Unpacking organizational alignment : the view from theory and practice.

The importance of alignment is widely acknowledged in organizations. Yet, we know little about how alignment is created or measured over time at multiple levels in the organization. This paper attempts to expand and enrich different perspectives and types of alignment that exist and occur in organizations. Throughout, we elaborate on how organizational alignment is understood and defined in the extant literature. Next, we propose a framework for examining different perspectives of organizational alignment emphasizing conceptual similarities as well as distinctiveness. Our core contribution is an emergent theoretical framework that expands on the concept of organizational alignment. We find that while conceptual overlap is problematic from a theory building perspective, the organizational context of alignment necessitates unique and varying ways in which this construct is practiced. We apply the theoretical framework to develop recommendations for senior leaders, human resource and operations managers. Finally, we present implications for both theory and practice

Sustained High-Frequency Dynamic Instability of a Nonlinear System of Coupled Oscillators Forced by Single or Repeated Impulses: Theoretical and Experimental Results

This report describes the impulsive dynamics of a system of two coupled oscillators with essential (nonlinearizable) stiffness nonlinearity. The system considered consists of a grounded weakly damped linear oscillator coupled to a lightweight weakly damped oscillating attachment with essential cubic stiffness nonlinearity arising purely from geometry and kinematics. It has been found that under specific impulse excitations the transient damped dynamics of this system tracks a high-frequency impulsive orbit manifold (IOM) in the frequency-energy plane. The IOM extends over finite frequency and energy ranges, consisting of a countable infinity of periodic orbits and an uncountable infinity of quasi-periodic orbits of the underlying Hamiltonian system and being initially at rest and subjected to an impulsive force on the linear oscillator. The damped nonresonant dynamics tracking the IOM then resembles continuous resonance scattering; in effect, quickly transitioning between multiple resonance captures over finite frequency and energy ranges. Dynamic instability arises at bifurcation points along this damped transition, causing bursts in the response of the nonlinear light oscillator, which resemble self-excited resonances. It is shown that for an appropriate parameter design the system remains in a state of sustained high-frequency dynamic instability under the action of repeated impulses. In turn, this sustained instability results in strong energy transfers from the directly excited oscillator to the lightweight nonlinear attachment; a feature that can be employed in energy harvesting applications. The theoretical predictions are confirmed by experimental results.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant CMMI-1100722

Stacking non-BPS D-Branes

We present a candidate supergravity solution for a stacked configuration of stable non-BPS D-branes in Type II string theory compactified on T^4/Z_2. This gives a supergravity description of nonabelian tachyon condensation on the brane worldvolume.Comment: 10 pages, revte

Online forums for addiction recovery support: characteristics and engagement

In developing public resources for the Networks Enhancing Addiction Recovery – Forum Activity Roadmap (NEAR-FAR), we completed a comprehensive observational study of English-language online forums related to recovery from alcohol or other drug addiction. Among 207 identified forums, the majority were classified as “general addiction” or alcohol-focused, though classifications related to other substances were common on websites hosting multiple forums. Commonly used social media platforms such as Reddit, Facebook, or Quora offered easily accessible venues for individuals seeking online support related to a variety of addictive substances. They included forums related to established mutual help programs such as 12-step and SMART recovery, other nonprofit and for-profit recovery programs, and community forums without formal programs. Among 148 forums with any observed user activity, the median time between unique user engagements was 27 days (inter-quartile range: 2-74). Among 98 forums with past-month posting activity, we found a median of <10 posts per week (inter-quartile range: 1-78). This study compares three metrics of observed forum user activity (posts per week, responses per post, time between unique user engagements) and considers forum characteristics that may potentiate greater engagement and support in addiction recovery

Histone deacetylase 6 inhibition improves memory and reduces total tau levels in a mouse model of tau deposition

INTRODUCTION: Tau pathology is associated with a number of age-related neurodegenerative disorders. Few treatments have been demonstrated to diminish the impact of tau pathology in mouse models and none are yet effective in humans. Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) is an enzyme that removes acetyl groups from cytoplasmic proteins, rather than nuclear histones. Its substrates include tubulin, heat shock protein 90 and cortactin. Tubastatin A is a selective inhibitor of HDAC6. Modification of tau pathology by specific inhibition of HDAC6 presents a potential therapeutic approach in tauopathy. METHODS: We treated rTg4510 mouse models of tau deposition and non-transgenic mice with tubastatin (25 mg/kg) or saline (0.9%) from 5 to 7 months of age. Cognitive behavior analysis, histology and biochemical analysis were applied to access the effect of tubastatin on memory, tau pathology and neurodegeneration (hippocampal volume). RESULTS: We present data showing that tubastatin restored memory function in rTg4510 mice and reversed a hyperactivity phenotype. We further found that tubastatin reduced the levels of total tau, both histologically and by western analysis. Reduction in total tau levels was positively correlated with memory improvement in these mice. However, there was no impact on phosphorylated forms of tau, either by histology or western analysis, nor was there an impact on silver positive inclusions histologically. CONCLUSION: Potential mechanisms by which HDAC6 inhibitors might benefit the rTg4510 mouse include stabilization of microtubules secondary to increased tubulin acetylation, increased degradation of tau secondary to increased acetylation of HSP90 or both. These data support the use of HDAC6 inhibitors as potential therapeutic agents against tau pathology

Conservation physiology and the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health measures have had unanticipated effects on ecosystems and biodiversity. Conservation physiology and its mechanistic underpinnings are well positioned to generate robust data to inform the extent to which the Anthropause has benefited biodiversity through alterations in disturbance-, pollution- and climate change-related emissions. The conservation physiology toolbox includes sensitive biomarkers and tools that can be used both retroactively (e.g. to reconstruct stress in wildlife before, during and after lockdown measures) and proactively (e.g. future viral waves) to understand the physiological consequences of the pandemic. The pandemic has also created new risks to ecosystems and biodiversity through extensive use of various antimicrobial products (e.g. hand cleansers, sprays) and plastic medical waste. Conservation physiology can be used to identify regulatory thresholds for those products. Moreover, given that COVID-19 is zoonotic, there is also opportunity for conservation physiologists to work closely with experts in conservation medicine and human health on strategies that will reduce the likelihood of future pandemics (e.g. what conditions enable disease development and pathogen transfer) while embracing the One Health concept. The conservation physiology community has also been impacted directly by COVID-19 with interruptions in research, training and networking (e.g. conferences). Because this is a nascent discipline, it will be particularly important to support early career researchers and ensure that there are recruitment pathways for the next generation of conservation physiologists while creating a diverse and inclusive community. We remain hopeful for the future and in particular the ability of the conservation physiology community to deliver relevant, solutions-oriented science to guide decision makers particularly during the important post-COVID transition and economic recovery

Reproductive Aging Influences Ovarian Function in Beef Cows

Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) has been associated with follicle number and age of the ovary. Therefore, our hypothesiswas that AMH was a biomarker for both follicle number and ovarian function in the beef cow. Ovaries were collected by flank laparotomy. The number of follicles increased as cows aged from 1.5 to 6 years and began to decrease thereafter; however, the size of the ovary continued to increase with advanced age. Expression of the AMH gene increased with increasing follicle number in 2-year-old beef cows. These results suggest that heifers with larger ovaries will have greater numbers of follicles and greater productivity, allowing them to stay in the production herd longer. AMH could be used to identify heifers of high reproductive potential at a very young age