Landscape Maintenance and Farming in the Alps: From Family Firms Up-Keeping to Inter-Institutional Arrangements

This contribution discusses assets and limits of the local/territorial level as a core level to improve the sustainability of agriculture. The focus is on the issue of rural landscape maintenance through farming. Some possible institutional solutions to overcome the difficulties of family farms are examined. New institutional settings such as the "local group", constituting an interface for the negotiation among different local stakeholders, seem to effectively facilitate the stipulation of local contracts for landscape management. The participation to these contracts requires a change in farmers' identity and a more general re-conceptualization of agricultural and environmental problems as community problems.Land use, Participatory approach, Rural development, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Land Economics/Use,

Energy retrofitting of urban buildings: A socio-spatial analysis of three mid-sized Italian cities

3The current paper analyses the issue of energy retrofitting of buildings in Italian cities. In particular a mixed-method approach is used combining the socio-spatial analysis of data on the most relevant policy tool, namely tax deduction, together with qualitative analysis of three case studies of middle-sized cities. The results show that on the one hand tax deduction has not been very effective in promoting a deep renovation of buildings and it may exacerbate already existing inequalities. On the other hand, it emerges that progress in eco-retrofit of buildings depends mainly on creation of new intermediators and intermediation incentives. They are increasingly necessary in an urban panorama that has become inevitably polycentric.partially_openembargoed_20220430Natalia Magnani; Giovanni Carrosio; Giorgio OstiMagnani, Natalia; Carrosio, Giovanni; Osti, Giorgi

The Inhibitory Effect of ddC on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Replication Diminishes in Cells that are Chronically Exposed to the Drug

One possible explanation for the failure of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) antiretroviral inhibitors to block the clinical progression of the infection may be a failure to maintain adequate drug levels at the site of viral replication. We have previously found that exposure of human monoblastoid cells (U937) for several months to a therapeutically relevant concentration (0.1 μM) of 2′,3′-dideoxycytidine (zalcitabine, ddC) allowed the isolation of a drug-resistant cell line characterized by a normal drug transport but a reduced ability to accumulate 2′,3′-dideoxycytidine 5′-triphosphate (the active antiretroviral form of the drug). In this paper we show that the drug-resistant cells were indistinguishable from normal cells in terms of surface CD4 receptors. The susceptibility of parental and ddC-resistant U937 cells to infection by HIV-1 was similar, as measured by proviral DNA formation. However, HIV-1 p24 production and the number of infectious virus particles produced were significantly lower in the drug-resistant compared to control cells. Addition of 0.1 μM ddC inhibited viral production by up to 92% in the control cells but had no effect on ddC-resistant cells. Thus, human cells exposed to therapeutically relevant ddC concentrations for several months show a reduced ddC anabolism and allow ddC-sensitive HIV-1 to replicate in the presence of inhibitory ddC concentrations

Impara l'Arte!

Chiunque si occupi di Riabilitazione in Psichiatria e de-sideri confrontarsi con un testo che valichi il solito ma-nuale applicativo di tecniche pi\uf9 o meno standardizza-te e pi\uf9 o meno scientifiche, ma che al contempo non sia nemmeno una ascetico manuale esclusivamente teorico, ben pi\uf9 simile a un polveroso tomo di filosofia, credo possa sentirsi sollevato, perch\ue9 ritengo che que-ste pagine siano proprio l\u2019oggetto della sua tanto sof-ferta ricerca

Un gruppo di microcredito presso il Centro di Salute Mentale di Carpi: risultati di efficacia ed efficienza.

Il sistema di prestiti del microcredito investe sulla creativit\ue0 dell\u2019individuo, stimolando la persona a sviluppare le sue potenzialit\ue0. Ci\uf2 pu\uf2 portare al raggiungimento di obiettivi importanti e tradursi nella genesi di un senso di valore, di autostima e di orgoglio. Questi sono fattori che giocano un ruolo importante nell\u2019eziologia di alcuni disturbi mentali caratterizzati proprio da una serie di condizioni psicologiche che impediscono il pieno sviluppo della persona sul piano individuale, relazionale e sociale. Sulla base di queste considerazioni, nel 2007, \ue8 stato attivato un programma di microcredito a forma gruppale per pazienti psichiatrici in carico al Centro di Salute Mentale di Carpi, Modena. L\u2019obiettivo dello studio \ue8 valutare l\u2019efficacia e l\u2019efficienza dell\u2019intervento microcredito, in termini di riduzione dei costi dei pazienti a carico del Sistema Sanitario Locale, e rilevare i benefici sul piano del benessere individuale, familiare e sociale dei soggetti coinvolti. Nel campione, oltre ai pazienti partecipanti al gruppo di microcredito, sono stati inclusi: un gruppo di pazienti inseriti in un progetto d\u2019inserimento lavorativo (formazione, borsa lavoro di primo e secondo livello) ed un gruppo di pazienti ambulatoriali. Il gruppo di microcredito ha ottenuto in generale risultati molto incoraggianti in ogni dimensione, rivelando tuttavia anche alcune delle debolezze tipiche di un progetto ancora \u201cin costruzione\u201d. I successi del programma di microcredito, sul piano della riduzione dei costi hanno contribuito a inserire tale intervento nei Piani Sociali di Zona. Tale iniziativa si configura, dunque, come un ottimo esempio di integrazione sociosanitaria e indipendentemente dagli sviluppi futuri, pone una questione importante relativamente alla ne-cessit\ue0 di abbandonare un modello di welfare assistenzialistico che contribuisce a mantenere i soggetti in una condizione di ricettori passivi.Microcredit, a small lending system, invests on an individual's creativity by stimulating the development of their own potential. This process leads to the attainment of various objectives which in turn allow individuals to develop their skill awareness. Consequently, this process also increases an individual\u2019s self-esteem and self-confidence. These factors play an important role in the aetiology of a number of mental disorders. Namely, those characterised by a series of psychological conditions which impede the full development of a person\u2019s personal, relational and social sphere. On the basis of these considerations, in 2007, a microcredit program group model was implemented for psychiatric patients at the Mental Health Centre (MHC) of Carpi, in the Modena province. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the Microcredit intervention by considering (1) the reduction of patient-costs sustained by the Local Health System and (2) the increased well-being observed in the subjects involved within their individual, family and social realms. Such considerations emerged in the following study where a Microcredit system was implemented as a promising solution for psychiatric out-patients\u2019 inability to work autonomously. It was also put in place to prevent the emergence of mental disorders for individuals exposed to stress caused by unfavourable economic conditions

Modulation of Stat-1 in human macrophages infected with different species of intracellular pathogenic bacteria.

none6The infection of human macrophages by pathogenic bacteria induces different signaling pathways depending on the type of cellular receptors involved in the microorganism entry and on their mechanism(s) of survival and replication in the host cell. It was reported that Stat proteins play an important role in this process. In the present study, we investigate the changes in Stat-1 activation (phosphorylation in p-tyr(701)) after uptake of twoGram-positive (Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus) and two Gram-negative bacteria (Salmonella typhimurium and Legionella pneumophila) characterized by their varying abilities to enter, survive, and replicate in human macrophages. Comparing the results obtained with Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, Stat-1 activation in macrophages does not seem to be related to LPS content. The p-tyr(701) Stat-1 expression levels were found to be independent of the internalized bacterial number and IFN-gamma release. On the contrary, Jak/Stat-1 pathway activation only occurs when an active infection has been established in the host macrophage, and it is plausible that the differences in the expression levels of p-tyr(701) Stat-1 could be due to different survival mechanisms or to differences in bacteria life cycles within macrophages.openSchiavano, Giuditta Fiorella; Dominici, Sabrina; Rinaldi, Laura; Cangiano, Alfonsina Mariarosaria; Brandi, Giorgio; Magnani, MauroSchiavano, GIUDITTA FIORELLA; Dominici, Sabrina; Rinaldi, Laura; Cangiano, ALFONSINA MARIAROSARIA; Brandi, Giorgio; Magnani, Maur

A randomized comparison trial of two and four-step approaches to teaching Cardio-Pulmonary Reanimation

Background and aim of the work: The treatment of cardiac arrest in an extra-hospital environment improves with the increase in the number of people able to establish an early Cardio-Pulmonary Reanimation (CPR). The main aim of the study was to assess the validity of the two-step method in case of prolonged CPR. Methods: A randomized comparison study was conducted in the University Nursing School of a Northern Italian town, during the 2015/16 academic year, among 60 students, to teach them CPR techniques, through two different teaching methods (4-step and the 2-step of CPR training). The effectiveness of the maneuvers performed on mannequins equipped with skill-meter was verified. Results: Our study did not highlight any significant difference between the two methods of CPR training. The comparison between the two methods regarding their efficacy in practical teaching of CPR, highlighted by this study, proved the validity of both the 4-minute continuous method (1st method) and the 30:2 method (2nd method). Conclusions: The results of the study showed no differences between the 2-step and the 4-step methods, in the effectiveness of cardiac massage. The correct execution of chest compressions during a CPR is the key to increase the patient’s chances of rescue. Research has shown that any interruption in the execution of chest compressions, leads to a progressive reduction of the effectiveness of cardiac massage, with negative consequences on the prognosis of the patient undergoing at CPR

Validation and application of a quantitative real-time PCR assay to detect common wheat adulteration of durum wheat for pasta production

Pasta is the Italian product par excellence and it is now popular worldwide. Pasta of a superior quality is made with pure durum wheat. In Italy, addition of Triticum aestivum (common wheat) during manufacturing is not allowed and, without adequate labeling, its presence is considered an adulteration. PCRrelated techniques can be employed for the detection of common wheat contaminations. In this work, we demonstrated that a previously published method for the detection of T. aestivum, based on the gliadin gene, is inadequate. Moreover, a new molecular method, based on DNA extraction from semolina and real-time PCR determination of T. aestivum in Triticum spp., was validated. This multiplex real-time PCR, based on the dual-labeled probe strategy, guarantees target detection specificity and sensitivity in a short period of time. Moreover, the molecular analysis of common wheat contamination in commercial wheat and flours is described for the first time

Redox homeostasis as a target for new antimycobacterial agents

Despite early treatment with antimycobacterial combination therapy, drug resistance continues to emerge. Maintenance of redox homeostasis is essential for Mycobacterium avium (M. avium) survival and growth. The aim of the present study was to investigate the antimycobacterial activity of two pro-glutathione (pro-GSH) drugs that are able to induce redox stress in M. avium and to modulate cytokine production by macrophages. Hence, we investigated two molecules shown to possess antiviral and immunomodulatory properties: C4-GSH, an N-butanoyl GSH derivative; and I-152, a prodrug of N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) and β-mercaptoethylamine (MEA). Both molecules showed activity against replicating M. avium, both in the cell-free model and inside macrophages. Moreover, they were even more effective in reducing the viability of bacteria that had been kept in water for 7 days, proving to be active both against replicating and non-replicating bacteria. By regulating the macrophage redox state, I-152 modulated cytokine production. In particular, higher levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), IL-18 and IL-12, which are known to be crucial for the control of intracellular pathogens, were found after I-152 treatment. Our results show that C4-GSH and I-152, by inducing perturbation of redox equilibrium, exert bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity against M. avium. Moreover, I-152 can boost the host response by inducing the production of cytokines that serve as key regulators of the Th1 response