Search

While a number of studies have focused on the relationship between aesthetics and design, a specific aesthetic analysis of Experience Design is still missing, despite the growing importance of the latter. This gap is not coincidental. “Experience Design” can be a broad category potentially including any type of design, and thus, difficult to pin down. Without claiming to be exhaustive, this essay aims to provide a useful approach and some coordinates for a more critical reflection on such a transversally operative phenomenon that is both widespread and urgent to understand. Not least, it aims to show how Experience Design’s highly aesthetic potential can shed new light on design’s canonical conceptual couple “form–function”.

Background: Glucose sensors consist of real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rtCGM) and intermittently scanned CGM (isCGM). Their clinical use has been widely increasing during the past 5 years. The aim of this study is to evaluate percentage of time in range (TIR) in a large group of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) using glucose sensors with nonautomated insulin delivery systems, in a real-world setting. Methods: An 11-center cross-sectional study was conducted during January-May 2019. Children with T1D 1 year, treated with multiple daily injections (MDI) or nonautomated insulin pump (IP), were recruited consecutively. Clinical data, HbA1c measurement, and CGM downloaded data were collected by each center and included in a centralized database for the analysis. Glucose metrics of four treatment strategies were analyzed: isCGM-MDI, rtCGM-MDI, isCGM-IP, and rtCGM-IP. Results: Data from 666 children with T1D (51% male and 49% female), median age 12 years, diabetes duration 5 years, were analyzed. An rtCGM was used by 51% of the participants, and a nonautomated IP by 46%. For isCGM-MDI, rtCGM-MDI, isCGM-IP, and rtCGM-IP, the median TIR 70-180 mg/dL values were 49%, 56%, 56%, and 61% (P < 0.001), respectively; HbA1c 7.6%, 7.5%, 7.3%, and 7.3% (P < 0.001), respectively. Use of rtCGM was associated with significant lower time below target range 180 mg/dL and lower HbA1c. If there are no barriers, an upgrade of the treatment strategy with a higher performing technology should be offered to all children who do not achieve blood glucose metrics within the suggested range.

L’Everyday Aesthetics, nata principalmente in contesti accademici scandinavi e statunitensi, si è affermata in quanto una delle linee di ricerca attualmente più significative e dibattute a livello internazionale. La giovane sub-disciplina dell’estetica, così come viene definita dai suoi fautori, sta finalmente prendendo piede anche in Italia. Ciò rende oggi particolarmente interessante rendere disponibili gli argomenti sviluppati da essa in territori non anglofoni proprio a fronte dell’assenza di traduzioni dei numerosi testi realizzati almeno negli ultimi venti anni. Diverse sono le figure che in questo periodo hanno contribuito alla crescita dell’Everyday Aesthetics, arricchendola con diversi approcci, metodologie e temi d’indagine. Tra queste, quella di Ossi Naukkarinen, estetologo finlandese, risulta una delle più significative, per ampiezza e profondità del dibattito in corso. Il volume intende presentare gli esiti più interessanti della sua ricca e variegata ricerca che riguardano sia fenomeni estetici caratteristici del mondo contemporaneo (moda, vita e ambienti urbani…), sia la discussione dei confini disciplinari dell’estetica (statuto, prospettive dell’estetica, liminalità tra arte e non-arte…).

Il capitolo propone un'analisi del rapporto complicato tra una linea di ricerca come l'Everyday Aesthetics e l'estetica kantiana, da cui si è generalmente distanziata. Nel capitolo in questione si mostra invece come, analizzando un testo pre-critico kantiano come l'"Antropologia dal punto di vista pragmatico", è possibile rilevare dei punti di sorprendente e significativa tangenza. L'analisi del volume kantiano, con un particolare focus sugli aspetti estetici che esso sviluppa, permetterà di instaurare un ulteriore confronto tra Kant e un interlocutore inaspettato: John Dewey. Si mostrerà anche qui come sia possibile rilevare dei punti di tangenza, suggerendo come essi siano fautori di "due pragmatismi". Il capitolo procede con un confronto più serrato tra l'estetica di John Dewey e l'Everyday Aesthetics in generale, e il punto di vista adottato da una dei suoi proponenti più noti, Yuriko Saito, in particolare, solitamente critica nei confronti della prospettiva deweyana. In ultima istanza si proporrà un emendamento del concetto di "cura" che entrambi tematizzano in modi specifici nella direzione di una tematizzazione del concetto più dinamico di trend.

Lake basins can behave as accumulators of microplastics released in wastewaters as such or resulting from degradation of larger items before and/or during their journey toward the marine environment as a final sink. A novel multianalytical approach was adopted for the detection and quantification of microplastics with size &lt, 2 mm in the sediments of the volcanic lake of Bracciano, Italy. Simple analytical techniques such as solvent extraction/fractionation (for polyolefins and polystyrene) or depolymerization (for polyethylene terephthalate, PET), along with chromatographic detection (SEC and HPLC), allowed quantitative and qualitative determination of the main synthetic polymer contaminants. In particular, PET microplastic concentrations of 0.8&ndash, 36 ppm were found, with variability related to the sampling site (exposure to incoming winds and wave action). Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR) and Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transformed InfraRed (ATR-FTIR spectroscopic investigations supported the identification and chemical characterization of plastic fragments and polymer extracts. The average molecular weight of solvent extractable polymers was evaluated from 2D 1H-NMR diffusion ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) experiments. The proposed, easily accessible multianalytical approach can be considered as a useful tool for improving our knowledge on the nature and the concentration of microplastics in sediments, giving insights on the impact of human activities on the health status of aquatic ecosystems.

Despite the exponential increase of studies on plastic debris in recent years, there are still few works focusing on the problem as it relates to inland waters: little is known about the accumulation and dispersion dynamics on lake shores, and there are no standardized sampling methods for monitoring purposes. The accumulation of plastic litter in natural habitats also threatens the resident organisms. In this paper, we investigated the abundance and accumulation of plastic particles, ranging in size from 1 to 50mm, from the beach sediment of three volcanic lakes in Central Italy: Albano, Bracciano, and Vico. The collection was designed to define the most important variables that one must consider in order to obtain a representative sample of plastic litter in a lake environment. In view of the high heterogeneity of sampling protocols used, comparison among the obtained results is limited and sometimes impossible. By using one of the proposed sampling methodologies, and critically analyzing the results, we aimed to highlight a possible monitoring criterion and to identify specific elements that can be meaningful and representative. The samples were collected in May and September 2017. For each lake, we sampled plastic items and sediments from two beaches. Albano contained the largest amount of plastic (in weight), while Bracciano had the largest number of particles. Our observations lead us to infer that the number of particles is the parameter most sensitive to environmental variations, as well as the more suitable for monitoring with greater definition the differences between sites. Moreover, sampling should be taken in different seasons, following a sampling pattern that includes at least two beaches placed in strategic positions with respect to wind and waves. In order to identify new indicators to evaluate the entry points of plastic into the food web, we collected, from the same sites analyzed, some specimens of the Talitrid Amphipod Cryptorchestia garbinii, a detritivorous species having a critical role in debris turnover of these environments. To investigate the microplastic (MP) ingestion in natural conditions, we analyzed their digestive tracts with both Nile red staining method and micro-FTIR spectroscopy. The analyses confirmed that C. garbinii was able to ingest plastics in natural conditions. Therefore, it can signify one of the entry points for microplastics (MPs) in the trophic chain. This observation constitutes the first evidence of MP ingestion in this species.

Giovanni Matteucci’s recent book 'Estetica e natura umana. La mente estesa tra percezione, emozione ed espressione' (Carocci editore, Roma 2019) ambitiously aims to bring together on the same ground – namely, a study on human nature – the tenets of two fields of research, aesthetics and the philosophy of mind. The path outlined in the book 'Estetica e natura umana' and some recent articles by Matteucci is aimed at re-establishing the continuity that exists between various aspects and modalities connoting human experience: a continuity, the latter, that according to Matteucci has been undermined by a centuries-long dualistic philosophical attitude towards human nature as such. On this basis, we thought it stimulating for scholars of philosophy, for readers of “Meta” and for the author himself, to put his original philosophical conception to the test, so to speak, by planning and organizing a book forum with some questions asked by distinguished philosophers of our time working on both aesthetics and the philosophy of mind, and with the detailed replies provided by Matteucci. The complexity underlying Matteucci’s recent philosophical research is thus attested, beside his writings, by the wide-ranging questions raised by the discussants involved in this Forum: Simona Chiodo, Roberta Dreon, Shaun Gallagher, Tonino Griffero, Jerrold Levinson, Claudio Paolucci, Richard Shusterman. The topics and problems called into question by each of them, according to their specific competence, span from the relation to the traditions of pragmatism and phenomenology to enactivism, from the question of aesthetic properties to the role of the body in aesthetic experience, from the relation between perception and language to technology, just to mention a few of them. In our view, as editors of this book forum, the discussants’ questions and the replies provided by the author ultimately prove how flourishing, rich and full of potential, also for further discussion, this field of research currently is.

Background: Every year 2% of pregnant women undergo non-obstetric surgical interventions worldwide. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Committee on Obstetric Practice, pregnant women should never be denied the most appropriate surgical treatment regardless of the trimester of pregnancy.However, additional attention should be paid during the first trimester since there is the highest risk of inducing teratogenic mutations; similarly, during the third trimester, due to the possibility of preterm birth and low weight of the new-born great care should be paid.Case presentation: We present the case of a 36-year-old woman during her 21st week of pregnancy, with a normal-sized foetus according to the gestational age on ultrasound exam and with no additional risk factors. The patient referred an increasing nasal obstruction associated with rhinorrhoea of the left nasal cavity. She also reported episodes of sleep apnoea and hyposmia.The patient received a detailed otolaryngological examination which allowed to identify a mass within the left nasal cavity. The subsequent nasal endoscopy confirmed a greyish polypoid mass lesion with a multinodular surface occupying the entire left nasal fossa. The lesion totally obliterated the left maxillary sinus resulting in obstruction of the anterior osteo-meatal unit and ethmoidal sinusitis She was referred for functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) using analgosedation with Remifentanil Target Controlled Infusion.Discussion and conclusions: To the very best of our knowledge this is the first case described in English literature about the use of analgosedation with Remifentanil Target Controlled Infusion for otolaryngology surgery, specifically in FESS. It could be an interesting option to avoid the use of inhaled anaesthetics that could induce foetal damage, especially during the first months of pregnancy. Furthermore, patient intubation is not necessary, avoiding cases of difficult intubation or any trauma to the airways. An adequate informed consent and the appropriate compliance are elements of paramount importance in tailoring the anaesthetic strategy for pregnant women who need non-obstetric surgical management.

Although scientists have known about the umami taste for decades, it is only recently that it has gradually gained wider public recognition as the fifth primary taste. Umami is elicited by l -glutamate, some amino acids and purine nucleotides. Glutamate is found in a wide range of foods but despite that, this taste is not generally included in taste evaluation tests in European countries because it has been found to be hard to conceptualize by the population. To the best of our knowledge, a comprehensive survey on umami familiarity in European countries has not been conducted. Therefore, we chose three countries representative of northern (Finland), central (Germany) and southern Europe (Italy) for our study. Each group contained 300, 271 and 252 participants, respectively. We collected the categorical descriptors spontaneously expressed by volunteers after tasting an umami solution alone, next to the hedonic value perceived in comparison with a watery salt solution and pure water. A significant difference in the hedonic response by country was found. The Finnish sample group used the correct word “umami” at a higher rate (15%) than Italians and Germans (both at 2%). Finland also showed better discrimination between the monosodium glutamate (umami) and sodium chloride (cooking salt) solutions. Overall, the umami taste was rated less pleasant than the salt, females preferring umami more than males, while it was the other way around for salt. Interestingly, a similar percentage of individuals with very low sensitivity for both umami and salt was detected in the countries.

Introduction: A number of patients with a diminished sense of smell also can suffer from parosmia. These patients with such a qualitative smell disorder are often more severely affected than patients exhibiting only a quantitative smell disorder. Qualitative smell disorders have heretofore been poorly investigated. The focus of the present study was, using functional MRI, to compare the central processing of olfactory stimulation in patients with qualitative smell disorders. Material and Methods: A total of 23 patients were investigated, 12 hyposmic patients without parosmia (HYP group) and 11 hyposmic patients with parosmia (PAR group). Both groups were matched with regard to sex and age. The olfactory smells used were peach and coffee odors. Results: The two groups exhibited different patterns of activation. In HYP patients a stronger activation was observed in the medial orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and parahippocampal gyrus, whereas in the PAR group stronger activation in the thalamus and putamen was seen. Discussion: These results are consistent with the hypothesis that there are specific patterns in the central processing of olfactory stimuli which differ in hyposmic patients with and without parosmia.

Bismuth (Bi) is considered a "green metal" as its toxicity has been reported to be lower than other metals, particularly lead. Even though the low presence in the environment, an increase of Bi concentrations in soil and wastewater is predictable due to its enhanced uses for many industrial and medical applications. Therefore, given the little literature on the matter, particularly in plants, information on the effects of Bi on living organisms is needed. In this study, seeds of garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.), a model plant for ecotoxicological assays (OECD), were exposed to increasing Bi concentrations (0 to 485 mg L

Background: Probiotics may prevent the allergic response development due to their anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. The aim of this study is to determine if the prophylactic treatment with a mixture of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. Lactis BB12 and Enterococcus faecium L3 would reduce symptoms and need for drug use in children with allergic rhinitis (AR). Methods: The study included 250 children aged from 6 to 17 years, affected by AR. Patients were randomly assigned to the intervention group (150) or to the placebo group (100). Patients in the intervention group, in addition to conventional therapy (local corticosteroids and/or oral antihistamines), were treated in the 3 months preceding the onset of symptoms related to the presence of the allergen to which the children were most sensitized, with a daily oral administration of a probiotic mixture containing the Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. Lactis BB12 DSM 15954 and the Enterococcus faecium L3 LMG P-27496 strain. We used Nasal Symptoms Score (NSS) to evaluate AR severity before and after the treatment with probiotics or placebo. Results: the patients in the intervention group had a significant reduction in their NSS after probiotic treatment (p-value = 2.2 × 10−10. Moreover, for the same group of patients, we obtained a significant reduction in the intake of pharmacological therapy. In particular, we obtained a reduction in the use of oral antihistamines (p-value = 2.2 × 10−16), local corticosteroids (p-value = 2.2 × 10−13), and of both drugs (p-value 1.5 × 10−15). Conclusions: When administered as a prophylactic treatment, a mixture of BB12 and L3 statistically decreased signs and symptoms of AR and reduced significantly the need of conventional therapy.

BACKGROUND: Probiotics may prevent the allergic response’s development due to their anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. The aim of this study is to determine if the prophylactic treatment with a mixture of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. Lactis BB12 and Enterococcus faecium L3, would reduce symptoms and need for drug use in children with allergic rhinitis (AR). METHODS: The study included 250 children aged from 6 to 17 years, affected by AR. Patients were randomly assigned to the intervention group (117) or to the placebo group (86). Patients of the intervention group, in addition to conventional therapy (local corticosteroids and/or antihistamines), were treated, in the 3 months preceding the development of AR symptoms, with a daily oral administration of a probiotic mixture containing the Bifidobacterium animalis subsp Lactis BB12 DSM 15954 and the Enterococcus faecium L3 LMG P-27496 strain. Nasal Symptoms Score(NSS) was used to evaluate AR severity before and after the treatment with probiotics or placebo. RESULTS: 96% of the patients in the intervention group showed a significant decrease in their NSS after the probiotic treatment as well as a decrease in the intake of pharmacological therapy. GPower software was used to calculate the test power. Given the probability of error α = 0.05, the total sample size n = 117 and the effect size ρ = 2.0651316, the power of the test is 1 - β = 1. CONCLUSIONS: When administered as a prophylactic treatment the mixture of BB12 and L3 statistically decrease signs and symptoms of AR and reduces significantly the need of drugs.

Objective Transient neonatal diabetes mellitus (TNDM) is caused by activating mutations in ABCC8 and KCNJ11 genes (KATP/TNDM) or by chromosome 6q24 abnormalities (6q24/TNDM). We wanted to assess whether these different genetic aetiologies result in distinct clinical features. Design Retrospective analysis of the Italian data set of patients with TNDM. Methods Clinical features and treatment of 22 KATP/TNDM patients and 12 6q24/TNDM patients were compared. Results Fourteen KATP/TNDM probands had a carrier parent with abnormal glucose values, four patients with 6q24 showed macroglossia and/or umbilical hernia. Median age at diabetes onset and birth weight were lower in patients with 6q24 (1 week; −2.27 SD) than those with KATP mutations (4.0 weeks; −1.04 SD) (P = 0.009 and P = 0.007, respectively). Median time to remission was longer in KATP/TNDM than 6q24/TNDM (21.5 weeks vs 12 weeks) (P = 0.002). Two KATP/TNDM patients entered diabetes remission without pharmacological therapy. A proband with the ABCC8/L225P variant previously associated with permanent neonatal diabetes entered 7-year long remission after 1 year of sulfonylurea therapy. Seven diabetic individuals with KATP mutations were successfully treated with sulfonylurea monotherapy; four cases with relapsing 6q24/TNDM were treated with insulin, metformin or combination therapy. Conclusions If TNDM is suspected, KATP genes should be analyzed first with the exception of patients with macroglossia and/or umbilical hernia. Remission of diabetes without pharmacological therapy should not preclude genetic analysis. Early treatment with sulfonylurea may induce long-lasting remission of diabetes in patients with KATP mutations associated with PNDM. Adult patients carrying KATP/TNDM mutations respond favourably to sulfonylurea monotherapy.

Background: Probiotics may prevent the allergic response development due to their antiinflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. The aim of this study is to determine if the prophylactic treatment with a mixture of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. Lactis BB12 and Enterococcus faecium L3 would reduce symptoms and need for drug use in children with allergic rhinitis (AR). Methods: The study included 250 children aged from 6 to 17 years, affected by AR. Patients were randomly assigned to the intervention group (150) or to the placebo group (100). Patients in the intervention group, in addition to conventional therapy (local corticosteroids and/or oral antihistamines), were treated in the 3 months preceding the onset of symptoms related to the presence of the allergen to which the children were most sensitized, with a daily oral administration of a probiotic mixture containing the Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. Lactis BB12 DSM 15954 and the Enterococcus faecium L3 LMG P-27496 strain. We used Nasal Symptoms Score (NSS) to evaluate AR severity before and after the treatment with probiotics or placebo. Results: the patients in the intervention group had a significant reduction in their NSS after probiotic treatment (p-value = 2.2 × 10. Moreover, for the same group of patients, we obtained a significant reduction in the intake of pharmacological therapy. In particular, we obtained a reduction in the use of oral antihistamines (p-value = 2.2 × 10), local corticosteroids (p-value = 2.2 × 10), and of both drugs (p-value 1.5 × 10). Conclusions: When administered as a prophylactic treatment, a mixture of BB12 and L3 statistically decreased signs and symptoms of AR and reduced significantly the need of conventional therapy.

Il contributo propone una panoramica delle mutazioni intervenute nella contemporaneità in seno a un concetto cruciale per l'estetica: quello di pratica. Questo concetto verrà esaminato ponendo a confronto tre coppie dialettiche emblematiche per la descrizione di tali cambiamenti. Nel caso di "pratiche" le coppie prese in considerazione sono: artistico/estetico, iper-esteticità/ipo-esteticità, eccezionalità/quotidianità.

Il contributo propone una panoramica delle mutazioni intervenute nella contemporaneità in seno a un concetto cruciale per l'estetica: quello di artista. Il concetto verrà esaminato ponendo a confronto tre coppie dialettiche emblematiche per la descrizione di tali cambiamenti. Nel caso di "artista" verranno prese in considerazione le coppie autore/autorialità, originalità/tendenza, creatore/designer.

Il contributo propone una panoramica delle mutazioni intervenute nella contemporaneità in seno a tre concetti cruciali per l'estetica: opera, artista e pratica. Ciascun concetto verrà esaminato ponendo a confronto tre coppie dialettiche emblematiche per la descrizione di tali cambiamenti. Nel caso di "opera", si analizzeranno le coppie unicità/serialità, contemplazione/consumo, oggetto/dispositivo; nel caso di "artista" le coppie autore/autorialità, originalità/tendenza, creatore/designer; nel caso di "pratiche" le coppie artistico/estetico, iper-esteticità/ipo-esteticità, eccezionalità/quotidianità.

Amphipods of the genus Gammarus are a vital component of macrozoobenthic communities in European inland and coastal, marine and brackish waters of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Exceptional levels of cryptic diversity have been revealed for several widespread freshwater Gammarus species in Europe. No comprehensive assessment has yet been made for brackishwater counterparts, such as Gammarus aequicauda and G. insensibilis, which are among the most widely dispersed members of the so-called “G. locusta group” in the Mediterranean and in the Black Sea. Here we probe the diversity of these morphospecies examining the partitioning of mtDNA and nDNA across multiple populations along their distribution range and discuss it within the regional paleogeographic framework. We gathered molecular data from a collection of 166 individuals of G. aequicauda and G. insensibilis from 47 locations along their distribution range in the Mediterranean including the Black Sea. They were amplified for both mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA as well as the nuclear 28S rRNA. All five MOTU delimitation methods (ABGD, BIN, bPTP, GMYC single and multiple threshold models) applied revealed deep divergence between Black Sea and Mediterranean populations in both G. aequicauda and G. insensibilis. There were eight distinct MOTUs delimited for G. aequicauda (6–18% K2P) and 4 MOTUs for G. insensibilis (4–14% K2P). No sympatric MOTUs were detected throughout their distribution range. Multimarker time-calibrated phylogeny indicated that divergence of both G. aequicauda and G. insensibilis species complexes started already in the late Oligocene/early Miocene with the split between clades inhabiting eastern and western part of the Mediterranean occurring in both species at the similar time. Our results indicate a high cryptic diversity within Mediterranean brackishwater Gammarus, similar to that observed for freshwater counterparts. Moreover, the phylogenetic history combined with the current geographic distribution indicate that the evolution of bot, This work was supported by Polish National Science Center (projects no. 2014/15/B/NZ8/00266 and 2015/17/N/NZ8/01628) and partially by the statutory funds of the Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology of University of Lodz. F. Costa and the University of Minho contribution was supported by the strategic programme UID/BIA/04050/2013 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007569) funded by national funds through the FCT I.P. and by the ERDF through the COMPETE2020 - Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI). There was no additional external funding received for this study. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Freshwater communities all over the world suffer from anthropogenic stresses such as pesticide contamination. This stress acts as a selective force, inducing alteration in both the composition of species and their relative abundances. In the present work, we tested the genotoxic effect of the glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup® on two freshwater gammarid species. The tests were carried out on the native Echinogammarus veneris, and the invasive alien species, Dikerogammarus villosus. The latter is native to the Ponto-Caspian region and has now spread to many large European aquatic ecosystems. It has displaced native gammarids and is considered one of the most disruptive alien species in Europe. The genotoxic effect of Roundup® was measured by DNA fragmentation revealed by comet assay, after either 24 hours or 7 days of exposure. The results obtained demonstrate the genotoxic potential of Roundup® on both species and highlight the higher tolerance of D. villosus to its genotoxic potential.

This paper aims at showing the usefulness of Adorno’s contribution from the stan- dpoint of his analysis of the concept of function, for the understanding of a recent phenomenon such as Experience Design. This analysis is widely carried out in the essay Functionalism Today, which appeared in 1966, and is then retrieved in a densely synthetic form in various paragraphs of Aesthetic Theory. Here we will take into con- sideration a peculiar diagnosis he makes in the conclusion of this essay. We think that, by verifying Adorno’s prognostic ability, it will be possible both to shed new light on him and to extract from his analysis of the transformation of the concept of function a conceptual grid which is consistent with problems that today are central in a number of aestheticization phenomena i.e. the design of experiences. The comparison between Adorno’s perspective and the implications of the latter will allow us to outline some indications concerning the possibility to restore a particular aesthetic competence, which often seems to be covered by design, and hence a more sustainable attitude, which are ever increasingly needed in the current context of life.

Oggi ci muoviamo quotidianamente in ambienti sottoposti con sempre maggiore intensità a processi di design. Si tratta di ambienti densi e complessi che tuttavia veicolano esperienze fortemente gratificanti per l’individuo. La tesi di questo volume è che tali contenuti possano essere considerati specificamente estetici a patto di superare alcuni equivoci che affliggono concezioni tradizionali di design, quotidianità ed esperienza e che quasi inevitabilmente conducono a una demonizzazione dell’artificialità di quelle stesse dinamiche estetiche che oggi appaiono connaturate all’essere umano. A tal fine il volume discute recenti teorie del design alla luce sia delle prospettive nate in seno alla cosiddetta Everyday Aesthetics (di cui viene ricostruito criticamente il programma teorico complessivo), sia di impianti filosofici maggiormente consolidati, tra pragmatismo e fenomenologia. Adottando un approccio di tipo relazionale e anti-essenzialista, viene svolta quindi un’analisi di spazi estetici quotidiani in cui l’intreccio di fattori estetici, economici e progettuali si è reso sempre più inestricabile. Dagli spazi estetici privati e pubblici, passando per quelli istituzionalizzati e virtuali-globali, si giunge a esaminare gli spazi estetici commerciali, esempio eccellente di quello stesso intreccio che sta favorendo l’affermarsi di un vero e proprio Experience Design.

The present paper provides the first record of ingestion of microplastics in natural context by Gammarus setosus from Svalbard Archipelago. The plastic particles were identified both by Nile Red staining and Micro FT-IR spectroscopy. The species studied ingests microplastic particles in natural conditions if present in its habitat, probably mistaking them as food. The microplastic particles ingested may be available for uptake to predators that consume this Arctic amphipod, producing consequences to the food web.

According to the framework of the modern theory of knowledge, after their establishment in the second half of the 18th century as scientific disciplines, aesthetics and economics (and thus the aesthetic and the economic) had to part ways. It was thought that they marked the borderline between useless and useful from a social, ideological, cultural and philosophical-theoretical point of view. In these terms, their relationship has always been polarized into a dichot- omy. Such polarity, although long perceived as irreconcilable, today may appear to be fruitful and, as such, deserves to be not only analyzed but also pur- sued. The peculiarity of this polarity is attested, for example, by the recent series of investigations carried out in various fields making polarity a strength, i.e. a reason for a reconsideration in positive of the relationship between aes- thetics and economics. This article aims at understanding what it means to suggest that there could be a reconciliation between them. Does it mean that the aesthetic has laid down its weapons against the economic? Or does it mean that the aesthetic has won over the economic? We will suggest that reconciliation does not necessitate pacification, but it means initiating and keeping alive a dialogue and a confrontation that may entail also sharp contrasts. Reconciliation will be described as something which can mean that two conflicting terms are becoming dialectical polarities within a single overall antinomy, where mutual misrecognition becomes mutual recognition.

This entry offers a first critical analysis of the concept and the phenomenon of Experience Design from an aesthetic point of view.

International audience; Background: Mammalian olfaction begins with transduction in olfactory receptors, continues with extensive processing in the olfactory bulb, and culminates in cortical representation. Most rodent studies on the functional neuroanatomy of olfaction have concentrated on the olfactory bulb, yet whether this structure is tuned only to basic chemical features of odorants or also to higher-order perceptual features is unclear. New method: Whereas studies of the human brain can typically uncover involvement of higher-order feature extraction, this has not been possible in the case of the olfactory bulb, inaccessible to fMRI. The present study examined whether a novel method of acquisition using a facial coil could overcome this limitation. Results: A series of experiments provided preliminary evidence of odor-driven responses in the human olfactory bulb, and found that these responses differed between individuals. Comparison with existing methods and Conclusions: The present preliminary technical achievement renders possible to design novel human odor fMRI studies by considering the olfactory system from the olfactory bulb to associative areas.

Objective To estimate the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its impact on bleeding and thrombotic events in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Patients and Methods Prospective multicenter cohort study including patients with nonvalvular AF receiving vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) or non-VKA oral anticoagulants (NOACs) from February 2008 for patients on VKA and from September 2013 for patients on NOACs. NAFLD was diagnosed using the validated fatty liver index, with a cutoff score of 60 or higher. Primary end points were the occurrence of major bleedings and cardiovascular events (CVEs). Results NAFLD was diagnosed in 732 of 1735 (42.2%) patients. Patients with NAFLD were younger, less frequently women, and more likely to be treated with NOACs and to have obesity, dyslipidemia, and persistent/permanent AF. During a median follow-up of 18.7 months (3155 patient-years), we recorded 78 major bleedings (incidence rate, 2.5% per year): 29 (2.1% per year) in patients with and 49 (2.7% per year) in patients without NAFLD (log-rank test P=.23). Univariate Cox proportional regression analysis showed no association of NAFLD with major bleedings (hazard ratio, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.47-1.20; P=.23). One hundred fifty-five CVEs occurred (incidence rate, 3.1% per year). No significant association was found between NAFLD and CVEs (log-rank test P=.12). In the entire population, NOAC use was associated with lower CVEs compared with VKAs (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.42-0.89; P=.01). Conclusion NAFLD is highly prevalent in AF but is not associated with higher bleeding or thrombotic risk.