The Gender Wage Gap and Wage Arrears in Russia: Evidence from the RLMS

Using the RLMS, this paper re-examines the gender wage gap in Russia from 1994 to 1998. We find that the average gender wage gap was fairly stable during 1994-1996 but that it became wider following the financial crisis of 1998. In particular, low-income female employees were hardest hit by the financial crisis. Furthermore, we find that wage arrears and payment in kind acted as compensating mechanisms to reduce losses stemming from higher wage discrimination, suggesting that the allocation of wage arrears and payment in kind was driven by equity considerations for female workers. Yet the relationship between wage arrears and the gender wage gap was not linear: female employees suffering wage arrears at low levels of the wage distribution failed to enjoy such compensation.

Activation of Egr-1 expression in astrocytes by HIV-1 Tat: new insights into astrocyte-mediated Tat neurotoxicity

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Tat plays an important role in HIV-associated neuropathogenesis; the underlying mechanisms are still evolving. We have recently shown that HIV-1 Tat induces expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a characteristic of HIV-1 infection of the central nervous system (CNS). We have also shown that the Tat-induced GFAP expression in astrocytes is regulated by p300, and that deletion of the early growth response 1 (Egr-1) cis-transacting element within the p300 promoter abolishes Tat-induced GFAP expression. In this study, we further examined the relationship between Tat and Egr-1 in astrocytes. We found increased Egr-1 protein expression in Tat-expressing human astrocytoma cells and mouse primary astrocytes. Using the Egr-1 promoter-driven firefly luciferase reporter gene assay and the site-directed mutagenesis, we demonstrated that Tat increased Egr-1 expression by transactivating the Egr-1 promoter and involving specific serum response elements (SRE) within the promoter. Consistent with these data, we showed that Tat transactivation of the Egr-1 promoter was abrogated when astrocytes were cultured in serum-reduced media. Taken together, these results reveal that Tat directly transactivates Egr-1 expression and suggest that Tat interaction with Egr-1 is probably one of the very upstream molecular events that initiate Tat-induced astrocyte dysfunction and subsequent Tat neurotoxicity

Ctr1 drives intestinal copper absorption and is essential for growth, iron metabolism, and neonatal cardiac function

SummaryThe trace element copper (Cu) is a cofactor for biochemical functions ranging from energy generation to iron (Fe) acquisition, angiogenesis, and free radical detoxification. While Cu is essential for life, the molecules that mediate dietary Cu uptake have not been identified. Ctr1 is a homotrimeric protein, conserved from yeast to humans, that transports Cu across the plasma membrane with high affinity and specificity. Here we describe the generation of intestinal epithelial cell-specific Ctr1 knockout mice. These mice exhibit striking neonatal defects in Cu accumulation in peripheral tissues, hepatic Fe overload, cardiac hypertrophy, and severe growth and viability defects. Consistent with an intestinal Cu absorption block, the growth and viability defects can be partially rescued by a single postnatal Cu administration, indicative of a critical neonatal metabolic requirement for Cu that is provided by intestinal Ctr1. These studies identify Ctr1 as the major factor driving intestinal Cu absorption in mammals

Cyclic strain inhibits switching of smooth muscle cells to an osteoblastâ like phenotype

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154437/1/fsb2fj020459fje.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154437/2/fsb2fj020459fje-sup-0001.pd

Regge phenomenology of pion photoproduction off the nucleon at forward angles

We present a Regge model for pion photoproduction which is basically free of parameters within the framework of the s-channel helicity amplitude. We use coupling constants of all exchanged mesons determined from empirical decay widths or from the SU(3) relations together with consistency check with existing estimates that are widely accepted in other reaction processes. Cross sections and spin polarization asymmetries at various photon energies are analyzed and results are obtained in better agreement with experimental data without referring to any fitting procedure.Comment: 19 pages, 20 figures, two column, revtex

What Determines Actual Use of Mobile Web Browsing Services? A Contextual Study in Korea

The use of mobile Web browsing services is a worldwide phenomenon. The intent of this research is to produce a testable model of Web browsing services use that both identifies unique national market differences and yet is theoretically parsimonious enough to permit future cross-national studies. Specifically, our model examines which factors determine the use of mobile Web browsing services in South Korea. We show that content quality, hardware quality, ubiquity, cost, and relational factors are important predictors of actual use of mobile Web browsing services. However, counter to our model’s predictions, network quality and security did not appear to be significant factors in Korea at this point of market maturity. Future empirical examination of the proposed model in different markets worldwide should provide multinational IT vendors with better understanding of the similarities and differences in the global smart phone business