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L’Europa tra l’ordoliberalismo tedesco, Hayek, Schumpeter e Keynes. L’attualità degli anni ’30 nel dibattito contemporaneo su moneta, credito, crisi e austerità.
No full textThe research starts from the interpretation of the causes of the debt crisis in the Eurozone formulated by the more rigidly orthodox German economic and political circles, in order to highlight the actuality and importance of elements of theory and economic policy elaborated in the interwar period, both before and after the publication of Keynes’s General Theory.
With regard to economic policy, the research shows that, despite the common adhesion to the theoretical model that emerged following the monetarist counter-revolution of the 1970s, compared to the more pragmatic policies adopted In the United States, after 2009 the rigidity of the European response to the crisis originated by the collapse of the subprime mortgage market is explained by a specific paradigm reflecting a neoliberal conception of the role of the State in economics developed in Germany between the late 1920s and early 1930s. This conception has laid the foundations of the social market economy, the formula that has marked the almost twenty-year period (1949-1966) of the German economic miracle. Today, it represents the basis of the economic constitution derived from the ordoliberal principles defined by the norms of the European treaties.
The financial crisis that began in 2007 in the United States represents the first truly global financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s, but it did not lead to question the validity of the principle of the neutrality of money and finance. In fact, the interpretations developed by contemporary mainstream economists and by Austrian heterodox economists attribute the origins of the Great Recession and of the debt crisis in the Eurozone to exogenous causes, that is, to errors or omissions of public authorities that have distorted the functioning of the international capital markets. Starting from the fundamental importance ascribed by Schumpeter to the role played by bank money in capitalist economies, with regard to economic theory, the research is therefore directed to the development of an alternative paradigm to that based on Say’s Law and on the irrelevance and instability of the monetary economy of production described by Keynes, an economy in which economic crisis can be produced endogenously by both “enterprise” and “speculation”
Use of alternative protein sources to fishmeal in aquafeed formulations and their effects on gut microbiota of cultured fish.
No full textIn aquaculture research, one important aim of gut microbiota studies is to provide the scientific basis for developing effective strategies to manipulate gut microbial communities through the diet, thus promoting fish health and improving productivity.
Accordingly, the present PhD project evaluated the effects of different diets on fish growth performance, and gut microbiota composition. Three dietary trials were conducted, using three different alternative sources to fishmeal (poultry by-products, PBP, insect meal, IM, and autolysed yeast from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, AY) in two teleost species: rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata). In addition to testing each raw material, graded levels of these were also tested, to estimate the more adequate inclusion rate in fish diet. The products tested are not only a substitute of fishmeal per se (e.g. IM or PBP) but can also act as additives (AY) that may directly contribute in enhancing the fish immune system.
The Illumina MiSeq platform for high-throughput amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA gene and QIIME pipeline were used to characterize the whole microbiome associated both, to feeds and fish intestine. Fish fed on experimental diets grew as well as fish fed on control diets. PBP, AY, and IM in the diet affected positively fish gut microbiota, increasing its richness and diversity and in particular, increasing the abundance of beneficial lactic acid- and butyrate-producing bacteria, which contribute to the global health of the host. The operational taxonomic units identified predominantly mapped to the phyla of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria. PBP, AY, and IM thus proved to be a suitable protein source for use in aquafeeds
Extracellular matrix analysis in vasculature in physiological and pathological conditions.
No full textEndothelial dysfunction is one of the main triggers of atherosclerosis which is identified as a chronic inflammatory disease of the artery wall. The exact mechanisms underlying the impaired vascular structure and activity remain unresolved. Since inflammatory cytokine TNFα appears to be involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, we treated endothelial cells (HUVEC) with TNFα to see its influence on extracellular matrix components as hyaluronan (HA) and syndecans (SDCs).
TNFα influence HA synthesis enzymes and its presence in the pericellular space. Moreover, it leads to syndecan4 (SDC4) core protein overexpression and alters its heparan sulfate (HS) chains. These mechanisms cause a reduction in HUVEC permeability, an upregulation of the critical enzymes involved in the synthesis of HS and an increase of N-sulfation of HS residues. This HS modifications could inhibit the thrombus formation decreasing the platelets spreading.
These data suggest that, during endothelial inflammation, the alteration of HA synthesis, SDC4 expression and its GAGs chains chemical composition can influence the platelets recruitments and, further, could promote the LDL accumulation during the onset of atherosclerosis.
Since the hepatic enzyme PCSK9 is a novel pharmacological target for patients with cardiovascular disease lowering the plasmatic concentration of LDL, we examined the action of PCSK9 on HA metabolism and LDL receptors in vascular cells. LDLR and LOX1, the main LDL receptors, are influenced by PCSK9. Moreover, PCSK9 affected HA synthesis enzyme expression. These data indicate that PCSK9 could have a vaso-protective role regulating molecules involved in HA homeostasis
La comunicazione politica sui beni comuni: il caso della campagna referendaria sull'acqua pubblica del 2011. Un'analisi linguistico-semiotica.
No full textPolitics, according to common opinion, would impoverish the language, depriving words of their semantic potentialities. But common opinion could be flawed by a prejudice and by an excess of pessimism. In fact, language is a dynamic system. My linguistic and semiotic analysis of the campaign advertising of 12 and 13 june 2011 referendum represents an interesting research about quality of used language and the level of representativity of campaign literature. Political language swings among commercial, bureaucratic and the common needs language. The research lasted two years, divided into three times: comparison with scientific literature, collection of a representative sample and analysis of materials
La circolazione del sistema francese di decentramento regionale in Europa centrale.
No full textThe purpose of this work is to examine if and how the French system served as a model for regionalisation processes in Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia.
In this research, I will propose an analysis of the historical evolution of the regional State. Furthermore, I will provide a theoretical framework of the concept of regionalization. I will therefore refer to the classifications proposed by Italian doctrine, as well as to the definitions of the concept developed by Italian and French scholars.
I will analyse the origins of decentralization in France, the process which led France to opt for a regional model and how it was implemented starting from 1982. The French system is considered as a benchmark.
I will examine reforms of the territorial structure in Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia introduced in the aftermath of the fall of the Communist regimes, and in the context of the transition to a democratic model. The European Union exerted an significative influence on all these countries to overcome the centralized structure inherited from the Socialist system and to start decentralization processes. Historical legacies, socio-economic elements as well as fear of secessionism led these states to opt for a regional solution.
To conclude, I will propose a comparative analysis of the elements which characterize regionalization in Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia, on one side and the French system on the other
Post-Newtonian evolution of massive black hole triplets in galactic nuclei.
No full textMassive black-hole binaries (MBHBs) are thought to be the main source of gravitational waves (GWs) in the low-frequency domain surveyed by Pulsar Timing Array (PTA) campaigns and space-borne missions (LISA). However, many MBHBs in realistic astrophysical environments may not reach separations small enough to allow significant GW emission. This final-parsec problem can be eased by the appearance of a third massive black hole (MBH) whose action can force, under certain conditions, the former MBHB to merge. A detailed assessment of the process requires a general relativistic treatment and the inclusion of environmental effects.
In this thesis, I developed a three-body Post-Newtonian (PN) code framed in a galactic potential, including PN terms up to 2.5PN order, orbital hardening and dynamical friction. With the code I performed a vast exploration of the parameter space represented by MBH triplets. I found that a non-negligible fraction (_ 30%) of the otherwise stalled binaries can actually merge because of the perturbation of the third body.
By combining these results with a cosmological semi-analytical code of galaxy formation, I drew robust predictions about the nHz stochastic background of GWs, which in the most pessimistic scenario is suppressed by only a factor of two with respect to the standard models in which MBHBs can efficiently merge. This result has important consequences for PTA and implies that a detection of the GW background could be claimed in the near future
La reputazione della Pubblica Amministrazione come bene comune: definizione, declinazione e tutela.
No full textThe present thesis deals with the reputation of the Public Administration as an intangible common good, analyzing its relevance in the Italian legal system and investigating the forms of protection.
After reviewing the attempts to define the concepts of reputation and the common good, both in economic sciences and in legal sciences, the reasons that lead to qualifying public reputation as an intangible common good, bringing a series of advantages in the public interest, are illustrated.
The research then takes shape with the illustration of two reputational systems pertaining to the public administration: the Evaluation of the quality of Italian research (VQR) and the qualification of the procuring entities, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses.
The research ends with the analysis of the forms of protection of public reputation as a common good, analyzing, in particular, the damage to the image of the P.A. and the administrative class action
Analysis of the impacts of geomorphological disturbance on alpine and polar vegetation.
No full textUnder a context of climate change, polar and alpine regions have been demonstrated to be highly susceptible to climatic factors in various scientific fields. One aspect of susceptibility is treated in this thesis in terms of biogeomorphology, in particular for those geomorphic processes that couple the surficial displacements with the vegetation distribution. For these reasons, 3 study areas have been selected in polar (Svalbard and Antarctica) and alpine (Central Alps) regions to carry out this project. The methods used are different depending on the scale and the location of the target. On the Alps, at large scale, surface and climatic data have been used to produce thematic maps useful for a surface dynamic prediction model, while at landform scale, various system have been chosen to observe surface displacements (e.g., painted lines, height-o-meter) in relation to the vegetation distribution (vegetational relevé, line intercept). To quantify small-scale processes, a close-range photogrammetric application has been developed to produce detailed digital elevation models (DEMs) at a millimetric resolution. In the Arctic, ground thermistors and a time-lapse camera were set on a circumpolar active layer monitoring (CALM) grid to assess relationships among ground surface temperature (GST), snow distribution and active layer thickness (ALT) at a sub-metric scale. For understanding the effect of thaw depth on the CO2 fluxes on an arctic tundra environment, an infra-red gas analyzer (IRGA) system was coupled with a frost probing survey on different vegetation communities. In Antarctica, ground penetrating radar (GPR) with electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) have been utilized to detect ice content in 2 rock glaciers and an ice-core stratigraphy validated the digital findings.
The results of this project demonstrate that a novel prediction model that take in consideration both surface and climatic data (in particular snow distribution/persistence) to quantify mountainous surface displacement is possible. In addition, the annual surface velocities of 3 alpine rock glaciers were calculated and associated to different geomorphic processes that, in turn, create specific niches for alpine tundra species, able to tolerate specific substrate rates. Further, for small processes like needle ice, new minima of soil water content and cooling rate have been defined to initiate its formation, as well as the importance of minimum air temperature for the length of ice needles. Needle ice dynamic has been quantified and coupled with a high spatial variability as well as the absence of relation between frost heave and frost creep. In the Arctic we have demonstrated how small-scale spatial distribution of snow cover affects GST, leading in turn to a high spatial variability of ALT. This is majorly driven by the microtopography of the surface in terms of slope and convexity. ALT is also the best driver of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) in arctic tundra and, coupled with the importance of soil temperature for ecosystem respiration (ER), it is a novel key of interpretation of the arctic carbon cycle. In Continental Antarctica 2 active rock glaciers have been demonstrated to be ice-cored, differently than thought in the past. This led consequences for their proved glacial origin and also for the type of creep occurring within their bodies.
The strength of this project could be considered as the dependence of geomorphic processes (that induce surface displacements) on climatic factors, thus being able to be extrapolated under the future climate change scenarios. In addition, despite considerable differences in vegetation composition and functioning, the 3 distant study areas account for similar geomorphic processes that could be compared in future research to have a global understanding of surficial dynamics
Phytocannabinoids as potential tools for ameliorating Rett Syndrome-like phenotype in Mecp2-null mice.
No full textRett syndrome (RTT) is an X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder with a prevalence rate of 1 in 10,000 females. RTT patients have apparently normal perinatal development until about 6-18 months of age, after which they undergo a period of rapid regression, characterized by the appearance of autistic features, stereotypic hand movements and loss of language. RTT girls also have seizures during childhood, breathing arrhythmias, develop scoliosis and lose mobility between ages 1 and 4 years.
Recently, there has been growing interest in the therapeutic potential of phytocannabinoids in the context of neurological diseases. Interestingly, several preclinical and clinical data support the ability of some phytocannabinoids to modulate cognitive and motor functions, mood and neuronal excitability, all of which are altered in RTT. Despite this evidence, so far no studies have addressed the potential therapeutic application of phytocannabinoids in RTT.
Based on these premises, the aim of this project was to evaluate the ability of chronic administration of the phytocannabinoids, cannabidivarin (CBDV) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), to affect neurological and motor defects as well as cognitive deficits in a mouse model of RTT, namely Mecp2 knockout (KO) mice.
To this aim, Mepc2 KO mice were treated daily with CBDV (or relative vehicle) at the doses of 0.2, 2, 20 or 200 mg/kg or CBDA (or relative vehicle) at the dose of 2 and 20 mg/kg from postnatal day (PND) 28 to 66. During the whole treatment schedule, motor and neurological signs were scored while short- and long-term memory deficits were evaluated at PND 41, 56 and 66. 24 hours after the last injection, brain tissues were collected to investigate the presence of alterations on neurotrophic factors (BDNF and IGF-1), inflammatory markers (CD11b, GFAP and TNFα) as well as components of the endocannabinoid system. The present findings provide for the first time direct evidence that CBDV and CBDA improve motor and neurological signs as well as cognitive deficits in Mecp2 KO mice. In particular, CBDV administration delays the appearance neurological and motor signs in Mecp2 KO mice in a time window between 5 and 7 weeks of age. Conversely, CBDA administration ameliorates motor signs only at later stages of the disease progression, i.e. 8 and 9 weeks of age. Remarkably, both phytocannabinoids exert a complete and enduring beneficial effect towards short- and long-term memory deficits in Mecp2 KO animals.
At the biochemical level, chronic treatments with CBDV and CBDA enhance the expression of both BDNF and IGF-1 and reduce microglia activation in the brain of Mecp2 KO mice. Moreover, Mecp2 deletion results in alterations in the endocannabinoid system that could likely sustain RTT-like phenotype, and chronic CBDV treatment further modulates them.
Although further studies are needed to directly assess the mechanism(s) through which CBDV and CBDA can improve RTT-like phenotype in Mecp2 KO mice, overall these findings suggest for the first time a potential therapeutic application of the phytocannabinoids CBDV and CBDA in the context of RTT
Contributions in computational intelligence with results in functional neuroimaging
No full textThis thesis applies computational intelligence methodologies to study functional brain images. It is a state-of-the-art application relative to unsupervised learning domain to functional neuroimaging. There are also contributions related to computational intelligence on topics relative to clustering validation and spatio-temporal clustering analysis. Speci_cally, there are the presentation of a new separation measure based on fuzzy sets theory to establish the validity of the fuzzy clustering outcomes and the presentation of a framework to approach the parcellation of functional neuroimages taking in account both spatial and temporal patterns. These contributions have been applied to neuroimages obtained with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, using both active and passive paradigm and using both in-house data and fMRI repository. The results obtained shown, globally, an improvement on the quality of the neuroimaging analysis using the methodological contributions proposed