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Enabling green shared vision: linking environmental strategic focus and environmental performance through ISO 14001 and technological capabilities

Ong TS, Lee AS, Latif B, Sroufe R, Sharif A, Heng Teh B

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Mar;30(11):31711-31726.
PMID: 36454525 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24280-2

Consistent with the worldwide call to combat environmental degradation concerns and advance sustainable development, there is increasing pressure on organizations to ensure organizational strategies include green initiatives. In this regard, environmental strategic focus is a relevant concept for scholars and business leaders. Underpinned by dynamic capability and stakeholder theory, the present study hypothesizes that ESF derives environmental performance, coordinated by mediating role of green shared vision that strategic environmental planning and decision making. Additionally, the current study employed ISO 14001 and technological capability as moderators between ESF and the green shared vision link. Methodologically, the data for this study was collected from 162 senior managerial officials working in EMS 14,001-accredited manufacturing firms in Malaysia. The data were analyzed with the AMOS 23 software to perform covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM), and then hierarchical regression analysis and moderated-mediation analysis were applied with SPSS 25. The findings confirmed that ESF is positively linked to environmental performance. The results validate that green shared vision acts as a positive mediator between ESF and environmental performance, in which the creation and sharing of knowledge embedded in a green shared vision serve as enablers to create higher environmental performance. The current study also validates a significant moderating role of ISO 14001 and technological capability between ESF and green shared vision. The study confirms how environmental strategies are integrated into environmental management processes that can serve as a source of dynamic capabilities.
Fulltext 5-Fluorouracil "Chemowraps" in the Treatment of Multiple Actinic Keratoses: A Norwich Experience

Goon PK, Clegg R, Yong AS, Lee AS, Lee KY, Levell NJ, et al.

Dermatol Ther (Heidelb), 2015 Sep;5(3):201-5.
PMID: 26304846 DOI: 10.1007/s13555-015-0082-5

Topical 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been used to treat actinic keratosis for decades. It has been an important and effective treatment which the patient can self-administer, but is limited by the surface area of skin to be treated (according to the manufacturer's guidelines) of 500 cm(2). Other topical treatments can be painful, or require hospital/health care professional input. The use of 5-FU under occlusion (chemowraps) for large areas of sun-damaged skin on the arms or legs has been described and is a potentially useful treatment option. We describe our experiences with this technique in the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Dermatology Department (Norwich, UK).
Founder mutation in the BRCA1 gene in Malay breast cancer patients from Singapore

Lee AS, Ho GH, Oh PC, Balram C, Ooi LL, Lim DT, et al.

Hum Mutat, 2003 Aug;22(2):178.
PMID: 12872263

The mutation spectrum of the BRCA1 gene among ethnic groups from Asia has not been well studied. We investigated the frequency of mutations in the BRCA1 gene among Malay breast cancer patients from Singapore, independent of family history. By using the protein truncation test (PTT) and direct sequencing, BRCA1 mutations were detected in 6 of 49 (12.2%) unrelated patients. Four novel missense mutations in exon 11, T557A (1788A>G), T582A (1863A>G), N656S (2086A>G) and P684S (2169C>T) were identified in one patient. Two patients had missense mutations in exon 23, V1809A (5545T>C), which has been previously detected in individuals from Central and Eastern Europe. Three unrelated patients had the deleterious 2846insA frameshift mutation in exon 11. Methylation specific PCR (MSP) of the promoter region of the BRCA1 gene detected hypermethylation of tumor DNA in an additional 2 patients. Haplotype analysis using the microsatellite markers D17S855, D17S1323 and D17S1325 revealed a common haplotype for the three unrelated patients and their three relatives with the 2846insA mutation. These findings strongly suggest that the 2846insA mutation, the most common deleterious mutation in this study, may possibly be a founder mutation in breast cancer patients of Malay ethnic background.
EGFR Intron 1 polymorphism in Asian Populations and its correlation with EGFR gene expression and amplification in breast tumor tissues

Zhou Q, Cheung YB, Jada SR, Lim WT, Kuo WL, Gray JW, et al.

Cancer Biol Ther, 2006 Nov;5(11):1445-9.
PMID: 17102595

AIM: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis if longer CA dinucleotide repeats are more common in the Asian population and also to gain insights into the interplay between the CA dinucleotide repeats and the frequencies of EGFR gene expression and amplifications as this might have therapeutic implications with regards to treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The EGFR intron 1 polymorphism was analysed in three distinct healthy Asian subjects, namely, Chinese (N = 96), Malays (N = 98) and Indians (N = 100). Comparative genomic hybridisation was performed to investigate for changes in DNA copy number in relation to the polymorphic CA dinucleotide repeats in breast tumor tissues (N = 22).
RESULTS: The frequency of short alleles with 14 and 15 CA repeats were most common in the Asian populations and significantly higher than those reported for Caucasians. The frequency of 20 CA repeats was 5%, almost 13-fold lower than previous reports. EGFR amplifications were detected in 23% and 11% of breast tumor tissues harboring short and long CA repeats, respectively.
CONCLUSION: Our results show that the frequency of alleles encoding for short CA dinucleotide repeats is common in Asian populations. EGFR expression and amplification levels were also higher in Asian breast tumor tissues with short CA dinucleotide repeats. These findings suggest that the EGFR intron 1 polymorphism may influence response to treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors in breast cancer patients and further studies are warranted.
Comprehensive spectrum of BRCA1 and BRCA2 deleterious mutations in breast cancer in Asian countries

Kwong A, Shin VY, Ho JC, Kang E, Nakamura S, Teo SH, et al.

J Med Genet, 2016 Jan;53(1):15-23.
PMID: 26187060 DOI: 10.1136/jmedgenet-2015-103132

Approximately 5%-10% of breast cancers are due to genetic predisposition caused by germline mutations; the most commonly tested genes are BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Some mutations are unique to one family and others are recurrent; the spectrum of BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations varies depending on the geographical origins, populations or ethnic groups. In this review, we compiled data from 11 participating Asian countries (Bangladesh, Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam), and from ethnic Asians residing in Canada and the USA. We have additionally conducted a literature review to include other Asian countries mainly in Central and Western Asia. We present the current pathogenic mutation spectrum of BRCA1/BRCA2 genes in patients with breast cancer in various Asian populations. Understanding BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations in Asians will help provide better risk assessment and clinical management of breast cancer.
To which world regions does the valence-dominance model of social perception apply?

Jones BC, DeBruine LM, Flake JK, Liuzza MT, Antfolk J, Arinze NC, et al.

Nat Hum Behav, 2021 01;5(1):159-169.
PMID: 33398150 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-020-01007-2

Over the past 10 years, Oosterhof and Todorov's valence-dominance model has emerged as the most prominent account of how people evaluate faces on social dimensions. In this model, two dimensions (valence and dominance) underpin social judgements of faces. Because this model has primarily been developed and tested in Western regions, it is unclear whether these findings apply to other regions. We addressed this question by replicating Oosterhof and Todorov's methodology across 11 world regions, 41 countries and 11,570 participants. When we used Oosterhof and Todorov's original analysis strategy, the valence-dominance model generalized across regions. When we used an alternative methodology to allow for correlated dimensions, we observed much less generalization. Collectively, these results suggest that, while the valence-dominance model generalizes very well across regions when dimensions are forced to be orthogonal, regional differences are revealed when we use different extraction methods and correlate and rotate the dimension reduction solution. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: The stage 1 protocol for this Registered Report was accepted in principle on 5 November 2018. The protocol, as accepted by the journal, can be found at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7611443.v1 .