Aggiunta di qualità architettonica all'ambiente costruito nelle strategie di retrofitting strutturale

Italy has always lived with widespread seismicity, as demonstrated by the large number of documents describing the effects of ancient earthquakes in many geographical areas of our peninsula. However, even though today we have precise and detailed knowledge, every earthquake inevitably finds us unprepared. At every seismic stress, our building and infrastructure heritage always shows a considerable degree of vulnerability. The most recent earthquakes have caused 650 casualties and 60 billion euro worth of damages, creating a huge impact on the affected population and a severe blow to the country's economy. Events that each time confirm the inadequacy of seismic protection in our country, which fails to pursue an effective strategy to contain seismic risk within acceptable limits for a modern nation.However, we have sufficient scientific knowledge to allows us to review the existing building stock through interventions of "structural retrofit" able to achieve the necessary resistance to withstand future seismic events that will occur in our country.This article aims to clarify some aspects of the different types of “structural retrofit” and the quality that these interventions can activate even in cases of unqualified construction. The aim is to analyze a series of case studies that not only make up for the initial structural deficiencies, but which through a process of adding quality can positively transform the urban landscape of our cities, according to Agenda 2030 Objective 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Aggiunta di qualità architettonica all'ambiente costruito nelle strategie di retrofitting strutturale L’Italia è sempre stata caratterizzata da una sismicità diffusa, come dimostra il gran numero di documenti che descrivono gli effetti di antichi terremoti in molte aree geografiche della nostra penisola. Tuttavia, anche se oggi disponiamo di conoscenze precise e dettagliate, ogni terremoto ci trova inevitabilmente impreparati. A ogni stress sismico, il nostro patrimonio edilizio e infrastrutturale mostra sempre un notevole grado di vulnerabilità. I recenti terremoti dell'inizio di questo secolo hanno causato 650 morti e 60 miliardi di danni, creando un enorme impatto sulla popolazione colpita e un duro colpo alla sua economia. Eventi che ogni volta confermano l'inadeguatezza della protezione sismica nel nostro paese, che non riesce a perseguire una strategia efficace per contenere il rischio sismico entro limiti accettabili per una nazione moderna.Tuttavia, abbiamo una conoscenza scientifica che ci permette di rivedere il patrimonio edilizio esistente attraverso interventi di “retrofit strutturale” in grado di raggiungere la resistenza necessaria per contrastare i futuri eventi sismici che si verificheranno nel nostro paese.Quest’articolo si propone di chiarire alcuni aspetti delle diverse tipologie di “retrofit strutturale” e della qualità che questi interventi possono attivare anche nei casi di costruzioni non qualificate. Lo scopo è di analizzare una serie di casi di studio che non solo suppliscono alle carenze strutturali iniziali, ma che attraverso un processo di addizione di qualità possono trasformare positivamente il paesaggio urbano delle nostre città, in accordo a quanto specificato dall’Obiettivo 11 di Agenda 2030: Rendere le città e gli insediamenti umani inclusivi, sicuri, duraturi e sostenibili.L’Italia è sempre stata caratterizzata da una sismicità diffusa, come dimostra il gran numero di documenti che descrivono gli effetti di antichi terremoti in molte aree geografiche della nostra penisola. Tuttavia, anche se oggi disponiamo di conoscenze precise e dettagliate, ogni terremoto ci trova inevitabilmente impreparati. A ogni stress sismico, il nostro patrimonio edilizio e infrastrutturale mostra sempre un notevole grado di vulnerabilità. I recenti terremoti dell'inizio di questo secolo hanno causato 650 morti e 60 miliardi di danni, creando un enorme impatto sulla popolazione colpita e un duro colpo alla sua economia. Eventi che ogni volta confermano l'inadeguatezza della protezione sismica nel nostro paese, che non riesce a perseguire una strategia efficace per contenere il rischio sismico entro limiti accettabili per una nazione moderna.Tuttavia, abbiamo una conoscenza scientifica che ci permette di rivedere il patrimonio edilizio esistente attraverso interventi di “retrofit strutturale” in grado di raggiungere la resistenza necessaria per contrastare i futuri eventi sismici che si verificheranno nel nostro paese.Quest’articolo si propone di chiarire alcuni aspetti delle diverse tipologie di “retrofit strutturale” e della qualità che questi interventi possono attivare anche nei casi di costruzioni non qualificate. Lo scopo è di analizzare una serie di casi di studio che non solo suppliscono alle carenze strutturali iniziali, ma che attraverso un processo di addizione di qualità possono trasformare positivamente il paesaggio urbano delle nostre città, in accordo a quanto specificato dall’Obiettivo 11 di Agenda 2030: Rendere le città e gli insediamenti umani inclusivi, sicuri, duraturi e sostenibili.   The Addition of Architectural Quality to the Built Environment in Structural Retrofitting StrategiesItaly has always lived with widespread seismicity, as demonstrated by the large number of documents describing the effects of ancient earthquakes in many geographical areas of our peninsula. However, even though today we have precise and detailed knowledge, every earthquake inevitably finds us unprepared. At every seismic stress, our building and infrastructure heritage always shows a considerable degree of vulnerability. The most recent earthquakes have caused 650 casualties and 60 billion euro worth of damages, creating a huge impact on the affected population and a severe blow to the country's economy. Events that each time confirm the inadequacy of seismic protection in our country, which fails to pursue an effective strategy to contain seismic risk within acceptable limits for a modern nation.However, we have sufficient scientific knowledge to allows us to review the existing building stock through interventions of "structural retrofit" able to achieve the necessary resistance to withstand future seismic events that will occur in our country.This article aims to clarify some aspects of the different types of “structural retrofit” and the quality that these interventions can activate even in cases of unqualified construction. The aim is to analyze a series of case studies that not only make up for the initial structural deficiencies, but which through a process of adding quality can positively transform the urban landscape of our cities, according to Agenda 2030 Objective 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Conceptual disorganization as a mediating variable between visual learning and metacognition in schizophrenia

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate the relative contributions of visual learning and conceptual disorganization to specific metacognitive domains in a sample of outpatients with stable schizophrenia.MethodsA total of 92 consecutive outpatients with stable schizophrenia were recruited in a cross-sectional study. We analyzed the data with five path analyses based on multiple regressions to analyze the specific effect of visual learning on metacognitive capacity and metacognitive domains and the possible mediating role of conceptual disorganization.ResultsWe found that (i) visual learning was negatively correlated to metacognitive capacity and its domains on the one hand and conceptual disorganization on the other hand; (ii) conceptual disorganization was negatively associated with metacognition and its domains; and (iii) when the mediation effect was considered, conceptual disorganization fully mediated the relationship between visual learning and mastery, whereas it served as a partial mediator of the effect of visual learning on the other metacognition domains, i.e., self-reflectivity, understanding others’ mind, and decentration.ConclusionThese results delineate an articulated panorama of relations between different dimensions of metacognition, visual learning, and conceptual disorganization. Therefore, studies unable to distinguish between different components of metacognition fail to bring out the possibly varying links between neurocognition, disorganization, and metacognition

Are public health professionals prepared for public health genomics? A cross-sectional survey in Italy

Background: Public health genomics is an emerging multidisciplinary approach, which aims to integrate genome-based knowledge in a responsible and effective way into public health. Despite several surveys performed to evaluate knowledge, attitudes and professional behaviors of physicians towards predictive genetic testing, similar surveys have not been carried out for public health practitioners. This study is the first to assess knowledge, attitudes and training needs of public health professionals in the field of predictive genetic testing for chronic diseases. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was used to carry out a cross-sectional survey of a random sample of Italian public health professionals. Results: A response rate of 67.4% (797 questionnaires) was achieved. Italian public health professionals have the necessary attitudinal background to contribute to the proper use of predictive genetic testing for chronic diseases, but they need additional training to increase their methodological knowledge. Knowledge significantly increases with exposure to predictive genetic testing during postgraduate training (odds ratio (OR) = 1.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.05-2.88), time dedicated to continuing medical education (OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.14-2.04) and level of English language knowledge (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.07-1.72). Adequate knowledge is the strongest predictor of positive attitudes from a public health perspective (OR = 3.98, 95% CI = 2.44-6.50). Physicians show a lower level of knowledge and more public health attitudes than other public health professionals do. About 80% of public health professionals considered their knowledge inadequate and 86.0% believed that it should be improved through specific postgraduate training courses. Conclusions: Specific and targeted training initiatives are needed to develop a skilled public health workforce competent in identifying genomic technology that is ready for use in population health and in modeling public health genomic programs and primary care services that need to be developed, implemented and evaluated

ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN FUNCTIONAL MILESTONES AND PSYCHIATRIC ADMISSIONS IN AN URBAN AREA: UTILITY OF A CLUSTER-ANALYTICAL APPROACH

Background: The purpose of the study was to identify homogenous subgroups, based upon achievement of two functional milestones (marriage and employment) and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) score in a sample of 848 acute patients admitted to the Psychiatric Emergency Service (PES) of the Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, during a 24-months period. Subjects and methods: A two-step cluster-analysis, using GAF total score and the achievements in the two milestones as input data was performed. In order to examine whether the identified subgroups differed in external variables that were not included in the clustering process, and consequently to validate the found functional profiles, chi-square tests for categorical variables and analyses of variance (ANOVA) for continuous variables were performed. Results: Five clusters were found. Employed patients (Clusters 4 and 5) had more years of education, less illness chronicity (shorter duration of illness and lower proportion of previous voluntary hospitalizations), lower use of mental health resources in the last year yet higher treatment adherence, larger network size, and higher ordinary discharge. Married inpatients (Clusters 3 and 5) had lower frequencies of substance abuse. Conclusions: The remarkably high rate of unemployment in this inpatients’ sample, and the evidence of associations between unemployment and poorer functioning, argue for further research and development of evidence-based supported employment programs, that put forth diligent effort in helping people obtain work quickly and sustain; they may also help to reduce health care service use among that clientele

gender and quality of life in laryngectomized patients

Background: the aim of this study was to investigate possible correlations between the perception of postoperative quality of life and gender. Methods: the questionnaires “the Brief illness Perception Questionnaire” (B-iPQ) and “Voice handicap index” (Vhi) were administered to 94 patients divided into two groups according to gender group a: 73 men, group B: 21 women. RESULTS: The results showed that gender should be considered a factor influencing perceived quality of life in laryngectomized patients. Specifically, women showed greater concern towards the disease, its evolution, and the consequences on their lives, compared to men. CONCLUSIONS: the care of the laryngectomized woman should consider the impact that loss of voice has on the perception of her femininity, and the physical, functional, and above all emotional issues that such surgeries may lead to for women

Public health genomics research in Italy: an overview of ongoing projects

Public health genomics (PHG) aims to integrate advances in genomic sciences into healthcare for the benefit of the general population. As in many countries, there are various research initiatives in this field in Italy, but a clear picture of the national research portfolio has never been sketched. Thus, we aimed to provide an overview of current PHG research projects at the national or international level by consultation with Italian institutional and academic experts. We included 68 PHG projects: the majority were international projects in which Italian researchers participated (n = 43), mainly funded by the European Commission, while the remainder were national initiatives (N = 25), mainly funded by central government. Funding varied considerably, from € 50,000 to € 80,803,177. Three main research themes were identified: governance (N = 20); precision medicine (PM; N = 46); and precision public health (N = 2). We found that research activities are preferentially aimed at the clinical application of PM, while other efforts deal with the governance of the complex translation of genomic innovation into clinical and public health practice. To align such activities with national and international priorities, the development of an updated research agenda for PHG is needed

Anosmia and ageusia as predictive signs of COVID-19 in healthcare workers in Italy. A prospective case-control study

The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of symptoms and signs in healthcare workers (HCW) with Sars-CoV-2