bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Taiwan second financial restructuring and commercial bank productivity growth
Authors: Hsiao Hsing-Chin , Lin Mei-Hwa 
Published: October 2013

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of merger and acquisition (M&As) of “second financial restructuring” (SFR) on the productivity growth of commercial banks in Taiwan.

Design/methodology/approach
– The paper uses the Malmquist productivity change index to evaluate the changes from pre-SFR to SFR period and from pre-SFR to post-SFR period. In addition, the bootstrapping regression method is applied to examine the relationship of SFR policy and productivity change.

Findings
– Merged banks have improved their productivity and scale efficiency after the M&As program of SFR. In addition, the greater productivity growth of merged banks than non-merged banks is attributed to small-sized and private-voluntary merged banks. Furthermore, the small-sized merged banks have greater productivity growth and scale efficiency improvement than the big-sized merged banks, and the government-mandatory merged banks have lower productivity growth than private-voluntary merged banks after the SFR.

Research limitations/implications
– This study has an academic implication for providing additional empirical evidence related to the impact of government M&As policy on bank productivity growth in the developing countries.

Practical implications
– The findings on this paper have implications for financial reform policy and banking management on M&As activity, in particular, as they clarify the differential effects of big-sized vs small-sized and government-mandatory vs private-voluntary merged banks.

Originality/value
– Understanding the impacts of financial reform is particularly important as the banking industry has become increasingly competitive. This paper contributes to this area by assessing the impact of the M&As policy of SFR on productivity growth and evaluating differential effects of M&As.
Ownership structure and efficiency in Taiwanese electronics firms
Authors: Yang Yan-Jie , Chen Jengfang , Long Kweh Qian , Chi Chen Hsin 
Published: October 2013

Purpose– This study aims to examine the effect of the separation of control and ownership on the efficiency performance of Taiwanese electronics firms.Design/methodology/approach– The paper employs data envelopment analysis to estimate efficiency performance. Following Kuanet al., the paper measures the severity of a firm's agency problems using the difference between voting rights and cash flow rights, and the difference between seat control rights and cash flow rights. Using a panel dataset for the period from 2004 to 2010, the paper runs OLS regressions to find the relationship between efficiency performance and the separation of control and ownership.Findings– The results show that both the divergence between voting rights and cash flow rights, and the divergence between seat control rights and cash flow rights are significantly and negatively related to efficiency performance. Using Tobit regression in the second stage also provides a consistent result.Research limitations/implications– Shareholders, especially the minority group, should think twice before investing in a firm with a high deviation of control and ownership.Originality/value– This is the first paper to examine the effect of the separation of control and ownership on the efficiency performance of Taiwanese electronics firms. The empirical evidence suggests existence of negative entrenchment effects in the electronics industry in Taiwan.
Roles played by histamine in strenuous or prolonged masseter muscle activity in mice
Authors: Yoneda Hiroyuki , Niijima‐Yaoita Fukie , Tsuchiya Masahiro , Kumamoto Hiroyuki , Watanbe Makoto , Ohtsu Hiroshi , Yanai Kazuhiko , Tadano Takeshi , Sasaki Keiichi , Sugawara Shunji , Endo Yasuo 
Published: October 2013

Summary

Bruxism and/or clenching, resulting in fatigue or dysfunction of masseter muscles (MM), may cause temporomandibular disorders. Functional support of the microcirculation is critical for prolonged muscle activity. Histamine is a regulator of the microcirculation and is supplied by release from its stores and/or by de novo production via the induction of histidine decarboxylase (HDC). Interleukin (IL)‐1, a cytokine involved in temporomandibular disorders, is an inducer of HDC. In the present study, we examined the roles of histamine, HDC and IL‐1 in MM activity.

Experiments were conducted using our R+G+ model. A mouse restrained (R+) inside a narrow cylinder (front end blocked with a thin plastic strip) gnaws away (G+) the strip to escape, with the weight reduction in the strip serving as an index of MM activity.

Fexofenadine (a peripherally acting histamine H1 receptor antagonist) reduced MM activity in normal mice. Both H1 receptor‐deficient and HDC‐deficient mice exhibited low MM activity. Prolonged R+G+ induced HDC activity in MM. Mast cell‐deficient mice exhibited strikingly low HDC induction in MM (and also in the quadriceps femoris muscle) in response to muscle activity or IL‐1β. Mast cells were present around blood vessels and nerves in the epimysium and perimysium of MM.

These results, together with others reported previously, suggest that: (i) peripheral histamine supports strenuous MM activity; (ii) strenuous MM activity stimulates mast cells to release histamine and to induce HDC (which replenishes the histamine pool in mast cells, possibly mediated by IL‐1); and (iii) peripheral histamine H1 receptor antagonists may be effective in treating temporomandibular disorders or preventing prolonged clenching and/or bruxism.
The integrative analysis of microRNA and mRNA expression in Apis mellifera following maze‐based visual pattern learning
Authors: Qin Qiu‐Hong , Wang Zi‐Long , Tian Liu‐Qing , Gan Hai‐Yan , Zhang Shao‐Wu , Zeng Zhi‐Jiang 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThe honeybee (Apis mellifera) is a social insect with strong sensory capacity and diverse behavioral repertoire and is recognized as a good model organism for studying the neurobiological basis of learning and memory. In this study, we analyzed the changes in microRNA (miRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA) following maze‐based visual learning using next‐generation small RNA sequencing and Solexa/lllumina Digital Gene Expression tag profiling (DGE). For small RNA sequencing, we obtained 13 367 770 and 13 132 655 clean tags from the maze and control groups, respectively. A total of 40 differentially expressed known miRNAs were detected between these two samples, and all of them were up‐regulated in the maze group compared to the control group. For DGE, 5 681 320 and 5 939 855 clean tags were detected from the maze and control groups, respectively. There were a total of 388 differentially expressed genes between these two samples, with 45 genes up‐regulated and 343 genes down‐regulated in the maze group, compared to the control group. Additionally, the expression levels of 10 differentially expressed genes were confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) and the expression trends of eight of them were consistent with the DGE result, although the degree of change was lower in amplitude. The integrative analysis of miRNA and mRNA expression showed that, among the 40 differentially expressed known miRNAs and 388 differentially expressed genes, 60 pairs of miRNA/mRNA were identified as co‐expressed in our present study. These results suggest that both miRNA and mRNA may play a pivotal role in the process of learning and memory in honeybees. Our sequencing data provide comprehensive miRNA and gene expression information for maze‐based visual learning, which will facilitate understanding of the molecular mechanisms of honeybee learning and memory.
Expression of candidate genes for residual feed intake in Angus cattle
Authors: Al‐Husseini W. , Gondro C. , Quinn K. , Herd R. M. , Gibson J. P. , Chen Y. 
Published: October 2013

SummaryResidual feed intake (RFI) has been adopted in Australia for the purpose of genetic improvement in feed efficiency in beef cattle. RFI is the difference between the observed feed intake of an animal and the predicted feed intake based on its size and growth rate over a test period. Gene expression of eight candidate genes (AHSG, GHR, GSTM1, INHBA, PCDH19, S100A10, SERPINI2 and SOD3), previously identified as differentially expressed between divergent lines of high‐ and low‐RFI animals, was measured in an unselected population of 60 steers from the Angus Society Elite Progeny Test Program using quantitative real‐time PCR. Results showed that the levels of gene expression were significantly correlated with RFI. The genes explain around 33.2% of the phenotypic variance in RFI, and prediction equations using the expression data are reasonably accurate estimators of RFI. The association of these genes with economically important traits, such as other feed efficiency‐related traits and fat, growth and carcass traits, was investigated as well. The expression of these candidate genes was significantly correlated with feed conversion ratio and daily feed intake, which are highly associated with RFI, suggesting a functional role for these genes in modulating feed utilisation. The expression of these genes did not show any association with average daily gain, eye muscle area and carcass composition.
The Problem of Epistemic Cost: Why Do Economists Not Change Their Minds (About the “Coase Theorem”)?
Authors: Yalcintas Altug 
Published: October 2013

AbstractErrors in the history of economic analysis often remain uncorrected for long periods due to positive epistemic costs (PEC) involved in allocating time to going back over what older generations wrote. In order to demonstrate this in a case study, economists' practice of the “Coase Theorem” is reconsidered from a PEC point of view.
When Heterodoxy Becomes Orthodoxy: Ecological Economics inThe New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics
Authors: Carpintero Óscar 
Published: October 2013

AbstractModern ecological economics emerged in opposition to mainstream economics as a scientific approach with many key heterodox features. Among these are an open systems perspective, transdisciplinarity, and radical criticism of the conventional representation of economic process. The term “ecological economics” was included internationally in the second edition (2008) ofTheNewPalgraveDictionary ofEconomics, the most prestigious and widely used dictionary of economics. In our view, however, the entry does little to facilitate understanding of the heterodox features, and theoretical and methodological controversies that have developed in ecological economics over the last two decades.
Characterization of Microsomal Prostaglandin E Synthase 1 Inhibitors
Authors: Korotkova Marina , Jakobsson Per‐Johan 
Published: October 2013

AbstractMicrosomal prostaglandin E synthase‐1 (mPGES‐1) is an inducible terminal synthase in PGE2 biosynthesis by inflammatory and cancer cells. Clinical and experimental data emphasize that mPGES‐1 might be a valuable target, with improved selectivity and safety compared to traditional NSAIDs or selective COX‐2 inhibitors, in the treatment of inflammatory diseases, different types of cancer as well as central symptoms elicited by peripheral inflammation. Since the first characterization of mPGES‐1, the numbers of publications on mPGES‐1 structure, pathogenic role and inhibitor development have increased exponentially; however, there are currently no selective mPGES‐1 inhibitors available for clinical use. In this MiniReview, we focus on recent advances in the development of selective inhibitors of mPGES‐1 activity, with the aim to discuss the effects of targeting mPGES‐1 in different inflammatory models in vitro and in vivo.
Antisense‐mediated post‐transcriptional silencing of SCN1B gene modulates sodium channel functional expression
Authors: Baroni Debora , Picco Cristiana , Barbieri Raffaella , Moran Oscar 
Published: October 2013

Background informationVoltage‐dependent sodium channels are membrane proteins essential for cell excitability. They are composed by a pore‐forming α‐subunit and one or more β subunits. Nine α subunit and five β subunit isoforms have been identified in mammals: β1, its splice variant β1B, β2, β3 and β4. Although they do not form the ion channel pore, β subunits modulate both function as well as expression of sodium channels on cell membrane.ResultsTo investigate the role of β1 subunit on the modulation of sodium channel expression, we silenced this auxiliary subunit with specific antisense oligonucleotides (ASONs) in two rat cell lines, the GH3 and the H9C2, from neuro‐ectoderm and cardiac myocyte origin, respectively. Treatment of cells with ASONs determined a reduction of about 50% of β1 subunit mRNA and protein expression in both cell lines. We found that this level of β1 subunit silencing resulted in an overall decrease of α subunit mRNA, protein expression and a decrease of sodium current density, without altering significantly the voltage‐dependent and kinetic properties of the currents. In GH3 cells, the β1 subunit silencing reduced the expression of Nav1.1, Nav1.3 and Nav1.6 isoforms, whereas the Nav 1.2 isoform expression remained unaltered. The expression of the only α subunit present in H9C2 cells, the Nav1.5, was also reduced by β1 subunit silencing.ConclusionsThese results indicate that the β1 subunit may exert an isoform‐specific fine‐tuned modulation of sodium channel expression.
Immunostimulatory Lipid Nanoparticles from Herbal Medicine
Authors: Hasson Tal H. , Takaoka Anna , de la Rica Roberto , Matsui Hiroshi , Smeureanu Gabriela , Drain Charles M. , Kawamura Akira 
Published: October 2013

Reproducibility is an important issue in biological characterization of drug candidates and natural products. It is not uncommon to encounter cases in which supposedly the same sample exhibits very different biological activities. During our characterization of macrophage‐stimulatory lipids from herbal medicine, it was found that the potency of these lipids could vary substantially from experiment to experiment. Further analysis of this reproducibility issue led to the discovery of solvent‐dependent nanoparticle formation by these lipids. While larger nanoparticles (approximately 100 nm) of these lipids showed modest macrophage‐stimulatory activity, smaller nanoparticles (<10 nm) of the same lipids exhibited substantially higher potency. Thus, the study revealed an unexpected link between nanoparticle formation and macrophage‐stimulatory activity of plant lipids. Although nanoparticles have been extensively studied in the context of vehicles for drug delivery, our finding indicates that drugs themselves can form nanoassemblies, and their biological properties may be altered by the way they assemble.
‘Did not attends’ in children 0–10: a scoping review
Authors: Arai L. , Stapley S. , Roberts H. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractPatients who do not attend (‘DNA’) health appointments have been identified as a service problem incurring significant costs to the NHS. In order to explore the causes, effects and costs of child DNAs, we carried out a scoping study to map the literature and identify gaps in the research. Given the breadth of issues underpinning DNAs, a scoping study, including research studies, audits, policy documents and conference abstracts, was the most useful way to map the field. To foster public and patient participation, we sought advice from parents participating in the National Children's Bureau's Family Research Advisory Group. From a pool of 1997 items, we found few UK studies with non‐attendance of 0–10 year olds as a primary focus, though many more incidentally reported DNA rates. Overall, four topics predominated: the conceptualization of DNAs; the correlates of non‐attendance; initiatives to reduce non‐attendance; and the relationship between non‐attendance and safeguarding. The Family Research Advisory Group identified broadly similar issues, but with a stronger emphasis on communication and practical matters. While there may be circumstances where failing to attend appointments makes little or no difference to a child (or even benefits them) it is likely that there are children whose health or well‐being are compromised as a result of failing to attend appointments. Both ‘over’ and ‘under'‐attendance can be a source of anxiety to health professionals. Areas where further work is needed include robust evaluation of the effectiveness, cost‐effectiveness and maintenance of measures to reduce DNAs and a better understanding of the relationship of safeguarding to non‐attendance.
Controlled Metamorphosis Between Skeleton‐Driven Animated Polyhedral Meshes of Arbitrary Topologies
Authors: Kravtsov Denis , Fryazinov Oleg , Adzhiev Valery , Pasko Alexander , Comninos Peter 
Published: October 2013

AbstractEnabling animators to smoothly transform between animated meshes of differing topologies is a long‐standing problem in geometric modelling and computer animation. In this paper, we propose a new hybrid approach built upon the advantages of scalar field‐based models (often called implicit surfaces) which can easily change their topology by changing their defining scalar field. Given two meshes, animated by their rigging‐skeletons, we associate each mesh with its own approximating implicit surface. This implicit surface moves synchronously with the mesh. The shape‐metamorphosis process is performed in several steps: first, we collapse the two meshes to their corresponding approximating implicit surfaces, then we transform between the two implicit surfaces and finally we inverse transition from the resulting metamorphosed implicit surface to the target mesh. The examples presented in this paper demonstrating the results of the proposed technique were implemented using an in‐house plug‐in for Maya™.
Therapy of pathological scars
Authors: Wagner Justinus A. 
Published: October 2013

SummaryThe various clinical manifestations of scarring are an important topic for physicians in many disciplines. The prevention of excessive scarring is more successful than the treatment afterwards. Multiple options exist for prevention, wound repair modulation, and treatment of scars. This publication includes an overview of the pathogenesis, clinical classification, documentation, prevention, and invasive and non‐invasive therapy options.
Pulmonary Vein Stenosis Assessed by Three‐Dimensional Transesophageal Echocardiography
Authors: Anjo Diana , de Agustín Jose Alberto , Rodrigo Jose Luis , Macaya Carlos , Perez de Isla Leopoldo 
Published: October 2013

Mini‐AbstractWe report a case about a 43‐year‐old man admitted to hospital with progressive exertional dyspnea and hemoptysis. Two months before admission, he had undergone radiofrequency ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Subsequent investigation revealed a severe obstruction of the left upper pulmonary vein (LUPV). Three‐dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiography improved the morphological characterization of the LUPV, including direct en face visualization from the left atrium, and enabled the performance of direct planimetry at the level of LUPV stenosis using multiplanar review mode. Our case illustrates the usefulness of 3D transesophageal echocardiography in the accurate assessment of this rare but serious complication.
Just the Facts? The Separation of Sex Education from Moral Education
Authors: Lamb Sharon 
Published: October 2013

AbstractIn this essay Sharon Lamb considers how progressives have begun to win the longstanding battle to shape sex education and what they have had to give up in the process. After framing the battle in historical context, Lamb uses discourse analysis to explore the hidden values in the “evidence‐based” (EB) curricula that progressives currently favor and that pass for neutral today. As her analysis reveals, EB curricula privilege three discourses — a discourse of science, a discourse of healthy choices (with an emphasis on individuals), and a discourse of efficacy — all of which are grounded in ideology and serve to legitimize certain kinds of knowledge while undermining other kinds. Lamb concludes by proposing eight tenets for the future of sexuality education, which are intended to displace the eight tenets codified by proponents of abstinence‐only‐until‐marriage sexuality education.
Bursaphelenchus fungivorus from Pinus pinaster bark in Portugal
Authors: Fonseca L. , Cardoso J. M. S. , Moron‐Lopez J. , Abrantes I. 
Published: October 2013

SummaryBursaphelenchus fungivorus is reported for the first time in Portugal, identified as associated with Pinus pinaster bark and characterized on the basis of morphological and morphometrical characters for this species. Species identification was confirmed using restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of ribosomal DNA. Intraisolate genetic variability was detected among ITS sequences of the Portuguese B. fungivorus isolate. Phylogenetic analysis, obtained from multiple sequence alignment between ITS sequences of Bursaphelenchus species, revealed that the Portuguese B. fungivorus isolate clusters with other B. fungivorus isolates, forming a separate group close to B. seani highlighting a molecular proximity of these two species.
Convergent structure of multitrophic communities over three continents
Authors: Segar Simon T. , Pereira Rodrigo A. S. , Compton Steve G. , Cook James M. 
Published: October 2013

AstractEcological theory predicts that communities using the same resources should have similar structure, but evolutionary constraints on colonisation and niche shifts may hamper such convergence. Multitrophic communities of wasps exploiting fig fruits, which first evolved about 75MYA, do not show long‐term ‘inheritance’ of taxonomic (lineage) composition or species diversity. However, communities on three continents have converged ecologically in the presence and relative abundance of five insect guilds that we define. Some taxa fill the same niches in each community (phylogenetic niche conservatism). However, we show that overall convergence in ecological community structure depends also on a combination of niche shifts by resident lineages and local colonisations of figs by other insect lineages. Our study explores new ground, and develops new heuristic tools, in combining ecology and phylogeny to address patterns in the complex multitrophic communities of insect on plants, which comprise a large part of terrestrial biodiversity.
Ecological and evolutionary implications of food subsidies from humans
Authors: Oro Daniel , Genovart Meritxell , Tavecchia Giacomo , Fowler Mike S. , Martínez‐Abraín Alejandro 
Published: October 2013

AbstractHuman activities are the main current driver of global change. From hunter‐gatherers through to Neolithic societies–and particularly in contemporary industrialised countries–humans have (voluntarily or involuntarily) provided other animals with food, often with a high spatio‐temporal predictability. Nowadays, as much as 30–40% of all food produced in Earth is wasted. We argue here that predictable anthropogenic food subsidies (PAFS) provided historically by humans to animals has shaped many communities and ecosystems as we see them nowadays. PAFS improve individual fitness triggering population increases of opportunistic species, which may affect communities, food webs and ecosystems by altering processes such as competition, predator–prey interactions and nutrient transfer between biotopes and ecosystems. We also show that PAFS decrease temporal population variability, increase resilience of opportunistic species and reduce community diversity. Recent environmental policies, such as the regulation of dumps or the ban of fishing discards, constitute natural experiments that should improve our understanding of the role of food supply in a range of ecological and evolutionary processes at the ecosystem level. Comparison of subsidised and non‐subsidised ecosystems can help predict changes in diversity and the related ecosystem services that have suffered the impact of other global change agents.