Measles immunity over two decades in two large Italian Regions: How far is the elimination goal?

The great majority of empirical studies on internal migration across Italian regions either ignores the long-run perspective of the phenomenon or do not consider push and pull factors separately. In addition, Centre-North to South flows, intra-South and intra-Centre-North migration have not been studied. We aim to fill this gap and tackle interregional migration flows from different geographical perspectives. We apply four panel data estimators with different statistical assumptions and show that long-run migration flows from the Mezzogiorno towards Centre-Northern regions are well explained by a gravity model in which per capita GDP, unemployment and population play a major role. On the contrary, migration flows from Centre-North to South has probably much to do with other social and demographic factors. Finally, intra Centre-North and intra South migration flows roughly obey to the gravity model, though not all explicative variables are relevant.

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Real Effective Exchange Rates Determinants and Growth: Lessons from Italian Regions

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.3361151 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Silvia Calo ◽

Mariarosaria Comunale

Keyword(s):

Exchange Rates ◽

Italian Regions ◽

Effective Exchange

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A novel methodology for epidemic risk assessment of COVID-19 outbreak

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-82310-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

A. Pluchino ◽

A. E. Biondo ◽

N. Giuffrida ◽

G. Inturri ◽

V. Latora ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Human Mobility ◽

Risk Index ◽

A Priori ◽

Geographical Area ◽

Central Italy ◽

Policy Model ◽

Italian Regions ◽

Northern Regions ◽

Seasonal Flu ◽

Epidemic Risk

AbstractWe propose a novel data-driven framework for assessing the a-priori epidemic risk of a geographical area and for identifying high-risk areas within a country. Our risk index is evaluated as a function of three different components: the hazard of the disease, the exposure of the area and the vulnerability of its inhabitants. As an application, we discuss the case of COVID-19 outbreak in Italy. We characterize each of the twenty Italian regions by using available historical data on air pollution, human mobility, winter temperature, housing concentration, health care density, population size and age. We find that the epidemic risk is higher in some of the Northern regions with respect to Central and Southern Italy. The corresponding risk index shows correlations with the available official data on the number of infected individuals, patients in intensive care and deceased patients, and can help explaining why regions such as Lombardia, Emilia-Romagna, Piemonte and Veneto have suffered much more than the rest of the country. Although the COVID-19 outbreak started in both North (Lombardia) and Central Italy (Lazio) almost at the same time, when the first cases were officially certified at the beginning of 2020, the disease has spread faster and with heavier consequences in regions with higher epidemic risk. Our framework can be extended and tested on other epidemic data, such as those on seasonal flu, and applied to other countries. We also present a policy model connected with our methodology, which might help policy-makers to take informed decisions.

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Bortezomib-based therapy in non-transplant multiple myeloma patients: a retrospective cohort study from the FABIO project

Therapeutic Advances in Hematology ◽

10.1177/2040620721996488 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

pp. 204062072199648

Author(s):

Matteo Franchi ◽

Claudia Vener ◽

Donatella Garau ◽

Ursula Kirchmayer ◽

Mirko Di Martino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Myeloma ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Cost Effectiveness ◽

Line Treatment ◽

First Line ◽

Conventional Chemotherapy ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Model Average ◽

Italian Regions ◽

First Line Treatment

Introduction: Randomized clinical trials showed that bortezomib, in addition to conventional chemotherapy, improves survival and disease progression in multiple myeloma (MM) patients not eligible for stem cell transplantation. The aim of this retrospective population-based cohort study is the evaluation of both clinical and economic profile of bortezomib-based versus conventional chemotherapy in daily clinical practice. Methods: Healthcare utilization databases of six Italian regions were used to identify adult patients with non-transplant MM, who started a first-line therapy with bortezomib-based or conventional chemotherapy. Patients were matched by propensity score and were followed from treatment start until death, lost to follow-up or study end-point. Overall survival (OS) and restricted mean survival time (RMST) were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Association between first-line treatment and risk of death was estimated by a conditional Cox proportional regression model. Average mean cumulative costs were estimated and compared between groups. Results: In the period 2010–2016, 3509 non-transplant MM patients met the inclusion criteria, of which 1157 treated with bortezomib-based therapy were matched to 1826 treated with conventional chemotherapy. Median OS and RMST were 33.9 and 27.9 months, and 42.9 and 38.4 months, respectively, in the two treatment arms. Overall, these values corresponded to a HR of death of 0.79 (95% CI 0.71–0.89) over a time horizon of 84 months. Average cumulative cost were 83,839 € and 54,499 €, respectively, corresponding to an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of 54,333 € per year of life gained, a cost coherent with the willingness-to-pay thresholds frequently adopted from Western countries. Conclusions: These data suggested that, in a large cohort of non-transplant MM patients treated outside the experimental setting, first-line treatment with bortezomib-based therapy was associated with a favourable effectiveness and cost-effectiveness profile.

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The contribution of the Italian residents in neurology to the COVID-19 crisis: admirable generosity but neurological training remains their priority

Neurological Sciences ◽

10.1007/s10072-021-05346-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Cristina Tassorelli ◽

Vincenzo Silani ◽

Alessandro Padovani ◽

Paolo Barone ◽

Paolo Calabresi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Training ◽

Real Life ◽

Healthcare Management ◽

Point Of View ◽

Research Activity ◽

High Quality ◽

Research Activities ◽

Italian Regions ◽

Training And Research

Abstract Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has severely impacted the Italian healthcare system, underscoring a dramatic shortage of specialized doctors in many disciplines. The situation affected the activity of the residents in neurology, who were also offered the possibility of being formally hired before their training completion. Aims (1) To showcase examples of clinical and research activity of residents in neurology during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy and (2) to illustrate the point of view of Italian residents in neurology about the possibility of being hired before the completion of their residency program. Results Real-life reports from several areas in Lombardia—one of the Italian regions more affected by COVID-19—show that residents in neurology gave an outstanding demonstration of generosity, collaboration, reliability, and adaptation to the changing environment, while continuing their clinical training and research activities. A very small minority of the residents participated in the dedicated selections for being hired before completion of their training program. The large majority of them prioritized their training over the option of earlier employment. Conclusions Italian residents in neurology generously contributed to the healthcare management of the COVID-19 pandemic in many ways, while remaining determined to pursue their training. Neurology is a rapidly evolving clinical field due to continuous diagnostic and therapeutic progress. Stakeholders need to listen to the strong message conveyed by our residents in neurology and endeavor to provide them with the most adequate training, to ensure high quality of care and excellence in research in the future.

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Spatial distance between sites of sampling associated with genetic variation among Neospora caninum in aborted bovine foetuses from northern Italy

Parasites & Vectors ◽

10.1186/s13071-020-04557-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Luca Villa ◽

Pavlo Maksimov ◽

Christine Luttermann ◽

Mareen Tuschy ◽

Alessia L. Gazzonis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Distance ◽

Neospora Caninum ◽

Geographic Distance ◽

Rare Event ◽

Northern Italy ◽

Spatial Distance ◽

Italian Regions ◽

Bovine Abortion

Abstract Background Neospora caninum, a coccidian protozoan, represents an important cause of bovine abortion. Available N. caninum strains show considerable variation in vitro and in vivo, including different virulence in cattle. To which extent sexual recombination, which is possible in the intestines of domestic dogs and closely related carnivores as definitive hosts, contributes to this variation is not clear yet. Methods Aborted bovine foetuses were collected between 2015 and early 2019 from Italian Holstein Friesian dairy herds suffering from reproductive problems. A total of 198 samples were collected from 165 intensive farms located in Lombardy, northern Italy. N. caninum samples were subjected to multilocus-microsatellite genotyping using ten previously established microsatellite markers. In addition to our own data, those from a recent study providing data on five markers from other northern Italian regions were included and analysed. Results Of the 55 samples finally subjected to genotyping, 35 were typed at all or 9 out of 10 loci and their individual multilocus-microsatellite genotype (MLMG) determined. Linear regression revealed a statistically significant association between the spatial distance of the sampling sites with the genetic distance of N. caninum MLMGs (P < 0.001). Including data from this and a previous North Italian study into eBURST analysis revealed that several of N. caninum MLMGs from northern Italy separate into four groups; most of the samples from Lombardy clustered in one of these groups. Principle component analysis revealed similar clusters and confirmed MLMG groups identified by eBURST. Variations observed between MLMGs were not equally distributed over all loci, but predominantly observed in MS7, MS6A, or MS10. Conclusions Our findings confirm the concept of local N. caninum subpopulations. The geographic distance of sampling was associated with the genetic distance as determined by microsatellite typing. Results suggest that multi-parental recombination in N. caninum is a rare event, but does not exclude uniparental mating. More comprehensive studies on microsatellites in N. caninum and related species like Toxoplasma gondii should be undertaken, not only to improve genotyping capabilities, but also to understand possible functions of these regions in the genomes of these parasites.

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Social Distance during the COVID-19 Pandemic Reflects Perceived Rather Than Actual Risk

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18115504 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 5504

Author(s):

Tina Iachini ◽

Francesca Frassinetti ◽

Francesco Ruotolo ◽

Filomena Leonela Sbordone ◽

Antonella Ferrara ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Distance ◽

Perceived Risk ◽

Online Survey ◽

Face Mask ◽

Interpersonal Distance ◽

Actual Risk ◽

Italian Regions ◽

Environmental Events ◽

Related Level

Interpersonal space (IPS) is the area surrounding our own bodies in which we interact comfortably with other individuals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping larger IPS than usual, along with wearing a face mask, is one of the most effective measures to slow down the COVID-19 outbreak. Here, we explore the contribution of actual and perceived risk of contagion and anxiety levels in regulating our preferred social distance from other people during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. In this study, 1293 individuals from six Italian regions with different levels of actual risk of infection participated in an online survey assessing their perceived risk to be infected, level of anxiety and IPS. Two tasks were adopted as measures of interpersonal distance: the Interpersonal Visual Analogue Scale and a questionnaire evaluating interpersonal distance with and without face mask. The results showed that the IPS regulation was affected by how people subjectively perceived COVID-19 risk and the related level of anxiety, not by actual objective risk. This clarifies that the role of threat in prompting avoidant behaviors expressed in increased IPS does not merely reflect environmental events but rather how they are subjectively experienced and represented.

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Spatial Dynamics Regarding Geographical Concentration of Economic Activities. Italian NUTS-3 Analysis

Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy ◽

10.1007/s12061-021-09379-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Stefano De Falco

Keyword(s):

Empirical Investigation ◽

Methodological Approach ◽

Geographical Area ◽

Spatial Dynamics ◽

Agglomeration Economies ◽

Economic Activities ◽

Production Sector ◽

Scientific Debate ◽

Geographical Concentration ◽

Italian Regions

AbstractFor several years, the themes concerning agglomeration economies have been approached from different perspectives in the scientific debate, as capable of triggering various positive features. The present research starts precisely where many others arrive, that is, given the value of these externalities, analyzing the spatial distribution of the geographical concentration of economic activities and the related influencing factors. To this end, in this contribution an explanatory investigation is carried out into the spatial dynamics deriving from main productive sectors’ concentration in some Italian regions. The proposed methodological approach is based respectively on the LISA spatial autocorrelation models and on the analysis of non-neighboring clusters to understand if the geographical area of reference and / or the particular production sector are influencing variables. The empirical investigation confirms the presence of a parametric interaction between factors related in some cases on the geographical context and in others on the productive sector.

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