Inter-Industry and Firm Size Effects on Wage Differentials and Efficiency Wages in Japan

This paper analyzes the effects of inter-industry and firm size on wage differentials,focusing on how their estimated effects vary by the introduction of elements indicating firm characteristics such as wage-experience profiles.Using the worker-establishment matched data, we find that inter-industry effects are larger than firm size ones judging from their explanatory powers and the wage distributions caused by them although the introduction of firm characteristics reduces more the effect of industry. Since this paper is based on the efficiency wage hypothesis to explain wage differentials, it is required to test for the bonding critique. Checking how steeper wage profiles affect wages of young workers, we find that even those who work at firms where wage profiles are steeply rising are not paid lower. This result supports the efficiency wage hypothesis to be a good explanation for wage differentials.

Mastoparan inhibits phosphoinositide hydrolysis via pertussis toxin-intensive G-protein in human astrocytoma cells

AbstractMastoparan inhibited [3H]inositol phosphate accumulation induced by carbachol as well as cyclic AMP accumulation induced by isoproterenol in 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells. Mastoparan inhibited GTPγS-induced, but not Ca2+-induced, [3H]inositol phosphate accumulation in membrane preparations with an IC50 of approximately 10 μM. The inhibitory effect of mastoparan on carbachol-induced [3pH]inositol phosphate accumulation was resistant to pertussis toxin (IAP) treatment in intact cells. These results suggest that mastoparan inhibits phospholipase C in human astrocytoma cells via a GTP binding protein, which is not a substrate for IAP

A cross-metathesis approach to the stereocontrolled synthesis of the AB ring segment of ciguatoxin

Synthesis of the AB ring segments of ciguatoxin is described. The present synthesis includes a Lewis acid mediated cyclization of allylstannane with aldehyde, cross-metathesis reaction introducing the side chain, and Grieco-Nishizawa dehydration on the A ring.</p

Influence of corticosteroid therapy on the serum antibody response to influenza vaccine in elderly patients with chronic pulmonary diseases

Annual influenza vaccination is strongly recommended for patients with chronic pulmonary diseases, such as bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and interstitial pulmonary diseases. However, many of these patients regularly receive systemic and/or inhaled corticosteroid therapy, and the impact of corticosteroid therapy on influenza vaccine efficacy and safety is unclear. Patients with chronic pulmonary diseases were enrolled in the study and divided into three groups based on their maintenance therapy: (A) without corticosteroid therapy (17 males, three females; mean age, 72.3 ± 7.9), (B) oral corticosteroid therapy (four males, seven females; mean age, 66.1 ± 10.6), and (C) inhaled corticosteroid therapy (eight males, nine females; mean age, 62.4 ± 16.0). All patients received influenza vaccine, and serum hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibodies against influenza strains A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B were measured at baseline (before vaccination) and 4-6 weeks after vaccination. Sufficient antibody titers or significant increases were observed after vaccination compared with titers before vaccination in all three groups. No systemic reactions were reported. Long-term oral/inhaled corticosteroid therapy was not associated with vaccination side effects and did not affect the immune response to the influenza vaccine

Two cases of bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia syndrome after postoperative irradiation for breast cancer

We report two cases of bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) syndrome that developed after postoperative radiation therapy for breast cancer. In both patients, chest radiographs and computed tomography (CT) showed multiple consolidations outside the irradiation fields after several months of tangential radiation therapy. These patients were diagnosed as having radiation-associated BOOP syndrome, based on their clinical course and the findings on examination. After treatment with a systemic corticosteroid, radiographic consolidations and symptoms improved rapidly. In cases where consolidations appear outside the irradiated field, it is important to consider BOOP syndrome as a pulmonary complication of radiation therapy for breast cancer

Bioinspired Knee Joint for a Power-Assist Suit

Movement of the knee joint of a human includes rolling and sliding. There also exist rotations in the frontal and horizontal planes. To assist the standing movement of a human, we developed a bioinspired knee joint and torque adjustment mechanism. We evaluated the motion, torque characteristics, and stress of the developed mechanism. This joint allows deep flexion of the knee with small resistance for both the user and the device. In addition, in spite of 33% error in deep flexion, the measured torque over less than 120 degrees fits the designed torque curve. We conducted evaluation tests for a human subject. The electromyogram (EMG) of musculus rectus femoris was measured during standing with or without the assistance. The result shows 30% and 63% reduction with the assistance from 100-degree and 80-degree knee angles, respectively. In addition, the proposed device reduced up to 80% of stress in the frontal plane during standing

Enhanced interleukin-10 signaling with 14-member macrolides in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages

Immunomodulatory effects of 14-member macrolides, namely erythromycin (EM) and clarithromycin (CAM), have been reported in chronic respiratory infectious diseases. It has been suggested that 14-member macrolides have immunomodulatory effects on various lung cells such as alveolar macrophages. Interleukin (IL)-10 is an immunomodulatory cytokine that performs an irreplaceable role in negatively regulating inflammation, primarily via a mechanism that selectively blocks the expression of pro-inflammatory genes. It activates sig-nal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-3, and subsequently induces the suppres-sor of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS-3), resulting in the resolution of inflammatory response in macrophages. However, it has been still unclear whether 14-member macrolides exert immu-nomodulatory effects via IL-10 signaling pathway. We aimed to evaluate whether 14-member macrolides affect the IL-10 signaling pathway. The RAW264.7 macrophage cell line was pre-treated with EM or CAM, and stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The levels of IL-10, IL-10 receptor, phosphorylated (p) STAT-3, and SOCS-3 were determined by RT-PCR, ELISA and immunoblotting. We observed increased levels of IL-10, p-STAT-3 and SOCS-3 in the treated cells. In addition, while the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α 6 h after LPS stimulation was equal between vehicle-treated and CAM-treated macrophage cells, those of CAM-treated cells were repressed 36 h following LPS stimulation, compared with those of the control cells. Therefore, the 14-member macrolides may initiate an early resolution of inflammation, in part, via the enhancement of the IL-10/STAT-3/SOCS-3 pathway

Effect of antibiotic therapy on the inflammatory responses during streptococcal pneumonia in emphysematous mice

Background and objective: Bacterial infection is one of the most important causes of acute exacerbation of respiratory failure in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). There were few studies evaluating the effects of early intervention by antibiotic on respiratory bacterial infection in COPD subjects. We investigated the effect of early intervention by respiratory quinolone antibiotic on the systemic inflammatory responses induced by streptococcal pneumonia using a mouse model of experimental emphysema. Methods: Experimental pulmonary emphysema was developed by a single intratracheal instillation of porcine pancreatic elastase in ICR mice. Three weeks later, lethal doses of Streptococcus pneumoniae were intratracheally inoculated, followed by oral administration of 50 mg/kg body weight of Grepafloxacin (GPFX) every day from a day after tracheal inoculation. Results: While all emphysematous mice without GPFX treatment died within 8 days, all emphysematous mice with GPFX treatment survived. Seventy two hrs after infection, serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha, chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1, and CXCL2 (Macrophage inflammatory protein-2) in emphysematous mice with antibiotic therapy were significantly lower than those without therapy. Conclusions: Thus, the early intervention using a respiratory quinolone antibiotic prevents emphysematous mice with pneumonia from severe systemic inflammation, and rescues these mice from death. These results suggest that early intervention using a respiratory quinolone may improve the outcome of the exacerbated COPD patients

Plasma calcium and calcitonin levels at food intake in eels and goldfish

金沢大学環日本海域環境研究センター生物多様性研究部門In order to examine whether calcitonin plays an important role in Ca homeostasis of teleosts, such as suppressing hypercalcemia at food intake, we compared the plasma Ca levels and calcitonin levels in eels fed normally with eels starved for one week (Experiment I), and in goldfish administered with a high Ca-consomme solution into the digestive tract with goldfish given physiological saline solution (Experiment II). In Experiment I, the plasma Ca levels and calcitonin levels in the fed eels were significantly higher than those in the starved eels after one week. In Experiment II, the plasma Ca levels in the high Ca-treated goldfish were significantly higher than those in the saline-treated goldfish after 1 hr and 3 hr. The number of goldfish showing over 500 pg/ml of plasma calcitonin was significantly higher in the high Ca-treated group than in the saline-treated group. From the results of both experiments, we conclude that in these two species, Ca and/or nutriment absorbed via the digestive tract may affect plasma calcitonin levels. However, more experiments are needed to directly demonstrate that calcitonin suppresses hypercalcemia at food intake