How International Leaders Overcome Difficult Social Conditions: An Exploratory Study of Biography and Leadership Development

Using qualitative narrative inquiry, this study focused on a prosopographic analysis of Lech Wałęsa and Leymah Gbowee as Nobel Peace Prize laureates who grew up under oppression, but who managed to bring amity to their worlds. Cross-examination of their stories resulted in the design of a three-phase path to becoming a leader of peaceful change. Phase One consisted of the influences of strong mothers and great mentors on the upbringing of both future leaders. Phase Two of active leadership indicated that both leaders benefitted from focus, strong faith, and community in effecting long-term peaceful change. Phase Three showed how the two leaders, now renowned international figures, continued to lead. Shoup’s prosopography of world-class leaders contributed to understanding the ethical and exemplary dimensions of leadership for peace and helped identify phases of leadership development. Greenleaf’s servant leadership revealed some of the influences that shaped those “refined products of oppression.” This study contributes to the domain of leadership development

Exploring the discordance between selfreported and performance-based measures of physical capability

Levels of physical capability, an individual’s ability to undertake the physical tasks of daily living, are assessed using performance-based and self-reported measures. By examining discordance between these measures, two groups can be identified; one reports poor capability yet performs to higher levels than expected (underestimators), whilst the other report higher levels of capability than expected given their poor performance (overestimators). It was hypothesised that discordant groups would have different characteristics. Data from the MRC National Survey of Health and Development were used to explore the concordance and discordance between self-reported and performance-based measures of physical capability at age 60-64. To identify two discordant groups, and distinguish these from a reference concordant group, summary scores of the selfreported and performance-based measures were produced and plotted against each other. The selection of measures used to produce the self-reported summary score was informed by analyses that explored the hierarchical order in which participants reported difficulty with the physical tasks of daily living. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to investigate the associations between discordance and factors selected a priori based on comprehensive literature reviews Sex, education, occupational class, smoking history, pain and chronic depression, were associated with discordance at age 60-64. For example, those with higher socioeconomic position, who experienced pain or chronic depression were more likely to underestimate their physical capability, whilst women and ex-smokers were less likely to overestimate their physical capability. Evidence of discordance suggests that there may be individuals in early old age who have unmet needs relating to their physical capability when assessment is based on either self-reported or performance based measures alone. Future policy should ensure these individuals are identified; factors associated with discordance can be used to identify target groups who may benefit from intervention that prevent or minimise age-related declines in physical capability

Forest Saccharomyces paradoxus are robust to seasonal biotic and abiotic changes

Microorganisms are famous for adapting quickly to new environments. However, most evidence for rapid microbial adaptation comes from laboratory experiments or domesticated environments, and it is unclear how rates of adaptation scale from human-influenced environments to the great diversity of wild microorganisms. We examined potential monthly-scale selective pressures in the model forest yeast Saccharomyces paradoxus. Contrary to expectations of seasonal adaptation, the S. paradoxus population was stable over four seasons in the face of abiotic and biotic environmental changes. While the S. paradoxus population was diverse, including 41 unique genotypes among 192 sampled isolates, there was no correlation between S. paradoxus genotypes and seasonal environments. Consistent with observations from other S. paradoxus populations, the forest population was highly clonal and inbred. This lack of recombination, paired with population stability, implies that S. paradoxus evolved the phenotypic plasticity needed to resist seasonal environmental fluctuations long ago, and that individual S. paradoxus are generalists with regard to seasonal environments. Similarly, while the forest population included diversity among phenotypes related to intraspecific interference competition, there was no evidence for active coevolution among these phenotypes. At least ten percent of the forest S. paradoxus individuals produced “}killer toxins{”, which kill sensitive Saccharomyces cells, but the presence of a toxin-producing isolate did not predict resistance to the toxin among nearby isolates. How forest yeasts acclimate to changing environments remains an open question, and future studies should investigate the physiological responses that allow microbial cells to cope with environmental fluctuations in their native habitats.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest

Globalização e superação da soberania moderna

Este artigo investiga a superação da Soberania moderna no mundo globalizado. A importância do tema é que, diante da flexibilização da Soberania, elementos externos passam a influir diretamente nas decisões internas dos países e, consequentemente, na vida do povo. É apresentado em quatro itens, a saber: Estado Moderno; Soberania; Globalização; e superação da Soberania moderna. Chegou-se às seguintes conclusões: a Soberania é um elemento do Estado Moderno que vem sofrendo adaptações frente aos atuais fenômenos sociais, especialmente a Globalização, que acarreta crise no Direito, na Democracia e no próprio modelo de Estado. Pensa-se na desconstrução do Estado Moderno diante da superação do conceito de Soberania e admissão do Direito Transnacional para incluir, num modelo de cooperação e solidariedade, todas as normas que regulam atos ou fatos que transcendem fronteiras nacionais. No que se refere ao procedimento metodológico, o trabalho foi desenvolvido sob o método indutivo. A pesquisa foi bibliográfica e documental

Phantom phenomena and body scheme after limb amputation: A literature review

Phantom phenomena are subject of various, often inconsistent, descriptions, and new concepts and treatment approaches emerge. The aim of the study is to describe contemporary terminology and developments in the field, and to share personal experience. A review of English and French language literature, published prior to 27th February, 2012, extracted from PubMed/MEDLINE, Google.fr, GoogleScholar databases, and by hand searching of selected full text papers and textbooks with correspondence to personal clinical experience was performed. The terminology and classification of phantom phenomena sensations, relations between intensity and character of phantom pain to the etiology and level of amputations, as well as the influence of presence and intensity of pre-operative limb pain and post-operative stump pain on phantom phenomena are described. The benefits of mirror therapy and early introduction of prosthesis and applying functional prosthesis are also presented, with a glance at other conservative and surgical treatment approaches

Formative research on the feasibility of hygiene interventions for influenza control in UK primary schools

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Interventions to increase hand washing in schools have been advocated as a means to reduce the transmission of pandemic influenza and other infections. However, the feasibility and acceptability of effective school-based hygiene interventions is not clear.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A pilot study in four primary schools in East London was conducted to establish the current need for enhanced hand hygiene interventions, identify barriers to their implementation and to test their acceptability and feasibility. The pilot study included key informant interviews with teachers and school nurses, interviews, group discussions and essay questions with the children, and testing of organised classroom hand hygiene activities.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In all schools, basic issues of personal hygiene were taught especially in the younger age groups. However, we identified many barriers to implementing intensive hygiene interventions, in particular time constraints and competing health issues. Teachers' motivation to teach hygiene and enforce hygienic behaviour was primarily educational rather than immediate infection control. Children of all age groups had good knowledge of hygiene practices and germ transmission.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The pilot study showed that intensive hand hygiene interventions are feasible and acceptable but only temporarily during a period of a particular health threat such as an influenza pandemic, and only if rinse-free hand sanitisers are used. However, in many settings there may be logistical issues in providing all schools with an adequate supply. In the absence of evidence on effectiveness, the scope for enhanced hygiene interventions in schools in high income countries aiming at infection control appears to be limited in the absence of a severe public health threat.</p