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Ubiquitous local community experiences: The impact of People-Nearby Applications on users’ social capital, local involvement, and sense of community
No full textPeople-Nearby Applications (PNAs) can impact users’ local social capital and sense of community (SoC), by allowing users to meet new people locally and enhance their SoC through increased local social capital and active involvement in the community of belonging. An online questionnaire was administered to 595 Italian and Dutch PNAs users to detect their PNAs community-related use, frequency of face-to-face encounters with other users, local social capital, active involvement, and SoC. A multiple mediation model was run using structural equation modeling. PNAs use associates to face-to-face encounters among local community members and community social capital, but not to community involvement. Through social capital, PNAs use indirectly enhances SoC. These results show that PNAs community-related use may enhance local community experiences through prompting face-to-face encounters among community fellows and making users feel more embedded into local social networks. This confirms PNAs community-related use potential to improve users’ neighborhood social and community experiences
Conservation and Analyses of the Twelfth-Century Bronze Doors made by Oderisius of Benevento in Troia, Italy
No full textIn the context of the international GAPAMET project, a study was conducted on European metal doors from the eleventh-twelfth century CE, which were composed of various copper alloys. The aim of the project was to gain deeper insights into the manufacturing processes and subsequent modifications of these doors. Two of them, namely the doors from the cathedral of Troia, Italy, were made by Oderisius of Benevento at the beginning of the twelfth century. In this paper, we present, for the first time, chemical analyses of all the metal parts of the two doors and focus on the restoration of the main door on the cathedral’s façade in the 1990s conducted by one of the authors, which brought to light previously unnoticed remnants of further original panels that had been thought to be lost. Particular attention is paid to rearrangements and the addition of new panels over the course of time, and the usage of different leaded bronze alloys for the production of the various metal parts. Furthermore, we include in our study a discussion of the door handles from Sepino, also associated with Oderisius’ workshop, which were made of leaded bronze and quaternary Cu-Sn-Zn-Pb alloys
Local mortality patterns in Italy at the beginning of the 21st century
No full textWe analysed mortality levels and trends at the municipal level in Italy between 2002 and 2018, covering approximately 8000 local administrative units. Detailed mortal ity data at this level are unavailable, and apparently only crude death rates can be
calculated (deaths divided by the average, i.e. mid-year, population). To overcome this limitation, we calculated standardised mortality ratios (SMR), comparing observed deaths to expected deaths derived by applying national age-specific mortality rates to local population age structures. We validated this approach, examined its properties, and used it to investigate local mortality patterns across Italy. Our findings highlight limited territorial heterogeneity in SMR, although with a slight increase over time: the coefficient of variation rose from 12.5% to 15%. The between-region variance component also increased, while the within-region component remained predominant, accounting for approximately 80% of the total variance. Selected ecological factors, particularly an Istat-developed frailty index for municipalities, were found to correlate with small-scale mortality patterns. Global spatial regression models (spatial autoregressive—SAR and spatial error—SEM) further revealed strong spillover effects
influencing local mortality
Systematic Methodology for Mitigating Radon Risk and Enhancing Fruition of Underground Sites: The Case-Study of Herculaneum’s Theatre
No full textRadon exposure poses a significant health risk in underground cultural heritage sites, where limited ventilation and prolonged visitor presence can lead to high radon exposures. While previous studies have concentrated on monitoring and mitigation strategies, few have developed a comprehensive approach that ensures both safe and sustainable site use. This research introduces an innovative methodology that integrates periodic/seasonal radon risk assessment with risk-informed access management based on periodic monitoring and time tracking. This approach is based on: (i) periodic monitoring to obtain representative concentrations; (ii) the calculation of permissible stay durations using a dose-based framework; (iii) implementation via access registration (badges) and procedural measures; and (iv) the application of mitigation measures when concentrations exceed limits (otherwise, the dose is evaluated in accordance with the applicable reference levels). This strategy was implemented and validated at the Roman Theatre in Herculaneum, a unique case study characterised by complex architectural constraints (as the theatre is completely underground) and high cultural significance. Results from years of monitoring, along with ongoing campaigns, demonstrate that this methodology not only reduces radon-related health risks but also enhances visitor experience. This integrated framework provides a replicable model for balancing conservation, safety, and accessibility in underground heritage sites
Impact of Thymidine Loop Modifications on Telomeric G-Quadruplex Catalytic Systems for Asymmetric Sulfoxidation
No full textG-quadruplex (G4) DNA structures have recently emerged as promising chiral scaffolds for enantioselective catalysis. This study investigates how thymidine loop modifications influence the catalytic performance of the telomeric G4 sequence HT21 in the asymmetric sulfoxidation of thioanisole. To this end, several singly or doubly modified HT21 derivatives were synthesized by using β-L-2′-deoxythymidine, 5-hydroxymethyl-2′-deoxyuridine, and 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine instead of a T residue, or β-L-2′-deoxyadonesine instead of an A residue, in specific positions within the TTA loops. The catalytic activity of these analogues was evaluated in the Cu(II)-mediated oxidation of thioanisole using hydrogen peroxide as oxidant. All modified sequences maintained complete substrate conversion, but their enantioselectivities varied markedly. Whereas the highest enantiomeric excess (84% ee) had previously been achieved with the HT21 analogue bearing a β-L-2′-deoxyadenosine in the first loop, the thymidine-based modifications, either alone or in combination, resulted in lower ee values, suggesting that loop alterations critically affect the chiral microenvironment, not all loop positions are functionally equivalent, and single substitutions within the same loop can result in different enantioselectivities. These findings highlight new insights on how individual loop residues contribute to asymmetric induction and offer further details for tuning G4-based catalytic scaffolds
LIFR antagonism reverses epithelial pro-CAF programs in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
No full textExtracellular matrix remodelling that occurs in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is considered a promoting factor of cancer growth, immune evasion and therapeutic resistance. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) that constitute the dominant stromal population, arise primarily from activated pancreatic stellate cells and display remarkable functional heterogeneity, encompassing inflammatory iCAFs and contractile myCAFs. Although epithelial-stromal communication is central to PDAC biology, the upstream mechanisms that prime tumour cells toward CAF-Activating cells remain incompletely defined. The leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a pleiotropic cytokine of the IL-6 family, is highly expressed in PDAC and has been implicated in tumour progression. However, the role of LIF and LIF receptor (LIFR):gp130 complex in promoting CAF activation is poorly defined. Here, we combined human PDAC transcriptomics, immunofluorescence and epithelial-stromal co-culture assays to define LIF-driven pro-CAF programs and evaluate their pharmacological reversibility. In PDAC cancer cells, MIAPaCa-2 cells, LIF induced a coordinated transcriptional network encompassing inflammatory mediators, paracrine fibroblast-activating signals and ECM/mechanotransductive modules, while repressing stromal-inhibitory genes. These signatures were recapitulated in PDAC tissues, where LIF expression directly correlated with CAF markers and with stromal remodelling genes. On this background, we have developed a novel steroidal LIFR antagonist, LRI310, and evaluate its effects on LIF:LIFR axis. Exposure of PDCA cell lines to LRI310 suppresses STAT3 activation and counteracts effects of LIF on proliferation and CAF-inducing transcriptional programs. Collectively, these findings identify LIF as an important epithelial driver of CAF-oriented transcriptional programs in PDAC and support the development of LIFR antagonism as a promising strategy to modulate the desmoplastic microenvironment
Commento alle leggi penali per la sicurezza dei sistemi informatici e dei dati
No full textIl volume offre un commento sistematico, norma per norma, delle disposizioni che presidiano la tutela dei sistemi informatici e del patrimonio informativo, ricostruendone struttura, presupposti applicativi ed elementi costitutivi.Pasquale Troncone è professore di Diritto penale, Diritto penale dell’economia e Diritto penitenziario presso l’Università degli Studi Federico II di Napoli nonché docente presso la Scuola di Specializzazione per le Professioni Legali dell’Università degli Studi Federico II di Napoli
Anti-inflammatory activity of walnut (Juglans regia var. Sorrento) husk extract, chemical profiling and discovery of huskol, a new ursane-type triterpenoid
No full textThe study of potential high-added-value waste materials is pivotal for their recycling and repurpose in the market. Walnut husks are a well-known source of bioactive natural products with potential applications in the antimicrobial and anticancer therapies or in the cardiovascular and neurodegenerative prevention, and as anti- inflammatory treatments. However, since the metabolic content of walnut husks is highly dependent on their variety, there is still a need for thorough systematic phytochemical investigations of this precious waste material of the food industry. Herein we report the anti-inflammatory evaluation and an NMR-based phytochemical profiling of the ethyl acetate fraction of husks obtained from Juglans regia var. Sorrento. Our study demonstrated that the extract exerts significant anti-inflammatory activity by reducing the NO (IC50 = 0.01 mg/mL) and PGE2 (IC50 = 0.007 mg/mL) production in LPS-stimulated cells in a concentration-dependent manner by inhibiting iNOS and COX-2 proteins. The phytochemical analysis of the bioactive fraction revealed the dominant presence of diarylheptanoids and triterpenoids and resulted in the discovery of the new ursane derivative huskol
On graphs with third largest eccentricity eigenvalue in the interval [−2,−1]
No full textThe eccentricity matrix (or anti-adjacency matrix) of a graph is constructed from its distance matrix by keeping in each row and each column only the largest distances. In this paper all connected graphs whose third largest anti-adjacency eigenvalue belongs to the interval [−2,−1] are structurally characterized