Mexico and the tobacco industry: doing the wrong thing for the right reason?
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Samet J
PROVIDER: S-EPMC1363920 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Similar Datasets
Project description:Through a combination of a controlled experiment and a survey, we examine the effect of voting power on shareholders' voting behavior at general meetings. To avoid a selection bias, common in archival voting data, we exogenously manipulate shareholders' power to affect the outcome. Our findings suggest that, when it comes to corporate decisions involving conflicts of interest, voting power nudges shareholders to oppose management and to choose the "right" alternative, that is, vote against a proposal which prima facie does not serve the company's best interest. This effect obtained even when the dissenting vote contravened the choices of all other voters. Furthermore, the drive "to do the right thing" was established as significant, above and beyond the size of the economic stake. We also demonstrate that strategic voting among institutional investors is contingent on voting power: when in a position to affect the outcome of a vote, institutional investors tend to eschew strategic considerations and display fewer consistent patterns in their voting, compared to situations in which their ability to make a difference is limited. In anticipation of a "bad" proposal to be put to vote at the general shareholder meeting, institutional investors prefer to negotiate terms with management beforehand, and vote against it only after such negotiations fail. Our results shed new light on the "behind the scenes" processes in shareholder voting and underscore the importance of institutional investor agency to corporate governance, accountability, and minority shareholder representation.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10551-022-05108-y.
| S-EPMC9010709 | biostudies-literature
Project description:As mothers seek out information around breastfeeding, many are turning to online message boards, listservs, or social media for advice. Babycenter.com, a parenting website with widespread use, hosts a Breastfeeding Support and Help community forum with over 140,000 users and more than one million conversation threads. The purpose of this study is to examine this online support forum to understand the information seeking and sharing practices of its users. We extracted a total of 258 original posts and 1,445 corresponding comments from Babycenter.com's breastfeeding forum posted over a 10-day period. Using content analysis, we coded the posts into 15 categories reflective of the types of information users were seeking. We then randomly selected 45 conversation threads across the most popular categories to further understand how users were sharing information. The most popular breastfeeding topics for which users sought out information included feeding challenges, supply issues, feeding schedule and duration, pumping, physical health, excretion issues, storing milk, nipple issues, and general breastfeeding questions. Participants elicited information from others using interviewing questions and built consensus around issues by agreeing with previous posts. They shared their knowledge and personal breastfeeding experiences and also provided encouragement to continue breastfeeding and overcome challenges. Online support forums are actively being used by breastfeeding mothers seeking information from others with similar experiences. This presents an important resource for breastfeeding mothers and may, therefore, be an important component of future breastfeeding interventions.
| S-EPMC6937377 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In the context of the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, associations of drugs which interfere with specific steps of the viral infectious cycle are currently being exploited as therapeutic strategies since a specific treatment by vaccination is still unavailable. A widespread association of repurposed agents is the combination of the antimalarial drug Hydroxychloroquine and the macrolide antibiotic Azithromycin in the setting of clinical trials. But a closer analysis of their mechanism of action suggests that their concomitant administration may be impractical, and this is supported by experimental data with other agents of the same classes. However a sequential administration of the lysosomotropic antimalarial with the addition of the macrolide proton pump inhibitor after the first has reached a certain threshold could better exploit their antiviral potential.
| S-EPMC7604012 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundIndividuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) often report a fear that they will lose control of their emotions or report intense, unpleasant thoughts or images of uncontrollably humiliating themselves in social situations. These fears and associated beliefs that one is likely to lose control may underlie the anxiety and/or cognitive biases (e.g., self-focused attention and negative post-event processing) experienced during and following social situations. The present experiment examined whether manipulating beliefs about losing control would cause changes in symptoms of SAD.MethodsOne hundred and twenty-six undergraduate psychology students were given false feedback that they were either at high or low risk of losing control, and then completed a social interaction task with an actor. Participants rated their anxiety before and during the interaction and completed a post-event processing questionnaire 24-hours later.ResultsParticipants in the high beliefs about losing control (HLC) condition reported significantly greater subjective anxiety than those in the low beliefs about losing control (LLC) condition leading up to the social interaction task, and significantly more negative post-event processing.ConclusionResults suggest beliefs about losing control may play a causal role in the development and maintenance of SAD. These beliefs may represent a novel domain to be targeted in CBT.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10608-022-10325-w.
| S-EPMC9469065 | biostudies-literature
Project description:DNA polymerase (pol) β is a model polymerase involved in gap-filling DNA synthesis utilizing two metals to facilitate nucleotidyl transfer. Previous structural studies have trapped catalytic intermediates by utilizing substrate analogs (dideoxy-terminated primer or nonhydrolysable incoming nucleotide). To identify additional intermediates during catalysis, we now employ natural substrates (correct and incorrect nucleotides) and follow product formation in real time with 15 different crystal structures. We are able to observe molecular adjustments at the active site that hasten correct nucleotide insertion and deter incorrect insertion not appreciated previously. A third metal binding site is transiently formed during correct, but not incorrect, nucleotide insertion. Additionally, long incubations indicate that pyrophosphate more easily dissociates after incorrect, compared to correct, nucleotide insertion. This appears to be coupled to subdomain repositioning that is required for catalytic activation/deactivation. The structures provide insights into a fundamental chemical reaction that impacts polymerase fidelity and genome stability.
| S-EPMC3924593 | biostudies-literature
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC9562494 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe Czech Republic has one of the poorest tobacco control records in Europe. This paper examines transnational tobacco companies' (TTCs') efforts to influence policy there, paying particular attention to excise policies, as high taxes are one of the most effective means of reducing tobacco consumption, and tax structures are an important aspect of TTC competitiveness.Methods and findingsTTC documents dating from 1989 to 2004/5 were retrieved from the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library website, analysed using a socio-historical approach, and triangulated with key informant interviews and secondary data. The documents demonstrate significant industry influence over tobacco control policy. Philip Morris (PM) ignored, overturned, and weakened various attempts to restrict tobacco advertising, promoting voluntary approaches as an alternative to binding legislation. PM and British American Tobacco (BAT) lobbied separately on tobacco tax structures, each seeking to implement the structure that benefitted its own brand portfolio over that of its competitors, and enjoying success in turn. On excise levels, the different companies took a far more collaborative approach, seeking to keep tobacco taxes low and specifically to prevent any large tax increases. Collective lobbying, using a variety of arguments, was successful in delaying the tax increases required via European Union accession. Contrary to industry arguments, data show that cigarettes became more affordable post-accession and that TTCs have taken advantage of low excise duties by raising prices. Interview data suggest that TTCs enjoy high-level political support and continue to actively attempt to influence policy.ConclusionThere is clear evidence of past and ongoing TTC influence over tobacco advertising and excise policy. We conclude that this helps explain the country's weak tobacco control record. The findings suggest there is significant scope for tobacco tax increases in the Czech Republic and that large (rather than small, incremental) increases are most effective in reducing smoking.
| S-EPMC3383744 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundSince 2006, when Poland ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), there have been efforts to improve tobacco control regulation in the country. At the same time, at the European Union level, Poland took part in discussions over revision of the Tobacco Tax Directive and the Tobacco Products Directive. This study aims to explore the tobacco industry's tactics to interfere with the creation of those policies.MethodsAnalysis of 257 documents obtained through freedom of information request.ResultsWe identified three means that the tobacco industry used to interfere with tobacco control policies: creating a positive attitude, expressing a will to be a part of the policymaking process, and exerting pressure. We found that those tactics have often been used unethically, with the industry providing the government with ready legislation proposals, overstating its contribution to the economy and the government revenues, misrepresenting the illicit cigarette problem and misusing scientific evidence. The industry also used legal threats, including use of bilateral trade agreements, against implementation of tobacco control measures. The companies lobbied together directly and through third parties, with the cigarette excise tax structure being the only area of disagreement among the companies. The industry also pushed the Polish government to challenge tobacco control policies in countries with stronger public policy standards, including UK display bans and the Australian plain-packaging law.ConclusionsFrom an object of regulation, the tobacco industry in Poland became a partner with the government in legislative work. Implementation of provisions of Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC could prevent further industry interference.
| S-EPMC5036272 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo discuss the results of the KETASER01 trial and the reasons for its failure, particularly in view of future studies.MethodsKETASER01 is a multicenter, randomized, controlled, open-label, sequentially designed, non-profit Italian study that aimed to assess the efficacy of ketamine compared with conventional anesthetics in the treatment of refractory convulsive status epilepticus (RCSE) in children.ResultsDuring the 5-year recruitment phase, a total of 76 RCSEs treated with third-line therapy were observed in five of the 10 participating Centers; only 10 individuals (five for each study arm; five females, mean age 6.5 ± 6.3 years) were enrolled in the KETASER01 study. Two of the five patients (40%) in the experimental arm were successfully treated with ketamine and two of the five (40%) children in the control arm, where successfully treated with thiopental. In the remaining six (60%) enrolled patients, RCSE was not controlled by the randomized anesthetic(s).SignificanceThe KETASER01 study was prematurely halted due to low eligibility of patients and no successful recruitment. No conclusions can be drawn regarding the objectives of the study. Here, we discuss the KETASER01 results and critically analyze the reasons for its failure in view of future trials.
| S-EPMC9436287 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Adult psychopaths have deficits in emotional processing and inhibitory control, engage in morally inappropriate behavior, and generally fail to distinguish moral from conventional violations. These observations, together with a dominant tradition in the discipline which sees emotional processes as causally necessary for moral judgment, have led to the conclusion that psychopaths lack an understanding of moral rights and wrongs. We test an alternative explanation: psychopaths have normal understanding of right and wrong, but abnormal regulation of morally appropriate behavior. We presented psychopaths with moral dilemmas, contrasting their judgments with age- and sex-matched (i) healthy subjects and (ii) non-psychopathic, delinquents. Subjects in each group judged cases of personal harms (i.e. requiring physical contact) as less permissible than impersonal harms, even though both types of harms led to utilitarian gains. Importantly, however, psychopaths' pattern of judgments on different dilemmas was the same as those of the other subjects. These results force a rejection of the strong hypothesis that emotional processes are causally necessary for judgments of moral dilemmas, suggesting instead that psychopaths understand the distinction between right and wrong, but do not care about such knowledge, or the consequences that ensue from their morally inappropriate behavior.
| S-EPMC2840845 | biostudies-other