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BEYOND MICA. An overview of developments on crypto-assets
No full textIntroduzione al Volume a cura dell'Edito
MLOps-Driven Automation of Regulatory Documentation for AI-Based Medical Software
No full textIn recent years, the increasing integration of AI within clinical software has led to the emergence of Software as a Medical Device (SaMD), a category of systems subject to strict regulatory oversight. A major challenge for developers in this domain is the continuous production of regulatory documentation, which remains largely manual and disconnected from development pipelines.
This paper proposes a strategy to automate documentation generation by embedding MLOps principles—such as traceability, reproducibility, and continuous integration—into the development workflow. Applied to a representative healthcare AI project, the approach produced consistent, audit-ready artefacts with minimal manual effort, demonstrating its potential to narrow the gap between rapid innovation and regulatory compliance
First report of mango leaf-coating mite Cisaberoptus kenyae (Acari: Eriophyidae) in Europe
No full textOver the last two decades, mango cultivation in Sicily showed a steady increase of cultivated areas. This expansion has also facilitated the introduction of potentially harmful alien species. This paper reports the presence of the eriophyid mite Cisaberoptus kenyae Keifer (Acari: Eriophyidae) for the first time in Sicily and, therefore in Europe. In the perspective of a potential further expansion of mango also in other European areas as a consequence of the climatic changes, a brief overview of current knowledge on this species is also provided
Risk factors for endocrinological immune-related adverse events in patients with renal cell carcinoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors
No full textPurpose: First-line treatment for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) commonly includes immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), either as monotherapy or in combination with anti-angiogenic agents. These therapies can lead to endocrine immune-related adverse events (irAEs). This study aimed to identify predictive risk factors for the development of endocrine irAEs associated with ICI-based therapies. Methods: We conducted an observational, retrospective, single-center study involving 72 patients with RCC who initiated first-line treatment with ICIs (either in combination with another ICI or an anti-angiogenic agent) between January 2018 and May 2023. All patients had at least 18 months of clinical and biochemical follow-up. Results: 51.39% of patients experienced endocrine irAEs, including thyroid dysfunction (89.2%), primary hypocortisolism (10.8%), and hypophysitis (8.1%). Patients who developed endocrine irAEs had a significantly lower International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium (IMDC) score (p = 0.033), and renal/adrenal metastases were significantly associated with a lower risk of developing endocrine irAEs (p = 0.045) and thyroid dysfunction (p = 0.026). TNM stage II and III at diagnosis were linked with higher rates of endocrine irAEs in males and thyroid dysfunction in the overall population, whereas TNM stage IV was associated with a lower incidence of both outcomes (p = 0.02 and p = 0.05, respectively). In logistic regression analysis of the interaction between stage and sex, TNM stage III was significantly associated with a higher risk of irAEs and thyroid dysfunction in men compared with women at the same stage (p = 0.0184 and p = 0.0301, respectively). Among treatment variables, the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) emerged as a significant predictor of thyroid irAEs (p = 0.041). A neutrophil percentage below the cohorts' 50th percentile (61.45%) was associated with increased risk of endocrine irAEs (p = 0.048). In multivariate analysis, renal/adrenal metastases and TNM stage IV remained negative predictors of both endocrine irAEs and thyroid dysfunction, while TKI use was a significant positive predictor of thyroid dysfunction. Conclusions: This study highlights several significant associations between the occurrence of endocrine irAEs and oncological parameters (renal/adrenal metastases, TNM stage), therapeutic factors (use of TKIs), and laboratory markers (neutrophil percentage) in RCC patients. These predictors may be useful in identifying patients who are more likely to develop endocrine irAEs and therefore require more rigorous endocrine surveillance during treatment
Le altre ipotesi di estinzione del rapporto di lavoro
No full textIl saggio tratta le ipotesi di estinzione del contratto di lavoro subordinato differenti dal licenziamento, discutendo se fra queste possano applicarsi le discipline della novazione, del mutuo dissenso, della rescissione, della risoluzione per inadempimento, dell'impossibilità sopravvenuta, della morte, dell'eccessiva onerosità. Si esaminano inoltre i casi di risoluzione ex lege del contratto di lavoro e le discipline delle dimissioni e del preavviso
Development of green extraction method of fatty acids from the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) for the production of Biofuel
No full textThe valorisation of the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) has garnered increasing attention as a sustainable approach to modern waste management strategies, promoting principles of circular economy while protecting the environment. In fact, traditional waste disposal methods, as landfills and incineration, are characterized by significant environmental impact, due to their production of soil and water pollution and the emissions of greenhouse gases. On the other hand, the valorisation of OFMSW not only solves waste disposal issues but it also provides products useful in different fields, since organic waste contains many high-value compounds, including lipids, polyphenols and antioxidants. On this ground, the present thesis investigated the development of an alternative green extraction method, based on the use of supercritical fluids (SFE), for the valorisation of organic waste by the extraction of compounds valuable in the energetic field, for the production of second-generation biofuel, contributing to renewable energy solutions and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. In particular, SFE was developed on the OFMSW and a specific organic waste, represented by Fishing Discards (FD), for the production of biofuel. In fact, FD is made up of unwanted catches, during fishing activities, that cannot be thrown back into the marine waters of Europe, as established by the reformed Common Fisheries Policy (Art. 15 of EU Reg. 1380/2103) of 2019, resulting in organic waste. SFE allowed the efficient extraction of lipid compounds from both OFMSW and FD, having advantageous properties for their use as biodiesel, after their conversion into Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAMEs). Moreover, SFE was also investigated for the valorisation of specific organic waste derived from crops activities, as discarded leaves originated by Globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. subsp. scolymus) crops. In particular, the versatility of SFE allowed also the selective extraction of bioactive compounds, mainly represented by polyphenols, from discarded Globe’s leaves, by adjusting the operating parameters while maintaining compound integrity. Therefore, SFE proved to be an efficient and innovative method for the valorisation of organic waste, offering a zero-waste solution into the waste-to-energy and waste-to-product strategies context, thereby supporting the transition to a circular economy
Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Lactobacillus paracasei IMPC2.1 Mitigate LPS-Induced Epithelial Barrier Dysfunction: A Focus on Autophagy Regulation
No full text: The intestinal epithelial barrier is critical for maintaining gut homeostasis, yet its integrity can be compromised by inflammation and microbial dysbiosis. Here, we demonstrate that Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and Lactobacillus paracasei IMPC2.1 (L. paracasei) show their effectiveness in enhancing epithelial barrier function and modulating autophagy, counteract the epithelial barrier dysfunction, induced by Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), in Caco-2 cells by modulating tight junction (TJ) protein expression through regulation of inflammation and apoptosis. LPS exposure significantly reduced transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and increased paracellular permeability, effects that were partially reversed by both probiotic strains. Western blot analysis revealed that LPS downregulated ZO-1, Occludin, and p-mTOR, while upregulating autophagy markers LC3-II and Beclin1, without affecting p62 levels. The latter finding indicated an impairment of autophagy flux, confirmed by immunofluorescence experiments. Co-treatment with LGG or L. paracasei restored TJ protein expression and alleviated the LPS-induced impairment of autophagic flux. Both probiotics suppressed LPS-induced cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) and Bax upregulation, suggesting anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects. In the complex interplay between inflammation, autophagy, and apoptosis, these findings highlight a key regulatory mechanism in probiotic-mediated epithelial protection, underscoring the therapeutic potential of LGG and L. paracasei in mitigating gut barrier dysfunction
WHOLE-GENOME SEQUENCING AND PHENOTYPING OF NEGLECTED AND UNDERUTILIZED VEGETABLE MELONS FROM THE SALENTO DIVERSITY CENTRE (SOUTHERN ITALY)
No full textThe species Cucumis melo L. includes two neglected and underutilized vegetable crops, cucumber melon (C. melo subsp. melo var. chate) and snake melon (C. melo subsp. melo var. flexuosus). In particular, cucumber melon was highly popular in Mediterranean civilizations during Antiquity and the Middle Ages, whereas today its cultivation is largely confined to the Apulia Region (southern Italy), especially the Salento area. Here, we describe the collection and characterization of thirteen cucumber melon and two snake melon populations from Salento, locally known as meloncella, spuredda and cucummaru. Whole-genome resequencing of DNA pools was conducted to investigate genetic diversity within and between populations. Notably, the cucumber melon population UBGCMC111, which is widely cultivated and traded, exhibited the lowest heterozygosity, likely due to strong selective pressure exerted by farmers. Genetic analyses revealed the divergence of UBGCMC111 and another population, UBGCMC053, which originates from a unique area in Salento with historical linguistic and cultural ties to Greek heritage. Despite some unique patterns of variation, the two snake melon populations clustered together with cucumber melons, suggesting an overall genetic similarity between the chate and flexuosus botanical varieties. A total of 1,307 alleles were found to be fixed and private to different populations under study, potentially valuable for their traceability. Among them, one allele, specific to the population UBGCMC111, was associated with a gene putatively involved in fruit development and morphogenesis, which might explain its characteristically deeply grooved pepos. In addition, two alleles, specific to the population UBGCMC124, were associated with genes putatively involved in photosynthesis, possibly related to its distinct pale green pepos. Replicated field trials enabled germplasm characterization for morpho-agronomic traits, and the selection of superior populations for yield potential and earliness. Overall, this study safeguards valuable C. melo genetic diversity from further genetic erosion. Additionally, it provides genomic and phenotypic data, laying a foundation for integrating largely unexplored genetic resources into mainstream agrifood systems and breeding programs
To lose myself in the soul of the other that I am not: The process of becoming in Katherine Mansfield’s short stories
No full textThe history of the critical reception of the short fiction of the writer Katherine Mansfield can be divided into two main areas: studies that investigate her short stories in their multiple relationships with Modernism, and more recent analyses that focus on her (post)colonial roots as a New Zealander. The cultural, gendered and physical otherness in her short stories is the privileged subject of criticism. Conversely, what is almost completely forgotten by the critics is her concern for the nonhuman world. What is most striking is how the otherness that ontologically characterises her life and her stories is not only a line of separation but also traces a link between different worlds. The elements of the binary paradigms are always in relation to each other and they exist only through this relation. Seen from this perspective, her short stories show the links and pave the way not to separation but to unity. This essay aims to highlight the relevance that the act of writing has for Mansfield in her attempt to create a new subjectivity that embeds human and nonhuman in a process of autopoiesis. Instead of seeing the world and its inhabitants in terms of static structures, she focuses on the network of relationships between them. It is in her network of relationships that she depicts what can be seen as her posthumanism ante litteram
Premessa
No full textIl tema tradizionale del paesaggio ha conosciuto, negli ultimi anni, un rinnovato interesse nel dibattito italiano. In particolare, il riferimento agli studi urbani e geografici in area britannica, informati dalle riflessioni dell’antropologo Tim Ingold (1993), ha offerto un impulso a ripensare
le trasformazioni del territorio nella sua complessa e articolata rete di attività che ne hanno definito l’evoluzione nel tempo. In quest’ottica il volume, e la ricerca nata nell’ambito del programma “Cultural
Heritage Active Innovation for Sustainable Society - CHANGES” a cui la
maggior parte delle autrici e degli autori hanno collaborato, accoglie la riflessione teorica delle discipline della progettazione del territorio, dell’archeologia, della storia, della filosofia, della semiotica, combinando una prospettiva che proviene dagli studi visuali con un’indagine sulle produzioni artistiche che contribuiscono ad alimentare l’immaginario collettivo e a ripensare il paesaggio pugliese oltre gli stereotipi delle nuova ruralità. Il volume privilegia alcune direttive che trovano in Puglia l’opportunità di costituirsi come best practice di interventi sul territorio, offrendosi
come pratiche dal basso e sviluppando un metodo di intervento nel territorio
che rinnova il modello dell’arte pubblica socially engaged e community based. A partire dalle suggestioni delle artiste e degli artisti, le riflessioni offerte da studiose e studiosi intorno al tema della progettazione del paesaggio indicano una pluralità di strumenti metodologici capaci di orientare il dibattito, la pratica progettuale e quella storico-critica verso nuove strategie di azione