Purpose This paper aims to explore the extent to which social responsibility and social and environmental reporting and disclosure have any relevance in the (so-called) controversial industries. The ...literature is ambivalent over the extent to which it is expected to see corporate social responsibility and social disclosure employed as active legitimation strategies. However, the apparent importance of "responsible gambling" in both the literature and in gambling industry initiatives suggests, at leasta priori , that the international industry is active in some degree of legitimation. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory study examines the social and environmental disclosures of a sample of large companies in each of five countries over a three-year period using conventional content analysis. Findings The results are unexpected in that, although disclosure is dominated by employee- and director-related, other areas of social and environmental - and indeed economic - activity feature hardly at all. There is remarkably little disclosure around responsible gambling. Research limitations/implications The paper is a research note based on a range of samples across five countries and is, inevitably, tentative. The implications, albeit tentative, include the need to re-theorise corporate disclosure, especially in the controversial sectors. Originality/value The note adds to the accounting literature concerned with the controversial industries and contributes to the scarce social accounting research in the gambling sector. The authors hope that the research will be useful in guiding more focused and in-depth studies into this increasingly important and counter-intuitive area.
TRPV1 is a Ca.sup.2+-permeable channel studied mostly as a pain receptor in sensory neurons. However, its role in other cell types is poorly understood. Here we found that TRPV1 was functionally ...expressed in CD4.sup.+ T cells, where it acted as a non-store-operated Ca.sup.2+ channel and contributed to T cell antigen receptor (TCR)-induced Ca.sup.2+ influx, TCR signaling and T cell activation. In models of T cell-mediated colitis, TRPV1 promoted colitogenic T cell responses and intestinal inflammation. Furthermore, genetic and pharmacological inhibition of TRPV1 in human CD4.sup.+ T cells recapitulated the phenotype of mouse Trpv1.sup.-/- CD4.sup.+ T cells. Our findings suggest that inhibition of TRPV1 could represent a new therapeutic strategy for restraining proinflammatory T cell responses.
TRPV1 is a Ca super(2+)-permeable channel studied mostly as a pain receptor in sensory neurons. However, its role in other cell types is poorly understood. Here we found that TRPV1 was functionally ...expressed in CD4 super(+) T cells, where it acted as a non-store-operated Ca super(2+) channel and contributed to T cell antigen receptor (TCR)-induced Ca super(2+) influx, TCR signaling and T cell activation. In models of T cell-mediated colitis, TRPV1 promoted colitogenic T cell responses and intestinal inflammation. Furthermore, genetic and pharmacological inhibition of TRPV1 in human CD4 super(+) T cells recapitulated the phenotype of mouse Trpv1 super(-/-) CD4 super(+) T cells. Our findings suggest that inhibition of TRPV1 could represent a new therapeutic strategy for restraining proinflammatory T cell responses.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to develop a better and sustainable future for the world and the goals are part of an action plan to address poverty, hunger, health, gender equity and ...various pressing world issues. One of these goals looks at health and wellness. Ageing populations have become a crucial issue worldwide and this short monograph explores ageing and how the consequences of an ageing population may affect our health care system through the case study on Hong Kong's population. The book looks at several critical health issues related to ageing. The elderly, particularly those with low socioeconomic status, rely more on the acute-centric care rather than primary care. The book suggests that secondary care service may only be effective to limited extent as a healthcare measure and an optimum health care system should be one that focuses on primary care. The authors put forth a compelling argument for disease prevention and screening schemes and explain how they are more cost-effective and beneficial to the society and the system. This thoughtful book will provide beneficial insights into the relationship of ageing and sustainable development goals in the context of health and wellness for policy makers and healthcare professionals.
Using molecular phylogeny has accelerated the discovery of peptidic ligands targeted to ion channels and receptors. One clade of venomous cone snails,
Asprella
, appears to be significantly enriched ...in conantokins, antagonists of N-Methyl D-Asparate receptors (NMDARs). Here, we describe the characterization of two novel conantokins from
Conus rolani
, including conantokin con
Rl
-B that has shown an unprecedented selectivity for blocking NMDARs that contain NR2B subunits. Con
Rl
-B shares only some sequence similarity to the most studied NR2B-selective conantokin, con
G
. The divergence between con
Rl
-B and con
G
in the second inter-Gla loop was used to design analogs for structure-activity studies; the presence of Pro10 was found to be key to the high potency of con
Rl
-B for NR2B, whereas the ε-amino group of Lys8 contributed to discrimination in blocking NR2B- and NR2A-containing NMDARs. In contrast to previous findings from Tyr5 substitutions in other conantokins, con
Rl
-B L5Y showed potencies on the four NR2 NMDA receptor subtypes that were similar to those of the native con
Rl
-B. When delivered into the brain, con
Rl
-B was active in suppressing seizures in the model of epilepsy in mice, consistent with NR2B-containing NMDA receptors being potential targets for antiepileptic drugs. Circular dichroism experiments confirmed that the helical conformation of con
Rl
-B is stabilized by divalent metal ions. Given the clinical applications of NMDA antagonists, con
Rl
-B provides a potentially important pharmacological tool for understanding the differential roles of NMDA receptor subtypes in the nervous system. This work shows the effectiveness of coupling molecular phylogeny, chemical synthesis and pharmacology for discovering new bioactive natural products.
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to focus on the corporate response of Chinese railway companies after the deadly Wenzhou train accident in China which happened on July 23, 2011. Few studies on ...corporate social responsibility (CSR) in developing countries have looked into whether the information disclosed by companies is satisfactory with sufficient response after a major incident has happened.
Design/methodology/approach
– Five companies with the largest market value in the Chinese railway industry involved in the production of trains and railway systems connected to the “7.23” incident were taken as the observations in this study. Information published by the companies and the media related to the accident, including CSR and sustainability reports, company Web sites, news and press releases and Internet postings, were investigated in detail in a qualitative manner.
Findings
– The findings show that disclosure of information related to the “7.23” incident was very low or almost inexistent in the observed companies. For those that claimed that they had followed CSR reporting standards and guidelines, the disclosed information appeared to be insufficient to reveal practical information and fulfill stakeholders’ requirements. The study also sheds light on the corporate reporting behaviors of Chinese state-owned enterprises by applying legitimacy, stakeholder and institutional theories to the unique social and political environment in the country.
Originality/value
– This paper critically reveals the poor corporate response after the “7.23” incident in Chinese railway companies. The case serves as an example for the companies to ponder on what improvements are called for in terms of social reporting and relevant corporate actions after a major accident. Also, the study contributes to the CSR disclosure literature concerning developing countries by examining the case of China and the little studied railway industry run by the state.
To evaluate the feasibility and potential effects of qigong Baduanjin for reversing frailty status among older cancer survivors.
Twenty-eight older cancer survivors screened as pre-frail or frail ...were recruited. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive a sixteen-week Baduanjin intervention or an active control condition (light flexibility exercise). Frailty status (primary outcome) and secondary outcomes (physical performance, activities of daily living performance, psychological well-being, and health-related quality of life) were measured by physical performance tests and questionnaires. Qualitative interviews were conducted to explore participants' perspectives on the intervention.
Twenty-one participants (75%) completed the study, with reasons of withdrawal mainly relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendance at Baduanjin sessions and adherence to self-practice were satisfactory, with all retained participants attending all sessions and 81.8% practicing Baduanjin for more than 90 min per week. Qualitative findings demonstrated that participants accepted Baduanjin. The proportion of improvement in frailty status at post-intervention appeared to be higher in the intervention group (26.7%; 95% confidence interval CI, 10.1% to 54.0%) than the control group (15.4%; 95% CI, 3.7% to 46.0%); yet the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.461).
Baduanjin qigong appears to be feasible and acceptable among older cancer survivors. To confirm the intervention effect, an adequately powered trial is warranted.
ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04694066. Retrospectively registered 5 January 2021, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04694066.
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