Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Teams, Performance-Related Pay, Profit Sharing and Productive Efficiency: Evidence from a Food-Processing Plant

By assembling and analyzing new panel data, we investigate the impact of important changes in HR practices on firm performance for a food-processing plant. Our principal economic data are most unusual – weekly records on efficiency for all four production lines in the plant during 1999-2005. Compared to other insider econometric studies our case experienced an unusual degree of change in HR policies with the introduction of teams, company wide-profit sharing and a group system of performance related pay (PRP) though production technology did not change. We use theory and detailed knowledge of HR policies at the case to develop core hypotheses concerning the specific effects of these particular HR plans. We also consider hypotheses concerning why effects might vary across lines. Evidence that is largely derived from interviews mainly supports our key hypotheses. Our key empirical strategy is to estimate structural change models. In three of four production lines we find, as predicted, that the addition of PRP to teams produces substantial productivity increases ranging from 9 – 20%, while in the remaining line there is no change in productivity. We also provide additional and more qualitative evidence that bears on subsidiary hypotheses, e.g. concerning the impact of PRP and teams on product quality and worker incomes. Our findings thus provide some of the first disaggregated evidence for the importance of complementarities among HR policies. Our findings support those from other studies that have shown the crucial importance of HR plan design and the context surrounding implementation for policies to have economic payoffs.
Feasibility study of 60 GHz radio systems in hospital environments

Feasibility study of high data-rate radio communications in a hospital room was performed. Throughput of a physical layer is evaluated as a figure of merit based on the IEEE 802.15. 3c standard. Furthermore, the throughput was obtained using measured radio channels and channel models for hospital environments. The comparison of the throughput with measured and modeled channels allows us to discuss the validity of the channel model for the hospital room. The throughput values were simulated using two different types of radio interfaces; orthogonal frequency division multiplexing and single carrier transmission. The results of the throughput simulations showed that the modeled and measured channels provided the similar trend of throughput degradation as the distance between the transmitter and the receiver increased. Specifically, the throughput degradation started when the distance was longer than 3 meters.
Optimal Adaptive Sampled-Data Based Control of Stochastic Systems with Compact Parameter Set

The problem of the sampled-data (SD) based adaptive linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) optimal control of linear stochastic continuous-time systems with unknown parameters and stochastic disturbances is considered in this paper. For the case where the parameters belong to a known compact set and only sampled information of the system state is available, an SD-based LQG adaptive control is designed. It is shown that the control law is optimal for the corresponding discretized system, and sub-optimal for the original continuous-time system.
Two expressions of “surround suppression” in V1 that arise independent of cortical mechanisms of suppression

The preferred stimulus size of a V1 neuron decreases with increases in stimulus contrast. It has been supposed that stimulus contrast is the primary determinant of such spatial summation in V1 cells, though the extent to which it depends on other stimulus attributes such as orientation and spatial frequency remains untested. We investigated this by recording from single cells in V1 of anaesthetized cats and monkeys, measuring size-tuning curves for high-contrast drifting gratings of optimal spatial configuration, and comparing these curves with those obtained at lower contrast or at sub-optimal orientations or spatial frequencies. For drifting gratings of optimal spatial configuration, lower contrasts produced less surround suppression resulting in increases in preferred size. High contrast gratings of sub-optimal spatial configuration produced more surround suppression than optimal low-contrast gratings, and as much or more surround suppression than optimal high-contrast gratings. For sub-optimal spatial frequencies, preferred size was similar to that for the optimal high-contrast stimulus, whereas for sub-optimal orientations, preferred size was smaller than that for the optimal high-contrast stimulus. These results indicate that, while contrast is an important determinant of spatial summation in V1, it is not the only determinant. Simulation of these experiments on a cortical receptive field modeled as a Gabor revealed that the small preferred sizes observed for non-preferred stimuli could result simply from linear filtering by the classical receptive field. Further simulations show that surround suppression in retinal ganglion cells and LGN cells can be propagated to neurons in V1, though certain properties of the surround seen in cortex indicate that it is not solely inherited from earlier stages of processing.
Morningness-eveningness preferences and sleep-waking dairy data of morning and evening types in student and worker samples.

A questionnaire was distributed to 300 students and 175 workers of the same mean age to determine their morningness-eveningness preferences. Morning and evening type samples obtained from these larger populations were requested to keep logs of bed and rising time for each day of a 2 week period. In comparison to students, workers had a distribution significantly skewed towards the morningness scores. Differences were found between the expressed preferences and the sleep-waking diary data in workers, but not in students. The acquisition of a regular job seems to induce a change in sleep-wake behaviour, particularly in evening workers.
Transvaginal Ultrasound‐Guided Biopsy of Deep Pelvic Masses

The purpose of this review is to discuss the rationale and indications for transvaginal ultrasound‐guided biopsy. Transvaginal ultrasound‐guided biopsy can be a helpful tool for diagnosis and treatment planning in the evaluation of pelvic masses, particularly when the anatomy precludes a transabdominal or posterior transgluteal percutaneous biopsy approach. A step‐by‐step summary of the technique with preprocedure and postprocedure considerations is included.
Synthesis of β‐tubulin occurs within chromatoid body of round spermatids

mRNAs for proteins required in elongated spermatids are considered to be transcribed at an early stage and stored in cytoplasm, presumably in chromatoid body (CB), one type of nuage component (a unique structure that appears and disappears during spermatogenesis), because transcription of genes does not occur at late stages. In elongated spermatids, a large amount of tubulin molecules is required to form microtubules of manchette and flagellum. To investigate the possible role of CB in translation of tubulin mRNA, we performed immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopic localization studies of α‐ and β‐tubulin in rat spermatogenic cells. β‐tubulin was detected in CB, but α‐tubulin was not. Other nuage components present in pachytene spermatocytes (ISPG, IMC, SB) were negative for both α‐ and β‐tubulin. Our findings suggest that: (i) β‐tubulin in round spermatids is translated within the CB, whereas α‐tubulin is not; (ii) αβ‐heterodimers are formed outside CB and incorporated into microtubules of manchette and flagellum.
Does vitamin A supplementation interact with routine vaccinations? An analysis of the Ghana Vitamin A Supplementation Trial.

BACKGROUND The World Health Organization recommends vitamin A supplementation (VAS) at vaccination contacts after 6 mo of age to reduce mortality. However, it is unknown whether the effect of VAS is independent of vaccinations. One of the original VAS trials from Ghana had collected vaccination information. OBJECTIVE We reanalyzed the data to explore the hypothesis that VAS reduces mortality in children who had bacille Calmette-Guérin or measles vaccine as their most recent vaccine but increased mortality when diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine (DTP) was the most recent vaccine. On the basis of previous studies, we expected the effects to be strongest in girls. DESIGN At enrollment, children aged 6-90 mo were randomly assigned to receive VAS or placebo every 4 mo for 2 y. Vaccination status was assessed at enrollment and after 1 and 2 y by reviewing the children's health cards. Lack of a health card was presumed to mean that the child had not been vaccinated. RESULTS VAS had a beneficial effect only in children with no record of vaccination at enrollment (n = 5066); the mortality rate ratio (MRR) was 0.64 (95% CI: 0.47, 0.88) compared with 0.95 (95% CI: 0.72, 1.26) in children with one or more vaccinations (n = 6656). Among vaccinated children, the effect of VAS differed between boys (MRR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.51, 1.08) and girls (MRR: 1.18; 95% CI: 0.84, 1.67) (P = 0.046 for interaction). VAS had a negative effect in measles-vaccinated girls who were missing one or more doses of DTP at enrollment, a group who often received DTP during follow-up (MRR: 2.60; 95% CI: 1.41, 4.80). CONCLUSIONS The effect of VAS differed by vaccination status. This is potentially problematic because VAS is provided at vaccination contacts.
Expression of the carcinoma markers: the sialylated Lewis A and X carbohydrate antigens in normal laryngeal surface epithelium and submucosal glands from old humans

Aberrant surface expression of the carbohydrate ABH and Lewis antigens are often used as markers for the diagnosis of cancer, but while the distribution of these histo‐blood group antigens is relatively well‐described in tissues and organs from young and middle‐aged humans little is known of their expression in old age. The objective for this study was to estimate if the Lewis A and X antigens together with their sialylated modifications, are expressed in sections of normal laryngeal tissue from old humans. Antibodies directed against the tumor markers Sialyl Lewis A and Sialyl Lewis X showed positive reaction in the surface epithelia from normal larynx autopsies obtained from people aged 77–90 years. The sialylated and non‐sialylated Lewis A antigens were more frequently expressed in the pseudostratified epithelium than in squamous surface epithelium. Both the sialylated and the non‐sialylated carbohydrates were stained in the submucosal glands in all the autopsies. In conclusion, visualization of Lewis tumor markers in the larynx should be interpreted with great care, as they may be present in normal laryngeal epithelial cells from old humans.
Patients treated with high‐dose intravenous immunoglobulin show selective activation of regulatory T cells

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) is used to treat autoimmune and systemic inflammatory diseases caused by derailment of humoral and cellular immunity. In this study we investigated whether IVIg treatment can modulate regulatory T cells (Tregs) in humans in vivo. Blood was collected from IVIg‐treated patients with immunodeficiency or autoimmune disease who were treated with low‐dose (n = 12) or high‐dose (n = 15) IVIg before, immediately after and at 7 days after treatment. Percentages and activation status of circulating CD4+CD25+forkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3+) Tregs and of conventional CD4+FoxP3− T‐helper cells (Tconv) were measured. The suppressive capacity of Tregs purified from blood collected at the time‐points indicated was determined in an ex‐vivo assay. High‐dose, but not low‐dose, IVIg treatment enhanced the activation status of circulating Tregs, as shown by increased FoxP3 and human leucocyte antigen D‐related (HLA‐DR) expression, while numbers of circulating Tregs remained unchanged. The enhanced activation was sustained for at least 7 days after infusion, and the suppressive capacity of purified Tregs was increased from 41 to 70% at day 7 after IVIg treatment. The activation status of Tconv was not affected by IVIg. We conclude that high‐dose IVIg treatment activates Tregs selectively and enhances their suppressive function in humans in vivo. This effect may be one of the mechanisms by which IVIg restores imbalanced immune homeostasis in patients with autoimmune and systemic inflammatory disorders.
Ovarian cycle and embryonic development in Gammarus fossarum: Application for reproductive toxicity assessment

Among freshwater invertebrates, Gammarus fossarum is an important test organism and is currently used in ecotoxicology for acute and chronic assays; nevertheless, reproductive toxicity test methods are not yet available for these species. In the present study, the reproductive cycle in Gammarus fossarum was characterized in order to propose a reproductive toxicity test encompassing molting, follicle growth, and embryonic development that will provide a better understanding of the mode of action of chemicals disrupting these hormone‐regulated processes. A detailed description of the reproductive cycle in Gammarus fossarum was obtained. As in some amphipods, molt and reproductive cycles of G. fossarum females occur concurrently, lasting 30 d at 12°C. Each molt stage is characterized by a specific marsupial embryonic development stage and the size of developing follicles visible on the ovarian membrane. Based on these results, a 21‐d reproductive toxicity test is proposed for this species. This new bioassay was applied to identify the specific impact of different stressors: cadmium, methomyl, nonylphenol, and a starvation diet. Good reproducibility was obtained for different endpoints under control conditions and throughout the experiments. Preliminary robust reference values or benchmarks were proposed for these endpoints. Cadmium was found to specially inhibit secondary vitellogenesis. Nonylphenol had a specific concentration‐dependent effect on embryonic development, with an increase in the percent abnormality from a concentration of 0.05 µg/L. A restricted food diet led to a significant delay in the molt cycle, which in turn induced inhibition of secondary vitellogenesis. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:2249–2259. © 2010 SETAC
Predicción de la mortalidad en pacientes con bacteremia y sepsis

Objetivo. Desarrollar una regla de prediccion de mortalidad para pacientes con bacteremia. Diselno. Estudio observacional analitico en una cohorte historica. Sitio del estudio. Hospital Universitario San Vicente de Paul. Institucion de referencia de tercer nivel de atencion. Pacientes mayores de 12 anos hospitalizados entre julio de 1993 y junio de 19995 con crecimiento en al menos un hemocultivo para germenes de reconocida capacidad patogena o dos hemocultivos para germenes habituales en piel, en precencia de respuesta inflamatoria sistemica o evidencia de foco primario de infeccion. Variables. Predictivas: edad, sexo, comorbilidad, temperatura, reciento leucocitario, porcentaje de neutrofilos y bandas, hipotension, confusion, oliguria, acidosis metabolica y sindrome de dificultad respiratoria aguda. Desenlace: mortalidad durante hospitalizacion. Analiasis estadistico. Analisis exploratorio bivariable para escoger variables iniciales. evaluacion de colinealidad. Analisis de regresion logistica con metodo "paso a paso" (stepwise). Evaluacion de capacidad predictiva, bondad de ajuste, discriminacion y caracteristicas operativas del modelo y validacion interna con tecnica de remuestreo "bootstrap". Resultados. El modelo que mejor predice mortalidad involucra las variables comorbilidad (OR:3.08;IC95 por ciento: 1.29-7.38), acidosis (3.88; 1.94-7.76), choque (2.84; 1.32-6.1), SDRA (3.74; 1.69-8.2) y confusion (1.85; 1-3.39); con un valor predictivo positivo de 75.6 por ciento, precision del 73.5 por ciento y area bajo la curva COR de 0.75. conclusiones. La presencia de enfermedades concomitantes que comprometen el sistema inmune y las complicaciones derivadas de la infeccion son las determinantes principales de mortalidad en bacteremia. es necesario un estudio prospectivo que determine con exactitud los cambios tempranos para obtener un modelo de mejor precision
Comparison of Disulfide Contents and Solubility at Alkaline pH of Insecticidal and Noninsecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis Protein Crystals

We compared two insecticidal and eight noninsecticidal soil isolates of Bacillus thuringiensis with regard to the solubility of their proteinaceous crystals at alkaline pH values. The protein disulfide contents of the insecticidal and noninsecticidal crystals were equivalent. However, six of the noninsecticidal crystals were soluble only at pH values of ≥12. This lack of solubility contributed to their lack of toxicity. One crystal type which was soluble only at pH ≥12 (strain SHP 1-12) did exhibit significant toxicity to tobacco hornworm larvae when the crystals were presolubilized. In contrast, freshly prepared crystals from the highly insecticidal strain HD-1 were solubilized at pH 9.5 to 10.5, but when these crystals were denatured, by either 8 M urea or autoclave temperatures, they became nontoxic and were soluble only at pH values of ≥12. These changes in toxicity and solubility occurred even though the denatured HD-1 crystals were morphologically indistinguishable from native crystals. Our data are consistent with the view that insecticidal crystals contain distorted, destabilized disulfide bonds which allow them to be solubilized at pH values (9.5 to 10.5) characteristic of lepidopteran and dipteran larval midguts.
Segmentation of Skin Lesions and Related Structures -An Analytical Study

Automated computer aided analysis and interpretation has become an important research area and accurate border detection is the first and foremost step for any analysis. Identification of the diseased/abnormal portion of the skin is possible only by accurate delineation methods. This paper critically reviews and summarizes some of the medical image segmentation techniques in literature. The various detection methods applied to segmenting skin lesions and structures such as pigment networks and irregular streaks have been discussed. All the methods discussed provide meaningful visualization of these structures and irregularity detection.
Paper by Invitation: Imaging Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy

It has been traditionally held that there is no radiological abnormality in patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE). Sophisticated image processing and quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies suggest that, in some cases, there may be a subtle structural abnormality. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy indicates neuronal dysfunction with differing patterns of abnormality in the IGE sub-syndromes, and high levels of glutamate and glutamine have been suggested in the frontal lobes, and low GABA levels in the occipital lobe. Studies reflecting cerebral blood flow at the time of absences have given complex results. The principal consensus is of an increase in the thalamus and broad decreases in the neocortex, reflecting a suppression of neuronal activity, but with the possibility of some increases, that could perhaps reflect focal areas of neuronal activation. PET ligand studies with an opioid tracer have implied neocortical release of endogenous opioids at the time of serial absences. In combination with high time-resolution neurophysiological methods, static and dynamic PET studies with specific ligands have the potential to elucidate the functional anatomy and neurochemical circuits that underlie IGE.
Program Death-1 Engagement Upon TCR Activation Has Distinct Effects on Costimulation and Cytokine-Driven Proliferation: Attenuation of ICOS, IL-4, and IL-21, But Not CD28, IL-7, and IL-15 Responses

The program death 1 (PD-1) receptor and its ligands, PD-1 ligand (PD-L)1 and PD-L2, define a novel regulatory pathway with potential inhibitory effects on T, B, and monocyte responses. In the present study, we show that human CD4+ T cells express PD-1, PD-L1, and PD-L2 upon activation, and Abs to the receptor can be agonists or antagonists of the pathway. Under optimal conditions of stimulation, ICOS but not CD28 costimulation can be prevented by PD-1 engagement. IL-2 levels induced by costimulation are critical in determining the outcome of the PD-1 engagement. Thus, low to marginal IL-2 levels produced upon ICOS costimulation account for the greater sensitivity of this pathway to PD-1-mediated inhibition. Interestingly, exogenous IL-2, IL-7, and IL-15 but not IL-4 and IL-21 can rescue PD-1 inhibition, suggesting that among these cytokines only those that activate STAT5 can rescue PD-1 inhibition. As STAT5 has been implicated in the maintenance of IL-2Rα expression, these results suggest that IL-7 and IL-15 restore proliferation under conditions of PD-1 engagement by enhancing high-affinity IL-2R expression and hence, IL-2 responsiveness.
Plastoglobule Proteome

Originally identified in early electron microscopic studies as ‘‘osmiophilic globuli’’ in plastids (Greenwood et al., 1963; Bailey and Whyborn, 1963), plastoglobules are now recognized as distinct, lipoprotein structures. Although believed to play an active role in the plastid, their specific role is still unclear. To understand the function of plastoglobules, the identification of the proteins associated with them would be most helpful. This month’s High Impact focuses on this question with the article by Ytterberg et al. (2006) titled ‘‘Protein profiling of plastoglobules in chloroplasts and chromoplasts. A surprising site for differential accumulation of metabolic enzymes. ’’
Docetaxel as Salvage Therapy in Highly Pretreated and Drug Resistant Gastrointestinal Carcinomas

Introduction Despite many efforts to develop new chemotherapies for metastatic upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, overall prognosis continues to be fatal, particularly in gastric and pancreatic cancer. Many of these patients deserve second-or third-line treatment after failure of first-line chemotherapy. Therefore, we analysed toxicity and response rate of weekly docetaxel after failed upfront regimes in these upper GI cancer patients. Patients and Methods Between 2001 and 2006, 18 patients received docetaxel based regimes (35 mg/m2 weekly) after informed consent. Response rates were determined using RECIST criteria or tumor progression if clinically evident. Toxicities were graded based on NCI CTC criteria (version 2). Most patients had gastric cancer (13/18). The remaining entities comprised of bilio-pancreatic cancer (5/18). Results Docetaxel was administered as 2nd line therapy in 28% (5/18), 3rd line therapy in 56% (10/18) and 4th or 5th line therapy in 17% (3/18). The average docetaxel dose was 38 mg/m2 (Median: 35 mg/m2) once weekly. Over a treatment duration of 14.7 weeks, the average dosage was 58 gr per patient and week. Overall, docetaxel was well tolerated with only few chemotherapy-associated toxicities (Grade 3/4), including nausea (17%), polyneuropathy (17%), anorexia (11%), neutropenia (6%) and leukopenia (17%). Docetaxel administration did not achieve any complete responses (CR) and one (5.6%) partial response (PR) was seen (1/18). In addition 5 patients (27.8%) had stable disease (SD), thus inducing a tumor control rate of 33.3% (6/18). Median progression-free survival was 2.4 months for all patients, 2.1 months in the gastric-cancer and 2.4 months in the bilio-pancreatic cancer subgroups respectively. After first docetaxel administration median survival for all patients was 4.5 months, patients with gastric cancer survived for 4.9 months whereas patients suffering from bilio-pancreatic carcinoma survived for 4.2 months. However, taken together 27% (5/18) had a remarkable overall survival of more than 2.5 years. Discussion In severely pretreated patients, with documented chemoresistant GI tumors, weekly docetaxel was well tolerated, presented good tumor control rate and overall survival. Therefore, this regimen may be used as salvage treatment in individual patients with upper GI cancers.