Monumental Impact Research Articles

The Impact of Microorganisms on our Environment and our life

Microorganisms, often overlooked due to their microscopic size, play an indispensable role in the functioning of Earth's ecosystems and the health of all living organisms. From the depths of the ocean to the human gut, these tiny entities drive critical processes such as nutrient cycling, disease regulation, and the maintenance of environmental balance. This article delves into the profound influence of microorganisms on our world, exploring their contributions to biogeochemical cycles, their symbiotic relationships with larger organisms, and their impact on global health and disease. Through a closer examination of their diverse roles, we uncover how these unseen powerhouses are not only essential to sustaining life but also offer untapped potential for innovations in medicine, agriculture, and environmental management. The intricate interplay between microorganisms and their environments underscores the importance of preserving microbial diversity in the face of global challenges, highlighting the necessity of a deeper understanding of these life forms that, though small in size, have a monumental impact on our world This abstract encapsulates the core ideas of your article, focusing on the significance of microorganisms in various aspects of life and their potential for future advancements.

Trans-nasal Humidified Rapid Insufflation Ventilatory Exchange (THRIVE) and its Utility in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery: A Literature Review.

High-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) therapy is extensively used in critical care units for spontaneously breathing patients. Trans-nasal humidified rapid insufflation ventilatory exchange (THRIVE) is a method of apnoeic oxygenation with continuous nasal delivery of warmed, humidified oxygen at high-flow rates up to 70L/min. THRIVE extends the apnoeic window before desaturation occurs so that tubeless anaesthesia is possible. The advent of THRIVE has had a monumental impact on anaesthetic practice, with a diverse range of clinical applications and it has been incorporated into difficult airway guidelines. THRIVE has many applications in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery. It is used as a pre-oxygenation tool during induction in both anticipated and unanticipated difficult airway scenarios and as a method of oxygenation for tubeless anaesthesia in elective laryngotracheal and hypopharyngeal surgeries and during emergence from anaesthesia. In this scoping review of the literature, we aim to provide an overview on the utility of THRIVE in otolaryngology, including the underlying physiologic principles, current indications and limitations, and its feasibility and safety in different surgical contexts and specific population groups.

The 2023 Impact of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Canada: COVID-19 and IBD.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a monumental impact on the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) community. At the beginning of the pandemic, knowledge on the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on IBD was lacking, especially in those with medication-suppressed immune systems. Throughout the pandemic, scientific literature exponentially expanded, resulting in clinical guidance and vaccine recommendations for individuals with IBD. Crohn's and Colitis Canada established the COVID-19 and IBD Taskforce to process and communicate rapidly transforming knowledge into guidance for individuals with IBD and their caregivers, healthcare providers, and policy makers. Recommendations at the onset of the pandemic were based on conjecture from experience of prior viruses, with a precautionary principle in mind. We now know that the risk of acquiring COVID-19 in those with IBD is the same as the general population. As with healthy populations, advanced age and comorbidities increase the risk for severe COVID-19. Individuals with IBD who are actively flaring and/or who require high doses of prednisone are susceptible to severe COVID-19 outcomes. Consequently, sustaining maintenance therapies (e.g., biologics) is recommended. A three-dose mRNA COVID-19 vaccine regimen in those with IBD produces a robust antibody response with a similar adverse event profile as the general population. Breakthrough infections following vaccine have been observed, particularly as the virus continues to evolve, which supports receiving a bivalent vaccine booster. Limited data exist on the impact of IBD and its therapies on long-term outcomes following COVID-19. Ongoing research is necessary to address new concerns manifesting in those with IBD throughout the evolving pandemic.

Children’s Rights, The Optional Protocol and Child Sexual Abuse Material in the Digital Age

Abstract Around the time of the drafting of the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, few could have predicted the monumental impact of camera, phone, computer and social media technologies on people’s lives. While these technologies have aided the realisation of many children’s rights, evidence suggests that child sexual abuse material (csam) is more available and in larger quantities than it has ever been in human history. New technologies have made major contributions to this horrifying development. Are the terms of the Optional Protocol able to meet this urgent and rising problem in a way that best ensures children’s rights? Does it ensure that the international community combats this problem without encroaching on the opportunities that digital technologies offer to children today? This article explores both of these questions with reference to the Optional Protocol’s terms, as well as the recent guidelines and General Comment No. 25 issued by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. It concludes that the Optional Protocol is deficient in prioritising law enforcement responses to csam and failing to ensure prevention initiatives receive adequate attention and resources. Moreover, it finds that the few prevention initiatives for which it does provide are in tension with other aims of the children’s rights project. It argues that the Committee needs to alter its approach in engaging with the reports of States parties so that there can be greater prioritisation of child-centric prevention initiatives.

COVID-19 and Global Leadership Crisis in Israel: A Case Study

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global public health crisis that has caused major setbacks for all countries around the world. The pandemic has not only raised concerns about the socioeconomic situations of citizens but has also managed to expose the global leadership crisis. The response to the crisis from world leaders has remained deplorably absent. This article highlights the successes and challenges faced by Israeli leaders in responding to the emerging crisis as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2020. The article also demonstrates how leadership has a monumental impact on how a crisis is managed.
 Keywords: Israel, COVID-19, leadership, crisis

The Diversity Experiment at the Metropolitan State University of Denver

This is an untarnished statement after events surrounding Black Lives Matter and the #Metoo movements of the past years. However, when we look at the reality of diversity inside the newsrooms in America, we quickly realize how far we are from a newsroom representing most ethnic sectors of the American population. This article looks closely at how diversity, when incorporated inside the journalism classroom, can improve the quality of news produced by journalists in the newsroom. The hypothesis is simple: an ethnically diverse newsroom is necessary for news organizations to provide a well-researched story that represents different voices. Society is changing. It is becoming more diverse. Newsrooms will fail and be left behind if they do not reflect this change. Joanne Bourgault, President, and CEO of Interviews, believes that: “Maintaining a diverse workforce and providing inclusive content are imperative for the longevity of any media platform” (Bourgault, 2021). Many experts agree that diversity can have a monumental impact on the quality of journalism because a more diverse staff is likely to produce a broader range of stories and perspectives. Our data will ultimately confirm that any successful efforts to improve diversity in the classrooms, like the one taken at The Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU-Denver), will eventually have positive results in enhancing the diversity hiring practices of news media organizations. The news outputs these media organizations develop should accurately reflect the diverse society it serves. In gathering this content, an ethnically diverse journalist can and will contribute to better and more engaging content.

The ECO Maturity Model – A human-centered Industry 4.0 maturity model

The currently unfolding digital transformation has a monumental impact on the globalized world of the 21st century. Especially for manufacturing companies, the fourth industrial revolution provokes fundamental changes but also carries significant potentials. Consequently, businesses begin to exploit the inherent benefits of Industry 4.0 more and more. The thereby induced developments and advances are primarily technology-driven but have substantial implications for employees and industrial workers. As a result, the corporate ecosystem (collection of organizations in a company) must evolve to provide an adequate setting for the workforce of the future to operate effectively and efficiently.This aspect is often overlooked in current approaches to assess the Industry 4.0 maturity of an enterprise. Therefore, the aim of the presented paper is to establish a human-centered Industry 4.0 maturity model. It explicitly focuses on the interface between the corporate ecosystem and the workforce in a digitalized production system. Thus, the “ECO Maturity Model” is introduced. The approach provides a holistic framework and divides the assessment into three central dimensions: Environment, Competence, and Operability (ECO). Thereby, the presented model highlights important skills for future production workers and other employees. In addition, it outlines the characteristics of the human capital that the workforce of the future should possess to compete in the era of Industry 4.0. Furthermore, the ECO Maturity Model includes an integrated assessment tool, helping to apply the approach in practical business cases. For this purpose, the tool provides means to analyze and interpret the findings of the appraisal to obtain quantified performance indicators. Thus, the human-centered Industry 4.0 maturity of a company is determined.

“It Must Be Preserved”: Adolph Bolm's Revival of Le Coq d'Or

“It Must Be Preserved”: Adolph Bolm's Revival of <i>Le Coq d'Or</i>

Comparison of CRISPR and adenovirus-mediated Myd88 knockdown in RAW 264.7 cells and responses to lipopolysaccharide stimulation.

Genomic manipulation offers the possibility for novel therapies in lieu of medical interventions in use today. The ability to genetically restore missing inflammatory genes will have a monumental impact on our current immunotherapy treatments. This study compared the efficacy of two different genetic manipulation techniques: clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR associated protein 9 (Cas9) transfection to adenoviral transduction to determine which method would provide the most transient and stable knockdown of myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88). MyD88 is a major regulator of nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cells (NFκB) pathway in Raw 264.7 macrophages. Following genetic manipulation, cells were treated for 24 h with Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to stimulate the inflammatory pathway. Confirmation of knockdown was determined by western immunoblotting and quantification of band density. Both CRISPR/Cas9 and adenoviral transduction produced similar knockdown efficiency (~64% and 60%, respectively) in MyD88 protein 48 h post adenoviral transduction. NFκB phosphorylation was increased in CRISPR/Cas9-mediated MyD88 knockdown and control cells, but not in adenovirus-mediated MyD88 knockdown cells, following LPS administration. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated MyD88 knockdown macrophages treated with LPS for 24 h showed a 65% reduction in tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) secretion, and a 67% reduction in interleukin-10 (IL-10) secretion when compared to LPS-stimulated control cells (P ≤ 0.01 for both). LPS did not stimulate TNFα or IL-10 secretion in adenovirus-mediated control or MyD88 knockdown cells. These data demonstrate that Raw 264.7 macrophages maintain responsiveness to inflammatory stimuli following CRISPR/Cas9-mediated reductions in MyD88, but not following adenovirus-mediated MyD88 knockdown.

COVID‐19 and the two‐way relationship with neuropsychiatric disorders

<scp>COVID</scp>‐19 and the two‐way relationship with neuropsychiatric disorders

Political pragmatism and constitutional principle: The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018

The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 forms the centrepiece of the UK's domestic legal preparations for its departure from the European Union. The Act aims to capture and domesticate large swathes of EU law so as to safeguard legal continuity upon Brexit. This paper examines the process by which the Act was passed by the UK Parliament and its substantive constitutional implications, which are likely to be far-reaching. Membership of the EU has had a monumental impact not only upon the substantive law of the UK, but also upon the development of fundamental constitutional doctrines, principles and practices over more than four decades, affecting our understanding of parliamentary supremacy, the relationship between Parliament and Government, the constitutional authority of the courts and the creation and development of devolved government. The implications of the Act go far beyond the immediate task of retaining and reordering the domestic effect of EU law. The paper assesses the deeper consequences which the Act signifies for four dimensions of the constitution: the rule of law and legal certainty, parliamentary supremacy, the relationship between Parliament and government, and the UK's territorial constitution.

The Green Zone Initiative: Combining Virtual and Face-to-Face Training to Support Veterans in Higher Education

The purpose of the Green Zone Initiative is to address the needs of the nearly 700 student Veterans at a state comprehensive university who are enrolled either on campus or online. The number of service members reintegrating into civilian life is higher than at any time in history since the Vietnam War. As Traumatic Brain Injury is the signature wound of this war, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, as well as the civilian-military divide are all having a monumental impact on our veteran population across America. Student Veterans re-entering civilian life and adjusting to college are under additional pressures which place them in a category of students who may need additional resources and supports to be successful. The purpose of the Green Zone Initiative is to educate and equip faculty and staff to identify those needs and provide support and direction to those resources.

How “Peasant Apartments” Could Undermine Rural Governance in China: Spatial Realignment, Moral Reconfiguration and Local Authority

AbstractA seismic change in the residential pattern is emerging in rural China today: traditional rural houses have been rapidly erased from the face of the countryside with large numbers of peasants being relocated to modern high-rise buildings. This process of “peasant elevation” has had a monumental impact on rural China. It redefines the entitlement to land use by the rural citizenry and negotiations for a new regime of property rights concerning land administration, while, most importantly, it undermines the position of the local state in rural China, whose authority is an aggregation of three distinctive elements: coercive power inherent in the state apparatus, control over economic resources, and resonance with local morality. Based on original data collected in Chongqing, Nantong and Dezhou, this paper argues that the comprehensive uprooting of the Chinese peasantry from the land and the resulting complications have caused moral disorientation among the relocated peasants and fragmentation of local authority. The difficulty in establishing community identity in the new setting has further undermined local governance. This may in turn trigger a wave of social and political tensions that may eventually turn out to be a major political challenge to the regime for years to come.

Disruptive processes and skills mismatches in the new economy

PurposeAnalysts predict that disruptive technologies, such as artificial intelligence, will have a monumental impact on the world of work in the coming decades, exacerbating existing skills gaps faster than education systems can adapt. This paper aims to review research on the forecasted impact of technology on labour markets and skill demands over the near term. Furthermore, it outlines how social innovations and inclusion can be leveraged as strategies to mitigate the predicted impact of disruptive technologies.Design/methodology/approachThe paper engages in an overview of relevant academic literature, policy and industry reports focussing on disruptive technologies, labour market “skills gaps” and training to identify ongoing trends and prospective solutions.FindingsThis paper identifies an array of predictions, made in studies and reports, about the impact of disruptive technologies on labour markets. It outlines that even conservative estimates can be expected to considerably exacerbate existing skills gaps. In turn, it identifies work-integrated learning and technology-enabled talent matching platforms as tools, which could be used to mitigate the effects of disruptive technologies on labour markets. It argues that there is a need for rigorous evaluation of innovative programmes being piloted across jurisdictions.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper focusses on these dynamics primarily as they are playing out in Canada and similar Western countries. However, our review and conclusions are not generalizable to other regions and economies at different stages of development. Further work is needed to ascertain how disruptive technologies will affect alternative jurisdictions.Social implicationsWhile “future of work” debates typically focus on technology and deterministic narratives, this paper points out that social innovations in training and inclusive technologies could prove useful in helping societies cope with the labour market effects of disruptive technologies.Originality/valueThis paper provides a state-of-the-art review of the existing literature on the labour market effects of novel technologies. It contributes original insights into the future of work debates by outlining how social innovation and inclusion can be used as tools to address looming skills mismatches over the short to medium term.

Student Learning in Physical Education Through the Lens of a “Curriculum Specialist”

For decades, scholars in physical education pedagogy have done tremendous work to enlighten the research on student learning. Dr. Catherine D. Ennis was one of the leading experts in the past 3 decades (active contributor 1984–2017), who had a monumental impact on learning-related research in physical education. In this article, the authors synthesize Dr. Ennis’s scholarship on student learning in physical education, honoring her contributions to the field. They first define learning as a concept and learning in physical education and present how Ennis as a “curriculum specialist” viewed learning. They then cover Ennis’s insights and findings that originated from her series of impactful curriculum studies related to student engagement and learning and conclude by sharing lessons learned from Ennis’s scholarly wisdom for guiding future research in physical education pedagogy.

Debate: Brexit and local government in England—the challenges ahead

Although the nature of the UK’s future relationship with the European Union (EU) remains uncertain in early 2018, it is clear that Brexit will have a monumental impact on public services, including...

"Be kind to the mother": A celebration of the life of Marshall Klaus, 1927-2017.

"Be kind to the mother": A celebration of the life of Marshall Klaus, 1927-2017.

ChemLuminary Awards celebrate ACS’s volunteers

The American Chemical Society recognized volunteer efforts in 2016 by the society’s 185 local sections, 32 divisions, eight regional meetings, and 19 international chemical sciences chapters at the 19th annual ChemLuminary Awards during the ACS national meeting in Washington, D.C., in August. “Without all of you, we would not be the society we are today,” said ACS President Allison Campbell in her opening remarks. “It is because of you that this year’s ChemLuminary theme is ‘Our Volunteers & Their Monumental Impact.’ ” D. Richard Cobb, recipient of the 2017 Award for Volunteer Service to the American Chemical Society, gave the keynote lecture, titled “Hidden Figures Make a Monumental Impact.” Cobb has volunteered for ACS locally, regionally, and nationally, and he is being recognized for his leadership, which has had a wide-ranging impact on the society. During his talk, Cobb spoke of the behind-the-scenes work of ACS’s many volunteers. “It takes a

The arsenal of pathogens and antivirulence therapeutic strategies for disarming them.

Pathogens deploy an arsenal of virulence factors (VFs) to establish themselves within their infectious niche. The discovery of antimicrobial compounds and their development into therapeutics has made a monumental impact on human and microbial populations. Although humans have used antimicrobials for medicinal and agricultural purposes, microorganism populations have developed and shared resistance mechanisms to persevere in the face of classical antimicrobials. However, a positive substitute is antivirulence therapy; antivirulence therapeutics prevent or interrupt an infection by counteracting a pathogen’s VFs. Their application can reduce the use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials and dampen the frequency with which resistant strains emerge. Here, we summarize the contribution of VFs to various acute and chronic infections. In correspondence with this, we provide an overview of the research and development of antivirulence strategies.

Human-Machine Trust, Bias and Automated Decision Aid Acceptance

Technological advancements have had a monumental impact on business processes in diverse environments. This study investigates the role of trust and bias on technology acceptance in the medical environment via a two-phase study. In phase one, we assess the impact of user experience on levels of human-machine trust and bias towards automated decision aids (ADAs). In phase two, we explore the impact of human-machine trust and bias towards automation on actual ADA usage. The results indicate that experienced nurses have higher levels of trust and positive bias towards automation; yet, novice nurses are more likely to accept information from an ADA.