Naturalistische Novellen in Italien und Österreich

Im Zentrum dieser Diplomarbeit stehen eine Gegenüberstellung und ein Vergleich der Novellen Ferdinand von Saars und Giovanni Vergas. Die Arbeit weist sowohl auf Parallelen als auch auf Kontraste hin und bringt zahlreiche Beispiele aus der Primärliteratur mit ein. Die während der literarischen Strömung des Spätrealismus bzw. Verismus in Europa äußerst populäre Gattung der Novelle nimmt im Schaffen beider Autoren eine besondere Stellung ein, Saar setzte dabei mit seinen ‚Novellen aus Österreich’ der damaligen Gesellschaft des ausgehenden 19. Jahrhunderts ein Denkmal, Verga bildete hingegen mit ‚Vita dei Campi’ und den ‚Novelle rusticane’ zeitgleich die arme sizilianische Bevölkerung ab. Die Novellen beider Autoren kreisen meist um ein Liebespaar, doch fast alle Erzählungen enden tragisch – schuld daran ist die Bitterkeit des Lebens allgemein und oft auch die Armut, an welcher am Rande auch Kritik geübt wird. Erstmals finden auch Außenseiter der Gesellschaft als Protagonisten Eingang in die Literatur, man denke an Rosso Malpelo oder Innocens, und soziale Randschichten wie die Steinklopfer oder die Fischer werden genauer untersucht. Eine gewisse Resignation sowie die unmittelbare Härte in der Darstellung prägen sowohl die österreichische als auch die italienische Novelle der Zeit. Während Saars Novellen stark autobiographisch gefärbt sind, zieht sich Verga als Autor eher zurück und überlässt die Erzählerfunktion zum Teil auch der Stimme des Volkes. Der Vergleich der Novellen hat also einige interessante Parallelen aufgezeigt, welche beide Autoren – die sonst in keinerlei Verbindung zueinander standen – verbinden

Puccini in Wien

Diese Diplomarbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Beziehung des italienischen veristischen Komponisten Giacomo Puccini (1858 – 1924) zur so genannten “Metropole der Musik” Wien. Puccini tätigte zwischen 1907 und 1923 mehrere belegte Wienreisen, einerseits, um neue Werke zeitgenössischer Komponisten kennen zu lernen und befreundete Künstler wie Franz Lehár zu treffen, andererseits, um zu neuen Opern inspiriert zu werden. Daraufhin bekam er von zwei Wiener Theaterdirektoren den Auftrag, eine Operette zu schreiben – eine musikalische Gattung, die zu jener Zeit in Wien ungemein populär war. Neben der Entstehungsgeschichte und der musikalischen Analyse von Puccinis einziger Operette La Rondine gibt es ein Kapitel über die allgemeine Wiener Rezeption von Puccinis Opern (wobei auf Erstaufführungen und deren lokalen Kritiken eingegangen wird), es werden aber auch die wichtigsten lokalen Interpreten seiner Werke vorgestellt – vor allem Soprane und Tenöre. Dann wird ein Überblick über die Aufführungsgeschichte von Puccinis Opern bis heute gegeben und kurz die Übersetzungsgeschichte seiner Libretti ins Deutsche sowie sein Bezug zu Wiener Verlagshäusern angeschnitten.This diploma thesis is dedicated to the relationship between the Italian verist composer Giacomo Puccini (1858 – 1924) and the so called “capital of music” Vienna. Puccini made frequent trips to Austria between 1907 and 1923, on the one hand to get to know new works by other contemporary composers and to meet other artists like his colleague Franz Lehár, on the other hand to find inspiration for new operas. It was for this reason that he was commissioned by two Viennese theatre directors to write an operetta – one of the most favoured musical genres in Vienna at that time. In addition to the history of nascency and the musical analysis of Puccini’s only ‘operetta’ La Rondine, there are chapters on the general Viennese reception of Puccini’s operas (focussing on debut performances and their critiques) and on local interpreters – principally sopranos and tenors – of his operas. A short overview of Viennese Puccini performances up to modern times will be included as well as an overview of various Austrian translators of his operatic librettos and of Puccini’s connections with Viennese musical authorities

3d modelling of archaeological small finds by a low-cost range camera. Methodology and first results

The production of reliable documentation of small finds is a crucial process during archaeological excavations. Range cameras can be a valid alternative to traditional illustration methods: they are veritable 3D scanners able to easily collect the 3D geometry (shape and dimensions in metric units) of an object/scene practically in real-time. This work investigates precisely the potentialities of a promising low-cost range camera, the Structure SensorTM by Occipital, for rapid modelling archaeological objects. The accuracy assessment was thus performed by comparing the 3D model of a Cipriot-Phoenician globular jug captured by this device with the 3D model of the same object obtained through photogrammetry. In general, the performed analysis shows that Structure Sensor is capable to acquire the 3D geometry of a small object with an accuracy comparable at millimeter level to that obtainable with the photogrammetric method, even though the finer details are not always correctly modelled. The texture reconstruction is instead less accurate. In the end, it can be concluded that the range camera used for this work, due to its low-cost and flexibility, is a suitable tool for the rapid documentation of archaeological small finds, especially when not expert users are involved

A Sardinian early 1st millennium BC bronze axe from Motya

An Iron Age bronze axe was found in Motya (Sicily, Italy) in a prehistoric layer dating from the 10th century BC underneath the 4th century BC patrician residency known as “Casa dei mosaici”. The axe belongs to the double-looped socketed type well known in central Mediterranean in the time span 1200-900 BC, and it is comparable with some coeval Sardinian specimens. The bronze has been characterised using the backscattering electron signal of a SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) and EDX (Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy). The resulting composition of the metal alloy is Cu-Sn-As with an addition of Pb in some specific spots

Mindfulness-based stress reduction in patients with interstitial lung diseases: a pilot, single-centre observational study on safety and efficacy

open11siBackground Chronic, progressive respiratory symptoms are associated with great psychological and emotional impact in patients suffering from interstitial lung disease (ILD). This single-centre pilot study evaluated for the first time the safety, feasibility and efficacy of a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR) in a group of patients with ILD. Methods Prospective observational study set in a university hospital ILD outpatient clinic. Nineteen patients with different ILDs were recruited 2 months prior to the start of the 8-week MBSR program and followed up for 12 months. Primary outcomes were program safety and feasibility, while secondary outcomes were changes in moods and stress (assessed by Profile Of Mood State (POMS) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) questionnaires), symptoms (Shortness Of Breath (SOB) and Cough And Sputum Assessment (CASA-Q) questionnaires), lung function and exercise tolerance at 12 months. Results Two patients (10.5%) dropped out in the observational period before the start of the MBSR intervention because of non-respiratory causes. All 17 patients who entered the 8-week MBSR program managed to complete it with an adherence average of eight sessions of nine. No adverse events related to the mindfulness training were reported. Statistically significant improvements in the POMS total score and in several individual items of POMS and PSS were observed throughout the study. However, respiratory questionnaire scores, lung function and exercise tolerance did not show a significant difference over time. Conclusions An MBSR program appears to be safe and feasible in patients with ILD, and might affect perceived moods and stress producing a positive and lasting improvement in several stress-related negative domains. These findings pave the way to larger (possibly multicentre), randomised, controlled confirmatory trials.openSgalla, Giacomo; Cerri, Stefania; Ferrari, Roberto; Ricchieri, Maria Pia; Poletti, Stefano; Ori, Margherita; Garuti, Martina; Montanari, Gloria; Luppi, Fabrizio; Petropulacos, Kyriakoula; Richeldi, LucaSgalla, Giacomo; Cerri, Stefania; Ferrari, Roberto; Ricchieri, Maria Pia; Poletti, Stefano; Ori, Margherita; Garuti, Martina; Montanari, Gloria; Luppi, Fabrizio; Petropulacos, Kyriakoula; Richeldi, Luc

An integrated study of the biodiversity within the Pseudechiniscus suillus-facettalis group (Heterotardigrada:Echiniscidae):Echiniscidae)

Pseudechiniscus is the second most species-rich genus in Heterotardigrada and in the family Echiniscidae. However, previous studies have pointed out polyphyly and heterogeneity in this taxon. The recent erection of the genus Acanthechiniscus was another step in making Pseudechiniscus monophyletic, but species identification is still problematic. The present investigation aims at clarifying biodiversity and taxonomy of Pseudechiniscus taxa, with a special focus on species pertaining to the so-called \u2018suillus\u2013facettalis group\u2019, by using an integrated approach of morphological and molecular investigations. The analysis of sequences from specimens sampled in Europe and Asia confirms the monophyly of the genus Pseudechiniscus. Inside the genus, two main evolutionary lineages are recognizable: the P. novaezeelandiae lineage and the P. suillus\u2013facettalis group lineage. Inside the P. suillus\u2013facettalis group, COI molecular data points out a very high variability between sampled localities, but in some cases also among specimens sampled in the same locality (up to 33.3% p-distance). The integrated approach to the study of Pseudechiniscus allows confirmation of its monophyly and highlights the relationships in the taxon, pointing to its global distribution

Micro-Raman spectroscopy and complementary techniques applied for the study of copper and iron wastes from Motya (Italy)

This work is the first archaeometric investigation on copper and iron wastes from the Phoenician site of Motya (Sicily, Italy), dating back to the 8th to the 4th century BC. The samples were analyzed through micro-Raman Spectroscopy (μ-RS), Optical Microscopy (OM), Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), High-Resolution Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (HR-FESEM), and Electron Micro-Probe Analysis (EMPA). Micro-Raman techinique permitted to identify both primary phases, for example, calchopyrite, and secondary products such as cuprite and copper thrihydroxychlorides in the Cu-slags and goethite in the Fe-slags. SEM and HR-FESEM imaging showed the occurrence of inhomogeneous microstructures in the Cu- and Fe-slags due to elements segregation, solidification, and corrosion. EMPA data revealed that the archaeometallurgical wastes from Motya can be differentiated on the basis of their chemical compositions. These preliminary results showed different typologies of by-products, such as base metals speiss, copper slags from smelting sulfide ore with matte, and iron smelting and smithing slags, suggesting different stages of copper and iron productions

Assessing Cancer Risk from Heavy Metals in Recycling Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment: Preliminary Results from the WEENMODELS European Life Programme

Introduction The growing amount of waste derived from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) poses significant challenges to waste management, due to the presence of toxic chemicals with environmental and health implications for the general population and for occupationally-exposed workers. Methods Based on an toxicological and epidemiologic evaluation, we carried out a health risk assessment to evaluate the cancer risk deriving from environmental and occupational exposure to heavy metals released during different WEEE recycling procedures (electronic scrap in blister copper, treatment of metals recovery in copper smelter, treatment of shredding, pyrometallurgical treatment of Li-ion battery). We considered the typical WEEE production in a municipality of 150.0000 inhabitants, carrying out a Life Cycle Assessment. Outdoor (1 square km around a treatment plant) and indoor (for a factory volume of 3200 m3) emissions generated during the WEEE recycling procedures were computed. In particular, we estimated the amount of Cd, Ni and As inhaled by the potentially exposed population. We computed the cancer risk due to inhalation of these heavy metals in residents and workers using the methodology proposed by the California Office of Environmental Health and Hazard Assessment Results For the metals considered, our results showed negligible cancer risk (from 2,21x10-11 to 4,31x10-08) for the general population around the plant. On the converse, occupational exposures linked to specific procedures were associated with a cancer risk of 1,42x10-3 for workers in the shredding procedures mainly due to Ni exposure, and of 4,68x10-4 for workers with electronic scrap and exposed to As. Conclusions Based on our preliminary results from an integrated toxicological and epidemiologic approach, WEEE life cycle may be linked to health risks for workers in the recycling procedures, while it does not seem to adversely affect health of the general population around the treatment plants