Legalit\ue0 e incentivi all'occupazione: dalla legge Fornero alla svolta del Jobs Act

Il saggio esamina il sistema di incentivi a lavoro sia con riferimento ai contratti a tempo indeterminato sia in relazione alle tipologie flessibili di rapporto

L’evoluzione degli strumenti giuridici volti a favorire l’effettività della prevenzione

I dati concernenti gli infortuni sul lavoro e le malattie professionali continuano a dimostrare che nel nostro Paese la sicurezza del lavoro è un obiettivo ancora da raggiungere, anche se gli strumenti volti ad attuarlo si sono moltiplicati ed affinati. Questa situazione non deve scoraggiare ma, al contrario, indurre a proseguire con tenacia le varie iniziative dirette a migliorarla. Poiché è ormai pacifico che lo strumento migliore consiste nella prevenzione dei rischi, un compito importante per il giurista può essere quello di verificare se gli strumenti utilizzati per la prevenzione siano efficaci al punto di garantirne l’effettività. In questo scritto si intende effettuare proprio questa verifica, ripercorrendo le vicende proprie del sistema dell’assicurazione contro gli infortuni sul lavoro e le malattie professionali ed esaminando le potenzialità racchiuse nell’impianto istituzionale, nelle regole di comportamento e partecipazione, nell’apparato sanzionatorio penale, civile ed amministrativo. Le conclusioni sono quelle di insistere e migliorare i sistemi delle prescrizioni, delle soluzioni premiali condizionate dall’attuazione delle misure richieste, del coinvolgimento delle società ed enti, della valorizzazione dell’organizzazione produttiva e del lavoro, dell’acquisizione da parte di tutti della cultura della sicurezza. Data on occupational accidents and occupational diseases continues to show that in our country work safety is still a goal to be achieved, although the tools to implement it are numerous and refined. This situation should not be deterred but, on the contrary, induce to pursue the various initiatives aimed at improving it. Since it is now peaceful that the best tool is to prevent risks, an important task for the lawyer may be to check whether the tools used for prevention are effective in ensuring their effectiveness. This paper intend to carry out this verification by re-examining the events of the occupational accident and occupational disease and examining the potentialities of the institutional legal framework in the perspective of the penal, civil and administrative sanction system. The conclusions are to insist and improve the systems of prescriptions, pricing solutions conditioned by the implementation of the measures, the involvement of companies and institutions, the enhancement of the productive and labour organization, the acquisition by all of the culture of safety

Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of Boronia Pinnata Sm

Boronia pinnata Sm. (Rutaceae) is a plant that is widespread in New South Wales (Australia). Although there are no reports about the use of this species in the local ethnomedical traditions, recent investigations led to the characterization of several secondary metabolites, most belonging to the class of prenyloxyphenylpropanoids. Some of the compounds extracted from B. pinnata showed valuable biological properties, such as anti-inflammatory activity and in vitro inhibition of growth of Helicobacter pylori. The aim of this review is to cover what has been reported so far in the literature on the title plant from a phytochemical and pharmacological point of view

Graminex pollen: phenolic pattern, colorimetric analysis and protective effects in immortalized prostate cells (PC3) and rat prostate challenged with LPS

Prostatitis, a general term describing prostate inflammation, is a common disease that could be sustained by bacterial or non-bacterial infectious agents. The efficacy of herbal extracts with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects for blunting the burden of inflammation and oxidative stress, with possible improvements in clinical symptoms, is under investigation. Pollen extracts have been previously reported as promising agents in managing clinical symptoms related to prostatitis. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the protective effects of Graminex pollen (GraminexTM, Deshler, OH, USA), a commercially available product based on standardized pollen extracts, in rat prostate specimens, ex vivo. In this context, we studied the putative mechanism of action of pollen on multiple inflammatory pathways, including the reduction of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NFB), and malondialdehyde (MDA), whose activities were significantly increased by inflammatory stimuli. We characterized by means of chromatographic and colorimetric studies the composition of Graminex pollen to better correlate the activity of pollen on immortalized prostate cells (PC3), and in rat prostate specimens challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We found that Graminex pollen was able to reduce radical oxygen species (ROS) production by PC3 cells and MDA, NFB mRNA, and PGE2 levels, in rat prostate specimens. According to our experimental evidence, Graminex pollen appears to be a promising natural product for the management of the inflammatory components in the prostate

Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis of different extracts from Thymus algeriensis aerial parts

This study was performed to evaluate the metabolite recovery from different extraction methods applied to Thymus algeriensis aerial parts. A high-performance liquid chromatographic method using photodiode array detector with gradient elution has been developed and validated for the simultaneous estimation of different phenolic compounds in the extracts and in their corresponding purified fractions. The experimental results show that microwave-assisted aqueous extraction for 15 min at 100 C gave the most phenolics-enriched extract, reducing extraction time without degradation effects on bioactives. Sixteen compounds were identified in this extract, 11 phenolic compounds and five flavonoids, all known for their biological activities. Color analysis and determination of chlorophylls and carotenoids implemented the knowledge of the chemical profile of this plant

Atriplex mollis desf. Aerial parts: extraction procedures, secondary metabolites and color analysis

A method using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array detector was proposed for the rapid characterization of different phenolic constituents from the extracts of Atriplex mollis aerial parts. Atriplex species are known for their multiple biological activities, but no information is available in the literature about A. mollis. With the aim to firstly characterize the main secondary metabolites of this plant, so as to orient better the biological evaluation, we applied three different extraction procedures and compared the chromatographic results. Microwave-assisted extraction gave the best yield and recovery of important compounds such as gallic acid, catechin, chlorogenic acid, p-OH benzoic acid, rutin, sinapinic acid, t-ferulic acid, naringenin and benzoic acid. These constituents belong to three important chemical classes: phenolic acids, flavonoids and monoterpenes. Color evaluation and analysis of chlorophylls (a and b) and carotenoids complete the preliminary profile of this plant. From these analyses, Atriplex mollis is a source of bioactive compounds (especially rutin, t-ferulic acid and gallic acid) and could be recommended as a plant of phyto-pharmaceutical relevance, opening new perspectives on this salt-tolerant plant

Traditional aromatherapy in the clinical context of a therapeutic community for the treatment of substance use disorders

Western medicine and psychotherapy have historically overlooked the potential of engaging the sense of smell for therapeutic purposes. However, in other medical traditions, such as that of the Peruvian Amazon, specific therapeutic interventions based on the use of aromatic plants are commonly performed in conjunction with other healing modalities. Traditional specialized healers locally known as perfumeros conduct such healing sessions. This research describes how this kind of traditional Amazonian aromatherapy is used in the context of Takiwasi center, a therapeutic community specialized in the treatment of substance use disorders. Participant observation was carried out by shadowing the healers in charge of specific aromatherapy sessions including the so-called plant baths, sahumerio, and saunas. Additionally, semi structured interviews were conducted with several members of Takiwasi’s therapeutic staff, and non-peer reviewed publications and audio-video materials present in the Takiwasi archive were consulted and used as original data for this research. Data on users that received a plant bath from July 2019 to February 2021, were also acquired and discussed. The cosmology beyond this kind of traditional aromatherapy includes concepts such as “energetic body” and “spiritual entities”, opening the discussion on something beyond the mere materialistic aspect of aromatic chemistry and pharmacology

Sleep-related declarative memory consolidation in children and adolescents with developmental dyslexia

Sleep has a crucial role in memory processes, and maturational changes in sleep electrophysiology are involved in cognitive development. Albeit both sleep and memory alterations have been observed in Developmental Dyslexia (DD), their relation in this population has been scarcely investigated, particularly concerning topographical aspects. The study aimed to compare sleep topography and associated sleep-related declarative memory consolidation in participants with DD and normal readers (NR). Eleven participants with DD and 18 NR (9–14 years old) underwent a whole-night polysomnography. They were administered a word pair task before and after sleep to assess for declarative memory consolidation. Memory performance and sleep features (macro and microstructural) were compared between the groups, and the intercorrelations between consolidation rate and sleep measures were assessed. DD showed a deeper worsening in memory after sleep compared to NR and reduced slow spindles in occipito-parietal and left fronto-central areas. Our results suggest specific alterations in local sleep EEG (i.e., sleep spindles) and in sleep-dependent memory consolidation processes in DD.We highlight the importance of a topographical approach, which might shed light on potential alteration in regional cortical oscillation dynamics in DD. The latter might represent a target for therapeutic interventions aimed at enhancing cognitive functioning in DD

Protective effects of pollenaid plus soft gel capsules’ hydroalcoholic extract in isolated prostates and ovaries exposed to lipopolysaccharide

Pollen extract represents an innovative approach for the management of the clinical symptoms related to prostatitis and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). In this context, the aims of the present work were to analyze the phenolic composition of a hydroalcoholic extract of PollenAid Plus soft gel capsules, and to evaluate the extract’s cytotoxic effects, in human prostate cancer PC3 cells and human ovary cancer OVCAR-3 cells. Additionally, protective effects were investigated in isolated prostate and ovary specimens exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The phytochemical investigation identified catechin, chlorogenic acid, gentisic acid, and 3-hydroxytyrosol as the prominent phenolics. The extract did not exert a relevant cytotoxic effect on PC3 and OVCAR-3 cells. However, the extract showed a dose-dependent inhibition of pro-inflammatory IL-6 and TNF-α gene expression in prostate and ovary specimens, and the extract was effective in preventing the LPS-induced upregulation of CAT and SOD gene expression, which are deeply involved in tissue antioxidant defense systems. Finally, a docking approach suggested the capability of catechin and chlorogenic acid to interact with the TRPV1 receptor, playing a master role in prostate inflammation. Overall, the present findings demonstrated anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of this formulation; thus, suggesting its capability in the management of the clinical symptoms related to prostatitis and PID