Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Shirking and Sharking: A Legal Theory of the Firm

Introduction . 266 I. Agency Law and Agency Costs . 270 A. Legal Agency: Authority, Power, and Hierarchy in the Firm . 271 B. Agency Costs: Classical Shirking . 275 II. Principal C osts . 278 A. Sharking Defined: Opportunism of Principals Within Firms . 279 B. Agency Chains: Quasi-Principals and Superior Agents . 280 III. Firm s and M arkets . 282 A. The Paradox of Methodological Individualism . 283 B. Consumer Markets and Organizational Metamarkets . 286 IV. Economic Theories of the Firm . 289 A . Transaction Costs . 289 B . C ontracts . 291 C . Property . 295 D . E m ploym ent . 296 V. A Legal Theory of the Firm and Its Boundaries . 298 A. Control: Enterprise-Organizing and the Sole Proprietor . 300 B. Ownership and Employment: Horizontal and Vertical Firms . 301 1. H orizontal O wnership . 301 2. V ertical A uthority . 303 C. Property: Ownership of the Firm's Capital . 306
Internal thoracic artery grafting in the elderly patient undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting: room for process improvement?

OBJECTIVE The acute and long-term benefits of internal thoracic artery grafting are clear in younger patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. The elderly, however, face higher surgical risks and have shorter life expectancy, and thus the use of internal thoracic artery grafting in this age group has been debated. This study examined the use, complication risks, and operative (30-day) mortality associated with internal thoracic artery grafting in patients 75 years of age and older. METHODS Between 1996 and 1999, 522,656 patients in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Cardiac Database underwent primary, nonemergency-salvage coronary artery bypass grafting; of these, 99,942 were 75 years of age or older. The influence of internal thoracic artery use on operative mortality and 5 major complications in this elderly group was examined by means of (1) risk adjustment (adjusting for 28 baseline risk factors and site) and (2) a treatment propensity score analysis that compares patients with similar baseline likelihood for receiving an internal thoracic artery graft. RESULTS In the National Cardiac Database 77.4% of patients aged 75 to 84 years received an internal thoracic artery graft compared with 93.5% for those aged 55 years or less. In this elderly group use of the internal thoracic artery was strongly associated with decreased operative mortality (unadjusted mortality, 6.20% vs. 4.05%; P <.0001) that persisted after controlling for baseline risk and provider effects (adjusted odds ratio, 0.85; 95% confidence intervals, 0.79-0.91). This mortality benefit was seen among those with low-to-high baseline propensity for receiving an internal thoracic artery graft. CONCLUSIONS Use of the internal thoracic artery in elderly patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting provides an acute survival benefit. This benefit is similar to that seen in younger patients and persists after adjusting for both patient and provider selection factors. The internal thoracic artery appears to be underused in elderly patients undergoing bypass grafting and is a potential area for quality improvement.
*The Effects of Scaffold Remnants in Decellularized Tissue-Engineered Cardiovascular Constructs on the Recruitment of Blood Cells

Decellularized tissue-engineered heart valves (DTEHVs) showed remarkable results in translational animal models, leading to recellularization within hours after implantation. This is crucial to enable tissue remodeling. To investigate if the presence of scaffold remnants before implantation is responsible for the fast recellularization of DTEHVs, an in vitro mesofluidic system was used. Human granulocyte and agranulocyte fractions were isolated, stained, brought back in suspension, and implemented in the system. Three different types of biomaterials were exposed to the circulating blood cells, consisting of decellularized tissue-engineered constructs (DTECs) with or without scaffold remnants or only bare scaffold. After 5 h of testing, the granulocyte fraction depleted faster from the circulation than the agranulocyte fraction. However, only granulocytes infiltrated into the DTEC with scaffold, migrating toward the scaffold remnants. The agranulocyte population, on the other hand, was only observed on the outer surface. Active cell infiltration was associated with increased levels of matrix metalloproteinase-1 secretion in the DTEC, including scaffold remnants. Proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) were significantly upregulated in the DTEC without scaffold remnants. These results indicate that scaffold remnants can influence the immune response in DTEC, being responsible for rapid cell infiltration.
Patellofemoral pain syndrome in young women

Clinical alignment, pain variables, common symptoms and functional activity level associated with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) were evaluated in 40 women with PFPS and 20 healthy controls. No significant difference could be found neither between the patients' most symptomatic knee and least symptomatic knee, nor between the patients and controls regarding clinical lower extremity alignment, such as Q‐angle and leg‐heel alignment measurements. There were no radiographic signs of malalignment. The patients were significantly more involved competitively in sports but had a significantly lower pain free activity level than the controls. Pain was associated with increased activity. It is suggested that chronic overloading and temporary overuse of the patellofemoral joint, rather than malalignment, contribute to patellofemoral pain.
Approximate Entropy as an Electroencephalographic Measure of Anesthetic Drug Effect during Desflurane Anesthesia

Background: The authors hypothesized that the electroencephalogram (EEG) during higher anesthetic concentrations would show more “order” and less “randomness” than at lower anesthetic concentrations. “Approximate entropy” is a new statistical parameter derived from the Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy formula which quantifies the amount of regularity in data. The approximate entropy quantifies the predictability of subsequent amplitude values of the EEG based on the knowledge of the previous amplitude values. The authors investigated the dose–response relation of the EEG approximate entropy during desflurane anesthesia in comparison with spectral edge frequency 95, median frequency, and bispectral index. Methods: Twelve female patients were studied during gynecologic laparotomies. Between opening and closure of the peritoneum, end-tidal desflurane concentrations were varied between 0.5 and 1.6 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC). The EEG approximate entropy, median EEG frequency, spectral edge frequency 95, and bispectral index were determined and the performance of each to predict the desflurane effect compartment concentration, obtained by simultaneous pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic modeling, was compared. Results: Electroencephalogram approximate entropy decreased continuously over the observed concentration range of desflurane. The performance of the approximate entropy (prediction probability PK = 0.86 ± 0.06) as an indicator for desflurane concentrations is similar to spectral edge frequency 95 (PK = 0.86 ± 0.06) and bispectral index (PK = 0.82 ± 0.06) and is statistically significantly better than median frequency (PK = 0.78 ± 0.06). Conclusions: The amount of regularity in the EEG increases with increasing desflurane concentrations. The approximate entropy could be a useful EEG measure of anesthetic drug effect.
The Development of E-Hajj: Influence of Diversity Issues

Major tourism events pose challenges to administrators, including the development of electronic government (e-Gov) services that offer assistance to tourists. Although technological solutions have frequently been proposed in past research on such e-Gov services, the diversity aspects associated with tourists have received scant attention, an issue that is compounded by the sheer size and variety of tourist groups. Thus, this research paper aims, through the theoretical lenses of Contextualism, the Social Shaping of Technology, and the Structurationist View of Technology, to build a conceptual framework to examine and explain how the diversity of tourists can influence the development of e-Gov initiatives for major tourism events. The Hajj, an important religious event in Islam held in the Holy City of Makkah, is used as an in-depth case study to examine diversity phenomena through this conceptual framework. This paper reveals the interrelations between diversity aspects and technological frames as well as identifying key developmental findings that can guide implementation of the e-Gov system for Hajj. The main finding of this research suggested that there is an issue with the process of negotiations mainly in the requirements translation to be addressed in the development process of the electronic Hajj system.
Nano-mechanical properties and morphology of irradiated glass fiber filled polypropylene

Cross-linking is a process in which polymer chains are associated through chemical bonds. Radiation, which penetrated through specimens and reacted with the cross-linking agent, gradually formed cross-linking (3D net), first in the surface layer and then in the total volume, which resulted in considerable changes in specimen behavior. This paper describes the effect of electron beam irradiation on the surface properties (nano-indentation test) of glass fiber filled polypropylene (30%). These nano-mechanical properties were measured by the DSI (Depth Sensing Indentation) method on samples which were non-irradiated and irradiated by low (33, 66 and 99 kGy) and high (132 and 165 kGy) doses of the β – radiation. Nano-indentation test was performed at (400mN) indentation loads. The purpose of the article is to consider to what extent the irradiation process influences the resulting nano-mechanical properties measured by the DSI method. The polypropylene tested showed significant changes of indentation hardness and modulus. The best results were achieved by irradiation at doses of 99 and 132 kGy (increase about 68%) by which the highest nano-mechanical properties of filled polypropylene were achieved. These changes were examined and confirmed by X-ray diffraction and Gel content.
Getting to the Heart of the Matter; Speech is More than Just the Expression of Text or Language

This talk addresses the current needs for so-called emotion in speech, but points out that the issue is better described as the expression of relationships and attitudes rather than the currently held raw (or big-six) emotional states. From an analysis of more than three years of daily conversational speech, we find the direct expression of emotion to be extremely rare, and contend that when speech technologists say that what we need now is more ‘emotion’ in speech, what they really mean is that the current technologies are too text-based, and that more expression of speaker attitude, affect, and discourse relationships is required.
MISSING FLOWERS gene controls axillary meristems initiation in sunflower

Summary: The initiation and growth of axillary meristems are fundamental components of plant architecture. Here, we describe the mutant missing flowers (mf) of Helianthus annuus characterized by the lack of axillary shoots. Decapitation experiments and histological analysis indicate that this phenotype is the result of a defect in axillary meristem initiation. In addition to shoot branching, mutation affects floral differentiation. The indeterminate inflorescence of sunflower (capitulum) is formed of a large flat meristem which produces floret primordia in multiple spirals. In wildtype plants a bisecting crease divides each primordium in two distinct bumps that adopt different fate. The peripheral (abaxial) part of the primordium becomes a small leaf‐like bract and the adaxial part becomes a flower. In the mf mutant, the formation of flowers at the axil of bracts is precluded. Histological analyses show that in floret primordia of the mutant a clear subdivision in dyads is not established. The primordia progressively bend inside and only large involucral floral bracts are developed. The results suggest that the MISSING FLOWERS gene is essential to provide or perceive an appropriate signal to the initiation of axillary meristems during both vegetative and reproductive phases. genesis 36:25–33, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Functional characterization of epithelial ovarian cancer histotypes by drug target based protein signaling activation mapping: Implications for personalized cancer therapy

Epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) is a deadly disease, with a 5‐year survival of 30%. The aim of the study was to perform broad‐scale protein signaling activation mapping to evaluate if EOC can be redefined based on activated protein signaling network architecture rather than histology. Tumor cells were isolated using laser capture microdissection (LCM) from 72 EOCs. Tumors were classified as serous (n = 38), endometrioid (n = 13), mixed (n = 8), clear cell (CCC; n = 7), and others (n = 6). LCM tumor cells were lysed and subjected to reverse‐phase protein microarray to measure the expression/activation level of 117 protein drug targets. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis was utilized to explore the overall signaling network. ANOVA was used to detect significant differences among the groups (p < 0.05). Regardless of histology, unsupervised analysis revealed five pathway‐driven clusters. When the EOC histotypes were compared by ANOVA, only CCC showed a distinct signaling network, with activation of EGFR, Syk, HER2/ErbB2, and SHP2 (p = 0.0007, p = 0.0021, p < 0.0001, and p = 0.0410, respectively). The histological classification of EOC fails to adequately describe the underpinning protein signaling network. Nevertheless, CCC presents unique signaling characteristics compared to the other histotypes. EOC may need to be characterized by functional signaling activation mapping rather than pure histology.
Measurement of the long-lived 26Al production cross section in the 27Al(n,2n) reaction.

Experimental data for the {sup 27}Al({ital n},2{ital n}){sup 26}Al cross section have never been reported in the neutron energy range above 15 MeV, since the detection of the long-lived {sup 26}Al (half-life of 7.2{times}10{sup 5} yr) necessitates an intense high-energy neutron source and highly sensitive detection method. We have measured the {sup 27}Al({ital n},2{ital n}){sup 26}Al cross section in the energy range of 14--36 MeV by using a semimonoenergetic neutron beam from the Be({ital p},{ital n}) reaction. The activity of {sup 26}Al was measured by the accelerator mass spectrometry method and we found that the cross section has a maximum value of 95 mb in the neutron energy range of 20--24 MeV.
Socio‐Ecological Stress, Suppressed Hostility, Skin Color, and Black‐White Male Blood Pressure: Detroit

&NA; Four areas in Detroit were selected by factor analysis of all census tracts as varying widely in socio‐ecological stressor conditions. High Stress areas were marked by rates of low socio‐economic status, high crime, high density, high residential mobility, and high rates of marital breakup; Low Stress areas showed the converse conditions. All areas were racially segregated. The sample in each area provided about 125 married males, living with spouse, aged 25‐60, with relatives in the city. Blood pressure levels were highest among Black High Stress males and showed no difference among Black Low Stress and White areas. Suppressed Hostility (keeping anger in when attacked and feeling guilt if one's anger is displayed when attacked) was related to high blood pressure levels and percent hypertensive for Black High Stress and White Low Stress males; Black Low Stress men with high pressures were associated with anger in but denying guilt. White High Stress high readings were most associated with guilt after anger. For Blacks, skin color was related positively to blood pressure and High Stress males had darker skin color than Black middle class males. Black High Stress men with dark skin color and suppressed hostility had the highest average blood pressure of all four race‐area groups.
HIV-1 coreceptor usage and CXCR4-specific viral load predict clinical disease progression during combination antiretroviral therapy

Background:Although combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) dramatically reduces rates of AIDS and death, a minority of patients experience clinical disease progression during treatment. Objective:To investigate whether detection of CXCR4(X4)-specific strains or quantification of X4-specific HIV-1 load predict clinical outcome. Methods:From the Swiss HIV Cohort Study, 96 participants who initiated cART yet subsequently progressed to AIDS or death were compared with 84 contemporaneous, treated nonprogressors. A sensitive heteroduplex tracking assay was developed to quantify plasma X4 and CCR5 variants and resolve HIV-1 load into coreceptor-specific components. Measurements were analyzed as cofactors of progression in multivariable Cox models adjusted for concurrent CD4 cell count and total viral load, applying inverse probability weights to adjust for sampling bias. Results:Patients with X4 variants at baseline displayed reduced CD4 cell responses compared with those without X4 strains (40 versus 82 cells/μl; P = 0.012). The adjusted multivariable hazard ratio (HR) for clinical progression was 4.8 [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.3–10.0] for those demonstrating X4 strains at baseline. The X4-specific HIV-1 load was a similarly independent predictor, with HR values of 3.7 (95% CI, 1.2–11.3) and 5.9 (95% CI, 2.2–15.0) for baseline loads of 2.2–4.3 and > 4.3 log10 copies/ml, respectively, compared with < 2.2 log10 copies/ml. Conclusions:HIV-1 coreceptor usage and X4-specific viral loads strongly predicted disease progression during cART, independent of and in addition to CD4 cell count or total viral load. Detection and quantification of X4 strains promise to be clinically useful biomarkers to guide patient management and study HIV-1 pathogenesis.
Enhanced somatosensory feedback reduces prefrontal cortical activity during walking in older adults.

BACKGROUND The coordination of steady state walking is relatively automatic in healthy humans, such that active attention to the details of task execution and performance (controlled processing) is low. Somatosensation is a crucial input to the spinal and brainstem circuits that facilitate this automaticity. Impaired somatosensation in older adults may reduce automaticity and increase controlled processing, thereby contributing to deficits in walking function. The primary objective of this study was to determine if enhancing somatosensory feedback can reduce controlled processing during walking, as assessed by prefrontal cortical activation. METHODS Fourteen older adults (age 77.1±5.56 years) with mild mobility deficits and mild somatosensory deficits participated in this study. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy was used to quantify metabolic activity (tissue oxygenation index, TOI) in the prefrontal cortex. Prefrontal activity and gait spatiotemporal data were measured during treadmill walking and overground walking while participants wore normal shoes and under two conditions of enhanced somatosensation: wearing textured insoles and no shoes. RESULTS Relative to walking with normal shoes, textured insoles yielded a bilateral reduction of prefrontal cortical activity for treadmill walking (ΔTOI = -0.85 and -1.19 for left and right hemispheres, respectively) and for overground walking (ΔTOI = -0.51 and -0.66 for left and right hemispheres, respectively). Relative to walking with normal shoes, no shoes yielded lower prefrontal cortical activity for treadmill walking (ΔTOI = -0.69 and -1.13 for left and right hemispheres, respectively), but not overground walking. CONCLUSIONS Enhanced somatosensation reduces prefrontal activity during walking in older adults. This suggests a less intensive utilization of controlled processing during walking.
A journey to produce platelets in vitro

Allogeneic platelet transfusions protect patients from bleeding episodes and also make aggressive medical procedures such as those involving marrow transplants requiring chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy possible. These patients are dependent upon an unfailing supply of platelets that can sometimes be in short supply due to high demands coupled with an extremely short expiration date for platelet products of only 5 days. One approach that is under investigation to overcome platelet shortages is to harness the extraordinary capabilities of stem cells to proliferate and differentiate into various cell types and to use this ability to specifically produce clinical scale quantities of functional platelets in bioreactors. To accomplish such an enormous and complex task requires an appreciation of the regulatory mechanisms that occur during the development of megakaryocytes (MKs) and the subsequent biogenesis of functional platelets from mature MKs. This means understanding the complex network of intracellular and extracellular regulatory mechanisms that act at each phase of a developmental process that ushers stem cells along the MK lineage to produce billions of platelets per day in a healthy individual.
Mathematical modelling of matrix- reactance frequency converter described by nonstationary differential equations

This paper introduces a method for calculating steady-state processes in a three-phase matrix-reactance frequency converters (MRFC) that are described by nonstationary periodical differential equations. An approximation of the solution is based on the use Galerkin's method and an extension of differential equations of one variable of time to equations of two variables of time. The results of calculations for processes in a three-phase MRFC with buck-boost topology are obtained in the form of a double Fourier series and compared with the numerical method.
Serum gamma-glutamyltransferase and the burden of atherosclerosis in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

OBJECTIVES We evaluated the relationship between serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels and the burden of atherosclerosis in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). STUDY DESIGN This study involved 180 patients (139 male, 41 female; mean age 63±11 years) with the diagnosis of ACS (non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and unstable angina) who underwent coronary angiography on the first day after hospital admission. The burden of atherosclerosis was assessed by the number of involved vessels, and the Gensini and Syntax scores. Serum GGT levels were measured by enzymatic caloric test. RESULTS Patients with high Syntax scores (>=33) were more frequently diabetic, hypertensive, and had higher GGT and creatinine levels compared to the patients with low Syntax scores (<=23). Similarly, patients with >=3 diseased vessels were more frequently diabetic, hypertensive, and smokers. In addition, these patients were older and had higher serum glucose, urea and GGT levels. Correlation analysis revealed that the level of GGT was significantly associated with Gensini and Syntax scores, number of diseased vessels, and the number of critical lesions (r=0.378 p<0.001, r=0.301 p<0.001, r=0.159 p=0.036, r=0.355 p<0.001, respectively). Multivariate linear regression analysis demonstrated that increased GGT level was an independent risk factor for high Gensini and Syntax scores (p=0.029 and p=0.035, respectively), together with age (p=0.001 and p=0.002, respectively) and serum glucose levels (p=0.017 and p=0.012, respectively). CONCLUSION Serum GGT levels on admission are associated with increased burden of atherosclerosis in patients with ACS. This may account for the cardiovascular outcomes associated with increased GGT levels.