1,721,029 research outputs found
Essays on financial behaviour of households and firms
No full textThis dissertation aims at empirically analyzing different aspects of the economics and financial behaviour of households and the financial decision making of firms, using micro data. The first chapter (Chapter 2) investigates whether the expectations on receiving an inheritance act as a driver for economic choices such as accumulation and decumulation of wealth, as well as for the willingness to bequeath and for labour supply decisions. The second chapter (Chapter 3) focuses on the realization of inheritance/gift receipt, proposing an analysis on the effect of having received an inheritance or an inter-vivos transfer on a more intimate aspect of individuals’ lives: divorcing. Eventually, the last chapter (Chapter 4), which makes use of a representative dataset for the year 2015 of Italian firms, investigates whether the gender of the decision-maker of the firm affects credit demand and credit approval
‘Take the Money and Run’: Dutch Evidence on Inheritance and Transfer Receiving and Divorce
Full text linkThis paper aims to investigate whether a wealth endowment, such as an inheritance or a gift, can increase the chances of getting divorced, using Dutch panel data for the period from 2002 to 2016. According to the literature, different factors may lead to the breakdown of a marriage; however, the role played by inherited wealth has never been explored so far. Starting from the idea that the receipt of an inheritance might have an impact on various aspects of an individual’s life, estimations of a Cox proportional hazard ratios model are performed and tests are carried out to establish which variables, with particular attention being given to inherited wealth, act as drivers in increasing the chances of withdrawing from a marriage. The findings suggest that when the wealth endowment has been received by the wife, this increases the chances of the couple separating. This signals that receiving an inheritance/gift changes the bargaining power between the couple: for the husband, it does not represent an incentive to divorce, while the results suggest that the wife might perceive a change in the bargaining power, increasing the likelihood of marital disruption
Exploring the influence of abiotic factors on the community structure and antimicrobial resistance spread in the insect gut microbiome
No full textThis PhD thesis research project is aimed at studying the influence of different abiotic factors on the gut microbial community of insects, with a focus on the structure of the gut microbiome and on the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. The research project will focus on the study of the influence of the diet and of different categories of pesticides on the gut microbial community structure and on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) spread in beneficial insects.
Studio dell’influenza di fattori abiotici sulla struttura della comunità microbica intestinale e sulla diffusione della resistenza agli antimicrobici nel microbioma intestinale degli insetti
Questo progetto di tesi di Dottorato è volto allo studio dell’influenza di diversi fattori abiotici sul microbioma intestinale degli insetti, considerando in particolare la struttura della comunità microbica intestinale e la diffusione di geni di resistenza agli antibiotici. Il progetto sarà focalizzato sullo studio dell’influenza della dieta e di diverse categorie di agrofarmaci sulla struttura della comunità microbica intestinale e sulla diffusione della resistenza agli antimicrobici in insetti benefici.
1. State-of-the-Art
The gut microbiome of insects has a wide range of important roles, contributing to the development of the host, to its nutrition, and physiology (Engel and Moran, 2013). The gut microbial community of insects can be influenced by different factors, such as the developmental stage of the insect, the degree of sociality, the dietary regime and the environmental conditions (Engel and Moran, 2013). For example, Chandler et al. (2011) studied the effect of different diets on the composition of the gut microbiome of wild and laboratory-reared Drosophila melanogaster specimens and found that the host diet plays a pivotal role in shaping the gut bacterial community of the insect. Certain factors can lead to a condition of dysbiosis: in fact, it has been recently pointed out that the exposure to pesticides may cause perturbations in the insect gut microbiome, therefore compromising insect health (Motta and Moran, 2020). This aspect is especially relevant for pollinators, such as honey bees and bumble bees, which could be directly exposed to a wide variety of xenobiotics during foraging activities (Motta et al., 2018). Moreover, Qiu et al. (2022) found that that pesticides could have a role in enhancing antimicrobial resistance in microorganisms and that pesticides exposure promotes the spread of bacterial antimicrobial resistance, mainly through horizontal gene transfer (HGT). This mechanism could be relevant for the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance at different environmental levels (Qiu et al., 2022).
Mobile genetic elements such as plasmids can be involved in HGT: it is important to consider that plasmid persistence is more probable in communities with higher levels of bacterial diversity (Brockhurst and Harrison, 2022). Hence, it would be interesting to study the response of the gut microbiome of insects in terms of bacterial diversity and correlate that to plasmid-mediated HGT.
In general, up to now the influence of abiotic factors on HGT in the insect gut has been poorly studied. Thus, the aim of this PhD thesis research project will be to gain a better understanding of the impact of different abiotic factors on the insect gut microbiome and of the effect of these abiotic factors on HGT and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) dissemination within the insect gut microbiome. The model insect Drosophila melanogaster will be considered, for its ease of rearing and manipulation under laboratory conditions, together with beneficial insects such as the most important crop pollinator, Apis mellifera, and other less characterized insect pollinators.
2. PhD Thesis Objectives and Milestones
Within the overall objective mentioned above this PhD thesis project can be subdivided into the following activities according to the Gantt diagram given in Table 1:
A1) Study of the influence of abiotic factors on the structure of the gut microbial community of Drosophila melanogaster, the honeybee Apis mellifera and other insect pollinators:
The gut microbial community of insects will be studied through quantitative PCR analyses on 16S rRNA gene, to evaluate if the abiotic factors cause a shift in the abundance of gut bacteria of the insects. A metataxonomic analysis on 16S rRNA gene will be also performed to observe any possible shift in the composition of bacterial community.
A2) Resistome profile characterization:
An initial survey for the presence of specific antibiotic resistance genes through quantitative PCR on field-collected pollinators will be conducted to obtain their resistome profile. Other molecular techniques (e.g. ResistoMap) will be also used to detect a wider range of antibiotic resistance genes.
A3) HGT experiments:
Conjugation experiments will be carried out to study the spread of antibiotic resistance genes: initially, the gut microbiome of Drosophila melanogaster specimens will be considered for in vitro and in vivo conjugation experiments. Then, conjugation experiments will be optimized for the gut bacterial communities of pollinators.
A4) Writing and Editing of the PhD thesis, scientific papers and oral and poster communications.
Table 1 Gantt diagram for the PhD thesis project in the next two years.
Activity Months 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
A1) Study of the influence of abiotic factors on the insect gut microbiome
1) Evaluation of gut bacterial abundance
2) Evaluation of taxonomic composition of the gut microbiome
A2) Resistome profile of pollinators
1) qPCR analyses on ARGs
2) Analysis of ResistoMap output
A3) HGT experiments
1) Conjugation set-up with D. melanogaster
2) Conjugation experiments on pollinators
A4) Thesis and Paper preparation
3. Selected References
Brockhurst MA, Harrison E (2022) Ecological and evolutionary solutions to the plasmid paradox, Trends Microbiol 30(6): 534-543.
Chandler JA, Morgan Lang J, Bhatnagar S, Eisen JA, Kopp A (2011) Bacterial Communities of Diverse Drosophila Species: Ecological Context of a Host-Microbe Model System, PLoS Genet 7 (9): 1-18.
Engel P, Moran NA (2013) The gut microbiota of insects – diversity in structure and function, FEMS Microbiol Rev 37: 699-735.
Motta EVS, Raymann K, Moran NA (2018) Glyphosate perturbs the gut microbiota of honey bees, PNAS 115 (41): 10305-10310.
Motta EVS, Moran NA (2020) Impact of Glyphosate on the Honey Bee Gut Microbiota: Effects of Intensity, Duration, and Timing of Exposure, mSystems 5 (4): 1-16.
Qiu D, Ke M, Zhang Q, Zhang F, Lu T, Sun L, Qian H (2022) Response of microbial antibiotic resistance to pesticides: An emerging health threat, Sci Total Environ 850: 1-8
The effects of pension information on individuals' economic outcomes: A survey
Full text linkThis paper provides an overview of a wide array of research investigating the effects of pension information on different individuals’ economic outcomes. While many studies show that information provision increases knowledge, the evidence is mixed regarding its effects on behavior. Nevertheless, we draw some conclusions about the impact of pension information on three major economic outcomes, namely, retirement planning, choices pertaining individuals’ labor supply, and savings decisions. We also highlight that the lack of knowledge prevalently hits the most vulnerable individuals in the society, such as women. As a consequence, not providing sufficient information could contribute to widening the gender gap in pensions
Impatience and crime. Evidence from the NLSY97
No full textWe empirically test the relationship between crime and impatience at the individual level, exploiting data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97). Besides providing information on violent, property, and drug crimes, NLSY97 allows us to observe different behaviors, sharing impatience as a common latent factor. We use factor analysis to extract this common factor as a measure of impatience. Estimates from a Logit model suggest a positive association between impatience and crime. This relationship differs across violent, property, and drug crimes, but we do not find significant heterogeneities when comparing individuals according to gender, parental education, and ethnic groups. The main result is robust to different factor analysis specifications and controls for risk preferences. Our findings support policies aimed at influencing individual time preferences as an indirect way to combat crime
The Impact of the ‘Coding Girls’ Program on High School Students’ Skills, Awareness and Aspirations
No full textThis article evaluates the impact of the 'Coding Girls' educational enrichment program designed to address the underrepresentation of women and girls in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Implemented in Italy, the program seeks to stimulate the interest of young female students in programming and science, encouraging them to consider STEM-related fields of study. Through a randomized controlled trial involving twenty-eight classes across ten secondary schools in Turin, Italy, we assess the program's effectiveness. Our results show that Coding Girls significantly enhances the programming skills of both male and female students. Moreover, it raises awareness among students about gender disparities in STEM-related professions. While the program positively influences boys' aspirations to pursue higher education in STEM disciplines, it does not have a similar effect on girls. (JEL codes: J16 I23
Impatience and crime. Evidence from the NLSY97
No full textWe empirically test the relationship between crime and impatience at the individual level, exploiting data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97). Besides providing information on violent, property, and drug crimes, NLSY97 allows us to observe different behaviors, sharing impatience as a common latent factor. We use factor analysis to extract this common factor as a measure of impatience. Estimates from a Logit model suggest a positive association between impatience and crime. This relationship differs across violent, property, and drug crimes, but we do not find significant heterogeneities when comparing individuals according to gender, parental education, and ethnic groups. The main result is robust to different factor analysis specifications and controls for risk preferences. Our findings support policies aimed at influencing individual time preferences as an indirect way to combat crime.</p
Entrepreneurs’ impatience and digital technologies
Full text linkThis paper analyzes the impact of entrepreneurs' preferences (impatience and risk attitudes) on firms' propensity to invest in both general and digital technologies. Using data from the Rilevazione su Imprese e Lavoro (RIL) survey, conducted on a representative sample of Italian firms, we find that impatience significantly reduces the likelihood of adopting digital investments, even when controlling for risk preferences. To address potential endogeneity and simultaneity concerns, we implement an instrumental variable (IV) strategy, exploiting exogenous variation from exposure to earthquakes. The findings remain robust and highlight the crucial role of impatience in shaping investment decisions, particularly in digital technologies.Is impatience holding back digital innovation in Italian firms? This study investigates how entrepreneurs' impatience and risk attitudes affect their investment in digital technologies. Using data from a survey of Italian firms and an innovative approach that leverages earthquakes as a natural experiment, we discovered that impatience significantly reduces the likelihood of investing in digital technologies, even when accounting for risk preferences. This suggests that entrepreneurs' tendency towards impatience can be a major barrier to adopting essential digital innovations. The findings underscore the importance of developing policies that promote long-term investment strategies and help entrepreneurs build patience. Such policies could facilitate greater adoption of digital technologies and boost business competitiveness
Saving with a social impact: Evidence from trento province
Full text linkIn this paper, we investigate the determinants of investing, focusing on its potential social impact. In particular, we consider whether there is room for expanding impact investing through social savings. The increasing trend in the demand for social finance makes the topic of unique interest, particularly when data on preferences for social saving can be collected at the individual level. We investigate the determinants and drivers of saving with a social goal running a survey conducted in Trentino-Alto Adige in which respondents are asked to allocate their portfolio to possible social investments. In line with the evidence collected in the Netherlands by Riedl and Smeets (2014), our results show a strong preference for a lower return, with the condition that the return is invested in a community programme, and little interest in the monetary return of the investment. Respondents are either inclined to put their entire portfolio into saving for the community or not to invest at all. This result suggests that there is a consistent demand, only partially accommodated by the supply, for financial products investing in the community, rather than for a monetary return
Il risparmio a impatto sociale: nuove evidenze sulla domanda dopo una survey in Trentino
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