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Four novel inhibitors of the NorA efflux pump of Staphylococcus aureus, discovered through a virtual screening process, are reported. The four compounds belong to different chemical classes and were tested for their in vitro ability to block the efflux of a well-known NorA substrate, as well as for their ability to potentiate the effect of ciprofloxacin (CPX) on several strains of S. aureus, including a NorA overexpressing strain. Additionally, the MIC values of each of the compounds individually are reported. A structure-activity relationship study was also performed on these novel chemotypes, revealing three new compounds that are also potent NorA inhibitors. The virtual screening procedure employed FLAP, a new methodology based on GRID force field descriptors.

The increasing multi-drug resistance has become a major threat to the public health. Overexpression of multidrug efflux pumps is one of the major mechanisms of drug resistance in bacteria. Since active efflux of antibacterial agents plays a significant role in mediating drug resistance in bacteria, the inhibition of efflux pumps appears to be a promising strategy to restore antibacterial potency. In recent years, in order to address this grave problem of multiple drug resistance mediated by efflux pump, a large number of efflux pump inhibitors have been discovered and tested, including natural products, antibiotics and synthetic molecules. This review mainly describes recent achievements in the search for new molecules that are able to inhibit efflux pumps in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, in particular emphasis on natural and synthetic inhibitors of the NorA efflux pump in Staphylococcus aureus, MexAB-OprM efflux pump in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and AcrAB-TolC efflux pump in Enterobacteriaceae, giving special attention to their mechanisms of action, structureactivity relationships and synergetic effect with clinically available antibiotics. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Focusing on classical urban centres, the thesis discusses the topic of dating archaeological deposits through the study of the embedded assemblages. Although this represents a fundamental activity, routinely carried out after the fieldwork, it is still clearly poorly strucutred both from a theoretical perspective and from a methodological one. Hence, the work proposes a review of the main concepts involved in the issue of dating deposits and proposes analytical and comparative tools to be employed. It follows a taxonomy of archaeological deposits, based on their very informative potential for dating purposes and equipped with case studies. Eventually, the thesis proposes a structured working method, which goes from fieldwork to publishing.

In disallowing the inaccuracies of memory to infiltrate stories of war, one condemns oneself to remain forever blinded by the obvious, shielded from the invisible violence that often lurks beneath the visible. Following Žižek, this article posits that invisible violence should be glimpsed indirectly, through aesthetic representations often excluded from the annals of the official history of war. The argument is made through a close reading of Joe Sacco's representation of the 1956 Khan Younis massacre as depicted in Footnotes in Gaza. In this text, Sacco himself and Omm Nafez – one of the protagonists of his story – express, in detail, their memories of the massacre, despite the initial reluctance of the media and publishing houses to publish their accounts. The position of Sacco and Omm Nafez is described as being that of ‘productive myopia’ because the inaccuracies and confusions that their accounts accommodate – instead of being limiting – are considered an avenue through which they may approach what has hitherto been invisible in other accounts of this massacre. Nora's validation of memory as way of producing knowledge and Žižek's notion of invisible/objective violence as an important driver of the visible/subjective cycle of violence are used to show how these memories may be inserted into the realm of history by embracing their shadows and complexities rather than disallowing them. It is conjectured that doing this may allow one to glimpse aspects of violence that have remained hitherto unseen. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Selected quarries and adjacent areas of xerophilous grassland in Bohemian karst were examined for the presence of velvet spider burrows. Selected microhabitat valuables were collected and their significance for ladybird spider analyzed.

L’Università degli Studi di Milano, sotto la direzione scientifica del Prof. G. Bejor, opera a Nora (Pula, Cagliari) dal 2002, in un progetto sostenuto da quattro atenei italiani. Oggetto della ricerca sono il settore centrale della penisola e le due fasce abitative collocate sulla costa occidentale e meridionale. Nel quartiere centrale le recenti campagne di scavo stanno portando alla luce l’isolato sottostante le Terme Centrali e le domus mosaicate, dimostrando una continuità di vita dall’età repubblicana fino al periodo tardoantico., LANX. Rivista della Scuola di Specializzazione in Archeologia - Università degli Studi di Milano, No 17 (2014)

An essay which was written during Philosophy class of the 2014 year

En janvier 1912, la revue Seitō, fondée uniquement par des femmes, consacrait un numéro spécial à Une Maison de poupée d’Ibsen. C’était la première fois que les femmes elles-mêmes s’emparaient de la question. Celles-ci se proposaient de s’approprier un « modèle » qu’elles allaient interpréter à leur façon et non selon les préceptes officiels. L’émancipation de la femme, la valorisation personnelle de la femme au sein du couple, l’établissement d’un nouveau modèle de mariage – le mariage d’amour – constituèrent les préoccupations centrales des membres de Seitō. Toutefois Hiratsuka Raichō, l’initiatrice de la revue, fit preuve d’originalité par sa conception de la personnalité intérieure qui dépendait moins de l’expérience amoureuse que de la concentration spirituelle ou religieuse. In January 1912, the magazine Seitō, founded only by women, dedicated a special issue to Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. It was the first time that Japanese women had dealt with this question themselves. These women set out to take a new model on board, to then interpret it in their own way and not according to the precepts of the male or female educators recognized in their official positions. The emancipation of women, the personal promotion of the woman in the couple, a new model of marriage – a marriage of love – were the main concern of the members of Seitō. However, Hiratsuka was truly original in her conception of women’s inner personalities, which depends less on the love affair than the concentration on their religious or spiritual side. 女性のみによって創刊された『青鞜』は、1912年1月イプセンの『人形の家』のノラについての特集号を出版した。ノラ、そして「新しい女」が当時の日本人にとって未知の存在ではなかったとしても、初めて女性たちが自ら討論を促し、リードしたというのは画期的なことであった。彼女らは権威ある男性および女性教育者の指針に頼らず、自分たちで新しい「モデル」を作りだし我がものにしようとしていた。女性解放や、恋愛結婚という新しい結婚の形によって女性の価値を向上させることなどが主に青鞜社の社員の関心を呼んでいる。しかし『青鞜』の創始者、平塚らいてうは、内的人格を恋愛経験や恋愛結婚を通してよりも、精神あるいは宗教的集中によって得られると考えた。

La réception d’Une Maison de poupée d’Ibsen en Chine et au Japon offre similitudes et contrastes. Des femmes au Japon, membres de Seitō, fondée en 1911, consacrèrent un numéro spécial à Nora pour y revendiquer des rapports plus égalitaires avec les hommes, contre le système patriarcal. En Chine, les fondateurs de la revue Xīn Qīngnián en 1915, applaudirent Nora comme le symbole de l’émancipation vis-à-vis du mariage traditionnel. Les Japonaises eurent du mal à se faire entendre, essuyant critiques et moqueries de la presse. Les hommes en Chine, intellectuels, utilisèrent ces nouvelles idées pour divorcer de leurs femmes à qui ils reprochaient les pieds bandés et leur manque d’instruction. En Chine comme au Japon, la réception des idées nouvelles dépendit des disparités existantes entre hommes et femmes. At the beginning of the 20th Century, Ibsen plays had been very popular, both in Japan and in China. Nora, the heroin of A Doll’s House, had widely influenced young intellectuals in both societies. In Japan, young intellectual women published the magazine Seitō in 1911, applauded Nora’s leaving home as the liberation of woman from the autocracy of men. In China, young intellectual men published the magazine Xīn Qīngnián, in 1915, and had also applauded Nora as the liberation of the men from the old idea of marriage. In Japan, the majority of men and the mass media scorned the members of Seitō as disrupting the traditional family. In China, the young intellectual men accepting the new idea of free love divorced their old-fashioned wives who bound their feet and lacked education. Both in Japan and in China, there was a great disparity between women and men in the reception of new ideas. 本稿は、20世紀初頭の日本と中国において、イプセン『人形の家』の主人公ノラがどのように受容されたかを比較考察するものである。日本の女性たちは、1911年に創刊した『青鞜』においてノラを特集し、男性との関係性を、家父長的支配から対等・平等なものに変革することを訴えた。中国の男性たちは、1915年に雑誌『新青年』を創刊し、ノラに託して、旧い家族観・婚姻観からの脱出を訴えた。日本では女性たちの訴えは男性知識人やメディアから揶揄と嘲笑を浴び、パートナー男性からも理解を得られなかった。中国では新しい家族観･婚姻観に浴した知識人男性は、しばしばその新しい思想を、旧式女性（教育を受けていない纏足をしている女性）との離婚を正当化することに利用した。新思潮の受容は、日本でも中国でも､女性と男性との意識の差の拡大につながったのである。

Sammendrag Denne masteroppgaven, Nora, en stereotyp kjønnsrolle, eller først og fremst et menneske , er en tverrestetisk studie av stereotypier, med hovedfordypning i teatervitenskap. Jeg skal her se nærmere på kjønnsstereotypier i kunsten og samfunnet på bakgrunn av Paul Mattick Jr. s artikkel Beautiful and Sublime: Gender Totemism in the Constitution of Art . Ved å legge vekt på hvordan stereotype kvalitetstrekk knyttet til utpregede feminine og maskuline kategorier i samfunnet, har blitt brukt for å beskrive og kategorisere kunst opp gjennom århundrene helt fra antikkens tid, fremhever Mattick et interessant fenomen som kan bidra til å gi kunsten en viktig samfunnsmessig og politisk betydning. Påvirkningen mellom kunst og samfunn går nemlig begge veier, noe som betyr at konkrete kjønnsstereotypier i kunsten også kan ha bidratt til å utforme samfunnets syn på kvinner og menn. Mitt kunstneriske undersøkelsesobjekt er Henrik Ibsens teaterstykket Et dukkehjem fra 1879, med rollekarakteren Nora Helmer i spissen. Dette er et drama som nettopp er berømt for å sette fokus på samfunnspolitikk og likestilling mellom kjønnene, men som samtidig også inneholder en interessant og mangfoldig kunstnerisk dimensjon, knyttet til tema, handling og sjanger. Av den grunn var det aktuelt å benytte både estetisk- , teatervitenskapelig- og kjønnsteori på en undersøkelse av Nora og Et dukkehjem. Kanskje kunne til og med et tverrestetiske perspektiv tilføre en ny dimensjon til forståelsen av Henrik Ibsens drama og rollekarakteren Nora, på tross av alle tidligere tekster og undersøkelser som behandler dette stykket, var min tanke. Med denne ideen som utgangspunkt, ble oppgavens problemstilling: Kan karakteren Nora fra Et dukkehjem passe inn i utvalgte stereotype definisjoner? Jeg vil hevde at Noras rollekarakter kan passe inn i flere ulike stereotype kjønnsroller, både fra hennes egen, borgerlige samtid og stereotypier funnet i tverrestetisk filosofi fra forskjellige tidsaldre opp gjennom historien. Disse stereotypiene er både maskuline og feminine, lyse og mørke, tradisjonelle og moderne, og alle er de utpregede og står tydelig fram. Når Nora nettopp har blitt et slikt berømt symbol på frihet- og likestilling, vil jeg knytte dette til de utpregede stereotype kategoriene som jeg finner i stykket og ikke minst Noras dramatiske brudd med disse kategoriene i stykkets siste del. På den måten vil jeg kunne konkludere med at stykket Et dukkehjems evige aktualitet og dets betydelige plass i teaterhistorien, nettopp kan knyttes til kjønnsstereotypier.

Tra i numerosi manufatti recuperati nelle campagne di ricognizione subacquea condotte a Nora da Michel Cassien negli anni 1978-1984 rientrano anche una ventina di terrecotte figurate, composte in prevalenza da raffigurazioni umane (tra cui cinque teste di particolare interesse) e animali (musi e orecchie). Il presente lavoro affronta in forma preliminare la discussa tematica relativa al luogo di produzione dei manufatti, avvalendosi dei risultati delle analisi archeometriche condotte su alcune terrecotte appositamente campionate, allo scopo di identificare le caratteristiche mineralogiche e petrografiche degli impasti ceramici e di confrontarle in primo luogo con quelle delle georisorse locali.

Prikaz predstave Nora, nastale prema istoimenu dramskom tekstu Henrika Ibsena, u Hrvatskom narodnom kazalištu u Zagrebu 2014.

Devido à importância do relacionamento e ao estereótipo social sobre a "sogra", este estudo descreve a relação sogra-nora, nos seus aspectos favorecedores e dificultadores, segundo a ótica das noras. A amostra foi composta de 10 noras, com idade entre 27 e 44 anos, casadas no mínimo há 4 anos, com sogras vivas. Utilizou-se uma entrevista semi-estruturada com três eixos temáticos: relação sogra-nora, aspectos favorecedores e aspectos dificultadores do relacionamento. Analisou-se o conteúdo das respostas, elaborando-se categorias por temas afins. Fez-se uma análise quantitativa/descritiva com freqüências e porcentagens das respostas. Verificou-se que com maior freqüência de respostas as noras referem ter um relacionamento "negativo/ruim/distante" com suas sogras. Também existiram mais aspectos dificultadores do que favorecedores. As noras atribuíram às sogras a culpa pelo relacionamento não satisfatório. Quanto aos aspectos dificultadores, destacaram-se o ciúme e as implicâncias por parte da sogra. Nos aspectos favorecedores, destacaram-se o amadurecimento e a experiência de ambas. Os resultados confirmam o estereótipo social atribuído às sogras por suas noras.The present research describes favorable and unfavorable aspects concerning the relationship of mothers-in-law with their daughters-in-law, under the latter’s viewpoint The participants were 10 daughters-in-law whose age range was between 27 and 44 years, who have been married for at least four-years, and whose mothers-in-law were alive. The data were collected using a semi-structured interview with three main themes: mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law relationships, favorable aspects of the relationship, and unfavorable aspects. The data analysis was categorical and descriptive. The findings showed that most daughters-in-law describe their relationship with their mothers-in-law in such way as to suggest negative involvement, unpleasant and distant relationships. Moreover, daughters-in-law consider their mothers-in-law responsible for the difficulties in the relationship. The aspects that contribute for that perception are mothers-in-law’s jealousy and teasing behavior. Among the favorable aspects are maturation and life experience from both sides. The results seemed to give some support to stereotypical social beliefs that daughters-in-law hold about their mothers-in-law.

Devido à importância do relacionamento e ao estereótipo social sobre a "sogra", este estudo descreve a relação sogra-nora, nos seus aspectos favorecedores e dificultadores, segundo a ótica das noras. A amostra foi composta de 10 noras, com idade entre 27 e 44 anos, casadas no mínimo há 4 anos, com sogras vivas. Utilizou-se uma entrevista semi-estruturada com três eixos temáticos: relação sogra-nora, aspectos favorecedores e aspectos dificultadores do relacionamento. Analisou-se o conteúdo das respostas, elaborando-se categorias por temas afins. Fez-se uma análise quantitativa/descritiva com freqüências e porcentagens das respostas. Verificou-se que com maior freqüência de respostas as noras referem ter um relacionamento "negativo/ruim/distante" com suas sogras. Também existiram mais aspectos dificultadores do que favorecedores. As noras atribuíram às sogras a culpa pelo relacionamento não satisfatório. Quanto aos aspectos dificultadores, destacaram-se o ciúme e as implicâncias por parte da sogra. Nos aspectos favorecedores, destacaram-se o amadurecimento e a experiência de ambas. Os resultados confirmam o estereótipo social atribuído às sogras por suas noras. The present research describes favorable and unfavorable aspects concerning the relationship of mothers-in-law with their daughters-in-law, under the latter’s viewpoint The participants were 10 daughters-in-law whose age range was between 27 and 44 years, who have been married for at least four-years, and whose mothers-in-law were alive. The data were collected using a semi-structured interview with three main themes: mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law relationships, favorable aspects of the relationship, and unfavorable aspects. The data analysis was categorical and descriptive. The findings showed that most daughters-in-law describe their relationship with their mothers-in-law in such way as to suggest negative involvement, unpleasant and distant relationships. Moreover, daughters-in-law consider their mothers-in-law responsible for the difficulties in the relationship. The aspects that contribute for that perception are mothers-in-law’s jealousy and teasing behavior. Among the favorable aspects are maturation and life experience from both sides. The results seemed to give some support to stereotypical social beliefs that daughters-in-law hold about their mothers-in-law.

After the theoric seasons of the second middle of the Twenthieth century especially by the anglo-american Scholars and the beginning of the open area excavations enterprises in Italy thirty years ago, the concept of the therm “method” holds now a multiplicity of aspects one another connected; their theorical and practical applications make valuable the method universality but it depends on the characteristics of the archaeological site too. So Nora with its historical-archaeological stratification is an exemplary specimen from a lot of points of view like a precious source to draw stratigraphical sequences inside large chronological oasis with very important monumental contexts. The universitary équipes were allowed to adopt a modern methodological practice, founded on technological resources, that leads to a perspective which contains the archaeology of architecture and the archaeology of the smallest clue compared together. The fast and careful editions of the field-works in the “Quaderni Norensi” Collection, enriched by an exhaustive documentary evidence, constitutes an indispensable contribution to the reconstruction of the ancient town and the best trial to test a research model “open-area” between équipes differently formed but in a scientific homogeneous climate., Dopo le stagioni della speculazione teorica della seconda metà del Novecento di marca soprattutto anglo-americana e l’avvio delle grandi imprese di scavo open area in Italia dagli anni Ottanta, il concetto di metodo oggi racchiude in sé una interconnessa molteplicità di aspetti che, pur nella loro universalità applicativa sul piano teorico-pratico, debbono obbedire inevitabilmente anche alle peculiarità dal sito indagato. Il caso di Nora e della sua pluristratificazione storico-archeologica appare esemplare per molti aspetti, quale fonte preziosa di sequenze stratigrafiche racchiuse entro ampie oasi cronologiche e di contesti monumentali di notevole importanza; le diverse équipes universitarie hanno così potuto adottare una moderna prassi metodologica, ben strutturata anche sul piano delle risorse tecnologiche e sussidiarie, privilegiando in una visione unica sia l’archeologia dell’architettura sia quella delle tracce minute. La rapida e puntuale pubblicazione dei resoconti di scavo nella Collana “Quaderni Norensi”, arricchiti da una documentazione esauriente, rappresenta un contributo metodologico qualificante alla ricostruzione della città antica e la prova feconda di un modello di indagine gestito su un’area estesa da parte di équipes di diversa formazione scientifica in un clima scientifico unitario.

Dopo le stagioni della speculazione teorica della seconda metà del Novecento di marca soprattutto anglo-americana e l’avvio delle grandi imprese di scavo open area in Italia dagli anni Ottanta, il concetto di metodo oggi racchiude in sé una interconnessa molteplicità di aspetti che, pur nella loro universalità applicativa sul piano teorico-pratico, debbono obbedire inevitabilmente anche alle peculiarità dal sito indagato. Il caso di Nora e della sua pluristratificazione storico-archeologica appare esemplare per molti aspetti, quale fonte preziosa di sequenze stratigrafiche racchiuse entro ampie oasi cronologiche e di contesti monumentali di notevole importanza; le diverse équipes universitarie hanno così potuto adottare una moderna prassi metodologica, ben strutturata anche sul piano delle risorse tecnologiche e sussidiarie, privilegiando in una visione unica sia l’archeologia dell’architettura sia quella delle tracce minute. La rapida e puntuale pubblicazione dei resoconti di scavo nella Collana “Quaderni Norensi”, arricchiti da una documentazione esauriente, rappresenta un contributo metodologico qualificante alla ricostruzione della città antica e la prova feconda di un modello di indagine gestito su un’area estesa da parte di équipes di diversa formazione scientifica in un clima scientifico unitario., LANX. Rivista della Scuola di Specializzazione in Archeologia - Università degli Studi di Milano, No 14 (2013)

La ricostruzione tridimensionale delle Terme Centrali di Nora, ha richiesto un’analisi lunga e ragionata. Sulla base di confronti mirati sono stati affrontati prima uno studio planimetrico del complesso e successivamente quello più complicato degli alzati, al fine di realizzare un modello che permetta di apprezzare l’edificio non solo nella sua complessità strutturale, ma anche nel rapporto con il contesto spaziale in cui si collocava. Questo lavoro rappresenta solo una parte di un più ampio progetto che ha portato alla creazione del modello tridimensionale dell’intero Quartiere Centrale di Nora., LANX. Rivista della Scuola di Specializzazione in Archeologia - Università degli Studi di Milano, No 14 (2013)

This paper takes into consideration a peripheral part of the E Area in Nora, situated near the southwestern limit of the Central Baths, sheding light on a structure pertaining to a great construction, partially destroyed by the thermal building. The article shows the results of the latest campaign (2012), which tried to supply a systematic documentation of a small area, dug only in the ‘50s; it also tries to express some hypothetical considerations about the function and the stratigraphical position of this structure., Il contributo prende in esame una porzione marginale dell’Area E di Nora situata lungo il limite sudoccidentale delle Terme Centrali. In particolare intende fare chiarezza, per quanto possibile al momento, su una struttura muraria pertinente a un grande edificio precedente alla costruzione dell’edificio termale, cercando di evidenziare i dati emersi nell’ultima campagna di scavo (2012), mirata a fornire una documentazione sistematica di un’area indagata prima d’ora unicamente negli anni ’50. L’articolo presenta inoltre alcune considerazioni ipotetiche sulla funzione e la collocazione stratigrafica di questa imponente struttura muraria, confrontandola con altre evidenze rinvenute nelle aree limitrofe.