Between Localism and Diaspora: The Sicilian Perspective on Megara’s World

In the last twenty-five years, the study of ancient Greek migrations and diasporas has witnessed a sea-change of new approaches that have radically redefined and reinvigorated their subjects. This paper begins by arguing that these approaches have been little applied to Megarian studies, and that older, “colonial” frameworks continue to shape recent scholarship. In particular, it is the search for cultural and institutional similarities between Megara and its “colonies,” as so classically formulated by Krister Hanell in 1934, that has limited scholarship to a narrow range of questions and perspectives. This paper illustrates this problem and the possibilities introduced by the newer approaches by focusing on the Megarian city-states of Sicily, Megara Hyblaia and Selinous. The discussion is grounded in a microregional approach, which seeks to embed these city-states in their local and regional settings. While Megarian culture at home and abroad could share similar features, clear differences also emerge, revealing that the Megarian migrant communities developed through a combination of local and diasporic elements

Studio sperimentale di carburatori a regolazione elettronica

Lo studio effettuato in questa tesi rientra nell’ambito di un contratto stipulato fra il Dipartimento di Energetica dell’Università di Pisa e la Dell’Orto S.p.A ed indirizzato allo studio di sistemi di dosatura del combustibile a basso costo da utilizzare su motori di piccola cilindrata per la riduzione delle emissioni inquinanti, necessità dettata dalla prossima entrata in vigore delle direttive antinquinamento dell’Unione europea. A tal fine è stato ideato un carburatore a controllo elettronico, in grado di formare miscele a titolo variabile grazie all’azione di un solenoide pilotato da una centralina elettronica che ne varia l’intervento su dei condotti dell’aria di diluizione. Lo scopo di questa tesi è stato di valutare l’effettiva possibilità, da parte del sistema carburatore-centralina, di variare il titolo della miscela adottando una particolare logica di retroazione. Tale logica ha preso in considerazione il legame esistente tra durata temporale del ciclo e titolo della miscela. Durante lo svolgimento della tesi l’attenzione è stata però indirizzata, più che sulla messa a punto del sistema di retroazione, sullo studio delle irregolarità cicliche del titolo della miscela introdotte dal carburatore a controllo elettronico, dato che le prove di funzionamento del motore mostravano una marcata instabilità che rendeva problematico l’utilizzo in retroazione del segnale di durata temporale del ciclo termodinamico. Lo studio ha mostrato che il particolare tipo di carburatore elettronico utilizzato, malgrado capace di variare in maniera sufficiente il titolo della miscela, non era però adatto ad essere utilizzato con la logica di controllo voluta

A comparison between APSK and QAM in wireless tactical scenarios for land mobile systems

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Ofd1 Controls Dorso-Ventral Patterning and Axoneme Elongation during Embryonic Brain Development.

Oral-facial-digital type I syndrome (OFDI) is a human X-linked dominant-male-lethal developmental disorder caused by mutations in the OFD1 gene. Similar to other inherited disorders associated to ciliary dysfunction OFD type I patients display neurological abnormalities. We characterized the neuronal phenotype that results from Ofd1 inactivation in early phases of mouse embryonic development and at post-natal stages. We determined that Ofd1 plays a crucial role in forebrain development, and in particular, in the control of dorso-ventral patterning and early corticogenesis. We observed abnormal activation of Sonic hedgehog (Shh), a major pathway modulating brain development. Ultrastructural studies demonstrated that early Ofd1 inactivation results in the absence of ciliary axonemes despite the presence of mature basal bodies that are correctly orientated and docked. Ofd1 inducible-mediated inactivation at birth does not affect ciliogenesis in the cortex, suggesting a developmental stage-dependent role for a basal body protein in ciliogenesis. Moreover, we showed defects in cytoskeletal organization and apical-basal polarity in Ofd1 mutant embryos, most likely due to lack of ciliary axonemes. Thus, the present study identifies Ofd1 as a developmental disease gene that is critical for forebrain development and ciliogenesis in embryonic life, and indicates that Ofd1 functions after docking and before elaboration of the axoneme in vivo

Blood pressure and lipid profile in young women: the role of anthropometric measurement

Composição corporal tem importância fundamental para a qualidade de vida e é um forte preditor de mortalidade e morbidade nos seres humanos. A identificação e o monitoramento da quantidade de gordura corporal têm recebido atenção especial no que se refere aos aspectos relacionados com a promoção da saúde, não apenas de suas ações na prevenção e no controle das doenças cardiovasculares, mas também pela sua associação com fatores de risco, especialmente em níveis de lipídeos plasmáticos e da pressão arterial. Foi investigado a relação entre o índice de massa corporal (IMC) e percentual de gordura corporal (% GC) pela bioimpedância elétrica (BIA), com os níveis de pressão arterial (sistólica e diastólica) e lipídeos séricos (CT, HDL-c, LDL-c, VLDL-c, TG). Em um grupo de 57 mulheres (com idades entre 18 e 26 anos de idade), a obesidade foi detectada em cinco e 19 mulheres, IMC (≥ 30 kg/m2) e % BF (≥ 30%), respectivamente. IMC e % GC foram positivamente correlacionados com a pressão arterial (sistólica e diastólica), e altamente significativos no grupo dos obesos pelo % GC. Além disso, o IMC e % GC foram significativamente correlacionados com todos os lipídios e frações de lipoproteínas VLDL-C e triglicérides, respectivamente. Estes resultados sugerem que o % GC é um bom indicador de “obesidade oculta” em indivíduos com índice de massa corporal normal. Que o uso associado de IMC e % GC para melhor avaliar a obesidade pode melhorar o estudo dos níveis de pressão arterial e alterações de lipídios que é geralmente associada à obesidade.Body composition has fundamental importance in the quality of life and is a powerful predictor of mortality and morbidity in humans. The identification and monitoring of the amount of body fat have been receiving special attention in aspects related to health promotion, not just for its actions in the prevention and in the control of cardiovascular diseases but also for their induction and association with risk factors, especially in the plasmatic lipid levels and arterial pressure. It was investigated the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (%BF) by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) with the blood pressure levels (systolic and diastolic) and serum lipids (TC, HDL-c, LDL-c, VLDL-c, TG). In a group of fifty seven women (aged 18 to 26 years old ), obesity was detected in 5 and 19 women by BMI (≥ 30 kg/m2) and %BF (≥ 30%), respectively. BMI and % BF were positively correlated with blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), and highly significant in the obese group by %BF. Moreover, BMI and % BF were significantly correlated with all lipids and lipoprotein fractions VLDL-c and triglyceride, respectively. These results suggest that %BF is a good indicator of “occult obesity” in subjects with normal body mass index. The associated use of BMI and %BF to better evaluate obesity may improve the study of blood pressure levels and serum lipid changes that are commonly associated with obesity

Light, long-lived and secluded: can gluinos be driven out from LEP1 data ?

We briefly report about a possible settlement of the still ongoing dispute concerning the existence of SUSY signals in 4jet events at LEP1. We base our arguments on a simple selection strategy exploiting secondary vertex tagging and kinematical constraints, which could allow one to access or exclude gluino events for a broad range of masses and lifetimes.Comment: 10 pages, LaTeX, 3 PostScript figures embedded with epsfig. Complete ps paper and figures available also at ftp://ftae3.ugr.es/pub/rmt/ugrft70.p

ADAR1 is a new target of METTL3 and plays a pro-oncogenic role in glioblastoma by an editing-independent mechanism

Background: N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing are two of the most abundant RNA modification events affecting adenosines in mammals. Both these RNA modifications determine mRNA fate and play a pivotal role in tumor development and progression. Results: Here, we show that METTL3, upregulated in glioblastoma, methylates ADAR1 mRNA and increases its protein level leading to a pro-tumorigenic mechanism connecting METTL3, YTHDF1, and ADAR1. We show that ADAR1 plays a cancer-promoting role independently of its deaminase activity by binding CDK2 mRNA, underlining the importance of ADARs as essential RNA-binding proteins for cell homeostasis as well as cancer progression. Additionally, we show that ADAR1 knockdown is sufficient to strongly inhibit glioblastoma growth in vivo. Conclusions: Hence, our findings underscore METTL3/ADAR1 axis as a novel crucial pathway in cancer progression that connects m6A and A-to-I editing post-transcriptional events

Insolita causa di addome acuto in paziente adulto: l’ileo biliare

L’ileo biliare è una condizione morbosa rara descritta tra le complicanze della litiasi della colecisti. È causa dell’1-3% delle ostruzioni meccaniche del piccolo intestino. Interessa più frequentemente pazienti di età compresa tra 63 e 85 anni. La diagnosi pre-operatoria è generalmente posta con ritardo variabile da 1 a 10 giorni per l’assenza di una sintomatologia specifica. Caso clinico. Gli Autori riportano il caso di un uomo di 50 anni in cui è stata posta diagnosi di occlusione meccanica del piccolo intestino da voluminosa concrezione litiasica. L’occlusione ileale è stata dimostrata con la TC. Il paziente è stato sottoposto in urgenza ad intervento chirurgico, in un unico tempo, di enterolitotomia, colecistectomia e riparazione della fistola duodenale. Il decorso clinico è stato regolare e il paziente è stato dimesso in XIV giornata. Discussione. Nel nostro caso la diagnosi di ileo biliare è stata posta con un ritardo di 5 giorni. L’ecotomografia del fegato e delle vie biliari non è stata in grado di visualizzare la colecisti. La diagnosi è stata posta con la TC che si conferma gold standard diagnostico. Conclusioni. Lo stato clinico del paziente influenza la strategia chirurgica. Nel nostro paziente, considerato a basso rischio, è stato possibile l’intervento chirurgico in un unico tempo. La procedura in due tempi, enterolitotomia e successiva colecistectomia con riparazione della fistola, va riservata ai pazienti ad alto rischio

Malaria in an asylum seeker paediatric liver transplant recipient: diagnostic challenges for migrant population

Transplanted patients are particularly exposed to a major risk of infectious diseases due to prolonged immunosuppressive treatment. Over the last decade, the growing migration flows and the transplant tourism have led to increasing infections caused by geographically restricted organisms. Malaria is an unusual event in organ transplant recipients than can be acquired primarily or reactivation following immunosuppression, by transfusion of blood products or through the transplanted organ. We report a rare case of Plasmodium falciparum infection in a liver transplanted two years-old African boy who presented to one Italian Asylum Seeker Center on May 2019. We outlined hereby diagnostic challenges, possible aetiologies of post-transplantation malaria and finally we summarized potential drug interactions between immunosuppressive agents and antimalarials. This report aims to increase the attention to newly arrived migrants, carefully evaluating patients coming from tropical areas and taking into consideration also rare tropical infections not endemic in final destination countries