Flood Protection in Venice under Conditions of Sea-Level Rise: An Analysis of Institutional and Technical Measures

It is widely acknowledged that in times of climate change loss of coastal resources and risk for human life can be minimized by implementing adaptation strategies. Such strategies need to encompass a balanced mix of non-structural (institutional) and structural (technical) measures based on sound scientific knowledge. This article discusses measures carried out to protect the city of Venice, Italy from flooding (locally known as “high water”), and reflects on their ability to anticipate a possible acceleration of sea-level rise as induced by climate change. It is based on scientific literature, legislative and policy documents of key institutions, reports and documents of organizations working on Venice issues, newspaper articles, and interviews. Our analysis shows that the synergic action of the hydraulic defense infrastructure under construction is in principle adequate to withstand a broad range of sea-level rise scenarios for the next 100 years. However, when the goal is to use these investments effectively major changes in the existing institutional arrangements will be required in the years to come. The Venice findings point out the difficulties and yet the importance of identifying and implementing both non-structural and structural measures to adapt to climate change

L'abuso sessuale nei bambini prepuberi. Requisiti e raccomandazioni per una valutazione appropriata

Il testo, in assenza di una specifica formazione universitaria, ha lo scopo di fornire un aiuto ai professionisti medici che si trovano a valutare un soggetto prepubere con sospetto di abuso sessuale. Esso non costituisce una linea-guida per la diagnosi di abuso sessuale, ma definisce alcuni requisiti essenziali e diffonde alcune conoscenze per evitare errori che possano ripercuotersi negativamente sulla valutazione. Sovente il professionista che si trova ad effettuare la prima valutazione pu\uf2 non avere le sufficienti competenze ed \ue8 quindi necessario acquisire le conoscenze che permettano di minimizzare il rischio di errori in un settore di particolare complessit\ue0

Event-Related Potentials and Recognition Memory: The Effect of Word Imagery Value

Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from 11 healthy Ss during a recognition memory task. Ss were auditorily presented with 160 target words and, after about 10 min, they were engaged in a recognition task. Ss were required to determine on each of 320 trials if the word was never before presented or heard previously. 160 stimuli (80 target and 80 non-target) were high imagery words and the remaining 160 stimuli were low imagery words. Results confirm the hypothesis that negative components as N400 could reflect processes occurring during the memory retrieval of item

La procreazione medicalmente assistita nell'Europa dei quindici : uno studio comparatistico

Questo lavoro ha l'ambizione di presentare una rassegna aggiornata delle normative sulla procreazione assistita esistenti nei Paesi della Comunit\ue0 Europea, sia pur limitatamente al gruppo dei quindici fondatori. L'opera \ue8 incentrata sull'esame comparato dei principali temi affrontati dalle normative nazionali. Il testo \ue8 integrato dalla normativa nazionale europea presentata in forma integrale e tradotta

Event Related Potentials and Recognition Memory within the "Levels of Processing" Framework

Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from nine subjects during an incidental memory paradigm. During the study phase subjects were engaged in two tasks requiring semantic and rhyming decisions. During the test phase, subjects were required to decide on each of 320 trials if the word was 'new' (never before presented) or 'old' (seen previously). Results showed that semantic old words were more often recognized than rhyming ones. ERPs to new words were more negative than ERPs to old words in the 400-800 latency range. ERPs to semantic old words were more positive than ERPs to rhyming ones in the same latency range. The difference between ERPs to semantic and rhyming old words confirms a relationship between ERPs and memory

Qualit\ue0 dell\u2019informazione fornita nel corso di procedure di consenso informato in un campione di pazienti ginecologiche. Implicazioni clinico-gestionali e giudiziarie

Le procedure di consenso ad un trattamento medico costituiscono sempre pi\uf9 una questione multiproblematica, investendo aspetti clinici (essendo una parte della relazione medico-paziente), legali (in relazione all\u2019espansione del contenzioso centrato sull\u2019inadeguatezza dell\u2019informazione) ed anche bioetici (1). La letteratura pi\uf9 recente denota chiaramente la consapevolezza da parte dei medici che il consenso non \ue8 un documento ma un processo (2-4) e, pi\uf9 in dettaglio, un processo basato su una relazione a finalit\ue0 informativa. Lavori meno recenti hanno indagato la ritenzione delle informazioni che \ue8 caratterizzata da risultati generalmente insoddisfacenti (5-10). Lo sforzo attuale della ricerca \ue8 prevalentemente rivolto ad individuare le procedure di informazione pi\uf9 funzionali ad un processo informativo efficace (11), anche mediante l\u2019impiego di supporti multimediali (12-13) D\u2019altra parte, si anche rilevato che uno specifico addestramento del personale medico determina un miglioramento dell\u2019informazione (14). Nell\u2019ambito di un processo di miglioramento delle pratiche cliniche della principale clinica ostetrico ginecologica di Milano (Clinica L. Mangiagalli), anche in relazione all\u2019eventualit\ue0 di contenzioso giudiziario, \ue8 stato intrapreso questo studio, basato sull\u2019analisi dell\u2019efficacia e del gradimento dell\u2019informazione. Questo studio costituisce la base conoscitiva neceThe evaluation of Informed Consent effectiveness for surgical procedures in Gynecology was the goal of this study. From 1.06.2006 to 30.04.2007 in Mangiagalli Hospital 250 in-patients submitted to elective gynecological surgery filled up a set of questions about Informed Consent. The age of patients was 16-80 years; 90.0 % were Italians; 97.9% were informed from gynecologist before surgical procedures. The recollection of information on surgical complications was 0% -44.4%. The opinion on information received was in relation to age and education of patient. The present study suggest that a better information is accomplished explaining the pathogenesis of surgical complications and communicating in a plain languag