Oxidative Stress and Inflammation as Targets for Novel Preventive and Therapeutic Approches in Non Communicable Diseases

As recently reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) has been rising over the last century representing the main cause of death and disability for the general population regardless of age, region, or gender [...

Explaining divergent bargaining outcomes for agency workers: the role of labour divides and labour market reforms

Under what conditions can unions successfully regulate precarious employment? We compare the divergent trajectories of collective bargaining on agency work in the Italian and German metal sectors from the late 1990s. We explain the differences by the interaction between trade unions’ institutional and associational power resources, mediated by employers’ divide-and-rule strategies and by union strategies to (re)build a unitary front. In both countries, the liberalization of agency work allowed employers to exploit labour divides, undermining unions’ associational power and preventing labour from negotiating effectively. However, while Italian unions remained ‘trapped’ in the vicious circle between weak legislation and fragmented labour, German unions were able to overcome their internal divides. The different degree of success depended on the nature of the divides within the labour movements

Streams Analysis for Better Air Quality: The German Lead City Program Assessed by the Policy Package Approach and the Multiple Streams Framework

Air pollution caused by traffic and other sources remains a challenge in big cities and urbanized areas in Germany and abroad. Nitrogen dioxide emissions, particulate matter, noise emissions, and ozone are still problematic issues with negative impacts on both the environment and human health. In 2018, the German Federal Government launched the “Lead City Program,” a €130-million fund to support five selected so-called Lead Cities in developing and implementing air quality policies. This article comparatively analyzes the policy-making process and policy content for better air quality in the three (out of five) Lead Cities—Essen, Herrenberg, and Reutlingen. Conceptually, we rely on two theoretical frameworks—the policy package approach (PPA) and the multiple streams framework (MSF). The objective, thus, is an ex-post analysis of policy development by means of two policy science-based concepts. Based on document-based desk research and qualitative interviews with policymakers and stakeholders in each of the three cities, we identified a number of key variables that created a window of opportunity and paved the way for the selection of the policy packages. The resulting five key variables are direct interaction between the different governance levels, long-standing non-compliance with the European Union (EU) NO$_{2}$ limit values in many German cities, the resulting European and national infringement proceedings, the diesel scandal, and the Lead City Program as overall multiple stream-coupling facilitators. The results are then discussed regarding the explanatory power of MSF and PPA and the mutual potential linkages these concepts offer for future research

Teaching Social Skills in the Community to Individuals with Autism

Often times social skills are missed as a significant clinical need for children with high functioning autism when they are successful academically. Social skill deficits impact an individual’s ability to make meaningful friendships, to participate fully in a fully inclusive setting (e.g., public school), and to participate in community activities with their peers and family (e.g., sports events, restaurants, baseball/soccer games, etc.). This presentation will describe a model for providing social skills instruction to children with autism while fully included in a typical summer day camp program. This program was developed in partnership between the Marcus Autism Center and a community based summer day camp. The goal was to increase the rate of social interactions and participation in camp activities with typical peers similar to recess and specials in a school setting. Children with high functioning autism are often times observed seeking adult attention and engage in more conversation with adults during unstructured times. Therefore, the targeted social skills included peer engagement and peer participation. The interventions described will provide educators with useful tools to facilitate social interactions during unstructured times throughout the school day. Additionally, a data collection system was developed comparing social skills exhibited by each individual child with autism with same age, same gender typically developing peers. The intervention and data collection system will be outlined and case examples will be shown

The insulin-like growth factor system : a target for endocrine disruptors?

Acknowledgments: Figures were created with BioRender.com Funding: This work was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie project PROTECTED (grant agreement No. 722634) and FREIA project (grant agreement No. 825100). The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding this studyPeer reviewedPublisher PD

Trace Elements in Soil and Urban Groundwater in an Area Impacted by Metallurgical Activity: Health Risk Assessment in the Historical Barga Municipality (Tuscany, Italy)

Trace elements were measured in soil and groundwater collected within the Fornaci di Barga urban area (Serchio River Valley, Tuscany, Italy), a territory that integrates natural assets with touristic vocation, impacted by long-lasting metallurgical activity. Epidemiological studies highlighted that the area surrounding the industrial plants is characterized by a persistent excess of diseases, attributed to heavy metal pollution. Soils were taken in school gardens, public parks, sport grounds and roadsides. The results indicate that Cu, Zn and Cd represent the main contaminants in surface soil, likely originated by deposition of airborne particulate matter from metallurgical activity. Risk assessment considering soil ingestion and dermal contact exposure routes revealed that the cadmium Hazard Quotient approaches unity for children, and the cadmium risk-based concentration obtained by combining exposure information with toxicity data is only slightly lower compared with the cadmium maximum concentration actually measured in soil. Groundwater does not show evidence of trace metal contamination, suggesting that the migration of contaminants from soil to subsurface is a slow process. However, assessment of the possible interconnections between shallow and deep-seated aquifers requires monitoring to be continued. The obtained results highlight the possible link between space clusters of diseases and metal concentration in soil

Gli alberi monumentali: normative, conoscenza e tutela

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Bioactive sphene-based ceramic coatings on cpTi substrates for dental implants: An in vitro study

Titanium implant surface modifications have been widely investigated to favor the process of osseointegration. The present work aimed to evaluate the effect of sphene (CaTiSiO5) biocoating, on titanium substrates, on the in vitro osteogenic differentiation of Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells (hADSCs). Sphene bioceramic coatings were prepared using preceramic polymers and nano-sized active fillers and deposited by spray coating. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis, surface roughness measurements and X-ray diffraction analysis were performed. The chemical stability of the coatings in Tris-HCl solution was investigated. In vitro studies were performed by means of proliferation test of hADSCs seeded on coated and uncoated samples after 21 days. Methyl Thiazolyl-Tetrazolium (MTT) test and immunofluorescent staining with phalloidin confirmed the in vitro biocompatibility of both substrates. In vitro osteogenic differentiation of the cells was evaluated using Alizarin Red S staining and quantification assay and real-time PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction). When hADSCs were cultured in the presence of Osteogenic Differentiation Medium, a significantly higher accumulation of calcium deposits onto the sphene-coated surfaces than on uncoated controls was detected. Osteogenic differentiation on both samples was confirmed by PCR. The proposed coating seems to be promising for dental and orthopedic implants, in terms of composition and deposition technology