Florence Research Articles

LANDSLIDE DETECTION AND MONITORING TECHNIQUES: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

The devastating consequences of landslides demand rigorous assessment and effective management strategies to minimise risks. In this context, landslide detection and monitoring are crucial in identifying potential hazards and implementing proactive mitigation measures. This study uses the Scopus database to present a bibliometric analysis of 1,112 peer-reviewed journal articles on landslide detection and monitoring techniques published between 2002 and 2022. The analysis reveals a remarkable surge in publications, from 4 in 2002 to 180 in 2022, with the last five years (2018-2022) accounting for over 60% of the total publications. Over 3,259 unique researchers from 75 countries contributed to this field, with a significant portion originating from Asia, Europe, and North America. China and Italy emerged as the leading countries, producing over half of the articles. Nicola Casagli, from Italy, authored the most publications and garnered the highest number of citations. Remote Sensing emerged as the most preferred journal for authors, while Landslides garnered the highest total citations, and Geomorphology has the most normalised citations per article. The Chinese Academy of Sciences, China University of Geosciences, and the University of Florence in Italy were the most productive research institutions. The Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) emerged as the top funding agency. “Landslide”, “landslide monitoring”, and “early warning systems” were the top three most frequently used keywords. Keyword analysis identified landslide detection and monitoring advancements in remote sensing, analytical methods, and in-situ techniques. Co-occurrence analysis of trending research terms highlighted three distinct thematic clusters: remotely sensed data with machine learning and image analysis for landslide detection, field instrumentation for continuous deformation monitoring, and development of early warning systems for landslide hazard assessment and mitigation.

Using FLO text-messages to enhance health behaviours and self-management of long-term conditions in South-Asian patients.

Cultural and communication differences faced by South-Asian (SA) ethnic minority groups have led to challenges in the delivery of health care and complex management of long-term conditions (LTCs). We aim to explore the use of text-messaging in SA communities, through the Florence (FLO) health messaging system utilised within U.K. health sectors, to enhance positive health behaviours and self-management. A mixed-methods approach was used for this study involving two phases. Phase 1 includes the administration of the patient activation measure to assess SA patient level of skills, knowledge, and confidence to self-manage their LTC; whilst in Phase 2 semi-structured interviews were conducted, exploring the experiences of users and non-users of FLO text messaging to promote self-management behaviours. Forty participants (Florence users (n = 20) and non-users (n = 20)) completed the patient activation survey once after using FLO, and took part in interviews. Differences were noted to exist between the two groups (p < .01). Users appeared to have higher activation levels and better self-management behaviours (p < .01 (p = .00). Interviews elicit participants' perceptions of the text messaging system, along with key themes relative to behavioural constructs: socio-demographical factors; influencing behaviour changes, self-management, and uptake of text messages amongst SA ethnic minorities. Text messaging and mHealth are being extensively used amongst general populations to monitor and enhance health. The study of SA patient experiences and their use of text messages within the United Kingdom (UK) remains scarce. Therefore, results from the study identify health beliefs that influence patient engagement with digital health interventions and their self-management. Developing policies and culturally appropriate education guidelines for healthcare practitioners can allow for the provision of culturally sensitive interventions tailored in terms of normative, cultural, and religious beliefs; which in turn will address crucial aspects including SA patient information and educational needs supporting their self-management journey.

Correction: Battisti, F.; Campo, O. The Assessment of Density Bonus in Building Renovation Interventions. The Case of the City of Florence in Italy. Land 2021, 10, 1391

There was an error in the original publication [...]

Differentiated Pricing of Shared Mobility Systems Considering Network Effects

Over the last decades, shared mobility systems have become an integral part of inner-city mobility. Modern systems allow one-way rentals, that is, customers can drop off the vehicle at a different location to where they began their trip. A prominent example is car sharing. Indeed, this work was motivated by the insight we gained in collaborating closely with Europe’s largest car sharing provider, Share Now. In car sharing, as well as in shared mobility systems in general, pricing optimization has turned out to be a promising means of increasing profit while challenged by limited vehicle supply and asymmetric demand across time and space. Thus, in practice, providers increasingly use minute pricing that is differentiated according to where a rental originates, that is, considering its location and the time of day. In research, however, such approaches have not been considered yet. In this paper, we therefore introduce the corresponding origin-based differentiated, profit-maximizing pricing problem for shared mobility systems. The problem is to determine spatially and temporally differentiated minute prices, taking network effects on the supply side and several practice relevant aspects into account. Based on a deterministic network flow model, we formulate the problem as a mixed-integer linear program and prove that it is NP-hard. For its solution, we propose a temporal decomposition approach based on approximate dynamic programming. The approach integrates a value function approximation to incorporate future profits and account for network effects. Extensive computational experiments demonstrate the benefits of capturing such effects in pricing generally, as well as showing our value function approximation’s ability to anticipate them precisely. Furthermore, in a case study based on Share Now data from Florence in Italy, we observe profit increases of around 9% compared with constant uniform minute prices, which are still the de facto industry standard.

Neuroblastoma in childhood and its potential viral involvement: A webinar by the Paediatric Virology Study Group

Neuroblastoma represents the most common and lethal solid tumour of early childhood. In view of variations in genetic elements, MYCN amplification is certainly the most prominent genetic factor occurring in 1/4 or 1/5 of children with neuroblastoma; however, overall, the pathogenesis of neuroblastoma remains to be resolved. Rare, sporadic infections with Epstein‑Barr, hepatis C virus and varicella‑zoster virus have been detected in children with neuroblastoma, while the presence of BK virus was initially claimed, but later falsified as a triggering factor for the development of high‑risk neuroblastoma. The proposed model by Professor Ugo Rovigatti, Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Florence in Italy, is based upon infection with micro‑foci inducing virus and its potential tumorigenic role as trigger of i) high and persistent inflammation; ii) chromothripsis and genetic instability; and iii) <em>in vitro</em> cell transformation and <em>in vivo</em> carcinogenesis. Modelling is still under‑utilized and under-developed in clinical virology and cancer research; however, it is expected to play a significant role in the future, aiming to elucidate the cancer enigma. This article is based on a webinar on neuroblastoma in children, which was organised virtually on December 12, 2020, by the Institute of Paediatric Virology.

Hidden Florence revealed? Critical insights from the operation of an augmented reality app in a World Heritage City

ABSTRACT Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, overtourism was a major topic in global tourism management discourse. The continued growth of international tourism placed pressure on many high-profile urban destinations containing some of the world's most important intrinsic cultural heritage. This paper critically examines the operation of Hidden Florence, a heritage tourism augmented reality (AR) application (app) for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Florence in Italy. Since 2016, the city management plan has actively promoted digital and smart solutions to address the issues induced by mass heritage tourism. Through user engagement data from 2013 to 2018, this paper investigates the nature and extent of app use, both in and away from the city. The paper makes two main contributions. First, from a managerial perspective, the empirical analysis points to several major practical and methodological challenges if AR apps, and the data they generate, are to be employed effectively as part of the management of established heritage destinations. Second, the use of AR apps in, and smart approaches to, tourism management have been recently theorised and advocated. Evidence from Hidden Florence demonstrates that translating conceptual possibilities into longer-term management practices and beneficial change is more challenging than existing discourse concedes.

Marmorean Ballplayer: Sheriff John McNamee of Brooklyn and His Sculptural Career in Florence

Marmorean Ballplayer: Sheriff John McNamee of Brooklyn and His Sculptural Career in Florence

The Assessment of Density Bonus in Building Renovation Interventions. The Case of the City of Florence in Italy

The European Green Deal indicates the renovation of both public and private buildings as a key element for the improvement of energy efficiency in the building stock, in order to reach the goals of the document itself. New incentives, also including density bonus, can significantly contribute to foster diffuse actions. In Italy, the density bonus is under testing: the current framework has produced profitability for regeneration in some areas and unprofitability in others. This has led to a non-diffuse renewal, widening differences in richness and quality throughout territories subjected to the same reward measure. A territory is characterized by a high degree of typological and qualitative fragmentation and dissimilarity. Thus, the aim of the present work is the construction of a model that allows for identifying the entity of the reward measure in terms of density bonus. Density bonus can determine the feasibility of renovation interventions—in economic-financial terms and in relation to urban impact—taking into account the characteristics of the context (or micro-context) where they are performed. The research model is based on a Balance Sheet Model and is applied to the city of Florence. The model suggests an innovative approach where urban, landscape and environmental impacts produced by the density bonus are evaluated according to the economic amount needed for their mitigation. The expected results in the application of the model consist in the definition of an iso-bonus map organized by areas.

G.B. Giorgini: Fashion, Florence and Diplomacy, 1950-55

Three key factors contributed Florence’s mid-century reign as Italy’s premier fashion city. Chief among them was the active championing of Florence by fashion impresario, Giovanni Battista Giorgini (1898–1971) whose bi-annual fashion shows associated Florence with high style and confirmed Italy’s reputation as a source for modish, high-quality clothing. Also crucial was the United States Government’s support of the Italian fashion industry; in diplomatic circles, encouraging a flourishing fashion sector was part of an American political strategy to deter communism in Italy. Members of the United States Foreign Service advocated on behalf of the Florence fashion events as part of a wider effort to reestablish Italy as an American economic and political ally. A third factor was the seductive beauty and historic charm of Florence, which Giorgini used strategically to entice guests to his shows and further his aims. These three elements combined to make Florence Italy’s one-time fashion capital, from Giorgini’s first show in 1951 until Milan took center stage in the 1970s.

Applied research by design: an experimental collaborative and interdisciplinary design charrette

ABSTRACT This article reports on one experimental case of interdisciplinary collaboration on a design and planning exercise across several scales – local through urban to regional – and sectors – private, public, scholarly, and interest groups. The case is a collaborative and interdisciplinary design charrette on sustainable urbanism for envisioning the future of the Greater Metropolitan Area of Florence in Italy. The experiment entailed the attempt to integrate complex urban conditions via the design charrette in order to create more healthy and sustainable cities. This collaborative work shows how conditions that are at times not addressed comprehensively nor holistically can be combined through doing applied research by design; where design is understood as a process of discovery and creation that results in synthesis. The article details the methodology applied, and provides an initial assessment on the process that the charrette employed. Moreover, it highlights some professional and policy implications of the effort. Finally, it provides a provisional assessment on learning outcomes and addresses opportunities to improve future exercises of this nature.

The Marshall plan for libraries. American books at the University of Florence from the postwar period to the Sixties

Oggetto del contributo sono le donazioni di libri americani all’Universita di Firenze avvenute nel dopoguerra, la CARE Mission, il ruolo del Servizio di informazioni statunitense (USIS) nella propaganda e nella diffusione della cultura americana in Italia e infine l’origine della Biblioteca Nordamericana. Particolare rilievo e dato all’impegno degli intellettuali italiani rifugiati in America nella promozione di raccolte per le biblioteche dell’ateneo fiorentino, e l’operosa collaborazione tra Piero Calamandrei, Rettore dell’Universita e presidente della sezione toscana dell’Associazione Italo-Americana, e Gaetano Salvemini, docente ancora negli Stati Uniti. Il piano di aiuti alla cultura accenna anche alle American Libraries fondate in Italia dall’USIS, e in particolare alla sede fiorentina di Palazzo Feroni, il cui patrimonio fu donato alla meta degli anni Sessanta all’Istituto di Studi Americani della Facolta di Magistero per costituire la biblioteca Nordamericana.

Gastrointestinal parasite burden in 4th-5th c. CE Florence highlighted by microscopy and paleogenetics.

The study of ancient parasites, named paleoparasitology, traditionally focused on microscopic eggs disseminated in past environments and archaeological structures by humans and other animals infested by gastrointestinal parasites. Since the development of paleogenetics in the early 1980s, few paleoparasitological studies have been based on the ancient DNA (aDNA) of parasites, although such studies have clearly proven their utility and reliability. In this paper, we describe our integrative approach for the paleoparasitological study of an ancient population from Florence in Italy, dated to the 4th-5th c. CE. The first stage consisted in the study of sediment samples from the pelvic area of 18 individuals under light microscopy. This allowed us to detect Ascarid-type eggs belonging very probably to the human-infesting roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides. Ten subsamples were selected corresponding to five individuals, and we extracted their whole DNA following sediment aDNA protocols. A targeted approach allowed us to detect two nematodes and one trematode aDNA fragments, namely Ascaris sp., Trichuris trichiura, and Dicrocoelium dendriticum. Among the five individuals tested for microscopic eggs and aDNA, three of them showed the remains of eggs (only Ascarid-type), but all of them tested positive to the presence of at least one parasite aDNA. Microscopic diagnosis first guided our research for the selection of promising samples while the targeted aDNA approach significantly improved our knowledge in terms of parasitic diversity and frequency in this population subgroup. These results enabled us to discuss the possible impact of latent parasitism in this past population at the time of an epidemic, as suggested in Florence. In particular, the singular case of D. dendriticum detection is discussed in light of the present-day scarcity of genuine human infections. Nevertheless, actual infections are known in the paleoparasitological record, and food habits may have led to false parasitism in this historical context. aDNA leaching from overlying strata may also explain this detection. This study strongly pleads for a systematic integrative approach combining microscopy and aDNA in paleoparasitology.

Cosmopolitan Collage in Casa Guidi Windows

Elizabeth Barrett Browning published Casa Guidi Windows in 1851 following the unsuccessful First Italian War of Independence (1848-49). Having recently moved to Florence in 1847 after her elopement with her husband and fellow poet Robert Browning, Barrett Browning became a passionate supporter of the Italian Risorgimento and Italian national independence. Pace recent criticism addressing the poem’s influence on Italian nation making, this article views Casa Guidi Windows as a form of world-making that seeks to educate an English middle class about its international responsibilities and to create new cosmopolitan subjectivities by teaching them to look at Italy in a new way. This article analyzes the poem’s highly fragmented structure as a form of cosmopolitan collage that anticipates key elements of early twentieth-century Cubism. The poem’s representation of overlapping geographical and historical perspectives functions as a form of cosmopolitan collage that resists linear national narratives and introduces a new type of cosmopolitan subjectivity focused on spatial contiguity and synchronic temporality.

Will a tumor pandemic come after the COVID-19 pandemic? Head and Neck cancer perspective.

The COVID-19 pandemic demands a reassessment of head and neck oncology treatment paradigms by posing several challenges for oncology services, with unprecedented pressure on the regional health care system. Since February 2020 this has severely disrupted health-care services, leading to accumulating clinic caseload and substantial delays for operations. The head and neck cancer services have been faced with the difficult task of managing the balance between infection risk to health-care providers and the risk of disease progression from prolonged waiting times. Herein, we share our experience in Firenze (Italy) and propose our action plan on the management of head and neck cancer services via multi-institution collaboration.

Changes in Lid Crease Measurements in Levator Advancement for Ptosis.

Plastic and Reconstructive Microsurgery - Careggi University Hospital, Florence Italy [email protected] Conflicts of interest and sources of funding: none declared.

The Formative Years in Autobiographical Reconstruction

This essay covers the biography of the young Villari through his own autobiographical texts, his writings from the years 1943-1953, and a series of testimonies intended for a book/ interview. The reconstruction of his formative years casts light on Villari’s interest in the literary and philological studies undertaken at the University of Florence – an interest he cultivated even after he transferred to the University of Messina where, in 1947, he took his degree in philosophy under the guidance of Della Volpe. The transition from literature to philosophy was accompanied by his political and journalistic commitment in Reggio Calabria in the aftermath of the fall of fascism. His profile as historian began to take shape only in the early 1950s, after his participation in the land occupation movement.

Obituary: Professor Florence (Flo) Levy (1937–2020)

Obituary: Professor Florence (Flo) Levy (1937–2020)

200 Years Since the Birth of Nursing Informatics?

It is 200 years since the birth of Florence Nightingale. This keynote paper reviews some of her work relating to health statistics and outlines its continuing legacy to nursing informatics around the world and especially in poorer countries, like South Africa, in the 21st century.

Nurses: A Voice to Lead, Nursing the World to Health-Viewing COVID-19 Epidemic Prevention Efforts in Light of Nightingale's Perspective on Infection Control

Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), extolled as the founder of modern nursing, contributed greatly to the advancement of modern public health. Written 150 years ago, Nightingale's advice on infection control, addressing the importance of hand washing, environmental sanitation, ventilation, sunshine, statistical data, and health literacy, remains highly relevant in today's global fight against the coronavirus. In honor of Florence Nightingale's 200th birthday, World Health Organization declared 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife. The era of "Nurses: A Voice to Lead - Nursing the World to Health" is drawing near. This article addresses the profound impact of Nightingale's infection control and public health perspectives on measures currently being taken to contain coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Furthermore, we call on governments throughout the world to invest proactively in nursing to assure the safety of patients and promote public health in order to achieve the pledge of the United Nations' sustainable development goals to leave no one behind.

Reception and Recomposition in the Polyphonic Conductus cum caudis: The Metz Fragment

A membrane fragment in the Bibliotheque da la Ville de Metz (reserve precieux, MS 732bis/20) contains parts of four works (Premu dilatio, Ego reus confiteor, Sursum corda and one as yet unidentified composition), of which three are known from the Florence manuscript (Biblioteca Medicea-Laurenziana, MS Pluteo 29.1). The notation, decoration and handwriting of the fragment suggest that the manuscript from which they were taken dated from c.1300. The notation of the fragment clearly distinguishes between longae and breves in passages cum littera; in sine littera sections, the graphic presentation of ligatures reveals attempts to reflect changing concepts of notational precision from the last quarter of the thirteenth century. The Metz fragment is therefore analogous with other late thirteenth-century redactions of conducti. Although all four compositions in the Metz fragment are in three parts, concordances for two of the works from earlier thirteenth-century sources are in two parts only. While normal practice in the late thirteenth-century transmission of the conductus was to strip away voices, the versions of Ego reus confiteor and Sursum corda in the Metz fragment added a new third part to a two-part original. Such a practice was more typical of the motet repertory, and in this as well as its use of mensural notation the Metz fragment shows how the conductus was beginning to approach the compositional priorities of the motet c. 1300