Lazio Region Of Italy Research Articles

Screening for Drought Tolerance Within a Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Landrace Accessions Core Collection from the Lazio Region of Italy

Screening for Drought Tolerance Within a Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Landrace Accessions Core Collection from the Lazio Region of Italy

Being prepared for an avian influenza epidemic with a One Health approach: a cartographic study to identify animal carcasses burial sites in central Italy.

During epidemics, pandemics, or animal disease outbreaks, the large-scale disposal of carcasses presents greater environmental and biosecurity challenges. In Europe, disposal through a rendering plant is the preferred option, but the on-site carcasses burial may be authorised due to logistical and economic advantages. This study utilised a comprehensive GIS-based approach and focuses on the challenges and strategies for large-scale carcass disposal, particularly in the context of avian influenza outbreaks in the Lazio Region of Italy. Integrating data from official geospatial sources regarding presence of environmental restrictions and regulations, factors affecting susceptibility to groundwater contamination, factors affecting soil stability over time, potential burial sites were identified. The resulting map provides decision-makers with valuable information for prompt and efficient response during disease outbreaks. The study underscores the importance of a multidisciplinary approach involving veterinarians, epidemiologists, GIS experts, and geologists. Further research and international consensus are essential to standardize the selection of geographic variables/layers to use in similar projects. This study significantly contributes to the preparedness of environment, health and animal/human interface events.

The Impact of Socio-Economic Conditions on Individuals’ Health: Development of an Index and Examination of its Association with Three of the Most Frequently Registered Diseases in Lazio Region of Italy

This study examines spatial disparities and associations between the social deprivation index (SDI) and Type 2 Diabetes, Dementia, and Heart Failure in Italy’s Lazio Region. The primary goal is to assess how social deprivation impacts health inequalities by analysing SDI-disease correlations. This retrospective study uses 2020 socioeconomic data and 2021 epidemiological indicators in Lazio Region, Italy. The SDI, constructed following established guidelines, measures social deprivation. Statistical tools, including regression models, Moran’s I test, and LISA techniques, are used to analyse spatial patterns. Utilizing a retrospective approach, we merge 2020 socioeconomic and 2021 epidemiological data for analysis. The SDI is computed using established methods. Spatial disparities are explored through regression models, Moran’s I test, and LISA techniques. The study reveals significant disparities in disease incidence. District V in Rome exhibits high Type 2 Diabetes (113.75/1000) and Heart Failure (37.98/1000) rates, while Marcetelli has elevated Dementia incidence (19.74). Southern municipalities face high unemployment (up to 25%), whereas bordering areas have higher education levels (30–60%). Disease hotspots emerge in Rome and centre-north municipalities, aligning with social deprivation patterns. Regression models confirm the link between disease incidence and socioeconomic indicators. SDI ranges from − 1.31 to + 10.01. This study underscores a correlation between social deprivation and disease incidence. Further national-level research is essential to deepen our understanding of how social deprivation influences health outcomes, with potential implications for addressing health disparities both regionally and nationally.

Burden of delayed discharge on acute hospital medical wards: A retrospective ecological study in Rome, Italy.

Delayed discharge represents the difficulty in proceeding with discharge of patients who do not have any further benefit from prolonged stay. A quota of this problem is related to organizational issues. In the Lazio region in Italy, a macro service re-organization in on the way, with a network of hospital and territorial centers engaged in structuring in- and out- of hospital patient pathways, with a special focus on intermediate care structures. Purpose of this study is to quantify the burden of delayed discharge on a single hospital structure, in order to estimate costs and occurrence of potential resource misplacement. Observational Retrospective study conducted at the Santo Spirito Hospital in Rome, Italy. Observation period ranged from 1/09/2022, when the local database was instituted, to 1/03/2023 (6 months). Data from admissions records was anonymously collected. Data linkage with administrative local hospital database was performed in order to identify the date a discharge request was fired for each admission. Surgical discharges and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) discharges were excluded from this study. A Poisson hierarchical regression model was employed to investigate for the role of ward, Severity of Disease (SoD) and Risk of Mortality (RoM) on elongation of discharge time. 1222 medical ward admissions were recorded in the timeframe. 16% of them were considered as subject to potentially elongated stay, and a mean Delay in discharge of 6.3 days (SD 7.9) was observed. Delayed discharge may cause a "bottleneck" in admissions and result in overcrowded Emergency Department, overall poor performance, and increase in overall costs. A consisted proportion of available beds can get inappropriately occupied, and this inflates both direct and indirect costs. Clinical conditions on admission are not a good predictor of delay in discharge, and the root causes of this phenomenon likely lie in organizational issues (on structure\system level) and social issues (on patient's level).

Knowledge, experiences, and perceptions relating to obesity management among primary care physicians in the Lazio Region, Italy.

Primary care providers (PCPs) play an essential role in obesity care as they represent the first contact for patients seeking weight loss interventions. This study explored the knowledge, experiences, and perceptions of PCPs in the Lazio Region of Italy in the management of obesity. We conducted an anonymous survey delivered from March to July 2022 via the newsletter of Rome Provincial Order of Physicians and Dentists and at the annual meeting of the regional section of the Italian Obesity Society. The survey consisted of 24 closed-ended questions grouped into 5 sections: sociodemographic and work information; assessment of obesity; management of obesity; connections with regional Centres for Obesity Management; attitudes towards obesity. A total of 92 PCPs accessed the survey. Of those, 2.2% were excluded because they did not see any patients with obesity. A total of 68 PCPs (75.6%) had complete questionnaires and were included in this analysis. All participants reported asking their patients about their eating habits, lifestyle, and clinical complications at the first assessment. Body weight and blood pressure were measured by 98.5% of participants and 82% calculate body mass index (BMI), while a small proportion of PCPs analysed body composition and fat distribution. Over 80% prescribed laboratory tests and ECG. Approximately 40% of PCPs did not refer patients for nutritional counselling, and most prescribed a low-calorie diet. Sixty-three percent referred patients to an endocrinologist, 48.5% to a psychotherapist, and a minority to specialists for obesity complications. Twenty-three percent prescribed anti-obesity medications and 46.5% referred patients for bariatric surgery only in severe cases. Ninety-one percent stated that obesity is "a complex and multifactorial disease" and 7.4% considered obesity to be secondary to other conditions. Despite most PCPs adopt a correct approach to manage patients with obesity, many aspects could be improved to ensure optimal and multidisciplinary management.

Dealing with areas ‘that don’t matter’ in Europe: the relevance of filling the gap in multilevel governance processes in the case of the northern Lazio Region in Italy

This paper discusses the results of research carried out in a “neither metropolitan nor peripheral” area in the northern Lazio Region, which is similar to many other areas in Europe labelled as “areas that do not matter”. The in-depth study about the implementation of two different policies (the Inner Areas National Strategy and River Contract), both of which called for territorial governance changes to deal with the challenges faced by non-metropolitan territories, suggests strategies to address the multilevel governance gaps revealed by the OECD.

Consensus for Flow Cytometry Clinical Report on Multiple Myeloma: A Multicenter Harmonization Process Merging Laboratory Experience and Clinical Needs

Flow cytometry is a highly sensitive and specific approach for discriminating between normal and clonal plasma cells in multiple myeloma. Uniform response criteria after treatment have been established by the International Myeloma Working Group and the EuroFlow Group; however, the way in which flow cytometry data are reported has suffered from no collaborative or multicentre efforts. This study, involving 8 expert laboratories and 12 clinical hematology units of the Lazio region in Italy, aims to produce a uniform and shared report among the various Centres. From the pre-analytical phase to sample processing, data acquisition, analysis, and evaluation of the potential limitations and pitfalls of the entire process, the study reaches a final conclusion shared by laboratories and clinicians according to the most updated principles and recommendations. The aim was to identify the necessary data to be included in the clinical report by using multiple-choice questionnaires at every single stage of the process. An agreement of more than 75% of the laboratories was considered mandatory for the data to be included in the report. By ensuring the operational autonomy of each laboratory, this study provides a clear report that limits subjective interpretations and highlights possible bias in the process, better supporting clinical decision-making.

Gender Preselection in the Buffalo Species (Bubalus Bubalis): Preliminary Data on Different Strategies and Pregnancy Outcome

In this study, a new comparison was tested in Mediterranean Italian buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis), between two different strategies for obtaining sperm cells of the desired sex. In addition, a control group of animals was included in the study, where only ordinary semen straws, containing unselected sper cells were used. Sexed and control straws were then used for Artificial Insemination (AI) in order to confront pregnancy and gender rates. The first of the two strategies to preselect sperm cells relies on the physical determination of DNA content in single spermatozoa though cell sorting machines. The second strategy instead, relies on the coincubation of either fresh or frozen/thawed semen with a specific solution specifically designed for the species of interest. The trial involved a total of 206 heifers and 211 pluriparous buffaloes belonging to a buffalo farm in the south of the Lazio Region in Italy. In this study, no significant differences between treated and control groups were detected in terms of pregnancy rates both on heifers (P=0.6) and pluriparous buffaloes (P=7). With regard to gender rates, pregnancy rates were significantly different among the three groups of heifers (P=0.001) and the three groups of pluriparous buffaloes (P=0.002). Sperm cells preselected for gender determination through Cell Sorting (CST) resulted effective in shifting the gender ratio towards the female, when compared to both the Coinbubation Technique (COiT) and control group of animals.

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Landraces in the Lazio Region of Italy.

Common bean cultivation has historically been a typical component of rural economies in Italy, particularly in mountainous and hilly zones along the Apennine ridge of the central and southern regions, where the production is focused on local landraces cultivated by small-scale farmers using low-input production systems. Such landraces are at risk of genetic erosion because of the recent socioeconomic changes in rural communities. One hundred fourteen accessions belonging to 66 landraces still being grown in the Lazio region were characterized using a multidisciplinary approach. This approach included morphological (seed traits), biochemical (phaseolin and phytohemagglutinin patterns), and molecular (microsatellite loci) analyses to investigate their genetic variation, structure, and distinctiveness, which will be essential for the implementation of adequate ex situ and in situ conservation strategies. Another objective of this study was to determine the original gene pool (Andean and Mesoamerican) of the investigated landraces and to evaluate the cross-hybridization events between the two ancestral gene pools in the P. vulgaris germplasm in the Lazio region. Molecular analyses on 456 samples (four for each of the 114 accessions) revealed that the P. vulgaris germplasm in the Lazio region exhibited a high level of genetic diversity (He = 0.622) and that the Mesoamerican and Andean gene pools were clearly differentiated, with the Andean gene pool prevailing (77%) and 12% of landraces representing putative hybrids between the two gene pools. A model-based cluster analysis based on the molecular markers highlighted three main groups in agreement with the phaseolin patterns and growth habit of landraces. The combined utilisation of morphological, biochemical, and molecular data allowed for the differentiation of all landraces and the resolution of certain instances of homonymy and synonymy. Furthermore, although a high level of homozygosity was found across all landraces, 32 of the 66 examined (49%) exhibited genetic variability, indicating that the analysis based on a single or few plants per landrace, as usually carried out, may provide incomplete information.

Anti-asthmatics prescriptions in the paediatric population in the Lazio Region of Italy: association with socio-demographic children’s and physician’s characteristics


 
 Background Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood; inItaly its prevalence is estimated to be 9% in children (0-14 years old).
 Objective Estimate the use of anti-asthmatics prescriptions in the paediatric population and to evaluate its association with children’s and physician’s characteristics.
 Methods The study was conducted in 728,830 children 1-14 years old residing in the Lazio region,Central Italy. Individual data on AA (ATC R03) prescriptions during 2009 were used. Prevalence was calculated according to children’s gender, age and area of residence.
 The association, in terms of rate ratio (RR), between AA prescription with children’s and physicians’ characteristics was estimated by multi level Poisson models.
 Results Overall, 404,239 AA prescriptions were given to 178,850 (25%) children with the highest frequency in the 1-2 age group (39%). Boys were more likely to receive a prescription than girls. Beclomethasone was the most prescribed active ingredient (34%), followed by salbutamol (24%); 44% of children ³6 years old had only 1 box prescription in the year, 48.9% of these subjects were treated with inhaled corticosteroids alone.
 Children’s gender, age and area of residence were the major determinants in drug prescription while, as far as physicians’ level, gender and number of patients in charge were associated to a greater probability of getting an AA prescription.
 Conclusion Prescription data provide useful information to measure prevalence use and consumption of AA drugs. Variability between age groups as well as differences in doctors’ characteristics suggests that specific strategies to optimise resource use of AA are needed.

The impact of in-hospital cardiac rehabilitation program on medication adherence and clinical outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction in the Lazio region of Italy

BackgroundMedication adherence is a recognized key factor of secondary cardiovascular disease prevention. Cardiac rehabilitation increases medication adherence and adherence to lifestyle changes. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of in-hospital cardiac rehabilitation (IH-CR) on medication adherence as well as other cardiovascular outcomes, following an acute myocardial infarction (AMI).MethodsThis is a population-based study. Data were obtained from the Health Information Systems of the Lazio Region, Italy (5 million inhabitants). Hospitalized patients aged ≥ 18 years with an incident AMI in 2013–2015 were investigated. We divided the whole cohort into 4 groups of patients: ST-elevation AMI (STEMI) and non-ST-elevation AMI (NSTEMI) who underwent or not percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) during the hospitalization. Primary outcome was medication adherence. Adherence to chronic poly-therapy, based on prescription claims for both 6- and 12-month follow-up, was defined as Medication Possession Ratio (MPR) ≥ 75% to at least 3 of the following medications: antiplatelets, β-blockers, ACEI/ARBs, statins. Secondary outcomes were all-cause mortality, hospital readmission for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event (MACCE), and admission to the emergency department (ED) occurring within a 3-year follow-up period.ResultsA total of 13.540 patients were enrolled. The median age was 67 years, 4.552 (34%) patients were female. Among the entire cohort, 1.101 (8%) patients attended IH-CR at 33 regional sites. Relevant differences were observed among the 4 groups previously identified (from 3 to 17%). A strong association between the IH-CR participation and medication adherence was observed among AMI patients who did not undergo PCI, for both 6- and 12-month follow-up. Moreover, NSTEMI-NO-PCI participants had lower risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted IRR 0.76; 95% CI 0.60–0.95), hospital readmission due to MACCE (IRR 0.78; 95% CI 0.65–0.94) and admission to the ED (IRR 0.80; 95% CI 0.70–0.91).ConclusionsOur findings highlight the benefits of IH-CR and support clinical guidelines that consider CR an integral part in the treatment of coronary artery disease. However, IH-CR participation was extremely low, suggesting the need to identify and correct the barriers to CR participation for this higher-risk group of patients.

An Analytical Method for the Biomonitoring of Mercury in Bees and Beehive Products by Cold Vapor Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry.

Bees and their products are useful bioindicators of anthropogenic activities and could overcome the deficiencies of air quality networks. Among the environmental contaminants, mercury (Hg) is a toxic metal that can accumulate in living organisms. The first aim of this study was to develop a simple analytical method to determine Hg in small mass samples of bees and beehive products by cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry. The proposed method was optimized for about 0.02 g bee, pollen, propolis, and royal jelly, 0.05 g beeswax and honey, or 0.1 g honeydew with 0.5 mL HCl, 0.2 mL HNO3, and 0.1 mL H2O2 in a water bath (95 °C, 30 min); samples were made up to a final volume of 5 mL deionized water. The method limits sample manipulation and the reagent mixture volume used. Detection limits were lower than 3 µg kg−1 for a sample mass of 0.02 g, and recoveries and precision were within 20% of the expected value and less than 10%, respectively, for many matrices. The second aim of the present study was to evaluate the proposed method’s performances on real samples collected in six areas of the Lazio region in Italy.

Persistent Organic Pollutants and Metals in Atmospheric Deposition Rates around the Port-Industrial Area of Civitavecchia, Italy

In recent years, studies on climate change have focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions emitted by various civil and industrial processes. This study highlights the importance of characterizing the total deposition rates of airborne particles (bulk atmospheric deposition) in the surroundings of an industrial area along the north cost of the Lazio Region in Italy, to deepen knowledge about the potential impact of emissions from the coal-fired thermoelectric (CTE) power plant and other possible sources existing in the surrounding area. Four sampling sites were identified, and the monitoring plan was performed a yearlong with monthly collecting observation. The deposition samples were collected monthly and processed for determining organic (polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins, PCDDs; polychlorinated dibenzofurans, PCDFs; dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls, DL-PCBs; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs) and inorganic (metals) substances. The samples were collected monthly and sent for chemical characterization. In Europe and Italy, no reference values have been given for the deposition rates of chemicals, while some European countries have determined reference/guide values to which the authors will refer in this study. Therefore, the analytical results show that the deposition rates for PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs are lower with respects guide values defined by Germany and Belgium; PAHs values are in line with those measured in other rural-type sites, while for metals the analytical results show a situation between rural and urban area. The approach used in this study can help to identify reference values for Italy in deposition rates, with the aim both to characterize the dynamic of pollution in area with multiple risk factors and to describe and protect human health from environmental exposures caused by the contamination of the food chain.

A Modelling Approach to Describe the Anthonomus eugenii (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Life Cycle in Plant Protection: A Priori and a Posteriori Analysis

Anthonomus eugenii Cano (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is one of the most severe pests for sweet and hot varieties of pepper (Capsicum spp.; Solanaceae). The species is distributed widely, principally in Central America, but in 2013 it was detected for the first time in the Lazio region of Italy. Modelling plays a key role in reducing chemical treatments used on Capsicum spp., but reliable predictions of pest populations require adjusted tools, as well as intense knowledge of the insect’s biology and its typical environment. The main goal of this work is to describe the life cycle of A. eugenii with a physiologically based model, which links the population dynamics with the environmental parameters. More specifically, this analysis focuses on the different response of the age-structured model in relation to the development rate function in input. Two methodologies to determine the best representative development rate function suitable for simulations are proposed; the first is “a priori analysis,” whereas the second is the “a posteriori analysis.” Simulations were compared with semi-field data, collected in a controlled experimental greenhouse where A. eugenii developed in varying temperature conditions. Results showed that the model used is adequate to describe A. eugenii population dynamics and highlighted how the a posteriori analysis can be essential to (i) analyze the simulation outputs, and (ii) determine the best representing development rate function, if the a priori analysis does not provide this information sufficiently clearly. Resumen Anthonomus eugenii Cano (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) es una de las plagas mas severas para las variedades de chile dulce y chile picante (Capsicum spp.; Solanaceae). La especie es distribuida ampliamente, principalmente en America Central, pero en el 2013 se detecto por primera vez en la region italiana de Lazio. El modelado juega un papel clave en la reduccion de los tratamientos quimicos utilizados en Capsicum spp., pero las predicciones confiables de las poblaciones de plagas requieren herramientas ajustadas, asi como un conocimiento intenso de la biologia del insecto y su ambiente tipico. El objetivo principal de este trabajo es describir el ciclo de vida de A. eugenii con un modelo basado fisiologicamente, que vincula la dinamica de la poblacion con los parametros ambientales. Mas especificamente, este analisis se enfoque sobre la respuesta diferente del modelo estructurado por edad en relacion con la funcion de tasa de desarrollo en insumo. Se proponen dos metodologias para determinar la mejor funcion de tasa de desarrollo representativa para usar en simulaciones; el primero es “analisis a priori,” mientras que el segundo es el “analisis a posteriori.” Se compararon las simulaciones con datos de semi-campo, recolectados en un invernadero experimental controlado donde A. eugenii se desarrollo en diferentes condiciones de temperatura. Los resultados mostraron que el modelo utilizado es adecuado para describir la dinamica de la poblacion de A. eugenii y resaltaron como el analisis a posteriori puede ser fundamental para (i) analizar los resultados de la simulacion y (ii) determinar la mejor funcion que representa la tasa de desarrollo, si el analisis a priori no proporciona esta informacion con suficiente claridad. Key Words: pepper weevil; Von Foerster’s equation; integrated pest management; alien species; development rate function; physiologically based models Supplementary material for this article in Florida Entomologist 103(2) (June 2020) is online at http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/entomologist/browse View this article in BioOne

SARS-CoV-2 Phylogenetic Analysis, Lazio Region, Italy, February-March 2020.

We report phylogenetic and mutational analysis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus strains from the Lazio region of Italy and provide information about the dynamics of virus spread. Data suggest effective containment of clade V strains, but subsequently, multiple waves of clade G strains were circulating widely in Europe.

The role of urbanization of place of living in the relation between individual features and happiness (El papel del desarrollo urbanístico del lugar de residencia en la relación entre las características individuales y la felicidad)

Happiness research tradition is focused on an independent form of happiness (Satisfaction with life, SWL), which in part neglects the social context and group well-being. We considered interdependent happiness (IH) to evaluate a collectivist conceptualization of happiness, which is based on harmony with others. We also considered the role of the perceived urbanization level of the place of living in the independent and interdependent happiness of people since in the literature there is no consensus about the impact of rural vs urban characterization of the living context on happiness. We hypothesized that place of living – rural vs urban – differently impacts on factors influencing independent or interdependent personal or familiar happiness. 290 university students of the Lazio Region in Italy participated to an online survey aimed to investigate the relation among self-construal, familism, personal and familiar independent and interdependent happiness. Results show that for people living in urban places, self-oriented individual factors concerned with self-realization, predicted satisfaction with life and interdependent happiness. For people living in rural places, other-oriented factors, more anchored to the group and community dimension, affected happiness for self and the family. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

Inequity in palliative care service full utilisation among patients with advanced cancer: a retrospective Cohort study

Background: Advanced cancer patients often die in hospital after receiving needless, aggressive treatment. Although palliative care improves symptom management, barriers to accessing palliative care services affect its utilisation, and such disparities challenge the equitable provision of palliative care. This study aimed to identify which factors are associated with inequitable palliative care service utilisation among advanced cancer patients by applying the Andersen Behavioural Model of Health Services Use.Material and methods: This was a retrospective cohort study using administrative healthcare data. A total of 13,656 patients residing in the Lazio region of Italy, who died of an advanced cancer-related cause—either in hospital or in a specialised palliative care facility—during the period of 2012–2016 were included in the study. Potential predictors of specialised palliative service utilisation were explored by grouping the following factors: predisposing factors (i.e., individuals’ characteristics), enabling factors (i.e., systemic/structural factors) and need factors (i.e., type/severity of illness).Results: The logistic hierarchical regression showed that older patients (odds ratio [OR] = 1.45; <0.0001) of Caucasian ethnicity (OR = 4.17; 0.02), with a solid tumour (OR = 1.87; <0.0001) and with a longer survival time (OR = 2.09; <0.0001) were more likely to be enrolled in a palliative care service. Patients who lived farther from a specialised palliative care facility (OR = 0.13; <0.0001) and in an urban area (OR = 0.58; <0.0001) were less likely to be enrolled.Conclusion: This study found that socio-demographic (age, ethnicity), clinical (type of tumour, survival time) and organisational (area of residence, distance from service) factors affect the utilisation of specialised palliative care services. The fact that service utilisation is not only a function of patients’ needs but also of other aspects demonstrates the presence of inequity in access to palliative care among advanced cancer patients.

Influenza vaccine uptake in the elderly population: Individual and general practitioner’s determinants in Central Italy, Lazio region, 2016–2017 season

BackgroundElderly people are a priority target group for influenza vaccination and their decision to be vaccinated might partly depend on advice received from general practitioners (GP). This study aims to investigate the association between influenza vaccine uptake in the elderly residents in the Lazio region of Italy and the demographic and professional characteristics of their GPs, taking simultaneously into account the elderly’s individual characteristics. MethodsWe used data retrieved from different administrative sources to retrospectively analyse the cohort of 1,255,657 elderly residents aged ≥65 years who were alive and registered in the regional healthcare service at the beginning of the 2016–2017 influenza vaccination campaign (1 Oct. 2016–31 Jan. 2017). We assessed influenza vaccine uptake at the end of the vaccination campaign and evaluated its association with both individual and GP-related characteristics through a multilevel Poisson regression models accounting for clustering at physician level. ResultsOverall, vaccination coverage at the end of vaccination campaign was 50.6%. Elderly residents who were male, older, vaccinated in the previous seasons, living in smaller provinces, and spending more money for specialist medical care showed a significantly increased probability to be vaccinated. Vaccine uptake was also significantly higher in the elderly residents assisted by GPs who got master’s degree more recently, assisted a relatively high proportion of elderly patients, received influenza vaccination, had a computer assistant, and were associated with other physicians. ConclusionsOur results indicate that influenza vaccination coverage in the elderly residents of the Lazio region is still unsatisfactorily low. We identified several determinants of influenza vaccine uptake, related to both individual and GP characteristics. Understanding how GP characteristics affected influenza vaccine uptake in the elderly population might provide insight on GPs’ attitudes and concerns regarding influenza vaccination, allowing the implementation of targeted evidence-based interventions to sensitise GPs and increase vaccination coverage.

A GIS-based model to assess electric energy consumptions and usable renewable energy potential in Lazio region at municipality scale

The ongoing energy transition processes need a rapprochement between the places of energy production and consumption with the aim of creating innovative and integrated territorial models. Consequentially, models and strategies for increasing the use of local and renewable energy sources (RES) play a key rule for enhancing energy independence and sustainability of the considered areas. The main objective of this study is to analyse the energy system of the Lazio Region in Italy, comparing electricity consumptions and production from renewable sources at municipality scale. In order to estimate the electricity consumptions and the local production by RES, the main sectors of electricity consumption together with the potential of the available RES for the electricity production have been analysed. The obtained results pinpointed the main critical aspects of the Lazio region, that are mainly focalized in the city of Rome and in the most densely inhabited municipalities. Furthermore, research outputs provide an overall framework on the regional RES potential and allowed the formulation of proposals aimed at overcoming the identified criticalities and increasing the share of electricity production from renewables. Finally, the research approach could be replicated in other areas, providing a useful process for decision makers and stakeholders.

Regional Outcome Evaluation Program: inequities in access to health care in Lazio region of Italy.

Regional Outcome Evaluation Program: inequities in access to health care in Lazio region of Italy.