Foreign equity portfolio flow and corruption: a cross-country evidence

This study examines the impact of foreign equity portfolio investment on corruption. Employing a large dataset of 44 countries from 2001 to 2015 and three different measures of corruption, our results show that foreign investors from well-governed countries tend to foster public accountability, reduce asymmetry information and corruption. We find empirical evidence that foreign equity portfolio investment interacts with stock market development and central bank transparency to reduce corruption. Our results suggest that stock market development and central bank transparency are regarded as complementary by international portfolio investors. Further analysis indicates that corruption appears more prevalent in countries where domestic investors dominate the stock market. Our results are robust to endogeneity using dynamic generalized methods of moments (GMM). The findings suggest that attracting foreign equity investors reduces corruption, implying significant benefits for portfolio diversification

Molecular profiling of cervical cancer progression

Most cancer patients die of metastatic or recurrent disease, hence the importance to identify target genes upregulated in these lesions. Although a variety of gene signatures associated with metastasis or poor prognosis have been identified in various cancer types, it remains a critical problem to identify key genes as candidate therapeutic targets in metastatic or recurrent cancer. The aim of our study was to identify genes consistently upregulated in both lymph node micrometastases and recurrent tumours compared to matched primary tumours in human cervical cancer. Taqman Low-Density Arrays were used to analyse matched tumour samples, obtained after laser-capture microdissection of tumour cell islands for the expression of 96 genes known to be involved in tumour progression. Immunohistochemistry was performed for a panel of up- and downregulated genes. In lymph node micrometastases, most genes were downregulated or showed expressions equal to the levels found in primary tumours. In more than 50% of lymph node micrometastases studied, eight genes (AKT, BCL2, CSFR1, EGFR1, FGF1, MMP3, MMP9 and TGF-β) were upregulated at least two-fold. Some of these genes (AKT and MMP3) are key regulators of epithelial–mesenchymal transition in cancer. In recurrent tumours, almost all genes were upregulated when compared to the expression profiles of the matched primary tumours, possibly reflecting their aggressive biological behaviour. The two genes showing a consistent downregulated expression in almost all lymph node metastases and recurrent tumours were BAX and APC. As treatment strategies are very limited for metastatic and recurrent cervical cancer, the upregulated genes identified in this study are potential targets for new molecular treatment strategies in metastatic or recurrent cervical cancer

International equity portfolio investment and enforcement of insider trading laws: a cross-country analysis

In this study, we examine the effects of stringent insider trading laws’ enforcement, institutions and stock market development on international equity portfolio allocation using data from 44 countries over the period 2001-2015. Our results suggest that stringent insider trading laws and their enforcement exert a positive and significant impact on international portfolio investment allocation. Further analysis indicates that the interaction between a country’s institutional quality, stock market development and enforcement of insider trading laws have a positive and significant effect on international equity portfolio allocation. The findings of this study have implications for the design of portfolio investment trading strategies and contribute to the literature on foreign equity investment decisions

Epithelial cancers in the post-genomic era: should we reconsider our lifestyle?

The age-related epithelial cancers of the breast, colorectum and prostate are the most prevalent and are increasing in our aging populations. Epithelial cells turnover rapidly and mutations naturally accumulate throughout life. Most epithelial cancers arise from this normal mutation rate. All elderly individuals will harbour many cells with the requisite mutations and most will develop occult neoplastic lesions. Although essential for initiation, these mutations are not sufficient for the progression of cancer to a life-threatening disease. This progression appears to be dependent on context: the tissue ecosystem within individuals and lifestyle exposures across populations of individuals. Together, this implies that the seeds may be plentiful but they only germinate in the right soil. The incidence of these cancers is much lower in Eastern countries but is increasing with Westernisation and increases more acutely in migrants to the West. A Western lifestyle is strongly associated with perturbed metabolism, as evidenced by the epidemics of obesity and diabetes: this may also provide the setting enabling the progression of epithelial cancers. Epidemiology has indicated that metabolic biomarkers are prospectively associated with cancer incidence and prognosis. Furthermore, within cancer research, there has been a rediscovery that a switch in cell metabolism is critical for cancer progression but this is set within the metabolic status of the host. The seed may only germinate if the soil is fertile. This perspective brings together the different avenues of investigation implicating the role that metabolism may play within the context of post-genomic concepts of cancer

Multiple roles of superoxide on oxygen reduction reaction in Li+-containing nonaqueous electrolyte: Contribution to the formation of oxide as well as peroxide

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on carbon in lithium-ion-containing nonaqueous electrolytes is supposed to follow a three-step mechanism: oxygen (O2 0) to superoxide (O2 - or LiO2) to peroxide (O2 2- or Li2O2) to oxide (O2- or Li2O). This work attempts to solve three controversial issues: (1) whether the superoxide is really formed; (2) whether the superoxide can be stable or immediately converts to peroxide; (3) whether the formation of oxide is feasible at the typical discharge potentials of lithium-air battery or the discharge product is only peroxide. ORR on carbon was studied in LiClO4 or LiPF6 containing dimethyl sulfoxide. The staircase cyclic voltammetry combined with Fourier transform electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (SCV-FTEIS) was used for the in situ investigation of ORR during potential scans. Oxygen was quasi-reversibly reduced to superoxide in the first step. Superoxide showed chemical stability in electrolyte. The superoxide was further reduced to surface-adsorbed peroxide, and the reduction proceeded to produce oxide at higher overpotentials. We identified a novel chemical route resulting in oxide formation even at not-enough overpotentials: peroxide is reduced to oxide by superoxide as an in situ formed one-electron reducing agent. The electrolyte/electrode decomposition product, Li2CO3, was observed only in electrolyte with LiClO4close2