Diverse Voices of Leadership: Different Rhythms and Emerging Harmonies

In our current research literature leaders have been identified through traditional sampling techniques; techniques in which individuals are selected by positions, reputation, and organizational success. The background assumptions for these techniques include that of leadership as a top-down phenomenon, under the purview of CEOs and presidents. Articulated by these sampling techniques is a voice of leadership that is based within the American individualistic culture, a voice from leaders who are white, older, and men. The purpose of this study was to explore whether there are different voices of leadership which are not presently reflected in the leadership literature. Fifteen individuals were interviewed and asked to relate their leadership life story. These individuals were selected based on diversity in gender, age, position, ethnicity, culture, race, and experience. The author found that there are multiple voices of leadership which are not presently reflected in the current literature. These diverse voices of leadership represent a way of thinking about leadership within socio-centered cultures and from a care perspective

Comparison of regulatory regions in the mitochondrial genomes of grasses

Abstract only availableRegulation of transcription in plant mitochondria is not well understood. The recent sequencing of the mitochondrial genomes of 10 closely related grasses allowed a comparative analysis of regulatory regions. To look for conserved regions and potential “swapped” regulatory regions, we have performed a comparative analysis of the upstream and downstream regions of all of the protein-coding genes in the mitochondrial genomes of eleven grasses: five mitochondrial types of maize (two fertile and three cytoplasmic male sterile), three other taxa within the genus (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis, Z. luxurians, Z. perennis), two close relatives (Tripsacum dactyloides, Sorghum bicolor), and an outgroup, rice. These genomes contain an average of 35 protein-coding genes, composed of 40 transcriptional units. Our analyses examined 1000 base pairs (bp) upstream of the first exon of each transcriptional unit and 1000 bp downstream of its last exon. The reference genome was NB, the most common fertile maize mitochondrial genotype. Compared with the genes from NB, more than half of the mitochondrial genes in the other genomes contain sequences that flank different genes in NB; we refer to these as “swapped” regions. More than 25% of the translocated sequences are longer than 100 bp, and 21 are greater than 500 bp. The longer sequences are more likely to have a regulatory function. In addition, some of these regions were found multiple times: 12 of the translocated gene-flanking regions were found flanking five or more other genes; four had sequences that were flanking ten or more. Furthermore, in Z. luxurians, Z. perennis and T. dactyloides, the co-transcribed 18S and 5S ribosomal RNA genes have been translocated immediately upstream of the start of cox1, with the 5S rRNA 3' end only 80 bp from the start of cox1 exon 1. This is a position that is difficult to rectify with the divergent transcriptional needs of the two types of genes.Plant Genomics Internship @ M

Effect of ovariectomy on the progression of chronic kidney disease-mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD) in female Cy/+ rats

Male Cy/+ rats have shown a relatively consistent pattern of progressive kidney disease development that displays multiple key features of late stage chronic kidney disease-mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD), specifically the development of cortical bone porosity. However, progression of disease in female Cy/+ rats, assessed in limited studies, is more heterogeneous and to date has failed to show development of the CKD-MBD phenotype, thus limiting their use as a practical model of progressive CKD-MBD. Animal and human studies suggest that estrogen may be protective against kidney disease in addition to its established protective effect on bone. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to determine the effect of ovariectomy (OVX) on the biochemical and skeletal manifestations of CKD-MBD in Cy/+ female rats. We hypothesized that OVX would accelerate development of the biochemical and skeletal features of CKD-MBD in female Cy/+ rats, similar to those seen in male Cy/+ rats. Female Cy/+ rats underwent OVX (n = 8) or Sham (n = 8) surgery at 15 weeks of age. Blood was collected every 5 weeks post-surgery until 35 weeks of age, when the rats underwent a 4-day metabolic balance, and the tibia and final blood were collected at the time of sacrifice. OVX produced the expected changes in trabecular and cortical parameters consistent with post-menopausal disease, and negative phosphorus balance compared with Sham. However, indicators of CKD-MBD were similar between OVX and Sham (similar kidney weight, plasma blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, creatinine clearance, phosphorus, calcium, parathyroid hormone, and no cortical porosity). Contrary to our hypothesis, OVX did not produce evidence of development of the CKD-MBD phenotype in female Cy/+ rats

Significant linkage at chromosome 19q for otitis media with effusion and/or recurrent otitis media (COME/ROM)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In previous analyses, we identified a region of chromosome 19 as harboring a susceptibility locus for chronic otitis media with effusion and/or recurrent otitis media (COME/ROM). Our aim was to further localize the linkage signal and ultimately identify the causative variant or variants. We followed up our previous linkage scan with dense SNP genotyping across in a 5 Mb region. A total of 607 individuals from 139 families, including 159 affected sib pairs and 62 second-degree affected relative pairs, were genotyped at 1,091 SNPs. We carried out a nonparametric linkage analysis, modeling marker-to-marker linkage disequilibrium.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The maximum log of the odds (LOD) score increased to 3.75 (P = 1.6 × 10^-5) at position 63.4 Mb, with a LOD-1 support interval between 61.6 Mb and 63.8 Mb, providing significant evidence of linkage between this region and COME/ROM. The support interval contains over 90 known genes, including several genes involved in the inflammasome protein complex, a key regulator of the innate immune response to harmful exogenous or endogenous stimuli. Parametric linkage analysis suggests that for a sib of an affected individual, the recurrence risk of COME/ROM due to this linkage region is twice the recurrence risk in the population. We examined potential associations between the SNPs genotyped in this region and COME/ROM, however none provided evidence for association.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study has refined the 19q region of linkage with COME/ROM, and association results suggest that the linkage signal may be due to rare variants.</p

Leadership Reconsidered: Engaging Higher Education in Social Change

Colleges and universities can provide effective environments for the development of future leaders. This book addresses the application of transformative leadership to higher education, identifies resources to use in the process, and..

The flavonoid nobiletin inhibits tumor growth and angiogenesis of ovarian cancers via the Akt pathway

Despite its importance, the death rate of ovarian cancer has remained unchanged over the past five decades, demanding an improvement in prevention and treatment of this malignancy. With no known carcinogens, targeted prevention is currently unavailable, and efforts in early detection of this malignancy by screening biomarkers have failed. The inhibition of angiogenesis, also known as angioprevention, is a promising strategy to limit the growth of solid tumors, including ovarian cancers. Nobiletin, a polymethoxy flavonoid compound isolated from the tiansheng plant, has been shown to inhibit the growth of multiple types of human cancers. However, there are no reports involving the effect on nobiletin on human ovarian cancer. The present report shows that nobiletin potently decreases the viability of ovarian cancer cells in vitro. However, nobiletin does not affect the viability of normal ovarian epithelial cells at \u3c40 µM. The antitumor activity of nobiletin was also observed in athymic mouse models and in chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) models. The anti-neoplastic activity of nobiletin was due to its ability to inhibit angiogenesis. We also studied the molecular mechanisms by which nobiletin suppresses angiogenesis. We observed that nobiletin inhibits secretion of the key angiogenesis mediators, Akt, HIF-1α, NF-κB and vascular epithelial growth factor (VEGF) by ovarian cancer cells. Transient transfection experiments showed that nobiletin inhibits production of HIF-1α by downregulation of Akt. Such decreased levels of HIF-1α were responsible for nobiletin-induced suppression of VEGF. Our data suggest that nobiletin may be a promising anti-angiogenic agent relevant for therapy of ovarian cancers

Effective Post-Exposure Treatment of Ebola Infection

Ebola viruses are highly lethal human pathogens that have received considerable attention in recent years due to an increasing re-emergence in Central Africa and a potential for use as a biological weapon. There is no vaccine or treatment licensed for human use. In the past, however, important advances have been made in developing preventive vaccines that are protective in animal models. In this regard, we showed that a single injection of a live-attenuated recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus vector expressing the Ebola virus glycoprotein completely protected rodents and nonhuman primates from lethal Ebola challenge. In contrast, progress in developing therapeutic interventions against Ebola virus infections has been much slower and there is clearly an urgent need to develop effective post-exposure strategies to respond to future outbreaks and acts of bioterrorism, as well as to treat laboratory exposures. Here we tested the efficacy of the vesicular stomatitis virus-based Ebola vaccine vector in post-exposure treatment in three relevant animal models. In the guinea pig and mouse models it was possible to protect 50% and 100% of the animals, respectively, following treatment as late as 24 h after lethal challenge. More important, four out of eight rhesus macaques were protected if treated 20 to 30 min following an otherwise uniformly lethal infection. Currently, this approach provides the most effective post-exposure treatment strategy for Ebola infections and is particularly suited for use in accidentally exposed individuals and in the control of secondary transmission during naturally occurring outbreaks or deliberate release

Circumstellar Structure around Evolved Stars in the Cygnus-X Star Formation Region

We present observations of newly discovered 24 micron circumstellar structures detected with the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS) around three evolved stars in the Cygnus-X star forming region. One of the objects, BD+43 3710, has a bipolar nebula, possibly due to an outflow or a torus of material. A second, HBHA 4202-22, a Wolf-Rayet candidate, shows a circular shell of 24 micron emission suggestive of either a limb-brightened shell or disk seen face-on. No diffuse emission was detected around either of these two objects in the Spitzer 3.6-8 micron Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) bands. The third object is the luminous blue variable candidate G79.29+0.46. We resolved the previously known inner ring in all four IRAC bands. The 24 micron emission from the inner ring extends ~1.2 arcmin beyond the shorter wavelength emission, well beyond what can be attributed to the difference in resolutions between MIPS and IRAC. Additionally, we have discovered an outer ring of 24 micron emission, possibly due to an earlier episode of mass loss. For the two shell stars, we present the results of radiative transfer models, constraining the stellar and dust shell parameters. The shells are composed of amorphous carbon grains, plus polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the case of G79.29+0.46. Both G79.29+0.46 and HBHA 4202-22 lie behind the main Cygnus-X cloud. Although G79.29+0.46 may simply be on the far side of the cloud, HBHA 4202-22 is unrelated to the Cygnus-X star formation region.Comment: Accepted by A

Macrosystems ecology: Understanding ecological patterns and processes at continental scales

Macrosystems ecology is the study of diverse ecological phenomena at the scale of regions to continents and their interactions with phenomena at other scales. This emerging subdiscipline addresses ecological questions and environmental problems at these broad scales. Here, we describe this new field, show how it relates to modern ecological study, and highlight opportunities that stem from taking a macrosystems perspective. We present a hierarchical framework for investigating macrosystems at any level of ecological organization and in relation to broader and finer scales. Building on well-established theory and concepts from other subdisciplines of ecology, we identify feedbacks, linkages among distant regions, and interactions that cross scales of space and time as the most likely sources of unexpected and novel behaviors in macrosystems. We present three examples that highlight the importance of this multiscaled systems perspective for understanding the ecology of regions to continents

Development of a New Vaccine for the Prevention of Lassa Fever

BACKGROUND: Recent importation of Lassa fever into Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States by travelers on commercial airlines from Africa underscores the public health challenge of emerging viruses. Currently, there are no licensed vaccines for Lassa fever, and no experimental vaccine has completely protected nonhuman primates against a lethal challenge. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We developed a replication-competent vaccine against Lassa virus based on attenuated recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus vectors expressing the Lassa viral glycoprotein. A single intramuscular vaccination of the Lassa vaccine elicited a protective immune response in nonhuman primates against a lethal Lassa virus challenge. Vaccine shedding was not detected in the monkeys, and none of the animals developed fever or other symptoms of illness associated with vaccination. The Lassa vaccine induced strong humoral and cellular immune responses in the four vaccinated and challenged monkeys. Despite a transient Lassa viremia in vaccinated animals 7 d after challenge, the vaccinated animals showed no evidence of clinical disease. In contrast, the two control animals developed severe symptoms including rashes, facial edema, and elevated liver enzymes, and ultimately succumbed to the Lassa infection. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the Lassa vaccine candidate based on recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus is safe and highly efficacious in a relevant animal model that faithfully reproduces human disease