L'arte di dire l'esilio

International audienceThe article develops an argument about the exile of Dante in order to identify some critical issues posed by this "historical fact" as well as this "textual data". First, the author considers the problem of a proper historical evaluation of Dante's exile in keeping with recent propositions coming from studies of medieval history and historical sociology of intellectual groups. Then, focusing on Dante's answers to the problem of the say-ability (dicibilità) of his own political experience, the author highlights the refusal be Dante of the "erotic-political" discourse - which was instead typical of the Sicilian and Tuscan poetry as well as of ovidian Tristia and Epistulae ex-Pontus. By this way, the author points out the gradual shift in Dante's authorship and self-representation from a Boethian model to the reinvention of the apostolic-prophetic model. The conclusions highlight the paradoxes of authorship launched by Dante and by him delivered to the Italian literary tradition.Quest'articolo investiga l'esilio di Dante in modo da fare emergere alcuni problemi posti da questo "fatto storico" non meno che da questo" dato testuale. In primo luogo, l'autore considera il problema di una corretta valutazione storica dell'esilio di Dante sulla scorta di alcuni recenti proposte formulate nell'ambito degli studi di medievistica e di sociologia storica dei gruppi intellettuali. Quindi, focalizzandosi sulle risposte date da Dante al problema della dicibilità della sua esperienza politica, l'autore sottolinea il rifiuto da parte di Dante del regime discorsivo "erotico-politico" - proprio invece della tradizione poetica Siciliana e Toscana, così come degli ovidiani Trista e Epistulae ex Ponto. In tal modo, l'autore sottolinea il progressivo slittamento nella costruzione autoriale di Dante da un modello boeziano alla riformulaizone dei modello apostolico-profetico. Le conclusioni sottolineano i paradossi dell'autorialità varata da Dante e da lui consegnata alla tradizione letteraria italiana

Poetica verbale e figurativa delle due città: note sul Firenze, BML, Plus. 12.17

Quest’articolo sottolinea la dimensione poetica delle due città agostiniane, civitas Dei e terrena (o diaboli), per poi esaminare il suo diveso trattamento in sede verbale sia in sede figurativa. Come termine di comparazione è preso come esempio un celebre manoscritto miniato de De civitate Dei (Plut. 12.17). In accordo tanto con il trattato agostiniano quanto con la sua ricezione medievale, l’articolo offre nuova e originale interpretazione delle quattro tavole miniate che aprono questo manoscritto.This article points out the poetic dimension of the two cities defined by S. Augustine, the civitas Dei and the civitas terrena (or diaboli); then it considers the different treatment of such a dimension in the verbal and in the visual code. In order to develop this comparison the author examines a well-known illuminated manuscript of the De civitate Dei (Plut. 12.17; Canterbury? 1120-1130). In keeping with the Augustinian treatise as well as with its medieval reception, the article offers a new and original insight of the four depicted folios, which open this manuscript

Poetica verbale e figurativa delle due città: note sul Firenze, BML, Plus. 12.17

Quest’articolo sottolinea la dimensione poetica delle due città agostiniane, civitas Dei e terrena (o diaboli), per poi esaminare il suo diveso trattamento in sede verbale sia in sede figurativa. Come termine di comparazione è preso come esempio un celebre manoscritto miniato de De civitate Dei (Plut. 12.17). In accordo tanto con il trattato agostiniano quanto con la sua ricezione medievale, l’articolo offre nuova e originale interpretazione delle quattro tavole miniate che aprono questo manoscritto.This article points out the poetic dimension of the two cities defined by S. Augustine, the civitas Dei and the civitas terrena (or diaboli); then it considers the different treatment of such a dimension in the verbal and in the visual code. In order to develop this comparison the author examines a well-known illuminated manuscript of the De civitate Dei (Plut. 12.17; Canterbury? 1120-1130). In keeping with the Augustinian treatise as well as with its medieval reception, the article offers a new and original insight of the four depicted folios, which open this manuscript

«Poetica verbale e figurativa delle due città note sul Firenze, BML, PLUT. 12.17»

Resumen: Quest'articolo sottolinea la dimensione poetica delle due città agostiniane, civitas Dei e terrena (o diaboli), per poi esaminare il suo diveso trattamento in sede verbale sia in sede figurativa. Come termine di comparazione è preso come esempio un celebre manoscritto miniato de De civitate Dei (Plut. 12.17). In accordo tanto con il trattato agostiniano quanto con la sua ricezione medievale, l'articolo offre nuova e originale interpretazione delle quattro tavole miniate che aprono questo manoscritto.Palabras clave: Agostino. De civitate Dei. Civitas terrena. Civitas diaboli. Saeculum. Canterbury. Polisemia. Equivocità. Poetica verbale. Poetica figurativa. Antitesi.Abstract: This article points out the poetic dimension of the two cities defined by S. Augustine, the civitas Dei and the civitas terrena (or diaboli); then it considers the different treatment of such a dimension in the verbal and in the visual code. In order to develop this comparison the author examines a well-known illuminated manuscript of the De civitate Dei (Plut. 12.17; Canterbury? 1120-1130). In keeping with the Augustinian treatise as well as with its medieval reception, the article offers a new and original insight of the four depicted folios, which open this manuscript.Keywords: Augustin. De civitate Dei. Civitas terrena. Civitas diaboli. Saeculum. Canterbury. Polisemy. Ambiguity. Verbal poetry. Visual poetry. Antithesis

Neural stem cells engrafted in the adult brain fuse with endogenous neurons.

n/

Cholesterol-loaded nanoparticles ameliorate synaptic and cognitive function in Huntington's disease mice

Brain cholesterol biosynthesis and cholesterol levels are reduced in mouse models of Huntington's disease (HD), suggesting that locally synthesized, newly formed cholesterol is less available to neurons. This may be detrimental for neuronal function, especially given that locally synthesized cholesterol is implicated in synapse integrity and remodeling. Here, we used biodegradable and biocompatible polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) modified with glycopeptides (g7) and loaded with cholesterol (g7-NPs-Chol), which per se is not blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeable, to obtain high-rate cholesterol delivery into the brain after intraperitoneal injection in HD mice. We report that g7-NPs, in contrast to unmodified NPs, efficiently crossed the BBB and localized in glial and neuronal cells in different brain regions. We also found that repeated systemic delivery of g7-NPs-Chol rescued synaptic and cognitive dysfunction and partially improved global activity in HD mice. These results demonstrate that cholesterol supplementation to the HD brain reverses functional alterations associated with HD and highlight the potential of this new drug-administration route to the diseased brain

A comparative absorption study of sucrosomial® orodispersible vitamin D3 supplementation vs. a reference chewable tablet and soft gel capsule vitamin D3 in improving circulatory 25(OH)D levels in healthy adults with vitamin D deficiency—Results from a prospective randomized clinical trial

BackgroundVitamin D (Vit D) deficiency (VDD), associated with diverse health conditions, is commonly treated with Vit D3 supplements. However, the gastrointestinal (GI) absorption of Vit D3 in different formulations has not been well studied.ObjectiveWe aimed to compare the absorption of an innovative phospholipids-sucrester matrix biodelivery vehicle-based (sucrosomial®) orodispersible Vit D3 preparation against a reference chewable tablet and soft gel capsule (SGC) Vit D3 formulations in Vit D-deficient healthy adults.MethodsIn study 1, 25 subjects were randomized to receive a weekly single dose of 200,000 IU of sucrosomial® Vit D3 (n = 12) or chewable tablet Vit D3 (n = 13) for 3 weeks. In study 2, 20 subjects were randomized to receive a single dose of 200,000 IU every other week of sucrosomial® Vit D3 (n = 10) or SGC Vit D3 (n = 10) for 6 weeks. Circulatory 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D] levels were reassessed after 2, 3, and 6 weeks in study 1 and after 4 and 6 weeks in study 2.ResultsIn study 1, after 2 weeks, circulatory 25(OH)D levels increased significantly in both Vit D3 treatment groups (p < 0.0001) but improved markedly in the sucrosomial® Vit D3 group, with no further considerable change after 3 and 6 weeks in both groups. Overall, at all three follow-ups, sucrosomial® Vit D3 treatment achieved significantly higher and sustained 25(OH)D levels (p < 0.001). In study 2, after 4 weeks, both Vit D3 treatment groups showed significant improvement in circulatory 25(OH)D levels (p < 0.0001) but substantially higher in the sucrosomial® group with statistically significant differences between the two treatment groups (p = 0.02). At the 6-week follow-up, only subjects in the sucrosomial® Vit D3 group showed a further increase in circulatory 25(OH)D levels (p = 0.049), but no further significant changes in the levels of the SGC Vit D3 group (p = 0.062), showing a statistically significant difference between the two treatment groups (p = 0.002). The Vit D3 treatment was well tolerated by all participants, and no treatment-emergent effects or serious adverse events were reported.ConclusionOur results suggest that the sucrosomial® Vit D3 preparation absorbs efficiently in the GI system, achieving adequately higher and sustained circulatory Vit D levels in VDD, and thus can effectively contribute to the body protection against VDD-associated health conditions.Clinical trial registrationclinicaltrials.gov, identifier: NCT05706259

REST Controls Self-Renewal and Tumorigenic Competence of Human Glioblastoma Cells

The Repressor Element 1 Silencing Transcription factor (REST/NRSF) is a master repressor of neuronal programs in non-neuronal lineages shown to function as a central regulator of developmental programs and stem cell physiology. Aberrant REST function has been associated with a number of pathological conditions. In cancer biology, REST has been shown to play a tumor suppressor activity in epithelial cancers but an oncogenic role in brain childhood malignancies such as neuroblastoma and medulloblastoma. Here we examined REST expression in human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) specimens and its role in GBM cells carrying self-renewal and tumorigenic competence. We found REST to be expressed in GBM specimens, its presence being particularly enriched in tumor cells in the perivascular compartment. Significantly, REST is highly expressed in self-renewing tumorigenic-competent GBM cells and its knock down strongly reduces their self-renewal in vitro and tumor-initiating capacity in vivo and affects levels of miR-124 and its downstream targets. These results indicate that REST contributes to GBM maintenance by affecting its self-renewing and tumorigenic cellular component and that, hence, a better understanding of these circuitries in these cells might lead to new exploitable therapeutic targets

Firenze, 1300-1301. Compagni e Villani (con i loro lettori) a Santa Trìnita e il "cacciare con molta offensione" (If 6, 66)

ITALIANO: Il saggio esamina i racconti del “biennio bianco” 1300-1301 di Dino Compagni e Giovanni Villani, e dei loro lettori e interpreti, dalle riscritture di Leonardo Bruni, Niccolò Machiavelli e Scipione Ammirato fino agli studi di Isidoro Del Lungo e Robert Davidsohn. L’esame e il confronto con altre cronache minori del XIV secolo (si veda «Reti Medievali - Rivista», 17 [2016], 2, 113-151) conduce a una nuova lettura di queste testimonianze, che rende conto delle evasività del racconto di Dino Compagni e rilegge non solo il senso complessivo di questa fase storica ma anche quello specifico del riferimento a questi fatti da parte di Dante nel canto VI dell’Inferno. / ENGLISH: The essay examines the accounts about the “white biennium” 1300-1301 provided by Dino Compagni and Giovanni Villani, as well as by their readers and modern interpreters (Leonardo Bruni, Niccolò Machiavelli and Scipione Ammirato up to Isidoro Del Lungo and Robert Davidsohn). The scrutiny and the comparison with other minor chronicles of the 14th century (see «Reti Medievali - Rivista», 17 [2016], 2, 113-151) leads to a new interpretation of these witnesses, which explains the evasiveness in the account by Dino Compagni and provides not only a new reading of the overall sense of this historical phase but also of the specific sense of Dante’s reference to these facts in the canto VI of the Inferno

Firenze, 1300-1301. Le cronache antiche (XIV secolo ineunte)

Le narrazioni storiografiche relative allo scontro tra guelfi bianchi e neri nella Firenze del 1300-1301 dipendono largamente da fonti cronachistiche. Nondimeno, queste si sono fondate tradizionalmente sulle cronache maggiori (Compagni e Villani), facendo ricorso alle compilazioni minori trecentesche solo in modo cursorio. Il saggio sviluppa un’analisi sistematica delle testimonianze su questi fatti offerte dalle compilazioni minori (Pseudo Petrarca, Pseudo Brunetto, napoletano-gaddiana, Paolino Pieri, marciana-magliabechiana e “cronichetta magliabechiana”). L’esame mira a ricostruire, sulla base di questo campione specifico, il sistema di relazioni che lega tra loro le compilazioni minori e, di conseguenza, a meglio apprezzare la qualità dell’informazione di ciascuna. Dall’esame emerge la notevole ricchezza dello Pseudo Petrarca nei manoscritti trecenteschi, nonché la qualità straordinaria dell’informazione storica della compilazione marciana-magliabechiana. I racconti offerti da Dante, Compagni e Villani, così come le interpretazioni che ne sono state date, costituiranno invece l’oggetto di un saggio di prossima pubblicazione