Individual dose and exposure of Italian children to ultrafine particles

Time-activity patterns and the airborne pollutant concentrations encountered by children each day are an important determinant of individual exposure to airborne particles. This is demonstrated in this work by using hand-held devices to measure the real-time individual exposure of more than 100 children aged 8-11 years to particle number concentrations and average particle diameter, as well as alveolar and tracheobronchial deposited surface area concentration. A GPS-logger and activity diaries were also used to give explanation to the measurement results. Children were divided in three sample groups: two groups comprised of urban schools (school time from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm) with lunch and dinner at home, and the third group of a rural school with only dinner at home. The mean individual exposure to particle number concentration was found to differ between the three groups, ranging from 6.2×104 part. cm-3 for children attending one urban school to 1.6×104 part. cm-3 for the rural school. The corresponding daily alveolar deposited surface area dose varied from about 1.7×103 mm2 for urban schools to 6.0×102 mm2 for the rural school. For all of the children monitored, the lowest particle number concentrations are found during sleeping time and the highest were found during eating time. With regard to alveolar deposited surface area dose, a child's home was the major contributor (about 70%), with school contributing about 17% for urban schools and 27% for the rural school. An important contribution arises from the cooking/eating time spent at home, which accounted for approximately 20% of overall exposure, corresponding to more than 200 mm2. These activities represent the highest dose received per time unit, with very high values also encountered by children with a fireplace at home, as well as those that spend considerable time stuck in traffic jams.

The Committee on Public Information : a transmedia war propaganda campaign

This article summarises a PhD dissertation of the same name. It develops an understanding of how propaganda entered journalism and popular culture in the United States during World War I through an examination of materials created by the Committee on Public Information (CPI). Three CPI divisions were studied: The Division of News, the Four Minute Men, and the Division of Pictorial Publicity. The methodology of archival contextualisation was created, bringing together the methods of close reading, discourse-historical contextualisation, and Piercian semiotics. A summary of relevant literature is interspersed with thematic historical developments that impacted the relationship between propaganda, journalism and popular culture. This review outlines a gap in knowledge about the archival materials as well as the relationship between propaganda, journalism and popular culture from this period. A discussion about how the expectations of persuasion, truth and amusement relate to each other when mediated in culture, using Lotman’s concept of the semiosphere further develops an understanding of propaganda as a cultural system in relation to other cultural systems – in this case, journalism and popular culture. Findings from the study include that the CPI created a transmedia war propaganda campaign, which enabled propaganda to successfully draw entertainment value from popular culture and credibility from journalism in order to influence public opinion.

Alveolar dose comparison of ultrafine particles for Australian and Italian children

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that exposure to particulate air pollution is associated with several adverse health effects. Recently, interest has focused on ultrafine particles (UFPs, diameter ≤ 100 nm), due to the adverse health effects caused by their ability to induce inflammation and deposit in secondary organs [1]. These effects are much more pronounced in children because they inhale a higher dose of UFPs relative to both lung size (when compared with adults) [2] and increased breathing rates, since they are generally more physically active than adults ...

1950s made in Brisbane : Italian tailors and the continental suit

During the 1950s and 1960s, when the French couturiers Dior, Balenciaga, Givenchy and Chanel dominated the fashion industry, the Italian community in Brisbane, Australia, was very active in the local industry through retail, dress-making and tailoring. Australia is geographically at the margins of the developed countries and has been dependent on European trends and taste. In the 1950s, communication was based on magazines and especially newsreels and film; each ethnic group dressed as they liked and according to their custom. Moreover, ‘Made in Italy’ was not yet the prestigious concept that revolutionized ready-to-wear design from the 1970s. However, Italian tailors and demi-couturiers brought to Brisbane their trans-national sense of elegance (the Italian style) and the taste in fashion that influenced new generations in England and elsewhere in Europe from the 1950s. They brought quality and workmanship, offering excellence through the use of quality fabrics from prestigious English and Italian brands. These tailors and dress-makers also contributed towards the local industry through passing on the skills that they brought from Italy. This article is based on a project that seeks to understand the connection between fashion, history and place. The area under examination is the Valley, short for Fortitude Valley, an area adjacent to the Brisbane CBD. Fundamental to this connection between place and fashion was the presence of many Italian migrants in the area. Through archival research and oral history, the aim of this ethnographic project is to bring to the fore an untold story about the economic and aesthetic contribution of Italian migrants to Queensland. Central to the understanding of this aesthetic change is the Italian suit. This research is innovative in that it opens a new area of study in Australian fashion history, connected to the history of migrants and their identity.

Improving SEA procedures within Italian regions: Towards a more effective evaluation of urban sustainability

Sustainable urban development, a major issue at global scale, will become more relevant according to population growth predictions in developed and developing countries. Societal and international recognition of sustainability concerns led to the development of specific tools and procedures, known as sustainability assessments/appraisals (SA). Their effectiveness however, considering that global quality life indicators have worsened since their introduction, has promoted a re-thinking of SA instruments. More precisely, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), – a tool introduced in the European context to evaluate policies, plans, and programmes (PPPs), – is being reconsidered because of several features that seem to limit its effectiveness. Over time, SEA has evolved in response to external and internal factors dealing with technical, procedural, planning and governance systems thus involving a shift of paradigm from EIA-based SEAs (first generation protocols) towards more integrated approaches (second generation ones). Changes affecting SEA are formalised through legislation in each Member State, to guide institutions at regional and local level. Defining SEA effectiveness is quite difficult. Its’ capacity-building process appears quite far from its conclusion, even if any definitive version can be conceptualized. In this paper, we consider some European nations with different planning systems and SA traditions. After the identification of some analytical criteria, a multi-dimensional cluster analysis is developed on some case studies, to outline current weaknesses.

Improving SEA prodedures within Italian regions: Towards a more effective evaluation of urban sustainability

Sustainable urban development, a major issue at global scale, will become more relevant according to population growth predictions in developed and developing countries. Societal and international recognition of sustainability concerns led to the development of specific tools and procedures, known as sustainability assessments/appraisals (SA). Their effectiveness however, considering that global quality life indicators have worsened since their introduction, has promoted a re-thinking of SA instruments. More precisely, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), – a tool introduced in the European context to evaluate policies, plans, and programmes (PPPs), – is being reconsidered because of several features that seem to limit its effectiveness. Over time, SEA has evolved in response to external and internal factors dealing with technical, procedural, planning and governance systems thus involving a shift of paradigm from EIA-based SEAs (first generation protocols) towards more integrated approaches (second generation ones). Changes affecting SEA are formalised through legislation in each Member State, to guide institutions at regional and local level. Defining SEA effectiveness is quite difficult. Its’ capacity-building process appears quite far from its conclusion, even if any definitive version can be conceptualized. In this paper, we consider some European nations with different planning systems and SA traditions. After the identification of some analytical criteria, a multi-dimensional cluster analysis is developed on some case studies, to outline current weaknesses.

Lung cancer risk of airborne particles for Italian population

Airborne particles, including both ultrafine and supermicrometric particles, contain various carcinogens. Exposure and risk-assessment studies regularly use particle mass concentration as dosimetry parameter, therefore neglecting the potential impact of ultrafine particles due to their negligible mass compared to supermicrometric particles. The main purpose of this study was the characterization of lung cancer risk due to exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and some heavy metals associated with particle inhalation by Italian non-smoking people. A risk-assessment scheme, modified from an existing risk model, was applied to estimate the cancer risk contribution from both ultrafine and supermicrometric particles. Exposure assessment was carried out on the basis of particle number distributions measured in 25 smoke-free microenvironments in Italy. The predicted lung cancer risk was then compared to the cancer incidence rate in Italy to assess the number of lung cancer cases attributed to airborne particle inhalation, which represents one of the main causes of lung cancer, apart from smoking. Ultrafine particles are associated with a much higher risk than supermicrometric particles, and the modified risk-assessment scheme provided a more accurate estimate than the conventional scheme. Great attention has to be paid to indoor microenvironments and, in particular, to cooking and eating times, which represent the major contributors to lung cancer incidence in the Italian population. The modified risk assessment scheme can serve as a tool for assessing environmental quality, as well as setting up exposure standards for particulate matter.

Indoor Air Quality in Naturally Ventilated Italian Classrooms

Characterization of indoor air quality in school classrooms is crucial to children’s health and performance. The present study was undertaken to characterize the indoor air quality in six naturally ventilated classrooms of three schools in Cassino (Italy). Indoor particle number, mass, black carbon, CO2 and radon concentrations, as well as outdoor particle number were measured within school hours during the winter and spring season. The study found the concentrations of indoor particle number were influenced by the concentrations in the outdoors; highest BC values were detected in classrooms during peak traffic time. The effect of different seasons’ airing mode on the indoor air quality was also detected. The ratio between indoor and outdoor particles was of 0.85 ± 0.10 in winter, under airing conditions of short opening window periods, and 1.00 ± 0.15 in spring when the windows were opened for longer periods. This was associated to a higher degree of penetration of outdoor particles due to longer period of window opening. Lower CO2 levels were found in classrooms in spring (908 ppm) than in winter (2206 ppm). Additionally, a greater reduction in radon concentrations was found in spring. In addition, high PM10 levels were found in classrooms during break time due to re-suspension of coarse particles. Keywords: classroom; Ni/Nout ratio; airing by opening windows; particle number

Dr. Bernhard Bardach with unidentified soldiers before departing to the Italian Front Military; Portraits; Groups

Digital Image

Italian Alpine Club Portraits Groups

Digital Image

Public history, private memories: Historical imagination in the new Italian cinema 1988-1999

The concern with the following arguments started during a study of national and international cinemas, from the desire to account for a cinema that internationally was doing well, but was undervalued domestically. The aims were to account for the renewal of Italian filmmaking from 1988, the New Italian cinema, and understand the conditions behind this renewal. The thesis identifies in the historical theme and in the recurrence of features from Italian cinema history elements of coherence with previous cinema production. The first consideration that emerges is that a triangulation between a new generation of filmmakers, their audience and recent history shaped the recovery of Italian cinema from 1988. A second consideration is that no discussion of Italian cinema can be separated from a discussion of that which it represents: Italian society and politics. This representation has not only addressed questions of identity for a cohort of spectators, but on occasions has captured the attention of the international audience. Thus the thesis follows a methodologic approach that positions texts in relation to certain traditions in Italian filmmaking and to the context by taking into consideration also industrial factors and social and historical changes. By drawing upon a range of disciplines, from political history to socio-psychological studies, the thesis has focussed on representation of history and memory in two periods of Italian film history: the first and the last decade of twentieth century. The concern has been not so much to interpret the films, but to understand the processes that made the films and how spectarors have applied their knowledge structures to make meaning of the films. Thus the thesis abstains from ascribing implicit meanings to films, but acknowledges how films project cultural contingencies. This is beacause film is shaped by production conditions and cultural and historical circumstances that make the film intelligible. As Bordwell stated in Making Meaning, "One can do other things with films besides 'reading' them" (1989, p. xiii). Within this framework, the thesis proposes a project that understands history films with the norms that govern Italian filmic output, those norms that regulate conditions of production and consumption and the relation between films from various traditions.

Hyperferritinemia -cataract syndrome: Long-term ophthalmic observations in an Italian family

Background Hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome (HCS) is a rare Mendelian condition characterized by bilateral cataract and high levels of serum ferritin in the absence of iron overload. Methods HCS was diagnosed in three adult siblings. In two of them it was possible to assess lens changes initially in 1995 and again in 2013. Serum ferritin, iron, transferrin concentrations and transferrin saturation percentage were also measured, and the Iron Responsive Element (IRE) region of the L-ferritin gene (FTL) was studied. Results Serum ferritin concentrations were considerably elevated while serum iron, transferrin and transferrin saturation levels were within the normal range in each sibling. Cataract changes in our patients were consistent with those previously reported in the literature. Progression of the cataract, an aspect of few studies in this syndrome, appeared to be quite limited in extent. The heterozygous +32G to T (-168G>T) substitution in the IRE of the FTL gene was detected in this family. Conclusions Ophthalmic and biochemical studies together with genetic testing confirmed HCS in three family members. Although the disorder has been extensively described in recent years, little is known regarding cataract evolution over time. In our cases, lens evaluations encompassed many years, identified bilateral cataract of typical morphology and supported the hypothesis that this unique clinical feature of the disease tends to be slowly progressive in nature, at least in adults.

Italian ja Veneton läänin kolmas sektori. Maaraportti maaseutualueiden palvelutuotannon haasteista ja hyvistä käytännöistä.

Tiivistelmä Maaraportin tavoitteena on luoda yleiskatsaus Italian kolmanteen sektoriin ja tutkimus kohdistuu erityisesti Pohjois-Italiassa sijaitsevan Veneton läänin kolmannen sektorin palvelutuotantoon. Raportissa tarkastellaan erityisesti kolmannen sektorin ja julkisen palvelutuotantosektorin sekä julkishallinnon toiminnallisia suhteita. Kolmannen sektorin mahdollisuuksia vastata maaseutualueiden palvelujen tarjonnan haasteisiin on pyritty analysoimaan. Italia on julkishallinnon ja kolmannen sektorin palvelutuotannon kannalta tarkasteltuna nykytilanteessa mielenkiintoinen testilaboratorio koko Euroopan mittakaavassa johtuen maan historiallisista, kulttuuri-sista, kieli- ja maantieteellisistä sekä itse väestöpohjan tarjoamista haasteista. Italiasta ei voida puhua yhden homogeenisen valtiokäsitteen alla, koska maa toimii kulttuurisista perinteistään johtuen kolmella eri nopeudella. Itse valtio käsitettäkin tulkitaan Italiassa monin eri tavoin pohjautuen ”valtiona” nähdyn organisaation käytännön funktioon sitoutuneena alueellisiin ja kulttuurisiin tekijöihin. Teollinen, dynaaminen yritysten varakas Pohjois-Italia henkilöityneenä Milanoon, hallinnon ja kulttuurin leimaama Keski-Italia kiteytyneenä ikuiseen kaupunkiin Roomaan ja Napolin alapuolinen Etelä-Italia, joka painii ”järjestelmässä sisällä olevan järjestelmänsä” kanssa eivät ole koskaan muodos-taneet oikeasti yhtenäistä Italian valtiota. Italiassa erillisinä itsehallinnollisina alueina toimivat lääneiksi luettavat Sisilia, Trentino Alto-Adige, Val di Aosta, Sardegna ja Friuli-Venezia Giulia, mikä lisää hallinnollista kirjavuutta. Viimeisten vuosien aikana Italian julkishallinto on ollut jatkuvassa transitiotilassa yrittäessään kohdata uudistumisen vaateita globalisoituvassa maailmassa. Italiassa on meneillään hidas siirtyminen liittovaltiomaiseen järjestelmään ja jopa syvempään paikallisuuteen. Massiivinen ja raskas julkishallintokoneisto neljällä eri tasolla (valtio - lääninhallinnolliset alueet - vahvat maakunnat - kunnat) on erittäin hankalasti modernisoitavissa, mutta poliittinen tahtotila on vaihtumassa klassista vahvaa keskushallintoa kannattavasta ajattelutavasta hyväksymään federalistisia, alueellisia hallintoratkaisuja. Italiassa on herätty havaitsemaan, että ongelmien ratkaisu täytyy viedä itse alueille ja niiden ihmisille, koska unilateraalinen keskushallinnointitapa ei enää vastaa monikerroksisiin, moniulotteisiin alueellisiin haasteisiin. Jokaisella alueella on erilaiset lähtökohdat ongelmien ratkaisuihin myös globalisoitumisen asettamissa yhteisissä haasteissa. Kolmannen sektorin asema arvostettuna italialaisten kansalaispalvelujen täydentäjänä ja tuottajana alkaa olla nykypäivää. Kolmannen sektorin elintärkeä osuus uusien palvelutarpeiden tunnistamisessa on jo yleisesti tunnustettu tosiasia Italiassa. Vapaaehtoisjärjestöt toimivat eturivissä kansalaisten arkipäivässä ja pystyvät näin kanavoimaan ensimmäisinä sosiaalista kehityskulkua ja kohottamaan esiin erilaisia marginaalistenkin ryhmien tarpeita sekä vastaamaan niihin. Kolmas sektori laajentaa, tuottaa ja paikkaa paikallista julkista palvelutuotantoa. Ratkaiseva askel lainsäädännölliseltä kannalta on ollut rahoitusvirtojen ohjaaminen kolmannen sektorin ns. ONLUS-organisaatioille ja ONLUS-statuksen perustaminen vuonna 1997. Italiassa on 60 231.214 asukasta (31.7.2009) ja se on hallinnollisesti jakaantuneena 8 100 kuntaan. Suomessa vastaavat luvut ovat 5 350 712 asukasta ja 348 kuntaa (11/2009). Maantieteelliseltä kooltaan Italia ei eroa 301 338 km2:n pinta-alallaan paljonkaan Suomesta (338 424 km2). Väestömäärän erojen vuoksi Italiassa on keskimäärin 199,9 asukasta neliökilometrillä ja Suomessa 17,1. Maiden välinen suora vertailu ei ollut mittakaavaerojen vuoksi järkevää. Kuntien hallinnollinen rooli on Italiassa painotukseltaan erilainen kuin Suomessa. Suomessa kuntien vastuulla oleva sosiaali-, terveydenhuolto- ja koulutoimi eivät ole samassa laajuudessa italialaisten kuntien vastuulla vaan näiden toimialojen vastuulliset tahot ovat läänit terveydenhoitopiireineen sekä maakuntahallinto koulupiirien osalta. Italialaisten kuntien vastuualueet voivat myös vaihdella mittavasti perustuslaissa määriteltyjen perustoimien lisäksi. Tutkimuksen kohteeksi on rajattu Koillis-Italiassa sijaitseva Veneton läänin alue, koska se on väkimäärältään lähes yhtä suuri kuin Suomi, 4 893 309 asukasta (31.3.2009). Kuntien lukumäärä on huimaava 581 kpl. Veneto on maantieteelliseltä alueeltaan pieni ja harvaan asuttua maaseutua on pinta-alasta melko niukasti. Pohjoisen osan vuoristoalueet karuine olosuhteineen muodostavat palvelutuotannollisesti haas-teellisen ympäristön, joka on verrattavissa suomalaisten maaseutualueiden tilanteeseen. Venetossa on omaksuttu Italian mittakaavassa innovatiivisia ratkaisuja julkishallinnon palvelutuotannon ja kolmannen sektorin toiminnan osalta. Veneton alue on luokiteltu maailman pienyritysintensiivisimmäksi alueeksi, mikä heijastuu myös alueen palvelutuotantoratkaisuissa. Raportti esittelee ensin Italian hallintoa, keskushallinnon, paikallishallinnon ja tutkimuksen asettelulle olennaisten kolmannen sektorin toimijoiden osalta. Tämä on välttämätöntä, sillä kolmannen sektorin toiminta on Italiassa hyvin pitkälle lainsäädännöllä ohjattua ja rajattua. Kolmannen sektorin käsitteistöä, toimijoita, järjestäytymistä ja sen toimintaa säätelevää lainsäädäntöä esitellään tarkemmin. Veneton läänin osalta kolmanteen sektoriin perehdytään sekä hallinnon että toimijakentän näkökulmia tulkiten. Raportin lopussa esitellään kolmannen sektorin palvelutuotantoon ja hallinnointiin liittyviä case-esimerkkitapauksia.

La propaganda por el hecho dentro del discurso anarquista en la Argentina del Centenario

Dueños de un discurso contestatario y crítico, pero a la vez formativo y comprometido con el hombre trabajador como centro de sus proyectos, el principal objetivo del movimiento anarquista argentino fue impugnar, cuestionar y contradecir el discurso oficialista. Una de las tácticas que utilizaron los militantes libertarios fue la propaganda por el hecho o acción directa, como denominaremos los actos terroristas ácratas. Si bien en la Argentina encontramos una importante literatura libertaria con un lenguaje perturbador y radicalizado, los sucesos violentos fueron aislados, aunque no por ello dejaron de preocupar tanto a la clase dirigente como a la sociedad en general, que llegó a identificar al militante ácrata con un criminal y lo transformó en un problema de higiene y seguridad pública. Esta situación, sumada no sólo al tenor violento que caracterizó los conflictos laborales, sino también a las noticias nada tranquilizadoras que llegaban de Europa, donde una ola de atentados sacudió la opinión pública, provocaron un pánico exagerado en los distintos ambientes sociales. La consecuencia directa fue la celebración del Centenario en medio de una oleada de huelgas, protestas y con declaración del estado de sitio.