Does the CEO elite education affect firm hedging policies?

This paper studies the relationship between CEO elite education and firm hedging decisions. It uses the particular specificities of the French post-secondary educational institutions to examine the effect of CEO educational background on the use of foreign currency derivatives. The results show a positive and significant relationship between education quality and derivatives use. Neither the level nor the type of education has any significant effect. The results also show that the use of derivatives enhances firm performance only when CEOs are from elite institutions. These results are robust to a battery of tests that involve alternative estimation techniques, the use of different subsamples, additional control variables, and control for endogeneity and selection bias

SU(5) grand unification on a domain-wall brane from an E_6-invariant action

An SU(5) grand unification scheme for effective 3+1-dimensional fields dynamically localised on a domain-wall brane is constructed. This is achieved through the confluence of the clash-of-symmetries mechanism for symmetry breaking through domain-wall formation, and the Dvali-Shifman gauge-boson localisation idea. It requires an E_6 gauge-invariant action, yielding a domain-wall solution that has E_6 broken to differently embedded SO(10) x U(1) subgroups in the two bulk regions on opposite sides of the wall. On the wall itself, the unbroken symmetry is the intersection of the two bulk subgroups, and contains SU(5). A 4+1-dimensional fermion family in the 27 of E_6 gives rise to localised left-handed zero-modes in the 5^* + 10 + 1 + 1 representation of SU(5). The remaining ten fermion components of the 27 are delocalised exotic states, not appearing in the effective 3+1-dimensional theory on the domain-wall brane. The scheme is compatible with the type-2 Randall-Sundrum mechanism for graviton localisation; the single extra dimension is infinite.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures. Minor changes to text and references. To appear in Phys. Rev.

Wasting and associated factors among children under 5 years in five South Asian countries (2014-2018) : analysis of demographic health surveys

Child wasting continues to be a major public health concern in South Asia, having a prevalence above the emergency threshold. This paper aimed to identify factors associated with wasting among children aged 0–23 months, 24–59 months, and 0–59 months in South Asia. A weighted sample of 564,518 children aged 0–59 months from the most recent demographic and health surveys (2014–2018) of five countries in South Asia was combined. Multiple logistic regression analyses that adjusted for clustering and sampling weights were used to examine associated factors. Wasting prevalence was higher for children aged 0–23 months (25%) as compared to 24–59 months (18%), with variations in prevalence across the South Asian countries. The most common factor associated with child wasting was maternal BMI [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for 0–23 months = 2.02; 95% CI: (1.52, 2.68); AOR for 24–59 months = 2.54; 95% CI: (1.83, 3.54); AOR for 0–59 months = 2.18; 95% CI: (1.72, 2.77)]. Other factors included maternal height and age, household wealth index, birth interval and order, children born at home, and access to antenatal visits. Study findings suggest need for nutrition specific and sensitive interventions focused on women, as well as adolescents and children under 2 years of age

Factors associated with stunting among children under 5 years in five South Asian countries (2014-2018) : analysis of Demographic Health Surveys

South Asia continues to be the global hub for child undernutrition with 35% of children still stunted in 2017. This paper aimed to identify factors associated with stunting among children aged 0–23 months, 24–59 months, and 0–59 months in South Asia. A weighted sample of 564,518 children aged 0–59 months from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (2014–2018) was combined of five countries in South Asia. Multiple logistic regression analyses that adjusted for clustering and sampling weights were used to examine associated factors. The common factors associated with stunting in three age groups were mothers with no schooling ([adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for 0–23 months = 1.65; 95% CI: (1.29, 2.13)]; [AOR for 24–59 months = AOR = 1.46; 95% CI: (1.27, 1.69)] and [AOR for 0–59 months = AOR = 1.59; 95% CI: (1.34, 1. 88)]) and maternal short stature (height < 150 cm) ([AOR for 0–23 months = 2.00; 95% CI: (1.51, 2.65)]; [AOR for 24–59 months = 3.63; 95% CI: (2.87, 4.60)] and [AOR for 0–59 months = 2.87; 95% CI: (2.37, 3.48)]). Study findings suggest the need for a balanced and integrated nutrition strategy that incorporates nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions with an increased focus on interventions for children aged 24–59 months

Past drivers of and priorities for child undernutrition in South Asia : a mixed methods systematic review protocol

BACKGROUND: South Asia has one of the largest proportions of undernourished children in the world, especially stunting, wasting, and underweight as well as micronutrient deficiencies such as the deficiency of iron, vitamin A, and zinc. Undernutrition continues to pose a major threat to this region's economic and social growth. This systematic review aims to assess the drivers and identify priorities for child undernutrition in South Asia. It aims to appraise, synthesise, and summarise literature to create an evidence base that looks at multiple faces of macro and micro child undernutrition in South Asia. METHODS: A systematic review of published and grey literature on child undernutrition, including macro and micronutrient deficiencies, in South Asia covering the period January 2000 to September 2019 will be undertaken. Studies with all relevant study designs and those published in English will be considered for inclusion. Five academic databases will be searched: CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus, in addition to various grey literature sources. The analysis will incorporate a narrative synthesis, meta-ethnography or a meta-analysis as appropriate, depending on the nature of the retrieved data. Quality of the included studies will be assessed by validated tools. The UNICEF conceptual framework on child undernutrition will be used to frame findings. DISCUSSION: This protocol is guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. The protocol gives an insight into the scope and parameters for the systematic review to be carried out. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: The protocol was registered by the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews, reference CRD42018112696

SALTWATER – FRESHWATER WETLAND ECOSYSTEM AND URBAN LAND USE CHANGE IN PORT HARCOURT METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

Urban development in wetland ecosystems for human settlement, transport networks, exploration /exploitation of natural resources, agriculture and industrial development is one of the biggest menace to wetland change and management. To estimate future urban expansion is very crucial for urban planners and environmental managers in fastest growing cities. This study aims to examine the saltwater/freshwater ecosystem and urban land use change in Port Harcourt metropolis, Nigeria. Sources of data for this study were acquired from a time series of landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) with Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) images were used to derive land use and land cover maps of the Port-Harcourt metropolis. This study revealed that both freshwater wetland and saltwater wetlands ecosystem occupied 46.99% (18837.1 Ha) of the total classes. This may be the result of wetland being in an undisturbed nature without any conversion or alteration for use. The urban land use change of PortHarcourt metropolis had changed dramatically during the period of 29 years. The two wetlands (saltwater and freshwater wetland) sum up to a total of 40% (16497.5 Ha) which indicates that there is pressure on wetland use such as plant products harvested from fuel wood, human settlement, urban agriculture, sand dredging, sanitation, water pollution and industrial activities from oil companies within the metropolis. Efforts should be made to increase knowledge, sensitization, consultation, stakeholder’s participation and awareness on the wetlands values and wise use economy through dissemination of information, using appropriate techniques and training of adequate staff as well as the need for sound wetland policies, laws and legislation for sustainable use, management and control in conservation of wetland

The gene regulatory basis of genetic compensation during neural crest induction.

The neural crest (NC) is a vertebrate-specific cell type that contributes to a wide range of different tissues across all three germ layers. The gene regulatory network (GRN) responsible for the formation of neural crest is conserved across vertebrates. Central to the induction of the NC GRN are AP-2 and SoxE transcription factors. NC induction robustness is ensured through the ability of some of these transcription factors to compensate loss of function of gene family members. However the gene regulatory events underlying compensation are poorly understood. We have used gene knockout and RNA sequencing strategies to dissect NC induction and compensation in zebrafish. We genetically ablate the NC using double mutants of tfap2a;tfap2c or remove specific subsets of the NC with sox10 and mitfa knockouts and characterise genome-wide gene expression levels across multiple time points. We find that compensation through a single wild-type allele of tfap2c is capable of maintaining early NC induction and differentiation in the absence of tfap2a function, but many target genes have abnormal expression levels and therefore show sensitivity to the reduced tfap2 dosage. This separation of morphological and molecular phenotypes identifies a core set of genes required for early NC development. We also identify the 15 somites stage as the peak of the molecular phenotype which strongly diminishes at 24 hpf even as the morphological phenotype becomes more apparent. Using gene knockouts, we associate previously uncharacterised genes with pigment cell development and establish a role for maternal Hippo signalling in melanocyte differentiation. This work extends and refines the NC GRN while also uncovering the transcriptional basis of genetic compensation via paralogues

Heating up the cold bounce

Self-dual string cosmological models provide an effective example of bouncing solutions where a phase of accelerated contraction smoothly evolves into an epoch of decelerated Friedmann--Robertson--Walker expansion dominated by the dilaton. While the transition to the expanding regime occurs at sub-Planckian curvature scales, the Universe emerging after the bounce is cold, with sharply growing gauge coupling. However, since massless gauge bosons (as well as other massless fields) are super-adiabatically amplified, the energy density of the maximally amplified modes re-entering the horizon after the bounce can efficiently heat the Universe. As a consequence the gauge coupling reaches a constant value, which can still be perturbative.Comment: 28 pages, 13 figure

CARP-1 Functional Mimetics Are a Novel Class of Small Molecule Inhibitors of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Cells

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an asbestos-related thoracic malignancy that is characterized by late metastases, and resistance to therapeutic modalities. The toxic side-effects of MPM therapies often limit their clinical effectiveness, thus necessitating development of new agents to effectively treat and manage this disease in clinic. CARP-1 functional mimetics (CFMs) are a novel class of compounds that inhibit growth of diverse cancer cell types. Here we investigated MPM cell growth suppression by the CFMs and the molecular mechanisms involved. CFM-1, -4, and -5 inhibited MPM cell growth, in vitro, in part by stimulating apoptosis. Apoptosis by CFM-4 involved activation of pro-apoptotic stress-activated protein kinases (SAPKs) p38 and JNK, elevated CARP-1 expression, cleavage of PARP1, and loss of the oncogene c-myc as well as mitotic cyclin B1. Treatments of MPM cells with CFM-4 resulted in depletion of NF-κB signaling inhibitor ABIN1 and Inhibitory κB (IκB)α and β, while increasing expression of pro-apoptotic death receptor (DR) 4 protein. CFM-4 enhanced expression of serine-phosphorylated podoplanin and cleavage of vimetin. CFMs also attenuated biological properties of the MPM cells by blocking their abilities to migrate, form colonies in suspension, and invade through the matrix-coated membranes. Both podoplanin and vimentin regulate processes of cell motility and invasion, and their expression often correlates with metastatic disease, and poor prognosis. The fact that phosphorylation of serines in the cytoplasmic domain of podoplanin interferes with processes of cellular motility, CFM-4-dependent elevated phosphorylated podoplanin and cleavage of vimentin underscore a metastasis inhibitory property of these compounds, and suggest that CFMs and/or their future analogs have potential as anti-MPM agents