How Do Maternal Subclinical Symptoms Influence Infant Motor Development during the First Year of Life?

An unavoidable reciprocal influence characterizes the mother-child dyad. Within this relationship, the presence of depression, somatization, hostility, paranoid ideation, and interpersonal sensitivity symptoms at a subclinical level and their possible input on infant motor competences has not been yet considered. Bearing in mind that motor abilities represent not only an indicator of the infant\u2019s health-status, but also the principal field to infer his/her needs, feelings and intentions, in this study the quality of infants\u2019 movements were assessed and analyzed in relationship with the maternal attitudes. The aim of this research was to investigate if/how maternal symptomatology may pilot infant\u2019s motor development during his/her first year of life by observing the characteristics of motor development in infants aged 0\u201311 months. Participants included 123 mothers and their infants (0\u201311 months-old). Mothers\u2019 symptomatology was screened with the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), while infants were tested with the Peabody Developmental Motor Scale-Second Edition. All dyads belonged to a non-clinical population, however, on the basis of SCL-90-R scores, the mothers\u2019 sample was divided into two groups: normative and subclinical. Descriptive, t-test, correlational analysis between PDMS-2 scores and SCL-90-R results are reported, as well as regression models results. Both positive and negative correlations were found between maternal perceived symptomatology, Somatization (SOM), Interpersonal Sensitivity (IS), Depression (DEP), Hostility (HOS), and Paranoid Ideation (PAR) and infants\u2019 motor abilities. These results were further verified by applying regression models to predict the infant\u2019s motor outcomes on the basis of babies\u2019 age and maternal status. The presence of positive symptoms in the SCL-90-R questionnaire (subclinical group) predicted good visual-motor integration and stationary competences in the babies. In particular, depressive and hostility feelings in mothers seemed to induce an infant motor behavior characterized by a major control of the environmental space. When mothers perceived a higher level of hostility and somatization, their babies showed difficulties in sharing action space, such as required in the development of stationary positions and grasping abilities. In a completely different way, when infants can rely on a mother with low-perceived symptoms (normative group) his/her motor performances develop with a higher degree of freedom/independence. These findings suggest, for the first time, that even in a non- clinical sample, mother\u2019s perceived-symptoms can produce important consequences not in infant motor development as a whole, but in some specific areas, contributing to shape the infant\u2019s motor ability and his/her capability to act in the world

Riqualificazione energetico-architettonica di edilizia storicizzata: un caso di best practice in provincia di Ferrara

L'articolo esamina le problematiche realtive all'adeguamento ai nuovi standard di efficienza energetica per l'edilizia di valore storico - testimoniale. Le problematiche connesse al recupero del patrimonio edilizio esistente, alla luce delle nuove normative in materia di efficienza energetica, costituiscono oggi uno dei principali temi di attualità per la gestione urbanistica e territoriale. Oltre il 60% delle emissioni globali di anidride carbonica in Europa è da imputare al settore dell’edilizia ed il maggior spreco energetico oggi è originato dal patrimonio esistente: più del 40% del parco edilizio europeo ha più di 30 anni ed è stato costruito secondo criteri energetici carenti e tra questo l’edilizia storica, antecedente al 1950, si distingue per scarsa virtuosità.In tale contesto si inserisce l’intervento di riqualificazione energetico – architettonica di un edificio residenziale situato nel paese di Francolino, in provincia di Ferrara, rappresentante un entità che, valutate le forme architettoniche e la collocazione geografica, ha avuto in passato una destinazione d uso prettamente agricola, di età approssimativa di almeno 200 anni nella parte originaria. L’intervento si rivela interessante per la gestione integrata delle azioni volte al recupero edilizio che affrontano diverse tematiche: dalla bonifica dell’amianto all’adeguamento alla normativa antisismica fino all’ottimizzazione energetico - ambientale. L'articolo esamina le principali fasi dell’intervento, che ha comportato l’ottenimento della certificazione energetica in classe B secondo la normativa vigente in Emilia Romagna (L 156/08 Atto di indirizzo e coordinamento sui requisiti di rendimento energetico e sulle procedure di certificazione energetica degli edifici)

Quality assessment methods and tools for building refurbishment in Europe

This paper reviews assessment and methods software tools existing in EU member states, represented in the COST action TU0701 (2008-2012) “Improving the quality of suburban building stock”. The work carried out during the Action focused on different policies and operational models concerning the housing stock which during the past decades led the evolution of several important concepts concerning legislation, people’s lifestyles, technical knowledge and innovation, city assets and growing demands for comfort, sustainability, energy efficiency and accessibility. How to improve the quality of the cities and to get more value from regenerating suburban building stock was the crucial issue of the Action, targeted both the European economic/social needs and also scientific/technological advancement, via the implementation of a new, integrated approach to the improvement and upgrading of suburban building stock. The paper highlights different approaches and strategies taken by different Countries towards the methodologies to assess a building refurbishment, particularly in the suburban building stock, namely private and public social housing. The strategic aim of the work was the definition of criteria, strategies and actions (procedures, technical tools, economic analysis) for receiving information about the actual degradation state of suburban building stock and the possibility to develop renovation plans, taking into account the applicability and availability of existing systems. The suitability of the models was checked taking into consideration their compatibility with the legislation (i.e. fire protection, earth quake prevention, emission thresholds and energy efficiency), the cost structure and the relevant standards of different countries

Nuovi spazi di lavoro

Un edificio per uffici contemporaneo è un’architettura accattivante, che, attraverso trasparenza, e materiali ad elevate prestazioni, è in grado di trasmettere comfort e benessere agli utenti e di contenere al massimo i consumi energetici

Sistemi di facciata, capitolo in: R.Di Giulio, Manuale di manutenzione edilizia, Valutazione del degrado e programmazione della manutenzione, Maggioli, 2007

L'autrice ha collaborato alla stesura del presente contributo che esamina i principali sistemi di facciata ventilata, le principali soluzioni tecniche di realizzazione e le modalità di realizzazione e di manutenzione. Indice del capitolo: 1. Facciate ventilate a paramento opaco 1.1 Tipologie di sottostrutture e sistemi di fissaggio 1.2 Tipologie di rivestimenti 1.3 Durabilità e fattori di degrado 2. Facciate ventilate a paramento trasparente 2.1 Tipologie costruttive Facciate a tutta superficie Facciate a canali Facciate a celle 2.2 Tipologie di fissaggio del rivestimento vetrato 2.3 Durabilità e fattori di degrad