It’s not enough to be right! The climate crisis, power, and the climate movement

The demands of the climate movement ‐ for rapid and profound change ‐ are based on scientific findings and the political commitments to the Paris Agreement. The activists are, therefore, factually “right”. However, being right is not enough to justify or to accelerate the practical implementation of knowledge and decisions. We explain which social factors are at work, and how the climate movement can benefit if they incorporate these factors into actions for social change.

The Toxic Effects of Ppz1 Overexpression Involve Nha1-Mediated Deregulation of K+ and H+ Homeostasis

The alteration of the fine-tuned balance of phospho/dephosphorylation reactions in the cell often results in functional disturbance. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the overexpression of Ser/Thr phosphatase Ppz1 drastically blocks cell proliferation, with a profound change in the transcriptomic and phosphoproteomic profiles. While the deleterious effect on growth likely derives from the alteration of multiple targets, the precise mechanisms are still obscure. Ppz1 is a negative effector of potassium influx. However, we show that the toxic effect of Ppz1 overexpression is unrelated to the Trk1/2 high-affinity potassium importers. Cells overexpressing Ppz1 exhibit decreased K+ content, increased cytosolic acidification, and fail to properly acidify the medium. These effects, as well as the growth defect, are counteracted by the deletion of NHA1 gene, which encodes a plasma membrane Na+, K+/H+ antiporter. The beneficial effect of a lack of Nha1 on the growth vanishes as the pH of the medium approaches neutrality, is not eliminated by the expression of two non-functional Nha1 variants (D145N or D177N), and is exacerbated by a hyperactive Nha1 version (S481A). All our results show that high levels of Ppz1 overactivate Nha1, leading to an excessive entry of H+ and efflux of K+, which is detrimental for growth.

The State of Competitive Intelligence within New Zealand Private and Public Sector Organisations: a Comparison Study of Competitive Intelligence within New Zealand in 2009

<p>Globalisation and rapid technology advancements are having a profound change on the competitiveness of local and global markets, and shaping the New Zealand marketplace. New Zealand companies are not just competing against other New Zealand companies, but are also competing against global companies. Competitive intelligence is critical for informing vital business decisions and potentially for the viability of a company. The purpose of this study was to research the state of competitive intelligence within the New Zealand private and public sectors and benchmark them against a similar study by Trengrove and Vryenhoek (1997). This research report further explores the relationship between knowledge management and competitive intelligence by examining the culture of competitive intelligence in an information (knowledge) economy through the analysis of competitive intelligence attitudes (Rouach and Santi 2001), 'Strategic Protection Factors' (Rothberg and Erickson, 2005), value and mindset of managing knowledge, and competitive intelligence within New Zealand companies.</p>

The State of Competitive Intelligence within New Zealand Private and Public Sector Organisations: a Comparison Study of Competitive Intelligence within New Zealand in 2009

<p>Globalisation and rapid technology advancements are having a profound change on the competitiveness of local and global markets, and shaping the New Zealand marketplace. New Zealand companies are not just competing against other New Zealand companies, but are also competing against global companies. Competitive intelligence is critical for informing vital business decisions and potentially for the viability of a company. The purpose of this study was to research the state of competitive intelligence within the New Zealand private and public sectors and benchmark them against a similar study by Trengrove and Vryenhoek (1997). This research report further explores the relationship between knowledge management and competitive intelligence by examining the culture of competitive intelligence in an information (knowledge) economy through the analysis of competitive intelligence attitudes (Rouach and Santi 2001), 'Strategic Protection Factors' (Rothberg and Erickson, 2005), value and mindset of managing knowledge, and competitive intelligence within New Zealand companies.</p>

Ihtiofauna lacurilor de acumulare Dubăsari și Costești Stânca în anul 2020

The present work presents the results of the research of the ichthyofauna of the largest accumulation lakes in the Republic of Moldova (Dubăsari on the Dniester River and CosteștiStânca on the Prut River) under the conditions of climate changes and intensification of anthropogenic pressure. The state of profound change in the ichthyocenosis of the Dubasari reservoir is demonstrated, which is currently dominated by small species (gobius species, bleak, bitterling, blackstriped pipefish), and indicates the urgent need to carry out ameliorating measures of populating the ecosystems with economically valuable species of fish, among which a significant share shall be placed on ichthyophagous species of fish, such as pikeperch, northern pike, catfish, asp. The higher share of oxyphilic and reophilous fish species in the fish catches from the Costești-Stânca accumulation lake reveals a more favourable ecological status of this ecosystem compared to the Dubasari accumulation.

What happened to infectious diseases and anti-infective therapy in 2020 beyond COVID-19?

The year 2020 was the year of infectious diseases with the arrival of SARS-CoV-2, which represented a profound change in the world we knew. However, we present a brief description of some of the top infectious diseases articles from 2020 not related with SARS-CoV-2. We reviewed a selection of the most important and relevant achievements in diagnosis and therapy related to bacteremia, nosocomial pneumonia, skin and soft tissue infections, infections by Clostridioides difficile, mycobacterial infections and invasive fungal infections. This year entailed a significant step forward in the indisputable value of the health care stewardship programs.

Slowness as a Strategy of the Contemporary through Films

In Future Studies and the History of Technology accelerating change is a perceived increase in the rate of technological change throughout history. This may suggest faster and more profound change in the future and may or may not be accompanied by equally profound social and cultural change. Responding to the accelerating technological landscape and contemporary life, this paper researches how the concept of ‘time’ plays a significant role. The author, an experimental filmmaker, charts an experiential journey within several pivotal ‘dream films’, along with relevant artists’ moving images in relation to time and slowness in the moving image as critical media. As contemporary life has become more and more fast paced, and one year on the impact of COVID-19 is still being felt, the idea of stillness is beginning to become a more desirable commodity. The author explores ‘slow cinema’, acknowledging seminal directors Andrei Tarkovsky and Claire Denis, as well as art films which frequently emphasise long takes, offering minimalist aesthetics with little or no narrative. In an endeavour to portray different temporalities and reveal and allude to the invisibility of time, the author relates to Julia Kristeva’s notions of intertextuality, transposition and time, and Lutz Koepnik’s concept of slowness as a strategy of the contemporary. The author discusses four ‘dream films’, where painterly, poetic, non-linear narratives, and ‘in-between’ spaces are played out: FRIDA Travels to Ibiza, Cycle, Llafarganu Papagei and Frock.

Fortællerens fødsel ud af snestormen

In this article I analyze ‘Kirstens sidste Rejse’ [Kirsten’s Last Journey], one of Johannes V. Jensen’s stories from Himmerland, drawing on both the original version of the text published in 1901, and the version included in 1904 in Nye Himmerlandshistorier [New Stories from Himmerland]. At first sight, the story is realistic account of two men transporting a coffin with the corpse of an old woman from Aalborg to her home village in Himmerland where she is to be buried, and the violent snowstorm in which they are caught on the way. By the time they finally reach their destination, Christen Sørensen, who has been driving the horse-drawn carriage, has undergone a profound change. Earlier a silent person, he now recounts endlessly, with the same mechanical voice, the journey with the dead woman. In this article, I offer a reading of the story from the perspective of Maurice Blanchot’s literary theory, arguing that Johannes V. Jensen’s text can be read as an allegory of the becoming of the literary narration and its relation to the experience of death and nothingness.

Poems, Routes

In March 2020 when the pandemic began, I found myself walking and scribbling in my notebook around the hills, country roads, and backroads of the Appalachian college town where I live and work. In the absence of human presence, I turned my attention to the nonhuman and the inanimate. Ultimately, my scribbles about these things took poetic form. I present here four poems and some notes on their emergence. They are a voice for the “tiny thoughts” that can occur around profound change or simply in the every day. I share them as my miniscule experience of long and short pandemic days, weeks, and months.

Urbanisation et mutation de l’habitat traditionnel Dida dans les villes de divo et Lakota (Côte d’Ivoire)

Le phénomène de l’urbanisation rapide et non-planifiée a fortement influencé la culture du peuple Dida dans les villes de Divo et de Lakota. Ces deux villes sont depuis plus d’un siècle l’objet de mutations socio-spatiales. L’une de ces transformations est la modernisation, voire la disparition de l’habitat traditionnel dans les noyaux villageois desdites ville. L’objectif visé par cette étude est d’analyser les différentes mutations de l’habitat traditionnel Dida dans les villes de Divo et de Lakota. La méthodologie adoptée s’est appuyée sur la recherche bibliographique et l’observation directe. En l’absence d’une base de sondage sur les acteurs de ces mutations dans les noyaux villageois, des questionnaires ont été adressés aux chefs de ménage autochtones Dida. Des visites de terrain ont été effectuées dans les différents noyaux villageois des deux villes afin d’identifier et mieux localiser les types d’habitat dans le milieu de vie des Dida. Il ressort des résultats de l’étude, une profonde mutation de l’habitat traditionnel Dida faisant apparaître une diversité d’habitat dans le paysage urbain. Aujourd’hui, le paysage urbain est constitué de 1 % d’habitat traditionnel, 2 % d’habitats coloniaux, 16 % d’habitats traditionnels améliorés, 80 % d’habitats modernes et 1 % d’habitat précaire. Par ailleurs, les résultats indiquent que les mutations de l’habitat traditionnel résultent de la croissance démographique, de l’impact de la colonisation et de l’économie monétaire de la région. The phenomenon of rapid and unplanned urbanisation has strongly influenced the culture of the Dida people in the cities of Divo and Lakota. These two cities have been subject to socio-spatial changes for more than a century. One of these transformations is the modernisation or even the disappearance of the traditional habitat in the village cores of these cities. The aim of this study is to analyse the different changes in the traditional Dida habitat in the towns of Divo and Lakota. The methodology adopted was based on bibliographical research and direct observation. In the absence of a sampling frame on the actors of these mutations in the village nuclei, questionnaires were sent to the heads of Dida indigenous households. Field visits were carried out in the different village centres of the two towns in order to identify and better locate the types of habitat in the Dida's living environment. The results of the study show that there has been a profound change in the traditional Dida habitat, revealing a diversity of habitats in the urban landscape. Today, the urban landscape is made up of 1% traditional habitat, 2% colonial habitat, 16% improved traditional habitat, 80% modern habitat and 1% precarious habitat. Furthermore, the results indicate that the changes in the traditional habitat are the result of population growth, the impact of colonisation and the monetary economy of the region.