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Latinas in the Workplace highlights the stories of eight exceptional women. It is the third book in the Journeys to Leadership series that features stories about extraordinary women who have found paths to success in male-dominated arenas. Even though each took a different route to success, these women share an overarching, almost implicit, understanding of what they aspired to: the freedom to choose where and how to invest time and energy, to establish professional and personal balance, and enjoy the luxury of defining that balance.Despite their different professional aspirations, their journeys are rooted in similar ground tilled long before they entered the work world—a strong sense of family, influential religious traditions, and formidable ties to their cultural heritage. The eight Latinas showcased in this book – a foundation president, two business CEOs, a doctor, a former college president, a teacher and author, and two school superintendents – grew up with a determination to get educated that was fostered by parents and grandparents. All of them hold advanced degrees. Engrained in each of them is a sense of honor, the need to treat others with respect, and an inner strength—qualities nurtured by family members. While each had to contend with negative forces, whether from within or outside their culture, and drew strength from the experience, they also acknowledge that being able to navigate two cultures, and being bilingual, has given them a unique perspective and two distinct ways of dealing with people. Although Latinos constitute one of the fastest growing segments of our population, these Latina leaders represent a relatively small percentage of women in leadership in the United States. They hope that their stories inspire not only their contemporaries but the next generation of Latinas as well.

The stories presented in this volume are part of an ongoing qualitative research project conducted by a team of women academics from a variety of disciplines including business, education, sports, public administration, and hospitality. We recognized, as various sources have documented, that despite the progress of women in the general workforce, women continue to be underrepresented in each of our fields of study. Much of the literature about and research on leadership has been written by and about men, primarily White men. In addition, leadership has traditionally been examined using male behaviors and characteristics as the norm against which women are assessed. The leadership literature presents mixed messages about whether women leaders function differently than men who hold comparable leadership positions. We took the position that the issue is really effectiveness rather than gender. And that effective leaders, male or female, subscribe to similar beliefs about leadership and act more similarly than differently when they enact those roles.

When we say someone is no shrinking violet, we mean that the person is very self-confident and thrives under a variety of conditions. A bold not a timid woman-an apt descriptor for Sarita Brown, Tina Cordova, Sally Garza Fernandez, Carmella Franco, Christine Johnson, Thelma López-Lira, Darline Robles, and Beatriz Salcedo-Strumpf.

Background Breast cancer (BC) remains one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Many viruses have been linked to BC; namely, Human papillomavirus (HPV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Bovine leukemia virus (BLV). However, a causal role is yet to be established. Objectives To detect the prevalence of BLV, EBV and HPV sequences in BC tissue compared to BC-free tissue and correlate their presence with different pathological features of BC. Subjects and methods : A retrospective case-control study was conducted on 75 FFPE (formalin fixed paraffin embedded) blocks of BC tissues and 25 of BC-free tissues obtained from Alexandria Main University Hospital pathology department archive. Demographic, medical, pathological data were retrieved from patients’ archival records. Hormonal receptor status, Real-time PCR for viral detection and HPV genotyping were done. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software. The Chi-square test, Fisher’s Exact correction and Monte Carlo simulation were used for quantitative variables. Results Invasive ductal carcinoma was the most predominant histologic type (85.3%). BLV, EBV and HPV were detected in (22.7% vs. 16%, 14.7% vs. 8%, 6.7% vs. 0%) BC vs. non-BC tissues respectively with HR HPV 16 detection. Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) and stage III were more commonly seen among tissues with positive viral detection vs. those which were negative (64.3% vs. 53% and 39% vs. 17% respectively). However, no single viral detection was found to be statistically significant in relation to clinicopathological parameters. Multiple viral co-existence was found in 18% of PCR positive cases which was significantly associated with younger age ( P  = 0.026). Conclusion Low rate of viral presence was found in BC tissues. Nevertheless, LVI and stage III were more commonly seen in tissues with positive viral detection. Moreover, a synergetic relation between multiple viral existence and BC development in young age could be possible yet to be verified.

Purpose Congenital microcephaly (CM) is an important birth defect with long term neurological sequelae. We aimed to perform detailed phenotypic and genomic analysis of patients with Mendelian forms of CM. Methods Clinical phenotyping, targeted or exome sequencing, and autozygome analysis. Results We describe 150 patients (104 families) with 56 Mendelian forms of CM. Our data show little overlap with the genetic causes of postnatal microcephaly. We also show that a broad definition of primary microcephaly —as an autosomal recessive form of nonsyndromic CM with severe postnatal deceleration of occipitofrontal circumference—is highly sensitive but has a limited specificity. In addition, we expand the overlap between primary microcephaly and microcephalic primordial dwarfism both clinically (short stature in >52% of patients with primary microcephaly) and molecularly (e.g., we report the first instance of CEP135 -related microcephalic primordial dwarfism). We expand the allelic and locus heterogeneity of CM by reporting 37 novel likely disease-causing variants in 27 disease genes, confirming the candidacy of ANKLE2, YARS , FRMD4A , and THG1L , and proposing the candidacy of BPTF , MAP1B , CCNH , and PPFIBP1 . Conclusion Our study refines the phenotype of CM, expands its genetics heterogeneity, and informs the workup of children born with this developmental brain defect.

Background Gentamicin (GEN) is a potent antibiotic known for inducing oxidative stress and causing adverse effects in the kidneys and testes. Sarcophyton species possess significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, making them potential candidates for addressing oxidative stress and inflammation-related gentamicin toxicity. The study aims to explore the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of Sarcophyton acutum methanol extract (SAME) to counteract gentamicin effects. Methods Sarcophyton acutum were collected and macerated with methanol, followed by phytochemical analysis of extract. Twenty-four adult male albino rats were separated into four equal groups: Control, SAME-treated (200 mg/kg/day), GEN-treated (100 mg/kg/day), and GEN + SAME-treated rats. Various parameters, including body weight, relative kidney and testes weight, differential white blood cell count, blood urea, creatinine, luteinizing hormone, testosterone, total antioxidant capacity, myeloperoxidase activity, and histopathological changes in kidney and testes tissue, were analyzed. Results Phytochemical analysis revealed SAME's composition, including alkaloids, saponins, phenolics, flavonoids, and tannins, with an average total antioxidant capacity of 10.503 ± 0.632 mg AAE/g extract. GEN treatment resulted in altered body and organ weights, changes in white blood cell percentages, elevated urea and creatinine levels, reduced luteinizing hormone and testosterone, decreased renal and testicular tissue total antioxidant capacity, and increased myeloperoxidase levels in both tissues. However, the administration of SAME with GEN attenuated these effects, restoring parameters closer to control levels. Histological evaluation showed that GEN treatment induced significant renal tissue damage characterized by enlarged renal corpuscles, glomerular tuft hypertrophy, tubular dilation, and necrosis, interstitial leukocyte infiltration, and tubular hyaline cast formation. Co-administration of SAME with GEN mitigated these effects, reducing renal corpuscle swelling, tubular vacuolization, and hypertrophy and preventing hyaline deposition and leukocyte infiltration. In testicular tissue, GEN injection caused seminiferous tubule atrophy, decreased spermatogenic layer thickness, and interstitial expansion and degeneration. However, SAME administration with GEN preserved normal tubular size and spermatogenic layer thickness, reduced vacuolization, and epithelial necrosis, and maintained spermatogenesis. Conclusion Sarcophyton acutum methanol extract demonstrates promising protective effects against gentamicin-induced renal and testicular toxicity in rats, signifying its potential as a therapeutic agent to mitigate antibiotic-induced oxidative damage in vital organs.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the high-threat pathogens equipped with a repertoire of virulence factors making it responsible for many infections in humans, including foodborne diseases. The present study aims to characterize antibiotic resistance and virulence factors in foodborne S. aureus isolates, and to investigate their cytotoxic effects in human intestinal cells (HCT-116). Our results revealed methicillin resistance phenotypes (MRSA) along with the detection of mecA gene (20%) among tested foodborne S. aureus strains. Furthermore, 40% of tested isolates showed a strong ability for adhesion and biofilm formation. A high rate of exoenzymes production by tested bacteria was also registered. Additionally, treatment with S. aureus extracts leads to a significant decrease in HCT-116 cell viability, accompanied by a reduction in the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), as a result of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Thereby, S. aureus food poisoning remains daunting and needs particular concern to prevent foodborne illness.

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a blood condition that causes severe pain. One of the therapeutic agents used for the treatment of SCA is hydroxyurea, which reduces the episodes of pain but causes DNA damage to white blood cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of hydroxyurea and iron chelation therapy in relation to the extent of DNA-associated damage. Blood samples were collected from 120 subjects from five groups. Various hematological parameters of the obtained serum were analyzed. The amount of damage caused to their DNA was detected using the comet assay and fluorescent microscopy techniques. The percentage of DNA damage in the group that was subjected to the combination therapy (target group) was 1.32% ± 1.51%, which was significantly lower (P < .05) than that observed in the group treated with hydroxyurea alone (6.36% ± 2.36%). While the target group showed comparable levels of hemoglobin F and lactate dehydrogenase compared to the group that was treated with hydroxyurea alone, highly significant levels of transferrin receptors and ferritin were observed in the target group. The results of this study revealed that the administration of iron chelation drugs with hydroxyurea may help improve patients’ health and prevent the DNA damage caused to white blood cells due to hydroxyurea. Further studies are needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms that are involved in this process.