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

Unlabelled: 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.

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

What is the real meaning of ? How is different from other forms of innovation? How does 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Unlabelled: 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.