Beyond the migration crisis, deep values. Where does hostility to immigrants come from?

3noopenImmigration has become a key issue in electoral competition in Italy. Several studies have demonstrated the weight of immigration on voting choices of Italian voters, as well as the importance that this issue has had for the electoral success of certain parties, namely the League. However, it is still unclear why voters are mobilized on this issue and, more generally, what are the underlying factors of individual attitudes towards migrants. In this paper we explore whether and to what extent these attitudes are the result of latent cultural factors, which find their roots in long-standing and deeper value predispositions. We do so, relying on an original survey carried out among Italian citizens and making use of the Schwartz conceptualization and measurement of values. A series of regression analyses demonstrate that, besides conditions of objective economic deprivation, proximity to migrants, and perception of threat and insecurity, values are the most relevant explanatory factors of attitudes towards immigration. This leads us to conclude that hostile attitudes towards immigration are not the result of a radical transformation of public opinion in Italy, but rather the expression of more general, structurally conservative value orientations.openAngelucci, Davide; De Sio, Lorenzo; Paparo, AldoAngelucci, Davide; De Sio, Lorenzo; Paparo, Ald

This time it’s the economy: mapping the issues that produced the German federal election result

What policy issues determined support for parties during the 2021 German federal election? Davide Angelucci, Lorenzo De Sio, Heiko Giebler and Werner Krause present conclusions from an analysis of the key topics that encouraged vote-switching during the campaign. They find the SPD’s victory was mainly driven by its credibility on economic issues

Why issue-based strategies won’t help Trump win re-election

The US presidential election on 3 November will be watched closely in Europe. Drawing on recent survey evidence, Davide Angelucci, Lorenzo De Sio, Morris P. Fiorina and Mark N. Franklin illuminate the challenge facing Donald Trump in his bid for re-election. There are currently no divisive issues on which Trump stands to win more support from independents and Democrats than he stands to lose from his own support-base, while on issues for which goals are widely shared, Trump lacks credibility compared to Joe Biden

Beyond the Migration Crisis, Deep Values. Where Does Hostility to Immigrants Come from?

Immigration has become a key issue in electoral competition in Italy. Several studies have demonstrated the weight of immigration on voting choices of Italian voters, as well as the importance that this issue has had for the electoral success of certain parties, namely the League. However, it is still unclear why voters are mobilized on this issue and, more generally, what are the underlying factors of individual attitudes towards migrants. In this paper we explore whether and to what extent these attitudes are the result of latent cultural factors, which find their roots in long-standing and deeper value predispositions. We do so, relying on an original survey car-ried out among Italian citizens and making use of the Schwartz conceptualization and measurement of values. A series of regression analyses demonstrate that, besides conditions of objective economic deprivation, prox-imity to migrants, and perception of threat and insecurity, values are the most relevant explanatory factors of attitudes towards immigration. This leads us to conclude that hostile attitudes towards immigration are not the result of a radical transformation of public opinion in Italy, but rather the expression of more general, structur-ally conservative value orientations

Non saranno strategie basate su temi concreti ad aiutare Trump. Ecco perch\ue9

Le elezioni presidenziali americane del 3 novembre saranno seguite dall'Europa con grande intersse. Basandosi su recenti dati di sondaggio originali, Davide Angelucci, Lorenzo De Sio, Morris P. Fiorina e Mark N. Franklin illustrano la sfida che attende Donald Trump nel suo tentativo di rielezione

Early EEG responses to pre-electoral survey items reflect political attitudes and predict voting behavior

Self-reports are conventionally used to measure political preferences, yet individuals may be unable or unwilling to report their political attitudes. Here, in 69 participants we compared implicit and explicit methods of political attitude assessment and focused our investigation on populist attitudes. Ahead of the 2019 European Parliament election, we recorded electroencephalography (EEG) from future voters while they completed a survey that measured levels of agreement on different political issues. An Implicit Association Test (IAT) was administered at the end of the recording session. Neural signals differed as a function of future vote for a populist or mainstream party and of whether survey items expressed populist or non-populist views. The combination of EEG responses and self-reported preferences predicted electoral choice better than traditional socio-demographic and ideological variables, while IAT scores were not a significant predictor. These findings suggest that measurements of brain activity can refine the assessment of socio-political attitudes, even when those attitudes are not based on traditional ideological divides

Generational gap and post-ideological politics in Italy (POSTGEN): A generation-aware analysis of ideological destructuring and political change in the Italian case

Recent political upheavals, such as Brexit, Trump's election, the rise of challenger parties in Europe, and Italy’s first "populist" government in 2018, challenge traditional theories of voting behaviour and party competition. Conventional explanations often point to populism and voter irrationality. However, recent research highlights that challenger parties leverage issue opportunities that transcend traditional ideological boundaries, suggesting a de-ideologized context where voters are drawn to post-ideological platforms. Despite these insights, a possible de-ideologization process remains insufficiently understood. The POSTGEN project seeks to fill this gap by analysing de-ideologization mechanisms and dynamics, particularly in Italy—a key case of contemporary political transformation. It adopts a generation-focused approach, emphasizing the role of younger generations in the evolving political landscape. The project examines how political attitudes develop and impact individuals, generations, and society over time. It investigates whether political issues integrate into coherent ideological structures or remain fragmented, and how non-political influencers affect these dynamics amid the crisis of traditional epistemic authorities. The project employs a mixed-method, multi-method, longitudinal strategy that features multiple components: from mass surveys, to social media content (also analysed through automated methods), to dedicated surveys aimed at secondary-school students, to qualitative in-depth interviews to young adults. By integrating these methods within a robust theoretical framework, POSTGEN aims to provide insights into the evolution of the Italian political systems, also to help understand broader changes in democratic representation in Western political systems

The Role of Staging Laparoscopy for Gastric Cancer Patients: Current Evidence and Future Perspectives

A significant proportion of patients diagnosed with gastric cancer is discovered with peritoneal metastases at laparotomy. Despite the continuous improvement in the performance of radiological imaging, the preoperative recognition of such an advanced disease is still challenging during the diagnostic work-up, since the sensitivity of CT scans to peritoneal carcinomatosis is not always adequate. Staging laparoscopy offers the chance to significantly increase the rate of promptly diagnosed peritoneal metastases, thus reducing the number of unnecessary laparotomies and modifying the initial treatment strategy of gastric cancer. The aim of this review was to provide a comprehensive summary of the current literature regarding the role of staging laparoscopy in the management of gastric cancer. Indications, techniques, accuracy, advantages, and limitations of staging laparoscopy and peritoneal cytology were discussed. Furthermore, a focus on current evidence regarding the application of artificial intelligence and image-guided surgery in staging laparoscopy was included in order to provide a picture of the future perspectives of this technique and its integration with modern tools in the preoperative management of gastric cancer

Molecular Characterization of Cancer Associated Fibroblasts in Prostate Cancer

Background: Stromal components surrounding epithelial cancer cells seem to play a pivotal role during epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), tumor invasion, and metastases. To identify the molecular mechanisms underlying tumor–stroma interactions may yield novel therapeutic targets for prostate cancer. Methods: Gene expression profile of prostate-cancer associated fibroblast (PCAF) and prostate non-cancer associated fibroblast (PNAF) cells isolated from radical prostatectomy was performed by Illumina, analyzed, and further processed by Ingenuity®: IPA® software. qRT-PCR was performed on an independent set of 17 PCAF, 12 PNAF, and 12 fibroblast cell lines derived from patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPHF). Results: Using microarray analysis, we found six upregulated genes and two downregulated genes in PCAFs compared to PNAFs. To validate microarray results, we performed qRT-PCR for the most significantly regulated genes involved in the modulation of proliferation and androgen resistance on an independent set of PNAF, PCAF, and BHPF samples. We confirmed the increased expression of SCARB1, MAPK3K1, and TGF-β as well as the decreased expression of S100A10 in PCAFs compared to PNAFs and BPHFs. Conclusions: These results provide strong evidence that the observed changes in the gene expression profile of PCAFs can contribute to functional alteration of adjacent prostate cancer cells

Molecular Characterization of Cancer Associated Fibroblasts in Prostate Cancer

Background: Stromal components surrounding epithelial cancer cells seem to play a pivotal role during epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), tumor invasion, and metastases. To identify the molecular mechanisms underlying tumor-stroma interactions may yield novel therapeutic targets for prostate cancer. Methods: Gene expression profile of prostate-cancer associated fibroblast (PCAF) and prostate non-cancer associated fibroblast (PNAF) cells isolated from radical prostatectomy was performed by Illumina, analyzed, and further processed by Ingenuity (R) : IPA (R) software. qRT-PCR was performed on an independent set of 17 PCAF, 12 PNAF, and 12 fibroblast cell lines derived from patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPHF). Results: Using microarray analysis, we found six upregulated genes and two downregulated genes in PCAFs compared to PNAFs. To validate microarray results, we performed qRT-PCR for the most significantly regulated genes involved in the modulation of proliferation and androgen resistance on an independent set of PNAF, PCAF, and BHPF samples. We confirmed the increased expression of SCARB1, MAPK3K1, and TGF-beta as well as the decreased expression of S100A10 in PCAFs compared to PNAFs and BPHFs. Conclusions: These results provide strong evidence that the observed changes in the gene expression profile of PCAFs can contribute to functional alteration of adjacent prostate cancer cells