Inter-provincial migration in Italy: a comparison between Italians and foreigners

Internal migration in Italy increased in the 2000s due to foreigners residing in the country. Foreigners have changed the characteristics of Italy’s internal migration. Extended gravity models were run to highlight the differences between the migratory behaviours of Italians and foreigners. The model was implemented to detect the different effects of the Italian and foreign populations, and the distances between the provinces of origin and destinations of the inter-provincial migration of Italians and foreigners. Estimations obtained for the years 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015 highlight the different evolutions of the phenomenon

L’emigrazione dall'Italia attraverso l’integrazione e l’analisi di rilevazioni statistiche e fonti ufficiali

Il lavoro qui presentato parte dal gap esistente tra le esigenze informative di statistiche migratorie espresse a livello nazionale e internazionale e l’attuale produzione di informazioni sul fenomeno. Il lavoro svolto ha evidenziato il potenziale offerto dall'utilizzo integrato delle fonti disponibili. In particolare, l’integrazione delle fonti ha prodotto un significativo cambiamento delle statistiche sia da un punto di vista quantitativo sia qualitativo. Il lavoro ha consentito di osservare in modo più accurato gli effetti della crisi economica sulle migrazioni internazionali in Italia che non ha solo ridotto gli ingressi di stranieri, come già evidenziato dalla statistica ufficiale, ma che ne ha anche aumentato le uscite in maniera consistente. Inoltre, con questo approccio sono misurabile in un’ottica longitudinale altre tipologie di migrazioni, come quelle di ritorno e circolari, sulle quali la necessità di informazioni si fa sempre più cogente e la disponibilità di dati è pressoché nulla. Al di là di questo obiettivo generale, il lavoro svolto ha avuto come scopo anche quello di fornire nuove possibilità di analisi del fenomeno che consentano di osservare aspetti molto difficili da individuare in un’ottica tradizionale. In particolare ci si è chiesti se l’acquisizione della cittadinanza ha continuato a “proteggere” dall'emigrazione? Quali sono le caratteristiche che, a parità di altre condizioni, sono connesse con una maggiore propensione a emigrare? L’analisi mostra che l’acquisizione della cittadinanza (italiana) rimane un obiettivo per gli immigrati che intendono stabilizzarsi sul territorio, quindi meno propensi a lasciare il Paese. Tuttavia, rispetto a chi era già diventato cittadino italiano nel 2011, chi acquisisce la cittadinanza nel periodo vede l’acquisizione di cittadinanza meno come uno strumento per integrarsi nel paese di accoglienza e sempre più come un passaporto per emigrare all'interno in un altro paese dell’Unione Europea

Minorities internal migration in Italy: an analysis based on gravity models

ABBSTRACT. Italians and foreigners internal migration assume different behaviour in terms of intensity, geography, type. The levels of the mobility, the propensity to move in a short or in a long range, the propensity to cluster or to disseminate in the host country represent important differential characteristics between the two population. Actually the foreign population seems as a mosaic made up of minorities showing different propensities. This is the reason why an analysis considering foreign population as a whole could reach biased outcome. In the paper some gravity models applied to migratory movements among the 110 Italian provinces concerning the most consistent minorities groups are used. The Poissonian effects (regarding various typologies of masses and distance) show in a synthetic way the main differences among the minorities mobility. Moreover, the interpretation of these parameters allows an original interpretation of the minorities mobility structure inside Italy: the sign and level of the estimates derived from the gravity model can permit to better illustrate the residential model of the minorities reflecting how different theories in this domain act. RIASSUNTO. Stranieri ed italiani si muovono all’interno dell’Italia con intensità, forme, percorsi spesso differenti. Livelli di mobilità, tendenza a preferire spostamenti di breve o di lungo raggio, propensione a raccogliersi in determinate aree o al contrario a diffondersi sul territorio sono elementi che agiscono in modo differente tra le due popolazioni. Inoltre, i gruppi che compongono il mosaico etnico nel nostro paese mostrano a loro volta tendenze differenti per cui un’analisi limitata a considerare la popolazione straniera nel suo insieme potrebbe ricostruire una realtà media che non trova corrispondenza nel comportamento di nessun gruppo etnico. Nel lavoro si applica un modello gravitazionale ai movimenti migratori tra le province italiane di alcuni tra i più consistenti gruppi presenti nel Paese. La lettura dei parametri del modello ottenuti attraverso stime di tipo poissoniano consente non solo di acquisire solidi elementi esplorativi sul comportamento differenziale delle varie collettività, ma anche di interpretare la mobilità migratoria dei diversi gruppi alla luce delle teorie più convincenti che inquadrano il modello di insediamento residenziale delle minoranze all’interno del paese ospite

(s)INE: (soft-graft)-induced new entry tear after elephant trunk procedure

: Elephant trunk and frozen elephant trunk are established procedures for the treatment of aortic arch pathologies, such as aneurysm or dissection. The aim of open surgery is to re-expand the true lumen, favouring correct organ perfusion and the thrombosis of the false lumen. Frozen elephant trunk, with its stented endovascular portion, is sometimes associated with a life-threatening complication: the stent graft-induced new entry. In the literature, many studies reported the incidence of such issue after thoracic endovascular prosthesis or frozen elephant trunk, but in our knowledge, there are no case studies about the occurrence of stent graft-induced new entry with the use of soft grafts. For this reason, we decided to report our experience, highlighting how the use of a Dacron graft can cause distal intimal tears. We decided to coin the term soft-graft-induced new entry to indicate the development of an intimal tear induced by the soft prosthesis in the arch and proximal descending aorta

Population Change and International and Internal Migration in Italy, 2002-2017: Ravenstein Revisited

In 1885, Ravenstein formulated his "laws" of migration, based on the experience of the British Isles. In a further 1889 paper, he extended his analysis as a tour d’horizon of migration and population changes in other nations, including Italy. Even if social and economic processes including globalisation and rising mobility have changed the world since then, Ravenstein's "laws" remain a point of reference today. Harnessing theoretical and methodological advances made since the 19th century, this paper describes and seeks to explain the role of international and internal migration in regional population change in Italy from 2002-2017. This paper provides the first geographically detailed migration analysis for the country's 611 Local Labour Market Areas (LLMAs), using register-based migration and population data. Our contribution focuses on several of Ravenstein's "laws" relating to gender (differences between men and women), natives and non-natives (differences between the Italian and the foreign population), distance migrated from origin to destination, and the role of the economy in shaping push and pull factors of migration. The results show that international migration is more prominent among men than women. In the case of internal moves, the rates of migration among men and women are similar, and internal migration is more prominent among the foreign than the native Italian population. Overall, international migration gains contribute substantially more to population change than internal migration gains and losses do. In Italy, the effects of persistent economic imbalances and of distance on migration patterns are not in line with Ravenstein's hypotheses: not all areas with high unemployment show an effect of dispersion, nor does distance always act as a deterrent to migration. The geographically detailed analysis presented here illustrates the temporal and spatial coexistence of diverse international and internal migration processes depending on local characteristics, as well as the importance of the economic or administrative centres as the driving force behind national patterns. Our results show that, even 130 years after their formulation, Ravenstein’s migration "laws" (more accurately called "hypotheses" today) are still a valuable starting point in assessing and understanding migration processes and their role in regional population change

Recent Immigration from Serbia to Italy: The Beginning of a New Tradition?

Since the mid-1960s, Serbian citizens residing abroad were typically guest workers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France. At the beginning of the 21st century, Italy joined this group almost unexpectedly, becoming the fourth most popular migrant destination for Serbian citizens. It is usually a very good idea to compare sources from both sides – immigrant and emigrant ‒ in order to get as reliable picture as possible on the size and, most important, the structure of citizens residing outside the country. By interpreting the results from methodologically different sources of migration data (Serbian and Italian census, Italian population register and immigration flow statistics), we want to provide a deeper insight into the phenomenon of Serbian immigrants in Italy trying to realize if (and how much) this new group of immigrants differs from the traditional ones originating from Serbia and also how specific it is comparing to other new immigrant groups in Italy. It seems reasonable to expect that Italy will remain a very important destination in the next decades. Serbian nationals immigrating to Italy generally lag behind their compatriots leaving for other new destinations (USA, Canada, United Kingdom) in terms of education level, being closer to those residing in traditional countries of Serbian immigrants (Austria, Germany, France). The increasing percentage of female immigrants from Serbia to Italy points to one of the most important Italian pull factors – the population ageing, and the need for domestic female workers while the economic crisis reduces the demand for jobs in several sectors where males are mainly employed (e.g. construction sector) and increases the labour market competition with native workers. Considering the geographical proximity (the majority of Serbian citizens are concentrated in the Northeast of Italy), Italy and Serbia will probably strengthen their connection and will experience the increase of new typologies of migration, such as circular migration

Barriers to Physical Activity in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients: A Single-Center Pilot Study in an Italian Dialysis Facility

Background/Aims: In patients on chronic dialysis a sedentary lifestyle is a strong, yet potentially modifiable, predictor of mortality. The present single-center pilot study evaluated social, psychological and clinical barriers that may hinder physical activity in this population. Methods: We explored the association between barriers to physical activity and sedentarism in adult patients at a chronic dialysis facility in Parma, Italy. We used different questionnaries exploring participation in physical activity, physical functioning, patient attitudes and preferences, and barriers to physical activity perceived by either patients or dialysis doctors and nurses. Results: We enrolled 104 patients, (67 males, 65%), mean age 69 years (79% of patients older than 60 years); median dialysis vintage 60 months (range 8-440); mean Charlson score 5.55, ADL (Activities of Daily Living) score 5.5. Ninety-two participants (88.5%) reported at least one barrier to physical activity. At multivariable analysis, after adjusting for age and sex, feeling to have too many medical problems (OR 2.99, 95% CI 1.27 to 7.07; P=0.012), chest pain (OR 10.78, 95% CI 1.28 to 90.28; P=0.029) and sadness (OR 2.59, 95% CI 1.10 to 6.09; P=0.030) were independently associated with physical inactivity. Lack of time for exercise counseling and the firm belief about low compliance/interest by the patients toward exercise were the most frequent barriers reported by doctors and nurses. Conclusion: We identified a number of patient-related and health personnel-related barriers to physical activity in patients on chronic dialysis. Solutions for these barriers should be addressed in future studies aimed at increasing the level of physical activity in this population

The Effect of Isovolemic Hemodilution with Oxycyte®, a Perfluorocarbon Emulsion, on Cerebral Blood Flow in Rats

BACKGROUND: Cerebral blood flow (CBF) is auto-regulated to meet the brain's metabolic requirements. Oxycyte is a perfluorocarbon emulsion that acts as a highly effective oxygen carrier compared to blood. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of Oxycyte on regional CBF (rCBF), by evaluating the effects of stepwise isovolemic hemodilution with Oxycyte on CBF. METHODOLOGY: Male rats were intubated and ventilated with 100% O(2) under isoflurane anesthesia. The regional (striatum) CBF (rCBF) was measured with a laser doppler flowmeter (LDF). Stepwise isovolemic hemodilution was performed by withdrawing 4ml of blood and substituting the same volume of 5% albumin or 2 ml Oxycyte plus 2 ml albumin at 20-minute intervals until the hematocrit (Hct) values reached 5%. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the albumin-treated group, rCBF progressively increased to approximately twice its baseline level (208+/-30%) when Hct levels were less than 10%. In the Oxycyte-treated group on the other hand, rCBF increased by significantly smaller increments, and this group's mean rCBF was only slightly higher than baseline (118+/-18%) when Hct levels were less than 10%. Similarly, in the albumin-treated group, rCBF started to increase when hemodilution with albumin caused the CaO(2) to decrease below 17.5 ml/dl. Thereafter, the increase in rCBF was accompanied by a nearly proportional decrease in the CaO(2) level. In the Oxycyte-treated group, the increase in rCBF was significantly smaller than in the albumin-treated group when the CaO(2) level dropped below 10 ml/dl (142+/-20% vs. 186+/-26%), and rCBF returned to almost baseline levels (106+/-15) when the CaO(2) level was below 7 ml/dl. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Hemodilution with Oxycyte was accompanied with higher CaO(2) and PO(2) than control group treated with albumin alone. This effect may be partially responsible for maintaining relatively constant CBF and not allowing the elevated blood flow that was observed with albumin

Valorization of monovarietal Nostrana di Brisighella extra virgin olive oils: focus on bioactive compounds

A “green breakthough” at the table due to consumer demand for healthy and sustainable foods, which aligns with the typical Mediterranean diet, has recently led to an increase in the consumption of products such as extra virgin olive oil. In fact, Italian olive cultivation, which contributes an average of 15% of world production, has seen the production of extra virgin olive oil with a value of exports that have doubled in the last 20 years. In this context, the olive oil sector of the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy), and in particular the PDO Brisighella, could achieve greater success with consumers by proposing a product obtained through sustainable agriculture that enhances the content of bioactive compounds. For these reasons, in this study, different agronomic variables are investigated in order to optimize the presence of bioactive components in extra virgin olive oil made from monovarietal Nostrana di Brisighella, namely phenolic and positive volatile compounds, thus naturally enriching this product both from health and sensory points of view. The study focuses on the volatile and phenolic fractions (derivatives of hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol) of olive oil and the positive sensory attributes (fruity, bitter and pungent) that are known to be associated with these molecules. The phenolic content is of particular interest due to the potential to support health claims. Extra virgin olive oil samples were produced from olives of the Nostrana di Brisighella cultivar; fruits were obtained through integrated pest management or organic farming and picked at four increasing indices of maturity, corresponding to four successive weeks of harvesting. These agronomic variables influenced the compositional and sensory characteristics of the extra virgin olive oils assessed, highlighting differences that likely derive from the effect of the agronomic system used, i.e., integrated pest management or organic farming

Special stereotactic radiotherapy techniques: procedures and equipment for treatment simulation and dose delivery

Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) is a multi-step procedure with each step requiring extreme accuracy. Physician-dependent accuracy includes appropriate disease staging, multi-disciplinary discussion with shared decision-making, choice of morphological and functional imaging methods to identify and delineate the tumor target and organs at risk, an image-guided patient set-up, active or passive management of intra-fraction movement, clinical and instrumental follow-up. Medical physicist-dependent accuracy includes use of advanced software for treatment planning and more advanced Quality Assurance procedures than required for conventional radiotherapy. Consequently, all the professionals require appropriate training in skills for high-quality SRT. Thanks to the technological advances, SRT has moved from a “frame-based” technique, i.e. the use of stereotactic coordinates which are identified by means of rigid localization frames, to the modern “frame-less” SRT which localizes the target volume directly, or by means of anatomical surrogates or fiducial markers that have previously been placed within or near the target. This review describes all the SRT steps in depth, from target simulation and delineation procedures to treatment delivery and image-guided radiation therapy. Target movement assessment and management are also described.