Earticle

The present study was conducted in a goat farm for pregnancy diagnosis by using vaginal cytology and B-mode real time ultrasound using 5 MHz probe by transabdominal method. Seventeen pregnant does were used for this study. The objective of the study was to determine the earliest day of pregnancy and describe the chronological characteristics of pregnancy from day 22 to day 40 for vaginal cytology and day 25 to day 60 for ultrasonography of gestation. The differences among the average percentage of cell value in different age of pregnancy were significant (p < 0.05). The average percentage of intermediate cells (81.12%) was also significantly (p < 0.05) higher than superficial (9.41%), keratinized (7.10%) and neutrophil (2.61%) on 22-40th days of pregnancy. In case of real time B-mode ultrasonography, the gestational sac was observed only in three does out of seventeen (17.6 %) at 25-30 days whereas the placentomes and heart beat of the foetus were first detected at 31-35 days in six does (35.3%). The foetal leg buds were first visualized at 36-40 days in four does (23.5%) whereas the foetal vertebral column was first observed at 36-40 days of gestation in only three does (17.6%). In conclusion, vaginal cytology and trans-abdominal ultrasonography can be used for detection of early pregnancy in does.

Objective: To compare ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM) and dynamic balance performance during the Y-Balance Test (YBT) between individuals with and without Chronic Ankle Instability (CAI), as classified by the cumberland ankle instability tool (CAIT). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 20 adult recreational badminton players. Participants were classified into a CAI group (n = 10) with CAIT scores <24 and a non-CAI group (n = 10) with scores ≥24. The YBT was used to assess dynamic balance and dorsiflexion ROM. Ankle dorsiflexion angles were analyzed using 2-D video analysis with reflective markers and Kinovea software. Independent t-tests were used to analyze between-group differences in ankle dorsiflexion ROM and normalized reach distances, with the level of significance set at p < 0.05. Results: The independent t-tests revealed no statistically significant differences in ankle dorsiflexion ROM between the CAI group and the non-CAI group for in the anterior (p > 0.05), posteromedial (p > 0.05), or posterolateral (p > 0.05) directions. Similarly, there were no significant differences in normalized maximum reach distances and composite YBT score between the two groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: This study found that individuals classified as having CAI by the CAIT questionnaire showed no significant differences in ankle dorsiflexion or dynamic balance performance during the YBT. These results suggest that the dorsiflexed position during the YBT may enhance joint stability and obscure functional deficits related to ankle instability. Therefore, clinicians shoulder consider using functional assessment with appropriate caution to better detect impairments associated with CAI based on these results.

Purpose: This study was designed to examine both actor and partner effects of perceived marital relationship on quality of life, as well as the mediating effect of holding back cancer-related concerns. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in an outpatient setting. Participants were 150 couples consisting of patients with lung cancer and their spouses. Perceived marital relationship, holding back cancer-related concerns, and quality of life were measured with self-report scales. Actor and partner effects on quality of life were analyzed using the actorepartner interdependence mediation model by using structural equation modeling. Results: A couple's quality of life had a significant direct actor effect on the perceived marital relationship. However, the partner effect and the indirect effect of holding back cancer-related concerns on quality of life was not significant. Conclusion: When patients with lung cancer and their spouses perceived their marital relationship positively, they assessed their quality of life positively. They were also found to be less hesitant when talking about cancer-related concerns. However, holding back on talking concerns did not have a significant impact on the quality of life (of either oneself or the spouse). Therefore, nurses should first check how they perceive their marital relationship before encouraging communication between patients with lung cancer and their spouses. Nurses can assess these risk factors and intervene if needed, along their cancer trajectory.

Objective To investigate if the extent of lumbar segmental motion is correlated with the recovery process in the form of pain intensity in patients with acute single level lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Methods A retrospective review of medical records was performed on patients presented with acute low back pain from January 2011 to December 2017. With prerequisites of undergoing both lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging and functional radiography, patients with etiologies other than single level LDH were excluded. A total of 46 patients were selected, including 27 patients with disc herniation at L4-5 level and 19 patients at L5-S1 level. Pearson correlation analysis of pain intensity against segmental range of motion (sROM) and percentage of sROM of each lumbar segment was performed at the initial evaluation point and follow-ups. Results Serial documentation of pain intensity and functional radiography exhibited an inverse correlation between changes in visual analogue scale (VAS) and sROM in single level LDH at L4-5 level (r=-0.69, p<0.05). In addition, percentage of sROM showed a negative correlation with pain intensity at the aforementioned segment (r=-0.74, p<0.05). Initial pain intensity was also inversely correlated to sROM of the affected segment (r=-0.83, p<0.01 at L4-5; r=-0.82, p<0.05 at L5-S1). Conclusion Improvement in sagittal mobility of the affected segment in LDH adequately reflected mitigation of low back pain during the recovery process. This conjunction could illustrate that the involved segment is overcoming natural immobilization, evidently demonstrating an inverse relationship between initial pain intensity and limitation of sagittal range of motion.

Background and objective: According to several interventional studies, intake of vegetarian diets reduced blood pressure (BP) and has association with glycemic control. However, there were no studies verifying the improvement of diseases through diet alone under the supervision of medical staff after dietary prescriptions for patients who are hospitalized for a certain period of time. Therefore, the objective ofthis study is to evaluate the effect of a thorough Korean diet intervention based on brown rice on BP and glycemic control for Korean patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes through hospitalizing patients. Methods: Changes in BP, blood glucose, and drug usage were investigated, and the dietary prescriptions were also analyzed by investigating the medical records of 160 patients diagnosed with hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Results: An average of about 3.5 treatments per day for hypertension and diabetes was given to a total of 160 patients when they were hospitalized, and the percentage of patients who were able to stop treatments for hypertension and diabetes after hospitalization was 86.2% (n ¼ 138). It took an average of 12.9 ± 15.6 days to stop taking medications. BP in these patients was significantly reduced (p < 0.001),and the reduced levels remained stable even after the suspension of medications. Glycemic control after diets has decreased without increasing it again since the medication was stopped. The HbA1c level was significantly reduced from 7.6 ± 1.35% to 7.2 ± 1.02% (p < 0.001) when they were hospitalized compared with the time when they were discharged from the hospital. Conclusion: The BP and blood glucose levels along with blood lipids were reduced owing to the strict dietary interventions. In addition, the vegetarian dietary intervention was as powerful and effective as drug treatments in maintaining blood glucose and BP levels even when patients stopped taking the medication.

News organizations apply data journalism practices to producing quantified digital content (e.g., text in an interactive map). However, it is unclear how social media users understand this trend. The study examines how need for quantified news, credibility of digital data-based news, and information seeking through social media influence the usage of digital data. Findings indicate that the need for quantified news and the perceived credibility influence the news tweeting through intention to utilize digital data in news. Information seeking affects the intention to utilize digital data, and it directly influences the news tweeting. These relationships are consistent across two samples.

Objective: This study was to develop and verify the effects of the exercise-cognitive combined dual-task training program on cognitive function and depression of the elderly with mild cognitive impairment(MCI). Methods: The subjects were randomly assigned to the exercise-cognitive combined dual-task training group(n=32) or single-task training group(n=31). To identify the effects on cognitive function, general cognitive function, frontal lobe function, and attention/working memory were measured. Depression was evaluated using Korean version of Geriatric Depression Scale. The outcome measurements were performed before and after the 8 weeks of intervention(2 days per week). Results: After 8 weeks, general cognitive function, frontal cognitive function, attention/working memory function, depression of the dual-task training group were significantly increased than those of the single-task training group(p<0.05). Conclusion: The results indicated that an exercise-cognitive combined dual-task training for MCI was effective in improving general cognitive function, frontal /executive function, attention/working memory function and reducing depression.

Background Koreans believe that there is another sense experienced throughout the body when eating, in addition to smell and taste. This taste, siwonhan-mat, describes a sensation within the body, including the tongue, stomach, and intestines, when consuming food. Siwonhan-mat is often considered to be synonymous with deliciousness among Koreans. In this paper, determining factors of siwonhan-mat are explored in terms of kan (levels of salinity) and taste. Two representative dishes of siwonhan-mat, kongnamul-kuk (bean sprout soup) and hwangtaebuko-kuk (pollock soup), are used in this study. Sensory evaluation tests were performed in order to understand the relationship between siwonhan-mat and levels of salinity and taste. Methods Different versions of kongnamul-kuk and hwangtaebuko-kuk were created with either of two types of seasoning (salt or soy sauce) and varying levels of salinity (1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%). The temperature of the kuk was set to 80°C, and varieties of kuk were randomly assigned to participants. The first group of participants rated siwonhan-mat in the kuk. The participants were 30 individuals in their 40s and 50s, as it is presumed that this age group would be more familiar with siwonhan-mat. 9 pt hedonic scale was used in the experiment. Another group of 30 participants was composed of people in their 20s and 30s, who were assumed to be less familiar with siwonhan-mat as compared to the first group. This group also rated deliciousness of the kuk using a similar procedure. Results This research was conducted to allow better understanding of siwonhan-mat, a sensation of taste experienced by Koreans, in relation to levels of salinity and taste. The results suggest that types of seasoning and levels of salinity are determining factors of siwonhan-mat. For kongnamul-kuk, 2% salinity earned the highest score in both the salt and soy sauce seasoning conditions. As for buko-kuk, 3% salinity with soy sauce was preferred. Ratings of deliciousness were correlated with ratings of siwonhan-mat, suggesting that siwonhan-mat may be a core element of pleasant taste in kuk and tang. Conclusion Balancing kan is a determining factor of siwonhan-mat in Korean cuisine. Particularly, a strong association between siwonhan-mat and deliciousness was found in kuk and tang, suggesting the importance of siwonhan-mat in experiencing the best flavor in Korean food.

Background: Koreans believe that there is another sense experienced throughout the body when eating, in addition to smell and taste. This taste, siwonhan-mat, describes a sensation within the body, including the tongue, stomach, and intestines, when consuming food. Siwonhan-mat is often considered to be synonymous with deliciousness among Koreans. In this paper, determining factors of siwonhan-mat are explored in terms of kan (levels of salinity) and taste. Two representative dishes of siwonhan-mat, kongnamul-kuk (bean sprout soup) and hwangtaebuko-kuk (pollock soup), are used in this study. Sensory evaluation tests were performed in order to understand the relationship between siwonhan-mat and levels of salinity and taste. Methods: Different versions of kongnamul-kuk and hwangtaebuko-kuk were created with either of two types of seasoning (salt or soy sauce) and varying levels of salinity (1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%). The temperature of the kuk was set to 80C, and varieties of kuk were randomly assigned to participants. The first group of participants rated siwonhan-mat in the kuk. The participants were 30 individuals in their 40s and 50s, as it is presumed that this age group would be more familiar with siwonhan-mat. 9 pt hedonic scale was used in the experiment. Another group of 30 participants was composed of people in their 20s and 30s, who were assumed to be less familiar with siwonhan-mat as compared to the first group. This group also rated deliciousness of the kuk using a similar procedure. Results: This research was conducted to allow better understanding of siwonhan-mat, a sensation of taste experienced by Koreans, in relation to levels of salinity and taste. The results suggest that types of seasoning and levels of salinity are determining factors of siwonhan-mat. For kongnamul-kuk, 2% salinity earned the highest score in both the salt and soy sauce seasoning conditions. As for buko-kuk, 3% salinity with soy sauce was preferred. Ratings of deliciousness were correlated with ratings of siwonhan-mat, suggesting that siwonhan-mat may be a core element of pleasant taste in kuk and tang. Conclusion: Balancing kan is a determining factor of siwonhan-mat in Korean cuisine. Particularly, a strong association between siwonhan-mat and deliciousness was found in kuk and tang, suggesting the importance of siwonhan-mat in experiencing the best flavor in Korean food.

Patients with C5 or C6 radiculopathy complain of shoulder area pain or shoulder girdle weakness. Typical idiopathic neuralgic amyotrophy (INA) is also characterized by severe shoulder pain, followed by paresis of shoulder girdle muscles. Recent studies have demonstrated that magnetic resonance neurography (MRN) of the brachial plexus and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the shoulder in patients with INA show high signal intensity (HSI) or thickening of the brachial plexus and changes in intramuscular denervation of the shoulder girdle. We evaluated the value of brachial plexus MRN and shoulder MRI in four patients with typical C5 or C6 radiculopathy. HSI of the brachial plexus was noted in all patients and intramuscular changes were observed in two patients who had symptoms over 4 weeks. Our results suggest that HSI or thickening of the brachial plexus and changes in intramuscular denervation of the shoulder girdle on MRN and MRI may not be specific for INA.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate if pain mediates or moderates the relationship between cognitive impairment and aggressive behaviors in nursing home residents with dementia based on the Need-driven Dementia-compromised Behavior model. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of the Minimum Data Set assessment data on long-term care from the state of Florida during calendar year 2009. The data used in this study was the first comprehensive assessment data from residents with dementia (N ¼ 56,577) in Medicare-certified or Medicaidcertified nursing homes. Path analysis using a series of hierarchical regression analyses and two-way analysis of variance was used to evaluate the mediating and moderating effect of pain on the relationship between the level of cognitive impairment and aggression. Results: Results indicated that pain did not mediate the relationship between cognition and aggressive behaviors, but there was evidence of a significant moderating effect of pain only for residents with severe cognitive impairment. Only among the residents with severe cognitive impairment, those with pain had significantly more frequent aggressive behaviors than those without pain. Conclusion: A change in the frequency of aggressive behaviors in severely cognitively impaired residents should signal the possibility that the person is experiencing pain. Accurate but simple pain assessment in this population including these behavioral changes should be developed further, and pain should be well controlled to reduce these problematic behaviors.

Maximum likelihood is a criterion often used to derive localization algorithms. In particular, in this paper we focus on a distance-based algorithm for the localization of nodes in static wireless networks. Assuming that Ultra Wide Band (UWB) signals are used for inter-node communications, we investigate the ill-conditioning of the Two-Stage Maximum-Likelihood (TSML) Time of Arrival (ToA) localization algorithm as the Anchor Nodes (ANs) positions change. We analytically derive novel lower and upper bounds for the localization error and we evaluate them in some localization scenarios as functions of the ANs’ positions. We show that particular ANs’ configurations intrinsically lead to ill-conditioning of the localization problem, making the TSML-ToA inapplicable. For comparison purposes, we also show, through some examples, that a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO)-based algorithm guarantees accurate positioning also when the localization problem embedded in the TSML-ToA algorithm is ill-conditioned.

Objective To investigate whether an audible cracking sound during shoulder manipulation following distention arthrography is clinically significant in patients with adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder.Methods A total of 48 patients (31 women, 17 men) with primary adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder completed the study. All participants underwent C-arm?guided arthrographic distention of the glenohumeral joint with injections of a corticosteroid and normal saline. After distention, we performed flexion and abduction manipulation of the shoulder. The patients were grouped into sound and non-sound groups based on the presence or absence, respectively, of an audible cracking sound during manipulation. We assessed shoulder pain and disability based on a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), and passive range of motion (ROM) measurements (flexion, abduction, internal and external rotation) before the procedure and again at 3 weeks and at 6 weeks after the intervention.Results The patients were divided into two groups: 21 were included in the sound group and 27 in the non-sound group. In both groups, the results of the NRS, SPADI, and ROM assessments showed statistically significant improvements at both 3 and 6 weeks after the procedure. However, there were no significant differences between the two groups except with respect to external rotation at 6 weeks, at which time the sound group showed a significant improvement in external rotation when compared with the non-sound group (p<0.05).Conclusion These findings showed that manipulation following distention arthrography was effective in decreasing pain and increasing shoulder range of motion. In addition, the presence of an audible cracking sound during manipulation, especially on external rotation, was associated with better shoulder range of motion.

It is already well known that castration improves marbling quality but exact timing of castration is still highly debated in beef cattle production industry. After castration, blood hormonal changes occur in steer and objective of this study was to investigate the effects of growth hormone (GH) levels on adipocyte differentiation in stromal vascular cells (SVCs) and transdifferentiation into adipocytes in C2C12 myoblasts. Total GH concentrations were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 24 male calves and 4 female calves. Cell proliferation, cellular triglyceride (TG) accumulation, and the cell’s lipolytic capability were measured in C2C12 myoblasts and SVCs. Myogenic, adipogenic, and brown adipocyte-specific gene expression was measured via real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using SYBR green. Serum GH levels were the highest in late-castrated calves. Treatment with 5 ng/mL GH resulted in greater TG accumulation as well as increased CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP)α and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ expression compared to that after treatment with 15 ng/mL GH. Treatment with 5 ng/mL GH also resulted in lower myogenin (myo)G and myoD expression compared to that after treatment with 15 ng/mL GH. The expression of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 7 after treatment with 5 ng/ mL GH was higher than that after treatment with 15 ng/mL GH. But carcass characteristics data showed no significant difference between early and late castrated steers. Therefore, our results indicate that castration timing does not seem to be inevitable determinate of carcass qualities, particularly carcass weight and marbling score in Hanwoo beef cattle.

Antral follicle count (AFC) is considered a useful non-invasive method for providing valuable insights into a female’s ovarian reserve. However, the influence of AFC and corpora lutea (CL) at the time of exogenous hormonal trigger (synchronization) on ovarian response to stimulation and fertility in goats remains unclear. This research aims to explore the impacts of different AFC and CL presence at the onset of hormonal synchronization (on Day 0) for fixedtime artificial insemination (fixed-time AI) on response to hormonal stimulation and fertility in Boer does. On Day 0, a transrectal ultrasound was performed to detect all visible antral follicle (AF; ≥ 2 mm) and CL. Based on AFC and CL, 128 does were divided into four groups in a 2 × 2 factorial trial (AFC I [≤ 3 follicles], AFC II [> 3 follicles], with CL [CL+], and without CL [CL?]): groups I (AFC I × CL+), II (AFC I × CL?), III (AFC II × CL+), and IV (AFC II × CL?). On Day 7, does were inseminated with cervical AI using the first dose of frozen thawed semen. On Day 7, there was no interaction between AFC and CL on all parameters of ovarian follicles. The follicle and reproductive parameters and ovarian responsive rate did not differ between CL+ and CL? does. Does with AFC > 3 follicles had a greater number of large AF (> 4 mm) and ovarian increased the responsive rate than does having AFC ≤ 3 follicles on their ovaries. The multiple kidding (twin kidding and triplet kidding) rate and fertility were superior for does having AFC > 3 follicles than does having AFC ≤ 3 follicles at the beginning of hormonal synchronization for fixed-time AI. Moreover, the likelihood of ovarian response to synchronization and multiple kidding increased by 3.03 and 4.09 times, respectively, in does with a greater total number of AF (AFC > 3 follicles) at the time of exogenous hormonal synchronization. Higher ovarian responses to stimulation and fertility are demonstrated by the previous appearance of more AFC available for selection into the ovulatory pool in poly-ovulatory does when performing hormonal synchronization for fixed-time AI.

변동성 높은 글로벌 시장에서 공급망의 회복탄력성은 제조기업의 중요한 전략적 자산으로 부상하고 있다. 본 연구는 2012년부터 2022년까지 중국 A주 상장기업을 대상으로 공급망 회복탄력성이 기업 고유의 비체계적 위험(idiosyncratic risk)에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지 분석한다. 본 연구는 엔트로피 방법(entropy method)을 사용하여 기업 수준의 공급망 회복 탄력성 지수(SCR)를 구축하고, Fama–French 3요인 모형 잔차의 표준편차를 비체계적 위험의 측정치로 사용한다. 고정효과 패널회귀 분석 결과, 공급망 회복탄력성은 기업 고유의 비체계적 변동성을 유의하게 낮추는 것으로 나타났다. 이러한 결과 는 기업의 고유 위험을 Fama–French 5요인 모형을 이용하여 측정하더라도 강건하게 유지되며, 내생성 문제를 통제하기 위 해 동종집단 기업의 회복탄력성에 기반한 leave-one-out 방식의 도구변수 추정을 통해서도 일관되게 확인되었다. 이질성 분 석 결과, 이러한 위험 감소 효과는 애널리스트 관심도가 높고, 감사품질이 우수하며, 재무제약이 낮은 기업에서 더욱 두드러 지게 나타났다. 이는 정보환경과 재무적 유연성이 주요 전달 경로로 작용함을 시사한다. 본 연구는 공급망 회복탄력성이 운 영의 연속성뿐만 아니라 주식시장에서 기업 고유위험의 형성에 영향을 미친다는 점을 보여줌으로써 공급망 위험관리 연구 를 자산가격결정의 영역으로 확장한다. 공급망 구조가 투자자에게 가치 정보를 제공하고 회복탄력성 제고 노력이 전통적 운영 성과를 넘어 재무적 편익을 창출할 수 있다는 점에서 본 연구는 신흥시장 기업의 위험관리와 투자자 의사결정에 중요 한 시사점을 제공한다.

Supply chain resilience has become a critical strategic asset for manufacturing firms navigating volatile global markets, yet its implications for firm-specific risk in capital markets remain underexplored. In recent years, increasing uncertainty in global supply chains has further underscored the importance of resilience as a core component of firms’ risk management strategies. This paper examines how supply chain resilience affects idiosyncratic risk among Chinese A-share listed firms over the period 2012–2022. We construct a firm-level supply chain resilience index using the entropy method and measure idiosyncratic risk as the standard deviation of residuals from the Fama–French three-factor model. Fixed-effects panel regressions consistently show that supply chain resilience significantly reduces firm-level idiosyncratic volatility. This result remains robust when using the Fama–French five-factor model and is further supported by instrumental variable estimations employing leave-one-out peer resilience measures. In addition, our empirical setting provides a valuable context for examining the interaction between operational decisions and financial market outcomes in an emerging market environment. Heterogeneity analyses reveal that the risk-reducing effect is more pronounced among firms with greater analyst attention, higher audit quality, and lower financing constraints, suggesting that the information environment and financial flexibility serve as key transmission channels. These findings extend the supply chain risk literature by linking operational resilience to capital market outcomes and offer implications for both corporate risk management and investor decision-making in emerging markets.

[연구목적] 본 연구는 공공부채와 경제성장 간의 관계를 실증적으로 분석하는 데 목적이 있다. 공공부채는 특히 신흥국 및 개발도상국에서 경제정책의 핵심 쟁점으로 논의되어 왔다. 이에 본 연구는 1995년부터 2022년까지 83개 신흥국 및 개발도상국을 대상으로 공공부채가 경제성장에 미치는 영향을 분석하였다. [연구방법]연구방법으로는 횡단면 자기회귀 시차분포 모형(CS-ARDL)과 시스템 일반화적률법(SGMM)을 활용하였다. CS-ARDL 모형은 변수들 간의 횡단면 의존성을 통제함으로써 보다 신뢰성 있고 정확한 추정치를 제공하며, SGMM 기법은 패널자료 분석에서 발생할 수 있는 내생성과 이질성 문제를 완화하기 위해 적용되었다. [연구결과]공공부채는 단기 및 장기 모두에서 경제성장에 부정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났으며, 특히 장기적으로 그 부정적 효과가 더욱 강화되는 것으로 확인되었다. 이는 표본 국가들에서 공공부채가 경제성장에 긍정적으로 기여하지 못함을 시사한다. 이러한 부정적 영향은 정부 차입의 비효율적 배분과 민간투자를 위축시키는 구축효과(crowding-out effect)에 기인하는 것으로 해석된다. [연구의 시사점] 본 연구의 결과는 신흥국 및 개발도상국이 경제성장을 촉진하기 위해 공공부채를 보다 효율적으로 관리하고, 건전하고 합리적인 재정정책을 수립할 필요가 있음을 시사한다.

[Purpose] The relationship between public debt and economic growth was always a top concern for countries, especially for developing economies. Using data from 83 emerging and developing economies between 1995 and 2022, this study explores the impact of public debt on economic growth. [Methodology] This study employs the cross-sectional autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL) and system generalized method of moments (SGMM) techniques. The CS-ARDL approach is used to account for cross-sectional dependence among the variables, thereby providing more reliable and accurate estimations. Additionally, the SGMM method is applied to address potential endogeneity and heterogeneity issues commonly associated with panel data analysis. [Findings]The results indicate that public debt is negatively associated with economic growth across short- and long-term periods, and this impact intensifies in the long run. This evidence suggests that public debt does not contribute positively to economic growth in the sampled countries. The adverse impact of public debt can be attributed to the inefficient allocation of government borrowing as well as the crowding-out effect on private investment. [Implications] Based on these results, emerging and developing economies need to manage public debt well and develop reasonable fiscal policies to promote economic growth.

Our study challenges the belief that the mandatory bid rule (MBR) raises acquisition costs and deters takeovers. Leveraging the staggered adoptions of the mandatory bid rule (MBR) globally, we find that the MBR reduces the control premium, a key component of acquisition costs. Moreover, evidence does not support the claim that MBR discourages acquisitions above the threshold. While post-MBR ownership levels from block trades decline slightly, the likelihood of crossing the threshold remains unchanged. In the U.K., private deals above the threshold are fewer than below, but this gap is even larger in the U.S., which does not have an MBR.