Gli atti aventi forza di legge in materia penale, la delega fiscale e i soliti sospetti

L’improvvisa comparsa e la repentina ritirata della clausola di non punibilità del 3% all’interno dello “Schema di decreto legislativo recante disposizioni sulla certezza del diritto nei rapporti tra fisco e contribuente” (che, in attuazione della delega contenuta all’art. 8 della legge 11 marzo 2014, n. 23, prevede al Titolo II la “revisione del sistema sanzionatorio”) esemplificano i limiti e i possibili effetti paradossali degli interventi in materia penale attuati mediante atti aventi forza di legge. Nello specifico, la vicenda condensa i più significativi tratti problematici della convivenza tra delega legislativa e ratio della riserva di legge: l’estrema genericità dei principi e dei criteri direttivi, che amplia gli spazi di manovra del Governo e frustra le potenzialità di controllo della Corte costituzionale; la scarsa trasparenza, che nel caso di specie non ha consentito di ricostruire con un adeguato livello di credibilità quando e da chi la causa di esclusione della punibilità sia stata inserita nel corpo del testo; il ruolo defilato delle Commissioni parlamentari, chiamate ad esprimere un parere e precedute dal ritiro del testo

EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT MICROENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ON THE GROWTH AND DIFFERENTIATION OF DENTAL PULP STEM CELLS

Human teeth are very complex structures that are susceptible to many different pathologies due to poor dental health. Currently, there are many restorative methods to reestablish some of the function that teeth have, but the materials used in these methods all have drawbacks and cannot fully mimic the native teeth. Tissue engineering research groups have begun to explore regenerating bone or dental tissue using mesenchymal stem cells derived from the bone marrow. However, our group focuses on regenerating dental tissues using multipotent stem cells from dental pulp. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have shown similarities to bone marrow stem cells in in that they can differentiate into many cell types. Also, stem cells in general have shown that differentiation can be induced with microenvironmental factors such as growth factors and substrate properties. If enough is known about the cues that cells receive that induces differentiation, tissues could be engineered using the constructs and growth conditions necessary. To determine the effect of substrate stiffness on human DPSCs, cells were placed on polyacrylamide gels of varying stiffness and in varying growth factor conditions. The cells were then observed with light and confocal microscopy, and the amount of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was measured. These tests gave an indication of growth and differentiation. It was seen that the growth patterns were different on the gels than they were on a glass control, but there was little difference between the two gels. Also, the growth factors did not appear to have a significant contribution to differentiation. Much work has been done to determine the effects of mechanical compression muscleoskeletal tissues, such as cartilage and bone. Dental tissues are also subject to loading throughout the day. Therefore, it was hypothesized that if dental pulp stem cells are compressed with pressure similar to that seen physiologically, it will induce differentiation to a bone or tooth-like lineage. To determine the effects of static compression on dental pulp stem cells, a custom compressive device was fabricated. The device was tested for usability and it was deemed acceptable for use. ALP assays were performed similar to the previous studies. Preliminary results showed that that after only 1 day of culture time, the compression did not have much of an effect on dental pulp stem cells, while it did have an effect on osteoblasts. More work is to be done to determine the effects of compressive forces on dental pulp stem cells

Evolution of Mafic Impact Melt Bodies at the Crater Floor Interfaces of the Vredefort and Sudbury Impact Structures

The Vredefort and Sudbury impact basins in South Africa and Canada, respectively, are currently the world’s oldest and largest impact structures. Over a hundred years of study on both impacts has still not answered all the questions surrounding these sites. The 2019 Ma Vredefort structure is thought to have an original diameter of 300 km, however, due to erosion all that is left of the structure is the basement of the central uplift. Small pockets and dykes of melt rock still remain but in the case of the gabbronorite its origin remains to be proven. The Sudbury structure is 1850 Ma, with an original diameter of approximately 250 km, orogenic deformation has preserved the impact melt, including mafic-ultramafic inclusions found at the base of the melt sheet. The origin of these inclusions are still not fully understood. In this work, new light is shed on impact melting through detailed field mapping and application of new geochemical and micro-imaging techniques (e.g. FEG-SEM Electron Backscatter Diffraction, colour cathodoluminescence, SIMS and Laser ablation ICP-MS) to evaluate mineral assemblages and U-Pb dating minerals from both sites. At Vredefort, dykes and lenses of a gabbronorite body were studied and determined to be the age of the impact as well as Lu-Hf values in concordance with zircons formed from melting of the target material, however, the whole rock chemistry suggests a mantle origin for the melt. Zircons from the mafic-ultramafic inclusions in the Sudbury Sublayer were analysed for evidence of shock and found to have igneous-like textures and no planer or remodeling features. This suggests that the mafic-ultramafic inclusions formed at the time of impact. Both sites show strong evidence for late modification stage adjustment in the central uplift and crater floor, and raises questions about the crystallization and modification of impact basins. Further understanding of these processes and the microstructures formed during these events could lead to new bench marks for identifying old impact craters on Earth and for understanding crater dynamics on other stony bodies in the solar system

Il caso Cappato e i nuovi confini di liceità dell'agevolazione al suicidio. Dalla 'doppia pronuncia' della Corte costituzionale alla sentenza di assoluzione della Corte di assise di Milano

Il contributo, muovendo da un’analisi della ‘doppia pronuncia’ della Corte costituzionale sul caso Cappato (ordinanza n. 207 del 2018 e sentenza n. 242 del 2019), ricostruisce – tenendo conto pure delle motivazioni della sentenza di assoluzione della Corte di assise di Milano – le nuove ipotesi di liceità dell’agevolazione al suicidio, anche in rapporto all’art. 32, comma 2 Cost., quale cardine del diritto di rifiutare o interrompere tutte e solo le cure sino al punto di lasciarsi morire, e alla legge n. 219 del 2017, che circoscrive la non punibilità all’esclusivo ambito della relazione terapeutica

Obblighi datoriali di tutela contro il rischio di contagio da Covid-19: un reale ridimensionamento della colpa penale?

Il contributo analizza i nuovi profili di responsabilità penale dei datori di lavoro in caso di eventuale contagio dei propri dipendenti connessi all'emergenza Covid-19 e alle novità normative introdotte dalla legislazione emergenziale