Edifici di culto e inter-culturalità (il caso spagnolo della Moschea-Cattedrale di Cordova

SOMMARIO: 1. Premessa: un percorso in terra infidelium, ossia un’indagine su un campo, per chi scrive, pressoché inesplorato - 2. Profili teologici: la “relativizzazione” degli edifici di culto - 3. Profili giuridico-canonistici: la “valorizzazione” degli edifici di culto - 4. Cenni sulla situazione dei beni ecclesiastici, e segnatamente degli edifici di culto, in Italia - 5. Il singolare caso spagnolo della Cattedrale di Cordova - 6. Profili ecclesiasticistico-costituzionali: la “doppia natura” della Mezquita, come “Cattedrale cattolica” e come bene “inter-culturale”, dunque, potenzialmente, inter-confessionale … - 7. (segue): “resistenze” nel dialogo inter-religioso. Casi simili o analoghi - 8. Conclusioni: necessità di soluzioni consensuali, forse “imperfette”, ma costituzionalmente ragionevoli.Worship Buildings And Interculturality (The Spanish case of the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba)ABSTRACT:After a brief exposition of theological and legal aspects (canon law) of worship buildings, also with reference to Italy, the paper focuses on Spanish system and the peculiar case of Cordoba Cathedral. From an ecclesiastical-constitutional law perspective, the Mosque has a “double essence”: “catholic cathedral” and “intercultural good”, with a potential interfaith meaning. Thus, none of the following solutions can be accepted: 1) expropriate and change the temple in a public lay museum (irritating both Christian and Islamic communities); 2) qualifying again the temple as a Mosque (after 8 centuries of Christian worship); 3) leaving it solely as a Cathedral (despite its original architecture as a Mosque); 4) make of it an interfaith temple (with the risk of syncretism). The paper suggests that a solution by an agreement between the two groups, however imperfect, is possible (and reasonable from a constitutional perspective): a partial “sharing” of the building, in a brotherhood spirit of high symbolic meaning

A idéia de Constituição entre a literatura, botânica e geometria. Ou seja: seis diversas concepções "geométricas" da "árvore" da Constituição e uma única, idêntica "cláusula de Ulisses".

Por mais que possa parecer estranho, existem importantes nexos entre o direito constitucional e... A geometria, a literatura e até mesmo a botânica. De fato, é possível imaginar – graças ao auxilio de modelos geométricos – pelo menos 6 diferentes concepções da Constituição, 4 otimísticas (democrático-piramidal, reticular, de círculos concêntricos, estelar) e duas pessimísticas (hierárquico-piramidal e centrífugo-niilista). Da Literatura é possível conseguir a imagem da c. d. cláusula de Ulisses, metáfora excepcional da autolimitação “constitucional” do poder soberano. Finalmente o Estado Constitucional pode ser comparado com sucesso a uma planta-árvore, que nasce, vive e morre. Os exemplos apresentados e a perspectiva interdisciplinar adotada auxiliam na compreensão da natureza profunda do moderno Estado Constitucional. Tradução: Juliana Salvetti

Las “dos” caras del constitucionalismo frente al principio de auto-determinación

ABSTRACTThe two main patterns of contemporary constitutionalism are: a) self-centred individualism, based on the principle of individual “self-determination” (extreme belief in private happiness) and b) solidaristic altruism, grounded on the principle of individual “self-restraint” (dangerous belief in public happiness). The former bears the risk of constitutional “libertarianism” (polarizing the rights), the latter could lead to constitutional “paternalism” (polarizing the duties). On the contrary, multicultural societies need reasonable balancing between these extremes: an imperfect mix, varying from State to State, inspired by the necessary utopia of “happiness with others”. To this end, constitutional theory is asked to attempt a refined “graduated” and “progressive” scheme of individual legal statuses: from extenuating and/or non-punishable status to universal fundamental right.RESUMENLos dos principales parámetros o modelos del constitucionalismo contemporáneo son: a) el individualista autocentrista, basado en el principio de “autodeterminación” del individuo (extrema presunción de una felicidad individual) y b) el solidario heterocentrista o altruista, construido con apoyo en el principio de “autolimitación” individual (peligrosa presunción de una felicidad pública). El primero presenta el riesgo de traducirse en “libertarismo” constitucional (exasperación de los derechos), mientras el segundo el de degenerar en “paternalismo” constitucional (exasperación de los deberes). En sociedades multiculturales se impone en cambio una razonable ponderación entre estos dos extremos: una mezcla imperfecta, diversa de Estado a Estado, inspirada en la utopía necesaria de una “felicidad con los otros”. Para la consecución de este difícil objetivo, el Derecho constitucional debe intentar proponer una afinada construcción “gradualista” y “progresiva” de las situaciones jurídicas subjetivas activas: desde las situaciones atenuantes y/o no punibles hasta el derecho inviolable universal. ABSTRACTThe two main patterns of contemporary constitutionalism are: a) self-centred individualism, based on the principle of individual “self-determination” (extreme belief in private happiness) and b) solidaristic altruism, grounded on the principle of individual “self-restraint” (dangerous belief in public happiness). The former bears the risk of constitutional “libertarianism” (polarizing the rights), the latter could lead to constitutional “paternalism” (polarizing the duties). On the contrary, multicultural societies need reasonable balancing between these extremes: an imperfect mix, varying from State to State, inspired by the necessary utopia of “happiness with others”. To this end, constitutional theory is asked to attempt a refined “graduated” and “progressive” scheme of individual legal statuses: from extenuating and/or non-punishable status to universal fundamental right

Effects of atorvastatin treatment on sICAM-1 and plasma nitric oxide levels in hypercholesterolemic subjects.

This study investigated the behavior of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and serum nitric oxide (NO) products, nitrite/nitrate (NO 2-NO,-), in subjects with primary hypercholesterolemia (HCh) without other risk factors and atherosclerosis. The effect of a short-term cholesterol-lowering treatment with atorvastatin, an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, on the levels of sICAM-1 and NO2-/NO3 were also investigated. After 4 weeks of placebo administration, 40 HCh (15 males and 25 females) were randomized in 2 groups: 20 subjects (atorvastatin group) received 10 mg/day of atorvastatin and the remaining 20 (placebo group) continued to take placebo. At baseline and after 4 and 12 weeks of atorvastatin or placebo administration, serum sICAM-1 and NO2-/NO3-levels were evaluated. The basal levels of these parameters were compared with those of 20 healthy subjects (C), matched for sex and age. Hypercholesterolemic subjects showed sICAM-1 and NO2-/NO3-basal values that were higher (331.7 ± 60.3 ng/mL vs. 202.3 ± 32.3 ng/mL, p<0.001) and lower (10.4 ± 2.5 μmol/L vs. 20.7 ± 4.4 μmol/L, p<0.01) than controls. No correlation between sICAM-1 or NO products and plasma cholesterol values was found, whereas there was an inverse correlation between sICAM-1 and NO2-/NO3-levels. Atorvastatin administration significantly decreased sICAM-1 and increased NO2-/NO3-levels, however these changes were not correlated with the reduction of plasma cholesterol. These data support the hypothesize that patients with HCh with no signs of arterial lesions, may have latent atherosclerosis, expressed as an increase of sICAM-1 and decrease in NO product levels. An improvement in the levels of these parameters after a short-time treatment with atorvastatin was also demonstrated

Biweekly Hizentra® in Primary Immunodeficiency: a Multicenter, Observational Cohort Study (IBIS)

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) replacement therapy is a standard treatment for patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDs). Hizentra®, a 20% human subcutaneous IgG (SCIG), is approved for biweekly administration for PIDs. The aim of the multicenter IBIS study was to prospectively investigate the efficacy of biweekly Hizentra® compared with previous IVIG or SCIG treatment regimens in patients with PIDs. The study consisted of a 12-month retrospective period followed by 12-month prospective observational period. The main endpoints included pre-infusion IgG concentrations, proportion of patients with serious bacterial infections (SBIs), other infections, hospitalizations due to PID-related illnesses, and days with antibiotics during the study periods. Of the 36 patients enrolled in the study, 35 patients continued the study (mean age 26.1 ± 14.4 years; 68.6% male). The mean pre-infusion IgG levels for prior immunoglobulin regimens during the retrospective period (7.84 ± 2.09 g/L) and the prospective period (8.55 ± 1.76 g/L) did not show any significant variations (p = 0.4964). The mean annual rate of SBIs/patient was 0.063 ± 0.246 for both prospective and retrospective periods. No hospitalizations related to PIDs were reported during the prospective period versus one in the retrospective period. All patients were either very (76.5%) or quite (23.5%) satisfied with biweekly Hizentra® at the end of the study. In conclusion, the IBIS study provided real-world evidence on the efficacy of biweekly Hizentra® in patients with PIDs, thus verifying the data generated by the pharmacometric modeling and simulation study in a normal clinical setting

Search for heavy neutral lepton production in K+ decays

A search for heavy neutral lepton production in K + decays using a data sample collected with a minimum bias trigger by the NA62 experiment at CERN in 2015 is reported. Upper limits at the 10−7 to 10−6 level are established on the elements of the extended neutrino mixing matrix |Ue4| 2 and |Uμ4| 2 for heavy neutral lepton mass in the ranges 170–448 MeV/c2 and 250–373 MeV/c2, respectively. This improves on the previous limits from HNL production searches over the whole mass range considered for |Ue4|2 and above 300 MeV/c2 for |Uμ4|2