Studio Preliminare di Missioni Spaziali a Bassa Spinta verso Orbite Lyapunov Verticali

La presente tesi analizza l'efficacia del Problema Circolare Ristretto dei Tre Corpi nel progetto di missioni spaziali sia dal punto di vista delle orbite operative che delle traiettorie di trasferimento. In particolare, è stato condotto il calcolo analitico e numerico delle orbite periodiche Lyapunov verticali intorno ai punti di librazione del problema Terra-Luna. Il lavoro si è poi focalizzato sulla definizione di missioni spaziali a bassa spinta da un'orbita di parcheggio geocentrica verso le suddette orbite periodiche. A tale scopo, sono state proposte strategie di trasferimento che prevedono l'accoppiamento di un arco a bassa spinta con la dinamica delle varietà invarianti associate all'orbita periodica. Inoltre, è stato affrontato, in via preliminare, il problema dell'ottimizzazione della traiettoria di trasferimento motorizzata con l'obiettivo di minimizzare il consumo di propellente necessario

The Human Side of Digital Technology: Supporting the Inclusion of Refugees in Higher Education Through Blockchain-backed EQPR

The spectrum of digital technologies that impact Higher Education (HE) is broad. This study explores the potential of Blockchain (BC) technology in the personalized learning path creation and data exchange in the learning processes. The flexibilization of education and digitizing student data through Blockchain may contribute to a more inclusive and sustainable HE system. According to the EU, the Blockchain supports sustainability in four main aspects: cybersecurity, accountability, transparency, and traceability. These aspects are also a driver of social impact and a higher capacity to include disadvantaged groups, such as refugees. Therefore, it is essential to start a debate between scholars and professionals about how the actors in the HE system engage in a collective meaning-making effort to sustain the adoption, diffusion, and use of BC for HE. The paper focuses on the experience of CIMEA DiploMe and EQPR for the recognition of refugees' qualifications. Through a collective consensus-making and awareness-raising effort, the blockchain-backed EQPR could be perceived as a critical tool to foster inclusion within the HEIs and enhance their social outreach

Using Sound to Help Visually Impaired Children Play Independently

Play is important in the early development of young children, as it encourages them to explore the world, develop skills and learn to socialise with their peers. Blind and visually impaired children face challenges that can stop them becoming involved in play activities at nursery and school, leading to dependence on adults and reducing the benefit of playtime. We are exploring the use of an audio bracelet for young children, which uses sound to help them overcome these challenges through better awareness of their surroundings. We describe the design and prototyping of our system and present scenarios which demonstrate its use

Potentially inappropriate drug use in myasthenia gravis: a real-world population-based cohort study in Italy

Introduction: To evaluate the use of pyridostigmine in presence of contraindications, and the use of concomitant potentially contraindicated drugs in a cohort of patients affected by Myasthenia Gravis (MG) in the Italian Regions of Lazio, Tuscany, and Umbria. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to evaluate the determinants of pyridostigmine and of potentially contraindicated drugs use in MG patients. Results: Among 591 incident pyridostigmine users affected by MG, 91 (15.4%) had at least one of the contraindications considered at the first prescription of pyridostigmine. Patients prescribed with pyridostigmine in presence of contraindications were more frequently affected by diabetes, obesity, and renal diseases. Age 75+ years (odds ratio, OR 4.94, 95% confidence interval, CI 1.60–15.22 for Latium; OR 3.78, 95%CI: 1.26–11.34 for Tuscany; OR 5.83, 95%CI 1.19–28.52 for Umbria), the presence of at least one specific comorbidity (OR 3.93; 95%CI 1.68–9.17 for Latium), and polytherapy (6+ drugs, OR 4.90, 95%CI: 1.35–17.85 for Tuscany) were found to be significantly associated with pyridostigmine use in presence of contraindications. Among patients affected by MG, 1,483 (62.6%) were treated with potentially contraindicated drugs in the first year of follow-up (67.06.9% in Latium; 59% in Tuscany; 57.6% in Umbria). Patients aged 75+ years, those with at least one specific complication or comorbidity, and those exposed to polytherapy were more likely to be treated with a potential contraindicated drug. Conclusion: Among incident users of pyridostigmine, more than 15% of patients have at least one of the contraindications considered, and among patients diagnosed with MG, in the first year of follow-up >60% of subjects were treated with potentially contraindicated drugs