General intelligence, personality traits, and motivation as predictors of performance, potential, and rate of advancement of Royal Navy senior officers

This paper assesses the impact of general intelligence, as well as specific personality traits, and aspects of motivation, on performance, potential, and advancement of senior leaders. A questionnaire survey was conducted on the full population of 381 senior officers in the Royal Navy with an 80% response rate. Performance, potential, and rate of advancement were established direct from the organization’s appraisal system; intelligence, personality traits and motivation were assessed, at the time of the study, using the Verify G+ Test, Occupational Personality Questionnaire, and Motivation Questionnaire. Findings suggest differences in motivation are more important than differences in general intelligence, or personality traits, in predicting assessed performance, potential within, and actual rate of advancement to, senior leadership positions. This is a rare example of a study into very senior leaders, validated against both formal appraisal data and actual rates of advancement. As a consequence of this study the Royal Navy has started to use psychometric-based assessments as part of the selection and development of its most Senior Officers

An investigation into the relationship between the leadership competencies, emotional intelligence, and leadership styles of Russian managers working for MNCs

The need for greater understanding of international leadership models has escalated in tandem with the globalization of trade and commerce. This dissertation presents the comparative-cultural study undertaken to address these two critical issues; employing the Russian Federation as the cultural context for the investigation. Cross-cultural research highlights a deficit of up-to-date comparative data on Russian organizational leadership, whilst practitioners articulate the demand for Russia-appropriate leadership development expertise. Increasingly, scholars advocate the application of integrated theories for assessing organizational leadership; contributing to several scholars updating trait theory into competency terms (including emotional competencies). Recent studies in the UK have established linkages amongst the competencies required for effective leadership, executives' emotional competencies, and the demonstrated leadership styles of managers. This research extends these UK findings, investigating the possible relationship between the leadership competencies, Emotional Intelligence (EI), and leadership styles of Russian managers working within domestic and foreign MNCs. The researcher employed the Leadership Dimensions Questionnaire (LDQ) as the standardized measurement instrument for conducting this "etic" (comparative) study. The LDQ assesses managers based on 15 dimensions, representing cognitive (IQ), Emotional Intelligence (EQ), and managerial competencies (MQ); generating a leadership style "profile" based on the respondent's scores. A combination of online and paper-based self-report versions of the LDQ (recently validated and utilized in several key UK studies) facilitated the data collection from the participating Russian managers (n = 152), over a 12- month period. Major findings of this research include: the identification of a clear leadership style preference by the Russian manager-sample ("participative"); statistically significant differences between the Russian and UK samples - on 14 of the 15 dimensions; distinctive differences in the competencies required for senior versus junior managers; "communication" was predictive of Russian leader performance, whilst follower commitment was predicted by leaders' levels of "sensitivity" and "communication". Contributions of this research to theory include: the identification of an up-to-date leadership profile of Russian managers, in competency terms, which can be compared with other cultures; a comparative cultural assessment of Russian managers' based on EI; a comparison of Russian managers at different levels of large companies, with special attention to their similarities and differences. Implications of this research for practitioners include: the ability for organizations operating in Russia to identify/develop leaders based on their personal leadership profiles (executive training and development), as assessed by the LDQ; the potential for identifying and fostering competencies required of managers at higher levels within the organization (promotion; as roles and responsibilities differ at various levels within an organization); the opportunity for matching appropriate leadership styles to conform with organizational strategies and the surrounding business environment (strategic leadership style/context fit).EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Tetramodal Chemical Imaging Delineates the Lipid–Amyloid Peptide Interplay at Single Plaques in Transgenic Alzheimer’s Disease Models

Beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaque pathology is one of the most prominent histopathological feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The exact pathogenic mechanisms linking Aβ to AD pathogenesis remain however not fully understood. Recent advances in amyloid-targeting pharmacotherapies highlight the critical relevance of Aβ aggregation for understanding the molecular basis of AD pathogenesis. We developed a novel, integrated, tetramodal chemical imaging paradigm for acquisition of trimodal mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) and interlaced fluorescent microscopy from a single tissue section. We used this approach to comprehensively investigate lipid–Aβ correlates at single plaques in two different mouse models of AD (tgAPPSwe and tgAPPArcSwe) with varying degrees of intrinsic properties affecting amyloid aggregation. Integration of the multimodal imaging data and multivariate data analysis identified characteristic patterns of plaque-associated lipid- and peptide localizations across both mouse models. Correlative fluorescence microscopy using structure-sensitive amyloid probes identified intra-plaque structure-specific lipid- and Aβ patterns, including Aβ 1–40 and Aβ 1–42 along with gangliosides (GM), phosphoinositols (PI), conjugated ceramides (CerP and PE-Cer), and lysophospholipids (LPC, LPA, and LPI). Single plaque correlation analysis across all modalities further revealed how these distinct lipid species were associated with Aβ peptide deposition across plaque heterogeneity, indicating different roles for those lipids in plaque growth and amyloid fibrillation, respectively. Here, conjugated ceramide species correlated with Aβ core formation indicating their involvement in initial plaque seeding or amyloid maturation. In contrast, LPI and PI were solely correlated with general plaque growth. In addition, GM1 and LPC correlated with continuous Aβ deposition and maturation. The results highlight the potential of this comprehensive multimodal imaging approach and implement distinct lipids in amyloidogenic proteinopathy

The impact of mindfulness meditation training and practice on post-graduate coaching students

This study aims to examine the insights and development of post-graduate trainee-coaches engaged in mindfulness meditation training and how mindfulness meditation contributed to their development and performance

The Relationships between Cerebrospinal Fluid Glial (CXCL12, CX3CL, YKL-40) and Synaptic Biomarkers (Ng, NPTXR) in Early Alzheimer’s Disease

In addition to amyloid and tau pathology in the central nervous system (CNS), inflammatory processes and synaptic dysfunction are highly important mechanisms involved in the development and progression of dementia diseases. In the present study, we conducted a comparative analysis of selected pro-inflammatory proteins in the CNS with proteins reflecting synaptic damage and core biomarkers in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early Alzheimer’s disease (AD). To our knowledge, no studies have yet compared CXCL12 and CX3CL1 with markers of synaptic disturbance in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the early stages of dementia. The quantitative assessment of selected proteins in the CSF of patients with MCI, AD, and non-demented controls (CTRL) was performed using immunoassays (single- and multiplex techniques). In this study, increased CSF concentration of CX3CL1 in MCI and AD patients correlated positively with neurogranin (r = 0.74; p < 0.001, and r = 0.40; p = 0.020, respectively), ptau181 (r = 0.49; p = 0.040), and YKL-40 (r = 0.47; p = 0.050) in MCI subjects. In addition, elevated CSF levels of CXCL12 in the AD group were significantly associated with mini-mental state examination score (r = −0.32; p = 0.040). We found significant evidence to support an association between CX3CL1 and neurogranin, already in the early stages of cognitive decline. Furthermore, our findings indicate that CXCL12 might be a useful marker for tract severity of cognitive impairment

A field study of team working in a new human supervisory control system

This paper presents a case study of an investigation into team behaviour in an energy distribution company. The main aim was to investigate the impact of major changes in the company on system performance, comprising human and technical elements. A socio-technical systems approach was adopted. There were main differences between the teams investigated in the study: the time of year each control room was studied (i.e. summer or winter),the stage of development each team was in (i.e. 10 months), and the team structure (i.e. hierarchical or heterarchical). In all other respects the control rooms were the same: employing the same technology and within the same organization. The main findings were: the teams studied in the winter months were engaged in more `planning’ and `awareness’ type of activities than those studies in the summer months. Newer teams seem to be engaged in more sharing of information than older teams, which maybe indicative of the development process. One of the hierarchical teams was engaged in more `system-driven’ activities than the heterarchical team studied at the same time of year. Finally, in general, the heterarchical team perceived a greater degree of team working culture than its hierarchical counterparts. This applied research project confirms findings from laboratory research and emphasizes the importance of involving ergonomics in the design of team working in human supervisory control

Association of Serum Brain-Derived Tau With Clinical Outcome and Longitudinal Change in Patients With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Importance: Blood-based measurements of total tau (T-tau) are commonly used to examine neuronal injury in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), but current assays do not differentiate between brain-derived tau (BD-tau) and tau produced in peripheral tissues. A novel assay for BD-tau has recently been reported that selectively quantifies nonphosphorylated tau of central nervous system origin in blood samples. Objectives: To examine the association of serum BD-tau with clinical outcomes in patients with severe TBI (sTBI) and its longitudinal changes over 1 year. Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective cohort study was conducted at the neurointensive unit at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden, between September 1, 2006, and July 1, 2015. The study included 39 patients with sTBI followed up for up to 1 year. Statistical analysis was performed between October and November 2021. Exposures: Serum BD-tau, T-tau, phosphorylated tau231 (p-tau231), and neurofilament light chain (NfL) measured on days 0, 7, and 365 after injury. Main Outcomes and Measures: Associations of serum biomarkers with clinical outcome and longitudinal change in sTBI. Severity of sTBI was evaluated using the Glasgow Coma Scale at hospital admission, while clinical outcome was assessed with the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) at 1-year follow-up. Participants were classified as having a favorable outcome (GOS score, 4-5) or unfavorable outcome (GOS score, 1-3). Results: Among the 39 patients (median age at admission, 36 years [IQR, 22-54 years]; 26 men [66.7%]) in the study on day 0, the mean (SD) serum BD-tau level was higher among patients with unfavorable outcomes vs those with favorable outcomes (191.4 [190.8] pg/mL vs 75.6 [60.3] pg/mL; mean difference, 115.9 pg/mL [95% CI, 25.7-206.1 pg/mL]), while the other markers had smaller between-group mean differences (serum T-tau, 60.3 pg/mL [95% CI, -22.0 to 142.7 pg/mL]; serum p-tau231, 8.3 pg/mL [95% CI, -6.4 to 23.0 pg/mL]; serum NfL, -5.4 pg/mL [95% CI, -99.0 to 88.3 pg/mL]). Similar results were recorded on day 7. Longitudinally, baseline serum BD-tau concentrations showed slower decreases in the whole cohort (42.2% on day 7 [from 138.6 to 80.1 pg/mL] and 93.0% on day 365 [from 138.6 to 9.7 pg/mL]) compared with serum T-tau (81.5% on day 7 [from 57.3 to 10.6 pg/mL] and 99.0% on day 365 [from 57.3 to 0.6 pg/mL]) and p-tau231 (92.5% on day 7 [from 20.1 to 1.5 pg/mL] and 95.0% on day 365 [from 20.1 to 1.0 pg/mL]). These results did not change when considering clinical outcome, where T-tau decreased twice as fast as BD-tau in both groups. Similar results were obtained for p-tau231. Furthermore, the biomarker levels on day 365 were lower, compared with day 7, for BD-tau but not T-tau or p-tau231. Serum NfL had a different trajectory to the tau biomarkers, with levels increasing by 255.9% on day 7 compared with day 0 (from 86.8 to 308.9 pg/mL) but decreasing by 97.0% by day 365 vs day 7 (from 308.9 to 9.2 pg/mL). Conclusions and Relevance: This study suggests that serum BD-tau, T-tau, and p-tau231 have differential associations with clinical outcome and 1-year longitudinal change in patients with sTBI. Serum BD-tau demonstrated utility as a biomarker to monitor outcomes in sTBI and can provide valuable information regarding acute neuronal damage

Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease in Clinical Practice: The Role of CSF Biomarkers during the Evolution of Diagnostic Criteria

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive condition and the most common cause of dementia worldwide. The neuropathological changes characteristic of the disorder can be successfully detected before the development of full-blown AD. Early diagnosis of the disease constitutes a formidable challenge for clinicians. CSF biomarkers are the in vivo evidence of neuropathological changes developing in the brain of dementia patients. Therefore, measurement of their concentrations allows for improved accuracy of clinical diagnosis. Moreover, AD biomarkers may provide an indication of disease stage. Importantly, the CSF biomarkers of AD play a pivotal role in the new diagnostic criteria for the disease, and in the recent biological definition of AD by the National Institute on Aging, NIH and Alzheimer’s Association. Due to the necessity of collecting CSF by lumbar puncture, the procedure seems to be an important issue not only from a medical, but also a legal, viewpoint. Furthermore, recent technological advances may contribute to the automation of AD biomarkers measurement and may result in the establishment of unified cut-off values and reference limits. Moreover, a group of international experts in the field of AD biomarkers have developed a consensus and guidelines on the interpretation of CSF biomarkers in the context of AD diagnosis. Thus, technological advancement and expert recommendations may contribute to a more widespread use of these diagnostic tests in clinical practice to support a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia due to AD. This review article presents up-to-date data regarding the usefulness of CSF biomarkers in routine clinical practice and in biomarkers research

Instruments to measure the ability to self-reflect:A systematic review of evidence from workplace and educational settings including health care

Introduction: Self-reflection has become recognised as a core skill in dental education, although the ability to self-reflect is valued and measured within several professions. This review appraises the evidence for instruments available to measure the self-reflective ability of adults studying or working within any setting, not just health care. Materials and Methods: A systematic review was conducted of 20 electronic databases (including Medline, ERIC, CINAHL and Business Source Complete) from 1975 to 2017, supplemented by citation searches. Data were extracted from each study and the studies graded against quality indicators by at least two independent reviewers, using a coding sheet. Reviewers completed a utility analysis of the assessment instruments described within included studies, appraising their reported reliability, validity, educational impact, acceptability and cost. Results: A total of 131 studies met the inclusion criteria. Eighteen were judged to provide higher quality evidence for the review and three broad types of instrument were identified, namely: rubrics (or scoring guides), self-reported scales and observed behaviour. Conclusions: Three types of instrument were identified to assess the ability to self-reflect. It was not possible to recommend a single most effective instrument due to under reporting of the criteria necessary for a full utility analysis of each. The use of more than one instrument may therefore be appropriate dependent on the acceptability to the faculty, assessor, student and cost. Future research should report on the utility of assessment instruments and provide guidance on what constitutes thresholds of acceptable or unacceptable ability to self-reflect, and how this should be managed

Managing Diversity : The Challenges of Inter-University Cooperation in Sustainability Education

One of the main challenges in sustainability discourse is its multifaceted nature often requiring that many different disciplines must cooperate in order to achieve progress. This issue also concerns sustainability education. In the article, we highlighted the experiences from the international cooperation of university teachers and researchers with highly diverse professional backgrounds who worked together on developing educational materials for university students in sustainability-oriented courses. The study is based on qualitative, participatory evaluation research, applying two rounds of open-ended questionnaires distributed to the same respondents (n = 18). For the analysis, we used the open-coding procedure for identifying the main categories. The results show some of the opportunities and barriers that emerged in the process of this cooperation. In particular, we discuss the issues related to the high heterogeneity of the group, such as the clashes of the different perspectives on the topics covered, group dynamics issues, trust, facilitation challenges, and also opportunities that such heterogeneity offers. We highlight the importance of open reflectivity in sustainability-oriented educational projects as the key to their successful implementation. Finally, we believe that results of this participatory study are useful in designing new projects aiming at further improvement of academic education in sustainability and sustainable development