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Anatomical education is pivotal for medical students, and innovative technologies like augmented reality (AR) are transforming the field. This study aimed to enhance the interactive features of the "AEducAR" prototype, an AR tool developed by the University of Bologna, and explore its impact on human anatomy learning process in 130 second-year medical students at the International School of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Bologna. An interdisciplinary team of anatomists, maxillofacial surgeons, biomedical engineers, and educational scientists collaborated to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the study's objectives. Students used the updated version of "AEducAR," named "AEducAR 2.0," to study three anatomical topics, specifically the orbit zone, facial bones, and mimic muscles. "AEducAR 2.0" offered two learning activities: one explorative and one interactive. Following each activity, students took a test to assess learning outcomes. Students also completed an anonymous questionnaire to provide background information and offer their perceptions of the activity. Additionally, 10 students participated in interviews for further insights. The results demonstrated that "AEducAR 2.0" effectively facilitated learning and students' engagement. Students totalized high scores in both quizzes and declared to have appreciated the interactive features that were implemented. Moreover, interviews shed light on the interesting topic of blended learning. In particular, the present study suggests that incorporating AR into medical education alongside traditional methods might prove advantageous for students' academic and future professional endeavors. In this light, this study contributes to the growing research emphasizing the potential role of AR in shaping the future of medical education.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about new stressors on university students, with a negative impact on their mental health and well-being. The purpose of this study was to examine the usefulness of a brief psychodynamically oriented intervention on general functioning by investigating changes in symptoms of depression, anxiety, hopelessness, and burnout. The sample was comprised of 67 university students (22.4% males), with a mean age of 23.27 (standard deviation (SD) = 3.27), who asked for psychological help at a psychological university service. Pre- and posttreatment data showed a significant improvement in general functioning and symptom reduction due to the psychological intervention. The mean change was very high for depression (d = 1.11) and high for general functioning (d = 0.70) and anxiety (d = 0.69). Our findings showed the importance of considering university students a vulnerable population that requires specific services within the university context and underlined the fact that mental-health-promotion policies should be extensively implemented.

In this paper the results of a questionnaire about mathematics teachers' inclusion in their teaching of mathematical modelling and problem posing are presented. To make teachers able to choose a coherent teaching method for a mathematical topic, teachers' knowledge of valuable methods for the teaching of mathematics should be fostered. In this sense, studying teachers' practice of modelling and problem posing is crucial in order to know if and which kind of support and professional development they need on such educational strategies. The questionnaire was administrated to Italian in-service mathematics teachers of primary and secondary school. Findings indicate that despite teachers implement regularly some aspects of mathematical modelling in their lessons, they ask more materials to support their preparation and practice. Problem posing, instead, might be more integrated in the classroom work, and consequently in teachers' professional development courses.

This article claims to provide evidence on whether content-subject and cognitive achievement vary in CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) and non-CLIL classrooms in the framework of a newly introduced CLIL programme in Italy. A standardized and validated science test (TIMSS) was administered to a sample 988 fourth-grade students. The sample was divided into three groups: one group learning science through English, one group through German, and a control group in which the students' school language, Italian, was employed. In our study the lack of taking into account causal relations which prevails in many prior studies is reduced by employing a counterfactual design. Results show a slightly negative effect of CLIL on science learning in both treatment groups in comparison to the control group. However, for both CLIL groups the negative effect exclusively pertains to the learning of purely content-related knowledge, while there are no differences between the non-CLIL and the two CLIL groups with regard to two other cognitive domains: application of knowledge and reasoning. Moreover, the paper shows significantly negative CLIL effects only among low language achievers and students from less advantaged parental backgrounds.

Introducing the distributivity property of multiplication over addition is a well-known challenge in mathematics education, especially in primary school. As a contribution, this paper presents the results of a cycle of design research that focuses on the design, implementation and evaluation of a modelling activity in which 2nd-grade students are introduced to the key concept of distributivity of multiplication over addition. The results show that modelling activities designed through the heuristics of didactical phenomenology, guided reinvention and emergent modelling may support the accessibility of distributivity, as these students were able to reinvent this concept solving an experientially significant problem. This result can be attributed to a combination of several factors: the choice of a realistic and rich problem, that stimulated students to elaborate formal mathematical concepts mathematizing their informal solving strategies, rooting new understandings in experientially real phenomena; the use of a suitable artifact, that presented mathematics as a means of interpreting and understanding reality and increasing the opportunities for observing mathematics outside of the school context; the role of the teacher, who guided students in reinventing mathematics in an active way.

The COVID-19 pandemic raised concerns regarding millions of children's mental health. For schools, the real challenge has been how to manage the situation in terms of education and development. The present investigation was carried out to evaluate a school re-entry program that supported teachers and students with activities aimed at processing emotions and lockdown experiences in their classrooms. Results show that the program was well perceived and was associated with a consequent reduction in children's state anxiety and negative emotions. We conclude that a school re-entry program can play an important role in fostering resilience and development during a crisis.

Italy is characterized by a considerable amount of language variation. Only a few spoken vernaculars enjoy institutional support and are officially recognized as minority languages. Among these, Friulian is one of the largest in terms of number of speakers. In the past decade, the assessment of Friulian language vitality has yielded discordant conclusions. The aim of the present paper is to shed light on Friulian's vitality by providing an informed discussion of the findings of the three most recent studies on the topic, namely De Cia (2013), Coluzzi (2015), and Melchior (2015). As a framework for discussion and means of synthesis among the different claims put forward on Friulian's vitality, I will make reference to the nine factors of language vitality proposed by UNESCO (2003): each factor describes six possible sociolinguistic scenarios, which reflect six different levels of language vitality. Despite its official status and institutional support, Friulian lacks young native speakers and is used more and more infrequently in a limited number of social settings. The overall picture suggests that a marked process of language shift from Friulian to Italian is taking place. National and regional authorities should take immediate action to ensure the future survival of the minority language.

With the increasing shift from STEM to STEAM education, arts-based approaches to science teaching and learning are considered promising for aligning school science curricula with the development of twenty-first century skills, including creativity. Yet the impact of STEAM practices on student creativity and specifically on how the latter is associated with science learning outcomes have thus far received scarce empirical support. This paper contributes to this line of research by reporting on a two-wave quantitative study that examines the effect of a long-term STEAM intervention on two cognitive processes associated with creativity (act, flow) and their interrelationships with intrinsic and extrinsic components of science motivation. Using pre- and post-survey data from 175 high-school students in Italy, results show an overall positive effect of the intervention both on the act subscale of creativity and science career motivation, whereas a negative effect is found on self-efficacy. Gender differences in the above effects are also observed. Further, results provide support for the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between creativity and science career motivation. Implications for the design of STEAM learning environments are discussed.

In 1977, Italy adopted a policy to fully include students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms. This study surveyed the attitudes of Italian teachers towards inclusive education 40 years after this reform. The data were collected from 153 basic school teachers using the Teachers' Attitudes towards Inclusion Scale (TAIS). The results indicate that the Italian teachers had a high level of commitment to inclusive education. Approximately 90% of the respondents agreed that students with special educational needs should be educated in mainstream classrooms, and only 7% felt that they should be transferred to special education classrooms instead. To improve the quality of inclusive education, the teachers most frequently mentioned the need for more in-service training, smaller class sizes, and additional help from support teachers and therapists in the classroom.

The Coping Power Program has been adapted as a universal prevention model (Coping Power Universal) aimed to reduce children's behavioral difficulties in Italian primary and nursery classes. The current study aimed to determine whether the version of the Universal Coping Power for pre-schoolers could reduce behavioral problems in school and home contexts, and could produce transfer effects on children's pre-academic skills. The sample included 102 five-year-old children who attended six pre-school classes located in Rovigo (Italy). Classes were randomly assigned to the intervention or to the control condition. Both parents and teachers indicated a significant reduction in behavioral problems for Coping Power classes, and teachers rated improvement in children's pre-mathematics, and language abilities. The results of this study are promising, suggesting pre-schoolers' social-emotional and pre-academic skills may benefit from the Universal Coping Power program.

This paper examines the early history of the Friuli Mosaic School (FMS), an Italian arts and crafts school specialising in mosaic and terrazzo. The history of the FMS opens up a rare window into an often-overlooked field in the history of education: arts and crafts schools in Fascist Italy (1922-1943). Then, the FMS excelled in mosaic education and production and gained the trust of the regime, which notably commissioned the school to produce large mosaic works for the Foro Italico sports complex in Rome. Yet, as this paper contends, the FMS--Fascist Italy relationship was primarily functional rather than political. Similarly, the FMS adopted a pragmatic approach in times of economic hardship by becoming an active agent for its students and alumni who were compelled to emigrate. The migrant trajectory of alumnus Ettore Lorenzini to the United States was paradigmatic of this.

Objective: To describe an innovative school-based intervention to promote healthy lifestyles. To evaluate its effects on children's food habits and to highlight the key components which contribute most to the beneficial effects obtained from children's, teachers' and parents' perspectives. Design: An educational tool to improve personal awareness, promote healthy food choices and increase children's levels of physical activity was developed and evaluated. The tool used a community-based approach and included family members, schools, university, families, sports societies, farms, mass media and municipalities. Setting: A total of 11 primary school classes in five schools in Spoleto, Umbria. Methods: The tool dealt with healthy food choices, lifestyle and physical activities and is structured in four phases (4 months). The Kidmed test (a validated index based on principles sustaining Mediterranean dietary patterns as well as those that undermine them) and open-ended questionnaires (to highlight the key components which contributed most to the beneficial effects) were used to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. Kidmed scores were evaluated both before and after intervention (T0-T1) and the written answers collected (from teachers, parents and children) were subjected to content analysis using a form of grounded theory. Results: Data point to a significant before/after increase on Kidmed scores (t=-3.88; p=.000), revealing an increase in children's adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, healthy habit changes, greater parental awareness of their educational responsibilities regarding food choices as well as physical activity, and a new school-family alliance as a result of the educational intervention. Conclusion: Project findings reveal positive effects on children's food habits and highlight key components necessary to enhance the effectiveness of a school-based educational intervention.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare a sample of Italian (n = 29) and Finnish children (n = 32) with Down syndrome for possible differences emerging from diverse educational surroundings. Besides the level of adaptive and challenging behaviors, some other issues were compared, including teacher satisfaction. Methods: We used the children's teachers as informants. They were interviewed using standardized scales. Results: No differences in adaptive behavior or challenging behavior were observed between the samples. All children from the Italian sample were fully included in mainstream classes, while in the Finnish sample, 92% of all the school years were spent in self-contained special education classes. The Italian sample received physiotherapy and speech therapy more often than the Finnish sample. Satisfaction concerning the resources and organization of the children's education was high among the Finnish informants, but rather low among the Italian informants. Conclusion: The results illustrated some differences in the organization of special education of children with Down syndrome in Finland and Italy. The interpretation of the level of adaptive and challenging behavior scores was hampered by the high standard deviations, indicating the inner heterogeneity of the samples.

This article is based on the case study of the establishment of the campus of Tongji University (TU) in Florence, Italy, in 2014. This is the first offshore campus of a Chinese university in a Western country, showing an innovative trend, in particular concerning the legitimacy within the host sociopolitical and economic context. This article frames the case in the scenario of academic internationalization and Chinese higher education. The article analyzes the internationalization strategy of TU and the peculiar evolution of Florence as an "education hub," and gives a detailed account of the process leading to the establishment of the campus. Conclusions emphasize the innovative features related to Tongji's choice to follow a delocalized platform approach and to network with local actors. This imposes a more complex view of the impact on the host region.

Children with autism spectrum disorders display atypical development of gesture production, and gesture impairment is one of the determining factors of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. Despite the obvious importance of this issue for children with autism spectrum disorder, the literature on gestures in autism is scarce and contradictory. The purpose of this study was to analyze gestural communication in children with autism spectrum disorder during spontaneous mother-child interaction. Participants were children with autism spectrum disorder (n = 20), Down's syndrome (n = 20), and typical development (n = 20) and their mothers. Children's mean developmental age was 24.16 months (standard deviation = 1.45 months) and did not differ across the groups. Gestural communication was analyzed with a specific coding scheme allowing a quantitative and qualitative analysis of gestural production. Results showed the following: (a) differences between autism spectrum disorder, typical development, and Down's syndrome groups in the total number of gestures produced; (b) differences between the three groups in the distribution of gesture types; and (c) specific correlations between gestural production, cognitive development, and autism severity scores. The study of gestures in autism spectrum disorder could help us to identify different phenotypes in autism and could also lead to the development of new therapies.

Although dyslexia runs in families, several putative risk factors that cannot be immediately identified as genetic predict reading disability. Published studies analyzed one or a few risk factors at a time, with relatively inconsistent results. To assess the contribution of several putative risk factors to the development of dyslexia, we conducted a case-control study of 403 Italian children, 155 with dyslexia, by implementing a stepwise logistic regression applied to the entire sample, and then to boys and girls separately. Younger parental age at child's birth, lower parental education, and risk of miscarriage significantly increased the odds of belonging to the dyslexia group (19.5% of the variation). These associations were confirmed in the analyses conducted separately by sex, except for parental education, which significantly affected only males. These findings support reading disabilities as a multifactorial disorder and may bear some importance for the prevention and/or early detection of children at heightened risk for dyslexia.

Institutionalised discrimination continues to perpetuate deep rooted social divisions, with gender inequality persisting as a pervasive feature of labour markets across the world. Despite the depth and breadth of gender inequality, there is limited acknowledgement in career theory that the career support needs of women are distinctive. A qualitative international comparative study into the career trajectories of older women (aged 45-65) has been conducted across six countries (Australia, Argentina, Germany, Italy, England and South Africa). The results provide an international understanding of women's careers and offer insight into career theory and practice for women that are culturally relevant.

This article investigates management systems in higher education organisations by analysing the 2009 Italian reform of performance management and its implementation within Italian universities. The research is based on a survey that covered about half of Italy's public universities. Survey results provide an account of the state of management systems of Italian universities, confirming the assumption of their relative backwardness and the importance of specific preconditions (efficient organisation and effective control systems) for a good system of performance evaluation.

This paper describes an informal component that we added to an online formal language learning environment in order to help the learners reach relevant Internet pages they can freely use to complement their learning activity. Thanks to this facility, each lesson is enriched, at run time, with a number of links automatically retrieved from social bookmarking sites. The learners also have at disposal a micro-evaluation system allowing them to share within the environment their like or dislike of the visited web sites, giving their fellow learners indirect guidance for fruitful web exploitation. Our analysis of the retrieved bookmarks for different kinds of learning contents shows that suitable links are actually retrieved by this facility. Moreover, a pilot experimentation revealed that students actually feel inclined to make use of this facility and appreciate both the proposed links and the possibility to receive advice from their peers by means of the micro-evaluation system. This suggests that the added facility actually constitutes an opportunity of informal learning suitably connected with formal one.

Two experiments using a lexical priming paradigm investigated how stress information is processed in reading Italian words. In both experiments, prime and target words either shared the stress pattern or they had different stress patterns. We expected that lexical activation of the prime would favour the assignment of congruent stress to the target. Results showed that participants were faster in naming target words that had the same stress pattern as the prime. Similar effects were found on target words that were included in lists in which all prime and target stimuli had the same stress type (Experiment 1) and in lists with mixed stress type and congruency between primes and targets (Experiment 2). Results indicate that, in single word reading, metrical information about stress position is activated in the lexicon, independent of segmental information. (Contains 4 tables and 3 footnotes.)

Phonological skills are foundational of reading acquisition and impaired phonological processing is widely assumed to characterize dyslexic individuals. However, reading by phonological decoding also requires rapid selection of sublexical orthographic units through serial attentional orienting, and recent studies have shown that visual spatial attention is impaired in dyslexic children. Our study investigated these different neurocognitive dysfunctions, before reading acquisition, in a sample of preschoolers including children with (N=20) and without (N=67) familial risk for developmental dyslexia. Children were tested on phonological skills, rapid automatized naming, and visual spatial attention. At-risk children presented deficits in both visual spatial attention and syllabic segmentation at the group level. Moreover, the combination of visual spatial attention and syllabic segmentation scores was more reliable than either single measure for the identification of at-risk children. These findings suggest that both visuo-attentional and perisylvian-auditory dysfunctions might adversely affect reading acquisition, and may offer a new approach for early identification and remediation of developmental dyslexia. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)

• Pinch MVC (maximal voluntary contraction) is not correlated to dexterity • Pinch MVC and E-MVC (extension maximal voluntary contraction) values have different decline over ageing. • No difference in E-MVC (extension maximal voluntary contraction) was observed between hands • In heaviest occupations there is no difference in Palmar pinch MVC between hands • The anthropometric factor most correlated with pinch MVCs is height Cross-sectional study. Flexion (Palmar Pinch, PP-MVC and Tip Pinch, TP-MVC) and extension (E-MVC) maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of the index-thumb system offers a quick way to estimate the level of hands' impairment in several musculoskeletal and neurologic conditions. This study established normative data of PP-MVC, TP-MVC, E-MVC in the Italian population and evaluated their correlation with hand dominance, anthropometric factors, dexterity and workload level. In our study, 303 healthy people (150F, 153M) were recruited. Participants performed PP-MVC, TP-MVC and E-MVC tests per hand, conducted by using a pinch-gauge. T-test was used to analyze MVC means between sexes and between hands. One-way ANOVA was conducted to compare MVC means in male and female samples stratified by age (18-29, 30-44, 45-59, 60-74, +75). Spearman's correlation analysis was performed to determine anthropometric variables, dexterity and workload level effects on MVCs. Medium-to-large effect sizes of age were shown in the majority of tasks. The 30 to 44 years and then +75 years age groups showed the highest and the lowest values, respectively, for both sex and both hands. Men were meanly 50% stronger, and the dominant hand showed higher values (6-10%). MVC-tests correlated moderately with weight and height weakly with dexterity and workload level. After 30 to 44 years, hand strength declines in line with the normal process of aging that also entails muscle fibers and the reduction of daily activities in older adults. In relative terms, E-MVC showed the highest strength loss in the over 75 seconds. The difference between sexes was higher in E-MVC than in flexion MVCs. E-MVC seems to depend more on musculoskeletal architecture that differs from women to men, according to the highest correlation between E-MVC and anthropometric variables. Only high workload levels impacted hand strength. In heaviest occupations, no PP-MVCs differences were observed between hands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Primary hypobetalipoproteinemia (HBL) can be either monogenic or polygenic. • We compared two polygenic risk scores (PRS1-PRS2) in primary HBL. • Among 170 subjects with primary HBL, 37% had a polygenic origin. • Prevalence of liver steatosis did not differ in monogenic and polygenic HBL. • Only PRS1 is effective in detecting polygenic HBL. Primary Hypobetalipoproteinemias (HBL) are a group of dominant and recessive monogenic genetic disorders caused by mutations in APOB, PCSK9, ANGPTL3, MTTP, Sar1b genes and characterized by plasma levels of total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and apolipoprotein B (apoB) below the 5th percentile of the distribution in a given population. Mutations in the candidate genes account only for a small proportion of subjects with HBL suggesting a role for a polygenic contribution to the low cholesterol phenotype. To explore the complex genetic architecture of HBL we compared two polygenic risk scores in order to assess the role of the polygenic burden and the differences in the clinical phenotype between monogenic and polygenic HBL; we studied a cohort of 170 subjects with primary HBL referred over a 25-year period to 2 Italian reference centers have been studied. The genetic analyses have been based on: Sanger sequencing, in-house NGS customized panel and two scores, PRS1 and PRS2 for the polygenic burden. Sixty 60 (35%) and 63 (37%) subjects had a monogenic and polygenic HBL respectively. LDL-C plasma levels were significantly lower in monogenic HBL (30.87 ± 3.12 mg/dl) compared with the non-monogenic HBL (42.80 ± 2.18 mg/dl) (p<0.002) with no differences in the percentage of fatty liver. Only PRS1 is effective in detecting polygenic HBL while PRS2 does not improve the polygenic diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

Recurrent or locally advanced peri-hilar cholangiocarcinoma (PHCC) usually involves the portal vein (PV) leading to significant stenosis. With disease progression, clinical symptoms such as ascites, bleeding, and hepatic insufficiency are usually observed. Little is know about the benefit of PV stenting in relieving the symptoms associated to portal hypertension and allowing anticancer therapies. The aim of this study is to review our experience in PV stenting for PHCC patients. From 2014 to 2022, data from PHCC patients underwent PV stenting at Verona University Hospital, Italy, were reviewed. The indications were: gastrointestinal bleeding from esophagus-gastric varices, ascites not responsive to medical therapy, severe thrombocytopenia, liver insufficiency (hepatic jaundice, coagulopathy, and/or hyperammoniemia), or asymptomatic high-grade PV stenosis. Cavernous transformation and intrahepatic thrombosis in both sides of the liver were considered contraindication. Systematic anticoagulation therapy was not administered. Technical success was achieved in all 16 (100 %) patients. The improvement of clinical symptoms were observed in 12 (75 %) patients. Anticancer therapy was administrated in 11 (69 %) patients. 2 (13 %) complications were observed: 1 biliary injury and 1 recurrent cholangitis that required a percutaneous trans -hepatic biliary drainage placement. Stent occlusion for tumor progression occurred in 1 patient and a re-stenting procedure was successfully performed. No case of thrombotic stent occlusion was observed during follow up. The 1-year stent patency was 86 % and the median patency period was 8 months (IQR, 4–12). PV stenting is a feasible and safe palliative treatment that improves clinical condition, allow anticancer therapies, and provide a better quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Background: Telemedicine is defined as "the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve a patient's health status". This relatively new concept of healthcare is based on the fusion between medical assistance and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to provide support to people located in remote and underserved areas. It can be found not only in hospitals, but also in other healthcare facilities such as pharmacies. Starting from 2010, telemedicine or telehealth was formally introduced in the Italian pharmaceutical context with the "Pharmacy of Services Decree". In spite of this regulatory framework, the implementation of this technology was very slow and there are no data about the spreading and use of these services in Italian pharmacies. Objective: The present study has therefore developed a survey to collect information on the diffusion of telemedicine/telehealth services within Italian pharmacies. Methods: A two-part questionnaire in Italian was developed using SurveyMonkey, setting a mechanism aimed to have different outcomes according to the answers given. Six hundred eighty-three respondents returned the questionnaire. The results were then analysed statistically. Results: The questionnaire results have shown a limited diffusion of telemedicine/telehealth services among Italian pharmacies and an apparently limited interest of health authorities in supporting the integration of this technology. Conclusions: More efforts should be spent by national public health stakeholders to better analyse the contribution of telemedicine services available in public pharmacies and to find the best solutions to implement this innovative technology as an established service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Surgical wounds in major neurosurgery operations are at high risk of breakdown. Firstly, surgical incision is wide and implies section of vascular peduncle/s, impairing skin flap blood supply. Secondly, subcutaneous tissue is thin, particularly in infants. Finally, wound margins coagulation and removal of pericranium represent other risk factors. An oil spray mainly composed by hypericum and neem oil exerts an anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and antimicrobic action which promotes wound healing process. We present a case in which the use of oil spray and physical debridement allowed excellent healing of a compromised wound. Method: We present the case of a 7-year-old girl affected from Chiari malformation. She underwent posterior fossa decompression with duroplasty performed using pericranium harvested from occipital region. Since postoperative day 1, wound margins started to show a necrotic area. The wound was disinfected with a non-alcoholic product and sterile saline solution. Necrotic tissues were physically removed. Subsequently, the oil spray was applied. Results: The whole healing process took almost 2 months (Figure 1). There was no hospital discharge delay. Once a week the child was brought to the outpatient clinic to check the wound healing. Stiches were removed on postoperative day 14 and no cerebrospinal fluid leak was observed. Conclusion: The wound healing process derives from the mutually enhancing effect of surgical debridement and of oil spray, which promotes reactivation of microcirculation at wound margins and maintenance of a clean wound floor, helping controlling local inflammation. This was encountered in other pediatric cases in our hospital and reduces hospital costs. We conclude that complicated surgical wounds can be effectively treated with debridement and regular application of oil spray. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a session of osteopathic manipulative techniques on diaphragmatic motion and thickness in healthy participants. This was a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, case vs sham vs control clinical trial performed in an outpatient osteopathic clinic in Rome, Italy. Sixty-seven healthy participants, mean age 40.4 ± 14.5 years, received an ultrasound evaluation of diaphragmatic motion and thickness, followed by a systematic osteopathic evaluation. After randomization, the experimental group (n = 22) received osteopathic manipulation, whereas the sham (n = 22) and the control (n = 22) groups had a light touch approach and simple observation, respectively. After a 1-session intervention, new osteopathic and ultrasound assessments were repeated in all participants. A statistically significant increase in diaphragmatic mobility was observed in the experimental group after the osteopathic manipulation (Δ = 14.5 mm, P <.001; analysis of variance P <.001 vs both sham: Δ = -0.22 mm, and control: Δ = -2.09 mm groups). A strong linear relationship was observed between the diaphragmatic motion gradient, measured with ultrasonography, and the score assigned by the operator evaluating the change of diaphragm mobility after intervention. Osteopathic techniques used in this study improved the diaphragmatic motion (but not the muscle thickness) in healthy participants. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings and eventually identify the clinical conditions that may benefit from osteopathic manipulative treatment of the diaphragm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to contribute to the debate about critical race studies in the Italian context - and especially in the 1960s and the 1970s - by focusing on the construction and negotiation of race in the career of the prominent Italian meticcia singer, television host and producer Silvana Areggasc Savorelli, also known as Tanya from 1960 to 1966 and Lara Saint Paul from 1967 onwards. Through an examination of Savorelli’s career as a singer, television host and Italian diva, this article shows how the meanings of Savorelli’s meticcio body have been constantly adapting to the shifting perceptions of blackness in Italy and other Western societies. Lara Saint Paul’s media representations illustrate a change in the social construction of Italianness in terms of race from the early 1960s to the early 2000s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two field experimental trials were carried out in central Italy, in 2005 and 2006, on biomass sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] in order to assess weed control efficacy and selectivity to the crop of some pre- and post-emergence herbicides applied at different doses and in different mixtures. All herbicides showed good selectivity to the crop, although postemergence treatments showed higher transitory phytotoxicity effects than pre-emergence treatments, especially when high temperatures occurred after treatments, decreasing the selectivity of leaf herbicides (i.e. MCPA, 2,4-D, bromoxynil and dicamba). Considering pre-emergence applications, terbuthylazine alone against broadleaves or in mixtures at low doses with s-metolachlor against mixed infestations (grasses + broadleaves), seemed to be the best options to obtain a good selectivity to the sorghum and a high weed control level. Aclonifen showed some limits in terms of weed spectrum and could be recommended only against simplified broadleaf weed infestations without the presence of less susceptible weeds, like Amaranthus retroflexus, Portulaca oleracea and Solanum nigrum. Propachlor seemed not to be advisable due to the low efficacy against all the major broadleaf warmseason weed species in the Mediterranean areas. Considering post-emergence applications, all treatments gave quite similar results in terms of weed control, although, the mixture of terbuthylazine + bromoxynil seemed to be the best option due to bromoxinil's higher efficacy than other foliar herbicides, such as MCPA, 2,4-D and dicamba, which can increase the efficacy of terbuthylazine alone especially under dry weather conditions. There were no significant differences in sorghum biomass between herbicide treatments, although, the more selective pre-emergence treatments showed, on average, a higher biomass yield value than the less selective post-emergence treatments. For these reasons, biomass values seemed to be more related to herbicide selectivity than to herbicide efficacy, especially in cases of scarce competitiveness of weed flora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic debris incidence in marine environment was already highlighted in the early 1970s. Over the last decade, microplastic pollution in the environment has received increasing attention and is now an emerging research area. Many studies have focused on quantifying microplastic abundance in the marine environment, while there are relatively few data on microplastic occurrence in freshwater environment. Recent studies have reported high concentrations of microplastics in lakes and rivers, although the understanding of several factors influencing source, transport and fate is still limited. This study compares different lakes and the common factors, which could influence the occurrence and distribution of microplastics. The three subalpine lakes monitored include Lake Maggiore, Iseo and Garda. The selected sampling transects reflect the hydrologic conditions, the morphometric characteristics of these lakes, and other factors influencing the release of plastics debris in lakes. Particles of microplastics (<5 mm) were found in all sampled surfaces. The particles collected were classified depending on their number, shape and composition. The shape distribution showed the dominating occurrence of fragments (73.7%). The chemical composition of all examined samples clearly shows dominating presence of polyethylene (45%), polystyrene (18%) and polypropylene (15%). The results provide significant relations among the different contribution of direct and diffuse sources to the quantity of microplastics, highlighting the importance of understanding the spatial distribution dynamics of microplastics within a lake system that acts as a sink and source of plastic particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To appraise and synthesise findings from existing systematic reviews that measured the impact of compression therapy on venous leg ulcers (VLU) healing. Method: We searched five databases to identify potential papers; three authors extracted data, and a fourth author adjudicated the findings. The AMSTAR-2 tool was used for quality appraisal and the certainty of the evidence was appraised using GRADEpro. Data analysis was undertaken using RevMan. Results / Discussion: We identified 12 systematic reviews published between 1997 and 2021. AMSTAR-2 assessment identified three as high quality, five as moderate quality, and four as low-quality. Seven comparisons were reported, with a meta analysis undertaken for 5 of these comparisons: compression versus no compression (Risk Ratio [RR]: 1.55; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.34-1.78; p<0.00001; moderate-certainty evidence); elastic compression versus inelastic compression (RR: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.96-1.08; p<0.61 moderate-certainty evidence); 4 layer versus <4 layer bandage systems (RR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.82-1.40; p<0.63; moderatecertainty evidence); comparison between different 4 layer bandage systems (RR: 1.08; 95% CI: 0.93-1.25; p=0.34; moderatecertainty evidence); compression bandage versus compression stocking (RR 0.95; 95% CI 0.87-1.03; p=0.18; moderate-certainty evidence). Conclusion: The main conclusion from this review is that there is a statistically significant difference in healing rates when compression is used compared to no compression, with moderate certainty evidence. Otherwise, there is no statistically different difference in healing rates using elastic compression versus inelastic compression, 4 layer versus <4 layer bandage systems, different 4 layer bandage systems, or compression bandages versus compression stockings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To appraise existing systematic reviews (SR) measuring the impact of compression therapy on the health quality of life of (HRQoL) of people with venous leg ulcers (VLU). Method: Five databases were searched, AMSTAR-2 tool was used for quality appraisal. Narrative synthesis was undertaken. Results/Discussion: Three SRs, including 8 RCTs, 7 different HRQoL instruments, met the inclusion criteria. Three main comparisons were identified, 1. four-layer bandage versus two-layer bandage, short-stretch bandage or usual care; 2. unknown compression system plus exercise versus unknown compression alone; 3. two-layer compression system versus short-stretch bandage. Comparison 1: in 3 studies, for the domains physical symptoms, daily living scores, physical function, physical components and mental component, the mean difference (MD) in HRQoL scores was statistically significant in favour of a 4-layer bandage system. Two studies found a statistically significant difference in HRQoL years in favour of two-layer cohesive compression bandage, whereas one study found no difference in HRQoL years among the study groups. Comparison 2: one study found no differences between the study groups in terms of physical and mental component summary scale scores. In a further study, for the EQ visual analogue scale at 12 months, there was a statistically significant MD in HRQoL scores between the study groups, in favour of intervention group. However, in the same study, for the VEINES-QOL, at 12-month follow-up, there was no statistically significant MD between the groups. Comparison 3: one study found no statistically significant MD in HRQoL scores between the study groups. Conclusion: Results were varied, reflecting uncertainty in determining which of the compression systems exerts the greatest impact on HRQoL in people with VLU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Plant composition and richness differs between sweet chestnut and black locust forests. • Sweet chestnut and black locust forests have a similar stand structure. • Ammonia-oxidising archaea abundance is lower in sweet chestnut forests. • Management regime can play a relevant role in shaping chestnut forest structure. Sweet chestnut forests in Europe are impacted by management abandonment, non-native species invasions and diseases, among other factors. Understanding the effects of these factors is crucial for forecasting future biodiversity changes, as well as proposing appropriate planning and management strategies. We studied sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) dominated forests within three hilly landscapes (Euganean hills, Montello, and Berici hills) of north-eastern Italy. We surveyed 25 paired sweet chestnut and black locust dominated plots of 100 m2 representing coppice or over-aged stands. We collected and analysed data related to vascular plant composition and richness, soil physical features (moisture content, shear strength and penetration resistance), ammonia-oxidising archaea in the soil, and stand structure features. Composition of vascular plants differed significantly between the two forest types, without the influence of management regime. Soil characteristics did not change comparing forest types, management regimes and their interaction, except for soil moisture that was higher in coppice forests. Ammonia-oxidising archaea abundance was lower in sweet chestnut stands. Sweet chestnut and black locust forests have a similar stand structure. The management regime played a role in determining mean diameter, number of stems and deadwood volume. We suggest adopting a heterogeneous array of silviculture practices to achieve the highest variety of forest structures and plant composition in Mediterranean hilly landscapes, coupled with management practices aimed at black locust control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation of the determinants of public health expenditure is the focus of a vivid debate among health economists whereas the actual crisis of the welfare systems calls for the adoption of innovative tools to inform rational decisions, in the light of stringent budget constraints. The purpose of this paper is to show the potentialities of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) in investigating whether healthcare providers belonging to the same jurisdiction show similarities in their health care expenditure determinants. Similarities are reproduced in terms of fuzzy dependencies between health budgetary data of the healthcare providers belonging to five Italian regions. The analysis carried out sees the application of Auto Contractive Maps (AutoCM) model. The methodology is effective in illustrating regional patterns of expenditure and similarities across Local Health Units (Aziende Sanitarie Locali—ASLs). The results give interesting insights on the presence of notable regional models for health expenditure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main novelty of the most recent Common Agricultural Policy reform is the greening , which provides a payment to farmers who respect certain ‘agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment’. The greening is part of a framework that includes other changes to the first pillar. In the present study the possible impact of first pillar reform on a Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) sample of Italian farms was carried out using a Positive Mathematical Programming model. This model considers the mechanisms of production choices according to compliance with the greening practices, as well as possible administrative penalties or reductions in payments in the case of non-compliance. Results showed that while the impact of the greening practices is limited in terms of land use, there were positive effects on environmental indicators. Coupled payments, along with greening practices, determine a larger impact and are effective in achieving environmental goals. Moreover, the system for reducing green payments and levying administrative penalties in case of non-compliance is effective and ensures compliance with practices in almost all farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Private food waste behaviours can deviate from the opinions stated during social interactions. • We create an ABM of opinion exchange with interaction threshold and behaviour-opinion gap. • Calibration with Italian data on food waste shows that limited inter-group mixing is enough to trigger change. • Committed individuals can convince others if they show some between-group variability and open mindedness. • Policy against food waste should promote face-to-face interactions between diverse groups. Consumer food waste, like many environmental behaviours, takes place in private, and is not directly subject to social monitoring. Nevertheless, social interactions can affect private opinions and behaviours. This paper builds an agent-based model of interactions between consumers heterogeneous in their sociability, their initial opinions and behaviours related to food waste, and their willingness to consider different opinions, in order to assess how social interactions can affect private behaviours. Compared to existing models of opinion dynamics, we innovate by including a range of "cognitive dissonance" between stated opinions and actual behaviours that consumers are willing to accept before changing one of the two. We calibrate the model using questionnaire data on household food waste in Italy. We find that a limited degree of mixing between different socio-demographic groups, namely adult and young consumers, is enough to trigger change, but a certain openness of mind is required from more wasteful individuals. Equally, a small group of environmentally committed consumers can attract a sizeable share of the population towards low-waste behaviours if they show a certain variability of opinions and are willing to compromise with individuals in their close neighbourhood in terms of opinions. These findings can help design effective interventions to promote pro-environmental behaviours, taking advantage of the beneficial network effects while anticipating negative externalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Developed Countries, the problem of malnutrition is mainly connected to excessive food-intake whose direct consequences can be overweight and obesity. In the last decades, these problems increased significantly and they are expected to rise in the next future. Consumers education towards healthier food models is the main tool to prevent overweight and obesity. The European Union has approached the issue through regulatory actions that, from 2006, have completed the existing general framework of labelling requirements, by providing for specific provisions aimed at protecting the consumer's right to correct information on nutritional and health properties of food. In this framework, the aim of this paper is to verify if after ten years of the introduction of the European Regulation 1924/2006, the declared objectives have been reached. In particular, an analysis in depth, regarding the evolution of lifestyle, health conditions and food production in Italy in the period 2005-2014 has been carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in controlling the growth of annual and perennial weeds. An increasing number of studies have highlighted the environmental risk resulting from the use of this molecule in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The objective of the study was to determine the transport of glyphosate and its degradation product, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), through runoff and transported sediment from a vineyard under two different soil management systems: harrowed inter-row (HR) and permanent grass covered inter-row (GR). The study was performed over a period of 4 yr. Glyphosate and AMPA concentrations were found to be higher in runoff and in transported sediment from HR compared with GR, regardless of the amount of runoff and transported sediment. The mean annual percentages of glyphosate loss, via runoff and transported sediment, were about 1.37 and 0.73% for HR and GR, respectively. Aminomethylphosphonic acid represented approximately 30.9 and 40.0% of the total glyphosate losses in GR and HR, respectively. Moreover, results suggested that rains occurring within 4 wk after treatment could cause the transport of glyphosate and AMPA in high concentrations. Soil analyses indicated that glyphosate content was below detection within 1 yr, whereas AMPA remained in the soil profiles along the vine row and in the inter-row. Results indicated that GR can reduce soil and herbicide loss by runoff in vineyard cropping system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a user study based on a series of questionnaire-based surveys that we aimed at understanding the role of general social media, like popular social networking sites, in promoting the creation and evolution of network communities of place, specifically in the urban domain. We analysed hundreds of responses that we had collected in two questionnaire-based studies which involved 4,599 respondents all together. Since not all the respondents answered the same questions, we collected at least 129 and at most 2,750 responses for each item depending on the items considered. The main findings regard a novel 'attitude to exchange' score, the correlations between this score and other items and scores of interest, among which validated scores for the concept of 'sense of community', bonding 'social capital' and 'trust'; and the discriminating and facilitating factors affecting this attitude. We then relate the findings to some implications for the design of a new class of social media that could exhibit stronger collaboration-oriented functionalities, what we dub 'convivial tools', to study their impact on the welfare of local communities and the aspirations of their members in this time of economic hardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite rainfall products (SRPs) are becoming more accurate with ever increasing spatial and temporal resolution. This evolution can be beneficial for hydrological applications, providing new sources of information and allowing to drive models in ungauged areas. Despite the large availability of rainfall satellite data, their use in rainfall-runoff modelling is still very scarce, most likely due to measurement issues (bias, accuracy) and the hydrological community acceptability of satellite products. In this study, the real-time version (3B42-RT) of Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis, TMPA, and a new SRP based on the application of SM2RAIN algorithm ( Brocca et al., 2014 ) to the ASCAT (Advanced SCATterometer) soil moisture product, SM2R ASC , are used to drive a lumped hydrologic model over four basins in Italy during the 4-year period 2010–2013. The need of the recalibration of model parameter values for each SRP is highlighted, being an important precondition for their suitable use in flood modelling. Results shows that SRPs provided, in most of the cases, performance scores only slightly lower than those obtained by using observed data with a reduction of Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency ( NS ) less than 30% when using SM2R ASC product while TMPA is characterized by a significant deterioration during the validation period 2012–2013. Moreover, the integration between observed and satellite rainfall data is investigated as well. Interestingly, the simple integration procedure here applied allows obtaining more accurate rainfall input datasets with respect to the use of ground observations only, for 3 out 4 basins. Indeed, discharge simulations improve when ground rainfall observations and SM2R ASC product are integrated, with an increase of NS between 2 and 42% for the 3 basins in Central and Northern Italy. Overall, the study highlights the feasibility of using SRPs in hydrological applications over the Mediterranean region with benefits in discharge simulations also in well gauged areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Early life exposure to air pollution has been linked with cognitive impairment in children, but the results have not been conclusive. We analyzed the association between traffic-related air pollution and cognitive function in a prospective birth cohort in Rome.Methods: A cohort of 719 newborns was enrolled in 2003-2004 as part of the GASPII project. At age 7 years, 474 children took the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III to assess their cognitive development in terms of IQ composite scores. Exposure to air pollutants (NO2, PMcoarse, PM2.5, PM2.5 absorbance) at birth was assessed using land use regression models. We also considered variables indicating traffic intensity. The effect of environmental pollution on IQ was evaluated performing a linear regression model for each outcome, adjusting for gender, child age at cognitive test, maternal age at delivery, parental educational level, siblings, socio-economic status, maternal smoking during pregnancy, and tester. To account for selection bias at enrollment and during follow-up, the regression models were weighted for the inverse probabilities of participation and follow-up.Results: A 10 μg/m³ higher NO2 exposure during pregnancy was associated with 1.4 fewer points (95% confidence interval = -2.6, -0.20) of verbal IQ, and 1.4 fewer points (95% confidence interval = -2.7, -0.20) of verbal comprehension IQ. Similar associations were found for traffic intensity in a 100 m buffer around home. Other pollutants showed negative associations with larger confidence intervals.Conclusions: Consistent with previous evidence, this study suggests an association of exposure to NO2 and traffic intensity with the verbal area of cognitive development.See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/EDE/B12. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study sought to validate the Italian version of the Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey (H-PEPSS), an instrument used to assess the perceptions of health professionals regarding patient safety competence. The H-PEPSS was administered to a sample of 574 bachelor degree nursing students in two north-eastern Italian universities. Its factor structure, validity and reliability were examined using explorative factor analysis. The internal consistency of the Italian version of H-PEPSS (H-PEPSSIta) measured with Cronbach's alpha (α) was higher for both classroom (.938) and clinical training (.942) dimensions. The six factors that emerged from the analysis were composed of three to five items loading ≥.55 and explaining 69.344% of the classroomtotal variance and 70.425% of the clinical training total variance of the H-PEPSSIta. The H-PEPSSIta is a valid tool capable of evaluating the self-perception of nursing students regarding patient safety knowledge and competence. Therefore, the instrument could be adopted in educational settings as a periodic nursing student report. This may help students reflect on PS related-issues, and evaluate gaps in knowledge and competences; furthermore, data emerging from periodic self-reports may offer the opportunity to tailor educational strategies to fill the gaps in PS knowledge and competences that emerge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]