bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
“Peer effects” in capital structure decision of Chinese firms-empirical investigation based on Chinese a-share listed firms
Authors: Zhong Tianli , Zhang Tianyu 
Published: June 2018

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify if peer firms’ capital structure decision plays a role in determining focal firms’ capital structure decision, despite the fact that correlated effects can also lead to co-movement of financing behavior among firms from the same industry (i.e. industry-specific capital structure).Design/methodology/approachInstead of using relative measurement (of individual outcome variable over industry variable) as in previous work, this paper borrows the linear-in-means model and, after controlling for potential endogeneity problems, directly identifies the existence of peer effects with coefficient estimation. To deal with correlated effects, additional empirical investigations such as test of heterogeneity in direction and scale, social multiplier identification test and instrumental regression test based on another instrumental variable (that is less influenced by correlated effects) are performed.FindingsUsing data from Chinese listed firms, this paper, for the first time, identifies the presence of peer effects in capital structure and debt maturity decision. Further investigations show that first, focal firms react asymmetrically to peer firms’ debt adjustment of different direction and scale. Second, social multiplier, a unique attribute of peer effects, is identified in the leverage choices. Third, the significant correlation of capital structure decision remains even if we use another “correlated effects-immune” instrument. All these results point to the fact that peer effects, rather than correlated effects, play a significant role in determining capital structure.Practical implicationsThe empirical results of this paper provide strong evidence that firms, driven by motivations such as either learning or competition, will actively react to peers’ financial decisions. As the bridge between individual firms and the industry, social multiplier can be fully taken advantage of to induce positive spillover of good management practices and prohibit inefficient decisions from spreading.Originality/valueThis paper theoretically and empirically introduces peer effects – a well-acknowledged social concept – into capital structure decision of Chinese listed firms, thus both complementing the traditional capital structure theory and providing an empirical paradigm for peer effects research.
Setting the research agenda for measuring sustainability performance – systematic application of the world café method
Authors: Silva Samanthi , Guenther Edeltraud 
Published: June 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to first present potential areas of research for measuring sustainability performance that emerged in a joint researcher–practitioner workshop at the 19th Environmental and Sustainability Management Accounting Network Europe Conference, organized in cooperation with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Second, the methodology applied to gain these insights, the world café approach, is critically reviewed.

Design/methodology/approach
The applied method, a world café approach, facilitates collaborative dialogue and was used in the workshop to uncover underlying research themes. A generalized process flow diagram for a world café is presented, highlighting critical aspects that can guide researchers considering the use of the world café method. The results are structured by means of the 5 W (who, what, where, when, why) and 2 H (how) questions, also known as the elements of circumstance.

Findings
Key topics discussed by conference attendees are identified and an overview of potential areas of research are established concerning “measuring sustainability performance”, with a topical focus on impact measurement and value of sustainability. Furthermore, based on the topics identified by practitioners and researchers, this paper develops a list of questions that can guide future research. Finally, the world café method as a means of generating insights into complex topics such as sustainability performance is evaluated.

Practical implications
The list of research questions identified in this paper can serve as guidance for researchers for selecting relevant, practice-oriented research topics. The value of the world café method as an approach to facilitating the generation of participatory and collaborative insights was confirmed for sustainability management. The generalized process flow diagram can act as a starting point when considering the world café method for facilitating large transdisciplinary groups.

Social implications
The world café is a method for facilitating practitioners and researchers exchange, and thereby presents an opportunity for spanning the research–practice gap. By bringing practitioners and researchers together to identify research areas, future research is more likely to have positive social implications.

Originality/value
The paper presents a recent interpretation of future research gained from a large number of sustainability professionals, including practitioners and researchers, by bringing them together using a world café. The world café is a valuable method for a collaborative set-up with immediate feedback loops, which encourages dialogue, in contrast to surveys or individual interviews, on future developments in the field.
Annual chronotypes functionally link life histories and life cycles in birds
Authors: Karagicheva Julia , Rakhimberdiev Eldar , Saveliev Anatoly , Piersma Theunis 
Published: June 2018

AbstractLife‐history responses to ecological selection pressures can be described by a slow–fast life‐history axis. Along this axis, fast‐living animals usually invest in high breeding output, whereas slow‐living ones prioritize their own survival.Birds may solve the trade‐off between reproduction and survival by optimizing their seasonal schedules. Breeding early tends to facilitate reproductive success, whereas breeding late increases the chances to survive. On the basis of this argument, short‐ and long‐lived birds should benefit from initiating spring activities earlier and later, respectively.The timing of seasonal activities, all else being equal, depends on the architecture of endogenous circannual clocks. Particularly, the length of the circannual period relative to the 365‐day environmental year either facilitates the anticipation of seasonal activities (in case of periods shorter than 365 days) or represents a responsive mode (when periods are longer than 365 days). The two alternatives will be manifested by early or late annual chronotypes, respectively.We hypothesize that in birds, annual chronotype will correspond with position on the “pace‐of‐life scale.” Species with low survival probability, and thus a poor chance of breeding in a next season, should show early annual chronotypes facilitated by circannual‐clock periods shorter than 365 days. In contrast, species with high survival rates should benefit from relatively long circannual periods.We predicted that circannual‐period lengths should correlate positively with species‐specific adult annual survival rates. Using published data for 16 wild bird species, we confirmed the predicted correlation. In our analysis, we accounted for the possible metabolic nature of circannual clocks, a correlation between rate of metabolism and survival, and phylogenetic relationships.On the basis of our finding, we propose that evolutionary responsive circannual clocks help birds cope with temporal variation in the environment in ways that are most appropriate for their life‐history and life‐table attributes.Aplain language summaryis available for this article.
Personalities influence spatial responses to environmental fluctuations in wild fish
Authors: Villegas‐Ríos David , Réale Denis , Freitas Carla , Moland Even , Olsen Esben M. 
Published: June 2018

Abstract

Although growing evidence supports the idea that animal personality can explain plasticity in response to changes in the social environment, it remains to be tested whether it can explain spatial responses of individuals in the face of natural environmental fluctuations. This is a major challenge in ecology and evolution as spatial dynamics link individual‐ and population‐level processes.

In this study, we investigated the potential of individual personalities to predict differences in fish behaviour in the wild. Specifically, our goal was to answer if individual differences in plasticity of space use to sea surface temperature could be explained by differences in personality along the reactive–proactive axis.

To address this question, we first conducted repeated standard laboratory assays (i.e., open‐field test, novel object test and mirror stimulation test) to assess the personality type of 76 wild‐caught Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Next, we released the fish back into the sea and monitored their spatial behaviour over large temporal (16 months) and spatial (a whole fjord) scales, using high‐resolution acoustic tracking.

We demonstrate that (a) cod personality traits are structured into a proactive–reactive syndrome (proactive fish being more bold, exploratory and aggressive), (b) mean depth use of individuals is mainly driven by sea temperature and (c) personality is a significant predictor of home range changes in the wild, where reactive, but not proactive, individuals reduced their home range as sea temperature increased.

These findings expand our understanding of the ecological consequences of animal personality and the mechanisms shaping spatial dynamics of animals in nature.
The Apotheosis of the Rule of Law
Authors: Loughlin Martin 
Published: June 2018

AbstractIn 1885 A.V. Dicey identified the rule of law as a key principle of British constitutional law. Presenting it both as a product of English common law method and an expression of classical liberalism, Dicey's concept lingered on into the twentieth century but mainly as a contentious ideological doctrine or simply as a vague rhetorical slogan. During the last fifty years, however, the concept has been revived, recrafted, relocated and reified. The rule of law has become a universal trope, albeit with a range of contestable meanings. This article traces this development, showing how it has been converted into a phrase of considerable political potency not only domestically but also in the international arena.
Insect declines and agroecosystems: does light pollution matter?
Authors: Grubisic M. , van Grunsven R.H.A. , Kyba C.C.M. , Manfrin A. , Hölker F. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractDrastic declines in insect populations, ‘Ecological Armageddon’, have recently gained increased attention in the scientific community, and are commonly considered to be the consequence of large‐scale factors such as land‐use changes, use of pesticides, climate change and habitat fragmentation. Artificial light at night (ALAN), a pervasive global change that strongly impacts insects, remains, however, infrequently recognised as a potential contributor to the observed declines. Here, we provide a summary of recent evidence of impacts of ALAN on insects and discuss how these impacts can drive declines in insect populations in light‐polluted areas. ALAN can increase overall environmental pressure on insect populations, and this is particularly important in agroecosystems where insect communities provide important ecosystem services (such as natural pest control, pollination, conservation of soil structure and fertility and nutrient cycling), and are already under considerable environmental pressure. We discuss how changes in insect populations driven by ALAN and ALAN itself may hinder these services to influence crop production and biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Understanding the contribution of ALAN and other factors to the decline of insects is an important step towards mitigation and the recovery of the insect fauna in our landscapes. In future studies, the role of increased nocturnal illumination also needs to be examined as a possible causal factor of insect declines in the ongoing ‘Ecological Armageddon’, along with the more commonly examined factors. Given the large scale of agricultural land use and the potential of ALAN to indirectly and directly impact crop production and biodiversity, a better understanding of effects of ALAN in agroecosystems is urgently needed.
Localization of the motor neuron somata of geniohyoid muscle in rat: A horseradish peroxidase study
Authors: Razlan Aimi Nadia Binti , Ullah Muzammil , Kapitonova Marina Yurievna , Liaqat Ali Khan Norhayati Binti , Fuad Syed Baharom Syed Ahmad 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe aim of the study was to investigate the location of motor neuron somata of geniohyoid muscle in rat. Nine Sprague‐Dawley rats were used in this study. Operations were performed under general anaesthesia. Nembutal sodium, 40 mg per kg intraperitoneally was used for anaesthesia. 0.02 to 0.05 ml of 30% horseradish peroxidase (Sigma Type VI) solution in normal saline was injected into the exposed right geniohyoid muscle. After 48 hr, the animals were fixed by perfusion through left ventricle of heart, first by 100 ml normal saline and then with 500 ml of 1.25% glutaraldehyde and 1% paraformaldehyde in 0.1 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, at room temperature, and finally with 500 ml of 10% sucrose in the same buffer at 4°C. The medulla oblongata and first cervical segment of spinal cord were removed, kept in 10% sucrose in above phosphate buffer at 4°C for 24 hr. Thereafter, their serial transverse sections were cut in a cryostat at a thickness of 60 μm. The sections were treated according to tetramethyl benzidine (TMB)‐horseradish peroxidase (HRP) method. HRP‐labelled neuron somata were observed at the following sites: (a) In ventral part of right main hypoglossal nucleus in upper two‐thirds of the closed part of medulla oblongata. (b) In ventrolateral subnucleus of hypoglossal nucleus in lower third of closed part of medulla oblongata. (c) At spinomedullary junction, they were located in dorsomedial part of right ventral grey column; a few were also seen here scattered on right side of central canal and among corticospinal fibres.
Ovulation induction in polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Tanbo Tom , Mellembakken Jan , Bjercke Sverre , Ring Eva , Åbyholm Thomas , Fedorcsak Peter 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe objective of this narrative review was to suggest a rational order of treatment choices in anovulatory women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), for whom a multitude of treatment options exist. In obese/overweight women with PCOS the importance of weight reduction should be stressed. Inositol, a dietary supplement with a documented effect on ovulation and without adverse effects in the doses recommended, may be suggested. Additional first‐line medical alternatives include insulin sensitizers, selective estrogen receptor modulators, and aromatase inhibitors. Of these, the aromatase inhibitor letrozole and the combination of clomiphene citrate and metformin have the highest rates of ovulation and live birth. Second‐line treatments are ovarian electrocautery and low‐dose follicle‐stimulating hormone stimulation. Controlled ovarian stimulation with in vitro fertilization, should be considered the last option as it carries a significant risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in patients with PCOS.
First‐graders’ allocation of attentional resources in an emotional Stroop task: The role of heart period variability and classroom climate
Authors: Scrimin Sara , Moscardino Ughetta , Mason Lucia 
Published: June 2018

BackgroundChildren's ability to remain focused on a task despite the presence of emotionally salient distractors in the environment is crucial for successful learning and academic performance.AimsThis study investigated first‐graders’ allocation of attentional resources in the presence of distracting emotional, school‐related social interaction stimuli. Moreover, we examined whether such attentional processes were influenced by students’ self‐regulation, as indexed by heart period variability, observed classroom climate, or their interaction.SampleSeventy‐two‐first graders took part in the study.MethodsTo assess allocation of attentional resources, students’ reaction times on an emotional Stroop task were registered by recording response times to colour frames placed around pictures of distracting emotional, school‐related social interaction stimuli (i.e., emotional interference index). Moreover, heart period variability was measured by recording children's electrocardiogram at rest during an individual session, whereas classroom climate was observed during class activities by a trained researcher.ResultsImages representing negative social interactions required greater attentional resources than images depicting positive ones. Heart period variability and classroom climate were each significantly and independently associated with the emotional interference index. A significant interaction also emerged, indicating that among children experiencing a negative classroom climate, those who had a higher basal heart period variability (higher self‐regulation) were less distracted by negative emotional material and remained more focused on a task compared to those with lower heart period variability (lower self‐regulation).ConclusionsNegative interactions require greater attentional resources than positive scenes. Moreover, with a negative classroom climate, higher basal heart period variability is a protective factor. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
A novel inhibitor of inducible NOS dimerization protects against cytokine‐induced rat beta cell dysfunction
Authors: Zhong Linlin , Tran Tuan , Baguley Tyler D , Lee Sang Jun , Henke Adam , To Andrew , Li Sijia , Yu Shan , Grieco Fabio A , Roland Jason , Schultz Peter G , Eizirik Decio L , Rogers Nikki , Chartterjee Arnab K , Tremblay Matthew S , Shen Weijun 
Published: June 2018

Background and PurposeBeta cell apoptosis is a major feature of type 1 diabetes, and pro‐inflammatory cytokines are key drivers of the deterioration of beta cell mass through induction of apoptosis. Mitochondrial stress plays a critical role in mediating apoptosis by releasing cytochrome C into the cytoplasm, directly activating caspase‐9 and its downstream signalling cascade. We aimed to identify new compounds that protect beta cells from cytokine‐induced activation of the intrinsic (mitochondrial) pathway of apoptosis.Experimental ApproachDiabetogenic media, composed of IL‐1β, IFN‐γ and high glucose, were used to induce mitochondrial stress in rat insulin‐producing INS1E cells, and a high‐content image‐based screen of small molecule modulators of Casp9 pathway was performed.Key ResultsA novel small molecule, ATV399, was identified from a high‐content image‐based screen for compounds that inhibit cleaved caspase‐9 activation and subsequent beta cell apoptosis induced by a combination of IL‐1β, IFN‐γ and high glucose, which together mimic the pathogenic diabetic milieu. Through medicinal chemistry optimization, potency was markedly improved (6–30 fold), with reduced inhibitory effects on CYP3A4. Improved analogues, such as CAT639, improved beta cell viability and insulin secretion in cytokine‐treated rat insulin‐producing INS1E cells and primary dispersed islet cells. Mechanistically, CAT639 reduced the production of NO by allosterically inhibiting dimerization of inducible NOS (iNOS) without affecting its mRNA levels.Conclusion and ImplicationsTaken together, these studies demonstrate a successful phenotypic screening campaign resulting in identification of an inhibitor of iNOS dimerization that protects beta cell viability and function through modulation of mitochondrial stress induced by cytokines.
Realtime Performance‐Driven Physical Simulation for Facial Animation
Authors: Barrielle V. , Stoiber N. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractWe present the first realtime method for generating facial animations enhanced by physical simulation from realtime performance capture data. Unlike purely data‐based techniques, our method is able to produce physical effects on the fly through the simulation of volumetric skin behaviour, lip contacts and sticky lips. It remains however practical as it does not require any physical/medical data which are complex to acquire and process, and instead relies only on the input of a blendshapes model. We achieve realtime performance on the CPU by introducing an efficient progressive Projective Dynamics solver to efficiently solve the physical integration steps even when confronted to constantly changing constraints. Also key to our realtime performance is a new Taylor approximation and memoization scheme for the computation of the Singular Value Decompositions required for the simulation of volumetric skin. We demonstrate the applicability of our method by animating blendshape characters from a simple webcam feed .
Bioavailability and costs of once‐daily and twice‐daily tacrolimus formulations in de novo kidney transplantation
Authors: Glander Petra , Waiser Johannes , Kasbohm Silke , Friedersdorff Frank , Peters Robert , Rudolph Birgit , Wu Kaiyin , Budde Klemens , Liefeldt Lutz 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe use of once‐daily tacrolimus in de novo kidney transplantation is increasingly common. Therefore, we were interested in bioavailability aspects of novel once‐daily tacrolimus (LCPT, Envarsus) and once‐daily tacrolimus extended‐release formulation (ER‐Tac, Advagraf) compared with twice‐daily immediate‐release tacrolimus (IR‐Tac, Prograf). Furthermore, we calculated the costs. Kidney allograft recipients on tacrolimus‐based immunosuppression within 2 clinical trials were included in a single‐center analysis. The tacrolimus formulations were compared with respect to daily doses, doses per body weight, trough levels, and concentration‐dose (C/D) ratio over 12 months. Intrapatient variability in trough levels and C/D ratios after 3 months was calculated. For the calculation of tacrolimus costs, German list prices were used. Eighty patients (21 with LCPT, 23 with IR‐Tac, and 36 with ER‐Tac) were analyzed. Pharmacokinetic comparisons revealed significantly higher bioavailability of LCPT at all visits. The variability of trough levels and C/D ratios in general was high and highest in LCPT patients. Different dose requirements translated into different costs. Median treatment costs during the first year were 7.825€ (IQR 6.195‐8.892€) for LCPT, 9.813€ (IQR 7.630‐16.832€) for IR‐Tac, and 9.838€ (IQR 7.503‐ 13.541€) for ER‐Tac (Kruskal‐Wallis test, P = .003). The 3 tacrolimus formulations exhibit different dose requirements, exposure, and costs in favor of LCPT.