Work-Related Stress, Physio-Pathological Mechanisms, and the Influence of Environmental Genetic Factors

Work-related stress is a growing health problem in modern society. The stress response is characterized by numerous neurochemicals, neuroendocrine and immune modifications that involve various neurological systems and circuits, and regulation of the gene expression of the different receptors. In this regard, a lot of research has focused the attention on the role played by the environment in influencing gene expression, which in turn can control the stress response. In particular, genetic factors can moderate the sensitivities of specific types of neural cells or circuits mediating the imprinting of the environment on different biological systems. In this current review, we wish to analyze systematic reviews and recent experimental research on the physio-pathological mechanisms that underline stress-related responses. In particular, we analyze the relationship between genetic and epigenetic factors in the stress response

Il ruolo degli immigrati nell\u2019integrazione d\u2019uso del territorio urbano e rurale. Il caso della Sicilia Sud-orientale.

Nella Sicilia Sud-orientale, dove la presenza di immigrati attivi nelle produzioni orticole in serra \ue8 rilevante e indispensabile, gli assetti produttivi e residenziali si sono modificati nel tempo per la necessit\ue0 di dare alloggio non fortuito ai lavoratori immigrati e alle loro famiglie. La presenza di immigrati attivi in agricoltura \ue8 significativa sia per il settore primario sia per la qualit\ue0 urbanistica dei centri urbani e delle campagne. La ricerca \ue8 stata svolta col metodo qualitativo, attraverso una dozzina di interviste Face-to-Face a interlocutori privilegiati, attivi nei settori produttivi, nelle professioni, nell\u2019amministrazione pubblica e nella comunit\ue0 di immigrati. L\u2019analisi dei dati rilevati permette di affermare che la presenza degli immigrati \ue8 sufficientemente tollerata dai residenti, che volentieri cedono in affitto abitazioni prevalentemente localizzate nei centri urbani ma in cattivo stato di manutenzione. Le parti abbandonate o degradate dei centri urbani sono rivitalizzate dalla presenza di immigrati che animano il mercato degli affitti anche per immobili \u201cfatiscenti\u201d, non usati dagli italiani. Gli imprenditori agricoli concedono in uso costruzioni rurali, a volte come integrazione salariale, e allo scopo di esercitare un controllo diretto sulla forza lavoro. Dopo il primo ambientamento, durante il quale sono disponibili anche ad abitare in residenze molto degradate, i lavoratori immigrati preferiscono le abitazioni urbane, intorno alle quali ricostruiscono la presenza di piccoli commerci specializzati rispetto alle loro preferenze (macellerie, drogherie). L\u2019azione degli enti locali \ue8 ritenuta insufficiente ed \ue8 supplita dall\u2019azione di associazioni di volontariato e di parrocchie, anche per mancanza di fondi pubblici da destinare sia all\u2019accoglienza sia alle politiche di edilizia popolare. Nonostante la disponibilit\ue0 ad accettare la presenza di comunit\ue0 estranee alla cultura locale, la maggior parte dei residenti intervistati ritiene che le amministrazioni di ogni livello dovrebbero sentire maggiormente il compito di formulare politiche abitative destinate ad alleviare il disagio abitativo e di convivenza tra comunit\ue0 diverse

The Role of Monumental Trees in Defining Local Identity and in Tourism. A case study in the Marches region

The paper presents an explorative research about the relict Monumental Trees in the Marches region, with the aim to describe and give some interpretations about the problematic relationship between economic activities and the landscape. After the definition of Monumental Tree, we describe its multiple meanings, in religion, mystics, education, environment, and even in tourism. The paper gives the inventory of the resource in the Marches, and reports results of Key Informants\u2019 perceptions about the necessity to conserve Monumental Trees in the framework of the Regional Landscape and Environment Plan and the role of Monumental Trees in defining the local \u2018territorial identity\u2019

MICROSTRUCTURAL CHARACTERISAZTION OF THERMO-MECHANICAL TREATED TRIP STEELS

The increasing demand for the reduction of automobiles CO2 emissions for environmental preservation leads the automotive industries towards the mechanical components weight reduction. Sheet steels with multiphase microstructures exhibit favourable combinations of strength and ductility. The so called TRIP steels have a metastable microstructure that consists of a continuous ferrite matrix containing a dispersion of hard second phases martensite and bainite. These steels also contain retained austenite, at room temperature, that represents the source of the TRansformation Induced Plasticity effect. When the material is subjected to deformation step, the retained austenite transforms itself into martensite; the produced martensite delays the onset of necking resulting in a product with high total elongation, excellent formability and high crash energy absorption. In the present research the steel TRIP 800 zinc coated has been subjected to different thermo–mechanical treatments in order to evaluate the relation between microstructure of material and TRIP effects. Whit this aim the microstructural analysis has been performed and the evaluation of content of different phases has been made by means of the image analysis techniques. The relation among the strain level, the content of different phases, the thermal treatments and the work hardening properties of materials have been valued. Furthermore, it has been also highlighted the dependence of the bake hardening properties of material on the different thermo-mechanical treatments

Saint Agatha Religious Festival in Catania: Stakeholders’ Functions and Relations

The purpose of the paper is to develop an explorative analysis of the functions and relations among actors involved in the organization and implementation of the Saint Agatha Religious Festival in Catania attracting nearly one million presences during the first week of February. The research is based on the survey of different sources of information, such as literature, news, media, and deep interviews with key informants pertaining to civil and religious institutions. The survey is designed to profile the Festival in terms of history, the character of the stakeholders, size, origin of assets, venues used, decision-making structure, and programs. The Festival’s use of volunteers and sponsors is specifically addressed. Empirical research sketches the network of stakeholders, the relationship between organizations, the importance of local social actors and strategies in enhancing local culture and sustainable tourism, regarding, in particular, the socio-cultural impacts of religious tourism. The local society has historical peculiarities which impose prudential considerations in generalizing about findings, and a comparative study with other Sicilian and/or Italian religious festivals will be important, mainly in order to delineate the actual sustainability of Festivals. The framework developed in this study can be helpful in the application of local social policies and also help comparative festival studies

Influence of the vehicle front shape inTeenage Cyclist-Vehicle Crash

In this work the data, obtained for the three vehicles (sedan, SUV and Pick Up), tested in previous works, are compared. Following the results found in the literature, particular emphasis is done on the speed of the teenager cyclist head at the instant of impact and the diagrams of the head speed and the chest obtained in the simulations are shown. The speed of the head is that absolute, and this is used for processing the data and the subsequent determination of the best values of the three geometric actual parameters identified in front of the vehicle. Absolute speed is preferred because using the relative speed respect to vehicle, some amounts that cannot be disregarded are omitted from the evaluation. The chosen speed is 30 km/h because higher values appear too dependent on the mass of the vehicle, while lower values may not result in serious injury and are therefore less attractive. The procedure, to obtain the optimal values of the height of the bumper, the height of the bonnet and of the inclination angle of the bonnet is illustrated in the case the side impact vehicle-teenager cyclist. The conclusion is made that analogous procedure can be applied to HIC values

A New Theoretical Approach on Teenage Cyclist-Vehicle Crash

Data obtained in teenage cyclist impact against three vehicles (sedan, SUV and Pick Up), tested in previous works, are analyzed to verify the theoretical results by the coupling of momentum conservation principle and energy conservation principle. The speed of vehicle and thorax are compared with theoretical ones, obtaining an excellent agreement. Following the results found in the literature, particular emphasis is done on teenager cyclist thorax and head speeds, indicating that the cyclist speed can be theoretically until 1,41 times the impact speed, while greater values, until 2, are obtained in the simulations. A small slowing of the vehicle is found theoretically and in the simulations, due to kinetic energy transfer. A small component of the vehicle speed exists in the orthogonal plane to the motion, due, for example, to the compression of the rider body on the bonnet. A parameter is determined using all the data in term of thorax speed, in all the impact speeds and in all the relative positions; its value does not appear depending on the vehicle mass. It allows the subsequent determination of the best values of three geometric actual parameters identified in front of the vehicle: bumper height, bonnet height and bonnet inclination angle, by interpolation with a second order curve, by making the conclusion that the frontal part of the vehicle may be designed in order to reduce the injury

Design of an Electromagnetic Regenerative Damper and Energy Harvesting Assessment

Design of an electromagnetic regenerative shock absorber is proposed in this paper. In order to increase the efficiency of land vehicles the sources of energy losses have to be eliminated, or reduced. For this reason, several systems, recovering kinetic energy and converting it into electrical power, were studied and designed in the last years. This energy, converted into heat in traditional systems, is recovered to increase the autonomy of the vehicle. The proposed device is constituted by a stator part which coils are placed in an innovative disposition. The moving part is constituted by a rod made in stainless steel with alternated permanent magnets and spacers, so that the relative motion generates a great variation of the concatenated magnetic flux on the coils. A damper mathematical model is implementedin order to characterize the device operating. Several finite element analyses, conducted in ANSYS Workbench Magnetostatic, have confirmed the magnetic field and flux values obtained through the theoretical analysis

Study of a Semi Active Electromagnetic Regenerative Suspension

The main objective of this work is the theoretical and numerical study of a device that allows recovering energy from an automobile suspension. In place of the viscous damper, which dissipates the kinetic energy of the vehicle due to rough roads or more marked obstacles, an electromagnetic damper performs the functions of the viscous shock absorber with a recovery of electric energy. The damper has permanent magnets and its working is based on the electromagnetic induction. The used ferromagnetic material is the Supermendur, which has very good ferromagnetic properties, but is expensive and difficult to found, so that the choice of different material is useful to reduce the costs. The mathematical model describes the operation of the damper, restoring the values of the electrical and mechanical magnitudes versus the relative speed between the stem and the stator. Several finite element analyses, conducted in ANSYS Workbench Magnetostatic, confirm both the magnetic field and flux values obtained through the theoretical analysis. A calculation example of the energy recovery is done considering an electric minicar transiting on a bumpy road (IRI=3); the recovered power has a total value of 280W about; at last a comparison with similar devices proves the excellent quality of the design also if the comparison should be done with uniformity of the parameters

Musculoskeletal disorders and incongruous postures in workers on ropes: A pilot study

Background:Occupational hazards believed to cause musculoskeletal disorders in rope workers are traditionally associated with maintaining incongruous postures for prolonged periods of time. Design and methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 132 technical operators in the wind energy and acrobatic construction sectors, who work on ropes, analysing the ergonomic characteristics of the environments, the way in which tasks are carried out, the strain perceived by individual workers, and assessing the presence of any musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) by means of an objective examination focused on the anatomical districts that were the object of our study. Results:Analysis of the data obtained showed that there were differences in the perception of the level of physical intensity and perceived exertion between the groups of workers. Statistical analysis also revealed a significant association between the frequency of MSDs analysed and perceived exertion. Discussion:The most significant finding to emerge from this study is the high prevalence of MSDs of the cervical spine (52.94%), the upper limbs (29.41%), and the dorso-lumbar spine (17.65%). These values differ from those classically found in those exposed to the risk of conventional manual handling of loads. Conclusions:The high prevalence of disorders of the cervical spine, the scapulo-humeral girdle and the upper limbs, indicates the need to consider the forced position to be assumed for a large part of the work activity, staticity, and the inability to move the lower limbs for long periods as the predominant risk in rope work