Regulación, Supervisión y Conservadurismo Contable : la interacción de los tres pilares de Basilea II con la calidad de los resultados reportados en la banca mundial

Accounting conservatism is a quality of earnings positively associated with the strength of banking regulation and supervision and also high market discipline, but there still remains the unresolved question of the way these three pillars of Basel II interact with each other. We analyse how regulatory and supervisory regimes in the banking industry clearly interact with market discipline measures, such as listing status, ownership, market concentration and disclosure requirements between ten years before Basel II fails, drawing upon data from 14,651 bank year observations from 54 different countries. According to our findings, there is a clear correlation between the strength of the enforcement of regulation and supervision and accounting conservatism success in countries where market discipline fails. That is to say, the supervisory power reinforces the effect of listing status, ownership and concentration on conservatism whereas the capital regulatory system mitigates the effect of market discipline on conservatism. We also evidence that in a powerful regulatory system, more disclosure requirements are associated in less conservatism policies in financial entities. Strong increases in regulation, its enforcement and supervisory power introduced in the Basel III mechanism is subject to the debate posed in this paper. The quality of accounting earnings can be improved to prevent bank failures through the application of strong Pillars I and II, i.e., regulation and supervision. Having said that, market discipline still remains a key factor in achieving financial stability.El conservadurismo contable es una cualidad de las ganancias asociada positivamente con la solidez de la regulación y supervisión bancaria y también con la alta disciplina del mercado, pero aún queda la cuestión sin resolver de la forma en que estos tres pilares de Basilea II interactúan entre sí. Analizamos cómo los regímenes regulatorios y de supervisión en la industria bancaria interactúan claramente con las medidas de disciplina del mercado, como si cotizan o no, la distinta estructura de propiedad, la concentración del mercado y los requisitos de divulgación en una muestra de 14.651 observaciones de 54 países diferentes durante los diez años anteriores al fallo de Basilea II. Según nuestros hallazgos, existe una clara correlación entre la fortaleza de la regulación y la supervisión bancaria y el nivel del conservadurismo contable en países donde la disciplina de mercado es débil. Es decir, el poder de supervisión refuerza el efecto del estatus de cotización, la propiedad y la concentración sobre el conservadurismo, mientras que el sistema de regulación de capital mitiga el efecto de la disciplina de mercado sobre el conservadurismo. También evidenciamos que, en un sistema regulatorio poderoso, más requisitos de divulgación están asociados con políticas menos conservadoras en las entidades financieras. Los resultados obtenidos contribuyen al debate sobre si los fuertes incrementos en la regulación bancaria, y el mayor poder de supervisión introducidos en el mecanismo de Basilea III están justificados ante fallos en la disciplina de mercado introducida por Basilea II. La calidad del resultado contable se puede mejorar para prevenir quiebras bancarias mediante la aplicación de fuertes Pilares I y II, es decir, regulación y supervisión. Dicho esto, la disciplina del mercado sigue siendo un factor clave para lograr la estabilidad financiera, pero sigue sin ser el más relevante

Efficient Heterologous Transformation of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii npq2 Mutant with the Zeaxanthin Epoxidase Gene Isolated and Characterized from Chlorella zofingiensis

In the violaxanthin cycle, the violaxanthin de-epoxidase and zeaxanthin epoxidase catalyze the inter-conversion between violaxanthin and zeaxanthin in both plants and green algae. The zeaxanthin epoxidase gene from the green microalga Chlorella zofingiensis (Czzep) has been isolated. This gene encodes a polypeptide of 596 amino acids. A single copy of Czzep has been found in the C. zofingiensis genome by Southern blot analysis. qPCR analysis has shown that transcript levels of Czzep were increased after zeaxanthin formation under high light conditions. The functionality of Czzep gene by heterologous genetic complementation in the Chlamydomonas mutant npq2, which lacks zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP) activity and accumulates zeaxanthin in all conditions, was analyzed. The Czzep gene was adequately inserted in the pSI105 vector and expressed in npq2. The positive transformants were able to efficiently convert zeaxanthin into violaxanthin, as well as to restore their maximum quantum efficiency of the PSII (Fv/Fm). These results show that Chlamydomonas can be an efficient tool for heterologous expression and metabolic engineering for biotechnological applications

Geología de la cueva

Peer reviewe

Effects of Fluoride and Calcium Phosphate-Based Varnishes in Children at High Risk of Tooth Decay: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the application of two varnishes—MI Varnish (5% sodium fluoride with CPP-ACP) and Clinpro White Varnish (5% sodium fluoride with fTCP)—applied every three months in children with high caries risk for 12 months on plaque indexes, salivary pH, salivary lactic acid and chemical elements concentrations. Methods: We included 58 children aged 4–12 years, assigned to control (placebo), Clinpro and MI groups. Baseline and three-month saliva samples were taken. We assessed changes in pH, lactic acid concentrations and chemical elements in saliva. Results: At 12 months, all groups showed a nonsignificant increase in pH levels and a reduction in lactic acid, which was greatest in the placebo group. There was a significant reduction in 24Mg (p = <0.001), 31P (p = 0.033) and 66Zn (p = 0.005) levels in the placebo group (p ≤ 0.05), but not in the other elements studied: 23Na, 27Al, 39K, 44Ca, 52Cr, 55Mn, 57Fe, 59Co, 63Cu, 75As, 111Cd, 137Ba, 208Pb and 19F. Conclusions: Neither pH, lactic acid concentrations or most salivary chemical elements were useful in defining patients at high risk of caries or in monitoring the effect of MI Varnish and Clinpro White Varnish after three-month application for 12 months. However, the appearance of new cavities was stopped, and the hygiene index improved, probably due to hygienic and dietary measures and the use of fluoridated toothpaste. Trial registration: ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN13681286

La concentración de fluoruro en las aguas consumidas en la Región de Murcia no es suficiente para prevenir la caries dental

Introduction: Dental caries remains the most frequent chronic disease in childhood and is considered a public health problem. Fluoride has proven effectiveness in the prevention of caries and drinking water is the main source of fluoride intake. The objective of this study was to determine fluoride concentrations in tap water from 10 areas and in 10 bottled waters sold in the Region of Murcia.Materials and Methods: The concentration of fluoride in water was determined using a fluoride ion-selective electrode with a direct technique previously calibrated with standard fluoride concentrations prepared with TISAB II.Results: In tap water, fluoride concentrations from 0.09 to 0.18 mgF/L (ppm) were detected; in bottled waters the concentration of fluoride varied from 0.04 to 0.50 ppm.Conclusion: Fluoride is present in the water consumed in the Region of Murcia but in concentrations that do not prevent dental caries. Fluoride supplements should be prescribed in children at high risk of caries, and for this, all external sources of fluoride intake, including water, must be accounted for.Introducción: La caries sigue siendo la enfermedad crónica más frecuente en el niño y es considerada un problema de salud pública. El flúor es la principal medida protectora contra la caries dental y el agua de consumo es la principal fuente de ingesta de flúor.Objetivo: El objetivo de nuestro trabajo fue calcular la concentración de ión fluoruro en el agua de abastecimiento de 10 zonas y en 10 aguas embotelladas comercializadas en la Región de Murcia.Material y Métodos: La concentración de fluoruro en las aguas se determinó con un electrodo ion–selectivo para flúor previamente calibrado con patrones de fluoruro preparados con TISAB II.Resultados: En el agua de abastecimiento, se detectaron concentraciones de fluoruro entre 0.09 y0.18 mgF/L (ppm) en las aguas embotelladas la concentración de fluoruro varió desde 0.04 a 0.50 ppm.Conclusiones: El fluoruro está presente en aguas consumidas en la Región de Murcia pero enconcentraciones que no alcanzan niveles preventivos para la caries dental. Es necesario prescribir suplementos de flúor en niños con alto riesgo de caries y para ello se deben contabilizar todas las fuentes externas de flúor, incluido el agua

Knowledge of COVID-19 and prevention measures among university workers. Identification of subgroups through cluster analysis

Introduction: The knowledge of COVID-19 and the recommended preventive measures for controlling the disease have been widely studied in the general population, but little is known about whether the University workers as educators and transmitters of knowledge have appropriate knowledge and take preventive measures for COVID-19. This study aims to analyze the knowledge of COVID-19 and the recommended preventive measures in university workers, to identify groups according to the preventive practices they adopt, and to analyze the factors associated with these practices. Material and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 677 university workers in the University of Cádiz, Spain. A questionnaire with sociodemographic variables, housing, health conditions, knowledge of COVID-19 and preventive measures were administered. The information was collected between 8th and 22nd April, 2020. A cluster analysis was performed to identify subgroups depending on the preventive measures. Associated factors were tested with binary logistic regression. Results: Two groups were identified. Group 1 included 513 subjects who took preventive measures most frequently (means 2.59-4.83). Group 2 included 164 subjects who took preventive measures less frequently (means 1.59-4.22). Men (OR = 1.39), the Teaching and research personnel (OR = 1.49) and individuals with a chronic illness (OR = 1.60) were more likely to belong to the group 2. Those with more knowledge about isolation prevention (OR = 0.167) and early treatment (OR = 0.665) were more likely to belong to group 1. Conclusion: In order to reduce the transmission of the disease, it is necessary to promote the knowledge and use of preventive measures among the group of individuals identified as less engaged in preventive measures. © 2022 The Author