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Introduction: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common disease of unknown etiology. Even though accurate information on the epidemiology of PD is critical for defining appropriate health policies, epidemiological data on Parkinson’s disease (PD) in Italy are often defined as scant or conflicting. Our study attempted to provide an overview on the prevalence of (PD) by means of a systematic review and metanalysis of existing data. Material and methods: We searched into two different databases (PubMed and EMBASE), focusing on studies reporting the prevalence of PD in Italy. Data were extracted using a standardized assessment form, and results of such analyses were systematically reported, summarized and compared. Results: A total of 16 studies were eventually included in the analyses, with a prevalence rate of 193.7/100,000. Available reports were heterogeneous both in design and in eventual figures, and also prevalence estimates were affected by substantial heterogeneity. Interestingly, prevalence rates ranged from 37.8/100,000 inhabitants in subjects aged 0 to 64 years, to 578.7 in age group 65 to 75 years, and 1235.7 in age group 75 years or older. PD was significantly associated with male sex, but only in older age groups (i.e. Odds Ratio, OR 1.37 95%CI 1.22-1.53, and OR 1.31, 95%CI 1.21-1.42 for age groups 65-74 years and 75 years or more, respectively). Discussion and conclusion: While the observed variations in prevalence rates may result from environmental or genetic factors, differences in methodologies for case ascertainment and diagnostic criteria may have significantly affected our estimates. As a consequence, the comparability of existing studies is limited.

The article takes stock of a new paradigm in contemporary Italy: the increase in foreign immigration, from 1945 to today. Four periods are considered in relation to this theme: the Constituent Assembly in 1947; the immigrants from Jugoslavia to the Trieste area in 1968; immigrants from Tunisia to Sicily in 1972; the murder of Jerry Masslo in Villa Literno (Caserta) in 1989. Historians can, the paper argues, reconsider contemporary Italy - from 1945 up today - by looking closer at foreign immigration

In questo documento eÌEUR presentata una panoramica sulle tecnologie emergenti e in via di standardizzazione utili alla definizione di uno stack protocollare per le comunicazioni Machine-to-Machine (M2M) in ambito marittimo. Precisamente sono prese in considerazione le tecnologie che permettono la definizione dei livelli dello stack che vanno dal fisico all'applicativo. Tali tecnonologie sono state identificate sulla base della definizione dei casi d'uso derivati dagli scenari applicativi che saranno studiati nel progetto. Inoltre sono state raccolte le specifiche funzionali dei casi d'uso per identificare l'architettura di comunicazione che soddisfa al meglio i requisiti imposti dalle applicazioni. Le architetture cosiÌEUR definite saranno testate in via simulativa per valutarne le prestazioni. Per una questione di completezza della trattazione, saranno valutate anche delle soluzioni tecnologiche, per la definizione dello stack, subottime che si adattano alla disponibilitaÌEUR dei prodotti di mercato per una rapida realizzazione con hardware Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS).

Rapporto intermedio del progetto regionale SCIADRO.

In questa prima fase dell'attivitaÌEUR, svolta all'interno del WP4, eÌEUR stata introdotta una prima architettura di riferimento per la comunicazione tra i sistemi di Comando e Controllo (C2) delle imbarcazioni, o tra imbarcazione e stazione a terra, attraverso le tecnologie Machine-To-Machine (M2M). L'architettura di riferimento eÌEUR basata sul protocollo di comunicazione MQTT, che opera secondo il paradigma publish/subscribe (PUBSUB). I blocchi che implementano le funzionalitaÌEUR del protocollo MQTT sono stati implementati utilizzando la libreria Eclipse Paho e sfruttando un broker basato su Mosquitto. Per simulare la generazione di dati di C2 di un'imbarcazione e le richieste di informazioni da parte di un'imbarcazione o stazione a terra sono stati implementati dei simulatori utilizzando l'ambiente MATLAB. Per la precisione il simulatore dei dati di C2 dell'imbarcazione eÌEUR stato sviluppato dal DITEN dell'UniversitaÌEUR di Genova.

Survey of the State of the Art and identification of scenarios about: - Literature on existing solutions (if any) enabling data transmissions from FANETs to the space segment, including antennas and air interfaces (physical layer) for FANETs and Nanosatellites, and accurate channel model synthesizers at various frequency bands. - Identification of challenges related to MAC, transport, and application layer design, also concerning M2M scenarios. - Nanosatellite types that can be used to implement a satellite swarm for communication purposes. The aim of this study is to find the best set of satellite hardware characteristics, of satellite swarm parameters (such as satellite number, altitude, inclination, ...), and of network design parameters (such as node buffer size, overall cost, network lifetime, guaranteed performance level, ...) necessary to create a DTN/Nanosatellite network able to extend Internet connectivity to a given number of rural areas. - Identification and classification of application-driven requirements in terms of bandwidth and of QoS constraints, having in mind disaster relief and public safety as possible reference applications.

This paper attempts to investigate the migrations of people to Italy from a historical point of view, aiming to approach their origins and features through a comparison of different periods, methodologies and available sources. The main objective is to trace the historical trends of migration to Italy from the early 1960s to the late 1970s, because during this time new, original and significant flows of foreign immigrants could be seen in Italy. In this specific case, the socioeconomic impact and political debate will be highlighted to frame the spreading phenomenon of immigration within the broader picture of the history of the Italian Republic and its political, economic and social framework.

This paper proposes a novel fitting procedure via non-parametric kernel- based models of the probability mass function of a discrete arrival process, derived from real traffic traces of queries to a Web search engine. Most of the adopted estimation techniques for probability mass functions are based on parameter estimations for a given family of probability distri- bution functions. Conversely, the proposed procedure, jointly with a kernel-based model of the probability distribution function, doesn't need any assumptions about membership to a families of distributions, or about parameters. The fitting procedure based on the Generalized Cross-Entropy resolves a Quadratic Programming Problem. Furthermore, the estimated probability mass function can be expressed in a closed form, as a weighted sum of kernel functions. We also examine the performance of the proposed procedure via numer- ical experiments and present an example of traffic analysis with real data traffic. Results show that our estimation of the probability mass function, closely matches the empirical probability mass function. Precisely, through the procedure, both temporal and statistical characteristics, such as auto- correlation, long-range dependence, and skewness, can be well approximated.

This report contains a survey of the State of the Art about Flying Ad-hoc Networks (FANETs) and Nanosatellite swarms. Section 1 contains a description of the state of the art about Nanosatellites (hardware characteristics and costs) and Nanosatellite constellations (orbital parameters, different type of constellations, intersatellite links). Section 2 aims to introduce network architectures for FANETs identified in literature. Also a brief overview of software-defined networking is presented with the goal to figure out whether or not in some research studies SDN has already been applied in wireless/mobile networks. Finally, Section 3 briefly presents channel modeling due to local environment effects that may be applied for both Nanosatellite and UAV links taking into account the proper modifications and the used frequency bands.

This report contains a description of the proposed network composed of a Nanosatellite swarm portion and a Flying Ad-hoc Networks (FANETs) UAV portion. Section 1 contains a description of the state of the art about Nanosatellites, in particular about Nanosatellite missions and hardware components, followed by a brief explanation about satellite constellation design. After that, a description of the routing and security challenges and the possible solutions in literature is reported. Finally, the proposed Nanosatellite-DTN Network, the simulation platform, and the obtained results are illustrated in details. Section 2 regards Flying Ad Hoc Networks (FANETs). FANETs are a rising topic in literature, attracting both scientific and commercial interest. In this WI, the communication issues among FANETs and a Ground Control Station (GCS) are investigated, when both user and Command and Control ( ) data are sent via a random access satellite channel. The focus is put on the mobility model, on the intra-swarm and extra-swarm communications needs, as well as on lightweight and flexible protocol stacks enabling a fast data delivery and an easy tuning of the available parameters in the use-case under consideration. A NS3-based simulator has been built and numerical results are presented, assessing the achievable performance level. Section 3 briefly presents channel modelling due to local environment effects that may be applied for both Nanosatellite/Ground Station and GEO satellite/UAV links taking into account the different attenuations at the different considered frequency bands.

We carried out a prospective observational study on clinical features of bacterial meningitis. Between October 2002 and June 2005, 322 adult bacterial meningitis cases in 49 infectious disease wards in Italy (MENTORE study group) were enrolled in the study. 133 cases were due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, 44 to Neisseria meningitidis and 145 to other microorganisms. A high SAPS score and coma on admission, as well as need for mechanical ventilation, were more frequent in the pneumococcal meningitis group. Neurological impairment was present in 151 out of 311 patients, and was more frequent in pneumococcal meningitis. A single antibiotic was employed in only 90 of 315 cases; a combination of ceftriaxone and ampicillin was the most frequently administered treatment. Ceftriaxone was also the single most used drug. Adjunctive treatment with steroids was administered in 210 out of 303 patients for a median duration of 7 days. Median duration of fever was 4 days, and median hospital stay was 16 days; hospitalization was significantly longer in the pneumococcal meningitis group. At discharge, neurological impairment was still present in 59 (21%) of 277 patients. Twenty (6.9%) out of 289 patients died during hospitalization. Distribution of adverse outcome (death and neurological impairment) in patients treated with or without steroids and within different time zones between onset of symptoms and commencement of antibiotics was studied; a trend toward a worse prognosis was seen in patients treated more than 24 hours after onset of the disease.In our study, infectious disease clinicians made extensive use of steroids as adjuvant therapy for bacterial meningitis, even in absence of detailed national and local guidelines. Mortality seemed to be lower in comparison with the literature.

Building on socio-structural explanations, this article elaborates on the tension between individual actors’ positions along the core-periphery continuum of the social field and their ability to gain legitimacy for their creative work. Peripheral actors are less constrained by the field’s normative pressures and free to experiment with un- conventional ideas and solutions, but they may struggle to mobilize attention and harness the symbolic and material resources needed to legitimate their work. By contrast, core players are more effective at leveraging networks to build consensus, but they often exhibit a propensity toward more incremental work due to their higher levels of assimilation into the conventions of the field. To resolve this tension this article advances a strategy which we term optimal network structuration strategy . This strategy implies forming ties that link the two ends of the core-periphery spectrum, in the attempt to increase the likelihood of generating novelty while also enhancing the ability to make such novelty manifest and visible to the field. The theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

This thesis aims to study the Batch Markovian Arrival Process as a possible candidate to model the input stream of a queueing system. The characterization of the process is based on the estimation of the corresponding probability density function exploiting a non- parametric density estimation technique: the Generalized Cross Entropy method. The estimation provided by the proposed method is compared with an alternative one already studied in literature exploiting a Markov Modulated Poisson Process to model the arrival process.

A multicentre cross-sectional survey was performed to provide an accurate picture of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) cared for by Italian Infectious Diseases Centers (IDCs). This analysis describes factors associated with access to the treatment of CHB in a country where barriers to treatment are not expected to exist because of comprehensive coverage under the National Health System (NHS). The study was performed in 74 IDCs. The analysis focused on 3305 patients with CHB of 3760 HBsAg-positive patients enrolled from March to September, 2008. To account for missing values, a Multiple Imputation method was used. Treatment was reported in 2091 (63.3%) patients. In the multivariate analysis, an increased chance of getting treatment was independently associated with 10 years increase of age at diagnosis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-1.3, P < 0.001), HBeAg positivity (aOR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-2.8, P < 0.001), cirrhosis (aOR 3.6, 95% CI 2-6.3, P = 0.012), HDV (aOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.02-2.5, P = 0.042) and HIV positivity (aOR 6.5, 95% CI 4-10.8, P < 0.001). Conversely, a decreased chance was associated with female gender (aOR 0.6, 95% CI 0.5-0.7, P < 0.001), immigration (aOR 0.6, 95% CI 0.5-0.9, P = 0.009), alcohol consumption (aOR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5-0.98, P = 0.04) and HCV positivity (aOR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.8, P = 0.005). Our study shows that Italian IDCs treat a high percentage of patients with CHB. Nevertheless, disparities exist which are not related to the severity of disease limiting access to antiviral therapy of CHB, even in a country with a universal healthcare system.

The potential anxiolytic and anti-depressive activity of CMP1 was studied in the elevated plus-maze test and in the forced swimming test. Furthermore, CMP1 sedative activity was evaluated in pentobarbital treated animals; the effect of CMP1 on spontaneous motor activity (total locomotion) was also evaluated. Our data show that CMP1, at doses that did not affect locomotion, was able to induce anxiolytic and sedative, but not anti-depressive effects. In conclusion, our results represent first evidence for an anxiolytic activity of this diterpenoid from Salvia cinnabarina.

Immunisation is one of the most important and cost- effective interventions in Public Health because of their significant positive impact on population health.However, since Jenner's discovery there always been a lively debate between supporters and opponents of vaccination; Today the antivaccination movement spreads its message mostly on the web, disseminating inaccurate data through blogs and forums, increasing vaccine rejection.In this context, the Società Italiana di Igiene (SItI) created a web project in order to fight the misinformation on the web regarding vaccinations, through a series of information tools, including scientific articles, educational information, video and multimedia presentations The web portal (http://www.vaccinarsi.org) was published in May 2013 and now is already available over one hundred web pages related to vaccinations Recently a Forum, a periodic newsletter and a Twitter page have been created. There has been an average of 10,000 hits per month. Currently our users are mostly healthcare professionals. The visibility of the site is very good and it currently ranks first in the Google's search engine, taping the word "vaccinarsi" The results of the first four months of activity are extremely encouraging and show the importance of this project; furthermore the application for quality certification by independent international Organizations has been submitted.