Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contagious Negative Sentiment and Corporate Policies: Evidence from Local Bankruptcy Filings

This study shows that corporate bankruptcy events affect the investment and financing policies of geographically proximate firms. Following the bankruptcy of a local peer, non-filing local firms significantly reduce investment expenditures, reduce capital structure leverage, and hold more cash. The effects of local bankruptcy are more pronounced when the CEO of the filing firm is dismissed, and stronger among firms managed by CEOs who are relatively young, have fewer qualifications, and relatively short tenure. Firms that have board connections with the bankrupt firms also react more strongly to the distress events. Importantly, the spillover effects associated with geographic proximity cannot be explained by intra-industry or supply chain effects documented in the extant literature. We also find that the effects cannot be explained by shocks to the local economy. Collectively, these results suggest that corporate managers follow the availability heuristic and become overly conservative in their investment and financial policies in response to local distress events.
Role of SLC7A5 in Metabolic Reprogramming of Human Monocyte/Macrophage Immune Responses

Amino acids (AAs) are necessary nutrients which act not only as building blocks in protein synthesis but also in crucial anabolic cellular signaling pathways. It has been demonstrated that SLC7A5 is a critical transporter that mediates uptake of several essential amino acids in highly proliferative tumors and activated T cells. However, the dynamics and relevance of SLC7A5 activity in monocytes/macrophages is still poorly understood. We provide evidence that SLC7A5-mediated leucine influx contributes to pro-inflammatory cytokine production via mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1)-induced glycolytic reprograming in activated human monocytes/macrophages. Moreover, expression of SLC7A5 is significantly elevated in monocytes derived from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic inflammatory disease, and was also markedly induced by LPS stimulation of both monocytes and macrophages from healthy individuals. Further, pharmacological blockade or silencing of SLC7A5 led to a significant reduction of IL-1β downstream of leucine-mediated mTORC1 activation. Inhibition of SLC7A5-mediated leucine influx was linked to downregulation of glycolytic metabolism as evidenced by the decreased extracellular acidification rate, suggesting a regulatory role for this molecule in glycolytic reprograming. Furthermore, the expression of SLC7A5 on circulating monocytes from RA patients positively correlated with clinical parameters, suggesting that SLC7A5-mediated AA influx is related to inflammatory conditions.
Genetic variants as potential predictive biomarkers in advanced colorectal cancer patients treated with oxaliplatin‐based chemotherapy

Chemotherapy regimen containing oxaliplatin is often the first‐line treatment for patient with advanced colorectal cancer. Oxaliplatin binds to DNA, leading to the formation of crosslinks and bulky adducts. Approximately 50% of patients with CRC benefit from treatment with oxaliplatin. It is possible that genetic variants in biological pathways involved in drug transportation, drug metabolism, DNA damage repair, and cell cycle modulation might affect the activity, or efficacy of oxaliplatin. Because oxaliplatin resistance may be related to these genetic variants and may therefore be an important reason for treatment failure, we have summarized the genetic variations that have been reported to be predictive markers of the response to oxaliplatin based therapy in patients with advanced CRC.
Urinary bisphenol A and plasma hormone concentrations in male workers exposed to bisphenol A diglycidyl ether and mixed organic solvents

Aims: To evaluate effects of exposure to bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) on urinary excretion of bisphenol A, and plasma gonadotrophic hormones and testosterone in male epoxy resin sprayers. Methods: Cross sectional study of 42 workers whose job was to spray epoxy resin hardening agents including BADGE and mixed organic solvents, and 42 matched control workers without BADGE use in the same machine plants. Results: Concentrations of urinary bisphenol A were higher in the epoxy resin sprayers (median 1.06 μmol/mol creatinine) compared with the controls (median 0.52 μmol/mol creatinine). Urinary metabolite concentrations of organic solvents used were all higher in the epoxy resin workers compared with the controls. Endocrinological examination showed different concentrations of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) between the epoxy sprayers (median 5.3 mIU/ml) and the controls (median 7.6 mIU/ml). FSH showed a mild correlation with urinary bisphenol A, but not with the metabolites of organic solvents. Luteinising hormone and free testosterone concentrations did not differ between the two groups. Conclusion: BADGE may generate bisphenol A endogenously. Results suggest that bisphenol A may disrupt secretion of gonadotrophic hormones in men. The clinical significance of endocrine disrupting effects by bisphenol A should be further investigated in male workers exposed to bisphenol A.
Management Forecasts, Regulation FD, Information Asymmetry and the Cost of Debt

This study examines firms’ strategic management disclosure policy around debt offerings and its consequences on the cost of debt, considering Regulation Fair Disclosure (FD). Contrary to the literature on equity offerings, there is little evidence about whether debt offering firms increase their disclosure to reduce information asymmetry and how creditors evaluate management earnings forecasts. We find that firms issue more management disclosures around debt offerings and that the increase in management forecasts is more pronounced after Regulation FD. The results suggest that Regulation FD affects a firm’s disclosure policy before debt offerings. We also find that firms with high information asymmetry release more management disclosures before debt offerings. Finally, our results show that creditors reward the increased public disclosures with a lower cost of debt, especially more for the firms with severe information asymmetry. In total, this paper adds some evidence to the literature in this area on debt offerings, where there is a lack of such evidence.
Banking in Africa: The Impact of Financial Sector Reform Since Independence

Introduction - financial liberalization in difficult circumstances banking policy in Botswana - orthodox but untypical banking reform in Ethiopia the impact of financial sector policies on banking in Ghana government policies and policy on banking in Kenya the impact of public policy on the banking system in Nigeria financial repression and financial reform in Uganda financial policies and the banking system in Zambia the limited impact of financial sector reforms in Zimbabwe banking development and financial sector reforms in Tanzania, Malawi and the Gambia.
Design of a mimic of nonamyloidogenic and bioactive human islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) as nanomolar affinity inhibitor of IAPP cytotoxic fibrillogenesis

Protein aggregation into cytotoxic oligomers and fibrils in vivo is linked to cell degeneration and the pathogenesis of >25 uncurable diseases, whereas the high aggregation propensity and insolubility of several bioactive polypeptides and proteins in vitro prevent their therapeutic use. Aggregation of human islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) into pancreatic amyloid is strongly associated with the pathogenesis of type II diabetes. IAPP is a 37-residue polypeptide that acts as a neuroendocrine regulator of glucose homeostasis. However, IAPP misfolds and self-associates into cytotoxic aggregates and fibrils even at nanomolar concentrations. Because IAPP aggregation causes β-cell death and prohibits therapeutic application of IAPP in diabetes, we pursued a minimalistic chemical design approach to generate a molecular mimic of a nonamyloidogenic and bioactive IAPP conformation that would still be able to associate with IAPP and thus inhibit its fibrillogenesis and cytotoxicity. We show that the double N-methylated full length IAPP analog [(N-Me)G24, (N-Me)I26]-IAPP (IAPP-GI) is a highly soluble, nonamyloidogenic, and noncytotoxic IAPP molecular mimic and an IAPP receptor agonist. Moreover, IAPP-GI binds IAPP with low nanomolar affinity and completely blocks IAPP cytotoxic self-assembly and fibrillogenesis with activity in the low nanomolar concentration range. Importantly, IAPP-GI dissociates cytotoxic IAPP oligomers and fibrils and is able to reverse their cytotoxicity. Bifunctional soluble IAPP mimics that combine bioactivity with the ability to block and reverse IAPP cytotoxic self-assembly are promising candidates for the treatment of diabetes. Moreover, our amyloid disease inhibitor design concept may be applicable to other protein aggregation diseases.
Formal and Informal Institutional Influences on Multinational Enterprise Social Responsibility: Two Empirical Studies

Does country selection affect the corporate social performance (CSP) of multinational enterprises (MNEs)? In this study I argue that greater diversity within an MNE’s operating environment may adversely affect its ability to maintain higher levels of CSP. Using institutional distance as my theoretical lens, I investigate the impact of institutional differences on CSP. Following prior international business studies, I conceptualize the MNE as a unique portfolio of locations and use the MNE’s entire operating footprint to explore the effects of average portfolio formal and informal institutional distances on CSP. I hypothesize and find that firms with greater average informal institutional distance within their portfolios have lower overall levels of CSP. Findings also confirm that due to absorptive capacity and the asymmetric nature of formal institutional distance, greater average formal institutional distance within the MNE portfolio moderates the CSP benefits of international scope.
Open Market Share Repurchases in Europe: A Cross Country Analysis

This thesis addresses the topic of open market share repurchases in Europe over the period 1997 to 2006. This thesis strives to document and clarify the managerial motives as well as the market perception and respective reaction to open market share repurchases, in a cross country framework. Therefore this thesis delves into the hypotheses that have been developed in the literature for interpreting these issues. The theories and hypotheses investigated in this thesis are mainly the information asymmetry and signalling for undervaluation, the tax hypothesis, the dividend substitution, the capital structure adjustment, and agency costs hypotheses under varying regulatory and institutional frameworks. Consistent with the U.S. evidence, share repurchases are popular in the U.K., but I find that the market does not have the same level of reaction as in the U.S. For Germany and France, share repurchase activity has been a more recent phenomenon, but not common. Nevertheless due to recent regulatory changes, this trend seems to be changing in favour of share repurchases. The empirical evidence in this thesis shows that market reaction to the announcement of intention to repurchase shares in the open market varies significantly among countries, and that the market becomes more accustomed to subsequent announcements made by the same firms. Furthermore, I find that ownership concentration, firm size, leverage, and in some cases past share price performance, have a significant impact on the market reaction, as well as on the managerial motives for announcing an open market share repurchase programme. Moreover, the evidence shows that not all the managerial motives and drivers of the market reaction have a uniform impact throughout the varying markets. Rather, it is only a number of firm characteristics that consistently influence the likelihood of an open market share repurchase in all three countries. Furthermore, I find that firms on average repurchase approximately three quarters of the shares targeted at the time of the announcement, suggesting that on average, firms repurchase a substantial portion but not the intended amount. In addition, I find that managers repurchase shares in order to provide price support. Finally, this thesis provides evidence that it is the actual trades and their respective reporting, and not the repurchase announcement itself that convey risk related information to the market. Therefore, the reporting of the actual repurchase trades sends positive signals to the market, which are reflected on the reduction of firms’ systematic risk.
A Pharmacokinetic Study of Occupational and Environmental Benzene Exposure with Regard to Gender

Using physiologically‐based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling, occupational, personal, and environmental benzene exposure scenarios are simulated for adult men and women. This research identifies differences in internal exposure due to physiological and biochemical gender differences. Physiological and chemical‐specific model parameters were obtained from other studies reported in the literature and medical texts for the subjects of interest. Women were found to have a higher blood/air partition coefficient and maximum velocity of metabolism for benzene than men (the two most sensitive parameters affecting gender‐specific differences). Additionally, women generally have a higher body fat percentage than men. These factors influence the internal exposure incurred by the subjects and should be considered when conducting a risk assessment. Results demonstrated that physicochemical gender differences result in women metabolizing 23–26% more benzene than men when subject to the same exposure scenario even though benzene blood concentration levels are generally higher in men. These results suggest that women may be at significantly higher risk for certain effects of benzene exposure. Thus, exposure standards based on data from male subjects may not be protective for the female population.
Associations between fruit, vegetable and legume intakes and prostate cancer risk: results from the prospective Supplémentation en Vitamines et Minéraux Antioxydants (SU.VI.MAX) cohort

Abstract Although experimental studies suggest that fruits, vegetables and legumes may exert protective effects against prostate carcinogenesis through various bioactive compounds such as dietary fibre and antioxidants, epidemiological evidence is lacking. Notably, very few prospective studies have investigated the relationship between legume intake and prostate cancer risk. Our objective was to prospectively investigate the association between fruit, vegetable, tomato products, potatoes and legume intakes and prostate cancer risk. This study included 3313 male participants to the SUpplémentation en VItamines et Minéraux AntioXydants cohort (follow-up: 1994–2007) who completed at least three 24-h dietary records during the first 2 years of follow-up. Associations between tertiles of intake and prostate cancer risk were assessed by multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. After a median follow-up of 12·6 years, 139 incident prostate cancers were diagnosed. An inverse association was observed between prostate cancer risk and tertiles of legume intake (hazard ratio (HR)T3v.T1=0·53; 95 % CI 0·34, 0·85; P trend=0·009). This association was maintained after excluding soya and soya products from the legume group (HRT3 v.T1=0·56; 95 % CI 0·35, 0·89; P trend=0·02). No association was observed between prostate cancer risk and tertiles of intakes of fruits (P trend=0·25), vegetables (P trend=0·91), potatoes (P trend=0·77) and tomato products (P trend=0·09). This prospective study confirms the null association between fruit and non-starchy vegetable intakes and prostate cancer risk observed in most previous cohorts. In contrast, although very few prospective studies have been published on the topic, our results suggest an inverse association between legume intake and prostate cancer risk, supported by mechanistic plausibility. These results should be confirmed by large-scale observational and intervention studies.
The Marketer's Guide to Public Relations: How Today's Top Companies Are Using the New Pr to Gain a Competitive Edge

UNDERSTANDING MARKETING PUBLIC RELATIONS The MPR Explosion Marketplace Forces Driving MPR in the 1990's Marketing and Public Relations: The New Partnership How MPR Adds Value: Push, Pull, Pass Circumstances for Success: The Harris Grid The MPR Plan MPR Tactics from A to Z. Using MPR to Reinforce Advertising and Promotion USING MARKETING PUBLIC RELATIONS Winning Consumer Trust Introducing New Products New News About Old Products Celebrating Special Occasions Defending Products at Risk Special-Events Marketing The Sports Marketing Boom MPR, the Arts, and Entertainment MPR Public Service Programs Cause-Related Marketing Spokesperson MPR Target Marketing Public Relations The Future of Marketing Public Relations References Bibliography Index.
Identification of Interaction Sites for Dimerization and Adapter Recruitment in Toll/Interleukin-1 Receptor (TIR) Domain of Toll-like Receptor 4*

Background: TLR4 signaling requires unknown interactions between TIR domains of TLR4 and its adapters. Results: We identify three binding sites in the TLR4 TIR domain that are important for TLR4 interactions. Conclusion: Two binding sites in TLR4 are important for adapter binding and NF-κB activation. Significance: This work provides new insights in the first steps of TLR activation. Toll-like receptor signaling requires interactions of the Toll/IL-1 receptor (TIR) domains of the receptor and adapter proteins. Using the mammalian protein-protein interaction trap strategy, homology modeling, and site-directed mutagenesis, we identify the interaction surfaces in the TLR4 TIR domain for the TLR4-TLR4, TLR4-MyD88 adapter-like (MAL), and TLR4-TRIF-related adapter molecule (TRAM) interaction. Two binding sites are equally important for TLR4 dimerization and adapter recruitment. In a model based on the crystal structure of the dimeric TLR10 TIR domain, the first binding site mediates TLR4-TLR4 TIR-TIR interaction. Upon dimerization, two identical second binding sites of the TLR4 TIR domain are juxtaposed and form an extended binding platform for both MAL and TRAM. In our mammalian protein-protein interaction trap assay, MAL and TRAM compete for binding to this platform. Our data suggest that adapter binding can stabilize the TLR4 TIR dimerization.
Lack of association between augmentation mammoplasty and systemic sclerosis (scleroderma).

OBJECTIVE To examine the possible association between augmentation mammoplasty and systemic sclerosis (SSc; scleroderma). METHODS Eight hundred thirty-seven women with a clinical diagnosis of SSc, recruited as a volunteer sample from 3 university-based, tertiary care scleroderma clinical research centers, and 2,507 race-matched local control women, recruited by the technique of random-digit-dialing and frequency-matched on age, completed a questionnaire providing data on history of augmentation mammoplasty, including possible complications of the procedure. The odds ratio (OR) and 95 percent confidence interval (95% CI) for the association of augmentation mammoplasty with SSc were estimated by multivariate logistic regression analysis with adjustment for age, race and center, and by conditional logistic regression analysis with adjustment for age. RESULTS Eleven (1.31%) of the 837 cases reported a history of augmentation mammoplasty prior to diagnosis of SSc, compared with 31 (1.24%) of the 2,507 controls. The adjusted OR from the unmatched analysis was 1.07 (95% CI 0.53-2.13), while that from the matched analysis was 1.11 (95% CI 0.55-2.24). CONCLUSION These results fail to demonstrate a significant association between augmentation mammoplasty and SSc, and are consistent with those reported from other epidemiologic studies.
Biological and Clinical Implications of Comorbidities in Parkinson’s Disease

A wide spectrum of comorbidities has been associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects more than seven million people worldwide. Emerging evidence indicates that chronic diseases including diabetes, depression, anemia and cancer may be implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of PD. Recent epidemiological studies suggest that some of these comorbidities may increase the risk of PD and precede the onset of motor symptoms. Further, drugs to treat diabetes and cancer have elicited neuroprotective effects in PD models. Nonetheless, the mechanisms underlying the occurrence of these comorbidities remain elusive. Herein, we discuss the biological and clinical implications of comorbidities in the pathogenesis, progression, and clinical management, with an emphasis on personalized medicine applications for PD.
Service Learning: Meaningful, Community-Centered Professional Skill Development for Occupational Therapy Students

The profession of Occupational Therapy advocates for new and emerging areas of practice that more fully embrace our moral responsibility to address significant social injustices that exist in our communities (Kronenberg, Algado, & Pollard, 2005). The service-learning pedagogy is impacted by the philosophical and theoretical influences of John Dewey, the mission and purpose of American higher education including Boyer's (1994) call for an engaged citizenry, and the social vision of occupational therapy. The pedagogy of service learning provides a natural context for students to experience community practice while contributing to reducing existing social injustices. This paper provides an overview of service learning (SL) as a philosophical and pedagogical approach in occupational therapy education, key processes in developing successful service learning experiences and community partnerships to support service learning. Characteristics of effective service learning, assessment of community and institutional outcomes of service learning and the scholarship of service learning are also discussed. Most importantly, strategies for developing service learning scholarship, an important but frequently neglected requisite to validate any educational practice, are delineated. The authors conclude that service learning provides educators with an opportunity to provide students with experiences in natural, community contexts while developing life-long commitment to civic engagement and social responsibility.
Taxonomy and identification of spiroplasmas.

Within the past decade a new genus and family of helical, wall-less prokaryotes have been recognized. To date, eight groups have been described, four of which represent species or putative species. Methods for rapid identification or confirmation of these serovars have been devised. Evidence from ribosomal ribonucleic acid cataloging suggests that the spiroplasmas and other mycoplasmas are descendants of gram-positive bacteria.