Italy Research Articles

Prezydenci Republiki Włoskiej w latach 1992–2022. Dynamika zmian

The purpose of this article was to present the functioning of the office of the president in the Italian Republic in terms of personnel in the years 1992-2022, explaining the dynamics of changes in this period. In order to do this, the author formulated the main hypothesis assuming that the dynamics of changes in the office of the president was stimulated by the personal characteristics of people in this office, and not by significant systemic changes within the political system. In order to verify, research questions were established relating to the political past of the presidents, their personal characteristics and the evolution of the office over the years. In order to answer these questions and verify the hypothesis, research methods adequate to the analysis of the past and systemic inference were used, these were the following methods: historical and comparative. Thanks to this, it was presented that this dynamics of changes was shaped by the personal decisions of successive presidents. In the absence of any significant political changes, the image of the head of state was stimulated by the personal characteristics of the people in this office.

Evolution of the Ovarian Cancer Treatment Paradigm, Including Maintenance Treatment, in the US and Europe: A Real-World Chart Review Analysis (2017-2020) (028)

Objectives: The ovarian cancer (OC) treatment (tx) landscape has evolved with recent approvals from the FDA and EMA for several novel tx regimens, including first-line maintenance (1Lm) therapies. The antiangiogenic agent (VEGF inhibitor [VEGFi]) bevacizumab (bev) was the first 1Lm tx to be approved for advanced OC (Dec 2011 EMA; June 2018 FDA), followed by the PARPi olaparib (Dec 2018 FDA; June 2019 EMA), PARPi niraparib (Apr 2020 FDA; Oct 2020 EMA), and olaparib + bev (May 2020 FDA; Nov 2020 EMA). There is currently a lack of real-world data evaluating the impact of these approvals on the OC tx paradigm. This analysis describes patient (pt) characteristics, biomarker testing rates, and tx patterns for pts diagnosed with advanced OC in Europe and the US, with a focus on 1Lm. Methods: A retrospective chart review study of electronic medical records (EMRs) in Italy (IT), France (FR), Germany (DE), Spain, the UK, and the US was conducted for pts diagnosed with OC between Jun 1, 2017, and May 31, 2020. The study was conducted in line with Healthcare Market Research guidelines. Data were extracted by oncologists from EMRs to pt record forms (PRFs) and descriptively summarized. Pts with advanced (stage III/IV) disease were stratified by country and diagnosis date to provide information on tx patterns at different tx lines (Cohort 1: Jun 1, 2017-May 31, 2018; Cohort 2: Jun 1, 2018-May 31, 2019; and Cohort 3: Jun 1, 2019-May 31, 2020). Results: Overall, 416 oncologists completed PRFs for 7072 pts; 5386 pts had stage III/IV disease (Table). In total, 79.3%, 83.3%, and 84.7% of pts were tested for BRCA mutations or homologous recombination deficiency in Cohorts 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Of pts who received primary tx, 53.0%, 60.5%, and 65.8% received 1Lm in Cohorts 1, 2, and 3, respectively; the remainder received active surveillance. Use of 1Lm was highest in FR (71.5%; 710/993) and lowest in the UK (47.8%; 339/709). The number of pts receiving 1Lm increased (Cohort 1 vs 3) in all countries except DE. In Cohorts 1, 2, and 3, 81.6%, 73.2%, and 57.1% of pts received VEGFi monotherapy (mono), respectively; 11.9%, 20.9%, and 35.0% received PARPi mono; 2.3%, 3.5%, and 4.5% received PARPi + VEGFi tx; and 4.2%, 2.4%, and 3.4% received chemotherapy or other agents. For all cohorts combined, use of 1Lm PARPi mono was numerically highest in the US (40.0%; 174/435) and lowest in FR (12.0%; 85/710); VEGFi mono use was highest in FR (84.8%; 602/710) and lowest in the US (42.8%; 186/435). Funding: GlaxoSmithKline study (OneCDP#214555). Objectives: The ovarian cancer (OC) treatment (tx) landscape has evolved with recent approvals from the FDA and EMA for several novel tx regimens, including first-line maintenance (1Lm) therapies. The antiangiogenic agent (VEGF inhibitor [VEGFi]) bevacizumab (bev) was the first 1Lm tx to be approved for advanced OC (Dec 2011 EMA; June 2018 FDA), followed by the PARPi olaparib (Dec 2018 FDA; June 2019 EMA), PARPi niraparib (Apr 2020 FDA; Oct 2020 EMA), and olaparib + bev (May 2020 FDA; Nov 2020 EMA). There is currently a lack of real-world data evaluating the impact of these approvals on the OC tx paradigm. This analysis describes patient (pt) characteristics, biomarker testing rates, and tx patterns for pts diagnosed with advanced OC in Europe and the US, with a focus on 1Lm. Methods: A retrospective chart review study of electronic medical records (EMRs) in Italy (IT), France (FR), Germany (DE), Spain, the UK, and the US was conducted for pts diagnosed with OC between Jun 1, 2017, and May 31, 2020. The study was conducted in line with Healthcare Market Research guidelines. Data were extracted by oncologists from EMRs to pt record forms (PRFs) and descriptively summarized. Pts with advanced (stage III/IV) disease were stratified by country and diagnosis date to provide information on tx patterns at different tx lines (Cohort 1: Jun 1, 2017-May 31, 2018; Cohort 2: Jun 1, 2018-May 31, 2019; and Cohort 3: Jun 1, 2019-May 31, 2020). Results: Overall, 416 oncologists completed PRFs for 7072 pts; 5386 pts had stage III/IV disease (Table). In total, 79.3%, 83.3%, and 84.7% of pts were tested for BRCA mutations or homologous recombination deficiency in Cohorts 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Of pts who received primary tx, 53.0%, 60.5%, and 65.8% received 1Lm in Cohorts 1, 2, and 3, respectively; the remainder received active surveillance. Use of 1Lm was highest in FR (71.5%; 710/993) and lowest in the UK (47.8%; 339/709). The number of pts receiving 1Lm increased (Cohort 1 vs 3) in all countries except DE. In Cohorts 1, 2, and 3, 81.6%, 73.2%, and 57.1% of pts received VEGFi monotherapy (mono), respectively; 11.9%, 20.9%, and 35.0% received PARPi mono; 2.3%, 3.5%, and 4.5% received PARPi + VEGFi tx; and 4.2%, 2.4%, and 3.4% received chemotherapy or other agents. For all cohorts combined, use of 1Lm PARPi mono was numerically highest in the US (40.0%; 174/435) and lowest in FR (12.0%; 85/710); VEGFi mono use was highest in FR (84.8%; 602/710) and lowest in the US (42.8%; 186/435). Funding: GlaxoSmithKline study (OneCDP#214555).

Italy: Immigration and the evolution of populism

We study the effect of immigration on the upsurge of right-wing populism in Italy. Our data considers electoral results at the municipality level of the Senate of the Italian Republic and the Chamber of Deputies over the period 2006–2018. Using an IV strategy based on the shift–share instrument, we find that immigration generates a sizable causal increase in votes for the right-wing populist party Lega. Immigration also works as a major catalyst for the electoral distance between Lega and its most direct competitors. We explore how different levels of tax autonomy impact the results, as well as how the re-branding of Lega as a national movement affects the relation between immigration and support for the party.

Abstract 6276: Real-world prevalence of MSI/MMR testing for patients with recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer in Europe

Abstract Introduction: Microsatellite instability (MSI) due to defective DNA mismatch repair (MMR) has emerged as an actionable biomarker in endometrial cancer (EC) with the recent availability of MSI-directed therapies. Currently, there is no data on utilization of MSI/MMR testing for EC in Europe. This study aims to assess the real-world prevalence of MSI/MMR testing and related tumor status in women with recurrent or advanced EC (aEC) in Europe. Methodology: Endometrial Cancer Health Outcomes-Europe (ECHO-EU) is a multicenter retrospective chart review study in United Kingdom (UK), Germany (GE), Italy (IT) and Spain (SP). Physicians extracted de-identified data from medical records of women (≥18 years) diagnosed with aEC, who progressed after prior systemic therapy between July 2016 and July 2019. Patients’ demographics, clinical characteristics, and MSI/MMR testing data were collected. Women were categorized by MSI/MMR status. Results: Interim data from 81 physicians included 349 eligible women (UK=83, GE=64, IT=102, SP=100). More than 85% of physicians were medical oncologists and 91% had a hospital-based practice. At aEC diagnosis, eligible women were on average 68 years, 91% were Stage III/IV, and 56% had endometrioid carcinoma. Overall, 36% of patients were tested by either polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for MSI or immunohistochemistry (IHC) for MMR (UK=33%, GE=31%, IT=25%, SP=55%). Of those with ≥1 test, 54% were tested prior to systemic therapy initiation, with large inter-country differences (16-70%), 20% were MSI-high/deficient MMR (dMMR), 73% were non-MSI-high/proficient MMR (pMMR), and 7% had a mixed result. (Table) Conclusion: Overall MSI/MMR testing rates in Europe are low. Approximately 1 in 5 tested patients had MSI-high/dMMR tumors and three quarters had non-MSI-high/pMMR tumors. Knowledge regarding MSI/MMR testing and related tumor status may be helpful for optimal utilization of targeted therapies for aEC patients in Europe. Table - Patient characteristics and MSI/MMR testing/prevalence in women with aEC in Europe Variable All (N = 349) UK (N = 83) Germany (N = 64) Italy (N = 102) Spain (N = 100) Age at diagnosis of advanced or recurrent EC (years), Mean (SD) 67.5 (9.2) 69.0 (8.4) 68.5 (8.3) 66.1 (9.3) 67.1 (10.1) Stage III-IV at initial diagnosis, N (%) 318 (91.1) 78 (94) 58 (90.6) 96 (94.1) 86 (86) ECOG at recurrent or advanced diagnosis, N (%) 0-1 287 (82.2) 79 (95.2) 34 (53.1) 88 (86.3) 86 (86) Any MSI/MMR testing (IHC or PCR), N (%) Not tested 222 (63.6) 56 (67.5) 44 (68.8) 77 (75.5) 45 (45) Tested 127 (36.4) 27 (32.5) 20 (31.3) 25 (24.5) 55 (55) MSI/MMR status, N (%) MSI-High/dMMR 25 (19.7) 7 (25.9) 3 (15) 3 (12) 12 (21.8) Non-MSI-High/pMMR 93 (73.2) 20 (74.1) 14 (70) 19 (76) 40 (72.7) Mixed 9 (7.1) 0 (0) 3 (15) 3 (12) 3 (5.5) MSI/MMR testing administration, N (%) Before treatment initiation 68 (53.5) 19 (70.4) 10 (50) 4 (16) 35 (63.6) Citation Format: Jingchuan Zhang, Sneha S. Kelkar, Vimalanand S. Prabhu, Shelby Corman, Lucy Qiao, Véronique Grall, Nicola Miles. Real-world prevalence of MSI/MMR testing for patients with recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer in Europe [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 6276.

An Intelligent system for the categorization of question time official documents of the Italian Chamber of Deputies

ABSTRACT In this work, we present an intelligent system for the automatic categorization of political documents, specifically the documents containing the parliamentary questions collected during the weekly Question Times at the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Republic. The proposed intelligent system leverages text classification models to perform the document categorization. The system is aimed at supporting and facilitating the research activities of political science scholars, who deal with comparative and longitudinal analysis of thousands of documents. To select the best classification models for our specific task, several classical machine learning and deep learning-based text classification models have been experimentally compared.

Treatment patterns and outcomes among patients with recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer in Europe: Endometrial Cancer Health Outcomes Europe (ECHO EU) Study.

e17627 Background: Until recently, recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer (aEC) patients in Europe had limited treatment options, with no consensus on standard of care in such settings. Approval of novel targeted therapies in 2021 are changing the treatment landscape. However, there is little real-world evidence among aEC patients in Europe. The objective of our study was to evaluate real-world treatment patterns and clinical outcomes in aEC patients who progressed following prior systemic therapy (FPST) in clinical practice in Europe. Methods: The ECHO-EU is a multicenter, retrospective chart review study in United Kingdom (UK), Germany (GE), Italy (IT) and Spain (SP). Adult women diagnosed with aEC who received at least one prior systemic therapy and progressed between July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2019, were included. De-identified patient data extracted by treating oncologists from patients’ medical records included patient demographics, clinical and treatment characteristics, and clinical outcomes. Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed to estimate real-world overall survival (OS). Results: A total of 379 (UK=101, GE=88, IT=100, SP=90) eligible aEC patients were included in the analysis. At aEC diagnosis, patients’ median age was 69 years, 97% were White/Caucasian and most prevalent histology was endometrioid carcinoma (58%). Molecular characterization of tumors including microsatellite instability/mismatch repair (MSI/MMR) status was performed in only 37% of patients. Metastases were observed in 56% of the patients at diagnosis. Median duration of follow up from aEC diagnosis was 24 months. The majority (95%) of patients initiated 1st line with chemotherapy (most commonly with platinum chemotherapy and paclitaxel). As 2nd line therapy, 81% received mono or combination chemotherapy, and 19% received hormonal therapy. Doxorubicin was the most frequently used agent (45%) in 2nd line, and 16% of patients were re-treated with platinum therapy. At last follow-up, the majority (90%) of patients discontinued 2nd line treatment, mostly due to disease progression (54%). Median duration of 2nd line therapy was 5 months (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 4-5). Median OS from initiation of 2nd line therapy was 11 months (95% CI: 10-13). Estimated probability of OS from initiation of 2nd line therapy at 6, 12, and 24 months were 70%, 45%, and 30%, respectively. Conclusions: Our study finds thatin Europe prior to mid-2019, available treatment options were sub-optimal for aEC patients FPST, leading to poor prognosis. The utilization of MSI/MMR testing for molecular characterization of tumors was low and needs to increase. There was a significant unmet need for novel therapies that improve clinical outcomes in this patient population. Future studies evaluating treatment patterns and clinical outcomes with more recently approved treatments are warranted.

Profiles of Potential Unconstitutionality of Legislation Restricting Personal Freedom for the Containment of COVID-19 on the Example of the Italian Republic

Abstract The Sars-CoV–2 pandemic is changing the main issues of Italian constitutional law. The phases of the Italian normative management of the crisis focused on important and extraordinary measures and brought to light some structural problems of the Italian constitutional legal system. More generally the ongoing health crisis is revealing the lack of an articulated emergency framework in the Italian Constitution and questioning whether existing legislative tools are suitable to face contemporary threats. This article aims to analyse the main issues raised by the Italian government’s reaction to the coronavirus: the notion of emergency in Italian constitutional law, the legal forms chosen to fight the virus, the choice of the Italian Government to regulate the emergency by decrees of the President of the Council of Ministers, the role of decree law (‘decreto-legge’), from the emergency and the compression and restriction of fundamental rights to the balance of the fundamental freedoms with the protection of right to health.

MO926: Development and Implementation of an Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome System to Support Health-Related Quality of Life Management in a Large, European Dialysis Network

Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIMS Electronic patient-reported outcome measures (ePROMs) may help personalize healthcare for dialysis patients. ePROMs allow patients to self-report their symptoms and disease burden remotely and make the data available to healthcare professionals (HCP) in real-time. Such information can be used for digital phenotyping, symptoms and disease burden monitoring and to enable personalized healthcare through improved outcomes prediction, as well as Screen and Act, N-of-1 trials and treat-to-target approaches. However, routine use of ePROM in clinical practice presents several challenges, including respondent burden and a lack of clear guidance on medical and psycho-educational intervention in response to patients’ complains. We sought to implement a quality improvement programme based on ePROM management in a large network of dialysis patients. METHOD ePROM were collected as part of a screen and act programme launched for the first time in all centres belonging to the Fresenius Medical Care (FMC) Nephrocare network in France (FR), Italy (IT), Spain (SP), UK and Ireland (IR) starting on 20 September 2021. The screening phase ended on 4 December 2021. The action phase is still ongoing. The programme aims at screening all dialysis patients for undetected quality of life and adjustment problems and allow physicians, at their sole discretion, to provide remediation actions potentially including adjustment of treatment plan based on revision of patients’ clinical charts and administration of health education modules. The questionnaire included KDQOL-36, the 5D-Itch questionnaire and an ad hoc module on intradialytic symptoms, and its content was mapped to SONG-HD initiative endpoints. ePROM were collected at the bedside or at patients’ home with a web application available for tablet and smartphones either as self-report or assisted self-report. All ePROM data were recorded in EuCLiD®, the clinical information systems adopted by FMC Nephrocare clinics, as part of patients’ clinical chart. A dashboard displaying patients’ scores was shown to the attending healthcare professional upon survey completion. Statistics about patients’ engagement, scores and action alerts are presented in clinical reports. In the present analysis, we report a retrospective analysis of data abstracted from the EuCliD® database. RESULTS Overall, 152 centres (93%) joined the campaign. Participation statistics across countries are reported in Fig. 1. Among 11 537 active patients treated in the five participating countries, 1553 were ineligible because belonging to non-participating centres, temporarily transferred to other centres outside the network (i.e. vacation, rehabilitation, etc.), hospitalized, or because they were considered unable to respond to the survey (i.e. language barrier, inability to read and write or cognitive impairment). Around 23% (IT) to 30% (FR) were considered eligible with assisted administration only. Attrition rate ranged from 3% (IT) to 15% (FR). Item missingness was <2% for all items throughout the survey except for the item on sexual activity (>10% in all countries). KDQOL-36 scores are reported in Fig. 2; 22.5% reported moderate to very severe pruritus mostly distributed on the head/scalp, chest, abdomen, back, lower legs and thighs, forearm and upper arm (all >30% prevalence). Between 10% (IT) and 20% (UK) reported any complications during their last dialysis session, and between 6% (SP) and 12% (IR) suspended or interrupted treatment because of their symptoms. Prevalence of recovery time >3 h ranged from 34.8% (FR) to 46.4% (IR). CONCLUSION The ePROM quality improvement campaign attained wide participation and low attrition. We found no evidence of respondent burden given the low missingness rate throughout the survey items. The screening phase allowed to collect and organize a wealth of patient-reported outcomes amenable of medical or psycho-educational interventions.

Od okupatora do saveznika. Prelazak divizija „Venecija“ i „Taurinense“ na stranu JVuO i NOVJ posle kapitulacije Italije

The paper discusses the fate of two Italian divisions that decided to join the Yugoslav resistance movements after Italy’s withdrawal from the war. Emphasis was placed on their military capacity, political and ideological challenges of the new alliances, the one with the Chetniks and the one with the Partisans, and general guidelines that will mark the cooperation of former opponents to the end. The article is written on archival material kept in the Archives of the Military Department of the General Staff of the Italian Republic in Rome, Military Archives, Archives of Serbia and Yugoslavia, all in Belgrade, as well as domestic and foreign scholarly literature

First-line treatment of stage IIB to stage IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma in Italy, Israel, and Spain: Patient characteristics, treatment patterns, and clinical outcomes.

Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is curable in 90% of cases, but advanced stage patients who do not respond well to first‐line (1L) therapy have poorer outcomes. This retrospective study examines patient characteristics, treatment patterns, clinical outcomes, and safety management of 1L cHL therapies in common clinical practice in Italy (IT), Israel (IL), and Spain (SP). The overall sample (n = 256) included patients with stage IIb to IV cHL, of which 86.3% received ABVD as 1L therapy (n = 221). Clinical outcomes were similar for the overall population and ABVD subsample: complete response (CR) in 75% and 76.5%; 30‐month (30‐mo) survival (OS) of 92.5% and 93.6%; and 30‐mo progression‐free survival (PFS) of 70.7% and 72.6%. Thirty‐month PFS was significantly lower for patients ≥ 60 years and/or with high (4–7) IPS. Treatment‐induced pulmonary and cardiac toxicities, and febrile neutropenia occurred, respectively, in 10%, 2.3%, and 6.8% of ABVD‐treated patients. Interim PET or PET‐CT scans were performed after two cycles of 1L therapy (PET2) for 70.3% and 66.6% of the overall and ABVD cohorts, respectively. PET2 positive rates were nearly 30% (49/173), yet PET‐adapted strategy of dose modification only occurred in a small fraction of patients.

Institutional Communication and the Covid-19 Pandemic: Italian Government Media Campaigns

The SARS-CoV-2 virus struck the entire world unexpectedly, and Italy was one of the countries that suffered the most losses. Considering the importance and influence of the media in crisis and risk situations, the main aim of this paper is to examine official institutional public announcements issued by the Republic of Italy from February 2020 to July 2021. Following previous research recommendations that advocate the informational and persuasive nature of institutional communication during times of crisis and risk, these audio-visual messages are examined from two complementary perspectives: as institutional communication and as commercials. A distinct theoretical and analytical approach is developed by combining tools from various topic areas, in this case, public relations and semiotics. As a result, the messages are first examined through the lens of Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication as an Integrative Model. Throughout the various stages of crisis communication, various pragmatic, rhetorical, and semiotic tools are identified and analyzed. It is possible to conclude that institutional communication in the studied period goes through nearly the entire cycle of the integrative model. The evaluation stage's full potential is still untapped, but there are some sporadic evaluative attempts within previous stages. Simultaneously, by analyzing pandemic narratives, values, and semiotic resources at various stages of the pandemic, it becomes clear that these video clips are positioned differently within Flock's square, with linguistic-stylistic and semiotic features of varying complexity and creativity. As the pandemic progresses, the advertisements become more substantial, and then mythical, glorifying the Italian nation and cultural heritage, from the initial referential advertisements. The artistic expression of Tornatore's advertisement "Room of Embraces" serves as the oblique advertisement. In the final stages of the pandemic institutional communication, the government is turning to real-life images once more, but this time in a completely different mood. Instead of fabricated real-life images with a spokesperson at the center of the message, there are now authentic images of young people, beaches, music, and happy TV faces as immediate, intimate, and optimistic messages about the future.

Contributors

REBECCA ANDERSEN teaches US History and Public History at Utah State University. She received a PhD in history from Arizona State University. Her work centers on twentieth-century Mormon environmental and urban history and has been published in the Utah Historical Quarterly. Andersen's recent book chapter, “‘For the Strength of the Hills’: Casting a Concrete Zion” appeared in The Earth Will Appear as the Garden of Eden: Essays in Mormon Environmental History (2019).SARA DANT is Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor and Chair of History at Weber State University. Her work focuses on environmental politics in the United States, with a particular emphasis on the creation and development of consensus and bipartisanism. She is the author of Losing Eden: An Environmental History of the American West, an advisor and interviewee for Ken Burns's forthcoming documentary film The American Buffalo, the author of several prize-winning articles on western environmental politics, the co-author of the two-volume Encyclopedia of American National Parks, and the author of chapters for three books on Utah.WILLIAM T. PARRY is Professor Emeritus of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Utah. He taught geological subjects at Texas Tech University and the University of Utah and has worked for oil and mining companies. Parry's latest book is Utah's Nineteenth-Century Stone Quarries (2020). His wife Gayle is the great-granddaughter of William S. Godbe and the granddaughter of Anthony H. Godbe.LAURIE J. BRYANT spent her childhood in what were then the wilds of southern California—hills and deserts, bays and beaches—and she chose a career that allowed her to work in those places, paleontology. After earning a Bachelor's degree in geology at Occidental College, she went to the South Dakota School of Mines to study with the famous R. W. Wilson, and then to the University of California, Berkeley. Bryant's two sons grew up as she did, in the outdoors. After a series of consulting jobs, she became one of the first Regional Paleontologists for the Bureau of Land Management, first in Wyoming and then in Utah. Thanks to the influence of Thomas Carter and W. Randall Dixon, Utah's history and architecture captured Bryant's interest after she retired and have held it ever since.MICHAEL W. HOMER is a Salt Lake City trial lawyer who has written books and articles concerning Utah and Mormon history. He is the past chair of the Utah Board of State History, a fellow of the Utah State Historical Society, chair of the J. Willard Marriott Library Advisory Board, a member of the Baker Street Irregulars and the Sherlock Holmes Society of London, and a past president of the Alta Club. He serves as the Honorary Italian Consul in Utah and was recently recognized by the President of the Italian Republic as a Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Stella D'Italia (Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy).

Comparing the emergence of Echinochloa crus‐galli populations in different locations. Part II: similarities and threshold parameters

AbstractThe variability in the emergence process of different populations was confirmed for two Echinochloa crus‐galli populations, one from Italy (IT) and the second from Norway (NO). Seeds were sown in 12 localities over Europe and the Middle East, and the emergence patterns of IT and NO were compared with those of several local populations at each location. Seeds of each population were sown in pots buried to the ground level. The base temperature (Tb) for emergence was estimated by (1) analysing logistic models applied to the field emergence of IT and NO, and (2) a germination assay set in winter 2020 at constant temperatures (8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 26, 29°C) with newly collected seeds in 2019 from the same fields where IT and NO had previously been harvested in 2015. The logistic models developed for IT and NO in each location showed that the emergence pattern of IT was similar to that of the local populations in Poland, Italy, Spain, Turkey South and Iran, while NO fitted better to those in Sweden and Latvia. No germination was obtained for IT in a germination chamber, but the estimated Tb with the logistic model was 11.2°C. For NO, the estimated Tb was 8.8°C in the germination chamber and 8.1°C in the field. Results suggest that adaptation to local environmental conditions has led to inter‐population differences in Tb and parameter estimates of thermal‐time models to predict the emergence of E. crus‐galli should only be used for populations with similar climatic and habitat conditions.

Challenges and opportunities in establishing an Health Examination Survey


 In Italy, the last 30 years witnessed the implementation of cross-sectional surveys providing baseline data on numerous risk factors collected from random samples of the adult general population.
 In order to support those groups who would like to implement an health examination survey (HES), according to the experience of  the CUORE Project surveys, the objective of this paper is to describe some information related to the organization of a survey (examination sites and sampling, selection of analytic laboratory, coordination and personnel involved, sample selection, recruitment and appointment scheduling, informative notice and informed consent, participation rate, non-participation bias, quality assurance, survey data, long term storage of the samples, internal quality control, external quality assessment, feedback to participants, error checking, correction and documentation of the data, transfer and storage of the data, statistical analyses and interpretation of results, dissemination of results), usually shortly described  in scientific papers but relevant when an HES is planned.

Elections, governments, heads, and legislatures in Italy 1730-2021

Scholars frequently give attention to the case of Italy for the purposes of comparative research. Whether they are concerned with assemblies, cabinets, leaders, or most aspects of governance, Italy often features in studies involving parliamentary systems. To aid students interested in examining the Italian case, I introduce a comprehensive dataset that tracks elections, governments, heads, and legislatures in Italy from 1720 to 2021. The dataset covers the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720-1861), the Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946), and the Italian Republic (1946-2021). Primarily, the dataset fills the lacuna vis-à-vis the availability of pre-WWII data. In this research note, I display the features of the dataset as well as presenting one example related to premature dissolutions of the Italian Parliament.

Design and validation of a self-administered questionnaire to assess knowledge, attitudes and behaviours about Zika virus infection among general population in Italy

 
 
 
 Background Zika (ZIKV), a flavivirus firstly identified in rhesus monkeys in Zika Forest of Uganda, in 1947, is an emerging virus  transmitted mainly by mosquitoes bites. Due to ZIKV adaptation to humans, that can maintain a mosquito-human-mosquito transmission cycle, it is essential to know the attitudes, knowledge and behaviours of general population regarding ZIKV prevention. Our main study aims were to develop and validate a questionnaire administered to the general population, in order to assess attitudes, knowledge and behaviours around prevention and control of Zika infection. Methods A questionnaire was developed based on a comprehensive review of the extant literature, pre-existing questionnaires and experts focus groups. Results The final, validation version of the questionnaire comprised 8 items, with good psychometric properties (Cronbach’s alpha of 0.81). Overall test/re-test concordance was 0.86, ranging from 0.76 to 0.94 according to each item. Conclusion In conclusion, the questionnaire seems to be an appropriate and useful tool to detect cognitive gaps concerning behaviours responsible for possible transmissions of the disease, even in a non-endemic country such as Italy. Future analysis will explore the factorial structure of the questionnaire as well as knowledge, beliefs and attitudes concerning ZIKV among Italian general population.
 

The comparative analysis of regulations in the Italian Republic and the Russian Federation against cryptolaundering techniques

PurposeIn the age of DarkNetMarkets proliferation, combatting money laundering has become even more complicated. Constantly evolving technologies add a new layer of difficulty to already intricated schemes of hiding the cryptocurrency’s origin. Considering the latest development of cryptocurrency- and blockchain-related use cases, this study aims to scrutinize Italian and Russian antimoney laundering regulations to understand their preparedness for a new era of laundering possibilities.Design/methodology/approachOne of the most recommended ways to buy and sell cryptocurrencies for illegal drug trade on DarkNet was discovered using machine learning, i.e. natural language processing and topic modeling. This study compares how current Italian and Russian laws address this technique.FindingsDespite differences in cryptocurrency regulation, both the Italian Republic and the Russian Federation fall behind on preventing cryptolaundering.Originality/valueThe main contributions of this paper: consideration of noncustodial wallet projects and nonfungible token platforms through the lens of money laundering opportunities, comparison of Italian and Russian antimoney laundering regulations related to cryptocurrency, empirical analysis of the preferred method of trading/exchanging cryptocurrency for DarkNet illegal trade using machine learning techniques and the assessment of how Italian and Russian regulations address these money laundering methods.

International experience of legal regulation of inclusive education

The article is devoted to the study of international experience of legal regulation of inclusive education. The Basic Laws of the democracies of the world declare that all people are equal in their rights. No one shall be discriminated against on the basis of a person's physical or mental condition. The right to education is one of the most important, because it depends on the level at which it is provided, the human potential of the state, without which its development is impossible.Civilized countries have long realized that a society is not complete if a certain part of it is isolated and does not take an active part in it. Therefore, they have created an education system that includes people with special educational needs in the general education system. This form of education is called inclusive education.
 The main idea of inclusive education is to reaffirm the value of human diversity, which eliminates discrimination and reflects one of the hallmarks of a democratic society, particularly in the field of education. Inclusive education is not introduced to make students equal. In a broad sense, it is designed to provide equal opportunities for all children and provide the same skills and abilities for continued existence in society.
 The international standards of inclusive education implemented by UNESCO and the UN, which are the main initiators of the adoption of new provisions on ensuring the rights of children with SEN at the level of educational opportunities, are analyzed. International law recognizes children with SEN as full participants in the educational process, while defining a new approach to the organization of education. It is based on the principles of accessibility, free of charge, obligation, non-discrimination and equality.
 The article considers the experience of legal support of the right to education for children with SEN and the functioning of inclusive education in foreign countries such as the Italian Republic, the Republic of Austria, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Republic of Finland, the Kingdom of Norway.

Criminal offences that infringe on individual freedom versus restrictions imposed during the pandemic to guarantee access to education

In the study we propose as follows, we will look at differences in perception between the pandemic constraints imposed by the governmenst of countries affected by the pandemic in view of managing the pandemic and society’s perception that governments have deprived citizens of their freedom by restricting their mobility and imposing restrictions with regard to travel, including in order to attend educational activities. In some cases, the communities affected by the restrictive measures have gone further, accusing governments of the crime of “Illegal Deprivation of Freedom”, which is included by the legislator in the criminal codes of countries. We consider that the accusations brought against the authorities are unfounded, exaggerated, and thoroughly wrong. We believe that they are due to communication gaps in the public domain, the differences in perception of community members in the context of changing paradigms and the insufficient legal education, which leads to confusion between illegal deprivation of freedom and limitations or restrictions. Although, in the legislation, the articles that provide for the criminal offences relevant to the matter are included in the criminal (penal) codes, for example, in the Romanian legislation in Article 205 of the Criminal Code, with the marginal name “Offences against Individual Freedom” of Title I, which bears the marginal name “Offences against the Person”, and falls within the area of ​​interest of legal sciences, we will analyze the effects in relation to the limitations and restrictions imposed by the authorities for the management of the pandemic. To this end, on the one hand we will highlight the aspects of material criminal law necessary for the legal classification of a deed as offence of illegal deprivation of freedom, in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Codes of Romania, Hungary, Republic of Italy, Greece, and on the other hand, we will present some aspects regarding the management of the coronavirus crisis in the area of ​​education.

ARTE, POLITICA, CULTURA NEI GIARDINI DI VILLA MELZI D’ERIL A BELLAGIO. IL MONUMENTO A DANTE E BEATRICE DI GIOVANNI BATTISTA COMOLLI, 1810

On the occasion of the double anniversary - the seven hundred years since the death of Dante Alighieri and the two hundred years since the death of Napoleon Bonaparte - the essay deals with the monument of Dante and Beatrice sculpted by the neoclassical artist Giovanni Battista Comolli in 1810. His client was Francesco Melzi d’Eril, former Vice President of the Italian Republic (1802-1804), then Grand Chancellor Keeper of Seals of the Kingdom of Italy (1805-1814). Located in the gardens of the Villa Melzi d’Eril in Bellagio on Lake Como, the monument features the meeting of Dante and Beatrice in Canto XVIII of Paradiso, when the woman soothes the poet for the prophecy of exile announced by his ancestor Cacciaguida. The paper highlights how this subject implies on the part of the client the desire to celebrate the poet and his work as expressions of Italian values, at a time when Napoleon’s authoritarian turn had disappointed his aspirations for the country’s greater independence. The sculpture also marks some artistic novelties and, as a whole, can be considered an early example of a monument specifically designed around Dante and his Commedia, anticipating the artistic success of the poet in the following decades of the Nineteenth century.