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Sustainable and integrated urban transport networks: the role of mobility hubs
Get PDFThis thesis explores the role of Mobility Hubs (MHs) in promoting sustainable, integrated, and resilient urban transport networks. In response to the need for a green urban transition, MHs are positioned as central elements in achieving efficient, accessible, and multimodal transport networks. Defined as dedicated spaces where different public and shared transport options are available, MHs are evaluated for their potential to improve transport network resilience and reduce dependence on private vehicles. The thesis is structured into four main parts. The first provides the theoretical background, outlining the importance of MHs, key challenges in sustainable mobility, and the thesis objectives. The second part presents a systematic review of transport network resilience literature, introducing relevant concepts and methodologies, including topological, recovery, optimization, data-driven, and simulation approaches, with a focus on multimodal urban contexts. Building on this, the third part applies network analysis to identify strategic MH locations, using metrics such as betweenness centrality and efficiency. A case study of Munich illustrates how integrating bike-sharing systems with public transport can enhance overall network resilience. This part also introduces a multi-criteria analysis (MCA) approach, involving stakeholder input to determine optimal MH locations based on robustness and other decision-making factors. The fourth part expands the analysis to policy and planning. Through stakeholder engagement and collaborations, particularly with the city of Rimini, it explores the application of MH concepts in real urban contexts. The discussion includes the role of urban form, project implementation (e.g., BRT systems), and recommendations for sustainable mobility policies. Concluding remarks emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of the research, highlighting MHs as key enablers of sustainable urban mobility and offering a framework for future planning, design, and policy decisions
Data-driven and machine-learning approaches for just and healthy urban planning
Get PDFClimate change is intensifying the frequency, severity, and duration of extreme weather events such as heatwaves and wildfires, disproportionately affecting vulnerable urban populations, particularly the elderly. This thesis presents a dual risk assessment focused on populations aged 65 and older in Bologna, Italy, and California, the United States. By integrating environmental, infrastructural, and demographic data, it identifies susceptibilities and proposes data-driven mitigation strategies using Machine Learning (ML). Using wildfire (2014–2021) and heatwave (2014–2023) data at the census tract level, the study develops risk maps under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) scenarios 4.5, 6.0, and 8.5. It applies Random Forest (RF) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models to identify high-risk urban areas, advocating for transdisciplinary and equitable urban resilience strategies. The methodology builds upon the risk triangle, hazard, exposure, and vulnerability. Hazards include temperature extremes and wildfire intensity. Exposure is assessed through population density in hazard-prone areas. Vulnerability accounts for age, gender, socioeconomic status, health, and built infrastructure. Advanced Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and ML methods enhance the assessment’s scalability and accuracy over traditional approaches. This dissertation documents and evaluates the methodology through a structured three-phase approach: creation, analysis, and application of risk maps. The creation phase uses ML to model spatial and temporal risk dynamics. Case studies in Bologna and California demonstrate the integration of diverse datasets, including meteorological, topographical, and demographic variables. The analysis phase optimizes model performance using GridSearchCV and the Hippopotamus Optimization Algorithm (HOA), validated through confusion matrices, statistical metrics, and ROC curves. In the application phase, risk maps inform urban planning and highlight strategies to protect the elderly. This study develops a data-driven framework for climate risk assessment and mitigation. By merging Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), ML, and urban planning, it promotes healthier, more equitable, and climate-resilient cities
Emerging contaminants and health: potential effects of endocrine disruptors on humans and the environment
Get PDFEndocrine disruptors (EDs) constitute a critical global health challenge. Their ubiquitous environmental presence and ability to perturb intricate hormonal signaling are increasingly implicated in adverse neurological outcomes. This investigation examined the neurotoxic potential of six representative EDs -- pesticides (atrazine, cypermethrin, vinclozolin), industrial agents (diethyl phthalate, PFOS), and a pharmaceutical (17α-ethinyl estradiol) -- utilizing the SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cell line. Cellular viability, reactive oxygen species generation, and microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles were meticulously assessed. Exposure to pesticides elicited specific miRNA modulation (miR-200a-3p, miR-146b-5p, miR-29b-3p), targeting the pivotal PI3K/Akt/mTOR cell proliferation pathway. Molecular analysis revealed significant upregulation of key pro-proliferative markers (ADM12, Bcl-2, MMP2, CDK6, HDAC4, p-Akt/mTOR) alongside p53 downregulation. Conversely, diethyl phthalate, PFOS, and 17α-ethinyl estradiol induced a distinct miRNA downregulation (miR-18b-5p, miR-133b, miR-200a-3p, miR-653-5p), suggesting involvement of the Ras signaling cascade, with subsequent validation confirming modulation of pathway components (CDK6, SOS1, PTEN) and marked Ras pathway activation via Western Blot, particularly with 17α-ethinyl estradiol. The months spent at BioBasic Europe enabled a crucial step in bridging in vitro findings to human relevance. Specifically, prevalent ED sunscreen components, namely ethylhexyl salicylate and avobenzone, were identified in commercially available products and subsequently tested for their toxicity. Furthermore, nickel levels in these consumer products were also assessed to ascertain its presence. Collectively, these findings underscore the neurotoxic capacity of EDs through the dysregulation of gene expression and critical signaling pathways, warranting further mechanistic elucidation to inform effective preventative strategies against chronic environmental exposure. This research project was funded by the National Operational Programme Research and Innovation 2014-2020 (CCI 2014IT16M2OP005), ESF REACT-EU resources, Action IV.4 “Doctorates and research contracts on innovation topics” and Action IV.5 “Doctorates on Green topics"
Modeling perception of human-robot interaction: toward natural and social HRI experiences
Get PDFThe increasing integration of robotic systems into various domains such as industrial, medical, and social environments highlights the growing importance of user-centered design to ensure these technologies enhance human well-being and inclusivity. This thesis investigates the development of a generalized human-driven control architecture aimed at enabling natural and socially-aware human-robot interaction. The proposed framework draws on insights from biomechanics, physiology, psychology, and social science to construct a comprehensive model of the user’s experience. This model enables robotic systems to dynamically adapt their behavior, fostering interactions that are both personalized and empathetic. The research focuses on two domains where user experience is central: collaborative industrial robotics and robotic neurorehabilitation. In industrial settings, cobots are designed to complement human capabilities, improving ergonomics, efficiency, and operator well-being. In neurorehabilitation, robotic systems aim to enhance therapeutic practices and patient engagement through socially-responsive behaviors. These two application areas serve as testbeds for implementing and validating the proposed framework. The methodology consists of three phases: a thorough literature review to identify key user experience factors in HRI; the design and implementation of experimental setups in the selected domains; and validation through empirical studies with diverse participant groups, including neurodivergent individuals. The approach emphasizes ethical considerations and non-invasive data collection, ensuring usability and privacy compliance. Experimental results demonstrate the framework’s capacity to integrate heterogeneous data—biomechanical, physiological, psychological, and social—into actionable insights for real-time robotic adaptation. By enabling smoother, more inclusive interactions, the framework supports a user-centered approach to robotics. Based on these results, the thesis outlines practical guidelines for replicating and extending the architecture across different scenarios, emphasizing its potential to improve usability and social acceptability in HRI. The findings underscore the relevance of interdisciplinary approaches in designing robotic systems that prioritize human experience. Future work will focus on refining adaptability and extending applications to broader contexts.La crescente integrazione di sistemi robotici in ambiti industriali, medici e sociali richiede una sempre maggiore attenzione a un design centrato sull’utente, per garantire che tali tecnologie promuovano benessere e inclusività. Questa tesi presenta lo sviluppo di un’architettura di controllo generalizzata incentrata sull’esperienza dell’utente, al fine di favorire interazioni uomo-robot più naturali e sociali. Il framework proposto integra contributi da biomeccanica, fisiologia, psicologia e scienze sociali per offrire un modello completo dell’esperienza dell’utente, consentendo l’adattamento dinamico dei comportamenti robotici in modo personalizzato ed empatico. Le attività di ricerca si focalizzano su due contesti applicativi principali: la robotica collaborativa industriale e quella neuroriabilitativa. Nel primo caso, i cobot sono impiegati per migliorare ergonomia, efficienza e benessere degli operatori, coniugando la flessibilità umana con la precisione robotica. Nel secondo, i robot supportano le pratiche terapeutiche favorendo il coinvolgimento dei pazienti e l’efficacia riabilitativa tramite comportamenti adattivi e socialmente responsivi. Entrambi gli ambiti fungono da banco di prova per l’implementazione e validazione dell’architettura proposta. La metodologia si articola in tre fasi: revisione della letteratura per individuare i fattori chiave dell’esperienza utente in HRI; progettazione e realizzazione di setup sperimentali nei due ambiti selezionati; validazione empirica tramite studi con partecipanti eterogenei, inclusi soggetti neurodivergenti. L’approccio sperimentale è guidato da principi etici e privilegia la raccolta di dati non invasiva, nel rispetto degli standard di privacy. I risultati evidenziano la capacità dell’architettura di integrare segnali biomeccanici, fisiologici e sociali, traducendoli in strategie adattive in tempo reale. Le soluzioni proposte supportano un controllo robot centrato sull’utente, e la tesi fornisce linee guida pratiche per la sua estensione in contesti diversi, promuovendo usabilità e accettabilità sociale
Green agricultural innovations to face food and climate crises
No full textDespite their crucial importance, the role of seed-borne microorganisms during germination is still largely unexplored. Agricultural crops are often treated with pest control agents. However, there is growing interest in using biodegradable, bio-based materials to replace synthetic polymers in seed treatments. Consequently, culturing methods and basic DNA approaches are likely inadequate for assessing microbial contamination or treatment effects on seed-borne microbes during germination. The main objective of this study was to develop a novel seed quality approach and a cost-effective, easy-to-use tool to elucidate interactions between seed-borne microorganisms and treated seeds during germination. The first chapter summarizes the development of a germination apparatus specifically designed to examine both seed germination and seed-borne microorganism growth. The apparatus, patent pending, was designed and produced using 3D-printing technology, fits standard single-use 50-mL centrifuge tubes, and prevents microbial contamination from external sources. The second chapter focuses on seed-borne microorganisms, particularly endophytes. The use of the germination tube was combined with traditional microbiological techniques and advanced Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) metabarcoding analysis. This approach allowed the identification of the entire fungal community recovered from corn germinating seeds. The results highlight the importance of carefully monitoring the use of fungicides in seed treatments, as they could promote the selection of microorganisms with resistance, such as Aspergillus flavus, a fungus of agricultural and medical relevance. The final chapter presents a study on using biochar in corn seed treatment to improve germination. Being a bio-based solution, the study also investigated the potential growth of a key fungus of corn seeds, Aspergillus flavus. In conclusion, the germination apparatus enabled deeper investigation of seed–microorganism interactions during germination. Findings from these studies support using this tool and NGS to assess seed quality, especially relevant given rising interest in bio-based seed treatments and beneficial microbes to enhance germination and protection
Textbooks and digital variabilities. Transdisciplinarity and design for teaching
No full textQuesto progetto di ricerca esplora il ruolo dei libri di testo nell'era della transizione digitale, adottando un approccio transdisciplinare per analizzare le interconnessioni tra produzione editoriale, trasformazioni tecnologiche e progettazione didattica. Articolato in tre capitoli principali, il seguente elaborato affronta: l’evoluzione storica del libro come oggetto materiale, evidenziando le "rivoluzioni lente e silenziose" che ne hanno trasformato forme e usi; i processi editoriali contemporanei, esaminati con uno sguardo etnosemiotico, per comprendere l'impatto delle interfacce digitali sulla progettazione e produzione dell’oggetto libro; e la necessità di media education, considerando il ruolo dei libri di testo e delle loro variabilità digitali come strumenti da far coesistere nella progettazione di una didattica integrata. La tesi analizza come la materialità e l'interattività dei libri digitali ridefiniscano le pratiche di apprendimento, sottolineando la necessità di un approccio semiotico per ottimizzarne l’utilizzo in contesti didattici. Attraverso uno studio sul campo presso una casa editrice, vengono esaminati i processi di produzione editoriale e le trasformazioni digitali, evidenziando le dinamiche di sincretismo, multilinearità e multimodalità che caratterizzano gli oggetti digitali. Infine, il lavoro propone una visione integrata del libro come luogo di convergenza tra tecnica, cultura e pratiche sociali, ponendo l'accento sull'importanza di metodologie transdisciplinari per progettare soluzioni educative innovative nell’era postmediale.This research project explores the role of textbooks in the era of digital transition, adopting a transdisciplinary approach to analyze the interconnections among editorial production, technological transformations, and instructional design. Structured in three main chapters, this thesis addresses: the historical evolution of the book as a material object, highlighting the "slow and silent revolutions" that have reshaped its forms and uses; contemporary editorial processes, examined through an ethnosemiotic lens to understand the impact of digital interfaces on the design and production of the book-object; and the need for media education, considering the role of textbooks and their digital variants as tools to be integrated within the design of inclusive, blended pedagogies. The study investigates how the materiality and interactivity of digital books redefine learning practices, emphasizing the need for a semiotic approach to optimize their use in educational contexts. Through a field study conducted within a publishing house, it examines editorial production processes and digital transformations, highlighting the dynamics of syncretism, multilinearity, and multimodality that characterize digital objects. Finally, the work proposes an integrated vision of the book as a site of convergence between technology, culture, and social practices, stressing the importance of transdisciplinary methodologies in designing innovative educational solutions for the post-media era
Machine learning aided statistics of flux vacua and their cosmological applications
No full textThis thesis investigates targeted regions of the string landscape, focusing on Type IIB compactifications and their implications for moduli stabilization and cosmology. I develop a systematic algorithm for constructing flux vacua in finite regions of moduli space, demonstrating its effectiveness on a two-moduli Calabi-Yau threefold. This approach reveals local deviations from statistical expectations and intricate structures in vacuum distributions. Moreover, it enables the identification of phenomenologically promising solutions with small superpotential values at large complex structure and at tree-level, i.e. without non-perturbative effects. I also estimate the leading higher-derivative corrections to supergravity derived from Type IIB compactifications and assess their impact on LVS inflation models. Using the Kreuzer-Skarke database, I perform a classification for divisor topologies suitable to tame these higher-derivative corrections so that they do not ruin the flatness of the potential of existing string inflation models, focusing in particular on blow-up inflation, fibre inflation, and poly-instanton inflation. When these corrections are present, I show that they slightly modify the inflationary dynamics without however altering the predictions for the main cosmological observables
Essays on bootstrap methods in econometrics
No full textThis thesis proposes novel implementations of the bootstrap in econometrics. Chapter 1 explores bootstrap methods for test statistics showing an asymptotic bias which is difficult, or impossible, to estimate, proposing modifications of standard bootstrap methods delivering valid inference, totally bypassing bias estimation. Chapter 2 develops enhanced inference techniques for nonparametric regression and regression-discontinuity designs, introducing novel bootstrap approaches for debiasing with greater efficiency than the current state-of-the-art. Chapter 3 tackles the problem of invalidity of “standard” bootstrap methods in a predictive regression setup, when the predictability parameter may lie on the boundary of the parameter space, proposing a modified approach restoring bootstrap validity. Chapter 4 investigates the flattening of the Phillips Curve, presenting a time-varying structural estimation framework to disentangle underlying drivers of macroeconomic shifts. Finally, Chapter 5 contributes to robust inference on stochastic time-varying coefficients, proposing new confidence intervals which are robust to “large” – and more efficient – bandwidths. Collectively, these contributions advance theoretical and practical econometric tools for addressing complex real-world economic problems
Postcards from the Alps. A study on the social construction of mountain imaginaries between enchantment, disenchantment, and re-enchantment
No full textNegli ultimi anni, la montagna ha acquisito una crescente centralità nei processi simbolici che ridefiniscono il rapporto tra uomo e natura. Le crisi ecologiche, l’accelerazione tecnologica e l’instabilità sociale hanno favorito nuove sensibilità nei confronti del paesaggio alpino, spesso vissuto come soglia rigenerativa, rifugio identitario o spazio di transizione. Allo stesso tempo, si sono accentuate tensioni tra la presenza umana e la fragilità ambientale, tra turismo e necessità di cura, tra narrazioni promozionali e vissuti quotidiani. In questo contesto, le Alpi si configurano come luogo privilegiato per osservare l’evoluzione dell’immaginario “green” contemporaneo. La tesi analizza come la montagna venga percepita, narrata e abitata da diversi attori sociali, attraverso un quadro teorico che distingue tre regimi immaginali: incantamento, disincantamento e reincantamento. L’incanto si manifesta in un legame affettivo con il paesaggio; il disincanto mette in luce le fratture tra immaginario e realtà vissuta; il reincanto attiva invece pratiche e narrazioni orientate alla rigenerazione simbolica e progettuale dei luoghi. In tutti e tre i regimi, il corpo rappresenta un’interfaccia attiva tra visioni collettive e gesti situati. L’indagine si basa su un approccio metodologico misto, che combina 20 interviste in profondità – con abitanti della Val Gandino, trail-runner e appassionati di dighe – a un questionario somministrato a 289 escursionisti nelle Orobie bergamasche. L’obiettivo è far emergere le configurazioni simboliche che orientano l’esperienza alpina, mettendo in luce pratiche, narrazioni e traiettorie di senso. I risultati mostrano un paesaggio immaginale stratificato, attraversato da tensioni e possibilità. La montagna si configura così come un laboratorio della modernità sensibile, in cui si sperimentano nuove forme di abitabilità, appartenenza e relazione ecologica.In recent decades, the mountains have taken on an increasingly central role in the symbolic reconfiguration of the relationship between humans and nature. Ecological crises, technological acceleration, and social instability have fostered new sensitivities toward the Alpine landscape, often experienced as a threshold for regeneration, an identity refuge, or a liminal space. At the same time, tensions have grown between human presence and environmental fragility, tourist influxes and the need for care, promotional rhetoric and everyday lived experiences. Within this framework, the Alps emerge as a privileged setting to observe the transformation of contemporary “green” imaginaries. This thesis investigates how the mountain is perceived, narrated, and inhabited by different social actors, drawing on a theoretical framework built around three regimes of imagination: enchantment, disenchantment, and re-enchantment. Enchantment today takes the form of a sensitive and emotional relationship with the landscape; disenchantment reveals fractures between imagined and lived reality; while re-enchantment involves symbolic and practical resemantization processes, aimed at regeneration and reclaiming the meaning of places. In each of these regimes, the body acts as the active interface between imagination and practice, translating collective visions into situated gestures. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining 20 in-depth interviews—with residents of the Val Gandino, trail runners, and dam enthusiasts—and an exploratory questionnaire administered to 289 hikers in the Bergamasque Orobie. The goal is to explore the symbolic configurations shaping mountain experience, highlighting practices, narratives, and trajectories of meaning. The findings show that the Alps are traversed by layered imaginaries, which express tensions, possibilities, and desires linked to contemporary life. The mountain thus emerges as a laboratory of “sensitive modernity,” a space where new forms of habitability, belonging, and ecological relation come into view
Onset of motion of compact-shaped microplastics in open-channel flows
Get PDFMicroplastics (MPs) can be found at the bed of rivers and streams, and riverine transport of MPs has still many open questions, regarding its dynamics. The present work aims at establishing a basis for the understanding of compact-shaped MP incipient motion and remobilization from river beds, simulating in a laboratory flume the onset of motion of plastic particles able to settle, and, therefore, are considered to move bedload alike. The main aims of the research are: (i) setup a method to define threshold conditions for incipient motion of microplastics on homogeneous bed, accounting for State-of-Art developments and tools, (ii) evaluate the effects of the bed composition on plastic particles’ remobilisation threshold, (iii) check if MPs surface concentration plays a role in the definition of the remobilisation threshold. Laboratory experiments were performed at the Hydrodynamics Model Laboratory of IG-PAS in Warsaw to quantify the threshold conditions for the chosen MPs, over different types of flat-beds: (i) homogeneous bed of microplastic grains, (ii) gravel bed, (iii) sand bed. To characterise the near-bed velocity field, Doppler velocimetry was used, while to estimate the plastic particles’ motion, an image analysis approach was developed and used. The results show that compact-shaped MPs, which are the closest to modelling natural sediments and have been widely used in the past to scale sediments in laboratory settings, get remobilised on natural beds at bed shear stresses lower than on homogeneous plastic beds. This depends, among others, on their shape, on their exposure on the bed and on their submergence. At the same time, it is concluded that the surface concentration does not play a significant role, at least in the range tested