Thinkmix: dall'idea alla progettazione dello story network

Thinkmix è un network con componenti social che permette agli utenti di creare storie collaborando. La tesi illustra tutti gli step che hanno portato alla realizzazione di questo network: l'idea, la progettazione, lo sviluppo e la pubblicazione. Ritengo si tratti di un progetto ben riuscito e completo che mi ha permesso di esprimere totalmente le capacità acquisite durante il corso nelle varie materie (e non unicamente nella materia di riferimento) e di avvicinarmi a tematiche esterne a una laurea triennale (sicurezza informatica, marketing, acquisto e gestione di server dedicati, burocrazia per la pubblicazione di applicazione iOS e sito web con dominio).

Survival of the warzone interpreter; behind the untold story

This dissertation examines the complicated and still little-known role of the interpreters in conflict zones. After a brief overview of the figure of the community interpreters, the thesis focuses on the interpreters in conflict zones, local civilians who risk their lives every day in the front line in order to help the Western countries in war. This dissertation shows the danger interpreters face because of their job: they are seen as traitors by their fellow citizens, the Taliban and other insurgent groups and for this reason they are hunted and killed. The purpose of this thesis is to show that Western countries are not doing enough to protect these interpreters, and in particular the United States' case will be analyzed: this country does not offer interpreters the right protection backing exchange, leaving them in the hands of the enemy once the US troops have finished their mission. The latter part of the dissertation presents the main organizations and international projects aimed at helping interpreters who are still trapped in their countries.

Dynamic characterisation of four nine-story large-panel R.C. buildings in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan): A comparison between experimental ambient vibration analysis and numerical finite element modeling

With the outlook of improving seismic vulnerability assessment for the city of Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), the global dynamic behaviour of four nine-storey r.c. large-panel buildings in elastic regime is studied. The four buildings were built during the Soviet era within a serial production system. Since they all belong to the same series, they have very similar geometries both in plan and in height. Firstly, ambient vibration measurements are performed in the four buildings. The data analysis composed of discrete Fourier transform, modal analysis (frequency domain decomposition) and deconvolution interferometry, yields the modal characteristics and an estimate of the linear impulse response function for the structures of the four buildings. Then, finite element models are set up for all four buildings and the results of the numerical modal analysis are compared with the experimental ones. The numerical models are finally calibrated considering the first three global modes and their results match the experimental ones with an error of less then 20%.

J. R. R. Tolkien tra adattamento e invenzione: "The Story of Kullervo" come rielaborazione del poema epico finlandese e proposta di traduzione

Opera di recente pubblicazione, "The Story of Kullervo" è il racconto che più di tutti mostra l'esistenza di un profondo legame tra J. R. R. Tolkien e la lingua e cultura finlandese. Scopo di questo elaborato è quello di analizzare soprattutto il rapporto tra l'autore e il poema epico finlandese, il Kalevala, proponendo la traduzione della storia. L'elaborato è strutturato nel seguente modo: nel primo paragrafo viene trattato il Kalevala come opera letteraria e come fonte di ispirazione per Tolkien. Nel secondo paragrafo viene analizzato il testo del racconto in quanto testo letterario e nel terzo vengono commentate le scelte traduttive effettuate.

The power of language and the language of power in M. T. Anderson’s Feed and Gary Stheyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story. A comparative analysis

The aim of my dissertation is to analyze how selected elements of language are addressed in two contemporary dystopias, Feed by M. T. Anderson (2002) and Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart (2010). I chose these two novels because language plays a key role in both of them: both are primarily focused on the pervasiveness of technology, and on how the use/abuse of technology affects language in all its forms. In particular, I examine four key aspects of language: books, literacy, diary writing, as well as oral language. In order to analyze how the aforementioned elements of language are dealt with in Feed and Super Sad True Love Story, I consider how the same aspects of language are presented in a sample of classical dystopias selected as benchmarks: We by Yevgeny Zamyatin (1921), Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1932), Animal Farm (1945) and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) by George Orwell, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1952), and The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (1986). In this way, I look at how language, books, literacy, and diaries are dealt with in Anderson’s Feed and in Shteyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story, both in comparison with the classical dystopias as well as with one another. This allows for an analysis of the similarities, as well as the differences, between the two novels. The comparative analysis carried out also takes into account the fact that the two contemporary dystopias have different target audiences: one is for young adults (Feed), whereas the other is for adults (Super Sad True Love Story). Consequently, I also consider whether further differences related to target readers affect differences in how language is dealt with. Preliminary findings indicate that, despite their different target audiences, the linguistic elements considered are addressed in the two novels in similar ways.