Asymmetric Information in the Labor Market, Immigrants and Contract Menu

Immigrant workers and their labor force participation in host countries have received critical attention in all concerned disciplines, principally owing to its strong implications for well-being of natives. The ageing population in many rich countries and several related and unrelated issues including global integration, pension provisions or security threats keeps immigration under continuous impact evaluation. However, of the several studies that dealt with patterns and consequences aspects of labor migration, only a handful discusses asymmetric information across transnational labor markets despite agreement that a standardized screening mechanism is unavailable. At the same time, several empirical studies show that immigrants are proportionally overrepresented in self-employment, vis-à-vis natives of equivalent skill levels. We try to explain this phenomenon based on asymmetric information in the host country labor market. We focus on the design of a contract menu by the employers, which when offered to a mixed cohort of immigrants facilitates self-selection in favor of paid employment or the outside option of self-employment/entrepreneurship. We also discuss countervailing incentives among the mixed cohort.immigrants, asymmetric information, labor contracts, self-employment, incentive compatibility

Asymmetric information in the labor market, immigrants and contract menu

Immigrant workers and their labor force participation in host countries have received critical attention in all concerned disciplines, principally owing to its strong implications for well-being of natives. The ageing population in many rich countries and several related and unrelated issues including global integration, pension provisions or security threats keeps immigration under continuous impact evaluation. However, of the several studies that dealt with patterns and consequences aspects of labor migration, only a handful discusses asymmetric information across transnational labor markets despite agreement that a standardized screening mechanism is unavailable. At the same time, several empirical studies show that immigrants are proportionally overrepresented in self-employment, vis-à-vis natives of equivalent skill levels. We try to explain this phenomenon based on asymmetric information in the host country labor market. We focus on the design of a contract menu by the employers, which when offered to a mixed cohort of immigrants facilitates self-selection in favor of paid employment or the outside option of self-employment/entrepreneurship. We also discuss countervailing incentives among the mixed cohort

ZEBRAFISH: AN EMERGING MODEL SYSTEM FOR DRUG DISCOVERY

ABSTRACTThe zebrafish is no doubt a powerful model organism with a combination of forward and reverse genetics, low cost, amenable high throughput, andrapid in vivo analysis. With these unique features, it can be expected that the zebrafish will become more frequently used for drug discovery. Thisreview outlines the potential of zebrafish to contribute to drug discovery through the identification of novel drug targets, validation of those targetsand screening for new therapeutic compounds and assay development.Keywords: Zebrafish, Drug screening, Drug target, Development

An investigation of Ph 1 chromosome in chronic myeloid leukemia patients with different treatment modalities and hematological features

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is characterized by a Ph 1 chromosome that derives through a translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22, i.e., t (9;22). Identifying the Ph 1 chromosome through cytogenetic analysis is an important aspect of CML diagnosis. The aim of this study was to determine the significance of cytogenetic analysis in the diagnosis of CML as well as to find out a relationship between chromosomal abnormalities and CML patients in different stages of treatment. Six CML patients were investigated for this study. The presence of Ph 1 chromosome was detected at different times of treatment using GTG banding on peripheral blood or bone marrow aspirations, and the results were analyzed using cytovision workstation. Hematological features were compared between newly diagnosed patients and patients under treatment. The Ph 1 chromosome was strongly associated with all cases of CML. The regression of Ph 1 chromosomes differed for each patient depending on the treatments and individual response to specific treatments

Experience of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Under Spinal Anesthesia with Low-pressure Pneumoperitoneum - Prospective Study of 300 Cases

Introduction : Having long experience of open upper abdominal surgery under spinal anesthesia and laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia, we performed this study of laparoscopic cholecystectomy with low-pressure pneumoperitoneum under spinal anesthesia to assess its safety and feasibility. Materials and Methods : In a private rural health set-up, 300 patients were selected prospectively for laparoscopic cholecystectomy under low-pressure (8 mm) pneumoperitoneum under spinal anesthesia in a span of three years. Only 3.5 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine was used for spinal anesthesia. Fourth port positioned at lower than usual at the level of umbilicus, change of position of the table with different stages of operation, massaging of right shoulder in cases of shoulder pain, removal of smoke if formed during dissection to diminish shoulder pain and holding the body of the gallbladder by the fourth port grasper at the level of lower margin of the liver in cases of long gallbladder were some modifications of standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy made in this study. Results: We successfully performed the operations in 291 patients without major complications. Four patients denied operation under spinal anesthesia. Spinal anesthesia was converted to general anesthesia in two patients due to severe shoulder pain. The operation was converted to open cholecystectomy in three patients. Mean age was 34.6 years (range 21-82 years). Mean BMI was -23.1 (range 20.8-28.3). Mean duration of operation was 39.6 min (range 18-78 min). Mean O 2 saturation was 97.6%. Mean peak respiratory rate was 23.4 (range 16-38). 90.08% patients complained of right shoulder pain - most of them managed by shoulder massage alone. All patients were satisfied on follow up. Conclusion : Laparoscopic cholecystectomy under spinal anesthesia with low-pressure pneumoperitoneum can be performed safely and satisfactorily without major complications by experienced surgeons

Leishmania Promastigote Membrane Antigen-Based Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay and Immunoblotting for Differential Diagnosis of Indian Post-Kala-Azar Dermal Leishmaniasis

Diagnosis of post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL), caused by Leishmania donovani, is difficult, as the dermal lesions are of several types and resemble those caused by other skin diseases, especially leprosy. Since the disease generally appears very late after the clinical cure of kala-azar in India, it is also difficult to correlate PKDL with a previous exposure to L. donovani. Very few attempts have been made so far to diagnose PKDL serologically, and the diagnostic methods vary in their sensitivities and specificities. Diagnosis of PKDL through sophisticated PCR methods, although highly sensitive, has limited practical use. We have developed a serodiagnostic method using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect specific immunoglobulin (Ig) isotypes and IgG subclass antibodies in the sera of Indian PKDL patients. Our assay, which uses L. donovani promastigote membrane antigens, was 100% sensitive for the detection of IgG and 96.7% specific for the detection of IgG and IgG1. Optical density values for individual patients, however, demonstrated wide variations. Western blot analysis based on IgG reactivity could differentiate patients with PKDL from control subjects, which included patients with leprosy, patients from areas where kala-azar is endemic, and healthy subjects, by the detection of polypeptides of 67, 72, and 120 kDa. The recognition patterns of the majority of serum samples from patients with PKDL were also distinct from those of the serum samples from patients with visceral leishmaniasis (VL), at least for a 31-kDa polypeptide. To further differentiate patients with PKDL from those with active and cured VL, we analyzed the specific titers of the Ig isotypes and IgG subclasses. High levels of IgG, IgG1, IgG2, and IgG3 antibodies significantly differentiated patients with PKDL from patients cured of VL. The absence of antileishmanial IgE and IgG4 in patients with PKDL differentiated these patients from those with active VL. These results imply intrinsic differences in the antibodies generated in the sera from patients with PKDL and VL