Sufismo e fondamentalismo: le problematiche di un binomio

The present study intends to shed some light on a binomial, Sufism and Fundamentalism, which appears somehow ambiguous. Fundamentalism is not just a historical phenomenon, namely the Protestant movement that developed at the beginning of the XXth c. Fundamentalism connotes a spiritual attitude common to many religions, in which a rigid conservative approach to religious tradition prevails, with a literal reading of the sacred texts and sometimes a coercing action to impose it on others. Fundamentalism is shaped by its own religious tradition, and may develop into extremism and violence. Sufism represents the spiritual dimension of the Islamic tradition, developed over history into many currents and experiences. Between the two, Sufism and Fundamentalism, some connections exist, based on the nature of Islam which is a religion with a strong legal emphasis. Moreover, in Islam religion and politics are strictly connected. Thus, many Sufi orders in Islamic history were involved in political affairs, even in wars and trade of slaves. Modern extremist Islamic movements have taken some traits from the Sufi orders: the inner organization and a kind of spiritual atmosphere etc. Al-Qa’ida is an outstanding example of this. Hence, one should strive for an inner development of Islam towards pluralism and democracy. Sufism could help in such a process

Vegetative incompatibility and potential involvement of a mycovirus in the Italian population of Geosmithia morbida

Studies carried out during an Italian outbreak of the Thousand Cankers Disease of walnut, demonstrated that non-coalescing cankers on host plants, separated by equidistant uninfected zones, were associated with incompatible strains of Geosmithia morbida. Confirmation of the vegetative incompatibility of paired fungal isolates, randomly collected from black walnuts, was obtained from observations of a clear separation zones and the absence of anastomoses. Pairing tests with two incompatible monoconidial strains indicated differences in morphology and growth rates. Electron microscopy revealed the presence of icosahedral mycovirus-like particles in one of the monoconidial strains that demonstrated low degrees of virulence in planta compared with a particlefree monoconidial strain. The occurrence of a vegetative incompatibility system in recently introduced populations of G. morbida has considerable implications for fungal biology. Incompatibility in G. morbida and potential direct or indirect roles of the observed virus-like particles have potential ecological and epidemiological consequences. \ua9 Firenze University Press

Palladium organometallic compounds bearing N-Heterocyclic Carbene ligands as promising anticancer agents

Despite the appearance in the market of platinum compounds with minor side effects than cisplatin (i.e. carboplatin and oxaliplatin), they did not solve the ineffectiveness on some types of tumors, having the same mechanism of action proposed for cisplatin (DNA platination). For this reason, many research groups have focused their attention on the synthesis and determination of the anticancer properties of compounds with metals different from platinum. Among the most investigated metals there are certainly ruthenium and gold and, only recently, palladium. The latter, despite belonging to the same group of platinum, has some rather different features: \u2022Better water solubility of its complexes. \u2022Structure-activity relationships and mechanisms of action generally different from platinum compounds. However, the fast dissociation pattern of palladium complexes compared to platinum represents a problem since the speciation, which heavily affects the biological activity and the pharmacokinetic properties, could be increased. To remedy this contraindication the most direct option is the introduction of ligands firmly anchored to the metal such as N-Heterocylic Carbenes (NHCs), which are known to give strong s-bonds with most of the transition metals. Moreover, several NHC-palladium complexes have already exhibited an interesting cytotoxic activity in vitro and tumour growth suppression even in vivo. In this PhD thesis, the synthesis and characterization of new palladium compounds stabilized by different types of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes and important organometallic fragments such as h3-allyl-Pd(II), palladacyclopentadienyl and h2-olefin-Pd(0) will be exposed. The reactivity and the importance in many catalytic processes of the fragments reported in Fig. A1 are well known, on the contrary, their biological activity is almost unexplored. Starting from these premises, it was decided to test the synthesized compounds toward different tumor lines, particularly on ovarian carcinoma, and human fibroblasts (healthy cells). From the antiproliferative activity data collected for about one hundred compounds, emerges that, regardless of the nature of the selected carbene ligand, the most active compounds bear the allyl fragment. For these species the evaluation of their activity in vivo and experiments aimed at identify the primary biological target, in order to propose the possible mechanism of action, are planned. A class of compounds generally slightly less active than that containing the allyl residue is represented by the palladacyclopentadienyl complexes and their derivatives. Nevertheless, for some of the synthesized compounds, an excellent antiproliferative and proapoptotic activity has been shown on ovarian cancer cell lines (CisPt sensitive and CisPt resistance), accompanied by a poor activity against normal cells. For the compound 40a a thorough investigation on the main biological target, which was found to be DNA, and on the degree of uptake in tumor cells was also carried out. Due to the high stability imparted by the palladaciclopentadienyl fragment and the chelatig biscarbene ligand, this compound does not undergo substitution reactions when reacted with reduced glutathione (GSH), which is a potential coordinating species present in abundance in the biological environment. It is therefore reasonable to suppose that the interaction with the DNA occurs through non-covalent interactions with the polynucleotide chain. Finally, the class of compounds decidedly less active than those described so far is represented by the Pd (0) derivatives stabilized by olefinic ligands. For these complexes the antiproliferative and proapoptotic activity was evaluated only in ovarian carcinoma lines, observing only in very few cases IC50 values comparable to those of cisplatin

How the sense of body ownership shapes honesty: evidence from behavioural, clinical and immersive virtual reality studies

Despite the increasing interest towards the relationship between body and morality, the evidence for a specific link remains rather controversial. One open question is whether being aware of our body signals (Body Self-Consciousness) biases our moral decisions towards dishonesty (by making us more sensitive to rewards) or honesty (by increasing the desire to preserve a moral image). In this series of studies, we focused on one of the components of Body Self-Consciousness, namely, the sense of Body Ownership. This is the feeling of having a body that belongs to the self in its entirety and its parts. Here we used different approaches to test whether body ownership could bias decisions towards honesty or dishonesty. Through a correlational study, we first investigated how the sense of ownership towards the physical body relates to moral identity and behaviour of individuals. Then, we experimentally manipulated the feelings of ownership associated to a virtual body and assessed how these modulations influenced the tendency to act (dis)honestly. Lastly, we tested a group of participants reporting long-term reductions of the sense of ownership for part of their body, which results in the desire to have that part amputated (Body Integrity Dysphoria). Specifically, participants with and without a leg-related amputation desire could communicate moral and immoral decisions by using the owned and disowned leg. The results of these studies suggest that reductions of body ownership are associated with an increase of dishonesty. This seems to highlight a role of body ownership as a way to distance the self from immorality and lessen its effects. In other words, it is possible that modulations of the sense of ownership can facilitate preservation of a moral concept of self. Thus, specific training programmes aimed at enhancing corporeal awareness may increase the occurrence of honest behaviours in everyday interactions and contexts

Variations of the ectomycorrhizal community in high mountain Norway spruce stands and correlations with the main pedoclimatic factors

The species composition of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal communities can be strongly influenced by abiotic and biotic factors, which determine interactions among the species such as resource partitioning, disturbance, competition, or relationships with other organisms. In order to determine the influence of environmental features on ECM community, soil bedrock pH, exposure, humus features and sampling points locations were taken into account as the most representative and influencing factors in these soil ecological dynamics. In summer 2003, 2004 and 2005, in 10 [165(±10)-year-old] Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] stands located in the Province of Trento (northern Italy), root tips were collected according to an experimental sampling method designed and statistically tested on purpose. The investigation of the ECM community composition (species richness and abundance) in relation to the main pedoclimatic factors revealed the importance of bedrock pH and site exposure as variables at a macro-scale level. A spatial niche differentiation of ECM species and ecological ECM groups, based on similar organization and extent of the extramatrical mycelium, were mostly associated to organic layers (OF), pH and N tot variables at a vertical micro-scale level of study. The results suggest that bedrock pH, exposure and humus dynamics play a primary role in the adaptive selection of ECM species constituting the consortium

Occupational markers and pathology of the castrato singer Gaspare Pacchierotti (1740\u20131821)

Following the birth of modern opera in Italy in 1600, the demand for soprano voices grew up and the prepuberal castration was carried out to preserve the young male voice into adult life. Among the castrati, Gaspare Pacchierotti was probably one of the most famous. The remains of Pacchierotti were exhumed for the first time in 2013, for a research in the reconstruction of his biological profile, to understand the secrets behind his sublime voice and how the castration influenced the body. All the findings discovered, through anthropological and Computed Tomography analyses, are consistent both with the occupational markers of a singer and with the hormonal effects of castration. The erosion of cervical vertebrae, the insertion of respiratory muscles and muscles of the arms can be an effect of the bodily position and exercise during singing. The hormonal effect of castration were related to osteoporosis and to the disorders of spine

Compositional data supports decentralized model of production and circulation of artifacts in the pre-Columbian south-central Andes

ArticleThis is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from National Academy of Sciences via the DOI in this record.The circulation and exchange of goods and resources at various scales have long been considered central to the understanding of complex societies, and the Andes have provided a fertile ground for investigating this process. However, long-standing archaeological emphasis on typological analysis, although helpful to hypothesize the direction of contacts, has left important aspects of ancient exchange open to speculation. To improve understanding of ancient exchange practices and their potential role in structuring alliances, we examine material exchanges in northwest Argentina (part of the south-central Andes) during 400 BC to AD 1000 (part of the regional Formative Period), with a multianalytical approach (petrography, instrumental neutron activation analysis, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) to artifacts previously studied separately. We assess the standard centralized model of interaction vs. a decentralized model through the largest provenance database available to date in the region. The results show: (i) intervalley heterogeneity of clays and fabrics for ordinary wares; (ii) intervalley homogeneity of clays and fabrics for a wide range of decorated wares (e.g., painted Ciénaga); (iii) selective circulation of two distinct polychrome wares (Vaquerías and Condorhuasi); (iv) generalized access to obsidian from one major source and various minor sources; and (v) selective circulation of volcanic rock tools from a single source. These trends reflect the multiple and conflicting demands experienced by people in small-scale societies, which may be difficult to capitalize by aspiring elites. The study undermines centralized narratives of exchange for this period, offering a new platform for understanding ancient exchange based on actual material transfers, both in the Andes and beyond.We thank the former directors of Museo Etnográfico (University of Buenos Aires), M. N. Tarragó (2005–2015) and the late J. A. Pérez Gollán (1987–2005), who provided access to key samples and enthusiastic support for this project since its earliest stages. We also thank M. Berón (current Director of Museo Etnográfico, University of Buenos Aires), R. Cattáneo (Director of Museo de Antropología, University of Córdoba, 2011–2013), J. P. Carbonelli, M. E. De Feo, V. Puente, G. Míguez, and R. Spano for providing access to additional samples; A. Brechbuhler and E. Gillispie for assisting with lithic sample preparation and measurements; and C. Roush for preparing the samples for irradiation and for general laboratory management responsibilities. This research was primarily funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council Early Career Grant SX–5317 (2011–2013) and preliminary research was funded by British Academy Small Grant 51798 (2009) (both to M.L.). Fieldwork and petrography analyses have been supported by successive grants from Argentinean National Agency for Science and Technology (ANCyT) Raíces Program PICT 2007-00116 (to M.C.S.) and ANCyT PICT 2010-1048 (to M.A.K.). Funding was also provided by the National Council for Science and Technical Research PIP 112-2008 01-00256 (to M.C.S.) and PIP 11/042 (to M.A.K.). The Archaeometry Laboratory at the University of Missouri Research Reactor is supported in part by the National Science Foundation (BCS-1415403 and BCS-0922374)

The contribution of Northwestern Argentina to the metallurgical Andean tradition

The most ancient metallurgy of precolumbian America originated and evolved in the Andes, reaching great levels of technical sophistication. However, as a few interesting cases of these first moments of experimentation with metals come from Perú, with them comes the popular idea that any technical advance took place in the Peruvian Andes. Because complex societies later emerged in what is now Central Andes, there is a tendency to think that all technological innovations did as well. This could be the cause of the low visibility of metallurgical evidence from Northwestern Argentina. Moreover, early proofs of copper metalworking in the Central Andean region are scant. By contrast, some crucial evidences are emerging in the meridional region of the Andes. Several archaeological finds point to the Southern Andes as an innovative area that made important contributions to the metallurgical traditions of the broader region. Based on the finding of a anthropomorphic copper mask in a funerary context dated to 3,000 years before present, we argue that the Cajón and nearby valleys have been an important focus of copper metallurgy supporting a very early tradition of metalworking in Northwestern Argentina, thus suggesting more than one center for the origin of this technology.Fil: Scattolin, Maria Cristina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Saavedra 15. Instituto de las Culturas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto de las Culturas; ArgentinaFil: Cortes, Leticia Ines. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Saavedra 15. Instituto de las Culturas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto de las Culturas; ArgentinaSociety for American Archaeology 82nd Annual MeetingVancouverCanadáSociety for American Archaeolog