THE 'MASSERIA ROTA' IN NAPLES (ITALY). A VERNACULAR HERITAGE TO PRESERVE

Abstract. The 'Masseria Rota' in Cercola, near Naples, is one of the best-preserved examples of the important vernacular architectural heritage of the Vesuvian area. Built in the 17th century upon more ancient pre-existences, the farm is an extraordinary example of the construction capabilities typical of the Neapolitan area and the dual vocation, productive and residential of the Vesuvian 'masserie'. The production area for slaughter and winemaking – located on the basement floor and still in good condition – coexists with the residential part with a sober decorative apparatus, enriched by the nineteenth-century transformations. Its planimetric U-shaped layout denounces a development for subsequent integrations that is also evident from the mensiochronological analysis of the walls. Unfortunately, despite the its indisputable historical, architectural and documentary value, the 'Masseria Rota' is in a serious state of abandonment, suffocated by contemporary buildings often devoid of specific values. The contribution to be presented illustrates the results of a teaching experiment that aims to propose methodological guidelines for the drafting of a restoration project aware and respectful of the identity of the aforementioned 'Masseria', and intends to provide a contribution of knowledge for the preservation and enhancement of a vernacular building heritage present on the slopes of Vesuvius, guiltily forgotten and abandoned in recent decades, which, instead, represents one of the most interesting and important of the settlement and construction modes of a territory inhabited since antiquity – despite the cyclical destructions caused by the volcanic activity of Vesuvius – for its environmental and landscape characteristics

Magnesium in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Obesity, and Metabolic Syndrome

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Magnesium and hypertension in old age

Hypertension is a complex condition in which various actors and mechanisms combine, resulting in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications that today represent the most fre-quent causes of mortality, morbidity, disability, and health expenses worldwide. In the last decades, there has been an exceptional amount of experimental, epidemiological, and clinical studies confirm-ing a close relationship between magnesium deficit and high blood pressure. Multiple mechanisms may help to explain the bulk of evidence supporting a protective effect of magnesium against hypertension and its complications. Hypertension increases sharply with advancing age, hence older persons are those most affected by its negative consequences. They are also more frequently at risk of magnesium deficiency by multiple mechanisms, which may, at least in part, explain the higher frequency of hypertension and its long-term complications. The evidence for a favorable effect of magnesium on hypertension risk emphasizes the importance of broadly encouraging the intake of foods such as vegetables, nuts, whole cereals and legumes, optimal dietary sources of magnesium, avoiding processed food, which are very poor in magnesium and other fundamental nutrients, in order to prevent hypertension. In some cases, when diet is not enough to maintain an adequate magnesium status, magnesium supplementation may be of benefit and has been shown to be well tolerated

Dietary Patterns and Healthy or Unhealthy Aging

Background: The aging process is complex, comprising various contributing factors influencing late-life conditions and eventual occurrence of chronic diseases that generate high financial and human costs. These factors include genetic proneness, lifestyle conducted throughout life, environmental conditions, as well as dietary aspects, among others, all together modulating precise pathways linked to aging, making longevity a multidimensional event. Summary: Compelling evidence support the concept that nutritional determinants have major impact on the risk of age-associated non-communicable diseases as well as mortality. Nutrition research has turned in recent years from considering isolated nutrients or foods to focusing on combinations of foods in dietary patterns in relation to their associations with health outcomes. This narrative review focuses attention on dietary patterns that may contribute to healthy or unhealthy aging and longevity with examples of traditional dietary patterns associated with healthy longevity and reviewing the association of healthy plant-based and unhealthy ultra-processed diets with frailty, a condition that may be considered a hallmark of unhealthy aging. Key Message: There is currently accumulated evidence confirming the key role that dietary patterns mainly of plant origin may exert in modifying the risk of age-associated chronic diseases and healthy longevity. These types of dietary models, unlike those in which the use of ultra-processed food is frequent, are associated with a reduced risk of frailty and, consequently, with healthy aging

OPTOELECTRONICALLY ACTIVE DINUCLEAR RHENIUM(I) AND MANGANESE(I) COMPLEXES: FROM DESIGN TO APPLICATIONS

Energy is definitely the most important resource for mankind, and sunlight is without any doubt the ultimate energy source.[1] Unfortunately, solar energy is not useful for mankind unless converted into the final usable forms: heat, electricity, and fuels. Conversion of solar energy into heat is straightforward, but conversion of solar energy into electricity or fuel poses several problems, strongly limiting the conversion efficiency.[2] Since we cannot modify the solar spectrum, we need to find materials capable of exploiting sunlight through the threshold mechanism with the highest possible efficiency. Taking into account the average spectral distribution of solar energy, the most favorable threshold is about 885 nm (1.4 eV), which, in principle, allows 33% of energy conversion efficiency.[3] Summing up, the amount of energy we can actually get from the average solar power striking the surface of the earth depends on our capacity of developing the conversion and storage devices we need with the materials we have on our planet. In the last five years, the photovoltaic systems worldwide have undergone substantial development in terms of manufacturing distribution (largely shifted from Europe to Asia), global deployment, and even new photoactive materials.[4] Over 90% of today commercial solar cells are still based on the very same material and basic concepts developed in the 50\u2019s at the Bell Laboratories: light-induced charge separation at a p\u2013n junction between two wafers of p- and n-doped silicon in either single-crystal or polycrystalline form (sc-Si and poly-Si, respectively). The global share of Si PV has increased from 80% in 2009 to over 90% in 2014, because the main competitors, the so called \u201c2nd generation solar cells\u201d, thin film technologies like cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper-gallium-indium selenide (CIGS), and amorphous silicon (a-Si) have grown at a much lower rate.[4] Indeed, Silicon is the second most abundant and uniformly distributed element on the earth\u2019s crust and there is no risk of shortage in any foreseeable future. By contrast, In, Ga, Se, Te, and Cd exhibit a way smaller crustal abundance and, accordingly, they are collected only as byproducts of minerals containing mostly other elements (Cu, Zn, and Al).[5] The third wave of PV technologies entering the market should be based on DSSC and OPV. Expectations for their market debut have been high for years,[6-8] but so far they have materialized only to a very small extent. At present, the market share of these two technologies is still virtually zero, despite a few flagship demonstration projects, which support technical feasibility.[9-10] Compared to the already established technologies, DSSC and OPV can offer easier building integration, in windows and facades, good performances also in non-standard illumination and temperature conditions, and lower requirements in terms of quantity and quality of raw materials. They can be manufactured at smaller economic and energetic cost and their energy payback times are estimated to be shorter than conventional thin-film technologies. The photoactive materials, including dyes, polymeric and small molecular semiconductors, play a key role in influencing physical processes involved in energy conversion, which in turn determine the electrical characteristics of the solar cell. Several types of organic and inorganic dyes are now available, as well as solid-state devices including the redox mediator, as a result of a massive research effort throughout 25 years. Despite the marked increase in the understanding of the DSSC and OPV solar cells, there remain numerous challenges related to cell/module performance and stability that need to be addressed before this technology can be deployed on a large scale. In this Ph.D. thesis we have focused our attention on dinuclear Re and Mn complexes able to act as active materials in optoelectronic applications, such as dye-sensitized solar cells, organic photovoltaics devices (Re) and electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 or H2 generation (Mn). Indeed, considering the state-of-the-art of the knowledge about the dinuclear rhenium complexes containing 1,2-diazine ligands developed in our research group, starting from the pioneering studies on the halide derivatives and their application as dopants in OLED devices and as dyes for bio-imaging, we tried here to extend and tune the properties of these complexes, potentially widening their possible application in various sub-fields of optoelectronics. Therefore, starting from complexes with general formula [M2(\u3bc-X)(\u3bc-Y)(CO)6(\u3bc-R-diazine)] (M=Re, Mn), being X and Y two anionic bridging ligands, we have carried out tailored syntheses with joint experimental and theoretical studies, in order to gain a deeper insight into the electronic processes involved in these classes of compounds. The spectroscopic and/or catalytic properties of the new complexes have been modulated by varying the substituents on the diazine ligand, as well as the nature of the ancillary ligands, thus modulating the LUMO and the HOMO energy level, respectively. Some of these materials were also successfully tested as dyes in DSSC devices. This thesis is basically divided in four main sections 1) New class of Re complexes with lower energy-gap and/or long lived excited state as triplet photosensitizer for triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) based upconversion 2) New class of hydrido Re complexes and their applications in DSSC solar cells 3) New low-band gap metallo-copolymers based on Re complexes as donors in bulk-heterojunction solar cell 4) New polynuclear Mn complexes containing diazine ligands It is clear that this thesis is the result of a highly multidisciplinary, and therefore collaborative, research work. We have collaborated with various research groups both in Italy and Europe: The electrochemical characterizations have been carried out in collaboration with Prof. Patrizia Mussini (Dipartimento di Chimica, Universit\ue0 degli Studi di Milano, Italy). The theoretical calculation and the molecules\u2019 design, together with the solid state analysis of the complexes, have been performed by Dr. Pierluigi Mercandelli of the same department. The test concerning the TTA upconversion (chapter 4) has been performed in collaboration with Prof. Paola Ceroni (Dipartimento di Chimica, Alma Mater Studiorum - Universit\ue0 di Bologna, Italy). A preliminary photophysical characterization was previously carried out by Dr. Matteo Mauro and Prof. Luisa De Cola (Institut de Science et d'Ing\ue9nierie Supramol\ue9culaires (ISIS), Strasbourg, France). Two different research groups have been involved in the fabrication of the DSSC devices (chapter 5): preliminary tests were performed by Dr. Francesca De Rossi and Prof. Thomas M. Brown (Center for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy \u2013 CHOSE, Rome, Italy), while the optimization of the cells and a second series of tests has been carried out in collaboration with Dr. Kazuteru Nonomura and Prof. Anders Hagfeldt (Laboratory of Photomolecular Science (LSPM), \uc9cole Polytechnique F\ue9d\ue9rale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland). Dr. Stefania Zappia and Dr. Silvia Destri have been involved in the synthesis and the characterization of the metallo-copolymers (chapter 6) (Istituto per lo Studio delle Macromolecole, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ISMAC-CNR), Milan, Italy). [1]N. Armaroli, V. Balzani, Chem. Eur. J. 2016, 22, 32\u201357 [2] N. Armaroli, V. Balzani, Energy for a Sustainable World\u2014From the Oil Age to a Sun Powered Future, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim (Germany), 2011 [3] G. Porter, Criteria for Solar Energy Conversion, in Light, Chemical Change and Life. A Source Book in Photochemistry (Eds.: J. D. Coyle, R. R. Hill, D. R. Roberts), Open University Press, Milton Keynes (UK), 1982, 338 [4] International Energy Agency, Technology Roadmap\u2014Solar Photovoltaic Energy, 2014 https://www.iea.org [5] L. T. Peir\uf3, G. Villalba Mendez, R. U. Ayres, Environ. Sci. Technol. 2013, 47, 2939\u2028 [6] M. Jacoby, Chem. Eng. News 2010, 88 (34), 12 [7] NanoMarkets Report, Dye-Sensitized Cell Markets 2012\u2014Nano-531, 2012, http://ntechresearch.com/market reports/dye sensitized cell markets 2012 [8] International Energy Agency, Technology Roadmap-Solar Photovoltaic Energy 2010, https://www.iea.org [9] \uc9cole Polytechnique F\ue9d\ue9rale de Lausanne, EPFL\u2019s Campus Has the World\u2019s First Solar Window, can be found under https://actu.epfl.ch [10] F. C. Krebs, N. Espinosa, M. Hosel, R. R. Sondergaard, M. Jorgensen, Adv. Mater. 2014, 26, 2

Mediterranean diet and mitochondria: New findings

Mitochondria are subcellular organelles known for their central role in several energetic processes. Accumulating evidence supports a key role for mitochondria in the physiological response to both acute and chronic stress exposure, and, ultimately, the biological embedding of adversity in health and psychological functioning that increases the interest of these organelles in several medical conditions typical of older people. At the same time, Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) seems to affect the function of mitochondria further justifying the role of this diet in lowering the risk of negative health outcomes. In this review, we have elucidated the role of mitochondria in human diseases including the fundamental role in stress, aging, and neuropsychiatric and metabolic disorders. Overall, MedDiet can limit the production of free radicals, being rich in polyphenols. Moreover, MedDiet reduced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) production and ameliorated mitochondrial damage and apoptosis. Similarly, whole grains can maintain the mitochondrial respiration and membrane potential, finally improving mitochondrial function. Other components of MedDiet can have anti-inflammatory effects, again modulating mitochondrial function. For example, delphinidin (a flavonoid present in red wine and berries) restored the elevated level of mitochondrial respiration, mtDNA content, and complex IV activity; similarly, resveratrol and lycopene, present in grapefruits and tomatoes, exerted an anti-inflammatory effect modulating mitochondrial enzymes. Altogether, these findings support the notion that several positive effects of MedDiet can be mediated by a modulation in mitochondrial function indicating the necessity of further studies in human beings for finally confirming these findings

Can i take your subdomain? Exploring same-site attacks in the modern web

Related-domain attackers control a sibling domain of their target web application, e.g., as the result of a subdomain takeover. Despite their additional power over traditional web attackers, related-domain attackers received only limited attention from the research community. In this paper we define and quantify for the first time the threats that related-domain attackers pose to web application security. In particular, we first clarify the capabilities that related-domain attackers can acquire through different attack vectors, showing that different instances of the related-domain attacker concept are worth attention. We then study how these capabilities can be abused to compromise web application security by focusing on different angles, including cookies, CSP, CORS, postMessage, and domain relaxation. By building on this framework, we report on a large-scale security measurement on the top 50k domains from the Tranco list that led to the discovery of vulnerabilities in 887 sites, where we quantified the threats posed by related-domain attackers to popular web applications

Magnesium in infectious diseases in older people

Reduced magnesium (Mg) intake is a frequent cause of deficiency with age together with reduced absorption, renal wasting, and polypharmacotherapy. Chronic Mg deficiency may result in increased oxidative stress and low-grade inflammation, which may be linked to several age-related diseases, including higher predisposition to infectious diseases. Mg might play a role in the immune response being a cofactor for immunoglobulin synthesis and other processes strictly associated with the function of T and B cells. Mg is necessary for the biosynthesis, transport, and activation of vitamin D, another key factor in the pathogenesis of infectious diseases. The regulation of cytosolic free Mg in immune cells involves Mg transport systems, such as the melastatin-like transient receptor potential 7 channel, the solute carrier family, and the magnesium transporter 1 (MAGT1). The functional importance of Mg transport in immunity was unknown until the description of the primary immunodeficiency XMEN (X-linked immunodeficiency with Mg defect, Epstein–Barr virus infection, and neoplasia) due to a genetic deficiency of MAGT1 characterized by chronic Epstein–Barr virus infection. This and other research reporting associations of Mg deficit with viral and bacterial infections indicate a possible role of Mg deficit in the recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its complications. In this review, we will discuss the importance of Mg for the immune system and for infectious diseases, including the recent pandemic of COVID-19

Impact of mediterranean diet on chronic non-communicable diseases and longevity

The average life expectancy of the world population has increased remarkably in the past 150 years and it is still increasing. A long life is a dream of humans since the beginning of time but also a dream is to live it in good physical and mental condition. Nutrition research has focused on recent decades more on food combination patterns than on individual foods/nutrients due to the possible synergistic/antagonistic effects of the components in a dietary model. Various dietary patterns have been associated with health benefits, but the largest body of evidence in the literature is attributable to the traditional dietary habits and lifestyle followed by populations from the Mediterranean region. After the Seven Countries Study, many prospective observational studies and trials in diverse populations reinforced the beneficial effects associated with a higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet in reference to the prevention/management of age-associated non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, depression, respiratory diseases, and fragility fractures. In addition, the Mediterranean diet is ecologically sustainable. Therefore, this immaterial world heritage constitutes a healthy way of eating and living respecting the environment