The role of women's leadership and gender equity in leadership and health system strengthening.

Gender equity is imperative to the attainment of healthy lives and wellbeing of all, and promoting gender equity in leadership in the health sector is an important part of this endeavour. This empirical research examines gender and leadership in the health sector, pooling learning from three complementary data sources: literature review, quantitative analysis of gender and leadership positions in global health organisations and qualitative life histories with health workers in Cambodia, Kenya and Zimbabwe. The findings highlight gender biases in leadership in global health, with women underrepresented. Gender roles, relations, norms and expectations shape progression and leadership at multiple levels. Increasing women's leadership within global health is an opportunity to further health system resilience and system responsiveness. We conclude with an agenda and tangible next steps of action for promoting women's leadership in health as a means to promote the global goals of achieving gender equity.

Characterization of nuclear factors for elicitor-mediated activation of the promoter of the pea phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene 1.

The nuclear factors presumably associated with the activation of the gene encoding phenylalanine ammonia-lyase by a fungal elicitor were characterized in pea (Pisum sativum L.) epicotyls. The TATA-proximal region was dissected and putative cis-regulatory elements in the promoter of pea phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene 1 were examined by gel-mobility shift and in vitro footprinting analyses. Specific binding of the nuclear factors to the promoter-proximal regions of pea phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene 1 associated with elicitor-mediated activation was detected at a region containing consensus sequence motifs of boxes 2 and 4 and other AT-rich sequences. The analyses of DNA fragments containing the deleted promoter regions suggested that a residue from -183 to -173 (ATTAGTAAGTGAT) was essential for a maximal activity of forming low-mobility complex (LMC) in the gel-mobility shift assay, and synthetic oligonucleotides confirmed the presence of at least one nuclear component associated with the formation of an active LMC. Competition experiments and treatment with Hoechst 33258 provided direct evidence that the formation of LMC with the promoter fragments from genes encoding phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and chalcone synthase in pea contained one or more of the same proteins that recognize AT-rich sequence motifs for binding. It also suggests that common high-mobility group-like proteins might be involved in the regulation of elicitor-inducible genes in pea.

Continuous synthesis of a tripeptide by successive condensation and transesterification catalyzed by two immobilized proteinases in organic solvent.

The tripeptide Z-GlyPheLeuNH2 was continuously synthesized in a high yield from three amino acid derivatives, Z-Gly, PheOMe, and LeuNH2, by immobilized thermolysin (IMT) and immobilized alpha-chymotrypsin (IMC) in an organic solvent, ethyl acetate. The optimal conditions for the synthesis of Z-GlyPheOMe were established theoretically. The yield of Z-GlyPheOMe with IMT in ethyl acetate saturated with buffer was more than 88% after continuous synthesis for 116 hr. The optimal conditions for the synthesis of Z-GlyPheLeuNH2 from Z-GlyPheOMe and LeuNH2 by IMC through transesterification was established in batch reaction experiments. When the concentration of water in the reaction solution was 17-20 microliters/ml, the activity of IMC was highest. The equilibrium between the water concentration in the reaction solution and that in the resin used for enzyme immobilization depended on the resin and was not affected by the presence of the enzyme immobilized. Z-GlyPheLeuNH2 was synthesized from Z-GlyPheOMe and LeuNH2 with a yield of 100%, by continuous reaction for 160 hr. The reactor for synthesis of this tripeptide was efficient and stable because of the use of transesterification and the choice of an appropriate organic solvent. The series plug-flow reactor was successfully operated for 220 hr with a yield of more than 80%. The residual activity of IMT was 94% and that of IMC was 100%.