The Determinants and Consequences of Financial Education in the Workplace: Evidence from a Survey of Households

In recent years, the United States has witnessed significant growth in programs of financial and retirement education in the workplace. This phenomenon provides an opportunity to assess the effects of targeted education programs on financial choices. This paper uses a novel household survey to develop econometric evidence on the efficacy of employer-based financial education. While our primary focus concerns the effects of these programs on saving (both in general and for the purposes of retirement), we also examine a number of collateral issues. These include the circumstances under which employers offer, and employees participate in, financial education programs, and the effects of these programs on sources of information and advice concerning retirement planning. Our findings indicate that employer-based retirement education strongly influences household financial behavior.

The Amino Terminus of the Yeast F_1-ATPase β-Subunit Precursor Functions as a Mitochondrial Import Signal

The ATP2 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae codes for the cytoplasmically synthesized beta-subunit protein of the mitochondrial F1-ATPase. To define the amino acid sequence determinants necessary for the in vivo targeting and import of this protein into mitochondria, we have constructed gene fusions between the ATP2 gene and either the Escherichia coli lacZ gene or the S. cerevisiae SUC2 gene (which codes for invertase). The ATP2-lacZ and ATP2-SUC2 gene fusions code for hybrid proteins that are efficiently targeted to yeast mitochondria in vivo. The mitochondrially associated hybrid proteins fractionate with the inner mitochondrial membrane and are resistant to proteinase digestion in the isolated organelle. Results obtained with the gene fusions and with targeting-defective ATP2 deletion mutants provide evidence that the amino-terminal 27 amino acids of the beta-subunit protein precursor are sufficient to direct both specific sorting of this protein to yeast mitochondria and its import into the organelle. Also, we have observed that certain of the mitochondrially associated Atp2-LacZ and Atp2-Suc2 hybrid proteins confer a novel respiration-defective phenotype to yeast cells

Used-habitat calibration plots: a new procedure for validating species distribution, resource selection, and step-selection models

“Species distribution modeling” was recently ranked as one of the top five “research fronts” in ecology and the environmental sciences by ISI's Essential Science Indicators (Renner and Warton 2013), reflecting the importance of predicting how species distributions will respond to anthropogenic change. Unfortunately, species distribution models (SDMs) often perform poorly when applied to novel environments. Compounding on this problem is the shortage of methods for evaluating SDMs (hence, we may be getting our predictions wrong and not even know it). Traditional methods for validating SDMs quantify a model's ability to classify locations as used or unused. Instead, we propose to focus on how well SDMs can predict the characteristics of used locations. This subtle shift in viewpoint leads to a more natural and informative evaluation and validation of models across the entire spectrum of SDMs. Through a series of examples, we show how simple graphical methods can help with three fundamental challenges of habitat modeling: identifying missing covariates, non-linearity, and multicollinearity. Identifying habitat characteristics that are not well-predicted by the model can provide insights into variables affecting the distribution of species, suggest appropriate model modifications, and ultimately improve the reliability and generality of conservation and management recommendations

Update on the Fishes of Texas Project

Poster presentation presented at the 2017 Texas Academy of Sciences annual meeting in Belton, Texas on March 4, 2017.The Fishes of Texas project (www.fishesoftexas.org), originating in 2006, remains the most reliable (quality controlled) and data rich site for acquiring occurrence data for Texas fishes, holding over 124,000 records from 42 institutions. Among many discoveries, the project is responsible for detecting at least 3 freshwater species not previously known from the state. We continue making improvements, but substantial updates so far have been onerous for our developers for various reasons. A recent major update reduces coding redundancies, points the website to a new massively restructured and more fully normalized PostgreSQL database (was MySQL), and places the code in a versioning environment. These changes have little immediate effect on user experience, but will greatly accelerate development. PostgreSQL allows for complex spatial queries which will allow users to quickly map occurrence data alongside many more political/environmental layers than currently possible. While our database/web designers have been implementing these changes and fixing bugs etc., we’ve been preparing resources for them to integrate into the website. Some highlights to expect: 1 new updates to the state Species of Greatest Concern list; 2 expert opinion-determined nativity spatial layers for all freshwater fishes displaying in our new mapping system; 3 dynamic statistical summaries; 4 new data types from the literature (>14,900 records), citizen science (>4,300), anglers (>37,000), and agency databases (>1,000,000); 5 new museum records, many derived from our gap sampling (~19,000, 4 museums); 6 more specimen examinations (>400) and photographs (1000); 7 document archive with “smart” text search tools (currently in beta testing using TPWD fisheries reports). So be patient and keep your eyes open for updates.University of Texas at Austin, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, U.S. Department of the Interior,Integrative Biolog

Interpolated subcutaneous fat pedicle melolabial flap for large nasal lining defects

Full‐thickness nasal deformities are a reconstructive challenge. Restoration of a reliable internal lining is critical for a successful reconstruction. Septal hinge flaps are the workhorse for internal lining defects. However, these and other intranasal mucosal flaps are sometimes unavailable due to prior harvest or previous oncologic resection. We present the two‐stage interpolated subcutaneous fat pedicle melolabial flap for lining large defects when traditional intranasal flaps are unavailable. This approach is particularly useful when one forehead flap has already been expended, preserving the patient's remaining forehead tissue for external cover. Laryngoscope, 2012Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/96708/1/23595_ftp.pd