Inequality, Fiscal Capacity and the Political Regime: Lessons from the Post-Communist Transition

Using panel data for twenty-seven post-communist economies between 1987-2003, we examine the nexus of relationships between inequality, fiscal capacity (defined as the ability to raise taxes efficiently) and the political regime. Investigating the impact of political reform we find that full political freedom is associated with lower levels of income inequality. Under more oligarchic (authoritarian) regimes, the level of inequality is conditioned by the state’s fiscal capacity. Specifically, oligarchic regimes with more developed fiscal systems are able to defend the prevailing vested interests at a lower cost in terms of social injustice. This empirical finding is consistent with the model developed by Acemoglu (2006). We also find that transition countries undertaking early macroeconomic stabilisation now enjoy lower levels of inequality; we confirm that education fosters equality and the suggestion of Commander et al (1999) that larger countries are prone to higher levels of inequality.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/57211/1/wp831 .pd

Climacostol reduces tumour progression in a mouse model of melanoma via the p53-dependent intrinsic apoptotic programme

Climacostol, a compound produced by the ciliated protozoan Climacostomum virens, displayed cytotoxic properties in vitro. This study demonstrates that it has anti-tumour potential. Climacostol caused a reduction of viability/proliferation of B16-F10 mouse melanoma cells, a rapidly occurring DNA damage, and induced the intrinsic apoptotic pathway characterised by the dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential, the translocation of Bax to the mitochondria, the release of Cytochrome c from the mitochondria, and the activation of Caspase 9-dependent cleavage of Caspase 3. The apoptotic mechanism of climacostol was found to rely on the up-regulation of p53 and its targets Noxa and Puma. In vivo analysis of B16-F10 allografts revealed a persistent inhibition of tumour growth rate when melanomas were treated with intra-tumoural injections of climacostol. In addition, it significantly improved the survival of transplanted mice, decreased tumour weight, induced a remarkable reduction of viable cells inside the tumour, activated apoptosis and up-regulated the p53 signalling network. Importantly, climacostol toxicity was more selective against tumour than non-tumour cells. The anti-tumour properties of climacostol and the molecular events associated with its action indicate that it is a powerful agent that may be considered for the design of pro-apoptotic drugs for melanoma therapy

Body measurements and morphological indexes of a cattle population in the Adamawa region (Cameroon)

Misure e indici morfometrici di una popolazione bovina dell’altopiano dell’Adamawa (Cameroon) – Per soddisfare la crescente domanda di derrate di origine animale dei grandi centri urbani in Africa, è necessario migliorare le performance degli animali allevati. Un programma di selezione massale può rappresentare il primo approccio, quando non siano disponibili i dati genealogici della popolazione indagata. I dati morfologici e i pesi raccolti in due anni di lavoro, su una popolazione zebuina e meticcia dell’altopiano dell’Adamawa, hanno permesso di calcolare i relativi indici morfometrici, consentendo di individuare gli animali più idonei a far parte della futura popolazione, sulla quale verrà pianificata una selezione su base genealogica

Miro: A molecular switch at the center of mitochondrial regulation

The orchestration of mitochondria within the cell represents a critical aspect of cell biology. At the center of this process is the outer mitochondrial membrane protein, Miro. Miro coordinates diverse cellular processes by regulating connections between organelles and the cytoskeleton that range from mediating contacts between the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria to the regulation of both actin and microtubule motor proteins. Recently, a number of cell biological, biochemical, and protein structure studies have helped to characterize the myriad roles played by Miro. In addition to answering questions regarding Miro’s function, these studies have opened the door to new avenues in the study of Miro in the cell. This review will focus on summarizing recent findings for Miro’s structure, function, and activity while highlighting key questions that remain unanswered.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155476/1/pro3839.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155476/2/pro3839_am.pd

Electronic identification in rabbits: two body sites of injectable transponder

AbstractIdentification and monitoring of farm animals are effective tools for traceability. Actual livestock identification systems (ear-tags, tattoos, etc.) are not completely efficient and offer some inconveniences. The use of injectable transponders might be a reliable method for individual identification, allowing the improvement of the data recording and the farm management. The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the applicability of injectable transponder in live rabbits. A total of 40 fattening rabbits of 55 days old were injected with 23 mm passive FDX-B transponders (Datamars, Switzerland), preloaded into a needle in a sterilised packaged and applied by using a transponder injector (Planet ID, Germany). Two body locations for transponder's injection were studied: laterally to the neck (n=20) and armpit (n=20). Readings of the transponders were performed using portable ISO transceiver, before injection, after injection, the day after, after one week, after one month, before the slaughtering pr..

Impact of Drp1 activation and fission induction in the pathogenesis of DMD progression

Loss of function mutations in DMD gene encoding for dystrophin protein cause Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) a severe progressive neuromuscular disease. Despite remarkable progress has been made in genetic approaches to restore dystrophin, or its function, new therapeutic strategies are needed. In this view, muscle weakness in DMD is thought to be dependent, at least in part, on damaged mitochondria and compromised bioenergetics. Consistently mitochondria are an attractive target for therapeutic interventions. Dystrophic fibers show marked mitochondria fragmentation, however, few studies have addressed the relevance of mitochondrial shape in the muscle damage progression. Accordingly, we generated a DMD mouse model with intrinsically fluorescent mitochondria, the mdx-PhAM mouse, to precisely define mitochondrial dynamics during DMD progression and we confirmed the existence of a less interconnected mitochondrial network in mdx single fibers by 3- dimensional reconstruction. In agreement, Western blot experiments showed a significant upregulation of pro-fission proteins, Drp1 and its receptors, in mdx muscles starting from 3 months of age, suggesting the shifting of mitochondrial dynamics towards Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission. This can potentially contributes to DMD pathological fibrosis and inflammation by triggering the activation of specific signaling pathways, such as inflammation by DAMPs (mtDNA) release and UPR response. Therefore, to assess the relevance of Drp1-dependent fission enhancement in DMD pathogenesis we treated mdx mice with MDIVI-1, a specific Drp1 inhibitor. We have obtained encouraging results as for muscle functionality and phenotype, thus confirming the relevance of Drp1 as a therapeutic target in DMD

Use of transperineal fine needle aspiration of seminal vesicles to retrieve sperm in a man with obstructive azoospermia

OBJECTIVE: To report the successful and feasible use of transperineal fine needle aspiration of seminal vesicles (FNASV) for sperm retrieval in obstructive azoospermia. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Outpatient care in institutional clinic. PATIENT(S): A 31-year-old man with obstructive azoospermia due to a middle prostatic m\ufcllerian cyst. INTERVENTION(S): Transperineal FNASV using a coaxial 17-gauge TruGuide needle. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Feasibility of sperm retrieval suitable for future in vitro fertilization. RESULT(S): Transperineal FNASV made it possible to aspirate 11 mL of fluid with a sperm count of 100 million/mL and 15% motility. This sample was cryopreserved for in vitro fertilization using intracytoplasmic sperm injection. CONCLUSION(S): Transperineal FNASV using a coaxial needle may be a further method for sperm retrieval to add to the repertoire of assisted reproduction technologies

On-Chain Global Maintenance Services

Facility management deals with all activities that are not core business for a company and are consequently outsourced to specilized companies. Maintenance is a fundamental activity in facility management and it is often handled by Global Maintenance Services (GMS) where some maintenance activities are delegated by the company to service providers and are remunerated according to measurable results expressed as Key Performance Indicators. In this context, it would be desirable to have information systems trustable by all involved actors. In this paper, we discuss the design of a blockchain solution capable to support a GMS on-chain. We first introduce the GMS concept and how it is related to the Principal-Agent relationship, then we show a reference architecture to implement GMS on-chain. We discuss a use case of on-chain GMS in a hospital showing how smart contracts and oracles can be used in this context. We present the advantages of this approach and we discuss the open problems for realizing a proof-of-concep

SRT2104, a new specific SIRT1 activator, promotes muscle recovery enhancing mitochondrial metabolism in DMD

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked degenerative genetic disease caused by mutations of the DMD gene encoding dystrophin protein. While remarkable progress has been made in genetic approaches to restore dystrophin or its function, targeting secondary pathological mechanisms remains an important issue to address. SIRT1 belongs to a class of NAD+-dependent class III deacetylase that controls several key cellular processes. Different attempts have been done to increase SIRT1 activation in mdx mice, however, despite the initial promise, the current opinion reveals the need for developing better and more selective activators of sirtuins. Among these, the SRT2104 molecule is the most advanced in clinical studies. We have challenged the effects of SRT2104 administration in mdx mice and 12 weeks of SRT2104 supplementation with the diet improved muscle performance and muscle phenotype. SRT2104 administration also boosted muscle OxPhos capacity, as further confirmed by respiratory complexes’ activity, supporting the idea of SRT2104 as a good metabolic enhancer. To mechanistically characterize the SRT2104 mode of action, a series of molecular dynamics simulations have been performed on the available structures of SIRT1. They support the idea that a conformational selection mechanism is responsible of the activity of SRT2104, i.e., the open inactive conformation of the protein explores a more compact intermediate state that is stabilized by the drug, then converted into its active form. We have further investigated SRT2104 action by exploring the proteomic profiles of muscles throughquantitativemassspectrometry,revealingtheSRT2104-dependentenhancementof the muscle contraction system. Moreover, we have also characterized the acetylated landscape of mdx muscle after SRT2104 administration pointing out some interesting deacetylated metabolicenzymes,thereforebothapproachesprovedmuscleimprovements and specific metabolic effects of the drug