Unibo Edition 2023
Luca Bungaro, 2023 Winner
Luca Bungaro is a PhD student in Statistics. His pitch is titled "Don’t Cheat So Fast!". Educational statistics are the statistics that deal with verifying the skills of students. One of their main enemies is cheating behaviour, because it makes vain the work done to build tests fair and effective as possible in estimating the true ability of students. In fact, recognizing and verifying cheating behaviour usually takes a long time, which is not ideal in a world that wants to process more data in a shorter time. This research is based on finding a solution to this. For computerized tests, it could be to insert automated "control systems" based on response time: usually those who have pre knowledge on the answers tend to respond very quickly. During a computerized test, response time is available in real time, and this information can be used as a "wake-up call" by the control system.
Carla Russo, 1st runner up
Carla Russo is a Phd fellow in Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences. The title of her pitch is: "Is It Possible to Improve Intellectual Ability in Down Syndrome With a Pharmacological Treatment During Adolescence?" Intellectual disability (ID) is a crucial hallmark of Down syndrome (DS). It is largely attributable to early appearing defects in neuron generation and maturation. Unfortunately, there is currently no treatment for ID in DS. By exploiting a DS mouse model, a research group has recently shown that perinatal treatment with the natural molecule 7,8-Dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF) fully rescues neuron generation and maturation in the hippocampus and, importantly, hippocampus-dependent memory functions. The goal of this PhD project is to establish whether 7,8-DHF is also effective during adolescence, considering that it is still a critical period for neuron maturation, and the results are more easily transferable to humans. Data obtained so far in the mouse model show that adolescent treatment with 7.8-DHF fully restored neuron maturation in the hippocampus, and that this effect translated into an improvement in hippocampus-dependent memory functions. By demonstrating that 7.8-DHF is also effective during adolescence, the research group demonstrates for the first time that adolescence is still a valid window of opportunity for pharmacological treatment for ID in DS. In view of the safe profile of 7.8-DHF, the group expects that results might lead to clinical trials with 7.8-DHF in adolescents and/or children with DS, thereby improving their life conditions.
Elisa Dellavalle, 2nd runner up
Elisa Dellavalle is a PhD student in Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials engineering. The title of her pitch is "Towards Energy Transition through Sea Waves: Major Challenges and Possible Solutions". Marine resources, especially sea waves, could play a fundamental role in the energy transition during the next decades, thanks to their greater continuity over time compared to other renewable sources and to the wide spatial distribution. However, wave energy is still far from being economically feasible, due to several technical issues and to associated financial difficulties. This research addresses one of the main technical challenges, the design and modelling of moorings for floating devices, proposing possible solutions for the numerical simulation of complex mooring systems and for the optimisation of the devices. The research led to the filing of a patent application for an innovative device. Moreover, in the perspective of making investments in wave energy installations more attractive, the possible strategic synergies with other renewable sources and their application in the context of multiuse offshore areas were analysed. Also, a decision-support system was conceived for the evaluation of the sustainable reuse of oil and gas platforms after the end of their operational phase, as an alternative to decommissioning.
Giulia Libero
Giulia Libero is a PhD student in Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials engineering. The title of her pitch is "Unravelling Spatio-temporal Patterns of Water Availability" This research explores the measurement of water resources using satellite technology. While vast amounts of data are collected, interpreting them remains a challenge due to the complexity of variables. The study employs Dynamic mode Decomposition (DMD) to break down complex water cycle data, offering a better understanding and prediction of future scenarios. The goal is to optimize DMD's accuracy and efficiency for broader applications in water resource research.
Valeria Pizzuti
Valeria Pizzuti is a PhD student in Cardio Nephro Thoracic Sciences. The title of her pitch is "Urine: More Than a Biological Waist Product". This study focuses on understanding kidney cells released in urine after kidney transplantation. It examines how these cells interact with the immune system, which plays a crucial role in transplant rejection. Kidney cells from urine were tested by exposing them to immune cells from healthy individuals. The results showed that this interaction reduced the proliferation of pro-inflammatory T lymphocytes and increased anti-inflammatory T lymphocytes. This research provides valuable insights into post-transplant processes and the potential use of urine-derived cells in cell therapy applications.
Siyuan Liu
Siyuan Liu is a PhD student in Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures: Diversity and Inclusion. The title of her pitch is: "A simple recipe for Chinese students to learn Italian". Her doctoral project draws an analogy between languages and cooking, highlighting how different cultures use similar ingredients to create unique dishes. In a similar vein, learning foreign languages is like mastering different recipes, with grammar serving as the essential set of rules. The research's focus is on helping Chinese students understand Italian grammar, akin to teaching them a new culinary technique. It's about substituting "soy sauce" with "Parmesan" in language. Just as in cooking, practice is key to perfecting language skills.
Ludovico Taddei
Ludovico Taddei is a PhD student in Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences. The title of his pitch is "Are We Cool Enough? – Studying Hibernation to Refine Therapeutic Hypothermia". Applying ice to a sore knee is a basic form of therapeutic hypothermia, which has potential applications in treating ischemic injuries and cancer. However, current methods only induce mild hypothermia, limiting their effectiveness. Some animals naturally enter deeper hypothermic states during torpor or hibernation. Researchers have successfully induced synthetic torpor (ST) in non-hibernating rats by pharmacologically blocking a specific brain area responsible for body temperature maintenance. While ST resembles natural torpor, safety and full recovery after returning to normal body temperature need to be thoroughly evaluated before considering translational applications.
Laura Carotti
Laura Carotti is a PhD student in Future Earth, Climate Change and Societal Challenges. The title of her pitch is "Strategies to Increase Resource Use Efficiency in Vertical Farms with Artificial Light". Plants are extremely sensitive to stimuli from the external environment and based on what they perceive around them they adapt and adjust their growth. This capacity of plants can be exploited to address one of the greatest challenges for the sustainable development: producing more food using fewer resources. It is indeed possible to grow crops in urban environments using LED lamps as a sole energy source in an indoor controlled environment, called vertical farm. The goal of this research is the optimization of light characteristics in a vertical farm to optimize yield, also considering the impact on light, water and soil use efficiency.
Chiara Spanu
Chiara Spanu is a PhD fellow in Organic Chemistry, Nanomedicine and Additive Manufacturing. The title of her pitch is "Synthesis of Casein Nanoparticles for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Targeting". Innovative, economically viable, and renewable materials for medical applications have been very exploited during the last years. Drug delivery systems represent a promising way for the treatment of diseases, such as cancer. They could be linked to various compounds, making them selective to a specific target. The carrier, in the meantime, can vehicle the drug to the goal and protect the body from side effects. Food proteins are one of the most interesting carriers investigated because they can be easily employed in medical applications, thanks to their low immunogenicity and easy modification. Casein, the most abundant milk protein, is natural, non-toxic, and biocompatible: so, very suitable for this application. In addition, thanks to its nature, casein creates micellar structures with an oil-friendly core, which could host drugs. This work attempts to show the synthesis of a drug delivery system using casein as a carrier and a dye as a drug. Moreover, to target the system towards triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells, the surface of the carrier was functionalized with aptamers, a new emergent class of components especially applied in cancer chemical targeting. TNBC is one of the most aggressive subtypes of breast cancer that still lacks effective therapy.
Angelo Massafra
Angelo Massafra is Phd fellow in Architecture and Design Cultures. The title of his pitch is: "Digital Twins for the Performance-based Management of the Built Heritage". The idea of a digital twin (DT) may sound like science fiction, but it is quickly becoming a reality in the world of building management. In Europe, the vast building stock that has been built over the past century presents a major problem for public building managers. They must ensure that these buildings are safe, efficient, and well-maintained while also minimizing their environmental impact. However, current building management practices are only sometimes equipped to handle these challenges, leading to gaps in built assets' knowledge, coordination, finance, information, and visualization. DTs could provide a solution through real-time measurement and evaluation of key performance indicators (KPIs) such as energy consumption, resource use, and occupant comfort. This research aims to develop a framework for incorporating the performance dimension into digital built asset management and a DT platform prototype to help building managers evaluate and predict the performance of their buildings. By testing the DT on two university buildings in Bologna, Italy, the researchers hope to improve the DT model and platform, ultimately helping public building managers more effectively manage their facilities and reduce their energy use and environmental impact.
Michele Morana
Michele Morana is Phd fellow in Chemistry. The title of his pitch is: "The Power of Miniaturization: Mems Technology and Chromatography". How can we analyse complex gas mixtures to address matters such as air quality analysis? Gas chromatography is an analytical technique that allows the characterization of gas mixtures by separating and detecting their components. Thanks to MEMS technology, it is possible to achieve miniaturization of almost all their components and make these instruments portable. As a result, their area of application can be expanded to where it was unimaginable before. The scope of this project is to achieve miniaturization of the main core component of chromatography, which is the analytical column, the portion of the instrument where the separation of the sample takes place. To this day, very few research groups are dedicated to this matter, and most solutions failed to develop something good enough to reach the market. Portability and miniaturization of electronics have revolutionized our everyday life in ways that were unpredictable. It would not be different for the world of gas analysis.
Amr Salama
Amr Salama is a Phd fellow in Future Earth, Climate Change and Societal Challenges. The title of his pitch is: "How Global Warming Affects the Most Productive Areas in The Oceans?". 20% of the world’s fisheries are concentrated over less 1% of the global oceans, in Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems (EBUS): California, Canary, Humboldt, and the Benguela systems. Unfortunately, EBUS are highly prone to climate change impacts, and understanding their response to global warming is of critical importance. This PhD project takes the Benguela upwelling system as a case study, since it has the highest production rates compared to the other EBUS. For the sake of understanding the Benguela’s response, a specifically designed ocean numerical model is being used, to address the interaction between past and future warming, wind intensity, and the Benguela upwelling process.
Ahsan Chandio
Ahsan Chandio is a Phd fellow in Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures: Diversity and Inclusion. The title of his pitch is: "Buy Our Products to Save Your Environment". Climate change affects everyone alike. It is everyone’s concern and responsibility to help our planet heal. Some people realize that they must change their lifestyle to minimize the effects of climate change. Some people are made to feel responsible for correcting our mistakes, which have caused damage to our planet. This realization is exploited for commercial purposes, as they are encouraged to BUY eco-friendly products to protect the environment. That is why people are deceived by a marketing strategy called greenwashing (shallow environmentalism): in other words, you BUY their products, and they help you protect the environment in turn. In this way, climate change is also sold along with the products under an environment-friendly tag. This study analyzes such advertisements from an ecolinguistic perspective to reveal the exploitation that big companies do. The study aims at spreading critical language awareness and helping buyers differentiate between greenwashing and green advertisement. So, next time people buy something, they would know if they were buying ecofriendly products or just climate change.
A. Baris Gok
A. Baris Gok is a Phd fellow in Electronics, Telecommunications, and Information Technologies. The title of his pitch is: "Wireless Solar Power Transfer in Space". Global warming and limited fossil fuel reserves led humanity to search for alternative energy sources with increasing demand. Although renewable energy sources such as solar power production seem like the best option, they are not available everywhere, all the time. On the other hand, solar power can be collected more efficiently and all the time in space. The only problem would be the transfer of this power onto Earth. This is where this research project comes into action. With the development of wireless power transfer technologies, the power that is produced in space could solve the energy problem on Earth. A. Baris Gok is a finalist of Unibo’s 2023 3-Minute-Thesis Competition. The 3MT is an academic competition that challenges PhD students to describe their research in not more than three minutes in English to a general audience. Developed by The University of Queensland in 2008, the competition celebrates the discoveries made by students and encourages them to communicate the importance of research to a broader community.