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The goal of this paper is to offer an analysis on how Italian places act as key narrative units in Japanese manga. Building on a quantitative and qualitative corpus study, the paper investigates how culturally salient locations are embedded in these narratives. It is first shown that authors develop salient locations ("places") as distinct entities playing key roles within narrative structures. It is then shown that these representations of places follow principles of cultural relevance, popularity, historical and geographical faithfulness. This is the case because authors creating manga set in Italy share knowledge and appreciation of Italian places and their cultural import with readers. These results are framed in a theory of geo-criticism and in a possible worlds analysis of places in fiction, hereby extended to graphic narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the circumstances and mechanisms of the seizure of Jewish-owned artworks and valuables in Italy after the tightening of the racial laws under the Republic of Salò, focusing on Venice as an exemplary case study. Through specific instances, it illustrates the procedures for confiscating and exploiting artworks in the Venice area, highlighting the relations between the executive Fascist power and the German occupation forces. In particular, the analysis tackles the involvement of the antiquarian trade as well as the significant role of the Superintendent of Venice, Vittorio Moschini (1896–1976) in securing Jewish-owned artworks for Venetian museums. The paper concludes with comments on the need for a historical revision of the events and argues that, in light of its absence in Italy since the Washington Principles, there is an urgent need to establish provenance research in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The year 2021 witnessed the commemoration of the seven hundredth anniversary of Dante Alighieri's passing. Across the globe, particularly in Italy, a plethora of undertakings were orchestrated to honor this significant milestone. This paper undertakes an examination of the primary events that transpired in homage to Dante. In particular, in juxtaposition to prior centenaries, the authors center their analysis on initiatives that highlighted the rekindling of interest in Dante within Italy as the progenitor of the Italian language, his pivotal role in the establishment of an Italian collective identity, and the broader proliferation of his literary oeuvre. Concurrently, the authors delve into the dissemination and reception of the Dante anniversary on the international stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the Carolingian conquest of the Lombard Kingdom in 774, the Duchy of Benevento became an independent principality. Duke Arechis (758–787) proclaimed himself princeps gentis Langobardorum, thus opposing the political authority of the new King of the Lombards, Charlemagne. During the second half of the 8th century, Arechis refounded Salerno as the second capital city of Lombard Southern Italy by building a palace which stood as a marker of his political authority within the urban landscape. When the competition between two factions of the Beneventan aristocracy led to a civil war (839–849), Salerno became first a gathering place for members of the faction opposing Prince Radelchis and then the capital city of a new Lombard principality. By considering both written and archaeological sources, this paper focuses on the social and political aspects that led to the urban development of Salerno and challenged the role of Benevento during the 8th and 9th centuries. Some final considerations contextualise the rise of Capua as a third capital city in Lombard Southern Italy during the 9th and 10th centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops out of a specific event. In 2020, the town of Münsingen in the Swabian Alps commissioned its authors to write a historical report on the Italian Fascist Monterosa Division, focusing on its function and role in the German occupation of Italy from 1944 to 1945. The issue to be clarified was the extent to which the division was involved in war crimes during this period. The background to the request was a monument erected in 1986 in the Ehrenhain, Münsingen's „grove of honour", by the division's veterans' association (Associazione degli appartenenti alla divisione Monterosa). This monument has since led to repeated controversy and heated debate over its Fascist symbolism and the division's involvement in anti-partisan warfare in Italy. Our paper focuses on the experience of officers in the Fascist regime, the division's operations against partisans and at the front, its crimes, and the attempts of the veterans' association in the post-war period to gain official recognition in both Germany and Italy. The Monterosa Mountain Division was created in 1943/1944 by Benito Mussolini's Repubblica sociale italiana (RSI) as one of four military divisions to join front-line combat with the German Army in Italy. Largely composed of young conscripts from Northern Italy, its older non-commissioned officers had extensive war experience from the Italian occupation of Greece and the Balkans, and from the Eastern Front. Its commander, General Mario Carloni, was a hardliner, an energetic, ruthless, and politicised Fascist officer who after the collapse of the Italian state in 1943 chose to continue fighting for Mussolini's side and to support the German occupation of Italy. German instructors trained the Monterosa Division in Münsingen. In late August 1944, it was sent to Italy and assigned to coastal defense duties on the east coast of Liguria, an area almost completely controlled by partisans. The division thus became involved in anti-partisan actions and began to take hostages, shoot civilians and prisoners of war, and destroy village houses. In 1951, a division association was founded, with former General Carloni as its honorary president. Until 2001, it tried in vain to gain recognition from the Associazione Nazionale Alpini (ANA), the most important veterans' and reservists' association of Italian mountain troops. In Germany, on the other hand, the former Monterosa soldiers found faster access to veterans' associations. The first visit by former division members to Münsingen took place as early as 1952. In the 1970s, these visits became increasingly regular and were given official sanction. During the 1980s, the division association's connections further expanded and ultimately resulted in the erection of a memorial to the fallen. In Germany, of all places, the RSI veterans received the recognition that was so difficult for them to obtain in their home country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molise Slavic is a south Slavic micro-language, spoken in three municipalities in the Italian region of Molise. It has been in a situation of total language contact with Romance varieties for about 500 years, with strong foreign influence on all linguistic levels. This paper is intended as a contribution to two combined fields of linguistics: contact linguistics and the expression of partitivity in Slavic in different settings. The paper opens with a short description of the position of the (morphological) partitive case in Russian, followed by a comparison of the role of case in expressing partitive objects in Russian, Croatian and Molise Slavic. The subsequent section will deal with other means of rendering pure and ablativic partitivity in Italian as the dominant model language and in the Molise Slavic replica, in particular with respect to the similarities and differences in existential constructions. Special attention will be paid to the Italian partitive particle ne and its formal and functional equivalents in Molise Slavic, including the particle na/ne, partitive personal pronouns, quantifiers, the genitive and the role of intonation and word order. Finally we will test various hypotheses about the origin of the particle na/ne, whose formal variation in one of the Molise Slavic dialects causes serious problems for both loanword integration and semantic calquing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decreasing fertility implies considerable public health, societal, political, and international consequences. Induced abortion (IA) and the recent COVID-19 pandemic can be contributing factors to it but these have not been adequately studied so far. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relation of IA incidence and the COVID-19 pandemic to declining rates of delivery, as per our Sardinian experience. We analyzed the registered data from the official Italian statistics surveys of deliveries and IA in the last 10 years from 2011 to 2020 in Sardinia. A total of 106,557 deliveries occurred and a progressive decrease in the birth rate has been observed. A total of 18,250 IA occurred and a progressive decline has been observed here as well. The ratio between IA and deliveries remained constant over the decade. Between 2011 and 2019 a variation of −4.32% was observed for IA while in the last year, during the COVID-19 pandemic the decrease of the procedures was equal to −12.30%. For the deliveries, a mean variation of the −4.8% was observed between the 2011 and the 2019 while in the last year, during the COVID-19 pandemic the decrease was about −9%. Considering the about 30% reduction of live births between 2011 and 2020, there is an almost proportional reduction in IA. Public policy responses to decreasing fertility, especially pronatalist ones, would be provided with evidence base about trends in delivery and IA and women's decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the late 1960s to the early 1980s Italy suffered a prolonged period of political violence and ideologically inspired terrorist acts, which caused deep social wounds and led to a sharply divided memory. Numerous memoirs published since the end of the conflict by both former terrorists and victims aggravated the divide, until recently. This paper analyses some of the memoirs written by the victims and relatives of the victims and above all a recent dialogue between former perpetrators and victims through the lenses of different modes of remembering. The paper explores the motivations and stances of the victims and relatives of victims who took part in this dialogue and argues that they partake of both a cosmopolitan and an agonistic approach to memory and reconciliation. The latter requires former enemies to confront each other as 'adversarial citizens" with their divided memories and perspectives in an open-ended manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the authors' approach to designing an interface for the Gabii Project's digital volumes that attempts to fuse elements of traditional synthetic publications and site reports with rich digital datasets. Archaeology, and classical archaeology in particular, has long engaged with questions of the formation and lived experience of towns and cities. Such studies might draw on evidence of local topography, the arrangement of the built environment, and the placement of architectural details, monuments and inscriptions (e.g. Johnson and Millett 2012). Fundamental to the continued development of these studies is the growing body of evidence emerging from new excavations. Digital techniques for recording evidence 'on the ground,' notably SFM (structure from motion aka close range photogrammetry) for the creation of detailed 3D models and for scene-level modeling in 3D have advanced rapidly in recent years. These parallel developments have opened the door for approaches to the study of the creation and experience of urban space driven by a combination of scene-level reconstruction models (van Roode et al. 2012, Paliou et al. 2011, Paliou 2013) explicitly combined with detailed SFM or scanning based 3D models representing stratigraphic evidence. It is essential to understand the subtle but crucial impact of the design of the user interface on the interpretation of these models. In this paper we focus on the impact of design choices for the user interface, and make connections between design choices and the broader discourse in archaeological theory surrounding the practice of the creation and consumption of archaeological knowledge. As a case in point we take the prototype interface being developed within the Gabii Project for the publication of the Tincu House. In discussing our own evolving practices in engagement with the archaeological record created at Gabii, we highlight some of the challenges of undertaking theoretically-situated user interface design, and their implications for the publication and study of archaeological materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines how, where, and why Italian tort law rules have circulated within Europe since the enactment of unified Italy's first Civil Code in 1865. By tracing the fragmented historical and geographical patterns of diffusion of Italian tort law in the last 150 years, the paper offers itself as a case-study for thinking about legal transplants within and across European cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents some reflections on the impact of reconstruction work on the economic and social history of Italy. This problem dates far back in time and is largely under-appreciated: from the 11th century to the year 2000 over 4,800 sites (villages and towns) suffered serious destruction followed by massive and extensive reconstruction work. Few cases have attracted the attention of historians, with the exception of rebuilding work after the 1693, 1783, 1908 and 1915 earthquakes. Yet the interest of such studies lies less in the history of local town planning, and more in that of the surrounding territories and how these were managed administratively, politically and by government in general. What happens at the various stages of reconstruction work provides an accelerated glimpse of power and decision-making dynamics at work, conditioned by in-fighting, class conflict, or the slowness and instability of solutions dogged by bureaucratic squabbling within government. Such features of the governance process often escape historical analysis. The quality of reconstruction work significantly affects the impact of subsequent earthquakes. For this reason, and given the frequency of seismic events in Italy, we find „chains“ of destruction and reconstruction (L’Aquila, for example, is preparing for its sixth rebuilding, between the 14th century and today). Destruction and reconstruction map out a history spanning natural features and the features of the built environment. We must rise above set disciplinary patterns and topics if this history is to be explored, understood and more widely disseminated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the comital elites of the early 11th century mentioned in the documentation for the Rome area, the counts of Galeria occupied a prominent place. Though we can reconstruct their history until the second half of the 13th century, not all the individuals who held this title were of the same lineage. Count Gerardo [I], son of Ranieri, is the most important figure of all the Counts of Galeria, and therefore the main focus of this paper. He is documented between 1040–1060 and played an important role in Rome’s political history during these years. He collaborated with Popes Benedict IX and Benedict X; he played a leading role in the Roman Tuscia where he also owned several castles, and was a close ally of the abbots of Farfa. Count Sassone of Civita Castellana was his brother. Both men had descendants. It is very likely that after Count Gerardo’s death, in the early 1060s Galeria Castle returned under papal control. According to a document in the archives of San Paolo fuori le mura, Gregory VII granted it to the monastery in Via Ostiense. By contrast, the descendants of Count Sassone, his son Rainieri [II] and his grandson Sassone [II], managed to retain control of Civita Castellana until almost the end of the century. Our information on this family ceases in the last 20 years of the 11th century. At the end of the first millennium, other Roman families began to appear in the Roman contado and the southern Tuscia, and in the space of a century their ambitions obliterated the old families that had hitherto dominated. Other counts of Galeria appear sporadically in the documents of the 12th and 13th centuries, but none of these individuals were as important as the two brothers Gerardo [I] and Sassone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multimedia information retrieval has become an important issue in library work, particularly since users can have access to the Internet both at their homes and in libraries. Besides bibliographic information, pictorial resources are nowadays requested to meet the new and demanding users' needs. Research on different aspects of multimedia information retrieval can improve practice in different ways and findings can be beneficial to many professionals: cataloguers, indexers, reference librarians, Web designers, chief librarians, and administrators. This paper presents a critical account of the developments in multimedia information retrieval research and practice in Italy in the last ten years. The paper also tries to determine if dissemination of research findings has been critical in establishing new approaches to practice. The study examined the LIS sector, analysing projects through relevant publications and implementations, as well as computer science and other disciplines, to trace future developments and trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes localization problems in medical emergency calls. It argues that some localization problems can be related to difficulties in the alignment of operators' and callers' understanding of the overall functioning of the services and, in fact, be linked to the shift in the organization features of the emergency service. The data analyzed in this study are part of a wider corpus collected within a research project on language and technology carried out at the Department of Communication Sciences of the University of Bologna, Italy. The data were collected in two emergency service control rooms in northern Italy and central Italy. Through a detailed discourse analysis within an ethnomethodological framework of actual emergency calls, the analysis shows that some localization problems can be better understood by referring to the overall ethnographic understanding of the emergency service and its organizational development. The paper aims to show that some localization problems can provide some significant insights for the discussion of the issue of 'conversationally constituted context' versus 'invocation to more remote context' in the analysis of interactional data. The ethnographic understanding of changes in the organization of the emergency services makes understandable elements in the calls that cannot be explained otherwise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two small outcrops of wollastonite- and melilite-bearing paralavas, with a pyrometamorphic genesis, have been found along the Apennine chain, in Central Italy, at the localities of Colle Fabbri and Ricetto. Recent papers added new data strengthening the hypothesis that the Ricetto wollastonite- and melilite-bearing rocks were produced by pyrometamorphism of carbonate-rich siliciclastic sedimentary rocks. In addition, these new papers depicted the Ricetto paralavas as having wide mineralogical and compositional variations due to liquid immiscibility and/or carbonate devolatilization, paralleling the trend observed for other paralavas (e.g., Colle Fabbri, Italy: British Columbia, Canada; Wyoming, U.S.A.; etc.). The source of heat for inducing pyrometamorphism was not investigated in the original paper, which was the subject of the comment. Capitanio et al. (2004), on the basis of 14C age determination and of a mineralogical study, argued convincingly that heat was supplied to the Ricetto rocks by wood-combustion for charcoal production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a survey of the academic staff of the Faculties of Economics and Law of the University of Brescia, Italy. The survey sought to determine knowledge and use of Open-Access archives and to verify the conditions stated by the correspondents for their participation in an institutional Open-Access initiative. The response rate to the questionnaire was 57.9% (62 authors). Results show that 44% of the respondents (25 of 57) knew about the existence of Open-Access initiatives and archives. Of those aware of the existence of Open-Access archives, only 4% (1 in 25) affirmed they had already used them to deposit papers, while 33% (16 of 48), among those who declared they use materials freely available on the Web, affirmed they had used an Open-Access disciplinary archive. Sixty-one percent (41 of 62) of the respondents answered they were prepared to archive personally their own scientific or educational material in an institutional repository, once the conditions that they request have been fulfilled. The study illustrates the crucial role that authors play in the process of diffusion of Open-Access initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The old city center of L'Aquila is rich in historical buildings of considerable merit. On April 6th 2009 a devastating earthquake caused significant structural damages, affecting especially historical and monumental masonry buildings. The results of a study carried out on a monumental building, former headquarters of the University of L'Aquila (The Camponeschi building, XVI century) are presented in this paper. The building is situated in the heart of the old city center and was seriously damaged by the earthquake. Preliminary visual damage analysis carried out immediately after the quake, clearly evidenced the building's complexity, raising the need for direct and indirect investigation on the structure. Several non-destructive test methods were then performed in situ to better characterize the masonry typology and the damage distribution, as well. Subsequently, a number of representative control points were identified on the building's facades to represent, by their motion over time, the evolution of the structural displacements and deformations. In particular, a surveying network consisting of 27 different points was established. A robotic total station mounted on top of a concrete pillar was used for periodically monitoring the surveying control network. Stability of the pillar was checked through a GNSS static survey repeated before any set of measurements. The present study evidences the interesting possibilities of combining geomatics with structural investigation during post-earthquake monitoring of ancient monumental buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of Dispersed Generation (DG) is by far the most important and challenging issue that modern power systems are facing nowadays, and is the only way of exploiting Renewable Energy Sources (RES) for electric production. This revolution is running particularly fast in Europe, where significant incentive schemes have been promoted by many Member States in order to match the targets decided by the European institutions. As a consequence of the important share of RES already connected (especially to low voltage and medium voltage networks), new technical challenges have to be faced both at a distribution network level and at a transmission system level. Some of these challenges are covered by Smart grids that represent a new framework for improved management of distribution and transmission networks with attention to interoperability, security, resilience problems, and quality of service (QoS). It is recognized that an intelligent use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), as enabling technology, is the only approach able to solve new problems arising on energy networks due to larger DG penetration, without hindering system security and QoS.The paper focuses on the Italian case and in particular on the Italian regulatory framework for developing Smart Grids, and describes the technical foundations of the regulatory innovations introduced by the Italian energy regulatory authority (Autorità per l'energia elettrica e il gas - AEEG). After a selection process based on cost/benefit assessment, some demonstration projects for Smart Grid proposed by Distribution System Operators have been awarded with special capital cost remuneration (extra WACC of 2% for 12 years, on top of the ordinary WACC equal to 7% for distribution investments). The smart grid demonstration projects founded by AEEG introduce and test a new advanced management of DG in order to avoid the problems coming from reverse power flowing and maintain the necessary level of security, availability and quality of service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sardiniens Bronzefiguren (Bronzetti) und Steinskulpturen der Spätbronze- und frühen Eisenzeit gehören zu den wichtigsten archäologischen Zeugnissen der Insel und den beeindruckendsten Bildwerken der westeuropäischen Vorgeschichte. Sie stellen die Forschung noch immer vor Probleme, Chronologie und Bedeutung der Bilder werden kontrovers diskutiert. Dieser Beitrag behandelt die Ikonografie der Bronzefigurinen und -miniaturen mit ihren Archetypen. Die zwei großen, klar unterscheidbaren Stilgruppen der Bronzetti werden auf Unterschiede und Gemeinsamkeiten untersucht. Die Identifikation von Werkstattgruppen und Künstlern spielt eine wichtige Rolle für das Verständnis der Chronologie. Die mögliche Funktion der Figuren an deren wichtigsten Fundstätten, den sardischen Heiligtümern, wird ebenfalls erläutert. Da Sardinien in ein weit gespanntes Netz von Seerouten zwischen Ost und West eingebunden war, muss auch die Ikonografie in einen größeren, mediterranen Kontext gesetzt werden. Dazu werden Vergleiche mit Bildwerken der wichtigsten Kontaktregionen gesucht, die durch den Güter- und Ideenaustausch der Spätbronze- und Früheisenzeit eng mit der Insel verbunden waren. Dies liefert, vor allem durch überregional anzutreffende Archetypen, weitere Hinweise auf Bedeutung, Funktion und Chronologie der Bilder. Zahlreiche Innovationen und politische Veränderungen prägten das Kulturgefüge des Mittelmeerraumes ab ca. 1200 v. Chr. Der phönizische Handel ab ca. 800 v. Chr. hat wiederum neue Entwicklungen im Westen zur Folge, und auch die Ikonografie wandelt sich deutlich. Unter diesen Gesichtspunkten werden Hypothesen zur religiösen, politischen und sozialen Bedeutung der Bildwerke sowie deren Entstehung im Kontext von Kulturkontakten wie * This paper has been written as an initial contribution to the project 'Pictorial art and social change in the Western Mediterranean from the LBA to the EIA (c. 1200-500 BC)' at the Universität Freiburg, Institut für Archäologische Wissenschaften, Abteilung Urgeschichtliche Archäologie, funded by the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft), No. HU 974/7-1. Migration, Kolonisierung und Fernhandel betrachtet. Dabei spielt das Verhältnis von staatlich organisierten Gesellschaften zu nicht-staatlichen eine besondere Rolle. Sardinian bronze figurines ('bronzetti') and stone sculptures of the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age are among the most important archaeological evidence of the island and the most impressive pictorial representations of West European prehistory. Despite this, however, their meaning and chronology are not fully understood and continue to be a matter of debate. The article examines the iconography of the bronze figurines and miniatures with their archetypes. The two large, clearly distinguishable stylistic groups of the bronzetti are analysed in terms of their differences and similarities. The identification of workshops and artists plays an important role in understanding the chronology. The possible function of the figurines at their most important find sites, the Sardinian sanctuaries, is also discussed. Sardinia was part of a wide network of sea routes between the East and the West, so the iconography has to be viewed in a larger, Mediterranean context. To this end, comparisons are made with pictorial art from the most important contact regions which had close connections with the island during the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age through the exchange of goods and ideas. This gives further insight into the meaning, function and chronology of the images, especially by means of archetypes from other regions. Numerous innovations and political changes were characteristic of Mediterranean culture starting around 1200 BC. The Phoenician trade beginning around 800 BC led to new developments in the West, and the iconography changed markedly as well. Against this background, the article considers hypotheses on the religious, political and social significance of the pictorial representations and their origination in the context of culture contact, such as migration, colonisation and long-distance trade. The relationship of hierarchical societies and nonhierarchical ones plays a special role in this regard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this communication, selected results obtained in the course of a 10-year Sino- Italian collaborative project are presented. During this collaboration, several studies on marine organisms collected in the South China Sea have been conducted, resulting in the characterization of a large number of novel natural products. The main interest has been focused on sponges, cnidarians, and molluscs. Here, the recent research, including some not yet published studies, on cnidarians and molluscs, in particular, opisthobranchs and pulmonates, will be briefly described. The study of cnidarians and pulmonates led to isolate molecules, in particular, biscembranoids and polypropionates, displaying carbon skeletons already described in previous papers. Our studies resulted in their complete structural characterization including the absolute stereochemistry that was clarified by coupling X-ray diffraction to circular dichroism (CD) spectra analysis. Some unique nitrogenous molecules containing either an isonitrile function or an 1,2,4-oxadiazole moiety, this latter found for the first time in a marine organism, as well as known sesterterpenoids and diterpenoids were isolated from opisthobranchs. Owing to their anatomical location, these metabolites should play a relevant role in the protection of the molluscs. Finally, a series of alkaloids structurally related to known anticancer agents were also characterized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we propose a multiple-stage model for the development of interclausal adversative connectives, based on the qualitative and quantitative examination of the three Italian connectives però, tuttavia and mentre. The main purpose of this study is the identification of the respective roles played by frequency, syntax, and context in the development of the adversative function. In the analysis of each of the three diachronic paths at issue, we keep the semantic parameters separate from the syntactic ones, monitoring both the semantic (in)compatibility of each occurrence with the source and the target meaning, identifying three macro-types of contexts (incompatible with the target meaning, compatible with both the source and the target meaning, incompatible with the source meaning), and outlining the syntactic features characterizing each context type through the centuries. Our data show that, despite the differences, the three paths show a number of recurrent properties, which underline the central function of frequency in triggering and spreading the change and the importance of constructions as the units that speakers process, elaborate and innovate. Finally, based on the relative frequency of context types over time, we propose a four-stage model that describes the successive steps of development of the adversative function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I analyse German and Italian modal particles and argue that they are deficient (i.e., weak) adverbs merged with dedicated functional constituents of the Mood/Mod field. I also show that sentence-initial and sentence-final particles are not one and the same element. In particular, sentence-final particles are not (functional) heads in the left-periphery of the clause and cannot be derived by movement of their complement to their specifier. They are instead merged with functional constituents of the IP-internal Mood/Mod field, like sentence-internal particles, and their final position is derived by remnant movement of what follows the particle to a specifier higher than the particle, similarly to what happens with right-dislocated constituents. Verb-based particles are also briefly discussed. In their sentence-final use, they are shown to have the same syntax as adverb-based particles; in their sentence-initial use, they are instead merged in the CP layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to the issue of how tradition intermingles with the innovative politics and ruling system of the Diocletianic tetrarchy. It focuses on the formative as well as on the dramatic, performative aspects of the past. The different modes of dealing with Roman history are to be shown by examples from four major classes of evidence: the monumental (Arch of Constantine), epigraphic, papyrological and rhetorical documents of the Later Roman Empire. Particularly the staged aspects of social interactions as reflected in this material turn out to be an obstacle for any change. Though concordia of the four emperors was omnipresent in tetrarchic propaganda, an inscription from the Egyptian island of Elephantine and a series of papyri from the Panopolite archive of the scholastikos Ammon show that interaction between individuals and the "local" Augustus remained in the field of personal face-to-face relationships. Its main characteristics can be grasped in stylized forms of gift exchange spanning occasionally many generations of a family and thus being part of the individual memoria: imperial letters are but reifications of that common history. In this way, Ammon's brother, the rhetor Harpokration, contributes with his pronouncing basilikoi logoi at the court of Diocletian to maintaining the status of his family as members of the local elite by imperial appointment to priesthood. His rhetorical gift to the emperor was an utterly valuable one: late antique panegyrics were strongly bound to tradition trying to inscribe the present into glorious Roman past, thereby naturalizing new forms of rule. But an analysis of Panegyricus Latinus X (AD 289) shows the difficulties and risks faced by rhetors thriving to find analogies to the dyarchic system in the days of Rome's beginnings. Constantine did much better in amalgamating traditional and innovating elements into a cogent display of power when celebrating his decennalia in the metropolis. His arch succeeded in formulating autocracy in a new code out of traditional elements, inserting his claim into a framework of well accepted signs and rituals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The connection of distributed generation (DG) essentially changes the distribution network operation and creates a range of well-documented effects varying the voltage levels and short circuit currents. Among others, DG can alter protection system operations in distribution networks, leading to the failure of reclosing, the disconnection of the healthy feeder or the prevention of a protection operation. This paper proposes a procedure, based on Petri nets and supported by a centralized monitoring architecture, for monitoring failures of the protection systems in radial distribution networks. Some case studies applied to a real Italian distribution network proved the effectiveness of the proposed procedure that can therefore represent an effective solution to improve distribution systems reliability in the presence of DG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a single-crystal FTIR spectroscopic study of leucite, a nominally anhydrous mineral (NAM). Several transparent, inclusion-free samples from different occurrences and localities in the Alban Hills volcanic area (Latium, Italy) were analyzed. The FTIR spectra collected in the 4000-3000 cm-1 H2O-stretching region show a broad absorption consisting of overlapping components at 3604, 3500, and 3245 cm-1. The occurrence of a well-defined combination band at 5225 cm-1 indicates that almost all the examined samples contain hydrous components in the form of structurally bound water molecules. Using the integrated molar absorption coefficient from the working curve of Libowitzky and Rossman (1997), a water content up to >4000 ppm was obtained for the studied specimens. Detailed microspectroscopy mapping shows significant zoning of water in some samples, typically consisting of an anhydrous core mantled by a hydrous rim. The collected data suggest that careful study of the distribution of the volatile content of leucite (and associated volcanic NAMs) may provide a tool to monitor the evolution of the magmatic system where these minerals occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unit commitment (UC), originally employed to minimize the generating cost of a vertically integrated utility, has become a basic tool for revenue adequacy evaluation by GENeration COmpanies (GENCOs). The strategic role of UC is apparent in those market environments where GENCOs are asked to internalize all costs and the relevant UC decisions within their day--ahead market bids. In this paper, a parametric UC method is presented to assess the convenience of making energy bids for marginal or nearly marginal generation units. The convenience is gauged by the basis of revenue adequacy that is on each unit's ability to cover all expenses and generate profits. Beside UC choices, the parametric UC procedure provides a market price behavior that would make it profitable to commit a certain unit for generation. A Monte Carlo simulation program is employed to find the probability that actual market prices will fulfill the revenue adequacy requirements. Market prices are handled as random variables with multivariate normal distribution, taking into account the correlation between prices at successive time periods. The parametric UC procedure and the Monte Carlo simulation are carried out by using reasonable data of generation units available to some Italian GENCOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present a small selection of linguistic facts that describe currents and contrasts in the Cisalpine Valleys, relying on some ALEPO [Atlante Linguistico ed Etnografico del Piemonte Occidentale – Linguistic and Ethnographic Atlas of Western Piedmont] data. The area investigated is characterized by a close relationship between different languages and cultures. As it is well known, the Gallo-Italic languages of Piedmont are spoken along with local dialects of two Gallo-Romance languages, Occitan and Franco-Provençal; Italian (and, in some areas, French) obviously has to be added to this rich linguistic repertoire. Data have been collected in 42 localities: 32 pertaining to the Gallo-Romance domain (13 Franco-Provençal- and 19 Occitan-speaking); and 10 belonging to the Gallo-Italic one. The localities in question have been chosen ta take account of both social and linguistic dynamics. Socio-cultural and economic changes that deeply affected the Alpine Valleys in the last century have also had linguistic consequences, with increasing Italian and Piedmontese influence on varieties of Gallo-Romance, and of Italian on Piedmontese; nevertheless, some instances of mutual influencing between Occitan and Franco-Provençal are also documented, as well as significant reactions on the part of these varieties to dominant codes (namely Piedmontese, Italian, and French). We deal here with language change at three levels of linguistic analysis (lexical, morphological, and phonetic), showing moreover how a traditional reading of the maps may also yield results of sociolinguistic import. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During my fieldwork in Frassinoro, a small village in the Apennines in the North of Italy, I was lucky enough to meet people who could provide invaluable insights into their own narrative tradition. By means of direct quotations from the interviewees' comments, this paper aims to give voice to these spontaneous meta-commentaries, in particular to those dealing with attitudes towards the uses and functions of traditional narrative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Urinary microscopy is difficult to teach. This paper describes a 1-day course on urine microscopy, which was based on both theoretical and practical sessions at the microscope, during which real urine samples were examined. Methods: The course was based on: a) an introductory presentation with slides on the main components of urinary sediments and their clinical correlates; b) examination of fixed urine samples under the guidance of two experts; and c) the use of two microscopes, each equipped with a co-observation device for up to 15 observers. Results: Throughout 2005, four courses were held in four Italian towns. Altogether, there were 97 participants (20–27 per course) from 75 laboratories, all graduates with wide but variable experience in the field. During each course, 17–22 urinary sediment components were shown by both bright-field and phase-contrast microscopy and, when indicated, by polarized light. Tests set before and after the course showed a significant improvement (p<0.01) in the identification of erythrocyte subtypes, epithelial cells, fatty components, various types of casts and drug crystals. A questionnaire conducted with participants by phone several months after the course demonstrated that 51.6% and 32.3% of laboratories have introduced or formally requested phase-contrast and polarized-light microscopy, respectively; 45.2% have changed the terminology for urinary epithelial cells; and 87.1% have identified for the first time urinary sediment components that were not recognized or not considered before the course. Conclusions: Our course demonstrates that it is possible to improve the teaching of urinary microscopy. Clin Chem Lab Med 2007;45:407–12. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was to improve the knowledge of the primary producers living in the Venice Lagoon by studying the composition and the distribution of the benthic diatom communities populating subtidal surface sediments. The upper 5 mm of sediment from four areas distributed between the Malamocco inlet and the mainland north of Venice were collected and analysed. Sampling was carried out monthly for one year (1998–99). Species composition, cell abundance and carbon content were determined by light microscopy after separation of cells from the sediment particles using hydrogen peroxide. A total of 147 taxa were identified, mostly pennate diatoms (Bacillariales) belonging to the genera Amphora, Cocconeis, Navicula, Nitzschia and Pleurosigma. Cell abundance ranged from 0.7 × 106 cells cm-3, near the Malamocco inlet (Station A), to 10.4 × 106 cells cm-3 near the mainland (Station C). Diatom carbon content was between 28 and 380 μg cm-3. Seasonal trends were slight, except at Stations D and C where the lowest abundance was found in October—November and the highest one in summer. Significant relationships between benthic diatoms and macrophyte biomass, sediment grain size, underwater light transmission, sediment fluxes and the salinity gradient were found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The temporal dynamics of biomass, phenology and sexual reproduction of Zostera marina were investigated during 1997 in a shallow meadow located off the eastern sea entrance of the Lagoon of Grado (northern Adriatic Sea). Total biomass and the relative contribution of the above- and below-ground compartments were measured, as well as the shoot density and phenological parameters of vegetative and fertile shoots. Flowering and seed production were also investigated and the stages of spathe maturation were recorded. Total biomass was highest in summer and lowest in autumn; the relative contribution of the above-ground compartment, mainly composed of leaf blades, was highest in summer and lowest in autumn, when it accounted for about 40 % and 7 %, respectively. Below-ground organs (rhizomes and roots) accounted for a higher fraction during the autumn-winter period. Shoot density and all the phenological features of vegetative shoots, except the number of leaves per shoot, changed widely throughout the year with maxima generally occurring in spring-summer and minima in autumn-winter. With regard to the sexual reproduction, the flowering of Z. marina was at the initial stage and the density of fertile shoots m-2 was lower in winter than in spring (6 vs 265 fertile shoots m-2), when ripe fruits occurred on spathes. In summer, the fertile shoots still present (5 fertile shoots m-2) were dark-brown coloured with evident signs of decay. A pollination success of 55 % was observed and a potential of seed production of more than 20000 seeds m-2 was estimated in spring. The seasonal plant dynamics and the timing of the sexual reproduction of Z. marina at Grado seem to be similar to those observed in the Lagoon of Venice and in some areas outside the Mediterranean Sea. The results of this paper and the published data emphasise the great variability in the temporal dynamics, phenological features of both vegetative and reproductive shoots, and in the potential seed production of Z. marina. In this respect, the well known phenotypic plasticity of this species may account for its ability to live in variable environmental conditions. The high potential of sexual reproduction, however, is apparently in contrast with the absence of records of seedlings in the northern Adriatic Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the overwhelming majority of the languages of the world there exist only tense and no lax high vowels. Natural Phonology accounts for this obeervational data by postulating a process of tensing which has in its structural description, condition [higher]. This process remains active under the form of a prelexical paradigmatic constraint in all languages lacking [-tense] high vowels, and, conversely, must be suppressed during language acquisition by any child in whose mother tongue vocalic segments such as /I U/and the like do occur. Italian, as is well known, belongs to the former, and most widespread class. However, this paper argues that, while this holds true for Standard Italian (= SI) and for the dialects spoken in northern and central Italy, (at least some) southern Italian dialects actually have to be classed within the latter group. This postulated difference between SI and southern Italian dialects, in terms of retention vs. suppression of the tensing process, is confirmed by some pieces of evidence resulting from a comparison of both the paradigmatic and syntagmatic structures of the two varieties. In SI lhe operation of the process under discussion disallows: (a) [±tense] opposition between high vowels, and (b) the occurrence of sequences of glide + homorganic high vowel. Our starting assumption about southern Italian dialects predicts that they behave in just the opposite way: namely, both (a) and (b) shmdd be allowed. And this is in fact what is observed, when these dialects are carefully examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the occurrence and the crystal structure of fantappièite, a new member of the cancrinite-sodalite group of minerals from Torre Stracciacappe, Trevignano community (Rome, Latium, Italy). The mineral occurs within a volcanic ejectum consisting of dominant sanidine with minor plagioclase, biotite, augitic clinopyroxene, andradite, and iron oxides. Fantappièite (0.7 mm as largest size) is observed within miarolitic cavities of the rock as transparent colorless crystals, showing complex morphologies and striated faces. It is non-pleochroic and uniaxial negative, nω = 1.5046(5) and nε = 1.5027(5). Dcalc is 2.471 g/cm³. Fantappièite is trigonal, space group P3̅; the cell parameters are: a = 12.8742(6), c = 87.215(3) Å, V = 12518.8(9) ų, Z = 1. The empirical chemical formula is: (Na84.12Ca30.00K15.95Fe0.19 Ti0.13Mn0.10Mg0.09)(Si99.36 Al98.64)O396(SO4)30.24(CO3) 0.29Cl0.84F0.82·5.18H2O, which corresponds to the ideal formula [Na82.5Ca33K16.5]Σ=132 (Si99Al99O396)(SO4)33·6H 2O. The five strongest reflections in the X-ray powder pattern are [d in Å (I %) (hkl)]: 3.70 (100) (3 0 0), 3.60 (80) (1 0 23), 2.641 (65) (0 0 33), 6.85 (60) (0 1 10), 6.40 (55) (1 1 0). The single-crystal FTIR spectrum rules out OH groups and shows the presence of H2O and CO2 molecules, as well. The structure can be described as a stacking sequence of 33 layers of six-membered rings of tetrahedra along the c axis. The stacking sequence is ACBACABACBACBACBCACBACBACBABCBACB..., where A, B, and C represent the positions of the rings within the layers. This sequence gives rise to liottite, sodalite, and cancrinite cages, alternating along c. Sulfate groups occur within the liottite cages associated by Na, K, and Ca, while highly disordered sulfate groups are located within the sodalite cages. H2O groups occur within the cancrinite cages, bonded to Ca and Na cations. Split positions are found for Na-Ca sites, and are related to disordering of the sulfate groups in the sodalite cages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]