The Long-Term Economic Impact of In Utero and Postnatal Exposure to Malaria

I use an instrumental-variables identification strategy and historical data from the United States to estimate the long-term economic impact of in utero and postnatal exposure to malaria. My research design matches adults in the 1960 Decennial Census to the malaria death rate in their respective state and year of birth. To address potential omitted variables bias and measurement-error bias, I use variation in "malaria-ideal" temperatures to instrument for malaria exposure. My estimates indicate that it in utero and postnatal exposure to malaria led to considerably lower levels of educational attainment and higher rates of poverty later in life.early-life health, malaria, education, poverty

Conservation and documentation of new media art

A discussion of international conversations around conserving and documenting new media art

Conservation and documentation of new media art

A discussion of international conversations around conserving and documenting new media art

Magnetic properties of epsilon iron(III) oxide nanorod arrays functionalized with gold and copper(II) oxide

A sequential chemical vapor deposition (CVD) - radio frequency (RF)-sputtering approach was adopted to fabricate supported nanocomposites based on the scarcely investigated \u3b5-iron(III) oxide polymorph. In particular, \u3b5-Fe2O3 nanorod arrays were obtained by CVD, and their subsequent functionalization with Au and CuO nanoparticles (NPs) was carried out by RF-sputtering under mild operational conditions. Apart from a multi-technique characterization of material structure, morphology and chemical composition, particular efforts were dedicated to the investigation of their magnetic properties. The pertaining experimental data, discussed in relation to the system chemico-physical characteristics, are directly dependent on the actual chemical composition, as well as on the spatial distribution of Au and CuO nanoparticles. The approach adopted herein can be further implemented to control and tailor different morphologies and phase compositions of iron oxide-based nanomaterials, meeting thus the open requests of a variety of technological utilizations

Improving sexual and reproductive health of migrant girls and women living with female genital mutilations providing them with specific maternity care.

Worldwide, 200 million girls and women have been estimated as living with female genital mutilation/cutting. Today, this phenomenon does not only concern the countries where this practice is widespread, but also in many other nations where the immigrant female population comes from the countries with high prevalence, or is clandestinely practiced in the countries of destination of immigrant girls and women. It has been estimated that 50 to 80% of all African women who migrated to Italy more than 5 years ago, underwent some form of FGM. Two-third of these have been found to be afraid of seeking gynecological care. Only a small proportion of the 60% who have a vaginal delivery receive appropriate care (anesthesia and de-infibulation). FGM is responsible for specific short and long-term complications that include uro-gynaecological, obstetric, infectious, psychological and sexual consequences requiring appropriate care. The Department of Reproductive Health and Research (RHR) of the WHO has recently published new guidelines on the management of health complications from FGM with up-to-date, evidence-based recommendations. The European Union has also recently launched an E-learning tool to improve knowledge of healthcare for asylum-seekers among professionals. Its aims are to provide easily accessible information and support to professionals dealing with FGM Aim: The main scope of the project proposed is: to map existing referral centres and centres with expertise on women and girls living with FGM in Italy and make this information available for professionals and the women concerned (website, professional boards). In addition we aim to define the scientific, clinical and organisational requirements for such centres and to implement updated and evidence-based training courses in obstetric and gynaecological diagnosis and management of FGM (in particular defibulation) and its complications at a national level. Training courses will also provide useful information on further subjects, such as asylum-seekers and FGM and the legal situation concerning FGM. Finally we hope to promote research on the economical impact of FGM

Running and Jumping Variables in RD Designs: Evidence Based on Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Birth Weights

Throughout the years spanned by the U.S. Vital Statistics Linked Birth and Infant Death Data (1983-2002), birth weights are measured most precisely for children of white and highly educated mothers. As a result, less healthy children, who are more likely to be of low socioeconomic status, are disproportionately represented at multiples of round numbers. This has crucial implications for any study using a regression discontinuity design in which birth weights are used as the running variable. For example, estimates will be biased in a manner that leads one to conclude that it is “good” to be strictly to the left of any 100-gram cutoff. As such, prior estimates of the effects of very low birth weight classification (Almond, Doyle, Kowalski, and Williams 2010) have been overstated and appear to be zero. This analysis highlights a more general problem that can afflict regression discontinuity designs. In cases where attributes related to the outcomes of interest predict heaping in the running variable, estimated effects are likely to be biased. We discuss approaches to diagnosing and correcting for this type of problem.regression discontinuity, donut RD, birth weight, infant mortality

A study of Pt-/alpha-Fe2O3 nanocomposites by XPS

alpha-Fe2O3 matrices were deposited on Fluorine-doped Tin Oxide (FTO) substrates by Plasma Enhanced- Chemical Vapor Deposition (PE-CVD) from Fe(hfa)_2TMEDA (hfa = 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoro-2,4-pentanedionate; TMEDA = N,N,N’,N’-tetramethylethylenediamine). The obtained nanosystems were subsequently functionalized by platinum nanoparticles (NPs) via Radio Frequency (RF)-sputtering, exposing samples either to a pre- or post-sputtering thermal treatment at 650°C for one hour in air. Interestingly, Pt oxidation state in the final composite systems strongly depended on the adopted processing conditions. In this work, a detailed X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analysis was carried out in order to investigate the material chemical composition, with particular regard to the relative Pt(0)/Pt(II)/Pt(IV) content. The obtained results evidenced that, when annealing is performed prior to sputtering, only PtO and PtO2 are revealed in the final Pt/alpha-Fe2O3 nanocomposite. In a different way, annealing after sputtering results in the co-presence of Pt(0), Pt(II) and Pt(IV) species, the former arising from the thermal decomposition of PtO2 to metallic platinum

An integrated geodetic and InSAR technique for the monitoring and detection of active faulting in southwestern Sicily

We present the results of the analysis of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and InSAR (Interferometric synthetic-aperture radar) data collected in the frame of a project financed by the “Struttura Terremoti” of INGV (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia). Combined investigations pointed out for potential seismogenic sources for destructive earthquakes recorded in southwestern Sicily, including the 1968 Belice earthquake sequence and that supposed to have destroyed the Greek city of Selinunte which, according to geoarcheological data experienced two earthquakes in historical times. Our approach is aimed to evaluate the current deformation rate in SW Sicily and to improve the knowledge about the seismic potential of this area. The geodetic data proposed in this paper show that the Campobello di Mazara–Castelvetrano alignment (CCA) is currently deforming with a vertical and horizontal displacements of 2 mm/yr and 0.5 mm/yr respectively, according to the tectonic setting of the are

Formaldehyde and total aldehydes in indoor air of public environments by voltammetry

The proposed method involves active sampling, where a sampling pump is used to pull air through a solution and voltammetric analysis of the obtained solutions. No interferences have been observed. In addition, very little sample preparation is required. Analyses were performed in 19 indoor stations and one in outdoor. Measurements were carried out on University environments: Museum of Chemistry, Zoological Museum, libraries, laboratories, corridors, meeting rooms, photocopying room, machine shop and terrace. Formaldehyde concentrations in analyzed samples ranged from 2.6 to 85 μg m-3 (median = 32 μg m-3), while the sum of others aldehydes ranged from 2 to 25 μg m-3 (median =2.4 μg m-3). In the sample Zoological Museum 2, the sum of other aldehydes was very high (400 μg m-3). The results demonstrated that artificial ventilation is an efficient system to control indoor air pollution caused by aldehydes emissions

XPS analysis of Fe2O3-TiO2-Au nanocomposites prepared by a plasma-assisted route

Fe2O3 nanodeposits have been grown on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates by plasma enhanced-chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD). Subsequently, the obtained systems have been functionalized through the sequential introduction of TiO2 and Au nanoparticles (NPs) by means of radio frequency (RF)-sputtering. The target nanocomposites have been specifically optimized in view of their ultimate functional application in solar-driven H2 generation. In the present study, our attention is focused on a detailed X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization of the surface composition for a representative Fe2O3-TiO2-Au specimen. In particular, this report provides a detailed discussion of the analyzed C 1s, O 1s, Fe 2p, Ti 2p, and Au 4f regions. The obtained results point to the formation of pure Fe2O3-TiO2-Au composites, with gold present only in its metallic state and each of the constituents maintaining its chemical identity