Il mimo "popolare" greco di età ellenistico-romana: frammenti letterari di tradizione papiracea

La presente tesi di dottorato indaga il mimo “popolare anonimo” in lingua greca, attraverso la documentazione ad esso afferente, conservata su papiro e ostraka, e inquadrabile nel più ampio spettro della diffusione degli spettacoli nell’Egitto tolemaico e greco-romano (fino al VI sec. d.C.). La ricerca è stata incentrata sulla raccolta dei frammenti mimici anonimi, finora editi in sedi diverse e solo parzialmente riuniti, e sulla rivalutazione del mimo popolare come genere, sulla base di determinate osservazioni (in particolare: contesti di fruizione e consapevolezza “letteraria” dei temi trattati). Dopo la Premessa, in cui vengono specificamente definite modalità e finalità del lavoro, nei Criteri editoriali sono sciolte le sigle che compaiono nelle schede dei singoli frammenti e, più in generale, le scelte operate nella selezione e presentazione dei materiali. L’intero sistema di abbreviazioni adoperato nella tesi è quindi presentato nel Conspectus siglorum. Il cuore del progetto si articola nei due capitoli intitolati, rispettivamente, “Introduzione” e “Schede”. L’Introduzione è ulteriormente articolata in diversi paragrafi: in primo luogo (§1), viene descritto il mimo come genere letterario, ripercorrendone le tappe principali attraverso i maggiori esponenti (Sofrone, Eronda, ecc.); successivamente, viene messo in risalto come il mutamento della temperie storica e culturale ellenistica abbia influenzato i meccanismi dell’intrattenimento e lo sviluppo degli spettacoli, sull’allestimento dei quali numerosi documenti papiracei offrono testimonianza; ci si sofferma, poi, sulla storia del mimo nel mondo romano, considerandone il valore politico-sociale e menzionando i più significativi mimografi attivi in epoca imperiale, segnalando la decisa discrepanza fra l’eredità – in termini soprattutto di materiale superstite – del mimo nel mondo romano e in quello greco. Vengono quindi riportati in una tabella tutti i reperti oggetto di studio, di cui sono commentate la distribuzione nel tempo e l’origine geografica (§2). Nel paragrafo dedicato ai contenuti (§3), si enucleano le principali linee tematiche presenti nei frammenti oggetto di trattazione, dapprima offrendo uno specchietto sintetico e poi commentando i nuclei più salienti (operando di volta in volta confronti con eventuali precedenti letterari). Uno spazio (§4) è quindi dedicato agli aspetti lessicali: si analizzano alcuni termini e sequenze occorrenti nei mimi analizzati, sottolineandone la particolare varietà dei registri. Inoltre si menzionano le strutture metriche che è possibile rinvenire nei frammenti. Un capitolo a sé stante è riservato all’analisi dei supporti (§5), ovverosia a un resoconto commentato del tipo di materiale su cui si conservano i frammenti e, in particolare, all’eventuale condizione di “riuso” dei medesimi; queste considerazioni vengono poi inserite in un più ampio esame sulla destinazione d’uso di tali reperti: vale a dire, la loro configurazione come esemplari d’autore, copie private, sceneggiature, e così via. Nel paragrafo successivo (§6), dapprima (§6.1) si fornisce una panoramica sull’uso delle sigle algebriche in àmbito drammatico, mettendo in luce la differenza fra il ruolo dell’attore come personaggio nella rappresentazione e il suo rango all’interno troupe di mimi: questa distinzione è infatti cruciale nelle considerazioni fatte sulla attribuzione di determinate sigle in specifici mimi (si veda, ad esempio, quanto detto riguardo alla sigla Ϲ in P. Oxy. III 413r). In un secondo passaggio (§6.2), vengono presentate infatti tutte le sigle, algebriche e non, occorrenti nei frammenti analizzati, con l’indicazione – laddove possibile – del ruolo correlato nel mimo. Al termine di questa panoramica, vengono commentate le conclusioni che è possibile inferire circa sia la ricorrenza di determinate sigle sia la loro possibile corrispondenza con precisi ruoli. La prima sezione si conclude con un catalogo (§7) di quei frammenti che sono stati esclusi dallo studio – per ragioni espresse nei Criteri – ma di cui si è comunque scelto di fornire una scheda riassuntiva delle principali informazioni. La seconda sezione (“Schede”) è interamente dedicata allo studio dei singoli frammenti: per ognuno di essi, è redatta infatti una scheda, composta da uno specchietto sintetico delle informazioni (quali: catalogazione, secolo, provenienza, luogo di conservazione, prima edizione, eventuali edizioni successive, studi ed eventuali riproduzioni fotografiche cartacee e/o digitali) e seguita da una descrizione del reperto (particolari circostanze di ritrovamento, dimensioni, scrittura, segni, linee di trama e altri elementi rilevanti), da una trascrizione diplomatica con apparato papirologico, un’edizione critica, una traduzione e un commento essenziale. I frammenti per i quali sono state redatte singole schede dedicate sono i seguenti (in ordine cronologico): P. Berol. inv. 13421; O. Rein. I A; P. Oxy. II 219; P. Oxy. LIII 3700; P. Oxy. LXXIX 5187; P. Berol. inv. 13876; P. Lond. Lit. 97; P. Oxy. LXXIX 5188; P. Ryl. I 15; P. Vars. 2; P. Yale II 111; O. Florida inv. 21; P. Lond. Lit. 52; P. Matr. inv. 44+119; P. Col. inv. 546 A. In Appendice sono stati poi raccolti i principali documenti sull’allestimento e l’organizzazione degli spettacoli in epoca tolemaica, greco-romana e bizantica (fino al VI sec. d.C.), come ad esempio contratti, scritturazioni di artisti, documenti che informano su spese, programmi delle esibizioni, ecc. Dopo la Bibliografia generale, è presente un Indice dei nomi e delle cose notevoli e, infine, un Indice di tutti i papiri citati nella tesi.This doctoral thesis investigates "anonymous popular" mime in the Greek language, through the documentation relating to it, preserved on papyrus and ostraka, and can be framed in the broader spectrum of the diffusion of the performances in Ptolemaic and Greco-Roman Egypt (until 6th century AD). The research was focused on the collection of anonymous mime fragments, so far published in different places and only partially reunited, and on the re-evaluation of popular mime as a genre, on the basis of certain observations (in particular: contexts of use and "literary" awareness of the themes treated). After the Introduction, in which the methods and purposes of the work are specifically defined, the editorial criteria include the acronyms that appear in the sheets of the individual fragments and, more generally, the choices made in the selection and presentation of the materials. The entire system of abbreviations used in the thesis is therefore presented in the Conspectus siglorum. The heart of the project is divided into two chapters entitled, respectively, "Introduction" and "Sheets". The Introduction is further divided into several paragraphs: firstly (§1), mime is described as a literary genre, retracing its main stages through its major exponents (Sofro, Eronda, etc.); subsequently, it is highlighted how the change in the Hellenistic historical and cultural climate influenced the mechanisms of entertainment and the development of shows, on the staging of which numerous papyrus documents offer testimony; we then focus on the history of mime in the Roman world, considering its political-social value and mentioning the most significant mimographers active in the imperial era, pointing out the decisive discrepancy between the legacy - especially in terms of surviving material - of mime in Roman and Greek worlds. All the finds under study are then shown in a table, with comments on their distribution over time and geographical origin (§2). In the paragraph dedicated to the contents (§3), the main thematic lines present in the fragments under discussion are identified, first offering a summary and then commenting on the most salient nuclei (making comparisons with any literary precedents from time to time). A space (§4) is therefore dedicated to lexical aspects: some terms and sequences occurring in the mimes analyzed are analysed, underlining the particular variety of registers. Furthermore, the metric structures that can be found in the fragments are mentioned. A separate chapter is reserved for the analysis of the supports (§5), i.e. a commented account of the type of material on which the fragments are preserved and, in particular, the possible condition of "reuse" of the same; these considerations are then inserted into a broader examination of the intended use of these finds: that is, their configuration as author's specimens, private copies, screenplays, and so on. In the following paragraph (§6), first (§6.1) an overview is provided on the use of algebraic acronyms in the dramatic field, highlighting the difference between the role of the actor as a character in the performance and his rank within the troupe of mimes: this distinction is in fact crucial in the considerations made on the attribution of certain acronyms to specific mimes (see, for example, what was said regarding the acronym Ϲ in P. Oxy. III 413r). In a second step (§6.2), all the acronyms, algebraic and otherwise, occurring in the analyzed fragments are presented, with the indication - where possible - of the related role in the mime. At the end of this overview, comments are made on the conclusions that can be inferred regarding both the recurrence of certain acronyms and their possible correspondence with specific roles. The first section concludes with a catalog (§7) of those fragments that were excluded from the study - for reasons expressed in the Criteria - but for which we nevertheless chose to provide a summary of the main information. The second section (“Sheets”) is entirely dedicated to the study of the individual fragments: for each of them, a sheet is drawn up, consisting of a summary of the information (such as: cataloguing, century, provenance, place of conservation, first edition , any subsequent editions, studies and any paper and/or digital photographic reproductions) and followed by a description of the find (particular circumstances of discovery, dimensions, writing, signs, plot lines and other relevant elements), by a diplomatic transcription with apparatus papyrological, a critical edition, a translation and an essential commentary. The fragments for which individual dedicated cards have been drawn up are the following (in chronological order): P. Berol. inv. 13421; O. Rein. I A; P. Oxy. II 219; P. Oxy. LIII 3700; P. Oxy. LXXIX 5187; P. Berol. inv. 13876; P. London. Lit. 97; P. Oxy. LXXIX 5188; P. Ryl. I 15; P. Vars. 2; P. Yale II 111; O. Florida inv. 21; P. London. Lit. 52; P. Matr. inv. 44+119; P. Col. inv. 546 A. The main documents on the preparation and organization of shows in the Ptolemaic, Greco-Roman and Byzantine eras (up to the 6th century AD) were then collected in the Appendix, such as contracts, artists' bookings, documents informing on expenses , performance programs, etc. After the general bibliography, there is an index of names and notable things and, finally, an index of all the papyri cited in the thesis

Precision of readout at the hunchback gene: analyzing short transcription time traces in living fly embryos

The simultaneous expression of the hunchback gene in the numerous nuclei of the developing fly embryo gives us a unique opportunity to study how transcription is regulated in living organisms. A recently developed MS2-MCP technique for imaging nascent messenger RNA in living Drosophila embryos allows us to quantify the dynamics of the developmental transcription process. The initial measurement of the morphogens by the hunchback promoter takes place during very short cell cycles, not only giving each nucleus little time for a precise readout, but also resulting in short time traces of transcription. Additionally, the relationship between the measured signal and the promoter state depends on the molecular design of the reporting probe. We develop an analysis approach based on tailor made autocorrelation functions that overcomes the short trace problems and quantifies the dynamics of transcription initiation. Based on live imaging data, we identify signatures of bursty transcription initiation from the hunchback promoter. We show that the precision of the expression of the hunchback gene to measure its position along the anterior-posterior axis is low both at the boundary and in the anterior even at cycle 13, suggesting additional post-transcriptional averaging mechanisms to provide the precision observed in fixed embryos

Interaction with smart assistants using alternative and augmentative communication

Smart assistants utilize speech recognition, sensing, artificial intelligence, and networking technologies to enable improved human-machine interaction. However, there remain use cases where smart assistants are not easily usable by humans. For example, voice-activated assistants are not accessible to those that are hearing or speech impaired. Touchscreen based assistants are not usable by those who lack fine motor skills and/or reading ability. This disclosure adds to the modalities by which humans can control and communicate with smart assistants by enabling use of physical objects, facial expressions, gross motor skills, body movements, etc. to provide commands. Collectively, these techniques of control and communication are referred to as alternative and augmentative communication (AAC)

Early-life weight and weight gain as predictors of obesity in Brazilian adolescents

OBJECTIVE: To test whether weight and the weight gain rate during different age periods are associated with being overweight/obese at 10 years of age. METHODS: A nested case-control study was performed in a clinical historic cohort that was selected based on medical records from the Albert Einstein Hospital Social Program in São Paulo, Brazil. A sample of 378 eutrophic and overweight/obese children was analyzed. RESULTS: After adjusting for birth weight and gestational age, the likelihood of being overweight/obese at 10 years of age was 4.04-fold greater when progressing from one quartile of weight gain to the immediately superior quartile in the first semester of life and 3.24-fold greater when this occurred from 2-5 years of age. A one-quartile change in weight gain in the first semester was associated with a 0.5 z-score increase in BMI at age 10. A robust independent effect of weight at age 5 confirmed that earlier weight gain was an important predictor. CONCLUSIONS: The amount of weight gain during the first 6 months of life and between 2 and 5 years of age and weight at age 5 were important predictors of overweight/obesity at 10 years of age

Excess body weight in children may increase the length of hospital stay

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of excess body weight in the pediatric ward of University Hospital and to test both the association between initial nutritional diagnosis and the length of stay and the in-hospital variation in nutritional status. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study based on information entered in clinical records from University Hospital. The data were collected from a convenience sample of 91 cases among children aged one to 10 years admitted to the hospital in 2009. The data that characterize the sample are presented in a descriptive manner. Additionally, we performed a multivariate linear regression analysis adjusted for age and gender. RESULTS: Nutritional classification at baseline showed that 87.8% of the children had a normal weight and that 8.9% had excess weight. The linear regression models showed that the average weight loss z-score of the children with excess weight compared with the group with normal weight was −0.48 (p = 0.018) and that their length of stay was 2.37 days longer on average compared with that of the normal-weight group (p = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: The length of stay and loss of weight at the hospital may be greater among children with excess weight than among children with normal weight

A case of extensive protein platination: the reaction of lysozyme with a Pt( )–terpyridine complex

The interaction between a Pt(ii)–terpyridine cytotoxic compound and the model protein lysozyme has been investigated by X-ray crystallography and electrospray mass spectrometry under different experimental conditions. The compound shows a high reactivity with the model protein

Functional characterization of WNT7A signaling in PC12 cells: Interaction with a FZD5-LRP6 receptor complex and modulation by dickkopf proteins

WNT factors represent key mediators of many processes in animal development and homeostasis and act through a receptor complex comprised of members of the Frizzled and low density lipoprotein-related receptors (LRP). In mammals, 19 genes encoding Wingless and Int-related factor (WNTs), 10 encoding Frizzled, and 2 encoding LRP proteins have been identified, but little is known of the identities of individual Frizzled-LRP combinations mediating the effects of specific WNT factors. Additionally, several secreted modulators of WNT signaling have been identified, including at least three members of the Dickkopf family. WNT7A is a WNT family member expressed in the vertebrate central nervous system capable of modulating aspects of neuronal plasticity. Gene knock-out models in the mouse have revealed that WNT7A plays a role in cerebellar maturation, although its function in the development of distal limb structures and of the reproductive tract have been more intensely studied. To identify a receptor complex for this WNT family member, we have analyzed the response of the rat pheochromocytoma cell line PC12 to WNT7A. We find that PC12 cells are capable of responding to WNT7A as measured by increased beta-catenin stability and activation of a T-cell factor-based luciferase reporter construct and that these cells express three members of the Frizzled family (Frizzled-2, -5, and -7) and LRP6. Our functional analysis indicates that WNT7A can specifically act via a Frizzled-5.LRP6 receptor complex in PC12 cells and that this activity can be antagonized by Dickkopf-1 and Dickkopf-3

Sueño, calidad de vida y humor en profesionales de enfermería en unidades de cuidados intensivos infantiles

OBJETIVO Avaliar sono, qualidade de vida e humor em profissionais de enfermagem em Unidades de Terapia Intensiva Infantil. MÉTODO Estudo quantitativo, transversal e descritivo. Profissionais agrupados por turnos matutino, vespertino e noturno foram avaliados pelos instrumentos: Questionário de identificação Matutinidade-Vespertinidade; Índice de qualidade do sono de Pittsburgh; Escala de sonolência Epworth; Questionário genérico de avaliação de qualidade de vida - SF-36; Inventário de depressão de Beck; Inventário de ansiedade de Beck; Inventário de ansiedade Traço-Estado. RESULTADOS Amostra composta por 168 profissionais, predominando tipologia neutra, 57,49%. Não houve significância estatística quanto ao sono, apesar dos escores mostrarem qualidade ruim e sonolência diurna excessiva para os três turnos. A qualidade de vida não denotou diferença estatística, mas no domínio "aspecto social" do turno noturno, observou-se escore pior (pOBJECTIVE To assess sleep, quality of life and mood of nursing professionals of pediatric intensive care units. METHOD Quantitative, cross-sectional and descriptive study. Professionals grouped by morning, afternoon and evening shifts were assessed by means of the instruments: Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire; Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; Epworth Sleepiness Scale; Generic questionnaire for the assessment of quality of life (SF-36); Beck Depression Inventory; Beck Anxiety Inventory; State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. RESULTS Sample consisted of 168 professionals, with prevalence of neutral typology (57.49%). There was no statistical significance regarding sleep, despite scores showing a poor quality of sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness for the three shifts. Quality of life did not reveal any statistical significance, but in the field "social role functioning" of the evening shift, a lower score was observed (pOBJETIVO Evaluar el sueño, la calidad de vida y el humor en profesionales de enfermería en Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos Infantiles. MÉTODO Estudio cuantitativo, transversal y descriptivo. Profesionales agrupados por turno matutino, vespertino y nocturno fueron evaluados por los instrumentos: Cuestionario de identificación Matutinidad-Vespertinidad; Índice de calidad del sueño de Pittsburgh; Escala de somnolencia de Epworth; Cuestionario genérico de evaluación de calidad de vida - SF-36; Inventario de depresión de Beck; Inventario de ansiedad de Beck; Inventario de ansiedad Trazo-Estado. RESULTADOS Muestra compuesta de 168 profesionales, predominando la tipología neutra en el 57,49%. No hubo significación estadística en cuanto al sueño, pese a que los puntajes muestren mala calidad y somnolencia diurna excesiva para los tres turnos. La calidad de vida no denotó diferencia estadística, pero en el dominio "aspecto social" del turno nocturno, se observó puntaje peor (

Risk of latent tuberculosis infection among healthcare workers in Italy: a retrospective study with Quantiferon Test

OBJECTIVE. The latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is a state of persistent immune response to stimulation by Mycobacterium Tuberculosis antigens without clinical manifestation: the healthcare workers (HCWs) have a higher exposure risk so prevention is an important challenge for occupational medicine. The aim of our study is to evaluate the prevalence of LTBI among HCWs of the Foundation Policlinic “Tor Vergata”. METHODS. This is a retrospective study conducted by analyzing the clinical records of 825 HCWs of the PTV, from January 1st to December 31th 2016. To evaluate the TB infection we used the Quantiferon TB Gold interferon-gamma release assay. RESULTS. Our study underline the low prevalence of LTBI in the Italian healthcare workers. CONCLUSION. Although the LTBI status is not contagious, the diagnosis and the safety strategies require specific clinical and preventive considerations

Optimization of Pyrazole Compounds as Antibiotic Adjuvants Active against Colistin- and Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

The diffusion of antibiotic-resistant, Gram-negative, opportunistic pathogens, an increasingly important global public health issue, causes a significant socioeconomic burden. Acinetobacter baumannii isolates, despite causing a lower number of infections than Enterobacterales, often show multidrug-resistant phenotypes. Carbapenem resistance is also rather common, prompting the WHO to include carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii as a "critical priority" for the discovery and development of new antibacterial agents. In a previous work, we identified several series of compounds showing either direct-acting or synergistic activity against relevant Gram-negative species, including A. baumannii. Among these, two pyrazole compounds, despite being devoid of any direct-acting activity, showed remarkable synergistic activity in the presence of a subinhibitory concentration of colistin on K. pneumoniae and A. baumannii and served as a starting point for the synthesis of new analogues. In this work, a new series of 47 pyrazole compounds was synthesized. Some compounds showed significant direct-acting antibacterial activity on Gram-positive organisms. Furthermore, an evaluation of their activity as potential antibiotic adjuvants allowed for the identification of two highly active compounds on MDR Acinetobacter baumannii, including colistin-resistant isolates. This work confirms the interest in pyrazole amides as a starting point for the optimization of synergistic antibacterial compounds active on antibiotic-resistant, Gram-negative pathogens