Performance Information in Politics: How Framing, Format, and Rhetoric Matter for Politicians’ Preferences

Performance information research has grown rapidly over the last decade with much research emphasizing the importance of how information is framed, presented, and communicated by using a distinct rhetorical appeal. In this study, we examine how the framing, format, and rhetoric of performance information influence preferences among elected politicians. We study the direct effects of how information is presented. We also argue that performance information is always a mixture of different frames, formats, and rhetorical appeals and that it is therefore important to account for interaction effects. Using a large-scale survey experiment with responses from 1,406 Italian local politicians, we find that framing and ethos-based rhetoric affect politicians’ responses to performance information. We also find that the format of presentation is important in several ways. Thus, politicians are more likely to support the status quo when information is presented graphically rather than textually, and a graphical format furthermore reduces the impact of ethos-based rhetoric and – to a lesser extent – the impact of equivalence framing

A New Method for the Assessment of Age and Age-Spread of Pre-Main Sequence Stars in Young Stellar Associations of the Magellanic Clouds

We present a new method for the evaluation of the age and age-spread among pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars in star-forming regions in the Magellanic Clouds, accounting simultaneously for photometric errors, unresolved binarity, differential extinction, stellar variability, accretion and crowding. The application of the method is performed with the statistical construction of synthetic color-magnitude diagrams using PMS evolutionary models. We convert each isochrone into 2D probability distributions of artificial PMS stars in the CMD by applying the aforementioned biases that dislocate these stars from their original CMD positions. A maximum-likelihood technique is then applied to derive the probability for each observed star to have a certain age, as well as the best age for the entire cluster. We apply our method to the photometric catalog of ~2000 PMS stars in the young association LH 95 in the LMC, based on the deepest HST/ACS imaging ever performed toward this galaxy, with a detection limit of V~28, corresponding to M~0.2 Msun. Our treatment shows that the age determination is very sensitive to the considered grid of evolutionary models and the assumed binary fraction. The age of LH 95 is found to vary from 2.8 Myr to 4.4 Myr, depending on these factors. Our analysis allows us to disentangle a real age-spread from the apparent CMD-broadening caused by the physical and observational biases. We find that LH 95 hosts an age-spread well represented by a gaussian distribution with a FWHM of the order of 2.8 Myr to 4.2 Myr depending on the model and binary fraction. We detect a dependence of the average age of the system with stellar mass. This dependence does not appear to have any physical meaning, being rather due to imperfections of the PMS evolutionary models, which tend to predict lower ages for the intermediate masses, and higher ages for low-mass stars.Comment: 19 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication by the Astrophysical Journa

Inter-organizational Processes: Requirements for Securing Data

Supply chains, built by the flow of goods and money between firms, are changing their nature into value networks, built on strategic and knowledge-based relationships. This phenomenon characterizes mainly complex product industries, i.e. aerospace, requiring long research and development projects. Strategic relationships are implemented by processes crossing organizational boundaries. To carry them out, data exchange is required, but this introduces risks, too. These risks can be faced by defining more accurate privacy management techniques and functionalities of inter-organizational platforms. In this paper some inter-organizational processes characterizing the aero-engine supply chains are discussed focusing on their security and privacy issues. They were explored thanks to the Italian aerospace company Avio. One of them, the supply chain planning process, involving high classified data exchange among all the firms in the value network, will be faced by the SecureSCM research project through cryptography and secure multiparty computation technology

Replication data for "Performance Information in Politics: How Framing, Format, and Rhetoric Matter for Politicians’ Preferences"

Replication data and code for the article "Performance Information in Politics: How Framing, Format, and Rhetoric Matter for Politicians’ Preferences", accepted for publication in Journal of Behavioral Public Administration

Norma UNI 11483:2021 Titolo : Attività professionali non regolamentate - Comunicatore professionale - Requisiti di conoscenza, abilità e autonomia e responsabilità

La norma definisce i requisiti relativi all'attività professionale del Comunicatore Professionale. Tali requisiti sono specificati, a partire dai compiti e attività specifiche e dall'identificazione dei relativi contenuti, in termini di conoscenze e abilità, anche al fine di identificarne chiaramente il livello di autonomia e responsabilità in coerenza con il Quadro Nazionale delle Qualificazioni (QNQ). Tali requisiti sono inoltre espressi in maniera tale da agevolare e contribuire a rendere omogenei e trasparenti, per quanto possibile, i relativi processi di valutazione della conformità

Framing Effects under Different Uses of Performance Information: An Experimental Study on Public Managers

Combining insights from public administration, accounting, and psychology, this article explores the microprocesses by which public managers use performance information, investigating whether the type of performance information use and the request to justify decisions affect the way in which information is processed. The study draws on data from a series of artifactual survey experiments with Italian municipal executives. Findings show that managers process information differently under ex post rather than ex ante performance information uses. More specifically, managers are more likely to be subject to framing bias under ex post than under ex ante uses of performance information. This interaction seems to be robust when subjects are asked to provide justification for their decisions

Safety, Efficacy, and Cost-effectiveness of Organ Suspension in Laparoscopic Gynecologic Surgery. A Retrospective Cohort Study to Validate an Innovative Technique: Laparoscopic Organ Suspension sec. Angioni

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of the Laparoscopic Organ Suspension sec. Angioni, an innovative approach to transient organ suspension (OS) in laparoscopic gynecological procedures. Recognizing the need to enhance surgical site access and overcome limitations of existing organ retraction methods, the study investigates a novel, in-theatre constructed OS device. Design: This retrospective observational study was conducted from March 2019 to May 2021 and included 330 patients who underwent multiport or single-site-port laparoscopic surgery employing Angioni's Technique for transient pelvic organ suspension. Participants/materials, setting, methods: Participants included individuals undergoing surgery for conditions such as endometriosis, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, pelvic prolapse, and benign ovarian cysts. The Laparoscopic Organ Suspension sec. Angioni utilizes a segment of a Foley catheter connected to a Polyglactin suture to provide adjustable tension, minimizing the need for reconfiguration during surgery. Results: The application of this OS technique resulted in an average suspension time of 1.9 minutes, with no significant difference between senior and junior surgeons. The method proved more time-efficient for posterior peritoneum suspension than other published methods and showed no additional risks of organ damage, bleeding, conversion to laparotomy, or OS-related complications. The secondary outcomes revealed reduced hospital stays and minimal blood loss, highlighting the procedure's overall efficiency. Limitations: Given its retrospective and single-center nature, the study's results may not be widely generalizable. Prospective multicentric comparative studies are recommended to to further validate the Angioni's Technique. Conclusions: Laparoscopic Organ Suspension sec. Angioni is introduced as a straightforward, safe, and cost-effective method that significantly streamlines the surgical process. Its adaptability and ease of use suggest that it could be a valuable addition to current gynecological surgical practices, with potential implications for increasing efficiency and reducing procedural costs. Future studies are required to confirm these results across diverse clinical environments

Hysteroscopic diode laser myolysis: from a case series to literature review of incisionless myolysis techniques for managing heavy menstrual bleeding in premenopausal women

Purpose: This case series examined the safety and effectiveness of hysteroscopic myolysis using laser-induced interstitial thermo-therapy (LITT) for treating heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) in premenopausal women with FIGO type 1 or 2 uterine fibroids, not planning for future fertility. Additionally, a comprehensive review of innovative, minimally invasive, incisionless myolysis techniques was conducted. Methods: Women with HMB, sonographically diagnosed with a single FIGO type 1 or 2 fibroid, underwent hysteroscopic myolysis using the Leonardo® diode laser. Effectiveness was assessed via transvaginal ultrasound measurement of myoma size, volume and vascularization pre and post-procedure. Moreover, we also evaluated any improvements in symptoms using the Pictorial Blood Loss Assessment Chart (PBAC score) scores. Results: The procedure resulted in significant HMB reductions and noticeable fibroid size, volume, and vascularization decrease in all three patients, with no reported complications. The literature review revealed both advantages and limitations of the minimally invasive, incisionless myolysis techniques. Conclusions: Hysteroscopic laser myolysis is a safe and effective therapeutic intervention for patients experiencing HMB, diagnosed with FIGO type 1 or 2 fibroids, and not planning for future fertility. The procedure resulted in significant reductions in menstrual blood loss and fibroid size. Despite the promising results, it is essential to note the limitations of this report, including its case series design, a small number of patients, and a short follow-up period. Further research is necessary to confirm these results

Altered cortical and subcortical local coherence in obstructive sleep apnea: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome is the most common sleep-related breathing disorder, characterized by excessive snoring and repetitive apneas and arousals, which leads to fragmented sleep and, most importantly, to intermittent nocturnal hypoxaemia during apneas. Considering previous studies about morphovolumetric alterations in sleep apnea, in this study we aimed to investigate for the first time the functional connectivity profile of OSA patients and agegendermatched healthy controls, using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Twenty severe OSA patients (mean age 43.2 +/- 8years; mean apneahypopnea index, 36.3h1) and 20 non-apneic agegenderbody mass index (BMI)-matched controls underwent fMRI and polysomnographic (PSG) registration, as well as mood and sleepiness evaluation. Cerebro-cerebellar regional homogeneity (ReHo) values were calculated from fMRI acquisition, in order to identify pathology-related alterations in the local coherence of low-frequency signal (<0.1Hz). Multivariate pattern classification was also performed using ReHo values as features. We found a significant pattern of cortical and subcortical abnormal local connectivity in OSA patients, suggesting an overall rearrangement of hemispheric connectivity balance, with a decrease of local coherence observed in right temporal, parietal and frontal lobe regions. Moreover, an increase in bilateral thalamic and somatosensory/motor cortices coherence have been found, a finding due possibly to an aberrant adaptation to incomplete sleepwake transitions during nocturnal apneic episodes, induced by repetitive choke sensation and physical efforts attempting to restore breathing. Different hemispheric roles into sleep processes and a possible thalamus key role in OSA neurophysiopathology are intriguing issues that future studies should attempt to clarify