A multivariate study of Internet use and the Digital Divide

Method: The article is based on survey data (N = 2,304) collected in Spain, which are analyzed using multiple regression, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis. Results: Two dimensions are identified: the first is the comprehensive use of Internet and the second is the nature of this use, differentiating between a professional use and a recreational and social use of Internet. The article verifies that factors explaining the digital divide are age, education level, and income. Conclusions: The article identifies digitally excluded segments, and the efforts and actions for digital training to eradicate the digital divide should be directed at these groups. The most serious problem is encountered in homeworkers who are mainly woman. NEETs (not in education, employment, or training) are frequent users of Internet, but they only use it for entertainment and to certain extent they are digitally excluded

Features and drivers of citizen participation: Insights from participatory budgeting in three European cities

Participatory budgeting (PB) is a relatively novel approach to the allocation of funds which allows ordinary citizens to become directly involved in how local government money is spent. This study identifies and examines the features and drivers of PB that incentivize citizen participation and the co-production of public services. Our analysis takes a fresh approach by setting PB initiatives in an innovative frame combining a paradigm of ‘ideal’ types of PB and their diachronic constituent phases. The results provide insights for both scholars and policy makers on the key features and drivers of citizen participation through PB

The relationship between thyroid disorders and vitamin A. A narrative minireview

: The terms "vitamin A" and "retinoids" encompass a group of fat-soluble compounds essential for human nutrition. Some of them (retinol, retinal, 9-cis-retinoic acid, tretinoin, and 13-cis-retinoic acid) are fully natural, while others are synthetic compounds used mostly for therapeutic purposes. Some evidence indicates that the nutritional status of these retinoids (i.e., the presence or absence of deficiency) is able to modulate thyroid gland metabolism. Vitamin A deficiency is tightly correlated with structural and functional impairment of the thyroid gland and is often associated with iodine deficiency. Furthermore, retinoids are involved in different immune functions, as well as in the process of activation, proliferation, and differentiation of regulatory T cells (Treg). This is particularly significant given the high prevalence of thyroid autoimmune disorders, whose pathogenesis seems to be related to the altered homeostasis of regulatory T cells. Retinoids are also involved in the modulation of gene expression via their interaction with nuclear receptors, and they also act as cofactors in cell growth and differentiation. The ability of retinoic acid to increase iodine uptake and sodium-iodine symporter activity in human thyroid cancer cell lines suggests that some retinoids and their derivatives may be of use in the treatment of different thyroid tumors. This minireview summarizes the current knowledge on the link between nutritional intake of vitamin A and various thyroid disorders

Family Idoteidae

17 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 15-17)."The valviferan isopods of the Gulf of California are reviewed, including eight species in four genera. One rediscovered species (Eusymmerus antennatus) and two new species (Colidotea findleyi and Erichsonella cortezi) are fully described. Two of the Gulf idoteids appear to be of subtropical or tropical origin (Eusymmerus antennatus and Colidotea findleyi), whereas the others appear to be cold or warm temperate derived species (Erichsonella cortezi, Idotea aculeata, I. urotoma, I. stenops, I. resecata, and I. wosnesenskii). These findings suggest, as other distributional data have, that the family Idoteidae is composed largely of cool to warm temperate-centered taxa, with few modern genera and species having evolved in the lower latitudes (e.g., Eusymmerus, Colidotea, and some species of Erichsonella). Members of this family, in the tropical and subtropical east Pacific, are generally found in association with littoral and shallow-water algae, especially species of Sargassum. Four species of Idotea are extremely wide-ranging forms, suggesting that members of this genus may be considerably more eurythermal than previously suspected. Idotea wosnesenskii and I. resecata range from the Gulf of California to Alaska; I. stenops ranges from Baja California (or possibly the Gulf of California) to Oregon; and I. urotoma ranges from the Gulf of California to Puget Sound"--P. [1]

Maximum Independent Set: Self-Training through Dynamic Programming

This work presents a graph neural network (GNN) framework for solving the maximum independent set (MIS) problem, inspired by dynamic programming (DP). Specifically, given a graph, we propose a DP-like recursive algorithm based on GNNs that firstly constructs two smaller sub-graphs, predicts the one with the larger MIS, and then uses it in the next recursive call. To train our algorithm, we require annotated comparisons of different graphs concerning their MIS size. Annotating the comparisons with the output of our algorithm leads to a self-training process that results in more accurate self-annotation of the comparisons and vice versa. We provide numerical evidence showing the superiority of our method vs prior methods in multiple synthetic and real-world datasets.Comment: Accepted in NeurIPS 202

Hellenic karst waters: geogenic and anthropogenic processes affecting their geochemistry and quality

Karst hydrosystems represent one of the largest global drinking water resources, but they are extremely vulnerable to pollution. Climate change, high population density, intensive industrial, and agricultural activities are the principal causes of deterioration, both in terms of quality and quantity, of these resources. Samples from 172 natural karst springs were collected in the whole territory of Greece. To identify any geogenic contamination and/or anthropogenic pollution, analyses of their chemical compositions, in terms of major ions and trace elements, were performed and compared to the EU limits for drinking water. Based on chloride content, the collected karst springs were divided into two groups: low-chloride (< 100 mg L− 1) and high-chloride content (> 100 mg L− 1). An additional group of springs with calcium-sulfate composition was recognised. Nitrate concentrations were always below the EU limit (50 mg L− 1), although some springs presented elevated concentrations. High contents in terms of trace elements, such as B, Sr, As, and Pb, sometimes exceeding the limits, were rarely found. The Greek karst waters can still be considered a good quality resource both for human consumption and for agriculture. The main issues derive from seawater intrusion in the aquifers along the coasts. Moreover, the main anthropogenic pollutant is nitrate, found in higher concentrations mostly in the same coastal areas where human activities are concentrated. Finally, high levels of potentially harmful trace elements (e.g. As, Se) are very limited and of natural origin (geothermal activity, ore deposits, etc.)

On the determinants of local government debt: Does one size fit all?

This paper analyzes the factors that directly influence levels of debt in Spanish local governments. Specifically, the main objective is to find out the extent to which indebtedness is originated by controllable factors that public managers can influence, or whether it hinges on other variables beyond managers’ control. The importance of this issue has intensified since the start of the crisis in 2007, due to the abrupt decline of revenues and, simultaneously, to the stagnation (or even increase) in the levels of costs facing these institutions face. Results can be explored from multiple perspectives, given that the set of explanatory factors is also multiple. However, the most interesting result relates to the varying effect of each covariate depending on each municipality’s specific debt level, which suggests that economic policy recommendations should not be homogeneous across local governments

Use of a comprehensive diagnostic algorithm for Anisakis allergy in a high seroprevalence Mediterranean setting

Background. Diagnosis of anisakis allergy (AA) is based on the skin prick test (SPT) and specific IgE (sIgE) determination. Anyway, false positivity cases are due to cross reactivity with numerous allergens. The aim of the study was to evaluate the reliability of a comprehensive diagnostic algorithm for the AA. Methods. An observational study was conducted on a sample of consecutive subjects accessing the allergology outpatient ambulatories of two hospitals located in Western Sicily. All the recruited outpatients were tested by Skin Prick Test performed using anisakis extracts by ALK-Abello (Madrid, Spain). Specific IgE dosage for anisakis extracts was then performed by using ImmunoCAP250 (Immunodiagnostics Uppsala, Sweden). Consequently, outpatients who tested positive to first line tests underwent sIgE testing for ascaris and tropomyosin. Lastly, outpatients positive to the first line were invited to be further tested by basophil activation test (BAT) by using Flow CAST kit and anisakis commercial extract (Buhlmann Laboratories AG, Schonenbuch, Switzerland), as confirmatory analysis. Results. One hundred and eleven outpatients with an anamnesis suggestive of sensitization to anisakis (AS) and 466 subjects with chronic urticaria (CU) were recruited in the study. Of these, 22 with AS and 41 with CU showed a sensitization to anisakis allergens. The diagnostic algorithm revealed that 8.8% of outpatients who tested positive to sIgE determination were affected by CU, while 82.5% of all the sIgE positivity was related to cross-reactivity. Overall, a genuine anisakis seroprevalence of 2.3% was documented. Within a sub-sample of 15 subjects with clinical symptoms related to AA, n. 8 showed a real positivity after BAT. A greater response to A. pegreffii allergens as compared to A. simplex was reported. Conclusions. Our preliminary findings support the high clinical specificity of BAT for AA diagnosis, suggesting implementing this method in a comprehensive diagnostic algorithm