La democrazia partecipativa tra luci ed ombre: la legge 69/2007 della Regione Toscana e il progetto di "sviluppo geotermico" sul monte Amiata

Questo lavoro è il frutto di una ricerca sulle nuove forme di democrazia. Nella prima parte passo in rassegna le posizioni di alcuni pensatori (Rousseau, Kant, Schumpeter) che hanno dato un contributo decisivo all’avvio della riflessione contemporanea sui processi democratici, concentrandomi in particolare sulle differenti modalità di intendere il rapporto tra società civile e sottosistema politico. Nella società odierna questo rapporto conosce uno stato di crisi profonda - che si traduce in una parallela crisi delle tradizionali strutture rappresentative –, a cui si è tentato di rispondere mediante l’introduzione di strumenti (teorici e pratici) in grado di “rinnovare la democrazia”. Nella parte centrale del progetto analizzo alcune di queste tecniche: le esperienze di e-democracy (democrazia elettronica praticata attraverso l’uso dei moderni media); il paradigma della democrazia deliberativa, e infine il modello della democrazia partecipativa. A conclusione del percorso mi occupo di alcune esperienze concrete. Nello specifico analizzo le novità introdotte dalla legge 69/2007 della Regione Toscana sulla partecipazione, cercando di delinearne potenzialità innovative e limiti. Infine propongo le mie riflessioni sul problema dello sviluppo geotermico del Monte Amiata: un caso paradigmatico, che mostra chiaramente quale sia il vero atteggiamento delle istituzioni nei confronti della partecipazione popolare alla formulazione di politiche pubbliche. Un atteggiamento decisionista, ad oggi ancora caratterizzato da una profonda chiusura

Platform-based design, test and fast verification flow for mixed-signal systems on chip

This research is providing methodologies to enhance the design phase from architectural space exploration and system study to verification of the whole mixed-signal system. At the beginning of the work, some innovative digital IPs have been designed to develop efficient signal conditioning for sensor systems on-chip that has been included in commercial products. After this phase, the main focus has been addressed to the creation of a re-usable and versatile test of the device after the tape-out which is close to become one of the major cost factor for ICs companies, strongly linking it to model’s test-benches to avoid re-design phases and multi-environment scenarios, producing a very effective approach to a single, fast and reliable multi-level verification environment. All these works generated different publications in scientific literature. The compound scenario concerning the development of sensor systems is presented in Chapter 1, together with an overview of the related market with a particular focus on the latest MEMS and MOEMS technology devices, and their applications in various segments. Chapter 2 introduces the state of the art for sensor interfaces: the generic sensor interface concept (based on sharing the same electronics among similar applications achieving cost saving at the expense of area and performance loss) versus the Platform Based Design methodology, which overcomes the drawbacks of the classic solution by keeping the generality at the highest design layers and customizing the platform for a target sensor achieving optimized performances. An evolution of Platform Based Design achieved by implementation into silicon of the ISIF (Intelligent Sensor InterFace) platform is therefore presented. ISIF is a highly configurable mixed-signal chip which allows designers to perform an effective design space exploration and to evaluate directly on silicon the system performances avoiding the critical and time consuming analysis required by standard platform based approach. In chapter 3 we describe the design of a smart sensor interface for conditioning next generation MOEMS. The adoption of a new, high performance and high integrated technology allow us to integrate not only a versatile platform but also a powerful ARM processor and various IPs providing the possibility to use the platform not only as a conditioning platform but also as a processing unit for the application. In this chapter a description of the various blocks is given, with a particular emphasis on the IP developed in order to grant the highest grade of flexibility with the minimum area occupation. The architectural space evaluation and the application prototyping with ISIF has enabled an effective, rapid and low risk development of a new high performance platform achieving a flexible sensor system for MEMS and MOEMS monitoring and conditioning. The platform has been design to cover very challenging test-benches, like a laser-based projector device. In this way the platform will not only be able to effectively handle the sensor but also all the system that can be built around it, reducing the needed for further electronics and resulting in an efficient test bench for the algorithm developed to drive the system. The high costs in ASIC development are mainly related to re-design phases because of missing complete top-level tests. Analog and digital parts design flows are separately verified. Starting from these considerations, in the last chapter a complete test environment for complex mixed-signal chips is presented. A semi-automatic VHDL-AMS flow to provide totally matching top-level is described and then, an evolution for fast self-checking test development for both model and real chip verification is proposed. By the introduction of a Python interface, the designer can easily perform interactive tests to cover all the features verification (e.g. calibration and trimming) into the design phase and check them all with the same environment on the real chip after the tape-out. This strategy has been tested on a consumer 3D-gyro for consumer application, in collaboration with SensorDynamics AG

Studio e progettazione VLSI di un acceleratore hardware per la ricostruzione di ambienti sonori

I recenti sviluppi dei sistemi di misura nell’ambito della caratterizzazione acustica degli ambienti consentono una descrizione sempre più accurata delle proprietà acustiche degli spazi per mezzo della risposta impulsiva. La creazione di un database contenente questo tipo di informazioni riveste un ruolo estremamente importante sia dal punto di vista della conservazione dei beni culturali, sia dal punto di vista della produzione audio cinematografica e musicale. L’utilizzo della risposta impulsiva, infatti, permette la ricostruzione sonora del contesto acustico, sia in fase sia di registrazione che di riproduzione, a partire da segnali pseudo-anecoici. L’elaborazione di questi dati risulta estremamente onerosa dal punto di vista computazionale a causa delle lunghezze delle risposte impulsive, che possono raggiungere durate dell’ordine delle decine di secondi. In questo lavoro di tesi viene affrontato lo studio e la progettazione di un acceleratore hardware per la convoluzione tra un segnale audio pseudo-anecoico ed una risposta impulsiva di un ambiente sonoro. L’obiettivo è la realizzazione di una piattaforma dedicata per applicazioni audio professionali. Dopo aver preso visione dello stato dell’arte, si è proceduto ad un’analisi di alto livello del sistema per determinare le specifiche di massima. In seguito, il sistema è stato partizionato nelle sue componenti hardware e software e si è operata la scelta per la piattaforma di prototipazione. Il sottosistema di convoluzione hardware è stato quindi descritto in linguaggio VHDL e verificato funzionalmente. Lo stesso codice è stato sintetizzato e verificato su dispositivi FPGA, assieme alle interfacce appositamente sviluppate per la comunicazione verso il sottosistema software

Analytical Validation of Two Assays for Equine Ceruloplasmin Ferroxidase Activity Assessment

: Ceruloplasmin (Cp) assessment in biological samples exploits the oxidase activity of this enzyme against several substrates, such as p-phenylenediamine (p-P), o-dianisidine (o-D) and, most recently, ammonium iron(II) sulfate (AIS). Once developed in humans, these assays are often used in veterinary medicine without appropriately optimizing in the animal species of interest. In this study, two assays using AIS and o-D as substrates have been compared and validated for Cp oxidase activity assessment in horse's plasma. The optimization of the assays was performed mainly by varying the buffer pH as well as the buffer and the substrate molar concentration. Under the best analytical conditions obtained, the horse blood serum samples were treated with sodium azide, a potent Cp inhibitor. In the o-D assay, 500 µM sodium azide treatment completely inhibits the enzymatic activity of Cp, whereas, using the AIS assay, a residual analytical signal was still present even at the highest (2000 µM) sodium azide concentration. Even though the analytical values obtained from these methods are well correlated, the enzymatic activity values significantly differ when expressed in Units L-1. A disagreement between these assays has also been detected with the Bland-Altman plot, showing a progressive discrepancy between methods with increasing analytical values

Fluorescence Spectroscopy for the Diagnosis of Endometritis in the Mare

By exploiting the PMN property to produce high quantities of oxygen peroxide to neutralize pathogens, the oxygen peroxide content of uterine cells was measured to diagnose endometritis. After preliminary in vitro studies in which endometrial cells from slaughtered mares were mixed with leukocytes from peripheral blood, endometrial samples were collected by uterine flushing from mares before insemination. Staining endometrial cells with H2DCF‐DA was combined with hydroethidine to normalize the fluorescence intensity with the cellular content of the sample. Stained cell smears were assumed as the gold standard of endometritis, and based on this assay, the samples were considered positive (C+) and negative (C−) for endometritis. The amount and the turbidity of fluid recovered by uterine flushing were significantly (p < 0.01) higher in C+ than in C−. Moreover, the oxygen peroxide content of the endometrial cells was significantly higher in the C+ than in the C− group (6.31 ± 1.92 vs. 3.12 ± 1.26, p = 0.001). Using the value of 4.4 as the cutoff level of this fluorescence cytology assay, it was found that only one C− sample exceeded the cutoff level (false positives = 7.7%) while three C+ samples showed values below the cutoff level (false negative = 11.5%)

Alcohol Intake and Blood Pressure Levels: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Nonexperimental Cohort Studies

Background: Alcohol consumption may increase blood pressure but the details of the relationship are incomplete, particularly for the association at low levels of alcohol consumption, and no meta-analyses are available for nonexperimental cohort studies. Methods: We performed a systematic search of longitudinal studies in healthy adults that reported on the association between alcohol intake and blood pressure. Our end points were the mean differences over time of systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), plotted according to baseline alcohol intake, by using a dose-response 1-stage meta-analytic methodology. Results: Seven studies, with 19 548 participants and a median follow-up of 5.3 years (range, 4-12 years), were included in the analysis. We observed a substantially linear positive association between baseline alcohol intake and changes over time in SBP and DBP, with no suggestion of an exposure-effect threshold. Overall, average SBP was 1.25 and 4.90 mm Hg higher for 12 or 48 grams of daily alcohol consumption, compared with no consumption. The corresponding differences for DBP were 1.14 and 3.10 mm Hg. Subgroup analyses by sex showed an almost linear association between baseline alcohol intake and SBP changes in both men and women, and for DBP in men while in women we identified an inverted U-shaped association. Alcohol consumption was positively associated with blood pressure changes in both Asians and North Americans, apart from DBP in the latter group. Conclusions: Our results suggest the association between alcohol consumption and SBP is direct and linear with no evidence of a threshold for the association, while for DBP the association is modified by sex and geographic location

Patients with multiple sclerosis: a burden and cost of illness study

Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disease negatively impacting patients' physical, psychological and social well-being with a significant economic burden. Objectives The study estimates MS burden and cost of illness in Italy from a societal perspective in 2019. Methods Information on the impact of the disease on daily activities, symptoms, employment, resource utilization and the role of caregivers was collected through questionnaires completed by 944 patients and caregivers. Results were stratified according to both disease severity and payer. Mean costs and overall costs were extrapolated from the sample to the Italian MS population considering published distribution of severity. Results The study showed a great impact of the disease on daily and work activities increasing with the disability. The overwhelming burden of fatigue emerged. Mean annual costs were estimated at euro39,307/patient (euro29,676, euro43,464 and euro53,454 in mild, moderate and severe cases, respectively). Direct healthcare costs were the major component (euro21,069), followed by indirect costs (euro15,004). The overall cost of the disease in Italy was euro4.8 billion. The National Healthcare System (NHS) sustained most of the costs (80%), most notably direct healthcare costs, while patients paid almost all non-healthcare expenses. Conclusions This study confirmed that MS carries a substantial burden to patients and society, highlighting the need for awareness of this disease

Dietary Patterns and Blood Biochemical and Metabolic Parameters in an Italian Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

Diet has long been identified as a major determinant of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. In this study, we assess the relation between adherence to different dietary patterns and biochemical and metabolic parameters as well as the 10-year risk of major cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in a community of blood donors in Northern Italy. We assess their adherence to four dietary patterns, namely, the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, the Mediterranean diet through the Greek and Italian Mediterranean Indices (GMI and IMI) and the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet, using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). We then assess their association with blood parameters and the 10-year risk of major CVD using a spline regression model. We found an inverse association between the DASH and MIND diets and total and LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride and HDL cholesterol values for the Mediterranean diets (IMI and GMI). Additionally, according to our sex-stratified analyses, men who have greater adherence to dietary patterns have a decreased risk of major CVD for all patterns. The results suggest that greater adherence to dietary patterns positively influences blood biochemical and metabolic parameters, thus reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and delaying the use of drug treatment

Geophysical surveys integrated in the "Il Piano" area (Isola d'Elba, Italy) to goal census and cataloging cavities anthropic origin

Numerosi sprofondamenti si sono verificati nell’ultimo decennio in un’area di fondovalle compresa nel territorio di Rio Marina all’Isola d’Elba (località Il Piano), ed hanno interessato abitazioni, aree agricole e la strada di collegamento tra Rio Marina e Rio nell’Elba, la SP26. Nell’intorno affi ora la formazione del Calcare Cavernoso dove si è sviluppato un sistema caveale, la “Grotta di San Giuseppe”; inizialmente ciò faceva ipotizzare anche la presenza di cavità all’interno del substratocarbonatico. L’integrazione di diversi metodi geofisici indiretti ha evidenziato invece un altro motivo causale di origine antropica nella formazioni di questi sinkhole. Gli obiettivi dello studio sono stati ottenere un modello geologico e idrogeologico della zona; individuare possibili cavità e/o carenze di massa/densità che sarebbero potute evolvere in sprofondamenti; valutare la suscettibilità della zona agli sprofondamenti. Tra i risultati delle indagini geofisiche integrate: a) i modelli gravimetrici 2D e 3D hanno fornito informazioni sulla distribuzione spaziale delle densità nel sottosuolo; b) la 3D-ERT ha caratterizzato il comportamento elettrico dei materiali; c) il metodo H/V ha permesso di stimare lo spessore medio delle alluvioni. Le indagini geofisiche integrate, unite ad un’accurata ricostruzione della trasformazione ambientale dell’area, hanno consentito una caratterizzazione geomorfologica e idrogeologica del territorio. L’interpretazione di questi dati ha permesso di comprendere l’innesco dei fenomeni di sprofondamento e di redarre mappe delle aree a rischio.Published81-907A. Geofisica per il monitoraggio ambientale7SR AMBIENTE – Servizi e ricerca per la societàJCR Journa

Altered processing of sensory stimuli in patients with migraine

Migraine is a cyclic disorder, in which functional and morphological brain changes fluctuate over time, culminating periodically in an attack. In the migrainous brain, temporal processing of external stimuli and sequential recruitment of neuronal networks are often dysfunctional. These changes reflect complex CNS dysfunction patterns. Assessment of multimodal evoked potentials and nociceptive reflex responses can reveal altered patterns of the brain's electrophysiological activity, thereby aiding our understanding of the pathophysiology of migraine. In this Review, we summarize the most important findings on temporal processing of evoked and reflex responses in migraine. Considering these data, we propose that thalamocortical dysrhythmia may be responsible for the altered synchronicity in migraine. To test this hypothesis in future research, electrophysiological recordings should be combined with neuroimaging studies so that the temporal patterns of sensory processing in patients with migraine can be correlated with the accompanying anatomical and functional changes