We conduct a comprehensive synthesis of the research on how female representation in the upper echelons (i.e., top management teams and CEO positions) might affect firm performance. To help resolve longstanding theoretical, empirical, and substantive debates, we present an integrative conceptual framework based on the overarching concepts of unique resource portfolios, team decision-processes, and role incongruence perceptions. We test predictions from this framework using meta-analytic techniques on a sample of 146 primary studies conducted in 33 different countries. We find that female representation in the upper echelons in general is positively and weakly related to forms of long-term financial performance, but negatively and weakly related to short-term stock market returns. We observe that reduced strategic risk-taking is a mediating mechanism that explains why financial performance is improved. We also show that financial performance improvements are accentuated in environmental and organizational contexts that provide greater decision latitude to executives. Finally, we discuss and provide preliminary tests for extending these effects to other stakeholders (CSP) and different time intervals for performance.

Kyung SY, et al. Tuberc Respir Dis. 2020 Mar;83:e1. https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2019.0025

The importance of birth order has been the subject of debate for centuries and has captured the attention of the general public and researchers alike. Despite this interest, scholars have little understanding of the impact birth order has on CEOs and their strategic decisions. With this in mind, we develop theory that explains how CEO birth order may be associated with strategic risk taking. Drawing from evolutionary theory arguments related to birth order, we theorize that CEO birth order is positively associated with strategic risk taking; that is, earlier born CEOs will take less risk than later-born CEOs. As evolutionary theory proposes that birth order effects are driven by sibling rivalry, we also argue that this relationship is moderated by three factors related to sibling rivalry: age gap between a CEO and the closest born sibling, CEO age, and the presence of a sibling CEO. Our results provide support for our theorizing and suggest that birth order may have important implications for organization...

BACKGROUND: The N95 filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) is the most popular individual protective device to reduce exposure to particulate matter. However, concerns have been raised with regard to its use because it can increase respiratory resistance and dead space. Therefore, this study assessed the safety of N95 use in patients with COPD and air-flow limitation. METHODS: This prospective study was performed at a tertiary hospital and enrolled 97 subjects with COPD. The subjects were monitored for symptoms and physiologic variables during a 10-min rest period and 6-min walking test while wearing an N95. RESULTS: Of the 97 subjects, 7 with COPD did not wear the N95 for the entire test duration. This mask-failure group showed higher British modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale scores and lower FEV ₁ percent of predicted values than did the successful mask use group. A modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale score ≥ 3 (odds ratio 167, 95% CI 8.4 to >999.9; P = .008) or a FEV ₁ < 30% predicted (odds ratio 163, 95% CI 7.4 to >999.9; P = .001) was associated with a risk of failure to wear the N95. Breathing frequency, blood oxygen saturation, and exhaled carbon dioxide levels also showed significant differences before and after N95 use. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that subjects with COPD who had modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale scores ≥ 3 or FEV ₁ < 30% predicted wear N95s only with care.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and fatal disease with no effective treatment. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a critical stage during the development of fibrosis. To assess the effect of sulforaphane (SFN) on the EMT and fibrosis using an in vitro transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-induced model and an in vivo bleomycin (BLM)-induced model. In vitro studies, cell viability, and cytotoxicity were measured using a Cell Counting Kit-8. The functional TGF-β1-induced EMT and fibrosis were assessed using western blotting and a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The lungs were analyzed histopathologically in vivo using hematoxylin and eosin and Masson’s trichrome staining. The BLM-induced fibrosis was characterized by western blotting and immunohistochemical analyses for fibronectin, TGF-β1, E-cadherin (E-cad), and α-smooth muscle actin (SMA) in lung tissues. SFN reversed mesenchymal-like changes induced by TGF-β1 and restored cells to their epithelial-like morphology. The results confirmed that the expression of the epithelial marker, E-cadherin, increased after SFN treatment, while expression of the mesenchymal markers, N-cadherin, vimentin, and α-SMA decreased in A549 cells after SFN treatment. In addition, SFN inhibited TGF-β1-induced mRNA expression of the EMT-related transcription factors, Slug, Snail, and Twist. The SFN treatment attenuated TGF-β1-induced expression of fibrosis-related proteins, such as fibronection, collagen I, collagen IV, and α-SMA in MRC-5 cells. Furthermore, SFN reduced the TGF-β1-induced phosphorylation of SMAD2/3 protein in A549 cells and MRC-5 cells. BLM induced fibrosis in mouse lungs that was also attenuated by SFN treatment, and SFN treatment decreased BLM-induced fibronectin expression, TGF-β1 expression, and the levels of collagen I in the lungs of mice. SFN showed a significant anti-fibrotic effect in TGF-β-treated cell lines and BLM-induced fibrosis in mice. These findings showed that SFN has anti-fibrotic activity that may be considered in the treatment of IPF.

Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a potent chemo-attractant cytokine responsible for neutrophil infiltration in lungs with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The IL-8 protein and mRNA expression are increased in the lung with IPF. We evaluated the effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the IL-8 gene on the risk of IPF. One promoter (rs4073T>A) and two intronic SNPs (rs2227307T>G and rs2227306C>T) of the IL-8 genes were genotyped in 237 subjects with IPF and 456 normal controls. Logistic regression analysis was applied to evaluate the association of these SNPs with IPF. IL-8 in BAL fluids was measured using a quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay, and promoter activity was assessed using the luciferase reporter assay. The minor allele frequencies of rs4073T>A and rs2227307T>G were significantly lower in the 162 subjects with surgical biopsy-proven IPF and 75 subjects with clinical IPF compared with normal controls in the recessive model (OR = 0.46 and 0.48, p = 0.006 and 0.007, respectively). The IL-8 protein concentration in BAL fluids significantly increased in 24 subjects with IPF compared with 14 controls (p = 0.009). Nine IPF subjects homozygous for the rs4073 T>A common allele exhibited higher levels of the IL-8 protein compared with six subjects homozygous for the minor allele (p = 0.024). The luciferase activity of the rs4073T>A common allele was significantly higher than that of the rs4073T>A minor allele (p = 0.002). The common allele of a promoter SNP, rs4073T>A, may increase susceptibility to the development of IPF via up-regulation of IL-8.