Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficiency, Market Power and Profitability in American Manufacturing: Reply

A significant, positive association between concentration and profitability is perhaps the most widely reported statistical relationship to be found in the literature of industrial organization [25]. According to conventional oligopoly theory, this reflects the ability of the leading firms in concentrated markets to collude tacitly or explicitly. Some economists, most notably Harold Demsetz [8;9] have challenged the conventional view. Demsetz argues that it is the superior efficiency of large firms which results in both high concentration and high profits. He supports this argument with evidence, replicated by Round [20] and Carter [4], that concentration increases the profits of large firms but not small firms. If the firms in an industry are equally efficient, effective collusion should raise the profits of small and large firms alike. The fact that it doesn't strongly suggests that efficiency, concentration, and profits are interrelated in American manufacturing. There are two bits of evidence which indicate the large-firm efficiency and collusive behavior coexist in much of American manufacturing. The first is the profitability studies of Imel and Helmberger [11], Gale [10], and Shepherd [21]. These studies suggest that, considered together, market share and concentration are both significantly positively related to profitability. If, as argued by McGee [15] and Weiss [25], market share is capturing the effect of lower costs (and/or superior products), concentration must be capturing the effect of collusive behavior. The second is Carter's [4] refinement of Demsetz's methodology. Carter regressed price-cost margins on concentration, capital intensity, and advertising intensity for large and small firms separately. He reports a positive concentration coefficient for large firms which is greater than that for small firms and which is significantly associated with large-firm profitability. The difference in the estimated coefficients may be taken as evidence of large-firm efficiency and the significance of the large-firm coefficient as evidence of collusive behavior. Whether the concentration-profits relationship derives largely from efficiency, as Demsetz believes, or largely from collusive behavior, as the conventional view would have it, is a more difficult empirical question. The answer has important implications for merger policies, remedies pertaining to tacitly collusive oligopolies, and legislative proposals
Antiretroviral therapy with the integrase inhibitor raltegravir alters decay kinetics of HIV, significantly reducing the second phase

Objective:Raltegravir (MK-0518) belongs to the new class of HIV integrase inhibitors. To date, there have been no reports investigating the potential for differential effects on viral dynamics with integrase inhibitors relative to current antiretroviral drugs. Methods:Patients in this phase II study (P004) were antiretroviral treatment naive. Part 1 of this study compared monotherapy with raltegravir (100 mg, 200 mg, 400 mg, or 600 mg twice daily) with placebo over 10 days. In part 2, patients were enrolled for 48 weeks of combination therapy, with randomization to one of the four dosages of raltegravir or to efavirenz, in addition to tenofovir and lamivudine. Mathematical models were used to investigate processes underlying viral dynamics. Results:From day 15 through to day 57, individuals in the raltegravir arm were significantly more likely to have HIV RNA < 50 copies/ml (P ≤ 0.047). Plasma viral loads were 70% lower at initiation of second-phase decay for individuals taking raltegravir than for those taking efavirenz (P < 0.0001). This challenges the current hypothesis that second-phase virus originates from infected long-lived cells, as an integrase inhibitor should not impact on viral production from this cell population. Mathematical modeling supported two hypotheses as consistent with these observations: (i) that second-phase virus arises from cells newly infected by long-lived infected cells and (2) that it arises from activation of latently infected cells with full-length unintegrated HIV DNA. Conclusions:These observations challenge the current understanding of HIV-1 turnover and compartmentalization. They also indicate the promise of this new integrase inhibitor raltegravir.
Development of a total atherosclerotic occlusion with cell‐mediated calcium deposits in a rabbit femoral artery using tissue‐engineering scaffolds

This study sought to establish a chronic total occlusion (CTO) model with cell‐mediated calcium deposits in rabbit femoral arteries. CTO is the most severe case in atherosclerosis and contains calcium deposits. Previous animal models of CTO do not mimic the gradual occlusion of arteries or have calcium in physiological form. In the present study we tested the strategy of placing tissue‐engineering scaffolds preloaded with cells in arteries to develop a novel CTO model. Primary human osteoblasts (HOBs) were first cultured in vitro on polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds with 5 ng TGFβ1 loading for 28 days for precalcification. The HOB–PCL construct was then implanted into a rabbit femoral artery for an additional 3, 10 or 28 days. At the time of sacrifice, angiograms and gross histology of arteries were captured to examine the occlusion of arteries. Fluorescent staining of calcium and EDS detection of calcium were used to evaluate the presence and distribution of calcium inside arteries. Rabbit femoral arteries were totally occluded over 28 days. Calcium was presented at CTO sites at 3, 10 and 28 days, with the day 10 specimens showing the maximum calcium. Chronic inflammatory response and recanalization were observed in day 28 CTO sites. A novel CTO model with cell‐mediated calcium has been successfully established in a rabbit femoral artery. This model can be used to develop new devices and therapies to treat severe atherosclerotic occlusion. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Meta‐analysis of racial disparities in survival in association with socioeconomic status among men and women with colon cancer

Few studies have addressed racial disparities in survival for colon cancer by adequately incorporating both treatment and socioeconomic factors, and the findings from those studies have been inconsistent. The objectives of the current study were to systematically review the existing literature and provide a more stable estimate of the measures of association between socioeconomic status and racial disparities in survival for colon cancer by undertaking a meta‐analysis.
Work-time profile, blood lactate concentration and rating of perceived exertion in the 1998 Greco-Roman wrestling World Championship

The aim of this study was to examine work-time profiles, blood lactate concentrations and perceived exertion among Greco-Roman wrestlers in the 1998 World Championship. Forty-two senior wrestlers from nine nations were studied in 94 matches. Each match was recorded with a video camera (Panasonic AG 455, film rate: 25 Hz) and analysed for duration of work (wrestling) and rest (interrupt) periods. Blood lactate concentration was determined with an electrochemical device (Analox P-LM5) and a rating of perceived exertion scale (Borg) was used to estimate general exertion and exertion in the extremity and trunk muscles. The mean duration of the matches was 427 s (range 324-535 s), with mean durations of work and rest of 317 and 110 s, respectively. The mean periods of work and rest were 37.2 and 13.8 s, respectively. Mean blood lactate concentration was 14.8 mmol · l -1 (range 6.9-20.6). The difference in mean blood lactate concentration between the first- and final-round matches was not significant ( P > 0.05). Blood lactate concentration was significantly higher ( P ≪ 0.04) in matches of long duration than in those of short duration. The mean general rating of perceived exertion for all matches was 13.8 according to the scale used. Most of the wrestlers (53.3%) perceived exertion to be highest in the flexors of the forearm, followed by the deltoids (17.4%) and the biceps brachii muscles (12.0%). In addition to a relatively high rating of perceived exertion in the arm muscles, this indicates a high specific load on the flexor muscles of the forearm.
Low Resolution Structural Study of Two Human HSP40 Chaperones in Solution

Proteins that belong to the heat shock protein (Hsp) 40 family assist Hsp70 in many cellular functions and are important for maintaining cell viability. A knowledge of the structural and functional characteristics of the Hsp40 family is therefore essential for understanding the role of the Hsp70 chaperone system in cells. In this work, we used small angle x-ray scattering and analytical ultracentrifugation to study two representatives of human Hsp40, namely, DjA1 (Hdj2/dj2/HSDJ/Rdj1) from subfamily A and DjB4 (Hlj1/DnaJW) from subfamily B, and to determine their quaternary structure. We also constructed low resolution models for the structure of DjA1-(1–332), a C-terminal-deleted mutant of DjA1 in which dimer formation is prevented. Our results, together with the current structural information of the Hsp40 C-terminal and J-domains, were used to generate models of the internal structural organization of DjA1 and DjB4. The characteristics of these models indicated that DjA1 and DjB4 were both dimers, but with substantial differences in their quaternary structures: whereas DjA1 consisted of a compact dimer in which the N and C termini of the two monomers faced each other, DjB4 formed a dimer in which only the C termini of the two monomers were in contact. The two proteins also differed in their ability to bind unfolded luciferase. Overall, our results indicate that these representatives of subfamilies A and B of human Hsp40 have different quaternary structures and chaperone functions.
ASSESSMENT OF POST-DEPLOYMENT REINTEGRATION ATTITUDES AMONG TURKISH POLICE PEACEKEEPERS AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS WITH ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT

Although policing is a local phenomenon, the relatively new nature of conflicts and interventions in the world has given additional responsibilities and authority to police forces since the 1960s. In response to international conflicts, police forces have been deployed in foreign countries as peacekeepers (Berkow, 1998). Currently there are total 37 multinational police missions (16 UN, 16 OSCE, and 5 EU) with over 10,000 police peacekeepers from over 100 countries. After their tour of duty in multinational police missions, police peacekeepers expect to return home immediately and start normal police work within a couple of days. However, an abrupt return to normal police duty may cause adjustment problems and negative attitudes to work which, ultimately, decrease the level of commitment to one’s employers. Further, returning police officers may experience estrangement within the force. They may receive less support from fellow officers and supervisors. In addition to these difficulties, encountering increased bureaucracy and change in work load and style from that experienced in peacekeeping forces might create some form of psycho-social difficulties.
[Computer-aided detection of lung nodules on thin collimation MDCT: impact on radiologists' performance].

OBJECTIVES Evaluate the improvement in detecting lung nodules when using multidetector CT (MDCT) computer-assisted diagnosis (CAD). MATERIAL AND METHODS Three radiologists (R1, R2, R3) with different levels of experience independently interpreted 30 MDCT examinations of the thorax taken for screening purposes, first without and then with CAD. The diagnosis was established by two of the three radiologists interpreting the images together, assisted by the CAD. RESULTS The consensus reading identified 133 nodules, 61 (46%) of which were 4 mm or larger. The sensitivity values in the detection of nodules before and after using the CAD were 54% and 80% (R1), 38% and 71% (R2), and 70% and 88% (R3), respectively. When considering only the nodules that were 4 mm or larger, the sensitivity values varied before and after using the CAD, from 62% to 95% (R1), from 41% to 84% (R2), and from 74% to 92% (R3). By combining two by two the three radiologists' results obtained without the CAD, the sensitivity values were 65%, 83%, and 77%, respectively, for all the nodules, and 70%, 85%, and 77% for the nodules that were 4 mm or larger. The CAD induced a total of 105 false-positive results, with a mean of 3.5 per examination. CONCLUSION The lung nodules missed by the radiologist can be detected if the CAD is used as a second reader. The CAD can be at least as beneficial as the use of a second independent reader.
Intestinal absorption of water-soluble vitamins: an update

Purpose of review The molecular biology revolution has led to a significant improvement in our understanding of biological and physiological processes. Such expansion of knowledge has also covered the field of intestinal absorption of water-soluble vitamins and is the subject of this review. Recent findings Impressive progress has been made in the understanding of the mechanisms and regulation of transport of water-soluble vitamins at the cellular and molecular levels. In addition, the 5′ regulatory regions of the genes that encode a number of the involved transporters have been cloned and characterized in vitro and in vivo in transgenic mice, thus providing important information about transcriptional regulation of these events. Furthermore, confocal imaging of live intestinal epithelial cells has led to significant progress in understanding the mechanisms involved in intracellular trafficking and membrane targeting of the carrier proteins and how clinical mutations lead to interference with transport. Finally, the identification in the large intestine of efficient and specialized carrier-mediated systems that are capable of absorbing a number of the bacterially synthesized vitamins (thiamin, folate, biotin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid) has raised the possibility that this source of vitamins may play a role in regulating (fine tuning) the normal body homeostasis of these vitamins, and especially the vitamin level in the local colonocytes. Summary Water-soluble vitamin absorption involves regulated and specific mechanisms. Interference with the function of these mechanisms may lead to deficiency. The large intestine is capable of absorbing water-soluble vitamins that are synthesized by the normal microflora.
Metabolite stress and tolerance in the production of biofuels and chemicals: Gene‐expression‐based systems analysis of butanol, butyrate, and acetate stresses in the anaerobe Clostridium acetobutylicum

Metabolite accumulation has pleiotropic, toxic, or beneficial effects on cell physiology, but such effects are not well understood at the molecular level. Cells respond and adapt to metabolite stress by mechanisms largely unexplored, especially in the context of multiple and simultaneous stresses. Solventogenic and related clostridia have an inherent advantage for production of biofuels and chemicals directly from cellulosic material and other complex carbohydrates, but issues of product/metabolite tolerance and related culture productivities remain. Using DNA microarray‐based gene expression analysis, the transcriptional‐stress responses of Clostridium acetobutylicum to fermentation acids acetate and butyrate and the solvent product butanol were analyzed and compared in the context of cell physiology. Ontological analysis demonstrated that stress by all three metabolites resulted in upregulation of genes related to post‐translational modifications and chaperone activity, and downregulation of the translation‐machinery genes. Motility genes were downregulated by acetate‐stress only. The general metabolite stress included upregulation of numerous stress genes (dnaK, groES, groEL, hsp90, hsp18, clpC, and htrA), the solventogenic operon aad‐ctfA‐ctfB, and other solventogenic genes. Acetate stress downregulated expression of the butyryl‐CoA‐ and butyrate‐formation genes, while butyrate stress downregulated expression of acetate‐formation genes. Pyrimidine‐biosynthesis genes were downregulated by most stresses, but purine‐biosynthesis genes were upregulated by acetate and butyrate, possibly for thiamine and histidine biosynthesis. Methionine‐biosynthesis genes were upregulated by acetate stress, indicating a possibly conserved stress response mechanism also observed in Escherichia coli. Nitrogen‐fixation gene expression was upregulated by acetate stress. Butyrate stress upregulated many iron‐metabolism genes, riboflavin‐biosynthesis genes, and several genes related to cellular repair from oxidative stress, such as perR and superoxide dismutases. Butanol stress upregulated the glycerol metabolism genes glpA and glpF. Surprisingly, metabolite stress had no apparent effect on the expression of the sporulation‐cascade genes. It is argued that the list of upregulated genes in response to the three metabolite stresses includes several genes whose overexpression would likely impart tolerance, thus making the information generated in this study, a valuable source for the development of tolerant recombinant strains. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;105: 1131–1147. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Education for Sustainability in Universities: Challenges and Opportunities for Change

Abstract Education for sustainability (EfS) is widely supported and researched; however, the broad and deep implementation of EfS in universities that is needed lags behind the goals of change agents. This article reviews literature on change procedures; in particular, curriculum change in universities. Our aim was to develop insights into strategies change agents can use to bolster their efforts to implement EfS. We found that change in universities is commonly acknowledged as a complex process, and that taking account of institutional culture is an integral step in curriculum change efforts. We also explored the struggles and successes of attempts to diversify the curriculum in order to find parallels that EfS change agents can learn from.
Expanded human cord blood‐derived endothelial progenitor cells salvage infarcted myocardium in rats with acute myocardial infarction

1. Cell transplantation has promise as a therapeutic option for restoring impaired heart function after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, the optimal cell type to use remains controversial. We investigated the therapeutic efficacy and feasibility of intramyocardial transplantation of human umbilical cord blood‐derived endothelial progenitor cells (hUCB‐EPC) in rats with AMI.
Gamma‐glutamyl transferase activity as a predictive marker for severity of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and concomitant hypertension

Chronic intermittent hypia, inflammation and oxidative stress are involved in resultant obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), which may affect numerous regulatory mechanisms that play a role in the regulation of blood pressure. Gamma‐glutamyl transferase (GGT) is a novel marker in the prediction of cardiovascular risk.
Subspecies‐informative SNP assays for evaluating introgression between native golden trout and introduced rainbow trout

We characterize 20 single nucleotide polymorphism assays for evaluating hybridization between native golden trout subspecies (Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita and O. m. whitei) and introduced rainbow trout strains. These assays utilize the 5′‐nuclease reaction, facilitating high‐throughput genotyping of many individuals and making them useful in quantifying and monitoring introgression and potentially applicable to studies of other O. mykiss groups. Minor allele frequency differentials (δq) among native and introduced rainbow groups ranged from 0 to 1, with an average differential of 0.75 for both subspecies aguabonita and whitei relative to the hatchery rainbow trout strain.
Mechanics of the ventilatory system in sedated infants: Forced oscillations versus single‐breath method

The real—Re(Z)—and imaginary—Im(Z)—parts of the ventilatory system impedance were measured between 6 and 30 Hz in 18 normal infants and in 19 with airway obstruction. The intercept (RO) and slope (S) of the Re(Z)‐frequency function, as well as inertance (I) and compliance (C) estimated from Im(Z), were compared with ventilatory system resistance (Rrs) and compliance (Crs) (single‐breath method). RO correlated significantly with Rrs (r = 0.86), although the slope of the regression equation was significantly lower than 1 (P < 0.01). Negative frequency dependence of Re(Z) was observed in all subjects and a significant correlation was found between S and Rrs (r = ‐ 0.80). “Inertance” was negative in 20 subjects and correlated negatively with Rrs (r = ‐0.61). C correlated with Crs (r = 0.64) and with 1/Rrs (r = 0.85). The ratio of C to Crs (mean ± SD = 0.168 ± 0.082) also correlated with 1/Rrs (r = 0.51). The main characteristics of the total impedance/frequency function could be simulated with a model featuring the upper airway wall (Zuaw) in parallel with the ventilatory system (Zrs). It is suggested that the differential change in Zuaw and Zrs with growth accounts for the marked frequency dependence of Re(Z) as well as the inaccurate estimation of both I and C in this population.
Play, Pleasure, and Other Positive Life Events: “Non—Specific” Factors in Recovery from Mental Illness?

Abstract As part of the emerging recovery paradigm, there is an increasing need for psychiatric treatment and rehabilitation to be strengths—based and to be driven by the desires and preferences of the person with mental illness. Yet if mental illness is a brain disease, it is not at all clear how these characteristics contribute to improvement in the person's condition or influence the course and outcome of the disorder. To avoid these aspects being relegated to the role of nonspecific factors, the field must develop an understanding of the role of strengths and interests in recovery. To contribute to this effort, we review the existing empirical research on the protective and stress—buffering effects of positive life events and qualitative data on the importance of play and pleasure in the lives of people with mental illness. We conclude by considering briefly the implications of this research for clinical practice.
The Evolving Paradigm for Blood Cell‐Endothelial Cell Interactions in the Cerebral Microcirculation

Inflammation and microvascular dysfunction have been implicated in a variety of pathologic conditions affecting the brain. Features of the inflammatory response that are common to many of these pathological conditions and that are manifested in the neurovasculature include oxidative stress, diminished endothelial barrier function (increased vascular permeability), increased expression of endothelial cell adhesion molecules, and the recruitment of rolling and adherent leukocytes and platelets. The evidence implicating leukocyte–endothelial cell adhesion in cerebral microvessels as a rate‐determining component of the pathophysiology associated with conditions such as ischemia‐reperfusion, sickle cell disease, and γ ‐irradiation is summarized. Mechanisms that have been proposed to explain the recruitment of adherent leukocytes and platelets in the diseased/injured cerebral microvasculature are also addressed, and a common paradigm for blood cell recruitment induced by seemingly unrelated pathological conditions is outlined. Although there are many structural and functional characteristics of the cerebral microvasculature that distinguish it from other regional vascular beds, the processes that underlie the recruitment of injury‐causing inflammatory cells in the brain appear to closely resemble those described for other tissues.