Da Verona a Mayerling: riflessioni sul fenomeno dell’omicidio-suicidio partendo da alcuni casi storico-artistici

The phenomenon of homicide-suicide, particularly if carried out between two lovers, has been the subject of several artistic productions. Some stories, then, such as the history of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and the case of the lovers of Mayerling, gave inspiration to many literary and motion picture works. Whether it comes to historical events, as in the matter of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria and Baroness Maria Vetsera, or to dramatic works, as in the matter of Romeo Montagues and Juliet Capulets, the more or less voluntary death of two lovers is always a very interesting case to criminological sciences. This interest is due to many reasons: in criminology reconstructing a crime is meant also as a symbolic activity, which is - at least for some aspects - similar to an artistic production; artworks often do show in a clear way those psychopathological situations, which can cause deeds such as homicide-suicide; the crime description, from an artistic point of view, may help reconstructing the emotional atmosphere in which the crime was carried out and with which the specialist has to empathize. The Authors aim then at deepening some aspects concerning both the causesand the dynamics of homicide-suicide, making reference to the above mentioned historical and literary cases. In fact, the death of the lovers of Verona involves those dynamics we also find in suicide pacts, in which a life plan based on love is paradoxically performed through a double and simultaneous voluntary death.With regards to this and to the tragedy of Mayerling,we remark the need of distinguishing between a suicide pact and a suicide carried out only after an homicide and inspired by reasons which are far away from those of a shared death. Sometimes the range of interpretation as regards to this phenomenon may be very wide, either because of the emotional involvement caused in the observer by an homicide-suicide, since it reaches the existential dimension of the observer himself, either because of the enigmatic feature often characterizing a voluntary death, particularly when performed at the same time (or almost at the same time) by two people linked by an emotional relationship. In many cases there are only partial answers to questions, since reconstructing the path leading to such deed is difficult, because rarely there are survivors. Therefore, from this point of view, reflecting both on the symptoms and on the dynamics of the stories of either the lovers of Mayerling and those of Verona helps us to a better understanding of such a complex, and for some aspects always mysterious case as that of homicide-suicide. That is the place, in the end, beyond the different definitions and classifications proposed in the scientific field, where the search for the meaning of life is necessarily linked to that for the end of life, if we admit that the fundamental concern of human beings is avoiding the distress caused by death.Il fenomeno dell’omicidio-suicidio, specie se consumato tra due amanti, è stato oggetto di diverse produzioni artistiche ed alcune vicende, come quelle dei personaggi shakespeariani di Romeo e Giulietta, o quelle degli amanti di Mayerling, hanno ispirato molte opere letterarie e cinematografiche. Che si tratti di fatti storici, come nel caso del principe Rodolfo d’Asburgo e della baronessa Maria Vetzera, oppure di narrazioni teatrali, come nel caso di Romeo Montecchi e Giulietta Capuleti, la morte più o meno volontaria di due amanti rappresenta sempre una fattispecie di particolare interesse per le discipline criminologiche. Le ragioni di ciò sono molteplici: in criminologia, la ricostruzione dei delitti viene anche intesa come un’attività simbolica simile, almeno per certi aspetti, ad una produzione artistica; spesso l’opera d’arte illustra chiaramente quelle situazioni psicopatologiche che possono essere all’origine di gesti come l’omicidio-suicidio; le narrazioni stesse dei reati, dal punto di vista artistico, possono aiutare a ricostruisce l’atmosfera emotiva nella quale il delitto si è consumato e nella quale l’esperto deve concretamente calarsi. Facendo quindi riferimento ai predetti casi storico-letterari, gli Autori si propongono di approfondire alcuni aspetti criminogenetici e criminodinamici dell’omicidio-suicidio. La morte degli amanti di Verona, infatti, chiama in causa quelle dinamiche che si ravvisano anche nei patti suicidari, nei quali un progetto di vita basato sull’amore viene paradossalmente ad essere realizzato mediante una duplice e contestuale morte volontaria. In proposito, come la tragedia di Mayerling insegna, si rileva la necessità di differenziare tra l’eventualità di un patto suicidario e quello di un suicidio agito in epoca successiva ad un omicidio ed ispirato da motivazioni ben diverse da quelle di una morte condivisa. Talora, i m argini di interpretazione di questo fenomeno possono essere molto ampi, sia per il coinvolgimento emotivo che l’omicidio-suicidio suscita nell’osservatore, chiamando in causa anche la dimensione esistenziale del medesimo, sia per la connotazione enigmatica che spesso assume la morte volontaria, soprattutto se questa viene ad essere realizzata contemporaneamente, o quasi, da due soggettilegati da un rapporto di tipo affettivo. In molti casi, le domande trovano risposte solo parziali, dato che la ricostruzione del percorso che motiva tale gesto risente del fatto che non vi sono quasi mai superstiti. In questa prospettiva, quindi, riflettere sui prodromi e sui dinamismi delle vicende degli amanti di Mayerling e di Verona aiuta a chiarire meglio una fattispecie così complessa e, per certi versi, sempre misteriosa come quella dell’omicidio- suicidio. In essa, del resto, al di là delle diverse definizioni e classificazioni proposte in ambito scientifico, la ricerca del senso della vita si intreccia necessariamente a quella della conclusione della stessa, se è vero che la preoccupazione fondamentale dell’essere umano è quella di evitare l’angoscia suscitata dalla morte

Development and Technology Assessment of the Analytical Performance of an Eight Position Dynamic Olfactometer

The European technical standard \u201cAir Quality\u2014Determination of Odour Concentration by Dynamic Olfactometry\u201d adopts dynamic olfactometry, a sensorial methodology based on the employment of a panel of human assessors, as the official methodology for the measurement of odour concentration in gas samples. The olfactometer is the device, useful to dilute the odor sample with neutral air, according to precise ratios and to present it to the panel for the analysis. The present paper describes the development of an Italian olfactometer, able to host eight assessors, designed to improve the instrumental performance of the devices actually present on the market, and to increase the accuracy and repeatability of the olfactometric measurement. In particular, in the paper the principal features of the instrumental device and the results of calibrations of dilution valves will be shown

Bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and survival of earthworms (Eisenia andrei) exposed to biochar amended soils

Biochar has a charcoal polycyclic aromatic structure which allows its long half-life in soil, making it an ideal tool for C sequestration and for adsorption of organic pollutants, but at the same time raises concerns about possible adverse impacts on soil biota. Two biochars were tested under laboratory-controlled conditions on Eisenia andrei earthworms: a biochar produced at low temperature from wine tree cuttings (WTB) and a commercial low tar hardwood lump charcoal (HLB). The avoidance test (48-h exposure) showed that earthworms avoid biochar-treated soil with rates higher than 16 t ha 121 for HLB and 64 t ha 121 for WTB. After 42 days, toxic effects on earthworms were observed even at application rates (100 t ha 121) that are generally considered beneficial for most crops. The concentration of HLB and WTB required to kill half of earthworms\u2019 population (LC50; 95 % confidence limits) in the synthetic OECD soil was 338 and 580 t ha 121, respectively. Accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in earthworms exposed to the two biochar types at 100 t ha 121 was tested in two soils of different texture. In biochar-treated soils, the average earthworm survival rates were about 64 % in the sandy and 78 % clay-loam soils. PAH accumulation was larger in the sandy soil and largest in soils amended with HLB. PAH with less than four rings were preferentially scavenged from the soil by biochars, and this behaviour may mask that of the more dangerous components (i.e. four to five rings), which are preferentially accumulated. Earthworms can accumulate PAH as a consequence of exposure to biochar-treated soils and transfer them along the food chain. Soil type and biochar quality are both relevant in determining PAH transfer

assessment and comparison of multi annual size profiles of particulate matter monitored at an urban industrial site by an optical particle counter by a chemometric approach

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Seasonal variations of PAHs content and distribution patterns in a mixed land use area: A case study in NE Italy with the transplanted lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea

The seasonal differences of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) content in lichen transplants were investigated in an area of ca. 40 square kilometers in NE Italy characterized by different land use. Two sets of samples of the epiphytic lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea were collected in a pristine area of the Carnic Alps and transplanted to 40 exposure sites for a period of two months, respectively in late winter and in summer. Results revealed a pronounced difference between the two seasons in terms of PAH content and distribution patterns. After the summer exposure the PAH concentrations in the transplants were more than one order of magnitude lower than after the winter exposure (ranging from 48.22 to 272.73 ng g 121 dw and from 289.73 to 1575.85 ng g 121 dw in the summer and winter samples respectively). Also the main emission sources changed, mostly due to the drastic reduction in the emissions by wood burning for domestic heating and to the different meteorological conditions. In summer PAHs degradation was enhanced by intense UV radiation, high temperatures, and presence of ozone. The implications of these findings for the biomonitoring of PAHs pollution are addressed

sulphur speciation of pm10 samples by xanes spectroscopy

AbstractSulphur K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy was used to identify sulphur compounds in PM10 samples collected simultaneously at two sites with different environmental situations in the province of Trieste (NE of Italy), during summer and winter seasons respectively. The first site is an industrial site located near a steel mill plant and the second is a coastal site. The sulphur speciation at the industrial site has shown the presence of the following sulphur compounds in both seasons: organic compounds (thiophenes or Polycyclic Aromatic Sulphur Heterocycles — PAHs) and sulphates while in the winter season sulphites were also present. In the coastal site organic compounds (thiophenes or PASHs) and sulphate were found during winter season, moreover bisulphates were found during summer season. Relative percentages of the different sulphur compounds have shown that sulphate is the most abundant form of sulphur in the industrial site samples during both seasons and in the coastal site sample collected during the winter season (> 98%); in the coastal site sample collected during the summer season the relative percentages of bisulphate and sulphate were around 40% and 60% respectively

The role of outdoor and indoor air quality in the spread of SARS-CoV-2: Overview and recommendations by the research group on COVID-19 and particulate matter (RESCOP commission)

There are important questions surrounding the potential contribution of outdoor and indoor air quality in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and perpetuation of COVID-19 epidemic waves. Environmental health may be a critical component of COVID-19 prevention. The public health community and health agencies should consider the evolving evidence in their recommendations and statements, and work to issue occupational guidelines. Evidence coming from the current epidemiological and experimental research is expected to add knowledge about virus diffusion, COVID-19 severity in most polluted areas, inter-personal distance requirements and need for wearing face masks in indoor or outdoor environments. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for maintaining particulate matter concentrations at low levels for multiple health-related reasons, which may also include the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Indoor environments represent even a more crucial challenge to cope with, as it is easier for the SARS-COV2 to spread, remain vital and infect other subjects in closed spaces in the presence of already infected asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic people. The potential merits of preventive measures, such as CO2 monitoring associated with natural or controlled mechanical ventilation and air purification, for schools, indoor public places (restaurants, offices, hotels, museums, theatres/cinemas etc.) and transportations need to be carefully considered. Hospital settings and nursing/retirement homes as well as emergency rooms, infectious diseases divisions and ambulances represent higher risk indoor environments and may require additional monitoring and specific decontamination strategies based on mechanical ventilation or air purificatio

Improving recognition of odors in a waste management plant by using electronic noses with different technologies, gas chromatography\u2013mass spectrometry/olfactometry and dynamic olfactometry

Odor emissions from waste management plants have long been an environmental and economic issue, but only recently regional authorities in Italy are regulating this sector by imposing control and mitigation of the phenomenon. Electronic noses, initially developed as cheap, easy tools to detect volatiles, may have the required time-resolved coverage of the odor emission phenomenon in a cheap and feasible way with respect to chemical analysis of air. One crucial issue to resolve is to evaluate the discriminant capacity of a sensor array in-field and under working conditions. In this paper the authors have studied the responses of electronic noses of different technologies to odors emitted from a waste management plant, by integrating results obtained with dynamic olfactometry and gas chromatography\u2013mass spectrometry/olfactometry, in the aim to implement a monitoring system and improve cleaner production technologies. Three most impacting odor sources in the waste management plant were detected: biogas, a by-product of mechanical treatment of municipal solid wastes, with low organic fraction and a sludge pressed and dehydrated from treatment of urban wastewater. The most odor impacting source was the sludge and the major responsible of the odor impacts were aromatics (in particular 1,3,5-trimethyl benzene), aliphatic hydrocarbons, terpenes and sulphur volatiles (methyl disulphide, carbon disulphide, dimethyltrisulphide). Ten Metal Oxide Semiconductors and 32 polymer/black carbon (Nano Composite Array) sensors in two electronic noses, were tested for discrimination source capabilities. Results of linear discriminant analysis and cross validation give 86.7% successful recognition for Metal Oxide Semiconductors, 53.3% for Nano Composite Array and 93.3% for a selection of sensors belonging to both technologies chosen according to the selectivity towards the odor active molecules. The containment of odors could also be achieved by spraying a specific product and monitoring the process using selected sensors of the arrays. The results of the in-field work demonstrate strengths and weaknesses of different construction technologies in the e-noses arrays, to characterize and monitor in-site and in real time odor emissions from waste management plants

Intravenous methylprednisolone pulses in hospitalised patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia, A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial

Rationale: Pulse glucocorticoid therapy is used in hyperinflammation related to coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). We evaluated the efficacy and safety of pulse intravenous methylprednisolone in addition to standard treatment in COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods: In this multicenter, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 304 hospitalised patients with Covid-19 pneumonia were randomised to receive 1 g of methylprednisolone intravenously for 3 consecutive days or placebo in addition to standard dexamethasone. The primary outcome was the duration of the patient hospitalisation, calculated as the time interval between randomisation and hospital discharge without the need of supplementary oxygen. The key secondary outcomes were survival free from invasive ventilation with orotracheal intubation and overall survival. Results: Overall, 112 of 151 (75.4%) patients in the pulse methylprednisolone arm and 111 of 150 (75.2%) in the placebo arm were discharged from hospital without oxygen within 30 days from randomisation. Median time to discharge was similar in both groups [15 days (95% confidence interval (CI), 13.0 to 17.0) and 16 days (95%CI, 13.8 to 18.2); hazard ratio (HR), 0.92; 95% CI 0.71-1.20; p=0.528]. No significant differences between pulse methylprednisolone and placebo arms were observed in terms of admission to Intensive Care Unit with orotracheal intubation or death (20.0% versus 16.1%; HR, 1.26; 95%CI, 0.74-2.16; p=0.176), or overall mortality (10.0% versus 12.2%; HR, 0.83; 95%CI, 0.42-1.64; p=0.584). Serious adverse events occurred with similar frequency in the two groups. Conclusions: Methylprenisolone pulse therapy added to dexamethasone was not of benefit in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Message of the study: Pulse glucocorticoid therapy is used for severe and/or life threatening immuno-inflammatory diseases. The addition of pulse glucocorticoid therapy to the standard low dose of dexamethasone scheme was not of benefit in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia