University of Verona
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FULGURATIO
No full textThe essay develops the theoretical figure of fulguratio as a paradigm of
discontinuous and non-derivative genesis, one that escapes both causal logic and
developmental schemes. The impetus to recover this term from medieval Scholasti-
cism arises from a critical engagement with Konrad Lorenz, who—dissatisfied with
the available terms to name the arrival of the new—resorts precisely to fulguratio.
In dialogue with Nicolai Hartmann, fulguratio is thematized as an ontological leap:
a founding act that introduces a new level of being without depending linearly on
those below, while nonetheless preserving a connection with them. To this theoretical
background, Leibniz contributes a grammar of the possible which, though grounded
in continuity, nonetheless allows for fissure as a real modality of emergence. All the
thinkers here gathered share a theoretical mission: to carve out conceptual space for
the logic of the leap, while remaining attuned to the universal rhythm from which
that leap takes off
High fidelity of Claudin-18.2 expression in primary and matched metastatic (lymph nodes, peritoneum, and liver) pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: a foundation for targeted therapy
No full text: Claudin-18.2 (CLDN18.2) is a tight-junction protein that can be expressed in various neoplasms, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Anti-CLDN18.2 targeted therapies have already been approved for CLDN18.2-positive gastric cancer and are currently being tested in clinical trials for PDAC. This study aims to define the expression patterns and concordance rate of CLDN18.2 in primary and matched metastatic PDAC. Whole-slide immunohistochemistry for CLDN18 was performed on primary PDAC and matched metastases, and was assessed by cell percentage (range: 0-100%) and intensity of CLDN18-positivity (scores 0, 1+, 2+, and 3+), and also using the H-score. Tumor positivity for CLDN18 was determined if ≥75% of tumor cells exhibited 2+/3+ staining. The study's cohort was composed of 20 patients with PDAC and concomitant lymph node metastases (LNM), 30 patients with PDAC and matched peritoneal metastases (PM), and 12 patients with PDAC and concomitant liver metastases (LIVM). The mean value of the percentages of 2+/3+ cells for primary tumors was 46.5%, for LNM was 60%, for PM was 31%, and for LIVM was 22%. The mean value of the H-score for primary tumors was 123.9, for LNM was 183, for PM was 89.1, and for LIVM was 54.6. The correspondence rate between primary PDAC and the matched metastatic sites was: 70.0% for PDAC/LNM, 93.3% for PDAC/PM, and 100.0% for PDAC/LIVM. This study shows a high rate of correspondence of CLDN18-positivity between primary PDAC and different metastatic sites, providing a strong rationale for further exploring and testing anti-CLDN18.2 therapeutic strategies in this lethal malignancy
The impact of childhood sexual and physical abuse on needs for care among people with first episode psychosis
No full textBackground: Childhood physical and sexual abuse are highly prevalent among individuals with psychotic disorders. These individuals also tend to have poor global and social functioning outcomes. At symptom remission, adequate functioning is restored in only one out of seven patients, and if childhood abuse is present, psychosocial and occupational functioning are more compromised. Lower psychosocial functioning is found to be associated with higher levels of needs for care. This longitudinal study examines how physical and sexual abuse affect the total, met, and unmet needs for care of patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) at nine months (T1) from the onset. Methods: We assessed a sample of 276 Italian FEP patients (M 59.1 %, age 29.9 ± 9.8). Needs for care were evaluated at both baseline (T0) and at T1 using the Camberwell Assessment of Need (CAN) scale, covering five areas: basic needs, social needs, health, functioning, and services, measuring both met and unmet needs. Physical and sexual abuse history was recorded using the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Questionnaire (CECA-Q). Results: At T1, FEP patients with childhood physical or sexual abuse had higher total and met needs than non-abused patients, with physical abuse showing the strongest association with needs for care. A higher level of psychopathology, a lower global functioning, and childhood physical abuse were the main characteristics related to increased total, met, and unmet care needs. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of assessing trauma history at the onset of psychosis, as this could be a crucial factor in identifying several specific needs for care and guiding treatment to address them
Disentangling biodiversity and temperature effects on bees and pollination services in mountain agroecosystems
Full text linkPollinating insects are declining globally due to habitat loss, agricultural intensification, and climate change. Wild bee loss threatens the delivery of pollination services essential for agriculture and ecosystem stability. Our study examined how multidiversity, reflecting the richness of four functional groups and indirectly indicating land-use intensity, together with temperature as a climatic proxy, shapes wild bee diversity and pollination services in mountainous agroecosystems. We selected 24 farmland sites in South Tyrol (NE Italy) spanning independent gradients of multidiversity and temperature. We used pan traps to quantify wild bee species richness and abundance of wild and managed bees. Additionally, we performed a phytometer experiment using radish and strawberry model plants to assess wild bee visitation and the resulting seed and fruit production. Our results showed that wild bee diversity and visitation rates increased with multidiversity, reflecting the strong influence of land-use intensity. In contrast, temperature had limited direct effect on wild bee diversity, partly because floral resources were not a limiting factor. Visitation rates varied with multidiversity: honeybee visitation rates dominated in low-diversity landscapes, while wild bee visitations peaked in more diversified landscapes. The pollinator exclusion experiment on strawberries revealed that higher temperatures reduced fruit weight more in the absence of insect pollination, suggesting an interaction between climate and pollination provision. Overall, our results findings highlight the complex interplay betweenbiotic and abiotic factors shaping wild bee communities and pollination. They also suggest that preserving biodiversity in agricultural landscapes could help buffer climate change impacts and support more resilient agroecosystems
Steklov vs. Steklov: A fourth-order affair related to the Babuška paradox
No full textWe discuss two fourth-order Steklov problems and highlight a Babu & scaron;ka paradox appearing in their approximations on convex domains via sequences of convex polygons. To do so, we prove that the eigenvalues of one of the two problems depend with continuity upon domain perturbation in the class of convex domains, extending a result known in the literature for the first eigenvalue. This is obtained by examining in detail a nonlocal second order problem for harmonic functions introduced by Ferrero, Gazzola, and Weth. We further review how this result is connected to diverse variants of the classical Babu & scaron;ka paradox for the hinged plate and to a degeneration result by Maz'ya and Nazarov
How entrepreneurship education and knowledge prevent early school dropouts and the development of NEETs: An exploratory study on italian school cooperatives
No full textThis study investigates how entrepreneurship education delivered through school cooperatives can reduce early school dropout rates and prevent the NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) phenomenon. Drawing on social capital theory, we address the following research questions: (1) What benefits do school cooperatives provide to young people involved in entrepreneurship education activities?; (2) What factors create a favorable setting for developing entrepreneurship education that can reduce the NEET phenomenon?; and (3) What is the role of local actors in promoting entrepreneurship education to contribute to transforming NEET young people into EET (in Education, Employment, or Training) people? We analyze a case in Italy with pupils aged 8–13. Data was collected from 16 in-depth interviews with educators, teachers, and social enterprise managers. We then employed reflexive thematic analysis and social network analysis to examine benefits, enabling conditions, and relationships among actors. We identify six enabling factors of entrepreneurship education. Teachers operate as brokers, linking schools, social enterprises, and community partners. School governance sustains strong ties and proximity. Institutional support, partnerships with municipalities, nonprofits, and firms, and alignment with local labor market opportunities further reinforce the educational ecosystem. We find that school cooperatives develop both bonding social capital (trust and belonging) and bridging social capital (networks and resources) that foster engagement, skills development, and pathways toward EET. The study concludes that entrepreneurship education grounded in school cooperatives mobilizes local networks to combat the risk of NEET and suggests practical priorities, including strengthening teacher brokerage and governance capacity, formalizing community partnerships, and designing education programs that cultivate both bonding and bridging social capital
Identità dell’architettura toscana
No full textRiflessione sull'evoluzione della lingua architettonica in Toscana tra Quattro e Cinquecento, per un volume di stampo manualistico, destinato a un pubblico di student
Study metaphor to study trauma
No full textMetaphor is a powerful tool to communicate and potentially think of abstract concepts and complex emotions, such as those experienced by trauma survivors. This chapter contributes a cognitive view of metaphor to the study of trauma. It does so by showing how metaphor is defined in cognitive linguistics and how its study can be operationalised to investigate the language of trauma victims. It also shows how the researcher can create their linguistic databases fulfilling ethical and legal requirements. It finally exemplifies how different scholars have studied the language of trauma from a metaphor perspective, as well as the practical implications of their findings
Aldosterone synthase inhibitors across the translational spectrum: Mechanistic foundations and emerging clinical applications
No full textExcess aldosterone is a key driver of cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic injury, promoting hypertension, myocardial fibrosis, proteinuria, and progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD). Conventional therapies, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists attenuate downstream receptor signaling but do not suppress aldosterone biosynthesis, allowing residual hormonal activity that perpetuates tissue damage. The long-term efficacy, endocrine selectivity, and clinical significance of directly inhibiting aldosterone synthesis, however, remain only partly defined, particularly with respect to sustained aldosterone suppression, preservation of cortisol production, and applicability across diverse cardiorenal disorders. This review provides a comprehensive and mechanistically focused synthesis of preclinical and clinical evidence on aldosterone synthase inhibitors (ASIs), examining their pharmacologic specificity, hormonal effects, and emerging therapeutic potential in primary aldosteronism (PA), resistant hypertension, and CKD. Next-generation ASIs-including baxdrostat, lorundrostat, dexfadrostat phosphate, and vicadrostat-demonstrate >100-fold selectivity for CYP11B2 over CYP11B1, enabling potent and reversible aldosterone suppression while maintaining cortisol biosynthesis. Across early-phase trials, these agents consistently reduce aldosterone concentrations, lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure, decrease albuminuria, and normalize potassium balance in PA, with favorable safety and minimal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis disturbance. Collectively, these findings position ASIs as a selective and mechanistically coherent therapeutic strategy that addresses residual aldosterone activity beyond conventional RAAS blockade. Although current evidence relies largely on surrogate endpoints, ongoing phase III outcome trials will determine whether ASIs can translate mechanistic promise into durable cardiovascular and renal protection, potentially redefining the therapeutic landscape of aldosterone-mediated diseases
Cosa vuol dire fare ricerca sui processi di caregiving. Paradigma di riferimento, metodo e strumenti per l’applicazione
No full textIl capitolo presenta il paradigma di riferimento, il metodo e gli strumenti utilizzati per la sua applicazione nel corso del PROGETTO DI RICERCA DI RILEVANTE INTERESSE NAZIONALE (PRIN) 2022 – “Social capital as resource of care practice in Italy: Caregiving and social support in pandemic time”. A partire dall'inquadramento del percorso di ricerca nell'ambito della prospettiva sociologica relazionale dell'interazionismo strutturale, si mostra, in particolare, come le tecniche di ricerca qualitativa e quantitativa abbiamo consentito di sviluppare la ricerca empirica. Le tecniche di ricerca oggetto di specifica attenzione sono l'intervista diadica e la social network analysis, nella sua variante personal