Azione destabilizzante e impegno politico. Le figure femminili tra il giallo e il nero Italiani dal 1980 a oggi

My thesis analyses female figures in Italian crime fiction since 1980, from narratological, sociological and gender-studies perspectives. It considers the narrative structure of the giallo and the noir, taking into account the difficulties, particularly in Italy, of establishing what noir fiction is and if/how it is possible to frame it in a specific narrative scheme. This discourse connects to the extraordinary success of Italian giallo and noir fiction over the past fifteen-twenty years. In this scenario, I examine the place of female writers in relation to this phenomenon, especially since the 1980s: in terms of the level of visibility/acceptance of their work, in a narrative space traditionally considered as a male territory, and with regard to their writings, which introduce different narrative perspectives. Specifically, I consider selected texts by leading female Italian writers, in which female elements (writers/characters) become destabilizing factor both on the narrative level, by undermining the schemes of ‘formulaic’ fiction, and on the political one, through their implicit potential (as women) for disrupting the rigid models inherited from processes of social conditioning and from political structures. In terms of gender identities, such texts offer scope to question conventional social constructions of the subject: by empowering the female narrative voice and by embodying it in characters (investigators/killers) traditionally personified by male figures. These texts offer themselves as a critical space where, potentially, readers can rethink static gendered relationships and stereotypical symbolical categories.

The short and long of it: neural correlates of temporal-order memory for autobiographical events.

Previous functional neuroimaging studies of temporal-order memory have investigated memory for laboratory stimuli that are causally unrelated and poor in sensory detail. In contrast, the present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study investigated temporal-order memory for autobiographical events that were causally interconnected and rich in sensory detail. Participants took photographs at many campus locations over a period of several hours, and the following day they were scanned while making temporal-order judgments to pairs of photographs from different locations. By manipulating the temporal lag between the two locations in each trial, we compared the neural correlates associated with reconstruction processes, which we hypothesized depended on recollection and contribute mainly to short lags, and distance processes, which we hypothesized to depend on familiarity and contribute mainly to longer lags. Consistent with our hypotheses, parametric fMRI analyses linked shorter lags to activations in regions previously associated with recollection (left prefrontal, parahippocampal, precuneus, and visual cortices), and longer lags with regions previously associated with familiarity (right prefrontal cortex). The hemispheric asymmetry in prefrontal cortex activity fits very well with evidence and theories regarding the contributions of the left versus right prefrontal cortex to memory (recollection vs. familiarity processes) and cognition (systematic vs. heuristic processes). In sum, using a novel photo-paradigm, this study provided the first evidence regarding the neural correlates of temporal-order for autobiographical events.

Prova em dupla como oportunidade para diálogo e socialização de saberes

Discutimos neste trabalho resultados relativos a mudanças metodológicas realizadas pela prova escrita para alunos de uma escola brasileira. Partimos da experiência docente aliada ao estudo de pesquisas científicas que consideram a prova um momento de aprendizado. Porém acreditamos que isso pode ser potencializado por meio de prova escrita feita com duplas formadas por livre escolha dos alunos, mas duas provas distintas para propiciar a cada dupla o diálogo. Além disso, as duplas devem ser escolhidas com antecedência, sendo a nota obtida pela média aritmética das notas de cada um dos alunos.

Modelling metal powder production by the gas atomisation process

Metal powder in the range of 10-100 microns is widely employed in the production of Raney nickel type catalysts for hydrogenation reactions and hydrogen fuel cell manufacture. In this presentation we examine the modelling of powder production in a gas atomisation vessel using CFD techniques. In a fully coupled Lagrangian-Eulerian two phase scheme, liquid meal particles are tracked through the vessel following atomisation of a liquid nickel-aluminium stream. There is full momentum, heat and turbulence transport between particles and surrounding argon gas and the model predicts the position of solidification depending on particle size and undercooled condition. Maps of collision probability of particles at different stages of solidification are computed, to predict the creation of satellite defects, or to initiate solidification of undercooled droplets. The model is used to support experimental work conducted under the ESA/EU project IMPRESS.

Encounter success of free-ranging marine predator movements across a dynamic prey landscape

Movements of wide-ranging top predators can now be studied effectively using satellite and archival telemetry. However, the motivations underlying movements remain difficult to determine because trajectories are seldom related to key biological gradients, such as changing prey distributions. Here, we use a dynamic prey landscape of zooplankton biomass in the north-east Atlantic Ocean to examine active habitat selection in the plankton-feeding basking shark Cetorhinus maximus. The relative success of shark searches across this landscape was examined by comparing prey biomass encountered by sharks with encounters by random-walk simulations of ‘model’ sharks. Movements of transmitter-tagged sharks monitored for 964 days (16754km estimated minimum distance) were concentrated on the European continental shelf in areas characterized by high seasonal productivity and complex prey distributions. We show movements by adult and sub-adult sharks yielded consistently higher prey encounter rates than 90% of random-walk simulations. Behavioural patterns were consistent with basking sharks using search tactics structured across multiple scales to exploit the richest prey areas available in preferred habitats. Simple behavioural rules based on learned responses to previously encountered prey distributions may explain the high performances. This study highlights how dynamic prey landscapes enable active habitat selection in large predators to be investigated from a trophic perspective, an approach that may inform conservation by identifying critical habitat of vulnerable species.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS) (I): Measures of prevention and control

Measures of prevention and control against polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) focus on an official food control, a code of best practice to reduce PAHs levels by controlling industry and in the development of a chemopreventive strategy. Regulation (EU) 835/2011 establishes maximum levels of PAHs for each food group. In addition, Regulations (EU) 333/2007 and 836/2011 set up the methods of sampling and analysis for its official control. Scientific studies prove that the chemopreventive strategy is effective against these genotoxic compounds effects. Most chemopreventive compounds studied with proven protective effects against PAHs are found in fruit and vegetables.

Apolipoprotein E e4 allele influences aggressive behaviour in Alzheimer's disease

The rising number of people with cognitive impairment is placing health care budgets under significant strain. Dementia related behavioural change is a major independent risk factor for admission to expensive institutional care, and aggressive symptoms in particular are poorly tolerated by carers and frequently precipitate the collapse of home coping strategies. Aggressive change may result from known genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and therefore accompany conventional markers such as apolipoprotein E (ApoE). We tested this hypothesis in 400 moderately to severely affected AD patients who were phenotyped for the presence of aggressive or agitated behaviour during the month prior to interview using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory with Caregiver Distress. The proportion of subjects with aggression/agitation in the month prior to interview was 51.8%. A significantly higher frequency of the e4 allele was found in individuals recording aggression/agitation in the month prior to interview (chi2 = 6.69, df = 2, p = 0.03). The additional risk for aggression/agitation conferred by e4 was also noted when e4 genotypes were compared against non-e4 genotypes (chi2 = 5.45, df = 1, p = 0.02, OR = 1.60, confidence interval (CI) 1.06 to 2.43). These results indicate that advanced Alzheimer's disease patients are at greater risk of aggressive symptoms because of a genetic weakness in apolipoprotein E.

Indicadores de sostenibilidad ambiental en el periurbano de la ciudad de Mar del Plata, Argentina

Los indicadores de sostenibilidad conforman herramientas útiles para la toma de decisiones. Las ciudades latinoamericanas, y especialmente las áreas de expansión sin planificación adecuada, enfrentan desafíos cada vez mayores para revertir problemáticas que amenazan su sostenibilidad. El presente trabajo evalúa de manera preliminar, la sostenibilidad ambiental del periurbano de Mar del Plata (Argentina) tomando como referencia algunos de los indicadores propuestos por el modelo del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo en la Iniciativa Ciudades Emergentes y Sostenibles. Se construyó un índice sintético (Índice de Sostenibilidad Ambiental, ISA) que integra trece indicadores agrupados en ocho temas. Las situaciones más críticas (ISA: 0,45-0,558) se identifican fundamentalmente en zonas en las que se desarrollan actividades rurales y en las que se localizan asentamientos de carácter precario. El estudio realizado profundiza en el conocimiento de la dimensión ambiental de la sostenibilidad, enfatizando en el análisis de los contrastes internos del periurbano marplatense.

The Diminishing Returns to Trade Policy in the European Union

The notion that the EU is a trade power is central to studies of the Union’s international presence. Credible threats to withhold access to Europe’s markets are said to provide the Union with leverage in respect of other trade partners. This paper queries the continuing ability of the European Union to act effectively this way. The current Doha malaise is a symptom of deeper changes in the international trade system. As emerging markets become more affluent and participate in foreign direct investment, their interest in market access per se become less important relative to other areas of regulation.

The triazatruxene derivative azatrux binds to the parallel form of the human telomeric G-quadruplex under molecular crowding conditions: Biophysical and molecular modeling studies

The present study has employed a combination of spectroscopic, calorimetric and computational methods to explore the binding of the three side-chained triazatruxene derivative, termed azatrux, to a human telomeric G-quadruplex sequence, under conditions of molecular crowding. The binding of azatrux to the tetramolecular parallel [d(TGGGGT)](4) quadruplex in the presence and absence of crowding conditions, was also characterized. The data indicate that azatrux binds in an end-stacking mode to the parallel G-quadruplex scaffold and highlights the key structural elements involved in the binding. The selectivity of azatrux for the human telomeric G-quadruplex relative to another biologically relevant G-quadruplex (c-Kit87up) and to duplex DNA was also investigated under molecular crowding conditions, showing that azatrux has good selectivity for the human telomeric G-quadruplex over the other investigated DNA structures. (C) 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Identification of an acetylation-dependant Ku70/FLIP complex that regulates FLIP expression and HDAC inhibitor-induced apoptosis

FLIP is a potential anti-cancer therapeutic target that inhibits apoptosis by blocking caspase 8 activation by death receptors. We report a novel interaction between FLIP and the DNA repair protein Ku70 that regulates FLIP protein stability by inhibiting its polyubiquitination. Furthermore, we found that the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor Vorinostat (SAHA) enhances the acetylation of Ku70, thereby disrupting the FLIP/Ku70 complex and triggering FLIP polyubiquitination and degradation by the proteasome. Using in vitro and in vivo colorectal cancer models, we further demonstrated that SAHA-induced apoptosis is dependant on FLIP downregulation and caspase 8 activation. In addition, an HDAC6-speci?c inhibitor Tubacin recapitulated the effects of SAHA, suggesting that HDAC6 is a key regulator of Ku70 acetylation and FLIP protein stability. Thus, HDAC inhibitors with anti-HDAC6 activity act as ef?cient post-transcriptional suppressors of FLIP expression and may, therefore, effectively act as ‘FLIP inhibitors’ © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited.

Mechanism of arsenate resistance in the ericoid mycorrhizal fungus Hymenoscyphus ericae

Arsenate resistance is exhibited by the ericoid mycorrhizal fungus Hymenoscyphus ericae collected from As-contaminated mine soils. To investigate the mechanism of arsenate resistance, uptake kinetics for arsenate (H(2)AsO(4)(-)), arsenite (H(3)AsO(3)), and phosphate (H(2)PO(4)(-)) were determined in both arsenate-resistant and -non-resistant H. ericae. The uptake kinetics of H(2)AsO(4)(-), H(3)AsO(3), and H(2)PO(4)(-) in both resistant and non-resistant isolates were similar. The presence of 5.0 microM H(2)PO(4)(-) repressed uptake of H(2)AsO(4)(-) and exposure to 0.75 mM H(2)AsO(4)(-) repressed H(2)PO(4)(-) uptake in both H. ericae. Mine site H. ericae demonstrated an enhanced As efflux mechanism in comparison with non-resistant H. ericae and lost approximately 90% of preloaded cellular As (1-h uptake of 0.22 micromol g(-1) dry weight h(-1) H(2)AsO(4)(-)) over a 5-h period in comparison with non-resistant H. ericae, which lost 40% of their total absorbed H(2)AsO(4)(-). As lost from the fungal tissue was in the form of H(3)AsO(3). The results of the present study demonstrate an enhanced H(3)AsO(3) efflux system operating in mine site H. ericae as a mechanism for H(2)AsO(4)(-) resistance. The ecological significance of this mechanism of arsenate resistance is discussed.