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Abstract:

Context. This paper presents a detailed analysis of a gas-rich star-forming ultra-diffuse galaxy (UDG) as part of the ESO Large Programme Looking into the faintEst WIth MUSE (LEWIS). Among the UDGs in the LEWIS sample, UDG 6 is the only galaxy that hosts a significant amount of ionised gas with evidence of emission lines, suggesting recent star-forming activity. Aims. The main goal of this work is to constrain the formation history of this UDG by comparing its properties with the main formation scenarios proposed for this extreme class of galaxies. Methods. We adopted integral field spectroscopy from MUSE to derive the morphology and the structural properties of the stellar and gas components of UDG 6. We applied spectral fitting and Voronoi tessellation algorithms to the MUSE data-cube to derive the kinematics and properties of the gas and stellar component, explore gas dynamics, and characterise emission lines. Moreover, we derived the properties of the globular cluster (GC) populations by applying a multi-band spectrophotometric analysis. Results. We confirmed that UDG 6 is a member of the Hydra I cluster and that it has a systemic velocity of V sys, * ∼ 3580 km s −1 . It is characterised by a regular and elongated shape and contains a significant dust content ( A V = 1.2 ± 0.5 mag), a metal-poor (12 + log 10 (O/H) = 7.7 ± 0.2 dex) ionised gas fraction ( f gas = 0.24 ± 0.08), and an underlying old-to-intermediate (≳3 Gyr) stellar component. Evidence of local and clumpy star-forming activity has been revealed through the analysis of emission line ratios, and an arc-like tidal feature was discovered from unsharp masking analysis. The number counts of GCs in UDG 6 is N GC = 0.2 ± 5.4. Conclusions. Similar to the other UDGs in LEWIS, UDG 6 might originate from a “puffed-up dwarf” whose stellar content has been stretched out to larger radii, passively evolving into a more diffuse galaxy. Since UDG 6 is located in a dynamically active region of the cluster characterised by tidal features and stripping phenomena, we suggest that the environmental processes have played a role in shaping its properties. A tidal interaction with a nearby galaxy might have triggered recent star-formation activity without dramatically altering the coherent gas rotation in UDG 6.

Abstract:

Using Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2024 data for Italy and the United Kingdom, this study examines how gender gaps in entrepreneurial perceptions, measured as perceived entrepreneurial skills and fear of failure, vary across age and education within contrasting institutional regimes. Drawing on a life‐course institutional framework, we test whether cumulative disadvantage and institutional moderation shape gendered perceptual trajectories differently in a coordinated market economy (Italy) and a liberal market economy (United Kingdom). Across both countries, men report higher perceived entrepreneurial skills and lower fear of failure, but patterns diverge over the life course. In the United Kingdom, gender gaps tend to narrow with age, whereas in Italy they persist or widen, particularly among highly educated individuals approaching retirement. Although sustainability orientation is not directly measured, the findings suggest that institutionally shaped gender gaps may indirectly influence inclusive participation in entrepreneurial ecosystems. These results highlight the importance of institutional flexibility and second‐chance norms in shaping gendered access to entrepreneurial activity.

Abstract:

Context. Ultra-compact massive galaxies (UCMGs) often exhibit elevated stellar-to-dynamical mass ratios when dynamical masses are estimated using standard virial prescriptions. This discrepancy has been interpreted as evidence for structural non-homology driven primarily by their compactness. Aims. This study investigates how the stellar-to-dynamical mass ratio depends on compactness (C), internal kinematics (σ*), stellar population properties (mass-weighted age, metallicity, and [Mg/Fe]), and star formation histories. The analysis is based on a homogeneous catalogue of 482 UCMGs from the INSPIRE and E-INSPIRE surveys, extending to significantly smaller sizes than previously analysed samples. Methods. I first derive the compactness–mass relation assuming a constant virial coefficient (K = 5). I then correct stellar masses for initial mass function (IMF) variations and recompute stellar-to-dynamical mass ratios using an empirical prescription in which the virial coefficient varies as a function of radius and stellar mass. Finally, I test whether the relation is modulated by stellar kinematics and population properties, including the degree of relicness (DoR), which quantifies the extremeness of the star formation history. Results. A statistically significant anti-correlation between compactness and the IMF-corrected stellar-to-dynamical mass ratio is recovered when a constant virial coefficient is adopted, even within the relatively narrow range of C spanned by nearby UCMGs. The relation substantially flattens when a structure-dependent K is adopted, in agreement with previous literature. Beyond this one-dimensional behaviour, the data define a structural–dynamical manifold in the (logC,Clog σ*) space. Velocity dispersion sets the dominant axis of variation, and the corresponding plane accounts for ∼62% of the variance in stellar-to-dynamical mass ratio. Including stellar age increases the explained variance to ∼63%, revealing a secondary evolutionary modulation. In contrast, DoR, metallicity, and [Mg/Fe] do not retain independent explanatory power once stellar age is included. Conclusions. The stellar-to-dynamical mass ratio in UCMGs is governed primarily by the depth of the gravitational potential, traced by stellar velocity dispersion, rather than by compactness alone. At fixed size, systems with higher σ* exhibit systematically lower stellar-to-dynamical mass ratio, indicating that dynamical structure regulates the apparent mass imbalance in the ultra-compact regime. Compactness largely reflects this dynamical scaling, while stellar age introduces a coherent secondary modulation linking the structural manifold to the evolutionary state of the galaxy. Non-homology in UCMGs therefore encodes coupled dynamical and assembly processes rather than purely geometric compactness.

Abstract:

Utilizing the optical imaging Fourier transform spectrograph SITELLE, the Star-formation, Ionized Gas and Nebular Abundances Legacy Survey (SIGNALS) is designed to study the connection between star-forming regions and their environments. Targeting 31 local star-forming galaxies, its data products also lend themselves to planetary nebula (PN) surveys. We present here a new pipeline to find PNe using automated emission-line diagnostics and morphology tests, that is able to distinguish PNe from contaminants with an accuracy similar to that of past visual methods. We also perform thorough completeness tests using mock PNe inserted into the data cubes with full spectra. We apply these tools to a pilot sample of two dwarf irregular galaxies from the SIGNALS survey, NGC 4214 and NGC 4449, with other galaxies to follow. For these two galaxies, we identify 25 PNe (including six new discoveries) and 23 PNe (including 13 new discoveries), respectively, and calculate PN luminosity function distances of and Mpc, respectively, the latter consistent with previous estimates. We also calculate the bolometric PN specific frequency of our galaxies (), as well as a newly defined V-band PN specific frequency () based solely on the galaxies’ total luminosities in that band.

Abstract:

This study examines how community-driven and culturally embedded forms of entrepreneurship contribute to sustainable development beyond market-oriented models. We propose an “upside-down pyramid” methodological approach that combines a bibliometric analysis of 1,155 scholarly articles with a qualitative and sociological analysis of 15 interviews to stakeholders from Officina Keller, a community-oriented cultural and creative enterprise in Southern Italy. The bibliometric analysis identifies five thematic clusters, covering environmental governance, inclusive innovation, and cultural regeneration.. The qualitative analysis highlights the role of community cohesion, territorial reactivation, and cultural memory in driving entrepreneurial innovation, while revealing persistent challenges linked to weak institutional and techno-economic support. By connecting large-scale scholarly discourse with situated practice, the study advances a more inclusive understanding of entrepreneurship and calls for policy frameworks that better integrate social and cultural dimensions into place-based community initiatives, particularly in contexts of place-based transformation and community-led regeneration.