Surviving a zombie apocalypse: Leadership configurations in extreme contexts

What can the classic zombie movie, Day of the Dead, tell us about leadership? In our analysis of this film, we explore leadership behaviours in an extreme context – a zombie apocalypse where survivors face persistent existential threat. Extreme context research presents methodological challenges, particularly with regard to fieldwork. The use of films as proxy case studies is one way in which to overcome these problems, and for researchers working in an interpretivist perspective, ‘social science fiction’ is increasingly used as a source of inspiration and ideas. The contribution of our analysis concerns highlighting the role of leadership configurations in extreme contexts, an approach not previously addressed in this field, but one that has greater explanatory power than current perspectives. In Day of the Dead, we observe several different configurations – patterns of leadership styles and behaviours – emerging, shifting and overlapping across the phases of the narrative, each with radically different consequences for the group of survivors. These observations suggest a speculative theory of leadership configurations and their implications in extreme contexts, for exploring further, with other methods.

Differential Partitioning of Triterpenes and Triterpene Esters in Apple Peel

Apple peel is a rich source of secondary metabolites, and several studies have outlined the dietary health benefits of ursane-type triterpenes in apple. Changes in triterpene metabolism have also been associated with the development of superficial scald, a postharvest apple peel browning disorder, and postharvest applications of diphenylamine and 1-methylcyclopropene. Previously, studies have generated metabolite profiles for whole apple peel or apple wax. In this study, we report separate metabolic analyses of isolated wax fractions and peel epidermis to investigate the spatial distribution of secondary metabolites in peel. In addition to examining previously reported triterpenes, we identified several unreported fatty acid esters of ursane-type triterpenes (C14-C22). All free pentacyclic triterpenes and triterpenic acids, with the exception of β-amyrin, were localized in the wax layer, along with esters of ursolic acid and uvaol. All sterols, sterol derivatives and α-amyrin esters were localized in the dewaxed peel epidermis.

Delayed response to cold stress is characterized by successive metabolic shifts culminating in apple fruit peel necrosis

BACKGROUND

Superficial scald is a physiological disorder of apple fruit characterized by sunken, necrotic lesions appearing after prolonged cold storage, although initial injury occurs much earlier in the storage period. To determine the degree to which the transition to cell death is an active process and specific metabolism involved, untargeted metabolic and transcriptomic profiling was used to follow metabolism of peel tissue over 180 d of cold storage.

RESULTS

The metabolome and transcriptome of peel destined to develop scald began to diverge from peel where scald was controlled using antioxidant (diphenylamine; DPA) or rendered insensitive to ethylene using 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) beginning between 30 and 60 days of storage. Overall metabolic and transcriptomic shifts, representing multiple pathways and processes, occurred alongside α-farnesene oxidation and, later, methanol production alongside symptom development.

CONCLUSIONS

Results indicate this form of peel necrosis is a product of an active metabolic transition involving multiple pathways triggered by chilling temperatures at cold storage inception rather than physical injury. Among multiple other pathways, enhanced methanol and methyl ester levels alongside upregulated pectin methylesterases are unique to peel that is developing scald symptoms similar to injury resulting from mechanical stress and herbivory in other plants.

Contextualizing Methods Choice in Organizational Research

The field of organizational research displays three trends: widening boundaries, a multiparadigmatic profile, and methodological inventiveness. Choice of research methods, shaped by aims, epistemological concerns, and norms of practice, is thus also influenced by organizational, historical, political, ethical, evidential, and personal factors, typically treated as problems to be overcome. This article argues that those factors constitute a system of inevitable influences and that this contextualization of methods choice has three implications. First, it is difficult to argue that methods choice depends exclusively on links to research aims; choice involves a more complex, interdependent set of considerations. Second, it is difficult to view method as merely a technique for snapping reality into focus; choices of method frame the data windows through which phenomena are observed, influencing interpretative schemas and theoretical development. Third, research competence thus involves addressing coherently the organizational, historical, political, ethical, evidential, and personal factors relevant to an investigation.

Sweat the small stuff: a case study of small-scale change processes and consequences in acute care

Solving small, annoying problems may appear to be unimportant in a political, demographic, and economic climate that focuses attention on radical long-term changes to the organization, delivery, funding, and regulation of the healthcare system. Most contemporary commentary emphasizes the need for large-scale, major, strategic, transformational change. Deliberately designed to focus on minor issues, however, the intervention reported here, in a hospital gastroenterology department, demonstrates how small changes generate major benefits for patients, staff, and hospital performance. This approach can also strengthen clinical-managerial relationships, which are key to larger scale changes and which suffer when 'the small stuff' is not fixed. The success of this intervention is explained with reference to a model of change combining context, content, process, and individual dispositions. The intervention, however, is easily modified to suit different contexts and was subsequently used successfully in other service areas in the same hospital. These outcomes present a challenge to the contemporary preoccupation with transformational change. Healthcare managers are thus advised, on the basis of this experience, to be alert to what appear to be minor unresolved issues, and to address these rapidly, in addition to larger scale, longer term projects.

Chilling-related cell damage of apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) fruit cortical tissue impacts antioxidant, lipid and phenolic metabolism

'Soggy breakdown' (SB) is an internal flesh disorder of 'Honeycrisp' apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) fruit that occurs during low temperature storage. The disorder is a chilling injury (CI) in which visible symptoms typically appear after several weeks of storage, but information about the underlying metabolism associated with its induction and development is lacking. The metabolic profile of flesh tissue from wholly healthy fruit and brown and healthy tissues from fruit with SB was characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and correlation networks revealed correlation among ester volatile compounds by composition and differences in phytosterol, phenolic and putative triacylglycerides (TAGs) metabolism among the tissues. anova-simultaneous component analysis (ASCA) was used to test the significance of metabolic changes linked with tissue health status. ASCA-significant components included antioxidant compounds, TAGs, and phytosterol conjugates. Relative to entirely healthy tissues, elevated metabolite levels in symptomatic tissue included γ-amino butyric acid, glycerol, sitosteryl (6'-O-palmitoyl) β-d-glucoside and sitosteryl (6'-O-stearate) β-d-glucoside, and TAGs containing combinations of 16:0, 18:3, 18:2 and 18:1 fatty acids. Reduced metabolite levels in SB tissue included 5-caffeoyl quinate, β-carotene, catechin, epicatechin, α-tocopherol, violaxanthin and sitosteryl β-d glucoside. Pathway analysis indicated aspects of primary metabolism differed according to tissue condition, although differences in metabolites involved were more subtle than those of some secondary metabolites. The results implicate oxidative stress and membrane disruption processes in SB development and constitute a diagnostic metabolic profile for the disorder.

Are healthcare middle management jobs extreme jobs?

PURPOSE

The purpose of this paper is to explore the incidence of "extreme jobs" among middle managers in acute hospitals, and to identify individual and organizational implications.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

The paper is based on interviews and focus groups with managers at six hospitals, a "proof of concept" pilot with an operations management team, and a survey administered at five hospitals.

FINDINGS

Six of the original dimensions of extreme jobs, identified in commercial settings, apply to hospital management: long hours, unpredictable work patterns, tight deadlines with fast pace, broad responsibility, "24/7 availability", mentoring and coaching. Six healthcare-specific dimensions were identified: making life or death decisions, conflicting priorities, being required to do more with fewer resources, responding to regulatory bodies, the need to involve many people before introducing improvements, fighting a negative climate. Around 75 per cent of hospital middle managers have extreme jobs.

RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS

This extreme healthcare management job model was derived inductively from a qualitative study involving a small number of respondents. While the evidence suggests that extreme jobs are common, further research is required to assess the antecedents, incidence, and implications of these working practices.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

A varied, intense, fast-paced role with responsibility and long hours can be rewarding, for some. However, multi-tasking across complex roles can lead to fatigue, burnout, and mistakes, patient care may be compromised, and family life may be adversely affected.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

As far as the authors can ascertain, there are no other studies exploring acute sector management roles through an extreme jobs lens.

How do they manage? A qualitative study of the realities of middle and front-line management work in health care

This project addressed three questions. First, how are middle management roles in acute care settings changing, and what are the implications of these developments? Second, how are changes managed following serious incidents, when recommendations from investigations are not always acted on? Third, how are clinical and organisational outcomes influenced by management practice, and what properties should an ‘enabling environment’ possess to support those contributions?

Data were gathered from around 1200 managers in six trusts through interviews, focus groups, management briefings, a survey with 600 responses, and serious incident case studies. For this project, ‘middle management’ meant any role below board level that included managerial responsibilities. Evidence provided by trust workforce information offices revealed that the management function is widely distributed, with > 30% of hospital staff holding either full-time management posts or ‘hybrid’ roles combining managerial with clinical or medical responsibilities. Hybrids outnumber full-time managers by four to one, but most have only limited management training, and some do not consider themselves to be managers. Management capabilities now at a premium include political skills, resilience, developing interprofessional collaboration, addressing ‘wicked problems’, performance management and financial skills.

Case study evidence reveals multiple barriers to the implementation of change following serious incidents. These barriers relate to the complex causes of most incidents, the difficulties in establishing and agreeing appropriate action plans and the subsequent problems of implementing ‘defensive’ change agendas. The conclusions from these case studies suggest that the management of serious incidents could potentially be strengthened by adding a change management perspective to the current organisational learning focus, by complementing root cause and timeline analysis methods with ‘mess mapping’ processes and by exploring opportunities to introduce systemic changes and high-reliability methods in addition to fixing the root causes of individual incidents.

Interview, focus group and survey evidence shows that middle managers are deeply committed but face increasing workloads with reduced resources, creating ‘extreme jobs’ with long hours, high intensity and fast pace. Such roles can be rewarding but carry implications for work–life balance and stress. Other pressures on middle management included rising patient and public expectations, financial challenges, burdensome regulation (external and internal), staffing problems, incompatible and dated information systems, resource and professional barriers to implementing change and problematic relationships with external agencies. Despite these pressures, management contributions included maintaining day-to-day performance, ‘firefighting’, ensuring a patient experience focus in decision-making, translating ideas into working initiatives, identifying and ‘selling’ new ideas, facilitating change, troubleshooting, leveraging targets to improve performance, process and pathway redesign, developing infrastructure (information technology, equipment, estate), developing others and managing external partnerships. Actions required to maintain an enabling environment to support those contributions would involve individual, divisional and organisational steps, most of which would be cost neutral.

Recommendations for future research concern the assessment of management capacity, the advantages and drawbacks of service-line organisation structures, the incidence and implications of extreme managerial jobs, evaluating alternative serious incident investigation methods, and the applicability of high-reliability organisation perspectives in acute care settings.

Funding

The National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.

High-resolution imaging of gigahertz polarization response arising from the interference of reflected surface acoustic waves

The surface polarization caused by traveling SAWs at 1.585 GHz has been imaged using a dynamic homodyne electrostatic force microscope technique. Instead of measuring topographic changes caused by the SAW, the reported technique measures polarization in the piezoelectric substrate arising from mechanical stress caused by the SAW. The polarization associated with this stress field modulates the scanning probe cantilever deflection amplitude, which is extracted using a lock-in-based technique. High-resolution imaging is presented with images of the interference arising from a metal reflector on a SAW device. A mathematical model combining SAW generation and force interactions between the probe and the substrate was used to verify the experimental data. In addition to overcoming the challenge associated with detecting and imaging polarization effects at gigahertz frequencies, this imaging technique will greatly assist the development of SAW-based devices that exploit the reflection and interference of SAWs in areas as diverse as microfluidic mixing, cell sorting, and quantum entanglement.

Ripening, storage temperature, ethylene action, and oxidative stress alter apple peel phytosterol metabolism

The chilling conditions of apple cold storage can provoke an economically significant necrotic peel disorder called superficial scald (scald) in susceptible cultivars. Disorder development can be reduced by inhibiting ethylene action or oxidative stress as well as intermittent warming. It was previously demonstrated that scald is preceded by a metabolomic shift that results in altered levels of various classes of triterpenoids, including metabolites with mass spectral features similar to β-sitosterol. In this study, a key class of phytosterol metabolites was identified. Changes in peel tissue levels of conjugates of β-sitosterol and campesterol, including acylated steryl glycosides (ASG), steryl glycosides (SG) and steryl esters (SE), as well as free sterols (FS), were determined during the period of scald development. Responses to pre-storage treatment with the ethylene action inhibitor, 1-methylcyclopropene, or an antioxidant (diphenylamine), rapid temperature elevation, and cold acclimation using intermittent warming treatments were evaluated. Diphenylamine, 1-MCP, and intermittent warming all reduced or prevented scald development. ASG levels increased and SE levels decreased in untreated control fruit during storage. Removing fruit from cold storage to ambient temperature induced rapid shifts in ASG and SE fatty acyl moieties from unsaturated to saturated. FS and SG levels remained relatively stable during storage but SG levels increased following a temperature increase after storage. ASG, SE, and SG levels did not increase during 6 months cold storage in fruit subjected to intermittent warming treatment. Overall, the results show that apple peel phytosteryl conjugate metabolism is influenced by storage duration, oxidative stress, ethylene action/ripening, and storage temperature.

Photocounting statistics associated with temperature fluctuations in semiconductor lasers

Photoelectron counting distributions are obtained for sources which obey compound Poisson statistics. Various cases are considered in which the sources (semiconductor lasers) emit coherent light and their intensity fluctuates in accordance with a Gaussian distribution of operating temperatures. The lasers are otherwise assumed to be ideal, and the quantum efficiency of the detector is assumed to be unity. This paper represents an ideal situation where the source is the only concern in the calculation of the photoelectron counting distributions. It is found that for large temperature fluctuations (a > 10 K), a substantial downward shift of the peak of the photon probability density function is observed. The function becomes more asymmetric and the mean value decreases as the standard deviation of the temperature increases.