Effective Survival Strategy Research Articles

Glutamine and serum starvation alters the ATP production, oxidative stress, and abundance of mitochondrial RNAs in extracellular vesicles produced by cancer cells

Induction of autophagy represents an effective survival strategy for nutrient-deprived or stressed cancer cells. Autophagy contributes to the modulation of communication within the tumor microenvironment. Here, we conducted a study of the metabolic and signaling implications associated with autophagy induced by glutamine (Gln) and serum starvation and PI3K/mTOR inhibitor and autophagy inducer NVP-BEZ235 (BEZ) in the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell line FaDu. We compared the effect of these different types of autophagy induction on ATP production, lipid peroxidation, mitophagy, RNA cargo of extracellular vesicles (EVs), and EVs-associated cytokine secretome of cancer cells. Both BEZ and starvation resulted in a decline in ATP production. Simultaneously, Gln starvation enhanced oxidative damage of cancer cells by lipid peroxidation. In starved cells, there was a discernible fragmentation of the mitochondrial network coupled with an increase in the presence of tumor susceptibility gene 101 (TSG101) on the mitochondrial membrane, indicative of the sorting of mitochondrial cargo into EVs. Consequently, the abundance of mitochondrial RNAs (mtRNAs) in EVs released by FaDu cells was enhanced. Notably, mtRNAs were also detectable in EVs isolated from the serum of both HNSCC patients and healthy controls. Starvation and BEZ reduced the production of EVs by cancer cells, yet the characteristic molecular profile of these EVs remained unchanged. We also found that alterations in the release of inflammatory cytokines constitute a principal response to autophagy induction. Importantly, the specific mechanism driving autophagy induction significantly influenced the composition of the EVs-associated cytokine secretome.

The somatic genome of Eptatretus okinoseanus reveals the adaptation to deep-sea oligotrophic environment

BackgroundHagfishes are fascinating creatures that typically inhabit the deep sea. The deep sea is characterized by its lack of sunlight, primary productivity, and diminishing biomass with increasing ocean depth. Therefore, hagfishes living in this environment must develop effective survival strategies to adapt to the limited food supply. Deep-sea hagfishes have been observed to survive without food intake for up to one year. In this study, we have assembled a high-quality somatic genome of the deep-sea hagfish (Eptatretus okinoseanus) captured below 1,000 m. We compared the genome of E. okinoseanus with the genomes of inshore hagfish, lampreys, and other related species to investigate the genetic factors underlying the deep-sea hagfish adaptations to the environment.ResultsThe E. okinoseanus somatic genome was estimated to be 1.89 Gb and assembled into 17 pseudochromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that shallow-sea and deep-sea hagfishes diverged approximately 58.8 million years ago. We found Perilipin gene family was significantly expanded in deep sea E. okinoseanus, which promotes triacylglycerol storage. Furthermore, a series of genes involved in fatty acid synthesis and metabolism, blood glucose regulation, and metabolic rate regulation were also expanded, rapid evolution or positive selection, and these changes contribute to their efficiency in energy utilization. Among these genes, the positively selected gene JNK may play an important role in energy metabolism. In addition, the olfactory receptors of the deep-sea hagfish were significantly expanded to 86, and three conserved motifs present only in hagfishes olfactory receptors were identified, which may facilitate the rapid localization of carrion.ConclusionsThis study provides valuable genomic resources for insights into the survival strategies of deep-sea hagfishes in oligotrophic environments.

АДАПТАЦІЯ БІЗНЕС-СТРАТЕГІЙ УКРАЇНСЬКОГО БІЗНЕСУ В УМОВАХ ВІЙНИ: МІЖНАРОДНИЙ ДОСВІД

Russia's war against Ukraine destroyed infrastructure, disrupted supply chains, caused a loss of markets and resources, an outflow of human capital, and more. In such conditions, search for effective business adaptation and survival strategies ЕКОНОМIКА ТА УПРАВЛIННЯ ПЕРСОНАЛОМ 53 becomes critical. Turning to international experience, in particular to business strategies of the companies that faced crises and conflicts, can become a valuable source of knowledge and insights for Ukrainian business. International management operates with different types of business strategies. Among them: global strategy, multinational strategy, transnational strategy and international strategy. During crises and conflicts, companies are often forced to review their strategies and adapt them to new conditions. The ability to review is dictated by the presence of the following traits in the companies: strategic flexibility, dynamic capabilities, organizational stability, leadership and innovation. The key challenges and threats that Ukrainian enterprises face in wartime, and which must be taken into account when adapting business strategies: the reality of war, hostilities, missile attacks; almost complete blockade of key supply chains through sea lanes; inability to fully and quickly replace maritime supply routes with land ones; internal logistical problems associated with the physical destruction of a significant part of the infrastructure. Based on the international experience of business adaptation to crises, it is possible to recommend domestic management to adapt business strategies in the conditions of military challenges, primarily using proven approaches of international management, adapted to local conditions: in terms of optimizing supply chains, it is advisable to pay attention to the search for alternative, reliable suppliers and logistics routes from among the use of local resources to reduce dependence on imports; in terms of reorientation from exports to the countries of the former CIS, to focus on the domestic market and state orders (in particular, the military industry); to increase use of digital technologies to improve primarily internal business efficiency for digital transformation and innovation; to introduce strategic planning flexibility; personnel development; search for strategic partnerships; revision of approaches to finding financing and lending.

Revealing Heavy Metal-Resistant Mechanisms and Bioremediation Potential in a Novel Croceicoccus Species Using Microbial-Induced Carbonate Precipitation

Polymetallic nodules and polymetallic sulfides are currently the major mineral resources found on the seabed. The motivation behind deep-sea mining arises from the pursuit of valuable metals, driven by both economic and geopolitical considerations. However, before mining can be authorized, it is crucial to understand the microbial adaptation and biomineralization process related to heavy metals in deep-sea environments. To search for potential candidate materials for bioremediation in deep-sea environment, two strains with high resistance to manganese and the ability to form rhodochrosite precipitates were isolated from the deep-sea polymetallic nodule areas and hydrothermal polymetallic sulfide areas. Genomic analysis revealed that the strains employed various effective survival strategies, such as motility, chemotaxis, biofilm formation, metal redox, and transporters, to adapt to heavy metal environments. The bacterial strains Ery5 and Ery15 promote the formation of carbonate crystals by creating an excessively alkaline environment and releasing extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs). Furthermore, strains Ery5 and Ery15 were identified using polyphasic taxonomy methods and proposed as a new species belonging to the genus Croceicoccus. This study presents potential candidates for bioremediation in deep-sea environments.

The effect of NaCl, pH, and phosphate on biofilm formation and exopolysaccharide production by high biofilm producers of Bacillus strains.

Biofilm formation is an effective survival strategy of plant-associated microorganisms in hostile environments, so the application of biofilm-forming and exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing beneficial microbes to plants has received more attention in recent years. This study examined the ability of biofilm and EPS production of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus thuringiensis strains under different NaCl concentrations (0, 50, 100, 200, and 400mmol/L), pH values (5.5, 6.5, 7.5, and 8.5), and phosphate levels (0, 25, 50, and 100mmol/L at 0 and 400mmol/L NaCl). B. subtilis BS2 and B. thuringiensis BS6/BS7 strains significantly increased biofilm formation in a similar pattern to EPS production under salt stress. B. subtilis BS2/BS3 enhanced biofilm production at slightly acidic pH with a lower EPS production but the other strains formed considerably more amount of biofilm and EPS at alkaline pH. Interestingly, higher levels of phosphate substantially decreased biofilm and EPS production at 0mmol/L NaCl but increased biofilm formation at 400mmol/L salt concentration. Overall, contrary to phosphate, salt and pH differently influenced biofilm and EPS production by Bacillus strains. EPS production contributed to biofilm formation to some extent under all the conditions tested. Some Bacillus strains produced more abundant biofilm under salt and pH stress, indicating their potential to form in vivo biofilms in rhizosphere and on plants, particularly under unfavorable conditions.

Changes and Determinants of Maternal Health Services Utilization in Ethnic Minority Rural Areas in Central China, 1991-2015: An Ecological Systems Theory Perspective.

Universal maternal health coverage is a proven, effective strategy for maternal survival. This study aimed to describe the changes and determinants of maternal health service use between 1991 and 2015 in central China. The study was conducted in Enshi Prefecture. Women were eligible for inclusion if they were rural women who lived in villages, had live births during 1991-2015, could recall their maternal care histories, and had no communication problems. This retrospective study included 470 rural women in 9 villages and collected 770 records. The conceptual framework was designed based on the Society Ecosystem Theory. The determinants included micro-factors (individual characteristics), meso-factors (family factors, community factors, healthcare factors), and macro-factors (government-run maternal and child health programs, abbreviated as MCH programs). Multivariate logistic regressions were applied to analyze the determinants of maternal health service utilization. The utilization of maternal healthcare has improved in Enshi. The hospital birth rate was 98.1% in 2009 and mostly 100% in subsequent years. The prenatal examination rate, the postpartum visit rate, and the continuum of maternal health service (CMHS) rate increased to 73.3%, 67.7%, and 53.4%, respectively, in 2009-2015. The utilization of maternal health services was affected by macro-factors, meso-factors, and micro-factors, with macro-factors being the most notable contributors. Despite the remarkable improvements in antenatal care (ANC) use and hospital birth, gaps in postpartum visits remain. Promoting the integrated continuum of maternal and child healthcare in ethnic minority rural areas requires the joint efforts of the government, health and other sectors, communities, families, and individuals.

In Situ Enhanced Yields of Microbial Nanowires: The Key Role of Environmental Stress.

The conductive microbial nanowires of Geobacter sulfurreducens serve as a model for long-range extracellular electron transfer (EET), which is considered a revolutionary "green" nanomaterial in the fields of bioelectronics, renewable energy, and bioremediation. However, there is no efficient pathway to induce microorganisms to express a large amount of microbial nanowires. Here, several strategies have been used to successfully induce the expression of microbial nanowires. Microbial nanowire expression was closely related to the concentration of electron acceptors. The microbial nanowire was around 17.02 μm in length, more than 3 times compared to its own length. The graphite electrode was used as an alternative electron acceptor by G. sulfurreducens, which obtained a fast start-up time of 44 h in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Meanwhile, Fe(III) citrate-coated sugarcane carbon and biochar were prepared to test the applicability of these strategies in the actual microbial community. The unsatisfied EET efficiency between c-type cytochrome and extracellular insoluble electron receptors promoted the expression of microbial nanowires. Hence, microbial nanowires were proposed to be an effective survival strategy for G. sulfurreducens to cope with various environmental stresses. Based on this top-down strategy of artificially constructed microbial environmental stress, this study is of great significance for exploring more efficient methods to induce microbial nanowires expression.

ClC Chloride Channels in Gram-Negative Bacteria and Its Role in the Acid Resistance Systems.

Pathogenic bacteria that colonize the human intestinal tract have evolved strategies to overcome acidic conditions when they pass through the gastrointestinal tract. Amino acid-mediated acid resistance systems are effective survival strategies in a stomach that is full of amino acid substrate. The amino acid antiporter, amino acid decarboxylase, and ClC chloride antiporter are all engaged in these systems, and each one plays a role in protecting against or adapting to the acidic environment. The ClC chloride antiporter, a member of the ClC channel family, eliminates negatively charged intracellular chloride ions to avoid inner membrane hyperpolarization as an electrical shunt of the acid resistance system. In this review, we will discuss the structure and function of the prokaryotic ClC chloride antiporter of amino acid-mediated acid resistance system.

Practicing Social Work in Deprived Communities: Competencies, Methods, and Techniques. Ana Opačić

At glance, when I read the title, I was attracted to this book, because it aligns with my current PhD study, which discusses community development in Papua, Indonesia (an Indonesian province located in the eastern part of the country). Papua is designated as a 3T—Terdepan, Terpencil, dan Tertinggal (front, remote, and underdeveloped)—area and so has much in common with the way deprived communities are described in this book, as slums; ghettos; favelas; and low-income, remote, underserved, vulnerable, impoverished, underdeveloped, or less-favored communities. Since its inception, social work has been focused on assisting individuals in their surroundings. However, it was quickly discovered that this task cannot be completed if no attention is paid to the surroundings. Therefore, community social work practices are needed because these are macro practice interventions focused on specific communities or populations like deprived communities for the purpose of developing, preventing, or dealing with social problems. As Ramos (2022) argues, internal and external apathy and the structural analogs of nonanswers to critical problems soon meet idealism and proactivity in humanitarian circumstances. This dynamic is rarely more evident than when working with displaced and similarly vulnerable groups, who confront obstacles in obtaining even the most basic protections and ongoing attacks on their inherent rights. Where accountability is arbitrary, outcomes are likely to be as erratic. Therefore, systems must engage in continual, purpose-driven reflection and adherence to standards in an environment that encourages impression control rather than forthrightness as an effective survival strategy. The book Practicing Social Work in Deprived Communities can help us understand what competencies, methods, and techniques social workers and practitioners need when working in/for these communities. The editor notes that the purpose of this book is to describe the essential elements of a deprived community, how they came to be and the processes that underpin them, and show practical social work models in such communities.

Coastal town planning in the context of rising sea level

With the development of natural science, more and more attention has been paid to the relationship between man and nature, and various natural crises have begun to be valued. Global warming and sea level rise are beginning to be recognized by the public. Hard or soft measure has been tried around the world to prevent marine disasters and build ecological coasts and cities. The site selected for the project is Fish Quay in the North Shield, which is a town that is typically vulnerable to marine erosion due to its proximity to the estuary and low-lying topography. The universality of the area’s qualities and the richness of the region’s history make it a very well-suited testing ground for measures to deal with sea level rise. This paper takes this as an example to formulate effective and feasible survival strategies for coastal cities.

Survival and response deepening after autologous transplantation in patients with multiple myeloma in Chile

ABSTRACT Background Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is the standard of care in candidate patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. In Chile, its indication has been expanding as have centers dedicated to this type of therapy. Here, we present the results of the first 50 patients from a Chilean reference center. Methods This was a retrospective analytical study of 50 patients referred to the Arturo López Pérez Foundation to receive ASCT. Patients newly diagnosed or on subsequent lines of treatment were allowed. As primary objectives, the deepening of response with ASCT and subsequent results on overall survival and progression-free survival were analyzed. Results Among 50 patients with a median follow-up of 24 months, ASCT managed to deepen responses going from at least very good partial response of 57.4%–82.5% (p = .01); complete response increased from 27.6% to 52.5% (p = .02). In turn, a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 39 months was estimated and the median overall survival was not reached. The most important factor predicting PFS is measurable residual disease. Conclusions ASCT is an effective strategy for prolonged progression-free survival and deepening responses. Public–private collaboration is a crucial element in reducing the gaps in access to this type of complex but highly effective therapy.

Using zebrafish (<i>Danio rerio</i>) to assess short-term memory: the habituation and the homebase tests

Environmental novelty is one of the most potent stressors in animals and is often used in behavioral neuroscience to study affective and cognitive impairments. However, in the process of studying an unfamiliar environment in experimental animals, there is a decrease in stress due to habituation (adaptation, habituation). In various behavioral tests in zebrafish, this manifests as swimming in areas that pose a potential danger to them: the upper part of the aquarium in the novel tank test and the central part in the open field test. When building an effective survival strategy, it is important to navigate in an unfamiliar environment from a home base the safest area that serves as a starting point in exploring a novel arena. Both discussed here, habitation and establishing the home base, are important for assessing cognitive behavioral traits in zebrafish related to short-term spatial working memory.

Examining the Survival Strategies of Banks in Ghana in the Post - 2017 Banking Crisis

Financial crises affect many aspects of an economy. Ghana experienced an unprecedented banking crisis in 2017 which precipitated the Bank of Ghana and the Government taking clean up exercises to revamp the sector. Conversely, there’s no evidence on the survival mechanisms adopted by individual banks post the crisis. Thus, objective of this study was to look into the survival strategies adopted by Ghanaian banks as they transitioned from the 2017 banking crisis to the post-crisis clean-up period.The study collected and analyzed data using a quantitative research approach. Eighty (80) bankers were chosen to participate in the study by completing a questionnaire. With the use of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, descriptive statistics were utilized to present the findings. In addition, correlation and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the impact of strategy execution on the performance of the sampled banks using inferential statistics.According to the results of the study, there is a significant relationship between the various techniques used and the banks' performances. Product differentiation as an implemented strategy contributes most to the performance of banks. The implementation of effective survival strategies to increase banks' performance and drive organizational effectiveness was recommended by the study. Keywords: Survival strategies, Bank Performance, Financial crisis, Product differentiation, Corporate governance, Ghana DOI: 10.7176/RJFA/13-2-04 Publication date: January 31 st 2022

Neural encoding of perceived patch value during competitive and hazardous virtual foraging

Natural observations suggest that in safe environments, organisms avoid competition to maximize gain, while in hazardous environments the most effective survival strategy is to congregate with competition to reduce the likelihood of predatory attack. We probed the extent to which survival decisions in humans follow these patterns, and examined the factors that determined individual-level decision-making. In a virtual foraging task containing changing levels of competition in safe and hazardous patches with virtual predators, we demonstrate that human participants inversely select competition avoidant and risk diluting strategies depending on perceived patch value (PPV), a computation dependent on reward, threat, and competition. We formulate a mathematically grounded quantification of PPV in social foraging environments and show using multivariate fMRI analyses that PPV is encoded by mid-cingulate cortex (MCC) and ventromedial prefrontal cortices (vMPFC), regions that integrate action and value signals. Together, these results suggest humans utilize and integrate multidimensional information to adaptively select patches highest in PPV, and that MCC and vMPFC play a role in adapting to both competitive and predatory threats in a virtual foraging setting.

Positive Deviance Traits and Social Entrepreneurship for Women Empowerment Amid COVID-19

Purpose: The threat of the COVID-19 pandemic persists despite concerted global efforts to contain it. So also is its impact on social entrepreneurs. One of the main questions being, what is the extent to which small businesses overcome the imminent economic recession amid the threat of COVID-19? Many small businesses have already closed operations due to the countrywide lockdown in India and the resultant cash flow constraints. The government has introduced loan guarantee schemes as a way of support, but it is not sufficient for operational expenses. This study examines the survival traits of positive deviance and social entrepreneurial roles that may be pertinent to women’s empowerment, concerning the challenges that have emerged from the pandemic. Methodology: Case study methodology was adopted, engaging Rosenblatt’s Transactional Theory to collect qualitative data, which are part of the narratives based on the experiences of a focus group within the social entrepreneurial venture, called Pipal Tree, while a descriptive approach was deployed to isolate and analyze the relevant survival traits, that is, leadership, multidimensional resourcefulness, altruism, innovation, norm-violation and labelling/stigmatization. Findings: The findings revealed that every trait—that is, leadership, multidimensional resourcefulness, altruism, innovation, norm-violation, and labelling/stigmatization—could potentially play an important role and contribute towards the sustainability of social entrepreneurs to empower women amidst the pandemic. The paper observed that ultimately this insight might be relevant to social entrepreneurs, managers and policymakers in developing effective survival strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originality values: This is a conceptualization and empirically based study that engaged in primary data collection, analysis and interpretation supported with literature evidence. As well as insights on the literature and methodology development, its unique contributions also include conceptualizing the phenomenon and strategy development. Additionally, it promotes diversity and inclusivity, as well as highlighting inequality. Social implication/Practical values: This study can serve as a guide towards addressing social issues relating to global social entrepreneurship policy-making. As such, it would be a powerful tool for women empowerment, policymakers, not-for-profit organizations, civil society and social entrepreneurs in the post-COVID-19 global environment. Theoretical contributions: This study has added the literature to the existing theory relating to social deviance, social entrepreneurship and women empowerment, thereby advancing knowledge. Highlighting issues about how humanity responds to this strange new threat from the COVID-19 pandemic is critical to saving lives. The new knowledge gained will often equip social entrepreneurs to capture new ways of survival (innovative ways) in complex and new challenges to cope with post-COVID-19 socio-economic circumstances. These benefits gained may be beneficial not only in Jharkhand India but nationally as well as globally. The authors also made an addition to the definition of positive deviance. Practical contributions: The study contributes towards enabling social entrepreneurs to cope in uncertain situations, which is critical to survival most challenging or crises and not just in entrepreneurship—so in critical decision-making, problem-solving, diversity management, gender equity, human rights advancement through women empowerment, business setting and expansion, in helping weakness into strengths and ensuring a level playing ground and inclusivity. Women empowerment can be a positive strength in policy formulation and implementation processes. These kinds of reflections from the perspective of women are significant, relevant and valuable in a post-pandemic environment across the Jharkhand India region and are transferable elsewhere across the globe.

Cooperative for Sustainable Peace-Building and Survival Strategy of Post COVID-19 in Nigeria

This study underscored the avalanche opportunity of range of cooperative principles intrinsic in sustainable peace-building and survival strategy of post covid-19 in Nigeria, which has not been the focus of any study. Data for the study were collected through simple random sampling technique in which 216 cooperatives were randomly selected and questionnaire were filled and returned. Using mean rating of 5-piont Likert scale analysis and a theoretical mean value of 3.0 was taken as a criterion to judge. The One-sample t-test result revealed that avalanche opportunity of rage of cooperative principles assist cooperatives on effective peace-building and survival strategy of post covid-19 in Nigeria. This revealed that cooperative governance is more open and democratic, keeping the capital in the local community, member motivations is a key driver of future participations, there is focusing of fairness for those who are most disadvantaged, desire for reward and self-advancement and equitable distribution of dividends based on patronage. The study recommends that cooperatives required pursuing both economic and social objectives for peace-building and survival strategy of post covid-19 in Nigeria. Cooperatives should provide a pool of funds from which disadvantaged members take loans and ensuring that members receive the lowest prices. Also, cooperative should generate returns that could be shared as dividends based on patronage to members periodically.

Inequities in child survival in Nigerian communities during the Sustainable Development Goal era: insights from analysis of 2016/2017 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey

BackgroundChild survival is a major concern in Nigeria, as it contributes 13% of the global under-five mortalities. Although studies have examined the determinants of under-five mortality in Nigeria, the comparative roles of social determinants of health at the different stages of early childhood development have not been concurrently investigated. This study, therefore, aimed to identify the social determinants of age-specific childhood (0–59 months) mortalities, which are disaggregated into neonatal mortality (0–27 days), post-neonatal mortality (1–11 months) and child mortality (12–59 months), and estimate the within-and between-community variations of mortality among under-five children in Nigeria. This study provides evidence to guide stakeholders in planning for effective child survival strategies in the Nigerian communities during the Sustainable Development Goals era.MethodsUsing the 2016/2017 Nigeria Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, we performed multilevel multinomial logistic regression analysis on data of a nationally representative sample of 29,786 (weighted = 30,960) live births delivered 5 years before the survey to 18,497 women aged 15–49 years and nested within 16,151 households and 2227 communities.ResultsDeterminants of under-five mortality differ across the neonatal, post-neonatal and toddler/pre-school stages in Nigeria. Unexpectedly, attendance of skilled health providers during delivery was associated with an increased neonatal mortality risk, although its effect disappeared during post-neonatal and toddler/pre-school stages. Also, our study found maternal-level factors such as maternal education, contraceptive use, maternal wealth index, parity, death of previous children, and quality of perinatal care accounted for high variation (39%) in childhood mortalities across the communities. The inclusion of other compositional and contextual factors had no significant additional effect on childhood mortality risks across the communities.ConclusionThis study reinforces the importance of maternal-level factors in reducing childhood mortality, independent of the child, household, and community-level characteristics in the Nigerian communities. To tackle childhood mortalities in the communities, government-led strategies should prioritize implementation of community-based and community-specific interventions aimed at improving socioeconomic conditions of women. Training and continuous mentoring with adequate supervision of skilled health workers must be ensured to improve the quality of perinatal care in Nigeria.

Organizational Culture and Business Strategy: Connection and Role for A Company Survival

The purpose of the article was 1) to assess the relationship between the organizational culture (OC) type and business strategy (BS); 2) to prove that OC influences the survival strategy success/implementation; 3) to contribute to the expansion of organizational theory by analyzing the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) strategy palette as the basis for developing an effective company survival strategy during the crisis. To achieve the purpose, correlation analysis between OC types (authors' typology) and BS (Boston Consulting Group and Miles & Snow Models) was used (561 employees of different industries participated in the survey; the data collected laid the foundation for the research). As a result, it was proved that 1) certain types of organizational culture correspond to certain types of strategies; 2) during the period when the company overcomes the recession, OC affects strategic innovation decisions; 3) building a sustainable business ecosystem enhances the positive impact. The main limitations of the study are 1) some elements of subjectivity assessment, 2) constant changes in OC and BS, 3) the probability of different subcultures coexistence.Implications for a Central European audience: The results confirmed that there is a need for managers to 1) take into account the organizational culture characteristics/features to implement chosen strategies successfully; 2) be ready to adapt the OC before the BS is approved; 3) adopt the idea that building an innovation ecosystem can be crucial to confront the crisis with confidence.

World Class Aspirations, Urban Informality, and Poverty Politics: A North–South Comparison

AbstractUnder the influence of the discourses and practices of global neoliberal urbanism, municipal administrations worldwide aspire to make their cities world class spaces, where informality is an anachronism and poverty can be made history. In this essay, drawing on fieldwork conducted in Jakarta, Indonesia, San Francisco (California), and Seattle (Washington), we address the question of how a geographic relational poverty approach can help us understand, or at least expand ways of thinking about these processes by attending to urban informality and the politics of poverty. Informality, a pervasive feature of the global South and North, functions as a survival strategy whereby the monetarily poor can compensate for their lack of income through commoning. Market‐driven, state underwritten urban development initiatives for housing those with wealth is limiting the conditions of possibility for the monetarily poor, and informality. This is compounded by emergent political discourses rendering informality as inappropriate, and the monetarily poor as undeserving of a right to the city. Yet long‐standing more‐than‐capitalist and communal informal practices pursued by the urban poor remain effective and necessary survival strategies, supporting residents whose presence is necessary to the city and whose practices challenge capitalist norms.

Extremely halophilic archaeal communities are resilient to short-term entombment in halite.

SummarySome haloarchaea avoid the harsh conditions present in evaporating brines by entombment in brine inclusions within forming halite crystals, where a subset of haloarchaea survives over geological time. However, shifts in the community structure of halite‐entombed archaeal communities remain poorly understood. Therefore, we analysed archaeal communities from in situ hypersaline brines collected from Trapani saltern (Sicily) and their successional changes in brines versus laboratory‐grown halite over 21 weeks, using high‐throughput sequencing. Haloarchaea were dominant, comprising >95% of the archaeal community. Unexpectedly, the OTU richness of the communities after 21 weeks was indistinguishable from the parent brine and overall archaeal abundance in halite showed no clear temporal trends. Furthermore, the duration of entombment was less important than the parent brine from which the halite derived in determining the community composition and relative abundances of most genera in halite‐entombed communities. These results show that halite‐entombed archaeal communities are resilient to entombment durations of up to 21 weeks, and that entombment in halite may be an effective survival strategy for near complete communities of haloarchaea. Additionally, the dominance of ‘halite specialists’ observed in ancient halite must occur over periods of years, rather than months, hinting at long‐term successional dynamics in this environment.