The present paper deals with the territorial movements of the mafia groups. Dopo aver postulato che il concetto di mafia fa riferimento a una forma di criminalità organizzata con caratteristiche sui generis, il paper presenta: i) un repertorio dei meccanismi sottesi ai processi espansivi delle mafie in territori estranei a quelli della loro origine; ii) una tassonomia delle forme che assume la presenza mafiosa nei territori non tradizionali. By a case study approach, il quadro concettuale delineato viene applicato alla presenza della mafia in Germania, ricostruita mediante il ricorso a fonti di tipo documenatle. Pur trattandosi di un'indagine di tipo esplorativo, emergono alcune chiare acquisizioni: i) il maggiore coinvolgimento della 'ndrangheta rispetto alle altre mafie italiane tradizionali (Cosa Nostra e Camorra); ii) il fatto che anche nelle espansioni di "successo" la mafia non riproduce il radicamento tipico dei territori originari, incentrando la sua presenza intorno prevalentemente all'infiltrazione dell'economia e alla conduzione di attività nei mercati illegali.

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Cannabis is the most widely used illicit substance globally, with an estimated annual prevalence in 2010 of 2.6-5.0% of the adult population. Concerns have been expressed about increases in the potency of cannabis products. A high tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content can increase anxiety, depression, and psychotic symptoms, and can increase the risk of dependence and adverse effects on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems in regular users. The aim of this study was to report statistical data about the potency of cannabis products seized in the north-east of Italy, in a geographical area centred in Venice and extending for more than 10,000  km(2) with a population of more than two million, by investigating the variability observed in THC levels of about 4000 samples of cannabis products analyzed over the period 2010-2012. Overall median THC content showed an increasing trend over the study period from about 6.0% to 8.1% (6.2-8.9% for cannabis resin, 5.1-7.6% for herbal cannabis). The variation in the THC content of individual samples was very large, ranging from 0.3% to 31% for cannabis resin and from 0.1 to 19% for herbal cannabis. Median CBN:THC ratios showed a slightly decreasing trend over the study period, from 0.09 (2010) to 0.03 (2012), suggesting an increasing freshness of submitted materials. Median CBD:THC ratios also showed a decreasing trend over the study from about 0.52 (2010) to 0.18 (2012), likely due to the increase in submissions of materials from indoor and domestic cultivation with improved breeding methods.

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Background:HPV DNA-based screening is more effective than a Pap test in preventing cervical cancer, but the test is less specific. New HPV tests have been proposed for primary screening. The HPV mRNA test showed a similar or slightly lower sensitivity than the HPV DNA tests but with a higher specificity. We report the results of an organised HPV mRNA-based screening pilot program in Venice, Italy.Methods:From October 2011 to May 2014, women aged 25–64 years were invited to undergo a HPV mRNA test (Aptima). Those testing positive underwent cytological triage. Women with positive cytology were referred to colposcopy, whereas those with negative cytology were referred to repeat the HPV mRNA test 1 year later. The results of the HPV mRNA test program were compared with both the local historical cytology-based program and with four neighbouring DNA HPV-based pilot projects.Results:Overall, 23 211 women underwent a HPV mRNA test. The age-standardised positivity rate was 7.0%, higher than in HPV DNA programs (6.8% relative rate (RR) 1.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05–1.17). The total colposcopy referral was 5.1%, double than with cytology (2.6% RR 2.02, 95% CI 1.82–2.25) but similar to the HPV DNA programs (4.8% RR 1.02; 95% CI 0.96–1.08). The cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2+ detection rate with HPV mRNA was greater than in the HPV DNA programs at baseline (RR 1.50; 95% CI 1.19–1.88) and not significantly lower at the 1-year repeat (RR 0.70; 95% CI 0.40–1.16). The overall RR was 1.29 (95% CI 1.05–1.59), which was much higher than with cytology (detection rate 5.5‰ vs 2.1‰ RR 2.50, 95% CI 1.76–3.62).Conclusions:A screening programme based on the HPV mRNA obtained results similar to those observed with the HPV DNA test. In routine screening programmes, even a limited increase in HPV prevalence may conceal the advantage represented by the higher specificity of HPV mRNA.

The combination of all the analytical techniques employed allowed the characterization of the seized psychoactive substance, in spite of the lack of a reference standard.

Réseaux mafieux et capital social Rocco Sciarrone L'article analyse les organisations mafieuses italiennes, en insistant sur les processus de leur enracinement social et de leur diffusion territoriale. La dimension territoriale, les caractéristiques politiques et la structure organisative des groupes mafieux sont successivement étudiées à partir de l'approche théorique du capital social, à savoir la disponibilité de ressources à l'intérieur de réseaux de relations. La thèse de l'article est que la mafia se reproduit dans le temps et dans l'espace grâce à sa capacité d'accumuler et de mobiliser du capital social. La plus grande partie de son pouvoir résulte de sa capacité d'obtenir la coopération d'autres acteurs, extérieurs à son noyau organisationnel, c'est-à-dire de sa capacité à entretenir des rapports de collusion et de complicité au sein de la société civile et des institutions politiques.