Torpor in marsupials: Recent advances

We report new findings about torpor in marsupials with regard to three energy demanding processes: (i) development and growth, (ii) reproduction, and (iii) rewarming. Young marsupials use torpor extensively after they develop endothermy, and torpor is generally deeper and longer than in the same individuals when they reach adult size. Adult marsupials also employ torpor during pregnancy and/or lactation to reduce energy expenditure and perhaps to store fat for later use. Moreover, to enhance the energy-conserving potential of torpor, desert marsupials bask during arousal to minimize energy costs of rewarming. We show that the functions of torpor extend beyond merely reducing energy expenditure during food shortages and that torpor can save substantial amounts of energy even during the rewarming process

Other People’S Money: A Visual Technology for Teaching Corporate Restructuring Cross-Functionally

This article presents a detailed plan for using the movie Other People's Money as an integrative technology to teach organizational behavior and finance concepts crossfunctionally. The movie depicts corporate restructuring issues in a comic manner, while still conveying a message. It incorporates topics such as differing organizational models and perpectives, leadership, managerial goals, and stakeholder needs/wants. It also helps students learn about mergers and acquisitions including topics like takeovers, tender offers, and greenmail while stimulating thinking aout complex ethical issues. This teaching tool can be incorporated in undergraduate or graduate business classes, or as a module for management education in corporate settings. The teaching notes include a vocabulary list, suggested stopping points with discussion questions, and a set of postmovie questions to reinforce related concepts and motivate further study.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68685/2/10.1177_105256299902300106.pd

On the Metric Dimension of Cartesian Products of Graphs

A set S of vertices in a graph G resolves G if every vertex is uniquely determined by its vector of distances to the vertices in S. The metric dimension of G is the minimum cardinality of a resolving set of G. This paper studies the metric dimension of cartesian products G*H. We prove that the metric dimension of G*G is tied in a strong sense to the minimum order of a so-called doubly resolving set in G. Using bounds on the order of doubly resolving sets, we establish bounds on G*H for many examples of G and H. One of our main results is a family of graphs G with bounded metric dimension for which the metric dimension of G*G is unbounded

Predicting decoherence in discrete models

The general aim of this paper is to supply a method to decide whether a discrete system decoheres or not, and under what conditions decoherence occurs, with no need of appealing to computer simulations to obtain the time evolution of the reduced state. In particular, a lemma is presented as the core of the method.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure

The Impact of Railway Stations on Residential and Commercial Property Value: A Meta-analysis

Railway stations function as nodes in transport networks and places in an urban environment. They have accessibility and environmental impacts, which contribute to property value. The literature on the effects of railway stations on property value is mixed in its finding in respect to the impact magnitude and direction, ranging from a negative to an insignificant or a positive impact. This paper attempts to explain the variation in the findings by meta-analytical procedures. Generally the variations are attributed to the nature of data, particular spatial characteristics, temporal effects and methodology. Railway station proximity is addressed from two spatial considerations: a local station effect measuring the effect for properties with in 1/4 mile range and a global station effect measuring the effect of coming 250 m closer to the station. We find that the effect of railway stations on commercial property value mainly takes place at short distances. Commercial properties within 1/4 mile rang are 12.2% more expensive than residential properties. Where the price gap between the railway station zone and the rest is about 4.2% for the average residence, it is about 16.4% for the average commercial property. At longer distances the effect on residential property values dominate. We find that for every 250 m a residence is located closer to a station its price is 2.3% higher than commercial properties. Commuter railway stations have a consistently higher positive impact on the property value compared to light and heavy railway/Metro stations. The inclusion of other accessibility variables (such as highways) in the models reduces the level of reported railway station impact. © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

A system dynamics model of capital structure policy for firm value maximization

The complexity surrounding the maximization of firm value agenda demands a comprehensive causal model that effectively embeds the intertwining relationships of the variables and the policies involved. System dynamics provides an appropriate methodology to model and simulate such complex relationships to facilitate decision making in a complex business environment. The objective of the study is to analyze the impact of capital structure policy, being a key managerial decision, on the firm value. For this purpose, the study develops a system dynamics‐based corporate planning model for an oil firm, including the operational as well as financial processes. Various scenarios and capital structure policies have been designed and simulated to identify the policy that helps in increasing the firm value. The results demonstrate that increase in debt percentage in capital structure mix increase the firm value.publishedVersio

Does franchising create value? An analysis of the financial performance of US public restaurant firms

Author's OriginalIt is commonly believed that the franchising method of distribution provides strategic and operational benefits to the companies that adopt it. These benefits should result in superior financial performance as compared to that of firms that do not use franchising. Yet, the empirical evidence of the effects of franchising on financial performance is sparse and mixed. The purpose of this paper is to further examine the empirical evidence of the impact of franchising on a firm’s financial performance by using performance metrics (Economic Value Added and Market Value Added) that are extensively used in corporate finance. This study focuses on the US public restaurant sector. The results provide some evidence that franchising firms create more market and economic value than do non-franchising firms. A revised version of this paper has since been published in the International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Administration. Please use this version in your citations.Aliouche, E. & Schlentrich, U. (2009). Does Franchising Create Value? An Analysis of the Financial Performance of US Public Restaurant Firms. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 10(2), 93-10