Progettare un paesaggio low cost

Nelle maggiori città europee e in diversi casi nel resto del mondo la tutela, la valorizzazione e la cura partecipata del verde pubblico sono pratiche ormai consolidate da decenni; esiste da tempo una consapevolezza matura del ruolo determinante che le aree verdi svolgono nell’ambito di uno sviluppo sostenibile della civiltà. Attraverso l’esperienza del recupero per la fruizione immediata di Fondo Uditore a Palermo, oggi si presenta anche per Palermo l’occasione di allinearsi a quella che, più che una tendenza, è una necessità riconosciuta e imprescindibile per garantire una migliore qualità della vita in ambito urbano. Qui, dove la recente storia urbanistica racconta decenni di colpevole negligenza nel dotare la città degli standard minimi di servizi primari e aree verdi, un progetto che porterà all’apertura di un nuovo parco urbano si deve all’azione di un gruppo di studiosi e cittadini, attivatosi attraverso i media e i social forum più noti del web. Il recupero di un fondo agricolo abbandonato da quasi vent’anni, privatizzato per i precedenti trenta, e la sua rifunzionalizzazione come parco urbano sono il risultato di una collaborazione sinergica tra cittadinanza attiva e l’amministrazione regionale. Emerge l’occasione per una rifl essione sulle funzioni che la città contemporanea a da al proprio patrimonio verde e sulle potenzialità delle aree agricole residuali nel miglioramento della qualità ambientale

Sense of Coherence as a Resource in Promoting Well-Being and Managing Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: A Pilot Study

When investigating the feelings of caregivers to patients with T1DM, parental stress, anxiety, and depression are found to be most prevalent, especially in the diagnostic phase and in the first months after diagnosis. In this pilot study, we research various significant elements regarding the well-being of mothers with children between 10 and 15 years of age with a chronic condition. The study focuses on a period of at least three years after the child’s diagnosis. The aims of the study are to describe our sample’s levels of satisfaction (SWLS) and subjective happiness (SHS) and to evaluate possible associations. A sample of 40 mothers was offered a series of assessment tools about psychological skills that could play a role in improving mothers’ well-being: the use of specific coping mechanisms (CISS), the methods of narrating the experience of life with a son/daughter with diabetes, the sense of coherence (SOCS 29), health parameters vs. child’s disease (HbA1c, CBCL), and socio-demographic, such as education and work. The most significant associations with respect to subjective happiness are with the sense of coherence, as a unitary value and as distinct factors, and with task-oriented coping. Sense of coherence is also associated with satisfaction

El sector cultural: un potencial para el desarrollo en Cuba

El artículo realiza una breve reflexión sobre las oportunidades y dificultades en el contexto actual en Cuba para desplegar el potencial del sector cultural y creativo en función del desarrollo del país. Se profundiza el análisis del entramado de actores que conforman el sector, dibujando una tipología, a partir de documentos de referencia y de encuentros con los protagonistas. Se examinan las potencialidades y las limitaciones que enfrentan para desarrollar sus propuestas en un contexto en trasformación. Se estudian referentes internacionales de políticas culturales que fomentan el desarrollo de los procesos creativos,  como el caso de Argentina (Buenos Aires) y se proponen hipótesis aplicables para Cuba

EFFICIENT SIMULATION TOOL TO CHARACTERIZE THE RADAR CROSS SECTION OF A PEDESTRIAN IN NEAR FIELD

none4A simulation tool to characterize the radar cross section of a pedestrian in near field is presented in the paper. The tool has been developed in order to predict and optimize the performance of the short-range radar systems employed in autonomous vehicle operations. It is based on an analytical model which joins the modeling of the human body with the theory of the physical optics. Our studies first focused on the implementation of the electromagnetic code where the human body, the radiation properties of the antenna and the scenario to be analyzed have been analytically expressed. Then, the proposed model has been validated in terms of accuracy comparing simulated and experimental data regarding the radar cross section of a metal sphere and of an adult, in the frequency range 23-28 GHz. In the end, an evaluation of the performance in terms of required computer memory and execution time has been carried out, comparing the proposed simulation tool with other numerical computational methods.openManfredi, Giovanni; Russo, Paola; De Leo, Alfredo; Cerri, GrazianoManfredi, Giovanni; Russo, Paola; De Leo, Alfredo; Cerri, Grazian

Increasing pathomorphism of pulmonary tuberculosis: an observational study of slow clinical, microbiological and imaging response of lung tuberculosis to specific treatment. Which role for linezolid?

During recent years, a progressive emerging of tuberculosis occurred, related to the overall increased age of general population, primary and secondary (iatrogenic) immunodeficiencies, the availability of invasive procedures, surgical interventions and intensive care supports, bone marrow and solid organ transplantation, and especially the recent immigration flows of people often coming from areas endemic for tuberculosis, and living with evident social-economical disadvantages, and with a reduced access to health care facilities. Since January 2006, at our reference centre we followed 81 consecutive cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, with 65 of them which remained evaluable for the absence of extrapulmonary complications, and a continuative and effective clinical and therapeutic follow-up. The majority of episodes of evaluable pulmonary tuberculosis (49 cases out of 65: 75,4%) occurred in patients who immigrated from developing countries. In two patients multiresistant (MDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains were found, while two more subjects (both immigrated from Eastern Europe) suffered from a disease due to extremely resistant (XDR) M. tuberculosis strains. Although enforcing all possible measures to increase patients' adherence to treatment (empowerment, delivery of oral drugs under direct control, use of i.v. formulation whenever possible), over 72% of evaluable patients had a very slow clinical, microbiological, and imaging ameliorement (1-6 months), with persistance of sputum and/or bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid positive for M.tuberculosis microscopy and/or culture for over 1-4 months (mean 9.2±3.2 weeks), during an apparently adequate treatment. When excluding patients suffering from XDR and MDR tuberculosis, in four subjects we observed that off-label linezolid adjunct together with at least three drugs with residual activity against tuberculosis, led to a significantly more rapid clinical-radiological improvement and negative microbiological search, with consequent possibility to led to a protected discharge, supported by a sequential, oral therapy. Linezolid was also successfully employed in all the four patients with XDR or MDR pulmonary tuberculosis: among these patients, a definitive or temporarily negativization of respiratory secretions, and consequent discharge, was achieved only after linezolid adjunct. Notwithstanding the maintained microbiological susceptibility of M. tuberculosis strains responsible of the great majority of cases of pulmonary tuberculosis to first-line drugs, an unexpected tendency of patients to have a persistingly positive sputum and/or BAL, and to experience prolonged hospitalization for cure and isolation, has been recognized in the last years. No particularly suggestive radiological imaging seems predictive of a so prolonged course, so that we presently lack of clinical and imaging elements which may be predictive of this slow treatment response. The same is for demographic and epidemiological issues, eventual underlying diseases, and clinical presentation, so that a major problem for health care providers is to distinguish upon admission patients who will be prone to have slow therapeutic response and a related prolonged hospitalization. The novel oxazolidinone linezolid is characterized by an affordable in vitro activity against M. tuberculosis, and an extremely elevated intracellular concentration in respiratory tissues. Worldwide, increasing microbiological, pharmacological, and clinical evidences may recommend the use as linezolid adjunct as an off-label salvage treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis refractory to treatment, although not necessarily determined by resistant (MDR-XDR) M. tuberculosis strains. Randomized clinical trials including initially patients with ascertained chemioresistant tuberculosis, are strongly warranted

Il gioco dello scarabocchio: origini ed evoluzioni

After having briefly outlined the evolutional history of the “squiggle game” (from S. Freud’s interpretation of dreams, through C.G. Jung, M. Klein and M. Fordham to M. Milner’s “free drawings”), the “technique” is exposed as it has been developed by Winnicott. We offer comparisons between the use of the tool by Winnicott and their current positions, some variations are exposed in the basic technique, brought together by the crucial role played by reciprocity: “me a little and you a little”. The “squiggle game” is, above all, a method for relating and encouraging mutual exchange between the analyst and the patient (no matter if child, adolescent or adult), enabling him to experience holding and freely explore different communication possibilities

Book review: Mark Solms (2021) The Hidden Spring. Journey to the Source of Consciousness

Scientific production in psychology, especially in intersection with neurobiology, encompasses a vast array of methodologically impeccable works, rigorous research, and sophisticated statistical elaborations

Parenthood as an Opportunity to Mature: A Questionnaire to Detect Changes in Self-image and Relationships

Introduction: Parenthood is a composite experience in which personal, couple, relational, environmental, historical and cultural variables interact. In recent years, western societies have experienced a steady downward trend in the birth rate. On the other hand, scientific contributions, in which a qualitative methodology prevails, highlight the tendency of this experience to be positive. There is therefore an interest in exploring this topic in greater depth, also with quantitative studies, but above all in highlighting what changes, or maturing, happens in adults, sometimes after the birth of their children. Objectives: Our study aims to investigate parenthood through the administration of an ad hoc questionnaire. In particular, we investigate the psycho-relational changes that the experience of parenthood (after at least 3 years) may have promoted in women and men, specifically with respect to self-perception and relationships, both with their own parents, within the couple, and in object relations in general, and we compare the evaluations of mothers and fathers. Method: With prior permission and written informed consent, the self-report was distributed in various kindergartens. The sample consisted of 326 subjects, of whom187 mothers and 139 fathers, residing in northern Italy. Results: Three main components emerged from the factor analysis of the questionnaire: Openness Factor, Castling or Closure Factor, and Depth Factor. The reliability statistic indicates a Cronbach's alpha of 0.74. According to our sample parenthood promotes positive changes; among these, the most widespread are an increase in tenderness (92,7%), sense of responsibility (89,1%), perception of feeling older and more capable (88,4%), gratitude towards their partner (81.5%), and perception of a strengthening of the couple bond (86,5%). Increased tenderness and gratitude are particularly significant indicators of mental functioning. Other changes present more articulated distributions, and it is interesting to note that the direction of change fostered by parenthood is not unique and does not follow a fixed rule. Conclusions: Parenthood can open a time window in which greater plasticity and readiness to change are possible. Parenthood is therefore a precious opportunity (but not a certainty) to promote a growth in maturity for adults

Stability of Oscillating Gaseous Masses in Massive Brans-Dicke Gravity

This paper explores the instability of gaseous masses for the radial oscillations in post-Newtonian correction of massive Brans-Dicke gravity. For this purpose, we derive linearized perturbed equation of motion through Lagrangian radial perturbation which leads to the condition of marginal stability. We discuss radius of instability of different polytropic structures in terms of the Schwarzschild radius. It is concluded that our results provide a wide range of difference with those in general relativity and Brans-Dicke gravity.Comment: 31 pages, 11 figures, to appear in IJMP

Directional Fluorescence Spectral Narrowing in All-Polymer Microcavities Doped with CdSe/CdS Dot-in-Rod Nanocrystals

We report on the fluorescence properties of high optical quality all-polymer planar microcavities embedding core 12shell dot-in-rod CdSe/CdS nanocrystals. Properly tuned microcavities allow a 10-fold sharpening of the nanocrystals fluorescence spectrum, resulting in a reduction of the bandwidth from 24 to 2.4 nm, which corresponds to a quality factor larger than 250. A 5-fold peak photoluminescence intensity enhancement is measured, while the overall number of emitted photons is reduced. Time-resolved photoluminescence and quantum yield for microcavities and suitable references show the presence of two decays related to differences in nanocrystal size distribution. The slower decay rate, which becomes faster when the nanocrystals are embedded into the microcavity, is assigned to longer nanorods with emission spectrally overlapped to the cavity mode. Conversely, the short-living component, which is assigned to an impurity of shorter nanorods, remains unaffected by the microcavity