Non-Lawyers in International Commercial Arbitration: Gathering Splinters on the Bench

In light of the frequent appearance of arbitration clauses in international contracts, and the volume of litigation handled in this manner, international commercial arbitration\u27 has become a favorite subject of commentators who have primarily focused on the relative benefits of arbitration versus litigation and cross-institutional rules comparisons. One area that has received scant attention is the factors concerning the actual selection of particular individuals to serve as arbitrators. This article looks at how arbitrators are chosen today within the institutional context. Following this are general discussions of selected professions for indications of their members\u27 inherent suitability for and adaptability to arbitration

On the Path from Description to Pathogenesis: Investigation of the Cutaneous Fungal Microbiota in Healthy and Allergic Companion Animals

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) of host-associated microbes has revolutionized our understanding of commensal microbiota diversity and their interaction with the host to influence health and disease. The purpose of this work was at first descriptive, to undertake the founding studies using NGS to describe the cutaneous fungal microbiota (mycobiota) of dogs and cats, and to investigate alterations in allergic animals. The final study investigated the species level distribution and temporality of one fungal commensal, Malassezia, owing to its role in secondary yeast dermatitis of allergic dogs. A greater diversity of fungi was sequenced from skin swabs than was previously described using culture-dependent methods. The cutaneous mycobiota was predominated by environmental fungi and was more diverse on haired body sites than mucosal sites. The skin of allergic dogs harbored fewer types of fungi compared to healthy controls and a fungal dysbiosis was identified in allergic dogs and cats. Further analysis revealed a species level dysbiosis of Malassezia with significantly more M. restricta and M. globosa on the healthy canine skin, and M. pachydermatis on allergic skin. M. pachydermatis was 8-fold more abundant on the skin of laboratory atopic dogs prior to allergen exposure. These findings raised new questions regarding the cause of fungal dysbiosis. Some proposed explanations include immunologic dysfunction in the allergic individual or alterations to the skin barrier functions including hydration and nutrient availability, especially triglycerides and ceramides for Malassezia. Future studies with greater numbers of animals, as well as simultaneous investigations of immune function, skin morphology, and skin lipidomics might provide insights into the pathogenesis of fungal dysbiosis and secondary yeast in in allergic animals

On the Path from Description to Pathogenesis: Investigation of the Cutaneous Fungal Microbiota in Healthy and Allergic Companion Animals

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) of host-associated microbes has revolutionized our understanding of commensal microbiota diversity and their interaction with the host to influence health and disease. The purpose of this work was at first descriptive, to undertake the founding studies using NGS to describe the cutaneous fungal microbiota (mycobiota) of dogs and cats, and to investigate alterations in allergic animals. The final study investigated the species level distribution and temporality of one fungal commensal, Malassezia, owing to its role in secondary yeast dermatitis of allergic dogs. A greater diversity of fungi was sequenced from skin swabs than was previously described using culture-dependent methods. The cutaneous mycobiota was predominated by environmental fungi and was more diverse on haired body sites than mucosal sites. The skin of allergic dogs harbored fewer types of fungi compared to healthy controls and a fungal dysbiosis was identified in allergic dogs and cats. Further analysis revealed a species level dysbiosis of Malassezia with significantly more M. restricta and M. globosa on the healthy canine skin, and M. pachydermatis on allergic skin. M. pachydermatis was 8-fold more abundant on the skin of laboratory atopic dogs prior to allergen exposure. These findings raised new questions regarding the cause of fungal dysbiosis. Some proposed explanations include immunologic dysfunction in the allergic individual or alterations to the skin barrier functions including hydration and nutrient availability, especially triglycerides and ceramides for Malassezia. Future studies with greater numbers of animals, as well as simultaneous investigations of immune function, skin morphology, and skin lipidomics might provide insights into the pathogenesis of fungal dysbiosis and secondary yeast in in allergic animals

Evaluation of the ocular surface mycobiota in clinically normal horses.

The eye is host to myriad bacterial, fungal, and viral organisms that likely influence ocular surface physiology in normal and diseased states. The ocular surface mycobiota of horses has not yet been described using NGS techniques. This study aimed to characterize the ocular surface fungal microbiota (mycobiota) in healthy horses in 2 environmental conditions (stalled versus pasture). Conjunctival swabs of both eyes were obtained from 7 adult stallions stabled in an open-air pavilion and 5 adult mares living on pasture. Genomic DNA was extracted from ocular surface swabs and sequenced using primers that target the Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS1) region of the fungal genome on an Illumina platform. Sequences were processed using Quantitative Insights Into Molecular Ecology (QIIME 2.0) and taxonomy assigned with the Findley et al. 2013 ITS1 database. The most abundant genera identified were Leptosphaerulina (22.7%), unclassified Pleosporaceae (17.3%), Cladosporium (16.2%), Alternaria (9.8%), unclassified Pleosporales (4.4%), unclassified Montagnulaceae (2.9%), Fusarium (2.5%), and Pestalotiopsis (1.4%). Fungal community composition (Jaccard, R = 0.460, p = 0.001) and structure (Bray-Curtis, R = 0.811, p = 0.001) were significantly different between pastured mares and stabled stallions. The ocular surface of pastured mares had significantly increased fungal species richness and diversity compared to stabled stallions (Shannon p = 0.0224, Chao1 p = 0.0118, Observed OTUs p = 0.0241). Relative abundances of Aspergillus (p = 0.005) and Alternaria spp. (p = 0.002) were significantly increased in the mycobiota of pastured mares. This is the first report to describe the mycobiota of the equine ocular surface. Environmental factors such as housing influence the composition, structure, and richness of the equine ocular surface mycobiota