On the role of data quality in experimental charge-density studies.

High-resolution X-ray diffraction data were collected at T = 19 K from two similar spherical crystals of the fungal metabolite citrinin, C13H14O5. The two data sets were of markedly different quality, one data set (MQ, medium quality) comprising a single octant of the reciprocal lattice and including reflections with obviously peculiar intensity profiles while the second (HQ, high quality) comprised a hemisphere of reflections and showed no flawed profiles. Parallel multipolar refinements were carried out for both. While most of the resulting geometric parameters, including bond lengths and angles, were in close agreement (the standard uncertainties were approximately twice as large for the MQ data, reflecting the smaller number of observations), the agreement is noticeably worse for electronic properties such as electron densities and their Laplacians at the bond and ring critical points. These latter features are especially sensitive to the quality of the low-angle (and strong) intensities, which was not high for the MQ data. By contrast, the magnitudes of the molecular dipole moment from the two experiments are the same within 1 standard uncertainty, with an angle of about 13° between the two vectors. It is concluded that only true high-quality data allow a fully significant and quantitative analysis of the details of the experimental electron density ρexp, while high-resolution medium-quality data, measured at very low temperature and adequately processed, can still be used for a qualitative analysis, or for the derivation of overall electronic properties

Preliminary data revealing efficacy of Streptococcus salivarius K12 (SSK12) in Periodic Fever, Aphthous stomatitis, Pharyngitis, and cervical Adenitis (PFAPA) syndrome: A multicenter study from the AIDA Network PFAPA syndrome registry

Objective: To evaluate the potential role of Streptococcus salivarius K12 (SSK12) in controlling febrile flares in patients with Periodic Fever, Aphthous stomatitis, Pharyngitis, and cervical Adenitis (PFAPA) syndrome. Further aims were to assess the impact of SSK12 on (i) flare duration, (ii) variation in the degree of the highest body temperature during flares, (iii) steroid-sparing effect, and (iv) change of PFAPA accompanying symptoms before and after SSK12 introduction. Patients and methods: The medical charts from 85 pediatric patients with PFAPA syndrome (49 males and 36 females) enrolled in the AIDA registry and treated with SSK12 for a median period of 6.00 ± 7.00 months in the period between September 2017 and May 2022 were examined. Children recruited had a median time of disease duration of 19.00 ± 28.00 months. Results: The number of febrile flares significantly decreased comparing the 12 months before [median (IQR), 13.00 (6.00)] and after SSK12 initiation [median (IQR), 5.50 (8.00), p < 0.001]. The duration of fever was significantly reduced from 4.00 (2.00) days to 2.00 (2.00) days [p < 0.001]. Similarly, the highest temperature in°C was found significantly lower in the last follow-up assessment [median (IQR), 39.00 (1.00)] compared to the period prior to SSK12 start [median (IQR), 40.00 (1.00), p < 0.001]. Steroid load (mg/year) of betamethasone (or any equivalent steroid) significantly decreased between 12 months before treatment with SSK12 [median (IQR), 5.00 (8.00) mg/year] and the last follow-up visit [median (IQR), 2.00 (4.00) mg/year, p < 0.001]. The number of patients experiencing symptoms including pharyngitis/tonsillitis (p < 0.001), oral aphthae (p < 0.001) and cervical lymphadenopathy (p < 0.001) significantly decreased following SSK12. Conclusion: SSK12 prophylaxis given for at least 6.00 months was found to reduce febrile flares of PFAPA syndrome: in particular, it halved the total number per year of fever flares, shortened the duration of the single febrile episode, lowered body temperature by 1°C in the febrile flare, provided a steroid-sparing effect, and significantly reduced the accompanying symptoms related to the syndrome

Risk for cancer development in familial Mediterranean fever and associated predisposing factors: an ambidirectional cohort study from the international AIDA Network registries

Objective: Inflammation has been associated with an increased risk for cancer development, while innate immune system activation could counteract the risk for malignancies. Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a severe systemic inflammatory condition and also represents the archetype of innate immunity deregulation. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the risk for cancer development in FMF. Methods: The risk ratio (RR) for malignancies was separately compared between FMF patients and fibromyalgia subjects, Still's disease patients and Behçet's disease patients. Clinical variables associated with cancer development in FMF patients were searched through binary logistic regression. Results: 580 FMF patients and 102 fibromyalgia subjects, 1012 Behçet's disease patients and 497 Still's disease patients were enrolled. The RR for the occurrence of malignant neoplasms was 0.26 (95% Confidence Interval [CI.] 0.10-0.73, p=0.006) in patients with FMF compared to fibromyalgia subjects; the RR for the occurrence of malignant cancer was 0.51 (95% CI. 0.23-1.16, p=0.10) in FMF compared to Still's disease and 0.60 (95% CI. 0.29-1.28, p=0.18) in FMF compared to Behçet's disease. At logistic regression, the risk of occurrence of malignant neoplasms in FMF patients was associated with the age at disease onset (β1 = 0.039, 95% CI. 0.001-0.071, p=0.02), the age at the diagnosis (β1 = 0.048, 95% CI. 0.039-0.085, p=0.006), the age at the enrolment (β1 = 0.05, 95% CI. 0.007-0.068, p=0.01), the number of attacks per year (β1 = 0.011, 95% CI. 0.001- 0.019, p=0.008), the use of biotechnological agents (β1 = 1.77, 95% CI. 0.43-3.19, p=0.009), the use of anti-IL-1 agents (β1 = 2.089, 95% CI. 0.7-3.5, p=0.002). Conclusions: The risk for cancer is reduced in Caucasic FMF patients; however, when malignant neoplasms occur, this is more frequent in FMF cases suffering from a severe disease phenotype and presenting a colchicine-resistant disease

Risk for cancer development in familial Mediterranean fever and associated predisposing factors: an ambidirectional cohort study from the international AIDA Network registries

Objective: Inflammation has been associated with an increased risk for cancer development, while innate immune system activation could counteract the risk for malignancies. Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a severe systemic inflammatory condition and also represents the archetype of innate immunity deregulation. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the risk for cancer development in FMF. Methods: The risk ratio (RR) for malignancies was separately compared between FMF patients and fibromyalgia subjects, Still's disease patients and Beh & ccedil;et's disease patients. Clinical variables associated with cancer development in FMF patients were searched through binary logistic regression. Results: 580 FMF patients and 102 fibromyalgia subjects, 1012 Beh & ccedil;et's disease patients and 497 Still's disease patients were enrolled. The RR for the occurrence of malignant neoplasms was 0.26 (95% Confidence Interval [CI.] 0.10-0.73, p=0.006) in patients with FMF compared to fibromyalgia subjects; the RR for the occurrence of malignant cancer was 0.51 (95% CI. 0.23-1.16, p=0.10) in FMF compared to Still's disease and 0.60 (95% CI. 0.29-1.28, p=0.18) in FMF compared to Beh & ccedil;et's disease. At logistic regression, the risk of occurrence of malignant neoplasms in FMF patients was associated with the age at disease onset (beta 1 = 0.039, 95% CI. 0.001-0.071, p=0.02), the age at the diagnosis (beta 1 = 0.048, 95% CI. 0.039-0.085, p=0.006), the age at the enrolment (beta 1 = 0.05, 95% CI. 0.007-0.068, p=0.01), the number of attacks per year (beta 1 = 0.011, 95% CI. 0.001- 0.019, p=0.008), the use of biotechnological agents (beta 1 = 1.77, 95% CI. 0.43-3.19, p=0.009), the use of anti-IL-1 agents (beta 1 = 2.089, 95% CI. 0.7-3.5, p=0.002).Conclusions: The risk for cancer is reduced in Caucasic FMF patients; however, when malignant neoplasms occur, this is more frequent in FMF cases suffering from a severe disease phenotype and presenting a colchicine-resistant disease

Romani e Persiani nel VI libro della Storia Ecclesiastica di Giovanni di Efeso: analisi di una fonte

Il suddetto lavoro si presenta come un'analisi storica del VI libro della Storia Ecclesiastica del vescovo miafisita Giovanni di Efeso. La prima parte consiste in un inquadramento dell'autore e dell'opera nel suo contesto storico-letterario, ovvero l'età post-giustinianea. Il lavoro procede successivamente nell'analisi del libro capitolo per capitolo, con lo scopo di valutare l'attendibilità o meno delle informazioni presentate riguardo la guerra romano-persiana del 572-591. Infine un'ultima sezione sarà dedicata allo studio della rappresentazione che Giovanni fa dei Persiani, provando a delineare quali sono gli elementi utili per lo studio della civiltà sassanide e quali invece i luoghi comuni frutto dei pregiudizi dell'autore. La conclusione di questo lavoro è che l'opera di Giovanni di Efeso rappresenta una buona fonte per la storia del tardo VI secolo, rientrando ampiamente nei canoni della storiografia tardoantica

Kings’ Speeches: Romano-Sasanian diplomatic Correspondence and the Creation of Forms of interstate Dialogue in Late Antiquity (3rd-7th century CE)

For several decades now, the study of Roman-Sassanid relations has been a fertile research field within the sphere of Late Antiquity and in the that of interstate relations. This thesis intends to insert in this line of studies, taking into consideration an aspect that is still little considered in Late Antiquity diplomacy such as diplomatic correspondence. This work constitutes a systematic examination of the entire diplomatic correspondence between Roman and Sassanid sovereigns throughout the period in which the two major late antique powers maintained reciprocal relations, from the 3rd to the first half of the 7th century CE. The study considers 14 examples of epistolary texts, attributed both to Roman emperors and Sassanid rulers, contained in Greek, Latin and Armenian historiographic sources. In particular, we would like to analyse: a) how the two empires self-represented and interacted between each other from the correspondence; b) how diplomatic language was formed between the two empires and what were the preferential channels of communication; c) verify the above issues starting from the surviving documentation. This is not an easy task due to the heterogeneous nature of the sources and the variety of languages with which information on this type of correspondence has been transmitted. From a methodological point of view, the careful examination of the evidence we have received presupposes, at first, the verification of the authenticity of the documents reported in the historiography. A limitation of the research is the unilateral nature of the documentation, coming exclusively from the Eastern Roman Empire. What is more, there are also questions related to the nature of the sources examined: even if historiographers claim to having faithfully reported the epistolary texts, various elements contrast this statement: the authors may have modified the letters on the basis of the rules of the genre historiographical, in particular by rhetorically modifying the original text or adapting them to their literary models. Consequently, this work uses, on the one hand, a philological-literary approach and, on the other, a historical-comparative method: for this last point, an important role is played by the comparison with texts and sources from the Sassanid empire, which can confirm or deny the information in the epistolary texts attributed to the Persian kings. Once the authenticity, or rather, the reliability of the documents has been established, the significance of the letters for the relations between the two empires is investigated. The research opens with an introductory reconstruction of the historical context of Roman-Sassanid relations, to better outline the evolution of the complex relations between the two empires between the 3rd and 7th centuries CE. Despite its concise nature, this section appears necessary for understanding the documentation at issue. From the beginning, the relations between the two empires appeared as the complex attempt to find an understanding between two state entities that aspired to universal hegemony, supported by a providential religious vision and, therefore, legitimising this "mission" in history. This is the religious-cultural framework that characterised the relations between the two empires during the 3rd century: the confrontation often resulted in fierce war conflict, with frequent defeats by the Romans. The first chapter, dedicated to the analysis of the correspondence between Severus Alexander and the Persian king Ardaxšīr reported in Herodian, belongs to this climate of strong rivalry. From the analysis of this text, it can be seen how the two sovereigns were united by the use of historical memory in the construction of a diplomatic discourse: therefore, Ardaxšīr used history as a way to justify his expansionist aspirations. At the same time, in Severus Alexander’s letter, historical memory was used to strengthen the prestige of the Romans in the East and to constitute an effective response to the Sassanid menace. The second phase of the Roman-Sassanid relations, which extends from 297/8 to 387, was characterised by a search for a balance of forces. Important for further development of Romano-Sasanian relations was the treaty of Nisibis of 298/9 concluded between Diocletian and King Narseh, which constituted a real turning point in the relations between the two empires. Despite the Roman military victory, Diocletian preferred to use moderation, recognising to the Persians an equal role compared to the Roman Empire. The subsequent treaties concluded in 363 and 387, beyond the peculiar aspects of the moment, fit within this line, with the attempt to find an appropriate compromise to ensure border security. This situation of balance of power characterized the political and religious background of two documents analysed in the second and third chapters: chapter 2 analyses the letter of Constantine to King Šābuhr II, reported by Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea, in which the emperor uses Christian themes to guarantee the balance achieved after the Treaty of Nisibis. Chapter 3 examines the correspondence between Šābuhr II and Emperor Constantius II contained in the historical work of Ammianus Marcellinus. Also, in these letters we can see how the two sovereigns, despite their differences on how to understand the balance of forces between the two empires, recognised that they were on an equal level and constituted the main political actors in the international scenario. The 5th century was characterized by intense diplomatic contacts to favour processes of collaboration for the defence of the common border threatened by the nomadic peoples from the Northern Caucasus. Consequently, this period was a long period of peace between the two empires, apart from two short wars in 420-1 and 440/1 CE. The two empires mutually recognised each other, projecting this situation also on the level of the personal relationships of kings and reigning families. And it was precisely the dynamics of personal relationships between sovereigns that are one of the privileged strategies of diplomatic contact. In this regard are relevant the documents examined in chapter 4, referring to proposals for family alliances and kinship, through the practice of adoption and reported in the Bellum Persicum of Procopius of Caesarea (Arcadius / Yazdegerd I; Kawād / Justin I). In the 6th century, we can see the return of the climate of tension which alternates with periods of peace - which hopefully will also be "eternal" or long-lasting - and long periods of heated conflicts. Despite these difficult relations, the two kingdoms developed diplomatic strategies that were to lead to the construction of a stable peace, continuing to recognize each other and to cooperate. This situation fits well in three letters relating to the reign of Justinian, which are analysed in chapter 5. The last phase of the Roman-Sassanid relations (590-630) was characterized by the long reign of king Xusraw II. It can be divided into three main periods: from a period of strong collaboration between the two empires, with the agreement between Xusraw and the emperor Maurice, it passed to the open war triggered by the usurpation of Phocas in 602 and continued under the reign of Heraclius, during which the Persians tried to definitively subdue the Romans. With the death of Xusraw II in 628, Romans and Persians recovered that climate of cordiality and cooperation prior to the outbreak of war in 602. Indicative of this phase are chapter 6, which examines Xusraw II’s letter to Mauritius, and chapter 7, which examines the diplomatic correspondence between the two empires during the reign of Heraclius. The last chapter takes up the overall question of the forms of diplomatic communication between the Roman and Sassanid empires, as indicated in the letters. The chapter focuses on the analysis of three issues - such as the existence of an international order, justice and expressions of balance of power - which constitute the main themes common to all the letters. The analysis clearly shows that these issues had an autonomous origin within the cultural horizons of the two powers, but the unceasing exchanges of embassies over time have led to their adoption to develop forms of interstate dialogue. Finally, a brief appendix follows, that offers an overview of the ancient Greek, Latin, Syriac and Armenian literary sources that transmitted this type of correspondence. In conclusion, we can note how the diplomatic letters transmitted in our sources offer important information on the functioning of the Roman-Sassanid diplomacy: despite the different types of modifications these texts are subjected, the letters are not the result of invention, but have a historical core irrefutable. Furthermore, it clearly emerges that this correspondence is part of an intercultural dialogue that has led to the formation of a real diplomatic language that is mutually understandable by the two powers

Verbal lie detection using Large Language Models

Abstract Human accuracy in detecting deception with intuitive judgments has been proven to not go above the chance level. Therefore, several automatized verbal lie detection techniques employing Machine Learning and Transformer models have been developed to reach higher levels of accuracy. This study is the first to explore the performance of a Large Language Model, FLAN-T5 (small and base sizes), in a lie-detection classification task in three English-language datasets encompassing personal opinions, autobiographical memories, and future intentions. After performing stylometric analysis to describe linguistic differences in the three datasets, we tested the small- and base-sized FLAN-T5 in three Scenarios using 10-fold cross-validation: one with train and test set coming from the same single dataset, one with train set coming from two datasets and the test set coming from the third remaining dataset, one with train and test set coming from all the three datasets. We reached state-of-the-art results in Scenarios 1 and 3, outperforming previous benchmarks. The results revealed also that model performance depended on model size, with larger models exhibiting higher performance. Furthermore, stylometric analysis was performed to carry out explainability analysis, finding that linguistic features associated with the Cognitive Load framework may influence the model’s predictions