RISULTATI RICERCA

Life sciences face challenges in developing theoretical frameworks for operating on biological systems. This is evident when considering disappointing results in biomedicine, as many diseases remain poorly understood despite decades of intensive efforts. The complexity of living systems is often cited as the reason for these shortcomings. To address these challenges, I have proposed a new definition of life, which I call Loopomics. According to this new paradigm, life is defined as any natural entity consisting of agents that produce physical changes, interconnected through chains of interactions that form closed loops. These loops create nonlinear systems whose dynamics are known to be characterized by single equilibrium points or transitions between different equilibrium points. The number of equilibrium points is determined by the kind of loop but is modified by bifurcation parameters, whose variation over time can significantly alter the behavior of the system. Thus, bifurcation parameters are key targets for interventions aimed at acquiring control of these systems. Biological loops give rise to ordered and predictable accumulations of materials that realize epiphenomena, including subcellular organelles, cells, tissues, organs, and organisms.
These epiphenomena do not help in conceptualizing life and can be only used to identify, map, and manipulate the loop systems. The verification of the Loopomics hypothesis can be carried out by developing loop models of pathogenesis, identifying bifurcation parameters, and addressing them as therapeutic targets. If this approach is successful, it would provide positive validation for the hypothesis and could chart a new direction for biomedical research and applied biology.

The science of the microbiota, by revealing the complexity of interactions between the world of microorganisms that colonize us and that of human cells, represents the dawn of a new paradigm in biomedical and psychological sciences. It allows for a more complex yet more promising perspective on human health and disease compared to previous approaches. Scientific literature has now identified specific lifestyle-related factors (nutrition, environmental physicalchemical quality, psychological well-being, etc.) that significantly influence the composition of the microbiota. This paper introduces the concept of the “funnel effect” of the microbiota to describe the convergent and partially independent nature of these factors (nutrition, physical activity, psychological well-being, sleep quality, social support, environmental physical-chemical quality, circadian rhythms) on the composition of the intestinal microbiota, thereby impacting the overall health of the human organism. The “funnel effect” of the microbiota has some highly relevant clinical implications, emphasizing the need for an integrated psycho-neuro-endocrineimmunological approach, in contrast to the highly specialized and molecularly focused approach that is currently widely adopted.

Some issues concerning the problem of efficacy of psychotherapy are reviewed and discussed. The difference between clinical research and empirical research is examined, also with some philosophical considerations. Clinical research and empirical research are very different: the former is conducted by the psychotherapist in the daily work with patients, while the latter is performed in the experimental laboratory. It is then discussed whether replicability, which is a central characteristic of the scientific method, is possible in psychotherapy. An overview of the history of the psychotherapy research movement is then traced: a first phase has been mainly dedicated to outcome research, while a second phase concerns mostly process research. Finally, some recent research on the efficacy of psychoanalysis is summarized, where it increasingly emerges that psychoanalysis and dynamic psychotherapy are not inferior, but sometimes even superior, to cognitive-behavioral therapy.

In recent years, cases of food hypersensitivity reactions in the Western population have significantly increased, with over 50% of patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) believing that food triggers their symptoms. The main culprits include FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols) and specific protein components of wheat, such as gluten and amylase/trypsin inhibitors (ATIs). Gastrointestinal symptoms related to carbohydrate malabsorption stem from two primary mechanisms. First, unabsorbed carbohydrates can feed certain gut bacteria, leading to fermentative dysbiosis and gas production, which causes bloating and abdominal distension. Second, a diet rich in unabsorbed sugars draws water into the intestinal lumen, accelerating transit and resulting in diarrhea.
Adverse reactions to gluten include celiac disease, wheat allergy, and non-celiac gluten/wheat sensitivity (NCGS/WS). The latter triggers both intestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms, which improve upon gluten withdrawal. Recent studies suggest that, in addition to gluten, other wheat components, such as ATIs and FODMAPs, can contribute to symptom exacerbation. NCGS/WS is associated with intestinal dysbiosis and immune alterations. Although a gluten-free diet is currently considered the only available therapeutic strategy, it may negatively impact gut microbiota and the bioavailability of minerals and vitamins.
Recent research suggests the use of strain-specific probiotics to improve fermentative dysbiosis, reducing gas-producing species and enhancing the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, gluten proteins, and micronutrients. In conclusion, an integrated approach combining a low-FODMAP diet (LFD) with specific probiotics could be an effective strategy for managing carbohydrate malabsorption symptoms in FGID, restoring intestinal homeostasis, and counteracting associated microbial hyperfermentation.

In this essay, we propose a sociological and territorial perspective on the relationship be-tween capital and space and, more specifically, on the financialisation of urban development. Having sketched an analytical and conceptual framework, we invite the reader to put the prop-erty market at the centre of their analysis of the transformation of urban space. Finally, we briefly discuss the state of the art in Italy, suggesting new avenues for future research.

La soglia di Gorizia ha rappresentato, nel corso della Guerra fredda, una delle possibili vie d’accesso utilizzabili dalle truppe sovietiche e, in seguito, dagli eserciti del Patto di Varsavia per sferrare un attacco a occidente. I saggi che compongono questo libro offrono un contributo scientifico che chiude un progetto di ricerca pensato per valorizzare il patrimonio storico che la Guerra fredda ha lasciato in un’area di confine tanto travagliata nel secolo breve, ma, infine, pacificata nei nostri anni.

In Uruguay, collaboration between designers and manufacturing companies remains limited, largely due to the historical separation between the academic sphere and the productive sector. Design has often evolved within theoretical or cultural frameworks disconnected from industrial practice. This book seeks to bridge that gap, presenting a design intervention aimed at creating spaces for exchange and collaboration between those who design and those who produce.