Workplace Organization and Innovation

This study uses data on Canadian establishments to test whether particular organizational structures are correlated with the likelihood of adopting process and product innovations, controlling for the endogeneity of the predictors. We find that establishments with decentralized decision-making, information-sharing programs, or incentive pay plans are significantly more likely to innovate than other establishments. Larger establishments and those with a high vacancy rate are also more likely to innovate. These findings are consistent with a model in which workers hold information about production inefficiencies or consumer demands that can lead to productive innovations and that workplace organization attributes facilitate the communication and implementation of those ideas.Innovation, Decision-Making, Information-Sharing

A comparison of schematic and taxonomic iPad® AAC systems for teaching multistep navigational AAC requests to children with ASD

textThe variety of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) applications available on devices such as the Apple iPad®, necessitates research comparing different application components. AAC applications can include a variety of display formats such as: visual scene displays (VSDs; with vocabulary embedded into images of a scene or context), grid displays (with rows and columns of symbol buttons representing vocabulary), and hybrid formats (combining elements of VSDs and grids). To navigate through multiple pages of vocabulary, VSDs and hybrids are often organized schematically (i.e., by context or location) and grids are commonly organized taxonomically (i.e., by category). This study compared how four young children (ages 4 to 8) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) acquired two-step navigational requesting with an iPad® AAC application using a schematic VSD, or hybrid pop-up grid, and a taxonomic grid. Using a multielement design, acquisition was compared across two settings (e.g., living room, kitchen), and three categories of preferred items (e.g., drinks, food, toys). Intervention involved behaviorally-based strategies (e.g., time delay, least-to-most prompting). During intervention, three participants mastered the schematic systems (VSD or hybrid), but did not master the taxonomic grid. Two of these participants also generalized requesting with schematic systems to an untrained location with a new preferred item, and maintained responding across all three settings. A fourth participant mastered both a schematic VSD and a taxonomic grid during training. During generalization, she rapidly acquired requesting in the new environment with the schematic VSD, but did not meet mastery criterion with the taxonomic grid. Across participants, the most common error with schematic systems was selecting the wrong scene (i.e., selecting an image of a location that did not match the location of the given session). In contrast, all participants showed a greater variety of error types with the taxonomic grid (including selecting the wrong category symbol, pressing the screen multiple times, trying to activate the screen with the wrong motion, and selecting the wrong item symbol). Differences in the types of errors observed suggest possible advantages and disadvantages with each system. Results have important implications for the development of AAC assessment and implementation protocols.Special Educatio

Educator Mindset: Perceptions of Economic Inequality and Awareness of Poverty on Student Potential

Due to growing economic inequality and the increase of child poverty rates within the U.S., teachers today are more likely to work with students and families with increasingly complex and diverse economic needs. This study examines the significance of the relationship between educators’ awareness of poverty, perceptions of economic inequality, and mindset about talent and intelligence. The participants (N = 71) were adult students attending a Midwestern metropolitan public university’s summer educational leadership graduate course. Survey results revealed that only two of the 71 study participants had a growth mindset. Individuals with a growth mindset generally believe that through effort, talent and intelligence can increase. However, 68% of the participants in this research study had a fixed mindset (n = 48), and 21 individuals had neither a growth nor a fixed mindset. Female participants (n = 46, M = 4.60, SD = .86) had statistically significant overall mindset (MS) scores (t (68) = 2.03, p = .05, d = 0.49) than males (n = 24, M = 4.23, SD = .65) in the study. In addition, participant scores were relatively high as measured on the Perceptions of Economic Inequality (PEI) survey, indicating there was solid agreement among many in the study to statements such as; “many people are disadvantaged because of their background” (M = 3.83, SD = 0.81). Female participants again had higher PEI scores on two of seven items (p \u3c .01). Yet, there was no significant relationship between participants’ Poverty Awareness Quiz (PAQ) scores and their Mindset (MS) or between their PEI and their MS. There was also no significant relationship found between where participants work and live and their MS, PEI, or PAQ. Results support the advantages of broader hiring and college recruitment strategies to include more individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences in order to build: awareness of poverty, understanding of barriers to economic inequality, and a growth mindset about intelligence and talent. Study conclusions also consider the influence of standards and high-stakes testing, life experience, and social justice pedagogy on teachers, students, and the current educational culture

Autonomous rendezvous and capture development infrastructure

In the development of the technology for autonomous rendezvous and docking, key infrastructure capabilities must be used for effective and economical development. This involves facility capabilities, both equipment and personnel, to devise, develop, qualify, and integrate ARD elements and subsystems into flight programs. One effective way of reducing technical risks in developing ARD technology is the use of the ultimate test facility, using a Shuttle-based reusable free-flying testbed to perform a Technology Demonstration Test Flight which can be structured to include a variety of additional sensors, control schemes, and operational approaches. This conceptual testbed and flight demonstration will be used to illustrate how technologies and facilities at MSFC can be used to develop and prove an ARD system

Is birthweight associated with total and aggressive/lethal prostate cancer risks? A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: It has been hypothesised that intrauterine exposures are important for subsequent prostate cancer risk. Prior epidemiological studies have used birthweight as a proxy of cumulative intrauterine exposures to test this hypothesis, but results have been inconsistent partly because of limited statistical power. METHODS: We investigated birthweight in relation to prostate cancer in the Medical Research Council (MRC) National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD) using Cox proportional hazards models. We then conducted a meta-analysis of birthweight in relation to total and aggressive/lethal prostate cancer risks, combining results from the NSHD analysis with 13 additional studies on this relationship identified from a systematic search in four major scientific literature databases through January 2015. RESULTS: Random-effects models found that per kg increase in birthweight was positively associated with total (OR=1.02, 95% confidence interval (95% CI)=1.00, 1.05; I(2)=13%) and aggressive/lethal prostate cancer (OR=1.08, 95% CI=0.99, 1.19; I(2)=40%). Sensitivity analyses restricted to studies with birthweight extracted from medical records demonstrated stronger positive associations with total (OR=1.11, 95% CI=1.03, 1.19; I(2)=0%) and aggressive/lethal (OR=1.37, 95% CI=1.09, 1.74; I(2)=0%) prostate cancer. These studies heavily overlapped with those based in Nordic countries. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that heavier birthweight may be associated with modest increased risks of total and aggressive/lethal prostate cancer, which supports the hypothesis that intrauterine exposures may be related to subsequent prostate cancer risks

Implementing Tactile Learning to Aid Students Understanding of the Bohr Model

It is essential for introductory level chemistry students to understand atomic models and how atoms interact to form chemical bonds. The tactile model in this article utilizes marbles to represent subatomic particles, a cup to represent the nucleus and wooden rings to simulate the electron orbitals. These inexpensive items can be combined to construct models in which students can build foundational knowledge of atomic structure and how subatomic particles interact. Students were asked to provide feedback comparing the use of this tactile model to atomic computer simulations, videos and their textbook regarding the method they felt was most useful to learn atomic structure

STRATEGI PDI-PERJUANGAN DALAM PEMENANGAN CALON LEGISLATIF PEREMPUAN DI KABUPATEN HALMAHERA BARAT

ABSTRAK               Penelitian ini mempelajari strategi kampanye untuk kandidat perempuan yang dilakukan oleh Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan (PDIP) selama pemilihan legislatif pada 17 April 2019 di Kabupaten Halmahera Barat. Partai Demokrasi Indonesia telah memenangkan 4 kursi di Parlemen lokal, yang sama-sama membagi antara 2 kandidat laki-laki dan 2 perempuan. Penelitian ini berfokus pada bagaimana kandidat perempuan melakukan strategi kampanye mereka. Ini diuntungkan dari metode wawancara kualitatif, terutama yang ditujukan untuk menggambarkan strategi kampanye kandidat perempuan. Penelitian ini menemukan bahwa berbagai strategi kampanye bervariasi sesuai dengan tahapan tahapan pemilihan yang berbeda. Setidaknya ada dua hal yang dimiliki oleh kebanyakan kandidat. Pertama-tama, para kandidat menggunakan materi kampanye yang hampir serupa seperti kalender, stiker, selebaran, dan poster. Kedua, konten materi kampanye termasuk konsolidasi, framing masalah, dan pembangunan citra. Kata kunci: strategi; partai politik; kandidat perempuan; pemilihan legislatif.    PDI-PERJUANGAN STRATEGY IN THE WINNING OF WOMEN'S LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES IN WEST HALMAHERA DISTRICT  ABSTRACT This research studied campaign strategies for women canditates conducted by Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan (PDIP) during the legislative election in 17 April 2019 in West Halmahera District. Partai Demokrasi Indonesia had won 4 seats in the local Parliament, which equally split between 2 men and 2 women candidates. The research focused on how women canditates conducted their campaign strategies. It is benefitted from qualitative interview methods, especially designated to portray campaign strategies of women canditates. The research found that various campaign strategies varied in line with the different stages of electoral phases. There are at least two things that most candidates have in common. First of all, candidates used almost similar campaign materials such as calendars, stickers, flyers, and posters. Secondly, the content of campaign material including consolidation, issues framing, and image building.  Keywords: strategy; political party; women candidates; legislative election

Considering the Relationship between Business Applications and State Tax Rank: Effect of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017

This research measures the relationship between state-level taxes and per capita business applications.  State-level taxes used in the analysis are based on tax rank of each state from 1 to 50, with lower number rank associated with lower tax burden for that category and higher number rank with higher tax burden for that category.  Tax categories used as independent variables in the model are the following: corporate tax rank, individual income tax rank, sales tax rank, property tax rank, and unemployment insurance tax rank. Five time periods were measured from 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, and 2019-2020. The research question for the model considers how the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) legislation affects business applications within each state as measured through state-level variables.  Sales taxes are found to inversely affect business applications two years before TCJA passage and during the year of passage, but to have a positive relationship one year after passage. Income tax is positively correlated in that immediate year following passage, while corporate tax inversely impacts two years following passage.

Foodborne urinary tract infections: A new paradigm for antimicrobial-resistant foodborne illness

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections worldwide. Disproportionately affecting women, UTIs exact a substantial public burden each year in terms of direct medical expenses, decreased quality of life, and lost productivity. Increasing antimicrobial resistance among strains of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia colichallenges successful treatment of UTIs. Community-acquired UTIs were long considered sporadic infections, typically caused by the patients’ native gastrointestinal microbiota; however, the recent recognition of UTI outbreaks with probable foodborne origins has shifted our understanding of UTI epidemiology. Along with this paradigm shift come new opportunities to disrupt the infection process and possibly quell increasing resistance, including the elimination of non-therapeutic antimicrobial use in food-animal production

Retail Salesperson’s Influence on India’s Lonely Consumers

Many consumers in India experience loneliness and social isolation. Some may resort to shopping for a social experience, attempting to mitigate or remedy their situation. Looking to this key emerging market, we investigate how emotional loneliness, social loneliness, and social isolation influence enjoyment of social interaction with an in-store salesperson (ESIS). We also consider whether adaptive selling and predisposition to comply with salesperson input (PCSI) influence consumers’ trust in salesperson, purchase intention, and retail patronage. We utilize partial least squares structural equation modeling with a sample of 303 Indian consumers. Additionally, we provide two importance-performance mapping analyses, which offer additional insights for retail managers trying to prioritize attention to constructs driving improvement of ESIS and PCSI. In this study, the degree of consumer loneliness and social isolation were proposed to influence Indian consumers’ enjoyment of social interaction with an in-store salesperson (ESIS), à la shopping as a social experience (Hu & Jasper, 2006; Jayasankaraprasad & Kathyayani, 2014; Rajamma et al., 2010). As posited and supported, two varieties of loneliness—emotional (EL) and social (SE)—along with social isolation (SI) were shown to be positively associated with Indian consumers’ predisposition to comply with salesperson input (PCSI). Moreover, adaptive selling, which exhibited a positive relationship with PCSI, was propounded to demonstrate a salutary impact on three outcome variables: consumer trust in salesperson (TRUST), consumer purchase intention (PI), and consumer retail patronage (PATRON). Key values for variance explained (R2), relationship strength and direction (β), effect size (f2), and predictive relevance (Q2) as well as our two importance-performance map analyses underscore the quality of the model presented. The findings suggest that consumers’ perceptions of loneliness and isolation can lead them to seek out social experiences that specifically involve visiting stores and interacting with salespeople. Additionally, given Indian consumers’ realization of a store’s function and a salesperson’s primary purpose, seemingly consumers anticipate their willingness to be influenced by product recommendations and other inputs from salespersons. If, over time, social relationships develop between consumers and salespersons, discrete transactions can evolve or graduate into more regular interactions that enhance trust, purchase intention, and retail patronage. At present, there is relatively little research that deals with lonely and/or socially isolated consumers in the world’s emerging markets. For countries such as India, most scholarship on loneliness relates almost exclusively to elderly persons or youth (Bhatia et al., 2007; Bowker & Raja, 2011; Tiwari, 2013; Upmanyu, Sehgal, & Upmanyu, 1994), providing very few insights into the scale or impact of loneliness for adult consumers and the middle class. This study is step towards bridging the research gaps in this area