La ricerca indaga le relazioni che si sono instaurate nel corso degli anni tra il principio di legalità, inteso nella sua declinazione di principio di funzionalizzazione, e principio di concorrenza nell’ambito delle società per la gestione dei servizi pubblici locali. Più precisamente, lo scopo del lavoro è valutare le evoluzioni di tale rapporto, dal momento in cui gli enti locali sono stati ufficialmente autorizzati a costituire società per la gestione dei servizi pubblici locali nel 1990. Lo stimolo a sviluppare queste considerazioni trova la sua ragione nelle pressioni provenienti dalle istituzioni europee, che hanno gradualmente imposto una qualificazione prettamente economica ai servizi a favore della collettività, ritenuti un ambito in cui possa naturalmente imporsi una competizione economica tra operatori economici, indipendentemente dalla loro natura giuridica. Il problema del vincolo funzionale nella partecipazione in società degli enti locali è certamente l’oggetto principale del lavoro. Tuttavia, la questione non può essere analizzata separatamente dalle politiche di dismissione promosse dal legislatore nell’ultimo decennio. L’obiettivo principale delle riforme avviate è stato quello di frenare la proliferazione di società costituite dagli enti locali, così da garantire sia un risparmio di risorse pubbliche sia una maggiore facilità per gli imprenditori privati ad affacciarsi su mercati tradizionalmente appannaggio delle amministrazioni. Stona però con le intenzioni il fatto che gli obblighi ex lege di cessione delle partecipazioni azionarie detenute dagli enti locali non siano stati generalmente imposti per le società di gestione dei servizi pubblici (resi in favore della collettività), bensì per quelle che svolgono servizi strumentali (in favore dell’amministrazione stessa). La scelta appare contraddittoria, in quanto il distacco tra vincolo funzionale e partecipazione degli enti locali nella compagine societaria si ravvisa in particolar modo nel primo dei due moduli menzionati. Si assiste dunque ad una frammentazione del principio di legalità. / The aim of this research is the analysis of the relationship between competition and legality – meant as the obligation for public bodies to act respecting the public interest established by the law – in local public services companies. In particular, the purpose is to focus on the evolution of such a relationship, become increasingly important in last years because of the possibility established for local bodies (in 1990) to select companies holding to carry on services for the community. The EU institutions have had a great influence on the issue due to the gradual qualification of public services as an economic activity regulated under the rules of the competition system. Therefore, EU institutions have required that both public and private traders must equally compete in this market, regardless of the scope of their activity and judicial nature. The obligation for local bodies to act under the public interest established by the law – although they behave as private actors establishing a company – is certainly the core of the research. Nevertheless the topic should be analysed at the same time considering the recent policy developments established by the law, which have been imposing local bodies to dismiss the shares they hold in their own companies. The goal is to get a relevant public founding savings and to make the entrance of private undertakings in this market easier. The scope of application of the legislation in force, which is limited to local companies directly offering their services to the holding public bodies, but not to the territorial community, seems to jeopardize the fragile balance between legality and competition in the public services market. The consequence is that the principle of legality is vanishing in local public services companies.

CCSD(T) has been used in the past to accurately predict compute the spectra and structures of small molecules. However, the large execution times required for these calculations has limited their use in larger molecules such as benzene and [10]annulene. The parallelization of analytic second derivatives of post Hartree-Fock methods, including CCSD(T), has enabled the VPT2+D treatment of the vibrational states of benzene. The fundamental frequencies and infrared active two quantum transitions that result are within 20 cm⁻¹ of the experimental values when treated for Fermi and Darling-Dennison resonances and empirical estimates for the harmonic frequencies and equilibrium bond lengths are determined to be within 12 cm⁻¹ and 0.004 Å of the values at the CCSD(T)/ANO2(fc) level of theory. The parallelization also facilitated the identification of two candidates for the structures of two isomers of [10]annulene. The harmonic frequencies of several conformations proposed in the literature were computed at the CCSD/DZP level of theory with five of the conformations being ground states. The NMR shifts of four of these structures were computed using CCSD(T)/tzp and conformation 6(C₂ "twist") was identified as the likeliest structure for one of the isomers isolated. The remaining compound was identified as conformation 2b(C₂ "boat") due to a low conformation barrier and the proximity of its average NMR shifts to experiment. The identification of both compounds rely on properties computed using analytic derivatives not entirely on the relative energies of optimized geometries. / text

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Cities are the main receptors of energy demand pressures and climate change. Energy consumptions of existing buildings in urban areas on the one side, and the combination of heat island phenomena, fuel poverty and global overheating on the other side, are threatening both built environment and inhabitants. The volumetric configuration of the urban textures and the materials that constitute the external surfaces, are the main factors that influence the microclimate of a city. Comprehend and being able to transform in an adequate way the urban settings could contribute to the improvement of the thermal comfort in outdoor and indoor built environments. By using as a principal comfort indicator the variation of the external temperatures in an unprecedented collaboration between different scales and different environmental simulation systems, this research work analyzes the energy saving potential given by the use of green and passive techniques and shows the synergies that may arise between outdoor and indoor spaces. The research work has tested the effects on the urban microclimate of the transformations induced in the outer urban spaces and, in parallel, how these modifications effect the reduction of temperature in the confined indoor spaces of the built environments. Open spaces and the surface of urban volumes are considered, measured and evaluated as a unique interacting environment.

Several studies have reported beneficial effects of autophagy in preventing chondrocyte death, OA-like changes in gene expression and cartilage degeneration. Many microRNAs have been identified as key modulators of autophagy pathway. So far, to our knowledge no relationship has been revealed between nutraceuticals and microRNA network in OA. First aim of this thesis is to evaluate molecular mechanisms of action of hydroxytyrosol (HT) a promising compound already tested for protective efficacy in OA chondrocytes. HT increases markers of autophagy and protects chondrocytes from DNA damage and cell death induced by oxidative stress. The protective effect requires SIRT-1, which accumulated in the nucleus following HT treatment. Second aim consists in identifying a microRNA implicated in HT-mediated protective response to oxidative stress and examining the effects after modulation of miR levels by approach of transient transfection. After in silico analysis we identify miR-9 as a speculative candidate able to target SIRT-1 and confirm this hypothesis by means of luciferase gene-reporter assay. Moreover miR-9 mediates cell death induced by H2O2 and the protective effect of HT, as observed in human primary chondrocytes and C/28-I2 cell line. Third aim is to investigate the potential role of miR-155, found to be one of the most highly upregulated microRNAs in human OA knee cartilage, in autophagic pathway. Autophagy flux induced by rapamycin and 2-DG was significantly increased by miR-155 LNA, and significantly decreased after miR-155 mimic transfection in T/C28a2 cells and in human primary chondrocytes. These effects of miR-155 on autophagy were related to suppression of gene and protein expression of key autophagy. The identification of a single microRNA, involved simultaneously in several disease-related pathways, discloses a potent therapeutic target. Indeed the unveiling of bioactive compounds, exerting a beneficial effect through induction of epigenetic changes, may open a new topic of research not yet well explored.

The main energy challenge concerns the efficient renovation of the existing buildings stock, which counts for two third of the overall energy consumptions in the EU; yet, so far, only 1,2% of existing buildings gets renovated every year. The actual investment gap in the deep renovation sector is due to the fact that consistent investments are required up-front and they are generally characterized by an excessively high degree of risk and long payback times. In the search of strategies to overcome these barriers, the work here presented investigates the benefits of non-energy-related factors in the renovation of existing buildings. Indeed, the research hypothesis is based on the assumption that an empowering synergy can be created between old and new buildings, not only in structural, functional but also in economical and social terms. In particular, the aims is to validate a design methodology based upon the creation of additional volume on existing buildings (Add-Ons) intended as roof-top or aside extensions, enclosures, parasites additions or façade transformations. The Add-Ons thus become the main instrument of a multi-disciplinary renovation strategy that increases the viability of energy renovation and ultimately fosters the building market. The technical and economical feasibility has been tested in three different European urban contexts (Italy, Germany, Greece), by applying the principles of industrialisation and mass customization. The result is a prefabricated, modular and adaptive construction system that directly expresses the internal programmatic need for transformation of the buildings and reduces the overall energy consumption. The highly replicable nature of the presented methodology, the important impact on the market and the possibility of overcoming the existing social barriers demonstrate the innovation character of the proposal indicating the path towards an effective turn-around in the energy renovation of buildings and cities, a step forward in defining a new paradigm of sustainability.

DNA elongation is performed by Pol III α subunit in E. coli, stimulated by the association with ε and θ subunits. These three subunits define the DNA Pol III catalytic core. There is controversy about the DNA Pol III assembly for the simultaneous control of lagging and leading strands replication, since some Authors propose a dimeric model with two cores, whereas others have assembled in vitro a trimeric DNA Pol III with a third catalytic core, which increases the efficiency of DNA replication. Moreover, the function of the PHP domain, located at the N-terminus of α subunit, is still unknown. Previous studies hypothesized a possible pyrophosphatase activity, not confirmed yet. The present Thesis highlights by the first time the production in vivo of a trimeric E. coli DNA Pol III by co-expressing α, τ, ε and θ subunits. This trimeric complex has been enzymatically characterized and a molecular model has been proposed, with 2 α subunits sustaining the lagging-strand replication whereas the third core replicates the leading strand. In addition, the pyrophosphatase activity of the PHP domain has been confirmed. This activity involves, at least, the H12 and the D19 residues, whereas the D201 regulates phosphate release. On the other hand, an artificial polymerase (HoLaMa), designed by deleting the exonuclease domain of Klenow Fragment, has been expressed, purified and characterized for a better understanding of bacterial polymerases mechanism. The absence of exonuclease domain impaired enzyme processivity, since this domain is involved in DNA binding. Finally, Klenow enzyme, HoLaMa, α subunit and DNA Pol III αεθ have been characterized at the single-molecule level by FRET analysis, combining ALEX and TIRF microscopy. Fluorescently-labeled DNA molecules were immobilized, and changes in FRET efficiency enabled us to study polymerase binding and DNA polymerization.

La gestione di servizi pubblici locali e di servizi strumentali tramite società di capitali partecipate da enti locali viene esplorata in vista di una riconsiderazione generale del sistema all'interno del contesto socio-economico sviluppatosi negli anni successivi alla crisi economica mondiale dell'anno 2008. / The management of local public services and instrumental services used by corporations owned by local authorities is explored in view of a general reappraisal of the system within the socio-economic context has developed in the years following the global economic crisis of 2008.

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No description available.