Towards a grand unified picture for neutrino and quark mixings

The comparison of the CKM mixing angles with the leptonic mixings implied by the recent atmospheric and solar neutrino data exhibits an interesting complementarity. This pattern can be understood in the context of the SU(5) grand unification, assuming that the fermion mass matrices have Fritzsch-like structures but are not necessarily symmetric. (The present contribution is based on the paper in ref. \cite{az}.)Comment: Latex file + espcrc2.sty, 5 pages, 3 postscript figures included. Talk given at the Int. Workshop ``Particles in Astrophysics and Cosmology: from Theory to Observation'', May 3-8, 1999, Valencia, Spain. To appear in Nucl. Phys. Proc. Supp

Culture portability from origin to destination country: The gender division of domestic work among migrants in Italy

Background: The relative importance of a cultural component in the gender division of unpaid labour is still debated. Objective: Drawing on the epidemiological approach to the study of culture, we investigate the cultural component of gender inequality by examining whether gender asymmetries in housework and childcare in families with a migrant background relate to gender equity in the country of origin. Methods: Through multilevel models based on microlevel data (Istat SCIF survey), we examine the extent to which the division of household labour between immigrant partners living in Italy relates to gender equity in their origin country, proxied by the Global Gender Gap Index. We further analyse the changing importance of gender equity in the country of origin at different lengths of stay in the destination country. Conclusions: Immigrants from more (less) gender-equal countries display greater (lower) equality in the division of routine housework and childcare activities. However, gender equity in the origin country loses its importance for couples living in the destination country for a longer time. These findings point to a significant contribution of culture of origin to gender inequality in the intra-couple division of unpaid labour. Yet nonnegligible differences exist between specific housework and childcare tasks and depending on the time spent in the hosting country. Contribution: Our study contributes to the literature on gender inequalities by providing new evidence on the relationship between culture of origin and the division of specific housework and childcare tasks in families with a migrant background

Chapter The Role of Mentors on the Development of Calling in Students: a 3-Year Investigation

In a three-wave longitudinal study, we investigated the role of mentoring on calling development. The results suggest that the mere presence of a mentor is associated with higher levels of calling and the development of a calling is fostered by the mentors’ calling orientation, yet it is restrained by mentors’ job and career orientatio

Risk Attitudes to Catastrophic Events: VSL and WTP for Insurance Against Earthquakes

The purpose of the paper is to investigate the attitude to risk related to low-probability, high-impact events. To do this, we compare the willingness to pay (WTP) to reduce mortality risks and the WTP for life insurance against earthquakes. We explore whether risk perception affects these measures, and exploit WTP to reduce risk of fatality to calculate the Value of a Statistical Life (VSL) related to seismic events. We rely on data from a survey administered to a representative sample of the Italian population. Our results highlight that the WTP to reduce mortality risk is lower than the WTP for life insurance, and that the correlations between risk perception and these two measures differ. The findings suggest that individuals’ preferences are directed toward risk management strategies in which the mortality risk is transferred to the capital market, rather than risk mitigation strategies involving the individual in sharing the costs and benefits with all of society

Risk of pleural mm and residual asbestos burden in the lung: a retrospective case-control study

Introduction Results of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) occurrence (mortality and incidence) by cumulative exposure dose clearly showed a proportional relation of MPM risk with dose, confirmed among studies by fibre burden. We evaluated the association between residual fibre content and MPM risk by circumstance of asbestos exposure. Methods and materials Lung samples obtained from pleuropneumonectomies or autopsies (349 MPMs, and 41 controls) among subjects investigated for probability and circumstance of asbestos exposure were examined through Scanning Electron Microscopy; 291 cases had an occupational asbestos exposure, 38 MPMs a non-occupational exposure (familiar or environmental), whereas among 20 MPM an asbestos exposure was not identified. The MPM risk was evaluated by means of Odds Ratio (OR). Results The residual asbestos fibre burden was higher among MPMs occupationally exposed (Geometric Mean:2.10 Million fibres/gram of dried tissue; 95% CI:1.5–2.58) in comparison with non-occupational (GM:0.66 Mff/gdt; 95% CI:0.47–0.95) or with unknown exposures (GM:0.59 Mff/gdt; 95% CI:0.34– 1.03) and controls (GM:0.26 Mff/gdt; 95% CI:0.20–0.34). Among occupationally exposed, the MPM risk increased according to the asbestos fibre burden reaching an OR of 36.8 (95%CI:11.9–113.5) for concentrations higher than 1 Mff/g dt, compared to the reference level (<0.25 Mff/gdt). Higher ORs were observed at any concentration of amphibole fibres in comparison those for chrysotile fibres. Conclusions The MPM risk was strongly associated to the residual asbestos fibre lung burden. The MPM risk due to non-occupational exposure shows a magnitude comparable with that with unknown asbestos exposures. The residual lung burden of chrysotile is strongly influenced by clearance and time since exposures ceased

Residual fibre lung burden among patients with pleural mesothelioma who have been occupationally exposed to asbestos

Objectives To evaluate the lungs asbestos fibres concentration in participants with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) who have been occupationally exposed. Methods The lung samples were obtained from pleuropneumonectomies or autopsies of 271 male MPMs. The lung samples were examined through scanning electron microscopy. Retrospective assessment was used to assess for asbestos exposure. This study includes 248 MPMs with an occupational exposure defined as either ‘definite’ or ‘probable’ or ‘possible’. Results The participants had finished working in asbestos exposure conditions more than 20 years ago (on average 26.1±11.0 years). The fibre burden resulted with a geometric mean equal to 2.0 (95% CI 1.6 to 2.4) million fibres per gram of dry lung tissue. The burden was higher among participants employed in asbestos textiles industry and in shipyards with insulation material, if compared with construction workers or non-asbestos textile workers or participants working in chemicals or as auto mechanics. 91.3% of MPMs had a detectable amount of amphibole fibres. A strong lung clearance capability was evident among workers exposed to chrysotile fibres. Owing to that, the 1997 Helsinki Criteria for occupational exposure were reached in <35% of cases among participant working in construction, in metallurgical industry, in chemical or textile industry and among those performing brake repair activities. Conclusions The MPM cases are now occurring in Italy in participants who ceased occupational asbestos exposure decades before the analysis. A large majority still shows a residual content of amphibole fibres, but given the lung clearance capability, attribution to occupational exposure cannot rely only on fibres detection

Does the adoption of EUCAST susceptibility breakpoints affect the selection of antimicrobials to treat acute community-acquired respiratory tract infections?

Background: In several European Countries, by the end of 2012, CLSI guidelines will be replaced by EUCAST. We compared antimicrobial susceptibility results of a large number of respiratory pathogens using both EUCAST and previously adopted CLSI criteria to evaluate the impact on susceptibility patterns and the possible consequences that could occur in clinical practice due to this replacement.For S. pyogenes and S. aureus, the interpretation of susceptibility data using the EUCAST criteria did not produce relevant changes in comparison to CLSI.Against S. pneumoniae, more restrictive EUCAST breakpoints could lead to increased benzylpenicillin and/or amoxicillin-clavulanate resistance rates, which in turn could translate in increased dosages of these antibiotics or usage of alternative agents for respiratory tract infections.Against S. pneumoniae, M. catarrhalis and H. influenzae, cefuroxime-axetil and cefaclor produced the most divergent results depending on the breakpoints adopted and these striking differences could lead to the revision of those guidelines suggesting these two cephalosporins as alternatives in the management of upper respiratory tract infections.Discussion: Many differences exist between CLSI and EUCAST breakpoints. However, only in a few cases do these differences translate in major interpretive category discrepancies. In countries adopting more restrictive EUCAST breakpoints, clinicians should be aware of these discrepancies and that they could be faced with antibiotic-resistant respiratory pathogens more frequently than before.Summary: The interpretive discrepancies between EUCAST and CLSI suggest that the discussion on the management of community-acquired respiratory tract infections is still open and further studies are desirable to better define the role of some antibiotic

Neutrino Magnetic Moment and Solar Neutrino Experiments

We have studied the effect of a non-vanishing neutrino magnetic moment \ ($\mu_{\nu}$) on the $\nu_{\rm x}$ ({x=$e,\mu,\tau$}) elastic scattering off electrons for the Super-Kamiokande detector. The bounds on the $\mu_{\nu}$ we have obtained are comparable to that extracted from laboratory experiments. Furthemore, we outline the potential of the Borexino experiment which may be sensitive to neutrino magnetic moments \lsim 10^{-10}\mu_B. In our analysis we have considered both cases of Majorana and Dirac neutrinos.Comment: latex file, 4 pages, including 3 postscript figures. Talk given by A. Mourao at the Neutrino 98 Conference (Japan). To appear in the Proceeding