Review of Empirical Studies on Climate Risk—Effects and Activism

This review focuses on major contemporary empirical studies that examine both the physical and regulatory sides of climate risk. These studies explore how climate risk affects firms’ operating performance and leverage, stock and bond valuation, cost of capital, and managerial behavior. We also discuss how the effect of climate risk on real estate markets depends on individuals’ beliefs about climate change. Furthermore, we summarize papers on climate risk activism and how firms can employ financial devices and technology to mitigate their climate risk. Finally, we make some recommendations for further research areas.

Media Sporting Events as Platforms for‘Soft Power’and Digital Activism

Mediatic sporting events are increasingly used in the geopolitical arena to gain consensus, at the same time emerging as platforms for the discussion of social issues, such as human rights and sustainability. This article presents an investigation into the role of mediatic sporting events and digital platforms in sparking political debate and social engagement to bring about change, including discussions on global and local interests and the performances of activist fans to promote debate on specific issues. The investigation employs a quantitative methodology. The initial inductive analysis uses a matrix of cultural key-frames of the empowerment and protest that accompany media sporting events, verifying their presence and effectiveness in different communication milieus. An analysis of the representation of protests on social media was performed through content analysis. The results of the investigation show that mediatic sporting events are to be understood as a diverse range of generators of multiple political effects: from the exercise of power to mass mobilization and media criticism.

Research on Media Activism： In and Beyond the Film Sphere

For over a century, nofi-fiction film has figured prominently in the public sphere as a powerful means of persuasion Among the different types, video activism is a typical one which has been exploring by many scholars. Thus, this article discussed media activism from different spheres. Though this people could figure the difference between video activism and ordinary social documentaries. And also those studies about the function, mechanism, strategies of the video activism provide a foothold for a further study of media activism.

Media Activism in Search of Truth： Questioning the Mission to Restore Sanity

For a young, media savvy, radically globalized generation, television as a platform for news has lost momentum. Ironically, however, in a media landscape with a variety of news providers competing for audiences and trust, television news parodies like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report attract new audiences as they seem to fill a gap. They succeed not only in entertaining and informing （even educating） a previously ＂deactivated＂, relatively young target audience, but also in initiating activism by using old and new （social） media. How can it be that a comedy show succeeds in promoting reason and gets young people to stand up for more sanity in politics and culture？ In the sense that, in this case, critical （subversive） practice comes fxom within the mainstream, is television, as the platform that has been criticized for ＂dumbing down＂ audiences （cf. Postman 1985）, actually becoming the solution for commitment7 In this constellation, what is the role of self-determined （intrinsic） and acquired （extrinsic） practices in relation to mobilized practices and practices determined by other factors？ And how do they work differently in comparison to the subversive practices of tactical media and media activism that question the methods of biopower？ This paper examines several responses to the （more and less serious） calls for action of the two shows and discusses their delicate role as entertainers, watchdogs, and activists for reason, sanity, and what is left of truth in the media. Furthermore, implications for critical media studies are considered by questioning the claims of education towards truth （of. Mitterer, 1983）.

Kenya and the Emerging Power-Shift in Global Political-Economy: Right-Wing Populism and Social Media Activism

A potential global power transition characterized by emerging economies of BRICS where China is the likely leading contender against the United States as the only global hegemon seems inevitable.The increasingly multipolar world is evidenced by the attention given to right-wing populism in Europe and USA attributed to China’s aggressive approach to international trade through its stealth entry and subsequent investments in global political-economy.China’s presence in Africa and Trump’s America first policy’s attempt to open“new business frontiers”in emerging economies of Asia and Africa in order to contain Chinese influence and threat in global hegemony are interesting happenstances that require closer scrutiny.Kenya,the biggest economy in East Africa,which is among the fastest growing regions globally,is the gateway to the East African Common Market.Historically,Kenya has a policy of non-alignment in international relations making it possible to receive FDI from both China and the US but with highly contested elections.Therefore,Kenya presents a perfect laboratory for examining the emerging power-shift in global political-economy as the country grapples with traditionally chaotic electoral power transitions and the two biggest economies in the world compete for business in Nairobi.The 2017 elections not only betrayed the international community’s commitment to Western values of human rights and democracy,but also revealed the challenges of governance in post-World War II global liberalism characterized by sophisticated media institutional spaces.

Explaining Japan＇s Shift to Foreign Policy Activism： Security Challenges and Perverse Political Accountability

The paper examines the root causes of Japan＇s rapid shift to foreign policy activism. To explain the causes, I develop the so-called ＂perverse political accountability＂ approach. Specifically, the approach claims that a growing security challenge from China and North Korea, and US policy favoring Japan＇s foreign policy activism structure. Japan＇s domestic political condition that the majority of Japanese people become more conservative and nationalistic. Such shift in the Japanese people＇s preference has been both creating and reinforcing a perverse accountability by which the leaders or parties willing to adopt hard-line foreign policies are better off electorally while the leaders or parties remaining soft-line on foreign affairs are worse off. The perverse accountability not only leads to a severe partisan imbalance between the conservative parties and the leftist parties, but also gives the most conservative party, e.g., the Liberal Democratic Party （LDP）, a greater chance of coming to office and of pursuing assertive foreign policy they favor. Thus, the perverse accountability is at the center of current Japan＇s turn to foreign policy activism. This finding contributes to an enhanced understanding for Japan＇s shift to assertive foreign policy.

Media Activism in Religious Groups of Facebook in Brazil：Abadiania, Irmaos Verdadeiros and Amor a Nossa Senhora Aparecida E A Igreja CATOLica

This work aims to investigate the phenomenon of media activism in the social network of Facebook with organizedreligious groups. The three groups indicated keep the participation system closed and, for this, they need theapproval of the respective administrators. Three groups were chosen, they are： Amor a Nossa Senhora Aparecida eA lgreja Cat61ica, Irmaos Verdadeiros e Abadiania. For the elaboration of this research was used as method thecontent analysis of the posts of the religious groups of Facebook and, through this research, the contents werecategorized and classified according to the approach of each one. The period of analysis was between January 1,2017 andJanuary 15, 2017.

English Christmas Pantomime： Theatre or Community Activism

How is English Christmas panto community activism？ The structure of pantomime has not changed in a hundred years, but allows for local creativity to work within its framework to be both family entertainment and social satire This basic structure is founded on a children＇s story like Puss ＇n ＇boots or Cinderella. The story and character types remain the same; but the community can add their own jokes and commentary to make the play relevant to themselves and their community. What is added by the community says a lot about who they are and what they care about. The company Price-Waterhouse-Coopers produces their pantomime as management training and team building while engaging the community. The Basel Swiss panto raises money for African Charities. The Maplewood, NJ panto raises money for the homeless and the Jaguar Charity panto in Birmingham performs to disadvantaged children and adults. The productions can be extravagant or threadbare, but share the same goal of raising cheer and goodwill to the benefit of the community. What is it, then, about panto that brings a community together in such civic mindedness？

How Much Digital Activism Plays a Role in Political Activism： A Case Study of Morocco＇s February 20th Movement

The present paper seeks to investigate the extent to which digital activism plays a role in political activism in Morocco through the intersection between women and young activists movement and the social media. By doing so the author argues that while facebook and the Moroccan political arena are Male dominated public areas, young female activists have emerged as prominent leaders in both spaces. The author will more particularly explain why female and youth activists are important in the current state of Moroccan politics. Next, the author provides a discussion of the February 20th Movement, and the movement＇s utilization of Facebook. It will show that young female activists involved in the February 20th Movement have used Facebook in unique and creative ways to further the Movement.

Explorations in the Tension Between Media Activism and Action-Oriented Media Pedagogy

In historically, culturally, and technically variable media constellations, various forms of media activism, media education, and learning design have been developed. As to media activism, there is a broad spectrum, including graffiti, radio activism, community media, visual activism, tactical media （Garcia ＆ Lovink, 1997）, and more recently, media interventions questioning the workings of biopower （Da Costa ＆ Philip, 2008）. On the other hand, debates on media competency and media literacy have been going on for a few decades. Although media have also been conceptualized as media of resistance or critique in informal contexts as well as in formal education, lively exchanges of concepts and ideas are comparatively seldom in respective traditions. The paper aims at exploring challenges for media education and interfaces between both fields.

An Auto-ethnographic Observation:Hashtag Activism in Chinese Post-Feminist Age

This paper provides an auto-ethnographic observation of hashtag feminist activism on Weibo, setting in a context of post-feminism age in China. Two subjects, the Hot Search List and its Public Discussion Forum, were chose to examine the complexity of the current situation of this hashtag activism. An auto-ethnographic methodology was used to interrogate the states quo of Chinese online feminist movement, revealing gender-centric discussions reinforcing stereotypes under the guise of equality. Misogynistic narratives, algorithmic constraints, censorship, and official opposition pose significant barriers to feminist discourse. Nonetheless, the study identifies a potential for hashtag activism within Weibo’s discourse, offering a space for resistance. By acknowledging these challenges, this paper seeks to empower Chinese feminists to challenge dominant narratives and advocate for their rights.

The Impact of Shareholder Activism on Corporate Performance——Evidence from China

The separation of ownership and management of companies results in agency problems between shareholders and management to some extent.In Western countries,shareholders usually actively participate in the company’s management and monitor management issues in order to enhance the company’s performance.At present,China’s securities market,as well as institutional investors are undergoing a rapid development,while problems of governance among listed companies in China have been negatively affecting the development of capital markets.Institutional investors have developed to form a certain scale.Moreover,national policies,as well as the split-share structure reform,further encourage the growth of institutional investors,and their active participation in corporate governance in order to better promote the development of capital markets.A great deal of research pertains to the effects of shareholder activism on corporate performance in Western countries.However,research on shareholder activism in China is scanty.Furthermore,chances are that in some specific Chinese regions and industries circumstances are unique,in which the well-established theories cannot be effectively applied.Therefore,this paper empirically analyzes the correlation between shareholder activism and corporate performance so as to examine how effective China’s institutional investors participate in the governance of listed companies.This paper empirically tests the impact of shareholder activism on corporate performance.In this paper,an unbalanced panel data set consisting of observation is constructed.Then,in order to insure validity of results,a series of preliminary tests are conducted.Furthermore,Panel data method and robustness check are performed for empirical analysis.Finally,the result of the empirical tests shows that there is a positive correlation between Chinese institutional shareholding ratio and corporate performance of listed companies.This indicates that shareholder activism can definitely promote the corporate governance and corporate performance in China.

Glutamatergic CYLD deletion leads to aberrant excitatory activity in the basolateral amygdala:association with enhanced cued fear expression

Neuronal activity,synaptic transmission,and molecular changes in the basolateral amygdala play critical roles in fear memory.Cylindromatosis(CYLD)is a deubiquitinase that negatively regulates the nuclear factor kappa-B pathway.CYLD is well studied in non-neuronal cells,yet underinvestigated in the brain,where it is highly expressed.Emerging studies have shown involvement of CYLD in the remodeling of glutamatergic synapses,neuroinflammation,fear memory,and anxiety-and autism-like behaviors.However,the precise role of CYLD in glutamatergic neurons is largely unknown.Here,we first proposed involvement of CYLD in cued fear expression.We next constructed transgenic model mice with specific deletion of Cyld from glutamatergic neurons.Our results show that glutamatergic CYLD deficiency exaggerated the expression of cued fear in only male mice.Further,loss of CYLD in glutamatergic neurons resulted in enhanced neuronal activation,impaired excitatory synaptic transmission,and altered levels of glutamate receptors accompanied by over-activation of microglia in the basolateral amygdala of male mice.Altogether,our study suggests a critical role of glutamatergic CYLD in maintaining normal neuronal,synaptic,and microglial activation.This may contribute,at least in part,to cued fear expression.

Neuroinflammation revisited through the microglial lens

Neuroimmunology is emerging as a pivotal field,shedding light on the intricate dialogues between the central nervous system(CNS)and the immune system.This exploration is particularly significant in understanding microglia,the CNS’s innate immune cells,beyond the conventional conflation of“neuroinflammation”and“microglial activation.”This conflation has clouded the true complexity of these processes,potentially stalling scientific progress and the development of new therapies.We challenge the long-standing perspectives that have oversimplified these interactions,advocating for a deeper exploration of the dynamic relationship between neuroinflammation and microglial activation.By dissecting specific molecular pathways,we aim to illuminate their elaborate roles in neuroinflammatory responses,especially in the context of Alzheimer’s disease(AD).Here,neuroinflammation is not merely a passive observer or a direct antagonist but a complex agent in the disease’s progression.This article calls for a significant paradigm shift towards an integrative,multi-omics approach to neuroimmunology.Adopting such a comprehensive framework is crucial for advancing our understanding of neuroinflammatory conditions and paving the way for targeted therapeutic strategies for brain diseases.

Tuning beneficial calcineurin phosphatase activation to counterα-synuclein toxicity in a yeast model of Parkinson’s disease

Calcineurin(CN)is a calcium-and calmodulindependent serine/threonine that has been studied in many model organisms including yeast,filamentous fungi,plants,and mammals.Its biological functions range from ion homeostasis and virulence in lower eukaryotes to T-cell activation in humans by human nuclear factors of activated T-cells.CN is a heterodimeric protein consisting of a catalytic subunit,calcineurin A(Cna1p),which contains an active site with a dinuclear metal center,and a regulatory Ca^(2+) binding subunit called calcineurin B(Cnb1p)required to activate Cna1p.The calcineurin B subunit has been highly conserved through evolution:For example,the mammalian calcineurin B shows 54%identity with calcineurin B from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Lighting the shades of hidden pain:a role for spinal cord neurons and microglia in vestibulodynia

Vulvodynia,a chronic pain disorder affecting the vulvar region,represents a significant challenge in both diagnosis and treatment within the field of women’s health.This condition is characterized by chronic pain that significantly affects the quality of life of afflicted women.The present perspective paper examines the role of spinal sensitization and microglial activation in vulvodynia.

An Efficient Boron Source Activation Strategy for the Low‑Temperature Synthesis of Boron Nitride Nanotubes

Lowering the synthesis temperature of boron nitride nanotubes(BNNTs)is crucial for their development.The primary reason for adopting a high temperature is to enable the effective activation of highmelting-point solid boron.In this study,we developed a novel approach for efficiently activating boron by introducing alkali metal compounds into the conventional MgO–B system.This approach can be adopted to form various low-melting-point AM–Mg–B–O growth systems.These growth systems have improved catalytic capability and reactivity even under low-temperature conditions,facilitating the synthesis of BNNTs at temperatures as low as 850℃.In addition,molecular dynamics simulations based on density functional theory theoretically demonstrate that the systems maintain a liquid state at low temperatures and interact with N atoms to form BN chains.These findings offer novel insights into the design of boron activation and are expected to facilitate research on the low-temperature synthesis of BNNTs.

Decoding molecular mechanisms:brain aging and Alzheimer's disease

The complex morphological,anatomical,physiological,and chemical mechanisms within the aging brain have been the hot topic of research for centuries.The aging process alters the brain structure that affects functions and cognitions,but the worsening of such processes contributes to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders,such as Alzheimer's disease.Beyond these observable,mild morphological shifts,significant functional modifications in neurotransmission and neuronal activity critically influence the aging brain.Understanding these changes is important for maintaining cognitive health,especially given the increasing prevalence of age-related conditions that affect cognition.This review aims to explore the age-induced changes in brain plasticity and molecular processes,differentiating normal aging from the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease,thereby providing insights into predicting the risk of dementia,particularly Alzheimer's disease.

Microglia:a promising therapeutic target in spinal cord injury

Microglia are present throughout the central nervous system and are vital in neural repair,nutrition,phagocytosis,immunological regulation,and maintaining neuronal function.In a healthy spinal cord,microglia are accountable for immune surveillance,however,when a spinal cord injury occurs,the microenvironment drastically changes,leading to glial scars and failed axonal regeneration.In this context,microglia vary their gene and protein expression during activation,and proliferation in reaction to the injury,influencing injury responses both favorably and unfavorably.A dynamic and multifaceted injury response is mediated by microglia,which interact directly with neurons,astrocytes,oligodendrocytes,and neural stem/progenitor cells.Despite a clear understanding of their essential nature and origin,the mechanisms of action and new functions of microglia in spinal cord injury require extensive research.This review summarizes current studies on microglial genesis,physiological function,and pathological state,highlights their crucial roles in spinal cord injury,and proposes microglia as a therapeutic target.

Passive activity enhances residual control ability in patients with complete spinal cord injury

Patients with complete spinal cord injury retain the potential for volitional muscle activity in muscles located below the spinal injury level.However,because of prolonged inactivity,initial attempts to activate these muscles may not effectively engage any of the remaining neurons in the descending pathway.A previous study unexpectedly found that a brief clinical round of passive activity significantly increased volitional muscle activation,as measured by surface electromyography.In this study,we further explored the effect of passive activity on surface electromyographic signals during volitional control tasks among individuals with complete spinal cord injury.Eleven patients with chronic complete thoracic spinal cord injury were recruited.Surface electromyography data from eight major leg muscles were acquired and compared before and after the passive activity protocol.The results indicated that the passive activity led to an increased number of activated volitional muscles and an increased frequency of activation.Although the cumulative root mean square of surface electromyography amplitude for volitional control of movement showed a slight increase after passive activity,the difference was not statistically significant.These findings suggest that brief passive activity may enhance the ability to initiate volitional muscle activity during surface electromyography tasks and underscore the potential of passive activity for improving residual motor control among patients with motor complete spinal cord injury.