Towards an improvement of the legal framework governing Occupational Health and Safety in the European Union

This thesis addresses the complex issue of what action could be taken by the EU to improve OHS standards across the Member States (MS). More specifically: what can be done at the EU level? Why should action be taken and under what conditions? To address these questions, the thesis is structured around two main focal points: in order to think about what could be done to develop EU OHS standards, it is first necessary to assess what has been done in the past. In the first chapter, a socio-legal perspective is adopted to chart the evolution to date of OHS law within the EU. Relevant primary sources are analysed, including all EU OHS directives, and a review of the secondary literature is complemented by a series of semi-structured interviews with stakeholders who participated in the drafting or negotiation of the main Framework Directive 89/391/EEC. In order to assess the impact of EU OHS standards within the MS, a comparison is then drawn between French and UK OHS law, with a focus in each case on the changes that were made to national law in response to developments in EU law. In the second part of the thesis, the enquiry turns to consider how the EU institutions might act to improve OHS standards. The jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) is analysed in a detailed, schematic manner and the nature and activities of Labour Inspectorates is considered, both within MS and at the EU level, with a critical review here of the role and function of the recently created European Labour Authority. Given the current political stalemate in the EU in respect of social policy, the main conclusion of the thesis is that the most viable route towards the improvement of workers’ health and safety lies not with new legislation but with the improved application and enforcement of the existing body of EU OHS standards. This could be effected through (i) European-level coordination of the way LIs enforce existing standards at the national level, and (ii) a program of strategic litigation before the CJEU to cover existing gaps and develop ‘new’ rights; for example, the right to reasonable accommodation in the workplace for injured or unwell workers

Collective bargaining: a single European concept?

The European Union’s establishment of the single market and the easing of boundaries have an effect on the economy but also on society, resulting in a Europe-wide movement of companies and employees. The employment relationship crosses boundaries, and parties have to face different systems of law. Considering that collective bargaining is one of the major tools of employment regulation, this research explores the functions and mechanisms of the bargaining process at a European level and in two Member States, France and the United Kingdom, chosen as examples because of the diversity in their legal traditions: France as a country of civil law, and the United Kingdom as a country of common law. Prior studies have focused on outputs of the collective bargaining process rather than the process itself, and the possibility of convergence of national industrial systems in the context of European integration. To date, little comparative research has been conducted about the process of collective bargaining at the national level and its connection with European Union developments. By comparing two Member States with different legal conceptions and approaches, the flexibility of the collective bargaining process as a common concept can be seen. Comparisons can also be made between national collective bargaining and European social dialogue. Therefore, this dissertation is motivated by two sets of research questions: (1) what was/is the influence of France and the UK on the European social dialogue construction? What in their politics decision had an impact, and what were the consequences? (2) Considering the actual framework about the process of collective bargaining, is there any phenomenon of convergence or divergence between the French and the British systems, and also with social dialogue? What are the consequences of similarities and differences on the employees’ situation? To what extent is there a connection between the national and the European processes? Three alternative hypotheses emerge: (1) the concept of collective bargaining is the same in the French, the British and the European systems. (2) This concept is common at the national level, but the European social dialogue differs from it. (3) The concept of collective bargaining is not applicable at the European stage, and the divergences between the French and the British systems prove that the realities of this concept are not the same. The goal of this study is to explore the collective bargaining process in these three systems to see their similarities and differences and what they can learn from each other to improve the concept of collective bargaining in the European Union

Making algorithmic management safe and healthy for workers: addressing psychosocial risks in new legal provisions

The increasing deployment of algorithmic management in the workplace poses significant occupational safety and health risks for workers. In this article, we argue that existing and proposed EU regulatory frameworks are inadequate to address these risks, especially psychosocial risks, created or exacerbated by algorithmic management. While existing and proposed regulatory frameworks have significant implications for employers’ obligations to mitigate these risks, we identify several psychosocial risks created or exacerbated by algorithmic management and show how the current and proposed regulatory frameworks fall short of adequately addressing these risks. We observe that these frameworks, based largely in the ‘safety by design’ tradition, focus on the design phase of the technology lifecycle. This focus does not adequately address risks that arise in the use or deployment stage of algorithmic management. There is therefore a need for a standalone piece of legislation at the EU level on algorithmic management. To address these shortcomings, we outline suggestions for provisions necessary toward safe and healthy digitally managed work

High Fat Diet and Inflammation - Modulation of Haptoglobin Level in Rat Brain

Obesity and dietary fats are well known risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases. The analysis of specific markers, whose brain level can be affected by diet, might contribute to unveil the intersection between inflammation/obesity and neurodegeneration. Haptoglobin (Hpt) is an acute phase protein, which acts as antioxidant by binding free haemoglobin (Hb), thus neutralizing its pro-oxidative action. We previously demonstrated that Hpt plays critical functions in brain, modulating cholesterol trafficking in neurons, beta-amyloid (Aβ) uptake by astrocyte, and limiting Aβ toxicity on these cells. A major aim of this study was to evaluate whether a long term (12 or 24 weeks) high-fat diet (HFD) influences Hpt and Hb expression in rat hippocampus. We also assessed the development of obesity-induced inflammation by measuring hippocampal TNF-alpha, and the extent of protein oxidation by titrating nitro-tyrosine (N-Tyr). Hpt concentration was lower in hippocampus of HFD rats than in control animals, HFD was also associated in hippocampus with the increase of Hb level, inflammation and protein oxidative modification, as evidenced by the increase in the concentration of TNF-alpha and nitro-tyrosine. In fact, TNF-alpha concentration was higher in rats receiving HFD for 12 or 24 weeks compared to controls. N-Tyr concentration was more elevated in hippocampus of HFD than in control rats in both 12 weeks and 24 weeks groups. Finally, we found that the treatment of the human glial cells with cholesterol and fatty acids significantly impairs Hpt secretion in the extracellular compartment. We hypothesize that the HFD-dependent decrease of Hpt in hippocampus, as associated with Hb increase, might enhance the oxidative stress induced by free Hb. Altogether our data, identifying Hpt as a molecule modulated in the brain by dietary fats, may represent one of the first steps in the comprehension of the molecular mechanisms underlying the diet-related effects in the nervous system

Imaging Net Retrograde Axonal Transport In Vivo: A Physiological Biomarker

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to develop a novel method for monitoring the integrity of motor neurons in vivo by quantifying net retrograde axonal transport. METHODS: The method uses single photon emission computed tomography to quantify retrograde transport to spinal cord of tetanus toxin fragment C ((125) I-TTC) following intramuscular injection. We characterized the transport profiles in 3 transgenic mouse models carrying amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-associated genes, aging mice, and SOD1(G93A) transgenic mice following CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. Lastly, we studied the effect of prior immunization of tetanus toxoid on the transport profile of TTC. RESULTS: This technique defines a quantitative profile of net retrograde axonal transport of TTC in living mice. The profile is distinctly abnormal in transgenic SOD1(G93A) mice as young as 65 days (presymptomatic) and worsens with disease progression. Moreover, this method detects a distinct therapeutic benefit of gene editing in transgenic SOD1(G93A) mice well before other clinical parameters (eg, grip strength) show improvement. Symptomatic transgenic PFN1(C71G/C71G) ALS mice display gross reductions in net retrograde axonal transport, which is also disturbed in asymptomatic mice harboring a human C9ORF72 transgene with an expanded GGGGCC repeat motif. In wild-type mice, net retrograde axonal transport declines with aging. Lastly, prior immunization with tetanus toxoid does not preclude use of this assay. INTERPRETATION: This assay of net retrograde axonal transport has broad potential clinical applications and should be particularly valuable as a physiological biomarker that permits early detection of benefit from potential therapies for motor neuron diseases

Ribociclib in newly diagnosed hepatitis B infection: A case report

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women worldwide. Actually CDK4/6 inhibitor Ribociclib is approved for the treatment of metastatic hormone-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER 2)-negative breast cancer, but comorbidities like infectious or cardiovascular diseases may limit its use.Case reportA 45-year-old woman was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in September 2021; also, her hepatitis screening resulted positive for hepatitis B infection. Patient assumed eradicative therapy for hepatitis and bit after started oncological therapy with Ribociclib.OutcomeFrequent check of hepatological function was observed since start of eradicative therapy; liver transaminases and bilirubin kept to not rise despite start of oncological treatment with Ribociclib. Patient’s Performance Status was also not compromised and revaluation at 4, 9 and 13 months showed partial response and then stable disease.Discussionhepatotoxicity of Ribociclib is reported as a possible side effect, and often positivity for hepatitis is cause of exclusion from therapy; in our case, no hepatotoxicity was noted and patient obtained response in terms of control of both infectious and oncological diseases

Modelli matematici per l'ottimizzazione del trasporto multimodale

Modello su AMPL per ottimizzare la scelta del trasporto in base al tragitto, all'orario di partenza e all'intervallo di tempo considerato

Origine locale degli rna presinaptici e ruolo della sintesi proteica sinaptica nella plasticità cerebrale

Il lavoro di ricerca descritto nella tesi riguarda la caratterizzazione e il ruolo del sistema di espressione genica delle terminazioni nervose del neurone. A questo scopo si sono utilizzati preparati modello del calamaro e del ratto nei quali è già ben nota la presenza di sistemi locali di sintesi proteica. Nel calamaro, la localizzazione nel lobo ottico delle terminazioni nervose dei fotocettori retinici ha consentito di dimostrare che RNA presinaptico è sintetizzato localmente, presumibilmente nelle vicine cellule gliali. In considerazione del fatto che nelle stesse terminazioni è presente un attivo sistema di sintesi proteica, i dati dimostrano che le regioni presinaptiche sono in grado di utilizzare un sistema locale di espressione genica, basato sulla stretta collaborazione con le cellule gliali perisinaptiche. D’altra parte, nel ratto, i dati ottenuti con frazioni sinaptosomali preparate da diverse macroregioni del cervello hanno permesso di identificare due proteine sinaptiche, rispettivamente da 66.5 kDa e 87.6 kDa, la cui sintesi locale è notevolmente aumentata in seguito ad addestramento degli animali per un compito di evitamento attivo a due vie, ma non per un compito molto più semplice di abitudine spaziale. Di conseguenza, i dati dimostrano che le regioni sinaptiche del mammifero sono direttamente coinvolte nei processi di plasticità cerebrale a lungo termine indotti dall’apprendimento