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Seismic history of areas of moderate seismicity: the case of the Emilian plain and the Treviso area
Get PDFThis study is part of a research programme aimed at enhancing our understanding of seismic hazard through the analysis of moderate-energy historical earthquakes. The objective was to collect new information and review existing data on seismic events in two key areas: the Po Valley between Modena and Ferrara and the Veneto pre-Alps between Asolo and Treviso, to update hazard estimates and improve risk planning. Special attention was given to previously undocumented earthquakes and a critical analysis of historical sources, including archives, chronicles, and journalistic records. The methodology involved systematically collecting and selecting seismological and documentary sources, later interpreted in terms of macroseismic intensity. The BOXER code was used for parameterising seismological data, improving magnitude estimates and localisation. A total of 55 earthquakes were re-examined: 13 in the Modena-Ferrara plain, 23 in Asolo, and 19 in Treviso. The research also identified new, previously unrecorded seismic events, expanding regional seismic knowledge. These findings are crucial for updating seismic hazard maps and developing mitigation strategies in two highly vulnerable areas due to their population density and economic significance. The collected data refine hazard estimates and highlight the role of moderate-energy earthquakes, which, though not destructive, occur more frequently and can still cause damage. This study contributes to historical seismicity knowledge, providing essential data for local and regional prevention planning. The results serve as a new reference for future research and will enhance both the Catalogo Parametrico dei Terremoti Italiani (CPTI15) and the Database Macrosismico Italiano (DBMI15), which analyse seismic activity across Italy
Understanding predictive models in education: enhancing transferability, explainability, and generalizability
Get PDFThis thesis explores the application of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the field of educational sciences, focusing specifically on leveraging machine learning (ML) techniques to enhance educational outcomes. The primary case study revolves around predicting the risk of low achievement among students using data from the national INVALSI test, which serves as a practical application to address common challenges in AI integration in education: transferability, explainability, and generalizability. In addition to low achievement, the thesis considers other educational issues, such as academic dropout and knowledge tracing, reflecting a broader perspective on student performance. A key aspect of this work is the incorporation of Informed Machine Learning (IML) principles, which facilitate the infusion of domain expertise and other knowledge sources into predictive modeling. This methodological and epistemological reflection underscores the importance of understanding how predictive models can be effectively employed in educational settings to inform policy and practice. Throughout the thesis, various strategies are proposed to tackle the identified challenges. For transferability, the potential for adapting models to different educational contexts is examined. The explainability of ML models is emphasized as essential for fostering trust among stakeholders and supporting informed decision-making processes. Additionally, generalizability is addressed through innovative approaches to student representation across diverse cohorts. By interconnecting these themes, this research aims to contribute to the understanding of predictive analytics in education and provides a framework intended to support the thoughtful implementation of AI solutions in educational settings, with the aspiration that it may lead to improved outcomes for students
Legal reasoning through factor-based reasoning and argumentation in the context of explainability
Get PDFThis thesis explores methods for explaining AI decisions, with a particular focus on ensuring users’ rights to appeal such decisions. The central research question guiding this work is: \textbf{How can we ensure the right to appeal an AI-generated decision?} This question is critical for safeguarding fairness and transparency in AI-driven systems, especially in the legal domain, where the outcome can have serious implications for individuals. While the AI Act establishes a 'right to request clear and meaningful explanations' from AI systems involved in decision-making, it stops short of mandating fully transparent, white-box models. This thesis introduces methods to meet transparency requirements by combining symbolic legal models and machine learning techniques to enhance the explainability of AI-driven legal decisions. A series of experiments provide guidance on representing legally relevant factors and establishing logical connections to outcomes, starting with symbolic expert systems for EU and national law compatibility. The thesis extends to machine learning models for classifying legal judgments, balancing transparency with usability. Expert systems are shown to excel in transparency by offering step-by-step reasoning that enhances user understanding, while machine learning models improve accessibility by streamlining interaction. In conclusion, ensuring user rights in AI-driven legal contexts requires clear, comprehensible explanations of legal factors, grounded in both statutory and case law. This thesis emphasizes that AI in legal domains must support rational decision-making, aligning with legal standards and user expectations
Essays on latent factor models in financial markets: a focus on commodity prices and volatility dynamics
Get PDFThis PhD dissertation investigates financial applications of factor models, or latent variable models, with a focus on model specifications that link observable processes to multiple under- lying drivers in two distinct contexts: the modelling of volatility and commodity prices. Empirical evidence indicates that the conditional volatility of financial assets is more accurately captured by models that incorporate multiple stochastic components. Numerous studies have demonstrated the superiority of two-factor models over single-factor models in effectively capturing the complex dynamics of volatility. The generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) model, originally proposed by Bollerslev (1986), is one of the most popular models for filtering volatility in discrete time. Despite recent advancements in the literature of two-factor GARCH models, theoretical properties, such as ergodicity and strict stationarity, and further rigorous empirical testing are still lacking. This dissertation con- tributes to the literature by proposing a novel two-factor GARCH model. Regarding the modelling of commodity prices, it is well established that the uncertainty inherent in commodity price dynamics is a complex phenomenon, making it challenging to achieve ac- curate representations of reality and reliable future predictions. Consequently, there has been significant interest in models capable of capturing the stylized facts of different commodity prices. Among these, multi-factor affine models have been particularly valued for their analytical tractability and ease of estimation using the Kalman filter. This thesis demonstrates their practical relevance through a novel empirical application, highlighting their potential to address the complexities associated with commodity price dynamics
Loving in secrets and whispers: an affirmative reading of the politics of desire in contemporary arab anglophone women’s literature
Get PDFThis dissertation explores the politics of desire, power, and subjectivity in Arab Anglophone women’s literature, with a focus on how emotions shape agency, resistance, and identity. Through an affective framework informed by Sara Ahmed’s theory of emotions, alongside feminist conceptualizations of desire, sexuality, and power, this research examines how contemporary writers Salma El Wardany and Alya Mooro navigate the intersections of gender, sexuality, cultural identity, and emotional regulation within Arab and Western socio-cultural contexts. By analyzing their narratives, this study highlights the ways in which taboo, secrecy, and silence structure experiences of sexuality and gendered expectations, addressing themes such as virginity, halal sex, premarital relationships, pleasure activism, family honor, and double standards. The Islamic feminist perspective on sexuality and power further informs the exploration of how these authors challenge restrictive discourses and carve out spaces for alternative expressions of desire and agency. Additionally, the research considers how their works engage with the politics of affect, examining how emotions such as shame, fear, pleasure, and longing operate within gendered power structures. This dissertation ultimately argues that Arab Anglophone women’s literature constructs an affirmative politics of desire, in which emotion and sexuality function as transformative forces that contest normative frameworks of gender and identity. By foregrounding the affective dimensions of their writing, this study contributes to feminist discussions on sexual agency, gendered emotions, and the politics of pleasure in contemporary Arab women’s narratives
Circular solidarity: the case of Re.So
Get PDFL'economia circolare (CE) è oggi riconosciuta come uno dei paradigmi fondamentali per la costruzione di una società equa e sostenibile, specialmente in Europa, dove le istituzioni politiche ed economiche hanno promosso politiche di riciclo e gestione dei rifiuti come strumenti per una crescita duratura. L'Italia si distingue come uno dei paesi europei più avanzati in questo ambito, soprattutto per quanto riguarda il riciclo, ma il paradigma principale della CE, pur promuovendo un decoupling tra crescita economica e sostenibilità, tende a ignorare le molteplici realtà esistenti che operano al di fuori dei parametri ufficiali. Questa tesi esplora la dimensione critica della CE, soffermandosi sulla necessità di un approccio inclusivo che consideri le pratiche circolari nate dal basso, nello specifico legate al settore del recupero alimentare. Il caso di Recupero Solidale (ReSo), un’associazione di volontariato toscana impegnata nel recupero di cibo invenduto dalla grande distribuzione, offre uno spunto per analizzare come le realtà locali interagiscono con il paradigma della circolarità, pur non essendo completamente integrate in esso. L'indagine etnografica evidenzia come queste iniziative possano rispondere ad interrogativi centrali per il dibattito sulla CE, come il ruolo della cittadinanza, l’impatto sociale e il benessere derivante dalla partecipazione a pratiche di recupero e solidarietà. La ricerca invita a riflettere sulla natura inclusiva dell’economia circolare e sul rischio che un suo approccio esclusivamente ecomodernista possa escludere o marginalizzare alternative esistenti, radicate maggiormente nelle pratiche quotidiane e nel welfare comunitario.The circular economy (CE) is now recognized as one of the key paradigms for building an equitable and sustainable society, especially in Europe, where political and economic institutions have promoted recycling and waste management policies as tools for lasting growth. Italy stands out as one of the most advanced European countries in this area, especially concerning recycling. Still, the CE main paradigm, while promoting a decoupling between economic growth and sustainability, tends to ignore the many existing realities that operate outside official parameters. This thesis explores the critical dimension of EC, dwelling on the need for an inclusive approach that considers bottom-up born circular practices, specifically related to the food recovery sector. The case of Recupero Solidale (Re.So), a Tuscan voluntary association engaged in the recovery of unsold food from large retailers, offers a cue for analyzing how local realities interact with the circularity paradigm. However, they are not fully integrated into it. The ethnographic investigation highlights how these initiatives can answer questions central to the debate on CE, such as the role of citizenship, social impact and well-being resulting from participation in recovery and solidarity practices. The research invites reflection on the inclusive nature of the circular economy and the risk that an exclusively ecomodernist approach may exclude or marginalize existing alternatives rooted more in everyday practices and community welfare
“Lo spirito di brasilianità che ci salverà da noi stessi”: il backstage dell'Opera Sidéria e la circolazione delle idee in un mercato artistico in costruzione.
Get PDFA pesquisa se insere no campo da História da Performance (História da Música e do Espetáculo) e investiga o cotidiano e as ideias que impulsionaram a produção musical na primeira metade do século XX, em Curitiba, no sul do Brasil. Por meio de uma reconstrução analítica baseada na reunião de fontes históricas e na descrição de elementos contingentes, a tese delineia o mercado cultural em formação, articulado à construção de uma ideia de Brasil e profundamente transformado pela presença de imigrantes europeus. O eixo central da investigação é a ópera Sidéria (1912), primeira composição do gênero no estado do Paraná, que oferece um panorama singular da produção artística da capital paranaense no período. A pesquisa aborda aspectos econômicos, redes de sociabilidade e práticas musicais de seus agentes, com destaque para os compositores Léo Kessler e Augusto Stresser. A partir da investigação dos bastidores do espetáculo, foi possível realizar uma espécie de "engenharia reversa" da montagem, desmembrando cada etapa do processo produtivo da ópera e analisando seus elementos compositivos — sejam eles artísticos, políticos ou sociais — dentro de um recorte temporal que circunda sua estreia. O estudo também traça o perfil de profissionais, músicos amadores e profissionais, bem como observa sua interação com grupos sociais específicos, como a aristocracia, a maçonaria e a Igreja Luterana, descortinando um Brasil em transformação. Apoiada no conceito da transculturação e na abordagem da micro-história, esta investigação historiográfica incorpora temas como circularidade, valendo-se de fontes primárias para ampliar o repertório e a compreensão da música de concerto brasileira.This research is situated within the field of Performance History (History of Music and Spectacle) and investigates the social dynamics and ideas that shaped musical production in the first half of the twentieth century in Curitiba, in southern Brazil. Through an analytical reconstruction grounded in the collection of historical sources and the examination of contingent elements, the dissertation outlines a newly born cultural economy, closely linked to the construction of a national Brazilian identity and profoundly influenced by the presence of European immigrants. At the center of the investigation is the opera Sidéria (1912), the first composition of its genre in the state of Paraná, which provides a unique lens into the artistic production of the capital city during this period. The research explores economic factors, network of sociability, and the musical practices of its agents, with particular focus on composers Léo Kessler and Augusto Stresser. By examining the opera’s backstage processes, the study conducts a form of “reverse engineering” of the production, breaking down each stage of its development and analysing its compositional elements—whether artistic, political, or social—within the narrow temporal frame surrounding its premiere. The investigation also reconstructs the profiles of professionals, both amateur and professional musicians, and observes their interactions with specific social groups such as the aristocracy, the Freemasonry, and the Lutheran Church, revealing a Brazil in the midst of transformation. Grounded in the concept of transculturation and employing a micro-historical approach, this historiographical study addresses themes such as cultural circularity, drawing on primary sources to expand both the repertoire and scholarly understanding of Brazilian concert music.La ricerca si inserisce nel campo della Storia della Performance (Storia della Musica e dello Spettacolo) e analizza il quotidiano e le idee che hanno influenzato la produzione musicale nella prima metà del XX secolo a Curitiba, nel sud del Brasile. Attraverso una ricostruzione analitica basata sulla raccolta di fonti storiche e sull’esame di elementi contingenti, la tesi delinea un mercato culturale in via di consolidamento, intrecciato alla costruzione di un’idea di Brasile e profondamente trasformato dalla presenza dell’immigrazione europea. Il fulcro dell’indagine è l’opera Sidéria (1912), prima composizione del genere nello stato del Paraná, che offre uno sguardo privilegiato sulla produzione artistica della capitale in quel periodo. L’analisi si concentra su aspetti economici, reti di relazioni sociali e pratiche musicali dei suoi protagonisti, con particolare attenzione ai compositori Léo Kessler e Augusto Stresser. L’esplorazione del dietro le quinte dello spettacolo ha permesso di condurre una sorta di “ingegneria inversa” della messinscena, scomponendo ogni fase del processo produttivo dell’opera e analizzandone gli elementi compositivi — artistici, politici e sociali — all’interno di una cornice temporale ristretta che ne accompagna il debutto. Lo studio ricostruisce inoltre i profili di professionisti, musicisti amatoriali e professionisti, osservando la loro interazione con specifici gruppi sociali come l’aristocrazia, la massoneria e la Chiesa Luterana, delineando così un Brasile in trasformazione. Basata sul concetto di transculturazione e sull’approccio della microstoria, questa ricerca storiografica affronta anche temi quali la circolarità culturale, avvalendosi di fonti primarie per ampliare il repertorio e la comprensione della musica da concerto brasiliana
Alternative methods and cross-coupling reactions, Heck-Cassar-Sonogashira/Suzuki/Catellani, for the synthesis of bioactive molecules and the development of sustainable approaches for new peptide synthesis
Get PDFThe first part is dedicated to palladium-catalysed cross-coupling reactions. We have investigated the copper free Heck-Cassar-Sonogashira (HCS) reaction mechanism. In fact, despite its wide application and huge success, the mechanism was still under discussion. Experimental results and theoretical calculations were helpful in shedding light on the preferred pathway. In addition, a complete guide to the efficient in situ activation of the L2PdX2 pre-catalyst was presented, as this was not yet available. Pd(OAc)2 and Pd(ACN)2Cl2 were chosen as pre-catalysts and the reduction process was monitored by 31P NMR in the presence of different ligands, solvents and temperatures. Finally, a sustainable approach was described for Heck-Cassar and Suzuki-Miyaura reactions in the presence of aryl chlorides, which are the less expensive and available aryl halides. The strategy developed was also applied to the synthesis of two fungicides such as Boscalid and Fluxapyroxad. The second part describes the development of green methodologies for peptide synthesis and the design of potential new antimicrobial peptides for intestinal diseases. We have investigated cyclic propylphosphonic anhydride (T3P®) and demonstrated its ability to replace the classical and hazardous coupling reagents in LPPS and SolPPS. In addition, these new protocols have been applied to the synthesis of potential new antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). The third part of the research was carried out at the University of Oxford under the supervision of Professor Véronique Gouverneur.Fluorinated compounds are widely used in the agrochemical and pharmaceutical sectors as the incorporation of fluorine modifies the physicochemical and biological properties of bioactive molecules. In particular, I focused on the development of catalytic enantioselective fluorination strategies of neutral electrophiles with KF, allowing the avoidance of expensive reagents
Ravenna: port of stories, sea of change - an interdisciplinary analysis of the port of Ravenna: environment, history, identity, and transition in the age of human communities
Get PDFQuesta tesi di dottorato analizza il porto di Ravenna come "paesaggio culturale", esaminando l’intreccio tra storia, ambiente, cultura e dinamiche socio-economiche. Il porto viene studiato come elemento centrale nell’identità del territorio, capace di modellare lo spazio e la percezione delle comunità locali. La prima parte traccia l’evoluzione storica del porto, dal ruolo del Canale Candiano alle trasformazioni industriali del Novecento, sottolineando come sviluppo economico e identità culturale siano stati strettamente legati, rafforzando il ruolo strategico di Ravenna nel Mediterraneo. La seconda parte si concentra sugli ecosistemi locali, in particolare le Pialasse Baiona e Piomboni, le pinete e le dune costiere, evidenziando il valore ecologico di queste aree e le tensioni esistenti tra attività antropiche e fragilità ambientale, come l’erosione e l’inquinamento. La terza parte esplora le sfide attuali, tra cui la transizione energetica, la crisi climatica e lo sviluppo sostenibile. Progetti come AGNES, il rigassificatore e la cattura del carbonio vengono analizzati come esempi delle contraddizioni tra progresso e impatto ambientale. Parallelamente, la riqualificazione della Darsena è letta come laboratorio urbano che unisce memoria, innovazione e partecipazione. La tesi si conclude con la proposta di un atlante digitale georiferito, pensato per integrare dati frammentati e migliorare la pianificazione sostenibile, rafforzando la visione del porto come spazio anfibio, dove cultura e natura si influenzano reciprocamente.This doctoral thesis examines the port of Ravenna as a "cultural landscape," exploring the interweaving of history, environment, culture, and socio-economic dynamics. The port is considered a central element in shaping the identity of the territory and influencing how local communities perceive their surroundings. The first part outlines the historical evolution of the port, from the importance of the Candiano Canal to the industrial transformations of the 20th century. It highlights how economic development and cultural identity have been closely linked, reinforcing Ravenna's strategic role in the Mediterranean. The second part focuses on local ecosystems, particularly the Pialasse Baiona and Piomboni, as well as pine forests and coastal dunes. These areas are ecologically and culturally valuable, yet face ongoing tensions between human activities and environmental vulnerability, such as erosion and pollution. The third part addresses current challenges related to the port, including the energy transition, climate crisis, and sustainable development. Projects like AGNES, the Ravenna regasification plant, and carbon capture technologies are analyzed as examples of the conflict between energy needs and environmental impact. At the same time, the redevelopment of the Darsena is presented as an urban lab that combines memory, innovation, and community participation. The thesis concludes with the creation of a georeferenced digital atlas designed to overcome data fragmentation and improve sustainable planning. This tool enhances accessibility and promotes a comprehensive understanding of Ravenna’s territory, reinforcing the idea of the port as an amphibious space where culture and environment constantly interact
Declarative approaches for custom cloud-edge serverless function scheduling
Get PDFServerless computing has evolved beyond cloud-centric models to include private edge and hybrid cloud-edge deployments, aiming to address latency and resource efficiency. However, existing serverless platforms typically rely on fixed, hardcoded scheduling policies that cannot meet the diverse functional, topological, and performance requirements of modern applications. In particular cloud-edge serverless applications, or deployments, spanning multiple regions introduce the need to govern the scheduling of functions to satisfy their functional constraints or avoid performance degradation to meet user-defined goals. This work addresses function scheduling by introducing Allocation Priority Policies (APP), a declarative language that allows developers to define application-specific scheduling policies. APP is implemented and evaluated in a hybrid cloud-edge scenario on top of Apache OpenWhisk. Building on APP, we develop tAPP, a topology-aware extension capable of enforcing placement constraints without requiring platform modifications. We demonstrate that tAPP supports deployment scenarios not feasible with unmodified OpenWhisk. We further extend the model with aAPP to express affinity-aware scheduling, where function allocation depends on the presence or absence of other functions. aAPP captures these constraints with minimal runtime overhead and improves performance where affinity is relevant. To reduce the manual effort in defining effective policies, we propose cAPP, which integrates static analysis. cAPP extracts cost models from function code and incorporates them into scheduling decisions, enabling more informed function placement. Finally, we present FunLess, a lightweight serverless platform for Cloud-Edge environments, using WebAssembly as its function runtime and featuring built-it support for APP. Moreover, we perform a comparative analysis of the energy consumption of FunLess, OpenWhisk and a container-based service architecture