MIGRATION AND HUMAN CAPITAL IN ITALIAN AGRICULTURAL LABOUR MARKET: A CASE STUDY ANALYSIS

During the last years Italy, a country characterized by a long history of emigration, has seen a quickly growth of the phenomenon of immigration. Our Nation seems to be a “docking point” for new and substantial flow of immigrants mainly from Eastern Europe looking for new work opportunities. The profile of these people is usually characterized by high level of education as well as flexibility and adaptability. For the national economy in general, and for the agricultural sector in particular, this new migration flows represent an effective answer to the aversion for the agricultural job expressed by many potential autochthon workers. Which are the characteristics of extra-community agricultural labour? Which are the characteristics of migration flows linked to the agricultural labour in three provinces of one of the main agricultural regions in Italy? Based on National Institute of Welfare information’s (INPS), the research underlines the diversification of this phenomenon among Italian regions as well as its dynamism. In Italy, during the last five years, the proportions of foreign agricultural workers increased up to 50%, and peaked in four Italian regions: Friuli Venezia Giulia, Campania, Piemonte and Emilia-Romagna. In Emilia-Romagna, in particular, immigrants represent almost a quarter of total agricultural workers and most of them aged less than forty years. The analysis of information about labour market in the agricultural sector in some Emilia-Romagna provinces shows that immigrants are concentrated in few farms. Farmer prefers to engage homogeneous ethnic groups to assure cultural affinity among the employees. In the local agricultural labour market the immigrants coming from Eastern Europe, in particular from Poland and Romania, are aged between 22 and 36 years, are unemployed in their country, they have a driving license and a good knowledge of Italian and English language.Agricultural Labour Markets, Immigrant Workers, Human Capital, Skills, Agribusiness, Labor and Human Capital, J43, J61, J24,

Probes of tocopherol biochemistry: fluorophores, imaging agents, and fake antioxidants

The body has many defence systems against reactive radical species, but none are as crucial in the protection of lipid membranes as vitamin E. As a result of a selection process mediated by the α-tocopherol transfer protein (α-TTP), α-tocopherol is the only form of vitamin E retained in the body. This chaperon protein has been well studied because of its role in vitamin E transport. Furthermore, malfunctions of α-TTP cause vitamin E deficiency leading to ataxia and other neurodegenerative disease. Protection of neuronal tissue is critical and is reflected in the high retention of α-tocopherol in the central nervous system. Neuronal tissues receive α tocopherol from astrocytes, cells that are linked to hepatic tissue and able to express α-TTP, however the exact path of delivery between these cells is still unclear. A technique called fluorescent microscopy allows the tracking of fluorescent molecules in cells to find their location and interactions with other parts of the cell. The focus of this study is the synthesis of a fluorescent tocopherol analogue with a long absorption wavelength, high photostability, and that binds selectively to  α-TTP with high affinity. Most health benefits associated with vitamin E consumption are based on its capability to inhibit lipid peroxidation in cell membranes by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS). Oxidative damage in membranes puts cells in a “stressful” state, activating signalling events that trigger apoptosis. Vitamin E down-regulates apoptotic functions like inflammation, macrophage activation and cell arrest in a stressed state, returning the cell back to normal functioning. At the same time, vitamin E has a preventive effect for atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s and cancer. With the deeper understanding of cell signalling processes associated with vitamin E the question arose whether protein interactions or the ROS scavenging is responsible for cell survival. To test this hypothesis, a non-antioxidant but α-TTP binding tocopherol analogue was synthesized and administered into oxidatively stressed, α-TTP deficient cells. If the cells were unable to restore homeostasis and stop apoptosis with the new molecule, this would suggest that the antioxidant function of α-tocopherol is the reason for survival. Cancer is regarded as one of the most detrimental diseases with a high mortality rate. One key aspect in medical research is the increased drug specificity towards targeting cancer. Chemotherapy applies cytotoxic compounds, which weaken the immune system because both malignant and healthy cells are destroyed. The specificity of the anti-cancer drugs are enhanced when encapsulated into liposomes that bear target-directing molecules such as antibodies which recognize cancer cell specific antigens on the cell membrane. The question remains if the encapsulated drug reaches the cancer or not. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) are used to find malignant tissue in the body. CT imaging uses highly charged X-ray particles to scan the patient, possibly having damaging cytotoxic effects. Obtaining MRI results require the use of contrast agents to enhance the quality of images. These agents are based on transition metals, which potentially have chronic toxicity when retained in the body. Alternatively short-lived radiotracers that emit a γ-photon upon positron decay are used through a process called positron emission tomography (PET). Rapid decay times make the use of PET a less toxic alternative, however the decay products might be toxic to the cell. For this reason a vitamin E based PET agent was created, which produces naturally safe decay products based on known metabolites of vitamin E, useful to track liposomal delivery of chemotherapeutic agents. This work describes the non-radioactive synthetic procedures towards a variety of vitamin E PET analogues. The cytotoxicity of the most promising vitamin E PET tracer was evaluated along with its synthetic byproducts

The parish church of San Michele Arcangelo in Metelliano: the path of knowledge of a vernacular architecture

[EN] The parish church of San Michele a Metelliano, located in Tuscany near the city of Arezzo, is a unique case of vernacular architecture. The building is the result of a synthesis of traditional local architecture and a strong Byzantine influence. It became a national monument in 1907.Ghelfi, G. (2022). The parish church of San Michele Arcangelo in Metelliano: the path of knowledge of a vernacular architecture. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 357-362. https://doi.org/10.4995/HERITAGE2022.2022.1567535736

Neutron monitors and muon detectors for solar modulation studies: Interstellar flux, yield function, and assessment of critical parameters in count rate calculations

Particles count rates at given Earth location and altitude result from the convolution of (i) the interstellar (IS) cosmic-ray fluxes outside the solar cavity, (ii) the time-dependent modulation of IS into Top-of-Atmosphere (TOA) fluxes, (iii) the rigidity cut-off (or geomagnetic transmission function) and grammage at the counter location, (iv) the atmosphere response to incoming TOA cosmic rays (shower development), and (v) the counter response to the various particles/energies in the shower. Count rates from neutron monitors or muon counters are therefore a proxy to solar activity. In this paper, we review all ingredients, discuss how their uncertainties impact count rate calculations, and how they translate into variation/uncertainties on the level of solar modulation $\varphi$ (in the simple Force-Field approximation). The main uncertainty for neutron monitors is related to the yield function. However, many other effects have a significant impact, at the 5-10\% level on $\varphi$ values. We find no clear ranking of the dominant effects, as some depend on the station position and/or the weather and/or the season. An abacus to translate any variation of count rates (for neutron and $\mu$ detectors) to a variation of the solar modulation $\varphi$ is provided.Comment: 28 pages, 16 figures, 9 tables, match accepted version in AdSR (minor corrections, Dorman (1974,2004,2009) reference textbooks added

Health Behavior Change as a Function of Social Support And Individual Feedback

The objective of this research was to examine the usefulness of increased social support and individual goal setting on health behaviors of traditional college students. Additionally, this study examined the effectiveness of the current required Lifelong Fitness course at George Fox University to explore factors associated with health behavior change. Past research indicates there are a variety of risks to sedentary lifestyle (Finn & Watson, 2017). Research also reveals social support and self-efficacy to be important factors in facilitating change in health behaviors. College students experience many changes due to development and change in environment, making this an opportune time to intervene. Physiological markers including body fat percentage and muscle mass, as well as self-report of change in activity, nutrition, and health self-efficacy assessed the impact of the intervention and the relationships between variables. Results displayed significant positive changes in activity monitoring, food monitoring, and self-reported minutes of activity per week. Results did not show significant decrease in body fat, though students were shown to move toward healthier body fat percentage based on whether they had “at risk” low or high fat percentage. Lastly, gender was a significant factor in movement toward healthy fat percentage

Value Sharing and Food System Dynamics for Milk, Tomato, and Cereals Food Chains

The aim of the paper is to analyse value sharing and food system dynamics of milk, tomato, and cereals food chains, so to explore the agro‐food enterprises capacity to be competitive and sustainable. The paper is based on the functionalist approach of Malassis and the notion of the system of the General Systems Theory. The methodology is aimed at creating a consolidated financial statement for each food chain so to re‐create the chain value and identify how this is shared among the different food chain stages. The analysis is carried out on primary and secondary data: around 2400 financial statements concerning 480 enterprises from 2003 to 2007 and stakeholders’ interviews. Results show that value is usually created in the processing and distribution stages, to the detriment of the primary sector, and that the retail managing practices tend to impose damaging structural changes on farms whose profitability is at times becoming sustainable only thanks to European subsidies. To conclude, there is evidence of inadequate definition of strategic and network alliance along the chain. Competitiveness is still a concept achieved by single food chain stages against others and food chain internal competition entails a declining sustainability of small farms and enterprises.food chain, value system, economic performance, potato, fruit, cheese., Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, Industrial Organization, Risk and Uncertainty,

Job Placement of JTPA-Trained Welfare Recipients: Implications for the JOBS Program in Southern and Nonmetro States

The new Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training Program was instituted to provide education, training, and employment for adults receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children. This study uses job placement rates for AFDC recipients trained through Job Training Partnership Act programs to gauge the difficulty participants in the new program may have in finding jobs. The results indicate that, at minimum, there would have been 56 percent more participants in the new JOBS program than there were in Job Training Partnership Act programs had the JOBS program started in the 1986 program year. Only about 60 percent of the AFDC recipients in JTPA-training programs obtained jobs, suggesting that the larger number of JOBS participants also would have had difficulty finding jobs. Estimates of job vacancies and competition from the unemployed also indicate that JOBS participants would face stiff competition for employment, particularly in Southern and nonmetro states. Lack of training facilities and employment opportunities in many rural areas may make it necessary for AFDC recipients in those areas to move if they want to participate in the new program

Neutron monitors and muon detectors for solar modulation studies: 2. ϕ\phi time series

The level of solar modulation at different times (related to the solar activity) is a central question of solar and galactic cosmic-ray physics. In the first paper of this series, we have established a correspondence between the uncertainties on ground-based detectors count rates and the parameter $\phi$ (modulation level in the force-field approximation) reconstructed from these count rates. In this second paper, we detail a procedure to obtain a reference $\phi$ time series from neutron monitor data. We show that we can have an unbiased and accurate $\phi$ reconstruction ($\Delta\phi/\phi\simeq 10\%$). We also discuss the potential of Bonner spheres spectrometers and muon detectors to provide $\phi$ time series. Two by-products of this calculation are updated $\phi$ values for the cosmic-ray database and a web interface to retrieve and plot $\phi$ from the 50's to today (\url{http://lpsc.in2p3.fr/crdb}).Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables. AdSR, in press. Web interface to get modulation parameter phi(t): new tab in http://lpsc.in2p3.fr/crd

Planting a new cherry orchard system: evaluation of economic efficiency

Cherry growing is going through an intense phase of renewal. Innovation’s economic and financial analysis is crucial for their success and diffusion. The study evaluates three types of planting at different densities considered, with no covers and three different kinds of shields: a traditional anti-rain net; a multitasking anti-rain and anti-insect net; a multitasking net with high automation of opening and closing operations. The best performing plant in economic terms seems the high-density plant (HDP), followed by the medium density plant (MDP) and then the very high-density plant (VHDP). Higher density plants reach a shorter payback period. Despite the high investment cost, the quicker breaking even makes high-density plants less risky. Plants with cover structures determine more secure and stable production yields, with benefits at the farm level and the whole production chain. Nonetheless, the shielding structures display a significant quantity of waste during the plant’s life and at the time of disassembling. It is crucial to progressively increase their environmentally friendly characteristics, which to date is still poor. The supports and canopies may have a significant salvage value in the shorter-cycle cherry orchards. Since it is inappropriate to replant the cherry tree in the same plot, it is essential to study structures that can move from plot to plot. Thus, considerably would improve the environmental performance and, accordingly, the economic performance of high-density, shorter-cycle plants