bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tunneling effect in vitamin E recycling by green tea
Authors: Nagaoka Shin-ichi , Nitta Akiko , Suemitsu Ai , Mukai Kazuo
Published: May 2016

A tunneling effect was found to play an important role in vitamin E recycling reactions by catechins contained in green tea.
Effect of post-spinning on the electrical and electrochemical properties of wet spun graphene fibre
Authors: Foroughi Javad , Antiohos Dennis , Wallace Gordon G.
Published: May 2016

Effects of carbon nanotubes and/or conducting polymer on electrical and electrochemical properties of wet spun graphene fibres were demonstrated.
Chemical transformation of Te into new ternary phase PbmCunTem+n nanorods and their surface atom diffusion and optical properties
Authors: Wang Qun , Su Ziming , Lv Mingda , Li Jianhuan , Sun Baoyu , Zhang Guangjun
Published: May 2016

The new phase of ternary PbmCunTem+n was first synthesized using sacrificial template Te. The diffusion of surface atoms was observed upon electron-beam irradiation and their optical band gaps show bigger values than that of PbTe.
CoFe2O4nanoparticles anchored on bowl-like carbon backbone for enhanced reversible lithium storage
Authors: Liu Jiaxian , Liang Jin , Zhou Han , Xiao Chunhui , Liang Fuxin , Ding Shujiang
Published: May 2016

A novel bowl-like carbon backbone supported CoFe2O4nanoparticles composite was facilely synthesized to favour enhancing of reversible lithium storage.
Synthesis and in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation of ruthenium polypyridyl-sensitized paramagnetic titania nanoparticles for photodynamic therapy
Authors: Sakr Mohammad H. , Halabi Najeeb M. , Kalash Leen N. , Al-Ghadban Sara I. , Rammah Mayyasa K. , El Sabban Marwan E. , Bouhadir Kamal H. , Ghaddar Tarek H.
Published: May 2016

We demonstrate the effective cytotoxic properties of a dye-sensitized metal oxide in an in vitro model of a human lung cancer cell line (A549 cells) upon light irradiation, where a type I mechanism photo-dynamic therapy is realized exclusively.
A photo- and thermo-responsive star-shaped diblock copolymer with a porphyrin core prepared via consecutive ATRPs
Authors: Qiu Nannan , Li Yanhui , Li Yanwei , Wang Hengguo , Duan Qian , Kakuchi Toyoji
Published: May 2016

The well-defined star-shaped diblock copolymer PAzo-b-PNIPAM has photo- and thermo-responsive property, furthermore the PAzo-b-PNIPAM has significant enhancement in fluorescence intensity.
A cross-linking strategy provides a new generation of biodegradable and biocompatible cyanoacrylate medical adhesives
Authors: Xu Liang , Zhang Tao , Dong Huajin , Cai Dazheng , Han Han , Meng Qingbin , Tang Yongjia , Meng Qingguo , Gong Zehui , Zhang Tianhong , Zhang Zhenqing , Yan Husheng , Liu Keliang
Published: May 2016

A general strategy provides a new generation of biodegradable and biocompatible cyanoacrylate medical adhesives.
Rate‐estimation‐based relay selection scheme for large‐scale wireless networks
Authors: Bach Long Nguyen , Nhon Tran , Kim Dong‐Seong
Published: May 2016

This study proposes rate‐estimation‐based relay selection scheme (RERSS) for large‐scale wireless networks (LSWNs) that effectively distributes traffic of packets from a source to a sink. In an LSWN, direct data transmission from a source and a sink has been becoming a challenge. This is because of longer communication distance and more interference caused by more adjacent nodes. Hence, in order to transmit data packets to the sink, the source exploits neighbour nodes as relay nodes around it to forward packets through single‐hop or multi‐hop until reaching the sink. Different from the conventional cooperative relaying scheme, RERSS introduces a rate‐estimation parameter A to select the forwarder for relaying messages. After determining A value of each neighbour relay node using a link rate stored in the advertising packet, the relay node whose A value meets the requirement of RERSS can be qualified as a forwarder of the source or the other relay node. Simulation results indicate the potential to not only increase throughput but also decrease energy consumption and end‐to‐end delay.
Range–Doppler‐based centralised framework for human target tracking in multistatic radar
Authors: Zhang Jun , Jin Tian , He Yuan , Qiu Lei , Zhou Zhimin
Published: May 2016

Human target detection and tracking have great potential in surveillance, rescue and security applications. Traditional human detection and tracking are performed on the range profile. If targets are close or overlapped in range, it is difficult to distinguish these targets. As velocity provides another aspect to distinguish targets, a novel framework is proposed for human tracking using both range and velocity information. The tracking framework consists of six steps, including clutter reduction, range–Doppler (RD) calculation, target detection, measurement estimation, target localisation and target tracking. Primary attention is devoted to the middle four steps. The calculation process of the RD image is described in detail. The ordered statistics constant false alarm rate detector is extended to a two‐dimensional scenario for the RD target detection. An efficient approach is given for automatic measurement estimation. A minimum root‐mean‐square error pruning algorithm is proposed for multi‐target localisation. As the algorithm combines both range and velocity information for measurement association, it clearly shows a lower wrong association probability than the method using range information only. The effectiveness of the proposed tracking framework is evaluated by the experimental data in the foliage‐penetration environment.
Raman scattering mediated by neighboring molecules
Authors: Williams Mathew D. , Bradshaw David S. , Andrews David L.
Published: May 2016

Raman scattering is most commonly associated with a change in vibrational state within individual molecules, the corresponding frequency shift in the scattered light affording a key way of identifying material structures. In theories where both matter and light are treated quantum mechanically, the fundamental scattering process is represented as the concurrent annihilation of a photon from one radiation mode and creation of another in a different mode. Developing this quantum electrodynamical formulation, the focus of the present work is on the spectroscopic consequences of electrodynamic coupling between neighboring molecules or other kinds of optical center. To encompass these nanoscale interactions, through which the molecular states evolve under the dual influence of the input light and local fields, this work identifies and determines two major mechanisms for each of which different selection rules apply. The constituent optical centers are considered to be chemically different and held in a fixed orientation with respect to each other, either as two components of a larger molecule or a molecular assembly that can undergo free rotation in a fluid medium or as parts of a larger, solid material. The two centers are considered to be separated beyond wavefunction overlap but close enough together to fall within an optical near-field limit, which leads to high inverse power dependences on their local separation. In this investigation, individual centers undergo a Stokes transition, whilst each neighbor of a different species remains in its original electronic and vibrational state. Analogous principles are applicable for the anti-Stokes case. The analysis concludes by considering the experimental consequences of applying this spectroscopic interpretation to fluid media; explicitly, the selection rules and the impact of pressure on the radiant intensity of this process.
Electronic and magnetic properties of TTF and TCNQ covered Co thin films
Authors: van Geijn Elmer , Wang Kai , de Jong Michel P.
Published: May 2016

Interfacial effects like orbital hybridization and charge transfer strongly influence the transfer of spins from ferromagnetic metals to organic semiconductors and can lead to the formation of interfacial states with distinct magnetic properties. The changes in the electronic and magnetic properties of a thin Co film upon adsorption of a layer of either the molecular organic electron donor tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) or the acceptor tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) have been investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism using synchrotron radiation. Clear differences between the spectra of the adsorbed molecules and the neutral molecules show the hybridization of the molecular orbitals with the Co interface. Deposition of both organic materials leads to a small increase of the ratio of the orbital magnetic moment to the spin magnetic moment of the Co atoms at the interface. The main effect of overlayer deposition is a modification of the magnetic hysteresis of the Co film: The TCNQ slightly reduces the coercivity of the Co, while the TTF increases the coercivity by a factor of ∼1.5. These complementary effects of either a molecular organic electron donor or acceptor on the interfacial properties of a metal ferromagnetic thin film are a promising result for the controlled modification of the magnetic structure of hybrid interfaces.
Vibrational energies for HFCO using a neural network sum of exponentials potential energy surface
Authors: Pradhan Ekadashi , Brown Alex
Published: May 2016

A six-dimensional potential energy surface (PES) for formyl fluoride (HFCO) is fit in a sum-of-products form using neural network exponential fitting functions. The ab initio data upon which the fit is based were computed at the explicitly correlated coupled cluster with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations [CCSD(T)-F12]/cc-pVTZ-F12 level of theory. The PES fit is accurate (RMSE = 10 cm−1) up to 10 000 cm−1 above the zero point energy and covers most of the experimentally measured IR data. The PES is validated by computing vibrational energies for both HFCO and deuterated formyl fluoride (DFCO) using block improved relaxation with the multi-configuration time dependent Hartree approach. The frequencies of the fundamental modes, and all other vibrational states up to 5000 cm−1 above the zero-point energy, are more accurate than those obtained from the previous MP2-based PES. The vibrational frequencies obtained on the PES are compared to anharmonic frequencies at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ and CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ levels of theory obtained using second-order vibrational perturbation theory. The new PES will be useful for quantum dynamics simulations for both HFCO and DFCO, e.g., studies of intramolecular vibrational redistribution leading to unimolecular dissociation and its laser control.
Analysis of pedestal gradient characteristic on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak
Authors: Wang Teng Fei , Han Xiao Feng , Zang Qing , Xiao Shu Mei , Tian Bao Gang , Hu Ai Lan , Zhao Jun Yu
Published: May 2016

A pedestal database was built based on type I edge localized mode H-modes in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak. The most common functional form hyperbolic tangent function (tanh) method is used to analyze pedestal characteristics. The pedestal gradient scales linearly with its pedestal top and the normalized pedestal pressure gradient α shows a strong correlation with electron collisionality. The connection among pedestal top value, gradient, and width is established with the normalized pedestal pressure gradient. In the core region of the plasma, the nature of the electron temperature stiffness reflects a proportionality between core and pedestal temperature while the increase proportion is lower than that expected in the high temperature region. However, temperature profile stiffness is limited or even disappears at the edge of the plasma, while the gradient length ratio (ηe) on the pedestal is important. The range of ηe is from 0.5 to 2, varying with the plasma parameters. The pedestal temperature brings a more significant impact on ηe than pedestal density.
Modified dust ion-acoustic surface waves in a semi-bounded magnetized plasma containing the rotating dust grains
Authors: Lee Myoung-Jae , Jung Young-Dae
Published: May 2016

The dispersion relation for modified dust ion-acoustic surface waves in the magnetized dusty plasma containing the rotating dust grains is derived, and the effects of magnetic field configuration on the resonant growth rate are investigated. We present the results that the resonant growth rates of the wave would increase with the ratio of ion plasma frequency to cyclotron frequency as well as with the increase of wave number for the case of perpendicular magnetic field configuration when the ion plasma frequency is greater than the dust rotation frequency. For the parallel magnetic field configuration, we find that the instability occurs only for some limited ranges of the wave number and the ratio of ion plasma frequency to cyclotron frequency. The resonant growth rate is found to decrease with the increase of the wave number. The influence of dust rotational frequency on the instability is also discussed.
Bi-Hamiltonian structure of the bi-dimensional superintegrable nonlinear isotonic oscillator
Authors: Rañada Manuel F.
Published: May 2016

The higher-order superintegrability of the two-dimensional isotonic oscillator (noncentral oscillator with inversely quadratic nonlinearities also known as caged anisotropic oscillator) with rational ratio of frequencies is directly related with the existence of some complex functions with interesting Poisson bracket properties. First the properties of these functions are studied and then it is proved that these complex functions determine the existence of a bi-Hamiltonian complex structure. In the second part several real symplectic structures are obtained and the properties of the recursion operators are studied.
Mini array of quantum Hall devices based on epitaxial graphene
Authors: Novikov S. , Lebedeva N. , Hämäläinen J. , Iisakka I. , Immonen P. , Manninen A. J. , Satrapinski A.
Published: May 2016

Series connection of four quantum Hall effect (QHE) devices based on epitaxial graphene films was studied for realization of a quantum resistance standard with an up-scaled value. The tested devices showed quantum Hall plateaux RH,2 at a filling factor v = 2 starting from a relatively low magnetic field (between 4 T and 5 T) when the temperature was 1.5 K. The precision measurements of quantized Hall resistance of four QHE devices connected by triple series connections and external bonding wires were done at B = 7 T and T = 1.5 K using a commercial precision resistance bridge with 50 μA current through the QHE device. The results showed that the deviation of the quantized Hall resistance of the series connection of four graphene-based QHE devices from the expected value of 4×RH,2 = 2 h/e2 was smaller than the relative standard uncertainty of the measurement (<1 × 10−7) limited by the used resistance bridge.
Note: Space qualified photon counting detector for laser time transfer with picosecond precision and stability
Authors: Prochazka Ivan , Kodet Jan , Blazej Josef
Published: May 2016

The laser time transfer link is under construction for the European Space Agency in the frame of Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space. We have developed and tested the flying unit of the photon counting detector optimized for this space mission. The results are summarized in this Note. An extreme challenge was to build a detector package, which is rugged, small and which provides long term detection delay stability on picosecond level. The device passed successfully all the tests required for space missions on the low Earth orbits. The detector is extremely rugged and compact. Its long term detection delay stability is excellent, it is better than ±1 ps/day, in a sense of time deviation it is better than 0.5 ps for averaging times of 2000 s to several hours. The device is capable to operate in a temperature range of −55 °C up to +60 °C, the change of the detection delay with temperature is +0.5 ps/K. The device is ready for integration into the space structure now.
Plant density response and optimum crop densities for canola (Brassica napus L.) in Western Australia
Authors: French R. J. , Seymour M. , Malik R. S.
Published: May 2016

In 24 experiments conducted across a range of agricultural environments in Western Australia between 2010 and 2014 canola (Brassica napus L.) grain yield response to crop density was adequately described by an asymptotic model (where yield approaches but never quite reaches a ceiling at very high density) in 101 out of 112 individual responses; in the other 11 yield reached a maximum and declined slightly at higher densities. Seed oil was more likely to increase than decrease with increasing density but the effect was always small; less than 1% oil over the range of densities tested. Increasing density also suppressed annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum (L.) Gaud.) head numbers in six experiments where it was measured, especially at densities below 20 plants/m². Economic optimum densities ranged from 7 to 180 plants/m², with a median of 32.2. Mean optima in low and medium rainfall zones (growing season rainfall <300 mm) were about 25, 30, and 75 plants/m² respectively for glyphosate-tolerant (Roundup Ready), hybrid triazine-tolerant (TT), and open-pollinated TT cultivars, assuming open-pollinated TT cultivars were grown from farm-saved seed. There was little difference between optimum densities for hybrid and open-pollinated glyphosate-tolerant cultivars, and optima in the high rainfall zone were about 10 plants/m² higher than in low and medium rainfall zones. Yield at optimum density was greater than 90% of maximum yield in 74% of cases. The economic penalty for not achieving the optimum density with hybrids was usually small if the deviation was less than 10 plants/m², and with open-pollinated TT cultivars was small even 50-60 plants/m² below the optimum. The penalty was usually greater for deviations below than above the optimum in medium and high yield potential environments (yield potential >1000 kg/ha). Predicted optima were more sensitive to seed cost and field establishment (the proportion of viable seeds that become established) than grain price or seed size over the range of values expected in Western Australian agriculture. Field establishment varied from 0.3 to 1 and was higher at low target densities and for hybrid compared with open-pollinated cultivars, with a median of 0.585 at a target density of 40 plants/m². We identified improving field establishment of canola as an important research priority.
Subtle use of a disturbance mosaic by the south-eastern long-eared bat (Nyctophilus corbeni): an extinction-prone, narrow-space bat
Authors: Law Bradley , Gonsalves Leroy , Chidel Mark , Brassil Traecey
Published: May 2016

Context
Studies of habitat suitability in disturbed landscapes based on species traits can improve predictions about how alternative management strategies are likely to affect threatened species.

Aims
We studied the south-eastern long-eared bat (Nyctophilus corbeni), which represents a group of bats prone to extinction due to attributes that adapt it to flight within cluttered forest vegetation, typically making them forest-dependent. To support decisions about management of the species in timber production forests, we investigated roost selection and characterised diet in a mosaic of disturbance histories in the Pilliga forests of north-western New South Wales.

Methods
We caught 54 N. corbeni, radio-tracked 39 individuals and located 41 unique maternity roost trees. Attributes of roost trees were compared with the local neighbourhood and the landscape mosaic of habitat types and logging treatments (recently logged, recently thinned and old regrowth). Preliminary observations were collected on foraging movements. Diet was characterised for maternity and non-maternity seasons using faecal DNA techniques.

Key Results
Small maternity colonies (<10 bats) were found in hollows and fissures often in exposed locations of trees with a small diameter (means range 23–39 cm) that were usually dead (82.5% of roosts). Buloke Allocasuarina luehmannii was most commonly used for roosting (49%), yet has been overlooked previously as a source of hollows for fauna. Landscape-scale habitat use was subtle: bats avoided roosting in commercially thinned stands and selected old regrowth. Logged and mechanically thinned stands were used in proportion to availability. Nyctophilus corbeni consumed a diverse range of prey in spring (November) and autumn (March), dominated by moths.

Conclusions
Areas of high stem density, especially those containing dead trees, provide key roosting habitat for N. corbeni and this is likely to be a significant factor explaining the species rarity.

Implications
Roosting ecology as well as foraging ecology contributes to a species’ sensitivity to disturbance consistent with trait-based predictions. Heterogeneity in the landscape should be maintained when the habitat of N. corbeni is manipulated (e.g. thinned) by retaining a diversity of stem densities, including dense patches (especially with dead A. luehmannii).
Control of the red fox in remnant forest habitats
Authors: Towerton Alison L. , Dickman Christopher R. , Kavanagh Rodney P. , Penman Trent D.
Published: May 2016

Context
The European red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is subject to control by poison baiting in many parts of its range in Australia to protect both native and domestic species. Assessments of baiting programs can improve their effectiveness and help ensure that long-term control outcomes are achieved.

Aims
We describe spatial and temporal patterns of bait uptake by the red fox in remnant forest within an agricultural matrix, including multiple bait-takes and hotspots of activity over time, and examine the response of foxes to baiting operations.

Methods
We analysed bait uptake (Foxoff®) from 12 baiting operations over 5 years in the Goonoo forest, a 62 500 ha remnant surrounded by cleared land in central New South Wales, Australia. More than 8000 checks of bait-stations were analysed to provide indices of fox activity per bait-check, patterns of bait removal during bait-checks, and bait uptake at stations within and across operations. Fox activity was also assessed before and after four operations using sand plots.

Key results
There was no consistent decline in relative fox activity in relation to changes in bait-take; increases in the activity index occurred in successive checks within most operations. Spatial analyses of checks within control operations showed that consecutive baits were removed at more than 70% of bait stations that were visited by foxes. Temporal analyses showed further that within an operation, multiple bait-takes occurred at ~20% of stations and, across all operations, hot spots of activity could be identified.

Conclusions
A short (2-week) baiting window in standard baiting operations may not be effective in reducing the activity of foxes across the landscape. It is likely that many baits are being cached during each operation, and that foxes move into the baited area from unbaited surrounding areas.

Implications
More frequent and timely baiting operations are needed to achieve maximum disruption to the fox population in the remnant forest environment, at least as indicated by patterns of bait-take. Increasing the distance between baits, to ~1.5 km, while reducing baiting-gaps at the landscape scale, will also be important to reduce caching and still ensure that baits are encountered.
Suppression of rolling circle amplification by nucleotide analogs in circular template for three DNA polymerases
Authors: Tang Suming , Wei Hua , Hu Tianyu , Jiang Jiquan , Chang Jinglin , Guan Yifu , Zhao Guojie
Published: May 2016

Among wide applications of nucleotide analogs, their roles in enzyme catalytic reactions are significant in both fundamental and medical researches. By introducing analogs into circular templates, we succeeded in determining effects of four analogs on RCA efficiency for three different DNA polymerases. Results showed an obvious suppression effect for 2′-OMeRNA modification, which might be due to the size of the C2′-modified moieties. 2′-F RNA, LNA and PS had little interference, suggesting good analog candidates for application in RCA. Different polymerases and nucleobases made a little difference according to analogs we used. These results are useful for understanding polymerase catalytic mechanism and analogs applications in RCA reaction.
A new species of arboreal rat, genus Oecomys (Rodentia, Cricetidae) from Chaco
Authors: Pardiñas Ulyses F. J. , Teta Pablo , Salazar-Bravo Jorge , Myers Phil , Galliari Carlos A.
Published: May 2016

A new species of rodent is added to the highly diverse genus Oecomys (Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae, Oryzomyini) based on specimens collected in the Argentinian provinces of Chaco and Formosa. The new species is characterized by a derived carotid circulatory pattern, a feature shared with O. concolor, O. mamorae, and O. sydandersoni. A unique combination of morphological, morphometric, and molecular characters, however, provides unambiguous evidence of its validity as a separate entity. Individuals of the new species are larger than other representatives of Oecomys, and their skulls have wide and cuneate interorbital regions with well-developed supraorbital shelves, long incisive foramina, long palates, absent alisphenoid struts, and broad Eustachian tubes. This new Oecomys appears to be endemic to the Humid Chaco, an ecoregion listed as Vulnerable due to the human impact. Preliminary observations suggest that several specimens from Eastern Paraguay and the Brazilian Pantanal could also be assigned to the new species described herein.

Una nueva especie es adicionada al altamente diverso género de roedores Oecomys (Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae, Oryzomyini), sobre la base de especímenes coleccionados en las provincias Argentinas de Chaco y Formosa. La nueva especie se caracteriza por un patrón de circulación carotídea derivado, un rasgo compartido con O. concolor, O. mamorae y O. sydandersoni. Sin embargo, la combinación única de caracteres morfológicos, morfométricos y moleculares provee evidencia inequívoca sobre su validez como una entidad separada. Individuos de la nueva especie son de mayor tamaño en comparación con otros Oecomys y sus cráneos tienen una región interorbitaria ancha y acuñada con plataformas supraorbitarias bien desarrolladas, forámenes incisivos largos, paladares largos, ausencia de las barras alisfenoideas y tubos de Eustaquio anchos. Este nuevo Oecomys parece ser endémico del Chaco Húmedo, una ecorregión considerada como Vulnerable debido al impacto antrópico. Observaciones preliminares sugieren que varios especímenes de Paraguay Oriental y del Pantanal Brasilero podrían también ser asignados a la nueva especie aquí descrita.
From epigenetic landscape to phenotypic fitness landscape: evolutionary effect of pathogens on host traits
Authors: Cortez Mark Jayson V. , Rabajante Jomar F. , Tubay Jerrold M. , Babierra Ariel L.
Published: May 2016

The epigenetic landscape illustrates how cells differentiate into different types through the control of gene regulatory networks. Numerous studies have investigated epigenetic gene regulation but there are limited studies on how the epigenetic landscape and the presence of pathogens influence the evolution of host traits. Here we formulate a multistable decision-switch model involving many possible phenotypes with the antagonistic influence of parasitism. As expected, pathogens can drive dominant (common) phenotypes to become inferior, such as through negative frequency-dependent selection. Furthermore, novel predictions of our model show that parasitism can steer the dynamics of phenotype specification from multistable equilibrium convergence to oscillations. This oscillatory behavior could explain pathogen-mediated epimutations and excessive phenotypic plasticity. The Red Queen dynamics also occur in certain parameter space of the model, which demonstrates winnerless cyclic phenotype-switching in hosts and in pathogens. The results of our simulations elucidate how epigenetic landscape is associated with the phenotypic fitness landscape and how parasitism facilitates non-genetic phenotypic diversity.
Shear-induced nitric oxide production by endothelial cells
Authors: Sriram K. , Laughlin J. G. , Rangamani P. , Tartakovsky D. M.
Published: May 2016

We present a biochemical model of the wall shear stress (WSS)-induced activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in an endothelial cell (EC). The model includes three key mechanotransducers: mechanosensing ion channels, integrins and G-protein-coupled receptors. The reaction cascade consists of two interconnected parts. The first is rapid activation of calcium, which results in formation of calcium-calmodulin complexes, followed by recruitment of eNOS from caveolae. The second is phosphoryaltion of eNOS by protein kinases PKC and AKT. The model also includes a negative feedback loop due to inhibition of calcium influx into the cell by cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). In this feedback, increased nitric oxide (NO) levels cause an increase in cGMP levels, so that cGMP inhibition of calcium influx can limit NO production. The model was used to predict the dynamics of NO production by an EC subjected to a step increase of WSS from zero to a finite physiologically relevant value. Among several experimentally observed features, the model predicts a highly nonlinear, bipha-sic transient behavior of eNOS activation and NO production: a rapid initial activation due to the very rapid influx of calcium into the cytosol (occurring within 1 to 5 minutes) is followed by a sustained period of activation due to protein kinases.

Acronyms

AKT, protein kinase B; [Ca2+]c, [Ca2+]s, [Ca2+]eand [Ca2+]b, cytosolic, stored, external and buffer concentrations of calcium ions, respectively; Ca3-CaM and Ca4-CaM, calcium-calmodulin complexes with 3 and 4 calcium ions bound to CaM, respectively; CaM, calmodulin; CCE, capacitative calcium entry; cGMP, cyclic guanosine monophosphate; EC, endothelial cell; ECM, extracellular matrix; eNOS, endothelial nitric oxide synthase; eNOScav, eNOS bound to caveolin; eNOS*, eNOS-CaM complex phosphorylated at Ser-1197; eNOS0, caveolin-bound eNOS phosphorylated at Thr-495; ER, endoplasmic reticulum; FAK, focal adhesion kinase; G, active G proteins; Gt, total G proteins; GPCR, G-protein-coupled receptors; Hsp90, heat shock protein 90; GTP, guanosine triphosphate; IP3, inositol triphosphate; L-Arg, L-form of arginine; MSIC, mechanosensing ion channel; NO, nitric oxide; O2, oxygen; PIP2, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate; PIP3, phos-phatidylinositol (3,4,5)-triphosphate; PI3K, phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases; PKC, protein kinase C; RBC, red blood cell; sGC, soluble guanylate cyclase; WSS, wall shear stress
The role of accrual estimation errors to determine accrual and earnings quality
Authors: Izadi Zadeh Darjezi Javad
Published: May 2016

Purpose

Managers, investors and security analysts all pay special attention to the bottom line of income statements and they miss significant information included in accruals about the quality of earnings. A considerable portion of the earnings-quality literature examines the possibility of using the accruals to shift reported income among fiscal periods. One of the main roles of working-capital accruals is to adjust the recognition of cash flows. This paper aims to focus on earnings quality by examining the working-capital accruals quality using the method of Dechow and Dichev (2002).

Design/methodology/approach

Following the Dechow and Dichev (2002) model, the result of this paper shows that accrual quality is related to the absolute magnitude of accruals negatively. Also, the standard deviation of accruals, cash flows, sales and earnings is positively related to firm size. The result demonstrates and suggests that these observable firm characteristics can be used as instruments for measuring accrual quality. According to this framework, the author expects that the larger the unsigned abnormal accrual measure, the lower the earnings quality. Therefore, firms with low accrual quality have more accruals that are unrelated to cash flow realisations and so have more noise and less persistence in their earnings.

Findings

After examining earnings and accrual quality, this paper finds that average UK company behaviour was quite similar to the behaviour found earlier in the USA. This paper’s findings show that greater volatility of sales, cash flow, accruals and earnings results in a lower accrual quality. Without a doubt, some of the analysis in this paper, especially that using different equations to calculate working-capital accruals, leads us to a valuable improvement of the earlier studies.

Originality/value

In this paper, the author follows the method of Dechow and Dichev (2002) and define accrual quality as the extent to which accruals map into cash-flow insights based on the UK data. To find the quality of working-capital accruals, the author uses the standard deviation of the residuals as accrual quality that resulted from the author’s firm-specific OLS regressions of working-capital accruals based on last, current and one-year-ahead operating cash flow. Unlike prior research, to avoid a restriction to working-capital accruals, we use different equations to cover more items of working-capital accruals.
A design strategy for improving adaptive conjoint analysis
Authors: Huertas-Garcia Ruben , Gázquez-Abad Juan Carlos , Forgas-Coll Santiago
Published: May 2016

Purpose

Adaptive conjoint analysis (ACA) is a market research methodology for measuring utility in business-to-business and customer studies. Based on partial profiles, ACA tailors an experiment’s design to each respondent depending on their previously stated preferences, ordered in a self-assessment questionnaire. The purpose of this paper is to describe advantages and disadvantages of using a partial-profile randomised experiment, the usual system, and to propose a new design strategy for arranging profiles in blocks that improve its performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors propose a comparison between their design with the commonly used designs, as random designs and the so-called “mirror image”, in their resolution capacity for the estimations of main factors and two-factor interactions with the lowest number of profiles.

Findings

Comparing the proposed design over the other two designs highlights certain aspects. The proposed design guarantees more estimation for each experiment than the others and allows the researcher to tailor the design to his or her goals. The authors’ procedure will help researchers to determine an experiment’s resolution capacity before carrying it out, as well as to estimate main factors and two-factor interactions alike.

Originality/value

The authors propose a new design strategy for arranging the profiles in blocks for improving the performance of ACA. This proposal is based on the use of a full-profile approach in which profiles are arranged in two-level factorial designs in blocks of two, and the levels of each factor are codified vectorially.
The central role of the reputation of country-of-origin firms in developing markets
Authors: Jiménez Nadia , San-Martin Sonia
Published: May 2016

Purpose

This study aims to test the central role of the perceived reputation of country-of-origin (COO) firms between cultural and socio-psychological variables and management and economic variables that help to explain the multi-faceted phenomenon of COO on a developing market. It also tests the moderator role of ethnocentrism, which is the objective of recommending different segment marketing strategies for international firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The study opted for the structure equation modelling methodology to analyze data collected from 274 Mexican car owners who evaluate Korean automobiles.

Findings

The results show that the COO reputation of firms from a developing market has a mediating role on the relationship between cultural openness and animosity and trust, risk and purchase intention, but the consequents of the perceived reputation of COO vary depending on the level of consumers’ ethnocentrism.

Research limitations/implications

Firms seeking to internationalize need to find out how to overcome the hurdle of target market animosity, to increase the cultural openness and to promote trust and purchases in international markets; at the same time, they reduce the perception of risk. In this sense, it might help to increase the perceived reputation of COO firms and to use different marketing strategies according to the target market.

Originality/value

This study analyzes reputation of firms associated to a COO as a signal that can help to solve purchase decisions in the relationship between consumers and firms from developing markets and also corroborates its role as a mediator factor. In addition, this study empirically tests how animosity and cultural openness influence perceived reputation of COO firms, relationships that has scarcely been studied in literature. This study has also found that less and more ethnocentric consumers have differences in how the COO cues influence on their evaluations and behaviour. Finally, as insufficient consumer research has been conducted into emerging and developing markets, this study focuses on consumers from a developing country and regards automobiles from an emerging country.
The effects of the crisis on marketing innovation: an application for Spain
Authors: Medrano Natalia , Olarte-Pascual Cristina
Published: May 2016

Purpose

This study aims to identify the structural features of companies that have implemented marketing innovations at two different points, 2008 and 2010 (before and during the crisis).

Design/methodology/approach

The sample, obtained from the Technological Innovation Panel, consists of two subsamples of 9,415 enterprises each. The information was processed using a binomial logit model, parametric and non-parametric tests for independent samples and a test of structural stability.

Findings

Differences were found in the results from 2008 and 2010: enterprises in Spain were less likely to implement marketing innovations in 2010 than in 2008; the effect of an enterprise’s size on how likely it was to innovate in marketing decreased by more than half between the two periods; the likelihood of innovating in marketing increased in enterprises that also pursued organizational innovations; and in contrast to 2008, in 2010, the enterprises that were most likely to innovate in marketing were those that exported to countries outside the European Union. These findings show that innovation is part of the business ethos and that public policies that support exports can also foster innovation.

Originality/value

Marketing innovation has received little attention in the literature. We believe that marketing innovation can help to improve an organization’s results, even in times of economic crisis.
Business, industrial marketing and uncertainty
Authors: Merigó José M. , Gil-Lafuente Anna M. , Gil-Lafuente Jaime
Published: May 2016

Purpose

This special issue of the Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, entitled “Business, Industrial Marketing and Uncertainty”, presents selected extended studies that were presented at the European Academy of Management and Business Economics Conference (AEDEM 2012).

Design/methodology/approach

The main focus of this year was reflected in the slogan: “Creating new opportunities in an uncertain environment”. The objective was to show the importance that uncertainty has in our current world, strongly affected by many complexities and modern developments, especially through the new technological advances.

Findings

One fundamental reason that explains the economic crisis is that the government and companies were not well prepared for these critical situations. And the main justification for this is that they did not have enough information. Otherwise, they would have tried any possible strategy to avoid the crisis. Usually, uncertainty is defined as the situation with unknown information in the environment.

Originality/value

From a theoretical perspective, the problem here is that enterprises and governments should assess the information and the uncertainty in a more appropriate way. Usually, they have some studies in this direction, but many times, it is not enough, as it was proved in the last economic crisis.
Oil price uncertainty and equity returns
Authors: Maghyereh Aktham , Awartani Basel
Published: May 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the impact of oil price uncertainty on the stock market returns of ten oil importing and exporting countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The sample contains both oil importing and oil exporting countries that depend heavily on oil production and exports.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper intuitively applies the generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH)-in-mean vector autoregression (VAR) model using weekly data over the period January 2001-February 2014.

Findings

The findings indicate that oil uncertainty matters in the determination of real stock returns. There is a negative and significant relationship between oil price uncertainty and real stock returns in all countries in the sample. The influence of oil price risk is more serious in those economies that depend heavily on oil revenues to grow.

Practical implications

The findings have important implications. For instance, managers should be aware of the linkages between oil price uncertainty and equity returns when they use oil to hedge and diversify equities, particularly in economies where oil is important for economic growth. The policymakers in oil importing countries should encourage companies to improve efficiency in the usage of energy and to resort to alternative sources to avoid fluctuations in earnings and equity prices. In the countries that heavily depend on oil efforts should focus on diversifying the domestic economy away from oil to protect against oil price fluctuations.

Originality/value

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to study the influence of oil price uncertainty in the MENA region. The sample contains both oil importing and oil exporting countries that depend heavily on oil production and exports. The empirical findings of the paper have valuable policy implications for investors, market participants and policymakers.
Financial market determinants of the real cost of funds to public corporations in the US
Authors: Cebula Richard J. , Rossi Fabrizio , Dajci Fiorentina , Foley Maggie
Published: May 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to provide new empirical evidence on the impact of a variety of financial market forces on the ex post real cost of funds to corporations, namely, the ex post real interest rate yield on AAA-rated long-term corporate bonds in the USA. The study is couched within an open-economy loanable funds model, and it adopts annual data for the period 1973-2013, so that the results are current while being applicable only for the post-Bretton Woods era. The auto-regressive two-stage least squares (2SLS) and generalized method of moments (GMM) estimations reveal that the ex post real interest rate yield on AAA-rated long-term corporate bonds in the USA was an increasing function of the ex post real interest rate yields on six-month Treasury bills, seven-year Treasury notes, high-grade municipal bonds and the Moody’s BAA-rated corporate bonds, while being a decreasing function of the monetary base as a per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) and net financial capital inflows as a per cent of GDP. Finally, additional estimates reveal that the higher the budget deficit as a per cent of GDP, the higher the ex post real interest rate on AAA-rated long-term corporate bonds.

Design/methodology/approach

After developing an initial open-economy loanable funds model, the empirical dimension of the study involves auto-regressive, two-stage least squares and GMM estimates. The model is then expanded to include the federal budget deficit, and new AR/2SLS and GMM estimates are provided.

Findings

The AR/2SLS and GMM (generalized method of moments) estimations reveal that the ex post real interest rate yield on AAA-rated long-term corporate bonds in the USA was an increasing function of the ex post real interest rate yields on six-month Treasury bills, seven-year Treasury notes, high-grade municipal bonds and the Moody’s BAA-rated corporate bonds, while being a decreasing function of the monetary base as a per cent of GDP and net financial capital inflows as a per cent of GDP. Finally, additional estimates reveal that the higher the budget deficit as a per cent of GDP, the higher the ex post real interest rate on AAA-rated long -term corporate bonds.

Originality/value

The author is unaware of a study that adopts this particular set of real interest rates along with net capital inflows and the monetary base as a per cent of GDP and net capital inflows. Also, the data run through 2013. There have been only studies of deficits and real interest rates in the past few years.
Do real estate loans reflect regional banking and economic conditions?
Authors: Ghosh Amit
Published: May 2016

Purpose

Using state-level data, the purpose of this paper is to examine state banking-industry specific as well as region economic determinants of real estate lending of commercial banks across all 51 states spanning the period 1966-2014.

Design/methodology/approach

Using both fixed-effects and dynamic-generalized method of moments (GMM) estimation techniques the study compares the sensitivity of different categories of real estate loans to regional banking and economic conditions. Finally, it provides a comparative perspective by comparing the results for real estate loans with other categories of loans given out by banks.

Findings

Greater capitalization, liquidity and overhead costs reduce real estate lending, while banks diversification and the size of the banking industry in each state increase such lending. Moreover, real estate loans are found to be procyclical to state economic cycles with a rise in state real gross domestic product (GDP) growth, increase in state housing price index (HPI) and decline in both inflation and unemployment rates, increasing real estate loans. Within disaggregated loan types, construction and land development and single-family residential loans are most responsive to state banking and economic conditions.

Originality/value

The recent financial turmoil is to a large extent attributable to excessive risk-taking by banks, particularly in terms of real estate lending. Hence, it is of paramount importance to empirically address the various determinants of real estate lending. With most banks restricting their operations in either one or a few states only, real estate lending in any given state may be more sensitive to regional banking and economic conditions than national aggregates. The present study is the first of its type to perform such an analysis.