Capturing the transcription factor interactome in response to sub-lethal insecticide exposure

The increasing levels of pesticide resistance in agricultural pests and disease vectors represents a threat to both food security and global health. As insecticide resistance intensity strengthens and spreads, the likelihood of a pest encountering a sub-lethal dose of pesticide dramatically increases. Here, we apply dynamic Bayesian networks to a transcriptome time-course generated using sub-lethal pyrethroid exposure on a highly resistant Anopheles coluzzii population. The model accounts for circadian rhythm and ageing effects allowing high confidence identification of transcription factors with key roles in pesticide response. The associations generated by this model show high concordance with lab-based validation and identifies 44 transcription factors putatively regulating insecticide-responsive transcripts. We identify six key regulators, with each displaying differing enrichment terms, demonstrating the complexity of pesticide response. The considerable overlap of resistance mechanisms in agricultural pests and disease vectors strongly suggests that these findings are relevant in a wide variety of pest species

Do the child´s and their parents´ affect control covary with the child´s AD/HD-symptom?

Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka om barn meduppmärksamhetsproblem och hyperaktivitet/impulsivitetkännetecknas av att både de själva och deras föräldrar har svårt attkontrollera sin affekt. Forskningsfrågorna är om graden ADHDsymtomhos barnen skiljer sig mellan olika kombinationer av barnoch föräldrars affektkontroll, samt om barn med ADHD-symtomkännetecknas av att både de själva och deras föräldrar har svårt attkontrollera sina affekter? Vår hypotes är att barnets ADHD-symtomhar ett samband med den samlade affektkontrollen i familjen där merADHD-symtom uppvisas vid bristande affektkontroll och mindresymtom uppvisas vid hög affektkontroll inom familjerna. Studiengrundades på data bestående av enkätinsamling från 951 föräldrar,där information om deras barns problembeteende samt derasresponderande föräldrastrategier uppgavs. En envägs variansanalysgenomfördes för att jämföra medelvärden för ADHD-symtom hosbarn med olika kombinationer av affektkontroll hos barnet ochföräldern. Resultaten visade att barnet uppvisade speciellt kraftigauppmärksamhetsproblem och hyperaktivitet/impulsivitet då bådebarnet och föräldern hade bristande affektkontroll. Det visade sigockså att mindre problem hos barnet uppträdde i de familjer där bådebarnet och föräldrarna hade god affektkontroll. Detta fynd indikeraratt föräldrars affektkontroll i samband med barnets egnaaffektkontroll har ett samband med graden ADHD-symtom. Utifrånteorin om lågaffektivt bemötande och att föräldrar till barn medproblem ska bemöta med ett lugn är resultaten i denna studie ettintressant fynd för fortsatt forskning.The purpose for this study was to investigate whether children withattention problems and hyperactivity/impulsivity are characterized byhaving difficulties and having parents with difficulties controllingtheir affect. The research question in this study was whether thedegree of AD/HD-symptoms among the children differs betweendifferent combinations of children and parental affect control. Ourhypotheses were that children will display more AD/HD symptomwhen they and their parents have lack of affect control, and that theywill display less AD/HD symptoms when they and their parents are incontrol of their affects. The study was based on a baseline survey of951 parents, where information about their children´s conductproblem and their responding parental strategies were collected. Aone-way analysis of variance was conducted to compare the meanvalues of AD/HD-symptoms in children with different combinationsof affect control. The results showed particularly strong attentionproblems and hyperactivity/impulsivity in the child when the childitself and their parents showed a lack of affect control. It also turnedout that minor problems with the child occurred in the families whereboth the child and the parents had good affect control. This findingindicates that parental control in relation to the child's own affectcontrol is associated with the degree of AD/HD-symptoms. This studyshows factors that might covary with children’s AD/HD-symptoms.Based on the theory of low-arousal approach and that parents/careersto children with problems keep calm and respond with control, this isan interesting finding for continued research and evaluation of lowimpacttreatment

Driving sustainability in emerging markets: The leading role of multinationals.

This paper focuses on the different activities that multinational enterprises (MNEs) can develop to promote sustainability through a market-driving process that shapes market conditions and influences critical stakeholders. Our focus is on interactions with external and internal stakeholders that drive sustainability. Empirically, this study is based on qualitative case studies of two Swedish MNEs that have a relatively long history of assuming responsibility for different sustainability aspects. We have studied how they drive sustainability internally as well as in their relationships with business, social, and political actors in emerging markets. The empirical material consists of interviews and secondary data, such as sustainability reports. We contribute to the literature by discussing how a market-driving sustainability process can be implemented – each step involving a set of critical, supporting activities. For managers, it is crucial to understand and continuously manage these steps. A conceptual model is presented that suggests four critical steps. We also make an important empirical contribution to the literature by providing unique insights from the activities and sustainability strategies of two well-known MNEs

Creating a Sustainable Competitive Position Through Ethical Behaviour

In this chapter, we discuss the main themes of the book and give examples of how the rest of the chapters are related to these themes. We have identified two main aspects that are partly overlapping and are equally relevant for international firms’ work with ethical questions related to their business. One concerns how ethical behaviour related to sustainability can be applied as a main part of firms’ corporate strategy and how this may strengthen the international competitive position. This is particularly relevant when considering that it cannot be taken for granted that there is always a positive relationship and that actors may sometimes question an emphasis on ethical behaviour that goes beyond the accepted norms and regulations. The other main theme is related to international firms’ crucial role in supporting sustainability on an international level and contributing towards achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). Solving many of the challenges related to climate change, migration, poverty and inequality is likely to require the involvement of international firms. The book identifies several routes forward to achieve this

Creating a Sustainable Competitive Position: Ethical Challenges for International Firms

The importance of ethical practices and a sustainable competitive position is being increasingly emphasised by all types of business and across all industries. The chapters collected in Creating a Sustainable Competitive Position discuss how international firms work with sustainable strategies and their relationship with the society and environment while exploring the different opportunities and challenges.While good transparent ethical behaviour improves a company’s reputation and thus competitive position, unethical and/or illegitimate behaviour such as environmental exploitation and corruption can damage a firm’s global reputation. Several case studies from different markets demonstrate how this sustainable competitive position can be achieved by international firms operating in a global market. Creating a Sustainable Competitive Position includes research-based cases highlighting different sustainability challenges as well as theory-based discussions around how firms can manage a multi-stakeholder perspective in relation to performance.The extensive research within this volume of International Business and Management makes it an important read for both managers, leaders and researchers in the area of strategy, offering ways to stay ahead of the competition

Integration of whole genome sequencing and transcriptomics reveals a complex picture of the reestablishment of insecticide resistance in the major malaria vector Anopheles coluzzii

Insecticide resistance is a major threat to gains in malaria control, which have been stalling and potentially reversing since 2015. Studies into the causal mechanisms of insecticide resistance are painting an increasingly complicated picture, underlining the need to design and implement targeted studies on this phenotype. In this study, we compare three populations of the major malaria vector An. coluzzii: a susceptible and two resistant colonies with the same genetic background. The original colonised resistant population rapidly lost resistance over a 6-month period, a subset of this population was reselected with pyrethroids, and a third population of this colony that did not lose resistance was also available. The original resistant, susceptible and re-selected colonies were subject to RNAseq and whole genome sequencing, which identified a number of changes across the transcriptome and genome linked with resistance. Firstly, an increase in the expression of genes within the oxidative phosphorylation pathway were seen in both resistant populations compared to the susceptible control; this translated phenotypically through an increased respiratory rate, indicating that elevated metabolism is linked directly with resistance. Genome sequencing highlighted several blocks clearly associated with resistance, including the 2Rb inversion. Finally, changes in the microbiome profile were seen, indicating that the microbial composition may play a role in the resistance phenotype. Taken together, this study reveals a highly complicated phenotype in which multiple transcriptomic, genomic and microbiome changes combine to result in insecticide resistance

Ameliorating Child poverty through Connecting Economic Services with child health Services (ACCESS): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial of the healthier wealthier families model in Sweden

Background: Sweden is often held up as an example of a country with low child deprivation; yet, rates of relative deprivation are rising. Every municipality in Sweden is required to provide free, timely and accessible budget and debt counselling under the Social Services Act. The services have been encouraged to perform preventative practice with families; however, this has not been realised. The Healthier Wealthier Families (HWF) model embeds universal screening for economic hardship into child health services and creates a referral pathway to economic support services. Given the universal child health system in Sweden, which is freely available and has excellent coverage of the child population, implementation of the HWF model has potential to support families to access the freely available municipal budget and debt counselling and ultimately improve rates of child deprivation in Sweden. Methods/design: We will conduct a two-arm randomised waitlist-control superiority trial to examine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the HWF model in the Sweden. A longitudinal follow-up with the cohort will explore whether any effects are maintained in the longer-term. Discussion: HWF is a collaborative and sustainable model that could maximise the effectiveness of current services to address child deprivation in Sweden. The study outlined in this protocol is the first effectiveness evaluation of the HWF model in Sweden and is a crucial step before HWF can be recommended for national implementation within the child health services. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov; NCT05511961. Prospectively registered on 23 August 2022. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05511961