Historic Waste Landscapes: possibili strategie di intervento per la città storica contemporanea.

Il lavoro di ricerca mira a fornire uno strumento di lettura progettuale per la città storica contemporanea, oltre che a indagare possibili soluzioni d'intervento mirate a un'integrazione attiva del patrimonio nell'urbanità odierna. La conservazione, come metodologia d'intervento adottata per la tutela del patrimonio architettonico e per la salvaguardia del tessuto antico, è diventata, nel tempo, una pratica sempre più diffusa e condizionante, al punto da costringere intere parti di città a uno stato di alienazione, stasi e atrofia. Gli effetti patologici della sottrazione di questi luoghi dal tempo attivo hanno assunto molteplici forme, interessando l'ambito sociale, economico e spaziale (musealizzazione, gentrificazione, abbandono dei centri storici, marginalizzazione, esclusione, frammentazione), fino a provocare una progressiva esclusione delle permanenze e delle porzioni di tessuto storico dal funzionamento della città contemporanea. Alla luce di queste considerazioni, il lavoro di tesi mira a rispondere a un preciso interrogativo: è possibile immaginare di stabilire, attraverso la progettazione architettonica e urbana, una differente relazione tra permanenze storiche e urbanità odierna, tutelando il valore testimoniale e identitario del patrimonio ma permettendo, al contempo, la sua trasformazione e reimmissione nell'attività ordinaria della città? Perseguendo questo intento, la ricerca ipotizza di "ribaltare lo sguardo", interpretando l'urbanità antica e le sue emergenze non più solo come esempio da cui apprendere, ma come parte di un sistema più complesso, quello contemporaneo, a cui reimparare ad appartenere: le permanenze storiche, dunque, nel loro riscoprirsi in una condizione al di fuori del tempo e dello spazio urbano, vengono intese come "scarto" di un processo metabolico e di crescita che interessa la città di più recente costruzione, mentre la "conservazione" viene descritta come un' anomalia rispetto alla naturale inclinazione dell'urbanità a un funzionamento entropico ed evolutivo. Attraverso la definizione di queste due premesse ipotetiche, il lavoro mira a ritematizzare l'area-studio nelle città storiche, arrivando a definire diverse tipologie di spazi di scarto ("Historic Waste Landscapes"). Fornendo degli strumenti di studio utili per individuare, analizzare e mappare le criticità presenti nei contesti stratificati, si pongono le basi per una successiva riflessione progettuale relativa alla definizione di possibili pratiche d'intervento da adottare per la risignificazione e reimmissione attiva del patrimonio nella città contemporanea

Urban rests and green-between. Connection design strategies for stable scrap and health treatments for contemporary cities

This proposal aims to be a contribution to exploring the role of the architectural and urban project in encouraging actions to improve the health and well-being of the life of city dwellers and the wellness of the cities themselves. Through experimental project on a fragment of city, some principles and criteria of reference are in order to direct urban transformations towards more health-friendly models. Within contemporary cities the linking of residual green spaces represents an opportunity to take care of the city and then a way to be cured by the city, in a development truly sustainable

Personal values in mental disorders: an exploratory analysis

AbstractPersonal values have increasingly become central in socio-psychological research. However, the relationships between values and psychopathological variables have been scarcely investigated, with mixed results. This study aimed to explore potential differences in value orientation in a sample of people with psychotic disorders and mood disorders compared to a non-clinical sample using the Schwarz's values framework. A clinical sample of 162 subjects (92 subjects with psychotic disorders and 70 with mood disorders) and a non-clinical sample of 217 subjects completed the self-report measures of affective states (PANAS) and personal values (PVQ). Irrespective of the diagnostic group, the clinical sample showed higher expression of Conservation values (i.e., Tradition, Conformity, Security). Conservation and Self-enhancement values positively correlated with PANAS-positive affectivity in the clinical sample; in the non-clinical sample, Self-enhancement values only correlated with PANAS-positive affectivity. The expression of Conservation values in individuals with a mental disorder could reflect an orientation toward Conformity underlying fundamental affiliative goals. The complex relationship between personal values and clinical constructs should be further investigated, with important theoretical and clinical implications in mental health

The interplay among psychopathology, personal resources, context-related factors and real-life functioning in schizophrenia: stability in relationships after 4 years and differences in network structure between recovered and non-recovered patients

Improving real-life functioning is the main goal of the most advanced integrated treatment programs in people with schizophrenia. The Italian Network for Research on Psychoses previously explored, by using network analysis, the interplay among illness-related variables, personal resources, context-related factors and real-life functioning in a large sample of patients with schizophrenia. The same research network has now completed a 4-year follow-up of the original sample. In the present study, we used network analysis to test whether the pattern of relationships among all variables investigated at baseline was similar at follow-up. In addition, we compared the network structure of patients who were classified as recovered at follow-up versus those who did not recover. Six hundred eighteen subjects recruited at baseline could be assessed in the follow-up study. The network structure did not change significantly from baseline to follow-up, and the overall strength of the connections among variables increased slightly, but not significantly. Functional capacity and everyday life skills had a high betweenness and closeness in the network at follow-up, as they had at baseline, while psychopathological variables remained more peripheral. The network structure and connectivity of non-recovered patients were similar to those observed in the whole sample, but very different from those in recovered subjects, in which we found few connections only. These data strongly suggest that tightly coupled symptoms/dysfunctions tend to maintain each other's activation, contributing to poor outcome in schizophrenia. Early and integrated treatment plans, targeting variables with high centrality, might prevent the emergence of self-reinforcing networks of symptoms and dysfunctions in people with schizophrenia

The interplay among psychopathology, personal resources, context-related factors and real-life functioning in schizophrenia: stability in relationships after 4 years and differences in network structure between recovered and non-recovered patients

Improving real-life functioning is the main goal of the most advanced integrated treatment programs in people with schizophrenia. The Italian Network for Research on Psychoses previously explored, by using network analysis, the interplay among illness-related variables, personal resources, context-related factors and real-life functioning in a large sample of patients with schizophrenia. The same research network has now completed a 4-year follow-up of the original sample. In the present study, we used network analysis to test whether the pattern of relationships among all variables investigated at baseline was similar at follow-up. In addition, we compared the network structure of patients who were classified as recovered at follow-up versus those who did not recover. Six hundred eighteen subjects recruited at baseline could be assessed in the follow-up study. The network structure did not change significantly from baseline to follow-up, and the overall strength of the connections among variables increased slightly, but not significantly. Functional capacity and everyday life skills had a high betweenness and closeness in the network at follow-up, as they had at baseline, while psychopathological variables remained more peripheral. The network structure and connectivity of non-recovered patients were similar to those observed in the whole sample, but very different from those in recovered subjects, in which we found few connections only. These data strongly suggest that tightly coupled symptoms/dysfunctions tend to maintain each other's activation, contributing to poor outcome in schizophrenia. Early and integrated treatment plans, targeting variables with high centrality, might prevent the emergence of self-reinforcing networks of symptoms and dysfunctions in people with schizophrenia

Sperm Oxidative Stress during In Vitro Manipulation and Its Effects on Sperm Function and Embryo Development

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated at low levels during mitochondrial respiration have key roles in several signaling pathways. Oxidative stress (OS) arises when the generation of ROS exceeds the cell’s antioxidant scavenging ability and leads to cell damage. Physiological ROS production in spermatozoa regulates essential functional characteristics such as motility, capacitation, acrosome reaction, hyperactivation, and sperm-oocyte fusion. OS can have detrimental effects on sperm function through lipid peroxidation, protein damage, and DNA strand breakage, which can eventually affect the fertility of an individual. Substantial evidence in the literature indicates that spermatozoa experiencing OS during in vitro manipulation procedures in human- and animal-assisted reproduction are increasingly associated with iatrogenic ROS production and eventual impairment of sperm function. Although a direct association between sperm OS and human assisted reproductive techniques (ART) outcomes after in vitro fertilization (IVF) and/or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is still a matter of debate, studies in animal models provide enough evidence on the adverse effects of sperm OS in vitro and defective fertilization and embryo development. This review summarized the literature on sperm OS in vitro, its effects on functional ability and embryo development, and the approaches that have been proposed to reduce iatrogenic sperm damage and altered embryonic development

Síntomas del espectro traumático en la población general italiana en el tiempo del brote de COVID-19

Background: Recent evidence showed adverse mental health outcomes associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, including trauma-related symptoms. The Global Psychotrauma Screen (GPS) is a brief instrument designed to assess a broad range of trauma-related symptoms with no available validation in the Italian population. Aims: This study aimed to examine the factor structure of the Italian version of the GPS in a general population sample exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic and to evaluate trauma-related symptoms in the context of COVID-19 related risk factors associated with lockdown measures. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional web-based observational study as part of a long-term monitoring programme of mental health outcomes in the general population. Eighteen thousand one hundred forty-seven participants completed a self-report online questionnaire to collect key demographic data and evaluate trauma-related symptoms using the GPS, PHQ-9, GAD-7, ISI, and PSS. Validation analyses included both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analyses. The relation with putative COVID-19 related risk factors was explored by multivariate regression analysis. Results: Exploratory factor analyses supported a two-factor model. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the best fitting model was a three-factor solution, with core Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms (PTSS) (re-experiencing, avoidance, hyperarousal), Negative Affect (symptoms of depressed mood, anxiety, irritability), and Dissociative symptoms. GPS Risk factors and specific COVID-19 related stressful events were associated with GPS total and the three factor scores. Conclusions: Our data suggest that a wide range of trauma-spectrum symptoms were reported by a large Italian sample during the COVID-19 pandemic. The GPS symptoms clustered best in three factors: Negative Affect symptoms, Core PTSS, and Dissociative symptoms. In particular, high rates of core PTSS and negative affect symptoms were associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy and should be routinely assessed in clinical practice

Molecular characterization and drug susceptibility of non-O1/O139 V. cholerae strains of seafood, environmental and clinical origin, Italy

Toxigenic and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and genetic relatedness of 42 non-O1/O139 V. cholerae strains, the majority of them isolated from seafood and marine water of the Adriatic sea, Italy, and 9 clinical strains, two of which with seawater of the Adriatic as the source of infection, were studied. All strains had hlyA El Tor gene but lacked ctxA gene. Four and two isolates, respectively, also had stn/sto and tcpA Class genes. More than 90% of strains showed susceptibility to cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin, cloramphenicol, tetracycline, trimethoprim þ sulfamethoxazole and intermediate or full resistance to tetracycline and erythromycin. Six strains of seafood and clinical source were multi-drug resistant. PFGE analysis allowed to type all the strains with 50 banding patterns. Twenty-one strains, 11 and 8 from seafood and seawater, respectively, and 2 of clinical origin, were grouped into 9 different clusters. We report the presence of toxigenic and multidrug resistant non-O1/O139 V. cholerae strains in Adriatic, some of which genetically related, and support that they represent a potential reservoir of toxin and antibiotic resistance genes

Glitching. Processi dinamici e azioni evolutive per la rigenerazione urbana

L'area di Santa Giulia a Milano è caratterizzata da molteplici relazioni a livello territoriale e urbano. Questo complesso quadro relazionale richiede una riflessione sulle dinamiche di evoluzione ambientale, economica e sociale che potrebbero verificarsi a breve e lungo termine, con implicazioni significative sui futuri processi di rigenerazione urbana. L'imprevedibilità dei cambiamenti negli utenti, nelle funzioni, negli scenari climatici, nelle attività socioeconomiche e nel mercato immobiliare non richiede un progetto statico e immutabile, ma un sistema di interventi in grado di adattarsi ed evolvere rispetto ad alcune relazioni emergenti, aperte e in costante cambiamento. La proposta di progetto per l'insediamento di via Medici del Vascello mira a un modello che rompe gli schemi di pianificazione utilizzati finora, generando un "errore nel sistema urbano": un "glitch". L'idea del glitch è di creare un disturbo per alterare l'equilibrio, interrompere una logica di insediamento dedicata alla completezza funzionale e formale, iper-efficiente ma incapace di relazionarsi con l'ambiente circostante, finalizzato alla chiusura, destinato all'isolamento e all'autoesclusione. La proposta di progetto del team Coast2Coast mira a invertire l'approccio alla base della pratica di pianificazione degli ultimi decenni, proponendo non un distretto autosufficiente ma concependo la possibilità di riattivare e ricollegare diverse parti della città attraverso processi dinamici e azioni evolutive di rigenerazione urbana.Santa Giulia area in Milan is characterized by multiple territorial and urban level relationships. This complex relational framework requires a reflection on the dynamics of environmental, economic and social evolution that could occur from the short to the long term, with significant implications on forthcoming urban regeneration processes. The unpredictability of changes in users, functions, climate scenarios, socio-economic assets and real estate market requires not a static and immutable project, but a system of interventions capable of adaptation and evolution with respect to some emerging, open and constantly changing relationships. The project proposal for via Medici del Vascello settlement aims at a model that breaks the planning schemes perpetuated so far, generating a “mistake in the urban system”: a “glitch”. The idea of the glitch is to create a disturbance to alter the balance, to disrupt a settlement logic devoted to functional and formal completeness, hyper-efficient but unable to relate with the surroundings, aimed at closure, fated to isolation and self-exclusion. Coast2Coast team’s project proposal aims to invert the approach behind the planning practice of the last decades, no longer proposing a self-sufficient district but rather conceiving the chance to reactivate and reconnect different parts of the city through dynamic processes and evolutionary actions of urban regeneration

Glitching. Processi dinamici e azioni evolutive per la rigenerazione urbana.

Santa Giulia area in Milan is characterized by multiple territorial and urban level relationships. This complex relational framework requires a reflection on the dynamics of environmental, economic and social evolution that could occur from the short to the long term, with significant implications on forthcoming urban regeneration processes. The unpredictability of changes in users, functions, climate scenarios, socio-economic assets and real estate market requires not a static and immutable project, but a system of interventions, capable of adaptation and evolution with respect to some emerging, open and constantly changing relationships. The project proposal for via Medici del Vascello settlement aims at a model that breaks the planning schemes perpetuated so far, generating a “mistake in the urban system”: a “glitch”. The idea of the glitch is to create a disturbance to alter the balance, to disrupt a settlement logic devoted to functional and formal completeness, hyper-efficient but unable to relate with the surroundings, aimed at closure, fated to isolation and self-exclusion. Coast2Coast team’s project proposal aims to invert the approach behind the planning practice of the last decades, no longer proposing a self-sufficient district but rather conceiving the chance to reactivate and reconnect different parts of the city through dynamic processes and evolutionary actions of urban regeneration