From Bergson to Girard: the Comedian and the Sacred

The essay by Claudio Rozzoni Il Riso di Molière. Teatro e impersonalità, which has been published in this magazine, examines the phenomenon of the comedian with particular emphasis on his/her impersonal nature. Starting from Henri Bergson’s ideas, and with particular and frequent reference to Molière’s theatre, Rozzoni takes a first step toward defining the air of impersonality that characterises comedy. The purpose of this work is to further explore the aforementioned idea. This study will start with Rozzoni’s analysis and will subsequently make use of the thoughts of the Franco-American anthropologist René Girard, in order to show the mimetic and undifferentiating character of impersonality. At the end of this study, a religious anthropology of comedy will be outlined: moving from sacrificial rituals to medieval festivals and to the gradual professionalization of the modern era, this work will finally look at the contemporary time, shedding light on the long-existing link between the role of the comedian and that of an expiatory victim

Litter in alien species of possible commercial interest: The blue crab (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896) as case study

Marine litter levels were measured in the stomach contents, hepatopancreas, and gonad tissues of crustacea decapod (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896; n\ua0=\ua06), a widespread alien species affecting the Lesina lagoon. Results highlight a mean of 2.5 (SD\ua0=\ua01.6) items/animal and indicate the presence of metals fragments (13%) and plastics (13% PE; 6.7% PET) in the stomach contents of collected individuals. No microplastic particles were detected in the hepatopancreas or in muscle tissue, while microplastic fibres (nylon, rayon, polyester) were found present in female specimen gonads. The presence of synthetic fibres in the investigated species reflects the relative contamination level in this habitat type and suggests that the blue crab could be considered a model organism for evaluating the contamination status of the study area

Effect of external PEEP in patients under controlled mechanical ventilation with an auto-PEEP of 5 cmH2O or higher.

In some patients with auto-positive end-expiratory pressure (auto-PEEP), application of PEEP lower than auto-PEEP maintains a constant total PEEP, therefore reducing the inspiratory threshold load without detrimental cardiovascular or respiratory effects. We refer to these patients as complete PEEP-absorbers. Conversely, adverse effects of PEEP application could occur in patients with auto-PEEP when the total PEEP rises as a consequence. From a pathophysiological perspective, all subjects with flow limitation are expected to be complete PEEP-absorbers, whereas PEEP should increase total PEEP in all other patients. This study aimed to empirically assess the extent to which flow limitation alone explains a complete PEEP-absorber behavior (i.e., absence of further hyperinflation with PEEP), and to identify other factors associated with it.One hundred patients with auto-PEEP of at least 5 cmH2O at zero end-expiratory pressure (ZEEP) during controlled mechanical ventilation were enrolled. Total PEEP (i.e., end-expiratory plateau pressure) was measured both at ZEEP and after applied PEEP equal to 80 % of auto-PEEP measured at ZEEP. All measurements were repeated three times, and the average value was used for analysis.Forty-seven percent of the patients suffered from chronic pulmonary disease and 52 % from acute pulmonary disease; 61 % showed flow limitation at ZEEP, assessed by manual compression of the abdomen. The mean total PEEP was 7 ± 2 cmH2O at ZEEP and 9 ± 2 cmH2O after the application of PEEP (p < 0.001). Thirty-three percent of the patients were complete PEEP-absorbers. Multiple logistic regression was used to predict the behavior of complete PEEP-absorber. The best model included a respiratory rate lower than 20 breaths/min and the presence of flow limitation. The predictive ability of the model was excellent, with an overoptimism-corrected area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.89 (95 % CI 0.80-0.97).Expiratory flow limitation was associated with both high and complete PEEP-absorber behavior, but setting a relatively high respiratory rate on the ventilator can prevent from observing complete PEEP-absorption. Therefore, the effect of PEEP application in patients with auto-PEEP can be accurately predicted at the bedside by measuring the respiratory rate and observing the flow-volume loop during manual compression of the abdomen

Financial profitability of diversified farming systems: A global meta-analysis

Diversified farming systems are promoted as a pathway to more sustainable agricultural production. Yet wide scale adoption may be slow because of uncertainty about the viability of farmer livelihoods on diversified farms and entrenched perceptions that monocultures are key to making farming profitable. Here, a global meta-analysis of 3192 effect sizes from 119 peer-reviewed articles provides evidence that diversified farming systems are at least as profitable as simplified farming systems. Our study showed that, on average, total costs, gross income and profits (net income, or gross margin) were higher in diversified systems relative to simplified ones, while the benefit-cost ratio was equivalent. These results held in developed and developing countries and across geographic regions. From a subset of 43 articles reporting labour inputs, we found that labour costs increased in diversified farming systems, but so did gross incomes leading to farm profits equivalent to those in simplified systems and dispelling myths that higher labour requirements undermine the viability of diversification. Our global meta-analysis provides compelling evidence that diversified farming systems are not only viable but actually economically preferable to simplified systems in the wide range of contexts represented in this study. Policies, markets, investments, and value chains need to align with this evidence and promote diversified farming systems for the benefit of farmers and rural economies

Spectrometer for X-ray emission experiments at FERMI free-electron-laser

A portable and compact photon spectrometer to be used for photon in-photon out experiments, in particular x-ray emission spectroscopy, is presented. The instrument operates in the 25\u2013800 eV energy range to cover the full emissions of the FEL1 and FEL2 stages of FERMI. The optical design consists of two interchangeable spherical varied-lined-spaced gratings and a CCD detector. Different input sections can be accommodated, with/without an entrance slit and with/without an additional relay mirror, that allow to mount the spectrometer in different end-stations and at variable distances from the target area both at synchrotron and at free-electron-laser beamlines. The characterization on the Gas Phase beamline at ELETTRA Synchrotron (Italy) is presented

Iatrogenic pseudoaneurysm of inferior epigastric artery: not only a surgical complication

A 77-year-old lady with a longstanding scleroderma, presented to the Emergency Department for a state of severe malnutrition and fluid dysphagia. On physical examination, she presented an abdominal palpable swelling, with an associated large, posterior ecchymosis. A pseudoaneurysm of the right inferior epigastric artery was diagnosed on a color Doppler ultrasound examination. After collegial discussion with the surgical and interventional-radiologist team, a percutaneous exclusion of the pseudoaneurysm through thrombin injection was successfully performed, and no complications were reported. After a thorough anamnestic record, the possible cause of the pseudoaneurysm was discovered: a few days before hospital admission the general practitioner did some intradermoclysis in the abdominal wall to hydrate the patient, damaging the inferior epigastric artery wall with subsequent development of the pseudoaneurysm. The patient completely recovered, returned home after two weeks in a subacute facility, and is awaiting evaluation for the scleroderma follow up from a rheumatologist

An extracellular vesicle epitope profile is associated with acute myocardial infarction

n/

Spin-Flop Ordering from Frustrated Ferro- and Antiferromagnetic Interactions: A Combined Theoretical and Experimental Study of a Mn/Fe(100)\mathrm{Mn}/\mathrm{Fe}(100) Monolayer

The occurrence of a noncollinear magnetic structure at a Mn monolayer grown epitaxially on Fe(100) is predicted theoretically, using spinor density-functional theory, and observed experimentally, using x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) and linear dichroism (XMLD) spectroscopies. The combined use of XMCD and XMLD at the Mn-absorption edge allows us to assess the existence of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic order at the interface, and also to determine the moment orientations with element specificity. The experimental results thus obtained are in excellent agreement with the magnetic structure determined theoretically

Kinesiology Students' Perception Regarding Exercise Oncology: A Cross-Sectional Study

none13noDelivering physical activity in cancer care requires knowledge, competence, and specific skills to adapt the exercise program to the patients' specific needs. Kinesiology students could be one of the main stakeholders involved in the promotion of physical activity. This study aims to investigate the knowledge, perception, and competence about exercise in patients with oncological disease in a sample of students attending the Sports Science University. A total of 854 students (13% response rate) from four Italian universities completed the online survey between May and June 2021. About half of the study participants identified the correct amount of aerobic (44%) and strength (54%) activities proposed by the American College of Sports Medicine for patients with cancer. Almost all the students recognized the importance of physical activity in cancer prevention (96%), in the management of cancer before surgery (96%), during anticancer treatments (84%), and after therapies completion (98%). On the contrary, they reported a lack of university courses dedicated to cancer diseases, psychological implications, and prescription of physical activity in all types of cancer prevention. Overall, few students felt qualified in delivered counseling about physical activity and individual or group-based exercise programs in patients with cancer. Logistic regression revealed that the students attending the Master's Degree in Preventive and Adapted Physical Activity were more likely to have knowledge and competence than other students. The present study suggests that kinesiology universities should increase the classes and internships about exercise oncology to train experts with specific skills who are able to adequately support patients in their lifestyle modification.Avancini, Alice; Ferri Marini, Carlo; Sperduti, Isabella; Natalucci, Valentina; Borsati, Anita; Pilotto, Sara; Cerulli, Claudia; Barbieri, Elena; Lucertini, Francesco; Lanza, Massimo; Parisi, Attilio; Grazioli, Elisa; Di Blasio, AndreaAvancini, Alice; Ferri Marini, Carlo; Sperduti, Isabella; Natalucci, Valentina; Borsati, Anita; Pilotto, Sara; Cerulli, Claudia; Barbieri, Elena; Lucertini, Francesco; Lanza, Massimo; Parisi, Attilio; Grazioli, Elisa; Di Blasio, Andre