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Enhancing decisions in the courtroom: exploring a duty to enhance judicial cognition
No full textThis doctoral thesis examines the ethical justifications for a moral duty for judges to enhance their cognition and its compatibility with existing legal frameworks on judicial liability, professional duties, and human rights. The study is driven by empirical evidence showing that judges are susceptible to implicit biases, which can unconsciously influence their perceptions and decisions, posing a threat to judicial impartiality. Current legal rules focus mainly on explicit biases, neglecting the subtle effects of implicit biases that operate subconsciously. To address this, cognitive enhancement for judges has been proposed to mitigate these biases. The thesis begins by defining implicit bias and exploring how it affects judicial decision-making, considering the environmental and personal factors that contribute to biased thinking. It then examines the reasoning processes underlying legal decisions, identifying their limitations and potential areas for improvement. The study critically assesses debiasing strategies frequently proposed in legal scholarship and reconceptualizes some as cognitive enhancement strategies. Next, it systematically maps biomedical interventions with cognitive enhancement potential, reviewing experimental results to assess their applicability in judicial settings. The thesis explores different ethical theories that could justify a moral duty for judges to enhance their cognition, evaluating this duty through the lenses of beneficence, procedural justice, and virtue ethics. Ethical constraints on establishing this duty are also analyzed. Finally, the thesis assesses whether existing norms on judicial liability, professional conduct, and human rights support or hinder a moral duty for cognitive enhancement, with a focus on the European context. The study concludes with a summary of findings and recommendations for addressing implicit bias in the courtroom, suggesting avenues for future research
High temporal resolution insights into early life histories: integrating histomorphometric, trace element and isotopic analyses of dental hard tissues in archaeological populations from Italy
No full textTeeth, with their high mineralisation, incremental growth, and lack of remodelling, serve as biological archives that document an individual's development. This project aims to utilise the potential of teeth in bioarchaeological studies to achieve three primary objectives: 1) to investigate the application of histological and histochemical methods in reconstructing developmental bio-chronologies and early life histories; 2) to refine the temporal precision of isotopic analysis of dentine collagen by developing a novel protocol that integrates micro-sampling techniques with high-resolution histomorphometrics; and 3) to synthesise data from enamel and dentine for a comprehensive understanding of early life development and dietary transitions.
This study adopts an integrated multidisciplinary bioarchaeological approach, conducting histomorphometric analysis on enamel and dentine across deciduous and permanent dentitions. It applies high-temporal resolution trace element analysis to enamel using LA-ICPMS and δ13C and δ15N isotope analyses through sequential micro-sampling to dentine of permanent teeth. Samples were selected from diverse archaeological contexts across the Italian peninsula, covering the Upper Palaeolithic, Copper Age, and Early Medieval periods, providing insight into diachronic variations in infant development and life history.
Findings highlight the efficacy of histological and histochemical techniques in accurately determining growth rates, physiological stress, dietary shifts (particularly timing of weaning), and age at death in infant remains. The consistency and comparison between enamel and dentine underscores the enhanced insight obtained from integrating information from both tissues. Importantly, the newly proposed protocol significantly improves the temporal accuracy of dentine collagen analysis, facilitating precise chronological placement of the results over broad developmental associations.
This study reaffirms the significance of teeth as valuable bioarchaeological instruments. By introducing and testing multidisciplinary methods, it provides deeper insights into early life history and cultural practices across diverse chronological contexts, highlighting the importance of advanced methodologies in extracting detailed, accurate, and nuanced information from past populations
The scholastic role of the Order of Preachers in cities without a university: the conventual schola of Santa Catalina in Barcelona (13th century).
No full textEl objeto de estudio de la presente tesis de doctorado es la schola conventual de los frailes predicadores de Santa Catalina de Barcelona durante el siglo XIII (c. 1219-1299). ¿Cuál fue su actividad? ¿Se puede encuadrar en los precedentes de la Universidad de Barcelona, fundada en el siglo XV y que inició su actividad efectiva en el XVI? Estas dos constituían importantes preguntas a las que era urgente dar una respuesta. Partiendo de una reflexión sobre la Orden de Predicadores en relación con el estudio y el mundo de las escuelas, que ocupa la primera parte de la tesis, llegamos después a una exposición de personajes, libros y situaciones que nos han ayudado a recomponer, en la medida de lo posible, la schola conventual de Santa Catalina durante el siglo XIII. Fruto de esta investigación, hemos podido responder afirmativamente a la cuestión acerca de la pertinencia de considerar a la schola, en cierto modo, precedente de la actividad universitaria en Barcelona. además, constituye un nuevo ejemplo de la labor escolar desarrollada por los dominicos en la Cristiandad del siglo XIII.The object of study of this doctoral thesis is the conventual schola of the preaching friars of Santa Catalina in Barcelona during the 13th century (c. 1219-1299). What was its activity? And can it be framed within the precedents of the University of Barcelona, which was founded in the 15th century and began to function effectively in the 16th century? These were two of the big questions that urgently needed to be answered. Starting from a reflection on the Order of Preachers in relation to study and the world of schools, which occupies the first part of the thesis, we arrived at an exposition of characters, books and situations that helped us to recompose, as far as possible, the conventual schola of Santa Catalina during the 13th century. As a result of this research, we have been able to answer in the affirmative that this schola must be considered in a certain sense as a precedent of university activity in Barcelona. Furthermore, it constitutes a new example of the scholastic work carried out by Dominicans throughout Christendom in the 13th century.L'oggetto di studio di questa tesi di dottorato è la schola conventuale dei frati predicatori di Santa Catalina a Barcellona durante il XIII secolo (1219-1299 circa). Qual era la sua attività? E può essere inquadrata nei precedenti dell'Università di Barcellona, fondata nel XV secolo e che iniziò a funzionare efficacemente nel XVI secolo? Queste erano due delle grandi domande a cui era urgente dare una risposta. Partendo da una riflessione sull'Ordine dei Predicatori in relazione allo studio e al mondo delle scuole, che occupa la prima parte della tesi, siamo arrivati a un'esposizione di personaggi, libri e situazioni che ci hanno aiutato a ricomporre, per quanto possibile, la schola conventuale di Santa Catalina durante il XIII secolo. Come risultato di questa ricerca, abbiamo potuto rispondere affermativamente al fatto che questa schola deve essere considerata in un certo senso un precedente dell'attività universitaria a Barcellona. Inoltre, costituisce un nuovo esempio del lavoro scolastico svolto dai domenicani in tutta la Cristianità nel XIII secolo
The sign of the body, between permanence and rupture Figures of the monstrous and deformed and educability in the 16th century Elements for an archaeology of disability
No full textNotre étude est, donc, réalisée à partir d’un corpus artistique, un corpus culturel et philosophique. Entre le monopole théologique et le monopole médical, l’art revendique sa place par rapport à l’attention portée à la monstruosité, posant les bases d’une réflexion ouverte sur la différence. À partir de la première moitié du XVIe siècle, bon nombre d’artistes et d’écrivains, poussés par une attitude de rupture à l’égard des normes sociales en usage, dirigent leur intérêt vers une sensibilité moderne et renouvelée, comme dans le cas de la Déposition de Pontormo. Tout d’abord, une question se pose à l’évidence : quelle est la conscience du corps et de l’individualité au XVIe siècle ? J’ai fait une sélection d’auteurs qui, bien que notoires dans les débats culturels de l’époque, ne sont pourtant pas connus dans le domaine tératologique, alors qu’ils ont pourtant apporté une grande contribution à la cause de la difformité et qui révèlent une pensée nouvelle. Non moins important est le choix de petites histoires qui ont contribué au concept d’éducabilité. Parmi elles, nous mettons l’accent sur un épisode significatif de la remise en question des idées reçues relatives à la difformité au XVIe siècle : Henri II, qui, en dépit des conventions socialement établies, tente d’une première approche de l’éducabilité.Our study relies on an artistic, cultural and philo sophical corpus. Between the theological monopoly and the medical one, art claims for its own authority when it comes to the attention shown to monstrosity, by asserting foundations for a thought opened to difference. From the first part of the century, many artists and writers are led by a breaking attitude against dominant social norms, and open themselves toward a modern, renewed sensibility, as can be seen in the case of Pontormo’s Deposition. One question rises straight away: what is the conscience of body and individuality at the XVIth century? I made a selection of authors, that, famous though they are in the cultural debate of their times, are not renowned in the field of teratology, but that nevertheless brought substantial contribution to the cause of deformity, hence revealing a new thought. As much important is, to our view, a choice of small stories that contributed to the raise of a concept of educability. Among them, we lay the stress on a significant episodes in the questioning of doxa concerning deformity at the XVIth century: French king Henri the IInd, who, despite social conventions, tried a first approach to educability
TIDES unveiled: pioneering green peptides synthesis and oligonucleotides innovations in science
No full textMy PhD research focused on the development of environmentally sustainable methods for peptide synthesis. The traditional and toxic solvents and bases used in solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) were replaced with eco-friendly alternatives to reduce the environmental impact. In particular, N-octylpyrrolidone was found to be an effective green solvent in combination with dimethyl carbonate, resulting in a 63-66% reduction in process mass intensity (PMI). In addition, a green base, DEAPA, was identified for Fmoc removal, which showed comparable results to piperidine, while being less regulated and toxic, and able to better control aspartimide-related side reactions. The study extended beyond SPPS to explore liquid-phase peptide synthesis (LPPS) and solution-phase peptide synthesis (SolPPS) using propylphosphonic anhydride (T3P®) as a coupling reagent. The developed green SolPPS using Cbz amino acids achieved exceptional efficiency, minimal racemisation and a PMI of 30 to introduce a single amino acid in the iterative process. This PMI value is the lowest ever reported for an oligopeptide synthesis protocol. This technique was extended to N-Boc amino acids in DCM, requiring aqueous workups and achieving 95% purity of Leu-Enkephalin. Finally, T3P® was found to be suitable for LPPS. An anchor, mimicking a resin, was used to allow precipitation or solubilisation of the growing anchored-peptide, depending on the polarity of the solvent used. Anisole and DCM resulted in a pentapeptide purity of over 95%. While at Oxford University, I synthesized a cleavable fragment that is sensitive to cathepsin B (CatB) and incorporated it into a cyclic antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting the metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1). ASO demonstrated good stability in a simulated in vivo environment using human serum and high affinity with complementary RNA. The Cyclic-ASO was opened by CatB in optimal conditions. Experiments highlight therapeutic potential and a novel method for controlling cyclic oligonucleotide activity, potentially enhancing cellular uptake
Single-cell uniparental disomies and mother-offspring interaction: a comparative study
No full textGenomic imprinting refers to an epigenetic phenomenon where a limited number of genes are expressed differently, depending on whether they are maternally or paternally inherited. This process has been found to play a crucial role in shaping mouse phenotype, from placental formation to social and non-social behavioral traits. However, the exact mechanisms by which imprinting affects brain development and function are not fully understood yet.
In this study, the specific effects of uniparental disomy (UPD) on brain development and functionality have been investigated. To do this, a mouse model called Mosaic Analysis with Double Markers (MADM), which allows to produce maternal and paternal UPD cell populations within the brain, was used.
By in silico enrichment analysis, chromosomes 2, 7, and 12 appear to be enriched in imprinted and behaviorally relevant genes, with different effects on post-natal development. Specifically, MADM2, 7, and 12 present specific ultrasonic vocalization profiles, with MADM7 showing also changes in body weight.
Furthermore, the localization of disomic cells in the adult brain was also characterized: Ch.12 disomic cells appear to be enriched in the thalamic ventroposteromedial nucleus (VPM) and hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (Arc), with a biased maternal vs paternal UPD cell distribution.
Finally, the effect of Ch.12 disomic cell distribution on the adult mouse behavior was investigated, showing changes in the ultrasonic vocalizations profile and altered maternal attachment of pups born from MADM12 disomic mothers.
These findings suggest that imprinted genes on different mouse chromosomes have different roles in postnatal development and participate in the formation of both young and adult mouse behaviors. Overall, this study sheds light on the role of genomic imprinting in brain development and function
Flexibility-based techniques for damage identification in truss and beam structures
No full textStructural Health Monitoring vibration-based methods are extensively employed to identify damage in civil structures, helping to prevent local failures and subsequent structural collapses. Within this category, flexibility matrix has been widely used for its sensitivity to structural damage and because it can be approximated using the lowest eigenfrequencies and mode shapes.
In this research context, we introduce an innovative strategy for identifying damage in truss and beam structures by utilizing the flexibility matrix. In real measurements only a few locations are monitored via sensors/accelerometers, and, consequently, a limited number of modal components is estimated. The primary objective of this thesis is to identify structural damage using a reduced number of mode shapes, estimated through a sparse set of modal components.
To achieve this goal, we develop an original two-step procedure applicable to both truss and frame structures. In the first step, we conduct a mode shape expansion using a reduced subset of measured modal components. The remaining known components serve as control ones. For the expansion procedure, we consider multiple expansion operators, assuming for each of them the presence of damage in a different element of the structure and varying the damage extent. Consequently, we generate a dataset of expanded mode shapes, each associated with a specific damage location and extent. Using the Total Modal Assurance Criterion, we select the damage scenario that exhibits the highest correspondence to the known control components. This initial hypothesis of damage undergoes verification in the second step of the procedure.
In this second step, identification is carried out using two new damage indices: the Strain Change Index for truss structures, and the Curvature Damage Index for beams.
Numerical tests on 2D truss and beam structures are conducted to illustrate the algorithm performance. Additionally, experimental tests are executed on two beam structures, yielding promising results
The metabolic setting of ovarian cancer cells modifies response to chemotherapy
No full textOvarian cancer (OC) conventional treatment includes cytoreductive surgery followed by taxane- and platinum-based chemotherapy. However, despite initial response, 85% of treated patients develops chemoresistance and often relapses. Therefore, the understanding of the still elusive mechanisms leading to therapeutic resistance is a major challenge for the development of more effective treatments. Metabolic reprogramming has emerged as crucial for tumour progression with growing evidence showing that OC cells switch their metabolism between aerobic glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) to sustain tumour proliferation, invasiveness, and chemoresistance. However, which metabolism is preferred by chemoresistant cells is highly debated. Our analyses revealed that metabolically energetic chemo-naïve OC cell lines, using both glycolysis and OXPHOS, were more responsive to platinum-based treatment, whereas purely glycolytic cells were chemoresistant. We found higher abundance and activity of mitochondrial respiratory complexes in chemosensitive OC cell lines. High-OXPHOS status correlated with the expression of PGC-1 family of transcriptional co-activators and depended mainly on pyruvate-mediated TCA cycle fuelling. In hypoxia, we observed an increase in chemoresistance that was prevented by HIF1α ablation. Importantly, the acquisition of cisplatin-resistance in two energetic cell lines induced a shift to a quiescent metabolism with reduction of both glycolytic and OXPHOS function when compared to their syngeneic sensitive counterparts. Overall, our findings suggest that a high-OXPHOS condition is associated with chemosensitivity and upregulation of such metabolism may be a possible therapeutic strategy to overcome chemoresistanc
Judges at the frontline in Italy and France: unveiling discretion in asylum appeals through the lens of the street-level bureaucracy
No full textIn the intricate realm of public administration, the Street-Level Bureaucracy (SLB) framework has become an influential lens in sociology, public administration, and organizational studies. Despite its wide application, the judicial sector has remained underexplored by the Street-Level Bureaucracy research. This dissertation aims to address this gap by investigating the work of judges as Street-Level Bureaucrats (SLBs).
With this aim, the research focuses on the timely domain of asylum policy, grasping the concrete implementation of asylum determination at the appeal stage. In this regard, it investigates asylum judges’ uses of discretion on the ground in the encounters with asylum seekers and in the decision-making process. Moreover, it highlights the sources of influence on judges’ discretion at the street-level considering individual, organizational, and system factors.
To this end, the dissertation adopts a comparative approach focusing on asylum appeals in Italy and France. In the two countries, data have been collected using qualitative methods, and, more precisely, through observation of asylum hearings, semi-structured interviews, and shadowing with asylum judges.
Findings, elucidating judges’ work at the frontline of asylum adjudication, show that these professionals behave in a way that is familiar to most street-level bureaucrats, adopting patterns of practices and behavioral efforts to deal with the challenging task of putting into action asylum law. In doing so, they often move towards or away from the asylum seekers, shaping the concrete implementation of asylum determination. The comparison between Italy and France reveals the influences and connections of individual and contextual factors – such as available resources, organizational and institutional arrangements, and professional norms – in shaping the extent and use of discretion
Irritable bowel syndrome and nutraceuticals: intervention beyond the food and before the drugs
No full textThis Ph.D. research project – which has highlighted some significant opportunities provided by the reuse of food waste products within a circular economy system involving health prevention and promotion, as well as the transformation and reuse of foods – aims to identify nutraceuticals (natural extracts, herbal mixes, phytocomplexes) with adjuvant functions in the treatment of multifactorial gastrointestinal syndromes and pathologies such as IBS.
These natural origin supplements, characterized by bioactive chemical molecules, can modulate specific targets of gastrointestinal pathologies, act on various related target networks, and produce positive off-target effects. These characteristics are evident in the study on MOMAST, a natural complex rich in polyphenols derived from vegetation wastewater of Olea europaea with antioxidant, antibacterial, and spasmolytic action on the ileum and colon. The research also includes the study of the Herbal Mix consisting of extracts from Olea europea leaves and Hibiscus sabdariffa flowers. HM affects induced and spontaneous contractility of the guinea pig ileum and colon and some off-target effects, such as activity on iNOS and Caco-2 cells of human colorectal adenocarcinoma (selective inhibition and pro-apoptotic activity).
In the third study, aimed at the health and well-being of livestock, we worked, with a view to preventive and adjunctive care in common pharmacological therapies, on two tannin-based extracts with different chemical compositions (Castanea sativa Mill. Wood and Schinopsis balansae Engl. Quebracho Colorado Hardwood) on the spontaneous contractility of isolated chicken ileum and colon tissues. The results highlight differentiated effects of the two phytocomplexes, with a better activity profile for Castanea sativa Mill., which mainly contains hydrolyzable tannins, compared to Schinopsis balansae.
Based on the obtained results, the project has identified nutraceutical formulations useful in modulating some key targets involved in gastrointestinal pathologies: this achievement is an excellent starting point for developing supplements, also usable as adjuncts in gastrointestinal pharmacological therapies