bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
(R,S)-Ketamine Metabolites (R,S)-norketamine and (2S,6S)-hydroxynorketamine Increase the Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Function
Authors: Paul Rajib K. , Singh Nagendra S. , Khadeer Mohammed , Moaddel Ruin , Sanghvi Mitesh , Green Carol E. , O’Loughlin Kathleen , Torjman Marc C. , Bernier Michel , Wainer Irving W. 
Published: June 2014

Abstract

Background:
Subanesthetic doses of (R,S)-ketamine are used in the treatment of neuropathic pain and depression. In the rat, the antidepressant effects of (R,S)-ketamine are associated with increased activity and function of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR); however, (R,S)-ketamine is extensively metabolized and the contribution of its metabolites to increased mTOR signaling is unknown.

Methods:
Rats (n = 3 per time point) were given (R,S)-ketamine, (R,S)-norketamine, and (2S,6S)-hydroxynorketamine and their effect on the mTOR pathway determined after 20, 30, and 60 min. PC-12 pheochromocytoma cells (n = 3 per experiment) were treated with escalating concentrations of each compound and the impact on the mTOR pathway was determined.

Results:
The phosphorylation of mTOR and its downstream targets was significantly increased in rat prefrontal cortex tissue by more than ~2.5-, ~25-, and ~2-fold, respectively, in response to a 60-min postadministration of (R,S)-ketamine, (R,S)-norketamine, and (2S,6S)-hydroxynorketamine (P < 0.05, ANOVA analysis). In PC-12 pheochromocytoma cells, the test compounds activated the mTOR pathway in a concentration-dependent manner, which resulted in a significantly higher expression of serine racemase with ~2-fold increases at 0.05 nM (2S,6S)-hydroxynorketamine, 10 nM (R,S)-norketamine, and 1,000 nM (R,S)-ketamine. The potency of the effect reflected antagonistic activity of the test compounds at the α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

Conclusions:
The data demonstrate that (R,S)-norketamine and (2S,6S)-hydroxynorketamine have potent pharmacological activity both in vitro and in vivo and contribute to the molecular effects produced by subanesthetic doses of (R,S)-ketamine. The results suggest that the determination of the mechanisms underlying the antidepressant and analgesic effects of (R,S)-ketamine requires a full study of the parent compound and its metabolites.
African financial development dynamics: big time convergence
Authors: A. Asongu Simplice 
Published: June 2014

Purpose
– Assessment of African financial development dynamic convergences in money, credit, efficiency and size. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach
– The empirical evidence is premised on 11 homogenous panels based on regions (Sub-Saharan and North Africa), income-levels (low, middle, lower-middle and upper-middle), legal-origins (English common-law and French civil-law) and religious dominations (Christianity and Islam). The paper examines convergence in financial intermediary dynamics of depth, efficiency, activity and size.

Findings
– Findings suggest that countries with small-sized financial intermediary depth, efficiency, activity and size are catching-up countries with large-sized financial intermediary depth, efficiency, activity and size, respectively. The paper also provide the speeds of convergence and time necessary to achieve a full (100 percent) convergence.

Practical implications
– The presence of strong links among African banking sectors may present little opportunity for portfolio diversification. The convergence patterns show positive steps toward regional integration. As a policy implication, African governments should not relent in structural and institutional reforms.

Originality/value
– It is the first critical assessment of convergence in financial intermediary development dynamics in the African continent.
Consumer perceptions and functional evaluations of cash desk types in the clothing retail context
Authors: Yildirim Kemal , Ayalp Nur , Guner Aktas Gozen , Lutfi Hidayetoglu M. 
Published: June 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to focus on assessing consumer perceptions and functional evaluations of store cash desks (Flat, L- and U-shaped) in the clothing retail context.

Design/methodology/approach
– To test the assumption that relationships exist between various types of cash desks and consumer perceptions and functional evaluations, a study was devised using digital pictures of three types of cash desks hypothetically located in a large store.

Findings
– Results based on semantic differential and functional items show that consumers expressed a more positive perception of flat than of L- or U-shaped cash desks. Men evaluated the store cash desks more positively than women overall. Managerial implications are discussed and directions for future research are proposed.

Originality/value
– This paper reveals a significant relationship between cash desk type and consumer perceptions and functional evaluations of cash desks. The results of the work suggest that retailers and designers may be able to easily make stores more attractive to consumers by installing flat cash desks.
Depositor discipline and the bank
'
s incentive to monitor
Authors: Ferguson Michael F. , Stevenson Bradley A. 
Published: June 2014

Purpose
– The aim of this paper is to examine the question of the specialness of banks by addressing concerns raised in the recent studies and deriving policy implications for the future of banking. The specialness of banks has been well documented in the finance literature. More recent research, however, calls into question the special nature of banks.

Design/methodology/approach
– We use event study methodology to study 423 bank loan announcements from 1988 to 1996 and examine the returns relative to proxies for the bank
'
s monitoring incentives and skill using ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions.

Findings
– Our results indicate borrower abnormal announcement returns are positively related to proxies for the bank
'
s monitoring incentives and skill as measured by: the ratio of uninsured deposits to total loans; a risk-adjusted measure of recovered charge-offs; and the relative bank-to-borrower capital ratio.

Research limitations/implications
– The results reveal how the fragile nature of the bank
'
s structure improves the bank
'
s incentives to monitor borrowers.

Practical implications
– Our results can inform the current debates in the Fed and in Congress surrounding reapplying the Glass-Steagall Act and limiting the size of banks. We show that banks were special before the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and when fewer banks belonged to the too-big-to-fail category. This suggests that reregulating banks to re-establish their fragile nature will re-establish them as information-generating intermediaries instead of just transactional institutions.

Originality/value
– Our findings have not previously been documented but are broadly consistent with models developed by Calomiris and Kahn (1991) and especially Diamond and Rajan (2001).
Bank’s perspective on regulatory-driven changes to collateral management
Authors: Prorokowski Lukasz 
Published: June 2014

Purpose
– The aim of this paper is to discuss the impact of regulatory-driven changes to the collateral management landscape, indicating operational and technological challenges faced by global investment banks while complying with the new regulatory framework. As it transpires, collateral management strategies need to be revised to find optimal solutions for the regulatory-shaped landscape. Furthermore, set against the regulatory background, this paper attempts to provide some insights into the future risks and shocks to collateral management.

Design/methodology/approach
– This paper recognizes the dearth of up-to-date studies on current issues with collateral management and overnight indexed swap (OIS) discounting. Therefore, to introduce new theoretical avenues, this paper is based on an exploratory, qualitative approach to analyse the regulatory-driven collateral management.

Findings
– The increased use of collateral, with a sharp focus on its quality, liquidity and eligibility for central clearing, requires a new approach to collateral management and discounting methods. At this point, banks (especially those with agency businesses) should develop an enterprise-wide view of collateral by having a central data repository, which allows access to information about the transactions conducted with all counterparties.

Originality/value
– Analysing the regulatory-driven (Basel III; Dodd-Frank; EMIR) changes to collateral management, this paper adopts banks’ perspectives on the new regulations in collateral management. The paper contributes to the widespread, albeit complex, discussion on how banks adapt to the rapidly changing environment in collateral management and risk operations.
Faculty members’ perceptions towards institutional repository at a medium-sized university
Authors: Oguz Fatih , Assefa Shimelis 
Published: June 2014

Purpose
– The study aimed to investigate the perceptions of faculty members at a medium-sized university towards self-archiving and participation in institutional repositories (IRs).

Design/methodology/approach
– The research participants were from a medium-sized university. An online survey was distributed and a total of 217 responses were received which yielded a 40 per cent overall response rate. Faculty perceptions of the IR were measured through nine dimensions, the results of which were later summarised using principal component factor analysis.

Findings
– Faculty members’ perception of IRs and willingness to contribute to the IRs were closely associated with scholarly productivity rather than prior knowledge of and experience with IRs. Those who possessed scholarly materials were significantly more likely to have a positive perception of IRs and, therefore, were more likely to contribute to IRs than those who did not. Seniority in faculty rank contributed negatively to faculty members’ perception of the repository.

Research limitations/implications
– The study used a non-probability sampling technique to collect data about the faculty’s perception of IRs at a single institution of higher education. Variables for faculty background were limited to rank and academic discipline.

Originality/value
– In three ways: First, the study contributed to research on faculty perception of IRs in academia and approached the issue from the perspective of a teaching-oriented institution. Second, the relationship between faculty's willingness to participate in and their perception of IRs was measured. Third, a binary logistic regression model was used to estimate factors that influence faculty's perception of the institution's IRs.
Geographic clustering, network relationships and competitive advantage
Authors: Lei Han-Sheng , Huang Chin-Hua 
Published: June 2014

Purpose– There are contradicted perspectives on relationship between geographic cluster and competitive advantage of firms in previous research. Extant research has paid extremely attention to the effect of both geographic cluster and industrial network on firms’ performance; however, little studies have delineated the relationship between geographic cluster, industrial network, and competitive advantage. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that firms within the same cluster that have established idiosyncratic network resources have stronger competitive advantages than firms that have not.Design/methodology/approach– An empirical study of two prominent geographic clusters from Taiwan is analyzed by structural equation modeling.Findings– The results indicate that the degree of networking does play a mediating role between geographic cluster and competitive advantage, which may help resolve the conflicting results obtained by researchers on the influence of clusters on competitive advantage. The results also find that both degree of networking and betweenness position are conducive to the pursuit of competitive advantage.Practical implications– The research shows that firms merely locate themselves in the right cluster does not guarantee they can outperform their rivals. Rather, developing of network relationship with other firms proximate to the same cluster will strengthen a firm's competitive advantages.Originality/value– In the theoretical perspective, this paper attempts to fill the gap in the links between clusters, networks, and competitive advantage by providing that the networking as a mechanism for firms in a cluster to improve their competitive advantage.
CEO reputation and top management team compensation
Authors: Sanchez-Marin Gregorio , Samuel Baixauli-Soler J. 
Published: June 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to clarify the influence of chief executive officer (CEO) reputation on top management team (TMT) compensation, proposing corporate governance characteristics as a moderator of the relationships between the power of top managers to extract rents and the importance of external signals. The study aims to expand the domain of executive compensation literature by including the role of CEO reputation in the context of non-Anglo-Saxon corporate governance systems.Design/methodology/approach– The paper opted for a panel methodology for the period 2004-2009, including 534 observations from Spanish listed companies. Data were obtained from several sources. Compensation and governance information was obtained from the Spanish Stock Exchange National Commission; data regarding CEO reputation were obtained from Spanish Corporate Reputation Monitor, and, finally, financial statement was obtained from the OSIRIS database.Findings– The paper provides empirical insights on the CEO reputation diffusion on TMT compensation, showing different scenarios depending on effectiveness of corporate governance. CEO reputation diffusion on TMT pay is strengthened or weakened by the organizational governance effectiveness. General evidence supports the notion that in countries characterized by an incomplete corporate governance system, boards – and also indirectly the structure of ownership – act as a catalyst for external signs of legitimacy, rather than for the organization's and stakeholders’ interests.Research limitations/implications– Because of the difficulty in pooling information for a long period from three different sources of data, the number of observations is not very large. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further using other context of corporate governance.Practical implications– The paper includes implications for the development of effective governance mechanisms which promote an adequate link between the CEO reputation and the TMT compensation, avoiding rent extractions.Originality/value– The paper contributes to new international evidences regarding relations between top managers’ reputations and compensation. Specifically, it allows reinforcement of the importance of institutional arguments in the understanding of the effectiveness of governance mechanisms in large listed companies.
Supply chain sustainability: evidence on conflict minerals
Authors: A. Griffin Paul , H. Lont David , Sun Yuan 
Published: June 2014

Purpose
– This study aims to examine the economic cost imposed by capital markets of section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 on conflict minerals (CM). The authors analyse a sample of first-time CM disclosures made by US companies in 2010-2012.

Design/methodology/approach
– The authors measure the market response to these disclosures and compare it to the response of a matched control sample of non-disclosers. An overall negative response could arise from regulatory costs, changes in management decision making, or customers' social concerns about CM. An overall positive response could reflect the benefits of disclosure transparency.

Findings
– The authors find that the negative effects of the disclosures outweigh any positive effects. The authors also find more limited negative effects for the control sample, since they are likely to be future CM disclosers.

Research limitations/implications
– Because companies' balance sheets do not report these negative effects, the results imply that investors price supply chain activities related to CM as an off-balance sheet liability.

Practical implications
– The results agree with companies' assertions of a substantial cost to implement the CM provision. The authors estimate an aggregate loss of shareholder value for the sample of $6.5 to $13.1 billion.

Social implications
– These results show that regulators' and stakeholders' demands for increased transparency can be costly to shareholders when the disclosures induce changes in management decision making and raise customers' social concerns about supply chain sustainability.

Originality/value
– The study is the first to examine the economic effects of companies' initial disclosures about CM under the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010.
Sexual violence and mode of delivery: a population‐based cohort study
Authors: Henriksen L , Schei B , Vangen S , Lukasse M 
Published: June 2014

ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the association between sexual violence and mode of delivery.DesignNational cohort study.SettingWomen presenting for routine ultrasound examinations were recruited to the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study between 1999 and 2008.PopulationA total of 74 059 pregnant women.MethodsSexual violence was self‐reported during pregnancy using postal questionnaires. Mode of delivery, other maternal birth outcomes and covariates were retrieved from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. Risk estimations were performed using multivariable logistic regression analysis.Main outcome measuresMode of delivery and selected maternal birth outcomes.ResultsOf 74 059 women, 18.4% reported a history of sexual violence. A total of 10% had an operative vaginal birth, 4.9% had elective caesarean section and 8.6% had an emergency caesarean section. Severe sexual violence (rape) was associated with elective caesarean section, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.56 (95% CI 1.18–2.05) for nulliparous women and 1.37 (1.06–1.76) for multiparous women. Those exposed to moderate sexual violence had a higher risk of emergency caesarean section, AOR 1.31 (1.07–1.60) and 1.41 (1.08–1.84) for nulliparous and multiparous women, respectively. No association was found between sexual violence and operative vaginal birth, except for a lower risk among multiparous women reporting mild sexual violence, AOR 0.73 (0.60–0.89). Analysis of other maternal outcomes showed a reduced risk of episiotomy for women reporting rape and a higher frequency of induced labour.ConclusionsWomen with a history of rape had higher odds of elective caesarean section and induction and significantly fewer episiotomies.
Efficacy, safety and feasibility of ultrasound‐guided percutaneous microwave ablation for large hepatic hemangioma
Authors: Tang Xiao Yin , Wang Zhi , Wang Tao , Cui Dan , Zhai Bo 
Published: June 2014

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy, safety and feasibility of microwave ablation (MWA) for large (5–10 cm in diameter) hepatic hemangioma.MethodsIn all, 46 patients with 47 large hepatic hemangiomas were treated with ultrasound‐guided percutaneous MWA. The effect of MWA for all patients was evaluated by enhanced magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography within two months after ablation.ResultsA total of 27 male and 19 female patients were enrolled, with an average age of 46 ± 11 years. The average size of hemangiomas was 6.3 ± 1.4 cm (range 5.0–9.6 cm). The initial complete ablation rate was 91.5% (43/47) and the volume of ablated lesions was significantly reduced. The rate of complete necrosis was not associated with the tumor size or location (P = 0.899 and 0.758, respectively). The total complete ablation rate was 95.7% (45/47). Major complications included acute renal dysfunction, hyperbilirubinemia and pleural effusion. No procedure‐related death occurred. The average hospitalization stay was 5.7 ± 2.5 days (range 3–17 days). During a follow‐up period of 18.2 months (range 4–40 months), one patient developed local tumor progression at the radiofrequency ablation site. Three patients had new hemangiomas in other sites of the liver. At the end of the study all patients were alive and no severe complications occurred.ConclusionImage‐guided MWA is an effective and safe treatment for large hepatic hemangiomas, and can potentially be regarded as the first‐line therapy.
Severe pulmonary arterial hypertension secondary to lupus in the emergency department: proactive intense care associated with a better short‐term survival
Authors: Chen Yi , Guo Li , Li Yuzhen , Chen Guang‐Liang , Chen Xiao‐Xiang , Ye Shuang 
Published: June 2014

AbstractObjectivePulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and could be an acute critical condition presenting to the emergency department (ED). Our previous retrospective study revealed that the ED‐related mortality of such patients was over 50%. The aim of the current prospective study is to initiate a proactive intense care strategy on severe SLE‐PAH patients in the emergency setting and evaluate its impact on the short‐term survival.MethodsThe proactive intense care strategy was applied, which includes: (i) an education and training course on the topic of SLE‐PAH for ED physicians; (ii) a SLE‐PAH patient triage protocol with prompt specialist consultation and admission; and (iii) intensive care with prompt initiation of combination PAH‐targeted therapy, that is, at least two drugs from the three categories as represented by iloprost, bosentan and sildenafil. Consecutive SLE‐PAH patients with WHO functional class III or IV who attended the ED were enrolled following the aforementioned protocol. A historical group of SLE‐PAH patients in the ED (n = 11) was set up as a comparison, and 3‐month short‐term survival was calculated.ResultsDuring October 2010 to December 2012, a total of 11 consecutive severe SLE‐PAH patients were included in the present study. Compared with the historical group, an improved short‐term survival can be appreciated over time (historical group vs. proactive group, 27.3% vs. 72.7%, P = 0.033). The application of PAH‐targeted combination therapy apparently contributed to the better outcome (P = 0.0099).ConclusionsProactive care and combination PAH‐targeted treatment can improve short‐term survival of severe SLE‐PAH in the emergency setting.
Vitamin D deficiency induces Th2 skewing and eosinophilia in neonatal allergic airways disease
Authors: Vasiliou J. E. , Lui S. , Walker S. A. , Chohan V. , Xystrakis E. , Bush A. , Hawrylowicz C. M. , Saglani S. , Lloyd C. M. 
Published: June 2014

AbstractBackgroundAssociations between vitamin D status and childhood asthma are increasingly reported, but direct causation and mechanisms underlying an effect remain unknown. We investigated the effect of early‐life vitamin D deficiency on the development of murine neonatal allergic airways disease (AAD).MethodsIn utero and early‐life vitamin D deficiency was achieved using a vitamin D‐deficient diet for female mice during the third trimester of pregnancy and lactation. Offspring were weaned onto a vitamin D‐deficient or vitamin D‐replete diet, and exposure to intranasal house dust mite (HDM) or saline was commenced from day 3 of life for up to 6 weeks, when airway hyper‐responsiveness (AHR), airway inflammation and remodelling were assessed.ResultsNeonatal mice that had in utero and early‐life vitamin D deficiency had significantly increased pulmonary CD3+CD4+T1ST2+ cells and reduced CD4+IL‐10+ cells. This effect was enhanced following HDM exposure. AHR in HDM‐exposed mice was unaffected by vitamin D status. Introduction of vitamin D into the diet at weaning resulted in a significant reduction in serum IgE levels, reduced pulmonary eosinophilia and peri‐bronchiolar collagen deposition.ConclusionPeri‐natal vitamin D deficiency alone has immunomodulatory effects including Th2 skewing and reduced IL‐10‐secreting T regulatory cells, exaggerated with additional allergen exposure. Vitamin D deficiency in early life does not affect AHR, but contributes to disease severity with worse eosinophilic inflammation and airway remodelling. Importantly, supplementation with vitamin D improves both of these pathological abnormalities.