The Role of Guarantees in support of Entrepreneurial Microcredit in Italy.

This paper proposes an empirical analysis of the microcredit initiatives promoted by local and cooperative credit banks trying to take advantage of any differences in the initiatives promoted by other types of operators in terms of default rates of loans. The differences are analyzed on the basis of distinctive features to identify a possible way of developing microcredit in Italy. The empirical analysis verifies the existence of a statically significant correlation between characteristics of the entrepreneurial microcredit programs and their default risk. The presence of credit guarantee schemes and the role of banking intermediaries as promoters reduce significantly the risk of default on these initiatives. The Italian microcredit programs do not show territorial differences.

EUROPE 2020 SI-LAB: A New Center for Economic and Social Development in Sicily

The debate on the determinants of regional and local development has been stimulated recently by the European strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth defined as Europe 2020. We present the objectives and structure of a new laboratory (SI-LAB) for the development of Sicilian economy promoted by the University of Palermo. In particular, we highlight the fundamental issues related to the incoming functioning of the Lab as a new oganization devoted to analyzing public policy issues, and fostering new ways of entrepreurship at the local level

Determinants associated with obesity and physical activity in the public and private schools of the city of palermo

Introduction: Obesity is a medical condition associated with premature death and it is a risk factor for many chronic diseases. In this context, performing a regular physical activity promotes a healthy lifestyle, with significant health benefits. The aim of the study was to investigate behaviors that increase the risk of obesity and the determinants that encourage physical activity among adolescents. Materials and methods: The HBSC (Health Behavior in School-aged Children) questionnaire was administered to students in Palermo's private and public schools. For the sampling of public schools the protocol of the HBSC Surveillance System was followed; for the private ones it was opportunistic. Results: Private school students are more likely to exercise more than 3 days per week (OR 1.58) and are more likely to exercise more than 2 times a week (OR 2.08). Obese students in private schools in Palermo are more likely to perform physical activity for less than 3 days a week (OR 3.52) and a higher risk of not having breakfast (OR 10.11) and a snack between main meals (OR 3.82) every day. For all the schools examined, it emerged that obese subjects are more likely not to consume fruit (OR 3.13), to stay more than 6 hours a day in front of PCs and video games (OR 3.24) and more than 2 hours a day in front of TV (OR 3.79). Male students are more likely to perform physical activity for more than 3 days per week (OR 1.48) and intense physical activity at least 2 times per week (OR 1.76) Conclusions: It is necessary to intervene early with training on school and family in order to promote correct and responsible food choices and increase the level of physical activity among students. Therefore prevention interventions must be an integral part of coherent strategies based on tests of agreed effectiveness in order to minimize the risk linked to the development of diseases

La crisi economica e finanziaria in Sicilia: elementi di scenario e opportunit\ue0 del Terzo Settore

La crisi economica di questi ultimi anni ha ulteriormente aggravato la situazione complessiva della Sicilia, che da sempre registra ampi divari strutturali rispetto alle regioni pi\uf9 avanzate dell\u2019Italia e dell\u2019Unione Europea. Non \ue8 causale che un indicatore sintetico di questi divari come il prodotto interno lordo pro capite, sia inferiore del 32 per cento rispetto a quello medio delle regioni europee e con un tasso di disoccupazione tra i pi\uf9 alti in Europa. Ancora pi\uf9 grave \ue8 la situazione delle famiglie siciliane di cui circa il 27 per cento \ue8 inclusa nei parametri di povert\ue0 relativa. Per comprendere meglio la situazione siciliana \ue8 utile, per\uf2, osservare una caratteristica del modello economico prevalente oggi, che \ue8 quello di una economia dei flussi monetari. L\u2019espressione riflette il fatto probabilmente ovvio che il denaro condiziona i comportamenti degli individui e delle societ\ue0 tout court. Un passaggio essenziale, invece, \ue8 di riequilibrarne il rapporto con la persona: da obiettivo finale a strumento per un benessere diffuso di cui le politiche di welfare sono fattore primario. Un secondo elemento di sistema \ue8 che l\u2019Unione Europea, cos\uec come \ue8 stata disegnata in questi anni e in particolare dall\u2019avvento dell\u2019Euro, non risponde pi\uf9 alle attuali esigenze dei suoi cittadini. Una delle principali cause \ue8 l\u2019insufficienza di meccanismi di solidariet\ue0 tra gli Stati membri; questo deficit \ue8 stato perfettamente intuito dagli operatori dei mercati finanziari, che su questa carenza hanno costruito meccanismi speculativi di ampio respiro. I principali soggetti imputati sono gli Stati che hanno perso inconsapevolmente ampi margini di sovranit\ue0, e del ruolo delle politiche pubbliche e delle istituzioni nell\u2019influenzare il benessere complessivo dei cittadini, mortificato nelle sue diverse componenti.Qual \ue8, quindi, il peso del Terzo Settore in una situazione cos\uec complessa e come s\u2019innesta all\u2019interno di un quadro socio-economico regionale, in cui le principali istituzioni isolane non sembrano in grado di rispondere alle diverse sollecitazioni? Un elemento \ue8 dato dalla capacit\ue0 che il Terzo Settore pu\uf2 offrire nell\u2019innestare meccanismi d\u2019innovazione sociale. Welfare to work, povert\ue0, famiglia, riduzione dell\u2019esclusione finanziaria, imprenditoria sociale sono alcuni dei temi che il Nonprofit siciliano deve affrontare con un apporto competente, operativo, identitario delle sue organizzazioni e i cui passaggi richiedono una forte sensibilit\ue0 delle sue classi dirigenti. In questa direzione il Terzo Settore pu\uf2 offrire il suo apporto ad una Regione che ha ampi spazi di sperimentazione e che su molte aree necessita di cambiamenti radicali per rispondere a sfide non sono solo economiche, ma che contemplano un diverso concetto di persona, le cui preferenze e necessit\ue0 sono mutate e che difficilmente sono da ancorare ad una figura di consumatore-cittadino ormai deteriorata e che non riflette le aspirazioni delle nuove generazioni

LE REGIONI D'EUROPA TRA IDENTITÀ LOCALI, NUOVE COMUNITÀ E DISPARITÀ TERRITORIALI

L’Europa è oggi attraversata da una forte domanda di autonomia da parte dei territori: da un lato, a tutela dell’identità delle comunità locali e, dall’altro, per la crescente rivendicazione di una più ampia rappresentanza delle cittadinanze. Queste istanze possono, però, mettere a rischio gli obiettivi di equilibrio e di coesione economica, sociale e territoriale, da sempre al centro della riflessione e delle proposte sviluppate dagli studiosi delle scienze regionali. La recente crisi ha acuito l’instabilità e allargato i complessivi divari tra le regioni, anche nella loro dinamica interna di evoluzione. Alla resilienza economica non sempre è corrisposto, nell’attuale transizione verso un nuovo paradigma, il mantenimento di solidi livelli di coesione sociale e di integrazione tra aree e comunità. Il volume raccoglie una selezione di contributi presentati alla XXXIX Conferenza Italiana di Scienze Regionali, svoltasi a Bolzano il 17, 18 e 19 settembre 2018. Nella sua articolazione, esso si sviluppa in tre parti. La prima analizza il tema della domanda di autonomia da parte dei territori all’interno dello sviluppo economico e sociale di regioni e paesi, e dell’attuale dibattito sul federalismo differenziato. Nella seconda le riflessioni si estendono alla crescente disparità tra aree centrali e aree periferiche, tra aree interne e aree esposte, tra Nord e Sud dei Paesi e dell’Europa, mentre nella terza parte, l’analisi guarda ai mutevoli equilibri tra territori e sistemi locali urbani e rurali, tra pianura e montagna e, all’interno delle aree montane, tra i fondivalle maggiormente urbanizzati e i territori di alta quota, zone spesso di confine tra province, regioni e stati. La novità editoriale di quest’anno è rappresentata da uno spazio dedicato a brevi contributi a cura di giovani autori vincitori dei premi AISRe.Europe is today crossed by a strong demand for autonomy from the territories: to protect the identity of local communities and, also analyze the growing demand for a broader representation of citizens. However, these issues can jeopardize the objectives of balance and economic, social and territorial cohesion, which have always been at the center of the reflection and proposals developed by scholars of regional sciences. The recent crisis has worsened instability and widened the overall gaps between the regions, including in their internal dynamics of evolution. Economic resilience is not always matched, in the current transition towards a new paradigm, by maintaining solid levels of social cohesion and integration between areas and communities. The volume collects a selection of contributions presented at the XXXIX Italian Conference of Regional Science, held in Bolzano on 17, 18 and 19 September 2018. The volume is divided into three parts. The first analyzes the issue of the demand for autonomy by the territories within the economic and social development of regions and countries, and the current debate on differentiated federalism. In the second, the reflections extend to the growing disparity between central and peripheral areas, between internal and exposed areas, between North and South of countries and Europe, while in the third part, the analysis looks at the changing balance between territories and systems. urban and rural areas, between plains and mountains and, within mountain areas, between the most urbanized valleys and high altitude territories, areas often bordering provinces, regions and states. This year ia space is dedicated to short contributions by young authors who have won the AISRe Awards

Comparison between adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence and aerobic colony count to assess surface sanitation in the hospital environment

Background: Adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence produced by the firefly luciferase has been successfully introduced to verify cleaning procedures in the food industry according to the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point program. Our aim was to evaluate the reliability of bioluminescence as a tool to monitor the effectiveness of sanitation in healthcare settings, in comparison with the microbiological gold standard. Methods: 614 surfaces of various material were randomly sampled in Policlinico University Hospital units in Palermo, Italy, to detect adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence and aerobic colony count. Linear regression model and Pearson correlation coefficient were used to estimate the relationship between the two variables of the study. Results: Aerobic colony count median was 1.71 colony forming units/cm2 (interquartile range = 3.8), whereas adenosine triphosphate median was 59.9 relative light units/cm2 (interquartile range = 128.3). Pearson coefficient R2 was 0.09. Sensitivity and specificity of bioluminescence test with respect to microbiology were 46% and 71%, whereas positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 53% and 65%, respectively. Conclusion: According to our results, there seemed to be no linear correlation between aerobic colony count and adenosine triphosphate values, suggesting that current bioluminescence technology has not any proportional relationships with culturable microbes contaminating environmental surfaces in health-care settings

LE REGIONI D’EUROPA TRA IDENTITÀ LOCALI, NUOVE COMUNITÀ E DISPARITÀ TERRITORIAL

Europe today is crossed by a strong demand for autonomy from the territories: on the one hand, to protect the identities of local communities and, on the other, for the growing demand for a wider representation of resident citizens. However, these requests can jeopardize the objectives of balance and integration between parts of the territory and between those who live in them, objectives that have always been at the center of reflection and proposals developed in the context of regional sciences. The recent crisis has heightened instability and widened economic and social gaps not only between regions, but also within the regions themselves. The North-South gaps in Italy have further increased and, in a post-crisis phase, this unstoppable process requires ever greater scientific and policy insights in terms of commitment and intervention capacity. If the economic growth of the past decade had found impetus in expanding the spaces of relationships and exchanges, the responses to the threats brought about by the crisis materialized in the closure of borders and in the defense of local levels of well-being. A particular specification of this theme also concerns the relationships between urban and rural territories and local systems, between plains and mountains as well as mountain areas, . The preface is therefore an acute reflection on issues of urgent relevance for Italy and of great interest for the regional sciences, accepting important scientific and policy challenges

Sars-cov-2 and the risk assessment document in italian work; specific or generic risk even if aggravated?

In December 2019, several cases of atypical pneumonia were detected in Wuhan city, Hubei province, inland China. The initial outbreak was of considerable size first in China subsequently spread to the rest of the world. Immediately after the epidemic (which according to the World Health Organization had risen to pandemic status), the problem of whether or not to update the occupational risk assessment arose, also considering how the biological risk from SARS CoV-2 should be understood: specific or generic. To this end, we conducted a literature review to identify national health legislation and policies, examining how Italy has addressed the COVID-19 emergency in occupational health planning, in order to develop considerations on the need to update the Risk Assessment Document following the pandemic status. The data that emerged from the review of current legislation allowed us to conclude that the risk from SARS-CoV-2 is in most work activities to be understood as a generic or aggravated generic risk, requiring the employer to apply and control the preventive measures suggested by health authorities to contain the spread of the virus

Considerations on the Update of the Risk Assessment Document During the Pandemic State by COVID-19 in Italy

Immediately after the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic (which had risen to the level of a pandemic according to the World Health Organization), the question arose whether or not to update the risk assessment, which, as required by Legislative Decree 81/2008, with the consequent updating of the prevention measures. In light of these forecasts, we asked ourselves whether the risk of coronavirus infection should be taken into account by the employer by updating the risk assessment or not. An in-depth analysis of current legislation has led to the conclusion that the biological risk from SARS-CoV-2 is to be considered specific only in health-related activities, in other activities it can be considered exclusively generic or generic aggravated. The Risk Assessment Document can therefore only be integrated

The Effects of Small Metal Additions (Co,Cu,Ga,Mn,Al,Bi,Sn) on the Magnetocaloric Properties of the Gd5Ge2Si2 Alloy

The structural and magnetic properties of arc-melted and homogenized (1300 °C, 1 h) alloys of Gd5Ge1.9Si2X0.1 (X = Cu, Co, Ga, Mn, Al, Bi, or Sn) were investigated by powder x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and magnetometry. The addition of Cu, Ga, Mn, and Al completely eliminated the large hysteresis losses present in the undoped Gd5Ge2Si2 alloy between 270 and 330 K, broadened the magnetic entropy change ΔSm peak, and shifted its peak value from 275 to 305 K similar to that observed earlier for Gd5Ge1.9Si2Fe0.1. The addition of Bi or Sn had a negligible effect on either the alloy hysteresis losses or the characteristics of the ΔSm vs T peak. The microstructure of the alloy doped with Cu, Co, Ga, Mn, or Al consisted of a majority phase (depleted of silicon) and a minor intergranular phase (rich in silicon and of the corresponding metal additive). For Bi or Sn doping, the microstructure consisted of only the Gd5Ge2Si2 phase. Low temperature x-ray diffraction data on an Fe-doped sample showed the same spectra at 245 and 300 K, consistent with the majority phase possessing an orthorhombic structure. Refrigeration capacity calculations show that Gd5Ge1.9Si2X0.1 (X = Fe,Cu,Co,Ga,Mn, or Al) alloys are superior magnetic refrigerants compared to the undoped Gd5Ge2Si2 alloy