The Influence of Institutional Shareholders on the Corporate Governance Practices and Financial Performance of Australian Public Listed Companies

Corporate governance has evolved out of the need for regulation of corporations. The prime motivation of this dissertation is to evaluate the current levels of voluntary disclosure compliance and financial performance of selected Australian Stock Exchange listed public companies in Australia, in terms of control by predominately non-institutional or institutional dominated organisations. The research source data for the above mentioned objective is drawn randomly from the ASX list of public companies as at May 5 2005. This dissertation draws together data which highlights entities that are controlled by an institutionally dominated shareholder base directs the board of directors to adopt a transparent approach to disclosure compliance under the current ASX CGC Principles and Guidelines regime which is predominately voluntary, with the exception of the establishment of an audit committee for those reporting entities as per ASX listing rule 12.7. Data collated is sorted and analysed to summarise the position of the data as against the stated hypotheses. The data is tempered in part and reinforced in other areas by not only domestic but also global influences and considerations. Corporate governance compliance is viewed as a window to not only shareholders of an entity but also the wider stakeholder base and the community at large. The wider base is encompassed by a theory termed enterprise governance, which is becoming increasingly recognised as a more relevant theoretical and practical strand of governance to accommodate and deal with the complexities of modem business. The collated data is presented in tables and graphical depictions that statistically test stated hypotheses and draw conclusions, and finally there is reference to possible areas of further study that can be potentially undertaken to expand the breadth of already accumulated knowledge in this area. The area being a relatively recent inclusion in Australian corporate history largely has its beginnings from international sources but is constantly being influenced and as by domestic as well international forces and considerations

Characterization of the JWST Pathfinder Mirror Dynamics Using the Center of Curvature Optical Assembly (CoCOA)

The JWST (James Webb Space Telescope) Optical Telescope Element (OTE) consists of a 6.6 meter clear aperture, 18-segment primary mirror, all-reflective, three-mirror anastigmat operating at cryogenic temperatures. To verify performance of the primary mirror, a full aperture center of curvature optical null test is performed under cryogenic conditions in Chamber A at NASA Johnson Space Center using an instantaneous phase measuring interferometer. After phasing the mirrors during the JWST Pathfinder testing, the interferometer is utilized to characterize the mirror relative piston and tilt dynamics under different facility configurations. The correlation between the motions seen on detectors at the focal plane and the interferometer validates the use of the interferometer for dynamic investigations. The success of planned test hardware improvements will be characterized by the multi-wavelength interferometer (MWIF) at the Center of Curvature Optical Assembly (CoCOA)

The Grizzly, October 10, 1980

Alternative Housing Investigated • Unchanged since 1960: Activity Fee Increase Likely • Freshman Class Select Officers • Work Stalled On Campus Beautification • Bermans Give Sculpture To College • Ursinus News In Brief: Student chemistry group honored; Study skills workshop to be repeated; College appoints pol sci lecturer • Off-Campus Houses Rewired • Fast Method Discovered for Wismer • African Politics Subject of Oct. 15 Forum • IF Council, USGA Host Fall Picnic • Inactive Alarm System Questioned • Steranko Plays To Sparse Crowd • The Art of Procrastination • Toga! Toga! Toga! • New Ritter Center Dedicated • How To Get To Philly Without A Car • Guide To Ursinus Vocabulary • Science Fiction Books Discussion Offered • Lantern Needs Help • CLC Reveals Findings From Survey • Homecoming Candidates • Three Intramural Teams Clinch Playoff Spot • Booters Take Two • Hockey\u27s Unbeaten Streak Broken • X-Country Places 2nd At Mansfieldhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1043/thumbnail.jp

Rickettsia parkeri Infection after Tick Bite, Virginia

We describe a man with a febrile illness and an eschar that developed at the site of a tick bite. Rickettsia parkeri was detected and isolated from the eschar. This report represents the second documented case of R. parkeri rickettsiosis in a US serviceman in eastern Virginia

Efficacy and Safety of Pacritinib vs Placebo for Patients With Severe COVID-19: A Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE: The morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19 remain high despite advances in standard of care therapy, and the role of anti-inflammatory agents that inhibit the interleukin 6/JAK2 pathway is still being elucidated. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the oral JAK2/IRAK1 inhibitor pacritinib vs placebo in the treatment of adults with severe COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This phase 2, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial enrolled hospitalized adult patients with severe COVID-19 at 21 centers across the US between June 2020 and February 2021, with approximately 1.5 months of safety follow-up per patient. Data analysis was performed from September 2021 to July 2022. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized 1:1 to standard of care plus pacritinib (400 mg per os on day 1 followed by 200 mg twice daily on days 2-14) vs placebo, for 14 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary end point was death or need for invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) by day 28. All-cause mortality and safety were also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 200 patients were randomized to pacritinib (99 patients; 56 men [56.6%]; median [range] age, 60 [19-87] years) or placebo (101 patients; 64 men [63.4%]; median [range] age 59 [28-94] years). The percentage requiring supplementary oxygen was 99.0% (98 patients) in the pacritinib group vs 98.0% (99 patients) in the placebo group. The percentage who progressed to IMV, ECMO, or death was 17.2% (17 patients) in the pacritinib group vs 22.8% (23 patients) in the placebo group (odds ratio, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.28-1.35; P = .23). Among patients with elevated interleukin 6, the rate was 17.5% (11 of 63 patients) in the pacritinib group vs 30.4% (21 of 96 patients) in the placebo group. The adverse event rate was similar for pacritinib vs placebo (78.1% [75 patients] vs 80.2% [81 patients]), with no excess in infection (14.6% [14 patients] vs 19.8% [20 patients]), bleeding (8.3% [8 patients] vs 10.9% [11 patients]), or thrombosis (8.3% [8 patients] vs 7.9% [8 patients]). Rates of grade 3 or higher adverse events were lower with pacritinib than placebo (29.2% [28 patients] vs 40.6% [41 patients]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The study did not meet its primary end point in patients with severe COVID-19. Subgroup analyses may indicate specific populations with hyperinflammation that could benefit from pacritinib, although further clinical trials would be needed to confirm these effects. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04404361

Pennsylvania Folklife Vol. 20, No. 4

• Flight of the Distelfink • The Newswangers, Interpreters of Amish Life • The Sorrow Song of Susanna Cox • Country Butcher: An Interview with Newton Bachman • Swing Your Partner : Folk Dancing at the Festival • Festival Highlights • Folk Festival Program • Leaving the Festival with Thoughts of Food • Spindrift: The Old Dog Churn • Candy Making in the Dutch Country • Gee, Haw and Geehaw • The Evil Eye in Philadelphia • The Country School: Folk-Cultural Questionnaire No. 20https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/pafolklifemag/1044/thumbnail.jp

Sex differences in post-acute neurological sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 and symptom resolution in adults after COVID-19 hospitalization: an international multicenter prospective observational study

Although it is known that coronavirus disease 2019 can present with a range of neurological manifestations and in-hospital complications, sparse data exist on whether these initial neurological symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 are closely associated with post-acute neurological sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; PANSC) and whether female versus male sex impacts symptom resolution. In this international, multi-centre, prospective, observational study across 407 sites from 15 countries (30 January 2020 to 30 April 2022), we report the prevalence and risk factors of PANSC among hospitalized adults and investigate the differences between males and females on neurological symptom resolution over time. PANSC symptoms included altered consciousness/confusion, fatigue/malaise, anosmia, dysgeusia and muscle ache/joint pain, on which information was collected at index hospitalization and during follow-up assessments. The analysis considered a time to the resolution of individual and all neurological symptoms. The resulting times were modelled by Weibull regression, assuming mixed-case interval censoring, with sex and age included as covariates. The model results were summarized as cumulative probability functions and age-adjusted and sex-adjusted median times to resolution. We included 6862 hospitalized adults with coronavirus disease 2019, who had follow-up assessments. The median age of the participants was 57 years (39.2% females). Males and females had similar baseline characteristics, except that more males (versus females) were admitted to the intensive care unit (30.5 versus 20.3%) and received mechanical ventilation (17.2 versus 11.8%). Approximately 70% of patients had multiple neurological symptoms at the first follow-up (median = 102 days). Fatigue (49.9%) and myalgia/arthralgia (45.2%) were the most prevalent symptoms of PANSC at the initial follow-up. The reported prevalence in females was generally higher (versus males) for all symptoms. At 12 months, anosmia and dysgeusia were resolved in most patients, although fatigue, altered consciousness and myalgia remained unresolved in >10% of the cohort. Females had a longer time to the resolution (5.2 versus 3.4 months) of neurological symptoms at follow-up for those with more than one neurological symptom. In the multivariable analysis, males were associated with a shorter time to the resolution of symptoms (hazard ratio = 1.53; 95% confidence interval = 1.39–1.69). Intensive care unit admission was associated with a longer time to the resolution of symptoms (hazard ratio = 0.68; 95% confidence interval = 0.60–0.77). Post-discharge stroke was uncommon (0.3% in females and 0.5% in males). Despite the methodological challenges involved in the collection of survey data, this international multi-centre prospective cohort study demonstrated that PANSC following index hospitalization was high. Symptom prevalence was higher and took longer to resolve in females than in males. This supported the fact that while males were sicker during acute illness, females were disproportionately affected by PANSC

Sex differences in post-acute neurological sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 and symptom resolution in adults after COVID-19 hospitalization: An international multicenter prospective observational study

Although it is known that COVID-19 can present with a range of neurological manifestations and in-hospital complications, sparse data exist if these initial neurological symptoms of COVID-19 are closely associated with post-acute neurological sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PANSC) and if female versus male sex impacts the symptom resolution. In this international, multicentre, prospective observational study across 407 sites from 15 countries (January/30th/2020-April/30th/2022), we report the prevalence and risk factors of PANSC among hospitalized adults and investigate the differences between males and females on neurological symptom resolution over time. PANSC included altered consciousness/confusion, fatigue/malaise, anosmia, dysgeusia, and muscle aches/joint pain, which were collected at the index hospitalization and during the follow-up assessments. The analysis considered time to resolution of individual and all neurological symptoms. Resulting times were modeled by Weibull regression, assuming mixed-case interval censoring, with sex and age included as covariates. Model results were summarized as cumulative probability functions and age- and sex-adjusted median times to resolution. We included 6,862 hospitalized adults with COVID-19, who had follow-up assessments. The median age of participants was 57 years (39.2% females). Males and females had similar baseline characteristics except that more males (vs. females) were admitted to Intensive Care Unit (30.5% vs. 20.3%) and received mechanical ventilation (17.2% vs. 11.8%). Approximately 70% of patients had multiple neurological symptoms at the first follow-up (median=102 days). Fatigue (49.9%) and myalgia/arthralgia (45.2%) were the most prevalent symptoms of PANSC at the initial follow-up. Reported prevalence in females was generally higher (vs. males) for all symptoms. At 12 months, anosmia and dysgeusia were resolved in most patients, though fatigue, altered consciousness, and myalgia remained unresolved in >10% of the cohort. Females had a longer time to resolution (5.2 vs. 3.4 months) of neurological symptoms at follow-up for those with more than one neurological symptom. In multivariable analysis, males were associated with a shorter time to resolution of symptoms (Hazard Ratio=1.53; 95% Confidence Interval =1.39–1.69). Intensive Care Unit admission was associated with a longer time to the resolution of symptoms (Hazard Ratio =0.68; 95% Confidence Interval=0.60–0.77). Post-discharge stroke was uncommon (0.3% in females; 0.5% in males). Despite the methodological challenges of survey data, this international multicentre prospective cohort study demonstrates that PANSC following index hospitalization is high. Symptom prevalence was higher and took longer to resolve in females than in males. This supports that whilst males were sicker during acute illness, females were disproportionately affected by PANSC