Measuring Customer-Based Brand Equity: the case of the MICE destination

The concept of brand equity has emerged in the academic literature since the 1980s and it has become one of the most important research issues in the marketing management field. In the tourism industry, the theme of destination brand equity is a relatively recent phenomenon and it is still developing. While academic studies on brand equity measurement systems have been made for leisure destinations, other tourism contexts have been little explored. This dissertation deeply analyses the issues of the building, management and measurement of the brand equity for a MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Events) destination. The empirical analysis consists in the elaboration of a brand equity measurement model for a MICE destination through a case study analysis of the city of Naples, Italy

Smart Cities and Destination Management: Impacts and Opportunities for Tourism Competitiveness

In the latest years, the smart city theme has been widely discussed in both city planning and academic studies from various perspectives, i.e. technology, sustainability, management and tourism. This is mainly due to the urgency of rethinking the city because of the rapid population growth and the urbanization increase. These challenges are triggering many cities to find smarter management ways. Nonetheless, only a limited number of studies investigated systematically the smart cities phenomenon and its impact on tourism. In this research, we try to understand the smart city concept considering the strategic role of technologies as opportunities in the smart tourist destination, trying to fill the literature research gaps by identifying how cities have to manage urban planning to be labelled as "smart", what can be the applications of smart strategies to tourism, what resources/capabilities smart cities need to possess to catch opportunities and face challenges coming from the tourism market, how the smart city planning and its tourist applications can enhance destinations competitiveness. The empirical analysis tests four successful smart cities: Milan, Singapore, London and Johannesburg. The final part includes some reflections on the integration of tourism development with city planning and its effects on urban smartness

The study of polyplex formation and stability by time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy of SYBR Green I-stained DNA

Polyplexes are nanoparticles formed by the self-assembly of DNA/RNA and cationic polymers specifically designed to deliver exogenous genetic material to cells by a process called transfection. There is a general consensus that a subtle balance between sufficient extracellular protection and intracellular release of nucleic acids is a key factor for successful gene delivery. Therefore, there is a strong need to develop suitable tools and techniques for enabling the monitoring of the stability of polyplexes in the biological environment they face during transfection. In this work we propose time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy in combination with SYBR Green I-DNA dye as a reliable tool for the in-depth characterization of the DNA/vector complexation state. As a proof of concept, we provide essential information on the assembly and disassembly of complexes formed between DNA and each of three cationic polymers, namely a novel promising chitosan-graft-branched polyethylenimine copolymer (Chi-g-bPEI), one of its building block 2 kDa bPEI and the gold standard transfectant 25 kDa bPEI. Our results highlight the higher information content provided by the time-resolved studies of SYBR Green I/DNA, as compared to conventional steady state measurements of ethidium bromide/DNA that enabled us to draw relationships among fluorescence lifetime, polyplex structural changes and transfection efficiency

Necrotizing Fasciitis of the Upper Limb: Optimizing Management to Reduce Complications

Background: Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a severe, potentially life-threatening condition. The aim of this study is to identify strategies aimed at reducing complications in patients with NF of the upper limb. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on patients admitted to our Unit for suspected NF of the upper limb. The analyzed data included patient characteristics, delay before primary care, clinical and biological signs upon arrival, pathogens involved, and the rate of amputations and mortality. Results: A total of 21 patients presented with confirmed necrotizing bacterial dermohypodermitis-NBDH with NF (NBDH-NF) affecting the upper limb. The mean delay between the onset of symptoms and the clinical examination in the Emergency Dermatology Unit was 48 h (range: 6 to 72 h). The mean delay between admission and primary surgery was 150 min (range: 60 min to 280 min). No amputations were performed. All patients were alive one year after the first surgical procedure. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that it is possible to reduce mortality and morbidity rates in NF of the upper limb. Timely diagnosis and early treatment and a multidisciplinary medico-surgical dedicated team providing care can significantly modify the outcomes. Early surgical debridement is the most important factor affecting the prognosis of these infections

An Italian survey of opioids misuse: Epidemiological and psychopathological aspects

© 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for the Study of Emerging Drugs. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Objective Opioid abuse is a worrying reality especially in the US. The increase in the prescription of opioids in Europe poses the risk of a possible increase in the number of abusers also in Italy. The aim of the study is to evaluate the abuse of opioids in the youth population and to evaluate possible correlations with some psychopathological aspects. Methods A survey, conducted from July 2019 to March 2020, about the use of opioids was spread to a group of subjects aged between 18 and 40 years. A socio-demographical investigation and psychometric scales evaluating internet game addiction, gaming online, quality of life and general psychometric features were administrated. Results Nine-hundred and thirteen subjects completed the survey. Seventeen-five subjects (8.21%) have used one opioid at least once in their lifetime. Weak correlations were found between codeine and morphine intensity of use and sleep disturbance, cigarette smoked per day, while codeine correlates with the number of coffees taken per day and somatization. Conclusion Although the data of this survey do not show high percentages of use in Italy (8.21% of the sample have used one of the listed opioids at least once in their lifetime), the correlations founded confirm the literature data already present highlighting the need for constant monitoring of this phenomenon.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Erectile dysfunction in hyperuricemia: A prevalence meta‐analysis and meta‐regression study

AbstractBackgroundWhether and to what extent an association exists between hyperuricemia and erectile dysfunction (ED) has not yet been fully determined.ObjectiveTo define pooled prevalence estimates and correlates of erectile dysfunction in men with hyperuricemic disorders.Materials and methodsA thorough search of Medline, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases was performed. Data were combined using random‐effects models and the between‐study heterogeneity was assessed by Cochrane's Q and I2 tests. A funnel plot was used to assess publication bias.ResultsOverall, 8 studies included gave information about 85,406 hyperuricemic men, of whom 5023 complained of erectile dysfunction, resulting in a pooled erectile dysfunction prevalence estimate of 33% (95% Confidence Interval: 13–52%; I² = 99.9%). The funnel plot suggested the presence of a publication bias. At the meta‐regression analyses, among the available covariates that could affect estimates, only type 2 diabetes mellitus was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of erectile dysfunction (β = 0.08; 95% Confidence Interval: 0.01, 0.15, p = 0.025). At the sub‐group analysis, the pooled erectile dysfunction prevalence decreased to 4% (95% Confidence Interval: 0%–8%) when only the largest studies with the lowest prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus were included and increased up to 50% (95% Confidence Interval: 17%–84%) when the analysis was restricted to studies enrolling smaller series with higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus.ConclusionsA not negligible proportion of men with hyperuricemia can complain of erectile dysfunction. While a pathogenetic contribution of circulating uric acid in endothelial dysfunction cannot be ruled out, the evidence of a stronger association between hyperuricemia and erectile dysfunction in type 2 diabetes mellitus points to hyperuricemia as a marker of systemic dysmetabolic disorders adversely affecting erectile function

Efficacy of Ginkgolide B in the prophylaxis of migraine with aura.

In a multicentric, open, preliminary trial, we evaluated the use of ginkgolide B, a herbal constituent extract from Ginkgo biloba tree leaves, in the prophylactic treatment of migraine with aura (MA). Fifty women suffering from migraine with typical aura, or migraine aura without headache, diagnosed according to International Headache Society criteria, entered a six-month study. They underwent a two month run-in period free of prophylactic drugs, followed by a four month treatment period (subdivided into two bimesters, TI and TII) with a combination of 60 mg ginkgo biloba terpenes phytosome, 11 mg coenzyme Q 10, and 8.7 mg vitamin B2 (Migrasoll), administered twice daily. A detailed diary reporting neurological symptoms, duration, and frequency of MA was compiled by patients throughout the trial. The number of MA significantly decreased during treatment (from 3.7 +/- 2.2 in the run-in period, to 2.0 +/- 1.9 during TI and to 1.2 +/- 1.6 during TII; Anova for repeated measures: P < 0.0001). There was also a statistically significant decrease in the average MA duration, which was 40.4 +/- 19.4 min during run-in, 28.2 +/- 19.9 during TI, and 17.6 +/- 20.6 during TII. Total disappearance of MA was observed in 11.1% patients during TI and in 42.2% of patients during T2. No serious adverse event was provoked by Migrasoll administration. Ginkgolide B is effective in reducing MA frequency and duration. The effect is clearly evident in the first bimester of treatment and is further enhanced during the second

Spot‐on SERS Detection of Biomolecules with Laser‐Patterned Dot Arrays of Assembled Silver Nanowires

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