"Troubler l'ordre de l'oubli": traduzione e commento dell'opera creola Coulée d'or di Ernest Pépin.

Il presente lavoro di tesi si compone di due sezioni: la traduzione del testo Coulée d'or del guadalupeano Ernest Pépin e un commento critico. Dopo aver inquadrato l'autore in un contesto e aver fornito una panoramica delle sue opere, il commento letterario si propone di analizzare le principali caratteristiche del récit d'enfance. In particolare si è cercato di dimostrare come una certa destrutturazione del récit si inneschi nella dialettica della créolité e miri alla creazione dell'identità non solo del singolo, ma anche dell'intera comunità antillana. In seguito si considerano le peculiarità linguistiche e stilistiche dell'opera (la lingua creola, le principali figure di stile e le immagini) presentando al contempo le problematiche incontrate nella traduzione. Le soluzioni proposte sono frutto di un processo di negoziazione e mirano, quanto più possibile, a rispettare l'intenzione dell'autore e a ricreare l'effetto di straniamento sul lettore italiano

O problema moral do aborto e o Argumento do Futuro com Valor

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Filosofia, Florianópolis, 2014.Esta dissertação trata do problema de saber se o aborto é moralmente permissível. Na bibliografia contemporânea sobre o tema, as posições que procuram solucioná-lo são designadas através das expressões "pró-vida" e "pró-escolha", sendo a primeira defendida por quem é contra o aborto e a segunda pelos que são a favor da sua permissibilidade. Tendo em conta essa caracterização, apresentaremos, no primeiro capítulo, quatro argumentos a favor da posição pró-vida: o argumento pró-vida comum, o argumento da potencialidade, o argumento de Hare e o argumento kantiano de Gensler. No segundo capítulo, exporemos quatro argumentos a favor da posição pró-escolha: o argumento pró-escolha comum, o argumento feminista da autonomia, o argumento de Thomson e o argumento de Tooley. Cabe ressaltar que os dois primeiros capítulos não são meramente expositivos, uma vez que discutimos ativamente algumas objeções aos argumentos mencionados. Finalmente, no terceiro e último capítulo, apresentaremos o chamado "Argumento do Futuro com Valor" (AFV), procurando defendê-lo das cinco principais objeções que sofrera. A conclusão a que chegamos é que o AFV nos fornece justificativa racional para adotar a posição pró-vida moderada - a tese de que prima facie o aborto não é moralmente permissível.Abstract : This thesis deals with the question of whether or not abortion is morally permissible. In the contemporary literature about the issue, the positions which attempt to solve it are referred by the phrases "pro-life" and "prochoice", being the first held by those who are against abortion and the second by those who stand in favor of its moral permissibility. Having this characterization in mind, we will present in the first chapter four arguments for the pro-life position: the common pro-life argument, the potentiality argument, Hare's argument and the Genler's Kantian argument. In the second chapter, we will expose four arguments for the pro-choice position: the common pro-choice argument, the feminist argument of autonomy, Thomson's argument and Tooley's argument. It is important to note that the first two chapters are not merely expository, since we actively discuss the main objections to the approached arguments. Finally, in the third and last chapter, we will present the so called "Future of Value Argument" (FVA) and attempt to defend it from the five main objections directed against it. The conclusion we reachedis that the FVA gives us rational justification to adopt a moderate prolife position - the claim that abortion is prima facie morally impermissible

Postnatal and non-invasive prenatal detection of β-thalassemia mutations based on Taqman genotyping assays

The β-thalassemias are genetic disorder caused by more than 200 mutations in the β-globin gene, resulting in a total (β0) or partial (β+) deficit of the globin chain synthesis. The most frequent Mediterranean mutations for β-thalassemia are: β039, β+ VSI-110, β+IVSI-6 and β0IVSI-1. Several molecular techniques for the detection of point mutations have been developed based on the amplification of the DNA target by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), but they could be labor-intensive and technically demanding. On the contrary, Taq- Man® genotyping assays are a simple, sensitive and versatile method suitable for the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping affecting the human β-globin gene. Four Taq- Man® genotyping assays for the most common β-thalassemia mutations present in the Mediterranean area were designed and validated for the genotype characterization of genomic DNA extracted from 94 subjects comprising 25 healthy donors, 33 healthy carriers and 36 β- thalassemia patients. In addition, 15 specimens at late gestation (21-39 gestational weeks) and 11 at early gestation (5-18 gestational weeks) were collected from pregnant women, and circulating cell-free fetal DNAs were extracted and analyzed with these four genotyping assays. We developed four simple, inexpensive and versatile genotyping assays for the postnatal and prenatal identification of the thalassemia mutations β039, β+IVSI-110, β+IVSI-6, β0IVSI-1. These genotyping assays are able to detect paternally inherited point mutations in the fetus and could be efficiently employed for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis of β-globin gene mutations, starting from the 9th gestational week

Efficient Delivery of MicroRNA and AntimiRNA Molecules Using an Argininocalix[4]arene Macrocycle

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNA molecules acting as gene regulators by repressing translation or by inducing degradation of the target RNA transcripts. Altered expression of miRNAs may be involved in the pathogenesis of many severe human diseases, opening new avenues in the field of therapeutic strategies, i.e., miRNA targeting or miRNA mimicking. In this context, the efficient and non-toxic delivery of premiRNA and antimiRNA molecules might be of great interest. The aim of the present paper is to determine whether an argininocalix[4]arene is able to efficiently deliver miRNA, premiRNA, and antimiRNA molecules to target cells, preserving their biological activity. This study points out that (1) the toxicity of argininocalix[4]arene 1 is low, and it can be proposed for long-term treatment of target cells, being that this feature is a pre-requisite for the development of therapeutic protocols; (2) the delivery of premiRNA and antimiRNA molecules is efficient, being higher when compared with reference gold standards available; and (3) the biological activity of the premiRNAs and antimiRNAs is maintained. This was demonstrated using the argininocalix[4]arene 1 in miRNA therapeutic approaches performed on three well-described experimental model systems: (1) the induction of apoptosis by antimiR-221 in glioma U251 cells; (2) the induction of apoptosis by premiR-124 in U251 cells; and (3) the inhibition of pro-inflammatory IL-8 and IL-6 genes in cystic fibrosis IB3-1 cells. Our results demonstrate that the argininocalix[4]arene 1 should be considered a very useful delivery system for efficient transfer to target cells of both premiRNA and antimiRNA molecules, preserving their biological activity

Faint Luminescent Ring over Saturn’s Polar Hexagon

Springtime insolation is presently advancing across Saturn's north polar region. Early solar radiation scattered through the gaseous giant's atmosphere gives a unique opportunity to sound the atmospheric structure at its upper troposphere/lower stratosphere at high latitudes. Here, we report the detection of a tenuous bright structure in Saturn's northern polar cap corresponding to the hexagon equatorward boundary, observed by Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer on 2013 June. The structure is spectrally characterized by an anomalously enhanced intensity in the 3610-3730 nm wavelength range and near 2500 nm, pertaining to relatively low opacity windows between strong methane absorption bands. Our first results suggest that a strong forward scattering by tropospheric clouds, higher in respect to the surrounding cloud deck, can be responsible for the enhanced intensity of the feature. This can be consistent with the atmospheric dynamics associated with the jet stream embedded in the polar hexagon. Further investigations at higher spectral resolution are needed to better assess the vertical distribution and microphysics of the clouds in this interesting region

Clouds and hazes vertical structure mapping of Saturn 2011 - 2012 giant vortex by means of Cassini VIMS data analysis

On December 2010 a giant storm erupted in Saturn's North hemisphere. A giant vortex formed in the storm wake and persisted after the principal outburst exhausted on July 2011. The vortex had been imaged several times by the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) on board the Cassini probe starting from May 2011 and it was still present in observations recorded on June 2013. In this work we have analyzed the vortex data recorded by the visual channel of the spectrometer (VIMS-V) in August 2011 and January 2012. An inverse model, based on the Bayesian approach and using the Gauss-Newton iterative method to minimize the cost function, has been developed to analyze those data. The model takes advantage of the results of a supporting forward radiative transfer model which relies on the assumptions of plane parallel atmosphere, multiple scattering, Mie theory to compute particles single scattering properties, and molecular scattering adapted to Saturn's atmosphere. Applying the inverse model we could retrieve the microphysical and geometrical properties of the clouds and hazes overlying the vortex and produce spatial maps for each retrieved parameter. Thanks to this study, the vertical structure of the hazes in this region has been quantitatively addressed for the first time. The comparative analysis of the results from the two observations seems to suggest that in 6 months the atmospheric dynamics, responsible for the formation and subsistence of the vortex, is weakening and the atmosphere is returning to a more stationary state. In addition, we suggest a correction for the imaginary part of the refractive index of the tropopause haze. This new value, that allows a better convergence between observed and simulated spectra, does not yet identify a composition of the haze and further investigation is needed to understand the real nature of the need for such a modification

Visible-Infrared spectral characterization of 3200 Phaethon at its closest approach to Earth

The asteroid 3200 Phaethon is a peculiar object with a very eccentric orbit with a perihelion located at only 0.14 AU and it has been dynamically associated with the Geminid meteor stream (Gustafson 1989; Williams & Wu 1993; Jenniskens 2006, and references therein). Phaethon is a B-class asteroid and it is linked with carbonaceous species and hydrated silicates such as phyllosilicates. Good match of the Phaeton spectra are the aqueously altered CI/CM meteorites (Licandro, 2007) and the CK meteorites (Clark et al. 2010). The asteroid 3200 Phaethon is the target of the Destiny + Space mission, managed by Japanese Space Agency (Jaxa), which will perform a close rendevouz with this asteroid, with the scientific objectives of studying its surface properties and assessing its cometary activity in terms of release of dust and volatiles. The December 2017 Phaethon Earth approach have been a very important event since it was about 10 times closer than any other future approach predicted at least for the next 20 years. In that occasion, we observed the asteroid at the 3.5 mt Telescopio Nazionale Galileo in the spectral interval (0.4-2-5 μm).We obtained three spectra in the Visible from 0.4 to 0.8 μmm, with a strong fringing longward of 0.8 μmm which doesn't allow to use the data between 0.8 and 1 μmm. The spectra are featureless, however, the slope of two spectra agrees well with many previous observations of Phaeton (see e.g. Licandro et al, 2006). One spectra show, instead, a bluer behaviour, similarly to the unique previous observation by Luu and Jewitt (1993). The IR spectrum is almost featureless, with very weak features at the limit of the S/N which at present are under investigation

A database of aerosols and gases coefficients for VIS-NIR radiative transfer in the Solar System planetary atmospheres

Radiative transfer (RT) modelling of planetary atmospheres allows to obtain extremely valuable information about these environments. The computation of optical properties of the aerosols and gases, that is heavily time consuming, is always required as input for both forward models and inversion algorithms. We provide look up tables for these coefficients, ready to be ingested in RT solvers, in the visible and near infrared spectral ranges and covering the main species of the Solar System planets' atmospheres. Gases absorption coefficients have been computed with the line-by-line approach from the HITRAN 2012 spectral database and an improved method to interpolate them is suggested. Aerosols single scattering properties have been computed using the Mie and Rayleigh models for a set of selected species relevant for planetary atmospheres. Optimization in terms of tabulated wavelengths and maximum number of Legendre polynomial expansion terms has been performed for each species