Taste Fragmentalism

This paper explores taste fragmentalism, a novel approach to matters of taste and faultless disagreement. The view is inspired by Kit Fine’s fragmentalism about time, according to which the temporal dimension can be constituted—in an absolute manner—by states that are pairwise incompatible, provided that they do not obtain together. In the present paper, we will apply this metaphysical framework to taste states. In our proposal, two incompatible taste states (such as the state of rhubarb’s being tasty and the state of rhubarb’s being distasteful) can both constitute reality in an absolute manner, although no agent can have joint access to both states. We will then develop a formalised version of our view by means of an exact truthmaker semantics for taste assertions. Within this framework—we argue—our linguistic and inferential practices concerning cases of faultless disagreement are elegantly vindi- cated, thus suggesting that taste fragmentalism is worth of further consideration

Chiral Switch of Gadopiclenol: New Standards in MRI Probes

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) plays a vital role in the accurate diagnosis of numerous human diseases and disorders, with Gd(III)-based contrast agents (GBCAs) being used in ≈30%–40% of procedures, resulting in ≈30 million doses administered annually worldwide. The careful design of a rigid macrocyclic chelator featuring a highly hydrophilic periphery leads to the development of gadopiclenol, the first bis-hydrated Gd(III)-based MRI contrast agent, recently approved for clinical use by both the FDA and EMA. The stereochemistry of the coordinating arms is found to play a crucial role in the remarkable thermodynamic stability and inertness of the Gd(III)-complex with the RRR/SSS-stereoisomer of this heptadentate chelating agent, ensuring its safety in vivo. The exceptional stability of the most effective gadopiclenol enantiomeric pair (RRR/SSS), coupled with a relaxivity 2 to 3 times higher than that of currently used GBCAs, has enabled the use of reduced doses while ensuring non-inferior image contrast

Postfazione a Giuseppe Di Luca: "La fede in tempo di pandemia"

Il lavoro di Giuseppe Di Luca affronta il tema del rapporto tra religione e pandemia con un approccio sociologico ed empirico. La pandemia ha risollevato un po' ovunque molte questioni rimaste in precedenza sopite, e ha sollecitato il ruolo delle Chiese e delle religioni nell'organizzare le chiusure e nel creare modalità alternative non solo per esercitare il culto, ma anche per garantire il supporto spirituale e materiale ai propri fedeli. Lo studio indaga tutto ciò in un caso particolare, quello del cattolicesimo in una piccola diocesi del Nord d'Italia, la diocesi di Alessandria

Deep immunophenotyping of circulating immune cells in major depressive disorder patients reveals immune correlates of clinical course and treatment response

Il Disturbo Depressivo Maggiore (MDD) è una condizione psichiatrica diffusa che impatta il funzionamento sociale e lavorativo, rendendolo una delle principali cause di disabilità. La diagnosi di MDD rimane clinica, basandosi sui criteri del Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5, poiché i biomarcatori non sono ancora stati validati per scopi diagnostici o come predittori della risposta al trattamento. Le strategie terapeutiche tradizionali spesso seguono un approccio uniforme, ottenendo risultati subottimali per molti pazienti che non sperimentano risposta o recupero. Diversi studi hanno riportato un'associazione tra MDD e disfunzione del sistema immunitario, ma pochi si sono concentrati sulla caratterizzazione approfondita delle cellule circolanti durante la fase acuta del MDD. Questo lavoro si è proposto di immunofenotipizzare le cellule del sangue periferico nella fase di ricaduta del disturbo, per identificare popolazioni cellulari rilevanti per il monitoraggio clinico dei pazienti. È stata condotta un'analisi multiparametrica sul sangue periferico di 60 pazienti con MDD utilizzando la citometria a flusso per identificare i linfociti (naive/effettori, memoria, regolatori) e le cellule mieloidi (cellule dendritiche, monociti). Sono state studiate le associazioni tra immunofenotipo, sintomi depressivi, funzionamento sociale e lavorativo e qualità della vita soggettiva durante la fase acuta e dopo tre mesi di trattamento. L'analisi multivariata ha mostrato che i CD4+ effettori terminalmente differenziati della memoria (TEMRA) erano associati a sintomi depressivi più gravi, con particolare enfasi sulle caratteristiche anedoniche e su un peggior funzionamento sociale e lavorativo e qualità della vita. I CD8+ TEMRA erano associati a sintomi depressivi legati alla disperazione. Al contrario, i Tregs ICOS+ erano associati a ideazioni suicide di bassa intensità, suggerendo un ruolo protettivo. I CD4+ effettori della memoria (EM) basali erano predittori negativi della riduzione dei sintomi depressivi dopo tre mesi di trattamento, mentre le cellule dendritiche plasmacitoidi (pDC) predicevano la riduzione della disperazione. Questi risultati confermano il coinvolgimento del sistema immunitario nel MDD e dimostrano l'esistenza di firme immunologiche associate alla gravità degli episodi depressivi maggiori e alla risposta al trattamento, che potrebbero guidare il monitoraggio clinico e future terapie personalizzate

Computing the action of the matrix generating function of Bernoulli polynomials on a vector with an application to non-local boundary value problems

This paper deals with efficient numerical methods for computing the action of the matrix generating function of Bernoulli polynomials, say q(τ, A), on a vector when A is a large and sparse matrix. This problem occurs when solving some non-local boundary value problems. Methods based on the Fourier expansion of q(τ, w) have already been addressed in the scientific literature. The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, we place these methods in the classical framework of Krylov-Lanczos (polynomial-rational) techniques for accelerating Fourier series. This allows us to apply the convergence results developed in this context to our function. Second, we design a new acceleration scheme. Some numerical results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms

Vulnerability to disinformation in older age

Disinformation poses a significant challenge to contemporary society, as it has the potential to undermine the stability of democratic systems, put public health at risk, and undermine the credibility of science. We explore the question of whether certain groups of people are especially exposed to disinformation and, in particular, we focus on older people. We examine the purported impact of cognitive and linguistic factors, such as source amnesia and the need for consistency, the decline of pragmatic skills in recognizing intentions and decoding figurative language, as well as motivational factors like the need for affiliation. Taken together, these empirical data suggest that there may indeed be specific vulnerabilities associated with older age. This hypothesis calls for finding ways to protect a category of people who already suffer from numerous other vulnerabilities

Spray drying: process development and optimization for the production of pharmaceutical powders

This PhD thesis encompasses three-year study dedicated to advancing spray drying processes and microencapsulation methodologies. The first project tackled the thermodynamic and computational modeling of a benchtop spray dryer's outlet temperature to establish predictive models critical for process scale-up. Integrating machine learning refined the predictive capacity of thermodynamic models over computational fluid dynamics, revealing essential process variables such as feed rate and gas flow interaction. This modeling framework underpins quality-by-design applications for spray drying processes, offering robust scale-up pathways. The second focus was on developing solid lipid microparticles (SLMp) using a novel spray congealing technique starting from a water-in-oil emulsion, enabling high drug loading with controlled release characteristics for hydrophilic drugs like metoclopramide hydrochloride. The approach demonstrated enhanced stability and versatility through a factorial design, optimizing particle size, morphology, and drug release profiles. The final study bridged laboratory-to-pilot scale spray drying for microencapsulated vegetable oils, optimizing feed parameters and drying conditions to maintain critical quality attributes and minimize oxidative degradation. Emulsion stability and feed conditions were pivotal in achieving high encapsulation efficiency and maintaining product stability. Together, these studies highlight the integration of formulation and process parameters to engineer particles with precise physicochemical properties, contributing to enhanced drug delivery systems and scalable spray drying strategies

Social stigma in dementia: Italian validation of the Dementia Public Stigma Scale (DEPSS)

Introduction. Dementia-related stigma is a significant barrier to supporting people with dementia and promoting their social inclusion. The Dementia Public Stigma Scale (DePSS) measures all the dimensions of dementia-related public stigma: fear and discomfort, inability and loss, personality recognition, burden and exclusion. Aim. To validate the DePSS in Italian and measure dementia-related public stigma. Method. The DePSS has 16 items rated on a Likert scale 1-7 (1=strongly disagree; 7=strongly agree). The average score for the overall scale and for each of its five factors ranges from 1 to 7, higher scores indicate higher stigma. The original English tool was translated and culturally adapted and psychometric validation was performed. The scale was then tested on 1,329 people (aged 14-93 years). Results. The Italian version of the DePSS confirmed the original five-factor structure and was a clear, valid and reliable tool for measuring dementia-related stigma. The median overall score was 3.6 (IQR 3.1-4.0) that indicates moderate stigma. The highest levels of stigma emerged in the factor inability and loss (median 4.8, IQR 4.2-5.4) and burden (median 4.0, IQR 2.5-5.0). Living with a person with dementia was not apparently associated with the overall stigma level (p=0.406) nor with any of its dimensions. Conclusions. The Italian DePSS version will be able to shape healthcare strategies and educational and awareness initiatives

L’apport académique du recueil au-delà du droit international privé

Il diritto internazionale privato non può essere separato dal diritto comparato. Al di là della ricera del diritto straniero applicabile (che costituisce un soggetto di studio autonomo), il diritto comparato ricorda che ogni legislatore si rivolge ai giuristi del proprio sistema: utilizza convenzioni linguistiche, riferimenti impliciti a schemi concettuali che sono loro propri; nasconde nel non detto elementi che sembrano evidenti al giurista nazionale, ma che scompaiono agli occhi del giurista straniero e che a volte scompaiono anche agli occhi del giurista nazionale, pur rimanendo latenti nel sistema ( i c.d. crittotipi)

Distal Radial Artery Approach for Invasive Blood Pressure Monitoring in Intensive Cardiac Care Unit

: Distal radial artery (dRA) is a novel vascular access site in interventional cardiology. We evaluated the use of dRA as alternative approach to standard forearm radial artery (fRA) for invasive blood pressure monitoring in Intensive Cardiac Care Unit (ICCU). This is a single-center, randomized, noninferiority trial. Patients admitted in ICCU needing invasive blood pressure monitoring were randomly allocated to dRA or fRA access site (1:1 ratio). Primary endpoint was noninferiority of dRA in the final catheterization success rate. Secondary endpoints were: first attempt success rates; arterial catheterization time; catheterization-related quality of pain; incidence of complications. A total of 250 patients were enrolled (125 in each arm). Final success rate was 95.2% in the dRA group versus 96.8% in the fRA arm (p <0.001 for noninferiority). First attempt success rates were 59.2% with dRA and 70.4% with fRA (p = 0.12). There was no difference in arterial catheterization time and catheterization-related quality of pain between the 2 arms. Entry-site complications were reduced with dRA (6.7% vs 17.4% in the fRA group; p = 0.013); this was mainly driven by decreased incidence of hematoma (0.8% vs 6.6%; p = 0.020). A numerically lower occurrence of arterial occlusion was observed with dRA (0.8% vs 4.9%; p = 0.06). In conclusion, in ICCU patients, the use of dRA to invasively monitor blood pressure is noninferior to fRA for catheterization success rates and may reduce entry-site bleeding