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Performing while transforming : Andrew H. Van de Ven's enduring contributions to management scholarship
No full textThis essay pays tribute to Andrew H. Van de Ven's (1945-2022) contributions to management theory and practice. We highlight Andy's views on organizational phenomena as evolving processes and show how he applied these, as well as his own engaged scholarship, to develop novel insights on innovation, and organizational change, among other topics. His approach to scholarship, which involved working to transform existing understandings of management theory and practice even as he performed them in his own academic activities, serves as an enduring legacy for emerging and seasoned scholars in our field
Eri alojen huippuyhteistyönä syntynyt Transit osoittaa, että vaikeita yhteiskunnallisia asioita on mahdollisuus käsitellä taiteen avulla
No full textMolecular level dependencies of water permeability in di-block copolymer assemblies
No full textAtomistic detail molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to examine molecular level dependencies of water interactions and permeability of amphiphilic di-block copolymer assemblies. Four different linear amphiphilic di-block copolymers, with chemically identical hydrophilic blocks but varying hydrophobic blocks, were studied. The simulations show that while all examined di-block copolymers formed assemblies highly efficient in blocking water, the ability of the assemblies to sustain their water blocking character when subject to lateral strain had significant differences. The assemblies retaining high internal order under lateral strain were most efficient in moisture blocking. In this, flexible side chains with branching filling the surroundings with hydrophobic groups to prevent molecular level water penetration, were important. Moreover, styrene rings provided efficient, space-filling moisture protection blocks, demonstrating further the importance of flexible spatial orientation hydrophobic side chains. The simulations also connect the roughness and interfacial fluctuations of the block-copolymer assembly with water penetration. The work shows molecular level design principles for enhancing moisture preventing coatings and gives insight into engineering the performance of other filtration systems.</p
Vascular adhesion protein-1 is elevated in primary sclerosing cholangitis, is predictive of clinical outcome and facilitates recruitment of gut-tropic lymphocytes to liver in a substrate-dependent manner
No full textOBJECTIVE: Primary
sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is the classical hepatobiliary
manifestation of IBD. This clinical association is linked pathologically
to the recruitment of mucosal T cells to the liver, via vascular
adhesion protein (VAP)-1-dependent enzyme activity. Our aim was to
examine the expression, function and enzymatic activation of the
ectoenzyme VAP-1 in patients with PSC.DESIGN: We
examined VAP-1 expression in patients with PSC, correlated levels with
clinical characteristics and determined the functional consequences of
enzyme activation by specific enzyme substrates on hepatic endothelium.RESULTS: The
intrahepatic enzyme activity of VAP-1 was elevated in PSC versus
immune-mediated disease controls and non-diseased liver (p<0.001).
The adhesion of gut-tropic α4β7+lymphocytes to hepatic
endothelial cells in vitro under flow was attenuated by 50% following
administration of the VAP-1 inhibitor semicarbazide (p<0.01). Of a
number of natural VAP-1 substrates tested, cysteamine-which can be
secreted by inflamed colonic epithelium and gut bacteria-was the most
efficient (yielded the highest enzymatic rate) and efficacious in its
ability to induce expression of functional mucosal addressin cell
adhesion molecule-1 on hepatic endothelium. In a prospectively evaluated
patient cohort with PSC, elevated serum soluble (s)VAP-1 levels
predicted poorer transplant-free survival for patients, independently
(HR: 3.85, p=0.003) and additively (HR: 2.02, p=0.012) of the presence
of liver cirrhosis.CONCLUSIONS: VAP-1
expression is increased in PSC, facilitates adhesion of gut-tropic
lymphocytes to liver endothelium in a substrate-dependent manner, and
elevated levels of its circulating form predict clinical outcome in
patients.</p
Balancing photosynthesis, O2 consumption, and H2 recycling for sustained H2 photoproduction in pulse-illuminated algal cultures
No full textPhotosynthetic H2 production in unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is catalysed by O2-sensitive [Fe–Fe]-hydrogenase (H2ase) enzymes located in the chloroplast. The process is difficult to sustain due to (i) the inactivation of H2ase enzymes by O2 coevolved in photosynthesis and (ii) the competition of H2ases with the Calvin–Benson–Bassham (CBB) cycle for photosynthetic reductants. Our previous studies revealed that H2 production in nutrient-replete algal cultures could be sustained by applying a train of strong but short (1–5 s) light pulses interrupted by longer (3–9 s) dark periods. This limits O2 accumulation produced by photosystem II, prevents activation of the CBB cycle and redirects photosynthetic electrons to H2ase. In the present research, we demonstrate that the combination of strong light pulses with continuous low background illumination gives a significant gain in the net H2 photoproduction yield by pulse-illuminated algae but only for the first 24 h. We bring evidence that the attenuation of H2 evolution is primarily caused by the accumulation of H2 in the headspace of vials rather than O2 inhibition of the H2ase, whereas an increase in the H2 partial pressure leads to activation of H2 recycling and noticeable H2 uptake, which is accelerated by O2. We predicted that sustained H2 production in pulse-illuminated algae, which are additionally exposed to continuous low background light, could be achieved by decreasing the H2 partial pressure in cultures and preventing excessive accumulation of O2. Indeed, the application of periodic refreshments of a headspace atmosphere with argon and the introduction of O2 scavenger L-cysteine allowed the H2 photoproduction activity in algal cultures to be sustained for more than 10 days both under photoheterotrophic and photoautotrophic conditions, and yielding at least 6-times more H2 per litre of the culture than the standard pulse-illumination protocol.</p
Animal ethical mourning: types of loss and grief in relation to non-human animals
No full textPeople can feel various kinds of loss and grief in relation to non-human animals. This has been increasingly studied in relation to pets and companion animals. Recent explorations of ecological grief include wildlife loss, and emerging studies observe grief among veterinarian professionals, zoo personnel, and animal researchers. People can mourn many kinds of animals, including farmed animals, but there is a need for more research on the topic. In this interdisciplinary article, we draw attention to various forms of what we call animal ethical mourning: grief experienced as a consequence of moral commitment to animals. We chart many new aspects by applying Pihkala's recent framework of Ecological Sorrow (2024) into three case examples: companion animal grief (including pets), wildlife grief, and farmed animal grief. We find many kinds of loss and grief in relation to the case examples, and we propose two new terms for socially contradicted forms of animal ethical mourning: "contested grief" and "contrapuntal grief." The results are useful for anyone who either experiences animal ethical mourning or wishes to provide more understanding for it in societies. The findings can also inform practices in workplaces which include animals
Design of a prospective follow-up study on early parenthood and smoking behaviour during pregnancy in Finnish primary healthcare
No full textAims: The primary aim of the study is to explore different factors affecting parents' smoking behaviour, and especially how smoking may be connected with individual differences in the psychological process of becoming a parent. In the current paper, we present the study design together with basic information on the study population. Methods: The Central Satakunta Maternity and Child Health Clinic (KESALATU) Study is an ongoing prospective follow-up study in primary healthcare of the Satakunta region of southwest Finland. Families were recruited during their first maternity clinic visit between 1 September 2016 and 31 December 2019, and participation will continue until the child is 1.5 years of age. The study combines different sources and types of data: e.g. routine data obtained from primary healthcare clinic records, specific parental self-report data and data from a new exhaled carbon monoxide meter indicating maternal smoking. The data are collected using frequently repeated assessments both during pregnancy and postnatally. The methods cover the following areas of interest: family background factors (including smoking and alcohol use), self-reported parental-foetal/infant attachment and mentalization, self-reported stress, depression and quality of life. Results: 589 pregnant women and their partners were asked to participate in the study during the collection time period. The final study population consisted of 248 (42.1%) pregnant women and 160 (27.1%) partners. Conclusions: The new methods and study design have the potential to increase our understanding about the link between early parenting psychology, prenatal psychosocial risk factors and parental health behaviour.</p
Polygenic risk for schizophrenia, social dispositions, and pace of epigenetic aging: Results from the Young Finns Study
No full textSchizophrenia is often regarded as a disorder of premature aging. We investigated (a) whether polygenic risk for schizophrenia (PRSsch ) relates to pace of epigenetic aging and (b) whether personal dispositions toward active and emotionally close relationships protect against accelerated epigenetic aging in individuals with high PRSsch . The sample came from the population-based Young Finns Study (n = 1348). Epigenetic aging was measured with DNA methylation aging algorithms such as AgeAccelHannum , EEAAHannum , IEAAHannum , IEAAHorvath , AgeAccelHorvath , AgeAccelPheno , AgeAccelGrim , and DunedinPACE. A PRSsch was calculated using summary statistics from the most comprehensive genome-wide association study of schizophrenia to date. Social dispositions were assessed in terms of extraversion, sociability, reward dependence, cooperativeness, and attachment security. We found that PRSsch did not have a statistically significant effect on any studied indicator of epigenetic aging. Instead, PRSsch had a significant interaction with reward dependence (p = 0.001-0.004), cooperation (p = 0.009-0.020), extraversion (p = 0.019-0.041), sociability (p = 0.003-0.016), and attachment security (p = 0.007-0.014) in predicting AgeAccelHannum , EEAAHannum , or IEAAHannum . Specifically, participants with high PRSsch appeared to display accelerated epigenetic aging at higher (vs. lower) levels of extraversion, sociability, attachment security, reward dependence, and cooperativeness. A rather opposite pattern was evident for those with low PRSsch . No such interactions were evident when predicting the other indicators of epigenetic aging. In conclusion, against our hypothesis, frequent social interactions may relate to accelerated epigenetic aging in individuals at risk for psychosis. We speculate that this may be explained by social-cognitive impairments (perceiving social situations as overwhelming or excessively arousing) or ending up in less supportive or deviant social groups
Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation and Artificial Intelligence in Communication Neuroprosthetics: A Bidirectional Approach for Speech and Hearing Impairments
No full textThis perspective paper introduces a novel bidirectional framework for communication neuroprosthetics that integrates non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) with artificial intelligence (AI) to address both speech production and auditory processing impairments. Traditional approaches typically target only one aspect of communication, while this framework supports the complete communication cycle. The integration of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) with advanced AI algorithms enables the personalized, adaptive enhancement of neural signals for both speaking and listening functions. This paper examines current evidence for NIBS efficacy in communication disorders, explores AI innovations in neural signal processing, and discusses implementation considerations for closed-loop systems. This bidirectional approach has the potential to provide more natural, effective communication support while promoting neuroplasticity for long-term recovery. The framework presented offers a roadmap for developing accessible communication interventions that could significantly improve the quality of life for individuals with speech and hearing impairments resulting from neurological conditions