Chapter Medici Ambitions and Fascist Policies. (Re)reading the Relations between Italy and the Levant in the 1930s through the Historiography on Fakhr al-Dīn II

On 13 April 1635, Druze emir Fakhr al-Dīn Maʿn was executed in Constantinople, after years of ambiguous relations with the Ottoman sultan. Exactly three centuries later, a biography of the emir was published in Rome, edited by Maronite father Paolo Carali and financed by the Fascist government. The reason why Fascism was interested in his figure can be traced back to the policy implemented by Italy in the 1930s, which sought to penetrate the territories of Lebanon and Syria. However, these were regions in which Fascist Italy had no real interest or claim, and so it sought to build a tie between the Levant and Italy by rereading the historiography of the relationship between “Faccardino” and Medici Tuscany at the beginning of the seventeenth century. By comparing the policies of the Medici and Fascism, it will be possible to highlight how, through Carali’s work, the latter sought to construct a history that would support its ambitions towards the eastern Mediterranean

Modular Forms, Elliptic Curves and Drinfeld Modules

In this thesis we explore three different subfields in the area of number theory. The first topic we investigate involves modular forms, specifically nearly holomorphic eigenforms. In Chapter 3, we show the product of two nearly holomorphic eigenforms is an eigenform for only a finite list of examples. The second type of problem we analyze is related to the rank of elliptic curves. Specifically in Chapter 5 we give a graph theoretical approach to calculating the size of 3-Selmer groups for a given family of elliptic curves. By calculating the size of the 3-Selmer groups, we give an upper bound for the rank of an elliptic curve. Finally, in Chapter 7, we conclude with an exposition of work from Goss, Thakur and Diaz-Vargas related to Drinfeld modules. We discuss how to build a zeta function for Drinfeld modules and introduce a symmetric group discovered by Thakur and Diaz-Vargas. An element in the symmetric group is essentially a set permutation of the p-adic integers. It is suspected that there is a relationship between this group and the zeros of certain special zeta functions. We give a specific example of this suspected connection and make a conjecture about this action

Construction of a Dimension Two Rank One Drinfeld Module

Consider Fr[t] where r = pm for some prime p and m in the natural numbers. Let f(t) be an irreducible square-free polynomial with even degree in Fr[t] so that the leading coeffcient is not a square mod Fr. Let A = L = Fr[t][\sqrt{f(t)}]. We will examine the basic set-up required for a dimension two rank one Drinfeld module over L along with an explanation of our choice of f(t). In addition we will show the construction for the exponential function

Polycrystalline materials with pores: effective properties through a boundary element homogenization scheme

In this study, the influence of porosity on the elastic effective properties of polycrystalline materials is investigated using a formulation built on a boundary integral representation of the elastic problem for the grains, which are modeled as 3D linearly elastic orthotropic domains with arbitrary spatial orientation. The artificial polycrystalline morphology is represented using 3D Voronoi tessellations. The formulation is expressed in terms of intergranular fields, namely displacements and tractions that play an important role in polycrystalline micromechanics. The continuity of the aggregate is enforced through suitable intergranular conditions. The effective material properties are obtained through material homogenization, computing the volume averages of micro-strains and stresses and taking the ensemble average over a certain number of microstructural samples. In the proposed formulation, the volume fraction of pores, their size and distribution can be varied to better simulate the response of real porous materials. The obtained results show the capability of the model to assess the macroscopic effects of porosity

Chapter New Perspectives on Nation-building and Orientalism in Italy from the Risorgimento to the Republic

In this introductory essay, the editors discuss the new perspectives offered by the volume on travel literature, the question of nation-building and the history of orientalism and oriental studies in Post-unification Italy. In particular, the authors describe the methodological potential of the concept of rereading and discuss the intertwinement between the (re)uses of travel literature and the processes of nation-building in Italy. Furthermore, the editors highlight the open character of the notion of “travellers” adopted in the essays and underline the importance of considering the specific character of orientalism and oriental studies in Italy, while briefly discussing the issue of female travel literature. Finally, they present the essays contained in the volume, suggesting different ways of reading them

Porosity effects on elastic properties of polycrystalline materials: a three-dimensional grain boundary formulation

Polycrystalline materials are widely used in many technological applications of engineering interest. They constitute an important class of heterogeneous materials, and the investigation of the link between their macro and micro properties, main task of the micromechanics [1], is of relevant technological concern. The internal structure of a polycrystalline material is determined by the size and the shape of the grains, by their crystallographic orientation and by different type of defects within them. In this sense, the presence of internal voids, pores, is important to take into account in the determination of the polycrystalline aggregate properties. Porosity exists in almost all materials to some extent and in particular in the polycrystalline ones; it is strictly depending by the conditions in which their construction techniques are set. However, sometimes it is desired for other than structural reasons such us, for example, heat transfer properties, radar reflection etc. For this reason the effects of porosity should be of concern to any polycrystalline material developed for a design. In particular, the macroscopic effects of the pores on polycrystalline materials elastic properties is of high interest and the Young and shear modulus are the major parameter to analyze in this case. In this study the influence of porosity presence on the elastic proprieties of polycrystalline materials is investigated and a 3D grain boundary micro mechanical model for the analysis of porosity in polycrystalline materials is used [2]. Therefore, the volume fraction of porosity, pore size and their distribution can be varied to better simulate the response of a real porous materials to a given load. The formulation is built on a boundary integral representation of the elastic problem for the single grain, that is modelled as 3D linearly elastic orthotropic domain with arbitrary spatial orientation. The artificial polycrystalline morphology is represented using the Voronoi Tessellation. This algorithms, in fact, is widely recognised and used for the generation of microstructural model and it is simple to generate the statistical features of polycrystalline microstructures. The formulation is expressed in terms of intergranular fields, namely displacement and traction that play an important role in polycrystalline micromechanics

Diseño y manejo del olivar en seto: efecto en la producción y calidad del aceite

El olivar en seto adaptado a la recolección con vendimiadora modificada, supone una alternativa viable a los olivares preparados para la recolección con vibrador de tronco. Presenta como principales ventajas: altas producciones en los primeros años, bajo coste de recolección, menor mano de obra y recolección rápida en el momento óptimo. Sin embargo, estas características sólo son posibles con estructuras óptimas, mantenidas en el tiempo. La intercepción de la radiación solar es el factor determinante de la producción de aceite, así la estructura óptima del seto deberá tender a maximizar la iluminación de la copa. Debido a que el olivar en seto es de reciente implantación, se desconoce la respuesta de la producción y calidad de aceite en setos de diferentes tamaños en distintas localidades. Las simulaciones de producción y calidad de aceite para distintos diseños serán útiles para el sector a la hora de decidir la estructura óptima. En este artículo describimos los avances realizados en este sentido y los retos que, agricultores e investigadores, deberemos ir resolviendo