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"Renunciation"
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Heirs, Kin, and Creditors in Renaissance Florence
This study, based on Florentine repudiations of inheritance, reveals that inheritance was not simply an automatic process where the recipients were passive, if grateful. In influential European societies of the past, it was in fact a process that continued long after the deceased's death. Heirs also had options: at the least, to reject a burdensome patrimony, but also to manoeuvre property to others and to avoid (at times deceptively, if not fraudulently) the claims of others to portions of the estate. Repudiation was a vestige of Roman law that once again became a viable legal institution with the revival of Roman law in the Middle Ages. Florentines incorporated repudiation into their strategies of adjustment after death, showing that they were not merely passive recipients of what came their way. Further, these strategies fostered family goals, including continuity across the generations.
eBook
The triumph of the slippers : on the withdrawal from the world
\"Since the beginning of the 21st century, global warming, terrorism, the pandemic and now the war in Ukraine have created a widespread feeling that the world is an increasingly dangerous place. In response to this situation, it is understandable that many people are inclined to retreat to the safety of their home - the last refuge and safeguard against the savagery of the outside world. But the home is not just a shelter: it is a space that supplants and replaces the world, a wired cocoon that gradually renders any journey to the outside world superfluous. From our couch, we can enjoy remotely the pleasures once offered by the cinema, the theatre and the café. Everything, from food to love to art, can be delivered to your door. Armed with a smartphone and a Netflix account, why would anyone risk life and limb to venture out to the cinema? Compulsory confinement, the nightmare of the pandemic years, seems to have been replaced by voluntary self-confinement. Fleeing from the cities, working remotely, relinquishing travel and tourism, we risk becoming reclusive creatures that cower at the slightest tremor. In this witty and spirited book, Pascal Bruckner takes aim at today's voluntary seclusionism and the self-inflicted atrophy that comes with it, tracing its philosophical contours and historical roots. It is no longer the tyranny of lockdowns that threatens us but rather the tyranny of the sofa: will the slipper and the dressing gown be the new symbols of tomorrow's world?\"--Amazon.com.
BOOK
Buddhist Robes That Are and Are Not: Clothing, Desire, and Ambivalent Renunciation in The Tale of Genji
This study examines the symbolic ambiguity of Buddhist robes in the Heian period, focusing particularly on their representation in The Tale of Genji. While Buddhist monastic garments traditionally signify religious renunciation, they also functioned as fashion items regulated by strict social norms. Through an analysis of Heian-era dress codes and deviations from them, as well as literary portrayals of robes associated with ordination scenes, this study reveals that robes embodied not only religious aspirations but also worldly attachments. Literary depictions highlight the tension between formal religious identity and persistent human desires, demonstrating how Buddhist robes served not only as religious symbols but also as mediators between spiritual ideals and secular emotions. By examining robes as visual and emotional media within a broader cultural and historical framework, this paper argues that Buddhist robes during the Heian period symbolized the complex intersection of salvation and desire. Ultimately, this study sheds light on how religious symbols, rather than representing pure spiritual transcendence, reveal the enduring contradictions inherent in human nature.
Journal Article
The Legal Regime of the Secondary Modalities of Constitution of the Real Right of Superficies
The law problem analysed in this paper regards the atypical situation of the constitution of the real right of superficies, which is materialised in the fact that, in the last paragraph of the article 693 of the Romanian Civil Code there are stipulated two special cases in which this right can be formed. The first one refers to the inscription of the superficies right in the favour of the one that built on the land of someone else, based on the decision of the landowner to give up the right to invoke the accession. The second one presumes the cession in favour of a third party of the right to invoke the accession. Therefore, the new legal framework capitalizes on both previous doctrinal experience and similar provisions of the Quebec Civil Code and includes in the sphere of possibilities of acquiring the right of superficies either a potential right of renunciation or the cession of this right in favour of another party. However, the two situations rise difficulties either by the legal nature of the act of renunciation or by the way the cession is born. This paper analyses the enumerated situations and contains personal opinions in this matter.
Journal Article
Mid- to long-term impact of COVID-19 in Italy from PASSI and PASSI d'Argento surveillance systems
Abstract
Background
Since its onset, the COVID-19 pandemic has has deeply impacted multiple aspects of life. Between August 2020 and December 2022, the PASSI and PASSI d'Argento ongoing population-based surveillance systems, coordinated by the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), included a dedicated COVID-19 module to assess the medium-long-term impact of the pandemic on the the adult and elderly populations.
Methods
The COVID module is a set of 17 questions. The sample includes 53,688 adults (18-64 years) and 29,675 elderly individuals (65+ years). Data on medical care renunciation for the elderly was also collected in 2023 from 16,421 interviews. Data were weighted for regional sample sizes by gender and age. Both systems had a response rate above 80%. Multivariate analyses were conducted on selected outcomes.
Results
In 2020, 36.3% (95% CI 34.8-37.8) of adults reported that this crisis has worsened their economic availability, 30.3% (95% CI 29.4-31.1) in 2021, 32.2% (95% CI 31.5-32.9) in 2022. This proportion increases significantly among those reporting severe economic difficulties, reaching 72.4% (95% CI 67.6-76.8) in 2020, 67.7% (95% CI 64.3-71.0) in 2021, and 69.7% (95% CI: 66.7-72.5) in 2022. Multivariable analysis confirmed these findings. Among those over 65, while the overall share of individuals skipping necessary medical visits decreased over time, the proportion reporting long waiting lists as the reason increased dramatically from 9.7% (95% CI 7.9-11.7) in 2020 to 62.8% (95% CI 17.4-19.3) in 2023.
Conclusions
These unique national-level results provide strong evidence of the pandemic's impact on socio-economic conditions, service access, and their burden on population health. They are a valuable resource for policymakers and health administrators to guide advocacy efforts, aimed at mitigating long-term syndemic effects, and identifying priority intervention areas, as well as strategic insights for strengthening the National Health Service.
Key messages
• The pandemic has had a medium-long term impact, especially on those disadvantaged by age or socioeconomic conditions, which should be taken into account to limit the rise in inequalities.
• Health systems need to focus on the pandemic's impact on health determinants to prevent increased inequalities and design a need-based, outcome-focused approach. Surveillance systems play a key role.
Journal Article
Territorial inequalities for care renunciation and health services access in Italian elderly
Abstract
Background
Aging in the Italian population creates new challenges for the healthcare system and living environment is crucial in guaranteeing quality of life and health of the elderly. These concepts are core concepts in the Joint Action PreventNCD where ISS participates as Italian country authority.
Methods
Data from PASSI d'Argento (PdA) surveillance system were used to highlight regional/local inequalities. In 2020-2024, 64,719 interviewees were asked on forgoing medical visits or diagnostic tests, use of out-of-pocket, difficulties in accessing social/healthcare services. Using QGIS software, prevalence was mapped to display geographical differences; logistic regression models were used to analyse space-time differences, adjusting by socio-demographic and health characteristics.
Results
The geographical analysis on forgoing care showed regional variability, from 9% in Emilia-Romagna to 39% in Apulia. Overall a significant decrease is observed over time: from 50% in 2020 to 18% in 2024. The regression analysis with year interaction shows how a treatment forgoing significantly worsened, among people with many economic issues (OR 1.23; 95%CI: 1.15-1.31) and living in the Central (OR 1.19; 95%CI: 1.14-1.25) and Southern Italy (OR 1.23; 95%CI: 1.17-1.29). People reporting as reasons to forgo long waiting times (from 10% in 2020 to 68% in 2024) and high costs (from 1% to 17%) increased. In 2023-2024, forgoing due to long waiting times was less frequent in big cities, where use of out-of-pocket is higher. A total of 30% declared difficulties in accessing healthcare services, and the regression model shows an unfavorable regional gradient for central regions (OR 1.21; 95%CI: 1.15-1.28) and southern regions (OR 1.40; 95%CI: 1.34-1.46).
Conclusions
Results highlight the need to address territorial and socioeconomic inequalities, to ensure equal access to healthcare services.
Key messages
• Territory is a key health determinant.
• Monitoring territorial and socio-economic factors supports fair, data-driven policies to ensure equal access to healthcare services.
Journal Article
Notes on a complicated relationship
While scientific pluralism enjoys widespread popularity within the philosophy of science, a related position, epistemic relativism, does not have much traction. Defenders of scientific pluralism, however, dread the question of whether scientific pluralism entails epistemic relativism. It is often argued that if a scientific pluralist accepts epistemic relativism, she will be unable to pass judgment because she believes that “anything goes”. In this article, I will show this concern to be unnecessary. I will also argue that common strategies to differentiate relativism and pluralism fail. Building upon this analysis, I will propose a new way of looking at both positions’ relations. This article aims to understand what explains the friction between scientific pluralism and epistemic relativism. I will demonstrate that conceptualizing both epistemic relativism and scientific pluralism as “stances” sheds better light on their relation and demonstrates that it is, in principle, possible to support both positions at the same time. Preferred policies and levels of analysis, however, cause friction in practice.
Journal Article
Healthcare renunciation among Italian older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: insights from the PASSI d’Argento surveillance system
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a noticeable decrease in medical care utilization occurred which may contribute to increased morbidity and mortality rates associated with treatable conditions. In Italy, severely impacted by the pandemic, a comprehensive data source on healthcare renunciation is essential for policy formulation and intervention strategies. This study used data from the PASSI d‘Argento (PdA) surveillance system to investigate healthcare renunciation among people aged ≥65 years in Italy from August 2020 to December 2021 and to estimate the health and sociodemographic profiles associated with barrier-renunciation (due to service disruption) and refusal-renunciation (because of fear of contagion). A total of 4364 out of 10 827 individuals needing healthcare reported foregoing at least one medical visit or diagnostic test, with the major reasons being fear of COVID-19 contagion (33%) and service disruptions (29%). Sociodemographic inequalities existed: regression analysis revealed significant associations between healthcare renunciation and being female [adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) 1.17, 95% CI: 1.08–1.26], reporting economic difficulties (aPR 1.15, 95% CI: 1.02–1.28), having two or more chronic conditions (aPR 1.18, 95% CI: 1.04–1.34), and having at least one sensory problem (aPR 1.13, 95% CI: 1.06–1.22). Compared to 2020, healthcare renunciation decreased in 2021. The relevant healthcare renunciation among elderly in Italy during the pandemic highlights widening health gaps and barriers to care access. Long-term monitoring tools are crucial to mitigate the pandemic’s impact on public health, especially for vulnerable populations.
Journal Article
The Status of the Householder in the Dharmasūtras
Vasiṣṭha claims both that all four āśramas are equal and that the householder is the best of the four āśramas. This apparent contradiction would be resolved if either of these claims could be dismissed. Vasiṣṭha's claim that the four āśramas are equal seems entailed, however, by his endorsement of the original formulation of the āśrama system. His claim that the householder is superior, in turn, seems supported by the surplus of arguments that he offers in favor of the householder. Patrick Olivelle takes Vasiṣṭha to advance this surplus of arguments for the householder only to bolster the more modest claim that the householder is equal—and therefore not inferior—to the celibate āśramas. If this right, then Vasiṣṭha's claim that the householder is superior might be understood in the same way. If the balance of evidence weighs in favor of one claim or the other, however, it seems to weigh in favor of the superiority of the householder, rather than the equality of the āśramas. An alternative interpretation takes Vasiṣṭha to evaluate the householder in relation to two distinct metrics. The four āśramas are equal, he says, in their ability to attain the highest heaven. The householder is superior to the other three āśramas, however, in his unmatched contributions to the general welfare.
Journal Article