The security policy of the greens in Italy

This article provides an overview of the current state of financial regionalism in East Asia and discusses why and how the East Asian countries should go forward in terms of financial and monetary regionalism. It highlights intra-regional exchange rate stability as an important regional public good and makes the case for greater exchange rate cooperation. To this end, East Asian countries should gradually reduce their exposure to the US dollar and move towards currency basket regimes which would sustain relative intra-regional exchange rate stability while allowing for sufficient flexibility to accommodate idiosyncratic shocks. Against the backdrop of the global and European financial crisis, the article also urges a reconsideration of the costs and benefits of international – and regional – financial integration and calls for a further strengthening of East Asia's regional financial architecture.     

Coexistence and Independence Between a Mental Disorder and Female Stalking*

Abstract: There are few studies of female stalkers in literature addressing different study populations. There appears to be a high incidence of mental disease among female stalkers, having an important role in inducing the harassment. We present a woman affected by a bipolar disorder who had a long affair with her victim, broken off in 2007. Stalking began in January 2009 and continued for 6 months, during which time she was not taking drugs and was in a decompensated clinical phase. In July 2009, she was denounced for harassment; the authorities demanded a psychiatric examination. The woman then resumed taking the medication regularly. In December 2009, although she was in complete remission, she began stalking once more. This case shows that even when there seems to be an evident relation between psychopathology and crime, it is always necessary to evaluate to what extent the mental disorder is responsible for the criminal behavior.     

The challenges facing public housing authorities in a brave new world

Abstract

Public housing authorities (PHAs) are entering a brave new world. Major proposed changes to the public housing program will force PHAs to compete with private sector providers for tenants. To succeed, they will have to act more like entrepreneurial market participants: to change their management practices, the types of tenants they house, and the kinds of developments they operate, and to attract private capital for the development and operation of public‐private public housing ventures.

PHAs must confront the challenges of transformation while pursuing four mutually conflicting goals: housing the neediest, achieving diversity of tenantry, cross‐subsidizing by attracting unsubsidized tenants, and attracting private capital. Success, or even survival, may require sacrificing one or more of these goals. Whether PHAs can increase housing production to such an extent that they can provide sufficient housing for the neediest while fulfilling the other goals as well remains unclear.     

Variations in pulp/tooth area ratio as an indicator of age: a preliminary study

This paper details a method for age determination of adults from single rooted teeth. The sample consisted of 100 Italian white Caucasian patients (46 men, 54 women) aged between 18 and 72 years. The single rooted maxillary right canine was utilized in this preliminary study. Pulp/root ration, tooth length, pulp/tooth length ratio, pulp/tooth area and pulp/root width ratios at three different levels were computed. Pearson's correlation coefficients between age and these variables showed that the ratio between pulp and tooth area correlated best with age (r2 = 0.85). Stepwise multiple regression models yielded a linear relationship between pulp/root width at mid-root level and chronological age and a linear relationship when pulp/tooth area was compared to age. Statistical analysis indicated that these two variables explain 84.9% of variations in estimated chronological age. The median of the absolute value of residual errors between actual and estimated ages was less than four years.     

Precision and reliability of pulp/tooth area ratio (RA) of second molar as indicator of adult age

This paper discusses a method for assessing adult age based on the relationship between age and measurement of the pulp/tooth area ratio (RA) of the second molar teeth. The sample consisted of 312 Italian white Caucasian patients (135 men, 177 women) aged between 14 and 24 years. Orthopantomograph samples (OPGs) were analyzed by the same observer and calibrated by kappa statistics. Probabilities of an individual being older than 18 years of age (adult age) were derived using measurements of the ratio pulp/tooth area (RA) of the second molar teeth and the dichotomized stages of third molar development (Tm) as explanatory variables. These results were exploited to establish a threshold value to assign an individual to juvenile or adult age. A cut-off value of RA* = 0.088 was applied if Tm = 0 and RA* = 0.097 if Tm = 1. The sensitivity of this test was 91% and its specificity 94.5%. The proportion of individuals with correct classifications was 92%.     

Computation of likelihood ratios in fingerprint identification for configurations of three minutiae

Recent challenges to fingerprint evidence have brought forward the need for peer-reviewed scientific publications to support the evidential value assessment of fingerprint. This paper proposes some research directions to gather statistical knowledge of the within-source and between-sources variability of configurations of three minutiae on fingermarks and fingerprints. This paper proposes the use of the likelihood ratio (LR) approach to assess the value of fingerprint evidence. The model explores the statistical contribution of configurations of three minutiae using Tippett plots and related measures to assess the quality of the system. Features vectors used for statistical analysis have been obtained following a preprocessing step based on Gabor filtering and image processing to extract minutia position, type, and direction. Spatial relationships have been coded using Delaunay triangulation. The metric, used to assess similarity between two feature vectors is based on an Euclidean distance measure. The within-source variability has been estimated using a sample of 216 fingerprints from four fingers (two donors). Between-sources variability takes advantage of a database of 818 ulnar loops from randomly selected males. The results show that the data-driven approach adopted here is robust. The magnitude of LRs obtained under the prosecution and defense propositions stresses upon the major evidential contribution that small portions of fingermark, containing three minutiae, can provide regardless of its position on the general pattern.     

Tax Evasion Across Italy: Rational Noncompliance or Inadequate Civic Concern?

The paper suggests anexplanation for the geographical dimensionof tax evasion that focuses on thestructure of territorial government. Taxesadministered by the central government arenot differentiated by regions. Poor areasmay prefer a combination of lower taxes andlower levels of public services at both thecentral and the local level. This isespecially true when income and wealthlevels differ among the areas and thedemand for publicly provided goods iscorrelated to these levels. But the use ofnationally uniform tax schedules imposes awelfare burden on poorer areas. While thetax rates of local taxes can be adjusted tolocal preferences, tax evasion may betacitly accepted as a compensation for thewelfare loss deriving from too highcentrally set tax rates.     

Introduction: The Italian parliamentary elections of 1996 – Competition and Transition

European Journal of Political Research -     

Majoritarian miracles and the question of party system change

European Journal of Political Research - The 1996 elections in Italy may be evaluated using a dual means of inquiry: which novelties (or the absence thereof) appear with respect to 1994? And, how...