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How can we know we are not dreaming? In this essay, I tackle this and related questions from a transcendental standpoint, by building a philosophical narrative centred upon three “giants”: Descartes, Kant, and Putnam. From each, I take some ideas and discard some others, with the aim of developing a historically informed, yet original, transcendental approach to dream scepticism. I argue that dreams can be distinguished from objective cognitions, since they do not regularly fulfil the transcendental conditions of such cognitions, e.g. the conditions of linguistic reference. Indeed, drawing on some insights by G. E. Moore and Wittgenstein, I further argue that the formulations of dream skepticism prove nonsensical: they cannot be linguistically understood. However, reflection on these skeptical formulations may lead us to a clear aesthetic understanding of the transcendental conditions of sense, as well as of the meaning of philosophically problematic words like “dream,” “perception,” and “reality.” ¿Cómo podemos saber que no estamos soñando? En este ensayo, abordo ésta y otras cuestiones relacionadas desde un punto de vista trascendental, construyendo una narrativa filosófica centrada en tres “gigantes”: Descartes, Kant y Putnam. De cada uno de ellos tomo algunas ideas y descarto otras, con el fin de desarrollar un enfoque trascendental históricamente informado, aunque original, del escepticismo sobre los sueños. Sostengo que estos pueden distinguirse de las cogniciones objetivas, ya que no suelen cumplir las condiciones trascendentales de tales cogniciones, por ejemplo, las condiciones de la referencia lingüística. De hecho, basándome en algunas ideas de G. E. Moore y Wittgenstein, sostengo además que las formulaciones del escepticismo onírico resultan carentes de sentido: no pueden comprenderse lingüísticamente. Sin embargo, la reflexión sobre estas formulaciones escépticas puede llevarnos a una clara comprensión estética de las condiciones trascendentales del sentido, así como del significado de palabras filosóficamente problemáticas como “sueño”, “percepción” y “realidad”.

How can we know we are not dreaming? In this essay, I tackle this and related questions from a transcendental standpoint, by building a philosophical narrative centred upon three \"giants\": Descartes, Kant, and Putnam. From each, I take some ideas and discard some others, with the aim of developing a historically informed, yet original, transcendental approach to dream scepticism. I argue that dreams can be distinguished from objective cognitions, since they do not regularly fulfil the transcendental conditions of such cognitions, e.g. the conditions of linguistic reference. Indeed, drawing on some insights by G. E. Moore and Wittgenstein, I further argue that the formulations of dream skepticism prove nonsensical: they cannot be linguistically understood. However, reflection on these skeptical formulations may lead us to a clear aesthetic understanding of the transcendental conditions of sense, as well as of the meaning of philosophically problematic words like \"dream,\" \"perception,\" and \"reality.\" ¿Cómo podemos saber que no estamos soñando? En este ensayo, abordo ésta y otras cuestiones relacionadas desde un punto de vista trascendental, construyendo una narrativa filosófica centrada en tres \"gigantes\": Descartes, Kant y Putnam. De cada uno de ellos tomo algunas ideas y descarto otras, con el fin de desarrollar un enfoque trascendental históricamente informado, aunque original, del escepticismo sobre los sueños. Sostengo que estos pueden distinguirse de las cogniciones objetivas, ya que no suelen cumplir las condiciones trascendentales de tales cogniciones, por ejemplo, las condiciones de la referencia lingüística. De hecho, basándome en algunas ideas de G. E. Moore y Wittgenstein, sostengo además que las formulaciones del escepticismo onírico resultan carentes de sentido: no pueden comprenderse lingüísticamente. Sin embargo, la reflexión sobre estas formulaciones escépticas puede llevarnos a una clara comprensión estética de las condiciones trascendentales del sentido, así como del significado de palabras filosóficamente problemáticas como \"sueño\", \"percepción\" y \"realidad\".

Trees and shrubs expanded in the last decades in European mountains due to land abandonment and the decrease in grazing pressure, and are expected to further spread also due to climate change. As a consequence of low forage quality and topographic constraints, the management of mountain environments dominated by woody vegetation with livestock is often challenging. Silvopastoral systems based on cattle hardy breeds able to forage on woody plants, such as Highland cattle, could be a suitable option for the management and restoration of such environments. In this study, we used direct observations to explore the foraging behavior of Highland cattle in four study areas across the western Alps. In particular, we assessed: (1) cattle diet composition, (2) the selection for more than 30 tree and shrub species, and (3) the relationships between species consumption and their abundance in the environment. Highland cattle fed on a mixture of both woody and herbaceous species, including between 15 and 46% of woody plants in the diet. Some trees (e.g., Celtis australis, Fraxinus spp., and Populus tremula) and shrubs (e.g., Frangula alnus, Rhamnus spp., and Rubus idaeus) were positively selected by cattle, thus they could be an important forage supplement to their diet. Moreover, the results highlighted that relative species consumption generally increased with increasing species abundance in the environment, suggesting that this cattle breed could be suitable to control shrub expansion in highly encroached areas. The outcomes of this study can support the development of targeted silvopastoral systems in the Alps.

Background Nowadays bleaching procedures have gained popularity in orthodontic patients. Peroxide and Carbamide acids are the common agents which are used in in-office and at home bleaching techniques. Consequently, the Bonding adhesion to the enamel can be influenced by the orthodontic phase and the residual peroxide might interfere with the polymerization and the adhesion of the brackets. Frequent debonding of the brackets from teeth after the bleaching procedure could cause the lengthening of the therapy and promote irregularities on enamel surface derived from an additional bonding phase of the brackets. The aim of this systematic review is to appraise the influence regarding the effect of the bleaching procedure on the bond strength of orthodontic brackets. Methods An electronic database search was performed. Search terms included: bleaching, brackets, adhesion; data were extracted and summarized. Risk of bias was assessed using the Chocrane risk of bias tool, adapted for in vitro studies. Results A total of 8689 articles were screened and 11 studies met the inclusion criteria of this systematic review. 1000 teeth of human and bovine origin were analyzed for the shear bond strength (SBS) of stainless and ceramic brackets after the bleaching treatments. All the authors divided the groups in different subgroups with different bleaching agents and in different concentration. The SBS value allowed to demonstrate the necessity to delay the bonding of the brackets for two weeks after a bleaching treatment and its improvement when tooth mousse or antioxidants agents are used. Conclusions The SBS values and the delay of the bonding procedure must be considered in dental practice and clinical strategies are necessary in order to avoid drawbacks which could cause the debonding of the brackets after bleaching due to the alterations of the dental substrate, thus interfering with the orthodontic treatments.

Silvopastoral systems with grazing pigs are mainly concentrated in Mediterranean regions, for instance in Iberian dehesas and montados. Conversely, in European deciduous forests, outdoor pig farming has almost disappeared, despite it could provide several environmental and socioeconomic benefits. For instance, pig grazing could be used for habitat restoration and conservation, while providing high quality meat products and promoting local breeds. In this study, we investigated (i) the plant species selection and (ii) the impact on tree resprouts (after a silvicultural cut) by semi-free ranging pigs in a degraded oak temperate forest in Northwestern Italy. We monitored pigs foraging behavior by direct observations and discriminated the plant species into three groups: preferred, indifferently consumed and avoided plants. The impact on the resprouts of six tree species was assessed by modeling the percentage of damaged shoots and their height through time using Generalized Linear and Additive Mixed Models. Swine expressed a selective foraging behavior, which was likely influenced by the forage quality and toxicity of plant species. The leaves and resprouts of Corylus avellana and Castanea sativa were highly consumed, whereas Acer and Quercus species and Fraxinus ornus were avoided. Mature leaves of Robinia pseudoacacia were highly preferred while its young resprouts were only slightly impacted, suggesting that pig grazing may not be effective to control this alien invasive species. Contrarily, pigs consumed Rubus sp. abundantly, suggesting they could be used to clear the understory in degraded forests.

New Italian data on the distribution of some of the Annex I Habitats are reported in this contribution. Specifically, 16 records are presented including 9 new occurrences in Natura 2000 sites, and 27 new cells are added in the EEA 10 km × 10 km reference grid. The new data refer to the Italian administrative regions of Abruzzo, Apulia, Latium, Marche, Lombardy, Piedmont, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany, and Veneto.

Background: Wild edible plants (WEPs) have long underpinned subsistence strategies and cultural traditions in rural Europe, yet regional syntheses remain scarce. Therefore, this research aims to provide a comprehensive synthesis of Piedmont ethnobotanical heritage and investigate the abundance of WEPs along a gradient of anthropogenic influence. Methods: This study presents an in-depth literature review of WEPs in Piedmont (NW Italy), integrating a large body of grey Italian-language monographs and published papers, grouping the collected data in a database. Results: We recorded 527 species across 78 families, classifying each one according to its (i) typical environment based on three levels of anthropogenic influence (low, intermediate and high), (ii) harvested organ(s) (seven categories) and (iii) traditional culinary use(s) (eight categories). Our findings reveal that highly anthropized habitats – namely annual and perennial ruderal communities and nutrient-rich grasslands – yield the highest WEPs species richness (208 species), whereas low-disturbed forests and alpine grasslands contribute to organ and use diversity. Aerial organs (leaves, young shoots and flowers) are most commonly collected, facilitating raw and cooked applications, while hypogeal organs (tubers, bulbs) and niche uses (oils, coffee substitutes) are comparatively rare. Among all taxa, 12 species (Foeniculum vulgare, Tanacetum vulgare, Borago officinalis, Carum carvi, Taraxacum officinale, Tilia cordata, Malva sylvestris, Myrrhis odorata, Rubus fruticosus, Rubus idaeus, Sambucus nigra and Thymus vulgaris) stand out for their combination of high organ versatility and multiple culinary roles, highlighting their potential as flagship WEPs for gastronomic valorization. Conclusions: The persistence of traditional knowledge in the face of modernization underscores both the resilience of cultural practices and the urgency of conservation. Landscape dynamics, including both land-use intensification and abandonment, exert complex effects on WEP diversity; we advocate tailored land-management strategies that preserve habitat heterogeneity and support the WEP populations. By systematizing Piedmont ethnobotanical heritage and defining the influence of the anthropogenic gradient over it, this work establishes a foundation for future ecological, nutritional and socio-economic research. Moreover, it provides a roadmap for integrating underutilized WEPs into sustainable food systems, promoting the conservation of biodiversity and revitalizing local food traditions in the Western Alps.

Land abandonment represents a major threat to the conservation of European semi-natural dry grasslands. To ensure biodiversity and habitat conservation, in this study, sheep grazing was reintroduced in abandoned Festuco-Brometea dry grasslands of a western Italian alpine valley. The experimental design included three treatments, along a gradient of increasing disturbance: (i) not-grazed, (ii) grazed, and (iii) penning areas. Unexpectedly, two years after grazing reintroduction, a wildfire hit the study area. To investigate the short-term effects of grazing and wildfire disturbances on vegetation, 62 permanent transects were monitored from 2014 to 2018. Vegetation cover, plant diversity, and richness and abundance of three functional groups of species were analyzed through generalized linear mixed models. Grazing caused little changes in vegetation, with the greatest effects observed in penning areas: the pioneer xerothermic species group, including many rare plant species, benefited from the reduction in the litter layer and the opening of gaps in the sward induced by trampling. The wildfire led to an increase in plant diversity and to changes in plant composition: dry grassland species decreased, while pioneer xerothermic and ruderal species increased their abundance. Short-term results suggest that both disturbances may foster the conservation of alpine dry grasslands.

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, exclusions, and status changes from casual to naturalized or invasive for Italy or for Italian administrative regions for taxa in the genera Bidens, Ceratochloa, Chamaeiris, Cylindropuntia, Cyperus, Euphorbia, Freesia, Glinus, Hydrocotyle, Lagunaria, Megathyrsus, Myriophyllum, Opuntia, Schinus, Sparaxis, Sporobolus, Talinum, and Tradescantia. Nomenclatural and distribution updates, published elsewhere, and corrections are provided as Suppl. material.

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of native vascular flora in Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, and exclusions to the Italian administrative regions for taxa in the genera Anacyclus , Anthyllis , Bolboschoenus , Catapodium , Festuca , Hordeum , Lavandula , Ophrys , Pseudopodospermum , Rosa , Sorbus and Spergula . Nomenclatural and distribution updates, published elsewhere, and corrigenda are provided as Suppl. material 1.