estimated with an absolute deviation of less than 1 °C
Enhancing AI conversational agents for effective advice-giving: exploring factors affecting user-agent interactions
No full textAs conversational agents (CAs) become more ubiquitous in digital interactions, it becomes essential to understand whether their design influences users. This study investigates the CA communication style in terms of language formality, avatar outfit formality, and advice alignment to see how these factors influence psychological reactance and intention to follow advice. Based on politeness theory, psychological reactance theory, and responsibility attribution theory, three empirical models test some key determinants affecting CA effectiveness in advice-taking situations. Model 1 examines the effect of language and avatar formality on advice adherence. Results indicate that formal language has a significant positive effect on adivce adherence, whereas the formality of the avatar outfit has no effect. Mediation tests indicate that formal language increases perceived negative politeness, which in turn has an impact on reactance and adivce adherence. In Model 2, the effect of language directness and advice alignment on adivce adherence is examined. Outcomes show that aligned advice with user’s previous preferences reduces psychological reactance, thereby increasing adivce adherence. Language directness, nonetheless, does not independently affect adivce adherence, which attests to the importance of alignment in overcoming resistance to AI suggestions. In Model 3, the focus turns to how responsibility attribution and the success or failure of an advice received from a CA impact future adoption of a chatbot. Users put less responsibility on a CA for the outcome when they received advice that is aligned with their previous preference. While the success of the dvice directly affects intention to use the CA positively. In summary, this research advances human-machine interaction literature by clarifying how verbal and nonverbal cues influence user behavior in AI-driven advice settings. Practical implications include strategies for designing persuasive, user-centered CAs that optimize engagement and adherence while managing user resistance and responsibility perceptions
You, robot. Towards new models of human-robot interaction
Get PDFIl presente lavoro tenta di avviare un’indagine inerente a modalità alternative di impiegare i robot per comprendere i fenomeni particolari della cognizione umana, mostrando come sia possibile non solo utilizzarli per testare ipotesi riguardo ai funzionamenti interni del nostro pensiero, ma anche le nostre modalità di interagire con gli altri. L’obiettivo principale consiste nel mostrare come sia possibile instradare un’indagine in cui i robot ricoprono il ruolo di interlocutori in un dialogo. L’approccio adottato coincide con quello delle teorie enattiviste della cognizione. Attraverso il contributo congiunto di filosofia e scienze cognitive, si tenterà di sviluppare l’indagine sulla Human-Robot Interaction prendendo in considerazione fenomeni al centro del campo disciplinare. La tesi arriverà a mostrare come, adottando i modelli della collaborazione, del dialogo e dell’alterità sia possibile fornire interpretazioni alternative dei fenomeni in oggetto e riconfigurare l’indagine sotto l’insegna della partecipazione.
La tesi è strutturata come segue. Il Capitolo I ricostruisce i presupposti epistemologici che hanno consentito alla macchina di assumere il ruolo di strumento di conoscenza privilegiato nell’indagine dell’essere umano. Il Capitolo II fornisce una ricostruzione delle mutue contaminazioni tra la robotica e le scienze cognitive, analizzando i modi in cui ipotesi teoriche e implementazioni pratiche hanno modellato l’indagine sui processi cognitivi e sulle realizzazioni artificiali. Il Capitolo III restituisce un’analisi dello stato dell’arte degli studi sulla HRI e fornisce un’analisi del robot come artefatto mimetico, sintetico e, al contempo, sincretico. Il Capitolo IV considera il fenomeno dell’attribuzione di intenzionalità ad artefatti robotici e fornisce un’analisi del robot come artefatto sincretico. Il Capitolo V elabora una variante del gioco dell’imitazione basata sulla reciprocità dell’interazione e sulla centralità dei breakdown: la teoria viene testata sull’Uncanny Valley Effect come fenomeno limite dell’esperienza umana di fronte al robot, concludendo con l’apertura di alcune nuove linee di ricerca nel campo dell’epistemologia e dell’apprendimento robotico.This work explores novel approaches to using robots in the study of human cognition. Moving beyond their traditional role as tools for testing hypotheses about internal thought processes, it demonstrates how robots can illuminate the dynamics of human interaction. The central argument positions robots not merely as passive instruments for validating individualistic theories, but as active participants in dialogue. This perspective is grounded in enactivist theories of cognition, integrating insights from philosophy and cognitive science to examine key phenomena in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). The thesis proposes a paradigm shift: moving from models based on substitution, individuality, and replication toward those emphasizing collaboration, dialogue, and alterity. This transformation enables fresh interpretations of HRI phenomena within a participatory framework. The work unfolds across five chapters. Chapter I reconstructs the epistemological foundations that have established machines as privileged instruments for understanding human cognition. Chapter II investigates the bidirectional influences between robotics and cognitive sciences, analyzing how theoretical models and practical implementations have shaped research in both cognitive processes and artificial systems. Chapter III presents a state-of-the-art analysis of HRI, examining the robot as a mimetic, synthetic, and fundamentally syncretic artifact. Chapter IV explores the attribution of intentionality to robotic artifacts, reframing robot agency within a syncretic framework. Chapter V develops a novel variation of the imitation game, emphasizing interactional reciprocity and the significance of breakdowns. This theoretical model is evaluated against the Uncanny Valley Effect as a boundary phenomenon in human-robot interaction, concluding with proposals for new research directions in epistemology and robotic learnin
The transcription of the court application.
Get PDFIl presente lavoro esamina l’istituto della trascrizione, in particolare la trascrizione delle domande giudiziali. La trascrizione delle domande giudiziali, prevista dagli artt. 2652 e 2653 c.c., mira a risolvere conflitti fra l'attore che ha proposto la domanda e terzi aventi causa dal convenuto. A differenza di quanto disposto da altre legislazioni, la trascrizione delle domande giudiziali non costituisce un requisito di procedibilità, ma vale solo ad individuare l'ambito soggettivo di efficacia della sentenza. Con la formalità pubblicitaria in discorso si realizza un effetto prenotativo e cautelare, in forza del quale gli effetti della sentenza retroagiscono al momento della trascrizione della domanda stessa. La trascrizione ha, quindi, un’efficacia atipica, che è quella di conservare la situazione giuridica del bene per tutta la durata del processo. Ne consegue che la trascrizione vincola il bene oggetto della domanda fino alla conclusione del giudizio. L’analisi dell’istituto non può non far emergere le criticità anche con riferimento agli effetti dello stesso. Infatti, i rigidi effetti che discendono dalla trascrizione della domanda giudiziale possono, apparentemente, venire in conflitto con l’art. 111 c.p.c., che disciplina la successione a titolo particolare nel diritto controverso, con l’art. 50 c.p.c. che disciplina la translatio iudicii, nonché con quelle procedure che possono essere “congelate” o, comunque, ostacolate dalla presenza di una domanda giudiziale trascritta, fra le quali le procedure concorsuali. Fra le situazioni patologiche della trascrizione della domanda giudiziale, quella da più tempo risalente e con riferimento alla quale si assiste ad un ampio dibattito dottrinale e giurisprudenziale è quella relativa alle fattispecie di trascrizione illegittima e ingiusta, in relazione alla quale l’ordinamento italiano non fornisce rimedi immediati per far fronte al pregiudizio sofferto da colui contro il quale la formalità è eseguita. Da ultimo, l’analisi delle situazioni patologiche rivela uno stretto collegamento con la figura del Conservatore dei Registri Immobiliari.This paper analyzes the transcription of judicial applications, as outlined in Articles 2652 and 2653 of the Civil Code. Unlike other legal systems, this transcription is not a procedural requirement but serves to define the subjective scope of a judgment’s effects. It ensures that the ruling applies retroactively from the time of transcription, preserving the legal status of the property throughout litigation. The transcription has a precautionary function, binding the property in question until the judgment’s conclusion. However, its rigid effects raise critical issues, particularly in relation to Article 111 c.p.c. (succession in title of the disputed right), Article 50 c.p.c. (translatio iudicii), and procedures that may be hindered by a transcribed judicial application, such as bankruptcy proceedings. A significant challenge concerns cases of illegitimate or unjust transcription, which have long been debated in doctrine and jurisprudence. The Italian legal system does not provide immediate remedies for individuals affected by wrongful transcriptions, leading to potential prejudice against those subjected to them. Lastly, the study highlights the crucial role of the Registrar of Real Estate Records in managing transcription-related disputes and ensuring legal clarity
Lactate signalling in chemoresistance: from a potential threat to a therapeutic opportunity.
Get PDFCancer cells are characterized by high glucose consumption, leading to increased lactate production. Once considered a waste product, lactate was recently shown to take part in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression, in promoting the unlimited growth of cancer cells and in facilitating metastasis. Furthermore, aberrant metabolism of cancer cells emerged as significant factor affecting drug efficacy and several evidences correlated some therapeutic failures with changes in cell metabolic asset.
My Ph.D. project is focused at characterizing the effects of lactate signalling in cancer cells, with special attention to the potential role of this metabolite in modifying the response of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic treatments and in promoting the onset of drug resistance. In particular, this thesis describes how lactate influences the response of cancer cells to some commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs, such us cisplatin, doxorubicin and tamoxifen, while also highlighting the potential role of lactate in promoting the activated state of the EGFR receptor. The investigation was conducted using different cancer cell lines, with special attention on colon and breast adenocarcinomas. Overall, the described experiments have elucidated that lactate can induce drug resistance through pathways that may differ according to cancer cell histology.
In agreement with our findings, it would be essential to develop strategies to obtain the inhibition of lactate production. A direct way for achieving this goal is through the inhibition of LDHA, the primary enzyme isoform responsible for lactate production in cancer cells. In this context, I collaborated in a study coordinated by Professors Alejandro Hochkoeppler and Luca Gentilucci, (University of Bologna) who designed peptides with potential inhibition on LDHA activity. The conclusive section of this thesis describes experiments aimed at evaluating the efficacy of these peptides in cancer cell cultures
Auditory spatial attention in surrounding space. Effects of the front and rear hemifields and impact of music training.
Get PDFL'attenzione spaziale uditiva riguarda l’orientamento della percezione verso una specifica posizione. Alcuni studi hanno affrontato la questione esaminando prevalentemente porzioni dello spazio anteriore con diversi paradigmi, tra i quali il cueing spaziale.
Tuttavia, le evidenze sugli effetti dell'attenzione sull’intero spazio circostante sono ancora scarse, e non è chiaro se gli effetti osservati nell’emicampo anteriore possano replicarsi in quello posteriore. Ci si chiede se la forma quadratica dei gradienti attentivi, riportata in letteratura, possa essere replicata considerando i 360°. Inoltre, ci si chiede se la distribuzione spaziale dell'attenzione differisca tra musicisti e non musicisti.
Lo studio indaga quindi l’intero spazio circostante, utilizzando un compito di discriminazione uditiva con suggerimento spaziale. I partecipanti sedevano al centro di un sistema di 6 altoparlanti, disposti attorno ad essi a copertura dei 360°.
Nel primo esperimento, due gruppi di partecipanti svolgevano uno tra due compiti: nel primo (attenzione transiente) la posizione attesa veniva anticipata trial-by-trial da un cue visivo, mentre nel secondo (attenzione sostenuta) la posizione attesa veniva comunicata prima dell’inizio di ciascun blocco e mantenuta costante.
I risultati mostrano risposte più veloci nelle prove valide rispetto alle invalide, con un andamento quadratico del gradiente attentivo. Nel compito di attenzione transiente, le risposte erano sorprendentemente più lente nelle prove neutre. Il disimpegno attentivo da posizioni anteriori era più difficoltoso. Invece, gli spostamenti da posizioni posteriori erano più rapidi. Nel compito di attenzione sostenuta questa tendenza era solo parzialmente evidente. Il confronto tra i due esperimenti ha mostrato una diversa distribuzione degli effetti attentivi al variare della distanza cue-target.
Nel secondo esperimento, abbiamo confrontato musicisti e non musicisti sul compito di attenzione transiente. I musicisti hanno mostrato maggior velocità e accuratezza in tutte le condizioni, soprattutto nelle prove neutre. Essi mostrano inoltre una performance più omogenea nello spazio.Auditory spatial attention involves focusing perception toward a specific location. Several studies have addressed the issue examining mainly portions of the front hemifield with different paradigms, including the spatial cueing.
However, evidence on the effects of attention among the entire surrounding space is still scarce, and it’s unclear whether the effects observed in the front hemifield can be replicated in the rear hemifield. The question arises as to whether the quadratic shape of attention gradients, reported in recent literature, can be replicated considering the 360° space. In addition, we wonder if the spatial distribution of attention differs between musicians and non-musicians.
The present study investigates the whole surrounding space, using an auditory discrimination task with spatial cueing. Participants sat in the center of a 6 speakers system, arranged around them and covering all 360°.
In the first experiment, two groups of participants performed one of two tasks: in the first (transient attention) the expected target location was anticipated trial-by-trial by a visual cue, while in the second (sustained attention) the expected location was communicated before the start of each block and kept constant.
Results showed faster responses in valid than invalid trials, with a quadratic shape attention gradient for both tasks. In the transient attention task, responses were surprisingly slower in neutral trials. Attentional disengagement from front locations was more difficult. Conversely, shifts from the rear were faster. In the sustained attention task this tendency was only partially evident. The comparison between the two experiments showed a different distribution of attention effects depending on cue-target distance.
In the second experiment, we compared musicians and non-musicians on the transient attention task. Musicians showed greater speed and accuracy in all conditions, especially in neutral trials. They also show a more homogeneous performance throughout the whole surrounding space
When you can't stop the waves: navigating career insecurity in the early career stage
Get PDFUncertainty has long been viewed as an inherent nature of individuals’ careers (Trevor-Roberts, 2006). The concept of career insecurity essentially considers the increasing uncertainties in the modern work environment and its significance to a person’s future career development. In light of the risks and precarity that young people face in the present labor market, this dissertation focused its research on the career insecurity of early career individuals. The overarching aim of the three studies that were conducted in this research project was to examine the adaptiveness of the resources and strategies that early career individuals employ to cope with their career insecurity. Study 1 of this dissertation explored the importance of psychological and social career resources in the perceptions of career insecurity among university students. Whereas Study 2 and Study 3 of this dissertation focused on testing a conceptual model of coping with career insecurity. The general findings of this dissertation offer meaningful contributions to the growing field of research on career insecurity by highlighting the significance of both personal and contextual resources, as well as the importance of early career individuals’ coping responses. In brief, the insights gained from this research project can serve as a stepping stone to help address early career individuals’ career insecurity and sustain their endeavors as they navigate the uncertainties of the future world of work
Medicinal and aromatic pants as innovative and sustainable approach for phytoremediation of polluted soils
Get PDFSoil contamination by heavy metals and nitrates from industrial and agricultural sources poses critical environmental and health risks globally. This study examines the potential of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs)—specifically Urtica dioica L., Melissa officinalis L., and Hypericum perforatum L.—for phytoremediation of nitrate and nickel-contaminated soils. Phytoremediation is a sustainable and cost-effective method, based on the uptake abilities of non-edible plants to reduce contaminants in soil without introducing these pollutants into the food chain. Urtica dioica L., a nitrophilous species, was evaluated for nitrate uptake in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones of Emilia Romagna, Italy, showing high biomass yields under nitrate-rich conditions and promising bioactive compounds content. Additionally, Melissa officinalis L. and Hypericum perforatum L., tested for nickel uptake in controlled environments, exhibited tolerance and accumulation capacities, with nickel retained in roots. Both species showed high essential oil and biomass production as well as bioactive compounds production in Nickel-contaminate conditions. Results indicate that MAPs are effective in absorbing and stabilizing soil contaminants while producing valuable secondary metabolites. This integrated approach highlights MAPs as promising agents for mitigating soil pollution, producing commercially valuable compounds, and supporting sustainable environmental management practices