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This study investigates the relationship between financial constraints and corporate fraud commission and its detection and the moderating role of short selling using a partial observable bivariate probit model. First, financially constrained corporations are more likely to commit fraud and their fraudulent behaviours are less likely to be detected. Second, short selling has an interesting effect on corporate fraud. On the one hand, short selling has a direct restraining effect on corporate fraud commission and increases the likelihood of corporate fraud detection. On the other hand, short selling plays a moderating role in the relationship between financial constraints and corporate fraud. This study contributes to the corporate fraud literature by analysing the factors influencing corporate fraud and provides theoretical support for regulators and managers in monitoring fraudulent behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HSR studies have been one of the most important issues in economic geography, transport economics and policy. However, prior studies give rare attention to its role on the technological innovation collaboration, which become increasing important nowadays. Using co-patent data of the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) database from 2000 to 2016, this paper investigates the role of HSR services in cross-city technological innovation collaboration. Empirical results show: 1) the intensity of cross-city technological innovation collaboration activities remains at a low level before the debut of HSR services in China, and the difference on this indicator between cities with and without HSR services is statistically insignificant. With the emergence of HSR network, cross-city innovation collaboration is booming and cities with and without HSR services show distinct trends. 2) HSR services play a significant positive role in stimulating the intensity of cross-city technological innovation collaboration activities of HSR cities. 3) megacities benefit most from the HSR network, and secondary cities also benefit from being connected to megacities by HSR lines. 4) The travel time between city pairs is significantly correlated with the intensity of collaborative innovation activities. Our results suggesting interregional innovation bonds, which implicitly featuring the channel of knowledge flow, are established or strengthened by high-speed transport investments. • We find that HSR services play a significant positive role in stimulating the intensity of cross-city technological innovation collaboration activities of HSR cities. • Megacities benefit most from the HSR network, and secondary cities also benefit from being connected to megacities by HSR lines. • The travel time between city pairs is significantly correlated with the intensity of collaborative innovation activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to combine two fraud-related streams of the literature on guanxi and overconfidence into an integrated framework, which is the fraud triangle, to interpret the mechanism of fraud commission and detection. Design/methodology/approach: A bivariate probit model with Partial Observability (POBi Probit) is applied. Moreover, the POBi Probit model is adjusted to the Chinese context. The China-specific POBi Probit model is constructed using data of Chinese A-share listed companies from 2008 to 2014, with a total of 15,109 firm-year observations. Findings: Overconfidence induces fraud commission and worsens fraud detection; overconfidence mediates the relationship between fraud and guanxi; the "white side" of guanxi comes from alumni networks, while the "dark side" is derived from relatives-based networks; overconfidence induces fraud commission in accounting and disclosure and benefits the detection of disclosure frauds. Guanxi suppresses fraud commission in management and disclosure, however, it worsens fraud detection given fraud in management and disclosure; overconfidence induces fraud commission in both state-owned enterprises (SOE) and non-SOEs, and benefits fraud detection in SOEs. Guanxi suppresses fraud commission and worsens fraud detection in SOEs and city-owned firms. Research limitations/implications: There are two drawbacks of the partial observable bivariate probit (POBi-Probit) method that must be mentioned here. On one hand, the ex ante variable selection is one of the most difficult parts of applying the POBi-Probit model and different variables are included in different studies. On the other hand, the POBi-Probit model might not converge if too many variables are included. Thus, many widely accepted factors can be included in the model. Thus, this study initially sets the POBi-Probit model based mainly on Khanna et al. (2015) and then adjusts the model for the Chinese context (e. g. considering government ownership) according to Yiu et al. (2018) and Zhang (2018) and the local study of Meng et al. (2019). Considering the observability of fraud, on one hand, the observability of fraud commission is a widely accepted limitation, especially when accounting opacity comes across with regulatory efficiency (Yiu et al. (2018). On the other hand, the observability of relationships is another obstacle to this study. Future studies can go further by revealing the presently unobservable relationships using Big Data technology. Originality/value: This paper theoretically and practically contributes to the literature on both corporate fraud and corporate governance. Theoretically, by introducing integrated principal-agent resource-reliance theory (IPRT) and upper echelon theory (UET), this paper broadens the framework of fraud triangle theory (FTT) and testifies the availability of the broaden FTT in the transitional and emerging-market context of China. Practically, this paper provides evidence that guanxi and overconfidence are two of the factors affecting corporate fraud. Thus, this paper provides a governance approach opposing corporate fraud in China, which may help the other emerging economies in transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese timber bamboo (Phyllostachys vivax McClure) has been successfully introduced to the coastal belt of eastern China. However, the mechanisms of nutrient uptake and antioxidative protection of P. vivax in response to salinity adaptation in coastal areas remains unclear. P. vivax forests were studied in their native and coastal transplantation sites within the coastal belt of China. In particular, nutrient allocation, anti‐oxidative enzyme activities, biomass accumulation, water contents, water potentials, and root system morphologies vs. microstructures were evaluated in plants from the two sites. Plant morphology adapted to the coastal saline soils by increasing root/shoot ratios and the length of large diameter rhizome, increasing vascular numbers, and lightening epidermal cells within rhizomes. The ratio of Ca2+/Na+ increased, while K+/Na+, Mg2+/Na+ decreased after transplanted to the coastal sites. Nitrogen nutrient contents were significantly positive correlated with plant growth characteristics of P. vivax. The Mg2+, Na+, and Ca2+ concentrations contributed more significantly to differences among organs, while N, Mg2+, Na+, and Ca2+ contents contributed more to root systems. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) decreased, while the levels of glutathione (GSH) and ascorbic acid (AsA) increased in belowground tissues. In contrast, catalase (CAT) activities and protein contents were similar among plants of both sites. The contributions of CAT and proteins were higher for the principal components explaining variation among different organs, while the contributions of APX, CAT, POD, and proteins were higher for root systems. Core Ideas: P. vivax adapt to salinity by morphological and structural changes.Morphological changes are closely related to the absorption and distribution of nutrients.Antioxidative emzymes indirectly affected P. vivax growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• N addition increased C, decreased N and showed no significant impact on P acquisition soil enzyme activities. • N addition contributed to soil microbial C limitation but did not significantly change the N limitation. • Both soil microbial C and N limitation were eased with time (year). • Soil properties dominated enzyme activities involved in C, N, and P cycling. • Soil available nutrients explained the most variation in positive soil microbial C and negative N limitation. Soil extracellular enzymes are vital to regulating soil carbon (C) and nutrient cycling, and hence affecting soil function. However, how soil enzymes activity will respond to increasing global nitrogen (N) deposition, remains poorly understood. In this study, we applied five N addition treatments (0, 5, 10, 15, and 30 g m−2 yr−1) at a coastal China poplar plantation to explore the activity of the five soil enzymes associated with C, N, and phosphorus (P) cycling and nutrient limitation of soil microbes from 2018 to 2020. We found that N addition significantly increased C, decreased N and showed no significant impact on P acquisition enzyme activity. We also found that N addition aggravated soil microbial C limitation but did not significantly change the N limitation. Both soil microbial C and N limitation were eased with time (year). Best subset regression analysis (BSS) showed that dissolved organic C, soil pH, and microbial biomass C were the dominant drivers of C, N, and P acquisition enzyme activity, respectively. Also, BSS showed that soil available N explained the greatest proportion of variation in positive soil microbial C and negative N limitation. Our study provides evidence for changes in soil enzymes activity and microbial nutrients limitation, as well as contributes to the theoretical basis for soil microbial nutrient cycling with elevated N deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We recently reported Cambrowania ovata Tang and Xiao in Tang et al., 2019, from the early Cambrian Hetang Formation in South China and interpreted it as a problematic animal fossil, possibly related to either sponges or bivalved arthropods (Tang et al., 2019). Slater and Budd (2019) contested our taxonomic identification and phylogenetic interpretation; instead, they claimed that Cambrowania ovata is a large acritarch referable to morphotaxon Leiosphaeridia Eisenack, 1958, and thus is not an animal. Here we refute their criticisms, clarify the differences between Cambrowania and Leiosphaeridia and other acritarchs, and reiterate why an animal affinity for Cambrowania cannot be ruled out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]