La Gestione dei rifiuti radioattivi e la protezione della salute e dell’ambiente nell’azione dell’Unione europea: sintesi

Uno degli obiettivi dell’Anno europeo dei cittadini 2013 è la diffusione della conoscenza dell’insieme dei valori, dei principi e degli strumenti che devono guidare le istituzioni europee e gli Stati membri al fine di assicurare un’efficace tutela dei diritti umani fondamentali a beneficio dei cittadini e di tutte le persone alle quali si applichi il diritto dell’Unione europea. Il principale strumento che riunisce in un documento unico, coerente e giuridicamente vincolante i diritti umani fondamentali vigenti nell’Unione europea è la Carta dei diritti fondamentali che, con l’entrata in vigore del trattato di Lisbona, il 1o dicembre 2009, ha acquisito lo stesso carattere cogente dei trattati istitutivi dell’Unione europea, perciò le sue disposizioni sono vincolanti, sia per le istituzioni europee, sia per gli Stati membri, quando danno attuazione al diritto europeo

Translating culture-specific elements in dubbing: A case study on the series "The Office"

openThe purpose of this study is to illustrate the processes underlying the language transfer method of dubbing, as well as its implications and constraints, using a peculiar case study related to the American tv series "The Office”, without omitting the difficult passage of cultural elements from a source language to a target language, which in our case are to be identified with English and Italian respectively. On a structural level, the work is divided into three chapters. The first one opens with a brief introduction to the world of audiovisual translation, covering not only dubbing but also other methods such as subtitling, having care to clarify the differences between adequacy and acceptability. The dissertation continues with a second chapter devoted to the difficulty of translating cultural elements from one language to another; in particular, the humorous elements (which hold a monopoly position among all the cultural elements in the source text of “The Office”) are examined. More precisely, figurative language, cultural references and the humorous aspect are the main objects of analysis in this paper, insofar as they serve as an introduction to the next and final step of the thesis. In the wake of what has been explained so far, the dissertation directs its attention towards the presentation of “The Office” series, and then identifies a qualitative analysis and a quantitative one, both of which animate the third chapter. The linguistic analysis is then followed by the conclusions, which aim to take the stock of everything dealt in the present study and shed light on possible alternatives to the Italian dubbing script of the series.The purpose of this study is to illustrate the processes underlying the language transfer method of dubbing, as well as its implications and constraints, using a peculiar case study related to the American tv series "The Office”, without omitting the difficult passage of cultural elements from a source language to a target language, which in our case are to be identified with English and Italian respectively. On a structural level, the work is divided into three chapters. The first one opens with a brief introduction to the world of audiovisual translation, covering not only dubbing but also other methods such as subtitling, having care to clarify the differences between adequacy and acceptability. The dissertation continues with a second chapter devoted to the difficulty of translating cultural elements from one language to another; in particular, the humorous elements (which hold a monopoly position among all the cultural elements in the source text of “The Office”) are examined. More precisely, figurative language, cultural references and the humorous aspect are the main objects of analysis in this paper, insofar as they serve as an introduction to the next and final step of the thesis. In the wake of what has been explained so far, the dissertation directs its attention towards the presentation of “The Office” series, and then identifies a qualitative analysis and a quantitative one, both of which animate the third chapter. The linguistic analysis is then followed by the conclusions, which aim to take the stock of everything dealt in the present study and shed light on possible alternatives to the Italian dubbing script of the series

Promoting Industrial Cultural Heritage by Augmented Reality: Application and Assessment

Backgrund: Recent improvements of augmented reality technologies have boosted the design and the development of new solutions to support the user when visiting cultural sites. Each kind of multimedia information can be conveyed to the user in a new and intriguing way. On the other hand, a model to evaluate this kind of AR solutions for cultural heritage still misses. Objective: This paper aims to bridge the gap between applications and assessment by proposing a multivariate evaluation model and its application for an Android mobile augmented reality application designed to support the user during the visit of the historical industrial site of Carpano in Turin, Italy. This site is now a museum that keeps alive the memory of antique procedures and industrial machineries. Method: The proposed assessment model is based on a star like representation, which is often used to denote multivariate models; the length of each ray denotes the value of the corresponding variate. A three-level scale has been chosen for the proposed star-like representation: full length corresponds to the high-maximum level, medium length corresponds to the fair-average level and short length corresponds to the poor-null level. Results: The proposed AR application has been used by 13 people who, at the end of the experience, filled a questionnaire. Subjective feedbacks allowed us to evaluate the application usability. Moreover, the multivariate evaluation model has been applied to the AR application, thus outlining advantages and drawbacks. Conclusion: The presented multivariate evaluation model considers several different elements that can have an impact on the user experience; it also takes into account the coherence of the multimedia material used to augment the visit, as well as the impact of different thematic routes, is assessed

The newer opioid agonist treatment with lower substitutive opiate doses is associated with better toxicology outcome than the older harm reduction treatment

Background: Charge-free heroin use disorder treatment in Italy follows two main approaches, i.e., harm reduction treatment (HRT) strategy in community low-threshold facilities for drug addiction and opioid agonist treatment (OAT) in high-threshold facilities for opioid addiction, focusing on pharmacological maintenance according to the Dole and Nyswander strategy. We aimed to compare the impact of HRT and OAT on patient outcome, as assessed through negativity for drugs on about 1-year urinalyses. Methods: We examined retrospectively the urinalyses of HRT and OAT patients for which at least four randomly sampled urinalyses per month were available for about 1 year, during which patients were undergoing methadone or buprenorphine maintenance; urinalyses focused on heroin, cocaine, cannabinoids, and their metabolites. Results: Included were 189 HRT and 58 OAT patients. The latter were observed for a significantly longer period. There was a higher proportion of heroin- and cocaine-clean urinalyses in OAT patients, with cocaine-clean urinalyses discriminating best between the two groups. OAT patients were older, with longer dependence duration, more severe addiction history, and received lower methadone doses. Buprenorphine maintenance was more often associated with heroin-clean urinalyses. The higher the methadone doses, the lower were the percentage of heroin-clean urinalyses in HRT patients (negative correlation). Conclusions: The OAT approach was related to higher recovery and polyabuse abstinence rates compared to the HRT approach, despite greater severity of substance use, psychiatric and physical comorbidities. Our results are consistent with the possibility to use lower maintenance opiate doses (after induction and stabilization in methadone treatment according to Dole and Nyswander methodology) in treating heroin addiction. This seemed to be impossible adopting the currently accepted HRT model

Genomic analysis of Sardinian 26544/OG10 isolate of African swine fever virus

Abstract Comparative genomic analysis aims to underscore genetic assortment diversification in distinct viral isolates, to identify deletions and to carry out evolutionary studies. We sequenced the first complete genome of an ASFV p72 genotype I strain isolated from domestic pigs in Sardinia (Italy) using Next-Generation Sequence (NGS) technology. The genome is 182,906 bp long, contains 164 ORFs and has a 99.20% nucleotide identity to the L60 strain. Comparison analysis against the 16 ASFV genomes available in the database showed that 136 ORFs are present in nine ASFV isolates annotated to date. The most divergent ORFs codify for uncharacterized proteins such as X69R and DP96R, which have 51.3% and 70.4% nucleotide identity to the other isolates. A comparison between the Sardinian isolate and the avirulent isolates OURT 88/3, NHV, BA71V was also carried out. Major variations were found within the multigene families (MGFs) located in the left and right genome regions

The reliability of the Tracheoesophageal Groove and the Ligament of Berry as landmarks for identifying the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve : a cadaveric study and meta-analysis

Purpose. The aim of this meta-analysis was to provide a comprehensive evidence-based assessment, supplemented by cadaveric dissections, of the value of using the Ligament of Berry and Tracheoesophageal Groove as anatomical landmarks for identifying the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve. Methods. Seven major databases were searched to identify studies for inclusion. Eligibility was judged by two reviewers. Suitable studies were identified and extracted. MetaXL was used for analysis. All pooled prevalence rates were calculated using a random effects model. Heterogeneity among included studies was assessed using the Chi2 test and the I2 statistic. Results. Sixteen studies (n=2,470 nerves), including original cadaveric data, were analyzed for the BL/RLN relationship. The RLN was most often located superficial to the BL with a pooled prevalence estimate of 78.2% of nerves, followed by deep to the BL in 14.8%. Twenty-three studies (n=5,970 nerves) examined the RLN/TEG relationship. The RLN was located inside the TEG in 63.7% (95% CI: 55.3–77.7) of sides. Conclusions. Both the BL and TEG are landmarks that can help surgeons provide patients with complication-free procedures. Our analysis showed that the BL is a more consistent anatomical landmark than the TEG, but it is necessary to use both to prevent iatrogenic RLN injuries during thyroidectomies

The Non-Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve : a meta-analysis and clinical considerations

Background The Non-Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve (NRLN) is a rare embryologically-derived variant of the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve (RLN). The presence of an NRLN significantly increases the risk of iatrogenic injury and operative complications. Our aim was to provide a comprehensive meta-analysis of the overall prevalence of the NRLN, its origin, and its association with an aberrant subclavian artery. Methods Through March 2016, a database search was performed of PubMed, CNKI, ScienceDirect, EMBASE, BIOSIS, SciELO, and Web of Science. The references in the included articles were also extensively searched. At least two reviewers judged eligibility and assessed and extracted articles. MetaXL was used for analysis, with all pooled prevalence rates calculated using a random effects model. Heterogeneity among the included studies was assessed using the Chi2 test and the I2 statistic. Results Fifty-three studies (33,571 right RLNs) reported data on the prevalence of a right NRLN. The pooled prevalence estimate was 0.7% (95% CI [0.6–0.9]). The NRLN was found to originate from the vagus nerve at or above the laryngotracheal junction in 58.3% and below it in 41.7%. A right NRLN was associated with an aberrant subclavian artery in 86.7% of cases. Conclusion The NRLN is a rare yet very clinically relevant structure for surgeons and is associated with increased risk of iatrogenic injury, most often leading to temporary or permanent vocal cord paralysis. A thorough understanding of the prevalence, origin, and associated pathologies is vital for preventing injuries and complications

Le basi neurologiche del rapporto tra il consumatore e la marca. Il contributo del neuro-imaging alle ricerche di marketing

Consumer develop very tight relationships with brands. In many cases, consumers develop positive relationships with their preferred brands and goods. In some of these cases true “love” relationship may occur. Sometimes, also negative relationships arise, often as a reaction toward unsatisfactory experiences, bad practices, etc. Companies aim at developing strong and positive emotional relationships between their brands and their customers. When they succeed, the brand is immediately recognized, it elicits positive affective responses, it is more difficult to be substituted for by competitors. The aim of the present study is to measure behavioral and emotional brain responses to covert visual recognition of brands. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activity in 15 healthy subjects (7 females, 23-33 years) that were exposed to four stimulus types: coloured scrambled pictures, coloured squares, brand logos, and IAPS pictures with positive and negative valence scores. Sixty-three popular brands were selected among 8 different product categories. Two specific patterns of activation emerged for like (amygdale) and dislike brands (anterior medial cingulate, left inferior frontal gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, medial cuneus). Implications for interpreting the role of brands in consumer mental processes are given, with special reference to the asymmetry between positive and negative evaluations

Non-surgical treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa: the role of cryotherapy

Background. Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic and recurrent inflammatory disease with a great impact on a patient's quality of life, due to the painful involvement of very sensitive areas, such as the groin, mammary area, and genitals, with malodourous discharge. Multiple treatment options are available; however, no single treatment is effective for all patients, and usually, a combination of medical therapy with various surgical and physical procedures is provided. Cryotherapy is not a routine technique to treat HS, although usually available in the majority of medical clinics, and is cheaper than laser and surgical treatments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of cryotherapy on persistent HS nodules, to reduce the burden of local disease. Materials and methodsRetrospective observational study in all patients treated with liquid nitrogen cryotherapy for persistent nodules of hidradenitis suppurativa in the last 2 years, with at least 6 months of follow-up after the procedure. Disease severity was assessed with Hurley staging and sonographic staging according to SOS-HS (18 MHz probe, Esaote-MyLab (TM)). The results were scored with a 0-3 points scale, as complete remission (3), partial response (2 to 1), or no response (0), after one session of treatment. Local cleansing and antiseptic treatment after the procedure was the same as previously performed in each patient, not to influence recovery. ResultsIn total, 23 patients were included, with a total of 71 persistent nodules treated with a single cryotherapy session. The treatment has been effective in 63 out of 71 nodules treated (88.7%), and the patients attested that they recommend the treatment, the discomfort during recovery was minimal, and the management was not different from daily routine. Persistence was considered as having a failure rate (11.3% overall) and occurred in 7.5% of the nodules of the axillary region, 18.2% on the groin, and 11.2% for nodules of the gluteal region. ConclusionCryotherapy is a simple and effective procedure for the treatment of persistent nodules of HS not responding to medical therapy, and it is a valid alternative to local surgery or laser ablation

Toxicity, Physiological, and Ultrastructural Effects of Arsenic and Cadmium on the Extremophilic Microalga Chlamydomonas acidophila

The cytotoxicity of cadmium (Cd), arsenate (As(V)), and arsenite (As(III)) on a strain of Chlamydomonas acidophila, isolated from the Rio Tinto, an acidic environment containing high metal(l)oid concentrations, was analyzed. We used a broad array of methods to produce complementary information: cell viability and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation measures, ultrastructural observations, transmission electron microscopy energy dispersive x-ray microanalysis (TEM–XEDS), and gene expression. This acidophilic microorganism was affected differently by the tested metal/metalloid: It showed high resistance to arsenic while Cd was the most toxic heavy metal, showing an LC50 = 1.94 µM. Arsenite was almost four-fold more toxic (LC50= 10.91 mM) than arsenate (LC50 = 41.63 mM). Assessment of ROS generation indicated that both arsenic oxidation states generate superoxide anions. Ultrastructural analysis of exposed cells revealed that stigma, chloroplast, nucleus, and mitochondria were the main toxicity targets. Intense vacuolization and accumulation of energy reserves (starch deposits and lipid droplets) were observed after treatments. Electron-dense intracellular nanoparticle-like formation appeared in two cellular locations: inside cytoplasmic vacuoles and entrapped into the capsule, around each cell. The chemical nature (Cd or As) of these intracellular deposits was confirmed by TEM–XEDS. Additionally, they also contained an unexpected high content in phosphorous, which might support an essential role of poly-phosphates in metal resistance