The power of play in developing emotional intelligence impacting leadership success: a study of the leadership team in a Midwest private, liberal arts university

Higher education leaders have a unique position of power and influence that can span generations (Clawson, 2009). Previous research discovered emotional intelligence to be the single biggest predictor of performance in the workplace and strongest driver of leadership and personal excellence (Bar-On, 1997; Brown, 2009; Goleman & Boyatzis, 2008; Zeidner, Matthews, & Roberts, 2012). Play develops sensing capabilities for teamwork, self-awareness, empathy, trust, and compassion, which inform development of emotional intelligence. Exploring the influence of play in developing emotional intelligence fills a void in existing research. This explanatory sequential mixed methods study sought to discover the power of play in developing emotional intelligence in higher education leaders and the resulting impact on their ability to develop and lead emotionally intelligent teams in creating a high-performing organization. Research questions focused on assessing individual emotional intelligence, team emotional and social intelligence, the meaning of the power of play and its impact in developing emotional intelligence, personal play history descriptions, power of play in developing emotional intelligence (individual and team), and describing emotional intelligence skill level and its impact on personal leadership success. The Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT), Team Emotional and Social Intelligence (TESI), and personal play history narratives (gathered with five researcher-designed questions) were the instruments used. The study was conducted with the eight members of the University Cabinet of a private, Liberal Arts university in the Midwest. All eight members fully participated in the research, with honest and oftentimes personal responses, providing rich data for examination. Participants expressed a high level of awareness of the value of play over a lifetime to maintain good physical and psychological health. They also were able to make direct linkages to their play experiences in developing their individual and team emotional intelligence skills. Finally, a common desire was expressed to grow emotional intelligence skills, integrate play more into the work environment, and build the high performing, playful, and healthy organizational culture they desire. The contribution this study makes is important to allow future researchers to gather and examine additional evidence to support the relationship between play, emotional intelligence skill development, and leadership success

A novel parallel nanomixer for high-throughput single-molecule fluorescence detection

This paper introduces a novel fluidic device based on syringe-driven flow of fluorescent species through a parallel array of nanochannels, in which the geometrical confinement enables long observation times of non-immobilized\ud molecules. Extremely low flow rates are achieved by operating the array of nanochannels in parallel with a larger microchannel. The addition of a second microfluidic inlet allows for mixing different species in a well-defined volume,\ud enabling the study of irreversible reactions such as DNA synthesis in real-time using single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer. Devices are fabricated in glass with the purpose of high-throughput single-molecule\ud fluorescence detection

A single-molecule FRET sensor for monitoring DNA synthesis in real time

We developed a versatile DNA assay and framework for monitoring polymerization of DNA in real time and at the single-molecule level

Advances in multi-parametric mixed-integer programming and its applications

At many stages of process engineering we are confronted with data that have not yet revealed their true values. Uncertainty in the underlying mathematical model of real processes is common and poses an additional challenge on its solution. Multi-parametric programming is a powerful tool to account for the presence of uncertainty in mathematical models. It provides a complete map of the optimal solution of the perturbed problem in the parameter space. Mixed integer linear programming has widespread application in process engineering such as process design, planning and scheduling, and the control of hybrid systems. A particular difficulty arises, significantly increasing the complexity and computational effort in retrieving the optimal solution of the problem, when uncertainty is simultaneously present in the coefficients of the objective function and the constraints, yielding a general multi-parametric (mp)-MILP problem. In this thesis, we present novel solution strategies for this class of problems. A global optimization procedure for mp-MILP problems, which adapts techniques from the deterministic case to the multi-parametric framework, has been developed. One of the challenges in multi-parametric global optimization is that parametric profiles, and not scalar values as in the deterministic case, need to be compared. To overcome the computational burden to derive a globally optimal solution, two-stage methods for the approximate solution of mp-MILP problems are proposed. The first approach combines robust optimization and multi-parametric programming; whereas in the second approach suitable relaxations of bilinear terms are employed to linearize the constraints during the approximation stage. The choice of approximation techniques used in the two-stage method has impact on the conservatism of the solution estimate that is generated. Lastly, multi-parametric programming based two-stage methods are applied in pro-active short-term scheduling of batch processes when faced with varied sources of uncertainty, such of price, demand and operational level uncertainty.Open Acces

Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity of κ-Carrageenan Gels Investigated via Single-Particle-Tracking Fluorescence Microscopy

Hydrogels made of the polysaccharide κ-carrageenan are widely used in the food and personal care industry as thickeners or gelling agents. These hydrogels feature dense regions embedded in a coarser bulk network, but the characteristic size and behavior of these regions have remained elusive. Here, we use single-particle-tracking fluorescence microscopy (sptFM) to quantitatively describe κ-carrageenan gels. Infusing fluorescent probes into fully gelated κ-carrageenan hydrogels resulted in two distinct diffusional behaviors. Obstructed self-diffusion of the probes revealed that the coarse network consists of κ-carrageenan strands with a typical diameter of 3.2 ± 0.3 nm leading to a nanoprobe diffusion coefficient of ∼1-5 × 10-12 m2/s. In the dense network regions, we found a fraction with a largely decreased diffusion coefficient of ∼1 × 10-13 m2/s. We also observed dynamic exchange between these states. The computation of spatial mobility maps from the diffusional data indicated that the dense network regions have a characteristic diameter of ∼1 μm and show mobility on the second-to-minute timescale. sptFM provides an unprecedented view of spatiotemporal heterogeneity of hydrogel networks, which we believe bears general relevance for understanding transport and release of both low- and high-molecular weight solutes.</p

Frühergebnisse nach medialer Hemiarthroplastik Typ Oxford bei anteromedialer Gonarthrose- Implantatpositionierung - Überlebenskurve - Frühversagen

An der Orthopädischen Universitätsklinik Rostock wurden 44 Oxford-2-Prothesen untersucht. Die Auswertung erfolgte mittels HSS-Score, VAS-Scala und Röntgenaufnahmen. Der Nachuntersuchungszeitraum betrug 20,8 Monate. Der HSS-Score stieg von durchschnittlich 58 auf 78 Punkte, der Bewegungsumfang von 102° auf 110°. Beinachse und Implantatstellung entsprachen den Empfehlungen. Trotzdem mussten 6 Implantate im Untersuchungszeitraum gewechselt werden (86% kumulatives Überleben). Die Revisionen waren wegen aseptischer Lockerung, mechanischen Komplikationen und lateraler Anschlussgonarthrose nötig.The Orthopaedic Department of the University of Rostock implanted 44 Oxford-2-hemiarthroplastics. At follow up after 20,8 month we compared HSS-score, VAS-scale and X-rays. The HSS-Score improved from 58 to 78 points, the range of motion improved from 102 to 110 degrees. The leg axis was reconstructed into physiological range, the impantposition was within the recommendations. Within the first two years 6 Implants had to be revised (86% survival) due to aseptic loosening, mechanical complications and lateral gonarthosis

Unravelling mechanisms of protein and lipid oxidation in mayonnaise at multiple length scales

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Forster resonance energy transfer and protein-induced fluorescence enhancement as synergetic multiscale molecular rulers

Advanced microscopy methods allow obtaining information on (dynamic) conformational changes in biomolecules via measuring a single molecular distance in the structure. It is, however, extremely challenging to capture the full depth of a three-dimensional biochemical state, binding-related structural changes or conformational cross-talk in multi-protein complexes using one-dimensional assays. In this paper we address this fundamental problem by extending the standard molecular ruler based on Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) into a two-dimensional assay via its combination with protein-induced fluorescence enhancement (PIFE). We show that donor brightness (via PIFE) and energy transfer efficiency (via FRET) can simultaneously report on e.g., the conformational state of double stranded DNA (dsDNA) following its interaction with unlabelled proteins (BamHI, EcoRV, and T7 DNA polymerase gp5/trx). The PIFE-FRET assay uses established labelling protocols and single molecule fluorescence detection schemes (alternating-laser excitation, ALEX). Besides quantitative studies of PIFE and FRET ruler characteristics, we outline possible applications of ALEX-based PIFE-FRET for single-molecule studies with diffusing and immobilized molecules. Finally, we study transcription initiation and scrunching of E. coli RNA-polymerase with PIFE-FRET and provide direct evidence for the physical presence and vicinity of the polymerase that causes structural changes and scrunching of the transcriptional DNA bubble