Il rischio della fine in Nottetempo, Casa per casa di vincenzo consolo

This essay aims to analyse the novel, Nottetempo, casa per casa (1992), byVincenzo Consolo, considering the motif of the end of the world as a centraland unifying element of the different levels on which the narrative unfolds.While The Birth of Tragedy by Friedrich Nietzsche is the intellectual referencefor the novel, the considerations by the anthropologist Ernesto De Martino onthe apocalypse allows us to interpret Nottetempo as a response to thepsychological, cultural and literary risk of the “end” experienced in these threedifferent areas

1860 E Nuovomondo: due diverse “Storie” di subalterni siciliani a confronto

The article compares two films set in Sicily, 1860 by Blasetti and Nuovomondo by Crialese, which focus on the representation of the subaltern. Through a narrative and technical analysis of the two works, the aim is to show how Crialese through the lens of postcolonial theory subverts the overall idea of history that informs a classical work such as Blasetti’s film, including the role assigned to the subaltern within society

Partial constraint singularities in elastic rods

We present a unified classical treatment of partially constrained elastic rods. Partial constraints often entail singularities in both shapes and reactions. Our approach encompasses both sleeve and adhesion problems, and provides simple and unambiguous derivations of counterintuitive results in the literature. Relationships between reaction forces and moments, geometry, and adhesion energies follow from the balance of energy during quasistatic motion. We also relate our approach to the balance of material momentum and the concept of a driving traction. The theory is generalizable and can be applied to a wide array of contact, adhesion, gripping, and locomotion problems.Comment: edited tex

Structural Features Governing the Near-Edge X-ray Absorption Spectra of Lead Halide Perovskites

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) represents the ideal complement to diffraction techniques to investigate the structure of materials. Despite its strong points and the abundance of studies devoted to lead halide perovskites for application in optoelectronics, XAS has been applied to lead halide perovskites rather infrequently to date, and with varying degrees of success. In the search of generalizable approaches to be applied to data analysis of XAS spectra of halide perovskites with different compositions, we present here an experimental and computational study on a hybrid Pb/Bi iodide solid solution as a model for halide perovskites with different compositions

Constant-angle surfaces in liquid crystals

We discuss some properties of surfaces in R3 whose unit normal has constant angle with an assigned direction field. The constant angle condition can be rewritten as an Hamilton-Jacobi equation correlating the surface and the direction field. We focus on examples motivated by the physics of interfaces in liquid crystals and of layered fluids, and discuss the properties of the constant-angle surfaces when the direction field is singular along a line (disclination) or at a point (hedgehog defect

Modelling the structural disorder in trigonal-prismatic coordinated transition metal dichalcogenides

Trigonal-prismatic coordinated transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are formed from stacked (chalcogen)-(transition metal)-(chalcogen) triple layers, where the chemical bond is covalent within the triple layers and van der Waals (vdW) forces are effective between the layers. Bonding is at the origin of the great interest in these compounds, which are used as 2D materials in applications such as catalysis, electronics, photoelectronics, sensors, batteries and thermoelectricity. This paper addresses the issue of modelling the structural disorder in multilayer TMDCs. The structural model takes into account stacking faults, correlated displacement of atoms and average crystallite size/shape, and is assessed by simulation of the X-ray diffraction pattern and fitting to the experimental data relative to a powdered sample of MoS2 exfoliated and restacked via lithiation. From fitting, an average crystallite size of about 50 angstrom, nearly spherical crystallites and a definite probability of deviation from the fully eclipsed atomic arrangement present in the ordered structure are determined. The increased interlayer distance and correlated intralayer and interlayer atomic displacement are attributed to the presence of lithium intercalated in the vdW gap between triple layers (Li/Mo molar ratio of about 0.06). The model holds for the whole class of trigonal-prismatic coordinated TMDCs, and is suitably flexible to take into account different preparation routes

Analyzing post modern consumer behavior and beef consumption patterns: Insights from Sicilian market

In current events, consumers are subject to various stimuli (advertising campaigns, popular magazines, social) that affect their marginal consumption propensity. However, as Economic Theory teaches us, the marginal propensity to consume does not necessarily translate into consumer spending. This is strongly affected by consumers' eating habits and other variables that determine where the consumption phenomenon occurs. The study aims to analyze post-modern consumer behavior toward beef consumption. An online questionnaire was administered to 535 Sicilian participants to achieve this goal. Statistical analyses were performed by R statistical software, using two-tailed P-values, and setting statistical significance at P <= 0.05. The results show that consumption choices are influenced by beef meat's impact on health. In addition, consumers consider the origin and certifications of the raw material to be extremely crucial

Long-Term Stability of TiS2–Alkylamine Hybrid Materials

Layered TiS2 intercalated with linear alkylamines has recently attracted significant interest as a model compound for flexible n-type thermoelectric applications, showing remarkably high power factors at room temperature. The thermal and, particularly, environmental stability of such materials is, however, a still an open challenge. In this paper, we show that amine-intercalated TiS2 prepared by a simple mechanochemical process is prone to chemical decomposition through sulfur exsolution, and that the presence of molecular oxygen is likely to mediate the decomposition reaction. Through computational analysis of the possible reaction pathways, we propose that Ti-N adducts are formed as a consequence of amine groups substituting for S vacancies on the internal surfaces of the S-Ti-S layers. These findings provide insights for possible future applications of similar hybrid compounds as devices operating in ambient conditions, and suggest isolating them from atmospheric oxygen