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The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) state of emergency has brought about a radical change in the way of teaching. In a questionnaire, we asked 120 teachers from Italian Primary, Middle and High Schools about the advantages and disadvantages of online teaching, the students' conduct during lessons and the methodologies applied to students with special educational needs. Primary School teachers most strongly reported an increase in boredom and distraction, and disagreed that online teaching helps students' learning and that it makes them more active. The main advantage of online teaching was the technical and methodological innovations, while the main disadvantage was the lack of relationship with students. In the case of students with special educational needs, many teachers reported that they used simplified procedures and personalized meetings. Overall, teachers appear to think that online teaching has many drawbacks, though it also has some positive aspects that need to be appreciated and exploited.

The purpose of this study was to explore the buffering role of opportunities for professional development within the frame of the indirect relationship between workplace age discrimination (as a job demand) and job performance on a sample of N = 325 Italian teachers. Results of moderated mediation analysis indicated that emotional exhaustion mediates the relationship between workplace age discrimination and impaired job performance. Furthermore, the relationship between workplace age discrimination and performance through the mediation of emotional exhaustion became stronger at lower levels of professional development. Although professional development is recognized as a crucial job resource, this study sheds light on its protective role among teachers dealing with discrimination caused by their age. Fostering of professional development could prevent teachers from feeling emotionally exhausted and, in turn, from the occurrence of impaired performance.

Process evaluation enables us to gain insights into the complex organisational intervention processes, but has mostly taken place post intervention, thus failing to support implementation. Using the theory of planned behaviour, we developed and validated a 7-item process evaluation questionnaire (the Intervention Preparedness Tool) that aims to evaluate the preparatory phases of the intervention and may be used to optimise the intervention process. The study was conducted in two Italian hospitals participating in an organisational intervention (N = 1,654 healthcare workers). We conducted exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on one half of the sample and cross-validated the best factor structure identified through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the other half of the sample. Results showed that the Intervention Preparedness Tool composed of 7 items has a three-factor structure (readiness for change, intervention-context fit, and communication). To perform nomological validation, we correlated the Intervention Preparedness Tool with seven psychosocial working conditions (demand, control, peer support, supervisor support, roles, relationships, changes) and job satisfaction. We found that the dimensions of the Intervention Preparedness Tool were significantly related to these working conditions and job satisfaction suggesting that the organisational context may be related to participants' appraisals of the early phases of participatory interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a common mental disorder characterized by sex-gender differences (SGDs). The present study was aimed at evaluating attitudes displayed by Italian AUD treatment services towards investigating the presence of SGDs in their patients and implementing gender-specific treatments for female AUD patients. Methods Potential SGDs were initially investigated in a sample of AUD outpatients, subsequently followed by a national survey on the adoption of specific interventions for female AUD outpatients. Results The presence of SGDs was confirmed in a sample of 525 (332 men; 193 women) AUD outpatients, including a higher prevalence of anxiety and mood disorders, and episodes of violence and trauma among female AUD outpatients compared to males. Despite the presence of these SGDs, only <20% of a total of 217 Italian AUD treatment services reported the implementation of specific strategies for female AUD outpatients. The majority of services (94%) reported investigating episodes of violence and/or trauma, largely resorting to specific procedures only when these issues were detected. Conclusions Our findings confirm the presence of SGDs among AUD outpatients, including a higher prevalence of anxiety and mood disorders and episodes of violence and trauma among females compared with males. However, only a small number of services have adopted a gender medicine approach in AUD treatment. These results underline the urgency of investigating the specific needs of female, male, and non-binary AUD patients in order to personalize and enhance the effectiveness and appeal of AUD treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treaties are a fundamental tool of international politics. Therefore, existing literature has long investigated their ratification, the act through which an actor commits itself to the treaty's content and its determinants. However, we believe this scholarship has three substantial limitations: a lack of comprehensive assessments of the differences between bilateral and multilateral treaties, a limited attention to small and middle powers, and a substantial neglect of the impact of cabinet ideology. We address these gaps by exploring the dynamics of treaty ratification in Italy. Our analysis covers all the treaties signed and ratified by Italian policymakers between 1994 and 2022 that underwent parliamentary approval. We find that multilateral treaties take, on average, more time to get ratified than bilateral ones. Treaties regarding areas such as environment and human rights are also subject to longer ratification processes. The presence of left-wing cabinet coalitions tends to increase the likelihood of ratification. Through these findings, the article contributes to the understanding of treaty commitment in middle powers. It also provides an innovative point of view in the debate on Italian foreign policy and its domestic drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peatlands are fundamental deposits of organic carbon. Thus, their protection is of crucial importance to avoid emissions from their degradation. Peat is a mixture of organic soil that originates from the accumulation of wetland plants under continuous or cyclical anaerobic conditions for long periods. Hence, a precise quantification of peat deposits is extremely important; for that, remote‐ and proximal‐sensing techniques are excellent candidates. Unfortunately, remote‐sensing can provide information only on the few shallowest centimeters, whereas peatlands often extend to several meters in depth. In addition, peatlands are usually characterized by difficult (flooded) terrains. So, frequency‐domain electromagnetic instruments, as they are compact and contactless, seem to be the ideal solution for the quantitative assessment of the extension and geometry of peatlands. Generally, electromagnetic methods are used to infer the electrical resistivity of the subsurface. In turn, the resistivity distribution can, in principle, be interpreted to infer the morphology of the peatland. Here, to some extent, we show how to shortcut the process and include the expectation and uncertainty regarding the peat resistivity directly into a probabilistic inversion workflow. The present approach allows for retrieving what really matters: the spatial distribution of the probability of peat occurrence, rather than the mere electrical resistivity. To evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed probabilistic approach, we compare the outcomes against the more traditional deterministic fully nonlinear (Occam's) inversion and against some boreholes available in the investigated area. Plain Language Summary: Wetlands are carbon pools subtracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and accumulating it underground. The processes ongoing in these ecosystems form a dark soil, extremely rich in organic matter, known as "peat." Globally, peatlands are responsible for storing almost as much carbon as the atmosphere. For that reason and to preserve them, it is very important to develop tools capable of mapping peatlands. A good candidate for this goal is a geophysical method based on the diffusion of electromagnetic signals into the ground. How the electromagnetic signals propagate depends on the electrical resistivity of the subsurface. So, by studying those signals, we can think of reconstructing, point‐by‐point, the electrical resistivity variability in the subsurface. Broadly speaking, different resistivities correspond to different sediments. So, in turn, we can use the reconstructed resistivity distribution to map the peat deposits. In this study, we show how to translate directly the electromagnetic signal into the probability of finding peat (rather than in recovering the electrical property of the subsurface). We tested our approach on a data set collected across an Alpine peatland in Italy and we verified our results against direct investigations and against more traditional ways to interpret the geophysical signals. Key Points: Electromagnetic data can be inverted directly for the probability of peat and clay occurrenceThe 3D geometry and volume of Alpine peatlands were determined via a fast, proximal‐sensing, geophysical method and verified against boreholesProbabilistic approaches to geophysical inversion can incorporate complex prior information and, contextually, assess result uncertainties [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By adopting a dyadic extension of the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991), this study examined whether perceived economic uncertainty affects fertility intentions. Three-hundred thirty one heterosexual couples living in Italy participated in a randomized between-group experimental study, in which we manipulated perceived economic uncertainty (low vs. high vs. control). The participants subsequently completed a questionnaire measuring their attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and fertility intentions. We employed Structural Equation Modelling in estimating the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model. The model showed a good fit to the data. Women's attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control were influenced by the high economic uncertain scenario, whereas among men these variables were affected only by the positive economic scenario. Attitudes and perceived behavioral control were significant predictors of fertility intentions for both sexes. Significant partner effects were observed as well. These findings suggest that fertility plans should be examined by adopting a dyadic perspective, as individuals' intentions are affected not only by their own beliefs, but also by those of their partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amphibians are particularly sensitive to habitat loss and fragmentation caused by the intensification and modernization of farming occurring in the second half of the twentieth century in the Mediterranean basin. However, artificial water bodies, associated with traditional husbandry, proved to be important surrogate for amphibian feeding and reproduction. Here, multilocus genotypes were used to investigate the spatial population structure of Lissotriton vulgaris meridionalis and the role of drinking troughs in supporting viable breeding populations within a rural landscape interested by traditional husbandry and agriculture. Our genetic analysis highlighted the conservation value and the potential stepping-stone function of artificial aquatic sites in the dispersal of the species and for the gene flow maintenance. Indeed, populations of drinking troughs show allelic richness and heterozygosity levels comparable to those from natural ponds and there is no great evidence of genetic bottlenecks. A complex system of artificial aquatic sites and few natural wetlands was identified sustaining a well-structured network of demes highly interconnected with themselves and natural aquatic sites. The conservation of the identified genetic clusters may be useful to prevent further population declines and future loss of genetic diversity within the study area characterized by scarce natural wetlands that frequently dried because of agricultural practices and strong seasonality. Site-specific protection measures are needed to contrast the progressive disappearance of drinking troughs observed in the last years in Italy because of the abandonment of traditional farming practices in favour of modern agriculture and intensive farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of childbearing across partnerships—having children with more than one partner—have generally focused on countries with relatively high separation rates. We complement this previous research with analyses for Italy using nationally representative, retrospective data and event-history techniques. This study offers three key findings. First, we detected a non-negligible share of childbearing across partnerships, although at substantially lower levels relative to other wealthy countries (5 per cent of parents aged 25–54 with at least two children). Second, multivariate analyses revealed an impressive similarity to the demographic correlates found elsewhere. Finally, we showed that childbearing across partnerships was initiated by the 'social vanguard' of new family behaviours but then diffused among the least well-off. Overall, this paper adds to the growing literature on childbearing across partnerships by showing the phenomenon to be demographically and sociologically relevant, even in countries with strong family ties and a limited diffusion of union dissolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant challenges to the workforce, particularly concerning emotional and mental well-being. Given the prolonged periods of work-related stress, unexpected organizational changes, and uncertainties about work faced during the pandemic, it becomes imperative to study occupational health constructs under a dynamic methodological perspective, to understand their stable and unstable characteristics better. In this study, drawing on the Dynamic Structural Equation Modeling (DSEM) framework, we used a combination of multilevel AR(1) models, Residual-DSEM (RDSEM), multilevel bivariate VAR(1) models, and multilevel location-scale models to investigate the autoregression, trend, and (residual) cross-lagged relationships between emotional exhaustion (EmEx) and mental well-being (MWB) over the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected weekly on 533 workers from Germany (91.18%) and Italy (8.82%) who completed a self-reported battery (total number of observations =3,946). Consistent with our hypotheses, results were as follows: (a) regarding autoregression, the autoregressive component for both EmEx and MWB was positive and significant, as well as it was their associated between-level variability; (b) regarding trend, over time EmEx significantly increased, while MWB significantly declined, furthermore both changes had a significant between-level variability; (c) regarding the longitudinal bivariate (cross-lagged) relationships, EmEx and MWB negatively and significantly affected each other from week to week, furthermore both cross-lagged relationships showed to have significant between-level variance. Overall, our study pointed attention to the vicious cycle between EmEx and MWB, even after controlling for their autoregressive component and trend, and supported the utility of DSEM in occupational health psychology studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Despite adult amphibians often being predators of arthropods, there are cases where the roles are reversed. This study focuses on the potential predator–prey relationship between the spectacled salamander (Salamandrina perspicillata) and the centipede Scolopendra cingulata in Central Italy. In a natural site, we observed a strong avoidance pattern (negative co-occurrence) of the two study species under shelters (stones). Given the importance of olfactory cues in the salamander's behavioural choices, we hypothesized that this species would actively avoid shelters used by the centipede so as to evade potential attacks and predation. However, when we forced the study species to choose between sharing or not sharing a given shelter in a laboratory experiment, the avoidance pattern was not confirmed. Our exploratory results show that what often appears to be a strong observation-based pattern in natural settings needs to be carefully evaluated, and experiments in controlled environments could help exclude potentially misleading processes. Interactions between amphibians and arthropods encompass a wide range of ecological relationships, predominantly characterized by predator–prey dynamics, with adult amphibians as the predators. In some instances, the roles are reversed. This study focuses on the potential predator-prey relationship between the spectacled salamander (Salamandrina perspicillata) and the centipede Scolopendra cingulata in Central Italy. Building upon previous research on chemical cue perception in amphibians, we investigated potential olfactory cue-mediated avoidance behaviours exhibited by S. perspicillata towards the potential predator S. cingulata through field observations and manipulative experiments. In a natural site, we estimated the degree of negative co-occurrence between the study species under shelters and found an avoidance pattern between S. perspicillata and S. cingulata in refuges. However, when the study species were forced to choose between sharing or not sharing a given shelter, through a manipulative experiment, the avoidance pattern was not confirmed. Potential determinants contributing to the avoidance pattern observed in nature are discussed. Our exploratory results represent a good example of how what often appears to be a strong observation-based pattern in natural settings needs to be carefully scrutinized. Hypotheses testing through experiments in controlled environments remains a valuable approach to exclude potentially misleading processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We argue that media-conveyed economic narratives are crucial for understanding contemporary fertility dynamics, net of objective economic constraints. Individuals use these narratives to project themselves into an actionable imagined future and make decisions that may be relatively independent from their actual economic situation. We test this hypothesis for Italy by combining individual-level data from the 2009 and 2016 releases of the nationally representative Family and Social Subjects Survey with Media Tenor data on the coverage of the economy in the evening newscast of Italian TV's most-viewed channel (Rai 1). Our findings reveal that both the incidence and tone of news reports on the state of the economy are associated with fertility behavior. An increase in the number of negative economic news items is negatively associated with fertility, whereas an increase in positive items is positively correlated with fertility. Interestingly, when positive news items outnumber negative ones, an increase in the share of economic reports is positively associated with fertility. These associations are statistically significant and substantially relevant, net of traditional individual and contextual socioeconomic fertility correlates. Overall, our findings bolster the claim that media-conveyed narratives of the economy influence fertility behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: People with epilepsy have a higher prevalence of behavioral and neuropsychiatric comorbidities compared to the general population and those with other chronic medical conditions, although the underlying clinical features remain unclear. The goal of the current study was to characterize behavioral profiles of adolescents with epilepsy, assess the presence of psychopathological disorders, and investigate the reciprocal interactions among epilepsy, psychological functioning, and their main clinical variables. Methods: Sixty-three adolescents with epilepsy were consecutively recruited at the Epilepsy Center, Childhood and Adolescence Neuropsychiatry Unit of Santi Paolo e Carlo hospital in Milan (five of them were excluded) and assessed with a specific questionnaire for psychopathology in adolescence, such as the Questionnaire for the Assessment of Psychopathology in Adolescence (Q-PAD). Q-PAD results were then correlated with the main clinical data. Results: 55.2% (32/58) of patients presented at least one emotional disturbance. Body dissatisfaction, anxiety, interpersonal conflicts, family problems, uncertainty about the future, and self-esteem/well-being disorders were frequently reported. Gender and poor control of seizures are associated with specific emotional features (p < 0.05). Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of screening for emotional distress, recognition of the impairments, and provision of adequate treatment and follow-up. A pathological score on the Q-PAD should always require the clinician to investigate the presence of behavioral disorders and comorbidities in adolescents with epilepsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safety training of migrant workers in construction has focused on technical skills with limited attention to non-technical skills, which support safety training transfer to the worksite, both immediately after training and in the long term. Using realist evaluation as our theoretical framework, this study explores the transfer of two key non-technical skills to construction sites: communication and decision-making. Trained workers completed questionnaires post-training and after six months. A moderated mediation model found an indirect link through training transfer between communication and decision-making skills immediately post-training and six months later. The results also revealed that high levels of safety self-efficacy moderated the relationship between communication, but not decision-making, safety skills post-training and the extent to which trained workers reported transferring these skills. The study has important practical implications, showing the significance of training transfer of non-technical skills, such as communication and decision-making, to the worksite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contraception is considered a rational strategy to prevent unwanted births. However, beyond the dichotomy of «planned» and «unplanned» pregnancy, behaviours are sometimes ambivalent or contradictory. The present paper investigates the reasons beyond the non-use of contraception in Italy by examining a large-scale survey of university students conducted in 2000 and 2017. The findings reveal a small but clearly defined group of young female students, cohabiting with their partner and residing in the South of the country, who have a high frequency of sexual intercourses and do not deliberately use any contraceptive method. These findings offer population-based evidence about the existence of a part of female Italian university students that, although not actively trying to have a child, are nevertheless fine to run the risk of pregnancy through unprotected sexual intercourses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of employment uncertainty as a fertility driver has previously been studied with a limited set of constructs, leading to inconclusive results. We address this oversight by considering perceived stability of employment and perceived resilience to potential job loss as two key dimensions of employment uncertainty in relation to fertility decision-making. The present study relies on the 2017 Italian Trustlab survey and its employment uncertainty module. We find that perception of resilience to job loss is a powerful predictor of fertility intentions, whereas perception of employment stability has only a limited impact. The observed relationship between resilience and fertility intentions is robust to the inclusion of person-specific risk attitude and does not depend on the unemployment rate or the share of fixed-term contracts in the area of residence. We conclude that the notion of employment uncertainty includes distinct expectations towards the future, which should be considered separately to understand fertility decision-making. Supplementary material for this article is available at: . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of sexual dimorphism (SD) is driven by intricate interplays between sexual and natural selection. When it comes to SD variation within populations, however, environmental factors play a major role. Sexually selected traits are expected to be strongly dependent on individual body condition, which is influenced by the local environment that individuals experience. As a consequence, the degree of SD may also depend on resource availability. Here, we investigated the potential drivers of SD expression at two sexually dimorphic morphometric traits, body size (snout vent length) and head shape (head geometric morphometrics), in the Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus). We assessed the existence of condition- and context-dependent SD across ten islands of the Aeolian archipelago (southern Italy), at within- and among-population scales. We observed strong geographical variation of SD among islands, and tested three potential SD predictors related to resource availability (individual body condition, ecosystem productivity, temperature). Body condition and ecosystem productivity were the main drivers of body size SD variation, and body condition was also the main driver for head shape SD. Our results highlight that the expression of SD in the Italian wall lizard is both condition- and context-dependent. These results are congruent at within- and among-populations scales highlighting that spatial multi-scale analysis represents a useful approach to understand patterns of SD expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic insecurity has increased in importance in the understanding of economic and socio-demographic household behaviour. The present paper aims to analyse patterns of household economic insecurity over the years 2004–2015 by using the longitudinal section of the Italian SILC (Statistics on Income and Living Conditions) survey. In the identification of economic insecurity statuses, we used indicators of economic hardship in a latent transition approach in order to: (i) classify Italian households into homogenous classes characterised by different levels of economic insecurity, (ii) assess whether changes in latent class membership occurred in the selected time span, and (iii) evaluate the effect of employment status and characteristics of individuals on latent status membership. Empirical findings uncovered five latent statuses of economic insecurity from the best situation to the worst. The levels of economic insecurity remained quite stable over the period considered, but a non-negligible worsening can be detected for the unemployed and individuals with part-time jobs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant engagement in military missions is probably the most distinctive feature of post-Cold War Italian foreign policy. In the last three decades, Italy has participated in an extensive number of operations across the world, including those in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. Several studies have described Italian troop deployments abroad, providing alternative explanations of the Italian military activism. However, despite a recent growing attention on the topic, mainly focusing on specific peacekeeping operations, a comprehensive investigation of the evolution of Italian interventions is still missing. In other words, a detailed picture of main trends, data and patterns – since the end of the Second World War – is lacking. This article aims to fill this gap, using the most detailed and complete data on Italy's participation in peace and security operations to date. We show that Italian involvement steadily grew between 1990 and 2010 and decreased in the following ten years. Our empirical findings also indicate how Italy's efforts were increasingly directed in the Mediterranean and North Africa region in recent years. The article contributes to the existing literature on military operations abroad by offering a broad quantitative perspective on the post-Cold War defence policy of a 'middle power'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the relation between employment instability and union dissolution. To address the oversights of previous research, we disentangle the effect of employment instability on union dissolution by: (i) considering not only the effect of joblessness, but also the type of employment contract; (ii) evaluating both status and the accumulation of instability over the life course; and (iii) detecting gender differences. We focus on Italy, applying event-history techniques to the most recent Italian Multipurpose Survey "Families, social subjects and life cycle" of 2016, observing cohorts from 1950 to 1986. Our results suggest that the effect of employment instability on union dissolution is gender-specific: joblessness and limited-time employment are facilitators for men's dissolution, while, for women, joblessness is an inhibitor for dissolution, and time-limited and permanent employment do not substantially differ. We also highlight the crucial role of the persistence of instability in unpacking the association between employment instability and union dissolution. This paper advances—for the first time for Italy, at least—that men's time-limited employment arrangements negatively affect a couple's stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dark matter interpretation of the DAMA/LIBRA annual modulation signal represents a long-standing open question in astroparticle physics. The SABRE experiment aims to test such claim, bringing the same detection technique to an unprecedented sensitivity. Based on ultra-low background NaI(Tl) scintillating crystals like DAMA, SABRE features a liquid scintillator Veto system, surrounding the main target, and it will deploy twin detectors: one in the Northern hemisphere at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS), Italy and the other in the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory (SUPL), Australia, first laboratory of this kind in the Southern hemisphere. The first very-high-purity crystal produced by the collaboration was shipped to LNGS in 2019 for characterization. It features a potassium contamination, measured by mass spectroscopy, of the order of 4 ppb, about three times lower than DAMA/LIBRA crystals. The first phase of the SABRE experiment is a Proof-of-Principle (PoP) detector featuring one crystal and a liquid scintillator Veto, at LNGS. This contribution will present the results of the stand-alone characterization of the first SABRE high-purity crystal, as well as the status of the PoP detector, commissioned early in the summer of 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study contributes to the growing strand of research on the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. The home confinement imposed as part of nationwide movement restrictions in many countries represents an exceptional setting for the study of intimate relationships. Did the lockdown reduce partnership quality among couples? In this study, we present some descriptive findings based on an online survey conducted during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in France, Italy and Spain. Around 12% of those interviewed in the three countries reported that their relationship with their partner had worsened during the lockdown and about 2.5% intended to split up. In addition, we show that negative emotions - such as feeling lonely - and deterioration of income/work conditions are associated with a worsening of partnership quality. In all, we suggest that couples and intimate relationships have been sensitive to the lockdown, at least in Italy, France, and Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study contributes to the growing literature on the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic for family functioning, with a special focus on couples' relationship quality. We advance an analytical model that emphasizes the role of three main stressors of relationship quality during the pandemic: namely, emotional, paid work-related and organizational stressors. To outline such an approach, we analyze whether the onset of the pandemic -- and the home confinement that followed -- has reduced relationship quality in France, Italy and Spain using survey data collected in April 2020.We show that relationship quality decreased for a non-negligible part of the population, and that this result was driven mostly by the emotional stressor. These negative effects on relationship quality appeared to be relatively stable across genders, different levels of network support and countries; which suggests that the severity of the lockdown measures outweighed the traditional moderating factors usually accounted for in family research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Pallister-Killian syndrome (PKS) is a rare genetic disorder with multi-organ involvement caused by mosaic tetrasomy of chromosome 12p. Although many caregivers report the presence of impaired sleep in their children, there are no clear data in the literature on this issue and no systematic study has ever been performed. With this study, we aimed to characterize the features of sleep in Pallister-Killian syndrome and identify the possible influence of clinical and demographic features. Moreover, our aim was to verify the effectiveness of conventional screening questionnaires in this particular group of patients. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 14 patients aged 1–17 years in collaboration with PKS Kids Italia ONLUS. The Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) questionnaire was administered to caregivers. Then, video polysomnography (VPSG) of at least 24 h was performed and results were compared with a same-aged control group. Results: A total of 92% of patients had abnormal SDSC scores, extremely high in the "disorder of initiating and maintaining sleep" (DIMS) and "sleep breathing disorders" (SBD) subscales. VPSG showed a significantly impaired macrostructure in PKS patients, with a higher Arousal Index (p < 0.00001) and percentage of time spent in N3 (p < 0.00001), and reduced Sleep Efficiency (p = 0.0006). After dividing both PKS and controls into two groups based on median age, some peculiarities emerged: the younger group had higher Awakenings Index (p = 0.0207) and percentage of time spent in N1 (p = 0.015) while the older group showed higher time in bed (TIB) (p = 0.0485), compared with controls. Due to poor compliance, the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) was evaluated only for 10 PKS children, being significantly increased (p = 0.0427) compared with controls. SBD subscale scores in SDSC were significantly related to AHI values in VPSG (p = 0.0099). Conclusions: This study constitutes the first attempt to describe the sleep pattern in PKS. Despite small numbers due to the rarity of the syndrome, our VPSG results confirm the high prevalence of sleep disorders (SDs) in these patients. It is therefore essential to investigate and treat them. The SDSC scale is a good screening tool for early detection also in these patients, with particular sensitivity in detecting breathing disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the relationship between a new indicator of economic context, economic complexity (EC), and fertility change in Italian provinces between 2006 and 2015. We hypothesize that the level of EC is associated with fertility as it reflects a territory's capacity to innovate, grow and create job opportunities. The results illustrate a clear positive association between EC and fertility change across Italian provinces for the period considered, net of traditional fertility predictors. Those areas that stand at the frontiers of EC are also more likely to dominate and adapt to the negative consequences of globalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The release of contaminants as herbicides, fungicides and insecticides into the environment has been listed as one of the six major contributors to the global decline of reptiles. Although reptiles may face severe risk from contaminants due to their ecology and physiology, they are currently less studied than other vertebrate groups. In the present work, we investigated if and how different types of field treatment (conventional and organic) affected the health status of Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus) individuals in central Italy. We chose a multi-biomarker approach that evaluated the biological responses of lizards to the treatment by means of AChE activity in the nervous system, biotransformation enzymes activities and oxidative stress in the liver, micronuclei frequency measured in the erythrocytes, and rate of intestinal parasitic infection. Our findings showed evidence of effects of treatment in conventional areas and between sexes with significant oxidative stress due to hydroxyl radicals, that caused DNA damage. No difference of intestinal parasite infections was found among treatments. Podarcis siculus seems to be a good bioindicator in ecotoxicological studies and potentially in risk assessment of pesticides, although further analyses in laboratory and in the field are needed to achieve more accurate quantification of specific pesticide effects in relation to known exposure history and to understand if other mechanisms were involved in the toxicity and detoxification process of pesticides for this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current research highlights that ideology decisively affects political contestation concerning peace and security operations in European countries. In particular, recent studies suggest that party preferences on this issue follow a curvilinear distribution along the left-right axis, delineating a conflict between moderate and extreme parties. However, the impact of this cleavage on the use of strategic narratives to either support or criticize these missions requires more attention. This article aims to fill this gap by employing seeded latent Dirichlet allocation, a semi-supervised automated text analysis method, to analyze parliamentary debates on Italy's most significant troop deployments between 1994 and 2013. We expect to find that while moderates express a supportive narrative aimed at justifying the use of force, extremists attempt to delegitimize military interventions. Accordingly, we hypothesize that moderate parties emphasize more on the multilateral and humanitarian framework of a mission, while extremist parties focus more on its military means. The empirical findings largely confirm our hypotheses. By means of its method and results, the article contributes both empirically and methodologically to the debate on the party politics of military interventions in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because the working population age is increasing, organizations are struggling to find ways to maintain employees' desire and interest in staying on at work. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to enhance knowledge concerning the role played by personal resources (i.e. work ability) and psychosocial aspects (i.e. older workers stereotypes) in influencing desired retirement age and work engagement in older workers. Data was collected twice, using questionnaires on a sample of 565 older workers working in a public organization in Italy. Specifically, work ability, age stereotypes on older workers and desired retirement age were measured at T1, while work engagement was measured at T2 (eight months later). Using the Preacher and Hayes approach, a moderated mediation analysis was performed controlling for age, self-rated health, expected retirement age, tenure and job position. Results showed that older workers with higher levels of work ability and lower perceptions that in their environment there are age stereotypes, desire to work longer, and in turn stay engaged at work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various studies explored under which conditions junior coalition partners are able to have an impact on foreign policy outcomes. However, these parties do not always manage to get what they want. In this situation, they face a dilemma: defecting or staying? In the Italian context, as far as Military Operations Abroad (MOA) are concerned, the latter option has invariably prevailed. In particular, Italy's involvement in Operation Allied Force in Kosovo (1999) and Operation Unified Protector in Libya (2011) raised considerable contestation from junior partners that did not result in the termination of the respective cabinets. Employing extensive qualitative data, including a set of original interviews with relevant policymakers, this article aims to understand why junior partners did not defect in these two cases. The empirical findings highlight a variation in parties' motivations according to their ideological leaning: while extreme-left parties were afraid of being punished by their own voters for leaving the cabinet because of the participation in the operation in Kosovo, the far-right and autonomist Lega Nord did not consider opposition to the military intervention in Libya as a salient issue. Therefore, the article has considerable implications for the research agendas on the party politics of military interventions and government termination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE Time preferences, also referred to as impatience, is a personal characteristic that has been found to influence different types of decisions, from financial investments to schooling decisions. The present study is the first that empirically explores whether this trait represents a determinant of human reproductive behaviors. BACKGROUND Fertility decisions, as all life actions, imply a balancing of anticipated costs and benefits whose expectations are formed under uncertainty. Fertility research has addressed the backward reasonings (e.g., socioeconomic, psychological, biological factors) influencing fertility decisions. Yet, the role of forward factors, such as the preference for immediate but lower benefits versus future but higher benefits, in influencing fertility decisions has been overlooked. METHOD Data are from the Survey on Household Income and Wealth carried out by the Bank of Italy every two years on a sample of about 8,000 households. In particular, we make use of a question included in the 2004, 2008, 2010, and 2012 waves to examine whether, controlling for backward factors, impatience affects parity progressions. RESULTS Results from logistic regression models indicate an inverse U-shaped association between impatience and the transition to the first and second child during the observation period, meaning that for very impatient and very patient individuals the probability of having a first and second child is lower than for individuals within intermediate levels of impatience. CONCLUSION The empirical finding points to the importance of considering time discounting preferences (as well as other forward-looking factors) in fertility research to gain a more complete understanding of fertility behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the end of the Cold War, Italy has radically transformed its foreign and security policy, participating in several Military Operations Abroad (MOA) across the world. A few qualitative studies have already analysed how Italian parties debated and voted on this issue, underlining a bipartisan consensus between centre-left and centre-right parties, based on a common humanitarian narrative. This article provides a substantial methodological contribution to this research agenda, explaining party support in Italy for the six most relevant MOAs during the so-called 'Second Republic' (1994–2013), through the employment of automated text analysis and linear regression models. In line with existing literature on the party politics of military interventions, the findings indicate a curvilinear distribution of support across the left–right axis, the strong impact of government–opposition dynamics and the interaction between international legitimacy of the specific operation and ideological leaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of political parties in foreign policy is gaining increasing attention. Nonetheless, despite an extraordinary interest in 'populism', the foreign policy of populist parties has rarely been investigated. This article provides an innovative theoretical framework, applying it on a rare example of a 'pure' populist party: Italy's Five Star Movement. How has Five Star Movement positioned on Italian contribution to military operations abroad? What does such positioning say about its ideological leaning? In order to address such questions, the article analyses Five Star Movement's MPs' votes and speeches on foreign policy during its first term in Parliament (2013–2018). We find that, notwithstanding some ambiguities, the Movement's stance has been mostly pacifist and humanitarian, resembling more a 'left-libertarian populist party' than a 'sovereigntist far-right one'. Through these findings, the article contributes to the debate on populist parties and foreign policy in Europe, clarifying also the elusive ideological leaning of the Five Star Movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the end of the bipolar era, the military activism of several Western powers has raised questions about parliamentary control, fostering growing research and analyses on the features, drivers and consequences of the different kinds of oversight exercised by legislative assemblies. Within this scholarly debate, this article focuses on the under-studied case of Italy. How did Italian parties vote on military operations abroad in the post-Cold War era? In order to answer this question, the article presents the first detailed and comprehensive set of data on parliamentary votes over the deployment of the Italian armed forces in the post-Cold War era (i.e. from the beginning of the 1990s to the recent operation against ISIL). Thanks to this extensive new empirical material, the article assesses selected arguments developed by the literature on political parties and foreign policy, paving the way for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grass snakes are widely distributed across the Western Palearctic. Recent phylogeographic studies provided evidence that three distinct parapatric species exist. Two of these occur in Italy, Natrix helvetica and N. natrix, and a contact zone between both taxa has been suggested for north‐eastern Italy. Moreover, previous investigations revealed for the Italian Peninsula a complex phylogeographic structure. Using mtDNA sequences and microsatellite loci, we examined the situation for mainland Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica. Our study confirmed the occurrence of N. natrix in north‐eastern Italy. Cline analyses revealed limited gene flow between N. helvetica and N. natrix across a narrow hybrid zone. Within N. helvetica, conflicting patterns of mitochondrial and nuclear genomic differentiation were revealed. Three nuclear genomic clusters were found; one of them corresponded to no fewer than five distinct and, in part, deeply divergent and ancient mitochondrial lineages from mainland Italy and Sicily. This cluster was paraphyletic with respect to the two remaining mitochondrial lineages, each of which matched with another nuclear genomic cluster (one from Corsica plus Sardinia and another one from western Europe north of the Alps). This unexpected pattern most likely results from mainly male‐mediated gene flow and female philopatry combined with population‐density‐dependent processes such as 'high‐density blocking'. With respect to taxonomy, we propose to synonymize N. h. lanzai Kramer, 1970 with N. h. sicula (Cuvier, 1829), acknowledging their lacking nuclear genomic differentiation. The studied hybrid zone of N. h. helvetica and N. h. sicula in Italy is wide, with a smooth cline for nuclear markers, supporting their subspecies status. We found no evidence for the distinctiveness of the two subspecies from Corsica (N. h. corsa) and Sardinia (N. h. cetti), suggesting their synonymy, but refrain from taxonomic conclusions because of small sample sizes and the endangered status of the Sardinian taxon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of animal communities is mainly concerned with how the groupings of species are distributed in nature and the ways in which the members of these communities assemble and interact with each other. Pianka suggested that animals partition environmental resources in three basic ways: temporally, spatially, and trophically. Such differences in activities separate the niches, reduce competition, and presumably allow the coexistence of a variety of species in the communities. The present work compares the spatial, trophic and temporal niches of four reptile species, two geckos (Tarentola mauritanica and Hemidactylus turcicus) and two lizards (Podarcis muralis and Podarcis siculus) living in a same roman-age archeological park situated area inside Rome metropolitan area (central Italy), and sharing the same two-dimensional habitat (the roman aqueduct walls). The results showed an overall overlap among species higher than expected by chance for all considered ecological dimensions except for the spatial resource related to the vertical position on the wall. Surprisingly, despite living in a two-dimension habitat would expect an increase of interspecific interaction rate, no partition was observed between species with the most convergent ecological requirements. Although our hypotheses about lizard communities structuring and interactions in the urban habitat require further investigation, we think that our lizard community is based more on the ecological needs of each species rather than on species' interactions. The observed spatial segregation between diurnal geckos and lizards would not support alone the interaction hypothesis. We speculated that the coexistence of ecologically overlapping species at the study area is allowed by a non-limiting availability of resources (above all food) that would result in the reduction of heterospecific competitive interactions and an overall wide overlap of resource use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cantharidin (CA), a toxic terpene produced by blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae), attracts the interest of many researchers for its renowned medical properties. The CA content in blister beetles has been mainly quantified in some Oriental species, due to their use in traditional Chinese medicine, or in few other species of toxicological importance. As CA quantification has been largely ignored in many other members of this family, we aimed at estimating CA content in natural populations of two of the most abundant species in central Italy, Mylabris variabilis and Lydus trimaculatus. Nearly 100 individuals for each species were collected in the field, identified and reared in fauna-boxes until CA collection. Available protocols were optimized for CA extraction from both dried-body tissues and exuded hemolymph collected from leg joints using capillary tubes. The CA content was quantified in a gas chromatography system coupled to a mass spectrometer using a calibration curve with diethyl-ester of norcantharidin as the internal standard. We observed: (i) high variability in CA content among specimens, which was positively related to individual dry-weight; and (ii) slightly larger (though non-significant) amount of CA in males than in females for both species. Our data are consistent with the available published reports about CA content, transfer and distribution in blister beetles and suggest a conserved biological role of this terpene in Meloidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and related technologies have revolutionized the field of conservation and population genetics, providing novel tools and the capacity to discover thousands of new Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) for the analysis of population parameters. However, gathering NGS data for organisms with very large genomes, such as amphibians, remains challenging because it is still unclear how the current methods perform. Here, we use the Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS) approach to generate SNP data for the genotyping of two amphibian species that are of conservation concern, the Sardinian brook salamander (Euproctus platycephalus) and the Italian stream frog (Rana italica). Both E. platycephalus and R. italica have very large genomes (5.53 Gb and >20 Gb, respectively) so genomic data are not available for either of them. We used 95 individual samples and one Illumina lane for each species, with an additional lane for E. platycephalus. After filtering, we obtained 961 and 854 high-coverage SNPs for E. platycephalus and R. italica , respectively. Our results suggest that GBS can serve as a reliable and cost-effective method for genotyping large amphibian genomes, including non-model species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several factors act on community structure, so determining species composition and abundance patterns. Core processes operating at local scales, such as species-environment matching and species interactions, shape observed assemblages. Artificial habitats (simplified structure) are useful systems for assessing the main factors affecting community composition and disentangling their assembly rules. Drinking troughs (brickwork tanks for free-ranging cattle watering) are widespread in Italy and represent a suitable aquatic habitat for colonization by various aquatic organisms. Dragonflies larvae are usually found in drinking troughs and often exhibit strong species interactions and striking community assembly patterns. Our primary aim was to search for Odonata communities exhibiting non-random co-occurrence/segregation patterns in drinking troughs. We performed null-model analyses by measuring a co-occurrence index (C-score) on larval Odonata assemblages (13 species from 28 distinct troughs). Overall, we found a non-random structure for the studied dragonfly assemblages, which, given their fast generation time, must have been generated by short-term ecological processes (i.e. interspecific interactions). We thus analyzed potential competition/predation among and within ecological guilds. From the field data, we speculated that interactions within the sprawlers’ guild is likely among the main drivers structuring the studied assemblages, especially the effect of intraguild predation between C. erythraea and Sympetrum spp larval stages. We then experimentally tested these interactions in laboratory and demonstrated that intraguild predation among larvae at different development stages may result in an effective exclusion/negative impact on density pattern, representing one of the processes to take into consideration when studying dragonfly assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amphibians are the vertebrate group experiencing the steepest global population decline and species loss. Habitat alteration and loss caused by the intensification of agriculture is among the main causes; however, in the past, amphibians have been favoured by traditional agriculture and husbandry as more terrestrial and aquatic habitats became available through land‐use diversification and the construction of artificial facilities for cattle watering. Troughs for cattle watering may represent the only permanent water points for amphibian reproduction in human‐modified landscapes.The present study focused on Lissotriton vulgaris meridionalis, a semi‐aquatic salamander, subendemic and widespread in Italy, capable of colonizing artificial aquatic habitats. The main goal was to determine the importance of drinking troughs for the ecology and conservation of the species in a hilly area (Latium region, Central Italy) subjected to traditional livestock farming (i.e. Maremmana cattle).Specifically, generalized linear models (GLMs) were used to analyse the effects of drinking trough characteristics (i.e. size, substrate, aquatic vegetation), landscape features (distance to the forest, forest cover, percentage of cultivated lands and infrastructural development, terrestrial connectivity) and intensity of management practices on the occurrence and abundance of the target species.In the light of the present results, it is suggested that drinking troughs represent suitable surrogates for pristine habitats for L. vulgaris meridionalis. Hence, even man‐made aquatic habitats, associated with traditional husbandry, may help to sustain amphibian populations in landscapes where natural wetlands are scarce. The present findings are timely because of the lack of empirical data on the role of drinking troughs in amphibian conservation within rural socio‐economic scenarios, which may have been neglected in research and policy in favour of lakes, rivers and streams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new strand of studies has called into question standard microeconomic predictions of a positive association between women’s economic independence and marital union dissolution. We investigate whether and how the gender division of labor channels the impact of women’s employment on marital union disruption, utilizing data on heterosexual couples from the 2003 and 2007 waves of the Italian nationally representative “Family and Social Subject” survey (N = 2,871) and applying techniques of mediation analysis. We suggest that women’s employment does not have a negative effect per se on union stability, and that women’s paid work becomes detrimental to the stability of the union only if the men’s contribution to unpaid work is limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: After two strong earthquakes in the Emilia region in Italy, many HCWs had to deal with the psychological consequences of the aftershocks. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this case study were a) to describe the psychosocial condition of the HCWs affected by the earthquake; b) to present an intervention immediately after the earthquake on HCWs in a post-disaster situation using a mixed-method approach. METHODS: A mixed-method study was conducted collecting qualitative data (during Group Counselling sessions) and quantitative data (through questionnaires). RESULTS: The results suggested that the impact of the earthquake was very strong, as more than 80% perceived at least a severe impact event capable of altering their ability to function; most of the thoughts and feelings were related to death and fear. CONCLUSIONS: This study adds knowledge about how to plan interventions aiming to help those workers at both individual and organisational level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The patterns of the occurrence and distribution of alien freshwater turtle species in an urban pond archipelago (Rome, Italy) were analysed, with the aim of exploring the role of a set of factors (type of ponds, landscape context, size area, distance from the nearest road) with a generalized linear model approach. A total of 311 ponds subdivided in three types (fountains, small basins, lakes) embedded in different landscape contexts (public parks, private parks, urban areas) at differing distances from the nearest road were sampled. Six non-native freshwater turtle species in 31 sites were recorded (9.97%). Lakes exhibited the highest occurrence rates of alien freshwater turtles, compared to small basins and fountains. Freshwater turtle species in urbanized areas were only observed in parks (both public and private). In both the public and private parks, the lakes exhibited the highest percentage of occupied sites, with fountains being the lowest. A direct and significant relationship was observed between pond size and species richness. The distance from the nearest road did not appear to affect species richness. A first interpretation of the data from this study facilitated the postulation of two a posteriori hypotheses that should be tested, as follows: (i) the causal process of turtle release is random, and the rate of extinction (and recapture) is higher in smaller ponds, thus producing the observed pattern; and (ii) the turtle release is not random, and people actively select the ponds they consider more suitable for their pet animals. In this study, it appears the lakes were perceived by those who abandon their pets as the most ecologically suitable habitats among other pond types to accommodate the different species of turtles. Knowledge of people's attitudes in regard to releasing pet animals also might assist managers of public green spaces to develop strategies aimed to preserve local biodiversity, and to educate the public about the conservation issue represented by the alien species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has noted that divorce rates tend to be higher when there is a surplus of marriageable women in the marriage market. This paper argues that the size and the composition of the female migrant population can affect the marital stability of natives. We tested such hypothesis taking Italy as a case-study because it exemplifies a male-breadwinner society and because it is a relatively new immigration country. We estimated discrete-time event history models predicting marital disruption on data from the nationally representative 2009 Family and Social Subjects survey. Our results illustrated that the increasing presence of first mover migrant women (coming from Central-South America and Eastern Europe) was associated with higher separation risks among natives, especially for couples with lower human capital. By advancing the relevance of foreigners as a potential driver of natives' family life courses, our findings add to our understanding of partnership dynamics in recent immigration countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate prescription profiles of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and to assess hospitalizations and specialist visits in pediatric patients with epilepsy. Methods: The data sources were administrative health databases of Italy's Lombardy Region, which collect prescriptions for drugs, diagnostic tests, specialist visits, and hospital discharge forms. All patients aged 0-16 years with at least seven AED (group N03A of the International Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification) prescriptions over two consecutive years between 2003 and 2010 were identified and classified as prevalent or incident cases (no prescriptions in two previous years). The first prescription to incident cases was analyzed. For each incident case, drug prescriptions, specialist visits, diagnostic tests, and hospitalizations in the 24 months following the first (index) prescription were monitored. Results: A total of 6527 incident cases (5.4/10,000 person-years, 95% CI 5.4-5.5) were identified. Valproic acid and carbamazepine were the most prescribed drugs (65.9 and 15.0%, respectively). The use of newer AEDs increased over time. In the 24-month observation period, 74% of incident cases continued the treatment with the index AED. The percentage of cases who changed therapy was higher in preschoolers (34%) and decreased with age. In all, 21% of incident cases were hospitalized for epilepsy and 86% had a specialist visit in the 24 months after the first AED prescription. Conclusions: In conclusion, older AEDs, particularly valproic acid, remained the first therapeutic approach to pediatric epilepsy in Italy. For three quarters of cases, the initial AED treatment was likely effective and well tolerated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Growing economic uncertainty has become an intrinsic characteristic of contemporary globalized societies in which an increasing number of people are moving in and out of jobs that may give little meaning to their lives. Among other things, economic uncertainty may affect union formation practices. OBJECTIVE In this study we address the relationship between employment uncertainty and union formation in Italy. The country typifies a unique case-study in light of its familistic organization, but remains largely under-studied in this respect. METHODS We adopt a mixed-method approach. The qualitative analysis - conducted with focus group techniques - provided an in-depth understanding into the mechanisms of how job precariousness may affect individual perceptions and beliefs on union formation in Italy. The quantitative analysis - conducted through event-history techniques - verified how strong these mechanisms are at the population level. RESULTS The qualitative exploration allows us to advance the hypothesis - new for the Italian setting - that labor market uncertainty favors cohabitation while employment stability facilitates marriage. The subsequent quantitative analysis provided strong support for this hypothesis for the female population. For men, the largest contrast was found between any work and no work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neuropsychiatric disorders are present in up to 90% of patients with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC), and represent an important issue for families. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the most common neurobehavioral disease, affecting up to 61% of patients. The aims of this study were: 1) to assess the prevalence of ASD in a TSC population; 2) to describe the severity of ASD; 3) to identify potential risk factors associated with the development of ASD in TSC patients.Methods: We selected 42 individuals over age 4 years with a definite diagnosis of TSC and followed at a TSC clinic in Northern Italy. We collected and reported clinical and genetic data, as well as cognitive level, for each of them. We administered the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) as a reliable screening tool for ASD, and performed comparisons between the average scores and each clinical and genetic feature.Results: Seventeen out of 42 patients (40.5%) had a score at the SCQ suggestive of ASD (≥15 points). When calculated for each cognitive level category, the average SCQ score tended to be progressively higher in patients with a worse cognitive level, and the number of pathological SCQ scores increased with worsening of intellectual disability. With respect to ASD severity, the scores were equally distributed, indicating that the degree of ASD in TSC patients may have a large variability. By comparing the average SCQ scores with the clinical features, we found statistically significant correlations with epilepsy, seizure onset before age one year, spasms, mutations in TSC2, cognitive level, sleep disorders, and other psychiatric problems, but not with seizure frequency, tubers localization and gender.Conclusions: Our study showed a prevalence of ASD of 40.5%, confirming the higher risk for this disorder in patients with TSC. However, the severity seems to have a notable variability in TSC patients. Risk factors for ASD are epilepsy, infantile spams, and mutations in TSC2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

summary The paper investigates the relationship between fertility and women's education in Italy, using data from the 2009 Household Multipurpose Survey of Family and Social Subjects. We use event history models, adopting a Bayesian approach for inference to study the association between fertility and women's education in the presence of a time varying unobserved component. Our analysis shows that either disregarding the unobserved component or assuming a time constant unobserved heterogeneity can lead to misleading results, at least in the context studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data on mean longevity and age structure of Rana italica are very scanty. Skeletochronological data comparisons with other European brown frogs showed that life span of R. italica is similar to those of other congeneric species. In this study we report the age structure of a population of R. italica from Central Italy with a new record of species maximum size. The study population inhabits a perennial stream in a lowland oak wood. All the individuals were marked by means of toe clipping. Skeletochronological analyses showed that adult age ranged from 3 to 5 years in males and from 2 to 6 years in females with no intersexual difference. In our study, the oldest individual (estimated age was 6 years) was also the biggest (68 mm), representing the new body size record for the species. Previous skeletochronological studies on R. italica have shown that the mean longevity for this species is four years but the maximum age recorded is 5 and 8 years in low and high elevation populations, respectively. The ages recorded for the study population inhabiting a hilly area showed higher average and maximum values than those found in lowland populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]