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Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a disease characterized by the progressive scarring of lung tissue, which causes a impairment of the lungs' ability to perform their physiological function, that is to transfer oxygen from ambient air to blood and carbon dioxide from blood to air. It predominantly affects males between 50 and 70 years old and, unfortunately, it has a poor prognosis, with an average survival approximately of 3-5 years.    In a recent study1 published by researchers from Research Module 4 of flagship project TINCARE, the capacity of a non-invasive monitoring system (ReDSTM - Remote Dielectric Sensing) was tested for this first time to estimate the degree of pulmonary fibrosis in patient suffering from IPF. This device, by placing a sensor on the patient's shoulder, enables the measurement of lung tissue water content and has previously been validated in patients with heart failure2.    In this study, they demonstrated that water percentage measured with ReDS is higher in a group of 52 patients with IPF compared to healthy subjects, and that higher is the obtained value lower is the lung's functional capacity.  If the results of this study are confirmed in larger populations, it could open the way for the use of this non-invasive tool in monitoring IPF patients.           Citations 1. Respir Med. 2023 Oct; 217:107370. 2. J Clin Med. 2023 Jan 11;12(2):598.   

Come le etichette nutrizionali influenzano la scelta del consumatore   Cosa possono rivelarti le etichette alimentari sui prodotti che acquisti e consumi ogni giorno?   Partecipa al nostro breve questionario e aiuta chi fa ricerca a comprendere meglio le tue preferenze e aspettative riguardo alle etichette alimentari.   Un team di ricercatori dell’Università di Scienze Gastronomiche di Pollenzo e dell’Università degli Studi di Pavia sta svolgendo uno studio volto a indagare l'attitudine dei consumatori nei confronti delle etichette nutrizionali e come esse influenzino le scelte alimentari.   A tal fine è stato messo a punto un questionario con l’obiettivo principale di identificare quale sistema di etichettatura risulta più efficace nel comunicare in maniera chiara e comprensibile la qualità nutrizionale dei prodotti alimentari, guidando il consumatore verso scelte alimentari più sane e informate.   In questo questionario verrà chiesto di rispondere ad una serie di domande relative ai tratti della personalità, abitudini alimentari, caratteristiche socio-demografiche ed altri fattori che influenzano la comprensione delle informazioni riportate in etichetta.   Il questionario è aperto a tutti i partecipanti con età superiore ai 18 anni.   Per rispondere alle domande clicca il pulsante qui sotto!   VAI AL QUESTIONARIO

From 06 November to 18 December 2023, at the Department of Economics of the University of Insubria located in Via Monte Generoso 71 in Varese, Spoke 3 - Tourism and Culture Industry, with the coordination of Prof. Rossella Locatelli will hold a series of seminars entitled: "Climate emergency and sustainability paths for SMEs". Six meetings which can be attended both in person and remotely and which will focus on the climate emergency and the significant effects that the latter has on the environment and on living and working conditions. Within the framework of the Paris Agreements and the European Green Deal, a complex set of rules has been developed aimed at directing the economic system towards a sustainability process in view of the objective of climate neutrality by 2050. The series of seminars addresses the theme of sustainable transition through concrete cases in the fashion, textile and culture sectors, with the aim of increasing the awareness of SMEs on the opportunities and risks that this transformation process entails. During the meetings, operational tools for managing the transition process will also be presented. The business system is directly and indirectly affected by sustainability regulation, with regards to both reporting and communication and the adoption of virtuous behaviour. The credit system in turn is subject to regulatory interventions aimed at evaluating the impact of physical risks on its portfolio. For SMEs, even in cases where the rules are not directly applicable, the overall effects are equally significant and binding, due to supply relationships and supply chain agreements. For this reason, it is essential that SMEs do not underestimate the changes required and that they proactively and promptly face the many necessary changes.       Per ulteriori informazioni e iscrizioni

During the IV Day of the prized white truffle of Alto Monferrato which was held on 14 October 2023 in Ponti (AL), researchers from the University of Eastern Piedmont, partner of Spoke 3 - Tourism and Culture Industry, confirmed that this species of truffle can be traced with extreme precision thanks to the correspondence between the truffles and the chemical fingerprint of the soil. There is enthusiasm for the positive implications that these data will have for the conservation of the territory, for the safety of the product and for the educational and tourist routes that will be enhanced. During the day there were numerous speeches by some of the leading experts in the sector from the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria and Valle D'Aosta and from the Ministry of Health who together with the teachers of the University of Eastern Piedmont and researchers of the CNR have outlined the state of the art surrounding this excellent product highly characteristic of these areas of Piedmont. The audience, made up of almost ninety people, was not disappointed: crucial issues were addressed such as the food safety problems of the sector, the new methods for identifying species, the impact of the product on quality tourism and, above all , the first results of ongoing research have been revealed which appear very encouraging: professors Maurizio Aceto (Department for Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition DISSTE) and Guido Lingua (Department of Science and Technological Innovation DISIT) of UPO, together to the coordinator of the project, Professor Vito Rubino (DISSTE), they showed the outcome of the investigations on the samples provided, which confirm the expectations: there is a correspondence between the truffles of the territory and the chemical imprint of the soil, as well as a specificity of some DNA traits that are considered characteristic of the local product. This could lead to forms of "analytical" traceability, i.e. no longer based only on "documents" and "self-certifications", but on objective laboratory feedback on the product. "The analyzes will also continue during the 2023 harvest campaign", explains Professor Vito Rubino. "Further initiatives are already budding from the initial project, such as the mapping of truffle funds for environmental recovery, the creation of educational truffle grounds and descriptive itineraries in the various municipalities of the ATS, the launch of monitoring on the quality and safety of local products and and finally, the creation of a tourist guide to the lands of the prized white truffle of Alto Monferrato". The rector of the UPO, Professor Gian Carlo Avanzi, who introduced the works, also wanted to be part of the event. "Once again", said the Rector, "UPO confirms itself as a partner of local initiatives aimed at promoting and enhancing the excellence of its territory and leader of important scientific projects whose results will benefit both producers and consumers, at teaches transparency, loyalty and the valorisation of our extraordinary agri-food and environmental qualities". The quality of the project coordinated by the University of Eastern Piedmont was also underlined by the Regional Councilor for Agriculture Marco Protopapa, by the President of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture of Alessandria and Asti Giampaolo Coscia and by the President of the Province of Alessandria Enrico Bussalino, all present and participating in the work together with the Mayors of the twenty Municipalities who created the ATS to finance the research led by the President of the Association, Franco Novelli.  

  The first ranking relating to the cascade calls aimed at businesses (LINE A) made available by the NODES - Nord Ovest Digitale E Sostenibile ecosystem has been published. There are two companies from Biella that have applied for funding by presenting projects as part of Spoke 3 - Tourism and Culture Industry and have been awarded the funds. Spoke 3 is one of the 7 NODES implementers of which Città Studi is a partner; deals with the Tourism and Culture Industry in the context of research and innovation themes aimed at the sustainable and digital development of the tourism and cultural industry and the textile and fashion industrial sectors, recovering aspects linked to the culture and history of the places involved . Spoke 3 plays a role of great importance within the PNRR Nodes project where Città Studi is leader of work package 2 "Communication and dissemination". The partners involved in the project, in addition to Città Studi and the University of Insubria which is the lead partner, are: University of Turin, University of Eastern Piedmont, University of Valle D'Aosta and ComoNext Innovation Hub. The Biella companies that stood out are: Quality Biella by Alberto Platini & C. and Marchi & Fildi SpA which ranked third and fourth respectively in the ranking, a sign of high design quality. Each Spoke involves the design and implementation of Flagship Projects, one of which will be grounded in Città Studi, where an immersive laboratory of cultural-industrial regeneration will be developed through an open infrastructure for virtual reality systems immersive for educational research purposes. The scientific director of the project is the University of Turin.  

On September 23rd, the Festival of Health took place with great success in the Sant'Agabio District of Novara. This event, entirely dedicated to prevention and health promotion, represented a valuable opportunity for the Novara community. Organized under the patronage of the Municipality of Novara, the University of Piemonte Orientale. the Service Center for the Territory of Novara and Vco and the Parish of Sant'Agabio, in collaboration with many local voluntary associations and institutions, the Festival aimed to promote a healthy and active lifestyle, as well as a culture of safety in every aspect of everyday life, so that each individual can promote and preserve their own health.    The University of Piemonte Orientale and the NODES project enthusiastically participated in this initiative due to its significance. Furthermore, the festival coincided with the UPO Research Week and the Open Lab event at the Traslational Research Center on autoimmune and allergic diseases (CAAD).   During the event, there was the stand ''The University enters the neighborhoods: the PNRR-NODES Projects for the health of citizens'', presentign the CAAD to the Sant'Agabio neighborhood by presenting its research projects and opening its laboratories to the public. The main objective was to promote Spoke 5 and the flagship projects INNDIANA and TINCARE and the structures hosting the respective Researchers.    This event was an important step forward in the education of the local community on health topics and in the promotion of scientific research, highlighting the contribution of higher education that will continue to work towards improving the health and well-being of the community through innovative research projects and collaborative initiatives.         Image 1: researchers from INNDIANA and TINCARE projects at the stands. In the left photo, Mattia Bellan and Carmela Rinaldi; in the center photo, researchers from INNDIANA (from left, Rita Di Martino, Giuseppe Cappellano, Elena Canciani).     Image 2: photo from the Open Lab day, thanking the Researchers from the CAAD Research Center laboratories of Immunomics, Innovation; UPO biobank; Division Oncology, Genomics Lab, Biological Mass Spectometry and the Rectorate Office (Valentina Toson in the photo and Eleonora Mazzucco), and the people who visited the center.      

Online le opportunità di formazione dello Spoke 7    Sono disponibili i corsi che Spoke 7 ha organizzato sul tema dell'innovazione nell'ambito dell'agroindustria secondaria. Le proposte dello Spoke 7 comprendono:  Strategie di sostenibilità in ambito vitivinicolo, un percorso di formazione aperto a tutti che permette di focalizzare l’attenzione su come la sostenibilità possa essere un fattore strategico e competitivo a livello territoriale.  Sanificazione aziendale: Tecnologie ed Approcci Sostenibili ha l'obiettivo di formare figure aziendali e consulenti che si occupano di sviluppare ed implementare sistemi di sanificazione ambientale efficienti; offrire una preparazione normativa/tecnica in materia che permetta ai partecipanti di affrontare le problematiche connesse alla gestione della sanificazione ambientale; comprendere il valore e l’importanza di un corretto utilizzo dei presidi; adempiere alle problematiche legate alla tutela dell’ambiente e gestione delle acque.  Circular Economy for Food offre un quadro teorico entro cui far evolvere le imprese. Si tratta di un percorso di approfondimento di importanti tematiche dello Spoke 7 – Agroindustria Secondaria, fra cui l'economia circolare, la comunicazione e lo sviluppo di idee innovative. Per conoscere tutte le iniziative, le modalità di iscrizione e i corsi è sufficiente cliccare al link sottostante   FORMAZIONE SPOKE 7

Alessandria, Aosta, Como, Pavia e Torino hanno accolto le ricercatrici e i ricercatori dell'Ecosistema e i loro progetti Venerdì 29 e Sabato 30 settembre si è tenuta in tutta Europa la Notte dei Ricercatori, promossa dalla Commissione Europea fin dal 2005 capace di coinvolgere ogni anno migliaia di ricercatori e istituzioni di ricerca in tutti i paesi UE. NODES e i 7 Spoke dell'Ecosistema erano presenti nelle diverse città degli Atenei partners del progetto con con eventi gratuiti e aperti al pubblico di ogni età: laboratori, stand, workshop, convegni e visite guidate nei luoghi della ricerca. Le ricercatrici e ricercatori hanno così illustrato i loro progetti, si sono addentrati in dettagli tecnici rivelando anedotti e curiosità con particolare stupore del pubblico che seguiva attento le spiegazioni. Gli appuntamenti in sintesi

Spoke 1 Partners, Aerospace and Sustainable mobility, presented the Catalogue of Fundable Innovation Services for Businesses, illustrating with practical examples the opportunities for grant funding of cascade call Line B. During the Infoday, Spoke 1's scientific coordinator, Giuseppe Scellato, described the project's thematic areas and the b-line for fundable services for innovation and business development, with its dedicated catalog. Spoke 1 Partners, Politecnico di Torino/Environment Park, University of Turin, Fondazione Piemonte Innova (Polo ICT), and business incubator I3P later illustrated the services through practical, real-world examples Participating companies later had the opportunity to engage directly with ecosystem partners. The recording of the event is available on the Ecosystem NODES YouTube channel.   Click here to watch the even (ita)   Foto by Patrick Fore onUnsplash  

Notte della Ricerca 2023: ricerca per l'innovazione dell'agritech a Torino e Pavia   Torino, Vigevano e Pavia: ecco il triangolo in cui sono state ospitate tutte le iniziative che Spoke 7 ha dedicato per l'evento più importante di connessione tra il mondo della ricerca e il pubblico.   I gruppi di ricerca di Pavia hanno proposto ai visitatori un laboratorio del gusto.   L’obiettivo dell’iniziativa era raccogliere informazioni e rielaborarle per indagare le differenze nella percezione sensoriale del gusto con l’invecchiamento.   Al gruppo di partecipati, oltre 200 persone in tutta l’iniziativa, è stato proposto l’assaggio di una sostanza (PROP – 6-n propiltiouracile) contenete il gruppo chimico della tiourea presente nelle brassicacee (i.e.: broccoli, cavoli, ecc) e percepita da alcuni come amara e insapore da altri. Seguiva l’assaggio di un alimento a base del peperone di Voghera. L’assaggio del PROP ha permesso di classificare i visitatori per la percezione dell’amaro in “Taster” e “Non taster” mentre all’assaggio della focaccia ha consentito di identificare che era “sensibile al piccante” e chi era “insensibile al piccante” del peperone di Voghera.

Sui bandi Mezzogiorno 155 progetti di innovazione candidati dalle imprese per domande di finanziamento   Il 30 settembre sono scaduti i Bandi NODES della Linea A per finanziamenti dedicati alle imprese del Mezzogiorno su progetti di ricerca industriale e sviluppo sperimentale.  Le domande pervenute sono state ben 155, per un valore complessivo di contributi richiesti pari a circa 31,5 milioni di euro: quasi il quadruplo rispetto agli oltre 8 milioni e mezzo di euro pianificati dall’Ecosistema e che saranno investiti nei territori di Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicilia e Sardegna. “Sono dati che fanno ben sperare - commenta Chiara Ferroni, Direttore Generale di NODES.  La buona risposta delle imprese ci rassicura sul fatto che i fondi potranno essere ben spesi, in linea con quanto previsto dai programmi del MUR-PNRR per le attività di ricerca e innovazione portate avanti anche nel Mezzogiorno in risposta ai temi proposti dal Nord-Ovest e che si rivela capace e protagonista del progresso nel nostro Paese”. Un impatto positivo garantito anche dalla collaborazione dell’Ecosistema con i 9 Partners del Sud: il Politecnico di Bari, le Università della Basilicata, di Catania, del Salento, del Sannio - Benevento, di Palermo, di Sassari, l’Istituto per la tecnologia delle Membrane del CNR a Rende (CZ) e la Fondazione CMCC - Centro Euromediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici. I bandi sono stati gestiti grazie alla collaborazione con Unioncamere Piemonte, partner EEN - Enterprise Europe Network, attraverso la piattaforma webtelemaco.infocamere.it  

The first edition of the “Fashion Media Studies” summer school ended on Sunday 24 September 2023. Fashion, visual culture", organized by the University of Turin and Città Studi Biella, both partners of Spoke 3 - Tourism and Culture Industry, in collaboration with Cittadellarte - Pistoletto Foundation and the Department of Letters, Philosophy, Communication of the University of Bergamo. Twenty-three participants from different universities (including the University of Bergamo, the University of Milan, the University of Catania, the IULM and of course Unito), students of master's and doctoral courses in different fields, in the four days of the Summer school they followed courses and seminars held by scholars who addressed, from an interdisciplinary perspective, the research directions that affect fashion culture today and its impact on society and visual culture. “The synergy implemented between the University of Turin and Città Studi, together with the collaboration with the other partners - declares Prof. Giulia Carluccio, Vice-Rector of the University of Turin and curator of the Summer school - has made it possible to create a first edition of very high level which marks a path that we intend to further enrich in the future. In recent days, the most authoritative voices in fashion studies have offered students a broad and detailed overview of the interdisciplinary perspectives useful for understanding the fashion phenomenon, also in dialogue with some fashion communication operators and professionals. Some of the most current key words were called into question in reference to themes such as economic, environmental and social sustainability, without forgetting the importance of the visual and cultural impact of fashion, involving male and female students in very lively debates which have further enriched the experience of the masterclasses”. “The Summer School highlighted the growing interest in fashion on the part of students, researchers and cultural and economic operators, adds Adriano D'Aloia, Professor of Cinema, photography and television at the University of Bergamo and curator of the summer school. Fashion is a complex phenomenon that mobilizes creative resources, reflects social change, stimulates markets to address current issues such as inclusiveness and sustainability. A strategic synergy between training institutions and the socio-economic fabric of the territory in this area can certainly contribute to enriching the value chain". The lessons were accompanied by moments of debate with cultural operators and representatives of institutions focused on the relationship between fashion, technologies and sustainable development, a series of debates with authors of recent books on the themes of the Summer school and the presentation of some research projects, including that of Eleonora Chiais, Researcher at the Department of Humanistic Studies of the University of Turin, in the Disciplines of Arts, Music and Entertainment, who talks about her experience thus: “As they approach a working context which, today more than ever, it is multifaceted and competitive, it is important that students are aware of the real usability of their academic education. For this reason, the first edition of the Summer School was the ideal space to present the research "How to communicate sustainable fashion" which, carried out thanks to the agreement stipulated between Città Studi Biella, the Textile and Health Association - Social Enterprise and the University of Turin, proposes a transversal reflection on the field of sustainability in the textile sector, combining a more technical evaluation with an indispensable theoretical examination path. We have chosen to present this study because it represents a good example of the virtuous synergy that can and must be established between universities, businesses and the territory". Finally, Mauro Ferraresi Associate Professor at the IULM University of Milan, coordinator of the three-year degree course in 'Fashion and Creative Industries' - presented his book "Modamedia. New communication scenarios of the fashion system" making a significant contribution to the event: "Città Studi in Biella is a place nestled at the foot of the mountains and immersed in a truly pleasant panorama. It is a perfect campus for the environment that surrounds it, for the greenery and the services it benefits from and for the tranquility that ensures maximum concentration and attention to teachers and students. The innovative Summer School dedicated to the fashion system took place on this campus. The course was designed to allow the alternation of normal Master lessons with reasoned presentations of books dedicated to the topic and with more technical interventions that focused on the relationship between fashion and digital innovation and between fashion and the circular economy. It was a first year which, I believe, gave a new and important contribution to the diffusion of fashion studies and which I hope can become a regular annual event".