137262 research outputs found
Sort by
Re-assembling the Digital World, or the Public Sociology of Digital Education Platforms
No full textIn the contemporary educational landscape, digital technologies have become an obligatory passage point, often appearing neutral, to the extent that they are rarely put under scrutiny and discussion. However, these are necessary steps in order to eventually reimaging them to attune to specific educational discursive frames. This article moves from the assumption that there is a need for educational researchers, educators and other relevant educational subjects to coalesce in a collective mobilisation that brings at the centre of public and policy debate the politics of digital education technology through a work of collective problematisation and reinvention. In order to contribute to this urgency, this article thus presents the theoretical and methodological underpinnings, and the results, of an experiment in what we call a public sociology of educational technology. Drawing on Michael Burawoy's plea for a Public Sociology (2004), our aim was to design and play with a methodology apt to carry out a work of creative and affirmative critique. The experiment was carried out by the L@bed Collective during the second edition of the Reclaim the Tech (RTT) Festival, held in Bologna in May 2024. During the workshop we invited our public to engage in a conversation about the design of the UNICA platform and its performative effects. We did this through a combination of two methods, walkthrough and a/r/tography, aimed respectively to playfully dis- and re-assemble materially the UNICA platform. We present some preliminary considerations on the insights which we gathered from such an experiment in public sociology of educational technology, with a specific reference to both the potential and limits of our methodology and the insights of such a collective work of denaturalisation, problematisation and reinvention
Prerogative difensive ed uso distorto dei poteri istruttori ex art. 507 c.p.p.
No full textSi riflette criticamente sull’approdo giurisprudenziale della Cass. Pen. n. 44793/2024 che ritiene legittimo attingere ai poteri istruttori del giudice per acquisire atti sottratti alla preventiva discovery, trascurando le conseguenze dell’incremento probatorio in ordine al non consapevole sviluppo di una linea difensiva definitivamente tracciata sulla base di una mutilata conoscenza del materiale probatorio. Privilegiando oltre ogni limite l’accertamento della verità, si profila un uso distorto dei poteri probatori ex officio, non semplicemente protesi all’intensificazione necessaria delle informazioni probatorie, bensì rivolti a sanare un vizio del procedimento acquisitivo, incidente sensibilmente sul diritto di difesa
Marketplace icons and iconic brands: exploring place in the myth-making process
No full textPurpose – How does the relationship among local brands, regional brands and iconic products contribute to the collective myth-making process?
This paper aims to explore the dynamic relationship among local brands, place brands and iconic products. Specifically, it examines how local
producers elevate their brands to iconic status in relation to a regional brand and its iconic product. In doing so, the study extends the current
debate on cultural branding, particularly the role of collective myth-making in transforming brands into icons on local, national and global scales.
Design/methodology/approach – The objective of our research is to offer cultural understanding of the place and its role in the rise of an iconic
brand. To this aim, we adopted a dialectical approach to investigate the interrelation of the Gragnano place of pasta and the brand Garofalo.
Findings – The study demonstrates how places and their heritage serve as powerful resources for elevating local brands to an iconic status. In turn,
these local brands play a crucial role in enhancing the iconicity of their regional counterparts. This dynamic interplay is particularly evident when the
product itself carries significant cultural meanings, resonating not only at the regional and national levels but also on a global scale.
Originality/value – The study unveils the dynamic interplay between places, iconic products and local brands, and how it contributes to the
collective myth-making process. In doing so, the study puts into conversation the literature on marketplace icons and iconic brands
STRUCTURAL ELUCIDATION OF A CAPSULAR POLYSACCHARIDE FROM Lactiplantibacillus plantarum
No full textIn recent times, nutrition has become one of the main health patterns due to disorders related to sedentary lifestyles, and therefore, consumers consider functional foods an attractive solution.1 Among the main ingredients of functional foods are probiotics, that are live microbes with beneficial effects on the host.2 Among probiotics, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have several scientifically proven effects on human health, such as antimicrobial, immunostimulatory, and anti-cancer activity. Their activities derive from the molecules they produce, including polysaccharides, which are used not only as ingredients but also especially as food additives. The wide spectrum of applications of microbial polysaccharides is due both to their properties as thickeners and, above all, to their immunomodulatory properties, i.e., anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory or antimicrobial.3
Based on the above, the present work focuses on the study of cell wall polysaccharides produced by a strain of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, a Gram-positive, mesophilic bacterium belonging to the LAB group, which colonises the human and animal gastrointestinal tract. L. plantarum can produce antimicrobial and antioxidant molecules, modulate the immune system, and strengthen the intestinal microflora.4 However, the identity of the glycans produced by this bacterium is unknown, even though they are supposed to be key players in the activities reported. This communication will describe the structural characterisation of the capsular polysaccharide produced by L. plantarum, paving the way for studies aimed at determining its beneficial functions
Social Infrastructure in Southern Europe: A Diagnostic Tool for Socio‐Territorial Vulnerability in Public Policies
No full textThe dominant neoliberal management model in major European cities has led to a growing trend toward socio-economic inequality, with its spatial dimensions highlighting clear contradictions. These social contradictions affect over a quarter of the Spanish population, particularly in the region of Andalusia (Southern Spain), with certain neighborhoods in the cities of Seville and Málaga containing a high percentage of vulnerable individuals. These cities are also the focus of two of the largest initiatives at the national (EDUSI) and regional (ERACI) levels, strategically aimed at combating vulnerability. In this context, the study of Social Infrastructures (SI) as spaces that promote integration and social cohesion in cities like Seville and Malaga is particularly important. We calculated a synthetic index of SI and studied its local spatial relationship with income levels and the presence of vulnerable populations. Our results indicate that, similar to other large European and North American cities, the distribution of SI in the cities analyzed does not adhere to a pattern of socio-territorial equity, with social vulnerability concentrated in areas with significant SI deficits. Additionally, we examine the use of public policy tools with the most socially deprived areas in each city, highlighting their impact on integration and the potential for social change. Finally, we reflect on the social and political implications of our findings and the appropriateness of SI as a tool for designing and evaluating public policies in urban settings
Key decision factors in second-line therapy: Expert insights on HR+/HER2-metastatic breast cancer post-CDK4/6 inhibitor progression
No full text
Understanding and attitudes toward Reverse Mortgage in Italy: cognitive dissonance and future concerns
No full textReverse Mortgage (RM), known as Prestito Ipotecario Vitalizio (PIV) in Italy, is an alternative financing solution aimed at individuals aged 60 and above who typically lack access to conventional credit lines. Subscribing the RM allows elders homeowners to convert part of
their home’s equity into a lump sum or periodic payments preserving the right to live in the house and, differently from the bare ownership, without losing any legal rights on the property. The loan, along with accumulated interest, has to be repaid only when the borrower dies, sells the home, or permanently moves out. The Non-Negative Equity Guaran-
tee (NNEG) protects the heirs by ensuring that, if the property’s value at the time of loan repayment is insufficient to cover the outstanding debt, no additional amount is required. Despite its availability in the Italian market for several years, RM remains a relatively underutilized financial instrument. To assess current levels of awareness and identify the barriers limiting access to this property-linked financing option, we present some preliminary results obtained conducting a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative research study among potential Italian subscribers, which takes into account individuals’ future concern about economic sustainability, their understanding and knowledge of supplementary pension products with priority over RM and actual interest in or use of the product. The objective is to provide meaningful insights into Italian perception of the Reverse Mortgage offering guidance for policy-makers aiming to incorporate this tool into broader social and economic policy strategies