Search Results (84)

Several southern Italian dialects show a systematic alternation in the forms of the third person object clitic between proclisis and enclisis; moreover, in proclisis, the object clitic and the definite article have different forms that alternate between prevocalic and preconsonantal contexts. On the whole, the distribution of forms constitutes a varied and complex picture, which has often been treated in terms of allomorphy. In particular, this article examines the arrangement of proclitic forms in the Neapolitan variety in which the forms are distributed according to three different patterns. The article explores the possibility of analysing the alternations in purely phonological terms, using the representational tools of “floating melody”, “stress space” and “virtual geminate”. The results obtained are encouraging: while some alternations have proven to be allomorphic in nature, a unified phonological explanation has been developed for challenging issues, including the so-called “l-deletion” and the corresponding vowel lengthening. Full article

This study investigated the effects of germination on the antioxidant capacity and protein characteristics of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) with a focus on processing-induced biochemical and structural modifications relevant to food applications. Raw, soaked, and germinated chickpeas were comparatively analyzed to evaluate integrated changes in antioxidant activity, protein composition, amino acid profiles, and anti-nutritional factor. Antioxidant-related properties were assessed using total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), while protein-related characteristics including soluble protein, amino acids, and sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) profiles were examined alongside phytic acid content. Germination significantly enhanced antioxidant capacity, with TPC increasing from 0.91 to 1.64 mg GAE/g, and DPPH, TEAC, and FRAP values also markedly elevated compared with raw samples. Soluble protein content increased from 72.79 to 82.86 mg/g, while phytic acid content decreased from 92.49 to 59.49 mg/g. Free amino acids, particularly alanine, histidine, and phenylalanine, showed substantial increases following germination. SDS–PAGE and densitometric analysis revealed a redistribution of protein fractions, characterized by a reduced intensity of high-molecular-weight protein bands and a relative increase in intermediate molecular weight proteins, indicating partial proteolysis and structural modification of storage protein. These findings demonstrate that gemination acts as a biochemical processing step that enhances antioxidant potential, improves protein-related nutritional attributes, and reduces antinutritional factors, supporting the use of germinated chickpea as a functional plant-based ingredient for food processing applications. Full article

Novel A-D-A (acceptor–donor–acceptor)-type molecules were synthesized and tested in organic photovoltaics (OPV) devices. For a pristine film of compound 1b with a 2,2′-(naphtho[2,3-b]thiophene-4,9-diylidene)dipropanedinitrile A unit and carbazole-based donor D unit, efficient exciton splitting by intermolecular electron transfer was proved. The observation of the out-of-phase electron spin echo in the pristine 1b film unambiguously testifies to a high yield of charge-transfer state formation. Despite this, the yield of free charge generation in pristine 1b is low due to the fast geminate and non-geminate recombination. This process is detrimental for OPV performance when the compound capable of exciton self-splitting is used as an acceptor component of the bulk heterojunction (BHJ) active layer because of the fast charge recombination within this component. Exciton self-splitting can be of general significance for push–pull OPV acceptors or donors in bulk heterojunctions, although it can be masked by other photophysical processes in the BHJ active layer. This is the reason why molecules with a strong intermolecular charge-transfer band are not suitable components of the active layer of efficient OPV devices. Full article

Herein, we report an efficient one-pot synthesis of bridged aminodiperoxides via a three-component reaction of 1,5-diketones with geminal bishydroperoxides and ammonium acetate. The synthesized aminodiperoxides are stable despite containing an unprotected secondary NH-group adjacent to two peroxide functionalities. Under optimal conditions, the reaction affords aminodiperoxides in high yields (up to 88%) with outstanding selectivity and high atom economy, thereby eliminating the need for column chromatographic purification. The synthesized aminodiperoxides exhibit potent cytotoxicity and remarkable selectivity toward Jurkat, K562, and A549 cancer cell lines, and are significantly superior to the clinically used anticancer agent camptothecin. Among all tested compounds, 3ec is the most promising candidate, exhibiting high activity and selectivity toward all tested cell lines (Jurkat: CC₅₀ = 12.9 µM, SI = 67.09; K562: CC₅₀ = 19.6 µM, SI = 44.28; A549: CC₅₀ = 48.2 µM, SI = 17.98). Furthermore, a novel class of fungicidal compounds has been discovered. The aminodiperoxides exhibit fungicidal activity against phytopathogenic fungi, in some cases comparable to the commercial fungicide Triadimefon. Full article

A high-level ab initio characterization and formation of diaminomethane (DAM), the simplest geminal diamine, is presented to support its spectroscopic detection and astrochemical relevance in the interstellar medium. The C_2v DAM conformer is identified as the global minimum, while C₁ DAM and C₂ DAM represent higher-energy local minima. The proposed reaction pathways are exothermic and proceed without activation barriers. Simulated infrared spectrum reproduces accurate key spectral signatures with several vibrational modes exhibiting strong IR intensities (>80 km mol⁻¹), particularly in the 800–3000 cm⁻¹ range and band shapes. Dipole moments and accurate rovibrational spectroscopic parameters, including rotational constants, anharmonic vibrational frequencies, quartic and sextic distortion constants, and nuclear quadrupole coupling constants are reported to assist with high-resolution spectroscopic identification. This study provides significant theoretical benchmarks for its formation and offers guidance for future laboratory spectroscopy and molecular searches in interstellar environments. Full article

Organophosphonates have manifold applications in the chemical industry, of which one of the most commonly used is 2-phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid (PBTC). It is widely used as a cement additive and may pose a potential risk of complexing radionuclides such as uranium in nuclear waste repositories. PBTC, in its fully deprotonated form, has four negatively charged groups, one phosphonate and three carboxylate groups, which makes it a superior ligand for metal ion complexation. In this study, for the first time, its complexation behavior towards hexavalent uranium, U(VI), in the pH range from 2 to 11, has been investigated using various spectroscopic methods. The structure-sensitive methods NMR, IR, and Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the complex structure. The interpretation of the results was supported by density functional calculations. Over almost the entire pH range studied, U(VI) and PBTC form a chelate complex via the phosphonate and the geminal carboxylate group, highlighting the strong chelating ability of the ligand. UV-Vis spectroscopy combined with factor analysis was applied to determine the distribution of differently protonated chelate species and their stability constants. Time-resolved laser-induced luminescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) was additionally used as a complementary method. Full article

This study analyzes the spectral properties of word-initial and intervocalic ejectives in Wolaytta, an Omotic language of southern Ethiopia. Using tokens embedded in three vowel contexts, we examined mean burst intensity, spectral moments, and vowel perturbation following ejection. Results show that ejectives adjacent to high front vowels were produced with greater intensity, supporting the hypothesis that increased oral cavity tenseness correlates with acoustic energy. Centroid and standard deviation differentiate place of articulation, while skewness and kurtosis distinguish singleton from geminate ejectives. Post-ejective vowel pitch and spectral tilt varied systematically with the ejectives’ place of articulation, indicating creaky phonation induced by ejection. Overall, the findings enhance our understanding of factors impacting acoustic features of ejectives. Full article

In recent years, phylogenomic approaches have significantly deepened our understanding of moss diversity. These techniques have uncovered numerous previously overlooked species and provided greater clarity in resolving complex taxonomic relationships. In this context, the genus Rehubryum is particularly outstanding, because of its close morphological similarity to both Ulota and Atlantichella. The challenges posed by its segregation are addressed in this study, which integrates morphological and molecular data to reassess the circumscription of Rehubryum and its phylogenetic placement within the subtribe Lewinskyinae. Our results support the recognition of a new species, R. kiwi, and show that its inclusion within the genus further complicates the morphological delimitation of Rehubryum from Ulota, as both genera are distinguishable by only two consistent gametophytic characteristics: a submarginal leaf band of elongated cells, and the presence of geminate denticulations in the margins of the basal half of the leaf. Moreover, R. kiwi challenges the current morphological circumscription of Rehubryum itself, as it overlaps in key characteristics with its sister genus Atlantichella, rendering their morphological separation untenable. The striking interhemispheric disjunction between Rehubryum and Atlantichella raises new questions about long-distance dispersal and historical biogeography in mosses, despite these complexities at the generic level. Nevertheless, species-level distinctions remain well defined, especially in sporophytic traits and geographic distribution. These findings highlight the pervasive cryptic diversity within Orthotrichaceae, underscoring the need for integrative taxonomic frameworks that synthesize morphology, molecular phylogenetics, and biogeography to resolve evolutionary histories. Full article

Background/Objectives: Dental anomalies can manifest as a consequence of developmental defects and/or genetic influences, which disrupt the normal functioning of the oral cavity and present in various forms. Cases of fusion, gemination and concrescence are rare dental anomalies which are seen in the area of the mandibular molars. Case report: This case report concerns a 69-year-old Greek male patient who presented in the dental office asking for comprehensive oral treatment. During the clinical examination, a morphologically atypical molar was identified in the area of #37–38 presented with a large crown in the mesio-distal dimension (‘double’ crown). Panoramic and periapical radiographs offered valuable insights on the morphology of the irregular tooth, as they revealed the crown and root morphology, including the two pulp chambers and the three parallel roots of the tooth. Discussion: A plausible hypothesis identifies the atypical tooth as a third molar exhibiting morphological variation, a common characteristic of third molars. Additional diagnostic considerations—while supposing the existence of a supernumerary fourth molar—include the developmental anomalies of gemination, concrescence and fusion, as the clinical and radiographic features of the tooth display elements associated with all three. Conclusions: Considering the patient’s history, clinical and radiographic findings and the relevant literature, fusion is determined to be the most probable diagnosis. Early identification of the atypical tooth is essential to facilitate the implementation of appropriate preventive measures and to support informed treatment planning, should invasive procedures such as endodontic or surgical intervention be required in the future. Full article

This paper examines Gorgia Toscana (GT), a phenomenon of stop lenition observed in Tuscan varieties of Italian. Traditionally, this process has been understood to occur in post-vocalic positions, which, in the native lexicon, corresponds to onset position due to the absence of stops in syllable codas in Italian, apart from geminate consonants that straddle the coda and onset of adjacent syllables. However, stops in coda positions are found in both loanwords (e.g., admin, Batman) and bookwords (e.g., ritmo, tecnica). Drawing on original acoustic data collected from 42 native speakers of Florentine Italian, we investigated the realization of stops in such lexical items through allophonic classification and quantitative analysis. Our primary aim was to test the Onset Hypothesis, which posits that Gorgia exclusively affects stops in onset positions, implying that coda stops should not undergo lenition. Our findings support this hypothesis. We provide a phonological analysis within the frameworks of Strict CV and Coda Mirror, emphasizing the importance of syllable structure in understanding the manifestation of Gorgia Toscana, which we argue cannot be adequately captured solely by considering the linear order of segments. Full article

In this article, we analyse durational variation for inherently long consonants in Italian. Productions by 40 speakers of four regional varieties were elicited via a read-aloud task containing target words with inherently long consonants in the post-consonantal vs. intervocalic position. The analysis of acoustic durations revealed variation. Overall, we found that /ts/, /dz/ and /ʎ/ were considerably longer intervocalically than post-consonantally, although by smaller ratios than those reported in the literature for contrastive geminates; the effect was smaller for /ʃ/ and barely detectable for /ɲ/. We also detected a trend to lengthen /dz/ and /ʃ/ after a morphemic boundary. In terms of regional variation, north-eastern speakers were found to diverge from the others, with shorter durations and less consistent durational patterns. Additionally, we verified the existence of lengthening induced by double letters for /ts/ (vizi—vizzi) and /dz/ (Gaza—gazza), and only found it for /dz/, particularly for north-eastern speakers. We argue that this may originally have been an orthographic effect due to the acquisition of Italian at school via the written form by past generations, which has been lost for /ts/ but preserved for /dz/ under the influence of loanwords spelled with <z> and pronounced as short intervocalically. Full article

The occurrence of triplication in the deciduous teeth is rare. However, it can cause several problems in primary dentition, alteration of development, and eruption of permanent successors. Case Presentation: A three-year-old boy presented with an exuberant acute periapical abscess in the left front teeth region of the upper jaw. Examination revealed a presence of a triple tooth involving the central and lateral left primary incisors and a supernumerary tooth. Radiographs showed that the fused teeth had separate roots, pulp chambers and root canals. The implemented treatment was extraction under local anesthesia. After 2 years of observation, surgical exposure of the crowns of the permanent maxillary central incisor was performed. After seven years, the permanent dentition was completed without any sequelae. Discussion: Triple tooth, as observed in this case report, results from the union of three tooth germs, potentially influenced by physical, hereditary, or environmental factors, leading to esthetic and functional issues and increased susceptibility to caries. Treatment is challenging, requiring preventive care, complex endodontic procedures, and, in some cases, extraction with space maintenance to avoid future orthodontic complications. Conclusion: Early diagnosis, an adequate treatment plan and clinical monitoring should be performed, aiming at preventing the possible disturbances. Full article

Introduction: Dental anomalies present a significant challenge to clinicians due to their impact on both dental function and esthetics. The correction of these anomalies plays a critical role in improving the quality of life of our patients, highlighting the importance of this restorative work. Objective: The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the techniques used to restore various dental anomalies, and their subsequent esthetic impact on the overall dentition. Methods: Inclusion criteria consisted of restorative rehabilitations of the permanent dentition in non-syndromic patients with dental anomalies of morphology, structure, size, and number in the maxillary incisors. Exclusion criteria included surgical rehabilitation techniques, endodontic treatments, and anomalies of the primary dentition. The medical literature was systematically searched (Pubmed, PMC, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Clinical trials, Scopus and Google Scholar) to identify all relevant articles reporting data regarding the chosen anomalies. ROBINS–I was used to assess the risk of bias tool, and the results were tabulate due to data heterogeneity. Results: Of the 1821 analyzed articles, 46 articles met the inclusion criteria, and were chosen to go through the final review procedure. Of the selected articles, 3 investigated amelogenesis imperfecta and dentinogenesis imperfecta, 1 analyzed conoid teeth, 1 considered hypodontia (other than MLIA), 3 concerned microdontia (excluding peg laterals and conoid teeth), 10 evaluated peg-shaped laterals, 2 investigated talon cusps and geminated teeth, 15 were regarding maxillary lateral incisor agenesis, and 11 papers were related to the perception of anomalies. Conclusions: Pre-visualization using Digital Smile Design, a treatment plan encompassing minimally invasive restorations, and using a multidisciplinary approach among practitioners helps the anomalous patient achieve the best possible esthetic result. Full article

Italian has a length contrast in its series of voiced and voiceless obstruents while also presenting phonetic differences across regional varieties. Northern varieties of the language, including Veneto Italian (VI), are described as maintaining the voicing contrast but, in some cases, not the length contrast. In central and southern varieties, the opposite trend may occur. For instance, Roman Italian (RI) is reported to optionally pre-voice intervocalic voiceless singleton obstruents whilst also maintaining the length contrast for this consonant class. This study looks at the acoustic realization of selected obstruents in VI and RI and investigates (a) prevoicing patterns and (b) the effects and interactions of regional variety, gemination, and (phonological and phonetic) voicing on consonant (C) and preceding-vowel (V) durations, as well as the ratio between the two (C/V), with a focus on that particular measure. An acoustic phonetic analysis is conducted on 3703 tokens from six speakers from each variety, producing eight repetitions of 40 real CV́C(C)V and CVC(C)V́CV words embedded in carrier sentences, with /p, pp, t, tt, k, kk, b, bb, d, dd, ɡ, ɡɡ, f, ff, v, vv, t∫, tt∫, dʒ, ddʒ/ as the target intervocalic consonants. The results show that both VI and RI speakers produce geminates, yielding high C/V ratios in both varieties, although there are cross-regional differences in the realization of singletons. On the one hand, RI speakers tend to pre-voice voiceless singletons and produce overall shorter C durations and lower C/V ratios for these consonants. On the other hand, VI speakers produce longer C durations and higher C/V ratios for all voiceless singletons, triggering some overlap between the C length categories, which results in partial degemination through singleton lengthening, although only for voiceless obstruents. The implications of a trading relationship between phonetic voicing and duration of obstruents in Italian gemination are discussed. Full article

Background: Elite kayaking demands peak conditioning, and tracking these athletes reveals the science behind world-class performance. Physiological demands and body composition changes in elite male kayakers were tracked during the preparatory and transition periods of a kayaking competitive season. Methods: Laboratory (body composition assessment and a 4 min all-out test in a kayak ergometer) on-field tests (4 × 1500 m incremental intermittent protocol with 30 s rest intervals in a kayaking/rowing track) were applied on separate days to follow eight elite male kayakers (23.1 ± 5.6 y; 80 ± 8.8 kg; 177.0 ± 6.8 cm) at the beginning of the kayaking season (preparatory period, M1; first week of October), 22 weeks later, at the beginning of the transition period (M2; last week of February), and 5 weeks later, at the end of the transition period, i.e., beginning of the competitive period of the season (M3; first week of April). M3 corresponded to the participation in international competitions. Results: Distance at peak oxygen uptake ($\dot{\mathrm{V}}{\mathrm{O}}_{2\mathrm{peak}}$) on the kayak ergometer improved by 36.7 m from M1 to M3, the pace at V4 (aerobic capacity) was reduced (improved) by 25.2 s·km⁻¹ from M1 to M2, and 25.6 s·km⁻¹ by M3. Body weight decreased by 2.3 kg from M1 to M2, and fat mass percentage and kilograms decreased by 1.8% and 3.1%, respectively. Fat-free mass increased by 1.9% and 3.1%, respectively. Skinfold measurements showed a decrease in subscapular, suprailiac, abdominal, and geminal skinfold. Aerobic power ($\dot{\mathrm{V}}$O_2peak) in absolute values (in L·min⁻¹) improved by 0.7 L·min⁻¹ from M1 to M2, and by 1.1 L·min⁻¹ by M3, and from M2 to M3 was ~0.5 L·min⁻¹. Aerobic power in relative values improved by 15.0 from M1 to M2, and by 6.4 mL·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹ from M2 to M3. Conclusions: Elite male kayakers improved their physiological performance and body composition during the preparatory and transition phases of the competitive season. Notable gains in performance were mainly due to enhanced aerobic power, and positive body composition changes. These findings provide insights for optimizing training strategies and boosting competitive performance. Full article