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Although the relationship between religion and football has gained considerable interest during the last twenty years, scant attention has been paid to the relationship between pilgrimage and football. This paper seeks to advance the study of this relationship through an exploration of collective memory about football disasters that throws fresh light on central themes within pilgrimage studies—pilgrimage as both a journey to a sacred place and the performance of diverse rituals at such places. The paper explores, in particular, the ways in which three different tragedies involving English football clubs have been commemorated through journeys to and ritual performance at places seen as sacred to those involved in commemoration—football stadiums and urban spaces, and cathedrals and pilgrimage shrines in England, Germany and Italy. Through this analysis, we seek to show how the commemoration of football disaster is linked to pilgrimage as a process where people seek healing and reconciliation through the public performance of rituals that link the local to the global. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There has been limited research on why football clubs contribute to charity. This paper examines how football clubs and their charitable conduits report information when discussing their connectedness. In addition, it explores reasons why, and the extent to which, football clubs support altruism via such charitable vehicles. Design/methodology/approach: Case studies of four major football teams (Manchester City/Manchester United in England and AC Milan/Inter Milan in Italy) are discussed, with formal reports of the clubs and their associated charitable conduits being analysed. Findings: Boundaries between the clubs and their charitable conduits are frequently blurred. Evidence suggests that acknowledging the co-existence of different factors may help to understand what is reported by these organisations and address some of the caveats in terms of autonomy and probity of their activities and reporting practices. Research limitations/implications: The research uses case studies of four major 'powerhouses' of the game and their associated charitable spinoffs. While this is innovative and novel, expanding the research to investigate more clubs and their charitable endeavours would allow greater generalisations. Practical implications: The study provides material that can be used to reflect on the very topical subject of 'sportswashing'. This has the potential to input to deliberations relating to the future governance of the game. Originality/value: The paper explores relationships between businesses and charities/nonprofits in a sector so far little investigated from a charitable accountability perspective. It suggests that motives for engaging in charitable activity and highlighting such engagement may extend beyond normal altruism or warm-glow emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the role of collective memory in the protection of "traditional" sociocultural and symbolic aspects of football vis-à-vis the processes of commodification and globalization. Empirical evidence that underpins the analysis is drawn from a multisite ethnographic study of football fan activism in the Czech Republic, Italy, and England, as well as at the European level. The authors argue that collective memory represents a significant component of the supporters' mobilization and is related to the protection of specific football sites of memory, including club names, logos, colors, places, heroes, tragedies, and histories. The authors further explain that collective memory operates through three interconnected dimensions: embedded collective memory, transcendent collective memory, and the collective memory of contentious politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the very beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the act of loading shopping carts more than usual materialized as a sensible choice for most shoppers. Yet, stockpiling was constructed in parallel to the social pathologizing of so-called panic buying. Panic buyers emerged as supermarket "loose cannons" who seemed to create an "indecorous" spectacle out of what is usually considered an unremarkable act of everyday life. In this context, through the disjunctive comparison of experiences of grocery shopping in Italy and England, this paper looks at material cultures of preparedness and moral cosmologies of everyday consumption as they acquired social salience during the first few months of the Covid-19 pandemic (from March to June 2020). The rupture of everydayness allowed to appreciate the ritualistic aspects of grocery shopping and highlight their role in the temporal, social and moral ordering of everyday life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is commonly defined as a transitional subclinical state between normal aging and dementia. A growing body of research indicates that health behaviors may play a protective role against cognitive decline and could potentially slow down the progression from MCI to dementia. The aim of this study is to conduct a bibliometric analysis of literature focusing on health behaviors and MCI to summarize the factors and evidence regarding the influence of health behaviors on MCI. Methods: The study performed a bibliometric analysis by retrieving publications from the Science Citation Index and Social Sciences Citation Index subdatabases within the Web of Science Core Collection. Utilizing VOSviewer and CiteSpace software, a total of 2,843 eligible articles underwent co-citation, cokeywords, and clustering analyses. This methodology aimed to investigate the current status, trends, major research questions, and potential future directions within the research domain. Results: The bibliometric analysis indicates that research on healthy behaviors in individuals with MCI originated in 2002 and experienced rapid growth in 2014, reflecting the increasing global interest in this area. The United States emerged as the primary contributor, accounting for more than one-third of the total scientific output with 982 articles. Journals that published the most articles on MCI-related health behaviors included "Journal of Alzheimer's Disease," "Neurobiology of Aging," "Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience," and other geriatricsrelated journals. High-impact papers identified by VOSviewer predominantly cover concepts related to MCI, such as diagnostic criteria, assessment, and multifactorial interventions. Co-occurrence keyword analysis highlights five research hotspots in health behavior associated with MCI: exercise, diet, risk factors and preventive measures for dementia, cognitive decline-related biomarkers, and clinical trials. Conclusion: This study provides a comprehensive review of literature on health behavior in individuals with MCI, emphasizing influential documents and journals. It outlines research trends and key focal points, offering valuable insights for researchers to comprehend significant contributions and steer future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human geographers have analyzed the co-constitutive relationship between race, gender and sexualities across different spaces and social contexts and have called for intersectional approaches in discussions of identities, power and space. This article applies an intersectional framework to the processes of sexualization, racialization and exoticization that shape the daily lives and erotic/romantic encounters experienced and narrated by participants to two different projects: gay and bisexual men from a North African background living in Belgium; Italian gay men living in England; non-White gay men living in Italy. By discussing qualitative data collected during interviews with these men, and through a continued dialogue about this data between the authors, the paper explores both the effects of these processes on the lives of participants, and the strategies they enact to navigate their social worlds. The focus is on two elements, central to participants' narratives: the specificity of the intersectional experience of encountering men who expect a specifically gendered and racialized performance based on 'roughness' and 'wildness', and the capitalization on these exoticizing and racializing images to increase one's desirability on the dating/hook-up scene and everyday social and work life. By highlighting these elements, this paper shows the importance of applying an intersectional approach to analyses of the entanglements of racialization and sexualization in order to complicate linear accounts of these processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this commentary paper is to analyze the burst of joy experienced by global football fans when England lost the final match during the Euro 2020 against Italy. Design/methodology/approach: The author worked with netnography (Internet ethnography), gathering material from the internet. Findings: The author would consider the emotional explosion as a creative expression that was possible to happen through football. Football is not only a part of popular culture, it also creates it. It acted as a platform allowing for emotional engagement and covering different issues connected to global politics. Research limitations/implications: It is just a small study based on very limited material (Internet sources). However, it highlights every-day use of Internet and the possible amplification of certain sentiments if allowed. Practical implications: Methodologically, it shows how Internet sources might be used when connected to football. It also provides an insight how Internet users can exchange opinions using sports (e.g. football) as a background. Social implications: This text highlights that football can be used as a platform do express/discuss difficult issues and that average citizens can be heard just because the platform is football. Originality/value: To the author's knowledge there is no academic text with this issue in focus yet. [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]

Human mortality has been improving faster than expected over the past few decades. This unprecedented improvement has caused significant financial stress to pension plan sponsors and annuity providers. The widely recognized Lee–Carter model often assumes linearity in its period effect as an integral part of the model. Nevertheless, deviation from linearity has been observed in historical mortality data. In this paper, we investigate the applicability of four nonlinear time-series models: threshold autoregressive model, Markov switching model, structural change model, and generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity model for mortality data. By analyzing the mortality data from England and Wales and Italy spanning the years 1900 to 2019, we compare the goodness of fit and forecasting performance of the four nonlinear models. We then demonstrate the implications of nonlinearity in mortality modeling on the pricing of longevity bonds as a practical illustration of our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to verify the theoretical assumption about a weaker role of internal governance structures (namely, board and CEO) in determining sporting and financial performances in highly concentrated club ownership environment. Design/methodology/approach: Using data from the Italian and English football clubs playing in their national top divisions, over the period 2006–2015, the authors apply agency theory, property rights theory and win maximization logic to test the absence of a significant impact of internal governance structures on financial performances and clubs' sporting performance. Ownership structure's variables are used as control variable. Findings: Empirical findings document an overall poor impact of board structure and CEO features on financial performances, in comparison with the influence of ownership structure; the consolidation of win maximization logic of clubs' owners has been demonstrated in this specific context. However, the authors found that some internal governance elements have also an impact on performance even if their contribute is limited: board size results negatively associated to club profitability, board independence and CEO tenure are positively related to sporting performance; in addition, CEO tenure also increases profitability. Originality/value: The originality of the paper lies on the contribution arising from this empirical research, since a scarcity of empirical studies analyzing the correlation between internal governance and performance in European football sector is noticed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary school homework is a common practice internationally, historically viewed as an independent child activity, but more recently recognised as a family accomplishment. Parental involvement in homework has been principally discussed in relation to general and fixed typologies, with parent behaviours categorised into pre‐defined ‘types’. This paper challenges that framing by theorising homework as an interactional event. It illustrates that parental involvement is not simply determined by parents’ involvement ‘type’; rather, as an interactional exercise, homework is negotiated in‐the‐moment by parent and child, in linguistic, embodied and material ways. Based on a corpus of 74 video‐recorded homework sessions collected in England and Italy, and adopting discourse analysis, the article reveals that parents display their understanding of what counts as ‘appropriate involvement’ and, at the same time, locally negotiate this with their children, often adapting their involvement practices to meet children's explicit or implicit requests. We present this phenomenon as a ‘flexible line of involvement’ which can shift during each interaction, according to local negotiations embedded within the homework encounter. This shapes the unfolding event, as the parent's moment‐by‐moment responses to their child may result in them ‘crossing the line’. By demonstrating the locally negotiated fluidity of parental involvement, this article highlights the complexity of parent–child primary homework, moving beyond common assumptions that homework is either a lone child's activity, a task solely shaped by schools, or the result of fixed types of parental involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, several European countries have undergone reforms that modified the distribution of allocated powers and/or the geographical area of intervention of local authorities. This paper focuses on the institution of metropolitan governments. National legislative and executive powers usually claim that they want to provide densely urbanized areas with a more integrative level of action. As a result, the public authorities in large cities would get a greater capacity to deal with issues such as economic growth, increased soil sealing, socio-spatial inequalities, etc. This paper explores the motivations and forms of such metropolitan reforms in three European countries within the last decade, with the creation of Combined Authorities in England, of métropoles in France and of citta metropolitane in Italy. We argue that the forms of metropolitan government that have emerged in the three countries are embedded in very different institutional systems (Section 2). Considering the strategies of key protagonists, we show that the new modes of governance differ across and sometimes within countries (Section 3). In particular, the spatiality and the autonomy of the new metropolitan governments vary in the three countries (Section 4). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on two experiences of undertaking comparative research in England, Sweden and Italy, and offers a discussion of the kinds of dilemmas raised in relation to language and meaning surfaced by these. Its primary focus is to examine the reflexive construction of meaning, both in relation generally to the workings of an international research team and, more specifically, how such construction of meaning impacts on the process of qualitative interviewing across linguistic and cultural boundaries. The article argues that a culture of reflexive research practice is helpful for approaching national differences, to facilitate understanding in internationally mixed research teams and to support and empower participants in research, in second languages and differing cultures. Overall, the paper attempts to advance some tentative ideas that other international researchers may be able to consider and deploy in relation to their own research ambitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food sector is subject to illegal practices of various types such as adulteration or exploitation of labour. In the media and public discourse, this phenomenon is often associated to activities by organised crime groups. Drawing on a socio-legal empirical study on the perception and conceptualisation of food crime in English and Italian public institutions, this paper unpacks the involvement of organised crime and mafia-type actors in the food sector. Considering data collected through in-depth interviews with representatives of law enforcement and other public authorities, supported by documentary sources, this research points out that, from both an institutional perspective that narrowly conceptualises as food crime as food fraud, as well as from a wider perspective that addresses other practices happening in the food sector, organised crime is involved in food crime. By referring to the English and Italian cases, and by merging different bodies of literature, such as green criminology and enterprise theory, this article advocates for conceptual clarity when referring to the involvement of corporate crime, organised crime and mafia-type groups active in the food sector. In so doing, it presents and reflects upon 'organised food crime' as a new socio-legal category and highlights its policy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst the link between young people's well‐being and the creative arts is strengthening, there is a lack of research which focuses on the roles that artists play to help teachers and parents engage young people in the creative arts. This paper explores the benefits of and barriers to artists working in education in six European countries (England, Iceland, Germany, Greece, Italy and Austria). Using the '5A's model of creativity' and a view of professional development taking place within 'landscapes of practice', the data were analysed in order to explain how creativity is operationalised in the different contexts. Our study highlights the need for policy at a national and transnational level to value the creative arts in order to help teachers cross boundaries and utilise the full potential of the creative arts in schools. Our study also highlights that further research is needed into how artists shape teaching and curriculum and how schools engage parents in the creative arts in order to build an evidence‐base relating to young people's positive mental health that can affect policy at these levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the role of city leadership in the current multilevel governance settings and provides a conceptual framework for understanding the main elements of city leadership. Forms of political, managerial and civic leadership have been distinguished within city leadership and the main actors, structures, processes and followership patterns are examined using Italy and the UK as starting points of comparison. This comparative framework sheds a light on some common and different features in the city leadership patterns in Italy and the UK, such as the cross-cutting and multilayered administrative context for public service delivery; the common trend towards strengthening the executive side of political leadership rather than the representative one; the growing relevance of forms of civic leadership as a trigger for creating public and social value and for enhancing the resilience of the territories. Main differences deal instead with the role of central government in defining the role of city leaders, where Italy seems to experience a return towards greater centralization and controls, and the UK is experiencing an opposite trend towards the empowerment of local communities. Finally, the paper sets out some future directions for the research agenda on city leadership we are seeking to pursue. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) legislative intervention around "home-grown" player quotas came into effect for the 2006-2007 season, aiming to protect playing opportunities and the development of indigenous talent. Previous research has identified clear differences between clubs and club types regarding opportunities for academy players. This paper aims to examine the outputs from six European leagues (France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain and England), identifying differences between national associations, club type, and on an individual club level. The paper investigates different league structure (in terms of allowing reserve teams in the professional leagues) and assesses UEFAs legislation in relation to programme theory (expected outcomes). Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on playing data from 200 clubs and 3,329 indigenous players making their debut in one of the six leagues since 2006, and includes ten seasons of competition to 2015-2016. Findings: The number of players produced and playing opportunities offered since 2006 are more prominent in the Spanish, The Netherlands, French and German leagues compared to Italy and England. For those clubs competing in all ten seasons, a similar pattern emerges with those four nations producing greater outputs. Four clubs significantly outperform others in terms of producing players reaching any top-six league first team, and for their own academy graduates. Additionally, the four leagues allowing reserve teams in their professional structure have a higher level of "output" for their academy players. Originality/value: The paper discusses issues in the design of the legislation (not making nationality a factor and being unable to control other dominant variables) as key weaknesses to influencing change, and achieve the rationale cited by UEFA for its introduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020 created dangerous public health conditions which pressured governments and health systems to respond in a rapid and effective manner. However, this type of rapid response required many governments to bypass standing; bureaucratic structures of health sector administration and political governance to quickly take; essential measures against a rapidly evolving public health threat. Each government's particular; configuration of governmental and health system decision-making created specific structural and functional challenges to these necessary centrally developed and coordinated strategies. Most East Asian governments (except Japan) succeeded relatively quickly in centralizing essential disease control and treatment initiatives in a timely manner. In contrast, a number of European countries, especially those with predominantly tax-based financing and politically managed health delivery systems, had greater difficulty in escaping bureaucratic governance and management constraints. Drawing on data about these governments' early stage COVID-19 control experiences, this article suggests that structural changes will be necessary if low-performing governments are to better respond to a pandemic. This paper also summarizes other relatively successful strategies. By adopting such strategies, nations can help overcome structural bureaucratic and administrative obstacles in responding to further waves of COVID-19 or similar future pandemic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2015 the discovery of meningeal (dural) lymphatics was announced to much fanfare. The journal Science named this the second most important discovery of the year! Yet, they had actually been well described two and a quarter centuries earlier, in Italy, England and Holland. However, there was controversy about their existence because of the difficulties in studying them, also addressed two and a quarter centuries earlier. Their study had generated a very large literature and they were "textbook" knowledge. The reasons for this neglect are discussed emphasizing the current scientific milieu and the changing modes of evaluating scientists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the entrenched and long-term nature of the Italian and English North/South divide, this has not always been considered a relevant scale at which to redress spatial inequalities. To explain this apparent conundrum, this paper has two interlinked aims: (1) to investigate why, how, for whom and when the North/South divide is held to be a relevant ‘policy geography’ and (2) to explain the accompanying debates about the internal geography of this North/South divide. To do this, the paper develops a cultural politics of scales approach that compares the discursive (re)construction of the North/South divide in Italy and England by focusing on key moments, particularly the Keynesian consensus after the Second World War and the more current turn to neoliberal policies. Two parallel trends are identified: that support for an interventionist state and regional subsidies to poorer regions has decreased and that the North/South divide as a dual national partition has been dissolved into a micro-diverse geography. The paper concludes that the North/South divide is a contested political geography interpreted in different ways and used as a ‘discursive device’ by different actors to fit wider political projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores a hitherto neglected strand of grammaticographical learning in the make-up of the first printed grammar of Welsh by Gruffydd Robert (c. 1527-1598), whose first booklet was printed in Milan in 1567. Research so far concentrated mainly on Robert's acquaintance with the (late) medieval grammatical tracts of the Welsh poets or with contemporary Italian approaches to language he encountered as a Catholic exile in Italy. Focussing on Robert's presentation and discussion of the parts of speech and their accidents, a dominant concern of traditional Latin grammar, close parallels can be shown to emerge with two contemporary grammars of Latin, the Shorte Introduction and the Brevissia Institutio, the authorized works for the teaching of Latin in England when Robert learnt Latin. These provide a benchmark for the assessment of his indebtedness to the larger Latinate tradition. The attempt to apply the Latin model to the structures of Welsh can run into problems, however, and instances of Robert's creative engagement with these will also be analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexualised drug use -usually referred to as chemsex- represents an established cultural practice among gay men in contemporary societies, mostly associated with home settings in urban areas. Against the reductionism of existing studies that conceptualize home as merely the location where chemsex occurs, the paper explores the ways in which the multidimensional character of home shapes chemsex experiences and cultures. Drawing on 25 interviews with gay men living with HIV who practice chemsex in England and Italy, the paper's analytical effort is organised around three points. The first concerns the pleasures and affects generated by practicing chemsex at home, blurring the private/public space divide. The second regards the specific (material) configurations of home spaces that enhance the experience of chemsex. The last sheds lights on the possibilities offered by chemsex parties in private homes, for some gay men, to spend time in types of housing that they aspire to but cannot realistically achieve, while encountering men who embody homonormative ideals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public participation in archaeological research is interpreted in various ways in different European states. Even though public participation is promoted by international organizations (e.g. UNESCO and Council of Europe) and the academic community, the extent to which the practitioners can implement these ideas is a matter of what is allowed (or encouraged) by cultural heritage legislation in every country, and of archaeologists' attitudes towards public engagement. This paper considers the English and Italian systems, and in particular the consequences that legislation has on fostering or forbidding public participation, especially in relation to archaeological field research. It will start with a brief comparison of the relationship between the state, archaeological management, and public participation in both countries, then it will examine the legislation regulating archaeological research in England and Italy, to compare the strengths and weaknesses of both systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: There is a growing consensus worldwide that palliative care needs to be both more inclusive of conditions other than cancer and to improve. This paper explores some common challenges currently faced by professionals providing palliative care for patients with either cancer or dementia across five countries. Method: One focus group (n = 7) and 67 interviews were conducted in 2012 across five countries: England, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway, with professionals from dementia, cancer and palliative care settings. Results: The interviews revealed five common challenges faced across the five countries: communication difficulties (between services; and between professionals, and patients and their families); the variable extent of structural/functional integration of services; the difficulties in funding of palliative care services; problematic processes of care (boundaries, definitions, knowledge, skills and inclusiveness) and, finally, time constraints. Conclusion: These are not problems distinct to palliative care, but they may have different origins and explanations compared to other areas of health care. This paper explored deeper themes hidden behind a discourse about barriers and facilitators to improving care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the cost-effectiveness of treating epilepsy with anti-epileptic medicines in autistic children, looking at impacts on healthcare providers (in England, Ireland, Italy and Spain) and children's families (in Ireland). We find carbamazepine to be the most cost-effective drug to try first in children with newly diagnosed focal seizures. For England and Spain, oxcarbazepine is the most cost-effective treatment when taken as additional treatment for those children whose response to monotherapy is suboptimal. In Ireland and Italy, gabapentin is the most cost-effective option. Our additional scenario analysis presents the aggregate cost to families with autistic children who are being treated for epilepsy: this cost is considerably higher than healthcare provider expenditure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to present the views of social work students from three different welfare regimes—Italy, Sweden, and England—and to analyze in what way at the end of their training they feel ready to practice. Primarily, it considers the findings of a comparative pilot study conducted in the three countries. Specifically, the paper initially offers general comments on the European context of standards of social work competence and how these impact on the countries involved here. It then briefly discusses the three different welfare regimes that these countries reflect. Social work education is then given some consideration, including reflection on similarities and differences in each curriculum. We then review examples of previous research on students' readiness to practice, also referencing models of competence previously developed. After this we look in detail at the research study itself, with a short discussion of its methodological—primarily phenomenological—approach and modest scope, before we consider tentative findings in relation to the themes of theory, practice, and personal growth. The paper concludes with reflections on levels of competence attained and how the research might best be extended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents several announcements which include the 2011GRAMMER European Spine Journal Award to be held in Milan, Italy from October 19-21, the 2010 2011GRAMMER European Spine Journal Award winning paper and the establishment of the new website of Oswestry Disability Index from an organization in England.

Various models of providing for the inclusion of children with disabilities and special needs exist in different European countries. Central to all these models is the notion that support for children and teachers is pivotal in ensuring effective inclusion. This article draws from three qualitative studies on the role, employment and deployment of support teachers in Italy and teaching assistants in England to examine similarities and differences between the two models of provision. The analysis of questionnaires and interviews show that, despite differences in relation to professional qualifications and responsibilities, both support teachers and TAs carry out similar supportive roles, but also share similar feelings of marginalisation, isolation and professional dissatisfaction. The paper raises questions about the effectiveness of providing support from additional adults when such adults are not fully included in the life of the school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article sets out to consider the tentative findings that have emerged from a comparative pilot study of the value given to their social work education by newly qualified social workers in England, Sweden and Italy. The overall aim of the research was to examine the subjective views of students from three contrasting welfare systems and three different degree programmes as to their preparedness for practice. The specific aim of this paper is to describe and analyse if and how a sense of professional identity is being developed and if perceptions of this differ between students coming from different welfare regimes. The project recorded and analysed the students' views on the cusp of starting their professional lives, and after one year of undertaking social work occupations. Further aims were to examine the role of theory teaching, placement opportunities, personal/professional "growth" and evaluative capacity in making these students "fit for practice" in specific welfare systems. The paper contextualises the research with discussion of the contemporary literature of professional identity in social work in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the Internet has become a place for participation, collaboration, and social exchange thanks to Web 2.0 tools. Museum websites are starting to incorporate these tools to involve audiences in ways that reach beyond the physical museum visit. This paper presents research exploring the extent to which museums in five countries (Italy, France, Spain, England, and the USA) have adopted Web 2.0 tools on their websites. Two hundred and forty museum websites belonging to four categories (arts, natural sciences, social sciences, and specialized) were analyzed, with results showing a low overall presence of Web 2.0 tools on museum websites, as well as significant differences in the use of Web 2.0 tools among countries and categories. The paper concludes with a discussion of the diversity of approaches in the use of Web 2.0 tools on museum websites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Joint winner of the ASMI essay prize 2008 The year of the Risorgimento, 1860, is associated with the 'Garibaldi moment', a time when the image of the radical revolutionary appeared to be 'depoliticised' in Britain. While recognising such a phenomenon, this article considers whether regional pockets escaped such a trend, analysing the case-study of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where strong links between Garibaldi and local radicals coloured public perceptions of the Italian hero. By scrutinising the unfolding of the 'Garibaldi moment' in this context a complex picture emerges, showing that, far from being a unifying 'depoliticised' figure, Garibaldi was a source of divisions within Newcastle society. Crucial in this division was George Crawshay's challenge to the recruitment of a British Legion to follow Garibaldi. By looking at the provincial press and examining the local reception of a variety of entertainments, it is argued that, while political engagement drove the enthusiasm of radical audiences, fashionable shows-devoid of political content-could not rely on Newcastle 'Garibaldimania'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-cultural studies are particularly relevant in the context of climate change, given its pervasive character and the growing demand for climate change mitigation at both global and local levels. This paper reports on findings from comparative cross-cultural mixed-methods research eliciting perceptions of the future among citizens in Norwich (UK) and Rome (Italy). The paper explores how individuals at the two locations interpret socio-economic and climate scenarios, and how they relate environmental change to human behavior. Attitude segmentation was found to be similar in both localities. Although most participants in both locations realized the benefits of a future centered on sustainable resource use and societal welfare, individuals' attitudes and considerations about the future were not largely influenced by the scenarios. Discussions revealed that the credibility of the projections depended on individuals' prior beliefs and their trust in the science portrayed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the publishing of poetry and other literary works by the English author Percy Bysshe Shelley in response to European news and events through newspapers in the early 1820s. Shelley's utilization of both English speaking newspapers in Italy as well as papers in London, England to carry his politically motivated works to the public is analyzed in detail.

This paper focuses on the evaluation of the therapeutic use of photocards by prisoners and facilitators in a counselling psychology led European project, based on responses to open-ended questionnaires. It is part of a wider project, involving seven partner organisations in six European countries (England, Finland, Greece, Italy, Malta and Romania), which developed and trialled four different approaches to using photography in the context of counselling in prisons. Of the 51 inmates that participated in the project, 48 (94%) completed the questionnaires; of those, 39 (77%) were available for individual analysis due to prison restrictions in one partner organisation only allowing group data. Of those 39, who returned their completed questionnaires, over 92% found the therapeutic use of photographs either very helpful (56.4%) or helpful (35.9%), and the remaining 7.7% described it as average. From the thematic analysis, main themes emerging regarding inmates’ experiences of working with photocards were that it: facilitates emotional expression and sharing; unlocks memories and reconnects with life outside; fosters insight, reflection and self-growth; breaks the monotony of prison life and, overall aids emotional learning. A thematic analysis of 11 psychological therapists/facilitators’ perspectives showed that the use of photocards: gives clients a voice; provides a safe and collaborative frame and a therapeutic relationship; and, provides a useful icebreaker, helpfully overcoming anxieties of both client and psychotherapist/facilitator. Overall, photocards were considered useful as their projective nature can help facilitate prisoners’ strong need for expression in a context where there are limited opportunities and trust is fragile. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Research involving children, deemed to have difficulties with conventional means of communication, can perpetuate reductive forms of representation of children's knowledges and experiences. This article focuses on the possibilities and opportunities that visual and creative methods can offer to researching with children. Children advance their views in and through spontaneous and concrete forms of participation. Autonomy in aesthetic acts is central to this methodology; to explore practices that produce and reproduce presuppositions deriving from societal attitudes affecting research with children, their agency and self-presentation. This cross-cultural study was conducted in Central Italy and North West England: children contributed their perspectives and experiences through participation in a series of creative encounters resulting in aesthetic and embodied outcomes of sociological and educational significance. The study contributes to the debate on children's autonomy and the value and quality of participation through artistic practice. Examples from the corpus of data, which includes a series of artefacts and over 900 photographs from each geo-cultural context, are presented. The study shows that it is possible to harmonise power imbalances in spaces of creative freedom, in research and education, where children's choices and agency are respected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard when comparing treatment effectiveness, and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) agencies state a clear preference for such direct comparisons. When these are not available, an indirect treatment comparison (ITC) is an alternative option. The objective of this study was to assess the acceptance of ITC methods by HTA agencies across England, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, using oncology cases for a homogeneous sample of HTA evaluations. Methods: The study was conducted on the PrismAccess database in May 2021 to retrieve HTA evaluation reports for oncology treatments for solid tumors, in which an ITC was presented. The analysis was restricted to HTA evaluation reports published between April 2018 and April 2021 in England, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Identified HTA evaluation reports were screened and reviewed by two independent reviewers. For each ITC presented, the methodology and its acceptance by the HTA agency were analyzed. Results: Five hundred and forty-three HTA evaluation reports were identified, of which 120 (22%) presented an ITC. This proportion was the highest in England (51%) and lowest in France (6%). The overall acceptance rate of ITC methods was 30%, with the highest in England (47%) and lowest in France (0%). Network meta-analysis (NMA; 23%) was the most commonly used ITC technique, with a 39% acceptance rate overall, followed by Bucher ITC (19%; 43% acceptance rate) and matching-adjusted indirect comparison (13%; 33% acceptance rate). The most common criticisms of the ITC methods from HTA agencies related to data limitations (heterogeneity and lack of data; 48% and 43%, respectively) and the statistical methods used (41%). Conclusions: The generally low acceptance rate of ITC methods by HTA agencies in oncology suggests that, whilst in the absence of a direct comparison ITCs may provide relevant evidence, this evidence is not widely considered sufficient for the purpose of HTA evaluations. The perception of ITC methods for the purpose of HTA evaluations varies substantially between countries. There is a need for further clarity on the properties of ITC techniques and the assessment of their results as ITC methods continue to evolve quickly and further techniques may become available in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet usage is a salient developmental factor in adolescents' lives. Although relevant correlates of Internet use have been documented earlier, there is a lack of information on lower socioeconomic status groups. This is important, as these adolescents have increased risk of negative online experiences. The current survey aimed to explore Internet use and parental involvement amongst adolescents from areas of socio-economic disadvantage in 30 urban schools across five European countries. A total of 2594 students participated, of whom 90% were 14–16 years. Virtually all adolescents of socioeconomic disadvantage had Internet access, with 88.5% reporting spending more than two hours per day online, often on apps such as Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. Almost one-third of adolescents did not talk with their parents about their Internet use and almost two-thirds indicated that their parents were only a little or not interested in their Internet use. A consistent finding across countries was that girls more often talked with their parents about their Internet use and more often reported that their parents were interested in their Internet use than boys. The results suggest that parents have an important task in explicitly showing interest in their adolescents' Internet use, with special attention needed for boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the children's channel output of the US transnationals in Germany, Britain, France, Italy and the Netherlands, and seeks to identify the specific factors that determine and shape their programming strategies linked to localisation. The analysis is based on a 2-week analysis of the schedules of some of the most popular transnational children's channels (Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Playhouse Disney, Nickelodeon, Nick Junior) and key public service children's channels, as well as analysis of national TV markets and regulatory frameworks. The paper demonstrates the degree to which US transnationals are likely to adapt their offerings to meet different local circumstances, depending on a variety of connected market, regulatory and cultural factors, and points in particular to the importance of the broader institutional, policy and regulatory context in influencing the programming strategies of transnational players. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents information on the English merchant law and loss of the commercial documentation. It discusses the maritime mercantile customs and its largest extant of documents in the Corsini letters which includes 3600 letters sent to Philip and Bartholomew Corsini, who were merchants of Florence residing in London. It further provides details of the Corsini family and the evidence of commerce in London during second half of the sixteenth century. It also focuses on other documents including arbitral decisions, bills, deeds and judicial depositions present in the Corsini Archive.

The distinction between evaluative and non-evaluative meaning in discourse is problematic. Many expressions may be purely factual in some contexts and evaluative in others. As argued by Hunston (1999: 199-201), the criteria for evaluation rely in part on shared assumptions that form part of the message of any texts. Evaluation is, therefore, often expressed in ways that are highly implicit and discourse-dependent. The aim of this paper is to illustrate how detailed manual contrastive linguistic analysis comparing equivalent genres (online property descriptions in this case) produced in two different contexts of culture (England and Italy) may be used to: (a) explore the fine variation in the subjective force of evaluative expressions, which might escape automated larger-scale analysis; and, thereby (b) distinguish with some precision between genre- and culture-specific aspects of evaluation. The theoretical framework for the analysis is derived from Appraisal Theory (Martin and White, 2005) and from the author's earlier adaptation and application of the framework to the analysis of English property descriptions (Pounds, 2011). The significance of the findings is discussed with particular reference to further research into genre- and culture-specific evaluative patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In moving the first significant steps into a meaningful graduate career, young adults need to elaborate strategies, which consist in identifying and activating what seems useful in one's own context of reference. Specifically looking at the meaning of being young adults in two countries belonging to different welfare systems and thus diverging regimes of transitions to adulthood, i.e. Italy and England, this paper analyses how two groups of early career professionals conceive of and forge the specific position they occupy in the life cycle in the course of developing particular strategies of career construction. The findings of 60 in-depth interviews compare and contrast a first dimension of young adulthood accounted for as a favourable condition to delimit, emphasise and be collocated within in order to maximise its potential. This is the case of young adults based in England, who 'squeeze' their youth to enact career strategies. The second dimension is constructed as a penalising condition not to be associated with, in an effort to reduce the discomfort it causes. It is the case of young adults based in Italy, who work out their strategies while feeling caught in the blurred and indefinite condition of youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Start of the main construction phase of the Brenner Base Tunnel / Startschuss für die Hauptbauphase des Brenner Basistunnels Construction and finance contract for the new trunk line in Munich / Bau- und Finanzierungsvertrag für die neue Stammstrecke in München Crossrail awards remaining tunnelling contracts / Crossrail vergibt ausstehende Tunnelbau-Lose Aker Wirth to build two telescopic shield machines for the Koralm Tunnel / Aker Wirth baut zwei Teleskopschildmaschinen für den Koralmtunnel Contract for the operational ventilation of the Gotthard Base Tunnel awarded / Werkvertrag für Betriebslüftung des Gotthard-Basistunnels vergeben Investigation tunnel for the Garmisch-Partenkirchen bypass / Erkundungsstollen für die Umgehung von Garmisch-Partenkirchen Call for papers - Themes for the next issues of Geomechanics and Tunnelling / Themen für die nächsten Ausgaben der 'Geomechanics and Tunnelling' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Patients’ lived experience of illness and health is receiving increased attention in the medical field. Understanding patients’ perspective and experiences is an undoubted asset for efficient health interventions and improved clinical concordance. Patients’ experiences of care and cure, however, are influenced by the cultural setting in which these experiences take place. This implies that health interventions should be “ecological” and attuned to the specific sociocultural context of the patients. Methods: Our research group is conducting a cross-cultural qualitative study aimed ad exploring how fatigue (a symptom very common in cancer) is perceived and manifested by patients in different countries (Canada, Thailand, England and Italy). In order to achieve this, the study was design according to the method of Ethnoscience, that appeared to us the best suited to explore the meanings that patients attribute to their state and the linguistic patterns they use to describe it. In this paper we will describe in details the process of Ethnoscience and will discuss the heuristic value of this research approach. Results: Ethnoscience was an effective research strategy for exploring how beliefs and values shape symptoms and the behavioural manifestations of cancer related fatigue. Conclusions: This paper discusses the heuristic value of Ethnoscience and its applicability to the study of health relate topics, particularly those where issues of social construction are important. Practical implications: Ethnoscience is a promising and innovative research approach, able to cast light on the way people experience and make sense of their illness. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article provides information on recent and upcoming conferences relevant to the study of Western esotericism. These include the 9th EASR Conference and IAHR Special Conference. Religion in the History of European Culture in Messina, Italy from September 14-17, 2009, the 11th International CMRC Conference on the Origins of Freemasonry in London, England from October 24-25, 2009 and Conference Hidden in Plain Sight: The Influence of Western Esoteric Movements in San Jose, California from July 22-25, 2010.

Children Crossing Borders is a comparative study of how early childhood education and care programs in England, France, Germany, Italy, and the US are approaching the task of working with children of recent immigrants and of areas of agreement and disagreement in beliefs about what should happen in preschool of recent immigrant parents of young children and their children's teachers. The method used in the study is a version of video-cued ethnographic interviewing, in which preschool parents and practitioners were shown 20-minute videos of days in preschools in their own and other countries and asked for their reactions and evaluations. This paper focuses on how immigrant parents and preschool practitioners talk about the ideal balance of academic preparation and play in the curriculum. A key finding is that immigrant parents tend to favor greater emphasis on academic instruction than do their children's teachers, except in France, where teachers as well as parents see preschool as a place for academics rather than for play. Our analysis suggests that reasons for immigrant parents' preference for a greater academic emphasis include past experience with education in their host country; pragmatic concerns about their children's vulnerability to failing in school; and ideological beliefs about curriculum and pedagogy that are tied to a larger social conservatism as well as to social class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The VAR has introduced a new element to football. Before, a decision to award a penalty kick could not be reversed. The player taking the penalty could take it relatively quickly after the referee called the foul. After the introduction of the VAR, every penalty kick decision is replayed by the VAR and also quite often reviewed on-field. As a consequence, time between the initial decision by the referee and the actual penalty kick has increased substantially. We examined the influence of the time-interval duration between the foul and the actual penalty kick on the conversion probability using a logit model. Also, we assessed the consequences of a VAR intervention, if any. We used data on all 2888 penalties awarded in top leagues in England, Spain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the UEFA Champions League, over the course of five seasons (2015/2016–2019/2020). We found that the duration between the foul and the moment the penalty is taken does not impact the conversion probability. However, whether or not the VAR intervenes with the referee's decision has a negative effect on the conversion probability of penalty kicks. Football teams and coaches should incorporate this element of uncertainty in training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the economic significance of variation in the number and size of towns across Europe during the early 14th century by comparing the towns of England and of northern Italy. The paper starts by examining the towns of the two countries more closely, distinguishing between those that were very large, large, middle-sized and small. In comparison with rural communities, all towns had more people employed outside agriculture, but this was proportionally more marked in a metropolis like London or Florence than in a small town. The larger the town, the higher the proportion of non-agricultural occupations, the stronger the commitment to producing goods in restricted demand, and the greater the weight of commercial and professional activities. The fact that the contrast between northern Italy and England is so sharp at the top end of the urban scale implies that there was more employment in manufacturing and services in Italy. It also suggests that northern Italy had a wider range of specialized occupations. Studies of urbanization and urban hierarchy characteristically go beyond the statistical classification of towns to establish and explain rank-size relationships between them in different economic regions.