Country Tax Regime And Firm Debt Financing

The ASEAN country’s tax regime can be distinguished into the classical tax regime (Indonesia, Thailand, and Philippines) and integrated tax regime (Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam). This paper aims to understand the effect of the different tax regimes to firm debt financing policy. We analyze the effects of different tax regimes using the cross section regression method. The dependent variable is Debt to Equity Ratio, the independent variable is proxied by a dummy variable with the classical tax regime are defined as 1 and the integrated tax regime are defined as 0, and firms’ characteristics, as a control variable: Net Property Plan and Equipment to Total Asset Ratio, One Year Sales Growth, Price to Book Value Ratio, and Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization to Total Asset Ratio. Since the classical tax regime has higher tax rates relative to the integrated tax regime, firm operating in the classical tax regime able to experience the same debt tax saving using lower debt financing relative to firm operating in the integrated tax regime. Keywords: ClassicalTtax Regime; Integrated Tax Regime; Debt Tax Saving; Debt Financing; ASEAN Countr

Country Tax Regime And Firm Debt Financing

The ASEAN country’s tax regime can be distinguished into the classical tax regime (Indonesia, Thailand, and Philippines) and integrated tax regime (Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam). This paper aims to understand the effect of the different tax regimes to firm debt financing policy. We analyze the effects of different tax regimes using the cross section regression method. The dependent variable is Debt to Equity Ratio, the independent variable is proxied by a dummy variable with the classical tax regime are defined as 1 and the integrated tax regime are defined as 0, and firms’ characteristics, as a control variable: Net Property Plan and Equipment to Total Asset Ratio, One Year Sales Growth, Price to Book Value Ratio, and Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization to Total Asset Ratio. Since the classical tax regime has higher tax rates relative to the integrated tax regime, firm operating in the classical tax regime able to experience the same debt tax saving using lower debt financing relative to firm operating in the integrated tax regime. Keywords: ClassicalTtax Regime; Integrated Tax Regime; Debt Tax Saving; Debt Financing; ASEAN Countr

Enhancement of Power Output by using Alginate Immobilized Algae in Biophotovoltaic Devices.

We report for the first time a photosynthetically active algae immobilized in alginate gel within a fuel cell design for generation of bioelectricity. The algal-alginate biofilm was utilized within a biophotovoltaics (BPV) device developed for direct bioelectricity generation from photosynthesis. A peak power output of 0.289 mWm-2 with an increase of 18% in power output compared to conventional suspension culture BPV device was observed. The increase in maximum power density was correlated to the maximum relative electron transport rate (rETRm). The semi-dry type of photosynthetically active biofilm proposed in this work may offer significantly improved performances in terms of fuel cell design, bioelectricity generation, oxygen production and CO2 reduction

2245G/A polymorphism of the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) gene is associated with diabetic retinopathy in the Malaysian population

Background/aims The receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic microvascular complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between 2245G/A gene polymorphism of the RAGE gene and retinopathy in Malaysian type 2 diabetic patients. Methods 342 unrelated type 2 diabetic patients (171 with retinopathy (DR), 171 without retinopathy (DNR)) and 235 unrelated healthy subjects from all over Malaysia were recruited for this study. Genomic DNA was isolated from 3�ml samples of whole blood using a modified conventional DNA extraction method. The genotype and allele frequencies of 2245G/A were studied using the polymerase chain reaction�restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Results A statistically significant difference in 2245A minor allele frequency was found between control (5.5) and DR groups (15.2) (p0.05). Conclusions This is the first study that shows an association between the 2245A allele of the RAGE gene and development of diabetic retinopathy in the Malaysian population

Recovering from failure by asking for help

Robots inevitably fail, often without the ability to recover autonomously. We demonstrate an approach for enabling a robot to recover from failures by communicating its need for specific help to a human partner using natural language. Our approach automatically detects failures, then generates targeted spoken-language requests for help such as “Please give me the white table leg that is on the black table.” Once the human partner has repaired the failure condition, the system resumes full autonomy. We present a novel inverse semantics algorithm for generating effective help requests. In contrast to forward semantic models that interpret natural language in terms of robot actions and perception, our inverse semantics algorithm generates requests by emulating the human’s ability to interpret a request using the Generalized Grounding Graph (G[superscript 3]) framework. To assess the effectiveness of our approach, we present a corpus-based online evaluation, as well as an end-to-end user study, demonstrating that our approach increases the effectiveness of human interventions compared to static requests for help.Boeing CompanyU.S. Army Research Laboratory (Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliance

Silicon carbide absorption features: dust formation in the outflows of extreme carbon stars

Infrared carbon stars without visible counterparts are generally known as extreme carbon stars. We have selected a subset of these stars with absorption features in the 10-13 $\mu$m range, which has been tentatively attributed to silicon carbide (SiC). We add three new objects meeting these criterion to the seven previously known, bringing our total sample to ten sources. We also present the result of radiative transfer modeling for these stars, comparing these results to those of previous studies. In order to constrain model parameters, we use published mass-loss rates, expansion velocities and theoretical dust condensation models to determine the dust condensation temperature. These show that the inner dust temperatures of the dust shells for these sources are significantly higher than previously assumed. This also implies that the dominant dust species should be graphite instead of amorphous carbon. In combination with the higher condensation temperature we show that this results in a much higher acceleration of the dust grains than would be expected from previous work. Our model results suggest that the very optically thick stage of evolution does not coincide with the timescales for the superwind, but rather, that this is a very short-lived phase. Additionally, we compare model and observational parameters in an attempt to find any correlations. Finally, we show that the spectrum of one source, IRAS 17534$-$3030, strongly implies that the 10-13 $\mu$m feature is due to a solid state rather than a molecular species.Comment: 13 Figure

Tidal Features at 0.05<z<0.45 in the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program: Properties and Formation Channels

We present 1,201 galaxies at $0.05<z<0.45$ that host tidal features, detected from the first $\sim\! 200$ deg$^2$ of imaging from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP). All galaxies in the present sample have spectroscopic observations from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectroscopic campaigns, generating a sample of 21208 galaxies. Of these galaxies, we identify 214 shell systems and 987 stream systems. For 575 of these systems, we are additionally able to measure the $(g-i)$ colors of the tidal features. We find evidence for star formation in a subset of the streams, with the exception of streams around massive ellipticals, and find that stream host galaxies span the full range of stellar masses in our sample. Galaxies which host shells are predominantly red and massive: we find that observable shells form more frequently around ellipticals than around disc galaxies of the same stellar mass. Although the majority of the shells in our sample are consistent with being formed by minor mergers, $15\% \pm 4.4\%$ of shell host galaxies have $(g-i)$ colors as red as their host galaxy, consistent with being formed by major mergers. These "red shells" are additionally preferentially aligned with the major axis of the host galaxy, as previously predicted from simulations. We suggest that although the bulk of the observable shell population originates from fairly minor mergers, which preferentially form shells that are not aligned with the major axis of the galaxy, major mergers produce a significant number of observable shells.Comment: 24 pages, 14 figures. Submitted to Ap

Outcome of sustained virological responders with histologically advanced chronic hepatitis C

Retrospective studies suggest that subjects with chronic hepatitis C and advanced fibrosis who achieve a sustained virological response (SVR) have a lower risk of hepatic decompensation and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this prospective analysis, we compared the rate of death from any cause or liver transplantation, and of liver-related morbidity and mortality, after antiviral therapy among patients who achieved SVR, virologic nonresponders (NR), and those with initial viral clearance but subsequent breakthrough or relapse (BT/R) in the HALT-C (Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-Term Treatment Against Cirrhosis) Trial. Laboratory and/or clinical outcome data were available for 140 of the 180 patients who achieved SVR. Patients with nonresponse (NR; n = 309) or who experienced breakthrough or relapse (BT/R; n = 77) were evaluated every 3 months for 3.5 years and then every 6 months thereafter. Outcomes included death, liver-related death, liver transplantation, decompensated liver disease, and HCC. Median follow-up for the SVR, BT/R, and NR groups of patients was 86, 85, and 79 months, respectively. At 7.5 years, the adjusted cumulative rate of death/liver transplantation and of liver-related morbidity/mortality in the SVR group (2.2% and 2.7%, respectively) was significantly lower than that of the NR group (21.3% and 27.2%, P < 0.001 for both) but not the BT/R group (4.4% and 8.7%). The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for time to death/liver transplantation (HR = 0.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.06-0.46) or development of liver-related morbidity/mortality (HR = 0.15, 95% CI = 0.06-0.38) or HCC (HR = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.04-0.80) was significant for SVR compared to NR. Laboratory tests related to liver disease severity improved following SVR. Conclusion: Patients with advanced chronic hepatitis C who achieved SVR had a marked reduction in death/liver transplantation, and in liver-related morbidity/mortality, although they remain at risk for HCC. (H EPATOLOGY 2010;)Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78047/1/23744_ftp.pd

Proto-oncogene PBF/PTTG1IP regulates thyroid cell growth and represses radioiodide treatment

Pituitary tumor transforming gene (PTTG)-binding factor (PBF or PTTG1IP) is a little characterized protooncogene that has been implicated in the etiology of breast and thyroid tumors. In this study, we created a murine transgenic model to target PBF expression to the thyroid gland (PBF-Tg mice) and found that these mice exhibited normal thyroid function, but a striking enlargement of the thyroid gland associated with hyperplastic and macrofollicular lesions. Expression of the sodium iodide symporter (NIS), a gene essential to the radioiodine ablation of thyroid hyperplasia, neoplasia, and metastasis, was also potently inhibited in PBF-Tg mice. Critically, iodide uptake was repressed in primary thyroid cultures from PBF-Tg mice, which could be rescued by PBF depletion. PBF-Tg thyroids exhibited upregulation of Akt and the TSH receptor (TSHR), each known regulators of thyrocyte proliferation, along with upregulation of the downstream proliferative marker cyclin D1. We extended and confirmed findings from the mouse model by examining PBF expression in human multinodular goiters (MNG), a hyperproliferative thyroid disorder, where PBF and TSHR was strongly upregulated relative to normal thyroid tissue. Furthermore, we showed that depleting PBF in human primary thyrocytes was sufficient to increase radioiodine uptake. Together, our findings indicate that overexpression of PBF causes thyroid cell proliferation, macrofollicular lesions, and hyperplasia, as well as repression of the critical therapeutic route for radioiodide uptake

Melanocortin receptors in GtoPdb v.2021.3

Melanocortin receptors (provisional nomenclature as recommended by NC-IUPHAR [41]) are activated by members of the melanocortin family (&#945;-MSH, &#946;-MSH and &#947;-MSH forms; &#948; form is not found in mammals) and adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH). Endogenous antagonists include agouti and agouti-related protein. ACTH(1-24) was approved by the US FDA as a diagnostic agent for adrenal function test, whilst NDP-MSH was approved by EMA for the treatment of erythropoietic protoporphyria. Several synthetic melanocortin receptor agonists are under clinical development