Italian Section Research Articles

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet and long-term changes in weight and waist circumference in the EPIC-Italy cohort

Excessive calorie intake and physical inactivity are considered key determinants of the rapid worldwide increase in obesity prevalence, however the relationship between diet and weight gain is complex. We investigated associations between adherence to a Mediterranean diet and long-term changes in weight and waist circumference in volunteers recruited to the Italian section of the prospective European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). We investigated 32,119 cohort members who provided anthropometric measures at recruitment and updated information on recall a mean of 12 years later. Adherence to a Mediterranean diet was assessed using the Italian Mediterranean Index (score range 0–11). Associations between index score and weight and waist changes were assessed by multivariate linear regression models. Risks of developing overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity were investigated by multivariate logistic models. Increasing Italian Mediterranean Index score (indicating better adherence) was associated with lower 5-year weight change in volunteers of normal weight at baseline (β −0.12, 95% CI −0.16 to −0.08 for 1 tertile increase in score), but not in those overweight/obese at baseline (P interaction between Index score and BMI 0.0001). High adherence was also associated with reduced risk of becoming overweight/obese (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.84–0.99 third vs. first tertile); smaller 5-year change in waist circumference (β −0.09, 95% CI −0.14 to −0.03 for 1 tertile increase in score); and lower risk of abdominal obesity (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.84–0.99 third vs. first tertile). Adherence to a traditional Italian Mediterranean diet may help prevent weight gain and abdominal obesity.

Explaining determinants of Agri-tourism income: evidence from Italy

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the income sources of Italian farm tourism businesses, considering some economic, social and environmental variables that represent internal business factors and highlighting their contribution to the development of this income.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical analysis is based on the Italian section of the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) that includes 365 Italian farm tourism businesses. FADN is an instrument to assess the income of European agricultural holdings and the impacts of the Common Agricultural Policy. The analysis has been carried out through a Multivariate Regression Model.FindingsThe results of this paper have showed that some economic variables (food service, direct selling and public subsidies) determine an increase in farm income, whereas an increased number of family employees may have a negative impact on this income.Research limitations/implicationsExternal factors, such as proximity to urban or cultural centres, may impact on agri-tourism income, but these are not considered in the statistical analyses. Another limit of this paper is the exclusion of tourists’ motivational variables and others mostly referring to the market (pricing policies, promotional strategies, etc.). Furthermore, this paper focuses on a specific country and this could reduce the generalization of its results.Practical implicationsThanks to the selected regression drivers, farmers who offer tourism services could recognize a priori their entrepreneurial opportunities and understand the variables on which to focus to increase their income, which could be in turn strengthened by policies seeking to develop the endogenous potential.Social implicationsAgri-tourism can fulfill various functions in the regional economy, with positive implications for the quality of life of rural societies.Originality/valueOn the European level, there is currently a lack of research studying the variables affecting agri-tourism revenue and entrepreneurial choice that mostly define profitability. This may be the first time that FADN data set has been utilized for researching farm tourism businesses in Europe.

Dynamics of terminology translation. The approach of Functional Pragmatics to multilingual terminology

The representation and communication of specialised knowledge both from intra- and inter-lingual perspectives are substantially affected by the complex nature of knowledge units. These result from the interrelation of referential, conceptual, and linguistic knowledge and are characterised by a constant tension between contrasting but complementary forces, namely a need for stability and precision and the concurrent drift towards variation. These inherent features of specialised knowledge units are considered in the framework of translation activity, with special attention paid to the contribution given by domain specialists to their formation into target languages. An analysis of the multilingual Glossary for Functional Pragmatics and, in particular, of the ongoing work on its Italian section contributes to highlighting the peculiarity of the figure of the domain specialist as (self-)translator. The Glossary offers a direct view of the cognitive and linguistic processes and outcomes of domain specialists’ translation and ‘optimisation’ activity on specialised knowledge units. Indeed it exemplifies how terminological variation can be seen not only as a source of possible irregularity but also as a valuable contribution to knowledge domainsin intra- and inter-lingual perspectives. Variation therefore deserves further consideration in Terminology and Translation studies, especially when originates from authors’ deliberate cognitive distinctions within domain knowledge.

Up to one-third of breast cancer cases in post-menopausal Mediterranean women might be avoided by modifying lifestyle habits: the EPIC Italy study.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent cancer among women in developed countries. Physical activity (PA), body mass index (BMI), and alcohol intake have been identified as relevant lifestyle modifiable risk factors for post-menopausal BC. We aimed to evaluate the role of these factors in modulating post-menopausal BC risk and to estimate the proportion of BC cases attributable to low PA, high BMI, and alcohol taking into account non-modifiable factors. In the Italian section of the EPIC study, 15,010 post-menopausal women were recruited and provided information about dietary and lifestyle habits including PA, smoking, reproductive history, and anthropometric measurements. During 14.8years of median follow-up, 672 incident BC cases (607 invasive and 65 in situ) were identified. In multivariate models, inverse associations with BC risk emerged for increasing level of total (p trend 0.02), leisure time (p trend 0.04), and occupational (p trend 0.007) PA. High BMI (HR 1.21; 95% CI 1.02-1.43 and HR 1.33; 95% CI 1.06-1.65 for overweight and obesity, respectively) and alcohol consumption higher than 10g/day (HR 1.30; 95% CI 1.09-1.54) were associated with BC risk. We estimated that 30% (95% CI 8-50%) of post-menopausal BC cases would be avoided through an increase of leisure time PA, a BMI below 25.0, and consuming no more than one drink/day. This large study carried out in Mediterranean women confirms the role of PA, BMI, and alcohol consumption in modulating post-menopausal BC risk and supports the potential benefits obtainable by modifying these lifestyle factors.

Pilot study on harmonization of cardiac troponin I immunoassays using patients and quality control plasma samples. On behalf of the Italian Section of the European Ligand Assay Society (ELAS) and of the Study Group on Cardiovascular Biomarkers of the Società Italiana di Biochimica Clinica (SIBioC)

BackgroundThe aim of this study is to evaluate whether it is possible to reduce the between-methods variability of troponin I (cTnI) immunoassays using mathematical algorithms calculated from the results of both patients' samples and quality control materials distributed in an external quality assessment (EQA) scheme. MethodsWe collected 122 heparinized plasma samples of patients admitted to the emergency department with thoracic pain or supraventricular tachyarrhythmia. Moreover, we also analyzed 20 control samples distributed in an EQA and 26 plasma pools prepared from healthy subjects and patients with myocardial infarction. We evaluated 4 different methods for cTnI assay: STAT Architect High Sensitive TnI (Abbott Diagnostics), ADVIA Centaur Troponin I Ultra (Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics), ST AIA-Pack cTnI Third Generation (Tosoh Bioscience), and Access AccuTnI+3 (Beckman Coulter Diagnostics). ResultsSystematic differences between cTnI methods were observed. However, correlation coefficients (R from 0.976 to 0.990) between the log-transformed cTnI values measured in all 168 samples were significantly better (p=0.0037) than those obtained considering only the 122 patients' samples. cTnI values measured in EQA and pool samples were included within the 95% prediction intervals of linear regressions calculated with those of patients' samples. After the recalibration of cTnI values based on the robust principal component analysis approach the between-methods variability decreased significantly (about 40% around the cut off values). ConclusionsOur pilot study suggests that EQA schemes for cTnI immunoassay methods, based on both quality control samples with tested commutability and robust statistical analyses, are able to evaluate between-methods variability as well as allow a reliable recalibration and harmonization of results.

The Mesothalassia Bike‐Tour: (Re)Discovering Water by Riding With Scientists

The Mesothalassia Bike‐Tour: (Re)Discovering Water by Riding With Scientists

Rural landscape and cultural routes: a multicriteria spatial classification method tested on an Italian case study

Europe is characterised by a rich net of itineraries that during the Middle Ages were taken by pilgrims head toward the holy places of Christianity. In Italy the main pilgrimage route is the <em>Via Francigena</em> (t<em>he road that comes from France</em>), which starts from Canterbury and arrives in Rome, running through Europe for about 1800 km. Municipalities and local associations are focused on purposes and actions aimed at the promotion of those routes, rich in history and spirituality. Also for the European Union the enhancement of those itineraries, nowadays used both by pilgrims and tourists, is crucial, as shown by the various projects aimed at the identification of tools for the development of sustainable cultural tourism. It is important to understand how landscape, that according to the European Landscape Convention reflects the <em>sense of places</em> and represents the image of their history, has evolved along those roads, and to analyse the relationships between the built and natural environments, since they maintain a remarkable symbolic connection between places and peoples over time and history. This study focuses on the Italian section of the <em>Via Francigena</em> that crosses the Emilia-Romagna region, in the province of Piacenza. A land classification method is proposed, with the aim to take into account different indicators: land zoning provided by regional laws, elements of relevant historical and natural value, urban elements, type of agriculture. The analyses are carried out on suitable buffers around the path, thus allowing to create landscape profiles. As nature is a key element for the spirituality character of these pilgrimage routes, the classification process takes into account both protected and other valuable natural elements, besides agricultural activities. The outcomes can be useful to define tools aimed to help pilgrims and tourists to understand the surrounding places along their walk, as well as to lend support to rural and urban planning and integrated local development and landscape enhancement projects.

State of the art of aldosterone immunoassays. A multicenter collaborative study on the behalf of the Cardiovascular Biomarkers Study Group of the Italian Section of European Society of Ligand Assay (ELAS) and Società Italiana di Biochimica Clinica (SIBIOC)

BackgroundTwo new immunoassay methods for aldosterone assay using automated platforms recently became available into market. The main aim of the present study is to evaluate the analytical performance of these automated direct immunoassay methods, and also to compare their analytical characteristics to those of the most popular RIA and EIA methods used in an Italian External Quality Assessment (EQA) study. MethodsIn this study analytical performances of two aldosterone immunoassays using the IDS iSYS and DiaSorin LIAISON fully automated platforms, were evaluated. Results obtained with the two platforms in EDTA plasma samples of healthy subjects and patients were compared with those obtained by RIA and EIA methods used in the Italian EQA scheme, named Immunocheck study. ResultsThe two automated methods showed similar analytical performances: LoD 83.9 vs 92.2pmol/L, LoQ 104.4 vs 111.1pmol/L, respectively; moreover, the within-run and total imprecision values showed CV% between 8.1 and 14.1 for samples with 180.8 and 387.2pmol/L concentration for both methods. There was a close linear regression between methods, however we found a significant proportional bias between LIAISON and iSYS methods. The EQA samples results obtained with these two methods were highly correlated to the consensus mean values. ConclusionsOur data indicate that aldosterone values measured with the two automated methods actually show better reproducibility, shorter laboratory Turn Around Time (TAT) and require less “hands on labor” compared to RIA and EIA immunoassays. However, in our study significant bias was observed in result comparison, this means that translating aldosterone concentration in clinical information an appropriate definition of reference ranges for each method is mandatory.

Women with disabilities: from discrimination and violence towards an ethics of reciprocity

Since 2001 DPI Italia, the Italian section of Disabled People's International, has played an important role in a series of research projects in the European Commission's Daphne Programme on violence against women with disabilities. Several different types of violence have been identified, from sexual abuse to removal of women's control over their environment to invasion of their privacy in healthcare contexts to control of their reproductive capacity, particularly of women with intellectual disabilities. In the light of these projects, and of the CRPD's recognition of the multiple discriminations experienced by many women with disabilities, the article argues for a shift away from an ethics of care and dependency towards one of equal reciprocal relations between disabled women and others and to a bioethics grounded not in exceptional need but in everyday life. Peer counselling among disabled women is particularly important in effecting this shift.

Lorella Cedroni (1961-2013)

Lorella Cedroni, a member of the Italian Section of the ICHRPI for many years, died on 28 August 2013, aged 52, from a disease which she had faced with great courage and strength of mind. She was P...

Classification of Italian Farms in the FADN Database Combining Climate and Structural Information

Although describing the primary sector of a given country is a common institutional practice, such studies usually offer aggregated information on holding rather than supplying the information required for farm-level simulations. The present study aimed to identify the main typologies of Italian farms from the 2007 database of RICA (the Italian section of the European Union's Farm Accountancy Data Network). Using a hierarchical strategy driven by climates (5) and slopes (3), farms have been grouped by super-structure, described in terms of the presence and extent of primary activities (livestock, farmland use). The resulting picture of Italian farms is based on 35 farm types, the most common of which grow low-input orchards (e.g., olive trees). On the plains in warm climatic areas, low-input orchards and arable crops dominate; in hilly and mountainous areas, mixed farms with forage crops, meadows, ovines, and cattle prevail. In more temperate areas, the most common farm type is based on intensive and field crops (e.g., durum and bread wheat). In temperate hilly and mountain areas, mixed farms combining meadows, woods, and cattle become predominant.

Italian mediterranean index and risk of colorectal cancer in the Italian section of the EPIC cohort

Colorectal cancer is among the commonest cancers worldwide. Dietary factors have been linked to colorectal cancer risk, however, few studies have evaluated the relationship between a priori dietary patterns and colorectal cancer risk. We evaluated the effect of adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern, as measured by the Italian Mediterranean Index, on the risk of colorectal cancer in the 45,275 participants of the Italian section of the EPIC study who completed a dietary questionnaire. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for colorectal cancer in relation to categories of Italian Mediterranean Index score were estimated by multivariate Cox models adjusted for known risk factors, on the whole cohort, on men and women and according to cancer subsite. During a mean follow-up of 11.28 years, 435 colorectal cancer cases were identified. The Italian Mediterranean Index was inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk (HR: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.35-0.71 for the highest category compared to the lowest, P-trend: 0.043). Results did not differ by sex. Highest Italian Mediterranean Index score was also significantly associated with reduced risks of any colon cancer (HR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.36-0.81), distal colon cancer (HR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.26-0.75) and rectal cancer (HR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.20-0.81), but not of proximal colon cancer. These findings suggest that adherence to a Mediterranean diet (as measured by the Italian Mediterranean Index) protects against colorectal cancer in general but not against cancer developing in the proximal colon.

The impact of territorial factors on the total non-response error in the European Union – Survey on Income and Living Condition (EU-SILC)

This paper discusses a framework for the evaluation of accuracy of the Italian section of EU-SILC data with focus on non-sampling errors related to several components of the total non-response at household level. Following a classical hierarchical approach, classes of quality indicators are obtained by aggregating some ad hoc basic quality rates. Subsequently, in order to investigate the territorial perspective and its effects on the total nonresponse, one-way random effects ANOVA model and a multinomial logistic regression model are estimated. In this light, the work aims at exploring the main demographic and socio-economic factors potentially correlated with the survey participation at a subnational level. The final goal is sketching a territorial quality profile to identify those crucial areas with a more difficulty to be interviewed in order to define some ad hoc corrective interventions.

High glycemic diet and breast cancer occurrence in the Italian EPIC cohort

Background and aimsThere are theoretical reasons for suspecting that a high glycemic index (GI) or glycemic load (GL) diet may increase breast cancer risk, perhaps via an effect on the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis. However observational studies have produced inconsistent findings and it is controversial whether breast cancer risk is influenced by the carbohydrate characteristics of the diet.We prospectively investigated the association between dietary GI and GL and breast cancer in the Italian section of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Methods and resultsWomen were recruited from 1993 to 1998 at five centers: Varese and Turin (north Italy), Florence (central Italy), and Ragusa and Naples (south Italy). Participants completed validated food frequency questionnaires from which GI and GL were estimated. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression models quantified the association between breast cancer risk and total carbohydrate intake, GI, and GL.During 11 years of follow-up, 879 breast cancer (797 invasive and 82 in situ) cases were indentified. High dietary GL was associated with increased breast cancer risk (RR 1.45, 95% CI = 1.06–1.99; highest vs. lowest quintile; p-trend 0.029), whereas dietary GI and total carbohydrate had no influence. The association was not modified by menopausal status or body mass index. ConclusionOur data indicate that, in a Mediterranean population characterized by traditionally high and varied carbohydrate intake, a diet high in GL plays a role in the development of breast cancer.

Whose job instability affects the likelihood of becoming a parent in Italy? A tale of two partners

We examine the likelihood of becoming a parent in Italy taking into account the employment (in)stability of both partners in a couple. We use data from four waves of the Italian section of the EU-SILC (Statistics on Income and Living Condition), 2004-2

Fruit and vegetables consumption and breast cancer risk: the EPIC Italy study

The role of fruit and vegetables in breast cancer (BC) development has long been debated. A large variety of vegetables and fruit are consumed by Mediterranean populations, a favourable setting for evaluating the effects of these foods. The association between vegetables and fruit consumption, overall and by specific types, and BC risk was studied in the Italian section of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study. Over 31,000 women, aged 36-64 years, recruited in five Italian centers between 1993 and 1998, were available for analyses with dietary and lifestyle information and anthropometric measurements. After a median follow-up of 11.25 years, 1,072 invasive and in situ incident BC cases were identified. Cox proportional hazard models (adjusted for education, anthropometry, reproductive history, hormone replacement therapy, physical activity, alcohol consumption and smoking habits) showed an inverse association between consumption of all vegetables and BC risk (highest vs. lowest quintile HR 0.65; 95% CI 0.53-0.81, P for trend = 0.003). According to subtypes of vegetables, an inverse association emerged for increasing consumption of leafy vegetables (highest vs. lowest quintile HR 0.70; 95% CI 0.57-0.86, P for trend = 0.0001) and fruiting vegetables (highest vs. lowest quintile HR 0.75; 95% CI 0.60-0.94, P for trend = 0.01). An inverse association also emerged with increasing consumption of raw tomatoes (P for trend = 0.03). In contrast, no association of fruit, overall or by subtypes, with BC risk was found. In this Mediterranean population, a clear protective role of increasing vegetables consumption, mainly leafy and fruiting vegetables, on BC risk emerged.

Lead isotopic record of Barremian–Aptian marine sediments: Implications for large igneous provinces and the Aptian climatic crisis

We present initial isotopic ratios of lead for Early Cretaceous (Barremian–Aptian) sections from Shatsky Rise (Pacific) and Gorgo a Cerbara (Italy). Our Pb isotopic data track an interval representing Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE)-1a, which is characterized by quasi-global deposition of organic carbon-rich black shale. Pb isotopic compositions of sediments from Shatsky Rise decrease at the end of Barremian time, from radiogenic continental values to unradiogenic values, and subsequently remained less radiogenic until the end of early Aptian time. We explain the isotopic shift by a significant increase in supply rate of unradiogenic Pb, most likely due to massive volcanism. In contrast, the Pb isotopic compositions from the Italian section, which was situated at the western end of Tethys, are mostly identical to those of upper continental crust, showing no significant change in supply rate of unradiogenic Pb. The discrepancy between two sites is attributed to quiescent deep-submarine eruptions of Pacific large igneous provinces (LIPs) such as the Ontong Java Plateau (OJP), which severely limited dispersion of Pb-carrying particles out of the Pacific Ocean. Published Os isotopic data from the Italian section indicate two episodes of massive eruptions of OJP or contemporaneous Manihiki and Hikurangi plateaus starting from earliest Aptian time, slightly later than that indicated by the sedimentary Pb isotopic record from Shatsky Rise. Differences in isotopic variations between Pb and Os likely reflect differences in their chemical behaviors in the oceans, i.e., Pb isotopic compositions would have varied in response to local or regional changes in sediment provenances, whereas large-scale changes in Os inputs are required to explain variations in seawater Os isotopic compositions. Our Pb isotopic data, together with the published Os isotopic record, provide new evidence for the eruptive history of OJP together with contemporaneous Pacific plateaus and its environmental consequences, starting from end-Barremian time and extending through early Aptian time.

The Eocene–Oligocene transition: Changes in sea level, temperature or both?

The Eocene–Oligocene Transition (EOT ~34Ma) reflects the onset of major Antarctic glaciation. The primary geochemical signature of the EOT is two ~300kyr spaced shifts in increasing deep-sea oxygen isotope values, possibly reflecting both global cooling and/or increasing ice volume. A way to assess the respective contribution of continental ice is to quantify concomitant glacio-eustatic sea level change. This is usually expressed in relatively shallow marine depositional settings. One potentially suitable region is in the Vicentinian Alps, NE Italy, where marginal marine deposits document sea level changes during the EOT. By correlating stable isotope-, bio- and magnetostratigraphic information between three distant regions, we are able to relate the shallow marine sections to the Pacific oxygen isotope record from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1218 of Coxall et al. (2005). Microfacies, sedimentological, and biotic analysis suggests that associated with the first isotope shift (EOT-1) sea level fell ~20m, and with the ultimate shift, the Oligocene Isotope Event 1 (Oi-1) sea level fell some 50–60m. Distribution patterns of temperature sensitive dinoflagellates from a coeval central Italian section reveal that the early stages of the EOT were accompanied by sea surface cooling, whereas no sustained cooling is noted in association with the Oi-1. This suggests that the initial EOT shift(s) reflect a mixed signal of ice volume and temperature whereas the Oi-1 primarily reflects expansion of the Antarctic cryosphere.

Size and localisation of knots in timber from mountain spruce stands in the Dolomites.

The aim of the study was evaluation of knots in wood of 150-year-old Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] in stands situated at the altitude of 1450– 1740 m above sea level in the Dolomites in Italian section of the Alps. In selected stands, spruce trees were cut down and their length, stem thickness, height to the crown base and stem diameters at every 1 m along the length of merchantable bole were measured. The diameter of knots was measured and they were classified according to their healthiness and the degree of their tightness with the surrounding wood. The relative knot diameters were calculated and the relative height of their location on stem was determined. In total on sample trees there were analysed 1070 knots, of which sound knots (close to 75%) and tight (more than 60%) prevailed. Sound and tight knots had largest diameters, relative diameters and relative heights of location on merchantable boles. The smallest diameters and relative diameters were indicated by rotten and not tight knots that were located at the lowest merchantable bole parts.

Language and Liminality in the Italian Section of Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho

Language and Liminality in the Italian Section of Gus Van Sant’s <i>My Own Private Idaho</i>