Progetto del nuovo Istituto Professionale a Castelnuovo Garfagnana

Con la presente Tesi ho affrontato la progettazione preliminare del nuovo Istituto Professionale a Castelnuovo Garfagnana previsto in località “La Saiona” e la riqualificazione dell’intera area che attualmente ospita il Liceo Scientifico “Galileo Galilei”, l’Istituto Tecnico Commerciale e per Geometri “Luigi Campedelli” e la palestra di recente costruzione. Lo studio effettuato è iniziato con una fase preliminare di apprendimento sull’edilizia scolastica, sulla sua nascita e il suo sviluppo attraverso i secoli, e si è protratto con la stesura del “Documento Preliminare all’avvio della Progettazione” (DPP) in linea con ciò che richiede il nuovo ordinamento in materia di Lavori Pubblici, che comprende: obiettivi e finalità della ricerca, vincoli, prestazioni attese, classi di esigenze da soddisfare connesse ai vincoli ed alle risorse per produrre e gestire nella vita utile ipotizzata dell’edificio. Il DPP ha rappresentato dunque una linea guida ed una messa a punto di tutto ciò che è servito per la progettazione del nuovo edificio, per verificarne la completezza e la funzionalità. Viene infine proposta una soluzione per il progetto preliminare attraverso elaborati grafici

Far infrared absorption by acoustic phonons in titanium dioxide nanopowders

We report spectral features of far infrared electromagnetic radiation absorption in anatase TiO2 nanopowders which we attribute to absorption by acoustic phonon modes of nanoparticles. The frequency of peak excess absorption above the background level corresponds to the predicted frequency of the dipolar acoustic phonon from continuum elastic theory. The intensity of the absorption cannot be accounted for in a continuum elastic dielectric description of the nanoparticle material. Quantum mechanical scale dependent effects must be considered. The absorption cross section is estimated from a simple mechanical phenomenological model. The results are in plausible agreement with the absorption being due to a sparse layer of charge on the nanoparticle surface.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Journal of Nanoelectronics and Optoelectronic

Inelastic neutron scattering due to acoustic vibrations confined in nanoparticles: theory and experiment

The inelastic scattering of neutrons by nanoparticles due to acoustic vibrational modes (energy below 10 meV) confined in nanoparticles is calculated using the Zemach-Glauber formalism. Such vibrational modes are commonly observed by light scattering techniques (Brillouin or low-frequency Raman scattering). We also report high resolution inelastic neutron scattering measurements for anatase TiO2 nanoparticles in a loose powder. Factors enabling the observation of such vibrations are discussed. These include a narrow nanoparticle size distribution which minimizes inhomogeneous broadening of the spectrum and the presence of hydrogen atoms oscillating with the nanoparticle surfaces which enhances the number of scattered neutrons.Comment: 3 figures, 1 tabl

Development and evaluation of an Android app to exploit smartphone-embedded camera and inertial sensors for monitoring of physiological parameters

LAUREA MAGISTRALENegli ultimi anni, i ricercatori hanno consolidato la fattibilità di estrarre segnali fisiologici tramite l’utilizzo della fotocamera e dei sensori di movimento dello smartphone come ad esempio la foto-pletismografia (PPG) e la sismocardiografia (SCG), le quali potrebbero aiutare nel superamento dell’uso di strumentazioni cliniche standard (es. l’elettrocardiogramma (ECG)). In questo lavoro, lo sviluppo di una app Android 3-modulare per l’acquisizione separata e simultanea dei segnali PPG ed SCG è stato proposto, con l’obiettivo di acquisire la frequenza cardiaca (HR) ed il “pulse transit time” (PTT) degli utenti attraverso due differenti protocolli sperimentali. Il primo protocollo è stato condotto su 7 soggetti in salute (28 [27; 29] anni), i quali utilizzavano autonomamente la app nel loro ambiente casalingo per acquisire entrambi i segnali PPG, a 30 fps, ed SCG, separatamente, una volta in posizione eretta ed una volta supina. Alla fine degli esperimenti, 3 questionari sono stati somministrati per valutare l’usabilità della app e l’”eHealth engagement” percepito: il “system usability scale” (SUS); un questionario ad-hoc e il “Twente engagement with eHealth technologies scale” (TWEETS). Per estrarre l’HR dai segnali smartphone, l’algoritmo “fast Fourier’s transform” (FFT) è stato applicato ai dati PPG non filtrati e alla componente z del segnale SCG, che è stata filtrata con un filtro passabanda di Butterworth dell’ottavo ordine tra [5, 25] Hz. Il picco dopo la componente DC è stato rilevato e moltiplicato per 60, ottenendo così l’HR in battiti al minuto (bpm). Il secondo protocollo mirava al confronto tra l’HR medio e il PTT di un volontario femmina (22 anni), estratti dall’acquisizione simultanea del PPG, a 30, 60 e 120 fps, e SCG della app, e l’HR medio e il “pulse arrival time” (PAT), estratti dai segnali ECG e PPG (PLT) sincronizzati del monitor Nexfin con la collaborazione dell’Istituto Auxologico di San Luca (MI). L’HR medio è stato estratto con la stessa procedura utilizzata nel primo protocollo, mentre il PTT ed il PAT sono stati stimati tramite le differenze temporali battito-battito tra i punti caratteristici del PPG, chiamati “foot”, e del SCG chiamati “AO”, e quelle tra i picchi-R dell’ECG e i “foot” del PLT, rispettivamente. Per il primo protocollo, i “t-paired test” applicati separatamente agli HR medi del SCG (p < 0.02) e PPG (p < 0.003) acquisiti in posizione eretta e supina hanno dimostrato la capacità della app nel catturare i cambiamenti di postura dei soggetti. I punteggi mediani totali del SUS e del questionario ad-hoc di 70 [64;76] and 68 [56; 79], rispettivamente, hanno suggerito una buona usabilità della app, mentre i punteggi mediani totali del primo (domande 1, 2, 3, per l’engagement comportamentale), del secondo (domande 4, 5, 6, per l’engagement cognitivo) e del terzo (domande 7, 8, 9, per l’engagement emotivo) compartimento uguali a 8 [7; 9], 8 [6; 10] and 6 [4; 8], rispettivamente, sottolineavano la capacità della app nel facilitare l’eHealth engagement degli utenti. Per il secondo protocollo, l’HR medio di entrambi i segnali PPG ed SCG differivano dal HR medio di riferimento con un errore < 5%, confermando la fattibilità di usare l’app come strumento per rilevare l’HR medio degli utenti. Inoltre, come l’SCG era acquisito sempre a 250 Hz, l’accuratezza del HR ottenuta dal PPG sembrava essere indipendente dalla frequenza di cattura settata per l’acquisizione (30, 60 o 120 fps). Le misure del PPT hanno ottenuto una bassa correlazione (r^2=0.013) con le misure del PAT, dovuto alla mancanza degli strumenti di programmazione Android nel poter gestire la sincronizzazione dei segnali PPG e SCG, sebbene il grafico di Bland-Altman abbia portato ad un CV=100*SD/errore (errore = 83 msec e SD = 8 msec) di circa il 10%. Questa nuova app ha dimostrato di rappresentare una grande opportunità, con la possibilità di poter condurre diversi studi in altrettanti contesti, spaziando dalla ricerca a, magari, attività di tipo commerciale, sia come strumento di misurazione che tecnologia persuasiva.In the last years, the researchers have consolidated the feasibility of extracting physiological signals by the use of the smartphone camera and motion sensors such as the photo-plethysmography (PPG) and seismocardiography (SCG) signals, that could be useful to overcome the use of standard clinical instrumentations (e.g. the electrocardiogram (ECG)). In this work, the development of an Android 3-modular app for the separate and simultaneous acquisition of the PPG and SCG signals was proposed, aiming to capture the heart rate (HR) and pulse transit time (PTT) parameters of the users through two different experimental protocols. The first protocol was conducted on 7 healthy subjects (28 [27; 29] years old) which utilized autonomously the app in their familiar environment to acquire both PPG, at 30 fps, and SCG signals, separately, one time standing and one time in a supine position. At the end of the experiments, 3 questionnaires were administered to evaluate the app usability and perceived e-health engagement: the system usability scale (SUS); an ad-hoc questionnaire, and the “Twente engagement with eHealth technologies scale” (TWEETS). To extract the HR from the smartphone signals, the fast Fourier’s transform (FFT) algorithm was applied to the unfiltered PPG data and to the z component of the accelerometer signal, that was filtered by an 8th order Butterworth bandpass between [5, 25] Hz. The peak after the DC component was taken and multiplied by 60 to obtain the mean HR as beat-per-minute (bpm). The second protocol aimed to compare the mean HR and PTT parameters of 1 female user (22 years old) extracted by the simultaneous acquisition of the app PPG, at 30, 60 and 120 fps, and SCG to the mean HR and pulse arrival time (PAT) extracted by the synchronized Nexfin ECG and PPG (PLT) signals (“gold standard” measurements) with the collaboration of the Instituto Auxologico of San Luca (MI). The HR were extracted with the same procedure of the first protocol, while the PTT and PAT were estimated as the beat-to-beat time difference between the foot fiducial points of the PPG and SCG AO points, and between the R-peaks and the PLT foot points, respectively. For the first protocol, the t-paired test applied separately to the mean HR of the SCG (p < 0.02) and PPG (p < 0.003) acquired in the standing and supine positions demonstrated the app capacity to capture the participant change of postures. The total median scores of the SUS and the ad-hoc questionnaires of 70 [64;76] and 68 [56; 79], respectively, suggested a good usability of the app, while the total median scores of the first (items 1, 2, 3, for the behavioral engagement), second (items 4, 5, 6, for the cognitive engagement), and third (items 7, 8, 9, for the affective engagements) TWEETS compartments equal to 8 [7; 9], 8 [6; 10] and 6 [4; 8], respectively, underlined the app capacity to facilitate the e-health user engagement. For the second protocol, the mean HR of both PPG and SCG signals differed from the mean HR of the reference measurements with an error < 5%, confirming the feasibility of the app as instrument to retrieve the HR of the users. Also, as the SCG was always acquired at 250 Hz, the accuracy of the HR obtained from the PPG seemed independent from the frame rates (30, 60 or 120 fps) settings of the acquisition. The PTT measurements obtained a low correlation (r^2=0.013) with the PAT measurements, due to the Android programming tools that didn’t allow a built-in synchronization of the PPG and SCG signals, even if the Bland-Altman plot carried out to a CV = 100*SD/bias of around 10% (bias = 83 msec and SD = 8 mesc). This new app was proved to represent a great opportunity, opening the possibility to conduct different studies in as many contexts, spacing from research applications to, perhaps, commercial activities, as measurement tool as well as persuasive technology

What is the Current Knowledge and Experience on Preventive Pathway for Healthy Ageing in Italy? A Scoping Review

Background: Worldwide population is ageing rapidly. Lifestyle factors are essential targets for leading to behaviour change interventions that promote healthy aging. Study design: We performed a scoping review aimed to underline the current knowledge and experience on preventive interventions for healthy and active ageing in Italy. Secondly, it intended to study the manner in which this country will pursue the topic in this research area. Methods: The search was conducted on different databases: PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and Scopus on July 25th, 2023, and search results were filtered to include only articles published from 2003. Results: A total of 951 potentially relevant records were retrieved. After duplicates removal, 810 unique records were screened. Finally, four studies fulfilling established criteria were included. All the studies were conducted in the northern and central regions of Italy. The investigated populations were older adults, and all four studies were focused mainly on primary prevention and health promotion strategies based on self-efficacy and motivation of the participants, including physical activity, diet and cognitive training. In addition, two studies used mobile health technologies to deliver the preventive intervention for healthy ageing. Conclusion: Our scoping review underlines the limited knowledge and experience of preventive healthy aging interventions in the national setting. The new preventive pathway that promotes healthy ageing healthily should be based on tailored lifestyle interventions, managed by multidisciplinary teams with the use of digital tools, in order to improve older people's safety. The characteristics of the settings are still not clear

DAS ÁGUAS ÀS MULTAS ADMINISTRATIVAS COMO INSTRUMENTO DE FINANCIAMENTO E IMPLEMENTAÇÃO DE POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS AMBIENTAIS

O presente estudo visa demonstrar, ante o paradigma da recente crise hídrica, como o exercício do poder de polícia (fiscalização) pode, de fato, ser fundamental na implementação das políticas públicas ambientais. Trata-se de pesquisa teórico-documental, que utilizou a doutrina, pesquisas públicas e atos normativos sobre o tema. Nesse contexto, ao analisar a natureza jurídica da multa administrativa, verificou-se que, apesar de ser um instrumento de financiamento residual, ela ainda é pouco utilizada pelos órgãos competentes, prejudicando a eficácia das políticas públicas brasileiras em direito ambiental

Assessing the life cycle environmental impacts of titania nanoparticle production by continuous flow solvo/hydrothermal synthesis

Continuous-flow hydrothermal and solvothermal syntheses offer substantial advantages over conventional processes, producing high quality materials from a wide range of precursors. In this study, we evaluate the “cradle-to-gate” life cycle environmental impacts of alternative titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticle production parameters, considering a range of operational conditions, precursors, material properties and production capacities. A detailed characterisation of the nano-TiO₂ products allows us, for the first time, to link key nanoparticle characteristics to production parameters and environmental impacts, providing a useful foundation for future studies evaluating nano-TiO₂ applications. Five different titanium precursors are considered, ranging from simple inorganic precursors, like titanium oxysulphate (TiOS), to complex organic precursors such as titanium bis(ammonium-lactato)dihydroxide (TiBALD). Synthesis at the laboratory scale is used to determine the yield, size distribution, crystallinity and phase of the nanoparticles. The specifications and operating experience of a full scale plant (>1000 t per year) are used to estimate the mass and energy inputs of industrial scale production for the life cycle assessment. Overall, higher process temperatures are linked to larger, more crystalline nanoparticles and higher conversion rates. Precursor selection also influences nano-TiO₂ properties: production from TiOS results in the largest particle sizes, while TiBALD achieves the smallest particles and narrowest size distribution. Precursor selection is the main factor in determining cradle-to-gate environmental impacts (>80% in some cases), due to the production impact of complex organic precursors. Nano-TiO2 production from TiOS shows the lowest global warming potential (GWP) (<12 kg CO₂-eq. per kg TiO₂) and cumulative energy demand (CED) (<149 MJ kg¯¹ TiO₂) due to the low environmental impact of the precursor, the use of water as a solvent and its high yield even at lower temperatures. Conversely, the TiBALD precursor shows the highest impact (86 kg CO₂-eq. per kg TiO₂ and 1952 MJ kg¯¹ TiO₂) due to the need for additional post-synthesis steps and complexity of precursor manufacturing. The main purpose of this study is not a direct comparison of the environmental impacts of TiO₂ nanoparticles manufactured utilizing various precursors under different conditions, but to provide an essential foundation for future work evaluating potential applications of nano-TiO₂ and their life cycle environmental impacts