Determinants of Labor Productivity in Emerging Markets: Evidence from Pre- and Post-Financial Crisis Mexico

Although the global financial crisis of 2008 had tremendous effects on global businesses, its impact on firm performance in emerging markets is unknown. To develop this knowledge, this study explores the factors that influenced labor productivity in emerging markets before and after the crisis. Using a sample of 2,061 Mexican firms that were collected by the World Bank in 2006 and 2010, this study investigates the relationships of bribery, informality, and corporate governance to labor productivity. The results show that, before the crisis, informality and foreign ownership were positively associated with labor productivity. On the other hand, after the crisis, bribery and informality are negatively related to labor productivity, while foreign ownership and external auditing make positive impacts on labor productivity. The findings imply that businesses need to improve the quality of their corporate governance and decrease bribery. Governments of emerging markets need to reduce the levels of informality

Computer-Aided Analysis of Flow in Water Pipe Networks after a Seismic Event

This paper proposes a framework for a reliability-based flow analysis for a water pipe network after an earthquake. For the first part of the framework, we propose to use a modeling procedure for multiple leaks and breaks in the water pipe segments of a network that has been damaged by an earthquake. For the second part, we propose an efficient system-level probabilistic flow analysis process that integrates the matrix-based system reliability (MSR) formulation and the branch-and-bound method. This process probabilistically predicts flow quantities by considering system-level damage scenarios consisting of combinations of leaks and breaks in network pipes and significantly reduces the computational cost by sequentially prioritizing the system states according to their likelihoods and by using the branch-and-bound method to select their partial sets. The proposed framework is illustrated and demonstrated by examining two example water pipe networks that have been subjected to a seismic event. These two examples consist of 11 and 20 pipe segments, respectively, and are computationally modeled considering their available topological, material, and mechanical properties. Considering different earthquake scenarios and the resulting multiple leaks and breaks in the water pipe segments, the water flows in the segments are estimated in a computationally efficient manner.ope

Two Cases of Lichen Planus Pigmentosus Presenting with a Linear Pattern

We report two cases of lichen planus pigmentosus (LPP) that developed in a unilateral linear pattern. The patients presented with unilateral linear brown macules on the extremities. Skin biopsy showed orthokeratosis, basal hydropic degeneration with scarce lymphohistiocytic infiltrates, and numerous melanophages in both patients. These patients, to the best of our knowledge, are the first cases of LPP presenting with a linear pattern. LPP should be considered in the differential diagnosis of linear hyperpigmented skin lesions

Vav1 inhibits RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption

Vav1 is a Rho/Rac guanine nucleotide exchange factor primarily expressed in hematopoietic cells. In this study, we investigated the potential role of Vav1 in osteoclast (OC) differentiation by comparing the ability of bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMCs) obtained from Vav1-deficient (Vav1−/−) and wild-type (WT) mice to differentiate into mature OCs upon stimulation with macrophage colony stimulating factor and receptor activator of nuclear kappa B ligand in vitro. Our results suggested that Vav1 deficiency promoted the differentiation of BMMCs into OCs, as indicated by the increased expression of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase, cathepsin K, and calcitonin receptor. Therefore, Vav1 may play a negative role in OC differentiation. This hypothesis was supported by the observation of more OCs in the femurs of Vav1−/− mice than in WT mice. Furthermore, the bone status of Vav1−/− mice was analyzed in situ and the femurs of Vav1−/− mice appeared abnormal, with poor bone density and fewer number of trabeculae. In addition, Vav1-deficient OCs showed stronger adhesion to vitronectin, an αvβ3 integrin ligand important in bone resorption. Thus, Vav1 may inhibit OC differentiation and protect against bone resorption

Electroluminescence properties of organic light-emitting diodes with a red dye doped into Alq3:rubrene mixed Host

We have studied the electroluminescence (EL) properties of devices with a red fluorescent dye, 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-t-butyl-6-(1,1,7,7-tetramethyljulolidyl-9-enyl)-4H-pyran (DCJTB), doped into a mixed matrix of tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq$_3$) and rubrene. The devices doped with DCJTB in the Alq$_3$:rubrene mixed host show an efficient red emission from DCJTB with negligible EL emission from both Alq$_3$ and rubrene. The QE increases with increasing rubrene concentration and reaches a maximum of about 3.6 % for a DCJTB doping concentration of about 5 % in the Alq$_3$:rubrene mixed (50:50 % ratio by weight) host, and then decreases at higher rubrene concentration, due to the concentration quenching effect. At a given bias voltage, the current density increases with increasing rubrene doping concentration, but it decreases with increasing DCJTB doping concentration. The results imply that the injected electrons and holes can transport via hopping through the energy levels of rubrene molecules while DCJTB acts as traps

Sakuranetin Inhibits Inflammatory Enzyme, Cytokine, and Costimulatory Molecule Expression in Macrophages through Modulation of JNK, p38, and STAT1

Sakuranetin is flavonoid phytoalexin that serves as a plant antibiotic and exists in Prunus and several other plant species. Recently, we identified the anti-inflammatory effect of Prunus yedoensis and found that there were few studies on the potential antiinflammatory activity of sakuranetin, one of the main constituents of Prunus yedoensis. Here, we isolated peritoneal macrophages from thioglycollate-injected mice and examined whether sakuranetin affected the response of the macrophages in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus interferon-(IFN-) or LPS only. Sakuranetin suppressed the synthesis of iNOS and COX2 in LPS/IFN-stimulated cells and the secretion of TNF-, IL-6, and IL-12 in LPS stimulated cells. The surface expression of the costimulatory molecules, CD86 and CD40, was also decreased. Among the LPS-induced signaling molecules, STAT1, JNK, and p38 phosphorylation was attenuated. These findings are evidence that sakuranetin acts as anti-inflammatory flavonoid and further study is required to evaluate its in vivo efficacy

Sakuranetin Inhibits Inflammatory Enzyme, Cytokine, and Costimulatory Molecule Expression in Macrophages through Modulation of JNK, p38, and STAT1

Sakuranetin is flavonoid phytoalexin that serves as a plant antibiotic and exists in Prunus and several other plant species. Recently, we identified the anti-inflammatory effect of Prunus yedoensis and found that there were few studies on the potential anti-inflammatory activity of sakuranetin, one of the main constituents of Prunus yedoensis. Here, we isolated peritoneal macrophages from thioglycollate-injected mice and examined whether sakuranetin affected the response of the macrophages in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus interferon- (IFN-) γ or LPS only. Sakuranetin suppressed the synthesis of iNOS and COX2 in LPS/IFN-γ stimulated cells and the secretion of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-12 in LPS stimulated cells. The surface expression of the costimulatory molecules, CD86 and CD40, was also decreased. Among the LPS-induced signaling molecules, STAT1, JNK, and p38 phosphorylation was attenuated. These findings are evidence that sakuranetin acts as anti-inflammatory flavonoid and further study is required to evaluate its in vivo efficacy