bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The value of social capital in farmland leasing relationships
Authors: Taylor Mykel R. , Featherstone Allen M.
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impacts of social capital on the rate at which agricultural land is rented between landowners and tenants using data from the state of Kansas.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of tenants provides data on the rental rate of farmland as well as characteristics of the lease, the land, and the landowner.

Findings

Results support the hypothesis of a negative impact on rental rates from longer-term leasing relationships. The model estimates a 10.0 percent discount relative to market rates when the leasing relationship increases from 11 to 22 years. At the sample average of $64 per acre, this is a $10 per acre discount.

Research limitations/implications

Increased levels of social capital, as measured by the length of the leasing relationship between landowner and tenant, reduce the rental rate. A 10 percent increase in the number of years a parcel of land is leased to the same tenant will decrease the annual rental rate by 1 percent.

Originality/value

Research adds to the understanding of informal relationships underlying farmland leases. A large number of farmland tracts may turnover in the coming years. This turnover may affect the rental rates for tenants who have had long-term leasing relationships over time.
Confucianism: measurement and association with workforce performance
Authors: Viengkham Doris , Baumann Chris , Winzar Hume
Published: March 2018

Purpose

This paper reconsiders the approaches to measuring Confucian values, and tests their association with workforce performance. The purpose of this paper is to examine how such values and performances are prioritized across three East Asian societies, but more importantly, identifies how variations across societies might result from the way in which Confucianism has been transformed/appropriated differently across history.

Design/methodology/approach

A Best-Worst experimental design is used to measure three aspects of Confucianism (relational, pedagogical, and transformative), and three aspects of workforce performance (mindset, organization, and process) to capture the trade-offs by respondents from three East Asian societies: China (n=274), Taiwan (n=264), and South Korea (n=254). The study employs analysis of variance withpost-hoctests to examine differences between societies. A hierarchical cluster analysis using Ward’s method is utilized to identify clusters based on similarities within the data. And last, multiple regression analysis is applied to determine the explanatory power of Confucian values on workforce performance.

Findings

Findings confirm the prioritization of three aspects of Confucianism (relational, pedagogical, and transformative) to differ between Mainland Chinese, Taiwan Chinese, and Korean respondents – producing five distinct clusters based on similarities across three societies. Overall, between 7 and 27 percent of the variance in workforce performance could be explained by the Confucian values included in this study.

Originality/value

This study highlights the “different shades of Confucianism” across East Asian societies, which we coin as Confucian Origin, Preservation, and Pragmatism, and demonstrates the need to take a multifaceted perspective in the measurement of Confucian culture. The study provides empirical support for the link between Confucianism and performance at the micro-level, as originally proposed by Baumann and Winzar (2017), and identifies specific antecedents of behavior for research moving forward.
Leaders’ intimidation impression management and subordinates’ affective job commitment in Nigeria
Authors: Asawo Soye Peniel , George Benibo Meeting
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The quality of the relationship between leaders and their followers appears to be one of the critical determinants of employees’ commitment at work. For instance, it has been empirically established that the impressions that managers convey of themselves to their subordinates, is a critical factor in the leader-follower relationship. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between leaders’ intimidation impression management (IM) and subordinates’ affective job commitment in the telecommunications industry in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

The design adopted for this study is the cross-sectional survey design. The questionnaire was utilized to generate data from a sample of 306 employees from the six major telecommunication companies in Nigeria. The Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient was used as the inferential test statistic for assessing the relationship between leaders’ intimidation IM and subordinates’ affective job commitment.

Findings

The results showed that leaders’ threat, warning, fear-arousal, and discomfort-arousal all had significant but weak association with subordinates’ affective job commitment. The study thus found that as leaders apply intimidation IM strategies, workers’ sense of emotive attachment to their organization only improves minimally.

Research limitations/implications

Data were generated from employees, indicating that the outcome is based on their perception which may be skewed.

Practical implications

The outcome of the study will help managers in the Nigerian telecommunication industry to avoid the pitfalls that are associated with the arbitrary and excessive use of intimidation as an IM tactic. Rather, they would be guided to encourage good quality leader-member-exchange between them and their subordinates in enhancing individual and organizational performance.

Originality/value

This is the first main work to examine and identify the nature of the predictive effect of leaders’ intimidation IM on subordinates’ affective job commitment in the telecommunications industry in Nigeria.
Do financial crises erode potential output? A cross-country analysis of industrial and emerging economies
Authors: Oliveira Fernando Nascimento , Petrassi Myrian
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze empirically if financial crises have decreased potential output for a selected group of economies.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors estimate different country-specific stylized Phillips curves to verify if inflationary pressures were stronger on the recovery periods after financial crises, relative to the recovery periods after recessions.

Findings

The results, in general, do not show any clear empirical evidence that financial crises erode potential output. Moreover, there are no apparent differences in terms of the effects of financial crises over potential output between emerging and industrial economies.

Research limitations/implications

This paper sheds light on the widely debated issue of whether financial crises constitute adverse supply shocks that lead to impairment in an economy’s productive potential. In interpreting the results, the authors must first recognize that all of them are based on the reduced-form relationships. Thus, they are about correlations and not necessarily about true structural relationships.

Practical implications

The study is very important for policy makers and specially Central Banks worldwide.

Social implications

The loss of potential output is a very serious economic and social phenomenon. This paper sheds light on the debate if financial crisis lead to losses of potential output.

Originality/value

The paper is original in using more Phillips curves and because it studies also the behavior of emerging economies.
Multiplier effects under a disaggregate economic base model
Authors: Gkouzos Andreas , Christofakis Manolis
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the multiplier effects of economic activities in the local economy of Greek non-metropolitan prefectures at NUTS3 level according to the Eurostat classification.

Design/methodology/approach

A disaggregate economic base model using OLS regression with clustered standard errors is implemented in 49 non-metropolitan prefectures and 17 economic activities for 2000 and 2012. The specific model indicates a clear picture of multiplier effects of economic activities among the prefectures as it has a similar logic to the input-output analysis while bearing in mind the spatial effects among prefectures. The specific model has not applied for testing base multipliers in the Greek economy according to the academic literature.

Findings

Non-traditional export-oriented activities play a significant role in the economic growth of the non-metropolitan prefectures. Their multiplier effects are higher than the traditional basic activities. Especially, some of these activities indicate strong shifts on specific local activities, which tend to be the significant multiplier effects on the overall local economy. Of course, the existence of agglomeration economies plays a considerable role in non-metropolitan prefectures with a significant population and non-metropolitan prefectures which are in insular space or belong to the perimetric and interior mountainous space, which are sparsely populated.

Originality/value

The specific model applies at the NUTS3 level, according to the Eurostat classification. Also, the model indicates that the multiplier effects come from non-traditional export activities, such as, information-communication, arts entertainment, health services, professional support services and real estate in the overall local economy. Finally, the spatial correlation influences the sectoral multipliers.
Magnetorheological Damping of Fragment Barrier Suspension Systems
Authors: Joong Son Kwon , Fahrenthold Eric P.
Published: March 2018

Magnetorheological (MR) fluids, well established as components of a variety of suspension systems, may offer opportunities to improve the performance of fabric ballistic protection systems, which typically do not incorporate significant energy dissipation mechanisms. A series of ballistic impact experiments has been conducted to investigate the potential of MR fluid damped fabric suspension systems to improve upon current fabric barrier designs. The results indicate that for the simple fabric suspension systems tested, MR fluid damping does not improve upon the very high weight specific ballistic performance of state of the art aramid fibers.
Dynamic Rendering of Remote Indoor Environments Using Real-Time Point Cloud Data
Authors: Lesniak Kevin , Tucker Conrad S.
Published: March 2018

Modern color and depth (RGB-D) sensing systems are capable of reconstructing convincing virtual representations of real world environments. These virtual reconstructions can be used as the foundation for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality environments due to their high-quality visualizations. However, a main limitation of modern virtual reconstruction methods is the time it takes to incorporate new data and update the virtual reconstruction. This delay prevents the reconstruction from accurately rendering dynamic objects or portions of the environment (like an engineer performing an inspection of a machinery or laboratory space). The authors propose a multisensor method to dynamically capture objects in an indoor environment. The method automatically aligns the sensors using modern image homography techniques, leverages graphics processing units (GPUs) to process the large number of independent RGB-D data points, and renders them in real time. Incorporating and aligning multiple sensors allows a larger area to be captured from multiple angles, providing a more complete virtual representation of the physical space. Performing processing on GPU's leverages the large number of processing cores available to minimize the delay between data capture and rendering. A case study using commodity RGB-D sensors, computing hardware, and standard transmission control protocol internet connections is presented to demonstrate the viability of the proposed method.
Optimality Conditions for Constrained Least-Squares Fitting of Circles, Cylinders, and Spheres to Establish Datums
Authors: Shakarji Craig M. , Srinivasan Vijay
Published: March 2018

This paper addresses the combinatorial characterizations of the optimality conditions for constrained least-squares fitting of circles, cylinders, and spheres to a set of input points. It is shown that the necessary condition for optimization requires contacting at least two input points. It is also shown that there exist cases where the optimal condition is achieved while contacting only two input points. These problems arise in digital manufacturing, where one is confronted with the task of processing a (potentially large) number of points with three-dimensional coordinates to establish datums on manufactured parts. The optimality conditions reported in this paper provide the necessary conditions to verify if a candidate solution is feasible, and to design new algorithms to compute globally optimal solutions.
Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Gas–Liquid Cylindrical Cyclones, Geometrical Analysis
Authors: Carlos Berrio Juan , Pereyra Eduardo , Ratkovich Nicolas
Published: March 2018

The gas–liquid cylindrical cyclone (GLCC) is a widely used alternative for gas–liquid conventional separation. Besides its maturity, the effect of some geometrical parameters over its performance is not fully understood. The main objective of this study is to use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling in order to evaluate the effect of geometrical modifications in the reduction of liquid carry over (LCO) and gas carry under (GCU). Simulations for two-phase flow were carried out under zero net liquid flow, and the average liquid holdup was compared with Kanshio (Kanshio, S., 2015, “Multiphase Flow in Pipe Cyclonic Separator,” Ph.D. thesis, Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK) obtaining root-mean-square errors around 13% between CFD and experimental data. An experimental setup, in which LCO data were acquired, was built in order to validate a CFD model that includes both phases entering to the GLCC. An average discrepancy below 6% was obtained by comparing simulations with experimental data. Once the model was validated, five geometrical variables were tested with CFD. The considered variables correspond to the inlet configuration (location and inclination angle), the effect of dual inlet, and nozzle geometry (diameter and area reduction). Based on the results, the best configuration corresponds to an angle of 27 deg, inlet location 10 cm above the center, a dual inlet with 20 cm of spacing between both legs, a nozzle of 3.5 cm of diameter, and a volute inlet of 15% of pipe area. The combination of these options in the same geometry reduced LCO by 98% with respect to the original case of the experimental setup. Finally, the swirling decay was studied with CFD showing that liquid has a greater impact than the gas flowrate.
The contrasting roles of Planck's constant in classical and quantum theories
Authors: Boyer Timothy H.
Published: March 2018

We trace the historical appearance of Planck's constant in physics, and we note that initially the constant did not appear in connection with quanta. Furthermore, we emphasize that Planck's constant can appear in both classical and quantum theories. In both theories, Planck's constant sets the scale of atomic phenomena. However, the roles played in the foundations of the theories are sharply different. In quantum theory, Planck's constant is crucial to the structure of the theory. On the other hand, in classical electrodynamics, Planck's constant is optional, since it appears only as the scale factor for the (homogeneous) source-free contribution to the general solution of Maxwell's equations. Since classical electrodynamics can be solved while taking the homogenous source-free contribution in the solution as zero or non-zero, there are naturally two different theories of classical electrodynamics, one in which Planck's constant is taken as zero and one where it is taken as non-zero. The textbooks of classical electromagnetism present only the version in which Planck's constant is taken to vanish.
Deriving mass-energy equivalence and mass-velocity relation without light
Authors: Dai Youshan , Dai Liang
Published: March 2018

Relativity requires that a particle's momentum and energy are the same functions of the particle's velocity in all inertial frames. Using the fact that momentum and energy must transform linearly between reference frames, we present a novel derivation of the mass-energy equivalence, namely, the relation that the energy is proportional to the moving mass, with no postulate about the existence of light or its properties. We further prove the mass-velocity relation without relying on momentum and energy conservation or on the Lorentz transformation. It is demonstrated that neither conservation laws nor the Lorentz transformation are necessary to establish those relations, and that those relations have a wider scope of validity than that of the conservation laws and the invariance of the speed of light.
The rainbow in the box
Authors: Selmke Markus , Selmke Sarah
Published: March 2018

We describe a three-dimensional (3D) rainbow demonstration experiment. Its key idea is to convey a particular aspect of the natural phenomenon, namely, the origin of the perceived rainbow being multiple individual glints from within a rainshower. Raindrops in this demonstration are represented by acrylic spheres arranged on pillars within a cubic volume. Defocused imaging with a camera or the eye reveals a mosaic rainbow (segment) when viewed and illuminated in the appropriate fashion.
Sport Reporting in an Era of Activism: Examining the Intersection of Sport Media and Social Activism
Authors: Schmidt Hans C.
Published: March 2018

While there is a longstanding connection between sports and politics, this past year has seen a surge of social activism in the world of sport, and numerous high-profile athletes have used their positions of prominence to raise awareness of social or political issues. Sport media, in turn, have faced questions regarding how best to cover such activism. Given the popularity of sport media, such decisions can have real implications on the views held by the public. This scholarly commentary discusses how sport media cover the social activism of athletes and presents the results of a content analysis of popular news and sports television programs, newspapers, and magazines. Overall, results indicate that sport media are giving significant and respectful coverage to athletes who advocate for social or political issues.
A Proposed Chaperone of the Bacterial Type VI Secretion System Functions To Constrain a Self-Identity Protein
Authors: Zepeda-Rivera Martha A. , Saak Christina C. , Gibbs Karine A.
Published: March 2018

The bacterium
Proteus mirabilis
can communicate identity through the secretion of the self-identity protein IdsD via the type VI secretion (T6S) system. IdsD secretion is essential for self-versus-nonself recognition behaviors in these populations. Here we provide an answer to the unresolved question of how the activity of a T6S substrate, such as IdsD, is regulated before secretion. We demonstrate that IdsD is found in clusters that form independently of the T6S machinery and activity. We show that the IdsC protein, which is a member of the proposed DUF4123 chaperone family, is essential for the maintenance of these clusters and of the IdsD protein itself. We provide evidence that amino acid disruptions in IdsC are sufficient to disrupt IdsD secretion but not IdsD localization into subcellular clusters, strongly supporting the notion that IdsC functions in at least two different ways: maintaining IdsD levels and secreting IdsD. We propose that IdsC, and likely other DUF4123-containing proteins, functions to regulate T6S substrates in the donor cell both by maintaining protein levels and by mediating secretion at the T6S machinery.

IMPORTANCE
Understanding the subcellular dynamics of self-identity proteins is crucial for developing models of self-versus-nonself recognition. We directly addressed how a bacterium restricts self-identity information before cell-cell exchange. We resolved two conflicting models for type VI secretion (T6S) substrate regulation by focusing on the self-identity protein IdsD. One model is that a cognate immunity protein binds the substrate, inhibiting activity before transport. Another model proposes that DUF4123 proteins act as chaperones in the donor cell, but no detailed molecular mechanism was previously known. We resolve this discrepancy and propose a model wherein a chaperone couples IdsD sequestration with its localization. Such a molecular mechanism restricts the communication of identity, and possibly other T6S substrates, in producing cells.
Changing nationwide trends in endoscopic, medical and surgical admissions for inflammatory bowel disease: 2003–2013
Authors: Ahmad Ahmir , Laverty Anthony A , Alexakis Chris , Cowling Tom , Saxena Sonia , Majeed Azeem , Pollok Richard C G
Published: March 2018

Background and study aims

In the last decade, there have been major advances in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) management but their impact on hospital admissions requires evaluation. We aim to investigate nationwide trends in IBD surgical/medical elective and emergency admissions, including endoscopy and cytokine inhibitor infusions, between 2003 and 2013.

Patients and methods

We used Hospital Episode Statistics and population data from the UK Office for National Statistics.

Results

Age-sex standardised admission rates increased from 76.5 to 202.9/100 000 (p<0.001) and from 69.5 to 149.5/100 000 (p<0.001) for Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) between 2003–2004 and 2012–2013, respectively. Mean length of stay (days) fell significantly for elective (from 2.6 to 0.7 and from 2.0 to 0.7 for CD and UC, respectively) and emergency admissions (from 9.2 to 6.8 and from 10.8 to 7.6 for CD and UC, respectively). Elective lower gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy rates decreased from 6.3% to 3.7% (p<0.001) and from 18.4% to 17.6% (p=0.002) for CD and UC, respectively. Elective major abdominal surgery rates decreased from 2.8% to 1.0% (p<0.001) and from 4.9 to 2.4 (p=0.010) for CD and UC, respectively, with emergency rates also decreasing significantly for CD. Between 2006-2007 and 2012-2013, elective admission rates for cytokine-inhibitor infusions increased from 11.1 to 57.2/100 000 and from 1.4 to 12.1/100 000 for CD and UC, respectively.

Conclusions

Rising IBD hospital admission rates in the past decade have been driven by an increase in the incidence and prevalence of IBD. Lower GI endoscopy and surgery rates have fallen, while cytokine inhibitor infusion rates have risen. There has been a concurrent shift from emergency care to shorter elective hospital stays. These trends indicate a move towards more elective medical management and may reflect improvements in disease control.
Non-alcoholic steatofibrosis (NASF) can independently predict mortality in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
Authors: Golabi Pegah , Stepanova Maria , Pham Huong T , Cable Rebecca , Rafiq Nila , Bush Haley , Gogoll Trevor , Younossi Zobair M
Published: March 2018

Background

Hepatic fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) independently predicts mortality. Given liver biopsy’s invasive nature, non-invasive method to assess hepatic steatosis and fibrosis provides NAFLD risk stratification algorithm in clinical practice. NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) is simple and non-invasive predictive model recommended by American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) Guideline to identify patients with NAFLD with fibrosis risk. The aim of this study is to assess long-term outcomes of subjects with significant non-alcoholic steatofibrosis (NASF) as established by ultrasound (US) and NFS.

Methods

Used National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) with National Death Index-linked Mortality Files. NAFLD diagnosis established by the presence of moderate to severe hepatic steatosis on US without other causes of chronic liver disease (alcohol consumption <20 gr/day,hepatitis B surface-antigen negative, anti-hepatitis C virus antibody negative, transferrin saturation <50%). Significant hepatic fibrosis was estimated by high NFS (>0.676) and calculated with previously published formula. Subjects with NAFLD and high NFS have significant NASF.

Results

NHANES III included 20 050 adult participants. 2515 participants complete data and NAFLD with 5.1% (n=129) meeting criteria for significant SF. Subjects with significant SF were older, had higher body mass index, waist circumference and the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) scores and higher rates of comorbidities (diabetes, congestive heart failure (CHF), stroke; all p<0.001). After median of 207 months of follow-up, overall mortality in NAFLD cohort was 30.0% (n=754). Crude mortality higher in subjects with significant SF (67.4% vs 28.0%, p<0.001). In multivariate survival analysis, predictors of overall mortality included significant SF (adjusted HR (aHR): 1.37; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.76, p=0.01), older age (aHR:1.08; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.09 per year), male gender (aHR:1.44; 95% CI 1.24 to 1.67), black race (aHR:1.24; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.48)), history of hypertension (aHR:1.40; 95% CI 1.20 to 1.64), diabetes (aHR:1.69; 95% CI 1.43 to 2.00), CHF (aHR:1.77; 95% CI 1.38 to 2.261), stroke (aHR:1.84; 95% CI 1.38 to 2.48) and smoking (aHR:1.74; 95% CI 1.47 to 2.07) (all p<0.02). Sensitivity analysis showed that the best association of SF with mortality is higher at NFS threshold of 0.80 (aHR:1.41; 95% CI 1.09 to 1.83, p=0.01).

Conclusions

Significant NASF determined non-invasively is an independent predictor of mortality. These data should help clinicians to easily risk-stratify patients with NAFLD for close monitoring and treatment considerations in clinical trial setting.
Abstracts from international Emergency Medicine Journals
Authors: Weber Ellen J
Published: March 2018

Editor’s note: EMJ has partnered with the journals of multiple international emergency medicine societies to share from each a highlighted research study, as selected by their editors. This edition will feature an abstract from each publication.
High-resolution topographical information improves tree-level storm damage models
Authors: Suvanto Susanne , Henttonen Helena M. , Nöjd Pekka , Mäkinen Harri
Published: March 2018

Storms cause major forest disturbances in Europe. The aim of this study was to model tree-level storm damage probability based on the properties of a tree and its environment and to examine whether fine-scale topographic information is connected to the damage probability. We used data documenting effects of two autumn storms on over 17 000 trees on permanent Finnish National Forest Inventory plots. The first storm was associated with wet snowfall that damaged trees, while exceptionally strong winds and gusts characterized the second storm. During the storms, soils were unfrozen and deciduous trees were without leaves. Generalized linear mixed models were used to study how topographical variables calculated from digital elevation models (DEM) with resolutions of 2 and 10 m (TOPO2 and TOPO10, respectively) were related to damage probability, in addition to variable groups for tree (TREE) and stand (STAND) characteristics. We compared models containing different variable groups with Akaike information criteria. The best model contained the variable groups TREE, STAND, and TOPO2. Increase in slope steepness calculated from the high-resolution DEM decreased tree-level damage probability significantly in the model. This suggests that the local topography affects the tree-level damage probability and that high-resolution topographical data improves the tree-level damage probability models.
Numerical simulation of flow over a square cylinder with upstream and downstream circular bar using lattice Boltzmann method
Authors: Ma Yuan , Mohebbi Rasul , Rashidi M. M. , Yang Zhigang
Published: March 2018

A numerical investigation is carried out to analyze the flow patterns, drag and lift coefficients, and vortex shedding around a square cylinder using a control circular bar upstream and downstream. Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) was used to investigate flow over a square cylinder controlled by upstream and downstream circular bar, which is the main novelty of this study. Compared with those available results in the literature, the code for flow over a single square cylinder proves valid. The Reynolds number (Re) based on the width of the square cylinder ([Formula: see text]) and diameter of circular bar ([Formula: see text]) are 100 for square cylinder, 30 and 50 for different circular bars. Numerical simulations are performed in the ranges of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are the center-to-center distances between the bar and cylinder. Five distinct flow patterns are observed in the present study. It is found that the maximum percentage reduction in drag coefficient is 59.86% by upstream control bar, and the maximum percentage reduction in r.m.s. lift coefficient is 73.69% by downstream control bar. By varying the distance ratio for the downstream control bar, a critical value of distance ratio is found where there are two domain frequencies.
Joint and Cross-Border Patents as Proxies for International Technology Diffusion
Authors: Chang Chia-Lin , McAleer Michael , Tang Ju-Ting
Published: March 2018

With the advent of globalization, economic and financial interactions among countries have become widespread. Given technological advancements, the factors of production can no longer be considered to be just labor and capital. In the pursuit of economic growth, every country has sensibly invested in international cooperation, learning, innovation, technology diffusion and knowledge, and outward direct investment. In this paper, we use a panel data set of 40 countries from 1981 to 2008 and a negative binomial model, using a novel set of cross-border patents and joint patents as proxy variables for technology diffusion, in order to investigate such diffusion. The empirical results suggest that, if it is desired to shift from foreign to domestic technology, it is necessary to increase expenditure on R&D for business enterprises and higher education, exports and technology. If the focus is on increasing bilateral technology diffusion, it is necessary to increase expenditure on R&D for higher education and technology. It is also found that outward foreign direct investment has no significant impact on either joint or cross-border patents, whereas inward foreign direct investment has a significant negative impact on cross-border patents but no impact on joint patents. Moreover, government expenditure on higher education has a significant impact on both cross-border and joint patents.
Do Relationships have a Dark Side for Innovation Performance in the High-Tech Industry?
Authors: Wang Chao-Hung , Chen Kuan-Liang
Published: March 2018

It is widely held that good relationships between partners are beneficial for firms' performance, and the literature on strategic management has consistently promoted the bright side of these relationships. This study extends that stream of investigation by investigating the degree to which three components of relationships (trust, affective commitment, and calculative commitment) can contribute to or impede innovation performance in high-tech industries. Thus, a theoretical model is developed and tested using data from 173 Taiwanese high-tech firms. The findings reveal that the relationships between trust and commitment and innovation performance can be depicted as an inverted curve.
SME Knowledge Commercialization Through Public Sector Partnerships
Authors: Thompson Neil A. , Herrmann Andrea M. , Hekkert Marko P.
Published: March 2018

Collaborating with public research organizations (PROs) helps SMEs acquire the knowledge and skills they need to successfully innovate. But do they also help SMEs reduce their exposure to involuntary knowledge misappropriation and legitimacy deficits? Building from transaction economics and population ecology theories, we hypothesize that innovative SMEs collaborate with PROs to not only co-develop knowledge, but also to mitigate the risk that knowledge will be misappropriated from larger firms as well as to build overall organizational legitimacy. Binary and ordinal regression analyses using the EIM Technology Panel including 779 innovative SMEs in the Netherlands reveal that some of the variations in SME innovation partnership behavior may indeed be explained by efforts to avoid knowledge misappropriation and gain endorsements and affiliation with highly legitimate PROs.
We Should Push Countries along “Belt and Road Initiative” to Build Green Supply Chain
Authors: Fu Jingyan
Published: March 2018

Building a green supply chain in the countries along the “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) route will not only generate huge economic and ecological benefits, it will also profit people in these countries and encourage the people in these countries to identify with the BRI as well as advance the development of this Initiative. Therefore, this research suggests the Chinese government taking the lead in jointly building a green supply chain with countries along BRI after the “Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation” in July 2017.
Formation of Hierarchical Porous Structure via Breath Figure Method
Authors: Zhang Yongjian , Li Zhiguang
Published: March 2018

The porous structure films of PS containing silica nanoparticles of different hydrophobicity were obtained from breath figure method. For the porous films, the pores at the peripheral region and the center region were compared. It was found that the pores at the peripheral region appeared more uniform in size and showed higher degree of ordering. In addition, the patterns of the porous film became more disordered with the enhancing concentration of nanoparticles, and the pore size of the pore was increased. With the increase of the content of SiOH, that is, decrease in particle hydrophobicity, the Si elements were aggregated at the surface of the film and the interior of the pores. A hierarchical porous structure had been obtained at appropriate humidity and particle concentration. Finally, a possible mechanism of the hierarchical structure was proposed.
Cell Size Influences the Reproductive Potential and Total Lifespan of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Yeast as Revealed by the Analysis of Polyploid Strains
Authors: Zadrag-Tecza Renata , Kwolek-Mirek Magdalena , Alabrudzińska Małgorzata , Skoneczna Adrianna
Published: March 2018

The total lifespan of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae may be divided into two phases: the reproductive phase, during which the cell undergoes mitosis cycles to produce successive buds, and the postreproductive phase, which extends from the last division to cell death. These phases may be regulated by a common mechanism or by distinct ones. In this paper, we proposed a more comprehensive approach to reveal the mechanisms that regulate both reproductive potential and total lifespan in cell size context. Our study was based on yeast cells, whose size was determined by increased genome copy number, ranging from haploid to tetraploid. Such experiments enabled us to test the hypertrophy hypothesis, which postulates that excessive size achieved by the cell—the hypertrophy state—is the reason preventing the cell from further proliferation. This hypothesis defines the reproductive potential value as the difference between the maximal size that a cell can reach and the threshold value, which allows a cell to undergo its first cell cycle and the rate of the cell size to increase per generation. Here, we showed that cell size has an important impact on not only the reproductive potential but also the total lifespan of this cell. Moreover, the maximal cell size value, which limits its reproduction capacity, can be regulated by different factors and differs depending on the strain ploidy. The achievement of excessive size by the cell (hypertrophic state) may lead to two distinct phenomena: the cessation of reproduction without “mother” cell death and the cessation of reproduction with cell death by bursting, which has not been shown before.
Simvastatin Treatment Upregulates HO‐1 in Patients with Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm but Independently of Nrf2
Authors: Piechota-Polanczyk Aleksandra , Kopacz Aleksandra , Kloska Damian , Zagrapan Branislav , Neumayer Christoph , Grochot-Przeczek Anna , Huk Ihor , Brostjan Christine , Dulak Jozef , Jozkowicz Alicja
Published: March 2018

Heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1), encoded by HMOX1 gene and regulated by Nrf2 transcription factor, is a cytoprotective enzyme. Its deficiency may exacerbate abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) development, which is also often associated with hyperlipidemia. Beneficial effects of statins, the broadly used antilipidemic drugs, were attributed to modulation of Nrf2/HO‐1 axis. However, the effect of statins on Nrf2/HO‐1 pathway in patients with AAA has not been studied yet. We analyzed AAA tissue from patients treated with simvastatin (N = 28) or without statins (N = 14). Simvastatin treatment increased HO‐1 protein level in AAA, both in endothelial cells (ECs) and in smooth muscle cells (SMCs), but increased Nrf2 localization was restricted only to vasa vasorum. Nrf2 target genes HMOX1, NQO1, and GCLM expression remained unchanged in AAA. In vitro studies showed that simvastatin raises HO‐1 protein level slightly in ECs and to much higher extent in SMCs, which is not related to Nrf2/ARE activation, although HMOX1 expression is upregulated by simvastatin in both cell types. In conclusion, simvastatin‐induced modulation of HO‐1 level in ECs and SMCs in vitro is not related to Nrf2/ARE activity. Likewise, divergent HO‐1 and Nrf2 localization together with stable expression of Nrf2 target genes, including HMOX1, in AAA tissue denotes Nrf2 independency.
Hypothyroidism Causes Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Adult Rat Hippocampus: A Mechanism Associated with Hippocampal Damage
Authors: Torres-Manzo Alejandra Paola , Franco-Colín Margarita , Blas-Valdivia Vanessa , Pineda-Reynoso Marisol , Cano-Europa Edgar
Published: March 2018

Thyroid hormones (TH) are essential for hippocampal neuronal viability in adulthood, and their deficiency causes hypothyroidism, which is related to oxidative stress events and neuronal damage. Also, it has been hypothesized that hypothyroidism causes a glucose deprivation in the neuron. This study is aimed at evaluating the temporal participation of the endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERE) in hippocampal neurons of adult hypothyroid rats and its association with the oxidative stress events. Adult Wistar male rats were divided into euthyroid and hypothyroid groups. Thyroidectomy with parathyroid gland reimplementation caused hypothyroidism at three weeks postsurgery. Oxidative stress, redox environment, and antioxidant enzyme markers, as well as the expression of the ERE through the pathways of PERK, ATF6, and IRE1, were evaluated at the 3rd and 4th weeks postsurgery. We found a rise in ROS and nitrite production; also, catalase increased and glutathione peroxidase diminished their activities. These events promote an enhancement of the lipoperoxidation, as well as of γ‐GT, myeloperoxidase, and caspase 3 activities. With respect to ERE, there were ATF6, IRE1, and GADD153 overexpressions with a reduction in mitochondrial activity and GSH2/GSSG ratio. We conclude that the endoplasmic reticulum stress might play a pivotal role in the activation of hypothyroidism‐induced hippocampal cell death.
Right Ventricle Remodeling and Function in Scleroderma Patients
Authors: Cucuruzac Roxana , Muntean Iolanda , Benedek Imre , Mester Andras , Rat Nora , Mitre Adriana , Chitu Monica , Benedek Theodora
Published: March 2018

Scleroderma, known also as systemic sclerosis (SSc), is a severe disease associated with high mortality rates, and right ventricular (RV) remodeling and dysfunction, along with pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH), are among the most important internal organ manifestations of this disease. PAH has a higher prevalence in patients with SSc compared to the general population and represents a significant predictor of mortality in SSc. In patients with SSc, the morphological remodeling and alteration of RV function begin even before the setting of PAH and lead to development of a specific adaptive pattern of the RV which is different from the one recorded in patients with IAPH. These alterations cause worse outcomes and increased mortality rates in SSc patients. Early detection of RV dysfunction and remodeling is possible using modern imaging tools currently available and can indicate the initiation of specific therapeutic measures before installation of PAH. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge related to mechanisms involved in the remodeling and functional alteration of the RV in SSc patients.
Investigation of Interactions between Thrombin and Ten Phenolic Compounds by Affinity Capillary Electrophoresis and Molecular Docking
Authors: Li Qiao-Qiao , Yang Yu-Xiu , Qv Jing-Wen , Hu Guang , Hu Yuan-Jia , Xia Zhi-Ning , Yang Feng-Qing
Published: March 2018

Thrombin plays a vital role in blood coagulation, which is a key process involved in thrombosis by promoting platelet aggregation and converting fibrinogen to form the fibrin clot. In the receptor concept, drugs produce their therapeutic effects via interactions with the targets. Therefore, investigation of interaction between thrombin and small molecules is important to find out the potential thrombin inhibitor. In this study, affinity capillary electrophoresis (ACE) and in silico molecular docking methods were developed to study the interaction between thrombin and ten phenolic compounds (p-hydroxybenzoic acid, protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, dihydroquercetin, naringenin, apigenin, and baicalein). The ACE results showed that gallic acids and six flavonoid compounds had relative strong interactions with thrombin. In addition, the docking results indicated that all of optimal conformations of the six flavonoid compounds were positioned into the thrombin activity centre and had interaction with the HIS57 or SER195 which was the key residue to bind thrombin inhibitors such as argatroban. Herein, these six flavonoid compounds might have the potential of thrombin inhibition activity. In addition, the developed method in this study can be further applied to study the interactions of other molecules with thrombin.
Spontaneous Regression of Metastatic Papillary Thyroid Cancer in a Lymph Node
Authors: Shim Jien , Rao Jianyu , Yu Run
Published: March 2018

Spontaneous regression of cancer is defined as disappearance of cancer in the absence of specific therapy. In thyroid cancer patients with biochemically incomplete response to initial treatments, spontaneous decline in thyroglobulin levels without any cancer treatment is a well-known phenomenon; however, spontaneous regression of persistent or recurrent structural disease has not been reported. We here present a case of papillary thyroid cancer in a 58-year-old female who underwent total thyroidectomy and two radioiodine ablations. She had persistently elevated thyroglobulin levels. Six years after her initial treatments, she had biopsy-proven cervical lymph node metastasis. The patient opted not to undergo any further treatment. Over the course of the next 10 years, without any additional treatment, the lymph node disappeared and her thyroglobulin levels decreased to almost undetectable ranges, implying near-complete regression. Our case illustrates that metastatic papillary thyroid cancer in lymph nodes can regress spontaneously.
Development and Testing of Intelligent Alcohol Transportation Security System
Authors: Msomi Velaphi , Solomons Shandene E. A.
Published: March 2018

The development and testing of intelligent liquid transportation security system are being reported in this paper. The targeted fluid to be secured was ethanol alcohol and this was due to the theft cases occurring during the transportation of this product from the supplier to the customer. The system was developed such that only the radar level sensor (VEGAPULS 62) might be in contact with the fluid and the rest of the system remained outside the liquid carrying container to be secured. The system was developed such that it reports any abnormal liquid level drop through short message service (SMS). The functioning of the developed system was tested through the use of 1040 L Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC) filled with water which was hauled for about 1.5 km. The liquid theft was simulated and the system sent two SMS. The first SMS reported the beginning of water level drop and the second one reported the ending of water level drop. The second SMS reported the amount of liquid that was taken out of the container.
Time of Anderson-Fabry Disease Detection and Cardiovascular Presentation
Authors: Selthofer-Relatic K.
Published: March 2018

Background. Anderson-Fabry disease is an X-linked inherited disease, which manifests in a different manner depending on gender and genotype. Making a working diagnosis of Anderson-Fabry disease is difficult because of several reasons: (a) that it is a multiorgan disease with wide variety of phenotypes, (b) different timelines of presentation, (c) gender differences, and (d) possible coexistence with other comorbidities. Late-onset/cardiac type of presentation with minimal involvement of other organs can additionally make diagnosis difficult. Aim. To describe different cardiac manifestations at different time points in the course of the disease: (1) 72-year-old female (echocardiography detection), heterozygote, significant left and mild right ventricular hypertrophy; (2) 62-year-old male (echocardiography detection), hemizygote, left ventricular hypertrophy, implanted cardiac pacemaker, a performed percutaneous coronary intervention after myocardial infarction, degenerative medium degree aortic valve stenosis; (3) 45-year-old female (asymptomatic/family screening), heterozygote, thickened mitral papillary muscle, mild left ventricular hypertrophy, first degree diastolic dysfunction; and (4) 75-year-old female (symptomatic/family screening), heterozygote, cardiomyopathy with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction after heart surgery (mitral valve annuloplasty and plastic repair of the tricuspid valve). Conclusion. All patients have Anderson-Fabry disease but with different clinical presentations depending on the gender, the type of mutation, and the time of detection. All these features can make the patients’ profiles unique and delay the time of detection.
Effects of Nordic Walking on Oxidant and Antioxidant Status: Levels of Calcidiol and Proinflammatory Cytokines in Middle‐Aged Women
Authors: Pilch Wanda , Tota Łukasz , Piotrowska Anna , Śliwicka Ewa , Czerwińska-Ledwig Olga , Zuziak Roxana , Pilaczyńska-Szcześniak Łucja
Published: March 2018

Objectives. Nordic walking (NW) is relatively new and popular type of physical exercise with less studied effects than other sports activities. The aim of the study was to analyze possible changes in somatic indices, oxidant and antioxidant status, interleukins, and calcidiol levels in middle‐aged women after a 12‐week NW training program. Study Design. In this study, we examined the effects of NW training on selected measures and changes in body weight, fat mass, and calcidiol levels. Methods. The study group consisted of 13 women (46 ± 4.2 years), who took part in trainings. Before and after the training program, some anthropometric indices were determined and selected biochemical parameters were measured in blood. Results. NW training led to a significant decrease of the total body mass and fat mass and to an increase in lean body mass (p < 0.05). It also contributed to a significant increase in total antioxidative status (TAS) and calcidiol levels (p < 0.05). Before training, a reverse correlation between IL‐6 and total oxidative capacity (TOC) levels (p < 0.05) was found, while after training between IL‐6 and calcidiol levels (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusions. 12‐week NW training undertaken by premenopausal women not only has a positive effect on body composition but also on the plasma antioxidative capacity.