30 research outputs found
How does fiscal decentralization affect within-regional disparities in well-being? Evidence from health inequalities in Italy
No full textWell-Being and Psychological Consequences of Temporary Contracts: The Case of Younger Italian Employees
No full textWorking conditions in Western countries have changed dramatically in the last twenty years, witnessing the emergence of new forms of employment contracts. The number of "standard" fulltime permanent jobs has decreased, while non-standard work arrangements such as temporary, contingent or part-time contracts have become much more common. This paper analyses the impact of temporary contracts and job insecurity on well-being among younger Italian employees. We use the "Health Conditions and Use of the Health Service Survey" carried out by the Italian National Institute of Statistics in conjunction with the Bank of Italy's Survey on Households Income and Wealth (SHIW). We consider four dimensions of individual well-being: physical health, mental health, self-assessed health and happiness. To account for individual heterogeneity we match each temporary worker with a permanent worker using propensity score matching. Well-being of matched individuals is compared to estimates of the average effect of working with a temporary as opposed to a permanent contract. Our analysis reveals a negative relationship between psychological well-being, happiness and having a temporary job and is particularly marked for male
Does fiscal decentralization affect regional disparities in health? Quasi-experimental evidence from Italy
No full textRecent theories on fiscal decentralization support the view that sub-national governments who finance a larger share of their spending with taxes raised locally by themselves are more accountable towards their citizens. Whilst evidence on improvements in spending efficiency is relatively common, little is known about the effects on inequalities amongst the population. In this paper we exploit a reform aimed at increasing regional tax autonomy in Italy to provide quasi-experimental evidence on the impact of fiscal decentralization on health disparities between- and within-regions. Our findings, robust to a number of robustness checks, support the view that fiscal decentralization does not impact on between-regional inequalities but can help to reduce inequalities within regions. However, this last effect depends on the degree of economic development: richer regions are better than poorer ones in containing inequalities
Appropriateness to set a group health-based guidance value for fumonisins and their modified forms
No full textThe EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) established a tolerable daily intake (TDI) for fumonisin B 1 (FB 1 ) of 1.0 μg/kg body weight (bw) per day based on increased incidence of megalocytic hepatocytes found in a chronic study with mice. The CONTAM Panel considered the limited data available on toxicity and mode of action and structural similarities of FB 2–6 and found it appropriate to include FB 2 , FB 3 and FB 4 in a group TDI with FB 1 . Modified forms of FBs are phase I and phase II metabolites formed in fungi, infested plants or farm animals. Modified forms also arise from food or feed processing, and include covalent adducts with matrix constituents. Non-covalently bound forms are not considered as modified forms. Modified forms of FBs identified are hydrolysed FB 1–4 (HFB 1–4 ), partially hydrolysed FB 1–2 (pHFB 1–2 ), N-(carboxymethyl)-FB 1–3 (NCM-FB 1–3 ), N-(1-deoxy-d-fructos-1-yl)-FB 1 (NDF-FB 1 ), O-fatty acyl FB 1 , N-fatty acyl FB 1 and N-palmitoyl-HFB 1 . HFB 1 , pHFB 1 , NCM-FB 1 and NDF-FB 1 show a similar toxicological profile but are less potent than FB 1 . Although in vitro data shows that N-fatty acyl FBs are more toxic in vitro than FB 1 , no in vivo data were available for N-fatty acyl FBs and O-fatty acyl FBs. The CONTAM Panel concluded that it was not appropriate to include modified FBs in the group TDI for FB 1–4 . The uncertainty associated with the present assessment is high, but could be reduced provided more data are made available on occurrence, toxicokinetics and toxicity of FB 2–6 and modified forms of FB 1–4
Insecure, sick and unhappy? Well-being consequences of temporary employment contracts
No full textThis paper investigates the influences of temporary contracts along several dimensions of well-being (physical and mental health, self-assessed health and happiness) for young Italian workers. Our paper contributes to the literature exploring some new aspects of the relationship between temporary jobs and well-being in a country not frequently analysed in previous literature. We focus on the gender gap in the well-being consequences of non-permanent jobs, the influence of financial support by family in reducing well-being effects caused by temporary contracts and the interaction between gender gap and family support
Acute health risks related to the presence of cyanogenic glycosides in raw apricot kernels and products derived from raw apricot kernels
No full textAmygdalin is the major cyanogenic glycoside present in apricot kernels and is degraded to cyanide by chewing or grinding. Cyanide is of high acute toxicity in humans. The lethal dose is reported to be 0.5–3.5 mg/kg body weight (bw). An acute reference dose (ARfD) of 20 lg/kg bw was derived from an exposure of 0.105 mg/kg bw associated with a non-toxic blood cyanide level of 20 micro mol (lM), and applying an uncertainty factor of 1.5 to account for toxicokinetic and of 3.16 to account for toxicodynamic inter-individual differences. In the absence of consumption data and thus using highest intakes of kernels promoted (10 and 60 kernels/day for the general population and cancer patients, respectively), exposures exceeded the ARfD 17–413 and 3–71 times in toddlers and adults, respectively. The estimated maximum quantity of apricot kernels (or raw apricot material) that can be consumed without exceeding the ARfD is 0.06 and 0.37 g in toddlers and adults, respectively. Thus the ARfD would be exceeded already by consumption of one small kernel in toddlers, while adults could consume three small kernels. However, consumption of less than half of a large kernel could already exceed the ARfD in adults
Presence of free gossypol in whole cottonseed
No full textThe European Commission asked EFSA to assess information provided by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, on the toxicity of free gossypol in relation to the use of whole cotton seed in feed for ruminants, in particular dairy cows, and, if necessary, to update the previous opinion of the EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) on gossypol as an undesirable substance in animal feed. Gossypol is a polyphenolic compound that exists in a racemic mixture of (+)-gossypol and (-)-gossypol isomers. It occurs in free or (protein-) bound forms in cottonseeds. The most commonly used cottonseeds in feed are from Upland and Pima varieties. The Pima variety is considered more toxic due to a higher content of the (-)-gossypol isomer. Upland whole cottonseeds (WCS) are fed with no further processing (after delinting); Pima varieties normally undergo further processing (grinding or cracking). It is claimed that WCS have a greater retention time in the rumen, which results in an increased detoxifying activity, compared to a shorter ruminal retention time, in the case of cracked cottonseed or cottonseed meal products. Increased erythrocyte fragility has been observed in cows given WCS Upland varieties at similar exposure levels as those resulting from an inclusion rate of 10% of WCS containing gossypol at 7,000 mg/kg in feed - the maximum permitted level of gossypol in WCS suggested by the Spanish Delegation. The information from the Spanish delegation does not differentiate between varieties in their suggestion for an increase in the maximum permitted content of free gossypol for WCS. As both Upland and Pima varieties are grown in the EU and are used for animal feed, both varieties of WCS should be considered. The CONTAM Panel considered it not necessary to update the previous opinion
Fumonisinas em derivados de milho comercializados em Santa Catarina e sua relação com a saúde humana e alterações histopatológicas em fígado de catfish tratados "in vivo" com fumonisina B1
No full textTese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências Agrárias. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência dos AlimentosFumonisinas ocorrem amplamente em milho e produtos derivados provocando distúrbios em diferentes espécies animais e estando associada ao câncer de esôfago em algumas regiões do mundo. Com base nos dados acima o presente trabalho teve por objetivo: (i) avaliar a ocorrência de fumonisinas em produtos derivados de milho destinados a consumo humano comercializados no Estado Santa Catarina. Das 82 amostras analisadas (farinha de milho, canjica, flocos de milho e milho de pipoca), 92,68 % apresentaram níveis detectáveis de fumonisinas, sendo a farinha de milho o produto com maior contaminação. Foram analisadas farinha de milho artesanais e industrializadas e os resultados demonstraram níveis detectáveis de FBs em 91,5 % das amostras, sendo que os níveis médios foram de 3,81 e 5,73 mg/g, respectivamente; (ii) analisar as alterações morfológicas em fígado de channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) tratados intraperitonealmente com FB1, em doses de 1,0; 5,0 and 10,0 mg FB1/kg p.c./dia, respectivamente, durante 21 dias. Os fígados dos animais tratados apresentaram alterações de leves à drásticas, dependendo da dose e tempo de tratamento a que foram submetidos. Verificaram-se alterações e desestruturação generalizada das estruturas membranosas, dilatação e desenvolvimento anormal do REG, aumento de ribossomos e alterações mitocondriais. Pôde-se constatar ao nível morfológico a ocorrência de processos envolvendo necrose e apoptose. Ao final do tratamento figuras de mielina elétron-densas estavam bem caracterizadas; (iii) considerando-se que o sul do Brasil apresenta alta incidência de câncer de esôfago foi desenvolvido um levantamento de casos desta doença, através de registro hospitalar em Santa Catarina, determinando a prevalência por idade, sexo, atividade profissional e região do Estado, bem como dos hábitos alimentares, tabagismo e álcool. Sendo o câncer uma doença multifatorial, a contaminação por fumonisinas em produtos de milho consumidos por estas populações pode ser um dos fatores relacionados
Risks for animal health related to the presence of fumonisins, their modified forms and hidden forms in feed
No full textThe CONTAM Panel wishes to acknowledge all European countries and other stakeholder organisations that provided feed consumption data and chemical occurrence data on fumonisins, modified forms and hidden forms in feed. Adopted: 22 March 2018Peer reviewe
