«FERRAMONTI VERGESSEN WIR NICHT»: HISTORICAL AND AESTHETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON MUSIC IN A FASCIST INTERNMENT CAMP 1940-1945

Ferramonti di Tarsia (Cosenza) was the largest fascist internment camp in Italy in terms of both its size and number of internees. Although its existence and the historical events concerning it - i.e. its founding preceding the Italian entry into the Second World War, its liberation on September 14, 1943 and definitive closure in 1945 after a period of British administration \u2013 represent an almost forgotten chapter of Italian history \u2013 considerable cultural and musical activities took place there. Being characterized by the presence of almost exclusively foreign prisoners, mostly Jews coming from Germany or countries under Nazi occupation (especially Poland, Austria, Czechoslovakia), from the Balkans (significant presence of Croats and Serbs) and from the Italian possessions in the Mediterranean Sea (Rhodes and Benghazi), Ferramonti served as an absurd and random meeting place of cultures, languages, traditions and religions in the inaccessible Calabrian hinterland. Among the prisoners, often with a very high level of education, there were several professional musicians, such as Lav Mirski, Kurt Sonnenfeld, Isak Thaler, Paul Gorin, Oscar Klein, Leon Levitch, Ladislav Sternberg, etc. The extreme cultural diversity was reflected in the musical production and several performing activities accompanied everyday life in the camp: concerts and variety programs, which took place in a barrack serving as a theatre; the establishment of a choir that accompanied both Jewish, Catholic and Greek-Orthodox rituals (a unique case not only with regard to KZ-Musik); musical and general education for children attending the Lagerschule, just to mention few striking aspects. On the basis of personal and administrative sources and documents, this work focuses on the specific relationships between a non-lieu of deportation such as Ferramonti and the musical and human experience of interned musicians; the way in which detention and coexistence within the camp of people of various backgrounds who were forced to interact was indeed a crucial factor, not only for musical production but also for the survival and the future of most of the inmates. The different forms of Lagermusik are analyzed also in comparison with literary production from internment camps and through a philosophical perspective

First time evidence of pronounced plateaus right above the Coulomb barrier in 8Li + 4He fusion

We investigate unprecedented experimental information on the fusion reaction induced by the radioactive projectile 8 Li on a 4 He gas target, at center-of-mass energies between 0.6 and 5 MeV. The main issue is the tendency of the dimensionless fusion cross section σfπƛ2 to form well visible plateaus alternated to steep rises. This finding is likely to be the most genuine consequence of the discrete nature of the intervening angular momenta observed so far in fusion reactions right above the Coulomb barrier. A partial-wave analysis, exclusively based on a pure quantal penetration fusion model and sensitive to the interaction potential, identifies a remarkably low-height barrier

Mussolini e i compositori del Ventennio: estetizzazione della violenza, processi mitopoietici e riti del consenso nel contesto musicale italiano (1922-1939)

The cultural politics perpetrated by Mussolini especially in musical field might appear as a janus bifrons: on one hand, a “revolutionary” character was shown not only in familiar-like relationships with some of the most prominent composers of the Italian musical panorama, ideally devoted to celebrate the imperial glories (Mascagni, Pizzetti, Malipiero, Casella) – but also in the exaltation of the instrumental music rather than the operatic one and in the controversial exchange with the futuristic avantgarde (Russolo, Petrella). On the other hand, a “conservative” character may be detected in submitting the artistic creativity to the censorship and setting the musician again at the service of a chief. Though divergent, such attitudes come to a synthesis, imposed by the centripetal force that attracted towards the leader, a sort of gravitational camp where most of the Italian musicians fell, as a true reflection of the society at that time. As H. Sachs wrote, “study of Italian music under fascism reveals a picture of workaday infighting and intrigue in abundance, much grotesque opportunism, occasional examples of naïve good faith in the government, and very little real political opposition” (Sachs, 1987, p.10). By tracing the correspondence between Mussolini and the composers of the regime according to the fundamental study by Fiamma Nicolodi, this paper aims at illustrating how the regime was able to benefit from music as the main means of popular consensus

Vincenzo Appiani (1850-1932) nel contesto della scuola pianistica milanese

After an attempt to clarify the general concept of ‘piano school’ inboth its pedagogical and interpretative meaning, the article presentsthe most recent research results concerning the pianist, composerand pedagogue Vincenzo Appiani (Monza, 1850 – Milano, 1932),an outstanding representative of the Milanese piano tradition. Thepaper includes a biographical sketch of the musician and a firstreconstruction of his artistical and teaching activities in the widercontext of the new physiological achievements in piano technique- arm weight, wrist mobility asf. - and their influences in Italy at thebeginning of the XX c

Fisiologia della germinazione di orzo sottoposto a basse temperature

Le piante sono continuamente sottoposte a condizioni di stress, cioè a condizioni esterne che influiscono in modo negativo sul processo di crescita, di sviluppo e sulla loro produttività. La temperatura è uno dei più importanti fattori che agiscono sul metabolismo delle piante e, in particolare, le basse temperature operano rallentando i processi biochimici e fisiologici e agendo a livello della respirazione, della fotosintesi e degli altri processi con alterazioni che, talvolta, sono originate da cambiamenti nell’espressione dei geni. Alcuni studi hanno mostrato come cariossidi di Festuca arundinacea sono in grado di germinare e svilupparsi al buio, in condizioni di basse temperature (4°C) e di mantenersi vitali per tempi molto lunghi (oltre 400 giorni). Sulla base di questi interessanti risultati, il presente lavoro ha avuto come fine l’indagine del comportamento di una specie che, al contrario di Festuca, fosse mappata geneticamente, in modo da approfondire, eventualmente, lo studio di tale comportamento. E’ stata, quindi, presa in esame la fisiologia della germinazione di cariossidi di orzo var. Nure sottoposte a temperatura di 4°C al buio, e sono stati confrontati i risultati ottenuti con una semina di controllo in cui lo stesso orzo è stato posto a germinare, sempre al buio, a 23°C. I campioni ottenuti sono stati sottoposti ad una serie di analisi quali: la valutazione del contenuto in amido, la determinazione degli zuccheri liberi e dei pigmenti fogliari, la valutazione dell’attività amilolitica ed infine la valutazione quali-quantitativa dell’RNA. Le cariossidi risultano in grado di germinare a basse temperature, sviluppando plantule che presentano capacità di sopravvivenza, in tali condizioni di stress, sino a 120 giorni dalla semina. I risultati indicano che è possibile evidenziare differenze a carico sia del contenuto degli zuccheri liberi, come anche delle riserve amilacee. Le maggiori differenze sono state registrate a livello del pattern proteico riguardante l’attività amilolitica, dove è stata rilevata una differente espressione degli enzimi tra il controllo a 23°C ed i campioni a 4°C. I risultati hanno quindi evidenziato come l’orzo sottoposto a basse temperature risulta in grado di mantenersi vitale per un lungo periodo in tali condizioni, ma con una tolleranza comunque minore rispetto a quella riscontrata nel caso di Festuca arundinacea

Analoghi del Neuropeptide S modificati in posizione 5

Neuropeptide S (NPS) is the last neuropeptide identified via Reverse Pharmacology techniques. NPS selectively binds and activates a previously orphan GPCR 154, now named NPSR, producing intracellular calcium mobilization and cAMP levels. Biological functions modulated by the NPS/NPSR system include anxiety, arousal, locomotion, food intake, memory, and drug addiction. The primary sequence of NPS (in humans SFRNGVGTGMKKTSFQRAKS) is highly conserved among vertebrates especially at the N-terminus. Ala- and D-scan together with truncation studies demonstrated that the N-teminal sequence of the molecule is crucial for biological activity. Focused structure–activity investigations performed on Phe2, Arg3, and Asn4 confirmed this indication and revealed the chemical requirements of these positions for NPSR binding and activation. The sequence Gly5-Val6-Gly7 seems to be important for shaping the bioactive conformation of the peptide. Structure–activity studies on Gly5 enabled identification of the first generation of peptidergic NPSR pure antagonists including [D-Cys(tBu)5]NPS and [D-Val5]NPS whose antagonist properties were confirmed in vivo. This PhD thesis is focused on the structure activity relationship study of NPS position 5. In particular, in order to identify new potent and selective antagonists of the NPSR receptor, we have designed, synthesized and inserted in position 5 of NPS the following non natural amino acids: i) the chimeric Valine/Leucine amino acid, Ipv, 2-amino-3,3,4-trimethyl-pentanoic acid as racemate; ii) the R and S form of the amino acid, Ddb, 2,4-diamino-3,3-dimethylbutyric acid characterized by a branched aliphatic side chain functionalized with a primary amino group; iii) some penicilammine S-alkylate analogs. This work has allowed to investigate and apply different chemical strategies for the synthesis of alpha-amino acids characterized by branched aliphatic side chains. In addition the original synthetic scheme adopted for the synthesis of 2-amino-3,3,4-trimethyl-pentanoic acid in which the key step is the copper (I) chloride-catalyzed conjugated addition of i-propyl magnesium bromide to 2- isopropylidene-malonic acid diethyl ester together with the commercial variety of Grignard reagents available make this route suitable for further synthetic applications, including the synthesis of novel non natural valine derivatives. The pharmacological data obtained further corroborate the proposal that chirality and steric hindrance of position 5 of NPS are crucial chemical requirements for modulating peptide efficacy and potency. It has been also found that NPSR antagonists can be generated by replacing NPS position 5 with Damino acids characterized by basic side chain. Finally, the use of S-alkyl penicilammine showed that the increase in steric hindrance of position 5 is better tolerated if generated by an aromatic substituent compared to aliphatic groups suggesting that planarity is a chemical feature useful for the identification of novel NPSR antagonists

La microforma letteraria in lingua tedesca tra il 1960 e i primi anni del 2000. Tratti storico-letterari, teorici e di scrittura di una forma dell’engagement

Las Kürzestgeschichten constan en la literatura alemana desde hace muchas décadas, procediendo de géneros muy difundidos, sea en la literatura alta sea en la popular (anécdota, Kalendergeschichte). A comienzos del s. XX su forma se va caracterizando en el sentido de la expresión de una postura o protesta política. Al acabar la Segunda Guerra Mundial, muchos autores de microrrelatos se alejan en sus textos del realismo que se consideraba necesario para encarar la reconstrucción, desarrollando un estilo más subjetivo que se acerca a ciertos rasgos de la literatura expresionista. Un estilo de carácter más psicológico, tanto en el empleo del punto de vista como en los asuntos y temas. Entre los autores más interesantes de los años Sesenta y Setenta, Günter Kunert, Helmut Heissebüttel, Wolfdietrich Schnurre, Günter Bruno Fuchs. Peter Bichsel, Ror Wolf, Adelheid Duvanel, Urs Widmer son algunos de los mejores autores que privilegian este género para expresar el disagio y la ironía de la condición humana. El carácter más libre y la posibilidad de experimentar hacen del microrrelato un género adecuado a la deconstrucción de categorías y esquemas socioculturales, por lo que se puede definir como el género del compromiso por excelencia. Su tendencia a desconcertar y a no confortar el lector se vuelve un mensaje poderoso contra la homologación y la falta de conciencia

Diagonal compression testing of masonry panels with irregular texture strengthened with inorganic composites

AbstractInorganic composites for enhancing the in-plane shear capacity of masonry walls with irregular texture were investigated on twenty-one panels under diagonal compression tests. Three specimens were used as control and twelve specimens were strengthened with two Fibre Reinforced Mortars (FRM-A and FRM-B), characterized by a different content of fibres embedded in the lime-based matrix. The remaining six specimens were strengthened with Fabric Reinforced Cementitious Mortars (FRCM), consisting in a GFRP grid embedded in a fibre reinforced matrix (the same used for FRM-A). The influence of single-side and double-side strengthening configurations on the capacity of strengthened panels was also investigated, to point out the reduction in strengthening effectiveness in case of single-sided applications. The results showed that all the inorganic composites adopted for the strengthening techniques provided a substantial increase of shear capacity. The grid in FRCM strengthened panels played an important role in both strength and deformation capacity at peak. The different fibres content (lower than 50% in weight) in FRM systems slightly affected the overall performance of panels. Finally, analytical predictions of experimental results were reported and discussed and a preliminary analytical model for estimating the FRM shear contribution was proposed, obtaining a good agreement with test results

Effect of buoyancy loads on the tsunami fragility of existing reinforced concrete frames including consideration of blow-out slabs

Currently available performance-based methodologies for assessing the fragility of structures subjected to tsunami neglect the effects of tsunami-induced vertical loads due to internal buoyancy. This paper adopts a generalized methodology for the performance assessment of structures that integrates the effects of buoyancy loads on interior slabs during a tsunami inundation. The methodology is applied in the fragility assessment of three case-study frames (low, mid and high-rise), representative of existing masonry-infilled reinforced concrete (RC) buildings typical of Mediterranean region. The paper shows the effect of modelling buoyancy loads on damage evolution and fragility curves associated with different structural damage mechanisms for existing RC frames with breakaway infill walls including consideration of blow-out slabs. The outcomes attest that buoyancy loads affect the damage assessment of buildings during a tsunami, especially in the case of mid and high-rise structures with blow-out slabs. The rate of occurrence of slabs uplift failure increases with the number of stories of the building, indicating the need to account for such damage mechanism when assessing the performance of structures. It is also found that buoyancy loads slightly affect the fragility curves associated to other structural damage mechanisms for existing RC buildings commonly monitored for fragility assessment

Assessing the effect of tsunami-induced vertical loads on RC frames

The increasing number of people, structures and economic activities being exposed to tsunami hazards makes it important to estimate the effects of this hazard on coastal developments. Tsunami onshore flow generates significant loading on buildings and infrastructure, which can lead to structural failure. Literature works recently proposed a non-linear static analysis method, called Variable Depth Pushover (VDPO), for assessing the performance of buildings under the lateral pressures induced by a tsunami onshore flow. This methodology was developed under the assumption that the building is watertight. However, in the case of buildings with breakaway cladding (e.g., masonry infills), the water flow passing through the building induces vertical loads on horizontal structural members, due to uplift and buoyancy pressures, that should be considered during the analysis. Thus, to address this phenomenon, in this paper a numerical investigation is performed considering a combination of tsunami-induced horizontal and vertical loads on a case-study reinforced concrete (RC) moment-resisting frame with breakaway infills, typical of Mediterranean construction. The building model is subjected to a VDPO analysis that applies different types and sizes of vertical loading on the horizontal elements of the building, as the tsunami inundation depth increases. From the results of this analysis, the effects of tsunamiinduced vertical load components on the case-study building in terms of damage propagation and failure mode are discussed, and the significance of considering vertical loading is proven