What makes a country attractive to foreign investors? To what extent do conditions of governance and politics matter? This book provides the most systematic exploration to date of these crucial ...questions at the nexus of politics and economics. Using quantitative data and interviews with investment promotion agencies, investment location consultants, political risk insurers, and decision makers at multinational corporations, Nathan Jensen arrives at a surprising conclusion: Countries may be competing for international capital, but government fiscal policy--both taxation and spending--has little impact on multinationals' investment decisions.
Although government policy has a limited ability to determine patterns of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, political institutions are central to explaining why some countries are more successful in attracting international capital. First, democratic institutions lower political risks for multinational corporations. Indeed, they lead to massive amounts of foreign direct investment. Second, politically federal institutions, in contrast to fiscally federal institutions, lower political risks for multinationals and allow host countries to attract higher levels of FDI inflows. Third, the International Monetary Fund, often cited as a catalyst for promoting foreign investment, actually deters multinationals from investment in countries under IMF programs. Even after controlling for the factors that lead countries to seek IMF support, IMF agreements are associated with much lower levels of FDI inflows.
Pincer complexes are formed by the binding of a chemical structure to a metal atom with at least one carbon-metal bond. Usually the metal atom has three bonds to a chemical backbone, enclosing the ...atom like a pincer. The resulting structure protects the metal atom and gives it unique properties.The last decade has witnessed the continuous growth in the development of pincer complexes. These species have passed from being curiosity compounds to chemical chameleons able to perform a wide variety of applications. Their unique metal bound structures provide some of the most active catalysts yet known for organic transformations involving the activation of bonds. The Chemistry of Pincer Compounds details use of pincer compounds including homogeneous catalysis, enantioselective organic transformations, the activation of strong bonds, the biological importance of pincer compounds as potential therapeutic or pharmaceutical agents, dendrimeric and supported materials.
* Describes the chemistry and applications of this important class of organometallic and coordination compounds* Covers the areas in which pincer complexes have had an impact* Includes information on more recent and interesting pincer compounds not just those that are well-known
While commonly known for degradation of the extracellular matrix, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) exhibit broad potential for use in targeting of bioactive and imaging agents in cancer treatment. ...MMPs are upregulated at all stages of expression in cancers. A comprehensive analysis of published literature on expression of all MMP subtypes at the genetic, protein, and activity levels in normal and diseased tissues indicate targeting applicability in a variety of cancers. This expression significantly increases at advanced cancer stages, providing an improved opportunity for controlled release in higher-stage patients. Since MMPs are integral at every stage of metastasis, MMP roles in cancer are discussed with a focus on MMP distribution and mobility within cells and tumors for cancer targeting applications. Several strategies for MMP utilization in targeting - such as matrix degradation, MMP cleavage, MMP binding, and MMP-induced environmental changes - are addressed.
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Abstract Background This study evaluates persistence and severity of docetaxel-induced neuropathy (peripheral neuropathy (PN)) and impact on health related quality of life in survivors from ...early-stage breast cancer. Methods One thousand and thirty-one patients with early-stage breast cancer, who received at least one cycle of docetaxel and provided information on PN during treatment, completed questionnaires on PN as an outcome (Common Toxicity Criteria (CTC) scores, European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy 20 (EORTC CIPN20) and EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ)-C30) after 1–3 years. Findings Upon completion of docetaxel treatment, 241 patients (23%) reported PN, grades 2–4. PN persisted for 1–3 years among 81 (34%) while PN regressed to grades 0–1 among 160 (66%). Among 790 patients (77%) without PN, 76 (10%) developed PN 1–3 years later while 714 (90%) stayed free from PN. Significant risk factors for persistent PN were age ⩾55 ( p = 0.001), maximum grade of PN during docetaxel treatment ( p < 0.0001), persistent muscle and joint pain ( p < 0.0001), stomatitis ( p = 0.047) and fatigue ( p = 0.001). Persistent PN had a significant negative correlation with health-related quality of life (HRQOL), functional scales and symptom scales. Interpretations Overall, 15% of breast cancer survivors treated with docetaxel report PN 1–3 years after treatment with a significant negative impact on HRQOL.
This study was conducted to determine the frequency of PIK3CA mutations and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) phosphorylation status (pHER2-Tyr1221/1222) and if PIK3CA, phosphatase and ...tensin homolog (PTEN), or pHER2 has an impact on outcome in HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy and trastuzumab.
Two hundred and forty HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant treatment (cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2, epirubicin 60 mg/m2, and fluorouracil 600 mg/m2) before administration of 1 year trastuzumab were assessable. PTEN and pHER2 expression were assessed by immunohistochemistry. PIK3CA mutations (exons 9 and 20) were determined by pyrosequencing.
Five-year overall survival (OS) and invasive disease-free survival were 87.8% and 81.0%, respectively. Twenty-six percent of patients had a PIK3CA mutation, 24% were PTEN low, 45% pHER2 high, and 47% patients had increased PI3K pathway activation (PTEN low and/or PIK3CA mutation). No significant correlations were observed between the clinicopathological variables and PIK3CA, PTEN, and pHER2 status. In both univariate and multivariate analyses, patients with PIK3CA mutations or high PI3K pathway activity had a significant worse OS multivariate: hazard ratio (HR) 2.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01–4.51, P = 0.046; and HR 2.35, 95% CI 1.10–5.04, P = 0.03.
Patients with PIK3CA mutations or increased PI3K pathway activity had a significantly poorer survival despite adequate treatment with adjuvant chemotherapy and trastuzumab.
Aims
Hypoglycaemia presents a barrier to optimum diabetes management but data are limited on the frequency of hypoglycaemia incidents outside of clinical trials. The present study investigated the ...rates of self‐reported non‐severe hypoglycaemic events, hypoglycaemia awareness and physician discussion of events in people with Type 1 diabetes mellitus or insulin‐treated Type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Methods
People in seven European countries aged >15 years with Type 1 diabetes or insulin–treated Type 2 diabetes (basal‐only, basal‐bolus and other insulin regimens) were recruited via consumer panels, nurses, telephone recruitment and family referrals. Respondents completed four online questionnaires. The first questionnaire collected background information on demographics and hypoglycaemia‐related behaviour, whilst all four questionnaires collected data on non‐severe hypoglycaemic events in the preceding 7 days.
Results
Analysis was based on 11 440 respondent‐weeks from 3827 respondents. All participants completed the first questionnaire and 57% completed all four. The mean number of events/respondent–week was 1.8 (Type 1 diabetes) and 0.4–0.7 (Type 2 diabetes, with different insulin treatments) corresponding to annual event rates of 94 and 21–36, respectively. A total of 63% of respondents with Type 1 diabetes and 49–64% of respondents with Type 2 diabetes, treated with different insulin regimens, who experienced hypoglycaemic events, reported impaired hypoglycaemia awareness or unawareness. A high proportion of respondents rarely or never informed their general practitioner/specialist about hypoglycaemia: 65% (Type 1 diabetes) and 50–59% (Type 2 diabetes). Overall, 16% of respondents with Type 1 diabetes and 26% of respondents with Type 2 diabetes reported not being asked about hypoglycaemia during routine appointments.
Conclusion
Non‐severe hypoglycaemic events are common amongst people with Type 1 diabetes and insulin–treated Type 2 diabetes in real‐world settings. Many rarely or never inform their general practitioner/specialist about their hypoglycaemia and the real burden of hypoglycaemia may be underestimated.
What's new?
Limited data exist on the frequency of non‐severe hypoglycaemic events in people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes in real‐world practice, as non‐severe hypoglycaemic events, by definition, do not require healthcare professional interactions (are not routinely registered).
The frequency of non‐severe hypoglycaemic events in real‐world practice may differ from that observed in clinical trials because of the characteristics of clinical trial designs.
To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the frequency of non‐severe hypoglycaemic events in real‐world practice in the seven countries involved in our study.
Non‐severe hypoglycaemic events are common amongst people with Type 1 or insulin‐treated Type 2 diabetes.
Many people with diabetes rarely or never inform their general practitioner/specialist about their hypoglycaemia and the real burden may be underestimated.
The causal direction between asthma and lung function deficit is unknown, but important for the focus of preventive measures and research into the origins of asthma.
To analyze the interaction ...between lung function development and asthma from birth to 7 years of age.
The Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood is a prospective clinical study of a birth cohort of 411 at-risk children. Spirometry was completed in 403 (98%) neonates and again by age 7 in 317 children (77%).
Neonatal spirometry and bronchial responsiveness to methacholine was measured during sedation by forced flow-volume measurements. Asthma was diagnosed prospectively from daily diary cards and clinic visits every 6 months. Children with asthma by age 7 (14%) already had a significant airflow deficit as neonates (forced expiratory flow at 50% of vital capacity second in neonates reduced by 0.34 z score by 1 mo; P = 0.03). This deficit progressed significantly during early childhood (forced expiratory flow at 0.5 seconds in neonates at age 7 reduced by 0.82 z score by age 7; P < 0.0001), suggesting that approximately 40% of the airflow deficit associated with asthma is present at birth, whereas 60% develops with clinical disease. Environmental tobacco exposure, but not allergic sensitization, also hampered airflow growth. Bronchial responsiveness to methacholine in the neonates was associated with the development of asthma (P = 0.01).
Children developing asthma by age 7 had a lung function deficit and increased bronchial responsiveness as neonates. This lung function deficit progressed to age 7. Therefore, research into the origins and prevention of asthma should consider early life before and after birth.
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