Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does Wage Dispersion Make All Firms Productive?

This article puts the relationship between wage dispersion and firm productivity to an updated test, taking advantage of access to detailed Belgian linked employer-employee panel data. Controlling for simultaneity issues, time-invariant workplace characteristics and dynamics in the adjustment process of productivity, empirical results reveal the existence of a positive impact from conditional intra-firm wage dispersion to firm productivity (measured by the average value added per hour worked), which however decreases for higher dispersion levels. Findings thus suggest that the incentive effect of wage dispersion, predicted for instance by the 'tournament' model, dominates 'fairness' and/or 'sabotage' considerations. Further results reveal that the influence of wage dispersion on firm productivity is stronger among firms with a larger proportion of highly skilled workers but does not depend on whether wages are collectively renegotiated at the firm level.
Long-term results of uncemented total hip arthroplasty with the Taperloc femoral component in patients with Dorr type C proximal femoral morphology.

AIMS To investigate the longevity of uncemented fixation of a femoral component in total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients with Dorr type C proximal femoral morphology. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 350 consecutive uncemented THA in 320 patients were performed between 1983 and 1987, by a single surgeon using the Taperloc femoral component. The 63 patients (68 hips) with Dorr type C proximal femoral morphology were the focus of this review. The mean age of the patients was 69 years (24 to 88) and mean follow-up was 16.6 years (ten to 29). Survival analysis included eight patients (eight hips) who died without undergoing revision surgery prior to obtaining ten years follow-up. All 55 surviving patients (60 hips) were available for clinical assessment and radiographic review. As a comparator group, the survival and implant fixation in the remaining 282 THAs (257 patients) with Dorr type A and B morphology were evaluated. The mean age of these patients was 52 years (20 to 82). RESULTS In the Dorr C patient group the mean Harris hip score improved from 51 points (21 to 69 points) pre-operatively to 89 (74 to 100) at final follow-up. No femoral component was loose by radiological criteria and osteolysis was only identified around two stems (3.3%). There was one revision (1.6%) of a well-fixed femoral component for sepsis at 11 years. The survival of the Taperloc femoral component at 20 years with revision for any reason as the endpoint was 98% (95% confidence interval; 87 to 99). A total of ten (3.5%) of the Dorr A and B patient group of 282 THAs required revision surgery. Only one (0.4%) for aseptic loosening. A total of two hips (1%) were loose by radiographic criteria and osteolysis occurred around 12 hips (4%). CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that excellent fixation can be achieved using the Taperloc stem in patients with Dorr type A and B, and Dorr type C bone. TAKE HOME MESSAGE The Taperloc stem demonstrated equivalent results in Dorr type A and B and Dorr type C bone. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B:595-600.
Experimental Realization of Quantum Tomography of Photonic Qudits via Symmetric Informationally Complete Positive Operator-Valued Measures

Symmetric informationally complete positive operator-valued measures provide efficient quantum state tomography in any finite dimension. In this work, we implement state tomography using symmetric informationally complete positive operator-valued measures for both pure and mixed photonic qudit states in Hilbert spaces of orbital angular momentum, including spaces whose dimension is not power of a prime. Fidelities of reconstruction within the range of 0.81-0.96 are obtained for both pure and mixed states. These results are relevant to high-dimensional quantum information and computation experiments, especially to those where a complete set of mutually unbiased bases is unknown.
Kinetic Simulation Study of Electron Holes Dynamics During Collisions of Ion-Acoustic Solitons

Ion acoustic (IA) solitons are accompanied by vortex-shaped nonlinear structures (e.g., hollows, plateaus, or humps) in the electron distribution function, called electron holes, portraying trapped electrons. These structures appear as charged flexible clouds (shielded by the background plasma) in the phase space with their own inertia, depending on the number of trapped electrons. According to simulation studies, electron holes tend to merge in pairs until one accumulative hole remains in the simulation box. This tendency has been analytically and qualitatively explained in the frame of the energy conservation principle. However, electron holes accompanying IA solitons should not merge due to the stability of IA solitons against mutual collisions. In this report based on a fully kinetic simulation approach, detailed study of the collisions of IA solitons reveals the behavior of electron holes under these two conflicting predictions, i.e., stability against mutual collisions and merging tendency. Four main results are reported here. First, we find that among the three different types of collisions possible for electron holes, just two of them happen for electron holes accompanying IA solitons. We present different collisions, e.g., two large/small and large versus small holes, to cover all these three different types of collisions. Second, we show that although electron holes merge during collisions of IA solitons, the stability of IA solitons forces the merged hole to split and form new electron holes. Third, we reveal that holes share their trapped population during collisions. Postcollision holes incorporate some parts of the oppositely propagating before-collision holes. Finally, it is shown that the newly added population of trapped electrons goes through a spiral path inside the after-collision holes because of dissipative effects. This spiral is shown to exist in the early stage of the formation of the holes in the context of the IA soliton dynamics.
Mechanism for Binding Site Diversity on Ankyrin:

Ankyrins are a family of spectrin-binding proteins that associate with at least seven distinct membrane proteins, including ion transporters and cell adhesion molecules. The membrane-binding domain of ankyrin is comprised of a tandem array of 24 ANK repeats organized into four 6-repeat folding domains. Tandem arrays of ANK repeats have been proposed to mediate protein interactions in a variety of proteins including factors involved in the regulation of transcription and the cell cycle. This report provides several new insights into the versatility of ANK repeats of ankyrin in protein recognition, using neurofascin and the Cl/HCO3 anion exchanger as model ligands and ankyrin as the prototypic ankyrin. Different combinations of ANK repeat domains from this ankyrin form two distinct, high affinity binding sites for neurofascin. One site requires both repeat domains 3 and 4. The other site involves both repeat domains 2 and 3, although domain 2 has significant activity alone. The sites appear to be independent with K values of 3 and 14 nM, respectively. Both the Cl/HCO3 anion exchanger and neurofascin can interact simultaneously with repeat domains 3 and 4, because neurofascin is unable to displace binding of the anion exchanger cytoplasmic domain to domains 3 and 4, despite having a 3-5-fold higher affinity. These results demonstrate two levels of diversity in the binding sites on ankyrin: one resulting from different combinations of ANK repeat domains and another from different determinants within the same combination of repeat domains. One consequence of this diversity is that ankyrin can accommodate two neurofascin molecules as well as the anion exchanger through interactions mediated by ANK repeats. The ability of ankyrin to simultaneously associate with multiple types of membrane proteins is an unanticipated finding with implications for the assembly of integral membrane proteins into specialized regions of the plasma membrane.
COPD, chronic bronchitis and capacity for day-to-day activities: Negative impact of illness on the health-related quality of life

The aim of this study was to investigate the negative impact of illness on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or chronic bronchitis. The study population consisted of the participants (N = 8028) of a health examination survey conducted in Finland. The sample in the present substudy was composed of 4718 participants who had complete information about spirometry. Variables age, gender, body mass index (BMI), illnesses, smoking in lifetime, education, FEV1% and incomes were entered in blockwise bivariate regression analysis to examine the relationships between capability for day-to-day activities (physical, psychological and social functioning) of those with COPD. Also, COPD (n = 277) and chronic bronchitis (n = 630) were compared with the general population (n = 3817). Study results showed that women with COPD had worse HRQoL than men, regarding the activities in daily living (ADL; odds ratio [OR] 2.63, 95% confidence interval [Cl] 1.15—5.99), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL; OR 4.23, 95% Cl 1.92—9.29) and exercise (OR 2.66, 95% Cl 1.21—5.84). Compared with the general population, people with chronic bronchitis were associated with poor ADL, IADL and exercise, (OR 1.58, 95% Cl 1.32— 1.92). Those with COPD, had difficulties managing in ADL (OR 4.02, 95% Cl 2.98—5.44), IADL (OR 3.27, 95% Cl 2.43—4.39), exercise (OR 3.35, 95% Cl 2.47 to 4.53). In this representative population-based sample, COPD and chronic bronchitis mean a significantly poor capability in physical functioning. People with chronic bronchitis experienced their daily life to be worse compared with the general population. Reductions in physical functioning for women and especially with COPD were also noteworthy.
Botulinum toxin A does not improve the results of cast treatment for idiopathic toe-walking: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND There are many treatments for idiopathic toe-walking, including casts with or without injection of botulinum toxin A. Combined treatment with casts and botulinum toxin A has become more common even though there have been few studies of its efficacy and safety problems. Our aims were to conduct a randomized controlled trial to test the hypotheses that combined treatment with casts and botulinum toxin A is more effective than casts alone in reducing toe-walking by patients five to fifteen years of age, and that the treatment effect correlates with the extent of coexisting neuropsychiatric problems. METHODS All patients who had been consecutively admitted to the pediatric orthopaedics department of our institution because of idiopathic toe-walking between November 2005 and April 2010 were considered for inclusion in the study. Forty-seven children constituted the study population. The children were randomized to undergo four weeks of treatment with below-the-knee casts either as the sole intervention or to undergo the cast treatment one to two weeks after receiving injections of botulinum toxin A into the calves. Before treatment and three and twelve months after cast removal, all children underwent three-dimensional (3-D) gait analysis. The severity of the idiopathic toe-walking was classified on the basis of the gait analysis, and the parents rated the time that their child spent on his/her toes during barefoot walking. Passive hip, knee, and ankle motion as well as ankle dorsiflexor strength were measured. Before treatment, all children were evaluated with a screening questionnaire for neuropsychiatric problems. RESULTS No differences were found in any outcome parameter between the groups before treatment or at three or twelve months after cast removal. Several gait-analysis parameters, passive ankle motion, and ankle dorsiflexor strength were improved at both three and twelve months in both groups, even though many children still demonstrated some degree of toe-walking. The treatment outcomes were not correlated with coexisting neuropsychiatric problems. CONCLUSION Adding botulinum toxin-A injections prior to cast treatment for idiopathic toe-walking does not improve the outcome of cast-only treatment.
Spike-based probabilistic inference with correlated noise

A steadily increasing body of evidence suggests that the brain performs probabilistic inference to interpret and respond to sensory input and that trial-to-trial variability in neural activity plays an important role. The neural sampling hypothesis interprets stochastic neural activity as sampling from an underlying probability distribution and has been shown to be compatible with biologically observed firing patterns. In many studies, uncorrelated noise is used as a source of stochasticity, discounting the fact that cortical neurons may share a significant portion of their presynaptic partners, which impacts their computation. This is relevant in biology and for implementations of neural networks where bandwidth constraints limit the amount of independent noise. When receiving correlated noise, the resulting correlations cannot be directly countered by changes in synaptic weights $W$. We show that this is contingent on the chosen coding: when changing the state space from $z\in\{0,1\}$ to $z'\in\{-1,1\}$, correlated noise has the exact same effect as changes in $W'$. The translation of the problem to the $\{-1,1\}$ space allows to find a weight configuration that compensates for the induced correlations. For an artificial embedding of sampling networks, this allows a straightforward transfer between platforms with different bandwidth constraints. The existence of the mapping is important for learning. Since in the $\{-1,1\}$-coding the correlated noise can be compensated by parameter changes and the probability distribution can be kept invariant when changing the coding, the distribution will be found in the $\{0,1\}$-coding as well during learning, as demonstrated in simulations. Conclusively, sampling spiking networks are impervious to noise correlations when trained. If such computation happens in cortex, network plasticity does not need to take account of shared noise inputs.
Big Data Classification Using the SVM Classifiers with the Modified Particle Swarm Optimization and the SVM Ensembles

The problem with development of the support vector machine (SVM) classifiers using modified particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm and their ensembles has been considered. Solving this problem would allow fulfilling the high-precision data classification, especially Big Data classification, with the acceptable time expenditures. The modified PSO algorithm conducts a simultaneous search of the type of kernel functions, the parameters of the kernel function and the value of the regularization parameter for the SVM classifier. The idea of particles' «regeneration» served as the basis for the modified PSO algorithm. In the implementation of this algorithm, some particles change the type of their kernel function to the one which corresponds to the particle with the best value of the classification accuracy. The offered PSO algorithm allows reducing the time expenditures for the developed SVM classifiers, which is very important for Big Data classification problem. In most cases such SVM classifier provides the high quality of data classification. In exceptional cases the SVM ensembles based on the decorrelation maximization algorithm for the different strategies of the decision-making on the data classification and the majority vote rule can be used. Also, the two-level SVM classifier has been offered. This classifier works as the group of the SVM classifiers at the first level and as the SVM classifier on the base of the modified PSO algorithm at the second level. The results of experimental studies confirm the efficiency of the offered approaches for Big Data classification.
PERCEIVED RISK VS . INTENTION TO ADOPT ECOMMERCE A PILOT STUDY OF POTENTIAL MODERATORS ODNOS IZMEĐU PERCIPIRANOG RIZIKA I NAMJERE USVAJANJA ETRGOVANJA PILOT STUDIJA POTENCIJALNIH MODERATORA

E-trgovanje nastavlja se razvijati kao važan kanal kupovine za potrošače. Ovo objašnjava sve veći interes za određivanje najvažnijih varijabli koje utječu na ponašanje potrošača na internetu, a posebice na percipirani rizik kao poznato bihevioralno zastrašivanje. Prethodne su studije dokazale negativan utjecaj percipiranog rizika na namjeru usvajanja e-trgovanja. No ovisno o vrsti proizvoda i istraživane populacije, rezultati su često bili kontradiktorni, a utvrđeno je da je ta povezanost jača, slabija ili nejasna. Tako dolazimo do zaključka da osim čimbenika koji imaju direktni utjecaj, vjerojatno postoje i moderatori ABSTRACT
Value-at-Risk Prediction by Higher Moment Dynamics

In this paper the out-of-sample prediction of Value-at-Risk by means of models accounting for higher moment dynamics is studied. We consider models differing in terms of skewness and urtosis and, in particular, the GARCHDSK model, which allows for dynamic skewness and kurtosis. The issue of VaR prediction performance is approached first by a purely statistical viewpoint, studying the properties of correct coverage rates and independence of VaR violations. Then, financial implications of different VaR models, in terms of market risk capital requirements, as defined by the Basel Accord, are considered. Our results, based on the analysis of eight international stock indexes, highlight the presence of time-varying conditional skewness and kurtosis and point out that asymmetry plays a significant role in risk management.
Risk of Lyme disease at various sites and workplaces of forestry workers in eastern Poland.

Knowledge about the seasonal activity of various stages of the Ixodes ricinus tick is of great importance while developing models of the circulation of pathogens transmitted by ticks in a given environment, as well as while evaluating the risk of infection with these pathogens among individuals performing work in this environment. The objectives of the study was determination of the relative activity of Ixodes ricinus ticks occurring at 4 different workplaces of workers employed in one randomly selected forestry inspectorate, and the comparison of this activity to the Borrelia burgdorferi prevalence in ticks collected from the above-mentioned working stands. Ticks were collected by dragging a woollen flag over lower vegetation and litter along the paths and edges of a forest in July and September 2011 at the following sites and workplaces: acquisition of timber, growing of forest, forest cultivation and forest protection. The relative activity (density) of ticks was determined by means of a combined method of single sample and area sampling. A forest area of approximately 100 m(2) was brushed with a flag. The isolates obtained from Ixodes ricinus ticks were examined for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato DNA by polymerase chain reaction, using primers FLA1 and FLA2 specific for the fragment of fla gene sequence. In the statistical analysis, the Mann-Whitney test, χ(2) test and Spearman test were applied. The differences between Ixodes ricinus activity at individual places of work where various biotopes were observed, were not statistically significant. A statistically significant variation in the tick infection rate, depending on work stands, was found for all the tick stages, i.e. for nymphs (χ(2)=76.516, p<0.000001), females (χ(2)=18.832, p<0.000292) and males (χ(2)=69.257, p=0.000001). Nevertheless, the statistical analysis showed the significant difference in total infection rates only between timber acquisition and growing of forest sites (p=0.049), and between growing of forest and forest cultivation sites (p=0.049). The study showed also the lack of relationship between the ticks' activity and Borrelia burgdorferi infection of ticks at individual places and sites of work of forestry workers. In conclusion, forestry workers employed at such stands of work as timber acquisition, growing of forest, forest cultivation and forest protection are nearly at the same risk of Borrelia burgdorferi infection.
Pharmacologic inhibition of Hsp90 to prevent GLT-1 degradation as an effective therapy for epilepsy

The glutamate transporter GLT-1 is critical for the maintenance of low interstitial glutamate concentrations. Loss of GLT-1 is commonly observed in neurological disorders, including temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Despite the hypothesis that targeting the mechanisms of GLT-1 deficiency may be a novel strategy for treating drug-resistant epilepsy, the underlying molecular cascade remains largely unknown. Here, we show that Hsp90&bgr; is up-regulated in reactive astrocytes of the epileptic hippocampus in patients with TLE and mouse models of epilepsy. Inhibition of Hsp90, but not Hsp70, increased GLT-1 levels. Mechanistically, Hsp90&bgr; recruits GLT-1 to the 20S proteasome, thereby promoting GLT-1 degradation. Hsp90 inhibitor prevents GLT-1 degradation by disrupting the association between Hsp90&bgr; and GLT-1. Using a model of TLE, we demonstrated that long-term systemic administration of 17AAG dramatically suppressed spontaneous recurrent seizures and ameliorated astrogliosis. Overall, these results suggest that up-regulation of GLT-1 by inhibiting Hsp90&bgr; in reactive astrocytes may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of epilepsy and excitotoxicity.
In vitro Protective Effect of Rutin and Quercetin against Radiation-induced Genetic Damage in Human Lymphocytes

Purpose of the Study: Rutin (RUT) and quercetin (QRT) which are dietary compounds were investigated for their ability to protect against ionizing radiation (IR)-induced genotoxicity in human lymphocytes. Materials and Methods: The radiation antagonistic potential of RUT and QRT was assessed by alkaline comet and cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay. Results: Treatment of lymphocytes with RUT and QRT (25 μg/ml) prior exposure to 2 Gy gamma radiation resulted in a significant reduction of frequency of micronuclei as compared to the control set of cells evaluated by CBMN assay. Similarly, treatment of lymphocytes with RUT and QRT before radiation exposure showed significant decrease in the DNA damage as assessed by comet parameters, such as percent tail DNA and olive tail moment. Conclusion: The study demonstrates the protective effect of RUT and QRT against IR-induced DNA damage in human lymphocytes, which may be partly attributed to scavenging of IR-induced free radicals and also by the inhibition of IR-induced oxidative stress.
Novel Essential DNA Repair Proteins Nse1 and Nse2 Are Subunits of the Fission Yeast Smc5-Smc6 Complex*

The structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) family of proteins play essential roles in genomic stability. SMC heterodimers are required for sister-chromatid cohesion (Cohesin: Smc1 & Smc3), chromatin condensation (Condensin: Smc2 & Smc4), and DNA repair (Smc5 & Smc6). The SMC heterodimers do not function alone and must associate with essential non-SMC subunits. To gain further insight into the essential and DNA repair roles of the Smc5–6 complex, we have purified fission yeast Smc5 and identified by mass spectrometry the co-precipitating proteins, Nse1 and Nse2. We show that both Nse1 and Nse2 interact with Smc5 in vivo, as part of the Smc5–6 complex. Nse1 and Nse2 are essential proteins and conserved from yeast to man. Loss of Nse1 and Nse2 function leads to strikingly similar terminal phenotypes to those observed for Smc5–6 inactivation. In addition, cells expressing hypomorphic alleles of Nse1 and Nse2 are, like Smc5–6 mutants, hypersensitive to DNA damage. Epistasis analysis suggests that like Smc5–6, Nse1, and Nse2 function together with Rhp51 in the homologous recombination repair of DNA double strand breaks. The results of this study strongly suggest that Nse1 and Nse2 are novel non-SMC subunits of the fission yeast Smc5–6 DNA repair complex.