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This case study examines the leadership practices of an effective versus an ineffective elementary school principal. The background of this case involves two fourth grade teachers, each teaching one of a set of identical twins. Discrepancies in teaching and grading practices result in one twin failing. The decision-making choices of the principal in working with a strongly engaged parent and a disgruntled team of teachers are reflected by a behavioral and leadership style that ultimately alienates the parent, teachers and central office personnel. Upon investigation, the principal finds that the failing grades do not appear to be well substantiated. The parent, the teachers, and central office are demanding action from the principal. Implications for practice suggests how administrators have a duty to supervise and monitor instruction regularly, thereby reducing inequities within the horizontal and vertical instructional delivery system of the school.

A bacterial consortium (consortium GR) consisting of Proteus vulgaris NCIM-2027 and Micrococcus glutamicus NCIM-2168 could rapidly decolorize and degrade commonly-used sulfonated reactive dye Green HE4BD and many other reactive dyes. Consortium GR shows markedly higher decolorization activity than that of the individual strains. The preferable physicochemical parameters were identified to achieve higher dye degradation and decolorization efficiency. The supplementation of cheap co-substrates (e.g., extracts of agricultural wastes) could enhance the decolorization performance of consortium GR. Extent of mineralization was determined with TOC and COD measurements, showing nearly complete mineralization of Green HE4BD by consortium GR (up to 90% TOC and COD reduction) within 24 h. Oxidoreductive enzymes seemed to be involved in fast decolorization/degradation process with the evidence of enzymes induction in the bacterial consortium. Phytotoxicity and microbial toxicity studies confirm that the biodegraded products of Green HE4BD by consortium GR are non-toxic. Consortium GR also shows significant biodegradation and decolorization activities for mixture of reactive dyes as well as the effluent from actual dye manufacturing industry. This confers the possibility of applying consortium GR for the treatment of industrial wastewaters containing dye pollutants.

A novel synthetic 323-bp gene with the open reading frame of a multiple-epitope polypeptide has been assembled and cloned. The gene is engineered by contiguous alignment of selected epitopes and functional domains of the hepatitis B virus envelope proteins separated by pairs of glycine residues. High-level bacterial production of this 100-amino acid (approx. 10 kDa) protein has been achieved and the gene product is stable. ELISA and Western blot experiments using epitope-specific antisera confirm that the corresponding epitopes are present in the engineered protein.

Research in the area of consumer credit card abundance of literature in the business, psychology, and public policy fields. 1960s, the work revolved around descriptive characteristics and evolved as scholars probed deeper by investigating relationships between credit cards and psychological constructs, and the need for consumer policy. While the scope of credit card research has broadened, there is a need to pause and reflect on what we actually know about the phenomenon, given its proclivity in society. This paper identifies the empirical research conducted over the past four decades in order to provide insights and recommendations for additional research. A total of 537 refereed journal articles from 8 databases were reviewed and evaluate to credit cards, with a final working 2012. Emerging trends are identified and suggestions for future research are provided.

Surface coat proteins (SCPs) of entomopathogenic nematodes are implicated in the suppression/evasion of host immune responses, which is required for successful host colonization. Steinernema glaseri NC strain SCPs suppressed immune responses in oriental beetle larvae (Exomala orientalis), a susceptible host for S. glaseri, in a dosage-dependent manner, thus protecting Heterorhabditis bacteriophora from being killed in the same host. Melanization of H. bacteriophora decreased from 92+/-5% in the untreated check to 1+/-3% when protected by injection of 230ng of S. glaseri SCPs. As the SCPs dosage increased, freely moving H. bacteriophora increased from 3+/-4% in the untreated group to 57+/-15% with an SCPs dose of 940ng. At 2h and in the absence of SCPs, 8% and 11% of hemocytes of E. orientalis were stained by propidium iodide and Hoechst, respectively. When exposed to 300ng/microl SCPs, 70% and 96% were stained, respectively. At 6h, propidium iodide stained 37% and 92% of the hemocyt...

In eukaryotes, polyadenylation of pre-mRNA 3′ end is essential for mRNA export, stability, and translation. Here we identified and cloned a gene codifying for a putative nuclear poly(A) polymerase (EhPAP) in Entamoeba histolytica. Protein sequence alignments with eukaryotic PAPs showed that EhPAP has the RNA-binding region and the PAP central domain with the catalytic nucleotidyl transferase domain described for other nuclear PAPs. Recombinant EhPAP expressed in bacteria was used to generate specific antibodies, which recognized two EhPAP isoforms of 60 and 63 kDa in nuclear and cytoplasmic extracts by Western blot assays. RT-PCR assays showed that EhPap mRNA expression varies in multidrug-resistant trophozoites growing in different emetine concentrations. Moreover, EhPap mRNA expression is about 10- and 7-fold increased in G1 and S phase, respectively, through cell cycle progression. These results suggest the existence of a link between EhPAP expression and MDR and cell cycle regulation, respectively.