LOCAL TOURISM MARKETS IN ITALY - AN ECONOMETRIC ANALYSIS AND POLICY PROPOSALS

Tourism is very important in Italy. In this article we will discuss about the Economy of the Italian Local Labour Markets specialized in Tourism. We will try to explain, through statistical analysis applied to an Econometrical model, the differences existing among them. The result of our research is that the dichotomy of the Italian economy – North vs. South – is also present in the Tourism industry. Nevertheless, there are significant differences among the Tourism Local Markets in Southern Italy. This implies that a policy on local development may help the region to grow.

Survey of health and social-health services for people with dementia: methodology of the Italian national project

People with dementia have special assistance needs. Worldwide problem is to ensure access to quality health services. Our study, supported by the Italian Ministry of Health, reports methodology features of a large survey project conduct to identify and to collect information on health and social health services for people with dementia in Italy. Among all Italian regions, about two thousand services available to individuals with dementia disease and their caregivers were identified as memory clinics, daycare centers and residential care facilities, totally or partially covered by the public healthcare service. A survey questionnaire was designed to collect information and a web-platform system was developed to manage data from all services. Of note, the web-platform was capable to display surveyed services as an on-line map implemented and regularly updated, easily accessible from the Dementia Observatory website (www.iss.it/demenza)

La tutela dei diritti degli immigrati nella prospettiva del confronto e del conflitto tra Stato e Regioni

Il contributo ragiona della condizione giuridica del non cittadino e, in particolare, del godimento dei diritti, nella prospettiva del governo multilivello del fenomeno migratorio. Per questa ragione, il lavoro è dedicato ad analizzare, a partire dal riparto competenziale, gli interventi dei legislatori nazionale e regionale in questa materia. La ricostruzione, poi, prende necessariamente in considerazione gli interventi della Corte costituzionale, dal momento che questi ultimi precisano il perimetro delle competenze legislative e amministrative e contribuiscono in maniera decisiva all’individuazione del nucleo essenziale delle tutele di cui godono gli immigrati nell’ordinamento italiano. Le A. evidenziano l'esistenza di due dogmi, la "preferenza per i connazionali" e l"insindacabilità delle scelte allocative" che impediscono una piena realizzazione dei principi cosmopolitici a volte espressi dalla giurisprudenza costituzionale

The italian dementia national plan. commentary

The Italian Dementia National Plan was formulated in October 2014 by the Italian Ministry of Health in close cooperation with the regions, the National Institute of Health and the three major national associations of patients and carers. The main purpose of this strategy was to provide directive indications for promoting and improving interventions in the dementia field, not limiting to specialist and therapeutic actions, but particularly focusing on the support of patients and families throughout the pathways of care. Four main objectives are indicated: 1) promote health- and social-care interventions and policies; 2) create/strengthen the integrated network of services for dementia based on an integrated approach; 3) implement strategies for promoting appropriateness and quality of care; and 4) improve the quality of life of persons with dementia and their families by supporting empowerment and stigma reduction. These objectives and the pertaining actions are described in the present paper

Psychomotor development and general movements in offspring of women with epilepsy and anticonvulsant therapy

While the role of antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy in teratogenesis has widely been investigated, there are few prospective studies on later postnatal development in offspring of epileptic women in utero exposed. The aim of this study was a prospective investigation of the psychomotor development in a selected population of infant born to women with epilepsy on AED therapy during pregnancy. Patients and methods: Children were assessed at various times until 30 months of age by general movement (GMs) observation (at 7 days and 4 and 13 weeks), traditional neurologic examination (at 7 days and 4 and 13 weeks, 6, 9 and 12 months) and Brunet–Lezine (B-L) administration (at 30 months). We present the preliminary results of our study conducted on 11 children. Results: Psychomotor delay in children was confirmed by traditional neurological examinations scores at 7 days, 4 weeks, 13 weeks and 6 months and by B-L score at 30 months. Between 9 and 12 months of age, traditional neurologic examination became ‘‘silent’’. GM assessment was found to be a better predictor of psychomotor development. In fact, GM analysis, particularly at 4 weeks, was strongly correlated with the Brunet–Lezine score at 30 months. In conclusion, on the basis of these data we suggest a psychomotor delay in the offspring of epileptic women and that GMs and neurologic evaluation provide complementary information concerning psychomotor development and later outcome of these children

Over-interpretation of electroclinical and neuroimaging findings in syncopes misdiagnosed as epileptic seizures

Syncope and epileptic seizures share some common clinical characteristics that may complicate the diagnostic process. In clinical practice, syncope is frequently misdiagnosed as an epileptic seizure and consequently treated with antiepileptic drugs. In this study, we identified 57 patients with syncope (diagnosis based on accepted criteria) who had come to our unit with a previous diagnosis of definite epilepsy in 30 cases (syncope misdiagnosed as epileptic seizures, SMS), or suspected epilepsy in the remaining 27 cases (unrecognized syncope, US). We attempted to identify factors underlying misdiagnosis by reviewing clinical findings, particularly potentially confounding features, and EEG/neuroimaging data. Finally, we compared these two groups of patients to search for crucial elements that had led to misdiagnosis. Although some clinical elements were found to be confounding in both groups, it was the interpretation of the EEG and MRI findings, particularly when combined with the confounding clinical features that constituted the main reasons for misdiagnosis