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Self-administration of subcutaneous interferon beta-1a (sc IFN β-1a) can be achieved with the RebiSmart® electromechanical autoinjector. This study investigated adherence to, and duration of persistence with, the newest version of the device (v1.6) among 2644 people receiving sc IFN β-1a for multiple sclerosis (MS). This retrospective, observational study utilized data from RebiSmart® devices, recorded on the MSdialog database, between January 2014 and November 2019. Adherence and persistence were evaluated over a 3-year period and assessed in relation to age, sex, injection type, and injection depth. The population of RebiSmart® users (N = 2644) comprised of 1826 (69.1%) females and mean age was 39 (range 16–83) years. Adherence to RebiSmart® use and data transfer to the MSdialog database was consistently high (mean 91.7%; range 86.8–92.6%), including across all variables (81.6–100%). Mean (±SD) persistence during the study period was 1.35 ± 1.06 years, with a maximum recorded persistence of 5.1 years. In multivariate analysis, the longest durations of persistence were observed among older individuals and males (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0078, respectively). People living with MS were highly adherent to use of the RebiSmart® device, with higher persistence generally observed for older and/or male individuals. It is important for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) to take their medication regularly – and to keep doing so – in order to control their symptoms. Some people with MS receive a medication called interferon beta-1a (Rebif®) as a subcutaneous injection (given just under the skin), and the RebiSmart® electromechanical autoinjector was designed to help them to self-inject such medication. This study aimed to find out whether people were using the RebiSmart® device as often as they should be, and how long they continued to use it for. Information was taken from the MSdialog database, which recorded peoples' use of the RebiSmart® device between January 2014 and November 2019. Records for 2644 people using the device were analyzed. Results showed that the RebiSmart® device was used most of the time (around 91.7%). On average, people kept using the device for around a year and 4 months before stopping. This duration was generally longer for men compared with women, and longer for older people than younger people. These results increase our understanding of how people are using the RebiSmart® device to treat their MS symptoms.

Throughout the covid-19 emergency, health authorities have presented contagion data divided by administrative regions with no reference to the type of landscape, environment or development model. This study has been conducted to understand whether there is a correlation between the number of infections and the different rural landscapes of the country. Italy's rural landscape can be classified in four types, according to the intensity of energy inputs used in the agricultural process, socioeconomic and environmental features. Type A includes areas of periurban agriculture surrounding the metropolitan cities, type B areas of intensive agriculture with high concentration of agroindustry, type C hilly areas with highly diversified agriculture and valuable landscape, and type D high hills and mountains with forests and protected areas. Areas A and B are located in the plains, covering 21% of the territory and accounting for 57% of the population. They produce most of the added value, consume high levels of energy and represent the main source of pollution. Areas C and D cover 79% of the territory and 43% of the population. We find that provinces with 10% more type C and D areas exhibit on average 10% fewer cases of contagion. The result is statistically significant, after controlling for demographic, economic and environmental characteristics of the provinces. The pollution produced in more energy-intensive landscape has triggered an intense debate of how to ensure the economic competitiveness of Italian agriculture, without compromising environmental integrity or public health. Our findings speak to this debate, by suggesting that planning for more rural territory with lower energy inputs may come with the added benefit of new development opportunities and decreasing the exposure of the population to covid-19. Cost benefit-analyses should take into account that policies aimed at repopulating more rural areas may reduce the economic impact of covid-19 and of potential future pandemics.

This study outlines the development of a composite indicator of the adaptive capacity (ACI) toclimate change of rural communities in the Oristanese district (Sardinia, Italy). Farming systemsinclude intensive dairy cattle, rainfed dairy sheep, cereals and irrigated horticulture. Twenty-oneindicators of AC were derived from an array of several priorities, initially identified by aninterdisciplinary team of scientists and then extended and scored (on a rank from 1 to 5) by 31experts (agronomic scientists, farmers, advisors and consumers). The extended list of prioritieswas reduced to a set of indicators that could be quantified using data from different sources. Theindicators were organized into seven determinants (Infrastructure, Technology, Economicpower, Flexibility, Knowledge, Sensitivity, Social capital), in turn organized in three components:Ability, Action and Awareness. AC calculations required that 1) scores for each basic indicator benormalized and aggregated to a determinant value, 2) determinants aggregated to a componentvalue, 3) components aggregated to an AIC (best, 0≤ACI≤1, worst). A fuzzy logic inferring systemwas used based on the importance of the basic indicators and their aggregation intodeterminants and components. Favourable/unfavourable thresholds for each indicator were setfollowing expert knowledge and/or survey/census/literature data, while the priority scores wereused to assign weighting factors. Results for the Oristanese district indicate a low-medium AC(ACI=0.61) with social capital (0.27) being the strongest determinant and economic power (0.80)the weakest. These findings provide insights for enhancing effective, locally meaningful andfeasible strategies by increasing the AC of Oristanese rural communities.

Food commodity price fluctuations have an important impact on poverty and food insecurity across the world. Conventional models have not provided a complete picture of recent price spikes in agricultural commodity markets, while there is an urgent need for appropriate policy responses. Perhaps new approaches are needed in order to better understand international spill-overs, the feedback between the real and the financial sectors and also the link between food and energy prices. In this article we present the results from a new worldwide dynamic model that provides the short and long-run impulse responses of the international wheat price to various real and financial shocks.

Cynara cardunculus var scolymus is a horticultural perennial crop, sometimes grown as annual. In this thesis we described the phenological traits of the crop and studied the mineral uptake of several globe artichoke varieties grown in Mediterranean environment. Despite its economical relevance, scarce scientific information on phenological and agronomical traits are available at present. In chapter 1 we present the phenological growth stages based on the Biologische Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt, CHemische Industrie (BBCH) scale and its associated decimal code. Nine principal growth stages have been defined and each principal stage has been subdivided into secondary growth stages. Descriptive keys with illustrations are also provided. A practical use of the scale is proposed, with particular reference to harvest time and management treatments. This scale aims to support farmers and researchers to efficiently plan management practices and experimental treatments. In chapter 2 we present globe artichoke nutrients uptake and partitioning, determined by successive destructive plant harvest and mineral analysis of plant organs of four field grown varieties (Tema 2000, Spinoso Sardo, Violetto and Romanesco C3). Potassium was the most important element in quantitative term, while phosphorus was the less one. Nitrogen showed a remarkable variability in relation to the variety traits. A practical use of the uptake ratio is proposed, with particular reference to the crop nutrition management.

Food commodity prices fluctuations have important impacts on poverty and food insecurity across the world. Conventional models have not provided a complete picture of recent price spikes in agricultural commodity markets, while there is an urgent need for appropriate policy responses. Perhaps new approaches are needed in order to better understand international spill-overs, the feedback between the real and the financial sectors and also the link between food and energy prices. In this paper, we present results from a new worldwide dynamic model that provides short and long-run impulse responses of wheat international prices to various real shocks.