Impact of functional rehabilitation for erectile function recovery of prostate cancer patients underwent robotic radical prostatectomy with nerve-sparing approach from a bio-psycho-social perspective

Introduction: Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy among men, often detected at a localized stage in younger, healthier patients. Although robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) with nerve-sparing (NS) techniques aims to optimize recovery of erectile function (EF), outcomes remain variable, impacting quality of life. Rehabilitation rotocols combining pharmacologic and psychosexual interventions may enhance EF recovery. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 640 patients who underwent RARP with NS techniques from 2020 to 2024. Patients with severe pre-existing rectile dysfunction (IIEF-5 score <17) or short follow-up (<24 months) were excluded. Surgical approaches were stratified into categories (bilateral intrafascial, bilateral nterfascial, interfascial/extrafascial) based on nerve preservation. Postoperative rehabilitation involved adalafil (20 mg, thrice weekly), vacuum erection devices (VED), intracavernosal injections (ICI), and optional psychosexual counseling for relational health assessment (Dyadic Adjustment Scale, PCS-12, MCS-12). EF recovery was measured using IIEF-5 scores at intervals over 24 months. Multimodal logistic estimates, Kaplan Meier curves and Cox’s promotional hazard models were used to investigate the functional recovery. Results: At 12 months, patients with bilateral intrafascial NS and combined PDE5i + VED therapy showed the highest EF recovery, particularly in younger patients (<65 years), with median IIEF-5 scores significantly improved. Psychosexual counseling positively correlated with relational and EF recovery. Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated quicker EF recovery for younger patients and those with bilateral NS, with 86% achieving baseline EF by 24 months. Conclusions: Robot-assisted RARP, combined with structured PDE5i + VED therapy, significantly enhances EF recovery, particularly for younger individuals with bilateral intrafascial NS. Psychosexual support further aids recovery, highlighting the importance of a biopsychosocial approach in post-RARP rehabilitation. Future multicenter studies are recommended to standardize penile rehabilitation protocols

Sensorimotor integration in visuomotor tasks: trajectory analysis in occipitoparietal lesions and action-dependent effects on perception in virtual reality

Sensorimotor integration is a fundamental process that underlies our ability to interact with and perceive the world around us. The integration of sensory information with motor actions enables precise movement execution and plays a crucial role in shaping our perception. Neurological conditions caused by parietal lesions can disrupt this intricate process, leading to impairments in movement execution and control. In the first study of this thesis, we evaluated how visuomotor disruption caused by an occipitoparietal lesion in a patient with optic ataxia symptoms impairs motor trajectories during visually guided reaching movements. To this end, we compared the trajectories performed by the patient with those performed by a healthy control group by using a novel decoding approach. We found that the trajectories of the two groups were highly distinguishable already before the midpoint of the movement, suggesting the potential of this decoding method to characterize pathological motor behaviours. In the second study of this thesis, we investigated sensorimotor integration using another novel approach: virtual reality. In fact, previous research indicates that the perception of space and objects in virtual environments is usually inaccurate but can be improved by interacting with the environment through walking, though not by reaching. To evaluate this, we used a size-judgment task to assess how different interactions, such as simulated walking, reaching and grasping, affect object perception in virtual reality. Contrary to our expectations, which were based on real-world studies showing that grasping enhances size perception, we found that mere observation was the most beneficial interaction for performing the task. The exploration of the effects of neurological impairments on movement trajectories and the influence of various actions on perception in virtual reality offers significant implications for clinical rehabilitation and our understanding of sensorimotor processing

Training competencies in managing Open Innovation processes. A case study.

Per comprende più a fondo il problema che le aziende affrontare per formare le persone in grado di gestire processi di innovazione, in particolare di Open Innovation (OI), è stato realizzato nel 2021 uno studio di caso multiplo di un percorso di educazione non formale all’OI realizzato dalla società consortile ART-ER e rivolto ai dottorandi degli atenei emiliano-romagnoli. Nella seconda fase di tale percorso formativo, per rispondere alle sfide di OI lanciate dalle aziende, sono stati costituiti 4 tavoli di lavoro. A ciascun tavolo di lavoro hanno preso parte 3/4 dottorandi, due referenti aziendali, un consulente e un operatore di ART-ER. Il campione complessivo era costituito da 14 dottorandi; 8 referenti aziendali di quattro aziende; 4 membri di una società di consulenza e 4 operatori della società consortile ART-ER. Il seguente interrogativo di ricerca ha guidato l’indagine: l’interazione tra i soggetti coinvolti in ciascun tavolo di lavoro – considerato un singolo caso - si configura come una Comunità di Pratica in grado di favorire lo sviluppo di apprendimenti individuali funzionali a gestire i processi di OI attivati nelle imprese? I dati sono stati raccolti attraverso una ricerca documentale a tavolino, focus group, interviste semistrutturate e un questionario semistrutturato online. L’analisi dei dati è stata effettuata mediante un’analisi qualitativa del contenuto in più fasi con l’ausilio del software MAXQDA. I risultati dimostrano che in tre casi su quattro, i tavoli di lavoro si sono configurati come una Comunità di Pratica. In questi tre tavoli inoltre è emerso lo sviluppo di alcune aree di competenza funzionali alla gestione dei processi di OI. Nella conclusione sono state presentate alcune proposte per la riprogettazione delle future edizioni del percorso formativo.To better understand the problem companies face in training people capable of managing innovation processes, in particular Open Innovation (OI), in 2021, a multiple case study of a non-formal training course – organized by the ART-ER consortium and aimed at doctoral students of Emilia-Romagna universities – was carried out. In the second phase of this training course, four working groups were set up to respond to OI challenges launched by companies. Three/four PhD students, two company representatives, a consultant and an ART-ER operator took part in each work table. The overall sample consisted of 14 PhD students, eight company representatives from four companies, four consultancy company members, and four ART-ER consortium company operators. The following research question guided the investigation: has the interaction between the subjects involved in each work table - considered a single case - configured as a Community of Practice capable of favouring the development of individual learning functional to managing the processes of OI activated in companies? The data was collected through desk research, focus groups, semi-structured interviews and a semi-structured online questionnaire. The data analysis was carried out through a qualitative analysis of the content in several stages with the help of the MAXQDA software. The results show that the working groups were configured as a Community of Practice in three out of four cases. In these three tables, the development of some areas of competence functional to the management of OI processes also emerged. In conclusion, some proposals for redesigning future editions of the training course were presented

Characterization and evolution of mito-nuclear interactions

Since the emergence of the first eukaryotic cell, two genomes have coexisted and coevolved within the same cellular environment, resulting in a complex network of interactions. The aim of my thesis is to investigate these interactions and their biological implications. RNA-RNA interactions play a key role in cellular homeostasis regulation. The Small Mitochondrial Highly Transcribed RNAs (smithRNAs), transcribed from the mitochondrial genome, target nuclear transcripts. However, their regulatory mechanisms are not fully understood. I focused on identifying proteins involved in the maturation and regulation of smithRNAs. To this end, I analyzed RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) from various organisms and performed co-immunoprecipitation experiments between the identified smithRNAs in R. philippinarum and protein lysates. In the second part of my project, I examined protein-protein interactions between mitochondrial and nuclear OXPHOS subunits. Twelve subunits are encoded by the mitochondrial genome, while approximately 70 are encoded by the nuclear genome. I studied two mito-nuclear discordances in deep lineages, where mitochondrial markers support one phylogenetic hypothesis, but phylogenomic analyses reject it. I analyzed the phylogenetic signal of nuclear OXPHOS genes. In both Bivalvia and Squamata, the close interaction between OXPHOS subunits caused nuclear OXPHOS genes to support the biased mitochondrial topology. The tight interactions between the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes impact many biological processes. By co-opting nuclear proteins, the mitochondrial genome has evolved an internal RNAi pathway, possibly linked to sex determination in R. philippinarum. In snakes, adaptive selection on OXPHOS genes is likely linked to their extreme radiation. Over the course of my three-year project, I explored these interactions, highlighting their importance in key evolutionary processes

Nonlinear modelling of radiofrequency devices for reconfigurable and sensing applications

Radiofrequency (RF) technologies have tremendously evolved in a bid to answer the ever-increasing demand for flexibility and efficiency of communication systems. In that respect, reconfigurability within a system plays the key role of dynamic adjustment to changing operation conditions: frequency bands, modulation schemes, and power levels. Reconfigurable RF systems are going to be fundamental in handling the challenges thrown up by modern communication networks, which include increasing data rate while improving spectrum efficiency and reducing energy consumption. Among the advanced materials that promise to provide RF reconfigurability are ferroelectric materials. In particular, a focus on the nonlinear modeling of Hafnium-Zirconium-Oxide-based (HfZrO) devices is presented, with particular attention to passive phase shifters. Moreover, the integration of HfZrO with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology opens up a new generation of reconfigurable RF circuits. In this context, a new silicon-integrated technology for antenna realization and their derivative applications, such as RF Energy Harvesting (EH), is presented, focusing on the design and implementation of different rectennas operating at multiple frequencies. The topic of EH is also discussed in the framework of the design and realization of a novel topology for a wide dynamic range of applications. The need for stand-alone RF systems and circuits is of particular interest to microwave sensing applications. In particular, a focus on biological microwave sensing is presented. Two distinct solutions, for wood moisture content monitoring and skin hydration, are reported. Particular attention is given to a new sensing strategy that avoids the need for external instrumentation by only monitoring the steady-state regime of nonlinear circuits. Finally, a description of the activities carried out in joint projects with industry is reported, mainly focusing on the design of a novel positioning system for railway transport systems based on Long Range (LoRa) protocol and of a three-antenna system

The Libreria of the Gelati Academy in Bologna

L’Accademia dei Gelati, una tra le prime accademie bolognesi, fiorì nella seconda metà del Cinquecento. Furono numerosi gli eruditi che ve ne fecero parte e la produzione letteraria, frutto dell’attività accademica, fu davvero notevole. Presso la Biblioteca Comunale dell’Archiginnasio di Bologna è conservata la Libreria dell’Accademia: un patrimonio culturale degno di essere valorizzato e fonte di interessanti spunti d’indagine. Il lavoro è stato dedicato principalmente al materiale documentario manoscritto dei Gelati. Per la prima volta viene presentato, nel suo insieme, il corpus dei documenti e resi noti i testi delle orazioni, dei discorsi accademici e in particolare dei sonetti (la poesia fu la materia principale delle adunanze gelate), finora inediti.The Accademia dei Gelati, one of the first academies in Bologna, flourished in the second half of the 16th century. Numerous scholars belonged to it, and the literary production resulting from the academic activity was truly remarkable. The library is preserved at the Biblioteca Comunale dell'Archiginnasio in Bologna: a cultural heritage that deserves to be valorised and a source of interesting sources of investigation. The work was mainly focused on the Gelati's manuscript material. For the first time, the entire corpus of documents is presented and the texts of orations, academic speeches and, in particular, sonnets (poetry was the main subject of the Gelati gatherings), unpublished until now, are made available

Uniting oceanography, fisheries stakeholders and citizen science to find solutions for environmental management in face of climate change

The issue of climate change is a widely accepted concern, with its impact evident in global temperature rise, extreme weather events, sea level rise, and biodiversity loss. The Mar Menor lagoon in southeastern Spain is one such ecosystem suffering from human-induced damage, including mining, agriculture, and urbanization, leading to eutrophication, species mortality, and invasion by alien species. Given that halting climate change is not feasible, the focus is on mitigating and adapting to its effects through nature-based solutions. These solutions promote collaboration between people and nature to address societal challenges while benefiting both human well-being and biodiversity. Environmental management planning plays a critical role in adaptation, offering strategies to protect ecosystem services and address social aspects of socioecological systems. Such plans require scientific data and public participation, which enhances effectiveness, fosters collaboration, and bridges the gap between research and society. Stakeholders contribute with personal knowledge, improving monitoring efforts and boosting public trust in science. Citizen science, as a tool for gathering data, allows for greater community involvement, aiding scientific studies and promoting environmental education to shape public awareness and behavior. This thesis evaluates the social, economic, and environmental aspects of the Mar Menor lagoon, focusing on stakeholders like tourists and fishermen. It explores the impact of extreme weather on the lagoon's oceanographic properties, stakeholder perceptions of climate change, and how citizen science and environmental education can support effective management. The findings show that extreme weather events can have lasting impacts on ecosystems, highlighting the need for mitigation strategies. Stakeholder involvement in management plans increases the chances of success by improving monitoring and boosting support. Citizen science can be an effective tool for data collection, while environmental education can improve awareness. Overall, the thesis underscores the importance of integrating scientific research with public engagement to balance human activities and natural ecosystems

Clinical efficacy of high dose brachytherapy with non-sealed 188Re (rhenium) resin in patients with "difficult to treat" basal cell carcinoma unfit for dermatologic surgery

Il carcinoma basocellulare(BCC) è il Non Melanoma Skin Cancers (NMSC) più frequente. I BCC considerando i criteri proposti dall’Associazione Europea di Dermato-Oncologia possono essere classificati in “easy-to-treat” e “difficult-to-treat”. La definizione di “difficult-to-treat” considera: (i)la difficoltà chirurgica a preservare la funzionalitá anatomica/estetica;(ii)i margini scarsamente definiti come nel sottotipo sclerodermiforme;(iii)area cutanea precedentemente sottoposta a radioterapia;(iv) multiple comorbidità del paziente. Lo scopo di questo studio retrospettivo é quello di valutare l’efficacia terapeutica della brachiterapia con la resina con 188renio nei pazienti affetti da BCC “difficult-to-treat” considerando i seguenti parametri: il tipo istologico, la sede anatomica trattata, la dimensione del BCC e i BCC naive o versus i pluritrattati. Sono stati inclusi nello studio i pazienti affetti da BCC “difficult-to-treat” e con spessore di infiltrazione inferiore ai 3 mm. Tra ottobre 2017 e dicembre 2022, sono stati arruolati 64 pazienti con etá media di 81 anni affetti da 82 BCC “difficult-to-treat”: 60 erano BCC nodulari, 9 sclerodermiformi e 13 superficiali. Il follow-up medio é risultato di 22 mesi. Tutte le lesioni che al follow-up con videodermatoscopia post trattamento con188renio risultavano sospette per recidiva di BCC sono state analizzate con biopsie multiple. La brachiterapia con l’applicazione della resina al 188Renio si é dimostrata una metodica estremamente efficace con una risoluzione del 93% dei BCC “difficult to treat” con un tempo medio alla recidiva di 23 mesi. Non sono state riscontrate differenze statisticamente significative di risposta alla brachiterapia considerando: (i)l’area anatomica trattata, (ii)la dimensione del tumore, (iii)i BCC precedentemente trattati versus i naive. Al contrario l’istotipo sclerodermiforme é risultato correlato a un rischio di recidiva piú alto rispetto al nodulare(p=0,03). L’analisi multivariata ha confermato che il BCC sclerodermiforme ha un rischio di recidiva 7 volte superiore rispetto al BCC nodulare(modello di Cox HR 7,2) e la recidiva si verifica circa 12 settimane prima.Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most frequent non-melanoma skin cancer. The European Association of Dermato-Oncology (EADO) classification divides BCCs into 2 categories, “easy-to-treat” (common) and “difficult-to- treat”. The definition of "difficult-to-treat" considers: (i)the surgical difficulty in preserving the anatomical/aesthetic functionality; (ii) poorly defined margins as in the sclerodermiform subtype; (iii) prior radiotherapy; (iv) patient’s comorbidities interfering with surgery. The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy of a single application of high-dose standardized brachytherapy using an unsealed 188Re in the management of “difficult to treat” BCC and to evalute the risk factors of recurrences considering the histological type, the anatomical site treated, the size of the BCC and naïve BCC or versus multi-treated BCC. Patients with "difficult-to-treat" BCC and with infiltration thickness less than 3 mm were included in the study. Between October 2017 and December 2022, 64 consecutive patients, affected by 82 histologically proven high-risk BCCs, were enrolled: 60 were nodular, 9 sclerodermiform and 13 superficial BCCs. The average follow-up was 22 months. All lesions that at follow-up with videodermoscopy were found to be suspicious for BCC recurrence were subjected to multiple skin biopsies. Brachytherapy with the application of 188 Rhenium resin has proven to be an extremely effective method with a resolution of 93% of "difficult to treat" BCCs with an average time to recurrence of 23 months. No statistically significant differences in response to brachytherapy were found considering: (i) the anatomical area treated, (ii) the size of the tumor, (iii) previously treated versus naive BCCs. On the contrary, the scleroderma histotype was correlated with a higher risk of recurrence compared to the nodular one (p=0.03). Multivariable analysis confirmed that sclerodermiform BCC has a 7-fold higher risk of recurrence than nodular BCC (Cox model HR 7.2) and recurrence occurs approximately 12 weeks earlier

Development and food security in africa from the 1960s to 2010s: the case of Ethiopia

Persistent food insecurity and famines have continued to significantly shape the development policies of Ethiopia for decades. Over the decades, frequent famines caused not only the death of hundreds of thousands of victims but also significantly contributed to two revolutions that swept away the Haile Selassie and Derg regimes, as well as significantly taxing the legitimacy of the incumbent regime. As a result, agriculture and food security have become increasingly the top policy priorities for all political regimes in Ethiopia. However, the development policies of the ruling elites of Ethiopia have consistently failed to transform backward agriculture and ensure food security. The failures of the development policies of the Ethiopian governments over the years were attributed to several factors. Ethiopian authoritarian politics, centralized rule with a lack of transparency and accountability; the isolation of peasants from the development and governance process, and the lack of coherent agricultural development strategies that invest in peasant agriculture and create synergy among sectors are identified as key issues that have contributed to the persistence of food insecurity in the country. The literature on the failure of Ethiopia's political regimes to address food insecurity and famine has two major gaps that this study aims to fill. First, the cumulative and path-dependent food security and agricultural development policy environment were not adequately considered. Second, the strategy of extraversion by subsequent political regimes to use external support as a relief to prevent the famine-induced political crisis. This study used a mixed approach to collect data and present the evolution of the interplays of development policies and food security in three regimes within the context of international food security discourses. This study found out how the historical patterns of approaches of Ethiopia’s regimes to development and governance led to frequent famines and persistent food insecurity

Nanobiotechnological engineering of the M13 phage into an orthogonal platform for biomedical applications

M13 bacteriophage, a naturally multifunctional nanoplatform, comprises thousands of distinct protein subunits arranged in a filamentous viral capsid. These proteins have the ability to be tailored for the binding and nucleation of inorganics and nanoparticles as well as for the production of ligands, functional moieties, and even enzymes. In the first study, we demonstrate the potential of using M13 bacteriophage conjugated with rose bengal (RB) for antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (PDT). To further improve the specificity of the therapy, we genetically modified M13 to express a C20 nanobody in fusion with the pIII protein. This modification resulted in a specific tropism for A. baumannii, and when conjugated with RB, the modified phages could selectively kill A. baumannii in PDT. Additionally, we developed a wider spectrum activity phage for antimicrobial PDT by encoding an LPS binding peptide in fusion with the pIII protein. Our results showed that this new phage only targets gram-negative bacteria such as P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii, while gram-positive bacteria like S. aureus are not bound. M13 anti-LPS conjugated with RB can selectively kill gram-negative bacteria when irradiated with light. In the second study, M13 was engineered to display the GFP11 β strand of a fluorescence complementation system for a cost-effective and easy production biodetection tool than may be further fine-tuned for the development of new point-of-care biosensors. The same system was used for the immobilization of Horseradisch perxidases (HRP) to M13 as a proof-of-concept strategy for the development of enzymatic farms. Finally, in the third study, M13 was conjugated with a poly lysines anchored SIINFEKL peptide for novel cancer vaccine platform. The proposed multimodal, nanoplatform is re-designable for applications in diagnostics, nanomaterials, and a variety of disease kinds