Post-postmodernists can’t jump

Il contributo intende analizzare la rappresentazione del basket in “Vanilla Dunk” di Jonathan Lethem. L’ipotesi che si intende dimostrare è che l’autore usi il basket per orchestrare una riflessione meta-letteraria sull’eredità del postmodernismo letterario. Le regole del basket fantascientifico inventato da Lethem si prestano perfettamente a rappresentare alcuni tic della letteratura postmodernista: in “Vanilla Dunk,” ciascun giocatore indossa una ipertuta che gli permette di giocare campionando lo stile di un grande cestista del passato. Questi giocatori costretti a praticare uno sport destinato solo a ripetere all’infinito momenti di partite che sono già state giocate da altri echeggiano le ansie di Lethem e dei suoi contemporanei: cosa vuol dire fare letteratura dopo che una generazione di rivoluzionari ha ribaltato il tavolo della finzione letteraria svelandone i meccanismi nascosti? quando le storie da raccontare sono state esaurite e la letteratura sembra destinata a rappresentare sempre e solo sé stessa? Facendo leva sulle analisi del postmodernismo letterario condotte tra gli altri da Patricia Waugh e John Barth, il saggio intende soffermarsi in particolare sui tre personaggi principali del racconto, che incarnano altrettante possibili strategie per relazionarsi con questa ingombrante eredità. Tra una accettazione acritica ma superficiale del funambolismo stilistico postmodernista e un ritorno a un realismo ormai anacronistico, Lethem sembra invocare la necessità di una terza via. Il saggio tenta infine di definire i connotati di questa terza via, analizzando il finale del racconto di Lethem alla luce delle riflessioni di David Foster Wallace sugli anti-rebels letterari

Screening for developmental disorders in 3- and 4-year-old italian children: a preliminary study

BACKGROUND: The "Osserviamo" project, coordinated by the Municipality of Rome and the Department of Pediatrics and Child Neuropsychiatry of Sapienza University, aimed to validate an Italian version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 and to collect, for the first time in Italy, data on developmental disorders in a sample of 4,000 children aged 3 and 4 years. The present paper presents the preliminary results of the "Osserviamo" project. METHODS: 600 parents of children between 39 and 50 months of age (divided in two age stages: 42 and 48 months) were contacted from 15 kindergarden schools. RESULTS: 23.35% of the whole sample scored in the risk range of at least one developmental area of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3rd Edition (ASQ-3) and 7.78% scored in the clinical range. Specifically, 23.97% of the children in the 42-month age stage scored in the risk range and 5.79% scored in the clinical range. Males scored lower than females in the fine motor skills and personal-social development domains. Moreover, 22.79% of the children in the 48-month age stage scored in the risk range, while 9.55% scored in the clinical range. Males scored lower than females in fine motor skills. CONCLUSION: Italian validation of the ASQ-3 and recruitment of all 4,000 participants will allow these data on the distribution of developmental disorders to be extended to the general Italian pediatric population. One main limitation of the study is the lack of clinical confirmation of the data yielded by the screening programme, which the authors aim to obtain in later stages of the study

Biotechnology in the Conservation Field: Removal of Sulphates Using Bacteria and Bioconsolidation of Paintings and Stuccos

The aim of this study was to explore the use of biotechnologies in the restoration of wall paintings and stuccos which often show a great complexity regarding constitutive materials and conservative conditions. ‘Biological methods’ were compared to traditional methods, focusing on restoring the cohesion of the superficial layers (bioconsolidation) and the removal of sulphates (biocleaning) often found on the frescoes as decay products. The experimentation took place as part of a graduate thesis and was divided in two stages: the first was spent in the laboratory working on samples of painted plaster and the second was spent in situ, on the frescoes and stuccos in the Church of Santa Pudenziana in Rome, Italy. Application of the products was followed by a campaign of investigations aimed at determining the efficacy, and the advantages and disadvantages of these methods compared to conventional ones

Risk analysis and reliability of the GERDA Experiment extraction and ventilation plant at Gran Sasso mountain underground laboratory of Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics

The aim of this study is the risk analysis evaluation about argon release from the GERDA experiment in the Gran Sasso underground National Laboratories (LNGS) of the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN). The GERDA apparatus, located in Hall A of the LNGS, is a facility with germanium detectors located in a wide tank filled with about 70 m3 of cold liquefied argon. This cryo-tank sits in another water-filled tank (700 m3) at atmospheric pressure. In such cryogenic processes, the main cause of an accidental scenario is lacking insulation of the cryo-tank. A preliminary HazOp analysis has been carried out on the whole system. The risk assessment identified two possible top-events: explosion due to a Rapid Phase Transition - RPT and argon runaway evaporation. Risk analysis highlighted a higher probability of occurrence of the latter top event. To avoid emission in Hall A, the HazOp, Fault Tree and Event tree analyses of the cryogenic gas extraction and ventilation plant have been made. The failures related to the ventilation system are the main cause responsible for the occurrence. To improve the system reliability some corrective actions were proposed: the use of UPS and the upgrade of damper opening devices. Furthermore, the Human Reliability Analysis identified some operating and management improvements: action procedure optimization, alert warnings and staff training. The proposed model integrates the existing analysis techniques by applying the results to an atypical work environment and there are useful suggestions for improving the system reliability

Various Projects Pertaining to Time Domain Terahertz Spectroscopy

Spin dynamics have the potential to greatly impact future electronic devices; However, they are not fully understood within materials. We aim to improve the present day understanding and models of spin within magnetic materials based upon their interactions with light. To this end, we report on three major projects concerning measurements of NiPS3, fabrication of spintronic terahertz emitters, and an exploration of Topological Data Analysis for time domain data.This work was supported by the Center for Emergent Materials, an NSF MRSEC, under award number DMR-2011876No embargoAcademic Major: Physic

Chronic bacterial prostatitis: efficacy of short-lasting antibiotic therapy with prulifloxacin (Unidrox®) in association with saw palmetto extract, lactobacillus sporogens and arbutin (Lactorepens®)

Bacterial prostatitis (BP) is a common condition accounting responsible for about 5-10% of all prostatitis cases; chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP) classified as type II, are less common but is a condition that significantly hampers the quality of life, (QoL) because not only is it a physical condition but also a psychological distress. Commonly patients are treated with antibiotics alone, and in particular fluoroquinolones are suggested by the European Urology guidelines. This approach, although recommended, may not be enough. Thus, a multimodal approach to the prolonged antibiotic therapy may be helpful.210 patients affected by chronic bacterial prostatitis were enrolled in the study. All patients were positive to Meares-Stamey test and symptoms duration was > 3 months. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of a long lasting therapy with a fluoroquinolone in association with a nutraceutical supplement (prulifloxacin 600 mg for 21 days and an association of Serenoa repens 320 mg, Lactobacillus Sporogens 200 mg, Arbutin 100 mg for 30 days). Patients were randomized in two groups (A and B) receiving respectively antibiotic alone and an association of antibiotic plus supplement.Biological recurrence at 2 months in Group A was observed in 21 patients (27.6%) and in Group B in 6 patients (7.8%). Uropathogens found at the first follow-up were for the majority Gram - (E. coli and Enterobacter spp.). A statistically significant difference was found at the time of the follow-up between Group A and B in the NIH-CPSI questionnaire score, symptoms evidence and serum PSA.Broad band, short-lasting antibiotic therapy in association with a nutritional supplement (serenoa repens, lactobacillus sporogens and arbutin) show better control and recurrence rate on patients affected by chronic bacterial prostatitits in comparison with antibiotic treatment alone.NCT02130713Date of trial Registration: 30/04/2014

IMAGEM DIGITAL EM MOVIMENTO E PROCESSOS POÉTICOS DE CRIAÇÃO

This paper analyzes digital images with structural and poetics issues of themovement. Proposes an understanding of artistic possibilities of digital imaging throughthe categorization of three stages to the process of the digital image: dematerialization,ubiquity and replicability. These images have undergone some process of analog captureby cameras and then were codificated. Then, they can be aesthetic and sinesthesictransformed according to the possibilities afforded by digital technology. The studyincludes the main factors that are unique to digital, enabling innovative artistic ideasthrough new media emerge. For this, three contemporary artworks were chosen, whichproposes an innovative visual enjoyment and reflection on the current art in times ofconvergence of media.Este trabalho reúne análises sobre as imagens digitais com questõesestruturais e poéticas do movimento. Propõe uma compreensão das possibilidadesartísticas da imagem digital através da categorização de três estágios da imagemdigitalizada: desmaterialização, ubiqüidade e replicabilidade. Trata-se de imagens quepassaram por algum processo de captura analógica, por meio de câmeras e após isso,foram digitalizadas. A partir dai, podem sofrer transformações estéticas e sinestésicas deacordo com as possibilidades oferecidas pela tecnologia digital. O trabalho inclui osprincipais fatores que são singulares ao universo digital, que permitem concepçõesartísticas particulares através das novas mídias surgidas. Para isso, foram escolhidas trêsobras artísticas contemporâneas, que propõe uma fruição visual inovadora e umareflexão atual a respeito da arte em tempos de convergência das mídias