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This paper investigates some crucial aspects of the recent development of industrial districts in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, where this type of spatial agglomeration of industrial firms has flourished since the period immediately after the Second World War. In particular, it is aimed at comparing the technological strength (in terms of patents registered with the European Patent Office) of innovative firms located within and outside industrial districts, in order to determine whether the prediction that innovative activity favors those firms or industries with direct access to knowledge producing inputs applies also to the case of industrial districts in the Emilia-Romagna region. The analysis deals with the population of firms with their headquarters in the region which registered at least one patent with the European Patent Office during the 1986-1995 period. Results from panel model estimates show that being located within an industrial district resulted in a technological advantage during the overall 1986-1995 period. However, on breaking down this period into two sub-periods (1986-1990 and 1991-1995) it is found that such advantage was strong in the first one, whereas it was lost in the first half of the 1990s.

saggio sugli aspetti ambientali, paesaggistici e storici che caratterizzano la regione Emilia-Romagna con particolare riferimento alla relazione tra orografia, idrografia e insediamenti e comportamenti umani

Il libro illustra i risultati di una ricerca sui centri interculturali in Emilia-Romagna condotta attraverso il metodo della ricerca-azione

Historically, dredged material has been beneficially used for over 2,500 years on the coasts of Europe and Asia, and the Phoenicians and Romans hand-dredged to deepen and maintain their ports and harbors in the Mediterranean Sea. In more modern times, the Dutch, French, Italians, British, Australians, Chinese, Japanese, Turks, Greeks, citizens of Hong Kong, and other nations use their dredged sediments beneficially in different ways. For example, the Dutch and British use dredged material for fast land creation to expand their land base, and are beginning to apply dredged material to habitat restoration, as well. The Italians are involved in complex projects such as dredging coupled with providing flood gates for the City of Venice. Nowadays, alternative use of dredged material from marine ports and navigation channels is an under explored opportunity for beach nourishment along several eroding beaches in the Northern Adriatic shoreline. Legislative and regulative constraints at national and local levels addressed this environmental issue toward exploitation of open-sea sand pits to replenish beach erosion occurring at regional scale. As a result, only selected sites in the open sea are elected as suitable to dredge sand material, and subjected to a regular monitoring of environmental conditions. On the other hand, some millions cubic meters of sediments regularly dredged from the ports located along the Northern Adriatic Sea shoreline, are presently disposed in the final placement site or a rehandling facility, namely, Confined Disposal Facilities (CDFs). In this paper, we present a review of chemical data of sediments dredged in regional areas, and compare their characteristics with shore sediments, in order to valuate their suitability for beneficial reuses in coastal areas. This work also considers dredged sediment quality towards Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs) set by the USEPA. Such guidelines are based on chemical data and toxicity responses, and could be of use for the assessment contaminant levels in dredged material before and after final placement in nearshore environments, in the absence of regional specific criteria in permitting process for beneficial reuse projects.

Analisi della situazione della attuale offerta istituzionale e privato-sociale di educazione degli adulti (EDA) in Emilia-Romagna e proposte di indirizzo per la definizione di un piano regionale per lo sviluppo e la qualificazione della educazione degli adulti

Il testo presenta alcuni risultati di attività di ricerca che permettono di conoscere alcuni aspetti dell’opinione pubblica verso il sistema scolastico in Emilia-Romagna, segnatamente in relazione ai seguenti elementi: innalzamento dell’età dell’obbligo scolastico; capacità degli insegnanti; parità e tutela del diritto allo studio; scuole per l’infanzia; giovani e "federalismo scolastico".

La subsidenza artificiale indotta da pompaggio di acqua da acquiferi profondi ha prodotto nella fascia costiera cervese un abbassamento della superficie topografica di 0,5-0,6 m e un conseguente innalzamento della superficie piezometrica, che porta a frequenti allagamenti della pineta litorale e alla caduta degli alberi.

Note illustrative redatte per il Foglio geologico n. 254 Modigliana della Carta Geologica d'Italia alla scala 1:50.000. 117 pp.

OBJECTIVES—To estimate the incidence rate of Guillain-Barre syndrome variants in an unselected population and to describe their clinical features and prognosis. METHODS—A two year prospective multicentre study on the incidence and prognosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome was performed in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy (3 909 512 inhabitants). A surveillance system was instituted within the study area, which comprised all the neurological departments, private and public general hospitals, and practising neurologists. The international classification of diseases (ICD) codes 357.XX (any peripheral neuropathy) of hospital discharges were also reviewed. RESULTS—Data were separately analysed for Miller Fisher syndrome and other Guillain-Barre syndrome variants. During the study period 18 patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome variants including seven with Miller Fisher syndrome were recruited; the incidence rates were 0.14/100 000/year (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.07-0.25) for Guillain-Barre syndrome variants (excluding Miller Fisher syndrome) and 0.09/100 000/year (95% CI 0.04-0.18) for Miller Fisher syndrome. Guillain-Barre syndrome variants alone (excluding Miller Fisher syndrome) accounted for 10.5% of total cases. Death and relapses were not found. Details of clinical, electrophysiological, and CSF findings of Guillain-Barre syndrome variants are provided. CONCLUSIONS—Guillain-Barre syndrome variants other than Miller Fisher syndrome, as obtained through a population based study, account for about 10% of total cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome and, as a whole, have a good prognosis. Their clinical features are heterogeneous; bifacial weakness (associated with other signs, mainly sensory disturbances) represents the most frequent finding.

Geographical distribution and some morphological aspects of Emilia-Romagna snakes, and particularly of the Bologna Province (North Italy), are discussed. The study is based on about 6.000 reptiles, 4.185 of which are Vipera aspis, collected or killed during 7 years in the Bologna Province. Coronella girondica, Elaphe longissima and Vipera aspis seems to be absent today in the vegatational lower lever. Coluber viridiflavus, Natrix natrix and Natrix tessellata seems to be more spread on the hills and on the mountains than on the plain. Coronella austriaca was found only on the plain. Elaphe quatuorlineata was recorded in many North Italy localities. Probably sometimes it was mistaken with the back lined Elaphe longissima and sometimes the recorded specimens were introduced (normally without acclimatization from Central Italy or West Jugoslavija. On the other hand it is possible that during XIX century a relicted population was present in the Bologna surroundings. The recent recordings for the Romagna Region are doubtful and those for the Piacenza Province are probably referred to indigenous relict specimens or to imported and acclimatizated ones. In Italy Elaphe situla is present surely in Sicilia (especially in the East), in the East Basilicata and in the South and Central Puglia. It was mentioned for the SE Basilicata in many news of the XIX Century end and in papers of '50 and '60 of the XX Century, but its current presence has to be confirmed. The specimens recorded in Emilia Romagna were imported or were mistaken with Coronella girondica or with Elaphe quatuorlineata youngs (perhaps alloctonous). In the XIX Century second half it was mentioned for the Abruzzo (Central Italy), but probably a locality mistake exists: Abruzzo instead Dalmatia. Contrary to what believed until '70 of this Century, Natrix mama in Emilia Romagna is apparently more localized than rare and, perhaps, more spread than deducible from the bibliography. During XIX Century and the beginning of XX one, Vipera berus was present in many localities of the Po Plain. After about 1915-1918 it was not observed again. Probably it came extincted because of different anthropic reasons. In Italy is actually present in the Alpine Region. Anyway times to times, especially after years '50, it was recorded in Emilia Romagna at the Apennine Mounts base. During July 1969 a Young specimen was collected in the Sasso Marconi territory (Bologna Pre-Appennine) and during summer 1983 another young was captured at the Salse di Nirano (Modena). We don't know if those specimens are autochthonous. More researches to confirm the presence of this species in Emilia Romagna have to be carried on.

Background After a rapid increase in malignant melanoma (MM) incidence in the last decades, trends of the melanoma epidemic in the recent years seemed not homogeneous. Objective This study aimed at the monitoring of some epidemiological data referring to melanoma in a region of the Northern Italy during the past 8-year period. Methods All cases of melanoma, including also in situ lesions, diagnosed in Emilia-Romagna and San Marino State, with the exclusion of Cesena province, from 1997 to 2004 were recorded and the incidence of melanoma, adjusted for the European standard population by the direct method, was calculated. Results Mean standardized incidence was 9.7 for invasive MMs and 11.9, considering also in situ ones, showing an ascending trend with an increment of 3.3 new incident cases in 2004 compared with 1997. No differences in age distribution, gender and site were reported. Concerning tumour thickness, although a general ascending trend in all subtypes, only thin melanoma incidence significantly increased over the study period. Conclusions Contrary to data from Northern European countries, melanoma incidence still showed an ascending trend in the Italian population of Emilia Romagna.

Telecom is the domain where innovation and spread of usage registered the quickest and most consistent growth in the latest ten years. Seismic event dated May 2012 in Emilia-Romagna region was a significant example of how spread and diffused presence of two PA (Public Administration) regional telecommunication networks (ERretre Regional Mobile Network for radio emergency and Lepida broadband Network) substantially contributed to address such a catastrophic situation, providing the right premises to its quick overcoming and a strategic criterion for the following reconstruction of the territory. In this situation the importance and the effectiveness of a flexible, modular and configurable regional emergency mobile network such as ERretre has been proved, but at the same time the synergies with Lepida broadband network have emerged, showing a new potential in building an enabling infrastructure not only for new services, but also for new networks.

Aims and background This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of midterm epidemiological trends for the major cancer sites in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy (population 4,400,000). Methods The MIAMOD method, a back-calculation approach to estimate and project the incidence of chronic diseases from mortality and patient survival, was used for the estimation of incidence and prevalence by calendar year (from 1970 to 2015) and age (from 0 to 99). Survival estimates were taken from cancer registries of northeastern Italy. Results The estimated incidence of stomach cancer decreased by approximately 75% for both sexes. Trends in incidence of colorectal cancer differed between males and females. For females, the rate increased moderately until the year 2000 with a slow decrease thereafter, whereas the male colorectal cancer incidence showed a regular increase until 2010 followed by a substantial leveling off. Among males the lung cancer incidence and mortality rates showed a steep increase until the late 1980s and a rapid decrease thereafter. Among females, the trends were increasing over the entire study period. The estimated incidence of female breast cancer rose sharply between 1970 and 2001, but from that year onwards a slightly decreasing trend was observed. Mortality peaked in 1988 and has fallen since. The incidence of prostate cancer showed a 3-fold increase. After 2005, the rate is expected to stabilize. Among females, the estimated prevalence increased for breast cancer (52,700 cases expected in 2015), colorectal cancer, lung cancer and melanoma, while decreasing for stomach cancer and cervical cancer. Among males, the estimates showed an upward trend for prostate cancer (32,100 cases expected in 2015) and colorectal cancer, and a leveling off for lung cancer after 2010. Conclusion The estimates were fairly consistent with previous data from several epidemiological sources. The MIAMOD method provided a picture of the impressive increase in the prevalence of breast cancer and prostate cancer over the 45-year period studied.

The paper describes a large dimension case study in subsidence monitoring, i.e. the survey of the entire portion of the Po River valley contained in Emilia Romagna Region (Italy). In 2005–2007, an update of the geometric knowledge of the subsidence phenomenon in the Emilia-Romagna was conducted using the PSInSAR satellite radar interferometric analysis technique, supported by high precision levelling. A report of the overall activity is presented, together with a summary of the main results achieved.

Le projet s'inscrit dans la continuité d'un thème propre à l'architecture, celui du rapport entre l'ancien et le nouveau. Le tremblement de terre qui a touché, il y a un an, plusieurs villes de l'Emilia Romagna, dont Mirandola, impose une confrontation à l'architecture du passé, nous mettant face à une responsabilité de notre métier. Le projet propose donc deux objectifs: d'une part, la consolidation des structures existantes et d'autre part, la reconstruction des parties nécessaires à une restitution claire de “l'espace architectural”. L'église de San Francesco, un des premiers exemples d'architecture franciscaine en Italie et panthéon de la famille Pico, a subi plusieurs dommages: l'écroulement du système de voûtes à croix qui recouvrait les trois nefs de la grande charpente en bois et une partie du mur latéral. Le projet prévoit la reconstruction d'une nouvelle charpente, ainsi que celle de la partie du mur, privée de ses ornements. En ce qui concerne le cloître, la volonté de conserver la même typologie entraîne la construction d'un deuxième cloître, conservant la même logique de circulation “en anneau”, autour duquel sont distribuées les salles de classe et qui, au premier étage, permet la construction d'une bibliothèque à trois nefs.

The ability to predict the imminent arrival of coastal storm risks is a valuable tool for civil protection agencies in order to prepare themselves and, if needs be, execute the appropriate hazard-reduction measures. In this study we present a prototype Early Warning System (EWS) for coastal storm risk on the Emilia-Romagna coastline in Northern Italy. This EWS is run by executing a chain of numerical models (SWAN, ROMS and XBeach) daily, with the final output transformed into a format suitable for decision making by end-users. The storm impact indicator selected for this site is the Safe Corridor Width (SCW), which is a measure of how much dry beach width is available for safe passage by beach users. A three-day time-series of the predicted SCW is generated daily by the prototype EWS. If the minimum SCW exceeds a certain threshold, a warning is issued to end-users via an automated email service. All available prediction information is also updated daily on-line. Over the one year that the EWS has been operating (June 2011 until June 2012), 13 “code red” and 16 “code orange” warnings have been issued, with the remaining 305 predictions indicating low hazard in terms of the SCW. The reliability of the predictions from the perspective of the end-user has meant that the EWS is currently being expanded to include the entire Emilia-Romagna coastline.

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is a highly invasive vector species. It is a proven vector of dengue and chikungunya viruses, with the potential to host a further 24 arboviruses. It has recently expanded its geographical range, threatening many countries in the Middle East, Mediterranean, Europe and North America. Here, we investigate the theoretical limitations of its range expansion by developing an environmentally-driven mathematical model of its population dynamics. We focus on the temperate strain of Ae. albopictus and compile a comprehensive literature-based database of physiological parameters. As a novel approach, we link its population dynamics to globally-available environmental datasets by performing inference on all parameters. We adopt a Bayesian approach using experimental data as prior knowledge and the surveillance dataset of Emilia-Romagna, Italy, as evidence. The model accounts for temperature, precipitation, human population density and photoperiod as the main environmental drivers, and, in addition, incorporates the mechanism of diapause and a simple breeding site model. The model demonstrates high predictive skill over the reference region and beyond, confirming most of the current reports of vector presence in Europe. One of the main hypotheses derived from the model is the survival of Ae. albopictus populations through harsh winter conditions. The model, constrained by the environmental datasets, requires that either diapausing eggs or adult vectors have increased cold resistance. The model also suggests that temperature and photoperiod control diapause initiation and termination differentially. We demonstrate that it is possible to account for unobserved properties and constraints, such as differences between laboratory and field conditions, to derive reliable inferences on the environmental dependence of Ae. albopictus populations.

Background This research was performed in an area belonging to the province of the city of Bologna (Emilia-Romagna region, Northern Italy). The purpose of the present survey was to record the local knowledge concerning traditional uses of wild food plants and related practices, such as gathering, processing, cooking, therapeutic uses, with the aim of preserving an important part of the local cultural heritage. Methods Thirty-nine people still retaining Traditional Local Knowledge (TLK) were interviewed between March-April 2012 and September - October 2013 by means of open and semi-structured ethnobotanical interviews. For each plant species mentioned, we recorded the botanical family, the English common name, the Italian common and/or folk names, the parts of the plant used, the culinary preparation, and the medicinal usage. The relative frequency of citation index (RFC), a tool that measures the local cultural importance of a plant species, was also included. Results The folk plants mentioned by the respondents belonged to 33 botanical families, of which the Rosaceae (14 plants) and the Asteraceae (9 plants) were the most representative. The species with the highest RFC index (0.77) were Crepis vesicaria subsp. taraxacifolia (Thuill) Thell and Taraxacum officinale Weber. Eleven folk plants were indicated as having therapeutic effects. T. officinale Weber, C. vesicaria subsp. taraxacifolia (Thuill) Thell and Sonchus spp., which are used as food, were reported to be depurative, blood cleaning, refreshing, diuretic and laxative. The most commonly used species was Urtica spp, which was also the most frequently cited for medicinal uses. Conclusions The present survey documented the wild food plant traditional knowledge of an area belonging to the province of the city of Bologna (Emilia-Romagna region, Northern Italy). The general perception obtained is that on one side the TLK related to wild food plants has strongly been eroded, mainly due to immigration and urbanization phenomena, whereas on the other side these plants are revaluated today because they are perceived as healthy and also because they represent the preservation of biodiversity and a way of getting back to nature. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1746-4269-10-69) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.