bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A new PCA‐ANN algorithm for retrieval of rainfall structure in a precipitating atmosphere
Authors: Ramanujam Srinivasa , Chandrasekar R. , Chakravarthy Balaji 
Published: November 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop an algorithm, using PCA‐based neural network, to retrieve the vertical rainfall structure in a precipitating atmosphere. The algorithm is powered by a rigorous solution to the plane parallel radiative transfer equation for the atmosphere with thermodynamically consistent vertical profiles of humidity, temperature and cloud structures, together with “measured” vertical profiles of the rain structure derived from a radar.Design/methodology/approachThe raining atmosphere is considered to be a plane parallel, radiatively participating medium. The atmospheric thermodynamic profiles such as pressure, temperature and relative humidity along with wind speed at sea surface and cloud parameters corresponding to Nargis, a category 4 tropical cyclone that made its landfall on May 2, 2008 at the Republic of Myanmar, are obtained by solving the flux form of Euler's equations in three‐dimensional form. The state‐of‐the‐art community software Weather Research and Forecasting has been used for solving the set of equations. The three‐dimensional rain profiles for the same cyclone at the same instant of time are obtained from National Aeronautics and Space Administration's space borne Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission's precipitation radar over collocated pixels. An in‐house Micro‐Tropiques code is used to perform radiative transfer simulations for frequencies corresponding to a typical space borne radiometer, and hence to generate the database which is later used for training the neural network. The back propagation‐based neural network is optimized with reduced number of parameters using principal component analysis (PCA).FindingsThe results show that neural network is capable of retrieving the vertical rainfall structure with a correlation coefficient of over 0.99. Further, reducing the ill‐posedness in retrieving 56 parameters from just nine measurements using PCA has improved the root mean square error in the retrievals at reduced computational time.Originality/valueThe paper shows that combining numerically generated atmospheric profiles together with radar measurements to serve as input to a radiative transfer model brings in the much‐required synergy between numerical weather prediction, radar measurements and radiative transfer. This strategy can be gainfully used in satellite meteorology. Using principal components to reduce the ill‐posedness, thereby increasing the robustness in retrieving vertical rain structure, has been attempted for the first time. A well‐trained network can be used as one possible option for an operational algorithm for the proposed Indian climate research satellite Megha‐Tropiques, due to be launched in early 2011.
Electronic commerce‐enabled supply chain process integration and business value
Authors: Ghobakhloo Morteza , Sadegh Sabouri Mohammad , Sai Hong Tang , Amirizadeh Khosro 
Published: November 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop and test a model to analyze the relationships between three aspects of technical electronic commerce (EC)‐based information system (IS) resources; the supply chain process integration; and business value.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is consistent with the perspective on IS‐enabled organizational capabilities and resource based view of the firm. A questionnaire‐based survey was conducted to collect data from 214 supply chain, logistics, or procurement/purchasing managers of leading manufacturing firms.FindingsThe findings suggest that supply chain process integration, a key EC‐enabled organizational capability, can enhance business value. We found that this capability serve as a catalyst in transforming technical EC‐based IS resources (technical quality of EC applications, EC advancements, and EC alignment) into higher value for a firm.Research limitations/implicationsAmong other limitations, this paper does not address human IS resources as the other potential determinants of firm's supply chain capabilities. Moreover, this study relies on cross‐sectional data.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that supply chain process integration is an important intermediate organizational capability through which value of EC‐based IS resources can be materialized. The technical aspects of EC‐based IS resources need to be developed to effectively form supply chain capabilities.Originality/valueThe paper is perhaps one of the first to show theoretically and empirically how firms, in particular in developing countries, can generate business value from EC‐enabled supply chain process integration; also it broadens the scope of EC alignment in relation to process integration and business value to the entire supply chain.
Large creditors and corporate governance: the case of Chinese banks
Authors: Hu Yiming , Li Siqi , Lin Thomas W. , Xie Shilei 
Published: November 2011

PurposeBanks are the major suppliers of external funds for companies in China. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether Chinese banks exercise effective monitoring over borrowers in two lending decisions, including loan interest rates and loan renewals.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of Chinese public industrial firms from 2000 to 2005, the authors perform multivariate regression analysis to investigate whether banks adjust their loan interest rates and consider loan renewal decisions in response to borrowers financial performance. The authors also examine these bank lending decisions before and after 2003, when the major banking reforms started to take place in China.FindingsA negative relation was found between the loan interest rate spread and the financial performance of borrowers. However, a negative relation was found between loan renewals and the financial performance of borrowers, consistent with firms in financial difficulties being in need of more funding and hence more likely to get its bank loans renewed. Additionally, it was found that the factors banks consider when making loan decisions vary before and after 2003.Originality/valueThe authors' findings suggest that Chinese banks play a limited role in monitoring and disciplining borrowers through adjustments of loan interest rates, and that their loan renewal decisions for firms with poor financial performance highlight banks' financing, instead of monitoring role in this transition economy. These findings provide empirical evidence on bank governance in a transition economy dominated by state‐owned enterprises. The paper contributes to the literature by constructing an alternative loan renewal measure using financial statement information.
Acquisition and integration of fair value information on liabilities into investors' judgments
Authors: Lachmann Maik , Wöhrmann Arnt , Wömpener Andreas 
Published: November 2011

PurposeThe International Accounting Standards Board and the Financial Accounting Standards Board allow fair value measurement of liabilities. Previous findings from the literature on recognition versus disclosure indicate that recognition of fair value information better serves investors' needs, because it is more likely to facilitate the incorporation of the information into their judgment. In cases of credit risk changes for own liabilities, however, many authors doubt that fair value measurement is beneficial due to its potential counter‐intuitiveness. The purpose of this paper is to gain insight into non‐professional investors' processing of fair value information for liabilities.Design/methodology/approachA between‐subjects laboratory experiment was employed. Subjects received financial information on three different companies. The authors manipulated the accounting treatment of liabilities between the three groups. Subjects ranked three companies according to their economic performance. The authors then compared these rankings to the companies' actual performance.FindingsThe results of the experiment indicate that non‐professional investors are less likely to acquire the information of credit risk changes when liabilities are not measured at fair value. Additionally, evidence was found that fair value measurement is to some extent counter‐intuitive for non‐professional investors.Research limitations/implicationsA main limitation is that our experiment concentrates on liabilities and abstracts from interactions of both sides of the balance sheet.Originality/valueThis is the first study to analyze in detail non‐professional investors' information processing of liabilities measured at fair value.
Corporate derivatives and foreign exchange risk management
Authors: Afza Talat , Alam Atia 
Published: November 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the factors affecting firms' decision to use foreign exchange (FX) derivative instruments by using the data of 86 non‐financial firms listed on Karachi Stock Exchange for the period 2004‐2007.Design/methodology/approachRequired data were collected from annual reports of listed firms of Karachi Stock Exchange. Non‐parametric test was used to examine the mean difference between users and non‐users operating characteristics. Logit model was applied to analyze the impact of firm's financial distress costs, underinvestment problem, tax convexity, profitability, managerial ownership and foreign exchange exposure on firms' decision to use FX derivative instruments for hedging.FindingsResults explain that firms having higher foreign sales are more likely to use FX derivative instruments to reduce exchange rate exposure. Moreover, financially distressed large‐size firms with financial constraints and fewer managerial holdings are more likely to use FX derivatives.Research limitations/implicationsIncomplete financial instrument disclosure requirements restricted researchers to using binary variable as a dependent variable instead of notional value or fair value of derivative usage.Practical implicationsThe study shows that in the presence of amateur derivative market, Pakistani corporations possessing higher agency costs of debt, agency costs of equity, and financial constraints will benefit more by defining hedging policies coherent with the firm's investment and financing policies in order to enhance firm value.Originality/valueUntil now, no earlier empirical study focused on the determinants of a firm's hedging policies in Pakistan, in the presence of volatile exchange rates,. The current study, therefore, attempts to identify the factors which affect the firm's decision to use derivative instruments for hedging FX exposure of non‐financial firms in Pakistan.
Perceptions of bullying‐like phenomena in South Korea: a qualitative approach from a lifespan perspective
Authors: Lee Seungha , Smith Peter K. , Monks Claire P. 
Published: November 2011

PurposeThis study aims to investigate perceptions of bullying‐like behaviours in South Korea, from young children to adults; why they happen and how people judge them.Design/methodology/approachFocus groups were conducted across different age ranges, from preschool to workplace employees, in Seoul. A total of 113 participants were shown cartoons or descriptions of negative behaviours and asked “why these happened”, and “what do you think about them?” Interview transcripts were analysed by grounded theory.FindingsSimilarities and differences across ages were found for two themes, origins and judgments of behaviours. Situational and interpersonal factors were seen as important in causing the behaviours, both in school and the workplace. Pupils aged 15‐17 and mothers considered the behaviours less acceptable than younger pupils; whereas, ten to 15‐year‐old pupils and workplace employees gave more justification of the behaviours and were more likely to attribute the situation to victim's responsibility.Originality/valueThis is the first study investigating perceptions of bullying‐like behaviour from a life‐span perspective and also provides findings on the particular nature of Korean bullying or wang‐ta.
Attitudinal and demographic determinants of diet quality and implications for policy targeting
Authors: Traill W. B. , Chambers S. A. , Butler L. 
Published: November 2011

AbstractBackground:  Poor diet quality is a major public health concern that has prompted governments to introduce a range of measures to promote healthy eating. For these measures to be effective, they should target segments of the population with messages relevant to their needs, aspirations and circumstances. The present study investigates the extent to which attitudes and constraints influence healthy eating, as well as how these vary by demographic characteristics of the UK population. It further considers how such information may be used in segmented diet and health policy messages.Methods:  A survey of 250 UK adults elicited information on conformity to dietary guidelines, attitudes towards healthy eating, constraints to healthy eating and demographic characteristics. Ordered logit regressions were estimated to determine the importance of attitudes and constraints in determining how closely respondents follow healthy eating guidelines. Further regressions explored the demographic characteristics associated with the attitudinal and constraint variables.Results:  People who attach high importance to their own health and appearance eat more healthily than those who do not. Risk‐averse people and those able to resist temptation also eat more healthily. Shortage of time is considered an important barrier to healthy eating, although the cost of a healthy diet is not. These variables are associated with a number of demographic characteristics of the population; for example, young adults are more motivated to eat healthily by concerns over their appearance than their health.Conclusions:  The approach employed in the present study could be used to inform future healthy eating campaigns. For example, messages to encourage the young to eat more healthily could focus on the impact of diets on their appearance rather than health.
DNA fingerprinting and new tools for fine‐scale discrimination of Arabidopsis thaliana accessions
Authors: Simon Matthieu , Simon Adeline , Martins Fréderic , Botran Lucy , Tisné Sébastien , Granier Fabienne , Loudet Olivier , Camilleri Christine 
Published: November 2011

SummaryOne of the main strengths of Arabidopsis thaliana as a model species is the impressive number of public resources available to the scientific community. Exploring species genetic diversity – and therefore adaptation – relies on collections of individuals from natural populations taken from diverse environments. Nevertheless, due to a few mislabeling events or genotype mixtures, some variants available in stock centers have been misidentified, causing inconsistencies and limiting the potential of genetic analyses. To improve the identification of natural accessions, we genotyped 1311 seed stocks from our Versailles Arabidopsis Stock Center and from other collections to determine their molecular profiles at 341 single nucleotide polymorphism markers. These profiles were used to compare genotypes at both the intra‐ and inter‐accession levels. We confirmed previously described inconsistencies and revealed new ones, and suggest likely identities for accessions whose lineage had been lost. We also developed two new tools: a minimal fingerprint computation to quickly verify the identity of an accession, and an optimized marker set to assist in the identification of unknown or mixed accessions. These tools are available on a dedicated web interface called ANATool (https://www.versailles.inra.fr/ijpb/crb/anatool) that provides a simple and efficient means to verify or determine the identity of A. thaliana accessions in any laboratory, without the need for any specific or expensive technology.
Roles of cocaine‐ and amphetamine‐regulated transcript in the central nervous system
Authors: Zhang Meijuan , Han Lijuan , Xu Yun 
Published: November 2011

Summary1. Cocaine‐ and amphetamine‐regulated transcript (CART), first isolated from the ovine hypothalamus, is a potential neurotransmitter widely distributed throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems, as well as in endocrine cells in the pituitary and adrenal glands, pancreatic islets and stomach.2. Numerous studies have established the role of CART in food intake, maintenance of bodyweight, stress control, reward and pain transmission. Recently, it was demonstrated that CART, as a neurotrophic peptide, had a cerebroprotective against focal ischaemic stroke and inhibited the neurotoxicity of β‐amyloid protein, which focused attention on the role of CART in the central nervous system (CNS) and neurological diseases.3. In fact, little is known about the way in which CART peptide interacts with its receptors, initiates downstream cascades and finally exerts its neuroprotective effect under normal or pathological conditions. The literature indicates that there are many factors, such as regulation of the immunological system and protection against energy failure, that may be involved in the cerebroprotection afforded by CART.4. The present review provides a brief summary of the current literature on CART synthesis and active fragments, its distribution in the CNS and, in particular, the role of CART peptide (and its receptors and signalling) in neurological diseases.
Vagal nerve modulation: A promising new therapeutic approach for cardiovascular diseases
Authors: Zhao Mei , Sun Lei , Liu Jin‐Jun , Wang Hao , Miao Yi , Zang Wei‐Jin 
Published: November 2011

Summary1. The physiological activities of the mammalian heart are regulated by the autonomic nervous system. An imbalanced autonomic nervous system with increased sympathetic tone and reduced vagal tone has been implicated in cardiovascular diseases.2. Experimental and clinical reports have demonstrated that vagal nerve activation is able to improve outcomes for multiple cardiovascular diseases, such as ischaemic heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmia and hypertension.3. In this paper, we mainly focus on the potential cardioprotective mechanisms of vagal nerve activation. Based on the knowledge gained from our experiments and other published reports, vagal activation results in cardioprotection is not only associated with heart rate, anti‐adrenergic effect but also related to anti‐inflammatory activity, regulation of cellular redox states and regulation of mitochondrial targets.4. In conclusion, vagal nerve activation may be a promising new therapeutic approach for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
Efficacy and safety of topical WBI‐1001 in patients with mild to moderate psoriasis: results from a randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled, phase II trial
Authors: Bissonnette R. , Bolduc C. , Maari C. , Nigen S. , Webster J.M. , Tang L. , Lyle M. 
Published: November 2011

AbstractBackground  There is a need for the development of novel non‐steroidal topical drugs for the treatment of psoriasis.Objective  To assess the efficacy and safety of topical 1.0% WBI‐1001 in patients with mild to moderate plaque psoriasis.Methods  A total of 61 patients with 1–10% body surface area (BSA) covered with plaque psoriasis and a physician’s global assessment score (PGA) of 2–4 were randomized (2 : 1) to receive either 1% WBI‐1001 in a cream formulation or placebo, applied twice daily for 12 weeks. Efficacy was evaluated using PGA, BSA and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). The primary endpoint was the change from baseline (Day 0) in PGA at week 12.Results  The improvement in PGA at week 12 was 62.8% for patients randomized to WBI‐1001 when compared with 13.0% for patients randomized to placebo (P < 0.0001). At week 12, the proportion of patients who achieved a PGA of clear or almost clear and the mean improvement in BSA were 67.5% and 79.1%, respectively, for patients randomized to WBI‐1001, when compared with 4.8% (P < 0.0001) and an increase of 9.4% (P < 0.0001), respectively, for patients randomized to placebo. More application site adverse drug reactions were observed in patients randomized to WBI‐1001 than in those randomized to placebo. These adverse drug reactions were all mild or moderate in intensity.Conclusion  Topical WBI‐1001 induces rapid and significant improvement in patients with plaque psoriasis.
BRCA2 is a mediator of RAD51‐ and DMC1‐facilitated homologous recombination inArabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Seeliger Katharina , Dukowic‐Schulze Stefanie , Wurz‐Wildersinn Rebecca , Pacher Michael , Puchta Holger 
Published: November 2011

SummaryMutations in the breast cancer susceptibility gene 2 (BRCA2) are correlated with hereditary breast cancer in humans. Studies have revealed that mammalian BRCA2 plays crucial roles in DNA repair. Therefore, we wished to define the role of the BRCA2 homologs in Arabidopsis in detail.As Arabidopsis contains two functional BRCA2 homologs, an Atbrca2double mutant was generated and analyzed with respect to hypersensitivity to genotoxic agents and recombination frequencies. Cytological studies addressing male and female meiosis were also conducted, and immunolocalization was performed in male meiotic prophase I.The Atbrca2double mutant showed hypersensitivity to the cross‐linking agent mitomycin C and displayed a dramatic reduction in somatic homologous recombination frequency, especially after double‐strand break induction. The loss of AtBRCA2 also led to severe defects in male meiosis and development of the female gametophyte and impeded proper localization of the synaptonemal complex protein AtZYP1 and the recombinases AtRAD51 and AtDMC1.The results demonstrate that AtBRCA2 is important for both somatic and meiotic homologous recombination. We further show that AtBRCA2 is required for proper meiotic synapsis and mediates the recruitment of AtRAD51 and AtDMC1. Our results suggest that BRCA2 controls single‐strand invasion steps during homologous recombination in plants.
A pilot project of school‐based intervention integrating drama and language awareness
Authors: Rousseau Cecile , Armand Françoise , Laurin‐Lamothe Audrey , Gauthier Marie‐France , Saboundjian Rita 
Published: November 2011

Background:  To help immigrant and refugee adolescents experiencing a severe academic delay cope with adversity, a school‐based intervention combining drama workshops and language awareness activities was piloted in two classrooms.Method:  A qualitative analysis of participant observations was performed and the Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire and its Impairment Supplement was administered before and after the intervention. The observations were carried out in two Montreal high schools serving an underprivileged neighbourhood of immigrants, involving two classrooms of underschooled adolescents (n = 27) and two classes of similarly underschooled adolescents chosen among other teachers interested in the intervention, who accepted to participate as a comparison group (n = 28).Results:  The adolescents shared their experiences of adversity and felt empowered by the workshops. Self‐reported impairment decreased in the intervention groups.Conclusion:  The protective effect of creative language activities for immigrant and refugee youth should be further investigated.