The Ten Principles of Highly Meaningful Work: A Qualitative Study of Leading Organizations

In addition to being the primary source of income for most adults, work is also one of the main forums in which individuals pursue achievement and meaning in life. Despite increasing appreciation for meaningful work and the desire to cultivate it, a widely accepted framework for fostering meaningful work in organizations has yet to emerge. In an attempt to lay the foundation for such an effort, we conducted a qualitative study with representatives of exemplar companies to explore common practices that organizations follow to foster meaningful work for their employees. The ten principles that emerged from this study are presented and directions for future research are proposed. Finally, drawing from both theory and practice, we introduce a principle-informed methodology that can guide organizations to enable meaningful work

Administrative Support for Music Education as Predictor of Music Teacher Motivation

Public school policies that prioritize the growth and success of core academic subject areas can lead to the neglect or devaluation of other subjects, including music education. Because school administrators act as enforcers of such policies, music teachers may perceive administrators as unsupportive, which may influence these teachers’ motivation. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which music teachers’ perception of principal support for music education predicted their self-reported motivation for teaching music. Maehr’s personal investment theory, which states that individuals exert greater effort on tasks that exhibit a higher likelihood of equal return, was the framework for the study. A sample of 52 music teachers in the United States participated in this quantitative study. Non-music teachers were not eligible for participation. The two instruments used in the study were the Motivational Orientation Inventory and the Principal Support Survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression analysis. The odds of motivation among music teachers increases by 1.030 for every unit of increase in administrative support. While a large percentage (42.3%) of music teachers have self-reported to have maintained motivation to teach music, the majority (44.2%) report neutrality in their level of motivation. The majority also express a neutral perception of administrative support that is slightly higher than the mean average. Study results suggest music teachers feel generally motivated to teach with given supports. Potential for positive social change implications include updated policies that favor increased support of music education, increased determination and diligence among music teachers, as well as more positive holistic outcomes for students

Connecting Through Circles: A Playbook for Cultivating Well-Being Between Wharton Women Alumni

The Wharton Women\u27s Circles (WWC) at the University of Pennsylvania is a ground-breaking alumnae program founded in 2019 with a mandate to cultivate meaningful connections. The Circles, led by facilitators, provide working women a safe space to gather in an environment of support and encouragement. Through this process, women look to build community, confidence, inspiration, and produce desired results across personal and professional domains. Leveraging research in Positive Psychology, our team developed five facilitator-led sessions, encompassed in an adaptable ‘Playbook’ to support facilitators, engage participants, and drive discussions. The Playbook aims to accomplish three goals: (1) Amplify participant connection and well-being (2) Address survey feedback and the desire for more formal programming and structured conversations; and (3) Provide resources to enable future growth and scalability. The Playbook’s five facilitator-led sessions include: Know Your Strengths, Well-Being 101, Fostering Strong Relationships, Struggling Well, and Positive Transitions. We suggest measuring the Playbook’s efficacy through mixed qualitative and quantitative metrics

Fc-Optimized Anti-CD25 Depletes Tumor-Infiltrating Regulatory T Cells and Synergizes with PD-1 Blockade to Eradicate Established Tumors

CD25 is expressed at high levels on regulatory T (Treg) cells and was initially proposed as a target for cancer immunotherapy. However, anti-CD25 antibodies have displayed limited activity against established tumors. We demonstrated that CD25 expression is largely restricted to tumor-infiltrating Treg cells in mice and humans. While existing anti-CD25 antibodies were observed to deplete Treg cells in the periphery, upregulation of the inhibitory Fc gamma receptor (FcγR) IIb at the tumor site prevented intra-tumoral Treg cell depletion, which may underlie the lack of anti-tumor activity previously observed in pre-clinical models. Use of an anti-CD25 antibody with enhanced binding to activating FcγRs led to effective depletion of tumor-infiltrating Treg cells, increased effector to Treg cell ratios, and improved control of established tumors. Combination with anti-programmed cell death protein-1 antibodies promoted complete tumor rejection, demonstrating the relevance of CD25 as a therapeutic target and promising substrate for future combination approaches in immune-oncology

Fc Effector Function Contributes to the Activity of Human Anti-CTLA-4 Antibodies.

With the use of a mouse model expressing human Fc-gamma receptors (FcγRs), we demonstrated that antibodies with isotypes equivalent to ipilimumab and tremelimumab mediate intra-tumoral regulatory T (Treg) cell depletion in vivo, increasing the CD8+ to Treg cell ratio and promoting tumor rejection. Antibodies with improved FcγR binding profiles drove superior anti-tumor responses and survival. In patients with advanced melanoma, response to ipilimumab was associated with the CD16a-V158F high affinity polymorphism. Such activity only appeared relevant in the context of inflamed tumors, explaining the modest response rates observed in the clinical setting. Our data suggest that the activity of anti-CTLA-4 in inflamed tumors may be improved through enhancement of FcγR binding, whereas poorly infiltrated tumors will likely require combination approaches

Biological Earth observation with animal sensors

Space-based tracking technology using low-cost miniature tags is now delivering data on fine-scale animal movement at near-global scale. Linked with remotely sensed environmental data, this offers a biological lens on habitat integrity and connectivity for conservation and human health; a global network of animal sentinels of environmen-tal change