Duty of Loyalty in Companies’ Corporate Relationships

The duty of loyalty in companies’ relationships is a matter of great importance taking into account the different position of the authorities and shareholders of the company, the interest of the company and individual interest of shareholders, not mentioning the influence on the stakeholders. The main characteristic of the duty of loyalty in corporate company relationships concerning the directors is a special care of interest of the company and acting in a way enabling the maximum use of the possibilities of the company (corporate opportunity). Shareholders’ duty of loyalty should be defined as the obligation to execute corporate rights (esp. voting rights) in accordance with the good practice and avoiding conflict of interests. Being involved in a company cannot be considered only from the perspective of profits but also from the perspective of responsibility, that is why the question of loyalty finds interesting in the literature and jurisdiction concerning corporate law

Application of Models for Safeguarding the Milk Supply Chain

The objective of this thesis was to develop a simulation model in order to identify actors and flows of goods, which can promote the spread of a hypothetical contamination in the dairy industry. Based on the model results, strategies to safeguard the milk supply chain were derived for decision-makers. The first step for creating a simulation model was to develop a conceptual model, in which the actors and the structural trade links between the actors are described. For quantifying these trade links a substantial amount of data about the real flow of goods in the dairy industry could be used. Based on the conceptual model, an economic model for predicting trade relations was newly combined with optimization algorithms. On the one hand, for simulating the spatial distribution of a hypothetical contamination, taking into account various flows of goods between the actors. The simulated damage situation was quantified in terms of the distinctive model parameters virulence, resistance and vulnerability of actors as well as the geographical range of a contamination. In particular, it was necessary to assess the impact of trade between the dairies on the spatial spread of a contamination. The basis for the carried out modeling formed 500 trade networks that represent 61.43% of the existing flows of goods of processed milk in Germany. These networks comprise varying trade relations between 294 milk producers, 80 dairies and 12,223 consumers. On the other hand, a management plan for decision-makers was designed, where surveillance measures for minimizing the size of damage were derived from. The model results indicate that actors and structures exist that promote the spread of a hypothetical contamination in the dairy industry. First, the risk for the consumer to be supplied with hypothetical contaminated milk is up to three times higher on average, if a trade between dairies exists, compared to the neglect of the trade. In this context, also the spread of contaminated milk through the milk producers can be up to four times higher on average. Second, under consideration of the predetermined scenario, the management plan shows that control measures should be introduced on 40% of the milk producers in order to minimize the damage.Anwendung von Modellen zur Sicherung der Milchversorgungskette Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war es, ein Simulationsmodell zu entwickeln, um ausbreitungsfördernde Akteure und Warenströme für den Fall einer hypothetischen Kontamination in der Milchwirtschaft zu identifizieren. Basierend auf den Modellergebnissen wurden Strategien zur Sicherung der Milchversorgungskette für Entscheidungsträger abgeleitet. Der erste Schritt für die Erstellung eines Simulationsmodells war die Entwicklung eines konzeptionellen Modells, in dem die Akteure und die handelsstrukturellen Verknüpfungen zwischen den Akteuren beschrieben werden. Bei der Quantifizierung dieser Handelsbeziehungen konnte auf umfangreiche Datensätze über die realen Warenströme in der Milchwirtschaft zurückgegriffen werden. Aufbauend auf dem konzeptionellen Modell wurde im zweiten Schritt ein Modell aus der Wirtschaftswissenschaft zur Vorhersage von Handelsbeziehungen mit Optimierungsalgorithmen neu kombiniert, um einerseits die räumliche Ausbreitung einer hypothetischen Kontamination, unter Berücksichtigung divergierender Warenströme zwischen den Akteuren, zu simulieren. Die simulierte Schadenslage wurde durch die charakteristischen Modellgrößen Virulenz, Vulnerabilität und Resistenz der Akteure sowie die geografische Reichweite einer Kontamination quantifiziert. Insbesondere galt es, den Einfluss des Handels zwischen den Molkereien auf die räumliche Ausbreitung einer Kontamination abzuschätzen. Die Grundlage für die durchgeführte Modellierung bildeten 500 Handelsnetzwerke, die 61,43% der existierenden Warenflüsse von Konsummilch in Deutschland abbilden. Diese Netzwerke umfassen variierende Handelsbeziehungen zwischen 294 Milcherzeugern, 80 Molkereien und 12223 Konsumenten. Anderseits wurde ein Managementplan für Entscheidungsträger konzipiert, aus welchem Überwachungsmaßnahmen zur Minimierung der Schadenslage abgeleitet wurden. Die Modellergebnisse zeigen Akteure und Strukturen auf, die fördernd für die Ausbreitung einer hypothetischen Kontamination in der Milchwirtschaft sind. Zum einen kann bei stattfindendem Handel zwischen den Molkereien das Risiko für den Verbraucher im Mittel bis zu dreimal höher sein mit der hypothetisch kontaminierten Milch beliefert zu werden bzw. die Ausbreitung durch den Milcherzeuger kann im Mittel bis zu viermal höher sein, als ohne diesen Handel. Zum anderen zeigt der erstellte Managementplan, dass unter dem vorgegebenen Szenario, Kontrollmaßnahmen für 40% der Milcherzeuger eingeleitet werden müssten, um die Schadenslage zu minimieren

Status spółki akcyjnej przed rejestracją

The issue of legal personality may be considered on many levels. What is of significant importance in terms of business activity is determining the point of time since which the established subject has been able to engage in trading. A specific example in this regard is illustrated by the formation of a joint stock company in accordance with the provisions of the Commercial Companies Code. The formation of a joint stock company is a complex process which involves different steps preceding the acquisition of legal personality by a joint stock company. Owing to the decision of the legislature, at the stage of forming a joint stock company we are dealing with two distinct phases. The first phase is the foundation period, in which the company does not have legal capacity. The second phase is the period of building up the organisation of the company, when the company already has legal capacity and may perform legal actions on its own behalf. As soon as the joint stock company has been signed into the Register of Entrepreneurs in the State Register Court, it becomes a legal person. The question is whether the moment of the acquisition of legal capacity by a joint stock company was adequately determined by the legislature. It should be also considered how the created joint stock company should be treated in the period in which it still does not have legal capacity. Interpretative doubts arising in connection with the legal nature of a joint‑stock company in the different phases of its establishing prior to the registration, prompted to begin deliberations regarding the status of a joint‑stock company prior to the registration

How to Measure Food Safety? A Review of Relevant Literature

Approaches for prospective estimation of economic consequences until the last stage of the agri-food chain can rarely be found. Hence, we see the necessity of working out a conceptual assessment model for cost-benefit evaluation of food safety measures along the supply chain. Based on the findings of a thorough literature study a preliminary conceptual framework was developed. The purpose of the framework is to combine most relevant aspects of agri-food production, quality management, risk-analysis and regulatory impact assessment that have to be considered during in the course of an economic assessment of food safety

Europejskie tendencje w zakresie wynagradzania członków zarządów spółek akcyjnych

Zasady wynagradzania członków władz spółki stały się tematem ożywionej dyskusji w obszarze nadzoru korporacyjnego w obliczu kryzysu gospodarczego, który pojawił się w 2008 r. Trzon dyskusji stanowiło przesądzenie, czy uzasadnione jest wypłacanie nadmiernych kwot tytułem wynagrodzenia dla członków zarządu, skoro menadżerowie spółek nie potrafią przewidzieć potencjalnych zagrożeń i uchronić spółek przed negatywnymi skutkami globalnego kryzysu. Dało to następnie asumpt do podjęcia prób stworzenia rozwiązań legislacyjnych, pozwalających akcjonariuszom i inwestorom wpływać na politykę wynagrodzeń członków organów zarządzających spółek. Z tego też względu celem niniejszego artykułu jest omówienie zasad wynagradzania członków zarządów polskich spółek akcyjnych w obecnie obowiązującym stanie prawnym, z uwzględnieniem proponowanych regulacji w UE

Determine the room for improvement of processes within the management of crisis and their prevention – the maturity mode

Crisis within the meat sector usually causes high economic losses for the affected sector and frequently for other sectors, too. Interrupted or poor communication channels are weak points in management-systems, especially in the management of crisis situations or of the prevention of crisis. In a consequence necessary information for a proper decision making is missing or not available in time

Improved risk-based strategies for disease management in the pig production chain

To minimize financial losses in times of crisis, it is necessary to prove methods of maintaining trade in a case of disease. This work shows that the identification of modules and clusters could be of high relevance if these clusters impede disease spread or if so-called Ad hoc-connector-points serving as routes of transmission between clusters could be identified. Furthermore the advantages of a risk-based selection of critical control points for surveillance or monitoring can be shown. This work provides new approaches to review and possibly optimize existing disease prevention and control strategies

Microbiota of the Gut-Lymph Node Axis: Depletion of Mucosa-Associated Segmented Filamentous Bacteria and Enrichment of Methanobrevibacter by Colistin Sulfate and Linco-Spectin in Pigs

Microorganisms are translocated from the gut to lymphatic tissues via immune cells, thereby challenging and training the mammalian immune system. Antibiotics alter the gut microbiome and consecutively might also affect the corresponding translocation processes, resulting in an imbalanced state between the intestinal microbiota and the host. Hence, understanding the variant effects of antibiotics on the microbiome of gut-associated tissues is of vital importance for maintaining metabolic homeostasis and animal health. In the present study, we analyzed the microbiome of (i) pig feces, ileum, and ileocecal lymph nodes under the influence of antibiotics (Linco-Spectin and Colistin sulfate) using 16S rRNA gene sequencing for high-resolution community profiling and (ii) ileocecal lymph nodes in more detail with two additional methodological approaches, i.e., cultivation of ileocecal lymph node samples and (iii) metatranscriptome sequencing of a single lymph node sample. Supplementation of medicated feed showed a local effect on feces and ileal mucosa-associated microbiomes. Pigs that received antibiotics harbored significantly reduced amounts of segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB) along the ileal mucosa (p = 0.048; 199.17-fold change) and increased amounts of Methanobrevibacter, a methanogenic Euryarchaeote in fecal samples (p = 0.005; 20.17-fold change) compared to the control group. Analysis of the porcine ileocecal lymph node microbiome exposed large differences between the viable and the dead fraction of microorganisms and the microbiome was altered to a lesser extent by antibiotics compared with feces and ileum. The core microbiome of lymph nodes was constituted mainly of Proteobacteria. RNA-sequencing of a single lymph node sample unveiled transcripts responsible for amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism as well as protein turnover, DNA replication and signal transduction. The study presented here is the first comparative study of microbial communities in feces, ileum, and its associated ileocecal lymph nodes. In each analyzed site, we identified specific phylotypes susceptible to antibiotic treatment that can have profound impacts on the host physiological and immunological state, or even on global biogeochemical cycles. Our results indicate that pathogenic bacteria, e.g., enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, could escape antibiotic treatment by translocating to lymph nodes. In general ileocecal lymph nodes harbor a more diverse and active community of microorganisms than previously assumed

Hypericin and pseudohypericin concentrations of a valuable medicinal plant Hypericum perforatum L. are enhanced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John’s-wort, Hypericaceae) is a valuable medicinal plant species cultivated for pharmaceutical purposes. Although the chemical composition and pharmacological activities of H. perforatum have been well studied, no data are available concerning the influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on this important herb. A laboratory experiment was therefore conducted in order to test three AMF inocula on H. perforatum with a view to show whether AMF could influence plant vitality (biomass and photosynthetic activity) and the production of the most valuable secondary metabolites, namely anthraquinone derivatives (hypericin and pseudohypericin) as well as the prenylated phloroglucinol—hyperforin. The following treatments were prepared: (1) control—sterile soil without AMF inoculation, (2) Rhizophagus intraradices (syn. Glomus intraradices), (3) Funneliformis mosseae (syn. Glomus mosseae), and (4) an AMF Mix which contained: Funneliformis constrictum (syn. Glomus constrictum), Funneliformis geosporum (syn. Glomus geosporum), F. mosseae, and R. intraradices. The application of R. intraradices inoculum resulted in the highest mycorrhizal colonization, whereas the lowest values of mycorrhizal parameters were detected in the AMF Mix. There were no statistically significant differences in H. perforatum shoot mass in any of the treatments. However, we found AMF species specificity in the stimulation of H. perforatum photosynthetic activity and the production of secondary metabolites. Inoculation with the AMF Mix resulted in higher photosynthetic performance index (PItotal) values in comparison to all the other treatments. The plants inoculated with R. intraradices and the AMF Mix were characterized by a higher concentration of hypericin and pseudohypericin in the shoots. However, no differences in the content of these metabolites were detected after the application of F. mosseae. In the case of hyperforin, no significant differences were found between the control plants and those inoculated with any of the AMF applied. The enhanced content of anthraquinone derivatives and, at the same time, better plant vitality suggest that the improved production of these metabolites was a result of the positive effect of the applied AMF strains on H. perforatum. This could be due to improved mineral nutrition or to AMF-induced changes in the phytohormonal balance. Our results are promising from the biotechnological point of view, i.e. the future inoculation of H. perforatum with AMF in order to improve the quality of medicinal plant raw material obtained from cultivation

Microbiota of the Gut-Lymph Node Axis: Depletion of Mucosa-Associated Segmented Filamentous Bacteria and Enrichment of Methanobrevibacter by Colistin Sulfate and Linco-Spectin in Pigs

Microorganisms are translocated from the gut to lymphatic tissues via immune cells, thereby challenging and training the mammalian immune system. Antibiotics alter the gut microbiome and consecutively might also affect the corresponding translocation processes, resulting in an imbalanced state between the intestinal microbiota and the host. Hence, understanding the variant effects of antibiotics on the microbiome of gut-associated tissues is of vital importance for maintaining metabolic homeostasis and animal health. In the present study, we analyzed the microbiome of (i) pig feces, ileum, and ileocecal lymph nodes under the influence of antibiotics (Linco-Spectin and Colistin sulfate) using 16S rRNA gene sequencing for high-resolution community profiling and (ii) ileocecal lymph nodes in more detail with two additional methodological approaches, i.e., cultivation of ileocecal lymph node samples and (iii) metatranscriptome sequencing of a single lymph node sample. Supplementation of medicated feed showed a local effect on feces and ileal mucosa-associated microbiomes. Pigs that received antibiotics harbored significantly reduced amounts of segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB) along the ileal mucosa (p = 0.048; 199.17-fold change) and increased amounts of Methanobrevibacter, a methanogenic Euryarchaeote in fecal samples (p = 0.005; 20.17-fold change) compared to the control group. Analysis of the porcine ileocecal lymph node microbiome exposed large differences between the viable and the dead fraction of microorganisms and the microbiome was altered to a lesser extent by antibiotics compared with feces and ileum. The core microbiome of lymph nodes was constituted mainly of Proteobacteria. RNA-sequencing of a single lymph node sample unveiled transcripts responsible for amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism as well as protein turnover, DNA replication and signal transduction. The study presented here is the first comparative study of microbial communities in feces, ileum, and its associated ileocecal lymph nodes. In each analyzed site, we identified specific phylotypes susceptible to antibiotic treatment that can have profound impacts on the host physiological and immunological state, or even on global biogeochemical cycles. Our results indicate that pathogenic bacteria, e.g., enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, could escape antibiotic treatment by translocating to lymph nodes. In general ileocecal lymph nodes harbor a more diverse and active community of microorganisms than previously assumed