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Decoding Yellow Tuff in Pompeian Architecture: key mineralogical and geochemical constraints for a (re-)evaluation of its geological origin
No full textTuff was one of the most widely used construction materials in central and southern Italy, valued since antiquity for its workability, lightness, and insulating properties, despite its intrinsic fragility and limited mechanical strength. In the Roman world, the selection of building materials depended on economic resources, craftsmanship, and structural requirements, as well as, in some cases, urgent rebuilding conditions, such as the post-earthquake reconstruction of Pompeii. Within this context, the recurrent use of yellow tuff in Pompeii raises important questions, foremost
its geological attribution. The nearby Campi Flegrei volcanic field emplaced the two deposits most likely to be its sources: the Campanian Ignimbrite (CI, ~40 ka), to which it is attributed the Lithified Yellow Tuff (LYT), a welded and zeolite-rich facies, and the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff (NYT, ~15 ka), which generated the massive yellow tuff widely used in Naples. Distinguishing between these deposits is notoriously challenging due to their internal variability and partial overlap in mineralogy and geochemical composition. This distinction is, therefore, crucial for reconstructing provenance, chronology, and construction choices in Pompeian architecture, particularly during the intense reconstruction and restoration of buildings after the 62/63 CE earthquake. To address this issue, 49 yellow-tuff specimens were collected from 40 Pompeian contexts, focusing on key architectural elements and classifying them as pre- or post-seismic relative to the 62/63 CE earthquake. A multi-analytical approach was applied, combining textural and spectroscopic techniques, quantitative mineralogical analyses, and microanalysis of juvenile matrix glass, which provided the most diagnostic provenance constraints. The samples exhibit the typical mineralogical assemblage of Phlegraean trachytic tuffs, dominated by phillipsite and chabazite in varying proportions, together with analcime, albite, biotite, clinopyroxene, hematite, calcite, and gypsum in minor or trace amounts. Lower sanidine abundances are also observed, except for three sanidine-rich specimens correlated with the Welded Grey Ignimbrite (WGI) facies of the CI, a distinction also supported by spectroscopic data. Quantitative mineralogical analyses revealed variable amounts of amorphous material, likely related to low-ordered and/or amorphous phases such as juvenile clasts, whose composition ranges from tephriphonolite to latite and is essentially homogeneous across pre- and post-seismic contexts. The microanalysis of juvenile matrix glass proved particularly revealing, consistently falling within the compositional field of NYT Member B, clearly distinct from the more evolved silica–alkali-rich signatures typical of CI-derived WGI and LYT. This provides decisive provenance evidence: mineralogical, spectroscopic, and especially juvenile
matrix glass data all converge on a predominantly NYT origin. These results refine long-standing hypotheses on material sourcing, construction practices, and post-seismic rebuilding in the ancient Pompeii
Riforma del processo penale e attività di p.g.
No full textIl decreto legislativo n.150/2022 (cd. Riforma Cartabia), come modificato dall’art.6 del decreto-legge 31 ottobre 2022, n.162, [2]
ha
introdotto significative novità che incidono, tra l’altro, sugli adempimenti richiesti alla polizia giudiziaria e più in generale alle articolazioni delle
Forze di Polizia, anche per quanto concerne i profili inerenti il processo penale, le notificazioni degli atti e il regime sanzionatorio.
Il provvedimento, costituito da 99 articoli, modifica il sistema penale sostanziale (artt.1-3) e soprattutto processuale (artt.4-40), con
interventi che attengono alle diverse fasi (indagini preliminari, dibattimento, riti alternativi, giudizi di impugnazione) fino all’esecuzione
penale.
Un nutrito insieme di disposizioni transitorie e finali riguarda il regime di procedibilità dei reati, e le notificazioni al querelante, il processo
penale telematico, il processo in assenza, e la sospensione del procedimento con messa alla prova dell’imputato (artt. 85-97).
Di analogo rilievo sono gli interventi sulla disciplina delle pene sostitutive delle pene detentive brevi e delle pene pecuniarie, nonché della
giustizia riparativa (artt.42-67).
Numerosi interventi hanno significativi effetti discendenti sull’operato e sull’attività della polizia giudiziaria
Climate Policies and Sustainability Performance in Banks: The Role of the Board of Directors
No full textThis article examines how board characteristics and home-country climate policies shape banks’ environmental, social, and governance (ESG) controversy performance, using a sample of 415 listed banks in the USA, the UK and the European Union over 2015–2024. Combining fractional logit, panel logistic regressions and system generalized method of moments estimations to address bounded response variables, rating transitions and endogeneity issues, we show that corporate social responsibility committees and gender-diverse boards significantly improve both environmental and social outcomes. Board retirement and meeting exert a positive influence only on environmental performance, while board independence exhibits heterogeneous effects across sustainability dimensions. More stringent climate policies are associated with higher environmental outcomes, fewer ESG controversies and a greater likelihood of upward ESG rating transitions, highlighting the central role of corporate governance in bank sustainability. Overall, these findings highlight the multidimensional role of corporate governance in strengthening banks’ sustainability performance
Arnold Toynbee, Rain for Nubia After 12,000 Years (1962) (https://www.academia.edu/145859901/Arnold_Toynbee_Rain_for_Nubia_After_12_000_Years_1962_)
No full textADDITIONS, INTEGRATIONS, CORRECTIONS AND SUPPLEMENTS TO THE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ARNOLD JOSEPH TOYNBEE, No. 567, Addition to Part I, Works by Arnold J. Toynbe
Type 2 deiodinase–dependent surge in thyroid hormone controls muscle stem cell quiescence and self-renewal
No full text: Stem cells are critical for the homeostasis of adult tissues. Thyroid hormone (TH), whose intracellular concentration is increased by type 2 deiodinase (D2), is involved in many functions, but its role in quiescence is unknown. Here we show that D2 marks quiescent stem cells in muscle and skin. Genetic D2-depletion in quiescent muscle stem cells triggers their transition from G0 to a GAlert-like state. This increases the proliferative potential of the stem cells, but impairs their self-renewal capacity, leading to depletion of the stem cell pool and regenerative failure over time. Mechanistically, TH sustains Notch signaling, and active Notch overexpression partially rescues D2-depletion. Transient pharmacological inhibition of D2 accelerates muscle regeneration and skin wound healing by promoting stem cell expansion. In conclusion, we show that D2 is a critical metabolic enzyme in maintaining stem cell quiescence and in regulating self-renewal
Le nuove misure contro la violenza in occasione di manifestazioni sportive
No full textIl fulcro del “decreto sicurezza bis” (d.l. 14 giugno 2019 n.53, convertito con modificazioni dalla legge 8 agosto 2019, n.77) è da individuarsi,
oltre che nelle norme per concernenti l’immigrazione illegale (contenute nel capo I), nelle previsioni per il contrasto alla violenza in occasione
di manifestazioni sportive
Queste ultime, in buona misura contenute nel capo III del provvedimento, determinano modifiche significative al codice penale, al c.d. codice
antimafia, alle norme emanate con d.l. n.14 del 2017 per garantire la sicurezza nelle città e, naturalmente, alla legge n.401 del 1989
(recante, tra l’altro, disposizioni per la “tutela della correttezza nello svolgimento di manifestazioni sportive”) e al decreto legge 8 febbraio
2007, n.8, convertito, con modificazioni, dalla legge 4 aprile 2007, n. 41
Peripheral Blood Neutrophils and Monocytes Predict Disease Progression in Stage III Melanoma Patients Treated With Anti Programmed Cell Death Protein-1 (PD-1) Inhibitors
No full text: Melanoma is a global health issue, with an increasing incidence in recent years. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs, e.g., antiprogrammed cell death protein 1 [PD-1]) and targeted therapies (e.g., BRAF/MEK inhibitors) have revolutionized treatment for melanoma patients (MPs), but prognostic markers of drug response and disease progression remain elusive. We conducted a prospective baseline and follow-up study to investigate peripheral blood neutrophils and monocytes as immune biomarkers in stage III MPs receiving either anti-PD-1 therapy or B-type rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma (BRAF)/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitors. Sixty-four stage III MPs were prospectively recruited, of whom 42 received anti-PD-1 therapy, and 22 received BRAF/MEK inhibitors. Neutrophils and monocytes were isolated and analyzed by flow cytometry, while plasma concentrations of neutrophil-related mediators and neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) biomarkers were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In MPs, neutrophils displayed an activated phenotype (CD16+ CD62L-), and both neutrophils and monocytes had higher PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) expression, compared with healthy controls (HCs). Importantly, higher percentages of CD16+ CD62L- and PD-L1+ neutrophils and PD-L1+ monocytes-but not higher levels of neutrophil-related mediators and NET biomarkers-were associated with disease progression only in MPs treated with anti-PD-1 therapy but not in those treated with BRAF/MEK inhibitors. This study reveals that a specific neutrophil and monocyte phenotype can predict clinical responses exclusively in ICI-treated patients, highlighting their potential as prognostic biomarkers before starting the immune checkpoint inhibition in melanoma
Il decreto legge 4 ottobre 2018 n.113 e le disposizioni in materia di sicurezza pubblica e di prevenzione del terrorismo
No full textIl decreto legge del 4 ottobre 2018 n.113, pubblicato sulla Gazzetta Ufficiale n.231 del 2018, reca “disposizioni urgenti in materia di
protezione internazionale e immigrazione, sicurezza pubblica nonché misure per la funzionalità del Ministero dell’interno e l’organizzazione e il
funzionamento dell’Agenzia nazionale per l’amministrazione e la destinazione dei beni sequestrati e confiscati alla criminalità organizzata”
Climate change impact on envelope retrofit effectiveness: energy and carbon performance of Italian residential and office buildings today vs. 2050
No full textBuildings significantly contribute to global energy consumption and CO2 emissions, and their performance is increasingly challenged by rising cooling demands under climate change. While many studies assess envelope retrofit measures, most focus on a single building use. This study addresses this gap through a comparative analysis across building typologies, uses, and climatic conditions. The effects of climate change and envelope retrofit strategies on thermal energy demand (TED) and CO2 emissions are evaluated for four representative Italian building typologies—apartment block, multifamily building, terraced house, and single-family house—considering residential and office uses, standard and high internal loads, and current and 2050 climate conditions. Dynamic simulations are performed using EnergyPlus for four Italian climatic zones. Several retrofit options are analyzed, including insulation measures, window replacement, cool roofs, and a global retrofit. The global retrofit provides the largest benefits, reducing TED and CO2 emissions by up to 65% and 60% under current conditions, with a slight decrease in effectiveness (2–4%) toward 2050. Office buildings with high internal loads show smaller improvements than residential ones. Compact buildings exhibit greater climate resilience, whereas less compact typologies experience larger performance declines. Cool roofs are effective in mitigating cooling-related emissions under warmer climates, though their impact is limited in high-load office scenarios. Results highlight the need for adaptive and climate-resilient retrofit strategies in Mediterranean contexts
Effects of a deep metro station on the seismic response of the built environment
No full textThe seismic design and retrofitting of new and existing structures often assumes that each structure is isolated from its surroundings. However, significant interaction with nearby structures and the broader built environment can occur. In dense urban areas, it is crucial to carefully consider these phenomena, when analysing seismic conditions. In particular, the seismic effects of interaction between above-ground structures and underground facilities, such as deep excavations for metro stations, must be examined to ensure design is both safe and effective. This paper uses three-dimensional finite element (FE) analysis to examine this issue in the context of the construction of a metro station in a deep excavation in Napoli (Italy) city centre. First, the static construction process was simulated by modelling the excavation and then seismic inputs were applied (with excavation seismic condition). The resulting seismic motion was then compared with that obtained in the absence of the excavation (without excavation seismic condition). Discussion of the results revealed that the main properties of the ground motion, such as intensity and frequency content, can significantly affect the differences observed between the with and without excavation cases, resulting in significant ground motion amplification close to the excavation, with detrimental effect on adjacent existing buildings