Representations of Extractive Industries in Selected Fiction from Bolivia and Peru

The extractive industry is crucial to the economies of many countries in Latin America, particularly Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, Chile and Mexico. Whereas the study of this economic sector in the context of Latin America is well established in academia, cultural manifestations related to the exploitation of natural resources have not been sufficiently explored. This thesis examines the literary representations of extractive industries in two Bolivian and two Peruvian examples of fiction: Aluvión de fuego (1935) by Oscar Cerruto, Canchamina (1956) co-written by Víctor Hugo Villegas and Mario Guzmán Aspiazu, José María Arguedas’ novel Todas las sangres (1964) and ¿Quién mató a Palomino Molero? (1986) by Mario Vargas Llosa. The focus on Bolivia and Peru is partly because these two countries share much in common: they base their economy on the development of extractive industries, they are characterised by the presence of the Andes and they have a high degree of cultural and social heterogeneity since they include different social, cultural and ethnic identities. Nevertheless, in spite of these similarities, they are distinctive from each other because of notable differences related to history, economy, social configuration and literature. Bearing this in mind, this study uses a comparative approach in order to show how the interpretation and the conceptualisation of extractive industries is culturally constructed and changes in these two countries. The thesis is composed of four chapters, each of which is based on the close reading of a single text. Its ultimate aim will be to discuss in which way and to what extent these novels contribute to the construction of extractive industry discourses in Bolivia and in Peru and engage with broader issues related to the expansion of extractive industries

Assessing the real benefits of surgery for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis without instability and spondylolisthesis: a single surgeon experience with a mean 8-year follow-up

Background: The degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis is one of the most commonly treated spinal disorders in older adults; despite its increasing frequency, it is not yet clear what the most effective therapy might be. The aim of this study is to investigate the very long term results of a homogenized cohort of patients suffering from lumbar spinal stenosis: the first subset of patients operated on with laminectomy and the second subset of patients was also advised to undergo laminectomy but never operated on. Methods: Patients from both subgroups were advised to undergo surgery, according to the same criteria, in the period between 2000 and 2010 and were re-evaluated in the period between January and December 2016. Results: Comparing the two subsets of patients, both suffering from clinically relevant LSS, the first subset returns a statistically significant clinical improvement at follow-up. The rate of excellent results decreases over years. Iatrogenic spinal instability incidence was found to be 3.8% in the present cohort. Conclusions: Although the improvement of the first postoperative years decreases over time and despite the lack of general consensus, the lack of established shared guidelines and the limitations of this research, the results support the utilisation of surgery for the management of this condition. Level of Evidence: 3

Automation and redistribution of work: the impact of social distancing on live TV production

publishedVersio

Professional vision in fashion design: practices and views of teachers and learners

Professional vision is a key skill in visually-oriented professions, but its relevance to vocational education and training has only drawn limited attention from researchers. When educating fashion designers, professional vision is vital because precisely analysing clothing is required to create good products suitable for customers. In this study, we investigate what visual information must be observed in fashion design and how the professional vision of teachers and learners differs. Semi-structured interviews targeting the visual information that should be observed in fashion design were conducted with 10 teachers and 71 of their students (the latter in groups) and subjected to content analysis. Additionally, tests involving identifying and correcting clothing defects were administered to 9 of these teachers and 132 learners across three years of training to examine how looking at clothing differs between teachers and learners. Finally, two [4 by 1] ANOVAs with the level of training as the between-groups factors were conducted to examine the differences in the total number of defects identified and the number of accurate corrections suggested. Together, the quantitative and qualitative data show that professional vision in fashion design is a multifaceted skill that takes time to develop. Professional vision enables identifying the 1) different details and patterns needed to reproduce a garment; 2) defects in manufacturing, quality, and wearability; and 3) characteristics of the customer’s body. The findings also suggest that as fashion designers develop their skills, they cease looking at the surface features of clothing and adopt a more holistic and integrated approach that considers how a final garment could be realised for specific clients

Spanish traditional architecture abandonment and destruction: an initial analysis of social risks, phenomena, and effects in earthen architecture

[EN] Throughout the last century, Europe’s traditional architecture has been affected by a severe and widespread trend of decline and abandonment. These are the result of worldwide cultural, social and technological modifications which have noticeably changed society, lifestyle and economy. These transformations are reflected directly in built heritage and places, often struggling to adapt to the new habits and needs and thus prone to disuse and destruction. The same processes and phenomena also affect intangible culture, such as traditional construction know-how, causing the loss of another essential part of the population’s heritage and identity. Spain is no exception. Due to industrial advances and the rural crisis which brought about major changes in lifestyle, culture and population, the country is now facing various critical situations connected to this trend. These include depopulation, overpopulation, tourist exploitation, and social discredit, which are a stark warning to the conservation of its traditional architecture, now in jeopardy. The following paper focuses on identifying the most important social phenomena within Spain in relation to the transformation, abandonment, and destruction of traditional architecture. Through this analysis, the study aims to provide an initial evaluation of their effects on Spanish earthen traditional constructions and so highlight the crucial aspects to be considered for the formulation of proper and effective strategies for conservation, management and valorisation.This text presented the early results of the author’s doctoral thesis, linked to the research research project “RISK-Terra. Earthen architecture in the Iberian Peninsula: study of natural, social and anthropic risks and strategies to improve resilience”, (funded by MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE; Ref.: RTI2018-095302-B-I00; main researchers: Camilla Mileto and Fernando Vegas López-Manzanares).Caruso, M.; Mileto, C.; Vegas López-Manzanares, F.; Cristini, V. (2022). Spanish traditional architecture abandonment and destruction: an initial analysis of social risks, phenomena, and effects in earthen architecture. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 55-62. https://doi.org/10.4995/HERITAGE2022.2022.14887556

Violare le norme organizzative e sociali nei luoghi di lavoro: Studio correlazionale nel contesto infermieristico

Obiettivi: L’obiettivo principale di questo studio è stato di valutare le relazioni esistenti tra le variabili del contesto organizzativo (per esempio, carichi di lavoro, conflitti interpersonali, vincoli organizzativi), il burnout, il disimpegno morale e i comportamenti controproduttivi (CWB) degli infermieri, negli specifici ambiti clinici in cui lavorano. Metodo: Uno studio descrittivo correlazionale è stato condotto su un campione di 347 infermieri di diverse realtà operative di una grande struttura ospedaliera universitaria del centro Italia. Per l’indagine è stato utilizzato un questionario composto da scale per la misurazione delle variabili di contesto organizzativo, delle dimensioni del burnout, del sovraccarico relazionale, del disimpegno morale e dei comportamenti contro produttivi. Risultati: Gli ambiti clinici influenzavano il benessere organizzativo vissuto dagli infermieri che, a loro volta, influenzavano l’attuazione di CWB. Le aree ambulatoriali e di day hospital risultavano quelle in cui gli infermieri mettevano meno in pratica i CWB, diversamente da quelle di pronto soccorso e di medicina generale in cui i CWB venivano attuati più frequentemente. Conclusioni: I risultati di questo studio sono importanti per chi si occupa del benessere dei lavoratori e per i dirigenti delle professioni infermieristiche perché mettono in luce quanto gli ambiti clinici e le variabili di contesto organizzativo possano spingere gli infermieri ai CWB. Le variabili di contesto organizzativo devono essere tenute in seria considerazione perché si riflettono sulla qualità delle cure offerte ai malati

Double localization and multiple recurrences of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans of the female breast: A rare clinical case

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The Challenge of Food Security and Mediterranean Diet in the Euro-Mediterranean Area

The Mediterranean Diet (MD) derived from the Greek word “díaita” according to nutritionists is a “traditional diet” which is adapted to all people living in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea whose ancestors moved to the “cultivated food”. In recent years the MD has received worldwide attention particularly for its health impact. As indicated in the pioneer work of Ancel Keys and subsequently on that of many recent scholars. The lifestyle attached to the MD is the best medicine to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD). The MD however, cannot be simply identified with the “food” but must be seen as a holistic concept which promotes first of all social integration among the principal actors, which is derived by the practice of eating together, but also by the common practices of cultivation and harvesting linked to a seasonal calendar marked by nature and religious or ritual meanings attached to the rural life. For this reason in 2010 the MD received inscription on the UNESCO Representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. This paper highlights how focusing on the protection and promotion of the MD could be made possible to strengthen the Mediterranean countries from both economic and socio-cultural point of view. In this perspective the Mediterranean basin could emerge as an area of convergence between countries and regions in North and South of its shores. This would be possible through the creation of a partnership that aims at the production of goods of “Mediterranean quality”. The role of women in this context has been particularly considered essential in the transmission of expertise well as knowledge of rituals, traditional gestures, celebrations and safeguarding of techniques at the base of the protection of the MD

The Challenge of Food Security and Mediterranean Diet in the Euro-Mediterranean Area

The Mediterranean Diet (MD) derived from the Greek word “díaita” according to nutritionists is a “traditional diet” which is adapted to all people living in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea whose ancestors moved to the “cultivated food”. In recent years the MD has received worldwide attention particularly for its health impact. As indicated in the pioneer work of Ancel Keys and subsequently on that of many recent scholars. The lifestyle attached to the MD is the best medicine to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD). The MD however, cannot be simply identified with the “food” but must be seen as a holistic concept which promotes first of all social integration among the principal actors, which is derived by the practice of eating together, but also by the common practices of cultivation and harvesting linked to a seasonal calendar marked by nature and religious or ritual meanings attached to the rural life. For this reason in 2010 the MD received inscription on the UNESCO Representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. This paper highlights how focusing on the protection and promotion of the MD could be made possible to strengthen the Mediterranean countries from both economic and socio-cultural point of view. In this perspective the Mediterranean basin could emerge as an area of convergence between countries and regions in North and South of its shores. This would be possible through the creation of a partnership that aims at the production of goods of “Mediterranean quality”. The role of women in this context has been particularly considered essential in the transmission of expertise well as knowledge of rituals, traditional gestures, celebrations and safeguarding of techniques at the base of the protection of the MD

Targeting neurosteroid synthesis as a therapy for schizophrenia-related alterations induced by early psychosocial stress

Background Cogent evidence has shown that schizophrenia vulnerability is enhanced by psychosocial stress in adolescence, yet the underpinnings of this phenomenon remain elusive. One of the animal models that best capture the relationship between juvenile stress and schizophrenia is isolation rearing (IR). This manipulation, which consists in subjecting rats to social isolation from weaning through adulthood, results in neurobehavioral alterations akin to those observed in schizophrenia patients. In particular, IR-subjected rats display a marked reduction of the prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle reflex, which are posited to reflect imbalances in dopamine neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). We recently documented that the key neurosteroidogenic enzyme 5α-reductase (5αR) plays an important role in the dopaminergic regulation of PPI; given that IR leads to a marked down-regulation of this enzyme in the NAcc, the present study was designed to further elucidate the functional role of 5αR in the regulation of PPI of IR-subjected rats. Methods We studied the impact of the prototypical 5αR inhibitor finasteride (FIN) on the PPI deficits and NAcc steroid profile of IR-subjected male rats, in comparison with socially reared (SR) controls. Results FIN (25–100 mg/kg, i.p.) dose-dependently countered IR-induced PPI reduction, without affecting gating integrity in SR rats. The NAcc and striatum of IR-subjected rats displayed several changes in neuroactive steroid profile, including a reduction in pregnenolone in both SR and IR-subjected groups, as well as a decrease in allopregnanolone content in the latter group; both effects were significantly opposed by FIN. Conclusions These results show that 5αR inhibition counters the PPI deficits induced by IR, possibly through limbic changes in pregnenolone and/or allopregnanolone concentrations