The optimal dose of simethicone before capsule endoscopy is unknown. Prior studies have reported inconsistent cleansing, with some showing improved visualization only in the proximal small intestine. ...We hypothesized a higher volume of simethicone may improve cleansing and diagnostic yield, especially in the distal small bowel.
A phase III randomized controlled trial was conducted comparing high volume (1125 mg simethicone in 750 ml water) versus standard volume (300 mg simethicone in 200 ml water) solutions, both at 1.5 mg/ml. The primary outcome was adequate bowel preparation, defined as a KOrea-CanaDA (KODA) score >2.25, overall and stratified by the proximal and distal half of the small bowel. Secondary outcomes included mean KODA score, diagnostic yield, completion rate, and adverse events. All analyses were intention-to-treat.
A total of 167 patients were randomized (mean (SD) age 58.7 (15.7), 54% female) and the most common indication was obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (71.7%). Adequate cleansing was achieved in 39 (50%) patients in the high volume group and in 39 (48%) patients in the standard volume group (RR 1.04, 95% CI 0.76-1.43, p = 0.82), with no differences observed in the proximal half (71% vs 64%, p = 0.40) or the distal half -of the small bowel (36% vs. 37%, p = 0.88). There was no differences in the mean (SD) KODA score (2.20 (0.41) vs. 2.18 (0.44), p = 0.73), diagnostic yields (53% vs. 56%, p = 0.71), or completion rates (both 95%). One adverse event, nausea, occurred in the control group.
High volume simethicone does not improve visualization during capsule endoscopy.
Clinical trial: NCT02334631.
This study tests whether international financial reporting standards (IFRS) adoption increased accounting transparency based on model-driven hypotheses. Duffie and Lando Duffie D, Lando D (2001) Term ...structures of credit spreads with incomplete accounting information.
Econometrica
69(3):633–644 show that changes to accounting transparency affect the spread/maturity relation of credit default swap (CDS) instruments in very specific ways. Consistent with their model, we find that CDS spreads are lower across maturities following the adoption of IFRS, and the slope and concavity of the CDS spread/maturity relation are higher. These changes did not occur to the spread/maturity relation of a control sample of CDS instruments. Predicted changes apply more intensely to firms with low pre-IFRS transparency. Overall, this study provides strong evidence that IFRS adoption increased accounting transparency.
This paper was accepted by Mary Barth, accounting
.
Using a comprehensive sample of non-earnings 8-K filings from 2005 to 2013, we examine whether firms strategically report mandatory and voluntary news. In particular, we examine whether firms report ...negative news when investor attention is low and whether they bundle positive and negative news. Our findings support the notion that managers believe in the existence of investor inattention and strategically report negative news after trading hours. These results particularly apply to public firms, where equity market pressures provide stronger incentives to mitigate market reaction to news by exploiting investor inattention. Further analysis of the market reaction to strategic disclosure uncovers no evidence of investor inattention, consistent with market efficiency. We also observe that public firms are more likely to strategically disclose through news bundling and that the likelihood of this increases with the likelihood of strategic disclosure through timing.
The influence of donor-recipient gender mismatch on outcomes after liver transplantation (LT) is controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of donor and recipient gender ...discordance on graft survival.
All patients who underwent primary LT from 1994-2012 at a single-center were identified prospectively. Clinico-demographic data were collected at the time of LT and last follow-up. Gender match included both male donor to male recipient (MM) and female donor to female recipient (FF), while gender mismatch included female donor to male recipient (FM) and male donor to female recipient (MF). Survival curves for graft survival were generated using Kaplan-Meier method and compared by log-rank test. Unadjusted and multivariate adjusted COX regression analyzing graft survival at up to 10 years post-transplant was performed.
A total of 1,042 subjects fulfilled the criteria. Graft survival in patients receiving a donor-recipient gender match was better than those receiving a gender mismatch (P = 0.047). Female-to-male transplants had the worst graft survival of all combinations (P < 0.001); this difference was maintained in multivariate regression after adjustment for recipient and donor variables (hazards ratio 2.09, P = 0.013).
Female-to-male liver transplants are associated with a statistically significant poorer graft survival as compared with other donor-recipient gender groups.
•Wealth derived income is more sensitive to growth than labor income.•Labor income of top groups is more sensitive to growth than that of low groups.•Positive changes in growth are associated with ...increases in income inequality.
The paper analyzes the relation between growth and income inequality in the US during the post-war years (1953–2008). We show that the income of the top income groups is more sensitive to growth, defined broadly as current growth and changes in expectations of future growth, compared to the income of the lower income groups. We provide evidence that this increased sensitivity arises for two reasons: (a) the top income groups receive a large portion of their income from wealth, which is more sensitive to growth than labor income and (b) the top income groups receive a large portion of their labor income in the form of pay-for-performance (equity compensation), which is also sensitive to growth. Consequently, we conclude that growth and income inequality are positively associated.
Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic, progressive, fibrotic bile duct disease. Resultant complications include infection, progressive liver disease and cancer. While diagnosis relies ...extensively on imaging, the role of imaging in determining prognosis is unclear. The aim of this study was to systematically review existing imaging indices and features that predict PSC progression.
We performed a systematic review of imaging features that predict PSC progression. PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Clinicaltrials.gov and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception to November 2018 for relevant studies. Pertinent data were extracted and assessed. Study quality was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS).
The search returned 2504 results. Nine studies were included in the final review. Four studies evaluated the prognostic value of imaging features and five evaluated prognostic algorithms. The mean NOS score was 4.44 ± 0.98 on a scale of 0 to 9. Imaging features that were of prognostic value were degree of intrahepatic duct narrowing, the presence of a dominant biliary duct stricture and percentage of narrowed intraheptic ducts. Three imaging indices (one endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)-based and two magnetic resonance-based) had been derived. The ERCP index was validated in a second cohort and subsequently updated to improve its predictive ability. The magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) index was validated in two studies and was found to be predicative of transplant-free survival. A modified MRCP index (MRCP-risk score) was evaluated in a prospective multicenter study and was found to be predicative of PSC-related disease progression.
In conclusion, ERCP and MRCP-based indices have short-term prognostic value in PSC. However, more studies are required to validate their predictability of disease-related progression, such as liver decompensation, ascending cholangitis, cholangiocarcinoma and liver transplantation.
Editor home bias? Rubin, Amir; Rubin, Eran; Segal, Dan
Research policy,
July 2023, 2023-07-00, Letnik:
52, Številka:
6
Journal Article
Recenzirano
We analyze whether journal editors exhibit home bias in their acceptance decisions towards researchers affiliated with institutions in the editor's home country. Our results show that the fraction of ...articles accepted by authors affiliated with European civil-law countries increase by 33 % when an editor from the same country serves in the journal. We analyze various possible reasons for this phenomenon and conclude that a likely explanation for the bias is that, in civil-law countries, there is greater emphasis on individuals' solidarity with institutions. We also document that this bias extends to the European Union as a whole. Importantly, articles that are potentially subject to editorial home bias have 10 % lower impact than similar articles. Overall, the findings are consistent with the idea that cultural values potentially foster editorial-biased behavior and hinder scientific progress.
•Journal editors from Europe exhibit home bias in their acceptance decision•A possible reason for the bias is that in civil-law countries there is emphasis on individuals' solidarity with institutions•Articles that are potentially subject to the home bias have a 10 % lower impact. Hence, the bias is not merit based
Directors skill and financial reporting quality Rubin, Amir; Segal, Dan
Journal of business finance & accounting,
March/April 2019, 2019-03-00, 20190301, Letnik:
46, Številka:
3-4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Motivated by theoretical models in economics which show that there is matching between CEO skill and firm size, we introduce a new measure of director skill which is based on the aggregate size of ...firms on which the director serves as an independent director. We validate our measure by showing that it is positively associated with director experience, financial expertise, industry expertise and managerial experience. We then examine whether our average measure of skill across board members is positively associated with monitoring quality. Controlling for the endogenous relationships between board composition and financial reporting quality, we find a positive association between our board measure for skill and monitoring quality, and we show that directors have a causal impact on monitoring effort and outcomes. Furthermore, consistent with the enhanced monitoring provided by skilled directors, we document a positive association between the level of and changes in our measure and firm value.
PDF
