Hasil untuk "History of Italy"

Chiara Cecalupo

This article focuses on the rediscovery of catacombs in the central Mediterranean and explores some of this historiographic heritage through different kinds of documents in order to present some interesting results regarding human and cultural connections among Tunisia, Malta and Italy. It presents an overview of the history of the rediscovery of the catacombs without focusing on the details of individual explorers or events but rather by identifying some key points that reveal a trend among scientific research, antiquarianism and confessionalism. These points are crucial elements in defining a broad international and interdisciplinary phenomenon, one that goes way beyond the rediscovery of every single catacomb. This article begins with an archaeological point of view to explain what was a catacomb between the 2nd and the 7th centuries and then offers a brief history of catacomb exploration through the centuries, from the late 16th to the early 20th century. The central part of the text is dedicated to the development of the main pillars that identify the process of catacomb rediscovery: the political frame, cultural circulation and the movement of people.

Vanessa Migliarino, Alessandro Zago, Camilla Martelossi et al.

Background: Idiopathic histaminergic angioedema (IH-AAE) is a pathological entity poorly described in the literature. It overlaps with some forms of chronic urticaria, especially in pediatrics. Objective: This study is a descriptive analysis of this form of angioedema’s natural history and prognosis. The aim is to describe long-term data about the course of this clinical entity, including clinical presentation, recurrence, and response to therapy, emphasizing follow-up and outcome. Methods: We performed a retrospective monocentric descriptive study at the Allergy Unit, Department of Pediatrics of the Institute for Maternal and Child Health of Trieste, Italy. We selected pediatric patients (0–18 years old) visiting the outpatient clinic from January 2010 to December 2020 who received a diagnosis of IH-AAE. We analyzed the disease recurrence, the remission rate, the time and frequency of recurrences, and the body sites involved. Results: The median follow-up was 57 months. Among the 36 individuals examined at follow-up, 9 (25%) still had episodes of angioedema, while 27 (75%) reported the absence of attacks. Disease remission was established in 24 patients (66.6%). The median remission time was 13 months (IQR: 7–28). When comparing AE recurrence at onset and follow-up, in all children, the number of episodes decreased (in 4/9 patients) or remained unchanged over time (in 5/9 patients). Moreover, within this group, AE recurrence was recorded as high, intermediate, and low, respectively, in one (11.1%), two (22.2%), and six patients (66.7%). The median number of monthly episodes was one (IQR: 0.2–3), and eight was the maximum value. The initial recurrence of AE attacks has no impact on the time and rate of remission (<i>p</i> = 0.56). According to these data, 36% of the patients will go into remission in 1 year, 54% in 2 years, and 71% in 6.5 years, while 14% of the children will still present with AE after 8 years of disease. Conclusions: IH-AAE is a benign and self-limiting condition that can sometimes last several years. Over time, the number of episodes per month decreases or, at most, remains unchanged. No patients reported disease worsening. The frequency of attacks at onset does not correlate with the possibility of recovery or the remission time.

Laura Todaro, Anita Sforza, Amina Zaffagnini et al.

Objectives: This study assessed the prevalence of neglected infectious diseases among pregnant migrant women in a single referral center in Northern Italy, focusing on conditions not routinely included in antenatal screening or in the national list of free-of-charge examinations during pregnancy, such as malaria, schistosomiasis, strongyloidiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiases (STHs), human T-lymphotropic virus types 1/2 (HTLV-1/2), and Chagas disease. Methods: We performed a retrospective observational study at the Department of Infectious–Tropical Diseases and Microbiology (DITM), IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital (Verona, Italy), between February 2023 and March 2025. Pregnant migrants referred for infectious disease screening were included. Alongside routine antenatal tests, risk-based investigations (serological, molecular, and parasitological assays) were applied according to region of origin, travel history, and time since arrival. Results: Eighty-five women underwent extended testing (median age 28 years), originating from 22 countries (52% Africa, 27% Eastern Europe, 18% Asia, 7% South America). Fifty-nine percent had arrived within the past year. Routine screening identified three syphilis cases, one chronic HBV infection, and one past HCV exposure. Malaria was detected in 5/29 women tested (17.2%), all asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic. Schistosoma serology was positive in 10/36 (27.8%), Strongyloides serology in 5/84 (5.9%), and HTLV-1/2 in 3/60 (5.0%). One Ascaris lumbricoides infection was diagnosed by stool microscopy. No cases of HIV or Trypanosoma cruzi infection were found. Conclusions: Risk-based screening revealed a significant prevalence of neglected infections, including malaria and HTLV-1/2, with potential maternal and neonatal consequences. Tailored infectious disease screening should be integrated into antenatal care for migrant women, while larger prospective studies are needed to support evidence-based guidelines.

Tanasi Davide, Levi Sara Tiziana, Caso Gianpiero et al.

This study presents an in-depth archaeometric investigation of Iron Age ceramic assemblage dating from 950 to 750 BCE from the sanctuary at Polizzello Mountain, Sicily. The site, a key sanctuary utilized by indigenous communities for ritual activities, is examined for its strategic location, structural developments, pottery assemblages, and evidence of communal activities. The study employs petrographic analysis on thin sections, integrated with other analytical methods, to explore the technology behind pottery production. It investigates whether such production reflects a common technological knowledge shared by a broader community or if they represent a blend of different manufacturing traditions. The findings highlight that the pottery from Polizzello Mountain aligns with the well-established Sicilian tradition of combining calcareous components and grog, indicating a local tradition of pottery production with no significant compositional differences suggesting specialized production at the workshop level.

Enrico Schifani, Antonio Alicata, Lech Borowiec et al.

There are only two Aphaenogaster species from the subterranea group in the western Mediterranean: A. ichnusa Santschi, 1925, from south-western Europe, and A. subterranea (Latreille, 1798), also occurring in central and eastern Europe. Historically, the two species have been widely misunderstood: A. ichnusa was long considered a Sardinian endemic subspecies of A. subterranea, while its continental populations were misidentified as A. subterranea s. str. Recently, A. ichnusa was elevated to species rank and its worker caste was redescribed with that of A. subterranea, allowing for their correct identification. Yet their distribution was documented in detail only for France and Sardinia. Furthermore, no morphological characters were described to distinguish the males and queens of the two species. By investigating private and museum collections, 276 new records of A. ichnusa are provided here and 154 of A. subterranea from the western Mediterranean. Additionally, qualitative and quantitative morphological characters were combined to identify their males and queens. We present the new southernmost, easternmost, and westernmost distribution limits for A. ichnusa. Based on our results, this species is widely distributed in Italy and Catalonia (Spain), also occurring on several Mediterranean islands, avoiding areas with continental climate and high altitudes. Sicily is the only island to host the less thermophilous A. subterranea, which otherwise extends westward to Galicia (Spain). Sympatric occurrence is not rare along the contact zone. Additional natural history observations are reported regarding foraging habits, associated myrmecophiles, habitat preferences, and colony structure in the two species.

A. Altieri, F. Pezzotta, G. B. Andreozzi et al.

<p>Tourmaline crystals from the island of Elba commonly display a sharp transition to dark colors at the analogous termination due to the incorporation of Fe and/or Mn during the latest stages of crystallization in pegmatites. The formation of such color anomalies is related to a dramatic physicochemical change in the crystallization environment as a consequence of an opening of the geochemical system. However, mechanisms that may lead to the availability of Fe and/or Mn in the residual cavity fluids have been unclear. On the basis of chemical and spectroscopic investigations, combined with structural and paragenetic observations of the cavities, we propose a general genetic model in which, as a consequence of a pocket rupture event, chemical alteration of Fe- and Mn-rich minerals that formed early in the pegmatitic rock surrounding the cavities occurred through leaching processes, produced by the action of the highly reactive late-stage cavity fluids. Such processes were responsible for the release of Fe and Mn in the geochemical system, allowing the formation of the late-stage dark-colored terminations in the tourmaline crystals. In some cavities, a high availability of Mn and/or Fe determined the evolution of the crystals from an initial elbaite/fluor-elbaite composition to celleriite, foitite or schorl. This compositional evolution trend can be described by the following general chemical substitution: <span class="inline-formula">^X</span>Na<span class="inline-formula">⁺</span> <span class="inline-formula">+</span> <span class="inline-formula">^Y</span>(Li<span class="inline-formula">_1.5</span> <span class="inline-formula">+</span> Al<span class="inline-formula">_0.5</span>)<span class="inline-formula">³⁺</span> <span class="inline-formula">+</span> <span class="inline-formula">^W</span>F<span class="inline-formula">⁻</span> <span class="inline-formula">↔</span> <span class="inline-formula">^X□</span> <span class="inline-formula">+</span> 2<span class="inline-formula">^Y</span>(Fe,Mn)<span class="inline-formula">²⁺</span> <span class="inline-formula">+</span> <span class="inline-formula">^W</span>OH<span class="inline-formula">⁻</span>.</p>

Nikolay N. Podosokorsky

The summary is dedicated to the 25th International Readings “Dostoevsky’s Works in the Perception of 21st-Century Readers,” which took place on April 19–21, 2023, in Staraya Russa, Novgorod region. The conference was organized by the Novgorod Museum-Reserve, the Institute of World Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Commission for the Study of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Artistic Heritage at the Academic Council “History of World Culture” of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It was attended by more than 40 researchers from four countries: Russia, Italy, Kazakhstan, and Japan. The novel Crime and Punishment was the main text that formed the basis of most of the reports, roundtable discussion, and seminar.

R. Esposito, D. Redi, L. V. Danyushevsky et al.

<p>Mount Somma–Vesuvius is a stratovolcano that represents a geological hazard to the population of the city of Naples and surrounding towns in southern Italy. Historically, volcanic eruptions at Mt. Somma–Vesuvius (SV) include high-magnitude Plinian eruptions, such as the infamous 79 CE eruption that occurred after 295 years of quiescence and killed thousands of people in Pompeii and surrounding towns and villages. The last eruption at SV was in 1944 and showed a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 3 (0.01 km<span class="inline-formula">³</span> of volcanic material erupted). Following the 1944 eruption, SV has been dormant for the past nearly 79 years, with only minor fumarolic and seismic activity. During its long history, centuries of dormancy at SV have ended with Plinian eruptions (VEI 6) that signal the beginning of a new cycle of eruptive activity. Thus, the current dormancy stage demands a need to better understand the mechanism involved in high-magnitude eruptions in order to better predict future eruption magnitude and style. Despite centuries of research on the SV volcanic system, many questions remain, including the evolution of magmatic volatiles from deep primitive magmas to shallower more evolved magmas. Developing a better understanding of the physical and chemical processes associated with volatile evolution at SV can provide insights into magma dynamics and the mechanisms that trigger highly explosive eruptions at SV.</p> <p>In this study, we present new data for the pre-eruptive volatile contents of magmas associated with four Plinian and two inter-Plinian eruptions at SV based on analyses of reheated melt inclusions (MIs) hosted in olivine. We correct the volatile contents of bubble-bearing MIs by taking into account the volatile contents of bubbles in the MIs. We recognize two groups of MIs: one group hosted in high-Fo olivine (Fo<span class="inline-formula">_85–90</span>) and relatively rich in volatiles and the other group hosted in low-Fo olivine (Fo<span class="inline-formula">_70–69</span>) and relatively depleted in volatiles. The correlation between volatile contents and compositions of host olivines suggests that magma fractionation took place under volatile-saturated conditions and that more differentiated magmas reside at shallower levels relative to less evolved/quasi-primitive magmas. Using the CO<span class="inline-formula">₂</span> contents of corrected MIs hosted in Fo<span class="inline-formula">₉₀</span> olivine from SV, we estimate that 347 to 686 t d<span class="inline-formula">⁻¹</span> of magmatic CO<span class="inline-formula">₂</span> exsolved from SV magmas during the last 3 centuries (38–75 Mt in total) of volcanic activity. Although this study is limited to only few SV magmas, we suggest that<span id="page922"/> further study applying similar methods could shed light on the apparent lack of correlation between the volatile contents of MIs and the style and age of eruptions. Further, such studies could provide additional constraints on the origin of CO<span class="inline-formula">₂</span> and the interaction between the carbonate platform and ascending magmas below SV.</p>

Chiara Giorgi

AbstractThis article analyses the development of Italian health policies in the post-Second World War period. Shortly after the setting up of the ‘Beveridge model’ and the creation of the British National Health Service, Italy also introduced a new approach to health, which became part of the Constitution. However, the implementation of the necessary reforms was delayed due to resistance from the country's institutions and government parties. The introduction of a radical health reform became possible only in 1978 through pressure generated from social conflicts, trade unions and left-wing parties. The implementation of the National Health Service encountered a number of obstacles due to the specific conditions of Italy, but also owing to changes at the international level. The neoliberal policies started in the 1980s introduced restrictions in health spending, the regionalisation and privatisation of services, and a new selective approach to health. In spite of these limitations and contradictions, the Italian healthcare system has been considerably successful, leading to strong improvements in health and to a life expectancy at birth among the longest in Europe. The recent developments – and the experience of the pandemic – confirm the important impact of a public, universal health service and, at the same time, the persistent policy efforts aimed at weakening its reach.

Renzo Bianchi, Caterina Fiorilli, Giacomo Angelini et al.

BackgroundThe Occupational Depression Inventory (ODI) reflects a new approach to job-related distress centered on work-attributed depressive symptoms. The instrument was developed with reference to the characterization of major depression found in the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fifth edition. The ODI has been validated in English, French, and Spanish. This study (a) investigated the psychometric and structural properties of the ODI's Italian version and (b) inquired into the nomological network of occupational depression.MethodsA convenience sample of 963 employed individuals was recruited in Italy (69.9% female; mean age = 40.433). We notably relied on exploratory structural equation modeling bifactor analysis, common-practice confirmatory factor analysis, and Mokken scale analysis to examine our dataset.ResultsOur analyses indicated that the Italian version of the ODI meets the requirements for essential unidimensionality, thus justifying the use of the instrument's total score. The ODI's reliability was excellent. Measurement invariance held across sexes, age groups, and occupations. Occupational depression was negatively associated with general wellbeing and positively associated with a 12-month history of depressive disorder, current antidepressant intake, 12-month sick leave, 6-month physical assault at work, 6-month verbal abuse at work, lack of money for leisure activities, and financial strain in the household.ConclusionsThe ODI's Italian version exhibits robust psychometric and structural properties, suggesting that the instrument can be fruitfully used for addressing job-related distress in Italian-speaking populations. Furthermore, the present study relates occupational depression to important health, economic, and work-life characteristics, including past depressive episodes, antidepressant medication, sickness-related absenteeism, workplace violence, and economic stress.

Fabio Colonnese

The architecture that the Renaissance artists depicted in their works constitutes a vast reservoir of formal solutions that influenced (and were reciprocally influenced by) built architecture. Generally painted according to a rigorous perspective structure, most painted architecture can be restituted and modelled to become part of the Virtual Heritage that develops and extends its knowledge to a wider range of people and scholars. These procedures are here applied to some of the works of Pietro Perugino and Raffaello, a master and his student, in order to define their specific approach to composition, perspective, and architecture. The application of these procedures produced some primary results—the architecture restitutions in plan and elevation or section—and some secondary results concerning the way painted architecture was conceived, represented in perspective, and received as well as it was related to actual architecture.

Jaime Martín-Martín, Jaime Martín-Martín, Jaime Martín-Martín et al.

Background: Sedentary behavior (SB) negatively impact health and is highly prevalent in the population. Digital behavior change interventions (DBCIs) have been developed to modify behaviors such as SB by technologies. However, it is unknown which behavior change techniques (BCTs) are most frequently employed in SB as well as the effect associated with DBCIs in this field. The aim of this systematic review was: (a) to evaluate the BCT most frequently employed in digital health including all technologies available and interventions aimed at increasing physical activity (PA), reducing sedentary time, and improving adherence to exercise in the clinical population, and (b) to review the effect associated with DBCIs in this field.Methods: The database used was Medline, as well as Scopus, Scielo, and Google Scholar. For the search strategy, we considered versions of behavior/behavioral, mHealth/eHealth/telemedicine/serious game/gamification. The terms related to PA and SB were included, the criteria for inclusion were randomized clinical trials (RCTs), adults, intervention based on digital media, and outcome variable lifestyle modification; a last 5 years filter was included. Michie's Taxonomy was used to identify BCTs. The study was registered under the number PROSPERO CRD42019138681.Results: Eighteen RCTs were included in the present systematic review, 5 of them healthy adults, and 13 of them with some illness. Studies included 2298 sedentary individuals who were followed up for 5 weeks−3 years. The most used BCTs were goal setting, problem solving, review outcomes/goals, feedback on behavior and outcomes of behavior, self-monitoring of behavior, social support, information about health consequences, and behavior practice/rehearsal. The effect associated with DBCIs showed improvements, among several related to PA and physiologic self-reported and anthropometric outcomes.Conclusion: The BCTs most used in digital health to change outcomes related to SB were goals and planning, feedback and monitoring, social support, natural consequences, repetition, and substitution. Besides these findings, DBCIs are influenced by several factors like the type of intervention, patients' preferences and values, or the number of BCTs employed. More research is needed to determine with precision which DBCIs or BCTs are the most effective to reduce SB in the clinical population.

F. Condorelli, G. Pescarmona, Y. Ricci

In this research paper photogrammetric techniques have been successfully applied to historic black and white analogic photographs to convey previously inaccessible architectural and archaeological information. The chosen case study for this paper is the Franciscan Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy. A photogrammetric algorithm has been implemented over a series of b/w negatives portraying the archaeological excavations carried out in the years 1967–1969, after the traumatic flood of the river Arno in 1966 that severely damaged the city centre of Florence and, particularly, the Santa Croce monumental site. The final aim of this operation is to provide solid evidence for the virtual reconstruction of the lost rood screen of the basilica of Santa Croce, the current subject of the PhD research of one of the Authors (Giovanni Pescarmona) at the University of Florence. The foundations that were uncovered during the archaeological excavation in the ‘60s are one of the most important hints towards a convincing retro-planning of the structure. Using advanced photogrammetric techniques, and combining them with LIDAR scanning, it is possible to uncover new datasets that were previously inaccessible for scholars, opening new paths of research. This interdisciplinary approach, combining traditional art-historical research methods and state-of-the-art computational tools, tries to bridge the gap between areas of research that still do not communicate enough with each other, defining new frameworks in the field of Digital Art History.

Miriam Castaldo, Andrea Cavani, Maria Concetta Segneri et al.

<h4>Introduction</h4>Chagas Disease (CD) is endemic in many Latin-American countries, Bolivia in particular. It is now spreading in Italy as a host country for transcontinental migrants and becoming an emerging health problem. This anthropological action-research, as part of a wider medical project on Neglected Tropical Diseases, has the purpose of analyzing the sociocultural construction of CD and its representation in Bolivian people living in Rome as well as barriers, such as the stigma about the illness, to access the National Health Service for those potentially affected.<h4>Methods</h4>The ethnographic study was carried out from 2016 to 2018 by a medical anthropologist at the National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP) on 72 Bolivian migrants (47 women and 25 men) living in Rome. The study was carried out through: a territorial mapping of Bolivian networks and communities aimed at recruiting people, participant observation, and application of semi-structured and unstructured interviews. The interviews were hold in Spanish and proposed to all participants before or during medical examination, or during events organized by the Bolivian community in Rome. The interview consisted of 16 items and covered four macro areas: personal and migration history, health status, access to the Italian National Health Service and knowledge about CD; plus 5 items for those who received a diagnosis of Chagas Disease in Italy.<h4>Results</h4>The sociocultural construction and the deep stigma about the illness built by participants and their families could hinder both diagnosis and treatment. Institutional barriers also contributed to reduce adherence to screening tests: often, opening hours of the outpatient clinic were incompatible with participants' precarious employments. To guarantee participant's access to public health services and their adherence to the diagnostic protocol, we implemented a profound revision of our cultural and institutional approach to them.<h4>Conclusions</h4>The analysis evidenced the limitations of the conventional approach applied by the Italian National Health Service to this migrant community, such as the absence of socio-cultural and linguistics competences that can help understanding patients' perception and representation of the illness. The multidisciplinary approach instead-with clinicians using the ethnographic results to adjust their work to the participants' needs-was a successful attempt to ensure therapeutic alliance.

G. Aad, B. Abbott, D.C. Abbott et al.

Azimuthal anisotropies of muons from charm and bottom hadron decays are measured in Pb+Pb collisions at sNN=5.02TeV. The data were collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in 2015 and 2018 with integrated luminosities of 0.5nb−1 and 1.4nb−1, respectively. The kinematic selection for heavy-flavor muons requires transverse momentum 4<pT<30GeV and pseudorapidity |η|<2.0. The dominant sources of muons in this pT range are semi-leptonic decays of charm and bottom hadrons. These heavy-flavor muons are separated from light-hadron decay muons and punch-through hadrons using the momentum imbalance between the measurements in the tracking detector and in the muon spectrometers. Azimuthal anisotropies, quantified by flow coefficients, are measured via the event-plane method for inclusive heavy-flavor muons as a function of the muon pT and in intervals of Pb+Pb collision centrality. Heavy-flavor muons are separated into contributions from charm and bottom hadron decays using the muon transverse impact parameter with respect to the event primary vertex. Non-zero elliptic (v2) and triangular (v3) flow coefficients are extracted for charm and bottom muons, with the charm muon coefficients larger than those for bottom muons for all Pb+Pb collision centralities. The results indicate substantial modification to the charm and bottom quark angular distributions through interactions in the quark-gluon plasma produced in these Pb+Pb collisions, with smaller modifications for the bottom quarks as expected theoretically due to their larger mass.

C. Smerzini, C. Galasso, I. Iervolino et al.

N. Shivappa, C. Bosetti, Antonella Zucchetto et al.

The Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration, Kazunori Akiyama, Antxon Alberdi et al.

When surrounded by a transparent emission region, black holes are expected to reveal a dark shadow caused by gravitational light bending and photon capture at the event horizon. To image and study this phenomenon, we have assembled the Event Horizon Telescope, a global very long baseline interferometry array observing at a wavelength of 1.3 mm. This allows us to reconstruct event-horizon-scale images of the supermassive black hole candidate in the center of the giant elliptical galaxy M87. We have resolved the central compact radio source as an asymmetric bright emission ring with a diameter of 42 ± 3 μ as, which is circular and encompasses a central depression in brightness with a flux ratio ≳10:1. The emission ring is recovered using different calibration and imaging schemes, with its diameter and width remaining stable over four different observations carried out in different days. Overall, the observed image is consistent with expectations for the shadow of a Kerr black hole as predicted by general relativity. The asymmetry in brightness in the ring can be explained in terms of relativistic beaming of the emission from a plasma rotating close to the speed of light around a black hole. We compare our images to an extensive library of ray-traced general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations of black holes and derive a central mass of M  = (6.5 ± 0.7) × 10 ^9 M _⊙ . Our radio-wave observations thus provide powerful evidence for the presence of supermassive black holes in centers of galaxies and as the central engines of active galactic nuclei. They also present a new tool to explore gravity in its most extreme limit and on a mass scale that was so far not accessible.

Flavio Altamura, Alberto Bertolini Blanc, Giovanna Bertolini Blanc et al.

Here we describe previously unpublished pictures of the rock shelter and of the prehistoric painting of the Arnalo dei Bufali (Sezze, LT). The photos were taken by A. C. Blanc in 1936, at the time of the discovery and of the first study of the site, and are currently stored in the Blanc-Aguet archive in Rome.

Claudio Di Felice, Enrico Odelli, Rita Sorce

Redazionale