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Toward a progressive model of graphicacy. Cartesian diagrams and the restructuring of cognitive space
No full textThe Cartesian representation of space stands as a paradigmatic case of advanced graphicacy. It requires more than the visual decoding of lines and symbols; it calls for the development of what might be termed synsemic literacy—a capacity to interpret the spatial organization of graphic elements as a coherent and meaningful structure.This kind of literacy might be comparable in complexity and cognitive depth to verbal reading. Cartesian diagrams, through their bi- or tri-axial structures and the encoding of quantitative meaning into two-dimensional space, represent a highly conventionalized form of representation—one that diverges markedly from the spontaneous spatial intuitions typically observed in children and in cultures without formal schooling
Ray L. Hart and the Hermeneutical Spiral. Toward Which Theogony?
No full textThe hermeneutical spiral runs through all of Ray L. Hart’s work. This figure offers theology and philosophy the possibility of thinking differently about the opposition between transcendence and immanence that we usually conceive starting from the locative opposition between interior and exterior. Instead, the spiral allows us to rethink their opposition because, in its unfolding, everything is internal and external. Starting from this point, in this essay, I aim to show how this hermeneutical spiral operates both in Unfinished Man and the Imagination
and in God Being Nothing, linking theogony, cosmogony and anthropogony. In doing so, Hart also moves towards a new figure of theogony and metaphysics conceived in the strict connection between being and nothingness
INCLUSIVE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY IN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: RETHINKING DIDACTIC MEDIATORS THROUGH PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH
No full textAortic dissection and opioid use: Two autopsy cases and potential pathological implications
No full textAcute aortic syndrome (AAS) is a life-threatening condition that includes acute aortic dissection (AAD), intramural
hematoma (IMH), and symptomatic penetrating aortic ulcer. While hypertension is the primary risk factor, substance abuse—especially cocaine—has been linked to AAS. However, the role of opioids remains unclear.
This study presents two autopsy cases of opioid users who died from cardiac tamponade due to aortic dissection. The first case involved a 55-year-old male undergoing methadone treatment, with biologically active methadone detected at death. The second case was a 58-year-old male with no known substance abuse history but with postmortem findings of morphine and methadone, indicating recent opioid use. Histological examination in both cases revealed vascular damage consistent with aortic dissection. While no direct causal link has been established, chronic opioid exposure may contribute to vascular degradation through hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1α)-mediated inflammation. The overlap between opioid use and AAS in these cases suggests a potential association, warranting further investigation into the vascular effects of opioids and their clinical implications
Narrating China in Italy: State Rhetorics and Diasporic Narratives in the Teaching of Chinese Culture
No full textThis paper explores the ways in which Chinese culture is taught and narrated in Italian schools, within a context where available anthological and cultural teaching materials remain limited and fragmented. This limited editorial availability has fostered the emergence of localized and creative pedagogical practices, based on teachers’ self-produced materials, autonomous selection of texts and resources, and processes of intercultural mediation. Within this framework, teachers of Chinese culture design educational pathways that interweave literary texts, films, media products, and diasporic testimonies, giving rise to a plurality of micro-narratives about China.
The analysis is situated at the intersection of the conference’s thematic axes of Teaching and Identity, with an extension toward the political-discursive dimension.
The paper examines both pedagogical practices and localization strategies adopted in Chinese culture courses in Italy, highlighting how these experiences contribute to the construction of shared cultural and narrative identities between teachers and students.
A comparative perspective with other European contexts—particularly Germany and France—allows for the identification of pedagogical and institutional models that may support the qualitative strengthening of Chinese culture education in Italy and its integration within national educational systems.
At a broader level, the study engages with China’s political-discursive dimension by analyzing the Party-promoted rhetoric of jianghao Zhongguo gushi (讲好中国故事, “telling China’s story well”) as a strategy of narrative soft power. Aimed at disseminating a coherent and positive image of China, this discourse now constitutes a key horizon of reference for those teaching Chinese culture abroad, influencing—directly or indirectly—the contents, languages, and representations conveyed within European educational contexts.
Diasporic narratives—literary, media-based, and autobiographical—play a crucial role in this scenario, providing tools of narrative hybridization capable of connecting the political level (China and its state rhetoric), the social level (Chinese diasporic communities), and the educational level (the school). They enable the construction of an approach to Chinese culture education that moves beyond mere transmission toward a critical and dialogic process of translation.
The analysis is based on direct observations and context-based reflections developed through a research experience spanning Italy, Europe, and China, as well as on a qualitative comparative process aimed at fostering dialogue among practices, discourses, and educational models. The paper thus reflects on how the teaching of Chinese culture can evolve within the Italian school system, drawing on European experiences and perspectives developed in China to become a space for identity negotiation and dialogic knowledge construction, while valorizing the transcultural and diasporic dimensions of educational experience
