Biomedical subjects

Carol A Walker

Publications and source records attributed to Carol A Walker.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Stress-activated protein kinase pathway functions to support protein synthesis and translational adaptation in response to environmental stress in fission yeast.

The stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK) pathway plays a central role in coordinating gene expression in response to diverse environmental stress stimuli. We examined the role of this pathway in the translational response to stress in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Exposing wild-type cells to osmotic stress (KCl) resulted in a rapid but transient reduction in protein synthesis. Protein synthesis was further reduced in mutants disrupting the SAPK pathway, including the mitogen-activated protein kinase Wis1 or the mitogen-activated protein kinase Spc1/Sty1, suggesting a role for these stress response factors in this translational control. Further polysome analyses revealed a role for Spc1 in supporting translation initiation during osmotic stress, and additionally in facilitating translational adaptation. Exposure to oxidative stress (H2O2) resulted in a striking reduction in translation initiation in wild-type cells, which was further reduced in spc1- cells. Reduced translation initiation correlated with phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2alpha) in wild-type cells. Disruption of Wis1 or Spc1 kinase or the downstream bZip transcription factors Atf1 and Pap1 resulted in a marked increase in eIF2alpha phosphorylation which was dependent on the eIF2alpha kinases Hri2 and Gcn2. These findings suggest a role for the SAPK pathway in supporting translation initiation and facilitating adaptation to environmental stress in part through reducing eIF2alpha phosphorylation in fission yeast.

Cell Survival↗

PubMed2002

Saving your rookie managers from themselves.

Most organizations promote employees into managerial positions based on their technical competence. But very often, that kind of competence does not translate into good managerial performance. Many rookie managers fail to grasp how their roles have changed: that their jobs are no longer about personal achievement but about enabling others to achieve, that sometimes driving the bus means taking a backseat, and that building a team is often more important than cutting a deal. Even the best employees have trouble adjusting to these new realities, and that trouble can be exacerbated by the normal insecurities that may make rookie managers hesitant to ask for help. The dynamic unfolds something like this: As rookie managers internalize their stress, their focus, too, becomes increasingly internal. They become insecure and self-focused and cannot properly support their teams. Invariably, trust breaks down, staff members become alienated, and productivity suffers. In this article, coach and management consultant Carol Walker, who works primarily with rookie managers and their supervisors, addresses the five problem areas that rookie managers typically face: delegating, getting support from senior staffers, projecting confidence, thinking strategically, and giving feedback. You may think these elements sound like Management 101, and you'd be right, Walker writes. But these basic elements are also what trip up most managers in the early stages of their careers (and even, she admits, throughout their careers). The bosses of rookie managers have a responsibility to anticipate and address these problems; not doing so will hurt the rookie, the boss, and the company overall.

Administrative Personnel↗

PubMedDate not supplied

STAR Day: one hospital's solution to educational challenges.

To answer the challenge of 24-hour staffing coupled with required contact hour requirements, an all-day educational program is offered to all 1,300 employees of this suburban Level II trauma center. Providing flexible session attendance options while retaining the advantages of interpersonal adult learning make this a useful option for the continuing education of hospital staff.

Curriculum↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Saving your rookie managers from themselves.

Rookie managers have a real knack for allowing immediate tasks to overshadow overarching initiatives. You've promoted your star performer into management. Now help him avoid the classic errors that beginners so often make.

Administrative Personnel↗