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Considerations on Everett J. Nelson’s connexive logic
No full textThis work explores Everett John Nelson’s connexive logic, outlined in his PhD thesis and partially summarized in his 1930 paper Intensional Relations, which is obtained by extending the system reconstructed by E. Mares and F. Paoli with a weak conjunction elimination rule explicitly assumed in the former but not in the latter. After a preliminary analysis of Nelson’s philosophical ideas, we provide an algebraic-relational semantics for his logic and we investigate possible extensions thereof which are able to cope with Nelson’s ideas with much more accuracy than the original system. For example, we will inquire into extensions whose algebraic-relational models are endowed with irreflexive incompatibility relations, or determine a “weakly” transitive entailment. Such an investigation will allow us to establish relationships between some of the trademarks of Nelson’s thought and concepts of prominent importance for connexive logic, as e.g. Kapsner’s strong connexivity and superconnexivity, as well as between the algebraic-relational semantics of Nelsonian logics and ordered structures that have gained great attention over the past years, namely partially ordered involutive residuate groupoids and (non-orthomodular) orthoposets
New Insights into the oral microbiota and host epigenetic changes in obsessive compulsive disorder and major depressive disorder: Focus on BDNF
No full textObsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) frequently co-occur, with depressive symptoms affecting OCD progression and vice versa. Identifying biomarkers is crucial for improving diagnosis and treatment. While the gut microbiota's role in psychiatric disorders is well-studied, this research focuses on alterations in the oral microbiota and their relationship with BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) DNA methylation in OCD and MDD patients compared to healthy controls. Our findings reveal significant changes in microbiota composition with OCD patients showing increased Actinobacteriota and Firmicutes abundances (p < 0.05; CTRL = n.24, OCD = n.29), while MDD patients exhibiting increased Actinobacteriota and Firmicutes, with reduced Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria abundances (p < 0.05; CTRL = n.24, MDD = n.20). These alterations, including potential post-streptococcal autoimmunity, highlight the microbiota's role in OCD and MDD pathophysiology. Selective changes in BDNF DNA methylation were observed in both disorders at CpG sites in exon I and IV, significantly reduced in OCD and MDD (p < 0.05; CTRL = n.24, OCD = n.29, MDD = n.20) and, following miRNome analysis, showed altered expression of BDNF-targeting microRNAs, with miR-16-5p and miR-29a-3p upregulated in OCD (p < 0.05; CTRL = n.24, OCD = n.17), and miR-29a-3p upregulated and miR-191-5p downregulated in MDD (p < 0.05; CTRL = n.24, MDD = n.16). These findings suggest disorder-specific microbiota and epigenetic profiles, positioning saliva as a non-invasive tool for biomarker identification. This research advances the understanding of microbial-epigenetic interactions in OCD and MDD, potentially guiding early diagnosis and targeted therapies
Nitrate Content in Open Field Spinach, Applicative Case for Hyperspectral Reflectance Data
No full textSpinach, leafy vegetables with growing demand and high nutritional value, has a heightened focus on nitrate content. An open-field experiment evaluated the potential of vis-NIR-SWIR hyperspectral data for classifying spinach nitrate content. Shallow artificial neural networks (ANN) and ensemble techniques—majority voting (MV) and stacked generalization (stacked)—were applied. The competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS), its stability version (SCARS), Elastic Net, and modified boosted versions of each (CARSplus, SCARSplus, and ENplus) were used as feature selection methods. ANNs were optimized for hidden layer size. The resulting models were further used in ensemble techniques by grouping them into two sets: one with all models and another with models trained using the three boosted feature selection subsets (fifty-three wavelengths). The best-performing ANNs were based on the SCARS, SCARSplus, and full datasets, achieving an accuracy (Acc) of 0.83. While the majority voting approach did not improve performance (Acc 0.82), the stacked ensemble models reached Acc 0.88. Notably, stacked performed well also with models trained on 53 wavelengths, demonstrating strong potential for transferability as the required sensors would be less complex than those used in this study. Furthermore, a simulation of the practical application was conducted using Italian Ministry of Health official data with the scope of showing a potential use case in improving nitrate management and for advancing efficient farming practices in agriculture. The stacked models demonstrated their utility in doubling the monitoring capacity for internal quality assurance in spinach farming within a regulated framework
Dietary non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity and risk of breast cancer: the Swedish National March Cohort
No full textBackground: Total dietary antioxidant capacity has been associated with a lower risk of breast cancer, but the supporting evidence is limited. We investigated the association between dietary Non-Enzymatic Antioxidant Capacity (NEAC), measuring the total antioxidant potential of the diet, and the risk of breast cancer. Methods: We followed 24,950 women recruited into the Swedish National March Cohort through record linkages to Swedish health registries from 1997 until 2016. Total NEAC was computed based on the baseline 96-item food frequency questionnaire. Three measures of dietary NEAC were assessed: total NEAC, NEAC from fruits and vegetables and NEAC from grains. We fitted multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models to compute hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to quantify the association between dietary NEAC and risk of overall, as well as pre- and post-menopausal breast cancer. Results: During a median follow-up of 19.2 years, 1142/24,950 women were diagnosed with breast cancer (136/10,826 pre- and 975/21,152 post-menopausal). Findings indicated a trend in the association between total NEAC and the hazard of overall breast cancer (highest vs. lowest quartile: adjusted HR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.69-1.04; p-value for Wald test = 0.138, p-value for trend = 0.048). The association was more evident for post-menopausal breast cancer (HR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.60-0.96; p-value for trend = 0.010). However, when missing data were imputed, the magnitude of the association was found to be weaker in terms of hazard reduction and no statistically significant associations were observed but the direction of the associations remained consistent (overall: HR = 0.89 (0.74-1.08), p-value for trend = 0.091; post-menopausal: HR = 0.84 (0.69-1.03), p-value for trend = 0.057). When distinguishing NEAC based on food sources, breast cancer hazard was inversely associated with NEAC from fruits and vegetables (HR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.64-0.97; p-value for trend = 0.019), but not with NEAC from grains (HR = 1.05, 95% CI 0.86-1.29; p-value for trend = 0.630). Conclusion: These results suggest an inverse association between dietary total antioxidant capacity and the risk of breast cancer, particularly in post-menopausal women, which seems to be driven by the consumption of fruits and vegetables. However, sensitivity analysis on imputed covariates did not fully confirm our findings, indicating the need for future confirmatory research
rec. a Vito Lipari, Le stagioni del diritto romano - Personae et familiae (prima pars), Youcanprint editore, Lecce 2025
No full textLo studioso esegue un'analisi su nuclei familiari e diversificazione sociale per focalizzare le peculiarità dello status riconosciuto dai meccanismi dell’esperienza giuridica romana. Dal libero allo schiavo, dal liberto al gladiatore, un quadro che esemplifica la percezione della realtà, la disciplina e la codificazione di istituti che regolano gli aspetti della vita dei singoli e delle categorie di appartenenza
Los europeos en contextos extra europeos: el caso canario como antesala del caso americano.
No full textGenomic epidemiology of a Bacillus cereus bacteraemia outbreak linked to contaminated hospital laundry
No full textThis study investigated an increase in Bacillus cereus bacteraemia cases amongst hospitalized patients in Italy during the summer of 2023. To precisely characterize the outbreak, we performed extensive genomic investigation, including both short- and long-read sequencing technologies, combined with bioinformatics analysis. This genomic approach enabled us to identify the putative source of the outbreak and understand the transmission dynamics of this opportunistic pathogen within the hospital. Our investigation revealed a complex, polyclonal contamination pattern traced to contaminated hospital laundry. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analysis identified multiple B. cereus sequence types (STs) in both clinical and environmental samples, with three predominant STs (ST-2184, ST-163 and ST-365) found in both. These STs, previously implicated in bloodstream infection (BSI) outbreaks, raise concerns about their potential as healthcare-associated pathogens. SNP-based phylogenetic analysis provided strong evidence linking human and environmental isolates, with close genetic relatedness observed between isolates from patients and those from laundered scrubs, transport trucks and bed linens. The study highlights the potential for laundry-mediated pathogen transmission in healthcare settings and underscores the importance of stringent laundry hygiene practices. Improved laundry procedures successfully resolved the B. cereus bacteraemia outbreak. This study demonstrates the power of WGS-based methodologies for investigating and resolving outbreaks, informing targeted infection control measures and ultimately enhancing patient safety
Detection and Genomic Characterization of Novel Mammarenavirus in European Hedgehogs, Italy
No full text: Mammarenaviruses are noteworthy zoonotic pathogens, and the main reservoirs are rodent species. We report the detection of a novel mammarenavirus in 6/183 (3.3%) in necropsied European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) collected in Italy. The whole-genome sequence obtained for 4 strains revealed a marked genetic diversity but a monophyletic origin