Evaluating the effectiveness of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a tool for measuring environmental sustainability performances in complex systems

This doctoral research investigates the capacity of Life Cycle Assessment to serve as a scientifically robust, empirically grounded methodology for quantitatively evaluating environmental sustainability in complex systems. Despite its ISO 14040/14044 standardization and comprehensive cradle‑to‑grave perspective, LCA faces persistent challenges, particularly concerning data quality, methodological variability, and uncertainty management. These issues intensify within increasingly complex susta...

From description to narrative: evaluating AIdriven RAG architectures for the mediation and enhancement of personal collections in academic libraries

Animal-based indicators for the welfare assessment of dairy goats under extensive farming systems

The present thesis focused on the readaptation in pasture conditions of the original AWIN protocol, developed for goats raised in intensive and semi-intensive systems. The feasibility and reliability of both the individual and of the group-level animal-based welfare indicators were evaluated when the readapted protocol was applied by three raters. Specifically, some of the group-level indicators assessed during the readaptation of the protocol were specifically rearranged to properly assess t...

REMOTE SENSING APPLICATIONS TO MAP CLIMATE EFFECTS ON VEGETATION AND THEIR ROLE IN THE ONE HEALTH APPROACH

Range verification in particle therapy: development and characterization of in-beam PET and PGT systems

Particle therapy offers superior radiation treatment through highly conformal dose delivery, characterized by the distinct Bragg peak of charged particles. However, this physical advantage is also a vulnerability, as range differences caused by anatomical changes or patient positioning can compromise treatment accuracy. To fully exploit the dosimetric advantage of the Bragg peak, detector systems capable of real-time range verification are required. This thesis presents the analysis and preli...

Integrated study of climate change adaptation in Canarium madagascariense: water stress response, silicon-mediated tolerance, and elemental bioaccumulation

Madagascar is a global biodiversity hotspot, characterised by a high level of endemism and a strong reliance on medicinal plants for primary healthcare. However, increasing anthropogenic pressures, including deforestation, overexploitation and climate change, are threatening both plant diversity and ecosystem stability. Canarium madagascariense Engl., an endemic and endangered tropical tree, is among the vulnerable species and has ecological, economic and medicinal importance. Despite its sig...

Melusin regulation of AKT-GSK3β signalling in skeletal muscle trophism and cancer cachexia

Essays in education, labour and urban economics

This thesis comprises three essays examining the labor market effects of honors programs, international student mobility, and the development of cities. In Chapter 2, we investigate the impact of honors programs on tertiary education, specifically at non-selective universities. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, we find that attending an honors program enhances academic achievement and shapes future labour market prospects towards post graduate studies. Prospects are confirmed one year af...

Extraction and analytical techniques for the characterization, quantification, and valorization of plant metabolites by mass spectrometry