SUNY Cobleskill

This chapter examines the integration of mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and leadership within change management. Through an analysis of existing research, the chapter highlights how mindfulness enhances present-moment awareness, allowing leaders and employees to adopt a more responsive approach to organizational challenges. Emotional intelligence is reviewed as a crucial factor in managing individual and collective emotions and fostering a supportive and empathetic work environment. Additionally, the chapter explores various leadership styles which play a pivotal role in guiding teams through transitions while aligning them with organizational objectives. By synthesizing the literature, this chapter offers insights and case studies, underscoring the importance of integrating these constructs to cultivate an adaptive organizational culture. The review concludes that mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and leadership are essential for effective change management, facilitating smoother transitions and ensuring long-term organizational success in a rapidly evolving environment.

ObjectiveFreshwater mussels of the order Unionoida are among the most imperiled taxa in North America, and many species are undergoing enigmatic decline without fully understood causation. Disease pathology and parasitology have been identified as areas with significant knowledge gaps in relation to these declines. We investigated a shell deformity of unknown cause that is widespread in northeastern North America by adding to the clinical description from a mussel assemblage in Massachusetts with a deformity prevalence exceeding 50%. We build upon previous qualitative descriptions of this deformity with investigations of shell morphology and mussel age.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative survey of the mussel community to evaluate the prevalence of deformity. Mussels were classified as deformed based on the presence of a distinct truncation of the posterior margin of the shell. For the eastern elliptio Elliptio complanata, we evaluated the shell height, shell length, and height : length ratio of animals classified as deformed versus normal and we conducted a comparison to a reference population. We also incorporated shell thin sectioning and aging to qualitatively describe the deformity in cross section and to compare age distributions between deformed and normal eastern elliptio.ResultWe observed the presence of this deformity in four species, including the eastern elliptio, eastern lampmussel Lampsilis radiata, eastern pearlshell Margaritifera margaritifera, and creeper Strophitus undulatus. In cross section, the deformity appeared to be caused by repeated disturbance in growth in the posterior portion of the shell. Deformed eastern elliptio had markedly shorter shells for a given shell height when compared to normal and reference mussels, and they tended to be older at shorter shell lengths than normal mussels from the same site.ConclusionThe cause of the shell deformity in the United States remains unknown, although it appears similar in description to the deformity caused by a commensal midge, Xenochironomus canterburyensis, which infects a distantly related freshwater mussel in New Zealand. We highlight potential causes and the need for further investigation.

Davis, Michael J. MD; Tegnander, Adam N. HT (ASCP); McKay, Camille MEd, BSHCA; Nehal, Kishwer MD Author Information

The use of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) devices such as continuous positive airway pressure and bi-level positive airway pressure machines have been associated with an increased incidence of dry eye disease (DED). To understand how the use of these ventilation masks impacts the eyes, a review of the pathophysiology of DED and an evaluation of recent studies investigating the effects of NIV use on the severity and incidence of this condition were performed. It was found that the use of face masks associated with the ventilation devices exhibited a positive correlation to the incidence and severity of numerous ocular pathologies. However, the benefits of non-invasive mechanical ventilation are undeniable in treating conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and respiratory failure; therefore, proper education, behavioral modifications, and treatment can help reduce or prevent the adverse effects that NIV have on the eyes.

Over much of its range, Pugnose Shiner (Notropis anogenus) populations are isolated and endangered. This study tested the feasibility of pond culturing Pugnose Shiner for restoration. In 2015, 65 wild broodstock from Sodus Bay, New York State's last remaining Lake Ontario population, were stocked into a 0.2ha aquaculture pond. Thousands of juveniles were quickly produced, and during 2016–2017, 7,400 pond‐reared Pugnose Shiner were stocked into Chaumont Bay, Lake Ontario. Poststocking surveys in 2020 demonstrated the establishment of 4‐year classes in Chaumont Bay from natural reproduction. Following the successful establishment of Pugnose Shiner in Chaumont Bay, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation recommended the downlisting of the Pugnose Shiner from Endangered to Special Concern. The restoration strategy described here is applicable to other sites in the United States and Canada, where this species is also of conservation concern.

We trace the evolution of open government data (OGD) publication among U.S. health agencies to illustrate how OGD goals and benefits might be achieved. Our novel conceptual framework illustrates the implicit logic underlying OGD activities in the health domain and their anticipated impact on population health. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 50 diverse practitioners and policymakers from local, state, and federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations. Using a positive deviance approach, we identified innovative U.S. health agencies that were early OGD adopters. We analyzed transcripts using a grounded theory methodological approach to identify common themes. Results indicate that the OGD movement is marked by three major eras (pre-OGD early activities, Open Data 1.0, and Open Data 2.0), and U.S. health agencies are in different stages of evolution. Among innovative jurisdictions, OGD transitioned from an early focus on releasing large volumes of data to a more demand-driven approach to promote meaningful user engagement with data. Although engagement strategies could yield benefits, limited evidence exists on best practices for engaging diverse data users and many jurisdictions have not yet transitioned to this later phase. Our conceptual framework could be adapted for other domains to help visualize how successful OGD initiatives might unfold.

In the ocean, dinoflagellates are associated with a microbial community that provides some of their essential nutrients. In the laboratory, most dinoflagellates are cultured in seawater supplemented with nutrients, although little effort has been made to maintain them axenically. This can complicate the study of their physiological processes such as protein synthesis and its modulation. In bacterized cultures of Amphidinium carterae Hulbert, up to 80 % of protein synthetic activity appears to be bacterial based on their responses to inhibitors of protein synthesis. The bacterial community associated with a nonaxenic culture of A. carterae was examined by combining mass‐amplification of short DNA sequences encoding 16S rRNA (barcodes) with high‐throughput sequencing. The Illumina MiSeq high‐throughput sequencing platform was used to sequence 600–1500 bp16S amplicons of the microbial community using universal primers for 16 rRNA genes. The dominant 16S sequences at the phylum level were assigned to Alphaproteobacteria, Rhodobacteraceae, Hyphomonadaceae and Gammaproteobacteria. Axenic cultures, maintained in antibiotic mixtures of kanamycin (50 μg/mL), carbenicillin (100 μg/mL), and streptomycin sulfate (50 μg/mL) (KCS) grew as well as the nonaxenic and to slightly higher cell densities. They showed little evidence of bacterial protein synthesis based on responses to inhibitors of protein synthesis and a dramatically lower bacterial presence. However, over time in culture Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Actinobacteria gradually emerged, probably reflecting less than adequate sterile technique and less than optimal antibiotics.Support or Funding InformationNOAA‐EPPLMRCSCNASF research awardThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.