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Synthesis, photophysics and electroluminescence of strong phosphorescent neutral rhenium(I) diimine complexes with anionic isocyanoborate ligands
No full textReduced level of induced endocytosis in Candida albicans sap7 mutants
No full textObjective: To investigate the effect of C. albicans SAP7 gene in induced endocytosis in Candida-epithelial cell interactions.
Method: In this study, C. albicans sap7 mutant strain was constructed in our laboratory by a PCR – based gene disruption method. In the endocytosis assay, the number of C. albicans cells that were cell-associated with and endocytosed by OKF6/TERT2 was determined using differential fluorescence assay with minor modifications. Briefly, conflucent OKF6/TERT2 cells were infected with 1×105 Candida cells for 3 h incubation. After removing nonadherent organisms, the cells were fixed with 3% paraformaldehyde. The adherent but not endocytosed Candida cells were stained by a polyclonal rabbit anti-Candida antibody conjugated with red fluorescence Alexa Fluor 568. Afterwards, cells were permeated with 0.5% Triton X-100. All cell-associated organisms (including adherent and endocytosed organisms) were labeled with anti-Candida antibody conjugated with green fluorescence Alexa Fluor 488. The number of endocytosis organisms was determined by subtracting the number of adherent organisms (which is red fluorescence) from the number of cell-associated organisms (which is green fluorescence) observed under CLSM. In each well, at least 100 organisms were examined, and this assay was conducted in triplicate on three separate occasions.
Result: Deletion of the SAP7 gene in C. albicans attenuated the induced endocytosis in C. albicans - epithelial cell interactions. Compared with the wild type SC5314, C. albicans sap7 mutant strain significantly reduced the induced endocytosis by 47.8% (p \u3c 0.01).
Conclusion: SAP7 gene contributes to C. albicans induced endocytosis of oral epithelial cells
Leading change and the challenges of managing a learning organisation in Hong Kong
No full textResearch shows a failure rate of 70% for all initiated change. This professionally-oriented case study addresses this issue and aims to empirically test the strength of the Learning Organisation (LO) model as a change management approach. Evidence from this study suggests that Senge’s LO model is useful in dealing with changes in an ambiguous environment. However, leaders need to review each situation, as every change strategy should be specific to the culture, context and situation. This paper contributes to the existing knowledge on change management by providing a better understanding of the impact of two different approaches to change. Further studies could assess the impact of implementing different change approaches on organisational performance. In addition, further studies may include literature in other languages, such as Chinese and Japanese, to highlight the similarities and differences between cultures
Static stretching can impair explosive performance for at least 24 hours
No full textThe aim of this study was to compare the effects of static vs. dynamic stretching (DS) on explosive performances and repeated sprint ability (RSA) after a 24-hour delay. Sixteen young male soccer players performed 15 minutes of static stretching (SS), DS, or a no-stretch control condition (CC) 24 hours before performing explosive performances and RSA tests. This was a within-subject repeated measures study with SS, DS, and CC being counterbalanced. Stretching protocols included 2 sets of 7 minutes 30 seconds (2 repetitions of 30 seconds with a 15-second passive recovery) for 5 muscle groups (quadriceps, hamstring, calves, adductors, and hip flexors). Twenty-four hours later (without any kind of stretching in warm-up), the players were tested for the 30-m sprint test (with 10- and 20-m lap times), 5 jump test (5JT), and RSA test. Significant differences were observed between CC, SS, and DS with 5JT (F = 9.99, p \u3c 0.00, effect size [ES] = 0.40), 10-m sprint time (F = 46.52, p \u3c 0.00, ES = 0.76), 20-m sprint time (F = 18.44, p \u3c 0.000, ES = 0.55), and 30-m sprint time (F = 34.25, p \u3c 0.000, ES = 0.70). The significantly better performance (p \u3c 0.05) was observed after DS as compared with that after CC and SS in 5JT, and sprint times for 10, 20, and 30 m. In contrast, significantly worse performance (p \u3c 0.05) was observed after SS as compared with that after CC in 5JT, and sprint times for 10, 20, and 30 m. With RSA, no significant difference was observed between different stretching protocols in the total time (F = 1.55, p \u3e 0.05), average time (F = 1.53, p \u3e 0.05), and fastest time (F = 2.30, p \u3e 0.05), except for the decline index (F = 3.54, p \u3c 0.04, ES = 0.19). Therefore, the SS of the lower limbs and hip muscles had a negative effect on explosive performances up to 24 hours poststretching with no major effects on the RSA. Conversely, the DS of the same muscle groups are highly recommended 24 hours before performing sprint and long-jump performances. In conclusion, the positive effects of DS on explosive performances seem to persist for 24 hours
