Predicting Corporate Sustainability: A Thai Approach

In the corporate world, the Thai philosophy of Sufficiency Economy can be applied to ensure corporate sustainability. This paper adopts Kantabutra et al. (2010)’s ten “Sufficiency Economy” leadership practices to derive measures for corporate sustainability and adopts Avery (2005)’s measures of sustainability performance. A structural model expressing relationships between the two groups of measures is formed accordingly, followed by hypotheses. A convenient sample comprises 112 middle-level managers and business owners who were asked to respond to a questionnaire. Factor and regression analyses are adopted to test the relationships. Findings indicate that (a) perseverance is a direct predictor of firm’s capacities to deliver competitive performance, endure crises, and maintain a market leadership; (b) geosocial development and broad stakeholder focus are two direct predictors of firm’s capacity to deliver competitive performance; (c) resilience and moderation are two indirect predictors of firm’s capacity to deliver competitive performance; (d) geosocial development, broad stakeholder focus, moderation, and resilience are four indirect predictors of firm’s capacity to endure crises; and (e) geosocial development, moderation and resilience are three indirect predictors of firm’s capacity to maintain a market leadership. Managerial implications are discussed

Evaluating participatory modeling: developing a framework for cross-case analysis

International audienceParticipatory modeling is increasingly recognized as an effective way to assist collective decision-making processes in the domain of natural resource management. This article introduces a framework for evaluating projects that have adopted a participatory modeling approach. This evaluation framework-known as the "Protocol of Canberra"aEuro"was developed through a collaboration between French and Australian researchers engaged in participatory modeling and evaluation research. The framework seeks to assess the extent to which different participatory modeling initiatives not only modify perceptions among and interactions between participants, but also contribute to collective decision-making. The article discusses the development of the framework and it's application to three case-studies, two from Australia and one from the Pacific Island of the Republic of Kiribati. The article concludes with some comments for future use of the framework in a range of participatory modeling contexts

NASH limits anti-tumour surveillance in immunotherapy-treated HCC

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can have viral or non-viral causes1-5. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is an important driver of HCC. Immunotherapy has been approved for treating HCC, but biomarker-based stratification of patients for optimal response to therapy is an unmet need6,7. Here we report the progressive accumulation of exhausted, unconventionally activated CD8+PD1+ T cells in NASH-affected livers. In preclinical models of NASH-induced HCC, therapeutic immunotherapy targeted at programmed death-1 (PD1) expanded activated CD8+PD1+ T cells within tumours but did not lead to tumour regression, which indicates that tumour immune surveillance was impaired. When given prophylactically, anti-PD1 treatment led to an increase in the incidence of NASH-HCC and in the number and size of tumour nodules, which correlated with increased hepatic CD8+PD1+CXCR6+, TOX+, and TNF+ T cells. The increase in HCC triggered by anti-PD1 treatment was prevented by depletion of CD8+ T cells or TNF neutralization, suggesting that CD8+ T cells help to induce NASH-HCC, rather than invigorating or executing immune surveillance. We found similar phenotypic and functional profiles in hepatic CD8+PD1+ T cells from humans with NAFLD or NASH. A meta-analysis of three randomized phase III clinical trials that tested inhibitors of PDL1 (programmed death-ligand 1) or PD1 in more than 1,600 patients with advanced HCC revealed that immune therapy did not improve survival in patients with non-viral HCC. In two additional cohorts, patients with NASH-driven HCC who received anti-PD1 or anti-PDL1 treatment showed reduced overall survival compared to patients with other aetiologies. Collectively, these data show that non-viral HCC, and particularly NASH-HCC, might be less responsive to immunotherapy, probably owing to NASH-related aberrant T cell activation causing tissue damage that leads to impaired immune surveillance. Our data provide a rationale for stratification of patients with HCC according to underlying aetiology in studies of immunotherapy as a primary or adjuvant treatment