Ideologie linguistiche e metalinguaggio metaforico. Uno studio micro-diacronico sulle cronache linguistiche italiane dagli anni Cinquanta a oggi

Monitoring brain activity using Pediatric Sedation State Scale, Patient State Index and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy during procedural sedoanalgesia in pediatric patients

Pediatric patients frequently require painful and invasive procedures as part of their diagnostic and therapeutic treatment. The aim of our study was to evaluate different scales to monitor cerebral activity, namely Pediatric Sedation State Scale (PSSS), Patient State Index (PSI) and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) to identify their usefulness and reliability during sedoanalgesia in pediatric patients. Thirty-five patients were included in our study and underwent 77 sedo-analgesia sessio...

Toward Sustainable Energy: Molecular Complexes and Organized Architectures for Solar Harvesting and Conversion

The global energy crisis is one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century, with the increasing demand for energy exacerbating concerns about the environmental impact of fossil fuels. Solar energy, with its abundance and clean nature, emerges as a promising solution to address this issue. However, the efficient conversion of solar energy into usable forms, particularly chemical energy, remains a critical challenge. This research emphasizes solar-to-chemical energy conversion, a cutti...

Screening of Nutraceuticals for Bone Regeneration

Bone has the inherent ability to regenerate naturally, from the phase of early skeletal development through continuous remodeling during adult life, and especially as part of the repair process in response to injury. Nutritional factors have a strong influence on bone tissue regeneration and bone metabolism, as these are critical for achieving bone renovation and optimizing osseointegration processes. Therefore, this research project aims to exploit some bioactive substances obtained from foo...

Management of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases: evaluating effectiveness, safety, and drug repurposing strategies

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), comprising Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are chronic, immune-mediated conditions characterized by gastrointestinal inflammation in genetically predisposed individuals. IBD has a global prevalence of approximately 4.9 million, progressing through distinct epidemiological phases, with Western countries experiencing compounding prevalence and approaching equilibrium due to aging populations and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The clinic...

Novel potential extracellular vesicle biomarkers obtained through liquid biopsy to translate into tumor clinical routine

The aim of the Ph.D. project has been focused on uncovering through a blood-based liquid biopsy (LB) approach novel extracellular vesicle biomarkers to translate into clinical routine as quicker, innovative and sensitive tools. The approach here proposed has been tested in two different experimental settings, displaying feasibility and robustness. Firstly, it has shown to discriminate prostate tumour patients from those ones affected by hyperplasia in order to do early diagnosis and, thereby,...

Electrification Pathways for CO2 Valorization: Electrocatalytic and Plasma-Based Approaches

This thesis explores innovative CO₂ conversion and catalysis approaches, focusing on sustainable technologies that transform CO₂ from a waste product into valuable chemicals. Through a multidisciplinary framework, the work integrates biomass-derived materials, nanostructured catalysts, and plasma-catalysis synergies to develop efficient solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Chapter 1 introduces CO₂ as a central challenge in climate change and examines its potential for valori...

Characterization of the intrahepatic immune microenvironment and gene expression profile in hepatitis B and hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remain significant global health challenges, often leading to complications such as cirrhosis, liver failure, and increased mortality. The liver microenvironment plays a crucial role in the course of chronic hepatitis B (CHB), the progression of HCC, and the clinical outcomes of treatments like selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT). However, the immune mechanisms within the liver are poorly understood. My project aimed...

Compute Continuum in Bioengineering: Enhanced Motion Capture and Real-Time Data Processing on Cloud-Edge Infrastructures

The constant evolution of cloud-edge computing, correlated with advancements in bioengineering technologies, has opened new opportunities for real-time data processing and analysis in critical applications. This dissertation explores the integration of motion capture (MoCap) systems with Internet of Things (IoT) architectures, leveraging cloud-edge platforms such as OpenStack and Stack4Things to address scalability and efficiency challenges across domains like healthcare and smart cities. ...