Re-Inhabiting Inner Areas Triggering New Regeneration Trajectories: The Case Study of Sicani in Sicily

The Italian debate on the so-called ‘inner areas’ has received a much-needed boost, following the COVID-19 pandemic, which has further highlighted the differences between metropolitan and inner areas. While the progressive depopulation of inner areas is a worrying phenomenon, the limits of incessant urbanisation and the concentration of settlement and infrastructure policies in large conurbations have become evident. Departing from the framework of the B4R-Branding4Resilience research project of national interest and, by continuing in the furrow initiated by the SNAI, but also surpassing it, the aim of the University of Palermo’s research is to define the requirement for a more inclusive settlement model in the Sicani area in Sicily (Italy) to re-balance existing asymmetries by recharging peripheral areas with new centrality. The aims of the research are to demonstrate that inner areas could be an engine for innovation, thereby outlining a roadmap through which to encourage the resilience of new sustainable lifestyles. These aims would be achieved by working on new perspectives and projects, which are capable of radically modifying production, consumption, and tourism dynamics and work/life models, and which are gleaned from a study regarding the Sicani area in Sicily. The paper discusses case study quantitative and qualitative analyses and first results.

Remote education and its effects on peripheral areas - summary of Polish research findings in the project "Preventing post-COVID Social Exclusion Together"

Knowledge during remote education was efficiently acquired by about half of the respondents. Every fifth student did not have the technical ability to fully participate in remote lessons. It is worth adding that the long duration of remote learning has created negative habits thate ffectively hinder functioning in the post-pandemic reality. Dark scenarios have come true and show that half of the students have serious problems with adapting to the school reality.

Are Coworkers in the Italian Peripheral Areas Performing Better? A Counterfactual Analysis

Coworking spaces are “serendipity accelerators” designed to host creative people and entrepreneurs. While recent literature has started exploring the indirect effects of coworking spaces on the local context, little is still known on how coworking spaces may directly affect the coworkers’ economic performance and wellbeing. Using a novel dataset based on a survey of 326 CWs working in the Italian coworking spaces in 2018, this paper explores the potential economic impact for coworkers, depending on whether a coworking space is localized in a peripheral or an urban area. Through a propensity-score matching approach, we found that being located in a peripheral area for coworkers may represent an opportunity to earn more than working in an urban center. The same holds for the organization coworkers belong to.

Ecological Areas and Challenges of Urbanization

Ecological areas are the network of protected areas that contribute to the ecosystem's productivity and services. With increased human demands, towns and cities are blooming with changes in landuse patterns around their peripheral areas or in the immediate vicinity. Land intensification and disproportionate urbanization have inflicted various challenges such as qualitative and quantitative depletion of natural resources, ecosystem services, and degradation of environmental quality in and around ecological areas. The chapter will focus on the circumstantial elucidation of ecological areas, their recorded challenges caused by urbanization, and the need for their conservation in previous research studies. The authors explore reported challenges encompassing ecological areas by urbanization. This will help understand the various aspects of urban transformation, like physical, social, cultural, and economic change in and around the ecological areas, and develop measures and strategies for ecosystem conservation and environmental restoration in ecological areas.

The ore prospecting prediction model for the Huili copper orefield in Sichuan Province, China

The prediction theory and methodology of ore prospecting were developed from an in-depth study of 129 typical deposits in China. It has been verified to be an effective method that is particularly suitable for the initial ore prospecting. In this method, the internal and external factors of metallogenesis are combined together to construct a geological model of prospecting prediction, which consists of metallogenic geological body, metallogenic structure, metallogenic structural plane and metallogenic characteristics. The Huili area is located in the western margin of the Yangtze Plate, where the regional metallogenic geological conditions are superior, and a series of unique iron-copper deposits were formed. In recent years, great breakthroughs and progress have been made in the deep and peripheral areas of the Huili copper orefield. Herein, we take the Huili copper orefield as a typical example to illustrate the specific application of this method in deep ore prospecting of hydrothermal deposits. The metallogenic geological body is the ore-hosting volcanic rocks (albitite in the Hekou Group), and the main metallogenic structure and structural planes are interfaces between basic (intermediate) volcanic rocks and sedimentary rocks and the possible volcanic vent. Combined with the summary of metallogenic characteristics, we constructed a geological model for ore prospecting in the Huili copper orefield.

Classification of High-Resolution Computed Tomography Manifestations for COVID-19 Patients: A Systematic Review

Context: The early detection of COVID-19 is of paramount importance for the disease treatment and control. As real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction indicates a low sensitivity, the computed tomography of patients' chest can play an effective role in the diagnosis of COVID-19, particularly for patients with false-negative RT-PCR tests. It is also effective in monitoring the clinical trends and assessing the severity of the disease. Objectives: Accordingly, this study aimed to review the different manifestations of the COVID-19 infections in High-Resolution Computed Tomography images of patients' chests and analyze the distribution of the disease in the lungs. The results can contribute to providing a comprehensive and concise reference on the appearance of various types of involvement and lung lesions and the extent of these lesions in the COVID-19 patients. Data Sources: We systematically searched four major indexing databases (namely PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Central) for articles published by May 2021 using the following keywords: High-Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT), COVID-19, and Manifestations. Results: Overall, 29 studies addressing the role of HRCT in detecting and evaluating the manifestations of the COVID-19 infection in patients' lungs as Ground Glass Opacification (GGO), Consolidation, Irregular Solid Nodules, Fibrous Stripes, Crazy Paving Pattern, Air Bronchogram Sign, etc. were reviewed. Conclusions: GGO was the most common finding, as reported in 96.6% of the reviewed articles, followed by Consolidations (65.5%) and Irregular Solid Nodules (55.2%). Most patients revealed the disease process as a bilateral distribution in the peripheral areas of the lung.

Penerapan Senam Kaki Diabetik Untuk Peningkatan Sensitivitas Kaki Pada Pasien Diabetes Mellitus Tipe 2

Diabetes mellitus is a disorder characterized by elevated blood sugar levels, due to abnormalities in insulin secretion. This results in nerve cells edema and triggers the stimulation of various enzymes that can damage nerve cell through both metabolic and neurovascular factors. This condition will interfere with the supply of blood and oxsygen to the nerve cells, especially in the peripheral areas of the feet and hands. To prevent this, it is neccesary to do diabetic foot exsercises in people with diabetes mellitus. This scientific paper focused on two famillies with diabetes mellitus. the result stated applying diabetic food exercises for the patient is the efective and it could be done once a day. Furthermore, it also can help improve blood circulation in the legs. Through movements in diabetic food exercises, the muscles will contract so that it will increase the sensitivity of the feet in poeple with diabetes mellitus. Even if it is done routinely, it can prevent the occurrence of non-ulcer wounds or ulcers. Therefore, it is expected for the familly to support the patient in applying the exercises.Keywords: Diabetic Foot Exercises, Foot Sensitivity Abstrakkadar gula dalam darah yang diakibatkan karena kelainan sekresi insulin akibatnya edema sel saraf serta memicu stimulasi berbagai enzim yang dapat merusak sel saraf baik melalui faktor metabolik maupun faktor neurovaskular, hal terdebut akan mengganggu suplai darah dan oksigen menuju sel saraf terutama di daerah perifer kaki dan tangan. Untuk mencegah akibat tersebut dilakukan senam kaki diabetik pada penderita Diabetes Mellitus. Fokus karya tulis ilmiah adalah 2 keluarga dengan Diabetes Mellitus Hasil penerapan senam kaki diabetik yang di lakukan untuk meningkatkan sensitivitas kaki pada penderita Diabetes Mellitus efektif untuk di terapkan pada penderita Diabetes Melitus bila dilakukan secara rutin satu kali sehari, senam kaki diabetik dapat membantu melancarkan sirkulasi darah pada kaki, melalui gerakan pada senam kaki diabetik otot-otot akan berkontraksi sehingga akan meningkatkan sensitivitas kaki pada penderita Diabetes Mellitus. Bahkan jika dilaukan secara rutin dapat mencegah terjadinya luka non ulkus ataupun luka ulkus. Di harapkan keluarga memberikan dukungan pada keluarga yang sakit dengan mendampingi saat melakukan latihan senam kaki diabetik.Kata kunci: Senam Kaki, Sensitivitas Kaki

METHODOLOGY OF CLASSIFYING PERIPHERAL AREAS AND RESEARCH ON THEIR SOCIAL POTENTIAL – ORIGINAL CONCEPT

This article presents an original methodological concept for the diagnosis of social potential and the classification of peripheral areas. The authors operationalized and quantified this potential. The proposed typology of peripheral areas was assessed in terms of methodological correctness, cognitive usefulness and practical use. In the deliberations, it was possible to verify the hypothesis stating that peripheral areas, assessed as homogeneous clusters of communes, are subject to functional and structural classification. It is possible to distinguish relatively homogeneous types and to identify their local social potentials that serve to create the so-called critical mass that initiates development processes. The preliminary results of the research allowed the authors to assume as correct the statement that each of the distinguished functional types of communes in the peripheral area has a separate social potential that is characteristic of it. Its effective use may contribute to the initiation of innovative development processes in these communes. However, it is important that they take place on a separate path, adequately to the opportunities offered by this local social potential. The practical use of the methodological proposals will allow improving the process of planning and implementing the development strategy of peripheral communes, taking into account their specificity and social potential. It will also facilitate the implementation of the assumptions of the regional policy of the European Union.The authors’ methodological concept presented in the article, used to study social potentials in peripheral areas, is a proposal for researchers dealing with the issues of diversity in the socio-economic space and the problems of peripheral areas. Keywords: peripheral areas, typology, social potential, methodology, Middle Pomeranian Region JEL classification: R1, R58, O30

Poverty alleviation and state building in peripheral areas: evidence from China

The literature suggests that the distributive allocations of local public goods help politicians secure support and thus contribute to political survival. We argue that the selective assignment of state-led infrastructure projects can bolster political control in peripheral areas by inducing the government's investment in essential administrative and security apparatus for project implementation and long-term state building. Drawing on a unique county-level dataset, we study the effects of poverty alleviation transfers in Xinjiang. We find that poverty alleviation was associated with significant increases in government spending on public management and security. In contrast, these alleviation transfers had a small and ambiguous effect on increasing agricultural production and reducing ethnic violence in the province. Our findings highlight the importance of comparing the capacity and welfare implications of distributive politics, as fiscal subsidies may change the actions of the leader's local agents more than altering the behaviors and attitudes of those who may benefit from these transfers.