Italian Provinces Research Articles

Innovate to Resist: Are Innovators Shielded from External Shocks?

Economic shocks are often difficult to predict, as they are independent of the will of the economic agents affected and, therefore, exogenous to their choices. However, the effects of such shocks when they occur impact on national economies, business performance, and employment of individuals, thus shaking countries’ economies, and often with long-lasting effects. Although it is difficult to predict their occurrence, it is possible to withstand the consequences of exogenous shocks and be more resilient should they occur. Investing in order to be at the frontier of innovation is one of the tools that economies can adopt to protect their agents, thus defending them from the downturns that can result from unexpected economic events. In this paper, we study whether being more innovative does protect Italian provinces from the negative effects of exogenous shocks, with a focus on employment levels. The object of the analysis is, more specifically, the role of the innovation stock in protecting provinces’ employment levels from trade and economic shocks. The analysis, conducted in the period 2000–2018, examines the effect of trade shock on Italian provinces’ employment levels, and the role of the innovation stock in preserving those levels. Our results confirm that innovative provinces are more protected from external trade and economic shocks, with this effect being evident in both Southern and Northern regions, and despite the level of internationalization of provinces.

The Role of Demographic and Environmental Factors in the Outbreak of COVID-19 Across Italian Provinces

The Role of Demographic and Environmental Factors in the Outbreak of COVID-19 Across Italian Provinces

Neural network approach for quick dimensioning of energy walls

neural network approach for quick dimensioning of energy walls

Welcome to the Punch. Local exposure to refugees and hate events in Italy

Which are the effects of hosting refugees on hate events, the most extreme acts against minorities? While growing research considers the link between refugees and voting behaviors, little is known about the influence of refugee reception on radicalization of anti-immigrant attitudes. Exploiting a novel database on geotagged hate events in Italy and the geography of refugee hosting centers, this paper provides novel evidence on the effect of exposure to refugees on hate in Italian provinces. Using instrumental variable estimation, we show that provinces with bigger refugee hosting capacity experienced higher incidence of hate.

You want me, but I no longer want you. The punishment-reward mechanism and institutional quality in Italian regions

ABSTRACT Following the principal theory concerning the foundations of voting behaviour it is possible to assert that citizens hold politicians and their parties accountable through their votes. From this perspective, if citizens perceive the quality of local institutions to be a result of the policies enacted by local authorities they may punish or reward the incumbent parties. By means of a quantitative approach, our results, based on the analysis of 15 different election rounds, show that various dimensions of institutional quality impact voting behaviour in Italian provinces. The punishment-reward mechanism suggests that political preferences change because local institutions lack quality.

‘It’s a bit contradictory’: teachers’ stances to (practiced) language policies in German-language ECEC in Italy

ABSTRACT Linguistic minority spaces tend to have a long history of language-ideological struggles that are often fought on the terrain of education, which is further complexified in the light of more recent migration. The northernmost Italian province of South Tyrol is such a space, in which German-language preschools are increasingly attended by children not commonly positioned as ‘German-speaking’, inevitably leading to challenges to the language education policies of these institutions. Drawing on ethnographic research, this paper investigates how teachers in early childhood education and care (ECEC) interpret and position themselves in relation to institutional and practiced language policies in this context. We show that teachers base their interpretations of language policies on a variety of sources, including written and ratified policy texts, the structural organisation of their institution, and their own beliefs and experience. We argue that contradictions embedded in institutional language policies require teachers to professionally navigate the demands placed on them in upholding the monolingualism of their institution, and in educating multilingual children. This paper sheds light on the complexities of (practiced) language policies in multilingual societies characterised by migration, providing insights into the challenges faced by ECEC teachers and highlighting the potential for ethnographic research to inform professional development initiatives.

Predictors of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Severe and Lethal COVID-19 after Three Years of Follow-Up: A Population-Wide Study.

In this cohort study, the general population of an Italian Province was followed for three years after the start of the pandemic, in order to identify the predictors of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe or lethal COVID-19. All the National Healthcare System information on biographical records, vaccinations, SARS-CoV-2 swabs, COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and co-pay exemptions were extracted from 25 February 2020 to 15 February 2023. Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to compute the relative hazards of infection and severe or lethal COVID-19, adjusting for age, gender, vaccine status, hypertension, diabetes, major cardiovascular diseases (CVD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), kidney disease or cancer. Among the 300,079 residents or domiciled citizens, 41.5% had ≥1 positive swabs during the follow-up (which lasted a mean of 932 days). A total of 3.67% of the infected individuals experienced severe COVID-19 (n = 4574) and 1.76% died (n = 2190). Females, the elderly and subjects with diabetes, CVD, COPD, kidney disease and cancer showed a significantly higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The likelihood of severe or lethal COVID-19 was >90% lower among the youngest, and all comorbidities were independently associated with a higher risk (ranging from +28% to +214%) of both outcomes. Two years after the start of the immunization campaign, the individuals who received ≥2 doses of COVID-19 vaccines still showed a significantly lower likelihood of severe or lethal disease, with the lowest risk observed among subjects who received at least one booster dose.

Young people’s literacy, numeracy achievements, and the school-to-work transition: a longitudinal study of regional variation

ABSTRACT We conducted a study on a local scale targeting the relationship of economic capital, cultural capital, young people’s literacy, numeracy achievements, and the school-to-work transition. We investigated whether participation rates by very young children in early childhood education (ECE) may mediate the historical effects of economic and cultural capital. We analysed longitudinal data from a high-quality national database that included information from 103 Italian provinces. We used structural equation modelling (SEM), multi-sample SEM to investigate spatial inequalities, and mediation analyses. Vector Autoregression models were estimated to determine the temporal trend and the relationship occurring between economic capital and ECE. Results indicate that economic capital is associated with young people’s literacy and numeracy achievements and with the NEET rate, with only partial mediation played by the rate of participation in ECE. The association of cultural capital on the NEET rate is near to significance, but it is strongly mediated by participation in ECE. Together, these results imply that the rate of participation in ECE in the Italian provinces may mediate the effect of cultural capital, but only partly that of economic capital.

COVID-19 Vaccination Effectiveness in the General Population of an Italian Province: Two Years of Follow-Up.

We carried out a cohort study on the overall population of the province of Pescara, Italy, to assess the real-world effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination against infection, severe, or lethal COVID-19, two years after the start of the vaccination campaign. We included all the resident or domiciled subjects, and extracted the official demographic, vaccination, COVID-19, hospital and co-pay exemption datasets from 1 January 2021, up to 15 February 2023. Cox proportional hazards analyses were adjusted for gender, age, diabetes, hypertension, COPD, major cardio- and cerebrovascular events, cancer, and kidney diseases. Throughout the follow-up (466 days on average), 186,676 subjects received greater than or equal to three vaccine doses (of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, NVX-CoV2373, or JNJ-78436735), 47,610 two doses, 11,452 one dose, and 44,989 none. Overall, 40.4% of subjects were infected with SARS-CoV-2. Of them, 2.74% had severe or lethal (1.30%) COVID-19. As compared to the unvaccinated, the individuals who received greater than or equal to one booster dose showed a ≥85% lower risk of severe or lethal COVID-19. A massive impact of vaccination was found among the elderly: 22.0% of the unvaccinated, infected individuals died, as opposed to less than 3% of those who received greater than or equal to three vaccine doses. No protection against infection was observed, although this finding was certainly influenced by the Italian restriction policies to control the pandemic. Importantly, during the Omicron predominance period, only the group who received at least a booster dose showed a reduced risk of COVID-19-related death.

The Burden of Streptococcus pneumoniae-Related Admissions and In-Hospital Mortality: A Retrospective Observational Study between the Years 2015 and 2022 from a Southern Italian Province.

Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) has high worldwide incidence and related morbidity and mortality, particularly among children and geriatric patients. SP infection could manifest with pneumonia, bacteremia, sepsis, meningitis, and osteomyelitis. This was a retrospective study aimed at evaluating the incidence, comorbidities, and factors associated with in-hospital mortality of pneumococcal disease-related hospitalization in a province in southern Italy from the years 2015 to 2022. This study was performed in the Local Health Authority (LHA) of Pescara. Data were collected from hospital discharge records (HDRs): this database is composed of 288,110 discharge records from LHA Pescara's hospitals from 2015 to 2022. Streptococcus Pneumoniae-related hospitalizations were about 5% of the hospitalizations; 67% of these were without comorbidities; 21% were with one comorbidity; and 13% were with two or more comorbidities. Regarding mortality of SP infection, the most affected age group was older people, with the percentage of cases among the over-65s being more than 50% compared to the other age groups. HDRs represent a valid and useful epidemiological tool for evaluating the direct impact of pneumococcal disease on the population and also indirectly for evaluating the effectiveness of vaccination strategies and directing them.

A multilevel threshold public good perspective on place branding: evidence from Italy

ABSTRACT This paper proposes a new interpretation of place brand as a multilevel threshold public good (MTPG) produced by the interaction of narratives from different geographical levels. Using an original dataset of Google trends and tweets from Italian provinces and regions, we test the hypothesis that place branding has a multilevel structure. We further test the MTPG framework applied to place branding, showing that place branding is influenced by different geographical levels which can trigger a spillover in terms of attractiveness if they contribute to crossing a threshold point. The results confirm the presence of a provision point in place branding, showing that the proposed MTPG framework fits the phenomenon. This article contributes to the literature on place branding and brands by providing a new lens through which to interpret the phenomenon, which may be useful for a better understanding and measuring of the interaction of branding strategies operating at different spatial scales.

English and other languages in a plurilingual pedagogical approach: A case study from northern Italy

Language teaching constantly needs to be adapted to changing societal realities, such as the spread of English as an international language or the growing linguistic complexity in Europe. A key question is whether and how languages could be treated together in school programmes to cater to a multilingual milieu. This article analyses a plurilingual pedagogical approach that is adopted in a few primary schools in the Italian province of South Tyrol. The research is a qualitative case study and draws on various theoretical perspectives, including the method model developed by Richards and Rodgers (1982, 2001, 2014). The dataset comprises analogue and digital data gathered through participant observation, field notes, personal communications, audio recordings, and school documents. Results show how a multilingual turn has taken root in the context examined, while reinforcing English acquisition.

OPENSTREETMAP AS AN INPUT SOURCE FOR PRODUCING GOVERNMENTAL DATASETS: THE CASE OF THE ITALIAN MILITARY GEOGRAPHIC INSTITUTE

Abstract. The role of Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) to integrate, update or complement authoritative datasets released by governments has become increasingly important. This work analyses the contribution of OpenStreetMap (OSM), the most popular VGI project, as one of the input sources that the Military Geographic Institute (IGM), one of the Italian governmental mapping agencies, has used for producing the National Summary Database (DBSN). This database, which was recently released for 12 out of the 20 Italian regions, has a schema organised into a hierarchical structure composed of 10 layers, 30 themes and 93 classes, where each geospatial object carries information on the specific data source it was derived from. For each DBSN layer and theme, we first calculated the fraction of objects derived from OSM in all the Italian regions and related provinces. We found a heterogeneous picture with OSM contribution generally being limited, with the exception of few regions and layers/themes where the DBSN was almost exclusively derived from OSM. An in-depth comparison between the DBSN and OSM building datasets showed that OSM building completeness is varying across Italian regions and provinces, but in all regions there are buildings in OSM that are not included in the DBSN. The work shed light on the opportunities and obstacles for OSM to become a primary input source for the production of governmental datasets.

Assessing the effectiveness of mandatory outdoor mask policy: The natural experiment of Campania

Face masks are possibly the main symbol of the COVID-19 pandemic. Once rarely used in Western countries, in the last two years they have become an object it is impossible to leave one’s home without. Italy made their use a legal requirement, even outdoors, from late 2020 to early 2022. The effectiveness of this policy in reducing COVID-19 cases has been widely debated. The recent cancellation of their mandatory use in Italy offers an interesting setting in which to test its impact, since one Italian region (Campania) extended the restriction for a further three weeks. We aim to shed some light on the real-world impact of mandatory use of face masks outdoors, identifying the effect of this policy on the spread of COVID-19. By means of a quantitative analysis, employing a synthetic control method approach, we find that Campania had statistically the same number of cases as its synthetic counterfactual, built from a donor pool formed from the other Italian provinces. Hence, results suggest that while it imposes a burden on the public, the use of face masks outdoors is not correlated with a decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases.

Residential exposure to magnetic fields from high-voltage power lines and risk of childhood leukemia

BackgroundSeveral studies have suggested an excess risk of leukemia among children living close to high-voltage power lines and exposed to magnetic fields. However, not all studies have yielded consistent results, and many studies may have been susceptible to confounding and exposure misclassification. MethodsWe conducted a case-control study to investigate the risk of leukemia associated with magnetic field exposure from high-voltage power lines. Eligible participants were children aged 0–15 years residing in the Northern Italian provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia. We included all 182 registry-identified childhood leukemia cases diagnosed in 1998–2019, and 726 age-, sex- and province-matched population controls. We assessed exposure by calculating distance from house to nearest power line and magnetic field intensity modelling at the subjects’ residence. We used conditional logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), with adjustment for potential confounders (distance from nearest petrol station and fuel supply within the 1000 m-buffer, traffic-related particulate and benzene concentrations, presence of indoor transformers, percentage of urban area and arable crops). ResultsIn multivariable analyses, the OR comparing children living <100 m from high-voltage power-lines with children living ≥400 m from power-lines was 2.0 (95% CI 0.8–5.0). Results did not differ substantially by age at disease diagnosis, disease subtype, or when exposure was based on modeled magnetic field intensity, though estimates were imprecise. Spline regression analysis showed an excess risk for both overall leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia among children with residential distances <100 m from power lines, with a monotonic inverse association below this cutpoint. ConclusionsIn this Italian population, close proximity to high-voltage power lines was associated with an excess risk of childhood leukemia.

Epidemiology and clinical trends of testicular cancer and secondary malignant tumors in a north Italian province.

e17024 Background: In Italy, 2.300 new testicular cancer (TCa) were estimated in the year 2020. The aim of this study was to examine the incidence and mortality trends, the 5-year relative survival by histopathology of tumours and the association with second neoplasms in TCa patients (pts) of Reggio Emilia (RE) Province. Methods: The population-based cohort study used data from the RE Cancer Registry (RE-CR) and all TCa recorded from 1996 to 2020 were included, evaluated by age ( &lt; 30; 30-40; 40+), histotype and year of diagnosis (1996-2000; 2001-2005; 2006-2010; 2011-2015; 2016-2020). Population estimates are represented by the general population of the RE Province recorded on January 1st of each year. The standardized incidence rate was calculated using the European population and the Annual Percent Change (APC) was reported. The 5-year relative survival was estimated using the Pohar Perme method. Trends over time were analysed by calculating the APC in age-standardized rates using Joinpoint Regression. Results: 385 pts with TCa were considered, 244 (63.4%) seminomas and 141 (36.6%) non-seminomas, 153 cases (39.7%) aged 30–40 years. There were differences according to age between the different histopathology groups: in the non-seminoma group there were more younger pts (44% aged less than 30 years) while in seminoma group there were 40.2% of pts older than 40 years. The 25-year recording trends showed an annual increase of 2.3% in the annual incidence in seminomas. The incidence of seminomas increased from 36 cases (14.8%) in the period 1996-2000 to 60 cases (24.6%) in the period 2016-2020. The non-seminoma cases remained almost constant during these years. Overall 5-years survival was 95%, 99% and 88% for seminoma and non-seminoma groups, respectively. In seminoma group 5-years survival was higher in all age groups. In patients over 40 years, the 5-years survival was 98% in seminoma group but 64% in non-seminoma group. An association with second tumours was documented in 19 pts (4.9%) after TCa diagnosis. The main second neoplasms were skin (4 pts), lung (4pts) and prostate cancer (3 pts). The median time of second tumors onset after TCa diagnosis was respectively 9.4, 8.5 and 6.7 years. After adjusting for age at diagnosis, logistic regression analysis showed an increased risk for second cancer, odds ratio (OR) = 1.9 (95% CI 0.7; 5.4) among seminoma pts. In addition, the OR was higher in pts aged 30 to 40 years and over 40 years, OR = 1.8 (95% CI 0.4; 9.3), OR = 8.3 (95% CI 1.8; 37.7) respectively. Conclusions: Our data confirm the increase of seminoma incidence, in particular in older ones. The non-seminoma cancers occurred rarely in pts aged over 40 yrs and this group had worst prognosis. This finding requires further studies to highlight emerging risk factors and improve the therapy in poor prognosis pts .

Estimate of the prevalence of subjects with chronic diseases in a province of Northern Italy: a retrospective study based on administrative databases

ObjectiveTo find a definition of chronic disease based on literature review and to estimate the population-based prevalence rate of chronicity in a province in Northern Italy.DesignRetrospective observational study based on...

Environmental Sustainability and Territorial Competitiveness: A Comparison between Italian Provinces

The emergence of globalisation and the removal of obstacles between markets have heightened rivalry between territorial areas. To have a competitive advantage, the regions have to be unique. As one of the tactics used to boost their reputation on a territorial level, territories are progressively adopting environmental policies for sustainable and shared prosperity. Indeed, effective management of urban growth depends heavily on sustainable development. In this regard, the literature occasionally refers to the “green branding” of cities, a strategy that makes use of environmental aspects to boost the allure of metropolitan environments. There is currently little consensus in the literature on the measuring of environmental performance, and no statistical study has been done to confirm the efficacy of these measures in terms of territorial competitiveness. Therefore, it is important to determine whether there is a relationship between a territory’s level of sustainability and competitiveness in Italy. According to the statistical analysis of the Italian provinces, the Northeast, Northwest, Centre, and Islands are the four geographical regions with the highest average scores. This unquestionably indicates a basic comprehension and supports the notion that there is a relationship between the two variables. However, it also serves as a warning about how geographical disparities in Italy represent a major issue affecting the most diverse sectors. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic problem has drastically altered consumer demands and goals, leading consumers to seek out more sustainable travel and cities that are designed with citizens’ requirements in mind. It will therefore become more and more important to research how public and private administrators, as well as policy makers, react to these changes.

Stay or emigrate? How social capital influences selective migration in Italy

ABSTRACT Internal migration in Italy has been characterised by deep changes in its composition, because of the growing share of high-skilled migrants (the emigration of which contributes to widening the internal brain drain) and the decreasing proportion of low-skilled migrants. Furthermore, recent interest in the literature in the role played by noneconomic elements in affecting migration decisions has highlighted the importance of a nonpecuniary factor, namely social capital (SC). For these reasons, this paper empirically investigates the role played by SC in interprovincial selective migration, considering migrants according to two education levels using data on 103 Italian provinces (2004–2012). The main findings reveal that provincial SC mainly contributes to reducing the migration flows of low-skilled individuals, albeit while also deterring the emigration of high-skilled individuals. Control variables confirm that better income conditions represent an important determinant of high-skilled migrants most likely because they seek to earn more, while better socioeconomic conditions such as labour market efficiency mostly influence those with a lower level of education.

The institutional shaping of third sector organizations: Empirical evidence from Italian provinces

AbstractBy relying on province‐level data from Italy, this paper empirically studies the factors that correlate with the development of third sector organizations (TSOs) in the Italian territory. Moving beyond traditional explanations of TSOs development based on population heterogeneity theories, our analysis points to the role of public institutions as key driving factors of Italian TSOs development. It specifically suggests that public authorities may shape the development of TSOs through three different, albeit interconnected, institutional dimensions: (1) control of corruption—that is, design and implementation of policies and regulations to prevent corruption and strengthen trust in the relationships between public authorities and TSOs; (2) rule of law—that is, creation of stable legal frameworks to reduce the uncertainty faced by TSOs when collaborating with the public sector and to limit arbitrary decisions by politicians and bureaucrats; (3) government effectiveness—that is, improving governments’ credibility and administrative capacity to provide grants and funds to TSOs for social and public services delivery.