Editorial:Fostering Creative Organizations: Antecedents, Processes, and Consequences of Individual and Team Creativity

Creativity, defined as the ability or process to generate novel and useful ideas, is the key engine of organizational innovation. It is a critical differentiator of mind from machine, a core driver of our uniqueness in an increasingly automated world. An important question, then, is how best to improve people's creativity, to enhance our collective innovativeness, enjoyment, and global living standards. Despite ample attention—including theory- and application-focused research—to this question, there remains much to learn about creativity..

Modulation of HSV-induced angiogenesis in HSK pathogenesis

The formation of a functional, integral vascular network is a fundamental process in the growth and maintenance of tissues. Vascularization occurs by three distinct processes: vasculogenesis, angiogenesis, and arteriogenesis (1). Cell function and survival is dependent on oxygen and nutrient supply from blood vessels. During embryogenesis and organogenesis, the coordinated growth of endothelial cell ensures adequate vessel generation. This process called vasculogenesis, involves the de novo differentiation of endothelial cells (EC) from mesodermal precursors. The distinct process of blood vessels generation from pre-existing vessels, calledangiogenesis, is required in adult life during the female reproductive cycle, tissue repair and wound healing (2). Angiogenesis is the mechanism of blood vessel formation afterthe first few days of embryogenesis, and is essential for all tissue growth (3). In adults, angiogenesis occurs during inflammatory reactions and cancer. The molecular mechanisms controlling angiogenesis are becoming clearer, and therapy targeting these processes is becoming closer to clinical trials. The understanding that the formation of blood vessels depends on the acquisition of a blood supply has led to the development of new therapies for cancer and other angiogenic diseases based on inhibition of neovascularization

Side-View Operando Optical Microscopy Analysis of a Graphite Anode to Study Its Kinetic Hysteresis

Operando analyses have provided several breakthroughs in the construction of high-performance materials and devices, including energy storage systems. However, despite the advances in electrode engineering, the formidable issues of lithium intercalation and deintercalation kinetics cannot be investigated by using planar observations. This study concerns side-view operando observation by optical microscopy of a graphite anode based on its color changes during electrochemical lithiation. Since the graphite color varies according to the optical energy gap during lithiation and delithiation, this technique can be used to study the corresponding charge-discharge kinetics. In addition, the cell configuration uses liquid electrolytes similar to commercial cells, allowing practical application. Furthermore, this side-view observation has shown that microscale spatial variations in rate and composition control the insertion and deinsertion, revealing the kinetics throughout the whole electrode. The results of this study could enhance the fundamental understanding of the kinetics of battery materials

Exploring intron mobilization and detection of an intron gain event via intron transposition using a novel intron gain and loss reporter

Eukaryotic nuclear genes are discontinuous with the presence of intervening sequences termed spliceosomal introns. Once the DNA coding sequences are transcribed into pre-mRNA, these spliceosomal introns must be removed within the ribonucleoprotein complex called the spliceosome. The processed mRNA is exported from nucleus to cytoplasm where it is translated into protein. Therefore the removal of spliceosomal introns, pre-mRNA splicing, is an essential process for appropriate gene expression in eukaryotes. Given the importance of pre-mRNA splicing and diversity of intron densities across eukaryotic genomes, numerous studies have been conducted to understand the origin and evolution of spliceosomal introns. Although several models based on the phylogenetic analyses exist which address the molecular mechanism of the intron gain and loss, validation of these models is restricted due to the lack of experimental evidence. In this dissertation, we report the use of a novel strategy which detects selected intron gain and loss events. Our reporter is designed to produce an intronic RNA containing a selectable marker that detects its incorporation into the yeast genome. We have experimentally verified the first demonstration of intron gain via intron transposition in any organism. The intron RNA derived from the reporter was perfectly transposed in the yeast gene RPL8B and remains stable and intact within the genome. This novel allele, RPL8Bint, is functional when overexpressed in a deletion strain of RPL8A, a paralog of RPL8B, demonstrating that the newly formed intron is successfully removed by the spliceosome. To address the mechanism of this intron transposition, we investigated the involvement of the known cellular genes in intron transposition using the intron gain and loss reporter. A number of deletion strains of the spliceosome-related genes and recombination-related genes were employed in addition to the conditional mutants of splicing helicases. The results from these mutational analyses provided evidence to further understand the mechanism of intron mobilization with highlighting the importance of RAD52 and Ty transposable elements. Altogether this dissertation describes the development and validation of a novel reporter detecting in vivo intron gain and loss and the utilization of the reporter in understanding the mechanism of intron mobilization in S. cerevisiae.Cellular and Molecular Biolog

Unpacking the impact of attachment to project teams on boundary-spanning behaviors

As business environments become even more competitive, project teams are required to make an effort to operate external linkages from within an organization or across organizational boundaries. Nevertheless, some members boundary-span less extensively, isolating themselves and their project teams from external environments. Our study examines why some members boundary-span more or less through the framework of group attachment theory. Data from 521 project-team members in construction and engineering industries revealed that the more individuals worry about their project team’s acceptance (group attachment anxiety), the more likely they are to perceive intergroup competition, and thus put more efforts into operating external linkages and resources to help their own teams outperform competitors. In contrast, a tendency to distrust their project teams (group attachment avoidance) generates members’ negative construal of their team’s external image, and thus fewer efforts are made at operating external linkages. Thus, project leaders and members with high group-attachment-anxiety may be best qualified for external tasks

Pro-Secretory Activity and Pharmacology in Rabbits of an Aminophenyl-1,3,5-Triazine CFTR Activator for Dry Eye Disorders.

PurposePharmacological activation of ocular surface cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) chloride channels is a potential pro-secretory approach to treat dry eye disorders. We previously reported the discovery of aminophenyl-1,3,5-triazines, one of which, N-methyl-N-phenyl-6-(2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropoxy)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine (herein called CFTRact-K267), fully activated human wildtype CFTR with EC50 ∼ 30 nM and increased tear volume for 8 hours in mice. Here, functional and pharmacological studies of CFTRact-K267 were done in adult New Zealand white rabbits.MethodsCFTR chloride conductance was measured in vivo by ocular surface potential differences and in ex vivo conjunctiva by short-circuit current. Tear volume was measured by the Schirmer tear test II and CFTRact-K267 pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Toxicity profile was studied for 28 days with twice-daily topical administration.ResultsElectrophysiological measurements in vivo and in ex vivo conjunctiva demonstrated CFTR activation by CFTRact-K267. A single topical dose of 3 nmol CFTRact-K267 increased tear production by >5 mm for 9 hours by the Schirmer tear test, with predicted therapeutic concentrations maintained in tear fluid. No tachyphylaxis was seen following 28-day twice-daily administration, and changes were not observed in corneal surface integrity or thickness, intraocular pressure, or ocular histology. At day 28, CFTRact-K267 was concentrated in the cornea and conjunctiva and was not detectable in blood or peripheral organs.ConclusionsThese studies support the development of CFTRact-K267 as a pro-secretory therapy for dry eye disorders

On the finite field cone restriction conjecture in four dimensions and applications in incidence geometry

The first purpose of this paper is to solve completely the finite field cone restriction conjecture in four dimensions with $-1$ non-square. The second is to introduce a new approach to study incidence problems via restriction theory. More precisely, using the cone restriction estimates, we will prove sharp point-sphere incidence bounds associated with complex-valued functions for sphere sets of small size. Our incidence bounds with a specific function improve significantly a result given by Cilleruelo, Iosevich, Lund, Roche-Newton, and Rudnev.Comment: Title was change

Current practise of classroom speaking assessment in secondary schools in South Korea

The present study investigates the current practice in classroom speaking assessment in secondary schools in South Korea. Teacher-based speaking assessments conducted in the classroom are not only strongly recommended in Korean educational policies but are also the only tool used to evaluate students’ oral skills in the formal schooling system. However, there has been little systematic research investigating how teachers actually assess students’ oral skills in the classroom. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the current status of classroom speaking assessment in Korean middle schools and its effectiveness in light of an alternative assessment tool and pedagogical values. The data was collected from questionnaires and interviews where teachers were the only targeted respondents. 51 Korean English teachers recently working in middle schools participated in the questionnaire and six of them were interviewed. The results have revealed that classroom speaking assessment currently conducted in Korean middle schools has broadly employed performance-based tasks and that somewhat informative feedback has been offered to students in the form of criterion descriptions plus marking scores. However there was still a strong tendency here towards traditional formal testing to measure and report learning outcomes, one which resulted in teachers having an overall pessimistic attitude towards the positive effects of such testing on teaching and learning. It is evident from this study that there is need for improvements in order to facilitate better learning outcomes in the classroom. The study provides a range of suggestions for an improvement of current practices, starting with a process to change the perceptions of teachers, students, parents and policy makers towards classroom assessment followed by practical actions such as teacher training, cooperation with an English native teacher, and downsizing the number of students per class