All'ombra del "vicerè": polizie e controllo del territorio tra il Regio Commissariato Civile per la Sicilia e il processo Notarbartolo

In tutta Europa il XIX secolo fu un tempo di modernizzazione e di crescita degli stati. Il processo di costruzione delle amministrazioni determin\uf2, nel corso di quegli anni, l\u2019invenzione o il rafforzamento di molte istituzioni per controllare il territorio, una storia europea e anche della nostra Penisola. Il passato delle forze di polizia italiane postunitarie \ue8 una storia agli inizi e, tra i vari autori, si possono indicare almeno gli interventi di Jonathan Dunnage, Steven C. Hughes, John Davis, Giovanna Tosatti e, pi\uf9 recenti, di Nicola Labanca, Luigi Vergallo, Simona Mori, Michele Di Giorgio, Laura di Fabio e Francesco Benigno. Nel riferimento a tali studi, e nel quadro di un\u2019analisi di lungo periodo, ho ricostruito, per la mia tesi di dottorato, la collocazione sul territorio degli uffici di pubblica sicurezza, vale a dire dei luoghi ove erano impiegati gli ufficiali di polizia dello Stato italiano, dal 1862 al 1914. Sulla base dei dati riportati dal Calendario Generale del Regno, annuario dello Stato italiano, la mia tesi mostra che la Sicilia era la regione ove la presenza della Pubblica Sicurezza italiana era maggiore e pi\uf9 capillarmente diffusa. Poste le riflessioni sviluppate a partire da tale constatazione, e in particolare l\u2019analisi del rapporto tra presenza di polizie e forza delle \ue9lite locali, \ue8 nel quadro di questa indagine di lungo periodo che la mia ricerca si \ue8 poi sviluppata in un focus sulla Sicilia della fine del XIX secolo, al tempo del \u201cvicer\ue9\u201d Codronchi. All\u2019indomani della sconfitta di Adua, nel 1896, il nuovo presidente del Consiglio, Antonio di Rudin\uec, diede vita a una istituzione di decentramento burocratico, il Regio Commissariato Civile per la Sicilia. Tra le prime forma di intervento speciale nel Mezzogiorno, tale istituzione prevedeva la subordinazione di tutte le province siciliane alle indicazioni di un commissario civile, appunto il senatore Giovanni Codronchi Argeli, allo scopo di sanarne i bilanci comunali e provinciali e pacificarle dopo la militarizzazione seguita alla repressione dei Fasci siciliani. Sulla base dell\u2019ampia documentazione conservata in molti archivi della Penisola, la tesi ricostruisce anche lo svolgersi degli eventi tra il 1896 e il 1897, lungo i rapporti tra Codronchi e i socialisti siciliani, nella descrizione delle vicende legate agli scioperi dei minatori e nei vari e importanti episodi di storia locale. Ci\uf2 che emerge, oltre al chiaro modello di una polizia fortemente dipendente dalle forze militari, \ue8 il ruolo centrale dei delegati di pubblica sicurezza nella vita dei comuni dell\u2019Isola, in un difficile equilibrio tra esigenze del centro e richieste di \ue9lite e popolazioni locali. Nello snodo di questi rapporti, la tesi si conclude con l\u2019analisi della riapertura del processo Notarbartolo, incarico segreto affidato a Codronchi da Rudin\uec e che, pi\uf9 che l\u2019emergere di una tenebrosa organizzazione mafiosa, rappresenta il primo esempio del manifestarsi del paradigma sicilianista, ma, forse ancor di pi\uf9, dell\u2019apparire sulla scena nazionale del cosiddetto paradigma democratico, spesso accennato dalla storiografia ma raramente affrontato in maniera sistematica

Cell cycle regulation of proliferation versus differentiation in the central nervous system

Formation of the central nervous system requires a period of extensive progenitor cell proliferation, accompanied or closely followed by differentiation; the balance between these two processes in various regions of the central nervous system gives rise to differential growth and cellular diversity. The correlation between cell cycle lengthening and differentiation has been reported across several types of cell lineage and from diverse model organisms, both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, different cell fates might be determined during different phases of the preceding cell cycle, indicating direct cell cycle influences on both early lineage commitment and terminal cell fate decisions. Significant advances have been made in the last decade and have revealed multi-directional interactions between the molecular machinery regulating the processes of cell proliferation and neuronal differentiation. Here, we first introduce the modes of proliferation in neural progenitor cells and summarise evidence linking cell cycle length and neuronal differentiation. Second, we describe the manner in which components of the cell cycle machinery can have additional and, sometimes, cell-cycle-independent roles in directly regulating neurogenesis. Finally, we discuss the way that differentiation factors, such as proneural bHLH proteins, can promote either progenitor maintenance or differentiation according to the cellular environment. These intricate connections contribute to precise coordination and the ultimate division versus differentiation decision

Identification of a novel spliced variant of the SYT gene expressed in normal tissues and in synovial sarcoma

Synovial sarcoma (SS) is cytogenetically characterized by the translocation t(X;18)(p11.2-q11.2) generating a fusion between the SYT gene on chromosome 18 and one member of the SSX family gene (SSX1; SSX2; SSX4) on chromosome X. Here, we report for the first time that 2 forms of SYT mRNA are present in both normal tissues and SSs. By amplifying the full-length SYT cDNA of two SSs, we detected 2 bands, here designated N-SYT and I-SYT. The latter, previously undescribed, contains an in-frame insertion of 93 bp. Its sequencing revealed a 100% homology with the mouse SYT gene. These two SYT forms were present, although in different amounts, in all human normal tissues examined, including kidney, stomach, lung, colon, liver and synovia. Coexistence of N-SYT and I-SYT (both fused with SSX) was detected in a series of 59 SSs (35 monophasic and 24 biphasic) and in a SS cell line. A preliminary analysis of the differential expression levels of N-SYT and I-SYT in SSs revealed that the latter was consistently overexpressed, suggesting a role in SS pathogenesis. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.co

The expression of MDM2/CDK4 gene product in the differential diagnosis of well differentiated liposarcoma and large deep-seated lipoma

Ordinary lipomas are cytogenetically characterized by a variety of balanced rearrangements involving chromosome segment 12q13–15, whereas well differentiated liposarcomas (WDL) show supernumerary ring and giant marker chromosomes, known to contain amplified 12q sequences. The tight correlation between the presence of ring chromosomes and both amplification and overexpression of MDM2 and CDK4 genes suggests the exploration of the possibility that immunocytochemistry (ICC) might assist in the differential diagnosis of lipoma-like well differentiated liposarcomas (LL-WDL) and large deep-seated lipomas (LDSL). For this purpose, 21 cases of the former and 19 cases of the latter tumours were analysed by ICC and, according to the availability of material, by molecular and cytogenetic approaches. All lipomas displayed a null MDM2/CDK4 phenotype, whereas all LL-WDL showed MDM2/CDK4 or CDK4 phenotypes. Southern blot analysis performed on 16 suitable cases, complemented by fluorescence in situ hybridization and classical cytogenetic analysis in 11 cases, was consistent with, and further supported the immunophenotyping data. In conclusion, MDM2/CDK4 product-based immunophenotyping appears to represent a valuable method for the categorization of arguable LDSL. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaig

Biofunctionalised bacterial cellulose scaffold supports the patterning and expansion of human embryonic stem cell-derived dopaminergic progenitor cells.

BACKGROUND: Stem cell-based therapies for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease are a promising approach in regenerative medicine and are now moving towards early stage clinical trials. However, a number of challenges remain including the ability to grow stem cells in vitro on a 3-dimensional scaffold, as well as their loss, by leakage or cell death, post-implantation. These issues could, however, be helped through the use of scaffolds that support the growth and differentiation of stem cells both in vitro and in vivo. The present study focuses on the use of bacterial cellulose as an in vitro scaffold to promote the growth of different stem cell-derived cell types. Bacterial cellulose was used because of its remarkable properties such as its wettability, ability to retain water and low stiffness, all of which is similar to that found in brain tissue. METHODS: We cultured human embryonic stem cell-derived progenitor cells on bacterial cellulose with growth factors that were covalently functionalised to the surface via silanisation. Epifluorescence microscopy and immunofluorescence were used to detect the differentiation of stem cells into dopaminergic ventral midbrain progenitor cells. We then quantified the proportion of cells that differentiated into progenitor cells and compared the effect of growing cells on biofunctionalised cellulose versus standard cellulose. RESULTS: We show that the covalent functionalisation of bacterial cellulose sheets with bioactive peptides improves the growth and differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into dopaminergic neuronal progenitors. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the biocompatible material, bacterial cellulose, has potential applications in cell therapy approaches as a means to repair damage to the central nervous system, such as in Parkinson's disease but also in tissue engineering

In vitro, ex vivo and in vivo techniques to study neuronal migration in the developing cerebral cortex

Neuronal migration is a fundamental biological process that underlies proper brain development and neuronal circuit formation. In the developing cerebral cortex, distinct neuronal populations, producing excitatory, inhibitory and modulatory neurotransmitters, are generated in different germinative areas and migrate along various routes to reach their final positions within the cortex. Different technical approaches and experimental models have been adopted to study the mechanisms regulating neuronal migration in the cortex. In this review, we will discuss the most common in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo techniques to visualize and study cortical neuronal migration

Neurogenin3 phosphorylation controls reprogramming efficiency of pancreatic ductal organoids into endocrine cells

β-cell replacement has been proposed as an effective treatment for some forms of diabetes, and in vitro methods for β-cell generation are being extensively explored. A potential source of β-cells comes from fate conversion of exocrine pancreatic cells into the endocrine lineage, by overexpression of three regulators of pancreatic endocrine formation and β-cell identity, Ngn3, Pdx1 and MafA. Pancreatic ductal organoid cultures have recently been developed that can be expanded indefinitely, while maintaining the potential to differentiate into the endocrine lineage. Here, using mouse pancreatic ductal organoids, we see that co-expression of Ngn3, Pdx1 and MafA are required and sufficient to generate cells that express insulin and resemble β-cells transcriptome-wide. Efficiency of β-like cell generation can be significantly enhanced by preventing phosphorylation of Ngn3 protein and further augmented by conditions promoting differentiation. Taken together, our new findings underline the potential of ductal organoid cultures as a source material for generation of β-like cells and demonstrate that post-translational regulation of reprogramming factors can be exploited to enhance β-cell generation

Phospho-regulation of ATOH1 Is Required for Plasticity of Secretory Progenitors and Tissue Regeneration

The intestinal epithelium is largely maintained by self-renewing stem cells but with apparently committed progenitors also contributing, particularly following tissue damage. However, the mechanism of, and requirement for, progenitor plasticity in mediating pathological response remain unknown. Here we show that phosphorylation of the transcription factor Atoh1 is required for both the contribution of secretory progenitors to the stem cell pool and for a robust regenerative response. As confirmed by lineage tracing, Atoh1+ cells (Atoh1(WT)CreERT2 mice) give rise to multilineage intestinal clones both in the steady state and after tissue damage. In a phosphomutant Atoh1(9S/T-A)CreERT2 line, preventing phosphorylation of ATOH1 protein acts to promote secretory differentiation and inhibit the contribution of progenitors to self-renewal. Following chemical colitis, Atoh1+ cells of Atoh1(9S/T-A)CreERT2 mice have reduced clonogenicity that affects overall regeneration. Progenitor plasticity maintains robust self-renewal in the intestinal epithelium, and the balance between stem and progenitor fate is directly coordinated by ATOH1 multisite phosphorylation