Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Employee Involvement: The Implications of Noninvolvement by Unions

Using a survey of workers in a large unionized manufacturing plant in which quality circles had been introduced without the involvement of the union, the authors test several hypotheses about the profiles of workers who volunteered to join the program and of workers who participated in it. They find that volunteers were less active in the union, more eager for a “say” in decisions, and more attracted to group and voluntary activities than were nonvolunteers. Continued participation in the program, however, apparently did not affect these characteristics of volunteers. On the other hand, participation in the program appears to have increased workers' identification with the company and its goals, even after controlling for differences in pre-program individual characteristics.
The Decline of Australian Union Density—A Survey of the Literature

This paper reviews the literature on the decline in Australian union density within the context of similar research overseas. Five broad approaches are analyzed to study changes in unionization—structural shifts, macroeconomic factors, institu tional and organizational influences, the individual decision, and comparative material. Relevant Australian studies are critically reviewed and compared with studies performed in other countries. The review highlights the complexity of the problem, the need to avoid simplistic responses, and makes suggestions as to which areas of research appear most likely to increase our understanding of the recent sharp decline in unionization.
Lesions of the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus reduce paradoxical sleep (PS) propensity: evidence from a short‐term PS deprivation study in rats

Cholinergic neurons in the mesopontine tegmentum are thought to play a critical role in the generation of paradoxical sleep (PS). However, no study has yet examined whether lesions of these neurons cause deficits of PS in the rat. We describe here the effects of lesions of the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPT) on spontaneous PS and on PS propensity, expressed during and after a short period of PS deprivation. Lesions were induced by bilateral injections of ibotenate. PS deprivation was performed manually by gently waking rats each time they showed polygraphic signs of PS. Two weeks after lesions, an 8‐h baseline recording was performed; the following day, rats were PS deprived for 6 h and polygraphic recordings were then continued for 2 h, to examine recovery sleep. The same protocol was repeated 1 week later. Compared with controls and with rats with limited PPT lesions, rats bearing > 60% NADPH‐diaphorase‐positive cell loss within the PPT showed unaffected PS under baseline conditions. However, they made fewer attempts to enter PS during deprivation and they exhibited an attenuated rebound increase in PS time after deprivation. The number of PS attempts and the magnitude of PS rebound were negatively correlated with the percent loss of diaphorase‐positive neurons within the PPT. Thus, PS propensity that accumulated as a result of PS deprivation was reduced after extensive PPT lesions. In summary, although spontaneous PS was found to be unaltered, the PS deprivation procedure used in this study demonstrated the dysfunctioning of PS caused by PPT lesions.
Corporate sustainability and shareholder wealth

The goal of this study is to provide insights in relation to implementing sustainability into corporate strategy, and provide an answer about whether it can lead to higher than average market valuation. Using extensive data of Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 companies covering the years 2006–10, 85 companies were selected as meeting corporate sustainability criteria. An investment strategy that bought companies with corporate sustainability would have earned abnormal returns of 7.4% per year during the sample period. We find that companies with balanced financial, social and environmental activities had lower revenues growth, lower growth volatility and lower stock price volatility. These results are consistent with the idea that companies benefit from investing in corporate sustainability and that these practices are reflected in their stock prices. The results also indicate that investment in sustainable companies does not show anti-cyclical patterns within the usual stock market cycle, but it is connected with higher stock market crash resistance. The empirical evidence from this paper is particularly pronounced for public companies that consider implementing sustainability into their core business strategy. It also contributes to better understanding of this concept in the contemporary capital markets.
The Sharing Economy and Consumer Protection Regulation: The Case for Policy Change

The rise of the sharing economy has changed how many Americans commute, shop, vacation, and borrow. It has also disrupted long-established industries, from taxis to hotels, and has confounded policymakers. In particular, regulators are trying to determine how to apply many of the traditional “consumer protection” regulations to these new and innovative firms. The key contribution of the sharing economy, however, is that it has overcome market imperfections without recourse to traditional forms of regulation. Continued application of these outmoded regulatory regimes is likely to harm consumers. We argue that the Internet, and the rapid growth of the sharing economy, alleviates the need for much of this top-down regulation, with these recent innovations likely doing a much better job of serving consumer needs. When market circumstances change dramatically — or when new technology or competition alleviates the need for regulation — then public policy should evolve and adapt to accommodate these realities. This paper concludes with some proposals for further research in this area, and a call for a more informed regulatory approach that accounts for the innovations of the sharing economy.
Ubiquitin-specific Protease 19 (USP19) Regulates Hypoxia-inducible Factor 1α (HIF-1α) during Hypoxia*

Background: The highly regulated hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) is a key player in the cellular response to hypoxia. Results: The ubiquitin-specific protease 19 (USP19) rescues HIF-1α from degradation in a non-catalytic manner. Conclusion: USP19 is required for cells to mount an appropriate response to hypoxia. Significance: Learning about HIF-1α regulation is essential for understanding the physiological and pathophysiological conditions of the hypoxic response. A proper cellular adaptation to low oxygen levels is essential for processes such as development, growth, metabolism, and angiogenesis. The response to decrease in oxygen supply, referred to as hypoxia, is also involved in numerous human diseases including cancer, inflammatory conditions, and vascular disease. The hypoxia-inducible factor 1-α (HIF-1α), a key player in the hypoxic response, is kept under stringent regulation. At normoxia, the levels are kept low as a consequence of the efficient degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system, and in response to hypoxia, the degradation is blocked and the accumulating HIF-1α promotes a transcriptional response essential for proper adaptation and survival. Here we show that the ubiquitin-specific protease-19 (USP19) interacts with components of the hypoxia pathway including HIF-1α and rescues it from degradation independent of its catalytic activity. In the absence of USP19, cells fail to mount an appropriate response to hypoxia, indicating an important role for this enzyme in normal or pathological conditions.
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma: CT versus MR imaging in the evaluation of resectability--report of the Radiology Diagnostic Oncology Group.

PURPOSE To compare findings with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in pancreatic adenocarcinoma and to determine optimal pulse sequences for MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS CT scans and MR images were compared of 189 adult patients with known or suspected adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Levels of confidence were correlated with surgical and pathologic results. RESULTS The accuracy of CT was 0.73 and of MR imaging was 0.70. The negative predictive value of CT was 0.28 and of MR imaging was 0.23. The positive predictive value of CT was 0.89 and of MR imaging was 0.88. Gradient-echo and T1-weighted spin-echo sequences ranked equally in evaluation of vascular invasion, T1-weighted spin-echo sequences were preferred for assessing lymphadenopathy, and T2-weighted spin-echo sequences were preferred for detecting hepatic metastases. CONCLUSIONS Cross-sectional imaging modalities are useful in the identification of unresectable pancreatic carcinoma. CT is recommended for initial imaging assessment.
Unequal struggle? Consumption and debt – a view from the Debt Advice Industry in the UK

This paper offers a qualitative study of personal debt from the perspective of the UK Debt Advice Industry. The paper looks at the rising levels of personal debt on the eve of the current financial crisis and the issue of sustainability. It uses qualitative research to track the views of representative senior managers, front line debt advisors and call listening to debt hotlines. Part one identifies the ways in which debt has been argued to support a consumption based business model. Part two briefly sketches some of the factors that have enabled personal debt levels to rise. Part three looks at some of the problems this has led to. The remainder of the article reports on the perceptions of those involved in the debt advice industry of the kinds of problems that they and their clients face.
Do the 'Working Poor' Stay Poor? An Analysis of Low Pay Transitions in Italy

This paper uses survey panel data to look at transition probabilities at the bottom of the Italian earnings distribution. The econometric analysis is characterized by a proper treatment of the initial conditions problem and by the investigation of genuine state dependence, the extent with which low pay probabilities depend upon the past experience of low pay other things equal. Results indicate that initial conditions are endogenous and that genuine state dependence can be relevant in determining low pay persistence. On the other hand, individual attributes are found to affect on transition probabilities, although to a limited extent. Copyright 2002 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Value of a put option to the risk-averse newsvendor

In this paper we consider an extension of the single-period inventory model with stochastic demand where a put option can be purchased to reduce losses resulting from low demand. The newsvendor not only chooses the order quantity but also determines the “strike price” and/or the “strike quantity” of the put option. As the buyer of the put option, the newsvendor pays the option writer an amount that equals the expected option payoff plus a risk premium and receives from the option writer the strike price (adjusted for salvage value) for each unit that the demand falls below the strike quantity. The newsvendor is risk-averse and attempts to maximize an expected utility function. We show that: (i) the same order quantity maximizes the expected profit with or without the option; and (ii) the strike price and strike quantity do not affect the newsvendor's maximum expected profit but they do affect the variance of the profit. We use concepts from stochastic dominance theory to prove the following result: if the newsvendor uses the expected profit maximizing order quantity and if she has a quadratic utility function, then maximizing her expected utility is equivalent to minimizing the variance of the profit. Sensitivity analysis results indicate that under poor economic conditions (low sale price/high purchase cost) it may not be optimal to purchase the option. We also find that when the option writer assumes a higher risk/return for the random option payoff (that he pays the newsvendor) the newsvendor can reduce her profit uncertainty by choosing the strike price or strike quantity optimally.
Poverty statics and dynamics: does the accounting period matter?

Deciding on over what period should household income be measured in ord er to assess poverty may have significant effects on the incidence, the characterisation of poverty and its persistence. Thus, any public policy aimed at reducing the effects of deprivation should be aware of which are the effects of its decisions on the income accounting period used in order to determine eligible households or individuals. In general, there are two possible types of household income variables available in household surveys: Annual income which refers to the total amount of income received by household members in the previous year or current income which refers to the total amount of income received during a quarter or a month just before household interview. The consequences of the use of each of these income accounting periods on poverty statics and dynamics are not obvious. Surprisingly, the literature on poverty offers few pieces of research on this matter. In this paper we use a sub-annual panel on incomes for Spain in order to measure the effects of the income accounting period (quarterly and annually) on both the statics (incidence and characterisation) and dynamics of poverty (mobility, exit and entry rates). Our analysis indicates that there are some relevant differences in the results on poverty statics and dynamics when we use diffe rent income accounting periods. Most precisely, a quarterly income accounting period finds statistically significant higher poverty rates than a yearly income accounting period under a large battery of poverty indices. Also, as expected, we find higher income mobility using a quarterly than using a yearly accounting period, however, differences are sensibly larger for poverty entry than for poverty exit. Further, the change of income accounting period affects the income mobility of households in different deciles of the income distribution in a different way. Interesting differences are also found in terms of the composition of the group of the poor and the composition of the group of households who are able to escape poverty or those who suffer a fall into deprivation.
Microglia‐derived macrophages in early multiple sclerosis plaques

One of the characteristics of ongoing demyelination in multiple sclerosis (MS) is the accumulation of lipid-laden macrophages in active lesions. Little is known about the source of these macrophages in the early stages of plaque evolution as microglial-derived and haematogenous macrophages share morphological characteristics and most cell surface antigens. A key issue in understanding the pathogenesis of MS is the reliable identification of phagocytes capable of degrading myelin and presenting autoantigen to T cells at the onset of demyelination. Using a combination of histochemistry and immunocytochemistry, an average of 60% of EBM11+ phagocytes (EMBII is a pan-macrophage marker) in early active MS plaques, defined as lesions with myelin-containing phagocytes but no obvious parenchymal myelin loss around these cells, were judged to originate from microglia as they exhibited nucleoside diphosphatase activity, a microglial marker. Only 4-15% of EBM11+ phagocytes in these lesions exhibited non-specific esterase activity, an enzyme marker for monocytes and macrophages. In contrast, 30-80% of EBM11+ phagocytes in more advanced active plaques with partial or complete myelin loss in the parenchyma were non-specific esterase+. Lysosomal enzyme acid phosphatase activity was strongly exhibited by 90% of phagocytes in all active plaques and there was a significant correlation between numbers of acid phosphatase+ cells and oil red O+ foamy macrophages. The results indicate that microglia are the main population of phagocytes in the early stages of demyelination and may play an important role in the pathogenesis of MS.
NF-E2 p45 Is Important for Establishing Normal Function of Platelets

ABSTRACT NF-E2 is a heterodimeric transcription factor consisting of p45 and small Maf subunits. Since p45−/− mice display severe thrombocytopenia, p45 is recognized as a critical regulator of platelet production from megakaryocytes. To identify direct p45 target genes in megakaryocytes, we used chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) sequencing to analyze the genome-wide chromatin occupancy of p45 in primary megakaryocytes. p45 target gene candidates obtained from the analysis are implicated in the production and function of platelets. Two of these genes, Selp and Myl9, were verified as direct p45 targets through multiple approaches. Since P-selectin, encoded by Selp, plays a critical role in platelet function during thrombogenesis, we tested whether p45 determines the intrinsic reactivity and potency of platelets generated from megakaryocytes. Mice expressing a hypomorphic p45 mutant instead of wild-type p45 in megakaryocytes (p45−/−:ΔNTD-Tg mice) displayed platelet hypofunction accompanied by mild thrombocytopenia. Furthermore, lung metastasis of melanoma cells, which requires platelet activation, was repressed in p45−/−:ΔNTD-Tg mice compared to control mice, validating the impaired function of platelets produced from p45−/−:ΔNTD-Tg megakaryocytes. By activating genes in megakaryocytes that mediate platelet production and function, p45 determines the quantity and quality of platelets.
The Careers of Senior Men and Women a Capabilities Theory Perspective

In this article we adopt a capabilities theory perspective to analyse 40 in-depth interviews (20 women, 20 men) exploring the careers of senior women and men in human resource management. Both groups felt driven by increasingly unconstrained demands of work, in the case of women paid and non-paid domestic work and for men primarily paid work, and perceptions of time autonomy (being able to exercise autonomy in allocating one's time) for both differed markedly. However, these senior women appeared to have negotiated a path which fitted with their realized functioning and quality of life goals and they measured success in their own terms. Senior men's working patterns and definitions of success remained largely traditional and for most the demands of work were dominant. However, there was evidence that male views were changing with some expressing a desire for a better balance with less time involved with work. Our findings highlight the importance of the family and we suggest that there is a need for the obligations of organizations in terms of their impact on the family unit to be stated and acted upon with the role of fathers as carers equally and explicitly expounded with that of mothers.
Effects of Magnetic Coupling of Nonadjacent Resonators on Wireless Power Domino-Resonator Systems

In this paper, the effects of the magnetic coupling of nonadjacent resonators on the optimal frequency of wireless power transfer are addressed. A power analysis has been carried out to identify the adjacent and nonadjacent power flow components. It is found that such cross-coupling effects of nonadjacent resonators would cause the maximum efficiency operation to slightly shift away from the resonance frequency of the resonators. Theoretical reasons for such phenomena are provided and experimentally confirmed with practical measurements in a wireless power transfer system comprising several magnetically coupled resonators arranged in a straight domino form.
Effectiveness of treatment with oral paricalcitol in patients with pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease.

PURPOSE Secondary hyperparathyroidism is a common complication in patients with chronic kidney disease. Treatment with paricalcitol, a selective vitamin D receptor (VDR) activator, has shown benefits in these patients by adequately reducing PTH levels with minimal changes in serum calcium and phosphorus. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of paricalcitol in chronic renal disease patients (CKD grades 3 and 4). METHODS A study of our experience with paricalcitol was conducted in normal clinical practice in patients over 18 years diagnosed with grade 3 or 4 chronic kidney disease. Patients were periodically evaluated every 3 months. The primary endpoint of effectiveness was to obtain two consecutive decreases of ≥30% in iPTH with respect to baseline values. The secondary endpoints were fulfilment of the objectives in accordance with the Spanish Society of Nephrology (SEN) and Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (K/DOQI) guidelines, as well as the relationship between the effectiveness of the treatment and different patient variables. Safety was studied by means of hypercalcaemia events. RESULTS The primary study endpoint was achieved in 54.3% of patients. In addition, another 16.3% of patients had reduced iPTH by more than 30% at the 3rd visit. Therefore, 70.6% of patients reduced their iPTH levels by more than 30% in 6 months. The relationship between treatment success and both glomerular filtration rate and body mass index was significant. There were few adverse events, although hypercalcaemia was found in 5.4% of patients. CONCLUSIONS Treatment with paricalcitol is effective in controlling secondary hyperparathyroidism in non-dialysed patients with a wide safety margin.
The Reliability of Investment Property Fair Values Under IFRS

The valuation of property companies and fair value accounting for investment properties under IFRS are closely affiliated with each other. This is because property companies are commonly valued using net asset value as a valuation technique. The term net asset value represents the fair value of a property company’s assets less its liabilities and therefore can easily be determined, as under IFRS investment property is reported using a fair value approach. This paper examines the perception of fair value estimates for many companies’ main asset: investment properties. For that purpose we investigate the association between the net asset values of European listed property companies and their market prices. We find that net asset value usually departs from the market capitalization of European property companies. We think that those deviations are a result of insufficient accuracy of fair value estimates of investment properties because of the limitations of appraisals, the diversity of applied approaches in appraising investment properties and the reliability problem for mark-to-model approaches usually applied in determining the fair value of investment properties.
The Double Voluntarism in EU Social Dialogue and Employment Policy

In this article, we analyse the development of new modes of governance in EU employment and social policy over the past two decades. In this field, a number of innovations can be observed. First, with the Maastricht Treaty, the right to draw up legislation was given to European social partners. Second, with the European Employment Strategy and the Open Method of Coordination, new instruments of coordinating national policies were introduced to EU policy-making. Recently, the latter instrument was incorporated into the social dialogue. Hence, we contend that a double voluntarism takes places that not only delegates responsibility for social policy to the social partners but also relies on soft rather than on hard law.