Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Insight into plant behavior could aid quest for efficient biofuels

Posted by Biomechanism

Tiny seawater alga could hold the key to crops as a source of fuel and plants that can adapt to changing climates.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have found that the tiny organism has developed coping mechanisms for when its main food source is in short supply.

Understanding these processes will help scientists develop crops that can survive when nutrients are scarce and to grow high-yield plants for use as biofuels.

The alga normally feeds by ingesting nitrogen from surrounding seawater but, when levels are low, it reduces its intake and instead absorbs other nutrients, such as carbon and phosphorus, from the water. The organism is also able to recycle nitrogen from its own body, breaking down proteins that are plentiful to make other proteins that it needs to survive.

Nitrogen is needed by all plants to survive but the alga’s survival strategies vary from most other plants which, when nitrogen is scarce, tend to widen their search for it.

Like many organisms, the alga – Ostreococcus tauri – is also driven by daylight and its body clock – for example, proteins that produce starch for food are active in the evening, after the plant has photosynthesised sugars from sunlight in the day.

The study, in the Journal of Proteomics, was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Dr Sarah Martin, of the University of Edinburgh, who took part in the study, said: “This tiny alga certainly punches above its weight when it comes to survival. Our study has revealed some curious ways in which the organism finds the nutrients it needs to stay alive – tricks like these could be useful to us in developing sustainable crops for the future.”

More Information On Ostreococcus

Ostreococcus belongs to the Prasinophyceae, an early-diverging class within the green plant lineage, and is reported as a globally abundant, single-celled alga thriving in the upper (illuminated) water column of the oceans. The most striking feature ofO. tauri and related species is their minimal cellular organization: a naked, nearly 1-micron cell, lacking flagella, with a single chloroplast and mitochondrion.

Three different ecotypes or potential species have been defined, based on their adaptation to light intensity. One (O. lucimarinus) is adapted to high light intensities and corresponds to surface-isolated strains. The second (RCC141) has been defined as low-light and includes strains from deeper in the water column. The third (O.tauri) corresponds to strains isolated from a coastal lagoon and can be considered light-polyvalent. Comparative analysis of Ostreococcus sp will help to understand niche differentiation in unicellular eukaryotes and evolution of genome size in eukaryotes.

According to Bioinformatics & Evolutionary Genomics in Belgium. Ostreococcus tauri is a unicellular green alga that was discovered in the Mediterranean Thau lagoon (France) in 1994. With a size less than 1 µm , comparable with the size of a bacterium, it is the smallest eukaryotic organism described until now.

Its cellular organisation is rather simple with a relative large nucleus with only one nuclear pore, a single chloroplast, one mitochondrion, one Golgi body and a very reduced cytoplasmatic compartment. The presence of only one chloroplast and mitochondrium makes it interesting to use not only for evolutionary studies, but also for experimental studies. Morphologically, the absence of flagella is the most typical characteristic of Ostreococcus tauri compared with other green algae.

Apart from this simple cellular structure, the genome size ofOstreococcus tauri is the smallest of all known eukaryotes. The nuclear genome is about 12 Mb, fragmented into 20 chromosomes, ranging in size from 120 to 1500 Kb. Phylogenetic analysis placed Ostreococcus tauri within the Prasinophyceae, an early branch of the Chlorophyta (green algae).

How drugs beat malaria

LA TROBE UNIVERSITY

Plasmodium falciparum is the most pathogenic human malaria parasite.

Image: MShep2/iStockphoto

La Trobe University research has revealed for the first time the mechanism by which current anti-malarial drugs kill the malaria parasite.

It also helps us understand how these drugs are developing worrying resistance to a pathogen that kills more than 800,000 children each year.

The work has just been published in one of the world’s leading scientific journals, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS), in the US.

Research team leader, biochemist Professor Leann Tilley, says the research points to new ways of boosting the action of antimalarial drugs to overcome this drug resistance problem.

Plasmodium falciparum is the most pathogenic human malaria parasite. It afflicts more than 200 million people world-wide.

Treatment relies heavily on combination therapies that include a drug called artemisinin, extracted from the wormwood herb.

‘Recent reports of decreased clinical effectiveness of artemisinin-based drugs are extremely concerning,’ she says.

‘It is therefore critical to understand the way artemisinin works so that we can overcome the pathogen’s resistance to this drug.’

The new work by Professor Tilley and her team shows that artemisinin targets a point of critical vulnerability in the malaria parasite.

‘The parasite invades and grows within the red blood cells of its human victims,’ she says. ‘As it grows it consumes the haemoglobin of the red blood cell and releases an iron-containing pigment, called “haem”.’

Research from her laboratory demonstrates that supplies of this haemoglobin-derived iron are essential if artemisinin is to destroy the parasite.

‘Decreasing the production of this iron renders the parasites resistant to artemisinin,’ Professor Tilley says.

‘We have also shown that the parasite can slow its growth and reduce its haemoglobin uptake rate in response to artemisinin treatment. This helps it avoid the toxic effects of artemisinin.’

Thus the La Trobe study not only gives an important insight into the nature of artemisinin action and resistance, but also suggests that new, longer-lived antimalarials will thwart this resistance mechanism.

Tool speeds up cell research

NICTA

Photo of cells under microscope.

Image: Henrik2000/iStockphoto

An Australian-developed software tool that dramatically reduces the amount of time it takes cell biologists to analyse the results of their experiments was unveiled today at Bio2011, the largest global event for the biotechnology industry.

TrackAssist, developed at NICTA’s Victoria Research Laboratory in Melbourne, Australia, offers researchers in academia and industry an advanced tool that automates microscopic image data analysis and quickly extracts biologically relevant information from video sequences of live cells. This breakthrough promises to dramatically reduce the time it takes researchers to analyse microscopic videos.

Current methods of cell analysis require a lab technician to spend several days undertaking experiments in which several thousand microscopic video images are collected. These are then manually analysed in a process that can take 9-12 months. TrackAssist can reduce this timeframe by weeks or even months. The tool also allows researchers to extract additional cell data such as cell size, intensities and lineage, providing detailed insight into the workings of cells, enabling new types of experiments to be conducted quickly.

“This is not just a productivity tool but a facilitator of new insights that were not previously possible. This advance is of immeasurable value,” said Professor Terry Caelli, Director of NICTA’s Health Business Area.

He highlighted TrackAssist as an example of NICTA’s role in showcasing the impact of ICT in translational medical research. “In cell biology research, determination of cell characteristics through microscopic videos is extremely important. NICTA has used its world leading expertise in object tracking to develop a tool that assists medical researchers by reducing the time it takes to analyse data and allowing them to better understand cell biology. We expect TrackAssist to become an important tool used in the development of new vaccines and drugs,” said Professor Caelli.

NICTA collaborated with the Immunology Lab at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) in Melbourne to develop TrackAssist. WEHI provided important information on what immunologists look for in an experiment and validated the software features, ensuring TrackAssist can address the emerging challenges in the field of cell analysis.

“TrackAssist will make a major contribution to medical research and pharmaceutical development. It will potentially revolutionise the use of single cell tracking to evaluate drugs or evaluate the effect of hormones or evaluate the effect of genetic changes on cell behaviour. It has the potential to underwrite a whole new branch of biological investigation,” said Professor Phil Hodgkin, Head of the WEHI Immunology Lab.

TrackAssist can be viewed at the NICTA stand on the Australia Booth (Booth #2537) at Bio 2011 in the Walter E Washington Convention Centre in Washington, DC, 27-30 June, 2011.

Gossamer puts DNA together

NICTA

'Gossamer' allows researchers to assemble DNA fragments using 'cheap commodity' computers.

Image: Kativ/iStockphoto

Genome assembly, the construction of DNA sequences from sample sequences, has received a boost with the release of Gossamer, a tool which allows researchers to assemble DNA fragments using cheap commodity computers rather than supercomputers.

New DNA sequencing technologies are revolutionising biology. These technologies can read billions of short fragments of DNA in a matter of days, producing DNA sequence information in unprecedented volumes and at ever increasing rates. These fragments of DNA come from cells of different types and conditions and can be analysed to help answer important biological questions. For example, to gain a detailed understanding of many aspects of cancer, it is important to determine how the DNA of the cancer cells has been rearranged.

To answer such questions it is often necessary to piece together the billions of fragments to reconstruct the underlying DNA sequence – a process called genome assembly. Existing programs for assembling such DNA fragments tend to require very large amounts of computer memory, necessitating large and expensive computing infrastructure. The NICTA Computational Genomics team has developed a prototype assembler called Gossamer that demonstrates how a human genome can be assembled on cheap commodity computers. The Gossamer prototype assembler was demonstrated at Bio 2011 in Washington, the world’s largest biotechnology event. The tool is now available to be trialled for non-commercial use.

Professor Terry Caelli, Director of NICTA’s Health Business Area, described Gossamer as a wonderful example of how computer science can play a fundamental role in progressing life sciences research. “Gossamer is a breakthrough for the genome research community that helps overcome the significant infrastructure requirements the average laboratory is unable to access,” he said. “We are making a prototype version of the tool available to the research community to assist them in progressing their important genome research.”

A trial version of the tool can also be downloaded from the NICTA website – www.nicta.com.au/bioinformatics

Sea release best for penguins

MASSEY UNIVERSITY

Emperor penguin chicks huddled together on the ice.

Image: KeithSzafranski/iStockphoto

A Massey University researcher says releasing Peka Peka’s emperor penguin off the south coast of New Zealand is the best option, should it return to full health.

Associate Professor John Cockrem, from the Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, spent three weeks camping and working with emperor penguins at a large colony at Cape Washington in Antarctica in 2004. He spent that time studying stress responses in the birds.

Dr Cockrem has consulted with Department of Conservation staff about the bird’s well being since it was found on the beach last week.

He says there are a number of options being discussed. “Taking it back to Antarctica would be an issue on several levels,” Dr Cockrem says. “The weeks it could take to get there would put a lot of stress on the bird.”

Dr Cockrem has discussed some of the issues with staff at Antarctica New Zealand, who agree that the issue is not as simple as just taking the penguin back to Antarctica. There are international protocols in place to protect Antarctic wildlife. These protocols are important and the risks are real as there are multiple examples of Antarctic penguin colonies experiencing significant deaths due to suspected viruses. Another issue is finding the penguin's home colony as there is no way to be sure which of the several emperor penguin colonies this bird has originated from.

Keeping the bird in captivity would provide a stable home for the bird but also had its drawbacks. “There is no animal facility in New Zealand that is available to provide the right climate conditions, nor are there any other emperor penguins here,” Dr Cockrem says. “California does have the facilities, but again the time of transport would stress the bird immensely.”

The first emperor penguin found in New Zealand was released in Foveaux Strait, and release back to sea would be the best option for the current bird. “We would be releasing it into its own environment and a satellite tag could be used to track its progress,” he says. “It would be returning to its natural life with the minimum of stress.”

Dr Cockrem will meet with department staff to discuss the various options for the bird.

Dr Cockrem is an Associate Professor of Comparative Physiology and Anatomy. He has conducted endocrine studies of stress with a range of species including birds such as the kakapo, North Island brown kiwi, Adelie penguin, and chicken, together with reptiles, amphibians and marine mammals.

Lab workers face health threats

UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO

Exposure to solvents by medical laboratory workers may be a health risk according to a new study from the University of Otago, Wellington just published in The Journal of Rheumatology.

“Our study of 341 medical laboratory workers indicates they are more likely to develop a condition called Raynaud’s phenomenon, if they are exposed to solvents such as toluene or xylene. This raises concerns they could then have further serious health complications later in life,” says lead researcher Gordon Purdie.

This is the first ever research to show an occupational health hazard involving solvent use and Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP). Other studies overseas have shown similar solvent associations, but not with people exposed to solvents at work.

Raynaud’s phenomenon is vasoconstriction, or the narrowing of blood vessels in the hands and other extremities, and is characterized by pain, colour changes and tautness or fullness of the fingers or toes. Raynaud’s phenomenon usually only occurs in cold conditions.

For some people it may be a symptom or precursor of scleroderma, a rare connective tissue disease affecting multiple systems in the body and mainly amongst women.

The mainly female laboratory workers (79 per cent) who used solvents in this study had higher rates of severe RP. Those who had worked with xylene or toluene doubled their risk of developing severe RP.

It appears that lab workers who worked with acetone or chlorinated solvents, combined with xylene or toluene, also doubled their risk of developing RP. Risk of developing severe RP was even greater, in fact nine times.

“I am concerned that 75% of those who worked with xylene or toluene handled wet sample slides without gloves. The majority had done so daily for over a decade,” says Purdie. “Absorption through the skin is a classic way for solvents to have a negative impact on health.”

Purdie says the study also found no difference in severe RP rates between the general population and those lab workers who had not used solvents in their work.

He says this study highlights the need to minimise exposure and be careful in handling solvents in medical laboratories and other workplaces.

Co-author and Senior Lecturer in Rheumatology at the University of Otago, Wellington, Dr Andrew Harrison, says: “This is the first study to demonstrate a link between laboratory worker solvent exposure and symptoms of autoimmune connective tissue disease and has important implications for workplace health and safety.”

Dr Harrison recently presented this study at the Australian Rheumatology Association Scientific Meeting in Brisbane.

கடவுளும், விஞ்ஞானமும் - கணித மேதைகளின் வியப்பும்

கடவுளும், விஞ்ஞானமும் - கணித மேதைகளின் வியப்பும் !!

கணிதத்தையும் கடவுளையும் இணைத்து சுமார் 941 புத்தகங்கள் சமீபத்தில் வெளி வந்துள்ளன.இவற்றில் விஞ்ஞானிகளின் பெரும்பாலான நூல்கள் அனைத்தும் இயற்கையில் காணும் கணித அமைப்பைப் பார்த்து வியக்கின்றன. பல விஞ்ஞானிகள் கடவுளைக் கணிதத்துடன் இணைத்துப் போற்றி மகிழ்கின்றனர்.

அமெரிக்க விஞ்ஞானியின் கணித நிரூபணம்

அமெரிக்க விஞ்ஞானக் கழகத் தலைவர் க்ரெஸி மாரிஸனை, "இறைவன் இருக்கிறானா? இருக்கிறான் என்றால் அறிவியல் பூர்வமான ஆதாரங்கள் வேண்டும். ஆராய்ந்து கூறுங்கள்" என்று கேட்டபோது விஞ்ஞானிகளுடன் இதை ஆராய்ந்த அவர், "இறைவன் இருக்கிறான். இறைவனை அறிவியல் பூர்வமாக நம்புவதற்கான காரணங்கள் ஏழு" என்று பட்டியலிட்டுக் கூறி உலகையே வியப்பில் ஆழ்த்தினார். அவர் கூறிய ஏழு காரணங்களுள் முதல் காரணமே கணிதத்தை அடிப்படையாகக் கொண்டது என்பது சுவையான செய்தி!

அவர் கூறிய முதல் காரணம் இது தான்:-

கணித முறைப்படி பார்த்தால் இப்பிரபஞ்சம் அமைந்ததும் இயங்குவதும் ஒரு பேரறிவுடைய பரம்பொருளின் அறிவால் என்பதை நன்கு நிரூபிக்கலாம்.

ஒரு பையில் ஒன்று, இரண்டு என்று எண் குறிக்கப்பட்ட பத்துப் பொருட்களைப் போட்டுக் குலுக்குங்கள். ஒன்று என்ற எண் குறிக்கப்பட்ட பொருள் முதலாவதாக வருமாறு எடுக்க முயலுங்கள்! கணித நூல் வல்லுநர், இப்படிப் பொருளை வரிசையாக எடுக்கப் பத்தில் ஒரு வாய்ப்புத்தான் கிட்டும் என்று கூறுகின்றனர். ஒன்று, இரண்டு என்ற எண் குறிக்கப்பட்ட பொருள்களை அடுத்தடுத்து எடுக்கும் வாய்ப்பு நூற்றில் ஒன்றுதான். இது போலவே ஒன்று, இரண்டு, மூன்று என வரிசையாகத் தொடர்ந்து எடுக்கும் வாய்ப்பு ஆயிரத்தில் ஒன்று. இப்படியே வரிசையாக ஒன்றிலிருந்து பத்து வரை குறிக்கப்பட்ட பொருள்களை அவற்றின் எண் வரிசைப்படி அடுத்தடுத்து எடுக்கும் வாய்ப்பு ஆயிரம் கோடியில் ஒன்றுதான்!

இந்த தர்க்க முறையைப் பார்க்கும்போது, இவ்வுலக வாழ்விற்கு வேண்டிய பல்வேறு நிபந்தனைகள் சீராக அமைந்து, நிலைத்திருப்பது தற்செயலான நிகழ்ச்சி என்று கூற முடியுமா? பூமி தனது அச்சைச் சுற்றி மணிக்கு ஆயிரம் மைல் வேகத்தில் சுழல்கிறது. மணிக்கு நூறு மைல் வேகம் குறைவாகச் சுழன்றால் என்ன ஆகும்? நமது பகலும், இரவும் இப்போது இருப்பதைவிடப் பத்து மடங்கு அதிக நீளமுள்ளவையாகும்! நீண்ட பகலில் கதிரவனின் வெப்பத்தில் பயிர்கள் பொசுங்கும்; நீண்ட இரவில் மிஞ்சியிருக்கும் செடி கொடிகளும் விறைத்துப் போய் அழிந்து விடும்!

உயிர்களுக்கெல்லாம் ஆதாரமான கதிரவனின் மேல் பரப்பில் 12000 டிகிரி பாரன்ஹீட் வெப்பநிலை உள்ளது. நமது உடல் வெப்ப நிலை சுமார் 98.4 டிகிரி. நமது பூமி கதிரவனிடமிருந்து நம் உயிருக்குத் தேவையான அளவு வெப்பத்தைப் பெறுகின்ற தூரத்தில் உள்ளது. இந்தச் சூரியன் கொடுக்கும் வெப்பம் இன்னும் ஒரு மடங்கு அதிகரித்தால் நாம் வறுபடுவோம்! அரை மடங்கு குறைந்தால் நாம் குளிரில் விறைத்து உறைந்து போய் விடுவோம்! இப்படியே நிலவுக்கும் நமக்கும் இடையேயுள்ள தூரம், பூமியின் மேல் பரப்பு, கடலின் ஆழம், காற்று மண்டலத்தின் பருமன் ஆகியவை எதைக் காட்டுகின்றன? இவையெல்லாம் தற்செயலான நிகழ்ச்சிகளாக இருக்க முடியாது என்பதையே உறுதிப் படுத்துகின்றன.

க்ரெஸி மாரிஸனின் இதர ஆறு காரணங்கள் இறைவன் இருப்பதை விஞ்ஞான பூர்வமாக மேலும் உறுதிப்படுத்துகின்றன!

விஞ்ஞானத்தின் தாய்

கணிதத்தை விஞ்ஞானத்தின் தாய் என்று அறிஞர்கள் சொல்வர். அமெரிக்கன் மேதமேடிகல் சொஸைடி அதிகாரபூர்வமாக 97 கணித கிளைகளை அறிவித்துள்ளது; இந்தக் கிளைகளுக்கு கிளைகள் நூற்றுக்கணக்கில் உள்ளன! இவற்றில் ஆய்வுக் கட்டுரைகள் ஆயிரக்கணக்கில் வெளிவந்து விட்டன. இவற்றில் வெளிப்படும் சமன்பாடுகளோ எண்ணிலடங்கா. ஆனால் இத்தனை சமன்பாடுகளும் கடவுளை நோக்கி நம்மை அழைத்துச் செல்லாவிடில் அது வீண் என்று கூறிய அற்புதக் கணித மேதை ஒரு தமிழர் என்பதை நாம் மறந்து விட முடியாது!

கடவுளை நினைவுபடுத்தும் சமன்பாடுகள்

ஈரோட்டில் பிறந்து நாமகிரி அம்மனை நாளும் வழிபட்டு அம்மனின் அருளாலேயே தனக்கு கணித ஞானம் மேம்பட்டது என்று கூறிய சீனிவாச ராமானுஜன்தான் அவர்! கடவுளையும் கணிதத்தையும் இணைத்து அவர் கூறிய "கடவுளை நினைவுறுத்தாத ஒரு சமன்பாடு எனக்கு அர்த்தமில்லாத ஒன்றுதான்!" ( "An equation for me has no meaning, unless it represents a thought of God.") என்ற பிரசித்தி பெற்ற வாக்கியம் பொருள் பொதிந்த ஒன்று!

கடலுக்குள்ளே ஒரு கோவில் - நீங்களும் தரிசிக்கலாம் ! நம் நாட்டின் அதிசயம் - வீடியோ காட்சிகள்

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கடலுக்குள்ளே ஒரு கோவில். மதியம் சுமார் ஒரு மணி அளவில் கடல் வற்ற ஆரம்பிக்கும். கொஞ்ச நேரத்தில் முழுவதுமாக கோவில் தெரிகிறது. நடந்தே மக்கள் கடல் கரையிலிருந்து செல்கிறார்கள். சாமி தரிசனம் , பூஜை, பஜன் எல்லாம் நடக்கிறது. பஞ்ச பாண்டவர்கள் தரிசித்த கோவிலாம். பொழுது சாய , கடல் மீண்டும் உள்ள வர, கோவில் முழுவதும் மூழ்கி விடுகிறது. கோலியக் கோவில் -குஜராத் மாநிலம், பாவ் நகரில் இருந்து வெகு அருகில் உள்ளது.
நேற்று சன் TV யில் , திரும்பவும் ஒளி பரப்பு செய்தார்கள். கீழேவுள்ள சொடுக்கியை க்ளிக் செய்யவும். முழுவதுமாக ரசிக்கலாம். தமிழ் வர்ணனையில்!

பரபரப்பு : லண்டனில் பறந்த மர்ம பறக்கும் தட்டுக்கள் - (வீடியோ காட்சிகள் )

பூமி கிரகத்தை , வேற்று கிரக வாசிகள் யாராவது உளவு பார்க்கிறார்களோ என்ற சந்தேகம், நம் வானவியல் ஆய்வாளர்களுக்கு என்றுமே உண்டு. அதற்க்கு தீனி போடுவது போலே , சென்ற வாரம் லண்டனில் நடந்த ஒரு நிகழ்வு உலகம் முழுவதும் பரபரப்பை ஏற்படுத்தி உள்ளது.

UFO எனப்படும் வேற்றுக்கிரக பறக்கும் தட்டுகள் நிஜமானவை தான் போலும்.அவை மனிதர்களிடம் கவனத்தை பெறுவதற்காக அவ்வப்போது இங்கு தோன்றிச்செல்கின்றன என்கிறார்கள் இந்த காட்சியை பார்த்தவர்கள். அண்மையில் மேற்கு லண்டனில் உள்ள பிபிசி செய்தி சேவை தலைமை அலுவலகத்திற்கு மேலான வான்பரப்பில் உச்சி வெயிலில் தோன்றிய மர்ம பறக்கும் தட்டுகள் இவை.

இதை வீதியில் சென்றவர்கள் கவனிக்க தவறவில்லை.

புதிய சர்ச்சையை ஏற்படுத்தியிருக்கும் இந்த வீடியோவில் மிகத்தெளிவாக பறக்கும் தட்டுக்கள் படம்பிடிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.

இதை வீதியில் சென்றவர்கள் கவனிக்க தவறவில்லை.

புதிய சர்ச்சையை ஏற்படுத்தியிருக்கும் இந்த வீடியோவில் மிகத்தெளிவாக பறக்கும் தட்டுக்கள் படம்பிடிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. இது போட்டோஷப், கிராபிக்ஸ் வேலைகள் என கீழே கருத்துக்களை இட்டு யதார்த்தமான ஒரு ஆபத்திருப்பதை அலட்சியம் செய்துவிடாதீர்கள் என இந்த வீடியோவை யூடியூப்பில் அப்டேட் செய்தவர்கள் சீரியஸாகவே தெரிவித்துள்ளனர். அப்படி நீங்கள் நினைத்தால் எங்கே அப்படி எடுக்க முயற்சித்து பாருங்கள் எனவும் மறுகேள்வி எழுப்புகிறார்கள். நீங்களே பார்த்து தெரிந்து கொள்ளுங்கள் :

An Inspirational Video 1 - The Law Of Attraction

Zig Ziglar - Attitude Makes All The Difference

Development work flow Leadership Staff Motivation

The purpose of performance management is to improve quality of work, productivity and other business outcomes, but traditional approaches have consistently fallen short.

Only 2 in 10 employees strongly agree that their performance is managed in a way that motivates them to do outstanding work.

30% of employees strongly agree that their manager involves them in goal setting.

Employees whose managers involve them in goal setting are 3.6x more likely than other employees to be engaged.

21% of employees strongly agree they have performance metrics that are within their control.

14% of employees strongly agree that the performance reviews they receive inspire them to improve.

26% of employees strongly agree that the feedback they receive helps them to do their work better.

What Employees Really Want

The workplace is evolving and shifting. As leaders, we need to realize that the wants and needs of our employees are changing. We saw this when we learned how to create a culture where Millennials and members of Generation Z can thrive.

Millennials vs. Generation Z, research credit:... [+]

SmartTribes Institute

The key to inspiring maximum performance from your team is not scoring them and offering standardized feedback based on their score. Instead, use a process that creates intrinsic motivation and benefits both the team member and the company.

Performance Motivation Is Key

Empowerment and motivation happen when people solve their own problems, and create their own aspirations and expectations. That’s why the outcome frame tool is a powerful first step. It helps our team find out what they really want and how they know when they’ve got it. It generates clarity and insights. Helping our people focus on the outcome they want to create, not the problems in the way, activates their reward (pleasure) network. Once our team knows what they really want, it’s time to create an action plan to motivate team performance.

Impact Descriptions – Not Job Descriptions

Clear Needle Movers

Individual Development Plans (IDPs)

Performance Self-Evaluations

Trust creates reliable environments. Enriched environments are more reliable. Reliable and enriched environments equal ROI. A more enriched, interactive tribal environment is good for the brain and good for the business. The result? Team members making more connections, solving problems faster, figuring things out faster and innovating better.

https://www.forbes.com,

Imagine Leadership | By XPLANE & Nitin Nohria

Leadership Gravity

Exclusive! From the Mouths of Great Leaders

Being a leader in people-centric work cultures differs drastically from managers in toxic workplaces who bark out demands and use century-old tactics like fear and negative reinforcement to motivate.

Truly effective leaders get their people from the neck up through influence -- the positive actions that connect them with the people they lead. But for many of us, when we end up telling stories to our kids and grandkids about the leaders who made a difference in our lives, we remember the words they spoke.

Words can be memorable and create immense value for you, or they can leave you shaking your head in frustration. Here are three for each side of the coin.

3 Things Great Leaders Say

You may think a leader speaks with charisma and bravado. Perhaps, if on a stage presenting a product launch to an audience of 500 (for example, Steve Jobs). But in close teams and interpersonal interactions that build trust, authenticity wins out every time. Here's what you'll hear from the most effective and humble leaders.

"That was my fault."

Great leaders put their ego aside, because admitting to being human and making mistakes actually increases trust. Paul Zak, author of Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High-Performance Companies, says, "People who are imperfect are more attractive to us. We like them more than people who seem too perfect."

"I couldn't have done it without you."

This is quite possibly the highest form of saying thank you. By acknowledging someone else's effort for going above and beyond, a leader makes that person look good by shining the spotlight on their individual contributions, which he or she deserves. When reinforced as a cultural trait, this simple act of encouragement is mental booster that will send ripples of trust across the organization.

"Can I get your advice on this?"

A study conducted by researchers at Harvard Business School and the Wharton School linked people who ask for advice to being perceived as more competent. One of the study's authors, Alison Wood Brooks, says: "In our research, we find that people are hesitant to ask for advice because they are afraid they will appear incompetent." She says that this is misplaced fear. The reality is that "people view those who seek their advice as more competent than those who do not seek their advice."

3 Things Great Leaders Would Never Say

On the flip side, you'll most likely never find these words coming out of the mouths of confident and smart leaders.

"That's not my problem."

Hearing this shouted across the hall when you're asking for help or input on something important reveals an uncaring and detached attitude that screams "I'm not a team player." Granted, no one should jump and say yes just to please a colleague. If you don't have the time to deal with someone's request, articulate it tactfully and thoughtfully when expressing no in a way that doesn't make you look selfish or unconcerned.

"I'm in charge."

If you have the need to tell others that you're in charge, chances are you're probably not. Bad leaders will use this phrase to instill fear in workers and establish positional authority, which is contrary to what great leaders do. By avoiding this phrase, leaders can begin the process of empowering their people to make decisions and own their work. And by doing so, they open up avenues for respect, loyalty, and commitment to take place.

"It's impossible."

This is the fast track to shutting down creativity and innovation in your knowledge workers. They look to their leaders for inspiration and the belief that anything is possible. That's why hearing these words is really an unfortunate self-fulfilling prophecy -- it sucks the air out of hopeful teams and thwarts any possibility for challenging projects to be accomplished. On the flip side, great leaders are absolutely confident in their people's abilities; they have an internal faith mechanism that will explore every avenue, solicit every opinion and input, and ask the question, "How can we, as a team, make this happen?"