ORCID Profile
0000-0001-8754-1560
Current Organisations
University of Greenwich
,
Macquarie University
,
Flinders University
,
University of South Australia
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Publisher: Environmental Health Perspectives
Date: 03-2009
DOI: 10.1289/EHP.11711
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-09-2009
Abstract: Growing evidence indicates that ambient air pollution is associated with exacerbation of chronic diseases like chronic pulmonary disease. A prospective panel study was conducted to investigate short-term changes of blood markers of inflammation and coagulation in response to daily changes in air pollution in Erfurt, Germany. 12 clinical visits were scheduled and blood parameters were measured in 38 male patients with chronic pulmonary disease during winter 2001/2002. Additive mixed models with random patient intercept were applied, adjusting for trend, weekday, and meteorological parameters. Hourly data on ultrafine particles (UFP, 0.01-0.1 μm), accumulation mode particles (ACP, 0.1-1.0 μm), PM 10 (particulate matter μm in diameter), elemental (EC) and organic carbon (OC), gaseous pollutants (nitrogen monoxide [NO], nitrogen dioxide [NO 2 ], carbon monoxide [CO], and sulphur dioxide [SO 2 ]) were collected at a central monitoring site and meteorological data were received from an official network. For each person and visit the in idual 24-hour average of pollutants immediately preceding the blood withdrawal (lag 0) up to day 5 (lag1-4) and 5-day running means were calculated. Increased levels of fibrinogen were observed for an increase in one interquartile range of UFP, PM 10 , EC, OC, CO, and NO revealing the strongest effect for lag 3. E-selectin increased in association with ACP and PM 10 with a delay of one day. The ACP effect was also seen with the 5-day-mean. The pattern found for D-dimer was inconsistent. Prothrombin fragment 1+2 decreased with lag 4 consistently for all particulate pollutants. Von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF) showed a consistent decrease in association with almost all air pollutants with all lags except for lag 0. No associations were found for C-reactive protein, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1, serum amyloid A and factor VII. These results suggest that elevated concentrations of air pollution are associated with changes in some blood markers of inflammation and coagulation in patients with chronic pulmonary disease. The clinical implications of these findings need further investigation.
Publisher: WORLD SCIENTIFIC
Date: 09-03-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2020
Publisher: CRC Press
Date: 12-12-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.2139/SSRN.2136777
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 17-12-2018
Publisher: ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute
Date: 2011
DOI: 10.1355/AE28-2H
Publisher: Inderscience Publishers
Date: 2009
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 23-10-2009
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2021
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
Date: 14-10-2022
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 18-05-2022
DOI: 10.1108/MEDAR-05-2020-0899
Abstract: Based on institutional theory, this paper aims to examine whether, and if so which, institutional forces influence the quality of China’s listed financial institutions’ (FIs) sustainability disclosures. Using univariate statistical and multiple regression analyses, this study quantitatively examines the impacts of coercive pressure from the government and stock exchanges, imitation within subsectors and normative pressure from industry associations and regulators on the quality of China’s listed FIs’ sustainability disclosures. Assessment of the robustness of regression results uses panel random-effects and generalized methods of moments estimation. Financial sector corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure quality did not increase dramatically following issue of the “Guiding Opinions on Establishing a Green Finance System.” However, a convergence in quality is found over time. State ownership concentration and state links to dominant shareholders negatively impact the quality of financial sector sustainability disclosures, whereas stock exchange index listing requirements and industry association reporting guidance have positive influences. First, data availability limits the s le to listed financial firms with RKS quality scores. Thus, results may not be generalizable to the broader listed and unlisted financial sector. Second, this study only examines the influence of external forces based on institutional theory. However, internal institutional forces, such as corporate governance, may require examination. This study’s results indicate that coercive pressure, as represented by issue of the “Green Finance” policy, has not yet prompted the financial sector to improve reporting quality however, normative pressure has had significant influence in influencing FIs’ CSR practices, with China’s banks potentially taking a leading role. The financial sector has a lower direct environmental impact than traditional polluting industries and different operating and reporting structures, features often used to argue for its exclusion in prior studies. However, its indirect environmental impact via lending and investing activities is significant, suggesting evidence on the determinants of sustainability disclosure quality is required. This study uses evidence from China’s financial sector to reduce this gap in the literature.
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 22-04-2015
DOI: 10.1126/SCITRANSLMED.AAA0282
Abstract: Calcilytics reduce airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation and may represent effective asthma therapeutics.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2022
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-06-2021
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 13-06-2016
Abstract: – The purpose of this paper is to link literature on China’s real estate sector and the impact of governance, ownership and political connectedness on firm financial performance. Whether these factors impact listed real estate firms differently to firms in other industry sectors is identified. – The paper uses pooled 2008-2013 data on A-share firms. Tobin’s Q captures firm financial performance. Explanatory variables include corporate governance, ownership, local government political connectedness, accounting data and ultimate control. Two-way interactions are estimated between real estate and ownership, governance, political connectedness and other variables. Three-way interactions are estimated between real estate, ownership, control and political connectedness. Year and industry fixed effects are absorbed. – Industry concentration and proportion of state ownership appear to positively impact performance. Firm size, gearing and greater foreign ownership appear to negatively impact performance. However, differences are identified for real estate firms, in which state control and gearing positively impact performance. Greater state and foreign ownership as well as supervisory board size negatively impact performance. Finally, state control in the presence of local government connections negatively impacts performance, while greater state ownership in the presence of local government connections positively impacts performance. – A lack of empirical evidence on the impact of corporate governance, ownership structures and political connectedness on firm performance in China’s real estate sector is addressed. Importantly, relationships among these factors and the financial performance of China’s listed real estate firms differ to those of firms in other industries.
Publisher: WIT Press
Date: 11-12-2012
DOI: 10.2495/SI120421
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 16-09-2020
Abstract: China’s historical mixed-ownership reform (the Reform) has prioritized enhancing the efficiency and financial performance of its large state-owned enterprises (SOEs) through introduction of partial private-sector equity ownership. However, the presence of a significant gap between China’s private enterprises’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices and those of its SOEs suggests potential for Reform-related ownership changes to negatively impact economy-wide CSR performance. We therefore examine the Reform’s impact on private acquirer firms’ CSR practices. We use a proprietary data set of firms listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges, covering the 2011–2015 period. Our findings identify that private firms can enhance their economic and political status through acquiring equity in state-controlled or SOEs and, following this, improve their CSR practices. Our findings have policy implications in the context of the world’s largest emerging market and, more generally, for SOE ownership reform in emerging and transition economies.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 06-10-2021
DOI: 10.1108/SAMPJ-10-2018-0273
Abstract: This paper aims to provide a longitudinal analysis of influences on China’s financial sector’s sustainability reporting practices, examines “green finance” disclosures and undertakes subsector comparisons. The state’s impact on the quantity and quality of reporting practices is analyzed. Content analysis is used to examine the volumes, frequency and content of sustainability disclosures by China’s financial institutions. Survival analysis is used to identify factors significant in firms’ initiation of these disclosures. In total, 308 firm-year observations on disclosures are examined for 2007–2016. China’s financial sector’s sustainability reporting pieces of evidence an “emerging stage” (2007–2009), “developing stage” (2010) and “greening stage” (2011–2016). The roles of institutional theory and regulatory pressure in explaining Chinese financial firms’ reporting behaviours are supported. This study has several limitations. Firstly, given data restrictions, use of a relatively small s le size. Secondly, it examines different categories of disclosures made by financial firms, not more detailed content. Thirdly, is the potential overlap in disclosure themes under the classification scheme. China’s financial sector’s adoption of sustainability reporting has been institutionalized, mainly in its banking subsector, consistent with general regulatory pressures. “Greening the finance system” is examined in China’s context, as the country transforms from a resource and pollution-intensive to a green economy. The financial sector is normally excluded from in-depth qualitative research. This study examines China’s financial sector’s responses to recent governmental pressures on green finance disclosures.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2017
Publisher: Edinburgh University Library
Date: 26-04-2023
DOI: 10.2218/GTOPDB/F12/2023.1
Abstract: The calcium-sensing receptor (CaS, provisional nomenclature as recommended by NC-IUPHAR [47] and subsequently updated [77]) responds to multiple endogenous ligands, including extracellular calcium and other alent/trivalent cations, polyamines and polycationic peptides, L-amino acids (particularly L-Trp and L-Phe), glutathione and various peptide analogues, ionic strength and extracellular pH (reviewed in [78]). While alent/trivalent cations, polyamines and polycations are CaS receptor agonists [14, 110], L-amino acids, glutamyl peptides, ionic strength and pH are allosteric modulators of agonist function [36, 47, 61, 108, 109]. Indeed, L-amino acids have been identified as "co-agonists", with both concomitant calcium and L-amino acid binding required for full receptor activation [149, 54]. The sensitivity of the CaS receptor to primary agonists is increased by elevated extracellular pH [18] or decreased extracellular ionic strength [109] while sensitivity is decreased by pathophysiological phosphate concentrations [20]. This receptor bears no sequence or structural relation to the plant calcium receptor, also called CaS.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-11-2009
Publisher: Edinburgh University Library
Date: 12-11-2020
DOI: 10.2218/GTOPDB/F12/2020.5
Abstract: The calcium-sensing receptor (CaS, provisional nomenclature as recommended by NC-IUPHAR [46] and subsequently updated [76]) responds to multiple endogenous ligands, including extracellular calcium and other alent/trivalent cations, polyamines and polycationic peptides, L-amino acids (particularly L-Trp and L-Phe), glutathione and various peptide analogues, ionic strength and extracellular pH (reviewed in [77]). While alent/trivalent cations, polyamines and polycations are CaS receptor agonists [14, 109], L-amino acids, glutamyl peptides, ionic strength and pH are allosteric modulators of agonist function [35, 46, 60, 107, 108]. Indeed, L-amino acids have been identified as "co-agonists", with both concomitant calcium and L-amino acid binding required for full receptor activation [147, 53]. The sensitivity of the CaS receptor to primary agonists is increased by elevated extracellular pH [17] or decreased extracellular ionic strength [108]. This receptor bears no sequence or structural relation to the plant calcium receptor, also called CaS.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 18-10-2019
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 2011
DOI: 10.1068/C10142
Abstract: The problem of water overallocation in many regions of the world involves how to include environmental flow provisions for long-term sustainability of river systems, especially under scarce supply conditions. Market mechanisms have provided pathways for returning water to rivers for environmental use. We argue that it is important to consider how both market mechanisms and initial water allocation models contribute to achieving satisfactory environmental flow outcomes. The Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) in Australia has had policy processes applied to it for almost twenty years to address these issues, and provides an excellent basis for case-study analysis. Two MDB case studies are used to consider differences in the interpretation and implementation of environmental flow requirements, and the potential for institutional inertia of the systems within which water markets operate. We identify two simplified models from these case studies—one prioritising environmental rights above consumptive extraction and the other prioritising consumptive and environmental rights equally. However, neither of these case-study models provides the full environmental flow spectrum of base in-stream flows to over-bank flush events. Our findings suggest that combining allocation and market-based rights (a third model) offers an effective means to deliver full-spectrum environmental flows. If governments provide prioritised environmental rights for base in-stream ecosystem benefits, together with targeted temporary and permanent water market acquisitions to meet environmental needs associated with over-bank floods and flushes, there will be lower potential for shortfalls relative to targeted environmental flow outcomes.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-04-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2019
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2013
Publisher: University of Wollongong Library
Date: 2020
Abstract: Purpose: We examine the earnings management behaviour of Australian firms during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and the effectiveness of audit quality and audit committee characteristics in mitigating such behaviour. Design/methodology/approach: The s le consists of 503 firm-year -observations spanning from 2006 to 2009. The years 2008 and 2009 are considered as the global financial crisis period. Discretionary accruals have been used as the proxy for earnings management. To test the hypothesis, we apply multivariate fixed effect regression to test the hypothesis. As the robustness test, we use propensity matching score, to find out comparable clients audited by Big-4 and Non-Big-4 audit firms to control observations to mitigate the effect of selection bias. Findings: We find that the s led firms engage in a significantly higher level of earnings management during the GFC compared to the pre-crisis period (PCP). We find that audit quality, in terms of being audited by Big4 auditors, constrains earnings management during the PCP, but not during the GFC. Audit committee independence has a significant mitigating effect on firms' earnings management, while audit committee members' accounting and finance expertise do not constrain earnings management. Research limitations/implications: Future research can include a larger s le and examine the effects of other corporate governance variables on earnings management during periods of macroscopic shocks. Practical implications: Our findings support the importance of having independent directors in the audit committee. Moreover, the fact that Big4 auditors do not constrain earnings management during the GFC although constraining it during the PCP implies that regulators and policy makers should concentrate more on the audit committee for effective mitigation of earnings management during periods of macroeconomic shock. Originality/value: A key policy implication of the findings is that regulators and standard setters may need to shift their focus from the quality of a firm's auditor to encouraging well-functioning audit committees. The specific action to promote audit committee effectiveness includes mandating independence.
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2015
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 14-10-2019
DOI: 10.1108/JIABR-04-2016-0048
Abstract: As custodians of takaful contributors’ tabarru’ (donation) funds, takaful operators are expected to fulfil a stewardship role propagated under the precepts of Islam. The purpose of this paper is to analyse takaful operators’ stewardship, focusing on investment practices. Structured interviews were conducted with senior investment staff from all of Malaysia’s takaful operators. Questions, developed using Delphi-style techniques, allowed a five-point Likert scale response addressing specific issues revolving around seven dimensions of governance quality – using the Malaysian Rating Corporation’s (MARC’s) governance rating guidelines for Islamic financial institutions (IFIs). Interviewees’ responses were assigned composite scores. Malaysia’s takaful operators score well on most prescribed governance quality dimensions, although performance varies between operators and across dimensions. Areas for improvement are identified, especially regarding disclosure of information and contributor involvement in takaful operators’ management. Predetermined questions restrict flexibility in obtaining takaful operators’ information however, end-of-interview, open-ended questions were asked to tap interviewee opinions on pertinent issues. A focus on takaful operators’ governance quality and stewardship of investments means findings may not be representative of all operational aspects of their businesses. This study identifies governance quality guidelines which takaful operators may benchmark against and identifies where best to focus attempts to improve performance. These guidelines will also assist regulators assessing takaful operators’ stewardship performance. This study uses governance quality as an indicator of stewardship, a concept aligned with the precepts of Shariah . It covers the opinion of the takaful industry in a country with a comprehensive Islamic financial system, Malaysia, extending understanding of takaful operators’ governance quality.
Publisher: Virtus Interpress
Date: 2009
DOI: 10.22495/COCV6I3P10
Abstract: This study analyses the relationships between performance metrics and the corporate control and governance characteristics of a s le of China’s listed non-financial companies in order to assess the influence of corporate governance structures on the quality and independence of corporate decision making. We use a panel data set covering the years 2001 to 2005 comprised of a stratified s le of A, AB and AH non-financial companies listed on China’s Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges. We find that concentration of ownership, including state and foreign ownership, and board size and independence are significant factors in determining performance outcomes, and by association the quality and independence of corporate policy decisions, as measured in the form of firm bad debt to total asset and bad debt to receivables ratios. Our findings support claims of continued inadequacies in the operation and effectiveness of China’s institutions of corporate governance, especially with respect to the effectiveness of the supervisory board.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 04-2006
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 31-12-2023
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2023
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 09-06-2022
Abstract: The widespread integration and growing systemic dependence among currency, stock, and commodity markets render these markets often very vulnerable to shocks and at risk of collapse at the same time. As a result, these trends threaten the sustainability of the entire financial system. In this study, we aim to explore the spillovers and nonlinear dependencies between the seven major foreign exchange rates, crude oil and gold prices, a global stock price index, and oil and stock implied volatility indices as proxy variables for global risk factors by employing a directional spillover network approach. We also use a multi-scale decomposition method and nonlinear causality test between these variables to capture multi-level relationships at short and long horizons. The major findings are summarized as follows. First, from the multi-scale decomposition analysis, we identify that Granger causality test results and the direction and strength of return spillovers change with the level of decomposition. Second, the results of nonlinear causality tests show variation in both the significance and direction of Granger causality relationships between the decomposed currency and other series at different timescales, especially for the decomposed oil, gold, and OVX series. Third, the measured directional spillover indices identify the Euro–Dollar exchange rate as the largest contributor of connectedness to the other series.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 07-2011
Publisher: Edinburgh University Library
Date: 16-09-2019
DOI: 10.2218/GTOPDB/F12/2019.4
Abstract: The calcium-sensing receptor (CaS, provisional nomenclature as recommended by NC-IUPHAR [44]) responds to multiple endogenous ligands, including extracellular calcium and other alent/trivalent cations, polyamines and polycationic peptides, L-amino acids (particularly L-Trp and L-Phe), glutathione and various peptide analogues, ionic strength and extracellular pH (reviewed in [74]). While alent/trivalent cations, polyamines and polycations are CaS receptor agonists [14, 106], L-amino acids, glutamyl peptides, ionic strength and pH are allosteric modulators of agonist function [34, 44, 58, 104, 105]. Indeed, L-amino acids have been identified as "co-agonists", with both concomitant calcium and L-amino acid binding required for full receptor activation [143, 51]. The sensitivity of the CaS receptor to primary agonists is increased by elevated extracellular pH [17] or decreased extracellular ionic strength [105]. This receptor bears no sequence or structural relation to the plant calcium receptor, also called CaS.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 19-04-2016
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-02-2020
DOI: 10.1111/ACFI.12597
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
Date: 31-08-2018
Publisher: Inderscience Publishers
Date: 2010
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 12-0152
DOI: 10.1108/03074350510769992
Abstract: This article outlines contingent claims created as a result of the arrangements underlying the transfer of state‐owned commercial banks’ non‐performing loans to asset management companies. An understanding of these factors is central in analysing the potential for China’s as set management companies to realise value from their acquisition of these nonperforming state‐owned enterprise loans. After establishing the scale of the non‐performing loan problem, the article identifies and describes a number of real and financial options that may assist in the consideration of the value of assets associated with the transfer of non‐performing loans from the state‐owned commercial banks to the asset management companies. Real and financial options appear in the form of implied guarantees over asset management corporation debt, implied guarantees associated with the non‐performing assets remaining with the stateowned commercial banks, and within the equity positions held by the asset management companies as a result of equity‐for‐debt swaps initiated under the current reform process. The article concludes that any gains made to the credit standing of the state‐owned commercial banks reflect the value of implied guarantees over both the asset management corporation debt and the remaining stock of non‐performing loans held by the banks. Furthermore, institutional arrangements associated with the equity positions held by the asset management corporations significantly reduce the value of options associated with operation and control of firms in which the equity positions are held. Additionally, the structure of equity positions taken under the equity‐debt swaps suggest that the value of equity positions held in state‐owned enterprises by the asset management companies will be considerably lower than hoped for and implied in the asset management companies’ mandates.
Publisher: American Society for Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)
Date: 28-05-2020
Publisher: CRC Press
Date: 12-12-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.2139/SSRN.2315944
Publisher: Virtus Interpress
Date: 2008
DOI: 10.22495/CBV4I3ART4
Abstract: We analyse a panel data set covering the years 2001 to 2005 and comprised of a stratified s le of A, AB and AH non financial companies listed on China’s Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges to provide empirical evidence on the influence of corporate control and governance characteristics on the quality and independence of corporate decision making in these companies. The characteristics considered are the level of concentration in and type of ownership of the companies, particularly high levels of government and foreign ownership, and the composition (expertise) and size of the companies’ two boards. Performance outcomes, and by association the quality and independence of corporate policy decisions, are measured in the form of firm bad debt to accounts receivable ratio (BD/AR). We find that for our s le firms’ concentration of ownership, including state and foreign ownership, and board size and independence are significant factors in determining the levels of the bad debt ratio.
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Ron McIver.