105 research outputs found
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich: essays on intergenerational transmission of economic status
Persistence of inequality across generations is an important field of research with many implications in terms of policy. Economic inequality related to the intergenerational transmission of economic opportunities may strongly influence policies designed to reduce earnings or wealth concentration. Empirical research has usually focused on the intergenerational persistence of earnings or income, considered as good measures of differences in economic well-being and consumption capacity of individuals. On the contrary, only a limited number of recent studies attempt to estimate the degree of intergenerational mobility by using net wealth as a measure of economic status of individuals.
This Ph.D thesis includes three autonomous chapters regarding the intergenerational persistence of wealth and earnings inequality and their mechanisms. The first one reviews research on wealth inequality and persistence across two or more generations. Broadly speaking, wealth is more unequally distributed than income and unlike other flow variables, may be transmitted across generations directly, by means of bequests or donations. This means that it may be a good proxy of permanent economic disparities. Unfortunately, measuring wealth is not an easy task since data on real and financial assets are incomplete and provided with many differences across countries.
Regarding the extent of correlation in wealth across generations, only a limited number of studies are able to use suitable data on wealth which cover two or more generations. In any case, according to few recent empirical works, intergenerational rank correlations in wealth seem to be usually higher than intergenerational rank correlations in income. These findings derive from the fact that wealth is more representative of cumulate resources and less affected by transitory shocks than earnings or income. Moreover, wealthy parents seem to transmit many resources to their children at the beginning of the adulthood, by making donations. This may explain why, unlike intergenerational correlations in income, intergenerational correlations in wealth seem to be very high also considering children in their 20’s.
The second chapter exploits retrospective socio-economic information about both parents to impute parental wealth in order to assess the degree of wealth mobility across generations in Italy and highlight some of the mechanisms linking parental wealth to offspring’s economic outcomes.
Using the Bank of Italy’s survey on household income and wealth (SHIW) and two samples of offspring and pseudo-parents in their 40s, I find an intergenerational age-adjusted wealth elasticity (IWE) of 0.451 and a rank-rank slope of 0.349 which appear to be robust to the use of different predictors of parental economic status. These results suggest that Italy is a low mobility country also when wealth is taken as an alternative measure of economic status.
As in the only previous study by Boserup et al. (2016) which analyses the pattern of wealth mobility over the lifecycle, the second chapter shows a U-shaped pattern of the intergenerational wealth correlation as a function of the second generation’s age with higher estimated intergenerational correlations when children are taken at the beginning of their adulthood or in their 40’s.
Geographical differences in the extent of intergenerational wealth mobility are analysed by estimating elasticities and rank-rank slopes in two different macro-areas of the country. Results suggest that the southern part of Italy is extremely less mobile than the northern part of the country.
Regarding the analysis of the mechanisms behind the intergenerational wealth correlation across two generations, the second chapter suggests that income seems to be the main intergenerational mediating factor. On the contrary, the correlation across generations of saving preferences and attitude to risk seems to explain only a small fraction of the IWE.
Finally, the third chapter (which is part of a research work with Michele Raitano and Teresa Barbieri) provides new and detailed estimates of intergenerational earnings mobility in Italy and sheds light on mechanisms behind the association of gross earnings between fathers and sons.
Being not available panel data following subsequent generations in Italy, we make use of a recently built dataset that merges information provided by IT-SILC 2005 (i.e., the Italian component of EU-SILC 2005) with detailed information about the whole working life of those interviewed in IT-SILC recorded in the administrative archives managed by the Italian national Social Security Institute (INPS).
This dataset allows us to rely on the two-sample two-stage least squares method (TSTSLS) to predict father earnings and, then, compute point in time intergenerational elasticities (IGE) and imputed rank-rank slopes. Furthermore, the characteristics of the dataset allow us to extend point in time estimates considering, for both sons and “pseudo-fathers”, average earnings in a 5-year period and observing sons at various ages, thus assessing the robustness of our estimates to attenuation and life cycle biases.
Confirming previous evidence (Mocetti 2007; Piraino 2007), we find that Italy is characterized by a relatively high earnings elasticity in cross country comparison – the size of the estimated β is usually over 0.40 – and the size of the intergenerational association increases when older sons and multi-annual averages are considered.
We then investigate mechanisms behind this association both: i) including a set of possible mediating factors of the parental influence (e.g., sons’ education, occupation, labour market experience) among the control variables when regressing sons’ earnings on fathers’ earnings and ii) following the sequential decomposition approach suggested by Blanden, Gregg and Macmillan (2007). Results show that a limited share of the intergenerational association is attributable to sons’ educational and occupational attainment, while the largest part of the association is mediated by sons’ employability, i.e., by their effective experience since the entry in the labour market.
Results show that the mediating role of education in Italy is limited, especially if compared with evidence obtained for other countries such as the US and UK
L’associazione fra caratteristiche dei padri e redditi da lavoro dei figli in Italia: è solo questione di istruzione?
Gli autori indagano i meccanismi alla base del processo di trasmissione intergenerazionale della diseguaglianza in Italia facendo uso dei dati forniti dalla Survey on Household Income and Wealth della Banca d’Italia nel periodo 2000-2016. Approssimando il background familiare con l’istruzione dei padri, si rileva che un anno in più di istruzione di questi è associato ad una crescita del 3,6% delle retribuzioni dei figli. In contrasto con l’idea diffusa che la trasmissione intergenerazionale dipenda esclusivamente dall’investimento in istruzione, un ampio vantaggio (+1,8% per ogni anno di istruzione dei padri) persiste quando nelle stime si tiene conto del titolo di studio dei figli e di altre caratteristiche osservabili del loro percorso di istruzione e il vantaggio rimane significativo (+1,1%) quando si controlla anche per una serie di caratteristiche dell’attività lavorativa. Dal confronto fra le diverse waves di SHIW emerge inoltre che i vantaggi di background non si sono ridotti nel corso del tempo. Classificazione JEL: D31, J24, J31, J62 Parole chiave: diseguaglianza intergenerazionale; background familiare; retribuzioni; istruzione; abilità non osservabili; connessioni sociali. The association between fathers’ characteristics and children’s earnings in Italy: does only education matter? This work analyses mechanisms behind the intergenerational transmission of inequality in Italy by exploiting the waves from 2000 to 2016 of the Bank of Italy’s Survey on Household Income and Wealth. Using fathers’ education as a proxy of parental background, we show that 1-year increase in fathers’ education is associated with a 3.6% increase in children’s earnings. Contrary to the widespread idea that the intergenerational transmission is only related to parents’ investment in their children’s education, large background-related advantages (+1.8% for each year of parental education) persist when we control for children’s education and other observables related to their human capital. Moreover, background-related advantages remain large and statistically significant (+1.1%) when we also control for children’s occupation. Furthermore, we find that our measure of intergenerational association has not declined. JEL Classification: D31, J24, J31, J62. Keywords: intergenerational inequality; parental background; earnings; education; unobservable skills; social networks
Inequality and elections in Italian regions
The evolution of voting in Italy’s general elections from 1994 to 2018 is investigated in this paper at the regional level, exploring the role of inequality, changes in incomes, wealth levels, precarisation of jobs and unemployment. Using a novel regional database combining voting results, incomes of employees and household revenues and wealth, we explore the drivers of non-voting, and of the shares of votes for mainstream parties, Lega and Five Star Movement in total electors. The results of our econometric models show that inequality, lack of wealth and precarisation are closely associated to the regional patterns of Italy’s electoral change. While political, ideological and cultural variables are important factors in Italy’s political upheaval, economic conditions appear to play a key role
Inequality and elections in Italian regions
The evolution of voting in Italy’s general elections from 1994 to 2018 is investigated in this paper at the regional level, exploring the role of inequality, changes in incomes, wealth levels, precarisation of jobs and unemployment. Using a novel regional database combining voting results, incomes of employees and household revenues and wealth, we explore the drivers of non-voting, and of the shares of votes for mainstream parties, Lega and Five Star Movement in total electors. The results of our econometric models show that inequality, lack of wealth and precarisation are closely associated to the regional patterns of Italy’s electoral change. While political, ideological and cultural variables are important factors in Italy’s political upheaval, economic conditions appear to play a key role
Chemical reactivity of thermal treated naturally occurring amphibole asbestos
Non-occupational (environmental) exposure to naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) represents a potentially important source of risk for human health in
several parts of the world. Chemical reactivity of fibres surface is one of the most relevant physical-chemical property to asbestos toxicity and is commonly
associateci to the presence of Fe at the surface, and in particular to its coordination and oxidation state. However, no detailed information is still available
about dependence of chemical reactivity on surface iron topochemistry, which is the basis for defining structure-activity relationships. In this work the chemical
reactivity of two amphibole asbestos samples, UICC crocidolite from Koegas Mine, Northern Cape (South Africa) and fibrous tremolite from Montgomery
County, Maryland (USA), was investigateci after sample heating up to 1200 °c. Ex-situ X-ray powder diffraction (XRPS and the Rietveld method), scanning (SEM)
and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy were used for characterizing the minerai fibres before and after the thermal treatment. In addition, thermal
stability of the of the amphibole asbestos was analysed in-situ by TG/DSC. Two conventional target molecules (H202 and Hcoo-) and the DMPO spintrapping/
EPR technique were used to measure the radical activity of both pristine and thermal treated samples. Results show that, after thermal treatment,
both amphibole asbestos are completely converted into hematite, cristobalite and pyroxene, stili preserving the originai fibrous morphology
(pseudomorphosis). Notably, in spite of the thermal decomposition, the heated samples show a radical production comparable to that of the pristine ones
Hep3Gel: A Shape-Shifting Extracellular Matrix-Based, Three-Dimensional Liver Model Adaptable to Different Culture Systems
Drug-induced hepatotoxicity is a leading cause of clinical trial withdrawal. Therefore, in vitro modeling the hepatic behavior and functionalities is not only crucial to better understand physiological and pathological processes but also to support drug development with reliable high-throughput platforms. Different physiological and pathological models are currently under development and are commonly implemented both within platforms for standard 2D cultures and within tailor-made chambers. This paper introduces Hep3Gel: a hybrid alginate-extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogel to produce 3D in vitro models of the liver, aiming to reproduce the hepatic chemomechanical niche, with the possibility of adapting its shape to different manufacturing techniques. The ECM, extracted and powdered from porcine livers by a specifically set-up procedure, preserved its crucial biological macromolecules and was embedded within alginate hydrogels prior to crosslinking. The viscoelastic behavior of Hep3Gel was tuned, reproducing the properties of a physiological organ, according to the available knowledge about hepatic biomechanics. By finely tuning the crosslinking kinetics of Hep3Gel, its dualistic nature can be exploited either by self-spreading or adapting its shape to different culture supports or retaining the imposed fiber shape during an extrusion-based 3D-bioprinting process, thus being a shape-shifter hydrogel. The self-spreading ability of Hep3Gel was characterized by combining empirical and numerical procedures, while its use as a bioink was experimentally characterized through rheological a priori printability evaluations and 3D printing tests. The effect of the addition of the ECM was evident after 4 days, doubling the survival rate of cells embedded within control hydrogels. This study represents a proof of concept of the applicability of Hep3Gel as a tool to develop 3D in vitro models of the liver
Modelling the Fenton reaction of amphibole asbestos
In this work a sample of UICC crocidolite and a sample of fibrous tremolite were leached up to 1
week both in a simplified Gamble’s solution at acidic pH and in a phosphate buffered medium at
neutral pH, in presence of H2O2. Surface chemical modifications were monitored by XPS
spectroscopy. Subsequently, the generation of HO• radicals following reaction of both pristine and
leached fibres with H2O2 (Fenton reaction) was investigated by spin trapping/EPR spectroscopy,
with the aim of better clarifying the relationships between possible surface alteration occurring in
vivo and chemical reactivity of amphibole asbestos. Moreover, the generation of HO• radicals was
monitored on thermally treated fibres after leaching in phosphate buffered medium at neutral pH
and in presence of H2O2 to investigate how chemical reactivity may be modulated by Fe oxidation
state.
Results showed that, for both amphibole asbestos, the surface alteration following incubation in
the modified Gamble’s solution does not alter HO• radical generation. Interestingly, leaching in
phosphate buffered solution in presence of H2O2 induced a progressive increase in HO• release
for crocidolite fibres, whereas a strong reduction was observed for asbestos tremolite. This
behaviour is likely due to the quicker alteration of the crocidolite surface due to the interaction
with H2O2, as indicated by XPS analysis. In particular, the oxidation induced by H2O2 promotes the
dissolution of the first atomic layer of the crocidolite structure and the following occurrence on its
surface of new reactive Fe centres, particularly under the form of Fe(II), of which the bulk is richer
than the oxidized surface. Accordingly, the heated samples showed a reduced, but not suppressed
by thermal oxidation, chemical reactivity, with no significant evolution following incubation in
phosphate buffered medium at neutral pH and in presence of H2O2
The bricks of Hagia Sophia (Istanbul, Turkey): a new hypothesis to explain their compositional difference
The work shows the results of a multi-analytical study performed on twenty-nine brick samples taken from Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (Turkey). Hagia Sophia, one of the most important historical buildings in the world, has a very complex construction history. This complexity is also reflected in the materials that were used for its construction. The main purpose of this work is to verify whether there are any compositional differences in the bricks used in different historical periods, but also to understand the reasons for any compositional differences between one period and another. The samples were studied by optical microscopy (OM), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), coupled with a new approach, based on the micro-chemical EDS analysis used to obtain information on the clay fraction of the matrix. The study showed that, most probably, the differences between the bricks belonging to the different construction phases are due to the composition of the clays used for their preparation
Mu2e Crystal Calorimeter Readout Electronics: Design and Characterisation
The Mu2e experiment at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory will search for the charged-lepton flavour-violating neutrinoless conversion of negative muons into electrons in the Coulomb field of an Al nucleus. The conversion electron with a monoenergetic 104.967 MeV signature will be identified by a complementary measurement carried out by a high-resolution tracker and an electromagnetic calorimeter, improving by four orders of magnitude the current single-event sensitivity. The calorimeter—composed of 1348 pure CsI crystals arranged in two annular disks—has a high granularity, 10% energy resolution and 500 ps timing resolution for 100 MeV electrons. The readout, based on large-area UV-extended SiPMs, features a fully custom readout chain, from the analogue front-end electronics to the digitisation boards. The readout electronics design was validated for operation in vacuum and under magnetic fields. An extensive radiation hardness certification campaign certified the FEE design for doses up to 100 krad and 1012 n1MeVeq/cm2 and for single-event effects. A final vertical slice test on the final readout chain was carried out with cosmic rays on a large-scale calorimeter prototype
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