It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Having Democratic lawmakers as shareholders discourages financial activists from targeting a company
University of Texas at Austin
Stock investments by politicians have long drawn public scrutiny. Under a 2012 law, members of the U.S. Congress must disclose transactions over a $1,000 threshold. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were criticized for trading in everything from remote work technologies to telemedicine.
But less attention has been paid to what companies might gain from having politicians as shareholders. New research from Texas McCombs finds one indirect benefit: It might insulate companies from activist investors such as Carl Icahn or Nelson Peltz, who press for changes in their operations to drive up stock prices.
Timothy Werner, professor of business, government, and society, found that having shareholders who are Democratic members of Congress tends to discourage such investors.
Typically, he says, “An activist investor’s main strategy is to come into a firm, cut costs, and effect changes in the hopes of quickly driving up shareholder value or stock price. Then, they sell and exit the firm.”
Often, their cuts include corporate social responsibility (CSR) or environmental, social, and governance (ESG) programs. Democratic politicians are more likely to be concerned about such initiatives, whether because of their own ideological bents or because they want to appear associated with companies that support such causes.
Activist investors can find out whether Democratic politicos are shareholders from public investment disclosures, as well as websites and social media feeds that track politicians’ investments. They’ll tend to steer away from such companies, Werner theorized, to avoid public battles with Democrats, who are more likely to fight cuts to CSR and ESG.
“If you look nationwide, if you look at the most recent presidential campaign, there’s been a real emergence of a partisan divide around corporate social responsibility and ESG,” Werner says.
To test his theory, with co-authors Mark DesJardine of Dartmouth College and Wei Shi of the University of Miami, Werner looked at data on politicians’ investments in S&P 1500 companies from 2004 to 2018. He correlated them with challenges to those companies by activist investors.
The researchers found:
Having even one Democratic politician as a shareholder decreased the likelihood of an activist challenge 10%.
The presence of a highly prominent Democrat reduced these chances further.
So did the presence of a more Democratic-leaning board of directors.
The research did not find an effect from having Republican politicians as shareholders, Werner says, because they tend to be less interested in regulating businesses and less likely to scare off financial activists.
His findings don’t mean that companies should court individual lawmakers to invest, he says. That would invite ethical concerns and public scrutiny. It’s safer to stick with traditional relationship-building efforts, such as lobbying.
Is the Democratic deterrence effect helpful for average investors? Werner says it depends on their financial and ideological goals. Some don’t want to dissuade activist investors, because they can encourage fiscal discipline and boost stock prices in the short run.
But an investor who cares about CSR and ESG may welcome the effect, he says. “If someone’s thinking about the social and environmental performance as well, and they’re willing to make a trade-off in terms of financial gain, they might be happy to see these folks deterred.”
In Brazil, researchers have identified substances with analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperalgesic (against persistent pain) and anti-arthritic activity in the leaves of Annona squamosa, a tree popularly known in the country as fruta-do-conde or pinha. The results of the research, supported by FAPESP through five projects (09/05992-6, 14/17436-9, 15/03726-8, 16/06407-3 and 21/09693-5), were published in the journal Pharmaceuticals.
The work involved scientists from the Federal University of Grande Dourados (UFGD), the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) and São Paulo State University (UNESP). The group evaluated the plant’s methanolic extract (methanol is used as a solvent and then removed by evaporation to obtain a dry extract) and an isolated substance called palmatine.
As the authors explain, Annona squamosa is already used medicinally in several countries and is used in folk medicine to treat pain and arthritis. Several pharmacological properties have been observed, such as gastroprotective, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. It represents a possible alternative to the main pharmacological treatments for pain, opioid analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, whose prolonged use can cause various side effects such as addiction, ulcers and cardiovascular thrombotic events. It can also be an alternative to the main anti-inflammatory drugs, such as glucocorticoid analogs and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which in chronic treatment can lead to adrenal insufficiency and insulin resistance, among other problems.
“In view of this, the aim of the study was to investigate the analgesic, anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory potential of the methanolic extract and palmatine obtained from Annona squamosa,” says Marcos José Salvador, full professor at the Department of Plant Biology at UNICAMP and co-author of the research.
To do this, the leaves of the plant were dried and turned into powder. The substances to be analyzed were then extracted. The methanolic extract and the alkaloid palmatine were administered orally to mice and studied in several experimental models, including pleurisy (inflammation of the pleura, the membranes that line the lungs and chest wall) induced by a substance called carrageenan; joint inflammation induced by zymosan; and mechanical hyperalgesia (increased sensitivity to painful stimuli) induced by TNF (tumor necrosis factor, a signaling protein produced by defense cells that plays a crucial role in regulating the immune response).
“The results showed that the methanolic extract and palmatine extracted from A. squamosa have analgesic and anti-inflammatory potential. Palmatine also has anti-hyperalgesic properties, which may involve inhibition of the tumor necrosis factor-mediated pathway,” explains Salvador. “We also concluded that palmatine may be one of the components responsible for the anti-arthritic properties of the plant.”
The conclusions of the analysis are very relevant and help to prove the therapeutic effects of the samples analyzed and to elucidate their mechanisms of action, which are not yet fully understood. However, further studies are needed before they can be used in practice to treat diseases.
“Further studies are needed to assess whether, in other formulations, the effects and pharmacokinetic properties of palmatine would be altered,” says the researcher, noting that more research is also needed to assess the toxicity of the compounds and the doses needed to achieve the therapeutic effect for clinical use.
About FAPESP
The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration.
Chronic liver damage can lead to hepatitis, which causes fibrosis of the liver. This buildup of collagen and other fibrous tissue accelerates when hepatic stellate cells become activated during hepatitis, often resulting in liver cancer or cirrhosis, both of which can be fatal. As there are no effective drugs to treat cirrhosis, suppressing the activation of the stellate cells is considered as a way of controlling the progression of liver fibrosis.
“It is estimated that one out of every 3-4 people worldwide have steatotic liver disease, when there is an abnormal accumulation of lipids, which is a precursor to fibrosis. So, it is important to prevent the progression of liver fibrosis at an early stage,” explained Dr. Hayato Urushima, an Associate Professor of the Graduate School of Medicine at Osaka Metropolitan University.
His research team investigated how AHCC (Amino Up Co., Ltd., Sapporo, Japan), a standardized extract of cultured Lentinula edodes mycelia, protects the liver and its mechanism.
The team administered AHCC to mice and found that the supplement might inhibit the activation of hepatic stellate cells through two channels.
Via the TLR2 (toll-like receptor protein) channel, AHCC induced cytoglobin that decreased reactive oxygen species, while via the TLR4 channel, the supplement suppressed the expression of collagen in the liver of the mice.
“We aim to conduct clinical trials to confirm the efficacy of AHCC in patients with liver fibrosis to build more reliable scientific evidence,” Dr. Urushima stated.
The findings were first published online on September 24, 2024, in the American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, with the final version published on November 6, 2024.
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About OMU
Established in Osaka as one of the largest public universities in Japan, Osaka Metropolitan University is committed to shaping the future of society through “Convergence of Knowledge” and the promotion of world-class research. For more research news, visit https://www.omu.ac.jp/en/ and follow us on social media: X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.
AHCC inhibited hepatic stellate cells activation by regulation of cytoglobin induction via TLR2-SAPK/JNK pathway and collagen production via TLR4-NF-κβ pathway
COI Statement
AHCC® is a trademark of Amino Up Co., Ltd., Sapporo, Japan. Dr. Urushima received a research grant from Amino Up Co., Ltd. None of the other authors has any conflicts of interests to disclose.
Scientists document rich biodiversity along underexplored Chilean coastline
An international team maps four unnamed underwater canyons, explores nearly 20 methane seep ecosystems thriving without sunlight, and uncovers a dazzling array of otherworldly creatures, including suspected new species.
Schmidt Ocean Institute
image:
Congrio colorado (Genypterus chilensus) cusk-eels swim around a tubeworm mound near a methane seep. These fish — a commercially important fish highly valued in Chile — have been observed around reefs and soft-bottom mangrove ecosystems, but the importance of chemosynthetic ecosystems in sustaining their populations has not been previously observed. Credit: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute
Credit: Credit: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute
An international team of scientists on board a recent Schmidt Ocean Institute R/V Falkor (too) expedition surveyed nearly 20 methane seeps, some of which are new discoveries, and four submarine canyon systems previously never before seen by humans. They found an abundance of animals, including possibly 60 new species or more, living in surprisingly diverse ecosystems off the Chilean coast, including commercially valuable fish swimming in seep areas. The 55-day expedition traveled from Valparaiso to Punta Arenas, Chile, exploring the ocean from the central to the southern coastline of the country.
The cruise, the first in the region to use a remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, to transmit imagery in real-time, was co-led by Drs. Jeffrey Marlow of Boston University, USA, Patricia Esquete of the University of Aveiro, Portugal, and Eulogio Soto from the University of Valparaiso, Chile. The team also used sonar-based bubble mapping, bathymetric mapping, and measurements of in situ methane concentration to map canyons and locate methane seeps. The work included researchers from Chile, the United States, Portugal, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy.
Methane seeps are chemosynthetic environments where methane bubbles up from the seafloor, feeding microbes that, in turn, support an array of life. While clues from water chemistry measurements and images from camera tows taken on previous expeditions to the region suggested the presence of some seeps off of Chile, many sites had not been fully surveyed and sampled before. In addition, several seep sites were entirely new to science. Some were in shallow waters, others in deep waters; some were in rocky areas, others were in sediment.
“I was most impressed by how different the methane seeps in this area are from those we’ve studied in North America — and how distinct the sites we visited were from one day to the next,” said Marlow, a microbial ecologist who served as the expedition’s chief scientist. “The fact that we came across so many seeps in such a relatively small area suggests that they’re pervasive along the Chilean coast, serving as hubs for biodiversity and elemental cycling on a vast scale.”
One observation the team was particularly impressed by was abundant red cusk-eels called congrio colorado (Genypterus chilensus) — a commercially important fish that is highly valued in Chile — swimming in and around an 892-square-meter (9600-square-foot) tubeworm mound near a methane seep. Poet and Nobel Laureate Pablo Neruda celebrated this iconic Chilean fish; upon returning to the country from exile in 1954, he wrote an ode to the eel as a celebration of his home country and life.
While these fish have been observed around reefs and soft-bottom mangrove ecosystems, there has been little documentation of their behavior swimming near methane seeps. Scientists require further research to understand the species’ relationship with methane seeps and to determine if these environments are essential to sustaining their populations.
“These exploratory expeditions are incredible — and essential — opportunities for the science community to improve our understanding of the planet,” said Esquete. “After extensive sampling, we suspect our team has found at least 60 species new to science and will be working over the next few years to confirm this.”
The team explored four unnamed submarine canyons in southern Chile for the first time, mapping them to a high resolution. The largest of the canyons is approximately 2000 square kilometers (770 square miles) and the deepest is over 3000 meters deep (1.86 miles). Submarine canyons are critical ecosystems that connect land to the open ocean. The rocky canyon walls provide structures for habitat-building animals like glass sponges and deep-sea corals, which support species from tiny bristle stars to octopus.
An additional methane seep was discovered in one of the canyons near Chile’s triple junction, a place on the seafloor where three tectonic plates meet.
Other notable observations included large congregations of Humboldt Squid feeding near the seeps, a sighting of a glowing anglerfish scientists are still working to identify, massive chemosynthetic clam beds, and a shimmering polychaete worm that garnered the attention of millions on social media during the expedition.
“This expedition is yet another example of the tremendous value of bringing together cross-disciplinary science teams and cutting-edge technology to little known regions of our global Ocean,” said Dr. Jyotika Virmani, executive director of Schmidt Ocean Institute. "The diverse marine life swimming contentedly in this geologically interesting ecosystem was beautiful to watch — a strong reminder that what is out of sight should perhaps not be out of mind."
Method of Research
Observational study
Composting aquatic plant battles parasite, boosts incomes in Senegal
Cornell University
ITHACA, N.Y. – Turning aquatic vegetation near agricultural land into compost simultaneously eradicates habitat for disease-carrying snails while improving agricultural output and increasing incomes in northern Senegal, Cornell University researchers have found.
Combining highly detailed biological and microeconomic modeling, the team’s finding has the potential to aid rural residents of the West African nation, who are often caught in a vicious cycle of poverty and disease.
Chris Barrett, professor of applied economics and management at Cornell, is the paper’s senior author.
The researchers show analytically, using data from a previous study, that removal of aquatic vegetation reduces habitat for snails, which carry the infectious helminth (a parasitic worm), while also returning soil nutrients that leach into surface water via runoff to agricultural land. The result, the researchers wrote, is “healthier people, more productive labor, cleaner water, more productive agriculture and higher incomes.”
The helminth schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, infects hundreds of millions of people worldwide and has been termed the second-most socioeconomically devastating parasitic disease, after malaria, by the World Health Organization.
The researcher’s modeling of both the economics and the disease ecology was painstaking, but produced valuable information.
“These sorts of models are very sensitive,” Barrett said. “There’s so much feedback that they can blow up very quickly if you don’t calibrate them right. That’s one of the reasons why people commonly don’t attempt this level of granular interactions between the biology and the social science: It’s hard to get it right.”
Barrett said this work can be adapted to other diseases and vectors. And with a changing climate, where and how people become infected will change, too.
“Dengue fever, malaria – these are diseases that are very clearly affected by how humans manage natural landscapes,” he said. “We should not assume that the range of these diseases is going to stay static, and we’re going to have to think carefully about how and where to intervene in ways that don’t upset the stability of the system.”
This research was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute.
Artificial light can wake sleeping fish and attract predators, changing nighttime coral reef communities, according to new research using novel underwater infrared cameras.
The study, published today in Global Change Biology, was conducted by an international team of scientists from the UK, France, French Polynesia and Chile and the first large-scale experiment to investigate the impact of light pollution on the nightlife of coral reefs.
Lead author, Dr Emma Weschke, from the University of Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences, said: “When the sun sets, coral reefs undergo a dramatic transformation. The vibrant fish we see in the day retreat to sleep among the corals and elusive nocturnal species emerge from caves and cervices in pursuit of prey.”
Senior author, Professor Andy Radford, also from Bristol, added: “The night usually brings a veil of darkness that allows marine life to hide from nocturnal predators. But artificial light generated by human activities exposes coral reef inhabitants to unexpected danger.”
Using purpose built underwater infrared night-vision cameras, the scientists could film the reef at night without interfering with fish behaviour. This is because fish cannot see in infrared.
A larger number of fish species were present on artificially illuminated reefs at night compared to control sites with no artificial light. Further investigation revealed these species were predatory fish—feeding on the zooplankton, small fish and invertebrates.
Dr Weschke said: “Many of the species detected on artificially lit reefs were not nocturnal fish, but those that are only usually active during the day. Finding that light pollution can cause fish to stay awake later than usual is concerning because sleep—like for us—is likely essential for regenerating energy and maintaining fitness.”
Professor Radford explained: “Artificial light makes it much easier for predators to locate and capture prey, reducing their foraging effort. Which is why we think that greater numbers are being attracted to artificially illuminated coral reefs at night.”
The changes observed in the nightlife on the reef were observed after an average of 25 consecutive nights exposure to artificial light. Only a few nights of exposure were not long enough to elicit any noticeable changes in fish communities compared to controls.
“This is positive news as it suggests that there could be low-cost solutions that are quick to implement,” said co-author Professor Steve Simpson, also of Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences. “Reducing the impacts of artificial light could help build resilience on valuable coral reefs.”
Dr Weschke added: “Unlike greenhouse gasses and plastics, artificial light is a pollutant that doesn’t leave a residue when switched off.
“Limiting artificial light in both its intensity and duration, prioritising it for essential needs and reducing aesthetic use, will help reestablish naturally dark nights that marine ecosystems evolved with.”
The work was conducted by researchers from the University of Bristol, UK, Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l’Environnement (CRIOBE), French Polynesia and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Emma Weschke deploying infrared cameras
Credit
Jules Schligler
Still from video of reef at night exposed to artificial light
Credit
Emma Weschke
Paper:
‘Artificial light increases nighttime prevalence of predatory fishes, altering community composition on coral reefs’ by Emma Weschke et al in Global Change Biology.
Ends
DOI: 10.1111/gcb.70002
Journal
Global Change Biology
Method of Research
Experimental study
Subject of Research
Animals
Article Title
Artificial light increases nighttime prevalence of predatory fishes, altering community composition on coral reefs
Article Publication Date
18-Dec-2024
New study highlights the correlation between live corals and fishing yields
Research led by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution predicts lower fishing yields as corals struggle to survive
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
image:
Fish swim among Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. In the past 30 years, coral bleaching caused by ocean warming has contributed to a 19% loss of the world’s coral reef area.
Woods Hole, Mass. (Dec. 19, 2024) - What does a decline in healthy coral reefs mean for fisheries? A new study published in Marine Resource Economics, led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), examines the correlation between fish yield and live coral habitats. Researchers analyzed the yields of nine fisheries dependent on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef from 2016 to 2020. Results show that substantial losses could occur if the restoration of coral reefs is not prioritized.
In 2024, the Great Barrier Reef experienced one of the worst bleaching events in its history. According to the Australian Marine Institute, an aerial survey of the Great Barrier Marine Park showed bleaching across 73% of surveyed reefs. These vulnerable ecosystems rely on the microscopic algae called zooxanthellae for survival. These algae also contribute to coral’s vibrant colors. Elevated ocean temperatures stress corals, causing them to expel the algae, resulting in bleaching. If warming persists, the algae may not return, leaving the coral bleached and at risk of dying. In the past 30 years, coral bleaching caused by ocean warming has contributed to a 19% loss of the world’s coral reef area.
“This rapid loss of coral will force fish capable of living independently of them to move elsewhere. Less concentrated populations can lead to smaller yields for fisheries,” said Marine (Yaqin) Liu, an environmental economist at WHOI. “For fish that rely on reefs for food or shelter, such as butterflyfish and coral trout, yields will shrink as their populations do.”
The study identifies coral trout and saddletail snappers as the two most vulnerable fisheries, both relying on outer-shelf reefs as their primary habitats. The study shows that if the live coral cover of the Great Barrier Reef were to be reduced from 30% to 25%, the maximum sustainable yield of coral trout would drop by 8% and 19% for saddletail snappers. With a drop of live coral cover from 10% to 5%, the maximum sustainable yield of the coral trout fishery would drop by 27% and saddletail snapper would drop 56%.
"Coral trout and saddletail snapper are part of Queensland, Australia’s line fishery, an industry with $27-31 million gross value,” explained Qingran Li, an assistant professor of economics and financial studies at Clarkson University in New York. “While this methodology of this study does not lend itself to making dollar predictions, we can expect a decline in fishing yields to have substantial economic impacts, such as loss of jobs and reduced export."
As ocean temperatures continue to rise, coral casualty events such as bleaching are more likely to occur. Reefs host 25% of marine life and protect coastal communities from the impacts of major storms. They also support millions in tourism and fishing annually.
“It is important to support claims about climate change with hard data. Responsible fisheries are already safeguarding coral reefs by integrating sustainable approaches, but human impacts like ocean warming and acidification further threaten coral reefs and fisheries yields,” Liu continued. “WHOI’s Reef Solutions Team continues to study and develop innovative ways to restore and strengthen coral reefs, with a goal of taking successful learnings and implementing them globally.”
About Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is a private, non-profit organization on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Established in 1930, its primary mission is to understand the ocean and its interaction with the Earth as a whole and to communicate an understanding of the ocean’s role in the changing global environment. WHOI’s pioneering discoveries stem from an ideal combination of science and engineering—one that has made it one of the most trusted and technically advanced leaders in basic and applied ocean research and exploration anywhere. WHOI is known for its multidisciplinary approach, superior ship operations, and unparalleled deep-sea robotics capabilities. We play a leading role in ocean observation and operate the most extensive suite of data-gathering platforms in the world. Top scientists, engineers, and students collaborate on more than 800 concurrent projects worldwide—both above and below the waves—pushing the boundaries of knowledge and possibility. For more information, please visit www.whoi.edu.
About Clarkson University
Clarkson University is a proven leader in technological education, research, innovation, and sustainable economic development. With its main campus in Potsdam, N.Y., and additional graduate programs and research facilities in the Capital Region and Hudson Valley, Clarkson faculty have a direct impact on more than 7,800 students annually through nationally recognized undergraduate and graduate STEM-designated degrees in engineering, business, science, and health professions; executive education, industry-relevant credentials, and K-12 STEM programs. Alumni earn salaries among the top 2% in the nation: one in five already leads in the c-suite. To learn more go to www.clarkson.edu
