bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
External Networking and Internal Firm Governance
Authors: FRACASSI CESARE , TATE GEOFFREY 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACTWe use panel data on S&P 1500 companies to identify external network connections between directors and CEOs. We find that firms with more powerful CEOs are more likely to appoint directors with ties to the CEO. Using changes in board composition due to director death and retirement for identification, we find that CEO‐director ties reduce firm value, particularly in the absence of other governance mechanisms to substitute for board oversight. Moreover, firms with more CEO‐director ties engage in more value‐destroying acquisitions. Overall, our results suggest that network ties with the CEO weaken the intensity of board monitoring.
Political Uncertainty and Corporate Investment Cycles
Authors: JULIO BRANDON , YOOK YOUNGSUK 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACTWe document cycles in corporate investment corresponding with the timing of national elections around the world. During election years, firms reduce investment expenditures by an average of 4.8% relative to nonelection years, controlling for growth opportunities and economic conditions. The magnitude of the investment cycles varies with different country and election characteristics. We investigate several potential explanations and find evidence supporting the hypothesis that political uncertainty leads firms to reduce investment expenditures until the electoral uncertainty is resolved. These findings suggest that political uncertainty is an important channel through which the political process affects real economic outcomes.
Tiebreaker: Certification and Multiple Credit Ratings
Authors: BONGAERTS DION , CREMERS K. J. MARTIJN , GOETZMANN WILLIAM N. 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the economic role credit rating agencies play in the corporate bond market. We consider three existing theories about multiple ratings: information production, rating shopping, and regulatory certification. Using differences in rating composition, default prediction, and credit spread changes, our evidence only supports regulatory certification. Marginal, additional credit ratings are more likely to occur because of, and seem to matter primarily for, regulatory purposes. They do not seem to provide significant additional information related to credit quality.
The Value of Investment Banking Relationships: Evidence from the Collapse of Lehman Brothers
Authors: FERNANDO CHITRU S. , MAY ANTHONY D. , MEGGINSON WILLIAM L. 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACTWe examine the long‐standing question of whether firms derive value from investment bank relationships by studying how the Lehman collapse affected industrial firms that received underwriting, advisory, analyst, and market‐making services from Lehman. Equity underwriting clients experienced an abnormal return of around −5%, on average, in the 7 days surrounding Lehman's bankruptcy, amounting to $23 billion in aggregate risk‐adjusted losses. Losses were especially severe for companies that had stronger and broader security underwriting relationships with Lehman or were smaller, younger, and more financially constrained. Other client groups were not adversely affected.
Family‐Controlled Firms and Informed Trading: Evidence from Short Sales
Authors: ANDERSON RONALD C. , REEB DAVID M. , ZHAO WANLI 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACTWe investigate the relation between organization structure and the information content of short sales, focusing on founder‐ and heir‐controlled firms. Our analysis indicates that family‐controlled firms experience substantially higher abnormal short sales prior to negative earnings shocks than nonfamily firms. Supplementary testing indicates that family control characteristics intensify informed short selling. Further analysis suggests that daily short‐sale interest in family firms contains useful information in forecasting stock returns; however, we find no discernable effect for nonfamily firms. This analysis provides compelling evidence that informed trading via short sales occurs more readily in family firms than in nonfamily firms.
Elevated Temperature Thermal Properties of ZrB2 with Carbon Additions
Authors: Thompson Matthew J. , Fahrenholtz William G. , Hilmas Greg E. 
Published: January 2012

The thermal properties of zirconium diboride (ZrB2) ceramics with carbon additions of up to 3 wt% were characterized up to 2000°C. Carbon contents were selected to produce ZrB2 that was nominally pure, contained dissolved carbon, or contained carbon inclusions. The microstructure and density changes that resulted from the carbon additions affected the thermal behavior of ZrB2 at room and elevated temperatures. Thermal diffusivity at 200°C increased from 0.150 cm2/s for nominally pure ZrB2 to 0.175 cm2/s for ZrB2 with 3 wt% carbon. The thermal diffusivity decreased with increasing temperature, reaching a value of 0.143 cm2/s at 2000°C for ZrB2 with 3 wt% carbon. In addition, thermal diffusivity changed irreversibly during the first thermal cycle after densification due to changes in the microstructure that started between 1550°C and 1650°C. Heating resulted in the formation of a new phase, growth of ZrB2 grains, changes in the morphology of carbon inclusions, and migration of W impurities from the ZrB2 matrix into the new phase. Heat capacity, unlike thermal diffusivity, did not change during thermal cycling. Thermal conductivity, which was calculated from thermal diffusivity, heat capacity, and density, was as high as 64.2 W·(m·K)−1 at 2000°C for ZrB2 with 3 wt% carbon. The phonon contribution to thermal conductivity decreased to nearly zero with the addition of 3 wt% carbon due to the presence of elongated carbon inclusions around ZrB2 grains.
Modeling the Influence of Carbon Spheres on the Porosity of SOFC Anode Materials
Authors: Horri Bahman Amini , Selomulya Cordelia , Wang Huanting 
Published: January 2012

The influence of fabrication pressure and other ceramic processing variables, including volumetric loading fraction and the particle size ratio of pore‐forming agents, on the porosity of fabricated ceramic anodes, was investigated using an integrated experimental approach with mathematical modeling to differentiate the impacts of each parameter. Despite historic observation of the properties of ceramic bodies, to date, there is a lack of available models to accurately interpret the ceramic properties as a function of the processing variables. Herein, we focus on the open porosity of the solid oxide fuel cell anode prepared from NiO/YSZ (nickel oxide/yttria stabilized zirconia) as the ceramic powder and using CMS (carbon microspheres) as a pore‐forming agent. A range of pore‐former volumetric blend ratios (4.4%–44.6%) and different particle size ratios between NiO/YSZ and CMS (11.27, 4.29, and 0.26) were used, whereas the influence of the applied uni‐axial fabrication pressure on the open porosity of sintered anode was studied in a range of atmospheric pressure up to 40 MPa. A good agreement was observed between the proposed model and the experimental data, implying that the approach could be used to determine the significant processing parameters to fabricate ceramics with desired porosity. The model could also be used to interpret the physical basis of pore formation when using a pore‐forming agent in a fabricated porous ceramic body.
Effects of Crystallization Atmospheres on the Near‐Infrared Absorbtion and Electroconductive Properties of Tungsten Bronze Type MxWO3 (M = Na,K)
Authors: Guo Chongshen , Yin Shu , Sato Tsugio 
Published: January 2012

The fine particles of tetragonal KxWO3 and cubic NaxWO3 were successfully synthesized by reducing WO42− with BH4− in aqueous solutions, followed by the crystallization of amorphous precursors by calcination under N2, NH3 and H2 (5 vol%)/N2 atmospheres at 600°C for 1 h, respectively. The products showed excellent electrical conductivity, visible light transparency, and near‐infrared light shielding characteristics, where the samples crystallized in H2 (5 vol%)/N2 mixed gas showed the highest electric conductivity being superior to commercial conductive oxide ITO. Meanwhile, the samples showed strong absorption of near‐infrared light and instantaneous conversion of photo‐energy to local heat. The effects of crystallization atmosphere on the near‐infrared absorbtion and electroconductivity properties of KxWO3 and NaxWO3 are discussed in detail.
Changes to the Triaxial Composition of the Hydrated Phases (CaO/Al2O3/SiO2) in the Metakaolin/Lime System
Authors: García Giménez Rosario , Rodríguez Olga , Vigil de la Villa Raquel , Frías Moisés 
Published: January 2012

This study examines the composition of certain hydrates (calcium silicate, aluminum silicate, and related phases) produced by the pozzolanic reaction of waste‐paper sludge that had previously been activated at different temperatures. It summarizes and compares the evolution of the oxide compounds, and records their stability intervals. Changes to their mineralogical composition were analyzed using X‐Ray Diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. The hydration products from 1 to 360 days of curing time were CSH gels, hydrotalcite‐type compounds (LDH), and stratlingite (C2ASH8). CSH gels were employed as substrates for growing other materials and their morphologies were modified from fibrous to hexagonal layers. The composition of the LDH‐type compounds observed in the carbonate group varied with changes in curing time. Two LDH‐type compound types were identified: (a) with and (b) without magnesium. Stratlingite was the only stable material after long‐curing times.
Photoluminescent Properties of Sb‐Doped Phosphate Glass
Authors: Masai Hirokazu , Matsumoto Syuji , Fujiwara Takumi , Tokuda Yomei , Yoko Toshinobu 
Published: January 2012

The authors report on the UV‐excited photoluminescence measured in Sb2O3–ZnO–P2O5 glass. Pre‐heat treatment performed before melting effectively prevented the discoloration caused by precipitation of Sb nanoparticles. Although both Sb3+ and Sn2+ belong to the ns2‐type emission center, the Sb3+‐doped 60ZnO–40P2O5 glass showed an emission with a weaker intensity and a broader band than Sn2+‐doped 60ZnO–40P2O5 glass. The emission decay of 1.0SbO3/2–60ZnO–40P2O5 glass was about 2.5 μs, which was shorter than that of 1.0SnO–60ZnO–40P2O5 glass. The obtained results suggest that the emission properties of ns2‐type emission centers depend on several factors, such as element of emission center, chemical composition, and preparation scheme, which are easily and widely tuned in random amorphous materials.
Performance of the Canadian CT Head Rule and the New Orleans Criteria for Predicting Any Traumatic Intracranial Injury on Computed Tomography in a United States Level I Trauma Center
Authors: Papa Linda , Stiell Ian G. , Clement Catherine M. , Pawlowicz Artur , Wolfram Andrew , Braga Carolina , Draviam Sameer , Wells George A. 
Published: January 2012

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19:2–10 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency MedicineAbstractObjectives:  This study compared the clinical performance of the Canadian CT Head Rule (CCHR) and the New Orleans Criteria (NOC) for detecting any traumatic intracranial lesion on computed tomography (CT) in patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 15. Also assessed were ability to detect patients with “clinically important” brain injury and patients requiring neurosurgical intervention. Additionally, the performance of the CCHR was assessed in a larger cohort of those presenting with GCS of 13 to 15.Methods:  This prospective cohort study was conducted in a U.S. Level I trauma center and enrolled a consecutive sample of mildly head‐injured adults who presented to the emergency department (ED) with witnessed loss of consciousness, disorientation or amnesia, and GCS 13 to 15. The rules were compared in the group of patients with GCS 15. The primary outcome was prediction of “any traumatic intracranial injury” on CT. Secondary outcomes included “clinically important brain injury” on CT and need for neurosurgical intervention.Results:  Among the 431 enrolled patients, 314 patients (73%) had a GCS of 15, and 22 of the 314 (7%) had evidence of a traumatic intracranial lesion on CT. There were 11 of 314 (3.5%) who had “clinically important” brain injury, and 3 of 314 (1.0%) required neurosurgical intervention. The NOC and CCHR both had 100% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI] = 82% to 100%), but the CCHR was more specific for detecting any traumatic intracranial lesion on CT, with a specificity of 36.3% (95% CI = 31% to 42%) versus 10.2% (95% CI = 7% to 14%) for NOC. For “clinically important” brain lesions, the CCHR and the NOC had similar sensitivity (both 100%; 95% CI = 68% to 100%), but the specificity was 35% (95% CI = 30% to 41%) for CCHR and 9.9% (95% CI = 7% to 14%) for NOC. When the rules were compared for predicting need for neurosurgical intervention, the sensitivity was equivalent at 100% (95% CI = 31% to 100%) but the CCHR had a higher specificity at 80.7% (95% CI = 76% to 85%) versus 9.6% (95% CI = 7% to 14%) for NOC. Among all 431 patients with a GCS score 13 to 15, the CCHR had sensitivities of 100% (95% CI = 84% to 100%) for 27 patients with clinically important brain injury and 100% (95% CI = 46% to 100%) for five patients requiring neurosurgical intervention.Conclusions:  In a U.S. sample of mildly head‐injured patients, the CCHR and the NOC had equivalently high sensitivities for detecting any traumatic intracranial lesion on CT, clinically important brain injury, and neurosurgical intervention, but the CCHR was more specific. A larger cohort will be needed to validate these findings.
Developing a Diagnosis‐based Severity Classification System for Use in Emergency Medical Services for Children
Authors: Alessandrini Evaline A. , Alpern Elizabeth R. , Chamberlain James M. , Shea Judy A. , Holubkov Richard , Gorelick Marc H. ,   for the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network
Published: January 2012

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19:70–78 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency MedicineAbstractObjectives:  Lack of adequate risk adjustment methodologies has hindered the progress of emergency medicine health services research. The authors hypothesized that a consensus‐derived, diagnosis‐based severity classification system (SCS) would be significantly associated with actual measures of emergency department (ED) resource use and could ultimately be used to examine severity‐adjusted outcomes across patient populations.Methods:  A panel of subject matter experts used consensus methods to assign severity scores (1 = lowest severity to 5 = highest severity) to 3,041 ED International Classifications of Diseases (ICD), 9th revision, diagnosis codes. SCS scores were assigned to ED visits using the visit diagnosis code with the highest severity. We tested the association between the SCS scores and measures of ED resource use in three data sets: the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network Core Data Project (PCDP), the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS), and the Connecticut state ED data set.Results:  There was a significant association between the five‐level SCS and all six measures of resource use: triage category, disposition, ED resource use, Current Procedural Terminology Evaluation and Management (CPT E&M) codes, ED length of stay, and ED charges within the three ED data sets.Conclusions:  The SCS demonstrates validity in its strong association with actual ED resource use. The use of readily available ICD‐9 diagnosis codes makes the SCS useful as a risk adjustment tool for health services research.
Root Causes of Errors in a Simulated Prehospital Pediatric Emergency
Authors: Lammers Richard , Byrwa Maria , Fales William 
Published: January 2012

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19:37–47 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency MedicineAbstractObjectives:  Systematic evaluation of prehospital provider performance during actual resuscitations is difficult. Although prior studies reported pediatric drug‐dosing mistakes and other types of management errors, the underlying causes of those errors were not investigated. The objective of this study was to identify causes of errors during a simulated, prehospital pediatric emergency.Methods:  Two‐person emergency medical services (EMS) crews from five geographically diverse agencies participated in a validated simulation of an infant with altered mental status, seizures, and respiratory arrest using their own equipment and drugs. A scoring protocol was used to identify errors. A debriefing conducted by a trained facilitator immediately after the simulated event elicited root causes of active and latent errors, which were analyzed by thematic qualitative assessment methods.Results:  Forty‐five crews completed the study. Clinically important themes that emerged from the data included oxygen delivery, equipment organization and use, glucose measurement, drug administration, and inappropriate cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Delay in delivery of supplemental oxygen resulted from two different automaticity errors and a 54% failure rate in using an oropharyngeal airway (OPA). Most crews struggled to locate essential pediatric equipment. Three found broken or inoperable bag/valve/masks (BVMs), resulting in delayed ventilation. Some mistrusted their intraosseous (IO) injection gun device; others used it incorrectly. Only 51% of crews measured blood glucose; some discovered that glucometers were not stored in their sealed pediatric bags. The error rate for diazepam dosing was 47%; for midazolam, it was 60%. Underlying causes of dosing errors were found in four domains (cognitive, procedural, affective, and teamwork), and they included incorrect estimates of weight, incorrect use of the Broselow pediatric emergency tape, faulty recollection of doses, difficulty with calculations under stress, mg/kg to mg to mL conversion errors, inaccurate measurement of volumes, use of the wrong end of prefilled syringes, and failure to crosscheck doses with partners.Conclusions:  Simulation, followed immediately by facilitated debriefing, uncovered underlying causes of active cognitive, procedural, affective, and teamwork errors, latent errors, and error‐producing conditions in EMS pediatric care.
Cardiac differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Jiang Junjie , Han Pengcheng , Zhang Qiangzhe , Zhao Jianmin , Ma Yue 
Published: January 2012

AbstractDue to the extremely limited proliferative capacity of adult cardiomyocytes, human embryonic (pluripotent) stem cell derived cardiomyocytes (hESC‐CMs) are currently almost the only reliable source of human heart cells which are suited to large‐scale production. These cells have the potential for wide‐scale application in drug discovery, heart disease research and cell‐based heart repair. Embryonic atrial‐, ventricular‐ and nodal‐like cardiomyocytes can be obtained from differentiated human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). In recent years, several highly efficient cardiac differentiation protocols have been developed. Significant progress has also been made on understanding cardiac subtype specification, which is the key to reducing the heterogeneity of hESC‐CMs, a major obstacle to the utilization of these cells in medical research and future cell‐based replacement therapies. Herein we review recent progress in cardiac differentiation of hESCs and cardiac subtype specification, and discuss potential applications in drug screening and cell‐based heart regeneration.
The non‐anticoagulant heparin‐like K5 polysaccharide derivative K5‐N,OSepi attenuates myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury
Authors: Collino Massimo , Pini Alessandro , Mastroianni Rosanna , Benetti Elisa , Lanzi Cecilia , Bani Daniele , Chini Jacopo , Manoni Marco , Fantozzi Roberto , Masini Emanuela 
Published: January 2012

AbstractHeparin and low molecular weight heparins have been demonstrated to reduce myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, although their use is hampered by the risk of haemorrhagic and thrombotic complications. Chemical and enzymatic modifications of K5 polysaccharide have shown the possibility of producing heparin‐like compounds with low anticoagulant activity and strong anti‐inflammatory effects. Using a rat model of regional myocardial I/R, we investigated the effects of an epimerized N‐,O‐sulphated K5 polysaccharide derivative, K5‐N,OSepi, on infarct size and histological signs of myocardial injury caused by 30 min. ligature of the left anterior descending coronary artery followed by 1 or 24 h reperfusion. K5‐N,OSepi (0.1–1 mg/kg given i.v. 15 min. before reperfusion) significantly reduced the extent of myocardial damage in a dose‐dependent manner. Furthermore, we investigated the potential mechanism(s) of the cardioprotective effect(s) afforded by K5‐N,OSepi. In left ventricular samples, I/R induced mast cell degranulation and a robust increase in lipid peroxidation, free radical‐induced DNA damage and calcium overload. Markers of neutrophil infiltration and activation were also induced by I/R in rat hearts, specifically myeloperoxidase activity, intercellular‐adhesion‐molecule‐1 expression, prostaglandin‐E2 and tumour‐necrosis‐factor‐α production. The robust increase in oxidative stress and inflammatory markers was blunted by K5‐N,OSepi, in a dose‐dependent manner, with maximum at 1 mg/kg. Furthermore, K5‐N,OSepi administration attenuated the increase in caspase 3 activity, Bid and Bax activation and ameliorated the decrease in expression of Bcl‐2 within the ischaemic myocardium. In conclusion, we demonstrate that the cardioprotective effect of the non‐anticoagulant K5 derivative K5‐N,OSepi is secondary to a combination of anti‐apoptotic and anti‐inflammatory effects.
Link between inflammation and aquaporin‐5 distribution in submandibular gland in sjögren’s syndrome?
Authors: Soyfoo MS , Konno A , Bolaky N , Oak JS , Fruman D , Nicaise C , Takiguchi M , Delporte C 
Published: January 2012

Oral Diseases (2012) 18, 568–574Objective:  To determine whether a link exists between inflammation and aquaporin‐5 distribution in submandibular glands from three animal models for Sjögren’s syndrome: IQI/JIC, r1ΔT/r2n and non‐obese diabetic mice.Methods:  Mice of different ages were used. Inflammatory infiltrates were quantified using the focus score. Acinar aquaporin‐5 subcellular distribution was determined by immunohistochemistry and quantified using labelling indices.Results:  Minor inflammatory infiltrates were present in r1f/r2n mice. Massive inflammatory infiltrates and acinar destruction were observed in 24‐week‐old non‐obese diabetic mice, 10‐and 13‐month‐old IQI/JIC mice and some r1ΔT/r2n mice. Aquaporin‐5 immunoreactivity was primarily apical in submandibular glands from 8‐ and 24‐week‐old Balb/C mice, 8‐week‐old non‐obese diabetic mice, 2‐, 4‐ and 7‐month‐old IQI/JIC mice and r1f/r2n mice. In contrast, decreased apical aquaporin‐5 labelling index with concomitant increased apical‐basolateral, apical‐cytoplasmic and/or apical‐basolateral‐cytoplasmic aquaporin‐5 labelling indices was observed in 24‐week‐old non‐obese diabetic, 10‐ and 13‐month‐old IQI/JIC and r1ΔT/r2n mice with a focus score ≥ 1.Conclusions:  Altered aquaporin‐5 distribution in submandibular acinar cells from IQI/JIC, non‐obese diabetic and r1ΔT/r2n mice with a focus score ≥ 1 appears to be concomitant to the presence of inflammatory infiltrates and acinar destruction.