Fattori trainanti e barriere nell’uso della Realtà Virtuale in ambito turistico-culturale. Un’indagine esplorativa

La presente ricerca si propone di esplorare le motivazioni e le barriere che influenzano le decisioni dei visitatori in merito all’utilizzo, o al mancato utilizzo, della Realtà Virtuale (VR) nella fruizione dei beni culturali. A tal fine, sono state condotte quaranta interviste in profondità con individui residenti in diverse regioni italiane, al fine di cogliere il vissuto e il percepito degli utenti e offrire una comprensione più articolata dei fattori che guidano o ostacolano l’adozione della VR in questo contesto. I risultati evidenziano la complessità del processo di adozione della VR da parte dei turisti culturali, mostrando come tale processo sia influenzato da una combinazione di fattori individuali, tecnologici e contestuali. In particolare, emergono sia elementi motivazionali, legati alla possibilità di vivere esperienze immersive, innovative e accessibili, sia barriere percepite, tra cui criticità tecniche, resistenze culturali e dubbi circa l’autenticità dell’esperienza. Lo studio contribuisce ad arricchire la letteratura sul ruolo delle tecnologie immersive nel turismo culturale, offrendo al contempo implicazioni rilevanti per marketer e decision maker

From Waste to Function: Valorization of Collagen-Based Wastes with Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents for Bioadhesive Applications

In this study, we propose a novel, environmentally, economically, and energetically sustainable approach for the valorization of vegetable-tanned leather waste, aiming at producing biobased adhesives with antibacterial properties and promising water resistance. The treatment of leather scraps was carried out using various Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES) in mild conditions (1 h, 60 degrees C), i.e., lactic acid:urea in a molar ratio of 2:1, choline chloride:lactic acid in a molar ratio of 1:1, and choline chloride dehydrated oxalic acid in a molar ratio of 1:1. The resulting bioadhesives exhibited excellent binding performances, in particular, on wood substrates. Structural modifications and its thermal behavior of collagen after the treatment were investigated using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy with Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR-FTIR), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA and TGA/FTIR), Evolved Gas Analysis-Mass Spectrometry (EGA-MS), Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC-MS), and proteomic techniques. Overall, this approach highlights a circular and green strategy for upcycling leather industry byproducts into high-performance materials, aligning with current goals in waste minimization and resource efficiency

Decentralized edge learning: a comparative study of distillation strategies and dissimilarity measures

Decentralized learning is emerging as a scalable and privacy-preserving alternative to centralized machine learning, particularly in distributed systems where data cannot be centrally shared among multiple nodes or clients. While Federated Learning is widely adopted in this context, Knowledge Distillation (KD) is emerging as a flexible and scalable alternative where model output is used to share knowledge among distributed clients. However, existing studies often overlook the efficiency and effectiveness of various knowledge transfer strategies in KD, especially in decentralized environments where data is non-IID. This study provides key insights by examining the impact of network topology and distillation strategies in KD-based decentralized learning approaches. Our evaluation spans several dissimilarity measures, including Cross-Entropy, Kullback-Leibler divergence, Triangular Divergence, Jensen-Shannon divergence, Structural Entropic Distance, and Multi-way SED, assessed under both pairwise and holistic distillation schemes. In the pairwise approach, distillation is performed by summing the client-wise dissimilarities between a client's output and each neighbor's prediction individually, while the holistic approach computes dissimilarity with respect to the average of the output predictions received from neighboring clients. We also analyze performance across client connectivity levels to explore the trade-off between convergence speed and model accuracy. The results indicate that the holistic distillation approach, which averages client predictions, outperforms the sum of pairwise distillation, especially when employing alternative measures like TD, SED, and JS. These measures offer improved performance over conventional metrics such as CE and KL divergence

CRISPR-Cas Technology Turns Chlamydomonas reinhardtii into a Flagship for Algal Biotechnology

Microalgae represent some of the most promising eukaryotic platforms in biotechnology due to their rapid growth, simple cultivation requirements, reliance on sunlight as a primary energy source, and ability to synthesize high-value bioactive compounds. These characteristics have made microalgae attractive candidates in various fields, including biofuel production, carbon capture, and pharmaceutical development. However, several technical limitations have limited their large-scale use as sustainable biofactories. A paradigm shift is currently occurring thanks to the genetic manipulation of microalgae, driven by CRISPRCas technology. Significant progress has been made in the model species Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, particularly in the targeted and efficient insertion of foreign DNA. Despite this progress, key challenges remain, and further optimization of CRISPR-Cas methodologies is needed to fully unleash the genetic potential of this organism. This review provides an overview of the convergence of CRISPR-Cas technologies in microalgae research, highlighting their impact on genetic studies, metabolic engineering, and industrial applications. It summarizes recent advances in microalgal genome editing through CRISPR systems, outlines current technical challenges, and highlights future directions for improving the implementation of this innovative technology in microalgal biotechnology

Where leopards die: identifying mortality hotspots in northern Pakistan

Human–wildlife conflict poses a major threat to large carnivores worldwide, particularly in human-dominated landscapes where their persistence increasingly depends on effective coexistence strategies. This study employs geostatistical and time-series analyses to identify conflict hotspots, temporal trends, and key anthropogenic drivers of human-induced leopard (Panthera pardus) mortality in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. We applied kernel density estimation, hotspot analysis, and multiscale geographically weighted regression to assess spatial patterns of mortality, identify underlying drivers, and examine temporal trends. Based on 178 verified leopard mortality records collected between 2000 and 2023, retaliatory killings following livestock depredation emerged as the primary cause of death, accounting for 63% of cases, with mortality peaking during autumn and winter. Spatial analyses revealed a high concentration of leopard mortalities in areas adjacent to and outside protected area boundaries. Furthermore, distance to protected areas and proximity to human settlements significantly influenced mortality risk, operating across variable spatial scales. Our findings indicate that leopard killings intensify where fear, misinformation, and economic losses intersect. These results emphasize the importance of landscape-level conservation planning, improved conflict mitigation strategies, and the integration of human-dominated areas into carnivore conservation frameworks. This study provides spatially explicit evidence to support targeted management interventions and policy actions for leopard conservation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir

Kinetics and Redox Activity of Copper/Cerium Mixed Oxides (CuO/CeO2) for Thermochemical Energy Storage Applications

Thermochemical energy storage (TCES) systems are gaining widespread consideration to increase the dispatchability of renewable energies. Reduction/oxidation of metal oxides has the advantage that air can be used during both reaction steps, simplifying the process scheme. Copper oxide is an interesting candidate, thanks to its high reaction heat and low toxicity, but it suffers from strong sintering at high temperatures because of the low melting point of Cu2O. This work investigates the use of copper/cerium mixed oxides to reduce sintering phenomena, in order to allow their use in TCES applications. Samples with different CeO2 contents were synthesized through coprecipitation and tested with a thermogravimetric analyzer in either pressure swing or temperature swing mode of operation. Material cyclability, energy storage densities, and kinetic parameters were assessed. Results showed that sintering is negligible in pressure swing but not in temperature swing, where reduction temperatures must exceed 1030 degrees C. Samples with higher CeO2 contents showed increased sintering resistance. In temperature swing, Cu100 melted and Cu80 showed particle agglomeration, while Cu50 only presented minor sintering effects. Volumetric energy storage densities ranged within 1000-3160 MJ m-3 depending on the sample, process conditions, and porosity considered. The kinetic analysis revealed that oxidation can be modeled as a first-order chemical reaction, whereas reduction follows a second-order Avrami-Erofeev model. Altogether, mixed Cu/Ce oxides showed interesting performance in TCES applications

Il trattamento dei dati personali nella ricerca: evento di formazione H2IOSC ai giovani ricercatori del settore SSH

Rapporto Tecnico relativo agli output emergenti da una formazione a giovani ricercatori erogata nell'ambito del Progetto H2IOSC (PNRR IR

From Exposure to Atherosclerosis: Mechanistic Insights into Phthalate-Driven Ischemic Heart Disease and Prevention Strategies

Despite decades of interventions targeting modifiable risk factors to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease, ischemic heart disease (IHD) remains the leading cause of mortality and the second leading cause of disability-adjusted life-years worldwide. Growing evidence suggests that phthalates–plasticizers widely used in consumer products, cosmetics, and medical devices, and therefore ubiquitous across environmental media, may contribute to IHD development. Epidemiological studies have reported associations between phthalate exposure and multiple markers of atherosclerosis, the pathological hallmark of IHD, with or without mediation by traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Experimental models support these findings, showing that phthalates can induce oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, lipid accumulation, and epigenetic alterations, all of which promote endothelial damage and atherogenesis. In this review, we synthesize current epidemiological findings linking phthalate exposure to IHD, describe the main cellular and molecular mechanisms involved, and outline research gaps and regulatory perspectives. We also discuss how novel analytical frameworks—including artificial intelligence—may enhance the integration of environmental, clinical, and molecular data to advance risk prediction and prevention strategies

Sapiens, Reindeer, Monkeys and Other Animals: The Invisible Ecological Limit

Il seminario affronta il tema del limite ecologico a partire da una domanda tanto semplice quanto elusiva: perché la nostra specie fatica a riconoscere i confini materiali entro cui si svolge la vita sul pianeta? Attraverso esempi tratti dall’ecologia — dalla celebre vicenda delle renne dell’isola di San Matteo al caso delle farfalle inglesi — viene mostrato come gli ecosistemi siano regolati da dinamiche di crescita, retroazione e collasso spesso controintuitive. A partire da queste storie, la riflessione si allarga alla dimensione energetica e storica della civiltà umana, mettendo in relazione l’aumento della popolazione e dei consumi con la disponibilità di risorse finite. Il percorso si sofferma quindi su alcune figure chiave del pensiero dei limiti, da Marion King Hubbert ad Aurelio Peccei e al Club di Roma, fino ai modelli sistemici di World Dynamics e The Limits to Growth, che hanno anticipato molti dei nodi ecologici contemporanei. In chiusura, il seminario propone una riflessione sul cosiddetto “effetto Seneca”: la possibilità che i processi di declino siano molto più rapidi delle fasi di crescita. Il filo conduttore è l’idea che il limite non sia assenza di sviluppo, ma condizione strutturale di ogni sistema complesso, naturale e umano, e che la vera sfida consista nel saperlo vedere prima che si manifesti in forma di crisi.This seminar addresses the theme of ecological limits by starting from a question that is as simple as it is elusive: why does our species struggle to recognize the material boundaries within which life on the planet unfolds? Through examples drawn from ecology — from the well-known story of the reindeer on St. Matthew Island to the case of the English butterflies — the presentation shows how ecosystems are governed by dynamics of growth, feedback, and collapse that are often counterintuitive. Building on these stories, the discussion broadens to the energetic and historical dimension of human civilization, linking population growth and increasing consumption to the availability of finite resources. The seminar then focuses on some key figures in the history of the idea of limits, from Marion King Hubbert to Aurelio Peccei and the Club of Rome, up to the systemic models developed in World Dynamics and The Limits to Growth, which anticipated many of today’s ecological challenges. In conclusion, the seminar offers a reflection on the so-called “Seneca effect”: the possibility that processes of decline may unfold much more rapidly than phases of growth. The guiding thread throughout is the idea that limits do not signify the absence of development, but rather constitute a structural condition of every complex system, both natural and human, and that the real challenge lies in recognizing them before they emerge in the form of crisis

MANUALE OPERATIVO DELLA TABELLA DINAMICA PER LA SORVEGLIANZA SANITARIA E LO STATO DELLA SICUREZZA DEI DIPENDENTI anno 2026 v. 3.0

MANUALE OPERATIVO DELLA TABELLA DINAMICA PER LA SORVEGLIANZA SANITARIA E LO STATO DELLA SICUREZZA DEI DIPENDENTI anno 2026 v. 3.