Education-job (mis)matching and interregional migration: Italian university graduates’ transition to work

This paper explores the patterns of education-job (mis)matching of recent university graduates, focussing on the impact of interregional migration. With the aim of offering a place-based perspective on the topic, the paper looks at the three Italian macro-regions of the North, the Centre and the South, comparing them with the country as a whole. We use an indicator of education-job (mis)matching drawn and adapted from the literature, and apply both ordered logit and probit models with self-selection to a dataset on graduates’ entry in the labour market produced by the Italian National Statistical Institute. Our results suggest that, in line with most previous studies, interregional migration contributes to reduce education-job gaps: however, we find that the analysis for Italy as a whole masks stark differences between macro-regions, for which the typical North-South dualism still holds, confirming once more the cumulative and path-dependent nature of regional development trajectories

Synthetic cathinones related fatalities: an update

Synthetic cathinones, more commonly known as "bath salts", are synthetic drugs chemically related to cathinone, a psychostimulant found in the khat plant. They are the first most consumed products among new psychoactive substances, which cause psychostimulant and hallucinogenic effects determining a number of fatalities worldwide.  In this paper, we have systematically reviewed cases of synthetic cathinones-related fatalities analytically confirmed, which have occurred in the last few years.OBJECTIVE: Synthetic cathinones, more commonly known as “bath salts”, are synthetic drugs chemically related to cathinone, a psychostimulant found in the khat plant. They are the first most consumed products among new psychoactive substances, which cause psychostimulant and hallucinogenic effects determining a number of fatalities worldwide. In this paper, we have systematically reviewed cases of synthetic cathinones-related fatalities analytically confirmed, which have occurred in the last few years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Relevant scientific articles were identified in Medline, Cochrane Central, Scopus, Web of Science and Institutional/ government websites up to November 2017 using the following keywords: synthetic cathinones, mephedrone, methylenedioxypyrovalerone, MDPV, methylone, ethylone, buthylone, fatal intoxication, fatalities and death. RESULTS: In total, 20 citations met the criteria for inclusion, representing several fatal cases with analytically confirmed synthetic cathinones in biological sample/s of the deceased. The death was attributed to hyperthermia, hypertension, cardiac arrest and more in general to the classic serotonin syndrome. Only rarely did the concentration of the parent drug causing fatality overcome the value of 1 mg/L in post-mortem biological fluids. CONCLUSIONS: Abuse of synthetic cathinones still represents a serious public health issue. Systematic clinical studies on both the animal and human model are lacking; therefore, the only available data are from the users who experience the possible hazardous consequences. Analytical methodologies for the identification of parent compounds and eventual metabolites both in ante-mortem and post-mortem cases need to be developed and validated. Analytical data should be shared through different communication platforms with the aim of stopping this serious health threat for drug users

Ethical and medico-legal remarks on uterus transplantation: may it solve uterine factor infertility?

Uterus transplantation was firstly tested with animal trials sixty-five years ago. Despite several successful attempts in human subjects, the different procedures still lay at the experimental stage, in need of further studies and investigations before they can be considered as standard clinical practices. Uterus transplant cannot be regarded as a life-saving procedure, but rather a method to restore woman ability to procreate, when lost, thus improving her quality of life. Uterus transplant is a complex surgical procedure and presents significant health threats. Medical staff should therefore always obtain informed consent from patients, emphasizing such risks. Before that, women undergoing uterine transplants should be thoroughly informed about the hazards inherent to the procedure and especially about the dangers of immunosuppressant drugs, administered after the surgery which may injure the fetus, eventually formed in the restored organ and even lead to its death, thus nullifying the purpose of the transplant itself. Therefore, the risk-benefit ratio of uterus transplantation needs to be carefully assessed and described

Hard Cosmic Ray Sea in the Galactic Center: a consistent interpretation of H.E.S.S. and Fermi-LAT γ\gamma-ray data

We present a novel interpretation of the gamma-ray diffuse emission measured by H.E.S.S. in the Galactic Center (GC) region and the Galactic ridge. Our starting base is an updated analysis of PASS8 Fermi-LAT data, which allows to extend down to few GeV the spectra measured by H.E.S.S. and to infer the primary CR radial distribution above 100 GeV. We compare those results with a CR transport model assuming a harder scaling of the diffusion coefficient with rigidity in the inner Galaxy. Such a behavior reproduces the radial dependence of the CR spectral index recently inferred from Fermi-LAT measurements in the inner GP. We find that, in this scenario, the bulk of the Galactic ridge emission can be naturally explained by the interaction of the diffuse, steady-state Galactic CR sea interacting with the gas present in the Central molecular zone. The evidence of a GC PeVatron is significantly weaker than that inferred adopting a conventional (softer) CR sea.Comment: Oral contribution to the International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2017), 12-20 July 2017, Bexco, Busan, Kore

Laser driven self-assembly of shape-controlled potassium nanoparticles in porous glass

We observe growth of shape-controlled potassium nanoparticles inside a random network of glass nanopores, exposed to low-power laser radiation. Visible laser light plays a dual role: it increases the desorption probability of potassium atoms from the inner glass walls and induces the self-assembly of metastable metallic nanoparticles along the nanopores. By probing the sample transparency and the atomic light-induced desorption flux into the vapour phase, the dynamics of both cluster formation/evaporation and atomic photo-desorption processes are characterized. Results indicate that laser light not only increases the number of nanoparticles embedded in the glass matrix but also influences their structural properties. By properly choosing the laser frequency and the illumination time, we demonstrate that it is possible to tailor the nanoparticles'shape distribution. Furthermore, a deep connection between the macroscopic behaviour of atomic desorption and light-assisted cluster formation is observed. Our results suggest new perspectives for the study of atom/surface interaction as well as an effective tool for the light-controlled reversible growth of nanostructures.Comment: 14 pages,6 figures, http://iopscience.iop.org/1612-202X/11/8/085902

Nootropics use in the workplace. Psychiatric and ethical aftermath towards the new frontier of bioengineering

OBJECTIVE: The authors have sought to expound upon and shed a light on the rise of nootropics, which have gradually taken on a more and more relevant role in workplaces and academic settings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Multidisciplinary databases have been delved into by entering the following keys: "nootropics", "cognitive enhancement", "workplace", "productivity", "ethics", "bioengineering". In addition, a broad-ranging search has been undertaken on institutional websites in order to identify relevant analysis and recommendations issued by international institutions and agencies. Papers and reports have been independently pored over by each author. This search strategy has led to the identification of 988 sources but only 64 were considered appropriate for the purposes of the paper after being selected by at least 3 of the authors, independently. RESULTS: The notion of an artificially enhanced work performance - carried out by the 'superworker' - is particularly noteworthy and resonates with the conception of contemporary work on so many different levels: the rising need and demands for higher degrees of flexibility and productivity on the job, the implications of a '24/7' society, where more and more services are available at any time, the ever greater emphasis on entrepreneurial spirit, individual self-reliance and self-improvement, and last but not least, the impact of an ageing society on economic standards and performance. CONCLUSIONS: Moreover, it is worth mentioning that human enhancement technologies will predictably and increasingly go hand in hand with gene editing, bioengineering, cybernetics and nanotechnology. Applications are virtually boundless, and may ultimately affect all human traits (physical strength, endurance, vision, intelligence and even personality and mood)