Connecting dots: multiple perspectives on socio-technical transition and social practices

This Crossing Boundary hosts contributions accounting for experiences and theoretical perspectives which may look distant for how they address the socio-technical transition in the energy field but, we believe, when put in conversation, help common questions and tentative answers come to the fore. Giorgio Osti, Paul Upham, Paula Maria Bagel and Paula Castro have been engaged in reflecting on their respective disciplines in relation to socio-technical transitions. Recalling and valorising the STS basis of MLP and SPT in connection with other disciplinary approaches may contribute to enrich on one side STS debates and on the other empirical research on socio-technical transition in a historical juncture where such an endeavour looks definitely urgent.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Does \u2018bigger\u2019mean \u2018better\u2019? Pitfalls and shortcuts associated with big data for social research

\u2018Big data is here to stay.\u2019 This key statement has a double value: is an assumption as well as the reason why a theoretical reflection is needed. Furthermore, Big data is something that is gaining visibility and success in social sciences even, overcoming the division between humanities and computer sciences. In this contribution some considerations on the presence and the certain persistence of Big data as a socio-technical assemblage will be outlined. Therefore, the intriguing opportunities for social research linked to such interaction between practices and technological development will be developed. However, despite a promissory rhetoric, fostered by several scholars since the birth of Big data as a labelled concept, some risks are just around the corner. The claims for the methodological power of bigger and bigger datasets, as well as increasing speed in analysis and data collection, are creating a real hype in social research. Peculiar attention is needed in order to avoid some pitfalls. These risks will be analysed for what concerns the validity of the research results \u2018obtained through Big data. After a pars distruens, this contribution will conclude with a pars construens; assuming the previous critiques, a mixed methods research design approach will be described as a general proposal with the objective of stimulating a debate on the integration of Big data in complex research projecting

Social media as taste re-mediators: emerging patterns of food taste on TripAdvisor

The current contribution provides insight into the transformations occurring in food taste and in gastronomy standards, where social media contributes to assess eating out in situations of mobility. The coalition between food and new media has brought about new priorities and standards in taste, relying less on proper gastronomic expertise than on media dynamics and \u2018metamorphic\u2019 claims of social distinction in these times of cultural omnivorousness. On this basis, the paper looks into emerging taste patterns, outlined by the widespread practice of sharing restaurant reviews on travel social media. It addresses both eating out and social media as an open set of social practices that, though highly dynamic and internally differentiated, speak for collective and socially organized patterns of behaviors, so as to become entry points to grasp broader social dynamics dwelling in connectivity, gastronomy, food consumption. To this aim, the study analyses TripAdvisor\u2019s reviews of the restaurants in the Italian region Aosta Valley in a time span of 25 months. The analysis highlights the process of food taste \u201cre-mediation\u201d played by social media and the emergence of a culinary capital based on plastic habitus and a plural socialization to food that ranges from TV foodtainment to digital narratives, to new patterns of aware eating

Sociotechnical Environments. Proceedings of the VI STS Italia Conference 2016

4nonenoneCrabu S.; Giardullo P.; Miele F.; Turrini M.Crabu, S.; Giardullo, P.; Miele, F.; Turrini, M

Vitamin D and connective tissue diseases

Objective and design: Recently, many studies have shown that the biologically active form of vitamin D—1,25(OH)2 D—is involved in many biological processes, including immune system modulation, and patients affected by various autoimmune diseases, such as connective tissue diseases (CTD), showed low levels of vitamin D. It is not clear if vitamin D deficiency is involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases or it is a consequence. Material: We carried out a review of literature to summarize the existing connections between 25-OH vitamin D and CTD. Methods: We searched for articles on PubMed by keywords: vitamin D, connective tissue diseases, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's syndrome, systemic sclerosis, undifferentiated connective tissue disease. Results: The relationship between vitamin D and CTD is still not very clear, despite many studies having been performed and some data suggest a connection between these diseases and 25-OH vitamin D levels. Conclusions: The limitations of the study, such as the heterogeneity of patients, methods used to measure vitamin D serum concentration and other biases, do not lead to unequivocal results to demonstrate a direct link between low vitamin D serum levels and autoimmune diseases. Further studies are needed to resolve conflicting results

Connecting Dots: Multiple Perspectives on Socio-technical Transition and Social Practices

This Crossing Boundary hosts contributions accounting for experiences and theoretical perspectives which may look distant for how they address the socio-technical transition in the energy field but, we believe, when put in conversation, help common questions and tentative answers come to the fore. Giorgio Osti, Paul Upham, Paula Maria Bögel and Paula Castro have been engaged in reflecting on their respective disciplines in relation to socio-technical transitions. Recalling and valorising the STS basis of MLP and SPT in connection with other disciplinary approaches may contribute to enrich on one side STS debates and on the other empirical research on socio-technical transition in a historical juncture where such an endeavour looks definitely urgent