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The present is a palaeobiological and taphonomic analysis of a Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 4–3 (Late Pleistocene) assemblage of animal remains and hominin artefacts from layers 7–5 of Biśnik Cave, Czestochowa Upland, Poland. The analysis indicates that the bone assemblage is the result of a time-averaged palimpsest of both biotic and episodic abiotic events, the former consisting of many successive generations of animals and hominins that frequented the cave, and the latter including hydraulic winnowing. In fact, the taphonomic history of the fossil assemblage from Biśnik Cave's layers 7–5 is partially obscured by the overprint of hydraulic winnowing, which purportedly removed a certain amount of the original specimens. Besides evidence of cave bear deaths from non-violent, hibernation-related mortality and of occupation by generations of denning wolves and hyaenas, there is a wealth of flint artefacts, alongside remains of a few fireplaces and of a structure built in the cave by hominins to partition the cave chambers. The studied layer contains an impressive number of shed antlers, primarily of the red deer Cervus elaphus. Crocuta crocuta spelaea is normally held responsible for such accumulations of shed antlers in various European caves; Biśnik Cave's layers 7–5 will therefore simply add to the list. However, the role of accumulator of shed antlers attributed to the Pleistocene spotted hyena does not match the behaviour of its modern counterpart and seems not accounted for metabolically. The only reasonable alternative is that the antlers were collected by hominins. From this alternative perspective the cave would have functioned as a warehouse, where naturally shed antlers were stored as raw material, potentially to be shaped into tools and/or employed as tools to make other tools. The palaeobiological and taphonomic analysis presented here provides new insights into the succession of pre- and postdepositional events that involved the bone remains accumulated in the cave, as well as into the interactions between the animals and hominins of the time. More importantly, if hominins, and not hyaenas, were responsible for the amassment of the shed antlers in Biśnik Cave, this study raises doubts as to the hyaenid or human origin of other similar cave accumulations of shed antlers throughout Europe.

Sono note quattro diverse specie di insettivori dalla cava del Monticino, due soricidi (Neomyosorex sp. e cf. Miosorex desnoyersianus) e due erinaceidi (Parasorex depereti e “Mioechinus” sp.). Parasorex depereti appartiene ai Galericini, una tribù estinta di gimnuri, e probabilmente era un animale piuttosto opportunista, come gli altri membri dello stesso genere, forse non legato ad ambienti di foresta o umidi relativamente caldi. “Mioechinus” sp. di collocazione sistematica incerta, per alcuni autori potrebbe essere sinonimo dei generi di ricci moderni Atelerix o Hemiechinus. In questo caso, la sua presenza escluderebbe ambienti desertici o di foresta pluviale. Infine, Neomyosorex sp., relativamente vicino ai moderni toporagni d’acqua, potrebbe suggerire la presenza di specchi d’acqua dolce permanenti. Four different species of insectivores are known from the Monticino quarry, two soricids (Neomyosorex sp. and cf. Miosorex desnoyersianus) and two erinaceids (Parasorex depereti and “Mioechinus” sp.). Parasorex depereti belongs to the Galericini, an extinct tribe of gymnures and, as other members of the same genus, was probably a rather opportunistic animal not bound to relatively warm forest or wetland environments. “Mioechinus” sp., although of uncertain systematic placement, for some authors could be synonymous with the modern hedgehog genera Atelerix or Hemiechinus. Thus, its occurrence might exclude desert or rainforest environments. Finally, Neomyosorex sp., rather close to modern water shrews, could suggest the presence of permanent freshwater bodies.

Negative symptoms (NS), conceived as Avolition-Apathy (AA) and Expressive Deficit (EXP) domains, and neurocognitive impairments represent unmet therapeutic needs for patients with schizophrenia. The present study investigated if bilateral bipolar-nonbalanced frontal transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) could improve these psychopathological dimensions. This randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study (active-tDCS versus sham-tDCS, both, n = 25) included 50 outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia clinically stabilized. Patients received 20-min 2 mA active-tDCS or sham-tDCS (anode: left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex; cathode: right orbitofrontal region). Primary outcomes included: PANSS-Negative subscale, Negative Factor (Neg-PANSS), AA and EXP domains; neurocognitive performance at Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia. Secondary outcomes included: PANSS subscales and total score, Disorganized/Concrete (DiscC-PANSS) and Positive Factors, Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scores, clinical insight at Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed evaluating between-group changes over time. Significant improvements following active-tDCS were observed for all NS measures (all, p 0.001; d 0.8) and for working memory (p = 0.025, d = 0.31). Greater variations following to active treatment emerged also for PANSS-General Psychopathology subscale (p 0.001; d = 0.54), PANSS total score (p 0.001; d = 0.69), CGI indexes (all, p 0.001; d 0.6), DiscC-PANSS (p 0.001; d = 0.80) and SUMD-general Unawareness index (p = 0.005; d = 0.15) but not for positive symptoms and others insight measures. Good safety/tolerability profiles were found. Bilateral bipolar-nonbalanced frontal-tDCS is a non-pharmacological approach in schizophrenia effectively improving NS, particularly the AA and EXP domains, probably acting by modulating dysfunctional cortical-subcortical networks. Preliminary results also suggest working memory improvements following tDCS. Further studies are needed to confirm the neurobiological basis of these results.

A large-sized species of Parasorex is common in the MN 13 mammal assemblages from the uppermost Messinian sandy-marly fissure fillings within the Gessoso Solfifera Formation at Brisighella (Northern Apennine). This erinaceid has been classified as Galerix sp. in the first papers on the Brisighella fauna. Later, it was described in detail in an unpublished Ph.D. dissertation by Fanfani (1999), who referred it to Galerix depereti. Van den Hoek Ostende (2001) included G. depereti in the genus Parasorex, Parasorex depereti has been described by Crochet (1986) on scarce material from a few Early Pliocene (MN 14–15) localities of southern France and Spain. Parasorex cf. depereti has been reported from the Early Pliocene fauna of Capo Mannu (Mandriola, Sardinia; Furió and Angelone 2010). The species seems actually distributed in south-western Europe, where it represents the youngest occurrence of the genus Parasorex. The very abundant sample of P. depereti from fissure filling BRS 25 enables a more accurate and comprehensive description of the species. It also permits inspection of the mesial elements of the dentition, which were lacking in the material examined by Crochet (1986). The systematic position of the species has been revisited and compared with those of other Galericini of the Parasorex group.

A paleosurface with a concentration of wooden-, bone-, and stone-tools interspersed among an accumulation of fossil bones, largely belonging to the straight-tusked elephant Palaeoloxodon antiquus, was found at the bottom of a pool, fed by hot springs, that was excavated at Poggetti Vecchi, near Grosseto (Tuscany, Italy). The site is radiometrically dated to the late Middle Pleistocene, around 171,000 years BP. Notable is the association of the artifacts with the elephant bones, and in particular the presence of digging sticks made from boxwood (Buxus sp.). Although stone tools show evidence of use mainly on animal tissues, indicating some form of interaction between hominins and animals, the precise use of the sticks is unclear. Here we discuss about the role played by the hominins at the site: paleobiological and taphonomic evidence indicates that the elephants died by a natural cause and were butchered soon after their death. The associated paleontological and archeological evidence from this site provides fresh insights into the behavior of early Neanderthals in Central Italy. The discovery of Poggetti Vecchi shows how opportunistically flexible Neanderthals were in response to environmental contingencies.

Natural rafting is an easy, non-evidence-based solution often used to explain the presence of a variety of species on isolated islands. The question arises as to whether this solution is based on solid scientific grounds. It is a plausible colonisation route only if intricate networks of variables are considered and many different conditions satisfied. This review provides a descriptive account of some of the most critical issues underlying the theory of natural rafting that should be addressed by its supporters. These include: (i) biological variables; (ii) characteristics of the vessels; and (iii) physical variables. Natural rafting may explain the dispersal of poikilotherms with low metabolic rates and low resource requirements that could withstand trans-oceanic crossings, but explaining the transport of homeothermic terrestrial mammals to oceanic islands is more problematic. Drifting at sea exposes organisms to high concentrations of salt, high temperature and humidity excursions, starvation, and above all to dehydration. A sufficiently large group of healthy reproductive individuals of the two sexes should either be transported together, or be able to reassemble after separate crossings, to prevent inbreeding, genetic drift and ultimately extinction. Any vessels of flotsam occupied must minimally provide the animals they transport with sufficient provisions to survive the journey, offer minimum friction and drag through water, and be transported by appropriately directed, sustained, high-speed currents. Thus, a 'sweepstakes colonisation' event would be the result of a lucky combination of all, or at least the majority, of these factors. Some cases throw doubt on the use of a natural rafting model to explain known animal colonisations, with one of the most striking examples being Madagascar. This island is far from the nearest mainland coasts and the sea currents in the Mozambique Channel are directed towards Africa rather than Madagascar, yet, the island was colonised by terrestrial mammals (e.g. extinct hippopotamuses, lemurs, carnivores, rodents and tenrecs) unable to swim and to survive long journeys at sea. In order to assess the feasibility of the natural rafting model in a case such as Madagascar, tests were performed using three variables for which enough information could be obtained from the literature: length of survival without food, survival without water, and sea current speed. The distributions of these variables appear to be log-normal and multiplicative, or follow a power-law, rather than being Gaussian. The tests suggest that a distributional analysis is a more suitable approach than the use of geometric probability to calculate the probabilities associated with the examined data. Such non-linear and self-organising systems may reach a critical point governed by different competing factors. Mammals with high survival requirements, such as lemurs and hippopotamuses, thus may have a virtually zero probability of reaching distant islands by natural rafting. Our results raise doubts as to the validity of a natural rafting model, and we urge a rethinking of the modes in which numerous islands were colonised by land mammals and a careful revision of past geological and phylogeographic work.

This thesis investigates how body positivity and sustainability are discursively constructed by fast fashion brands. The brand chosen as a case study is H&M, as it describes itself as being both environmentally and socially involved. Yet, despite H&M's claims, during our preliminary research we were able to detect the lack of accessibility of sustainable collections to plus size customers. In this essay, we analyze how H&M communicates body inclusivity in its sustainability reports, website, and YouTube campaigns promoting conscious lines. Drawing on theories of representation, biopolitics, and post-feminism, we sought to critically analyze the previously mentioned material through a multimodal critical analysis. The results show how H&M discursively constructs health communication in different ways depending on which clothing line the brand is promoting and to which consumers it is being advertised. Class discourses were recognized, leading to exclusive access to sustainable clothing for higher income shoppers. We believe this work is relevant to opening up the discussion about democratization and making sustainable items fully accessible to everyone.

Biografia di Marx letta da Antonio Labriola nelle lezioni accademiche tenute tra il 1892 e il 1895

Le faune fossili plio-pleistoceniche del Valdarno (Toscana, Italia centrale) costituiscono un patrimonio di grande importanza storico-scientifica. Al fine di favorire l’accesso della collettività alle faune del Valdarno Superiore custodite presso il Museo Paleontologico di Montevarchi (Arezzo), sia al pubblico generale che agli specialisti, è stata studiata e sviluppata la Paleocarta del Valdarno Superiore, un progetto basato sulla piattaforma Google Maps e sul software gratuito Qgis. Il progetto ha portato alla costruzione di due carte geografico-paleontologiche, suddivise a loro volta nei tre diversi momenti di popolamento del Valdarno. The Upper Pliocene – Lower Pleistocene faunas of Valdarno basin (Tuscany, central Italy) represent a heritage of great historical and scientific importance. In order to facilitate the access of the community to the faunas of Valdarno kept at the Paleontological Museum of Montevarchi (Arezzo), a project based on the Google Maps platform and the freeware Qgis has been developed, the “Paleocarta of the Upper Valdarno”. This project led to the creation of two paleontological and geographical maps, divided in turn into the three different moments of faunal settlement of Valdarno basin.