Managerial Approaches of Selected Government Executives to Basic Communication on the Job

The study aims to determine the approaches of selected government executives to basic communication on the job, specifically their level of confidence and assertiveness in communication skills which are essentials for good leadership. The paper also seeks to correlate the executives’ communication skills to intellective and nonintellective variables. A descriptive method of research was employed and no sampling scheme was utilized because the whole population consisting of ninety-seven middle managers was used as respondents and purposively selected from Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Interior and Local Government(DILG). Findings revealed that most of the respondents are aged 36-45 years old, female, bachelor’s degree holders, married and rendered 11-15 years of service in their respective government agencies. Results manifested that the respondents are highly effective in their technical skills, moderately effective in their interpersonal skills, and highly effective in their conceptual skills. When grouped by variables, the respondents are overall moderately effective in their managerial skills, and the overall level of confidence and assertiveness of the respondents in their approaches to basic communication on the job in all managerial skills is less confident and assertive regardless of variables. Data disclosed that there is no significant correlation between the respondents’ managerial skills and level of confidence and assertiveness when grouped accordingto variables. Therefore, there is also no significant correlation of the respondents’ overall level of confidence and assertiveness when grouped according to variables. Keywords: Government Executives, Managerial Skills, Confidence, Assertiveness, and Communicatio

Carbon nanotube electron gun

An electron gun, an electron source for an electron gun, an extractor for an electron gun, and a respective method for producing the electron gun, the electron source and the extractor are disclosed. Embodiments provide an electron source utilizing a carbon nanotube (CNT) bonded to a substrate for increased stability, reliability, and durability. An extractor with an aperture in a conductive material is used to extract electrons from the electron source, where the aperture may substantially align with the CNT of the electron source when the extractor and electron source are mated to form the electron gun. The electron source and extractor may have alignment features for aligning the electron source and the extractor, thereby bringing the aperture and CNT into substantial alignment when assembled. The alignment features may provide and maintain this alignment during operation to improve the field emission characteristics and overall system stability of the electron gun

Carbon Nanotube Electron Gun

An electron gun, an electron source for an electron gun, an extractor for an electron gun, and a respective method for producing the electron gun, the electron source and the extractor are disclosed. Embodiments provide an electron source utilizing a carbon nanotube (CNT) bonded to a substrate for increased stability, reliability, and durability. An extractor with an aperture in a conductive material is used to extract electrons from the electron source, where the aperture may substantially align with the CNT of the electron source when the extractor and electron source are mated to form the electron gun. The electron source and extractor may have alignment features for aligning the electron source and the extractor, thereby bringing the aperture and CNT into substantial alignment when assembled. The alignment features may provide and maintain this alignment during operation to improve the field emission characteristics and overall system stability of the electron gun

Plasma Carotenoids and Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in Patients with prior Head and Neck Cancer

Diets high in fruits and vegetables are generally believed protective against several chronic diseases. One suggested mechanism is a reduction in oxidative stress. The carotenoids, nutrients found in colored fruits and vegetables, possess antioxidant properties in vitro, but their role in humans is less well documented. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore the relationships between the most abundant plasma carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-cryptoxanthin), as well as grouped carotenoids (total xanthophylls, carotenes and carotenoids), and urinary excretion of the F2-isoprostanes (F2-IsoPs), stable and specific biomarkers of oxidative damage to lipids. Two F2-IsoP measures were utilized: total F2-IsoPs and 8-iso-PGF2α. The study population (N = 52) was drawn from a study among patients curatively treated for early-stage head and neck cancer. Unadjusted linear regression analyses revealed significant inverse associations between plasma lutein, total xanthophylls and both F2-IsoP measures at baseline. After control for potential confounders, all individual and grouped xanthophylls remained inversely associated with the F2-IsoP measures, but none of these associations achieved significance. The carotenes were not inversely associated with total F2-IsoPs or 8-iso-PGF2a concentrations. The finding of consistent inverse associations between individual and grouped xanthophylls, but not individual and grouped carotenes, and F2-IsoPs is intriguing and warrants further investigation

Maf/ham1-like pyrophosphatases of noncanonical nucleotides are host-specific partners of viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerases.

Cassava brown streak disease (CBSD), dubbed the “Ebola of plants”, is a serious threat to food security in Africa caused by two viruses of the family Potyviridae: cassava brown streak virus (CBSV) and Ugandan (U)CBSV. Intriguingly, U/CBSV, along with another member of this family and one secoviridae, are the only known RNA viruses encoding a protein of the Maf/ham1-like family, a group of widespread pyrophosphatase of non-canonical nucleotides (ITPase) expressed by all living organisms. Despite the socio-economic impact of CDSD, the relevance and role of this atypical viral factor has not been yet established. Here, using an infectious cDNA clone and reverse genetics, we demonstrate that UCBSV requires the ITPase activity for infectivity in cassava, but not in the model plant Nicotiana benthamiana. HPLC-MS/MS experiments showed that, quite likely, this host-specific constraint is due to an unexpected high concentration of non-canonical nucleotides in cassava. Finally, protein analyses and experimental evolution of mutant viruses indicated that keeping a fraction of the yielded UCBSV ITPase covalently bound to the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) optimizes viral fitness, and this seems to be a feature shared by the other members of the Potyviridae family expressing Maf/ham1-like proteins. All in all, our work (i) reveals that the over-accumulation of non-canonical nucleotides in the host might have a key role in antiviral defense, and (ii) provides the first example of an RdRP-ITPase partnership, reinforcing the idea that RNA viruses are incredibly versatile at adaptation to different host setups.post-print2435 K

Detección de Salmonella Enterica Serovar Abortusesqui en fluidos seminales del padrillo

Las pérdidas económicas por el aborto paratífico causado por Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Abortusequi (Salmonella serov. Abortusequi) son de alto impacto negativo en la industria equina debido a los fetos abortados y a los potrillos que nacen septicémicos, con poliartritis, osteomielitis u otros. Esta infección reemergió en el año 2011 en nuestro país y, desde entonces, múltiples brotes de abortos han generado preocupación en productores y veterinarios. Si bien la patología en el feto y potrillo equino está bien documentada en la bibliografía, el rol del padrillo en la epidemiología de esta infección no ha sido aún estudiado. En este estudio proponemos investigar la importancia del macho entero en la diseminación de Salmonella serov. Abortusequi.Para alcanzar el objetivo propuesto se adecuaron las técnicas de diagnóstico bacteriológicas (aislamiento) y moleculares (PCR) a la detección de Salmonella serov. Abortusequi en semen fresco equino. Para ello, se realizaron diluciones seriadas de la cepa UBA1174/15 en semen fresco, que se sembraron en caldo Selenito-Cistina (enriquecimiento selectivo) durante 24-48 horas a 37 °C. y posteriormente se cultivaron 24 horas a 37 °C en agar XLD (Xilosa, Lisina, Desoxicolato). Paralelamente, se realizó la PCR a partir de los caldos amplificando el gen invA (Salmonella spp). También, se obtuvieron muestras de semen fresco, mediante monta con vagina artificial, de 23 padrillos. Estas muestras fueron analizadas mediante cultivo bacteriológico y PCR. La sensibilidad de las técnicas diagnósticas utilizadas fue de 87 UFC/muestra en el cultivo bacteriológico y de 175 UFC/muestra en la PCR. No se aisló Salmonella serov. Abortusequi de las muestras de semen fresco (n: 23); sin embargo se identificaron los siguientes agentes: Staphylococcus aureus en 13 muestras, Staphylococcus spp. en 8, Micrococcus spp. en 6 y Streptococcus spp. en 1, las que podrían ser parte de la microbiota del pene. También se identificó, en un menor número de muestras, Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus, Bacillus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Pseudomonas aureuginosa, Corynebacterium spp., Escherichia spp., Escherichia coli y Serratia spp. Adicionalmente, se analizaron por PCR, un total de 81 muestras de semen equino congelado de archivo (Laboratorio de virus equinos del Instituto de Virología del INTA Castelar), en las que no se detectó la presencia de Salmonella serv. Abortusequi.Los resultados obtenidos indicarían que la infección por Salmonella serov. Abortusequi no es un hallazgo frecuente en padrillos, sin embargo debe tenerse en cuenta que no se analizaron muestras de semen en el contexto de un brote epizoótico de abortos, ya que durante el período de estudio justamenteno se registró la ocurrencia de brotes de abortos debidos a esta infección. No obstante, el trabajo realizado ha permitido estandarizar el diagnóstico molecular de Salmonella Abortusequi en semen equino fresco y congelado, lo que constituye una valiosa herramienta para continuar los estudiosdirigidos a establecer definitivamente el papel que desempeña el padrillo en la epidemiología de esta infección

Lutein decreases oxidative stress and inflammation in liver and eyes of guinea pigs fed a hypercholesterolemic diet

Guinea pigs were fed a hypercholesterolemic diet (0.25 g/100 g cholesterol) and randomly allocated either to a Control group (n = 9) or to a Lutein (0.1 g/100 g) group (n = 10) for 12 weeks to evaluate oxidative stress and inflammation in both liver and eyes. Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations and inflammatory cytokines were measured as well as hepatic nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) binding. Lutein concentrations were greater in eyes (P < 0.01) and liver (P < 0.001) in the Lutein group. All guinea pigs had high concentrations of hepatic cholesterol as well as high plasma ALT and AST levels indicative of liver injury. However, the Lutein group had 43% lower hepatic free cholesterol than the Controls (P < 0.05). Hepatic MDA and MDA in the eye were lower in the Lutein compared to the Control group (P < 0.05). Hepatic tumor necrosis factor-α was 32% lower in the Lutein group (P < 0.05). Lastly, the Lutein group presented lower NF-κB DNA binding activity than the Control group (P < 0.001). These results suggest that in the presence of high cholesterol, lutein exerts both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, which can be explained by attenuated NF-κB DNA binding activity. Furthermore, results also suggest that lutein accumulates in the eyes of guinea pigs to protect against oxidative stress