Male and Female Effort Levels: An Experimental Comparison

This paper is an experimental economic study that serves two main functions. The first of these is to provide a replication of the findings of Schotter and Weigelt: that when an equal opportunity or affirmative action program is imposed, the effort levels of all employees tend to increase and not just the effort of the parties discriminated against. Secondly, this study looks into the differences between the effort levels shown by men and women in similar situations. The hypothesis of this paper is that while the effort of all individuals is lowered in the presence of discrimination, the effort levels of the females drop more than male effort levels. Three experiments were conducted at Eastern Illinois University. The first was a ten round tournament used to measure effort levels in the absence of discrimination. The second was a ten round unfair tournament with discrimination. The final experiment was a twenty round unfair tournament with discrimination. The results of this set of experiments imply two things. The first major result of this study is that the work of Schotter and Weigelt was replicated. This provides a basis from which to expand into an investigation of the area of gender differences in effort levels. This leads to the second major result of this research. The experiments show that when no discrimination is present there is no significant difference between the effort of males and females. This research also shows that when a discrimination factor is present, women exhibit less effort than their male counterparts in some situations. This difference is most significant when the women were in the disadvantaged category. The results of this study provide a good beginning for research into the area of gender differences in effort levels, which is an area that currently does not have much empirical information available

Male and Female Effort Levels: An Experimental Comparison

This paper is an experimental economic study that serves two main functions. The first of these is to provide a replication of the findings of Schotter and Weigelt: that when an equal opportunity or affirmative action program is imposed, the effort levels of all employees tend to increase and not just the effort of the parties discriminated against. Secondly, this study looks into the differences between the effort levels shown by men and women in similar situations. The hypothesis of this paper is that while the effort of all individuals is lowered in the presence of discrimination, the effort levels of the females drop more than male effort levels. Three experiments were conducted at Eastern Illinois University. The first was a ten round tournament used to measure effort levels in the absence of discrimination. The second was a ten round unfair tournament with discrimination. The final experiment was a twenty round unfair tournament with discrimination. The results of this set of experiments imply two things. The first major result of this study is that the work of Schotter and Weigelt was replicated. This provides a basis from which to expand into an investigation of the area of gender differences in effort levels. This leads to the second major result of this research. The experiments show that when no discrimination is present there is no significant difference between the effort of males and females. This research also shows that when a discrimination factor is present, women exhibit less effort than their male counterparts in some situations. This difference is most significant when the women were in the disadvantaged category. The results of this study provide a good beginning for research into the area of gender differences in effort levels, which is an area that currently does not have much empirical information available

Essays in monetary economics and finance

This thesis examines monetary policy in the presence of digital currencies issued by firms, as well as the effectiveness and credibility of recent bank recapitalisation reforms. The first chapter discusses the consequences for monetary policy arising from currencies issued by firms—such as Facebook’s Libra—in order to generate seignorage revenues and information on consumers. The paper develops a benchmark with two important results. First, information shapes the degree of currency competition: firms do not accept their competitors’ currencies. Second, the central bank loses its policy autonomy. Profit-maximising firms implement a variant of the Friedman rule. As a result, public currency is unable to compete unless the central bank sets their nominal interest rate to zero, resulting in deflation. Importantly, private currency market power breaks this benchmark: inflationary pressures arise if firms form currency consortia, but decision powers and seignorage claims are concentrated in the hands of one firm. The second chapter (with Alkiviadis Georgiadis-Harris, LSE) evaluates the effectiveness and market disciplining effects of bail-ins. During a bail-in, the government mandates equity writedowns and debt-to-equity swaps with the goal of recapitalising failing banks. We develop a model of asymmetric information on asset returns in which banks issue debt in order to finance projects. In equilibrium, the maturity of bail-in debt shortens if the government intends to impose losses on bank creditors. Runs ensue in the anticipation of bail-ins, rendering such policies ineffective. Controlling the maturity structure of debt has two benefits. First, it allows the government to avoid bailouts. Second, long-term bail-in debt leads to an increase in market discipline. The model provides an explanation why regulators impose a minimum maturity of one year for bail-in debt, and a motivation to treat short-term debt preferentially during intervention. The third chapter (with George Pennacchi, University of Illinois) empirically investigates the credibility of bank recapitalization reforms using a structural model similar to Merton (1974, 1977). In the data, credit spreads on bank debt are valued as the product of market-perceived ‘no-bailout’ probabilities and expected no-bailout loss rates. Thus, no-bailout probabilities are estimated by regressing credit spreads on model-implied no-bailout loss rates. Before the Lehman bankruptcy, we find significantly higher bailout probabilities for US banks, relative to nonfinancial firms. Since then, relative bailout probabilities have clearly declined

Systematic screens of proteins binding to synthetic microRNA precursors

We describe a new, broadly applicable methodology for screening in parallel interactions of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) with large numbers of microRNA (miRNA) precursors and for determining their affinities in native form in the presence of cellular factors. The assays aim at identifying pre-miRNAs that are potentially affected by the selected RBP during their biogenesis. The assays are carried out in microtiter plates and use chemiluminescent readouts. Detection of bound RBPs is achieved by protein or tag-specific antibodies allowing crude cell lysates to be used as a source of RBP. We selected 70 pre-miRNAs with phylogenetically conserved loop regions and 25 precursors of other well-characterized miRNAs for chemical synthesis in 3′-biotinylated form. An equivalent set in unmodified form served as inhibitors in affinity determinations. By testing three RBPs known to regulate miRNA biogenesis on this set of pre-miRNAs, we demonstrate that Lin28 and hnRNP A1 from cell lysates or as recombinant protein domains recognize preferentially precursors of the let-7 family, and that KSRP binds strongly to pre-miR-1-

Adar3 is involved in learning and memory in mice

© 2018 Mladenova, Barry, Konen, Pineda, Guennewig, Avesson, Zinn, Schonrock, Bitar, Jonkhout, Crumlish, Kaczorowski, Gong, Pinese, Franco, Walkley, Vissel and Mattick. The amount of regulatory RNA encoded in the genome and the extent of RNA editing by the post-transcriptional deamination of adenosine to inosine (A-I) have increased with developmental complexity and may be an important factor in the cognitive evolution of animals. The newest member of the A-I editing family of ADAR proteins, the vertebrate-specific ADAR3, is highly expressed in the brain, but its functional significance is unknown. In vitro studies have suggested that ADAR3 acts as a negative regulator of A-I RNA editing but the scope and underlying mechanisms are also unknown. Meta-analysis of published data indicates that mouse Adar3 expression is highest in the hippocampus, thalamus, amygdala, and olfactory region. Consistent with this, we show that mice lacking exon 3 of Adar3 (which encodes two double stranded RNA binding domains) have increased levels of anxiety and deficits in hippocampus-dependent short- and long-term memory formation. RNA sequencing revealed a dysregulation of genes involved in synaptic function in the hippocampi of Adar3-deficient mice. We also show that ADAR3 transiently translocates from the cytoplasm to the nucleus upon KCl-mediated activation in SH-SY5Y cells. These results indicate that ADAR3 contributes to cognitive processes in mammals

Investigation of current conditions and sediment transport pattern along the Antarctic Peninsula using a numerical ocean circulation model

During the last decade, higher latitudes, particularly the Antarctic continental margin, were main target areas to investigate climate shifts and global ocean circulation over long-time periods. In such a way during several cruises a unique data base, including numerous multi channel reflection seismic profiles, bathymetric maps, shallow gravity measurements, and in particular core data from ODP Leg 178, was collected along the Antarctic Peninsula. These data monitored a number of asymmetric sediment mounds on the continental slope which were interpreted as sedimentary drifts. These drifts serve as an excellent achieve for the geological environment and current conditions during their formation.In particular, Drift 7 is the best monitored sedimentary mound in this area. Detailed information about spatial extension, internal structures, sedimentary sequences, and grain size distribution exist. These data enable on one hand the identification of sediment sources, the reconstruction of sediment transport pathways and transport mechanisms, as well as current velocities. On the other hand, different theories about controlling parameters for the evolution of drifts could be developed such as: Is an initial topography necessary for the formation of such a sedimentary structure?Therefore, numerical oceanic circulation models enable extensive parameter sensitivity studies combining multidisciplinary datasets as model input parameters to test different hypotheses. Thus, we are using the Regional Ocean Model System (ROMS) - an academic hydrostatic ocean circulation model, based on the finite difference method to investigate the environmental situation and current conditions during the evolution of Drift 7. Major aim of this project is the reconstruction of depositional and re-depositional processes from observed sediment structure of Drift 7. Therefore, ROMS included a complex sediment transport module to compute particle transport within the water column as well as sediment suspended in the benthic boundary layer at the seafloor using an advection equation for sediment suspended.For the first series of experiments, we developed a 3d model to obtain qualitative information about ocean currents and sediment distribution under recent conditions along the Antarctic Peninsula, Bellingshausen Sea. The study area is situated between 84°S - 72°S and 70°W - 65°W. We use a realistic topography with a resolution of 5° and a horizontal grid width of 14 km whereas the water column is vertically subdivided into 20 depth levels. We calculate the current field and sediment distribution during a time interval of one year. This simulations supply first information about sediment transport pathways, where should major sediment sources be expected, what ocean currents must exist to accumulate drift bodies and changed the ocean currents over the last centuries?However, next step will be the simulation of past situations to keep e.g. sea level changes, temperature variations, as well as wind, wave and tidal effects into account. Furthermore, we develop coevally a simplified 3d slope model to analyse (a) which initial topography is necessary to accumulate sediment drift and (b) how long must be an episode of current activity to generate the drift

New perspectives on cytoskeletal dysregulation and mitochondrial mislocalization in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by selective, early degeneration of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Motor neurons have long axonal projections, which rely on the integrity of neuronal cytoskeleton and mitochondria to regulate energy requirements for maintaining axonal stability, anterograde and retrograde transport, and signaling between neurons. The formation of protein aggregates which contain cytoskeletal proteins, and mitochondrial dysfunction both have devastating effects on the function of neurons and are shared pathological features across several neurodegenerative conditions, including ALS, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington’s disease and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly clear that cytoskeletal integrity and mitochondrial function are intricately linked. Therefore, dysregulations of the cytoskeletal network and mitochondrial homeostasis and localization, may be common pathways in the initial steps of neurodegeneration. Here we review and discuss known contributors, including variants in genetic loci and aberrant protein activities, which modify cytoskeletal integrity, axonal transport and mitochondrial localization in ALS and have overlapping features with other neurodegenerative diseases. Additionally, we explore some emerging pathways that may contribute to this disruption in ALS

Long non-coding RNA expression during aging in the human subependymal zone

The human subependymal zone (SEZ) is debatably a source of newly born neurons throughout life and neurogenesis is a multi-step process requiring distinct transcripts during cell proliferation and early neuronal maturation, along with orchestrated changes in gene expression during cell state/fate transitions. Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly clear that the majority of our genome that results in production of non-protein-coding RNAs plays vital roles in the evolution, development, adaptation, and region-specific function of the human brain. We predicted that some transcripts expressed in the SEZ may be unique to this specialized brain region, and that a comprehensive transcriptomic analysis of this region would aid in defining expression changes during neuronal birth and growth in adult humans. Here, we used deep RNA sequencing of human SEZ tissue during adulthood and aging to characterize the transcriptional landscape with a particular emphasis on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). The data show predicted age-related changes in mRNAs encoding proliferation, progenitor, and inflammatory proteins as well as a unique subset of lncRNAs that are highly expressed in the human SEZ, many of which have unknown functions. Our results suggest the existence of robust proliferative and neuronal differentiation potential in the adult human SEZ and lay the foundation for understanding the involvement of lncRNAs in postnatal neurogenesis and potentially associated neurodevelopmental diseases that emerge after birth

Vascular Dysfunction Is Central to Alzheimer’s Disease Pathogenesis in APOE e4 Carriers

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and the leading risk factor, after age, is possession of the apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 allele (APOE4). Approximately 50% of AD patients carry one or two copies of APOE4 but the mechanisms by which it confers risk are still unknown. APOE4 carriers are reported to demonstrate changes in brain structure, cognition, and neuropathology, but findings have been inconsistent across studies. In the present study, we used multi-modal data to characterise the effects of APOE4 on the brain, to investigate whether AD pathology manifests differently in APOE4 carriers, and to determine if AD pathomechanisms are different between carriers and non-carriers. Brain structural differences in APOE4 carriers were characterised by applying machine learning to over 2000 brain MRI measurements from 33,384 non-demented UK biobank study participants. APOE4 carriers showed brain changes consistent with vascular dysfunction, such as reduced white matter integrity in posterior brain regions. The relationship between APOE4 and AD pathology was explored among the 1260 individuals from the Religious Orders Study and Memory and Aging Project (ROSMAP). APOE4 status had a greater effect on amyloid than tau load, particularly amyloid in the posterior cortical regions. APOE status was also highly correlated with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). Bulk tissue brain transcriptomic data from ROSMAP and a similar dataset from the Mount Sinai Brain Bank showed that differentially expressed genes between the dementia and non-dementia groups were enriched for vascular-related processes (e.g., “angiogenesis”) in APOE4 carriers only. Immune-related transcripts were more strongly correlated with AD pathology in APOE4 carriers with some transcripts such as TREM2 and positively correlated with pathology severity in APOE4 carriers, but negatively in non-carriers. Overall, cumulative evidence from the largest neuroimaging, pathology, and transcriptomic studies available suggests that vascular dysfunction is key to the development of AD in APOE4 carriers. However, further studies are required to tease out non-APOE4-specific mechanisms