1,223 research outputs found
Does it really take the state?
This paper explores the role of the state for an effective engagement of multinational corporations (MNCs) in corporate social responsibility (CSR). In the OECD context, the âshadow of hierarchyâ cast by the state is considered an important incentive for MNCs to engage in CSR activities that contribute to governance. However, in areas of limited statehood, where state actors are too weak to effectively set and enforce collectively binding rules, profit-driven MNCs confront various dilemmas with respect to costly CSR standards. The lack of a credible regulatory threat by state agencies is therefore often associated with the exploitation of resources and people by MNCs, rather than with businessâ social conduct. However, in this paper we argue that there are alternatives to the âshadow of hierarchyâ that induce MNCs to adopt and implement CSR policies that contribute to governance in areas of limited statehood. We then discuss that in certain areas such functional equivalents still depend on some state intervention to be effective, in particular when firms are immune to reputational concerns and in complex-task areas that require the involvement of several actors in the provision of collective goods. Finally, we discuss the âdark sideâ of the state and show that the state can also have negative effects on the CSR engagement of MNCs. We illustrate the different ways in which statehood and the absence thereof affect CSR activities of MNCs in South Africa and conclude with some considerations on the conditions under which statehood exerts these effects.</jats:p
Ferredoxin-dependent methane formation from acetate in cell extracts of Methanosarcina barkeri (strain MS)
AbstractCell extracts of Methanosarcina barkeri grown on acetate catalyzed the conversion of acetyl-CoA to CO2 and CH4 at a specific rate of 50 nmol·minâ1·mgâ1. When ferredoxin was removed from the extracts by DEAE-Sephacel anion exchange chromatography, the extracts were inactive but full activity was restored upon addition of purified ferredoxin from M. barkeri or from Clostridiwn pasteurianum. The apparent Km for ferredoxin from M. barkeri was determined to be 2.5 ÎŒM. A ferredoxin dependence was also found for the formation of CO2, H2 and methylcoenzyme M from acetyl-CoA, when methane formation was inhibited by bromoethanesulfonate. Reduction of methyl-coenzyme M with H2 did not require ferredoxin. These and other data indicate that ferredoxin is involved as electron carrier in methanogenesis from acetate. Methanogenesis from acetyl-CoA in cell extracts was not dependent on the membrane fraction, which contains the cytochromes
the role of firms
Der Standortwechsel von Firmen in LĂ€nder mit niedrigen Sozialstandards wird in
der Regel als treibende Kraft des abwÀrtsgerichteten regulativen Wettbewerbs
zwischen Staaten angesehen. Es gibt allerdings eine Vielzahl von FĂ€llen in
denen genau das Gegenteil passiert: Firmen halten sich freiwillig an
Sozialstandards (CSR) und ĂŒben sogar Druck auf Regierungen aus, um striktere
Regulierung zu erwirken. In diesem Arbeitspapier zeigen wir, unter welchen
Bedingungen Firmen zur Verwirklichung anspruchsvollerer Sozialstandards in
LÀndern mit geringer regulativer KapazitÀt beitragen. ZunÀchst stellen wir
Hypothesen aus der bereits existierenden Literatur vor und arbeiten ihre
ErklĂ€rungskraft fĂŒr die hier diskutierte Problematik heraus. Das Arbeitspapier
untersucht die Reaktion der sĂŒdafrikanischen Textil- und Automobilindustrie
auf die HIV Pandemie. Die sĂŒdafrikanische Regierung hat nur begrenzte
KapazitÀten aufgebracht, um sich gegen die Verbreitung des Virus zur Wehr zu
setzen. Unter welchen Bedingungen versuchen Firmen den Staat im Kampf gegen
HIV/AIDS zu unterstĂŒtzen?Firms relocating production to countries with lower social standards are
regarded as driving force behind the regulatory ârace to the bottomâ. However,
there are numerous instances in which the behavior of firms reveals just the
opposite: They adhere to self-regulatory standards (CSR) and even pressure
governments to issue stricter public regulations. We intend to identify the
conditions under which firms contribute to higher regulatory standards in
states with weak regulatory capacities, thereby following a ârace to the topâ
rather than a ârace to the bottomâ- logic. Theoretically, we set out to test
in how far the existing literature can be utilized to answer this question.
Empirically, the assessment concentrates on the textile and automotive
industries in South Africa and HIV/AIDS abatement. Only limited state
capacities have been involved in fighting HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Under
which conditions do firms try to foster state capacities for the fight against
the disease
Mode of action uncovered for the specific reduction of methane emissions from ruminants by the small molecule 3-nitrooxypropanol
Ruminants, such as cows, sheep, and goats, predominantly ferment in their rumen plant material to acetate, propionate, butyrate, CO, and methane. Whereas the short fatty acids are absorbed and metabolized by the animals, the greenhouse gas methane escapes via eructation and breathing of the animals into the atmosphere. Along with the methane, up to 12% of the gross energy content of the feedstock is lost. Therefore, our recent report has raised interest in 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP), which when added to the feed of ruminants in milligram amounts persistently reduces enteric methane emissions from livestock without apparent negative side effects [Hristov AN, et al. (2015) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 112(34):10663-10668]. We now show with the aid of in silico, in vitro, and in vivo experiments that 3-NOP specifically targets methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR). The nickel enzyme, which is only active when its Ni ion is in the+1 oxidation state, catalyzes the methane-forming step in the rumen fermentation. Molecular docking suggested that 3-NOP preferably binds into the active site of MCR in a pose that places its reducible nitrate group in electron transfer distance to Ni(I). With purified MCR, we found that 3-NOP indeed inactivates MCR at micromolar concentrations by oxidation of its active site Ni(I). Concomitantly, the nitrate ester is reduced to nitrite, which also inactivates MCR at micromolar concentrations by oxidation of Ni(I). Using pure cultures, 3-NOP is demonstrated to inhibit growth of methanogenic archaea at concentrations that do not affect the growth of nonmethanogenic bacteria in the rumen.We thank Peter Livant (Auburn University), Elisabeth Jimenez (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas), John Wallace (University of Aberdeen), and Jamie Newbold (Aberystwyth University) for the use of the gas chromatograph, for the in vitro culture work, and for providing stock pure cultures, respectively; Ulrich Ermler and the staff of the PXII beam line at Swiss Light Source (Villigen, Switzerland) for helping with the X-ray data collection; and David Rinaldo (Schrödinger, LLC) for molecular modeling support.Peer Reviewe
eQuilibratorâthe biochemical thermodynamics calculator
The laws of thermodynamics constrain the action of biochemical systems. However, thermodynamic data on biochemical compounds can be difficult to find and is cumbersome to perform calculations with manually. Even simple thermodynamic questions like âhow much Gibbs energy is released by ATP hydrolysis at pH 5?â are complicated excessively by the search for accurate data. To address this problem, eQuilibrator couples a comprehensive and accurate database of thermodynamic properties of biochemical compounds and reactions with a simple and powerful online search and calculation interface. The web interface to eQuilibrator (http://equilibrator.weizmann.ac.il) enables easy calculation of Gibbs energies of compounds and reactions given arbitrary pH, ionic strength and metabolite concentrations. The eQuilibrator code is open-source and all thermodynamic source data are freely downloadable in standard formats. Here we describe the database characteristics and implementation and demonstrate its use
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