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Social and Cultural Life and the Formal Concepts of Uncertainty
No full textThe relationship between social and cultural life and the formal concepts of uncer-
tainty is a continuously intertwined, bidirectional path. We tend to focus more on
one direction, particularly on the contributions of disciplines such as FST to vari-
ous human endeavors
Il culto degli antenati in Sicilia tra Greci e indigeni. Il caso di Eolo a Lipari
No full textThe contribution re-examines the so-called Bothros of Aeolus, a device found on the Acropolis of Lipari and connected, thanks to a dedicatory inscription on an olpe, to a cult of Aeolus, a related ancestor - according to Diodorus Siculus (5.9.1-3) - to the Cnidian colonists and the indigenous peoples of the island. This cult was probably established at the time of the colony’s foundation, in 580-576 BC, or shortly afterwards, and lasted until at least up to the end of the 4th century BC. It is impossible, due to the settlement stratification of the area, to draw a precise picture of the monumental layout of the Acropolis and of any sacred areas located there. However, the evidence from the votives included in the fill of the bothros, cross-referenced with Callimachus’ famous testimony ( fr. 43 Pf, v. 77) on the cult of the ecists of Zancle, and the well-known Lex sacra of Selinunte , allows us to detect certain elements, which may point towards a correlation between the context and an ancestor cult combined with that for a female divinity. The ceramics, in particular, give evidence of the practice of animal sacrifices and food offerings, libations and the collective consumption of meals, which we do not know precisely in what setting and type of structures they took place. However, Diodorus’ mention (20, 101, 1-3) of votives dedicated to Aeolus and Hephaestus in the city’s pritaneum could even indicate, at least in the Classical period, the use of such a building
Corrigendum to:“The changing landscape of Heart Failure: translating management into the modern era”(European Journal of Internal Medicine, (2025), (106633), (S0953620525005102), 10.1016/j.ejim.2025.106633)
No full textDivergent Macroscopic and Microscopic Patterns in Bony-Fibrous Entheses Revealed by a Multidisciplinary Approach
No full textIntroduction: Entheseal changes are influenced by factors such as physical activity, age, sex, and genetics. While macroscopic and 3D geometric morphometric approaches have been used to study EC, the relationship between macroscopic appearance and microstructure remains still poorly understood.
Material and Methods: M. deltoideus enthesis was analyzed in nine adult male humeri from Santa María de la Soledad ossuary in Almansa (12th–18th centuries, Spain). Macroscopic robusticity was recorded using Mariotti method to evaluate entheseal changes, while microanatomical analysis combined m-CT scanning and histological thin sections. Mineralized area (% Min. Ar.) was quantified using Fiji-ImageJ, and spatial distribution of non-mineralized cavities was mapped using GIS software. A Kruskal-Wallis test was performed in RStudio.
Results: The value and distribution of the percentage of mineralized area (% Min. Ar.) depend on the degree of robusticity. Grade 3 entheses showed lower and more variable mineralization, with a valley-shaped
distribution. Grades 1 and 2 entheses had a flat-distributed % Min. Ar. whose mean was over 90%. Histological analysis revealed secondary osteon dominance, while spatial analysis showed concentration of bone cavities within the entheses development areas.
Conclusion: The study suggests that macroscopic EC grades may not represent successive phases of bone remodeling and adaptation
to mechanical loading. Bone growth of entheses with degrees 1 and 2 is gradual, with a compact and well-organized internal anatomy, whereas entheses with degree 3 may result from extreme mechanical stress that triggers intense bone (re)modeling. Micro-CT and histology provided complementary insights, supporting non-destructive methods for future research
Planktonic foraminifera and climate signals in the Gelasian stratotype section (Monte San Nicola, Sicily) at the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition
No full textA high-resolution analysis of planktonic foraminifera assemblages at the Monte San Nicola GSSP section (Southern Sicily), the type-section for the Lower Pleistocene Gelasian Stage, has been performed. The results on the assemblages are discussed in detail from MIS G4 to the onset of MIS 99 (between ∼2.7 and 2.5 Ma) and are integrated with previously published records of stable oxygen isotopes, alkenones, calcareous nannofossils and geochemistry from the same section. The main findings suggest that: i) planktonic foraminifera primarily responded to variations in surface water temperatures and nutricline depth, modulated by obliquity and summer insolation forcing; ii) the water column dynamics were influenced by both low- and high-latitude climate variability, capturing seasonal climate signals; iii) MIS 104 is confirmed to register the first appearance of a strong glacial signal in the Mediterranean during the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition; and iv) following MIS 104, enhanced seasonality in the marine environment was established, driven by a decrease in winter temperatures consistent with climate changes observed at mid-latitudes in the North Atlantic
La disciplina della società benefit e i gruppi di società : il bilanciamento di interessi nel gruppo tra eterodirezione e subordinazione
No full textIl contributo mira ad indagare le conseguenze che l'acquisizione della qualifica di benefit da parte di una delle società di un gruppo o della società capogruppo ha sul gruppo unitariamente considerato
CONNETTIVITÀ RELIGIOSA IN BEOZIA: I SANTUARI DELLA REGIONE DEL LAGO COPAIDE
No full textMy PhD thesis investigates religious connectivity in Boeotia through a case study of the sanctuaries in the Kopais region. The thesis aims to elucidate why these particular religious centres became associated with an identity that was not merely local but regional in scope. It argues that the sanctuaries situated around the lake Kopais basin played a crucial role in fostering diverse forms of religious connectivity among Boeotian communities that underpinned every political configuration that took shape in the region from the Archaic through the Hellenistic period.The study adopts an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together literary, epigraphic, and archaeological evidence and interpreting it through a range of theoretical perspectives that fall under the broad framework of connectivity. The first chapter provides a geographical, environmental and historical overview of the lake Kopais basin, with the aim of clarifying its hydrography and the ways in which it shaped settlement patterns, inter-community connections over time, and the religious dynamics that involved Boeotian populations from very early periods.The second chapter focuses on the first major hub within the religious landscape of the Kopais area: the sanctuary of Poseidon at Onchestos. This sanctuary was deeply embedded in the territorial and religious connectivity of lake Kopais due to its geographical location, its cultic functions, and its relationships with the communities living around this hydrological resource. Situated at a strategic crossroads on the boundary with the chorai of several major cities of the region the sanctuary of Poseidon emerged as one of the earliest points of convergence for Boeotian communities and the landscape that framed them. Its prominence made it a highly coveted site for those seeking control of the region and allowed it to develop into one of the principal centres of the Boeotian confederation from the sixth century BCE onwards.The third chapter aims to investigate two sanctuaries, each representing a node within the network formed by the Kopais landscape: the cult site of Athena Alalkomenia, located to the south of the lake, and that of Athena Itonia, situated to the southwest of the basin, within the territory associated with the city of Koronea. Positioned in visually prominent locations within the lacustrine landscape and, like Onchestos, along one of the main communication routes, both sanctuaries played a leading role in the processes of ethnic integration that led the Boeotians to perceive themselves as part of a single group. The Alalkomeneion occupied a liminal landscape, at the interface between plain and mountain. Its physical characteristics gave rise to stories and traditions, which contributed to the shaping of Boeotian identity over the centuries. The Itoneion, on the other hand, attracted Boeotian populations due to the fertility of its location and was associated with a supra-regional network that extended to Thessaly, the region from which the Boeotians believed they originated as early as the Archaic period.The fourth chapter, by contrast, focuses on another hub within the religious landscape of the lake: the Ptoion of Akraiphia. Located northeast of lake Kopais, this sanctuary occupied a key position along another important communication route in Boeotia, linking the southern part of the region to northern continental Greece, from which the main roads leading to the Euboean Sea diverged. Its strategic position as well as the reputation of its oracular site, made it a central node of religious and cultic connectivity. This explains why the sanctuary dedicated to Apollo attracted not only the inhabitants of nearby Akraiphia but also the wider populations around the Kopais basin, becoming one of the symbols of the Boeotian confederation.Finally, the last chapter proposes an interpretation of the Kopais region as a connective landscape, in which water, lake access routes, and roads served as primary channels of communication among the region’s populations. It demonstrates how this landscape also became a connective religious space, promoting cultic mobility. Festivals, processions, and diverse rituals made the Kopais sanctuaries the principal centres of attraction for the Boeotians as early as the eighth century BCE. The ritual and symbolic connections established around the lake’s sanctuaries fostered the development of a shared Boeotian identity. The data from the individual case studies are integrated in this chapter to show how these cult sites functioned synergistically to maintain cohesion among those moving within the network, even during periods of instability. A new reading of Boeotian history from the Archaic period to the second century BCE is consequently proposed.This study aims not only to contribute to the understanding of the religious landscape of the Kopais region but also to a broader reflection on how cult sites within a region operate as part of a network that generates mobility, inter-community ties, and shared symbols. In areas characterized by federative experiences, such as Boeotia, such networks constituted the true cradle of the regional identity that defined the communities
Opere pubbliche incompiute in Sicilia. Atlante operativo per il progetto di architettura
No full textLa tesi indaga le potenzialità di trasmutazione architettonica delle opere pubbliche incompiute in Sicilia, realizzate tra il 1950 e il 2020. Con oltre un terzo del totale nazionale, la Sicilia si configura come un ambito strategico per l’esplorazione del fenomeno.L’incompiuto è affrontato da una prospettiva progettuale, con l’obiettivo di elaborare strategie operative di intervento alternative agli strumenti previsti dalla normativa vigente. In questo quadro, le pratiche spaziali e le pratiche curatoriali sono intese come azioni complementari e necessarie per conferire nuova forma e nuovi significati alle opere e per restituire alle comunità spazi e servizi pubblici essenziali, a lungo negati o assenti.La ricerca adotta una metodologia fondata sulla rappresentazione figurale e spazializzata dell’incompiuto, assumendo l’Atlante operativo come dispositivo visuale e cognitivo per la descrizione critica e il progetto trasformativo del fenomeno.The thesis investigates the potential for architectural transmutation of unfinished public works in Sicily built between 1950 and 2020. Accounting for more than one third of the national total, Sicily emerges as a strategic context for examining the phenomenon.Unfinished is addressed from a design-oriented perspective, with the aim of developing operational intervention strategies alternative to those provided by the existing regulatory framework. Spatial and curatorial practices are understood as complementary and necessary actions to confer new form and new meanings on these works, and to restore essential public spaces and services to communities long denied or absent.The research adopts a methodology based on the figural and spatialized representation of Unfinished, assuming the Operative Atlas as a visual and cognitive device for the critical description and transformative design of the phenomenon
Thin-film Filters for Solar Astrophysics: Science and Technology Development for the NASA MUSE Mission
No full textI filtri per l'estremo ultravioletto (EUV) sono componenti chiave per le missioni spaziali nell'ambiente solare, poiché forniscono la necessaria selezione della lunghezza d'onda e l'attenuazione della luce visibile. La mia tesi contribuisce al consolidamento ottico e tecnologico della missione NASA MUSE (Multi-slit Solar Explorer), un osservatorio solare EUV progettato per sondare la dinamica coronale con una risoluzione spazio-temporale senza precedenti, con l'obiettivo principale di consentire le prime osservazioni della corona solare EUV in grado di supportare la necessaria modellazione fisica al fine di affinare le teorie che rispondono a domande aperte in astrofisica come il problema del riscaldamento coronale.La mia tesi supporta la missione attraverso lo studio, la progettazione e la caratterizzazione di filtri a film sottile della pupilla d'entrata che compongono i filtri di ingresso (Entrance Filters, EF) dei telescopi della missione ottimizzati per osservazioni nell'EUV, proponendo anche alcuni contributi metodologici all'analisi dei dati spettrali ottenuti dalla multi-fenditura. Il lavoro si concentra sugli EF per lo Spectrograph ed il Context Imager (i due telescopi della missione), e devono offrire elevate prestazioni EUV, un'elevata reiezione UV-VIS-IR per prevenire il degrado del CCD, una limitata degradazione dell'immagine indotta dall'effetto di diffrazione, e devono godere di elevata robustezza meccanica per il lancio.Nel Capitolo 1, l'Introduzione, presento lo stato dell'arte dei filtri a film sottile, il loro utilizzo nelle missioni spaziali solari e discuto il ruolo della diffrazione, della trasmittanza in diverse bande di lunghezza d'onda e della resistenza meccanica. Introduco inoltre la missione MUSE, i suoi obiettivi scientifici e come questo lavoro contribuisca al consolidamento del carico utile della missione e al progresso della maturità scientifica e tecnologica dei film sottili proposti. Inoltre, vengono descritte in dettaglio anche le applicazioni alternative dei film sottili EUV, insieme allo stato dell'arte delle missioni spaziali EUV diverse da quelle direttamente legate a MUSE.Nel Capitolo 2, presento i progetti dei filtri, sia quelli basati su missioni tradizionali che su nuovi sottostrati composti da nanotubi di carbonio (CNT), e introduco le tecniche impiegate numericamente per valutarne l'impatto della diffrazione sul piano focale della missione. Concludo che i filtri a film sottile basati su CNT proposti possono offrire prestazioni diffrattometriche migliorate rispetto alle soluzioni basate su filtri tradizionali, mentre, nel canale relativo alla riga in emissione di Fe XV a 284 Å, mostro come sia necessario uno studio del compromesso tra segnale grezzo e intensità relativa dei picchi secondari diffratti, poiché le soluzioni basate su CNT producono una diffrazione relativa inferiore, mentre la soluzione basata su filtri tradizionali si dimostra più intensa.Nel Capitolo 3, analizzo le prestazioni visibili dei filtri, con una descrizione dettagliata della definizione dei requisiti e della valutazione sperimentale su piccoli campioni di testimone alluminati. Illustro e derivo il requisito per il telescopio Context Imager, ovvero che i filtri abbiano una trasmittanza di circa T < 0.000001 come requisito a banda costante nell'intervallo UV-VIS-IR, e discuto sperimentalmente come tutti i modelli rivestiti in Al soddisfino questo requisito, sebbene i filtri tradizionali lo soddisfino con un margine maggiore.Nel Capitolo 4, descrivo in dettaglio la trasmittanza di piccoli campioni di tutti i design (sia rivestiti in Al che rivestiti in Zr, basati su filtri tradizionali e basati su CNT), valutata tramite esperimenti condotti con luce di sincrotrone con spettroscopia di assorbimento di raggi X e tecnica XAS, per fornire curve di trasmittanza in banda EUV e una descrizione dell'analisi dei dati compositivi dello strato interno per i design. Si osserva una maggiore ossidazione nativa sui rivestimenti metallici depositati su substrati di CNT, sebbene, anche con una maggiore ossidazione, i filtri basati su CNT superino le soluzioni basate su filtri tradizionali con substrato PI in tutti i canali in termini di trasmittanza grezza. D'altra parte, le soluzioni basate su filtri tradizionali e senza substrato rimangono le più trasmissive tra tutti i campioni ed in tutti i canali. I risultati confermano le prestazioni attese delle soluzioni tradizionali e ampliano la conoscenza della nuova tecnologia dei CNT come substrato valido per applicazioni in astrofisica.Nel Capitolo 5, un paragrafo di note tecniche, presento i lavori in corso verso lo sviluppo di una sorgente EUV, la Penning Discharge Source, per scopi di calibrazione diretta e di interesse per MUSE.La Conclusione conclude la tesi.Seguono delle Appendici, che servono a integrare le informazioni fornite nel testo principale. Una menzione speciale va all'Appendice E, sull'approccio di Analisi di Adattamento Bi-Gaussiana, dove introduco brevemente il meccanismo di elaborazione dati e di recupero delle informazioni di MUSE, quasi interamente di complemento alla parte sperimentale, e descrivo in dettaglio lo sviluppo di una nuova strategia software volta ad affrontare alcune complessità previste. Questo approccio ha dimostrato successi iniziali, ispirando potenzialmente approcci futuri in cui la complessità dell'analisi dei dati, indotta dalla novità della multi-fenditura in MUSE, può essere ridotta o risolta completamente anche con un semplice approccio basato sulla fisica.Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) filters are key components for space missions to the solar environment, providing the necessary wavelength selection and attenuation of visible light. My thesis contributes to the optical and technological consolidation of the NASA MUSE (Multi-slit Solar Explorer) mission, an EUV solar observatory designed to probe coronal dynamics with unprecedented spatio-temporal resolution, with the main objective to enable the first observations of the EUV solar corona able to aid the require physical modeling in order to hone the theories answering open questions in astrophysics such as the Coronal Heating problem.My dissertation aids the mission through the study, design, and characterization of thin-film input filters optimized for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) observations, while also proposing a few methodological contributions to the analysis of multi-slit spectral data. The work focuses on input filters for the spectrograph and context sensor, which must offer high EUV performance, high UV-VIS-IR rejection to prevent CCD degradation, limited diffraction-induced image degradation, and mechanical robustness for launch.In Chapter 1, the Introduction, I introduce the state-of-the-art of thin film filters, their use in solar space missions, and discuss the role of diffraction, transmittance in various wavelength bands, and mechanical resistance. I also introduce the MUSE mission, its scientific objectives, and how this work contributes to the consolidation of the mission's payload, and to advance the scientific and technological maturity of the thin films proposed.In Chapter 2, I present the filters' designs, both based on heritage missions and on novel carbon nanotube (CNT) substrates, and introduce the techniques employed numerically to assess their diffraction impact at the focal plane of the mission. I conclude that the proposed CNT-based thin film filters can offer augmented performance diffraction-wise when compared to heritage-based solutions, while, in the channel pertaining to the Fe XV line of 284 Å, I show how a study of the trade-off between raw signal in the core encircled energy and relative intensity of the diffracted secondary peaks is required, since the CNT-based solutions produces less relative diffraction, while the heritage-based solution proves to be more intense at the core.In Chapter 3, I discuss of the filters' visible performance, with a detailed description on the requirement definition and on the experimental assessment over aluminized small witness samples. I retrieve the requirement for the Context Imager telescope to be about T < 0.000001 in transmittance as a flat-band requirement in the UV-VIS-IR range and discuss experimentally how all of the Al-coated designs satisfy this requirement, although the heritage-based filters do satisfy it with a greater margin.In Chapter 4, I detail the transmittance of small witness samples of all designs (both Al-coated and Zr-coated, heritage-based and CNT-based) evaluated with experiments carried out with synchrotron radiation with X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy XAS to provide in-band transmittance curves and a description of the inner-layer compositional data analysis for the designs. More native-oxidation on the metal coatings deposited on CNT-substrates is seen, although, even with a worse oxidation, the CNT-based filters outperform heritage-based solutions with PI substrate in all channels in terms of raw transmittance. On the other hand, heritage-based solutions with no substrate remain the most transmissive of all samples in all channels. The results confirm the expected performance of heritage solutions and expands the knowledge over the new technology of CNT as a valid substrate for applications in astrophysics.In Chapter 5, a technical note paragraph, I showcase the ongoing progress towards the development of an extreme ultraviolet EUV source, the Penning Discharge Source, for direct calibration purposes and of interest for MUSE.The Conclusion rounds up the thesis.Appendices do follow, serving the purpose of complementing the information provided throughout the main text. A special mention goes towards Appendix E, on the Bi-Gaussian Fitting Analysis approach, where I briefly introduce MUSE's data processing and information retrieval machinery, complementing almost entirely the experimental part, and I detail the development of a novel software strategy aiming to address some expected complexities. This approach demonstrated initial successes, possibly inspiring future approaches where the complexity of the data analysis, induced by the novelty of the multi-slit in MUSE, can be diminished or solved completely even with a simple physics-substantiated approach
Immune dysregulation through longitudinal lymphocyte trajectories and their clinical determinants in hospitalized COVID-19 patients
No full textObjective: Immune dysregulation plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of sepsis and COVID-19, with lymphopenia emerging as a consistent marker of severity and poor prognosis. However, most existing studies have assessed lymphocyte counts at isolated time points, limiting insights into their temporal behavior and prognostic value. The dynamics of lymphocyte recovery or persistence of lymphopenia remain largely unexplored in large populations, as well as the impact of adjunctive therapies such as corticosteroids. We hypothesized that the persistence or recovery of lymphopenia may be key to understanding disease progression and predicting outcomes. Using the multinational ISARIC cohort, we investigated longitudinal lymphocyte trajectories in hospitalized patients and the clinical determinants associated with their evolution over time. Methods: We conducted a multinational prospective observational cohort study using data from the ISARIC-WHO Clinical Characterization Protocol. Patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and at least four lymphocyte measurements during the first 28 days of hospitalization were included. We analyzed lymphocyte trajectories, Cox regression survival analyses and multivariable linear regression modelling. We also applied multistate models and joint modeling to assess the association between lymphocyte trajectories and 28-day mortality, incorporating corticosteroid use as a time-varying covariate. Results: Of 945,317 screened patients, 231,933 hospitalized adults with confirmed COVID-19 and sufficient lymphocyte data were included, with 56.6% classified as lymphopenic. Lymphopenia was independently associated with higher rates of ICU admission, organ support, and in-hospital mortality (OR = 1.52, 95% CI 1.48-1.55), and lower absolute lymphocyte counts were strongly linked to worse survival in adjusted Cox models (HR = 1.33 per 1 × 109 cells/L decrease, 95% CI 1.28-1.38). Multistate modeling revealed that lymphopenic patients had a significantly higher daily transition rate to death and a shorter duration in that immune state, while corticosteroid exposure was associated with an increased likelihood of entering and remaining in lymphopenia. Joint modeling identified age, sex, and corticosteroid use as significant predictors of lower lymphocyte trajectories over time, with distinct dynamics between survivors and non-survivors. Conclusion: Lymphopenia was common and strongly associated with worse outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, with impaired recovery particularly evident in those receiving corticosteroids. These findings highlight the value of lymphocyte monitoring to inform tailored immunomodulatory strategies in sepsis and severe viral infections