Heritage in a Van. The paradox of intangibility

‘Intangible heritage’ is a profound concept articulated in international charters, national legislation and conservation practice accreditation frameworks worldwide. By discussing the renovation of the former home of the writer Alan Bennett, where The lady in the van was filmed, this paper seeks to readdress the role of non-physical heritage in supporting communal meaning by placing to the fore some of its fragilities, assumptions and inherent confusion that are manifest when the concept of ‘intangible heritage’ meets the reality of a construction project

Nine-year results on maize and processing tomato cultivation in an organic and in a conventional low input cropping system

Nine-year results on yields and apparent balances of organic matter and nitrogen (N) are reported for maize and processing tomato cultivated in a long term comparison trial between an organic and a conventional low-input system in Central Italy. In every year, above ground biomass and N accumulation of each cash crop and green manure, including weeds, and the partitioning between marketable yield and crop residues were determined. Apparent dry matter and nitrogen balances were calculated at the end of each crop cycle by taking into account the amounts of dry matter and ex-novo N supplied to the system as green manure legume Ndfa ( i.e. an estimate of N derived from the atmosphere via symbiotic fixation) and fertilizers, and those removed with marketable yield. Processing tomato complied with organic cultivation better than maize. As compared to the conventional crop cultivation, organic tomato provided similar yields, used supplied N more efficiently and left lower residual N after harvest, with lower related risks of pollution. Organic maize yielded less than conventional one. The main limitation for organic maize was the low N availability during initial growth phases, due to either low N supply or low rate of N release from incorporated green manure biomass. In both organic and conventional cultivation the system sustainability could be improved by an appropriate crop rotation: wheat in fall winter likely prevented leaching loss of mineral N in both systems; green manure crops in the organic system allowed to either trap and recycle soil mineral N or supply ex novo legume Ndfa to the soil, with benefits in mitigation of N pollution and improvement in self-sufficiency of the system

Pensare come una laguna. Verso un contratto di area umida per la laguna nord di Venezia

Il progetto Interreg Italia-Croazia CREW - Coordinated Wetland Management in Italy-Croatia cross-border region, si pone come obiettivo principale la tutela della biodiversità delle aree umide costiere nella regione adriatica tra Italia e Croazia, attraverso lo sviluppo di strumenti innovativi di governance partecipata, quale il Contratto di Area Umida. l’Università Iuav di Venezia, leader partner del progetto, ha scelto di occuparsi della Laguna di Venezia, area umida di grande rilevanza storica, culturale, economica ed ambientale a livello europeo e mediterraneo. Promuovendo la centralità dei soggetti territoriali (amministrazioni locali, comunità, associazioni e singoli) ma anche dei soggetti ‘diversamente animati’ (flora e fauna), il Contratto per la Laguna nord di Venezia si propone di affrontare la gestione delle aree umide superando i confini amministrativi e guardando agli ecosistemi nel loro complesso

Can alexithymia be assessed through an interview in adolescents? The Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia: Reliability, concurrent validity, discriminant validity, and relationships with emotional-behavioral symptoms

Alexithymia is connected to adolescents' psychopathology, but the current methods of assessment present limitations. The Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia (TSIA) was developed to overcome the limits of the main used self-rating scale in adults, but no studies investigated its feasibility with adolescents. This study involved 95 community adolescents aged 12–19 years. Adolescents were assessed with the TSIA, the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Verbal Comprehension Index of the WISC-IV for verbal skills, and the Child Behavior Checklist and Youth Self Report for emotional-behavioral symptoms. The aims were to investigate the TSIA internal consistency, concurrent validity with the TAS-20, discriminant validity with participants' verbal skills, and relationships with emotional-behavioral symptoms. TSIA showed good internal consistency, concurrent validity with the TAS-20 (except for factor DDF), and independence by participants' verbal skills, but few relationships with emotional-behavioral symptoms. In conclusion, TSIA showed some good psychometric proprieties but little convergence with research findings obtained with the TAS-20, suggesting the need for further research to check the feasibility of using the TSIA with adolescents. Meanwhile, a precautionary multi-method assessment of alexithymia is recommended

Promoting Laparoscopic Anterior Approach for a Very Low Presacral Primary Neuroendocrine Tumor Arising in a Tailgut Cyst

Tailgut cysts are rare congenital lesions that develop in the presacral space. As they can potentially conceal primary neuroendocrine tumors, surgical excision is suggested as the treatment of choice. However, specific management guidelines have yet to be developed. A posterior approach is usually preferred for cysts extending to the third sacral vertebral body. Conversely, a transabdominal approach is preferred for lesions extending upward to achieve an optimal view of the surgical field and avoid injuries

New insights to assess the consolidation of stone materials used in built heritage: the case study of ancient graffiti (Tituli Picti) in the archaeological site of Pompeii

Abstract Tituli Picti are an ancient form of urban graffiti very common in the archaeological site of Pompeii (Naples, South—Italy). They are generally made of red pigments applied on walls of Campanian ignimbrite. This paper deals with a scientific investigation aimed to their conservation. This is a challenging task since it requires a multidisciplinary approach that includes restorers, archaeologists and conservation scientists. The study has provided suggestions on the proper way to conserve Tituli Picti over time. In the present work, several specimens of Campanian ignimbrite were painted with red earth pigment; lime and Arabic gum have been used as binders as well. Such painted stones were treated with three consolidants: a suspension of reactive nanoparticles of silica, ethyl silicate and an acrylic microemulsion. Treated and untreated specimens were subjected to thermal aging, artificial solar radiation and induced crystallization decay. It has been assessed the colorimetric variations induced by treatments. Moreover, the micromorphologic features of the consolidated surfaces have been highlighted by means of electron microscope observations. The scotch tape test allowed to compare the superficial cohesion induced by the three used products. According to the results, ethyl silicate seems to represent the most successful product

Psychological treatments and psychotherapies in the neurorehabilitation of pain. Evidences and recommendations from the italian consensus conference on pain in neurorehabilitation

BACKGROUND: It is increasingly recognized that treating pain is crucial for effective care within neurological rehabilitation in the setting of the neurological rehabilitation. The Italian Consensus Conference on Pain in Neurorehabilitation was constituted with the purpose identifying best practices for us in this context. Along with drug therapies and physical interventions, psychological treatments have been proven to be some of the most valuable tools that can be used within a multidisciplinary approach for fostering a reduction in pain intensity. However, there is a need to elucidate what forms of psychotherapy could be effectively matched with the specific pathologies that are typically addressed by neurorehabilitation teams. OBJECTIVES: To extensively assess the available evidence which supports the use of psychological therapies for pain reduction in neurological diseases. METHODS: A systematic review of the studies evaluating the effect of psychotherapies on pain intensity in neurological disorders was performed through an electronic search using PUBMED, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Based on the level of evidence of the included studies, recommendations were outlined separately for the different conditions. RESULTS: The literature search yielded 2352 results and the final database included 400 articles. The overall strength of the recommendations was medium/low. The different forms of psychological interventions, including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, cognitive or behavioral techniques, Mindfulness, hypnosis, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Brief Interpersonal Therapy, virtual reality interventions, various forms of biofeedback and mirror therapy were found to be effective for pain reduction in pathologies such as musculoskeletal pain, fibromyalgia, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Central Post-Stroke pain, Phantom Limb Pain, pain secondary to Spinal Cord Injury, multiple sclerosis and other debilitating syndromes, diabetic neuropathy, Medically Unexplained Symptoms, migraine and headache. CONCLUSIONS: Psychological interventions and psychotherapies are safe and effective treatments that can be used within an integrated approach for patients undergoing neurological rehabilitation for pain. The different interventions can be specifically selected depending on the disease being treated. A table of evidence and recommendations from the Italian Consensus Conference on Pain in Neurorehabilitation is also provided in the final part of the pape