Università di Camerino

One way to cope with crises is by attributing their ultimate causes to malevolent conspiracies. As crises are rarely simple, and may involve an interplay between multiple, co-occurring threats, we suggest that conspiracy thinking mainly occurs among individuals who experience conditions of threat complexity – such as socioeconomic vulnerability paired with a sense of helplessness in society, and who are also sufficiently paranoid to infer a conspiracy. In the present study, we focused on financial strain and disempowerment, as two relevant threats which were both dramatically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and hypothesized a three-way interaction between financial strain, disempowerment and paranoia in predicting conspiracy thinking. This hypothesis was supported in both cross-national ( N = 64,130) and longitudinal data ( N = 11,159), collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Implications of the results for understanding the tendency to reduce multiple threats to a single cause are discussed.

The Internet of Things (IoT) and Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) are being integrated into living spaces to collect data and to perform monitoring and control operations which are supposed to make environments more efficient, secure, and comfortable for their inhabitants. Recently, the Digital Twin concept has attracted considerable attention from industry and academia. Digital Twins build upon CPS and are empowered by IoT data to achieve a dynamic and interactive representation of physical systems. Digital Twins of living spaces promise to support the monitoring, simulation and prediction of scenarios occurring in such environments, which could guide decision-making that impact both the environments and their inhabitants. This chapter reports on the combination of IoT and the Digital Twin for monitoring and simulation of living spaces to enhance the well-being and safety of inhabitants. It focuses on illustrating the hardware and software characteristics of IoT devices deployed in a living space, together with a Digital Twin platform used to monitor living spaces, and to design and simulate life scenarios. An application of such IoT devices and Digital Twin platform is also presented in a use case targeting a public university to simulate IoT system and people behaviors in case of an earthquake scenario.

Scientific literacy is crucial to address important and complex societal problems, both current and future. Teaching using a socioscientific issues (SSI) approach is a potential strategy to develop students’ scientific literacy, although teachers have reported concerns about its implementation, such as the inability to add additional distinct requirements to already demanding curricula. To facilitate this task, we describe the development of a valid and reliable instrument for curricula analysis, called “Framework for Identifying Opportunities to implement an SSI approach in science school curricula” (FIOSSI), and use it to identify opportunities to implement the SSI approach in the elementary school science curriculum of three European countries (England, Italy and Portugal). The framework categorizes SSI opportunities into three areas: 1) awareness of the issue; 2) socioscientific reasoning; and 3) socioscientific identity. Our analyses of the three countries’ elementary curricula reveal that the current versions have significant opportunities to explore awareness of SSI (especially relating to environmental and human health issues), promote the development of socioscientific reasoning, and foster socioscientific identity. FIOSSI can be a useful tool for education research and practice, and our results can help inform future research and guide educational policies.

We study a two-dimensional chiral active crystal composed of underdamped chiral active particles. These particles, characterized by intrinsic handedness and persistence, interact via linear forces derived from harmonic potentials. Chirality...

INTRODUCTION Knowledge gaps remain about the prognosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Conversion rates to dementia vary widely, and reversion to normal cognition has gained attention. This review updates evidence on MCI conversion risk and probability of stability and reversion. METHODS We searched databases for studies on MCI prognosis with ≥3 years of follow‐up, established criteria for MCI and dementia, and performed a meta‐analysis using a random‐effects model to assess conversion risk, reversion, and stability probability. Meta‐regressions identified sources of heterogeneity and guided subgroup analysis. RESULTS From 89 studies (mean follow‐up: 5.2 years), conversion risk was 41.5% (38.3%–44.7%) in clinical and 27.0% (22.0%–32.0%) in population‐based studies, with Alzheimer's dementia as the most common outcome. Stability rates were 49.3% (clinical) and 49.8% (population). Reversion was 8.7% (clinical) and 28.2% (population). DISCUSSION Our findings highlight higher conversion in clinical settings and 30% reversion in population studies, calling for sustainable care pathway development. Highlights Prognosis for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) varies by setting; dementia risk is higher and the probability of reversion is lower in clinical‐based studies. In both clinical and population settings, cognitive stability is ≈50%. A reorganization of health services could ensure sustainable care for individuals with MCI. Significant heterogeneity in MCI studies impacts data interpretation; follow‐up length is crucial. Long‐term prognosis studies on MCI in low‐ and middle‐income countries are urgently needed.

During bacterial translation initiation, the 30S ribosomal subunit, initiation factors, and initiator tRNA define the reading frame of the mRNA. This process is inhibited by kasugamycin, edeine and GE81112, however, their mechanisms of action have not been fully elucidated. Here we present cryo-electron microscopy structures of 30S initiation intermediate complexes formed in the presence of kasugamycin, edeine and GE81112 at resolutions of 2.0-2.9 Å. The structures reveal that all three antibiotics bind within the E-site of the 30S and preclude 30S initiation complex formation. While kasugamycin and edeine affect early steps of 30S pre-initiation complex formation, GE81112 stalls pre-initiation complex formation at a further step by allowing start codon recognition, but impeding IF3 departure. Collectively, our work highlights how chemically distinct compounds binding at a conserved site on the 30S can interfere with translation initiation in a unique manner.

Apples (Malus domestica Borkh) are one of the most consumed fruits around the world with high production of peels as wastes and by-products. In this work, peels from different commercial...

Background and Importance Robotic-compounding-systems (RCS) ensure parental medications through fully automated system controlled by a software. To reduce the working area’s contaminations and medication errors during paediatric manipulations, a new RCS was located into our Hospital Pharmacy’s centralised intravenous additive service (CIVAS) in 2021. APOTECAped can compound standard-dose/personalised paediatric medications into appropriate final containers; all equipment used is carried out into the clean room through a barcode-system. It guarantees an aseptic process thanks to HEPA filters and a controlled environment. Aim and Objectives With this work we evaluated APOTECAped’s productivity (total compounding time, dose accuracy) and drugs’ sterility. Material and Methods APOTECAped’s productivity was evaluated in a production batch of 10 Pantoprazole 4 mg/ml 10 ml and 10 Cefotaxime 50 mg/ml 20 ml syringes (data collected from APOTECAped’s final reports); dose accuracy was analysed through gravimetric and volumetric controls. Bacteria and fungi’s contamination was tested by the Hospital’s Hygiene Department at time 0 and after 7 days from preparation (one syringe of each drug each time) after inoculation into TSB broth solutions and incubation for 7 days. Endotoxins’ quantification was done by the hospital pharmacist using a chromogenic kinetik LAL-test method. The Endotoxines-Limit (EL) was 4,17 EU/mg for Pantoprazole (data based on the maximum dose administered to a paediatric patient) and 0,05 UE/mg for Cefotaxime (data from European Pharmacopoeia). We calculated the maximum dilution volume (MDV) to avoid interferences during test; for our analysis we used MDV/2 (1:800 for pantoprazole, 1:125 for cefotaxime). Results Pantoprazole syringes were prepared using 40 mg lyophilised powder and 10 ml of NaCl 0,9% solution; mean of dose error was – 3,87%, total time to make the production batch was 57 minutes (approximately 5 minutes/syringe). Cefotaxime syringes were prepared using 1000 mg lyophilised powder, 4 ml of sterile-injectable-water (reconstitution) and 16 ml of NaCl 0,9% (dilution); mean of dose error was −2,12%, total time to make the production batch was 88 minutes (approximately 8 minutes/syringe). Microbiological tests demonstrated the absence of bacteria and fungi’s growth, LAL-test that the endotoxins’ quantification was under the EL. Conclusion and Relevance APOTECAped guaranteed dose accuracy and drug sterility during the compounding. Even if the total robotic preparation time was longer than manual, RCS could reduce human errors and increase drug safety. Conflict of Interest No conflict of interest

The collection of fossils supports a thriving market that is largely unknown to the academic community. The fossil market is characterised by fairs, online shops, physical stores and auction sales that attract hundreds of thousands of people each year. The sale of fossils to private individuals is often perceived as a threat by professional palaeontologists, who fear that valuable, maybe unique, specimens are being removed from scientific inquiry. In this paper we explore the global fossil market based on data shared online by international auction houses. We analysed the sales of fossils made by 115 auction houses over a period of 12 years (January 2010 to December 2022) whose auction results were still available online in 2022. Thirty parameters were collected for each auctioned item, including taxonomic identification, provenance, estimates and realised prices, etc. A total of 10.471 records were analysed. The database also includes high profile auction results, such as the Stan auction ( Tyrannosaurus rex sold by Christie's in 2020 for around 30 million US dollars). Even if many (54%) of the auctioned fossils come from Africa and Asia, only a small minority of the auction houses operates from these continents. These results are useful not only to learn more about the international fossil trade and to provide relevant information to auction houses, fossil preparators and sellers, but also to better assess the economic value of fossils from an insurance point of view, which is useful information for museum and university collections. They also provide a basis to address legal and policy issues of the private fossil trade.

Background Although existing studies have reported associations between blood group A and cardiometabolic diseases (CMD), most have focused on dominant inheritance models. However, genome-wide association studies have mostly been based on additive genotypes. This study aims to investigate the association between the blood group A allele and 15 CMD using recessive, dominant, and additive models and identify potential mediators. Methods This study leveraged data from over 320,000 participants with O and A blood groups in the UK Biobank to investigate the association between blood group A allele and 15 major CMD under recessive, dominant, and gene dosage (additive) models. Protein data from nearly 30,000 participants were used to analyze the association between ABO protein levels and CMD. Mediation analysis further explored whether blood cell count traits and blood biochemistry mediate the association between the number of A allele and CMD. Results The additive model demonstrates a dose–response association of the blood group A allele with venous thromboembolism (VTE), myocardial infarction (MI), ischemic stroke (IS), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and heart failure (HF), among others. Each additional A allele increased disease risk, particularly for VTE (HR = 1.273, P[FDR] = 4.43 × 10⁻⁹⁶). ABO protein levels also correlated with five CMD outcomes, particularly VTE and coronary artery disease (CAD). Mediation analyses revealed that blood cell traits (e.g., hemoglobin, hematocrit) and biochemistries (e.g., aspartate aminotransferase to alanine aminotransferase ratio, apolipoprotein B) significantly mediated the associations for specific CMD, suggesting shared biological mechanisms. Conclusions Our findings reveal that blood group A allele is associated with an increased risk of multiple CMD, particularly under the additive model. Some blood cell count traits and blood biochemistries play significant mediating roles. Graphical abstract

The valorization of marine biogenic waste, particularly calcium carbonate derived from mollusk shells, offers new opportunities for sustainable material development; however, investigations determining their mechanical and microstructural properties remain limited, especially under degradation conditions such as those encountered when these materials are exposed to seawater environments. This study investigates the integration of powders from mussel, oyster, and clam shells collected from the Adriatic Sea into a bio-epoxy resin matrix to assess their potential as functional fillers. The samples were subjected to simulated seawater immersion (for 7 days in salt water with a concentration of 35 g/L of NaCl at room temperature) to evaluate their mechanical, colorimetric, and morphological properties after environmental conditioning. Key findings include variations in water absorption, Shore D hardness, and tensile performance across different shell powders, highlighting the influence of biogenic species on composite behavior. Colorimetric analysis revealed slight discoloration post-immersion, more limited on clam shell powder composites, while mechanical tests indicated enhanced performance in those including mussel shell one. These results underscore the potential of mollusk shell powders as eco-friendly additives in bio-composites, paving the way for applications in marine environments and promoting circular bio-economy practices. Future studies will focus on biofouling resistance and long-term durability under real-life conditions.

The viability of anaerobic degradation treatment as an end-of-life option for commercial disposable bioplastic tableware, typically certified as compostable, was assessed. Two types of polylactic acid-based items were selected and tested under mesophilic conditions (38 °C) for 155 days, until reaching a plateau. Advanced chemical characterization of the products was performed with a combination of analytical techniques, i.e., microscopy, spectroscopy, and thermogravimetry. Two methods for calculating the biodegradation degree of the products were discussed and compared, using the biogas generated in the test and the total organic carbon (TOC) removal, respectively. The method based on TOC removal, resulting in a biodegradation degree ranging from 80.5% to 88.9%, was considered to more accurately describe the process. Given the complexity of assessing the biodegradation of a bioplastic product, an effort was made to derive correlations among the chemical–physical composition of the product, the biodegradation conditions, and the biodegradation yields/kinetics, with an aim to describe the process comprehensively. Statistical tools were also applied to derive additional considerations regarding the influence of the polymeric blend and digestion parameters on the biodegradation of bioplastic products. The identified data clusters, which were found to be grouped by the digestion temperature and the type of bioplastic, indicated specific biodegradation features of the investigated materials.

(1) Background: To explore the anti-obesity effects and mechanisms of sika deer velvet antler peptides (sVAP) on 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. (2) Methods: sVAP fractions of different molecular weights were obtained via enzymatic hydrolysis and ultrafiltration. Their anti-lipid effects on 3T3-L1 cells were assessed with Oil Red O staining. The optimal fraction was tested in HFD-induced obese C57BL/6 mice to explore anti-obesity mechanisms. Peptide purification used LC-MS/MS, followed by sequence analysis and molecular docking for activity prediction. (3) Results: The peptide with the best anti-obesity activity was identified as sVAP-3K (≤3 kDa). sVAP-3K reduced lipid content and proliferation in 3T3-L1 cells, improved lipid profiles and ameliorated adipocyte degeneration in HFD mice, promoted the growth of beneficial gut microbiota, and maintained lipid metabolism. Additionally, sVAP-3K activated the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway, regulating adipogenic transcription factors. sVAP-3K exhibited ten major components (peak area ≥ 1.03 × 10⁸), with four of the most active components being newly discovered natural oligopeptides: RVDPVNFKL (m/z 363.21371), GGEFTPVLQ (m/z 474.24643), VDPENFRL (m/z 495.25735), and VDPVNFK (m/z 818.44043). (4) Conclusion: This study identifies four novel oligopeptides in sVAP-3K as key components for anti-obesity effects, offering new evidence for developing natural weight-loss drugs from sika deer velvet.

The bone marrow (BM) is a multifactorial, highly dynamic, still not fully “mapped,” reservoir. The BM labyrinthine landscape is subject to a relentless debate on the specialized and stem/progenitor cells’ scattering within designated microareas. Certainly, BM tissue plays a watchdog role in bone modeling and remodeling, hematopoiesis, immune surveillance, and endocrine response integration. Parameters like tissue topographical distinctiveness, stiffness and porosity grade, and cells’ behavioral idiosyncrasies in terms of stem/progenitor cell housing, activation, and motility represent a knotty problem not easily solved. Given that the disruption of BM microdomains has been associated with a number of severe pathological disorders, the comprehension and preservation of the BM workspace at multiple levels have become mandatory. Solid evidence has showed the existence of an intricate and tightly regulated cross-talk between the BM cellular occupants. Direct physical cell-cell connections and soluble mediators, including cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, exosomes and microvesicles, orchestrate composite intracellular signaling routes. The spatiotemporal action of definite biofactors ensures a functional blood-producing organ with a physiological bone turnover and prompts the action of multipotent stromal/hematopoietic cells. Recently, significant research efforts have been addressed to build bioengineered niche-mimic models based on biofunctionalized scaffolds and organoid-like constructs. These artificial BM niches combine and transduce various aspects of bioinformatics and tissue engineering to unravel the complexities of BM organization. This chapter aims to unfold the recent breakthroughs in the understanding of a BM intramural cell-cell dialogue in a physiological and, in some cases, within an inflammatory background. BM maze is gradually being discovered, but there is still a long way to go.

This chapter is dedicated to an in-depth analysis of the English neutral formulae and their Italian and French equivalents in online terms of service (ToS). To this aim, corpora of terms of web hosting services are consulted. English and Italian ToS corpora are sourced from the literature (Giampieri, 2024). The French corpus is created anew for the purposes of this chapter. The chapter summarises the corpus building process of the English and Italian ToS corpora, and explains in detail the creation of the French ToS corpus. It also discusses the consultation of the English, Italian and French ToS corpora to retrieve and compare equivalent legal formulae across the three languages. The chapter findings underscore that it is possible to source full equivalents of the English neutral formulae by consulting the Italian and French ToS corpora. Some equivalents are sourced almost effortlessly, whereas others need more analytical searches, which are described thoroughly in the chapter. The methodologies followed are fully replicable for scientific research and academic purposes.