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Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Cross-Validation of the Italian Version of the EPICC Spiritual Care Competency Self-Assessment Tool for Clinical Nurses
Get PDFAim: To cross-culturally adapt and psychometrically test the Italian version of the EPICC Spiritual Care Competency Self-Assessment Tool for clinical nurses (EPICC Tool-It). Design: Multicentre, cross-sectional validation study. Methods: The 28-item EPICC Tool was translated into Italian and culturally adapted following a rigorous methodology. A nationwide survey was conducted. Psychometric evaluation included content validity, structural validity (exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses), construct validity (known group analysis) and reliability using Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega and factor score determinacy. Results: The sample included 725 clinical nurses (76% female, 80% hospital-based), on average 38.7 years old (SD 11.33), with 14.6 years (SD 11.03) of experience. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a four-factor model (Knowledge of spirituality, Attitudes towards spirituality and spiritual care, Knowledge of spiritual care and Skills in spiritual care), with a second-order factor for the EPICC Tool-It. Construct validity was supported through known group analysis, showing score variation based on nurses' experience, education and religiosity. Internal consistency was excellent across all factors and the overall scale. Conclusion: A valid, multidimensional instrument is provided to assess spiritual care competencies in Italian-speaking nurses. The EPICC Tool-It is suitable for research and practice, facilitating evaluation of self-perceived competencies and educational effectiveness. Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care: The use of the EPICC Tool-It by nursing managers, educators and clinicians is recommended in both clinical and research settings to support education on spiritual care competencies. Impact: The EPICC Tool-It sets reliable measurement standards for spiritual care competencies, enhancing holistic care and comprehensive understanding of competencies globally. Reporting: This study adheres to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines. Patient or Public Contribution: Patients, service users, caregivers, or the public were not involved in the study. However, nurses as target users of the tool participated in the cultural adaptation and validation process
Use of non-conventional yeasts for enhancing the sensory quality of craft beer
No full textIn recent years, craft beer production has grown significantly, sparking interest in using non-conventional yeasts to produce beers with distinctive flavors. This work investigated the impact of unconventional yeast strains, including Hanseniaspora uvarum YGA34 (EP1), Lachanchea thermotolerans MNF105 (EP2), Candida oleophila YS209 (EP3) and Starmerella lactis-condensi MN412 (EP4), as innovative co-starter cultures alongside the widely used Saccharomyces cerevisiae US-05 . The control trial was inoculated with S. cerevisiae US-05 (TC) alone. For the first time, C. oleophila and St. lactis-condensi have been applied for beer production and also result have been compared with H. uvarum and L. thermotolerans. These strains, selected from high-sugar matrices such as manna and fermented honey by-products, exhibited logarithmic growth cycles of 5–8 during fermentation. Starmerella lactis-condensi MN412 and L. thermotolerans MNF105 efficiently consumed fructose, glucose, and sucrose in beer must before the addition of S. cerevisiae US-05, with L. thermotolerans also effectively consuming maltose. The highest glycerol content (3.36 g/L) was observed in the EP4 trial with St. lactis-condensi MN412. Esters were the dominant volatile compounds in all samples (91.2–237.3 mg/L), with the EP2 trial showing the highest ester content (237.3 mg/L), primarily due to ethyl octanoate (125.5 mg/L). EP2 also had the most favourable sensory profile, excelling in 10 attributes, while other beers showed notable performances. These unconventional yeast strains exhibited significant differences compared to beers brewed with S. cerevisiae alone. Additionally, their application led to an increase in volatile organic compounds. In conclusion, novel yeast strains isolated from high-sugar matrices showed excellent technological properties, making them promising co-starters and starter in innovative craft beer production
The role of teachers' conception of students’ intelligence, self-efficacy and need frustration and satisfaction in shaping tendencies in teaching practices
Get PDFThe present study investigates the influence of teachers’ beliefs and personal factors on teaching practices by
conducting two studies on their relationship (Study 1) and on the creation of teachers’ profiles (Study 2). Data
were collected on 447 Italian teachers (85 % female, mean age: 38.7 years, SD: ±4.49). Path analysis of Study 1
showed that teachers’ beliefs significantly influenced their self-efficacy and their perception of teaching practices.
The two-way cluster analysis of Study 2 showed two distinct profiles: constructive and didactic. Findings
suggest that intervention programs should enhance teachers’ self-efficacy and satisfaction to foster more supportive
and student-oriented teaching practices
Il grande Cretto di Perugia e gli innesti di Giuseppe Nicolosi
No full textIl saggio, ripercorrendo le ragioni della Call for Project dedicato alla città universitaria di Perugia, offre una lettura critica della morfologia urbana del capoluogo umbro in relazione all'articolata conformazione del luogo. Da questa ermeneutica emerge l'importante lavoro svolto dal Rettore Ermini e dal progettista Giuseppe Nicolosi. A queste due figure, nei loro rispettivi ruoli, si deve una impostazione controccorrente dagli anni Cinquanta agli anni Ottanta del XX secolo, confermando la presenza dell'università all'interno del nucleo antico, quando contemporaneamente molte università italiane avevano deciso di delocalizzare le sedi accademiche ai margini delle città. Da questa scelta derivano episodi rilevanti per l'architettura italiana come l'Aula Magna costruita con sapienza a pochi metri dal Palazzo Murena. In altri termini il saggio, illustra le ragioni per cui il confronto progettuale proposto dalla Società Scientifica ProArch per Perugia sia in assoluta continuità culturale con quanto precedente svolto da Ermini e Nicolosi
Enhancing flu vaccine responses in older adults: preliminary insights from the ISOLDA study on immunosenescence and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory approaches
Get PDF: Aging is frequently characterized by an inadequate primary vaccine response, likely due to immunosenescence and inflamm-aging, a low-level, chronic inflammatory state. Both aspects increase the susceptibility of older adults to viral and bacterial infections, resulting in a higher frequency and severity of infectious diseases. In this preliminary study, a cohort of 52 individuals was recruited and divided into two groups: young (age range 21-35) and older adults (> 60 years old). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected before (time 0, T0) and after (time 1, T1) the immunization with a tetravalent influenza vaccine. Then, T cell immunophenotyping analysis was conducted to investigate how aging and influenza vaccination influence T cell responses. Additionally, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of oleuropein (OLE), a secoiridoid extracted from extra virgin olive oil, alone or in combination with BIRB 796, a potent inhibitor of p38 MAPK, were explored to enhancing the impact of influenza virus on T cell activation, aiming to identify potential alternatives or complementary strategies to improve traditional flu-vaccine formulations. Statistically significant observations were noted for a decrement in CD8 + T naïve and an increase of effector memory between the young and older adults after flu-vaccination. Moreover, preliminary findings indicate anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of OLE and BIRB 796 on T cell responses, particularly regarding Reactive Oxygen Species/Reactive Nitrogen Species modulation, with a trend toward the decrease of pro-inflammatory cytokines (i.e., Interferon-γ (INF-γ), Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α)), αalthough without statistical significance
Giù nella Conca
No full textLa società scientifica dei docenti in Progettazione architettonica ProArch ha proposto una Call for Projects per la città universitaria di Perugia. Il contributo propone residenze universitarie e servizi che potenziano le relazioni urbane e diminuiscono i tempi di percorrenza pedonale. Si ragiona, in particolare, sulla topografia dell’area della Conca, caratterizzata da rilevanti salti di quota. Nel progetto tale verticalità e la presenza di una vegetazione florida e cromaticamente dominante, diviene occasione per sperimentare un insediamento che evoca le case sugli alberi e che fa vivere lo spazio dall’interno – “giù nella Conca” – e dall’alto, in una dimensione sospesa e inedita fra le fronde degli alberi. La sperimentazione progettuale apre prospettive nuove su una diversa interazione fra città e vegetazione, che trova nei campus universitari un luogo privilegiato per attivare forme di rigenerazione urbana.The scientific society of professors in Architectural Design, ProArch, launched a Call for Projects for the university city of Perugia. The proposal envisions student residences and services that enhance urban connections and reduce walking distances. The focus is particularly on the topography of the Conca area, marked by significant elevation changes. In the project, this verticality and the presence of lush, visually dominant vegetation become an opportunity to experiment with a settlement that evokes treehouses, allowing the space to be experienced both from within—“down in the Conca”—and from above, in a suspended, unexpected dimension among the tree canopy. This design experimentation opens new perspectives on a different interaction between city and nature, with university campuses serving as privileged places to activate forms of urban regeneration
Interference Analysis of LoRaWAN and Sigfox in Large-Scale Urban IoT Networks
Get PDFAs reported by IoT Analytics, LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, and Sigfox dominate the low-power wide-area network market, covering 86% of it, considering both user adoption and ecosystem backing. NB-IoT operates on licensed frequencies, in contrast to Sigfox and LoRaWAN, which share sub-GHz ISM bands, possibly leading to mutual interference. In this paper, an analytical model is proposed to predict interference in ISM bands, focusing on the coexistence between Sigfox and LoRaWAN technologies, in realistic urban environments and under different traffic conditions and duty cycles. The choice of such environments and simulation parameters is supported by a thorough literature review, and the theoretical model is validated using the SEAMCAT software tool. The findings provide new perspectives on the coexistence of Sigfox and LoRaWAN for evolving Internet of things solutions. Moreover, we evaluate the effectiveness of employing protection distance mechanisms as a strategy for mitigating interference
Exploring transient neurophysiological states through local and time-varying measures of information dynamics
Get PDFBackground
Studying the temporal evolution of complex systems requires tools able to quantify the strength of predictable dynamics within their output signals. Among information theoretic measures, information storage (IS) reflects the regularity of system dynamics by measuring the information shared between the present and the past system states.
Methods
While the conventional IS computation provides an overall measure of predictable information, transient behaviors of predictability occurring during system transitions can be assessed by time resolved measures such as the local information storage (L-IS) and the time-varying information storage (TV-IS).
Results
TV-IS tracks sudden changes of the information stored in the system, which is reflected in its average value computed over specific time intervals; on the other hand, the surprise originated by the emergence of a change in the predictability is reflected in the variance of the L-IS computed within specific time intervals. In neurophysiological applications, the distinct phenomena of respiratory activity in sleep apnea and brain activity during somatosensory stimulation both reveal a significant decrease of IS evoked by state transitions, highlighting how such transitions can inject new information in physiological systems, affecting significantly their internal dynamics.
Conclusions
TV-IS and L-IS provide different and complementary information about the behavior of the systems under investigation, thereby offering valuable tools for the study of complex physiological systems where both stationary and non-stationary conditions may be present
A scuola di partecipazione: note pedagogiche sull’educazione civica e alla sostenibilità per studenti migranti
No full textThis essay explores the role of civic and sustainability education in the multicultural school context, with a focus on lone or unaccompanied migrant students. Starting with an analysis of climate and humanitarian crises, it highlights how these affect migration and hinder the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development goals. Civic education is presented as a fundamental tool to promote active participation and awareness of rights and duties, fostering social inclusion and intercultural dialogue. Through a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach, the chapter analyses the experiences of teachers at the Provincial Centres for Adult Education (CPIA), highlighting educational strategies that integrate theory and practice. It also emphasises the importance of a civic education lived in the first person within the school, which enhances students' subjectivity and their sense of belonging to the community, also through the involvement of external experts, such as educators and legal guardians, to enrich the teaching activities and address the challenges related to the students' short stay in the educational projects
Recensione a Y. MÉNY, Le vie della democrazia, Bologna, il Mulino, 2024
No full textSi tratta della recensione al libro di Yves Mény.It is a review of the book written by Yves Mény