Stakeholder Orientation and Corporate Payout Policy: Insights from State Legal Shocks

We employ a difference-in-differences estimation approach to examine the impact of stakeholder orientation on corporate payout policy. The empirical test exploits the enactment of US state-level constituency statutes, which allow directors to consider stakeholders and long-term interests in corporate decision making. We find that firms incorporated in states that have adopted constituency statutes significantly reduce share repurchases, whereas the effects of statute enactment on total payout and dividend payments are marginal and insignificant, respectively. We further show that the negative statute effect on share repurchases is more pronounced for firms that are in financial distress or are close to default, and firms in consumer-focused and high-polluting industries. Overall, our findings indicate that promoting stakeholder orientation can have a significant impact on corporate payout decisions

Gender Influence of Personality on Adolescents’ Social Media Engagement

Based on a survey of college students in Shaanxi Province, this study found that there are significant gender differences in the influence of adolescent personality on social media engagement. In terms of behavioral engagement, male extraversion personality traits have a significant predictive effect on behavioral engagement. Extraversion personality has no significant influence on behavior engagement. Therefore, the influence of adolescents’ use of social media on individual growth and mental health development should consider gender differences

Stakeholder orientation and corporate payout policy: Insights from state legal shocks

We employ a difference-in-differences estimation approach to examine the impact of stakeholder orientation on corporate payout policy. The empirical test exploits the enactment of US state-level constituency statutes, which allow directors to consider stakeholders and long-term interests in corporate decision making. We find that firms incorporated in states that have adopted constituency statutes significantly reduce share repurchases, whereas the effects of statute enactment on total payout and dividend payments are marginal and insignificant, respectively. We further show that the negative statute effect on share repurchases is more pronounced for firms that are in financial distress or are close to default, and firms in consumer-focused and high-polluting industries. Overall, our findings indicate that promoting stakeholder orientation can have a significant impact on corporate payout decisions

Wedelolactone ameliorates synovial inflammation and cardiac complications in a murine model of collagen-induced arthritis by inhibiting NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammasome activation

Introduction. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder associated with joint damage and attendant cardiovascular complications. Wedelolactone (Wed), derived from Eclipta alba, possesses anti-inflammatory activity. Whether Wed regulates RA inflammation and related heart damage remains unknown. Material and methods. A murine model of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) was well-established by two subcutaneous injections of type II collagen (days 0 and 21). Wed was then administered via intraperitoneal injection every other day from day 28 to day 48. Joint swelling was monitored and paw thickness was calculated. Histopathological changes in synovial tissues or ankle cartilage were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Safranin O-Fast Green staining. The concentrations of inflammatory factors in serum and synovial tissues were detected by ELISA. The qRT-PCR, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and immunofluorescence (IF) were performed to assess receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa ligand (RANKL), matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-3, NLRP3, caspase-1 (pro- and cleaved forms), p-p65, IκBα, p-IκBα, p65, αsmooth-actin 2 (ACTA2), collagen type I and E-cadherin expression. H&E and Masson staining were used to assess the pathological alterations in the heart. Results. Treatment with Wed ameliorated ankle joint swelling and cartilage degradation. Wed decreased the infiltration of inflammatory cells, the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-18), and the expression of RANKL and MMP-3 in serum and synovial tissues of CIA mice. Moreover, Wed increased the expression of NLRP3 and cleaved-caspase-1 in the synovium, leading to IL-1β and IL-18 secretion. Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) activation in synovial tissues was suppressed by Wed, as manifested by reduced phosphorylation of p65 and IκBα and nuclear translocation of p65. Furthermore, Wed reduced in CIA mice heart weight/body weight ratio and dampened cardiac inflammation and fibrosis that was accompanied at the mRNA level by down-regulation of ACTA2 and collagen I and up-regulation of E-cadherin. Conclusions. These findings suggested that Wed attenuated synovial inflammation and joint damage in a mouse model of RA via inhibiting NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and ameliorated RA-induced cardiac complication

Cu(II)-Assisted Novel Covalent Warheads for Proteome-wide Cysteine Profiling

In the realm of residue-specific labeling of amino acids within the proteome, cysteine (-SH) emerges as a particularly nucleophilic residue and plays a pivotal role in covalent drug discovery. Despite significant strides in targeting cysteine sites, there remains a substantial expanse of unexplored site space. We discovered that a nucleophilic phenol (DBA)/Cu2+ ‘complex’ serves as a potent warhead for traditionally "inert" cysteines. In the context of a general chemoproteomics profiling, the DBA-1 probe exhibits higher reactivity than IAA toward approximately 45% of quantifiable Cys sites. Dose-dependent profiling experiments suggest that Cu2+ may function not only as an oxidizing agent of phenol but also as a chelating agent of polar residues in proteins. Given its reliance on structural characteristics of proteins for site targeting, this novel (DBA)/Cu2+ ‘complex’ fits the scope of ‘structure-based protein profiling’ (SBPP), highlighting the role of metal ion in the design of effective warheads and the virtue of new proteomic microenvironmental chemistry ‘hunting’

sj-tif-1-npx-10.1177_1934578X231204742 - Supplemental material for Isobavachalcone Inhibits Hyperglycemia and Hyperlipemia in Type 2 Diabetes and the Underlying Mechanisms

Supplemental material, sj-tif-1-npx-10.1177_1934578X231204742 for Isobavachalcone Inhibits Hyperglycemia and Hyperlipemia in Type 2 Diabetes and the Underlying Mechanisms by Zhenhong Xia, Xiaoran Liu, Yuqi Li, Zhiqi Li, Feixue Ni, Geng Tian and Wenguo Jiang in Natural Product Communications</p