Archivio Istituzionale della Ricerca- Università del Salento
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Can Energy Vampires make organizations more sustainable? The case of LLMs and BPM
Full text linkThe environmental impact Generative AI – and in particular, Large Language Models (LLMs) – is far from negligi- ble. Despite this, LLMs can help companies rethink sustainable practices, especially in small organizations lacking technical and methodological expertise in ecological transition. Our work has a twofold aim: (i) to investigate whether LLMs can effectively support the reengineering of business processes toward greener alternatives, and (ii) to assess whether employing such energy- intensive technologies aligns with sustainability objectives in a meaningful and cost-effective way. To address these questions, we have designed a three-step methodological Framework currently under implementation. The Framework involves the use of LLMs ”as-as-service” for refactoring textual descriptions of business processes. Preliminary results are promising, with GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 demonstrating strong performance on a benchmark of well-known processes provided by Camunda, while the study on the energetic impact of LLMs in organizational settings is still ongoing
VEMcomp: a Virtual Elements MATLAB package for bulk-surface PDEs in 2D and 3D
Full text linkWe present a Virtual Element MATLAB solver for elliptic and parabolic, linear and semilinear Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) in two and three space dimensions, which is coined VEMcomp. Such PDEs are widely applicable to describing problems in material sciences, engineering, cellular and developmental biology, among many other applications. The library covers linear and nonlinear models posed on different simple and complex geometries, involving time-dependent bulk, surface, and bulk-surface PDEs. The solver employs the Virtual Element Method (VEM) of lowest polynomial order k=1 on general polygonal and polyhedral meshes, including the Finite Element Method (FEM) of order k=1 as a special case when the considered mesh is simplicial. VEMcomp has three main purposes. First, VEMcomp generates polygonal and polyhedral meshes optimized for fast matrix assembly. Triangular and tetrahedral meshes are encompassed as special cases. For surface PDEs, VEMcomp is compatible with the well-known Matlab package DistMesh for mesh generation. Second, given a mesh for the considered geometry, possibly generated with an external package, VEMcomp computes all the matrices (mass and stiffness) required by the VEM or FEM method. Third, for multiple classes of stationary and time-dependent bulk, surface and bulk-surface PDEs, VEMcomp solves the considered PDE problem with the VEM or FEM in space and IMEX Euler in time, through a user-friendly interface. As an optional post-processing, VEMcomp comes with its own functions for plotting the numerical solutions and evaluating the error when possible. An extensive set of examples illustrates the usage of the library
Multi-Dimensional IoT-Based Energy Management Approach for Smart Homes: A Unified Model for Comfort and Energy Efficiency
No full textAs smart home technologies evolve, achieving energy-efficient indoor climate management while maintaining comfort and air quality is a growing priority. This paper introduces a novel optimization framework for smart buildings that minimizes energy costs and dynamically manages indoor environmental conditions, specifically temperature, (\text{CO}_2) concentration, and illuminance. Unlike conventional systems, our model incorporates dynamic constraints that respond to day-night comfort requirements and leverage real-time variations in electricity prices and environmental conditions. By optimally controlling the power levels of air conditioning, air purification, and lighting systems, the framework ensures indoor comfort while significantly reducing operational costs
Examining Stromal Cell Interactions in an In Vitro Blood–Brain Barrier Model with Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells
Full text linkUnderstanding the function of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) in health and disease, as well as improving drug delivery across the BBB, remains a critical priority in neuroscience research. However, current in vitro models of the BBB have become increasingly complex and challenging to implement. In this study, we present a simplified microfluidic BBB model in which human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) are cultured as a monolayer along a fibrin gel containing human pericytes and astrocytes. Remarkably, within just three days, the 3D co-culture significantly enhanced barrier formation and upregulated the expression of tight-junction proteins in HUVECs. These findings demonstrate that HUVECs, which have been extensively used for over 50 years to study vascular endothelium due to their ease of isolation and culture, can adapt their phenotype towards that of BBB endothelial cells under appropriate conditions. This microfluidic BBB model offers a valuable tool for drug development and for advancing our understanding of BBB physiology in both health and disease contexts
Gioacchino Toma, Dietro la porta
No full textScheda in Catalogo Mostra MUST (Museo Storico Lecce) - 18 aprile 2025 - 18 ottobre 202
Review of James G. O’Hara, Leibniz’s Correspondence in Science, Technology and Medicine (1676–1701): Core Themes and Core Texts, Leiden: Brill 2024. xvi + 1071 pages.
No full textLocal regularity of very weak -harmonic functions via fractional difference quotients
No full textThe aim of this paper is to give a new proof that any very weak s-harmonic function
u in the unit ball B is smooth. As a first step, we improve the local summability properties of u.
Then, we exploit a suitable version of the difference quotient method tailored to get rid of the
singularity of the integral kernel and gain Sobolev regularity and local linear estimates of the H s loc norm of u. Finally, by applying more standard methods, such as elliptic regularity and Schauder estimates, we reach the real analyticity of u. Up to the authors’ knowledge, the difference quotient techniques are new
Forme e generi della prosa nella napoletana Accademia degli Oziosi
No full textIl saggio esplora, generi e contenuti della prosa accademica degli Oziosi napoletani, individuandone modelli e linee di tendenza
Dysfunctional Mitochondria Characterize Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients' Cells Carrying the p.G376D TARDBP Pathogenetic Substitution
No full textAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by the degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons in the brain, brainstem and spinal cord. About 10% of familial ALS cases are linked to pathogenetic substitution in TARDBP, the gene encoding the TDP-43 protein. A novel rare causative variant in TARDBP (p.G376D) was recently reported in ALS patients. It leads to TDP-43 cytoplasmic mislocalization, increased oxidative stress and reduced cell viability. However, functional studies on the effects of this molecular defect have not yet been carried out. Mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles, and their deregulation has emerged as a key factor in many diseases, among which is ALS. Therefore, this study aimed at determining the impact of this causative variant on mitochondria. In cellular models expressing TDP-43G376D and in fibroblasts derived from patients carrying this molecular defect, we observed alterations of mitochondrial functionality. We demonstrated increased localization of the mutated protein to mitochondria and a reduced abundance of subunits of complex I and complex II of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, associated with a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, in cellular respiration and in cytochrome C oxidase (COX) activity. Moreover, ALS cells showed increased mitochondrial fragmentation and reduced abundance of antioxidant enzymes causing increased oxidative stress. These results expand our knowledge about the molecular mechanisms underlying ALS pathogenesis associated with TDP-43 p.G376D and could help to identify new therapeutic strategies to counteract this disease
