Litigation and Settlement: New Evidence from Labor Courts in Mexico

Using a newly assembled data set on procedures filed in Mexican labor tribunals, we study the determinants of final awards to workers. On average, workers recover less than 30% of their claim. Our strongest result is that workers receive higher percentages of their claims in settlements than in trial judgments. We also find that cases with multiple claimants against a single firm are less likely to be settled, which partially explains why workers involved in these procedures receive lower percentages of their claims. Finally, we find evidence that a worker who exaggerates her claim is less likely to settle.

Litigation and settlement : new evidence from labor courts in Mexico

Using a newly assembled data set on procedures filed in Mexican labor tribunals, the authors of this paper study the determinants of final awards to workers. On average, workers recover less than 30 percent of their claim. The strongest result is that workers receive higher percentages of their claims in settlements than in trial judgments. It is also found that cases with multiple claimants against a single firm are less likely to be settled, which partially explains why workers involved in these procedures receive lower percentages of their claims. Finally, the authors find evidence that a worker who exaggerates his or her claim is less likely to settle.Bankruptcy and Resolution of Financial Distress,Arbitration,Information Security&Privacy,Labor Markets,Judicial System Reform

The open cluster NGC 6520 and the nearby dark molecular cloud Barnard 86

Wide field BVI photometry and $^{12}$CO(1$\to$0) observations are presen ted in the region of the open cluster NGC 6520 and the dark molecular cloud Barnard~86. From the analysis of the optical data we find that the cluster is rather compact, with a radius of 1.0$\pm$0.5 arcmin, smaller than previous estimates. The cluster age is 150$\pm$50 Myr and the reddening E$_{B-V}$=0.42$\pm$0.10. The distance from the Sun is estimated to be 1900$\pm$100 pc, and it is larger than previous estimates. We finally derive basic properties of the dark nebula Barnard 86 on the assumption that it lies at the same distance of the cluster.Comment: 21 pages, 8 eps figures (a few degraded in resolution), accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journa

Dynamic scaling exponents of copper electrodeposits from scanning force microscopy imaging : Influence of a thiourea additive on the kinetics of roughening and brightening

Changes in the topography of Cu electrodeposits grown on polycrystalline Cu substrates at low constant current density from still aqueous concentrated CuSO4 + H2SO4 solutions, at 298 K, were studied by scanning force microscopy (SFM) at different scale lengths (L) from the nanometer level upward. The dynamic scaling theory applied to SFM images leads to exponents α = 0.87 ± 0.06 and β = 0.63 ± 0.08, which are consistent with an interface growing under an unstable regime. For similar conditions, the addition of 1,3-diethyl-2-thiourea reduces the average crystal size (〈ds〉) of electrodeposits leading to scaling exponents α = 0.86 ± 0.06 and β = 0.24 ± 0.05 for L s⟩ and a logarithmic dependence for the spatial and temporal evolution of the interface for L > 3 μm and t → 0. In an additive-free plating bath, the unstable growth regime appears to be originated by enhanced electrodeposition at protrusions due to curvature effects and further sustained by the electric and concentration fields built up around the growing deposit. The presence of the additive hinders the development of instabilities driving the evolution of the growing interface to that predicted by the Edwards-Wilkinson growth model on the asymptotic limit.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y AplicadasFacultad de Ciencias Exacta

Dynamic scaling exponents of copper electrodeposits from scanning force microscopy imaging : Influence of a thiourea additive on the kinetics of roughening and brightening

Changes in the topography of Cu electrodeposits grown on polycrystalline Cu substrates at low constant current density from still aqueous concentrated CuSO4 + H2SO4 solutions, at 298 K, were studied by scanning force microscopy (SFM) at different scale lengths (L) from the nanometer level upward. The dynamic scaling theory applied to SFM images leads to exponents α = 0.87 ± 0.06 and β = 0.63 ± 0.08, which are consistent with an interface growing under an unstable regime. For similar conditions, the addition of 1,3-diethyl-2-thiourea reduces the average crystal size (〈ds〉) of electrodeposits leading to scaling exponents α = 0.86 ± 0.06 and β = 0.24 ± 0.05 for L s⟩ and a logarithmic dependence for the spatial and temporal evolution of the interface for L > 3 μm and t → 0. In an additive-free plating bath, the unstable growth regime appears to be originated by enhanced electrodeposition at protrusions due to curvature effects and further sustained by the electric and concentration fields built up around the growing deposit. The presence of the additive hinders the development of instabilities driving the evolution of the growing interface to that predicted by the Edwards-Wilkinson growth model on the asymptotic limit.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y AplicadasFacultad de Ciencias Exacta

Intrarenal Renin Angiotensin System Imbalance during Postnatal Life Is Associated with Increased Microvascular Density in the Mature Kidney

Environmental stress during early life is an important factor that affects the postnatal renal development. We have previously shown that male rats exposed to maternal separation (MatSep), a model of early life stress, are normotensive but display a sex-specific reduced renal function and exacerbated angiotensin II (AngII)-mediated vascular responses as adults. Since optimal AngII levels during postnatal life are required for normal maturation of the kidney, this study was designed to investigate both short- and long-term effect of MatSep on (1) the renal vascular architecture and function, (2) the intrarenal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) components status, and (3) the genome-wide expression of genes in isolated renal vasculature. Renal tissue and plasma were collected from male rats at different postnatal days (P) for intrarenal RAS components mRNA and protein expression measurements at P2, 6, 10, 14, 21, and 90 and microCT analysis at P21 and 90. Although with similar body weight and renal mass trajectories from P2 to P90, MatSep rats displayed decreased renal filtration capacity at P90, while increased microvascular density at both P21 and P90 (p \u3c 0.05). MatSep increased renal expression of renin, and angiotensin type 1 (AT1) and type 2 (AT2) receptors (p \u3c 0.05), but reduced ACE2 mRNA expression and activity from P2-14 compared to controls. However, intrarenal levels of AngII peptide were reduced (p \u3c 0.05) possible due to the increased degradation to AngIII by aminopeptidase A. In isolated renal vasculature from neonates, Enriched Biological Pathways functional clusters (EBPfc) from genes changed by MatSep reported to modulate extracellular structure organization, inflammation, and pro-angiogenic transcription factors. Our data suggest that male neonates exposed to MatSep could display permanent changes in the renal microvascular architecture in response to intrarenal RAS imbalance in the context of the atypical upregulation of angiogenic factors

Dynamical description of the buildup process in resonant tunneling: Evidence of exponential and non-exponential contributions

The buildup process of the probability density inside the quantum well of a double-barrier resonant structure is studied by considering the analytic solution of the time dependent Schr\"{o}dinger equation with the initial condition of a cutoff plane wave. For one level systems at resonance condition we show that the buildup of the probability density obeys a simple charging up law, $| \Psi (\tau) / \phi | =1-e^{-\tau /\tau_0},$ where $\phi$ is the stationary wave function and the transient time constant $\tau_0$ is exactly two lifetimes. We illustrate that the above formula holds both for symmetrical and asymmetrical potential profiles with typical parameters, and even for incidence at different resonance energies. Theoretical evidence of a crossover to non-exponential buildup is also discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Vascular interstitial cells in retinal arteriolar annuli are altered during hypertension

The authors thank Veronica Melgarejo, Lorena Noya, and Angel Vazquez for technical assistance. Supported by grants from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI12/00605, PI16/00719, SAF2014-59945-R, and Red de Investigación Renal REDinREN 12/0021/0013), Spain; Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (SFRH/BPD/102573/2014, SFRH/BD/95330/2013), Ministerio da Educação e Ciência, Portugal; and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER).Supported by grants from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI12/00605, PI16/00719, SAF2014-59945-R, and Red de Investigacion Renal REDinREN 12/0021/0013), Spain; Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (SFRH/BPD/102573/2014, SFRH/BD/95330/2013), Ministerio da Educacao e Ciencia, Portugal; and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER).PURPOSE. It has been suggested that arteriolar annuli localized in retinal arterioles regulate retinal blood flow acting as sphincters. Here, the morphology and protein expression profile of arteriolar annuli have been analyzed under physiologic conditions in the retina of wildtype, β-actin-Egfp, and Nestin-gfp transgenic mice. Additionally, to study the effect of hypertension, the KAP transgenic mouse has been used. METHODS. Cellular architecture has been studied using digested whole mount retinas and transmission electron microscopy. The profile of protein expression has been analyzed on paraffin sections and whole mount retinas by immunofluorescence and histochemistry. RESULTS. The ultrastructural analysis of arteriolar annuli showed a different cell population found between endothelial and muscle cells that matched most of the morphologic criteria established to define interstitial Cajal cells. The profile of protein expression of these vascular interstitial cells (VICs) was similar to that of interstitial Cajal cells and different from the endothelial and smooth muscle cells, because they expressed b-actin, nestin, and CD44, but they did not express CD31 and a-SMA or scarcely express F-actin. Furthermore, VICs share with pericytes the expression of NG2 and platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFR-β). The high expression of Ano1 and high activity of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-diaphorase observed in VICs was diminished during hypertensive retinopathy suggesting that these cells might play a role on the motility of arteriolar annuli and that this function is altered during hypertension. CONCLUSIONS. A novel type of VICs has been described in the arteriolar annuli of mouse retina. Remarkably, these cells undergo important molecular modifications during hypertensive retinopathy and might thus be a therapeutic target against this disease

Dynamic scaling exponents of copper electrodeposits from scanning force microscopy imaging : Influence of a thiourea additive on the kinetics of roughening and brightening

Changes in the topography of Cu electrodeposits grown on polycrystalline Cu substrates at low constant current density from still aqueous concentrated CuSO4 + H2SO4 solutions, at 298 K, were studied by scanning force microscopy (SFM) at different scale lengths (L) from the nanometer level upward. The dynamic scaling theory applied to SFM images leads to exponents α = 0.87 ± 0.06 and β = 0.63 ± 0.08, which are consistent with an interface growing under an unstable regime. For similar conditions, the addition of 1,3-diethyl-2-thiourea reduces the average crystal size (〈ds〉) of electrodeposits leading to scaling exponents α = 0.86 ± 0.06 and β = 0.24 ± 0.05 for L s⟩ and a logarithmic dependence for the spatial and temporal evolution of the interface for L > 3 μm and t → 0. In an additive-free plating bath, the unstable growth regime appears to be originated by enhanced electrodeposition at protrusions due to curvature effects and further sustained by the electric and concentration fields built up around the growing deposit. The presence of the additive hinders the development of instabilities driving the evolution of the growing interface to that predicted by the Edwards-Wilkinson growth model on the asymptotic limit.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y AplicadasFacultad de Ciencias Exacta