A Case Study of Complex Systems in Leadership in Higher Education Fundraising

Institutions of higher education are more focused on raising private funds today than ever before. This need to increase funding has provided opportunity for emergent behavior among all levels of the institution and has provided an opportunity for the study of leadership among those responsible for managing the fundraising operation. This study will endeavor to understand the emergent enabling and adapting leadership in an institution of higher education during a change to a centralized fundraising model. A case study approach will build a narrative of interaction among those involved in the change and develop insight through the lens of Complexity Leadership Theory. Through the story told by administration, deans and foundation staff, an understanding of change management in complex organizations will be produced and recommendations for practice and further study will be delivered

QTL and Drought Effects on Leaf Physiology in Lowland Panicum virgatum

Switchgrass is a key component of plans to develop sustainable cellulosic ethanol production for bioenergy in the USA. We sought quantitative trait loci (QTL) for leaf structure and function, using the Albany full-sib mapping population, an F1 derived from lowland tetraploid parents. We also assessed both genotype × environment interactions (G×E) in response to drought and spatial trends within experimental plots, using the mapping population and check clones drawn from the parent cultivars. Phenotypes for leaf structure and physiological performance were determined under well-watered conditions in two consecutive years, and we applied drought to one of two replicates to test for G×E. Phenotypes for check clones varied with location in our plot and were impacted by drought, but there was limited evidence of G×E except in quantum yield (ΦPSII). Phenotypes of Albany were also influenced by plant location within our plot, and after correcting for experimental design factors and spatial effects, we detected QTL for leaf size, tissue density (LMA), and stomatal conductance (gs). Clear evidence of G×E was detected at a QTL for intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) that was expressed only under drought. Loci influencing physiological traits had small additive effects, showed complex patterns of heritability, and did not co-localize with QTL for morphological traits. These insights into the genetic architecture of leaf structure and function set the stage for consideration of leaf physiological phenotypes as a component of switchgrass improvement for bioenergy purposes

Drosophila E2f2 promotes the conversion from genomic DNA replication to gene amplification in ovarian follicle cells

Drosophila contains two members of the E2F transcription factor family (E2f and E2f2), which controls the expression of genes that regulate the G1-S transition of the cell cycle. Previous genetic analyses have indicated that E2f is an essential gene that stimulates DNA replication. We show that loss of E2f2 is viable, but causes partial female sterility associated with changes in the mode of DNA replication in the follicle cells that surround the developing oocyte. Late in wild-type oogenesis, polyploid follicle cells terminate a program of asynchronous endocycles in which the euchromatin is entirely replicated, and then confine DNA synthesis to the synchronous amplification of specific loci, including two clusters of chorion genes that encode eggshell proteins. E2f2 mutant follicle cells terminate endocycles on schedule, but then fail to confine DNA synthesis to sites of gene amplification and inappropriately begin genomic DNA replication. This ectopic DNA synthesis does not represent a continuation of the endocycle program, as the cells do not complete an entire additional S phase. E2f2 mutant females display a 50% reduction in chorion gene amplification, and lay poorly viable eggs with a defective chorion. The replication proteins ORC2, CDC45L and ORC5, which in wild-type follicle cell nuclei localize to sites of gene amplification, are distributed throughout the entire follicle cell nucleus in E2f2 mutants, consistent with their use at many genomic replication origins rather than only at sites of gene amplification. RT-PCR analyses of RNA purified from E2f2 mutant follicle cells indicate an increase in the level of Orc5 mRNA relative to wild type. These data indicate that E2f2 functions to inhibit widespread genomic DNA synthesis in late stage follicle cells, and may do so by repressing the expression of specific components of the replication machinery

Promises and challenges of eco-physiological genomics in the field: Tests of drought responses in switchgrass

© 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.Identifying the physiological and genetic basis of stress tolerance in plants has proven to be critical to understanding adaptation in both agricultural and natural systems. However, many discoveries were initially made in the controlled conditions of greenhouses or laboratories, not in the field. To test the comparability of drought responses across field and greenhouse environments, we undertook three independent experiments using the switchgrass reference genotype Alamo AP13. We analyzed physiological and gene expression variation across four locations, two sampling times, and three years. Relatively similar physiological responses and expression coefficients of variation across experiments masked highly dissimilar gene expression responses to drought. Critically, a drought experiment utilizing small pots in the greenhouse elicited nearly identical physiological changes as an experiment conducted in the field, but an order of magnitude more differentially expressed genes. However, we were able to define a suite of several hundred genes that were differentially expressed across all experiments. This list was strongly enriched in photosynthesis, water status, and reactive oxygen species responsive genes. The strong acrossexperiment correlations between physiological plasticity-but not differential gene expression-highlight the complex and diverse genetic mechanisms that can produce phenotypically similar responses to various soil water deficits

Drought responsive gene expression regulatory divergence between upland and lowland ecotypes of a perennial C<inf>4</inf> grass

© 2016 Lovell et al.Climatic adaptation is an example of a genotype-by-environment interaction (G×E) of fitness. Selection upon gene expression regulatory variation can contribute to adaptive phenotypic diversity; however, surprisingly few studies have examined how genome-wide patterns of gene expression G×E are manifested in response to environmental stress and other selective agents that cause climatic adaptation. Here, we characterize drought-responsive expression divergence between upland (drought-adapted) and lowland (mesic) ecotypes of the perennial C4 grass, Panicum hallii, in natural field conditions. Overall, we find that cis-regulatory elements contributed to gene expression divergence across 47% of genes, 7.2% of which exhibit drought-responsive G×E. While less well-represented, we observe 1294 genes (7.8%) with trans effects. Trans-by-environment interactions are weaker and much less common than cis G×E, occurring in only 0.7% of trans-regulated genes. Finally, gene expression heterosis is highly enriched in expression phenotypes with significant G×E. As such, modes of inheritance that drive heterosis, such as dominance or overdominance, may be common among G×E genes. Interestingly, motifs specific to drought-responsive transcription factors are highly enriched in the promoters of genes exhibiting G×E and trans regulation, indicating that expression G×E and heterosis may result from the evolution of transcription factors or their binding sites. P. hallii serves as the genomic model for its close relative and emerging biofuel crop, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). Accordingly, the results here not only aid in the discovery of the genetic mechanisms that underlie local adaptation but also provide a foundation to improve switchgrass yield under water-limited conditions

Vitamin E and selenium plasma concentrations in weanling pigs under field conditions in Norwegian pig herds

BACKGROUND: The status of α-tocopherol (vit E) and selenium (Se) has been shown to influence disease resistance in pigs, and may be important for the health of weanling pigs. METHODS: Plasma levels of both vit E and Se were followed in weanling pigs under field conditions in six Norwegian pig herds. Plasma vit E and Se were measured in 3 sows from each herd and 4 piglets in the litter of each sow at the day before weaning (day -1); and in the same piglets at days 4, 8 and 18 after weaning. RESULTS: Mean plasma vit E was 4.0 μg/ml in the sows and 2.6 μg/ml in the piglets at day -1, fell to 1.6 μg/ml in the weanling pigs at day 4, and remained low. Mean plasma Se was 0.22 μg/g in the sows and 0.08 μg/g in the piglets at day -1, rose to 0.10 μg/g in the weanlings at day 4, and continued rising. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that vit E and Se supplementation to piglets and weanling pigs in Norway may still be suboptimal, but that levels of the two nutrients partially compensate for each other in the weaning period

The genomic landscape of molecular responses to natural drought stress in Panicum hallii

© 2018, The Author(s). Environmental stress is a major driver of ecological community dynamics and agricultural productivity. This is especially true for soil water availability, because drought is the greatest abiotic inhibitor of worldwide crop yields. Here, we test the genetic basis of drought responses in the genetic model for C4 perennial grasses, Panicum hallii, through population genomics, field-scale gene-expression (eQTL) analysis, and comparison of two complete genomes. While gene expression networks are dominated by local cis-regulatory elements, we observe three genomic hotspots of unlinked trans-regulatory loci. These regulatory hubs are four times more drought responsive than the genome-wide average. Additionally, cis- and trans-regulatory networks are more likely to have opposing effects than expected under neutral evolution, supporting a strong influence of compensatory evolution and stabilizing selection. These results implicate trans-regulatory evolution as a driver of drought responses and demonstrate the potential for crop improvement in drought-prone regions through modification of gene regulatory networks

Key stages in mammary gland development: The cues that regulate ductal branching morphogenesis

Part of how the mammary gland fulfills its function of producing and delivering adequate amounts of milk is by forming an extensive tree-like network of branched ducts from a rudimentary epithelial bud. This process, termed branching morphogenesis, begins in fetal development, pauses after birth, resumes in response to estrogens at puberty, and is refined in response to cyclic ovarian stimulation once the margins of the mammary fat pad are met. Thus it is driven by systemic hormonal stimuli that elicit local paracrine interactions between the developing epithelial ducts and their adjacent embryonic mesenchyme or postnatal stroma. This local cellular cross-talk, in turn, orchestrates the tissue remodeling that ultimately produces a mature ductal tree. Although the precise mechanisms are still unclear, our understanding of branching in the mammary gland and elsewhere is rapidly improving. Moreover, many of these mechanisms are hijacked, bypassed, or corrupted during the development and progression of cancer. Thus a clearer understanding of the underlying endocrine and paracrine pathways that regulate mammary branching may shed light on how they contribute to cancer and how their ill effects might be overcome or entirely avoided

Type I insulin-like growth factor receptor over-expression induces proliferation and anti-apoptotic signaling in a three-dimensional culture model of breast epithelial cells

INTRODUCTION: Activation of the type I insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGFIR) promotes proliferation and inhibits apoptosis in a variety of cell types. Transgenic mice expressing a constitutively active IGFIR or IGF-I develop mammary tumors and increased levels of IGFIR have been detected in primary breast cancers. However, the contribution of IGFIR activation in promoting breast cancer progression remains unknown. Mammary epithelial cell lines grown in three-dimensional cultures form acinar structures that mimic the round, polarized, hollow and growth-arrested features of mammary alveoli. We used this system to determine how proliferation and survival signaling by IGFIR activation affects breast epithelial cell biology and contributes to breast cancer progression. METHODS: Pooled, stable MCF-10A breast epithelial cells expressing wild-type IGFIR or kinase-dead IGFIR (K1003A) were generated using retroviral-mediated gene transfer. The effects of over-expression of wild-type or kinase-dead IGFIR on breast epithelial cell biology were analyzed by confocal microscopy of three-dimensional cultures. The contribution of signaling pathways downstream of IGFIR activation to proliferation and apoptosis were determined by pharmacological inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3' kinase (PI3K) with LY294002, MAP kinase kinase (MEK) with UO126 and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) with rapamycin. RESULTS: We found that MCF-10A cells over-expressing the IGFIR formed large, misshapen acinar structures with filled lumina and disrupted apico-basal polarization. This phenotype was ligand-dependent, occurring with IGF-I or supraphysiological doses of insulin, and did not occur in cells over-expressing the kinase-dead receptor. We observed increased proliferation, decreased apoptosis and increased phosphorylation of Ser(473 )of Akt and Ser(2448 )of mTOR throughout IGFIR structures. Inhibition of PI3K with LY294002 or MEK with UO126 prevented the development of acinar structures from IGFIR-expressing but not control cells. The mTOR inhibitor rapamycin failed to prevent IGFIR-induced hyperproliferation and survival signaling. CONCLUSION: Increased proliferation and survival signaling as well as loss of apico-basal polarity by IGFIR activation in mammary epithelial cells may promote early lesions of breast cancer. Three-dimensional cultures of MCF-10A cells over-expressing the IGFIR are a useful model with which to study the role of IGFIR signaling in breast cancer progression and for characterizing the effects of chemotherapeutics targeted to IGFIR signaling