Creating Positive Impact: The Power of Greater Purpose and Consciousness of Connectedness

As the idea of business as a positive force in society continues to grow, we ask: Under what conditions do business leaders transform their companies into organizations that create positive value for all stakeholders, generate above-average economic returns, and serve personal well-being, community health, a fair and inclusive society, and a thriving natural environment? This study aims to explore the underlying factors and motivations of business as a force for good, and to identify practical guidance for business leaders wishing to create a positive impact through their organizations. Our prior research led us to hypothesize that a leader’s mindset—or consciousness—is the foundation of a leader’s orientation toward meaningful social responsibility, and that a clear higher purpose for a business galvanizes an organization toward positive outcomes. To test our understanding, we conducted a quantitative, survey-based study to explore the relationship between the consciousness of leaders, the expression of greater purpose as part of the business mission, the relational climate in the company, and the results achieved by the business (economic, social, and environmental). Our findings suggest that leader consciousness has a significant impact on the climate in an organization (which mediates the impact on business results), and that greater purpose is a powerful force impacting relational climate and positive economic, social, and environmental outcomes

Generalized Parabolas as Centers of Variable Circles

Undergraduate Basi

The Conserved G-Protein Coupled Receptor FSHR-1 Regulates Protective Host Responses to Infection and Oxidative Stress

The innate immune system’s ability to sense an infection is critical so that it can rapidly respond if pathogenic microorganisms threaten the host, but otherwise maintain a quiescent baseline state to avoid causing damage to the host or to commensal microorganisms. One important mechanism for discriminating between pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria is the recognition of cellular damage caused by a pathogen during the course of infection. InCaenorhabditis elegans, the conserved G-protein coupled receptor FSHR-1 is an important constituent of the innate immune response. FSHR-1 activates the expression of antimicrobial infection response genes in infected worms and delays accumulation of the ingested pathogenPseudomonas aeruginosa. FSHR-1 is central not only to the worm’s survival of infection by multiple pathogens, but also to the worm’s survival of xenobiotic cadmium and oxidative stresses. Infected worms produce reactive oxygen species to fight off the pathogens; FSHR-1 is required at the site of infection for the expression of detoxifying genes that protect the host from collateral damage caused by this defense response. Finally, the FSHR-1 pathway is important for the ability of worms to discriminate pathogenic from benign bacteria and subsequently initiate an aversive learning program that promotes selective pathogen avoidance

Sea anemone model has a single Toll-like receptor that can function in pathogen detection, NF-κB signal transduction, and development

In organisms from insects to vertebrates, Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are primary pathogen detectors that activate downstream pathways, specifically those that direct expression of innate immune effector genes. TLRs also have roles in development in many species. The sea anemone Nematostella vectensis is a useful cnidarian model to study the origins of TLR signaling because its genome encodes a single TLR and homologs of many downstream signaling components, including the NF-κB pathway. We have characterized the single N. vectensis TLR (Nv-TLR) and demonstrated that it can activate canonical NF-κB signaling in human cells. Furthermore, we show that the intracellular Toll/IL-1 receptor (TIR) domain of Nv-TLR can interact with the human TLR adapter proteins MAL and MYD88. We demonstrate that the coral pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus causes a rapidly lethal disease in N. vectensis and that heat-inactivated V. coralliilyticus and bacterial flagellin can activate a reconstituted Nv-TLR–to–NF-κB pathway in human cells. By immunostaining of anemones, we show that Nv-TLR is expressed in a subset of cnidocytes and that many of these Nv-TLR–expressing cells also express Nv-NF-κB. Additionally, the nematosome, which is a Nematostella-specific multicellular structure, expresses Nv-TLR and many innate immune pathway homologs and can engulf V. coralliilyticus. Morpholino knockdown indicates that Nv-TLR also has an essential role during early embryonic development. Our characterization of this primitive TLR and identification of a bacterial pathogen for N. vectensis reveal ancient TLR functions and provide a model for studying the molecular basis of cnidarian disease and immunity.IOS-1354935 - National Science Foundation (NSF); GRFP - National Science Foundation (NSF); GRFP - National Science Foundation (NSF); 1262934 - National Science Foundation (NSF); 2014-BSP - Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundatio

Translating purpose and mindset into positive impact through shared vision, compassion, and energy—a comparative study of seven organizations

How do organizations that explicitly state the intention to be “positive impact companies” differ from traditional entrepreneurial companies? How does the quality of relationships in those companies affect the ability to deliver positive impact? This study explores the conditions under which business leaders turn their organizations toward generating prosperity for all stakeholders, achieving positive societal outcomes, improving human wellbeing, and delivering great business results. Seven case study companies are examined based on interviews with three executives from each firm, including the CEO. All seven companies are privately owned small/medium sized businesses from a cross section of industries and diverse geographic bases, ranging from Michigan to the Pacific Northwest, to Singapore, Egypt, and Florida. Four of the companies are considered “positive impact companies” (PICs) based on their organizational affiliations, while the other three are considered traditional entrepreneurial companies (TECs). The overall findings suggest that the core of positive impact leadership resides in a shift in the mindset of leaders toward one of connectedness and purpose, and that these factors influence the quality of relationships in organizations in a positive way whether the company is considered a PIC or a TEC. The results also suggest a close relationship between several core indicators of a fundamental shift in understanding about the role of business in society: shared values of human wellbeing, a common shared vision, an emphasis on collaboration and caring in organizations, and a long-term perspective toward the creation of shared economic prosperity

\u3ci\u3eAnoplophora Glabripennis\u3c/i\u3e Within-Tree Distribution, Seasonal Development, and Host Suitability in China and Chicago

Established populations of the Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), were first reported in the United States in New York in 1996, Illinois in 1998, and New Jersey in 2002. A federal quarantine and an eradication program were implemented in 1997, involving tree surveys and removal of infested trees. We recorded the number of A. glabripennis life stages found at several locations along the main trunk and major branches of naturally infested trees in China (species of Populus, Salix, and Ulmus) and Chicago, Illinois (species of Acer, Fraxinus, and Ulmus) during 1999 to 2002. Typically, A. glabripennis initiated attack near the crown base along both the trunk and main branches. The one exception to this pattern was on Populus trees in China that had branches along the entire trunk, in which case A. glabripennis initiated attack along the lower trunk. Larvae were the dominant overwintering stage in both countries. A host suitability index for A. glabripennis was calculated for each tree with the formula: (number of living life stages + number of exit holes) / number of oviposition pits. The mean host suitability index was higher on Populus and Salix than Ulmus in China, and generally higher on Acer and Ulmus than Fraxinus in Chicago. Eleven genera of trees (N = 1465 trees) were infested by A. glabripennis in Chicago; in decreasing order of tree frequency they included Acer, Ulmus, Fraxinus, Aesculus, Betula, Salix, Celtis, Malus, Pyrus, Sorbus, and Tilia. When the proportion of each genus of infested street trees (N = 958 trees in 7 genera) was compared to its proportion of all Chicago street trees based on a 2003 inventory (N = 539,613 trees in 45 genera), A. glabripennis showed a significant preference to infest the genera Acer and Ulmus. Based on our results, inspectors should focus their efforts on upper trunks and lower branches of Acer and Ulmus trees

TgATAT-Mediated α-Tubulin Acetylation Is Required for Division of the Protozoan Parasite Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasma gondii is a widespread protozoan parasite that causes potentially life-threatening opportunistic disease. New inhibitors of parasite replication are urgently needed, as the current antifolate treatment is also toxic to patients. Microtubules are essential cytoskeletal components that have been selectively targeted in microbial pathogens; further study of tubulin in Toxoplasma may reveal novel therapeutic opportunities. It has been noted that α-tubulin acetylation at lysine 40 (K40) is enriched during daughter parasite formation, but the impact of this modification on Toxoplasma division and the enzyme mediating its delivery have not been identified. We performed mutational analyses to provide evidence that K40 acetylation stabilizes Toxoplasma microtubules and is required for parasite replication. We also show that an unusual Toxoplasma homologue of α-tubulin acetyltransferase (TgATAT) is expressed in a cell cycle-regulated manner and that its expression peaks during division. Disruption of TgATAT with CRISPR/Cas9 ablates K40 acetylation and induces replication defects; parasites appear to initiate mitosis yet exhibit incomplete or improper nuclear division. Together, these findings establish the importance of tubulin acetylation, exposing a new vulnerability in Toxoplasma that could be pharmacologically targeted. IMPORTANCE Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunistic parasite that infects at least one-third of the world population. New treatments for the disease (toxoplasmosis) are needed since current drugs are toxic to patients. Microtubules are essential cellular structures built from tubulin that show promise as antimicrobial drug targets. Microtubules can be regulated by chemical modification, such as acetylation on lysine 40 (K40). To determine the role of K40 acetylation in Toxoplasma and whether it is a liability to the parasite, we performed mutational analyses of the α-tubulin gene. Our results indicate that parasites cannot survive without K40 acetylation unless microtubules are stabilized with a secondary mutation. Additionally, we identified the parasite enzyme that acetylates α-tubulin (TgATAT). Genetic disruption of TgATAT caused severe defects in parasite replication, further highlighting the importance of α-tubulin K40 acetylation in Toxoplasma and its promise as a potential new drug target