Short Employment Spells in Italy, Germany and the UK: Testing the Port-of-Entry Hypothesis

This paper looks at short employment spells in three European countries: the UK, whose labour market is considered the most flexible in the EU; Italy, regarded as the least flexible; and Germany, tightly regulated, but characterised by a deservedly famous apprenticeship system. In particular, it aims to assess whether young people in short-lived jobs stand a better chance of finding a "good job" compared to their older colleagues. The increasingly held belief that - in modern economies - a "bad job" at the beginning of onÈs career is the "port-of-entry" to stable employment and to upward mobility, makes this assessment particularly relevant; i.e. it matters greatly if short-duration jobs are entry ports into better employment or become long term-traps. The lack of accepted benchmarks makes it difficult to reach strong conclusions in regard to the 'efficiency' of labour markets: cross-country comparisons help to highlight the effect of different labour market institutions on mobility and on the soundness of the "port-of-entry" hypothesis.

Worker mobility, displacement, redeployment and wage dynamics in Italy

We investigate various stylized facts on wage growth, labor mobility and firm size, to date unexplored in Italy. Using a wage decomposition that allows to separate individual premiums from firm-effects, we ascertain: (1) whether movers are better off than stayers; (2) whether firm size affects the outcome of workers' mobility across; and (3) the extent to which did job displacement and redeployment inflict wage losses to downsized workers. The sample - a closed panel of full-time male employees, aged 20-50, at work from 1986 to 1991 - is drawn from the employer-employee linked database WHIP (Work Histories Italian Panel

Report of the interlaboratory comparison organized by the Community Reference Laboratory Food Contact Material: Plasticisers in Gaskets and Oil

The Institute for Health and Consumer Protection (IHCP) of the European Commission¿s Directorate-General Joint Research Centre hosts the Community Reference Laboratory for Food Contact Materials (CRL-FCM). One of its core tasks is to organize interlaboratory comparisons (ILCs) among appointed National Reference Laboratories (NRLs). This report presents the results of the first ILC of the CRL-FCM which focused on the determination of Plasticisers content in PVC Gasket and in Oil matrix. The test materials used in this exercise were virgin gasket lids coming from industrial sources for the proficiency exercise part A. For the second part of the exercise an industrial source of sunflower oil was used and spiked with several plasticisers by the CRL-FCM. There were 41 participants to whom samples were dispatched 34 of which submitted results for at least 1 analyte-material. 21 laboratories reported results for more than 10 analyte-material combination out of 14 required. The homogeneity studies were performed by the CRL-FCM laboratory. The assigned value and its uncertainty for part A, virgin gaskets, were obtained after applying the robust statistics to the results obtained from the participants. The assigned values for part B, oil samples, were those obtained based on formulation, from the gravimetric measurements used to spike the material. The uncertainty of the assigned values for oil samples was calculated combining the uncertainty of the spiking procedure with a contribution for the between-bottle homogeneity. Participants were invited to report four replicates measurements. This was done by most of the participants. Laboratory results were rated with z and z¿ scores in accordance with ISO 13528 [1] Standard deviations for proficiency assessment (also called target standard deviations) were set based on Horwitz equation for substances in the two oil samples. For the plasticisers in the two gasket samples the target standard deviation was set by the organizers to 15% in order to fulfil the required criteria for sufficient homogeneity of the sample within the lots.JRC.I.2-Chemical assessment and testin

Resultados de um cuestionario para investigar actitudes de docentes del professorado de educación inicial sobre la ciência, la tecnologia y la sociedade: um estúdio de caso

En este artículo se presenta un estudio de caso cuyo objetivo es indagar las actitudes de docentes del Profesorado de Educación Inicial sobre la Ciencia, la Tecnología y la Sociedad (CTS), a partir del Cuestionario de Opiniones sobre Ciencia, Tecnología y Sociedad (COCTS). La muestra está formada por cinco profesoras, consideradas expertas voluntarias, de un Instituto Superior de Formación Docente (ISFD) de la ciudad de Santa Fe, Argentina. En el trabajo de campo, se pone en práctica un cuestionario de opinión escrita compuesto por seis ítems seleccionados del COCTS, que se corresponde a tres dimensiones de análisis (Definiciones - Ciencia y Tecnología; Sociología Externa de la Ciencia - Influencia de la Sociedad sobre la Ciencia/Tecnología; Sociología Externa de la Ciencia - Influencia de Ciencia/ Tecnología sobre la Sociedad, Influencia general). Los resultados obtenidos manifiestan que las actitudes CTS de las profesoras participantes están más informadas en las frases adecuadas del cuestionario. Por último, se proponen algunas implicaciones de los resultados para investigar las actitudes CTS de los estudiantes en formación de Educación Inicial en el ISFD

AGRESIVIDAD Y RETRAIMIENTO EN ADOLESCENTES

The aim of this paper was to study the dysfunction of social skills in adolescents 11 and 12 years from a low socioeconomic level in Tucuman (Argentina). The instruments used in this research were the Antisocial Behavior Questionnaire (CC-A in Spanish) by Martorell and González Barrón (1992), and a sociodemographic survey. Aggressiveness, isolation and shyness (factors assessed by the Antisocial Behavior Questionnaire), and their eventual gender differences were assessed. The sample included 106 Primary School students (55% female and 45% male) and a descriptive and exploratory methodology was used. Although the majority of the participants did not present antisocial behavior, 11% of the subjects showed aggressive behavior, 11% presented isolated behavior, and a 19% scored for shy behavior. Finally, different hypotheses on the relationship between the observed results and the socioeconomic context were explored.Se estudiaron las disfunciones de las habilidades sociales en adolescentes de 11 y 12 años de NES -Nivel Socioeconómico- bajo de Tucumán (Argentina) empleando el Cuestionario de Conducta Antisocial (CC-A) de Martorell y González Barrón (1992) y una encuesta sociodemográfica. Se indagó si se registraban conductas de agresividad, aislamiento y retraimiento (factores evaluados por el CC-A), y si existían diferencias significativas en función del género. Se describió el contexto socioeconómico en el que estaba inserto el adolescente. La muestra incluyó 106 sujetos escolarizados (55% mujeres, 45% varones) y se utilizó metodología descriptiva y exploratoria. Si bien la mayor parte de los participantes no presentaron déficits en el comportamiento social, en el 11% se identificaron comportamientos agresivos, en el 11% de aislamiento y en un 19% timidez y retraimiento. Se formulan hipótesis acerca de la relación entre los resultados encontrados y el contexto socioeconómico

Cognitive abilities in children culturaly deprived. Preliminary results of assessment first stage

El presente trabajo estudia las habilidades cognitivas con un modelo de Evaluación Dinámica de niños que viven bajo condiciones de pobreza, de la ciudad capital de la Provincia de Tucumán, Argentina. Los objetivos del mismo fueron a) describir las habilidades cognitivas de niños de Tucumán que viven bajo condiciones de pobreza; b) analizar el tipo de respuestas en los Subtests de Analogías y de Construcción con Cubos de la Escala de Inteligencia de Wechsler para niños (WISC-III); c) describir las variables sociodemográficas de los niños de la muestra. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron los subtests de Analogías y de Construcción con Cubos de la Escala de Inteligencia de Wechsler para niños, tercera edición  (WISC-III), y una Encuesta Sociodemográfica con el objeto de realizar asociaciones entre el rendimiento de los niños y variables sociales o familiares. Los resultados obtenidos dan cuenta que las dificultades de estos niños se encuentran en las tareas de tipo verbal, asociadas a un nivel cognitivo preoperacional. Presentan un razonamiento intuitivo, dificultad para establecer relaciones entre los hechos, déficit en la formación de conceptos verbales y en el manejo de las abstracciones. Con respecto al desempeño en las tareas de tipo manipulativa se sitúan dentro de las llamadas operaciones concretas, manifiestan dificultad para representar y falta de estrategias operativas exitosas. Los resultados obtenidos corresponden a la Fase denominada de test, dentro de un Modelo de Evaluación Dinámica y serán la base para la formulación de un programa de intervención, que opere sobre la zona de desarrollo potencial y conduzca al cambio cognitivo, con la consiguiente superación de las dificultades encontradas.This work studies the cognitive abilities of children who live in a poor back- ground. It was carried out in the urban area of the city of San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina. The aims of this work are: a) to describe the cognitive abilities of children who live in a poor background; b) to analyse the performance levels in the sub- tests of analogies and cube building from Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-III); c) to describe the socio-demographic variables of the chil- dren involved in the sample. Having the objective of making associations between the children’s per- formance and the social, familiar, and other type of variables, a socio-demo- graphic survey was carried out; the subtests of analogies and cube building from Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – third release - (WISC-III), were used. The obtained results show that the difficulties of these children are mainly in the verbal-like tasks which are associated to a preoperational cognitive level. The children show an intuitive way of reasoning. They have difficulties in establishing relationships among facts in matters of reasoning. There is a deficiency in the formation of verbal concepts and in the management of abs- traction as well. With reference to the performance in the manipulative-like tasks, the children are into the concrete operational stage, and, they lack the abilities and strategies to represent successful operational. The results obtained will be the base for the formulation of an intervention program that conduct at cognitive change, with the consequent beating of the difficulties found.Fil: Coronel, Claudia Paola. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán; ArgentinaFil: Lacunza, Ana Betina. Universidad del Norte Santo Tomás de Aquino; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; ArgentinaFil: Contini de González, N.. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán; Argentin

Responsive core-shell DNA particles trigger lipid-membrane disruption and bacteria entrapment.

Biology has evolved a variety of agents capable of permeabilizing and disrupting lipid membranes, from amyloid aggregates, to antimicrobial peptides, to venom compounds. While often associated with disease or toxicity, these agents are also central to many biosensing and therapeutic technologies. Here, we introduce a class of synthetic, DNA-based particles capable of disrupting lipid membranes. The particles have finely programmable size, and self-assemble from all-DNA and cholesterol-DNA nanostructures, the latter forming a membrane-adhesive core and the former a protective hydrophilic corona. We show that the corona can be selectively displaced with a molecular cue, exposing the 'sticky' core. Unprotected particles adhere to synthetic lipid vesicles, which in turn enhances membrane permeability and leads to vesicle collapse. Furthermore, particle-particle coalescence leads to the formation of gel-like DNA aggregates that envelop surviving vesicles. This response is reminiscent of pathogen immobilisation through immune cells secretion of DNA networks, as we demonstrate by trapping E. coli bacteria

Thymosin β4 and β10 Expression in Human Organs during Development: A Review

This review summarizes the results of a series of studies performed by our group with the aim to define the expression levels of thymosin β4 and thymosin β10 over time, starting from fetal development to different ages after birth, in different human organs and tissues. The first section describes the proteomics investigations performed on whole saliva from preterm newborns and gingival crevicular fluid, which revealed to us the importance of these acidic peptides and their multiple functions. These findings inspired us to start an in-depth investigation mainly based on immunochemistry to establish the distribution of thymosin β4 and thymosin β10 in different organs from adults and fetuses at different ages (after autopsy), and therefore to obtain suggestions on the functions of β-thymosins in health and disease. The functions of β-thymosins emerging from these studies, for instance, those performed during carcinogenesis, add significant details that could help to resolve the nowadays so-called "β-thymosin enigma", i.e., the potential molecular role played by these two pleiotropic peptides during human development

Correction to "A Multiscale Study of Phosphorylcholine Driven Cellular Phenotypic Targeting".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.2c00146.]

The zCOSMOS 10k-Bright Spectroscopic Sample

We present spectroscopic redshifts of a large sample of galaxies with I_(AB) < 22.5 in the COSMOS field, measured from spectra of 10,644 objects that have been obtained in the first two years of observations in the zCOSMOS-bright redshift survey. These include a statistically complete subset of 10,109 objects. The average accuracy of individual redshifts is 110 km s^(–1), independent of redshift. The reliability of individual redshifts is described by a Confidence Class that has been empirically calibrated through repeat spectroscopic observations of over 600 galaxies. There is very good agreement between spectroscopic and photometric redshifts for the most secure Confidence Classes. For the less secure Confidence Classes, there is a good correspondence between the fraction of objects with a consistent photometric redshift and the spectroscopic repeatability, suggesting that the photometric redshifts can be used to indicate which of the less secure spectroscopic redshifts are likely right and which are probably wrong, and to give an indication of the nature of objects for which we failed to determine a redshift. Using this approach, we can construct a spectroscopic sample that is 99% reliable and which is 88% complete in the sample as a whole, and 95% complete in the redshift range 0.5 < z < 0.8. The luminosity and mass completeness levels of the zCOSMOS-bright sample of galaxies is also discussed