A Comparative Analysis of Inequality in Health Across Europe

The study of inequality in health concerns the relationship between socially structured characteristics and health outcomes. Howewer, health disparities are also linked to purely individual characteristics and contextual ones. In particular, the contextual effect at a national level may reflect differences in the functioning and performing of national health institutions, that may be conceived as further determinants of health inequalities. In this work we aim at estimating the effect of education on self-assessed health across European countries, taking into account potential confounders like age, gender and family social background. Using a multilevel model with individuals nested in countries, we can achieve two aims. First, we can see whether countries differ in their average self-assessed health score. Second, we can test our hypothesis about the existence of a European social gradient, that is that education exerts a relatively constant effect on self-assessed health. We develop our models using data from European Social Surveys (88,842 interviews).Health Inequalities, Health Policies, Public Health Care Systems, Comparative Studies

Translation and emerging functions of non-coding RNAs in inflammation and immunity

Regulatory non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) including small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs) have gained considerable attention in the last few years. This is mainly due to their condition- and tissue-specific expression and their various modes of action, which suggests them as promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets. One important mechanism of ncRNAs to regulate gene expression is through translation of short open reading frames (sORFs). These sORFs can be located in lncRNAs, in non-translated regions of mRNAs where upstream ORFs (uORFs) represent the majority, or in circRNAs. Regulation of their translation can function as a quick way to adapt protein production to changing cellular or environmental cues, and can either depend solely on the initiation and elongation of translation, or on the roles of the produced functional peptides. Due to the experimental challenges to pinpoint translation events and to detect the produced peptides, translational regulation through regulatory RNAs is not well studied yet. In the case of circRNAs, they have only recently started to be recognized as regulatory molecules instead of mere artifacts of RNA biosynthesis. Of the many roles described for regulatory ncRNAs, we will focus here on their regulation during inflammation and in immunity. Keywords: immunology; inflammation; non-coding RNA; regulation; translatio

Translation and emerging functions of non‐coding RNAs in inflammation and immunity

Regulatory non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) including small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs) have gained considerable attention in the last few years. This is mainly due to their condition- and tissue-specific expression and their various modes of action, which suggests them as promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets. One important mechanism of ncRNAs to regulate gene expression is through translation of short open reading frames (sORFs). These sORFs can be located in lncRNAs, in non-translated regions of mRNAs where upstream ORFs (uORFs) represent the majority, or in circRNAs. Regulation of their translation can function as a quick way to adapt protein production to changing cellular or environmental cues, and can either depend solely on the initiation and elongation of translation, or on the roles of the produced functional peptides. Due to the experimental challenges to pinpoint translation events and to detect the produced peptides, translational regulation through regulatory RNAs is not well studied yet. In the case of circRNAs, they have only recently started to be recognized as regulatory molecules instead of mere artifacts of RNA biosynthesis. Of the many roles described for regulatory ncRNAs, we will focus here on their regulation during inflammation and in immunity

Low adherence of Swiss children to national dietary guidelines.

INTRODUCTION: Dietary guidelines aim to inform people of the types of foods and quantities they should consume each day or week to promote and maintain health. The aim of this study was to describe children's dietary behaviors in terms of adherence to the Swiss Society for Nutrition (SSN) dietary guidelines and possible determinants. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in September 2010 with 568 children aged 6-12 years old living in Ticino Switzerland. Food intake was collected using 7-day food logs. Adherence with the dietary guidelines from the SSN was assessed according to age group. RESULTS: With the exception of fish and cereal/potato intake (adherence rates of 68.5% and 47.9%, respectively), adherence to SSN guidelines was low: 26.9% for meat; 22.7% for eggs; 10.4% for fruit; 9.5% for sweets, snacks & soft drinks; 3.5% for milk & dairy, and 0% for vegetables. Multivariate analysis showed no consistent association between the child or their parent's socio-demographic characteristics and adherence to SSN guidelines. Girls had a higher likelihood of adhering with fruit and meat guidelines: multivariate adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) 1.98 (1.10-3.56) and 1.80 (1.08-2.99), respectively. Children aged 10 to 12 had a lower likelihood of adhering with cereals and potatoes 0.48 (0.29-0.78), and a higher likelihood of adhering with the guideline for eggs 1.78 (1.00-3.15). CONCLUSION: Dietary intake of Ticinese children shows poor adherence with SSN guidelines. Given the lack of specific socio-demographic factors associated with adherence, population-wide interventions to improve dietary intake are necessary

Spunti per una rilettura del regime detentivo speciale alla luce del principio di proporzionalità

More than 30 years after the introduction of 41 bis, there is a need to thoroughly rethink its role and discipline. While convinced of the legitimacy of the purpose that this measure pursues and of its persistent usefulness, it is believed that a reinterpretation of the discipline in light of the principle of proportionality may provide important food for thought with a view to its refounding in the perspective of a reasonable balance between special prevention needs and the protection of fundamental rights.A più di trent’anni dall’introduzione del 41 bis nell’ordinamento, si avverte l’esigenza di ripensarne a fondo ruolo e disciplina. Pur convinti della legittimità del fine che tale misura persegue e della sua persistente utilità, si ritiene che una rilettura della disciplina alla luce del principio di proporzionalità possa fornire importanti spunti di riflessione in vista di una sua rifondazione nella prospettiva di un ragionevole bilanciamento tra esigenze di prevenzione speciale e tutela dei diritti fondamentali

To promote positive relationships in a organizational context: a study used to deconstruct ageism

openCon l’aumentare della speranza di vita, specialmente nel mondo del lavoro, si è assistito all’incontro di persone con età molto differenti tra loro. Diversi studi hanno riportato che, sempre più spesso, i contesti organizzativi, caratterizzati da diversità generazionale, hanno dovuto fronteggiare la sfida dell’integrazione al loro interno. Tra i collaboratori, infatti, si è visto insorgere l’ageism, una forma di pregiudizio guidato dall’età. Le ricadute, ampiamente documentate in letteratura, possono impattare negativamente in ogni stadio della carriera, nelle relazioni interpersonali e sulla salute della persona stessa. Avvalendosi dei contributi apportati rispetto alla possibilità di intervento tramite la ricerca psicosociale (Gergen, 2015), e ponendosi entro la cornice del Costruzionismo Sociale, il presente studio si è posto l’obiettivo di contribuire, in ottica migliorativa, all’integrazione delle età sul luogo di lavoro. Il contesto protagonista è stata un’ Organizzazione di Volontariato grazie alla quale, sia tra i volontari sia a livello di utenza, ogni giorno entrano in contatto persone di generazioni molto differenti. Lo studio ha seguito il Generative Sequential Mixed Methods Approach (Romaioli, 2022) un disegno di ricerca caratterizzato dalla combinazione di una prima fase quantitativa e di una seconda fase qualitativa. Nella prima fase è stato somministrato un questionario funzionale alla misurazione del livello di ageism, mentre nella seconda sono state condotte delle interviste semi strutturate che hanno permesso ai partecipanti di ripensare alla propria esperienza. Grazie alla capacità generativa delle interviste, nello scambio tra ricercatori e partecipanti, questi ultimi hanno potuto sfidare il pregiudizio espresso e ricostruirlo, ripensando al loro modo di relazionarsi con i più anziani. Grazie alle analisi tematiche condotte sui testi raccolti, infine, si sono potuti evidenziare i nuclei centrali delle narrazioni positive emerse, delineando nuove visioni di “anziani” e “anzianità”

Processing Methods and Storage Conditions on Chocolate and Coffee Powder Flow Properties

Powders are widely used in a countless number of industries, and are crucial to the quality control of products in areas such as pharmaceuticals and food. Particle physicochemical properties (morphology, solid state – crystalline, amorphous or both) are important factors for powder flow, which in turn can have significant impact on the stability, performance, and presentation of powders. Different processing methods as well as storage conditions such as relative humidity (RH) can drastically affect powder flow. Due to the widespread use of chocolate and coffee powder around the world, and their importance to the food industry, this work investigates two and five different batches of chocolate and coffee powders respectively. To observe the effect of RH on flow, powders were exposed to RHs of 60% and 70% for 24 hours. Powder flow behavior of the powders was determined before and after exposure to the various RH’s using the REVOLUTION Powder Analyzer (RPA). The RPA uses a dynamic powder avalanching technique to determine the flow of a powder. The key results include that different processing methods can greatly influence the morphology of powders, which can drastically affect the flow. The results showed that overall the coffee powders when exposed to higher RH the flow rate was reduced. This is may be due to the acquired morphology and solid-state properties after the different powder processing conditions that leads to different behavior. This study demonstrates the impact of storage conditions and processing methods of chocolate and coffee have on the powder flow behavior. This study will help and complement the understanding of the origin of agglomeration when assessing surface interactions