Architects and building workers of Lakes Region in the Parmesan census and notarial sources (18th and 19th century).

Le migrazioni di mestiere hanno costituito un fenomeno di origine remota e con un’irradiazione territoriale molto ampia, che per secoli ha accompagnato la vita degli abitanti della Regione dei Laghi; per interi gruppi di giovani e capifamiglia, frequentemente legati da vincoli di parentela e organizzati in compagnie, il più delle volte si trattava di esodi obbligati, dettati dall’improduttività di una regione che poco aveva da offrire al sostentamento delle loro comunità.A partire quantomeno dal XII secolo il territorio compreso tra l’alta Lombardia e il Canton Ticino si distinse per un’emigrazione altamente qualificata di maestranze dedite all’arte del costruire e all’ornato architettonico, che per lungo tempo arricchirono la produzione artistica ed edilizia di buona parte della penisola italiana e del restante continente. Quello che mancava nel caso di Parma, dove il fenomeno era noto attraverso fonti biografiche e tracce documentarie, era una prima indagine che consentisse di valutare la provenienza, la consistenza e le caratteristiche dei flussi di tecnici e artisti originari della Regio Insubrica per verificarne poi l’impatto nel contesto locale. La ricerca si è proposta di vagliare questo fenomeno,che già alle prime ricognizioni archivistiche si è rivelato tanto radicato quanto dinamico, privilegiando l’analisi della capitale dei ducati, Parma, per l’intrinseca importanza di questa città, ininterrottamente sede di una corte dal 1545 al 1859 – fatta eccezione per gli anni di dominazione napoleonica – e di una celebre Accademia di belle arti, fondata nel 1752 da Filippo di Borbone e presto divenuta un indiscusso punto di riferimento per architetti e artisti nell’Europa illuminista. Con questi obiettivi si sono indagati quattro censimenti storici della popolazione cittadina, selezionati in modo da documentare altrettante stagioni di governo succedutesi negli Stati parmensi nell’arco di mezzo secolo; si è proceduto quindi con la trascrizione critica dei dati personali di tutti gli architetti, pittori, stuccatori, incisori, intagliatori e scultori e di coloro che esercitavano una professione attinente all’arte edificatoria – come capimastri, muratori, marmorini, piccapietre, ingegneri, geometri, periti, agrimensori – sia stranieri che locali, domiciliati in città al momento delle rilevazioni censuarie. I dati così raccolti, confluiti in tabelle ordinate secondo criteri cronologici e geografici per area di provenienza, si sono rivelati utili per conoscerne l’origine dei flussi e misurarne l’entità al variare del quadro politico in cui essi si inscrivono. Pur mantenendo le rilevazioni censuarie come principale fonte, non si è disdegnato di ricorrere in alcuni casi ad altre fonti demografiche indirette – come atti notarili, documenti ecclesiastici o biografie – talvolta note, molto più spesso inedite, con un lavoro di incrocio documentario che si è rivelato proficuo per documentare figure, relazioni famigliari e strategie professionali. L'ultima parte della tesi si offre come un approfondimento monografico su una delle più importanti famiglie lombarde trapiantate a Parma e dedita per secoli all'edilizia: i Bettoli, giunti nei ducati alla fine del Seicento e ancora attivi nella professione due secoli più tardi. Ampliando la ricerca a fonti non strettamente demografiche e in gran parte inedite, come documenti notarili ed ecclesiastici, si sono potuti vagliare figure, eventi e relazioni che per la loro peculiarità si pongono come esemplificativi delle principali tematiche e consuetudini implicate al fenomeno migratorio

Nutraceuticals and Physical Activity as Antidepressants: The Central Role of the Gut Microbiota

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common mental illness. Evidence suggests that the gut microbiota play an essential role in regulating brain functions and the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric diseases, including MDD. There are numerous mechanisms through which the gut microbiota and brain can exchange information in a continuous, bidirectional communication. Current research emphasizes the interexchange of signals influenced by the gut microbiota that are detected and transduced in information from the gut to the nervous system involving neural, endocrine, and inflammatory mechanisms, suggesting a relationship between oxidative stress and the pathophysiology of MDD via the hyperactivation of inflammatory responses. Potential sources of inflammation in the plasma and hippocampus of depressed individuals could stem from increases in intestinal permeability. Some nutraceuticals, such as specific probiotics, namely psychobiotics, polyphenols, carotenoids, butyrate, and prebiotics, have been demonstrated to exert an antidepressant activity, but most of them need to be metabolized and activated by gut microorganisms. By inducing changes in the gut microbiota composition, physical exercise might also exert a role in alleviating depression-like symptoms. The mutual relationships among nutraceuticals, exercise, and depression will be discussed, and the potential role of the gut microbiota as a therapeutic target to treat depression will be explored

Discontinuously supervised aerobic training vs. physical activity promotion in the self-management of type 2 diabetes in older Italian patients: design and methods of the 'TRIPL-A' randomized controlled trial

Physical activity (PA) has health benefits for people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Indeed, regular PA is considered an important part of any T2D management plan, yet most patients adopt a sedentary lifestyle. Exercise referral schemes (ERS) have the potential to effectively promote physical activity among T2D patients, and their effectiveness may be enhanced when they are supported by computer-based technologies. The 'TRIPL-A' study (i.e., a TRIal to promote PhysicaL Activity among patients in the young-old age affected by T2D) aims to assess if realizing an innovative ERS, based on a strong partnership among general practitioners, specialist physicians, exercise specialists, and patients, and supported by a web-based application (WBA), can effectively lead sedentary older T2D patients to adopt an active lifestyle

Analysis of Summer Ozone Observations at a High Mountain Site in Central Italy (Campo Imperatore, 2388 m a.s.l.)

Tropospheric ozone (O3) is an important atmospheric pollutant and climate forcer. The Mediterranean basin is a hot-spot region in terms of short-term O3 distribution, with frequent episodes of high tropospheric O3, especially during summer. To improve the characterisation of summer O3 variability in the Mediterranean area, during the period 6–27 August 2009 an experimental campaign was conducted at Campo Imperatore, Mt Portella (CMP), a high mountain site (2,388 m a.s.l.) located in the central Italian Apennines. As deduced from analysis of atmospheric circulation, the measurement site was significantly affected by air masses originating over the Mediterranean basin, which affected the measurement site for 32 % of the time. Analysis of average values and diurnal and day-to-day variability revealed that CMP O3 observations (average value 60.0 ± 5.1 ppbv) were comparable with measurements at other European mountain stations, indicating a prevalent effect of meteorological conditions and atmospheric transport on the synoptic scale. In fact, only a small "reverse" diurnal variation typically characterises diurnal O3 variability because of local thermal wind circulation, which sporadically favours transport of air masses rich in O3 from the foothill regions. Statistical analysis of five-day back-trajectory ensembles indicates that synoptic-scale air-mass transport from the Mediterranean Sea usually results in decreasing O3 concentrations at CMP, whereas the highest hourly O3 values are mostly associated with air masses from central continental Europe, eastern Europe, and northern Italy. High O3 concentrations are also related to downward air-mass transport from higher altitudes. Comparison of in-situ O3 variability with tropospheric O3 satellite-based measurements reveals similar features of the two data sets. Together with the results from back-trajectory analysis, this indicates that CMP measurements might usefully improve characterisation of broad-scale O3 variability over the central Mediterranean basin

The Eocene-Oligocene boundary climate transition:an Antarctic perspective

Antarctica underwent a complex evolution over the course of the Cenozoic, which influenced the history of the Earth’s climate system. The Eocene-Oligocene boundary is a divide of this history when the ice-free ‘greenhouse world’ transitioned to the ‘icehouse’ with the glaciation of Antarctica. Prior to this, Antarctica experienced warm climates, peaking during Early Eocene when tropical-like conditions existed at the margins of the continent where geological evidence is present. Climate signals in the geological record show that the climate then cooled, but not enough to allow the existence of significant ice until the latest Eocene. Glacial deposits from several areas around the continental margin indicate that ice was present by the earliest Oligocene. This matches the major oxygen isotope positive shift captured by marine records. On land, vegetation was able to persist, but the thermophylic plants of the Eocene were replaced by shrubby vegetation with the southern beech Nothofagus, mosses and ferns, which survived in tundra-like conditions. Coupled climate–ice sheet modelling indicates that changing levels of atmospheric CO2 controlled Antarctica’s climate and the onset of glaciation. Factors such as mountain uplift, vegetation changes, ocean gateway opening and orbital forcing all played a part in cooling the polar climate, but only when CO2 levels reached critical thresholds was Antarctica tipped into an icy glacial world.CE acknowledges funding by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitivity (grants CTM2017-89711-C2-1/2-P), cofunded by the European Union through FEDER funds. IS was supported by the Australian Research Council Discovery Project 180102280. A.T. Kennedy Asser was supported by NERC funding (grant no. NE/L002434/1) Edward Gasson is funded by the Royal Society. EG is funded by the Royal Society. AS thanks the European Research Council for Consolidator Grant #771497 (SPANC)

The Eocene-Oligocene boundary climate transition: An Antarctic perspective

Antarctica underwent a complex evolution over the course of the Cenozoic, which influenced the history of the Earth’s climate system. The Eocene-Oligocene boundary is a divide of this history when the ice-free ‘greenhouse world’ transitioned to the ‘icehouse’ with the glaciation of Antarctica. Prior to this, Antarctica experienced warm climates, peaking during Early Eocene when tropical-like conditions existed at the margins of the continent where geological evidence is present. Climate signals in the geological record show that the climate then cooled, but not enough to allow the existence of significant ice until the latest Eocene. Glacial deposits from several areas around the continental margin indicate that ice was present by the earliest Oligocene. This matches the major oxygen isotope positive shift captured by marine records. On land, vegetation was able to persist, but the thermophylic plants of the Eocene were replaced by shrubby vegetation with the southern beech Nothofagus, mosses and ferns, which survived in tundra-like conditions. Coupled climate–ice sheet modelling indicates that changing levels of atmospheric CO2 controlled Antarctica’s climate and the onset of glaciation. Factors such as mountain uplift, vegetation changes, ocean gateway opening and orbital forcing all played a part in cooling the polar climate, but only when CO2 levels reached critical thresholds was Antarctica tipped into an icy glacial world

Sensitivity of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to +2 °C (SWAIS 2C)

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) presently holds enough ice to raise global sea level by 4.3 m if completely melted. The unknown response of the WAIS to future warming remains a significant challenge for numerical models in quantifying predictions of future sea level rise. Sea level rise is one of the clearest planet-wide signals of human-induced climate change. The Sensitivity of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to a Warming of 2 ∘C (SWAIS 2C) Project aims to understand past and current drivers and thresholds of WAIS dynamics to improve projections of the rate and size of ice sheet changes under a range of elevated greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere as well as the associated average global temperature scenarios to and beyond the +2 ∘C target of the Paris Climate Agreement. Despite efforts through previous land and ship-based drilling on and along the Antarctic margin, unequivocal evidence of major WAIS retreat or collapse and its causes has remained elusive. To evaluate and plan for the interdisciplinary scientific opportunities and engineering challenges that an International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP) project along the Siple coast near the grounding zone of the WAIS could offer (Fig. 1), researchers, engineers, and logistics providers representing 10 countries held a virtual workshop in October 2020. This international partnership comprised of geologists, glaciologists, oceanographers, geophysicists, microbiologists, climate and ice sheet modelers, and engineers outlined specific research objectives and logistical challenges associated with the recovery of Neogene and Quaternary geological records from the West Antarctic interior adjacent to the Kamb Ice Stream and at Crary Ice Rise. New geophysical surveys at these locations have identified drilling targets in which new drilling technologies will allow for the recovery of up to 200 m of sediments beneath the ice sheet. Sub-ice-shelf records have so far proven difficult to obtain but are critical to better constrain marine ice sheet sensitivity to past and future increases in global mean surface temperature up to 2 ∘C above pre-industrial levels. Thus, the scientific and technological advances developed through this program will enable us to test whether WAIS collapsed during past intervals of warmth and determine its sensitivity to a +2 ∘C global warming threshold (UNFCCC, 2015)

Measurement of the Tau Lepton Polarisation at LEP2

A first measurement of the average polarisation P_tau of tau leptons produced in e+e- annihilation at energies significantly above the Z resonance is presented. The polarisation is determined from the kinematic spectra of tau hadronic decays. The measured value P_tau = -0.164 +/- 0.125 is consistent with the Standard Model prediction for the mean LEP energy of 197 GeV.A first measurement of the average polarisation Pτ of tau leptons produced in e + e − annihilation at energies significantly above the Z resonance is presented. The polarisation is determined from the kinematic spectra of tau hadronic decays. The measured value Pτ=−0.164±0.125 is consistent with the Standard Model prediction for the mean LEP energy of 197 GeV.A first measurement of the average polarisation P_tau of tau leptons produced in e+e- annihilation at energies significantly above the Z resonance is presented. The polarisation is determined from the kinematic spectra of tau hadronic decays. The measured value P_tau = -0.164 +/- 0.125 is consistent with the Standard Model prediction for the mean LEP energy of 197 GeV

Itinerari di Smeraldi

Il volume presenza la figura di Smeraldo Smeraldi, ingegnere-carografo, e l'evoluzione dei territori idrosociali di forntienra del ducato di Parma tra XVI e XVII secoloIl volume presenta l'opera dell'ingegnere cartografo Smeraldo Smeraldi nel contesto geopolitico dei ducati di Parma e Piacenza tra XVI eXVII SECOLOa cavaler

Antarctic glacio-eustatic contributions to late Miocene Mediterranean desiccation and reflooding

The Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) was a marked late Neogene oceanographic event during which the Mediterranean Sea evaporated. Its causes remain unresolved, with tectonic restrictions to the Atlantic Ocean or glacio-eustatic restriction of flow during sea-level lowstands, or a mixture of the two mechanisms, being proposed. Here we present the first direct geological evidence of Antarctic ice-sheet (AIS) expansion at the MSC onset and use a δ18 O record to model relative sea-level changes. Antarctic sedimentary successions indicate AIS expansion at 6 Ma coincident with major MSC desiccation; relative sea-level modelling indicates a prolonged ∼50 m lowstand at the Strait of Gibraltar, which resulted from AIS expansion and local evaporation of sea water in concert with evaporite precipitation that caused lithospheric deformation. Our results reconcile MSC events and demonstrate that desiccation and refilling were timed by the interplay between glacio-eustatic sea-level variations, glacial isostatic adjustment and mantle deformation in response to changing water and evaporite loads