bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Link Between Board Composition and Corporate Diversification in Australian Corporations
Authors: Chen Rongrong , Dyball Maria Cadiz , Wright Sue 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTManuscript Type: EmpiricalResearch Question/Issue: This study investigates the association between the composition of the board of directors and corporate diversification, to explore the role of the board in corporate strategic choice.Research Findings/Results: Based on a sample of 101 Australian publicly listed firms in 2005, this study finds that there is no link between corporate decisions on product and/or geographic diversification and two aspects of board composition – board independence and institutional representation. However, there is a positive link between total diversification and a third aspect of board composition – the proportion of directors who have ties to boards of corporations in other industries.Theoretical Implications: The results provide support for the managerial hegemony and the resource dependency theories. Corporate strategic decisions regarding diversification are more likely to be made by management than boards of directors, and to be encouraged by interlocking directors with extra‐industry ties.Practical Implications: Contrary to the requirement or recommendation in many jurisdictions that boards be more independent, these results indicate that shareholders' interests, represented by lower levels of diversification, are not promoted under such circumstances. Interlocking directors appear to effectively link the corporation to the external business environment and to encourage diversification. Existing recommendations and regulations to align management with shareholders' interests through independent boards should be revised. Board composition should also consider directors' knowledge, relevant expertise, availability, and length of tenure.
INDIVISIBILITIES, SYNERGY AND PROXIMITY: THE NEED FOR AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO AGGLOMERATION ECONOMIES
Authors: CAPELLO ROBERTA 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTThe aim of the paper is to present a review of the literature on agglomeration economies in a light such that it is possible to uncover the building blocks for use in a multidimentional approach to agglomeration economies. The paper claims that the different conceptual dimensions – industrial, socio‐cultural/cognitive and geographic – build upon the three micro‐foundations of agglomeration economies – indivisibility, synergy and proximity – and explain their nature, scope and intensity. The paper stresses two main issues. The first is that a socio‐cultural/cognitive perspective still today ignored by mainstream approaches to agglomeration economies is an additional important conceptual dimension on which to understand the complex mechanisms whereby exchanges of knowledge, labour or intermediate goods take place in agglomerated areas. The second is that a multidimensional approach comprising the three different dimensions in the study of agglomeration economies makes it possible to overcome a deterministic approach to agglomeration economies and move instead towards a stochastic interpretation which opens the black box of this complex phenomenon.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BI‐REGIONAL AND FULL NETWORKS WHEN ANALYSING AGGLOMERATION EFFECTS
Authors: THISSEN MARK , HILBERS HANS , VAN DE COEVERING PAUL 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTAgglomeration economies explain why productivity increases as the size of agglomeration increases, and thereby partly explain the importance of location and space in economic development. Agglomeration economies are based on the distance between firms, labour and the market. Infrastructure investment can be a tool used by governments to affect this distance, where, in doing so, they induce agglomeration economies and increase economic growth. In this paper, we will discuss the importance of considering types of networks when analysing agglomeration economies using multiregional new economic geography (NEG)‐based spatial general equilibrium models. These models typically use abstract bi‐regional origin‐destination networks to describe the cost of transporting or commuting between regions. These abstract networks are like tunnels between regions and do not take into account the actual roads in real infrastructure networks used for transport and traffic between destinations. In other words, in real infrastructure networks, which we label full networks, people and goods move from one region to another via actual roads and possibly via third regions. In the empirical economic literature, there is a significant difference between the economic effect of changes in a bi‐regional origin‐destination network and the economic effect of changes in a full network. To date, no systematic explanation has been given for this difference in the size of the effects. Lack of an explanation for this difference may lead to confusion among policy‐makers who have to decide on infrastructure investment. In this methodological paper, we discuss the reason for this difference. We do not discuss the absolute size of the agglomeration effects, only the relative difference that exists when using different types of networks. In order to explain the difference, we introduce a methodology that translates the effects in a bi‐regional origin‐destination network into similar effects in a full network, making it possible to systematically compare the economic importance of all links (roads) in such a network. This is highly relevant to policy‐makers, who can now interpret the model results on a real full infrastructure network. We will also show the mathematical relationship between the importance of agglomeration economies on a link in a full network and the importance of agglomeration economies on a link in a bi‐regional origin‐destination network. Finally, the methodology is illustrated with a case study from the Netherlands.
SOCIAL NETWORKS AND COMPETITIVE GROWTH OF UNIVERSITY SPIN‐OFF FIRMS: A TALE OF TWO CONTRASTING CITIES
Authors: SOETANTO DANNY P. , VAN GEENHUIZEN MARINA 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTA key assumption in agglomeration theory is that knowledge‐based firms benefit from knowledge spillovers in cities. Cities however may have different locations in the national context, such as embedded in a network of nearby cities or relatively isolated. We examine social networks employed by university spin‐off firms in urban environments that contrast in such a way, namely, Delft (the Netherlands) and Trondheim (Norway). A set of growth models is explored with a focus on characteristics of social networks through which knowledge is acquired, such as tightness, strength and spatial orientation. The networks appear to differ in various respects, except for a positive influence on growth of heterogeneity in the social background of partners. The largest difference is observed in strength of relationships: an increase in strength tends to hamper growth in Delft, while it tends to enhance growth in Trondheim.
METROPOLITAN REGIONS IN THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY: NETWORK ANALYSIS AS A STRATEGIC INFORMATION TOOL
Authors: BRANDT ARNO , HAHN CLAUDIA , KRÄTKE STEFAN , KIESE MATTHIAS 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTSince the early 1990s, regional networks have received a lot of academic and political attention as vehicles for knowledge‐based economic development. However, this powerful rhetoric has been accompanied by surprisingly little concrete analysis. Economic geography is only recently waking up to the potential of network analysis for interorganisational linkages within and between regions. We discuss network analysis as a strategic information tool for regional knowledge management and apply it to the metropolitan region of Hannover‐Braunschweig‐Göttingen‐Wolfsburg in the northern German state of Lower Saxony. Producing network diagrams and parameters of network size, density, centrality, cohesion and connectivity from a large sample of actors and linkages, our survey shows striking differences between different fields of competence that highlight the potential of network analysis as a powerful tool and a necessary basis for decision‐making to propel metropolitan regions into the knowledge economy. We outline both case‐specific and generic implications for the practice of regional knowledge management. However, a few methodological shortcomings still call for further research to be conducted.
An exploration of genome size diversity in dragonflies and damselflies (Insecta: Odonata)
Authors: Ardila‐Garcia A. M. , Gregory T. R. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractLike most insect orders, the Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) remain poorly studied from the perspective of genome size. They exhibit several characteristics that make them desirable targets for analysis in this area, for example a large range in body size, differences in developmental rate, and distinct modes of flight – all of which are related to genome size in at least some animal taxa. The present study provides new genome size estimates and morphometric data for 100 species of odonates, covering about 1/5 of described North American diversity. Significant relationships are reported between genome size and body size (positive in dragonflies, negative in damselflies), and there is also indication that developmental rate and flight are related to genome size in these insects. Genome size is also positively correlated with chromosome number across the order. These findings contribute to an improved understanding of genome size evolution in insects, and raise several interesting questions for future research.
Coevolution of metal availability and nitrogen assimilation in cyanobacteria and algae
Authors: GLASS J. B. , WOLFE‐SIMON F. , ANBAR A. D. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractMarine primary producers adapted over eons to the changing chemistry of the oceans. Because a number of metalloenzymes are necessary for N assimilation, changes in the availability of transition metals posed a particular challenge to the supply of this critical nutrient that regulates marine biomass and productivity. Integrating recently developed geochemical, biochemical, and genetic evidence, we infer that the use of metals in N assimilation – particularly Fe and Mo – can be understood in terms of the history of metal availability through time. Anoxic, Fe‐rich Archean oceans were conducive to the evolution of Fe‐using enzymes that assimilate abiogenicandThe N demands of an expanding biosphere were satisfied by the evolution of biological N2fixation, possibly utilizing only Fe. Trace O2in late Archean environments, and the eventual ‘Great Oxidation Event’c. 2.3 Ga, mobilized metals such as Mo, enabling the evolution of Mo (or V)‐based N2fixation and the Mo‐dependent enzymes forassimilation and denitrification by prokaryotes. However, the subsequent onset of deep‐sea euxinia, an increasingly‐accepted idea, may have kept ocean Mo inventories low and depressed Fe, limiting the rate of N2fixation and the supply of fixed N. Eukaryotic ecosystems may have been particularly disadvantaged by N scarcity and the high Mo requirement of eukaryoticassimilation. Thorough ocean oxygenation in the Neoproterozoic led to Mo‐rich oceans, possibly contributing to the proliferation of eukaryotes and thus the Cambrian explosion of metazoan life. These ideas can be tested by more intensive study of the metal requirements in N assimilation and the biological strategies for metal uptake, regulation, and storage.
Acute and Chronic Ethanol Modulate Dopamine D2‐Subtype Receptor Responses in Ventral Tegmental Area GABA Neurons
Authors: Ludlow Kimberly H. , Bradley Katie D. , Allison David W. , Taylor Seth R. , Yorgason Jordan T. , Hansen David M. , Walton Christine H. , Sudweeks Sterling N. , Steffensen Scott C. 
Published: March 2009

Background: Ventral tegmental area (VTA) γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons appear to be critical substrates underlying the acute and chronic effects of ethanol on dopamine (DA) neurotransmission in the mesocorticolimbic system implicated in drug reward. VTA GABA neuron firing rate is reduced by acute ethanol and enhanced by DA via D2 receptor activation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of D2 receptors in acute ethanol inhibition of VTA GABA neuron activity, as well as the adaptation of D2 receptors by chronic ethanol consumption.Methods: Using electrophysiological methods, we evaluated the effects of intraperitoneal ethanol on DA activation of VTA GABA neurons, the effects of DA antagonists on ethanol inhibition of their firing rate, as well as adaptations in firing rate following chronic ethanol consumption. Using single cell quantitative RT‐polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we evaluated the expression of VTA GABA neuron D2 receptors in rats consuming ethanol versus pair‐fed controls.Results: In acute ethanol studies, microelectrophoretic activation of VTA GABA neurons by DA was inhibited by acute intraperitoneal ethanol, and intravenous administration of the D2 antagonist eticlopride blocked ethanol suppression of VTA GABA neuron firing rate. In chronic ethanol studies, while there were no signs of withdrawal at 24 hours, or significant adaptation in firing rate or response to acute ethanol, there was a significant down‐regulation in the expression of D2 receptors in ethanol‐consuming rats versus pair‐fed controls.Conclusions: Inhibition of DA activation of VTA GABA neuron firing rate by ethanol, as well as eticlopride block of ethanol inhibition of VTA GABA neuron firing rate, suggests an interaction between ethanol and DA neurotransmission via D2 receptors, perhaps via enhanced DA release in the VTA subsequent to ethanol inhibition of GABA neurons. Down‐regulation of VTA GABA neuron D2 receptors by chronic ethanol might result from persistent DA release onto GABA neurons.
Ethyl Glucuronide in Hair Compared With Traditional Alcohol Biomarkers—A Pilot Study of Heavy Drinkers Referred to an Alcohol Detoxification Unit
Authors: Høiseth Gudrun , Morini Luca , Polettini Aldo , Christophersen Asbjørg , Mørland Jørg 
Published: March 2009

Background:  Traditional biomarkers for heavy alcohol use include serum carbohydrate‐deficient transferrin (CDT), the enzymes aspartate aminotranserase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) as well as gamma‐glutamyl transferase (GGT). Measurement of the nonoxidative ethanol metabolite, ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in hair, has been proposed as a new marker with superior qualities. The aim of this study was to investigate the sensitivity of EtG in hair to detect heavy alcohol use compared with CDT, AST, ALT, and GGT. We also wanted to study the quantitative relation between alcohol intake and the different biomarkers.Methods:  Sixteen patients with a history of heavy alcohol use over the previous 3 months were recruited directly after admission to a withdrawal clinic. They were thoroughly interviewed about their drinking pattern as well as relevant diseases and use of medicines or drugs. Serum was sampled and analyzed for %CDT, AST, ALT, and GGT. Hair samples were collected and analyzed for EtG.Results:  The mean estimated daily intake (EDI) over the previous 3 months was 206 ± 136 g pure alcohol. All patients fulfilled the criteria for heavy alcohol use. The sensitivity to detect heavy alcohol use was 64% for %CDT, 67% for AST, 67% for ALT, 93% for GGT, and 94% for EtG. There was no correlation between the quantitative values of EDI and %CDT, AST, ALT, and GGT. There was a positive, statistically significant correlation between EDI and the level of EtG in hair.Conclusions:  In this study, EtG in hair and GGT showed the best sensitivity to detect heavy alcohol use and there was a positive correlation between EDI and the concentrations of EtG in hair. Before giving recommendations for clinical practice, further studies should be carried out on larger materials and populations with a wider range of alcohol intake.
Collateral Reports in the College Setting: A Meta‐Analytic Integration
Authors: Borsari Brian , Muellerleile Paige 
Published: March 2009

Background:  The majority of research examining college drinking utilizes self‐report data, and collateral reports have been used to verify participants’ self‐reported alcohol use.Methods:  This meta‐analytic integration examined the correspondence of over 970 collateral and participant dyads in the college setting.Results and Conclusions:  Results indicated that there is little bias (mean difference) between collateral estimates of participant drinking and participant’s self‐report. A cumulative meta‐analysis revealed that this (null) effect was stable and unlikely to be altered by subsequent research or the existence of unpublished studies. Analysis of the agreement between collaterals and participant estimates (measured by intraclass correlation coefficients; ICCs) revealed moderate levels of agreement (mean ICC = 0.501). Examination of predictors of both bias and agreement in collateral and participant reports indicates a possible intentional and protective underreporting on the part of the collaterals. Ways to reduce this bias are discussed along with the value of using collaterals to verify participant self‐report in the college setting.
Predictors of Hospital Admission for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbations in Canadian Emergency Departments
Authors: Rowe Brian H. , Villa‐Roel Cristina , Guttman Alex , Ross Scott , Mackey Duncan , Sivilotti Marco L. A. , Worster Andrew , Stiell Ian G. , Willis Virginia , Borgundvaag Bjug 
Published: March 2009

AbstractObjectives:  The objective was to examine predictors of hospital admission among adults presenting to Canadian emergency departments (EDs) for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Current acute treatment approaches and outcomes 2 weeks after the ED visit are also described.Methods:  Subjects, aged ≥35 years presenting with COPD exacerbations to 16 EDs across Canada, underwent a structured in‐ED interview and a telephone interview 2 weeks later.Results:  Of 501 study patients, 247 (49.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 44.9% to 53.6%) were admitted. Admitted patients were older, were more often former smokers, and had more admissions for COPD during the past 2 years. They also reported more days of activity limitation and use of inhaled beta2‐agonists in the previous 24 hours. Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS), respiratory rate (RR), and airflow obstruction were more severe in the hospitalized group. Most of the patients received inhaled beta2‐agonists, anticholinergics, oral corticosteroids (CS), and antibiotics; hospitalized patients received more aggressive treatments. The median ED length of stay (LOS) of admitted patients was 13.1 hours (interquartile range [IQR] = 7.4‐23.0) compared to 5.6 hours (IQR = 4.2‐8.4) in discharged patients. Admission was associated with at least two COPD admissions in the past 2 years (odds ratio [OR] = 2.10; 95% CI = 1.24 to 3.56), receiving oral CS for COPD (OR = 1.72; 95% CI = 1.08 to 2.74), having a CTAS score of 1–2 (OR = 2.04; 95% CI = 1.33 to 3.12), and receiving adjunct ED treatments (OR = 3.95; 95% CI = 2.45 to 6.35). Use of EDs for usual COPD care was associated with a reduced risk of admission (OR = 0.43; 95% CI = 0.28 to 0.66).Conclusions:  Exacerbations of COPD in Canadian EDs result in prolonged ED stays and approximately 50% hospitalization despite aggressive acute treatment approaches. Historical, severity, and treatment‐related factors were strongly associated with hospital admission. Validation of these results should be completed prior to widespread use.
Caveolin‐1 regulation of dynamin‐dependent, raft‐mediated endocytosis of cholera toxin–B sub‐unit occurs independently of caveolae
Authors: Lajoie Patrick , Kojic Liliana D. , Nim Satra , Li Lei , Dennis James W. , Nabi Ivan R. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractGanglioside GM1‐bound cholera toxin–B sub‐unit (CT‐b) enters the cell via clathrin‐coated pits and dynamin‐independent non‐caveolar raft‐dependent endocytosis. Caveolin‐1 (Cav1), associated with caveolae formation, is a negative regulator of non‐caveolar raft‐dependent endocytosis. In mammary epithelial tumour cells deficient for Mgat5, Cav1 is stably expressed at levels below the threshold for caveolae formation, forming stable oligomerized Cav1 microdomains or scaffolds that were shown to suppress EGFR signalling and reduce the plasma membrane diffusion rate of both EGFR and CT‐b. Below threshold levels of Cav1 also inhibit the dynamin‐dependent raft‐mediated endocytosis of CT‐b to the Golgi indicating that Cav1‐negative regulation of raft‐dependent endocytosis is caveolae independent. Inhibition of CT‐b internalization does not require Cav1 phosphorylation but does require an intact Cav1 scaffolding domain. By flow cytometry, both over‐expression of Cav1 and the dynamin K44A mutant block CT‐b internalization from the plasma membrane defining a dynamin‐dependent raft pathway for CT‐b endocytosis in these cells. However, only minimal co‐localization between CT‐b and Cav1 is observed. These results suggest that Cav1 regulates raft‐dependent internalization of CT‐b indirectly via a mechanism that requires the Cav1 scaffolding domain and the formation of oligomerized Cav1 microdomains but not caveolae.
Endothelial glycocalyx dimensions are reduced in growing collateral arteries and modulate leucocyte adhesion in arteriogenesis
Authors: Grundmann Sebastian , Schirmer Stephan H. , Hekking Liesbeth H. P. , Post Jan Andries , Ionita Mihaela G. , Groot Daphne de , Royen Niels van , Berg Bernard van den , Vink Hans , Moser Martin , Bode Christoph , Kleijn Dominique de , Pasterkamp Gerard , Piek Jan J. , Hoefer Imo E. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractDuring collateral artery growth, monocytes adhere to the endothelium and secrete cytokines from the perivascular space promoting arteriogenesis. Recently, the endothelial glycocalyx has been shown to modulate leucocyte infiltration in atherogenic regions. The role of this endothelial surface coating in arteriogenesis, however, has not been investigated so far. We now report that local plasma levels of hyaluronic acid are specifically increased in collateral arterial blood of coronary artery disease patients and hypothesized that components of the endothelial glycocalyx are shed during arteriogenesis, resulting in decreased glycocalyx dimensions and an increased leucocyte extravasation. In a rabbit model of femoral artery ligation, electron microscopy revealed a decrease in glycocalyx dimensions in collateral arteries compared with quiescent anastomoses (67.5 ± 47.2 nm versus 101.0 ± 11.3 nm; P < 0.001). This decrease was correlated with a higher number of perivascular macrophages around collateral arteries. The additional glycocalyx perturbation by local hyaluronidase infusion almost completely removed the endothelial surface layer and temporarily stimulated leucocyte accumulation in the perivascular space. However, complete perturbation of the glycocalyx by hyaluronidase infusion resulted in a significant attenuation of collateral artery growth assessed by microsphere‐based perfusion measurements (ml/min/100 mmHg: hyaluronidase: 27.5 ± 3.5; Controls: 47.1 ± 3.83; P < 0.001) and a lower percentage of actively proliferating vascular smooth muscle cells. A decreased expression of the shear‐stress regulated pro‐arteriogenic genes eNOS and TGF‐β1 suggests an impaired mechanotransduction as the underlying mechanisms. For the first time, we describe the role of the endothelial glycocalyx in collateral artery growth. Although complete abrogation led to attenuated arteriogenesis, shedding of glycocalyx components is observed during collateral artery growth.