Project R. Evolution for improving clinical research in Italy: challenges and strategies

Objective: The R.Evolution project aimed to reach a consensus on the main challenges of conducting clinical research in Italy and possible strategies and approaches to address them and optimize clinical research management. Methods: A scientific board of experts initially discussed potentially critical areas in clinical research conduct and further explored them through an online national survey. The survey results were further examined by a group of 35 panelists representing different clinic...

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis mortality in the Italian epicenter of COVID-19 pandemic

Immunomodulatory treatment of interstitial lung disease

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) other than idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have an array of immunomodulatory treatment options compared with IPF, due to their inflammatory component. However, there is a relative paucity of guidance on the management of this heterogeneous group of diseases. In ILDs other than IPF, immunosuppression is the cornerstone of therapy, with varying levels of evidence for different immunomodulatory agents and for each specific ILD. Classification of ILDs is impo...

From a theory-centric view of social research to a data- centric approach

Digital data have become so pervasive that they are the main resource used in scientific research, business and society. With reference to scientific research, a data-centric approach is emerging in all scientific disciplines. The article argues that data centrism does not mean the absence of theory. In fact, as will be shown, data are always produced in relation to and to precise expectations and conceptual schemes. Just as the algorithms that are used to analyze huge amounts of data are “ma...