An ancient culinary tradition handed down from generation to generation …
The gastronomic scenario of the Siciliainbocca Restaurant is an authentic journey through the flavors, colors and aromas typical of Sicilian cuisine: a symphony of sensations designed specifically to involve every sense and to give an experience full of unique emotions. Strictly prepared with excellent raw materials and processed by the expert hands of expert chefs, the dishes of the local give an explosion of taste and imagination in every season, reinterpreting in a light and tantalizing key a tradition handed down from father to son. Founded in 1999 by the passion and wisdom of Enzo Certo, a Sicilian businessman who moved to Rome and his wife, Sicilian D.O.C. this warm and welcoming restaurant since 2005 is managed in a brilliant way by the sisters Vanessa and Azzurra Certo and their mother Paolina Cozzo; three cheerful and friendly women, always attentive to the quality of the dishes, the choice of wines to match with each dish and the original and comfortable atmosphere of the Sicilian style. “Our menus are the result of a strong territorial belonging, a careful selection of quality raw materials and ancient recipes of the past, handed down to us by our grandparents; recipes of the typically Sicilian tradition, reinterpreted in a modern way with great creativity and lots of imagination “, asserts Vanessa. Strategically set in the heart of the historic center of Rome, the restaurant is composed of three warm and welcoming environments – one of which in the summer turns into a secret garden – ideal for business lunches, romantic dinners or to celebrate a memorable event.
Demographic changes could bring success for Democrats and Stacey Abrams – and counter alleged voter suppression against minorities
Stacey Abrams, Democratic challenger for Georgia governor in November 2018’s midterm elections at a rally supported by Democratic senator from Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren. Photograph: John Amis/EPA
A “great reverse migration” of African Americans to the US south from the north could turn historically Republican parts of Georgia’s state capital, Atlanta, from red to Democrat blue as early as next month’s midterms, experts say.
William Frey, demographer and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said a key to this trajectory is the burgeoning Gwinnett County on the outskirts of Atlanta, where many black people have moved in recent years.
Gwinnett is a being closely scrutinised in Georgia’s extremely tight gubernatorial battle, fought between Stacey Abrams, a Democrat hoping to be the country’s first female African American governor, and Republican Brian Kemp, who has denied accusations of voter suppression impacting minorities.
“[The county’s] demography has changed so dramatically in the last 15 years,” said Frey, explaining that significant numbers of African-Americans left the south in the 1970s but are now returning.
Gwinnett is Georgia’s second-largest county; with more than 900,000 residents it is just behind the city of Atlanta’s own staunchly Democrat Fulton County. But Gwinnett has changed from what was a majority white population in 2000 to majority black in 2017, said Frey, who authored a recent study on the changing demographics of the south.
There has also been an increase in Asian and Hispanic populations in the county, but “the black population is going to be the engine of the changes,” he said.
African Americans vote “very, very highly for Democrats”, Frey said, “especially this year in the gubernatorial election with an African American woman running for governor.”
According to a joint Reuters/Ipsos poll last week, Abrams and Kemp are neck and neck, with the former at 46% and the latter at 47%. Another joint poll from local media outlets a week earlier showed the race virtually deadlocked.
Not only is Kemp the Republican candidate for governor, he is also Georgia’s secretary of state – putting him in charge of voter registration and elections.
On Friday, Greg Palast, a journalist and the director of the Palast Investigative Fund alleged that Kemp improperly purged more than 340,000 voters from the state’s registration rolls. Palast, who filed a lawsuit seeking documents, said the voters had been purged for moving homes, but had not in fact changed address.
It’s the latest allegation against Kemp of suppressing voters, all of which he has denied.
Kemp has also faced criticism over the “exact match” policy. This is when a voter’s application has to match – without an errant dash, space, hyphen or period, for example – the information listed in social security or driver’s license databases.
Supporters of the program, like Kemp, say it protects the electoral process. Many others disagree, including a coalition of civil rights groups whose lawsuit claims that “it disproportionately and negatively impact[s] the ability of voting-eligible African American, Latino and Asian American applicants to register to vote.”
More than 51,000 voter registration applicants are “pending” because of the exact match protocol, the lawsuit alleges, 80% of which were submitted by African American, Latino and Asian American applicants. Less than 10% were submitted by applicants identifying as white.
In a statement on the secretary of state’s website, Kemp denied the allegations of voter suppression, calling them “another frivolous lawsuit from liberal activist groups”.
There is further concern over the high numbers of rejected absentee ballots, specifically in Gwinnett County. According to voting data on the secretary of state’s website, more than 520,000 voters have sent in ballots, of which more than 33,000 – around 6% – are from Gwinnett County.
Michael McDonald, an associate professor at the University of Florida who specializes in election data analysis, said Gwinnett county is responsible for approximately 40% of all rejections in the state. They belong “disproportionately to persons of color, specifically African Americans and Asian Americans,” he said.
‘Every vote counts’
Sam Park is out pounding the well-maintained lawns of Lawrenceville in Gwinnett County. The Democratic Party’s incumbent state house representative for District 101 is one of many canvassers in Gwinnett who are particularly keen to get out the vote among the growing population of young non-white voters. Part of the new wave of migration includes well-educated and diverse millennials; in Atlanta, African American millennials are the largest minority group. In his 2018 report The Millennial Generation, Frey said: “In Atlanta, young middle-age blacks would out number whites for the first time in 2025.”
Park, a 33-year-old Korean American,
is accompanied by his deputy field director, Dia Parker, a 24-year-old African-American college student. She shakes hands with a Bangladeshi American entrepreneur, Sam Gillani, who walks out of his garage carrying his 12-year-old dog Laila Ali.
“I vote for the person, not the party – but this year, I feel it’s about what’s being turned around – and we’re being made a fool of,” Gillani said, adding he was already preparing to vote for Park, wanting young, fresh blood representing him. Parker made a quick plug for Abrams, too; Gillani said he was already on board.
For the next hour, Park spoke with two African American men and a Cambodian American woman. The woman spoke little English, so Park made a note on an app on his phone to return with an interpreter. The two men promised their votes to Park.
Whether there will be enough people like them for Georgia to swing to the Democrats is the key question. Frey thinks it could. “One of the reasons is because of the increasing diversity in the Atlanta area,” he said, adding that the “swinginess” comes from metro suburban areas such as Gwinnett.
The authoritative point of view of Prof. Costantino Di Carlo
Female hormones, estrogens and / or progestogens, may be prescribed either to compensate for the deficiency resulting from menopause, or for contraception. We talk about it with Prof. Costantino Di Carlo, Ordinary of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of the University of Catanzaro “Magna Graecia”, an expert in the subject, who for years has been carrying out clinical and research activities in this field.
Professor, let’s talk about contraceptives: the pill has often been accused of having dangerous side effects. It’s true? Does it also have beneficial effects?
The pill, like all medicines, has side effects. These, however, have been overemphasized in our country, which in the western world is the one with the lowest rate of use of these drugs. This is bad because the pill, if used intelligently, can be a valuable ally for a woman’s health by preventing unwanted pregnancies and taking preventive and therapeutic effects. In fact, this drug significantly protects against ovarian and endometrial cancer. It also reduces menstrual pain and the extent of menstruation and is an effective therapy for endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome and premenstrual syndrome. The same active ingredients of the pill are contained in the patch and in the vaginal contraceptive ring. With these methods of administration, however, it is not necessary to remember to take the drug every day (the patch should be replaced every week, the ring once a month) and the effectiveness does not change in case of vomiting or diarrhoea.
How can hormonal therapies help women after menopause?
After the menopause some women have a series of symptoms (hot flashes, sweats, insomnia, nervousness) that significantly reduce the quality of life. Moreover, in this “delicate phase” of the life of every woman, the vulva and the vagina face a condition of atrophy that is often associated with difficulty or pain during intercourse or in the performance of daily activities. Female hormone therapy is extremely effective in the treatment of these disorders. Moreover, it intervenes in the prevention of some of the pathologies that appear after the menopause. In fact, it significantly reduces the risk of fractures resulting from osteoporosis and, most likely, also that of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. This therapy, however, must be strictly personalized and prescribed only after careful clinical evaluation by the doctor.
For a long time, open surgery was the only possible approach to the treatment of diseases of the spine. Over the last few years, however, thanks to the technological evolution and the availability of increasingly precise and cutting-edge instruments, a series of alternative intervention methods have been developed that are similar to the classical ones, which reduce the trauma to a minimum. surgical and psychological for the patient. “Minimally invasive surgery, more respectful of the anatomical integrity of the treated tissues, is increasingly replacing the traditional one, precisely because it offers numerous advantages, from the reduction of post-operative complications to a more rapid recovery of patient mobility” says Dr. Daniel Cabezas, Neurosurgeon and Vertebral Surgeon of the Aurelia Hospital of Rome and Rugani Hospital of Siena, highly specialized structures in the minimally invasive treatment of spine surgery and, precisely for this reason, particularly appreciated by patients throughout Italy.
Dr. Cabezas, which means, specifically, minimally invasive? And for which diseases of the spine can this surgery be applied?
Mininvasiveness means operating bone or non-bone segments (eg cartilages such as the intervertebral disc, or nerves and spinal cord) without damaging neighbouring tissues that are not involved in the damage. Nowadays minimally invasive surgery (microdiscectomy, vertebroplasty, percutaneous foraminotomy, endoscopy, etc.), which has reached unprecedented levels of precision, can be applied to almost all the most frequent morbid conditions: lumbar disc herniations and cervical, vertebral fractures, canal stenosis and instability. The treatment of the most extensive pathologies, such as the scoliosis of large tracts, can not be performed with minimally invasive techniques. The surgeon’s expertise is, therefore, fundamental: where necessary, he must be able to transform the “mini” technique into “open”, to minimize the risk of operating complications.
What advantages do minimal access techniques offer?
Significant reduction in surgical time, reduction of damage on paravertebral muscle structures, reduction of blood loss, better aesthetic results thanks to smaller incisions, shorter hospital stay (generally the patient is standing 24/48 hours after intervention), and a more rapid recovery of daily and work activities. In conclusion, the future of vertebral surgery will be increasingly minimally invasive precisely because, with adequate selection of patients and diseases to be treated, these procedures guarantee improvement or recovery from the problem.
The considerable point of view of dr. Santoro on the treatment of temporomandibular disorders
The temporomandibular joint disorders, which in Italy affect about 12% of the population and 33% have at least one symptom, include a variety of clinical situations that in addition to negatively affect mastication, swallowing and posture, give rise to dental, articular, muscular and cervical pains; in fact, the close correlation of the TMJ with the muscle-articular structures of the head and neck and with the postural structure of the whole body also leads to the definition of Cranio-Cervico-Mandibular Disorders (DCCM). “Thanks to an accurate clinical and diagnostic evaluation, today the specialist is able to assess the extent of these” disorders “and to prescribe the most appropriate therapeutic treatment to achieve optimal conditions” asserts Dr. Domenico Santoro, owner of the prestigious Studio DentalSi of Marcianise, center of excellence in oral health, guarantee of accurate and effective dental performance, worthy of the highest quality standards.
Dr. Santoro, how are these disorders diagnosed?
Performing an accurate clinical evaluation and diagnostic of the occlusion of the teeth, of the functionality of the Temporo-Mandibular Articulation (presence of noises or of blocks), of the analysis of the movements of mandibular excursion, of the masticatory and cervical musculature, and of some aspects postural of the patient. Only after a complete clinical picture can the cause of the symptoms be established and subsequently the most effective therapy. Technologically avant-garde, my studio is equipped with a highly innovative digital instrument, a particular latest generation electromyograph, able to detect, in a simple, rapid, non-invasive and harmless way, the scientific parameters of the occlusal balance with relative measurement of chewing muscles. The data thus acquired provide valuable information for the well-being of the patient, undetectable with traditional methods of analysis.
Based on this information, are you able to prepare the most effective therapy?
Absolutely yes! Generally, the therapeutic approach includes my-functional therapies of swallowing, physiotherapeutic and sometimes pharmacological, aimed at reducing pain, improving functional limitation and slowing down the progression of the disease. In severe cases it may be necessary to apply devices, such as therapeutic bites or retraction plates, which prevent the lower and upper teeth from articulating in a dysfunctional way. The precision of construction and custom intraoral adaptation are however fundamental for the result: this is the reason why it is necessary to contact only experienced professionals able to customize them according to the needs of the individual patient. Self-diagnosis (at the pharmacy you can buy preformed and self-modeling bites at a modest cost) can sometimes worsen your health!
Thanks to the improvement of surgical techniques, and the continuous updating of highly qualified specialists, today we are talking about breast cancer surgery, able to restore breast cancer to women who have their own body integrity. “Plastic surgery can no longer be considered an integral part, but presupposed in the complex mechanism of breast care, where illness and self-perception intertwine each other” says Dr. Feliciano Ciccarelli, Specialist in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery in Naples.
Dr. Ciccarelli, what does the department that you run take care of?
The Department of Plastic Surgery of the Villa dei Fiori di Acerra Nursing Home (Naples) has several areas of interest, ranging from traumatology to cosmetic surgery. The one that required the greatest organizational effort, with exchanges with Italian and foreign centers, is mammary reconstruction, which in Campania records about 30% less interventions than the national average (PNE 2016). We have also established an interdisciplinary group with oncologists, radiotherapists, anatomopathologists and geneticists from the best centers, with whom we discuss all aspects of each case.
Today the intervention for breast cancer must necessarily tend to the contextual reconstruction of the breast involved. In this way, is it possible to restore complete bodily integrity to women?
Absolutely yes. In Italy today, there are about 800,000 women with a previous diagnosis of cancer or who are facing it. The 5-year survival ranges from 87% to 95% and it is now inconceivable not to offer an opportunity for reconstruction. I learned that the breast, beyond the aesthetic perception, for the woman represents maternity, dialogue, open relationship. In the last 15 years the reconstructive approach has shown a constant growth trend. The collaboration between general and plastic surgeons is fundamental for being oncologically radical and at the same time illustrating the reconstructive possibilities.
The reconstruction can be performed by inserting prostheses or using autologous tissues of the patient. What method do you prefer?
The use of autologous tissue, although technically more complex, is always preferable, where possible, because it guarantees more natural results and reduces the problems related to the use of prostheses, such as contractures, infections or unnatural results. Our challenge is that one of our patients, once healed from the tumor, returns to fully live their femininity.
Technological progress and the constant development of less invasive and aggressive surgical techniques for the patient have made it possible to achieve extraordinary goals even in the field of dental dentistry. The dental practice of Vito and Rosa Casella of Ercolano offers its patients excellent results even in difficult situations; thanks to the latest generation instrumentation used in every treatment, this highly qualified specialist is able, in fact, to pursue high quality standards with the utmost professionalism.
Dr. Vito Casella, what are the peculiarities of his dental practice?
Passion, professionalism and transparency: these are the distinctive features of a study that aspires to be identified as an example of Italian excellence. An important reality in the field of dentistry born from the desire to realize a precise dream: to give everyone a beautiful and healthy smile, with accessible care and certified quality. Strong of cutting-edge technologies and of the latest generation, it is able to offer effective, safe and complete performances in the different branches of dentistry; a wide range of therapies, strictly customized to the specific clinical needs of each patient.
How important is today to have a technologically advanced studio?
Very very much! Today, entering a dental practice for a patient is a completely different experience than in the past. Thanks to increasingly advanced technologies and instruments that reduce human error, the therapies have become faster and more secure; and the dentist, working with greater precision, is able to guarantee performance not only less painful but above all impeccable.
Speaking of cutting-edge methods, she is the only one to anesthetize patients not with traditional pharmacological treatments but using acupuncture. What benefits does this method offer?
For some time now, it has also become part of the western complementary medicine, acupuncture is very valid for analgesia, relaxation of the muscles and sedation (the patient can undergo any intervention remaining awake and without having assimilated chemical substances). This is important, for example, for allergy sufferers, for the elderly with compromised liver or kidneys and for those who do not tolerate the consequences of pharmacological anesthesia. Acupuncture offers many advantages, including a post-operative recovery much faster than a chemical anesthesia, provided that it is performed by qualified doctors and specialized in this branch of medicine.
Superfood or supertrendy? We often read in newspapers or on the internet about food supplements or foods with miraculous properties. But is it all true or are they just illusions and fake news? Prof. Valerio Sanguigni, Cardiologist and Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Rome Tor Vergata and Head of the U.O.C. of Internal Medicine of the Nursing Home Madonna delle Grazie of Velletri and Dr. Davide Francomano, Head of the Endocrinology Clinic of the same Nursing Home, help us to clarify this topic.
Prof. Sanguigni what are actually superfoods?
In the scientific reality are those foods that thanks to the high intrinsic content of natural antioxidants (polyphenols) can contribute, if taken regularly and in the right quantity, to restore the balance between oxidative stress and antioxidant defences and therefore to slow down aging and aging. disease onset.
Dr. Francomano, you have tested the effectiveness of superfoods in a widespread disease such as metabolic syndrome.
In a study, presented at the European Society of Hypertension congress, we demonstrated how the administration of a patented supefoods blend – (Powellnux), based on dark chocolate, hazelnut cream and green tea – in a group of patients affected by metabolic syndrome, determined a clear improvement of the circulation, with reduction of the values of the arterial pressure.
Prof. Sanguigni but then is it really possible to cure only naturally with superfoods without using drugs anymore?
Multifunctional foods can not replace traditional medicines in patients with diseases in therapy, but they can be of great help in preventing cardiovascular diseases and at the same time improving the therapeutic efficacy in patients receiving pharmacological treatment. In a book coming out soon (“Superfoods: the secret of longevity.” Publisher Aliberti) scientifically analyse the superfoods, highlighting their real potential and opportunities for employment for health and well-being.
Is Dr. Francomano really possible to prevent diseases by using food supplements correctly?
We have developed a research line on prevention and treatment with natural supplements through a two-phase program. In the first phase we evaluate the degree of vascular aging of the organism and the magnitude of oxidative stress (Test Longevity score). In the second phase based on test results we prescribe food supplements with a high antioxidant content with a personalized approach. It is really possible to prevent diseases only by a rigorous method and supported by scientific evidence.
A valid alternative for overcoming the marriage crisis
Nowadays marriages have already drastically decreased in the last decade, and the cohabitations have a shorter duration, with serious repercussions on the psychological aspect of the couple and the children who are most affected by the family malaise. “Recently our legislation has introduced more simplified separation so as to allow procedures that are resolved quickly, especially in the absence of minor children “asserts without half terms the lawyer. Mara Zannoni of Rome, arguing for Family Mediation, for decades in use in other European States, Americans and Canadians.
Avv. Zannoni, what is Family Mediation?
It is a path that the parties decide to undertake with a third person, impartial (the mediator), aimed at the reorganization of family relationships. It can be used in various familiar contexts, but is usually undertaken following a separation or divorce. The mediator, who must be a person prepared for this purpose and officially recognized by the institutions, stimulates spouses (or former spouses or comrades) to reactivate communication between them and to draw up separation agreements for themselves and for any children, in absolute autonomy from the judiciary. In this way, the couple will find a new way of managing family relationships and parenting tasks, both from a psychological and purely practical point of view.
What are the advantages of this institute?
Compared to the traditional procedure, the advantages of an economic nature are considerable, thanks to decidedly more streamlined procedures. But it is above all those of a psychological nature that play a primary role. This path, in fact, allows the parties to constructively live their conflict and reorganize their lives by finding serenity and well-being. The important thing is to make the former spouses understand (if they are a marriage crisis) that one can cease to be spouses but not to be parents! It seems trivial, but unfortunately sometimes it happens to have to remark! During the meetings, usually on a weekly basis, the mediator will direct the parties to enjoy constructive and serene management of their relationship, learning to enhance their parenting functions and putting their educational responsibilities at stake. At the end of the entire journey, if an agreement is reached, a draft agreement is drawn up which, signed by the parties, must first be handed over to the lawyers and then to the judge who will insert the conditions in the de qua sentence. A fundamental role in this scenario Lawyers have the right to verify – subject to assessment on a case by case basis – whether the conditions for mediation exist.
Ambassador in the world of “sustainable beauty” philosophy
Even in Italy the general attention to a “cruelty free” lifestyle has increased. A recent market survey has, in fact, found that even the world of beauty records a significant increase in people who choose sustainable products. Among the beauty salons that adopt products that are friendly to the environment there is Antonio Moccia, well-known hairstylist of S. Giovanni a Teduccio (Naples), who has made the “sustainable beauty” a real company and life philosophy.
Antonio Moccia, what does this new concept of beauty consist of?
My ethics of beauty consists in welcoming, listening to the needs of my clients loving their hair. It is a great responsibility that I have towards people, I am aware of it, and for this reason, in the exercise of my profession, I try to pay the utmost attention, because quality is an added value. A behaviour, my, responsible and sustainable. By fully embracing this philosophy, I pursue excellence, I work to generate good life and choose products in line with my values, in order to guarantee maximum safety to our customers, entrusting me exclusively to our made in Italy Davines, where beauty and sustainability generate value.
We speak of your artistic expressions, your style, where simplicity, harmony and good taste are the masters. How do you define it?
I like to consider myself a craftsman, a haircolorist with a great wealth of skills acquired in the field of color, cut and styling. The coloring service requires creativity, personalization, emotions and the use of an instrument that guarantees the health and well-being of the hair. My top works in permanent coloring are Flamboyage and Degradè, techniques that allow me to create hair with intense, luminous and vibrant colors. Thanks to my experience, which blends with fashion and philosophy, I always associate the colors with glamor cuts, from the short to the generous lengths lightened up to the vertical cut. Metaphorically speaking, “the secret is not to run after butterflies but to take care of the garden so that they come to you”: in other words, thanks to an exclusive, competent, reliable and courteous environment, customers come from everywhere in my salon.
You are a great master of art very tied to her territory. A difficult territory, too often a symbol of social decay, but which sometimes also tell a stories of success and excellence.
Especially in difficult and problematic contexts, we need to discover and enhance those unique stories that, even silently, are able to make an otherwise desolate landscape shine.
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