Does Gender Matter? Female Representation on Corporate Boards and Firm Financial Performance - A Meta-Analysis

In recent years, there has been an ongoing, worldwide debate about the representation of females in companies. Our study aimed to meta-analytically investigate the controversial relationship between female representation on corporate boards and firm financial performance. Following a systematic literature search, data from 20 studies on 3097 companies published in peer-reviewed academic journals were included in the meta-analysis. On average, the boards consisted of eight members and female participation was low (mean 14%) in all studies. Half of the 20 studies were based on data from developing countries and 62% from higher income countries. According to the random-effects model, the overall mean weighted correlation between percentage of females on corporate boards and firm performance was small and non-significant (r = .01, 95% confidence interval: -.04, .07). Similar small effect sizes were observed when comparing studies based on developing vs. developed countries and higher vs. lower income countries. The mean board size was not related to the effect sizes in studies. These results indicate that the mere representation of females on corporate boards is not related to firm financial performance if other factors are not considered. We conclude our study with a discussion of its implications and limitations.     

Review report on the role of bioproducts,biopreparations, biostimulants and microbial inoculants in organic production of fruit

Reviews in Environmental Science and Bio/Technology - The demand for ecologically cultivated fruits is growing each year, but the yields in organic farming are still lower than the yields in...     

MicroRNA 320a Functions as a Novel Endogenous Modulator of Aquaporins 1 and 4 as Well as a Potential Therapeutic Target in Cerebral Ischemia

Aquaporins facilitate efficient diffusion of water across cellular membranes, and water homeostasis is critically important in conditions such as cerebral edema. Changes in aquaporin 1 and 4 expression in the brain are associated with cerebral edema, and the lack of water channel modulators is often highlighted. Here we present evidence of an endogenous modulator of aquaporin 1 and 4. We identify miR-320a as a potential modulator of aquaporin 1 and 4 and explore the possibility of using miR-320a to alter the expression of aquaporin 1 and 4 in normal and ischemic conditions. We show that precursor miR-320a can function as an inhibitor, whereas anti-miR-320a can act as an activator of aquaporin 1 and 4 expressions. We have also shown that anti-miR-320a could bring about a reduction of infarct volume in cerebral ischemia with a concomitant increase in aquaporins 1 and 4 mRNA and protein expression.     

Target highlights in CASP13: Experimental target structures through the eyes of their authors

The functional and biological significance of selected CASP13 targets are described by the authors of the structures. The structural biologists discuss the most interesting structural features of the target proteins and assess whether these features were correctly reproduced in the predictions submitted to the CASP13 experiment.     

Contrasting effects of extracts from invasive Reynoutria japonica on soil microbial biomass,activity, and community structure

Invasive plants may modify soil properties through the release of phenolic compounds. The effects of phenolics produced by a noxious invader, Reynoutria japonica, on soil microorganisms have rarely been studied in experimental conditions. We performed a laboratory experiment to assess the influence of extracts from R. japonica on soil microbial activity, biomass, and community structure. Two types of extracts (shoots and rhizomes) were added in four concentrations (control—no extract, low—extract diluted 100 times, medium—extract diluted ten times, and high—undiluted extract) to soil collected under native plant species. Concentrations of 12 phenolic compounds, namely catechin, chlorogenic acid, emodin, epicatechin, hyperoside, quercetin, physcion, piceatannol, polydatin, procyanidin B3, resveratrol, and resveratroloside were analyzed in the extract and soil. We measured the activity of five enzymes, namely acid and alkaline phosphatases, β-glucosidase, phenoloxidase, peroxidase, the activity of bacteria on Biolog Ecoplates, as well as the biomass of bacteria, saprotrophic fungi, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and microbial community structure using phospholipid (PLFA) and neutral (NLFA) fatty acid analysis. Many microbial parameters, namely phosphatase activities, total microbial, AMF, and G?+?bacterial biomass, were reduced following the addition of extracts. This was likely related to phenolics as concentrations of these compounds in soil increased with the concentration of extract added. In contrast, saprotrophic fungi and G- bacteria were largely positively affected by extract addition. Shoot and rhizome extracts had relatively similar effects on the soil properties. The changes in soil biota caused by R. japonica invasion may have implications for restoration of invaded areas.

     

Melatonin supplementation improves oxidative and inflammatory state in the blood of professional athletes during the preparatory period for competitions

Melatonin supplementation has been proved to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in humans. The aim of the study was to estimate the influence of a 30-day melatonin supplementation on oxidative and inflammatory state in the blood of intense training professional athletes. The study was conducted in 47 football players, 19 rowers, and 15 adults who did not practice sports (control group). Blood samples were taken once from the control group and twice from the athletes: before and after 30-day melatonin administration (5?mg daily before sleep). Serum levels of melatonin, isoprostanes, antiox-LDL antibodies, interleukin-6, and C-reactive protein were measured. In erythrocytes, the concentrations of reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA), and the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), cytoplasmic superoxide dismutase (SOD-1), and glutathione reductase (GR) were determined. Melatonin supplementation caused a significant decrease in markers of oxidative stress and a significant increase in melatonin concentration and the activities of SOD-1 and GSH-Px in athletes. The obtained data showed increased oxidative stress and inflammatory processes in professional athletes during intense training and indicated that supplementation of melatonin in their daily diet may have a beneficial effect on the protection of tissues against the adverse action of RONS and inflammatory processes.     

Regionalisation of the mouse visceral endoderm as the blastocyst transforms into the egg cylinder

Background  

Reciprocal interactions between two extra-embryonic tissues, the extra-embryonic ectoderm and the visceral endoderm, and the pluripotent epiblast, are required for the establishment of anterior-posterior polarity in the mouse. After implantation, two visceral endoderm cell types can be distinguished, in the embryonic and extra-embryonic regions of the egg cylinder. In the embryonic region, the specification of the anterior visceral endoderm (AVE) is central to the process of anterior-posterior patterning. Despite recent advances in our understanding of the molecular interactions underlying the differentiation of the visceral endoderm, little is known about how cells colonise the three regions of the tissue.