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Evaluation of Detoxification‐Related Gene Expression, Oxidative Stress Biomarkers, and Blood Biochemical Parameters in Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) Co‐Exposed to Polyethylene Microplastics and Deltamethrin
No full text: Microplastics (MPs) are emerging contaminants in aquatic ecosystems and are able to modify the bioavailability and toxicity of co-occurring chemicals. In the present study, it was investigated whether high-density polyethylene (HDPE)-MPs exacerbate the toxicological effects of the pyrethroid insecticide deltamethrin in juvenile common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Fish (n = 270; 25 ± 5 g) were randomly allocated to a 2 × 3 factorial design (three replicates per group; 15 fish per tank) and exposed for 30 days to sub-lethal deltamethrin (12.5 μg/L; 10% of 96-h LC50) and/or HDPE-MPs (0, 350, or 700 μg/L; 200-250 μm). Hepatic detoxification- and antioxidant-related gene expression was quantified, together with redox status, oxidative damage, and plasma biochemical biomarkers of organ function and injury. Deltamethrin and MPs alone altered transcriptional and biochemical endpoints, while co-exposure (particularly with 700 μg/L MPs) produced the most pronounced responses, including stronger induction of detoxification/metal-binding genes, reduced overall antioxidant capacity, and marked increases in lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation. Plasma activities of AST, ALT, ALP, LDH, GGT, and CK increased, and butyrylcholinesterase was inhibited, indicating cellular membrane damage and multi-organ dysfunction. Changes in circulating metabolites and creatinine further supported hepatic and renal impairment, and significant interaction effects for multiple endpoints suggested potentiation of deltamethrin toxicity by MPs. Overall, HDPE MPs act as relevant co-stressors that intensify deltamethrin-driven toxicity in fish, underscoring the need for mixture-aware monitoring and risk assessment in contaminated freshwater environments
Forensic applications of postmortem protein analysis in estimating the time since death: a systematic review
No full textEstimating the postmortem interval (PMI) represents one of the most complex challenges in forensic medicine, especially beyond the first hours after death, when traditional methods become unreliable. In recent years, attention has progressively shifted toward the study of biomolecular alterations, with particular interest in protein alterations. This systematic review has been conducted according to PRISMA guidelines, leading to the enrollment of 46 articles published between 2014 and 2025, regarding postmortem protein modifications in human and animal tissues and according to specific inclusion criteria. Skeletal muscle was the most studied tissue, due to its abundance and ease of sampling, with markers such as tropomyosin, desmin, vinculin, α-actin, and GAPDH showing well-defined degradation patterns that are little influenced by external factors such as the cause of death or environmental conditions. Differences related to muscle type, the presence of lesions, and intra and/or interindividual variables were found. Furthermore, proteomic analysis of other tissues, particularly heart and bone, highlighted distinct behaviors and potential applications for longer time periods. Therefore, trying to combine the data acquired from multiple proteins and tissues, could be a promising approach for increasing the reliability and accuracy for PMI estimation
Il controllo delle concentrazioni tra imprese nel mercato interno dell'UE e il perseguimento della sostenibilità ambientale
No full textIl contributo analizza il ruolo del controllo delle concentrazioni tra imprese nel mercato interno dell’UE rispetto al perseguimento degli obiettivi di sostenibilità ambientale. Muovendo dal quadro normativo delineato dal regolamento (CE) n. 139/2004, l’autore evidenzia come la Commissione europea, pur non disponendo di un mandato specifico per intervenire sulle concentrazioni esclusivamente per ragioni ambientali, possa tenere conto delle efficienze legate alla sostenibilità nella valutazione della compatibilità di un’operazione con il mercato interno. Tali efficienze, per essere rilevanti, devono soddisfare tre condizioni cumulative: generare benefici per i consumatori, essere specificamente riconducibili alla concentrazione e risultare verificabili.
L’analisi mostra come la sostenibilità ambientale assuma crescente rilievo già nella fase di definizione del mercato rilevante, in linea con la comunicazione della Commissione del 2024. Le preferenze dei consumatori per prodotti “green”, le tecnologie produttive a basse emissioni o l’attenzione alla circolarità delle risorse possono costituire fattori di differenziazione tali da incidere sia sulla delimitazione del mercato del prodotto sia su quella geografica. La prassi decisionale conferma questa evoluzione: in casi come KPS Capital Partners/Real Alloy Europe, Norsk Hydro/Alumetal e Novelis/Aleris, la Commissione ha valorizzato elementi quali il contenuto di carbonio, l’impiego di tecnologie di riciclo avanzate o l’impatto in termini di emissioni nella valutazione concorrenziale.Un ulteriore profilo centrale riguarda le teorie del danno fondate sulla perdita di innovazione “verde”. La sostenibilità diviene parametro di concorrenza non legato al prezzo, incidendo sulla valutazione della prossimità competitiva tra le parti e sul rischio di riduzione degli incentivi a innovare in tecnologie pulite. Emblematico è il caso General Electric/Alstom, nel quale la Commissione ha temuto l’eliminazione di un innovatore significativo nel mercato delle turbine a gas heavy-duty a basse emissioni, autorizzando l’operazione solo subordinatamente a rimedi strutturali idonei a preservare la concorrenza e la capacità innovativa, con effetti positivi anche sotto il profilo ambientale.
Il contributo esamina poi le prospettive aperte dalla revisione degli orientamenti sulle concentrazioni orizzontali e non orizzontali, avviata nel 2025. Nel contesto della transizione verso un’economia climaticamente neutra e delle strategie europee di decarbonizzazione, il controllo delle concentrazioni è chiamato a confrontarsi con fenomeni quali le green killer acquisitions, le integrazioni verticali funzionali alla circolarità delle risorse e le operazioni idonee a generare green efficiencies. Dalla consultazione pubblica emerge un ampio consenso sulla necessità di garantire prevedibilità e stabilità, valorizzando al contempo l’interazione tra concorrenza, innovazione e sostenibilità, senza stravolgere l’impianto normativo esistente, ritenuto sufficientemente flessibile.In conclusione, l’autore sostiene che la revisione degli orientamenti rappresenti un’opportunità per formalizzare il ruolo della sostenibilità ambientale nel controllo delle concentrazioni, rafforzando certezza del diritto e coerenza sistemica. L’obiettivo è integrare in modo più esplicito le considerazioni ambientali nell’analisi concorrenziale, riconoscendo che tutela della concorrenza, innovazione e transizione ecologica costituiscono dimensioni sempre più interconnesse della politica economica dell’Unione
Theoretical-experimental investigation on mechanical response of Al honeycomb sandwich under static compression and high-velocity impact
No full textThis paper reports a theoretical-experimental investigation aimed at characterizing the penetration behavior and ballistic limit, the energy absorption capabilities, and the impact force attenuation effect of an Al alloy sandwich panel with honeycomb core 50 mm thick, under normal impact by spherical projectiles. The analytical model used to estimate the ballistic limit has been developed according to the energy conservation-based approach, which allows to evaluate the effect of dissipation mechanisms through the elements constituting the sandwich panel. The experimental investigation has been conducted under quasi-static and high-velocity impact conditions (150–250 m/s), characterizing the out-of-plane compressive behavior and the dynamic response (ballistic limit, absorbed energy, impact force). The theoretical and experimental investigations as a whole outline an integrated approach where analytical modeling, calibrated and validated by experimental results, can be adapted to each specific application, and allows to characterize and predict the potential of the honeycomb core as an effective element for energy dissipation, and impact force attenuation, so to define the actual role for the overall penetration behavior. As main results of the investigation, for the starting configuration of the sandwich a ballistic limit of 195 m/s, an average value of energy absorption of 40.37 J, with about only 15% due to the honeycomb, and an average value of maximum impact load of 0.776 kN has been found, with substantial consistency between experimental and theoretical results. Projections by varying the main geometric parameters of the honeycomb allow to define high-potential conditions for energy absorption increase and further impact force attenuation
AdaDCL: An Adaptive Disentangled Contrastive Recommendation Method
No full textGraph contrastive learning has demonstrated outstanding performance in addressing the issue of label scarcity. It still has two limitations: 1) the stacking of graph layers often leads to over-smoothing, hard to distinguish the embeddings of distinct nodes; and 2) traditional algorithms typically model user preferences with a unified intention, neglecting the multifaceted and fine-grained motivations behind user-item interactions. To overcome these shortcomings, we propose an adaptive disentangled contrastive learning (AdaDCL) method tailored for recommendation systems. First, we perform disentangled modeling of global information intentions and introduce a cross-view contrastive learning task, employing a parameterized mask generator for adaptive augmentation. Second, we employ a layer attention mechanism to counter over-smoothing in GNNs, ensuring that meaningful semantic features are preserved across layers. Third, an adaptive hardness negative sampling (AHNS) strategy dynamically selects negative samples based on their hardness levels, reducing the risk of false positives and negatives while enhancing the robustness of contrastive learning. Comprehensive experiments on three benchmark datasets, including Gowalla, and comparisons against twelve state-of-the-art baseline models (e.g., DisenHAN), demonstrate that AdaDCL surpasses the classic LightGCN by 5.89% in Recall@20 and over 7% in NDCG@20 on the Gowalla dataset. These results highlight the effectiveness and generalizability of our approach
Sex/gender labels in EU directives in English. A queer linguistics approach
No full textThe present study addresses sex/gender labels in EU directives in English from a Queer and Linguistic Labeling perspective. Employing a methodological triangulation that integrates qualitative and quantitative approaches, the analysis explores sex/gender labels, as well as the social identities and practices these enact. By combining Queer Linguistics and Linguistic Labeling, this study further investigates the performative and normative potentials of such labels, highlighting their roles in simultaneously legitimising and marginalising discourses, identities and practices. The findings reveal significant inconsistencies and fluctuations in form and usage of sex/gender labels, demonstrating how these echo the non-fixity of fluid constructions and reinforce heteronormative views while silencing non-conforming identities. This notwithstanding, the study identifies a potential, though extremely limited, shift toward recognising fluid identities. These insights contribute to advancing the research field that combines Queer and Linguistic Labeling frameworks, while exposing the inherent fluctuation of sex/gender labels, which necessitate constant updating and revision. The absence of such revisions contributes to some of the current limitations in EU’s gender-neutral language policy
Antipolitica e democrazia nell'Argentina di Javier Milei
No full textL’Argentina ha percorso un cammino storico complesso e affascinante caratterizzato da profonde trasformazioni politiche.. Dagli anni Quaranta, gli anni della nascita del peronismo fino al 2023 il paese ha sperimentato una serie di cambi radicali che hanno modellato il suo sviluppo come nazione. Il peronismo ha cambiato la politica argentina favorendo una serie di riforme sociali ed economiche che avrebbero dovuto migliorare le condizioni di vita dei lavoratori e promuovere altresì una politica nazionalista e populista generando appoggi e resistenze che molto avrebbero influito nella storia del paese
Il bene energia e la tutela del consumatore “vulnerabile”
No full textLa ricerca analizza il bene energia quale oggetto di rapporti giuridici complessi, collocato all’intersezione tra diritto privato, regolazione pubblica e tutela dei diritti fondamentali. Muovendo dalla qualificazione giuridica dell’energia come bene mobile avente valore economico e servizio pubblico essenziale, il lavoro ricostruisce l’evoluzione normativa del settore energetico, alla luce dei processi di liberalizzazione e delle ricorrenti crisi energetiche, dalla stagione degli anni Settanta sino all’attuale contesto geopolitico. Particolare attenzione è dedicata alla figura del consumatore, con specifico riguardo al consumatore “vulnerabile”, esposto agli effetti distorsivi del mercato, all’asimmetria informativa e all’aumento dei prezzi. L’analisi si concentra sugli strumenti di tutela approntati dall’ordinamento interno ed euro-unitario, esaminando la disciplina contrattuale, le pratiche commerciali scorrette e il ruolo delle autorità di regolazione. In prospettiva comparata, lo studio valuta modelli stranieri di protezione rafforzata, formulando proposte di riforma volte a garantire un equilibrio sostenibile tra esigenze di mercato, funzione sociale dell’energia e tutela effettiva delle fasce deboli della popolazione
Factors Affecting the Implant Supracrestal Complex: A Consensus Paper from the Global Consensus Meeting Organized by the Osstem Implant Community
No full textAim: To develop clear, evidence-based, and standardized guidelines for the design, selection, and clinical use of implant abutments and prosthetic components in order to optimize the biological, mechanical, and esthetic performance of the implant supracrestal complex. Methods: A panel of 10 expert clinicians and researchers in prosthodontics participated in the Osstem Global Consensus Meeting. For the present consensus meeting, a scoping review was performed in advance and discussed among the participants. A comprehensive search of the literature was performed up to June 2025. Two reviewers (M.T. and F.G.) independently conducted screening, data extraction, and quality assessment using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. The evidence was synthesized and discussed by the panel of expert clinicians during the consensus meeting. After that, guidelines were developed using a 14-question questionnaire to formulate consensus-based clinical recommendations. The participants answered structured questions and discussed discrepancies to achieve a consensus. Results: The panel of expert clinicians reached a consensus on several prosthetic key points. Concave abutment profiles and emergence angles <30° promoted peri-implant tissue stability, while convex designs and wider angles increased risks of bone loss and peri-implantitis. Titanium remains the reference abutment material in posterior sites, while zirconia provides superior esthetics anteriorly, and hybrid abutments balance strength and esthetics. Conclusions: Prosthetic design and abutment material selection critically affect peri-implant tissue stability and esthetic outcomes. The evidence supports screw-retained designs, platform switching, and the “one abutment–one time” approach for predictable long-term success
Evaluation of SiC detector performances for energy and timing measurements
No full textThe development of new detectors based on Silicon Carbide (SiC) is currently a topic of interest within the scientific community. The significant features of SiC make it highly promising for detecting charged particles, neutrons, and γ/X radiation. In this framework, within the SAMOTHRACE (Sicilian Micro and Nano Technology Research and Innovation Center) ecosystem, an array of new-generation SiC detectors is under development, specifically designed for nuclear and medical investigations using radioactive ion beams. This paper describes the results obtained in the characterization of SiC prototypes regarding energy and timing measurements. A new method, based on coincidence data analysis, is employed to evaluate the timing performances of SiC detectors. The obtained results have been compared with tests performed using a micro-channel plate as a start detector reference for timing measurements