Decolonizing Kyiv’s politics of memory: current and potential implications of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine on Ukrainian monuments and toponyms.

History is the basis of our identity, but it sometimes represents a trap. As well explained by Keith Lowe, monuments are representative of our values, and every society deludes itself that its values will be everlasting. However, in a world changing at an unprecedented pace while we move on, urban furnishment such as monuments or streets’ names remain frozen in time. Statues and toponyms that were erected and chosen a long time ago may no longer be representative of the values we now treasure. While Russia’s aggression is still raging, a lot has been written on the potential implications of the war in Ukraine in several fields such as global economy, energy and food security. Still, at a time in which the relationship between memory and politics is coming to the fore in the field of IR, an in-depth study of the consequences of the war on Ukraine’s politics of memory appears to be virtually essential. To close this gap, this paper aims at providing an overview of how the war has influenced Ukraine’s politics of memory, especially by focusing on urban spaces such as monuments and topography. Drawing from the theoretical background on collective memory, first, the concepts of “memory” and “place” will be investigated by specifically looking at memory sites and building on Langenbacher and Yossi’s idea of “infrastructure of memory”. Second, we analyze the changing environment triggered by Russia’s aggression and actions such as the removal of Catherine the Great’s monument in Odesa or the renaming of the former Victory Square in Kyiv. Russia’s war on Ukraine has in fact accelerated a process of decolonization of memory which had begun with the post-Communist transition. Ukraine is now determined to revive its national identity which has long been subjugated. Third, we draw conclusions by reflecting on which turn Ukraine’s memory politics may take by analyzing hints provided by high-profile officials such as Zelensky or Klitschko. For instance, a reinterpretation of periods such as the Cossack Hetmanate, Kievan Rus’ and Ukraine People’s Republic or episodes linked to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army may be implemented with the emergence of new monuments or street names

Assessment of a novel patient-specific 3D printed multi-material simulator for endoscopic sinus surgery

Background: Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an emerging tool in the creation of anatomical models for surgical training. Its use in endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) has been limited because of the difficulty in replicating the anatomical details. Aim: To describe the development of a patient-specific 3D printed multi-material simulator for use in ESS, and to validate it as a training tool among a group of residents and experts in ear-nose-throat (ENT) surgery. Methods: Advanced material jetting 3D printing technology was used to produce both soft tissues and bony structures of the simulator to increase anatomical realism and tactile feedback of the model. A total of 3 ENT residents and 9 ENT specialists were recruited to perform both non-destructive tasks and ESS steps on the model. The anatomical fidelity and the usefulness of the simulator in ESS training were evaluated through specific questionnaires. Results: The tasks were accomplished by 100% of participants and the survey showed overall high scores both for anatomy fidelity and usefulness in training. Dacryocystorhinostomy, medial antrostomy, and turbinectomy were rated as accurately replicable on the simulator by 75% of participants. Positive scores were obtained also for ethmoidectomy and DRAF procedures, while the replication of sphenoidotomy received neutral ratings by half of the participants. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that a 3D printed multi-material model of the sino-nasal anatomy can be generated with a high level of anatomical accuracy and haptic response. This technology has the potential to be useful in surgical training as an alternative or complementary tool to cadaveric dissection

Новая Беларуская партызанская Рэспубліка? Наратыў Другой Сусветнай Вайны паміж міфам, рэвізіянізмам і дзяржаўнай прапагандай у прамовах Лукашэнкі пасля прэзідэнцкіх выбараў 2020 г.

The 2020 presidential election in Belarus marked a watershed for the country’s history. Since then, Alaksandr Lukašenka has been instrumentalising the memory of the Great Patriotic War to tackle the political imperatives of the present. Building on the instrumentalist school of thought within memory studies, this paper aims at providing a comprehensive overview of the uses and abuses of the memory of WWII in Belarus through the analysis of presidential speeches delivered after 2020. The narratives about the Great Patriotic War in Lukašenka’s speeches are embedded with myth, state propaganda and revisionist processes to uphold a certain rhetoric. The WWII heritage has now been attributed new meanings in Belarus which are useful both for domestic politics issues such as the 2020 protests and foreign policy ones, especially when analyzing the relationship between Belarus and the West or Minsk’s involvement in the war in Ukraine.Wybory prezydenckie na Białorusi w 2020 r. były przełomem w historii kraju. Od tego czasu Alaksandr Łukaszenka instrumentalizuje pamięć o Wielkiej Wojnie Ojczyźnianej, aby stawić czoła politycznym imperatywom współczesności. Artykuł, bazując na instrumentalistycznej szkole myślenia w zakresie studiów nad pamięcią, ma na celu kompleksowy przegląd zastosowań i nadużycia pamięci o II wojnie światowej na Białorusi poprzez analizę przemówień prezydenckich wygłoszonych po r. 2020. Dyskurs o Wielkiej Wojnie Ojczyźnianej w przemówieniach Łukaszenki jest osadzony w mitach, propagandzie państwowej i procesach rewizjonistycznych z celem podtrzymania pewnej retoryki. Dziedzictwu II wojny światowej nadano obecnie na Białorusi nowe znaczenia, przydatne zarówno w kwestiach polityki wewnętrznej, takich jak protesty 2020, jak i polityki zagranicznej, zwłaszcza przy analizie relacji Białorusi z Zachodem czy zaangażowania Mińska w wojnę na Ukrainie.Прэзідэнцкія выбары 2020 г. у Беларусі сталі пераломным момантам у гісторыі краіны. З таго часу Аляксандр Лукашэнка інструменталізуе памяць пра Вялікую Айчынную вайну для барацьбы з палітычнымі імператывамі сучаснасці. Гэты артыкул абапіраецца на інструменталістычную школу мыслення ў галіне даследаванняў памяці. Ён мае на мэце даць поўны агляд выкарыстання і злоўжывання памяццю аб Другой сусветнай вайне ў Беларусі праз аналіз прэзідэнцкіх выступаў, прамоўленых пасля 2020 г. Наратывы прасякнуты міфамі, дзяржаўнай прапагандай і рэвізіянісцкімі працэсамі для падтрымання пэўнай рыторыкі. Спадчыне Вялікай Айчыннай вайны ў Беларусі нададзены новы сэнс, які выгадны як для ўнутранай палітыкі, напрыклад, датычна пратэстаў 2020 г., так і для знешняй палітыкі, асабліва пры аналізе дачыненняў паміж Беларуссю і Захадам або ўдзел Мінска ў вайне ва Украіне

Progettazione e validazione di una piattaforma idrodinamica per il monitoraggio dell’impedenza intravalvolare in bioprotesi valvolari cardiache sensorizzate

Nel seguente lavoro di tesi sono stati sviluppati e testati prototipi di un’innovativa bioprotesi valvolare cardiaca sensorizzata per il monitoraggio della funzionalità valvolare dopo l’impianto. La bioprotesi valvolare viene sensorizzata grazie al posizionamento di elettrodi miniaturizzati in prossimità della struttura della protesi. Il collegamento degli elettrodi a un circuito esterno dedicato (impedenzimetro) consente di effettuare una misura di impedenza elettrica, definita "impedenza intravalvolare" (IVI), che riflette la dinamica di apertura e chiusura valvolare in quanto il movimento dei lembi valvolari interferisce con le linee di campo elettrico generate dagli elettrodi. Tale misura consente di rilevare l’eventuale presenza di formazioni trombotiche subcliniche e/o il deterioramento progressivo della protesi stessa, che causano un’alterata dinamica dei lembi. È stata assemblata una piattaforma idrodinamica (Pulse Duplicator) simile a quelle tipicamente impiegate per la validazione di nuove protesi valvolari cardiache, che è stata successivamente utilizzata per testare in vitro ed ex vivo i prototipi. Inoltre, è stata realizzata un'interfaccia grafica per la gestione della piattaforma idrodinamica e l’acquisizione dei segnali di impedenza IVI e pressione misurati. L’impedenza IVI è stata valutata in vitro per diverse dimensioni, geometrie e posizionamenti degli elettrodi nei diversi prototipi assemblati al fine di identificare la configurazione di misura ottimale. Dai risultati ottenuti è stato riscontrato che il prototipo caratterizzato da elettrodi di piccole dimensioni inseriti nelle commissure valvolari presenta una maggior sensibilità alle variazioni di impedenza IVI durante la dinamica valvolare. Ulteriori test effettuati ex vivo hanno previsto l’inserimento della bioprotesi valvolare sensorizzata all’interno di un cuore suino in posizione aortica e hanno consentito di valutare l’impedenza IVI in un ambiente circostante la valvola più fisiologico

Gli aggiustamenti posturali anticipatori del cammino in età evolutiva: analisi quantitativa mediante sensori inerziali

L’inizio del cammino è un task funzionale noto per essere estremamente impegnativo per il sistema di controllo dell’equilibrio. Durante l’inizio del cammino infatti, l’equilibrio viene disturbato perché l’atto di sollevare il piede oscillante da terra allontana la proiezione del centro di massa dal centro di pressione. Questa perturbazione può essere adeguatamente controbilanciata dalla messa in atto di meccanismi di stabilizzazione che richiedono l’integrazione di più informazioni sensoriali e la coordinazione di più muscoli su tutto il corpo. Tra i principali meccanismi di stabilizzazione messi in gioco all’inizio del cammino troviamo gli aggiustamenti posturali anticipatori (APA). Il seguente elaborato si propone di analizzare gli APA all’inizio del cammino in età evolutiva. I dati sono stati acquisiti mediante l’utilizzo di sensori inerziali indossabili, i quali hanno fornito un’ottima alternativa agli usuali strumenti utilizzati in laboratorio estendendo la pratica di analisi del movimento agli ambienti più comuni come le scuole. Attraverso l’utilizzo dei sensori inerziali indossabili sono stati acquisiti i dati di accelerazione e velocità angolare relativi all’inizio del cammino. I soggetti esaminati comprendono sia bambini (4-11 anni) che adulti (21-40 anni). In un sottogruppo la prova è stata ripetuta cinque volte al fine di valutarne la ripetibilità. Gli APA sono stati individuati attraverso l’implementazione in ambiente Matlab di due algoritmi proposti in letteratura [Mancini et al, 2016; Martinez-Mendez et al, 2011]. Ciascun APA è stato caratterizzato in termini di ampiezza e durata. Sono stati inoltre valutati altri indici, quali la durata del primo passo e il range di movimento del primo passo. Questa analisi ha permesso non solo di individuare la presenza di correlazioni tra le caratteristiche degli APA e l’età dei soggetti, ma anche di identificare analogie e differenze tra i due algoritmi utilizzati

Human augmentation: the role of design in the design of on-body interfaces for cognitive-sensorial wellbeing

Human Augmentation is the set of practices and disciplines that involve the use of technology as an integral part of the human body, aiming at assisting, substituting or augmenting human sensorial, physical and cognitive capabilities. Contributions in the field are mostly related to technology-centered perspectives, aiming at providing useful, safe and usable augmentations to address immediate needs, generally to improve and support performance. A human-centered approach on the topic offers new perspectives on the interpretation of human needs, going beyond functionality and usability. Investigating new emerging needs, desires and expectations of users willing to integrate augmentation technologies into their everyday life is essential in defining also novel design approaches. Therefore, involving Design Research and Practice in this field is important for the development of interactive on-body technologies that leverage a human-centered approach. Design-based approaches and tools such as Human-Centered Design (HCD), Design Thinking and Design Fiction can offer a viable basis for this exploration, while a reinterpretation and combination of these might be useful in future design developments in the research area of Human Augmentation. In particular, the topic offers interesting opportunities for design-based intervention with regard to the development of wearable and integrated interfaces that can restore or enhance cognitive and sensorial abilities that are not immediately associated with functional user needs, such as biological capabilities that are innate in humans and might be weakened or extinguished. Through theoretical research and practical experimentation, the intersection of Design Research and Practice and Human Augmentation will be investigated with the aim of offering a contribution to the discussion and development of the matter in the perspective of human-centered augmenting technologies

Reframing designer empowerment. A thinking-through-making project led by children with disabilities

Three design approaches—Design for, Design with, and Design by—reflect power dynamics between designers and users, influencing decision-making and inclusivity. Design by or User-led design is the ultimate stage of participatory design, where power shifts to the end-users, while designers assume a supportive role, assisting in the expansion of solutions. However, this approach remains unconventional, despite maturity, due to unclear benefits and diverse practices, often linked with terms like co-design. While design culture struggles with user-led design, the disability community feels underrepresented and undervalued in current design practices. They advocate for new design approaches, collecting alternative data forms only accessible through critical disability experiences. This paper presents a Disability led Design project, which developed assistive devices conceived by children with upper limb agenesis and amputation issues. Two workshops were organized involving a thinking-through-making process, leveraging the experience of disabled children as a design driver for embodied explorations of future prosthetic devices

Virtual proximity in the factory processes: designing interfaces between industrial equipment and human operators

The paradigm of Industry 4.0 is increasingly permeating the way people work, live and interact with others. In the context of smart factories, industrial machines are increasingly intelligent and automated, but human oversight in the industrial processes remains crucial and requires highly skilled personnel executing quick and precise interventions on the production line. Nevertheless, communication with factory machines still relies hardly comprehensible codes on interfaces that follow the traditional Window-Icon-Menu-Pointer model. Through research based on surveys and field observations, this study aims to analyse the state of the art of human-machine interfaces, user behaviour and communication processes in a smart factory. Presenting a case study, this contribution offers a report on an experimental research project carried out through a design thinking approach applied in an Industry 4.0 environment. This paper contributes to the ongoing discussion about the possible future of human-centric interfaces in the industrial workplace, as well as the role of user-centred design in building experiences that go beyond conventional screen-based interactions

First Ex Vivo Animal Study of a Biological Heart Valve Prosthesis Sensorized with Intravalvular Impedance

IntraValvular Impedance (IVI) sensing is an innovative concept for monitoring heart valve prostheses after implant. We recently demonstrated IVI sensing feasible in vitro for biological heart valves (BHVs). In this study, for the first time, we investigate ex vivo the IVI sensing applied to a BHV when it is surrounded by biological tissue, similar to a real implant condition. A commercial model of BHV was sensorized with three miniaturized electrodes embedded in the commissures of the valve leaflets and connected to an external impedance measurement unit. To perform ex vivo animal tests, the sensorized BHV was implanted in the aortic position of an explanted porcine heart, which was connected to a cardiac BioSimulator platform. The IVI signal was recorded in different dynamic cardiac conditions reproduced with the BioSimulator, varying the cardiac cycle rate and the stroke volume. For each condition, the maximum percent variation in the IVI signal was evaluated and compared. The IVI signal was also processed to calculate its first derivative (dIVI/dt), which should reflect the rate of the valve leaflets opening/closing. The results demonstrated that the IVI signal is well detectable when the sensorized BHV is surrounded by biological tissue, maintaining the similar increasing/decreasing trend that was found during in vitro experiments. The signal can also be informative on the rate of valve opening/closing, as indicated by the changes in dIVI/dt in different dynamic cardiac conditions