619 research outputs found
Do international portfolio investors follow firms’ foreign investment decisions?
We analyze the interlinkages between foreign direct investment (FDI) and foreign portfolio investment (FPI) between Germany and the major economies. First, we show that Tobin’s q helps explaining the variation of the growth rate of the stock of FDI. Second, we show that foreign and the home stock market returns explain the ariation of the growth rate of the stock of FPI. Most importantly, we find that information about foreign fundamentals is revealed via direct investment. In other words, FDI transactions measured by fitted growth rates of the stock of FDI help explaining current growth rates of the stock of FPI. To our knowledge this observation is the first unambiguous evidence that international portfolio investors follow firms’ expected foreign investment decisions. JEL Classification: F21, F23, G11, G15and Information Spillovers, Foreign Direct Investment, Foreign Portfolio Investment, Investor Heterogeneity, Tobin’s q
Asset prices and portfolio choice with learning from experience
We study asset prices and portfolio choice with overlapping generations, where the young disregard history to learn from own experience. Disregarding history implies less precise estimates of output growth, which in equilibrium leads the young to increase their investment in risky assets after positive returns, that is, they act as trend chasers. In equilibrium, the risk premium decreases after a positive shock and, therefore, trend chasing young agents lose wealth relative to old agents who behave as contrarians. Consistent with findings from survey data, the average belief about the risk premium in the economy relates negatively to future excess returns and is smoother than the true risk premium
Glufosinate constrains synchronous and metachronous metastasis by promoting anti-tumor macrophages
Abstract Glutamine synthetase (GS) generates glutamine from glutamate and controls the release of inflammatory mediators. In macrophages, GS activity, driven by IL10, associates to the acquisition of M2‐like functions. Conditional deletion of GS in macrophages inhibits metastasis by boosting the formation of anti‐tumor, M1‐like, tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs). From this basis, we evaluated the pharmacological potential of GS inhibitors in targeting metastasis, identifying glufosinate as a specific human GS inhibitor. Glufosinate was tested in both cultured macrophages and on mice bearing metastatic lung, skin and breast cancer. We found that glufosinate rewires macrophages toward an M1‐like phenotype both at the primary tumor and metastatic site, countering immunosuppression and promoting vessel sprouting. This was also accompanied to a reduction in cancer cell intravasation and extravasation, leading to synchronous and metachronous metastasis growth inhibition, but no effects on primary tumor growth. Glufosinate treatment was well‐tolerated, without liver and brain toxicity, nor hematopoietic defects. These results identify GS as a druggable enzyme to rewire macrophage functions and highlight the potential of targeting metabolic checkpoints in macrophages to treat cancer metastasis
Effect of exposing rams to a female stimulus before semen collection on ram libido and semen quality
peer-reviewedRams with strong libido and desirable
semen characteristics can provide more insemination
doses per ejaculate and produce more progeny, improving
population genetic linkage to improve the accuracy
of EBV. The objective of this study was to determine if
teasing rams, either by sight and smell alone (Exp. 1),
or physical contact (Exp. 2), could improve libido and
semen quality of rams. In Exp. 1, there were 3 treatments
in which rams were exposed to the sight and smell of
the ewe for 1 h: control treatment (n = 5) in which rams
were exposed to a ewe not in estrus; non-novel treatment
(n = 6) in which rams were exposed to a ewe in
estrus and the same ewe was used for semen collection;
and novel treatment (n = 6) in which rams were exposed
to a ewe in estrus and a different ewe in estrus was used
for semen collection. In Exp. 2, rams were individually
given full access to a ewe, which had a cotton apron
fi tted to cover her vulva, for 15 min. The 3 treatments
in Exp. 2 were: control treatment (n = 5) in which rams
were placed in a pen with a ewe not in estrus; a nonnovel
treatment (n = 5) in which rams were placed in a
pen with a ewe in estrus and the same ewe was used for
semen collection; novel treatment (n = 6) in which rams
were placed in a pen with a ewe in estrus and a different ewe in estrus was used for semen collection. Experiment
1 was repeated for 5 consecutive days and Exp. 2
was repeated for 4 consecutive days. Data on reaction
time, number of mounts, semen volume, semen concentration,
sperm wave motion, and progressive linear
motion (Exp. 1 only) were collected and analyzed as a
randomized complete block design, where rams were
initially blocked for breed and age. In Exp. 1, there was
an effect of day (P < 0.05) and a treatment × day interaction
(P < 0.05) on semen volume, whereas there was
also an effect of treatment (P < 0.05) and day (P < 0.01)
on semen concentration, which was most evident on d 1.
In Exp. 2, there was an effect of treatment on reaction
time (P < 0.05) and semen volume (P = 0.08), which
was most evident on d 1. This study demonstrates an
acute effect on d 1 on semen concentration when rams
were exposed to the sight and smell of a ewe in estrus.
Alternatively, when rams were stimulated with physical
contact of a ewe in estrus, an acute increase in semen
volume was evident on d 1. These effects were not evident
on subsequent days and thus the overall benefi ts on
ram libido and semen quality of exposing rams to ewes
in estrus are minimal.PUBLISHEDpeer-reviewe
Genotype-Independent Transmission of Transgenic Fluorophore Protein by Boar Spermatozoa
Recently, we generated transposon-transgenic boars (Sus scrofa), which carry three monomeric copies of a fluorophore marker gene. Amazingly, a ubiquitous fluorophore expression in somatic, as well as in germ cells was found. Here, we characterized the prominent fluorophore load in mature spermatozoa of these animals. Sperm samples were analyzed for general fertility parameters, sorted according to X and Y chromosome-bearing sperm fractions, assessed for potential detrimental effects of the reporter, and used for inseminations into estrous sows. Independent of their genotype, all spermatozoa were uniformly fluorescent with a subcellular compartmentalization of the fluorophore protein in postacrosomal sheath, mid piece and tail. Transmission of the fluorophore protein to fertilized oocytes was shown by confocal microscopic analysis of zygotes. The monomeric copies of the transgene segregated during meiosis, rendering a certain fraction of the spermatozoa non-transgenic (about 10% based on analysis of 74 F1 offspring). The genotype-independent transmission of the fluorophore protein by spermatozoa to oocytes represents a non-genetic contribution to the mammalian embryo
Harmonisation of demographic and socio-economic variables in cross-national survey research
The aim of the present paper is to demonstrate how demographic and socio-economic variables in cross-national comparative survey research can be harmonized. After a short introduction discussing the difference between translation and harmonization, the path from a national concept and structure to an internationally-applicable measurement instrument is traced using the education variable as an example. Tables, References. Adapted from the source document. (author's abstract
Pyoderma gangrenosum after totally implanted central venous access device insertion
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pyoderma gangrenosum is an aseptic skin disease. The ulcerative form of pyoderma gangrenosum is characterized by a rapidly progressing painful irregular and undermined bordered necrotic ulcer. The aetiology of pyoderma gangrenosum remains unclear. In about 70% of cases, it is associated with a systemic disorder, most often inflammatory bowel disease, haematological disease or arthritis. In 25–50% of cases, a triggering factor such as recent surgery or trauma is identified. Treatment consists of local and systemic approaches. Systemic steroids are generally used first. If the lesions are refractory, steroids are combined with other immunosuppressive therapy or to antimicrobial agents.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 90 years old patient with myelodysplastic syndrome, seeking regular transfusions required totally implanted central venous access device (Port-a-Cath<sup>®</sup>) insertion. Fever and inflammatory skin reaction at the site of insertion developed on the seventh post-operative day, requiring the device's explanation. A rapid progression of the skin lesions evolved into a circular skin necrosis. Intravenous steroid treatment stopped the necrosis' progression.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Early diagnosis remains the most important step to the successful treatment of pyoderma gangrenosum.</p
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