930 research outputs found
Characteristics and Performance of Foreign Direct Investment in Retail Trade: The Case of Japanese Firms
In the international business development, foreign direct investment (FDI) as a general phenomenon has been extensively studied, yet the understanding of particular characteristics of FDI in the retail industry remain limited. The success of international retail trade relies heavily on the understanding of consumers in the host countries. Therefore, this paper analyzed the characteristics and performance of foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail trade using the Japanese FDI data (JFDI) from 1986-2001 as a case. We found (1) an overall trend for JFDI to move from the developed countries to developing countries; (2) a modest correlation between subsidiary size and performance; (3) in certain countries/regions, a positive and significant correlation between entry mode and performance; and (4) a focus of JFDI on the USA and the Greater-China area. The results of this paper provide important implications for countries which want the FDI in retail trade and for companies which want to invest in international retail trade
Neuroprotective Effect of Uncaria rhynchophylla in Kainic Acid-Induced Epileptic Seizures by Modulating Hippocampal Mossy Fiber Sprouting, Neuron Survival, Astrocyte Proliferation, and S100B Expression
Uncaria rhynchophylla (UR), which is a traditional Chinese medicine, has anticonvulsive effect in our previous studies, and the cellular mechanisms behind this are still little known. Because of this, we wanted to determine the importance of the role of UR on kainic acid- (KA-) induced epilepsy. Oral UR for 6 weeks can successfully attenuate the onset of epileptic seizure in animal tests. Hippocampal mossy fiber sprouting dramatically decreased, while neuronal survival increased with UR treatment in hippocampal CA1 and CA3 areas. Furthermore, oral UR for 6 weeks significantly attenuated the overexpression of astrocyte proliferation and S100B proteins but not γ-aminobutyric acid A (GABAA) receptors. These results indicate that oral UR for 6 weeks can successfully attenuate mossy fiber sprouting, astrocyte proliferation, and S100B protein overexpression and increase neuronal survival in KA-induced epileptic rat hippocampu
Human adipose-derived stem cells cultured in keratinocyte serum free medium: Donor’s age does not affect the proliferation and differentiation capacities
Using Sidereal Rotation Period Expressions to Calculate the Sun’s Rotation Period through Observation of Sunspots
We utilize sidereal rotation period expressions to calculate the sun’s rotation period via sunspot observation. From the well-known astronomical sites, we collected sunspot diagrams for 14 months, from January 2013 to February 2014, to analyze, compare, and implement statistical research. In addition to acquiring the average angular rate of the movement of sunspots, we found that even the same number of sunspots moved at different angular rates, and generally the life of larger sunspots is longer than 10 days. Therefore the larger sunspots moved around the back of the sun, and a handful of relatively smaller sunspots disappeared within a few days. The results show that the solar rotation period varied with the latitude. However, if we take the average of the sunspots at high and low latitudes, we find that the calculated value is very close to the accredited values
Vibrio vulnificus in Taiwan
Clinical features of 84 patients with V. vulnificus infection are analyzed and molecular features of isolates are described
Local Magnetic Field Role in Star Formation
We highlight distinct and systematic observational features of magnetic field
morphologies in polarized submm dust continuum. We illustrate this with
specific examples and show statistical trends from a sample of 50 star-forming
regions.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; to appear in the EAS Proceedings of the 6th
Zermatt ISM Symposium "Conditions and Impact of Star Formation from Lab to
Space", September 201
Magnetic Fields and Massive Star Formation
Massive stars ( \msun) typically form in parsec-scale molecular clumps
that collapse and fragment, leading to the birth of a cluster of stellar
objects. We investigate the role of magnetic fields in this process through
dust polarization at 870 m obtained with the Submillimeter Array (SMA).
The SMA observations reveal polarization at scales of \lsim 0.1 pc. The
polarization pattern in these objects ranges from ordered hour-glass
configurations to more chaotic distributions. By comparing the SMA data with
the single dish data at parsec scales, we found that magnetic fields at dense
core scales are either aligned within of or perpendicular to the
parsec-scale magnetic fields. This finding indicates that magnetic fields play
an important role during the collapse and fragmentation of massive molecular
clumps and the formation of dense cores. We further compare magnetic fields in
dense cores with the major axis of molecular outflows. Despite a limited number
of outflows, we found that the outflow axis appears to be randomly oriented
with respect to the magnetic field in the core. This result suggests that at
the scale of accretion disks (\lsim 10^3 AU), angular momentum and dynamic
interactions possibly due to close binary or multiple systems dominate over
magnetic fields. With this unprecedentedly large sample massive clumps, we
argue on a statistical basis that magnetic fields play an important role during
the formation of dense cores at spatial scale of 0.01 - 0.1 pc in the context
of massive star and cluster star formation.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journa
EFFECT OF ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF PHERETIMA ASPERGILLUM (EARTHWORM) IN RATS WITH CEREBRAL INFARCTION INDUCED BY MIDDLE-CEREBRAL ARTERY OCCLUSION.
We investigated the curative effect of Pheretima aspergillum (earthworm, PA) on rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo). The MCAo-induced cerebral infarction was established and its underlying mechanisms by counting the infarction areas and evaluating the rats’ neurological status. Immunostaining was used to test the expression of NeuN, and glial fibrillary acidic (GFAP), S100B, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) proteins. Our results showed that oral administration of PA for two weeks to rats with MCAo successfully reduced cerebral infarction areas in the cortex and striatum, and also reduced scores of neurological deficit. The PA-treated MCAo rats showed greatly decreased neuronal death, glial proliferation, and S100B proteins in the penumbra area of the cortex and in the ischemic core area of the cortex, but BDNF did not changed. These results demonstrated novel and detailed cellular mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effects of PA in MCAo rats
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