Interpreter Mediated Medical Encounters in North Italy: Expectations, Perceptions and Practice

This paper aims to investigate expectations and perceptions regarding the figures who mediate between healthcare personnel and foreign patients in Italy. The objective is to explore the distinction – seemingly unique to Italy – between the two terms “interpreter” and “mediator” and the reasons behind this separation. Healthcare providers and interpreters/mediators were questioned about their respective opinions through questionnaires and interviews. Both categories worked in local health units of a Northern Italian region, predominantly in the Emergency Departments. Special attention was paid to the following aspects: interpreter/mediator’s roles and tasks, invisibility versus active participation and the use of personal pronouns and indirect speech. In order to examine the level of consistency between perceptions and practice on these topics, 26 mediated encounters were observed according to prearranged parameters. These consultations involved the same subjects who had previously participated in the questionnaires. Four sessions, which proved to be particularly relevant for the purposes of this research, were subsequently transcribed and examined from a qualitative point of view. Themethod of the case study, herein adopted, allowed for the analysis of the subjects’ behaviour fromdifferent points of view, in linewith the overall objective of providing a holistic view of the themes investigated. Drawing on Inghilleri’s suggestion of “interpreting” as a “zone of uncertainty” (2005), the paper also refers, in particular, to Leanza’s newtypology of roles (2007), to Davies & Harré’s theory of positioning (1990) and to Bot’s description of reported speech (2007)

La traduzione in ambito pubblicitario austriaco e italiano: strategie diverse di approccio al messaggio

pp.39-62This paper aims to look at the extraordinary potentials of advertising as a way of investigating the deep influences that culture exerts on language. In particular, the paper examines to what extent a simple transposition of advertisements from one language into a new linguistic code is to be deemed adequate or whether the observance of linguistic structures should yield ground to other factors to maintain the same persuasive effect of the original. The analysis is supported by an example of the different approaches Austria and Italy have adopted in advertising shoes, and illustrates how several elements combine together to convey subtle references. Consequently, the paper argues, attention should be paid not only to the linguistic environment, but also to the economic, political, social and psychological setting of each advertisement, which all reflect the intricate frame sustaining every culture. After a detailed description of the strategies used to adapt an Italian advertising campaign to the Austrian public, a brief overview of the principal advertising styles in the two countries is presented, enriched through linguistic comment. The paper then turns to an analysis of the strategies employed in the interaction between sales assistants and customers, highlighting the importance of the communicative and persuasive tool, where every word is weighed and formulated in such a way as to modify the tone of the message

Medical terminology circulation and interactional organisation in interpreter-mediated medical encounters

Two medical encounters taking place in a Northern Italian hospital are analysed in this paper from a qualitative point of view, based on the author's previous research. The aim is to reveal the strategies adopted by medical interpreters, in these two specific cases, to translate medical terminology and promote/exclude interlocutors' active participation. This latter aspect is influenced by the way the interaction is socially and linguistically organised and, in particular, by how interlocutors' utterances are translated. The prevalence of dyadic or triadic sequences and especially the shifts between such communication exchanges are pivotal in fostering or hindering interlocutors' participation. Furthermore, medical interactions, as a form of institutional talk, enshrine specific expectations, which are mainly of a cognitive nature but may also be affective, as in the two encounters observed. By conveying such expectations and expressions of personal interest, interpreters have proved to contribute to the fair distribution of active participation among primary interlocutors. Hospital ethical approval and subjects' written informed consent have been obtained

Emotional intelligence buffers the effect of physiological arousal on dishonesty

We studied the emotional processes that allow people to balance two competing desires: benefitting from dishonesty and keeping a positive self-image. We recorded physiological arousal (skin conductance and heart rate) during a computer card game in which participants could cheat and fail to report a certain card when presented on the screen to avoid losing their money. We found that higher skin conductance corresponded to lower cheating rates. Importantly, emotional intelligence regulated this effect; participants with high emotional intelligence were less affected by their physiological reactions than those with low emotional intelligence. As a result, they were more likely to profit from dishonesty. However, no interaction emerged between heart rate and emotional intelligence. We suggest that the ability to manage and control emotions can allow people to overcome the tension between doing right or wrong and license them to bend the rules

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 12

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, exclusions, and status changes for Italy or for Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates published elsewhere are provided as Suppl. material 1

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 11

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, exclusions, and status changes for Italy or for Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates published elsewhere are provided as Suppl. material 1

Scenarios for the Integration of Virtual Exchange in Higher Education

This paper describes the results of the analysis carried out within the Erasmus+  FRAMES project (https://frames-project.eu/) which collected and analysed  Virtual Exchange (VE) case studies building upon desk research and through an  open survey, so as to identify and describe various scenarios of accredited VEs.  By using a qualitative methodology based on pattern matching analysis, collected  cases were aggregated into four scenarios to be potentially used by a variety of  European Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): VE as a preparatory or follow-up  activity to physical mobility (blended mobility); VE as an intertwined component  of physical mobility (blended mobility); VE as a stand-alone learning activity; VE  as a component of a course. The main conclusions and recommendations revolve  around the need to expand the number of potential scenarios across all disciplines  and contexts and the urge to train academic as well as administrative staff to  facilitate the integration of VE in HEIs. </p

Soil and Plant Characteristics in a Restored Area under Mid-Term Site Management

Mid- and long-term monitoring of restoration projects have to be performed, as short-term evaluations do not give comprehensive information about their outcomes. In this study, we assessed the results of a forest restoration project, implemented in former road builder&rsquo;s yards. We evaluated the recovery of the soil&rsquo;s physical and chemical properties, the effectiveness and naturalness of sward restoration, and the success of woody species planting. Our hypotheses were that soil&ndash;plant interaction strongly influenced the restoration dynamics. The areas were restored in 2016. In 2014, we collected data from 28 restored areas. Eight years after the restoration, the physical and chemical properties of the soil indicated good quality. Suitable soil conditions were reflected in the herbaceous vegetation cover, which was higher than 60% in all the areas. The sown mixture successfully contained spontaneous species, and perennials prevailed over annuals, indicating stability in the composition of the sward. Alien species cover (generally &lt; 10%) was controlled by sown species. Sown species also outcompeted ruderal and typical grassland species, reducing the naturalness of the herbaceous layer. Tree and shrub growth was low, and soil properties did not affect their height. Our results underline the importance of sowing an herbaceous species mixture in degraded areas in order to efficiently restore the soil cover and to reduce the colonization of alien species. Moreover, in our study, we showed how soil properties differently affected plant species groups