Faking and Conspiring about COVID-19: A Discursive Approach

In the more general climate of post-truth - a social trend reflecting a disregard for reliable ways of knowing what is true, mostly acted through massive use of misinformation and rhetoric calling for emotions - an alarming “infodemic” accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting healthy attitudes and behaviors and further lessening trust in science, institutions, and traditional media. Its two main representative items, fake and conspiracy news, have been widely analyzed in psycho-social research, even if scholars mostly acknowledged the cognitive and social dimensions of those items and devoted less attention to their discursive construction. In addition, these works did not directly compare and differentiate fake and conspiracy pathways. In order to address this gap and promote a wider understanding of these matters, a qualitative investigation of an Italian sample of 112 fake and conspiracy news articles, mostly spread during the first two COVID-19 “waves” (from March 2020 to January 2021) was realized. Our sample gathered news specifically coming from social media posts, representing easy and fast channels for viral content diffusion. We analyzed the selected texts by means of Diatextual Analysis and Discursive Action Model models, aimed to (a) offer “in depth” fine-grained analysis of the psycholinguistic and argumentative features of fake and conspiracy news, and (b) differentiate them in line with the classical Aristotle’s rhetoric stances of logos, ethos, and pathos, thus bridging traditional and current lines of thinking. Even though they may share common roots set in the post-truth climate, fake and conspiracy news engage in different rhetoric patterns since they present different enjeu and construct specific epistemic pathways. Implications for health- and digital-literacy are debated

Do Italian consumers value health claims on extra-virgin olive oil?

The present study aims to extend the existing literature on EVOO consumers by assessing the importance of health claims in selecting EVOO products by jointly accounting for consumer preferences for the many search, experience, and credence attributes potentially available on EVOO, as well as by accounting for attitudinal and psychographic individual characteristics which affect consumer decision to prefer products with health claims over conventional ones (i.e. subjective nutritional knowledge, nutritional knowledge, nutritional importance, attitudes towards using food as a medicine, general health interest). The latter characteristics play a pivotal role in individual decisions to consider health claims when purchasing food, as indicated in the general literature on consumers and health claims. Such individual related characteristics capture the individual attitude and interest in preventing health losses through food choices and diet (see for instance, Roininen et al. (1999), Van Trijp & Van der Lans (2007) Dean et al. (2012)). To achieve our research goal, we employed a best-worst (BW) approach on a representative sample of Italian household members who are responsible for food shopping. Consumers tested competitively the multiple product attributes of EVOO. The share of consumers interested in health claims was detected by a latent class clustering model and characterized based on their socio-demographic, attitudinal, and psychographic features. Thus, this is the first study attempting to identify the features of consumers interested in health claims while purchasing EVOO using a large sample of household responsible of food purchases

Gender-related stress factors and emotional perception in migraine: a structured online questionnaire in migraine patients and controls

Background: While migraine is markedly prevalent in women, gender-related phenotype differences were rarely assessed. For this reason, we investigated, through a multicenter observational cross-sectional study, based on an online questionnaire, gender-related differences in stress factors, emotions, and pain perception in migraine patients and controls and their impact on migraine severity. Methods: The study was designed as an online questionnaire. The link was emailed to healthy subjects (C) and migraine patients (MIG) (age 18-75, education ≥ 13 years) recruited during the first visit in 8 Italian Headache Centers adhering to Italian Society for Headache Study (SISC). The questionnaire included personal/social/work information, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Romance Quality Scale, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Body Perception Questionnaire, the pain perception, and a self-assessment of migraine severity in the last 3 months. Results: 202 MIG and 202 C completed the survey. Independently from gender, migraine was characterized by higher pain sensitivity and more severe partner relationships. The female gender, in MIG, exhibited higher anxiety scores, body awareness, and reduced emotional suppression. Body awareness and emotional suppression were discriminating factors between genders in control and migraine groups without relevant influence on disease features. Perceived perception of migraine severity was similar between genders. Conclusion: Gender-related emotional and stress factors did not contribute to delineate a distinct phenotype in migraine men and women. The possible impact of emotional and stress factors characterizing genders could be considered for a single case-tailored therapeutic approach

DIGITIZATION OF BUILDING SYSTEMS USING IFC TO SUPPORT PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS AND CODE CHECKING: STANDARD LIMITS AND TECHNOLOGICAL BARRIERS. A CASE STUDY ON FIRE SAFETY

The study presented in this paper is part of a digitization project developed for the University of Padua. It aims at demonstrating how IFC (Internet Foundation Classes) ISO Standard can be used as a reliable data model to support Performance Analysis (PA) and code checking for construction disciplines. Fire Safety Engineering (FSE) is analyzed as a challenging test field because it highly affects different building aspects and highlights interoperability issues. The methodology proposed in the study consists in checking a digital approach to PA based on information classes that can express both users’ requirements and performance specification of technical elements to develop computational code checking. This method is developed by creating virtual classes representing built systems and using relation classes and performance attributes to check if technical elements fulfil users’ requirements. By forcing the model to be based on standardized information classes, the study verifies if IFC, as an ISO standard, can be used as a universal and scalable reference model for performance analysis and code checking. More specifically, the study focuses on the availability of IFC’s information classes and attributes that define a PA model. This research verifies the achievement of the proposed goals for FSE (Section 2) and then highlights the interoperability limits that affect an IFC-based approach to computational FSE code checking (Section 3). Finally, the technical feasibility of the methodology’s market implementation is presented (Section 4). The study’s innovative approach is related to the fact that IFC is often analyzed as an information exchange format, not as a data model, where standardized relations between building ontologies can be simulated. Digital ontologies of relational aspects are experimented with by following this approach. These reports support code conformance analyses of the technical element performance specification. The study then indicates how the information modelling discipline could be shaped to encourage standardized code checking better

Interaction between Galactomyces geotrichum KL20B, Lactobacillus plantarum LAT3 and Enterococcus faecalis KE06 during Milk Fermentation.

Microbial interactions are fundamental during milk fermentation, determining the product final characteristics. Galactomyces geotrichum, Lactobacillus plant arum and Enterococcus faecalis are among the most common microorganisms in the Colombian Kumis. The aim of the research was to evaluate the yeast–bacteria interactions in milk fermentation at 28 C. UHT (Ultra-High Temperature) milk was inoculated with single- or multiple-strains associations and analysed periodically to determine the microbial counts, organic acids and total free amino acids (FAA). The results evidenced different growth performance of the strains in single or co-culture, with a positive effect of G. geotrichum KL20B on the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) growth performance. All the strains consumed citric acid after 6 h of incubation with E. faecalis KE06 as the major consumer; however, all the co-cultures showed an early metabolism of citrate but with a low intake rate. In addition,the interaction between G. geotrichum KL20B and E. faecalis KE06 led to a low accumulation of acetic acid. Formic acid fluctuated during fermentation. The strains interaction also led to an increase in ethanol content and a lower accumulation of FAA. In conclusion, the three strains co-culture enhances the LAB viability, with high production of lactic acid and ethanol, as a consequence of adaptation to the environment and substrate exploitation. To our knowledge, this is the first time in which it is showed that G. geotrichum KL20B could be used to compensate for the slow acid-producing ability of Lb. plant arum and E. faecalis in milk, underlining that this consortium applies some mechanisms to regulate the growth and milk composition in acids and ethanol content

Do consumers understand health claims on extra-virgin olive oil?

Health claims have been introduced in food labelling to support consumers’ awareness of healthy food choices and to enhance a healthy diet. Even though many countries around the world have developed legislation and guidelines to regulate the introduction of health claims on food labels, there is the evidence that many consumers do not understand the meaning of these claims. This study analyses whether Italian consumers really understand authorized health claims on extra-virgin olive oil and what are the drivers of such understanding. An Olive Oil Health Claims Understanding index was constructed and embedded in a structured questionnaire, which was then administered to a representative sample of Italian household members who are responsible for food shopping (N = 1,030). Results from the survey showed that only 36% of the respondents understood the meaning of the authorized health claims on extra-virgin olive oil. Moreover, the findings confirmed that the understanding of health claims is related to socio-demographic, personal and psychographic characteristics of consumers, as well as to their attitudes toward using food as medicine. Outcomes also proved the central role of nutrition knowledge in affecting understanding of health claims

La scuola digitale oggi: limiti e prospettive per una reale Amministrazione digitale

Dal 2008 ad oggi il passaggio dall’“analogico” (carta) al “digitale” (bit) ha interessato l’intera Amministrazione italiana, ivi compreso il comparto Scuola. I profili pubblicistici dell'Informatica giuridica si affermano, quindi, anche in ambito pubblico, con forza cogente. Il passaggio, però, é stato, ed é ancora, ricco di insidie, connesse alla “debolezza” strutturale ed economica di molte Amministrazioni, tra le quali quelle scolastiche, associata alla non piena conoscenza delle norme precettive del Codice dell’Amministrazione Digitale – CAD e delle restanti normative di settore. Il contributo é finalizzato a ricostruire i passaggi evolutivi della Scuola lungo la via che la sta conducendo ad una reale digitalizzazione, evidenziando limiti applicativi e prospettive di ulteriore sviluppo

Multiple linear regression models concerning thyroid structure and function

Multiple linear regression models to ascertain the potential confounding role of anthropometric variables in adult Klinefelter syndrome patients on each of the thyroid outcomes of interest, with gonadal status as the independent variable and the anthropometric variables significantly different between gonadal status groups acting as covariates, and fT4 levels, the fT3/fT4 ratio, echogenicity and homogeneity as dependent variables </p

Clinical and Paraclinical Indicators of Motor System Impairment in Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia: A Pilot Study

<div><p>Background</p><p>Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSP) are a composite and genetically heterogeneous group of conditions mainly expressed by the impairment of the central motor system (“pure” forms). The involvement of other components of the central nervous system or of other systems is described in the “complicate” forms. The definition of an investigation protocol capable, by assembling clinical and paraclinical indicators to fully represent the extent of the motor system impairment, would help both the clinical handling of these conditions and contribute to our understanding of their pathogenesis.</p><p>Methods</p><p>We applied a clinical and paraclinical protocol which included tools exploring motor and non motor functioning, neurophysiology and MRI to a composite cohort of 70 molecularly defined HSP patients aged 3 to 65, to define for each indicator its significance in detailing the presence and the severity of the pathology.</p><p>Results</p><p>Clinically increased deep tendon reflexes and lower limb (LL) weakness are constant findings in all patients. The “complicated” forms are characterized by peripheral motor impairment, cognitive and cerebellar involvement. The Spastic Paraplegia Rating Scale efficiently reflects the severity of functional problems and correlates with disease duration. Neurophysiology consistently documents the impairment of the central motor pathway to the LLs. Nevertheless, the upper extremities and sensory system involvement is a frequent finding. MRI diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) highlighted a significant alteration of FA and MD. Combining the sampling of the various portion of the cortico-spinal tract (CST) DTI consistently discriminated patients from controls.</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>We propose a graded clinical and paraclinical protocol for HSP phenotype definition, indicating for each tool the discriminative and descriptive capacity. Our protocol applied to 9 different forms of HSP showed that the functional impairment often extends beyond the CST. The novel DTI approach may add significant elements in disease recognition, staging and mapping.</p></div

DTI values in controls and HSP patients for FA (A) and MD (B).

<p>Only anatomical areas with statistically significant differences are reported (ANOVA, <i>p-values</i> not adjusted for multiple comparisons ranged between 0.002 and 0.048). Abbreviations: of Fig 4: WM, White Matter; GM, Gray Matter; R, Right; L, Left.</p