Cairasco de Figueroa, humanista

[ES]La obra de Bartolomé Cairasco de Figueroa fusiona la herencia humanista y la cultura cristiana en una nueva forma de escribir que plantea la realidad insular como escenario de la gran epopeya del martirologio cristiano. Se trata de adoptar y trasladar una tradición para ponerla al servicio de la enunciación de su realidad. La palabra se convierte así en el lugar de encuentro donde el mito se actualiza y se pone al servicio de un nuevo imaginario.

Land use change to perennial energy crops in Northern Italy: Effects on soil organic carbon sequestration and distribution, soil enzyme activities and microbial communities.

Studies on soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in perennial energy crops are available for North-Central Europe, while there is insufficient information for Southern Europe. This research was conducted in the Po Valley, a Mediterranean-temperate zone characterised by low SOC levels, due to intensive management. The aim was to assess the factors influencing SOC sequestration and its distribution through depth and within soil fractions, after a 9-year old conversion from two annual systems to Miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus) and giant reed (Arundo donax). The 13C natural abundance was used to evaluate the amount of SOC in annual and perennial species, and determine the percentage of carbon derived from perennial crops. SOC was significantly higher under perennial species, especially in the topsoil (0-0.15 m). After 9 years, the amount of C derived from Miscanthus was 18.7 Mg ha-1, mostly stored at 0-0.15 m, whereas the amount of C derived from giant reed was 34.7 Mg ha-1, evenly distributed through layers. Physical soil fractionation was combined with 13C abundance analysis. C derived from perennial crops was mainly found in macroaggregates. Under giant reed, more newly derived-carbon was stored in microaggregates and mineral fraction than under Miscanthus. A molecular approach based on denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) allowed to evaluate changes on microbial community, after the introduction of perennial crops. Functional aspects were investigated by determining relevant soil enzymes (β-glucosidase, urease, alkaline phosphatase). Perennial crops positively stimulated these enzymes, especially in the topsoil. DGGE profiles revealed that community richness was higher in perennial crops; Shannon index of diversity was influenced only by depth. In conclusion, Miscanthus and giant reed represent a sustainable choice for the recovery of soils exhausted by intensive management, also in Mediterranean conditions and this is relevant mainly because this geographical area is notoriously characterised by a rapid turnover of SOC.

Modelli diffusivi ed effetti di ritardo nella conduzione del calore e nella dinamica delle popolazioni.

In questi tesi viene studiata la teoria classica di diffusione del calore come modello parabolico per cui viene calcolata una soluzione attraverso il metodo di separazione delle variabili e il metodo delle onde dispersive. Viene poi affrontata la teoria alternativa proposta da Cattaneo del modello iperbolico del calore, allo scopo di superare il paradosso di velocità di propagazione infinita. Si conclude con alcuni esempi in cui lo stesso ragionamento viene applicato in diverse teorie diffusive e di reazione-diffusione in ambiti bio-matematici, come ad esempio la dinamica delle popolazioni.

Diritti umani e diritto alla salute - la questione dell’accesso ai farmaci come un problema di Giustizia Globale

Riconosciuto il problema dell’accesso ai farmaci come un problema di giustizia globale, la dissertazione, da un lato, è incentrata sullo studio dei diritti umani e sul diritto alla salute da una prospettiva giusfilosofica e, dall’altro, è finalizzata ad analizzare la disciplina brevettuale internazionale, sia approfondendo gli interessi realmente in gioco, sia studiando la struttura economica del brevetto stesso. Si è cercato quindi di guardare a tali interessi da una nuova prospettiva, ipotizzando una gerarchia di valori che sia completa e coerente con gli obiettivi che la dottrina, la giurisprudenza, nonché il diritto internazionale formalmente enunciano. Il progetto di ricerca vuole, in definitiva, arrivare a proporre nuove soluzioni giuridiche al problema dell’accesso ai farmaci. La dissertazione svolge pertanto uno studio critico della proposta di Thomas Pogge, di natura politica e giuridica e sorretta da istanze filosofiche, volta alla soluzione del problema dell’accesso ai farmaci, i.e. l’Health Impact Fund (HIF). Proposta che pone radicalmente in discussione, anche concretamente, il dogma del monopolio concesso con la privativa quale ricompensa per i costi di R&D sostenuti dai titolari dei brevetti e che pone, invece, l’accento sull’effettivo impatto sulla salute globale di ogni singola invenzione. Analizzandone approfonditamente gli aspetti più rilevanti, si passano poi in rassegna, criticamente, le proposte, alternative o di riforma, del sistema di proprietà intellettuale, volte al miglioramento dell’accesso ai farmaci; a tal proposito, si propone quindi una riforma transitoria della disciplina brevettuale, c.d. Trading Time for Space (TTS), che prevede un allungamento temporale dell’esclusiva brevettuale (Time) in cambio della vendita da parte del titolare della privativa del farmaco ad un prezzo accessibile nei Paesi in via di sviluppo (Space).

Interpretare per il Tribunale penale internazionale per il Ruanda. Il trauma vicario e le sue conseguenze sul lavoro degli interpreti.

This dissertation discusses the professional figure of interpreters working for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). The objective is to investigate specific job-related stress factors, particularly the psychological consequences interpreters may have to face, the so-called vicarious trauma. People working for the ICTR are exposed to genocide victims’ violent and shocking testimonies, a situation that could have negative psychological impacts. Online interviews with some interpreters working for the ICTR were carried out in order to arrive at a more thorough understanding of this topic. The study is divided into four chapters. Chapter I outlines the historical aspects of the simultaneous interpreting service in the legal field at the International Military Tribunal, in the trials of the Nazi leaders, and then it analyses a modern international criminal jurisdiction, the ICTR. Chapter II firstly discusses the differences between conference interpreting and court interpreting and in the second part it investigates job-related stress factors for interpreters, focusing on the legal field. Chapter III contains a detailed analysis of vicarious trauma: the main goal is to understand what psychological consequences interpreters have to cope with as a result of translating abused people’s accounts. Chapter IV examines the answers given by ICTR interpreters to the online interviews. The data collected from the interview was compared with the literature survey and the information derived from their comparison was used to put forward some suggestions for studies to be carried out in the future.

[Goiter and nodular thyroid disease: clinical guidelines for diagnosis and treatment. (Waiting? Hormone therapy? Surgery? radioiodine?)]

Nodular thyroid disease is a common problem. We present clinical guidelines for the management of patients with thyroid nodules, multinodular goiters and thyroid cysts for use by primary physicians. In the initial evaluation ultrasonography of the thyroid and fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is recommended. FNAB has become the cornerstone in the evaluation of solitary thyroid nodules, cysts and dominant nodules within multinodular goiters. If the procedure is done properly, it should have a false-negative rate of less than 5% and a false-positive rate of not more than 1%. Thyroid radionuclide scans are less frequently used in the initial evaluation of a nodular goiter. Surgery is the primary therapy for patients with nodular thyroid disease. Other available treatment options are radioiodine and TSH-suppression with thyroxine. The main indications for surgery in euthyroid patients with thyroid nodule or with nontoxic multinodular goiter are recently documented or suspected malignancy, compression of the trachea and esophagus, significant growth of the nodule, recurrence of a cyst after aspiration, neck discomfort and cosmetic concern.

Gene therapy for immunodeficiency due to adenosine deaminase deficiency

BACKGROUND: We investigated the long-term outcome of gene therapy for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) due to the lack of adenosine deaminase (ADA), a fatal disorder of purine metabolism and immunodeficiency. METHODS: We infused autologous CD34+ bone marrow cells transduced with a retroviral vector containing the ADA gene into 10 children with SCID due to ADA deficiency who lacked an HLA-identical sibling donor, after nonmyeloablative conditioning with busulfan. Enzyme-replacement therapy was not given after infusion of the cells. RESULTS: All patients are alive after a median follow-up of 4.0 years (range, 1.8 to 8.0). Transduced hematopoietic stem cells have stably engrafted and differentiated into myeloid cells containing ADA (mean range at 1 year in bone marrow lineages, 3.5 to 8.9%) and lymphoid cells (mean range in peripheral blood, 52.4 to 88.0%). Eight patients do not require enzyme-replacement therapy, their blood cells continue to express ADA, and they have no signs of defective detoxification of purine metabolites. Nine patients had immune reconstitution with increases in T-cell counts (median count at 3 years, 1.07x10(9) per liter) and normalization of T-cell function. In the five patients in whom intravenous immune globulin replacement was discontinued, antigen-specific antibody responses were elicited after exposure to vaccines or viral antigens. Effective protection against infections and improvement in physical development made a normal lifestyle possible. Serious adverse events included prolonged neutropenia (in two patients), hypertension (in one), central-venous-catheter-related infections (in two), Epstein-Barr virus reactivation (in one), and autoimmune hepatitis (in one). CONCLUSIONS: Gene therapy, combined with reduced-intensity conditioning, is a safe and effective treatment for SCID in patients with ADA deficiency. (ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT00598481 and NCT00599781.)

Ephemere Architektur in Sevilla im „Siglo de Oro“ Die Feierlichkeiten zu Ehren Ferdinands III. 1671

Die Einwohner Sevillas wurden im 17. Jahrhundert Zeugen eines besonderen Ereignisses, der Seligsprechung Ferdinands III. von Kastilien und León. Zu seinen Ehren wurde ein Fest veranstaltet, das mit der phantasievollen und reichen Gestaltung seiner ephemeren Architekturen einen Sonderplatz in der Geschichte der andalusischen Stadt einnimmt. Diese Monumente wurden in einer Festpublikation, der für eine größtmögliche Anschaulichkeit Kupferstiche beigefügt wurden, ausführlich geschildert, was eine Rekonstruktion des Aussehens der vergänglichen Architekturen, ihrer vielschichtigen dekorativen Programme und nicht zuletzt der Intentionen hinter den Dekorationen möglich macht.

Assessing sustainable forest management under REDD+: a community-based labour perspective

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation plus (REDD+) encourages economic support for reducing deforestation and conserving or increasing existing forest carbon stocks. The way in which incentives are structured affects trade-offs between local livelihoods, carbon emission reduction, and the cost-effectiveness of a REDD + programme. Looking at first-hand empirical data from 208 farming households in the Bolivian Amazon froma household economy perspective, our study explores two policy options: 1) compensated reduction of emissions fromold-growth forest clearing for agriculture, and 2) direct payments for labour input into sustainable forest anagement combined with a commitment not to clear old-growth forest. Our results indicate that direct payments for sustainable forest management – an approach that focuses on valuing farmers' labour input – can be more cost-effective than compensated reduction and in some cases is themost appropriate choice for achieving improved household incomes, permanence of changes, avoidance of leakages, and community-based institutional enforcement for sustainable forest management.

Ricerche economiche sulle interdizioni imposte dalla legge civile agli Israeliti

di Carlo Cattaneo