Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Temporary Employment: Can Organizations and Employees Both Win?

Executive Overview While temporary employment is a fast growing work option, there's both danger and opportunity in the growing numbers of short term employment relationships. Ideally, temporary engagements offer the employing organization lower costs and increased flexibility. In turn, temporary assignments offer an individual variety and growth. The organization's benefits can prove elusive, though, if temporary employees are less skilled or less committed to their work. And the employee's benefits come at great cost if temporary workers become a wandering underclass in the labor pool. Our work on both sides of the employment contract demonstrates that temporary employment works well only when managed well—by both the employer and employee.
Molecular Identification of IgE-Dependent Histamine-Releasing Factor as a B Cell Growth Factor1

The culture supernatants of LK1 cells, murine erythroleukemia cells, showed B cell-stimulating activity. Purification and NH2-terminal sequence analysis revealed that one of the candidates was murine IgE-dependent histamine-releasing factor (IgE-HRF), which is known to induce histamine from basophils. Recombinant IgE-HRF (rHRF) obtained from Escherichia coli- or 293-transformed embryonal kidney cells was tested for B cell-stimulating activity. Both rHRFs stimulated B cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. However, boiling or anti-HRF Ab abolished the B cell stimulatory effects of rHRF. Recombinant HRF showed strong synergistic effects with IL-2, IL-4, and IL-5 for B cell activation, with maximal activity in the presence of anti-CD40 Ab. Recombinant HRF increased MHC class II expression of B cells. It also increased Ig production from B cells. Treatment with polymyxin B, a neutralizing peptide antibiotic of LPS, did not reduce the activity of rHRF. In addition, FACS analysis using PE-conjugated rHRF showed that HRF bound to B cells. Recombinant HRF up-regulated the expression of IL-1 and IL-6 in B cells. In vivo administration of rHRF or the cDNA for rHRF increased total and Ag-specific Ig synthesis. Taken together, these results indicate that HRF stimulates B cell activation and function.
Qualifications, Basic Skills and Accelerating Social Exclusion

A manifestation of social exclusion is difficulty in gaining and retaining employment. In the modern labour market, employability is said to be bound up with the possession of human capital in the form of skills and qualifications. This paper compares the early labour market experiences of two cohorts born in 1958 and 1970 respectively (National Child Development Study-NCDS, and 1970 British Cohort Study-BCS70). We demonstrate that for the younger cohort, unemployment rates at different ages were consistently higher for those without qualifications than for the older cohort. Logistic regression analysis, using extended experience of unemployment as the outcome variable, shows heightened significance for possession of qualifications and numeracy skills as protection against unemployment. It is concluded that those without these attributes are likely to experience increasing difficulty in obtaining and retaining employment. Across the generations, the process of social exclusion is accelerating.
Upper echelons: Donald Hambrick on executives and strategy

Executive Overview This is the fourth contribution to the Crosstalk series, a collaboration between The Executive and European Management Journal created to encourage dialogue and exchange of ideas among leading management scholars in North America and Europe. Crosstalk spans the two journals, and the content presented in each journal complements, rather than duplicates, that of the other. In this Crosstalk, Donald Hambrick from the U.S. and Andrew Pettigrew from the U.K. discuss their contributions to the field of strategic leadership, as well as their thoughts on future research needs. Donald C. Hambrick is (he Samuel Bronfman Professor of Democratic Business Enterprise at the Graduate School of Business, Columbia University. In 2002, he will join the faculty of his doctoral alma mater, Pennsylvania State University, as the Smeal Chair in Management. Dr. Hambrick also has a BS from the University of Colorado and an MBA from Harvard University. An internationally recognized scholar in the field of top ma.
The Selective Nature of Knowledge Networks in Clusters: Evidence from the Wine Industry

Most of the studies about industrial clusters and innovation stress the importance of firms' geographical proximity and their embeddedness in local business networks (BNs) as factors that positively affect their learning and innovation processes. More recently, scholars have started to claim that firm-specific characteristics should be considered to be central in the process of learning and innovation in clusters. This article contributes to this latter direction of research. It applies social network analysis to explore the structural properties of knowledge networks in three wine clusters in Italy and Chile. The results show that in spite of firms' geographical proximity and the pervasiveness of local BNs, innovation-related knowledge is diffused in clusters in a highly selective and uneven way. This pattern is found to be related to the heterogeneous and asymmetric distribution of firm knowledge bases in the clusters. Copyright 2007, Oxford University Press.
Cerebral blood volume measurements and proton MR spectroscopy in grading of oligodendroglial tumors.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine whether perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) and proton MR spectroscopy (MRS) are useful in differentiating high- and low-grade oligodendroglial tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS PWI and MRS studies of 22 patients with histologically proven oligodendroglioma or oligoastrocytoma (13 low-grade and nine anaplastic tumors) were retrospectively reviewed. PWI of 14 subjects was performed with a dynamic contrast-enhanced susceptibility-weighted echo-planar technique. Intratumoral relative cerebral blood volume ratio was calculated and normalized to the same value in contralateral normal-appearing white matter. Multivoxel MRS was performed with a point-resolved spectroscopy sequence at a TE of 135 milliseconds in 20 patients and with the addition of a TE of 30 seconds in 17 patients. MRS data were expressed as intratumoral metabolite ratios (choline to creatine [Cho/Cr], choline to N-acetyl aspartate, N-acetyl aspartate to creatine, and myoinositol to creatine). RESULTS Relative cerebral blood volume ratios were significantly different (p = 0.004) between low-grade (1.61 +/- 1.20) and high-grade tumors (5.45 +/- 1.96). The optimal relative cerebral blood volume ratio cutoff value in identification of anaplastic oligodendroglial tumors was 2.14. Analysis of MRS data showed significantly higher Cho/Cr ratios (p = 0.002) in high-grade than in low-grade tumors. A Cho/Cr ratio cutoff value of 2.33 had the highest accuracy in identification of high-grade tumors. CONCLUSION Relative cerebral blood volume measurement and MRS are helpful in differentiating low-grade from anaplastic oligodendroglial tumors.
Does advanced lung inflammation index (ALI) have prognostic significance in metastatic non‐small cell lung cancer?

Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed and death‐related cancer type and is more frequent in males. Non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 85% of all case. In this study, it was aimed to research the relationship between advanced lung inflammation index (ALI) and the primary mass maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and C‐reactive protein (CRP) at initial diagnosis and the prognostic value of ALI in determining the survival in metastatic NSCLC.
Detecting Discrimination Against Homosexuals: Evidence from a Field Experiment on the Internet

This paper presents the first field experiment studying discrimination against homosexuals on the housing market. The study is conducted on the rental housing market in Sweden using the internet as a research platform. Two fictitious couples, one heterosexual and one male homosexual, apply for vacant rental apartments advertised by landlords on the internet. Our findings show that homosexual males are discriminated against on the Swedish housing market, since the homosexual couple gets far fewer call-backs and fewer invitations to further contacts and to showings of apartments than the heterosexual couple.
Spatial gradient effects of 120 mT static magnetic field on endothelial tubular formation in vitro

This study investigated the spatial magnetic gradient effects of static magnetic fields (SMF) on endothelial tubular formation by applying the maximum spatial gradient to a target site of culture wells for cell growth. The respective maximum values of magnetic flux density (Bmax), magnetic flux gradient (Gmax) and the magnetic force product of the magnetic flux density and its gradient (a parameter of magnetic force) were 120 mT, 28 mT/mm and 1428 mT2/mm. The effects of gradient SMF on tubular formation were compared with those of uniform SMF that has no spatial gradients on the entire bottom area of culture wells. Five experimental groups of 25 samples each were examined: (1) sham exposure (control); (2) peak gradient exposure in the peripheral part; (3) peak gradient exposure in the central part; (4) uniform exposure to 20 mT; (5) uniform exposure to 120 mT. The SMF or sham exposure was carried out for 10 days. Photomicrographs of tubular cells, immunostained with an anti‐platelet‐endothelial cell adhesion molecule‐1 (PECAM‐1 [CD31]) antibody as a pan‐endothelial marker, were analyzed after the 10‐day culture. Gradient SMF in the peripheral or central part was found to significantly promote tubular formation in terms of the area density and length of tubules in each peak gradient/force part of the wells, compared with the sham exposure. In contrast, uniform SMF did not induce any significant change in the tubular formation. These findings suggest that tubule formation can be promoted by applying the peak gradient/force to a target site of culture wells. Bioelectromagnetics 29:233–236, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Computed tomography, radiology and echocardiography in cats naturally infected with Aelurostrongylus abstrusus

Objectives The aims of the study were to describe the radiographic and computed tomographic features in cats naturally infected with Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, and to identify signs of pulmonary hypertension with echocardiography. Methods Fourteen cats positive on Baermann test for A abstrusus were included in the study. All cats underwent thoracic radiography, CT and echocardiography. Results The most common clinical signs were coughing (10/14) and dyspnoea (5/14). Radiographic findings included a generalised unstructured interstitial pulmonary pattern (8/14), mixed bronchointerstitioalveolar pattern (3/14) and bronchointerstitial pattern with bronchial wall thickening (3/14). Sternal lymphadenopathy was detected on thoracic radiographs in six cats. On CT, features were mixed bronchointerstitioalveolar pattern with ground-glass appearance in six cats, interstitioalveolar with multiple pulmonary nodules in five, interstitial ground-glass infiltrates in three, regional lymph node enlargement in 11 (10 sternal, three cranial mediastinal and three tracheobronchial lymph nodes) and subpleural thickening in four. None of the thoracic radiographs revealed subpleural thickening. In all cases, pulmonary vessels were normal in terms of size, shape and attenuation on both radiography and CT. Pulmonary hypertension and cardiac abnormalities were not observed in any cat during echocardiography. Conclusions and relevance CT provided a more thorough characterisation of pulmonary and mediastinal lesions compared with thoracic radiographs in cats naturally infected with A abstrusus. Although feline aelurostrongylosis has been previously associated with histopathological lesions in lung arteries, in this cohort clinical evidence of pulmonary hypertension was not documented.
An Empirical Model of Work Attendance

T WO recent studies have indicated that on any given day about 3% to 4% of all workers do not report to their jobs. The Bureau of National Affairs (BNA) has reported absence data for a sample of several hundred establishments since January 1974. The median absence rate for the entire sample was 3.4% in 1974, 3.0% in 1975 and 1976, 2.8% in 1977, and 2.9% in 1978.1 Absence rates vary widely across establishments; in December 1978 they ranged from 0 to 23.0%. Recent changes in the Current Population Survey permit the computation of work time lost to absenteeism with household data. In May 1976 Hedges (1977) reported that full time workers missed about 3.5% of scheduled hours for health and personal reasons. It is interesting to note in comparison that in the same month (1) less than one-third of 1% of scheduled hours were lost to strikes, and (2) 3.4% of the labor force were out of work because they had lost their previous job. Economists have paid little attention to absenteeism despite the sizable number of man-hours involved and the probable impacts on productivity and income distribution. Most of the previous research on work attendance has been done by applied psychologists, who generally argue, according to a recent survey article by Steers and Rhodes (1978), "that job dissatisfaction represents the primary cause of absenteeism. "2 Another widely held view is that absenteeism results from inadequate managerial concern for the problem. Countless authors of articles in personnel and business journals have argued that any firm can control absenteeism by keeping adequate records, establishing guidelines for permissible absences, or rewarding workers who attend regularly. Given efficient markets for entrepreneurial expertise, it is unclear why such measures have not already been taken. The purpose of this paper is to suggest an alternate interpretation of absenteeism and to develop an empirical model to test various hypotheses about its incidence. Absences result when an individual decides to engage in nonwork activity throughout a scheduled work period. It will be argued below that utility increments obtained by not reporting are likely to vary across individuals and that the cost of absenteeism will not be identical across employers. Employers can reduce absenteeism in three ways. One option is to make it more costly to employees, e.g., through decisions regarding promotions, merit wage increases, dismissals, and the availability of sick leave and attendance bonuses. Another is to reduce the worker's demand for absences by making schedules more flexible. In cases where substitute workers are available at no extra cost, absenteeism is costly only when it is unexpected. Both the firm and the worker will then be better off if they agree to adjust the worker's schedule in advance. A final
Proteomic study of Carissa spinarum in response to combined heat and drought stress

Carissa spinarum is one of the secondary advantage plants grown in dry‐hot valleys in China, which can survive under stress conditions of high temperature and extreme low humidity. Here, we studied the physiological and proteomic changes of C. spinarum in response to 42°C heat stress treatment in combination with drought stress. Dynamic changes in the leaf proteome were analyzed at four time points during the stress treatment and recovery stages. Approximately, 650 protein spots were reproducibly detected in each gel. Forty‐nine spots changed their expression levels upon heat and drought treatment, and 30 proteins were identified by MS and 2‐D Western blot. These proteins were classified into several categories including HSP, photosynthesis‐related protein, RNA‐processing protein and proteins involved in metabolism and energy production. The potential roles of these stress‐responsive proteins are discussed.
Characteristics, Results and Findings of IEEE 802.11 in an RF Isolated Testbed

Simulation has been one of the most important methods for evaluating the characteristics of network protocols and applications before deployment in wireless communication networks. This paper presents the findings of a controlled and automated experimental IEEE 802.11 testbed and compares them to results of popular network simulators. The comparison shows the differences and similarities of three network simulators with the testbed using identical test scenarios. The comparison has shown that some simulators can produce misleading results under certain conditions. The discrepancy can be caused by simulators using simple and invalid models. Without realistic modelling in simulations, the evaluation of performance of mobile networks may not correlate well with performance in reality.
Doing It with Mirrors: A Case Study of a Novel Approach to Neurorehabilitation

Arm amputees can experience the perception of movement of a phantom limb while looking at a mirror reflection of the moving, intact arm superimposed on the perceived phantom. Such use of a mirror to provide illusory visual feedback of move ment can be useful in rehabilitation of hemiparetic patients. In this case report, we de scribe the successful application of "mirror therapy" to the post-stroke rehabilitation of a patient with poor functional use of an upper extremity, due mainly to so matosensory deficits. Mirror therapy facilitated employment of a motor copy strategy (bimanual movements) and later progression to "forced use" of the affected arm. The end result was increased functional use of the affected upper limb.
Rural and Urban Older African Caregivers Coping With HIV/AIDS are Nutritionally Compromised

This article describes the nutritional status of a group of rural and urban free living African older surrogate parents caring for HIV/AIDS orphans and grandchildren. Multiple sources of data collection were used, including anthropometry, biochemical analyses, and quantitative questionnaires. The diets of these older participants were marginal. The rural to urban geographical transition in these older persons is characterized by a better micronutrient and trace element intake; however, urban dwellers also had higher fat intakes, increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease. These results suggest that to be a surrogate grandparent provides a special meaning to the life of men that needs to be better understood. However, the diets of these older people caring for HIV/AIDS-affected children were more compromised than those of non-caregivers.
SRI Funds: Nomen est Omen

We test the frequently made claim that SRI funds are conventional funds in disguise. For this purpose, we compare the portfolio holdings of SRI funds to conventional funds concerning their social and environmental standards. Our empirical study of US equity funds shows that SRI funds have a significantly higher ethical ranking than standard funds, i.e., they are not conventional funds in disguise. This result holds for all ethical criteria we investigate. It is stable over time and holds after controlling for several fund characteristics. Finally, we find no evidence that our result is generated by window dressing strategies of SRI funds.
NoxA activation by the small GTPase RacA is required to maintain a mutualistic symbiotic association between Epichloë festucae and perennial ryegrass

Small GTPases of the Rac group play a key regulatory role in NADPH oxidase catalysed production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mammals and plants, but very little evidence is available for a corresponding role in fungi. We recently showed that ROS produced by a specific fungal NADPH oxidase isoform, NoxA, are crucial in regulating hyphal morphogenesis and growth in the mutualistic symbiotic interaction between Epichloë festucae and perennial ryegrass. We demonstrate here that E. festucae RacA is required for NoxA activation and regulated production of ROS to maintain a symbiotic interaction. Deletion of racA resulted in decreased ROS production, reduction of radial growth and hyper‐branching of the hyphae in culture. In contrast, in planta the racA mutant showed extensive colonization of the host plant, resulting in stunting and precocious senescence of the host plants. Strains expressing a dominant active (DA) allele of RacA had increased ROS production, increased aerial hyphae and reduced radial growth. These results demonstrate that RacA plays a crucial role in regulating ROS production by NoxA, in order to control hyphal morphogenesis and growth of the endophyte in planta.
Health care consequences of falls for seniors.

OBJECTIVES This article examines falls that caused a serious injury among people aged 65 or older living in private households. Based on an analysis of people followed over a two-year period, it focuses on the association of a fall in 1994/95 with subsequent health care. DATA SOURCE The data are from the household component of the 1994/95 and 1996/97 cycles of the National Population Health Survey conducted by Statistics Canada. Longitudinal and cross-sectional data are from a sample of 2,081 people aged 65 or older in 1994/95 for whom data were available and who were still alive in 1996/97. An additional 11,282 elderly people in this age group provided cross-sectional data in 1996/97, yielding a total sample of 13,363. ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES In addition to descriptive statistics, multivariate analyses were used to study the associations between injurious falls and subsequent entry into care, controlling for selected factors. MAIN RESULTS After controlling for age, decline in ability to perform activities of daily living, and other factors, the odds of entry into care were three times as high for seniors who reported an injurious fall in 1994/95 as for those who did not.
Global Value Chains and the Transmission of Business Cycle Shocks

The collapse of trade during the great recession of 2008–2009 has raised the question of whether the rise of global value chains (GVCs) has increased or accelerated the international transmission of business cycle shocks. In this paper, we empirically investigate two channels through which a country’s integration into GVCs may increase the income elasticity of its exports. First, GVCs may simply be concentrated in sectors that are more sensitive to external income fluctuations (composition effect). Alternatively, there may be characteristics that are inherent to GVCs that trigger a faster and more amplified propagation of business cycle shocks (supply chain effect). Using trade data from the People’s Republic of China, we find supporting evidence for the composition effect. However, we find no evidence that trade within GVCs have an intrinsically higher income elasticity than regular trade.
Devolved Approaches to Local Governance: Policy and Practice in Neighbourhood Management

The Modernising local government and Neighbourhood management policy initiatives are intended to reinvigorate local democracy and to ensure that government is more responsive to local needs. Drawing upon research findings of current practice, this study – by Aston Business School – reviews the underlying issues and constraints, explores alternative approaches to neighbourhood management and examines the consequences for central and local government. The analysis suggests that far more attention needs to be given to issues of organisational and cultural change, capacity building and the hidden costs of implementing these new agendas. The researchers found: