Anthropologists, Italians and “human races”

This article is part of an international forum on raceand racism published by the Journal of Anthropological Sciences and edited by Alan Goodman of the New Hampshire College (USA). The paper presents an overview of the use and meaning of the term "human race" among Italian scholars, both on the biological and cultural side, in a historical perspective. The theme is also contextualized with respect to political and social current events

La salute come bene comune

The contribution points out how the notion of health as a common good, central in Rita Lima’s interview with Tullio Seppilli, fits within Seppilli’s scientific itinerary in the context of policies and problems relating to health and health care in a globalized world.Il contributo mostra come la nozione della salute come bene comune, centrale nell’intervista di Rita Lima a Tullio Seppilli, si collochi all’interno dell’itinerario scientifico di Seppilli nel quadro delle politiche e dei problemi relativi alla salute e all’assistenza sanitaria in un mondo globalizzato

L'antropologia a scuola e nella formazione degli insegnanti: Le prospettive in Italia

Contribution to the Forum Teaching Anthropology in the Secondary School, Anuac, vol. 5, n° 2.Contributo al Forum Teaching Anthropology in the Secondary School, Anuac, vol. 5, n° 2

Fractionation of palm oil with supercritical carbon dioxide

Orientador: Fernando Antonio CabralDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia de AlimentosResumo: Neste trabalho foi estudado o fracionamento de óleo de palma bruto (Elaes guineensi) com dióxido de carbono supercrítico; mediu-se a solubilidade, a composição em ácidos graxos, carotenóides totais, tocoferóis, tocotrienóis e ácidos graxos livres. Foi determinado o equílibro de fases no intervalo de pressão de 100 a 350 bar e nas temperaturas de 40, 50 e 60°C. A quantificação dos componentes minoritários presentes nos extratos foi feita por espectrofotometria para a determinação de carotenóides totais, por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência para a determinação dos tocoferóis e tocotrienóis e por titulação potenciométrica para os ácidos graxos livres. Realizou-se uma extração fracionada utilizando raspas de madeiras como suporte na condição de 40°C a 200 bar, onde doze amostras foram extraídas, nas quais mediu-se a solubilidade e a concentração de ácidos graxos livres e carotenóides totais. Observou-se que a composição em ácidos graxos do óleo de palma refinado e a composição dos extratos em equilíbrio com o CO2 apresentaram pequenas variações na concentração dos ácidos palmítico, oléico e linoléico. Os valores de coeficiente de distribuição, que indicam o grau de fracionamento entre as fases, foram menores que a unidade para tocoferóis e carotenóides e maiores que a unidade para ácidos graxos livres. Notou-se que o comportamento do equilíbrio de fases, transcrito em termos dos coeficientes de distribuição, concorda com os valores da literatura, exceto para os tocoferóis onde o comportamento foi diferente daqueles reportados na literturaAbstract: In this work was studied the fractionation of crude oil palm (Elaes guineensi) with supercritical carbon dioxide; it measured solubility, the free fatty acids composition, carotenoids totals, tocochromanols and free fatty acids. Was determined equilibrium phase in the interval at pressure of 100 at 350 bar and temperature of 40, 50 and 60°C. The quantification of the minor components present in extracts was made by spectrometer for the determination of carotenoids totals, liquid chromatography of high efficiency for the determination of tocochromanols and potenciometric titration for determination free fatty acids. Were fulfilled extraction fractionated using wood scraps as support in condition of 40°C at 200 bar, where twelve sample had been extracted, in which it measured the solubility and the concentration of free fatty acid and carotenoids totals. It was observed that the free fatty acid composition of refined oil palm and the composition the extracts in equilibrium with CO2 had present small variations in the palmitic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid. The values separation factor, that indicate the degree of fractionation between the phase were smaller than unit for tocochromanols, carotenoids totals and bigger than unit for free fatty acids. It was noticed that the behavior of equilibrium phase, transcript in term of the separation factor, had agreed to the values of literature, except for the tocochromanols where the behavior was different of those reported in the literatureMestradoMestre em Engenharia de Alimento

L’uomo accademico flessibile: Due casi a confronto

With the acceleration of the neoliberal management of academic institutions, the rules of evaluation change continuously in unpredicatable ways. In this contribution, we analyze the changes in evaluation criteria in two cases, one Italian and one in the UK. Despite the diversity of contexts, both are characterized by technologies of self designed to create a new human type: the “flexible academic person”.Con l’accelerazione della gestione neoliberale delle istituzioni accademiche, le regole di valutazione cambiano continuamente in modo imprevedibile. In questo contributo analizziamo i cambiamenti nei criteri di valutazione in due casi, uno italiano e l’altro del Regno Unito. Nonostante la diversità dei contesti, entrambi si caratterizzano per tecnologie del sé mirate a creare un nuovo tipo umano: “l’uomo accademico flessibile”.

Introduction: beyond anthropocentrism, changing practices and the politics of 'nature'

In this introduction to a Special Section, we outline three recent interrelated research tendencies with regard to how to understand the practices and politics of 'nature': 1) a major attention towards non-anthropocentric environmental ideologies; 2) more complex analyses of environmental movements; and finally, 3) attention to unconventional every-day practices of environmental justice. In all three tendencies, we argue, a renewed attention to socio-economic power relations of the wider context becomes crucial for a better understanding of environmental dynamics. Ethnographically engaged studies from the European context offer examples of how it becomes possible to assess the impact of new grass-root practices, to pay attention to good micropractices, and understand the unexpected outcomes of the engagement with nature.Key words: Environmentalism, social movements, power, conflict

Mathematics described proficiency levels: connecting psychometric and teaching analyses

International audienc

De novo mitochondrial DNA alteration in child with complex neurilogical compromission.

neuromuscular human diseases have been associated with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variations, causing defects of oxidative phosphorylation. These dysfunctions affect preferentially tissues with high energy demands and give arise to several degenerative disorders such as optic neuropathy, cerebellar ataxia, movement disorders, dementia, muscle weakness and deafness. The extremely heterogeneous clinical phenotype is due to the involved tissue, to specific mtDNA mutations and their heteroplasmic level, but also to nuclear DNA alterations, environmental and epigenetic factors. In this study we investigated a child affected by a complex neurological disease whose clinical features were suggestive of a mitochondrial involvement. Methods: mtDNA from proband, her healthy relatives (grandmother, mother and two sisters) and 80 controls were collected and studied by sequencing. The enzymatic activity of specific respiratory chain complex was tested on lymphocytes by spectrophotometric assay. Bioinformatic analysis was performed to predict the pathogenicity of the detected variants. Results: In all subjects we detected 11 known polymorphisms, whereas 1 novel heteroplasmic variant in complex I [ND5:12514G>A (E60K)] was present only in the proband and in her grandmother and absent in controls. The bioinformatics predicted the novel variant to be deleterious. Further, spectrophotometric assay of complex I activity was lower both in the proband and in her relatives than in the controls. Conclusions: We report a novel mtDNA variant detected in a patient affected by a complex neurological disease. The reduction of complex I respiratory chain activity associated to this variant suggests it could exert a pathogenic role in the disease

Plexiform architecture in gastrointestinal stromal tumors is not restricted to succinate dehydrogenase-deficient cases

Accumulating evidence reveals the heterogeneous features of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), primarily distinguished by their various molecular triggers defining well characterized subgroups. The identification of the pathogenetic group a given GIST belongs to, in combination with the currently adopted GIST prognosticators, is pivotal for the correct management of GIST patients. Epidemiological, anatomical and morphological features are more or less strictly associated with the various possible GIST molecular pathogenesis; therefore, they can concur to addressing molecular analysis or even influence the identification of GIST subsets by themselves. This is particularly true in a cost/benefit perspective aimed at cutting the expenses of pathology labs. Under these circumstances, a correct classical pathological analysis still appears a fundamental step to achieve an optimal GIST characterization.We herein report a gastric epithelioid PDGFRA-mutant GIST displaying the multinodular/plexiform architecture distinctive of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH)-deficient GISTs. Immunohistochemistry and molecular analysis led to the correct tumor characterization. The reported case constitutes a valuable contribution to GIST pathology in that it demonstrates that multinodular/plexiform architecture is not restricted to SDH-deficient GISTs, but can be found also in PDGFRA-mutant ones; this is an event to be aware of, given the predilection for gastric location and epithelioid morphology shared by these two GIST subgroups, only the latter of which includes imatinib-sensitive cases. Keywords: Gastrointestinal stromal tumor, Platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha, Multinodular architecture, Plexiform architecture, Succinate dehydrogenas

C Stocks in Forest Floor and Mineral Soil of Two Mediterranean Beech Forests

This study focuses on two Mediterranean beech forests located in northern and southern Italy and therefore subjected to different environmental conditions. The research goal was to understand C storage in the forest floor and mineral soil and the major determinants. Relative to the northern forest (NF), the southern forest (SF) was found to produce higher amounts of litterfall (4.3 vs. 2.5 Mg·ha−1) and to store less C in the forest floor (~8 vs. ~12 Mg·ha−1) but more C in the mineral soil (~148 vs. ~72 Mg·ha−1). Newly-shed litter of NF had lower P (0.4 vs. 0.6 mg·g−1) but higher N concentration (13 vs. 10 mg·g−1) than SF. Despite its lower Mn concentration (0.06 vs. 0.18 mg·g−1), SF litter produces a Mn-richer humus (0.32 vs. 0.16 mg·g−1) that is less stable. The data suggest that decomposition in the NF forest floor is limited by the shorter growing season (178 days vs. 238 days) and the higher N concentrations in newly shed litter and forest floor. Differences in C stock in the mineral soil reflect differences in ecosystem productivity and long-term organic-matter accumulation. The vertical gradient of soluble and microbial fractions in the soil profile of SF was consistent with a faster turnover of organic matter in the forest floor and greater C accumulation in mineral soil relative to NF. With reference to regional-scale estimates from Italian National Forest Inventory data, the C stock in the mineral soil and the basal area of Italian beech forests were found to be significantly related, whereas C stock in the forest floor and C stock in the mineral soil were not