Creature della fine del mondo. Il popolo Yámana/Yagán

Con la scoperta da parte di James Cook di numerosi branchi di mammiferi marini nelle acque intorno a Capo Horn e la successiva esplorazione del Canale Beagle ad opera di Robert Fitzroy, la Terra del fuoco diviene meta di balenieri, missionari, allevatori, cercatori d’oro e avventurieri di ogni sorta. Con l’arrivo dal mare di questi alieni, per gli originari pueblos cazadores y canoeros presenti nelle diverse isole dell’arcipelago ha inizio un brusco mutamento delle loro tradizionali condizioni di vita e un degrado che rapidamente li condurrà all’estinzione. Il restringimento degli spazi vitali, i ripetuti massacri, le gravi carenze alimentari, le malattie e le pestilenze furono cause dirette del collasso demografico. Un esito che i colonizzatori occidentali consideravano ineluttabile e necessario, conseguenza dell’incapacità di queste genti di elevarsi dalla condizione primordiale nella quale erano immobili da millenni. Il saggio si sofferma sulle impressioni e sulle riflessioni sviluppate da Charles Darwin sui Fuegini, e sull’appoggio teorico che esse pur deformate finirono per fornire al formarsi e al diffondersi di tale orientamento intellettuale.

Crocodiles, sharks and turtles: the urban geo‑palaeontological heritage of Cagliari (Italy)

In this paper, we report on the first project on the promotion of urban geoheritage in Cagliari, the capital of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia (Italy). We briefly address the history of geo-palaeontological research in the city area and outline the main phases of development in the history of Cagliari’s geo-palaeontological museum. Geotourism is an efficient method of bringing geosciences to a wider audience. For this project, we compiled a geoitinerary of the main lithotypes and fossils present within the urban territory. Miocene lithotypes are the most important materials in the edification of the Cagliari’s old town, and in the past, the quarrying activity favoured the geology knowledge of the area. The presence of abandoned quarries and natural outcrops in parks, public gardens, on the nearby coastline, and also of fossils exposed in ashlars of historic buildings, made Cagliari an excellent example to valorise the geo-palaeontological heritage using geotourism. This project showcases the importance of knowledge transfer and non-technical communication methods by converting highly technical aspects into accessible and engaging information dissemination to a wide range of audience types, including non-specialised ones

Crocodiles, Sharks and Turtles: The urban geo-palaeontological heritage of Cagliari (Italy)

In this paper, we report on the first project on the promotion of urban geoheritage in Cagliari, the capital of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia (Italy). We briefly address the history of geo-palaeontological research in the city area and outline the main phases of development in the history of Cagliari’s geo-palaeontological museum. Geotourism is an efficient method of bringing geosciences to a wider audience. For this project, we compiled a geoitinerary of the main lithotypes and fossils present within the urban territory. Miocene lithotypes are the most important materials in the edification of the Cagliari’s old town, and in the past, the quarrying activity favoured the geology knowledge of the area. The presence of abandoned quarries and natural outcrops in parks, public gardens, on the nearby coastline, and also of fossils exposed in ashlars of historic buildings, made Cagliari an excellent example to valorise the geo-palaeontological heritage using geotourism. This project showcases the importance of knowledge transfer and non-technical communication methods by converting highly technical aspects into accessible and engaging information dissemination to a wide range of audience types, including non-specialised ones

Association of chronic hepatitis C with major depressive disorders: irrespective of interferon-alpha therapy

Abstract Background Mood and anxiety symptoms in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) may be related to the patient awareness of the diagnosis and prognosis, to side effects induced by interferon (IFN)-alpha treatment, as well as to substance abuse. However, the observation of metabolic alterations in patients with CHC has led to hypothesize a direct effect of hepatitis C virus (HCV) on brain function. This study was aimed at elucidating whether CHC is associated with specific anxiety or mood disorders independently of confounding factors. Methods Patient cohort: consecutive patients, 135 with CHC and 76 with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Exclusion criteria: previous treatment with IFN-alpha, co-infection with HCV and hepatitis B virus, infection with human immunodeficiency virus, drug or alcohol abuse, or malignancies. Controls: subjects without evidence of hepatitis randomly extracted from the database of a previous epidemiological study; they were divided into two groups of 540 (332 males) and 304 (220 males) as controls for patients with CHC and CHB, respectively. The psychiatric diagnosis was formulated by means of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Simplified carried out by a physician according to DSM-IV criteria. Results A higher lifetime prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) was observed among CHC compared to CHB or controls. The risk of MDD was not statistically different between CHB and controls. Both the CHC and CHB groups showed a significantly higher frequency of panic disorder when compared to controls. No statistical differences were observed in the prevalence of general anxiety disorder and social phobia when CHC or CHB were compared to controls. Conclusion The present study provides the first evidence of an association between CHC and MDD, diagnosed on the basis of well-defined international criteria. This association is independent of treatment with IFN-alpha and is not influenced by substance or alcohol abuse. By contrast, anxiety disorders do not appear to be specifically associated with CHC

Note e riflessioni storico-critiche sulle Medical Humanities

In the field of health care, recovery, and pain management, more and more interest is being shown in the development of a patient-centred medicine able to overcome several of the obvious limitations of the predominant medical conception of the ars medendi. Over the last few decades, professionals and health agencies have refocused their attention on the original humanistic vocation of Western medicine, making use of the analysis tools of the Medical Humanities, as well as the actual results of their use in clinical practice. Drawing on the ongoing debate of the last few decades in English-speaking countries, the paper deals with two main issues. In view of a treatment strategy and more effective shared caring, the first part underlines the need for healthcare personnel to increase their propensity to listen empathetically and appreciate the patient’s story of his/her suffering. This will be followed by an in-depth examination of, on the one hand, the main structures involved in the illness experience and on the other, the ontological metamorphosis and the new order and set of values that such an experience generates. The paper ends with reference to the polymorphic and polycentric nature of the Medical Humanities and the holistic epistemology that characterizes the