Mekanisme Corporate Governance dan Kualitas Laba

This research tried to examine the influence of corporate governancemechanism, namely institutional ownership, managerial ownership, composition ofboard of commissioner and audit committee to earning quality. This research takessample from 40 companies in the manufacturing sector at the Indonesian StockExchange, which were published in financial report in the year 2006. The method ofanalysis of this research used mulyple linear regression.The result showed that onlyinstitusional ownership variable significant effect on earning quality. It indicates thatinstitusional ownership can be monitoring the activity management because thisinvestor is sophisticated investor and informed investor about companies, howevermanipulate earning caused by asymetric information can increased. Than, variablesmanagerial ownership, composition of board of commisioner, and audit committeenot significant effect on earning quality

Hierarchy measure for complex networks

Nature, technology and society are full of complexity arising from the intricate web of the interactions among the units of the related systems (e.g., proteins, computers, people). Consequently, one of the most successful recent approaches to capturing the fundamental features of the structure and dynamics of complex systems has been the investigation of the networks associated with the above units (nodes) together with their relations (edges). Most complex systems have an inherently hierarchical organization and, correspondingly, the networks behind them also exhibit hierarchical features. Indeed, several papers have been devoted to describing this essential aspect of networks, however, without resulting in a widely accepted, converging concept concerning the quantitative characterization of the level of their hierarchy. Here we develop an approach and propose a quantity (measure) which is simple enough to be widely applicable, reveals a number of universal features of the organization of real-world networks and, as we demonstrate, is capable of capturing the essential features of the structure and the degree of hierarchy in a complex network. The measure we introduce is based on a generalization of the m-reach centrality, which we first extend to directed/partially directed graphs. Then, we define the global reaching centrality (GRC), which is the difference between the maximum and the average value of the generalized reach centralities over the network. We investigate the behavior of the GRC considering both a synthetic model with an adjustable level of hierarchy and real networks. Results for real networks show that our hierarchy measure is related to the controllability of the given system. We also propose a visualization procedure for large complex networks that can be used to obtain an overall qualitative picture about the nature of their hierarchical structure.Comment: 29 pages, 9 figures, 4 table

risk assessment in pulmonary arterial hypertension insights from the griphon study

BACKGROUND Approaches to risk assessment in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) include the noninvasive French risk assessment approach (number of low-risk criteria based on the European Society of Cardiology and European Respiratory Society guidelines) and Registry to Evaluate Early and Long-term PAH Disease Management (REVEAL) 2.0 risk calculator. The prognostic and predictive value of these methods for morbidity/mortality was evaluated in the predominantly prevalent population of GRIPHON, the largest randomized controlled trial in PAH. METHODS GRIPHON randomized 1,156 patients with PAH to selexipag or placebo. Post-hoc analyses were performed on the primary composite end-point of morbidity/mortality by the number of low-risk criteria (World Health Organization functional class I-II; 6-minute walk distance >440 m; N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide RESULTS Both the number of low-risk criteria and the REVEAL 2.0 risk category were prognostic for morbidity/mortality at baseline and any time-point during the study. Patients with 3 low-risk criteria at baseline had a 94% reduced risk of morbidity/mortality compared to patients with 0 low-risk criteria and were all categorized as low-risk by REVEAL 2.0. The treatment effect of selexipag on morbidity/mortality was consistent irrespective of the number of low-risk criteria or the REVEAL 2.0 risk category at any time-point during the study. Selexipag-treated patients were more likely to increase their number of low-risk criteria from baseline to week 26 than placebo-treated patients (odds ratio 1.69, p = 0.0002); similar results were observed for REVEAL 2.0 risk score. CONCLUSIONS These results support the association between risk profile and long-term outcome and suggest that selexipag treatment may improve risk profile

Regulation of mammary gland branching morphogenesis by the extracellular matrix and its remodeling enzymes.

A considerable body of research indicates that mammary gland branching morphogenesis is dependent, in part, on the extracellular matrix (ECM), ECM-receptors, such as integrins and other ECM receptors, and ECM-degrading enzymes, including matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). There is some evidence that these ECM cues affect one or more of the following processes: cell survival, polarity, proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, and migration. Both three-dimensional culture models and genetic manipulations of the mouse mammary gland have been used to study the signaling pathways that affect these processes. However, the precise mechanisms of ECM-directed mammary morphogenesis are not well understood. Mammary morphogenesis involves epithelial 'invasion' of adipose tissue, a process akin to invasion by breast cancer cells, although the former is a highly regulated developmental process. How these morphogenic pathways are integrated in the normal gland and how they become dysregulated and subverted in the progression of breast cancer also remain largely unanswered questions

Relationship of Circulating Soluble Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor (suPAR) Levels to Disease Control in Asthma and Asthmatic Pregnancy

Asthma has a high burden of morbidity if not controlled and may frequently complicate pregnancy, posing a risk for pregnancy outcomes. Elevated plasma level of the inflammatory biomarker soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is related to a worse prognosis in many conditions such as infectious, autoimmune, or pregnancy-related diseases; however the value of suPAR in asthma and asthmatic pregnancy is unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the suPAR, CRP and IL-6 levels in asthma (asthmatic non-pregnant, ANP; N = 38; female N = 27) and asthmatic pregnancy (AP; N = 15), compared to healthy non-pregnant controls (HNP; N = 29; female N = 19) and to healthy pregnant women (HP; N = 58). The relationship between suPAR levels and asthma control was also evaluated. The diagnostic efficacy of suPAR in asthma control was analyzed using ROC analysis. IL-6 and CRP levels were comparable in all study groups. Circulating suPAR levels were lower in HP and AP than in HNP and ANP subjects, respectively (2.01 [1.81-2.38] and 2.39 [2.07-2.69] vs. 2.60 [1.82-3.49] and 2.84 [2.33-3.72] ng/mL, respectively, p = 0.0001). suPAR and airway resistance correlated in ANP (r = 0.47, p = 0.004). ROC analysis of suPAR values in ANP patients with PEF above and below 80% yielded an AUC of 0.75 (95% CI: 0.57-0.92, p = 0.023) and with ACT total score above and below 20 an AUC of 0.80 (95% CI: 0.64-0.95, p = 0.006). The cut-off value of suPAR to discriminate between controlled and not controlled AP and ANP was 4.04 ng/mL. In conclusion, suPAR may help the objective assessment of asthma control, since it correlates with airway resistance and has good sensitivity in the detection of impaired asthma control. Decrease in circulating suPAR levels detected both in healthy and asthmatic pregnant women presumably represents pregnancy induced immune tolerance

Genetic polymorphisms in DNA repair and damage response genes and late normal tissue complications of radiotherapy for breast cancer

Breast-conserving surgery followed by radiotherapy is effective in reducing recurrence; however, telangiectasia and fibrosis can occur as late skin side effects. As radiotherapy acts through producing DNA damage, we investigated whether genetic variation in DNA repair and damage response confers increased susceptibility to develop late normal skin complications. Breast cancer patients who received radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery were examined for late complications of radiotherapy after a median follow-up time of 51 months. Polymorphisms in genes involved in DNA repair (APEX1, XRCC1, XRCC2, XRCC3, XPD) and damage response (TP53, P21) were determined. Associations between telangiectasia and genotypes were assessed among 409 patients, using multivariate logistic regression. A total of 131 patients presented with telangiectasia and 28 patients with fibrosis. Patients with variant TP53 genotypes either for the Arg72Pro or the PIN3 polymorphism were at increased risk of telangiectasia. The odds ratios (OR) were 1.66 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02–2.72) for 72Pro carriers and 1.95 (95% CI: 1.13–3.35) for PIN3 A2 allele carriers compared with non-carriers. The TP53 haplotype containing both variant alleles was associated with almost a two-fold increase in risk (OR 1.97, 95% CI: 1.11–3.52) for telangiectasia. Variants in the TP53 gene may therefore modify the risk of late skin toxicity after radiotherapy

An ode to fetal, infant, and toddler neuroimaging: chronicling early clinical to research applications with MRI, and an introduction to an academic society connecting the field

Fetal, infant, and toddler neuroimaging is commonly thought of as a development of modern times (last two decades). Yet, this field mobilized shortly after the discovery and implementation of MRI technology. Here, we provide a review of the parallel advancements in the fields of fetal, infant, and toddler neuroimaging, noting the shifts from clinical to research use, and the ongoing challenges in this fast-growing field. We chronicle the pioneering science of fetal, infant, and toddler neuroimaging, highlighting the early studies that set the stage for modern advances in imaging during this developmental period, and the large-scale multi-site efforts which ultimately led to the explosion of interest in the field today. Lastly, we consider the growing pains of the community and the need for an academic society that bridges expertise in developmental neuroscience, clinical science, as well as computational and biomedical engineering, to ensure special consideration of the vulnerable mother-offspring dyad (especially during pregnancy), data quality, and image processing tools that are created, rather than adapted, for the young brain.UL1 TR001863 - NCATS NIH HHS; R01 MH117983 - NIMH NIH HHS; K24 MH127381 - NIMH NIH HHS; UL1 TR001873 - NCATS NIH HHS; TL1 TR001875 - NCATS NIH HHS; T32 MH018268 - NIMH NIH HHS; ZIA MH002782 - Intramural NIH HHS; UL1 TR003015 - NCATS NIH HHS; KL2 TR003016 - NCATS NIH HHS; R01 HD065762 - NICHD NIH HHS; R03 EB022754 - NIBIB NIH HHS; R21 HD095338 - NICHD NIH HHS; R01 HD093578 - NICHD NIH HHS; R01 HD099846 - NICHD NIH HHS; R01 HD100560 - NICHD NIH HHSPublished versio

Lack of Association of SULT1A1 R213H Polymorphism with Colorectal Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND: A number of case-control studies were conducted to investigate the association of SULT1A1 R213H polymorphisms with colorectal cancer (CRC) in humans. But the results were not always consistent. We performed a meta-analysis to examine the association between the SULT1A1 R213H polymorphism and CRC. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Data were collected from the following electronic databases: PubMed, Elsevier Science Direct, Excerpta Medica Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, with the last report up to September 2010. A total of 12 studies including 3,549 cases and 5,610 controls based on the search criteria were involved in this meta-analysis. Overall, no significant association of this polymorphism with CRC was found (H versus R: OR = 1.04, 95%CI = 0.94-1.16, P = 0.46; HR+HH versus RR: OR = 1.01, 95%CI = 0.92-1.11, P = 0.81; HH versus RR+HR: OR = 1.01, 95%CI = 0.74-1.38, P = 0.95; HH versus RR: OR = 1.00, 95%CI = 0.77-1.31, P = 0.98; HR versus RR: OR = 1.01, 95%CI = 0.92-1.11, P = 0.86). In subgroup analysis, we also did not find any significant association in Cauasians (H versus R: OR = 1.02, 95%CI = 0.92-1.15, P = 0.68; HR+HH versus RR: OR = 0.99, 95%CI = 0.91-1.09, P = 0.90; HH versus RR+HR: OR = 1.01, 95%CI = 0.73-1.39, P = 0.97; HH versus RR: OR = 0.99, 95%CI = 0.75-1.31, P = 0.94; HR versus RR: OR = 0.99, 95%CI = 0.90-1.09, P = 0.85). The results were not materially altered after the studies which did not fulfill Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were excluded (H versus R: OR = 1.06, 95%CI = 0.95-1.19, P = 0.31; HR+HH versus RR: OR = 1.03, 95%CI = 0.93-1.13, P = 0.56; HH versus RR+HR: OR = 1.10, 95%CI = 0.78-1.56, P = 0.57; HH versus RR: OR = 1.09, 95%CI = 0.83-1.44, P = 0.53; HR versus RR: OR = 1.02, 95%CI = 0.92-1.13, P = 0.75). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis demonstrates that there is no association between the SULT1A1 R213H polymorphism and CRC