A computational finite element modelling of a mechanical model to predict wear, including friction, is proposed in this work. As an ex- pansion of the interface finite element with an embedded profile for joint roughness (MPJR interface finite element), it is designed to solve the frictional contact problem between rigid indenters of any complex shape and elastic bodies. In the formulation, the non-linearity due to contact is considered for predicting contact traction, frictional effects, ...
Throughout the day, individuals experience a variety of feelings, such as amusement, relaxation, and envy. By observing the regularities in the stream of affect, individuals learn to predict future emotions from current ones and develop accurate mental models of emotion transitions. This thesis aims to explore the cognitive architecture underlying these affective forecasts. Through a series of experiments involving both healthy and psychiatric individuals, we investigate i) the temporal bound...
Aggressivity is a type of widespread behavior in our society, yet its outcomes are everything but desirable. If evolutionary, being aggressive might have given some clear advantages to one to prevail (e.g., seizing resources, better mating options); nowadays, aggressive behavior held none of those advan- tages, being a form of prevarication where the ultimate goal is to harm another individual, either physically, emotionally, morally or materially. Why, then, is aggressive behavior still pe...
The slow waves (0.5-4 Hz) observed during NREM sleep exhibit significant alterations influenced by experience-related plasticity and brain maturation. Existing literature predominantly suggests that slow waves originate from the cortex in both children and adults. However, research involving animal models and intracranial recordings from epilepsy patients has highlighted the potential pivotal role of subcortical structures, particularly the thalamus, in orchestrating and coordinating cortical...
Emotion, as a field of study, has evolved significantly over the centuries, encompassing various perspectives from theology, philosophy, medicine, psychology, and neuroscience. Historically, terms like 'passions,' 'affections,' and 'emotions' have carried different connotations and have been studied through different lenses, influenced by societal norms and scientific advancements. The affective lexicon has seen a transition across different languages and cultural contexts, contributing to th...
This doctoral dissertation is structured into three chapters, each ad- dressing aspects related to policy evaluation, with a focus on events car- rying substantial implications for the economy and international trade. These events include the Brexit referendum, trade disruptions, and the development of export recommendations. The Economic Cost of a Referendum. The Case of Brexit. This paper esti- mates how GDP would have behaved in the United Kingdom after the Brexit referendum in the abse...
Conflict is a crucial force that shapes the world. If, at a group level, conflict is able to shape allocations of power and re- sources, often changing the equilibrium between two groups, at the individual level, conflict affects social interactions, prim- ing aggressive and hostile behaviors that disrupt cooperation. In this Doctoral Thesis, we take a theoretical evolutionary perspective, as well as an experimental one, to investigate how conflict affects different aspects of socially re...
This thesis examines the transmission and diversity of transformation of the Heracles motif into the East, tracing its dissemination from the Near East via Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent towards East Asia in the wake of Alexander the Great’s campaigns in the 4th century BC. While there is abundant evidence indicating that the Heracles motif migrated from the Mediterranean to the East mainly as a result of Alexander’s expeditions — further elaborated by extensive research on the rece...
This dissertation titled Textile Practices As Memory Making: Weaving Bonds Between The Past, Present And Future In Contemporary Art And Activism In Turkey (2010s-Present) investigates the ways in which contemporary textile- based practices participate in the making of collective memories of violent pasts through an analysis of cases from/linked with Turkey. It focuses on how the material properties and connotations of textiles and textile-based techniques can be mobilized for memory work by...
Economic activities are unevenly distributed in space. The economic literature has extensively investigated the potential reasons behind the emergence of cities and local specializa- tion, on one hand, and foreign trade and investment patterns, on the other. These essays aim to analyze some of the compo- nents explaining the spatial variation of economic activities, leveraging an extensive amount of firm-level data. First, I in- vestigate the interplay between regional productivity dispari...