Female directors on boards. The impact of faultlines on CSR reporting

Purpose: This paper analyzes the role of female directors on CSR disclosure. It assumes the existence of faultlines when studying gender diversity and classifies female directors into three categories: industry experts, advisors, and community leaders. It also examines the influence of the power of female directors as a moderator on the association between female director categories and CSR disclosure. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on a dynamic Generalized Method of Moments panel estimator which allows the control of unobservable heterogeneity and endogeneity and reduces estimation bias. Findings: Results confirm the double-sided nature of gender diversity, noting different behavior among female directors according to their experience and backgrounds. Moreover, the dominating owner position of female directors can balance and moderate the effect of female directors appointed for their technical knowledge or political and social ties. The results also confirm the necessity to not consider all women directors as a homogeneous group and explore the influence and interrelations of female faultlines on CSR disclosure. Practical implications: The paper highlights the need to consider the specific skills, expertise, and connections of female board members when analyzing the effect of board composition, and supports the view that firms should emphasize the unique human and social capital of directors to understand how boards impact on firm strategies. Specifically, we support the recommendations of the European Commission (2011) regarding the need to increase skills and expertise when selecting new non-executive female board members. Social implications: At a time when most governments are introducing active policies that require firms to nominate women to boards, the understanding of the consequences of women’s presence on boards and the interrelations between female power and the diverse categories of female directors is timely and important. Originality/value: This is the first paper that provides empirical evidence to the scarcelystudied area of the human and social capital of female directors’ roles in CSR disclosure, providing an alternative view of the role of women in corporate board effectiveness

The role of human and social board capital in driving CSR reporting

The objective of this paper is to analyze the effect of the professional, technical and relational background (human and social capital) of outside directors on promoting firm CSR disclosure. Following the Hillman et al. (2000) taxonomy of board members, we classify outside directors as business experts, support specialists and community influential, and examine whether business and technical expertise or political ties in the boardroom affect CSR disclosure. This study confirms that not all outside directors are equally effective in improving CSR disclosure and that only certain kinds of outside directors, those classified as support specialists, help promote it. On the other hand, our findings also show that directors with previous experience as politicians affect CSR disclosure negatively, probably due to their interests in safeguarding their reputation within the company, in avoiding public scrutiny and in protecting their political connections. In addition, our set of analysis with interaction effects reveals that powerful CEOs have the incentive to promote CSR-related strategies and to convince business experts and support specialist directors to enhance profitable sustainability strategies and transparency in CSR disclosure. Nevertheless, the powerful CEO effect is not enough to compensate the negative role of political directors on CSR reporting. Therefore, this paper supports the theories in favor of analyzing the multiple configurations of corporate governance mechanisms by adopting a holistic approach, and the need to combine these configurations in order to analyze their impact on CSR behavior

Changes in the folding landscape of the WW domain provide a molecular mechanism for an inherited genetic syndrome

WW domains are small domains present in many human proteins with a wide array of functions and acting through the recognition of proline-rich sequences. The WW domain belonging to polyglutamine tract-binding protein 1 (PQBP1) is of particular interest due to its direct involvement in several X chromosome-linked intellectual disabilities, including Golabi-Ito-Hall (GIH) syndrome, where a single point mutation (Y65C) correlates with the development of the disease. The mutant cannot bind to its natural ligand WBP11, which regulates mRNA processing. In this work we use high-field high-resolution NMR and enhanced sampling molecular dynamics simulations to gain insight into the molecular causes the disease. We find that the wild type protein is partially unfolded exchanging among multiple beta-strand-like conformations in solution. The Y65C mutation further destabilizes the residual fold and primes the protein for the formation of a disulphide bridge, which could be at the origin of the loss of function

Structure and functioning of a mountain grazed grassland and their response after exclosure

Se estudió el efecto del pastoreo por ganado doméstico y de distintos tiempos de exclusión sobre la composición florística y la diversidad, y sobre la dinámica de la biomasa aérea, el contenido de nitrógeno y la productividad primaria de diferentes formas de vida, en un pastizal semi-natural de montaña de la provincia de Córdoba. El pastoreo promovió una mayor diversidad de especies, aunque la biomasa total y la productividad fueron máximas en el sitio con mayor tiempo de exclusión. El pastoreo promovió la abundancia de especies rastreras y graminoides. Las gramíneas en penacho sólo aparecen a partir de los 4 años de exclusión y representan más del 90% de la biomasa total en el sitio excluido del pastoreo por 15 años. No hubo diferencias significativas en la dinámica estacional de la biomasa en pie ni del nitrógeno de las diferentes formas de crecimiento en los diferentes sitios estudiados, pero las formas de crecimiento rastreras y graminoides prolongaron su estación de crecimiento bajo pastoreo, y se observó un mayor contenido de nitrógeno en las plantas pastoreadas. La productividad primaria neta aérea estuvo limitada a la primavera y el verano, entre los meses de octubre y marzo. La productividad disminuyó ligeramente luego de la exclusión del pastizal, pero aumentó significativamente a partir de los 4 años sin pastoreo.The effect of grazing and different times of exclosure on floristic composition, biomass, plant nitrogen concentration and aboveground net plant productivity were studied in a mountain grassland of Córdoba, Argentina. Plant diversity was maximum at the grazed site and no invasion of alien species was recorded at any site, but total standing biomass and aboveground net plant productivity were maximum at the site excluded from grazing for 15 years. Prostrate, graminoid and annual growth forms accounted for more than 90% of live biomass at the grazed site. Rosettes increased their biomass with grazing exclusion and tussock grasses were apparent only after 4 years of exclusion and accounted for 90% of total biomass after 15 years of exclosure. There was no site effect on seasonal dynamics of standing biomass and plant nitrogen content of different plant growth forms, but prostrates and graminoids showed a prolonged growth season under grazing, and plant nitrogen content was higher in grazed plants. Aboveground net plant productivity (ANPP) was limited to spring and summer, from October to March. Two years of exclusion from grazing slightly decreased ANPP, but significatively increased after 4 years without livestock grazing.Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP) - Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales (FCAF

An Allosteric Cross-Talk Between the Activation Loop and the ATP Binding Site Regulates the Activation of Src Kinase

Phosphorylation of the activation loop is a fundamental step in the activation of most protein kinases. In the case of the Src tyrosine kinase, a prototypical kinase due to its role in cancer and its historic importance, phosphorylation of tyrosine 416 in the activation loop is known to rigidify the structure and contribute to the switch from the inactive to a fully active form. However, whether or not phosphorylation is able per-se to induce a fully active conformation, that efficiently binds ATP and phosphorylates the substrate, is less clear. Here we employ a combination of solution NMR and enhanced-sampling molecular dynamics simulations to fully map the effects of phosphorylation and ATP/ADP cofactor loading on the conformational landscape of Src tyrosine kinase. We find that both phosphorylation and cofactor binding are needed to induce a fully active conformation. What is more, we find a complex interplay between the A-loop and the hinge motion where the phosphorylation of the activation-loop has a significant allosteric effect on the dynamics of the C-lobe

Sensor inteligente de humedad en hojas para uso en cultivos agrícolas

Se describe el desarrollo de un sensor de humedad en hojas cuyo funcionamiento es de principio capacitivo. Este sensor permite obtener información sobre la humedad en el entorno de la planta, sin afectar al desarrollo del cultivo al no ser invasivo ni destructivo. La combinación de un transductor con un microcontrolador facilitó el desarrollo del dispositivo bajo el estándar IEEE 1451, lo que permite su interconexión a una red digital, a un costo competitivo. Las funcionalidades que presenta el dispositivo lo hace apto para ser usado en campo dentro de un sistema de control automático.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ

Sensor inteligente de humedad en hojas para uso en cultivos agrícolas

Se describe el desarrollo de un sensor de humedad en hojas cuyo funcionamiento es de principio capacitivo. Este sensor permite obtener información sobre la humedad en el entorno de la planta, sin afectar al desarrollo del cultivo al no ser invasivo ni destructivo. La combinación de un transductor con un microcontrolador facilitó el desarrollo del dispositivo bajo el estándar IEEE 1451, lo que permite su interconexión a una red digital, a un costo competitivo. Las funcionalidades que presenta el dispositivo lo hace apto para ser usado en campo dentro de un sistema de control automático.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ

Prototipo de sensor inteligente de humedad en hoja para sistemas de riego de precisión

Se describe el desarrollo de un sensor capacitivo de humedad en hoja mediante placas que se diseñan en un circuito impreso, incorporando los circuitos electrónicos necesarios de acondicionamiento y procesamiento de datos. El sensor es compatible con la norma IEEE 1451 y tiene la sensibilidad requerida para aplicaciones en control automático de riego; no es invasivo ni destructivo y puede operar en tiempo real además de transmitir datos a distancia vía RS-485.Fil: Arjona, Lucas M. Universidad Nacional de Catamarca. Facultad de Tecnología y Ciencias Aplicadas; Argentina.Fil: Pucheta, Julián A. Universidad Nacional de Catamarca. Facultad de Tecnología y Ciencias Aplicada; Argentina.Fil: Pucheta, Julián A. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil: Salas,Carlos A. Universidad Nacional de Catamarca. Facultad de Tecnología y Ciencias Aplicadas; Argentina.Fil: Gallina, Sergio H. Universidad Nacional de Catamarca. Facultad de Tecnología y Ciencias Aplicadas; Argentina.Sistemas de Automatización y Contro

Filtro predictor basado en redes neuronales para pronóstico de series temporales de lluvia acumulada empleando submuestreo

En éste trabajo se presenta un filtro predictor basado en redes neuronales (RNs) directas para pronóstico de series temporales de alta rugosidad empleando submuestreo, contribuyendo a la nueva generación de herramientas que permiten conocer la previsibilidad de agua de lluvia. Se generan series temporales a partir de submuestrear a una serie dato original, partiendo del valor disponible más reciente hacia el más antiguo. Se usaron series provenientes de la Ecuación Mackey-Glass (MG) de 120 datos, donde se usaron para validar al algoritmo los últimos 18 valores. También se usó una serie de lluvia mensual acumulada proveniente del establecimiento Santa Francisca, Alta Gracia, Córdoba, que tiene 125 valores. Para cada una de las series generadas por el submuestreo, se ajustó a un filtro diferente basado en RNs, y cada uno de ellos genera un pronóstico que luego es promediado en su conjunto. La regla de ajuste utilizada en el proceso de aprendizaje se basa en el método Levenberg-Marquard y el desempeño del filtro propuesto se evalúa a través del índice SMAPE. En muchos casos se obtienen mejoras muy notorias respecto del resultado obtenido mediante el filtro basado en RNs sin submuestreo.In this work, a neural networks (NN) -based predictor filter for forecasting cumulative rainfall sub-sampled time series of high roughness is presented. It is intended to contribute to the generation of tools to ascertain the predictability of rainfall. Time series are generated from a series down sample the original data, based on the latest available value to the oldest. Using series from the Mackey-Glass Equation (MG) 120 data, which were used the last 18 values to validate the algorithm . Series of monthly rainfall accumulated from Santa Francisca, Alta Gracia, Cordoba, were used which consist of 125 values. For each series generated by sub- sampling, was adjusted to a different filter based on NN, and each one generates a forecast that is then averaged together. The adjustment rule used in the learning process is based on the Levenberg-Marquard method and the proposed filter performance is evaluated by SMAPE index. In many cases very noticeable improvements are obtained with respect to the result obtained by filter based on NN without down sampling.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ