Дисертації з теми "Delfo Del Bino"

L’elaborato è uno studio antropologico di un villaggio situato nello Yunnan nord-orientale, nella Cina sud-occidentale, ed è stato redatto a seguito di uno studio di campo presso Xinzhucun, paese rurale disperso nel cuore della Contea autonoma Naxi di Yulong, a nord della città di Lijiang. La trattazione si apre con un excursus storico che, da un lato, mostra le origini del gruppo etnico che abita la zona, i Naxi, e dall’altro, colloca questi remoti luoghi nel contesto della più ampia storia cinese. Passa poi ad esaminare quali siano gli stili di vita e le strutture sociali con cui gli abitanti si sono adattati all’interno di un paesaggio che non è quello da cui provengono e di uno Stato le cui leggi in buona parte subiscono. In particolare, vengono prese in esame le modalità con cui la legislazione cinese ha modificato le strategie amministrative, le attività produttive, il sistema sociale e il mondo rituale e religioso degli abitanti di Xinzhucun, intaccando eminentemente quello che era un aspetto fondamentale del loro essere-nel-mondo: il loro rapporto con l’ambiente naturale. Fondata su un approccio ecologico sullo stampo di quello proposto da Tim Ingold, l’impronta che assume la trattazione è data dall’antropologia del paesaggio: attraverso l’analisi dei vari aspetti della vita dei locali, necessariamente intrecciati tra di loro e con l’ambiente in cui hanno luogo, essa tenta di delineare alcuni tratti del nesso uomo-luogo che caratterizza la loro cultura attuale.

To date, research on executive functions in ASD has focused on “cool” aspects, identified as a salient characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Little is known about the contribution of “hot” affective Executive Functions and their contribution on symptoms and autistic behaviour. Neuropsychologic characteristics (Set-shifting, Emotional Processing, Value-based Decision-Making, Social Cognition) and autonomic parameters (Stress Responsivity) were evaluated in 35 subjects with ASD with normal intelligence and 40 typically developmental controls aged 10 to 17 years and 10 months using a computer test battery. The tasks included Intra-Extra Dimensional Set-Shifting Task, Face Affective Go/noGO, New Cambridge Gambling Task, Prisoner’s Dilemma and Moral Judgment Tasks. Two sample of salivary cortisol were also collected before and after the tests’ administration. For each task, behavioural measures and cortisol response have been taken in account to explore the relation with autistic symptoms. Compared to controls, the participants with ASD showed: • Poorer risks taking behaviour to achieve a reward or to avoid a punishment compared to typical controls; • Reward-driven decision making to achieve a reward affected by guilt and stress (levels of salivary cortisol); • Biased emotional attention (sensitivity to emotionally irrelevant stimuli); sensitivity appears negatively interfering with decision making to avoid unpleasant consequences (fear); • Cooperative behaviours based on avatar’s strategy in comparison to control group on which is related to monetary contribution; • Less intensity of emotion of guilty where being an agent of an intentional harm and higher annoyance identifying themselves with the victim of an intentional and not unintentional harm; • Similar stress levels measured at baseline but highest stress responsivity after test administration. The results of the study indicate that, as expected, autistic subjects with normal IQ show difficulties on recognition of social situations and related moral emotions and their ability to predict intentions of others modulates their cooperative behaviour; moreover, they are more sensitive to stress conditions and conditions of uncertainty and stress impair risk-taking behaviour finalized to achieve a reward, while the attention on irrelevant stimuli impairs risk-taking behaviour to avoid a punishment. Taken together these results suggest that, in order to improve their decision making abilities and their understanding of social situations, educational programs for autistic subject with normal IQ must consider specific training activities finalized to manage their aversion toward the uncertainty and their attention on irrelevant stimuli.

The vertebrate pancreas is an endoderm-derived organ composed by an endocrine portion with cells secreting hormones, such as insulin, glucagon somatostatin, pancreatic polipeptide and ghrelin in the blood flow, and an exocrine one that releases digestive enzimes in the gut lumen. One of the first decisions in the pancreatic differentiation is between endocrine and exocrine cell fates. The transcription factor ptf1a is an essential gene involved in the exocrine differentiation. In these years zebrafish has been widely employed as a model to study genes involved in endoderm and endoderm-derived organs specification and differentiation. This study is possible because genes and molecular mechanism implicated in embryonic development are highly conserved between this animal model and higher vertebrates. Despite several works done in the last years, the knowledge of molecular mechanisms underlying pancreatic development and differentiation in zebrafish is incomplete and many factors involved in this process are still unknown. During these three years I produced a zebrafish transgenic line in which the GFP is directed in the exocrine pancreas by 5,5 kbp of ptf1a upstream regulatory region. This work gave us a new useful "tool" to clarify pancreatic organogenesis and to understand how ptf1a itself is regulated. The same ptf1a promotorial region was cloned upstream the DsRed gene with a new system called Tol2 that is able to increase the transgene integration rate in the zebrafish germinal cells genome. This strategy allowed us to obtain a transgenic zebrafish line that can be crossed to many transgenic lines where GFP is under the control of different tissue-specific promoters. In order to determine what is the minimum ptf1a promoter region necessary to drive GFP expression in the zebrafish exocrine pancreas, 2,6 kbp of that region were also cloned. In this case I observed a ubiquitous GFP expression. With the aim to better clarify the genetics of pancreatic development in zebrafish I undertook a large-scale genetic screen, which took place at the Max Planck Institute in Tuebingen (Germany), using zebrafish larvae obtained from lines mutagenized with the chimical ENU. During that period I screened for the presence of defects in the insulin expression, detected by in situ hybridization; more than 1200 families were analyzed. One of the mutants identified, in which insulin was absent, was characterized and mapped, in collaboration with Prof. Dirk Meyer. Candidate gene analysis detected a new mutation in the raldh2 (ald1a2) gene, causing a phenotipe similar to the zebrafish mutant neckless. During that period, the astrocytes marker gfap was also used, to detect astroglial cell defects in the screened embryos. For two out of nine mutant families with defects in gfap expression I determined, in collaboration with Prof. Robert Geisler, the linkage group bearing the mutation responsible of the observed phenotype.

La tesi di dottorato si concentra sull'editoria teatrale milanese del Settecento. Tenuto conto della mancanza di un catalogo delle edizioni teatrali stampate a Milano nel Settecento, il dott. Locatelli ha provveduto ad effettuare uno spoglio complessivo del patrimonio librario delle principali biblioteche milanesi al fine di realizzare uno strumento di ricerca basilare. La mancanza altresì di un lavoro di insieme sugli stampatori e librai milanesi del XVIII secolo ha reso inoltre indispensabile l'effettuazione di ricerche mirate alla realizzazione di un dizionario bio-bibliografico degli stampatori e librai attivi a Milano nel Settecento. I risultati della ricerca vengono dunque anzitutto presentati nella forma degli annali tipografici, così da render conto dell'attività in ambito teatrale di ogni singola azienda tipografica milanese. La prima parte della tesi, oltre a offrire un contributo sul valore documentario del teatro in forma di libro, offre un panorama della produzione del libro di teatro nel Settecento. Per quanto concerne Milano, in particolare, si scavano alcune problematiche (come quelle dell'autore drammatico), si portano alcune esemplificazioni, si giustificano alcune delle attribuzioni fornite negli annali. È il caso, per esempio, della certa attribuzione alla stamperia di Marc'Antonio Pandolfo Malatesta di alcune commedie di Carlo Maria Maggi stampate nel 1700-1701 e 1708 con falsa data Venezia. Viene infine proposto un breve capitolo di approfondimento sulla circolazione e lettura del libro di teatro nella Milano del Settecento, realizzato anche sulla base dello spoglio di inventari di librerie e biblioteche private coeve.
The PhD thesis by Stefano Locatelli is about theatre's book in 18th century. It offers a catalogue of dramatic editions print in Milan from 1701 to 1800 and a bio-bibliographical dictionary of printers and librarians in Milan during 18th century. The thesis offers also a study about the documentary value of theatre book and outlines a survey of theatre book production in Milan during the 18th century. It also analyse lecture and circulation of theatre book in Milan by going through some catalogues and inventories of booksellers and private libraries.

La tesi di dottorato si concentra sull'editoria teatrale milanese del Settecento. Tenuto conto della mancanza di un catalogo delle edizioni teatrali stampate a Milano nel Settecento, il dott. Locatelli ha provveduto ad effettuare uno spoglio complessivo del patrimonio librario delle principali biblioteche milanesi al fine di realizzare uno strumento di ricerca basilare. La mancanza altresì di un lavoro di insieme sugli stampatori e librai milanesi del XVIII secolo ha reso inoltre indispensabile l'effettuazione di ricerche mirate alla realizzazione di un dizionario bio-bibliografico degli stampatori e librai attivi a Milano nel Settecento. I risultati della ricerca vengono dunque anzitutto presentati nella forma degli annali tipografici, così da render conto dell'attività in ambito teatrale di ogni singola azienda tipografica milanese. La prima parte della tesi, oltre a offrire un contributo sul valore documentario del teatro in forma di libro, offre un panorama della produzione del libro di teatro nel Settecento. Per quanto concerne Milano, in particolare, si scavano alcune problematiche (come quelle dell'autore drammatico), si portano alcune esemplificazioni, si giustificano alcune delle attribuzioni fornite negli annali. È il caso, per esempio, della certa attribuzione alla stamperia di Marc'Antonio Pandolfo Malatesta di alcune commedie di Carlo Maria Maggi stampate nel 1700-1701 e 1708 con falsa data Venezia. Viene infine proposto un breve capitolo di approfondimento sulla circolazione e lettura del libro di teatro nella Milano del Settecento, realizzato anche sulla base dello spoglio di inventari di librerie e biblioteche private coeve.
The PhD thesis by Stefano Locatelli is about theatre's book in 18th century. It offers a catalogue of dramatic editions print in Milan from 1701 to 1800 and a bio-bibliographical dictionary of printers and librarians in Milan during 18th century. The thesis offers also a study about the documentary value of theatre book and outlines a survey of theatre book production in Milan during the 18th century. It also analyse lecture and circulation of theatre book in Milan by going through some catalogues and inventories of booksellers and private libraries.

Dall’inizio degli anni ’90 del secolo scorso si è assistito ad un declino delle fanerogame nel sotto-bacino settentrionale della laguna di Venezia, a causa di molteplici impatti antropici. Di recente, sono stati attuati interventi di ripristino degli habitat di prateria della laguna nord di Venezia mediante il trapianto di fanerogame marine. Per valutare il successo degli interventi di ripristino in termini di miglioramento dello stato ecologico e della funzionalità lagunare, è stato considerato anche l'elemento di qualità ecologica "Fauna Ittica", come previsto dalla Direttiva 2000/60/CE. Nella tesi vengono analizzati e discussi i risultati del monitoraggio della fauna ittica al fine di valutare lo stato ecologico di siti in cui è stato effettuato il trapianto delle fanerogame. La comunità ittica è stata campionata dal 2014 al 2017 in otto stazioni di trapianto delle fanerogame, e in due stazioni di prateria naturale utilizzate come riferimento. Sono stati calcolati i principali descrittori di struttura e diversità del popolamento ittico, ed analizzati attraverso l’impiego di strumenti statistici uni- e multi-variati. L’Habitat Fish BioIndicator (HFBI), sviluppato ai fini dell’implementazione della Direttiva 2000/60/CE nelle acque di transizione italiane, è stato inoltre applicato per valutare le variazioni dello stato ecologico a seguito del ripristino

La mia tesi si propone di indagare la centralità dell’ambiente domestico nelle nostre vite, che si coniuga e non si oppone al concetto di multilocalità. In particolare questo testo è nato da alcuni colloqui con interlocutori di varie fasce d’età residenti soprattutto nelle regioni italiane del Veneto e del Friuli-Venezia Giulia, ma anche in alcuni Stati europei come Germania e Ungheria. Questi hanno messo in risalto l’importanza dell’ancoramento ai luoghi e i meccanismi di rielaborazione della memoria, i desideri, le aspirazioni e le progettualità per uno o più ambienti futuri da considerare “casa” e quali sensazioni e percezioni siano ad essi collegati. Percezioni che hanno subito un radicale cambiamento ed elementi di destabilizzazione che ostacolano la comprensione del quotidiano si sono poi verificati a causa del contesto pandemico, esacerbati da un primo confinamento imposto in alcune regioni del nord Italia fin da febbraio giungendo a maggio 2020 per l’emergenza data dalla diffusione del virus Covid-19. Questo testo vuole così, attraverso il riferimento anche ad alcuni casi etnografici di storica rilevanza, approfondire i legami tra i vari aspetti dello “sentirsi a casa” e di come questo sistema in realtà complesso sia in dialogo costante con la quotidianità delle nostre vite e azioni. Nel piccolo di questo elaborato, ritengo che questa tematica sia di grande rilevanza da un lato per poter meglio comprendere le rielaborazioni, tentativi di spiegazione e reazioni variegate rispetto al lockdown e per poterle quindi saperle gestire più accuratamente, dall’altro per riflettere sulle conseguenze che il nostro sistema di vita, intersecandosi con il cambiamento climatico, potrebbe innescare sempre più spesso in futuro, indebolendo sempre più fasce di popolazione che nella nostra società si trovano già in difficoltà.

The “stock” concept is fundamental to fisheries management. To manage a fishery responsibly it is important to understand its stock structure and how fishing effort and mortality are distributed (Begg e Waldman, 1999). The failure to comply the true stock structure and the ineffective fisheries management of an exploited species can lead to overfishing and depletion of the stock (Begg et al., 1999a). In the last years, scientific community has pointed out that the most successful way to address stock identification studies is the application of a holistic approach, thus involving a broad selection of complementary techniques (Begg et al., 1999a; Abaunza, 2008a; Cadrin et al., 2013). The European hake (Merluccius merluccius, Linnaeus 1758) represents a basic component of the demersal communities and one of the target species in the Mediterranean Sea (Lo Brutto et al., 2004; Ligas et al., 2011). For this reason it has been extensively studied. Furthermore, hake stocks are generally considered over-exploited both in the Atlantic Ocean (ICES, 2011; 2012) and in the Mediterranean Sea (STECF, 2013; GFCM, 2014). At present, European hake populations in the Mediterranean Sea are managed considering several relatively small geographical sub-areas (GSAs), which are identified mainly on the basis of political considerations (Ragonese et al., 2012; Vittori et al., 2013). In this partition, Sardinian seas are represented by GSAs 11.1 and 11.2 and are split between two FAO Statistical Divisions (Balearic Islands and Sardinia). It is known that the complexity of many marine species stocks is often underestimated in modern stock management processes (Begg et al., 1999a). As regards the Mediterranean sea, various studies suggested a geographical distribution of the stocks that appears considerably different from the current management units partition (Abaunza et al., 2000; Abaunza et al., 2008c; Murta et al., 2008), and this fact have been observed also for the European hake (Castillo et al., 2004; Mattiucci et al., 2004; Tanner et al., 2012; Fiorentino et al., 2014). The need of the achievement of a comprehensive knowledge about the stock structure of a commercially important species like M. merluccius, has led to the development of this study, which aims, through the employment of a multidisciplinary approach, at a better geographical definition of this species stock in the waters around Sardinia. A first insight into the complexity of the European hake population in the area has been supplied by the analysis and comparison of its length structure in the western and eastern coasts of Sardinia, showing a degree of differentiation that has been subsequently deepened through the application of various techniques. The analysis of the variability in the growth of the species hasn’t indicated a meaningful differentiation of the populations in the two sides of the island, but has suggested that the presence of many spawning areas in the western coast could be the cause of the difference in the 0 age-class mean length obtained, as well as in the length structure above-mentioned. On the contrary, the implementation of a geometric morphometric technique to study the shape of individuals has led to the discovery of a significant, even though of moderate extent, differentiation between the two coasts. However, as remarked by Tudela (1999) and Levi et al. (2004) in other case-studies, these differences were believed to be linked only to environmental influences, without a connection to those biological parameters that are fundamental in the definition of a stock. This hypothesis has been made also considering that the observed difference in shape didn’t seem to affect individuals’ growth. Lastly, the parasitological exam of specimens collected in the whole area of Sardinian seas, has supported the hypothesis of homogeneity of the populations in the area. Indeed, no significant differences have been found in the relative abundance and prevalence of the various parasite taxa examined. Comparing these results with those obtained in a similar study carried out in the Mediterranean Sea (Mattiucci et al., 2004) it has been possible to highlight a considerable similarity of our study area with the central area of Mediterranean sea, and, conversely, a clear differentiation between Sardinian seas and the eastern part of Mediterranean basin. Similar considerations has been made in the context of StockMed project (Fiorentino et al., 2014). This study has therefore provided a solid evidence of the homogeneity of the European hake stock in the waters around Sardinia, leading to the conclusion that this population should be managed jointly. Moreover, it has supported the recently expressed opinion that its stock (as well as those of other important species) could be wider than expected, underlining the need of improving current management units boundaries.

Stimulant medications represent the main effective treatment in improving the core symptoms of ADHD. However, in the last 30 years, there has been increasing concern about the risks associated with these medications in particular with respect to possible growth deficits, due to their impact on weight, height and BMI. The aim of this work was to provide an extensive update of the literature on methylphenidate (MPH) long-term adverse effects on growth and pubertal maturation in ADHD and to evaluate, within the prospective pharmaco-vigilance EU funded ADDUCE (ADHD DRUGS USE CHRONIC EFFECTS) study, whether MPH for ADHD is associated with a statistically and clinically significant increase in long-term (> 1 year) risk of negative effects on the rate of growth velocity and on bone and pubertal maturation and to explore the application of the monitoring of bone age as a helpful tool able to add value to the routine measures of growth within the clinical care. The systematic review included a Pubmed and a centralized search carried out up to July 2015, using Ovid Medline, Embase and PsychInfo. The review was centred on human studies focusing on the impact of MPH exposure on growth in ADHD children and adolescents diagnosed according to DSM criteria. In total 38 eligible studies were identified covering a total of 6385 subjects. Analysis of the impact of MPH was performed in 3790 subjects. Nineteen studies did not support the hypothesis of a correlation between a growth deficit and treatment. Nineteen studies (n =2018 subjects) found instead significant changes on height, weight and BMI z scores. Height deficit appeared more evident during the first 6-12 months with a subsequent normalization. Dose, drug holidays, the length of treatment and the basal growth parameter appeared as possible important mediating factors. Within the multicentre ADDUCE longitudinal study, a total of 1397 subjects have been enrolled in the four countries involved into the projects (Italy, Germany, Hungary and UK). For the purpose of the present work, growth parameters were analysed for 267 Italian children and adolescents (129 drug naïve ADHD starting MPH for the first time; 113 unmedicated ADHD and 25 non ADHD), aged 6 to 17 years old. Weight, height and BMI, their Z-scores and pubertal maturation were assessed at baseline and every six months within 24 months of follow up. Height velocity and the SDS for height velocity were calculated at 12 and 24 months. Bone age by the X-ray of left wrist was further assessed for 44 drug naïve ADHD children, aged 6-12, at three time points of the ADDUCE longitudinal protocol, baseline visit and after 12 and 24 months. Baseline data analysis revealed normal growth parameters for the ADHD population with height, weight and BMI Z-score within the expected growth national norms. At the 12 and 24 month observation, absolute values of height and weight continued to increase in all subjects. Medication did not cause any significant impact on height neither on pubertal maturation. BMI Z-score decreased significantly only during the first 12 month of treatment (p=.04). Growth velocity SDS at T12 was not significantly different when compared to T24. The calculation of the predicted adult height by using the bone age confirmed no suppressive effect of stimulants on height remaining substantially similar at the different time-points of follow up (T0= 178.37 ±7.2; T12=177.18±7.8; T24=178.63±8.0). In conclusion, results from the present work revealed that the condition of ADHD per se does not appear to include an altered pattern of growth and that MPH has a modest impact mainly on weight and only a marginal effect on height with a minimal clinical influence generally remittent in adulthood. On the bases of the present evidences is however considered appropriate to refer to the current clinical guidelines for an adequate drug monitoring of growth and pubertal parameters in children on stimulant medication.

La procedura di valutazione di incidenza è adottata in tutti gli stati membri della Comunità europea ed è uno degli strumenti previsti dalla cosiddetta Direttiva “Habitat” per la tutela della biodiversità. Tale direttiva prevede di effettuare un’analisi preliminare per ogni piano, progetto che possa avere un effetto significativo negativo e quindi un’incidenza su habitat e specie protetti. Per verificare ciò, è obbligo del proponente effettuare uno studio di incidenza che consideri il grado di conservazione di habitat e specie protetti, mentre le amministrazioni pubbliche sono delegate a effettuare la valutazione di tale studio, in modo del tutto analogo ai procedimenti di VIA (Valutazione di Imaptto Ambientale) e di VAS (Valutazione Ambientale Strategica). Diverse sono le inadempienze nell’applicazione di questa normativa, sia per motivi tecnici che per la mancanza di competenze o conoscenze. Tali incapacità e le interpretazioni difformi della norma comportano contenziosi, anche di carattere europeo. Inoltre, la procedura di valutazione di incidenza è spesso ritenuta un appesantimento burocratico anziché una valida opportunità di salvaguardia e sostenibilità ambientale. Il presente lavoro di tesi approfondisce la tematica del grado di conservazione, attorno al quale ruota l’intera procedura. Vengono viste quindi le diverse problematiche nella sua analisi. L’intero lavoro segue una applicazione pratica della procedura: la Carta Ittica regionale del Veneto, la quale permette di evidenziare criticità e opportunità nella individuazione del grado di conservazione. Il metodo prevede di utilizzare quanto indicato nella norma e nei suoi limiti per arrivare ad una analisi del grado di conservazione e della sua variazione tramite una procedura verificabile e la proposta di un algoritmo estendibile, previe opportune modifiche, anche ad altri studi d’incidenza. Il presente lavoro di tesi quindi, in ultima analisi, vuole indicare una strada percorribile per la valutazione dell’incidenza, indicandone limiti e opportunità.

The fruit is a typical Angiosperm structure that derives from an ovary after fertilisation. It has greatly contributed to the evolutionary success of Angiosperms because of the fundamental role played in the dispersal of seeds. Gymnosperms produce seeds like Angiosperms but, unlike the latter, they do not make flowers, therefore they cannot develop fruit proper. However, in all living Gymnosperm taxa (Cycadales, Ginkgoales, Coniferales and Gnetales) species can be found that produce seeds surrounded by fleshy structures. The latter would not be a real fruit because they are not originated from ovaries which are present only in flowers. However, from a functional point of view these structures behave like real fruits because they facilitate the dispersal of seeds. The aim of this work is to study some of the molecular mechanisms involved in the development and ripening of fleshy structures in two Gymnosperms: Ginkgo biloba and Taxus baccata. They represent two Gymnosperms whose seeds are surrounded by fleshy structures that have different origins. In ginkgo it is the external integument of the seed that grows and becomes fleshy, while in yew the fleshy aril develops de novo from the peduncle at the base of the ovule. Regarding development, MADS-box genes belonging to different groups (i.e. AGL6 and TM8) were studied. The expression pattern of these genes was determined for both species in several tissues, with particular attention for the pulp at different stages of development. Results indicate a possible role for the above genes during the formation and ripening of both ginkgo and yew “fruits”. Interestingly, a previous study had demonstrated that another MADS-box gene (i.e. AGAMOUS) was involved in fruit development and ripening in the same species (Lovisetto, 2007). These results suggest that similar genes have been recruited for the development of fleshy fruits in Angiosperms and Gymnosperms. In order to investigate the molecular aspects of the ripening syndrome, several genes involved in the softening process, in the change of color, in the synthesis and perception of ethylene were studied both in ginkgo and yew. Results indicate a strong similarity between aril and Angiosperm fruits as regards the ripening process even though ethylene does not appear to be produced by a system 2 pathway as occurs in the truly climacteric fruits. Based on the function performed and the molecular characteristics studied in this work, the fleshy structures surrounding the Gymnosperm seeds can be defined fruits. Thus, the “fruit” function seems to have developed in parallel with the seed and to have pre-dated the appearance of the flower.
Il frutto, inteso come struttura derivata dall’ovario in seguito ad un evento di fecondazione, è esclusivo delle Angiosperme. Esso ha contribuito enormemente al successo evolutivo di queste piante dato il ruolo fondamentale che svolge nel processo di dispersione dei semi. Tuttavia, anche le Gimnosperme producono i semi, anche se a differenza delle Angiosperme non fanno fiori. In tutti i principali taxa di Gimnosperme viventi (Cycadales, Ginkgoales, Coniferales e Gnetales) sono presenti specie che producono semi circondati da strutture carnose che non sarebbero veri frutti perché non sono originate da ovari. Però, da un punto di vista funzionale, queste strutture sono da considerarsi come dei frutti poiché, come nel caso dei frutti delle Angiosperme, anch'esse facilitano la dispersione dei semi. In questo lavoro sono stati studiati alcuni meccanismi molecolari coinvolti nello sviluppo e nella maturazione dei “frutti” di due Gimnosperme: Ginkgo biloba e Taxus baccata. Queste due specie sono state scelte perché rappresentano due modelli sperimentali diversi. Nel caso del ginkgo è il tegumento esterno del seme che diventa carnoso e si trasforma in frutto, mentre nel caso del tasso la struttura carnosa è costituita da un arillo che si forma ex novo dalla base dell'ovulo. Per quanto riguarda lo sviluppo, in entrambe le specie, sono stati studiati geni di tipo MADS-box appartenenti a due gruppi diversi: AGL6 e TM8. Il pattern di espressione di questi geni è stato analizzato per entrambe le specie con particolare attenzione per la polpa a diverso stadio di sviluppo. Da queste analisi è emerso come questi geni siano espressi durante la formazione e la maturazione sia dell’arillo di tasso che della polpa di ginkgo. Inoltre, visto che anche il gene AGAMOUS partecipa allo sviluppo e alla maturazione sia del “frutto” di tasso che del “frutto” di ginkgo (Lovisetto, 2007), si può concludere che geni regolativi simili a quelli espressi nei frutti veri delle Angiosperme sono implicati anche nello sviluppo delle strutture carnose che circondano i semi di tasso e di ginkgo. Poiché nulla era noto a livello molecolare riguardo alla sindrome di maturazione dell’arillo di tasso e della polpa di ginkgo, sono stati isolati e analizzati anche alcuni geni che nelle Angiosperme codificano per enzimi coinvolti nei processi di rammollimento, cambiamento di colore e sintesi e percezione di etilene. I risultati hanno mostrato come nella maturazione dell’arillo di tasso siano coinvolti lo stesso tipo di geni che operano nella maturazione dei veri frutti delle Angiosperme, anche se nel caso dell’etilene ci sono delle differenze rispetto a quanto avviene nei frutti climaterici. Invece, nel caso del ginkgo sembra che la polpa vada incontro a un processo di senescenza in generale più che a un processo di maturazione vera e propria. In conclusione, i risultati di questo lavoro suggeriscono che nel corso dell'evoluzione la funzione “frutto” si sia evoluta assieme al seme e abbia quindi preceduto la comparsa dei fiori.

Previously we demonstrated that human adenocarcinoma gastric cells AGS are able to counteract the detrimental effects of the ROS-inducer diallyl-disulfide. Here we report that such resistance can be extended to other pro-oxidant molecules. Conversely, AGS cells were induced to apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway upon treatment with thiols-oxidizing agents, such as diamide. Apoptosis is associated with persistent oxidative damages, as evidenced by the increase of carbonylated proteins and the expression/activation of DNA damage-sensitive proteins histone H2A.X and DNA-PK. Resistance to H2O2, as well as sensitivity to diamide are correlated with GSH redox state, with H2O2 transiently increasing protein-GSH mixed disulfides, and diamide dramatically elevating GSSG. Moreover, the inhibition of GSH neo-synthesis, by buthionine sulfoximine, or the enrichment of intracellular sulphydryl pool, by N-acetylcysteine, was able to protect cells. Nrf2 rapidly translocates to the nuclei when AGS cells are treated with H2O2; whereas p53 is activated in response to diamide treatment by the oxidative induction of Trx1/p38MAPK signaling pathway. Finally, experiments carried out with p53 siRNA or dominant-negative Nrf2, indicate that these transcription factors play an important role in cell death and resistance to it. Our results are of particular importance for inducing apoptosis in tumor histotypes resistant to ROS-producing chemotherapeutics.

Lo screening è raccomandato per ridurre sia l'incidenza che la mortalità del carcinoma del colon-retto (CCR). Attualmente, molti Paesi organizzano programmi di screening della popolazione basati sull'analisi del sangue occulto nelle feci (FOBT). In Emilia-Romagna (Italia), dal 2005, la versione immunochimica del FOBT (FIT) viene eseguita ogni due anni su persone di età compresa tra 50 e 69 anni. Quindi, la colonscopia viene eseguita sui positivi al FIT. Sfortunatamente, il FIT mostra un numero elevato di falsi positivi (circa il 65%), principalmente a causa di sanguinamenti di origine non tumorale, che portano a molte colonscopie negative (senza tumori). L'introduzione di un metodo economico e di facile utilizzo per verificare i positivi FIT migliorerebbe l'efficacia dello screening, riducendo anche i costi per il Servizio Sanitario Nazionale. Questa tesi mostra i risultati del protocollo di validazione clinica, iniziato nel 2016, di un dispositivo brevettato composto da un array di sensori di gas nanostrutturati. Questo dispositivo, detto SCENT A1, è stato progettato per identificare la presenza di CCR e di lesioni pre-cancesorse mediante la rivelazione di composti organici volatili (VOC) fecali, con un'analisi non invasiva, in vitro e a basso costo. Le feci sono, infatti, contaminate da questi biomarcatori volatili del tumore, prodotti dalla perossidazione cellulare e dalle alterazioni metaboliche delle cellule. Il protocollo di validazione clinica prevedeva l'analisi, con SCENT A1, di campioni fecali di soggetti FIT positivi allo screening di prevenzione, e l’utilizzo della colonscopia come gold-standard. Un totale di 398 campioni sono stati analizzati con SCENT A1 e con tecniche avanzate di apprendimento automatico (SVM e PCA). Inizialmente i campioni sono stati analizzati dividendoli in due macrocategorie a seconda dello stato di salute: sani (individui senza alcun tipo di lesione tumorale) e malati (individui affetti da adenomi ad alto e basso rischio e/o carcinomi) ottenendo una sensibilità e specificità rispettivamente dell'84,1% e dell'82,4%. I VPP e VPN estrapolati sono risultati rispettivamente del 72% e del 91%. Successivamente tali campioni sono stati analizzati dividendoli in tre categorie: sani, adenomi a basso rischio, adenomi ad alto rischio e carcinomi e ottenendo una sensibilità e specificità rispettivamente dell’80,2% e del 94,4%. I VPP e VPN estrapolati estrapolati sono risultati rispettivamente del 78% e del 95%. Nel 2020 verrà effettuato uno studio multicentrico per valutare l'accuratezza del test su base demografica.
Screening is recommended to reduce both incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC). Currently, many Countries organize population screening programs based on fecal occult blood test (FOBT). In Emilia-Romagna (Italy), since 2005, FOBT immunochemical version (FIT) is performed every two years on people aged between 50 and 69 years. Then, colonoscopy is carried out on FIT-positives. Unfortunately, FIT shows a high number of false positives (about 65%), mainly due to non-tumoral bleedings, leading to many negative (without tumors) colonoscopies. The use of an economic and easy-to-use method to check FIT-positives would improve effectiveness of the screening, reducing also the costs for National Health Service. This work shows the outcomes of the clinical validation protocol, started in 2016, of a patented device composed by a core of nanostructured gas sensors. This device, SCENT A1, was designed to identify the presence of CRC and pre-cancerous lesions by detecting the fecal volatile organic compounds (VOCs), with a non-invasive, in-vitro and low-cost analysis. Feces are, in fact, affected by tumor volatile biomarkers, produced by cellular peroxidation and metabolic alterations. The clinical validation protocol consisted in the analysis, with SCENT A1, of fecal samples of FIT-positive subjects, using colonoscopy as a gold-standard. A total of 398 samples has been analyzed by means SCENT A1 and with advanced machine learning techniques (PCA e SVM). The samples were initially analyzed by dividing them into two macro-categories according to their health: healthy (individuals without any type of tumor lesion) and sick (individuals with high and low risk adenomas and/or carcinomas) obtaining sensitivity and specificity respectively 84.1% and 82.4%. The extrapolated VPPs and VPNs were 72% and 91% respectively. Subsequently, these samples were analyzed by dividing them into three categories: healthy, low risk adenomas, high risk adenomas and carcinomas and obtaining a sensitivity and specificity of 80.2% and 94.4% respectively. Extrapolated VPPs and VPNs were 78% and 95% respectively. A multicenter study will be performed in 2020, to assess the accuracy of the test on a population basis.

Despite the scientific and clinical advances in pharmacogenomics (PGx) to date, its application in clinical practice is still limited, although numerous studies and implementation programs have been launched in recent years. The Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology of Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) has been investigating and supporting the use of pharmacogenetic markers in oncology for over 20 years to improve patient outcomes in terms of both toxicity and efficacy. However, there are still several obstacles to overcome in order to recognize the clinical utility of PGx. The U-PGx consortium (Ubiquitous Pharmacogenomics), which includes CRO Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, was formed with the aim of filling these gaps by designing a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial called PREPARE: "PREemptive Pharmacogenomic testing for prevention of Adverse drug REactions", funded by a grant from the Horizon 2020 program of European Commission (Grant Agreement N°668353). Our structure has been particularly involved in the design of this project and represents a national reference point for the implementation of this new model of personalized medicine in a unique program for its multi-gene, multi-drug and multi-ethnic approach in different European health contexts. This aspect is particularly relevant in oncology treatments, where drugs such as fluoropyrimidines and irinotecan have a narrow therapeutic index and the patient is exposed to toxic effects that are sometimes severe or even fatal. Therefore, the use of PGx guidelines in cancer clinical practice can be a powerful tool to improve and personalize cancer therapies. The main objective of this work was to implement PGx guidelines in the clinical practice of cancer patients in order to personalize their therapy. Specifically, our work focused on the implementation of clinical recommendations related to genetic variants in the DPYD, UGT1A and CYP2D6 genes following the prescription of fluoropyrimidines, irinotecan and tamoxifen, respectively. The secondary objective of this work was to demonstrate that PGx testing prior to administration of therapy has a positive impact on cancer patient outcomes in terms of toxicity and efficacy. Following this implementation project, a PGx diagnostic procedure was developed at our institute and integrated into the patient's clinical journey. Through the U-PGx experience, which has allowed health professionals to increase their awareness of PGx, requests from oncologists for PGx analysis prior to treatment have increased exponentially. A preliminary analysis of a subset of 563 patients showed that in the control arm, patients with actionable genotype had a higher risk of developing G ≥ 3 toxicity than patients with non-actionable genotype (p = 0.0317). This difference was not significant in the study arm in which patients received genotype-based dose reduction from the start of therapy (p = 0.746). Treatment discontinuation due to adverse events was also examined. This showed that patients with actionable genotype in the control arm discontinued therapy at a higher rate than wild-type patients (p = 0.0002). This trend was not significant in the study arm (p= 0.9999). Evaluation of treatment delays due to toxicity revealed a significant difference between patients with actionable and non-actionable genotype in the control arm (p = 0.0018). In the study arm, this difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.5492). Interesting data emerged from the evaluation of the Relative Dose Intensity (RDI) of patients with actionable genotype included in both arms. Patients with actionable genotype in the control arm had similar DI to patients with actionable genotype in the study arm who received PGx-based dose reduction prior to initiation of therapy (p = 0.3571). These data suggest that PGx approach is an easily implementable model in clinical oncology practice and improves patient outcome.
Despite the scientific and clinical advances in pharmacogenomics (PGx) to date, its application in clinical practice is still limited, although numerous studies and implementation programs have been launched in recent years. The Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology of Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) has been investigating and supporting the use of pharmacogenetic markers in oncology for over 20 years to improve patient outcomes in terms of both toxicity and efficacy. However, there are still several obstacles to overcome in order to recognize the clinical utility of PGx. The U-PGx consortium (Ubiquitous Pharmacogenomics), which includes CRO Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, was formed with the aim of filling these gaps by designing a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial called PREPARE: "PREemptive Pharmacogenomic testing for prevention of Adverse drug REactions", funded by a grant from the Horizon 2020 program of European Commission (Grant Agreement N°668353). Our structure has been particularly involved in the design of this project and represents a national reference point for the implementation of this new model of personalized medicine in a unique program for its multi-gene, multi-drug and multi-ethnic approach in different European health contexts. This aspect is particularly relevant in oncology treatments, where drugs such as fluoropyrimidines and irinotecan have a narrow therapeutic index and the patient is exposed to toxic effects that are sometimes severe or even fatal. Therefore, the use of PGx guidelines in cancer clinical practice can be a powerful tool to improve and personalize cancer therapies. The main objective of this work was to implement PGx guidelines in the clinical practice of cancer patients in order to personalize their therapy. Specifically, our work focused on the implementation of clinical recommendations related to genetic variants in the DPYD, UGT1A and CYP2D6 genes following the prescription of fluoropyrimidines, irinotecan and tamoxifen, respectively. The secondary objective of this work was to demonstrate that PGx testing prior to administration of therapy has a positive impact on cancer patient outcomes in terms of toxicity and efficacy. Following this implementation project, a PGx diagnostic procedure was developed at our institute and integrated into the patient's clinical journey. Through the U-PGx experience, which has allowed health professionals to increase their awareness of PGx, requests from oncologists for PGx analysis prior to treatment have increased exponentially. A preliminary analysis of a subset of 563 patients showed that in the control arm, patients with actionable genotype had a higher risk of developing G ≥ 3 toxicity than patients with non-actionable genotype (p = 0.0317). This difference was not significant in the study arm in which patients received genotype-based dose reduction from the start of therapy (p = 0.746). Treatment discontinuation due to adverse events was also examined. This showed that patients with actionable genotype in the control arm discontinued therapy at a higher rate than wild-type patients (p = 0.0002). This trend was not significant in the study arm (p= 0.9999). Evaluation of treatment delays due to toxicity revealed a significant difference between patients with actionable and non-actionable genotype in the control arm (p = 0.0018). In the study arm, this difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.5492). Interesting data emerged from the evaluation of the Relative Dose Intensity (RDI) of patients with actionable genotype included in both arms. Patients with actionable genotype in the control arm had similar DI to patients with actionable genotype in the study arm who received PGx-based dose reduction prior to initiation of therapy (p = 0.3571). These data suggest that PGx approach is an easily implementable model in clinical oncology practice and improves patient outcome.

Anthropogenic debris are known to be present in all marine habitats, from coasts to the most remote points of the planet like deep sea floors and poles. In spite of the growing interest from the political and scientific community regarding this spreading threat, the knowledges on marine litter status still remain fragmentary. Most of studies have been carried out on the sea surface and on coastal habitats, whereas there are few information available about the assessment of anthropogenic debris on the sea bottoms. This PhD thesis aims to evaluate the state of benthic marine litter in terms of composition, density and abundance along the continental shelf and continental slope of FAO Geographical Sub Area 11: Sardinia Island (NW Mediterranean Sea) according to Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Soft bottoms and rocky habitats have been investigated separately by mean of two different sampling methods (trawling and ROV video transect). Trawl surveys are defined as the most appropriate way to collect litter on sandy and muddy seafloors. Within the MEDITS (International Mediterranean Trawls Survey) framework, three years repeated survey permitted the acquisition of a marine debris data in a wide bathymetric range. Uni and multivariate analyses were used to test differences between \inshore and offshore habitats and between geographical zones in terms of litter amount. Results highlighted that, among the 302 investigated stations, plastic resulted by far the main component in terms of occurrence, density and abundance. Concentration of debris derived from land- 2 based activities tends to decrease as we move farther from the coastline. Anthropogenic Marine-based activities are supposed to be the main cause of the sudden increased values of debris observed in the deep habitats, which was investigated through the Deep Sea Cruise PSP15 on a bathymetric range comprise between 800-1600 m. The behaviour of fishermen observed and recorded emphasizes the necessity of a change in the management policy for the conservation of the environment. Investigation on rocky habitats have been carried out through the non-invasive technique of ROV footage. All canyons and pinnacles surveyed, showed the presence of anthropic pressure in terms of marine litter. Discarded fishing gears are the main components of all litter observed. Distance from coastline do not cause significant difference of the variation of debris density. In the rocky bottom investigated 26.5% of marine litter damaged the benthonic coral community, indeed urgently needing special protection measures. Our results constitute an important and needed set of information regarding the treat of marine litter in an high ecological value area such as the Mediterranean basin. As a result these information are useful for future spatio-temporal comparisons, as well for a collaboration to create a unique dataset as required by the MSFD, considered a fundamental tool for the development of proper conservation measures.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a transmembrane receptor with tyrosine-kinase activity that can be activated by different ligands. This event triggers a cascade of signals downstream with effects on cell survival and proliferation. The mutational event of EGFR is able to induce the constitutional activation that can be effectively blocked by the administration of drugs with anti-receptor activity. The evaluation of EGFR mutational profile is a fundamental survey to select patients affected by advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which can undergo treatment with specific drugs. In fact, EGFR mutations are reported in a subpopulation of patients ( 8-20 %) with NSCLC, which grows in non-smokers, being female and belonging to Asian race. The most frequent mutations (90 % of the mutated samples) are located in Exon 19 (in-frame deletions: E746 - A750 ) and Exon 21 of the EGFR (point substitutions: L858R). Different technologies are used to evaluate the EGFR mutational status, including Sanger Sequencing, Pyrosequencing and Real Time PCR. Immunohistochemistry has also been proposed, even if not validated as a possible investigation complementary to those of molecular type. The purpose of the present work is to carry out a comparative analysis of these technologies (Sanger Sequencing, Pyrosequencing and Immunohistochemistry) in a series of patients with primary non-small cell lung cancer. The evaluation of the results took into account both the accuracy of the methods and other factors such as execution time, complexity of the procedure and cost/benefit ratio. Using tumor cell lines containing scalar dilutions of EGFR mutated alleles (1, 10, 20, 50%) we preliminarily stated that the Pyrosequencing in our hands, within a tumor population, is able to detect 10% of mutated alleles compared to 20% of mutated alleles detected by Sanger Sequencing. Then, we validated the diagnostic accuracy of these methods in our laboratory as part of two programs of quality controls developed at the national level on external occurences. The comparative research between Sanger Sequencing and Pirosequencing was carried out on 258 primary lung carcinomas, including 229 adenocarcinomas, using archival histological material formalin-fixed and paraffine-included which comprised materials of surgical origin both from therapeutic procedures (lung resections) and from diagnostic procedures (biopsies). The frequency of mutation detected by Pyrosequencing was 13,1% , higher than the one observed using Sanger Sequencing of 11,4%. Over the entire population of primary lung cancer with EGFR mutation (n=26), the gain in sensitivity of Pyrosequencing compared to Sanger Sequencing was 15,4% (4/26 cases). It is interesting to note that the cases identified as mutated by Pyrosequencing (not by Sanger Sequencing) came from samples characterized by reduced tumor cells (2 biopsies and 2 surgical microdissections). This finding is particularly significant taking into account the fact that EGFR mutation study is at present almost exclusively carried out on bioptic material taken from patients with lung cancer in advanced phase and thus inoperable. We then evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of immunohistochemistry in identifying typical mutations of EGFR. For this purpose, 73 adenocarcinomas with mutational profile related to Pyrosequencing [41 cases mutated for Exon 19 of EGFR (E746–A750del) and 31 mutated for Exon 21 (L858R)] were immunocolored using antibodies anti-E746-A750del for Exon 19 and anti-L858R for Exon 21. The diagnostic accuracy of immunohistochemistry was found to be between 80,3% (antibody anti-E746- A750del) and 90,7% ( antibody anti-L858R) with absolute specificity and sensitivity ranging from 67,7% to 69,0%. Overall, the immunohistochemical technique, even if limited to the identification of the two most frequent mutational events, turned out to be accurate enough and with much lower costs and execution times faster than molecular investigations. To sum up, our research proves both the suitability and the superiority of Pyrosequencing compared to Sanger Sequencing as for the ability to detect the presence of EGFR mutations in a consecutive series of primary non-small cell lung carcinomas. On the contrary, immunohistochemistry turned out to be a technique less sensitive in determining mutational arrangements of the same cases. Since this technique proved to get the same specificity and to be less expensive and faster than the first two, it is possible to use it in clinical diagnostics as preliminary screening investigation of the most frequent mutational events.

Background. Since many cardiovascular events occur in asymptomatic individuals and coronary heart disease is often fatal to its debut, the recognition and early treatment of patients at high risk of atherosclerosis represent the first step in reducing the incidence of atherothrombotic events. However, the capability to predict vascular events by using mathematical algorithms able to take into account of more than one risk factor for atherosclerosis is rather limited. Therefore, identification of markers of subclinical atherosclerosis is fundamental. Intima–media thickness or IMT of extracranial carotid arteries, measured by high-resolution B-Mode ultrasound, is the most widely accepted non-invasive marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, which has been used in clinical and epidemiological studies as a surrogate marker of prevalent and incident of coronary heart disease. Since the classical risk factors show poor correlation with carotid IMT (C-IMT), more important determinants of the development and progression of atherosclerosis apparently exist. For example, the lifestyle has a significant importance. Therefore, the identification of the major determinants of atherosclerosis and the study of their effect on the disease itself are extremely important. Aims. To achieve this aim was designed the “IMPROVE study”, a prospective, multicentre, longitudinal and observational study. The primary objective of the IMPROVE study was to investigate whether cross-sectional C-IMT and overall IMT progression are predictors of new vascular events in European individuals at high risk of cardiovascular disease for the presence of at least three conventional vascular risk factors (VRFs). Among the secondary end-points, there was the assessment of the determinants of C-IMT. This PhD thesis reports the results of the baseline analyses of the IMPROVE study to identify the major determinants of increased C-IMT. Methods. A total of 3711 subjects (1935 females and 1776 males, age range 54–79 years) with at least three VRFs were recruited in seven centres in Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden. Collected variables included clinical, biochemical, genetic, socioeconomic, psychological, nutritional and educational data, personal and family history of diseases, drug intake and physical activity. Results. By analysis of covariance, for anthropometric, clinical and lipid variables taken into account, both IMTmean and IMTmax were increased in men than in women and increased progressively with age, blood pressure and quintiles of leukocytes (all p<0.0001). C-IMT decreased progressively with HDL cholesterol (p<0.0001) and increased with LDL cholesterol (p<0.05). Regarding the variables related to nutrition taken into account, both IMTmean and IMTmax were positively associated with consumption of coffee and inversely associated with consumption of wine (all p<0.05). As the variables related to lifestyle concerned, only cigarette smoking (pack-years, years of smoking, number of cigarette smoking per day and years elapsed since smoking cessation) was associated with IMT (all p<0.001). The differences were statistically significant both before and after adjusting the analyses for possible confounding variables and similar results were obtained for all ultrasound variables considered. By multiple linear regression analysis, C-IMT was positively associated with latitude, age, gender, pulse pressure, pack-years and hypertension, and inversely with educational level (all p<0.0001 for IMTmean–max). Latitude was the strongest independent determinant of C-IMT (partial r2 for IMTmean–max =0.109, p<0.0001) and alone accounted for nearly half of the variation explained by the regression model (partial r2 for IMTmean–max =0.243, p<0.0001). The geographical gradient for C-IMT paralleled the well-known north-to-south cardiovascular mortality gradient (r2 for IMTmean =0.96). Conclusion. In a European population of subjects at high cardiovascular risk, among several anthropometric, clinical and lipid variables taken into account, only gender, age, blood pressure, leukocytes, HDL and LDL cholesterol appear to be strong independent determinants of subclinical atherosclerosis. Regarding the variables related to lifestyle and nutrition, only cigarette smoking, type of occupation and, in a less powerful, the consumption of wine and coffee seem to be independent determinants of C-IMT. This study reports an independent association between latitude and C-IMT in a large sample of European individuals presenting with at least three VRFs. The study not only shows that latitude explains a large proportion of the variation in C-IMT but also that the observed geographical gradient is independent of established and novel VRFs. This suggests that unknown mechanisms underlie this geographical gradient, candidates being heritable factors predisposing to (in the North) or protecting from (in the South) atherosclerosis. This study also shows that a large part of the risk for development of atherosclerosis is not explained by traditional risk factors. This finding underscores the importance of continuing the search for novel risk factors. The most likely place to find those risk factors are in genetics and/or environmental factors with a north to south gradient in Europe.

Cuore della ricerca, sono le operazioni di “tassello”, così definite dall’architetto Franco Bonaiuti, ovvero quegli innesti chirurgici, quegli interventi puntuali di ricostruzione, all’interno del tessuto storico, o comunque ormai consolidato, della città. Se infatti le sperimentazioni architettoniche più complete e pianificate, di cui ben si conoscono intenti programmatici, esiti formali e successive critiche, riguardano i quartieri periferici di espansione di Firenze, e sono legate soprattutto ai vari enti preposti allo sviluppo delle residenze collettive convenzionate, sono altrettanto interessanti, ma sicuramente meno noti, i casi di edilizia privata, di elevato valore architettonico, che punteggiano il tessuto del centro storico e l’immediato intorno dei viali di circonvallazione. Lezioni che ci fanno riflettere sul mestiere di architetto, quando non è semplice pratica professionale, ma è invece un bagaglio di conoscenze che hanno riferimenti con la cultura del tempo, per cui anche un lavoro di edilizia diventa un’opera di architettura.

La tesi di dottorato si concentra sull'editoria teatrale milanese del Settecento. Tenuto conto della mancanza di un catalogo delle edizioni teatrali stampate a Milano nel Settecento, il dott. Locatelli ha provveduto ad effettuare uno spoglio complessivo del patrimonio librario delle principali biblioteche milanesi al fine di realizzare uno strumento di ricerca basilare. La mancanza altresì di un lavoro di insieme sugli stampatori e librai milanesi del XVIII secolo ha reso inoltre indispensabile l'effettuazione di ricerche mirate alla realizzazione di un dizionario bio-bibliografico degli stampatori e librai attivi a Milano nel Settecento. I risultati della ricerca vengono dunque anzitutto presentati nella forma degli annali tipografici, così da render conto dell'attività in ambito teatrale di ogni singola azienda tipografica milanese. La prima parte della tesi, oltre a offrire un contributo sul valore documentario del teatro in forma di libro, offre un panorama della produzione del libro di teatro nel Settecento. Per quanto concerne Milano, in particolare, si scavano alcune problematiche (come quelle dell'autore drammatico), si portano alcune esemplificazioni, si giustificano alcune delle attribuzioni fornite negli annali. È il caso, per esempio, della certa attribuzione alla stamperia di Marc'Antonio Pandolfo Malatesta di alcune commedie di Carlo Maria Maggi stampate nel 1700-1701 e 1708 con falsa data Venezia. Viene infine proposto un breve capitolo di approfondimento sulla circolazione e lettura del libro di teatro nella Milano del Settecento, realizzato anche sulla base dello spoglio di inventari di librerie e biblioteche private coeve.
The PhD thesis by Stefano Locatelli is about theatre's book in 18th century. It offers a catalogue of dramatic editions print in Milan from 1701 to 1800 and a bio-bibliographical dictionary of printers and librarians in Milan during 18th century. The thesis offers also a study about the documentary value of theatre book and outlines a survey of theatre book production in Milan during the 18th century. It also analyse lecture and circulation of theatre book in Milan by going through some catalogues and inventories of booksellers and private libraries.

I dati riguardanti la morfologia degli organi luminosi degli organismi marini, ed in particolare dei pesci, presenti in letteratura sono stati, negli ultimi anni, aggiornati grazie alla riscoperta di questa interessante branca della ricerca. (Cavallaro et al., 2004, 2015a, 2015b, 2017; Copeland 1991; Johnsen et al., 2004; Herring & Cope, 2005; Herring et al., 2002). Tuttavia, al fine di fornire ulteriori ed importanti contributi alla conoscenza degli aspetti della biologia di questi organismi, che occupano un posto di assoluta prevalenza negli importanti equilibri delle catene trofiche marine e quindi nella regolamentazione dei bilanci energetici degli ecosistemi (Karakulak et al., 2009; Battaglia et al., 2013). Con il presente lavoro si intende approfondire lo studio della struttura e dell’ultrastruttura dei fotofori di diversi teleostei marini, appartenenti a diverse famiglie, tutti provenienti dallo Stretto di Messina. Grazie all’utilizzo di tecniche di microscopia ottica è stata delineata la struttura morfologica dei singoli organi luminosi mettendo in particolare evidenza la descrizione dei singoli componenti ghiandolari e diottrici dei fotofori. Le tecniche di microscopia elettronica a scansione (SEM) e microscopia elettronica a trasmissione (TEM), utilizzate per alcune specie, hanno permesso di approfondire la natura di tali organi chiarendone i vari aspetti della morfologia, e quindi facilitando l’interpretazione e lo studio della funzione di tali apparati.