Integrating Polyvagal Theory With Agile Project Management

The modern project management environment has become more complex due to various influences. For instance, stress and trauma are recognized as powerful influences on employee behaviors and decision-making. Although past studies have attempted to understand the psychology behind this phenomenon, scarce research has been performed on the influence of the autonomic nervous system on project management outcomes. Accordingly, this paper investigates the underlying nervous system responses that shape project management activities in different organizations. It relies on the Polyvagal Theory to elucidate the neurobiological responses that emerge when project managers are faced with stressful, dangerous or life-threatening situations. Thus, the paper can offer feasible recommendations for optimizing project management outcomes by strengthening the link between the heart, mind, and body

Exploratory Study of Polyvagal Theory and Underlying Stress and Trauma That Influence Major Leadership Approaches

Leadership approaches have evolved to incorporate rational and non-rational processes. Traditional leadership research focused on internal and external organizational influences, but this paper underscores the need for adopting modern-day approaches for investigating leadership outcomes. Neuroscience can illuminate different cognitive effects that influence leadership. The research paper highlights the importance of attitudes towards leadership due to the complexity of modern organizational influences. The main forces highlighted are polyvagal theory, underlying stress, and trauma. A literature review provides a description of the fundamental neural and cognitive drivers of leadership. The paper also explains the findings of research studies demonstrating the correlation between neurocognitive processes and three leadership approaches: transactional, transformational and servant leadership. The discussion section elaborates these findings to determine whether insights can be applied in typical organizational settings. Lastly, the conclusion section summarizes the main deductions and explains limitations and recommendations for future exploratory investigations on rational and non-rational leadership choices. Overall, the paper attempts to justify why non-rational drivers carry equal weight as the rational influences

The Vitamin D Requirements of Chickens

Topics include: Review of Previous Investigations; The Vitamin D Requirements of Chicks; The Vitamin D Requirements of Hens; Summary; Literature Cite

The ROMK potassium channel is present in mammalian urinary tract epithelia and muscle

There is increasing evidence that mammalian urinary tract epithelial cells utilize membrane channels and transporters to transport solutes across their apical (luminal) and basalateral membranes to modify solute concentrations in both cell and urine. This study investigates the expression, localization, and regulation of the ROMK (Kir 1.1) potassium channels in rat and dog ureter and bladder tissues. Immunoblots of homogenates of whole ureter, whole bladder, bladder epithelial cells, and bladder smooth muscle tissues in both rat and dog identified ∼45- to 50-kDa bands characteristic of ROMK in all tissues. RT-PCR identified ROMK mRNA in these same tissues in both animal species. ROMK protein localized by immunocytochemistry was strongly expressed in the apical membranes of the large umbrella cells lining the bladder lumen and to a lesser extent in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells and smooth muscle cells in the rat bladder. ROMK protein and mRNA were also discovered in cardiac, striated, and smooth muscle in diverse organs. There was no difference in immunoblot expression of ROMK abundance in bladder homogenates (whole bladder, epithelial cell, or muscle cell) or ureteral homogenates between groups of rats fed high- or low-potassium diets. Although the functional role of ROMK in urinary tract epithelia and smooth muscle is unknown, ROMK may participate in the regulation of epithelial and smooth muscle cell volume and osmolality, in the dissipation of potassium leaked or diffused from urine across the epithelial cell apical membranes or tight junctions, and in net or bidirectional potassium transport across urinary tract epithelia