Testing the Sentiment-Scaled CAPM Model in China: Evidence from the Shanghai Stock Exchange

Purpose The purpose of this study is to use investor sentiment as a conditional variable in the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and test the validity of this sentiment-scaled CAPM by conducting cross-sectional return tests on Shanghai Stock Exchange. Data For all the stocks listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (A shares) for the period of July 2001 to July 2020, monthly transaction and valuation data was obtained from the CSMAR database. Methodology Fama-Macbeth cross-sectional tests on CAPM, Fama-French three-factor model and sentiment-scaled CAPM using the 25 size and book-to-market ratio sorted portfolio returns. The factors and portfolios are constructed according to the steps in Fama and French (1993) with python. Findings Results reveal that investor sentiment as a conditional variable contains significant information for explaining the cross-section of stock returns. The coefficient estimates and adjusted R2 are slightly different from previous studies, which implies the distinction between different stock markets and the need to conduct further research on sentiment scaled asset pricing models in developing stock markets

The potential role of the orexin system in premenstrual syndrome

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) occurs recurrently during the luteal phase of a woman’s menstrual cycle and disappears after menstruation ends. It is characterized by abnormal changes in both the body and mood, and in certain cases, severe disruptions in daily life and even suicidal tendencies. Current drugs for treating PMS, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, do not yield satisfactory results. Orexin, a neuropeptide produced in the lateral hypothalamus, is garnering attention in the treatment of neurological disorders and is believed to modulate the symptoms of PMS. This paper reviews the advancements in research on sleep disturbances, mood changes, and cognitive impairment caused by PMS, and suggests potential pathways for orexin to address these symptoms. Furthermore, it delves into the role of orexin in the molecular mechanisms underlying PMS. Orexin regulates steroid hormones, and the cyclic fluctuations of estrogen and progesterone play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of PMS. Additionally, orexin also modulates the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system and the inflammatory response involved in coordinating the mechanism of PMS. Unraveling the role of orexin in the pathogenesis of PMS will not only aid in understanding the etiology of PMS but also hold implications for orexin as a novel target for treating PMS

MicroRNA-181a Functions as an Oncogene in Gastric Cancer by Targeting Caprin-1

MicroRNA-181a (miRNA-181a) is a multifaceted miRNA implicated in various cellular processes, particularly in cell fate determination and cellular invasion. It is frequently expressed aberrantly in human tumors and shows opposing functions in different types of cancers. In this study, we found that miRNA-181a is overexpressed in Gastric cancer (GC) tissues. Clinical and pathological analyses revealed that the expression of miRNA-181a is correlated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and TNM stage. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that overexpression of miRNA-181a is associated with poor overall survival of patients with GC. Moreover, miRNA-181a is overexpressed in GC cells, and downregulation of miRNA-181a induced cell apoptosis and suppressed the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of GC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Target prediction and luciferase reporter assay showed that caprin-1 was a direct target of miRNA-181a. Downregulation of caprin-1 expression resulted in a converse change with miRNA-181a in GC. Spearman’s correlation test confirmed that the expression of miRNA-181a expression was inversely correlated with that of caprin-1 in GC cells. Furthermore, the expression of caprin-1 increased after downregulation of miRNA-181a in the GC cells. Caprin-1 siRNA can rescue the oncogenic effect of miRNA-181a on GC cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. These findings suggest that miRNA-181a directly inhibits caprin-1 and promotes GC development. miRNA-181a could be a target for anticancer drug development

A trehalose biosynthetic enzyme doubles as an osmotic stress sensor to regulate bacterial morphogenesis

The dissacharide trehalose is an important intracellular osmoprotectant and the OtsA/B pathway is the principal pathway for trehalose biosynthesis in a wide range of bacterial species. Scaffolding proteins and other cytoskeletal elements play an essential role in morphogenetic processes in bacteria. Here we describe how OtsA, in addition to its role in trehalose biosynthesis, functions as an osmotic stress sensor to regulate cell morphology in Arthrobacter strain A3. In response to osmotic stress, this and other Arthrobacter species undergo a transition from bacillary to myceloid growth. An otsA null mutant exhibits constitutive myceloid growth. Osmotic stress leads to a depletion of trehalose-6-phosphate, the product of the OtsA enzyme, and experimental depletion of this metabolite also leads to constitutive myceloid growth independent of OtsA function. In vitro analyses indicate that OtsA can self-assemble into protein networks, promoted by trehalose-6-phosphate, a property that is not shared by the equivalent enzyme from E. coli, despite the latter's enzymatic activity when expressed in Arthrobacter. This, and the localization of the protein in non-stressed cells at the mid-cell and poles, indicates that OtsA from Arthrobacter likely functions as a cytoskeletal element regulating cell morphology. Recruiting a biosynthetic enzyme for this morphogenetic function represents an intriguing adaptation in bacteria that can survive in extreme environments

Testing the Sentiment-Scaled CAPM Model in China: Evidence from the Shanghai Stock Exchange

Purpose The purpose of this study is to use investor sentiment as a conditional variable in the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and test the validity of this sentiment-scaled CAPM by conducting cross-sectional return tests on Shanghai Stock Exchange. Data For all the stocks listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (A shares) for the period of July 2001 to July 2020, monthly transaction and valuation data was obtained from the CSMAR database. Methodology Fama-Macbeth cross-sectional tests on CAPM, Fama-French three-factor model and sentiment-scaled CAPM using the 25 size and book-to-market ratio sorted portfolio returns. The factors and portfolios are constructed according to the steps in Fama and French (1993) with python. Findings Results reveal that investor sentiment as a conditional variable contains significant information for explaining the cross-section of stock returns. The coefficient estimates and adjusted R2 are slightly different from previous studies, which implies the distinction between different stock markets and the need to conduct further research on sentiment scaled asset pricing models in developing stock markets

Circular RNA hsa_circ_0007121 regulates proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition of trophoblast cells by miR-182-5p/PGF axis in preeclampsia

Mounting evidence has revealed that abnormal expression of circular RNAs play pivotal roles in many human diseases including preeclampsia (PE). While human sapiens circular RNA 0007121 (hsa_circ_0007121) has been verified to be downregulated in human placental tissues, the underlying mechanisms were still unclear. This research aims to investigate the effect and underlying mechanisms of hsa_circ_0007121 in preeclampsia

Preparation of Fe-Doped TiO2 Nanotubes and Their Photocatalytic Activities under Visible Light

Fe-doped TiO2 nanotubes (Fe-TNTs) have been prepared by ultrasonic-assisted hydrothermal method. The structure and composition of the as-prepared TiO2 nanotubes were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and UV-Visible absorption spectroscopy. Their photocatalytic activities were evaluated by the degradation of MO under visible light. The UV-visible absorption spectra of the Fe-TNT showed a red shift and an enhancement of the absorption in the visible region compared to the pure TNT. The Fe-TNTs were provided with good photocatalytic activities and photostability and under visible light irradiation, and the optimum molar ratio of Ti : Fe was found to be 100 : 1 in our experiments

Stimuli-responsive nanoparticles based on co-assembly of naturally-occurring biomacromolecules for in vitro photodynamic therapy

Nanomaterials constructed by self-assembly of biomolecules are of particular interest as drug delivery carriers in biomedicine. However, supramolecular construction of nanoparticles by self-assembly of highly hydrophilic biomolecules such as hyaluronic acid still remains a formidable challenge due to their water solubility. Herein, we propose a strategy to fabricate stable nanoparticles by self-assembly of hyaluronic acid without the need of modification by hydrophobic groups. This strategy involves the electrostatic assembly of hyaluronic acid and naturally produced epsilon-polylysine and the in situ crosslinking by disulfide bonds. The resulting nanoparticles have the advantages of resistance to dilution, tunable size and surface charge, and efficient encapsulation of Chlorin e6 (Ce6), a photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy (PDT). In addition, the release of Ce6 from the nanoparticles is synergistically responsive to variations of pH and GSH levels. In vitro experiments reveal that the Ce6-loaded nanoparticles exhibit enhanced cellular uptake, improved phototoxicity, and unaltered biocompatibility as compared to unencapsulated Ce6, demonstrating that the nanoparticles constructed by self-assembly of hyaluronic acid are efficient and biocompatible drug delivery carriers for PDT agents.</p