Italian Scientists Research Articles

Impact of scientific production of Italian scientists in exercises and sport sciences by measuring the author-weighted h-index

Impact of scientific production of Italian scientists in exercises and sport sciences by measuring the author-weighted h-index

Female fertility preservation for family planning: a position statement of the Italian Society of Fertility and Sterility and Reproductive Medicine (SIFES-MR).

This position statement by the Italian Society of Fertility and Sterility and Reproductive Medicine (SIFES-MR) aims to establish an optimal framework for fertility preservation outside the standard before oncological therapies. Key topics include the role of fertility units in comprehensive fertility assessment, factors impacting ovarian potential, available preservation methods, and appropriate criteria for offering such interventions. The SIFES-MR writing group comprises Italian reproductive physicians, embryologists, and scientists. The consensus emerged after a six-month period of meetings, including extensive literature review, dialogue among authors and input from society members. Final approval was granted by the SIFES-MR governing council. Fertility counselling transitions from urgent to long-term care, emphasizing family planning. Age, along with ovarian reserve markers, is the primary predictor of female fertility. Various factors, including gynecological conditions, autoimmune disorders, and prior gonadotoxic therapies, may impact ovarian reserve. Oocyte cryopreservation should be the preferred method. Women 30-34 years old and 35-39 years old, without known pathologies impacting the ovarian reserve, should cryopreserve at least 12-13 and 15-20 oocytes to achieve the same chance of a spontaneous live birth they would have if they tried to conceive at the age of cryopreservation (63% and 52%, respectively in the two age groups). Optimal fertility counselling necessitates a long-term approach, that nurtures an understanding of fertility, facilitates timely evaluation of factors that may affect fertility, and explores fertility preservation choices at opportune intervals.

Mechanochemistry in Organic Synthesis: An Italian Journey through Innovations

AbstractMechanochemistry, as an enabling technology, harnesses mechanical force to drive chemical reactions, presenting compelling advantages in organic synthesis within the principles of green chemistry. This review explores how its unique advantages and alignment with sustainable practices have been widely developed in different scientific fields in Italy. As a transformative strategy for organic synthesis, mechanochemistry has been portrayed in this review as a valuable synthetic alternative due to the various advantages, such as solvent reduction and new reaction pathways, that its use brings. Nonetheless, the improvements brought about by its use have also been crucial in other fields of chemistry described by Italian scientists. In this whole context, Italian researchers have analysed both already optimised processes and new feasible pathways, paving the way for new avenues previously hampered by all the limitations that belong to in‐solution chemistry.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRATIGRAPHY IN ITALY DURING THE 17TH AND 18TH CENTURIES: FROM STENO TO ARDUINO

ABSTRACT The great variety of lithological, stratigraphical and structural features (particularly in mountain areas), as well as volcanoes and sub–volcanic phenomena, attracted many travelling scientists to the Italian peninsula since the 17th century. The description of the Earth's strata became an important issue of the naturalistic research after the works by Niels Steensen (Steno). From the end of the 17th century until the end of the 18th century lithostratigraphical research developed in Italy within the studies and fieldwork of remarkable scientists, such as Antonio Vallisneri, Luigi Ferdinando Marsili, Giovanni Arduino and others. The emergence of stratigraphy, as a significant part of the new science of geology, was later supported by the work of several Italian scientists and geological institutions from the 19th to the 20th century.

MICROHISTORICAL STUDIES ON THE EXAMPLE OF RESIDENTS OF THE SAIRAM REGION

In the article, the microhistory of Sairam district is recognized from a new angle, taking as an example. At the same time, an overview of the development of the direction of microhistory is given, giving an understanding of the concept of microhistory. In this context, the views of Italian scientists K. Poni, E. Grandi, J. Levy on the formation of microhistory were analyzed. Researchers of Kazakhstan Abdrakhmanova K.K., Bisembayeva L.A. and other collective studies are reviewed by the method of microhistory. In the course of the article, a general description of Sairam's life at the beginning of the last century was given. In this context, the researches of historian-professor S. Zholdasov were put forward. Famous scientist J. Levi's questions from his sources, starting from demographic indicators, family structures and relations, land-related operations, the demographic situation and population composition, tribal composition, land-related relations in Sairam district were comparatively noted. Due to the lack of tax standards in the land tax policy of the Soviet government in Sairam, there was a mass protest of small people, that is, peasants. As a result, riots and even rampage took place. In the article, as an archival source, the information of the Turkestan department of the "Imperial Russian-Geographical Society" about the population list and composition of the population of Shymkent uyezd in 1922 is given. Opinions were also raised about the names of Karabulak and Mankent settlements in Sairam district. Analyzes were also made on how the different ethnic groups who lived in these settlements tried to distinguish themselves and preserve their peculiarities. A comparative evaluation of the speech style of Karabulak and Mankent Uzbek ethnic groups compared to Tashkent Uzbeks and their sound phonemes is given.

Navigating the Evolving Scientific Communication: The Impact of ‘Top Italian Scientists’ on Modern Research and Innovation

Scientific communication is undergoing a transformative evolution in the digital age, with The Top Italian Scientists Journal (TISJ) at the forefront of this revolution. This article explores the dynamic interplay between modern scientific writing, research methodologies, evaluation criteria, and the influential role of TISJ in shaping the Italian scientific landscape. We delve into innovations in scientific communication and research practices while offering practical insights for authors to navigate this evolving landscape.

ANALYSIS OF APPLYING SURFACE WATER TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY WHEN USING CHLORINE DIOXIDE AT WATER SUPPLY PLANTS

The results of the conducted research made it possible to establish that in EU countries chlorine dioxide (CD) is more often used for secondary or final disinfection of drinking water. By-products of this process are chlorites and chlorates, which are subject to control in the drinking water of all EU countries. Aldehydes and carboxylic acids can also be formed in drinking water, which leads to a decrease in the microbiological stability of tap water. Ozonation and filtration using a carbon filter are used in the final stage of drinking water purification, which contributes to a significant reduction in the dose of CD and water contamination with toxic chlorites. In the case of pre-oxidation of water with sodium hypochlorite, the largest amount of chlorites and chlorates is formed, while in the case of using potassium permanganate for the same purpose, the need for CD and the amount of chlorites and chlorates in drinking water reduced. Chlorination of natural water that has undergone CD pre-oxidation leads to complete oxidation of the chlorites that have formed, increases the effectiveness of disinfection, and provides a bacteriostatic effect in the distribution network. During 2021-2022, when using CD for the treatment of drinking water at the Dniprovska WTP in Kyiv it was established that the process of treating natural water with CD is accompanied by the formation of its by-products, mainly toxic chlorites, the levels of which depend on the applied doses of CD and are the lowest in winter, while the largest ones are observed in summer and do not always reach regulatory values (0,2 mg/l) and range up to 0,7 mg/l, which corresponds to the WHO recommended standard for this substance in drinking water. Italian scientists focus their attention on the fact that during the first years of using CD at each water supply station, optimal conditions must be ensured for the safe and effective use of this reagent. Therefore, CD is becoming widespread in the EU countries and Ukraine for the treatment of tap drinking water; it is an alternative method of water effective disinfection at water supply stations with traditional surface water purification technology. Using such a method for treating surface water requires a preliminary pilot experiment and should be carried out along with an analysis of the feasibility of using the methods for preliminary and/or final purification of drinking water from organic substances and additional disinfection. Today, based on experimental and natural studies, it is relevant to expand knowledge about the properties of CD in the case of its use in drinking water supply for the treatment of surface water with a high content of organic substances.

(Invited) Some Observations on the History of Electrochemistry in Europe

Modern electrochemistry is generally regarded as having its origins in the work of the Italian scientists Galvani (1737 – 1798) and Volta (1745 – 1827). Their discoveries led directly to the invention (1799) by Volta of the voltaic pile, a primitive form of what we now call a battery. This invention greatly facilitated electrical experimentation and quickly led to a host of other electrochemical discoveries such as the electrolysis of water (Nicholson and Carlisle in 1800, although it was first demonstrated in 1789 by Deiman and van Troostwijk using an electrostatic generator), isolation of elemental alkali and alkaline earth metals (Davy, 1807–1808) and electroplating (Brugnatelli, 1805). The work of Davy (1778 – 1829) and of Faraday (1791 – 1867) greatly advanced the understanding of electrochemistry and Faraday’s laws of electrolysis (1833) put the field on a quantitative basis. This was followed by a long succession of electrochemical discoveries that has continued to the present.Scientists such as Daniell (1790 – 1845), Grove (1811 – 1896), Leclanché (1839 – 1882) and Planté (1834 – 1889) made early improvements to batteries; of course, research and development of batteries remains an important area of electrochemistry. Historically, batteries were the primary source of electric current until practical electric dynamos became available in about 1870. Electroplating developed as a practical technology from about 1840, initially for electrodeposition of copper on printing plates. From 1893 to 1948, the international standard for electric current was based on electrodeposition of silver. Furthermore, an electrochemical cell invented by Weston (1850 – 1936) was adopted as the reference standard for voltage in 1903 and remained so until 1990 when it was replaced by a Josephson junction standard.The science of electrochemistry experienced rapid growth from the 19th century on, with major contributions from European scientists including Kohlrausch (1840 – 1910), Ostwald (1853 – 1932), Arrhenius (1859 – 1927), Tafel (1862 – 1918), Nernst (1864 – 1941), and Heyrovský (1890 – 1967), to mention but a few. In this talk, I will attempt to trace the evolution of electrochemistry and discuss some of the major landmarks and the European scientists who made important contributions. I will also comment on how equipment and methodology have changed over the last half-century.

New religious movements as an object of scientific study in modern Italy

The study focuses on the phenomenon of new religious movements (NRM) in Italy. The work aims at identifying and analysing the main research directions of the Italian Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR) in order to distinguish its ideas from those of the secular anti-cult movement and the ecclesiastical movement against the sects. The supporters of the antisectarians study tactics of behavior of the NRMs, the movement against the sects explore the doctrinal aspects of the beliefs. The author concludes that the attempt to save adherents from the sect is not conditioned by concerns about their spirituality but aims to bring them into the fold of orthodoxy. There is a desire to criminalise the problem by appealing to the crimes of individual NRMs and extrapolating them to any manifestation of non-traditional religiosity. Since the 90s of the 20th century, the Italian scientific community opposes this practice, as it hypothetically creates a precedent whereby the state can regulate any form of religious life of its citizens, question the law on religious freedom, stigmatise certain groups of society. According to Italian scientists, NRMs should become an object of a scientific rather than criminological interest. It is therefore not recommended to use the criteria of "true/false" in their study and to consider them exclusively from the point of view of deviation from the generally recognised norm. The exploration of such movements provides valuable material for the study of such topics as macro- and micro-identity of society, "temperature" of social spirituality, openness to new religious experiences, fidelity to traditions.

Italian academic system disregards scientific merit in faculty hiring processes

Professorships in Italy are assigned following public competitions. However, favouritism affects faculty hiring. Researchers lacking clientelistic support remain excluded from academia and are obliged to seek employment abroad or at non-university institutions, or to abandon their career. Do non-recruited researchers have better or worse scientific capacity than those who have attained professorships in Italy?Files regarding the competitions in bibliometric disciplines won by 186 professors in Florence were analysed. An equal number of professors recruited at other Italian universities and scientists who never attained professorship in Italy were randomly drawn from the pool of individuals having national scientific qualification (the prerequisite for professorship) in the same disciplines as each Florentine professor. H-indexes of the year of qualification (T1), of the Florence call (T2), and in July 2021 (T3) were obtained from Scopus.Non-recruited individuals were more likely (Chi-square test) to show a higher H-index than both Florentine (T1 p = 0.0005, T2 p = 0.0015, T3 p = 0.0095) and non-Florentine professors (T1 p = 0.0078, T2 p = 0.0245, T3 p = 0.0500). Fifty-four non-recruited scientists serve in foreign universities, 100 at national/international research centres. The remaining scientists (25 who continue producing despite precarious employment, and seven who have stopped publishing) were as likely as Florentine (T3 p = 0.69) and non-Florentine (T3 p = 0.14) professors to show a higher H-index.Italian faculty hiring disregards merit. A more challenging qualification would limit the access of researchers with lower scientific capacity, and favour those with greater proficiency. As it stands, competition is useless. Once professors obtain permanent employment, they seem less motivated to publish.

Neurological research in Italy from 2020 to 2023.

To assess the state of neurological scientific research in Italy in the time interval 2020-2023. Elsevier's modular integrated platform "SciVal" was used to analyze bibliometric research products starting from scientific production data uploaded onto Scopus. We considered the research area "Neurology" in the 01/01/2020-14/06/2023 time interval, and the following variables were extracted: number of published studies, number of citations, Field-Weighted Citation Impact, and percentage of international collaborations. The contribution of Italian scientists to the neurological research was compared to that of the other nations. Research identified 90,633 scientific papers in the neurological area worldwide, with a total of 472,750 citations. The products assigned to Italian groups were 6670 (53,587 citations, Field-Weighted Citation Impact 1.68, 41% international collaborations). According to the present study, Italian neurological research 2020 to 2023 ranks fifth globally and third in Europe.

Botanica postumana. Incontri dis-antropocentrici con culture indigene e vegetali

ABSTRACT This essay explores how two Italian scientists, Stefano Mancuso and Monica Gagliano, promote a non-anthropocentric understanding of plant behaviour and intelligence. While Mancuso⁣ develops a non-anthropocentric approach by establishing a cross-cultural exchange with vegetal systems of knowledge, Gagliano's cross-cultural exchange with plants has been further deepened through the mediation of several indigenous cultures. I argue that their research, in addition to expanding our understanding of the vegetal experience of the world, cultivates a posthuman approach that questions the centrality of Western cultural and human intellective exceptionalism.

Leone Caetani'nin Annali Dell’Islām Adlı Eserinde Kur’an-ı Kerim’in Mushaf Hâline Getirilmesi Hakkındaki Görüşleri

The research and studies within the scope of Orientalism that emerged in Western countries became systematic towards the end of the 17th century. Subsequently, the number of publications by orientalists on Islam has been increasing since the beginning of the 19th century. The Eastern studies that started in countries such as the Netherlands, France, and England also attracted the attention of Italian scientists. Leone Caetani is one of the representatives of Italian Orientalism. Caetani, who was positivist, materialist, Machiavellian, and Darwinian, wrote a comprehensive work called "Annali Dell'Islām" in which he portrayed the life of Prophet Muhammad according to his thoughts. This work was translated into Turkish as "İslam Tarihi" (History of Islam) by Hüseyin Câhid Yalçın in 1924. While this extensive work written with biased thinking was followed with great admiration in Italy, it also caused a great stir among the academic circles of the Republic of Turkey. Caetani used the primary sources of Islamic history in his Annali Dell'Islām. However, it has been understood that Caetani made incorrect assessments about the information in the primary sources when examining the life of Prophet Muhammad. The main reasons for the criticism directed towards Caetani's work are his use of untrue statements and falling into contradictions regarding values that Muslims consider sacred without any doubt. Our study aims to examine Caetani's work regarding the developments that occurred during the compilation process of the Quran, which is the most reliable religious source of Muslims. It has been seen as a result of the research that Caetani exhibited a disrespectful attitude towards Islam, Prophet Muhammad, his Sunnah, and his companions, and that the claims about these subjects do not correspond to the truth according to the primary sources of Islamic history.

Antonio Scarpa. Scientist's contribution to the history of medical art

The contribution of Italians to the medical field cannot be denied, yet, despite their discoveries and outstanding work with their results and impact, many Italian scientists still need to be remembered or known by the average physician or student and the non-medical person. The Italian scientist Antonio Scarpa significantly contributed to the development of medicine. Still, his contribution remains forgotten by many doctors and scientists, but until now, his contribution remains overlooked by many doctors and scientists, and only a few people know about the existence of such a scientist and his works. Scarpa's first discovery that made him famous was far from the femoral triangle. In his studies, Antonio Scarpa was the first to describe the membranous labyrinth of the ear and the vestibular ganglion. He published his first work "Anatomical observations on the structure of the round window of the ear, or the secondary tympanic membrane." Scarpa began researching the nervous system and published his observations on the anatomy of the ganglia and plexuses in 1779, a forerunner of his most important work, a neurological atlas published in 1794. In addition to all his skills, Antonio Scarpa was also a talented artist. All the drawings in his works were made by him personally. He later passed on this skill, and this part of the work, to his student Faustino Anderloni. All of Scarpa's discoveries were illustrated by him and his student, and in anatomy there are many eponyms associated with the name of Antonio Scarpa: Scarpa's triangle, Scarpa's fascia, Scarpa's fluid, Scarpa's nerve and Scarpa's sheath. It is simply impossible to overestimate Antonio Scarpa's contribution to medicine, just as it is impossible to estimate the scale of the scientist's mark on the pages of history. Scarpa's discoveries became the starting point for hundreds of other studies and works, and his works became educational aids for future doctors and scientists decades after their publication and even after Scarpa's death.

The fascist Green Revolution

Societal Impact StatementThe Green Revolution is commonly understood as the dramatic increase in food production in Mexico and India between the 1940s and 1970s due to the spread of new agricultural technologies, especially high‐yielding seed varieties. Beyond this conventional understanding, however, historians are now revealing the occurrence of—and connections between—various Green Revolutions across space and time. This article identifies a “fascist Green Revolution” through the history of agrarian development and scientific wheat breeding in fascist Italy (1922–1943). Through this case study, the article provides new insights into key themes of discussion around the Green Revolution such as the relationship between plant breeding, the environment, food security, and food self‐sufficiency.Summary In 1925, the fascist regime launched the “Battle of Wheat,” a plan of agrarian development aimed at achieving self‐sufficiency in wheat, Italy's main food crop. Key to this project was the replacement of traditional landraces with “elite” semi‐dwarf and early‐maturing wheat cultivars released by Italy's star plant breeder Nazareno Strampelli. Through the historical analysis of Strampelli's breeding program and of the implementation of the fascist “seed replacement” strategy, this article makes the case for viewing the Battle of Wheat as a “fascist Green Revolution.” The article draws on new methods and perspectives developed by the historiography of the Green Revolution. It is grounded on the historical analysis of fascist‐era publications and archival documents produced by Italian crop scientists and agricultural research institutions. While “elite” cultivars spread rapidly in fertile and wealthy northern Italy, they struggled to take hold in the dry and poor Italian South. The article delineates the environmental, social, and economic reasons underpinning this divergence. Focusing in particular on agrarian scientists' approaches to crop improvement in the Italian South, the article shows how this “marginal” region became a key site for the development of scientific counter‐narratives and concrete alternatives to the official fascist strategy of “seed replacement.” The article reveals the co‐existence of multiple approaches over space and time within fascist‐era agrarian science. Through this case study, it provides new elements to analyze key themes in science and agriculture historiography such as the tension between hyper‐modernization and agroecological concerns, centralized and decentralized research, imported technologies and local resources.

Between Old and New Interpretations of Life: Animal Electricity at the First Congress of Italian Scientists

In 1839, collaborating with physicist Luigi Pacinotti, the Italian physician and historian of medicine Francesco Puccinotti announced a successful measurement of the existence of electrovital currents in live warm- and cold-blooded animals. To perform this measurement, they used the astatic galvanometer developed by Leopoldo Nobili. The experimental demonstrations took place in Pisa on the morning of October 13, 1839 as part of the First Congress of Italian Scientists. The experiment had been carefully prepared and tested ahead of the Congress in June and July of the same year. Two congressional commissions, composed respectively of doctors and physicists, discussed the results of the experiments and disclosed conflicting views. The physicists diplomatically expressed doubt, saying that the current measured might have been similar, although weaker, to that found in already dead animals and therefore could be traced to physicochemical processes. A debate developed at the Congress and continued afterwards. This significant episode helped keep the question of animal electricity open in Italy, stimulating the development of new electrophysiological studies in the following decade.

New computing centre to power up Italian scientists and companies

New computing centre to power up Italian scientists and companies

Human genetics in post-WWII Italy: blood, genes and platforms

Italian Life sciences in post-WWII faced important challenges: the reconstruction of a scientific panorama suffering heavily after two decades of Fascism and the damages of war. Modernization was not only a matter of recreating a favorable environment for research, by modernizing Italian biomedical institutions and connecting the Italian scientists with the new ideas coming from abroad. The introduction of new genetics required a new array of concepts and instruments, but also, the ability to connect to international networks and to become active members of a broader scientific community. Because of the several socio-cultural issues involved (eugenics, racism, religion, politics), human genetics is a good case study in order to analyze how Italian life sciences managed the transition towards a new research system, and the influences Italian human geneticists received. The paper focuses primarily on the development of the early career of Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza, probably the most prominent scientist in post-WWII human genetics in Italy, and his friend and colleague Ruggero Ceppellini. In following their path, a healthy mix of local traditions and international stimuli emerges, allowing for the establishment-within and beyond national borders-of the discipline.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ ИТАЛО-ХОРВАТСКИХ ОТНОШЕНИЙ В КОНТЕКСТЕ ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЙ ИНТЕГРАЦИИ И РАСШИРЕНИЯ СЕВЕРОАТЛАНТИЧЕСКОГО АЛЬЯНСА

The article is about studying the role of Italy in the process of Croatia’s accession to the Euro-Atlantic institutions. The purpose of the work is to determine the role of European countries in the process of European integration of post-socialist states and their entry into NATO, using the example of Italian-Croatian relations. The study considered in detail the works and statements of leading Italian scientists and politicians regarding the assessment of the place of the Balkan region in Italy’s foreign policy. The subsequent detailed analysis of the bilateral cooperation of the states helped to identify the key areas their interaction that influenced the rapprochement of Zagreb with the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance. Ultimately, it was concluded that Italy played a significant role in the integration processes of Croatia, taking several major steps within the framework of Italian-Croatian relations that accelerated the entry of the Western Balkan republic into the EU and NATO. Each of the above points of interstate interaction was considered in detail in order to more accurately identify the specifics of relations between the two countries in the context of expanding Euro-Atlantic institutions. Based on the results of the study, a universal model of cooperation was determined, which can later be used to study other similar cases.

The Relevance of Scientific Dissemination during the Vaccine Campaign: The Italian Virologist Communication on Social Media

The scientist role has progressively gained an essential relevance during the 2020 pandemic. In fact, the virologists’ exposition turned out to be fundamental for the public opinion, both for the well-informed and people unaware about health, transmission, infection and, today, vaccination programs. This paper aims to first set an explorative investigation about the social communication practices during the first three months of the vaccine campaign addressed on social media by Italy’s most established virologists. The arising digital scenario and the resultant pervasive presence in our daily life of web platforms, such as social media, has revolutionized the nexus between science and society. More scholars argued about the disintermediated current shape of science communication that directly connects scientists and the larger public, driving the sociological debate towards the analysis of the current processes of sense-making construction. On this assumption, we aim to answer the research question about how Italian scientists communicate and approach the larger public on social media. Therefore, the empirical part of this paper consists of a data collection phase conducted on Facebook and Twitter. The collected data have been analyzed by a content analysis oriented to identify the contradictory or uniformity of disintermediated communication features of the observed social media profiles in order to push and follow, during the ongoing vaccine dosing program, a proactive reflection about the key role of scientific dissemination of information. Keywords: communication of science, scientists’ visibility, social media communication, content analysis, topic modelling