Environmental Movements, Institutions and Civil Society: A New Way to Preserve Common Goods

This paper aims at studying environmental participative movements which have national/Eu­ro­pean/international relevance and use digital media, as well as local connections and conventional networks for interacting, socializing, mobilizing people and tackling civic and social issues. By using a comparative approach, this article focuses on Italian and European projects promoted by movements in order to support a culture of environmental security and a sustainable development for everybody. The analysis hi­gh­lights significant differences among movements in terms of capability of interacting with institutions and other stakeholders, establishing partnerships and cooperating for local development and community empowerment. The objective is to provide a first model of environmental socialization based on several pro­mi­sing features: networks and innovative forms of partnership; level of activism and capability of planning participative initiatives; intensity of civic cohesion that is the ability of creating connections beyond their own movement, rooting inside the territorial community in a meaningful and enduring wa

Involvement of Young Citizens in Transnational Communications flows: Together for Europe

The article aims at analysing emerging communication flows of transnational public debate supported and promoted by European institutions. Innovative practices that involve youngsters are the main focus. The article presents a qualitative study conducted through the analysis of the together.eu initiative, a pan-European community promoted by the European Parliament after the 2019 elections. The research was supported by semi-structured in-depth interviews with some young Italian volunteers of the community and co-founders of independent organisations. The results show the ability of young people to play a sort of ambassadors or micro-influencers roles. In such experiences, European institutions work like a connecting point to bring young Europeans closer to each other and sometimes they operate as "activators" of participation. Nevertheless, young activists easily go beyond the institutional framework if they feel confident their own initiatives can reach their peers more effectively. An important caveat emerges in relation to these networks of communication: the young people involved appear to be those already interested in public debates on European issues. Keywords: European identity, European institutions, youth, social media, public sector communication, higher education student

THE GOOD NEWS ON STAGE: EVANGELICALISM AND THEATRE PRACTICE IN ANTEBELLUM AMERICA

Thesis (Ph.D.) - Indiana University, Department of Theatre, Drama, and Contemporary Dance/University Graduate School, 2020The Bible says in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” I will never be able to adequately thank the hundreds of people who have built me into the scholar, artist, and teacher—into the person—I am today. Nevertheless, I have to begin by expressing my unending love and appreciation for the two people who have trained me up the most and who have sacrificed so much in the process—my mom and stepfather, Jennifer and Sean Hughes. I am who I am because of you. Thank you for everything. Thank you to my dad, Joe D’Ambrosi, for our many chats on my drives home from work or school. Your pride in me is one of the greatest gifts of my life. To my siblings, Rachel, Alexandra, and Christian: you are my built-in best friends. Being your big brother is my most favorite role. Thank you for all those times I forced you to go to Epcot with me. I know it is your least favorite park. And to my big, beautiful family, thank you for your unconditional love and unrelenting prayer. Thank you to my wonderful friends, old and new, without whom I would not have survived graduate school or this dissertation process. I especially want to thank Michael Bayler, Carolynn Stouder, and the Taylor family who loved on me when it mattered most. To my partner-in-crime and the other half of this cohort, Greer Gerni, I am so thankful I had you to support me, challenge me, and encourage me. And to Dr. Julia Listengarten, my mentor at Theatre UCF, thank you for being the first person to see a scholar in me. To my work family at Marriott’s Cypress Harbour, especially my boss, Ryan Deuel: since 2014, you have rooted for me, accommodated me, and reminded me that I always have a place on the team. I always seem to be at work when something major happens in my life— including receiving my IU acceptance email. Thank you to Linda Pisano, Jonathan Michaelson, and the Department of Theatre, Drama, and Contemporary Dance at IU for their generous financial support of this project, including countless conference travel awards and two summer research grants. Thank you also to the following people for their invaluable assistance in my archival research: Micah Hoggatt of the Harvard Theatre Collection at Harvard University, Eric Colleary of the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin, and Elizabeth Burgess of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford, CT. I also owe a debt of gratitude to Melody Kemp who generously edited my dissertation and Christina Thomas who offered helpful feedback. I must thank my excellent dissertation committee for their guidance, wisdom, and discernment during the writing process, and throughout my entire graduate experience at IU— Dr. Candy Gunther Brown, Dr. Jennifer Goodlander, and Dr. Ronald Wainscott. Much of this dissertation started as assignments in each of your seminars. And finally, to my committee chair, mentor, and friend, Dr. Eleanor Owicki: it is such an honor being your first advisee. Thank you for believing in my scholarship, for inspiring my teaching, and for supporting my artistry. I want to be like you when I grow up. Onward

Promuovere l’integrazione culturale: le Istituzioni e il fenomeno migratorio

The current scenario, increasingly characterised by discursive practices and multi-ethnic social relations, requires institutions to play a more active role in strategies for the inclusion of immigrants. A complex challenge that requires a rethinking of institutional communica-tion in order to activate a greater cooperation between self-produced and heteroproduced information. The relationship between administrations and local media facilitates the pro-motion of a cultural and informative pluralism, partly reducing the processes of mediation and mediatisation. The research presents the specific case of the Marche Region by investi-gating the communication strategies adopted by municipal authorities with a point of view to promote social inclusion. The analysis focuses on two main dimensions: the first con-cerns service communication to promote cultural integration, whereas the second focuses on the management of institutional information and the relationship with local media. The main objective is to strengthen the communication strategies present today in the local con-text to promote the inclusion of migrants and identify how institutions can coordinate with the media to promote information of public utility

Social Media and Gender Violence: Communication Strategies for a “New Education”

This study investigates the role of social media in cultural awarenessraising and engagement in the struggle against gender violence. The study was conducted using a quantitative/qualitative analysis approach of around 20 Italian social websites-platforms-pages dealing with the phenomenon of femicide. The analysis considers three main indicators: presence of Web spaces for awarenessraising (e.g. advertising campaigns, contest); the existence of Web channels and participatory tools targeting the achievement of shared objectives and projects (e.g. signatures, online petitions); activation of online educational courses (e.g. information-based pages on the themes and terms of gender-based violence, creation of “pedagogical” and comparative spaces). The study sought to detect the extent to which the opportunities offered by new technologies in terms of social channel use, the viral spread of messages, and even the capacity to create new spaces for shared reflection, actually have an educational/pedagogical purpose rather than a merely awareness-raising or mobilization function

Combinatorial Blood Platelets-Derived circRNA and mRNA Signature for Early-Stage Lung Cancer Detection

The following supporting information can be downloaded at: https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/ijms24054881/s1.Despite the diversity of liquid biopsy transcriptomic repertoire, numerous studies often exploit only a single RNA type signature for diagnostic biomarker potential. This frequently results in insufficient sensitivity and specificity necessary to reach diagnostic utility. Combinatorial biomarker approaches may offer a more reliable diagnosis. Here, we investigated the synergistic contributions of circRNA and mRNA signatures derived from blood platelets as biomarkers for lung cancer detection. We developed a comprehensive bioinformatics pipeline permitting an analysis of platelet- circRNA and mRNA derived from non-cancer individuals and lung cancer patients. An optimal selected signature is then used to generate the predictive classification model using machine learning algorithm. Using an individual signature of 21 circRNA and 28 mRNA, the predictive models reached an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.88 and 0.81, respectively. Importantly, combinatorial analysis including both types of RNAs resulted in an 8-target signature (6 mRNA and 2 circRNA), enhancing the differentiation of lung cancer from controls (AUC of 0.92). Additionally, we identified five biomarkers potentially specific for early-stage detection of lung cancer. Our proof-of-concept study presents the first multi-analyte-based approach for the analysis of platelets-derived biomarkers, providing a potential combinatorial diagnostic signature for lung cancer detection.European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie 765492

Views of Mental Health Professionals on Positive Changes in Service Practices and Staff-User Relationships After One Year of Covid-19 Pandemic in Italy

This study explored views of mental health services (MHS) professionals regarding positive changes in service practices and organizations, and staff-user relationships after one year of COVID-19 in Italy. Professionals from a community-oriented MHS completed online the Questionnaire on MHS Transformations during the COVID-19 pandemic, a 30-item tool developed by a participatory approach and validated. Of the 184 participants, 91.8% felt it was ‘‘true/definitely true’’ that during the pandemic they had informed users on procedures to reduce contagion risks, and 82.1% stated that they had increased telephone contact with users. Sixty-nine percent of professionals reported that staff revised treatment plans according to new needs of care and 78.6% stated that they had been able to mediate between user needs and safe working procedures. Moreover, 79.4% of respondents stated that they had rediscovered the importance of gestures and habits, and 65% that they had gained strength among colleagues to face fear. Fifty-four percent of participants admitted that they had discovered unexpected personal resources in users. Overall, 59.6% of participants stated that they found some positives in the COVID-19 experience. Perceived positive changes was greater among professionals from community facilities vs. those from hospital and residential facilities. In community-oriented MHS, the pandemic offered an opportunity to change practices and rethink the meaning of relationships between people. This data may be useful in generating a more balanced understanding of COVID-19’s impact on MHS and for MHS planning in the pandemic era

Benthic foraminifera and brachiopods from a marine cave in Spain: environmental significance

Sediment samples from a marine cave in the Murcia region (eastern Spain) were analysed for grain size, total benthic foraminiferaand dead brachiopoda to obtain environmental information through physical and ecological data in order to understandthe benthic communities of cave environments and their ecological significance. A total of 100 foraminiferal and 7 brachiopodspecies were classified, highlighting the first occurrence in the western Mediterranean of Gwynia capsula (Jeffreys, 1859). Statistical analysis applied to foraminiferal data allowed the identification of three assemblages characterised by decreasing species diversity along the cave. This corresponded to a similar separation recognisable through changes in brachiopod species abundance and well-correlated with cave morphology. The relative abundance of epifaunal clinging-attached foraminifera as well as the rate of cave and sciaphilic/coralligenous Brachiopoda, thought to be representative of the degree of separation from marine conditions,were found to be highly correlated, increasing towards the inner cave. Our hypothesis was that despite the different lifestyles ofthese two groups, the strict correlation of environmental factors (i.e. light, nutrients, sediment texture, water parameters) changingalong the length of the cave determines a comprehensive environmental gradient, causing an increase in environmental stress that has similar effects on the different taxonomic groups

Understanding the Role of Surface Modification of Randomized Trabecular Titanium Structures in Bone Tissue Regeneration: An Experimental Study

Background and Objectives: Three-dimensional (3D) metallic trabecular structures made by additive manufacturing (AM) technologies promote new bone formation and osteointegration. Surface modifications by chemical treatments can improve the osteoconductive properties of metallic structures. An in vivo study in sheep was conducted to assess the bone response to randomized trabecular titanium structures that underwent a surface modification by chemical treatment compared to the bone response to the untreated specimens. Material and Methods: Sixteen specimens with a randomized trabecular titanium structure were implanted in the spongious bone of the distal femur and proximal tibia and the cortical bone of the tibial diaphysis of two sheep. Of them, eight implants had undergone a chemical treatment (treated) and were compared to eight implants with the same structure but native surfaces (native). The sheep were sacrificed at 6 weeks. Surface features of the lattice structures (native and treated) were analyzed using a 3D non-contact profilometer. Compression tests of 18 lattice cubes were performed to investigate the mechanical properties of the two structures. Excellent biocompatibility for the trabecular structures was demonstrated in vitro using a cell mouse fibroblast culture. Histomorphometric analysis was performed to evaluate bone implant contact and bone ingrowth. Results: A compression test of lattice cubic specimens revealed a comparable maximum compressive strength value between the two tested groups (5099 N for native surfaces; 5558 N for treated surfaces; p > 0.05). Compared to native surfaces, a homogenous formation of micropores was observed on the surface of most trabeculae that increased the surface roughness of the treated specimens (4.3 versus 3.2 µm). The cellular viability of cells seeded on three-dimensional structure surfaces increased over time compared to that on plastic surfaces. The histomorphometric data revealed a similar behavior and response in spongious and cortical bone formation. The percentage of the implant surface in direct contact with the regenerated bone matrix (BIC) was not significantly different between the two groups either in the spongious bone (BIC: 27% for treated specimens versus 30% for native samples) or in the cortical bone (BIC: 75% for treated specimens versus 77% for native samples). Conclusions: The results of this study reveal rapid osseointegration and excellent biocompatibility for the trabecular structure regardless of surface treatment using AM technologies. The application of implant surfaces can be optimized to achieve a strong press-fit and stability, overcoming the demand for additional chemical surface treatments