University of Bari Aldo Moro
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Spazi dipinti, virtuosismo prospettico e gusto per l'esotico. Giovan Battista a Napoli
No full textL’articolo indaga la produzione di Giovan Battista Natali a Napoli, con particolare attenzione alla sua attività nella Certosa di San Martino. Attraverso l’analisi dei suoi interventi di quadratura e architettura dipinta, si evidenziano le competenze prospettiche e scenografiche dell’artista, maturate tra tradizione emiliana e committenza napoletana. Particolare attenzione è dedicata alla cappella della Maddalena e alla cappella di San Nicola nella Certosa di San Martino, dove Natali dimostra la capacità di modulare la percezione dello spazio, orchestrare la luce naturale e creare ambienti illusionisticamente amplificati. L’indagine mette
in luce il ruolo innovativo di Natali nella definizione di uno stile maturo di quadratura a Napoli, capace di fondere tradizione e innovazione con una rigorosa attenzione architettonica e scenografica
“The girls were now hunting for the Laconia”: Male Vanity and the Royal Navy in Jane Austen's _Persuasion_
No full textThe crucial relevance of the Royal Navy in shaping Jane Austen’s fictional world has been the object of vast literature (Fulford 1999; Southam 2001, 2003; White 2006; Russell 2009; Lamont 2009). General consensus has it that the Royal Navy is represented as a shaping, vital force in Austen’s fiction, embodying its power as a new and dynamic social class, set against the futility of a vanishing system, as personified, in Austen’s last novel Persuasion, in the character of Sir Walter Elliot. While this is certainly the case, close analysis of a number of narrative situations in the novel reveals that even the true romantic heroes in Persuasion are the object of Austen’s sharp perceptiveness of the weaknesses that often pertain to gender roles. This is the case, in particular, of Captain Frederick Wentworth, the male protagonist of Persuasion, and the object of the romantic interest on the part of a number of young women. Volume I, Chapter VIII, exemplifies this type of dynamics, as Austen’s narrative persona closes in on the officer’s light narcissism, as he is made the object of the young women’s open courtship at the Musgrove family dinner – which revolves exactly around the exercise of his profession, as iconized by the navy list the girls are handling. That the entire scene is filtered through Anne Elliot’s painfully conscious perception allows Austen to create a scene of extraordinary dramatic tension, and an insightful and revealing portrait of both characters
Angular analysis of the decay Bs0→ φe+e−
No full textAn angular analysis of the decay Bs0→ φe+e− is presented, using proton-proton collision data collected with the LHCb detector between 2011 and 2018 at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13 TeV. The combined dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb−1. Observables are determined by fitting time-integrated projections of the angular distribution in three bins of dielectron mass squared, q2, corresponding to [0.1, 1.1], [1.1, 6.0] and [15.0, 19.0] GeV2/c4. The results are compatible with predictions based on the Standard Model of particle physics
Monsters and dragons of the past: the ichthyosaur of Mary Anning
No full textIn 1811, following the discovery of a skull by her brother Joseph, Mary Anning (1799‐1847), then aged 11, discovered the fossil remains of what would be identified as the firstcomplete ichthyosaur, a decisive breakthrough in the history of understanding past life.
This contribution examines the discovery of the ichthyosaur not as an isolated event, but as part of a wider network of female contributions to early nineteenth-century geosciences. Despite their exclusion from formal education and scientific institutions, women such as Mary Anning, certainly the best known, Elizabeth Philpot (1779‐1857), Charlotte Hugonin Murchison (1788‐1869) and Mary Morland Buckland (1797‐1857) played crucial roles in the development of early nineteenth‐century geosciences, collaborating with each other and with male geologists, often without recognition. Through manuscript and
printed sources, we reconstruct how their expertise, from fossil preparation to scientific illustration, shaped disciplines then in the making.
The story of Anning and the other women geologists offers an emblematic case study of the gender dynamics in nineteenth-century science, between male appropriation of knowledge and female resistance
Special Issue: Gene Expressions in Response to Diseases, Abiotic Stresses, and Pest Damage of Horticultural Products
No full textHorticultural crops are continuously exposed to pathogens, pests, and abiotic stress, which collectively result in significant economic losses. Over time, plants have evolved sophisticated defense mechanisms to counteract both pathogen and insect attacks, as well as to face abiotic stresses. The identification of genes involved in defense responses and stress tolerance is fundamental for selecting resistant crops, which could enable the sustainable management of diseases and damages. Gene expression is subject to complex regulation, influenced not only by developmental and tissue-specific factors, but also by both biotic and abiotic stimuli in the environment. The fluctuation in expression levels, or the gene expression profile, provides essential insights into the biological functions of genes. Comprehensive expression profiles established under various experimental conditions could facilitate the understanding of gene functions. Similarities in expression profiles between genes are an effective index for predicting gene function and mechanisms of gene expression regulation [1]. If two genes have similar expression profiles, it is reasonable to expect that they have the same biological function, even in different plant species. In addition, similar expression profiles suggest that two genes are regulated by the same mechanism (e.g., a transcription factor (TF) and a cis-element). Therefore, genes with highly similar expression profiles are likely to have the same biological functions and regulatory mechanisms. Transcriptomics enables the simultaneous analysis of gene expression in plants, pathogens, and pest interactions
Paediatric Renal Tumors: A State-of-the-Art Review
No full textPurpose of ReviewPediatric renal tumors comprise a wide range of conditions, both malignant and benign, that affect children and require a multidisciplinary approach for optimal diagnosis and treatment. This review offers an in-depth analysis of the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment options, outcomes, and survival of major pediatric renal tumors.Recent FindingsWilms tumor, or nephroblastoma, is the most common form of renal tumor in children, characterized by growth from primitive renal cells. Standard treatment involves a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and, in some cases, radiation therapy, with the aim of removing the tumor, preventing recurrence and maximizing the chances of long-term recovery. Less common pediatric renal tumors, such as renal clear cell sarcoma, renal cell carcinoma, mesoblastic nephroma, and malignant rhabdoid tumor, require similarly careful and individualized management. Therapeutic strategies, which depend on the characteristics of the tumor, the stage of the disease and the individual response to therapy, may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and, in some cases, molecular targeted therapies, immunotherapies and genetic and epigenetic therapies.SummaryThe management of pediatric kidney tumors requires the involvement of a multidisciplinary team of specialists to ensure accurate evaluation, optimal treatments and long-term follow-up. The aim is to maximize the prospects for recovery and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Advances in innovative, personalized therapies represent an important opportunity to further improve clinical outcomes in these patients
New opportunity for early on-site detection of Plasmopara viticola by qPCR assay
No full textPlasmopara viticola, the causal agent of grapevine downy mildew, is a widespread and significant plant pathogen. A quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay using a portable thermocycler was developed to enable rapid and early on-site detection of P. viticola. The internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region was selected as the target, and the specific primer pairs PLAV19 was designed. The assay was optimized using traditional thermocyclers, testing three different primer concentrations (100, 200, and 300 nM), and two annealing temperatures (58 degrees C and 60 degrees C). Optimal conditions were 200 nM primer concentration and an annealing temperature of 60 degrees C. Under these parameters, the assay yielded a limit of detection (LoD) of 1.5 fg/mu L and a limit of quantification (LoQ) of 15 fg/mu L for P. viticola DNA (strain PLVDisspa1), showing consistent performance across both thermocyclers. Specificity tests confirmed no cross-reactivity with DNA from common grapevine-associated microorganisms, biocontrol agents, other Oomycetes and several grapevine cultivars. The PLAV19 primer set was further validated on DNA extracted from healthy, artificially inoculated, and naturally infected grapevine tissues, including samples exhibiting nonspecific leaf symptoms and latent bunch infections. Three DNA extraction protocols were evaluated to validate the extraction method, and one of these was shown to be suitable for on-field applications. The developed assay was a reliable diagnostic tool for the early detection and monitoring of P. viticola under field conditions, with potential applications in disease forecasting and sustainable management of grapevine downy mildew
Efficacy, safety, and legal considerations of do-it-yourself artificial pancreas systems: a position statement from italian diabetes societies
No full textDo-It-Yourself Artificial Pancreas Systems (DIY-APS)—which combine commercially available devices with open-source software—are increasingly used for the management of type 1 diabetes, despite a lack of formal regulatory approval in many jurisdictions, including in Italy. This position statement, endorsed by Italian diabetes societies (Associazione Medici Diabetologici, Societa Italiana di Diabetologia, and Società Italiana di Endocrinologia e Diabetologia Pediatrica) and “Diabete Italia”, the national patient association, addresses the efficacy, safety, and legal implications of DIY-APS in Italy. Real-world evidence and clinical trials demonstrate that DIY-APS improves glycemic control and quality of life and reduce fear of hypoglycemia in users. This statement outlines the reasons driving patient adoption of DIY-APS, including limitations of commercial systems and the need for greater personalization. It emphasizes the ethical responsibility of healthcare professionals to support patients using DIY-APS while acknowledging the legal complexities surrounding their unregulated use. The statement concludes with recommendations to enhance education for patients and healthcare professionals and advocates for clearer regulatory pathways to ensure patient safety and optimize care
Pleiotropic Effects of the NSAID Fenamates on Chloride Channels: Opportunity for Ion Channelopathies?
Get PDFChloride channels are involved in many cellular processes, including cell volume regulation, modulation of cell excitability, and electrolyte and water secretion. Mutations of these proteins are associated with heterogeneous diseases such as myotonia, cystic fibrosis, epilepsy, deafness, lysosomal storage disease, and various kinds of renal and ophthalmic dysfunctions, also known as channelopathies. Thus, drugs targeting chloride channels may have important therapeutic applications. In this context, fenamates, commonly used for their anti-inflammatory properties, have been explored for drug repurposing in chloride channelopathies thanks to their ability to modulate multiple chloride channels. This narrative review resumes the effects of niflumic acid (NFA), flufenamic acid (FFA), mefenamic acid (MFA), meclofenamic acid (MCFA), and tolfenamic acid (TFA) on different types of chloride channel. It emerges that fenamates have a wide spectrum of activities on these channels that vary depending on multiple factors like channel isoforms, extracellular and intracellular conditions, and cell and tissue types. They may also exhibit both activating and inhibitory effects depending on their concentration. Therefore, thanks to their variegated modulatory activity on chloride channels, fenamates might be considered promising lead compounds for the development of new drug candidates that can target these altered channels involved in channelopathies. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2021-000708-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT029930005 and NCT02429570
Effects of Exercise-Based Rehabilitation on Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease: A Systematic Review
No full textBackground: This systematic review evaluates the efficacy of rehabilitation-focused exer-cise interventions for lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD), a leading cause of chronic low back pain. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search was con-ducted across international and regional databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Ma-giran, SID, and Noormags) covering the period from January 2010 to January 2025. The review protocol was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) under registration number CRD420251088811. Using keywords such as “lumbar DDD,” “exercise therapy,” and “rehabilitation,” a total of 2495 records were identified. After screening, 20 studies—including clinical trials, quasi-experimental, and experimental designs—met the inclusion criteria and were assessed using the McMaster Critical Review Form for Quantitative Studies. Results: Interventions such as hydrotherapy, core stability training, Pilates, and suspension exercises were found to sig-nificantly reduce pain and improve functional outcomes. While multimodal approaches (e.g., aquatic exercise combined with acupuncture) showed positive effects, the compara-tive studies revealed no significant differences between modalities. Suspension training demonstrated superior efficacy in pain reduction compared to isolated core stability ex-ercises. The methodological quality of included studies ranged from good to excellent, with the majority rated as very good or excellent (McMaster scores: 8 “excellent,” 7 “very good,” and 5 “good”). Common limitations among the studies included methodological heterogeneity, small sample sizes (n = 14–30), and insufficient long-term follow-up. Con-clusions: Exercise-based rehabilitation is an effective strategy for managing lumbar DDD. Evidence particularly supports the use of suspension training and aquatic therapy for su-perior improvements in pain and functional outcomes. Future research should aim to adopt standardized protocols, recruit larger sample sizes, and include extended follow-up periods to produce more robust and generalizable findings