Town In Italy Research Articles

Guest Editorial: Turning Old Data Into New Insights for Better Outcomes

_ I recently read about an archeological study at Interamna Lirenas, central Italy, where a very ordinary Roman settlement; thought to be unpromising, ‘a failed backwater,’ revealed new discoveries that have forced historians to rethink what they believed to be true about the final years of the Roman Empire. The study revealed a town that was thriving for centuries after Roman Italy was thought to have been in decline. The study’s author and project lead said, “There was nothing on the surface, no visible evidence of buildings, just bits of broken pottery. But what we discovered wasn’t a backwater, far from it. We found a thriving town adapting to every challenge thrown at it for 900 years.” The project lead goes on to say that many other average Roman towns in Italy were just as resilient, “It’s just that archaeologists have only recently begun to apply the right techniques and approaches to see this.” The story reminded me of the enormous variety and volume of historic data that’s been inaccessible for decades in our industry, trapping knowledge and insights of enormous value. This data is old, but it’s not out of date. In truth, it’s a nice problem to have. If we apply new techniques, we can open a world of new information about an asset, operation, or enterprise. The data includes commercial field development planning, well logs, drilling reports, consulting, unstructured data reports—all the things that combine with the structured technical information that we get from surveys and planning activities. This treasure trove of data is untapped due to various reasons—outdated infrastructure, fragmented systems, storage in filing cabinets, siloed databases, and forgotten spreadsheets … bits of broken pottery, if you will. Often, it’s used once and then never referenced again. Organizations are wrestling with the challenge of bringing this old data into their business. They need to be able to look at the information, to recognize what it is, know what it means, where it should be filed away. They need to be able to bring it together with other relevant information and contextualize it. The end goal is to have it available when people come to act, to make decisions. For this, it must be reliable, trusted, and discoverable—and at their fingertips. By the time it reaches people, or artificial intelligence (AI), it must be ready to use. Connecting Data One challenge companies face is the mechanical issue of connecting the data—getting it out of these siloed and fragmented systems—and into a system where it can be parsed and understood. Thankfully, in recent years a swathe of good technology products for achieving this at scale have been developed. Data archaeology in our industry is now a realistic prospect.

Percorsi di un italiano all'estero: Robert Viscusi Replies to Rosemary Serra

<i>Percorsi di un italiano all'estero</i>: Robert Viscusi Replies to Rosemary Serra

Social innovation and food provisioning initiatives to reduce food insecurity during the Covid-19 pandemic

This paper examines food provisioning initiatives that were implemented to reduce food insecurity during the period of the spread of Covid-19. Food insecurity increased sharply during this time, particularly among those who contracted the virus and had to remain in quarantine, and those who suddenly lost their jobs. As a possible solution to alleviate the problem, voluntary organisations collected food from stores with surplus produce (such as restaurants that were forced to close, supermarkets, etc.) and redistributed it to people in need. This redistribution occurred in several Italian cities, including Cremona, which was one of the first towns in Italy to be dramatically affected by the pandemic.Looking through the lens of social innovation theory, this paper analyses redistribution initiatives in this town and assesses their capacity to enhance their impact on social wellbeing and to involve local society in response to social challenges. Thanks to desk research and interviews with several volunteers, it demonstrates that these initiatives are good examples of social innovation, as they address emerging social challenges and generate benefits for the entire society (not just food aid recipients), reconfigure previous aid models, actively involve local population, and assume educational and social assistance purposes.

The Impact of Meteorological Conditions and Agricultural Waste Burning on PM Levels: A Case Study of Avellino (Southern Italy).

In this work, the effect of the meteorological conditions and the agricultural waste burning on PM air pollution levels has been investigated in the city of Avellino, located in the Sabato Valley (southern Italy). Avellino has been described among the most polluted towns in Italy in terms of particulate matter (PM) during the last 10 years. The main aim of this study was to analyze the air quality data collected in Avellino and its surroundings during September 2021. In this period, the air quality in the Sabato Valley has been adversely affected by agricultural practices, which represent a significant source of PM. The impact of agricultural waste burning on PM levels in Avellino has been determined through an integrated monitoring network, consisting of two fixed urban reference stations and by several low-cost sensors distributed in the Sabato Valley. In the considered period, the two reference stations recorded several exceedances of the daily average PM10 legislative limit value (50 µg m−3) in addition to high concentrations of PM2.5. Moreover, we provide a detailed description of the event that took place on 25 September 2021, when the combined effect of massive agricultural practices and very stable atmospheric conditions produced a severe pollution episode. Results show PM exceedances in Avellino concurrent with high PM values in the areas bordering the city due to agricultural waste burning and adverse meteorological conditions, which inhibit PM dispersion in the atmosphere.

Migration governance and the role of the third sector in small-sized towns in Italy

ABSTRACT The paper makes an innovative contribution to studies on the local governance of migration by considering the role played by Third Sector actors in three small municipalities in northern Italy: a mountain village, a rural village, and a town located at the edge of the great Milanese conurbation. The cases shed light on the implications that a small size can have for understanding the policy outputs and challenges of migration governance at the local level. Building on comparative qualitative data, the paper describes common features that can be observed in the local policy arena of small municipalities, such as the reduced number and limited heterogeneity of Third Sector actors, ease of access to local decision-makers, and blurred boundaries between politics and administration. It shows that such features can be associated with specific inclusionary and/or exclusionary policies that can be explained by local associational ecologies and local governments’ political orientation, despite the (often) limited human and economic resources available, but also by the activation of policy entrepreneurs and supra-local networks.

Relational goods and direct purchase from farmers: estimating the value of the relationship between consumers and producers

Personal relationships can affect economic life, more importantly in alternative food networks. Estimating the value of enjoyment of the relational good produced by consumers’ personal relationship in direct sales from farmers is important to assess how much personal interactions can affect food purchases. We employ different stated preferences models to estimate from a consumer survey in open-air markets in four towns in Italy the value consumers buying directly from farmers attach to their particular choice of a specific vendor. Contingent on the chosen model, the average value of the personal relationship is 13.5-24.4% of their expenditure for fruits and vegetables.

Estimating COVID-19 mortality in Italy early in the COVID-19 pandemic

Estimating rates of COVID-19 infection and associated mortality is challenging due to uncertainties in case ascertainment. We perform a counterfactual time series analysis on overall mortality data from towns in Italy, comparing the population mortality in 2020 with previous years, to estimate mortality from COVID-19. We find that the number of COVID-19 deaths in Italy in 2020 until September 9 was 59,000–62,000, compared to the official number of 36,000. The proportion of the population that died was 0.29% in the most affected region, Lombardia, and 0.57% in the most affected province, Bergamo. Combining reported test positive rates from Italy with estimates of infection fatality rates from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, we estimate the infection rate as 29% (95% confidence interval 15–52%) in Lombardy, and 72% (95% confidence interval 36–100%) in Bergamo.

UBI SUNT MACELLA? THE CONTRIBUTION OF NON‐INVASIVE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND STUDY OF ROMAN FOOD MARKETS

SummaryWhile the remains of the well‐preserved and excavated towns of Pompeii, Ostia and Herculaneum provide us with a fascinating impression of their once bustling economic life, the study of urban economic space requires a more extensive geographical and methodological framework. This paper investigates whether the systematic use of non‐invasive techniques at other, often neglected, urban sites can deliver a meaningful contribution to the study of Roman urbanism, especially by revealing previously unknown foci of commercial activity in the Roman city. To illustrate the effectiveness of certain non‐destructive strategies, including geophysical prospection and aerial survey, we focus on a specific type of market building that was quite common in the Roman world, the macellum. The case studies presented here demonstrate how non‐invasive archaeological investigation, often in combination with other topographic operations, can facilitate the identification of macella and enhance studies of economic architecture and space in Roman towns in Italy and the provinces.

Urban development and negative differential rent [Lo sviluppo urbano e la rendita differenziale negativa

The growth of building land does not always produce a positive differential rent on the existing building stock. The essay aims to discuss the case where urban expansion has negative effects on the rent of existing building plots and constructions. In other words, the differential rent assumes negative values that increase over time, lowering the value of existing properties. This occurs when the expansion of the city does not correspond to a real need for new housing. Generally, it happens in the presence of urban centres already in an advanced phase of demographic contraction, when the existing building stock would be sufficient to satisfy the real estate demand. This expansion (sometimes achieved through urban plans or building programs, others in the total absence of plans) is a phenomenon that, since the 1960s, has affected (and still affects) many smaller towns in Italy. While in the cities that attract population, urban expansion led to the creation of a positive and growing rent (absolute and differential), in the centres suffering from depopulation the same type of expansion had adverse effects on the existing building stock.

2020PMD, 30-years of Translational Mobility Medicine at the time of COVID-19 outbreak: Last-minute forewords from the editor.

In the autumn of 2019, the organizers of the 2020 Padua Muscle Days planned an intense program, which was to be held from March 18 to March 21, 2020. The program included eight Scientific Sessions to occur over three full days at either Padova University or the Hotel Augustus on Euganei Hills (Padova), Italy. Abruptly, however, in early January the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak started in China and changed the world perspectives and expectations. In Italy, it started in Lombardy and Veneto, two main industrial areas of the country with intense connections and interchanges of people and commercial activities with China. Indeed, the virus was first isolated from a couple of Chinese tourists, who inadvertently incubated the infection during their visit to many towns in Italy. Within the following two weeks, the epidemic had the first Italian cases and victims in an area south of Milan and in a Village of the Euganei Hills (Vo Euganeo, Padova). The village was immediately quarantined, but it was too late. The virus had escaped the area. Thus, it was a mandatory, though difficult decision (made even before the Italian National Government posted rules to be followed to decrease spread of the infection), to post-pone the Padua Muscle Days meeting from 18-21 March, 2020 to 25-28 November, 2020. Luckily, the vast majority of organizers, chairs, speakers, and attendees accepted the decision and have assured their presence in late November, despite the coincidence with the Thanksgiving holiday in the US. Currently, the only changes in the program are the new dates; however, it is difficult to forecast the future. Anyhow, the rationale of the decision to post-pone 2020PMD was reinforced by the actions of many organizers of international events. One of the most recent examples is the March 6, 2020 decision of the leaders of the Experimental Biology Host Societies to cancel Experimental Biology (EB) 2020, set to take place April 4–7 in San Diego, California, USA. All these active civil responses to world dangers are mandatory to avoid those military responses that are easy to start, but provide the worst results. How do we not lose half of the 2020 year? The option is to try to achieve some of the goals of the meeting by long-distance communications. Thus, the Collection of s will be, as originally planned, e-published in this 30(1) 2020 Issue of the European Journal of Translational Myology (EJTM) together with the many EJTM Communications submitted by speakers and attendees of the 2020PMD. We may also start the process that will implement EMMA, the European Mobility Medicine Association, by circulating a proposal and inviting comments.

Heritage waste management

PurposeThe considerable volume of rubble generated by the 2016–2017 earthquakes in central Italy reveals a significant issue in the post-disaster reconstruction phase. Drawing from the experience of Macerata province and the city of Camerino, the purpose of this paper is to explore a possible change of attitude in the reuse of heritage waste materials in the reconstruction process of damaged historical villages and towns in Italy.Design/methodology/approachThis research outlines a comparison between national and regional directives on the rubble management on the one hand, and the praxis on the other, carrying out semi-structured interviews with experts who have been involved in the reconstruction process of Macerata province and Camerino, in Marche region.FindingsThe research reveals that the current vision in Italy for the management of disaster waste is still very close to the traditional paradigm that gives heritage waste an intrinsic value, worthy of great efforts for its collection, catalogue and preservation in view of the likely philological restoration of the damaged heritage. The most recent experiences in Camerino show that institutions responsible for the conservation of cultural heritage may accept a possible paradigm shift towards a more innovative and less expert-driven approach to heritage waste materials and their possible upcycling.Originality/valueWithin a critique of the traditional restoration paradigm, this article links disaster waste management to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, to enhance the long-term sustainability of historical villages and towns in Italy.

Assessment of groundwater geochemistry and diffusion of hexavalent chromium contamination in an industrial town of Italy

Groundwater contamination by hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI)) is currently a very serious and challenging issue. Therefore, in the present study, 108 shallow groundwater samples were collected during the years 2012 to 2015 (n = 27 samples each year) from an industrial town (Aosta) to assess the contamination status of the area. To evaluate the Cr (VI) concentration level, sources of pollutants and groundwater geochemistry of the study area, a combined approach of the multi-statistical and hydrogeochemical techniques were used. Furthermore, a geographic information system (GIS) was applied for the spatial distribution of Cr (VI) so that the most contaminated sites can be identified for a quick decision by policymakers. Results show that the groundwater chemistry was dominated by HCO3– and SO42− in the anionic chemistry and Ca2+ and Na+ in the cationic chemistry, while Ca-Mg-HCO3 and Ca-Mg-Cl-SO4 were the main water types during the years 2012–2015 in the study area. The central part and some north-eastern parts of the Aosta town groundwater was contaminated with Cr (VI) and are unsafe for drinking use. Concentration levels of Cr (VI) in the groundwater were 0.09 μg/L (lowest value) and 165 μg/L (highest value) in the years studied, and the spatial analysis shows the diffusion of Cr (VI) to north-east direction from the source. Contamination of Cr (VI) in the groundwater was due to the superficial slag deposits from a steel company within the study area. This study would be helpful for current and future water resource management in the area concerned.

The Decline of Liberalism in Europe and how to Revive it

The liberal world order has produced immense benefits for Europe and people across the planet. Beginning in the 18th and 19th centuries, liberalism reinforces the natural rights of man to life, liberty and property, and has transformed the world in ways that have improved the material and social circumstances of humankind. But the liberal order that has been in place in Europe since 1945, after two world wars, is showing signs of deterioration. Today, this liberal order is being challenged by a variety of forces. The essence of the European experience is the development of a civilization that considered itself to be a unity and yet was politically decentralized. Former free towns in Italy and the Low Countries became bastions of a self‑governing middle class in the Middle Ages. However, with time, states tend to overgrow taking more and more resources, which results in the increase in taxes and public spending, excessive regulation, deficits and public debt. There is a fight between the advocates of two different ideals of the European Union, the non‑liberal and the liberal vision. There is a consensus in that the market economy is the system that best produces the most, removing millions of people from poverty. But it is the unequal distribution of the wealth created that is often criticized. We examine the distribution of income, before and after taxes and transfers, concluding that market liberalization does not necessarily lead to increased social inequality. On the other hand, two of the most important threats challenging the liberal order in Europe are populist parties and protectionism. Finally, this paper suggests a way towards a future Europe, deepening the single market and economic integration, but transforming the obsolete and dysfunctional nation‑states into other forms of decentralized political units.

Keeping the Elderly Alive: Global Entanglements and Embodied Practices in Long-Term Care in Southeast Italy

This article explores the success of the “migrant in the family” model of care for the elderly in southeast Italy and the mechanisms that bond the caregivers and their patients in a mutual dependency. I describe this model as a meeting place between endurance and vulnerability, and between the fragility of the elderly and the fragility of most of the women who work as migrant care workers. I argue that migrant live-in care work for the elderly is a combination of attentive practice and detachment in completion to the current description of care work as ritual and as tinkering and adaptation. In a broader perspective, the article shows that the economic needs in poorer regions of the world manifest in the commitment and determination to keep the elderly alive in Italy. This article reports findings from long-term ethnographic research among 34 migrant domestic care workers and 24 Italian employers in a medium-sized town in Italy. The article illustrates the findings by means of three case studies and engages with the existing literature on person-centered care in patients with dementia, biopolitics, and the global political economy of migration for work in the field of care. Migrant work for the elderly is crucial for a general understanding of social reproduction in Italy and in many other global contexts.

Modellazione di superfici di età romana nel centro urbano di Treviso per lo studio del paesaggio antico e la tutela archeologica

Treviso, as many other historical towns in Italy, is a large and multi-stratified site occupied since the Bronze Age to the present time. This study was oriented to model trend surfaces, representative of the ground level of the city in Roman Age, on the basis of stratigraphic data. GIS spatial analyses were performed to select a reliable dataset. DTM was obtained by the interpolation of elevation points related to significant features, with the aim to contribute to the study of the ancient landscape and to support the evaluation of risks connected with public works that may impact local archaeological heritage.

Metal Availability and Transfer along Food Chains in Siena, a Small Medieval Town in Italy

Heavy metals originating from vehicular emissions and other anthropogenic sources pose one of the main environmental health risks in urban areas. The assessment of metal bioaccumulation in selected species of synanthropic organisms allows evaluating their bioavailability and the transfer along food chains in urban ecosystems. An overall view of the results achieved in Siena on urban ecosystems shows that the mean Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn concentrations in biological crusts covering urban walls (0.66, 34, 65, and 184 μg·g−1 d.w.) are higher than the respective concentrations in tree leaf litter (0.19, 9.5, 9.2, and 38 μg·g−1 d.w.) and topsoil (0.40, 44, 34.2, and 102 μg·g−1 d.w.). Furthermore, the epilithic moss Tortula muralis accumulated much higher levels of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn (0.34, 65, 17.6, and 106 μg·g−1 d.w.) than epiphytic lichens (0.22, 11.6, 2.1, and 47.3 μg·g−1 d.w.) or the holm oak live foliage (0.15, 14, 1.51, and 26.5 μg·g−1 d.w.), respectively. However, analyses of the soft tissues of Papillifera papillaris, a snail dwelling on stone walls, show that metals deposited on urban walls are scarcely bioavailable. Papillifera accumulates (and transfers to the next trophic level) amounts of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn (1.7, 171, 1.1, and 71 μg·g−1 d.w., respectively) that are comparable or inferior to those found in a ground-dwelling snail (3.3, 88, 2.0, and 880 μg·g−1 d.w.) and two earthworm species (2.0–4.4, 18–23, 1.4–2.2, and 356–594 μg·g−1 d.w.) from the same urban green area.

Oak tree-rings record spatial-temporal pollution trends from different sources in Terni (Central Italy).

Monitoring atmospheric pollution in industrial areas near urban center is essential to infer past levels of contamination and to evaluate the impact for environmental health and safety. The main aim of this study was to understand if the chemical composition of tree-ring wood can be used for monitoring spatial-temporal variability of pollutants in Terni, Central Italy, one of the most polluted towns in Italy. Tree cores were taken from 32 downy oaks (Quercus pubescens) located at different distances from several pollutant sources, including a large steel factory. Trace element (Cr, Co, Cu, Pb, Hg, Mo, Ni, Tl, W, U, V, and Zn) index in tree-ring wood was determined using high-resolution laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). We hypothesized that the presence of contaminants detected in tree-rings reflected industrial activities over time. The accumulation of contaminants in tree-rings was affected by anthropogenic activities in the period 1958-2009, though signals varied in intensity with the distance of trees from the industrial plant. A stronger limitation of tree growth was observed in the proximity of the industrial plant in comparison with other pollutant sources. Levels of Cr, Ni, Mo, V, U and W increased in tree-ring profiles of trees close to the steel factory, especially during the 80's and 90's, in correspondence to a peak of pollution in this period, as recorded by air quality monitoring stations. Uranium contents in our tree-rings were difficult to explain, while the higher contents of Cu, Hg, Pb, and Tl could be related to the contaminants released from an incinerator located close to the industrial plant. The accumulation of contaminants in tree-rings reflected the historical variation of environmental pollution in the considered urban context.

Smart lighting in a historic context: a case study

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to address a project for lighting an old town in Italy. Its originality lies in the holistic approach that aims to fulfil several objectives. One is to reduce energy consumption by using efficient lamps and advanced control systems; the second one is to make the network viable and useful for many purposes by integrating ICT devices; the third one is to provide a new identity to the older part of the city by using new technologies and design concepts; while the last one is to ensure street and pedestrian safety according to codes and standards.Design/methodology/approachThe plan of the city of Bagheria and the stock of luminaires of the city are analysed. A multidisciplinary approach has been adopted in order to: analyse the existing lighting infrastructure highlighting critical areas; design a new displacement and select typologies of luminaries able to provide proper light quality and distribution; propose an aesthetic solution and technical design for relevant historical building; and to include in the design process the concept of a new multifunctional pole. Together with an analysis of social benefits, an assessment of economic costs and benefits are discussed.FindingsThe project allows good energy savings, meets the standard requirements and gives a relevant and strategic improvement in social and environmental management of the city.Originality/valueThe work provides an example of integrated design of street lighting infrastructures for urban renovation in old cities in degraded environments.

Motives to Report Stalking Cases to the Police: A Comparison Between a Large City and a Small Town in Italy

ABSTRACTThis study aimed to analyze the cases reported to police by women who were victims of stalking. The use of police offense records is well known in investigations of victims of this phenomenon as well as other violent crimes (e.g., domestic violence). The objective was to compare the 3 motives (own safety, other safety, change habits) indicated by victims in reporting the cases to police as recorded in case files. For each motive, a comparison was made of the characteristics of victims and stalkers, the nature of the relationship between the victims and stalkers, and the characteristics of the stalking campaign, the stalker’s behaviors, the consequences to the victims, and coping strategies. This information was reported by victims to police in a large city and small town in Italy. The comparison showed that victims in large cities were less prone to report stalking cases to the police than victims in small towns. Differences addressed the duration of the stalking campaign, the behaviors involved, the consequences, and the coping strategies adopted. Police forces could benefit from the results of this research in defining both training courses for police officers and prevention courses for the general population.

Intra‐stakeholder alliances in plant‐closing decisions: A stakeholder theory approach

AbstractThis article discusses plant‐closing decisions by multinational enterprises (MNEs) applying a stakeholder theory approach. In particular, we focus on the emergence of “intra‐stakeholder alliances,” that is, alliances among the various stakeholder groups of a specific corporation. We analyze the emergence of stakeholder alliances in reaction to MNEs' decisions to terminate production locally and discuss their influence on the outcomes of such decisions. Our research is inspired by two exceptional case studies of two multinational breweries that announced their decisions to close niche breweries in small towns in Italy and Belgium. In both cases, the initial decision was ultimately reversed through the actions of intra‐stakeholder alliances. We combine insights from stakeholder theory and the social movement literature to analyze the action and influence of intra‐stakeholder alliances in seven cases of plant‐closing decisions. We conclude by formulating four general propositions that can provide guidance to MNE management in plant‐closing decisions. Our findings extend managerial stakeholder theory, show how this approach can improve strategic management analysis, emphasize the importance of the relationships among (local) stakeholders in the (global) value‐creation process, and shed light on the collective action and influence of intra‐stakeholder alliances.