Was Boris Johnson justified in using John Stuart Mill to make the case for Brexit?

Boris Johnson invoked John Stuart Mill in a recent speech, arguing that Mill's thinking about the importance of the nation state underpinned the case for Brexit. Corrado Morricone considers whether Mill's work can indeed be used to support leaving the EU

Criticism of Renzi’s constitutional reform is wide of the mark – it would make Italy’s institutions more efficient and responsive

In the final days of campaigning before Italy’s referendum, we are featuring a number of articles on the pros and cons of the proposed constitutional changes. In this contribution, Corrado Morricone takes issue with recent criticism of the reforms, arguing that they would make the country’s institutions more efficient and responsive to the needs of citizens

Education, Democracy and Representation in John Stuart Mill's Political Philosophy

This thesis is concerned with John Stuart Mill’s democratic theory. In chapter I, I examine the relations between political philosophy and political theory and science before providing a detailed outline of the aims of the dissertation. In chapter II, I argue that in order to reconcile the concepts of progress and equality within a utilitarian theory, a Millian political system needs to devise institutions that promote general happiness, protect individual autonomy, safeguard society from mediocrity. Chapter III discusses what different authors have said about Mill and liberty, then explores James Mill’s theory of education and Coleridge’s influence on John Stuart Mill’s thought. I conclude by criticising Richard Arneson’s interpretation according to which the Considerations and On Liberty are inconsistent, and some of Gregory Claeys’ conclusions on Mill and paternalism. Chapter IV explores the methodology of the social sciences and the philosophy of history as found in Mill’s writings; then it considers Mill’s thought in regard to his father’s Radical proposals. I also discuss at some length the idea of the tyranny of the majority. Chapter V begins with a discussion of Hanna Pitkin’s theory of representation. I then provide a critical account of Richard Krouse and Nadia Urbinati’s interpretations of Mill. I conclude by arguing that, in a Millian democracy, the higher is the degree of complexity or the need for expertise in dealing with affairs, the greater is the bearing of the principle of competence in assessing whether a representative should act as a trustee or a delegate. I also introduce the idea of rational debate as a sort of ‘influence multiplier’, arguing that this would help to make a democracy rational and effective along Millian lines. In the last two chapters, I stress the relevance of Mill’s political philosophy as for some contemporary issues (nationalism, European federalism, current social and economic changes) while suggesting some potential further investigations, and summarise my conclusions

The work of JS Mill shows the importance of a common identity to the principle of European federalism

The creation of a European federation raises a number of philosophical questions, both in terms of whether European federalism can be justified, and how a European federation could be constructed. Corrado Morricone writes on the work of the English philosopher John Stuart Mill. He notes that while Mill recognised the dangers in eliminating differences between European states, he would also have viewed attempts to foster a common identity across Europe as a positive development

Litigation risks and firms innovation dynamics after the IPO

An initial public offering (IPO) is a critical event in a firm’s life cycle which can reshape its innovation strategy. Research suggests that after going public firms experience an increase in patent productivity. Our paper explores perceived litigation risks as a determinant of this outcome by examining US semiconductor firms. Results show that perceived patent litigation risks are positively associated with patent productivity after the IPO. Interestingly, we also find that the amount of capital raised during the IPO is positively associated with patent productivity after the IPO, successfully replicating previous findings on this relationship. These results are robust to model specifications where we attempt to account for the dynamics of self-selection of firms into IPO by considering matched control firms with similar pre-IPO characteristics, but that never went public

A Glycine-to-Arginine Substitution in the Triple-Helical Domain of Type VII Collagen in a Family with Dominant Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa

We recently demonstrated strong genetic linkage between the type VII collagen gene (COL7A1) and both the dominant and recessive forms of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. In this study, we searched for mutations in dominant dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa using polymerase chain reaction amplification of segments of COL7A1, followed by heteroduplex analysis. Examination of the polymerase chain reaction corresponding to exon 73 revealed a heteroduplex resulting from a G-to-A transition at nucleotide 6127 in the triple-helical domain of COL7A1, which converted a glycine residue to an arginine (G2043R). The dominant dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa phenotype in this family probably arose because of a dominant negative effect of this mutation in COL7A1, resulting in the formation of structurally abnormal anchoring fibrils

Archeometrical Analysis for the Characterization of Mortars from Ostia Antica

AbstractThe aim of the study is to provide, through the characterization of the mortar samples and the relative raw materials, useful information in order to define the stages of construction, the workers technological and archaeological knowledge. The study is an interdisciplinary approach carried out by different analysis techniques in order to define the mineral-petrographic composition and highlight the differences among the various samples. Mortars are present in all the walls, except dry ones, as a bedding material and as a coating. The mortars may be regarded as markers for excellence, because they must be prepared at the time of their use, during the construction of the masonry, and cannot be re-used after their hardening and socket. Furthermore, the production of mortars in the past depended on the availability of raw materials in situ thus establishing a strong and direct correlation between the origin and use.The chemical and petrographic study of the subtle differences and composition of the mortar makes it possible to use this material as an excellent timeline if the supply of building materials varies over time. Mortars, for these reasons, play two key roles in archaeological survey: an absolutely priority for the correct determination of the contours of Stratigraphic Units; the role of the typological class very representative and very useful for making comparisons between different parts of the building and connecting between them the activities of the individual site

Relationship between soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE), body composition and fat distribution in healthy women

Purpose: Soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) is a decoy receptor which sequesters RAGE ligands and acts as a cytoprotective agent. To date, it is unclear whether the lower sRAGE levels observed in obesity are a marker of increased overall adiposity or reflect increases in particular fat depots. Therefore, we evaluated in healthy women the relationship among sRAGE and indicators of adiposity, including abdominal visceral (VAT) and epicardial visceral (EAT) adipose tissues, to explore the potential role of sRAGE as an earlier biomarker of cardiometabolic risk. Methods: Plasma sRAGE levels were quantified by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 47 healthy women. Total fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass were estimated with bioimpedance analysis. Anthropometric measures and biochemical data were recorded. Subcutaneous adipose tissue, VAT and EAT volumes were measured by magnetic resonance imaging. Results: Obese women had lower sRAGE levels compared to normal-weight women. sRAGE levels were also lower in women with a waist circumference (WC) larger than 80 cm. Correlation analyses indicated an inverse association of sRAGE with body mass index and FM. Concerning adipose tissue distribution, sRAGE inversely correlated with WC, EAT and VAT depots. In a multiple stepwise regression analysis, performed to emphasize the role of fat distribution, EAT volume was the only predictor of sRAGE. Conclusions: Lower sRAGE levels reflect accumulation of visceral fat mainly at the epicardial level and are present in advance of metabolic complications in adult women. sRAGE quantification might be an early marker of cardiometabolic risk

Sex and Gender Differences in Ischemic Heart Disease: Endocrine Vascular Disease Approach (EVA) Study Design

Improvements in ischemic heart disease (IHD) management have been unbalanced between sexes, with coronary microvascular dysfunction considered the likely underlying reason. The Endocrine Vascular disease Approach (EVA) is an observational study (Clinicaltrial.gov NCT02737982) aiming to assess sex and gender interactions between coronary circulation, sexual hormones, and platelet function. Consecutive patients with IHD undergoing coronary angiography will be recruited: (1) to assess sex and gender differences in angiographic reperfusion indexes; (2) to evaluate the effects of estrogen/androgen on sex-related differences in myocardial ischemia; (3) to investigate the platelet biology differences between men and women with IHD; (4) to verify sex- and gender-driven interplay between response to percutaneous coronary intervention, platelets, sex hormones, and myocardial damage at baseline and its impact on 12-month outcomes. The integration of sex and gender in this translational project on IHD will contribute to the identification of new targets for further innovative clinical interventions

A machine-learning based bio-psycho-social model for the prediction of non-obstructive and obstructive coronary artery disease

Background: Mechanisms of myocardial ischemia in obstructive and non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), and the interplay between clinical, functional, biological and psycho-social features, are still far to be fully elucidated. Objectives: To develop a machine-learning (ML) model for the supervised prediction of obstructive versus non-obstructive CAD. Methods: From the EVA study, we analysed adults hospitalized for IHD undergoing conventional coronary angiography (CCA). Non-obstructive CAD was defined by a stenosis < 50% in one or more vessels. Baseline clinical and psycho-socio-cultural characteristics were used for computing a Rockwood and Mitnitski frailty index, and a gender score according to GENESIS-PRAXY methodology. Serum concentration of inflammatory cytokines was measured with a multiplex flow cytometry assay. Through an XGBoost classifier combined with an explainable artificial intelligence tool (SHAP), we identified the most influential features in discriminating obstructive versus non-obstructive CAD. Results: Among the overall EVA cohort (n = 509), 311 individuals (mean age 67 ± 11 years, 38% females; 67% obstructive CAD) with complete data were analysed. The ML-based model (83% accuracy and 87% precision) showed that while obstructive CAD was associated with higher frailty index, older age and a cytokine signature characterized by IL-1β, IL-12p70 and IL-33, non-obstructive CAD was associated with a higher gender score (i.e., social characteristics traditionally ascribed to women) and with a cytokine signature characterized by IL-18, IL-8, IL-23. Conclusions: Integrating clinical, biological, and psycho-social features, we have optimized a sex- and gender-unbiased model that discriminates obstructive and non-obstructive CAD. Further mechanistic studies will shed light on the biological plausibility of these associations. Clinical trial registration: NCT02737982