Paisajes protohistóricos en Cerdeña (Italia): Control territorial y explotación de recursos naturales en las edades del Bronce Pleno y Tardío

During the Bronze Age, in many Western Mediterranean areas (Spain, France, Italian peninsula, islands), we can observe the development of a series of fortified centers and structures, often on high places, aimed to the defense of strategic locations and resources. These fortifications, which began to be built from the Copper Age, are the answer to a need for possession and control of the territory linked to a greater degree of social complexity, with an ever-increasing hierarchy and the rise to power of persons or groups who very often show the possession of weapons and, consequently, can be related to warlike activities. In Sardinia, Nuragic phenomenon developed during Protohistoy: an extraordinary culture ranging from the Middle to Late Bronze Age (XVIII-XII centuries BC), some of whose features could last from Final Bronze Age until the beginnings of Iron Age (XI-VIII centuries BC), characterized by the buil ding of great monuments, especially nuraghi, cyclopean-type constructions similar to towers. These great buildings have multiple functions, but in particular were used to surveil the whole island territory. We have mainly carried out different GIS analyzes on different sample areas with the aim to reading the visual-perceptive aspects and to try to research about the relationship between settlements and territory and the mobility systems across different territories through the applying of the least-cost path analysis. Reconstruction of certain characteristics of Sardinian Protohistoric Landscape in these areas is achieved. GIS-based analysis show how these territorial control systems, consisting of several nuraghi and settlements, were intended to control the most important natural and economic resources and transit routes.Durante la Edad del Bronce, en muchas áreas del Mediterráneo occidental (España, Francia, península italiana, islas), podemos observar el desarrollo de una serie de centros y estructuras fortificadas, a menudo en lugares altos, destinados a la defensa de ubicaciones estratégicas y recursos. Estas fortificaciones, que comenzaron a construirse a partir de la Edad del Cobre, son la respuesta a la necesidad de apropiación y control del territorio vinculada a un mayor grado de complejidad social, con una jerarquía cada vez mayor y el ascenso al poder de personas o grupos, que a menudo muestran la posesión de armas y, en consecuencia, pueden estar relacionados con actividades bélicas. En Cerdeña, el fenómeno nurágico se desarrolló durante la Prehistoria Reciente: una cultura extraordinaria que abarca desde la Edad del Bronce Media hasta la Tardía (siglos XVIII-XII a.C.), algunas de cuyas características podrían perdurar desde la Edad del Bronce Final hasta el comienzo de la Edad del Hierro (siglos XI-VIII a.C.), que se caracteriza por la construcción de grandes monumentos, especialmente nuraghi, construcciones de tipo ciclópeo similares a las torres. Estos grandes edificios tienen múltiples funciones, pero en particular se destinaron a vigilar todo el territorio de la isla. Principalmente hemos llevado a cabo diferentes análisis de SIG en distintas áreas de muestra con el objetivo de leer los aspectos relacionados con la percepción visual y tratar de investigar la relación entre los asentamientos y el territorio así como los sistemas de movilidad en diferentes territorios mediante la aplicación de herramientas destinadas a calcular las rutas óptimas. De esta forma, se logra la reconstrucción de ciertas características del paisaje protohistórico sardo en estas áreas. El análisis basado en SIG muestra que estos sistemas de control territorial, que consisten en varios nuraghi y asentamientos, tenían la intención de controlar los recursos naturales y económicos más importantes y las rutas de tránsito

Analisi territoriali in un’area della Sardegna centromeridionale: modelli ubicativi durante l’età del Bronzo

The territory of Sarcidano is very important for the study of the settlements of the Nuragic population in the central-southern Sardinia (Italy), as the archaeological evidence of the late phases of Bronze Age and Early Iron Age shows. In particular, the great sanctuary of Santa Vittoria at Serri stands out on the homonymous plateau and exercises a control of the surrounding territory, corresponding in whole or part to the territories of the Serri, Escolca, Gergei, Isili, and Nurri municipalities. In this work, we experimented with an analytical procedure not yet widely used in the study of settlement processes in the Bronze and Iron Ages: that of Spatial Autocorrelation Techniques. The advantage of this approach lies in the fact that it not only shows spatial relationships, but does so on the basis of different values connected to the spatial data. Results showed that the Nuragic monuments were built near routes of passage so as to control the valleys below the basalt plains. This demonstrates the existence of a specific and organized approach for exploiting and monitoring the landscape, in which settlement choices depend on functionality criteria, with both nuraghi and villages having a key role on the strategic control of the territory

High dose sequential chemotherapy with autologous transplantation versus dose-dense chemotherapy MegaCEOP as first line treatment in poor-prognosis diffuse large cell lymphoma: an Intergruppo Italiano Linfomi randomized trial

Background and Objectives. Poor prognosis diffuse large cell lymphoma (DLCL) responds poorly to standard chemotherapy. Randomized studies comparing high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) against standard chemotherapy have produced conflicting results. Dose-dense chemotherapy with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) support seems to hold promise. The purpose of this multicenter, randomized trial was to compare failure-free and overall survival in patients with poor prognosis DLCL treated with high-dose sequential (HDS) chemotherapy followed by ASCT or an outpatient dose-dense chemotherapy regimen (MegaCEOP). Design and Methods. Between 1996 and 2001, 130 DLCL patients, aged <= 60 years, with intermediate-high or high-risk disease, according to the International Prognostic Index score, and/or bone marrow involvement were enrolled. Sixty were randomized to HDS chemotherapy plus high-dose mitoxantrone and melphalan with ASCT (arm A) and 66 to the MegaCEOP regimen (6-8 courses of an escalated dose of cyclophosphamide and epirubicin plus vincristine and prednisone with G-CSF every 2-weeks) (arm B); 4 patients were considered ineligible. Results. The complete remission rate was 59% in arm A and 70% in arm B (p=0.18). After a median follow-up of 78 months, the 6-year failure-free survival was 45% in arm A and 48% in arm B (hazard ratio=1.15, 95% confidence intervals =0.72-1.84, p=0.56). The 5-year overall survival was 49% in arm A and 63% in arm B (hazard ratio=1.67, 95% confidence interval=0.98-2.85, p=0.06). Two cases of secondary acute myeloid leukemia were observed after treatment in group A. Interpretations and Conclusions. HDS and ASCT as initial therapy for patients with poor-prognosis DLCL does not provide a benefit over that of outpatient dose-dense MegaCEOP chemotherapy

L’accordo di programma tra Università di Cagliari, di Granada (Spagna) e il Comune di Serri: risultati e prospettive di ricerca

Si presentano i primi risultati e le prospettive di ricerca nell’ambito dell’accordo di programma fra le Università di Cagliari e Granada ed il Comune di Serri.We present the first results and the perspectives of research under the program agreement between the University of Cagliari and Granada and the Municipality of Serri.Se presentan los primeros resultados y las perspectivas de investigación en el ámbito del convenio entre las Universidades de Cagliari y Granada y el municipio de Serri

The lifetime prevalence and impact of generalized anxiety disorders in an epidemiologic Italian National Survey carried out by clinicians by means of semi-structured interviews

Background: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one of the most reported diagnoses in psychiatry, but there is some discrepancy between the cases identified in community studies and those identified in tertiary care. This study set out to evaluate whether the use of clinicians as interviewers may provide estimates in a community survey close to those observed in primary or specialized care. Methods: This is a community survey on a randomly selected sample of 2338 adult subjects. The Advanced Neuropsychiatric Tools and Assessment Schedule (ANTAS) was administered by clinicians, providing lifetime diagnosis based on the DSM-IV-TR. Health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) was measured with the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12). Results: Overall, 55 (2.3%) subjects met the criteria for GAD, with greater prevalence in women (3.6%) than in men (0.9%): OR = 4.02; 95%CI: 1.96–8.26. Up to 40% of those with GAD had at least another diagnosis of mood, anxiety, or eating disorders. The mean score of SF-12 in people with GAD was 32.33 ± 6.8, with a higher attributable burden than in other conditions except for major depressive disorder. Conclusions: We found a relatively lower lifetime prevalence of GAD than in community surveys based on lay interviewers and a structured interview. The identified cases of GAD showed a strong impact on the quality of life regardless of co-morbidity and high risk in women, suggesting a profile similar to the one identified from studies in primary and specialized care

Active elderly and health-can moderate exercise improve health and wellbeing in older adults? Protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Background: Aging is marked by a progressive rise in chronic diseases with an impact on social and healthcare costs. Physical activity (PA) may soothe the inconveniences related to chronic diseases, has positive effects on the quality of life and biological rhythms, and can prevent the decline in motor functions and the consequent falls, which are associated with early death and disability in older adults. Methods: We randomized 120 over-65 males and females into groups of similar size and timing and will give each either moderate physical activity or cultural and recreational activities. Being younger than 65 years, inability to participate in physical activity for any medical reason, and involvement in a massive program of physical exercise are the exclusion criteria. The primary outcome measures are quality of life, walking speed, and postural sway. Participants are tested at baseline, post-treatment, and 6-month (24 weeks) and 12-month (48 weeks) follow-ups. Discussion: This study aims at improving the quality of life, wellness, and cognitive functioning in the elderly through a low-cost affordable program of moderate physical activity. Given the growing aging of the world population and the social and economic burden of disability in the elderly, our results might have a major impact on future practices

Intelligenza artificiale e sicurezza: opportunità, rischi e raccomandazioni

L'IA (o intelligenza artificiale) è una disciplina in forte espansione negli ultimi anni e lo sarà sempre più nel prossimo futuro: tuttavia è dal 1956 che l’IA studia l’emulazione dell’intelligenza da parte delle macchine, intese come software e in certi casi hardware. L’IA è nata dall’idea di costruire macchine che - ispirandosi ai processi legati all’intelligenza umana - siano in grado di risolvere problemi complessi, per i quali solitamente si ritiene che sia necessario un qualche tipo di ragionamento intelligente. La principale area di ricerca e applicazione attuale dell’IA è il machine learning (algoritmi che imparano e si adattano in base ai dati che ricevono), che negli ultimi anni ha trovato ampie applicazioni grazie alle reti neurali (modelli matematici composti da neuroni artificiali) che a loro volta hanno consentito la nascita del deep learning (reti neurali di maggiore complessità). Appartengono al mondo dell’IA anche i sistemi esperti, la visione artificiale, il riconoscimento vocale, l’elaborazione del linguaggio naturale, la robotica avanzata e alcune soluzioni di cybersecurity. Quando si parla di IA c'è chi ne è entusiasta pensando alle opportunità, altri sono preoccupati poiché temono tecnologie futuristiche di un mondo in cui i robot sostituiranno l'uomo, gli toglieranno il lavoro e decideranno al suo posto. In realtà l'IA è ampiamente utilizzata già oggi in molti campi, ad esempio nei cellulari, negli oggetti smart (IoT), nelle industry 4.0, per le smart city, nei sistemi di sicurezza informatica, nei sistemi di guida autonoma (drive o parking assistant), nei chat bot di vari siti web; questi sono solo alcuni esempi basati tutti su algoritmi tipici dell’intelligenza artificiale. Grazie all'IA le aziende possono avere svariati vantaggi nel fornire servizi avanzati, personalizzati, prevedere trend, anticipare le scelte degli utenti, ecc. Ma non è tutto oro quel che luccica: ci sono talvolta problemi tecnici, interrogativi etici, rischi di sicurezza, norme e legislazioni non del tutto chiare. Le organizzazioni che già adottano soluzioni basate sull’IA, o quelle che intendono farlo, potrebbero beneficiare di questa pubblicazione per approfondirne le opportunità, i rischi e le relative contromisure. La Community for Security del Clusit si augura che questa pubblicazione possa fornire ai lettori un utile quadro d’insieme di una realtà, come l’intelligenza artificiale, che ci accompagnerà sempre più nella vita personale, sociale e lavorativa.AI (or artificial intelligence) is a booming discipline in recent years and will be increasingly so in the near future.However, it is since 1956 that AI has been studying the emulation of intelligence by machines, understood as software and in some cases hardware. AI arose from the idea of building machines that-inspired by processes related to human intelligence-are able to solve complex problems, for which it is usually believed that some kind of intelligent reasoning is required. The main current area of AI research and application is machine learning (algorithms that learn and adapt based on the data they receive), which has found wide applications in recent years thanks to neural networks (mathematical models composed of artificial neurons), which in turn have enabled the emergence of deep learning (neural networks of greater complexity). Also belonging to the AI world are expert systems, computer vision, speech recognition, natural language processing, advanced robotics and some cybersecurity solutions. When it comes to AI there are those who are enthusiastic about it thinking of the opportunities, others are concerned as they fear futuristic technologies of a world where robots will replace humans, take away their jobs and make decisions for them. In reality, AI is already widely used in many fields, for example, in cell phones, smart objects (IoT), industries 4.0, for smart cities, cybersecurity systems, autonomous driving systems (drive or parking assistant), chat bots on various websites; these are just a few examples all based on typical artificial intelligence algorithms. Thanks to AI, companies can have a variety of advantages in providing advanced, personalized services, predicting trends, anticipating user choices, etc. But not all that glitters is gold: there are sometimes technical problems, ethical questions, security risks, and standards and legislation that are not entirely clear. Organizations already adopting AI-based solutions, or those planning to do so, could benefit from this publication to learn more about the opportunities, risks, and related countermeasures. Clusit's Community for Security hopes that this publication will provide readers with a useful overview of a reality, such as artificial intelligence, that will increasingly accompany us in our personal, social and working lives

Modulation of Genetic Associations with Serum Urate Levels by Body-Mass-Index in Humans

We tested for interactions between body mass index (BMI) and common genetic variants affecting serum urate levels, genome-wide, in up to 42569 participants. Both stratified genome-wide association (GWAS) analyses, in lean, overweight and obese individuals, and regression-type analyses in a non BMI-stratified overall sample were performed. The former did not uncover any novel locus with a major main effect, but supported modulation of effects for some known and potentially new urate loci. The latter highlighted a SNP at RBFOX3 reaching genome-wide significant level (effect size 0.014, 95% CI 0.008-0.02, P-inter= 2.6 x 10(-8)). Two top loci in interaction term analyses, RBFOX3 and ERO1LB-EDAR-ADD, also displayed suggestive differences in main effect size between the lean and obese strata. All top ranking loci for urate effect differences between BMI categories were novel and most had small magnitude but opposite direction effects between strata. They include the locus RBMS1-TANK (men, Pdifflean-overweight= 4.7 x 10(-8)), a region that has been associated with several obesity related traits, and TSPYL5 (men, Pdifflean-overweight= 9.1 x 10(-8)), regulating adipocytes-produced estradiol. The top-ranking known urate loci was ABCG2, the strongest known gout risk locus, with an effect halved in obese compared to lean men (Pdifflean-obese= 2 x 10(-4)). Finally, pathway analysis suggested a role for N-glycan biosynthesis as a prominent urate-associated pathway in the lean stratum. These results illustrate a potentially powerful way to monitor changes occurring in obesogenic environment.Peer reviewe