Likovna vzgoja: med prostorskim trajnostnim razvojem in podobo arhitekture

If we consider the role of education and its implications in the formation of a critical and conscious user of architecture, it is obvious that the development of educational strategies related to the sustainable development of our common space and environment becomes fundamental. Among the objectives of art education, we should consider our commitment with authentic and actual problems in our societies. One of them is the awareness of the characteristics of the built environment. Our cities are, in fact, the results of time-space plasters that function as units of spatial experiences in everyday life. The oldest buildings are iconic points of reference, and their simple presence produces a collection of unique meanings to the collective memory of a culture. Their demolition would in many cases injure the cities’ images and memory. The main question is how to develop programs at all educational levels to promote critical and responsible attitudes towards the common environment covering all the aspects that shape the concepts of sustainable spatial development. However, it is not possible to create strategies without proper information about the views of the students. The collection and analysis of this views is the main theme of the paper. It is supported by an empirical research on the image of architecture and the environment, held among secondary school students. The research is based on the idea that one of the most efficient critical attitudes towards the world would be to develop an unconditional connection of art work with “everyday life conditions” to promote the education of critical and responsible “perceivers” of the environment. (DIPF/Orig.

Responsabilitatea sociala a corporatiilor americane si a intreprinderilor socialiste

The article starts from the (supposed) resemblances between the (so-called) non-economic activities performed by the big western corporations and the ones carried on by the socialist enterprises. The main task undertaken hereby is exploring the motivation behind such activities. The purpose would be that ofdetermining the degree of decisional independence of those in command of the socialist enterprises in what concerns carrying on CSR-like activities. In order to achieve its purpose, the article is structured to go through defining corporate social responsibility, providing examples of CSR-related activities and analyzing motivations in both systems

A review of the Mediterranean diet and nutritional genomics in relation to cancer in women

Cancer is the leading cause of death among women all over the world. Female tissue-specific cancers are the most commonly diagnosed among women and account for most cancer-related deaths. The main risk factors for women’s cancer are hereditary factors, specific exposure to dangerous chemicals, disorders such as hormone imbalance, and lifestyle. High body mass index, low physical activity, low intake of fruit and vegetables, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, lack of cancer screening and treatment are the most common risk factors. Nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics are both part of nutritional genomics. Nutrigenetics is how a person’s body reacts to nutrients based on his/her genotype. It can be used to create a personalized diet, maintain a person’s health, avoid disease, and if necessary to sustain therapy. Nutrigenomics studies the impact of nutrition on gene expression and the epigenomic, proteomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic effects of dietary intake. There is evidence that diet matters for different women’s cancers, and is related to cancer progression, survival and treatment. The optimum combination for cancer prevention is a diet rich in vitamins and fibre, with low meat consumption, low milk intake and moderate use of alcohol. The Mediterranean diet looks to be an optimal diet with a good nutrition pattern, qualifying it as a therapy to prescribe

Interculturalism in art education: presenting latin american culture through music and visual art

Interculturalism in art education refers to pedagogic strategies that support positive attitudes regarding the specific aspects of cultural plurality of our societies. Cultural plurality and diversity refer to the variety of cultural identities and are understood as sources of knowledge. The question that inevitably opens is how to insert contents about interculturalism in the pedagogical process not transforming them in an exotic product and how to discourage a “decontextuated cultural tourism” that does not fit any educational aims. Trying to solve this question, we developed a general pedagogic strategy based on the comparison of theoretical concepts from the worlds of music and visual arts. The task that students were engaged in was to listen to music and to try to transform it in visual signs which should be later shaped in a visual composition. With this exercise, cultural characteristics became know through an individual engagement in universal expressive languages that do not share the eventual obstacles imposed by verbal communication. In the conclusion we reflected on how to develop a teaching-learning process sensitive to the differences and commonalities of different cultures living in our space

Promotion of a Viable Art Education Through Architecture

If we consider the role of education and its implications in the formation of a critical and conscious user of architecture, it is obvious that the development of educational strategies related to our common space and environment become fundamental. The comprehension of the concept of sustainable development is essential. Therefore, it is worth reflecting on how to develop proper programs at all educational levels to promote critical and responsible attitudes towards the common environment covering all the aspects that should shape the concepts of sustainable spatial and environmental development, enhancing at the same time great freedom regarding the formal aspects of architecture.The ideas presented in the article are supported by an empirical research on the image of architecture and the environment, held among secondary school students. The research based on the idea that one of the most efficient critical attitudes towards the world would be to develop an unconditional tie of the art work with everyday life conditions. That is why part of the activities within the research was devoted to recycling relevant architectural spaces. The results show a very heterogeneous image of architecture in the eyes of the students which sometimes overvalues contrasts and originality, disregarding tradition. Key Words: art education, architecture, spatial perception, the image of architecture.</p

Periconceptional Mediterranean Diet during Pregnancy on Children’s Health

During pregnancy, rapid and subtle physiological changes are observed from conception to birth. Nutrition and other lifestyle factors before and during pregnancy have been shown in the literature to influence the health of both mother and child. A healthy and varied diet during pregnancy can provide adequate energy and nutrients for both the mother and the growing fetus. Current research focuses on the periconceptional phase, which includes the early processes of gametogenesis, embryogenesis and placentation. A variety of abnormalities and pregnancy-related problems occur during this period, including congenital defects, fetal loss, miscarriage and preterm birth. A varied and balanced diet during periconception is important to maintain fetal development and growth. To date, numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of consuming different nutrients, foods or food groups during pregnancy on the health of mother and child. For example, the Mediterranean diet is considered as a balanced, nutrient-rich diet due to the low consumption of meat products and fatty foods and the high consumption of vegetables, cheese, olive oil, fish, shellfish and little meat. While many studies have been conducted in the literature to investigate the effects of a Mediterranean diet during pregnancy on fetal health, the results have been inconclusive. The aim of this article is to review the current literature on the Mediterranean diet during pregnancy

Implication of the Mediterranean diet on the human epigenome

Epigenetics, defined as “hereditary changes in gene expression that occur without any change in the DNA sequence”, consists of various epigenetic marks, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs. The epigenome, which has a dynamic structure in response to intracellular and extracellular stimuli, has a key role in the control of gene activity, since it is located at the intersection of cellular information encoded in the genome and molecular/chemical information of extracellular origin. The focus shift of studies to epigenetic reprogramming has led to the formation and progressive importance of a concept called “nutriepigenetics”, whose aim is to prevent diseases by intervening on nutrition style. Among the diet types adopted in the world, the renowned Mediterranean Diet (MD), being rich in unsaturated fatty acids and containing high levels of whole grain foods and large quantities of fruits, vegetables, and legumes, has shown numerous advantages in excluding chronic diseases. Additionally, the fact that this diet is rich in polyphenols with high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties has an undeniable effect in turning some cellular pathways against the disease. It is also apparent that the effects of polyphenols on the epigenome cause changes in mechanisms such as DNA methylation and histone acetylation/deacetylation, which have a regulatory effect on gene regulation. This review presents the effects of long-term consumption of nutrients from the MD on the epigenome and discusses the benefits of this diet in the treatment and even prevention of chronic diseases

Psoriasis and 5HT-R2C Gene Polymorphism: Association between Clinical, Demographic and Therapeutic Parameters in the Turkish Population

We aimed to investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the promoter region of the 5-HT-R2C gene and stress-related disease psoriasis in the Turkish population. The putative association between the 5-HTR2C variant (rs6318 Cys23Ser allele) and patients with psoriasis was investigated. 100 patients with psoriasis and 100 age-sex matched, unrelated healthy subjects representing the control group were included in the study. The PCR-RFLP method was used for genotyping the 5-HTR2C variation. There was no statistically difference in terms of genotype distributions and allele frequencies between the control subjects and patients with psoriasis (P=0.360 and P=0.439, respectively). The comparison between the presence and absence of the 5-HTR2C gene rs6318 G allele within the determined clinical subsets resulted in a significant difference with regard to treatment methodology only when conventional therapy and one or more medical therapy was compared (P=0.021). This study is the first clinical study to investigate the association between 5-HTR2C polymorphism and psoriasis. The role of the 5-HTR2C gene should be examined with more parameters in a larger case series