High-SpeedReal-TimeDataAcquisitionSystem Realized by Interleaving/Multiplexing Technique

The interleaving/multiplexing technique was used to realize a 200?MHz real time data acquisition system. Two 100?MHz ADC modules worked parallelly and every ADC plays out data in ping pang fashion. The design improved the system conversion rata to 200?MHz and reduced the speed of data transporting and storing to 50?MHz. The high speed HDPLD and ECL logic parts were used to control system timing and the memory address. The multi layer print board and the shield were used to decrease interference produced by the high speed circuit. The system timing was designed carefully. The interleaving/multiplexing technique could improve the system conversion rata greatly while reducing the speed of external digital interfaces greatly. The design resolved the difficulties in high speed system effectively. The experiment proved the data acquisition system is stable and accurate.

An Analysis of Chinese Acquisitions of Made in Italy Firms in the Luxury Sector

Outward Foreign Direct Investment （OFDI） from emerging economies has begun to increase significantly and has been growing at a faster pace than Foreign Direct Investment （FDI） from the developed world. This research seeks to assess the impact of Chinese acquisitions and their implications for the ＂Made in Italy＂ luxury sector and its firms. This paper presents a cross-case analysis of two Chinese acquisitions in order to provide some in-depth insights into the influences and the motives driving Chinese firms to invest in the luxury Made in Italy sector, the patterns and modes of the Chinese acquisitions as well as the competitive strategies and the distinctive challenges that both investors and acquired firms have to face. From the findings, it emerges that both the investor and the acquired firm need to overcome several key challenges to be mutual benefits from the acquisition.

Due Diligence in Mergers and Acquisitions in Emerging Markets： Evaluated Risk Factors From the Academic and Practical View

The obviously ever increasing number of corporate acquisitions in recent decades has improved the general knowledge and awareness of due diligence for both the industry and research. In the current challenging business environment, acquisitions face a higher degree of risk profiles, especially cross-border acquisitions in the emerging markets. Conducting a thorough due diligence investigation in the context of an acquisition is more important now than ever. In a broad analysis, this paper researches the key risk factors in the acquisition process and their assessment within a due diligence audit in the acquisition phase. The task of this paper is to match the academic and practical view in order to give a more complete understanding of risk factors to be covered in due diligence audit. The starting point is the research of academic findings which basically concentrate on common approaches considering financial, legal, commercial, and some other issues in domestic acquisitions and in developed countries. In contrast, this paper considers risk factors in cross-border and emerging markets transactions. In addition, a number of business consultants publish studies based on surveys on this topic which reflect typical risk factors based on experience of their customers being involved in cross-border acquisitions. Their risk assessment consists of specific regulatory, political, and other factors, which may lead to commercial and reputational impediments in cross-border acquisitions. The outcome of the comparison is a comprehended list of evaluated risk factors, whereby the academic findings are complemented and supported by the practical experience in the business consultant＇s studies. Moreover, the practical approach points to the fact that due diligence scope needs to be suited to the dynamics of the markets. The comparison and the comprehended list of evaluated risk factors call for a more integrated system of due diligence and show herein the research deficit. Hence, the novelty is the compendium of evaluated risk factors which should be assessed in the pre-acquisition phase. The originality of the paper is given by a unique analysis of academic work about acquisition due diligence literature and consultant studies from anonymized practical experience based on insider information.

Modeling the factors that influence knowledge transfer in mergers and acquisitions

This paper constructs a model on the factors that influence knowledge transfer in mergers and acquisitions(M&A) and validates it via questionnaire surveys. Using 125valid collected questionnaires, multiple linear regression analysis and hierarchical regression analysis showed that five out of the ten factors had a positive effect on knowledge transfer effect. The ranking of factor importance, from high to low, was knowledge explicitness, relationship quality, learning intent, advanced transfer activities, and learning capability, which is fairly consistent with positive factors observed in other interorganizational knowledge transfer researches. Our results also showed that one of the control variables(size of acquired firm) had neither a direct or indirect effect on knowledge transfer in M&A. Additionally, our research found that knowledge distance and degree of M&A integration had a positive influence on knowledge transfer effect at the early stage after M&A, but had a negative influence at the late stage. Based on this research, several suggestions for knowledge transfer in M&A are proposed.

Selection of Mergers and Acquisitions by Foreign Capital in Open Economies

By a linear Cournot model, the factors associated with the integration of two firms are discussed in terms of their effects on the private surplus and the social welfare in economies with varying extent of openness. Meanwhile, the trade policy of the host government is taken into account. It is concluded that the more open the economy and the more intense the competition, the less profitable the integration; the most important determinant to the changes of the domestic social welfare is the industry strength of the host country. The host authority can enhance the domestic social welfare in two ways： to adjust the trade policy and to only approve the socially desirable cross-border mergers and acquisitions.

Effect of Cross-Border Acquisitions on Businesses Performance of Slovak Acquiring Companies

Currently, businesses or companies apply various tools of financial engineering on improvement of their performance. One of such tools refers to acquisitions through which companies can profit from synergic effects, reduce operating cost and tax expenses, and improve their market position. This paper is aimed at examining the effect of cross-border acquisitions made by Slovak companies in order to improve their performance. Authors applied the method of simultaneous equation model to examine this relation. The result confirmed the hypothesis that cross-border acquisitions positively influence a company performance.

The Efficient Market Theory and Mergers and Acquisitions （M＆As） Puzzle： Evidence From Italy

The efficient market theory is a central point in finance. If the capital market is competitive, the investors cannot expect superior gains from their investment strategies with respect to the risk profile. Event studies are an approach to verify the impact of the information on the stock prices. In an efficient market, stock prices should fully, promptly, and quickly capture all the information. Instead, the market shows phenomena of an under-reaction and over-reaction for both the short and the long run. The mergers and acquisitions （M＆As） are examples of anomalies. Often, the bidder companies record the negative abnormal returns for both the short and the long run. In contrast to the efficient market theory, the empirical evidence shows that this phenomenon is widespread in all （or most of） the countries of the world. This work examines the long-run performance in M＆As. For this purpose, 40 bidders were observed in Italy during the period of 1994-2008 among listed companies. The buy and hold abnormal returns （BHARs） methodology was used, with which it was possible to observe the returns for three years following the deal.

A Critical Study of Mergers and Acquisitions

This article presents and analyses the theories with respect to mergers and acquisitions, and list why companies or firms need to be reorganised. Different types of mergers occur under different situations. Mergers between companies which have same products or services called horizontal mergers; mergers between companies which have buyer-seller relationship called vertical mergers; and companies which have different business fields always use conglomerate mergers. The main motive of companies or firms choosing merger or acquisition is synergy.

Caenorhabditis elegans deep lipidome profiling by using integrative mass spectrometry acquisitions reveals significantly altered lipid networks

Lipidomics coverage improvement is essential for functional lipid and pathway construction.A powerful approach to discovering organism lipidome is to combine various data acquisitions,such as full scan mass spectrometry(full MS),data-dependent acquisition(DDA),and data-independent acquisition(DIA).Caenorhabditis elegans(C.elegans)is a useful model for discovering toxic-induced metabolism,highthroughput drug screening,and a variety of human disease pathways.To determine the lipidome of C.elegans and investigate lipid disruption from the molecular level to the system biology level,we used integrative data acquisition.The methyl-tert-butyl ether method was used to extract L4 stage C.elegans after exposure to triclosan(TCS),perfluorooctanoic acid,and nanopolystyrene(nPS).Full MS,DDA,and DIA integrations were performed to comprehensively profile the C.elegans lipidome by Q-Exactive Plus MS.All annotated lipids were then analyzed using lipid ontology and pathway analysis.We annotated up to 940 lipids from 20 lipid classes involved in various functions and pathways.The biological investigations revealed that when C.elegans were exposed to nPS,lipid droplets were disrupted,whereas plasma membrane-functionalized lipids were likely to be changed in the TCS treatment group.The nPS treatment caused a significant disruption in lipid storage.Triacylglycerol,glycerophospholipid,and ether class lipids were those primarily hindered by toxicants.Finally,toxicant exposure frequently involved numerous lipid-related pathways,including the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway.In conclusion,an integrative data acquisition strategy was used to characterize the C.elegans lipidome,providing valuable biological insights into hypothesis generation and validation.

Mergers and Acquisitions: An Efficiency Evaluation

This article sheds light on how synergies arise through mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Enterprises go through the process of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) with the goal of improving performance, increasing efficiency and obtaining business synergy. Prior literature suggests that synergies could arise due to taxes, market power or efficiency improvements. This study evaluates the efficiency of M&A in Brazil among publicly-traded companies. We used models with multiple objectives from Goal Programming and Data Envelopment Analysis (GPDEA), employing accounting indicators as input and output variables, and thus evaluated the emergence of synergy gains. These models allow us to analyze and classify the M&A according to the efficiency obtained in such processes. Some of the M&A cases analyzed were mistakenly considered efficient when used traditional models. And, as expected, the GPDEA was proved to be superior to classical models;however it was noticed that few of the cases investigated were proved to be effective. We presented a new application for multi-objective approach that can be used to assess mergers and acquisitions. The dualapplication of GPDEA provided a greater understanding of efficiency generation in synergy creation by means of M&A.

Economic Policy Uncertainty and Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions

In recent years,the frequent adjustment of the government’s economic policies and the uncertainty of foreign economic situations have made the degree of uncertainty of China’s economic policies rise continuously.The increasing degree of policy uncertainty will inevitably affect the investment and financing decisions of micro enterprises.Then,how does economic policy uncertainty(EPU)affect mergers and acquisitions(M&A)behavior?What’s the mechanism?Based on the above questions,this paper uses the data of non-financial listed companies in the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges from 2008 to 2018 as a sample to explore the relationship between EPU and M&A.The study shows that rising EPU will promote corporate M&A behavior,and this effect is more significant in slow-growth companies.The relationship between EPU and M&A is affected by corporate governance,stock price volatility and financing constraints.Specifically,the company’s M&A size is more sensitive to EPU with higher level of corporate governance,higher level of stock price volatility,and lesser financing constraints.Further research shows that the rise of EPU will significantly promote the improvement of M&A performance in the short-term,but this effect does not exist in the long-term.Various robustness checks do not change the empirical results of this paper.

Case Analysis of Tianqi Lithium Corp’s Acquisition of Sociedad Química y Minera

Enterprise mergers and acquisitions(M&A)are vital strategies for companies worldwide to expand markets,enhance competitiveness,and achieve strategic goals.The Chinese government’s strong support for the new energy industry has created a favorable policy environment for the development of the lithium battery sector.Against this backdrop,Tianqi Lithium Corp’s acquisition of Sociedad Química y Minera(SQM)in Chile has garnered widespread attention.This paper takes Tianqi Lithium Corp’s acquisition of SQM as the research subject,conducting a detailed analysis of the motives behind the M&A.Subsequently,financial indicators are employed to conduct a performance analysis from a financial perspective,examining the impact of the M&A.Finally,based on the findings of the case analysis,relevant suggestions are proposed to offer a reference for the development of enterprise mergers and acquisitions.

Digital signal acquisition system for complex nuclear reaction experiments

A digital data-acquisition system based on XIA LLC products was used in a complex nuclear reaction experiment using radioactive ion beams.A flexible trigger system based on a field-programmable gate array(FPGA)parametrization was developed to adapt to different experimental sizes.A user-friendly interface was implemented,which allows converting script language expressions into FPGA internal control parameters.The proposed digital system can be combined with a conventional analog data acquisition system to provide more flexibility.The performance of the combined system was veri-fied using experimental data.

Beyond authorship: Analyzing contributions in PLOS ONE and the challenges of appropriate attribution

Purpose:This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of authorship attributions in scientific publications,focusing on the fairness and precision of individual contributions within academic works.Design/methodology/approach:The study analyzes 81,823 publications from the journal PLOS ONE,covering the period from January 2018 to June 2023.It examines the authorship attributions within these publications to try and determine the prevalence of inappropriate authorship.It also investigates the demographic and professional profiles of affected authors,exploring trends and potential factors contributing to inaccuracies in authorship.Findings:Surprisingly,9.14%of articles feature at least one author with inappropriate authorship,affecting over 14,000 individuals(2.56%of the sample).Inappropriate authorship is more concentrated in Asia,Africa,and specific European countries like Italy.Established researchers with significant publication records and those affiliated with companies or nonprofits show higher instances of potential monetary authorship.Research limitations:Our findings are based on contributions as declared by the authors,which implies a degree of trust in their transparency.However,this reliance on self-reporting may introduce biases or inaccuracies into the dataset.Further research could employ additional verification methods to enhance the reliability of the findings.Practical implications:These findings have significant implications for journal publishers,Beyond authorship:Analyzing contributions in PLOS ONE and Maddi,A.,&the challenges of appropriate attribution highlighting the necessity for robust control mechanisms to ensure the integrity of authorship attributions.Moreover,researchers must exercise discernment in determining when to acknowledge a contributor and when to include them in the author list.Addressing these issues is crucial for maintaining the credibility and fairness of academic publications.Originality/value:This study contributes to an understanding of critical issues within academic authorship,shedding light on the prevalence and impact of inappropriate authorship attributions.By calling for a nuanced approach to ensure accurate credit is given where it is due,the study underscores the importance of upholding ethical standards in scholarly publishing.

Increased dependence on nitrogen-fixation of a native legume in competition with an invasive plant

Suppression of roots and/or their symbiotic microorganisms,such as mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobia,is an effective way for alien plants to outcompete native plants.However,little is known about how invasive and native plants interact with the quantity and activity of nutrient-acquisition agents.Here a pot experiment was conducted with monoculture and mixed plantings of an invasive plant,Xanthium strumarium,and a common native legume,Glycine max.We measured traits related to root and nodule quantity and activity and mycorrhizal colonization.Compared to the monoculture,fine root quantity(biomass,surface area)and activity(root nitrogen(N)concentration,acid phosphatase activity)of G.max decreased in mixed plantings;nodule quantity(biomass)decreased by 45%,while nodule activity in Nfixing via rhizobium increased by 106%;mycorrhizal colonization was unaffected.Contribution of N fixation to leaf N content in G.max increased in the mixed plantings,and this increase was attributed to a decrease in the rhizosphere soil N of G.max in the mixed plantings.Increased root quantity and activity,along with a higher mycorrhizal association was observed in X.strumarium in the mixed compared to monoculture.Together,the invasive plant did not directly scavenge N from nodule-fixed N,but rather depleted the rhizosphere soil N of the legume,thereby stimulating the activity of N-fixation and increasing the dependence of the native legume on this N source.The quantity-activity framework holds promise for future studies on how native legumes respond to alien plant invasions.

Contrast-enhanced guided endoscopic ultrasound procedures

Contrast-enhanced endoscopic ultrasound(CH-EUS)can overcome the limi-tations of endoscopic ultrasound-guided acquisition by identifying microvessels inside inhomogeneous tumours and improving the characterization of these tumours.Despite the initial enthusiasm that oriented needle sampling under CH-EUS guidance could provide better diagnostic yield in pancreatic solid lesions,further studies did not confirm the supplementary values in cases of tissue acquisition guided by CH-EUS.This review details the knowledge based on the available data on contrast-guided procedures.The indications for CH-EUS tissue acquisition include isoechoic EUS lesions with poor visible delineation where CH-EUS can differentiate the lesion vascularisation from the surrounding parenchyma and also the mural nodules within biliopancreatic cystic lesions,which occur in select cases.Additionally,the roles of CH-EUS-guided therapy in patients whose pancreatic fluid collections or bile ducts that have an echogenic content have indications for drainage,and patients who have nonvisualized vessels that need to be highlighted via Doppler EUS are presented.Another indication is represented if there is a need for an immediate assessment of the post-radiofrequency ablation of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours,in which case CH-EUS can be used to reveal the incomplete tumour destruction.

Evolutionary investment network and the emerging energy power in Central Asia:From the perspective of cross-border mergers and acquisitions

Central Asia is emerging as an important pole of global economic and political power,thanks to its unique location at the heart of Eurasia and its abundance in energy reserves.This study explores the social power change in Central Asia from the perspective of cross-border mergers and acquisitions(M&A)by using the social network method.The main results are as follows:(1)The complexity of the energy M&A network has significantly decreased after the financial crisis in 2008.In the meantime,energy M&A became an important way to enhance energy power for buyer countries.Betweenness centrality is becoming the most significant factor affecting energy power,yet the effect of out-degree is weakening.(2)The community underwent multifaceted restructuring,which reflected the shift of energy power in Central Asia.Kazakhstan is the most powerful country in the energy sector in Central Asia.In addition,East Asian countries/regions,represented by China,are actively enhancing their energy power.(3)Different M&A modes reflect various M&A motivations of countries in the energy sector.In the future,more efforts should be made to promote the establishment of a pragmatic and efficient multilateral energy cooperation mechanism and strength the cooperation of the economy and energy finance when China participates in the energy market in Central Asia.

Changes in milk fat globule membrane proteins along lactation stage of Laoshan dairy goat

The milk fat globule membrane(MFGM)is a complex structure with numerous functions,and its composition is affected by many factors.There have been few systematic investigations on goat MFGM proteome profiling during lactation.Individual milk samples from 15 healthy dairy goats were obtained at six lactation time points for investigation of the MFGM proteome using both data-independent acquisition(DIA)and data-dependent acquisition(DDA)proteomics techniques combined with multivariate statistical analysis.Using the DIA method,890 variably abundant MFGM proteins were discovered throughout the lactation cycle.From 1 to 240 d,butyrophilin subfamily 1 member A1,lipoprotein lipase,perilipin-2,and adipose triglyceride lipase were upregulated,while APOE,complement C3,clusterin,and IgG were downregulated.Furthermore,from 1 to 90 d,annexin A1,annexin A2,and antithrombin-ll were downregulated,then upregulated by d 240.Albumin had a high degree of connectedness,indicating that it was a key protein,according to protein-protein interaction research.Overall,our findings gave new insights into the biological features of MFGM protein in goat milk throughout lactation,which may aid in the creation of specialized MFGM products and infant formula.

Proteo-transcriptomic profiles reveal key regulatory pathways and functions of LDHA in the ovulation of domestic chickens(Gallus gallus)

Background In poultry, the smooth transition of follicles from the preovulatory-to-postovulatory phase impacts egg production in hens and can benefit the poultry industry. However, the regulatory mechanism underlying follicular ovulation in avians is a complex biological process that remains unclear.Results Critical biochemical events involved in ovulation in domestic chickens(Gallus gallus) were evaluated by transcriptomics, proteomics, and in vitro assays. Comparative transcriptome analyses of the largest preovulatory follicle(F1) and postovulatory follicle(POF1) in continuous laying(CL) and intermittent laying(IL) chickens indicated the greatest difference between CL_F1 and IL_F1, with 950 differentially expressed genes(DEGs), and the smallest difference between CL_POF1 and IL_POF1, with 14 DEGs. Additionally, data-independent acquisition proteomics revealed 252 differentially abundant proteins between CL_F1 and IL_F1. Perivitelline membrane synthesis, steroid biosynthesis, lysosomes, and oxidative phosphorylation were identified as pivotal pathways contributing to ovulation regulation. In particular, the regulation of zona pellucida sperm-binding protein 3, plasminogen activator, cathepsin A, and lactate dehydrogenase A(LDHA) was shown to be essential for ovulation. Furthermore, the inhibition of LDHA decreased cell viability and promoted apoptosis of ovarian follicles in vitro.Conclusions This study reveals several important biochemical events involved in the process of ovulation, as well as crucial role of LDHA. These findings improve our understanding of ovulation and its regulatory mechanisms in avian species.

Vesicular transport-related genes in Diaphorina citri are involved in the process of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus infection

Asian citrus psyllid(ACP,Diaphorina citri)is the major vector of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus(CLas),which is a bacterial pathogen causing the devastating citrus Huanglongbing(HLB)disease.Diaphorina citri is known to carry CLas in a persistent and propagative manner.Some studies have suggested that CLas may use the vesicular structures of D.citri cells as its propagation organelles.However,the mechanisms by which CLas enters the D.citri cells and how vesicle-mediated trafficking is involved remain unclear.In this study,we monitored the titer change of CLas in D.citri nymphs during the process of CLas acquisition from feeding on infected citrus plants.We found that the titer of CLas increased with the acquisition access period.After infection,there was a significant upregulation in the expression of several vesicular transport-related genes in D.citri.The titer of CLas was significantly reduced in the midgut and whole insect body when endocytosis and the endosome network in D.citri were inhibited.Furthermore,silencing the D.citri clathrin-heavy chain gene also led to a reduction in the CLas titer in D.citri.These results suggest that CLas infection upregulates the genes related to vesicular transport in D.citri,which facilitates the invasion of endocytosis-dependent pathogens.