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Building on the institutional economics perspective, we study how local firms in an emerging economy exploit institutional voids by sourcing inputs from industries with a large informal economy. We argue that this allows them to build a cost-related competitive advantage and leverage it both to export and to enhance export performance. The empirical study uses a unique dataset compiled by the Mexican authorities covering manufacturing plants between 2005 and 2012. Our results indicate that firms operating in industries that procure from industries with an extensive informal economy are more likely to export and to have better export performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ectopic expression of defensins in plants correlates with their increased capacity to withstand abiotic and biotic stresses. This applies to Arabidopsis thaliana , where some of the seven members of the PLANT DEFENSIN 1 family (AtPDF1) are recognised to improve plant responses to necrotrophic pathogens and increase seedling tolerance to excess zinc (Zn). However, few studies have explored the effects of decreased endogenous defensin expression on these stress responses. Here, we carried out an extensive physiological and biochemical comparative characterization of (i) novel artificial microRNA (amiRNA) lines silenced for the five most similar AtPDF1 s, and (ii) a double null mutant for the two most distant AtPDF1 s. Silencing of five AtPDF1 genes was specifically associated with increased aboveground dry mass production in mature plants under excess Zn conditions, and with increased plant tolerance to different pathogens — a fungus, an oomycete and a bacterium, while the double mutant behaved similarly to the wild type. These unexpected results challenge the current paradigm describing the role of PDFs in plant stress responses. Additional roles of endogenous plant defensins are discussed, opening new perspectives for their functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under agroforestry practices, inter-specific facilitation between tree rows and cultivated alleys occurs when plants increase the growth of their neighbors especially under nutrient limitation. Owing to a coarse root architecture limiting soil inorganic phosphate (Pi) uptake, walnut trees (Juglans spp.) exhibit dependency on soil-borne symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi that extend extra-radical hyphae beyond the root Pi depletion zone. To investigate the benefits of mycorrhizal walnuts in alley cropping, we experimentally simulated an agroforestry system in which walnut rootstocks RX1 (J. regia x J. microcarpa) were connected or not by a common mycelial network (CMN) to maize plants grown under two contrasting Pi levels. Mycorrhizal colonization parameters showed that the inoculum reservoir formed by inoculated walnut donor saplings allowed the mycorrhization of maize recipient roots. Relative to nonmycorrhizal plants and whatever the Pi supply, CMN enabled walnut saplings to access maize Pi fertilization residues according to significant increases in biomass, stem diameter, and expression of JrPHT1;1 and JrPHT1;2, two mycorrhiza-inducible phosphate transporter candidates here identified by phylogenic inference of orthologs. In the lowest Pi supply, stem height, leaf Pi concentration, and biomass of RX1 were significantly higher than in nonmycorrhizal controls, showing that mycorrhizal connections between walnut and maize roots alleviated Pi deficiency in the mycorrhizal RX1 donor plant. Under Pi limitation, maize recipient plants also benefited from mycorrhization relative to controls, as inferred from larger stem diameter and height, biomass, leaf number, N content, and Pi concentration. Mycorrhization-induced Pi uptake generated a higher carbon cost for donor walnut plants than for maize plants by increasing walnut plant photosynthesis to provide the AM fungus with carbon assimilate. Here, we show that CMN alleviates Pi deficiency in co-cultivated walnut and maize plants, and may therefore contribute to limit the use of chemical P fertilizers in agroforestry systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In particular, the results show that corporate social responsibility strengthens the relationship between corporations and employees due to employees' positive perception toward their organizations for the implementation of CSR initiatives. When corporate social responsibility (CSR) increases performance: Exploring the role of intrinsic and extrinsic CSR attribution. The results indicate that cross-cultural legitimacy is significantly associated with responsible innovation practices and firm performance within the Asia-Pacific CBM, while the cross-cultural legitimacy-firm performance association is partially mediated by the responsible innovation practice. This editorial of corporate social responsibility and environmental management summarizes the papers included in the Special Issue "The managerial implications of assessing corporate social performance.". [Extracted from the article]

Wars and sanctions tend to reduce the trade of the countries involved. However, these events often occur concurrently, which complicates the assessment of their effects. This article studies the case of the former Yugoslavia to disentangle the respective effects of these events. We show that the wars and sanctions caused a reduction in trade not only between the countries involved but also with other countries. Moreover, the impact of the sanctions on trade volume is more pronounced than the impact of war. Finally, we show that the effects of both war and sanctions persisted for several years after they ended. Comparative Economic Studies (2012) 54, 553-579. doi: 10.1057/ces.2012.17; published online 26 April 2012 Keywords: economic sanctions, wars, international trade, former Yugoslavia. JEL Classifications: F14, F51, C23, D74., INTRODUCTION International sanctions, an instrument of foreign policy, are increasingly used to constrain countries (Kaempfer and Lowenberg, 2007). They consist of a set of measures that are implemented by one [...]

Calcium is a ubiquitous second messenger regulating numbers of cellular processes in living organisms. It encodes and transmits information perceived by cells to downstream sensors, including calmodulin (CaM), that initiate cellular responses. In plants, CaM has been involved in the regulation of plant responses to biotic and abiotic environmental cues. Plant CaMs possess a cysteine residue in their first calcium-binding motif EF-hand, which is not conserved in other eucaryotic organisms. In this work, we report the near-complete backbone chemical shift assignment of tobacco CaM2 with calcium. These results will be useful to study the impact of this particular EF-hand domain regarding CaM interaction with partners involved in stress responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates how different configurations of acquirers' resources, capabilities, and strategic fit with the target firm influence investors' decisions following acquisition announcements. Drawing on signalling theory and the resource‐based view, we argue that investors closely scrutinize acquirers' bundles of resources to evaluate holistically the future outcome of the deal. Our fuzzy‐set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) confirms that investors' decisions leading to abnormal stock returns following acquisition announcements depend on the configuration of the acquirer's resources, capabilities, and strategic fit with the target. It also reveals different configurations that lead to high or low short‐term stock market performance. Based on the findings, we propose five strategic profiles of merger and acquisition (M&A) deals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Management international / International Management / Gestiòn Internacional is the property of Management International and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Walnut trees are among the most important hardwood species in the northern hemisphere, ecologically and economically. They are mainly cultivated for timber and nut production but are also attractive ornamental trees in parks. Establishing walnut orchards is difficult because seedlings have a coarse root architecture and few of them survive to transplanting. Planting success is mainly determined by the root system morphology and the nutrient status of the seedlings, so that rhizosphere conditions are critical for plant performance. Walnut trees can associate with soil-borne arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, which are obligate biotrophs. In this association, plant-produced carbon compounds are traded against fungus-acquired soil mineral nutrients. The beneficial effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis on hardwood seedling quality and field performance has long been known, but an integrated view is lacking about the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizas on walnut cropping. Therefore, we surveyed the literature published over the last 40 years to provide up-to-date knowledge on the relationships between arbuscular mycorrhizas and walnut trees. Our review outlines the major following points: (1) the arbuscular-mycorrhiza-mediated nutrient uptake capacity of walnut trees is associated with first- to third-order roots, and fibrous tip-ended roots are dependent on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, whereas pioneer roots are not; (2) early inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi improves the survival and seedling performance attributes of transplanted walnut trees: biotization enhances walnut transplant success by increasing the number of lateral roots and plant P uptake, but these benefits are fungus- and host-dependent; (3) in the context of walnut agroforestry, deeply rooted walnut trees play a role as reservoirs of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal propagules for the surrounding vegetation, but tree shade and soluble phosphate availability decrease walnut mycorrhizal dependency; and (4) the arbuscular mycorrhizal mycelium mediates the transport of juglone and thus plays a role in walnut tree allelopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the effect of age and the moderating effect of labour market situations on individuals' decisions to enter into risky innovative entrepreneurship. Using population-level data from 94 countries from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor database we find that although age is negatively related to the choice of innovative entrepreneurship, the age–innovative entrepreneurship choice relationship is moderated by the labour market status of the individual. More specifically, full-time employed older individuals, who are most likely to become successful entrepreneurs, are less likely to choose risky innovative entrepreneurship. Considering that innovative entrepreneurship is crucial for economic growth, our results point to the importance of facilitating employed middle-age and older individuals' entries into innovative entrepreneurship especially in a context of ageing societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In past years, 3D models of virtual worlds have been used in several applications such as urban planning, simulation and design. In the railway field, that we chose as a field of application to illustrate our proposals in this article, simulation makes sense because of the complexity involved and the risk for personnel during upstream phases of validation. To be able to simulation with enough precision, the model of the virtual universe is a key point. Especially For train component simulation, an accurate and detailed model of the train component is mandatory. For training the drivers within a serious game, a high visual quality is required. Obtaining a single model supporting these two constraints at the same time at the lowest cost is still an open issue and involved many actors. Our contribution is a methodology and a process for creating a virtual universe model, based on automatic model generation, in order to allow the creation of large-scale universes while guaranteeing a level of details appropriate to the need, a model of constant quality and including semantic data necessary for simulation, while reducing the modeling costs and the modeling duration. The proposed process is applied to train simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the course of evolutionary changes pathogens have developed many invasion strategies, to which the host organisms responded with a broad range of defense reactions involving endogenous signaling molecules, such as nitric oxide (NO). There is evidence that pathogenic microorganisms, including two most important groups of eukaryotic plant pathogens, also acquired the ability to synthesize NO via nonunequivocally defined oxidative and/or reductive routes. Although the both kingdoms Chromista and Fungi are remarkably diverse, the experimental data clearly indicate that pathogen-derived NO is an important regulatory molecule controlling not only developmental processes, but also pathogen virulence and its survival in the host. An active control of mitigation or aggravation of nitrosative stress within host cells seems to be a key determinant for the successful invasion of plant pathogens representing different lifestyles and an effective mode of dispersion in various environmental niches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have seen growing interest in the influence of the environment on entrepreneurship. However, little is known about the impact of the country-level technological environment on the creation of new technology-based firms. This study investigates the relationship between the technological environment (measured by the amount of investment in R&D, and access to information and communication technology [ICT] infrastructure) and technology entrepreneurship, in 54 countries during the years 2005 to 2010. Using data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, and the World Bank Development Indicators, we identify a significant, robust inverted U-shaped relationship between R&D investment at country level and the likelihood of technology entrepreneurship. We also find evidence of a positive relationship between access to ICT infrastructure and the likelihood of technology entrepreneurship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present models and the corresponding decision-support tool, SARTRE, for evaluating the Public Transport Net- works (PTN), and more specifically a bus network. Firstly, we define the framework architecture of SARTRE. The PTN model is explained, and various evaluation and assessment methods are explained. These models and evaluation algorithms are specifically designed to address to the design and the supervision of PTN for small- and medium-size towns. This approach has been success- fully implemented in a decision-support tool, which have been used by the public transport authority of the region of Belfort in France to supervise its new PTN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensors and effectors of all sorts are becoming more and more integrated in human everyday lives. Systems built on top of these sensors/effectors adding a cybernetic component in order to assist humans in their everyday life are called Cyber-Physical Systems. Such systems may be difficult to analyze and design, as they are composed of numerous interacting entities immerged in a dynamic and partially predictable environment. The goal of this paper is to propose a methodological approach based upon Multi-Agent Systems that has two main advantages. First it allows the decomposition of CPS structural and behavioral complexity and, second, it enables a prototyping by simulation approach that eases system validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the factors that influence early internationalization of new ventures in the context of emerging economies. More specifically, our research builds on the theoretical and empirical literature on International New Ventures (INV) to develop an original conceptual framework and formulate hypotheses concerning the environment, industry and firm-related factors that enhance or constrain rapid internationalization of new firms from emerging countries. We tested our hypotheses on a sample of more than 23000 firms from 27 transition countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia between 2002 and 2009. The empirical study shows that several factors are positively related to the probability that a firm will internationalize from inception: access to ICT infrastructure, being located in an EU country, industry competition, a better-educated workforce, networks in the home country and international networks. In contrast, early internationalization is negatively affected by insecurity and, more surprisingly, by a firm's knowledge intensity. These results contribute to a better understanding of the specificities of the internationalization of firms from emerging economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium and nitric oxide (NO) are two important biological messengers. Increasing evidence indicates that Ca2+ and NO work together in mediating responses to pathogenic microorganisms and microbe-associated molecular patterns. Ca2+ fluxes were recognized to account for NO production, whereas evidence gathered from a number of studies highlights that NO is one of the key messengers mediating Ca2+ signaling. Here, we present a concise description of the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the cross talk between Ca2+ and NO in plant cells exposed to biotic stress. Particular attention will be given to the involvement of cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels and Ca2+ sensors. Notably, we provide new evidence that calmodulin might be regulated at the posttranslational level by NO through S-nitrosylation. Furthermore, we report original transcriptomic data showing that NO produced in response to oligogalacturonide regulates the expression of genes related to Ca2+ signaling. Deeper insight into the molecules involved in the interplay between Ca2+ and NO not only permits a better characterization of the Ca2+ signaling system but also allows us to further understand how plants respond to pathogen attack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Management international / International Management / Gestiòn Internacional is the property of Management International and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)