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This report is prepared in the framework of the Europe H2020 project 'Rebuilding an inclusive, value based Europe of solidarity and trust through social investments' (RE-InVEST). The project aims to eval­uate the social investment strategy of the European Commission implemented in 2013 in response to the social damage of the financial crisis in 2008. The RE-InVEST consortium aims to assess the social damage of the crisis drawing from human rights and capability based approaches and focuses on those vulnerable groups mostly affected by the crisis in the 12 countries (and 13 regions) (UK (=EN+SC), IE, PT, NL, RO, LV, IT, BE, DE, AT, CH) covered by the study. The analyses are carried out by the local partners, who consist of NGOs and/or research institutions. Portugal has been particularly hard hit by the economic crisis. The high unemployment, low employ­ment, rising of poverty and social exclusion, and declining household incomes resulted in a lack of confi­dence concerning to occupation safety and future economic growth. Social expenditure played a strong role in stabilising household incomes; nonetheless it was reduced due to the sovereign debt crisis. As new entrants to labour market, young people face serious difficulties to get a job. This is mostly exacerbated when they do not receive any kind of social protection and moreover are obliged to accept job offers. The focus of the research on young unemployed is due to the fact of the unemployment being the major problem among young people under 25 years old. This group has been so severely hit by the eco­nomic crisis and so it is a great concern and a top priority[1] among EU Member States. As other countries, Portugal needs to reduce youth unemployment. According to the Monthly Employment and Unemploy­ment Estimates (Instituto Nacional de Estatística – INE ( National Statistical Institute) March 2015, the unemployment rate among young people stood at 35.0%[2] (unemployment of 25-64 year-olds in Portugal is 14.5% compared to the OECD average of 7.5%). This ...

AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE 1992 PEACE ACCORDS FOR ENDING CONFLICT IN EL SALVADOR, RADICAL REFORM OF THE CIVILIAN POLICING HAS VIRTUALLY INVOLVED THE CREATION OF A NEW, NON-POLITICAL POLICE FORCE. IN SPITE OF RESISTANCE TO REFORM, INCLUDING ATTEMPTS BY THE ARMED FORCES TO RETAIN A PUBLIC SECURITY ROLE, THE ACHIEVEMENTS HAVE BEEN IMPRESSIVE IN TERMS OF REPLACING FORMER SECURITY BODIES, GENERATING PUBLIC CONFIDENCE, GREATER RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND IMPROVED TRAINING. THIS HAS BEEN POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE POLITICAL RECOGNITION IN EL SALVADOR OF THE ESSENTIAL NEED FOR REFORM AND BECAUSE THE PEACE ACCORDS PROVIDED CLEAR GUIDELINES AND A TIMETABLE FOR CHANGE. THE UN AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAVE ALSO PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN ASSISTING THE TRANSITION, PARTICULARLY IN ESTABLISHING A TRAINING ACADEMY, PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND VERIFYING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACCORDS. HOWEVER, THE EL SALVADOR EXPERIENCE ALSO OFFERS LESSONS, INCLUDING THE NEED FOR POLITICAL LEADERSHIP BY THE UN IN INTEGRATING AND CO-ORDINATING THE VARIOUS EXTERNAL BODIES FOR SUPERVISING AND ASSISTING TRANSITIONS, ESPECIALLY WHERE POLICE AND SECURITY PERSONNEL HAVE HAD A RECORD OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE.

Nuclear medicine in Portugal has been an autonomous speciality since 1984. In order to obtain the title of Nuclear Medicine Specialist, 5 years of training are necessary. The curriculum is very similar to the one approved under the auspices of the European Union of Medical Specialists, namely concerning the minimum recommended number of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. There is a final assessment, and during the training the resident is in an approved continuing education programme. Departments are accredited by the Medical College in order to verify their capacity to host nuclear medicine residencies.

the aim of this chapter is to fill a gap in the existing literature by describing some developments of the governance system in the field of social policies between 2011–2014. It focuses on the housing sector because of the importance of the problems related to housing affordability in Milan and to the shortage of public housing provision. In the next section, we describe the transition period that the welfare governance system is now undergoing, especially as far as values and policy discourse are concerned. We will concentrate on the previous social policies governance system in the city, the values and objectives characterizing the political coalition's welfare program, and the governance system between 2011–2014. We will argue that the current situation represents a compromise be- tween new values and plans for municipal welfare and the legacy of the past (especially in terms of financial budget constraints), and we will highlight continuities and discontinuities with previous administrations. In the third section, we will focus on trends in Milan's housing policies in terms of governance and problematic issues, the purpose being to show why and how Milan is, according to the title given to this chapter, a city "lost in transition". In the concluding section, we will discuss how the current municipal government is dealing with the heavy financial legacy of the past and the barriers to promoting social innovation in housing and social policies according to the values that characterized the electoral campaign and its underlying political program.

Abstract Amphetamine-related drugs, such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and methamphetamine (METH), are popular recreational psychostimulants. Several preclinical studies have demonstrated that, besides having the potential for abuse, amphetamine-related drugs may also elicit neurotoxic and neuroinflammatory effects. The neurotoxic potentials of MDMA and METH to dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons have been clearly demonstrated in both rodents and non-human primates. This review summarizes the species-specific cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in MDMA and METH-mediated neurotoxic and neuroinflammatory effects, along with the most important behavioral changes elicited by these substances in experimental animals and humans. Emphasis is placed on the neuropsychological and neurological consequences associated with the neuronal damage. Moreover, we point out the gap in our knowledge and the need for developing appropriate therapeutic strategies to manage the neurological problems associated with amphetamine-related drug abuse. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. ; This work was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministerios de Economía y Competitividad (SAF2013-48532-R) and of Sanidad Política Social e Igualdad(PNSD #2012/071, and ISCIII, CIBERNED CB06/05/0055) and Comunidad de Madrid ref. S2011/BMD-2336 to RM and by funds from the Regione Autonoma della Sardegna (Legge Regionale 7 Agosto 2007, N.7, annualità 2008 and 2010) to MM and by funds from to Sardinian Regional Government for financial support (P.O.R. Sardegna F.S.E. Operational Programme of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, European Social Fund 2007–2013 – Axis IV Human Resources, Objective l.3, Line of Activity l.3.1 "Avviso di chiamata per il finanziamento di Assegni di Ricerca") to. NS. ; Peer Reviewed

Abundances relative to iron for carbon, nitrogen, strontium, and barium are presented for 33 stars on the red giant branch (RGB) of the globular cluster omega Centauri. They are based on intermediate-resolution spectroscopic data covering the blue spectral region analyzed using spectrum synthesis techniques. The data reveal the existence of a broad range in the abundances of these elements, and a comparison with similar data for main-sequence stars enables insight into the evolutionary history of the cluster. The majority of the RGB stars were found to be depleted in carbon, i.e., [C/Fe] < 0, while [N/Fe] for the same stars shows a range of similar to 1 dex, from [N/Fe] approximate to 0.7 to 1.7 dex. The strontium-to-iron abundance ratios varied from solar to mildly enhanced (0.0 <= [Sr/Fe] <= 0.8), with [Ba/Fe] generally equal to or greater than [Sr/Fe]. The carbon and nitrogen abundance ratios for the one known CH star in the sample, ROA 279, are [C/Fe] = 0.6 and [N/Fe] = 0.5 dex. Evidence for evolutionary mixing on the RGB is found from the fact that the relative carbon abundances on the main sequence are generally higher than those on the RGB. However, comparison of the RGB and main-sequence samples shows that the upper level of nitrogen enhancement is similar in both sets at [N/Fe] approximate to 2.0 dex. This is most likely the result of primordial rather than evolutionary mixing processes. One RGB star, ROA 276, was found to have Sr and Ba abundance ratios similar to the anomalous Sr-rich main-sequence star S2015448. High-resolution spectra of ROA 276 were obtained with the Magellan Telescope/mike spectrograph combination to confirm this result, revealing that ROA 276 is indeed an unusual star. For this star, calculations of the depletion effect, the potential change in surface abundance that results from the increased depth of the convective envelope as a star moves from the main sequence to the RGB, strongly suggest that the observed Sr enhancement in ROA 276 is of primordial origin, rather than originating from a surface accretion event. ; Australian Government ; McDonald Observatory

Objectives: In the face of economic downturn and increasing life expectancy, many industrial nations are adopting a policy of postponing the retirement age. However, questions still remain around the consequence of working longer into old age. We examine mortality by work status around retirement ages in countries with different welfare regimes; Finland (social democratic), Turin (Italy; conservative), and England and Wales (liberal). Methods: Death rates and rate ratios (RRs) (reference rates = 'in-work'), 1970 s–2000 s, were estimated for those aged 45–64 years using the England and Wales longitudinal study, Turin longitudinal study, and the Finnish linked register study. Results: Mortality of the not-in-work was consistently higher than the in-work. Death rates for the not-in-work were lowest in Turin and highest in Finland. Rate ratios were smallest in Turin (RR men 1972–76 1.73; 2002–06 1.63; women 1.22; 1.68) and largest in Finland (RR men 1991–95 3.03; 2001–05 3.80; women 3.62; 4.11). Unlike RRs for men, RRs for women increased in every country (greatest in Finland). Conclusions: These findings signal that overall, employment in later life is associated with lower mortality, regardless of welfare regime.