We investigate whether environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure is related to default risk. Using a sample of US nonfinancial institutions from 2006 to 2017, we find that ESG disclosure ...is positively related to Merton's distance to default and is negatively related to the credit default swap spread, which suggests that firms with a higher ESG disclosure have lower default risk. Our analysis further indicates that the inverse effect of ESG disclosure on default risk is through increased profitability and reduced performance variability and cost of debt. We also document that the negative impact of ESG disclosure on default risk is existent only for mature and older firms. These results are important for all stakeholders of firms, including shareholders and bondholders to consider firm's ESG disclosure in conjunction with life cycle stage before making their investment decisions.
We show that the U.S. anti-discriminatory laws prohibiting discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation and gender identity (i.e. lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) ...identities) spur innovation, which ultimately leads to higher firm performance. We use the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index (CEI) of 398 (1592 firm-year observations) U.S. firms between 2011 and 2014, and find a significantly positive relationship between CEI and firm innovation. We also find that an interacting effect of CEI and firm innovation leads to higher firm performance. We use our understanding of Rawls' Theory of Justice and stakeholder theory to show that firms with workplace diversity policies are likely to be more innovative and perform better than those without such policies. Our results are robust to endogeneity, reverse causality and simultaneity issues. Our results will trigger debate in similar markets around the globe on the economic benefits of LGBT workplace diversity policies for firms.
Polysaccharides are a class of natural biopolymers that have attracted significant attention due to their unique properties, which make them attractive for use in a wide range of applications. These ...biopolymers have an important role in our daily life, and designing biomaterials for biomedical applications requires careful consideration of factors such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, renewability, affordability, and availability, all of which can be achieved with polysaccharides. This review paper focuses on the use of polysaccharides in biomedical applications and provides an in‐depth analysis of the potential applications of arabinoxylan, a type of hemicellulose, in various fields, including drug delivery, infection control, tissue engineering, wound healing, and others. Arabinoxylan, which is derived from plants, is the most abundant and important class of hemicellulose and has a diverse role as a catalyst due to its biodegradability, biocompatibility, and renewable nature. Polysaccharide‐based biopolymers have applications in tissue engineering, wound covers, drug delivery systems, food preservation, and biocomposite films, making them an emerging excipient in pharmaceutical research. This review paper highlights the potential of polysaccharide‐based biopolymers in biomedical science and suggests that continued research and development will lead to broader and more innovative applications in the field. The use of polysaccharide‐based biopolymers has the potential to significantly advance healthcare and improve patient outcomes.
This study proposes a model based on competitive advantage and signaling theories that show how green human resource management (GHRM) leads to corporate environmental sustainability and corporate ...social sustainability and is thus source of employer branding. Structural equational modeling was used for data analysis through Smart PLS. The results confirm that GHRM positively influences on corporate environmental sustainability, which in turn positively influences corporate social sustainability. Furthermore, the results confirm that corporate social sustainability has a positive influence on employer branding. The results also support the mediating effects of corporate environmental sustainability between GHRM and corporate social sustainability. Additionally, we show the mediating effect of corporate social sustainability between corporate environmental sustainability and employer branding. In the human resource literature, previous studies emphasize on corporate environmental sustainability. By contrast, this study confirms that a corporate social sustainability is a source of employer branding. By implementing GHRM, organizations can gain a competitive edge, which helps them attract potential employee.
Nanotechnology is capturing great interest worldwide due to their stirring applications in various fields. Among nanoparticles (NPs), titanium dioxide (TiO2) NPs have been widely used in daily life ...and can be synthesized through various physical, chemical, and green methods. Green synthesis is a non-toxic, cost-effective, and eco-friendly route for the synthesis of NPs. Plenty of work has been reported on the green, chemical, physical and biological synthesis of TiO2 NPs and these NPs can be characterized through high tech. instruments. In the present review, dense data have been presented on the comparative synthesis of TiO2 NPs with different characteristics and their wide range of applications. Among the TiO2 NPs synthesis techniques, the green methods have been proven to be efficient than chemical synthesis methods because of the less use of precursors, time-effectiveness, and energy-efficiency during the green synthesis procedures. Moreover, this review describes the types of plants (shrubs, herbs and trees), microorganisms (bacteria, fungi and algae), biological derivatives (proteins, peptides, and starches) employed for the synthesis of TiO2 NPs. The TiO2 NPs can be effectively used for the treatment of polluted water and positively affected the plant physiology especially under abiotic stresses but the response varied with types, size, shapes, doses, duration of exposure, metal species along with other factors. This review also highlights the regulating features and future standpoints for the measurable enrichment in TiO2 NPs product and perspectives of TiO2 NPs reliable application.
•Various physical, chemical and green methods have been summarized for TiO2 NPs synthesis.•Green method is non-toxic, simple, cost-effective, sustainable, and eco-friendly for NPs preparation.•Plant response to TiO2 NPs varies with plant species, presence of toxic metals and NPs features.•TiO2 NPs can be efficiently used for wastewater treatment.•Future perspectives of TiO2 NPs preparation and applications have been summarized.
This paper examines whether board gender diversity affects corporate cash holdings using S&P 1500 index firms in the US for the period 2006–2015. We document a significantly negative relationship ...between board gender diversity and cash holdings. We also find a strong negative effect of female independent directors consistent with monitoring function. Moreover, in accordance with the critical mass theory, we find a negative effect of female directors’ presence and voice on cash holdings. Our findings are robust to alternative econometric specifications, alternative measures of cash holdings and corporate governance, difference‐in‐differences, propensity score matching, and two‐stage least squares. This study offers useful insights into the current global debate on gender diversity and its implications for firms.
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) as an important energy storage technology have found more and more applications in electric vehicles, electronic devices as well as grid energy storage systems. However, ...due to the safety issues from the flammability of combustible organic liquid electrolytes, recently solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) have attracted more interest. Conventional SPEs are dual-ion conductors where both anions and cations possess slightly free movement and favor the concentration polarization phenomena, which may reduce their performances and lifetime. To overcome these issues, the conducting solid polymer electrolytes (CSPEs) are developed where the anions are linked via covalent bonds to the polymeric and inorganic backbones or anion acceptors, which may greatly accelerate the transportation of lithium ions and increase their lithium-ion transference number (LTN) and ionic conductivity as well as reduce the formation of concentration polarization and Li dendrite growth. Herein, a comprehensive overview of the latest development in CSPEs for LIBs is described, which emphasizes the correlations among their synthetic strategies, structures, and electrochemical performances. Finally, the state of the art, future perspectives, and core challenges are provided for designing the next generation of CSPEs in high performance LIBs.
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•The CSPEs are more advantageous over conventional dual-ion conducting SPEs.•Innovative synthetic concepts have been exploited for seven kinds of CSPEs.•Free movement of cations boosts ionic conductivity and Li-ion transference number.•The bounded anions of CSPEs impede the growth of concentration polarization.•Future perspectives for improving CSPEs based materials are proposed.
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Many food-derived phytochemicals and their derivatives represent a cornucopia of new anti-cancer compounds. Luteolin (3,4,5,7-tetrahydroxy flavone) is a flavonoid found in different ...plants such as vegetables, medicinal herbs, and fruits. It acts as an anticancer agent against various types of human malignancies such as lung, breast, glioblastoma, prostate, colon, and pancreatic cancers. It also blocks cancer development in vitro and in vivo by inhibition of proliferation of tumor cells, protection from carcinogenic stimuli, and activation of cell cycle arrest, and by inducing apoptosis through different signaling pathways. Luteolin can additionally reverse epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through a mechanism that involves cytoskeleton shrinkage, induction of the epithelial biomarker E-cadherin expression, and by down-regulation of the mesenchymal biomarkers N-cadherin, snail, and vimentin. Furthermore, luteolin increases levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) by activation of lethal endoplasmic reticulum stress response and mitochondrial dysfunction in glioblastoma cells, and by activation of ER stress-associated proteins expressions, including phosphorylation of eIF2α, PERK, CHOP, ATF4, and cleaved-caspase 12. Accordingly, the present review article summarizes the progress of recent research on luteolin against several human cancers.
IntroductionUGIB is common. By completion of clinical training, most gastroenterology trainees will be expected to be able to treat UGIB endoscopically. Training is variable and is often conducted on ...an opportunistic basis and many trainees desire additional training. Current demand for courses is very high and we aimed to develop a local course with low costs to help address it.MethodsWe have organised a half day, hands-on, consultant-run course for 3 years now, for trainees within the same trust. We made models using pig stomachs with simulated bleeding using expired overtubes, plastic storage boxes, and cable ties. The initial cost for equipment was 2755 pounds. Ongoing costs were kept under a 100 pounds yearly for fresh pig stomachs, as we prospectively saved expired equipment for the course. Expendables, such as clips, were provided as part of a sponsorship, and animal model stacks and scopes were loaned.Feedback was collected from each trainee using open ended questions. Trainees explained what they found most useful and what could be improved. Their responses were analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsOver 3 years, we recorded 29 responses from trainees. Common themes emerged from what trainees found most useful. These were: hands-on experience, step-by-step use of techniques, using technical variations, building familiarity with equipment, and practicing communicating during endoscopy. Specific techniques which trainees found most helpful were gluing 79% (n=23), Danis stent insertion 69% (n=20), clipping 28% (n=8), and banding 24% (n=7). Common themes around improvement included: an expansion in the scope of the course to cover more techniques particularly foreign body removal, and more time per station.ConclusionsOur course represents a distinct approach to improving local endoscopy training. The use of a porcine model allows trainees to gain valuable hands-on experience, particularly in techniques that they may not encounter frequently and allows them to experiment with technical variations. Our model kept ongoing costs minimal, following some initial investment, and was easily expanded over subsequent years. It could be up scaled to cover more techniques and can be employed across multiple centres of varying sizes. Our thematic analysis demonstrates that trainees found our course helpful, particularly as it was hands on and covered a broad range of techniques.Current endotherapy training is variable. A course such as ours can serve as a template for a home-made, low cost, hands-on course which could help improve training, confidence, and technical ability in the use of certain endotherapy techniques.
The rate of climate change due to global warming has become a substantial concern and appeared as a real-world phenomenon in the recent years. However, it is imperative to know how business ...enterprises alter such concern. Recent studies involve a variety of firm-level factors to create a robust link between business enterprises' environmental and financial performance. However, little is known regarding the role of research and development (R&D) investment on firms' environmental performance. Using a firm-level data for the period 2004–2016 from G-6 countries, this study empirically investigates how R&D investment affects the firm environmental performance measured by energy and carbon emissions intensities. We find that R&D investment improves the firm's environmental performance consistent with the theoretical argument of natural resource-based view (NRBV). Our findings are robust to alternative econometric specifications, alternative variable specifications, and sub-samples. Our findings offer novel insights to the policymakers, business managers, and regulators.
•Investigates corporate R&D and environmental performance•Uses firm-level data from 2004 to 2016 for G-6 countries•Employs robust econometrics techniques•Corporate R&D improves environmental performance.
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