Rethinking leadership: a way forward for teaching leadership?

Purpose – There have again been increasing calls for management educators to strengthen the development of leadership in their programmes. However, it is unclear as to how such calls can be best answered. One way forward may be to rethink our conceptualisation of leadership. This paper seeks to address this issue. Design/methodology/approach – Dominant theories of leadership may offer limited help to management educators. The dominant conceptualisation of leadership is questioned using empirical evidence from recent studies and interviews undertaken by the authors which examined managers' understandings of leadership. Findings – This article suggests that mainstream leadership theories are framed by systems-control thinking and highlights a number of issues in respect of teaching leadership. Proposes that a process-relational framing of leadership may be a more useful way to think about leadership. Research limitations/implications – Whilst the interview data drawn upon is exploratory and therefore cannot be taken as conclusive, we hope to stimulate a wider rethinking of leadership than is currently present. Practical implications – Tentative suggestions are presented for responding to calls to improve the teaching of leadership. Originality/value – The paper emphasises a process-relational understanding of leadership and may be seen to offer practical help to management educators concerned with the teaching of leadership

Coordination Of \u3cem\u3eVibrio Cholerae\u3c/em\u3e Early Colonization Phenotypes In Response To Host Intestinal Factors

Vibrio cholerae causes human infection through ingestion of contaminated food and water, leading to the diarrheal disease, cholera. In aquatic environments this bacterium displays an expression profile that is distinct from that observed during infection. It can also form matrix-encased aggregates known as biofilms, typically on chitinous surfaces, which can be important for transmission and infectivity. Upon entry into the host, a tightly regulated circuit coordinates induction of two major virulence factors: cholera toxin (CT) and a toxin co-regulated pilus (TCP). This study finds that bile components present in the host intestine can affect both of these processes. Certain bile salts, including taurocholate (TC), serve as host signals to activate V. cholerae virulence through inducing the activity of a transmembrane virulence regulator TcpP. In this study we show that Ca2+, an abundant metal ion in the gut, enhances bile salt-dependent virulence activation. Induction of TCP by murine intestinal contents is counteracted when Ca2+ is depleted by the high affinity calcium chelator EGTA, suggesting that calcium present in the gut is a relevant signal for V. cholerae virulence induction in vivo. We further show that in conjunction with TC, Ca2+ affects dimerization and membrane diffusion of TcpP as analyzed by bacterial two-hybrid and fluorescence recovery following photobleaching assays. When applied to mature biofilms, TC induces an increase in number of detached cells with a concomitant decrease in biofilm mass. Inhibition of protein synthesis did not alter rates of detachment, suggesting that V. cholerae undergoes a passive dispersal. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs of biofilms exposed to taurocholate revealed an altered, perhaps degraded, appearance of the biofilm matrix and cell-free media contains a higher amount of free polysaccharide with TC, suggesting an abiotic degradation of biofilm matrix by taurocholate. Furthermore, V. cholerae induces virulence in response to taurocholate only after exiting from the biofilm. Our data suggests a model in which V. cholerae ingested as a biofilm has co-opted the host-derived bile salt signal to sequentially detach from the biofilm and go on to activate virulence, which is further promoted by the synergistic effects of physiological levels of Ca2+

Behavioral ontogeny in larvae and early juveniles of the giant trevally (Caranx ignobilis) (Pisces: Carangidae)

Behavior of young (8−18 mm SL) giant trevally (Caranx ignobilis), a large coral-reef−associated predator, was observed in the laboratory and the ocean. Size was a better predictor of swimming speed and endurance than was age. Critical speed increased with size from 12 to 40 cm/s at 2.7 cm/s for each mm increase in size. Mean scaled critical speed was 19 body lengths/s and was not size related. Swimming speed in the ocean was 4 to 20 cm/s (about half of critical speed) and varied among areas, but within each area, it increased at 2 cm/s for each mm increase in size. Swimming endurance in the laboratory increased from 5 to 40 km at 5 km for each mm increase in size. Vertical distribution changed ontogenetically: larvae swam shallower, but more variably, and then deeper with growth. Two-thirds of individuals swam directionally with no ontogenetic increase in orientation precision. Larvae swam offshore off open coasts, but not in a bay. In situ observations of C. ignobilis feeding, interacting with pelagic animals, and reacting to reefs are reported. Manus

Nurturing the political agency of young people in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Social Policy at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand

Adult-led civic and political contexts play a critical role in shaping the experiences of young people in social and political activism. These contexts are shaped by social and political constructs that continue to regulate youth participatory rights and overlook their contributions in broader contexts. This qualitative-exploratory research explored how young people are developing their political agency through social and political activism. As a qualitative-exploratory study it utilised face-to-face semi-structured interviews to explore young people’s understandings of their political experiences. The data was analysed using thematic analysis informed by a social constructivist theoretical framework and underpinned by relevant literature. The research found that young people’s understandings of the political world were inconsistent with widespread beliefs about their ability to contribute. In contrast, with common misconceptions of their apathy and disengagement, the participants in this study were participating actively in social and political activities within broad civic and political contexts around issues of significance to them. Consistent with findings in other literature, the research also found that social contexts, access to political experiences, and connection to social and political issues of concern to young people were critical in nurturing their political agency. The research findings highlight the need for a shift in the way formal political institutions frame young people’s participation. It also calls for a cultural shift in civic and political settings to consistently provide genuine space for their active participation in these settings. Further research into young people’s lived experiences in these contexts and into different patterns of youth political engagement across various social and cultural groups in society may provide insight in to how best to nurture their political agency and reduce disparities in political participation

Adiponectin Deficiency Impairs Maternal Metabolic Adaptation to Pregnancy in Mice.

Hypoadiponectinemia has been widely observed in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). To investigate the causal role of hypoadiponectinemia in GDM, adiponectin gene knockout (Adipoq-/- ) and wild-type (WT) mice were crossed to produce pregnant mouse models with or without adiponectin deficiency. Adenoviral vector-mediated in vivo transduction was used to reconstitute adiponectin during late pregnancy. Results showed that Adipoq-/- dams developed glucose intolerance and hyperlipidemia in late pregnancy. Increased fetal body weight was detected in Adipoq-/- dams. Adiponectin reconstitution abolished these metabolic defects in Adipoq-/- dams. Hepatic glucose and triglyceride production rates of Adipoq-/- dams were significantly higher than those of WT dams. Robustly enhanced lipolysis was found in gonadal fat of Adipoq-/- dams. Interestingly, similar levels of insulin-induced glucose disposal and insulin signaling in metabolically active tissues in Adipoq-/- and WT dams indicated that maternal adiponectin deficiency does not reduce insulin sensitivity. However, remarkably decreased serum insulin concentrations were observed in Adipoq-/- dams. Furthermore, β-cell mass, but not glucose-stimulated insulin release, in Adipoq-/- dams was significantly reduced compared with WT dams. Together, these results demonstrate that adiponectin plays an important role in controlling maternal metabolic adaptation to pregnancy

Metabolic control of gene transcription in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: the role of the epigenome

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is estimated to affect 24% of the global adult population. NAFLD is a major risk factor for the development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, as well as being strongly associated with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It has been proposed that up to 88% of obese adults have NAFLD, and with global obesity rates increasing, this disease is set to become even more prevalent. Despite intense research in this field, the molecular processes underlying the pathology of NAFLD remain poorly understood. Hepatic intracellular lipid accumulation may lead to dysregulated tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle activity and associated alterations in metabolite levels. The TCA cycle metabolites alpha-ketoglutarate, succinate and fumarate are allosteric regulators of the alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase family of enzymes. The enzymes within this family have multiple targets, including DNA and chromatin, and thus may be capable of modulating gene transcription in response to intracellular lipid accumulation through alteration of the epigenome. In this review, we discuss what is currently understood in the field and suggest areas for future research which may lead to the development of novel preventative or therapeutic interventions for NAFLD

Does severe dietary energy restriction increase binge eating in overweight or obese individuals? A systematic review

Severe dietary energy restriction is often used for overweight or obese individuals to achieve rapid weight loss and related health improvements. However, the extent of putative adverse effects on eating behaviour is unknown. We thus systematically searched seven databases for studies that assessed binge eating before and after severe dietary energy restriction (low or very low energy diets) in overweight or obese individuals. Fifteen clinically supervised interventions from 10 publications (nine of which involved only women) were included. Among individuals with clinically relevant pre-treatment binge eating disorder, severe dietary energy restriction significantly decreased binge eating in all four interventions involving this population, at least during the weight loss programme. In contrast, no consistent association between severe dietary energy restriction and the onset of bingeing was found in 11 interventions involving individuals without pre-treatment binge eating disorder, with four such interventions showing significant increases, two showing no change, and five showing significant decreases in binge eating. We conclude that clinically supervised severe dietary energy restriction appears safe and beneficial for overweight or obese individuals with pre-treatment binge eating disorder, and does not necessarily trigger binge eating in those without binge eating disorder

Dispelling the myths of online education: learning via the information superhighway

There continues to be a perception that online education is inferior to traditional education. In the U.S. online learning is more developed than in the U.K. This paper provides insights into a U.S. provision and takes a close look at what are perceived as weaknesses of on line learning and argues that these are not necessarily inherent weaknesses of this form of educational delivery. Then, results of two major studies, undertaken in the U.S. are provided comparing the effectiveness of online education to traditional education as perceived by current MBA students and past graduates. Results of these studies suggest that students of MBA modules and MBA graduates perceive the quality and effectiveness of online education to be similar to, if not higher than, the quality and effectiveness of traditional modules and programmes

Collaboration of MYC and RUNX2 in lymphoma simulates T‐cell receptor signaling and attenuates p53 pathway activity

MYC and RUNX oncogenes each trigger p53‐mediated failsafe responses when overexpressed in vitro and collaborate with p53 deficiency in vivo. However, together they drive rapid onset lymphoma without mutational loss of p53. This phenomenon was investigated further by transcriptomic analysis of premalignant thymus from RUNX2/MYC transgenic mice. The distinctive contributions of MYC and RUNX to transcriptional control were illustrated by differential enrichment of canonical binding sites and gene ontology analyses. Pathway analysis revealed signatures of MYC, CD3, and CD28 regulation indicative of activation and proliferation, but also strong inhibition of cell death pathways. In silico analysis of discordantly expressed genes revealed Tnfsrf8/CD30, Cish, and Il13 among relevant targets for sustained proliferation and survival. Although TP53 mRNA and protein levels were upregulated, its downstream targets in growth suppression and apoptosis were largely unperturbed. Analysis of genes encoding p53 posttranslational modifiers showed significant upregulation of three genes, Smyd2, Set, and Prmt5. Overexpression of SMYD2 was validated in vivo but the functional analysis was constrained by in vitro loss of p53 in RUNX2/MYC lymphoma cell lines. However, an early role is suggested by the ability of SMYD2 to block senescence‐like growth arrest induced by RUNX overexpression in primary fibroblasts