Un destino di marginalizzazione. Il ruolo delle politiche urbane nell’abbandono del centro storico di Leonforte

The town of Leonforte was founded in the XVII century, when the Branciforti family obtained a licentia pupulandi for Tavi’s feudal territory. An ambitious urban plan based on a regular layout was developed along the tableland surrounding the north-western side of the Mount Cernigliere. Due to the narrowness of the plateau, the town progressively grew along in the opposite direction to its original centre, condemning the old district to an inexorable destine of peripheral condition.Following modern living standards and in response to the citizens’ new requirements, starting from the Seventies, the historical centre experienced an ever-increasing process of abandonment. In the past, the building density and the street pattern favoured the development of retailing, housing and street activities. Currently, the older area lacks even the basic public services and it is almost depopulated. The decline of the historic core of the town has already resulted in a progressive disuse and disrepair of buildings and public space, thus threatening the whole urban heritage.Nowadays Leonforte displays the antithetical phenomena of the abandonment of a significant part of the historical centre and the increasing urban sprawl in the suburban periphery. It is an interesting case-study in order to understand the role of urban policies and the responsibility of local authorities for tackling the effects of population decline and urban decay of a town’s historic core. Un destino di marginalizzazione. Il ruolo delle politiche urbane nell’abbandono del centro storico di LeonforteLeonforte fu fondata nel XVII secolo, quando la famiglia Branciforti ottenne una licentia pupulandi per il feudo di Tavi. Un ambizioso piano urbanistico basato su una maglia ortogonale venne sviluppato lungo l'altopiano che circonda il lato nord-occidentale del Monte Cernigliere. A causa delle ristrette dimensioni dell'altopiano, la città si è sviluppata nella direzione opposta al centro originario, condannando la zona storica a un inesorabile destino di periferizzazione.In accordo con i moderni standard di vita e in risposta alle nuove esigenze dei cittadini, a partire dagli anni 70, il centro storico ha sperimentato un crescente processo di abbandono. In passato, la densità dell'edificato e l’assetto stradale favorivano lo sviluppo della vendita al dettaglio, della residenza e delle attività di strada. Attualmente, la zona più antica è priva dei servizi pubblici di base ed è quasi completamente spopolata. Il declino del nucleo storico della città ha già portato al progressivo deterioramento di molti edifici e spazi pubblici, mettendo a rischio l'intero patrimonio urbano.Oggi Leonforte presenta i fenomeni antitetici dell'abbandono di una parte significativa del centro storico e della crescente dispersione urbana nelle zone periferiche e rappresenta un caso studio interessante per comprendere il ruolo delle politiche urbane e la responsabilità delle autorità locali nell’affrontare gli effetti della flessione demografica e il grave declino del centro storico di una città. Leonforte fu fondata nel XVII secolo, quando la famiglia Branciforti ottenne una licentia pupulandi per il feudo di Tavi. Un ambizioso piano urbanistico basato su una maglia ortogonale venne sviluppato lungo l'altopiano che circonda il lato nord-occidentale del Monte Cernigliere. A causa delle ristrette dimensioni dell'altopiano, la città si è sviluppata nella direzione opposta al centro originario, condannando la zona storica a un inesorabile destino di periferizzazione.In accordo con i moderni standard di vita e in risposta alle nuove esigenze dei cittadini, a partire dagli anni Settanta, il centro storico ha sperimentato un crescente processo di abbandono. In passato, la densità dell'edificato e l’assetto stradale favorivano lo sviluppo della vendita al dettaglio, della residenza e delle attività di strada. Attualmente, la zona più antica è priva dei servizi pubblici di base ed è quasi completamente spopolata. Il declino del nucleo storico della città ha già portato al progressivo deterioramento di molti edifici e spazi pubblici, mettendo a rischio l'intero patrimonio urbano.Oggi Leonforte presenta i fenomeni antitetici dell'abbandono di una parte significativa del centro storico e della crescente dispersione urbana nelle zone periferiche e rappresenta un caso studio interessante per comprendere il ruolo delle politiche urbane e la responsabilità delle autorità locali nell’affrontare gli effetti della flessione demografica e il grave declino del centro storico di una città. Destiny of Marginalization. The Role of Urban Policies in the Abandonment of the Historical Centre of LeonforteThe town of Leonforte was founded in the XVII century, when the Branciforti family obtained a licentia pupulandi for Tavi’s feudal territory. An ambitious urban plan based on a regular layout was developed along the tableland surrounding the north-western side of the Mount Cernigliere. Due to the narrowness of the plateau, the town progressively grew along in the opposite direction to its original centre, condemning the old district to an inexorable destine of peripheral condition.Following modern living standards and in response to the citizens’ new requirements, starting from the Seventies, the historical centre experienced an ever-increasing process of abandonment. In the past, the building density and the street pattern favoured the development of retailing, housing and street activities. Currently, the older area lacks even the basic public services and it is almost depopulated. The decline of the historic core of the town has already resulted in a progressive disuse and disrepair of buildings and public space, thus threatening the whole urban heritage.Nowadays Leonforte displays the antithetical phenomena of the abandonment of a significant part of the historical centre and the increasing urban sprawl in the suburban periphery. It is an interesting case-study in order to understand the role of urban policies and the responsibility of local authorities for tackling the effects of population decline and urban decay of a town’s historic core

investigating social support patterns of single mothers from a social network perspective

AbstractIn the present study, we discuss how social network analysis approach can be fruitful exploited to study social support within family studies. An ego-centred network approach is adopted within a case study about social support networks of low income single mothers living in a city of southern Italy. We address three main issues. First, we aim to describe and explore the structure of social relationships that single mothers activate in order to obtain different kind of supports. Second, we investigate the main factors that affect the amount and variety of resources embedded in the single mothers' support networks. Third, we analyse the relationship between the received social support embedded in the ego network and the support perceived by mothers. Beyond the description of composition and structure of ego-centred networks through network measures and factorial methods, a series of regression models was estimated to assess factors explaining received and perceived support of single mothers

Immune mediators of sea-cucumber Holothuria tubulosa (Echinodermata) as source of novel antimicrobial and anti-staphylococcal biofilm agents

The present study aims to investigate coelomocytes, immune mediators cells in the echinoderm Holothuria tubulosa, as an unusual source of antimicrobial and antibiofilm agents. The activity of the 5kDa peptide fraction of the cytosol from H. tubulosa coelomocytes (5-HCC) was tested against a reference group of Gram-negative and Gram-positive human pathogens. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 125 to 500 mg/ml were determined against tested strains. The observed biological activity of 5-HCC could be due to two novel peptides, identified by capillary RP-HPLC/nESI-MS/MS, which present the common chemical-physical characteristics of antimicrobial peptides. Such peptides were chemically synthesized and their antimicrobial activity was tested. The synthetic peptides showed broad-spectrum activity at 12.5 mg/ml against the majority of the tested Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains, and they were also able to inhibit biofilm formation in a significant percentage at a concentration of 3.1 mg/ml against staphylococcal and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. The immune mediators in H. tubulosa are a source of novel antimicrobial peptides for the development of new agents against biofilm bacterial communities that are often intrinsically resistant to conventional antibiotics

Modulation of Antioxidant Compounds in Fruits of Citrus reticulata Blanco Using Postharvest LED Irradiation

Phlegrean mandarin fruits are already known for health-promoting properties due to the high concentration of phytochemicals in peel, pulp, and seed. Biotic and abiotic factors, including light, may modulate their biosynthesis, metabolism, and accumulation. In this context, light-emitting diodes (LED) have recently been applied to control nutritional traits, ripening process, senescence, fruit shelf-life, and pathogenic microbial spoilage of fruits. This study investigated the effect of the seven-day exposure of Phlegrean mandarin fruits to two LED regimes, white (W) and red–blue (RB), to test the possibility that the storage under specific light wavelengths may be used as green preservation technology that enhances fruit phytochemical properties. To pursue this aim, the antioxidant activity and polyphenolic profile of the pulp and peel of mandarins under W and RB light regimes were evaluated and compared with Control fruits not exposed to LED treatment. Our results indicated that storage under W and RB treatments modulates the antioxidant content in pulp and peel differently. Compared to W, the RB regime increases the ascorbic acid, flavonoid, anthocyanin, and carotenoid concentrations, while the polyphenol profile analysis reveals that the number of important phytochemicals, i.e., quercetin rutinoside, chlorogenic acid, sinensetin, and rutin, are higher under W. The overall data demonstrated that postharvest LED irradiation is a valid tool for modifying fruit phytochemical properties, which also boosts specific bioactive compounds

Detection of BRAF mutation in thyroid papillary carcinomas by mutant allele-specific PCR amplification (MASA).

Objective: The somatic point mutation in the BRAF gene, which results in a valine-to-glutamate sub- stitution at residue 600 (BRAF V600E ), is an ideal hallmark of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). How- ever, its prevalence is varyingly reported in different studies, and its expression in the follicular variant PTC is controversial, reducing its potential usefulness as diagnostic marker. Design and methods: We developed an assay based on mutant allele-specific PCR amplification (MASA) to detect BRAF mutation. We compared the sensitivity of MASA, single-strand conformation poly- morphism (SSCP) and direct DNA sequencing of PCR products. Then, we used MASA 78 to analyze 78 archival thyroid tissues, including normal samples, follicular adenomas, follicular carcinomas and PTC. Results: The MASA assay proved to be a more sensitive method than SSCP and DNA sequencing of PCR products. BRAF mutation was found by MASA in 19/43 (44.2%) of PTC, including 14/31 (45.2%) classic forms and 5/12 (41.7%) follicular variants. No mutations of BRAF were detected in the normal thyroid tissues, nor in follicular adenomas or follicular carcinomas. No correlation was found between BRAF mutation and clinicopathologic features nor with recurrence during a post- operative follow-up period of 4–11 years. BRAF V600E significantly correlated with absence of node metastasis. Conclusions: BRAF V600E is present in PTC, both in the classic form and in follicular variant with simi- lar prevalence. No correlation was found between BRAF mutation and aggressive clinical behavior. MASA-PCR proved to be a specific, sensitive and reliable method to detect BRAF T1799A in DNA extracted from different sources, including cytologic samples obtained either fresh or from archival glass slides. We propose this method as a useful tool to improve accuracy of preoperative diagnosis identifying PTC from biopsies with indeterminate cytologic findings

If Dante had known Phytoplankton. A comparison between literature and science through the didactics of metaphors.

This project, conducted with Classical High School students, was developed under the "Alternating School and Work Experience" program (Italian Law n. 107/2015) between the "G. Palmieri" High School of Lecce and the Environmental Protection Agency of Puglia (ARPA), Department of Lecce, in Italy. In particular, this paper describes the “HABs’ world” allegorically, in terms of one of the most famous examples of Italian literature, the Divine Comedy. Harmful algal blooms, or HABs, occur when colonies of algae, simple photosynthetic organisms that live in the sea and freshwater, grow out of control while producing toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and birds. Since HABs can be defined as “bad”, based on their negative characteristics, some of these were compared to the sinful souls that Dante and Virgil encountered along their journey into Hell. It is argued that such integration of literary and scientific contexts in terms of ecological indicators helps students understand the relationship between the sustainability of human and environmental trajectories.Key words: Phytoplankton, Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs), The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri, ecological indicator

De Grunenberg’s fortifications in Augusta. Knowledge and conservation of a neglected heritage

[EN] Between 1674 and 1678, a land and naval war occurred just off the east coast of Sicily, between France and Spain. The town of Augusta had a wide natural harbour but an inadequate defence system: thus, it was easily conquered by the French army. After the war the fortifications of the town were updated. In this respect, the military engineer Carlos De Grunenberg built new fortifications on the isthmus that connected the town to the mainland. Historical and landscape value of De Grunenberg’s fortifications derives from their specific position in the area where the old town, surrounded by the sea, meets the mainland and the modern quarters. Unfortunately, the fortress was conceived as to be built on a flat ground, rather than on a slope. Its clay foundation wasn’t taken into account and serious instabilities, caused by earthquakes and the action of the sea, now urge for consolidation and restoration works, which represent the issue of the present proposal.Di San Lio, E.; Vitale, MR.; Aliffi, F.; Macca, S. (2015). De Grunenberg’s fortifications in Augusta. Knowledge and conservation of a neglected heritage. En Defensive architecture of the mediterranean: XV to XVIII centuries. Vol. I. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 119-126. https://doi.org/10.4995/FORTMED2015.2015.1731OCS11912

Antioxidant Properties of Pulp, Peel and Seeds of Phlegrean Mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) at Different Stages of Fruit Ripening

In this work, we assess the potential of waste products of Phlegrean mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco), namely seeds and peel, to be reutilized as a source of bioactive compounds beneficial for the human diet. Starting from the evidence that the by-products of this specific cultivar are the most powerful sources of antioxidants compared to pulp, we have investigated if and how the bioactive compounds in peel and seeds may be affected by fruit ripening. Three stages of fruit ripening have been considered in our study: unripe fruits = UF, semi-ripe fruits = SRF, ripe fruits = RF. The overall results indicated that RF showed the highest concentration of antioxidants. Among fruit components, peel was the richest in total antioxidant capacity, total polyphenol content, total flavonoids, total chlorophylls and carotenoids, while seeds exhibited the highest concentration of total condensed tannins and ascorbic acid. The liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assay indicates the occurrence, in peel extracts, of 28 phenolic compounds, mainly flavonoids (FLs); in seeds, 34 derivatives were present in the first stage (UF), which diminish to 24 during the ripening process. Our data indicated that the content of phytochemicals in citrus strongly varies among the fruit components and depends on the ripening stage. The higher antioxidant activity of peel and seeds, especially in RF, encourage a potential use of by-products of this specific citrus cultivar for industrial or pharmacological applications. However, to maximize the occurrence of desired bioactive compounds, it is important also to consider the ripening stage at which fruits must be collected