agent

Examples of agent in the following topics:

• Principle-Agent Problem

  • The principle-agent problem (agency dilemma) exists when conflicts of interest arise between a principal and an agent in a business setting.
  • In economics, the principal-agent problem (also known as an agency dilemma) exists when conflicts of interest arise between a principal and an agent in a business setting .
  • This connection sets the standard for judging the performance of the agent.
  • The diagram shows the basic idea of the principle agent problem.
  • P is the principle and A is the agent.

• Biological Control of Microbes

  • Those that result in bacterial death are called bactericidal agents.
  • Those causing temporary inhibition of growth are bacteriostatic agents.
  • No single antimicrobial agent is most effective for use in all situations - different situations may call for different agents.
  • A number of factors affect selection of the best agent for any given situation - Antimicrobial agents must be selected with specific organisms and environmental conditions in mind.
  • Once an agent has been selected, it is important to evaluate it's effectiveness.

• Agents

  • A decision also implies the existence of an agent.
  • In the case of an agent or agents representing a principal, there may be a conflict or incompatibility among their objectives.
  • This is referred to as the principal/agent problem.
  • The agent has a conflict of interest.
  • A stockbroker acts as an agent for an investor; a doctor may act as the agent for a patient.

• Antisense Agents

  • Antisense agents are short oligonucleotides that bind to target messenger RNA and inhibit protein synthesis.
  • When this agent binds to the pathogen DNA or messenger RNA, the biosynthesis of target proteins is disrupted.
  • A limiting factor in their potential application as therapeutic agents for bacterial infections is their poor uptake by bacterial cells.
  • Antisense agents also exhibit efficacy in broader clinical applications such as cancer therapy.
  • Discuss the mechanism of antisense agents and the advantages and disadvantages of antisense therapy

• Overview of Reducing Agents

  • Note that Lithium Aluminum Hydride (LiAlH4) is the strongest reducing agent listed, and it reduces all the substrates.

• Chelating Agents

  • Usually these ligands are organic compounds and are called chelants, chelators, chelating agents, or sequestering agents; the resulting complexes are called chelate compounds.
  • Chelation therapy is the use of chelating agents to detoxify poisonous metal agents, such as mercury, arsenic, and lead, by converting them to a chemically inert form that can be excreted without further interaction with the body.
  • Such chelating agents include the porphyrin rings in hemoglobin and chlorophyll.
  • Enterobactin, produced by E. coli, is the strongest chelating agent known.
  • Ethylenediamine serves as a chelating agent by binding via its two nitrogen atoms.

• Defining Agency Conflicts

  • Agency conflicts can occur when the incentives of the agent do not align with those of the principal.
  • The principal–agent problem or agency dilemma, developed in economic theory, concerns the difficulties in motivating one party (the "agent"), to act on behalf of another (the "principal").
  • The two parties have different interests and asymmetric information (the agent having more information), such that the principal cannot directly ensure that the agents are always acting in its (the principals') best interests, particularly when activities that are useful to the principal are costly to the agent, and where elements of what the agent does are costly for the principal to observe.
  • Examples of agency costs include that borne by shareholders (the principal), when corporate management (the agent) buys other companies to expand its power instead of maximizing the value of the corporation's worth; or by the constituents of a politician's district (the principal) when the politician (the agent) passes legislation helpful to large contributors to their campaign rather than helpful to voters.
  • Principal-agent problems - which arise when managers act on the behalf of a firm and its investors - include potential conflicts of interest.

• Damage to Proteins and Nucleic Acids

  • A bacteriostatic agent is a biological or chemical agent that stops bacteria from reproducing by targeting DNA replication and proteins.
  • A bacteriostatic agent or bacteriostat, abbreviated Bstatic, is a biological or chemical agent that stops bacteria from reproducing, while not necessarily harming them.
  • High concentrations of some bacteriostatic agents are also bactericidal, whereas low concentrations of some bacteriocidal agents are bacteriostatic.

• The Diagnostic Scheme

  • Diagnosis of infectious disease sometimes involves identifying an infectious agent either directly or indirectly.
  • Given sufficient effort, all known infectious agents can be specifically identified.
  • In a microbial culture, a growth medium is provided for a specific agent.
  • Biochemical tests used in the identification of infectious agents include the detection of metabolic or enzymatic products characteristic of a particular infectious agent.
  • First, the catalog of infectious agents has grown to the point that virtually all of the significant infectious agents of the human population have been identified.

• Technology and New Infectious Agents

  • Technology aids in the identification of new infectious agents, but it also contributes to the emergence of new diseases.
  • The use of advanced technology and molecular methods for detection, identification, and characterization of infectious agents is gaining importance in clinical microbiology laboratories.
  • Identification of an emerging pathogen by conventional methods is difficult and time-consuming due to the 'novel' nature of the agent.
  • Looking back at past epidemics or outbreaks caused by previously unknown infectious agents, we realize that identification and characterization of a new infectious agent can take years, decades, or even centuries.
  • Give examples demonstrating the positive and negative impacts technology has had on new infectious agents