The role of language in tv shows and its impact on the audience: A linguistic analysis of Game of Thrones

Through the analysis of American TV show Game of Thrones, this dissertation will focus on the linguistic issues concerning the adaptation from books to television, the power of language over the audience, and the creation of two languages, with all the linguistic and cultural implications related to this phenomenon.

Assessment of marine litter in the Western Adriatic Sea and its impact on marine biota

Due to its environmental, safety, health and socio-economic impacts, marine litter has been recognized as a 21st century global challenge, so that it has been included in Descriptor 10 of the EU MSFD. For its morphological features and anthropogenic pressures, the Adriatic Sea is very sensitive to the accumulation of debris, but data are inconsistent and fragmented. This thesis, in the framework of DeFishGear project, intents to assess marine litter on beaches and on seafloor in the Western Adriatic sea, and test if debris ingestion by fish occurs. Three beaches were sampled during two surveys in 2015. Benthic litter monitoring was carried out in the FAO GSA17 during fall 2014, using a rapido trawl. Litter ingestion was investigated through gut contents analysis of 260 fish belonging to 8 commercial species collected in Western Gulf of Venice. Average litter density on beaches was 1.5 items/m2 during spring, and decreased to 0.8 items/m2 in summer. Litter composition was heterogeneous and varied among sites, even if no significant differences were found. Most of debris consisted of plastic sheets, fragments, polystyrene pieces, mussels nets and cottons bud sticks, showing that sources are many and include aquaculture, land-based activities and local users of beaches. Average density of benthic litter was 913 items/Km2 (82 Kg/Km2). Plastic dominated in terms of numbers and weight, and consisted mainly of bags, sheets and mussel nets. The highest density was found close to the coast, and sources driving the major differences in litter distribution were mussel farms and shipping lanes. Litter ingestion occurred in 47% of examined fish, mainly consisting of fibers. Among species, S. pilchardus swallowed almost all debris categories. Findinds may provide a baseline to set the necessary measures to manage and minimize marine litter in the Western Adriatic region and to protect aquatic life from plastic pollution, even accounting the possible implications on human health.

Metocean Climate Impact on the Fatigue Assessment of a Jacket-Type Offshore Platform

When the offshore oil and gas supplies exhaust, most offshore platforms are decommissioned and removed. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the fatigue damage that will occur during the service life of a jacket-type offshore platform using different fatigue approaches in particular locations. The locations considered for this metocean climate impact study were Norway (North Sea), Portugal (Atlantic Ocean - Leixões) and Italy (Adriatic Sea). A finite element model was created by the means of Sesam and two different fatigue analysis, deterministic and spectral, were applied. For the fatigue assessment, an appropriate description of the site-specific wave environment, during the jacket platform service life, must be accomplished. This description is usually provided by a wave scatter diagram. Wave scatter diagrams usually represent the long-term wave environment during a (typical) year and are based on several years of site-specific data to ensure that they adequately represent the wave environment at the location of the structure. In this thesis, the comparison between these fatigue approaches will serve as a pilot study for planned reliability analysis in decommissioned offshore platforms in order to maximize the reuse of these platforms for future wind generation systems.

The use of english as a lingua franca for scientific dissemination and its impact on EFL speakers with a Ph.D.

English has become the lingua franca for scientific divulgation and definitely has an impact on EFL speakers. They have to develop competences in a foreign language to publish their scientific articles and to become part of a community. Years of study, effort, and many challenges are daily present in the life of the students of the sciences. However, despite a certain skepticism, the impact English has on EFL speakers with a Ph.D. is positive: they are highly competent in a foreign language which allows them to establish better relationships around the globe and improve the world of science through collaborations and the publication of scientific articles.