Ordering theories: typologies and conceptual frameworks for sociotechnical change

What theories or concepts are most useful at explaining socio technical change? How can – or cannot – these be integrated? To provide an answer, this study presents the results from 35 semi-structured research interviews with social science experts who also shared more than two hundred articles, reports and books on the topic of the acceptance, adoption, use, or diffusion of technology. This material led to the identification of 96 theories and conceptual approaches spanning 22 identified disciplines. The article begins by explaining its research terms and methods before honing in on a combination of fourteen theories deemed most relevant and useful by the material. These are: Sociotechnical Transitions, Social Practice Theory, Discourse Theory, Domestication Theory, Large Technical Systems, Social Construction of Technology, Sociotechnical Imaginaries, Actor-Network Theory, Social Justice Theory, Sociology of Expectations, Sustainable Development, Values Beliefs Norms Theory, Lifestyle Theory, and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. It then positions these theories in terms of two distinct typologies. Theories can be placed into five general categories of being centered on agency, structure, meaning, relations or norms. They can also be classified based on their assumptions and goals rooted in functionalism, interpretivism, humanism or conflict. The article lays out tips for research methodology before concluding with insights about technology itself, analytical processes associated with technology, and the framing and communication of results. An interdisciplinary theoretical and conceptual inventory has much to offer students, analysts and scholars wanting to study technological change and society

Dissociated Representations of Pleasant and Unpleasant Olfacto-Trigeminal Mixtures: An fMRI Study

How the pleasantness of chemosensory stimuli such as odorants or intranasal trigeminal compounds is processed in the human brain has been the focus of considerable recent interest. Yet, so far, only the unimodal form of this hedonic processing has been explored, and not its bimodal form during crossmodal integration of olfactory and trigeminal stimuli. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate this question. To this end, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used in an experiment comparing brain activation related to a pleasant and a relatively unpleasant olfacto-trigeminal mixture, and to their individual components (CO2 alone, Orange alone, Rose alone). Results revealed first common neural activity patterns in response to both mixtures in a number of regions: notably the superior temporal gyrus and the caudate nucleus. Common activations were also observed in the insula, although the pleasant mixture activated the right insula whereas the unpleasant mixture activated the left insula. However, specific activations were observed in anterior cingulate gyrus and the ventral tegmental area only during the perception of the pleasant mixture. These findings emphasized for the firs time the involvement of the latter structures in processing of pleasantness during crossmodal integration of chemosensory stimuli

Telomere Shortening Impairs Regeneration of the Olfactory Epithelium in Response to Injury but Not Under Homeostatic Conditions

Atrophy of the olfactory epithelium (OE) associated with impaired olfaction and dry nose represents one of the most common phenotypes of human aging. Impairment in regeneration of a functional olfactory epithelium can also occur in response to injury due to infection or nasal surgery. These complications occur more frequently in aged patients. Although age is the most unifying risk factor for atrophic changes and functional decline of the olfactory epithelium, little is known about molecular mechanisms that could influence maintenance and repair of the olfactory epithelium. Here, we analyzed the influence of telomere shortening (a basic mechanism of cellular aging) on homeostasis and regenerative reserve in response to chemical induced injury of the OE in late generation telomere knockout mice (G3 mTerc−/−) with short telomeres compared to wild type mice (mTerc+/+) with long telomeres. The study revealed no significant influence of telomere shortening on homeostatic maintenance of the OE during mouse aging. In contrast, the regenerative response to chemical induced injury of the OE was significantly impaired in G3 mTerc−/− mice compared to mTerc+/+ mice. Seven days after chemical induced damage, G3 mTerc−/− mice exhibited significantly enlarged areas of persisting atrophy compared to mTerc+/+ mice (p = 0.031). Telomere dysfunction was associated with impairments in cell proliferation in the regenerating epithelium. Deletion of the cell cycle inhibitor, Cdkn1a (p21) rescued defects in OE regeneration in telomere dysfunctional mice. Together, these data indicate that telomere shortening impairs the regenerative capacity of the OE by impairing cell cycle progression in a p21-dependent manner. These findings could be relevant for the impairment in OE function in elderly people

Steering for Sustainable Development Goals: A Typology of Sustainable Innovation

Process and product innovation are defined as an organizational ability to discover and translate creative approaches to solve multiple organizational problems. The process and product innovation contribute to the supply of economic, social, and environmental benefits, thus ensuring sustainable environmental growth. It helps companies to achieve greater profits, reduce environmental burden, and use a material that can be more resource-efficient. Process and product innovation have become ubiquitous and part of everyday life. Sustainable process and product innovation are contemplated as an essential means for addressing infrastructure resilience for sustainability challenges. Although the perspective is huge, the governance and capability structure eventually dictate what innovation is likely to be developed.Post-print / Final draf

Zicam-Induced Damage to Mouse and Human Nasal Tissue

Intranasal medications are used to treat various nasal disorders. However, their effects on olfaction remain unknown. Zicam (zinc gluconate; Matrixx Initiatives, Inc), a homeopathic substance marketed to alleviate cold symptoms, has been implicated in olfactory dysfunction. Here, we investigated Zicam and several common intranasal agents for their effects on olfactory function. Zicam was the only substance that showed significant cytotoxicity in both mouse and human nasal tissue. Specifically, Zicam-treated mice had disrupted sensitivity of olfactory sensory neurons to odorant stimulation and were unable to detect novel odorants in behavioral testing. These findings were long-term as no recovery of function was observed after two months. Finally, human nasal explants treated with Zicam displayed significantly elevated extracellular lactate dehydrogenase levels compared to saline-treated controls, suggesting severe necrosis that was confirmed on histology. Our results demonstrate that Zicam use could irreversibly damage mouse and human nasal tissue and may lead to significant smell dysfunction

Effects of aversive odour presentation on inhibitory control in the Stroop colour-word interference task

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Due to the unique neural projections of the olfactory system, odours have the ability to directly influence affective processes. Furthermore, it has been shown that emotional states can influence various non-emotional cognitive tasks, such as memory and planning. However, the link between emotional and cognitive processes is still not fully understood. The present study used the olfactory pathway to induce a negative emotional state in humans to investigate its effect on inhibitory control performance in a standard, single-trial manual Stroop colour-word interference task. An unpleasant (H₂S) and an emotionally neutral (Eugenol) odorant were presented in two separate experimental runs, both in blocks alternating with ambient air, to 25 healthy volunteers, while they performed the cognitive task.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Presentation of the unpleasant odorant reduced Stroop interference by reducing the reaction times for incongruent stimuli, while the presentation of the neutral odorant had no effect on task performance.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The odour-induced negative emotional state appears to facilitate cognitive processing in the task used in the present study, possibly by increasing the amount of cognitive control that is being exerted. This stands in contrast to other findings that showed impaired cognitive performance under odour-induced negative emotional states, but is consistent with models of mood-congruent processing.</p

Deepening Understanding of Certification Adoption and Non-Adoption of International-Supplier Ethical Standards

This study presents a theory of causally complex configurations of antecedent conditions influencing the adoption versus non-adoption of international supplier ethical certification-standards. Using objective measures of antecedents and outcomes, a large-scale study of exporting firms in the cut-flower industry in two South American countries (Colombia and Ecuador) supports the theory. The theory includes the following and additional propositions. No single (simple)-antecedent condition is sufficient for accurately predicting a high membership score in outcome conditions; the outcome conditions include a firm’s adoption or rejection of a product certification. No single (simple)-antecedent condition is necessary for accurately predicting high scores in the outcome condition. A few complex antecedent conditions (configurations) are sufficient but the occurrence of each is not necessary for accurately predicting high scores (e.g., adoption) in an outcome condition. Causal asymmetry of antecedent conditions indicating adoption versus non-adoption of specific ethical standards occurs—that is, causal conditions leading to rejection are not the mirror opposites of causal conditions leading to adoption

Is concern about young people's anti-social behaviour associated with poor health? cross-sectional evidence from residents of deprived urban neighbourhoods

&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Background:&lt;/b&gt; Young people in disadvantaged neighbourhoods are often the focus of concerns about anti-social behaviour (ASB). There is inconsistent evidence to support the hypothesis that perceptions of ASB (PASB) are associated with poor health. We ask whether perceptions of young people's ASB are associated with poor health; and whether health, demographic and (psycho)social characteristics can help explain why PASB varies within disadvantaged neighbourhoods (Glasgow, UK).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Methods:&lt;/b&gt; Regression analysis of survey data exploring associations between perceiving teenagers hanging around to be a serious neighbourhood problem and SF-12v2 mental and physical health scores (higher = better), including adjustment for demographic characteristics. Further analysis explored associations with self-reported measures of health service use, psychosocial characteristics of homes and neighbourhoods and social contacts.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; 6008 adults participated (50% response) and 22% (n = 1,332) said teenagers were a serious neighbourhood problem (the most frequently reported local problem). Demographic characteristics associated with perceiving serious teenager problems included regular health service use, age (inverse relationship), financial problems and living with children. Lower SF-12v2 physical health scores were associated with perceiving teenager problems after adjustment for demographic variables (OR 0.98; 95%CI 0.97,0.99; p = &#60; 0.001), whilst adjusted findings for mental health scores were less conclusive (OR 0.99; 95%CI 0.98,1.00; p = 0.103). Further analysis suggested that perceiving teenager problems was more strongly associated with a number of self-reported psychosocial factors: e.g. lacking social support, &#60; weekly family contacts, poor neighbourhood safety, low trust in neighbours, neighbourhood perceived to be a barrier to self-esteem, and neighbourhood decline.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/b&gt; Given the evidence we found of weak and small associations between PASB and health, we caution against assuming that tackling concern about teenagers' ASB will lead to substantial public health gains in disadvantaged areas. Although the findings do not present a compelling case for making PASB a public health priority, it is still important to address concerns about young people's ASB. Reasons for doing so may include improving social cohesion, reducing fear and isolation, and improving the general quality of people's lives - particularly in neighbourhoods burdened by multiple disadvantages. Future research should evaluate interventions that attempt to reduce PASB in disadvantaged areas. Findings from this study could help inform the targeting of such interventions.&lt;/p&gt

Comparative genome analysis and genome-guided physiological analysis of Roseobacter litoralis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Roseobacter litoralis </it>OCh149, the type species of the genus, and <it>Roseobacter denitrificans </it>OCh114 were the first described organisms of the <it>Roseobacter </it>clade, an ecologically important group of marine bacteria. Both species were isolated from seaweed and are able to perform aerobic anoxygenic photosynthesis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The genome of <it>R. litoralis </it>OCh149 contains one circular chromosome of 4,505,211 bp and three plasmids of 93,578 bp (pRLO149_94), 83,129 bp (pRLO149_83) and 63,532 bp (pRLO149_63). Of the 4537 genes predicted for <it>R. litoralis</it>, 1122 (24.7%) are not present in the genome of <it>R. denitrificans</it>. Many of the unique genes of <it>R. litoralis </it>are located in genomic islands and on plasmids. On pRLO149_83 several potential heavy metal resistance genes are encoded which are not present in the genome of <it>R. denitrificans</it>. The comparison of the heavy metal tolerance of the two organisms showed an increased zinc tolerance of <it>R. litoralis</it>. In contrast to <it>R. denitrificans</it>, the photosynthesis genes of <it>R. litoralis </it>are plasmid encoded. The activity of the photosynthetic apparatus was confirmed by respiration rate measurements, indicating a growth-phase dependent response to light. Comparative genomics with other members of the <it>Roseobacter </it>clade revealed several genomic regions that were only conserved in the two <it>Roseobacter </it>species. One of those regions encodes a variety of genes that might play a role in host association of the organisms. The catabolism of different carbon and nitrogen sources was predicted from the genome and combined with experimental data. In several cases, e.g. the degradation of some algal osmolytes and sugars, the genome-derived predictions of the metabolic pathways in <it>R. litoralis </it>differed from the phenotype.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The genomic differences between the two <it>Roseobacter </it>species are mainly due to lateral gene transfer and genomic rearrangements. Plasmid pRLO149_83 contains predominantly recently acquired genetic material whereas pRLO149_94 was probably translocated from the chromosome. Plasmid pRLO149_63 and one plasmid of <it>R. denitrifcans </it>(pTB2) seem to have a common ancestor and are important for cell envelope biosynthesis. Several new mechanisms of substrate degradation were indicated from the combination of experimental and genomic data. The photosynthetic activity of <it>R. litoralis </it>is probably regulated by nutrient availability.</p

The cranial nerves

With the exception of the olfactory and optic nerves, all cranial nerves enter or leave the brain stem. Three of the cranial nerves are purely sensory (I, II and VIII), five are motor (III, IV, VI, XI and XII) and the remaining nerves (V, VII, IX and X) are mixed. The olfactory nerve will be discussed in Chap. 14, the optic nerve in Chap. 8 and the cochlear nerve in Chap. 7. The nuclei of the cranial nerves are arranged in an orderly, more or less columnar fashion in the brain stem: motor nuclei, somatomotor, branchiomotor and visceromotor (parasympathetic), derived from the basal plate, are located medially, whereas sensory nuclei, somatosensory, viscerosensory and vestibulocochlear, derived from the alar plate, are found lateral to the sulcus limitans. The cranial nerves innervate structures in the head and neck as well as visceral organs in the thorax and abdomen. The cranial nerves control eye movements, mastication, vocalization, facial expression, respiration, heart rate and digestion. One or several of the cranial nerves are often involved in lesions of the brain stem, of which the location can usually be determined if the topographical anatomy of the cranial nerves and their nuclei is known. Several examples are shown in Clinical cases. Following a few notes on the development of the brain stem and congenital cranial dysinnervation disorders (Sect. 6.2), the following structures will be discussed: (1) ocular motor nerves and the effects of lesions of individual ocular motor nerves (Sect. 6.3); (2) eye movements and some disorders affecting them (Sect. 6.4); (3) the trigeminal nerve and changes in the blink reflex (Sect. 6.5); (4) the facial nerve and peripheral facial nerve paralysis (Sect. 6.6); (5) the gustatory system (Sect. 6.7); (6) the vestibulocochlear nerve, vestibular control and some peripheral and central vestibular syndromes (Sect. 6.8); and (7) the last four cranial nerves and some disorders affecting them (Sects. 6.9 and 6.10). The English terms of the Terminologia Neuroanatomica are used throughout.</p