Does Poor Legal Enforcement Make Households Credit-Constrained?

This paper analyzes the relation between the quality of the legal enforcement of loan contracts and the allocation of credit to households, both theoretically and empirically. We use a model of household credit market with secured debt contracts, where the judicial system affects the cost incurred by banks to actually repossess the collateral. The model shows that the working of the judicial system affects both the probability of being credit-constrained and the equilibrium amount of debt. In the empirical part, we test our predictions using data on Italian households and on the performance of Italian judicial districts. Controlling for household characteristics, unobserved heterogeneity at judicial district level and aggregate shocks, we document that an increment in the backlog of trials pending has a statistically and economically significant positive effect on the household probability of being turned down from the credit. Endowing the households living in high-cost judicial districts like Campobasso or Caltanissetta (in southern Italy) with the best enforcement in the sample would reduce the probability of their being credit-constrained by 70% and 63%, respectively. This effect is stronger for poorer than for wealthier households. Moreover, we document that an increment in the backlog of trials pending reduces the availability of credit for poorer households but, surprisingly, has the opposite effect on wealthy households, whose debt volume increases. Again, this effect is found to be significant both statistically and economically.Judicial enforcement, Borrowing restrictions, Collateral

Cell Propagation of Cholera Toxin CTA ADP-Ribosylating Factor by Exosome Mediated Transfer

In this study, we report how the cholera toxin (CT) A subunit (CTA), the enzyme moiety responsible for signaling alteration in host cells, enters the exosomal pathway, secretes extracellularly, transmits itself to a cell population. The first evidence for long-term transmission of CT's toxic effect via extracellular vesicles was obtained in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. To follow the CT intracellular route towards exosome secretion, we used a novel strategy for generating metabolically-labeled fluorescent exosomes that can be counted by flow cytometry assay (FACS) and characterized. Our results clearly show the association of CT with exosomes, together with the heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) and Protein Disulfide Isomerase (PDI) molecules, proteins required for translocation of CTA across the ER membrane into the cytoplasm. Confocal microscopy showed direct internalization of CT containing fluorescent exo into CHO cells coupled with morphological changes in the recipient cells that are characteristic of CT action. Moreover, Me665 cells treated with CT-containing exosomes showed an increase in Adenosine 3',5'-Cyclic Monophosphate (cAMP) level, reaching levels comparable to those seen in cells exposed directly to CT. Our results prompt the idea that CT can exploit an exosome-mediated cell communication pathway to extend its pathophysiological action beyond an initial host cell, into a multitude of cells. This finding could have implications for cholera disease pathogenesis and epidemiology

Testimonianze

“Studi sulla Formazione” plays an important role in Italy for pedagogical research: it hosts articles by international authors from different research fields. The testimonies of three important authors show the contemporary relevance of the journal in pedagogical research and its vocation for dialogue

At the beginning was the decree. Towards a shared design process between insiders and outsiders

The article describes the collaborative research carried out for the co-design of the Program for professional socio-pedagogical educator. Starting from the analysis of the laws and regulations defining normative parameters, using the results of the TECO-D project, the work reconstructs the elements of the research conducted with educators working in the professional sectors interested by the Program. The collaborative methodology implemented has made possible identifying four core contents: situated theories, methodologies of investigation, verification of the effectiveness of the educational action, conflicts between colleagues. In principio era il decreto. Verso una progettazione condivisa tra insider e outsiderIl contributo descrive la ricerca collaborativa condotta per la co-progettazione del Corso intensivo di formazione per la qualifica di educatore professionale socio-pedagogico. Partendo dall’analisi della traiettoria legislativa che ne ha definito normativamente i parametri, utilizzando il lavoro di ricerca svolto nel progetto TECO-D, si arriva a ricostruire gli elementi della ricerca condotta insieme ad educatori e coordinatori dei servizi che operano nei settori professionali interessati dal corso di formazione. La metodologia collaborativa attuata ha permesso di individuare quattro contenuti ritenuti centrali dai partecipanti alla ricerca: Teorie situate, metodologie d’indagine, verifica dell’efficacia dell’azione educativa, conflitti tra colleghi

Management of synchronous operations on domain names of the ccTLD .it

This document details the operations needed for registering and maintaining domain names in accordance with synchronous registration. The synchronous system for registering and maintaining a domain name is provided by organizations (henceforth Registrars) that have an active contract with the Registry (henceforth .it Registry or Registry of the ccTLD.it), which is subordinate to an accreditation procedure. The Registrar will always be an intermediary with the Registry for all domain name registering and maintenance and also for correctly updating the Database of Assigned Names (DBNA) by using the synchronous registration system. The synchronous registration system allows Registrars to register and maintain domain names in realtime within the limits set out in the "Rules for assigning and managing domain names in the ccTLD.it" (hereafter, "Rules"). The synchronous system for registering and maintaining domain names of the .it Registry uses the protocol EPP (Extensible Provisioning Protocol) to comply with internationally accepted standards and to comply with decisions already made by other ccTLDs and gTLDs. EPP is a synchronous client-server protocol based on XML

Does technetium-99m diethylenetriaminepentaacetate clearance predict the clinical course of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis?

Clearance of inhaled technetium-99m diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (99mTc-DTPA) is a potential indicator of disease activity and progression in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The objective of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic value of 99mTc-DTPA scans in IPF. A total of 22 patients (18 males), aged 33 to 80 years with IPF were followed for six to 20 months (mean 13 months). At diagnosis, high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scans showed a honeycomb pattern with bibasilar reticular opacities in all cases. At T0 (diagnosis) and T1 (follow-up), each patient had pulmonary function tests (forced vital capacity, diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide and partial arterial O2 pressure), extension of fibrosis evaluated by HRCT visual score and 99mTc-DTPA lung clearance. Results at T0 and T1 were compared, taking into account the whole population and patients with relatively fast and slow 99mTc-DTPA wash-out. 99mTc-DTPA clearance did not show any significant correlation with functional tests or HRCT score. These findings indicate that clearance of inhaled 99mTc-DTPA is not of value in following the progress of IPF

Implant sonication versus intraoperative tissue sample cultures for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) of shoulder arthroplasty

Introduction: Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is the most problematic complications after shoulder arthroplasty. Many diagnostic tools have been identified to find infection, such as hystopatologic examination of tissue sections or cultures of intraoperative tissue. Implant sonication fluid culture showed good results in order to enhance diagnostic accuracy, but literature results are still controversial. Aim of our study is to compare the results of sonication with intraoperative tissue sample cultures. Patients and Methods: From February 2016 to January 2018 we performed 102 revisions of Total Shoulder Arthroplasty (TSA) for suspected PJI. Sixty-five patients respected the criteria for admission to the study and were enrolled. In each case periprostethic specimens were collected and explanted prosthesis were put inside sterile fluid, sonicated and then placed under culture. Results: Among the sixty-five patients, 36 were considered as possible, probable or certain infection. Tissue cultures were positive for infection in thirty-four cases (52,3%) and in nineteen cases was found the positivity for Cutibacterium acnes. Sonication fluid cultures were positive in forty cases (61,5%), with a positivity for Cutibacterium acnes in twenty-seven cases. The sensitivities of sonication and tissue cultures for the diagnosis of shoulder PJI were 83.3% and 88,9% (P = 0,08); the specificities were 65.5% and 93,1% (P < 0.01) respectively. Conclusion: Our results suggest that sonication technique had not shown a clear advantage in postoperative shoulder PJI diagnosis, but it’s a real aid to detect Cutibacterium acnes. In any case, sensitivity and mostly specificity were higher with tissue cultures. (www.actabiomedica.it)