The phenomenon of territories affected by obsolesce and under abandonment involves the Alpine region as a whole in several respects such as social, economic and environmental. The article aims to ...contribute to current studies, supporting and integrating the thesis of the complex mosaic of the Alpine space, focusing the attention in particular to the Lombardy’s mountain, where fallow lands show different characterizations, typologies and spatial structures. Taking into account the typological and territorial differences of Lombardy, the resulting picture can be considered as representative of a large part of the southern alpine face. The main typologies emerging refer to obsolete or derelict spaces because of economic or historical reasons and the relative functions were de-committed or moved elsewhere. Other cases are referred to winter resorts having lost their status due to “environmental” factors. This drives to reflect on the effects of climate change in shaping future Alpine fallow lands. The lack of snow and dramatic ice melting put in crisis local economy, with decline and recession and is the origin of great natural disasters too, causing a radical change in the way of life of the Alps’ inhabitants. This leads to the need to assess through specific scenarios the potential effects on territorial organization of the “fallow lands” that may occur due to climate change, as well as the availability of natural resources, including the effects on the economy and the consolidated life of inhabitants. This can drive to different perspectives on the use of the Alpine territory, with an alliance between disciplines to formulate tailor-made solutions including diversified, innovative purposes as well as planning preventive “rest” with scheduled “fallow lands”.
The phenomenon of territories affected by obsolesce and under abandonment involves the Alpine region as a whole in several respects such as social, economic and environmental. The article aims to ...contribute to current studies, supporting and integrating the thesis of the complex mosaic of the Alpine space, focusing the attention in particular to the Lombardy’s mountain, where fallow lands show different characterizations, typologies and spatial structures. Taking into account the typological and territorial differences of Lombardy, the resulting picture can be considered as representative of a large part of the southern alpine face. The main typologies emerging refer to obsolete or derelict spaces because of economic or historical reasons and the relative functions were de-committed or moved elsewhere. Other cases are referred to winter resorts having lost their status due to “environmental” factors. This drives to reflect on the effects of climate change in shaping future Alpine fallow lands. The lack of snow and dramatic ice melting put in crisis local economy, with decline and recession and is the origin of great natural disasters too, causing a radical change in the way of life of the Alps’ inhabitants. This leads to the need to assess through specific scenarios the potential effects on territorial organization of the “fallow lands” that may occur due to climate change, as well as the availability of natural resources, including the effects on the economy and the consolidated life of inhabitants. This can drive to different perspectives on the use of the Alpine territory, with an alliance between disciplines to formulate tailor-made solutions including diversified, innovative purposes as well as planning preventive “rest” with scheduled “fallow lands”.
Il fenomeno dei territori interessati da obsolescenza e abbandono coinvolge l'intera regione alpina con diverse caratterizzazioni: sociali, economiche ed ambientali. L'articolo intende contribuire a ...riflettere su tale manifestazione a partire da recenti studi, supportando la tesi del complesso mosaico dello spazio alpino, focalizzando l'attenzione in particolare sulla montagna lombarda, dove le terre incolte mostrano diverse caratterizzazioni, tipologie e strutture spaziali. Tenendo conto delle differenze tipologiche e territoriali della Lombardia, il quadro risultante può essere considerato rappresentativo di gran parte del fronte alpino meridionale. Le principali tipologie emergenti si riferiscono ad ambiti obsoleti o dismessi per cause economiche o storiche mentre le relative funzioni sono state abbandonate o spostate altrove. Altri casi si riferiscono a località invernali che hanno perso il loro status a causa di fattori “ambientali”. Ciò induce a riflettere sul ruolo e gli effetti del cambiamento climatico nella creazione di future “fallow lands” alpine. La mancanza di neve e il drammatico scioglimento dei ghiacci mettono in crisi l'economia locale, con il declino e la recessione e sono all'origine spesso di grandi calamità naturali, determinando un cambiamento radicale nel modo di vivere degli abitanti delle Alpi. Ciò porta alla necessità di valutare attraverso scenari specifici i potenziali effetti sull'organizzazione territoriale delle “terre incolte” che si possono determinare a causa dei cambiamenti climatici, come pure sulla disponibilità di risorse naturali, ed i relativi effetti sull'economia e la vita consolidata degli abitanti. Ciò può condurre a diverse prospettive nell'uso del territorio alpino, che richiedono un'alleanza tra discipline per formulare soluzioni su misura, con usi diversificati e innovativi, anche con la programmazione del “riposo” preventivo con “fallow lands” pianificate.
The Interreg IIIB Community Initiative Programme (2000-2006) is considered one of the main instruments to promote the application of the European Spatial Development Perspectives (ESDP), realizing in ...a concrete way the integrated approach to spatial development, also making effective the so-called Community spatial planning approach. Also important is the involvement of regions, public administrations and actors having direct competence for territorial planning and management. Taking into account the above, the aim of the article is to give a realistic perspective on the application of the ESDP through this Community initiative and, moreover, how it is interpreted and managed in south Europe. The state of the art of Interreg IIIB programmes relevant to south Europe will be presented and investigated, analysing the coherence of their goals with the ESDP political aims. Moreover, the innovative and central role played by the regions involved in the process of the application of the ESDP principles will be highlighted.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
BFBNIB, DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The paper aims to present the methodological approach used for the development of the Interreg IIIB Alpine Space project “Cultur ALP - Knowledge and Enhancement of Historical Centres and Cultural ...Landscape”. The project promoted by Lombardy Region, involves seven European regions from four different countries. The goal is to improve the knowledge of alpine historical settlements and to develop innovative operating policies to protect and enhance this distinctive cultural heritage. The paper will focus on the SWOT analysis methodology, here applied to cultural heritage and aiming to describe, understand and valorise the peculiarities and the values of historical settlements and cultural landscapes in the alpine territory. SWOT analysis indicators have been selected in order to internalise the interdisciplinary approach chosen in the project. The intervention strategy that normally characterises the government and management of historic settlements is sectoral and looks at the settlement itself as an ensemble of valuable buildings to be preserved from depletion. Here this point of view is overtaken in favour of a “systemic” analysis, where historical settlements can be viewed as cultural capital, closely integrated to all the other territorial resources. This to achieve a sustainable and durable territorial development, based on the preservation and valorisation of cultural, historical, artistic, social, economic and environmental identities, according to the peculiar spatial and socio-economic context of the Alps arch. This implies the contribution of different disciplinary approaches and tool boxes, that have to be understood and shared by different knowledge systems (approach, strategies, methodologies, tools…). The real challenge of the project is therefore the use of the interdisciplinary approach in developing integrated policies for the preservation and valorisation of historical settlements and cultural landscapes, pushing architects and historians of art as well as planners, economists, sociologists, administrative professionals and other territorial analysts to work together in a mutual learning process.
Abstract
Background
Eosinophilic myocarditis (EM) is a rare and potentially life-threatening form of myocarditis, frequently (but not always) associated with eosinophilia, and presents with acute ...chest pain, or signs and symptoms of acute or chronic heart failure. Eosinophilic myocarditis has various aetiologies, including eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA).
Case summary
A 52-year-old female with a long-standing history of asthma, acral paraesthesia, subcutaneous nodules, and recurrent chest pain treated with anti-inflammatory drugs was admitted to our hospital with chest pain, repolarization disturbances, eosinophilia, and increased troponin levels. After an initial evaluation by coronary angiography, echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance, a definitive diagnosis of EM was made with the help of an endomyocardial biopsy. The aetiological diagnosis of EM as a manifestation of tissue involvement in EGPA was concluded after ruling out other possible causes of eosinophilia and with the help of other diagnostic criteria for EGPA (asthma, eosinophilia, and neuropathy). Therefore, we started with a high dosage of glucocorticoids, and attained relief of symptoms and normalization of eosinophilic count after a few days.
Discussion
In cases of myocarditis (particularly if associated with eosinophilia), EM is a manifestation of EGPA and should be considered for a prompt differential diagnosis. Endomyocardial biopsy represents the gold standard for the diagnosis of EM. The mainstay of therapy for EM is immunosuppressive drugs to help prevent its evolution to a fulminant form and chronic progression towards restrictive cardiomyopathy.
Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a rare inherited disorder, whose genetic cause is elusive in about 50–70% of cases. ACM presents a variable disease course which could be influenced by ...genetics. We performed next-generation sequencing on a panel of 174 genes associated with inherited cardiovascular diseases on 82 ACM probands (i) to describe and classify the pathogenicity of rare variants according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics both for ACM-associated genes and for genes linked to other cardiovascular genetic conditions; (ii) to assess, for the first time, the impact of common variants on the ACM clinical disease severity by genotype-phenotype correlation and survival analysis. We identified 15 (likely) pathogenic variants and 66 variants of uncertain significance in ACM-genes and 4 high-impact variants in genes never associated with ACM (ABCC9, APOB, DPP6, MIB1), which deserve future consideration. In addition, we found 69 significant genotype-phenotype associations between common variants and clinical parameters. Arrhythmia-associated polymorphisms resulted in an increased risk of arrhythmic events during patients’ follow-up. The description of the genetic framework of our population and the observed genotype-phenotype correlation constitutes the starting point to address the current lack of knowledge in the genetics of ACM.
Use of information campaigns and educational interventions directed to citizens and supported by physicians, aimed at promoting the appropriate use of medicines, have been evaluated by several ...studies with conflicting results. These interventions are potentially relevant, favouring the reduction of unnecessary use of medicines and related risks. Several studies have specifically evaluated the promotion of the appropriate use of antibiotics in adults and children, with variable results. A controlled study is proposed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a multifaceted intervention aimed at reducing antibiotic prescription by increasing awareness on risks of their unnecessary use.
Information will be provided to citizens through several media (posters, local TV, radio and newspapers, video terminals, websites of Local Health Authorities). Brochures with information on expected benefits and risks of antibiotics will be also available, either with direct access in waiting rooms and pharmacies or handed out and mediated by doctors. Physicians and pharmacists will get specific data on local antibiotic resistance. A small group of representative doctors have also actively participated in defining the campaign key messages. A sample of general practitioners and paediatricians will be trained in patient counselling strategies.The information campaign will be implemented in two Provinces of Emilia-Romagna during the fall-winter season (November 2011-February 2012). Change in the overall prescribing rate of antibiotics (expressed as DDD per 1000 inhabitants/day) in the intervention area will be compared versus other areas in the same Region. Knowledge and attitudes of the general population will be evaluated through a phone and internet survey on a representative sample.
While the campaign messages will be mainly directed to the general population, doctors' prescribing will be assessed. The main rationale for this apparent discrepancy lies in the influence patients may have on physicians' prescribing behaviour (directly or indirectly) and in physicians' endorsement of the campaign goals, considering their participation in its design.This study could observe a reduction lower than 5% in the prescribing rate of antibiotics. Such a reduction would be of public health relevance and would determine average savings of almost twice as much as the campaign costs.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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