Strategic or Status quo-Preserving Business Exit: (How) Do CEO Turnover and Succession Matter?

Business exit has implications for a firm’s corporate strategy. Two types of exit events are distinguished: those that involve strategic change and those that are status quo-preserving. This study investigates the impact of CEO turnover and succession on strategic versus status quo-preserving business exits. Based on a sample of CEO turnover and succession events and subsequent business exits of German corporations from different industries, our results suggest that neither voluntary nor involuntary CEO turnover is relevant to business exit. In contrast, outsider succession significantly affects the likelihood of strategic business exit, while a corporation’s performance does not moderate this relationship

Synthesis, spectroscopic study of Pt (IV), Au (III), Rh(III),Co(II) and V (IV) complexes with sodium[5-(p-nitro phenyl) -/4- phenyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-dithiocarbamato hydrazide] and cytotoxicity assay on rhabdomyosarcoma cell line of heavy metals

All the prepared metal complexes of Pt (IV), Au(III), Rh (III), Co (II) and V(IV) with new ligand sodium [5-(p-nitro phenyl)-/4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-dithiocarbamato hydrazide] (TRZ.DTC) have been synthesized and characterized in solid state by using flame atomic absorption, elemental analysis C.H.N.S, FT-IR ,UV-Vis Spectroscopy, conductivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The nature of the complexes formed in ethanolic solution has been studied following the molar ratio method also was studied stability constant and found to be stable in molar ratio1:1 of VL (IV) and CoL(II) while Pt(IV), Au(III) and Rh(III) complexes stable in molar ratio 1:2 as well as the molar absorptivity for these complexes were calculated. From the previous analyses, octahedral geometry was suggested for Pt (IV), Rh (III) and Co (II) complexes, square planar was suggested for Au(III) complex while V(IV) complex has a square pyramidal. Cytotoxic effect of PtL, AuL and RhL as well as ligand has been evaluated against RD cell line by using four different concentrations (500, 250, 125 & 62.5 µg/ml) respectively in three exposure times 24, 48 and 72 hrs and compared this effect with control positive Cis-Pt

(how) do CEO turnover and succession matter?

Business exit has implications for a firm’s corporate strategy. Two types of exit events are distinguished: those that involve strategic change and those that are status quo-preserving. This study investigates the impact of CEO turnover and succession on strategic versus status quo-preserving business exits. Based on a sample of CEO turnover and succession events and subsequent business exits of German corporations from different industries, our results suggest that neither voluntary nor involuntary CEO turnover is relevant to business exit. In contrast, outsider succession significantly affects the likelihood of strategic business exit, while a corporation’s performance does not moderate this relationship

Persistence, seasonal dynamics and pathogenic potential of Vibrio communities from pacific oyster hemolymph

Bacteria of the genus Vibrio occur at a continuum from free-living to symbiotic life forms, including opportunists and pathogens, that can contribute to severe diseases, for instance summer mortality events of Pacific oysters Crassostrea gigas. While most studies focused on Vibrio isolated from moribund oysters during mortality outbreaks, investigations of the Vibrio community in healthy oysters are rare. Therefore, we characterized the persistence, diversity, seasonal dynamics, and pathogenicity of the Vibrio community isolated from healthy Pacific oysters. In a reciprocal transplant experiment we repeatedly sampled hemolymph from adult Pacific oysters to differentiate population from site-specific effects during six months of in situ incubation in the field. We characterized virulence phenotypes and genomic diversity based on multilocus sequence typing in a total of 70 Vibrio strains. Based on controlled infection experiments we could show that strains with the ability to colonize healthy adult oysters can also have the potential to induce high mortality rates on larvae. Diversity and abundance of Vibrio varied significantly over time with highest values during and after spawning season. Vibrio communities from transplanted and stationary oysters converged over time, indicating that communities were not population specific, but rather assemble from the surrounding environment forming communities, some of which can persist over longer period

Transnationale Unternehmen und Menschenrechte : eine Studie zu den ersten beiden Prinzipien des Global Compact

Die Arbeit konzentriert sich auf die ersten beiden Prinzipien des Global Compact (GC), in denen transnationale Unternehmen (TNC) zur Beachtung von Menschenrechten sowie zur Abstandnahme von der Beteiligung an Menschenrechtsverletzungen aufgerufen werden. Ich prüfe, ob die im GC angesprochenen Prinzipien auf eine völkerrechtliche Grundlage rückführbar sind. Es wird untersucht, ob TNC unmittelbar an die Menschenrechtsverpflichtungen der Internationalen Pakte von 1966 gebunden sind. Dies ist nicht der Fall. Einige Regelungsansätze der Völkerrechtsgemeinschaft, auch nicht-staatlicher Akteure, werden auf ihre Rechtsqualität analysiert. Sie sind bisher nur Teil des soft law. Eine rechtliche Pflichtenstellung zur Beachtung der Menschenrechte ist jedoch im Entstehen. Dann werden die Teilnahmegrundsätze im Völkerstrafrecht darauf untersucht, ob sie auf die Beteiligung TNC an Menschenrechtsverletzungen Anwendung finden könnten. Dies ist der Fall. Hinsichtlich Völkerstrafrecht wird auf die Rechtsprechung der Militärgerichte nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg und auf die Rechtsprechung der ad hoc Tribunale zu Jugoslawien und Ruanda eingegangen. Einige Rechtssysteme des anglo-amerikanischen Rechtsraumes sowie des kontinental-europäischen Rechts werden vorgestellt und es wird gezeigt, dass sie zunehmend das Konzept einer meist strafrechtlich geprägten Unternehmenshaftung anerkennen. Schliesslich werden die Überwachung- und Durchsetzungsmechanismen iRd UN, der WTO und der ILO daraufhin kritisch beleuchtet, inwieweit sie für die Durchsetzung sozial verantwortlichen unternehmerischen Verhaltens fruchtbar gemacht werden können. Verbesserungsvorschläge werden unterbreitet. This thesis addresses the question whether transnational corporations (TNC) are accountable for human rights abuses, as the Global Compact (GC) suggests. It asks TNC to support and respect the protection of international human rights within their sphere of influence and to make sure their own corporations are not complicit in human rights abuses. The International Bill of human rights is analysed, yet TNC are not legally bound by those norms. Nor could a customary rule be established. It seems, though, that such a principle is indeed emerging. International criminal law provides a complicity concept which is suitable to be transferred to transnational corporations. It has been elaborated by the military tribunals after World War II as well as by the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda. I then analyse numerous legal systems in order to find out whether there is a general principle which would permit holding corporations criminally accountable for complicity. There clearly is. I propose that this general principle should encompass accountability for human rights abuses. I conclude that the first principle of the GC does not reflect international law, yet such a principle is legally emerging. In contrast, the second principle of the GC, mirrors the international law as it has evolved until today. Lastly, I address the implementation and enforcement mechanisms of the WTO, the ILO and the UN to secure the aims of the first two principles of the GC. Suggestions for improvement are made. Thus far, only the „soft“ mechanisms of the United Nations supervisory bodies seem to allow for holding individual transnational corporations somewhat accountable for human rights abuses

SxsA, a novel surface protein mediating cell aggregation and adhesive biofilm formation of Staphylococcus xylosus

Biofilm formation of staphylococci has been an emerging field of research for many years. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still not fully understood and vary widely between species and strains. The aim of this study was to identify new effectors impacting biofilm formation of two Staphylococcus xylosus strains. We identified a novel surface protein conferring cell aggregation, adherence to abiotic surfaces, and biofilm formation. The S. xylosus surface protein A (SxsA) is a large protein occurring in variable sizes. It lacks sequence similarity to other staphylococcal surface proteins but shows similar structural domain organization and functional features. Upon deletion of sxsA, adherence of S. xylosus strain TMW 2.1523 to abiotic surfaces was completely abolished and significantly reduced in TMW 2.1023. Macro- and microscopic aggregation assays further showed that TMW 2.1523 sxsA mutants exhibit reduced cell aggregation compared with the wildtype. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that sxsA is part of the core genome of S. xylosus, Staphylococcus paraxylosus, and Staphylococcus nepalensis and additionally encoded in a small group of Staphylococcus cohnii and Staphylococcus saprophyticus strains. This study provides insights into protein-mediated biofilm formation of S. xylosus and identifies a new cell wall-associated protein influencing cell aggregation and biofilm formation.Peer Reviewe

Synthesis of Mixed Ligand Complexes of M(II) Dithiocarbamato Derivative and 2,2'-bipyridyl and Study their Cytotoxic Effect Against HepG2 Cell Line in vitro

Mixed ligand of Co and Ni (II) complexes were prepared from [5-(p-nitrophenyl)-4/-phenyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-dithiocarbamato hydrazide](TRZ.DTC) as primary ligand and 2,2'-bipyridyl (bipy) as a co-ligand with metal salts. These complexes were analytically and spectroscopically characterized in solid state by elemental analyses, flame atomic absorption, magnetic susceptibility and molar conductance measurements, as well as by UV–Vis and FTIR spectroscopy. Infrared, ultra violet spectra reveal a bidentate coordination of the two ligands with metal ions 1:1:1 mole ratio. Room temperature magnetic moments and solid reflectance spectra data indicate paramagnetic complexes with five-coordinate square pyramidal geometry for nickel (II) complex, while six-coordinate octahedral geometry for cobalt (II) complex in solid state. The mixed ligand and its respective complexes were screened for cytotoxicity assay on human HepG2 cell line using cis-Pt drug as a control positive following the cell culture method for 3 days after treatment with the tested compounds using eight different concentrations. The bioassay results showed good inhibition activity of these synthetic compounds especially Ni (II) complex on selected cell lines comparable with standard drug