Wage Differentials and Market Imperfections: Some Cross Section Results in Canadian Manufacturing Industries

Dans l'article précédent, l'auteur tente de démontrer dans quelle mesure les imperfections des marchés des produits et des facteurs de production sont responsables des différences de salaire. L'article se divise en trois parties. La première partie est consacrée à l'examen théorique des différences de salaire et des imperfections des marchés, à la formulation d'une hypothèse vérifiable et à l'ébauche d'un modèle. La deuxième partie rend compte des résultats concrets obtenus. S'y ajoute enfin une conclusion.Théoriquement, deux points apparaissent importants. En elles-mêmes, les imperfections du marché des produits ne peuvent engendrer les différences de salaire ; d'autre part, ces différences ne peuvent exister que s'il y a des imperfections sur le marché des facteurs, autrement dit, si, du côté de l'employeur, il y a monopole ou si, de l'autre, les syndicats sont très puissants.Par la théorie, on ne peut guère être éclairé sur ce qui se passe généralement lorsqu'il y a interaction du marché des produits et du marché des facteurs. Globalement, selon notre hypothèse, l'existence conjointe d'un syndicalisme fort et la situation de monopole de l'entreprise exerceraient une certaine influence sur la négociation des salaires. Pour approfondir cette hypothèse, il s'agissait de prendre pour acquis que l'objectif principal des syndicats est de faire augmenter les salaires au-dessus du niveau du marché des facteurs tout en maintenant le niveau de l'emploi. Il s'ensuit que l'action syndicale sera beaucoup plus perceptible dans les industries qui, de l'avis des dirigeants syndicaux, sont en mesure d'accepter des hausses de salaire sans réduire les occasions d'emploi pour les membres du syndicat. Ceci signifie qu'il n'y a guère de marge pour l'action syndicale dans les secteurs très concurrentiels de l'économie, étant donné que les profits des entreprises tendent alors vers le point zéro, et que, en conséquence, on ne peut y obtenir d'augmentation de salaire sans risquer de provoquer une réduction des emplois. Dans les circonstances, on ne peut s'attendre à ce que l'efficacité des syndicats y soit très grande.D'autre part, si les entreprises monopolisées fonctionnement sans être troublées par les revendications des syndicats, elles paieront les taux de salaire courants et, s'il y a profit clair, il restera intact. Par conséquent, un syndicat ne peut obtenir de hausses de salaire que dans les industries où l'on sait qu'il y a des profits clairs. Ces industries sont nécessairement celles qui détiennent une certaine exclusivité sur le marché des produits.Si ceci est exact, les hypothèses suivantes peuvent se vérifier. En premier lieu, on notera un rapport positif entre les taux de salaire et la puissance du syndicat. En deuxième lieu, il y a aussi un rapport positif entre les salaires et la concentration qui favorise la puissance de l'entreprise sur le marché. Toutefois, cette dernière prévision se fonde sur l'hypothèse déterminante d'une corrélation entre le degré de syndicalisation et le degré de concentration, ce qui voudrait dire que la concentration n'exerce aucune influence sur les salaires et que le rapport salaire-concentration est faux.En utilisant surtout les données relatives à la concentration, aux profits, au degré de syndicalisation et à la productivité, nous avons examiné leur impact sur les salaires en recourant à la technique de la régression multiple pour évaluer à la fois les coefficients des séries chronologiques et des échantillonnages. Le résultat le plus marquant qu'on a obtenu de cette analyse peut se formuler ainsi : des syndicats puissants et une situation d'oligopole sur le marché exercent une influence positive certaine sur les salaires. Cependant, on ne sait pas par là l'ampleur des différences de salaire dont on peut attribuer la responsabilité aux syndicats lorsque l'on ne décèle pas la présence d'oligopole sur le marché. On ne connaît pas plus d'ailleurs l'ampleur des différences de salaire attribuables à la présence d'un oligopole sans pression de la part des syndicats. Naturellement, il faudrait poursuivre plus avant les analyses pour faire le départ entre la différence dans les salaires et le degré de concentration du marché.The purpose of this paper is to analyse the extent to which factor and product market imperfections are responsible for wage differentials. The conclusion is that without some form of factor market imperfection, the existence of imperfection in the product market cannot explain wage differentials

Organized Labour, Regional Political Bias and the Canadian Tariff Structure

L'objectif principal de cet article est de tenter d'évaluer l'influence des syndicats, en tant que groupes de pression, sur la politique tarifaire canadienne. Étant donne que les syndicats, à tort ou à raison, ne sont pas la seule explication possible des écarts tarifaires, il est nécessaire de considérer les points de vue différents exprimes par divers auteurs. Les plus récents travaux sur le sujet sont ceux de Caves, de Saunders et de Helleiner. Caves en arrive à la conclusion que les écarts tarifaires peuvent s'expliquer par les mesures d'un gouvernement paternaliste agissant comme protecteur de petites entreprises inefficaces, employant une main-d’œuvre peu qualifiée et caractérisée par ce qu'il appelle, par euphémisme, « espoirs déçus ». Saunders ne trouve aucun fondement à cette hypothèse et estime que le lobbyisme fécond d'industries cartellisées en est la cause. Helleiner, sans preuve scientifique, soutient l'hypothèse que les syndicats et les sociétés multinationales sont des supports importants de la structure tarifaire. Une autre hypothèse, enfin, qui peut s'avérer plausible dans le contexte canadien, sous-entend que le gouvernement, afin d'accroitre ses chances de réélection, édicte des mesures qui favorisent certains « groupes » dont l'appui politique est déterminant. L'un de ces « groupes », dont le soutien revêt un caractère essentiel, est constitue par le Canada central, c'est-à-dire le Québec et l'Ontario, principalement le Québec. Selon nous, il faut retenir pour notre appréciation quatre éléments : les syndicats, les sociétés multinationales, les « espoirs déçus » et les considérations régionales. Une des conclusions fondamentales, c'est que le degré de syndicalisation ne semble pas avoir une valeur significative dans la détermination des mesures tarifaires, même s'il se peut que leur action politique puisse avoir un effet qu'il est impossible de prévoir ou d'isoler empiriquement. L'article conclut également que les firmes multinationales n'exercent pas d'influence significative. Finalement, les résultats de l'analyse permettent de retenir le rôle joue par les « espoirs déçus » et les considérations régionales, mais le nombre des informations n'est pas suffisant pour accorder plus d'importance aux unes qu'aux autres. De toute façon, la situation de l'activité économique et politique au Canada sous-entend que les considérations seraient une explication juste de la politique tarifaire canadienne. Cependant, cette dernière conclusion ne fait pas disparaitre la possibilité que des groupes de pression régionaux puissent être actifs et qu'ils réussissent à promouvoir des mesures tarifaires avantageuses pour leurs membres.The authors attempt to determine the impact of organized labour as pressure group on tariff differentials for a cross section sample of industries in Canadian secondary manufacturing

Identification of subgroups of early breast cancer patients at high risk of nonadherence to adjuvant hormone therapy: results of an italian survey.

The aim of this study was the identification of subgroups of patients at higher risk of nonadherence to adjuvant hormone therapy for breast cancer. Using recursive partitioning and amalgamation (RECPAM) analysis, the highest risk was observed in the group of unmarried, employed women, or housewives. This result might be functional in designing tailored intervention studies aimed at improvement of adherence. Background: Adherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy (HT) is suboptimal among breast cancer patients. A high rate of nonadherence might explain differences in survival between clinical trial and clinical practice. Tailored interventions aimed at improving adherence can only be implemented if subgroups of patients at higher risk of poor adherence are identified. Because no data are available for Italy, we undertook a large survey on adherence among women taking adjuvant HT for breast cancer. Patients and Methods: Patients were recruited from 10 cancer clinics in central Italy. All patients taking HT for at least 1 year were invited, during one of their follow-up visit, to fill a confidential questionnaire. The association of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of participants with adherence was assessed using logistic regression. The RECPAM method was used to evaluate interactions among variables and to identify subgroups of patients at different risk of nonadherence. Results: A total of 939 patients joined the study and 18.6% of them were classified as nonadherers. Among possible predictors, only age, working status, and switching from tamoxifen to an aromatase inhibitor were predictive of nonadherence in multivariate analysis. RECPAM analysis led to the identification of 4 classes of patients with a different likelihood of nonadherence to therapy, the lowest being observed in retired women with a low level of education, the highest in the group of unmarried, employed women, or housewives. Conclusion: The identification of these subgroups of “real life” patients with a high prevalence of nonadherers might be functional in designing intervention studies aimed at improving adherenc

Productive performance and histological features of intestinal mucosa of broiler chickens fed different dietary protein levels

ABSTRACT To evaluate the effect of decreasing dietary protein on growth performance, carcass traits, and intestinal mucosal morphometry, 180 female Hubbard strain broiler chickens were divided into 3 groups and fed 3 isoenergetic diets ad libitum from 14 d of age until slaughter age (49 d). The treatments varied according to 3 protein levels: high-protein diet (HiP, 22.5% CP, DM basis), medium-protein diet (MedP, 20.5% CP), and low-protein diet (LowP, 18.5%). Diets were obtained by replacing wheat middlings with soybean meal and were formulated to meet or exceed broiler amino acid requirements of the NRC. Morphometric indices of duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were measured at the end of the feeding period and included villus height, crypt depth, villus-to-crypt ratio, and apparent villus surface area. The dietary protein level had a significant effect on final BW of birds, whereas ADG, ADFI, and feed efficiency remained unaffected by dietary treatment. The muscle (breast and drumstick) yields were significantly higher in birds fed the HiP diet compared with those of the MedP and LowP diets. Meat quality traits were not affected by the protein level. The villus surface area of all intestinal segments did not change among groups. Instead, reducing the dietary protein level to 20.5% resulted in a higher villus height and villus height to crypt depth ratio in the duodenum and ileum. On the basis of our findings, even if the high-protein diet promoted meat yield, a medium-protein diet could positively support broiler growth performance, as confirmed by favorable morphometric features of the intestine

Camelina sativa (L. Crantz) Fresh Forage Productive Performance and Quality at Different Vegetative Stages: Effects of Dietary Supplementation in Ionica Goats on Milk Quality

The research meant to study the productive performances of Camelina sativa and the effects of feeding Camelina fresh forage harvested during five phenological stages (I: main stem elongation; II: maximum stem elongation: III: inflorescence appearance; IV: flowering; V: fruit set visible) on the yield, chemical composition and fatty acid profile of milk from autochthonous Ionica goats. Goats were randomly assigned to two groups (n = 15) that received a traditional forage mixture (Control) or Camelina forage harvested at different stages (CAM). The field experiment was conducted in two years; no significant differences between years were recorded for any of the Camelina production traits. The total biomass increased (p < 0.05) from phase I (1.4 t/ha) to phase V (5.2 t/ha). The distribution of stem, leaves and pod also changed during growth, showing a significant increase of stem from 40.8 to 45.6% and of pod from 0 to 19.4%, whereas leaves decreased from 59.2 to 35.1%. The milk yield and chemical composition were unaffected by the diet, while supplementation with Camelina forage increased milk CLA content (on average 1.14 vs. 0.78%). A markedly higher concentration of PUFAs was found in milk from goats fed Camelina harvested during the last three phenological stages. The index of thrombogenicity of milk from the CAM fed goats was significantly lower compared to the control group. In conclusion, Camelina sativa is a multi-purpose crop that may be successfully cultivated in Southern Italy regions and used as fresh forage for goat feeding. Milk obtained from Camelina fed goats showed satisfactory chemical and fatty acid composition, with potential benefits for human health

Dietary supplementation with camelina sativa (L. crantz) forage in autochthonous ionica goats: Effects on milk and caciotta cheese chemical, fatty acid composition and sensory properties

The research studied the effects of dietary supplementation with Camelina sativa fresh forage on the chemical and fatty acid composition of milk and Caciotta cheese, and its sensory properties. Twenty Ionica goats were randomly assigned to the following two groups (n = 10): the control received a traditional forage mixture (Avena sativa, 70%; Vicia sativa, 20%; Trifolium spp., 10%), while the experimental group was given Camelina sativa fresh forage (CAM). All of the dams grazed on pasture and received a commercial feed (500 g/head/day) at housing. The milk from the CAM group showed a higher (p < 0.05) content of dry matter, fat, lactose and concentrations of C6:0, C11:0, C14:0, C18:2 n-6, CLA and PUFA, while lower (p < 0.05) amounts of C12:0, C18:0 and saturated long chain FA (SLCFA). The Caciotta cheese from the CAM group showed a greater (p < 0.05) content of n-6 FA and n-6/n-3 ratio, although close to four, thus resulting adequate under the nutritional point of view. The overall liking, odour, taste, hardness, solubility and “goaty” flavour were better (p < 0.05) in the CAM cheeses. Further investigation would be advisable in order to evaluate the effect of feeding Camelina forage obtained from different phenological stages, and the application of ensiling techniques

Accelerated and Scalable C(sp³)-H Amination via Decatungstate Photocatalysis Using a Flow Photoreactor Equipped with High-Intensity LEDs

[Image: see text] Carbon–nitrogen bonds are ubiquitous in biologically active compounds, prompting synthetic chemists to design various methodologies for their preparation. Arguably, the ideal synthetic approach is to be able to directly convert omnipresent C–H bonds in organic molecules, enabling even late-stage functionalization of complex organic scaffolds. While this approach has been thoroughly investigated for C(sp(2))–H bonds, only few examples have been reported for the direct amination of aliphatic C(sp(3))–H bonds. Herein, we report the use of a newly developed flow photoreactor equipped with high intensity chip-on-board LED technology (144 W optical power) to trigger the regioselective and scalable C(sp(3))–H amination via decatungstate photocatalysis. This high-intensity reactor platform enables simultaneously fast results gathering and scalability in a single device, thus bridging the gap between academic discovery (mmol scale) and industrial production (>2 kg/day productivity). The photocatalytic transformation is amenable to the conversion of both activated and nonactivated hydrocarbons, leading to protected hydrazine products by reaction with azodicarboxylates. We further validated the robustness of our manifold by designing telescoped flow approaches for the synthesis of pyrazoles, phthalazinones and free amines

Paralytic ileus, a new rare toxicity of capecitabine: Two case reports

Paralytic ileus (or adynamic ileus) refers to a lack of passage of intestinal contents due to disturbances of normal intestinal motility, in absense of mechanical obstruction. The most common causes are intra-abdominal surgery, severe metabolic problems, drugs. We present two clinical cases related to patients with breast cancer and admitted with paralytic ileus following treatment with capacitabine in local Lanciano Hospital. Naranjo, Jones algoritms suggest a direct causal relationship. Our two cases, to our knowledge, represent the first published report of this particular intestinal toxicity of capecitabine. Pathophisiological explanation is difficult because no data are known about fluoropyrimidines effects on enteric motor functions (motor system, neural influences, hormonal factors): Tegafur (UFT) also, another oral fluoropyrimidine, induces paralytic ileus. We hypothesize that some 5-flourouracil metabolites (5-fluorocitrate; fluoro-beta-alanine), seldom responsible for central and peripherical neurotoxicity from fluoropyrimidines, can sometimes cause a neuropathy, and so a paralytic ileus. Paralytic ileus is probably a rare complication of capecitabine, but the oncologist should take it into careful consideration, because of his possible seriousness and because a suitable management of early signs of abdominal distension (with nasogastric suction and/or rectal tube, i.v. infusion of fluids and electrolytes, etc.) can avoid a unnecessary operative treatment

Onecut-dependent Nkx6.2 transcription factor expression is required for proper formation and activity of spinal locomotor circuits.

In the developing spinal cord, Onecut transcription factors control the diversification of motor neurons into distinct neuronal subsets by ensuring the maintenance of Isl1 expression during differentiation. However, other genes downstream of the Onecut proteins and involved in motor neuron diversification have remained unidentified. In the present study, we generated conditional mutant embryos carrying specific inactivation of Onecut genes in the developing motor neurons, performed RNA-sequencing to identify factors downstream of Onecut proteins in this neuron population, and employed additional transgenic mouse models to assess the role of one specific Onecut-downstream target, the transcription factor Nkx6.2. Nkx6.2 expression was up-regulated in Onecut-deficient motor neurons, but strongly downregulated in Onecut-deficient V2a interneurons, indicating an opposite regulation of Nkx6.2 by Onecut factors in distinct spinal neuron populations. Nkx6.2-null embryos, neonates and adult mice exhibited alterations of locomotor pattern and spinal locomotor network activity, likely resulting from defective survival of a subset of limb-innervating motor neurons and abnormal migration of V2a interneurons. Taken together, our results indicate that Nkx6.2 regulates the development of spinal neuronal populations and the formation of the spinal locomotor circuits downstream of the Onecut transcription factors

Sulfonamide Synthesis through Electrochemical Oxidative Coupling of Amines and Thiols

Sulfonamides are key motifs in pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, spurring the continuous development of novel and efficient synthetic methods to access these functional groups. Herein, we report an environmentally benign electrochemical method which enables the oxidative coupling between thiols and amines, two readily available and inexpensive commodity chemicals. The transformation is completely driven by electricity, does not require any sacrificial reagent or additional catalysts and can be carried out in only 5 min. Hydrogen is formed as a benign byproduct at the counter electrode. Owing to the mild reaction conditions, the reaction displays a broad substrate scope and functional group compatibility