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Objective: This paper aims to describe the 2023 update position paper on MRONJ developed by the Italian Societies of Oral Pathology and Medicine (SIPMO) and of Maxillofacial Surgery (SICMF). Methods: This is the second update following the 2013 and 2020 Italian position papers by the Expert panel, which is a representation of the two scientific societies (SIPMO and SICMF). The paper is based on an extensive analysis of the available literature from January 2003 to February 2020, and the subsequent review of literature conducted between March 2020 and December 2022 to include all new relevant published papers to confirm or modify the previous set of recommendations. Results: This position paper highlights the main issues of MRONJ on risk estimates, disease definition, diagnostic pathway, individual risk assessment, and the fundamental role of imaging in the diagnosis, classification, and management of MRONJ. Conclusion: The Expert Panel confirmed the MRONJ definition, the diagnostic work‐up, the clinical‐radiological staging system and the prophylactic drug holiday, as recognized by SIPMO‐SICMF; while, it presented novel indications regarding the categories at risk of MRONJ, the prevention strategies, and the treatment strategies associated with the therapeutic drug holiday. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Healthcare‐associated infections (HAIs) are a global public health threat. Italy is one of the countries with the highest prevalence of HAI. Hand hygiene (HH) is a pillar of infection prevention and control. Monitoring HH is necessary to improve HH compliance, and direct observation is considered the gold standard. Transcription and analysis of data collected during direct observation of HH compliance with the WHO paper form are time‐consuming. We collected, during a 9‐day observation period, HH opportunities and compliance both with a smartphone application (SpeedyAudit) and with the WHO paper form. Then, we investigated the difference in the required time for data transcription and analysis between the WHO paper form and the use of the app. The difference in the required time for data transcription and analysis was significant with a mean time of 2 s using the app and about 14–54 min/day using paper form (p =.004) while no significant difference was found in measured compliance rates between the two data collecting methods. HH monitoring with an app is time‐saving, and the app we used was easy to use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Winter in climatic regions with low temperatures is a challenge for overwintering insects. They are exposed to temperature extremes, which directly cause mortality or lead to energy depletion. The winter hibernaculum of paper wasp gynes protects from predators and rain, but only poorly from ambient temperature. In order to detect physiological adaptations to differing climates, we compared the respiratory metabolism of overwintering gynes of two polistine species from the Mediterranean climate in Italy (Polistes dominula and Polistes gallicus), and of one species from the temperate climate in Austria (Polistes dominula). The wasps' CO2 emission was measured with stop‐flow respirometry in a temperature range from 2.5 to 20 °C. The mass‐specific standard (resting) metabolic rate, the main type of metabolism of the dormant insects during overwintering, increased exponentially with ambient temperature but was suppressed in comparison to individuals measured in the summer, which conserves the energy stores. In addition, it was lower in the Mediterranean species (P. dominula and P. gallicus) in comparison to the temperate species (P. dominula), especially at higher temperatures. The active metabolic rate was suppressed to a similar amount. The suppressed metabolism of the overwintering Mediterranean gynes could be an adaptation to the higher winter temperatures to prevent a premature depletion of the energy resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays the size of university classes along with the growing number of students to be tested for final examination raise unprecedented challenges relating to the management, monitoring and evaluation of learning. Technology may provide some solutions that deserve to be investigated. This paper explores the potentialities and limitations of Computer‐Based Testing (CBT), specifically BYOD e‐test, compared to traditional Paper‐Based Testing (PBT) to verify whether, and to what extent, an electronic mode of assessment can become a suitable alternative to PBT. It is based on a study carried out at the University of Florence during 2016/17. 606 students participated in the study, of whom 443 opted for CBT using their own devices, while 163 preferred PBT. Participants who experienced CBT also answered a survey on perceptions, self‐efficacy and satisfaction. The results show that students' performances were better with CBT, and that a positive relationship exists between the perceived level of self‐efficacy and the propensity to adopt digital tests. In addition, students greatly appreciated the electronic system, especially for the possibility of immediate feedback. Some critical issues emerged relating to on‐screen reading, which suggests the need for careful design of testing tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the current situation of mental health care in Italy and implementation of mental health reform legislation. Method: The current mental health care system and studies of the implementation of psychiatric reform are described. Results: The 1978 reform law inaugurated fundamental changes in the care system (prohibiting admissions to state mental hospitals, stipulating community-based services, allowing hospitalization only in small general-hospital units). Uneven reform implementation was reported initially. However, in 1984 in- and out-patient services in the community were available to >80% of the population. There is a comprehensive network of in- and out-patient, residential and semi-residential facilities. Recently, services have been jeopardized by the managed-care revolution, and non-profit organizations supplement the public system (especially residential care, employment and self/mutual help). Conclusion: Implementation of the psychiatric reform law has been accomplished, and the year 1998 marked the very end of the state mental hospital system in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To identify the 10 most numerically prolific authors publishing in the field of orthodontics for each year over the last decade (2011‐2020), describe the characteristics of these outputs and identify trends in the types of study being published. Materials and Methods: A Scopus literature search was conducted to identify the 10 most numerically prolific publishing authors in orthodontics for each year during this decade. Number and characteristics of all publications for each author were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Forty‐nine different individual authors were identified who were collectively prolific for between 1‐8 years within the assessment decade. These authors published a total of 2025 papers, with a median annual output of 18 papers per year; however, half of these authors published between 15‐24 papers per year (range 5‐200). Amongst authors, 2 or more collaborated on only 7% of the identified papers. The median number of authors per paper was 5 (range 1‐27) with significant variation according to study design (P <.001). The majority of authors originated from Brazil (19.3%), Italy (14.1%) and India (12.7%). Most papers described non‐prospective clinical studies (38.1%), case reports or case series (11.1%) and narrative reviews (10.8%). Finally, prolific authors had a smaller annual output when publishing in orthodontic journals (P <.001) and when publishing experimental primary research (P =.04). Conclusions: A cohort of prolific authors in orthodontics between 2011‐2020 was identified. Extreme variation was found in annual output between these authors but case reports, non‐prospective clinical studies and narrative reviews predominated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how and whether circular economy (CE) business models affect the implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the waste management sector. A case study is used to determine the relationship between CE business models and SDGs. It shows that CE business models, potentially, can contribute directly to achieving a significant number of SDGs. The strongest relationships are between the CE business model and the targets of SDG4 (Quality education); SDG 5 (Gender equality); SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 8 (Decent working and economic growth); SDG 9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities) SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production). After a narrative literature review on the intersection between CE and SDGs, the paper performed a case study on Contarina SpA, a firm that developed a business model to recycle wastes into recyclable materials under a CE approach. The case findings could stimulate further research into how this and similar types of business models will help societies to change from the 'use‐it‐once‐and‐throw‐it away' mentality of linear business models to the integrated, holistic, CE model that seeks to emulate nature's cyclical systems, and achieve the implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a contribution to national strategic energy planning, recent developments in meteorological modeling and wind generation technologies have improved the representation of the spatio‐temporal features of wind. This paper describes an updated Italian Wind Atlas (Atlante EOLico ItaliANo [AEOLIAN]) released in the early 2000s. The objective of AEOLIAN is to guide future wind generation to accord with ambitious European greenhouse gas emission targets set for 2030 and 2050. AEOLIAN is the result of a collaboration effort between Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico (RSE) SpA and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), which jointly developed a novel approach combining high‐resolution numerical weather modeling with the Analog Ensemble (AnEn) statistical technique. This paper uses dynamical model runs with hourly output for 1990–2019 with 4 km horizontal grid spacing. For 2015–2019, an inner grid nest with 1.33 km horizontal grid spacing is used. The AnEn is then employed to temporally extend the 5 years of high‐resolution runs back through 1990–2014 to create a 30‐year dataset for Italy and surrounding marine areas. A thorough verification is carried out using 104 observational stations homogeneously distributed throughout the territory. Compared with other state‐of‐the‐art products, AEOLIAN provides enhanced accuracy over complex terrain thanks to higher horizontal resolution and the assimilation of observational wind data over the domain, which result in a reduction of model bias on complex terrain and a better reconstruction of the wind distributions. Finally, a new WebGIS interface (https://atlanteeolico.rse-web.it/) to explore AEOLIAN data is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper employs quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the link between banking competition, branching and financial distress during the interwar period in Europe, focusing on Italy as a case study. Regression analysis and a systematic review of printed sources show that banks experiencing distress had opened scores of branches and operated in areas with harsher competition. Poor managerial choices led banks to have higher operational costs, pushing them to more remunerative but riskier activities. The 1920s saw a profound transformation of the Italian banking system, with extensive branch expansion and cut‐throat competition for deposits. This paper argues that these changes in the structure of the banking system rendered it more fragile when the international crisis hit. Available evidence on other European countries suggests that Italy was not an isolated case. The study contributes to the literature on banking crises during the Great Depression and the effects of banking competition on financial stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent debates on 'graphic' geographies and the reinterpretation of the notion of 'democratic experimentalism' in local development suggest the rise of a new 'representational experimentalism' that explores graphic methods for place‐based approaches. Graphic methods of research can assist geographers in conducting and presenting the results of place‐based research to wider audiences. Graphic products of research function as tools for storytelling and spatial planning. They can also provide intersubjective dialogue between researchers, local communities, and local governments to create more inclusive place‐based narratives. In this paper, we present a verbo‐visual manifesto and an illustrated fieldwork journal as two empirical examples of possible ways to engage with graphic methods and realise the potential graphic outputs of research. These graphic products are the result of a collaboration between geographers, students in Local Development and Sustainable Territorial Development (at the University of Padua), two professional illustrators, and a group of local stakeholders; they used scribing and observational drawing as place‐based graphic methods during a residential seminar at the Po Delta, in north‐eastern Italy. This paper contributes to both recent debates on creative methods in local development and the study of the use graphic and visual methods in geography. It proposes graphic methods as a way for embracing place‐based approaches to local development in peripheral, fragile, and contested areas, making hidden voices visible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including the deliberate managerial strategy towards international business performance, transformation towards smart factory system, and place brand as an emergent property.

Editor's Note: Professor Salvemini, professor of economics at the University of Bari and advisor to the Italian Minister of the Treasury, attended the Olivetti Conference on Budgetary problems in the fall of 1981. Papers from the conference were published in the Autumn 1982 issue of this journal. After reviewing both the conference proceedings and the papers published in Public Budgeting & Finance , Professor Salvemini has provided some further reflections and thoughts on the ideas presented at that conference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge management structures (KMs) can be defined as structures whose purpose is to encourage people to build relationships, networks and trust. Global companies like Apple, Inc. have promoted these structures to transform its organisation into a knowledge‐based organisation. This paper identifies the role of national culture on four KMs namely open‐mindedness (OM), counter‐knowledge (CK), environmental innovation (EF) and customer capital (CC). In doing so, this study uses data collected from 354 end users of Apple (161 from Italy and 193 from Brazil). This paper provides evidence that while Apple end users from Brazil are more positively associated with higher levels of OM and CC, Italy users are more positively associated with higher levels of CK and EF. This paper discusses the role of the six dimensions of national culture–power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long‐term orientation and indulgence of a nation that plays a significant role in how they impact the KMs. Hence, this study serves as an important contribution to global companies that are trying to develop their KMs to sustain competitive advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National and International road networks are made of structures and infrastructures that often exhibit poor performance due to a lack of maintenance. In this context, Italy recently renewed the legislation regarding existing infrastructure analysis to support knowledge and facilitate a homogeneous data acquisition process. Thus a key component of the process consists of the visual inspection protocols complemented by physical and mechanical measures. This applies to all the structures built for the road network operation, including those classified as geotechnical whose deterioration is often neglected or appropriately surveyed. Along with the definition of a data form for collecting datasets on these aspects, a relevant aspect of the process is the implementation of a collaborative environment for the information management and analysis systems supporting the interested parties in the field. The paper reports the design of a base geotechnical inspection form for Retaining Wall and illustrates some aspects of its implementation in a digital environment. Mixed Reality techniques in combination with web‐based tools for data collection are investigated to increase the feasibility and reliability of the visual inspection of existing road networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to assess small and medium‐sized enterprises' (SMEs') readiness to initiate a mature dialogue with stakeholders in the exceptional context of a strategic crisis, when information on business model sustainability has become universally material for all stakeholders. A quantitative study is carried out by developing a business model content analysis and applying it to a data sample of 109 manufacturing SMEs in Italy with annual revenues ranging from €10 to €50 million. After analyzing the literature on SMEs stakeholder communication and arguing the conflicting influences of stakeholder and legitimacy motivations in the context of a strategic crisis, three hypotheses are tested by collecting data from annual reports. Despite increased stakeholder expectations, the level of communication was limited to a minimum amount of information, demonstrating no relationship with the firms' relative size and proving a prominent influence of legitimacy motivations, with a specific relevance of legal pressures. Under the stress of the crisis, all SMEs, particularly those that were strategically and financially vulnerable, provided extremely limited information, demonstrating the tendency to conceal strategic risks and the difficulties in engaging in mature dialogue with stakeholders. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first quantitative study focusing on unlisted SMEs' sustainability communication. The paper contributes to the policymaker debate on the possibility of extending the current legal obligation on sustainability reporting and transparency to smaller businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that the value of a house depends both on the physical characteristics and on some features of the neighborhood in which it is located. If so, organized‐crime activities can significantly affect urban real estate values. Antimafia policies, in turn, can be intended as a tool to influence those external features. This paper compares the effects on real estate values of the two main antimafia policies implemented in Italy since the 1990s at the municipal level. While we do not find any significant effect of dismissal policies on house prices, we find a statistically significant effect of reassignment policies depending on the specific destination of confiscated property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the complex ways in which a legal norm can influence a socio‐spatial context. More precisely, the paper aims to contribute to the theoretical investigation of the nexus between law and space in the field of legal geography by proposing an analytical framework for the study of the spatial operativity of law beyond compliance. To do so, this work relies on the concepts of nomotropism (namely, "acting in light of the rule") and effectiveness‐as‐operativity. They imply that (1) any legal norm that has a causal relation with an action can be deemed effective regardless of whether such action conforms with or transgresses such norm, and (2) the impact of a norm is not confined to mere compliance. The paper then articulates the analytical framework derived by these theoretical insights with reference to different kinds of norms (law in actu and law in intellectu; law in books and law in practice). The relevance of the resulting theoretical structure for the investigation of complex socio‐spatial phenomena is finally exemplified through the analysis of a conflictual process for the establishment of a Muslim place of worship in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Many studies have investigated patients' understandings of how to optimise mental health services. However, only a few studies in the Italian context have involved experts by experience (EbEs), who can be ex‐users, family members of ex‐users or current service collaborators. Their role is crucial in implementing collaborative service quality assessment projects. Method: The study investigated the experience of 35 EbEs, users, and family members who carried out a 9‐month fortnightly project aimed at imagining an 'ideal service'. The facilitators of the discussion groups (two EbEs) were interviewed; written reports of each meeting were produced with relevant comments, notes and specific suggestions; and content analysis was applied. Results: The most important result concerns the effectiveness of the project management method and group leadership carried out by the two EbEs. This approach allowed for complete autonomy of the work, without professional gaze or power imbalance. Also, the ideas and specific contents focused on by the two groups offer strategies to facilitate users' entry and reception in health care centres, to reduce the stigma of mental illness, to improve the centres' physical environment, to improve organisational aspects, to keep family members actively involved and to network mental health services with other territorial services. Conclusions: EbEs have proven to be key figures in ensuring equity of role in the service co‐design process. This also concerns a context, the Italian one, where their role has not yet been recognised and legalised. Their contribution and ideas to improve services could be fundamental not only in mental health centres, but also in other health facilities, and could concern the entire service delivery process rather than being limited to quality assurance, according to a virtuous circle based on active participation and transformation of the role of users. Patient or Public Contribution: This work resulted from close collaboration between the two EbEs who conducted the groups, users and family members, the university, and the psychiatrist in charge of the service. All of them contributed to the research. The EbEs, researchers and psychiatrist participated in the interpretation of the data and are the co‐authors of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on a Horizon 2020 research project on the enhancement of migrant children's ability to contribute to the change of their conditions of integration in the education system in seven countries (Children Hybrid Integration: Learning Dialogue as a way of Upgrading Policies of Participation, CHILD‐UP; GA 822400). The paper draws on data collected in vocational schools, with adolescents aged 14–16, in Italy. It draws on transcribed interactions to analyse activities in school classrooms in which facilitators support migrant adolescent's agency in producing narratives of their personal cultural trajectories. The paper shows how facilitators and adolescents share the rights of telling the narratives, the gender differences that become visible in the adolescents' narratives, and the ways in which facilitation supports the hybrid integration of migrant adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper combines theoretical sustainable business models and conflict indices in making practical sustainable (i.e., participatory decisions involving economic, social, and environmental features within weak or strong sustainability paradigms) and rational (i.e., informed and consistent decisions within substantive or instrumental rationality) decisions with respect to what, who, where, when, and how to act. The case study, focused on an offshore gas platform, identified when (i.e., the end as opposed to the beginning of extraction activities) and where (i.e., the economic, social, and environmental contexts of the Adriatic Sea in Abruzzo region, Italy). A face‐to‐face questionnaire, submitted to stakeholders, produced the relative weights required by the tested sustainable business models (Lüdeke‐Freund et al., 2018), and it reached a conclusion about how (i.e., in favor of the majority as opposed to average decisions). An application of a linear conflict index (Fasth et al., 2018) highlighted a lack of stakeholders' representativeness and knowledge and solved these issues with a 50% increase of stakeholders involved and an additional discussion with originally invited stakeholders on specific topics, respectively. In summary, the methodology suggested in this paper produced a (strong) sustainable and (substantive) rational decision about what and who based on relative weights expressed by representative and informed stakeholders being engaged at the smallest cost and with the largest support. Thus, the contribution of this paper is twofold: Theoretically, choices among alternative sustainable businesses depend on the adopted sustainability paradigm, and practically, choices among alternative sustainable businesses should be identified according to the adopted sustainability paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Right‐wing variants of populism are on the rise across the globe, creating new patterns of interaction between society and the environment. These new socio‐ecological relationships – dubbed "populist ecologies" – are not homogenous and, instead, can vary from country to country and populist to populist. In this paper, we adopt two illustrative case studies to outline two particular right‐wing populist ecologies. First, we turn to the government of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil (2019 onwards) and detail the ways in which Bolsonaro's anti‐science agenda is evident in his response to patterns of deforestation and the "burning of the Amazon" in 2019. Second, we explore the politics of Matteo Salvini in Italy, highlighting how, in this form of right‐wing populism, the environment has become a container for wider political ambitions. In doing so, this work highlights the complexity of the relationship between contemporary right‐wing populism and the environment – and the ways in which populist ecologies may act to conceal the more‐nefarious elements of the populist moment. This paper details how right‐wing variants of populism create new socio‐ecological patterns of interaction. Drawing on case studies of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil and Matteo Salvini in Italy, we advance a conceptualisation of "populist ecologies" to explore and make sense of how ecology is represented within far‐right populist projects. In doing so, we highlight an important complexity in which populist ecologies may function to conceal broader, more nefarious elements of far‐right populist projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nominated for Eurosteel 2021 Best Paper Award The introduction to the market of metal foams represents a significant opportunity to increase the use of metal in the construction market. In fact, the development of new products made of metal foams and steel could improve the performance of conventional buildings in terms of stiffness and resistance. The first structural applications of these materials have already shown the potential of composites made of foam and steel, and demonstrated the feasibility of producing mono‐dimensional and bi‐dimensional elements with a high resistance‐to‐weight ratio. Reducing the structural weight can be a significant advantage in many cases, such as infrastructures or buildings in seismic zones. Within this framework, the work presented in this paper aims to assess the response of composite sandwich panels made of steel and aluminium foam using a set of tests that will serve as the basis for developing a new system of dry‐assembled composite floors. The tests were carried out at the Strength laboratory (Structural Engineering Test Hall) at the University of Salerno, Italy and were designed to verify the mechanical properties of metal foam panels and double‐skin glued sandwich panels. The tests have shed light on the basic mechanical properties of both foams and sandwich panels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: In Italy, approximately 650 individuals receive a diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) every year. Unfortunately, the frequency with which patients are referred to speech‐language services is suboptimal, likely due to skepticism regarding the value of speech‐language therapy in the context of neurodegeneration. Materials and Methods: We conducted a virtual survey of speech and language therapists (SLTs) across Italy, to collect information about the assessment, intervention and management of patients with PPA. To ensure that as many SLTs as possible received the survey, the Italian Federation of SLTs (Federazione Logopedisti Italiani, FLI) aided in disseminating the survey. Results: In total, 336 respondents participated in the online survey, 140 of whom had previous experience with PPA patients. Respondents indicated having seen a total of 428 PPA patients in the previous 24 months (three patients on average, range: 0–40). SLTs who reported never working with PPA identified underdiagnoses, low referral rates and the rarity of the clinical syndrome as major reasons for their lack of experience with PPA. SLTs with experience working with PPA indicated that patients may not have accessed services because of service dysfunction and geographical barriers. Respondents reported using informal interviews during assessments and tests developed for post‐stroke aphasia, while impairment‐based/restitutive interventions were utilised most often. Conclusion: Findings may serve to inform health policy organisations regarding the current shortcomings and needed recommendations for improving the care of individuals with PPA in Italy. Improving awareness of the utility of rehabilitation among SLTs and other clinical service providers may serve to facilitate access to intervention, which in turn will serve to better support individuals living with PPA. What This Paper Adds: What is already known on the subject: Speech and language therapists (SLTs) play a crucial role in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of people with primary progressive aphasia (PPA). However, the frequency with which individuals with PPA are referred for speech and language services is suboptimal due to skepticism regarding the value of speech and language therapy in the context of neurodegeneration, the scarcity of SLTs with expertise in the treatment of PPA and the lack of awareness of the SLT role amongst referrers. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: In recognition of the lack of published information on the provision of speech and language therapy services and clinicians' approaches to the assessment and treatment of individuals with PPA in Italy, we conducted an online survey to evaluate the current referral patterns for speech and language therapy services and to examine the current barriers to access these services for individuals with PPA in Italy. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: The data presented here support that SLTs view treatment as useful for individuals with PPA and other professional figures and may serve to improve access to intervention, which in turn will serve to better support individuals living with PPA. The results highlight the need to inform health policy organisations about current gaps and aid in developing recommendations for improving the care of individuals with PPA, in order to understand how SLTs can best support individuals with PPA and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pervasiveness of advanced technologies and their disruptive impact on society have spurred the debate on the emergence of a new industrial revolution and on its positive and negative effects, both at an individual and spatial level. This paper aims to contribute to this debate, focusing attention on the perception of changes related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and exploring new methods of analysis of the manifestations of both techno‐enthusiasm and opposition to it. Starting from the extensive literature in this field, the work adopts two research perspectives: the study of imaginaries and narratives developed around the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which convey different messages from social groups and places; the geographies of opportunity and discontent, which address the resentment expressed by some localities towards advanced technological models and growing inequalities. In this work the Fourth Industrial Revolution is not interpreted through data about the technological variables or interviews to protagonists of the phenomenon; rather, emphasis is on the points of view of non‐institutional subjects and, in particular, the opinions expressed by people on the Web. For this reason, the sentiment analysis has been adopted to identify both positive and negative polarities and the relevance of specific feelings through the selection of key words related to the notion of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The empirical analysis based on this methodology focuses on the Italian case in a specific period (first and second phase of the pandemic, from January 2020 to September 2021) and, at a local level, on the comparison between four medium‐sized cities (Pisa, Lecce, Taranto and Terni). This paper also tries to extend recent contributions through the provision of new perspectives for the definition of policies designed with the involvement of the population and places regarding both the processes of technological change and the definition of new socio‐spatial models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the content and quality of circular economy (CE) and environmental information (CEEI) disclosure in sustainability reports. Additionally, it provides suggestions for heightening CEEI disclosure. Using the content analysis, we analysed the changes that took place after the European Union (EU) action plan (2015) selecting a sample of sustainable reports in the cosmetic industry in Italy in 2014 and 2019 years. We applied the Climate Disclosure Standard Board (CDSB) framework focused on 12 reporting requirements designed to encourage corporate standardized disclosure of environmental information. Our analysis is performed through a frequency term analysis. Additionally, to measure the general shift of semantic over the two years towards CEEI, a semi‐supervised topic modelling approach was applied, whose topics were obtained by aggregating all terms with a significant variation from the content analysis. Findings show that the recent reports (2019) include terms related to the environment in a slightly more frequent way compared to 2014. We provide stronger evidence of the shift in the origin of the topics, being coherent with the changes introduced from the EU 2015 act, and the requirements of the CDSB framework nevertheless the CE seems still under‐reported in the area of governance, strategy, management and performance. The paper discusses the need for further Institutional (EU directives), regulatory (CDSB framework) and stakeholders' pressure (on companies. Finally, the implementation of an integrated reporting for social, economic and environmental disclosure is suggested as a way to ensure an effective CEEI disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is characterised by partial or complete obstruction of the upper airways during sleep and it has been associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) on the basis of several pathophysiological hypotheses. Objectives: To assess the prevalence of TMDs in a population of patients affected by OSA compared to a control group of subjects not affected by OSA. Methods: A cross‐sectional controlled study was conducted on a group subjects studied by polygraphy (PG) at the snoring section of the ENT department, Sant'Orsola‐Malpighi Hospital – University of Bologna. Patients who received a diagnosis of OSA were included in the study group and subjects with a negative PG diagnosis for Sleep Disordered Breathing and PG respiratory pattern that did not suggest the occurrence of sleep disorders were enrolled in the control group. Both the subjects included in the study group and the control group underwent an examination following the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders Axis I and II. Results: Forty‐three OSA patients (29 M, 16 F, mean age 52.26 ± 11.40) and 43 healthy controls (25 M, 18 F, mean age 49.95 ± 7.59) were included in the study. No significant differences were found between groups in demographic data. TMD prevalence and Axis II results did not differ between groups. Conclusions: This paper does not highlight a higher prevalence of TMDs in adults with OSA compared to healthy controls. Further high‐quality studies are needed to confirm the results and to give possible pathophysiological explanations, providing reliable evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lists the papers to be published in the forthcoming issue of the periodical "Sedimentology". Palaeosols of the Lower Jurassic Mishhor and Ardon formations; Hydraulic control of grain-size distribution in a macrotidal estuary; Stratigraphy and sedimentology of Jurassic bedded chert overlying cophiolites in the North Apennines, Italy.

The euro crisis has sparked changes in the EU's economic governance framework and a crisis of legitimacy across the union. While the institutional repercussions of the crisis have been studied before, the democratic impact at the national level has received much less attention. This paper aims to fill this gap, focusing on the procedural changes that the EU's new economic governance (NEG) framework has brought to national budgetary decision‐making. Building upon the Varieties of Democracy framework, the paper adds empirical nuance and conceptual clarity to the notion of 'throughput legitimacy' and its components: openness, inclusiveness, transparency and accountability. Detailed case studies of post‐crisis Austria, Italy and Portugal show that the NEG improved access to national budgetary decision‐making and enhanced executive scrutiny, while excessive complexity remains the Achilles' heel of EU fiscal rules. We submit that these procedural changes are too meaningful to be overlooked in post‐crisis debates about EU democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines whether and how the European Semester has influenced structural reforms in member states. It does so by analysing the interaction between the Commission and the national bureaucratic and political levels. The paper presents two process‐tracing exercises with a focus on those actors that directly worked with the CSRs to assess the political dynamics underpinning the CSR implementation process. First, it examines the more nuanced and indirect effects the Semester had on the liberalization of professions in Italy. Second, it shows how the debate on wage indexation in Belgium turned around over the years and how the Semester was an important factor in introducing reform. The analysis shows the influence of the Semester in terms of issue salience and agenda setting, but it also shows how the Commission can exert real pressure. This pressure may in turn affect the EU's perceived legitimacy, which holds lessons for the Semester's post‐pandemic transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that the current abortion regulation by Law 194/1978 is an inadequate basis for the provision of good quality abortion care and must be reformed. First, the paper explains why Law 194/1978 creates a hyper‐regulatory regime that is inconsistent with the best clinical evidence and practices in the field as well as relevant international human rights law, as outlined in the World Health Organization's (WHO) 2022 Abortion Care Guideline. Second, it highlights gaps between what the law says and what happens in practice, pointing out how the everyday life of Law 194/1978, especially in the practices of gynecologists, is far removed from international standards of quality abortion care and has yet to comply with international human rights law. Third, it sets out some alternative routes to abortion access "outside" Law 194/1978. Finally, it concludes with some suggestions for a change in the practice of gynecology and a call for the reform of Law 194/1978, in favor of a bodily autonomy model of regulation grounded on decriminalization, demedicalization, dehospitalization, and self‐management to ensure compliance with the WHO standards and international human rights law. Synopsis: The paper evaluates the inconsistencies of current abortion regulation and clinical practice in Italy against the 2022 WHO Abortion Care Guideline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years sexualised drug use, usually referred to as chemsex, has become the object of intense media health‐related panic and increasing academic scrutiny. Critical social scientists have challenged pathologising perspectives, analysing the socio‐cultural and political economy dimensions of chemsex. Against the silence of geographers in this emerging field, the paper develops a geographical relational analysis of chemsex, focusing on the experiences of gay men living with HIV in two Italian cities (Bologna; Milan) and Italian gay men living with HIV in three English cities (Leicester; London; Manchester). Demonstrating the constitutive role of place in the practice of chemsex, the paper frames place relationally, that is, as the encounter between here and there, the material and the virtual, imagined geographies and lived spaces. To emphasise the central role of place and geographical knowledge to understand chemsex, the paper builds on 'weak theory', as it conceives things as open, entangled, connected and in flux, while focusing on ordinary practices and heterogeneity in more‐than‐human worlds. Showing how chemsex represents an embodied, relational geographical encounter among different human and non‐human actors, places (both physical and digital), imaginations and desires, the paper highlights the role of sexual practices in the relational construction of place‐making, therefore calling for an increased engagement with sex itself within the field of geographies of sexualities. The paper introduces a relational geographical perspective to the analysis of chemsex. Demonstrating the constitutive role of place in the practice of chemsex, the paper frames place relationally, i.e. as the encounter between here and there, the material and the virtual, imagined geographies and lived spaces. The paper calls for an increased engagement with the materiality of sex within the field of geographies of sexualities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper depicts a Covid science case, that of the AstraZeneca Vaxzevria vaccine, with specific focus on what happened in Italy. Given that we believe acknowledging the role of non‐evidential factors in medicine is an important insight into the recent philosophy of science, we illustrate how in the case of Vaxzevria, the interplay between facts, values (both epistemic and non‐epistemic) and cognitive biases may have possibly led to different institutional decisions based on the same evidence. The structure of the paper is as follows. First, we provide a glossary of the relevant terms involved, that is to say, epistemic values, non‐epistemic values and cognitive biases. Second, we sketch a timeline of Vaxzevria's approvals and suspensions by relevant institutional healthcare authorities with special focus on Italy and the Italian Medicines Agency. Then we show the interplay between the evidence base, epistemic as well as non‐epistemic values and cognitive biases using a narrative review of political decisions along with newspaper and social media content pertaining to Vaxzevria. We briefly compare Italy with other European countries to show that different political decisions were made on the basis of the same evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on Covid‐19 has demonstrated that frontline workers use different coping strategies and engage in sense‐making to address negative emotions. However, we know little about the underlying process of sense‐making. Thus, this paper uses institutional logics to investigate how sense‐making of negative emotions is enabled and constrained. This analysis draws on a diary written by a nurse at an Italian hospital, which represents an account of the emotions experienced by medical staff. The analysis identifies a set of enablers and disablers of sense‐making, as well as, the patterns that alleviate and intensify frontline workers' emotions. Based on these findings and evidence of the Covid‐task force at Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital in Bergamo, Italy, this paper illustrates Critical Systems Heuristics as a means to address the disablers of sense‐making through participatory conversations that consider different institutional logics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares several methods for constructing weekly nowcasts of recession probabilities in Italy, with a focus on the most recent period of the Covid-19 pandemic. The common thread of these methods is that they use, in different ways, the information content provided by financial market data. In particular, a battery of probit models are estimated after extracting information from a large dataset of more than 130 financial market variables observed at a weekly frequency. The accuracy of these models is explored in a pseudo out-of-sample nowcasting exercise. The results demonstrate that nowcasts derived from probit models estimated on a large set of financial variables are, on average, more accurate than those delivered by standard probit models estimated on a single financial covariate, such as the slope of the yield curve. The proposed approach performs well even compared with probit models estimated on single time series of real economic activity variables, such as industrial production, business tendency survey data or composite PMI indicators. Overall, the financial indicators used in this paper can be easily updated as soon as new data become available on a weekly basis, thus providing reliable early estimates of the Italian business cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There is limited basic research on carbon dioxide (CO2) fractional laser, indicating blind spots in CO2 fractional laser treatment of certain diseases. This study aimed to organize previous literature, summarize the current research, and speculate on possible future development. Methods: We searched document data on fractional CO2 lasers from the Web of Science core collection database and retrieved 928 articles from 2004 to 2021. CiteSpace software was used to analyze the main institutions, authors, subject hotspots, and research frontiers in global CO2 fractional laser research. Results: The results revealed that 928 related papers were published in the past 18 years (2004–2021), and the number has increased annually. The publications were written by 3239 authors from 626 institutions in 60 countries/regions. The United States (US) dominates this field (312 documents), followed by Italy (289), and South Korea (88). Lasers in Surgery and Medicine is the journal with the most publications and citations, and Uebelhoer is the central author. The main research hotspots include vulvovaginal atrophy, fractional photothermolysis, keloids, drug delivery, gene expressions, facial acne scarring, resurfacing, vitiligo, and photo damage. Conclusion: Using CiteSpace, this paper draws a map of authors, institutions, and keywords in fractional CO2 laser from 2004 to 2021; summarizes the main authors, institutions, research hotspots, and cutting‐edge topics of global fractional CO2 laser technology in recent years; and summarizes the current application status of global fractional CO2 laser in disease treatment. It also provides new ideas for the future application and research of fractional CO2 lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous research, although scarce, has indicated that the general public is still relatively unaware of developmental language disorder (DLD), one of the most common (neuro)developmental disorders. Raising awareness would increase timely involvement in intervention procedures. Aims: To examine public awareness of DLD in the neighbouring countries of Croatia, Italy and Slovenia, as well as to assess the influence of age, gender and education level on that awareness. Also, to investigate public knowledge about the professionals who recognize DLD and to compare the awareness of DLD with that of other (neuro)developmental disorders in childhood. Methods & Procedures: A convenience sample of adults living in the countries of the Adriatic region—Croatia (N = 92), Italy (N = 105) and Slovenia (N = 90)—were asked to fill out a paper‐and‐pencil questionnaire (public survey) developed within the Working Group 3 of the COST Action IS1406. Responses were analysed quantitatively as a function of age, gender, education level and country using the t‐test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Outcomes & Results: Public awareness of DLD is still unsatisfactory in all three countries. Around 70% of respondents reported having heard of DLD; however, only around 20% of Croatian, 40% of Italian and 5% of Slovenian respondents provided an adequate definition of DLD. Differences in research and clinical traditions may explain the observed variations amongst the three countries. Education level was the only variable that was significantly associated with an awareness of DLD in Croatia and Italy: there, more educated people showed a higher awareness and more correct knowledge, which was not found in the Slovenian sample. Respondents generally perceived speech and language pathologists (SLPs) as the professionals responsible for recognizing DLD. Finally, people possess the highest awareness of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), while the awareness of DLD and other (neuro)developmental disorders is equally low. Conclusions & Implications: Public awareness of DLD varies substantially among the three countries, but there is space for improvement in each of them. The findings of this study build on the existing data from the international group of collaborators, and argue for well‐planned, systematic awareness‐raising activities in the region. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject: DLD is one of the most common (neuro)developmental disorders, yet it is not well known to the general public. This low awareness hinders timely recognition and adequate intervention, which can have negative psychosocial and emotional consequences for affected individuals. It is known that the awareness of any disorder can depend on one's demographic characteristics, but levels of awareness of DLD are still not examined in detail. What this study adds to existing knowledge: Public awareness of DLD is moderate in Croatia, Italy and Slovenia, but many individuals who report having heard of it appear to misunderstand what it actually is. Of various demographic factors tested, only education significantly influenced public awareness in Croatia and Italy, where more educated people possess greater knowledge. Moreover, respondents generally perceived SLPs as professionals responsible for recognizing DLD. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: Professionals and researchers should focus on raising DLD awareness in the general public of these three countries, and may need to target different demographic groups accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) implantation has significantly modified the natural history of patients at high risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in various types of heart diseases. However there is a high rate of psychological distress and reduced quality of life in patients with an ICD, more evident in younger individuals. The ICD removal upon patient request is a very rare event and causes many clinical and ethical issues. Methods: The article discusses the case of a young patient affected by hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, who underwent implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation as a primary prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Two years after the implantation, the patient repeatedly requested removal of the ICD due to of a significant and untreatable psychological device intolerance. Results: Intervention became possible only after extensive psychological evaluation, which excluded specific pathology, and the ratification of Italian law 219/2017 on informed consent and advance directives, which guarantees the patient's independent decisions on current and future medical treatment. The explantation was performed 7 years after the implant. The patient is alive and in good health. Conclusions: The paper debates the issues related to establishing a patient–physician relationship based on respect for the patient's autonomy and experience of illness, in reference to principles such as beneficence and non‐maleficence, and the conflicts that sometimes arise between them. If a paternalistic approach in the patient–physician relationship evolves into a patient‐centered model, it is more certain that the patient's choice is realistically known and shared, and that it is consistent with the patient's values and life goals. The shared decision making (SDM) process and the use of pathology‐specific decision aids are able to transform the informed consent tool, usually related to medical‐legal issues, into an aid for true partnership between the patient and the medical care team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a research paper on the link between physical performance and long-term survival in a cohort of community-dwelling older people from the "Aging and Longevity in the Sirente Geographic Area" study. Topics discussed include the methods used in the study, the definition of long-term survival, and the implications of the study for assessing mortality risk in octogenarians.

This paper draws on a subsample (N = 851) of respondents to ITA.LI—Italian Lives—a recently established panel study on a probability sample of individuals aged 16+ living in Italy—to track changes in the affective (positive and negative emotions such as energy and sadness) and cognitive (life satisfaction) components of well‐being during different COVID‐19 policy phases, classified according to the severity of key government responses. An event‐study design is employed, which uses mixed‐effects ordered logistic models to investigate the change in SWB scores. Given the nested nature of the data, multilevel modeling is chosen as the most appropriate method of analysis. The results reveal the levels of affective and cognitive well‐being were significantly lower during the lockdown period than before the pandemic outbreak potentially reflecting both the direct effects of the confinement and other potential sources of distress, such as trends in infection rates and related media alarm. Once the lockdown was lifted, there was no evidence of an immediate and general improvement in well‐being. In the following policy phase, with the lifting of most containment measures, there were significant signs of full recovery concerning energy, but the scores for the other well‐being components remained relatively lower than those observed before the onset of COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between Halal certification and corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosures in Italian food and beverage companies. We employ an explorative method using content analysis, followed by chi‐square test, correlation analysis, and a multivariate regression to address the research objectives. We find a relationship between being a Halal or non‐Halal company and CSR disclosures. Additionally, there is a significant and positive relationship between Halal certified CSR firms' disclosure index and return on investment. The paper reveals that companies with Halal certificates have a greater tendency towards CSR. The results are relevant for academics and practitioners. To the best of our knowledge, our paper strengthens the discussion on halal certification and CSR scientifically. Additionally, our results are useful for practitioners as managers and entrepreneurs, to understand halal certification's value and its link with the environmental, economic and social space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pediatric renal transplantation has been heavily published since the 1950s. Herein, we describe the bibliometrics and impact of the 200 most‐cited pediatric renal transplantation manuscripts. Methods: We identified pediatric renal transplantation publications from 1900 onwards. Year, citations, h‐index, geographic origin, impact factor, topic, and design of the 200 top‐cited papers were extracted. Impact index was calculated, adjusting for citation volume and time since publication. Results: Of the top 200 papers, mean citation count was 80 ± 40, impact factor 3.9 ± 3.7, h‐index 35 ± 20, and impact index 25 ± 13. Studies were mostly retrospective (31%) or observational (32%). Most papers originated from the United States (58%), Germany (9%), and Italy (6%), which did not correlate with citation counts. Transplantation (18%), Pediatric Nephrology (16%), and American Journal of Transplantation (11%) had the highest publication volume, which did not correlate with citation count. The main topics were medical renal disease, drug monitoring, compliance, and viruses. Most of the top‐cited papers (179; 90%) were published after 1991. The difference in the number of times cited between papers published before and after 1991 was insignificant (75 ± 24 vs 80 ± 42; P = 0.59). There was a difference in impact index for the same period (48 ± 15 vs 22 ± 10; P < 0.01). Conclusions: The most‐cited papers were concentrated in three journals, but the top three cited papers were published elsewhere. Recent publications were more cited with a higher impact than older papers. Despite the importance of surgery in transplantation, there is a paucity of high‐impact papers on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since massive numbers of photovoltaic (PV) modules are expected to be discarded in the next decades, it is important to think about end‐of‐life management for those PV modules and to include re‐use next to recycling. However, the re‐use of decommissioned PV modules is a quite complex subject since there are requirements from technical, economic, environmental and legislative point of view. An evaluation of possible applications for second‐hand PV modules showed that currently, the use of these PV modules in high‐income countries is only interesting for specific applications. These are the replacement of some defect modules to repair PV systems (that usually still receive feed‐in tariff) or the replacement of all PV modules for either a low‐cost extension of system lifetime or the repowering of severely underperforming systems. For low‐income countries, second‐hand PV modules are interesting to build new small to medium size PV systems (often off‐grid). The typical decommissioned PV module is a crystalline silicon glass‐backsheet module from a utility power plant. Most PV modules originate from plants that have been partly damaged by severe weather or from repowered plants that did not receive feed‐in tariff (anymore). Currently, technical requirements to qualify potentially re‐usable PV modules for re‐use are lacking. In the legislation also, a clear criterion for a PV module to be considered functional is needed, since it is not an easy yes/no situation like for a typical electronic device. In this paper, guidelines for a low‐cost quality inspection and cost‐effective PV module repair are given. It is proposed to set a clear performance threshold at 70% of the original power for a PV module to be not considered as waste. With this paper, we aim to open the dialogue on a commonly accepted re‐certification protocol and threshold values. Currently, the worldwide re‐use market size is estimated to be around 1 GWp/year, of which 0.3 GWp/year is originating from Europe (mainly Germany, with Italy rapidly coming up). Many second‐hand PV modules are shipped to developing countries without recycling facilities which might create the risk of disposal on the longer term. To create a healthy and sustainable market for second‐hand PV modules, it will be important that evaluation standards for potentially re‐usable PV modules become available and that the existing electronic waste legislation will be adapted for energy‐generating products like PV modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper empirically investigates the effects of services imports and exports on firm employment. We use microdata on Italian firms for the period 2009–2017. Applying a shift‐share instrumental variable approach, we show that services imports and exports have a positive impact on total employment. This finding holds for managers, white‐collar workers, and blue‐collar workers. We also show that services exports are particularly effective in increasing employment of "servitized" manufacturing firms as well as of companies that are deeply integrated into international services markets. Overall, this paper suggests that firm employment might largely benefit from the services trade dimension of globalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper aims to describe and discuss the significance of the social policy measures implemented in Southern European countries—Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain—in response to the first wave of COVID‐19. Our analysis covers interventions from 1 March to June 30, 2020. Despite significant differences in how the COVID‐19 pandemic spread—with Italy and Spain experiencing much higher rates of infection and lethality—Southern European economies are among the most hard‐hit—and are likely to find themselves in the eye of the storm, once more. The paper shows that despite differences in how countries have countered the spread of COVID‐19, there are important commonalities in the actions governments took to counteract the economic impact of the pandemic. Foremost efforts were directed at wage subsidy schemes to contain mass job destruction, additional temporary benefits to compensate self‐employed and other non‐standard workers for the loss of earnings; the expansion of unemployment insurance; and finally, the introduction and/or strengthening of schemes to provide support to families with care responsibilities. The scale of the social policy and employment protection response has nevertheless been constrained by the fiscal position of each individual country in the post‐Euro crisis context. We argue that, in the long run, the response capacity of these governments and the social and economic consequences of this crisis will need to be contextualised against the backdrop of the deep and prolonged impact of austerity‐driven measures on public budgets, production and welfare regimes over the last decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a general seismic classification procedure for acceleration‐sensitive non‐structural elements (NSEs) based on seismic qualification shake table testing and provides an application example for electrical cabinets in Italy. The proposed seismic classification procedure requires the definition of a set of required response spectra (RRS) for qualification shake table testing defined at different seismic hazard levels and the definition of a formal procedure to generate a test input motion. Each required response spectrum at a given seismic hazard level is then linked to different class levels and the requirements that an NSE should present to achieve each class level are defined. Using this framework, a seismic classification procedure for NSEs is developed for Italy, in which, the RRS are defined according to a peak floor spectral acceleration seismic hazard map of the territory so as to predefine regions in which an NSE belonging to a given class can be installed or not according to either a life safety performance objective or a continuous operation performance objective. Also, the limitations of the proposed seismic classification procedure are outlined. Finally, a nominal application example is presented in which four electrical cabinet specimens were tested on a shake table and their class levels were defined. The results of the application example are used to nominally show how the proposed classification procedure could be applied to discriminate between different types of the same NSE depending on the specific desired application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several methodologies allow for the detection and mapping of existing sinkholes in order to asses and manage the associated hazards and risks. These phenomena, linked to the presence of soluble rocks, are well known globally as they can cause severe damage to man‐made structures. In this paper, we propose an integrated method applied to a test‐site area in NE Italy where, on May 11 2017, a failure shaped like a sinkhole, suddenly occurred along a main regional road, which then had to be closed to traffic in part as a result of a landslide developing on the slope just upstream from the surface depression which had already formed. The slope was reprofiled, a paved barrier was placed at the toe of the slope, and the road itself was finally repaired and restored. In the test site, a detailed morphological and geological survey was performed, as well as several integrated multi‐scale geophysical investigations, both in correspondence to the sinkhole location and in surrounding areas where other depressions were found. Results confirm the absence of large cavities down to the maximum investigated depth and highlighted a complex geological situation with abrupt lateral variations, a straight correlation between different geomorphological and geological elements, and the role of water paths. Geophysical investigations were found to be a useful tool to monitor the future evolution of the identified phenomena and to prevent further collapses and disasters along roads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data for Italy from 1994 to 2015, we appraise the nexus between Basel II and III accords and both the cost and the profit inefficiency of profit‐oriented and mutual cooperative banks. Our analysis further deals with the effects of the regulation in different market structures. To assess the efficiency of the two types of banks under scrutiny, a stochastic frontier approach has been proposed. The evidence reported in this paper indicates that the regulatory framework of the Basel accords had heterogeneous effects on the efficiency of Italian banking institutions. Specifically, Basel II is associated with a contraction in the profit inefficiency and an increase in the cost inefficiency for mutual cooperative banks. On the other hand, Basel III worsened the profit inefficiency, though it is found to reduce the profit inefficiency of mutual cooperative banks, with no significant impact on cost inefficiency. Furthermore, once we control for the degree of market competition, the effects of the regulation are shown to be statistically insignificant. The advent of the 2008 recession and the application of the revenue inefficiency do not alter the main findings. There is also some evidence of spatial effects of the Basel II regulation at the LMA level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent collapses of existing bridges occurred worldwide demonstrated the need of risk mitigation strategies. The failure of existing bridges can be attributed to many reasons: unexpected external actions due to both natural and anthropogenic catastrophes, materials degradation, increased traffic loads, inadequate original design or construction, lack of maintenance. In this context, it is remarkable that a significant percentage of the existing infrastructures has reached its nominal service life, requiring the allocation of relevant resources for their assessment, repair and upgrading. This study investigates the structural performance of a Maillart bridge built in 1960s in the South‐East of Italy. Due to its exposure close to the sea, the bridge has been subjected to a significant degradation, which asked strengthening interventions over the years. A detailed survey and tests were performed to investigate the mechanical properties of structural materials and detailing. A structural analysis was led by considering the original configuration and the retrofitted one. The results of the numerical analyses are shown and discussed in the paper, also by assessing the safety levels of the bridge and the effectiveness of the strengthening interventions occurred during the service life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]