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This paper empirically analyzes the boundaries of a large sample of Italian multinational enterprises, with firm-level data from Capitalia, AIDA and Centrale dei Bilanci. Within the broad array of feasible contracts in a foreign country, we focus on the trade-off between international outsourcing and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), in a context of contractual incompleteness. Probit estimates reveal that Italian enterprises operating in highly relation-specific environments are more prone to international outsourcing than FDI, consistently with recent theoretical contributions on the topic. Results are robust to different specifications and alternative measures of contractual incompleteness and international outsourcing.

A common aim of epidemiological research is to estimate the causal effect of a particular exposure on a particular outcome. Towards this end, observed associations are often 'adjusted' for potential confounding variables. When the potential confounders are unmeasured, explicit adjustment becomes unfeasible. It has been demonstrated that causal effects can be estimated even in the presence of umeasured confounding, utilizing a method called 'front-door blocking'. In this paper we generalize this method to longitudinal studies. We demonstrate that the method of front-door blocking poses a number of challenging statistical problems, analogous to the famous problems associated with the method of 'back-door blocking'.

Background: The hospital is considered as one of the founding elements of modern medicine. Such an institution, originally born to be a center for housing the sick and the poor, has provided with a place to improve the medical knowledge and to educate new generations of nurses and physicians. This paper wants to remind the meaning and the development of the hospital institution in the western world. Methods: The first part of this work analyzed the evolution of hospital, using a classical historiographical approach. In the second part, the history of the "Ospedale Maggiore" in Milan was used as a paradigm to describe the evolution of hospital from the Renaissance to nowadays through a "microhistorical approach". Results: The origins of the public hospital are evidenced in early Christian age, when the Christian message led people to assist the sick and the poor and to establish centers for such interventions, initially in the house of the bishop, then in monasteries and, finally, in autonomous buildings (the hospitals). These institutions were economically supported by the donations of wealthy philanthropists. Since the nineteenth century the hospitals have changed their organization and functions, but have continued to associate the charity and the care. Conclusion: Christian charity and the lay culture originated from it may be rightly credited not only as the founding element of ancient hospitals, but also as the virtue which has made possible for the development of medicine, as we know it. © 2012 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Il contributo si inserisce nel filone di ricerca sulla governance e si pone l'obiettivo di analizzare, in una prospettiva economico-aziendale, le caratteristiche dei sistemi di coordinamento della finanza pubblica emergenti dall’introduzione del Patto di Stabilità Territoriale. Il paper analizza le esperienze regionali con l’obiettivo di verificare in quale misura i sistemi adottati abbiano consentito: i) di coordinare i fabbisogni di equilibrio finanziario del sistema pubblico regionale con i fabbisogni delle singole amministrazioni locali; ii) di sviluppare logiche di responsabilizzazione; iii) di attenuare i vincoli di bilancio e finanziari determinati dal Patto di Stabilità nazionale

Despite the poor evidence supporting the use of coercive procedures in psychiatry wards and their “psychological damage” on patients, the practice of restraint is still frequent (6-17%) and varies 10-20 times among centers. Methods. We searched the PubMed, Embase and PsychInfo databases for papers published between January 1 1990 and March 31 2010 using the key words “restraint”, “constraint”, “in-patient” and “psychiatry wards” and the inclusion criteria of adult samples (studies of selected samples such as a specific psychiatric diagnosis other than psychosis, adolescence or the elderly, men/women only, personality disorders and mental retardation were excluded), the English, French, Italian or German languages, and an acute setting. Results. The prevalence of the use of restraint was 3.8-20% (not different from previous data), despite the attempts to reduce the use of restraint. The variables most frequently associated with the use of coercive measures in the 49 studies included in this review were male gender, young adult age classes, foreign ethnicity, schizophrenia, involuntary admission, aggression or trying to abscond, and the presence of male staff. Conclusions. Coercive measures are still widely used in many countries (albeit to a greater or lesser extent) despite attempts to introduce alternatives (introduction of special protocols and nurses’ training courses) in some centers that should really be tested in large-scale multicentre studies in order to verify their efficacy

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a childhood-onset neuropsychiatric condition characterised by multiple motor and phonic tics. Comorbid behavioural problems are common, especially attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Little is known about the long-term prognosis of TS, despite the need to inform patients about their possible clinical course and advise health care providers on clinical resource allocation strategies. This paper reviews the scientific literature on the prognosis of TS spanning the period 1990-2010. After searching three scientific databases, we identified seven original studies investigating the prognosis of TS. It is suggested that tic frequency and severity decline with age in a large proportion of patients (59-85%). Predictors of increased tic severity in adulthood include higher childhood tic severity, smaller caudate volumes and poorer fine motor control. Furthermore, the presence of untreated comorbid psychopathology, such as ADHD and OCD, can adversely affect the long-term outcome of patients with TS. Future studies on the prognosis of TS should be conducted on larger samples, both in community and clinical settings.

This paper is devoted to give characterizations of suitable matrices associated with fans and polytopes defining a weighted projective space and switching rules between them.

In this paper, I consider Seneca's ideas about the prevention of diseases and particularly prescriptions about diet within a comparative anthropological perspective. Food is a very powerful symbolic mechanism of identity construction. As in many cultures, so too in ancient Rome food preferences were utilized as markers of identity. Certain alimentary practices were criticized by Seneca in order to condemn contemporary society and to propose a reversion to the past, idealized as a time of purity and moral strength. The consumption of luxury foods is associated with moral decadence. From a structuralist point of view, the rejection of some foods can also be linked to purity and danger (cf. Mary Douglas), but an approach based on concepts of analogy or on, as Frazer classifies it, "sympathetic magic", or on poststructuralism (cf. Marshall Sahlins), better explains some of the philosopher's statements.

A Multi-level and Multi-stakeholder Approach for Measuring Corporate Reputation. A Case Study Survey of Italian Local SMEs in the tourism sector. The issue of corporate reputation for a firm’s success is widely accepted as strategic intangible asset capable of generating returns and competitive advantage. In the context of this conceptual framework, the paper examines the process of measuring corporate reputation from a multistakeholder perspective. Starting from the Reputation Quotient of Fombrum, this study intends to devise a multilevel reputation measurement model, improving RQ by considering additional indicators, weighed in accordance with the importance of some groups of stakeholders. For its validation, the new model has been submitted to a sample of local SMEs in the tourism sector, in order to define a more effective process

This paper proposes a high-frequency coincident economic activity indicator, constructed according to the dynamic factor model methodology introduced by Stock and Watson (1998a,b). The principal component analysis is used to summarize the information contained in a large dataset in a limited number of common factors, capable of capturing the main features of local business cycles. The EM (Expectation Maximization) algorithm then allows to obtain an estimate of the year-to-year variation of regional GDP or provincial value added. The exercise is applied to Lombardy and to the provinces of Milan and Pavia

In this paper, we discuss the estimation of the di usion coe cient of an Itô process fromhigh-frequency data using a nonparametric approach by Nadayara-Watson estimator. The principal purpose is to estimate the di usion coe cient using selective estimators of spot volatility proposed by several authors, which are based on the observed trajectories. In general, statistical and econometrical criteria are used for comparing spot volatility estimators used in nonparametric estimators. We want to resort to merely nancial metrics to achieve the same task. More precisely, the accuracy of di erent spot volatility estimates is measured in terms of how accurately they can reproduce market option prices. The model is implemented using S&P 500 data, and successively, we used it to estimate european call option prices written on the S&P 500 index. The estimation results are compared to well-known parametric alternative available in the literature. Empirical results not only provide strong evidence that most traditional pricing model are mispeci ed, but also con rm that the nonparametric model generates signi cantly di erent prices of common derivatives.

In this paper Zenga’s distribution is applied to 114 household incomes distributions from a panel survey conducted by Eurostat. Previous works showed the good behaviour of the model to describe income distributions and analyzed the possibility to impose restrictions on the parametric space so that the fitted models comply with some characteristics of interest of the samples. This work is the first application of the model on a wide number of distributions, showing that it can be used to describe incomes distributions of several countries. Maximum likelihood method on grouped data and methods based on the minimization of three different goodness of fit indexes are used to estimate parameters. The restriction that imposes the equivalence between the sample mean and the expected value of the fitted model is also considered. It results that the restrictionshould be used and the changes in fitting are analyzed in order to suggestwhich estimation method use jointly to the restriction.

Many educational works focus on the analysis of teachers' judgment in order to analyze evaluation variability on students with similar ability levels. The aim of this work is to analyze whether teachers of upper secondary schools of the Lombardy region overestimate or underestimate theirs students, exploiting the OCSE-PISA 2009 data. For this purpose a comparison between a teacher's mark and a standardized test has been made in order to identify both overestimated and underestimated groups of students. In particular, this paper focuses on identifying which characteristics of students and schools have an impact on both overestimation and underestimation. Then a multilevel multinomial logistic model has been performed. Also a measure of student's ability taken from a Rasch analysis is considered. The results showed that the factors connected with cultural and socio-economic status seemed to have a major impact on these phenomena

Many educational works focus on the analysis of teachers' judgment in order to analyze evaluation variability on students with similar ability levels. The aim of this work is to analyze whether teachers of upper secondary schools of the Lombardy region overestimate or underestimate theirs students, exploiting the OCSE-PISA 2009 data. For this purpose a comparison between a teacher's mark and a standardized test has been made in order to identify both overestimated and underestimated groups of students. In particular, this paper focuses on identifying which characteristics of students and schools have an impact on both overestimation and underestimation. Then a multilevel multinomial logistic model has been performed. Also a measure of student's ability taken from a Rasch analysis is considered. The results showed that the factors connected with cultural and socio-economic status seemed to have a major impact on these phenomena

Information Systems (IS) are defined as systems of people, data records and activities that process data and information in an organization, and they include the organization’s manual and automated processes aimed at supporting managers. Broadly speaking, IS should support the development and execution of strategies at various management levels (Turban et al., 2006). At a lower level IS support business operations, while at a higher level they support more complex managerial activities. Two separate but connected computer based environments has been developed to back up those operations: On Line Transaction Processing (OLTP) is devoted to support operational tasks, and On Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) should support higher level tasks. The paper will focus on the second environment, analyzing the definition, the evolution and future perspectives of OLAP systems, which are aimed to support strategic planning and related management activities. Similarly to OLTP systems, OLAP systems are characterized by a relatively long evolution path, that lead to systems aimed to fully support strategic activities and enhance corporate performance. For this reason, the latest OLAP approach refers to “Performance Measurement”, including also “Performance Management”. In the literature many definitions of Performance Measurement and Performance Measurement System can be found. While “Performance Measurement can be defined as the process of quantifying the efficiency and effectiveness of action”, a “Performance Measurement System can be defined as the set of metrics used to quantify both the efficiency and effectiveness of actions” (Neely et al., 1995). Moreover, it should be pointed out that these definitions focus on reference theoretical models rather than on operational models to be effectively used in a company. The implementation of these conceptual models using information technology is known as “Business Performance Management” (BPM): BPM is defined “as a set of integrated

Il paper analizza in chiave critica le relazioni finanziarie tra Stato, Regioni e Enti Locali alla luce del meccanismo del Patto di Stabilità Territoriale. Dopo aver analizzato i sistemi di compensazione verticale ed orizzontale adottati dalle regioni si propongono alcune ipotesi di revisione del Patto di Stabilità nella prospettiva della dottrina economico-aziendale.

Today genetics offers new opportunities to widen the range of freedom and rights for human beings, which have long been escaped from the real opportunities for human intervention. In this paper, I will deal about predictive genetic testing and the position of the so-called subjects “ third parties”, starting from a clinical case presented to the Ethics Committee of a hospital in Florence, in 2004. It will make a critical examination of the rules, ethical and legal, for the case study and, in particular, the implications of the principle of justice in Bioethics

The Eclipse Modeling Framework (EMF) provides useful functionalities supporting the management and persistence of models inside and outside the Eclipse environment. In particular conditions, and when the managed model is large and complex, the framework suffers from performance issues. Using profiling tools, the URI implementation contained in EMF was identified to be one of the major causes of memory usage. The paper discusses the re-design of this utility and measures the resulting optimization.

Il presente lavoro rappresenta un estratto del volume pubblicato in occasione dell'XI Convegno Nazionale della Società Italiana di Storia della Ragioneria dal titolo "Finalismo e ruolo delle aziende nel processo di costruzione dello Stato unitario. Modelli aziendali e sistemi di produzione in Italia dal XIX al XX secolo", che si è svolto a Roma il 2 e il 3 dicembre 2011. In particolare la finalità è fornire alcuni elementi di approfondi-mento in merito alla seconda tematica evidenziata nel Call for Paper del convegno citato, ovvero alla prospettiva di analisi inerente la formazio-ne del corpus teorico dell’Economia Aziendale nell’ambito di un contesto storico-politico di formazione dello Stato unitario. L’obiettivo generale è costituito dall’inquadramento del pensiero di uno studioso italiano, Giuseppe Cerboni, vissuto nel periodo pre e post-unitario (1827-1917), nell’ambito del complesso processo di trasforma-zione politico-culturale che ha caratterizzato l’iter di unificazione del territorio italiano. Nell’ambito di un framework teorico di riferimento la ricerca si colloca all’interno di studi finalizzati a valorizzare l’opera di alcuni Maestri della Ragioneria e dell’Economia Aziendale nel percorso verso il raggiungimento dell’identità unitaria nazionale. Come noto, il conse-guimento di tale traguardo, secondo l’opinione di alcuni non ancora raggiunto, non dipende esclusivamente dalle azioni politiche delle Isti-tuzioni, ma anche dall’esistenza di adeguate strutture amministrative e contabili. L’ottica è quindi quella di interpretare l’accounting non come un fenomeno che si limita a riflettere lo sviluppo economico, sociale, politico e istituzionale, ma che svolge un ruolo attivo in tale ambito.

The aim of this paper is to study the distribution of the absolute quotient of two correlated Normals. This study may have many applications because often the researcher expects that a ratio is positive or the sign of the ratio is unimportant. Keeping into account a form of the distribution of the ratio of two correlated Normals proposed by Oksoy and Aroyan in 1994, we find the distribution of the absolute quotient of two correlated Normals random variables. The form here proposed is simple to compute because it is a function of the studied by Owen in 1956. It is also given the distribution of the Absolute ratio as a function of the distribution of the Arctangent r.v.

A common problem in control chart analyses is dealing with autocorrelated data. This problem is very often faced by fitting a suitable time-dependence model to data and by building the chosen control chart on its residuals based on the assumption that the stochastic process, of which the observed dataset is considered as a finite realization, is gaussian. In this paper the chance of dealing with autocorrelated non- gaussian data in control charts is analyzed. In particular, two cases will be considered: the case of uncorrectly modeled autocorrelated data and the case where time- dependence in data is disregarded.

Il presente contributo si inserisce nel filone di ricerca della governance e si pone l'obiettivo di analizzare, in una prospettiva economico-aziendale, le caratteristiche dei sistemi di programmazione e controllo della finanza pubblica emergenti dall’introduzione del Patto di Stabilità Territoriale. Il paper analizza le esperienze regionali con l’obiettivo di verificare in quale misura i sistemi adottati abbiano consentito i) di coordinare i fabbisogni di equilibrio finanziario del sistema pubblico regionale con i fabbisogni delle singole amministrazioni; ii) di sviluppare logiche di responsabilizzazione degli enti coinvolti; iii) di attenuare i vincoli di bilancio e finanziari determinati dal Patto di Stabilità nazionale.

This paper investigates the effects of the disclosure of the list published by the FSB/BCBS on SIFIs’ market equity value. Using event study methodology applied to a sample of 70 of the world’s largest banks, we assess whether following the release of information regarding the methodology used to identify SIFIs and the new capital requirements (July 19, 2011), and the disclosure of the list of 29 SIFIs (November 4, 2011), stock prices of SIFIs reacted significantly and differently from those of other large banks. Our work contributes to the ongoing debate concerning the regulation of SIFIs.

Niccolò Tartaglia (Brescia 1500-Venice 1557) authored Quesiti et Inventioni diverse, written in Italian and divided into nine books, each including a series of queries about specific military matters like shooting, gunpowder, infantry order, ballistics and mathematics. The work was really successful in Italy with at least four editions (1546, 1554, 1562 and 1606) and prestigious enough to be translated several times into various foreign languages between 1547 and 1846: twice into French and German and once into English. The English version, entitled Three Bookes of Colloquies concerning the arte of shooting, was completed in London in the year of the Armada by a certain Cyprian Lucar, who translated the first three books in order to obtain and divulge information on ballistics, a new science evidently of primary importance for the defence of a country, especially when war was looming so close. Although Lucar chose to translate only three books out of the original nine, the resulting text is endowed with its own style: it is precise, well-structured, with an overall coherence and sense of completeness. Lucar aimed in fact to grasp and clarify Tartaglia’s ideas and principles on such important topics as artillery and ballistics. As both works are structured on a series of 'queries', the dialogic part clearly commands first place and plays the role of a protagonist. The main aim of our paper will be to indepth the way in which modal verbs are deployed by the translator as a tool for conveying intentionality in the strongly persuasive context of a dialogic text with didactic purposes.

The green economy is not only a relevant goal on environmental perspective but represents a challenge on the ground of economic growth and employment. This we paper provides an attempt to estimate the effects on Italian manufacturing of a structural approach to energy-efficiency policies committed towards EU targets over the period 2010-2020. The main findings reveal over the period a potential for economic growth of 0,4% on average and potential for employment of nearly 1,5 mln for the whole economy. The cost benefit analysis shows that the 15 billion incentive cost estimated over the period are largely offset by more than 15 billion of savings on energy bill and by more than 5 billion of avoided CO2 cost. Energy efficiency appear to be a winning strategy for growth and competitiviness.

In order to implement a sound Performance Measurement Model, a relevant issue includes the selection of a proper set of measures. In this sense, a good starting point could be the analysis of an Annual Report containing all the relevant financial data about a company. It is a generally accepted fact that Annual Reports are a good means of describing the situation of a company to all stakeholders although it is difficult to compare Annual Reports from different entities. Once Annual Reports have been created by adopting IAS/IFRS standards, the next step is to code them using the same IT language. If a common computer language is selected, Annual Reports or other documents can easily be compared without recoding and retyping them. The starting point of this process is the definition of an appropriate taxonomy to be used by both those drafting and reading the documents. The process of choosing appropriate accounting standards, selecting the related taxonomy and, finally, compiling documents using XBRL language leads companies to produce sound, meaningful and clear documents that greatly improve the sharing of useful information. Moreover, the adoption of IAS/IFRS standards and XBRL encoded statements provides a set of measures for building sound and widely accepted models. The aim of this paper was to analyze the connection that links financial performance, adoption of IFRS standards and XBRL language. The first point was that the adoption of IFRS standards greatly improved the disclosure of performance information itself. The very next step was to emphasize the relevant role of XBRL in improving business reporting. By means of XBRL, it is possible to create and diffuse Enhanced Business Reports (EBR) and to provide a sound framework for the measurement and evaluation of Business Performance by means of a specific set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). In particular, we emphasized the potential benefits of the use of XBRL in providing integrated reports in a more ti

A Multi-level and Multi-stakeholder Approach for Measuring Corporate Reputation. A Case Study Survey of Italian Local SMEs in the tourism sector. The issue of corporate reputation for a firm’s success is widely accepted as strategic intangible asset capable of generating returns and competitive advantage. In the context of this conceptual framework, the paper examines the process of measuring corporate reputation from a multistakeholder perspective. Starting from the Reputation Quotient of Fombrum, this study intends to devise a multilevel reputation measurement model, improving RQ by considering additional indicators, weighed in accordance with the importance of some groups of stakeholders. For its validation, the new model has been submitted to a sample of local SMEs in the tourism sector, in order to define a more effective process

Italian scholars have demonstrated growing interest in immigrants’ political engagement. Most studies have focused on associationism and conventional forms of political participation, while little research has investigated their unconventional involvement. Additionally, in the context of urban conflicts, they have been assumed as passive political actors, or at least this can be deduced from the scarce attention dedicated to them. The paper aims to question this interpretation, while at the same time contributing to research on immigrants’ unconventional engagement, through an examination of two conflicts that exploded in north-eastern Italy. In particular, the following questions will be addressed: what shapes can immigrants’ political engagement take? How does it articulate with contentious dynamics? Can any form of recognition emerge from it? In order to answer these questions, evidence will be drawn from a research carried out in the cities of Modena and Verona, between 2008 and 2010. The analysis will build on the theoretical perspective by Dancygier (2010) to then criticise its scarce dynamicity with respect to a pragmatic approach. Contentious dynamics will be inspected alongside their articulation with immigrants’ political engagement. This will provide empirical material to test the key hypothesis by Dancygier, according to whom it is power which mainly contributes to the emergence of native-immigrants conflicts, and the lack of it which anticipates the emergence of immigrants-state actors conflicts. The analysis will then be taken further to explore the type of ‘recognition’ (Fraser and Honneth 2007) that can derive from urban conflicts.

This paper proposes a high-frequency coincident economic activity indicator, constructed according to the dynamic factor model methodology introduced by Stock and Watson (1998a,b). The principal component analysis is used to summarize the information contained in a large dataset in a limited number of common factors, capable of capturing the main features of local business cycles. The EM (Expectation Maximization) algorithm then allows to obtain an estimate of the year-to-year variation of regional GDP or provincial value added. The exercise is applied to Lombardy and to the provinces of Milan and Pavia

In this paper, I consider Seneca's ideas about the prevention of diseases and particularly prescriptions about diet within a comparative anthropological perspective. Food is a very powerful symbolic mechanism of identity construction. As in many cultures, so too in ancient Rome food preferences were utilized as markers of identity. Certain alimentary practices were criticized by Seneca in order to condemn contemporary society and to propose a reversion to the past, idealized as a time of purity and moral strength. The consumption of luxury foods is associated with moral decadence. From a structuralist point of view, the rejection of some foods can also be linked to purity and danger (cf. Mary Douglas), but an approach based on concepts of analogy or on, as Frazer classifies it, "sympathetic magic", or on poststructuralism (cf. Marshall Sahlins), better explains some of the philosopher's statements.

We compute the large N limit of the localized three dimensional free energy of various field theories with known proposed AdS duals. We show that vector-like theories agree with the expected supergravity results, and with the conjectured F-theorem. We also check that the large N free energy is preserved by the three dimensional Seiberg duality for general classes of vector like theories. Then we analyze the behavior of the free energy of chiral-like theories by applying a new proposal. The proposal is based on the restoration of a discrete symmetry on the free energy before the extremization. We apply this procedure at strong coupling in some examples and we discuss the results. We conclude the paper by proposing an alternative geometrical expression for the free energy

This paper about electoral systems enforced on the democratic States is divides in two parts. In the first one (points 1. to 5.) the author presents the most important elements to classify methods and formulas, beginning from the classic distinction between majoritarian and proportional systems. The second part aims to show the complicated relationships among forms of government described by the Constitutions, nature, number and actions of political parties and electoral systems, fixing the exam on some important and significant States. In finish, some notes and considerations about the national electoral laws in force for the formation of European Parliament. The leading statement of the author is that to judge an electoral system we need to put it into the concrete context of history, constitutional institutes and political system of each Country

Il contributo riflette sulle rappresentazioni, stereotipi, e modelli relativi all’infanzia nella Grecia antica. Il testo presenta un’analisi dettagliata di fonti letterarie (epica, storiografia, composizioni teatrali, testi filosofici del periodo arcaico e classico) e di alcune fonti artistiche (in particolare, la ceramografia arcaica e classica e le stele funerarie) Ne emerge un quadro complesso riguardo ai sentimenti, alle relazioni fra adulti e bambini, agli ideali formativi., This paper reflects on representations, stereotypes and models relating to childhood in Ancient Greece. The text presents a detailed analysis of the literary sources (epic poetry, historiography, drama and philosophy from the Archaic and Classical periods) as well as selected artistic documents (specifically, Archaic and Classical ceramography and tombstones). A complex picture emerges about feelings, relationships between adults and children, ideals and educational objectives.

The paper frames the issue from the philosophy of law’s viewpoint to determine the current "state of health" of informed consent starting from some critical areas (like the physician-patient relationship, illnesses with poor prognosis and the end-of life medical care, genetics, clinical research and practice) and from its legal sources (like judicial decisions). The author’s claim is that informed consent does not need to be weakened in this historical period in order to strenghten solidarity and trust to achieve common goals for all human beings. Instead, she aims at proving that trust and solidarity should be placed in a participatory and cooperative scenario which should be fed by the respect, at the highest levels, of individual self-determination, and therefore of informed consent.

Today genetics offers new opportunities to widen the range of freedom and rights fors human beings. In this paper, I deal with predective genetic testing and the position for the subjects termed "third parties", starting from a 2004 clinical case reviewed by the Ethics Committee of a hospital in Florence. I will focus on a critical analysis of the ethical and legal rules concerning this case study, and in particular on the implications of the principle of jusitce in Bioethics.

Il saggio si propone di evidenziare alcune criticità legate sia alla disciplina delle autorizzazioni alla realizzazione degli impianti energetici alimentati da fonti rinnovabili che alle politiche di incentivazioni per lo sviluppo delle medesime, in attuazione anche delle prescrizioni europee ed internazionali. In Italia, la disciplina è caratterizzata da un'accentuata complessità, dovuta aí diversi piani di normazione che intervengono con riferimento ad una materia trasversale che impone la considerazione di interessi diversi, spesso confliggenti tra loro. La complessità è anche di tipo organizzativo, per l'intreccio delle competenze dei livelli di Governo, ma anche, all'interno del medesimo Ente, tra le differenti autorità che hanno poteri in ambito regolatorio, pianificatorio ed autorizzatorio. Il D Lgs 387 del 2003, ha introdotto l'istituto della « autorizzazione unica » per la localizzazione degli impianti da fonti di energie rinnovabili, che però rappresenta soltanto il denominatore comune di una disciplina che continuava ad essere frammentata e che ha visto la sua completa attuazione solo nel 2010 con le linee guida. Nel frattempo è toccato alla Corte Costituzionale stabilire quale spazio residuava alla competenza delle Regioni. Anche il recente D.Lgs. 28 del 2011, dí attuazione della direttiva 2009/28/CE, non risolve il problema della semplificazione delle procedure, perché demanda ad una serie di normative di attuazione, statali e regionali, che rendono ancora complessa la ricostruzione del quadro normativo. Quanto alle politiche di incentivazione, queste sono state caratterizzate da diverse fasi, con frequenti cambi di indirizzo del legislatore, sia con riferimento alla dimensione dell'impianto che alla tipologia della fonte. Ciò ha complicato il lavoro degli operatori di settore, i quali non hanno potuto e continuano a non poter programmare i propri interventi in un quadro di stabilità e di certezza., The present paper intends to highlight some critical issues pertaining both the regulation of permissions to build energy plants powered by renewable sources and the promotion policies for their development, in compliance with the European and international rules. In Italy, the regulation is really complicated, due to the different levels of rules interfering in a transversal subject which requires diversified - and often in conflict - interests. Its complexity is also organizational because of the governmental competences intertwining. Within the same institution, there may be different competences among the various authorities commanding rides and regulations, plans as well as licenses. The 2003 legislative decree 387 introduced the norm of the «unique permission»to localize the renewable-sou reed plants, which, however, is just the common denominator of a. regulation that continued to be fragmented and was finally implemented by «Guidelines»in 2010. In the meantime, the Constitutional Court has had to fix the space to be left to the Regions, The recent 2011 legislative decree 28, implemented by the directive 2009/28/EC, does not solve the problem of how to make the procedures easier because it refers to a series of executive regulations, both state and regional, which make the reconstruction of the regulatory framework more complex. As regards the promotion policies, they are characterized by various phases with the legislator frequently changing focus, both in relation to the dimension of the plant and the typology of the source itself. As a result, the work carried out by the sector operators is being complicated as they have been and still are unable to perform their executive role in a stable and secure framework. © Copyright Giuffrè 2012.

The aim of the paper is to show evidence of possible inconsistencies of PLS-PM as a statistical tool to estimate structural equation models with formative-reflective schemes. We pursue this goal, discussing a real-data example where PLS-PM fails to identify existing causal links between the variables concerned. We also suggest a possible formal interpretation of this fact, focusing on the way PLS-PM represents the link between reflective latent variables and their indicators.

This paper addresses multidisciplinarity by focusing on biology. (1) The cooperation between biology and philosophy is described, mainly through David Hull’s (1989, 2002) evaluations and recommendations. (2) Biology is described as a multidisciplinary and synthetic science in itself, and the relevance and variety of visions on the Modern Synthesis is hinted to. (3) The rising perspective of an Extended Evolutionary Synthesis, with a particular emphasis on the example of evolutionary developmental biology (EvoDevo) and its integrative impact on the theory, is problematized. (4) The attention goes again on philosophy of biology and its needed contribution to the growing and changing multidisciplinary world of evolution.

This paper posits the centrality of an opposition between dialogue and silences, both in Sciascia’s novel and in the 1968 film version by Damiano Damiani, arguing indeed that these elements have a structuring function in the novel, but that the subtleties therein are not always conveyed in the adaptation.

Scopo del lavoro: l'obiettivo di questo lavoro è stato quello di monitorare in due gruppi di pazienti come l'applicazione di un adeguato protocollo di mantenimento possa influenzare la colonizzazione batterica del solco gengivale in corso di terapia ortodontica. Materiali e metodi: sono stati selezionati 50 pazienti afferenti al reparto di ortodontia dell'Università Milano-Bicocca e poi suddivisi casualmente in due gruppi: uno periodicamente seguito da un team di igienisti durante le visite di controllo (gruppo di studio) e l'altro non è stato sottoposto ad alcun protocollo di prevenzione (controllo). I campioni di liquido crevicolare ottenuti in corso di trattamento sono stati esaminati con metodica PCR real-time al fine di monitorare la contaminazione batterica del solco gengivale. Risultati e conclusioni: Il monitoraggio microbiologico dei pazienti ha mostrato come il gruppo di studio ha presentato valori di conta batterica costantemente inferiori a quelli del gruppo di controllo. Sulla base dei risultati conseguiti si può pertanto affermare che il protocollo adottato può positivamente influenzare lo stato di salute dentoparodentale dei pazienti in corso di terapia ortodontica., AIM The purpose of this paper was to compare in two groups of patients the results of a hygiene protocol in order to asses its ability to reduce bacterial contamination in the gingival sulcus during orthodontic therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS Fifty patients referred to the orthodontic department of Milano-Bicocca University where randomly divided in two groups: one followed by a team of dental hygienists et each orthodontic control, the other one did not receive any particular preventive treatment. Crevicular fluid samples obtained during treatment were examined with the real-time PCR to monitor bacterial contamination of the gingival sulcus. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION The microbiological analysis showed that the patients in the group followed by the dental hygienists had constantly lower bacterial counts than the control group. On the basis of the data obtained it is possible to state that the dental hygiene protocol adopted can positively influence the dental periodontal status of patients during orthodontic therapy.

L’articolo presenta due studi volti ad indagare la rappresentazione sociale del rischio fra i giovani adulti. Nel primo studio, di tipo qualitativo, sono stati realizzati 3 focus group che hanno coinvolto 20 giovani adulti (età media = 22; DS = 2.57). Ai partecipanti è stato chiesto di: i) realizzare un collage che raffigurasse il concetto di rischio; ii) proporre una classificazione delle diverse tipologie di rischio. Il secondo studio, cui hanno partecipato 200 giovani adulti (età media = 21.65; DS = 2.59), si è basato sulla sollecitazione di associazioni libere in risposta alla parola stimolo “rischio”. Le associazioni sono state analizzate tramite il programma EVOC. Dall’esame dei risultati dei due studi si è potuto osservare come la rappresentazione sociale del rischio sia caratterizzata dalla contemporanea presenza di una dimensione valutativa negativa, per la quale il rischio è associato all’idea di pericolo, accanto a una sua valutazione positiva, per cui il rischio appare essenziale per la crescita personale oltre ad essere associato al divertimento e alla vitalità. Inoltre è emersa una certa problematicità rispetto al controllo del rischio, la quale porta le persone ad un senso di frustrazione, negazione e fatalismo. Infine, tale rappresentazione è risultata articolarsi differentemente in base all’appartenenza di genere dei partecipanti., The paper presents two studies which investigate social representation of risk among young adults. The first one is a qualitative study, involving 20 young people (mean age = 22; SD = 2.57) and it was based on 3 focus group. Participants had to: i) realize a collage about risk concept; ii) classify different risk typologies. The second study, which involved 200 young adults (mean age = 21.65, SD = 2.59), used free association to the stated word “risk”. Associations were analyzed using the EVOC program. On the whole, the two studies show that the social representation of risk has both a negative dimension, relating to the danger idea, and a positive dimension, relating to the personal development and the fun. Moreover data show some critical aspects regarding the risk control, which lead people to feel frustration, denial and fatalism. Finally, risk representation seems different depending on participants sex.

Attualmente esistono 341 scuole di specializzazione private riconosciute dal MIUR che abilitano alla psicoterapia; di queste 63 (18%) fanno riferimento all’approccio cognitivo e comportamentale. All’interno di questa denominazione si possono rintracciare differenze molto rilevanti sia sul piano teorico che su quello didattico: 43 sedi provengono dalla tradizione culturale e didattica delle due principali società (Associazione Italiana di Analisi e Modificazione del Comportamento/AIAMC e Società Italiana di Terapia Comportamentale e Cognitiva/SITCC), mentre 20 si sono sviluppate seguendo vie autonome. Il lavoro, partendo dai dati forniti dalle scuole di Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy (CBT) sui propri siti internet, ha valutato la loro adesione ai training standard della European Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (EABCT). Il quadro che ne emerge appare caratterizzato da un’adesione solo parziale agli standard; in particolare, le aree della pratica clinica supervisionata, dello sviluppo personale e della valutazione finale risultano poco chiare e indicate solo da una parte delle scuole. La formazione CBT appare caratterizzata da un piano didattico focalizzato soprattutto su lezioni frontali e altre tradizionali modalità accademiche, mentre risulta carente sul piano della pratica clinica direttamente praticata dall’allievo e direttamente (o indirettamente) osservata dal supervisore. In conclusione, è opportuno uno sforzo coordinato per rendere le scuole CBT italiane pienamente rispondenti ai criteri EABCT., Cognitive behavioural education in Italy according to the European training standards There are 341 psychotherapy schools accredited by MIUR; of these 63 (19%) refer to cognitive and behavioral approach. Within this label there are significant theoretical and didactic differences: 43 schools come from the cultural tradition of the two main Italian association of CBT (AIAMC and SITCC) while 20 have developed along independent pathways. The paper, starting from data available on the websites of the training schools, present an evaluation of their adherence to training standards of the European Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (EABCT). The picture that emerges is characterized by only partial adherence to standards; in particular the areas of supervised clinical practice, personal analysis and final evaluation are unclear and indicated only by some schools. The CBT training is characterized by lectures and other traditional academic mode, and is weak in terms of clinical practice practiced by the student observed by the supervisor. In conclusion, a coordinated effort is needed to make Italian CBT schools fully meeting the EABCT training criteria