Ecologia letteraria, ecofemminismo: ancora su Morante, Ortese, Lispector

Quale rapporto si instaura tra ecologia e letteratura; quale sguardo sulla letteratura esistente e futura proietta l’ecologia letteraria, se non è come per l’ecocriticism, la rilevazione critica di scritture che hanno per oggetto la natura o la wilderness ma piuttosto un cambio di epistemologia, per cui la natura non è un oggetto fuori di noi e “il testo letterario stesso è un ecosistema, un complesso vivente di relazioni”: nel suo Ecologia letteraria, Scaffai rileva questi nodi concettuali; compie una vasta ricognizione sulla letteratura contemporanea; cita Ghosh (La grande cecità, 2016), che si chiede dove potrebbe andare “ il romanzo contemporaneo se volesse dar conto del proprio tempo senza accontentarsi dei minimi punti di vista di un protagonista-tipo” (in Scaffai, 2019). L’ecologia letteraria si chiede se abbia più senso una letteratura concentrata sull’esistenza dell’individuo e se invece – domanda radicale che chiama in causa autori come G. Bateson o la riflessione di Braidotti sul post umano - ogni creatura vivente racconta una storia di co-evoluzione, interdipendenza, sopravvivenza. Ciò che da tempo hanno colto i movimenti e il pensiero dell’ecofemminismo

Anna Banti , Luciano Bianciardi e il Risorgimento

Il Risorgimento nello specchio narrativo di due autori “fuori squadro”: Luciano Bianciardi e Anna Banti, Grandi scrittori, diversi per ambiente e scelte di vita, di discontinua fortuna letteraria, scrivono entrambi, - con accenti che meritano di essere messi a confronto per temi, scrittura, punto di vista- le memorie “autobiografiche” di patrioti risorgimentali, dietro le quali si coglie una lettura del presente e del rapporto tra illusioni e realtà. Attraverso le riflessioni dei rispettivi protagonisti sul loro posto nella Storia, i due autori si interrogano sulla funzione della scrittura. Ma forse va spiegato l’accostamento, insolito e costruito, forse in modo eclettico sulla convergenza dei contenuti con il tema del Risorgimento: periodo ancora controverso, in cui le storiografie raggiungono interpretazioni opposte. Fu un bene per l’Italia? Si fece davvero l’Italia? E quale Italia sarebbe uscita da un processo unitario policentrico, federalista o, come qualcuno azzarda, promosso dai Borboni del regno di Napoli, quindi alimentato dal sud

How is genetic testing evaluated? A systematic review of the literature

open8Given the rapid development of genetic tests, an assessment of their benefits, risks, and limitations is crucial for public health practice. We performed a systematic review aimed at identifying and comparing the existing evaluation frameworks for genetic tests. We searched PUBMED, SCOPUS, ISI Web of Knowledge, Google Scholar, Google, and gray literature sources for any documents describing such frameworks. We identified 29 evaluation frameworks published between 2000 and 2017, mostly based on the ACCE Framework (n = 13 models), or on the HTA process (n = 6), or both (n = 2). Others refer to the Wilson and Jungner screening criteria (n = 3) or to a mixture of different criteria (n = 5). Due to the widespread use of the ACCE Framework, the most frequently used evaluation criteria are analytic and clinical validity, clinical utility and ethical, legal and social implications. Less attention is given to the context of implementation. An economic dimension is always considered, but not in great detail. Consideration of delivery models, organizational aspects, and consumer viewpoint is often lacking. A deeper analysis of such context-related evaluation dimensions may strengthen a comprehensive evaluation of genetic tests and support the decision-making process.openPitini, Erica*; de Vito, Corrado; Marzuillo, Carolina; D’Andrea, Elvira; Rosso, Annalisa; Federici, Antonio; Di Maria, Emilio; Villari, PaoloPitini, Erica; de Vito, Corrado; Marzuillo, Carolina; D’Andrea, Elvira; Rosso, Annalisa; Federici, Antonio; Di Maria, Emilio; Villari, Paol

Diet high in protein-rich foods with structured sport activity may be useless to lose fat mass and maintain fat-free mass

This study aimed to demonstrate that a normal protein diet along with minimal sports activity can be enough to lose fat mass and maintain muscle mass

Frequent Follow-Up Visits Reduce Weight Regain in Long-Term Management after Bariatric Surgery

The objective of this retrospective study was to observe whether more frequent long-term medical follow-up visits than what occurs with the current typical follow-up schedule might prevent weight regain and nutritional deficiencies, and improve the resolution of comorbidities in bariatric patients. Materials and Methods: Clinical reports were examined of bariatric patients (n=71, 16 males, age 42±11.6 years, body mass index [BMI] 48.6±7.9kg/m²) who had a minimum of 36 months of post-surgery follow-up. All patients had a typical follow-up after surgery at 1, 3, and 6 months. The intervention group (IG) had follow-ups at 9, 12, 15, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months, while the control group (CG) at 12, 18, 24, and 36 months after surgery. Results: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass was performed in 18 patients, while 43 patients had sleeve gastrectomy and 10 subjects had adjustable gastric banding. After 3 years, the BMI difference for the IG was 16.8±6.1 kg/m² [95% CI 14.8-18.9], and for the CG it was 11.9±7.8 kg/m² [95% CI 9.3-14.4] (p=0.004). The % excess weight loss was 66.3±20.9% [95% CI 59.4-73.2] for the IG and 55.7±32.2% [95% CI 45.2-66.3] for the CG (p=0.04). IG subjects had a higher rate of complete remission of diabetes mellitus (77% vs. 56%) and hypertension (74% vs. 57%). There were no statistical differences for nutritional deficiencies between the groups. The use of dietary supplements was similar (66% IG, 73% CG). Conclusions: After 3 years, there does not appear to be any influence of the frequency of follow-up visits on the risk of nutritional deficiencies and the rate of dietary supplement use. Adding more follow-up visits to the guideline schedule may help reduce weight regain and improve comorbidities

Dopamine-dependent early synaptic and motor dysfunctions induced by \u3b1-synuclein in the nigrostriatal circuit

Misfolding and aggregation of \u3b1-synuclein are specific features of Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases defined as synucleinopathies. Parkinson's disease progression has been correlated with the formation and the extracellular release of \u3b1-synuclein aggregates, as well as with their spreading from neuron to neuron. Therapeutic interventions in the initial stages of Parkinson's disease require a clear understanding of the mechanisms by which \u3b1-synuclein disrupts the physiological synaptic and plastic activity of the basal ganglia. For this reason, here we have identified two early time points to clarify how the intrastriatal injection of \u3b1-synuclein preformed fibrils in rodents, via retrograde transmission, induces time-dependent electrophysiological and behavioral alterations. We found that intrastriatal \u3b1-synuclein preformed fibrils perturb the firing rate of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta while the discharge of putative GABAergic cells of the substantia nigra pars reticulata is unchanged. The \u3b1-synuclein-induced dysregulation of nigrostriatal function also impairs, in a time-dependent manner, the two main forms of striatal synaptic plasticity, long-term potentiation and long-term depression. We also observed an increased glutamatergic transmission measured as an augmented frequency of spontaneous excitatory synaptic currents. These changes in neuronal function in the substantia nigra pars compacta and striatum were observed before overt neuronal death occurred. In an additional set of experiments, we were able to rescue \u3b1-synuclein-induced alterations of motor function, striatal synaptic plasticity, and increased spontaneous excitatory synaptic currents by a sub-chronic treatment with L-Dopa, a precursor of dopamine widely used in the therapy of Parkinson's disease, clearly demonstrating that a dysfunctional dopamine system plays a critical role in the early phases of the disease

Lineages and trajectories of change and conflict in Syria

The chapter tries to view the current conflict in Syria from a historical and political perspective. With all the analytical limits of summaries, it highlights the main lineages of social and political conflict in the country: from the major changes that occurred in the 2000’s, to the transformation of the political conflict in 2011 into a full-scale war until late 2016. It also takes a look at the main features of the political regimes that developed alongside the conflict, with a final remark on a possible post-war Syria

Il genio della meraviglia

Raccontare con immagini gli istanti di stupore: un viaggio nel lavoro fotografico di Jacques Henri Lartigu

La voce di chi sparisce, la narrativa di Tiziana Plebani

La scrittura di Tiziana Pleban