Area Of Milan Research Articles

Analysis of spatio-temporal mobile phone data: a case study in the metropolitan area of Milan

We analyze geo-referenced high-dimensional data describing the use over time of the mobile-phone network in the urban area of Milan, Italy. Aim of the analysis is to identify subregions of the metropolitan area of Milan sharing a similar pattern along time, and possibly related to activities taking place in specific locations and/or times within the city. To tackle this problem, we develop a non-parametric method for the analysis of spatially dependent functional data, named Bagging Voronoi Treelet analysis. This novel approach integrates the treelet decomposition with a proper treatment of spatial dependence, obtained through a Bagging Voronoi strategy. The latter relies on the aggregation of different replicates of the analysis, each involving a set of functional local representatives associated to random Voronoi-based neighborhoods covering the investigated area. Results clearly point out some interesting temporal patterns interpretable in terms of population density mobility (e.g., daily work activities in the tertiary district, leisure activities in residential areas in the evenings and in the weekend, commuters movements along the highways during rush hours, and localized mob concentrations related to occasional events). Moreover we perform simulation studies, aimed at investigating the properties and performances of the method, and whose description is available online as Supplementary material.

“Words to receive. Words to be received”: reflections on the Intercultural City museum work

Although diversity has always been a fundamental characteristic of human societies, now more than ever it has become central to the political and research agenda. The question of how we can live together while enjoying our differences is a fundamental issue of our time, and the city is viewed as the most promising site to negotiate identities. That being so, what is the role of museums? How can local museums develop interventions that address local cultural diversity issues? In the first part of the article, I introduce the idea of “Intercultural City museum work.” I present a metadesign framework that aims to help museums emphasize the impact of diversity work on their local contexts, proposing the Intercultural City approach as a reference point. In the second part of the article, I describe the “Intercultural City museum work” and on using the metadesign framework with reference to MUST-Museo del Territorio Vimercatese, a civic museum on local history and identity in Vimercate, a town in the metropolitan area of Milan. Immigration to the geographical area over the past few decades and the resulting cultural diversity are neither reflected in the museum collections nor the permanent exhibitions. As a result, the museum decided to address these topics through services, events and special projects. In particular, I describe the exhibition Words to Receive. Words to be Received, designed and created by COI-Centro Orientamento Immigrati—a local immigrants’ resource centre—with the museum.

A2A project: A practical implementation of smart grids in the urban area of Milan

Distribution systems have undergone a strong evolution in the last few years. An important cause of this evolution is the growing presence of dispersed generation; the increasing levels of quality of service required by final users are another important issue for Distribution System Operators. These driving forces are particularly challenging in Italy: on the one hand, recent incentives have fostered the installation of many Dispersed Generation units on MV networks; on the other hand, the quality of service regulations put in place by the Italian Energy Regulator push Distribution System Operators to exploit automation on distribution grids. Within this framework, the paper describes a practical implementation of the smart grid concept to a real-life MV network in the urban area of Milan, developed by A2A Reti Elettriche (which owns and operates the distribution network in the cities of Milan and Brescia) in the context of smart grid demonstration projects launched by the Italian Energy Regulator in 2010. After a brief illustration of the network adopted for the experiment, the smart grid architecture is presented, along with the main functionalities to be achieved. Particular attention is devoted to an innovative automatic procedure for selective fault detection, based on logic selectivity and fast network reconfiguration. Some remarks are also provided about the performances of telecommunication supports used for the project.

Immigration and Public Security: The Implementation of Municipal Bylaws in Milan

On 13 February 2010, in Via Padova, a multicultural area of Milan, a young Egyptian was stabbed and killed by native of the Dominican Republic. After the murder, several members of the city's North African community exploded in a running street riot. The events were followed by a harsh political debate, leading to two bylaws were issued by the Mayor of Milan, which sought to impose severe restrictions on life in the area. 
 These two bylaws, N°14/2010 and N°15/2010, are part of a wave of administrative acts about urban security that were approved by different local governments in Italian cities, after the birth of the “Security Emergency” in 2006-2008. These measures can't be considered traditional means of law enforcement in Italy: the municipal bylaws are administrative acts approved by local government of each city without any direct link to the Parliament or the Central Government. 
 Although public order is competence of the Central Government, since the early 90s local governments claimed more power in order to deal with urban security. 
 Moreover, in 2009 was approved a specific group of regulations, the “Pacchetto sicurezza” that increased the controls on immigration in the cities by police, the army and citizens' participation “ronde cittadine”. This is something new in the field of immigration control in Italy: moving from the national borders, control on immigration comes in the cities and in the neighbourhoods. 
 This paper firstly depicts the new powers of local governments dealing with urban security as they move beyond the traditional limits of Law enforcement, and provides descriptions of the army and private citizens as new actors of urban social control against immigration. Secondly, the case of Via Padova is taken as a concrete example of administrative acts in the realm of urban security that create a “state of exception” in a specific neighbourhoods, targeting the immigrants and the places where they gather. The link between this exceptional situation and the Zero Tolerance approach that supported the measures creates a space where the legal aspect of security administrative acts is ambiguous: the Milan bylaws can be considered as an actual mechanism to move beyond the traditional criminalization of immigrants.

Nutrition and health claims: Who is interested? An empirical analysis of consumer preferences in Italy

This paper focuses on nutrition and health claims with the aim of verifying if these claims are of interest to different types of consumers, analysing the key variables that characterise their profiles. We performed a face-to-face survey on 240 consumers in charge of grocery shopping for their household in the Milan area (Italy). The analysis is based on two OLS estimation models. Our results suggest two different profiles for consumers interested in products presenting nutrition or health-related claims. Concerning nutrition claims, the analysis outlined a consumer profile particularly focused on household wellbeing. Females, family with young children, and consumers with a higher nutritional knowledge pay particular attention to such claims. Health-related claims, instead, seem to be of interest for those consumers that are older, with limited income, and with a health condition, namely, the most vulnerable segments of population.

Concomitant sensitization to ragweed and mugwort pollen: who is who in clinical allergy?

BackgroundIn many areas of Europe, double sensitization to ragweed and mugwort is common, and because of the overlapping flowering periods of the 2 plants, it is not possible to diagnose the primary sensitizing allergen source and hence to determine the proper immunotherapy. ObjectivesTo elucidate whether double-sensitized patients are cosensitized or cross-sensitized and, in the latter case, to define the primary sensitizer. MethodsSerum samples from 34 patients with late summer respiratory allergy underwent skin prick testing with whole ragweed, and mugwort extracts were analyzed for their reactivity to recombinant Art v 1 and Amb a 1 by ImmunoCAP and then to Amb a 1, Art v 6, and Art v 1 isoforms by a proteomic approach. In double reactors, the primary sensitizing sources were detected by inhibition experiments. ResultsSerum samples from patients monosensitized to ragweed contained IgE to epitopes specific of all Amb a 1 isoforms. In contrast, serum samples from double reactors found to be primarily sensitized to mugwort reacted to Art v 1 and Art v 6 and cross-reacted to a few Amb a 1 isoforms. Finally, serum samples from double reactors found to be primarily sensitized to ragweed contained IgE reacting to all Amb a 1 isoforms, part of which cross-reacted to Art v 6. We did not find cosensitized patients. ConclusionThis study found that Art v 6 plays an important role in mugwort allergy and that the cross-reactivity between Art v 6 and Amb a 1 is frequent, bidirectional, and clinically relevant in the area of Milan.

Development of the Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability in the Peri-Urban Agricultural Areas: Governance Opportunities in the South Milan Agricultural Park

Farms located in economically advanced areas in close contact with large cities, industrial areas and major infrastructure, may be subjected to the pressure of negative externalities beyond the agricultural sector. This work is based on the study of the interactions between the metropolitan area of Milan and the agricultural activities around it. We decided to assess the 3 scales of sustainability (environmental, social, economic) of farms to create a means to guide the local institution (the Parco Agricolo Sud Milano, PASM) towards innovative and sustainable solutions. The survey was carried out through a tool that compares farms through indicators, integrating agricultural production with environmental protection. It assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the production system and the ways to improve the level of sustainability. We sampled farms and collected their data (from database, interviews, estimates, observations, tabulated data). The results highlight that what had been done so far by the PASM has provided valid economic tools for large multifunctional farms which network is deeply tied to the local contest, through services such as direct sales, the short chain, agritourism and related activities. This has certainly contributed to the improvement of environmental conditions and landscape of the area, which the population of Milan has often shown appreciation. On the other hand, large and small specialized farms, not characterized by these sources of income, have not received equal contribution.

Mediterranean diet and non-fatal acute myocardial infarction: a case-control study from Italy.

To add epidemiological data on the association of adherence to the Mediterranean diet with non-fatal acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in a Southern European population. Hospital-based case-control study. Conformity to the traditional Mediterranean diet was assessed through a score (i.e. the Mediterranean diet score, MDS) based on nine dietary components (high consumption of vegetables, legumes, fruit and nuts, cereals, and fish and seafood; high ratio of monounsaturated to saturated lipids; low consumption of dairy and meat; and moderate alcohol consumption). The score ranged between 0 (lowest adherence) and 9 (highest adherence). The association of the MDS, or its components, with the risk of AMI was evaluated through multiple logistic regression models, controlling for potential confounding variables. The study was conducted in the greater Milan area (Italy) between 1995 and 2003. Seven hundred and sixty patients with a first episode of non-fatal AMI and 682 controls. High consumption of vegetables and legumes were inversely associated with non-fatal AMI risk. As compared with MDS<4, the OR of non-fatal AMI were 0.85 (95 % CI 0.65, 1.12) for MDS of 4-5 and 0.55 (95 % CI 0.40, 0.75) for MDS ≥ 6, with a trend in risk (P<0.01). Results were consistent in strata of selected risk factors and an apparently stronger association emerged for individuals with a lower BMI. The Mediterranean diet is inversely associated with the risk of non-fatal AMI in this Southern European population.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing family: Analysis of the epidemiological and clinical factors associated with an emerging lineage in the urban area of Milan

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing genotype raises major concern because of global spreading, hyper-virulence and association with multi-drug resistance (MDR). The aims of the study were to evaluate role of Beijing family in the epidemiological setting of Milan and to identify predictors associated with the spreading of this lineage. Overall 3830TB cases were included. Beijing family accounted for 100 isolates (2.6%). Prevalence grew from 1.7% to 5.4% in the period 1996–2009. Foreign origin increased significantly the risk of having a Beijing strain: the greatest risk was observed among patients coming either from China [AOR=57.7, 95%CI (26.3–126.8)] or from Former Soviet countries [AOR=33.9, 95%CI (12.8–99.6)]. Also MDR was independently associated with Beijing family [AOR=2.7, 95%CI (1.3–5.8)], whereas male gender and younger age only approximated the statistical significance [p 0.051 and p 0.099, respectively].However, the percentage of cases attributable to MDR strains decreased over time, both in the Beijing group and in the non-Beijing group.97 isolates were grouped in 37 sub-lineages: MT11, MT33 were predominant. Beijing family is an emerging lineage in Milan. Origin from countries like China and Ukraine and MDR are significantly associated with Beijing. The broad range of the sub-lineages reflects the recent dynamics of the migration flows to our area. This scenario can prelude to a constant increase in the spreading of Beijing strains in the near future.

Presentation of orf (ecthyma contagiosum) after sheep slaughtering for religious feasts

We report two cases of orf (ecthyma contagiosum) acquired during religious practices. In the first patient, a 34-year-old Muslim man from Tunisia, orf occurred on the left hand after the patient had handled lamb meat during the "Feast of Sacrifice." In the second patient, a 57-year-old Jewish man, orf was acquired after the "kosherization" of lamb meat and occurred on a finger of the left hand. As approximately 350,000 Muslims reside in the metropolitan area of Milan (Italy), it is possible that in the next future cases of orf acquired after religious practices will occur more often.

The Hidden Side of Design: The Relevance of Artisanship

Design Mysteries Become No Mysteries The concept of “industrial atmosphere,” elaborated by Alfred Marshall,1 plays a crucial role in explaining the link between geography and innovation.2 Clusters and industrial districts benefit from the access to a common pool of skilled workers and to new ideas that easily circulate among the firms and the professionals who share the same local context and socio-cultural background. Indeed, Marshall affirms that “mysteries of the trade become no mysteries, but are, as it were, in the air, and children learn many of them, unconsciously.”3 Knowledge, although tacit and socially embedded, is in the air, freely available to professionals and firms within clusters and industrial districts. Interactions among local actors are facilitated by physical proximity and shared local culture. “Being there” (located in a cluster or industrial district) is a necessary, although not sufficient, condition for absorbing and exploiting tacit knowledge. “Industrial atmosphere” has been used to interpret the diffusion of tacit knowledge among small and medium firms. The flexible specialization in traditional industries,4 such as textile, fashion, machineries, and furniture, and the peculiar organization of Italian firms into industrial districts (at least in the center-north of the country) were an important counterpart of the work of the most important Maestri of Italian design. Not by chance, designers such as Achille Castiglioni, Michele De Lucchi, Vico Magistretti, Marcello Nizzoli, Aldo Rossi, Richard Sapper, and Marco Zanuso (just to name a few) worked closely with firms that were based within these industrial districts. The extraordinary creativity of Italian designers met the flexibility and sensitivity of local entrepreneurs who were keen to differentiate their products through the lenses of quality and esthetics. The Milan area was the epicenter of this phenomenon, where a specific mix of designers, based in the city center, came together with firms located in the suburbs of Brianza (where an important furniture district is located). Tacit knowledge ran fluidly in the relations among the designers and entrepreneurs, as well as among firms within the district. Quoting 1 Alfred Marshall, Principles of Economics, (London: Macmillan and Co. Ltd., 1920). 2 Elisa Giuliani, “The Selective Nature of Knowledge Networks in Clusters: Evidence from the Wine Industry,” Journal of Economic Geography 7 (2007): 139-68. 3 Marshall, Principles of Economics. 4 Michael J. Piore and Charles F. Sabel, The Second Industrial Divide: Possibilities for Prosperity, (New York: Basic Books, 1984).

Simulation-based characterisation of critical infrastructure system resilience

This paper presents a simulation-based approach to the resilience analysis of critical infrastructures systems, making possible the characterisation of the structural resilience features of the system and estimation of the benefits that are derived from improved resilience practices, i.e., preparedness or responsiveness, due to enhanced information-sharing processes among the actors. Resilience characterisation is composed of assessment of the node vitality [i.e., the missed service demand (MSD) generated at the system level] and agility (i.e., the sensitivity of system performance to an improved response time in the node). Scenario analysis is subsequently used to simulate different strategies intended to minimise the impacts of large events. The transportation system in the metropolitan area of Milan is used for this purpose; more specifically, a reduction of disruption response times in agile nodes was simulated according to a real snowfall scenario.

Intestinal parasites of owned dogs and cats from metropolitan and micropolitan areas: prevalence, zoonotic risks, and pet owner awareness in northern Italy.

Intestinal parasites of dogs and cats are cosmopolitan pathogens with zoonotic potential for humans. Our investigation considered their diffusion in dogs and cats from northern Italy areas, specifically the metropolitan area of Milan and two micropolitan areas of neighboring provinces. It included the study of the level of awareness in pet owners of the zoonotic potential from these parasites. A total of 409 fresh fecal samples were collected from household dogs and cats for copromicroscopic analysis and detection of Giardia duodenalis coproantigens. The assemblages of Giardia were also identified. A questionnaire about intestinal parasites biology and zoonotic potential was submitted to 185 pet owners. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites resulted higher in cats (47.37%−60.42%) and dogs (57.41%−43.02%) from micropolitan areas than that from the metropolis of Milan (dogs: P = 28.16%; cats: P = 32.58 %). The zoonotic parasites infecting pets under investigation were T. canis and T. cati, T. vulpis, Ancylostomatidae, and G. duodenalis assemblage A. Only 49.19% of pet owners showed to be aware of the risks for human health from canine and feline intestinal parasites. Parasitological results in pets and awareness determination in their owners clearly highlight how the role of veterinarians is important in indicating correct and widespread behaviors to reduce risks of infection for pets and humans in urban areas.

Lavorare sul confine

Areas on the border are commonly considered peripheral areas and are often treated as the ‘backends’ of cities, no man’s lands, places where undesirable or hidden activities are concentrated. In reality these areas are vital and they are changing. They are filled not only with undesirable activities, but also with considerable opportunities. An important part of the future of the Milan area will be played out here in the next few years. That is why they were the centre point of specific study and design which brought together the dimensions of both policy and urban design and explored spatial aspects together with the stances of the actors, the conflicts and the possibilities for co-operation. And by imagining, in this manner, how to anticipate the method by which the new metropolitan city will have to operate, the study favoured convergence between institutions of a less disproportionate size which share borders.

INFLUENCE OF HOSPITALIZATION UPON DIAGNOSIS ON THE RISK OF TUBERCULOSIS CLUSTERING

SettingCulture-positive tuberculosis (TB) diagnosed in the metropolitan area of Milan (Italy) over a 5-year period (1995–1999).ObjectiveTo assess the impact of short-course hospitalization upon diagnosis on the overall risk of TB clustering.DesignRestriction fragment length polymorphism profiles with a similarity of 100% defined a cluster. Uni- and multivariable logistic regression models were performed to assess factors associated with clustering.ResultsAmong 1139 patients, 392 (34.4%) were hospitalized before or soon after diagnosis, 405 (35.6%) received domiciliary treatment since the diagnosis and 392 (30%) had no information about initial clinical management. One hundred fifteen molecular clusters involving 363 patients were identified. Using multivariable analysis, hospitalization was not significantly associated with clustering (OR 1.06, 95%CI 0.75–1.50, p=0.575). Subjects aged >65 years old (OR 0.60; 95CI%:0.37–0.95; p=0.016) and non-Italian born patients (OR 0.56; 95%CI:0.41–0.76; p<0.001) were running a lower risk of clustering. Conversely, HIV co-infected patients (OR 1.88, 95%CI:1.20–2.95, p=0.006) and those with MDR TB (OR 2.50, 95%CI:1.46–4.25, p=0.001) were significantly more likely to be involved in clusters.ConclusionIn our cohort, domiciliary treatment was not associated with TB clustering. Expanding domiciliary treatment upon diagnosis appears as an advisable measure to reduce unnecessary costs for the health care system.

Temporal Variation of Size-Fractionated Particulate Matter and Carbon Monoxide in Selected Microenvironments of the Milan Urban Area

This article focuses on air pollution in specific urban microenvironments and conditions characterized by high relative concentration levels and by possible risk to human health. For this reason, monitoring of particle number concentration (PNC) with a wide, size-resolved particle-size range, and CO (an indicator of combustion sources, e.g., traffic), was performed in a variety of microenvironments. Concentrations of ultrafine particles (UFPs), size-fractionated particulate matter (PM), and carbon monoxide (CO) were measured in the central area of Milan over three-week-long periods, one each during summer, autumn, and winter, with three monitoring sessions per day. Experimental data were collected continuously during each monitoring period along an established urban pathway. To assess the relevance of time and spatial factors affecting atmospheric concentrations of UFPs, PM, and CO data were collected while walking or moving by different private and public means of transport. Measurements were divided on the basis of different microenvironments (MEs), seasons, days of the week, and periods of the day. Data analysis shows statistically significant differences across MEs and monitoring periods. The highest measured median concentrations and data variability were observed for busy streets, walking or moving by motorized vehicle (CO, UFP) and in metro trains (PM); the lowest concentrations were observed in park areas and in indoor environments. The highest concentrations were measured during working day morning monitoring sessions. Regarding seasonal variation, UFP, PM, and CO showed different patterns: the highest median concentrations were observed in summer for CO, and in autumn and winter for the UFP and PM. Appreciable differences among all MEs and monitoring periods were observed: concentration patterns and variations appear related to typical sources of urban pollutants (traffic), proximity to sources, and time of day. [Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene for the following free supplemental resource: a file containing Table VI: Tau b (Kendall) index for non–parametric correlation tau test.]

Staging precariousness: The Serpica Naro catwalk during the Milan Fashion Week

The article illustrates the Italian process of work precarisation and the collective resistance of precarious workers. It interprets them in terms of the birth of a collective identity that conducts a critique against precariousness while developing learning resources. Through discursive analysis of the Serpica Naro catwalk, organised in the area of Milan by the activists of the May Day Parade and the San Precario network, the article illustrates the process of construction of this collective identity that uses irony and playfulness to resist and denounce precarious working conditions. The purpose is to interpret the anti-precariousness movement as a process of critical urban learning that creates the viability of spaces for resistance in metropolitan contexts.

Individual exposure to size-fractionated particulate matter and carbon monoxide in selected microenvironments of the Milan urban area

Background Human exposure in transport micro-environments (MEs) is of particular interest because many citizens and commuters spend a substantial component of their time in these spaces. Fixed monitoring stations measuring outdoor air quality are used to estimate exposure levels, however, this approach may significantly underestimate the exposure of particular population subgroups, pointing to the need for direct personal exposure measurements. Aims Ultrafine particles (UFPs), size-fractionated particulate matter (PM) and carbon monoxide (CO) were measured in the central area of Milan, in order to assess the influence of time and space on individual exposures. Methods Individual exposures to CO (passive analyser - electrochemical cell), UFPs and PM (Condensation and Optical Particle Counters) were continuously collected along an established urban pathway, moving afoot or by different private and public means of transport during three week-long periods (summer, autumn and winter) and through three sampling sessions per day. Results The analysis of the exposure measures showed statistically significant differences between different MEs and sampling periods. The highest mean concentrations were observed during time spent along busy streets (walking or moving by motorized vehicles), in metro trains and on working-day mornings; the lowest exposures were observed in green areas and in indoor environments. PM and CO showed different seasonal behaviours: the highest mean concentrations were observed in summer for CO and for the coarser fractions of PM, and in winter for the finer fractions of PM. Conclusions Appreciable differences among MEs and sampling periods were observed. Exposure patterns appeared to be mostly related to the proximity to traffic sources, to peculiarities of MEs, as well as to time periods during the day, days of the week, and seasons of the year.

Detection and distribution of culturable Human Enteroviruses through environmental surveillance in Milan, Italy

Human Enteroviruses (HEVs) infections have a significant impact on public health, being implicated in outbreaks of meningitis, encephalitis, hand-foot-mouth disease and other acute and chronic manifestation. In the strategic plan for poliomyelitis eradication, the environmental surveillance of poliovirus (PV) has been identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an activity that can complement the surveillance of polio. Having wastewater samples available for PV surveillance allows us to study nonpolio enteroviruses (NPEVs) circulating in the study population, which are widely spread. This study was carried out according to the WHO guidelines for environmental surveillance of PV and analysed the circulation of PV and NPEVs through the isolation of viruses in cell cultures in Milan area; from 2006 to 2010, 321 wastewater samples were collected, regularly over time, at the inlet of three diverse waste water treatment plants (WWTPs). Culturable HEVs were isolated in 80% of sewage samples: all isolates belonged to the HEV-B group and those circulating more intensely were CVB5 and Echo 6, while CVB4 was the predominant serotype found in 2010. In this study, two type 2 PVs were isolated, both characterized as Sabin like. Environmental monitoring of HEVs in Milan has proved to be an interesting tool to investigate the circulation and distribution of viruses. The detection of PV and other NPEV could be predictive of possible re-emergence of these viruses with an impact on public health. NPEV monitoring could also be a powerful public health tool to investigate the possible role of NPEV in different clinical manifestations.

Media territories and urban conflict

This article deals with the media-related practices enacted by social actors during urban conflict. Its theoretical objective is to stress the need for audience studies to focus on social actors’ concrete practices and, consequently, to switch from essentialist notions of ‘audiences’ to ‘audiencing’ as a practice. This makes it necessary to build theoretical and methodological bridges between audience and urban studies. Focusing on a conflict between Chinese migrants and Italian residents in an area of Milan, the article employs the concept of ‘media territories’ to account for the heterogeneous assemblages of media platforms, contents and devices mobilised by social actors to make sense of the conflict and to impose their own representations of the self, of competitors and of urban space. Within these assemblages, audiencing forms an important ‘secondary’ activity, whose sense can be understood only in relation to the other practices involved. The exploration of these assemblages is necessary for coming to grips with social actors’ conflictual media practices, and to understand the dynamics of urban conflict in media-saturated contexts.