Teaching Activities (2023-2024)

The PhD in Chemical and Environmental Sciences offers the following courses:

(Note that this page is under construction and some syllabus are not yet available in English.)

NB: Courses that will be offered during the a.y. 2023-2024 are highlighted in red font

IDs: 23, 25, 41, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52 (53 ?), 54.

 

  1. REMOTE SENSING AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM: UN APPROCCIO INTEGRATO PER L’ANALISI DEI DATI AMBIENTALI 
  2. DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT ON AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE OF ACTIVE PHARMACEUTICAL INGREDIENTS (API)
  3. INNOVATIVE CATALYTIC METHODOLOGIES IN HETEROCYCLIC SYNTHESIS 
  4. DRUG DISCOVERY AND MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY 
  5. CRYSTALLINE MATERIALS AT THE NANOSCALE
  6. CORRELATION AMONG CRYSTAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES 
  7. NANOMATERIALS: MULTIPLE SCALE CHARACTERIZATION BY X-RAY TOTAL SCATTERING TECHNIQUES AND STRUCTURE-PROPERTY RELATIONSHIPS
  8. MATHEMATICAL AND NUMERICAL METHODS IN CHEMISTRY 
  9. MACCHINE E DISPOSITIVI SUPRAMOLECOLARI 
  10. SUPERCONDUCTING MATERIALS
  11. MICROSCOPIE ELETTRONICHE A SCANSIONE ED IN TRASMISSIONE 
  12. TECNICHE AVANZATE DI SPETTROMETRIA DI MASSA 
  13. MODELLING OF ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION DISPERSIONS: ANALYSIS OF THE EMISSIONS DUE TO ACCIDENTAL EVENTS
  14. CRITERI GEOLOGICI PER LA LOCALIZZAZIONE DI IMPIANTI AD ELEVATO RISCHIO AMBIENTALE 
  15. IMPATTI DEL CAMBIAMENTO CLIMATICO SULLA BIODIVERSITÀ VEGETALE 
  16. ENVIRONMENTAL FATE MODEL BUILDING 
  17. PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMPATIBILITY OF PROJECTS OF DEPOLLUTION INTERVENTIONS
  18. BIOMONITORING OF AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS
  19. BIODIVERSITY AND HUMAN DIMENSION
  20. PREDICTIVE ECOTOXICOLIGY AND BASIC CONCEPTS FOR MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS  
  21. AIRBORNE PARTICULATE MATTER: RISK ASSESSMENT AND RISK MANAGEMENT FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN HEALTH
  22. EXPOSURE SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE 
  23. METHODS AND MODELS FOR THE EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT TO CHEMICALS
  24. MATERIALS FOR SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN
  25. INTRODUCTION TO EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
  26. PRAMOLECULAR SYSTEMS FOR PRECISION DRUG DELIVER
  27. EARTHQUAKE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: PROCESSES, MAPPING AND CITIZEN SCIENCE
  28. EMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUES FOR GEOMORPHOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS IN HARSH ENVIRONMENTS
  29. MICROBIAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION
  30. ARID LANDS GEOGRAPHY & ECOLOGY
  31. BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
  32. PALEOLIMNOLOGY
  33. GEOLOGIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT & MITIGATION; HOW IT IS ACCOMPLISHED IN THE REAL WOLRD
  34. ADVANCED PROCEDURES IN ASYMMETRIC SYNTHESIS
  35. THE ORGANIC CHEMISTRY OF BIOSYNTHESIS
  36. DUST, DUST DEPOSITS AND SOILS
  37. DATA SCIENCE APPLICATIONS IN R
  38. VIBRATIONAL AND ELECTRONIC SPECTROSCOPIES FOR THE CHARACTERIZATION OF METAL-ORGANIC FRAMEWORKS
  39. BIOACCUMULATION OF ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS IN PLANTS
  40. WASTE, BIOMASS AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY
  41. NON-INVASIVE CHARACTERIZATION OF MATERIALS
  42. MATHEMATICAL AND NUMERICAL METHODS IN THE NATURAL SCIENCES
  43. VOLCANOTECTONICS AND NEOTECTONICS FOR GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION AND GEOLOGICAL HAZARD ASSESSMENT
  44. PALLADIUM CHEMISTRY AND C-H ACTIVATION
  45. FIRE SIMULATION IN CONFINED ENVIRONMENT
  46. IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE CRYOSPHERE
  47. CONFINEMENT IN POROUS MATERIALS
  48. SAFETY ELEMENTS FOR CHEMICAL PROCESSES MANAGEMENT
  49. MOLECULAR ECOLOGY
  50. CARBON DIOXIDE AS A SOURCE OF C1 FOR CONVERSION INTO HIGHLY VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS
  51. MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION ACTIONS TO CLIMATE CHANGE
  52. ESSENTIAL PERMAFROST SCIENCE: GROUND TEMPERATURE, GROUND ICE, AND A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT
  53. ACTIVE TECTONICS AND EARTHQUAKE GEOLOGY: SAVING LIVES AND INVESTMENTS FOR A SUSTAINABLE WORLD
  54. MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY OF SMALL MOLECULES

Course # 1

REMOTE SENSING AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM: UN APPROCCIO INTEGRATO PER L’ANALISI DEI DATI AMBIENTALI 


Course # 2

DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT ON AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE OF ACTIVE PHARMACEUTICAL INGREDIENTS (API)

Teacher: Tiziana BENINCORI

Objectives: Outline the main issues that need to be addressed in industrial-scale API production.

Programme: The course aims both to illustrate the synthetic startegies of some classes of pharmacologically active commercial products and to deal with some of the problems that must be faced in their production on an industrial scale, such as good manufacturing practices, quality assurance and the drug master file. Some of these aspects will be developed by industry experts and a visit will be made to a manufacturing pharmaceutical company of API.

Teaching Material: 

Neal G. Anderson “Practical Process Research and Development. A guide for organic chemists”. Elsevier

Hans-Ulrich Blaser and Hans-Jurgen Federsel” Asymmetric Catalysis on Industrial Scale.: challenges, approaches and solutions”. Wiley-VCH, Second Edition.


Course # 3

INNOVATIVE CATALYTIC METHODOLOGIES IN HETEROCYCLIC SYNTHESIS

Teacher: Gianluigi BROGGINI

Objectives: The course aims at furnishing knowledge in the field of the homogeneous catalysis applied to the heterocyclic chemistry, in particular highlighting the importance of heterocycles in drugs.

Programme: Introduction to the transition metal catalysis. Change of ligands, coordination and dissociation. Synthesis of heterocyclic compounds by amination, hydroamination, alkoxylation, hydroalkoxylation and hydroarylation reactions promoted by palladium, gold, platinum and ruthenium catalysts. Carbonylation reactions. Stereoselective reactions: chiral ligands and stereoinductive models. Organocatalysis.

Teaching material: J.A. Joule, K. Mills, Heterocylic Chemistry, Blackwell Science, 2000. Reviews of the recent literature.


Course # 4

DRUG DISCOVERY AND MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY

Teacher: Silvia GAZZOLA

Objectives: The purposes of this course rely on the depiction of the whole drug discovery process and on the main concepts involved in the development of a new drug. In particular, the students will have a general knowledge on how a new drug discovery program starts, how it is carried out and on the main physicochemical parameters that characterize a drug-like molecule.

Program: The course is composed by the following modules:

  • The drug discovery process: from the idea to the market
  • Drug Targets and Pharcodynamics: how a drug interacts with our body.
  • Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics: what the body does to the drug.
  • Lead Discovery and optimization: physical and chemical properties of a drug

Each module is characterized by simple exercises and short workshops. The evaluation test will involved a workshop with a final presentation.

 Books: G. L. Patrick, An introduction to Medicinal Chemistry, Fourth edition, Oxford University Press


Course # 5

CRYSTALLINE MATERIALS AT THE NANOSCALE

Teacher: Federica BERTOLOTTI

Objectives: the course will provide an introduction on the most relevant aspects about nanocrystalline materials: from the synthetic procedures, to the characterization, up to the main applications.

Programme: introduction to nanomaterials and nanotechnology; main synthetic methods for the preparation of engineered nanomaterials; crystal structure and defectiveness of the materials at the nanoscale; characterization methods at different length scales; structure-properties correlations.

Books: Boris Ildusovich Kharisov, Oxana Vasilievna Kharissova and Ubaldo Ortiz-Mendez, CRC Concise Encyclopedia of Nanotechnology, CRC Press , (2015), ISBN 9781466580343; slides and pdf files provided during the course.


Course # 6

CORRELATION AMONG CRYSTAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES

Teacher: Simona GALLI

Objectives: The course aims at introducing the students into the rationalization process of the functional properties of a solid-state substance through its crystal structure main features.

Programme: Ranging from organic, to inorganic and hybrid organic/inorganic compounds, the course focuses the attention on some materials classes, chosen as case studies, whose functional properties (e.g. magnetism, electrical conductivity, non-linear optics) and their correlations with the structural aspects are described.

Supporting Material: The course does not rely on book texts, yet on supplementary material prepared ad hoc by the professor, including book chapters in English, integrating what proposed during the front lectures.


Course # 7

NANOMATERIALS: MULTIPLE SCALE CHARACTERIZATION BY X-RAY TOTAL SCATTERING TECHNIQUES AND STRUCTURE-PROPERTY RELATIONSHIPS

Teacher: Antonella GUAGLIARDI

3 CFU (10 hours of Lectures + 4 hours of hands-on)

Objective: This is an introductory course to non-conventional reciprocal space X-ray total scattering (TS) methods intended for multiple scale characterization of nanosized materials (in the 2-30 nm range). Attendees will learn about fundamental aspects (both experimental and data analysis/modeling) and impact of TS methods on structure-property correlation studies when applied to different classes of engineered nanomaterials of interest in sectors as relevant as energy, high-tech, environment and health. A deep comprehension of both atomic-scale parameters (crystal structure, defects, lattice strains, surface effects, chemical doping) and nanometer-scale parameters (nanocrystals/nanoparticles size, shape and dispersions) that can be quantitatively extracted from the experimental data (typically collected using synchrotron X-ray radiation) will be pursued. Students will grasp Pros and Cons of TS methods vs conventional diffraction and vs real space-based approaches (Pair Distribution Function).

Programme: The course will be organized in four lectures and one hands-on session for practical activity on data analysis. The topics treated in the lectures are: 1) Fundamentals of X-ray total scattering – Radiation-matter interaction and total scattering of an ensemble of equal particles in the wide angle; Debye Scattering Equation (DSE): derivation and meaning; Experimental aspects: instrumental set-up and protocols for data acquisition at synchrotron beamlines; Data reduction process; Bragg vs diffuse scattering; Total scattering vs conventional diffraction techniques; TS in reciprocal space vs TS in direct space (PDF). 2) Modeling X-ray total scattering of nanocrystals in reciprocal space – The Debye Scattering Equation approach: computational aspects and the two-step method; building atomistic models of populations of nanocrystals of selected shape and increasing size (uni- and bi-variate populations); anisotropic nanocrystals shape (rods and plates) and structure-morphology orientation; point defects, planar defects and lattice strains in nanocrystals. 3) Analysis of X-ray total scattering data – Model optimization against experimental data: structural parameters determination, defects quantification, average size/shape and dispersions; complementarity of small angle X-ray scattering techniques; combined use of small and wide-angle total scattering. 4) Cases of application to oxides (TiO2, Fe3O4/g-Fe2O3/ ZnO), semiconductors ([(PbS, CdSe, perovskites APbX3 (A=Cs,FA,MA), (X=Cl,Br,I)], bioceramics (miomimetic apatites), composites (TiO2/SiO2; Pt/SiO2), and discussion on structure-property correlations.

Hands-on: Attendees will make some practicals using an open-source software (Debussy Suite) for construction of atomistic models of nanocrystals and data analysis of X-ray TS data collected with synchrotron radiation.

References:

  • X-ray Powder Diffraction Characterization of Nanomaterials in “X-ray and Neutron Techniques for Nanomaterials”, p. 545-608, C.S.S.R. Kumar Ed., Springer Verlag, (2016), ISBN 978-3-662-48604-7
  • Minireview: When Crystals Go Nano – The Role of Advanced X-ray Total Scattering Methods in Nanotechnology, J. Inorg. Chem. 2018, 3789–3803
  • Software reference: DEBUSSY 2.0: the new release of a Debye user system for nanocrystalline and/or disordered materials, J.Appl. Cryst, 2015, 48, 2026, 2032.

Course # 8

MATHEMATICAL AND NUMERICAL METHODS IN CHEMISTRY 

Teacher: Massimo MELLA

The lecture course would focus on presenting mathematical and numerical tools applicable in the field of chemical modelling needed for both physical and general chemistry applications. Topics of application for the tools presented would be chosen following indication by the students of specific modelling interests. The first half of the course shall introduce topics such as:

  1. ordinary differential equations, with application to chemical kinetics;
  2. partial differential equations, with application to the transport of matter and energy;
  3. functional approximation methods, with application to classical and quantum physics systems.

The second half of the course, exploiting the information presented in the first half, would focus on numerical methods and their applications in chemistry. In particular, we shall discuss:

  1. numerical integration methods for mono-dimensional integrals, ordinary differential equations and their systems;
  2. Monte Carlo integrations with applications to molecular diffusion and polymeric systems;
  3. solution of equations of motion, and their applications in chemistry.

Insegnamento # 9

MACCHINE E DISPOSITIVI SUPRAMOLECOLARI 


Course # 10

SUPERCONDUCTING MATERIALS

Teacher: Giovanni GIUNCHI

Objectives: To give an overview of the superconducting materials, either by low and high critical temperature, related manufacturing methods and applications, with peculiar emphasis to the magnesium diboride.

Programme: Historical highlights on the superconductivity. Theoretical description. Type I and type II materials. Electromagnetic phenomena induced by the superconductivity. Low critical temperature materials and their preparation. Superconducting cable manufacturing examples and related high field magnets. Medium and high critical temperature materials and their preparation. Bulk superconductors and the criticallity of their thermomechanical instability. Magnesium diboride: a materials easy to produce and of interest for the medium temperatures applications. Present and future superconducting applications. Highligts in cryogenics and systems useful for the medium and high temperature superconductors cooling.

Teaching material: Yukikazu Iwasa “Case Studies in Superconducting Magnets- Design and Operational Issues” II ed., Springer,2009

Lecture titles:

– Historical Highligths
– Principles and properties
– Superconducting materials and their preparation
– MgB2
– Electrotechnical superconducting applications
– Biological and environmental applications
– Applied cryogenics for superconducting materials

For more information Click Here.


Insegnamento # 11

MICROSCOPIE ELETTRONICHE A SCANSIONE ED IN TRASMISSIONE 


Insegnamento # 12

TECNICHE AVANZATE DI SPETTROMETRIA DI MASSA 


Course # 13

MODELLING OF ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION DISPERSIONS: ANALYSIS OF THE EMISSIONS DUE TO ACCIDENTAL EVENTS

Teacher: Sabrina COPELLI

Objectives: The aim of the course is to provide a detailed description of the basic phenomenology of pollutant dispersions in an open field following accidental events. In addition, point source models will be introduced that will be able to provide a rough estimate (in terms of concentrations to the generic receptor) of the magnitude of these releases in the atmosphere.

Programme: Introduction to the concept of pollutant dispersions in the atmosphere; dispersion in the atmosphere of neutral, light and heavy gases; classification of releases (continuous / instantaneous); threshold limit values ​​for effects on people following the releases of toxic compounds into the atmosphere; phenomenology of the dispersion of a gas into the atmosphere; effect of atmospheric turbulence on the transport of matter, energy and momentum; the concept of atmospheric stability and the Pasquill classes; trend of wind rate with altitude; Gaussian models for continuous and instantaneous emissions (correlations and simulations using codes developed in the Matlab environment or ALOHA); the influence of mediation time on the measured and experimental concentration value; the effect of the size of a finite source; estimation of inertial and gravitational effects; the influence of the orography of the land and the presence of obstacles on the dispersions; reconstruction and simulation of incidental events: the case of Seveso.

Books:
– Introduzione alla affidabilità e sicurezza nell’industria di processo,  Renato Rota, Giuseppe Nano, Editore: Pitagora, 2007; EAN: 9788837116675; ISBN: 8837116675.
– Lees’ Loss Prevention in the Process Industries: Hazard Identification, Assessment and Control; Frank Lees; Butterworth-Heinemann, November 5, 2012 – 3776 pages.
– Slides and handouts provided by the Professor

Insegnamento # 14

CRITERI GEOLOGICI PER LA LOCALIZZAZIONE DI IMPIANTI AD ELEVATO RISCHIO AMBIENTALE 


Insegnamento # 15

IMPATTI DEL CAMBIAMENTO CLIMATICO SULLA BIODIVERSITÀ VEGETALE 


Course # 16

ENVIRONMENTAL FATE MODEL BUILDING

Teacher: Antonio DI GUARDO

Objectives: To provide the main elements for building environmental fate models for organic contaminants

Programme: Basic unit of chemodynamic and physical models.
Physico-chemical properties and their selection. Partition coefficients, their measurement and estimation. Emissions: estimation and derivation from monitoring data. Creation of the scenario for different compartments. Spatial and temporal dynamics. Meteorological parameters and their measurement. Creation of evaluation,calibration and validation scenarios.

References: D. Mackay 2001 Environmental fate models, the Fugacity approach, CRC Lewis, BocaRaton, FL, USA, as well as slides provided by the instructor.


Course # 17

PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMPATIBILITY OF PROJECTS OF DEPOLLUTION INTERVENTIONS

Teacher: Vincenzo TORRETTA

Objectives: The course amis to provide basic knowledge of the regulatory, methodological and technical elements relating to the various environmental compatibility procedures of projects for depollution, such as wastewater treatment plants or waste disposal.

Programme: Essential characteristics of the wastewater treatment and waste treatment and disposal plants, description of the environmental compatibility procedures and assessment, with particular reference to the technical aspects to be developed, including the methods and function of the monitoring interventions. The course will last 12 hours.

References: 

-Torretta V. (2010). Studi e procedure di valutazione di impatto ambientale. Flaccovio Editore, Palermo, ISBN 978-579-0021-6.

-Monte M.M., Torretta V. (2016). Valutazione e impatto ambientale – Manuale tecnico-operativo per la elaborazione di studi di impatto ambientale. Hoepli, Milano, ISBN 978-88-203-7552-2.


Course # 18

BIOMONITORING OF AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS

Teacher: Roberta BETTINETTI

Objective: Fundamental basic elements to study freshwater environments to gather information for their correct management. Great attention will be posed to the Water grabbing problem.

Programme: Chemical-physical and biological characteristics of lakes. Communities and trophic relationship. Sampling of the different matrices, methods and instruments. Contamination of freshwater environments and their ecotoxicological monitoring. Water grabbing.

References: Bettinetti R., Crosa, G., Galassi S. 2007. Ecologia delle acque interne, (CittàStudi Ed.): 150 pp.

Emanuele Bompan e Marirosa Iannelli. Water Grabbing. Guerre nascoste per l’acqua nel XXI secolo.


Course # 19

BIODIVERSITY AND HUMAN DIMENSION

Teacher: Adriano MARTINOLI

Objectives: Provide basic elements for understanding biodiversity management and conservation using in particular wildlife as a model for study, and evaluating human perception as influence factor in the context of biological conservation.

Programme: The global biodiversity crisis is a concrete problem for ecosystem conservation and, even if indirectly, for human health also. The wildlife component present in Italy is the richest of European countries and amounts to about 56,000 species, probably an underestimate. Italy, through the instruments identified as part of the “National Biodiversity Strategy”, is committed to integrating biodiversity conservation into economic and sector policies, also as an opportunity for new forms of sustainable employment and social development, strengthening understanding of the benefits deriving from it and awareness of the direct and indirect costs of biodiversity losses. In this course the issues of wildlife management will be dealt with, analyzing its criticality and potential, also through the strengthening and promotion of a strategic, systemic and synergistic approach that takes into account, as a matter of priority, the need to adapt and homogenize naturalistic and socio-economic knowledge as indispensable. points of reference for operational and management decisions. The main management methods and their effectiveness will also be critically analyzed.

The course will mainly focus on the following detailed topics:
1-fauna conservation: critical issues and operational paradigms
2-the role of the faunal component in the ecosystem functionality
3-techniques of survey, monitoring, harmonization and analysis of fauna data
4-management and conservation strategies.

There is an urgent need to educate the next generations of scientists, in different scientific branches, so that we are, all together, in a better position to protect our natural resources.

The course will last 12 hours.

Books: Conservation Biology for All. Edited by Navjot S. Sodhi and Paul R. Ehrlich. Oxford University Press. Free-download Full Text (6.44mb pdf) here: https://www.mongabay.com/conservation-biology-for-all.html


Course # 20

PREDICTIVE ECOTOXICOLOGY AND BASIC CONCEPTS FOR MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS

Teacher: Ester PAPA

Objectives: The course introduces the students to the use of multivariate analysis for the exploration of complex data and to the creation of in silico models able to describe quantitative structure-activity relationships and to predict missing data of interest in ecotoxicological field.

Programme: analysis of the structure of multivariate data and pre-treatment methods; principal techniques of data exploration: Principal Components Analysis, and Clusters Analysis; introduction to alternative methods to animal testing, the 3R strategy, QSAR modeling with examples of prediction of properties and activities for environmentally relevant organic chemicals.

Teaching materials: slides (pdf)


Course # 21

AIRBORNE PARTICULATE MATTER: RISK ASSESSMENT AND RISK MANAGEMENT FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN HEALTH

Teacher: Andrea CATTANEO

Objectives: Elucidate the risk analysis and risk assessment processes for particulate matter (PM), with a special focus on exposure assessment, which is the basis for the development and implementation of effective risk management policies and control strategies based on the identification of the main determinants of exposure and sources of contamination in indoor and outdoor environments.

Programme:

  • Atmospheric PM: definitions, dimensional and compositional characteristics, adverse effects on human health and action mechanisms. Measurement methods of atmospheric concentrations according to different metrics. Challenges and new research trends on the subject.
  • Approaches to the study of sources and determinants of PM exposure to ultrafine, fine and coarse PM fractions. Similarities and differences between indoor and outdoor environments: the role of infiltration factors. Analysis of recent literature findings on the subject.
  • Risk management: analysis of the most effective exposure mitigation measures and risk management policies. Evaluation of their effectiveness and efficiency on different scales (from microenvironments to regional and global contexts).

Learning materials: The course material will be provided via e-mail, as well as scientific papers and reviews on the subject.


Course # 22

EXPOSURE SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE

Teacher: Domenico Maria CAVALLO

Objectives: The course aims to illustrate the main theoretical and practical aspects of “Exposure Science” and “Exposure Assessment” for humans in living and working environments.

Program: (i) Strategies, methodologies and techniques for assessing exposure to chemical, physical and biological risk factors. (ii) Implementation of control strategies for health risk arising from chemical, biological and physical risk factors. (iii) Implementation of techniques for assessing and controlling emerging risk factors in the workplace and in general environments. The global aim is the protection of human health through the application of the concepts of primary and secondary prevention and (where necessary) through the implementation of tertiary prevention measures.

Recommended book: W.R. Oct, BC Steinemann, L.A. Wallace: “Exposure Analysis” –CRC Taylor and Francis (ISBN – 13: 978-1-56670-663-6)


Course # 23

METHODS AND MODELS FOR THE EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT TO CHEMICALS

Teacher: Andrea SPINAZZÉ

Objectives: The course aims to illustrate the main theoretical and practical issues related to the use of estimation models and other experimental methods used for the assessment of occupational and environmental exposure to chemicals, with particular reference to case studies related to emerging risk factors and the latest updates in the exhibition sciences.

Programme:

  • General aspects relating to the chemical risk assessment.
  • Estimation of occupational exposure to chemical agents using estimation models: methodological and practical aspects; reliability and representativeness of the exposure estimates.
  • Approaches and methodologies for assessing the risks of combined exposure to multiple chemicals.
  • Emerging risk factors: use of a probabilistic approach for risk assessment (the case of occupational exposure to engineered nanomaterials).
  • Exposure of the general population to airborne pollutants, for epidemiological studies and the health impact assessment: exposure estimation (dispersion models; Land-use regression model), use of miniaturized sensors for monitoring selected populations and approach ” citizen-science”.

Teaching materials: W.R. Ott, A.C. Steinemann, L.A. Wallace: “Exposure Analysis” – CRC Taylor and Francis (ISBN– 13: 978-1-56670-663-6). Slides (pdf).


Course # 24

MATERIALS FOR SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN

Teacher: Vladimiro DAL SANTO

Objectives: To provide an overview of the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier and to provide specific information on innovative materials for its production.

Programme: Introduction to hydrogen as a sustainable energy vector (traditional vectors, alternative vectors, sustainable mobility, and stationary systems). Materials for the production, storage and use of hydrogen. Insights on materials for production: i. heterogeneous catalysts for renewables reforming, pyrolysis, partial oxidation; ii. photo- and photoelectron-catalysts for the production of solar fuels; iii. Electro-catalysts for electrolysers (proton and anionic exchange membrane systems).

Teaching materials: Papers and reviews taken from recent literature; slides (pdf).


Course # 25

INTRODUCTION TO EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Teacher: Barbara GIUSSIANI

Objectives: Provide the main skills to project and optimize experiments through the “Design of Experiment” approach.

Programme: Brief overview of basic statistics (average, standard deviation, data distribution). Introduction to experimental design techniques. Screening, advanced screening and optimization design: problem set up and data interpretation. D-optimal design.

Books: Brereton, R.G., Chemometrics: Data Analysis for the Laboratory and Chemical Plant, Wiley.

Articles provided by the teacher.


Course # 26

SUPRAMOLECULAR SYSTEMS FOR PRECISION DRUG DELIVERY

Teacher: Lorella IZZO

Objectives: The course aim is to provide students with basics on supramolecular chemistry and on its application for rational design of smart nano-carriers for precision drug delivery.

Supramolecular chemistry is defined as chemistry beyond the molecule and is related to organized entities resulting from the self-association of two or more chemical species as a consequence of intermolecular forces. It has developed from host-guest complex to self-assembly of low molecular building blocks or macromolecular aggregates; these can take place in solution, at the solid state or at interfaces. The resulting nano-objects contribute daily to the expansion of the new field of nanotechnology.

Inspired from natural systems, supramolecular chemistry has been widely used in the biomedical field, e.g. in the construction of polymer-based nanoscale drug-delivery systems. Benefiting from the low strength of the non-covalent interactions, supramolecular systems are usually characterized by a dynamical/reversible state, and are therefore able to respond dramatically to small physical or chemical changes of the environment. Additionally, supramolecular affinity can play a key role in both polymers self-assembly and in drugs loading.

Programme: The course will start introducing the characteristics needed by a disordered system to form organized structures or patterns. Then, representative supramolecular structures will be introduced, starting from the host-guest complex involving the concept of molecular recognition, to polymer aggregates.

The course will continue focusing on the latter systems, with particular attention to smart polymer-based nano-vehicles for drug release that are known to enhance therapeutic specificity. It will be shown how such nano-systems may offer the chance of tailoring drug-release profiles due to the capability of responding to small changes in the properties of the biological environment (i.e. pH, ionic strength, temperature and oxidation potential), a goal achievable via a precise design of polymer chemical compositions.

At the end of the course, the student will be able to rationally indicate which building blocks are needed, and how these should be interrelated, to obtain self-assembling polymers for precision drug delivery.

Provide the main skills to project and optimize experiments through the “Design of Experiment” approach.


Course # 27

EARTHQUAKE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: PROCESSES, MAPPING AND CITIZEN SCIENCE

Teacher: Maria Francesca FERRARIO

Learning outcomes: The course will provide knowledge of the different types of earthquake environmental effects, either primary (surface faulting, permanent ground deformation) or secondary (landslides, liquefaction, tsunamis). The course will address aspects related to the genetic processes, predisposing factors, mapping and spatial distribution. Projects dealing with data collection and citizen science will be discussed as well.

Course content: The 12-hr course includes frontal class lectures and data analysis of real case histories (hands-on). Earthquakes above magnitude ca. 5.5 produce extensive environmental effects, which may hamper search and rescue operations and may be a significant contribution to the overall damage of the earthquake. The main topics addressed during the course include:

  • Course introduction. Earthquake as a physical process. Magnitude, intensity. Hands-on: IRIS Earthquake Browser
  • Primary environmental effects: surface faulting and permanent ground deformation.
  • Earthquake-induced landslides: predisposing and triggering factors, empirical relations, inventories and spatial distribution. Hands-on: HazMapper, USGS database.
  • Liquefaction: predisposing and triggering factors, empirical relations, mapping
  • The Environmental Seismic Intensity (ESI) scale.

Teaching material: Scientific literature, slides.


Course #28

REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUES FOR GEOMORPHOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS IN HARSH ENVIRONMENTS

Teacher: Stefano PONTI

Learning outcomes: Recent advances in the geosciences research rely on remote sensing techniques due to the ease of access of data and the survey of inaccessible areas. However, in cold environments like high-altitude or high-latitude areas it is still difficult to have temporally and spatially detailed data, thus the use of UAVs or sensors must be carefully planned and validated. Therefore, this course will introduce PhD students to the correct usage of photogrammetry and thermography at different resolutions in order to analyze the data for geomorphological investigations in harsh environments.

Course content: 

  • 4 hours: Introduction to the remote sensing, photogrammetry and thermography with examples of recent advances in cold climate research.
  • 4 hours: How to plan a photogrammetric survey: flight planning and ground-based planning, ground control points, bundle adjustment. Excursus through the softwares: Agisosft Metashape, ArcGIS, FlirTools+, CloudCompare.
  • 4 hours: Example of data acquisition: telematic (alternatively to indoor) experiments, point cloud reconstruction, ground truthing, thermal indices, errors estimation, registration of point clouds.
  • 4 hours: Feedbacks about the dataset produced, management of technical problems, interactive proposals on the application of the taught techniques in different research fields.

Teaching material: Jonathan L. Carrivick, Mark W. Smith, Duncan J. Quincey: Structure from motion in the geosciences. John Wiley & Sons Inc. ISBN : 9781118895849


Course #29

MICROBIAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION

Teacher: Elisabetta ZANARDINI

Learning outcomes: Aim of the course is to provide an overview of the microbial technologies for the environmental remediation with attention to bioremediation of contaminated sites. The potential of the microbial metabolisms and the methods for the structural and functional analysis of the microbial communities involved in these processes will be described.

Course content:  Overview of microbial technologies for the environmental remediation and role of microorganisms; principles and processes in bioremediation; microbial degradation metabolisms; methods for the analysis of the structural and functional microbial diversity; plant-microorganism interactions in rhizodegradation. Specific case studies on bioremediation of contaminated sites will be also illustrated.

Teaching material: 

  • Biavati e Sorlini. Microbiologia generale e agraria, CEA, Zanichelli, 2012.
  • Madigan et al. Biologia dei microrganismi, Pearson, 2016.
  • Wessner et al. Microbiologia, Zanichelli, 2015.
  • Pdf slides.

Course #30

ARID LANDS GEOGRAPHY & ECOLOGY

Teacher: Kathleen NICOLL

Course Objectives:

  • Examine landscapes in desert environments, including climate, hydrology, past and present spring and playa-lakes, weathering, landscapes, and the geomorphic agents of water and wind;
  • Read primary journal literature (provided) to learn about the fundamental physical, biological, temporal, and human components of drylands;
  • Investigate the nature, environmental requirements, and essential geomorphic roles of plants and animals in stressful hydrological and biological environmental settings;
  • Discuss the impact of human population growth related to hydroclimate, desertification, water resource availability, and dust storm activity.

Specific Learning Outcomes: 

  1. Locate, analyze, interpret various data, maps and photo-imagery of features in the arid zones of the world, using a variety of sources (Google Earth, EOS, Mesonet, ESA, NASA etc);
  2. Understand the primary hydroclimatic and tectonic reasons for the presence of the major arid zones and how these have changed through time;
  3. Explain the major geomorphic processes and landforms operating in the warm deserts of the world, as well as in the Quaternary (and deeper geologic past);
  4. Read and discuss selected classic and current published scientific literature about desert landforms, environments and biota;
  5. Converse in an informed manner about the major environmental issues facing people that inhabit the global arid zones (e.g. water, drought, dust, hydrocarbons, resources, urbanization) and the importance of sustainable strategies & resilience.

Course Content:

Arid lands, or deserts, cover >30% of the global land surface, and are regions of concern due to population growth, droughts, and ongoing hydroclimatic change. This course introduces the conceptual foundations and highlights ongoing research about the nature, origin and geomorphic evolution of warm desert ecosystems, and selected emerging environmental issues as a result of anthropogenic global change. Readings, lectures, and exercises focus on the geological, biological, temporal, and human components of drylands, featuring examples from the US American Southwest (Great Basin, Chihuahuan, Sonoran, Mojave, and Colorado Plateau), the Middle East, Australia and Africa.

Teaching material: 

  • Recommended Readings will be freely provided to participants via my library on Google Drive.
  • Learning Resources  such as You Tube clips and websites will be provided for specific topics.
  • Additional Reading Lists will be provided for each topic covered.

Course #31

BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION

Teacher: John KOPROWSKI

Learning outcomes: Provide basic elements for understanding wildlife behavior response to human impacts in the context of biological conservation.

Course Content: Wildlife behavior is often the first indication of impact by humans on species. Understanding the relationship between principles of animal behavior and environmental challenges is of great importance to the management and conservation of biodiversity. Conservation behavior is the application of knowledge of animal behavior to solve wildlife conservation
problems. This course reviews basic principles of animal behavior in the context of applied problems in conservation and management of wildlife populations. Topics addressed include the approaches to studying behavior in human-impacted landscapes, antipredatory responses, use of space and habitat, demographic consequences of social and mating systems, mitigation of human disturbance, captive breeding and reintroduction programs, consequences of habitat fragmentation and reserve design, impacts of roads on wildlife, and challenges introduced by climate change. Examples will be drawn from all vertebrate taxa. Methods for the collection and analysis of behavioral data will be reviewed. The student will emerge with an understanding of the need to integrate basic principles in animal behavior with conservation and management challenges to achieve informed applied strategies.

Teaching material:

Richard H. Yahner, 2011.Wildlife Behavior and Conservation. Springer, New York, NY, Online ISBN 978-1-4614-1518-3


Course #32

PALEOLIMNOLOGY

Teacher: Paula NOBLE

Learning outcomes: 

  1. Students will be able to explain which types of proxy data are useful in paleolimnological reconstruction of past climate and anthropogenic impacts.
  2. Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of techniques used in acquisition, initial processing, and analysis of lake cores.
  3. Students will be able to use discipline specific software to generate age models, create visualizations, and analysis of lake cores.

Course Content: Lakes are important archives that allow us to interpret both short-term and long-term changes to watersheds, landscapes, and aquatic systems resulting from human interactions, climatic variation, and long-term geologic, tectonic, and paleo-hydrologic evolution. We will examine the methods used in the acquisition of lake records, establishing age control, and will explore numerous proxies used in lake core analysis that span disciplines of sedimentology, paleontology, geochemistry, and geophysics.

Required equipment: Laptop computer, to be used in class practicals.

Class Format: Class will meet for a 2-3 hour time block 1x a week with lecture the 1st hour and practical exercises for the remaining time. Practicals include running specific software packages used in processing, analyzing, and visualizing data (R-based packages for statistical analysis, age modeling, and core description). Please bring your laptop to class each week. Other practicals will be laboratory-based, using microscopes for examining smear slides and diatoms.  

Teaching material: 

  • Cohen, A.S., 2003, Paleolimnology, the History and Evolution of Lake Systems, Oxford University Press, 500 pp.
  •  Blais, J.M., Rosen M.R., Smol J.P. (eds), 2015, Environmental Contaminants: Using natural archives to track sources and long-term trends of pollution. Springer, Dordrecht. 509 p. DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-9541-8.

Course #33

GEOLOGIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT & MITIGATION; HOW IT IS ACCOMPLISHED IN THE REAL WOLD

Teacher: James P. McCALPIN

Learning outcomes: 

  1. Students will be able to explain the overall workflow of a geohazards assessment: knowing the government regulations and the client’s goals; applying state-of-the-art science to understand the hazard process; working with engineers to design mitigation; performing a cost:benefit analysis of risk reduction as a function of mitigation cost; educating the client to accept the most cost-effective mitigation alternative; getting the regulatory agency to accept your report and mitigation strategy.
  2. Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of techniques used to collect geohazards data from remote sensing imagery and in the field; to input the data into GIS; to perform data manipulations in both vector-based and raster-based GIS (map algebra); all in light of the proposed project actions, existing infrastructure, and proposed infrastructure.
  3. Students will be able to use GIS software to generate 2D and 3D visualizations for the client, engineers, and regulators, so those people can understand the spatial and temporal aspects of the solution, despite their lack of formal training in geosciences.

Course Content: The assessment and mitigation of geologic hazards occurs outside of academia, in an environment of government regulations, close cooperation with engineers, as guided by the priorities of landowners (the clients). In academia students can be taught the physical principles of hazardous geological processes, but they are not taught the real-world opportunities and constraints in geohazards assessment. I will examine this general topic through case histories in seismic and geologic hazards, drawn from 145 consulting projects I have performed in the past 30 years.   

Required equipment: Laptop computer, to be used in class practicals.

Class Format: Class will meet for a 2-3 hour time block 1x a week with lecture the 1st hour and practical exercises for the remaining time. Practicals include running specific software packages used in processing, analyzing, and visualizing data. Please bring your laptop to class each week. Other practicals may involve field visits to nearby, easily-accessible geohazard sites. 

Teaching material: 

  • McCalpin, J.P. (ed.), 2009, Paleoseismology, 2nd Edition: International Geophysics Series, No. 95, Academic Press-Elsevier, 629 p.
  • Turner, A.K. and Schuster, R.L., 1996, Landslides; Investigation and Mitigation: Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy Press, Washington, DC, USA, 673 p.

Course #34

ADVANCED PROCEDURES IN ASYMMETRIC SYNTHESIS

Teacher: Francesca FOSCHI

Learning outcomes: The purposes of this course rely on the representation of the wide range of modalities to either generate or isolate enantioenriched products. In particular, the students will have a general knowledge on the new trend in asymmetric synthesis.

Course Content:

The course is composed by the following modules:

  • Enantio-enriched compounds: resolution of racemic mixture and asymmetric synthesis.
  • Asimmetric synthesis via: ‘Self-regeneration of stereocentres’, ‘Memory of chirality (Moc)’, ‘Sommelet Hauser Rearrangement’.
  • ‘Self-disproportion of enantiomers’ (SDE) technique.
  • Workshop and letterature presentations.

Course #35

THE ORGANIC CHEMISTRY OF BIOSYNTHESIS

Teacher: Norbert SEWALD

Learning outcomes: The students are able to explain the relevance of certain vitamins as cofactors for biochemical reactions to associate chemical reaction mechanisms with biochemical pathways to understand different reaction conditions between chemical synthesis and biosynthesis.

Course Content:

  • Reactions in Chemical Synthesis and Biosynthesis
  • Reagents: Vitamins and Others
    • Vitamin B6: Transamination/Decarboxylation in Amino Acid Biosynthesis
    • Vitamin B1: Umpolung
    • Vitamin B12: Methylation vs. Radical Formation
    • Redox Chemistry: NADH/NAD+
    • Redox Chemistry: FADH2/FAD
  • Intermediates
    • Semi-Aldehydes: The Role of “Protecting Groups”
    • Thioesters and Thioesterenolates
  • Pathways
    • Synthesis of Aromatic Compounds: Shikimate Pathway
    • Terpene Biosynthesis: Mevalonate Pathway and Non-mevalonate Pathway
    • Steroid Biosynthesis: Squalene Formation and Cyclization
  • Oxygen as a Reagent: Radical Reactions in Biosynthesis
    • Prostaglandins
    • Penicillins and Cephalosporins

Teaching material:

  1. McMurry, T. Begley
  2. The Organic Chemistry of Biological Pathways
  3. W. H. Freeman (1. Januar 2015)

Course # 36

DUST, DUST DEPOSITS AND SOILS

Teacher: Onn CROUVI

Course content:

  • Introduction to dust cycle on Earth
  • Dust emission mechanisms and dust source geomorphology
  • Loess types, silt generation, and paleo-climatic data
  • Dust in soils
  • The importance of particle size distribution in dust and loess studies
  • The Israeli case study – The Negev loess: from Quaternary dust sink to current dust source
  • Dust and loess in Italy

The course includes a one day field trip to the loess sites of the Po Plain


Course #37

DATA SCIENCE APPLICATIONS IN R

Teacher: Damiano PREATONI

Learning outcomes: Acquire familiarity with the basic principles of data manipulation and develop proficiency in writing code in the R programming to manage and analyze datain the RStudio environment.

Course content: Introduction to computer programming, the S language, the RStudio IDE (Integrated Development Environment). Base data management and data wrangling techniques: import, export, normalization. Fundamentals Exploratory Data Analysis and graphical analysis. Literate programming and use of R markdown notebooks.

Students are warmly welcome to prepare and share data from their own research projects, that will be selected and used, where applicable, as case studies.

Teaching material: R Core Development Team, 2022. An Introduction to R. Notes on R: A Programming Environment for Data Analysis and Graphics. Version 4.2.0 (2022-04-22). https://cran.r-project.org/doc/manuals/r-release/R-intro.pdf


Course #38

VIBRATIONAL AND ELECTRONIC SPECTROSCOPIES FOR THE CHARACTERIZATION OF METAL-ORGANIC FRAMEWORKS

Teacher: Jenny G. VITILLO

Learning outcomes: The course aims at providing an introduction on the use of spectroscopic techniques for the characterization of MOFs and of their surface.

Course content: Introduction to MOFs. Vibrational and rotational spectroscopies. Basic principles. IR, Raman and INS. Bulk and surface spectroscopies. Probe molecules. Electron spectroscopies. Basic principles. UV-Vis, XAS and XES. Relevant examples from the literature.

Teaching material: Recent papers from the literature; slides.


Course #39

BIOACCUMULATION OF ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS IN PLANTS

Teacher: Elisa TERZAGHI

Learning outcomes: The course will provide basic knowledge about
the mechanisms that regulate the bioaccumulation of organic
contaminants in plants, with particular attention to the
existing predictive approaches for the estimation of
bioaccumulation from air and soil.

Course content:

  1. Organic contaminants and their environmental fate;
  2. Processes and parameters that influence the bioaccumulation of organic contaminants in plants;
  3. Predictive model for bioaccumulation of organic contaminants in plants;
  4. Case studies about bioaccumulation from air and soil.

Teaching material: 

  • Thibodeaux, L.J., Mackay, D. (Eds.), 2011. Handbook of
    chemical mass transport in the environment. CRC Press,
    Boca Raton, FL, USA
  • Slides and scientific papers

Course #40

WASTE, BIOMASS AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Teacher: Elena Cristina RADA

Learning outcomes: The course aims at illustrating the potentiality of the research sector in the evolution of circular economy applied to organic (biodegradable) and inorganic waste.

Course content: Introduction to the principles of Circular Economy. Reduction and reuse. Waste composition and amount (municipal solid waste and special waste). Indices and indicators. Role of waste to energy options. Virtuous examples. Trends and targets of the research in this sector: recycling vs downcycling; end of waste; limits and potentialities of the context. Economic and environmental sustainability.

Teaching material: Slides (pdf)


Course #41

NON-INVASIVE CHARACTERIZATION OF MATERIALS

Teacher: Laura RAMPAZZI

Learning outcomes: The course provides basic knowledge of the main non-invasive techniques to explore their use in the environmental and forensic fields and in the analysis and diagnostics of works of art.

Course content: Introduction to non-invasive analytical methods. Description of main spectroscopic, X-ray, photographic, multispectral non-invasive techniques. Determination of materials and study of surface decay. Presentation and discussion of case studies.

Teaching material: Scientific articles and reviews on the subject provided by the teacher.


Course #42

METODI MATEMATICI E NUMERICI NELLE SCIENZE NATURALI

Teacher: Massimo MELLA

Learning outcomes: Provide the theoretical and practical foundations to exploit Numerical and Mathematical Methods in the study of systems relevant for the Natural Science.

Course content: Ordinary differential equations, with applications to chemical kinetics and energy transfer; partial differential equations, with applications to the theory of transport; functional approximation methods, with applications to classical and quanto-mechanical systems; numerical integration methods applied to 1D integration,  and to ordinary differential equations or their systems; Monte Carlo integration, with applications to the solution of diffusion/reaction equations and the simulations of polymers; numerical solution of Equation of Motion and their application to systems of relevance in the Natural Sciences.

Teaching material: Slides.


Course #43

VOLCANOTECTONICS AND NEOTECTONICS FOR GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION AD GEOLOGICAL HAZARD ASSESSMENT

Teacher: Gianluca NORINI

Learning outcomes: geological study of the interactions among crustal structures, volcanic activity and hydrothermal fluids, and their effects on the shaping of the Earth surface, characteristics of geothermal systems and neotectonics in active volcanic and seismic areas.

Course content: the geological study of the interactions between volcanic processes and tectonic activity have reached significant progress in recent years, determining the need for a thorough review of some concepts of structural geology, geomorphology and volcanotectonics. In addition, the availability of LiDAR systems and high-resolution optical satellite images in stereo configuration, and the possibility of analysing in 3D Geographic Information Systems the geomorphological, geological, remote sensing, borehole and geophysical data, constitute new fundamental tools for understanding the geology of active areas and the interactions between
geological structures and magmatic/hydrothermal fluids. This has substantial implications for the development of geological-structural models of volcanic and seismic areas for, both, the assessment of geologic
hazards and the geothermal exploration.

Teaching material:

  • ESRI ArcGIS Desktop/Pro
  • Robert J. Twiss, Eldridge M. Moores. Structural Geology.
    W. H. Freeman, 2006. ISBN 0716749513, 532 pp.
  • Agust Gudmundsson. Rock Fractures in Geological Processes. Cambridge University Press, 2011. ISBN 1139500694.

Course #44

PALLADIUM CHEMISTRY AND C-H ACTIVATION

Teacher: Giovanni Poli

Course content: 

  • Introduction
    • General introduction on cross coupling reactions
    • Quick overview of the elementary Steps in TM Catalysis
    • Taxonomy of the cross-couplings
    • The seminal couplings
  • Pd(0) chemistry
    • Pd(0) complexes
    • Pd(0) sources and their generation from Pd(II) complexes
    • The main cross coupling reactions
    • Selection of the ancillary ligand
    • a-Arylation of enolizable nucleophiles
    • Aromatic amination and etherification
    • The Mizoroki-Heck reaction
    • The Catellani reaction
    • h3-allylpalladium chemistry
      • Introduction
      • allylation of nucleophiles (Tsuji-Trost reaction)
      • memory effects
      • N-based nucleophiles
      • carbopalladations and h3-allyl complexes
    • Additions to YPd(II)X-activated alkenes
      • Balme-Goré and Wolfe couplings
      • Starting PdX2 complexes
      • Oxidative couplings
        • Direct C–H allylation
        • Oxidative Mizoroki-Heck
        • Fujiwara-Moritani
        • Wacker
        • Allylic C–H nucleofunctionalizations via Pd(II)/Pd(IV)
      • Isohypsic PdX2 chemistry
        • Kaneda
        • Lu cycloisomerization
        • The Overmann rearrangement

Course #45

FIRE SIMULATION IN CONFINED ENVIRONMENT

Teacher: Bruno Alberto DAL LAGO

Aim of the course: The aim of the course is to provide the students with the following skills: (a) definition and organisation of Fire Engineering, (b) phenomenology of fires in confined environment, (c) modelling of the fire load, (d) analysis of fire simulation strategies and nominal method, (e) methods alternative to nominal: parametric, zone, computational thermal-fluid-dynamics.

Learning outcomes:
Cognitive skills
  • acquire the fundamentals information needed to address the simulation of a fire
  • acquire the structure of Fire Safety Engineering
  • being able to autonomously select and apply a model of fire either nominal, parametric or zone
  • being able to critically address and set a complex fire simulation based on thermal-fluid-dynamics
Learning abilities
  • ability to read, understand and criticize a scientific text about fire simulation
Practical and subject specific skills
  • ability to propose a problem-solving approach
  • ability to use a freeware software for the simulation of fires with zone model
Communication skills
  • ability to identify, extract and synthesize relevant information
  • demonstrate effective communication skills by practicing, reading, writing and speaking clearly
  • demonstrate the ability to communicate with industry experts.

Course prerequisites: No specific prerequisite requested. The basics of Physics and Chemistry are assumed to be well known.

Contents & Program: Structure of Fire Safety Engineering. Chemical-physical nature of fire. Fire load. Temperature-time curves and nominal approach. Analytical approaches. Parametric, Zone and Computational Thermal-Fluid-Dynamics modelling. Worked Examples.

Teaching metods: The course is based on frontal theoretical lessons.

Final assessment: No assessment required. If necessary, it can be introduced in the form of an individual homework on an investigated topic chosen ad hoc with the lecturer.

Teaching material: Slides of lectures delivered by the lecturer.
Specific scientific/technical papers suggested by the lecturer.
Main suggested book: Caciolai M., Ponticelli L. (2008) “Resistenza al fuoco delle costruzioni”, UTET, pp. 288.

The professor can be found: Students can meet with the professor in his office by previous phone or email appointment.


Course #46

IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE CRYOSPHERE

Teacher: Mauro GUGLIELMIN

Program: The course will expose students to fundamental aspects linking together global climate processes and cryosphere. The course has been organized in such a way that the first module will provide key aspects regarding the analyses of the main cryospheric elements such as snow, glaciers, sea ice and permafrost while the second module will deal with impacts of permafrost degradation and the glaciers shrinkage and melting. 

Course prerequisites: There are not major requirements for this course. The course itself is meant to provide basic tools for students to deal with permafrost-related topics.

Contents:

  1. Cryosphere definitions and methods of analyses; snow, ice sheets, ice shelves, glaciers, sea ice and permafrost (3 hours);
  2. Relationships between climate change (CC) and the cryosphere (3 hours);
  3. Impacts of CC on snow and glaciers s.l.(3 hours);
  4. Impacts of CC on permafrost (3 hours).

Teaching material: In the class we will be discussing textbook chapters and seminal papers.

Teaching metods: The lecturer will be given by the lecturer and will be implemented also with the discussion on some seminal papers with the students.

Language: English

Final assessment: Grades will be based on an oral exam to test the knowledge.


Course #47

CONFINEMENT IN POROUS MATERIALS

Teacher: Gloria TABACCHI

Objectives: This Course aims to give an overview of host-guest materials constituted by nanometer-size guest species and nanoporous host matrices, whose potential applications hold concrete promises in materials science. Supramolecular organization is a central idea in chemistry and a driving force in technology. It refers to the formation of correlated domains of molecules or nanospecies exhibiting collective properties or new functionalities. A key objective of this Course is to provide a knowledge-base on the confinement of guest species in host matrices characterized by regular porous networks. Confinement in nanometer-size spaces is particularly effective to the obtainment of supramolecular organization of guest species, because such cavities can be exploited as nanosized receptors for matter to create confined, supramolecular structures of low-dimensionality. Another goal of this Course is to show that, when confined in those matrices, guest species not only are subjected to the geometrical constraints of the cavities, but are also prone to be remotely and individually controlled by an external input (e.g. electromagnetic radiation).

Program: Focus will be driven on the molecular-level features of the confined assemblies, whose knowledge is pivotal for progress in applications. The relevance of natural and artificial porous matrices to probe fundamental aspects of host-guest interactions and confinement in nanosized spaces will be analyzed. The main categories of host matrices suitable for the supramolecular organization of guest species will be presented. Relevant procedures for the fabrication and characterization of host-guest materials will be outlined. Among viable strategies for the realization of host-guest materials of potential technological interest, particular attention will be devoted to the use of high pressures.

Teaching material: The material (current literature on the subject) will be provided by the lecturer.


Course #48

IMSAFETY ELEMENTS FOR CHEMICAL PROCESSES MANAGEMENT 

Teacher: Carlo LUCARELLI

Objectives: The course aims to provide the student with the essential elements for risk analysis and the management of chemical processes. The topics covered will provide the student with the key skills to analyse the possible risk sources of a chemical process and evaluate the probability of its occurrence. Furthermore, the concept of risk mitigation and risk prevention for process design and management will be introduced.

Program: Description of chemical processes and process units. Introduction to process controls.
The chemical risk: general aspects. Rules for the correct management of a process
The concept of risk analysis: Hazard study (HAZOP) and estimation of probability of occurrence (Fault tree)
Calculation of frequencies of occurrence.
Consequence Assessment.
Risk Types, Risk Integration and Risk Attribution.
Case studies: examples of relevant accidents in the chemical industry.

Teaching material: Material provided by the teacher


Course #49

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY

Teacher: Serena ZACCARA

Objectives: The goal in this course is to learn and understand principles of ecology and environmental sciences through the application of molecular tools. The main Expected learning outcomes are:

  1. Analysis of the complexity within interspecific and intraspecific relationships applying the General Theory of Systems;
  2. Analysis of community ecology defining the structural and functional relationships introducing evolutionary adaptative models;
  3. principles and methods of conservation genetics, introducing population connectivity and its evolutionary implications applied to aquatic and terrestrial species and ecosystems.

Program: The course will be divided into three parts, 4 hours will be dedicated each part.

  1. Complexity in ecosystem and The General Systems Theory: lectures will be dedicated to molecular approaches that allow to infer interspecific and intraspecific variability, able to summarize the complexity of ecosystems;
  2. Ecology and adaptative evolution: lectures will deal the dynamics and mechanisms that regulate communities and population, especially paying attention on genetic fingerprint promoted by distinct ecological traits.
  3. Conservation genetics: lectures will emphasize the key role of conservation genetics in the development of conservation and management strategies of biodiversity.

Each lecture will present case studies useful to deep into the topics, introducing the last molecular techniques dedicated to.

Teaching material: slides produced by teacher and scientific papers


Course #50

CARBON DIOXIDE AS A SOURCE OF C1 FOR CONVERSION INTO HIGHLY VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS

Teacher: Stefano BRENNA

Objectives: The course will provide an overview of the main synthetic procedures for reusing carbon dioxide as a source of C1 units. At the end of the course, the student will have a broad and comprehensive view on the chemical reactions and technological processes that lead to the conversion of CO2 into products of industrial and applicative interest.

Program: The first part of the course will aim at outlining the issues related to excessive CO2 emissions; then the possible conversions of carbon dioxide into derivatives of academic and industrial interest (carbonates, urea, carbamates, methanol) will be examined. In the last part, different catalytic methods (homogeneous catalysis, heterogeneous catalysis, photocatalysis, electrocatalysis) and materials (MOFs, zeolites, nanoparticles) used for CO2 reuse will be presented.

Teaching material: material provided by the lecturer.


Course #51

MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION ACTIONS TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Teacher: Francesco MALFASI

Objectives: Provide theoretical and applied knowledge (also through case studies) concerning mitigation and adaptation to climate change, with particular focus on the biological (vegetation) component of the terrestrial ecosystems. All these aspects will be treated under a regulatory, scientific and technical points of view, at different spatial details.

Program: Definitions and identification of the application areas of the main topics of adaptation and mitigation to climate change. Strategies and regulations at supranational, national and/or local levels. Decision-making procedures to evaluate, select, apply and monitor good practices for the mitigation and adaptation to climate change related to the plant component, in natural, semi-natural and anthropic environments. Analysis of case studies. The course lasts 12 hours.

Teaching material: scientific literature, technical reports, slides (.pdf files)


Course #52

ESSENTIAL PERMAFROST SCIENCE: GROUND TEMPERATURE, GROUND ICE, AND A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT

Teacher: Chris BURN

Objectives: A series of lectures about permafrost environments, with examples drawn from the range of conditions found in terrestrial settings from marginal permafrost to the High Arctic.
The lectures will be given in collections of four on each of three days. Each lecture is about 50 minutes long and presented in seminar style. There are video and reading resources for each lecture.

Program

  1. 02.10.2023 — Ground temperature
      • Permafrost distribution
      • Permafrost at equilibrium
      • Permafrost modelling
      • Permafrost aggradation and degradation
  2. 04.10.2023 — Ground ice
      • Water in freezing ground
      • Ice growth in fine-grained soils
      • Ice growth in coarse-grained soils
      • Thermal contraction
  3. 06.10.2023 — The changing permafrost environment
      • Pingo growth
      • Ice-wedge polygons
      • Monitoring permafrost and climate change
      • The cost of permafrost and climate change

Teaching material: Reference for eah module:

For ground temperatures:

Burn, C. R., 2012. Permafrost distribution and stability. Ch. 7, in Changing Cold Environments – A Canadian Perspective. Edited by H.M. French and O. Slaymaker. John Wiley & Sons Ltd: New York, 126-146.

For ground ice:

Mackay, J.R. 1970. Disturbances to the tundra and forest tundra environment of the western Arctic. Canadian Geotechnical Journal 7: 420-432.

For monitoring permafrost change:

O’Neill, H.B., Smith, S.L., Burn, C.R., Duchesne, C., and Zhang, Y. 2023. Widespread permafrost degradation and thaw subsidence in northwest Canada. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 128(8): e2023JF007262. doi: 10.1029/2023JF007262

Language: English.


Course #53

ACTIVE TECTONICS AND EARTHQUAKE GEOLOGY: SAVING LIVES AND INVESTMENTS FOR A SUSTAINABLE WORLD

Teacher: Franck A. AUDEMARD M.

Objectives:

  • Revise the different possible sources of earthquakes and their association with geologic faults. Discuss the theory of earthquake generation, as well as the relation between size of earthquakes and fault ruptures;
  • Transfer knowledge on how the seismic history of a region is obtained by integrating instrumental, historical and pre-historical seismicity;
  • Examine and identify earthquake-related landform and the impact of earthquakes on nature;
  • Evaluate how seismic hazard studies are carried out;
  • Illustrate how paleoseismological investigations are performed and what objects can be analysed in such a way;
  • Determine the importance of geological studies into a seismic hazard assessment (SHA).

Program:

  1. Earthquake and seismicity;
  2. Earthquake parametrization;
  3. Brittle deformation;
  4. Neotectonics;
  5. Modern complementary methods of morphotectonic characterization;
  6. Seismic history and Seismogenic Characterization;
  7. Paleoseismology.

Teaching material: Recommended Readings will be freely provided to participants from external hard disk or recommended websites.

Required equipment: Laptop computer and video projection equipment, with internet access. Board and markers are desirable for supplementary explanations and clarifications!

Class Format: Class will meet for a 3 hour time block for 4 days, in a week, for lecture and discussion, for a total of 12 hours.

Language: English.

Here you can find more detailed informations


Course #54

MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY OF SMALL MOLECULES

Teacher: Rainer RIEDL

Objectives: The course will show the whole drug discovery process, from hit to lead, with particular focus on small molecules and their physical/chemical properties needed to be considered a drug. The students will have a general knowledge on how a new drug discovery program starts, how it is carried out and on the main physicochemical parameters that characterize a drug-like small molecule. 

Program:

  1. The drug discovery process;
  2. Medicinal chemistry: Science and business;
  3. Structure activity relationship (SAR);
  4. Peptidomimetics;
  5. Structure based design;
  6. Molecular docking;
  7. Fragment based design;
  8. ADME;
  9. Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics.

Language: English.