Analisi cluster delle caratteristiche socio-economiche dei comuni dell'Emilia-Romagna: un confronto tra comuni dentro e fuori dal cratere del sisma

The socio-economic features of the area hit by the 2012 earthquake in Emilia-Romagna (Italy) represents a first step in building a more comprehensive framework, which could help in better interpreting earthquake effects in both short and medium period. Actually, this analysis falls under that broader field of research, which is aimed at providing counterfactual evaluations of both natural disasters’ impacts and the adoption of public policies to support reconstruction. This paper moves from the idea that those municipalities, which lie close to the epicentre of 2012 Emilia-Romagna earthquake, are not particularly homogenous in terms of socio-economic features. Analysing those major differences is a key element in order to assess the way human activities and other specific economic features at municipality level may either increase or limit the effects of an earthquake. Firstly, this paper tackles the problem of properly identifying the boundaries of the area directly hit by the 2012 earthquake. Indeed, different acts have provided different definitions of those boundaries. Eventually, a cluster analysis has been performed covering all municipalities in Emilia-Romagna, according to a set of demographic and economic variables, available at municipality level. This analysis highlights the existence of different typologies of municipalities, even in the area hit by the earthquake. In particular, these results are of particular interest, allowing further assessments on the effects of the earthquake. Actually, according to cluster analysis results, specific counterfactual examples (not hit by the earthquake) will be identified

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the “spinal cord injury-falls concern scale” in the Italian population

Study design: Psychometrics study. Objective: The objective of this study was to develop an Italian version of the Spinal Cord Injury-Falls Concern Scale (SCI-FCS) and examine its reliability and validity. Setting: Multicenter study in spinal units in Northern and Southern Italy. The scale also was administered to non-hospitalized outpatient clinic patients. Methods: The original scale was translated from English to Italian using the “Translation and Cultural Adaptation of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures” guidelines. The reliability and validity of the culturally adapted scale were assessed following the “Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Status Measurement Instruments” checklist. The SCI-FCS-I internal consistency, inter-rater, and intra-rater reliability were examined using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and the intraclass correlation coefficient, respectively. Concurrent validity was evaluated using Pearson’s correlation coefficient with the Italian version of the short form of the Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale for Manual Wheelchair Users (WheelCon-M-I-short form). Results: The Italian version of the SCI-FCS-I was administered to 124 participants from 1 June to 30 September 2017. The mean ± SD of the SCI-FCS-I score was 16.73 ± 5.88. All SCI-FCS items were either identical or similar in meaning to the original version’s items. Cronbach’s α was 0.827 (p < 0.01), the inter-rater reliability was 0.972 (p < 0.01), and the intra-rater reliability was 0.973 (p < 0.01). Pearson’s correlation coefficient of the SCI-FCS-I scores with the WheelCon-M-I-short form was 0.56 (p < 0.01). Conclusions: The SCI-FCS-I was found to be reliable and a valid outcome measure for assessing manual wheelchair concerns about falling in the Italian population

CD44 targeting reduces tumour growth and prevents post-chemotherapy relapse of human breast cancers xenografts

CD44 is a marker of tumour-initiating cells and is upregulated in invasive breast carcinoma; however, its role in the cancer progression is unknown. Here, we show that antibody-mediated CD44-targeting in human breast cancer xenografts (HBCx) significantly reduces tumour growth and that this effect is associated to induction of growth-inhibiting factors. Moreover, treatment with this antibody prevents tumour relapse after chemotherapy-induced remission in a basal-like HBCx

New Insights into Hormonal Therapies in Uterine Sarcomas

Uterine sarcoma (US) is a rare mesenchymal malignant cancer type, accounting for 3–7% of uterine malignancies. US prognosis is still poor due to high local and distant recurrence rates. As for molecular features, US may present variable oestrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) expressions, mostly depending on histotype and grading. Surgery represents the mainstay of treatment for early-stage disease, while the role of adjuvant chemotherapy or local radiotherapy is still debated and defined on the basis of histotype, tumour grading and stage. In metastatic setting, uterine sarcomas’ treatment includes palliative surgery, a metastases resection, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and targeted therapy. As for the chemotherapy regimen used, drugs that are considered most effective are doxorubicin (combined with ifosfamide or alone), gemcitabine combined with docetaxel and, more recently, trabectedin or pazopanib. Hormonal therapies, including aromatase inhibitors (AIs), progestins and gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues (GnRH-a) may also represent an effective option, in particular for low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LGESS), due to their favourable toxicity profile and patients’ compliance, while their role is still under investigation in uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS), high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (HGESS), undifferentiated uterine sarcoma (USS) and other rarer US. The present review aims to analyse the existing evidence and future perspectives on hormonal therapies in US, in order to clarify their potential role in daily clinical practice

Forme della reciprocit\ue0. Comunit\ue0, istituzioni, ethos,

Il volume esplora il tema della reciprocit\ue0 come forma originaria della relazione interpersonale, cercando d\u2019intercettare il punto di saldatura tra le sue radici antropologiche e la scala partecipativa in cui esse si esprimono secondo diverse oggettivazioni storiche: legame comunitario, mediazione istituzionale, ethos condiviso. Intrecciando approfondimento speculativo e ricognizione storiografica, il volume suggerisce un duplice percorso: nella pars destruens, si discute criticamente una sorta di schizofrenia, tipicamente postmoderna, tra autenticit\ue0 dei rapporti \u201ccorti\u201d, governati dalla logica affettiva della gratificazione, e inautenticit\ue0 dei rapporti \u201clunghi\u201d, abbandonati alla logica economica dello scambio; nella pars construens, la possibilit\ue0 di accreditare un\u2019antropologia relazionale aperta rimanda ad un primato del \u201cnoi\u201d, affidato ad un\u2019idea di \u201creciprocit\ue0 asimmetrica\u201d. Il riconoscimento di un dislivello tra l\u2019io e l\u2019altro, irriducibile al principio astratto della mera equivalenza, lascia intravedere un orizzonte di ulteriorit\ue0 metafisica, in cui riconoscimento e cooperazione domandano una dialettica profonda di amore e giustizia

Forme del bene condiviso,

Il volume presenta i risultati di una ricerca, in diretta continuit\ue0 con una indagine precedente, confluita nel volume: L. Alici (a cura di), Forme della reciprocit\ue0. Comunit\ue0, istituzioni, ethos, Il Mulino, Bologna 2004. In quell\u2019opera si era cercato di tematizzare l\u2019idea di reciprocit\ue0, come forma propria di una relazione interpersonale irriducibile al principio contrattuale e simmetrico dello scambio tra pari. Rispetto a quel primo orizzonte tematico, questo volume intende compiere un passo ulteriore, sviluppando una riflessione intorno alle forme del bene condiviso. Condividere significa dividere con altri, partecipando ad un bene comune. La prospettiva che orienta il volume tende quindi ad inserire l\u2019insieme delle relazioni interumane di reciprocit\ue0 in un contesto pi\uf9 ampio, in cui l\u2019orizzontalit\ue0 delle forme storiche della convivenza s\u2019intreccia con la verticalit\ue0 del bene comune, a partire precisamente da un atto di partecipazione, che rende possibile la correlazione dei due livelli. Il volume si articola in due parti, precedute da un saggio introduttivo, che riconduce l\u2019intera problematica al punto critico di saldatura fra interiorit\ue0 ed esteriorit\ue0, dal quale sembra dipendere la legittimazione della vita morale come forma condivisa di una sintesi pratica nella quale confluiscono autenticit\ue0 vissuta e oggettivazione storica. La prima parte cerca quindi di articolare i fattori costitutivi che possono innalzare l\u2019esperienza di prossimit\ue0 ad una forma di autentica partecipazione comunitaria: incrociando i temi della persona e del mondo della vita, approfondendo il nesso tra ospitalit\ue0 e cittadinanza, interrogandosi intorno al punto di saldatura fra amore fraterno e vita virtuosa. La seconda parte esplora analiticamente la qualit\ue0 dei legami condivisi, che un\u2019etica pubblica - capace di resistere al pericoli dell\u2019atomismo sociale - \ue8 in grado di accreditare, nella delicata e fragile zona di frontiera tra politica e religione; dopo una puntuale ricognizione storica intorno al nesso tra pubblico e privato nella classicit\ue0 e nella modernit\ue0, l\u2019analisi privilegia due fondamentali versanti tematici: individualismo, pluralismo e democrazia da un lato; secolarizzazione, laicit\ue0 e religione civile dall\u2019altro. Un dibattito complesso e di straordinaria attualit\ue0, dal quale dipende la possibilit\ue0 di promuovere un ethos della convivenza, posto il segno del bene comune condiviso