A participatory project for the Librino Social Housing Community

Social housing is the outcome of policymaking aimed at guaranteeing adequate living conditions for disadvantaged social groups. In Italy, in the post-war reconstruction period, buildings designed by internationally renowned architects, led to results of such high design quality that it is essential to preserve them. Nevertheless, their advanced degradation and functional obsolescence are due to being built with construction systems focused on quick completion and cost-effectiveness, as well as a lack of maintenance. Such conditions now impose performance upgrades and reuse for services and collective spaces. The paper addresses the issue of the recovery of this housing stock in the Italian context, analyzing the case of Librino (Catania). The research question is based on evidence that the lack of services and collective spaces in the suburbs leads people to move to other areas of the city for work, health, education, culture, and leisure. The proposed approach investigates the overall organization of the neighborhood, up to reuse pilots, as for the Moncada Theater, to improve the overall quality and attractiveness of the area, even with minor renovations. The theatre, which was abandoned before completion, is an example of how only housing was built or completed in residential areas designed to provide a wide range of services for citizens as a result of a funding shortfall. Reuse decisions are the result of user involvement with a view to social and cultural sustainability

Public cultural heritage properties enhancement and reuse strategies

The sale and the granting of long-term licence to let private stakeholders use public buildings often lead to changes in the buildings’ use, requiring compliance with new needs. Reuse choices are often taken without a large-scale enhancing strategy concerning physical, economic and social context. Therefore it is necessary to define evaluation patterns to support the choices of the operators involved in the privatization process, in order to preserve the values of the assets and to guarantee the land’s development trends. The paper shows a method set to guide both local and central governments – as owners of cultural heritage properties – and public departments – performing control activities on cultural heritage management – in deciding new uses for buildings

Virtuous processes: biocomposite roofing systems for territorial re-generation

The article illustrates the outcomes of FIR 2014 Research on the topic of sustainable development of the urban-industrial areas of Augusta and Siracusa – meant as a single hub. Hemp farming for soil phytodepuration allows to activate a multi-scale process of regeneration that introduces new production activities for the transformation of biomass into building bio-materials. The need for competitiveness led to draft a project about a new roofing system constituted by biocomposite slabs, using raw materials produced locally. This allows to reduce pollution, to increase jobs and to promote the renovation of the building stock thanks to low-cost components produced on site and compatible with construction systems belonging to the local tradition.

Circular economy and the role of universities in urban regeneration: the case of Ortigia, Syracuse

Regeneration processes activate stable regimes of interaction and interdependence among the architectural, economic, cultural and social sub-systems in settlements. The thesis of this paper is that in order to progress towards sustainable and inclusive cities, urban governance should widen the decision-making arena, promoting virtuous circular dynamics based on knowledge transfer, strategic decision making and stakeholders’ engagement. The historic urban landscape is a privileged la b for this purpose. The paper adapts the Triple-Helix model of knowledge-industry-government relationships to interpret the unexpected regimes of interaction between Local Authority and Cultural Heritage Assets triggered in the late 90es by the establishment of a knowledge provider such as a Faculty of Architecture in the highly degraded heritage context of the city of Syracuse, Italy. Following this approach, the authors explain the urban regeneration happened over the last 20 years in the port city of Syracuse, based on knowledge sharing and resources’ protection that promoted processes of social engagement and institutional empowerment for both new residents and entrepreneur

Valori materiali e immateriali per la rigenerazione delle aree interne: tre contesti a confronto

The work illustrates the research activity carried out by the University of Naples “Federico II”, the University of Catania and the Polytechnic of Turin on the subject of the internal areas’ regeneration. According to the Strategy for European Cultural Heritage in the 21st century, the research proposes a model of systemic valorisation and management based on the following key elements: the “social” component, for the empowerment of heritage communities and inclusive governance; “territorial and economic development”, reinforcing the contribution of heritage for the enhancement of local resources, for the increase of quality in tourist use and for the expansion of employment opportunities; “knowledge”, consolidating the understanding of traditions in relation to the evolution of urban settlements and the vocations of the territory. The paper illustrates an enhancement model aimed at consolidating the relationships between tangible and intangible heritage, through the reuse and shared management of buildings and public spaces. The effectiveness of the model, in terms of increasing knowledge as well as production and service development, has been verified through trials in selected areas. The case studies analysed are in the internal regions of Piedmont, Campania and eastern Sicily. Valori materiali e immateriali per la rigenerazione delle aree interne: tre contesti a confrontoIl contributo illustra l’attività di ricerca svolta dalle Università di Napoli “Federico II”, di Catania e dal Politecnico di Torino sul tema della rigenerazione delle aree interne. In linea con la Strategia per il Patrimonio Culturale Europeo nel XXI° secolo, la ricerca propone un modello di valorizzazione e gestione sistemica fondato su tre elementi-chiave: la componente “sociale”, per l'empowerment delle comunità di patrimonio e la governance inclusiva; lo “sviluppo territoriale ed economico”, rafforzando il contributo del patrimonio per la valorizzazione delle risorse locali, per l’incremento della qualità nella fruizione turistica e per l’ampliamento delle opportunità di occupazione; la “conoscenza”, consolidando la comprensione delle tradizioni in relazione all’evoluzione degli insediamenti urbani ed alle vocazioni del territorio. Il contributo illustra un modello di valorizzazione finalizzato a consolidare le relazioni tra patrimonio materiale e immateriale, attraverso il riuso e la gestione condivisa di edifici e spazi pubblici. L’efficacia del modello, in termini di incremento della conoscenza e sviluppo produttivo e di servizi, è stata verificata prefigurandone l’applicazione ad ambiti territoriali differenziati, attraverso l’analisi di casi studio nelle aree interne del Piemonte, della Campania e della Sicilia orientale.Il contributo illustra l’attività di ricerca svolta dalle Università di Napoli “Federico II”, di Catania e dal Politecnico di Torino sul tema della rigenerazione delle aree interne. In linea con la Strategia per il Patrimonio Culturale Europeo nel XXI° secolo, la ricerca propone un modello di valorizzazione e gestione sistemica fondato su tre elementi-chiave: la componente “sociale”, per l'empowerment delle comunità di patrimonio e la governance inclusiva; lo “sviluppo territoriale ed economico”, rafforzando il contributo del patrimonio per la valorizzazione delle risorse locali, per l’incremento della qualità nella fruizione turistica e per l’ampliamento delle opportunità di occupazione; la “conoscenza”, consolidando la comprensione delle tradizioni in relazione all’evoluzione degli insediamenti urbani ed alle vocazioni del territorio. Il contributo illustra un modello di valorizzazione finalizzato a consolidare le relazioni tra patrimonio materiale e immateriale, attraverso il riuso e la gestione condivisa di edifici e spazi pubblici. L’efficacia del modello, in termini di incremento della conoscenza e sviluppo produttivo e di servizi, è stata verificata prefigurandone l’applicazione ad ambiti territoriali differenziati, attraverso l’analisi di casi studio nelle aree interne del Piemonte, della Campania e della Sicilia orientale. Material and Immaterial Values for the Regeneration of Internal Areas: Three Contexts in ComparisonThe work illustrates the research activity carried out by the University of Naples “Federico II”, the University of Catania and the Polytechnic of Turin on the subject of the internal areas’ regeneration. According to the Strategy for European Cultural Heritage in the 21st century, the research proposes a model of systemic valorisation and management based on the following key elements: the “social” component, for the empowerment of heritage communities and inclusive governance; “territorial and economic development”, reinforcing the contribution of heritage for the enhancement of local resources, for the increase of quality in tourist use and for the expansion of employment opportunities; “knowledge”, consolidating the understanding of traditions in relation to the evolution of urban settlements and the vocations of the territory. The paper illustrates an enhancement model aimed at consolidating the relationships between tangible and intangible heritage, through the reuse and shared management of buildings and public spaces. The effectiveness of the model, in terms of increasing knowledge as well as production and service development, has been verified through trials in selected areas. The case studies analysed are in the internal regions of Piedmont, Campania and eastern Sicily

Impact and Treatment of Sarcopenia in Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy: A Multidisciplinary, AMSTAR-2 Compliant Review of Systematic Reviews and Metanalyses

BackgroundSarcopenia (SP) is defined as the quantitative and functional impairment of skeletal muscles. SP is commonly related to older age and is frequent in patients with cancer. To provide an overview of SP in patients treated with radiotherapy (RT) and to evaluate the current evidence, we analyzed the available systematic reviews and meta-analyses. MethodsReviews were identified using PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane library databases, without date restriction. Only systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the prognostic impact of SP and on any treatments aimed at reducing SP effect, in patients undergoing RT, were included in this review. The analyses not separately reporting the results in patients treated with RT were excluded. The quality assessment was performed using AMSTAR-2 (A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews). ResultsFrom the 84 papers identified, five reviews met the inclusion criteria with four reports mainly including non-randomized trials. Three reviews on the effect of SP showed a significantly negative impact on overall survival in patients undergoing RT and/or chemoradiation for H&N cancers (HR: 1.63-2.07). Two reviews on interventional studies showed the possibility of 1) improving physical functions through nutritional and physical interventions and 2) avoiding muscle wasting by means of sufficient protein intake. The quality assessment of the included review showed that two and three analyses are classifiable as having low and moderate overall confidence rating, respectively. ConclusionsThe analyzed reviews uniformly confirmed the negative impact of SP in patients with H&N tumors undergoing RT and the possibility of improving muscle mass and function through nutritional and physical interventions. These results justify further research on this topic based on a more uniform SP definition and on a complete evaluation of the potentially confounding parameters

Hepatitis E Virus Occurrence in Pigs Slaughtered in Italy

In Europe, foodborne transmission has been clearly associated to sporadic cases and small clusters of hepatitis E in humans linked to the consumption of contaminated pig liver sausages, raw venison, or undercooked wild boar meat. In Europe, zoonotic HEV-genotype 3 strains are widespread in pig farms but little information is available on the prevalence of HEV positive pigs at slaughterhouse. In the present study, the prevalence of HEV-RNA positive pigs was assessed on 585 animals from 4 abattoirs located across Italy. Twenty-one pigs (3.6%) tested positive for HEV in either feces or liver by real-time RT-PCR. In these 21 pigs, eight diaphragm muscles resulted positive for HEV-RNA. Among animals collected in one abattoir, 4 out of 91 plasma tested positive for HEV-RNA. ELISA tests for the detection of total antibodies against HEV showed a high seroprevalence (76.8%), confirming the frequent exposure of pigs to the virus. The phylogenetic analyses conducted on sequences of both ORF1 and ORF2 fragments, shows the circulation of HEV-3c and of a novel unclassified subtype. This study provides information on HEV occurrence in pigs at the slaughterhouse, confirming that muscles are rarely contaminated by HEV-RNA compared to liver, which is the most frequently positive for HEV

First isolation of Salmonella enterica serovar Napoli from wild birds in Italy

AbstractSalmonella enterica serovar Napoli (S. Napoli) is an emerging serovar in Italy. It accounts for 2-4% of all serovars isolated from human infections. The zoonotic origin of this serovar is still unknown and this makes difficult to apply any control intervention. We report here the isolation of S. Napoli from a river nightingale (Cettia cetti, Temminck 1820) which represents the first description of this serovar from wild birds. This finding adds knowledge to the ecology of S. Napoli and addresses further studies aimed to assess the epidemiologic link between S. Napoli isolated from wild birds, food, environmental sources and human infections.

Withdrawal of mechanical ventilation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients: a multicenter Italian survey

Background: Law 219/2017 was approved in Italy in December 2017, after a years-long debate on the autonomy of healthcare choices. This Law, for the first time in Italian legislation, guarantees the patient's right to request for withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments, including mechanical ventilation (MV). Objective: To investigate the current status of MV withdrawal in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients in Italy and to assess the impact of Law 219/2017 on this practice. Methods: We conducted a Web-based survey, addressed to Italian neurologists with expertise in ALS care, and members of the Motor Neuron Disease Study Group of the Italian Society of Neurology. Results: Out of 40 ALS Italian centers, 34 (85.0%) responded to the survey. Law 219/2017 was followed by an increasing trend in MV withdrawals, and a significant increase of neurologists involved in this procedure (p 0.004). However, variations across Italian ALS centers were observed, regarding the inconsistent involvement of community health services and palliative care (PC) services, and the intervention and composition of the multidisciplinary team. Conclusions: Law 219/2017 has had a positive impact on the practice of MV withdrawal in ALS patients in Italy. The recent growing public attention on end-of-life care choices, along with the cultural and social changes in Italy, requires further regulatory frameworks that strengthen tools for self-determination, increased investment of resources in community and PC health services, and practical recommendations and guidelines for health workers involved