This book traces the influence of the European Union on domestic politics and public policies. Whereas the standard books on domestic politics and European integration look at different countries one ...by one, this volume embraces an innovative perspective based on specific concepts, indicators, and a broad range of thematic issues. Representing the cutting edge of theoretical analysis and empirical research on Europeanization, this work will be essential reading for students of the EU and comparative European politics.
Public Policy: Vision and Mission Radaelli, Claudio M
International review of public policy,
04/2023, Letnik:
5, Številka:
1
Journal Article
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This special section in our journal features Professor Bruno Dente's legacy lecture. This lecture was delivered as his acceptance speech at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona when he received his ...Doctor Honoris Causa award in 2019. The lecture is accompanied by an original article by Professor Gloria Regonini. Her article delves into the political and scientific context that shaped the beliefs of Bruno's generation of Italian policy researchers in the field of social sciences and democracy...
Objective:
To assess the long-term benefit-risk profile of repeated courses of rituximab in Caucasian patients affected by neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and related disorders, in everyday clinical ...practice.
Methods:
This is a prospective observational study performed at San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy. From February 2006, we recruited 21 patients affected by NMO and NMO spectrum of disorders (NMOSD) whom underwent at least one cycle of intravenous (i.v.) rituximab and then were followed for at least 2 years.
Results:
At a mean follow-up time of 48 months, we observed a significant reduction of the annualized relapse rate (ARR), from 2.0 to 0.16 (p < 0.01); and of the median Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), from 5.5 to 4.0 (p < 0.013). There were 12 patients (57%) who remained disease free during the follow-up period. Five patients (24%) reported mild hematological adverse events. Serious infectious adverse events were reported by another four patients: These were all wheelchair bound at the beginning of their rituximab treatment.
Conclusions:
A fixed treatment scheme of rituximab, with re-treatment every 6 months, was efficacious for NMO and NMOSD, with a good safety profile; however, to obtain an even better benefit-risk ratio, close monitoring of CD19+ B cells should be performed before the re-treatment of patients with high-level disability, concomitant leukopenia and hypogammaglobulinemia.
Recent observations have shown subclinical intestinal abnormalities in human type 1 diabetes. Whether these are related to the pathogenetic process or secondary to the diabetes remains to be ...clarified. The aim of this study was to investigate this issue by examining intestinal permeability to sugars in subjects at different stages of type 1 diabetes: preclinical, new-onset and long-term established disease.
Eighty-one subjects with islet autoimmunity (18 preclinical, 28 new-onset and 35 long-term type 1 diabetes) and 40 healthy control subjects were investigated by a lactulose-mannitol test, consisting of oral administration of the two sugars and measurement of their urinary excretion.
All groups of subjects with islet autoimmunity showed an increase in intestinal permeability (p < or = 0.009 vs controls) to the disaccharide lactulose, indicative of a damaged barrier, but a similar permeability to the monosaccharide mannitol (NS vs controls), indicative of an integral surface mucosa; consequently there was an increase in the lactulose:mannitol excretion ratio (p < or = 0.025 vs controls).
These findings indicate the presence of a subclinical enteropathy associated with type 1 diabetes that is already detectable before clinical onset of the disease, and suggest that the small intestine is an organ participating in the pathogenetic process of type 1 diabetes.
Regulatory impact assessment (RIA) has emerged on the political agenda of the member states of the European Union (EU). RIA is the cornerstone of programmes for 'better regulation' and 'good ...regulatory governance'. This article argues that the diffusion of RIA has not produced convergence. The lack of convergence is explained by the different political contexts - measured in terms of types of bureaucracy, government's capacity to handle distributional conflict, policy processes, and actors' preferences. These findings stand in contrast to the explanation for the adoption of regulatory policy tools based on the need to protect efficient markets. EU governments adopt RIA for a variety of reasons, and consequently the outcomes of the diffusion process differ markedly. Further, the evidence shows that ideas can travel more easily than the content of policy tools - a result at odds with the notion that changes in policy ideas are the most fundamental type of policy change. However, when ideas travel lightly, they may well stimulate the introduction of some instruments that are similarly labelled 'impact assessment', but RIA practice may exist only on paper, and in some cases basic assessments of administrative burdens are disguised under the RIA label. The diffusion of a common RIA 'bottle' has not produced similar 'wines'.
Depression occurs in about 50% of patients with multiple sclerosis. The aims of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms in a multicenter MS population using the Beck ...Depression Inventory II (BDI II) and to identify possible correlations between the BDI II score and demographic and clinical variables.
Data were collected in a multi-center, cross-sectional study over a period of six months in six MS centers in Italy using BDI II.
1,011 MS patients participated in the study. 676 subjects were female, with a mean age of 34 years (SD 10.8), mean EDSS of 3.3 (0-8.5) and mean disease duration of 10.3 years (range 1-50 years). 668 (%) subjects scored lower than 14 on the BDI II and 343 (33.9%) scored greater than 14 (14 cut-off score). For patients with BDI>14 multivariate analysis showed a significant difference between EDSS and disease course. BDI II scores for subjects with secondary progressive (SP) MS were significantly different from primary progressive (PP) patients (p < 0.001) but similar to relapsing-remitting (RR) patients. Considering subjects with moderate to severe depressive symptoms (BDI II score from 20-63), in relation to disease course, 11.7% (83/710) had RR MS, 40.7% (96/236) SP and 13.6% (6/44) PP.
Using the BDI II, 30% of the current sample had depressive symptoms. BDI II score correlates with disability and disease course, particularly in subjects with SP MS. The BDI II scale can be a useful tool in clinical practice to screen depressive symptoms in people with MS.
Policy agendas are often cast in semantic constructions that portray them as universally desirable outcomes. These semantic constructions protect and reinforce the power of dominant coalitions and ...make it hard to pursue alternatives. The semantic space is entirely occupied by the dominant concepts. At the same time, within the dominant coalition, ideational conflict is muted by decontesting concepts. Drawing on political theory, I show the presence of this double act of reducing the semantic space and decontesting concepts with the case of 'better regulation'. Then I briefly extend the argument to other terms such as policy coherence, agile governance, smart cities and social value judgements. The critical discussion of the implications of dominant language brings in transparency, allows other coalitions to articulate their vision in a discursive level-playing-field, and offers citizens the possibility to discuss what is really 'better' and 'for whom'.
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Type 2 diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension are major cardiovascular risks factors which shares metabolic and haemodynamic abnormalities as well as pathophysiological ...mechanisms. The simultaneous presence of diabetes and arterial hypertension increases the risk of left ventricular hypertrophy, congestive heart failure, and stroke, as compared to either condition alone. A number of guidelines recommend lifestyle measures such as salt restriction, weight reduction and ideal body weight mainteinance, regular physical activity and smoking cessation, together with moderation of alcohol consumption and high intake of vegetables and fruits, as the basis for reduction of blood pressure and prevention of CV diseases. Despite the availability of multiple drugs effective for hypertension, BP targets are reached in only 50 % of patients, with even fewer individuals with T2DM-achieving goals. It is established that new emerging classes of type 2 diabetes mellitus treatment, SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP1-receptor agonists, are efficacious on glucose control, and safe in reducing HbA1c significantly, without increasing hypoglycemic episodes. Furthermore, in recent years, many CVOT trials have demonstrated, using GLP1-RA or SGLT2-inihibitors compared to placebo (in combination with the usual diabetes medications) important benefits on reducing MACE (cardio-cerebral vascular events) in the diabetic population. In this hypothesis-driven review, we have examined the anti-hypertensive effects of these novel molecules of the two different classes, in the diabetic population, and suggest that they could have an interesting ancillary role in controlling blood pressure in type 2 diabetic patients.
Policy Learning and European Integration Radaelli, Claudio M.
Journal of common market studies,
September 2022, 2022-09-00, 20220901, Letnik:
60, Številka:
S1
Journal Article
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