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This paper examines how CEOs educational background affects the agglomeration economies–firm performance relationship based on the upper echelons theory. With a sample of Chinese software and information technology services public listed firms, it is found that CEO educational specialization helps firms to reap the benefits of agglomeration. Specifically, firms led by CEOs with science or engineering degrees benefit more from specialization externalities, while firms led by CEOs with business, economics or legal degrees enjoy more diversity externalities. This paper contributes to the specialization versus diversity debate by stating the importance of individual CEOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Alcohol-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction is a major contributor to alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1) is a member of the mammalian forkhead box O class (FoxO) subfamily that regulates a wide array of cellular processes. In the present study, we used both an alcohol-fed mouse model and an alcohol-treated Caco-2 intestinal epithelial cell monolayer in vitro model to investigate whether FoxO1 is involved in alcohol-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction. We found that chronic alcohol exposure to mice significantly increased both mRNA and protein levels of FoxO1 in all the examined intestinal segments with the most remarkable changes in the ileum. Alcohol treatment increased mRNA and protein levels of FoxO1 and promoted nuclear translocation of FoxO1 in Caco-2 cells. Furthermore, alcohol treatment with Caco-2 cells resulted in a significant decrease in the epithelial transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) value, which was attenuated by knockdown of FoxO1 expression. In conclusion, our data suggest that activation of FoxO1 is likely to be a novel mechanism contributing to the deleterious effects of alcohol on intestinal barrier function. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]