How CIOs Can Effectively Use Influence Behaviors

To accomplish their objectives, Chief Information Officers (CIOs) must rely on their abilities to influence members of top management. Effective use of influence behaviors can make the difference between successful and less successful CIOs. But aspiring senior managers are rarely formally taught how to influence others. They learn informally on the job. This article explores influence behaviors and their appropriate use by CIOs. It first describes 11 common influence behaviors—rational persuasion (logical arguments), apprising (emphasizing expected benefits), inspirational appeal, consultation, collaboration, personal appeal, ingratiation, exchange, legitimating (connected to precedent), coalition (asking others to persuade), and pressure. Then this article discusses which of the 11 are most effective in four scenarios that CIOs face: when the CIO is viewed either as a true peer of top management or as a supportive subordinate, and when the CIO is presenting either a high-stakes strategic initiative or a lower-stakes incremental one

Basal ganglia glucose utilization after recent precentral ablation in the monkey

In the macaque monkey, unilateral ablation of areas 4 and 6 of Brodmann result initially in a signficant decrease of glucose metabolic activity in the ipsilateral caudate nucleus, putamen, globus pallidus, substantia nigra, and subthalamic nucleus. The contralateral hemisphere shows nonsignificant but consistently decreased activity in the caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus. Cerebral blood flow is decreased in the same pattern as the glucose metabolic activity. The change in glucose metabolic activity result from loss of neurons known to project directly from the cerebral cortex to the basal ganglia and also from indirect effect(diaschisis) in basal ganglia structures that do not receive connections from the cerebral cortex.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/50310/1/410170503_ftp.pd

Monte-Carlo methods for the pricing of American options: a semilinear BSDE point of view

We extend the viscosity solution characterization proved in [5] for call/put American option prices to the case of a general payoff function in a multi-dimensional setting: the price satisfies a semilinear re-action/diffusion type equation. Based on this, we propose two new numerical schemes inspired by the branching processes based algorithm of [8]. Our numerical experiments show that approximating the discontinu-ous driver of the associated reaction/diffusion PDE by local polynomials is not efficient, while a simple randomization procedure provides very good results

Quisqualate- and NMDA-sensitive [ 3 H]glutamate binding in primate brain

Excitatory amino acids (EAA) such as glutamate and aspartate are probably the neurotransmitters of a majority of mammalian neurons. Only a few previous studies have been concerned with the distribution of the subtypes of EAA receptor binding in the primate brain. We examined NMDA- and quisqualate-sensitive [ 3 H]glutamate binding using quantitative autoradiography in monkey brain (Macaca fascicularis) . The two types of binding were differentially distributed. NMDA-sensitive binding was most dense in dentate gyrus of hippocampus, stratum pyramidale of hippocampus, and outer layers of cerebral cortex. Quisqualate-sensitive binding was most dense in dentate gyrus of hippocampus, inner and outer layers of cerebral cortex, and molecular layer of cerebellum. In caudate nucleus and putamen, quisqualate- and NMDA-sensitive binding sites were nearly equal in density. However, in globus pallidus, substantia nigra, and subthalamic nucleus, quisqualate-sensitive binding was several-fold greater than NMDA-sensitive binding. In thalamus, [ 3 H]glutamate binding was generally low for both subtypes of binding except for the anterior ventral, lateral dorsal, and pulvinar nuclei. In the brainstem, low levels of binding were found, and strikingly the red nucleus and pons, which are thought to receive glutamatergic projections, had approximately 1/20 the binding observed in cerebral cortex. These results demonstrate that NMDA- and quisqualate-sensitive [ 3 H]glutamate binding are observed in all regions of primate brain, but that in some regions one subtype predominates over the other. In addition, certain areas thought to receive glutamatergic projections have low levels of both types of binding.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/50225/1/490270412_ftp.pd

Assessing Neuronal and Astrocyte Derived Exosomes From Individuals With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury for Markers of Neurodegeneration and Cytotoxic Activity.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) disproportionately affects military service members and is very difficult to diagnose. To-date, there is currently no blood-based, diagnostic biomarker for mTBI cases with persistent post concussive symptoms. To examine the potential of neuronally-derived (NDE) and astrocytic-derived (ADE) exosome cargo proteins as biomarkers of chronic mTBI in younger adults, we examined plasma exosomes from a prospective longitudinal study of combat-related risk and resilience, marine resiliency study II (MRSII). After return from a combat-deployment participants were interviewed to assess TBI exposure while on deployment. Plasma exosomes from military service members with mTBI (mean age, 21.7 years, n = 19, avg. days since injury 151), and age-matched, controls (deployed service members who did not endorse a deployment-related TBI or a pre-deployment history of TBI; mean age, 21.95 years, n = 20) were precipitated and enriched against a neuronal adhesion protein, L1-CAM, and an astrocyte marker, glutamine aspartate transporter (GLAST) using magnetic beads to immunocapture the proteins and subsequently selected by fluorescent activated cell sorting (FACS). Extracted protein cargo from NDE and ADE preparations were quantified for protein levels implicated in TBI neuropathology by standard ELISAs and on the ultra-sensitive single molecule assay (Simoa) platform. Plasma NDE and ADE levels of Aβ42 were significantly higher while plasma NDE and ADE levels of the postsynaptic protein, neurogranin (NRGN) were significantly lower in participants endorsing mTBI exposure compared to controls with no TBI history. Plasma NDE and ADE levels of Aβ40, total tau, and neurofilament light (NFL), P-T181-tau, P-S396-tau were either undetectable or not significantly different between the two groups. In an effort to understand the pathogenetic potential of NDE and ADE cargo proteins, neuron-like cultures were treated with NDE and ADE preparations from TBI and non-TBI groups. Lastly, we determined that plasma NDE but not ADE cargo proteins from mTBI samples were found to be toxic to neuron-like recipient cells in vitro. These data support the presence of markers of neurodegeneration in NDEs of mTBI and suggest that these NDEs can be used as tools to identify pathogenic mechanisms of TBI

Effect of weeding status and tapping date on the yield of gum Arabic (Acacia Senegal) in Jigawa state, Nigeria

The study examined the Effect of Weeding Status and Tapping Date on the yield of gum Arabic (Acacia senegal) in Jigawa State, Nigeria. The said task has been accomplished by employing a two factorial experiment of complete randomized block design with three replicates which involves the weeding status and tapping dates conducted in 2014 season at two different locations; Kadoma and Kwanar duhuwa. The weeding status experiment comprises of three 100% weeded plots; and three Unwweded plots; while the tapping date investigation was tested at six levels (1st and 15th September, 1st and 5th October and 1st and 15th November). In each of these treatments three (3) trees were tapped making a total number of two hundred and sixteen trees in the two locations and one hundred and eight (108) trees at kadoma and Kwanar duhuwa respectively. The first picking of the gum yield took place 45day after tapping and each consecutive picking was collected after 15 days from the previous one. The gum from each picking was weighed after air drying with sensitive balance JY2002 model. SAS statistical package used for the data analysis thus DUNCAN multiple range test were employed in establishing the relationships between the variable investigated.Thus, the finding has revealed that gum Arabic tapping conducted on the 15th of October gave higher yield of gum Arabic when compared with the rest dates of tapping; the unweeded plots gave superior yield than the weeded plot.Therefore gum Arabic farmers were advised not to weed gum Arabic field when they are matured enough for harvest at the same time tapping should be carried out when the gum Arabic tree lost at least 50% of their leaves.Keywords; Gum Arabic, Jigawa State, Tapping and Weeding

Cerebrospinal fluid and blood biomarkers for neurodegenerative dementias: An update of the Consensus of the Task Force on Biological Markers in Psychiatry of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry

Contains fulltext : 191138.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access

Cas9-expressing chickens and pigs as resources for genome editing in livestock

Genetically modified animals continue to provide important insights into the molecular basis of health and disease. Research has focused mostly on genetically modified mice, although other species like pigs resemble the human physiology more closely. In addition, cross-species comparisons with phylogenetically distant species such as chickens provide powerful insights into fundamental biological and biomedical processes. One of the most versatile genetic methods applicable across species is CRISPR-Cas9. Here, we report the generation of transgenic chickens and pigs that constitutively express Cas9 in all organs. These animals are healthy and fertile. Functionality of Cas9 was confirmed in both species for a number of different target genes, for a variety of cell types and in vivo by targeted gene disruption in lymphocytes and the developing brain, and by precise excision of a 12.7-kb DNA fragment in the heart. The Cas9 transgenic animals will provide a powerful resource for in vivo genome editing for both agricultural and translational biomedical research, and will facilitate reverse genetics as well as cross-species comparisons

Feline subthalamic nucleus neurons contain glutamate-like but not GABA-like or glycine-like immunoreactivity

The identity of the neurotransmitter of subthalamic nucleus neurons has not been definitely established. GABA, glycine, and glutamate have all been hypothesized to be the neurotransmitter of these neurons. Immunohistochemistry with 3 well characterized antisera against glutamate, GABA, and glycine were used to study feline subthalamic nucleus neurons. These neurons were found to contain intense glutamate-like but not GABA- or glycine-like immunoreactivity. The surrounding neuropil contained glutamate-like and GABA-like but not glycine-like immunoreactivity. These results support the hypothesis that subthalamic nucleus neurons are glutamatergic.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/27851/1/0000262.pd