Critical Citizenship: A Theory on the Foundations of Legitimate Government

In this paper, it is my intention to discuss the issue of legitimacy as it relates to government. I will explore what a legitimate government necessarily consists of; that is, I will attempt to formulate a number of conditions a government must meet in order to be considered legitimate

Examining the Connections within the Startup Ecosystem: A Case Study of St. Louis

This paper documents the resurgence of entrepreneurial activity in St. Louis by reporting on the collaboration and local learning within the startup community. This activity is happening both between entrepreneurs and between organizations that provide support, such as mentoring and funding, to entrepreneurs. As these connections deepen, the strength of the entrepreneurial ecosystem grows. Another finding from the research is that activity-based events, where entrepreneurs have the chance to use and practice the skills needed to grow their businesses, are most useful. St. Louis provides a multitude of these activities, such as Startup Weekend, 1 Million Cups, Code Until Dawn, StartLouis, and GlobalHack. Some of these are St. Louis specific, but others have nationwide or global operations, providing important implications for other cities

How User‐centric Innovation is Affecting Stakeholder Marketing Strategies: Exploratory Findings from the Music Industry

This paper empirically explores how user‐centric innovation (UCI) in the music industry is affecting how key stakeholder groups are approaching and developing their marketing (and associated management) strategies. The three‐stage interview‐based research methodology consisted of 52 semi‐structured in‐depth interviews with UCI experts and artist managers, as well as representatives from major record labels. The findings make four substantial contributions to theory and practice in the interrelated fields of UCI, marketing and the music industry. First, they provide practical and pragmatic insights for industry practitioners on how different UCI marketing approaches are affecting their management strategies. Second, they take steps towards answering many of the identified gaps in research and knowledge relating to the concept of UCI. Third, they present theoretical models as a foundation for which new UCI marketing theory can be built upon. Last, they offer directions for future research to advance our empirical findings.</jats:p

Discovery of potent and selective MRCK inhibitors with therapeutic effect on skin cancer

The myotonic dystrophy-related Cdc42-binding kinases MRCKα and MRCKβ contribute to the regulation of actin-myosin cytoskeleton organization and dynamics, acting in concert with the Rho-associated coiled-coil kinases ROCK1 and ROCK2. The absence of highly potent and selective MRCK inhibitors has resulted in relatively little knowledge of the potential roles of these kinases in cancer. Here we report the discovery of the azaindole compounds BDP8900 and BDP9066 as potent and selective MRCK inhibitors that reduce substrate phosphorylation, leading to morphological changes in cancer cells along with inhibition of their motility and invasive character. In over 750 human cancer cell lines tested, BDP8900 and BDP9066 displayed consistent anti-proliferative effects with greatest activity in hematological cancer cells. Mass spectrometry identified MRCKα S1003 as an autophosphorylation site, enabling development of a phosphorylation-sensitive antibody tool to report on MRCKα status in tumor specimens. In a two-stage chemical carcinogenesis model of murine squamous cell carcinoma, topical treatments reduced MRCKα S1003 autophosphorylation and skin papilloma outgrowth. In parallel work, we validated a phospho-selective antibody with the capability to monitor drug pharmacodynamics. Taken together, our findings establish an important oncogenic role for MRCK in cancer, and they offer an initial preclinical proof of concept for MRCK inhibition as a valid therapeutic strategy

Severity-adjusted evaluation of liver transplantation on health outcomes in urea cycle disorders

Purpose: Liver transplantation (LTx) is performed in individuals with urea cycle disorders when medical management (MM) insufficiently prevents the occurrence of hyperammonemic events. However, there is a paucity of systematic analyses on the effects of LTx on health-related outcome parameters compared to individuals with comparable severity who are medically managed. Methods: We investigated the effects of LTx and MM on validated health-related outcome parameters, including the metabolic disease course, linear growth, and neurocognitive outcomes. Individuals were stratified into “severe” and “attenuated” categories based on the genotype-specific and validated in vitro enzyme activity. Results: LTx enabled metabolic stability by prevention of further hyperammonemic events after transplantation and was associated with a more favorable growth outcome compared with individuals remaining under MM. However, neurocognitive outcome in individuals with LTx did not differ from the medically managed counterparts as reflected by the frequency of motor abnormality and cognitive standard deviation score at last observation. Conclusion: Whereas LTx enabled metabolic stability without further need of protein restriction or nitrogen-scavenging therapy and was associated with a more favorable growth outcome, LTx—as currently performed—was not associated with improved neurocognitive outcomes compared with long-term MM in the investigated urea cycle disorders.</p

Restoring the Forest—Restoring the State: An Essay on Forestation

Artykuł dotyczy relacji państwo – las i tego, jak i kiedy państwo tworzy dyskursy na temat lasu, tak aby służyły jego bieżącym celom i aktualnej polityce. Jest to studium przypadku państwa polskiego i jego podejścia do praktyk odnawiania lasów (ang. forest restoration). Przyglądając się minionym działaniom od roku 1918, za pomocą których polskie państwo odtwarzało las, tekst śledzi praktyki dyskursywnej nacjonalizacji lasów. Łącząc perspektywę historyczną ze współczesnymi dyskusjami na temat odnowy ekosystemów leśnych w ramach Unii Europejskiej i globalnych agend, tekst proponuje refleksję na temat relacji władzy wpisanych i ucieleśnianych przez działania związane z zarządzaniem przyrodą. Tekst dotyka szerszej refleksji na temat zarządzania przyrodą i wpisanych w nie relacje władzy, a także analizuje to, jak „środowisko” i kwestie dotyczące środowiska skonstruowane zostały jako dziedziny wymagające regulacji i ochrony państwa. Artykuł, skupiając się na sadzeniu, a nie na wycinaniu lasów, opisuje zastosowanie narzędzi polityki zarządzania środowiskiem w celu utrzymania władzy nad dyskursywnymi i materialnymi działaniami w odniesieniu do krajobrazu przez państwa i/lub międzynarodowe agendy. Ramą spinającą refleksje tego eseju jest polityka ekologiczna połączona z historią i antropologią środowiskową.This article looks at the state/forest relationship and how and when the state creates discourses about the forest to serve its current objectives and policies. It is a case study of the Polish state and its approach to forest restoration practices. Looking at past actions since 1918 through which the Polish state has restored the forest, the text traces the discursive practices of forest nationalisation. Combining historical perspectives with contemporary discussions of forest restoration within the European Union and global institutions, the text offers an analysis of the power relations inscribed and embodied in nature management activities. The text touches upon a broader reflection on nature management and the power relations inscribed and embodied within it and examines how “the environment” and environmental issues have been constructed as domains requiring state regulation and protection. Focusing on planting rather than deforestation, the article describes the use of environmental governance policy tools to maintain power over discursive and material actions in relation to the landscape by states and/or international institutions. This article is framed within environmental politics, combined with environmental history and anthropology

RMS – system of the future or new trend in science?

Manufacturing companies in the 21st century will face unpredictable, high-frequency market changes, driven by global competition. The article presents a new concept of manufacturing systems – which address these challenges - known as Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems (RMS). The concept began in 1999 at University of Michigan and is widely developed in many scientific publications. The paper first analyses main features of RSP. The next sections are devoted to analyze basic assumptions of RMS design and technical measures of RMS. Finally, the answer for the question if the RMS has the perspective of wide industrial implementations is discussed

Patriotic Histories in Global Perspective

Konczal K, Moses AD. Patriotic Histories in Global Perspective. Journal of Genocide Research . 2021

Integrating nature conservation measures in european forest management – An exploratory study of barriers and drivers in 9 european countries

Integrative forest management approaches, aiming to combine the provision of multiple forest ecosystem services in the same forest area, are popular forest management concepts in Europe. Their understanding and application varies, however, across the continent. This paper looks at one dimension of integrative forest management approaches in particular – the integration of nature conservation measures into forest management; focusing on its understanding and application, as well as current and future social, technological, ecological, economic and political factors enabling or hampering this integration. Drawing on 42 qualitative in-depth interviews with national experts and forest practitioners, our study provides insights into the integration of nature conservation measures into forest management systems aimed at wood production and the provision of other forest ecosystem services under various conditions. Across the investigated countries, the main factors perceived to facilitate this integration are the personal motivations and knowledge of forest managers and their long-term economic thinking related to the resilience of the forest in the face of climate and societal change. In turn, the main factors perceived as hampering the integration are current wood-market demands, and a lack of (public) financial incentives. Public pressure is also perceived as an important influencing factor, which can both impede or support integration. Other ambiguous factors include societal knowledge and related knowledge gaps, relationships between local stakeholders, and the legal framework in which forest management operates. The study concludes with suggestions of how to enhance the uptake of the integration of nature conservation measures into forest management in Europe