106 research outputs found
The relationship between employees' perceptions of talent management practices and levels of engagement : a Botswana organisational case study.
A recent trend in the business literature is the focus on the possible link between talent
management efforts of an organisation and that organisation’s effectiveness. Despite this
trend the evidence supporting such a link is weak. Many books and journals advocate the
implementation of certain strategies to obtain the benefits proposed. However, not all these
articles have foundations within empirical research, but rather the business management
literature. This research report provides an empirical based research study. The novelty of
the study stems from its focus on the relationship between employee engagement and
employee perceptions of talent management practices within a NGO. NGOs are
underutilized research contexts within the current literature. The sample for this study is
from an NGO in Botswana that focuses on the mobilization of HIV testing services and
has the vision of no new HIV infections in 2016. Forty-eight participants took part in the
study, the majority of this sample is female (67%), the main home language is seTswana,
the mean age is 32, the mean organisational tenure is four years and most participants are
employed as counsellors within the organisation. Pearson correlation coefficients were
calculated to examine the association between the main constructs. There was insufficient
evidence to support a relationship, but the sample used in the study had high levels of
employee engagement, as well as positive perceptions of the talent management practices
within their organisation. Discussions of these engagement levels and perceptions of
practices are present, as well as discussions of the significant relationships between the
main constructs and the other measured variables. Significant relationships were found
ii
between employee’s perceptions of talent management and the overall number of years
that employees had been working (p = .05), and between employee engagement and
employee’s tenure within the organisation (p > .01). A regression was performed on the
data once job position had been stratified into two groups- counsellors (42%) and office
based workers (58%). A significant relationship between the main constructs was found
for office based employees (R-square = 29%). The study’s results are discussed in light of
the existing literature, and recommendations are made from the study’s findings. One
important recommendation is for the participating organisation to consider implementing a
strategy that focuses on enhancing the organisation’s counsellors’ perceptions of
organisational practices and their employee engagement
3D Assessment of Nasopharyngeal and Craniofacial Phenotypes in Ts65Dn Down Syndrome Mice Treated with a Dyrk1a Inhibitor
Background: Down syndrome (DS) originates from having three copies of chromosome 21 (i.e. Trisomy 21). DS is associated with many detrimental phenotypes including intellectual disabilities, heart defects, abnormal craniofacial development, and obstructive sleep apnea, which develops from restricted nasopharyngeal airways and an underdeveloped mandible. Ts65Dn mice are trisomic for about half of the orthologs on human chromosome 21 and display many phenotypes associated with DS including craniofacial abnormalities. Dyrk1a is found in three copies in Ts65Dn mice and individuals with DS, and thought to be a root cause of the craniofacial phenotypes. Epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG) is a green tea polyphenol and inhibitor of Dyrk1a activity.
Purpose: We hypothesize that decreased Dyrk1a activity in Ts65Dn mice will ameliorate craniofacial dysmorphology.
Methods: To test our hypothesis we compared Ts65Dn mice with two or three copies of Dyrk1a and compared Ts65Dn mice with and without prenatal EGCG treatment. EGCG treated mothers were fed 200mg/kg EGCG on gestational day 7. Six week old mice were sacrificed and their heads imaged using micro-computed tomography (μCT). From μCT images, we measured nasopharyngeal airway volume and anatomical landmarks (n = 54) from the facial skeleton, cranial vault, cranial base, and mandible. Mean nasopharyngeal airway volumes were graphically compared, and a landmark-based multivariate geometric morphometric approach known as Euclidean Distance Matrix Analysis (EDMA) was carried out to assess local differences in craniofacial morphology between trisomic mouse samples.
Results: Our preliminary results indicate that EGCG treatment and reduced Dyrk1a copy number increases mean nasopharyngeal airway volume in Ts65Dn mice. Craniofacial morphometric differences were found among all samples. EGCG treatment increased portions of the mandible and decreased portions of the cranial vault and cranial base.
Conclusion: Preliminary analyses suggest that both EGCG treatment and reduced Dyrk1a copy number affect craniofacial morphology.Three Dimensional Imaging of the Craniofacial Complex Center (3D ICCC)--IUPUI Signature Center Initiative
Computing exponentially faster: Implementing a nondeterministic universal Turing machine using DNA
The theory of computer science is based around Universal Turing Machines
(UTMs): abstract machines able to execute all possible algorithms. Modern
digital computers are physical embodiments of UTMs. The nondeterministic
polynomial (NP) time complexity class of problems is the most significant in
computer science, and an efficient (i.e. polynomial P) way to solve such
problems would be of profound economic and social importance. By definition
nondeterministic UTMs (NUTMs) solve NP complete problems in P time. However,
NUTMs have previously been believed to be physically impossible to construct.
Thue string rewriting systems are computationally equivalent to UTMs, and are
naturally nondeterministic. Here we describe the physical design for a NUTM
that implements a universal Thue system. The design exploits the ability of DNA
to replicate to execute an exponential number of computational paths in P time.
Each Thue rewriting step is embodied in a DNA edit implemented using a novel
combination of polymerase chain reactions and site-directed mutagenesis. We
demonstrate that this design works using both computational modelling and in
vitro molecular biology experimentation. The current design has limitations,
such as restricted error-correction. However, it opens up the prospect of
engineering NUTM based computers able to outperform all standard computers on
important practical problems
Influence of prenatal EGCG treatment and Dyrk1a dosage reduction on craniofacial features associated with Down syndrome
Trisomy 21 (Ts21) affects craniofacial precursors in individuals with Down syndrome (DS). The resultant craniofacial features in all individuals with Ts21 may significantly affect breathing, eating and speaking. Using mouse models of DS, we have traced the origin of DS-associated craniofacial abnormalities to deficiencies in neural crest cell (NCC) craniofacial precursors early in development. Hypothetically, three copies of Dyrk1a (dual-specificity tyrosine-(Y)-phosphorylation regulated kinase 1A), a trisomic gene found in most humans with DS and mouse models of DS, may significantly affect craniofacial structure. We hypothesized that we could improve DS-related craniofacial abnormalities in mouse models using a Dyrk1a inhibitor or by normalizing Dyrk1a gene dosage. In vitro and in vivo treatment with Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a Dyrk1a inhibitor, modulated trisomic NCC deficiencies at embryonic time points. Furthermore, prenatal EGCG treatment normalized some craniofacial phenotypes, including cranial vault in adult Ts65Dn mice. Normalization of Dyrk1a copy number in an otherwise trisomic Ts65Dn mice normalized many dimensions of the cranial vault, but did not correct all craniofacial anatomy. These data underscore the complexity of the gene–phenotype relationship in trisomy and suggest that changes in Dyrk1a expression play an important role in morphogenesis and growth of the cranial vault. These results suggest that a temporally specific prenatal therapy may be an effective way to ameliorate some craniofacial anatomical changes associated with DS
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An In Vitro Pipeline for Screening and Selection of Citrus-Associated Microbiota with Potential Anti-"Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus" Properties.
Huanglongbing (HLB) is a destructive citrus disease that is lethal to all commercial citrus plants, making it the most serious citrus disease and one of the most serious plant diseases. Because of the severity of HLB and the paucity of effective control measures, we structured this study to encompass the entirety of the citrus microbiome and the chemistries associated with that microbial community. We describe the spatial niche diversity of bacteria and fungi associated with citrus roots, stems, and leaves using traditional microbial culturing integrated with culture-independent methods. Using the culturable sector of the citrus microbiome, we created a microbial repository using a high-throughput bulk culturing and microbial identification pipeline. We integrated an in vitro agar diffusion inhibition bioassay into our culturing pipeline that queried the repository for antimicrobial activity against Liberibacter crescens, a culturable surrogate for the nonculturable "Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus" bacterium associated with HLB. We identified microbes with robust inhibitory activity against L. crescens that include the fungi Cladosporium cladosporioides and Epicoccum nigrum and bacterial species of Pantoea, Bacillus, and Curtobacterium Purified bioactive natural products with anti-"Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus" activity were identified from the fungus C. cladosporioides Bioassay-guided fractionation of an organic extract of C. cladosporioides yielded the natural products cladosporols A, C, and D as the active agents against L. crescens This work serves as a foundation for unraveling the complex chemistries associated with the citrus microbiome to begin to understand the functional roles of members of the microbiome, with the long-term goal of developing anti-"Ca Liberibacter asiaticus" bioinoculants that thrive in the citrus holosystem.IMPORTANCE Globally, citrus is threatened by huanglongbing (HLB), and the lack of effective control measures is a major concern of farmers, markets, and consumers. There is compelling evidence that plant health is a function of the activities of the plant's associated microbiome. Using Liberibacter crescens, a culturable surrogate for the unculturable HLB-associated bacterium "Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus," we tested the hypothesis that members of the citrus microbiome produce potential anti-"Ca Liberibacter asiaticus" natural products with potential anti-"Ca Liberibacter asiaticus" activity. A subset of isolates obtained from the microbiome inhibited L. crescens growth in an agar diffusion inhibition assay. Further fractionation experiments linked the inhibitory activity of the fungus Cladosporium cladosporioides to the fungus-produced natural products cladosporols A, C, and D, demonstrating dose-dependent antagonism to L. crescens
A MAPK/c-Jun-mediated switch regulates the initial adaptive and cell death responses to mitochondrial damage in a neuronal cell model
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is defined by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons. Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are associated with PD although it is not fully understood how neurons respond to these stresses. How adaptive and apoptotic neuronal stress response pathways are regulated and the thresholds at which they are activated remains ambiguous. Utilising SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, we show that MAPK/AP-1 pathways are critical in regulating the response to mitochondrial uncoupling. Here we found the AP-1 transcription factor cJun can act in either a pro- or anti-apoptotic manner, depending on the level ofstress. JNK-mediated cell death in differentiated cells only occurred once a threshold of stress was surpassed. We also identified a novel feedback loop between Parkin activity and the c-Jun response, suggesting defective mitophagy may initiate MAPK/c-Jun-mediated neuronal loss observed in PD. Our data supports the hypothesis that blocking cell death pathways upstream of c-Jun as a therapeutic target in PD may not be appropriate due to crossover of the pro- and anti-apoptotic responses. Boosting adaptive responses or targeting specific aspects of the neuronal death response may therefore represent more viable therapeutic strategie
First Light And Reionisation Epoch Simulations (FLARES) XIV: The Balmer/4000~\AA\ Breaks of Distant Galaxies
With the successful launch and commissioning of JWST we are now able to
routinely spectroscopically probe the rest-frame optical emission of galaxies
at for the first time. Amongst the most useful spectral diagnostics used
in the optical is the Balmer/4000~\AA\ break; this is, in principle, a
diagnostic of the mean ages of composite stellar populations. However, the
Balmer break is also sensitive to the shape of the star formation history, the
stellar (and gas) metallicity, the presence of nebular continuum emission, and
dust attenuation. In this work we explore the origin of the Balmer/4000~\AA\
break using the SYNTHESIZER synthetic observations package. We then make
predictions of the Balmer/4000~\AA\ break using the First Light and
Reionisation Epoch Simulations (FLARES) at . We find that the average
break strength weakly correlates with stellar mass and rest-frame far-UV
luminosity, but that this is predominantly driven by dust attenuation. We also
find that break strength provides a weak diagnostic of the age but performs
better as a means to constrain star formation and stellar mass, alongside the
UV and optical luminosity, respectively.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, submitted to MNRA
Exile Vol. XL No. 1
38th Year
Title Page by Carrie Horner \u2797 i
Epigraph by Ezra Pound ii
Table of Contents iii-iv
Vertigo by Lisa Stillman \u2795 1
Departing Flight by Morgan Roper \u2794 2
Untitled by Lizzie Loud \u2795 3
Marietta by Craig McDonough \u2794 4
Interlaken by Kira A . Pollack \u2794 5
Why Nature Surprises Us by Josh Endicott \u2796 6-7
Untitled by Colin Mack \u2794 7
My Father by Matt Wanat \u2795 8
Legs In The Dust by Alison Stevens \u2795 9-11
Untitled by Lilly Streett \u2794 12
of cigarettes, saltwater and death... by Tricia B. Swearingen \u2794 13
Serendipity by Lizzie Lout \u2795 14
Untitled by Lilly Streett \u2794 15
Summer by Allison Lemieux \u2795 16
And the Rain Fell by Jeremy Aufrance \u2795 17-18
Main Street by Elise Gargarella \u2795 19
Füssen by Morgan Roper \u2794 20
Lightning on the Snow by Matt Wanat \u2795 21
A discussion of 12 year-old murders, of course by Jeremy Aufrance \u2795 22
Get your hands off my hat by Jamie Oliver \u2794 23
The Hero by Sara Sterling Ely \u2796 24-26
Punker Dave by Trevett Allen \u2795 27
still looking for the perfect line by ryan shafer \u2794 28-29
Untitled by Lizzie Loud \u2795 30
Civil War by Katherine Anne Campo \u2794 31
Disposable belief by ryan shafer \u2794 32-33
Schizophrenic Sylvia by Maria Mohiuddin \u2795 34
Excerpts from Revolutions, a novel by Marcu McLaughlin \u2794 35-36
Untitled by Keith Chapman \u2795 37
The Survivors by Kira A. Pollack \u2794 38
Days of Prophecy by Trey Dunham \u2794 39
Untitled by Carrie Horner \u2797 40
What to do by Christopher Harnish \u2794 41
Familiar Stranger by Lisa Stillman \u2795 42-46
Untitled by John Salter \u2797 47
On Meeting Emma by Allison Lemieux \u2795 48
Nude Figure by James Oliver \u2794 49
Tathagata by Leslie Dana Wells \u2794 50
On Fences and My Dogs by Christopher Harnish \u2794 51
Editorial Board 52
Cover, Kira Pollack \u2794 -iv
Editorial decision is shared equally among the Editorial Board. -5
Inherent Ethyl Acetate Selectivity in a Trianglimine Molecular Solid
Ethyl acetate is an important chemical raw material and solvent. It is also a key volatile organic compound in the brewing industry and a marker for lung cancer. Materials that are highly selective toward ethyl acetate are needed for its separation and detection. Here, we report a trianglimine macrocycle (TAMC) that selectively adsorbs ethyl acetate by forming a solvate. Crystal structure prediction showed this to be the lowest energy solvate structure available. This solvate leaves a metastable, “templated” cavity after solvent removal. Adsorption and breakthrough experiments confirmed that TAMC has adequate adsorption kinetics to separate ethyl acetate from azeotropic mixtures with ethanol, which is a challenging and energy-intensive industrial separation
Exile Vol. XL No. 2
38th Year
Title Page by Carrie Horner \u2797 i
Epigraph by Ezra Pound ii
Table of Contents iii-iv
Remembering Sundays by Allison Lemieux \u2795 1
Untitled by James Oliver \u2794 2
\u2778 Beige Chevy Malibu by Craig J. McDonough \u2794 3-4
Brushtown Road by Lelei Jennings \u2795 5
In Memoriam: River Phoenix, 1970-93 by Kirstin Rogers \u2794 6
Untitled by Kira Pollack \u2794 7
Checkmate by Kevin Nix \u2794 8
Anywhere in Ohio by Jen Hanysh \u2795 9
Untitled by Nicky Taylor \u2794 10
Under Your Influence by Katherine Anne Campo \u2794 11
Tulips by Tricia B. Swearingen \u2794 12
Untitled by Keith Chapman \u2795 12
December Storm by Erin Lott \u2796 13-19
On Meeting Phil Levine After a Reading at Denison University April 6, 1993 by Christopher Harnish \u2794 20
The 422 Bypass by Joel Husenits \u2795 21
Untitled by Ken Tyburski \u2794 22
Shakespeare\u27s Foreskin by Carey Christie \u2795 23
The Thaw by Chris Iven \u2794 24
The Rockbridge County Fair by Morgan Roper \u2794 25
Let it Drop Through by Carey Christie \u2795 26-27
Aladdin\u27s by Paul Rinkes \u2794 28-29
Untitled by Aileen Jones \u2794 30
The Tango by Hope Layne Morgan \u2794 31
Icarus by Carey Christine \u2795 32-33
fad by Jeremy Aufrance \u2795 34
Untitled by James Oliver \u2794 35
Desert Villanelle by Christopher Harnish \u2794 36
The Skull by Nicky Taylor \u2794 37
Rodeo Bar by Carl Jeffrey Boon \u2796 38
I, Mordred by Carey Christie \u2795 39-43
Between Centuries by Leslie Dana Wells \u2794 44-45
Untitled by Carrie Horner \u2797 45
Untitled by Alex Emmons \u2796 46
Coleridge\u27s Curse by Allison Lemieux \u2795 47
Untitled by Jenny Baker \u2794 48
five by Jeremy Aufrance \u2795 49
Untitled by James Oliver \u2794 50
Lobster Boy by Kirstin Rogers \u2794 51
Fire on the Mountain by Christopher Harnish \u2794 52-53
Yosemite by Morgan Roper \u2794 54
Untitled by Carrie Horner \u2797 54
Untitled by Ken Tyburski \u2794 55
Sleepless Nights Fades to Credits by Allison Lemieux \u2794 56
Dancing Days by Julie McDonald \u2794 57
Immobile by Adrienne Fair \u2796 58-59
Untitled by Kira Pollack \u2794 60
Dorm Fire by Lisa Marie Antonille \u2795
Untitled by Carrie Horner \u2797 61
The Book by Matt Wanat \u2795 62-63
Distance by Carl Jeffrey Boon \u2796 64
Untitled by Jenny Baker \u2794 65
Cover by Ken Tyburski \u2794
Editorial decision is shared equally among the Editorial Board. -6
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