Executive functions in Alzheimer disease. A systematic review

Alzheimer's disease is a severe irreversible syndrome, characterized by a slow and progressive cognitive decline that interferes with the standard instrumental and essential functions of daily life. Promptly identifying the impairment of particular cognitive functions could be a fundamental condition to limit, through preventive or therapeutic interventions, the functional damages found in this degenerative dementia. This study aims to analyse, through a systematic review of the studies, the sensitivity of four experimental paradigms (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Stroop Task, Go/No-Go Task, and Flanker Task) considered as golden standard instruments for executive functions assessment in elderly subjects affected by Alzheimer dementia. This review was carried out according to the PRISMA method. Forty-five studies comparing the executive performance of patients with Alzheimer's dementia (diagnosed according to different classification criteria for dementia) and healthy elderly patients both over the age of sixty, were selected. For the research, PubMed, PsycINFO, PsycArticles databases were used. The study highlighted the importance of using standard protocols to evaluate executive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease. The Stroop task allows discriminating better between healthy and pathological agin

Primer registro de Dipetalonema robini Petit, Bain & Roussilhon 1985 (Nematoda: Onchocercidae) parásito de Sapajus nigritus en el noreste de Argentina

Species of the genus Dipetalonema are filarial parasites of Neotropical monkeys. Herein, we report the first record of Dipetalonema robini from Argentina and from the black horned capuchin monkey, Sapajus nigritus, providing additionally information on its morphology. Nematodes were found in the abdominal cavity of a male capuchin monkey found in the Parque Nacional Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina. Among Dipetalonema species, the proportion of the different parts of the left spicule (handle and lamina; membranous alae and filament) is a character of taxonomic relevance. The membranous ala is longer than the filament in the single male parasite examined, differing from published data. The differences observed could be due to the small number of specimens measured.Primer registro de Dipetalonema robini Petit, Bain & Roussilhon 1985 (Nematoda: Onchocercidae) parásito de Sapajus nigritus en el noreste de Argentina. Las filarias del género Dipetalonema son parásitos de monos neotropicales. En este trabajo, reportamos el primer registro de Dipetalonema robini para la Argentina y para el mono caí, Sapajus nigritus, además de proveer nuevos datos de la morfología de la especie. Tres filarias fueron encontradas en la cavidad abdominal de un mono caí macho hallado en el Parque Nacional Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina. Un carácter taxonómico relevante entre las especies de Dipetalonema es la proporción de las diferentes partes de la espícula izquierda (mango y lámina; alas membranosas y filamento). En el macho hallado, la sección de alas membranosas es más larga que el filamento, difiriendo con los datos publicados. Esta diferencia puede deberse al pequeño número de ejemplares medidos.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

O planejamento da paisagem histórica: o paradigma europeu e o caso da Toscana (Itália)

The concept of landscape in European culture, from Petrarca to Camporesi, from Marc Bloch to Sereni, is the subject of the lecture here transcribed, held in the PhD course in Urban planning at a university in Brazil, where planning faces territories which man has had no time to “elevate to the rank of landscape through a slow and unremitting cohabitation” (LÉVI-STRAUSS 1955). Conversely, in the old Continent, forms and modes of living have their roots in archaic civilisations: territorial transformation constantly renews, confirms or destroys ancient settlement structures. In Italy, both non-urban and urban historical landscapes are therefore highly human labour-intensive artefacts. Planning treats both according to similar principles: since the 1960’s, every old town is considered a monument as a whole in the complexity of physical, aesthetic and social relationships existing between prominent buildings and minor architecture; today, the attribution of cultural-asset value to rural territories as a whole is at an advanced stage of definition: which is evident in the case of Tuscany, described at the end of the paper

Primer registro de Dipetalonema robini Petit, Bain & Roussilhon 1985 (Nematoda: Onchocercidae) parásito de Sapajus nigritus en el noreste de Argentina

Species of the genus Dipetalonema are filarial parasites of Neotropical monkeys. Herein, we report the first record of Dipetalonema robini from Argentina and from the black horned capuchin monkey, Sapajus nigritus, providing additionally information on its morphology. Nematodes were found in the abdominal cavity of a male capuchin monkey found in the Parque Nacional Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina. Among Dipetalonema species, the proportion of the different parts of the left spicule (handle and lamina; membranous alae and filament) is a character of taxonomic relevance. The membranous ala is longer than the filament in the single male parasite examined, differing from published data. The differences observed could be due to the small number of specimens measured.Primer registro de Dipetalonema robini Petit, Bain & Roussilhon 1985 (Nematoda: Onchocercidae) parásito de Sapajus nigritus en el noreste de Argentina. Las filarias del género Dipetalonema son parásitos de monos neotropicales. En este trabajo, reportamos el primer registro de Dipetalonema robini para la Argentina y para el mono caí, Sapajus nigritus, además de proveer nuevos datos de la morfología de la especie. Tres filarias fueron encontradas en la cavidad abdominal de un mono caí macho hallado en el Parque Nacional Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina. Un carácter taxonómico relevante entre las especies de Dipetalonema es la proporción de las diferentes partes de la espícula izquierda (mango y lámina; alas membranosas y filamento). En el macho hallado, la sección de alas membranosas es más larga que el filamento, difiriendo con los datos publicados. Esta diferencia puede deberse al pequeño número de ejemplares medidos.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Power-territory-urbanism. For a new politicization of research / Potere-territorio-urbanistica. Per una nuova politicizzazione della ricerca

Con un ragionamento articolato in sei argomenti, il saggio riflette sulle relazioni intercorrenti tra rapporti di potere, ideologia economica dominante, forme dello spazio, urbanistica. Per confrontarsi (ed entrare in fertile conflitto) con il potere politico e riappropriarsi della tecnica di trasformazione dello spazio urbano e rurale, la ricerca su città e territorio deve assumere oggi posizioni radicali. A partire dalle forme di indagine ‘operaista’, sono proposte alcune strade da percorre per conferire nuova politicizzazione all’indagine scientifica.Reflecting on six theses, the essay deals with the relationships among political power, dominant economic ideology, forms of space, urbanism and regional planning. In order to face political power (coming into a fertile conflict with it) and to reappropriate the technique of transformation of urban and rural space, research on cities and territories must now take radical positions. Starting from the ‘workerist’ forms of research, some paths are proposed in order to give a new politicization to scientific investigation

Il territorio come un presepio: il paesaggio agrario nei Voyages de Naples tra Sette e Ottocento

The voyage de Naples made a name for itself in the second half of the eighteenth century: tourists are attracted by the new archeological discoveries and the richness of its natural resources. The accounts of the journey and guides focus their attention on these themes and dedicate several pages to natural and historical monuments. The background is the rural landscape, constantly present, but never playing a leading role. The landscape of the countryside of Aversa is an exception: where the method of training vines onto poplars by mean of tall shoots takes on such proportions that the guidebooks cannot fail to mention them. The french odeporic literature deals with rural landscape in a multi-faceted manner. It is possible, however, to find a common stance in the appreciation of those landscapes which present strong geophysical features, well-cultivated countryside, great monumental value and the intense liveliness of the local population: territories where these elements appear to have been artistically arranged.

On the renaissance of rural and urban life: the “Fierucola del pane” in Florence

The market known as “Fierucola del pane”, literally the “bread fair”, began in the early 1980s in Florence. It is the first Italian growers’ market dedicated to family-scale natural agriculture and non-entrepreneurial craftsmanship. An association of the same name promotes meetings and conferences on ecological topics, such as biodiversity, organic farming, hygiene of local production, ancient trades and new instruments, farm stay accommodation, local seeds and grain, specific laws and taxes to protect natural growers and craftsmen. The cultural activity of the Fierucola is inspired by the principles of Gandhi, Lanza Del Vasto, Illich and others. It has produced important documents in favour of a return to the land and the resistance of urban crafts and trades, including the Charter for the reconstruction of the European city (1980) and the Charter for the renaissance of rural areas (2008).La “Fierucola del pane” nasce a Firenze nei primi anni Ottanta. È la prima fiera italiana dedicata all’agricoltura naturale a scala familiare e all’artigianato non imprenditoriale. L’associazione omonima promuove incontri e convegni dedicati ai temi dell’ecologia: biodiversità; agricoltura biologica; igiene delle produzioni locali; mestieri antichi e nuovi strumenti; agriturismo; sementi e grani locali; legislazione e fiscalità specifica per i contadini naturali e gli artigiani di bottega. Nell’ambito dell’attività culturale della Fierucola - ispirata ai principi di Gandhi, Lanza Del Vasto, Illich, etc. - si diffondono e nascono documenti importanti per la favorire il ritorno alla vita di campagna e la resistenza dei mestieri artigiani cittadini, tra cui la Carta per la ricostruzione della città e della campagna (1980) e la Carta per il rinascimento della campagna (2008)

Il ritorno alla lana per la rifondazione della civiltà montana in Europa. Esperienze di base

The maintenance of mountain environments and population is closely linked to the perpetuation of pastoral and craft skills. Wool - whose cycle is vital in mountain civilisation - has since millennia been a central livestock product and a raw material for handicraft in the valleys, having therefore a great value, both in term of use and exchange. Big industry is today excluding local European wool from the market; a EU regulation (no. 1774/2002) reduces it to special waste. In the 70s, wool processing cycle has been interpreted as a strategic tool for a re-conquest of mountains. The Charte pour la montagne, drawn up by the Longo maï collective, provides analysis and action lines resulting in the recovery of a spinning mill in the Briançon area. In this cultural environment, in 1989, the Atelier - Laines d’Europe is founded as an association of breeders, textile craftsmen, artists, educators, researchers and museum institutions engaged in the revival of local wool: they thus form a mutual support network creating local projects focused on the reuse of native sheep fibre and the experimentation for putting it in value.Il mantenimento degli ambienti e delle popolazioni montane è strettamente connesso alla perpetuazione delle competenze pastorali e artigianali. La lana – il cui ciclo è vitale nella civiltà della montagna – costituisce per millenni un prodotto centrale dell’allevamento e un campo di applicazione dell’artigianato delle valli, e ha quindi un grande valore, nell’uso e nello scambio. L’industria esclude le lane locali europee dal mercato; un regolamento comunitario (n. 1774/2002) le declassa al rango di rifiuto speciale. Negli anni ‘70 il ciclo di trasformazione della lana è stato interpretato come strumento valido per la riconquista della montagna. La Charte pour lamontagne, redatta dal collettivo Longo maï, fornisce analisi e linee di azione che si materializzano nel recupero di una filanda nel Briançonnais. In questo ambiente culturale nasce, nel 1989, l’Atelier - Laines d’Europe, associazione tra allevatori, artigiani tessili, artisti, educatori, ricercatori e istituzioni museali, che si impegnano nella riqualificazione delle lane locali: si formano così reti di mutuo appoggio che danno vita a progetti locali incentrati sul reimpiego della fibra ovina autoctona e sulla sperimentazione per la sua messa in valore

Le acque di Tivoli, ovvero considerazioni geografico-storiche sulla valle dell’Aniene

The Aniene river runs through strongly distinct regions: the mountainous upper valley distinguishes itself into karstic calcareous landforms and arenaceous-marly landforms; the cascades of Tivoli underline the clear-cut morphological detachment: beyond the huge travertine tabular formation, the river enters into the Campagna Romana Plio-Pleistocene sediments. Landscapes are historically interpretated by means of eighteenth and nineteenth-century documents.