Fake news as a weapon of persuasion

Our study is qualitative research. It is a content analysis of more than 2,500 European and American posters of war propaganda identifying modern principles of persuasion and forms of discourse. The analysis of the themes demonstrates that the techniques used one hundred years ago to convince civilians to enlist had enormous potential for development to such a degree that they were adopted by modern political and commercial persuasion. Therefore, we can consider the propagandists of the Great War as modern spin doctors. The idea evolved after reading Propaganda (1928) by Edward Bernays, the nephew of Sigmund Freud. This is an astonishing book; it provides illuminating interpretations both for understanding of war propaganda -not just for the Great War- and for the commercial discourse of which Bernays became a promoting agent. During the Great War the propagandists used emotional and rational stratagems to convince volunteers to leave to the front. Among these, the fake news played an important role in the production of the posters that served to motivate and galvanize people to defend the ideals of the war. It was an organized disinformation action because, especially for American people, the war was very far in kilometres and in interest. Fake news has two different factors: wrong or unreasonable argumentations and false information used as premises. The success of the posters was that of moulding the agenda-setting and the opinion of citizens in order to increase the enlistment to defend the identity of the nation

Joe Biden’s Inauguration Speech: a Persuasive Narrative

In Joe Biden s inauguration speech we can find standard emotional and rational stratagems that form its persuasive strategy to obtain the public s approval The techniques and themes used by the President are the same identified in the modern principles of commercial advertising of the persuasion theory and of the propaganda discourses in particular from war propaganda These techniques and themes consist in revealing a problem in order to suggest the solution the repetition and the simplicity of the message the use of a colloquial language and of significant and easily understandable symbols the participation or the quote of testimonials the bandwagon effect the necessity of provoking emotional responses the plain folks appeal the card-stacking and the use of glittering words The attention to the choice of the most persuasive words to express the author s ideas to defend an ideal and to restore American identity is impressive These stereotyped formulas are also used to simplify situations with no need of argumentatio

L’umorismo in pubblicità: Una valutazione dell’impatto dell’umorismo nella pubblicità a scopo sociale.

This thesis aims to discover the motivations leading a company to communicate through humour. Humour is seen as a language in order to understand where, how and when it is usefully used. After an historical and philosophical introduction (Chapter 2), whose purpose is to show the most important schools of thought which developed over the centuries (and sometimes also overlapped) to explain the elusive nature of humour. This study will then explore the modern trends in advertising strategies (Chapter 3) and focus on humorous advertising and the justification of its social and commercial drivers Chapter 4). In Chapter 5, we will study the sense of humour itself and the psycho-social factors of the ideal target. In Chapter 6, we will introduce social communication, taking into account its objectives and themes. Based on past research - we will also study the various codes of expression, analysing the motivations and effects of the humorous language and the “fear arousing” language (Chapter 7). We will then focus our attention in Chapter 8 on the use of humour in social advertising campaigns against smoking through a survey in which we analysed the reactions of 300 university students to a humorous message compared to another one generating anxiety (stressing the negative effects of smoking). The results helped us to draw indications on the efficiency of both means of communication from cognitive, emotional and behavioural points of view. The present analysis has required the use of interdisciplinary analytical tools and in-depth studies in various disciplines: economy, marketing, semiology and sociology, psychology and philosophy. Unfortunately, often these tools could only give an incomplete answer or a reference to other studies. It was therefore inevitable to keep our attention on some aspects and to ignore others: this kind of freedom is certainly possible while treating a theme such as humour.L’obiettivo della tesi è di individuare le motivazioni che spingono un’azienda a comunicare mediante l’umorismo. L’umorismo viene considerato in chiave strumentale al fine di poter trarre indicazioni su dove, come e quando sia più utile optare per tale linguaggio. Dopo un’introduzione storico-filosofica (cap.2) volta a mostrare le principali correnti di pensiero che nei secoli si sono succedute (talvolta sovrapponendosi) per comprendere la sfuggente natura dell’umorismo, lo studio prosegue discutendo le odierne linee di tendenza delle strategie pubblicitarie (cap.3), per poi focalizzarsi sulla pubblicità umoristica e le motivazioni aziendali e sociali che la giustificano (cap.4). In seguito (cap.5) trattiamo il senso dello humour e i fattori psico-sociali del target ideale. Con il capitolo 6 introduciamo la comunicazione sociale, considerandone obiettivi e temi. Quindi affrontiamo i suoi codici espressivi per analizzare, sulla base di ricerche passate, le motivazioni e gli effetti del linguaggio umoristico e di uno di tipo “fear arousing” (cap.7). La nostra attenzione si sofferma poi (cap. 8) sull’utilizzo dell’umorismo nelle pubblicità sociali contro il fumo mediante un’indagine empirica con la quale abbiamo confrontato le reazioni di 300 studenti universitari a un messaggio umoristico con uno che genera ansia (preconizzando le conseguenze del fumo) per trarre indicazioni sull’efficacia delle due comunicazioni dal punto di vista cognitivo, affettivo e comportamentale. La disamina ha sollecitato strumenti analitici interdisciplinari e approfondimenti di diversa natura: economica e di marketing, semiologica e sociologica, psicologica e filosofica, ma spesso questi hanno potuto solo trovarvi un accenno o un rinvio. Ci è stato quindi inevitabile soffermarci su alcuni aspetti e trascurarne altri: una libertà che un tema come l’umorismo di sicuro ammette

Bacillus stearothermophilus acetylacetoin synthase in synthesis of 2-alkyl-2-hydroxy-1,3-diketones

The asymmetric C-C bond formation is one of the main goals in the synthetic organic chemistry and represents the critical step of many synthesis. Biocatalytic approaches to carboligation are often based on the use of thiamine diphosphate-dependent enzymes and among these acetylacetoin synthase (AAS) is a TDP-depending enzyme playing a key role in the bacterial metabolic pathway known as butanediol cycle. In this cycle, AAS catalyses the condensation reaction between two molecules of 2,3-butanedione (diacetyl) leading to the formation of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-2,4-pentanedione (acetylacetoin) and acetic acid. Till today very few data regarding the purification and characterization of this enzyme have been reported and AAS has never been employed for synthetic purposes. In the present communication a partial purification of AAS from B. stearothermophilus and its use as catalyst for the conversion of 1,2-diketones to the corresponding 2-alkyl-2-hydroxy -1,3-diketones is described

Bacillus stearothermophilus acetylacetoin synthase: a new catalyst for C-C bond formation

none5The synthesis of α-hydroxy-1,3-diketones 2 and 3 from the corresponding 1,2-diketones with Bacillus stearothermophilus ATCC 2027 acetylacetoin synthase (AAS) was described. The enzyme catalyzed the condensation of the dialkyl- or alkyl-aryl-1,2-diketones 1 with the elimination of a carboxylic acid moiety. The reactions were carried out using either one diketone both acting as donor and acceptor (homo-coupling) or with two different reacting species (cross-coupling). The homo-coupling reactions of the asymmetric dialkyl-1,2-diketones 1c-d afforded a mixture of the regioisomers 2 (30-42%, ee 67-70%) and 3 (19-25%), while only the 1,3-diketones 2a (57%), 2b (60%), and 2e (45%, ee 76%) were obtained using 2,3-butanedione 1a, 3,4-hexanedione 1b, and 1-phenyl-1,2-propanedione 1e, respectively. The cross-coupling reactions of the diketones 1a and 1b, and 1b and 1e were carried out using various ratios of the donor and the acceptor. In both cases the only cross-coupling product was 3-ethyl-3-hydroxy-2,4-hexanedione 4 (62%, ee 91%).openP. P. GIOVANNINI; P. PEDRINI; V. VENTURI; G. FANTIN; A. MEDICIGiovannini, Pier Paolo; Pedrini, Paola; Venturi, Valentina; Fantin, Giancarlo; Medici, Alessandr

Combined Microbial Oxidation and Reduction: a New Approach to the High-yield Synthesis of Homochiral Unsaturated Secondary Alcohols from Racemates

none5The oxidation of racemic secondary alcohols with Bacillus stearothermophilus followed by reduction of the mixture with Yarrowia lipolytica to afford high yields of the enantiomerically pure R-alcohols is described. Comparisons with Yarrowia lipolytica reduction, Bacillus stearothermophilus oxidation, and the contemporary use of the two microrganisms have been made.openFANTIN G.; M. FOGAGNOLO; P. P. GIOVANNINI; A. MEDICI; P. PEDRINIFantin, Giancarlo; Fogagnolo, Marco; Giovannini, Pier Paolo; Medici, Alessandro; Pedrini, Paol

New acetoin reductases from Bacillus stearothermophilus: meso and 2R,3R-butanediol as fermentation products

The fermentation of sucrose with Bacillus stearothermophilus ATCC 2027 afforded 2R,3R- and meso-2,3-butanediol together with R-acetoin following the bacterial catabolic pathway. This metabolic route was confirmed by the conversion of pyruvate to R-acetoin with the cell free extract of B. stearothermophilus. On the other hand the reduction of 3R-acetoin to 2R,3R- and meso-butanediol with the same cell free extract allowed at least the presence of two NADH-dependent reductases. Together with the S-stereospecific diacetyl reductase (BSDR), purified in a previous work, a new S-stereospecific acetoin reductase (S-ACR) was partially purified and a fraction containing, R-stereospecific acetoin reductase (R-ACR), was obtained. On the other hand in B. stearothermophilus fermentation of sucrose the “butanediol cycle” is negligible because the acetylacetoin synthase, responsible of the first step of this cycle, is an inducible enzyme that needs low concentration of sugar and high concentration of acetoin to be expresse

Oxidation with Bacillus stearothermophilus in heptane

none6The first example of oxidation with bacteria in heptane is reported. The kinetic resolution of endo-bicyclic octen- and heptenols is obtained. The methodology is simpler and the volume of the reactions is smaller than in water.openG. FANTIN; M. FOGAGNOLO; P. GIOVANNINI; MEDICI A.; P. PEDRINI; S. POLIFantin, Giancarlo; Fogagnolo, Marco; Giovannini, Pier Paolo; Medici, Alessandro; Pedrini, Paola; S., Pol

Xanthomonas maltophilia CBS 897.97 as a source of new 7a- and 7b-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases and cholylglycine hydrolase: improved biotansformations of bile acids

The paper reports the partial purification and characterization of the 7β- and 7α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (HSDH) and cholylglycine hydrolase (CGH), isolated from Xanthomonas maltophilia CBS 897.97. The activity of 7β-HSDH and 7α-HSDH in the reduction of the 7-keto bile acids is determined. The affinity of 7β-HSDH for bile acids is confirmed by the reduction, on analytical scale, to the corresponding 7β-OH derivatives. A crude mixture of 7α- and 7β-HSDH, in soluble or immobilized form, is employed in the synthesis, on preparative scale, of ursocholic and ursodeoxycholic acids starting from the corresponding 7α-derivatives. On the other hand, a partially purified 7β-HSDH in a double enzyme system, where the couple formate/formate dehydrogenase allows the cofactor recycle, affords 6α-fluoro-3α,6a-7β-dihydroxy-5β-cholan-24-oic acid (6-FUDCA) by reduction of the corresponding 7-keto derivative. This compound is not obtainable by microbiological route. The efficient and mild hydrolysis of glycinates and taurinates of bile acids with CGH is also reported. Very promising results are also obtained with bile acid containing raw materials