Forme e decorazioni vascolari standardizzate nella cultura di Catignano (5600-4800 Cal BC): Un caso di condivisione di "Unità di Misura" nel Neolitico Italiano

La Cultura di Catignano (5600-4800 aC cal) rientra pienamente nelle “facies a bande rosse” (o ceramiche bicromiche) caratteristiche dell’area centro-meridionale italiana. La concordanza delle forme vascolari riscontrata tra i diversi siti permette di sostenere che i vasi rappresentassero un elemento unificante all’interno dell’intera la sfera culturale: il fatto che fossero prodotti con una determinata forma, impiegando un preciso tipo di impasto e soprattutto con dimensioni standardizzate sembra infatti indicare la presenza di un modello condiviso da tutte le genti della Cultura di Catignano per rispondere a norme sociali ben precise

Relevance of electron spin dissipative processes to dynamic nuclear polarization via thermal mixing

The available theoretical approaches aiming at describing Dynamic Nuclear spin Polarization (DNP) in solutions containing molecules of biomedical interest and paramagnetic centers are not able to model the behaviour observed upon varying the concentration of trityl radicals or the polarization enhancement caused by moderate addition of gadolinium complexes. In this manuscript, we first show experimentally that the nuclear steady state polarization reached in solutions of pyruvic acid with 15 mM trityl radicals is substantially independent from the average internuclear distance. This evidences a leading role of electron (over nuclear) spin relaxation processes in determining the ultimate performances of DNP. Accordingly, we have devised a variant of the Thermal Mixing model for inhomogenously broadened electron resonance lines which includes a relaxation term describing the exchange of magnetic anisotropy energy of the electron spin system with the lattice. Thanks to this additional term, the dependence of the nuclear polarization on the electron concentration can be properly accounted for. Moreover, the model predicts a strong increase of the final polarization on shortening the electron spin-lattice relaxation time, providing a possible explanation for the effect of gadolinium doping.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figure

Role of the glassy dynamics and thermal mixing in the dynamic nuclear polarization and relaxation mechanisms of pyruvic acid

The temperature dependence of $^1$H and $^{13}$C nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate $1/T_1$ has been studied in the 1.6 K - 4.2 K temperature range in pure pyruvic acid and in pyruvic acid containing trityl radicals at a concentration of 15 mM. The temperature dependence of $1/T_1$ is found to follow a quadratic power law for both nuclei in the two samples. Remarkably the same temperature dependence is displayed also by the electron spin-lattice relaxation rate $1/T_{1e}$ in the sample containing radicals. These results are explained by considering the effect of the structural dynamics on the relaxation rates in pyruvic acid. Dynamic nuclear polarization experiments show that below 4 K the $^{13}$C build up rate scales with $1/T_{\text{1e}}$, in analogy to $^{13}$C $1/T_1$ and consistently with a thermal mixing scenario where all the electrons are collectively involved in the dynamic nuclear polarization process and the nuclear spin reservoir is in good thermal contact with the electron spin system.Comment: 14 pages, 13 figure

Igeni: Reinforcing Hygiene Practices in Children Through Dynamic Products

Igeni is a set of dynamic products designed to lead children towards autonomy in their personal hygiene practices. The set is composed of three objects: the Billy Brush toothbrush, the Wally Wash faucet-ring and the Fanny Flush toilet reminder. These interactive products are designed to enhance skills of personal hygiene in preschool children, thanks to sensors and actuators for multisensory communication. In this paper, we present the design process that led to the creation of this set of products and we describe the design outcome, consisting of a setoff objects aimed at exploiting the child’s senses to convey messages, to create engaging experiences and to encourage healthy practices. We also present and discuss preliminary tests with users

Theatricality and the Endgames of Sculpture in the Work of Alik Cavaliere, 1960-1989

This thesis re-examines the practice of postwar Italian artist Alik Cavaliere (1926 - 1998), in light of the artist's private journals. The study constitutes the first substantial English scholarly examination of Cavaliere's work, with extensive excerpts from the journals translated here for the first time. Offering an unprecedented perspective on the development of Cavaliere's practice, the thesis investigates the extent to which the artist engaged with the broader landscape of contemporary art debates in Europe and the United States on the status of sculpture. From the 'death of sculpture' proclaimed by Arturo Martini in 1945 to the transformation of sculpture into monumental-anti-monumental environments in the practices of artists spanning Claes Oldenburg, Arte Povera exponents, and Louise Bourgeois, the study traces the evolution of the medium through the second half of the 20th century. This framework allows for an in-depth exploration of Cavaliere's work as a complex laboratory where contemporary questions concerning the status, boundaries, and ethical implications of sculpture as a semi-performative art form interacting with viewers and the surroundings are dissected and wrestled with. Ultimately, the thesis presents Cavaliere's practice as a case study for examining international developments in sculpture between 1960 and 1989 and for understanding these as a means of showing the contemporary significance of a medium that had been deemed outmoded

Medical treatment of early stage and rare histological variants of epithelial ovarian cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer is often considered a single pathological entity, but increasing evidence suggests that it is rather a group of different neoplasms, each with unique pathological characteristics, molecular features, and clinical behaviours. This heterogeneity accounts for the different sensitivity to antineoplastic drugs and makes the treatment of ovarian tumours a challenge. For early-stage disease, as well as for heavily pre-treated patients with recurrent ovarian cancer, the benefit of chemotherapy remains uncertain. Clear-cell, mucinous, low-grade serous, and endometrioid carcinomas show different molecular characteristics, which require different therapeutic approaches. In the era of personalised cancer medicine, understanding the pathogenesis and the genetic background of each subtype of epithelial ovarian tumour may lead to a tailored therapy, maximising the benefits of specific treatments and possibly reducing the side effects. Furthermore, personal factors, such as the patient’s performance status, should be taken into account in the management of ovarian cancer, with the aim of safeguarding the patients’ quality of life

Evidence of thermal transport anisotropy in stable glasses of vapour deposited organic molecules

Vapour-deposited organic glasses are currently in use in many optoelectronic devices. Their operation temperature is limited by the glass transition temperature of the organic layers and thermal management strategies become increasingly important to improve the lifetime of the device. Here we report the unusual finding that molecular orientation heavily influences heat flow propagation in glassy films of small molecule organic semiconductors. The thermal conductivity of vapour-deposited thin-film semiconductor glasses is anisotropic and controlled by the deposition temperature. We compare our data with extensive molecular dynamics simulations to disentangle the role of density and molecular orientation on heat propagation. Simulations do support the view that thermal transport along the backbone of the organic molecule is strongly preferred with respect to the perpendicular direction. This is due to the anisotropy of the molecular interaction strength that limit the transport of atomic vibrations. This approach could be used in future developments to implement small molecule glassy films in thermoelectric or other organic electronic devices.Comment: main manuscript: 17 pages and 7 figures; supplementary material: 6 pages and 7 figure

Contatti e scambi tra la cultura serra d'alto e i vasi a bocca quadrata: Il caso delle Ollette tipo San Martino

Il lavoro illustra la distribuzione delle cosiddette ollette San Martino in contesti funerari riconducibili alle culture che si sviluppano durante il V millennio a.C. rispettivamente a Sud e a Nord della penisola italiana. I vasi esaminati, globulari a bocca ristretta e realizzati in ceramica figulina, caratterizzano alcuni corredi funerari della fase più recente della cultura peninsulare di Serra d’Alto, talvolta con connotati di prestigio, e sono presenti anche in diverse sepolture femminili della cultura dei Vasi a Bocca Quadrata in area padana e alpina. L’esatta riproduzione formale del tipo peninsulare e la coerenza dell’uso in contesto funerario rivelano una inattesa condivisione di rituali e di valori simbolici tra due mondi geográficamente distanti