Modeling dependent gene expression

In this paper we propose a Bayesian approach for inference about dependence of high throughput gene expression. Our goals are to use prior knowledge about pathways to anchor inference about dependence among genes; to account for this dependence while making inferences about differences in mean expression across phenotypes; and to explore differences in the dependence itself across phenotypes. Useful features of the proposed approach are a model-based parsimonious representation of expression as an ordinal outcome, a novel and flexible representation of prior information on the nature of dependencies, and the use of a coherent probability model over both the structure and strength of the dependencies of interest. We evaluate our approach through simulations and in the analysis of data on expression of genes in the Complement and Coagulation Cascade pathway in ovarian cancer.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/11-AOAS525 the Annals of Applied Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aoas/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Anomalous pattern of geochemical data recorded in the seismically active site of Pieschi (Southern Italy)

This work explores three years of geochemical signals recorded by Pieschi station (Southern Italy). The measuring station is located in a thermal spring located in the Southern Apennines Chain, one of the most seismically active areas of the Mediterranean region. The spring is located close to a geophysical monitoring network installed in 2001 by IMAA-CNR. The probe is able to record temperature and water conductivity with a sampling rate of 10 min. From November 2001 to February 2005 several anomalous variations of water conductivity were recorded. Correlation analysis with selected local earthquakes was carried out to identify events inducing strain effects in the investigated area

Serious games e orientamento universitario: un'esperienza di game-based learning

Il contributo presenta un’esperienza di formazione basata sul gioco rivolta a studentesse e studenti in uscita dalla scuola secondaria di secondo grado, sviluppata nell’ambito del corso di orientamento "Sviluppo di carriera e professioni del futuro", erogato dall’Università di Siena e finanziato tramite risorse del PNRR (D.M. 934/2022). Il corso ha coinvolto 5 istituti di istruzione superiore del territorio toscano con l’obiettivo di promuovere la conoscenza dell’ambiente universitario ed esplorare le prefigurazioni professionali dei partecipanti. Le studentesse e gli studenti si sono cimentati in giochi quali taboo, pictionary, gioco dell'oca e Lego® re-immaginati e adattati ai contesti universitario e lavorativo. Le attività laboratoriali presentate in questa sede e i primi risultati ottenuti sottolineano l'efficacia dell’uso delle metodologie game based per favorire la partecipazione attiva degli studenti ai processi di apprendimento e facilitare pratiche di orientamento universitario in ottica riflessiva

Musculoskeletal manifestations in children with Behçet's syndrome: data from the AIDA Network Behçet's Syndrome Registry

This study aims to describe musculoskeletal manifestations (MSM) in children with Behçet's syndrome (BS), their association with other disease manifestations, response to therapy, and long-term prognosis. Data were retrieved from the AIDA Network Behçet's Syndrome Registry. Out of a total of 141 patients with juvenile BS, 37 had MSM at disease onset (26.2%). The median age at onset was 10.0 years (IQR 7.7). The median follow-up duration was 21.8 years (IQR 23.3). Recurrent oral (100%) and genital ulcers (67.6%) and pseudofolliculitis (56.8%) were the most common symptoms associated with MSM. At disease onset, 31 subjects had arthritis (83.8%), 33 arthralgia (89.2%), and 14 myalgia (37.8%). Arthritis was monoarticular in 9/31 cases (29%), oligoarticular in 10 (32.3%), polyarticular in 5 (16.1%), axial in 7 (22.6%). Over time, arthritis became chronic-recurrent in 67.7% of cases and 7/31 patients had joint erosions (22.6%). The median Behçet's Syndrome Overall Damage Index was 0 (range 0-4). Colchicine was inefficacious for MSM in 4/14 cases (28.6%), independently from the type of MSM (p = 0.46) or the concomitant therapy (p = 0.30 for cDMARDs, p = 1.00 for glucocorticoids); cDMARDs and bDMARDs were inefficacious for MSM in 6/19 (31.4%) and 5/12 (41.7%) cases. The presence of myalgia was associated with bDMARDs inefficacy (p = 0.014). To conclude, MSM in children with BS are frequently associated with recurrent ulcers and pseudofolliculitis. Arthritis is mostly mono- or oligoarticular, but sacroiliitis is not unusual. Prognosis of this subset of BS is overall favorable, though the presence of myalgia negatively affects response to biologic therapies. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05200715 (registered on December 18, 2021)

Consequences of conspiracy theories on political efficacy and political participation

This chapter is aimed at exploring the role of conspiracy beliefs on perceived political efficacy and consequently on political participation. Indeed, recent findings suggest that conspiracy beliefs are indirectly and negatively related to conventional participation through external efficacy. However, some research suggests that not all the conspiracy claims are conspiracy theories and not all have the same potential for societal harm. Following the proposal by WuMing 1, we propose to differentiate conspiracy beliefs in conspiracy fantasies (i.e., unrealistic, and universalistic conspiracy) and conspiracy hypotheses (i.e., plausible, and limited conspiracy), and to explore their effects on internal and external political efficacy and consequently on political participation. We predict that conspiracy fantasies and conspiracy hypotheses are two operationally differentiable constructs, that conspiracy fantasies can reduce perceived internal political efficacy and consequently political participation, whereas both conspiracy fantasies and conspiracy hypotheses can negatively predict external political efficacy and political participation. Results from one cross-sectional survey conducted in Italy partially supported our predictions showing that conspiracy fantasies (but not conspiracy hypotheses) are associated with lower internal and external efficacy, but only internal political efficacy mediates the effect on political participation. The implications of these findings are considered to better understand the psychology of conspiracy hypotheses and their social consequences and impact on political efficacy and political participation