Mandatory Nonfinancial Disclosure and Its Consequences on the Sustainability Reporting Quality of Italian and German Companies

Companies disclosing nonfinancial information through sustainability reporting practices provide markets with data on their social, environmental, and governance performance. The quality of sustainability reporting is much discussed in the literature because this quality affects factors such as the credibility of accountability and building stakeholders\u2019 trust in the company. Nonetheless, the concept of quality is multidimensional, and empirical evidence relating to the quality of sustainability reporting presents different findings. Regulations on mandatory nonfinancial disclosure (NFD) open new perspectives for research on sustainability reporting quality (SRQ). This study explored the effect of introducing mandatory NFD on SRQ by focusing on the effects of new legislation (Directive 2014/95/EU) introduced in Italy and Germany. The analysis was conducted through qualitative content analysis of the sustainability reporting practices of Italian and German companies in the top lists of stock exchanges. Sustainability reporting practices of one year before (2016) and one year after (2017) the implementation of Directive 2014/95/EU were compared. The results of 132 observations demonstrated that the quality of sustainability reporting increased after implementation of the law on mandatory NFD. Further, the effect of the law seemed to reduce the differences in SRQ of the two countries before the introduction of mandatory NFD. The results suggested that obligatoriness of NFD affects SRQ together with other relevant determinants focused on by previous research (e.g., company size and industry type)

Understanding the purpose of benefit corporations: an empirical study on the Italian case

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Fundamentos teóricos de la controversia entre Hayek y KeyneS. Dos visiones acerca del orden económico y la historia

El presente trabajo pretende investigar la controversia entre Hayek y Keynes desde la concepción que cada uno tiene sobre la Historia. Para ello ha sido necesario, en primer lugar, precisar el debate conceptual en el marco de la Historia del Pensamiento Económico donde se tratan problemas teóricos como el funcionamiento del sistema de precios, la teoría del valor, la teoría sobre el interés y el capital, la Ley de Say, el papel de las expectativas y el funcionamiento de los mercados organizados, por destacar los elementos más relevantes. Dichos conceptos ayudan a comprender la aportación teórica de Hayek y Keynes acerca de las causas y remedios de las crisis económicas iluminando a su vez sobre la disyuntiva moderna entre sociedad civil e intervención gubernamental. En segundo término he ahondado en las influencias filosóficas y metodológicas que nutren dos visiones diferentes de la Historia —aunque con puntos de encuentro—, la de Hayek predominantemente praxeológica, mientras que en Keynes aparece más específica y concreta. Concluyo que esta visión o idea de la Historia tiene una influencia significativa en la postura que asume cada autor en cuanto al papel desempeñado por las reglas de conducta y la capacidad de autorregulación de un orden moderno y complejo. El marco histórico fundamental es el período de entreguerras (1919-1938) caracterizado por la inestabilidad institucional, el desorden monetario, la Gran Depresión y la pérdida de hegemonía del Reino Unido. La disputa propiamente dicha entre Hayek y Keynes fue muy breve, ocurrió entre los años 1931 y 1932, cuando se suceden una serie de réplicas y correspondencia entre ambos que Keynes zanjó delegando en Piero Sraffa y R.F. Kahn la continuación de la batalla frente a Hayek. Keynes prefirió centrarse en los conceptos que emplearía en la Teoría General “en lugar de perder el tiempo en controversias”1. Para Keynes la posición de Hayek a grandes rasgos era la de otro exponente de lo que él denominaba la “ortodoxia” que asumía tácitamente el cumplimiento de la Ley de Say..

Incidencia de la gestión del programa de formación e inserción laboral forjando futuro en el sur del Perú 2013 - 2020

Una de las principales barreras que impiden a las personas de bajos recursos económicos, acceder a un empleo digno, es la falta de formación y capacitación. Esta situación se advierte en millones de jóvenes de nuestro país, principalmente los más pobres. La tasa de desempleo en este segmento es la más representativa pues ha ido aumentando entre 2013 y 2019. Para hacerle frente, el sector público y el privado han diseñado e implementado, programas sociales enfocados a mejorar capacidades, fortalecer competencias y crear oportunidades laborales. En ese contexto, el año 2013 la empresa minera Southern Peru lanzó el Programa de Formación e Inserción laboral “Forjando Futuro” con el objetivo de mejorar las capacidades de jóvenes residentes de las zonas de influencia de sus operaciones mineras, en Moquegua, Tacna, y Arequipa (provincia de Islay). La presente investigación tiene como finalidad determinar la incidencia de dicho programa en la situación laboral, conocimientos y percepciones de los beneficiarios del sur del Perú entre los años 2013-2020. El diseño de la investigación es no experimental, de corte transversal, dado que no se modifican las variables de estudio de la realidad y se recoge la información en un único periodo de tiempo. Se trabajó con una muestra conformada por 60 beneficiarios del programa Forjando Futuro procedentes de zonas de influencia directa de las operaciones de Southern Peru, en las provincias tacneñas de Jorge Basadre y Candarave; en el distrito de Torata, provincia de Mariscal Nieto (Moquegua) y la provincia de Islay (Arequipa). Para recoger la información se empleó como instrumento una encuesta de 64 preguntas aplicadas a los beneficiarios del programa, así como una guía de entrevista que se realizó a cinco coordinadores del programa Forjando Futuro. La investigación permitió evidenciar que, el programa Forjando Futuro ha tenido una incidencia positiva en la situación laboral de una mayoría de beneficiarios, en su bagaje de conocimientos y crecimiento personal, sin embargo, no es un programa orientado específicamente a la inserción laboral. Así mismo, hay falencias en la gestión que deben subsanarse para garantizar mejores resultados y percepciones de los beneficiarios, cuya atención, contribuirá a mejorar el programa, en beneficio, tanto de la empresa como de los próximos usuarios de Forjando Futuro

Fundamentos teóricos de la controversia entre Hayek y KeyneS. Dos visiones acerca del orden económico y la historia

Tesis inédita de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, Departamento de Historia e Instituciones Económicas I, leída el 10-12-2015El presente trabajo pretende investigar la controversia entre Hayek y Keynes desde la concepción que cada uno tiene sobre la Historia. Para ello ha sido necesario, en primer lugar, precisar el debate conceptual en el marco de la Historia del Pensamiento Económico donde se tratan problemas teóricos como el funcionamiento del sistema de precios, la teoría del valor, la teoría sobre el interés y el capital, la Ley de Say, el papel de las expectativas y el funcionamiento de los mercados organizados, por destacar los elementos más relevantes. Dichos conceptos ayudan a comprender la aportación teórica de Hayek y Keynes acerca de las causas y remedios de las crisis económicas iluminando a su vez sobre la disyuntiva moderna entre sociedad civil e intervención gubernamental. En segundo término he ahondado en las influencias filosóficas y metodológicas que nutren dos visiones diferentes de la Historia —aunque con puntos de encuentro—, la de Hayek predominantemente praxeológica, mientras que en Keynes aparece más específica y concreta. Concluyo que esta visión o idea de la Historia tiene una influencia significativa en la postura que asume cada autor en cuanto al papel desempeñado por las reglas de conducta y la capacidad de autorregulación de un orden moderno y complejo. El marco histórico fundamental es el período de entreguerras (1919-1938) caracterizado por la inestabilidad institucional, el desorden monetario, la Gran Depresión y la pérdida de hegemonía del Reino Unido. La disputa propiamente dicha entre Hayek y Keynes fue muy breve, ocurrió entre los años 1931 y 1932, cuando se suceden una serie de réplicas y correspondencia entre ambos que Keynes zanjó delegando en Piero Sraffa y R.F. Kahn la continuación de la batalla frente a Hayek. Keynes prefirió centrarse en los conceptos que emplearía en la Teoría General “en lugar de perder el tiempo en controversias”1. Para Keynes la posición de Hayek a grandes rasgos era la de otro exponente de lo que él denominaba la “ortodoxia” que asumía tácitamente el cumplimiento de la Ley de Say...The present work aims to investigate the dispute between Hayek and Keynes from the different perspective each has about History. For that purpose it is necessary, at first, to clarify the conceptual debate in the framework of the History of Economic Thought through their theories about the price mechanism, the value theory, the concept of capital and interest, Say’s Law, and the role of expectations and organized markets, highlighting the most relevant elements. These concepts help us to understand the theoretical contributions of Hayek and Keynes to the reasons and remedies of the economic crisis and can shed light on the modern dilemma between civil society and government intervention. In second term, I delve into the philosophical and methodological aspects that nurture a vision of History more praxeological, in Hayek’s case, and more historically specific, in the case of Keynes. The main conclusion is the importance of these influences in the philosophical stance that each assumes in regard to the rules of conduct, the spontaneous order and the capacity for self-regulation in a modern and complex order. The historical context is essentially the interwar period characterized by institutional instability, monetary disorder, the Great Depression and the loss of hegemony of the United Kingdom. The Hayek and Keynes dispute was very brief, it occurred between the years 1931 and 1932, and is dotted with a series of replicas and correspondence between both authors. Keynes settled the debate by delegating to P. Sraffa and R. F. Kahn the continuity of the battle against Hayek. Keynes preferred to focus on the concepts that he would use in the General Theory "instead of wasting time in controversies"3. For Keynes, Hayek’s position was like another exponent of what he termed the "orthodoxy" that tacitly assumed the compliance of Say’s Law...Depto. de Economía Aplicada, Estructura e HistoriaFac. de Ciencias Económicas y EmpresarialesTRUEunpu

A novel marker, <em>ARM58</em>, confers antimony resistance to <em>Leishmania</em> spp

AbstractProtozoa of the Leishmania genus cause a variety of disease forms that rank at the top of the list of neglected tropical diseases. Anti-leishmanial drugs based on pentavalent antimony have been the mainstay of therapy for over 60years and resistance against them is increasingly encountered in the field. The biochemical basis for this is poorly understood and likely diverse. No stringent correlation between genetic markers and antimony resistance has so far been shown, prompting us to use a functional cloning approach to identify markers of resistance. Using gene libraries derived from drug-resistant and drug-sensitive Leishmania braziliensis clinical isolates in a functional cloning strategy, we repeatedly selected one gene locus located on chromosome 20 whose amplification confers increased antimony (III) resistance in vitro to an otherwise sensitive L. braziliensis clone. The gene responsible for the effect encodes a previously hypothetical protein that we dubbed LbrARM58. It comprises four repeats of a domain of unknown function, DUF1935, one of them harbouring a potential trans-membrane domain. The gene is so far unique to the Leishmania genus, while a structurally related gene without antimony resistance functionality is also found in Trypanosoma spp. Overexpression of LbrARM58 also confers antimony resistance to promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes of the related species Leishmania infantum, indicating a conserved function in Old World and New World Leishmania species. Our results also show that in spite of their RNAi system, L. braziliensis promastigotes can serve as acceptor cells for episomally propagated cosmid libraries, at least for the initial stages of functional cloning efforts

Application of crispr/cas9-based reverse genetics in leishmania braziliensis: Conserved roles for hsp100 and hsp23

The protozoan parasite Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis (L. braziliensis) is the main cause of human tegumentary leishmaniasis in the New World, a disease affecting the skin and/or mucosal tissues. Despite its importance, the study of the unique biology of L. braziliensis through reverse genetics analyses has so far lagged behind in comparison with Old World Leishmania spp. In this study, we successfully applied a cloning-free, PCR-based CRISPR–Cas9 technology in L. braziliensis that was previously developed for Old World Leishmania major and New World L. mexicana species. As proof of principle, we demonstrate the targeted replacement of a transgene (eGFP) and two L. braziliensis single-copy genes (HSP23 and HSP100). We obtained homozygous Cas9-free HSP23-and HSP100-null mutants in L. braziliensis that matched the phenotypes reported previously for the respective L. donovani null mutants. The function of HSP23 is indeed conserved throughout the Trypanosomatida as L. major HSP23 null mutants could be complemented phenotypically with transgenes from a range of trypanosomatids. In summary, the feasibility of genetic manipulation of L. braziliensis by CRISPR–Cas9-mediated gene editing sets the stage for testing the role of specific genes in that parasite’s biology, including functional studies of virulence factors in relevant animal models to reveal novel therapeutic targets to combat American tegumentary leishmaniasis.Alexander von Humboldt-StiftungRevisión por pare

Unlocking SARS-CoV-2 detection in low- and middle-income countries

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are significantly affected by SARS-CoV-2, partially due to their limited capacity for local production and implementation of molecular testing. Here, we provide detailed methods and validation of a molecular toolkit that can be readily produced and deployed using laboratory equipment available in LMICs. Our results show that lab-scale production of enzymes and nucleic acids can supply over 50,000 tests per production batch. The optimized one-step RT-PCR coupled to CRISPR-Cas12a-mediated detection showed a limit of detection of 102 ge/μL in a turnaround time of 2 h. The clinical validation indicated an overall sensitivity of 80%–88%, while for middle and high viral load samples (Cq ≤ 31) the sensitivity was 92%–100%. The specificity was 96%–100% regardless of viral load. Furthermore, we show that the toolkit can be used with the mobile laboratory Bento Lab, potentially enabling LMICs to implement detection services in unattended remote regions.Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico, Tecnológico y de Innovación TecnológicaRevisión por pare

Linking In Vitro and In Vivo Survival of Clinical Leishmania donovani Strains

BACKGROUND: Leishmania donovani is an intracellular protozoan parasite that causes a lethal systemic disease, visceral leishmaniasis (VL), and is transmitted between mammalian hosts by phlebotomine sandflies. Leishmania expertly survives in these 'hostile' environments with a unique redox system protecting against oxidative damage, and host manipulation skills suppressing oxidative outbursts of the mammalian host. Treating patients imposes an additional stress on the parasite and sodium stibogluconate (SSG) was used for over 70 years in the Indian subcontinent. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We evaluated whether the survival capacity of clinical L. donovani isolates varies significantly at different stages of their life cycle by comparing proliferation, oxidative stress tolerance and infection capacity of 3 Nepalese L. donovani strains in several in vitro and in vivo models. In general, the two strains that were resistant to SSG, a stress encountered in patients, attained stationary phase at a higher parasite density, contained a higher amount of metacyclic parasites and had a greater capacity to cause in vivo infection in mice compared to the SSG-sensitive strain. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The 2 SSG-resistant strains had superior survival skills as promastigotes and as amastigotes compared to the SSG-sensitive strain. These results could indicate that Leishmania parasites adapting successfully to antimonial drug pressure acquire an overall increased fitness, which stands in contrast to what is found for other organisms, where drug resistance is usually linked to a fitness cost. Further validation experiments are under way to verify this hypothesi

Comparison of gene expression patterns among Leishmania braziliensis clinical isolates showing a different in vitro susceptibility to pentavalent antimony

Introduction. Evaluation of Leishmania drug susceptibility depends on in vitro SbV susceptibility assays, which are labour-intensive and may give a biased view of the true parasite resistance. Molecular markers are urgently needed to improve and simplify the monitoring of SbV-resistance. We analysed here the gene expression profile of 21 L. braziliensis clinical isolates in vitro defined as SbV-resistant and -sensitive, in order to identify potential resistance markers. Methods. The differential expression of 13 genes involved in SbV metabolism, oxidative stress or housekeeping functions was analysed during in vitro promastigote growth. Results. Expression profiles were up-regulated for 5 genes only, each time affecting a different set of isolates (mosaic picture of gene expression). Two genes, ODC (ornithine decarboxylase) and TRYR (trypanothione reductase), showed a significantly higher expression rate in the group of SbV-resistant compared to the group of SbV-sensitive parasites (P<0·01). However, analysis of individual isolates showed both markers to explain only partially the drug resistance. Discussion. Our results might be explained by (i) the occurrence of a pleiotropic molecular mechanism leading to the in vitro SbV resistance and/or (ii) the existence of different epi-phenotypes not revealed by the in vitro SbV susceptibility assays, but interfering with the gene expression pattern