Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Sicilian'

The influx of immigrant Sicilians into southeastern Louisiana in the nineteenth century resulted in a parallel rise of the French Quarter as a culinary destination. Through an analysis of menus, recipe books, city directories, newspapers and census rolls, this work maps the growing influence of Sicilian farmers, vendors, and restaurateurs on New Orleans foodways. The often-overlooked community of Sicilians already living in the city in the early nineteenth century set the stage for the mass migration from Sicily to New Orleans later in the century, when Sicilians gained control of the produce food market in southeast Louisiana. A comparison of local cookbooks and recipes from before the mass arrival of the Sicilians with those created after Sicilians began to dominate agricultural production in Louisiana reveals a subtle shift in the use of ingredients, as local cooks incorporated into local dishes the produce made available by Sicilian farmers and vendors.

<p>Anthropological data from fieldwork carried out among a fishing population in western Sicily show how related matrifocal nuclear families are tightly knit within larger, male-headed networks. The mother focus at the basic family level is thereby balanced and the system indicates that the mother-child unit does not function effectively on its own, as has often been argued for this type of family structure. As a result of dominating moral values which strongly emphasise the uniqueness of family and kin, people are brought up to depend heavily upon and to be loyal to their kin networks, to see themselves primarily as parts of these social units and less so as independent clearly bounded individuals, and to distinctly separate family members from non-family members. This dependence is further strengthened by matri- and/or patrivicinity being the dominant form of locality, by the traditional naming system as well as a continual use of kin terms, and by related people socialising and collaborating closely. The social and physical boundaries thus created around the family networks are further strengthened by local architecture that symbolically communicates the closed family unit; by the woman, who embodies her family as well as their house, having her outdoor movements restricted in order to shield both herself and her family; by self-mastery when it comes to skilfully calculating one's actions and words as a means of controlling the impression one makes on others; and by local patriotism that separates one's co-villagers from foreigners. Hospitality, which brings inclusion and exclusion into focus, is shown to be a means of ritually incorporating non-kin and thus containing the danger the stranger represents. </p><p>The author aims to answer the question of whether the social and physical boundaries around the family network, together with the distrust towards non-family members referred to by the informants themselves, constitute a hindrance as regards collaboration with non-kin, or if collaboration beyond the family boundaries is possible and, if so, whether or not this has to lead to the family's losing its position.</p>

This research explores the dynamic relationship between place, history and landscape in an urban food market, Catania, Sicily. This market informs a mythological image of the island and my main concern is what significance lies underneath this representation. I examine the ways in which this image has been constructed through ideas of history, space, landscape, modernity and tradition. Unpacking these notions in the light of my in-depth ethnography, I address how vendors and buyers frame and define their relationship with space and time. After placing the market in relation to its historical and geo-political context, I argue that the representation of passivity and the lack of agency have contributed to the maintaining of elitist local and national powers. The use of space within the market informs a distinctive cosmology, in which the landscape constitutes the main local organising principle. The landscape is looked at as a cultural process, constantly renegotiated and recontextualised. The principal categories of food classification ‘wild’, ‘local’,and ‘foreign’ are explanatory notions of a specific relationship between people, food and locality. The interaction between vendors and buyers cannot be understood as a purely economic transaction. Their relationship is articulated through a unique set of practices, which are analysed throughout this thesis. Senses, social interactions, culinary knowledge, and conviviality contribute to the ability to operate within the market. I look at my own ethnographic experience as a practical “apprenticeship”. I also address the local ideas of tradition and modernity, mainly through the analysis of the shared fears of being left behind and of losing control over the process of change. The idea of modernisation as an ongoing process carries with it a sense of loss, of nostalgia for an idealised past.

This thesis discusses Agathokles of Syracuse (r. 317-289), arguing that he should be understood in both the context of local Greek Sicilian traditions and contemporary Hellenistic developments, whereas previous studies have represented him as remaining apart from the Hellenistic world as a Sicilian dead end or embracing the Hellenistic world so enthusiastically that he abandoned his Sicilian context altogether. Thus this is a thesis about chronological continuity at the beginning of the Hellenistic period and geographical continuity between Sicily and the wider Mediterranean region. The thesis is tripartite. The first part deals with literary and numismatic source material, arguing for a shift away from source criticism in order to emphasise the coherence and agency of the surviving literary texts and the relationship of characterisations of Agathokles to broader Greek representations of autocracy. I discuss the chronology, iconography, and circulation of Agathokles' coinage, as evidence for the combination of Sicilian and Hellenistic elements. The second part discusses Agathokles' rulership style, arguing that the assumption of the royal title did not transform his rule and identifying substantial parallels with his predecessors and his contemporaries. This suggests that Sicilian tyranny and Hellenistic monarchy were aspects of a single Greek tradition of autocracy. The third part of the thesis looks at Agathokles' interactions with Sicily, Carthage, Italy, Mainland Greece and the Diadochoi, identifying the dynamics which drove these interactions and showing how they continued older models of interaction and were shaped by contemporary developments. This demonstrates the degree to which Agathokles and his local Sicilian context were part of the wider Hellenistic world.

Mestrado Vinifera EuroMaster - Instituto Superior de Agronomia<br>The nursery business is the starting point for wine production, influence qualitatively and quantitatively all vintages production. The aim of the trial is to deepen the knowledge on certain aspects of the production and some innovative products in the segment of the production of the young vine. Furthermore, will also take into consideration the case of an innovative product in the marketing stage, which takes the name of "barbatellone", which aims to replace the dead vines in the vineyards and anticipate the entry into production of new vineyards. Results in nursery showed that, the omega grafts affect the nursery success. The yields of field is linked to the time of plantation; later is the period of the plantation and is lower the yield in the field, then you must tend to implant in early periods in order to improve yields. The evaluation tests related to the techniques to detect the grafts-cuttings suitable to plantation have produced positive results that have shown that it is possible to make other improvements in the production chain. For the “Barbatellone” the results showed that, the row distances did not affect nursery successful. Instead, plant density influenced the stock and shoot diameters that were increased by the greatest in-row distance. Results showed that bunch removal. affected shoot elongation, daily shoot growth, stem diameter, pruning mass and root mass. Yield was correlated with the nursery shoot diameter. Prevalence of thin roots (less than 3 mm) was recorded in all thesis

Il presente lavoro mira a far luce su un personaggio complesso e abbastanza discusso, il ministro plenipotenziario inglese Lord William Bentinck, attraverso l analisi delle pagine del suo Sicilian Journal, il diario ancora inedito che scrisse negli anni di permanenza in Sicilia (1812-1814), attualmente conservato, insieme ad altri numerosissimi documenti dello stesso, relativi non solo a quegli anni (7000 circa) ma a tutta la sua carriera diplomatica e militare, presso l archivio della Nottingham University Library (UK), quale lascito dei duchi di Portland, eredi di Bentinck. Si prenderanno in considerazione anche alcune lettere rinvenute durante la ricerca, anche queste inedite, rivolte a Bentinck, scritte dall abate Paolo Balsamo, personaggio di spicco della intelligentsia siciliana di quegli anni.

This thesis is a comprehensive investigation of the transport containers produced in Roman Sicily over a chronological period composed of five phases: Early Roman period (30 BC–AD 100); Middle Roman period (AD 100–300); Late Roman period (AD 300–440); Vandal Perios (AD 440/535) and Early Byzantine period (AD 536/600). The research investigates the production and transportation of Sicilian foodstuffs (especially wine) from the major ports of the island to Mediterranean ports and northern Europe. The results demonstrate the wide distribution of Sicilian amphorae and their important role within the wider economy of the Roman Empire. The importance of this research lies in the fact that, despite the agricultural prosperity of Sicily in the Roman Period and its strategic topographical position, transport amphorae remain understudied especially in economic terms. In regards to typology, chronology and distribution, our current knowledge of regional containers has not reached a level comparable to that of amphorae manufactured in other territories. The key discussion focuses on the commercial dynamics of Roman Sicilian amphorae from local, regional and Mediterranean-wide perspectives. The research aims to outline the distribution trends of Sicilian amphorae, looking at the different relative quantities of each amphora type and consequently the extent to which they are present in regions inside and outside Sicily, while considering presences and absences within the more general and homogeneous context of the Mediterranean basin. The organisation of Sicilian amphora production is also tackled through the presentation of probable production sites and excavated kilns. Using these examples, the study investigates the management of production of these containers on the island. The initial data obtained by this research represents a first step in determining differences between Sicilian amphorae workshops producing amphorae — therefore trading wine — for Mediterranean export and manufacturing sites specializing in local/regional trade. Other key achievements include the creation of a new illustrated typology with profile drawings of all the amphora forms and a summary and catalogue of Sicilian amphorae fabrics. In the thesis, the results of archaeometric analysis (thin-sections) carried out on more than 120 Sicilian amphora samples, provided by numerous institutions in Sicily and abroad, are presented. These results add significantly to our knowledge of the fabric composition, manufacture technology, origin and consequently movement of these amphorae around the Mediterranean over six centuries. More generally the research shows that the study of Sicilian material culture along with archaeological evidence is essential for recording the economic dynamics of Sicily, with the intent of dispelling the stereotype that Sicily's primary role was as a grain supplier to Rome. Besides grain — widely produced and exported throughout the imperial period, as attested by ancient sources and inscriptions — the archaeological evidence clearly indicates the export of foodstuffs, especially wine, at an inter-provincial level from the 1^st until the second half of the 6^th century AD.

An epinician ode is not only praise for a laudandus but also a form of civic discourse in which the laudandus conducts a debate inviting the audience to make a judgement. This enquiry investigates how the eighteen epinician odes composed by Pindar and Bacchylides for Sicilian laudandi accommodate the political and social aspirations of the patrons commissioning them. It also investigates how rhetoric contributes to the fulfilment of the encomiastic purpose in those odes. This enquiry situates the epinician odes in their proper historical context. It contrasts its findings with those of others. It concludes that in odes composed for laudandi other than tyrants the purpose of the debate is more often than not to counter suspicions which fellow citizens may harbour against the laudandus. However, the laudandi concerned appear to have been problematic already before they entered Panhellenic competition, and not, as some scholars think, because of their newly acquired status as Panhellenic victor. In particular, Pindar’s fifth and sixth Olympian odes are poems in which the suspicions of others are apparently countered as a matter of urgency. At the other end of the spectrum is Pindar’s first Nemean ode, arguably an ode composed for an unproblematic laudandus. This enquiry concludes that the presence of strategies of inclusion or exclusion is not determined by the status of the laudandus. It further concludes that odes composed for tyrants do not necessarily reflect a Herrschaftssystem: rather elements of Polisideologie are often used in these odes in the debate with the audience. Hence the variety of patron message employed in epinician odes is much greater than has hitherto been thought. Finally, this enquiry makes some observations on the development of odes composed for the Sicilian tyrants over time and links the observations with historical circumstances surrounding the Deinomenid and Emmenid tyrannies.

This study attempts to revive T.J. Dunbabin's multi-dimensional approach to the history of Early Iron Age Sicily in The Western Greeks (Oxford 1948). Dunbabin recognised that archaic Sicily had no real history, and that any historical account involved combining the very scant documentary record with the fuller and ever-growing body of archaeological evidence to produce a framework for writing social and economic history. These innovative methods ended with Dunbabin, however: today the field is dominated by scholars impeded artificially by disciplinary boundaries, which discourage the productive combination of historical and archaeological sources, leaving a number of important questions in a sort of academic no man's land. In the introduction an overview of the study of Sicily since Dunbabin is given, and Dunbabin's own weaknesses are explored: Dunbabin modelled Greek colonisation in Sicily on modern British colonisation; such a decision strait-jacketed his image of the past, causing him to draw conclusions unacceptable today. The increase in the quantity of archaeological evidence since Dunbabin means that it is no longer possible to make an in-depth study of the whole of Sicily in a single volume. Consequently, the focus has to be considerably more restricted than Dunbabin's; specific questions need to be selected. Megara Hyblaia and Selinous offer two particular advantages for studying the evolution of Greek settlement in Sicily: besides being Megarian, both are sufficiently well explored archaeologically to make historical investigation profitable, but they were founded a century apart on different sides of the island, in different environmental and socio-political contexts. The study itself is divided into two main parts, the first focusing on Megara Hyblaia and the second on Selinous; each of these two parts consists of five chapters, in which the same questions are asked of the evidence from the two sites, for comparative purposes. Chapters I and VI explore the background to settlement, with such subjects as the native world encountered by the settlers at the time of colonisation, pre- and proto-colonial activity, and the respective foundations of the colonies examined. Settlement development is the subject of chapters II and VII; the emphasis here is to monitor the successive stages of the physical growth of the colonies, and also to study the size and nature of the settlement itself. Chapters III and VIII deal with demography (particularly population size). The following chapters (IV and IX) use archaeological and written evidence to reconstruct socio-political history. Chapters V and X investigate environment and economy. In the closing chapter, after a review of the conclusions reached, the question of why Selinous evolved so differently from it mother-city is addressed. The thesis ends with brief consideration of the (Megarian) Sicilian contribution to the study of the polis.

My thesis purpose is mainly focused on “the Sicilian Wine exportation to China” topic and on the difficulties that small wineries face in order to get in touch with the foreign markets. I want to highlight the focus on the small and medium enterprises internationalization. I am going to try to understand how a small reality such as a Sicilian company might be able to create a relationship with a reality as big as the Chinese one. Moreover, I am going to introduce the importance of building an image of authenticity and quality to have the right catch on the Chinese consumers. In order to clarify the main aspects related to this topic, I've contacted several Sicilian wineries who – willing to collaborate within my project – are going to provide me many useful information. In this way, we will get a clear framework about the difficulties that small Sicilian companies have to face to have business relations with a Country like China. In the first chapter, I would like to explain the companies’ need to extend their horizons. Consequently, I will proceed talking about the reason that drives a wine entrepreneurs to choose China as a market where to make their products known. More in depth I would like to focus on the main financial issues: concerning costs, exchange risks, production and delivery timings and the eventuality of bankruptcy. In the second chapter, we will see more in depth how a Sicilian SME trades with China, which communication channels are used and which marketing and promotional activities are carried out and how important are the social relationships and the guanxi in business Furthermore, I think it would be really interesting giving a particular attention to some aspects that must be faced: linguistic, cultural, legislative, economic and political differences that create a huge barrier that an entrepreneur has to face in China and I believe it is really interesting to understand how to approach to such a peculiar reality. In the last chapter, I will report some testimonies I will collect from Sicilian wineries’ owners. Therefore we better understand why they have chosen China as a market to explore and which are the pros and the cons of this trade from their point of view. Interviewing different companies, I will be able to make a comparison to notice similarities and differences in their way of action within the business world.

La diversità genetica delle specie e razze di interesse zootecnico, rappresenta un’importante risorsa in tutti i sistemi di allevamento . Per lo studio della diversità genetica, nel corso dei decenni sono stati sviluppati diversi metodi che si basano su informazioni del pedigree o su dati molecolari (microsatelliti e SNPs, Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms). Con l’aumento della disponibilità di marcatori molecolari per la maggior parte delle specie di interesse zootecnico, e con lo sviluppo di sofisticate tecniche analitiche, sta crescendo la capacità di caratterizzare la variabilità genetica delle razze. Inoltre, ad oggi, poche sono le informazioni sulla diversità genetica delle razze e delle popolazioni autoctone siciliane. L’obiettivo di questa tesi è stato quello di studiare la diversità e la struttura genetica nelle razze e popolazioni zootecniche autoctone siciliane mediante l’uso di marcatori molecolari. Nel capitolo 2 è stata sequenziata la regione promoter del gene della -lattoglobulina (BLG) ovina al fine di individuare i polimorfismi, calcolare e analizzare gli aplotipi e studiare le relazione filogenetiche tra la razza Valle del Belice e le altre razze considerate sue progenitrici. L’allineamento e l’analisi delle sequenze ottenute hanno evidenziato la presenza di 36 SNPs e una delezione, sottolineando un’elevata variabilità all’interno delle razze. Sono stati individuati quattro siti di legame per Milk Protein Binding Factors (MPBFs) e cinque siti di legame Nuclear Factor-I (NF-I). Utilizzando i siti polimorfici identificati, sono stati calcolati 22 aplotipi, usati per la ricostruzione di un albero filogenetico tramite l’algoritmo Neighbor-Joining. L’analisi degli indici di diversità genetica ha mostrato valori più bassi di diversità nucleotidica per la razza Sarda, mentre la razza Comisana ha presentato i valori più alti. Confrontando la diversità nucleotidica tra le razze, il valore più alto è stato ottenuto tra le razze Valle del Belice e Pinzirita, mentre quello più basso è stato ottenuto tra la razza Valle del Belice e la razza Sarda. Considerando che i polimorfismi nella regione promoter del gene della BLG potrebbero avere un ruolo funzionale associato alla composizione del latte, il valore più basso della diversità nucleotidica tra le razze Valle del Belice e Sarda, potrebbe essere correlato ad una maggiore somiglianza nella produzione qualitativa del latte di queste due razze rispetto alle altre. Nel capitolo 3, un pannello di 20 marcatori microsatelliti è stato utilizzato per studiare e caratterizzare la struttura genetica delle quattro razze ovine autoctone siciliane (Barbaresca, Comisana, Pinzirita e Valle del Belice) e della razza Sarda, e per determinare le relazioni filogenetiche che intercorrono tra esse. Il numero di alleli trovati (259) ed il contenuto di informazione polimorfica (PIC) indicano che il pannello utilizzato è altamente informativo (0,76). I valori di Fst, Fis e Fit hanno mostrato una bassa differenziazione genetica e bassi livelli di consanguineità all’interno delle razze e tra esse. Il dendrogramma Neighbor-Joining, ottenuto sulla base delle distanze genetiche di Reynold, e l’analisi delle corrispondenti fattoriali, hanno evidenziato una marcata separazione tra la razza Barbaresca e le altre razze ovine. Il test di assegnazione bayesiano ha mostrato una struttura genetica più omogenea per le razze Barbaresca e Sarda, mentre il più basso valore di assegnazione è stato trovato nella razza Pinzirita. I nostri risultati indicano la presenza di una elevata variabilità, bassa consanguineità e bassa differenziazione genetica, fatta eccezione per la razza Barbaresca, in accordo con la posizione geografica, i possibili flussi genici e le pratiche di allevamento. La bassa robustezza del test di assegnazione rende inutilizzabile l’uso dei marcatori microsatelliti ai fini della tracciabilità delle produzioni lattiero casearie, a causa dell’elevata promiscuità e del flusso genico, in particolare per le razze ovine da latte autoctone siciliane. Nel capitolo 4 vengono riportate per la prima volta, le stime riguardanti la struttura genetica, i livelli di inbreeding (F) e coancestry (f) e il linkage disequilibrium(LD) nelle razze bovine autoctone siciliane Cinisara e Modicana, utilizzando l’Illumina Bovine SNP50K v2 BeadChip. L’Analisi delle Componenti Principali (PCA) e l’algoritmo di assegnazione basato sulla statistica bayesiana, hanno mostrato che gli animali delle due razze formano due clusters distinti. I coefficienti F e f erano moderatamente elevati, mentre le attuali stime sulla effettiva dimensione della popolazione (Ne) erano basse in entrambe le razze, sottolineando una bassa variabilità genetica. Il valore medio del LD calcolato con r2 è risultato notevolmente inferiore rispetto ai valori medi riportati in letteratura per le altre razze bovine. I più alti valori di r2 sono stati trovati nel cromosoma 14, all’interno del quale sono state descritte diverse mutazioni che influenzano la produzione quanti-qualitativa del latte. Il basso valore di LD suggerisce che il presente chip non è ottimale, e che un pannello a più alta densità è necessario per acquisire le informazioni riguardanti i livelli di LD, mentre i parametri riguardanti la consanguineità e Ne, indicano la necessità di avviare programmi di conservazione per il recupero di queste razze bovine autoctone. Il capitolo 5 riporta i risultati relativi al calcolo del LD, alla stima del numero di blocchi di aplotipi per cromosoma e alla diversità genetica nelle razze ovine autoctone siciliane allevate per la produzione di latte, utilizzando gli Ovine Beadchip SNP50K v1 BeadChip. I valori del LD diminuivano in funzione della distanza e la media del coefficiente r2 era notevolmente inferiore al valore osservato nelle altre razze ovine. Sono stati trovati un ridotto numero di blocchi di aplotipi e un ridotto numero di SNPs per blocco, in particolare nelle razze Comisana e Pinzirita. La PCA ha mostrato che, mentre la Valle del Belice e la Pinzirita formano due gruppi omogenei e distinti per razza, la Comisana evidenzia la presenza di sottostrutture. La PCA condotta con un subset di SNPs ha mostrato una scarsa capacità di discriminare le razze tra loro. La razza Pinzirita ha evidenziato i più alti livelli di diversità genetica, mentre i valori più bassi sono stati riscontrati nella razza Valle del Belice. Le informazioni generate da questo studio potrebbero essere utilizzate per gli studi di associazione, nonché per lo sviluppo di programmi di selezione e miglioramento genetico.<br>The genetic diversity of farm animal species and breeds is an important resource in all livestock systems. To evaluate genetic diversity in livestock populations several methods have been developed based on pedigree information or on molecular data. The increasing availability of molecular markers for most farm animal species and the development of techniques to analyze molecular variation are widening the capacity to characterize breeds genetic variation. Moreover, little is known about the genetic diversity in Sicilian livestock breeds and populations. The aim of this thesis was to explore the genetic diversity of the Sicilian autochthonous breeds and populations using molecular markers. In chapter 2, the promoter region of ovine -lactoglobulin (BLG) gene was sequenced in order to identify polymorphisms, infer and analyze haplotypes, and phylogenetic relationship among the Valle del Belice sheep breed and other three breeds considered as ancestors. Sequencing analysis and alignment of the obtained sequences showed the presence of 36 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and one deletion. We found four binding sites for milk protein binding factors (MPBFs) and five binding sites for nuclear factor-I (NF-I). The number of identified polymorphisms showed high variability within breeds. A total of 22 haplotypes found in best reconstruction were inferred considering all 37 polymorphic sites. Haplotypes were used for the reconstruction of a phylogenetic tree using the Neighbor-Joining algorithm. Analysis of genetic diversity indexes showed that the Sarda sheep breed presented the lowest nucleotide diversity, whereas the Comisana sheep breed presented the highest one. Comparing the nucleotide diversity among breeds, the highest value was obtained between Valle del Belice and Pinzirita sheep breeds, whereas the lowest one was between Valle del Belice and Sarda sheep breeds. Considering that polymorphisms in the promoter region of BLG gene could have a functional role associated with milk composition, the lowest value of nucleotide diversity between Valle del Belice and Sarda sheep breeds may be related to a higher similarity of milk composition of these two breeds compared to the others. In Chapter 3, microsatellite markers were used to explore the genetic structure of the four Sicilian autochthonous and Sarda sheep breeds, and to determine their genetic relationship. A total of 259 alleles were observed with average polymorphic information content (PIC) equal to 0.76, showing that the used microsatellites panel was highly informative. The low value of genetic differentiation among breeds (Fst=0.049) may indicate that these breeds have a low differentiation level probably due to common history and breeding practices. The low Fis and Fit values indicated low level of inbreeding within and among breeds. The Unrooted Neighbor-Joining dendrogram obtained from the Reynold’s genetic distances, and factorial correspondence analysis revealed a separation between Barbaresca and the other sheep breeds. The Bayesian assignment test showed that Barbaresca and Sarda sheep breeds had more defined genetic structure, whereas the lowest assignment value was found in the Pinzirita sheep breed. Our results indicated high genetic variability, low inbreeding and low genetic differentiation, except for Barbaresca sheep breed, and were in accordance with geographical location, history, and breeding practices. The low robustness of the assignment test makes it unfeasible for traceability purposes, due to the high level of admixture, in particular for Sicilian dairy sheep breeds. In Chapter 4 were reported for the first time the estimates of population structure, the levels of inbreeding (F) and coancestry (f), and the linkage disequilibrium (LD) in two Sicilian autochthonous cattle breeds, the Cinisara and the Modicana, using the Illumina Bovine SNP50K v2 BeadChip. Principal Components Analysis and Bayesian clustering algorithm showed that animals from the two Sicilian breeds formed non-overlapping clusters and are clearly separated populations, even from the Holstein control population. The average molecular F and f coefficients were moderately high, and the current estimates of Ne were low in both breeds. These values indicated a low genetic variability. The average r2 was notably lower than the values observed in other cattle breeds. The highest r2 values were found in chromosome 14, where causative mutations affecting variation in milk production traits have been reported. The low value of LD indicated that the present chip is not an optimum, and that a denser SNP array is needed to capture more LD information. The levels of inbreeding and Ne reported in this study point out the need to establish a conservation program for these autochthonous cattle breeds. In Chapter 5 genome wide levels of LD, the number of haplotype blocks for each chromosome in each breed and the genetic diversity was assessed in the Sicilian dairy sheep breeds, using the Illumina Ovine SNP50K v1 BeadChip. The LD declined as a function of distance and average r2 was notably lower than the value observed in other sheep breeds. Few and small haplotype blocks were observed in Comisana and Pinzirita sheep breeds, which contained just two SNPs. The number of haplotype blocks reported in our study for the Sicilian dairy sheep breeds were extremely lower than those reported in other livestock species. PCA showed that while Valle del Belice and Pinzirita sheep breeds formed a unique cluster, the Comisana sheep breed showed the presence of substructure. PCA using a subset of SNPs showed lack of ability to discriminate among the breeds. The Pinzirita sheep breed displayed the highest genetic diversity, whereas the lowest value was found in the Valle del Belice sheep breed. The information generated from this study has important implications for the design and applications of association studies as well as for the development of selection breeding programs.

La tesi rappresenta un tentativo di indagare il lavoro a giornata e le sue dimensioni, attraverso un'analisi di un mercato del lavoro agricolo destagionalizzato nel sud Italia. Essa si sforza di capire quali sono le convenzioni, i concetti di giustizia e le giustificazioni fornite dagli attori locali a sostegno del sistema del lavoro a giornata. L'analisi è basata su un lavoro di campo della durata di circa sei mesi realizzato nella cosiddetta Fascia Costiera Trasformata (Ragusa, Sicilia), un distretto agricolo caratterizzato dalla produzione di ortaggi freschi che rappresenta uno delle più gradi estensioni serricole italiane. Da circa quarant'anni la forza lavoro nella zona è costituita in gran parte da lavoratrici e lavoratori stranieri, provenienti per lo più dalla Tunisia (a partire dagli anni '60) e dalla Romania (a partire dagli anni 2000). Durante il lavoro di campo, l'autrice ha realizzato due mesi di osservazione partecipante (coperta e scoperta) all'interno di varie aziende agricole e di magazzini di confezionamento, due settimane di “shadowing” seguendo un commerciante in diversi mercati ortofrutticoli locali, e circa 100 tra interviste semi-strutturate e colloqui informali con braccianti, datori di lavoro e testimoni privilegiati (sindacalisti, membri delle istituzioni locali, volontari, etc.). La tesi cerca di spiegare che significa lavorare a giornata attraverso un'analisi empirica delle dimensioni e delle forme assunte da questo tipo di lavoro. Considera, dunque, l'indisponibilità del tempo di vita e di lavoro vissuta dai braccianti; la sofferenza e il dolore causati da uno sforzo fisico incostante sul corpo dei lavoratori, così come lo stress mentale che che esso genera; l'insicurezza materiale vissuta dagli operai remunerati con salari bassi e incostanti; l'incertezza sul futuro che costringe i braccianti a «campare alla giornata». Essa esplora, inoltre, il continuum formale-informale e le diverse configurazioni di semi-formalità a cui il sistema del lavoro a giornata da origine. Secondariamente, la tesi si cimenta nel proposito di riflettere proprio sugli spazi, che costituisco il setting che “ospita” e allo stesso tempo plasma il lavoro a giornata, proponendo quattro immagini idealtipiche dei luoghi di lavoro. Infine, il contributo considera come il genere, l'etinicità e la classe dei lavoratori influenzano e sono influenzati dal lavoro a giornata, il quale produce diverse “matrici di dominazione” e di “agency”. La conclusione appare come un invito a prendere in considerazione i costi sociali della filiera del cibo fresco, per quanto riguarda la produzione sociale di valore, l'impatto sui territori locali e sulla forza lavoro.<br>The thesis attempts to investigate day labor and its dimensions, through the analysis of a deseasonalized agricultural labor market in the South of Italy. It tries to understand which are the conventions, the concepts of justice and justifications provided by the local actors to support day labor system. The findings are based on a six months fieldwork in the so called Fascia Costiera Trasformata (Ragusa, Sicily), an agricultural district characterized by the production of fresh crops that represents one of the biggest greenhouses areas in Italy. Since the last forty years, the workforce in the district has been mainly constituted by foreign (male and female) workers, mostly coming from Tunisia (since the 1960s) and Romania (since the 2000s). During her fieldwork, the author realized two months of (covered and uncovered) participant observation inside greenhouses and packinghouses companies, two week of “shadowing” following a broker inside local fruit and vegetable markets, and around 100 among semi-structured interviews and informal colloquies with farmworkers, employers and privileged testimonies (trade unionists, members of local institutions, volunteers, etc.). The thesis tries to explain what it means to work by the day through an empirical analysis of the dimensions and the forms assumed by day labor. Thus, it takes into consideration laborers' unavailability of their work and life time; the pain and suffering produced by an uneven physical endeavor on workers' bodies, as well as the mental stress that it generates; the material insecurity undergone by laborers remunerated through low and uneven salaries; the future uncertainties that bind workers to a daily model of existence. It also explores the continuum formal-informal and the several configurations of partial-formality that day labor system produces. Secondly, the thesis engages in the purpose of reflecting on the very spaces constituting the settings that “host” and at the same time shape day labor, proposing four ideal-typical “images” of the workplaces. Finally, the contribution considers how workers' gender, ethnicity and class shape and are re-shaped by day labor system, that produces several “matrices of domination” and “agency”. The conclusion appears as an invitation to take into consideration the social costs of eating fresh food, for what concerns social production of value, impact on local territories and on the workforce.

This thesis investigates the evolution of Pleistocene insular proboscideans from the centralwestern Mediterranean (Palaeoloxodon species from Sicily, Malta, Favignana) and a mammoth (Mammuthus lamarmorai) from Sardinia, with a particular emphasis on the anatomy of the limbs. Differences in the morphology of the limbs are examined across a tenfold reduction in mass (from 3,5m-tall P. antiquus from Germany to 1,2 m-tall P. ex gr. P. falconeri from Spinagallo Cave, Sicily), revealing insights into significant morphological changes in the long and foot-bones, particularly appendicular changes evident in SiculoMaltese P. ex gr. P. falconeri. Notable morphological differences between P. antiquus and its insular descendent P. ex gr. P. falconeri include the functional morphology of the ankle-joint (especially the calcaneus' articular facet for the tibia). Furthermore, morphological similarities found between the femur of young continental elephants (P. antiquus and L. africana) and adult insular dwarfs (P. ex gr. P. falconeri and its probable ancestor Palaeoloxodon sp. from Lparello Fissure, Sicily) suggest evidence of paedomorphism in the limbs. Similarly, comparisons of the ontogenetic allometry of the tibia in L. africana and P. ex gr. P. falconceri include changes which are also consistent with paedomorphism, although other factors could not be ruled out. In the humerus large differences are evident in the morphology of the deltoid tubercule between co-generic insular Palaeoloxodon species, suggesting interspecific differences in the musculo-skeletal system. Furthermore, on the basis of dimensions, morphology and stratigraphy, the large Palaeoloxodon sp. remains from Luparello Fissure, north-western Sicily are suggested to belong to the ancestral chronospecies of P. ex gr. P. falconeri from Sicily, which may have subsequently colonized Malta during the reduced sea-levels of a Middle Pleistocene glacial lowstand (following a corridor with reduced distances between the two islands). Additionally, morphological differences in the calcanei of elephants from Luparello Fissure, Sicily, and Benghisa Gap, Malta may be the result of allopatric speciation between similar-sized elephants during the Middle Pleistocene, or alternatively relate to ecomorphology. These findings suggest that the morphology of the calcaneus may be more informative than hitherto recognised for resolving systematics and taxonomy among the Elephantini. Furthermore, although the absolute chronology of SiculoMaltese elephants remains poorly constrained, preliminary U-Th dating at Alcamo Quarry, western Sicily suggests a tentative early Middle Pleistocene age for Palaeoloxodon sp.

xvii, 330 p. : ill., maps. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.<br>This dissertation is a sociological study of the Sicilian bluefin tuna fishery. It will examine the social and ecological transformation of this fishery during the modern era. This will be analyzed utilizing a sociological framework that draws on theory from environmental sociology. The Sicilian fishery has been exploited for its abundant tuna for over a millennium, providing a major source of protein for Mediterranean civilizations. However, within the last half century there has been exponential expansion of industrialized methods of production and increasing capture efforts. This has culminated in the development of bluefin tuna "ranches," which have become a highly controversial method for supplying global markets. Escalating pressure on the fishery has contributed to a host of environmental and social concerns, including pushing this important fishery to the brink of collapse. Using a combination of primary and secondary source data such as interviews with local fishers and those in the tuna ranching sector, data compiled by international agencies such as the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) as well as archival data on the Sicilian bluefin tuna fishery, I will employ sociological methods and analyze the recent changes in social life and the environment in Sicilian fishing communities. Subsequently, this project will shed light on the globalized and industrialized nature of the modern agri-food system and lead to a better understanding of its social and environmental impacts.<br>Committee in charge: Richard York, Chairperson, Sociology; John Foster, Member, Sociology; Yvonne Braun, Member, Sociology; Joseph Fracchia, Outside Member, Honors College

Due to the population growth, urbanization and economic development, demand for freshwater in urban areas is increasing throughout Europe. At the same time, climate change and pollution are also affecting the availability of water supplies. Sicily, a southern island of Italy, suffers from a growing strong water scarcity and drought. The freshwater basins of Sicily are not well characterized and classified. In last decades, in Sicilian freshwater surface reservoirs several Planktothrix rubescens and Microcystis aeruginosa blooms have reported. A further actual worldwide problem for all surface freshwaters basins is the increasing of heavy metals concentrations in their waters. Aims of this research doctoral project were: a) perform a census of Sicilian natural and artificial freshwater basins and identify which of these are suitable for use for drinking purposes; b) carry out a risk assessment related to presence of Microcystins and heavy metals (As, Pb, V, Cd, Al); c) evaluate the waters toxicity through ecotoxicological bioassays and verify if they would be sensitive and reliable to investigate on toxicity of mixtures of heavy metals and Microcystins. It was carried out the monitoring of 15 surface basins, among the 30 existing in Sicilian territory, through seasonal chemical, physical and microbiological analysis of the waters such as required by Italian law, the Legislative Decree 152/2006. Moreover, it was performed speciation of cyanobacteria community, cell counting, and PCR analysis. Finally, it was carried out acute (V. fischeri), subacute (T. platyurus) and chronic (D. magna) ecotoxicological assays. There is much reassurance about quality chemical status of basins. In fact, there are no heavy metals above the reference values. Only Aluminum and Iron are present often in large concentration. The high levels of total nitrogen and phosphorus give information about the inflow of partially or completely untreated urban and rural wastewater in all basins. However, in 50% of examined dams, there were the presence of several cyanobacteria species. In particular, it was detected cyanobacteria bloom in Disueri in period between July and September 2017. Microcystis sp. and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii were detected (108 and 107 cell/L, respectively) and by mid-August were replaced by Anabaenopsis sp. and Plankthotrix rubescens, still growing in mid-September (107 and 106 cell/L, respectively). MCs concentrations in every samples were low, in agreement with the lack of qualitative amplification of the mcyE gene. The distance biplot of PCA showed that Disueri, Pozzillo, Trinità and Arancio dams are located near together and are strongly influenced by N, Fe, Al, V, Mn, F, Mn, Cl, pH, Ca and Nitrite. In recent past, all these dams were currently affected by harmful algal bloom. V. fischeri and D. magna assays seem to respond to the number of cyanobacteria cells rather than toxins concentrations. Instead, T. platyurus assay show a significant positive relationship between MCs concentrations measured by ELISA test. In conclusion, the chemical quality of Sicilian surface freshwaters catchments is good and it could be improved it with a better treatment and management of wastewaters got into the surface waters. Concerning the Microcystins contamination, since in every analyzed sample the concentration was below the WHO reference value for drinking waters (1 ug/L) it seems not to be a high and worrying risk for human and environmental health in the brief time. The simultaneous execution of V. fischeri and T. platyurus bioassays could favor the monitoring of waters both economically and technically. PCA analysis seems to be reliable to be used as predictive models for cyanobacteria growth. Finally, respecting these describes condition, it would be possible the use of waters of all monitored basins as drinking after an adequate treatment according to Italian Legislative Decree 152/2006.

Most Sicilian dialects share a typical syntactic construction which features three elements: 1) a verb taken from a restricted class of motion verbs; 2) the connecting element a; 3) an inflected lexical verb. This work aims at exploring the behaviour of this construction as used in the dialect spoken in Delia, a small centre in the province of Caltanissetta, as well as in some other Sicilian dialects. I will start from a detailed description of the cases in which the examined structure can occur, providing some remarks on related phonological phenomena. In my analysis I will also take into account the syntactic features that Cardinaletti & Giusti (2003) have singled out about Marsalese verifying them on Deliano, and I will describe the range of variability that such constructions display among some Sicilian dialects and some unrelated languages. My conclusion will be that motion verbs in the relevant construction can feature most of the characteristics of functional verbs.

In the present thesis different configurations of Pseudo-Coordination are analysed. This is a monoclausal syntactic construction, formed by two finite verbs with an optional connector a between them (V1 a V2), which can be considered as an instance of the Multiple Agreement Constructions found in most southern Italo-Romance dialects. This thesis discusses the main parameters of micro-variation characterising the Pseudo-Coordination found in the Sicilian dialects: i) the criteria for the selection of the V1; ii) the Moods and the Tenses in which this construction can occur; iii) the criteria for the selection of the V2: iv) the hierarchy regulating the occurrence of the Persons (from 1sg to 3pl) in the different paradigms; v) the grammaticalisation of the V1 "go" with its phonetic erosion and desemanticisation. In the second part of the thesis, the first quantitative study dedicated to Pseudo-Coordination, conducted in Delia (Caltanissetta) with 70 participants during 2017, is presented.

Nella presente tesi vengono analizzate diverse configurazioni di Pseudo-Coordinazione verbale nei dialetti siciliani. La Pseudo-Coordinazione è una costruzione sintattica monofrasale, composta da due verbi di modo finito eventualmente separati da un connettore "a" (V1 a V2), che si inserisce nel novero delle Costruzioni ad Accordo Multiplo, tipiche dei dialetti meridionali italo-romanzi. All'intero della tesi sono discussi i principali parametri di micro-variazione che caratterizzano la Pseudo-Coordinazione nei dialetti siciliani: i) i criteri di selezione del V1; ii) i Modi e i Tempi verbali in cui tale costruzione può apparire; iii) i criteri di selezione del V2; iv) l'individuazione di una gerarchia nell'occorrenza delle Persone (dalla 1SG alla 3PL) dei diversi paradigmi; v) la grammaticalizzazione del V2 "andare" con relativa erosione fonetica e desemantizzazione. Nella seconda parte della tesi viene presentato il primo studio quantitativo dedicato alla Pseudo-Coordinazione, condotto a Delia (in provincia di Caltanissetta) con settanta partecipanti, nell'arco dell'intero anno 2017. Da questo studio quantitativo, teso a verificare la produttività della Pseudo-Coordinazione presso parlanti di diverse fasce d'età e, in particolare, l'occorrenza di determinati pattern morfomici per l'Indicativo Presente e Preterito (secondo i quali determinate persone del paradigma non ammettono la Pseudo-Coordinazione), emerge un quadro di estrema vitalità di tale costruzione, anche in parlanti molto giovani (dagli 11 ai 15 anni), la quale si presenta in modo conforme ai pattern mormofici attesi. Nell'ultima parte della tesi vengono prese in considerazione alcune questioni teoriche per la cui risoluzione sono necessarie ulteriori ricerche.

A common cliché regarding the distribution of the Simple Past and the Present Perfect seems to divide the Italian peninsula into two different areas. In the northern part of Italy, it is evident an almost exclusive use of the compound form, whereas in the South, the Simple Past is dominant. After a cross-linguistic semantic and syntactic analysis of the present perfect, I focus on this cliché, taking into account the existence and the usages of this tense in the dialect of Sicily. Since the literature written so far on this topic displays some discrepancies and gaps, I decided to carry out an experimental investigation on the distribution of the present perfect in the dialect of Partinico, a town near Palermo. The test, submitted to 30 speakers divided into two different age-categories, investigated seven different conditions, considering the possible expression of the current relevance. The results show aspectual peculiarities of the Sicilian present perfect, which differ from the standard uses of the corresponding Italian tense. The Sicilian compound past form has, in fact, a durative and iterative meaning, similar to the one expressed by the Portuguese present perfect. I noticed, moreover, that the two languages, i.e. Sicilian and Portugues, share various similarities in the domain of the verbal system, in which the distribution of the simple and compound past forms suggests that their simple past is the results of a parallel evolution of the Latin perfect.

Le travail de recherche s’inscrit dans le cadre de la lexicographie historique et consiste en la conception et la rédaction du lexique du corpus de textes de l’École poétique sicilienne, sur la base de l’édition complète, critique et commentée « I Poeti della Scuola siciliana », publiée en 2008 pour la série « I Meridiani » de la maison d’édition Mondadori, sous le patronage du « Centro di Studi filologici e linguistici siciliani », édité par Roberto Antonelli, pour ce qui est du premier volume (entièrement consacré a Giacomo da Lentini), Costanzo Di Girolamo, pour le deuxième (qui comprend les textes des poètes de la cour de Frédéric II) e Rosario Coluccia pour le troisième (ce qui contient les poèmes des Siculo-toscani).Compte tenu de l’importance extraordinaire de la tradition de la poésie sicilienne pour le développement de la littérature et de la langue poétique italiennes, le Lexique de l’Ecole poétique sicilienne considère toutes les couches stratigraphiques de cette tradition à plusieurs manuscrits, en récupérant et organisant le lexique qui résulte du texte et les leçons écartées par les éditeurs modernes et enregistrées dans les apparats ; il prend en considération aussi la très riche tradition éditoriale moderne de ces textes, en laissant la place aux interprétations proposées par différents éditeurs<br>The research consists on editing the glossary of the Sicilian School texts, with reference to the most recent edition: I Poeti della Scuola siciliana, published in 2008, in the series «I Meridiani» of Mondadori publishing company, edited by Roberto Antonelli (Giacomo da Lentini), Costanzo di Girolamo (Poeti della Corte di Federico II) and Rosario Coluccia (Poeti siculo-toscani).Given the extraordinary importance of the manuscript tradition of Sicilian poetry for the development of Italian literature and poetic language, the Glossary of the Sicilian School considers the stratigraphy of this tradition, by recovering and organizing the lexicon that results from the critical text and the variants rejected by modern editors and recorded in the critical apparatus; it also takes into consideration the very rich modern editorial tradition of these texts, reporting interpretations proposed by different editor

This study argues that the so-called Sicilian Slave Wars are best understood as two differing instances of civic disquiet, social disorder and provincial revolt in Sicily, rather than as slave wars. Both events are reconnected to their Sicilian context geographically, politically and socially, and shown to have arisen from those contexts. This thesis is demonstrated in seven chapters. Chapter I reassesses the principle evidence for the kingdom established by the rebels in the first war: their numismatic issues. This evidence is best understood in the context of contemporary Sicilian numismatics and emphasises the Sicilian nature of the uprising. It is argued that the insurgency was contingent on the support of certain parts of the (free) Sicilian populace. Chapter II presents a reinterpretation of Diodorus’ text from a narratological point of view. The text is shown to be highly rhetorical and constructed with a view to demonise the leaders of the first war, Eunus and Cleon, through reference to Hellenistic stereotypes of femininity, cowardliness, magic and banditry. Chapter III argues that Diodorus’ explanation of the origin of the war is anachronistic and shows evidence of narratorial intervention and invention, thereby rendering his interpretation unreliable. Chapter IV considers Cicero’s Verrine Orations and shows that his engagement with the two wars in the text cannot be used as a reliable indicator of historical fact because of the text’s continual engagement with history. Chapter V argues that the two leaders of the so-called Second Slave War, Salvius/Tryphon and Athenion, were described using the same matrix of ideas that were present for Eunus and Kleon, for the same rhetorical and narratological effect. Chapter VI analyses Diodorus’ narrative of the origin of the war, and shows that Diodorus only provides a chronology of coincidental events, and beyond a single connective narrative line, demonstrates no connection between these events. Finally, Chapter VII suggests that the best context in which to understand this war is that of a general breakdown of social order on Sicily at the end of the second century B.C. caused by internal political problems in the cities of Sicily. Further, the insurgency led by Salvius/Tryphon and Athenion is shown to be only part of a broader crisis on Sicily that stretched from 106-93 B.C., part of an extended stasis for the island. In sum, I argue that the events typically referred to as the Sicilian Slave Wars are better understood through a focus on the historical contexts provided by the Hellenistic milieu in which the wars arose and the development of the Roman provincial system – rather than through the (preconceived) lens of slavery: instead of servile unrest, there was civic disquiet, social disorder and provincial revolt on Sicily in the 2nd century BC.

I foraminiferi bentonici sono spesso utilizzati come bioindicatori di stress ambientale ed inquinamento, poiché sensibili alle variazioni ambientali. La tesi si propone di studiare i foraminiferi bentonici nel Canale di Sicilia come possibili bioindicatori in ambienti marini. E’ stato creato un Atlante dei foraminiferi bentonici del Canale di Sicilia, seguito da uno studio tassonomico che ha evidenziato nella morfometria un strumento di supporto alla classificazione. La granulometria ed il TOC influenzano la distribuzione delle specie di foraminiferi bentonici viventi costieri, mentre gli elementi in traccia influenzano la presenza di taxa opportunisti. Le concentrazioni di Cd e Mg nei gusci di U. mediterranea, analizzate per ricostruire le concentrazioni di Cd e le temperature nelle acque profonde del Canale, hanno mostrato alte concentrazioni di Cd nell’acqua interstiziale e la possibile presenza di un altro fattore oltre la temperatura che influenzi l’inclusione di Mg nei gusci.<br>Benthic forams are often used as bioindicators of environmental stress and pollution, due to their sensitivity to environmental variations. This study aims to detect benthic foraminiferal assemblages in the Sicily Channel and to apply them as bio-indicators of marine environment. An Atlas of benthic forams of the Sicily Channel was created, accompanied by a taxonomical study which highlighted how morphometry could be a classification supporting tool. The study of living coastal assemblages of benthic forams has shown the strong influence of grain-size and TOC on species distribution, as well as the influence of trace elements on the presence of opportunistic taxa. To reconstruct past Cd concentrations and temperatures at bottom water, Cd and Mg in U. mediterranea tests were analyzed, showing considerably high values, probably due to a high concentration of Cd in the porewater, and to the possible presence of another factor (i.e. salinity) influencing the inclusion of Mg in forams tests.

Dans cette thèse, nous proposons une mise en lumière des aspects linguistiques relatifs aux phénomènes de contacts entre locuteurs arabophones et locuteurs appartenant à la communauté sicilienne de Tunisie à travers l’étude d’une chronique particulière, éditée dans le journal italien Simpaticuni (1911-1933). L’un des objectifs de cette recherche est l’analyse du tissu linguistique du corpus dans le but de déterminer la nature véritable de cette langue. Cela se traduit par l’identification des particularités phono-graphiques, morphologiques, syntaxiques et lexicologiques de la langue employée, et par la recherche de la sicilianité des textes en déterminant le degré de dialectalité. Puis, nous examinons les mots empruntés à l’arabe tunisien afin d’en analyser le fonctionnement et la modalité d’insertion dans le tissu syntaxique des chroniques et d’en définir la typologie. S’agit-il de référents à des objets quotidiens ? D’insertions pragmatiques? Quelle est la signification de ces choix ? Enfin, étant donné la nature dialogale de nos textes, nous étudions les variétés en interaction, travail qui permettra d’interpréter la présence des emprunts à l’arabe dans le discours. La numérisation exhaustive d’une rubrique particulière du Simpaticuni a pour objectif d’élargir la quête lexicologique des auteurs qui ont travaillé sur ce journal<br>In this thesis, we propose to highlight the linguistic aspects relating to languages in contact, more particularly between Arabic and Sicilian speakers of Tunisia, through the study of a particular column, published in the Italian newspaper Simpaticuni (1911-1933). One of the issues of this research is to analyses the linguistic base of the corpus, aiming at determining the real nature of this language. In this respect we describe the phonographic, morphological, syntactical and vocabulary features of this language, and measure in what extent the given texts are of a Sicilian nature according to their dialectal degree. We then gather the words borrowed from Tunisian Arabic in order to study their function and the way they occur inside the syntactic structure of the columns, and therefore define their typology. Would they refer to daily objects? Or to pragmatic inclusions? What do these choices mean? Finally, given the speech nature of our texts, we study the varieties in interaction, which will enable us to understand why some words have been borrowed from Arabic. Digitising the whole particular column of the Simpaticuni will enhance the glossary collection undertaken by other scholars who previously worked on this newspaper

This work addresses the topic of discourse markers in the sociolinguistic context of Sicily. In a three-fold perspective, it combines a synchronic analysis with a diachronic and a sociolinguistic understanding of linguistic phenomena. The object of the study is that of discourse markers. This concept is discussed theoretically, that is also in terminological and historical terms, so that discourse markers are intended as lexical elements, i.e. stable form-function associations, serving discourse-pragmatic functions, i.e. structuring and managing the text and the interaction. Drawing mainly from an original corpus of spontaneous speech collected in the area of South-eastern Sicily, two items that are representative of the category of discourse markers are selected, arà and mentri. A synchronic form-to function mapping is carried out at first, thus identifying the formal features and above all the functional ones that define these two elements as discourse markers. Both the formal and functional properties defining these items as discourse markers (discourse-pragmatic functioning, multifunctionality, morphosyntactic independence, etc.) are better understood by reconstructing the evolution of these forms. The evolution of discourse markers is approached theoretically in the framework of grammaticalization studies, as a process of intersubjectification and coding of inferences. Thanks to a diachronic analysis, the polysemy schemas of the markers find a sound explanation, in terms of both relative chronology and logical connection among the different values and functions of each marker. The two Sicilian discourse markers are eventually examined in a sociolinguistic perspective. On the one hand, they get involved in contact phenomena between the two codes of the repertoire (Sicilian and its roof and standard language, Italian): these contact dynamics, going in the direction from the non-standard variety to the standard one, happen at both the discourse level in terms of code-mixing strategies and at the system one in terms of borrowing and interference. On the other hand, it is observed how discourse markers may assume social meaning in the speech community, namely by acquiring socio-symbolic values as identity-flagging devices and by showing variation in usage according to socio-demographic and contextual factors. In conclusion, this study of Sicilian discourse markers does not only offer new empirical data, but also advances our theoretical understanding of this linguistic category in its synchronic definition, in its diachronic dimension, and in its sociolinguistic implications.

Doctor of Philosophy<br>This thesis analyses language shift in a Sicilian-Australian family, from the parents' use of three languages: Sicilian, Italian and English, to the children's almost exclusive use of English.

ABSTRACT Introduction. The incidence and prevalence of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are rising worldwide, with a steep increase in children under 5 years of age. Compared to adult IBD, pediatric IBD presents with a more severe, aggressive phenotype and unique complications, notably growth impairment. The advent of anti–tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α agents has radically modified the management and disease course of IBD, resulting in greater remission and mucosal healing rates, fewer surgeries and hospitalizations, improved quality of life, and, notably for children, correction of growth failure, all while limiting drug toxicities. Objective: The aim of the study was to describe real-world experience with biologics, focusing on their effectiveness and safety, in pediatric IBD patients. Material and methods: Statistical analyses of the multicenter registry data from the Sicilian Network for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (SN-IBD) were performed for patients receiving biologics, with at least a follow up period of 26 weeks. The study population consisted of 93 children, divided into the study groups separately: 87 children (63CD, 24 UC) aged 7-17 years and 6 children (1 CD, 3 UC, 2 IC) who received biologics before the age of 7. Clinical benefit and safety were evaluated for each biologic agent used (Infliximab — IFX, Adalimumab — ADA, Golimumab — GOL). Results and conclusion: The research focused on 101 biologic treatments performed in the group 7—17 years children (63 Crohn’s disease [CD], 24 Ulcerative colitis [UC]), who received, 74 biologic treatments for CD, evaluated at 26, 52 and 104 weeks, that showed clinical benefit rates of 84.2%, 93.3%, and 66.7% with IFX (n = 38), and 88.9%, 84.4%, 65.2% with ADA (n= 36). Biologic treatments (n = 27) evaluated in the UC group at 26, 52, 104 weeks, led to clinical benefit rates of 85.7%, 83.3%, 50% in IFX subgroup (n = 21) and 40%, 50%, 33% in the ADA subgroup (n = 5), respectively. One patient treated with GOL showed 100% clinical benefit at 26 and 52 weeks. Overall adverse events (AEs) rate in this group of children was 9.25%. Effects of other 8 biologic treatments were studied in six younger children, aged &lt; 6 years, (4 ADA, 4 IFX), who presented a clinical remission rate of 75% at 12 weeks and 25% at 52 weeks. AEs rate was 25% in this group. Conclusion: Our data show that biologic therapy in children, even at a younger age, is effective in allowing long-term remission with a good safety profile.

Phenolics derived from grape are essential components of wine quality, contributing to its taste, aroma, color, bitterness, and mouth feel properties. Anthocyanins are responsible for the color of red wine, various interactions occur among the three flavonoid classes in wine resulting in a complex matrix of pigmented polymers. Proanthocyanidins (PAs) or condensed tannins are composed of flavan-3-ol subunits, and are primarily responsible for the astringency of wine and contribute to its bitterness. They possess a high antioxidant capacity and contribute to protection against cardiovascular diseases and cancer (reviewed by Lin and Weng, 2006) when consumed as part of a Mediterranean diet. Berry growth follows a double sigmoid habit that can be divided into two growth phases (Stage I and III) separated by a lag phase (Stage II) (Coombe 1976). The transition from Stage II to Stage III is named veraison and is considered to be the onset of ripening, as at this time sugars and anthocyanins begin to accumulate in red grapes. Tannins are synthesized before veraison, while anthocyanins are synthesized after veraison. The genotype is primary factor to the content of phenolic compounds. Concentration changes due to seasonal weather conditions are far less than those due to genotype. Then the cultivars variations prevail than those due to vintage. There are many environments and field practices factors reputed to affect flavonoid biosynthesis in plants. For example, vine vigor has also been reported to impact upon the tannin content and composition of grape skins in Pinot noir. In the berry skin, proanthocyanidins were higher in low-vigor vines, with an increase in the proportion of epigallocatechin subunits in proanthocyanidin polymers and an increase in the average size of polymers observed with decreasing vine vigor (Cortell et al. 2005). It is uncertain whether this change is due to the difference in vine vigor or is an indirect effect of changes in canopy architecture resulting in differential bunch exposure effects. Some researches suggest that while excessive water application decreased tannin content (Kennedy et al. 2000), water deficit had little or no effect on tannin or anthocyanin accumulation in the grape berry. Rather, the primary effect of water deficit was to decrease berry size and thus change the ratio of skin weight to total berry weight and therefore anthocyanin and tannin concentration in the berry. In a three-year study published by Cohen (2012) was showed that total PA content per berry varied only in one year, when PA content was highest in heated berries (1.46 mg berry) and lowest in cooled berries (0.97 mg berry). In two years, cooling berries resulted in a significant increase in the proportion of (–)-epigallocatechin as an extension subunit. In the third year, rates of berry development, PA accumulation, and the expression levels of several genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis were assessed. Heating and cooling berries altered the initial rates of PA accumulation, which was correlated strongly with the expression of core genes in the flavonoid pathway. However, the study examined proanthocyanidins content and composition throughout berry development in both shaded and exposed fruit, revealing significant differences in both content and composition throughout the intermediate stages of berry development, with shaded fruit reaching a much lower maximum in proanthocyanidin content than exposed fruit. The peak in proanthocyanidin accumulation in winegrapes occurred around time of veraison and then decreased toward harvest in what is generally considered to be a decrease in tannin extractability rather than degradation or turnover. This decrease in tannin extractability was observed in both shaded and exposed fruit; however, the decrease was greater in exposed fruit such that the levels were virtually the same in shaded and exposed fruit at harvest. The effects of shading on tannin accumulation in grape berries have only been examined in Shiraz, although this is an active area of research in the Australian wine industry (Downey et al. 2006). Goal of this research is the study of some Sicilian native cultivars grown in different areas of Sicily to assess the evolution of proanthocyanidins during ripening. Cultivars considered in this study are Nero d’Avola (biotype A, B and C) and Frappato (biotype A and B). Experimental fields are located in Marsala (TP) and Sambuca (AG). In these vineyards, various agronomic aspects were considered: meteorological data, leaf relative water content (Marchesi, 2004) and pruning wood weight. Experimental grapes samples were analyzed in the laboratory of the Viticulture and Enology Research Center of the Sicilian Region Extension Service located in Marsala (Sicily). Sampling were carried out in pre-veraison, mid-ripening and harvesting. Skins extract were subjected to analysis proanthocyanidins index (PI), flavans reactive to vanillin (FRV) and HPLC analysis (by phloroglucinolysis). The wines were analyzed in the Viticulture and Oenology Department of Fresno State University (California), for the study of proanthocyanidins, through the use of various chromatographic techniques: phloroglucinolysis, molecular mass, and hydrophobic interactions Observed results have confirmed that proanthocyanidins were been synthesized before the veraison; while during ripening they have decreased, in the degree of polymerization they have increased. Environment conditions of Sambuca site have led to increased synthesis of proanthocyanidins, a more severe decreased than Marsala site during ripening. At harvest time, the greater degree of polymerization was found in the grapes of Sambuca site. This result was also confirmed by the analysis results made on wines. At the biotype level, observing the information acquired, to Nero d'Avola, the biotype B presents more and more proanthocyanidins polymerization than other biotype in both sites. For what concerns Frappato, in both sites, no significant differences were found between the two biotypes, both at the level of accumulation of proanthocyanidins both at the level of polymerization.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:30:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-07-20Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:40:04Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 perches_cs_me_botfmvz_parcial.pdf: 57363 bytes, checksum: 7194bc6e69ce3bcd9c7d95014e54cd86 (MD5) Bitstreams deleted on 2015-06-25T13:01:27Z: perches_cs_me_botfmvz_parcial.pdf,. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-06-25T13:03:36Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000692053_20160720.pdf: 57206 bytes, checksum: d761ff391f9b209a38f7349c5ee3c1f1 (MD5) Bitstreams deleted on 2016-07-25T13:17:34Z: 000692053_20160720.pdf,. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2016-07-25T13:18:43Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000692053.pdf: 7043915 bytes, checksum: fa994284baa896bbc842afa959d5378b (MD5)<br>Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)<br>O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar e comparar por meio de exames oftalmológicos, histopatológicos e imuno-histoquímica para PCNA, o processo de reparação corneal de úlceras superficiais induzidas em coelhos, frente à utilização de colírios de óleo essencial de Citrus lemon, produto até então não utilizado em oftalmologia. Foram utilizadas 50 fêmeas da espécie leporina, todas submetidas à indução da úlcera superficial, constituindo-se 5 grupos experimentais de 10 animais cada. Em três grupos foram instilados colírios à base de óleo essencial de Citrus lemon, em diferentes concentrações, sendo 1,5% (GL1,5), 3% (GL3) e 5% (GL5). O grupo controle (GC) recebeu substituto da lágrima, e o grupo Tween 80 8% (GT) foi tratado com o diluente utilizado na produção dos colírios de citrus. Todos os protocolos foram realizados quatro vezes ao dia. Os grupos foram divididos, aleatoriamente, em dois subgrupos, de acordo com o período final de avaliação, sendo M1, coelhos avaliados após 24 horas, e M5, após 5 dias. Não houve diferença entre os tratamentos utilizados quanto aos sinais clínicos secreção ocular, hiperemia conjuntival, quemose e opacidade corneal. O grupo tratado com colírio de óleo essencial de Citrus lemon na concentração 1,5%, no período final de avaliação, apresentou maior sensibilidade ocular em relação ao GC, além de aumento da celularidade corneal, representada principalmente por células inflamatórias. Nas comparações entre os momentos iniciais e finais, os grupos tratados com substituto da lágrima, Tween 80 8% e colírio à base de óleo essencial de Citrus lemon 5% promoveram aumento na espessura epitelial na periferia da córnea e maior percentual de proliferação celular, na avaliação final. Quanto à úlcera de córnea, houve redução significativa da extensão total para leve...<br>The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare through ophthalmic exams, histopathology and immunohistochemistry for PCNA, the repair process in superficial corneal ulcers induced in rabbits using eyedrops of Citrus lemon essential oil, a product not used in ophthalmology yet. Fifty female rabbits were submitted to induction of the corneal ulcer and then divided into 5 experimental groups of 10 animals each. Were instilled into three groups eyedrops of Citrus lemon essential oil, in different concentrations, being 1.5% (GL1, 5), 3% (GL3) and 5% (GL5). The control group (CG) received a tear substitute, and the Tween 80 8% group (GT) was treated with the diluent used in the production of eyedrops of citrus. All protocols were performed four times a day. The groups were divided randomly into two subgroups, according to the final period of evaluation, in the M1 rabbits were evaluated after 24 hours, and in the M5 after 5 days. There was no difference between treatments for clinical signs: ocular discharge, conjunctival hyperemia, chemosis and corneal opacity. In the final period of evaluation, the group treated with eyedrops of Citrus lemon essential oil in the concentration 1.5% showed a higher ocular sensitivity compared to the GC, and increased of corneal cellularity, represented mainly by inflammatory cells. In the comparison between the initial and final moments, the groups treated with tear substitute, Tween 80 8% and eyedrops of Citrus lemon essential oil 5% led to an increase in epithelial thickness at the periphery of the cornea and a higher percentage of cell proliferation, in the final evaluation. In the clinical evaluation of corneal ulcer, there was significant reduction in total length for mild or absent at the time of final evaluation in all groups; the exception was GL 3%, that showed a lower... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2005.<br>Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 218-224). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

The Pelagian Archipelago is located in a complex and wide geodynamic system characterized by the occurrence of two independent tectonic processes acting simultaneously: convergence along the Apennine-Maghrebian accretionary wedge and late Miocene-early Pliocene rifting in the Sicily Channel. Through high resolution seismic profiles acquired around the Lampedusa Island offshore, the reconstruction of an updated structural setting of this area and its regional correlation has been performed. The late Miocene-early Pliocene rifting affects directly the structural evolution of the Lampedusa plateau, with the development of a graben and half-graben setting in most of the offshore area, widely filled with the syn-rift deposits. In the northern sector, the activity of the normal faults associated with the rifting is active up to the early Pliocene, whereas it is quiescent since late Miocene in southern sector. This current fabric of the Lampedusa plateau derives by its involvement in regional extensional regime, lying in a dextral-transtensive zone and marked by pull-apart basins. In particular, two systems of the normal faults in the Lampedusa offshore have been recognized. The Master Extensional Faults oriented WNW-ESE represent the main structural alignment of the Lampedusa offshore and reflect the extensional trending of the Sicily Channel. The Second order of Extensional Faults, oriented NNW-SSE, bounds smaller pull-apart basins and are probably associated with the main dextral-transtensive regional regime. From the comparison with some preexisting models, an update stratigraphic-structural model is proposed also to the southeastern continental shelf between the Gela-Catania foredeep and the Hyblean foreland offshore, along the Marina di Ragusa offshore. The seismo-stratigraphic interpretation shows a NE-SW extensional faults system that involves only the late Miocene formations, probably connected to history of the Scicli Line. Furthermore, the late Miocene extensional tectonic activity involves widely affects the offshore portions of the Hyblean foreland and its ramp, but it does not show evidences that this activity has involved the Plio-Pleistocene succession. The deposition of the Gessoso-Solfifera Formation has been widely recognized in the Hyblean foreland ramp, demonstrating that the evaporitic deposition does not is a peculiarity only of the deposits within the semi-isolated and marginal sub-basins or of the thrust top mini-basins of the Appennine-Maghrebides belt, but extends also in areas where the extensional tectonic have been dominant. Through Multibeam bathymetric data, an update characterization of the geomorphological setting of the north-east Sicily continental shelf, between Milazzo Promontory and the area offshore from the Saponara River, is provided. Furthermore, through high-resolution CHIRP seismic profiles interpretation, a reconstruction of the evolution of the last eustatic sea level cycle is performed. The lowstand succession, corresponding with the foreset of the prograding clinoforms of the continental margin deposits, determines the accommodation space for the depositional processes that occur during the rise of the sea level. In fact, the evolution of the transgressive and highstand wedges is strongly influenced by the geometry of the underlying lowstand succession. The transgressive wedge is developed in the 80-100 m bathymetric range and consists of the relict geomorphic elements that represent past landscape. These elements tracked the variations in coastline position during the last sea-level rise, formed during an interval of relatively reduced rate of sealevel rise. Furthermore, a reconstruction of the geomorphological evolution of the past coastal systems during the last transgressive stage is provided. The highstand wedge consists of the Corriolo, Muto, Niceto, Cocuzzaro and Rometta delta deposits that widely develop on the offshore portions of the inner continental shelf.