Guilds in early modern Sicily: causes and consequences of their weakness

The thesis investigates the character and actions of craft guilds in early modern Sicily. Sicilian craft guilds emerged only in few towns and compared to most other European regions were less numerous relative to the total population; they also never had a firm political role in urban administration. The thesis investigates the causes and consequences of this weakness in two directions. First, it examines the operation of the guild system through the actions and interests of individual members, focusing in particular on the craftsmen's incentives to participate in guild activities or alternatively 'free ride'. Second, it analyses the institutional and economic framework within which Sicilian guilds emerged and survived for around four centuries, and discusses the consequences of their weakness. The literature on early modem guilds mostly assumes that they were economically conservative and hindered technological change; the question therefore arises whether technological and manufacturing growth was less constrained in early modern Sicily than elsewhere. The thesis argues that the basic features of the Sicilian guild system were similar to those of craft corporations elsewhere in Europe, and that they were devised primarily to promote skills training through formal apprenticeship rules. It therefore concludes that differences in guild development across societies were largely a function of the institutional context within which guilds were embedded, and in particular of the political support or opposition offered by local and central authorities. In Sicily, the Spanish state was unwilling to support the institutional and legal independence of craft guilds, and local urban elites similarly opposed the rise of strong crafts. Lacking legal backing to enforce membership and apprenticeship rules, Sicilian craft guilds were unable to supply specialised labour in support of a thriving manufacturing base. The lack of a strong craft base was reinforced by Sicily's specialisation in agriculture, and led to the long-term failure of domestic manufactures

Papular dermatitis due to Leishmania infantum infection in seventeen dogs: diagnostic features, extent of the infection and treatment outcome

BACKGROUND: This study describes immunological responses, diagnostic features, follow up and treatment outcomes from seventeen dogs with papular dermatitis due to Leishmania infection diagnosed by cytology or real time-PCR. METHODS: Specific Leishmania humoral and cellular immune responses were evaluated by means of an immunofluorescence antibody test in all cases and a delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction to leishmanin in eight cases. The extent of infection was studied in several tissues including blood, lymph node, conjunctival and oral swabs, by means of PCR, at the time of diagnosis and during follow-up. Culture was performed on nine dogs from cutaneous lesions and lymph node aspirates and molecular typing was carried out on isolates based on ITS-1, ITS-2 and Haspb gene sequencing analysis. RESULTS: Cytological and molecular results from fine needle aspirates of papules were diagnostic in 8 out of 13 (61.5%) cases and in 14 out of 15 dogs (93.3%), respectively. In all dogs, specific anti-Leishmania antibody levels were low or absent. Blood and lymph node PCRs and lymph node culture were negative in all dogs. Three out of the nine dogs (33%) were positive by culture from cutaneous lesions. The three isolates were identified as ITS type A, however, polymorphism was observed in the Haspb gene (PCR products of 626 bp, 962 bp and 371 bp). DTH response was positive in all tested dogs at the time of diagnosis. The majority of dogs were successfully treated with only N-methylglucamine antimoniate, after which cutaneous lesions disappeared or were reduced to depigmented, flattened scars. All dogs remained seronegative and the majority of dogs were negative by PCR in several tissues during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This study points out that papular dermatitis due to L. infantum is probably an underestimated benign cutaneous problem, associated with a parasite specific cell mediated immunity and a poor humoral immune response. Papular dermatitis is seen in young dogs, and appears to be a mild disease with restricted parasite dissemination and a good prognosis. PCR can be used as a non-invasive method to routinely evaluate papules if Leishmania infection is suspected in cases in which parasites are not visualized by cytology.The authors thank Dr. Carmen Cañavate (Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain) for kindly providing L. infantum promastigotes for leishmanin skin test; Laura Perillo for her collaboration in cytopathology; Antonino Lombardo (Studio Veterinario Lombardo, Mascalucia, CT, Italy) for his collaboration in collecting the clinical cases. The authors are grateful to Francesca Soutter (Royal Veterinary College) for the English revision of the manuscript. The authors are also grateful to technicians of the CreNaL laboratory, IZS, Sicily for their technical help. The authors also thank the reviewers for the constructive critical revision of the manuscript. Laia Solano-Gallego holds a Ramón y Cajal senior researcher contract awarded by the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad and the European Social Fund. Publication of the CVBD9 thematic series has been sponsored by Bayer HealthCare - Animal Health division.S

EFFECTIVENESS OF SPINOSAD AND MINERAL OIL BASED COMMERCIAL PRODUCTSON OVIPOSITION AND EGG HATCHING OFGRAPHOLITA FUNEBRANATREITSCHKE

Laboratory trials were performed to evaluate the actionof spinosad and mineral oil on eggs of GrapholitafunebranaTreitschke, the key pest in plum orchards. Fruits of cultivars Angeleno, President and Stanley were used in thetrials. The first set of tests was carried out by introducing two mated females of G. funebranainto a cage together withfruits of a single cultivar. The second set of trials tested the three cultivars simultaneously. In all trials, one third of thefruits of each cultivar was treated with mineral oil, another third with spinosad and the final third was left untreated.Treatments were carried out before introducing mated females into the cages. The number of fruits with eggs, the numberof eggs laid on each fruit and the number of hatched eggs were recorded. The number of eggs per fruit recorded in all trialswas the same, indicating that plum moth females, after choosing the fruits for oviposition on the basis of the cultivar or theapplied product, tend to use all suitable fruits in the same way. Oviposition in terms of number of fruits was significantlylower in mineral oil and spinosad treatments in all trials, compared to the control. Differences between the two productswere found in trials carried out with Angeleno alone and with the three cultivars together. The percentage of egg hatchingon the fruits was always significantly lower with spinosad treatment compared to the mineral-oil treatment and the control.In the trials carried out using the three cultivars, the number of infested fruits was significantly higher for Angeleno and nodifferences in the hatching percentages were found among the cultivars. The ovicidal and antiovideponent activities ofcommercial products containing mineral oils orspinosad could represent an interesting tool to reduce G. funebranadamage, both in organic and conventional plum orchards

MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF ANCIENT GRAPE SEEDS FROM A SINK IN THE MIDDLE-AGE TOWN OF PALERMO

The archaeological excavations in Piazza della Vittoria, in the Roman-Middle Age town of Palermo (Sicily) put in light a sink 3.20 m deep and 1 square m. large, partially filled by thin organic sediments. Grape seeds (grape-stones), fish scales and few vertebrate bones have been found in specific strata sealed under a stratum chronologically attributed to Islamic Middle-Age period (a post-quem limit). The finding of well preserved grape seeds is peculiar and their study opens the opportunity to improve the actual knowledge about evolution, cultivation, use and trade of Vitis L. in the Mediterranean area. This preliminary work focuses on morphologic and morphometric analysis of the ancient grape seeds with two aims: i) systematically describe the remains collection and, ii) define seeds typology and a consequent morphotaxonomic attribution. Over 200 seeds have been carefully dry cleaned (soft brush), photographed and analyzed for total breadth (B), total length (L) and length of stalk (LS) parameters, the most efficient for typological attribution (1, 2); Stummer index has been also calculated (1). Apical notch length (AN) has been for the first time evaluated. Measurements on digital images have been performed using ImageJ 1.31 platform; morphological parameters have been assembled in a dedicated database. Descriptive analysis and linear correlations have been performed using SYSTAT 10. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s HSD (5% level of significance, α = 0.05) have been applied. All the parameters approximate a normal distribution. Major variation has been observed in LS (c.v. = 35.6%) and AN (c.v. = 35.6%), while B and L showed a c.v. of 9.5% and 12.6% respectively. All the analyzed parameters behave as independent variables with the exception of a significant correlation between Stummer index and L (R2 = 0.45; y = 8.17-0.047x with y = L and x = Stummer index). This correlation reveals that Stummer index depends more from the L and not from the B parameter. On the base of LS measures three subgroups have been arbitrarily created in relationship with the LS: LS1 0.90 mm (35 seeds). Analyzing together the LS groups toward AN, we have found a proportional and significant correlation (p = 0.05) between the extremes LS1 and LS3. In the entire collection, Stummer index varies from 55.76 to 100.86; in the LS groups, the range is 68.38-97.87 in LS1, 61.02-100.86 in LS2 and 55.76-81.70 in LS3. A small group (17) of seeds has been excluded for the impossibility to measure the stalk. The analyzed ancient grape seeds show a wide range of variability for all the considered parameters, revealing a polymorphic collection. In general, the seeds have a rounded heart-like shape, with a noticeable pointy stalk and a very invaginated apical notch. This typical shape is more marked in LS3 group. On the base of LS measures, LS1 is ascribable to wild grapevines, while LS2 and LS3 seem to be ascribable neither to wild nor to cultivated autochthonous Vitis. Furthermore, these seeds differ from those already described in other archaeological horizons in Italy (3) and in France (2). The Stummer index varies highly, exceeding the known range of wild Vitis vinifera (4), although values close to 100 have been already found in wild grapevines in Spain (5) and values above 80 have been also described in Extra-European Vitis species (6). A deep evaluation of the sample, including isotopic analysis and aDNA studies, is in progress. 1) T. T. Korenčič, J. Jakše, Z. Korošec-Koruza (2008) Veget. Hist. Archaeobot., 17(Suppl. 1), S93-S102 2) L. Bouby, I. Figueiral, A. Bouchette, N. Rovina, S. Ivorra, T. Lacombe, T. Pastor, S. Picq, P. Marinval, J. F. Terral (2013) PLoS ONE, 8(5), e63195 3) C. Milanesi, F. Antonucci, P. Menesatti, C. Costa, C. Faleri, M. Cresti (2011) Interdisciplinaria Archaeologica – Natural Sciences in Archaeology, II(2), 95-100 4) A. Stummer (1911) Mitt. Anthropol. Gesellschaft Wien, 41, 283-296 5) F. M. De Toda, J. C. Sancha (1999) Am. J. Enol. Vitic., 50(4), 443-446 6) D. Rivera, B. Miralles, C. Obón, E. Carreño, J. A. Palazón (2007) Vitis, 46(4), 158-16

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IMPACT AND INCIDENCE OF PARASITISMOF PSYLLAEPHAGUS BLITEUSRIEK (HYMENOPTERA ENCYRTIDAE)ON POPULATIONS OF GLYCASPIS BRIMBLECOMBEIMOORE(HEMIPTERA APHALARIDAE) IN MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATIC AREAS

The red gum lerp psyllid, Glycaspis brimblecombeiMoore (Hemiptera, Aphalaridae), is an Australian native sap-sucking insect pest of eucalypts that has been first reported for the West Palaearctic Region in 2008 and, in 2010, it hasbeen found also in Italy. Subsequently its primary parasitoid, Psyllaephagus bliteus Riek (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae),was also detected within the main European and North African infested areas, where no release of the parasitoid was everperformed. This study, carried out in 30 Eucalyptus camaldulensis plantations located along the coast, on the hills andthe mountains in Mediterranean climatic areas of Sicily (Italy), aimed to determine the influence of environmentalparameters on the incidence of both, the psyllid infestation level and the parasitization activity. P. bliteusreached high-est average levels in summer samplings and resulted widespread in Sicily at all detected altitudes without statisticallysignificant differences. P. bliteus parasitization is the main factor lowering G. brimblecombei infestation; this result,together with the accidental and contemporaneous arrival of the host and its parasitoid, could explain the absence of highdamage level on eucalypts in Sicily. The most significant metric factors positively influencing G. brimblecombei infes-tation are the percentage of daily hours above 80% of relative humidity and the average maximum temperature, obvi-ously related to other, but less significant climatic factors. The altitude affects both infestation and parasitization, but sin-gle sites could explain significantly more, so that the local conditions where the samplings were carried out have to beconsidered as the main responsibles for the variability in the obtained results. In any sampled Sicilian site, from sea levelto 540 m a.s.l., both the psyllid and its parasitoids show a good adaptation to climatic conditions, confirming that areasfitting for E. camaldulensisgrowth fit also for P. bliteus activity, and proving that Mediterranean climate, differently fromsome inland areas of California, does not obstacle its parasitic activity

Characterization of the defective interaction between a subset of natural killer cells and dendritic cells in HIV-1 infection

In this study, we demonstrate that the in vitro interactions between a CD56neg/CD16pos (CD56neg) subset of natural killer (NK) cells and autologous dendritic cells (DCs) from HIV-1–infected viremic but not aviremic individuals are markedly impaired and likely interfere with the development of an effective immune response. Among the defective interactions are abnormalities in the process of reciprocal NK–DC activation and maturation as well as a defect in the NK cell–mediated editing or elimination of immature DCs (iDCs). Notably, the lysis of mature DCs (mDCs) by autologous NK cells was highly impaired even after the complete masking of major histocompatibility complex I molecules, suggesting that the defective elimination of autologous iDCs is at the level of activating NK cell receptors. In this regard, the markedly impaired expression/secretion and function of NKp30 and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, particularly among the CD56neg NK cell subset, largely accounts for the highly defective NK cell–mediated lysis of autologous iDCs. Moreover, mDCs generated from HIV-1 viremic but not aviremic patients are substantially impaired in their ability to secrete interleukin (IL)-10 and -12 and to prime the proliferation of neighboring autologous NK cells, which, in turn, fail to secrete adequate amounts of interferon-γ

Humoral Response to the Anopheles gambiae Salivary Protein gSG6: A Serological Indicator of Exposure to Afrotropical Malaria Vectors

Salivary proteins injected by blood feeding arthropods into their hosts evoke a saliva-specific humoral response which can be useful to evaluate exposure to bites of disease vectors. However, saliva of hematophagous arthropods is a complex cocktail of bioactive factors and its use in immunoassays can be misleading because of potential cross-reactivity to other antigens. Toward the development of a serological marker of exposure to Afrotropical malaria vectors we expressed the Anopheles gambiae gSG6, a small anopheline-specific salivary protein, and we measured the anti-gSG6 IgG response in individuals from a malaria hyperendemic area of Burkina Faso, West Africa. The gSG6 protein was immunogenic and anti-gSG6 IgG levels and/or prevalence increased in exposed individuals during the malaria transmission/rainy season. Moreover, this response dropped during the intervening low transmission/dry season, suggesting it is sensitive enough to detect variation in vector density. Members of the Fulani ethnic group showed higher anti-gSG6 IgG response as compared to Mossi, a result consistent with the stronger immune reactivity reported in this group. Remarkably, anti-gSG6 IgG levels among responders were high in children and gradually declined with age. This unusual pattern, opposite to the one observed with Plasmodium antigens, is compatible with a progressive desensitization to mosquito saliva and may be linked to the continued exposure to bites of anopheline mosquitoes. Overall, the humoral anti-gSG6 IgG response appears a reliable serological indicator of exposure to bites of the main African malaria vectors (An. gambiae, Anopheles arabiensis and, possibly, Anopheles funestus) and it may be exploited for malaria epidemiological studies, development of risk maps and evaluation of anti-vector measures. In addition, the gSG6 protein may represent a powerful model system to get a deeper understanding of molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the immune tolerance and progressive desensitization to insect salivary allergens

Search for Production of Invisible Final States in Single-Photon Decays of Υ(1S)Υ(1S)

We search for single-photon decays of the $Υ(1S)$ resonance, $Υ→γ+$ invisible, where the invisible state is either a particle of definite mass, such as a light Higgs boson $A^0$, or a pair of dark matter particles, $χ\overline{χ}$. Both $A^0$ and χ are assumed to have zero spin. We tag $Υ(1S)$ decays with a dipion transition $Υ(2S)→π^{+}π^{−}Υ(1S)$ and look for events with a single energetic photon and significant missing energy. We find no evidence for such processes in the mass range $m_{A^{0}}≤9.2 GeV$ and $m_{χ}≤4.5 GeV$ in the sample of $98×10^{6} Υ(2S)$ decays collected with the BABAR detector and set stringent limits on new physics models that contain light dark matter states.Physic