Multilocus sequence types of invasive Corynebacterium diphtheriae isolated in the Rio de Janeiro urban area, Brazil

Invasive infections caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae in vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals have been reported increasingly. In this study we used multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to study genetic relationships between six invasive strains of this bacterium isolated solely in the urban area of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during a 10-year period. Of note, all the strains rendered negative results in PCR reactions for the tox gene, and four strains presented an atypical sucrose-fermenting ability. Five strains represented new sequence types. MLST results did not support the hypothesis that invasive (sucrose-positive) strains of C. diphtheriae are part of a single clonal complex. Instead, one of the main findings of the study was that such strains can be normally found in clonal complexes with strains related to non-invasive disease. Comparative analyses with C. diphtheriae isolated in different countries provided further information on the geographical circulation of some sequence types

Social networks and labour productivity in Europe: An empirical investigation

This paper uses firm-level data recorded in the AMADEUS database to investigate the distribution of labour productivity in different European countries. We find that the upper tail of the empirical productivity distributions follows a decaying power-law, whose exponent $\alpha$ is obtained by a semi-parametric estimation technique recently developed by Clementi et al. (2006). The emergence of "fat tails" in productivity distribution has already been detected in Di Matteo et al. (2005) and explained by means of a model of social network. Here we show that this model is tested on a broader sample of countries having different patterns of social network structure. These different social attitudes, measured using a social capital indicator, reflect in the power-law exponent estimates, verifying in this way the existence of linkages among firms' productivity performance and social network.Comment: LaTeX2e; 18 pages with 3 figures; Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, in pres

Knowing is trusting? An experimental test of the role of information in advisory

The recent economic crisis still lingering in Europe has deeply affected the way individuals look at the investment market. Understanding the trust processes underlying the decision to invest with financial intermediaries is of particular importance both at managerial (product development and advertisement) and at normative level (how intermediaries are regulated). Using an online experiment, this paper investigates whether discrepancies in the financial literacy of investors and brokers can be used to explain the decision to trust – thus, to invest in the financial market. The results show that trust is affected by the information disclosure in somewhat unexpected ways

Warfare, Fiscal Capacity, and Performance

We exploit differences in casualties sustained in pre-modern wars to estimate the impact of fiscal capacity on economic performance. In the past, states fought different amounts of external conflicts, of various lengths and magnitudes. To raise the revenues to wage wars, states made fiscal innovations, which persisted and helped to shape current fiscal institutions. Economic historians claim that greater fiscal capacity was the key long-run institutional change brought about by historical conflicts. Using casualties sustained in pre-modern wars to instrument for current fiscal institutions, we estimate substantial impacts of fiscal capacity on GDP per worker. The results are robust to a broad range of specifications, controls, and sub-samples

Thyroid autoimmunity in bipolar disorder: A systematic review

Background Accumulating evidence points to the pathophysiological relevance between immune dysfunction and mood disorders. High rates of thyroid dysfunction have been found in patients with bipolar disorder (BD), compared to the general population. A systematic review of the relationship between BD and thyroid autoimmunity was performed. Methods Pubmed, EMBASE and PsycINFO databases were searched up till January 28th, 2017. This review has been conducted according to the PRISMA statements. Observational studies clearly reporting data among BD patients and the frequency of autoimmune thyroid pathologies were included. Results 11 original studies met inclusion criteria out of 340 titles first returned from the global search. There is evidence of increased prevalence of circulating thyroid autoantibodies in depressed and mixed BD patients, while there is no evidence showing a positive relationship between BD and specific autoimmune thyroid diseases. There is a controversy about the influence of lithium exposure on circulating thyroid autoantibodies, even if most of studies seem not to support this association. A study conducted on bipolar twins suggests that autoimmune thyroiditis is related to the genetic vulnerability to develop BD rather than to the disease process itself. Females are more likely to develop thyroid autoimmunity. Limitations The samples, study design and outcomes were heterogeneous. Conclusion Thyroid autoimmunity has been suggested to be an independent risk factor for bipolar disorder with no clear association with lithium exposure and it might serve as an endophenotype for BD

The transition of people’s preferences for the intervention of the government in the economy of re-unified Germany

Covering the first fifteen years immediately after German re- unification, this paper analyzes the people’s support to the transition. The focus is on individuals’ preferences for the intervention of the government in the economy and on the opinion about competition per se. Eastern German data are compared with Western German data. Using suitable data that allow for interpersonal comparisons, the paper shows that Eastern Germans have always preferred an intervention of the public hand in the economy deeper than Western Germans; these different positions have hardly converged during the examined period of time. However there are no significant differences with respect to how Germans perceive competition per se: it is considered as a good by the people living in both parts of the country.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio