Housework and childcare in Italy: a persistent case of gender inequality

This article focuses on the gender gap in housework and childcare in Italian couples. Italian women still carry out three-quarters of domestic work and two-thirds of childcare. We focus on three possible theoretical explanations for the persistence of the gendered division of labor: time availability, relative resources, and conformity with traditional gender ideology. Time Use data from the 2008/09 Survey edition have been used: we considered couples, married or in consensual unions, with at least one child under 14 years of age and with the mother employed

Development of thermally stable phosphonitrile elastomers for advanced aerospace structures

Attempts to prepare low molecular weight, curable poly-(fluoroalkoxyphosphazenes) have been successful. Derivatization of /Cl2PN/n polymer with alkoxides gave functionally reactive terpolymers. These terpolymers could be crosslinked with polyisocyanates at room temperature. Attempts to control molecular weight have not been as successful. The effects of (Cl2PN)3 monomer purity, use of (Cl2PN)3,4 mixture, and early termination of the bulk polymerization of (Cl2PN)3 were studied briefly. Both low and high molecular weight polymers were obtained. Reaction of NH4Cl with PCl5 with subsequent heating to give chain extension gave either gels of oils with molecular weights of several thousand. The stabilization of poly-(fluoroalkoxyphosphazene) was investigated. The results generally were inconclusive, but acids were found to be deleterious while bases had little discernible effect. Improvements in stability by modification of end groups was inconclusive

Addressing spin transitions on 209Bi donors in silicon using circularly-polarized microwaves

Over the past decade donor spin qubits in isotopically enriched $^{28}$Si have been intensely studied due to their exceptionally long coherence times. More recently bismuth donor electron spins have become popular because Bi has a large nuclear spin which gives rise to clock transitions (first-order insensitive to magnetic field noise). At every clock transition there are two nearly degenerate transitions between four distinct states which can be used as a pair of qubits. Here it is experimentally demonstrated that these transitions are excited by microwaves of opposite helicity such that they can be selectively driven by varying microwave polarization. This work uses a combination of a superconducting coplanar waveguide (CPW) microresonator and a dielectric resonator to flexibly generate arbitrary elliptical polarizations while retaining the high sensitivity of the CPW

Development of thermally stable phosphonitrile elastomers for advanced aerospace structures

Both high and low molecular weight, curable poly(fluoroalkoxy phosphazene) terpolymers were prepared. These terpolymers resulted from reaction of (Cl2PNn) polymer with alkoxides derived from CF3CH2OH and C3F7CH2OH, and an alkoxide derived from CH3CH(OH)C2H4OH. The terpolymers were crosslinked with polyisocyanates at room temperature. High molecular weight materials were converted into isocyanate prepolymers which as films underwent moisture cures at room temperature. Prepolymer solutions were stable for several days, and showed good adhesion. Also the effects of polymerization of (Cl2PN)3 were studied. Purified octachlorophosphazene, thiocyanate salts, or hydrogen chloride were employed in attempts to decrease molecular weight. Hydrogen chloride was found to be a good agent for preparation of low molecular weight poly(dichloro phosphazene)

Time outdoors and the prevention of myopia

Recent epidemiological evidence suggests that children who spend more time outdoors are less likely to be, or to become myopic, irrespective of how much near work they do, or whether their parents are myopic. It is currently uncertain if time outdoors also blocks progression of myopia. It has been suggested that the mechanism of the protective effect of time outdoors involves light-stimulated release of dopamine from the retina, since increased dopamine release appears to inhibit increased axial elongation, which is the structural basis of myopia. This hypothesis has been supported by animal experiments which have replicated the protective effects of bright light against the development of myopia under laboratory conditions, and have shown that the effect is, at least in part, mediated by dopamine, since the D2-dopamine antagonist spiperone reduces the protective effect. There are some inconsistencies in the evidence, most notably the limited inhibition by bright light under laboratory conditions of lens-induced myopia in monkeys, but other proposed mechanisms possibly associated with time outdoors such as relaxed accommodation, more uniform dioptric space, increased pupil constriction, exposure to UV light, changes in the spectral composition of visible light, or increased physical activity have little epidemiological or experimental support. Irrespective of the mechanisms involved, clinical trials are now underway to reduce the development of myopia in children by increasing the amount of time they spend outdoors. These trials would benefit from more precise definition of thresholds for protection in terms of intensity and duration of light exposures. These can be investigated in animal experiments in appropriate models, and can also be determined in epidemiological studies, although more precise measurement of exposures than those currently provided by questionnaires is desirable

Spin Coherence and 14^{14}N ESEEM Effects of Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers in Diamond with X-band Pulsed ESR

Pulsed ESR experiments are reported for ensembles of negatively-charged nitrogen-vacancy centers (NV$^-$) in diamonds at X-band magnetic fields (280-400 mT) and low temperatures (2-70 K). The NV$^-$ centers in synthetic type IIb diamonds (nitrogen impurity concentration $<1$~ppm) are prepared with bulk concentrations of $2\cdot 10^{13}$ cm$^{-3}$ to $4\cdot 10^{14}$ cm$^{-3}$ by high-energy electron irradiation and subsequent annealing. We find that a proper post-radiation anneal (1000$^\circ$C for 60 mins) is critically important to repair the radiation damage and to recover long electron spin coherence times for NV$^-$s. After the annealing, spin coherence times of T$_2 = 0.74$~ms at 5~K are achieved, being only limited by $^{13}$C nuclear spectral diffusion in natural abundance diamonds. At X-band magnetic fields, strong electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) is observed originating from the central $^{14}$N nucleus. The ESEEM spectral analysis allows for accurate determination of the $^{14}$N nuclear hypefine and quadrupole tensors. In addition, the ESEEM effects from two proximal $^{13}$C sites (second-nearest neighbor and fourth-nearest neighbor) are resolved and the respective $^{13}$C hyperfine coupling constants are extracted.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

Stereospecific four-bond phosphorus-phosphorus spin couplings in phosphazenyl-phosphazenes

Four-bond phosphorus-phosphorus coupling constants have been measured from the 31P NMR spectra of phosphazenylcyclophosphazenes. Their magnitude appears to be related to the conformation adopted by the phosphazenyl-group relative to the phosphazene ring

The retention of community service officers for an additional year at district hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape and Limpopo provinces

Background: Community service (CS) is an effective recruitment strategy for underserved areas, using legislation as the driver; however, it is not aretention strategy. By the end of each year, most CS officers working in district hospitals (DHs) are skilled, valued and valuable members of the health team, able to cope with the demands of working in the public health service within the resources available at DHs. Their exodus at the end of each annual cycle represents a net loss of valuable skills and experience by the public service, measured by the time and effort required to orientate and induct the following cohort of CS officers. This in turn has a negative effect on the level of service delivery and the quality of patient care. This study sought to gain understanding of the motivations of CS officers to continue working at the same DH for a subsequent year after their obligatory year was over. The objectives were to determine the number of CS officers who actually remained at the same DH after completing their CS in 2002, the major factors that influenced them to remain and factors that would encourage the 2003 cohort of CS officers to remain at the same DH for an additional year.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was employed using qualitative methods with the cohort of CS officers who had completed theircompulsory CS year in 2002 and who were still working at the same DH in July 2003. This was followed by a quantitative survey of CS officers doingtheir CS at DHs in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), the Eastern Cape (EC) and Limpopo Province (LP) in November 2003.Results: Twenty-two out of 278 (8%) of the 2002 cohort of CS officers in KZN, EC and LP remained at the same DH in the year following their CS.The reasons given, in order of decreasing priority, were that they were close to home, had been allocated as part of their CS, had been personally recruited, had bursary commitments, had heard about the hospital from friends, had visited the hospital prior to starting CS and had visited as a medical student. Four CS officers did not specify reasons.In the larger quantitative study 150 out of 221 questionnaires were returned. More than 80% of the respondents felt that there had been opportunities to develop confidence in their own ability to make independent decisions, that they had had good relations with the hospital staff and that they had been able to make a difference in health care delivery. Between 67% and 76% of respondents felt that they were providing a good standard of care, that there were learning opportunities, that they were doing worthwhile work and that CS provided excellent work experience. However, only 52% of respondents felt that there had been opportunities for personal growth, 38% felt that appropriate equipment was available, 37% had a supportive mentor figure and 29% felt that there were adequate levels of staffing at the hospital.In total 24 (16%) of the 150 officers who responded to the questionnaire indicated a willingness to remain at the same DH after completion of theiryear of CS. The intention to continue for a further year was statistically significantly associated with the following factors: ethnic group, province, rural origin, allocation priority and bursary commitment.Conclusions: The retention in the same DH of only 8% of the CS officer cohort in three rural provinces indicates a serious loss of skills on a recurrent annual basis. Local hospital management can do much to strengthen the factors that would attract CS officers to stay on by improving orientation, mentoring, teamwork, professional development opportunities, medical equipment and accommodation