• Scientific Responsible: Prof. Angelo BASSI
• Department of Physics
• Duration: 24 months
• Amount: € 66,891.56
• CUP: J93C23001490008
• Funding: Regional Programme (PR) ESF+ 2021/2027 of the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia Giulia. Periodic planning of operations - PPO Annual 2023. Specific Programme No. 22/23 - Support for higher education in the regional university system. Line C) Research grants - Desk 2023

Research programme: Quantum computers promise to accelerate the resolution of high-impact problems in the biomedical field, such as the integrated development of drugs and biopharmaceuticals. At the current stage, quantum devices are imperfect because they are subject to noise caused by interaction with their surroundings. In order to achieve a usable quantum solution in the short term, it is necessary to focus on a specific problem, fully understand the effects of noise and optimise the solution to mitigate it. The quantum-gate library, developed by our research group, can provide a tool to address these needs. At present, the library implements a simulator of a noisy quantum computer that is more faithful than currently available simulators. The research project consists of extending and using the library to study chemical processes of interest in the biomedical field. The project aims at close collaboration with companies in the sector in the area.

• Scientific Responsible: Prof. Felice Andrea PELLEGRINO
• Department of Engineering and Architecture
• Duration: 24 months
• Amount: € 66,891.56
• CUP: J93C23001490008
• Funding: Regional Programme (PR) ESF+ 2021/2027 of the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia Giulia. Periodic planning of operations - PPO Annual 2023. Specific Programme No. 22/23 - Support for higher education in the regional university system. Line C) Research grants - Desk 2023

Research Programme: Pose estimation consists in determining the position and orientation of an object with respect to a reference system. Rendering consists of modelling the physical formation of an image, generating a synthetic image that can be interpreted as a parametric function of the pose to be estimated. A differentiable renderer, with an appropriate optimisation algorithm, can be used to estimate the pose by maximising the similarity between the real and synthetic image. The project proposes to use a differentiable renderer to control the motion of an image-based robot (visual ensemble). The idea is based on recent advances in optimisation applied to artificial intelligence and aims to control the robot using feedback information from a camera positioned on the robot itself. The project has many important applications for intelligent manufacturing.

• Scientific Responsible: Prof. Massimiliano KAUCIC
• Department of Economics, Business, Mathematics and Statistics
• Duration: 24 months
• Amount: €66,891.56
• CUP: J93C23001490008
• Funding: Regional Programme (PR) ESF+ 2021/2027 of the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia Giulia. Periodic planning of operations - PPO Annual 2023. Specific Programme No. 22/23 - Support for higher education in the regional university system. Line C) Research grants - Desk 2023

Research Programme: Climate change, population growth, scarcity of natural resources, numerous social challenges, but also the regulatory framework imposing greater transparency, increasingly affect the corporate policies and business models adopted by companies. In this context, the research project aims to develop innovative portfolio management models with low cost and high financial content with the application of environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. Through the proposed procedures, the aim is to enhance the portfolios of issuers that are systematically active in circular economy policies and in mitigating extreme risks related to climate change. An optimisation algorithm based on artificial intelligence and soft-computing techniques will manage the decision-making process, reconciling the need for profit with the benefits of more virtuous investment choices. In addition, an analysis of major social, ecological, technological and economic changes will allow conclusions to be drawn on the areas and sectors where economic value creation will take place in the future, offering sustainable growth opportunities from which investors can benefit in the long term.

• Scientific Responsible: Prof. Giovanni CARROSIO
• Department of Political and Social Sciences
• Duration: 24 months
• Amount: € 66,891.56
• CUP: J93C23001490008
• Funding: Regional Programme (PR) ESF+ 2021/2027 of the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia Giulia. Periodic planning of operations - PPO Annual 2023. Specific Programme No. 22/23 - Support for higher education in the regional university system. Line C) Research grants - Desk 2023

Research Programme: On 14 March 2023, the European Parliament approved the Green Buildings Directive, which requires all residential buildings to be at least in energy class D by 2033. This directive requires member states to put in place structural policies for the energy upgrading of buildings to enable home owners to comply with the targets. In our country, starting in 2008, there have been several policies in this sense, but they have been modified many times over the years, generating uncertainty among both families and economic operators. The project intends to reconstruct the genesis of public policy measures for energy retrofit, describe their characteristics and evaluate their effectiveness on three fronts: the ability to stimulate interventions; the effects in terms of energy efficiency; and the ability to include the weakest segments of the population. On the basis of the results that emerged, we will try to formulate proposals for a structural policy, which also enables the weaker social classes to carry out retrofit interventions.

• Scientific Responsible: Elena BORTOLOTTI
• Department of Humanities
• Duration of grant: 24 months
• Amount: € 66,891.56
• CUP: J93C23001490008
• Funding: Regional Programme (PR) ESF+ 2021/2027 of the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia Giulia. Periodic planning of operations - PPO Annual 2023. Specific Programme No. 22/23 - Support for higher education in the regional university system. Line C) Research grants - Desk 2023

Research programme: Research in special pedagogy has identified self-narrative writing as a privileged tool to foster the social inclusion of fragile people in the contexts in which they live. By allowing them to tell their stories from the inside, self-narration becomes a meeting place that allows the active listening of experiences and interests that are irreducible to the diagnosis of a disorder to be placed at the centre of the relationship. Through a Research-Action methodology, this project aims to explore and put into practice the potential of self-narrative writing in young people with high-functioning autism. The aim of the proposal is to support participants in their orientation towards the Life Project, creating a bridge between the school context and the agencies in the area that can welcome and enhance the person's qualities. This aim is made urgent by the current lack of adequate support in the transition from school to adult life.

• Scientific Responsible: Prof. Paolo NOVATI
• Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Geosciences  
• Duration: 24 months
• Amount: € 66,891.56
• CUP: J93C23001490008
• Funding: Regional Programme (PR) ESF+ 2021/2027 of the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia Giulia. Periodic planning of operations - PPO Annual 2023. Specific Programme No. 22/23 - Support for higher education in the regional university system. Line C) Research grants - Desk 2023

Research Programme: In recent years, the significant number of floods induced by extreme climatic events in central and northern Italy has caused enormous material damage to agriculture, industry, infrastructure and homes, as well as, unfortunately, serious consequences for the safety of the population. In these extreme situations, river embankments constitute essential defences for the territory. The internal structure of embankments is generally quite old and only little information is available to assess the physical properties of the different layers that make it up. Damage of various kinds, caused by the passage of time and changes in the frequency and character of rainfall, poses a serious threat in the event of flooding. The proposed research aims to provide mathematical and computer tools for non-invasive monitoring of riverbank structure through the analysis of data from electromagnetic induction, geoelectric and seismic techniques.

• Scientific Responsible: Prof. Lucia PASQUATO
• Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Duration: 24 months
• Amount: € 66,891.56
• CUP: J93C23001490008
• Funding: Regional Programme (PR) ESF+ 2021/2027 of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. Periodic planning of operations - PPO Annual 2023. Specific Programme No. 22/23 - Support for higher education in the regional university system. Line C) Research grants - Desk 2023

Research Programme: This research project involves the development of nanostructured fluorinated contrast agents (AC) for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of Fluorine-19, an exogenous element in the soft tissues of our body. This research makes it possible to place alongside Gadolinium complexes, AC for conventional MRI, which work well but with which quantitative analyses are very difficult, AC that allow: (i) easy quantitative analyses for a better diagnostic understanding and evaluation of therapeutic efficacy; (ii) offer an alternative of AC for subjects who have renal problems, for whom Gd complexes are toxic, or who need to repeat MRI analyses frequently; (iii) the size and structure of the proposed fluorinated ACs improve retention times in tissues and allow specific targeting; (iv) are biocompatible, non-toxic to humans and the environment. Moreover, this research mitigates problems of Gd supply, which is not present in Italy.

• Scientific Responsible: Prof. Marco SCOCCHI
• Department of Life Sciences
• Duration: 24 months
• Amount: € 66,891.56
• CUP: J93C23001490008
• Funding: Regional Programme (PR) ESF+ 2021/2027 of the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia Giulia. Periodic planning of operations - PPO Annual 2023. Specific Programme No. 22/23 - Support for higher education in the regional university system. Line C) Research grants - Desk 2023

Research Programme: Antibiotic-resistant infections are a creeping and growing epidemic. Unless new antimicrobial drugs are developed, some infectious diseases will no longer be treatable with antibiotics in the near future. Diseases that are manageable today, such as Enterobacteriaceae infections, common in the urinary tract or, in severe cases, in the blood, would become life-threatening risks. This project aims to help develop new antimicrobial drugs to respond to the situation of antibiotic-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in the regional context. To this end, it is intended to create a synergy between the University of Trieste (UniTS) and the Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Network by combining diagnostics and clinical monitoring with academic experimentation. A survey of the most widespread Enterobacteriaceae infections in FVG will be carried out, collecting microorganisms on which the efficacy of compounds developed at UniTS will be specifically evaluated. An eco-sustainable local production chain of the most effective compound will be planned, thus creating a bridge between research, the health system and the local production fabric. The public will be informed about the issue and the results obtained through publicity events.

• Scientific Responsible: Stefano ONDELLI
• Department of Legal, Language, Interpretation and Translation Sciences
• Duration: 24 months
• Amount: € 66.891,56
• CUP: J93C23001490008
• Funding: Regional Programme (PR) ESF+ 2021/2027 of the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia Giulia. Periodic planning of operations - PPO Annual 2023. Specific Programme No. 22/23 - Support for higher education in the regional university system. Line C) Research grants - Desk 2023

Research programme: The quality of official documents in terms not only of terminological consistency, but also of readability, respect for gender equality and social inclusion is of particular importance in territories where bilingualism or plurilingualism is in force, since it is likely to increase business opportunities, cross-border collaboration and international networking. The research envisages a preparatory phase of assessment of the resources and needs of the FVG Region and the administrations of Slovenia and Croatia where Italian is the official language, followed by the production of guidelines and tools for harmonised communication, particularly in the tourism sector. In practice, the creation of terminology collections and sample texts for efficient communication will provide reference materials to facilitate the drafting and translation of administrative documents that impact on business activities.

• Scientific Responsible: Prof. Serena BONIN
• Department of Medical Sciences
• Duration: 24 months
• Amount: € 66,891.56
• CUP: J93C23001490008
• Funding: Regional Programme (PR) ESF+ 2021/2027 of the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia Giulia. Periodic planning of operations - PPO Annual 2023. Specific Programme No. 22/23 - Support for higher education in the regional university system. Line C) Research grants - Desk 2023

Research Programme: High grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most frequent epithelial ovarian cancer and is among the most lethal gynaecological malignancies. Patients with HGSOC are mostly diagnosed at an advanced stage and most relapse due to acquired or intrinsic resistance after treatment. The introduction of PARP inhibitors as a therapeutic strategy for HGSOC has improved the prognosis of patients, especially those with a specific mutational profile. AKT inhibitors are promising antineoplastic agents that can act synergistically with PARP inhibitors, but the spectrum of patients who can benefit from this combination is unclear, as the role of the three different AKT isoforms is still unknown. In a previous study, we showed that the relative abundance of the 3 AKT isoforms can stratify patients with different survival rates and HGSOC characteristics. The relative abundance of the 3 AKT isoforms can serve as a surrogate biomarker to define resistance to Pt-based therapy and can be used to select patients for AKT inhibition-based therapy. 

• Scientific Responsible: Prof. Gianni BIOLO
• Department of Medical Sciences
• Duration of Assignment: 24 months
• Amount: € 66,891.56
• CUP: J93C23001490008
• Funding: Regional Programme (PR) ESF+ 2021/2027 of the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia Giulia. Periodic planning of operations - PPO Annual 2023. Specific Programme No. 22/23 - Support for higher education in the regional university system. Line C) Research grants - Desk 2023

Research programme: An important cause of morbidity and mortality in the Western world is venous thromboembolism (VTE), the frequency of which increases 4- to 7-fold during malignancy. The treatment of VTE relies on anticoagulant drugs both in the acute phase and in secondary prophylaxis. While in the treatment phase the therapeutic scheme is well codified, prophylaxis after resolution remains less clear, involving a high risk of complications, recurrence and death with worsening quality of life. Indeed, the narrow therapeutic window, the fragility of the patients, the lack of customised guidelines, the possible recurrence and the presence of complications (haemorrhage, anaemia, severe thrombocytopenia and osteoporosis) make the treatment of these patients problematic. The study aims to monitor the effect of reduced doses of a direct oral anticoagulant and to obtain a range of clinical, laboratory and genetic data to customise long-term prophylaxis.