Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) has emerged as a widespread concern for all societal segments. This study aims to explore the influence of network attention on corporate ESG practices ...from an investor perspective. We find that rising network attention significantly increases corporate ESG practices. Specifically, network attention plays the role of external monitoring, image promotion incentives, and mitigation of financing constraints to make companies willing to challenge ESG practices. Additionally, the promoting effect of network attention on firms' ESG practices was more significant in higher marketization processes, severely competitive industries, and non-state enterprises. In the internet era, companies must pay attention to the flow effect caused by network attention, meet stakeholder demands, and pursue long-term sustainable development.
Although numerous studies analyze mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in and out of developed economies (DE), a much smaller number of studies focus on M&As in and out of emerging economies (EE). Since ...there are significant differences in institutional environments, corporate governance practices, and markets between DE and EE, existing knowledge on acquisitions can be extended by examining M&As in and out of EE. This paper addresses this gap and identifies the main findings of studies on acquisitions in and out of EE. The review deals with EE M&A antecedents and performance outcomes, with a focus on what new insights can be gained and what new research directions are revealed. This paper also develops propositions regarding EE M&A antecedents and performance.
The width of reservoir-scale fault damage zone governs fluid flow of the tight reservoirs in subsurface petroliferous basins. Together with cores, thin sections, geophysical well logs, and production ...data from more than 60 wells, we describe fracture attributes and fault damage zones associated with a conjugate strike-slip fault system in tight Ordovician carbonate rock at depths of between 6500 m and 7500 m in the Tarim intracratonic basin in NW China. Fracture frequency, aperture, and oil production in wells reveals a power-law relationship with the distance from fault cores, with a variation in two orders of magnitude. The cumulative data of fracture frequency, aperture and oil production show multiple gradients in slope with the distance. Except for sampling bias, the varied gradients are possibly related to the overlaying multiple fault zones or multiple sections along a large fault zone, which are useful to constrain damage zone width. Together with fracture frequency, cumulative fracture frequency, aperture and oil production, four major damage zone boundaries are identified at ∼200, ∼420 m, ∼780 m and ∼1100 m. Therefore, a wide fault damage zone with a width of more than 2 km in the carbonate rocks could be inferred, which mostly depends on the interaction and superposition of secondary faults. In addition, there is a relatively high fracture frequency decay exponent (>1) with distance, which is possibly related to fault size, fault splays, background fracture frequency and the lithology. In turn, the growth of wide damage zone also resulted in a large scattered distribution of the fracture attributes with the distance from fault cores. Attributes of fractures of various scales from the deep subsurface provide powerful tools for assessing damage zone width and growth.
•Reservoir-scale carbonate fault damage zones at deep subsurface (ca. 7000 m).•Confining damage zone width by well log, cores, thin sections and oil production.•High fracture frequency decay exponent.•Wide carbonate damage zone width more than 2 km.
Nitrogen (N), one of the most important plant nutrients, plays crucial roles in multiple plant developmental processes. Spikelets are the primary sink tissues during reproductive growth, and N ...deficiency can cause floral abortion. However, the roles of N nutrition in meiosis, the crucial step in plant sexual reproduction, are poorly understood. Here, we identified an N-dependent meiotic entrance mutant with loss of function of ELECTRON TRANSFER FLAVOPROTEIN SUBUNIT β (ETFβ) in rice (Oryza sativa). etfβ displayed meiosis initiation defects, excessive accumulation of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and decrease in total N contents in spikelets under N starvation, which were rescued by applying excess exogenous inorganic N. Under N starvation, ETFβ, through its involvement in BCAA catabolism, promotes N reutilization and contributes to meeting N demands of spikelets, highlighting the impact of N nutrition on meiosis initiation. We conclude that N nutrition contributes to plant fertility by affecting meiosis initiation.
Based on institutional theory, this study investigates the moderating effects of different types of managerial networking (political networking, financial networking, and business networking) on the ...relationship between entrepreneurial orientation () and new venture performance in hina. The study finds that political networking has a negative moderating effect on the positive relationship between and new venture performance, financial networking has an inverse -shaped impact, and business networking has a positive effect. The findings not only enrich our understanding of the impact of managerial networking on the performance implication of in new ventures, but also offer new ventures some guidance on how to use and different types of managerial networking to enhance performance in hina's transition economy.
When laminates of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) are just bonded on the substrate of reinforced concrete (RC) members for strengthening, debonding failure often happens prematurely and suddenly on ...the FRP-concrete joints. It is unbeneficial to efficient employment of FRP and reliable service of the structures. This paper introduces a mixed anchoring technique for FRP sheets that combines external bonding (EB) and a novel type of end anchorage. FRP sheets are self-locked at ends by wrapping about a slotted plate in a specified way. Experiments on four concrete beams demonstrated that adding end self-locking to EB can effectively solve the serious problems of usual debonding. End debonding was simply prohibited and intermediate crack debonding was substantially restricted despite occurrence. As a result, not only ultimate strength but also failure ductility of the strengthened specimens was greatly enhanced. The final failure featured by either FRP rupture or concrete crush regardless of debonding degree. Finite element models are then established to simulate the responses of the strengthened beams with hybrid anchored FRP. The numerical results show good agreements with the test observations including debonding process and failure modes. It proves capability and accuracy of the modeling as a useful tool for further research.
•SHAP-1 and SHAP-2 were purified from Sargassum henslowianum.•Structural characterization of SHAP-1 and SHAP-2 was identified.•Both SHAP-1 and SHAP-2 exhibited strong anti-HSV effect.•They interfere ...with the adsorption of HSV-2 to host cells.
Purified fucoidans SHAP-1 and SHAP-2 with apparent molecular weights of 6.55 × 105 and 5.89 × 105, respectively, were isolated from Sargassum henslowianum by ion-exchange and gel-filtration column chromatography. They are both composed of fucose and galactose at a ratio of around 3:1 and 31.9% sulfate. The backbone of two fucoidans consists of α-(1→3)-linked L-Fucp residues which are mainly sulfated on the C-2 and C-4 positions. Side chains composed of terminally linked α-L-Fucp and α-D-Galp residues, and (1→2)-, (1→6)-, and (1→2,6)-linked β-D-Galp residues attach mainly at O-4 position of backbone residues. Antiviral test showed that the IC50 values of SHAP-1 and SHAP-2 against HSV-1 were estimated to be 0.89 and 0.82 μg/mL by plaque reduction assay, respectively, whereas both as low as 0.48 μg/mL against HSV-2. The antiviral mechanism of the fucoidans might be at least through blocking HSV-2 virion adsorption to host cells. These results suggest that the fucoidans have potential clinical applications.
Background
Whether patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) who have unresectable synchronous distant metastases should undergo primary surgical resection (PTR) remains controversial. This ...study aimed to identify predictive factors associated with the survival of such patients.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective study of patients with MTC who were registered in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry. The overall and cancer‐specific mortality rates were assessed using risk‐adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression modeling and stratified propensity score matching.
Results
One hundred and eight matched patients were assessed. Patients in the PTR group had lower overall mortality than did those in the non‐PTR group. The 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐year overall and cancer‐specific survival rates in the PTR group were significantly higher.
Conclusions
PTR appears to be the most appropriate intervention for patients with good performance status. Such patients are likely to benefit from surgery and to experience long‐term stable disease.
Acinetobacter baumannii (A baumannii) is an emerging nosocomial pathogenic bacterium which leads to hospital infections. The increase in drug‐resistant A baumannii strains makes it difficult to ...control by using common antibiotics. The development of effective vaccines is an alternative means to avoid A baumannii infections. In the present study, Balb/c mice were inoculated intratracheally with 30 μg of OmpK/Omp22 fusion protein alone or OmpK/Omp22 formulated with MF59 adjuvant. After two times of boosting at day 14 and 21, the antigen‐specific antibody levels and the protective immunity against A baumannii challenge were evaluated. The results showed that the OmpK/Omp22 formulated with MF59 immunized mice produced much higher level of antigen‐specific antibodies compared to mice immunized with OmpK/Omp22 alone (P < 0.01). Mice immunized with 30 μg of OmpK/Omp22 formulated with MF59 also provided more potent protection post‐challenge, which showed lower bacterial loads in the blood and lung tissue, lower level of blood inflammatory cytokines and higher survival rate (83.3%) than mice immunized with OmpK/Omp22 alone (P < 0.001). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that OmpK/Omp22 fusion protein adjuvanted with MF59 induced superior immune response and better protection than OmpK/Omp22 alone through intratracheal inoculation in mice.
PDF
