Mapping Italian Women\u27s Filmmaking: Urban Space In The Cinema Of The New Millennium

My dissertation lies at the intersection of Italian studies, film studies, women\u27s studies, and urban studies. Applying gender studies and feminist theoretical perspectives, I trace a thematic map of contemporary Italian women\u27s cinema (2000-2012) that investigates female subjectivity in urban contexts. Examining the works of the filmmakers Marina Spada, Francesca Comencini, Wilma Labate, Roberta Torre, and Alice Rohrwacher, I identify a common tendency to treat locations like characters, apply similar modalities of incorporating city-views into the narration, and recurrently construct parallels between physical journeys through cities and inner journeys of the self. As a prism through which to look at contemporary Italian society, the city articulates themes such as women\u27s alienation and social invisibility, the challenge of reconciling motherhood and paid work, the debasement of the female body, and the role of institutions such as the Church and the family. The most prominent visual leitmotif in this cinematic production is that of the wandering woman contemplating the cityscape. What does walking signify in these works? During the women\u27s liberation movement of the late sixties and seventies, the appropriation of public space was a form of resistance to patriarchal confinement of women to domestic spaces. The act of female `streetwalking,\u27 typically associated with prostitution, was re-configured as an act of self-liberation. Through a close reading of the films, I argue that female flânerie, in all the articulations it takes in each film, represents an act of emancipation, an act of introspection, and a search for position in society. Furthermore, the image of the woman contemplating the city signifies, for filmmakers who struggle to appropriate the medium of film and carve a space in a male-dominated industry, an assertion of authorship. By identifying these female authorial voices and a common aesthetic project, my dissertation aims to address the knowledge gap about women\u27s artistic expression while leading to a more complex understanding of Italian contemporary cinema

Las problemáticas de género en nuestra práctica profesional como psicológos

Objetivos del taller: - Reflexionar acerca del impacto que en el ejercicio de nuestra profesión cobran la reproducción de las categorías diferenciales con las que en nuestra sociedad son pensados hombres y mujeres. - Reconocer como el conocimiento de las problemáticas y categorías referidas al género amplían nuestra comprensión y tratamiento de los padeceres de hombres y mujeres. - Transformar nuestra práctica con la inclusión de los desarrollos de género para pasar de ser meros reproductores de desigualdades y violencias a ser agentes promotores de nuevas construcciones subjetivas.TalleresFacultad de Psicologí

Las problemáticas de género en nuestra práctica profesional como psicológos

Objetivos del taller: - Reflexionar acerca del impacto que en el ejercicio de nuestra profesión cobran la reproducción de las categorías diferenciales con las que en nuestra sociedad son pensados hombres y mujeres. - Reconocer como el conocimiento de las problemáticas y categorías referidas al género amplían nuestra comprensión y tratamiento de los padeceres de hombres y mujeres. - Transformar nuestra práctica con la inclusión de los desarrollos de género para pasar de ser meros reproductores de desigualdades y violencias a ser agentes promotores de nuevas construcciones subjetivas.TalleresFacultad de Psicologí

Las problemáticas de género en nuestra práctica profesional como psicológos

Objetivos del taller: - Reflexionar acerca del impacto que en el ejercicio de nuestra profesión cobran la reproducción de las categorías diferenciales con las que en nuestra sociedad son pensados hombres y mujeres. - Reconocer como el conocimiento de las problemáticas y categorías referidas al género amplían nuestra comprensión y tratamiento de los padeceres de hombres y mujeres. - Transformar nuestra práctica con la inclusión de los desarrollos de género para pasar de ser meros reproductores de desigualdades y violencias a ser agentes promotores de nuevas construcciones subjetivas.TalleresFacultad de Psicologí

Legal Cannabis sativa L. Dried Inflorescences: Cannabinoids Content and Cytotoxic Activity against Human HepG2 Cell Line

Cannabis sativa L. has health benefits, principally due to the levels and ratios of two impor- tant cannabinoids, ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC:CBD ratio affects their pharmacological interaction for the treatment of different diseases as well as its modulation allows for a custom-made product that utilizes the distinguishing effects of CBD, THC, or both, for a peculiar patient or clinical effect. This study aims to investigate the total content of THC, CBD, and their ratio in 34 dried inflorescence legally sold in physical and online stores, by using a validated liquid chromatography-ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) method, after cannabinoids identification performed through MSn studies. Cannabinol (CBN) content was also monitored to evaluate hemp age or con- servation status. CBN content always resulted lower than limit of quantification, thus confirming well-stored fresh hemp. All investigated samples showed a total THC amount below 0.59% w/w, thus responding to legal requirements.. The total CBD amount ranged from 2.62 to 20.27% w/w and it was not related to THC level. THC:CBD ranged among 1:3 and 1:26, thus ascertaining their suitability for different target pharmacological uses. In vitro studies using human hepatoblastoma cell line HepG2 suggested that hemp extracts with THC:CBD ratios of 1:9 exhibited higher toxicity than pure cannabinoids

Clinical efficacy of ivabradine in patients with inappropriate sinus tachycardia: a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover evaluation

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of ivabradine in the treatment of symptomatic inappropriate sinus tachycardia using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design. Background Due to its If blocking properties, ivabradine can selectively attenuate the high discharge rate from sinus node cells, causing inappropriate sinus tachycardia. Methods Twenty-one patients were randomized to receive placebo (n = 10) or ivabradine 5 mg twice daily (n = 11) for 6 weeks. After a washout period, patients crossed over for an additional 6 weeks. Each patient underwent symptom evaluation and heart rate assessment at the start and finish of each phase. Results After taking ivabradine, patients reported elimination of >70% of symptoms (relative risk: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.18 to 0.34; p < 0.001), with 47% of them experiencing complete elimination. These effects were associated with a significant reduction of heart rate at rest (from 88 ± 11 beats/min to 76 ± 11 beats/min, p = 0.011), on standing (from 108 ± 12 beats/min to 92 ± 11 beats/min, p < 0.0001), during 24 h (from 88 ± 5 beats/min to 77 ± 9 beats/min, p = 0.001), and during effort (from 176 ± 17 beats/min to 158 ± 16 beats/min, p = 0.001). Ivabradine administration was also associated with a significant increase in exercise performance. No cardiovascular side effects were observed in any patients while taking ivabradine. Conclusions In this cohort, ivabradine significantly improved symptoms associated with inappropriate sinus tachycardia and completely eliminated them in approximately half of the patients. These findings suggest that ivabradine may be an important agent for improving symptoms in patients with inappropriate sinus tachycardia

Longitudinal analysis of HIV-1 coreceptor tropism by single and triplicate HIV-1 RNA and DNA sequencing in patients undergoing successful first-line antiretroviral therapy

Objectives: Maraviroc has been shown to be effective in patients harbouring CCR5-tropic HIV-1. While this CCR5 antagonist has initially been used in salvage therapy, its excellent safety profile makes it ideal for antiretroviral treatment simplification strategies in patients with suppressed plasma viraemia. The aim of this study was to compare HIV-1 tropism as detected in baseline plasma RNA and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) DNA prior to first-line therapy and to analyse tropism evolution while on successful treatment. Methods: HIV-1 tropism was determined using triplicate genotypic testing combined with geno2pheno[coreceptor] analysis at a 10% false positive rate in 42 patients. Paired pre-treatment plasma RNA and PBMC DNA and two subsequent PBMC DNA samples (the first obtained after reaching undetectable plasma HIV-1 RNA and the second after at least 2 years of suppression of plasma viraemia) were evaluated. Results: Coreceptor tropism was completely concordant in paired pre-treatment RNA and DNA, with 26.2% of HIV-1 sequences predicted to be non-CCR5-tropic. During follow-up, coreceptor tropism switches were detected in 4 (9.5%) patients without any preferential direction. Although false positive rate discrepancies within triplicates were common, the rate of discordance of coreceptor tropism assignment among triplicate results in this mostly CCR5-tropic dataset was only 2.1%, questioning the added value of triplicate testing compared with single testing. Conclusions: HIV-1 coreceptor tropism changes during virologically successful first-line treatment are infrequent. HIV-1 DNA analysis may thus support the choice of a CCR5 antagonist in treatment switch strategies; however, maraviroc treatment outcome data are required to confirm this option

EVLA Observations Constrain the Environment and Progenitor System of Type Ia Supernova 2011fe

We report unique EVLA observations of SN 2011fe representing the most sensitive radio study of a Type Ia supernova to date. Our data place direct constraints on the density of the surrounding medium at radii ~10^15-10^16 cm, implying an upper limit on the mass loss rate from the progenitor system of Mdot <~ 6 x 10^-10 Msol/yr (assuming a wind speed of 100 km/s), or expansion into a uniform medium with density n_CSM <~ 6 cm^-3. Drawing from the observed properties of non-conservative mass transfer among accreting white dwarfs, we use these limits on the density of the immediate environs to exclude a phase space of possible progenitors systems for SN 2011fe. We rule out a symbiotic progenitor system and also a system characterized by high accretion rate onto the white dwarf that is expected to give rise to optically-thick accretion winds. Assuming that a small fraction, 1%, of the mass accreted is lost from the progenitor system, we also eliminate much of the potential progenitor parameter space for white dwarfs hosting recurrent novae or undergoing stable nuclear burning. Therefore, we rule out the most popular single degenerate progenitor models for SN 2011fe, leaving a limited phase space inhabited by some double degenerate systems and exotic progenitor scenarios.Comment: Accepted to Ap

Consumption of energy drinks among Italian University students : a cross-sectional multicenter study

Purpose The aim of the study was to evaluate the caffeinated Energy Drinks (EDs) consumption among a large sample of Italian undergraduates and its association with some of the major lifestyle risk factors. Methods Students attending twelve public Italian universities were involved between October 2021 and May 2022. Information on socio-demographic characteristics, ED consumption, and on health-related behaviors of participants was collected by the use of a web-based questionnaire. Results A total of 2165 students participated in the study and 15.2% of them reported having used caffeinated EDs in the last six months, mainly once a month (41.5%). In comparison with non-users, ED users showed a higher proportion of males (p &lt; 0.001) and a higher father’s educational level (p = 0.003), came mainly from Northern universities (p = 0.004) and life sciences degree courses (p &lt; 0.001). Besides, ED users reported higher BMI values (p = 0.003), more particular dietary regimens (p &lt; 0.001), higher levels of weekly moderate–vigorous physical activity (p &lt; 0.001) and participation in sports (p &lt; 0.001) and in team sports (p = 0.003), and higher proportion of smokers (p &lt; 0.001) and alcohol drinkers (p = 0.005). ED use was negatively related with female gender (OR 0.546; 95% CI 0.374–0.798), the Mediterranean diet (OR 0.587; 95% CI 0.362–0.951) and coming from the center of Italy (OR 0.500; 95% CI 0.275–0.909) and positively associated with tobacco smoke (OR 1.712; 95% CI 1.176–2.492) and participation in a team sport (OR 1.686; 95% CI 1.051–2.707). Conclusion These findings could encourage figures engaged in education to increase the students’ awareness on this issue in order to prevent the excessive use of EDs and associated unhealthy behaviors, especially in the most interested subgroups