Leadership Practices of Council Secretaries in Turbulent Times:A Case Study

There is an increased interest among scientists and practitioners in leadership in complex and adaptive systems (adaptive leadership). Here we present qualitative research into the leadership styles and functions of a small sample of council secretaries in the Netherlands. The results from in-depth interviews show that in practice the formal and bureaucratic leadership functions are still dominant, leaving little room for adaptive and enabling leadership. This paper explores the extent to which the public and political circumstances influence the execution of these leadership functions. The main conclusion of our research is that leadership theory and practice diverge greatly

Sex Differences in the Sleep EEG of Young Adults: Visual Scoring and Spectral Analysis

Baseline sleep of 13 men (mean age of 23.5 years) and 15 women (21.9 years) was analyzed. Visual scoring of the electroencephalograms (EEGs) revealed no significant differences between the sexes in the amounts of slow-wave sleep and rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep. Spectral analysis, however, detected significantly higher power densities during non-REM sleep over a wide frequency range (0.25-11.0 Hz) in the female versus male subjects. Also, during REM sleep, power densities were higher in the females. Analysis of the time course of EEG power density during sleep revealed that the differences between males and females persisted throughout the sleep episode. Comparison of these differences with published data on the effects of sleep deprivation on EEG power spectra did not suggest a common mechanism underlying sleep deprivation effects and the sex difference in sleep EEGs. It is concluded that sex differences in EEG power spectra are not likely to be caused by sex differences in sleep regulatory mechanisms but may, for instance, be caused by sex differences in skull characteristics.

Biocatalytic Synthesis of Maltodextrin-Based Acrylates from Starch and alpha-Cyclodextrin

Novel 2-(beta-maltooligooxy)-ethyl (meth) acrylate monomers are successfully synthesized by CGTase from Bacillus macerans catalyzed coupling of 2-(beta-glucosyloxy)-ethyl acrylate and methacrylate with a-cyclodextrin or starch. HPLC-UV analysis shows that the CGTase catalyzed reaction yields 2-(beta-maltooligooxy)-ethyl acrylates with 1 to 15 glucopyranosyl units. H-1 NMR spectroscopy reveals that the beta-linkage in the acceptor molecule is preserved during the CGTase catalyzed coupling reaction, whereas the newly introduced glucose units are attached by alpha-(1,4)-glycosidic linkages. The synthesized 2-(beta-maltooligooxy)-ethyl acrylate monomers are successfully polymerized by aqueous free radical polymerization to yield the comb-shaped glycopolymer poly(2-(beta-maltooligooxy)-ethyl acrylate)

Quantitative Analysis of the Effects of Slow Wave Sleep Deprivation During the First 3 h of Sleep on Subsequent EEG Power Density

The relation between EEG power density during slow wave sleep (SWS) deprivation and power density during subsequent sleep was investigated. Nine young male adults slept in the laboratory for 3 consecutive nights. Spectral analysis of the EEG on the 2nd (baseline) night revealed an exponential decline in mean EEG power density (0.25-15.0 Hz) over successive nonrapid eye movement - rapid eye movement sleep cycles. During the first 3 h of the 3rd night the subjects were deprived of SWS by means of acoustic stimuli, which did not induce wakefulness. During SWS deprivation an attenuation of EEG power densities was observed in the delta frequencies, as well as in the theta band. In the hours of sleep following SWS deprivation both the power densities in the frequency range from 1 to 7 Hz and the amount of SWS were enhanced, relative to the same period of the baseline night. Both the amount of EEG energy accumulating subsequent to SWS deprivation and its time course could be predicted accurately from the EEG energy deficit caused by SWS deprivation. The data show that the level of integral EEG power density during a certain period after sleep onset depends on the amount of EEG energy accumulated during the preceding sleep rather than on the time elapsed since sleep onset. In terms of the two-process model of sleep regulation this finding indicates that EEG power density reflects the rate of decay of the regulating variable, S, rather than S itself, as was originally postulated.

Transdisciplinary learning trajectories:developing action and attitude in interplay

Addressing complex societal challenges requires professionals capable of integrating multiple perspectives on problems and possible solutions. This requires crossing disciplinary boundaries and boundaries between science and society. Transdisciplinary approaches respond to this demand by deliberately integrating knowledge of different disciplinary specialists and societal actors for a joint framing and co-creation of new options for addressing societal challenges. There is, however, limited understanding of which assets transdisciplinary work requires and how students can be trained in these. We studied transdisciplinary learning in the context of a novel course in which students engaged in multi-actor agenda-setting and facilitated multi-actor dialog sessions at a community event. We found that with the support of teachers and a detailed script, and by acquiring knowledge and skills through theoretical learning and exercises, students were able to facilitate safe and structured multi-stakeholder dialog sessions. Shifts towards a more transdisciplinary attitude were sparked by eye-opening experiences in transdisciplinary encounters if students processed these critically and openly. Based on our findings we propose “Transdisciplinary Learning Trajectories” which conceptualizes transdisciplinary learning as developing the ability to engage in transdisciplinary action and developing towards a transdisciplinary attitude. Based on our findings, we argue for a combination of experiential and instruction approaches that support learning in both dimensions, simultaneously and in interplay.</p