Queer Bodies: Homoeroticism, Sensuality, And Erotica In Postmodern Fine Art Photography

The queer body– describes the sum of assumptions and biases attributed to queer people, whereby a person’s own queer identity or expression is overshadowed by the generalizations, (mis)perceptions, and stereotypes that society imposes on that individual. Central to the scope of this thesis is the reality whereby the ostracization of queer people involves the association between the very body of the queer person with sexual acts deemed both deviant and immoral by a cis-heteronormative society. Society renders the queer body as pejoratively deviant simply on the basis of its existence alone, where any form of varied gender or sexual expression is viewed as damaging to preestablished societal values and norms. There is a relationship between the queer body and post-modern photography from the 1980s and early 90s, which illustrates the implications of subtext on an artist\u27s work, the dichotomy of pornography and fine art, objectification, and fetishization, government censorship of ‘obscene’ works and body taboo as a subversive tool used by queer artists who sought to disrupt the status quo of a heteronormative society bent on continued ostracization of queer people and queer subject matter from public display

Noi le altre. Le donne liberali nella Resistenza

Esiste una faccia ancora in gran parte nascosta della Resistenza italiana: quella costituita dalle donne appartenenti alle grandi famiglie dell’aristocrazia liberale. Colte, raffinate, ma anche dotate di notevoli capacità organizzative, cresciute in salotti aperti ed anticonformisti prima e durante il ventennio fascista, dal 1943 esse furono animatrici di varie reti logistiche alla base della guerra patriotica. la tesi ricostruisce le vicende di alcune tra queste figure, che svolsero ruoli rilevanti nell’organizzazione Franchi di Edgardo Sogno, come in altri nuclei resistenziali attivi in Italia settentrionale. Donne che, in gran parte, nel dopoguerra tornarono alla vita privata, nella generale crisi delle vecchie élites davanti all’avanzata dei partiti di massa

Specific tagging of the egress-related osmiophilic bodies in the gametocytes of Plasmodium falciparum

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Gametocytes, the blood stages responsible for <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>transmission, contain electron dense organelles, traditionally named osmiophilic bodies, that are believed to be involved in gamete egress from the host cell. In order to provide novel tools in the cellular and molecular studies of osmiophilic body biology, a <it>P. falciparum </it>transgenic line in which these organelles are specifically marked by a reporter protein was produced and characterized.</p> <p>Methodology</p> <p>A <it>P. falciparum </it>transgenic line expressing an 80-residue N-terminal fragment of the osmiophilic body protein Pfg377 fused to the reporter protein DsRed, under the control of <it>pfg377 </it>upstream and downstream regulatory regions, was produced.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The transgenic fusion protein is expressed at the appropriate time and stage of sexual differentiation and is trafficked to osmiophilic bodies as the endogenous Pfg377 protein. These results indicate that a relatively small N-terminal portion of Pfg377 is sufficient to target the DsRed reporter to the gametocyte osmiophilic bodies.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This is the first identification of a <it>P. falciparum </it>aminoacid sequence able to mediate trafficking to such organelles. To fluorescently tag such poorly characterized organelles opens novel avenues in cellular and imaging studies on their biogenesis and on their role in gamete egress.</p

Unveiling the egg microbiota of the loggerhead sea turtle <i>Caretta caretta</i> in nesting beaches of the Mediterranean Sea

Microbes have central roles in the development and health of animals, being the introduction of specific microbial species a potential conservation strategy to protect animals from emerging diseases. Thus, insight into the microbiota of the species and their habitats is essential. In this manuscript, we report for the first time the bacterial composition of all the components (eggshells of hatched and unhatched eggs, internal content of unhatched eggs, intestinal content of hatchling and pipping sea turtles, and sand) of three nesting beaches of Caretta caretta along the Italian coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. The analysis of 26 amplicon samples was carried out using next-generation sequencing analysis, targeting V3-V4 regions of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Samples featured mainly Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes, whose percentages depended on the sample type. Our results showed that, although from different sampling sites, the internal content of the unhatched eggs, intestinal content of hatchling and pipping sea turtles share the microbiota, which was yet different from that of eggshells and sand of the same nesting beach. This study suggests the maternal and environmental influence alongside a protective role of eggshells in shaping the egg microbiota of Caretta caretta sea turtles

A non-invasive approach to monitor chronic lymphocytic leukemia engraftment in a xenograft mouse model using ultra-small superparamagnetic iron oxide-magnetic resonance imaging (USPIO-MRI).

This work was supported by: Associazione Italiana Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC) [Grant 5 x mille n.9980, (to M.F., F.M. and A. N.)]; AIRC I.G. [n. 14,326 (to M.F.)], [n.10136 and 16,722 (A.N.)], [n.15426 (to F.F.)]. AIRC and Fondazione CaRiCal co-financed Multi Unit Regional Grant 2014 [n.16695 (to F.M.)]. Italian Ministry of Health 5 × 1000 funds (to F.F). A.G R. was supported by Associazione Italiana contro le Leucemie-Linfomi-Mielomi (AIL) Cosenza - Fondazione Amelia Scorza (FAS). S.M. C.M., F.V., L. E., S. B., were supported by AIRC.Peer reviewedPostprin

L’industrializzazione dell’agricoltura nella Piana del Sele: una prospettiva geografica basata sull’Urban Atlas Copernicus

Il contributo nasce da un approccio interdisciplinare allo studio delle tra-sformazioni territoriali: ne sono autori, infatti, geografi, fisici e ingegneri ambientali esperti di telerilevamento. L’obiettivo è quello di studiare la recente espansione del capitalismo agricolo in una regione strategica per l’economia del Mezzogiorno: la Piana del Sele. In pochi anni, questo territorio a forte vocazione agri-cola ha conosciuto una drastica alterazione della copertura del suolo, che, se nel 2012 registrava un sostanziale equilibrio tra seminativi e serre, nel 2018, in appena sei anni, ha visto una crescita ponderosa delle serre a scapito proprio dei seminativi. È questa la conseguen-za dell’espansione della cosiddetta “quarta gamma” nel mercato or-tofrutticolo - esplosa anche in Italia nelle ultime due decadi – ovvero la produzione in serra di prodotti freschi, lavati e pronti al consumo. Si tratta di un fenomeno che, oltre alla valenza commerciale, ha dei riverberi geo-economici, sociali e ambientali di prim’ordine. In primo luogo, la penetrazione nei mercati locali dei grandi capitalisti agricoli; in secondo luogo, la riduzione della capacità degli ecosistemi di assi-curare beni e servizi; in terzo luogo, il depauperamento del paesaggio e il potenziale aumento del rischio idrogeologico. La metodologia d’indagine prevede l’analisi dei cambiamenti del-la land cover nei comuni di Battipaglia e Bellizzi, nella provincia di Salerno, nel segmento temporale 2012-2018 attraverso l’Urban Atlas Copernicus, realizzato utilizzando dati satellitari ad altissima risolu-zione. Attraverso il software InVEST, ai cambiamenti osservati è stata abbinata la quantificazione della perdita generata dalla riduzione dei beni e servizi ecosistemici.ritorial transformations: in fact, its authors are geographers, physicists and environmental engineers who are experts in remote sensing. The aim is to study the recent expansion of agricultural capitalism in a strategic region for the economy of the South: the Sele Plain. In just a few years, this territory with a strong agricultural vocation has experienced a drastic alteration of the land cover: in 2012 there was a substantial bal-ance between arable land and greenhouses, but in 2018, in just six years, there was a substantial growth of greenhouses own detriment of arable land. This is the consequence of the expansion of the so-called “fourth range” in the fruit and vegetable market - which has also grown up in Italy in the last two decades - or rather the greenhouse production of fresh, washed and ready-to-eat products. It is a phenomenon which, in addition to its commercial value, has first-rate geo-economic, social and environmental effects. First, the penetration of local markets by large ag-ricultural capitalists; secondly, the reduction of the ability of ecosystems to provide goods and services; thirdly, the depletion of the landscape and the potential increase in hydrogeological risk. The survey methodology involves the analysis of land cover changes in the municipalities of Battipaglia and Bellizzi, in the province of Salerno, in the 2012-2018 time span through the Urban Atlas Copernicus, created using very high resolution satellite data. Through the InVEST software, the observed changes were combined with the quantification of the loss generated by the reduction of the ecosystem goods and services

Assessment of sorption capability of montmorillonite clay for lead removal from water using laser–induced breakdown spectroscopy and atomic absorption spectroscopy

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) techniques were applied for quantitative analysis of the remaining Pb content in water samples after treatment with a raw montmorillonite (MMT) and an organic derivative (MMO) clays for heavy metal removal, an issue of crucial importance for decontamination of water bodies. The Pb sorption capabilities of MMT and MMO clays were assessed by using solutions with known Pb concentrations, in the range 100-500 ppm. To carry out the LIBS analysis, the samples were prepared in the form of solid pellets with powdered calcium hydroxide addition. The measurement conditions were optimized to achieve reliable analytical results and the plasma parameters, i.e., temperature and electron density, were obtained. For quantification purpose, a calibration curve was constructed with the Pb I emission line at 4057.8 Å measured at the time window 30-45 μs by using reference samples with Pb concentrations in the range 56-715 ppm. The Pb residual content in the liquid samples determined with LIBS showed a good agreement with those measured with AAS. The sorption efficiency of Pb from contaminated water was calculated through a sorption percentage SPb%. The calculated SPb% was higher for MMT (56%-100%) than for MMO (27%-47%). The results also demonstrated the usefulness of LIBS method for the determination of Pb concentrations in liquid samples.Fil: Teran, Ezequiel Jesús. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. - Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Montes, María Luciana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Física La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Física La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Rodriguez, Corina Iris. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Humanas. Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales. Centro de Investigación y Estudios Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Martino, Lucila Juliana. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. - Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Quiroga, Miguel Angel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Landa, Roberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Torres Sanchez, Rosa Maria. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Tecnología de Recursos Minerales y Cerámica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Tecnología de Recursos Minerales y Cerámica; ArgentinaFil: Diaz Pace, Diego Martin. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. - Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires; Argentin

SARS-CoV-2 Gamma and Delta Variants of Concern Might Undermine Neutralizing Activity Generated in Response to BNT162b2 mRNA Vaccination

The Delta variant raised concern regarding its ability to evade SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. We evaluated a serum neutralizing response of 172 Italian healthcare workers, three months after complete Comirnaty (BNT162b2 mRNA, BioNTech-Pfizer) vaccination, testing their sera against viral isolates of Alpha, Gamma and Delta variants, including 36 subjects with a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. We assessed whether IgG anti-spike TRIM levels and serum neutralizing activity by seroneutralization assay were associated. Concerning Gamma variant, a two-fold reduction in neutralizing titres compared to the Alpha variant was observed, while a four-fold reduction of Delta virus compared to Alpha was found. A gender difference was observed in neutralizing titres only for the Gamma variant. The serum samples of 36 previously infected SARS-CoV-2 individuals neutralized Alpha, Gamma and Delta variants, demonstrating respectively a nearly three-fold and a five-fold reduction in neutralizing titres compared to Alpha variant. IgG anti-spike TRIM levels were positively correlated with serum neutralizing titres against the three variants. The Comirnaty vaccine provides sustained neutralizing antibody activity towards the Alpha variant, but it is less effective against Gamma and even less against Delta variants

Formatos urbano-arquitectónicos sostenibles en contextos vulnerables : Casos diferenciales de la cuenca y bañado del arroyo Maldonado. Gran La Plata

El libro tiene como objetivo mostrar los resultados de la investigación realizada dentro del LITPA (Laboratorio de investigación en teoría y práctica arquitectónica) sobre alternativas urbano- arquitectónicas sostenibles para el tratamiento integral de la Cuenca y Bañado del arroyo Maldonado en el Gran La Plata. El material surge del proyecto de investigación: Formatos urbano-arquitectónicos sostenibles en contextos vulnerables. Casos diferenciales de la cuenca y bañado del arroyo Maldonado, Gran La Plata. Año 2016-1019. Código: 11/U159. La construcción de conocimiento en el Laboratorio de Investigación en Teoría y Práctica Arquitectónica, LITPA, (unidad de investigación proyectual arquitectónica dentro de la Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata) es a partir del proyecto como herramienta para producir conocimiento, como sujeto de estudio, como instrumento de investigación y material de transferencia, es entonces que se toma como antecedente la línea de investigación respecto al hábitat integral, paisaje y formas de vida comunitaria el proyecto de investigación sobre Prefiguraciones del hábitat social en la construcción progresiva de la ciudad. Vivienda social y estructuras urbano ambientales en asentamientos irregulares de La Plata Año 2012/2015 Código 11/U119, donde una de las exploraciones proyectuales trabaja sobre la problemática del asentamiento irregular sobre la cuenca y arroyo El Gato. En este contexto, luego de la trágica inundación en la ciudad de La Plata del 2 de abril de 2013 y ante la unidireccionalidad en la respuesta del estado a través de las obras hidráulicas en el arroyo el gato, las cuales ignoraron las diversas dimensiones que definen la problemática del hábitat integral, nos desafío a continuar construyendo conocimiento y produciendo material de transferencia respecto a esta línea de investigación. Desde los conceptos de sostenibilidad, hábitat integral, paisaje y formas de vida comunitaria, se indaga sobre un sector urbano con riesgo socio-ambiental debido a la presencia del arroyo Maldonado, y sobre su posible transformación, entendida como una oportunidad para producir configuraciones que habiliten nuevas formas de urbanidad, nuevos formatos residenciales y la construcción de vínculos sociales e identidades territoriales.Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanism