Legal determinants of external finance revisited : the inverse relationship between investor protection and societal well-being

This paper investigates relationships between corporate governance traditions and quality of life as measured by a number of widely reported indicators. It provides an empirical analysis of indicators of societal health in developed economies using a classification based on legal traditions. Arguably the most widely cited work in the corporate governance literature has been the collection of papers by La Porta et al. which has shown, inter alia, statistically significant relationships between legal traditions and various proxies for investor protection. We show statistically significant relationships between legal traditions and various proxies for societal health. Our comparative evidence suggests that the interests of investors may not be congruent with the interests of wider society, and that the criteria for judging the effectiveness of approaches to corporate governance should not be restricted to financial metrics

Critical Error Frequency and the Impact of Training with Inhalers Commonly used for Maintenance Treatment in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Introduction: Training in correct inhaler use, ideally in person or by video demonstration, can minimize errors but is rarely provided in clinics. This open-label, low-intervention study evaluated critical error rates with dry-powder inhalers (DPIs), before and after training, in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Methods: Patients prescribed an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)/long-acting β2-agonist (LABA) (ELLIPTA, Turbuhaler, or DISKUS), long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA)/LABA (ELLIPTA or Breezhaler), or LAMA-only DPI (ELLIPTA, HandiHaler, or Breezhaler) were enrolled. Critical errors were assessed before training (Visit 1 [V1]; primary endpoint) and 6 weeks thereafter (Visit 2 [V2]; secondary endpoint). Logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) for between-group comparisons. Results: The intent-to-treat population comprised 450 patients. At V1, fewer patients made ≥ 1 critical error with ELLIPTA (10%) versus other ICS/LABA DPIs (Turbuhaler: 40%, OR 4.66, P=0.005; DISKUS: 26%, OR 2.48, P=0.114) and other LAMA or LAMA/LABA DPIs (HandiHaler: 34%, OR 3.50, P=0.026; Breezhaler: 33%, OR 3.94, P=0.012). Critical error rates with the primary ICS/LABA DPI were not significantly different between ELLIPTA ICS/LABA (10%) and ICS/LABA plus LAMA groups (12– 25%). Critical errors with the primary ICS/LABA DPI occurred less frequently with ELLIPTA ICS/LABA with or without LAMA (11%) versus Turbuhaler ICS/LABA with or without LAMA (39%, OR 3.99, P< 0.001) and DISKUS ICS/LABA with or without LAMA (26%, OR 2.18, P=0.069). Simulating single-inhaler versus multiple-inhaler triple therapy, critical error rates were lower with ELLIPTA fluticasone furoate/vilanterol (FF/VI; 10%) versus ELLIPTA FF/VI plus LAMA (22%), considering errors with either DPI (OR 2.50, P=0.108). At V2, critical error rates decreased for all DPIs/groups, reaching zero only for ELLIPTA. Between-group comparisons were similar to V1. Conclusion: Fewer patients made critical errors with ELLIPTA versus other ICS/LABA, and LAMA or LAMA/LABA DPIs. The effect of “verbal” training highlights its importance for reducing critical errors with common DPIs

Repeatability and Longitudinal Assessment of Foveal Cone Structure in Cngb3-associated Achromatopsia

PURPOSE: Congenital achromatopsia is an autosomal recessive disease causing substantial reduction or complete absence of cone function. Although believed to be a relatively stationary disorder, questions remain regarding the stability of cone structure over time. In this study, the authors sought to assess the repeatability of and examine longitudinal changes in measurements of central cone structure in patients with achromatopsia. METHODS: Forty-one subjects with CNGB3-associated achromatopsia were imaged over a period of between 6 and 26 months using optical coherence tomography and adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy. Outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness, ellipsoid zone (EZ) disruption, and peak foveal cone density were assessed. RESULTS: ONL thickness increased slightly compared with baseline (0.184 μm/month, P = 0.02). The EZ grade remained unchanged for 34/41 subjects. Peak foveal cone density did not significantly change over time (mean change 1% per 6 months, P = 0.126). CONCLUSION: Foveal cone structure showed little or no change in this group of subjects with CNGB3-associated achromatopsia. Over the time scales investigated (6–26 months), achromatopsia seems to be a structurally stable condition, although longer-term follow-up is needed. These data will be useful in assessing foveal cone structure after therapeutic intervention

Residual Foveal Cone Structure in CNGB3-Associated Achromatopsia

PURPOSE: Congenital achromatopsia (ACHM) is an autosomal recessive disorder in which cone function is absent or severely reduced. Gene therapy in animal models of ACHM have shown restoration of cone function, though translation of these results to humans relies, in part, on the presence of viable cone photoreceptors at the time of treatment. Here, we characterized residual cone structure in subjects with CNGB3-associated ACHM. METHODS: High-resolution imaging (optical coherence tomography [OCT] and adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy [AOSLO]) was performed in 51 subjects with CNGB3-associated ACHM. Peak cone density and inter-cone spacing at the fovea was measured using split-detection AOSLO. Foveal outer nuclear layer thickness was measured in OCT images, and the integrity of the photoreceptor layer was assessed using a previously published OCT grading scheme RESULTS: Analyzable images of the foveal cones were obtained in 26 of 51 subjects, with nystagmus representing the major obstacle to obtaining high-quality images. Peak foveal cone density ranged from 7,273 to 53,554 cones/mm2, significantly lower than normal (range, 84,733–234,391 cones/mm2), with the remnant cones being either contiguously or sparsely arranged. Peak cone density was correlated with OCT integrity grade; however, there was overlap of the density ranges between OCT grades. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of residual foveal cone structure varies greatly among subjects with CNGB3-associated ACHM. Such measurements may be useful in estimating the therapeutic potential of a given retina, providing affected individuals and physicians with valuable information to more accurately assess the risk-benefit ratio as they consider enrolling in experimental gene therapy trials. (www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01846052.

IL-35 Is a Novel Responsive Anti-inflammatory Cytokine — A New System of Categorizing Anti-inflammatory Cytokines

It remains unknown whether newly identified anti-inflammatory/immunosuppressive cytokine interleukin-35 (IL-35) is different from other anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β in terms of inhibition of inflammation initiation and suppression of full-blown inflammation. Using experimental database mining and statistical analysis methods we developed, we examined the tissue expression profiles and regulatory mechanisms of IL-35 in comparison to other anti-inflammatory cytokines. Our results suggest that in contrast to TGF-β, IL-35 is not constitutively expressed in human tissues but it is inducible in response to inflammatory stimuli. We also provide structural evidence that AU-rich element (ARE) binding proteins and microRNAs target IL-35 subunit transcripts, by which IL-35 may achieve non-constitutive expression status. Furthermore, we propose a new system to categorize anti-inflammatory cytokines into two groups: (1) the house-keeping cytokines, such as TGF-β, inhibit the initiation of inflammation whereas (2) the responsive cytokines including IL-35 suppress inflammation in full-blown stage. Our in-depth analyses of molecular events that regulate the production of IL-35 as well as the new categorization system of anti-inflammatory cytokines are important for the design of new strategies of immune therapies

Characterization of Mycosphaerellaceae species associated with citrus greasy spot in Panama and Spain

[EN] Greasy spot of citrus, caused by Zasmidium citri-griseum (= Mycosphaerella citri), is widely distributed in the Caribbean Basin, inducing leaf spots, premature defoliation, and yield loss. Greasy spot-like symptoms were frequently observed in humid citrus-growing regions in Panama as well as in semi-arid areas in Spain, but disease aetiology was unknown. Citrus-growing areas in Panama and Spain were surveyed and isolates of Mycosphaerellaceae were obtained from citrus greasy spot lesions. A selection of isolates from Panama (n = 22) and Spain (n = 16) was assembled based on their geographical origin, citrus species, and affected tissue. The isolates were characterized based on multi-locus DNA (ITS and EF-1 alpha) sequence analyses, morphology, growth at different temperatures, and independent pathogenicity tests on the citrus species most affected in each country. Reference isolates and sequences were also included in the analysis. Isolates from Panama were identified as Z. citri-griseum complex, and others from Spain attributed to Amycosphaerella africana. Isolates of the Z. citri-griseum complex had a significantly higher optimal growth temperature (26.8 degrees C) than those of A. africana (19.3 degrees C), which corresponded well with their actual biogeographical range. The isolates of the Z. citri-griseum complex from Panama induced typical greasy spot symptoms in 'Valencia' sweet orange plants and the inoculated fungi were reisolated. No symptoms were observed in plants of the 'Ortanique' tangor inoculated with A. africana. These results demonstrate the presence of citrus greasy spot, caused by Z. citri-griseum complex, in Panama whereas A. africana was associated with greasy spot-like symptoms in Spain.Research was partially funded by 'Programa de Formacion de los INIA Iberoamerica' and INIA RTA2010-00105-00-00-FEDER to Vidal Aguilera Cogley.. We thank J. Martinez-Minaya (UV) for assistance with INLAAguilera-Cogley, VA.; Berbegal Martinez, M.; Català, S.; Collison Brentu, F.; Armengol Fortí, J.; Vicent Civera, A. (2017). Characterization of Mycosphaerellaceae species associated with citrus greasy spot in Panama and Spain. PLoS ONE. 12(12):1-19. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0189585S1191212Crous, P. W., Summerell, B. A., Carnegie, A. J., Wingfield, M. J., Hunter, G. C., Burgess, T. I., … Groenewald, J. Z. (2009). Unravelling Mycosphaerella: do you believe in genera? Persoonia - Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi, 23(1), 99-118. doi:10.3767/003158509x479487Mondal, S. N., & Timmer, L. W. (2006). Greasy Spot, a Serious Endemic Problem for Citrus Production in the Caribbean Basin. Plant Disease, 90(5), 532-538. doi:10.1094/pd-90-0532Whiteside, J. O. (1970). Etiology and Epidemiology of Citrus Greasy Spot. Phytopathology, 60(10), 1409. doi:10.1094/phyto-60-1409Huang, F., Groenewald, J. Z., Zhu, L., Crous, P. W., & Li, H. (2015). Cercosporoid diseases of Citrus. Mycologia, 107(6), 1151-1171. doi:10.3852/15-059Wellings, C. R. (1981). Pathogenicity of fungi associated with citrus greasy spot in New South Wales. Transactions of the British Mycological Society, 76(3), 495-499. doi:10.1016/s0007-1536(81)80080-0Marco, G. M. (1986). A Disease Similar to Greasy Spot but of Unknown Etiology on Citrus Leaves in Argentina. Plant Disease, 70(11), 1074a. doi:10.1094/pd-70-1074aVidal Aguilera-Cogley, & Antonio Vicent. (2015). FUNGAL DISEASES OF CITRUS IN PANAMA. Acta Horticulturae, (1065), 947-952. doi:10.17660/actahortic.2015.1065.118Honger J. Aetiology and importance of foliage diseases affecting citrus in the nursery at the Agricultural Research Station (ARS). PhD Thesis. Accra: University of Ghana; 2004.Vicent A, Álvarez A, León M, García-Jiménez J. Mycosphaerella sp. asociada a manchas foliares de cítricos en España. In: Proceedings of the 13th Congress of the Spanish Phytopathological Society. 2006; Murcia; Spain.Abdelfattah, A., Cacciola, S. O., Mosca, S., Zappia, R., & Schena, L. (2016). Analysis of the Fungal Diversity in Citrus Leaves with Greasy Spot Disease Symptoms. Microbial Ecology, 73(3), 739-749. doi:10.1007/s00248-016-0874-xQuaedvlieg, W., Binder, M., Groenewald, J. Z., Summerell, B. A., Carnegie, A. J., Burgess, T. I., & Crous, P. W. (2014). Introducing the Consolidated Species Concept to resolve species in the Teratosphaeriaceae. Persoonia - Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi, 33(1), 1-40. doi:10.3767/003158514x681981Edgar, R. C. (2004). MUSCLE: multiple sequence alignment with high accuracy and high throughput. Nucleic Acids Research, 32(5), 1792-1797. doi:10.1093/nar/gkh340Darriba, D., Taboada, G. L., Doallo, R., & Posada, D. (2012). jModelTest 2: more models, new heuristics and parallel computing. Nature Methods, 9(8), 772-772. doi:10.1038/nmeth.2109Ronquist, F., Teslenko, M., van der Mark, P., Ayres, D. L., Darling, A., Höhna, S., … Huelsenbeck, J. P. (2012). MrBayes 3.2: Efficient Bayesian Phylogenetic Inference and Model Choice Across a Large Model Space. Systematic Biology, 61(3), 539-542. doi:10.1093/sysbio/sys029Rambaut A. FigTree v1. 4.0, a graphical viewer of phylogenetic trees. Edinburgh, Scotland: University of Edinburgh; 2016.Spiegelhalter, D. J., Best, N. G., Carlin, B. P., & van der Linde, A. (2002). Bayesian measures of model complexity and fit. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series B (Statistical Methodology), 64(4), 583-639. doi:10.1111/1467-9868.00353Rue, H., Martino, S., & Chopin, N. (2009). Approximate Bayesian inference for latent Gaussian models by using integrated nested Laplace approximations. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series B (Statistical Methodology), 71(2), 319-392. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9868.2008.00700.xChristensen RH. Ordinal—regression models for ordinal data. R package version 2015.1–21. 2015. http://www.cran.r-project.org/package=ordinal/ Accessed 8 May 2017.Hunter, G. C., Wingfield, B. D., Crous, P. W., & Wingfield, M. J. (2006). A multi-gene phylogeny for species of Mycosphaerella occurring on Eucalyptus leaves. Studies in Mycology, 55, 147-161. doi:10.3114/sim.55.1.147Braun, U., & Urtiaga, R. (2013). New species and new records of cercosporoid hyphomycetes from Cuba and Venezuela (Part 2). Mycosphere, 4(2), 172-214. doi:10.5943/mycosphere/4/2/3Braun, U., Crous, P. W., & Nakashima, C. (2014). Cercosporoid fungi (Mycosphaerellaceae) 2. Species on monocots (Acoraceae to Xyridaceae, excluding Poaceae). IMA Fungus, 5(2), 203-390. doi:10.5598/imafungus.2014.05.02.04Aptroot A. Mycosphaerella and its anamorphs: conspectus of Mycosphaerella CBS Biodiversity Series 5. Utrecht: CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre; 2006.Crous, P. W., & Wingfield, M. J. (1996). Species of Mycosphaerella and Their Anamorphs Associated with Leaf Blotch Disease of Eucalyptus in South Africa. Mycologia, 88(3), 441. doi:10.2307/3760885Aguín, O., Sainz, M. J., Ares, A., Otero, L., & Pedro Mansilla, J. (2013). Incidence, severity and causal fungal species of Mycosphaerella and Teratosphaeria diseases in Eucalyptus stands in Galicia (NW Spain). Forest Ecology and Management, 302, 379-389. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2013.03.021Maxwell, A., Dell, B., Neumeister-Kemp, H. G., & Hardy, G. E. S. J. (2003). Mycosphaerella species associated with Eucalyptus in south-western Australia: new species, new records and a key. Mycological Research, 107(3), 351-359. doi:10.1017/s0953756203007354Otero L, Aguín O, Mansilla J, Hunter G, Wingfield M. Identificación de especies de Mycosphaerella en Eucalyptus globulus y E. nitens en Galicia. In: Proceedings of the 13th Congress of the Spanish Phytopathological Society; 2006; Murcia, Spain.ZHAN, J., & McDONALD, B. A. (2011). Thermal adaptation in the fungal pathogen Mycosphaerella graminicola. Molecular Ecology, 20(8), 1689-1701. doi:10.1111/j.1365-294x.2011.05023.xPeel, M. C., Finlayson, B. L., & McMahon, T. A. (2007). Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 11(5), 1633-1644. doi:10.5194/hess-11-1633-200

Cardiac troponin I levels in canine pyometra

BACKGROUND: Myocardial injury may contribute to unexpected deaths due to pyometra. To detect myocardial damage, measurement of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is currently the most sensitive and specific method. The aims of the present study were to evaluate presence of myocardial damage in canine pyometra by analysis of cTnI, to explore whether myocardial injury was associated with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and to evaluate whether other clinical or laboratory parameters were associated with cTnI increase. METHODS: Preoperative plasma levels of cTnI were investigated in 58 female dogs with pyometra and 9 controls. The value of physical examination findings, haematological, serum biochemical and pro-inflammatory (CRP and TNF-α) parameters as possible predictors of increased cTnI levels was also evaluated. RESULTS: Seven dogs with pyometra (12%) and one control dog (11%) had increased levels of cTnI. In the pyometra group, the levels ranged between 0.3–0.9 μg l(-1 )and in the control dog the level was 0.3 μg l(-1). The cTnI levels did not differ significantly between the two groups. No cardiac abnormalities were evident on preoperative physical examinations. Four of the pyometra patients died within two weeks of surgery, of which two were examined post mortem. In one of these cases (later diagnosed with myocarditis and disseminated bacterial infection) the cTnI levels increased from 0.9 μg l(-1 )preoperatively to 180 μg l(-1 )the following day when also heart arrhythmia was also detected. The other patient had cTnI levels of 0.7 μg l(-1 )with no detectable heart pathology post mortem. CTnI increase was not associated with presence of SIRS. There was a trend for the association of cTnI increase with increased mortality. No preoperative physical examination findings and few but unspecific laboratory parameters were associated with increased cTnI levels. CONCLUSION: Increased cTnI levels were observed in 12% of the dogs with pyometra. The proportions of dogs with cTnI increase did not differ significantly in the pyometra group compared with the control group. CTnI increase was not associated with presence of SIRS. A trend for association of cTnI increase and mortality was observed. Preoperative physical examination findings and included laboratory parameters were poor predictors of increased cTnI levels

A Computational Profiling of Changes in Gene Expression and Transcription Factors Induced by vFLIP K13 in Primary Effusion Lymphoma

Infection with Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV) has been linked to the development of primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), a rare lymphoproliferative disorder that is characterized by loss of expression of most B cell markers and effusions in the body cavities. This unique clinical presentation of PEL has been attributed to their distinctive plasmablastic gene expression profile that shows overexpression of genes involved in inflammation, adhesion and invasion. KSHV-encoded latent protein vFLIP K13 has been previously shown to promote the survival and proliferation of PEL cells. In this study, we employed gene array analysis to characterize the effect of K13 on global gene expression in PEL-derived BCBL1 cells, which express negligible K13 endogenously. We demonstrate that K13 upregulates the expression of a number of NF-κB responsive genes involved in cytokine signaling, cell death, adhesion, inflammation and immune response, including two NF-κB subunits involved in the alternate NF-κB pathway, RELB and NFKB2. In contrast, CD19, a B cell marker, was one of the genes downregulated by K13. A comparison with K13-induced genes in human vascular endothelial cells revealed that although there was a considerable overlap among the genes induced by K13 in the two cell types, chemokines genes were preferentially induced in HUVEC with few exceptions, such as RANTES/CCL5, which was induced in both cell types. Functional studies confirmed that K13 activated the RANTES/CCL5 promoter through the NF-κB pathway. Taken collectively, our results suggest that K13 may contribute to the unique gene expression profile, immunophenotype and clinical presentation that are characteristics of KSHV-associated PEL

Corporate governance for sustainability : Statement

The current model of corporate governance needs reform. There is mounting evidence that the practices of shareholder primacy drive company directors and executives to adopt the same short time horizon as financial markets. Pressure to meet the demands of the financial markets drives stock buybacks, excessive dividends and a failure to invest in productive capabilities. The result is a ‘tragedy of the horizon’, with corporations and their shareholders failing to consider environmental, social or even their own, long-term, economic sustainability. With less than a decade left to address the threat of climate change, and with consensus emerging that businesses need to be held accountable for their contribution, it is time to act and reform corporate governance in the EU. The statement puts forward specific recommendations to clarify the obligations of company boards and directors and make corporate governance practice significantly more sustainable and focused on the long term