Institutional investors and post-ICO performance: an empirical analysis of investor returns in initial coin offerings (ICOs)

We examine the role of institutional investors in initial coin offerings (ICOs). Taking a financial investor's perspective, we assess the determinants of post-ICO performance via buy-and-hold abnormal returns (BHAR) in a sample of 565 ICO ventures. Conceptually, we argue that institutional investors' superior screening (selection effect) and coaching abilities (treatment effect) enable them to partly overcome the information asymmetry of the ICO context and extract informational rents from their ICO investments. We find that institutional investor backing is indeed associated with higher post-ICO performance. Disentangling selection and treatment effects econometrically, we find that both of these effects explain the positive impact institutional investors have on post-ICO performance. Overall, our results highlight the importance of institutional investors in the ICO context

The Effect of Cognitive–Behavioral Group Therapy on Menopausal Symptoms

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The common symptoms of menopause are associated with anxiety and discomfort for most women, and this is one of the major healthcare challenges. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of cognitive – behavioral group therapy on menopausal symptoms (primary outcome). METHODS: This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted among 90 menopausal women with health records at two health centers in Tuyserkan in 2016 and were randomly assigned to two groups of intervention and control (45 patients in each group). To perform cognitive – behavioral group therapy, six 90-minute sessions were held for the intervention group for six consecutive weeks. Menopausal symptoms were discussed in each of these sessions based on cognitive techniques such as identifying negative automatic thoughts and behavioral techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing technique. Menopausal symptoms were assessed in both groups using the Greene Climacteric Scale (0 – 63) before the intervention and at the end of the sixth week. To adhere to ethics, the control group received one session of educational counseling after the assessments were done. FINDINGS: There was no statistically significant difference in mean total Greene score between the cognitive– behavioral group (22.78±12.22) and control group (24.8±10.25) before intervention. After the intervention, the mean total Greene score decreased significantly in the cognitive – behavioral group (15.75±7.24) compared to the control group (24.97±9.25) (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results showed that cognitive – behavioral group therapy can decrease menopausal symptoms

Conducting longitudinal research with older widows : Exploring personal communities through multiple methods

This article reports on the process of undertaking a longitudinal multiple methods study with older women experiencing the transition of later life widowhood. A series of three qualitative in depth interviews were conducted with twenty-six older widows in North Staffordshire, United Kingdom. Interviews included the use of personal community diagrams to identify the structure of personal communities, and Christmas and Christmas cards to further explore social relationships and practices during transition. Examples of cases are given to illustrate the findings derived from the methods employed. The cases demonstrate the diverse and often paradoxical nature of social relationships within similar networks

Human MLH1 Protein Participates in Genomic Damage Checkpoint Signaling in Response to DNA Interstrand Crosslinks, while MSH2 Functions in DNA Repair

DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs) are among the most toxic types of damage to a cell. For this reason, many ICL-inducing agents are effective therapeutic agents. For example, cisplatin and nitrogen mustards are used for treating cancer and psoralen plus UVA (PUVA) is useful for treating psoriasis. However, repair mechanisms for ICLs in the human genome are not clearly defined. Previously, we have shown that MSH2, the common subunit of the human MutSα and MutSβ mismatch recognition complexes, plays a role in the error-free repair of psoralen ICLs. We hypothesized that MLH1, the common subunit of human MutL complexes, is also involved in the cellular response to psoralen ICLs. Surprisingly, we instead found that MLH1-deficient human cells are more resistant to psoralen ICLs, in contrast to the sensitivity to these lesions displayed by MSH2-deficient cells. Apoptosis was not as efficiently induced by psoralen ICLs in MLH1-deficient cells as in MLH1-proficient cells as determined by caspase-3/7 activity and binding of annexin V. Strikingly, CHK2 phosphorylation was undetectable in MLH1-deficient cells, and phosphorylation of CHK1 was reduced after PUVA treatment, indicating that MLH1 is involved in signaling psoralen ICL-induced checkpoint activation. Psoralen ICLs can result in mutations near the crosslinked sites; however, MLH1 function was not required for the mutagenic repair of these lesions, and so its signaling function appears to have a role in maintaining genomic stability following exposure to ICL-induced DNA damage. Distinguishing the genetic status of MMR-deficient tumors as MSH2-deficient or MLH1-deficient is thus potentially important in predicting the efficacy of treatment with psoralen and perhaps with other ICL-inducing agents