From Sisterhood to the Senate: The Sorority Experience and Preparing Women for Political Leadership

Since the founding of the first Greek organizations in colonial America, fraternities and sororities have aimed to provide communities of support and empowerment for their members. Research on outcomes of sorority participation has shown increased social skills, confidence in leadership, and professional networking and connections. Existing literature surrounding women’s underrepresentation in U.S. politics shows that to bridge the political gender gap, more women need to be encouraged to run for office and have prior political socialization and experience. To compare skills acquired from the sorority experience and preparation for political careers, this study conducts a survey of 274 current and alumnae members of National Panhellenic Conference organizations, asking participants to reflect on how their experience has helped equip them for leadership roles outside of the organization. The results of this survey found that this sample of women’s sorority experiences were consistent with what was found in literature and that their experience helped them acquire technical, social, and leadership skills. Results also demonstrate that sorority life is a successful source of support, empowerment, and professional development during one’s time in higher education.This study can be used to expand programming on values and skills for sorority members, establish the relevance of Greek organizations, and help women understand one way they can develop skills needed to hold public office

Die Abfassungszeit des Platonischen Phaidros

https://repository.brynmawr.edu/digitizedbooks/1010/thumbnail.jp

Die Abfassungszeit des Platonischen Phaidros

https://repository.brynmawr.edu/digitizedbooks/1010/thumbnail.jp

Structural and Biophysical Insights into SPINK1 Bound to Human Cationic Trypsin

(1) The serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 1 (SPINK1) inhibits trypsin activity in zymogen granules of pancreatic acinar cells. Several mutations in the SPINK1 gene are associated with acute recurrent pancreatitis (ARP) and chronic pancreatitis (CP). The most common variant is SPINK1 p.N34S. Although this mutation was identified two decades ago, the mechanism of action has remained elusive. (2) SPINK1 and human cationic trypsin (TRY1) were expressed in E. coli, and inhibitory activities were determined. Crystals of SPINK1–TRY1 complexes were grown by using the hanging-drop method, and phases were solved by molecular replacement. (3) Both SPINK1 variants show similar inhibitory behavior toward TRY1. The crystal structures are almost identical, with minor differences in the mutated loop. Both complexes show an unexpected rotamer conformation of the His63 residue in TRY1, which is a member of the catalytic triad. (4) The SPINK1 p.N34S mutation does not affect the inhibitory behavior or the overall structure of the protein. Therefore, the pathophysiological mechanism of action of the p.N34S variant cannot be explained mechanistically or structurally at the protein level. The observed histidine conformation is part of a mechanism for SPINK1 that can explain the exceptional proteolytic stability of this inhibitor