Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The establishment and operation of information and consultation of employees’ arrangements in a capability-based framework

Drawing on an evaluative framework inspired by the capability approach, the article assesses the nature and implications of company responses to the British legislation transposing Directive 2002/14/EC on information and consultation rights of employees. Evidence from five case studies in the business services and the financial sectors suggests that the introduction of the Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004 drove the spread of voluntary arrangements. However, the legislation has not promoted so far an effective framework for the development of deliberative procedures between management and labour with the aim of advancing a ‘capability for voice’. This is attributed to its institutional design and the limited degree to which extra-legal ‘conversion factors’ are available in the British industrial relations system.
Local Business Cycles and Local Liquidity

This study examines whether state-level economic conditions affect the liquidity of local firms. We find that liquidity levels of local stocks are higher (lower) when the local economy has performed well (poorly). This relation is stronger when local financing constraints are more binding, the local information environment is more opaque, and local institutional ownership levels and trading intensity are higher. Overall the evidence supports the notion that the geographical segmentation of U.S. capital markets generates predictable patterns in local liquidity.
Was the wage burden too heavy? Profitability and wage shares of settler agriculture in colonial Malawi, c 1900-1960

The historical role of European farming in southern and central Africa is a delicate matter that has received a great deal of attention among scholars over the years. Going through this vast literature a striking consensus emerges: success or failure of European farming in southern Africa was to a large extent depending on their access and control over labour. These propositions have so far never been systematically and empirically tested. This paper is an attempt to do that by analyzing the ‘wage-burden’ European settler farmers faced. The wage-burden is identified by measuring wage shares (total amount paid in the form of wages as a share of total profits) on European farms in colonial Africa. Based on archival documents we construct time-series for value of output, transportation costs, investments and wage shares for European tobacco and tea farms in colonial Malawi. Our estimates show that the wage burden decreased significantly after 1930s, i.e. the European farmers were able to capture a larger part of the rent over time. We argue that the developments cannot be explained by domestic colonial policies, but changes in regional migration patterns, which had a significant impact on the supply of farm labour.
An Exploratory Analysis of Soft Skill Competencies Needed for the Hospitality Industry

The identification of competencies needed by hospitality managers has been investigated since the 1980s. In all of the competency research related to management, essential competencies include skills that can be classified as soft skills. The purpose of this project was to have human resource professionals rate the importance of soft skill competencies found in literature and to determine the relative importance of the seven categories of soft skill competencies. The study combined new data with existing data to complete an exploratory factor analysis. This exploratory study found a five-component tool that had similarities to other models found in the literature review but also had unique differences to the prior research.
The evolution of educational reform in Thailand: The Thai educational paradox

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze critically the evolution of educational reform in Thailand. Three major phases are identified. The special focus of the paper is an assessment of the third reform which began with the passage of the Office of the National Education Commission (ONEC) (2002). Design/methodology/approach – The methodology for the study is mixed methods including document analysis, direct participant observation, and compilation of major statistical performance indicators from diverse sources.Findings – The success of the most recent reform has been clearly mixed. Major structural and legal changes have occurred but overall system performance remains disappointingly low, despite large Thai educational expenditures as a percent of national budget and the presence of much impressive educational leadership talent. The paper identifies what is called the “Thai educational paradox”. The essence of the paradox is Thailand’s failure to achieve its educational potential. The paper iden.
SHIFTING PRODUCTION BOTTLENECKS: CAUSES, CURES, AND CONUNDRUMS

We examine the phenomenon of shifting production bottlenecks from an analytic perspective. We quantify the propensity of a work center to be a bottleneck, defined as maximal queue length, using a simple Jackson production network model. Comparison of the analytic model against an empirical simulation‐based model shows that the two are in good agreement. A scalar measure of bottleneck shiftiness is proposed and used to investigate several policies for mitigating shiftiness. Simulation experiments show that several commonly observed managerial policies for coping with shifting bottlenecks actually increase shiftiness, but that shiftiness declines when the capacity of nonbottleneck resources is increased.
Detection of the Recovery Phase of in vivo gastric slow wave recordings

Gastric motility is coordinated by bio-electrical events known as slow waves. Abnormalities in slow waves are linked to major functional and motility disorders. In recent years, the use of high-resolution (HR) recordings have provided a unique view of spatiotemporal activation profiles of normal and dysrhythmic slow wave activity. To date, in vivo studies of gastric slow wave activity have primarily focused on the activation phase of the slow wave event. In this study, the recovery phase of slow waves was investigated through the use of HR recording techniques. The recovery phase of the slow wave event was detected through the use of the signal derivative, computed via a wavelet transform. The activation to recovery interval (ARi) metric was computed as a difference between the recovery time and activation time. The detection method was validated with synthetic slow wave signals of varying morphologies with the addition of synthetic ventilator and high frequency noise. The methods was then applied to HR experimental porcine gastric slow wave recordings. Ventilator noise more than 10% of the slow wave amplitude affected the estimation of the ARi metric. Signal to noise ratio below 3 dB affected the ARi metric, but with minor deviation in accuracy. Experimental ARi values ranged from 3.7-4.7 s from three data sets, with significant differences across them.
Do employees reciprocate to intra-firm trainings? An analysis of absenteeism and turnover rates

This article contributes to the debate on the link between reciprocal motives of employees and HRM practices by studying the behavioral effects of intra-firm trainings on absence behavior and turnover probability. We apply the gift-exchange framework and offer a behavioral perspective that helps to explain why firms invest in trainings that provide mainly general skills. We argue that employees may reciprocate the gift of firm-sponsored training with higher levels of costly effort or commitment. We employ a stringent methodological approach based on panel data of a large multinational firm and find that, in contrast to human capital predictions, general trainings lead to a decrease in turnover rates. Most notably, we find the strongest effect for employees with the lowest levels of firm tenure. This is a quite novel result as this group should face the lowest separation costs, for instance, due to the accumulation of firm-specific human capital. Hence, intra-firm trainings are an important retention device, especially for newly or recently hired employees. Furthermore, a short-term decrease in absenteeism indicates a temporary, reciprocal reaction by employees.
Investigation of acute toxicity and the effect of chrome plating industry effluent on behavior of the guppy ( Poecilia reticulata )

In this study 96-h LC50 value of chromium, is a metal widely used in industry, was determined for the guppy (Poecilia reticulata, Peters, 1859). 10 fish were placed in each replicate of each dose. The experiments were performed as three replicates, and behavioural changes in the guppy were determined for each chrome plating effluent concentration. The data obtained were statistically evaluated by the use of EPA computer program based on Finney’s Probit Analysis Method and a 96-h LC50 value for P. reticulata was found to be 1.67 ml/l in a static bioassay test system. Lower and upper confidence limits for the LC50 were 1.44 and 1.94 ml/l, respectively. The behavioural changes observed in fish were swimming in imbalanced manner, capsizing, attaching to the surface, difficulty in breathing and gathering around the ventilation filter.
A genetic algorithm to solve process layout problem

A model based on a quadratic assignment problem (QAP) is proposed to design a process layout. The objective function of proposed model has three main parts, as: a) maximising the profit of each product; b) minimising stored keeping materials; c) minimising total layout cost. The demand requirement and production capacity are also considered as set of constraints. Eventually, as the global optimum solution is hard to find for the proposed model, a genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed to solve the model. The performance of proposed GA was compared with other well-known algorithms, i.e., simulated annealing (SA) algorithm and tabu search (TS) on several benchmark instances of QAP as well as a series of simulated random large scale instances. The comparison reveals the promising results of GA over SA, and TS.
Tobin's q, Corporate Diversification, and Firm Performance

In this paper, we show that Tobin's q and firm diversification are negatively related throughout the 1980s. This negative relation holds for different diversification measures and when we control for other known determinants of q. Further, diversified firms have lower q's than comparable portfolios of pure-play firms. Firms that choose to diversify are poor performers relative to firms that do not, but there is only weak evidence that they have lower q's than the average firm in their industry. We find no evidence supportive of the view that diversification provides firms with a valuable intangible asset.
Should Children With Cleft Palate Receive Early Long-Term Tympanostomy Tubes

Objectives: To determine whether children with cleft palate might benefit from early long-term tympanostomy tubes with the hypothesis that receiving multiple tubes is associated with shorter duration of first tubes. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Tertiary care children’s hospital. Participants: Records from 401 consecutive children with cleft palate ± cleft lip, born April 2005 to April 2010, were reviewed. After exclusion of children with cleft repair at an outside hospital, no follow-up after 5 years of age, intact secondary palate, no tubes, or tube replacement at palatoplasty, 105 children remained. Main Outcome Measure: Number of tubes. Results: Armstrong grommet tubes were placed at a median age of 6.7 months (range 2.3-19.6 months). Tubes were replaced in 55.3% of patients, with 34.0% receiving ≥3 sets. Duration of first tubes was significantly longer for children with 1 set of tubes compared with those with multiple sets (median 26 vs 19 months, P = .004). Otorrhea, but not perforation, was associated with longer duration of first tubes (median 27 vs 20.5 months, P = .028). Cleft type did not impact the proportion of patients with multiple tubes. Median age at last tube placement for children with multiple tubes was 5.0 years (range 1.9-8.7 years). Conclusion: Short duration of first tubes is associated with receiving multiple tubes. Because most patients require repeat tubes and many require tubes until school age, there is a significant need for controlled, prospective trials of early long-term tube placement in this population.
A colposcopic case-control study of cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions in women with anogenital warts.

OBJECTIVE To assess whether anogenital warts, present or past, are an indication for women to be referred for colposcopy. DESIGN A case control study comparing patients with and without a history of anogenital warts. SETTING A department of genitourinary medicine in West London. PATIENTS 468 patients examined by colposcopy between January 1985 and December 1987 of whom 147 (31%) had abnormal cytology, 163 (35%) had anogenital warts and 158 (34%) had both. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Colposcopic findings and histology of cervical biopsies compared with behavioural and disease variables. RESULTS Human papillomavirus infection (HPVI) of the cervix showed no relationship with a life time history of vulval warts, or with the presence of anogenital warts on clinical examination, or with any parameter of sexual behaviour included in the study. Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) was strongly associated with current IUCD usage (RR = 7.75) and coitarche under 16 years of age (RR = 3.72), but a history of vulval warts yielded a negative association (RR = 0.34), suggesting a protective effect. This relationship held true when cytological dyskaryosis was made the dependent variable (RR = 0.24). CONCLUSIONS Anogenital warts are not a risk for subclinical cervical HPVI or for CIN and therefore not an indication for colposcopy.
The benefits of management accounting practices in manufacturing and service firms: a Finnish study

The paper uses a survey method to explore the extent to which manufacturing and service firms have benefited from a range of traditional and contemporary Management Accounting Practices (MAPs) in Finland. The findings indicate that overall benefits of contemporary MAPs, such as activity-based management and target costing, are higher than the traditional MAPs for both manufacturing and service firms. However, the benefits of traditional MAPs, such as absorption and variable costing, are higher in service firms than in manufacturing firms. The evidence suggests that majority of the firms have benefited from a range of contemporary MAPs that emphasise strategic focused techniques with less emphasis on formal strategic planning. The results of this study also suggest exploring the different combinations of MAPs and not as individual practices.
Renin in different tissues, amniotic fluid and plasma of pregnant and non-pregnant rabbits.

In rabbits pregnancy causes a marked increase in the renin concentration of plasma and several organs: uterus, vagina, mesometrium, liver, ureter, heart, arteries and veins, muscle and fat tissue, while the renin content of the kidney, oviduct, ovary and adrenal gland is the same in pregnant and non-pregnant rabbits. There is evidence for a local renin formation in kidney, uterus, oviduct and in the chorion and amnion. The occurrence of renin in the other tissues may either be a result of local formation or due to uptake of circulating renin. The rabbit brain is not found to contain measurable amounts of renin.
Sensitivity of Paramecium thermotaxis to temperature change.

SYNOPSIS. The relationship to swimming velocity of the critical temperature gradient necessary for inducing thermotaxis in Paramecium caudatum was analyzed at various temperatures and viscosities. Since the critical temperature gradient was linearly proportional to the inverse of the swimming velocity, it is concluded that P. caudatum detects temperature changes by locomotion through space and thus exhibits thermotaxis, provided the rate of change is > 0.055 C/sec. The swimming velocity jump was observed when the ciliates were subjected to a stepwise temperature change toward an optimum with a rate > 0.05 C/sec; the jump was not observed, however, when they were subjected to a change toward an unpreferred temperature with the same rate. Hence, thermotaxis can be explained partly by the swimming velocity jump brought about when the cells are swimming toward an optimum temperature in a spatial gradient. It is suggested that thermotaxis might be a direct manifestation of the dynamic properties of membrane as a receptor.
Labor Market Equilibrium with Rehiring

Consistent with the empirical evidence, this article analyzes a labor market in which separations are not permanent and reactivated firms prefer to rehire former employees instead of seek new ones. Workers engage in job search due to the uncertain prospects of rehiring. If firms can commit to wages contingent on rehiring, they backload wages to provide incentives for workers to reduce their unobservable search effort. Under risk aversion and incomplete markets, if productivity at reactivation is sufficiently high, the tension between wage backloading and consumption smoothing leads to excessive search in equilibrium.
Chromospheric Anemone Jets as Evidence of Ubiquitous Reconnection

The heating of the solar chromosphere and corona is a long-standing puzzle in solar physics. Hinode observations show the ubiquitous presence of chromospheric anemone jets outside sunspots in active regions. They are typically 3 to 7 arc seconds = 2000 to 5000 kilometers long and 0.2 to 0.4 arc second = 150 to 300 kilometers wide, and their velocity is 10 to 20 kilometers per second. These small jets have an inverted Y-shape, similar to the shape of x-ray anemone jets in the corona. These features imply that magnetic reconnection similar to that in the corona is occurring at a much smaller spatial scale throughout the chromosphere and suggest that the heating of the solar chromosphere and corona may be related to small-scale ubiquitous reconnection.
Updated measuring motor, sensory and sphincter dysfunctions in patients with cervical myelopathy using the modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (mJOA) score: a validation study

Abstract: Background: Cervical myelopathy population (CMP) is a common cause of significant clinical morbidity. This study aimed to translate and validate the modified Japanese Orthopedic Association score (mJOA) English version in Iran. Methods: This was a prospective clinical validation study. Psychometric properties of the questionnaire were assessed using internal consistency; inter-observer reliability, discriminant validity, and responsive ness of the questionnaire to change. Results: A total of 63 patients were studied. The mean mJOA score was 9.82 (SD = 1.0). Internal consistency of the mJOA as measured by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was satisfactory (alpha = 0.77). Inter-observer agreement as measured by Kappa statistics also was found to be acceptable (0.75). Known-groups comparison was performed to test discriminant validity and the findings indicated that the mJOA was able to differentiate between males and females and different age groups as expected (P less than 0.0001). Finally the questionnaire was found to be responsive to change as patients’ pre- and post-operative scores on the mJOA (P less than 0.0001). Conclusions: The Iranian version of mJOA performed well and the findings suggest that it is a reliable and valid measure of motor, sensory and sphincter dysfunctions among CMP patients. Keywords: Cervical myelopathy patients, Grading scale, Modified japanese orthopedic Association score
Predialysis Survey on Anemia Management: patient referral.

BACKGROUND The Predialysis Survey on Anemia Management was designed to assess the care given to predialysis patients within 3 months of the start of hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis (PD) therapy. In this presentation, we focus on demographic data and patient referral practices of patients who enter kidney centers. METHODS We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients who had started hemodialysis or PD therapy between August 1999 and April 2000. All patients (age, 16 to 99 years) who entered 1 of the 779 centers in 21 European countries, Israel, or South Africa were included, except those for whom dialysis therapy was only started during an acute episode. Demographic characteristics, referral to kidney centers, comorbidities, drug treatments, major clinical events, and use of epoetin were documented. RESULTS Mean creatinine clearance rate at the first visit to the kidney center was 18.2 mL/min (0.303 mL/s). Of all patients, greater than 35% had a creatinine clearance less than 10.0 mL/min (<0.167 mL/s) at their first visit. Overall, 87% of patients were initiated on hemodialysis therapy, and 13% were started on PD therapy. PD was used more often the longer a patient was under the care of a nephrologist. Of 4,333 new dialysis patients, 68% had a hemoglobin concentration of 11.0 g/dL or less (< or =110 g/L) at the first visit. CONCLUSION The majority of patients in the survey had been under the care of a nephrologist for more than 12 months before the start of dialysis therapy. Nevertheless, most of these patients were anemic, and only a minority were on epoetin treatment.
Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 dependence of stress-induced transcription factors and associated gene expression in glia

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1, EC 2.4.2.30), a nuclear enzyme activated by DNA strand breaks, physiologically participates in DNA repair. Excessive activation of PARP-1 by cellular insults depletes its substrate β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and ATP, leading to cell death. PARP-1-deficient (PARP-1−/−) mice are protected from several forms of inflammation. In the present study, we demonstrate in PARP-1−/− glial cells a loss of several stress-activated transcription factors as well as decreased expression of genes for cytokines and cellular adhesion molecules. We also show that augmented expression of some of these genes is independent of PARP-1 catalytic activity. These findings indicate that PARP-1 plays a pivotal role in the initial inflammatory response by modulating transcription of inflammation-linked genes.