Accessibilità ampliata nel palinsesto architettonico urbano. Strategie e strumenti integrati per il progetto di valorizzazione culturale nell’era del digitale.

La tesi di dottorato dal titolo “Accessibilità ampliata nel palinsesto architettonico urbano. Strategie e strumenti integrati per il progetto di valorizzazione culturale nell’era del digitale” indaga le possibilità di integrare il requisito dell’accessibilità nei contesti urbani storici. Condotta nell’ambito del XXXVII ciclo del Dottorato di ricerca in “Conoscenza e innovazione nel progetto per il patrimonio” del Politecnico di Bari, esplora come l’accessibilità sia considerata oggi non solo una sfida, ma un’opportunità irrinunciabile per la valorizzazione e rigenerazione del patrimonio culturale. La ricerca propone la costruzione di un nuovo approccio metodologico integrato per la progettazione architettonica, sostenuto dai principi di inclusività e sostenibilità per un progetto sensibile alle dinamiche culturali e sociali contemporanee. Attraverso un’analisi interdisciplinare e multiscalare, vengono studiati casi nazionali e internazionali per definire modelli metodologici innovativi e applicabili a diverse scale e contesti. In particolare, lo sviluppo di un modello esigenziale-prestazionale e l’integrazione di strumenti digitali permettono di valorizzare l’interazione tra patrimonio, architettura e accessibilità. La ricerca si specializza poi nel caso studio di Bitonto, con particolare riferimento al circuito delle mura urbiche, un contesto urbano di grande valenza identitaria, storica e culturale, dove è possibile applicare la metodologia e le strategie progettuali sviluppate. La tesi mira a proporre un modello scalabile e replicabile di rigenerazione dei palinsesti architettonici e urbani storici, che promuova un accesso inclusivo e un uso contemporaneo del patrimonio, delineando nuove prospettive progettuali per il futuro della città storica.The thesis entitled "Wider accessibility in the architectural and urban palimpsest. Integrated strategies and tools for the cultural enhancement project in the digital age", investigates the possibilities of integrating the accessibility requirement in historical urban contexts. Carried out within the framework of the XXXVII cycle of the doctoral programme 'Knowledge and Innovation in Heritage Design' of the Politecnico di Bari, it examines how accessibility is now considered not only a challenge but also an indispensable opportunity for the valorisation and regeneration of cultural heritage. The research proposes the construction of a new integrated methodological approach to architectural design, based on the principles of inclusiveness and sustainability for a project sensitive to contemporary cultural and social dynamics. Through an interdisciplinary and multi-scalar analysis, national and international cases will be studied in order to define innovative methodological models applicable to different scales and contexts. In particular, the development of a demand-supply model and the integration of digital tools allow for a better interaction between heritage, architecture and accessibility. The research then specialises in the case study of Bitonto, with particular reference to the circuit of the city walls, an urban context of great identity, historical and cultural value, where the methodology and design strategies developed can be applied. The thesis aims to propose a scalable and replicable model for the regeneration of historic architectural and urban palimpsests, promoting inclusive access and contemporary use of heritage, and outlining new design perspectives for the future of the historic city

Exploring the impact of thermal fluctuations on continuous models of adhesion

Adhesion and deadhesion processes at the interface between an object and a substrate are well-established phenomena in the realm of materials science and biophysics. These processes can be profoundly influenced by thermal fluctuations, a phenomenon empirically validated through numerous experimental observations. While discrete models have traditionally served as a foundation for understanding this intricate interplay, this paper seeks to bridge the gap between such discrete representations and the continuous models that more accurately reflect experimental scenarios. To achieve this objective, we initially adopt discrete models comprising n elements, selected such that their physical parameters converge towards the continuum limit as n approaches infinity. This thoughtful scaling ensures that the discrete system retains its relevance in the context of continuous media. Leveraging principles from Statistical Mechanics and Griffith-type total energy minimization approaches, we employ this scaled discrete model to investigate the impact of temperature in continuous adhesion phenomena. As a result, we obtain an analytical model to account for the decrease of the decohesion threshold depending on thermal (entropic) energy terms. Interestingly, our approach demonstrates that continuous adhesion models invariably exhibit phase transitions, whose critical temperatures can be derived through closed-form calculations. By elucidating these critical temperature values, this work enhances our understanding of adhesion processes within continuous media and opens new avenues for the exploration of adhesion-related phenomena in diverse scientific disciplines. Finally, the comparison with some experimental results is discusse

Fragility analysis of prestressed concrete girder bridges affected by corrosion under traffic loads

Italian and European transportation networks include a considerable number of existing bridges, built since the early ‘60s, characterised by simply supported prestressed-concrete (PC) girders with post-tensioned steel tendons. Corrosion of tendons, which may lead to significant loss of structural capacity, cannot be detected by simple visual inspections and requires advanced and expensive testing by bridge owner companies. Therefore, procedures aimed at risk-informed prioritisation for network-scale assessment are needed, to provide fundamental support for drawing up priority lists to be followed for an optimal allocation of resources to be employed for advanced inspections and possible retrofit. The thesis presents a study on the fragility of existing PC girder bridges considering traffic loads, accounting for corrosion-induced effects. An automated framework is proposed, aiming at the efficient probabilistic structural assessment of the investigated bridge class accounting for 1) the influence of knowledge-based uncertainty related to geometric and mechanical properties and 2) different scenarios including diverse critical corrosion levels and code-compliant traffic load models. A simplified analytical method and a refined finite element method are adopted as structure modelling strategies. To simulate corrosion effects, geometric and mechanical characteristics of prestressing steel tendons are modified by reducing the steel area and stiffness, ductility and strength properties. For analytic calculations, such modifications are integrated into a specific algorithm able to estimate variations in flexural and shear bearing capacity of critical cross-sections. In the thesis, the framework is tested with reference to a dataset of case-study superstructures with different span lengths and numbers of beams. The obtained fragility curves are deeply discussed, focusing on the corrosion effect on structural fragility and highlighting the variation of the corrosion-induced increase in fragility among the selected bridge archetypes. Although the proposed methodology presents some simplifications, it could improve the current practices of risk prioritisation, by supporting transportation authorities in ensuring the safety of the existing bridge stock

Family-governed businesses and successful equity crowdfunding: The moderating role of sustainability orientation

Crowdfunding has arisen as a prominent alternative to more traditional forms of financing, with equity crowdfunding (EC) becoming increasingly significant for its economic relevance and unique dynamics. While previous research has explored various factors contributing to EC campaign success, the role of firm governance, particularly family governance – i.e., the involvement in management and/or ownership of members of the same family - remains underexplored. Therefore, this study tackles this gap by examining the influence of family governance on EC success. Family-governed businesses, known for their long-term orientation and more conservative risk behavior, may inspire greater trust from investors, hence enhancing their campaign success. Additionally, the growing importance of business and campaign sustainability orientation in investors’ decision-making suggests it could further strengthen the positive relationship between family-governed businesses and EC success. Using data collected on 500 EC campaigns from leading Italian platforms, we find support for our hypotheses. This study contributes to the EC literature and family business research and has important implications for family-governed businesses seeking to optimize their EC campaigns

Synthesis and characterization of succinylated pectin hydrogels with enhanced swelling performances

A novel polymeric material was obtained through succinylation of pectin (S-Pec), resulting in greater stability, film-forming ability, transparency, swelling, and water retention capacity compared to native pectin (Pec). Spectroscopic techniques confirmed the success of the succinylation reaction performed on pectin, employing the reaction of galacturonic acid with succinic anhydride as a model reaction under similar experimental conditions. Moreover, fluorinated succinic anhydride was used to gain insight into the succinylation degree by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, and a different thermal behavior of S-Pec compared to Pec was confirmed through thermoanalytical characterization. Additionally, the effect of cross-linking either Pec or S-Pec in the presence of divalent cations (i.e., calcium or magnesium ions) on water retention capacity and stability was tested. A significant improvement in the ability to absorb and retain water or saline solution was found for magnesium-crosslinked succinylated pectin, while the in vitro hydrogel stability was higher for the calcium-crosslinked one. The obtained polymer represents a promising substrate for the development of natural-based superabsorbent polymers

Preliminary Characterization of a Non-contact Breath Monitoring System for Infants

Respiratory disorders are the highest cause of mortality among infants. Technologies for health monitoring can help to avoid those underhanded events. In this paper, we propose a system for respiratory health monitoring. The system is non-invasive and the monitoring is performed in a contactless manner since it is based on Time-of-Flight sensors and post-processing. To validate the proposed system we proposed an experimental setup aiming to precisely emulate the breathing activity. The emulator is built around a step motor and a microcontroller, and it allows to seamlessly emulate breathing patterns. Preliminary results from the experimental campaign in a real-world scenario prove the effectiveness of the approach

A Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient control algorithm for Automatic Insulin Delivery

This study investigates the use of Reinforcement Learning (RL) to optimize insulin infusion in Automated Insulin Delivery (AID) systems. The Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) algorithm is evaluated as a potential control strategy and compared to Model Predictive Control (MPC) and PID controllers using a highly realistic in silico simulation model. Simulations for adult Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) patients demonstrate that the DDPG controller effectively reduces hypo- and hyperglycemic episodes and improves glucose stability