Weaker Link Research Articles

The trade comovement puzzle and the margins of international trade

Countries that trade more with each other tend to have more strongly correlated business cycles. Yet, traditional international business cycle models predict a much weaker link between trade and business cycle comovement. We propose that fluctuations in the number of varieties embedded in trade flows may drive the observed comovement by increasing the correlation among trading partners' aggregate productivity. Our hypothesis is that business cycles should be more strongly correlated between countries that trade a wider variety of goods. We find empirical support for this hypothesis. After decomposing trade into its extensive and intensive margins, we find that the extensive margin explains most of the trade–productivity and trade–output comovement. This result is striking because the extensive margin accounts for only a fourth of the variability in total trade. We then develop a two-country model with heterogeneous firms, endogenous entry, and fixed export costs, in which the aggregate productivity correlation increases with trade in varieties. A numerical exercise shows that our proposed mechanism increases business cycle synchronization compared with the levels predicted by traditional models.

Structural Analysis of Four Newly Identified Extracellular Membrane-Proximal Missense Mutations in Patients with Glanzmann Thrombasthenia

Background: Glanzmann thrombasthenia (GT), an autosomal recessive inherited platelet disorder, is a moderate to severe bleeding syndrome caused by the absence of platelet aggregation due to quantitative and/or qualitative deficiencies of the αIIbβ3 integrin. We recently identified 41 causative missense mutations of which 24 were novel in a large cohort of 76 GT families (Genoscope project). These mutations mainly localize to the headpiece region of the integrin that has been well studied but 4 mutations although extracellular were proximal to the plasma membrane. We therefore performed molecular modeling of these 4 mutations to obtain new insights into the structure of a poorly understood region of this unique receptor.Aim: To identify structures or conformations engaged in the stability of the integrin and which are important for maturation and expression.Results: Of the 4 novel selected mutations, 3 concerned the calf-2 domain of αIIb - Gly792Glu (G823E, nomenclature with leader sequence), Leu924Gln (L955Q) and Thr953Lys (T984K) and one the EGF-3 domain of β3 Gly540Asp (G566D). All of these mutations affected highly conserved amino acids and were predicted to be damaging by in silico analysis (SIFT, Polyphen). None influenced glycosylation or mRNA splicing. They were present either in a homozygous form (β3 G540D) or were heterozygous in association with an identified and proven null mutation. Three were associated with type I GT (<5% αIIbβ3), while the αIIbG792E mutation occurred in a patient with type II GT (with 10% residual αIIbβ3) whose much reduced but partial transport to the surface was confirmed following expression of the recombinant integrin in CHO cells (with pro-αIIb predominating in the cytoplasm). The structural implications of these amino acid substitutions was assessed using PyMol Molecular Graphics System version 1.3 (www.pymol.org) based on the crystallographic data of αIIbβ3 in the bent non-activated state (3fcs PDB file). Amino acids were visualized in the rotamer form showing side change orientations incorporated from the Dunbrack Backbone library with the maximum probability. We first determined that the αIIb calf-2 domain has a β barrel-like structure largely composed of hydrophobic amino acids whose side chains orientate towards the inner cavity. Interestingly, L924Q and T953K substitutions occur at or adjacent to a conserved motif consisting of five polar amino acids central to the β barrel protected from H2O molecules and involved in H-bond interactions. This particular motif, specific to calf-2, may introduce rigidity close to the membrane. Both L924Q and T953K disrupt the β barrel motif and promote flexibility. G792E is situated between the calf-1 and calf-2 domains in an unstructured connecting loop between two adjacent β sheets. Its replacement by the larger negatively charged Glu introduces steric encumbrance and results in an increase of the angle formed by the two calf domains, probably leading to the straightening of the second distal part of the long arm of αIIb. The β3 G540D substitution is found in the EGF3 domain of β3 that occurs at the axe of the cysteine-rich domain of the β3 arm, facing the αIIb calf-1 and calf-2 domains in the intact integrin. This substitution with the introduction of a charged and larger amino acid results in a weaker link between the two β sheets of EGF-3 and a loss of H-bonds. The result is an increased fragility within the β3 arm structure notably at the site of two stacked aromatic amino acids (H539 and W553) with a moving apart of the β sheets.Conclusions: We show that 4 novel missense mutations in the extracellular membrane-proximal domains of αIIb and β3 cause conformational changes in domains that control the overall structure of the newly formed integrin. They show how the structure of both domains is under tight quality control and that precisely defined conformations are indispensable for αIIbβ3 maturation. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Bases de medición:correspondencia entre lasNormas Internacionales deInformación Financiera, losEstándares Internacionalesde Valuación y el contextoactual colombiano

The International Financial Reporting Standards issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) are a key factor in the internationalization process of the markets, leading to guaranteeing common information as support for the raising of capital. A very important factor in the preparation of the report is the accounting basis. Measurement basis such as fair value impose great valuation challenges, especially for economies in which the markets are not deep and developed enough. Thus, the measurement requirements call for quality valuation processes that minimize any possible distortion of the value; an opportunity for the International Valuation Standards, without a doubt. Based on the definitions of the IASB, the International Valuation Standards Council (IVSC) and the current Colombian principles on measurement basis, there is a stronger link between the fair value definitions of the IFRS, the definition of market value of the IVSC, and the definitions of net realizable value, fair trade value, commercial value, market value and opportunity cost of the Colombian principles. In turn, the definitions with a weaker link are amortized cost, special value and fair value of the IVS.

Oil Spill(over)s: Linkages in Petroleum Product Pricing Policies in West African Countries

The volatility in international oil prices has important implications for policies that determine national retail prices of petroleum products. This paper addresses a number of issues regarding petroleum product pricing in Western Africa emphasizing international spillovers that may limit the ability of policymakers to adopt first best policies. We use panel unit root rests and long-run modelling based on vector error correction models to assess links and convergence in petroleum product prices across countries. Our results indicate that in general over the long-run there is convergence in prices across countries. Furthermore, the estimation results for models including gasoline and diesel prices suggest the presence of economically important spillovers with long run multipliers varying significantly according to the country groupings and econometric specifications considered. In contrast, the econometric results for kerosene prices not only indicate a weaker link between prices across countries, but also a much slower adjustment to equilibrium. In light of these important spillovers, the need to better coordinate pricing and tax policies towards petroleum products at the regional level becomes apparent.

The Role of Attitude Strength in Predicting Organ Donation Behaviour by Implicit and Explicit Attitude Measures

Explicit attitude measures seem to be rather poor predictors of organ donation behaviour. This study examined whether implicit attitude measures acted as better predictors. Special attention was paid to the moderating role played by attitude strength in predicting deliberate donation behaviour. In this study (N = 78), explicit and implicit measures of attitudes towards organ donation, as well as behavioural commitment, were assessed. Implicit associations were measured by an Implicit Association Test; five constructs assessed self-reported—understood as reflected—attitude strength. The explicit attitude measure appeared to be the best single predictor of whether the participant ended up taking an organ donor card. More importantly, test results demonstrated the moderating role of attitude strength. In the case of low attitude strength, the likelihood of taking a donor card increased with an increasing positive implicit association. In contrast, increasing strength was associated with a weaker link between card taking and the implicit attitude measure. The results are discussed in light of the power of implicit associations to predict more deliberate behaviours.

Development of Performance Optimization of Recycled Aggregate

Recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) differ from natural aggregate concrete in mechanical and durability properties. The poorer qualities of recycled aggregate (RA) limit utilization of RAC in engineering. Cement mortar attached on the surface of recycled aggregate result in higher water absorption rate. Also, interfacial zone between recycled aggregate and new mortar consist of loose and porous hydrates. Investigation is devoted to effects of different approaches on improving performance of RA to compensate the lower quality of RA. The pre-soaking treatment approach reduces the old cement mortar and removes the weaker link in interfacial zone. Moreover, The two-stage mixing approach (TSMA) is adopted, leads to the formation of a thin layer of cement slurry on the surface of RA which permeates into the porous old cement mortar, filling up the old cracks and voids for increasing compressive strength. Correlations in methods have been obtained and discussed.

A novel design of physical layer network coding in strong asymmetric two-way relay channels

The quality of two-way links is always asymmetric in practical two-way relay channels (TWRC) and therefore, the capacity of TWRC will be limited by the weaker link. An asymmetric modulation scheme, with physical layer network coding, was presented in order to improve the transmission reliability in TWRC. This makes full use of the stronger link to improve the overall transmission rate and also ensures the reliability of the weaker link. The simulation results show that the proposed asymmetric modulation scheme in the case of strongly asymmetric channels, compared to the symmetric transmission, enhances the system capacity significantly and also guarantees the system reliability.

Competing for Secrecy in the MISO Interference Channel

A secure communication game is considered for the two-user MISO Gaussian interference channel with confidential messages, where each transmitter aims to maximize the difference between its secrecy rate and the secrecy rate of the other transmitter. In this novel problem, the weaker link tries to minimize the extra secret information obtained by its adversary, while the stronger link attempts to maximize it. We provide an information theoretic formulation for this non-cooperative zero-sum game scenario and determine that, under the assumption of Gaussian signaling at the transmitters, there exists a unique Nash equilibrium solution for the proposed problem. Moreover, we obtain in closed-form the optimal strategies (beamformers) at the transmitters that result in the Nash equilibrium. While the NE strategies are achievable in one shot when full channel state information is available at the transmitters (CSIT), we also propose an iterative step-by-step algorithm that converges to the NE point, but only requires limited CSIT. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the analytical findings and to study the role of different channel parameters on the NE strategies.

Systematic Study of the Failure of a Light-Frame Wood Roof in a Tornado

Tornadoes are a particularly devastating natural hazard that affect communities across the United States, particularly the Midwest and South. They are unique from an engineering point-of-view due to their very low probability of occurrence but often highly destructive consequences. The 2011 season was particularly devastating to the Southeastern portion of the U.S. This paper presents a single case study of a 2012 tornado that struck a single large rural light-frame wood house with an unconventional roof system. A fragility methodology was used as a tool to probabilistically study the loss of the roof system, and bound an Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale rating of the tornado. The tornado was initially rated as an EF3 tornado by the U.S. National Weather Service. However, following a detailed site inspection verified with numerical structural models, the tornado was downgraded to an EF2 tornado. As expected, the use of nail connections in a roof-to-wall connection resulted in a weaker link compared to a hurricane clip. The approach presented in this paper can be used as a supplement to the EF rating provided by U.S. National Weather Service meteorologists when unusual conditions in either the structure or surroundings exists.

Two-Way Relaying With Multi-Antenna Sources: Beamforming and Antenna Selection

We propose and analyze two multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) two-way relaying schemes with an amplify-and-forward protocol in Nakagami- <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">m</i> fading channels, where multi-antenna sources communicate via a single-antenna relay. Specifically, we present a new framework for the comparative analysis of beamforming and antenna selection with nonidentical fading parameter <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">m</i> in the two source-relay links. To facilitate the comparison, we derive new exact, approximate, and asymptotic expressions for the sum symbol error rate (SSER) with <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">M</i> -ary phase-shift keying ( <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">M</i> -PSK) and <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">M</i> -ary quadrature amplitude modulation ( <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">M</i> -QAM). Based on the asymptotic SSER, we prove that beamforming and antenna selection have the same diversity order. The diversity order is dominated by the weaker source-relay link, which is determined by the product of the number of source antennas and the fading parameter. We proceed to characterize the fundamental difference between the two schemes in terms of their array gains and average signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). To obtain further insights, we address the key question of “How to allocate the total transmit power such that the SSER is minimized?” Our answer is given in the form of new concise expressions for the power-allocation factor that optimally distributes the total transmit power between the sources and the relay. A pivotal conclusion is reached that antenna selection offers the same SSER as beamforming when the source in the weaker link is equipped with a single antenna.

Policing and social identity: procedural justice, inclusion and cooperation between police and public

Accounts of the social meaning of policing and of the relationship between police and citizen converge on the idea that police behaviour carries important identity-relevant information. Opinions of and ideas about the police are implicated in the formation of social identities that relate to the social groups it represents – nation, state and community. Procedural justice theory suggests that judgements about the fairness of the police will be the most important factor in such processes. Fairness promotes a sense of inclusion and value, while unfairness communicates denigration and exclusion. Furthermore, positive social identities in relation to the police should on this account promote cooperation with it. This article presents an empirical test of these ideas in the context of the British policing. Data from a survey of young Londoners are used to show that perceptions of police fairness are indeed associated with social identity, and in turn social identity can be linked to cooperation. Yet these relationships were much stronger among those with multiple national identities. Police behaviour appeared more identity relevant for people who felt that they were citizens of a non-UK country, but for those who identified only as British there was a weaker link between procedural fairness and social identity, and here legitimacy judgements were the main ‘drivers’ of cooperation. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed.

Policing and Social Identity: Procedural Justice, Inclusion, and Cooperation between Police and Public

Accounts of the social representation of policing and of the relationship between police and citizen converge on the idea that police behaviour carries important identity-relevant meaning. Opinions of and ideas about the police are implicated in the formation of social identities that relate to the social groups it represents – nation, state and community. Procedural justice theory suggests that judgements about the fairness of the police will be the most important factor in such processes. Fairness promotes a sense of inclusion and value within the group. Furthermore, positive social identities in relation to the police should on this account promote cooperation with it. This paper presents an empirical test of these ideas in the context of British policing. Data from a survey of young Londoners are used to show that perceptions of police fairness are indeed associated with social identity, and in turn social identity can be linked to cooperation. Yet these relationships were much stronger among those with multiple national identities. Police behaviour appeared more identity relevant for people who felt they were citizens of a non-UK country, while for those who identified only as British there was a weaker link between procedural fairness and social identity, and legitimacy judgements were the main ‘drivers’ of cooperation. Policy and theoretical implications are discussed.

The Trade Comovement Puzzle and the Margins of International Trade

Countries that trade more with each other tend to have more correlated business cycles. Yet, traditional international business cycle models predict a much weaker link between trade and business cycle comovement. We propose that the international diffusion of technology through trade in varieties may be driving this comovement by increasing TFP correlation. Our hypothesis is that business cycles should be more correlated between countries that trade a wider variety of goods. We find empirical support for this hypothesis. Decomposing trade into its extensive and intensive margins, we find that the extensive margin explains most of the trade-TFP and trade-output comovement. This finding is striking since the extensive margin accounts for only one third of total trade. We then develop a three-country model of technology innovation and international diffusion through trade, in which TFP correlation increases with trade in varieties. A numerical exercise shows that the proposed mechanism increases business cycle synchronization relative to traditional models. Computing impulse responses to a TFP shock in one country, we find a strong positive effect on the output of its trading partner. Finally, our model implies a trade-output coefficient that is 40% of that in the data and five times higher than that in standard models.

The Relative Impact Of Public Information In Shaping Investor Expectations

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt; mso-hyphenate: none;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; font-size: 10pt;"&gt;Empirical studies at the individual level (event studies) and those using more general measures of information and/or aggregate price movements often yield somewhat conflicting results regarding the relative importance of public information.&lt;span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Employing a more focused methodology that begins with no prior limitations on the number and types of public news announcements that may affect the underlying risk-return relationship, we are able to offer additional insight regarding the relative impact of public information.&lt;span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;We find that approximately two-thirds of the changes can be associated with the arrival of public information.&lt;span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;While, in general, this is a stronger link than previously found, it is a weaker link than expected; leading us to conclude that factors other than public information clearly play an important role.&lt;span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;We also provide new results on the relative importance of different information types, and on correlates (such as firm size) of the effect of information.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Oil Spill(over)s: Linkages in Petroleum Product Pricing Policies in West African Countries

This paper addresses a number of issues regarding petroleum product pricing in Western Africaemphasizing international spillovers. We use panel unit root rests and long-run modeling based on vector error correction models to assess links and convergence in petroleum product prices across countries. Our results indicate that in general over the long-run there is convergence in prices across the countries. The estimation results for gasoline and diesel prices suggest the presence of long-run links between retail prices among the different country groupings with long-run multipliers ranging from 11 to -6.66. The speed of Adjustment to equilibrium varies significantly according to the countrygroupings considered. In contrast, the econometric results for kerosene prices not only indicate a weaker link between prices across countries, but also a much slower adjustment to equilibrium. Inlight of these important spillovers, the need to better coordinate pricing s and tax policies towards petroleum products at the regional level becomes apparent.

Schooling as a lottery: Racial differences in school advancement in urban South Africa

This paper analyzes the large racial differences in progress through secondary school in South Africa. Using recently collected longitudinal data we find that grade advancement is strongly associated with scores on a baseline literacy and numeracy test. In grades 8–11 the effect of these scores on grade progression is much stronger for white and coloured students than for African students, while there is no racial difference in the impact of the scores on passing the nationally standardized grade 12 matriculation exam. We develop a stochastic model of grade repetition that generates predictions consistent with these results. The model predicts that a larger stochastic component in the link between learning and measured performance will generate higher enrollment, higher failure rates, and a weaker link between ability and grade progression. The results suggest that grade progression in African schools is poorly linked to actual ability and learning. The results point to the importance of considering the stochastic component of grade repetition in analyzing school systems with high failure rates.

The Relationship between New Work Practices and Employee Effort

In the context of the debate about the effectiveness of implementing new work practices, such as job rotation, teamwork and enhancing job autonomy, this article analyses their relationship with different dimensions of workers’ effort. Using two different but complementary data sets, our study reveals that in general these new work practices are associated to greater voluntary and involuntary mental effort, with a weaker link with involuntary physical effort. Besides this general trend our study also shows that different practices play different roles in different dimensions of employee effort.

Assessing risk for breast cancer

Risk factors for breast cancer can be allocated to one of four major groups: family history/genetic, reproductive/hormonal, proliferative benign breast disease and mammographic density. These four factors have now been thoroughly studied, and accurate quantitative estimates for the risk are now available for many of them. The most useful summary comes from the Oxford collaboration, which has now produced a series of papers estimating the risk associated with individual factors [1-3]. In terms of family history, compared with a woman with no affected relatives, a single affected firstdegree relative roughly doubles the risk; two such individuals triple the risk, and three or more quadruple the risk. The age at which cancer occurs in a mother or sister also affects risk, with young age at onset leading to higher risk; risk is approximately threefold for onset under age 40 years, twofold for age 40 to 50 years and 1.5-fold for age 50 to 65 years, and there is little increase for older ages unless there are multiple affected cases. This is further complicated by the fact that the relative risk is greatest when the woman herself is young, especially if the family member had early onset cancer, and diminishes as the women ages and does not develop cancer. A relative with bilateral breast cancer can be treated as having two affected relatives for the purposes of these calculations. Reproductive factors are also well established risk factors, with age at first childbirth being the most well known. Nulliparous women have similar risk to that in women whose first child was born when they were aged 30 years, with a later first birth giving rise to a higher risk (especially within 5 years after delivery) and women giving birth when they were young at lower risk. The relative risk decreases by about 3% for every year younger (maternal age) that childbirth occurs, so that a woman whose first child was born when she was aged 20 years has about a 30% lower relative risk than a woman whose first child was born when she was aged 30 years. Because the absolute lifetime risk for breast cancer is about 10%, this translates into a 3% lower absolute risk. Subsequent births reduce relative risk by about 7% per birth, but these also have a similar but weaker link to age at first childbirth.

Spectrum of Antiphospholipid Antibodies and Associated Thrombotic and Obstetric Events among Patients with Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Introduction: Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) is characterized by arterial or venous thrombosis, and/or adverse obstetric outcomes in the presence of persistent antiphospholipid antibodies (APab). Between 2–10% of all patients with APS are reported to present solely with anti beta-2 glycoprotein 1 antibodies (b2GP1 abs) (ref 1). In 2006 the Sapporo criteria were revised to include b2GP1 abs to the panel of diagnostic tests. While presence of a lupus anticoagulant (LA) has been found to correlate well with occurrence of thromboses, the prognostic and predictive roles of b2GP1 abs and anticardiolipin antibodies (ACLA) need better definition. Previous studies suggest both the severity of the initial event and the risk for recurrent events is greater among patients demonstrating presence of more than one APab on laboratory testing (ref 2 and 3), but this aspect needs further confirmation.Objectives:To identify the spectrum of clinical thrombotic and obstetric manifestations associated with the different APab profiles;To determine the prevalence and clinical significance of the b2GP1 ab positive and ACLA/LA negative phenotype; andTo evaluate the significance of IgM b2GP1 ab and IgM ACLA.Methods: Medical records of patients tested for all three antiphospholipid antibodies at the University of Minnesota Medical Center from Dec 2000 to Dec 2005 were reviewed. Patients that met the modified criteria for APS were included. IgG and IgM ACLA were measured using the Diamedix kit (VAX diagnostics) and IgG and IgM b2GP1 abs using the Inovalite kit (NOVA diagnostics). LA was determined using standard protocol.Results: Over the 5 year period, all three laboratory assays were obtained in 560 individuals, but only 76 (13.5%) patients who met both the clinical and laboratory criteria for APS were included in this study. Seven of the 76 patients (9.2%) had isolated, persistently positive b2GP1 abs. LA alone was present in 21 patients (27.6%). Twenty nine patients (38%) had all three APabs, and had a higher incidence of thrombosis at multiple sites at the time of diagnosis as well as increased rate of recurrent events, in comparison to those with two or less than two APab. Isolated ACLA was present in only 2 patients (2.6%). Interestingly, both IgM (47%) and IgG (50%) b2GP1 abs were associated with thrombosis, whereas only IgG ACLA was found to be associated with thrombosis.Conclusion: The presence of b2GP1 abs as the sole laboratory anomaly is uncommon, but is noted in patients with APS, thus warranting it's testing at the time of clinical suspicion. Amongst the different antibody types LA seems to be the strongest predictor for thrombotic events and ACLA seems to have a weaker link, consistent with the results of previous studies (ref 4). The presence of all three AP antibodies does increase the risk for recurrent and multiple thromboses.

Fatigue Crack Growth Behavior of Multiphase Blends

The potential of fatigue crack growth experiments to sensitively analyze the anisotropic mechanical behavior of injection-molded, multiphase polymer blends is presented. The properties of immiscible blends based on poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) (PPE) and poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) is investigated, both in perpendicular and in parallel to the injection-direction. As a result of the limited interfacial adhesion and the orientation of the blend phases, the direction in parallel to flow revealed to be the weaker link. In order to enhance the toughness behavior, the PPE/SAN blends were systematically modified by the addition of different polystyrene-b-polybutadiene-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) triblock terpolymers (SBM), potentially acting as a compatibilizing and toughening agent. Such a compatibilization step of PPE/SAN blend leads to the formation of nanostructured morphologies. Depending on the composition of the triblock terpolymer, the resistance to crack growth was either further degraded or, in the case of high interfacial presence and compatibilization efficiency, significantly improved. The results were correlated to the fracture mechanisms of the blends as analyzed by scanning electron microscopy of the fracture surfaces. In contrast to poorly-compatibilized blends, a significant plastic deformation, an enhanced phase adhesion and a strongly reduced anisotropy could be detected in case of well-compatibilized blends. In summary, the presented study of the fatigue crack growth behavior revealed a detailed insight into the mechanical property profile of the selected multiphase blends and, moreover, demonstrated the potential of this method to sensitively analyze the anisotropy of such materials.