Fiscal residua and federalist reform in Italy. Will regional and redistributive policies survive?

This paper criticizes the idea to conceive the fiscal federalist reform in Italy as a tool to empower central-northern regions to retain resources otherwise wasted in the South. We argue that such a view muddles up efficiency and redistribution issues, thus threatening the legitimate inter-regional fiscal flows. To dispute the thesis of excessive transfers to Mezzogiorno regions, we first show that the regional distribution of (both current and capital) government expenditure has systematically penalized the South in the last 15 years. Secondly, for the years 2004-2006, we calculate «benchmark» regional fiscal residua, consistent with the progressive Italian personal taxation (IRPEF), and the announced targets of regional policies (45% of total capital government expenditure to be made in the South). For most centre-northern regions, the actual residua turn out to be lower than the «benchmark» ones.Mezzogiorno, redistribution, inter-governmental relations, federalism, regional development policies

Residui fiscali regionali e riforma federalista. Quanto residuerà delle politiche regionali e redistributive?

This paper criticizes the idea to conceive the fiscal federalist reform in Italy as a tool to empower central-northern regions to retain resources otherwise wasted in the South. We argue that such a view muddles up efficiency and redistribution issues, thus threatening the legitimate inter-regional fiscal flows. To dispute the thesis of excessive transfers to Mezzogiorno regions, we first show that the regional distribution of (both current and capital) government expenditure has systematically penalized the South in the last 15 years. Secondly, for the years 2004-2006, we calculate «benchmark» regional fiscal residua, consistent with the progressive Italian personal taxation (IRPEF), and the announced targets of regional policies (45% of total capital government expenditure to be made in the South). For most centre-northern regions, the actual residua turn out to be lower than the «benchmark» ones

Designing a Summer Transition Program for Incoming and Current College Students on the Autism Spectrum: A Participatory Approach

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face unique challenges transitioning from high school to college and receive insufficient support to help them navigate this transition. Through a participatory collaboration with incoming and current autistic college students, we developed, implemented, and evaluated two intensive week-long summer programs to help autistic students transition into and succeed in college. This process included: (1) developing an initial summer transition program curriculum guided by recommendations from autistic college students in our ongoing mentorship program, (2) conducting an initial feasibility assessment of the curriculum [Summer Transition Program 1 (STP1)], (3) revising our initial curriculum, guided by feedback from autistic students, to develop a curriculum manual, and (4) pilot-testing the manualized curriculum through a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test assessment of a second summer program [Summer Transition Program 2 (STP2)]. In STP2, two autistic college students assumed a leadership role and acted as “mentors” and ten incoming and current autistic college students participated in the program as “mentees.” Results from the STP2 pilot-test suggested benefits of participatory transition programming for fostering self-advocacy and social skills among mentees. Autistic and non-autistic mentors (but not mentees) described practicing advanced forms of self-advocacy, specifically leadership, through their mentorship roles. Autistic and non-autistic mentors also described shared (e.g., empathy) and unique (an intuitive understanding of autism vs. an intuitive understanding of social interaction) skills that they contributed to the program. This research provides preliminary support for the feasibility and utility of a participatory approach in which autistic college students are integral to the development and implementation of programming to help less experienced autistic students develop the self-advocacy skills they will need to succeed in college

Medium-term culture of normal human oral mucosa: a novel three-dimensional model to study the effectiveness of drugs administration.

Tissue-engineered oral mucosal equivalents have been developed for in vitro studies for a few years now. However, the usefulness of currently available models is still limited by many factors, mainly the lack of a physiological extracellular matrix (ECM) and the use of cell populations that do not reflect the properly differentiated cytotypes of the mucosa of the oral cavity. For this reason, we have developed a novel three-dimensional culture model reflecting the normal architecture of the human oral mucosa, with the main aim of creating a better in vitro model where to test cellular responses to drugs administration. This novel 3D cell culture model (3D outgrowth) was set up using an artificial extracellular matrix (MatrigelTM), allowing the interactions required for proper differentiation of the various citotypes which form the mucosal layer. Biopsies of human oral mucosa, in fragments of about 0.5 mm3, were placed onto 6.5mm Transwells, covered with MatrigelTM and grown in a specific culture medium. A gradual formation of an architectural structure similar to that of the in vivo oral mucosa was observed. Transmission electron and confocal microscopy were employed to characterize the newly developed model: the cell components (keratinocytes and fibroblasts) differentiated properly within the outgrowth and reconstituted, in vitro, the physiological structure of the human oral mucosa, including a stratified non-keratinized squamous layer composed of four different layers, a proper basal membrane and a lamina propria where fibroblasts produce ECM. Moreover, keratinocytes expressed CK5, CK13, CK19 and E-cadherin, whereas fibroblasts expressed collagen type I and IV, laminin and fibronectin. 3D outgrowths could be considered a valid alternative to animal models, and provide useful information for researchers interested in studying the responses of the human oral mucosa to locally delivered drugs or other exogenous treatments

Tuberculosis chemotherapy: current drug delivery approaches

Tuberculosis is a leading killer of young adults worldwide and the global scourge of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis is reaching epidemic proportions. It is endemic in most developing countries and resurgent in developed and developing countries with high rates of human immunodeficiency virus infection. This article reviews the current situation in terms of drug delivery approaches for tuberculosis chemotherapy. A number of novel implant-, microparticulate-, and various other carrier-based drug delivery systems incorporating the principal anti-tuberculosis agents have been fabricated that either target the site of tuberculosis infection or reduce the dosing frequency with the aim of improving patient outcomes. These developments in drug delivery represent attractive options with significant merit, however, there is a requisite to manufacture an oral system, which directly addresses issues of unacceptable rifampicin bioavailability in fixed-dose combinations. This is fostered by the need to deliver medications to patients more efficiently and with fewer side effects, especially in developing countries. The fabrication of a polymeric once-daily oral multiparticulate fixed-dose combination of the principal anti-tuberculosis drugs, which attains segregated delivery of rifampicin and isoniazid for improved rifampicin bioavailability, could be a step in the right direction in addressing issues of treatment failure due to patient non-compliance

Financial Constraints and Small Firms Growth in Southern Italy

University of Warwic

Financial Constraints and Small Firms Growth in Southern Italy

University of Warwic