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Emerging Paths of Presencing Leadership: A Nature-Inspired Framework for Cultivating Presencing as a Way of Being
Get PDFThis article reimagines leadership as an ecologically attuned practice of presencing, grounded in ethical responsiveness to nature’s underlying generative intelligence. It invites leaders to cultivate a nature-informed sensibility and imaginal attunement to emergence. Rooted in three naturesourced, orienting principles — the Rhizomic, Telluric, and Heliotropic — this framework integrates Dynamic Presencing’s (DP) foundational gestures of letting go, letting be, and letting come. These principles guide leaders through three interwoven narrative phases of leadership apprenticeship: Coming Home, Being Home, and Venturing Forth from Within. The Rhizomic principle invites a grounded, non-linear mode of leadership rooted in humility and openness, supporting leaders in releasing control and cultivating authenticity. The Telluric principle fosters deep inner presence and ethical discernment, enhancing the capacity to hold space with steadiness and care amid complexity. The Heliotropic principle aligns leaders with emergent possibilities, guiding their actions toward collective well-being and the unfolding of shared potential. Together, these principles illuminate the inner transformation required for presencing leadership—one guided by a nature-inspired wisdom ethic that is responsive to complexity and grounded in timely, coherent action. By reimagining presencing in this way, this DP framework empowers leaders to source their ethical action from a deeper ecological, more-than-human context
Crafting Ethical Problem-Solving Cultures: A Leader’s Role in Complex Adaptive Systems
Get PDFIn today’s complex and interconnected world, leaders play a critical role in fostering ethical problem-solving cultures within organizations. To enable leaders to succeed in this evolving landscape, this paper advocates for a necessary paradigm shift: a transition in mental models about how organizations function. Historically, organizations have been viewed as mechanistic systems, but there is a substantial opportunity to improve our work by viewing organizations as complex adaptive systems. This shift alters fundamental assumptions about organizational operations and redefines leadership as the creation of conditions for effective and ethical problem-solving. In this paper, I examine the changing mental models that influence organizational behavior and explore how this impacts leadership\u27s role in driving cultural change. Additionally, I present key guiding principles, or simple rules, and offer actionable strategies for leaders to implement and test these approaches within their organizations
The Light of Learning: Medieval Scholar-Kings and Loremasters in the Line of Eärendil
No full textThis conference paper summarizes the importance of Númenórean lore-masters in the Mannish affair conceit of the post-LOTR cosmologies before investigating the prevalence of loremasters among the first five kings of Númenor. Parallels are drawn with real-world Medieval scholar-kings
Tantalizing Fragments of a Larger Linguistic Tapestry: Exploring Nala Lambë, Mago/Magol, and the Dunlendish Languages in Tolkien\u27s World-Building
Get PDFIn this paper I pluck three leaves from my current research on Tolkien’s Tree of Middle-earth language invention - – Nala Lambë, Mago/Magol, and Dunlendish (also known as the Dunland Tongue). These lesser-known languages, despite their incomplete nature or orphaned status, underscore Tolkien\u27s unwavering commitment to linguistic realism and the integral role of language in his sub-creation and world-building. They exist as both individual enigmatic leafs as well part of much larger tree of Tolkien’s linguistic world-building
Assay Development for the Identification of Novel Therapeutics to Treat Heart Failure and Skeletal Muscle Disorders
No full textThis project is a collaborative effort between Pelagos Pharmaceuticals & Valpo U. Overall goal = develop drugs that will halt &/or reverse congestive heart failure and skeletal muscle disorders by targeting two nuclear receptors: Rev-Erb & the estrogen-related receptors (ERRs). The work reported here is focused on the treatment of mouse myoblasts (skeletal muscle cell precursors) with potential ERR agonists & then looking for protective changes in gene expression
Effects of Plant-Based Diets on Cardiovascular Markers in Hyperlipidemic Adults
No full textObjective: This study aimed to evaluate whether a plant-based diet in comparison to an omnivorous diet is effecting in the reduction of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, total cholesterol (TC), and body mass index (BMI) in adults over 18 with hyperlipidemia.
Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed, Medline, the Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. Studies included adults over 18 with diet interventions lasting at least 8 weeks with an endpoint including lipid profiles. Keywords used were plant-based diet, vegan, hyperlipidemia, LDL, cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease.
Results: The majority of studies showed that plant-based diets are associated with reduction in LDL-C, TC, and BMI. Results for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) were mixed. Limitations included variable definitions of plant-based diets, small sample sizes, short durations, and heterogeneity in design.
Conclusion: Plant-based diets are an effective strategy for improving lipid profiles, particularly LDL-C. While not consistently superior to omnivorous diets in all measures, they offer benefits in reducing cardiovascular risk factors. These diets should be considered a valuable option in preventative and therapeutic dietary planning, especially when tailored to patient preferences and sustainability. Further long-term studies are warranted to evaluate their effect on cardiovascular outcomes.
Keywords: Plant-based diet, LDL cholesterol, cardiovascular risk, vegan diet, total cholesterol, body mass inde
Identifying and Characterizing the Binary Central Star of the Planetary Nebula PHR J1040-5417
No full textPlanetary nebulae occur towards the end of the life cycles of stars with a mass less than about eight times the mass of the Sun. As the star expands at the end of its life, it ejects its outer layers, and the high temperature of the leftover core causes the ejected gas to ionize and glow. At the centers of some of these planetary nebulae, there can be two stars present instead of one. These binary stars can be detected through a variety of ways, with the most common being photometric variability, or a change in the brightness of the system. For the system presented here, PHR J1040-5417, this was accomplished through observations of the system’s brightness as observed from Earth. This data can then be used to construct a light curve, or a plot of how the brightness changes over time, which can then be used to obtain the period of the binary. In this work, we will explain our process in determining the orbital period of PHR J1040-5417 to very high precision
Effective Pain Control Strategies for Outpatient Gynecologic Procedures
No full textObjective: To evaluate whether the benefits of prescription pain medications outweigh their risks in managing pain during standard outpatient gynecologic procedures.
Methods: A structured literature review was conducted using Medline via EBSCO, covering studies from January 2019 to December 2024. Search terms included variations of pain management combined with gynecology and procedure. Of 507 identified articles, studies were included if they were in English, full-text, and involved adult patients with female reproductive anatomy undergoing outpatient gynecologic procedures. Exclusion criteria included participants under 18, studies older than five years, and those involving surgery, maternal-fetal procedures, or childbirth. Primary outcome: patient-reported pain; secondary outcomes: recovery time and patient satisfaction.
Results: NSAIDs consistently reduced intra- and post-procedural pain with minimal side effects. Opioids were effective for intra-procedural pain but carried a higher risk of adverse effects. Antispasmodics showed mixed but generally positive results. Local anesthetics reliably controlled procedural pain. TENS therapy was effective both during and after procedures. Conscious sedation reduced intra-procedural pain but offered no post-procedural benefit and posed greater risks.
Conclusion: Both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic strategies can effectively manage pain in outpatient gynecologic procedures. NSAIDs, selective COX-2 inhibitors, opioids, and antispasmodics are effective pharmacologic options, though opioids require cautious use due to side effects. Local anesthetics and TENS provide reliable non-opioid alternatives. Conscious sedation is not recommended due to limited benefit and higher risk.
Keywords: Pain management, outpatient gynecology, NSAIDs, opioids, local anesthesia, TENS therap
Symptomatic Reduction of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Via Adjuvant Probiotic Therapies
No full textObjective: This study evaluates the effectiveness of daily probiotic supplementation as an adjunct to standard therapy in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), focusing on symptom frequency, intensity, and potential for achieving or maintaining remission.
Methods: A structured literature review was conducted using Medline via EBSCO, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Search terms included “Inflammatory Bowel Disease,” “IBD,” “Crohn’s disease,” “ulcerative colitis,” “probiotics,” and related terms. From 1,616 Medline results, 12 relevant articles were selected; PubMed yielded 30 focused on randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses, and a representative sample was reviewed from 17,500 Google Scholar results. Included studies involved IBD patients receiving 5-Aminosalisylic Acid (5-ASA) therapy (with or without short-term corticosteroids) alongside daily probiotics. Exclusion criteria were coexisting GI disorders, use of immunosuppressants or long-term steroids, probiotic monotherapy, and animal studies. Key outcomes included symptom reduction and improved quality of life (QOL).
Results: Probiotics appear to modulate gut microbiota and reduce inflammation through cytokine regulation. Evidence supports limited effectiveness in Crohn’s disease, but consistent symptom improvement in ulcerative colitis. Benefits included reduced stool frequency, rectal bleeding, and abdominal pain, as well as mucosal healing confirmed via endoscopy and histology.
Conclusion: Adjunctive probiotic therapy shows promise in managing ulcerative colitis symptoms when used with standard treatment, though it appears less effective for Crohn’s disease. Probiotics may enhance remission maintenance in ulcerative colitis. Further high-quality, large-scale studies are recommended.
Keywords: inflammatory bowel disease, crohn\u27s disease, ulcerative colitis, probiotics, adjunctive therapy, gut microbiome, symptom managemen
