Determinants of Job-Finding Intentions Among Young Adults from 11 European Countries.

In this study we investigate the impact of individual, parental and social factors on young adults' job-finding intentions across countries and overall. We test our hypotheses by conducting binary logistic regressions on the basis of an original dataset that comprises responses from more than 5200 young adults and their parents from 11 European countries. Our findings show that individual factors are most decisive in shaping the job-finding intentions of young adults. Most importantly, being enrolled in education does not prevent young adults from lowering their aspirations with respect to anticipated earnings or finding more sophisticated jobs. Social factors, in terms of being socially involved or having more friends in employment, lead to stronger mobility intentions as well as to stronger intentions to improve skills or develop new ones. At the country level, and compared to Italian participants, who go through a longer school-to-work transition, participants from Northern or Central European countries, as well as from the United Kingdom, show weaker mobility intentions. In many of these countries, young adults are also more willing than their Italian counterparts to lower income aspirations, while being less inclined to lower their aspirations in terms of finding more sophisticated jobs. In a last step, we reflect on education as a means of improving professional aspirations and the need to offer adequate on-the-ground services to help young people through the school-to-work transition, especially in Southern European countries. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11205-022-02941-6.

Sustainable Innovation: The Italian Scenario Studied Through Higher-Order Partial Least Squares-Path Modeling.

What is the real meaning of sustainable innovation? How is sustainable innovation different from other forms of innovation? How does sustainable innovation contribute to societal development? How can we measure the sustainable innovation of a country-which indicators and which synthesis methods should we use? In this paper we try to answer these previous questions. Starting from the concept of sustainable innovation, as it has been extensively discussed in recent years in a range of disciplines from economics to engineering and sociology, the paper focuses on the basic criteria (such as indicators and statistical models) required to evaluate the sustainable innovation at the regional level, choosing Italy as a case study. From the elementary indicators of innovation, on one hand, and sustainability, on other hand, a composite indicator of sustainable innovation has been computed. The statistical model used to compute this composite indicator has been a Higher-Order Partial Least Squares Path model. The results obtained applying this model to the Italian scenario are discussed, the ranking of the different Italian regions, and the impact of the composite indicator sustainable innovation on economic results of each region are discussed.

The determinants of Italian NEETs and the effects of the economic crisis.

In recent years, the share of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEETs) has shown a remarkable increase in many European countries, such as Italy. The wide diffusion of NEETs represents an alarming social issue, as being NEET predisposes young people to long-term unemployment and social exclusion. It also has a significant negative impact on the economic growth and welfare equilibrium of countries. The aim of this paper is to analyze the determinants of the NEET condition in Italy through a step by step procedure beginning with the identification of their main characteristics and then proceeding with a focus on specific homogeneous clusters of NEETs. The decomposition of the gaps in the probabilities of being NEET between the various clusters allows verifying how personal characteristics effectively act. Furthermore, the influence of unobserved factors in the professional condition of young people has been analysed in more detail through a bivariate selection probit model on the propensity to look for a job against the condition of being inactive. The results confirm the crucial role of the education system, as well as the importance of the economic and social disparities between gender and the Italian territorial districts.

Coordination between primary and secondary care: the role of electronic messages and economic incentives.

BACKGROUND: In Norway, a government reform has recently been introduced to enhance coordination between primary and secondary care. This paper examines the effects of two newly introduced measures to improve the coordination: an ICT-based communication tool/standard and an economic incentive scheme. METHOD: This qualitative study is based primarily on 27 open-ended interviews. We interviewed nine employees at a hospital (the focal actor), 17 employees from seven different municipalities, and a representative of a Regional Health Authority. RESULTS: ICT-based communication is perceived to facilitate information exchange between primary and secondary care, thus positively affecting coordination. However, the economic incentive scheme appears to have the opposite effect by creating tensions between the two organizations and accentuating power asymmetry in favor of secondary care. CONCLUSIONS: The inter-organizational nature of coordination in health care makes it crucial for policymakers and management of care organizations to conceive incentives and instruments that work jointly across organizations rather than at only one of the health care organizations involved. Such an approach is likely to favor a more symmetrical pattern of collaboration between primary and secondary care.

Barium titanate nanoparticles: promising multitasking vectors in nanomedicine.

Ceramic materials based on perovskite-like oxides have traditionally been the object of intense interest for their applicability in electrical and electronic devices. Due to its high dielectric constant and piezoelectric features, barium titanate (BaTiO3) is probably one of the most studied compounds of this family. Recently, an increasing number of studies have been focused on the exploitation of barium titanate nanoparticles (BTNPs) in the biomedical field, owing to the high biocompatibility of BTNPs and their peculiar non-linear optical properties that have encouraged their use as nanocarriers for drug delivery and as label-free imaging probes. In this review, we summarize all the recent findings about these 'smart' nanoparticles, including the latest, most promising potential as nanotransducers for cell stimulation.

Pectin-coated boron nitride nanotubes: In vitro cyto-/immune-compatibility on RAW 264.7 macrophages.

BACKGROUND: Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) represent a new opportunity for drug delivery and clinical therapy. The present work has the objective to investigate pectin-coated BNNTs (P-BNNTs) for their biocompatibility on macrophage cultures, since these cells are among the first components of the immune system to interact with administered nanoparticles. METHODS: As first step, the potential toxicity of P-BNNTs is verified in terms of proliferation, oxidative stress induction and apoptosis/necrosis phenomena. Thereafter, the modulation of immune cell response following P-BNNT exposure is evaluated at gene and protein level, in particular focusing on cytokine release. Finally, P-BNNT internalization is assessed through transmission electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. RESULTS: The results proved that P-BNNTs are not toxic for macrophages up to 50 µg/ml after 24 h of incubation. The cytokine expression is not affected by P-BNNT administration both at gene and protein level. Moreover, P-BNNTs are internalized by macrophages without impairments of the cell structures. CONCLUSIONS: Collected data suggest that P-BNNTs cause neither adverse effects nor inflammation processes in macrophages. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: These findings represent the first and fundamental step in immune compatibility evaluation of BNNTs, mandatory before any further pre-clinical testing.

Pilot in vivo investigation of cerium oxide nanoparticles as a novel anti-obesity pharmaceutical formulation.

Obesity is a worldwide pathological condition that strongly impairs human health, and, to date, no effective therapy against excessive fat accumulation has been found yet. Since overweight correlates with an increased oxidative stress, our aim is to investigate the antioxidant effects of cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) as a potential pharmaceutical approach for the treatment of obesity. Nanoceria were tested both in vitro and in vivo; they were proven to interfere with the adipogenic pathway by reducing the mRNA transcription of genes involved in adipogenesis, and by hindering the triglycerides accumulation in 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes. Nanoceria, intraperitonally injected in Wistar rats, did not show appreciable toxic effects, but instead efficiently contributed in reducing the weight gain and in lowering the plasma levels of insulin, leptin, glucose and triglycerides. FROM THE CLINICAL EDITOR: Obesity is now a significant problem worldwide. To date, obesity surgery remains the best treatment for weight reduction. Much research has been conducted to discover an effective pharmacological treatment against obesity. In this article, the authors continued their previous work in studying the anti-adipogenic properties of cerium oxide nanoparticles. The antioxidant effects of nanoceria were studied in in vitro and in vivo experiments. It was shown in animal model that nanoceria could reduce body weight effectively. These promising results may provide a novel treatment in the clinical setting in the future.

Folate-grafted boron nitride nanotubes: possible exploitation in cancer therapy.

Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) have generated considerable interest among the scientific community because of their unique physical and chemical properties. They present good chemical inertness, high thermal stability, and optimal resistance to oxidation, that make them ideal candidates for biomedical applications, in particular as nanovectors for drug, gene and protein delivery into the cells. In this study, BNNTs were prepared through a synthesis based on a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, and thereafter chemically functionalized with folic acid. The obtained nanostructures have been characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The characterization showed efficiently functionalized BNNTs of length of about 1 µm. Furthermore, confocal laser microscopy demonstrated that our nanotubes can be fluorescently-traced under appropriate excitation. Thanks to this property, it has been possible to investigate their internalization by HeLa cells through confocal microscopy, demonstrating that the BNNT up-take clearly increases after the functionalization with folate, a result confirmed by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) assessment of boron content inside the treated cell cultures.

Barium titanate nanoparticles and hypergravity stimulation improve differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts.

BACKGROUND: Enhancement of the osteogenic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is highly desirable in the field of bone regeneration. This paper proposes a new approach for the improvement of osteogenesis combining hypergravity with osteoinductive nanoparticles (NPs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we aimed to investigate the combined effects of hypergravity and barium titanate NPs (BTNPs) on the osteogenic differentiation of rat MSCs, and the hypergravity effects on NP internalization. To obtain the hypergravity condition, we used a large-diameter centrifuge in the presence of a BTNP-doped culture medium. We analyzed cell morphology and NP internalization with immunofluorescent staining and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering, respectively. Moreover, cell differentiation was evaluated both at the gene level with quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and at the protein level with Western blotting. RESULTS: Following a 20 g treatment, we found alterations in cytoskeleton conformation, cellular shape and morphology, as well as a significant increment of expression of osteoblastic markers both at the gene and protein levels, jointly pointing to a substantial increment of NP uptake. Taken together, our findings suggest a synergistic effect of hypergravity and BTNPs in the enhancement of the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. CONCLUSION: The obtained results could become useful in the design of new approaches in bone-tissue engineering, as well as for in vitro drug-delivery strategies where an increment of nanocarrier internalization could result in a higher drug uptake by cell and/or tissue constructs.

Cytocompatibility evaluation of gum Arabic-coated ultra-pure boron nitride nanotubes on human cells.

AIM: Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) are tubular nanoparticles with a structure analogous to that of carbon nanotubes, but with B and N atoms that completely replace the C atoms. Many favorable results indicate BNNTs as safe nanomaterials; however, important concerns have recently been raised about ultra-pure, long (~10 µm) BNNTs tested on several cell types. MATERIALS & METHODS: Here, we propose additional experiments with the same BNNTs, but shortened (~1.5 µm) with a homogenization/sonication treatment that allows for their dispersion in gum Arabic aqueous solutions. Obtained BNNTs are tested on human endothelial and neuron-like cells with several independent biocompatibility assays. Moreover, for the first time, their strong sum-frequency generation signal is exploited to assess the cellular uptake. RESULTS & CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate no toxic effects up to concentrations of 20 µg/ml, once more confirming biosafety of BNNTs, and again highlighting that nanoparticle aspect ratio plays a key role in the biocompatibility evaluation.

Cerium oxide nanoparticles inhibit adipogenesis in rat mesenchymal stem cells: potential therapeutic implications.

PURPOSE: Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria, NC) have extraordinary antioxidant activity that made them suitable as a therapeutic agent for several diseases where reactive oxygen species (ROS) act by impairing the normal redox balance. Among different functions, it has been proven that ROS are cellular messengers involved in the adipogenesis: we thus investigated the implication of NC administration in the potential inhibition of adipogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) used as a model of adipogenesis. METHODS: We evaluated cytotoxic effects and adipogenic maturation of mesenchymal stem cells following in vitro NC administration, both at gene and at phenotype level. RESULTS: Overall, our results demonstrated that NC efficiently inhibit the maturation of MSCs toward adipocytes owing to their ability to reduce the production of the ROS necessary during adipogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings, even if preliminary, represent an important step toward the potential pharmaceutical application of NC in the treatment of obesity.

Why do adolescents return to an acute psychiatric unit?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to determine potentially modifiable factors associated with the high proportion of patients who are readmitted to adolescent psychiatric units. METHOD: The case notes of 112 adolescents admitted over 1 year to an acute adolescent psychiatry unit were reviewed. Socio-demographic and clinical variables were compared between those who were readmitted over a 12-month period post discharge and those who were not. RESULTS: The readmission rate over a 12-month period was 31%. Males were significantly more likely to be readmitted. No other statistically significant predictors of readmission were identified. There was a trend towards readmission for those with bipolar disorder and a trend away from readmission for those with adjustment disorders. A history of sexual abuse and cluster B personality traits were significantly related to a history of previous admission, but not with subsequent readmission. CONCLUSIONS: Readmission is influenced by a number of factors, which may not be easily identified by a chart review. Prospective studies which follow-up adolescents for several years after discharge are needed.

Neuropsychological functioning in children with medium chain acyl coenzyme a dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD): the impact of early diagnosis and screening on outcome.

Children with medium chain acyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD) have been reported to be at high risk for neurocognitive deficits. However this has not been systematically studied and little is known about the exact nature of neuropsychological sequelae or of the impact of early diagnosis and screening on outcome. We examined cognitive and adaptive outcome in children with MCADD (N = 38, age range: 2 years, 2 months - 10 years, 3 months) diagnosed either through a newborn screening program(tandem mass spectrometry/MSMS) or upon clinical presentation. There was no evidence of overall intellectual impairment in either groups but there was some suggestion of poorer verbal and specific executive functioning (i.e., planning) abilities in the unscreened cohorts. Adaptive functioning was relatively intact with the exception of reduced Daily Living Skills in both our screened and unscreened groups. Early diagnosis and greater number of hospitalizations were related to higher verbal, communication, and socialization skills. Overall, our results highlight the importance of early diagnosis and management for children with MCADD.

The effects of large neutral amino acid supplements in PKU: an MRS and neuropsychological study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of large neutral amino acid (LNAA) supplements on brain and plasma phenylalanine (Phe) levels and other metabolites in early treated subjects with classical phenylketonuria (PKU), and to investigate the relationship between these metabolites and neuropsychological performance. METHODS: This was a prospective, double blind, cross over study consisting of four two-week phases with a 4 week washout period. Sixteen subjects (7 males), with classical PKU were recruited into the study and completed all 4 phases. Each phase consisted of either the LNAA supplement or placebo, and either the patient's usual medical product or not. Subjects were instructed to follow their usual Phe restricted diet, maintain energy intake and complete a 3-day food record during each phase. At the end of each phase, brain Phe and other metabolites were measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and plasma amino acids quantified. A detailed neuropsychological assessment was performed on the same day as the MRS and plasma collection. RESULTS: There was no correlation between plasma and brain Phe, but few of the plasma Phe readings were over 1200 micromol/L. Plasma Phe decreased with LNAA supplementation when patients were not taking their medical formula. LNAA supplementation had a specific impact on executive functions particularly in verbal generativity and cognitive flexibility. Measures of attention were better on medical product, with or without LNAA supplements. CONCLUSIONS: LNAA supplementation was associated with a trend to a lowering of plasma Phe levels. LNAA supplementation had a specific impact on executive functions particularly in verbal generativity and flexibility. For individuals already complying with diet and PKU medical product, additional supplementation with LNAA is of limited value. LNAA supplementation may be of benefit to those unable to comply with PKU medical product by reducing plasma Phe, perhaps by competing with Phe at the level of transport across the gut.