A polymorphism at IGF1 locus is associated with anemia

In vitro and in vivo studies suggest that IGF-1 has a role in erythropoiesis. There is evidence that the rs35767 C/T polymorphism near IGF1 is associated with plasma IGF-1 levels. We investigated the effect of this polymorphism on hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and anemia. The study group comprised 3286 adult Whites. The rs35767 polymorphism was screened using a TaqMan allelic discrimination assay. The rs35767 polymorphism was not associated with age, gender, BMI, waist circumference, smoking, blood pressure, plasma glucose, HbA1c, type 2 diabetes, HOMA-IR, hsCRP, eGFR, and lipid profile. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), fibrinogen, and fasting insulin levels were significantly lower in TT genotype carriers compared with C allele carriers. Hb concentration was significantly higher in carriers of the TT genotype compared with C allele carriers, and a lower proportion of TT carriers had anemia. As compared with TT genotype carriers, those bearing the CC genotype had a 2.4-fold higher risk of anemia (OR 2.40, 95%CI 1.19-4.82), and those with the CT genotype had a 2.0-fold higher risk of anemia (OR 2.06, 95%CI 1.04-4.11). The association remained significant when fasting insulin, eGFR, smoking, diabetes, ACE inhibitors, sartans or diuretics treatments, use of metformin and pioglitazone were added to the model, but its independence was not retained after inclusion of fibrinogen and ESR values into the model. In conclusion, rs35767 TT allele carriers exhibited significantly higher concentrations of Hb, and lower risk of anemia compared with C allele carriers supporting the idea that IGF-1 plays a role in erythropoiesis homeostasis

Conditional Conservatism and the Cost of Equity Capital: Information Precision and Information Asymmetry Effects

Prior studies report negative or insignificant relations between conditional conservatism and the cost of equity capital, arguing that conservatism reduces information risk. Using accounting-based conditional conservatism proxies, however, we find a significantly positive association between conditional conservatism and the cost of equity. This positive relation operates via improving information precision about negative earnings shocks and generally inflating information asymmetry among investors, both of which increase the cost of equity. We further find that the cost of equity effect of conditional conservatism disappears in the period after the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), consistent with the notion that nationwide improvement of information precision about negative news and diminished information asymmetry are engendered by the SOX regulation. This study adds to researches on conditional conservatism, SOX, and the cost of equity, and also has policy implications.published_or_final_versio

Conditional Conservatism and the Cost of Equity Capital: Informational, Fundamental and Behavioral Effects

Conditional conservatism (CON) is related to the cost of equity capital in a complex way, especially in imperfect markets. Prior literature suggests that CON affects the information precision and information asymmetry, resulting in either increased or decreased cost of equity. In addition, CON may influence firms’ investment decisions and exacerbate their fundamental operating risks, and investors are asymmetrically loss-averse to more bad earnings news reporting via conservative disclosure, both of which contribute to a higher equity cost. This paper empirically examines the impact of CON on the cost of equity capital through these informational, fundamental and behavioral risk effects, and detects a significantly positive association between CON and equity cost by adopting accounting-based CON proxies and equity cost measures adjusted for unexpected cash flow shocks. Using the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) as a natural experiment, we find that the positive CON-equity cost relation disappears in the post-SOX period, consistent with diminished informational, operational, and behavioral risk effects engendered by SOX regulations.postprin

The Risk Management Role of Accounting Conservatism for Operating Cash Flows

This study examines relations between accounting conservatism and the downside risk of operating cash flows (OCF) and finds both unconditional and conditional conservatism to be negatively associated with OCF downside risk measured by indicators of OCF falling below expectations, by OCF’s root lower partial moment and by OCF at risk, with several additional results. First, both unconditional and conditional conservatism enhance cash holdings and its upside potential, thus helping mitigate subsequent OCF downside risk. Second, both unconditional and conditional conservatism reduce the effects of customer bargaining power on OCF downside risk. Third, conditional conservatism increases hedge usage and unconditional conservatism substitutes for hedging in mitigating OCF downside risk. Finally, downside cash flow beta enhances unconditional and conditional conservatism and the mitigating effect of unconditional conservatism on OCF downside risk during economic downturns. These findings lend support to conservatism’s role as a risk management tool and are robust to alternative measures and various controls.postprin

Are traditional institutions effective in regulating forest use and sustaining forest resources? experience from Nyumba-Nitu, Southern Highlands, Tanzania

Tanzania is among countries challenged by deforestation. Policies responsible for management of forests in the country have changed since pre-independence to-date mainly to address deforestation. The National Forest Policy of 1998 and Forest Act Cap 323 [R.E. 2002] both promoteparticipatory forest management through which traditional institutions are officially recognized. This study investigated the effectiveness of traditional institutions in forest management. The study used Nyumba-Nitu Traditional Forest Reserve (NTFR) as a case study and monitored tree and shrub species diversity and stand stocking. Generally, results reveal that traditional institutions are accepted and receive high respect by public at local level. This is because traditional institutional frameworks take care interest of local people. Access and user rights to NTFR are granted by ritual leaders. The study found that forest stocking was not statistically different between surveys carried out in 2002 and 2009. Similarly, results on forest stocking depict an inverse J-shaped curve (size class  distribution)  which is a sign of stable stand characterized by regeneration and active recruitment of trees and shrubs. This is due to regulated access and forest use. The study concludes that traditional institutions are effective in controlling forest use and sustaining forest resources.Key words: Nyumba-Nitu - traditional institutions – forest use - forest stocking - species diversit

In vivo activity of stem bark aqueous extract of Khaya senegalensis against Trypanosoma brucei

Aqueous extract of Khaya senegalensis A. Juss (Meliaceae) stem bark was used to treat trypanosomiasis in rats in vivo and changes in levels of aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT)were studied. The treatment involved oral infusion of the crude extract at 60 mg/kg body weight (b.w) simultaneously with Trypanosoma brucei infection, and 60 and 100 mg/kg b.w infusion of the extract 3days post infection (p.i). In all the rats treated with the extract, a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in parasitemia was recorded on day 6 p.i and there was also significant (P < 0.05) increase in the levels ofAST and ALT when compared with rats that were neither infected nor given the infusion of the extract. It was concluded that orally infused K. senegalensis extract possessed in vivo activity against T. brucei butcould not prevent the disease-induced liver damage

A Dual Read-Out Assay to Evaluate the Potency of Compounds Active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis

PMCID: PMC3617142This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

Accounting conservatism and bankruptcy risk

Date posted: June 6, 2010 ; Last revised: July 14, 2015This study examines the relation between accounting conservatism and bankruptcy risk using a large sample of U.S listed firms from fiscal year 1989 to 2007. We present evidence that unconditional and conditional conservatism generally mitigate subsequent bankruptcy risk by creating cushions for bad times and reducing information asymmetry about bad news. We identify two channels for accounting conservatism to mitigate bankruptcy risk: enhancing cash holdings and constraining earnings management. The effect of accounting conservatism does not change for firms with extreme distress and income smoothing, but weakens for firms with debt contracts referenced by credit default swaps (CDS), consistent with CDS lowering debtholder monitoring. Results are robust to reverse causality, relations between unconditional and conditional conservatism, and alternative measures of bankruptcy risk and accounting conservatism. These findings extend research on accounting conservatism, bankruptcy risk and debt contracting, and help inform debates regarding conservatism's role as a pervasive property and long-standing tenet of financial accounting.postprin

Study of pesticide use on bitter gourd production at Jashore district

The study was designed to assess the extent of pesticide use and profitability of bitter gourd production at farm level in selected areas of Jashore district during January-May, 2019. Average farm size was 0.79 ha and average bitter gourd cultivated area per farmer was 0.07 ha. Most of the farmer cultivated local variety, which is called Gajkorola and some farmer cultivated hybrid korola such as Gonggajoli, Tia and BARI Korola-1 variety. About ninety-nine percent farmers sprayed insecticides and fungicides in their fields to protect crops from different insect pests and diseases. Thirty-nine percent farmers used pheromone trap for crop protection. A farmer averagely used 11.19 times spray in their fields and its range was 5-18 times in a season. The average yield of bitter gourd was 16.74 t ha-1 for non-IPM farmer and 16.16 t ha-1 for IPM farmer. The average total cost of production of bitter gourd was Tk. 203984 ha-1 for non-IPM farmer and Tk. 191246 ha-1 for IPM farmer. Gross return was Tk. 389705 ha-1 and net return was Tk. 185721 ha-1 for non-IPM farmer. While, gross return of IPM farmer was Tk. 360828 ha-1 and net return was Tk. 169582 ha-1. Benefit cost ratio was 1.91 and 1.89 for non-IPM and IPM farmer, respectively that means bitter gourd production was profitable. Cent percent farmer reported that IPM technology was time-consuming method and it was not only the measures to protect pests. Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 10(2): 110-115, December 202