Is there a retirement consumption puzzle in Italy?

In this paper we investigate the way consumption changes around retirement in Italy. Using micro data covering the 1985-96 period, we find that consumption age patterns are similar to those found in the US and other developed countries, despite the much more wide-spread cohabitation of different generations. We also document the existence of a one-off drop in consumption at retirement of the household head, as in the UK and the US, and find that consumption of work-related goods falls around retirement age and home production of food and other goods increases. Given that we can provide evidence that Italian households who retired over the sample period knew reasonably well what their pension income would be, the only reason why forward looking consumers should reduce spending around retirement is because of their increased consumption of leisure. We do find evidence that the abrupt falls in total non-durable consumption at retirement disappear when leisure is taken into account, in agreement with the predictions of the life-cycle theory. This finding is robust to the way consumption is attributed to different household members, and to exclusion of non-nuclear households from the analysis.

Theoretical and empirical links between trade unions and democracy

This special issue wants to honour the memory of Giulio Regeni, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge who was assassinated while he was conducting field research on independent trade unions in Egypt. This introduction and the following articles focus on the theoretical, empirical and methodological questions at the core of Regeni’s research. Unions have traditionally been regarded as crucial for representing the interests of the working class as a whole and for building and sustaining industrial and political democracy; however, there is a debate about the conditions under which unions can be effective, and the role of unions’ internal democracy is particularly controversial. The article discusses the theoretical linkages between trade unions, democratization and union democracy and concludes with a reflection on the new concerns about the risk of conducting field research on these issues raised by Regeni’s death

Dissemination and Exploitation Plan (D5.5)

Summary The current Plan summarises the beneficiaries’ strategy and concrete actions related to the protection, dissemination and exploitation of the project results. Horizon 2020 is a Research and Innovation programme aiming at fostering competitiveness and growth and increasing benefits to the European Union economy and citizens. Public investment in projects are to be converted into socio-economic benefits for the society, as clearly indicated in the Horizon 2020 Rules for Participation, with a clear accent to the beneficiaries’ obligations to exploit and disseminate the outcomes of the funded activities. The Horizon 2020 work programme 2014-2015 explicitly specifies that project proposals shall include a draft Plan for the Exploitation and Dissemination of Results. This Plan is a strategic document indicating how the partnership establishes the basis for the intellectual property strategy, dissemination and exploitation activities, and summarises the beneficiaries’ strategy and concrete actions related to the protection, dissemination and exploitation of the project results. See Article 43 Horizon 2020 Rules for Participation http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/legal_basis/rules_participation/h2020-rules-participation_en.pdf Other contributing authors Deutsches Klimarechenzentrum GmbH (DKRZ), Joachim Biercamp, Kerstin Fieg, Jakob Luettgau, Nabeeh Jumah, Thomas Ludwig European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), Daniel Thiemert, Peter Bauer, Peter Dueben Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-Institut Pierre Simon Laplace (CNRS-IPSL), Francesca Guglielmo, Sylvie Joussaume Max-Planck-Institut für Meteorologie (MPI-M), Reinhard Budich Centre Européen de Recherche et de Formation Avancée en Calcul Scientifique (CERFACS), Sophie Valcke Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Kim Serradell Met Office (Met O), Mick Carter , David Matthews Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), Bryan Lawrence The University of Reading (UREAD), Grenville Lister Sveriges meteorologiska och hydrologiska institut (SMHI), Uwe Fladrich National University of Ireland Galway - Irish Centre for High End Computing (ICHEC) , Alastair McKinstry Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici (CMCC), Sandro Fiore, Giovanni Aloisio, Silvia Mocavero Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), Florian Prill Seagate Systems UK Limited (SEAGATE), Malcom Muggeridge, John Forgan, Sai Narasimhamurthy, Giuseppe Congiu BULL SAS (BULL), Erwan Raffin , Xavier Vigouroux, Cyril Mazauric Allinea Software Limited (ALLINEA) Olly Perks, Patrick Wohlschlegel, Martin Hall, Laurent Lebea

A Systematic Review of Risk Assessment Associated with Jellyfish Consumption as a Potential Novel Food

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) predicted that the world’s population will reach over 9 billion in 2050. This condition will require an increase of the global food production by 60%. Technology and scientific research in the near future will soon be oriented towards optimizing the limited existing resources, reducing waste, and improving the consumption of sustainable new foods. Jellyfish could be a valid alternative among novel food. The purpose of this systematic review was to assess microbiological, chemical, physical, and allergenic risks associated with jellyfish consumption. Four research strings have been used to assess evidences about these risks. PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis) guidelines were applied. Finally, 14 articles were found. Results showed a good level of health safety for jellyfish consumption in terms of its allergenic and microbiological risks. No evidence was found about physical risks. As regards chemical safety, it should be fundamental to carry out a constant monitoring of the water where jellyfish are captured or bred. Periodic checks will be necessary on the finished product, such as the analysis of the aluminum content commonly used during the manufacturing process. The number of publications found was rather small, and further investigation will be necessary to enforce the knowledge on jellyfish consumption by humans

Assessing COVID-19 vaccine literacy: a preliminary online survey

The COVID-19 infodemic can be countered by scientific evidence, clear and consistent communication, and improved health literacy of both individuals in need of information and those providing it. A rapid online survey was carried out to evaluate vaccine literacy (VL) skills in the general population and perceptions about COVID-19 vaccine candidates, along with behavior and beliefs about current vaccinations. Observed VL levels were consistent with previous observations – where comparable self-reported tools were administered face-to-face and by paper-and-pencil – the mean functional score being = 2.92, while the interactive-critical score was = 3.27, out of a maximum of 4. Perceptions regarding future COVID-19 vaccines, along with beliefs about vaccination, were mostly positive and significantly associated with functional and interactive-critical VL scales. Despite limitations, the study confirms that surveys via the web are a suitable method to evaluate and track attitudes during infectious disease outbreaks and assess health literacy skills about vaccination, which can be useful to adapt medical communication strategies, for a better understanding of the value of immunization