La Damnatio Memoriae tra i privati dall'Antico al Nuovo Regno egiziano: casi di studio

La lunga storia degli studi egittologici è costellata di citazioni di una pratica piuttosto diffusa nella società egiziana: la Damnatio Memoriae. Al momento non esiste uno studio che tratti la damnatio tra i privati dipanandosi lungo tutta la storia egiziana e che ne dia informazioni su metodologie, tecniche e motivazioni, analizzando gli eventuali cambiamenti in base alle epoche e alla classe di appartenenza dei singoli personaggi,. Lo scopo di questo lavoro è quindi quello di provare a dare un quadro generale sull'applicazione della damnatio memoriae tra i privati in Egitto durante l'Antico, il Medio ed il Nuovo Regno. Per comprendere appieno il fenomeno si è ritenuto necessario affrontare alcuni temi d'interesse fondamentale prima di dedicarsi ad i casi di studio; a tal fine il primo capitolo tratterà brevemente della damnatio nel mondo antico, il secondo di alcuni elementi religiosi e culturali della civiltà egiziana ed il terzo dell'applicazione di questa pratica ai danni dei sovrani. Il quarto capitolo sarà quindi quello deputato all'analisi dei casi di studio provenienti da diverse epoche. I dati ottenuti dallo studio e le conclusioni a cui si perverrà verranno sviscerati nel quinto, ed ultimo, capitolo

La «Scienza della logica» di Hegel: autonomia come emancipazione del pensiero

With the Science of Logic, Hegel poses a radical challenge to philosophy: a self-presentation of thought that, by not assuming anything outside itself, achieves its self-knowledge. From the possibility of such a project depends that of the autonomy of thought, that is, of a thought that gives itself its own law.Some classical readings consider this enterprise to be unsuccesful or not to be fully accomplished in the Logic. According to Dieter Henrich, Hegel's Logic would fall into a circle, because (although without external assumption) would be burdened by the presupposition of the structure of thought itself, which should rather result from the logical process. For Robert B. Pippin or Terry Pinkard, instead, the instance of autonomy of thought would be realized not in the logic, but only at the level of the spirit.In contrast to such interpretations, we will try to show that precisely in the Logic the thought determines itself as autonomous. In its self-presentation thought, that has itself as its object, produces its own structures, which are not prior to the movement (it produces its own form or law). And once it has come to know itself as such a process, thought ceases to presuppose itself as an object (it emancipates itself) and poses its own form for itself (it gives itself the law)

Solution of the Bethe-Salpeter equation without empty electronic states: Application to the absorption spectra of bulk systems

An approach recently developed to solve the Bethe-Salpeter equation within density matrix perturbation theory is extended to the calculation of optical spectra of periodic systems. This generalization requires numerical integrations within the first Brillouin zone that are efficiently performed by exploiting point group symmetries. The technique is applied to the calculation of the optical spectra of bulk Si, diamond C, and cubic SiC. Numerical convergence and the accuracy of the Tamm-Dancoff approximation are discussed in detail

Pharmacokinetics and antinociceptive effects of tramadol and its metabolite O-desmethyltramadol following intravenous administration in sheep

Although sheep are widely used as an experimental model for various surgical procedures there is a paucity of data on the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of analgesic drugs in this species. The aims of this study were to investigate the pharmacokinetics of intravenously (IV) administered tramadol and its active metabolite O-desmethyltramadol (M1) and to assess the mechanical antinociceptive effects in sheep. In a prospective, randomized, blinded study, six healthy adult sheep were given 4 and 6\u2009mg/kg tramadol and saline IV in a cross-over design with a 2-week wash-out period. At predetermined time points blood samples were collected and physiological parameters and mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT) values were recorded. The analytical determination of tramadol and M1 was performed using high performance liquid chromatography. Pharmacokinetic parameters fitted a two- and a non-compartmental model for tramadol and M1, respectively. Normally distributed data were analysed by a repeated mixed linear model. Plasma concentration vs. time profiles of tramadol and M1 were similar after the two doses. Tramadol and M1 plasma levels decreased rapidly in the systemic circulation, with both undetectable after 6\u2009h following drug administration. Physiological parameters did not differ between groups; MNT values were not statistically significant between groups at any time point. It was concluded that although tramadol and M1 concentrations in plasma were above the human minimum analgesic concentration after both treatments, no mechanical antinociceptive effects of tramadol were reported. Further studies are warranted to assess the analgesic efficacy of tramadol in sheep

Plants Used In Artisanal Fisheries On The Western Mediterranean Coasts Of Italy

Background Artisanal fisheries in the Mediterranean, especially in Italy, have been poorly investigated. There is a long history of fishing in this region, and it remains an important economic activity in many localities. Our research entails both a comprehensive review of the relevant literature and 58 field interviews with practitioners on plants used in fishing activities along the Western Mediterranean Italian coastal regions. The aims were to record traditional knowledge on plants used in fishery in these regions and to define selection criteria for plant species used in artisanal fisheries, considering ecology and intrinsic properties of plants, and to discuss the pattern of diffusion of shared uses in these areas. Methods Information was gathered both from a general review of ethnobotanical literature and from original data. A total of 58 semi-structured interviews were carried out in Liguria, Latium, Campania and Sicily (Italy). Information on plant uses related to fisheries were collected and analyzed through a chi-square residual analysis and the correspondence analysis in relation to habitat, life form and chorology. Results A total of 60 plants were discussed as being utilized in the fisheries of the Western Italian Mediterranean coastal regions, with 141 different uses mentioned. Of these 141 different uses, 32 are shared among different localities. A multivariate statistical analysis was performed on the entire dataset, resulting in details about specific selection criteria for the different usage categories (plants have different uses that can be classified into 11 main categories). In some uses, species are selected for their features (e.g., woody), or habitat (e.g., riverine), etc. The majority of uses were found to be obsolete (42%) and interviews show that traditional fishery knowledge is in decline. There are several reasons for this, such as climatic change, costs, reduction of fish stocks, etc. Conclusions Our research correlates functional characteristics of the plants used in artisanal fishery and habitats, and discusses the distribution of these uses. This research is the first comprehensive outline of plant role in artisanal fisheries and traditional fishery knowledge in the Mediterranean, specifically in Italy

Proteomic tools to study phosphorylation of intrinsically disordered proteins

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) represent a family of proteins that lack secondary or tertiary structure. IDPs are hubs in interaction networks, , participate in liquid-liquid separation processes, and drive the formation of proteinaceous membrane-less organelles.. Their unfolded structure makes them particularly prone to post-translational modifications (PTMs) that play key functional modulatory roles. Areas covered: We discuss different analytical approaches to study phosphorylation of IDPs starting from methods for IDP enrichment (strong acid extractions and heat-based pre-fractionation), strategies to enrich and map phosphopeptides/proteins, and mass spectrometry-based tools to study the phosphorylation-dependent conformational alterations of IDPs (limited proteolysis, HDX, chemical cross-linking, covalent labeling, and ion mobility). Expert opinion: There is a growing interest in IDPs and their PTMs since they are involved in several diseases. The intrinsic disorder could be exploited to facilitate purification and synthetic production of IDPs taking full advantage of those structural mass-spectrometry-based methods that can be used to investigate IDPs and their phospho-dependent conformational alterations. The diffusion and implementation of mass spectrometers with ion mobility devices and electron transfer dissociation capabilities could be key-elements for increasing information on IDP biology

Impressive long-term response with chemo-endocrine therapy in a premenopausal patient with metastatic breast cancer. A case report

Rationale: Patients with, or who develop, metastatic breast cancer have a 5-year relative survival of about 25%. Endocrine therapy clearly improves outcomes in patients with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. In the metastatic setting, the primary goal of treatment is to maintain long-term disease control with good quality of life. Rarely, exceptional responders achieve durable disease control, and potential cures cannot be ruled out.Patient Concerns: We report the case of a 39-year-old woman with primary breast cancer and associated synchronous bone metastases, who experienced a disease response of 12 years with hormonal therapy as maintenance after first line chemotherapy, with a good toxicity profile.Diagnosis: The patient was diagnosed with estrogen receptor + human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)- metastatic breast cancer with synchronous bone metastases.Interventions: This patient was treated with chemotherapy for 6 cycles as a first-line therapy following by endocrine treatment given as a maintenance therapy.Outcomes: Our patient experienced a progression-free survival >12 years with an exceptionally good quality of life.Lessons: Our anecdotal experience highlights the existence of exceptional responders among patients with hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer, who achieve clinical remission and durable disease control with endocrine therapy. Being able to identify these patients could help in the selection of the best treatment option among the many available

Atypical cellular neurothekeoma (ACN) of the elderly: case report and brief review of the literature

Atypical cellular neurothekeoma (ACN) is an aggressive and rare variant of cellular neurothekeoma. Only few cases have been reported in the literature and the biological behavior seems to be uncertain. We describe the case of an ACN presenting on the scalp of an elderly man, emphasizing the cytologic features of malignancy. In addition, we provide a brief overview of the literature and discuss the differential diagnosis with other entities, and the possible diagnostic pitfalls

Modeling and design of a plasma-based transmit-array with beam scanning capabilities

Abstract This work presents the proof of concept of a novel plasma-based transmit-array antenna with beam scanning capabilities. The transmit-array operates above the GHz (precisely at 1.6 GHz) and is capable of steering its main lobe up to thirty degrees. A metallic half-wave dipole is used as the active element of the transmit-array, while twenty-five cylindrical plasma discharges are adopted to steer the beam of the antenna simply by turning them on or off. These passive elements are geometrically displaced in a triangular lattice. A customized two-steps optimization strategy is used to choose the best geometrical parameters of the array and to select the subset of plasma discharges that maximizes the gain of the antenna for each desired scanning angle. Towards this aim, a particle swarm optimization is first used to optimize the geometrical parameters of the array, and then a genetic algorithm is adopted to select the optimal subset of plasma discharges that need to be turned on to scan the beam towards different directions. The designed transmit-array was modeled in CST Microwave Studio, using realistic plasma parameters extrapolated from measurements of a fabricated plasma discharge prototype

Acid ceramidase controls apoptosis and increases autophagy in human melanoma cells treated with doxorubicin

Acid ceramidase (AC) is a lysosomal hydrolase encoded by the ASAH1 gene, which cleaves ceramides into sphingosine and fatty acid. AC is expressed at high levels in most human melanoma cell lines and may confer resistance against chemotherapeutic agents. One such agent, doxorubicin, was shown to increase ceramide levels in melanoma cells. Ceramides contribute to the regulation of autophagy and apoptosis. Here we investigated the impact of AC ablation via CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing on the response of A375 melanoma cells to doxorubicin. We found that doxorubicin activates the autophagic response in wild-type A375 cells, which effectively resist apoptotic cell death. In striking contrast, doxorubicin fails to stimulate autophagy in A375 AC-null cells, which rapidly undergo apoptosis when exposed to the drug. The present work highlights changes that affect melanoma cells during incubation with doxorubicin, in A375 melanoma cells lacking AC. We found that the remarkable reduction in recovery rate after doxorubicin treatment is strictly associated with the impairment of autophagy, that forces the AC-inhibited cells into apoptotic path