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Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is a highly lipophilic molecule with low solubility, making absorption difficult. Recent techniques like micronisation, ultra-micronisation and combining PEA with solvents have improved their bioavailability and stability. Our study analysed particle size differences and absorption kinetics using specific solvents (PEAΩ and PEA DynoΩ) over time (0.5 h–6 h) in a dose-dependent manner (200 mg–1800 mg). The results showed that PEAΩ and PEA DynoΩ achieved 82–63% absorption at 3 h, compared to 30–60% for micronised, ultra-micronised PEA and a commercial product, highlighting the optimal dose range of 300 mg–600 mg. In addition, a 3D model of the peripheral nerve was utilised to explain the efficacy after gut passage and support the most effective dose (300 mg or 600 mg) achieved at the gut level. PEAΩ and PEA DynoΩ, which are associated with better intestinal bioavailability compared to PEA-micronised, PEA ultra-micronised and a commercial product, have allowed not only a reduction in the inflammatory context but also an improvement of peripheral nerve well-being by increasing specific markers like MPZ (26–36% vs. 8–15%), p75 (25–32% vs. 13–16%) and NRG1 (22–29.5% vs. 11–14%). These results highlight the potential of advanced PEA formulations to overcome solubility challenges and maintain in vitro efficacy, modulating peripheral nerve well-being.

The gut–brain axis is a bidirectional relationship between the microbiota and the brain; genes related to the brain and gut synaptic formation are similar. Research on the causal effects of gut microbiota on human behavior, brain development, and function, as well as the underlying molecular processes, has emerged in recent decades. Probiotics have been shown in several trials to help reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms. Because of this, probiotic combinations have been tested in in vitro models to see whether they might modulate the gut and alleviate depression and anxiety. Therefore, we sought to determine whether a novel formulation might affect the pathways controlling anxiety and depression states and alter gut barrier activities in a 3D model without having harmful side effects. Our findings indicate that B. bifidum novaBBF7 10 mg/mL, B. longum novaBLG2 5 mg/mL, and L. paracasei TJB8 10 mg/mL may influence the intestinal barrier and enhance the synthesis of short-chain fatty acids. Additionally, the probiotics studied did not cause neuronal damage and, in combination, exert a protective effect against the condition of anxiety and depression triggered by L-Glutamate. All these findings show that probiotics can affect gut function to alter the pathways underlying anxiety and depression.

Neuropathy affects 7–10% of the general population and is caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory system. The limitations of current therapies highlight the necessity of a new innovative approach to treating neuropathic pain (NP) based on the close correlation between oxidative stress, inflammatory process, and antioxidant action. The advantageous outcomes of a novel combination composed of Hop extract, Propolis, Ginkgo Biloba, Vitamin B, and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) used as a treatment was evaluated in this study. To assess the absorption and biodistribution of the combination, its bioavailability was first examined in a 3D intestinal barrier model that replicated intestinal absorption. Further, a 3D nerve tissue model was developed to study the biological impacts of the combination during the essential pathways involved in NP. Our findings show that the combination could cross the intestinal barrier and reach the peripheral nervous system, where it modulates the oxidative stress, inflammation levels, and myelination mechanism (increased NRG, MPZ, ERB, and p75 levels) under Schwann cells damaging. This study proves the effectiveness of Ginkgo Biloba, Propolis, Hop extract, Vitamin B, and PEA in avoiding nerve damage and suggests a potential alternative nutraceutical treatment for NP and neuropathies.

Chronic oxidative stress has been consistently linked to age-related diseases, conditions, and degenerative syndromes. Specifically, the brain is the organ that significantly contributes to declining quality of life in ageing. Since the body cannot completely counteract the detrimental effects of oxidative stress, nutraceuticals’ antioxidant properties have received significant attention in recent years. This study assesses the potential health benefits of a novel combination of glutathione, vitamin D3, and N-acetylcysteine. To examine the combination’s absorption and biodistribution and confirm that it has no harmful effects, the bioavailability of the mixture was first evaluated in a 3D model that mimicked the intestinal barrier. Further analyses on the blood–brain barrier was conducted to determine the antioxidant effects of the combination in the nervous system. The results show that the combination reaches the target and successfully crosses the blood–brain and intestinal barriers, demonstrating enhanced advantages on the neurological system, such as a reduction (about 10.5%) in inflammation and enhancement in cell myelination (about 20.4%) and brain tropism (about 18.1%) compared to the control. The results support the cooperative effect of N-acetylcysteine, vitamin D3, and glutathione to achieve multiple health benefits, outlining the possibility of an alternative nutraceutical approach.

Vitamin D3 (VitD3) plays a crucial role in various cellular functions through its receptor interaction. The biological activity of Vitamin D3 can vary based on its solubility and stability. Thus, the challenge lies in maximizing its biological effects through its complexation within cyclodextrin (βNS-CDI 1:4) nanosponges (NS) (defined as VitD3NS). Therefore, its activity has been evaluated on two different gut–brain axes (healthy gut/degenerative brain and inflammatory bowel syndrome gut/degenerative brain axis). At the gut level, VitD3-NS mitigated liposaccharide-induced damage (100 ng/mL; for 48 h), restoring viability, integrity, and activity of tight junctions and reducing ROS production, lipid peroxidation, and cytokines levels. Following intestinal transit, VitD3-NS improved the neurodegenerative condition in the healthy axis and the IBS model, suggesting the ability of VitD3-NS to preserve efficacy and beneficial effects even in IBS conditions. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the ability of this novel form of VitD3, named VitD3-NS, to act on the gut–brain axis in healthy and damaged conditions, emphasizing enhanced biological activity through VitD3 complexation, as such complexation increases the beneficial effect of vitamin D3 in both the gut and brain by about 50%.

Background: Peripheral neuropathy is caused by a malfunction in the axons and myelin sheaths of peripheral nerves and motor and sensory neurons. In this context, nonpharmacological treatments with antioxidant potential have attracted much attention due to the issues that some conventional pharmaceutical therapy can generate. Most of these treatments contain lipoic acid, but issues have emerged regarding its use. Considering this, the present study evaluated the beneficial effects of nutraceuticals based on Gastrodiae elata dry extract 10:1 or lipoic acid in combination with other substances (such as citicholine, B vitamins, and acetyl L-carnitine). Method: To assess the combination’s absorption and biodistribution and exclude cytotoxicity, its bioavailability was first examined in a 3D intestinal barrier model that replicated oral ingestion. Subsequently, a 3D model of nerve tissue was constructed to investigate the impacts of the new combination on the significant pathways dysregulated in peripheral neuropathy. Results: Our findings show that the novel combination outperformed in initial pain relief response and in recovering the mechanism of nerve healing following Schwann cell injury by successfully crossing the gut barrier and reaching the target site. Conclusion: This article describes a potential alternative nutraceutical approach supporting the effectiveness of combinations with Gastrodiae elata extract in decreasing neuropathy and regulating pain pathways.

Chondroitin is well known to regulate several biological functions and to exert a critical role in the regulation of joint physiology maintaining proper chondrocyte activity. The aim of this study was to explore the ability of a new chondroitin, from plant origin, to induce different biological effects analyzing the link between certain chemical properties and the specific biological significance. Its biological effects were analyzed by intestinal permeability and in vitro osteoarthritis conditions verifing data to other chondroitin forms from animal and non-animal sources. Plant-derived chondroitin shows a heterogeneous chemical-biological profile, which may be responsible for many specific functions observed in vitro. Furthermore, it exhibits a better absorption profile without affecting the intestinal barrier and modulates disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin 5 motifs to prevent cartilage degradation. Plant-derived chondroitin, Greendroitin®, can be considered an excellent new strategy to improve cartilage trophism, based on surprising biological properties in osteoarthritis in vitro model.

Despite the identification of several innovative targets for avoiding cognitive decline, there has yet to be a widely accepted approach that deals with minimising the deterioration of cognitive function. In this light, recent studies suggest that regulating the gut-brain axis with probiotics is a potential therapeutic strategy to support brain health. For this reason, in vitro models were used to examine the efficacy of different probiotic combinations to enhance intestinal homeostasis and positively affect the brain. Therefore, the new formulation has been evaluated for its capacity to modify intestinal barrier functions in a 3D in vitro model without any adverse effects and directly impact the mechanisms underlying cognitive function in a gut-brain axis model. According to our findings, B. bifidum novaBBF7 10 mg/mL, B. longum novaBLG2 5 mg/mL and L. paracasei TJB8 10 mg/mL may successfully modify the intestinal barrier and improve SCFA production. Successively, the probiotics studied caused no harm at the neuronal level, as demonstrated by iNOS, mitochondrial potential, and cell viability tests, confirming their safety features and enhancing antioxidant mechanisms and antineuroinflammation activity. Additionally, the damage caused by oxidative stress was also healed, and critical pathways that result in cognitive impairment were changed by synergetic action, supporting the hypothesis that brain ageing and neurodegeneration are slowed down. All these findings demonstrate the ability of probiotics to affect cognitive processes and their ability to sustain the mechanisms underlying cognitive function by acting on intestinal function.

Vitamin D plays an important role in numerous cellular functions due to the ability to bind the Vitamin D receptor (VDR), which is present in different tissues. Several human diseases depend on low vitamin D3 (human isoform) serum level, and supplementation is necessary. However, vitamin D3 has poor bioavailability, and several strategies are tested to increase its absorption. In this work, the complexation of vitamin D3 in Cyclodextrin-based nanosponge (CD-NS, in particular, βNS-CDI 1:4) was carried out to study the possible enhancement of bioactivity. The βNS-CDI 1:4 was synthesized by mechanochemistry, and the complex was confirmed using FTIR-ATR and TGA. TGA demonstrated higher thermostability of the complexed form. Subsequently, in vitro experiments were performed to evaluate the biological activity of Vitamin D3 complexed in the nanosponges on intestinal cells and assess its bioavailability without cytotoxic effect. The Vitamin D3 complexes enhance cellular activity at the intestinal level and improve its bioavailability. In conclusion, this study demonstrates for the first time the ability of CD-NS complexes to improve the chemical and biological function of Vitamin D3.

Neuropathic pain is a typical patient disorder resulting from damage and dysfunction of the peripheral neuraxis. Injury to peripheral nerves in the upper extremities can result in a lifelong reduction in quality of life and a devastating loss of sensory and motor function. Since some standard pharmaceutical therapies can cause dependence or intolerance, nonpharmacological treatments have gained great interest in recent years. In this context, the beneficial effects of a new combination of palmitoylethanolamide and Equisetum arvense L. are evaluated in the present study. The bioavailability of the combination was initially analyzed in a 3D intestinal barrier simulating oral intake to analyze its absorption/biodistribution and exclude cytotoxicity. In a further step, a 3D nerve tissue model was performed to study the biological effects of the combination during the key mechanisms leading to peripheral neuropathy. Our results demonstrate that the combination successfully crossed the intestinal barrier and reached the target site, modulating the nerve recovery mechanism after Schwann cell injury and offering the initial response of relieving pain. This work supported the efficacy of palmitoylethanolamide and Equisetum arvense L. in reducing neuropathy and modifying the major pain mechanisms, outlining a possible alternative nutraceutical approach.

Nasal sprays are medical devices useful for preventing infection and the subsequent spread of airborne pathogens. The effectiveness of these devices depends on the activity of chosen compounds which can create a physical barrier against viral uptake as well as incorporate different substances with antiviral activity. Among antiviral compounds, UA, a dibenzofuran derived from lichens, has the mechanical ability to modify its structure by creating a branch capable of forming a protective barrier. The mechanical ability of UA to protect cells from virus infection was investigated by analyzing the branching capacity of UA, and then the protection mechanism in an in vitro model was also studied. As expected, UA at 37 °C was able to create a barrier confirming its ramification property. At the same time, UA was able to block the infection of Vero E6 and HNEpC cells by interfering with a biological interaction between cells and viruses as revealed also by the UA quantification. Therefore, UA can block virus activity through a mechanical barrier effect without altering the physiological nasal homeostasis. The findings of this research could be of great relevance in view of the growing alarm regarding the spread of airborne viral diseases.

Background: In recent decades, hyaluronic acid (HA) has attracted great attention as a new treatment option for osteoarthritis. Classical therapies are not able to stop the cartilage degeneration process nor do they favor tissue repair. Nowadays, it is accepted that high molecular weight HA can reduce inflammation by promoting tissue regeneration; therefore, the aim of this study was to verify the efficacy of a new high molecular weight HA of plant origin (called GreenIuronic®) in maintaining joint homeostasis and preventing the harmful processes of osteoarthritis. Methods: The bioavailability of GreenIuronic® was investigated in a 3D intestinal barrier model that mimics human oral intake while excluding damage to the intestinal barrier. Furthermore, the chemical significance and biological properties of GreenIuronic® were investigated in conditions that simulate osteoarthritis. Results: Our data demonstrated that GreenIuronic® crosses the intestinal barrier without side effects as it has a chemical–biological profile, which could be responsible for many specific chondrocyte functions. Furthermore, in the osteoarthritis model, GreenIuronic® can modulate the molecular mechanism responsible for preventing and restoring the degradation of cartilage. Conclusion: According to our results, this new form of HA appears to be well absorbed and distributed to chondrocytes, preserving their biological activities. Therefore, the oral administration of GreenIuronic® in humans can be considered a valid strategy to obtain beneficial therapeutic effects during osteoarthritis.

3D pixel sensors aimed at the upgrades of the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the High Luminosity LHC have small pixel size and pretty dense layouts. In addition, modified 3D designs with small pixel size and trenched electrodes in place of columnar electrodes are being developed to optimize the pixel timing performance in view of the LHCb upgrade. The fabrication of these advanced 3D pixels is challenging from the lithographical point of view. This motivated the use of stepper lithography at Fondazione Bruno Kessler in place of a standard mask aligner. The small minimum feature size and high alignment accuracy of stepper allow a good definition of the sensor geometries also in the most critical layouts, so that a higher fabrication yield can be obtained. In this paper, we will present the main design and technological issues and discuss their impact on the electrical characteristics of 3D pixel sensors of different geometries.

Larch (Larix decidua) bark is a sawmill waste, traditionally used for antiseptic, expectorant and dermatological (wound healing, eczema, psoriasis) purposes. In this work, we developed a food-grade dry larch bark extract (LBE) from sawmill by-products using hydro-alcoholic extraction. The antibacterial activity of LBE was evaluated against respiratory-tract pathogens, i.e., Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Haemophilus influenza, and it was compared to that of grapefruit seed extract (GSE), a commercially available raw material commonly proposed as antibacterial ingredient for over-the-counter products. Procyanidins (PACs) and other polyphenols contents in LBE were determined by HPLC-FLD-MS and HPLC-DAD-MSn, respectively. The antimicrobial activity of LBE and GSE was assessed using the micro-plate dilution technique in concentration range of 2–200 µg/mL, and the safety of these dosages was assessed in cellular and animal models. LBE showed considerable contents of PACs (15% w/w; especially B-type) and other polyphenols (3.8% w/w), among which the characteristic spiropolyphenols larixinol and epilarixinol were identified, together with the flavonoids isoquercitrin and rutin, already reported as growth inhibitors of different respiratory-tract pathogens. LBE showed higher antimicrobial activity compared to GSE, demonstrated by a growth inhibition range of 10–40% towards five of six strains tested, compared to 10–15% of GSE. These results suggest that LBE may represent a natural and sustainable source of active compounds with antibacterial activity for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications.

Context: Thymus alternans Klokov (Lamiaceae) is a neglected species of the genus Thymus (Sect. Serpyllum) endemic to Carpathian area, where it is used as a flavouring agent and for medicinal purposes. Objective: The aim of the work was to identify antiproliferative constituents from the flowering aerial parts of this plant. Materials and methods: Thymus alternans extracts were analyzed by HPLC-MSn and subjected to extensive chromatographic separations. The isolated compounds (phenolics and triterpenes) were structurally elucidated by MS and 1D and 2D NMR experiments. Essential oil (EO) composition was determined by GC-FID and GC-MS. Six purified triterpenes and EO were assayed for in vitro antiproliferative activity against a panel of human cancer cells, namely, breast (MDA-MB 231), colon (HCT-15 and HCT116), lung (U1810), pancreatic (BxPC3), melanoma (A375) and cervical carcinoma (A431) cells. Results: The structures of the isolated compounds were achieved on the basis of H-NMR and MS experiments. Luteolin-4′-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (P1), chrysoeriol-7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (P2), chrysoeriol-5-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (P3), apigenin-7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (P4), rosmarinic acid (P5), rosmarinic acid-3′-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (P6), caffeic acid-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (P7), 3α-hydroxy-urs-12,15-diene (T1), α-amyrin (T2), β-amyrin (T3), isoursenol (T4), epitaraxerol (T5), and oleanolic acid (T6). GC-MS analysis revealed that the EO of T. alternans was devoid of phenols and belonged to the nerolidol-chemotype, that is typical of the Sect. Serpyllum. The six purified triterpenes (T1-T6) were active with IC50 ranging from 0.5 to 5 μM being comparable or better than those of reference compounds betulinic acid and cisplatin. The EO exhibited significant effects on A375, MDA-MB 231 and HCT116 cell lines with IC50 in the range of 5–8 μg/mL. Conclusion: The reported results suggest that T. alternans can be considered as a good source of phytoconstituents with possible importance in the pharmaceutical field.

Claudia De Martino, I mizrahim in Israele. La storia degli ebrei dei Paesi islamici (1948-77) (Roma, Carocci Editore, 2015, 214 pp., ISBN: 978-8843078592) di Sara Ferrari

Che lo sport non rappresenti esclusivamente un semplice hobby, un divertissement tramite il quale corroborare il corpo e distrarre la mente è cosa ben nota sin dai tempi più remoti. Pur configurandosi come una pratica che riguarda e coinvolge innanzitutto l’individuo e la sua complessità psicofisica, esso possiede parimenti un significato il quale trascende l’ordinarietà di questi esigui confini. Lo sport, infatti, scrive, ad esempio, Nitsch, non è soltanto un’attività “privata”, bensì un esercizio rivolto anche e soprattutto agli altri, ossia “uno spettacolo” (cf. Nitsch 1992: 278), con tutte le implicazioni che ne derivano. Lo sport è intrattenimento e comunicazione, divide e, al tempo stesso, unisce ed esalta, capace di esercitare sull’immaginario collettivo un potere catalizzatore paragonabile solo a pochi altri fenomeni culturali. Afferma Crosson: “sport has developed over the twentieth century and into the twenty-first to become one of the most important and influential of contemporary cultural practices” (Crosson 2013: 1), come si può ben notare...

Massimo Giuliani, La giustizia seguirai. Etica e halakhà nel pensiero rabbinico

Alessandra Terenzi Viaggio in Levante. Armature urbane, popoli e paesaggi (Boves, Araba Fenice, 2016, 420 pp., ISBN: 978-8866173335) di Sara Ferrari

The desire of maternity, mostly a frustrated desire or perceived as such, is a recurring theme in the poetry of the so-called “founding mothers” of Hebrew female poetry, namely Anda Amir-Pinkerfeld, Rachel, Esther Raab, Yocheved Bat-Miriam. Although critics have often referred to this subject as a simple expression of private grief, it plays a significant role in the process of formation of a feminine poetic discourse in Hebrew and Israeli literature. This survey reviews the contribution of this topic to Hebrew and Israeli poetry through some significant examples selected from works published from 1929 to 2009.

Marina Caffiero, Storia degli ebrei nell’Italia moderna (Roma, Carocci editore, 2014, 256 pp. ISBN 978-88-430-7412-9)

Baruch Spinoza, Compendio di grammatica della lingua ebraica (a cura e con introduzione di Pina Totaro, traduzione e note di Massimo Gargiulo, Firenze, Olschki Editore, 2013, 204 pp. ISBN 978-88-222-6212-7)

The aim of this lecture is to explore the question of representing terrorists in Israeli literature, namely in the books, Ha-me’ahev, (The Lover), by A.B. Yehoshua, Ha-Qaytanah Shel Kneller (Kneller Happy Camp) by Etgar Keret, Shum gemadim lo yavo’u (The King of Falafel) by Sarah Shilo and Tanin pigua (Croc attack) by Assaf Gavron. A particular attention will be devoted to the confrontation with the other and its purpose in these books.

The heritage summarizes the cultural, material and immaterial inheritance which refers to a local and community context expressing its characteristics, uniqueness and potential. The cultural route - container of heritage and structural elements of an area - contributes to the construction of the tourist services and the heritage image. It is oriented towards new musts in the tourism planning and therefore it generates emotional experiences, fosters creativity and participation, it provides different models of fruition and several reading and interpretation tools of the heritage.The attention to these issues led us to analyze the itinerary "The glorious return" (part of the wider European itinerary "The ways of the Huguenots and Waldensians") describing the technological applications that have been made such as the creation of a GIS web-site, a multimedia GeoGuide and an application "Augmented Reality for iPhones".

The aim of this paper is to analyse King David’s character as it appears in the play Keter ba-rosh written by Yaakov Shabtai in 1968-1969. In addition to the comparison with the original biblical character, a deep survey of King David’s role in the play has been conducted in the order to explain the different possible interpretations of the work. A particular attention is devoted to the affinity between this play and the fictional work of the author.

The aim of this lecture is to explore the question of representing AIDS in the poetry of Hezy Leskly, namely in the book, Sotim yekarim, "Dear perverts", his fourth and last collection which has been published after his death in 1994. Contrarily to what one could have expected, representations of AIDS and references to this disease are almost totally absent from the book, except in the last poem, Yitzkhak. Nevertheless, although Hezy Leskly explicitly writes on the subject only once, AIDS, or better, the malaise generated by AIDS epidemic, permeates the whole book being an integral part of Leskly's poetic discourse.

Larix decidua bark is a waste of the timber industry and is widely diffused in Northern Italy. This material can be considered a good source of antioxidants and phytoconstituents with possible use in cosmetic or nutraceutical products. In this study, simple extraction of larch bark was performed using mixtures of ethanol/water. Furthermore, the phytochemical composition of larch bark extract was studied using LC-MSn methods and the main constituents were identified as flavonoids, spiro-polyphenols, and procyanidins. To confirm the identification by LC-MS semi-preparative HPLC was performed in order to isolate the main constituents and verify the structures by 1H-NMR. Antioxidant properties were studied using an in vitro approach combining DPPH assay and LC-MS in order to establish different roles of the various classes of phytochemicasl of the extract. DPPH activity of some of the isolated compounds was also assessed. The overall results indicate this waste material as a good source of antioxidant compounds, mainly procyanidins, whichresulted the most active constituents in the DPPH assay.

Cough is the element for monitoring and diagnosis of respiratory disease cause of mortality and loss of productivity in pig houses. In order to prevent as much as possible the outbreak of such diseases the aim of this research is to describe acoustic features of cough sounds originating from infections due to Actinobacillosis and Pasteurellosis and to compare them with healthy cough sounds provoked by inhalation of citric acid. The acoustic parameters investigated are peak frequency [Hz] and duration of cough signals. The differences resulting from the cough sound analysis confirmed a variability in acoustics parameters according to a state of health or disease in the animals. Sound analysis provides physic acoustic features that can be used as tool to label and detect cough in a automatic monitoring system applied in farms.

Different strategies have been adopted to track and monitor red deer (Cervus elaphus) populations according to different habitats and ecosystems. The population census techniques usually carried out are time consuming and involve lot of manpower. A method that relies on individual animal signs like acoustic indices could be useful to support the wildlife management, since vocalisations can encode and transmit a variety of biologically significant information. The present study considered 460 roars recorded from 14 adult deers, from five to eight years old. Recordings were performed in five different locations of northern-central Italy. The acoustic spectrum of each roar was analysed in order to extract its main features, namely: the fundamental frequency (F0), the peak frequency (PF), the sound length (SL) and 24 frequency bins of 174.3 Hz, representing the sound distribution between 50 and 4233.2 Hz (F1 to F24). Statistical analyses showed that individuality and age of animals were significant on F0 (P0.90; P

Scopo di questo articolo sarà la creazione di un ambito di discorso su come gli Stati-Nazione utilizzino la forza retorica dell’immagine iconografica attinta da quella parte del mondo culturale rappresentata dal calcio. Il modo migliore per trattarne mi sembra la breve articolazione di diversi case studies Il primo riguarda la manipolazione del calcio durante il fascismo italiano e durante la vittoria nel Mondiale 2006 oltre al ruolo simbolico assunto dall’architettura di nuovi stadi nella messa in atto di quell’ identità nazionale includente l’idea della “purezza della razza italica”, progetto che appariva complicarsi nelle eterogenee dimensioni locali, paradossalmente esplicitate attraverso il calcio stesso. Altri casi riguardano rappresentazioni e usi che, in diversi periodi storico-politici, si sono legati alla Nazionale francese, culminati con l’elogio della Francia “multirazziale”, vincitrice dei campionati del mondo nel 1998 e il ruolo dei gruppi organizzati di tifosi nella dissoluzione della ex-Jugoslavia. Concludo con il caso dei Mondiali di calcio in Sudafrica nel 2010, un contesto dove lo sport e la sua etnicizzazione hanno rappresentato durante l’apartheid la diversità e successivamente un tentativo politico di unità attraverso l’icona delle squadre sportive nazionali.

Keter Ba-rosh di Yaakov Shabtai per la prima volta in una lingua europea

ABSTRACTSalinity is an important problem for agriculture in the Mediterranean area, and thus, it is essential to develop mitigation strategies to reduce its impact. The main objective of this study was to test the effectiveness of halotolerant plant growth-promoting bacteria (H-PGPB) in improving grapevine salt stress tolerance. Grapevines grafted onto a salt-sensitive rootstock were inoculated with a consortium of H-PGPB. The substrate of half of the plants of each treatment was salinized up to 2 dS m−1. Plants grew for six days under these conditions, and afterward, NaCl was removed to assess plant recovery through growth, physiology, and canopy temperature measurements. Inoculation with H-PGPB had a positive effect on plant physiology, but after salt treatment, grapevines stopped their photosynthetic metabolism, leading to severe defoliation. Remarkably, after salt stress removal, inoculated plants re-sprouted faster, demonstrating that H-PGPB inoculation could be a good practice to increase vineyard resilience to salt stress.