The Scientific Controversy on Covid-19 and the Image of Science as an Expert System: Comparing the Debate in Italy and UK

The theoretical context of this article refers to the relations between expert systems and public opinion, according to an approach that describes how scientists' knowledge is questioned during serious globalized crises, such as epidemics and pandemics. In this regard, a typology of Italian and UK Twitter profiles was proposed in order to define the role of scientists in the debate around Covid-19, and to answer to what appear to be relevant research questions: What are the main scientific issues of the controversy? How is shaped the multifaceted pro-vax front? What image of science as an expert system emerges in the debate on Covid-19? To do that, a web-ethnography was performed, based on the analysis of some Italian/UK Twitter profiles of scientists, analysing a selection of interactions generated around them. The main research results are presented with reference to 'pro-vax' emerging profiles (a less studied context than the 'anti-vax' front), trying to illustrate the complexity of the dispute and the adequacy of discourse about science. In the end, the authors suggest that the idea of science as a 'truth' that people should simply trust - overly simplistic in the past - is not entirely plausible in today's public debate in social networks

The Scientific Controversy on Covid-19 and the Image of Science as an Expert System: Comparing the Debate in Italy and UK

The theoretical context of this article refers to the relations between expert systems and public opinion, according to an approach that describes how scientists' knowledge is questioned during serious globalized crises, such as epidemics and pandemics. In this regard, a typology of Italian and UK Twitter profiles was proposed in order to define the role of scientists in the debate around Covid-19, and to answer to what appear to be relevant research questions: What are the main scientific issues of the controversy? How is shaped the multifaceted pro-vax front? What image of science as an expert system emerges in the debate on Covid-19? To do that, a web-ethnography was performed, based on the analysis of some Italian/UK Twitter profiles of scientists, analysing a selection of interactions generated around them. The main research results are presented with reference to 'pro-vax' emerging profiles (a less studied context than the 'anti-vax' front), trying to illustrate the complexity of the dispute and the adequacy of discourse about science. In the end, the authors suggest that the idea of science as a 'truth' that people should simply trust - overly simplistic in the past - is not entirely plausible in today's public debate in social networks

Anti-gambling policies: Framing morality policy in Italy

Recent research on morality policy has focused on policy change, morality framing and the presence of favourable cultural opportunity structures (COSs). The resulting literature describing various aspects of morality policy has failed to discuss the impact of multilevel dynamic in this field. This contribution examines gambling policy in Italy, applying a multilevel approach to detect the presence of favourable COSs, and whether policymakers frame policies morally. Italy offers a particularly fertile field for the study of morality policy, featuring a liberal national approach versus local restrictive policy. By applying a methodology based on semistructured interviews and secondary sources, we examine the national and local political spheres, demonstrating that morality framing, when detected, is more likely to be found at the local level where the influence of experts and interest groups on legislators may result in the transformation of a health policy based on paternalistic considerations

Eating and mealtime behaviors in patients with autism spectrum disorder: Current perspectives

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social and communication skills and repetitive and restrictive behaviors. Children and adolescents with ASD are more likely to present feeding problems than their typically developing peers are. The present narrative review of literature aims to highlight the most recent evidence about epidemiology and presentations of eating and mealtime behavioral abnormalities in ASD from infancy to adolescence. Abnormalities in breastfeeding and acceptance of complementary foods have been described by most of the studies evaluating ASD early feeding history. Among the various eating and mealtime behaviors identified in ASD children and adolescents, the most common was food selectivity. The present review also provides brief overviews of the various aspects of food that may influence food acceptance by ASD patients and of the correlation between eating problems and ASD core symptoms, as well as with cognitive level, language skills, and family environment. However, studies evaluating eating problems in ASD children and adolescents are very heterogeneous and they show methodological differences. Moreover, the absence of unique definitions of eating and mealtime behaviors in ASD further limits the comparability of studies

The Transcription Factors ADR1 or CAT8 are Required for RTG Pathway Activation and Evasion from Yeast Acetic Acid-Induced Programmed Cell Death in Raffinose

Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown on glucose undergoes programmed cell death (PCD) induced by acetic acid (AA-PCD), but evades PCD when grown in raffinose. This is due to concomitant relief of carbon catabolite repression (CCR) and activation of mitochondrial retrograde signaling, a mitochondria-to-nucleus communication pathway causing up-regulation of various nuclear target genes, such as CIT2, encoding peroxisomal citrate synthase, dependent on the positive regulator RTG2 in response to mitochondrial dysfunction. CCR down-regulates genes mainly involved in mitochondrial respiratory metabolism. In this work, we investigated the relationships between the RTG and CCR pathways in the modulation of AA-PCD sensitivity under glucose repression or de-repression conditions. Yeast single and double mutants lacking RTG2 and/or certain factors regulating carbon source utilization, including MIG1, HXK2, ADR1, CAT8, and HAP4, have been analyzed for their survival and CIT2 expression after acetic acid treatment. ADR1 and CAT8 were identified as positive regulators of RTG-dependent gene transcription. ADR1 and CAT8 interact with RTG2 and with each other in inducing cell resistance to AA-PCD in raffinose and controlling the nature of cell death. In the absence of ADR1 and CAT8, AA-PCD evasion is acquired through activation of an alternative factor/pathway repressed by RTG2, suggesting that RTG2 may play a function in promoting necrotic cell death in repressing conditions when RTG pathway is inactive. Moreover, our data show that simultaneous mitochondrial retrograde pathway activation and SNF1-dependent relief of CCR have a key role in central carbon metabolism reprogramming which modulates the yeast acetic acid-stress response

Testing of several distributed file-systems (HDFS, Ceph and GlusterFS) for supporting the HEP experiments analysis

The activity of testing new storage solution is of great importance in order to provide both features and performance evaluation and give few hints to small-medium sites that are interested in exploiting new storage technologies. In particular this work will cover storage solutions that provide both standard POSIX storage access and cloud technologies; we focused our attention and our test on HDFS, Ceph, and GlusterFS

Imaging spectroscopic performances for a Si based detection system

We present the imaging and spectroscopic capabilities of a system based on a single photon counting chip (PCC) bump-bonded on a Si pixel detector. The system measures the energy spectrum and the flux, produced by a standard mammographic tube. We have also made some images of low contrast details, achieving good results

Glucose Metabolism, Thyroid Function, and Prolactin Level in Adolescent Patients With First Episode of Schizophrenia and Affective Disorders

Schizophrenia and affective spectrum disorders (ASD) typically begin in adolescence or early adulthood. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these disorders are still not fully understood, and recent studies have suggested an involvement of dysfunctions in cardiometabolic and neuroendocrine systems at the onset of both disorders. In this context, we aimed to assess thyroid function, prolactin level, glucose metabolism, and lipid profile in drug naive adolescents, comparing patients with first episode of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) and patients with ASD. We performed a retrospective chart review from inpatients aged from ten to eighteen years, referred to Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Unit of University of Bari “Aldo Moro” over a period of 4 years, with diagnosis of SSD (n=30) or ASD (n=22), according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders-fifth edition (DSM-5) criteria. Data on serum prolactin, glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, thyroid stimulating hormone, free triiodothyronin, and free thyroxin were collected, and the insulin resistance (IR) indexes “HOMA1-IR“ and “HOMA2-IR” were calculated. The multivariable linear regression models, adjusting for potential confounding factors (age, sex, and BMI), showed HOMA1-IR (p=0.001), HOMA2-IR (p=0.002), glucose (p=0.004), insulin (p=0.004) and free thyroxin (p<0.001) values higher in the SSD group than in ASD. No others significant differences were found. Our findings suggest the need for a metabolic and endocrine screening at the onset of SSD and ASD, particularly for indexes of IR, that is a testable and treatable risk factor for cardiometabolic diseases. Further studies are required to better understand the role of endocrinological and metabolic dysfunctions at the onset of severe mental illness also considering influencing factors as age, gender, and BMI