132 research outputs found
Jon Keune, Shared Devotion, Shared Food: Equality and the Bhakti-Caste Question in Western India [Ludovica Tozzi], p. 391
No full text"Shared Devotion, Shared Food: Equality and the Bhakti-Caste Question in Western India" by Jon Keune deals with an in-depth analysis of Marathi literature from 1854 to 1950, in order to find an answer to the question: "Can the idea that people are equal before God inspire them to treat each other as equals? Can theological egalitarianism lead to social equality?”. While trying to answer such a complex question, the author reveals the strengths and flaws of the so-called "most liberal Hindu religious movement"
Dentro «Il podere» di Federigo Tozzi: la 'tecnica del montaggio'
No full textThis article analyses a particular assembly technique used by Federigo Tozzi in composing his texts. The case of study is offered by one of his major novels, «Il podere» (1921), whose manuscript reveals how Tozzi deliberatly left some descriptives parts to be completed later. To reach this completion, the author could work en plein air, to catch a landscape as a painter would have done, otherwise re-use some pages written years before. In this second case, the pages here re-used are taken from the typescript of «Adele» (1979, posthumous), the well-known first novel never published by Tozzi but rather dis-mantled, put aside and kept in a drawer as a sort of tank of useful pages, to be re-used if necessary
Spatial distribution of metals in the ICM. Evolution of the iron excess in relaxed galaxy clusters
No full textWe investigate the spatial distribution of iron in the intracluster medium (ICM) in a selected sample of 41 relaxed clusters in the redshift range 0.05 < z < 1.03 using Chandra archival data. We compute the azimuthally averaged, deprojected ZFe profile of each cluster out to ~0.4r500, and identify a peak in the distribution of iron followed by a flatter distribution at larger radii. Due to the steep gradient both in gas density and abundance, we find that the emission-weighted iron abundance within 0.2r500, which entirely includes the iron peak in most of the cases, is on average ~25 per cent higher than the mass-weighted value, showing that spatially resolved analysis and accurate deprojection are key to study the evolution of iron enrichment in the very central regions of cool-core clusters.We quantify the extent of the iron distribution in each cluster with a normalized scale parameter rFe, defined as the radius where the iron abundance excess is half of its peak value. We find that rFe increases by a factor of ~3 from z ~ 1 to z ~ 0.1, suggesting that the spatial distribution of iron in the ICM extends with time, possibly due to the mixing with the mechanical-mode feedback from the central galaxy. We also find that the iron mass excess within 0.3r500, when normalized to the total baryonic mass within the same region, does not evolve significantly, showing that this iron mass component is already established at z ~ 1
Environmental factors affecting productivity, indican content and indigo yield in Polygonum tinctorium Ait., a subtropical crop grown under temperate conditions
No full textPolygonum tinctorium Ait. is a herbaceous subtropical annual plant, belonging to the family Polygonaceae. Within the cells of its leaves P. tinctorium accumulates large amounts of a colorless glycoside, indican (indoxyl β-D-glucoside), from which the blue dye indigo is synthesized. P. tinctorium is well-known in Japan, where it had been cultivated to produce natural indigo for textile dyeing, whereas it represents a potentially interesting new crop in Europe. To better understand the effects of environmental parameters on P. tinctorium crop production and indigo yield, field experiments were carried out in central Italy under temperate climate. Three lines were tested during the 2001 and 2002 growing seasons, and plant/leaf yields as well as indican contents were evaluated. The results showed that P. tinctorium grown in temperate climate conditions can be harvested three times a year. Yields of 82 and 120 t ha-1 of fresh plant yield were obtained in 2001 and 2002, respectively. The contrasting weather conditions between the two years significantly affected biomass production, which was higher in the 2002 season, characterized by wet weather conditions. The cycle length from sowing to the last harvest was accomplished in 229-238 days when plants had accumulated 2017-2018 °C. Green leaves accounted for 40-45% by weight of fresh plant tissue and contained 11-20 g kg-1 indican. The three lines did not significantly differ in the main productive parameters or in fresh leaf indican content (14.1 g kg-1 mean value). Photosynthetic active radiation influences indican leaf production according to the model y= 0.0004x + 8.566 (P < 0.01, correlation coefficient =0.818). Indican content ranged from 12 to 25 g kg-1 of fresh leaves with PAR daily values from 10000 to 40000 mEinstein m-2 (recorded in May and at the end of July-beginning of August, respectively). The results indicate that in nonlimiting rainfall conditions a very high indican content and a potentially high indigo yield can be obtained by cultivating P. tinctorium in this pioneer geographical area
On characterization of (E,M)-structures in procategories,
No full textMardesic introduced the concept of pro-reflective (dense) subcategory of a category C in order to define a categorical shape theory for topological spaces. Following the results obtained by the author introducing the (E,M)-factorisation structure on C w.r.t ProC, it is given a characterisation of those classes M for which there exists the class E in the ProC morphisms such that the pair (E,M) is a factorisation structure on C w.r.t. Pro
Differences in leaf yield and indigo precursors production in woad (Isatis tinctoria L.) and Chinese woad (Isatis indigotica Fort.) genotypes
No full textIsatis tinctoria L. (woad) is one of the earliest known sources of indigo in Europe where it was cultivated since the Middle Ages. Isatis indigotica Fort. (Chinese woad), widely distributed in China, had been used from ancient times as indigo-producing plant and medicinal plant. Both species produce indigo precursors indican (indoxyl β-D glucoside) and isatan B (indoxyl ketogluconate) in their leaves. In order to identify new suitable crops for indigo production in Italy, 17 woad lines were studied under field conditions in Central Italy (Pisa, 43°40’N, 10°19’E) from 2001 to 2003.We analyzed the effects of year, genotype, and harvest times together with their reciprocal interactions on leaf yield and indigo precursors production. Woad lines were then compared with seven I. indigotica lines in a field crop experiment set up in 2003. Extraction and quantification of indigo precursors were accomplished by HPLC-ELSD. Isatan B and indican content, as well as equivalent indigo and fresh/dry leaf yield, were compared between species and among genotypes. In I. tinctoria wide variations in phytochemical and agronomic traits were observed among genotypes, with significant differences in isatan B (1–2 g kg-1 FW), indican (0.3–0.7 g kg-1 FW) and leaf yield per harvest (11–22 t FW ha-1). In I. indigotica significant differences were observed in indican (0.3–0.6 g kg-1 FW) and fresh leaf yield per harvest (10–20 t FW ha-1). Chinese woad showed higher isatan B than woad (4.9 and 1.5 g kg-1 FW, respectively). In both species isatan B represented the major precursor, particularly in I. indigotica. The ratio indican:isatan B recorded was 1:5 in woad against 1:14 in Chinese woad, leading to significantly higher +55% equivalent indigo in the latter. Interestingly, I. tinctoria showed good adaptation to Mediterranean climate conditions with high re-growth capacity after harvest and elevated biomass production. Conversely, I. indigotica, although its higher indigo precursors content/leaf weigh, appeared to be more affected by climate conditions and produced 25% leaf yield per hectare per season. The present work identified high indigo yielding genotypes that may be used for genetic improvement in order to re-introduce Isatis species in the agricultural systems of Mediterranean regio
Comparison of quality of Internet pages on human papillomavirus immunization in Italian and in English
No full textPurpose
Information available on the Internet about immunizations may influence parents' perception about human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization and their attitude toward vaccinating their daughters. We hypothesized that the quality of information on HPV available on the Internet may vary with language and with the level of knowledge of parents. To this end we compared the quality of a sample of Web pages in Italian with a sample of Web pages in English.
Methods
Five reviewers assessed the quality of Web pages retrieved with popular search engines using criteria adapted from the Good Information Practice Essential Criteria for Vaccine Safety Web Sites recommended by the World Health Organization. Quality of Web pages was assessed in the domains of accessibility, credibility, content, and design. Scores in these domains were compared through nonparametric statistical tests.
Results
We retrieved and reviewed 74 Web sites in Italian and 117 in English. Most retrieved Web pages (33.5%) were from private agencies. Median scores were higher in Web pages in English compared with those in Italian in the domain of accessibility (p < .01), credibility (p < .01), and content (p < .01). The highest credibility and content scores were those of Web pages from governmental agencies or universities. Accessibility scores were positively associated with content scores (p < .01) and with credibility scores (p < .01). A total of 16.2% of Web pages in Italian opposed HPV immunization compared with 6.0% of those in English (p < .05).
Conclusions
Quality of information and number of Web pages opposing HPV immunization may vary with the Web site language. High-quality Web pages on HPV, especially from public health agencies and universities, should be easily accessible and retrievable with common Web search engines
Ketone Bodies and SIRT1, Synergic Epigenetic Regulators for Metabolic Health: A Narrative Review
No full textKetone bodies (KBs) and Sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) have received increasing attention over the past two decades given their pivotal function in a variety of biological contexts, including transcriptional regulation, cell cycle progression, inflammation, metabolism, neurological and cardiovascular physiology, and cancer. As a consequence, the modulation of KBs and SIRT1 is considered a promising therapeutic option for many diseases. The direct regulation of gene expression can occur in vivo through histone modifications mediated by both SIRT1 and KBs during fasting or low-carbohydrate diets, and dietary metabolites may contribute to epigenetic regulation, leading to greater genomic plasticity. In this review, we provide an updated overview of the epigenetic interactions between KBs and SIRT1, with a particular glance at their central, synergistic roles for metabolic health
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