132 research outputs found
Silvano Arieti: remembering his message
No full textThis paper reviews the contributions of Silvano Arieti to the psychodynamic treatment of schizophrenia and places them in the context of the current era and its intellectual tensions regarding this disorder and its treatment. The author includes personal anecdotes to illustrate her thesis that psychodynamic approaches remain vitally important and are tragically underutilized currently . The International Society for the Psychological treatments of the Schizophrenias and other psychoses, ISPS, aims at redressing this proble
Bisphosphonates in prostate carcinoma
No full textThe majority of the patients with advanced prostate carcinoma have painful skeletal metastases, which are responsible for significant skeletal morbidity and disability. Most of these metastases are osteosclerotic, but it has been shown that the abnormal osteoblastic bone formation within metastases is preceded by osteoclastic activation, which appears to be associated with bone pain. This provides the rationale for using bisphosphonates, which are powerful and selective inhibitors of osteoclastic bone resorption. Several bisphosphonates have been shown to be clinically useful for the treatment of several conditions characterized by abnormal osteoclastic bone resorption, including Paget's disease, primary hyperparathyroidism, myelomatosis, and skeletal metastases. Its efficacy in relieving pain in patients with skeletal metastases due to prostate carcinoma has been confirmed in a few studies. The bisphosphonate clodronate was extensively investigated in the study unit. When infused intravenously i.v. (300 mg/day) relief of bone pain become appreciable with 3 days, sometimes preceded by a transient pain flare. These clinical results are very consistent and the residual pain usually is of extraosseous origin. Thus, Mth regard to pain of strictly bone origin, unresponsive patients are quite rare. Oral administration also is effective, but due to its limited intestinal absorption the effective dose is on the order of 1600-3200 mg/day. These doses usually are well tolerated, but they may be a problem for severely ill patients. Furthermore, the efficacy of treatment becomes apparent only after a few days. Thus, oral clodronate usually is adopted as a continuation of an i.v. course. The duration of the i.v. therapy should be individualized, but usually the more prolonged the treatment the longer the duration of the effect. For practical reasons, clodronate is infused daily for 5 days (Monday-Friday) and the treatment course is repeated at the time of any significant recurrence. The oral continuation prevents or delays the recurrence of bone pain in most patients, but in some patients this therapy has to be integrated occasionally with i.v. infusion. The duration of the effect for the same bioavailable dose is somewhat related to the degree of malignancy of the primary tumor. In an uncontrolled study, the author also evaluated the effectiveness of alendronate given either i.v. or orally. A single infusion of 5 mg alendronate i.v. produces roughly the symptomatic effect of 5 i.v. infusions of 300 mg clodronate. Alendronate, 40 mg orally/day, was effective in reducing bone pain in 11 of 12 patients with bone metastases due to prostate carcinoma but who were not confined to bed. In some patients with prostate carcinoma and a diffuse metastatic invasion of the skeleton, there is indirect biochemical and histologic evidence of osteomalacia. This can be aggravated by bisphosphonate administration because of the transient striking prevalence of osteoblastic activity over bone resorption, which also occasionally causes the appearance of symptomatic hypocalcemia. Therefore, the use of large oral supplements of calcium is recommended, particularly at the start of therapy. It is conceivable that these calcium supplements also may be able to improve the final clinical outcome of the bisphosphonate therapy. In conclusion, administration of large doses of bisphosphonates is one of the most cost-effective palliation treatments for patients with prostate carcinoma with bone metastases, both as first-line therapy and in the long term. With appropriate doses, a large proportion of patients can be maintained free of bone pain until death. Studies of the ability of lower doses to prevent skeletal morbidity in patients without metastases or with asymptomatic bone lesions are warranted
La festa del partito
No full textIl contributo esamina la festa politica secondo alcuni aspetti: il rito e il simbolo, il tempo, la partecipazione, la "sacralità". Viene poi analizzato un tipo particolare di festa politica: la convention nazionale negli Stati Uniti.In the first part, the Author examines some specific characteristics of the party feasts: the ritual, the symbols, the time, the participation of the different actors, and the sacred aspects of the celebration. In the second part, an example of political feast is considered: the National Conventions of the Parties in the USA
An Integrated Modelling Approach for the Management of Clam Farming in Coastal Lagoons
No full textThe development of shellfish farming was analysed with a coupled watershed and 3D biogeochemical model for the Sacca di Goro coastal lagoon (Northern Adriatic Sea, Italy). Sacca di Goro is the second site in Europe for the production of the Manila clam (Tapes philippinarum). Different scenarios were identified and analysed considering business as usual and target policy options. Farming area increases of 15 and 30% were compared with the present situation, considering clam productivity under different environmental conditions, namely with and without macroalgal blooms. Those options were then analysed under different nutrient loadings, depending upon distinct watershed uses, and freshwater delivery from the lagoon catchment under dry, normal and wet climatic conditions. Model simulations indicated that a further increase of clam arming areas, or a more intense exploitation, in the inner zones of the lagoon will increase the risk of anoxia and macroalgal blooms. A significant increase of clam productivity was predicted for a moderate development (up to 15%) of farming activities along the sea-side of the sand barrier. Finally, preliminary simulations evidenced that meteorological conditions can affect clam productivity, especially in dry year due to a shortage of food supply.JRC.H.1 - Water Resource
GRANULOMETRICA DEI SEDIMENTI DELLA SACCA DI GORO (DELTA DE PO)
No full textproduzione di una cartografia tematica della distribuzione delle classi granulometriche dei sedimenti nella Sacca di Goro e corelazione con la qualità dei sedimenti. Identificazione delle problematiche ambiental
Blocked Transition And Post-Socialist Transformation: Serbia in the Nineties
No full textThis paper is showing that Serbia in the nineties was an interesting case of postsocialist transformation in spite of the greatly blocked transition. The key sign of the post-socialist transformation has been the formation of a new transformative social force – formation of entrepreneurs and of the strata of social owners. Initial transformation of ownership relations in Serbia began in the 1990-1991. period, with limited privatization of some 40% of all former “socially owned” enterprises . Privatization of such firms was practically blocked in 1992-2000. period. Some comments on ownership transformation after the regime change at the end of year 2000 are given in the paper. There was an autonomous growth of the private sector during the nineties generated by the formation of some 200.000 new private firms. It was shown in the paper that some branches, like retail trade, have been de facto privatized thanks to the predominance in trade business of new private retail trade firms. Social features of new entrepreneurs in Serbia have been analyzed, based on author’ s surveys. Positive impact of new entrepreneurs has been not only in generating and enforcing systemic changes by the end of nineties, but also in preventing overall aggravation of living conditions of people in Serbia in this period. New entrepreneurs were spreading new life orientations, innovativeness, readiness to take responsibility for one’s life, especially among the young generations. The author believes that post-socialist transformation in the nineties facilitated regime change in the Fall of year 2000.Serbia, post-socialist transformation, transition, blocked transition, entrepreneur, new entrepreneurs, spontaneous privatization
Analysis of Clam Farming Scenarios in the Sacca di Goro lagoon
No full textDifferent scenarios and their prioritization were identified for the Sacca di Goro (Adriatic Sea, Northern Italy), an eutrophic lagoon which is exploited with extensive clam farming activities. A preliminary scenario assessment was investigated with qualitative modelling. Economic and environmental variables were accommodated in a comprehensive model of the lagoon that describes major interactions between selected compartments. This kind of analysis is specially suited for systems that are partially specified. In a second step, we addressed the first priority scenario identified by end-users and which concerns clam farming activities in the lagoon. This scenario was analysed using a quantitative approach based on a 3D integrated hydrodynamic-biogeochemical model. Such approach allowed the assessment of the implications of an increase in the clam farming area. The first results seems to indicate that a further increase of clam farming areas (or a more intense exploitation) inside the Sacca di Goro lagoon would increase the risk of anoxia and the vulnerability of clam farming to Ulva blooms. On the contrary, an increase in the exploitation area outside the lagoon will increase the average productivity and maintain constant the risks of anoxia and the vulnerability to Ulva blooms. Furthermore, the cost of measures taken by the local and regional authorities for the lagoon management and to control nuisance macroalgal blooms are potentially compensated by the increase in clams production predicted by the model. The focus on clam farming provides only a partial view of a more complex system which composes by agriculture, urban, touristic areas, and natural sites and is under the influence of climate changes. However, such scenarios constitute only the first stage in the procedure of overall lagoon scenario analysis, and a second iteration is necessary to define the main constraints and boundaries, as well as to incorporate the economic evaluation and social implications of the different options.JRC.H.5 - Rural, water and ecosystem resource
Economic Feasibility Study of a Small-scale Biogas Plant Using a Two-stage Process and a Fixed Bio-film Reactor for a Cost-efficient Production
No full textAbstractEuropean and Italian incentive schemes promote small-scale biogas plant distribution using different types of biological and agricultural wastes as feedstock. A feed in tariff system is used in most of the European Union countries, and the incentive is paid on top of the market price capped at a maximum amount sold.The proposed study explores the feasibility of two-stage biogas plants for small-scale CHP, based on a two-phase bio-film process partially tested during the Biowalk4Biofuels (B4B) FP7 project implementing an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) based on a rotating biological contactor thus able to combine significant yields and reduced volume. The project developed a small pre-industrial biogas plant implementing a recovered 45 kWel CHP unit with 95 kWth thermal power. In the two-stage process, a high-temperature hydrolysis phase was followed by a continuously stirred methanogenesis bioreactor equipped with a rotating biological contactor. Main process performances were related to Organic Load Rate (OLR) up to 15kg VS/m3; the overall reactor volume was 70 m3 for expected biogas production of 25 Nm3/h.Specifically, the aim of the present article is to address the use of the results and outcomes from some laboratory tests verified by the B4B system to model an overall feasibility evaluation. This allows to explore theoretical and economic feasibility of two ideal plants characterized by a 50 and 150 Nm3/h biogas production based on the overall system performances implementing a fixed biofilm for enhancing methanogenesis process. The feasibility study for the 50 Nm3/h biogas plants (equivalent to 100 kWel) shows profitable results, as well as evaluation of the 150 Nm3/h plants (300 kWe), that represent the biggest size for Italian incentives aimed at “small size” biogas plants
Licinio Silvano, patrono de Badalona
No full textThe author submits his opinion that the Licinius Silvanus honoured with the patrone of Baelulo may yet be identified with the prefect of the ora Laietana, a provincial man, better than with his son, the consul of 106 A.C.No disponible
Creazione di una Banca dati ed elaborazione dei dati pregressi dello stato qualitativo della Sacca di Goro
No full textProvincia di Ferrara Servizio Risorse idriche e Tutela Ambientale U:O:P:C: Acque costiere ed economia ittic
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