KM Capability Assessment: A Qualitative Approach

The knowledge management (KM) literature highlights both the desire of organizations to assess KM capability and the need to create better methodologies and tools to do so. Although some progress has been made in developing valid assessment tools, the topic still remains inadequately explored. Answering a call for the exploration of KM capability maturity assessment across a variety of organizations (Kulkarni & St Louis, 2003), this research uses the Knowledge Management Capability Assessment (KMCA) methodology (Kulkarni & Freeze, 2004) and Freeze & Kulkarni (2005; 2006) as a guiding framework to qualitatively assess the KM capability of the Secretary of the Air Force Financial Management and Comptroller (SAF/FM) organization—a military organization recognized for exceptional KM efforts. The research resulted in rich, contextual findings with regard to the specific KM efforts underway within SAF/FM. Interestingly, the nature of these efforts translated into KM capability levels lower than expected; however, precise areas for improvement were identified

Висновок експерта в криміналістичних технологіях

Досліджується висновок експерта в аспекті технологій експертних та технологій слідчих. Встановлюються умови технологічності цього процесуального документу. Конкретизуються критерії та дії експерта з забезпечення процесуальних вимог при складанні висновку за результатами проведених досліджень, та операції з оцінки висновку експерта слідчим.Исследуется заключение эксперта в аспекте технологий экспертных и технологий следственных. Устанавливаются условия технологичности этого процессуального документа. Конкретизируются критерии и действия эксперта по обеспечению процессуальных требований при составлении заключения по результатам проведенных исследований, и операции по оценке заключения эксперта следователем.The expert's conclusion is investigated in the aspect of expertise technologies and investigation technologies . The conditions for manufacturability of this procedural document are established. The criteria and expert's actions providing the procedural requirements while preparation of the report on the research results, and the operation on the assessment of the expert conclusion by investigator are concretized

A prospective study of cancer risk among Agricultural Health Study farm spouses associated with personal use of organochlorine insecticides

Background: Organochlorine insecticides (OCs) have historically been used worldwide to control insects, although most have now been banned in developed countries. Evidence for an association between OC exposures and cancer predominantly comes from occupational and population based-studies among men. We evaluated the association between the use of specific OCs and cancer among the female spouses of pesticide applicators in the Agricultural Health Study. Methods: At enrollment (1993–1997), spouses of private applicators in the cohort provided information about their own use of pesticides, including seven OCs (aldrin, chlordane, dieldrin, DDT, heptachlor, lindane, and toxaphene), and information on potential confounders. We used Poisson regression to estimate relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for cancers (n ≥ 3 exposed cases) reported to state cancer registries from enrollment through 2012 (North Carolina) and 2013 (Iowa), and use of the individual OCs, as well as use of any of the specific OCs. Results: Among 28,909 female spouses, 2191 (7.58%) reported ever use of at least one OC, of whom 287 were diagnosed with cancer. Most cancers were not associated with OC use. Risk of glioma was increased among users of at least one OC (Nexposed = 11, RR = 3.52, 95% CI 1.72–7.21) and specifically among lindane users (Nexposed = 3, RR = 4.45, 95% CI 1.36–14.55). Multiple myeloma was associated with chlordane (Nexposed = 6, RR = 2.71, 95% CI 1.12–6.55). Based on 3 exposed cases each, there were also positive associations between pancreatic cancer and lindane, and ER-PR- breast cancer and dieldrin. No other associations with breast cancer were found. Conclusions: Overall, there were some associations with OC use and cancer incidence, however we were limited by the small number of exposed cancer cases. Future research should attempt to expand on these findings by assessing environmental sources of OC exposures, to fully evaluate the role of OC exposures on cancer risk in women

NilD CRISPR RNA contributes to Xenorhabdus nematophila colonization of symbiotic host nematodes

The bacterium Xenorhabdus nematophila is a mutualist of entomopathogenic Steinernema carpocapsae nematodes and facilitates infection of insect hosts. X. nematophila colonizes the intestine of S. carpocapsae which carries it between insects. In the X. nematophila colonization-defective mutant nilD6::Tn5, the transposon is inserted in a region lacking obvious coding potential. We demonstrate that the transposon disrupts expression of a single CRISPR RNA, NilD RNA. A variant NilD RNA also is expressed by X. nematophila strains from S. anatoliense and S. websteri nematodes. Only nilD from the S. carpocapsae strain of X. nematophila rescued the colonization defect of the nilD6::Tn5 mutant, and this mutant was defective in colonizing all three nematode host species. NilD expression depends on the presence of the associated Cas6e but not Cas3, components of the Type I-E CRISPR-associated machinery. While cas6e deletion in the complemented strain abolished nematode colonization, its disruption in the wild-type parent did not. Likewise, nilD deletion in the parental strain did not impact colonization of the nematode, revealing that the requirement for NilD is evident only in certain genetic backgrounds. Our data demonstrate that NilD RNA is conditionally necessary for mutualistic host colonization and suggest that it functions to regulate endogenous gene expression

Agricultural Exposures and Stroke Mortality in the Agricultural Health Study

Exposures associated with common agricultural activities may increase risk of stroke. The authors evaluated associations between self-reported agricultural activities including pesticide use and handling of crops and stroke mortality among 51,603 male pesticide applicators enrolled in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS). Vital status was obtained through 2008. Stroke mortality was defined by underlying or contributing cause of death (ICD-9 430–438, ICD-10 I60-I69). Information regarding lifetime pesticide use, working with crops or animals, engagement in other agricultural activities, and potential confounders was self-reported at enrollment. Cox proportional hazards models, with age as the time scale, were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) adjusted for state of residence, smoking status, and alcohol consumption. Median follow-up time was 13 years, during which 308 stroke deaths occurred. No measure of overall or specific pesticide use was positively associated with mortality due to stroke. Stroke mortality was inversely associated with handling hay, grain, or silage at least once each year as reported at enrollment (HR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.58, 0.98). There was no evidence of an association between pesticide use and stroke mortality. The inverse association between handling of hays and grains and stroke mortality may be due to (1) those engaging in such activities being healthier than those who did not or (2) exposure to some biological agent present in hays and grains. Further investigation of incident stroke, rather than stroke mortality, as well as stroke subtypes are needed to determine the full role of agricultural exposures and stroke

Atrazine and cancer incidence among pesticide applicators in the agricultural health study (1994-2007).

Atrazine is a triazine herbicide used widely in the United States. Although it is an animal carcinogen, the mechanism in rodents does not appear to operate in humans. Few epidemiologic studies have provided evidence for an association

Coal Use, Stove Improvement, and Adult Pneumonia Mortality in Xuanwei, China: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background: In Xuanwei County, China, unvented indoor coal burning is strongly associated with increased risk of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, the impact of coal burning and stove improvement on risk of pneumonia is not clear. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study among all farmers born 1917 through 1951 and living in Xuanwei as of 1 January 1976. The analysis included a total of 42,422 cohort members. Follow-up identified all deaths in the cohort from 1976 through 1996. Ages at entry into and at exit from follow-up ranged from 24 to 59 years and from 25 to 80 years, respectively. The record search detected 225 deaths from pneumonia, and 32,332 (76%) were alive as of 31 December 1996. We constructed multivariable Cox models (time variable = age) to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Use of coal, especially smokeless coal, was positively associated with pneumonia mortality. Annual tonnage and lifetime duration of smoky and smokeless coal use were positively associated with pneumonia mortality. Stove improvement was associated with a 50% reduction in pneumonia deaths (smoky coal users: HR, 0.521; 95% CI, 0.340-0.798; smokeless coal users: HR, 0.449; 95% CI, 0.215-0.937). Conclusions: Our analysis is the first to suggest that indoor air pollution from unvented coal burning is an important risk factor for pneumonia death in adults and that improving ventilation by installing a chimney is an effective measure to decrease it.published_or_final_versio

An Updated Algorithm for Estimation of Pesticide Exposure Intensity in the Agricultural Health Study

An algorithm developed to estimate pesticide exposure intensity for use in epidemiologic analyses was revised based on data from two exposure monitoring studies. In the first study, we estimated relative exposure intensity based on the results of measurements taken during the application of the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) (n = 88) and the insecticide chlorpyrifos (n = 17). Modifications to the algorithm weighting factors were based on geometric means (GM) of post-application urine concentrations for applicators grouped by application method and use of chemically-resistant (CR) gloves. Measurement data from a second study were also used to evaluate relative exposure levels associated with airblast as compared to hand spray application methods. Algorithm modifications included an increase in the exposure reduction factor for use of CR gloves from 40% to 60%, an increase in the application method weight for boom spray relative to in-furrow and for air blast relative to hand spray, and a decrease in the weight for mixing relative to the new weights assigned for application methods. The weighting factors for the revised algorithm now incorporate exposure measurements taken on Agricultural Health Study (AHS) participants for the application methods and personal protective equipment (PPE) commonly reported by study participants