The Invisible Pandemic: Domestic Violence and Health and Welfare Services in Italy and in the United Kingdom during Covid-19

Background: International research has shown how Domestic Violence (DV) can escalate during and after or large-scale crises or natural disaster. In many parts of the world, the introduction of lockdown, together with periods of global self-isolation in order to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2, has put families, women and children in abusive relationships more at risk, in terms of an “invisible pandemic”. Objective: The purpose of this paper is examining specific reports from Italy and the United Kingdom and analysing how there has been a surge in the pattern of DV cases, recorded globally during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: For this purpose, starting from an increased number of DV reports, we examine the typology of Health and Welfare Services, delivered in Italy and in the UK, by a qualitative data collection as a way to show the problematic impact of pandemic measures for those living in and surviving abusive relationships. Results: Our findings allow a comparison between the two different countries and their Welfare Services, highlighting how lockdown has resulted in a reduction of available support for some families, while many others have experienced significant changes in how this care is provided. Conclusions: Our discussion and conclusions focus on the challenges posed by Covid-19, as well as on concerns and considerations regarding Governmental policies and Community services between these two countries

L'IMMAGINE FILMICA NELLA FORMAZIONE: LE NARRAZIONI SULLA VIOLENZA ALL'INFANZIA

Il presente contributo rivolge l’attenzione alle risonanze emotive, alla soggettività di chi affronta il tema della violenza all’infanzia. Lo studio si propone di esplorare i processi attraverso i quali i soggetti, posti all’interno di un gruppo impegnato in attività formativa, organizzano informazioni e costruiscono rappresentazioni sull’abuso sui minori. Il gruppo dei partecipanti all’indagine è composto da 163 soggetti (122 studenti universitari, e 41 professionisti tra cui N = 12 agenti delle Forze dell’ordine e N = 29 operatori sociosanitari) ai quali è stata proposta la visione del film documentario Una storia americana (Capturing the Friedmans, USA 2003). I contenuti delle riflessioni sono stati analizzati attraverso l’analisi delle frequenze ed i test statistici del Chi2 . Lo studio conferma l’importanza dell’utilizzo, nella formazione, dei laboratori cinematografici che rendono possibile anche la narrazione interiore permessa dalla relazione, e dalla protezione, che si crea all’interno del gruppo per mezzo del quale si dà pensabilità all’accaduto ed una motivazione agli eventi e al loro senso.This paper directs its attention towards the emotional repercussions and the subjectivity of whoever is tackling the subject of child abuse. This study intends to explore the processes through which individuals placed within a group involved in educational activity organise their information and build up representations regarding child abuse. The group of participants in the study was made up of 163 individuals (122 university students and 41 professional persons, of whom N = 12 police officers and N = 29 social-medical workers), who were shown a documentary film, Capturing the Friedmans, (USA 2003). The results of the subsequent deliberations were examined via an analysis of frequency and the Chi-square statistical tests. The study confirms the importance of the utilisation, in education, of cinematographic laboratories; they also provide an opportunity for interior narration, which is permitted by the relationship (and the protection) created within the group. Through these the conceivable aspects of the event can emerge, along with the meaning and motivation behind the events

Enzymatic unhairing: Permeability assay of bovine skin epidermis with fungal enzyme extracts

The aim of enzymatic unhairing is to allow the separation of the outer sheath of hair root from the dermal connective tissue. This is considered an ecofriendly process. It?s not expensive since if the enzymes are applied on the epidermis thereby surface extracts could be saved. The purpose of this work was to analyze the changes in pilosebaceus unit and basal lamina by unhairing enzyme action. Various keratinolytic fungi, previously isolated and selected from different soil samples were used: Neurospora crassa, Verticillum albo-atrum, Trichophyton ajelloi, Chrysosporium sp, Aspergillus sydowii, Paecilomyces lilacinus and Acremonium murorum. Fungal isolates were cultivated in solid state conditions using hair waste obtained from the hair-saving unhairing process as substrate. Enzyme extracts were characterized according to their keratinolytic-proteolytic activity and protein content. Bovine skins were placed in plastic plates where the epidermis contacted with different solutions: fungal enzyme extracts with commercial tensioactives (0.1%, 0.5%), biocide 0.2% w/w (wet skin) for 4 h (soaking) and 24 h (unhairing) at 25°C and 40 rpm. Samples of skin with and without enzymatic treatment were fixed in 4% formaldehyde, dried on increasing concentration of ethanol and analyzed with scanning electron microscopy. It was observed that the enzymes altered the epidermis, caused detachment of corneocytes and the emptying of hair follicles. Characteristic patterns of hair cuticle and collagen fibres were preserved in skin control with buffer. Trichophyton ajelloi caused the strongest depilatory effect . It was concluded that the enzyme penetration through epidermis could be employed for the application of reagents during the handcrafted tanning of leather.Fil: Galarza, Betina Claudia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Centíficas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero; ArgentinaFil: Garro, María Laura. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Centíficas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero; ArgentinaFil: Greco, Carlos A.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Centíficas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero; ArgentinaFil: Hours, Roque Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales; Argentin

Casein genetic variants in ovine Merino breed

The genetic polymorphism on Merina ewe milk was investigated, using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at pH 8.6 and ultra thin-layer isoelectric focusing techniques, according to Krause et al. (1988), and Chianese et al. (1992). The casein fractions identified were: - Seven as1-casein phenotypes: CC, BB, BC, AB, AC, BD and CD (Chianese et al.,1996). - Three as2-casein phenotypes, provisionally nominated F, S, and I. - Three b-casein phenotypes, also provisionally nominated K, L and M, because their genetic segregation is not well known yet. The phenotypical distribution of the observed casein fractions and their adjustment to a normal distribution is presented.El polimorfismo genético de la leche de oveja Merina fue investigado mediante electroforesis en gel de poliacrilamida a pH 8,6 (PAGE) e isoelectroenfoque en gel ultrafino (UTLIEF), siguiendo las técnicas descritas por Krause et al. (1988) y Chianese et al. (1992). Dentro de las fracciones caseínicas se identificaron siete fenotipos de as1-caseína (CC, BB, BC, AB, AC, BD y CD), según la nomenclatura establecida por Chianese et al. (1996). Mientras que, a nivel de as2- y b-caseína se han observado tres perfiles electroforéticos, denominados provisionalmente F, S e I; K, L y M respectivamente, ya que no se conoce su segregación genética. Se presenta la distribución fenotípica de las fracciones caseínicas estudiadas, así como su ajuste a la distribución normal

Efectividad de los ejercicios nórdicos sobre la incidencia de lesiones de isquiotibiales en futbolistas profesionales y amateur masculinos entre los 15 y 41 años. Revisión sistemática

Introduction: muscular injuries are the most common among soccer players, being hamstring injury the most frequent. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the existing evidence on the effects of Nordic exercises on the incidence of hamstring injuries in professional and amateur male soccer players between 15 and 41 years of age. Methods: A systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA guidelines recommendations, a search was carried out for articles in PubMed, BVS, Cochrane, Web OF Science and SCOPUS, in addition Google Scholar was consulted. The search was performed based on the PICO strategy with the following terms: hamstring muscles, exercise, rehabilitation, therapy, athletic injuries, soccer. Results: a total of 257 articles resulted from the search, 5 of which were included in this study. All studies showed positive effects of Nordic exercises for athletes. Conclusions: Nordic exercises reduced the incidence of hamstring injury in 4 of the studies analyzed, the percentage of compliance with the intervention sessions conditioned the quality of the effects while the moment of application of the intervention (pre- or post-training) had no influence.Introducción: Las lesiones musculares son comunes en futbolistas, siendo la lesión de isquiotibiales la más frecuente. Objetivo: Analizar la evidencia existente sobre los efectos de los ejercicios nórdicos en la incidencia de lesiones de isquiotibiales en jugadores de fútbol profesional y amateur masculinos entre los 15 y 41 años. Materiales y métodos: Se llevó a cabo una revisión sistemática siguiendo las recomendaciones de la declaración PRISMA, realizando la búsqueda de artículos en PubMed, BVS, Cochrane, Web OF Science y SCOPUS, además de consultar Google Scholar. La búsqueda se realizó basada en la estrategia PICO con los siguientes términos: hamstring muscles, exercise, rehabilitation, therapy, athletic injuries, soccer. Resultados: un total de 257 artículos resultaron de la búsqueda, siendo 5 los artículos incluidos en este estudio. Todos los estudios evidenciaron efectos positivos de los ejercicios nórdicos para los deportistas. Conclusiones: los ejercicios nórdicos redujeron la incidencia de lesión de isquiotibiales en 4 de los estudios analizados, el porcentaje de cumplimiento de las sesiones de intervención condicionaron la calidad de los efectos mientras que el momento de aplicación de la intervención (pre- o post-entreno) no influy

Optical properties of wurtzite GaN/AlN quantum dots grown on non-polar planes: the effect of stacking faults in the reduction of the internal electric field

The optical emission of non-polar GaN/AlN quantum dots has been investigated. The presence of stacking faults inside these quantum dots is evidenced in the dependence of the photoluminescence with temperature and excitation power. A theoretical model for the electronic structure and optical properties of non-polar quantum dots, taking into account their realistic shapes, is presented which predicts a substantial reduction of the internal electric field but a persisting quantum confined Stark effect, comparable to that of polar GaN/AlN quantum dots. Modeling the effect of a 3 monolayer stacking fault inside the quantum dot, which acts as zinc-blende inclusion into the wurtzite matrix, results in an additional 30% reduction of the internal electric field and gives a better account of the observed optical features

InN thin film lattice dynamics by grazing incidence inelastic x-ray scattering

Achieving comprehensive information on thin film lattice dynamics so far has eluded well established spectroscopic techniques. We demonstrate here the novel application of grazing incidence inelastic x-ray scattering combined with ab initio calculations to determine the complete elastic stiffness tensor, the acoustic and low-energy optic phonon dispersion relations of thin wurtzite indium nitride films. Indium nitride is an especially relevant example, due to the technological interest for optoelectronic and solar cell applications in combination with other group III nitrides.J. S. acknowledges financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation by CICYT Grants No. MAT2010-2-129-C02-01 and No. ENE2008-04373, and by Generalitat de Catalunya Grant No. 2009SGR1251. F. J. M. is thankful for the financial support from CICYT projects No. CSD2007-00045 and No. MAT2010-21270-C04-04, and the "Programa de Incentivo a la Investigacion" of the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia through project No. UPV2010-0096. A. H. R. has been supported by CONACyT Mexico under projects No. TAMU-Conacyt and No. J-83247-F. We acknowledge the beam time granted by ESRF.Serrano, J.; Bosak, A.; Krisch, M.; Manjón Herrera, FJ.; Romero, AH.; Garro, N.; Wang, X.... (2011). InN thin film lattice dynamics by grazing incidence inelastic x-ray scattering. Physical Review Letters. 106(20):2055011-2055014. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.205501S2055011205501410620Wu, J., Walukiewicz, W., Yu, K. M., Ager, J. W., Haller, E. E., Lu, H., … Nanishi, Y. (2002). Unusual properties of the fundamental band gap of InN. Applied Physics Letters, 80(21), 3967-3969. doi:10.1063/1.1482786Davydov, V. Y., Klochikhin, A. A., Seisyan, R. P., Emtsev, V. V., Ivanov, S. V., Bechstedt, F., … Graul, J. (2002). Absorption and Emission of Hexagonal InN. Evidence of Narrow Fundamental Band Gap. physica status solidi (b), 229(3), r1-r3. doi:10.1002/1521-3951(200202)229:33.0.co;2-oJones, R. E., Yu, K. M., Li, S. X., Walukiewicz, W., Ager, J. W., Haller, E. E., … Schaff, W. J. (2006). Evidence forp-Type Doping of InN. Physical Review Letters, 96(12). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.96.125505Song, J.-H., Akiyama, T., & Freeman, A. J. (2008). Stabilization of Bulkp-Type and Surfacen-Type Carriers in Mg-Doped InN{0001}Films. Physical Review Letters, 101(18). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.101.186801Qian, Z. G., Shen, W. Z., Ogawa, H., & Guo, Q. X. (2004). Experimental studies of lattice dynamical properties in indium nitride. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 16(12), R381-R414. doi:10.1088/0953-8984/16/12/r01Davydov, V. Y., Emtsev, V. V., Goncharuk, I. N., Smirnov, A. N., Petrikov, V. D., Mamutin, V. V., … Inushima, T. (1999). Experimental and theoretical studies of phonons in hexagonal InN. 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