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Travelling waves in dryland ecology: continuous and discontinuous connections in a hyperbolic vegetation model
No full textThis manuscript tackles the study of the emergence of travelling wave solutions in a hyperbolic extension of the well-known Klausmeier model for flat arid environments. In particular, the one-dimensional two-compartment reaction-transport system is taken into account to describe the evolution of biomass and water densities by emphasizing the role of the internal competition among plants, the water uptake ability of plant roots and the inertial effects. To this aim, focus is given to the formation of continuous and discontinuous heteroclinic connections as consequences of the occurrence of gradual or abrupt phenomena that are not directly included in the model under investigation, such as floods, drought periods or huge grazing localized effects. Results conduct to the emergence of both desertification and colonization processes, mainly characterized by the direction of the excited migration speed. Numerical investigations are also addressed to validate the theoretical results and to extract additional information on the environmental response to a change in the ecosystem conditions
Clepsydra Mentitur: The Challenge of Time in D’Annunzio’s Aesthetics and Politics
No full textThe essay focuses on the Italian poet Gabriele D'Annunzio's conception of time. In the context of modernism's general redefinition of the parameters of culture and society, D'Annunzio's vision stands out in importance because it clearly links the links between aesthetics and politics. In the context of Italian society, his proposal for the disintegration of the linear flow of time is connected with the criticism of the liberal system and the formulation of an idea that will partly underlie the ideology of the regimes in the interwar period
Patrie e Resistenze nella Casa comune europea
No full textLa specificità della Resistenza italiana risiede nella frattura istituzionale che portò alla costituzione di "tre Governi" e "due occupazioni", a una guerra civile e a una lotta di Liberazione. Il tema è largamente frequentato dalla storiografia, che, però, ha scarsamente preso in esame la possibilità di comparare simultaneamente le diverse Resistenze d'Europa alla luce della variabile patriottica, e di scavare nella vicenda specifica della lotta resistenziale femminile. Nella vicenda femminile assume particolare pregnanza il concetto di Patria e della cittadinanza dimidiata e "imperfetta" a cui le donne furono piegate: fu nell'afflato verso di essa, tuttavia, e lungo il flusso della Rivoluzione francese e dei moti del Quarantotto che maturò la nascita aurorale del primo femminismo europeo
Polyphenols from rose pepper spice: LC-MS/MS characterization and therapeutic potential in diabetes mellitus management
No full textThis study investigates the potential of polyphenols extracted from rose pepper in regulating diabetes mellitus and associated complications, including cardiovascular issues, lipid profile disturbances, enzyme activity denaturation, and liver function impairment in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. Following the induction of diabetes, a significant increase was observed in the levels of blood glucose, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA), peroxide (H2O2), and superoxide anion O2− compared to the control group. Additionally, the reduction in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) levels was associated with a decrease in the corresponding antioxidant enzymes, such as catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), in all diabetic mice. Moreover, the treatment with the rose pepper extract (150 and 250 mg/kg) for three weeks significantly decreased blood glucose, TC, LDL, MDA, O2−, and H2O2 levels in diabetic mice. Conversely, it increased serum HDL levels and reactivated hepatic antioxidant enzymes. The rich bioactive composition of the rose pepper extract, including gallic acid, amentoflavone, galloyl-shikimic acid, and methyl-3-O-caffeoylquinate, suggests a promising therapeutic effect. Toxicity testing in mice at a dosage of 2 g/kg showed no adverse effects, indicating the safety of consuming rose pepper polyphenols. These findings support the potential of rose pepper polyphenols as a diabetic supplement, warranting further investigation into their synergistic effects with medications and potential incorporation into diabetic diets
Continuous exposure to low concentrations of antimony(III) induces inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress in Caco-2 intestinal epithelial cells
No full textAntimony (Sb) is a metalloid widely used in industrial applications, particularly as a catalyst in the manufacturing of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is used in food packaging, water bottles, and household items. Human exposure to Sb may occur via oral, cutaneous, and inhalation routes. Under stress conditions, such as prolonged storage or high temperatures, Sb can migrate from plastic into food or beverages, causing health concerns. Once absorbed in the intestine, Sb compounds interact with biomolecules, potentially affecting physiological functions. Despite Sb classification as a pollutant of priority interest, its toxic molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, the effects of very low concentrations of Sb(III) (0.5, 5, 50, 100 nM) were evaluated on human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells throughout the whole cell differentiation period, simulating continuous human exposure. Sb(III) exposure affected the intestinal epithelial barrier, activating the pro-inflammatory NF-κB signaling pathway and apoptotic cell death, confirmed by Bcl-2, Bax, and Caspase-3 protein levels. Sb(III) exposure triggered oxidative stress, evidenced by increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, as indicated by increased levels of key unfolded protein response (UPR) markers (XBP-1s, p-eIF2α, GRP78, ATF4, CHOP). Additionally, Sb-induced ER stress activated SIRT1 signaling pathway. Treatment with ER-stress specific inhibitor tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) demonstrated the central role of ER stress in Sb-induced injury. These findings provide new insights in the intestinal epithelial toxicity of low concentrations of Sb(III), suggesting that it would be recommendable to limit Sb use in industrial processes to minimise human health hazards
Trionfi gesuitici, trionfi municipali: le feste per la canonizzazione di Ignazio di Loyola e Francesco Saverio in Sicilia.
No full textL’arrivo in Sicilia dei Gesuiti e la fondazione nel 1548 a Messina del Primum ac Prototypum Collegium della Compagnia in Europa segnò uno dei punti nodali della storia dell’isola e dell’ordine. L’anno seguente un collegio fu istituito anche a Palermo. I Gesuiti ebbero, così, un ruolo di primo piano a sostegno delle prerogative municipali dei due centri in lotta per la primazia nel viceregno. Un particolare terreno di scontro è legato alla costruzione dell’identità sacra municipale attraverso la promozione dei culti civici e delle presunte origini apostoliche della Chiese locali, coinvolgendo anche gli ordini religiosi. Basti pensare come, nel 1629, la proposta messinese di dividere l’isola in due parti – ognuna delle quali avrebbe avuto apparati amministrativi, tribunali e viceré propri, facenti capo, rispettivamente, a Palermo e alla città dello Stretto – fosse seguita alla temporanea scissione della provincia gesuitica. Si tratta della prova della convergenza di esigenze politiche, economiche e religiose tra l’ordine e le magistrature locali.
Tracce di questa competizione sono individuabili nelle cerimonie religiose in cui le due città rivali esprimevano, in un linguaggio simbolico, vere e proprie dichiarazioni politiche d’intenti. Di tali riti la fonte principale è costituita dai resoconti a stampa, i cosiddetti Ragguagli, prodotti per conto dei Senati cittadini. Attraverso una loro attenta analisi, il paper si propone di studiare i messaggi politici e propagandistici dello scontro tra gli esponenti palermitani e messinesi della Compagnia durante le feste siciliane per le canonizzazioni di Ignazio di Loyola e Francesco Saverio nel 1622. Celebrazioni che si configurarono allo stesso tempo come trionfi dell’ordine gesuitico e delle prerogative municipali delle due città rivali
"Ringraziando, fascisticamente". un progetto di ricerca sull'università "in camicia nera"
No full textIl saggio ripercorre le questioni, affrontate problematicamente, della partecipazione delle università italiane non tanto al fascismo, quanto ai "fascismi" locali e analizza le linee di ricerca che hanno orientato l'incontro messinese, nell'intento di ricostruire, attraverso la documentazione conservata negli archivi universitari, la vicenda "reale" e "quotidiana" degli Atenei italiani durante il Ventennio
Self-Calibrating Resonant Sensor for Dielectric Material Characterization
No full textThis article presents the design, fabrication, and characterization of a self-calibrating resonant sensor for the noninvasive dielectric characterization of materials. It is based on a ring resonator operating in the subgigahertz range, and it exploits the mode-splitting phenomenon to perform differential measurements, wherein one resonance is sensible to the dielectric properties of a sample under test, while the orthogonal resonance serves as an internal reference. This strategy effectively mitigates common-mode perturbations, such as temperature drift. The prototype fabrication was carried out by inkjet-printing a conductive ink into a Rogers RO4003C substrate. The resulting prototype exhibits a nominal resonant frequency near 750 MHz. To characterize the sensor, several samples with known dielectric properties were placed on its surface, and the scattering parameters were measured over the 550-950-MHz frequency range. An analytical fitting procedure was employed to extract the central frequency, amplitude, and quality factor of each resonant peak in the magnitude of the forward transmission coefficient, and these parameters were observed to vary as a function of the samples' dielectric properties. Additional tests demonstrated the sensor ability to reject common-mode disturbances. The promising results of these investigations are discussed in detail within this article