Emerging heterogeneities in Italian customs and comparison with nearby countries

In this work we apply techniques and modus operandi typical of Statistical Mechanics to a large dataset about key social quantifiers and compare the resulting behaviours of five European nations, namely France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. The social quantifiers considered are $i.$ the evolution of the number of autochthonous marriages (i.e. between two natives) within a given territorial district and $ii.$ the evolution of the number of mixed marriages (i.e. between a native and an immigrant) within a given territorial district. Our investigations are twofold. From a theoretical perspective, we develop novel techniques, complementary to classical methods (e.g. historical series and logistic regression), in order to detect possible collective features underlying the empirical behaviours; from an experimental perspective, we evidence a clear outline for the evolution of the social quantifiers considered. The comparison between experimental results and theoretical predictions is excellent and allows speculating that France, Italy and Spain display a certain degree of {\em internal heterogeneity}, that is not found in Germany and Switzerland; such heterogeneity, quite mild in France and in Spain, is not negligible in Italy and highlights quantitative differences in the customs of Northern and Southern regions. These findings may suggest the persistence of two culturally distinct communities, long-term lasting heritages of different and well-established cultures.Comment: in PLoS One (2015

Reflections of the European Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine on the first global estimates of the need for rehabilitation and the implications for physical and rehabilitation medicine

Peer reviewe

Attractiveness of medical disciplines amongst Swiss first-year medical students allocated to different medical education tracks: cross-sectional study

Background: As most countries, Switzerland is experiencing a shortage of physicians especially in general practice and new medical education tracks with respective focusses have been started in response. This study investigated Swiss medical students' career openness and attractiveness of different medical disciplines as well as the concordance of students' career intentions with assigned medical education tracks. Methods: Cross-sectional study surveying first year medical students assigned to four different Swiss medical education tracks with distinctive additional education focuses (ETH Zurich: medical technology and engineering, University of St. Gallen and University of Lucerne: primary healthcare and University of Zurich: no distinctive focus). Results: We surveyed 354 medical students (response rate across all included medical education tracks 71.1%), 64.8% female, mean age 20 years. Regarding career openness, we found that 52.8% of medical students had neither a strong commitment nor a strong reservation for any of the proposed career options and 17.0% had a strong commitment. Among medical disciplines, medical subspecialties were attractive to the largest part of students (inpatient subspecialties attractive for 71%, outpatient for 58%), attractiveness of general practice was moderate (30%), academic (22%) and industrial sector (17%) careers were least attractive. Proportions of medical students attracted to general practice were similar at medical education tracks with focus on primary healthcare compared to other medical education tracks (32.2% vs. 25.8%, p = 0.391). Conversely, proportions of medical students attracted to academic or industry careers were significantly higher at the ETH Zurich compared to other medical education tracks (37.2%, vs. 13.1%, p < 0.001 and 31.9%, vs. 8.8%, p < 0.001 respectively). Conclusion: While most first-year medical students were open to careers in many medical disciplines, attractiveness of disciplines varied strongly. Students attracted to academic or industrial careers accumulated at the medical education track with concordant teaching focus but students attracted to general practice did not accumulate at medical education tracks focused on primary healthcare. For medical education tracks with primary care teaching focus this is both a challenge and an opportunity to specifically counteract the shortage of general practitioners in Switzerland. Keywords: Career choice; Medical disciplines; Medical school; Medical students

Planning and reporting of quality-of-life outcomes in cancer trials

BACKGROUND Information about the impact of cancer treatments on patients' quality of life (QoL) is of paramount importance to patients and treating oncologists. Cancer trials that do not specify QoL as an outcome or fail to report collected QoL data, omit crucial information for decision making. To estimate the magnitude of these problems, we investigated how frequently QoL outcomes were specified in protocols of cancer trials and subsequently reported. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study of RCT protocols approved by six research ethics committees in Switzerland, Germany, and Canada between 2000 and 2003. We compared protocols to corresponding publications, which were identified through literature searches and investigator surveys. RESULTS Of the 173 cancer trials, 90 (52%) specified QoL outcomes in their protocol, 2 (1%) as primary and 88 (51%) as secondary outcome. Of the 173 trials, 35 (20%) reported QoL outcomes in a corresponding publication (4 modified from the protocol), 18 (10%) were published but failed to report QoL outcomes in the primary or a secondary publication, and 37 (21%) were not published at all. Of the 83 (48%) trials that did not specify QoL outcomes in their protocol, none subsequently reported QoL outcomes. Failure to report pre-specified QoL outcomes was not associated with industry sponsorship (versus non-industry), sample size, and multicentre (versus single centre) status but possibly with trial discontinuation. CONCLUSIONS About half of cancer trials specified QoL outcomes in their protocols. However, only 20% reported any QoL data in associated publications. Highly relevant information for decision making is often unavailable to patients, oncologists, and health policymaker

Perspectives of the Swiss policy towards the European Union

Stosunki między Szwajcariąa Unią Europejską mogą być postrzegane jako interesujące, a jednocześnie jako bezprecedensowy przykład nowej, elastycznej integracji. Mimo ponad dekady owocnej współpracy, wiele jej aspektów pozostaje kontrowersyjnymi. Problem autonomicznej adaptacji, braku możliwości wpływania na procesy decyzyjne na terytorium Wspólnot, otwarcia rynku pracy dla obywateli nowych państw członkowskich UE lub inne problemy związane z instytucjonalnym wymiarem realizacji umów. To tylko część problemów, które mogą być wymienione w tym kontekście. Można więc postawić zasadnicze pytanie: co będzie dalej? Czy ten bezprecedensowy przykład nowej formy integracji osiągnął już swoje granice? Jakie mogą być perspektywy przyszłej współpracy? Celem niniejszego artykułu jest próba znalezienia odpowiedzi na powyższe pytania. W rozważaniach uwzględniono kilka scenariuszy, będących wynikiem analizy aktualnych warunków i doświadczeń, jak również na oceny bieżącej strategii politycznej szwajcarskiego rządu. Mowa o: kontynuacji stosunków dwustronnych, przystąpieniu do Unii Europejskiej lub zawarciu umowy ramowej czy też stowarzyszenia. Scenariusze te są analizowane w celu znalezienia odpowiedzi na pytanie o najbardziej prawdopodobny przebieg przyszłych stosunków między Unią Europejską a Szwajcarią.Relations between Switzerland and the European Union might be perceived as interesting, and at the same time an unprecedented example of the new, flexible integration. Despite more than a decade of fruitful cooperation, many of its aspects remains controversial. The problem of autonomous adaptation, lack of ability to influence decision-making processes within the Community, the opening of the labor market for new EU member states or other institutional aspects of the implementation of the agreements. These are just a part of the problems, which could be mentioned here. So the basie ąuestion remains - what will happen next? Has this an unprecedented example of a new form of integration reached its limits? What could be the prospects for the futurę cooperation? This article attempts to fmd answers to these ąuestions. Several scenarios are taking under consideration, based on an analysis of current conditions and experiences, as well as on evaluation of the current political strategy of the govemment. That is: continuation of the bilateral relations, the accession to the European Union or the conclusion of a framework or association agreement. Those scenarios are being analysed in order to find the most probably solution for the futurę relations between European Union and Switzerland

Humor in radiological breast cancer screening: a way of improving patient service?

BACKGROUND Breast cancer screening is essential in detecting breast tumors, however, the examination is stressful. In this study we analyzed whether humor enhances patient satisfaction. METHODS In this prospective randomized study 226 patients undergoing routine breast cancer screening at a single center during October 2020 to July 2021 were included. One hundred thirty-two were eligible for the study. Group 1 (66 patients) received an examination with humorous intervention, group 2 (66 patients) had a standard breast examination. In the humor group, the regular business card was replaced by a self-painted, humorous business card, which was handed to the patient at the beginning of the examination. Afterwards, patients were interviewed with a standardized questionnaire. Scores between the two study groups were compared with the Mann-Whitney U test or Fisher's exact test. P-values were adjusted with the Holm's method. Two-sided p-values < 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS One hundred thirty-two patients, 131 female and 1 male, (mean age 59 ± 10.6 years) remained in the final study cohort. Patients in the humor group remembered the radiologist's name better (85%/30%, P < .001), appreciated the final discussion with the radiologist more (4.67 ± 0.73-5;[5, 5] vs. 4.24 ± 1.1-5;[4, 5], P = .017), felt the radiologist was more empathetic (4.94 ± 0.24-5;[5, 5] vs.4.59 ± 0.64-5;[4, 5], P < .001), and rated him as a humorous doctor (4.91 ± 0.29-5;[5, 5] vs. 2.26 ± 1.43-1;[1, 4], P < .001). Additionally, patients in the humor group tended to experience less anxiety (p = 0.166) and felt the doctor was more competent (p = 0.094). CONCLUSION Humor during routine breast examinations may improve patient-radiologist relationship because the radiologist is considered more empathetic and competent, patients recall the radiologist's name more easily, and value the final discussion more. TRIAL REGISTRATION We have a general approval from our ethics committee because it is a retrospective survey, the patient lists for the doctors were anonymized and it is a qualitative study, since the clinical processes are part of the daily routine examinations and are used independently of the study. The patients have given their consent to this study and survey

An Integrated Stratigraphic Approach to Investigating Evidence of Paleoearthquakes in Lake Deposits of Eastern Canada

Seismic shaking can generate mass movements, turbidites, and soft-sediment deformation within lake basins. These ‘disturbed’ deposits may be preserved, and provide a stratigraphic record of paleoearthquakes. A three-dimensional seismo-stratigraphy of the lake deposits can be constructed from a high-density, sub-bottom acoustic profile (SAP) survey, allowing disturbed deposits within the basin to be identified and mapped. Event layers composed of one or more disturbed deposits can be identified within the seismo-stratigraphy, and targeted coring of the lake deposits provides ground-truthing of the disturbed deposits. Analysis of organic or sediment materials sampled from recovered cores allow ages to be assigned to the event layers. Maps depicting the distribution, extent and types of disturbed deposits within each event layer can be compiled by integrating the event layer stratigraphy and the three-dimensional architecture of the lake deposits. An intrabasin, multi-deposit event layer is the likely signature of significant past earthquake shaking, but possible non-seismic triggers also need to be assessed. An earthquake catalogue spanning 16 000 years for central Switzerland exemplifies the results of an integrated seismo- and chrono-stratigraphic approach to paleoseismic investigation. This approach to the investigation of eastern Canadian lake basin(s) has the potential to significantly augment the eastern Canadian earthquake catalogue. Conversely, the absence of seismically-induced disturbed deposits in SAP profiles and in lake core within a given area can help establish negative evidence of paleoseismicity.RÉSUMÉLes secousses sismiques peuvent provoquer des mouvements de terrain, des turbidites, ainsi que la déformation de sédiments meubles dans les bassins lacustres.  Ces dépôts « perturbés » lorsque préservés constituent des archives stratigraphiques de ces paléoséismes.  Une sismostratigraphie tridimensionnelle des dépôts lacustres peut être élaborée par sondage acoustique haute densité de sédiment (SAP), permettant ainsi de détecter et de cartographier les dépôts perturbés du bassin.  Les couches événementielles  composées d'un dépôt perturbé ou plus peuvent être détectées par sismostratigraphie, et le carottage ciblé de dépôts lacustres permet de les valider.  L’analyse de matériaux organiques ou de sédiments prélevés à partir des carottes permettent de dater les couches événementielles.  Des cartes illustrant la distribution, l'étendue et les types de dépôts perturbés au sein de chaque couche événementielle peuvent être compilées en intégrant la stratigraphie de la couche événementielle et l'architecture tridimensionnelle des dépôts lacustres.  Une couche événementielle multi-dépôt est la signature probable d’importants tremblements sismiques anciens, sans perdre de vue que d’autres déclencheurs non sismiques puissent être en cause.  Un catalogue de séismes couvrant 16 000 ans d’événements dans le centre de la Suisse illustre les résultats d'une approche sismologique et chrono-stratigraphique intégrée de l’histoire paléosismique.  Cette approche d’étude de bassins lacustres de l'Est canadien permet d'augmenter considérablement le nombre de séismes du catalogue de l'Est canadien.  Inversement, l'absence de dépôts perturbés induits par séisme dans les profils SAP et dans des carottages d’une zone donnée peut contribuer à constituer une preuve de l’absence de paléosismicité

Socio-economic benefits of weather and climate services in Europe

There is a rising interest around the world for a better understanding of the economic and social value added of weather services. National hydro-meteorological services and international cooperative bodies in meteorology have ever more to justify their use of public budgets. Furthermore, the development of hydrological and meteorological services is to a large extent steered by expectations regarding the eventual benefits of the envisaged new developments. This article provides a compact overview of the impediments for uptake of socio-economic benefit (SEB) studies, methods and results of SEB studies to date. It also discusses some pitfalls and crucial steps to enhance a broader uptake of SEB studies