Ritratti di città. A Lisbona il riscatto del centro passa da Mouraria

Il processo di rigenerazione urbana avviato a Lisbona dalla giunta socialista a partire dal 2007, con riferimento al quartiere di Mouraria. L'articolo analizza le tipologie di programma (Progetto di rigenerazione specifico per l'area, progetti BIP-ZIP su iniziativa privata ma finanziati dalla municipalità), gli attori coinvolti e le ricadute urbane e architettoniche sul quartiere

Servitù di forma. Proprietà e regole urbane del costruire in una prospettiva comparata

L'abstract è presente nell'allegato / the abstract is in the attachmen

Collective Landscapes. The Gran Consortile di Riclaretto and Collective Property in the Germanasca Valley

Communal land management is a core element of the Alpine mountain landscape. In the Germanasca Valley, situated in Italy’s Turin region, collective management in the form of private shared ownership has been taking place for centuries.This study, perhaps the first of its kind in this particular geographical area, seeks to sketch a picture of these proprietary structures and bring out their salient features by investigating the value of these realities today. This type of shared ownership is described with regard to location, property and use rights, land and landscape use and its economic dimension. The last point of focus is two recently established land associations (As.Fo.) located on the same axis of collective management.While some properties are still being used as they were originally intended, others remain only on paper, and others have been lost to history. Among these collective properties, the case of the Gran Consortile di Riclaretto in Perrero stands out as a property that has managed to virtuously transform its use by adapting to the current dynamics.Archival sources and oral interviews form the basis for this research, which was conducted with an eye on the passage of history and by analysing the territory and the landscape. This paper investigates the meaning of Riclaretto for neighbouring properties but with a strategic view towards the future of the mountain environment itself

Paesaggi collettivi: il Gran Consortile di Riclaretto e le proprietà collettive delle valli del Germanasca.

La gestione comunitaria di brani di territorio è un elemento strutturale delle montagne alpine. Nelle Valli del Germanasca (TO), la gestione collettiva avviene da secoli per mezzo di estese proprietà indivise di natura privata. Questo studio, forse il primo del suo genere in quest’area geografica, cerca di ricomporre un quadro sinottico di tali strutture proprietarie e di farne emergere i caratteri salienti, interrogandosi sul valore contemporaneo di queste realtà. In particolare le proprietà indivise analizzate sono descritte rispetto alla collocazione, ai diritti proprietari e d’uso, agli usi del territorio e del paesaggio, infine agli aspetti economici. In ultimo, lo studio incontra due Associazioni Fondiarie di recente istituzione, che si collocano sul medesimo asse di gestione collettiva. Se alcune proprietà hanno mantenuto la destinazione d’uso, altre rimangono solo sulla carta e di altre ancora si sta perdendo la memoria. Tra le proprietà collettive che, al contrario, si sono sapute organizzare per la contemporaneità, spicca il caso del Gran Consortile di Riclaretto (Perrero), proprietà che ha cominciato a gestire virtuosamente una trasformazione d’uso adattandola alle dinamiche attuali.Condotta dal punto di vista della storia e dell’analisi del territorio e del paesaggio, la ricerca si fonda su fonti archivistiche e interviste orali. Il paper si interroga quindi su che significato Riclaretto rivesta anche per le altre proprietà contigue, ma soprattutto nei confronti di una visione strategica di futuro per l’ambiente montano stesso. La gestion communautaire du territoire est un élément structurel des montagnes alpines. Depuis des siècles, dans les Valli del Germanasca (TO), la gestion collective se déroule à travers vastes propriétés indivises à caractère privé. Cette étude, peut-être la première du genre dans cette zone géographique, cherche à recomposer un tableau synoptique de ces structures propriétaires et à faire ressortir leurs traits saillants, en questionnant la valeur contemporaine de ces réalités. En particulier, les propriétés indivises analysées sont décrites en ce qui concerne la localisation, les droits de propriété et d'usage, les usages des terres et des paysages et enfin les aspects économiques. Enfin, le cabinet à rencontré deux “Associations foncières” récemment créées, situées sur le même axe de gestion collective. Alors que certaines propriétés ont conservé leur utilisation prévue, d'autres restent uniquement sur papier et d'autres encore perdent de la mémoire. Parmi les biens collectifs qui, au contraire, ont su s'organiser pour la contemporanéité, se détache le cas du Gran Consortile di Riclaretto (Perrero), un bien qui a commencé à gérer vertueusement une transformation d'usage en l'adaptant aux besoins et aux dynamiques actuelles.Conduite du point de vue de l'histoire et de l'analyse du territoire et du paysage, la recherche s'appuie sur des sources d'archives et des entretiens oraux. Le papier questionne donc le sens de Riclaretto soit pour les autres propriétés contiguës, mais surtout par rapport à une vision stratégique du futur pour l'environnement montagnard

Electrophysiological changes of cardiac function during antidepressant treatment

Some antidepressant agents can cause electrophysiological changes of cardiac function leading to ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. However, antidepressants have also protective effects on the heart through their capacity to modulate cardiac autonomic-mediated physiological responses. Heart rate variability and QTc length are two strictly linked parameters that allow us to appreciate the effects of different drugs on cardiac physiology. Heart rate variability reflects functioning of the autonomic nervous system and possibly also regulation by the limbic system. Autonomic regulation of cardiac activity influences also cardiac repolarization and QT length, both directly and via its effects on heart rate. In this review we present the methodologies adopted to study the effect of antidepressant drugs on QT length and heart rate variability and we summarize data on electrophysiological changes related to antidepressant treatment. Clinical implications for the choice of different antidepressants in different clinical populations are discussed

Elevated urine levels of bufotenine in patients with autistic spectrum disorders and schizophrenia

Previous studies have suggested that the endogeneous psychotomimetic molecule bufotenine (N-N notdimethyl-5-idroxytryptamine) may play a role in the pathogenesis of severe mental disorders. The potential association of bufotenine with the clinical features of autism and schizophrenia is not entirely understood. In this study, we measured urinary levels of bufotenine in subjects with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia and healthy comparison subjects free of psychiatric symptoms. We also sought to assess whether urine concentrations of this molecule may be associated with the clinical characteristics of psychiatric patients. DESIGN: Urine bufotenine levels were measured using a high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) assay in young adults with severe ASD (n = 15), patients with schizophrenia (n = 15), and healthy control subjects (n = 18). The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale was used to measure adaptive behaviors in ASD individuals. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) was used for patients with schizophrenia. RESULTS: Urine bufotenine levels were significantly higher in ASD subjects (3.30 +/- 0.49 mug/L, P < 0.05) and patients with schizophrenia (4.39 +/- 0.43 mug/L, P < 0.001) compared with controls (1.53 +/- 0.30 mug/L). Among patients with ASD, there was a significant positive correlation between urine bufotenine and hyperactivity scores on the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (r = 0.479, P < 0.05). No other associations were detected. CONCLUSIONS: our results indicate that elevated urine levels of the endogeneous psychotomimetic molecule bufotenine may play a role in ASD and schizophrenia, and can be correlated with hyperactivity scores in autism

QT interval prolongation related to psychoactive drug treatment: a comparison of monotherapy versus polytherapy

BACKGROUND: Several antipsychotic agents are known to prolong the QT interval in a dose dependent manner. Corrected QT interval (QTc) exceeding a threshold value of 450 ms may be associated with an increased risk of life threatening arrhythmias. Antipsychotic agents are often given in combination with other psychotropic drugs, such as antidepressants, that may also contribute to QT prolongation. This observational study compares the effects observed on QT interval between antipsychotic monotherapy and psychoactive polytherapy, which included an additional antidepressant or lithium treatment. METHOD: We examined two groups of hospitalized women with Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder and Schizoaffective Disorder in a naturalistic setting. Group 1 was composed of nineteen hospitalized women treated with antipsychotic monotherapy (either haloperidol, olanzapine, risperidone or clozapine) and Group 2 was composed of nineteen hospitalized women treated with an antipsychotic (either haloperidol, olanzapine, risperidone or quetiapine) with an additional antidepressant (citalopram, escitalopram, sertraline, paroxetine, fluvoxamine, mirtazapine, venlafaxine or clomipramine) or lithium. An Electrocardiogram (ECG) was carried out before the beginning of the treatment for both groups and at a second time after four days of therapy at full dosage, when blood was also drawn for determination of serum levels of the antipsychotic. Statistical analysis included repeated measures ANOVA, Fisher Exact Test and Indipendent T Test. RESULTS: Mean QTc intervals significantly increased in Group 2 (24 ± 21 ms) however this was not the case in Group 1 (-1 ± 30 ms) (Repeated measures ANOVA p < 0,01). Furthermore we found a significant difference in the number of patients who exceeded the threshold of borderline QTc interval value (450 ms) between the two groups, with seven patients in Group 2 (38%) compared to one patient in Group 1 (7%) (Fisher Exact Text, p < 0,05). CONCLUSIONS: No significant prolongation of the QT interval was found following monotherapy with an antipsychotic agent, while combination of these drugs with antidepressants caused a significant QT prolongation. Careful monitoring of the QT interval is suggested in patients taking a combined treatment of antipsychotic and antidepressant agents