FLUID FRACTALS: LEADERSHIP AT THE APEX OF LOCAL AUTHORITY IN ENGLAND

Purpose: This thesis aims to explore the complex phenomenon of leadership at the apex of democratically elected local authority in England. It makes sense of the social construction of leadership as perceived and enacted by senior appointed officers (hereinafter officers), elected members (hereinafter members) and key stakeholders – the voices from the apex and their understandings and interpretations. Design/methodology/approach: The thesis examines leadership literature through the paradigm of constructivism-interpretivism, making sense of transcripts of the semi-structured interviews with officers, members and stakeholders engaged in local authority work. Dominant/mainstream theories of leadership offer limited help to understanding the relational, processual constructions of leadership and is critiqued. One way forward is to rethink conceptualisation of leadership in terms of the empirical evidence through interviews. This research has explored how leadership is situated, shared and occasioned, processed and deployed as narratives between officers and members. Findings: The constructivist-interpretivist findings of the research challenges the dominant essentialist hegemony of existing leadership theories, where heroic leaders and their skills and competencies can be replaced by less individualistic and more critical constructs through the four lenses which draw together in the fractal of leadership. This moving, forming and reforming, dynamic model highlights: i) the context in which leadership is situated and performs, ii) the shared and relational nature of leadership in interactions and continuous happenings, and the web of roles and relationships between powerful actors, which are perpetually evolving and contextualising, iii) the doing of leadership with its focus on interactive processes and practices, and iv) the narratives of leadership including the language games, the rhetoric, the metaphors and symbols which can challenge as well as reinforce the existing patterns of leadership as they emerge and mould and are moulded in diverse patterns. Research limitations/implications: Though the findings themselves cannot always be generalised to other contexts, the four frames of the fractal provide theoretical perspectives for studying leadership in other contexts. Originality/value: By challenging the dominating mainstream and public leadership theories, the four theme leadership framework allows for the incorporation of dynamic lenses to study the complex social phenomena of leadership. The analogy with a kaleidoscopic fractal enables a rich understanding of leadership rooted in a specific context yet with endless possibilities of leadership built from the permutations and combinations of the four themes. This thesis makes a theoretical and empirical contribution to the questions of the how, why and what of organisational leadership, both in a broad sense and in the specific context of the public sector and local authority in particular.

Leadership insights from the top: Exploring leadership through the narratives of CEOs in India

This paper highlights the corporate and non-corporate leadership practices in India, the effect of culture on such practices and how these drive management philosophies. Semi structured interviews were conducted with CEOs from India. The findings provide insights into organisational leadership in the context of India, more specifically the values, purpose and culture that guides leadership and management and the unique context in which leadership is practised. A key finding was that Indian leadership shares some aspects of global leadership traits, but cultural factors are significant influences on leadership style and philosophy. The long socio-economic and historical context of India cannot be ignored and has flavoured the leadership style of its business leaders. Many qualities of a good leader, as defined by Indian CEOs were derived from the Hindu mythology (Bhagvad Gita, Mahabharata, Ramayana, and the four Vedas). The findings are helpful to both practitioners and policy makers seeking to understand the leadership style of Indian CEOs. Our contribution rests on leadership insights which provide a more nuanced leadership style with elements of universalism as well as a particularism rooted in the rich socio-economic cultural history of India. Such a leadership has enabled pragmatism and a performance focus in the face of group and collective orientation

Drug compliance in children with epilepsy: Cross-sectional study, New Delhi

Background: For individuals with epilepsy, adherence to medication is crucial in preventing or minimizing seizures and their cumulative impact on everyday life. Compliance studies in adult patients are many, but few in children with epilepsy. Objective: This study tries to find the prevalence of noncompliance in children with epilepsy and causes leading to it. Method: The study was conducted in a tertiary care super specialty children hospital of New Delhi. Children, age 1-12 years, who were already diagnosed cases of epilepsy and were all on drug therapy for at least 3 months were included in the study. After obtaining clearance from the hospital’s Ethical Committee, a total of 100 parents of epileptic children were interviewed as per the prepared questionnaire. Results: Out of 100 children (63 males, 37 females) with epilepsy, 71% were compliant. Most of the noncompliant parents (82.7%) felt that there is the harmful effect of long-term anti-epileptic drugs. They believed in stopping medications on their own once signs and symptoms disappear and did not like to give medication to their child in public place. No significant association of noncompliance could be seen with etiology of epilepsy, monotherapy versus polytherapy, and duration of disease, mother’s age and parental education (p>0.05). Conclusion: Compliance in this study group of children with epilepsy was 71%. Further improvement of health and well-being of children with epilepsy can be attempted by education of parents, distribution of written instructions in the form of pamphlets, counseling, group discussions, and exchange of personal experience. Public awareness drive should help in reducing the associated taboos

Unleashing the power of Virtual Reality to manage LAZY EYE-A silent public health problem: A case study from India

Amblyopia, also known as "lazy eye," is a childhood vision disorder characterized by impaired coordination between the brain and the eye, resulting in decreased vision in one eye. It is not caused by any structural abnormalities in the eye but rather by a lack of effective coordination between the eye and brain during the crucial period of visual development in early childhood.(1) Amblyopia is a significant global public health issue, with an estimated prevalence of 1-5% of the global population according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Developing countries face a higher burden of amblyopia due to limited access to early diagnosis and treatment. If left untreated, amblyopia can result in permanent vision loss and impairment, negatively impacting an individual's quality of life, educational achievements, and career prospects.(1) A 2017 study explored the prevalence and impact of amblyopia and strabismus in Indian children. The study found a prevalence rate of 1.67% for amblyopia among children aged 5-15 years, with a higher occurrence in rural areas compared to urban areas.(2)  In another study conducted by Gupta et al. found the percentage of amblyopia was 8.6% (n=31) among 5-15 years children in uttrakhand.(3) Another study conducted by Ganekal et al. revealed the prevalence of amblyopia was 1.1% (n?=?44) among 5-15 years of students.(4) The research emphasized the importance of enhanced awareness, early detection, and improved access to suitable treatment options to alleviate the burden of amblyopia in India. Furthermore, the All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS) conducted a study in 2019 titled "AIOS Guidelines for Amblyopia Management." This study aimed to provide evidence-based guidelines for managing amblyopia in India. It highlighted the lack of awareness and limited availability of eye care services in certain regions, leading to delayed diagnosis and treatment of amblyopia. The guidelines emphasized the significance of early screening, timely intervention, and appropriate treatment approaches to prevent long-term visual impairment in children.(5

Cell cycle-dependent regulation of the bi-directional overlapping promoter of human BRCA2/ZAR2 genes in breast cancer cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>BRCA2 gene expression is tightly regulated during the cell cycle in human breast cells. The expression of BRCA2 gene is silenced at the G0/G1 phase of cell growth and is de-silenced at the S/G2 phase. While studying the activity of BRCA2 gene promoter in breast cancer cells, we discovered that this promoter has bi-directional activity and the product of the reverse activity (a ZAR1-like protein, we named ZAR2) silences the forward promoter at the G0/G1 phase of the cell. Standard techniques like cell synchronization by serum starvation, flow cytometry, N-terminal or C-terminal FLAG epitope-tagged protein expression, immunofluorescence confocal microscopy, dual luciferase assay for promoter evaluation, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay were employed during this study.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Human <it>BRCA2 </it>gene promoter is active in both the forward and the reverse orientations. This promoter is 8-20 fold more active in the reverse orientation than in the forward orientation when the cells are in the non-dividing stage (G0/G1). When the cells are in the dividing state (S/G₂), the forward activity of the promoter is 5-8 folds higher than the reverse activity. The reverse activity transcribes the ZAR2 mRNA with 966 nt coding sequence which codes for a 321 amino acid protein. ZAR2 has two C4 type zinc fingers at the carboxyl terminus. In the G0/G1 growth phase ZAR2 is predominantly located inside the nucleus of the breast cells, binds to the BRCA2 promoter and inhibits the expression of BRCA2. In the dividing cells, ZAR2 is trapped in the cytoplasm.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p><it>BRCA2 </it>gene promoter has bi-directional activity, expressing BRCA2 and a novel C4-type zinc finger containing transcription factor ZAR2. Subcellular location of ZAR2 and its expression from the reverse promoter of the BRCA2 gene are stringently regulated in a cell cycle dependent manner. ZAR2 binds to BRCA2/ZAR2 bi-directional promoter <it>in vivo </it>and is responsible, at least in part, for the silencing of BRCA2 gene expression in the G0/G1 phase in human breast cells.</p

Cortical Venous Thrombosis

Background Our study retrospectively reviewed the presentation, neuro-radiological findings, and outcomes of eight adult patients presenting at our institution with subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), which was subsequently proven to be due to cortical venous thrombosis (CVT). Methods We reviewed the case records and neuroimaging findings of eight patients diagnosed with SAH and CVT over a span of two years at our institution, a tertiary care centre in Western India. All details pertaining to their presentation, clinical findings, neuroimaging, management, and outcome following therapy with anticoagulants were collected until patient discharge. Results There were a total of eight patients, with the average age being 34 years (range 25–42). Only one patient was female. Six patients had a history of recent binge drinking. None of the patients had a past or family history of common risk factors for thrombosis. All patients presented acutely, with headache (n=6) and seizures (n=6) being the most common presenting features, occurring in three-quarters of the patients examined. Non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) was the initial imaging study for all but one of the patients and showed cortical SAH (cSAH) without basilar haemorrhage. Magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance venography (MRI/MRV) confirmed the underlying CVT. Unfractionated heparin was used in all cases. Seven patients improved and were discharged on oral anticoagulation. The eighth patient died. Conclusion Localised cSAH with sparing of basal cisterns can be a presentation for CVT. In patients with cSAH, MRI/MRV can be useful to make a diagnosis of CVT. Anticoagulation for CVT, even in the presence of SAH was related to seven out of eight patients being discharged

PolyGA targets the ER stress-adaptive response by impairing GRP75 function at the MAM in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD.

ER stress signaling is linked to the pathophysiological and clinical disease manifestations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Here, we have investigated ER stress-induced adaptive mechanisms in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD, focusing on uncovering early endogenous neuroprotective mechanisms and the crosstalk between pathological and adaptive responses in disease onset and progression. We provide evidence for the early onset of ER stress-mediated adaptive response in C9ORF72 patient-derived motoneurons (MNs), reflected by the elevated increase in GRP75 expression. These transiently increased GRP75 levels enhance ER-mitochondrial association, boosting mitochondrial function and sustaining cellular bioenergetics during the initial stage of disease, thereby counteracting early mitochondrial deficits. In C9orf72 rodent neurons, an abrupt reduction in GRP75 expression coincided with the onset of UPR, mitochondrial dysfunction and the emergence of PolyGA aggregates, which co-localize with GRP75. Similarly, the overexpression of PolyGA in WT cortical neurons or C9ORF72 patient-derived MNs led to the sequestration of GRP75 within PolyGA inclusions, resulting in mitochondrial calcium (Ca2+) uptake impairments. Corroborating these findings, we found that PolyGA aggregate-bearing human post-mortem C9ORF72 hippocampal dentate gyrus neurons not only display reduced expression of GRP75 but also exhibit GRP75 sequestration within inclusions. Sustaining high GRP75 expression in spinal C9orf72 rodent MNs specifically prevented ER stress, normalized mitochondrial function, abrogated PolyGA accumulation in spinal MNs, and ameliorated ALS-associated behavioral phenotype. Taken together, our results are in line with the notion that neurons in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD are particularly susceptible to ER-mitochondrial dysfunction and that GRP75 serves as a critical endogenous neuroprotective factor. This neuroprotective pathway, is eventually targeted by PolyGA, leading to GRP75 sequestration, and its subsequent loss of function at the MAM, compromising mitochondrial function and promoting disease onset

Transcriptomic and metabolomic shifts in rice roots in response to Cr (VI) stress

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Widespread use of chromium (Cr) contaminated fields due to careless and inappropriate management practices of effluent discharge, mostly from industries related to metallurgy, electroplating, production of paints and pigments, tanning, and wood preservation elevates its concentration in surface soil and eventually into rice plants and grains. In spite of many previous studies having been conducted on the effects of chromium stress, the precise molecular mechanisms related to both the effects of chromium phytotoxicity, the defense reactions of plants against chromium exposure as well as translocation and accumulation in rice remain poorly understood.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Detailed analysis of genome-wide transcriptome profiling in rice root is reported here, following Cr-plant interaction. Such studies are important for the identification of genes responsible for tolerance, accumulation and defense response in plants with respect to Cr stress. Rice root metabolome analysis was also carried out to relate differential transcriptome data to biological processes affected by Cr (VI) stress in rice. To check whether the Cr-specific motifs were indeed significantly over represented in the promoter regions of Cr-responsive genes, occurrence of these motifs in whole genome sequence was carried out. In the background of whole genome, the lift value for these 14 and 13 motifs was significantly high in the test dataset. Though no functional role has been assigned to any of the motifs, but all of these are present as promoter motifs in the Database of orthologus promoters.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These findings clearly suggest that a complex network of regulatory pathways modulates Cr-response of rice. The integrated matrix of both transcriptome and metabolome data after suitable normalization and initial calculations provided us a visual picture of the correlations between components. Predominance of different motifs in the subsets of genes suggests the involvement of motif-specific transcription modulating proteins in Cr stress response of rice.</p