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We describe a university's psychological counselling approach, based mainly on a form of dialogue known as an "Elicitation Interview". It is a technical conversational situation in which a counsellor helps a student to raise his or her awareness of his/her educational experiences. It is a conversational approach that provides students with a reflective activity by means of guided reenactments of experiences of his or her relational difficulties, feelings of low self-efficacy, risky behaviours, physical and mental symptoms. This reflective activity seems to be a relevant step for helping them to consolidate coping and resilience skills. This paper present clinical examples of this type of interview. The data have been collected at the University of Salerno's counselling service, Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper deals with the numerical solution for a general form of a system of nonlinear Volterra delay integro-differential equations (VDIDEs). The main purpose of this work is to provide a current numerical method based on the use of continuous collocation Taylor polynomials for the numerical solution of nonlinear VDIDEs systems. It is shown that this method is convergent. Numerical results will be presented to prove the validity and effectiveness of this convergent algorithm. We apply models to the COVID-19 epidemic in China, Spain, and Italy and one for the Predator–Prey model in mathematical ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the problem of a TV broadcaster, managing its programs schedule. A TV network is considered that has to decide on accepting and scheduling requests from its advertisers. A request is formulated both in terms of people to be reached and of budget available for the advertisement campaign. Moreover, several formulations of the problem are presented and defined in such a way as to handle different aspects of the real process: compatibility among advertisements that are scheduled in the same break; compatibility between advertisements and breaks; price discrimination due to the different positions of the advertisements within a break. Since the introduced models are computationally intractable, several heuristics are presented whose performance are evaluated in an extensive computational study based on test problems defined by considering the peculiarities of the Italian advertisements market. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper explores the connection between psychological type and personal wellbeing among a sample of 95 Catholic priests serving in Italy. Personal wellbeing was assessed by two measures: the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire and the Purpose in Life Scale. Psychological type was assessed by the Francis Psychological Type Scales that draw on the development of Jung's classic model that distinguishes between two orientations (extraversion and introversion), two perceiving functions (sensing and intuition), two judging functions (thinking and feeling), and two attitudes (judging and perceiving). The data demonstrated that lower levels of personal wellbeing were experienced by introverts than by extraverts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses factors that usually influence the adoption of online commerce, focusing in particular on how social influence acts in this process considering in particular an Italian sample. It investigates about the actual transaction behaviour, and not just the intention to shop online. Starting from analysing technology acceptance models of literature, the paper proposes and empirically validates a new model for e-commerce adoption. A self-administered survey approach was used to collect data from a sample of different ages, genders and educational levels by using a structured questionnaire. Empirical data were analysed using correlation and regression analysis. Results showed that social influence, usability and perceived usefulness are predictors of the frequency of use and then, of e-commerce adoption. The paper gives both a theoretical and an empirical contribution to the e-commerce literature by designing and testing a model for predicting online consumers’ behaviour and enhancing the e-commerce adoption understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on students credits earning speed over time and its determinants, dealing with the huge percentage of students who do not take the degree within the legal duration in the Italian University System. A new indicator for the performance of the student career is proposed on real data, concerning the cohort of students enrolled at a Faculty of the University of Palermo (followed for 7 years). The new indicator highlights a typical zero-inflated distribution and suggests to investigate the effect of the degree course (DC) change on the student career. A mixed-effect model for overdispersed data is considered, with the aim of taking into account the individual variability as well, due to the longitudinal nature of data. Results show the significant positive effect of the DC change on the student performance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper describes the birth (or rebirth) of Italian medical anthropology around the middle of the 1950s, and its subsequent complex development up to the present. During this fairly long process, the author played a role that was probably of some importance, that of both a direct witness and active participant. Here these developments are briefly reviewed, in an attempt to single out some of the stimuli and the most significant occasions that have happened, their theoretical and methodological reference points, the main lines of research that have been tackled along the way, as well as the ‘social demand’ and the ‘social use’ that have integrated and oriented the practice of the new discipline within the horizon of some of the more general problems of Italian society. In outlining here the profile of and the various events in Italian medical anthropology, this paper takes into account the fact that, although a medical anthropology with that name and the disciplinary set-up that are now internationally attributed to it began in Italy only in the mid-1950s, important lines of research to which we would today attach that name had been undertaken long ago. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of this paper is to convey the relevance of a Gramscian perspective in medical anthropology, stressing his anti-essentialist way of reasoning about ‘nature’. The author claims that Gramsci's understandings of the bodily life of the state can deconstruct naturalized realities in ways that are helpful for the ethnographer engaged in the political anthropology of embodiment and the management of health, persons, and life itself. The paper is presented in three parts. An attempt is made, first, to frame the relevance of Gramsci for Italian medical anthropology and second, to explore the components of the Gramscian concept of ‘second nature’ within the perspective that he himself calls ‘an anthropology’. Third, an example is given of how the proposed Gramscian insights could inform an ethnography on the biopolitical aspects for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease, which is currently being carried out in Perugia. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of this paper is to achieve a reliable estimate of the output gap for Italy through the development of several models within the class of the unobserved component time series models. These formulations imply the decomposition of output into a trend component (the ‘potential output’) and a cycle component (the ‘output gap’). Both univariate and multivariate methods will be explored. In the former, only one measure of aggregate activity, such as GDP, is considered; in the latter, unemployment and industrial production are introduced. A comparison with alternative measures of output gap, mainly those published by international organisations, will conclude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we attempt to describe how the relational model spread in Italy primarily from the microcosm of the Institute that we founded—ISIPSÉ—and in which we tried to create a community within which we could study the contemporary theories and meet the psychoanalysts who gave life to the relational movement. We describe a process of creating a cultural space that allows us to dialogue directly with those who contributed to the evolution of contemporary psychoanalysis. Today in psychoanalytic literature the growing importance of the implicit refers primarily to the importance of the body in the analytic relationship. Therefore we believe that in the training of therapists attention for an embodied, physical transmission of psychoanalysis makes the transition from theory to clinical situation more consistent and smoother. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper compares the forecasting performance of three alternative factor models based on business survey data for the industrial production in Italy. The first model uses static principal component analysis, while the other two apply dynamic principal component analysis in frequency domain and subspace algorithms for state-space representation, respectively. Once the factors are extracted from the business survey data, then they are included into a single equation to predict the industrial production index. The forecast results show that the three factor models have a better performance than that of a simple autoregressive benchmark model regardless of the specification and estimation methods. Furthermore, the state-space model yields superior forecasts amongst the factor models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider a mathematical model for the interaction of wild and domestic herbivores with a natural or man-maintained landscape. We focus our attention on parks in Piedmont (NW Italy), which are characterized by the presence of meadows, woods and herbivore populations, such as deer and sheep. Even if herbivores consume mainly grass, they can occasionally debark trees. This behaviour occurs especially in the winter season, when grass availability is reduced, and may cause the death of trees. Our model evaluates some possible policies for dealing with this problem. The results of this study show that it is wise to keep the number of herbivores in environments in which young trees are present in check. Grazing of domestic herbivores should be prohibited in newly planted tree areas. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, a quadratic inverse (almost ideal) demand system (IQUAIDS) is derived, that generalizes the inverse (almost ideal) demand system (IAIDS). Starting from a flexible parameterization of the distance function, this model allows a more flexible specification by overcoming the potential restrictiveness of linear scale curves. However, at a point of normalization, the IQUAIDS boils down to the IAIDS, thus the additional flexibility pertains only to the specification of scale elasticities away from the point of approximation. Previous work on functional separability is extended to the case of inverse demands, and necessary and sufficient conditions for weak separability of the direct and indirect utility function derived, in terms of the Antonelli elasticities of complementarity and of the scale elasticities. Their proper parametric representation within the inverse specification is also derived. An empirical application to fish demand in Italy is provided, mainly for illustrative purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a case study on freight railway transportation in Italy, which is a by-product of research collaboration with a major Italian railway company. We highlight the main features of the Italian reality and propose a customized mathematical model to design the service network, that is, the set of origin-destination connections. More specifically, the model suggests the services to provide, the number of trains travelling on each connection, the number of cars and their type. We consider both full and empty freight car movements and take handling costs into account. All decisions are taken in order to minimize the total costs. The quality of service is guaranteed by satisfying all the transportation demand and by implicitly minimizing the waiting time of cars at intermediate railway stations. Our approach yields to a multi-commodity network design problem with a concave cost function. To solve this problem, we implement a specialized tabu search procedure. Computational results on realistic instances show a significant improvement over current practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Social Work is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The Coping Questionnaire measures affected family members' responses to their relatives' substance misuse related problems. The Coping Questionnaire examines three main coping strategies: engaged, tolerant-inactive, and withdrawal coping. Objectives: The aim of the current study was to compare competing conceptual measurement models across two countries, including one-factor, three-factor, and higher order factor models. Methods: Secondary analysis of data from five previous studies was conducted. Samples of affected family members from England (N = 323) and Italy (N = 165) were aggregated into two country specific groups. Series of confirmatory factor analyses were performed to test the degree of model fit and the effects of socio-demographic variables on the coping factors. Results: A bifactor model fitted the data most closely relative to the one- and three-factor models. High rates of common variance (60–65%) were attributable to the general coping factor, while a high proportion of the variance related to the withdrawal coping subscale score was independent (66–89%) of the general coping factor. Family members' country, age, gender, the type of relationship and the main problematic substance had significant effects on the coping factors. Conclusions: A bifactor model related to coping behaviors is consistent with the theoretical assumptions of the general coping literature. The concept of a general coping factor also fits the theoretical assumptions of the stress-strain-coping-support model, with family members showing a general tendency to cope with the harmful circumstances which arise due to substance misuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss the relevance of the internationally adopted methodology for modelling labour market flows and comparing labour market flexibility. This is based on a two-state labour market model that neglects inactivity and uses aggregate stock data to derive transition rates. Traditionally, the results suggest that continental European labour markets are inflexible and unable to adjust quickly to aggregate demand or supply shocks compared with their Anglo-Saxon counterparts. This evidence has driven us to gain a better understanding of the relevance of such a modelling approach and critically discuss its main methodological hypothesis. We relax its assumptions by including inactivity and by using flow data for the period 2010–2017. We compare the results thus obtained with transition rates derived using a three-state labour market model for France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. These countries represent the institutional settings of continental Europe on the one hand and Anglo-Saxon nations on the other. The implied transition rates are much higher, even in continental Europe, when inactivity is considered, thus suggesting that conclusions derived using an incomplete representation of the labour market are misleading. Inactivity therefore plays a crucial role and its inclusion provides a more exhaustive picture of labour mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We contribute to the understanding of the relationship between organisational identification and work-related stress by examining the role that expanded forms of organisational identification play in explaining the nature of this relationship. The current study explores the extent to which organisational identification and other expanded forms of identification predict employee strain. We hypothesise that ambivalent identification, neutral identification, and disidentification will moderate the negative relationship between organisational identification and exhaustion and ego depletion, such that the link between identification and strain will be stronger when the other dimensions are low. We tested these predictions in a survey among 228 employees of care homes for the elderly (72% social-sanitary operators, 27% nurses). Results largely supported the hypotheses and show reliable interactions for ambivalent, neutral identification, and disidentification on both exhaustion and ego depletion. Results showed a significant moderation by ambivalent identification for exhaustion but not for ego depletion. We discuss limitations and future implications for research and practice of the expanded model of organisational identification in organisational interventions that deal with work-related stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Social Work is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background:One of the most problematic modes of alcohol consumption in young adults is risky drinking in single episodes, which typically takes place in social contexts. Several studies have applied the Theory of Planned Behavior to drinking intentions and behavior in young people. However, previous studies show that this model lacks a “bridge” that links a mental process like intentions to a physical process represented by the actual action.Objectives:The aim of the present study is to test the predictive power of the Model of Goal-Directed Behavior plus social influences in order to overcome theory of planned behavior gaps in predicting binge-drinking behavior in young people.Methods:404 undergraduates completed a questionnaire containing measures for the MGB variables, social identity, and group norms. Two weeks later, participants reported how many times they had had five/four or more alcoholic drinks on a single occasion. Structural equation modeling revealed strong support for model validity.Results:The final equation accounted for 66% in intentions to binge drink, and 48% in drinking behavior, while a planned behavior model accounted for the 47% of variance in intentions to binge and 37% of the drinking behavior. Social influences positively affected desire and intentions to drink.Conclusions:Our findings suggest that, compared to other attitude-behavior frameworks, the MGB is preferable in modeling the proximal determinants of binge drinking. Therefore, the distinction between desire and intention and the consideration of social influences seem to be essential to improve the prediction of binge drinking among young people. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The academic success of students is a priority for all universities. We analyze the students' success at university by considering their performance in terms of both ‘qualitative performance’, measured by their mean grade, and ‘quantitative performance’, measured by university credits accumulated. These data come from an Italian University and concern a cohort of students enrolled at the Faculty of Economics. To jointly model both the marginal relationships and the association structure with covariates, we fit a bivariate ordered logistic model by penalized maximum likelihood estimation. The penalty term we use allows us to smooth the association structure and enlarge the range of possible parameterizations beyond that provided by the usual Dale model. The advantages of our approach are also in terms of parsimony and parameter interpretation, while preserving the goodness of fit. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article analyses the transformations of public service employment relations in Italy and France over the last decades, within the context of a wider administrative reform and in the light of the new public management (NPM) approach. It shows that despite a common administrative tradition, the reform trajectories in the two countries have started to diverge in the early 1980s, and even more since the 1990s. Italy adopted more closely the NPM precepts, especially in the 1997-2007 period, and some of the regulatory difficulties it has experienced are probably connected with the theoretical weaknesses of these precepts. France has been more cautious in moving in this direction, preserving several features typical of its administrative tradition to begin with the special employment status of its public employees, a model which has been labelled as neo-Weberian. In comparative perspective, the article confirms the opportunity to analyse different national reform trajectories, rooted into country-specific legal and institutional traditions, rather than hypothesise universal processes of convergence towards the sole regulatory model represented by the NPM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the issue of stock returns forecasting and in particular extends the analysis of the recently introduced sum of the parts modelling technique. The sum of the parts technique undertakes a first-stage regression analysis where the predictor variables themselves are estimated and the fitted values from these equations are then used in the forecast model. We conduct a series of one-step ahead recursive forecasts using the above methodology and compare that to the usual predictive regression approach for 11 markets, and a variety of forecast metrics and tests. Across the full range of markets and forecast measures, our results suggest that no single model dominates. Notably, while the sum of the parts approach often reports a lower Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Root Mean-Squared Error (RMSE), it is rarely significantly lower than competing forecasts. Similar results are found on the basis of both regression and sign based tests. Thus, across the range of markets the new approach meets with only limited success in providing better forecasts, although it rarely performs significantly worse. Furthermore, in specific markets, the sum of the parts approach does perform well. Notably for Italy, the UK, US and Korea, this approach outperforms the alternate models on all or nearly all measures. Thus, in terms of guiding researchers on the appropriate forecast model, the sum of the parts approach is interesting and does suggest some forecast improvement. However, that is only for specific markets. Hence, in choosing which forecast method to adopt there remains the trade-off between the simplicity of the predictive regression approach and the sum of the parts approach, which is more involved but on occasion more accurate, although not universally so. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the empirical determinants of capital structure choice by analysing security issues made by companies in the UK and Italy between 1992 and 1996, and examines how companies actually select between financing instruments at a given point in time and in different financial contexts. A descriptive model of choice is developed and then estimated using Logit and Probit estimation procedures, and using data of two samples, which are assumed to be representative of a particular financial environment. The results provide evidence of interesting differences between the two financial markets, generally supporting the idea of the UK market being more testable and in principle more consistent with the main prescriptions of the more recent developments of capital structure theory; on the whole, the results provide support for positive effects of size and profitability, and negative impact of liquidity conditions and bankruptcy risk on the financial leverage of companies. This, together with the negative effect displayed by the available reserves which are taken as a proxy of internally generated funds, lends support to the pecking order theory of capital structure. It is also suggested that firms in well developed financial systems (UK) may have long-term target leverage ratios, while in less efficient markets (Italy) an optimal debt level does not seem to be a major concern. Finally, for both markets, the results are consistent with the notion that the tax advantage of debt financing plays a relevant role in capital structure decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]