Archivio istituzionale della ricerca - Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna
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Beckham. The rise and fall of celebrity in the Netflix docu-series*
Get PDFIn the mid-1990s, young David Beckham was already a football star thanks to his performances on the pitch. He quickly became a true celebrity, a status he “achieved” (Rojek, 2001; Ricci 2013), thanks to the public recognition he gained for his sporting abilities. In a short time, Beckham's fame transcended the boundaries of sport to influence other areas, such as fashion and entertainment, connoting the footballer as famous by “attribution”: his constant presence in the media, his marriage to Victoria Adams and the popularity he gradually gained from the public only served to increase his fame.
His ageing, his retirement from football in 2013, and the difficulties he has experienced over the years, both professionally and personally, are all part of the narrative fabric of the docu-series Beckham (Netflix, 2023). The title of the television product features only the athlete's surname, condensing into a single word the reference to a person-character, to “Golden Balls” on and off the pitch, to the personification of a real brand (Edwards, 2011). David Beckham thus appears as the protagonist of a story that moves along multiple perspectives. Through multiple angles – and interventions – that call into question his media and public image (including archive footage), together with his private image (through interviews and actual confessions made by members of his inner circle), and using a sort of truth-telling narrative, the football champion is presented on screen as a complex narrative character (Mittell, 2015). The articulation between “front region” and “back region” (Goffman, 1959) works on a directorial level as a dynamic capable of reinforcing the celebrity device, around which the entire narrative revolves (Mascio, 2023).
Through this analysis, we will try to understand the turning points in the docu-series that mark the highlights of the different phases of Beckham's fluid and changing celebrity, together with his “spreadable” capacity for dissemination (Jenkins, Ford & Green, 2013). The docu-series presents a series of innovative interventions in telling the rise, fall and consolidation of celebrity. The possibility of structuring the narrative using the typical structure of fiction, together with the use of archive footage - as is the case in many docu-series - allows for the elicitation and revival of “authentic” emotions in the various subjects interviewed, starting with Beckham himself. All this contributes to defining the former athlete's celebrity status, which also reverberates on his entire family, consequently encouraging the formation of that form of second-level celebrity that Rojek (2001) defines as “ascribed”
In vitro flow properties of Preserflo Michroshunt with an intraluminal stent
No full textObjectives: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of varying stent sizes and materials on the outflow of the Preserflo Microshunt (PMS). Methods: In vitro experiments were conducted using five new PMS samples. Intraluminal stents of two materials (nylon and polypropylene) and two sizes (9-0 and 10-0) were tested. Flow was measured using a balanced saline solution (BSS) under a constant hydrostatic pressure, and the resistance was calculated. Theoretical calculations based on the Hagen-Poiseuille law were compared with in vitro results, and the results were corrected to calculate resistance to flow using aqueous humour properties. Five measurements were obtained for each material and size. Results: Without any stent, the median resistance internal to PMS corrected for aqueous humour viscosity was 1.59 mmHg/μL/min. Median resistances were 6.35 mmHg/μL/min (range: 3.88-7.42) for the 10-0 nylon and, 11.79 mmHg/μL/min (range: 7.08-13.71) for the 10-0 polypropylene. The 9-0 stents showed higher resistance: 10.99 mmHg/μL/min (range: 7.34-22.75) for 9-0 nylon, finally, the 9-0 polypropylene resulted in a resistance of 37.55 mmHg/μL/min (range: 36.52-38.41). Conclusions: This study indicates that the tested suture materials and sizes have a significant impact on the outflow resistance of the PMS device. Larger sutures and/or polypropylene materials seem to offer more resistance to aqueous outflow
La nuova disciplina europea della responsabilità per danno da prodotti difettosi (dir. 2024/2853/UE)
No full textDirective 2024/2853/EU is largely inspired by the previous regime. The main differences lie in the updating of the provisions on digital products and on the introduction of new evidentiary facilitations. Overall, the new provisions, which the Author reviews, are equipped with a more analytical approach
Mobilising linguistic resources in English–Italian interpreter-mediated interaction
No full textThis study examined the mobilisation of linguistic resources negotiated in an interpreter-mediated interaction in a semi-transparent linguistic constellation in which English, a language of widespread diffusion, is one of the languages spoken. The case under study is part of a larger corpus of public service interpreting data collected in Italian healthcare settings. It involved four participants: an Italian paediatrician, a Ghanaian paediatric patient accompanied by his father and a bilingual English–Italian mediator. The semi-transparent nature of the setting is due to the fact that the two languages used in this interaction are at least partially known to all the participants and not only to the bilingual mediator. Therefore, both the doctor, who has a reasonably good command of English, and the patient’s father, who has a limited command of Italian, make use of both English and Italian. Applying conversation analysis, the study examined the practices adopted by the participants to negotiate the different modes of communication available: relying on interpreting or resorting to direct talk in either English or Italian. The results show that the mediator’s task of interactional coordination is highly affected by the semi-transparent linguistic constellation, since the interpreting itself becomes an object of negotiation. The study is able to provide guidance to mediators on how to coordinate interactions in which both interpreting and direct talk are possible, an approach that is particularly appropriate when English is one of the languages used in mediated interactions
Food Inhibitory control and reward responsiveness in healthy ageing
Get PDFObjectives: Living in a complex food environment, humans face numerous decisions and choices every day. These decisions necessitate cognitive resources and the ability to balance metabolic needs with gratification. This study sought to examine whether ageing enhances responses to food stimuli due to reduced inhibitory control or reduces such responses due to a decline in the motivational system. Methods: Fifty young adults, aged 20-30 years, and 55 older adults, aged 65-91 years, without obesity, were recruited. Participants were asked to rate explicitly liking, wanting, and healthiness of both high- and low-calorie foods on a Likert scale. Additionally, they completed an affective priming task measuring affective reactions towards foods and a food go/no-go task to assess inhibitory control. Results: Older adults exhibit reduced food liking and wanting compared to young adults, but did not show increased impulsivity or implicit preference for high- and/or low-calorie foods. No significant relationship between perceived healthiness and reward responsiveness was observed in the older adult group. Discussion: Our findings suggest that healthy ageing is characterized by a diminished response to food due to low reward responsiveness. This is noteworthy, as the hedonic properties of foods are commonly believed to guide dietary choices. Understanding the relationship between age and food-related behaviour is crucial for developing targeted dietary interventions for older adults, which could enhance their overall health and quality of life
When Stars Grow Old – Cultural and Media Processes of the Celebrity/Ageing Nexus: An Introduction to the Special Issue
No full textCelebrities constitute a particularly relevant phenomenon in the media and sports contexts of contemporary society. As central figures in the cultural public sphere, they exemplify what John B. Thompson (1995) describes as mediated “quasi-interaction”, where individuals form non-reciprocal relationships with distant personalities who appear familiar through repeated media exposure. They occupy public space through the emotions they arouse in an ever-widening public. Celebrities are not only media products but also emotional and symbolic figures who evoke affective investments from audiences (Marshall, 1997; Dyer, 1979). Their visibility enables para-social interactions (Horton & Wohl, 1956) and contributes to the creation of a shared emotional experience across dispersed publics
Is higher resolution always better? A comparison of open-access DEMs for optimized slope unit delineation and regional landslide prediction
Get PDFDigital elevation models (DEMs) play a key role in slope instability studies, ranging from landslide detection and recognition to landslide prediction. DEMs assist these investigations by reproducing landscape morphological features and deriving relevant predisposing factors, such as slope gradient, roughness, aspect, and curvature. Additionally, DEMs are useful for delineating map units with homogeneous morphological characteristics, such as slope units (SUs).In many cases, the selection of a DEM depends on factors like accessibility and resolution, without considering its actual accuracy. In this study, we compared freely available global elevation models (Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) World 3D-30m, Copernicus GLO-30 (COP), Forest And Buildings removed COP DEM (FABDEM)) and a national dataset (TINITALY) with a reference model (local airborne lidar) to identify the most suitable DEM for representing fine-scale morphology and delineating SUs in the Marche region, Italy, for landslide susceptibility studies. Furthermore, we proposed a novel approach for selecting the optimal SU partition.The DEM comparison was based on several criteria, including elevation, residual DEMs, roughness indices, slope variations, and the ability to delineate SUs. TINITALY, resampled at a 30mx30m pixel size, was found to be the most suitable DEM for representing fine-scale terrain morphology. It was then used to generate the optimal SU partition among 18 combinations. These combinations were evaluated using both existing and newly integrated metrics alongside mapped landslide inventories to optimize terrain delineation and contribute to landslide susceptibility studies
Progetto "BeTwin": il gemello digitale nella gestione del patrimonio costruito
No full textLa necessità di adeguare le modalità di gestione degli edifici alla complessità del quadro esigenziale contemporaneo richiede lo sviluppo di strumenti digitali in grado di acquisire, strutturare, condividere, elaborare e visualizzare informazioni relative al patrimonio costruito sotto forma di conoscenza sintetica. Tra questi strumenti emerge il gemello digitale, inteso come replica virtuale di un oggetto, un processo o di un sistema esistente nel mondo fisico-reale, capace di scambiare con esso varie tipologie di dato. Il presente articolo presenta un sistema di supporto decisionale (DSS) prototipale, concepito nell’ottica di un digital twin, sviluppato dal Dipartimento di Architettura dell’Università di Bologna. Tale prototipo integra tecnologie quali Building Information Modeling e Building Performance Simulation per l’analisi integrata delle prestazioni energetiche e delle condizioni di occupazione di un edificio universitario, predisponendo un sistema di interfacce user-friendly per l’accesso al dato da parte di utenti non esperti digitali addetti alla gestione
Geografie del capitale sociale. Trent’anni di senso civico in Italia
Get PDFLa ricerca presentata in questo volume è stata realizzata nell’ambito del partenariato esteso PNRR Growing Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable (GRINS), che mette a disposizione della
comunità politica, economica e scientifica dati per l’elaborazione di analisi territoriali, politiche pubbliche e interventi a livello locale e nazionale. Il volume approfondisce i temi del capitale sociale, della coesione e della sostenibilità attraverso dati provinciali originali.
I risultati confermano l’influenza positiva che la cultura civica continua ad avere sullo sviluppo economico, sulla qualità del governo e sul benessere collettivo. Ma evidenziano anche una dinamica inattesa: proprio in quelle aree tradizionalmente considerate roccaforti del civismo, emergono segnali di impoverimento della partecipazione che interrogano la continuità e la compattezza delle "tradizioni civiche" insieme agli scenari, solitamente dati per scontati, di una coesione e sostenibilità sociale non problematiche.
Per la prima volta, le mappe geografiche del capitale sociale italiano sono analizzate in chiave diacronica, offrendo uno strumento originale per comprendere dove questa risorsa si rafforza, dove declina e perché. Il messaggio è chiaro: politiche pubbliche efficaci non possono limitarsi a ricostruire condizioni materiali di crescita, ma devono anche promuovere un impegno civico diffuso a tutela della sostenibilità, della coesione e del bene – e benessere – comune
Fiction
No full textPer Sontag l’atto di raccontare si fonda su un’intrinseca ambiguità,
ovvero il binomio verità-finzione. L’innesco del racconto
non proviene tanto dalla realtà o dalla necessità di salvaguardare le
storie che attraversano il mondo trasformandole in qualcosa di stabile,
trasmissibile e per questo socializzabile. È la mente creativa della scrittrice o dello scrittore che fa da detonatore di linguaggio, perché la specificità della fiction, per Sontag, non sta tanto nella messa in intreccio, quanto piuttosto in quella “intensity of feeling” che scaturisce dall’effetto estetico della voce
letteraria articolata, prima di tutto, in parole e frasi, cioè attraverso lo stile
– già all’altezza del 1953 scriveva nei suoi diari che è lo stile determinare
l’intreccio, e non il contrario