Groups In Italy Research Articles

Sharing individual participant data from clinical studies: a cross-sectional online survey among Italian patient and citizen groups

ObjectivesTo gather knowledge on the current debate, opinions and attitudes of Italian patient and citizen groups on individual participant data (IPD) sharing from clinical studies.DesignCross-sectional online survey.Setting and participantsA 22-item...

Solidarity Purchasing Groups in Italy: A critical assessment of their effects on the marginalisation of their suppliers

Over the last twenty years, Alternative Food Networks (AFN) have become increasingly successful at reducing the length of the chain that connects food production and consumption in an attempt to counteract the impact of the contradictions of the industrial food system and its supermarket-dominated distribution. Their grassroots actions, aimed at overcoming pre-existing socio-economic structures, are in line with social innovations, which have the objective of promoting the social participation of consumers and producers in food systems (empowerment, socio-political activism or social integration in society). In Italy, the Solidarity Purchasing Groups (SPGs), have been the subject of numerous academic studies, but the scope of these studies has, to date, been limited to the political activism of the consumer. The ability of this experience to foster the social participation of the groups’ suppliers and the effects that the exchange has on the economic life of the producers have not yet been adequately studied. This article addresses this gap by investigating the extent to which SPGs can reduce the economic marginalisation of their suppliers and evaluates if the activities they promote could increase their social participation. Based on quantitative and qualitative data, this study shows that SPGs, in contrast to other AFNs, maintain a clear separation between consumers and producers and this could mitigate the positive impact of these initiatives on their suppliers. Our analysis of the suppliers shows that SPGs can act as a safety net against economic downturns and that the social participation of the producers involved is higher at the macro, meso and individual levels, compared to producers who do not cooperate with the SPGs.

DNA-barcoding of the Italian members of the Aphaenogaster testaceopilosa-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): hybridization and biogeographic hypothesis

The thermophilic Aphaenogaster testaceopilosa-group is a taxon consisting of 14 species in Europe. Recently, this group was recently revisited using morphological characters suggesting different changes in the systematic of this group. For the first time, in this work we used a molecular approach using the DNA barcoding on the european members of the genus Aphaenogaster in order to: i) validate the current systematic of the A. testaceopilosa group in Italy, ii) test the efficiency of COI marker to delimit the species belonging to the genus Aphaenogaster. In the first phase, we morphologically identified 54 specimens of A. testaceopilosa group collected along the entire Italian range. In the second phase, fragments of COI and CAD markers were sequenced from phenotyped individuals. Phylogenetic reconstructions and genetic distances clearly showed six lineages (MOTUs) in agreement with morphological identification except for one specimen collected in a likely contact zone between Aphaenogaster picena and Aphaenogaster semipolita. Furthermore, this study confirms the powerful of DNA barcoding to support the morphological analysis to delimit the species belonging to Aphaenogaster testaceopilosa-group. Therefore, genetic data could be a valid tool to investigate other more problematics groups of this little-known genus.

The Occurrence of 275 Rare Diseases and 47 Rare Disease Groups in Italy. Results from the National Registry of Rare Diseases.

Knowledge of rare diseases (RD) is often scattered among many data collections and registries of patient cohorts. Therefore, assessing the burden of RD in the general population, developing appropriate policies and planning services for the care of RD patients is difficult. This study aimed at providing a systematic picture of RD occurrence in a population as big as 60 million. Data of diagnoses were certified and collected by a network of 247 specialized centres covering the whole Italian territory. Data received (about 200,000 records) were validated according to formal criteria and, where necessary, corrected by the data sources. Data of age at onset and sex distribution are given for about 400 diseases. Incidence and/or birth prevalence are given for 275 diseases and 47 disease groups, which, altogether, comprise a substantial part of the known rare diseases. Data quality, internal consistency, and external validity of the database have also been assessed and ways to limit the impact of some discrepancies were devised. The information provided by RNMR, cutting across such a wide range of RD, represents a unique coherent basis allowing the prioritization of relevant public health measures and research activities.

Social Pluralism in Public and Private Television Broadcasting

This paper measures social pluralism in the most popular free-to-air TV groups in Italy (Rai, a state-controlled company, and Mediaset, owned by Berlusconi’s family) between 2008 and 2014. Media social pluralism is the ability of the mass media to describe and take into account the different categories of citizens in a society. The Italian Authority for Telecommunications regularly collects data on the airtime devoted to 22 “social actors” during newscasts. Our findings show that the public TV broadcaster shows a wider internal social pluralism than Mediaset. The data also reveal significant inter-group differences (external pluralism). The degree of internal and external pluralism decreased when Silvio Berlusconi served as Prime Minister.

Repetita Iuvant: Exploring and Supporting Redundancy in Hospital Practices

This paper discusses the role of redundancy in hospital work, especially in facilitating the cognitive and coordinative tasks of health practitioners in clinical settings. It also investigates the ways in which health information technology can preserve, support and even enhance this role by being grounded in the observations and analyses that two research groups in Italy and Norway carried out in independent studies. In the present study, this previous research is reassessed and shaped into a unified and coherent design-oriented framework. This framework considers four kinds of data redundancy and outlines their peculiarities and the typical conditions in which they occur. In particular, the paper reports how these kinds of redundancies are exploited in both written artifacts and oral communications and how they affect each other. The paper also reports the impact of redundancies on the articulation work of physicians and nurses by playing either a negative or, more often, a positive role depending on the context. A series of lessons learnt are then proposed for the design of suitable coordination mechanisms that could preserve or even utilize this neglected phenomenon, which is strongly related to the interpretative and coordinative practices that are articulated in the patient’s record.

Reflections on the Use of Classifications in the Juridical Method: The Case of Roma Groups in Italy

Abstract The juridical method rejects a polythetic logic, favouring a monothetic procedure of classification according to which precise and necessary traits are shared by all the elements that make up a category. Such an approach, however, is ill suited for dealing with objects of analysis that escape easy reductions, and it fails to grasp the subtleties of reality. The categories applied to Roma groups are emblematic in this regard. The paper examines the classificatory vocation characterising the Italian juridical approach to Roma, exploring its repercussions on their life and fostering collaboration between jurists and anthropologists for the development of efficient juridical tools.

Mapping the Impact of ISIS Propaganda Narratives : Evidences from a Qualitative Analysis in Italy and France

The increasingly worsening threat posed by terrorism in Europe has led the media to focus their attention on the issue of violent radicalisation. Although this phenomenon includes different forms of violent extremism – from extreme right-wing movements to catholic movements, eco-terrorists, etc. – today the question of violent radicalisation is mainly related to Jihadism, and ISIS is the most recent and, from the perspective of its media use, intriguing expression. However, radicalisation is a debatable topic whose dramatic consequences invite a deeper analysis of both driving and enabling factors. Within theoretical debate, there is the well-known querelle between Oliver Roy (2016) and Gilles Kepel (2016), two French authors who underlined several factors. These include ISIS’ ability to persuade its martyrs, thanks to a skilful use of aesthetic codes of modernity to spread the underlying principles of an obscurantist interpretation, or the role of Salafism in enlarging the gap between the second and third generation immigrants and western societies, those considered the manifestation of moral and spiritual decadence. Furthermore, social relations established on Internet, group dynamics and the inclination to crime have been interpreted by Anglo-Saxon scholars as enabling factors (Neumman, 2013, 2015, Berger & Stern 2015; Klausen 2015). The essay presents the key findings of qualitative research carried out within the EU SAFFRON Project. The empirical research included seven focus groups in Italy and France which involved 47 individuals: 17 experts or qualified testimonials and 30 young people (age between 16 and 32) selected among second and third generation immigrants, political refugees, university students from Iraq, Pakistan, Senegal and Iran, secondary school students, and Italian youths converted to the Muslim faith. The theme of motivations or driving factors has been analysed using a participatory approach aimed at studying in depth the main rhetoric and narratives of online propaganda spread by the ISIS organisation for the purpose of recruitment. Research findings identified some specific factors as crucial: for example, the role of social media considered by young people as reliable sources of information versus mainstream media, which described as responsible for the dissemination of false stereotypes related to Islam; the theme of pseudo-heroism as promoted by skilful storytelling techniques; the patriotism which drives young immigrants and refugees to “take a position” in relation to conflicts in their countries of origin; and even existential and identity problems – almost always intertwined with the religious dimension – that apparently find an easy and immediate solution in the choice to radicalise.

Religious affiliation and obsessive cognitions and symptoms: A comparison between Jews, Christians, and Muslims in non-clinical groups in Italy.

Religious affiliation and obsessive cognitions and symptoms: A comparison between Jews, Christians, and Muslims in non-clinical groups in Italy.

Extra-Mediterranean glacial refugia in a Mediterranean faunal element: the phylogeography of the chalk-hill blue Polyommatus coridon (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae)

Most warm-adapted Central European species are thought to have survived ice ages exclusively in Mediterranean refugia. During recent years, this point of view has been questioned. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that extra-Mediterranean refugia also played a role in warm-adapted insect species and selected the chalk-hill blue, Polyommatus coridon. We sequenced two mitochondrial loci (COI, CR) in 150 individuals from 30 populations covering nearly the complete range. Minimum spanning networks and other statistical analyses concordantly revealed four genetic lineages with strong phylogeographic signal: a western group in Italy, France and western/central Germany, an eastern lineage in the Balkan Peninsula, the Carpathian Basin and eastern Central Europe, an Alpine group with populations in the Alps and southern Germany and a Pyrenean group. Our results are generally consistent with previous analyses for P. coridon based on allozymes and DNA sequences, but provide additional insights. We propose that these four lineages have evolved during allopatry in different glacial refugia, two in typical Mediterranean refugia (Apennines and Balkan Peninsulas), but two in extra-Mediterranean areas south of the Alps and Pyrenees. This supports survival of warm-adapted organisms in these regions in close geographic proximity to the refugia of high mountain species.

Transferring Violence? Mafia Killings in Nontraditional Areas

Violence is a key means used by organized crime to assert its control over territory and business. A widespread view is that violence is bound to take place also in the new territories where mafia groups migrate. In this article, we maintain that this view overlooks two important factors. First, criminal organizations acting in nontraditional areas face a structure of constraints and opportunities that do not generally favor the adoption of violence as a successful organizational strategy. Second, we show that violence, when it takes place, results from the transfer of conflicts that have their roots in the territories of origin of criminal groups. Local conditions play a mediating role in shaping violence in the new territories. We provide empirical support for these statements through the quantitative analysis of the violence perpetrated by mafia groups in Italy in the period between 1983 and 2013.

Blueberry Supply Chain in Italy: Management, Innovation and Sustainability

The growing trend market of fresh products is driven by a consumer oriented to new lifestyles and environmental issues. The berries market in Europe represents a good example of a consumer driven supply chain, due to the capacity to answer all the sequences of the system. To explore the process developed by fruit growers’ associated groups in Italy, the research is organized into four stages. The first stage provides a review of the organization of the fresh fruit supply chain (FFSC) and the need to innovate it in light of the driven demand. The second section focuses on the innovation displayed towards storing, managing and maintaining the quality of fruit during the supply. The third section considers the case study. The manuscript concludes by summarising the main results and discussing the implications for future research. The use of a modified active packaging system (MAP) with “green” films has enabled the maintenance of the quality of the fruits for two months, as well as the presence of the company blueberries market for longer periods, and has finally led to improving the exports, thus reaching new European countries, increasing the turnover of the associated group and better remuneration for the fruit growers as a consequence.

The Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure – Revised (MEIM-R): Psychometric evaluation with adolescents from diverse ethnocultural groups in Italy

The Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure – Revised (MEIM-R) is an extensively used questionnaire assessing ethnic identity. However, studies on its measurement characteristics in the European context are lacking. The current study addressed this gap by investigating the MEIM-R psychometric proprieties across multiple ethnocultural groups in Italy. Participants were 1445 adolescents (13–18 years) of Italian, East European, and North African origin. Results showed that the MEIM-R has good internal consistency. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses revealed configural and metric invariance, i.e., an equal, correlated two-factor structure (ethnic identity exploration and commitment) and equal factor loadings across groups. Scalar invariance, i.e., equal item intercepts, was found only for the commitment scores that showed no group differences in latent factor mean levels. Partial structural invariance was evidenced, with the factor covariances varying across groups. These findings suggest that the MEIM-R is a valuable tool to assess the correlates of ethnic identity, although further research is needed.

Knowledge transfer: what drug information would specialist doctors need to support their clinical practice? Results of a survey and of three focus groups in Italy.

BackgroundThe wide offer of information on pharmaceuticals does not often fulfill physicians’ needs: problems of relevance, access, quality and applicability are widely recognized, and doctors often rely on their own experience and expert opinions rather than on available evidence. A quali-quantitative research was carried out in Italy to provide an overview on information seeking behavior and information needs of doctors, in particular of infectious disease specialists, and to suggest an action plan for improving relevance, quality and usability of scientific information.MethodsWe did a quantitative survey and three focus groups. Two hundred infectious disease specialists answered a 24-item questionnaire aimed at investigating features of scientific information they receive and their ratings about its completeness, quality and usability. Subsequent focus groups, each involving eight specialists, investigated their opinions on information sources and materials, and their suggestions on how these could better support their information needs.ResultsThe quantitative survey indicated doctors’ appreciation of traditional channels (especially drug representatives) and information materials (brochures), but also their attitude to autonomous search of information and their wish to have more digital channels available. Focus groups provided more depth and, not surprisingly, revealed that physicians consider critical to get complete, comparative and specific information quickly, but also that they would like to discuss their doubts with expert colleagues. Quite strikingly, limited concerns were expressed on information validity, potential biases and conflicts of interests, as scientific validity seems to be related to the perceived authoritativeness of information sources rather than to the availability of a transparent evaluation framework.Although this research investigated views of infectious disease specialists, we believe that their opinions and perceived needs should not substantially differ from those of other clinicians, either in primary or in secondary care.ConclusionsIn participants’ view, the ideal information framework should provide quick and tailored answers through available evidence and favor the exchange of information between practitioners and trusted experts. The general consensus existing within the scientific and medical community on the need for integrating available evidence and experience is confirmed, although the issues of information validity and conflicts of interests seem definitely overlooked.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12911-016-0355-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Multilocus sequence typing of Dientamoeba fragilis identified a major clone with widespread geographical distribution

The flagellated protozoan Dientamoeba fragilis is often detected in humans with gastrointestinal symptoms, but it is also commonly found in healthy subjects. As for other intestinal protozoa, the hypothesis that genetically dissimilar parasite isolates differ in their ability to cause symptoms has also been raised for D. fragilis. To date, only two D. fragilis genotypes (1 and 2) have been described, of which genotype 1 largely predominates worldwide. However, very few markers are available for genotyping studies and therefore the extent of genetic variation among isolates remains largely unknown. Here, we performed metagenomics experiments on two D. fragilis-positive stool samples, and identified a number of candidate markers based on sequence similarity to the phylogenetically related species Trichomonas vaginalis. Markers corresponding to structural genes and to genes encoding for proteases were selected for this study, and PCR experiments confirmed their belonging to the D. fragilis genome; two previously described markers (small subunit ribosomal DNA and large subunit of RNA polymerase II) were also included. Using this panel of markers, 111 isolates of human origin were genotyped, all of which, except one, belonged to genotype 1. These isolates had been collected at different times from symptomatic and asymptomatic persons of different age groups in Italy, Denmark, Brazil and Australia. By sequencing approximately 160kb from 500 PCR products, a very low level of polymorphism was observed across all the investigated loci, suggesting the existence of a major clone of D. fragilis with a widespread geographical distribution.

Sex Education in Italy between Science and Ideology

Objective: The purpose of this paper is to present a reflection on sex education in schools of different stages and years in Italy, with specific attention to inclusive processes and practices in sexuality. In particular, we want to examine case histories of schoolchildren dealing with the inclusion of any individuals or minority groups (eg. LGBTI people or people with disabilities). Furthermore, we will try to reflect on attitudes and critical issues of the professional community of psychologists on the above matters, taking into account specific training needs and cultural frameworks. Design and Method: Qualitative research through case histories. Results: The analysis of the current state of sex education for younger age groups in Italy identifies how the matter has been at the center of a heated debate between secular assumptions and religious and moral positions for a long time, with strong connotations in terms of political and cultural roles and expectations linked to gender and sexual orientation. Upon request of the EU, Italy as well has committed to implement inclusive education policies, at least formally. However, in recent years government proposals to deconstruct gender stereotypes, to integrate sexual minorities, and to fight homophobic bullying and gender violence were hampered. Conclusions: The Italian case suggests a complex situation, in which the free and fluid self-expression of students in a respectful and non-discriminatory environment as preventive factor of homo/transphobic bullying and gender-based violence is still a goal to be achieved.

The urban forest and ecosystem services

The urban forest and ecosystem services

Pathologic Evaluation and Reporting of Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms of the Pancreas and Other Tumoral Intraepithelial Neoplasms of Pancreatobiliary Tract: Recommendations of Verona Consensus Meeting.

There are no established guidelines for pathologic diagnosis/reporting of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs). An international multidisciplinary group, brought together by the Verona Pancreas Group in Italy-2013, was tasked to devise recommendations. (1) Crucial to rule out invasive carcinoma with extensive (if not complete) sampling. (2) Invasive component is to be documented in a full synoptic report including its size, type, grade, and stage. (3) The term "minimally invasive" should be avoided; instead, invasion size with stage and substaging of T1 (1a, b, c; ≤ 0.5, > 0.5-≤ 1, > 1 cm) is to be documented. (4) Largest diameter of the invasion, not the distance from the nearest duct, is to be used. (5) A category of "indeterminate/(suspicious) for invasion" is acceptable for rare cases. (6) The term "malignant" IPMN should be avoided. (7) The highest grade of dysplasia in the non-invasive component is to be documented separately. (8) Lesion size is to be correlated with imaging findings in cysts with rupture. (9) The main duct diameter and, if possible, its involvement are to be documented; however, it is not required to provide main versus branch duct classification in the resected tumor. (10) Subtyping as gastric/intestinal/pancreatobiliary/oncocytic/mixed is of value. (11) Frozen section is to be performed highly selectively, with appreciation of its shortcomings. (12) These principles also apply to other similar tumoral intraepithelial neoplasms (mucinous cystic neoplasms, intra-ampullary, and intra-biliary/cholecystic). These recommendations will ensure proper communication of salient tumor characteristics to the management teams, accurate comparison of data between analyses, and development of more effective management algorithms.

Large variations in stroke hospitalization rates across immigrant groups in Italy.

A high mortality from cerebrovascular diseases has been reported among immigrants in Europe; however, data on stroke incidence in immigrants are sparse. Aim of the study is to assess hospitalization rates for stroke across different immigrant groups in the Veneto Region (Italy). The study population was represented by all residents aged 20-64 years. Admissions for stroke in 2008-2013 were extracted from hospital discharge records based on diagnosis codes. We computed age and gender specific rates separately for Italian and foreign residents. For each area of origin (Eastern Europe, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, other Asian countries, Central-South America, and industrialized countries) we calculated standardized hospitalization ratios (SHR) by means of indirect standardization, with rates observed in Italian residents as a reference. We identified 9740 hospitalization for stroke, 8.0% of which occurred in immigrants. Overall stroke rates were higher in immigrants males (SHR 1.45, 95% confidence interval 1.32-1.59) and females (SHR 1.21, 1.08-1.36) with respect to the Italian population. The highest risk was observed in Sub-Saharan Africans, in both genders (males SHR 3.15, 2.62-3.76; females SHR 3.15, 2.22-4.34), followed by immigrants from South Asia and other Asian countries. Our findings confirm the increased risk of stroke in immigrants, with wide variations by country of origin. Further studies are warranted to investigate associated risk factors in order to shape effective preventive strategies.

In memoriam Prof. Paolo Biassoni (1929-2015).

Professor Paolo Biassoni was a pioneer of Italian nuclear medicine. Hewas based at the University of Genoa, Italy, where he studied medicine and where he worked all his life. He and other colleagues were the backbone of the Radioisotopes Unit of the Department of Internal Medicine, which was opened in the early 1950s and which he joined in 1954, immediately after qualifying as a medical doctor. The unit was one of the first groups in Italy to use I-131 in the treatment of thyrotoxicosis. Biassoni did his MD thesis studying thyroid uptake of radioiodine in rats. Through this work, he developed a special interest for nuclear medicine, which was to stay with him for the rest of his life. Although nuclear medicine shaped his professional life, especially toward the end, he considered himself first of all a general physician, with a special interest in thyroid diseases, and inculcated in his students the critical importance of interpreting the nuclear medicine investigations in the global clinical context of the patient. He was appointed assistant general physician to the Department of Internal Medicine at the University Hospital of Genoa in 1964. In 1971 he was promoted to the position of deputy chief. In 1984 he became head of the Nuclear Medicine Unit of the University Hospital in Genoa. He worked in that capacity until 1995, when he retired from the National Health Service. In the mid-1980s he had been appointed a member of the Executive Committee of the former BItalian Society of Nuclear Biology and Medicine^ (now BItalian Association of Nuclear Medicine^), where he served for a term, helping to steer the evolution of the society toward its current version in a time when the two components of nuclear medicine (nuclear physicians coming from general medicine versus physicians with a more prominent radiological background) were engaged in hot debate. Professor Giuliano Mariani, who was at the time the secretary of the association, is a witness to the balance and long-term vision that Biassoni showed in his interventions at the society’s meetings. Years later, Mariani had another opportunity to interact closely with Biassoni when, in 1994, he moved to Genoa to work in the Nuclear Medicine Department of the University Hospital. The following year, after Biassoni’s retirement, he replaced him as head of the Nuclear Medicine Department. Biassoni also held a university appointment as Associate Professor of Nuclear Medicine and was director of the specialist training programme in nuclear medicine at the University of Genoa for some years. During his postgraduate training, he had obtained the title of specialist * Lorenzo Biassoni Lorenzo.Biassoni@gosh.nhs.uk