Support provided by elderly in Italy: a hierarchical analysis of ego networks controlling for alter–overlapping

Providing support outside the household can be considered an actual sign of an active social life for the elderly. Adopting an ego–network perspective, we study support Italian elders provide to kin or non–kin. More specifically, using Italian survey data, we build the ego–centered networks of social contacts elders entertain and the ego–networks of support elders provide to other non–cohabitant kin or non–kin. Since ego–network data are inherently multilevel, we use Bayesian multilevel models to analyze variation in support ties, controlling for the characteristics of elders and their contacts. This modeling strategy enables dealing with sparseness and alter–alter overlap in the ego support network data and to disentangle the effects related to the ego (the elder), the dyad ego–alter, the kind of support provided, as well as social contacts and contextual variables. The results suggest that the elderly in Italy who provide support outside their household — compared to all elders in the sample — are younger, healthier, more educated, and embedded in a more diversified ego–network of social contacts. The latter also conveys both the type and the recipient of the support, with the elderly who entertain few relationships with kin being more prone to provide aid to non–kin. Further, a “peer homophily” effect in directing elder support to a non–kin is also found

Ego-centered Support Networks: a Cross-national European Comparison

This contribution aims at comparing patterns of social support -provided and received- among the elderly population in European countries. Adopting an egocentered network perspective, by means of multivariate techniques for categorical data, we intend to map the ego-support network structures of the elderly, as well as ego-network functional content of provided and received support in the different countries. Individual and country socio-demographic characteristics will be also considered in interpreting results

Constructing personal networks in light of COVID-19 containment measures

The policies for containing the spread of the SARS-CoV2 virus include a number of measures aimed at reducing physical contacts. In this paper, we explore the potential impact of such containment measures on social relations of both young adults and the elderly in Italy. We propose two ego-centered network definitions accounting for physical distance in light of the COVID-19 containment measures: the easy-to-reach network, that represents an accessible source of support that can be activate in case of new lockdown; the accustomed-to-reach network, which includes proximity and habit to meet in person. The approach used for constructing personal (ego-centered) networks on data from the most recent release of Families and Social Subject survey allows us to bring to the foreground people exposed to relational vulnerability. The analysis of the most vulnerable individuals by age, gender, and place of residence reveals that living alone is often associated with a condition of relational vulnerability for both the elderly and for young adults

Marital breakdowns in Italy: recent regulatory changes and territorial analysis

In the last years, two laws have deeply changed the regulation of marital breakdowns in Italy. Between these two, the law n. 162/2014 introduces the possibility of employing extrajudicial agreements for consensual separations and divorces and paves the way for more innovative behaviors, among couples without minor or economically dependent children. By the means of spatial statistical tools, the paper detects the geographical (at province/NUTS-3 level) pattern of the incidence of extrajudicial agreements for marital breakdowns over total number of separations and divorces. The spreading of these new procedures resulted as not homogeneous on the Italian territory as the individuals living in neighbouring provinces tend to display similar relative levels of extrajudicial agreement

JAB1 deletion in oligodendrocytes causes senescence-induced inflammation and neurodegeneration in mice

Oligodendrocytes are the primary target of demyelinating disorders, and progressive neurodegenerative changes may evolve in the CNS. DNA damage and oxidative stress are considered key pathogenic events, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Moreover, animal models do not fully recapitulate human diseases, complicating the path to effective treatments. Here we report that mice with cell-autonomous deletion of the nuclear COP9 signalosome component CSN5 (JAB1) in oligodendrocytes develop DNA damage and defective DNA repair in myelinating glial cells. Interestingly, oligodendrocytes lacking JAB1 expression underwent a senescence-like phenotype that fostered chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. These mutants developed progressive CNS demyelination, microglia inflammation, and neurodegeneration, with severe motor deficits and premature death. Notably, blocking microglia inflammation did not prevent neurodegeneration, whereas the deletion of p21CIP1 but not p16INK4a pathway ameliorated the disease. We suggest that senescence is key to sustaining neurodegeneration in demyelinating disorders and may be considered a potential therapeutic target

Разработка программы повышения финансовой устойчивости предприятия

Важным элементом данной работы является система управления финансами. Она представляет собой совокупность необходимых мер и инструментов, которые обеспечивают эффективное и устойчивое действие и поведение финансовой системы, как в общей сложности, так и отдельных её звеньев, способствующих развитию социально-экономических процессов в социуме. Отметим, что социально-экономические условия жизни общества влияют на характер финансовых взаимодействий и на формы и методы финансового управления. Цель ВКР является - изучение вопроса управления финансами на предприятии и поиск направлений его совершенствования.An important element of this work is the financial management system. It is a set of necessary measures and tools that ensure the effective and sustainable operation and behavior of the financial system, both in general and its individual links, contributing to the development of socio-economic processes in society. Note that the socio-economic conditions of society affect the nature of financial interactions and the forms and methods of financial management. The purpose of the FQP is to study the issue of financial management at the enterprise and search for directions for its improvement

Perspectives and Emotional Experiences of Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia During ENESTPath Clinical Trial and Treatment-Free Remission: Rationale and Protocol of the Italian Substudy

Achievement of deep molecular response following treatment with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) allows for treatment-free remission (TFR) in many patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Successful TFR is defined as the achievement of a sustained molecular response after cessation of ongoing TKI therapy. The phase 3 ENESTPath study was designed to determine the required optimal duration of consolidation treatment with the second-generation TKI, nilotinib 300 mg twice-daily, to remain in successful TFR without relapse after entering TFR for 12 months. The purpose of this Italian ‘patient’s voice CML’ substudy was to evaluate patients’ psycho-emotional characteristics and quality of life through their experiences of stopping treatment with nilotinib and entering TFR. The purpose of the present contribution is to early present the study protocol of an ongoing study to the scientific community, in order to describe the study rationale and to extensively present the study methodology. Patients aged ≥18 years with a confirmed diagnosis of Philadelphia chromosome positive BCR-ABL1+ CML in chronic phase and treated with front-line imatinib for a minimum of 24 months from the enrollment were eligible. Patients consenting to participate the substudy will have quality of life questionnaires and in-depth qualitative interviews conducted. The substudy will include both qualitative and quantitative design aspects to evaluate the psychological outcomes as assessed via patients’ emotional experience during and after stopping nilotinib therapy. Randomization is hypothesized to be a timepoint of higher psychological alert or distress when compared to consolidation and additionally any improvement in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) due to nilotinib treatment is expected across the timepoints (from consolidation, to randomization, and TFR). An association is also expected between dysfunctional coping strategies, such as detachments and certain personality traits, and psychological distress and HRQoL impairments. Better HRQoL outcomes are expected in TFR compared to the end of consolidation. This substudy is designed for in-depth assessment of all potential psycho-emotional variables and aims to determine the need for personalized patient care and counselling, and also guide clinicians to consider the psychological well-being of patients who are considering treatment termination. NCT number: NCT01743989, EudraCT number: 2012-005124-1

Seasonal Differences and Variability of Concentrations, Chemical Composition, and Cloud Condensation Nuclei of Marine Aerosol Over the North Atlantic

The majority of the aerosol particle number (condensation nuclei or CN) in the marine boundary layer (MBL) consists of sulfate and organic compounds that have been shown to provide a large fraction of the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Here we use submicron non‐refractory Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) and filter measurements of organic and sulfate components of aerosol particles measured during four North Atlantic Aerosol and Marine Ecosystems Study (NAAMES) research cruises to assess the sources and contributions of submicron organic and sulfate components for CCN concentrations in the MBL during four different seasons. Submicron hydroxyl group organic mass (OM) correlated strongly to sodium concentrations during clean marine periods (R ¼ 0.9), indicating that hydroxyl group OM can serve as a proxy for sea‐spray OM in ambient measurements. Sea‐spray OM contributed 45% of the sum of sea‐spray OM and sea salt during late spring (biomass climax phase) compared to <20% for other seasons, but the seasonal difference was not statistically significant. The contribution of non‐combustion sources during clean marine periods to submicron OM was 47 to 88% and to non‐sea‐salt sulfate31 to 86%, with likely sources being marine and biogenic. The remaining submicron OM and sulfate were likely associated with ship or continental sources, including biomass burning, even during clean marine periods. The seasonal contribution from secondary sulfate and OM components to submicron aerosol mass was highest during late spring (60%), when biogenic emissions are expected to be highest, and lowest during winter (18%). Removing submicron sea‐spray OM decreased CCN concentrations by <10% because of competing effects from increased hygroscopicity and decreased particle size. During all seasons, adding biogenic secondary sulfate increased hygroscopicity, particle size, and CCN concentrations at 0.1–0.3% supersaturations by 5–66%. The largest change was during early spring when the fraction of hygroscopic sulfate components in the 0.1–0.2 μm size range was highest (80%). During continental periods, the increased contribution from low‐hygroscopicity organic components to 0.1–0.2 μm diameter particles reduces the CCN/CN by 20–100% for three seasons despite the increased CN and mass concentrations. These results illustrate the important role of the chemical composition of particles with diameters 0.1–0.2 μm for controlling CCN in the MB