Understanding SARS-CoV-2 transmission in higher education settings is important to limit spread between students, and into at-risk populations. In this study, we sequenced 482 SARS-CoV-2 isolates from the University of Cambridge from 5 October to 6 December 2020. We perform a detailed phylogenetic comparison with 972 isolates from the surrounding community, complemented with epidemiological and contact tracing data, to determine transmission dynamics. We observe limited viral introductions into the university; the majority of student cases were linked to a single genetic cluster, likely following social gatherings at a venue outside the university. We identify considerable onward transmission associated with student accommodation and courses; this was effectively contained using local infection control measures and following a national lockdown. Transmission clusters were largely segregated within the university or the community. Our study highlights key determinants of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and effective interventions in a higher education setting that will inform public health policy during pandemics. ; DA is a Wellcome Clinical PhD Fellow and gratefully supported by the Wellcome Trust (Grant number: 222903/Z/21/Z). BW receives funding from the University of Cambridge and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) at the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. IG is a Wellcome Senior Fellow and is supported by the Wellcome Trust (Grant number: 207498/Z/17/Z and 206298/B/17/Z). EMH is supported by a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Fellowship: MR/S00291X/1. CJRI acknowledges Medical Research Council (MRC) funding (ref: MC_UU_00002/11). NJM is supported by the MRC (CSF MR/P008801/1) and NHSBT (WPA15-02). AJP gratefully acknowledge the support of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC); their research was funded by the BBSRC Institute Strategic Programme Microbes in the Food Chain BB/R012504/1 and its constituent project BBS/E/F/000PR10352, also Quadram Institute Bioscience BBSRC funded Core Capability Grant (project number BB/CCG1860/1). LdP and OGP were supported by the Oxford Martin School. This research was supported by the NIHR Cambridge BRC. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, or the Department of Health and Social Care. The COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium is supported by funding from the MRC part of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), the National Institute of Health Research and Genome Research Limited, operating as the Wellcome Sanger Institute. The Cambridge Covid-19 testing Centre is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, UK Government. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. For the purpose of Open Access, the author has applied a CC-BY public copyright licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission.
How embryo adoption advances the Christian Right's political goals for creating a Christian nationIn 1997, a group of white pro-life evangelical Christians in the United States created the nation's first embryo adoption program to "save" the thousands of frozen human embryos remaining from assisted reproduction procedures, which they contend are unborn children. While a small part of US fertility services, embryo adoption has played an outsized role in conservative politics, from high-profile battles over public investment in human embryonic stem cell research to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Based on six years of ethnographic research with embryo adoption staff and participants, Risa Cromer uncovers how embryo adoption advances ambitious political goals for expanding the influence of conservative Christian values and power.Conceiving Christian America is the first book on embryo adoption tracing how this powerful social movement draws on white saviorist tropes in their aims to reconceive personhood, with drastic consequences for reproductive rights and justice. Documenting the practices, narratives, and beliefs that move embryos from freezers to uteruses, this book wields anthropological wariness as a tool for confronting the multiple tactics of the Christian Right. Timely and provocative, Conceiving Christian America presents a bold and nuanced examination of a family-making process focused on conceiving a Christian nation
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Ash trees (genus Fraxinus, family Oleaceae) are widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere, but are being devastated in Europe by the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, causing ash dieback, and in North America by the herbivorous beetle Agrilus planipennis. Here we sequence the genome of a low-heterozygosity Fraxinus excelsior tree from Gloucestershire, UK, annotating 38,852 protein-coding genes of which 25% appear ash specific when compared with the genomes of ten other plant species. Analyses of paralogous genes suggest a whole-genome duplication shared with olive (Olea europaea, Oleaceae). We also re-sequence 37 F. excelsior trees from Europe, finding evidence for apparent long-term decline in effective population size. Using our reference sequence, we re-analyse association transcriptomic data, yielding improved markers for reduced susceptibility to ash dieback. Surveys of these markers in British populations suggest that reduced susceptibility to ash dieback may be more widespread in Great Britain than in Denmark. We also present evidence that susceptibility of trees to H. fraxineus is associated with their iridoid glycoside levels. This rapid, integrated, multidisciplinary research response to an emerging health threat in a non-model organism opens the way for mitigation of the epidemic. ; Eurofins MWG provided a discounted service for Illumina and 454 sequencing of the reference genome, funded by Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Urgency Grant NE/K01112X/1 to R.J.A.B. The associative transcriptomic and metabolomic work was part of the 'Nornex' project led by J.A.D. funded jointly by the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) (BBS/E/J/000CA5323) and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. The Earlham Institute, Norwich, UK, sequenced 'Tree 35' funded by 'Nornex' and the European Diversity Panel funded by the Earlham Institute National Capability in Genomics (BB/J010375/1) grant. W. Crowther assisted with DNA extractions for the KASP assay; The John Innes Centre contributed KASP analyses. J. F. Miranda assisted with RNA extractions and quantitative PCR with reverse transcription (qRT–PCR) at the University of York. H. V. Florance, N. Smirnoff and the Exeter Metabolomics Facility developed metabolomic methods and ran samples, and T. P. Howard helped with statistics. L.J.K. and R.J.A.B. were partly funded by Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Initiative - Phase 2 grant BB/L012162/1 to R.J.A.B., S.L. and P. Jepson funded jointly by a grant from the BBSRC, Defra, Economic and Social Research Council, the Forestry Commission, NERC and the Scottish Government, under the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Initiative. G.W. was funded by Teagasc Walsh Fellowship 2014001 to R.J.A.B. and G.C.D. E.D.C. was funded by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship 'FraxiFam' (grant agreement 660003) to E.D.C. and R.J.A.B. E.S.A.S. and J.Z. were funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Initial Training Network INTERCROSSING. J.A.D. received a John Innes Foundation fellowship. We thank A. Joecker for supervising E.S.A.S. at Qiagen and for helpful discussions. R.H.R.G. is supported by a Norwich Research Park PhD Studentship and Earlham Institute Funding and Maintenance Grant. This research used Queen Mary's MidPlus computational facilities, supported by QMUL Research-IT and funded by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council grant EP/K000128/1 and NERC EOS Cloud. D.J.S. acknowledges the support of BBSRC grant BB/N021452/1, which partly supported M.G., C.M.S. and D.J.S. during this work.
Tourism is acquiring the attention worldwide especially in the developing countries (Akpabio et al. 2006). In the case of coastal areas, tourism is more sensitive to environmental degradation compared to other economic activities because the environment is its primary resource. With the help of efficient planning and proper management of natural resources, tourism can significantly contribute to environmental conservation and to achieve environmental sustainability in coastal areas (Orhon et al. 2011). The main purposes of this study are to explore the tourism development trend in coastal areas of Cox's Bazar, to analyse existing environmental conditions of Cox's Bazar coastal area, to examine the importance of environmental sustainability at coastal region. More positively, the study shows environmental sustainability can be achieved through more eco-friendly planning of installations in tourism hubs like Cox's Bazar. The main methods of conducting this study were desktop research; data collection through questionnaire survey and expert interview; data input in SPSS, processing and analysis; evaluation of policies, strategies and institutional framework. To formulate study goal and objectives, a comprehensive literature review has been conducted to understand about tourism, tourism development, sustainability, sustainable development by reviewing relevant reports, journals, and international cases which has helped to develop the conceptual framework of the study. After extensive literature review and formulation of goal and objectives, the conceptual framework of the study data collection instruments such as questionnaire has been prepared to collect data from the field. The study is largely based on the primary data collected through field visit, interviews to the experts on tourism and environment, and questionnaire survey at the study area, Cox's Bazar. In this study, the statistical data on the study area has been collected from Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). Apart from this, information has also been collected from various sources e.g. journals, projects, periodicals, and the daily newspapers, archives of both home and abroad. From the analysis, it found that Cox's Bazar sea beach is a good place for tourism development, and it is also found that the level of tourism is improving gradually. Tourism in Cox's Bazar mainly depends on natural beauty and environment of the coastal area. Tourism is producing long term negative effects on the coastal environment. If the environmental systems degrade tourism will not sustain any more. However, tourism can provide incentive for the conservation and restoration of the natural environment. Nearly half of the respondents stated that because of tourism, natural environment is in better condition in Cox's Bazar and tourism provides incentive for the conservation and restoration of the natural environment. The analysis also identifies that policies and strategies play a big role to the conservation of natural environment and resources, and the implementation of principles of sustainable development. Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has been formulated some policies and strategies related to tourism development, sustainable development and coastal zone management, but most of the policies and strategies are not implemented properly because of institutional conflicts. In the light of the data analysis, discussion and findings, some recommendations are suggested here to help and guide future decisions regarding tourism development, conservation of the environment, sustainable development and sustainability at coastal areas in Bangladesh. ; published_or_final_version ; Urban Planning and Design ; Master ; Master of Science in Urban Planning
A wide range of arthropod-borne viruses threaten both human and animal health either through their presence in Europe or through risk of introduction. Prominent among these is West Nile virus (WNV), primarily an avian virus, which has caused multiple outbreaks associated with human and equine mortality. Endemic outbreaks of West Nile fever have been reported in Italy, Greece, France, Romania, Hungary, Russia and Spain, with further spread expected. Most outbreaks in Western Europe have been due to infection with WNV Lineage 1. In Eastern Europe WNV Lineage 2 has been responsible for human and bird mortality, particularly in Greece, which has experienced extensive outbreaks over three consecutive years. Italy has experienced co-circulation with both virus lineages. The ability to manage this threat in a cost-effective way is dependent on early detection. Targeted surveillance for pathogens within mosquito populations offers the ability to detect viruses prior to their emergence in livestock, equine species or human populations. In addition, it can establish a baseline of mosquito-borne virus activity and allow monitoring of change to this over time. Early detection offers the opportunity to raise disease awareness, initiate vector control and preventative vaccination, now available for horses, and encourage personal protection against mosquito bites. This would have major benefits through financial savings and reduction in equid morbidity/mortality. However, effective surveillance that predicts virus outbreaks is challenged by a range of factors including limited resources, variation in mosquito capture rates (too few or too many), difficulties in mosquito identification, often reliant on specialist entomologists, and the sensitive, rapid detection of viruses in mosquito pools. Surveillance for WNV and other arboviruses within mosquito populations varies between European countries in the extent and focus of the surveillance. This study reviews the current status of WNV in mosquito populations across Europe and how this is informing our understanding of virus epidemiology. Key findings such as detection of virus, presence of vector species and invasive mosquito species are summarized, and some of the difficulties encountered when applying a cost-effective surveillance programme are highlighted. ; Data from Italy were provided by the National and Regional Surveillance Programs supported by the Ministry of Health and the Regional authorities of Veneto, Fruili Venezia Giulia, Emilia and Lombardia. IPZ highly acknowledges the financial contribution of the Swiss Federal Veterinary Office (grant 1.12.17 and National Centre for Vector Ecology). Acknowledgements to the Federal Office for the Environment for financing the mosquito collection activity and the Federal Office for Civil Protection for financing the molecular analysis. Surveillance in Greece was funded by contributions from the Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the Development Agency of Thessaloniki S.A. Spanish surveillance for West Nile virus and mosquitoes has been funded by Projects from the European Union (EDEN, Eurowestnile and EDENext), Spanish Ministry of Health (EVITAR), Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity (CGL2009-11445 and CGL2012-30759) and Junta de Andalucía (P07-RNM-02511 and P11-RNM-7038). Nicholas Johnson is funded by Defra grant SE4112 (Development of reseach tools to support arthropod-borne virus investigation). Anthony J. Wilson is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (grant number BBS/B/00603).
[Background]: Since their domestication 10,500 years ago, goat populations with distinctive genetic backgrounds have adapted to a broad variety of environments and breeding conditions. The VarGoats project is an international 1000-genome resequencing program designed to understand the consequences of domestication and breeding on the genetic diversity of domestic goats and to elucidate how speciation and hybridization have modeled the genomes of a set of species representative of the genus Capra. ; [Findings]: A dataset comprising 652 sequenced goats and 507 public goat sequences, including 35 animals representing eight wild species, has been collected worldwide. We identified 74,274,427 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 13,607,850 insertion-deletions (InDels) by aligning these sequences to the latest version of the goat reference genome (ARS1). A Neighbor-joining tree based on Reynolds genetic distances showed that goats from Africa, Asia and Europe tend to group into independent clusters. Because goat breeds from Oceania and Caribbean (Creole) all derive from imported animals, they are distributed along the tree according to their ancestral geographic origin. ; [Conclusions]: We report on an unprecedented international effort to characterize the genome-wide diversity of domestic goats. This large range of sequenced individuals represents a unique opportunity to ascertain how the demographic and selection processes associated with post-domestication history have shaped the diversity of this species. Data generated for the project will also be extremely useful to identify deleterious mutations and polymorphisms with causal effects on complex traits, and thus will contribute to new knowledge that could be used in genomic prediction and genome-wide association studies. ; We are grateful to France Génomique "Call for high impact projects" (ANR‐10‐INBS‐09‐08) for selecting our project and providing us the resources to sequence 400 goats. We would like to mention that APIS-GENE funded some WGS sequences through ACTIVEGOAT & CAPRISNP projects. We thank the Occitanie region and the Animal Genetics Division of the French National Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE-GA) for financing the PhD of ET. We thank the Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur, de la Recherche et de l'Innovation for financing LD. We thank André Eggen (Illumina) for providing chips to genotype 192 animals. We thank the Animal Genetics Division of the French National Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE-GA) for funding VarGoats2 grant, which allowed DNA extraction and genotyping of 384 animals and CRB-Anim, Grant Agreement ANR-11-INBS-0003, (https://crb-anim.fr/) for funding French local breeds sampling. We thank the Italian Goat and Sheep Breeders Association (AssoNaPa) for supporting in sampling. Whole-genome sequencing libraries for the African goats were prepared and sequenced by Edinburgh Genomics and funded via Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council research grant (BBS/OS/GC/000012F) 'Reference genome and population sequencing of African goats' awarded to The Roslin Institute. USDA-ARS with funding from USAID funded the collection of samples from Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. EC and MS were partially supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and with UK aid from the UK Government's Department for International Development (Grant Agreement OPP1127286) under the auspices of the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH), established jointly by the University of Edinburgh, SRUC (Scotland's Rural College), and the International Livestock Research Institute. The findings and conclusions contained within are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect positions or policies of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation nor the UK Government. ; Peer reviewed
Infectious diseases, also known as transmissible or communicable diseases, are caused by pathogens or parasites that spread in communities by direct contact with infected individuals or contaminated materials, through droplets and aerosols, or via vectors such as insects. Such diseases cause 17% of all human deaths and their management and control places an immense burden on healthcare systems worldwide. Traditional approaches for the prevention and control of infectious diseases include vaccination programmes, hygiene measures and drugs that suppress the pathogen, treat the disease symptoms or attenuate aggressive reactions of the host immune system. The provision of vaccines and biologic drugs such as antibodies is hampered by the high cost and limited scalability of traditional manufacturing platforms based on microbial and animal cells, particularly in developing countries where infectious diseases are prevalent and poorly controlled. Molecular farming, which uses plants for protein expression, is a promising strategy to address the drawbacks of current manufacturing platforms. In this review article, we consider the potential of molecular farming to address healthcare demands for the most prevalent and important epidemic and pandemic diseases, focussing on recent outbreaks of high-mortality coronavirus infections and diseases that disproportionately affect the developing world. ; The authors would like to thank the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (project AGL2017-85377-R), the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (projects RTI2018-097613-B-I00 and PGC2018-097655-B-I00), the EU Horizon 2020 project Pharma-Factory (774078) and the Gener- alitat de Catalunya (Grups Consolidats 2017-SGR828), Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (AGAUR), Departa- ment d'Empresa i Coneixement de la Generalitat de Catalunya (PAND EMIES 2020). Project LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-007660 (Microbiologia Molecular, Estrutural e Celular funded by FEDER funds through COMPETE2020 –Programa Operacional Compet- itividade e Internacionalizacß~ao (POCI) and by the FCT (Portugal) through the R&D Unit, UIDB/04551/2020 (GREEN-IT –Biore- sources for Sustainability). UKIERI and the Hotung Foundation for sustained support of the Bharathiar University / St. George's Univ. of London collaboration and the Molecular Immunology Unit at St. George's Univ of London. The Max Planck Society, the EU Horizon 2020 project Newcotiana, 760331-2) and a grant from the European Research Council (ERC-ADG-2014; grant agree- ment 669982) to RB. KMOC, RMT and STH acknowledge support from the InnCoCells project funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement 101000373. PSS, KAM, RF, and SN are partially supported by a CRAFT award (COVID-19 Research Accelerator Funding Track) by the University of California Davis. KAM and SN were partially supported by NASA Space Technology Research (award number NNX17AJ31G) and by the Translational Research Institute through NASA (grant number NNX16AO69A). EMBRAPA (Brazilian Agricultural Corporation), INCT BioSyn (National Institute of Science and Technology in Synthetic Biology), CNPq, CAPES, Brazilian Ministry of Health, FAPDF and Universidade Cat olica de Bras ılia (UCB), Bras ılia, Brazil. BBSRC Grant BB/L020955/1, the JIC Strategic Programme Grant 'Molecules from Nature –Enhanced Research Capacity' (BBS/E/ J/000PR9794), the John Innes Foundation and the Department of Health and Social Care using UK Aid funding managed by the BBSRC. The Austrian Science Fund FWF (project W1224). TTW Veni Grant 16740 from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. Research in the Daniell laboratory was supported by NIH grants R01 GM 63879, R01 107904, R01 HL 109442, R01 133191 and grants from Bayer, Novo Nordisk and Shire/Takeda. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Healthand Human Services, through the Science Moving TowArds Research Trans- lation and Therapy (SMARTT) program contracts # HHSN268201600014C, HHSN268201600011C supported IND enabling regulatory, toxicology and pharmacokinetic studies. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author (s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of California, Davis, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) or the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. Views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the employing institutions or the UK Department of Health and Social Care.
The fight against infectious diseases often focuses on epidemics and pandemics, which demand urgent resources and command attention from the health authorities and media. However, the vast majority of deaths caused by infectious diseases occur in endemic zones, particularly in developing countries, placing a disproportionate burden on underfunded health systems and often requiring international interventions. The provision of vaccines and other biologics is hampered not only by the high cost and limited scalability of traditional manufacturing platforms based on microbial and animal cells, but also by challenges caused by distribution and storage, particularly in regions without a complete cold chain. In this review article, we consider the potential of molecular farming to address the challenges of endemic and re-emerging diseases, focusing on edible plants for the development of oral drugs. Key recent developments in this field include successful clinical trials based on orally delivered dried leaves of Artemisia annua against malarial parasite strains resistant to artemisinin combination therapy, the ability to produce clinical-grade protein drugs in leaves to treat infectious diseases and the long-term storage of protein drugs in dried leaves at ambient temperatures. Recent FDA approval of the first orally delivered protein drug encapsulated in plant cells to treat peanut allergy has opened the door for the development of affordable oral drugs that can be manufactured and distributed in remote areas without cold storage infrastructure and that eliminate the need for expensive purification steps and sterile delivery by injection. ; The authors would like to thank the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (project AGL2017-85377-R), the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (projects RTI2018-097613-B-I00 and PGC2018-097655-B-I00), the EU Horizon 2020 project Pharma-Factory (774078) and the Gener- alitat de Catalunya (Grups Consolidats2017-SGR828); Ag encia de Gesti o d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (AGAUR), Departament d'Empresa i Coneixement de la Generalitat de Catalunya (PAND EMIES 2020); Project LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-007660 (Microbiologia Molecular, Estrutural e Celular funded by FEDER funds through COMPETE2020)—Programa Operacional Compet- itividade e Internacionalizacß~ao (POCI) and by the FCT (Portugal) through the R&D Unit, UIDB/04551/2020 (GREEN-IT—Biore- sources for Sustainability); UKIERI and the Hotung Foundation for sustained support of the Bharathiar University / St. George's Univ. of London collaboration and the Molecular Immunology Unit at St. George's Univ. of London. The Max Planck Society, the EU Horizon 2020 project Newcotiana (760331-2) and a grant from the European Research Council (ERC-ADG-2014; grant agreement 669982) to RB. KMOC, RMT and STH acknowledge support from the InnCoCells project funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement 101000373. PSS, KAM, RF and SN are partially supported by a CRAFT award (COVID-19 Research Accelerator Funding Track) by the University of California Davis. KAM and SN were partially supported by NASA Space Technology Research (award number NNX17AJ31G) and by the Translational Research Institute through NASA (grant number NNX16AO69A); EMBRAPA (Brazilian Agricultural Corporation), INCT BioSyn (National Institute of Science and Technology in Synthetic Biology), CNPq, CAPES, Brazilian Ministry of Health, FAPDFnd Universidade Cat olica de Bras ılia (UCB), Bras ılia, Brazil; BBSRC Grant BB/L020955/1, the JIC Strategic Programme Grant 'Molecules from Nature –Enhanced Research Capacity' (BBS/E/ J/000PR9794), the John Innes Foundation and the Department of Health and Social Care using UK Aid funding managed by the BBSRC; and The Austrian Science Fund FWF (project W1224). TTW Veni Grant 16740 from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. Research in the Daniell laboratory was supported by NIH grants R01 GM 63879, R01 107904, R01 HL 109442, R01 133191 and grants from Bayer, Novo Nordisk and Shire/Takeda. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, through the Science Moving TowArds Research Trans- lation and Therapy (SMARTT) programme contracts # HHSN268201600014C, HHSN268201600011C supported IND enabling regulatory, toxicology and pharmacokinetic studies. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author (s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of California, Davis, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) or the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. Views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the employing institutions or the UK Department of Health and Social Care
This paper attempts to conceptualize the institution as a determinant of economic activity of societies and to define the sources of institutional change in modern economy. The analysis of institutions and their role in the economic activity, on the level of particular entities and markets or in the macroeconomic scale, seems to be the most productive area of research in the 21st century. A cohesive institutional system is a prerequisite of economic change in less-developed countries and a determinant of sustainable development in other economies. Institutions are believed to be the cause of economic failure of many countries. Thus, to create a favourable environment for economic progress, it is necessary to adopt adequate, country-specific formal instruments. Despite the intensity of research, the essence of the institution and the character of its change still remain a matter of dispute. The diversity of institutions and their impact make them difficult to measure. There are no perfect indicators of institution status or quality. The lack of fully adequate indicators of the quality of institutions and institutional environment makes it difficult to verify empirically the research on the influence of institutions on the dynamics of economy and its particular elements. ; gruszew@uwb.edu.pl ; University of Bialystok ; Aoki M., Endogenizing institutions and institutional changes, "Journal of Institutional Economics" 2007, Vol. 3, Iss. 1 ; Bal-Woźniak T., Innowacyjność w ujęciu podmiotowym. Uwarunkowania instytucjonalne, PWE, Warszawa 2012 ; Berk G., Galvan D., How people experience and change institutions: a field guide to creative syncretism, "Theory and Society" 2009, Vol. 38, Iss. 6 ; Beyond Institutions, IDPM, University of Manchester, 2010; http://www.ippg.org.uk/8933_Beyond%20Institutions.final%20(1).pdf [accessed: 12.12.2018] ; Brzeziński M., Gorynia M., Hockuba Z., Ekonomia a inne nauki społeczne na początku XXI w. Między imperializmem a kooperacją, "Ekonomista" 2008, nr 2 ; Buchanan J., Heesang Chai D., Deakin S., Empirical analysis of legal institutions and institutional change: multiple-methods approaches and their application to corporate governance research, "Journal of Institutional Economics", 2014, Vol.10, Iss.1 ; Gruszewska E., Instytucje a proces tworzenia kapitału w Polsce, UwB, Białystok 2013 ; Gruszewska E., Transformacja instytucji nieformalnych w Polsce, "Gospodarka Narodowa" 2012, nr 3 ; Hodgson G.M., From Pleasure Machines to Moral Communities: An Evolutionary Economics without Homo Economicus, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, London 2012 ; Hodgson G.M., On fuzzy frontiers and fragmented foundations: Some reflections on the original and new institutional economics, "Journal of Institutional Economics" 2014, Vol. 10, Iss. 4 ; Hodgson G.M., The Approach of Institutional Economics, "Journal of Economic Literature", 1998, Vol. 36, Iss. 1 ; Hodgson G.M., What are Institutions?, "Journal of Economic Issues" 2006, Vol. 90, No. 1 ; Kirdina S., Prospects of Liberalization for S&T Policies in Russia: Institutional Analysis, "Sociology of Science and Technology" 2010, Vol. 1, No. 2 ; Kirdina S.G., Fundamental Difference in the Transformation Process between Russia and East European Countries, "Berliner Osteuropa Info" 2001, h. 16 ; Kołodko G.W., Wędrujący świat, Prószyński i S-ka, Warszawa 2009 ; Lubell M., Mewhirter J.M.,Berardo R., Scholz J.T., Transaction Costs and the Perceived Effectiveness of Complex Institutional Systems, "Public Administration Review" 2017, Vol. 77, Iss. 5 ; Miłaszewicz D., Jakość instytucji a wzrost gospodarczy, Studia i Prace Wydziału Nauk Ekonomicznych i Zarządzania nr 19, Uniwersytet Szczeciński, Szczecin 2011 ; North D.C., Institutions, institutional change and economic performance, Cambridge Univ. Press, New York 2009 (1990) ; North D.C., Understanding the Process of Economic Change, Forum Series on the Role of Institutions in Promoting Economic Growth, Washington 24.06.2003 ; North D.C., Understanding the Process of Economic Change, Princeton University Press, Princeton, Oxford 2005 ; Pańków W., Instytucje i organizacje. Pochodzenie. Powstawanie. Funkcje. Przekształcenia, Poltext, Warszawa 2014 ; Parto S., Economic Activity and Institutions: Taking Stock, "Journal of Economic Issues" 2005, Vol. 39, No. 1 ; Persson K.G., An Economic History of Europe. Knowledge, institutions and growth, 600 to the present, Cambridge Univ.Press, New York 2010 ; Rapacki R., Próchniak M., Wzrost gospodarczy w krajach Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej na tle wybranych krajów wschodzących, "Ekonomista" 2012 nr 1-2 ; Ratajczak M., Posłowie, [w:] Zrozumieć kapitalizm. Podejście ewolucjonistyczno-instytucjonalne, red. A.Ząbkowicz, M.Miszewski, P.Chmielnicki, S.Czech, Forum Myśli Instytucjonalnej, Sosnowiec-Kraków 2018 ; Rodrik D., One Economics, Many Recipes: Globalization, Institutions, and Economic Growth, Princeton University Press, Princeton, Oxford 2007 ; Staniek Z., Ekonomia instytucjonalna. Dlaczego instytucje sa ważne, Difin, Warszawa 2017 ; Stankiewicz W., Ekonomika instytucjonalna, Narodziny i rozwój, Wyd. BBS, PWSBiA, Warszawa 2004 ; Veblen T., The Theory of the Leisure Class. An Economic Study of Institutions, MacMillan Company, New York 1922 (1899) http://lf-oll.s3.amazonaws.com/titles/1657/1291_Bk.pdf ; Voigt S., How (Not) to Measure Institutions, "Journal of Institutional Economics" 2013, Vol. 9, Iss. 1 ; Wätzold F., Explaining differences in EMAS participation rates across Europe: the importance of institutions, incomplete information and path dependence, "European Journal of Law and Economics" 2009, Vol. 28, No. 1 ; Williamson O.E., The New Institutional Economics: Taking Stock, Looking Ahead, "Journal of Economic Literature" 2000, Vol. 38, No. 3 ; Ząbkowicz A., Transformacja ładu instytucjonalnego. Samoregulująca się gospodarka z perspektywy Waltera Euckena i Karla Polanyi'ego, [w:] Ład gospodarczy a współczesna ekonomia, (red.), P. Pysz, A. Grabska, M. Moszyński, Warszawa 2014 ; Zielenkiewicz M., Institutional Environment in the Context of Development of Sustainable Society in the European Union Countries, "Equilibrium. 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The Agbiotech Bulletin Volume 3, Issue 6, June, 1995 Code Number: NL95024 Sizes of Files: Text: 50K No associated graphics Minding the Store: Regulating Agbiotech Agriculture and food regulators are often the 'man in the middle' castigated by interest groups for being too lenient and harangued by industry for being too slow and demanding. But over the years of minding the store, the regulatory system has definitely 'produced the goods'. News PGS International Announces Canadian Canola Approvals Plant Genetic Systems (PGS) International has announced that its new hybrid canola varieties have received environmental and feed safety clearance from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. This approval follows last year's clearance of the variety by Health Canada. Novel Beef-Breeding Strategy Explored at Brandon Biotech Developments at Guelph Artificial 'seeds' are being developed for the $500 million dollar herb industry in North America by University of Guelph researchers. New Ethanol Facilities Opening A 50 million litre per year ethanol plant will be built in Cornwall, Ontario by Seaway Valley Farmers Energy Co-op. Canada To Aid Rwandan Research Reconstruction Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) has launched a two-year, $500,000 project to assist the national reconstruction of Rwanda in the wake of civil war. Fast Plants Developed A Brassica rapa variety developed by interbreeding the 'fastest' species of Brassica accessions in the USDA's National Germplasm System flowers in 14 days and completes seed production in 35 days. Delay on rbST Ends on Canada Day The one year voluntary delay on the sale of rbST in Canada ends on July 1 of this year, however, sale of the recombinant cattle hormone will not commence unless the product has been given official Notice of Compliance by Health Canada by that date. Biotech Institute Launched in Singapore The newly-established Institute of Molecular Agrobiology (IMA) in Singapore is intended as a focal point for world-class research at the genetic and molecular levels. Events Public Expectation and the Corporate Sector Biotech Commercialization in Developing Countries. American Plant Physiologists Annual Meeting Engineering Plants for Commercial Products AgBiotech International Conference (ABIC) in Saskatoon 4TH International Conference on Plant Genetic Resources Trends The Research University in the 21st Century Fundamental changes in the nature of world society, such as the end of the cold war, are redirecting the course of universities, according to Paul Schimmel of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Alliances Canada-Latin American Initiative on Biotech Take Some Canola and Call Me in the Morning Tech Transfer AgCanada Expanding TechTransfer Activities New Environment for Research Support Agricultural research today is subject to a new set of ground rules. More Business Savvy Needed The stronger market orientation of agricultural research today necessitates that scientists develop more business savvy, says Yassa. 'Scientists must learn to function in a market-driven economy. They have to understand current business principles and problems.' Plant Transformation by Gene Transfer into Pollen British Technology Group (BTG) USA is entertaining discussions with regard to the licensing of a technology that allows for the production of transformed plants from seeds that have been produced by pollination using transformed pollen. Finance Saskatchewan Backs R&D Initiatives Saskatchewan's economic development strategy is placing renewed emphasis on R&D initiatives, including biotechnology. Western Economic Development Initiatives A number of initiatives of interest to the biotech sector have emerged from the new approach to economic development in the West announced by Western Development (WD) Minister Lloyd Axworthy in response to the recent federal budget. Royal Facilitates Exporter's Collection Process An easy-to-use service provided by the Royal Bank helps Canadian exporters prepare direct collection orders. Foreign Affairs Launches Electronic Trade Service The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has initiated a BBS project. New Contracting Process at CIDA The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) has established a new process aimed at allowing more Canadians an opportunity to apply for contracts involving international development activities. Issues Issues Around Patents Assessed People, Plants and Patents is a new book on the impact of intellectual property on trade, plant biodiversity and rural society. Attitudes Consultation on Biotechnology Proposed A major process of public consultation on biotechnology has been proposed by a stakeholders group convened by the federal government's interdepartmental working group on biotechnology. Industry Needs Strategy to Boost Acceptance of Biotech Canadians are generally unaware of biotechnology, according to Rick Walter of the Canadian Institute of Biotechnology. Legal Notes Plant Protection Regulations Amended Amendments being proposed for regulations under the federal Plant Protection Act would affect the import and export of biologicals, seeds, plants, grain and pests, among other products. Brown Bag Sales Clarified by US Court A recent US Supreme Court decision (Asgrow vs. Winterboer) will be of interest to plant breeders. European Patent Developments The European Parliament voted in March against a directive which would have allowed the patenting of genetically-altered organisms, according to a report in SeedTrade News. Resources Biotech Educational Materials Available Canadian Ed Centres in Asia Nearly 100,000 foreign students the majority from Asia choose to study in Canada each year. They contribute $3 billion to the Canadian economy and help to generate some 19,000 jobs within Canada. Report of the rBST Task Force The Review of the Potential Impact of Recombinant Bovine Somatatropin in Canada has been completed and is available for review. Biotech & Plant Cultures Reviewed Biotechnological Applications of Plant Cultures is a new publication which presents the most updated reviews on current techniques in plant cultures. Getting Ready to Go Global The Management Development Initiative (MDI) is part of Getting Ready to Go Global, a campaign to improve the competitiveness of Canadian food and beverage processors in domestic and export markets. Evaluating Traditional Environmental Knowledge The book Capturing Traditional Environmental Knowledge is a product of an unusual workshop held in the Northwest Territories. People Watch Copyright 1995 Agbiotech Bulletins
ABSTRAKPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh karakteristik Islamic corporate governance terhadap kinerja bank syariah di Indonesia dan Malaysia. Dengan menggunakan regresi data panel 28 bank syariah di Indonesia dan Malaysia periode 2013-2019, penelitian ini menemukan adanya pengaruh Islamic corporate governance (ICG) secara simultan terhadap kinerja bank syariah. Hasil estimasi dengan dan tanpa variabel kontrol menunjukkan hanya variabel tingkat pendidikan Dewan Pengawas Syariah (DPS) yang konsisten memiliki pengaruh negatif signifikan terhadap kinerja bank syariah. Dengan menambahkan variabel kontrol, hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa variabel gender diversity dan frekuensi rapat DPS masing-masing berpengaruh positif dan negatif terhadap kinerja bank syariah. Hasil penelitian ini memberikan wawasan bagi regulator untuk dapat meningkatkan kinerja bank syariah melalui praktik ICG. Kata Kunci: Bank syariah, Dewan Pengawas Syariah, Indonesia, Islamic corporate governance, Kinerja bank, Malaysia. ABSTRACTThis study aims to determine the impact of Islamic corporate governance characteristics on the performance of Islamic banks in Indonesia and Malaysia. By using panel data regression of 28 Islamic banks in Indonesia and Malaysia for the 2013-2019 period, this study found the simultaneous influence of Islamic corporate governance (ICG) characteristics on the performance of Islamic banks. The results with and without control variables show that only the Sharia Supervisory Board (SSB) education level consistently has a significant negative effect on the performance of Islamic banks. By adding the control variable, the results show that the gender diversity variable and the frequency of SSB meetings have a positive and negative effect on the performance of Islamic banks, respectively. The results of this study provide insights for regulators to improve the performance of Islamic banks through ICG practices.Keywords: Bank performance, Indonesia, Islamic corporate governance, Islamic banks, Malaysia, Syariah Supervisory Board. DAFTAR PUSTAKAAgrawal, N., & Lakshmi, V. (2020). Board composition and board size impact on financial performance of the company. International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management, 6(5), 737–747. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJPSPM.2020.110142Ajili, H., & Bouri, A. (2018). Corporate governance quality of Islamic banks: measurement and effect on financial performance. International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, 11(3), 470–487. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMEFM-05-2017-0131Alam, N., & Homy, A. (2020). The impact of corporate governance and agency effect on earnings management – A test of the dual banking system. Research in International Business and Finance, 54(April), 1–16.Al-Jaifi, H. A. (2020). 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This new flagship report for the eTransform Africa Project, produced by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, with the support of the African Union, identifies best practice in the use of Information and communication technologies (ICTs) in key sectors of the African economy. Under the theme transformation-ready, the growing contribution of ICTs to agriculture, climate change adaptation, education, financial services, government services, and health is explored. In addition, the report highlights the role of ICTs in enhancing African regional trade and integration as well as the need to build a competitive ICT industry to boost innovation, job creation, and the export potential of African companies.
