Search

In this article the authors, teacher and student, will give their point of view about the importance of wellness in the daily lives of people, at the individual, interpersonal and social level. They shared an extraordinary experience in the wonderful lugar, at the foot of Pyrenees Mountains, a 3-day retreat dedicated to the “three pillars of wellness”; meditation, healthy nutrition and exercise. The article is intended for all people who want to achieve the maximum desired level of wellness in their lives. Readers of this journal, emergency psychologists, humanitarian workers and civil protection rescue workers are invited to read the following with the awareness that their care and well-being in the specific context of intervention is essential for resilience as professionals. Caring for yourself and your well-being is the basis for taking care of others. Furthermore, with reference to the most recent studies on resilience in the helping professions, we will highlight the importance of using coping strategies for stressful events with an innovative approach (theory of appraisal) not only in emergency situations but also in daily life. Preserving the well-being and mental health of people and rescue workers is possible using an adaptive mode of processing the stressful event, we will explain how. From “me” to “us”, a new perspective; we have understood that the action of each individual, combined with that of millions of people, can really change things. We model good practices that are beneficial to our planet, we circulate information, we use science to support arguments, we are kind to others and to nature. Our new way of living this millennium should never forget that everything is interconnected. The aim is to find a balance, and it is our task to preserve it.

Gian Francesco Malipiero’s ‘nine songs’ are, by the author’s own admission, to be identified with his three works Le tre poesie di Angelo Poliziano (1920), Quattro sonetti del Burchiello (1921) and Due sonetti del Berni (1922). These songs for voice and piano belong to the cultural trend that laid the foundations for the recovery of antiquity, which became the so-called ‘historical mission’ of the 1980s generation. This didactic program, aimed at students in the second biennium of high school, starts with a morphological analysis of the verbal text, which is compared with that of the musical text, and continues with an exploration of the solutions that Malipiero adopted to highlight the ancient Italian tradition through interactions between music and literature. The activities suggested here, based on listening as part of the analysis of a poetic text, aim to encourage the various cross-disciplinary connections emerging from the “nine songs”.

In this article, the author aims to describe the field experience relating to a psychological support intervention at school, aimed at pupils, teachers, educators, school workers and families. Specifi-cally, the author will illustrate the best practices developed together with teachers and students as well as the working method used in working with younger and older children. This is the result of the collaboration, motivation, creativity, proposals and contribution of all the people involved. The methodology used to support teaching follows an integrated psychoeducational model and uses multiple ideas from neuropsychological and pedagogical disciplines with the aim of promoting indi-vidual and group well-being and a normality of life within the community in the ongoing emergency with a cooperative learning oriented approach.The author will describe the needs analysis work done in the school, which is the first and most important aspect to be considered. It is a fundamental element for planning the intervention and an essential tool to promote effective teamwork, which allows all the people involved, adults and children, to value their own resources within their personal life context. The different activities planned in the classes will then be illustrated in response to what emerged from the experiences of the protagonists (children, teenagers, teachers), from the needs they expressed and from their proposals to help “feel good together at school”. The methodological approach used has as its core the constant reference to the good use of the tools available to all, “the brain” and “the heart”, which in everyday life, and in school life above all, are primarily to be known for their anatomicaland physiological characteristics. They convey and determine the communicative, behavioural, and relational manifestations which can facilitate or hinder the achievement of a dimension of pleasure and well-being with peers and adults of reference.

Questo contributo propone una riflessione sul rapporto fra la transizione ecologica, lo sviluppo sostenibile, e la tutela e salvaguardia dei beni culturali e naturali. La questione ambientale e i processi di patrimonializzazione hanno diversi aspetti in comune a cominciare dal loro emergere come istanze sovranazionali nelle società del tardo industrialismo, ma possono presentare anche zone di attrito che consentono di rilevare modelli di sviluppo, visioni di futuro e interessi differenti su beni e valori a livello locale e nazionale / globale, in contesti di storici disequilibri socio-economici. Per esaminare la questione, si analizzano alcuni conflitti socio-ambientali in Sardegna (Italia), nei quali comitati civici, movimenti, associazioni agiscono in difesa dei beni comuni opponendosi a opere (parchi eolici, trivellazioni), proiettate verso un modello di “sviluppo” economico considerato “sostenibile”, basato sullo sfruttamento di fonti energetiche relativamente “pulite” (metano) o rinnovabili (vento). In particolare, in questo contributo si prendono in esame le pratiche e le strategie discorsive adottate dalle parti coinvolte focalizzando l’attenzione sui differenti modi di utilizzare i temi ambientali e quelli connessi all’heritage.

In this article, the authors aim at describing the field experience relating to the psycho-pedagogical support activity of the Iscol@ Project funded by the Sardinian Regional Govern-ment. Specifically, they illustrate the methodology and the operating mode used in working with children, teachers and families, following an integrated psychoeducational model which helps establish normal life during the ongoing community emergency. They also propose to describe need analysis within the school environment, which must be integrated with the analysis of the needs of families. This first aspect is a fundamental element for planning the intervention, an essential tool for promoting effective teamwork that allows all the people involved, adults and children, to enhance their resources within their own life context. The authors are inspired by the most recent theories on brain development, on the brain that learns and on well-being understood as a lived experience of pleasure that conveys all learn-ing. These theoretical assumptions were implemented in operational actions at school. They describe the different organizational and operational phases of the service offered, the role of the psycho-pedagogical team and the effectiveness of teamwork with children, teachers, and families. With practical experiences and intervention models, they show how it is possi-ble to build and implement adequate support for teachers, pupils, and parents especially in these times of “forced distancing”. Even more so in this period of difficulty and uncertainty, the psycho-pedagogical team represents a resource for the school and an element of unity within the class to help face distancing and separation quietly.

n this article, the authors aim at describing the field experience related to the telephone psychological support activity in Sardinia during the Covid-19 emer-gency. Specifically, they will illustrate the protocols and procedures used by psy-chologists according to the psychosocial model of Psicologi per i Popol (PxP).They also aim to describe the work of needs analysis, a fundamental element for intervention planning, which is an essential tool of the emergency and humanitar-ian assistance psychologist in order to promote effective listening and be able to enhance the resources of the people who call on the direct line, as well as fami-lies, according to an integrated psychosocial approach that characterizes the in-tervention of PxP.In line with the psychosocial approach as a theoretical assumption applied in op-erational interventions in emergencies, they describe the different organisational and operational phases of the service offered to the population, the role of the psychologist and the team of operators involved, the intervention methodology and the analysis of the data collected.

In this paper, we will describe the field experience of a psychosocial intervention of reception and integration of migrants in Sardinia. We will also discuss the role of emergency psychologists and humanitarian assistance in promoting a kind of reception which can develop the resources of the adult and child migrants as well as of the family nucleus, following the Social Cognitive Transactional Analysis/ SCTA approach. SCTA will be used as the theoretical basis to describe the several organizational and operational phases of welcoming the migrant, the role of psychologists and other professionals involved, and also the methodology of the intervention. According to Scilligo (2006), the basic processes of SCTA are: the ability to take in pleasure or pain, the ability to respond actively or passively to a change in external stimuli, the ability to provide for the continuation of the race (species) through relational interdependence, and the evolutionary factor, that is the gradual biological and psychological maturation of an individual.

Presentazione di "Medea" VI, 1 (2020)

The mechanisms of mercury accumulation and distribution in fish tissues are related to its high affinity for sulfhydryl groups in proteins. There is evidence that mercury is distributed unevenly based on the different reactivity of these groups in the various muscle proteins. Tuna fish also shows numerous specialized anatomical features including the structure of the swimming muscles and some form of endothermy, which generates variations in the mercury content between dark and white muscle and between muscle tissues with different lipid content. The aim of the study is to verify, through a suitable sub lot of Thunnus thynnus caught by a static trap in south-western Sardinia, the effective uneven distribution of mercury in the various muscles and also identify the sites representative of the entire carcass. In agreement with other authors, the results show that even in the Bluefin tuna of the Mediterranean, the site “anterior extremity of upper loin (schienale in Italian)” is representative of the mercury average content of muscle tissues as a whole.

L’articolo analizza il tema della ‘fine del mondo’ e della ‘crisi dell’umano’ nell’Antropocene mettendo a confronto lo studio di Ernesto De Martino sulle apocalissi culturali e sulla crisi della civiltà occidentale moderna e contemporanea con l’escatologia negativa di Günther Anders e con la narrazione distopica di The Road di Cormac McCarthy.

Presentazione di "Medea" V, 1 (2019)

Prefazione dei curatori al volume IV,1 (2018) della rivista "Medea"

Il contratto di gestione di portafogli di investimento é uno schema negoziale tipico. In caso di cattivo esito della gestione, qualora il cliente-investitore promuova causa di risarcimento per inadempimento contrattuale, l'esame del giudice deve accertare la sussistenza del danno emergente, cioé quantificare le perdite, e il lucro cessante o mancato guadagno. L'approccio della giurisprudenza appare meno soddisfacente per l’aspetto della quantificazione del lucro cessante, che spesso é drasticamente legata a parametri monetari. Sul piano delle tecniche probatorie, sono state trascurate finora le potenzialità del benchmark, o parametro oggettivo di riferimento, che pure è assurto al rango di criterio normativo.

Presentazione del vol III, n. 1 della rivista Medea

This paper analyzes some of the anthropological research lines that have helped to open up new perspectives in studies on the complex issue of the pure and the impure in the ancient world. After considering the introduction of the theme in nineteenth-century anthropological debate, it presents the main contributions of the French sociological school, and of structuralist and symbolic approach, the studies concerning the ritual and those linked to the notion of identity, liminality and border, within processual and dynamic, constructivist and anthropopoietic perspectives.

In this paper are reported the results of the characterization of the lactic acid microflora isolated from Sardinian “provoletta”, a traditional pasta filata cheese obtained from cow’s milk. Cheese samples from two batches were taken in triplicate from three dairy plants after 7 and 21 days of ripening. Each sample was analyzed for mesophilic and thermophilic lactic acid bacteria (LAB). From plates, 118 isolates were identified by Rep- PCR GTG5, species-specific PCR and DNA sequencing. The identified LAB belonged to 7 different species: Lb. paracasei, Lb. rhamnosus, Lb. delbrueckii, Lb. fermentum, E. faecalis, E. faecium e Lc. Lactis. Enterococci were the most common isolates, they were recovered from all the dairy plants and from all the products analysed at 7 and at 20 days of ripening. Although with some differences within the various producers, the technology used aids mesophilic LAB growth, guaranteeing a large biodiversity protection.

Examples of Cultural Anti-Semitism in Umberto Eco’s Novel Il cimitero di PragaThe article draws upon Umberto Eco’s recent novel, Il cimitero di Praga, in the consideration of the relationship between narrative fiction and the collective imagination in regards to the genesis and dispersion of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion in the second half of the nineteenth century. A dangerous and mysterious text, The Protocols evoked general clamor and persecutory backlash, as it appeared to document the existence of a Judeo-Masonic conspiracy.In the work, the author also reconstructs sources of the fictional text and traces the historical, political and editorial events surrounding it, plunging into them with a gritty and irreverent realism in a chronicle of the obsession that flowed into the madness of the Shoah.Treating the subject, which is found elsewhere in the scholar’s oeuvre, requires mention of the repertoire of prejudicial accusations against the Jews throughout history, which creates, toward the end of the book, a heated and contentious debate regarding whether such delicate and reckless statements should even be made public at all. This article questions the authorial strategy in Il cimitero di Praga, and considers the novel’s literary agenda, which can be almost interpreted as a call for vigilance against manifestations of anti-Semitism still present in today’s cultural imagination.

Ricotta fresca cheese is the product of Sardinian dairy industry most exposed to microbial post-process contamination. Due to its technological characteristics, intrinsic parameters, pH (6.10-6.80) and water activity (0.974-0.991), it represents an excellent substrate for the growth of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms, which are usually resident in cheese-making plants environments. Generally, ricotta fresca has a shelf life of 5-7 days. For this reason, at industrial level, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is used to extend the durability of the product. However, few investigations have been conducted to validate the use of MAP in ricotta fresca. The aim of this work is to evaluate the shelf life of ricotta fresca under MAP. A total of 108 samples were collected from three Sardinian industrial cheese-making plants and analysed within 24 h after packaging and after 7, 14 and 21 days of refrigerated storage. Aerobic mesophilic bacteria, mesophilic and thermophilic cocci and lactobacilli, Enterobacteriaceae and E. coli, L. monocytogenes, Pseudomonas spp., Bacillus cereus, yeasts and moulds, and the chemicalphysical parameters and composition of the product were determined. At the end of the shelf life, Pseudomonas spp. and Enterobacteriaceae reached high concentrations, 5 to 7 and 3 to 6 log10 colony forming unit g–1, respectively. The presence of environmental contaminants indicates that the use of MAP without the appropriate implementation of prerequisite programmes is not sufficient to extend the durability of ricotta fresca. Gas mixture and packaging material should be selected only on the basis of scientific evidence of their effectiveness.

Presentazione del vol II, n. 1 della rivista Medea

Adottando un approccio storiografico e critico si indaga l’interazione fra due ambiti delle scienze umane, quello dell’antropologia culturale e quello dell’archeologia, prestando particolare attenzione al contesto italiano e prendendo in considerazione uno degli oggetti e strumenti di indagine comuni: la cultura materiale. L’esame di immaginari scientifici e pratiche accademiche, anche attuali, è il punto di partenza per individuare i percorsi non lineari di avvicinamento e allontanamento fra i due ambiti disciplinari e per un loro inquadramento nei più ampi processi di ridefinizione dei saperi e delle metodologie di indagine tra la fine Ottocento e gli anni Settanta del Novecento. Gli apporti reciproci all’interdisciplinarità sono analizzati attraverso l’operato di tre studiosi: André Leroi-Gourhan, Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli ed Ernesto de Martino.

Ricotta salata cheese is a salted variety of ricotta traditionally made in Sardinia (Italy) from the whey remaining after the production of Pecorino Romano protected designation of origin or other sheep milk cheeses. Ricotta salata cheese is very critical for the possible growth of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms. Sporadic cases of listeriosis associated with ricotta salata cheese have been reported over recent years. The objective of the present study was to assess the evolution of spoilage and pathogen microorganism of vacuum-packed ricotta salata cheese during the entire product shelf-life. The durability study was conducted on 18 vacuum-packed ricotta salata cheese samples analysed at the beginning of the shelf-life and after 60 and 90 days of refrigerated storage. Pathogens as Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus were never detected. During shelf-life total bacterial counts ranged between 7.90±0.64 and 9.19±0.58 CFU g-1 on the rind and between 2.95±0.68 and 4.27±1.10 CFU g-1 in the inner paste, while Enterobacteriaceae ranged between 4.22±0.66 and 5.30±0.73 CFU g-1 on the rind and 3.13±1.80 and 2.80±0.88 CFU g-1 in the inner paste. By considering the technology used, the intrinsic properties and the almost total absence of competing microflora, ricotta salata cheese can support the growth of spoilage and pathogen microorganisms originating from the processing environment. The high level of total bacterial counts and Enterobacteriaceae observed both on the rind and in the inner paste suggests contamination of the product from the processing environment. Therefore, a strict implementation of hygiene during processing is essential in order to reduce the load of environmental contaminants that may grow during refrigerated storage.

Ready-to-eat (RTE) food is characterised by a long shelf-life at refrigerated temperature and can be consumed as such, without any treatment. The aim of the work was to evaluate the presence of Listeria spp. and Listeria monocytogenes in RTEs collected from refrigerated vending machines placed in hospital environment and accessible to the hospitalised patients. In 4 different sampling, 55 RTEs were collected from vending machines of six hospitals located in different areas of Sardinia region. All the samples were characterised by similar manufacturing process, such as the use of modified atmosphere packaging and belonged to 5 different producers. Listeria spp. was not countable using the enumeration method in all of the analysed samples. Using the detection method, Listeria spp. was recovered from 9 sandwich samples. Interestingly, 3 of these samples (5.5%) made by the manufacturer, were positive for L. monocytogenes contamination. The risk related to the L. monocytogenes presence in RTEs proportionally increases when food is introduced in susceptible environments, such as hospitals and consumed by susceptible people. Although the RTEs analysed showed values that complied with the European microbiological criteria for foodstuffs, the availability of these products in a susceptible environment should be carefully checked. Therefore, in order to limit the possible exposition to L. monocytogenes, more information on the risk related to RTE consumption should be provided to the hospitalised patients.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of S. aureus in raw sheep milk cheese and to assess the enterotoxigenic profile of the isolated strains. N.16 raw milk sheep cheese, collected from 8 artisan dairies, were analyzed to detect the presence of Coagulase Positive Staphylococci (CPS). In the frame of Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 cheese samples were tested for the presence of staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) when a CPS count >105 cfu/g was detected. CPS isolates identified as S. aureus were analyzed using multiplex PCR for the detection of classical (sea-see) and enterotoxins-like (seh, sek, sel, sem, seo, sep) genes. S. aureus was recovered in all cheese samples and in 50% with levels >105 cfu/g. 14 strains carried at least one of the genes coding for enterotoxins. In none of the cheese samples SEs were detected. Although a correct acidification (pH 5.1-5.4 at 6 hours) was observed in dairies using natural starter culture, in cheese samples obtained from these dairies, CPS counts were greater (P

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in an Italian general population. Methods: The study was conducted in the years 2002-2003 in Tempio Pausania’s health district located on the North Sardinia and involved 30264 subjects aged 18 years or more treated by 29 general practices (GP). The GP was contact first by phone and letter and secondly a Rheumatologist administered a structured interview that included a screening questionnaire for RA. Cases were defined by the 1987 American College of rheumatology criteria adapted to epidemiological surveys. Every cases were examined by Rheumatologist and General practices together. The age and sex distribution of the sample were similar to those of the Italian population from the 2001 census. Result: Of the 141 subjects who fulfilled the inclusion criteria, there were 113 women and 28 men, with a mean age at diagnosis of 45 years. The prevalence of RA was 0,46% in the general population, 0,73% in women and 0,19% in men. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the prevalence of RA is comparable to that reported in other Mediterranean countries. Women are more affected than men. Our prevalence is higher than that observed in Chiavari in 1992.

The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of Vibrio spp isolated from gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) farmed on sea cages and to identify and characterize the pathogen by molecular techniques. Eighty fish were collected from two hatcheries located on the North-Est Sardinian Mediterranean coast, and microbiological analysis were performed on different body parts such as skin, gills, muscle and intestinal tract. Subsequently 100 pure colonies with typical morphology and phenotypic characteristics were selected and submitted to the molecular identification. The analysis on the prevalence of Vibrio spp showed the effect of the hatchery rearing system (P

The Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) content in 118 bulk-tank sheep milk samples was evaluated using an ELISA commercial kit. During a lactation, three bulk-tank milk samples were collected from each of 40 semi-extensive farms, selected on the basis of high level of concentrate supplementation as risk factor for exposure to Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). The AFM1 content was also determined in 38 sheep cheese samples collected from a dairy plant where the farms enrolled in the survey shipped the milk. In the three sampling the concentrate supplementation recorded in the farms ranged between (mean±sd) 492.2±257.7 and 397.7±214.3. AFM1 was detected in 1 bulk-tank sheep milk sample (0.8%) at concentrations as little as 5.2 ng/L while in 117 it was not detectable (

Panedda is a traditional Sardinian food product. It is fresh pasta filata cheese made from cow’s milk, either raw or heat treated. The aim of this work was to acquire data on traditional cheesemaking process and microbiological profile of Panedda. In 3 dairies located in Monte Acuto area samples from 2 batches were collected during the whole cheesmaking process. Samples of raw milk, curd, acidified curd, pasta filata, and finished product after 7 and 20 days of ripening were collected and microbiologically analyzed. The results showed good hygienic quality in the finished product at 7 days and a decrease of coliforms, E. coli and coagulase-positive Stafilococci was observed during the further ripening. No pathogenic microorganisms were found in all the samples. Among Lactic Acid Bacteria rod-shaped forms were the most prevalent microflora and Enterococci reached levels of about 6 log cfu/g. The results of this study showed satisfactory hygienic characteristics of Panedda and will be useful to preserve traditional cheesemaking process.

Della dimensione sonora si esaminano alcuni aspetti poco noti e trascurati, o anche meno percepiti, pur facendo parte del soundscape della vita quotidiana odierna. Sono oggetto di analisi, inoltre, musiche, voci e suoni osteggiati da forze e poteri oppure perduti col trascorrere del tempo. Infine un’attenzione particolare è riservata alla polisemia e alla dialettica dei silenzi.

Book review of Giulio Angioni, Fare, dire, sentire: L’identico e il diverso nelle culture, Nuoro, Il Maestrale, 2012, pp. 400.

Fluconazole – antimycotic belonging to the first generation azoles – is widely used as treatment for invasive candidiasis and candidemia in numerous clinical settings as Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU), as well as oncology, onco-hematology and solid organ transplantation. More recently use of antimycotics has spread to medical divisions, where fungal infections represent an emerging problem due to population’s ageing, malnourishment and important comorbidities. Fluconazole is effective against numerous Candida species, particularly against albicans, tropicalis and parapsilosis strains. On the other hand, C. krusei is intrinsically resistant to fluconazole and C. glabrata can be sensitive or resistant in a dose dependent fashion. Epidemiological variability is noteworthy and depends on the geographical location of the institution, the clinical setting, and the frequency and intensity of fluconazole employment for invasive candidiasis. In many ICUs fluconazole sensitive C. albicans is cultured in 50% of positive samples, while the remaining 50% show growth of variably sensitive fungal species, often resistant to fluconazole. Due to increasingly frequent emergence of resistant strains of Candida spp., American guidelines (IDSA) in 2009, and European ones (ESCMID) in 2012, recommended substitution of fluconazole with echinocandines as first line therapy in patients with severe disease, as defined by an APACHE II score greater than 15. Thus fluconazole must be limited to low risk cases, treatment of sensitive strains and de-escalation from echinocandin therapy, after microbiological diagnosis and drug resistance profile characterization.

The Sardinian shellfish farming, like the national, is mainly focused on mussels and carpet-shell clams, still less on cupped oyster farming. After Olbia’s Gulf, various lagoon areas along the coastal perimeter have been interested to shellfish farming. They are transitional waters, whose state of pollution must be evaluated both as ecosystem’s health and as directly/indirectly human risk. This also applies to heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury, arising both from anthropogenic that geological-natural activity. The aim of the present study is to investigate the variability of the concentrations of these metals in different mollusks to make a comparative assessment, detect trends (over the five-years or cyclicrecurring) and identify hot spots. In 2008- 2012, 984 samples have been analysed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry technique. Of them, 599 in pre-marketing (for classification of production areas or their monitoring) and the remaining during marketing. The difference between the average levels of the three metals in the different mollusks species was statistically significant, with Pb>Cd>Hg, and there was evidence of a gradual downward trend, albeit moderate, in the contamination levels, with a significant seasonality in concentrations levels, of lead in particular. Also comparisons between the bio-monitored coastal areas were statistically different. Since the samples were representative of the entire production of bivalve mollusks in Sardinia and the contamination allowable limits have never been exceeded in the products marketed, it can be concluded that these products are safe, pointing out that maintenance of monitoring/surveillance plans provides useful information species-dependent, site-specific and temporal trends.