Chronic Kidney Disease and Its Relationship with Mental Health: Allostatic Load Perspective for Integrated Care

Background: Chronic renal failure is a chronic medical condition characterized by a progressive and irreversible loss of kidney function. Up to 50% of patients undergoing dialysis experience symptoms of depression and anxiety: what is the impact of individual factors and medical conditions on the mental health issue? The present study was carried out to investigate the individual factors (biomarkers and psychological dimensions) of end-stage renal disease patients dealing with dialysis, analyzing their predictor values for developing negative disease adaptations by an allostatic paradigm. Methods: We conducted an observational study on 35 patients affected by end-stage renal disease; biological and psychological markers have been detected. We conducted descriptive statistical analyses (t-tests) and performed a hierarchical regression analysis to investigate the relationship between pathological medical conditions and psychological dimensions. Results: The findings showed a positive correlation between creatinine levels and psychological distress as well as stress index. No significant effect of “time of dialysis”, “time from diagnosis”, “age” and “personality traits” was found. Conclusion: Our findings showed that personality traits did not represent a protective factor by moderating positive emotional adaptations; conversely, creatinine levels appeared predictive for negative emotional adaptations. High levels of creatinine were found to be positively associated with high stress levels as well psychological distress. According to the allostatic paradigm, end-stage renal disease patients could experience an allostatic load and more overload towards poor health outcomes; integrated biological and psychological measurements could prevent increased negative mental health through a patient-centered approach

INTERVENTI DI BONIFICA DA RADON: L’ESPERIENZA DEGLI EDIFICI SCOLASTICI NEL SALENTO

Il monitoraggio di 438 edifici scolastici della Provincia di Lecce, effettuato nell’ambito di una campagna di misure tra il 2005/2006, ha evidenziato una concentrazione media di radon pari a 209±9 Bq/m3, valore di gran lunga superiore a quella stimata per la Puglia 52±2 Bq/m3. L’analisi dei dati ha mostrato che il 7% delle scuole necessitava di azioni di bonifica e a tal fine è stato predisposto un dettagliato protocollo di intervento sottoponendo a bonifica inizialmente sedici edifici scolastici. La totalità degli interventi realizzati ha riguardato prevalentemente la depressurizzazione del suolo o del vespaio mediante sistemi di aspirazione con tubazioni in verticale e/o orizzontale. Nella maggior parte dei casi si sono ottenute buone percentuali di abbattimento tuttavia comprese tra 20 - 90%, attestate con misure di monitoraggio annuo

Critical aspects of radon remediation in karst limestone areas: some experiences in schools of South Italy

The final results of radon monitoring in 438 schools located in the province of Lecce (Puglia Region, South Italy) showed an average radon concentration of 215 ± 20 Bq m(-3) and that 7% of schools exceeded 500 Bq m(-3), the current Italian action level for radon in workplaces, and consequently required remedial actions. The activity described in the present paper includes the main elements of the remediation project in a subgroup of school buildings. The main radon control systems adopted were sub-slab depressurization (in 57% of schools) and the active ventilation of the crawlspace (in 21% of schools). This experience allows us to put in evidence relevant critical aspects, such as the influence of the karstic nature of the area, the optimization of remediation, the architectural constraints in the case of buildings of architectural or historical interest, which are discussion herein. Moreover, considering the new reference level for radon in workplaces introduced by the new EU Basic Safety Standards, a new analysis of data, achieved in the first survey, highlighted that 20% of schools need to be remediated

Analysis of the experience gained by radon remediation in some school buildings located in the South Italy: detailed consideration of the technical, methodological and economic considerations

Starting from a pilot study carried out in 438 schools located in Puglia, a region in South Italy, a plan of mitigation actions has been designed and realized in building in which the Italian national radon action level (500 Bq/m3 as annual average radon concentration) was exceeded. Data analysis showed that 7% of schools needed of remedial actions which were supported by a unique measurement protocol. The measurement protocol consists of time integrated monitoring by SSNTD and electrets (EIC) dosimeters and active measurements by ionization chambers. The remedial actions, carried out in twelve schools, identified according to the building characteristics and radon average levels, resulted in an effectiveness between 65 - 85%. Particular attention has been paid to the managing procedure of suction systems in order to reduce the overheads. The different mitigation plans have been discussed with local administrations and take into account both stringent structural requirements and ease of implementation. The obtained efficiencies were higher or lower depending on the modality in which the mitigation plan was carried out. In particular, in the case of soil depressurization, a low percentage of gas reduction was obtained when pipes were vertically housed with the method of drilling and not through excavation

Il Mito del Nemico. Identita\u300, alterita\u300 e loro rappresentazioni. The Myth of the Enemy. Alterity, identity, and their representations.

Con un\u2019ampia gamma di saggi, il volume affronta lo studio dell\u2019alterita\u300, dal Medioevo all\u2019Eta\u300 contemporanea, attraverso una prospettiva interdisciplinare, che consente di abbracciare la categoria fluida e soggettiva del "nemico", scrutandola in specifici contesti e seguendola nei suoi diversi paradigmi e trasformazioni. Cinquanta autori si confrontano con il mito mutevole del nemico, mettendo a fuoco i processi figurativi e le dinamiche ideative, all\u2019origine delle molteplici costruzioni dell\u2019alterita\u300. Organizzato tematicamente e in maniera comparata, il volume assume, di volta in volta, focus privilegiati, quali meraviglia, fascinazione, appropriazione, satira, facendo emergere un nemico arbitrario, in cui connessioni tra finzione e fobia, gerarchie e propaganda, concorrono a determinare pericolosita\u300 strategiche e modalita\u300 di assimilazione. Un mito del nemico dunque riconoscibile nelle mistificazioni di ebrei, musulmani, turchi, mori, protestanti, convertiti, non-cattolici in genere; africani, nativi americani, orientali, non-europei, e non-bianchi in genere, come pure dissidenti, e nemici in ambito politico. Vi si ritrova inoltre il nemico diventato pretesto e linfa per giustificazioni imperialistiche e coloniali. Il volume mette al centro i ruoli del diverso nell\u2019immaginario artistico e letterario, sollevando infine interrogativi circa la definizione di identita\u300 e civilta\u300. Oltre ad analisi che si concentrano sull\u2019Europa centro-occidentale, coinvolge approfondimenti su questioni inerenti i paesi mediterranei, l\u2019Est Europa, l\u2019Asia e il continente americano. Il volume, che include scritti di storia dell\u2019arte, letteratura, storia, antropologia visuale, storia del collezionismo, iconologia politica, storia delle idee e filosofia giuridica, e\u300 pensato come visione sfaccettata e di ampio respiro, su un fenomeno sfuggente e complesso, quanto di estrema attualita\u300.With its diverse essays, this volume examines the study of otherness, from the Middle Ages to the contemporary age, through an interdisciplinary perspective that embraces the subjective and fluid category of the enemy in specific contexts and in its different paradigms and transformations. Fifty authors tackle the myth of the enemy and uncover figurative processes and intellectual dynamics behind the constructions of otherness. Thematically and comparatively structured, the book considers specific themes, such as wonder, fascination, appropriation, and satire. It reveals an arbitrary enemy, in which connections between fiction and phobia, hierarchies and propaganda determine strategic defamation and modes of assimilation. The myth of the enemy is here recognizable in the mystification of Jews, Muslims, Turks, Moors, Protestants, converts, and non-Catholics in general; Africans, Native Americans, Asians, non-Europeans, and non-whites in general; dissidents, and enemies in the political sphere. We can also see how the enemy, as a convenient device, was used for imperialist and colonial justifications. In addition, the volume focuses on the roles of diversity in the artistic and literary imagination. Finally, it raises questions about the definition of identity and civilization. The volume transcends exclusively western and central European conceptions and offers insight into the Mediterranean, Eastern European, Asian, and American viewpoints. It includes essays from art history, literature, history, collecting studies, visual anthropology, political iconology, the history of ideas, and legal philosophy. It offers a multifaceted and comprehensive exploration of an elusive, complex, and highly topical phenomenon