Beyond the Client: Exploring Men's Sexual Scripting

Sexual scripting theory, with its de-essentialising potential, is a powerful weapon in dismantling simplistic, classificatory, and derogatory understandings of men as clients of commercial sex, allowing us to explore how making sense of paying for sex is an everyday accomplishment for men in the scripting of heterosexual masculinity. Drawing upon middle-aged and elderly Italian men\u2019s accounts of their heterosexual sexual biographies, we point to directions along which the potential of scripting theory can further unfold in research on purchasing sex, by considering scripting as a situational, biographical and boundary-drawing process

Experimental and numerical analysis of a scaled dry-joint arch on moving supports

This paper aims to investigate the response of a scaled segmental dry-joint masonry arch to the settlement of one support. An experimental test and numerical simulations were performed by applying incremental vertical displacements at the right support up to collapse. The experimental test was carried out on a 1:10 small-scale model of the arch made of bi-component composite blocks with dry joints. Numerical simulations were performed using a finite element (FE) micro-modelling approach, where the arch was discretised as a set of very stiff voussoirs connected by nonlinear interfaces. Experimental and numerical results were compared in terms of displacement capacity and collapse mechanisms. The sensitivity of the numerical results to the interface stiffness was also evaluated.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Essays in Public Finance and Political Economy

This dissertation studies how the interactions between different levels of government influence the distribution of transfers to local governments and local taxation focusing in particular on the role of strategic policy makers. Chapter 1 examines the distribution of intergovernmental grants and shows that distributing federal funds to local governments through states may increase politically-driven misallocation of funds. I adapt a probabilistic voting model to study the political incentives facing politicians in a setting with three levels of government and compare federal transfers distributed directly to localities versus those passed through states. Using data on federal awards and subawards from the United States, I show that expected higher voter turnout and lower ideological polarization are associated with higher federal and state intergovernmental grants. Applying the empirical estimates to the model yields a measure of politics-driven resource misallocation equal to 1.9 to 5.9 percent of the value of targetable passthrough intergovernmental grants. This shows that intermediated distribution of federal grants increases opportunities for politically motivated misallocation. Chapter 2, joint with Thomas Brosy, analyzes the effect of falling home prices associated with the Great Recession on local property tax revenues. In order to assess the magnitude of the crisis’ effect on the finances of local governments, we collected data on historical local property tax revenues and assessed values and tax rates for 44 states in the U.S. We leverage this novel dataset to study the two channels through which falling home prices affected property tax revenues: a mechanical channel through which home values affected assessed values, and a policy channel through which policymakers responded to changes in the tax base. We find that the mechanical correlation between home-price changes and assessed values after 2007 was smaller than before the crisis. From the policy side, our analysis shows that negative shocks to the tax base were offset by as much as 80-85 percent on average in the long run by increases in the tax rate. In addition, rate limits played a role in reducing the ability of policymakers to offset negative shocks to the tax base and lead to a bigger decline in revenues. Overall, we find that the effect of the recession on property tax revenues was smaller than assumed but negative and lasting. Chapter 3 investigates the responses of local governments to a change in threshold for the Single Audit. The U.S. Single Audit is a comprehensive audit undergone by nonfederal entities spending more than 750,000 dollars of federal funds in a fiscal year. Using data on audited entities from the Federal Audit Clearinghouse as well as detailed expenditures data from the Census of Local Governments, I conduct a difference-in-differences analysis exploiting the change in threshold for audit exemption in fiscal year 2015. The estimates suggest that complying with the audit requirements on average increases expenditures directly related to financial administration.PHDPublic Policy & EconomicsUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/169665/1/ferreroc_1.pd

Nonlinear modeling of unreinforced masonry structures under seismic actions: validation using a building hit by the 2016 Central Italy earthquake

A prolonged seismic sequence struck the regions of Central Italy between August 2016 and January 2017, causing several fatalities and widespread damage to the built environment. The main objective of this work was to study the structural and seismic behavior of "Pietro Capuzi" school, located in Visso, in the Marche region, which was severely damaged by the 2016-2017 Central Italy Earthquake. A 3D finite element (FE) model of the entire school was prepared, adopting a macro-modeling approach to represent masonry materials. An eigenvalue analysis was initially performed in order to identify the dominant modes of vibration of the structure and to calibrate the numerical model according to the results of the dynamic identification tests. Afterwards, nonlinear static analyses were performed on the calibrated FE model to evaluate the seismic response of the structure. Finally, the numerical results obtained in terms of crack pattern and failure mechanisms were compared with the damage experienced by the building. The numerical model proved to accurately predict the seismic response exhibited by the structure during the past seismic events

Tra uomini: indagare l\u2019omosocialit\ue0 per orientarsi nelle trasformazioni del maschile

This contribution has a double aim: to state the relevance of male homosociality as a research object, and to illustrate the heuristic fruitfulness of looking at the situational specificities of homosocial interactions, as suggested by our research experiences. A review of research on male homosociality shows a move from viewing it as a context of reproduction of hegemonic masculinity to more contextualised understandings of its workings, also making room for the production of hybrid or inclusive masculinities. Based on our use of focus groups in two research projects on sexuality and fatherhood, we show the potential of this technique for detecting the doings of homosociality. We illustrate different uses of irony and coalition building among men, both reproducing and challenging the naturalization of gender hierarchies, and argue for the need of an intersectional approach to fully understand the situational conditions fostering persistence and change in masculinity

Silicon and Silicon Carbide Recrystallization by Laser Annealing: A Review

Modifying material properties within a specific spatial region is a pivotal stage in the fabrication of microelectronic devices. Laser annealing emerges as a compelling technology, offering precise control over the crystalline structure of semiconductor materials and facilitating the activation of doping ions in localized regions. This obviates the necessity for annealing the entire wafer or device. The objective of this review is to comprehensively investigate laser annealing processes specifically targeting the crystallization of amorphous silicon (Si) and silicon carbide (SiC) samples. Silicon finds extensive use in diverse applications, including microelectronics and solar cells, while SiC serves as a crucial material for developing components designed to operate in challenging environments or high-power integrated devices. The review commences with an exploration of the underlying theory and fundamentals of laser annealing techniques. It then delves into an analysis of the most pertinent studies focused on the crystallization of these two semiconductor materials

PI3K Signaling in Tissue Hyper-Proliferation: From Overgrowth Syndromes to Kidney Cysts

The members of the PhosphoInositide-3 Kinase (PI3K) protein family are well-known regulators of proliferative signals. By the generation of lipid second messengers, they mediate the activation of AKT/PKB (AKT) and mammalian Target Of Rapamycin (mTOR) pathways. Although mutations in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway are highly characterized in cancer, recent evidence indicates that alterations in the proliferative signals are major drivers of other diseases such as overgrowth disorders and polycystic kidney disease. In this review, we briefly summarize the role of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in cell proliferation by comparing the effect of alterations in PI3K enzymes in different tissues. In particular, we discuss the most recent findings on how the same pathway may lead to different biological effects, due to the convergence and cooperation of different signaling cascades