Exploring human capital: discrimination factors and group-specific performance in the football industry

The aim of the study is to investigate whether discrimination factors exist within professional football clubs, concerning the management of their human capital, by analysing the correlation between the footballers’ wages and their performance. An analysis was conducted to show that discrimination, based both on nationality and race, can affect the strategies adopted by football club managers and in the professional footballer labour market, where players are considered to be the human capital of football enterprises. The research framework consists of an analysis of the existing literature on discrimination in sports and of a quantitative analysis based on an exploratory approach, where the wage differences among Italian Serie A league footballers are compared to the performance of each group of players (organised by race or nationality). The results of the analysis of data for all Italian Serie A clubs show that discrimination (in pay) exists against Italian and white players. In contrast, when small and big clubs are considered separately, the findings relating to small clubs highlight that foreign and black players face such discrimination. The results suggest that managers of professional football clubs apply a discrimination strategy. In addition, the results provide practical implications on the types of discrimination errors that are committed by the management of big and small football clubs. Big clubs tend to overrate the contributions of foreign and/or black players compared to those of Italian and white players, while small clubs tend to overrate the contributions of Italian and white players compared to those of foreign and black players. To reduce discrimination, clubs have to correlate how much players are paid with their performance. Further research is recommended to identify the impact of wage inequality on the football labour market and on professional team management

The association between Ponticulus Posticus and Dental Agenesis: a retrospective study

OBJECTIVE: Neural tube defects may increase the risk of an abnormal development of skull, vertebral column and teeth formation, including dental agenesis in non syndromic patients. The association between the presence of a congenital Dental Agenesis (DA) and the Atlantooccipital Ligament (AOL) calcification, known as "Ponticulus Posticus" (PP), as possible links can be investigated. DESIGN: After a systematic review of the scientific literature on this topic, two independent examiners assessed the AOL calcification in lateral cephalograms of 350 non syndromic patients(7-21 years old). The results were compared with a control group (non syndromic patients, without congenital missing teeth). RESULTS: The 16.3% of the population studied by cephalometric analysis revealed a prevalence rate of PP (both complete and partial) with a slight male predominance is seen, not statistically significant (χ square test = 0.09; p= 0.76). In both sexes complete PP is more observed. In the patients affected by DA the frequency of PP is the 66.6% (both complete than partial). The χ square test with Yates correction showed a significative difference(χ= 66.20; p value= 0.00) between PP in patients with DA compared to not affected by DA. CONCLUSIONS: PP is not an uncommon anomaly. Since orofacial pain like migraine and other symptoms are often associated to PP, during routine radiographic examination, if detected, it should be documented in patients' health record and with symptoms, further investigation should be sought for. These findings encourage to think there's an association between DA in non syndromic patients and neuro-crestal cells defects

NKG2D and its ligands: one for all, all for one

The activating receptor NKG2D is peculiar in its capability to bind to numerous and highly diversified MHC class I-like self-molecules. These ligands are poorly expressed on normal cells but can be induced on damaged, transformed or infected cells, with the final NKG2D ligand expression resulting from multiple levels of regulation. Although redundant molecular mechanisms can converge in the regulation of all NKG2D ligands, different stimuli can induce specific cellular responses, leading to the expression of one or few ligands. A large body of evidence demonstrates that NK cell activation can be triggered by different NKG2D ligands, often expressed on the same cell, suggesting a functional redundancy of these molecules. However, since a number of evasion mechanisms can reduce membrane expression of these molecules both on virus-infected and tumor cells, the co-expression of different ligands and/or the presence of allelic forms of the same ligand guarantee NKG2D activation in various stressful conditions and cell contexts. Noteworthy, NKG2D ligands can differ in their ability to down-modulate NKG2D membrane expression in human NK cells supporting the idea that NKG2D transduces different signals upon binding various ligands. Moreover, whether proteolytically shed and exosome-associated soluble NKG2D ligands share with their membrane-bound counterparts the same ability to induce NKG2D-mediated signaling is still a matter of debate. Here, we will review recent studies on the NKG2D/NKG2D ligand biology to summarize and discuss the redundancy and/or diversity in ligand expression, regulation, and receptor specificity

Comportamento da conversão de glicose, galactose e lactose em ácido lático por grãos de kefir

Few studies have been reported on lactic acid production by kefir grains. Kefir has been widely associated with probiotic use due to its cell growth in food matrices such as milks, juices and sugary solutions. However, from industrial scale there are no reports of its use in lactic acid production. In this work, we carried out experiments to test and understand how glucose, galactose and lactose, during lactic-acid fermentation, were converted in lactic acid by kefir grains. Given the microbial complexity in coexistence in kefir grains, it is likely that kinetic studies are not the most appropriate for the positive or negative definition of the kefir use as a starter in the lactic acid fermentative production on an industrial scale. It was concluded that, although with a higher Lag phase, lactose was the substrate that best presented a product and cell conversion rate, although glucose and galactose can also be used as a substrate in the production of this carboxylic acid.Poucos estudos foram relatados sobre a produção de ácido lático pelos grãos de kefir. O kefir tem sido amplamente associado ao uso de probióticos devido ao seu crescimento celular em matrizes alimentares como leites, sucos e soluções açucaradas. Entretanto, em escala industrial não há relatos de sua utilização na produção de ácido lático. Neste trabalho, realizamos experimentos para testar e entender como a glicose, galactose e lactose, durante a fermentação láctica, são convertidas em ácido lático pelos grãos de kefir. Dada a complexidade microbiana em coexistência nos grãos de kefir, é provável que os estudos cinéticos não sejam os mais adequados para a definição positiva ou negativa do uso do kefir como starter na produção fermentativa de ácido lático em escala industrial. Concluiu-se que, embora com maior fase Lag, a lactose foi o substrato que melhor apresentou produto e taxa de conversão celular, embora glicose e galactose também possam ser utilizadas como substrato na produção desse ácido carboxílico

Merging 1D and 3D genomic information: Challenges in modelling and validation

Genome organization in eukaryotes during interphase stems from the delicate balance between non-random correlations present in the DNA polynucleotide linear sequence and the physico/chemical reactions which shape continuously the form and structure of DNA and chromatin inside the nucleus of the cell. It is now clear that these mechanisms have a key role in important processes like gene regulation, yet the detailed ways they act simultaneously and, eventually, come to influence each other even across very different length-scales remain largely unexplored. In this paper, we recapitulate some of the main results concerning gene regulatory and physical mechanisms, in relation to the information encoded in the 1D sequence and the 3D folding structure of DNA. In particular, we stress how reciprocal crossfeeding between 1D and 3D models may provide original insight into how these complex processes work and influence each other. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Transcriptional Profiles and Regulatory Gene Networks edited by Dr. Dr. Federico Manuel Giorgi and Dr. Shaun Mahony

HDAC4 preserves skeletal muscle structure following long-term denervation by mediating distinct cellular responses

BACKGROUND: Denervation triggers numerous molecular responses in skeletal muscle, including the activation of catabolic pathways and oxidative stress, leading to progressive muscle atrophy. Histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) mediates skeletal muscle response to denervation, suggesting the use of HDAC inhibitors as a therapeutic approach to neurogenic muscle atrophy. However, the effects of HDAC4 inhibition in skeletal muscle in response to long-term denervation have not been described yet. METHODS: To further study HDAC4 functions in response to denervation, we analyzed mutant mice in which HDAC4 is specifically deleted in skeletal muscle. RESULTS: After an initial phase of resistance to neurogenic muscle atrophy, skeletal muscle with a deletion of HDAC4 lost structural integrity after 4 weeks of denervation. Deletion of HDAC4 impaired the activation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, delayed the autophagic response, and dampened the OS response in skeletal muscle. Inhibition of the ubiquitin-proteasome system or the autophagic response, if on the one hand, conferred resistance to neurogenic muscle atrophy; on the other hand, induced loss of muscle integrity and inflammation in mice lacking HDAC4 in skeletal muscle. Moreover, treatment with the antioxidant drug Trolox prevented loss of muscle integrity and inflammation in in mice lacking HDAC4 in skeletal muscle, despite the resistance to neurogenic muscle atrophy. CONCLUSIONS: These results reveal new functions of HDAC4 in mediating skeletal muscle response to denervation and lead us to propose the combined use of HDAC inhibitors and antioxidant drugs to treat neurogenic muscle atrophy

Higher levels of osteoprotegerin and immune activation/immunosenescence markers are correlated with concomitant bone and endovascular damage in HIV-suppressed patients

HIV-infected patients appear to have a significantly greater risk of non-AIDS comorbidities such as osteoporosis and atherosclerosis. Subjects with osteoporosis are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease than those with normal bone mass, therefore a possible relation between these two conditions can be hypothesized. In the setting of HIV infection, several factors might contribute to bone disease and endothelial dysfunction. The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between bone and cardiovascular disease and to investigate the role of traditional factors, T-cell phenotype and osteoprotegerin in HIV positive subjects on effective antiretroviral therapy. We included 94 HIV positive subjects on antiretroviral therapy with virological suppression and 41 healthy subjects matched for age and gender as a control group. Carotid-Intima Media Thickness (c-IMT) and bone mineral density (BMD) were performed by ultrasound and DEXA, respectively. CD4+/CD8+ T-cell activation, senescence and osteoprotegerin plasma levels were measured by flow-cytometry and ELISA, respectively. Among HIV positive patients, 56.4% had osteopenia/osteoporosis and 45.7% had pathological c-IMT (>0.9mm). Subjects with pathological c-IMT and BMD exhibited higher CD4+ and CD8+ activated, CD8+ senescent and osteoprotegerin than subjects with normal c-IMT and BMD. HIV positive subjects with osteopenia/osteoporosis had higher c-IMT than subjects with normal BMD, and linear regression analysis showed a negative correlation between BMD and c-IMT. Several factors are implicated in the pathogenesis of non-AIDS comorbidities in HIV positive patients. Osteoprotegerin together with inflammation and immunosenescence in HIV positive patients could affect bone and vascular system and could be considered as a possible common link between these two diseases

Il ruolo dei dirigenti scolastici nella formazione e nel supporto dei docenti neoassunti

Starting from an analysis of the newly hired teachers’ concerns and needs associated with the induction phase and of the related multiple dimensions involved in the support that can be given by principals, the paper presents an empirical study conducted as part of a regional plan for monitoring and evaluation of the new training model for newly hired teachers tested in Italy during the school year 2014-15. The survey aimed to explore the role of school principals of Emilia- Romagna and their views on the training model. Overall, findings suggest that principals share a positive perception of the assumptionsand choices underlying the model adopted and that they have carried out ongoing support functions beyond those explicitly required by national regulations. They also highlight some critical issues that need to be addressed in terms of educational research and policy, emphasizing the importance of further investigation of the principals’ role in new teacher induction.A partire da un’analisi delle difficoltà ed esigenze connesse alla fase di induction e, in relazione a queste, delle molteplici dimensioni cui può essere ricondotto il ruolo del dirigente scolastico nella formazione e nel supporto dei docenti neoassunti, il contributo presenta un’indagine empirica realizzata nell’ambito di un piano regionale di monitoraggio e valutazione del nuovo modello di formazione dei neoassunti sperimentato nel nostro Paese durante l’a.s. 2014-15. I risultati dell’indagine, che ha inteso esplorare il ruolo dei dirigenti dell’Emilia- Romagna e i loro punti di vista sul percorso previsto, suggeriscono da un lato una sostanziale condivisione delle scelte di fondo del modello e dall’altro lo svolgimento di funzioni di sostegno in itinere che vanno oltre quelle esplicitamente richieste al dirigente dalla normativa, mettendo al contempo in luce elementi di criticità ed esigenze di approfondimento da affrontare sul piano della ricerca e delle politiche educative