The “sphere of the undecidable” in Luigi Ferrajoli´s constitutionalism: a critical study

El constitucionalismo cuenta con una arquitectura institucional con tres rasgos esenciales: la limitación material del poder normativo del legislador, representada por los derechos fundamentales; la rigidez de la constitución y la justicia constitucional. Este paradigma choca con algunos elementos del modelo democrático que convive con él, principalmente con la participación y regla de la mayoría para la toma de decisiones políticas, generando una tensión. Ferrajoli niega que tal tensión exista bajo un entendimiento de la democracia en sentido “sustancial”. Este artículo pretende repasar críticamente uno de los puntos claves de su teoría, específicamente el de la esfera de lo indecidibleConstitutionalism has three basic institutional characteristics: substantial limitation set on the power exercisable by the majority, represented by fundamental rights; constitutional rigidity and constitutional justice. This paradigm conflicts with some elements of the democratic model, primarily with public participation and with the majority rule as a mean to take political decisions. Ferrajoli disputes this tension according with his theory of substantial democracy. This article presents a critical evaluation of one of the key points of his theory, specifically the sphere of the undecidablePublicad

ACTITUD DEL ANCIANO HACIA SU SEXUALIDAD. \uc1REA DE INFLUENCIA DEL AMBULATORIO "SAN JOS\uc9". BARQUISIMETO, ESTADO LARA. SEPTIEMBRE 2.001.

Con el prop\uf3sito de determinar las caracter\uedsticas de la sexualidad geri\ue1trica y la actitud del anciano hacia su sexualidad se realiz\uf3 un estudio descriptivo transversal en una muestra de 50 personas mayores de 65 a\uf1os, escogidos por medio de la t\ue9cnica del muestreo no probabil\uedstico accidental. En tal sentido, se implement\uf3 un instrumento de recolecci\uf3n de datos tipo encuesta, validado por expertos en Psicolog\ueda e Higiene Mental del Departamento de Pediatr\ueda del Hospital Pedi\ue1trico Dr. Agust\uedn Zubillaga, que se sustenta en los objetivos de la investigaci\uf3n. Resultados: Predomin\uf3 el grupo etario entre los 65 a 67 a\uf1os (48%), el sexo masculino (58%), el grupo de los casados (52%), alto grado de inter\ue9s en la actividad sexual (84%). De igual manera, el principal inconveniente de funcionamiento sexual experimentado por los hombres es la demora en la erecci\uf3n (41%), y por las mujeres el dolor durante el acto sexual (44%). En cuanto al nivel de conocimiento 84% posee un nivel Bueno sobre los cambios en su sexualidad. Finalmente, 80% Acepta su sexualidad y 16% Reconsidera los efectos de \ue9sta en su vida personal y social. Conclusiones: a pesar del deterioro f\uedsico y org\ue1nico del ser humano como parte del desarrollo y evoluci\uf3n del hombre, no se evidencia en los ancianos afecci\uf3n psicol\uf3gica ni desequilibrio emocional motivado por estas causas, aunado a un amplio inter\ue9s por la actividad sexual. SUMMARY With the purpose of determining the characteristics of the sexuality geriatric and the old man attitude toward their sexuality was carried out a descriptive study of traverse in a sample of 50 people with age bigger than 65 chosen years by means of the technique of the sampling not accidental probabilistic. In such a sense, an instrument of gathering of data type was implemented it interviews, validated by experts in Psychology and Mental Hygiene of the Department of Pediatrics of the Pediatric Hospital Dr. Agust\uedn Zubillaga that is sustained in the objectives of the investigation. Results: the group prevailed among the 65 to 67 years (48%), the masculine sex (58%), the group of the married ones (52%), high degree of interest in the sexual activity (84%). In a same way, the main inconvenience of sexual operation experienced by the men is the delay in the erection (41%), and for the women the pain during the sexual act (44%). As for the level of knowledge 84% it possesses a level Good knowledge about the changes in their sexuality. Finally, 80% Accepts its sexuality and 16% it Reconsiders the effects of this in its social and personal life. Conclusions: in spite of the human being physical and organic deterioration like part of the development and the man's evolution, it is not evidenced in the old psychological affection neither emotional imbalance motivated by these causes, joined to a wide interest by the sexual activity

Pediatric liver diseases: current challenges and future perspectives

Chronic liver diseases in children represent a rising problem with significant effects on public health. In fact, several pediatric liver diseases are precursors of adult chronic hepatopathies, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The prevalence of liver diseases in children is unknown. In the USA, every year, 15,000 children are hospitalized for liver diseases, but these disorders continue to be under-recognized or diagnosed late. The main reason is due to the frequent absence of symptoms in the vast majority of liver diseases, especially in the early stages. In the last few decades several advances have been made in understanding the pathogenesis of liver diseases, permitting the discovery of new therapeutic targets to treat liver diseases, thus improving the natural history of these disorders. In this article we discuss the most recent advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of the most frequent pediatric liver diseases

Geoheritage, a National Inventory in France

International audienceGood protection measures for geological heritage should begin with an inventory of geosites. In France, for example, a law enacted in 2002 grants formal recognition to the notion of geological heritage. An inventory and evaluation were then established on a region-by-region basis. By April 2007, the French Ministry of Environment launched the inventory programme for the nation’s geological heritage and the data are now being collected at a regional scale. The data are being gathered and homogenised, and then transferred to the French National Museum of Natural History for examination.The ratified site data are stored and available for public use on a website (http://inpn.mnhn.fr) in a similar structure to natural data that are also processed and stored (flora, fauna, ecosystems, habitats). Today, protecting global heritage is understood as a dynamic process. Instead of placing objects beneath a display case, the conservation approach is now a more modern, active effort, which facilitates access for knowledge and researc

Dose-volumerelated dysphagia after constrictor muscles definition in head and neck cancer intensitymodulated radiation treatment

OBJECTIVE: Dysphagia remains a side effect influencing the quality of life of patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) after radiotherapy. We evaluated the relationship between planned dose involvement and acute and late dysphagia in patients with HNC treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), after a recontouring of constrictor muscles (PCs) and the cricopharyngeal muscle (CM). METHODS: Between December 2011 and December 2013, 56 patients with histologically proven HNC were treated with IMRT or volumetric-modulated arc therapy. The PCs and CM were recontoured. Correlations between acute and late toxicity and dosimetric parameters were evaluated. End points were analysed using univariate logistic regression. RESULTS: An increasing risk to develop acute dysphagia was observed when constraints to the middle PCs were not respected [mean dose (D(mean)) ≥50 Gy, maximum dose (D(max)) >60 Gy, V50 >70% with a p = 0.05]. The superior PC was not correlated with acute toxicity but only with late dysphagia. The inferior PC was not correlated with dysphagia; for the CM only, D(max) >60 Gy was correlated with acute dysphagia ≥ grade 2. CONCLUSION: According to our analysis, the superior PC has a major role, being correlated with dysphagia at 3 and 6 months after treatments; the middle PC maintains this correlation only at 3 months from the beginning of radiotherapy, but it does not have influence on late dysphagia. The inferior PC and CM have a minimum impact on swallowing symptoms. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: We used recent guidelines to define dose constraints of the PCs and CM. Two results emerge in the present analysis: the superior PC influences late dysphagia, while the middle PC influences acute dysphagia

Oceania : exploring social interactions and creativity through a multi-sensory environment game application

LAUREA MAGISTRALEL’autismo è un disturbo dello sviluppo che presenta disabilità nella comunicazione, nella socializzazione e mancanza di immaginazione. Uno dei principali sintomi associati all’autismo è l’impedimento sociale derivato dall’incapacità di connettersi con altri individui. La ragione principale di ciò deriva fondamentalmente dalle difficoltà che i bambini autistici affrontano nell’esprimere le proprie emozioni e nel cercare di riconoscere quelle espresse dagli altri. Le emozioni, e di conseguenza la loroinrterpretazione ed espressione, cosituiscono le fondamenta di interazioni e connessioni sociali: il benessere di ogni individuo è inevitabilmente legato all’introspezione che deriva dal saper gestire le proprie emozioni, così come dalla capacità di rapportarsi con le emozioni altrui. Negli ultimi anni, la tecnologia si è imposta come un ottimo mezzo per facilitare l’esecuzione di terapie mirate ad aiutare vari tipi di condizioni mediche, compreso l’autismo. In particolare, gli ambienti multisensoriali hanno subito un significativo aumento del loro utilizzo in contesti terapeutici per l’assistenza di bambini non neuro-tipici. Partendo da un’analisi dei temi sopracitati, con questa tesi presentiamo il nostro ultimo software svillupato, Oceania, che consiste in una game-application basata sulla Magic Room, un ambiente multisensoriale sviluppato da i3Lab (Politecnico di Milano). Oceania ha l’obiettivo di incentivare connessioni sociali tra i giocatori, mettendo a disposizione un ambiente interattivo che i bambini possono esplorare insieme e utilizzare con mezzo di espressione della propria creatività. Infine, in questa tesi presentiamo anche uno studio esplorativo utilizzato per indagare sui temi di "social interaction" e "creativity", condotto monitorando sessioni di play-testing di Oceania.The autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder which is often associated with disability in communication and socialization. One of the main symptoms associated with ASD is the social struggle derived from the inability to connect with other individuals. The main reason behind this is to be found in the impairments that children with ASD often face when expressing their own emotions and when trying to recognize the ones expressed by others. Emotions, and consequentially their interpretation and expression, lay the foundation for social interaction and connection: an individual’s well-being is inevitably tied to the introspection derived from the management of their own emotions, as well as the relationship that he/she might have with those of others. In recent years, technology has proposed itself as a great medium to help with therapy directed towards all kinds of medical conditions, including ASD. Specifically, multi-sensory environments (MSE) have seen a significant increase of usage within therapeutic contexts aimed at helping children with ASD. Starting from an analysis of the aforementioned concepts, this thesis aims to present and describe our newly developed software, Oceania, which consists of a MSE based interactive game installed within the Magic Room, a Multi-Sensory Environment developed by i3Lab (Politecnico di Milano). Oceania aims to stimulate connection among its users, by providing an interactive environment that children can explore together and use as a mean to express their creativity. Finally, with this work we also present an explorative study employed in order to investigate on the themes of social interaction and creativity, which was conducted by monitoring play-testing sessions of Oceania