WAGE STRUCTURE, INEQUALITY AND SKILL-BIASED CHANGE: IS ITALY AN OUTLIER?

This paper investigates the relation between wage structure, inequality and skill-biased change in Italy between 1993 and 2004. Using a quantile decomposition analysis, we point out that changes in wage structure are mainly driven by the negative coefficients component, which represents also one of driving force of the trends of wage inequality. This evidence suggests that the changes in wage structure in Italy can hardly be explained referring to a skill-biased change explanation. Evidence that is further reinforced by a set of descriptive statistics showing that the increasing educational attainments of the workforce might have been crowded out by a stable trend in the demand for skills.Educational wage premia, Human Capital, Skill Biased Change, Quantile regression, Wage Decomposition, Italy

Pseudomonas aeruginosa cleaves the decoding center of Caenorhabditis elegans ribosomes

Pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa advantageously modify animal host physiology, for example, by inhibiting host protein synthesis. Translational inhibition of insects and mammalian hosts by P. aeruginosa utilizes the well-known exotoxin A effector. However, for the infection of Caenorhabditis elegans by P. aeruginosa, the precise pathways and mechanism(s) of translational inhibition are not well understood. We found that upon exposure to P. aeruginosa PA14, C. elegans undergoes a rapid loss of intact ribosomes accompanied by the accumulation of ribosomes cleaved at helix 69 (H69) of the 26S ribosomal RNA (rRNA), a key part of ribosome decoding center. H69 cleavage is elicited by certain virulent P. aeruginosa isolates in a quorum sensing (QS)-dependent manner and independently of exotoxin A-mediated translational repression. H69 cleavage is antagonized by the 3 major host defense pathways defined by the pmk-1, fshr-1, and zip-2 genes. The level of H69 cleavage increases with the bacterial exposure time, and it is predominantly localized in the worm\u27s intestinal tissue. Genetic and genomic analysis suggests that H69 cleavage leads to the activation of the worm\u27s zip-2-mediated defense response pathway, consistent with translational inhibition. Taken together, our observations suggest that P. aeruginosa deploys a virulence mechanism to induce ribosome degradation and H69 cleavage of host ribosomes. In this manner, P. aeruginosa would impair host translation and block antibacterial responses

An optimized kit-free method for making strand-specific deep sequencing libraries from RNA fragments

Deep sequencing of strand-specific cDNA libraries is now a ubiquitous tool for identifying and quantifying RNAs in diverse sample types. The accuracy of conclusions drawn from these analyses depends on precise and quantitative conversion of the RNA sample into a DNA library suitable for sequencing. Here, we describe an optimized method of preparing strand-specific RNA deep sequencing libraries from small RNAs and variably sized RNA fragments obtained from ribonucleoprotein particle footprinting experiments or fragmentation of long RNAs. Our approach works across a wide range of input amounts (400 pg to 200 ng), is easy to follow and produces a library in 2-3 days at relatively low reagent cost, all while giving the user complete control over every step. Because all enzymatic reactions were optimized and driven to apparent completion, sequence diversity and species abundance in the input sample are well preserved

The long non-coding RNA LUCAT1 is a negative feedback regulator of interferon responses in humans

Long non-coding RNAs are important regulators of biological processes including immune responses. The immunoregulatory functions of lncRNAs have been revealed primarily in murine models with limited understanding of lncRNAs in human immune responses. Here, we identify lncRNA LUCAT1 which is upregulated in human myeloid cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide and other innate immune stimuli. Targeted deletion of LUCAT1 in myeloid cells increases expression of type I interferon stimulated genes in response to LPS. By contrast, increased LUCAT1 expression results in a reduction of the inducible ISG response. In activated cells, LUCAT1 is enriched in the nucleus where it associates with chromatin. Further, LUCAT1 limits transcription of interferon stimulated genes by interacting with STAT1 in the nucleus. Together, our study highlights the role of the lncRNA LUCAT1 as a post-induction feedback regulator which functions to restrain the immune response in human cells

Midsagittal Cranial Shape Variation in the Genus Homo by Geometric Morphometrics

Midsagittal profiles of crania referred to different taxa of the genus Homo have been analyzed by geometric morphometric techniques. Comparisons between single specimens using the thin-plate-spline function suggest a generalized reduction of the lower face, associated with antero-posterior development of the braincase occurring (possibly in parallel evolution) along distinct human lineages. Furthermore, Neandertals display a projection of the midface, and modern humans show a derived globularity of the vault associated with midsagittal parietal bulging. Principal Component Analysis demonstrates a bimodal pattern of variation, which describes an »archaic« pole (rather heterogeneous in terms of taxonomy) clearly distinguishable from the modern one. The first two principal components – that explain together 80% of the total variance in shape – involve respectively fronto-parietal expansion and midfacial prognathism. These results contribute to identify different structural patterns in human evolution, supporting discontinuity rather than continuity of cranial shape among different taxa of the genus Homo, especially when considering the differences between Neandertals and early modern humans

Tele-echocardiography between Italy and Balkan area

A project (PIS-SRCE) has been started for promoting international medical cooperation in the Balkan area according to the Stabilization and Association Process, the European Union\u27s policy framework for the Western Balkan countries. Information and communication technology is presently mature to set up a telemedicine network breaking down geographical barriers and providing specialized medical care virtually anywhere in the world. Videoconferencing equipment is commercially available to transmit securely over Internet echocardiography or other modality images in addition to standard audio/video signals. Real-time transmission capability is crucial for allowing specialists to drive remotely proper echo scanning of cardiac structures in patient or foetus with suspected congenital heart disease

Whole genome amplification and real-time PCR in forensic casework

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>WGA (Whole Genome Amplification) in forensic genetics can eliminate the technical limitations arising from low amounts of genomic DNA (gDNA). However, it has not been used to date because any amplification bias generated may complicate the interpretation of results. Our aim in this paper was to assess the applicability of MDA to forensic SNP genotyping by performing a comparative analysis of genomic and amplified DNA samples. A 26-SNPs TaqMan panel specifically designed for low copy number (LCN) and/or severely degraded genomic DNA was typed on 100 genomic as well as amplified DNA samples.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Aliquots containing 1, 0.1 and 0.01 ng each of 100 DNA samples were typed for a 26-SNPs panel. Similar aliquots of the same DNA samples underwent multiple displacement amplification (MDA) before being typed for the same panel. Genomic DNA samples showed 0% PCR failure rate for all three dilutions, whilst the PCR failure rate of the amplified DNA samples was 0% for the 1 ng and 0.1 ng dilutions and 0.077% for the 0.01 ng dilution. The genotyping results of both the amplified and genomic DNA samples were also compared with reference genotypes of the same samples obtained by direct sequencing. The genomic DNA samples showed genotype concordance rates of 100% for all three dilutions while the concordance rates of the amplified DNA samples were 100% for the 1 ng and 0.1 ng dilutions and 99.923% for the 0.01 ng dilution. Moreover, ten artificially-degraded DNA samples, which gave no results when analyzed by current forensic methods, were also amplified by MDA and genotyped with 100% concordance.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We investigated the suitability of MDA material for forensic SNP typing. Comparative analysis of amplified and genomic DNA samples showed that a large number of SNPs could be accurately typed starting from just 0.01 ng of template. We found that the MDA genotyping call and accuracy rates were only slightly lower than those for genomic DNA. Indeed, when 10 pg of input DNA was used in MDA, we obtained 99.923% concordance, indicating a genotyping error rate of 1/1299 (7.7 × 10^-4). This is quite similar to the genotyping error rate of STRs used in current forensic analysis. Such efficiency and accuracy of SNP typing of amplified DNA suggest that MDA can also generate large amounts of genome-equivalent DNA from a minimal amount of input DNA. These results show for the first time that MDA material is suitable for SNP-based forensic protocols and in general when samples fail to give interpretable STR results.</p