A framework for requirements engineering for context-aware services

Context-aware services, especially when made available to mobile devices, constitute an interesting but very challenging domain. It poses fundamental problems for both requirements engineering, software architecture, and their relationship. We propose a novel, reflection-based framework for requirements engineering for this class of applications. The framework addresses the key difficulties in this field, such as changing context and changing requirements. We report preliminary work on this framework and suggest future directions

Praedicatio, admonitio, correctio vescovile in età carolingia: norme e modelli di comportamento

ITALIANO: Dalle fonti di età carolingia emerge un forte intreccio tra predicazione e costruzione di norme e di modelli di comportamento nel quadro di un progetto di correctio della società cristiana. Se i capitolari di Carlo veicolano una admonitio promossa dal sovrano in quanto rector Ecclesiae, all’epoca di Ludovico il Pio gli specula rappresentano uno strumento di predicazione mirata, indirizzata a sovrani e aristocratici, chiamati ad esercitare una admonitio morale e un ruolo latamente pastorale nei confronti dei loro subiecti. La lotta condotta dall’élite ecclesiastica carolingia contro l’incesto, il ripudio delle mogli, l’omosessualità, l’usura evidenzia le ricadute della predicazione morale sul piano disciplinare e normativo. Alcuni statuti sinodali e una lettera di Amulone di Lione presentano la comunità parrocchiale come l’unica legitima et ecclesiastica religionis forma contrapposta ad una anarchica superstitio, e la predicazione pubblica del vescovo e del suo clero come l’imprescindibile espressione unitaria della Chiesa locale. / ENGLISH: In Carolingian sources, a strong interplay between preaching and the formation of norms and patterns of behavior emerges in the frame of a correctio project aimed at Christian society. The capitularies of Charlemagne convey an admonitio promoted by the king as rector Ecclesiae, during the time of Louis the Pious. The specula rather represent a targeted preaching tool, addressed to kings and aristocrats, called to perform a moral admonitio and in effect a pastoral role toward their own subiecti. The struggle undertaken by the Carolingian ecclesiastical élite against incest, the repudiation of wives, homosexuality, and usury highlights the disciplinary and regulatory fallout caused by the impact of moral preaching. Some synodal statutes and a letter by Amulo of Lyon present the parish community as the only legitima et ecclesiastica religionis forma, as opposed to an anarchic superstitio, and the public preaching of the bishop and his clergy as the undeniable unitary expression of the local Church

Le commentaire d’Alcuin sur l’Épître aux Hébreux et le thème du sacrifice

Le premier commentaire latin sur l’épître aux Hébreux, incomplet et transmis anonyme ou sous le nom d’« Ambroise » (c’est à dire de l’Ambrosiaster), a été rédigé par Alcuin, qui souligne le rôle sacerdotal de Jésus, le nouvel Melchisédech ; et présente le prêtre comme un nouvel Aaron, qui doit calmer la colère de Dieu. Il spiritualise la notion de sacrifice, mais il entrevoit aussi une continuité typologique entre les temples et les sacrifices de l’Ancien Testament et les églises chrétiennes, où le pain et le vin deviennent le corps et le sang du Christ. Il ne suit pas le modèle des « chaînes », mais il utilise avec une certaine liberté surtout les homélies de Jean Chrysostome, dans la traduction de Mutianus. Malgré la terminologie encore fluide, l’oeuvre d’Alcuin offre une contribution à l’évolution du système sacrificiel de l’Occident chrétien, avant la controverse eucharistique, qui favorisera une nouvelle définition de la sacralité de l’Église et de l’identité sacerdotale.The first Latin commentary to the Epistle to the Hebrews, unfinished and transmitted or anonymous or as a work of “Ambrose” (i.e. the Ambrosiaster), was, in fact, written by Alcuin, who emphasizes the sacerdotal role of Jesus, the new Melchisedeck, and describes the priest as a new Aaron, the one called to calm God’s wrath. Alcuin spiritualizes the notion of sacrifice, suggesting, at the same time, a typological continuity between the Old Testament’s temples and sacrifices, and the Christian churches, where bread and wine became Christ’s body and blood. He doesn’t follow to the “chains” model, but he uses with a certain degree of freedom the Homilies of Saint John Chrysostomos (in Mutianus’ translation). Although still flowing in terminology, Alcuin’s work helped the evolution of the sacrifical system in the western Christianity before the Eucharistic controversy, when a new definition of the Church’s sacrality and of the sacerdotal identity grew

Diagnosis and digitization of Dantesque Code “Phillipps 9589”

This work concerns the study of Dante’s Code, illuminated on parchment, which is preserved at the Library of “Centro Dantesco dei Frati Minori Conventuali” in Ravenna. This Code is well-known by the international scientific Community as Phillipps 9589 and its notoriety is not only due to the fact that it’s the only Dante’s Palimpsest, but also because it preserves, at the scripto superior, one of the older witness of that branch of handwritten tradition of Dante’s Commedia named “Tradition a”, the so-called “old Vulgate”. The research, worked out for several stages, had aimed to examine the technical-diagnostic aspects, in particular the general purposes had been: – evaluation about the state of preservation; – materials characterization; – improvement of the legibility of Dante’s text and Palimpsest reading; – evaluation about the preservative environment; – code digitization suitable for a intranet and internet use. In this connection, the following non-destructive diagnostic techniques bad been employed, also related to a documentary aim: – image analysis videomicroscope; – spectrophotometric colorimetry; – X-ray fluorescence (XRF); – Multispectral Imaging System (MuSIS); – environmental monitoring Instruments (thermohygrometer, illuminometer, aerosol spectrometer PTS e PM10)

Il patrimonio culturale della Chiesa e della citt\ue0 ravennate nei racconti dei viaggiatori e nelle guide per forestieri

Il saggio analizza l\u2bcevoluzione delle modalit\ue0 di rappresentazione del patrimonio culturale di Ravenna nei racconti dei viaggiatori e nelle guide per forestieri. A partire dal Giubileo del 1600 i racconti di viaggio integrano l'interesse devozionale con quello erudito: accanto alle descrizioni di reliquie ed immagini sacre compaiono quelle degli edifici e delle epigrafi, che assumono un ruolo centrale. Con Mabillon e Montfaucon emerge un'attenzione specifica per biblioteche, musei ed archivi.Travelers' diaries and Foreigners' guides as sources for the cultural heritage of the Church and the city of Ravenna. The essay analyzes how the representation of the cultural heritage of Ravenna evolves in sources produced by, or written for, visitors. Since the Jubilee of 1600, sources show an integrate interest for devotional and scholarly items: descriptions of relics and sacred images appear mixed with those of buildings and epigraphs, which maintain a central role. Only with Mabillon and Montfaucon, libraries, museums, and archives receive a specific attention

Le commentaire d’Alcuin sur l’Épître aux Hébreux et le thème du sacrifice

Le premier commentaire latin sur l’épître aux Hébreux, incomplet et transmis anonyme ou sous le nom d’« Ambroise » (c’est à dire de l’Ambrosiaster), a été rédigé par Alcuin, qui souligne le rôle sacerdotal de Jésus, le nouvel Melchisédech ; et présente le prêtre comme un nouvel Aaron, qui doit calmer la colère de Dieu. Il spiritualise la notion de sacrifice, mais il entrevoit aussi une continuité typologique entre les temples et les sacrifices de l’Ancien Testament et les églises chrétiennes, où le pain et le vin deviennent le corps et le sang du Christ. Il ne suit pas le modèle des « chaînes », mais il utilise avec une certaine liberté surtout les homélies de Jean Chrysostome, dans la traduction de Mutianus. Malgré la terminologie encore fluide, l’oeuvre d’Alcuin offre une contribution à l’évolution du système sacrificiel de l’Occident chrétien, avant la controverse eucharistique, qui favorisera une nouvelle définition de la sacralité de l’Église et de l’identité sacerdotale.The first Latin commentary to the Epistle to the Hebrews, unfinished and transmitted or anonymous or as a work of “Ambrose” (i.e. the Ambrosiaster), was, in fact, written by Alcuin, who emphasizes the sacerdotal role of Jesus, the new Melchisedeck, and describes the priest as a new Aaron, the one called to calm God’s wrath. Alcuin spiritualizes the notion of sacrifice, suggesting, at the same time, a typological continuity between the Old Testament’s temples and sacrifices, and the Christian churches, where bread and wine became Christ’s body and blood. He doesn’t follow to the “chains” model, but he uses with a certain degree of freedom the Homilies of Saint John Chrysostomos (in Mutianus’ translation). Although still flowing in terminology, Alcuin’s work helped the evolution of the sacrifical system in the western Christianity before the Eucharistic controversy, when a new definition of the Church’s sacrality and of the sacerdotal identity grew

In vivo and in vitro effects of selected antioxidants on rabbit meat microbiota

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary vitamin E or EconomasE™ supplementation on the growth of several background/pathogenic bacteria on rabbit carcasses and hamburgers during refrigerated storage. For 51days, 270 New Zealand rabbits received either a basal diet, or experimental diets enriched with 100 or 200mg/kg of vitamin E or EconomasE™. The bacteria studied were Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas, Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, coagulase-positive staphylococci, plus both mesophilic and psychrotrophic aerobes. The growth of Listeria monocytogenes on contaminated patties was evaluated through a challenge test. The potential protective or antimicrobial effect of vitamin E or EconomasE™ on Listeria monocytogenes or Pseudomonas aeruginosa was assessed in vitro. Diet did not influence the concentrations of bacteria found on rabbit carcasses and developing on hamburgers. Vitamin E (in vivo and in vitro) and EconomasE™ in vivo had a protective antioxidant role, while EconomasE™ in vitro had strong antibacterial activity against Listeria monocytogenes, but not against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Specific ion channels contribute to key elements of pathology during secondary degeneration following neurotrauma

Background: Following partial injury to the central nervous system, cells beyond the initial injury site undergo secondary degeneration, exacerbating loss of neurons, compact myelin and function. Changes in Ca 2+ flux are associated with metabolic and structural changes, but it is not yet clear how flux through specific ion channels contributes to the various pathologies. Here, partial optic nerve transection in adult female rats was used to model secondary degeneration. Treatment with combinations of three ion channel inhibitors was used as a tool to investigate which elements of oxidative and structural damage related to long term functional outcomes. The inhibitors employed were the voltage gated Ca 2+ channel inhibitor Lomerizine (Lom), the Ca 2+ permeable AMPA receptor inhibitor YM872 and the P2X 7 receptor inhibitor oxATP. Results: Following partial optic nerve transection, hyper-phosphorylation of Tau and acetylated tubulin immunoreactivity were increased, and Nogo-A immunoreactivity was decreased, indicating that axonal changes occurred acutely. All combinations of ion channel inhibitors reduced hyper-phosphorylation of Tau and increased Nogo-A immunoreactivity at day 3 after injury. However, only Lom/oxATP or all three inhibitors in combination significantly reduced acetylated tubulin immunoreactivity. Most combinations of ion channel inhibitors were effective in restoring the lengths of the paranode and the paranodal gap, indicative of the length of the node of Ranvier, following injury. However, only all three inhibitors in combination restored to normal Ankyrin G length at the node of Ranvier. Similarly, HNE immunoreactivity and loss of oligodendrocyte precursor cells were only limited by treatment with all three ion channel inhibitors in combination. Conclusions: Data indicate that inhibiting any of a range of ion channels preserves certain elements of axon and node structure and limits some oxidative damage following injury, whereas ionic flux through all three channels must be inhibited to prevent lipid peroxidation and preserve Ankyrin G distribution and OPCs

Fenomeni migratori e vie dei commerci in Garfagnana nei secoli XII-XIV

Il contributo analizza, in rapporto alle vie di comunicazione disponibili nel Medioevo, la circolazione di mercanti, artigiani ed altri personaggi tra la Garfagnana e la città di Lucca in età comunale e signorile, ed anche la mobilità a più largo raggio di alcuni mercanti di origine garfagnina nel bacino del Mediterraneo