Do it Right or Not at All: A Longitudinal Evaluation of a Conflict Managment System Implementation

We analyzed an eight-year multi-source longitudinal data set that followed a healthcare system in the Eastern United States as it implemented a major conflict management initiative to encourage line managers to consistently perform Personal Management Interviews (or PMIs) with their employees. PMIs are interviews held between two individuals, designed to prevent or quickly resolve interpersonal problems before they escalate to formal grievances. This initiative provided us a unique opportunity to empirically test key predictions of Integrated Conflict Management System (or ICMS) theory. Analyzing survey and personnel file data from 5,449 individuals from 2003 to 2010, we found that employees whose managers provided high-quality interviews perceived significantly higher participative work climates and had lower turnover rates. However, retention was worse when managers provided poor-quality interviews than when they conducted no interviews at all. Together these findings highlight the critical role that line mangers play in the success of conflict management systems

Extrasolar planet taxonomy: a new statistical approach

In this paper we present the guidelines for an extrasolar planet taxonomy. The discovery of an increasing number of extrasolar planets showing a vast variety of planetary parameters, like Keplerian orbital elements and environmental parameters, like stellar masses, spectral types, metallicity etc., prompts the development of a planetary taxonomy. In this work via principal component analysis followed by hierarchical clustering analysis, we report the definition of five robust groups of planets. We also discuss the physical relevance of such analysis, which may provide a valid basis for disentangling the role of the several physical parameters involved in the processes of planet formation and subsequent evolution. For instance, we were able to divide the hot Jupiters into two main groups on the basis of their stellar masses and metallicities. Moreover, for some groups, we find strong correlations between metallicity, semi-major axis and eccentricity. The implications of these findings are discussed.Comment: accepted for publication on Ap

Dynamical constraints on the origin of the moon

Six different categories of models for the formation of the moon within the context of the general theory of terrestial planet formation by the accumulation of protoplanets are discussed. These catagories are: (1) rotational fission; (2) precipitation fission; (3) intact capture; (4) disintegrative capture; (5) binary accretion; and (6) giant impact accretion. It appears that the only plausable mechanism proposed thus far involves the formation of the Moon following a giant impact that ejects portions of the differentiated Earth's mantle and parts of the impacting body into circumterrestrial orbit

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence- Ocean in the Earth-Sun System

This award establishes a new Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence (COSEE) via awards to the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences (0528706), the University of Maine (0528702), and the University of New Hampshire (0528686). The main goals of this thematic Center are to broaden understanding of the oceans in the context of the earth and solar systems and to help the COSEE network reach rural and inland audiences. The PIs will pioneer a system of interfaces, tools, and resources to reach underserved and underrepresented groups, and to bring ocean sciences to inland audiences by presenting it in the context of more familiar components of the earth system, including environmental and space sciences. One goal is to explore the effectiveness of expanding knowledge of the ocean\u27s role beyond being a driver of earth\u27s climate to placing the earth in the context of its unique place in the solar system. Activities include building and training educator-scientist teams to work towards specific goals, e.g., testing strategies for effective use of ocean data, training in the use of concept mapping, and the identification and evaluation of high-quality resources. Evaluation of products, models and information is integrated throughout, with continuous self-assessment. Formal education partners at the University of Maine and University of New Hampshire will test the efficacy of materials with educators whose knowledge of ocean-related content ranges from novice to expert. Maine will be a test bed for the COSEE network to start reaching inland rural populations. The team includes scientists and educators with expertise in the hydrosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, geosphere, and atmosphere. The team will develop concept maps and case studies that show application of ocean topics to the National Science Education Standards. The Center will develop a formal mechanism for scientific review of materials to ensure the products they recommend are of the highest quality and meet rigorous standards, as well as to provide feedback from educators and scientists to product developers. They will select resources from DLESE, the BRIDGE, NOAA and others and evaluate these for classroom readiness and scientific accuracy using their team of well-trained resource evaluators with first-hand knowledge of earth systems science. They also will do a gap analysis of missing resources. The Gap Analysis will also inform the science community about avoiding developing materials for well-covered topics. The review process developed by COSEE-OESS, from initial use of NASA\u27s education product review, will be disseminated nationally as a model for evaluating best practices and assessment and evaluation guidelines for education materials.In-service teacher programs will focus on expansion of University of New Hampshire\u27s Coastal Observing Center summer in-service teacher workshops to incorporate OESS content and evaluation of activities ( test bed for novel materials and activities). These workshops have annual themes focusing on ocean observing systems and the integration of buoy, shipboard, and satellite data (GoMOOS). Pre-service teachers and general science students at the University of Maine will take a new course created by OESS to learn ocean research methods by focusing on using physical principles, concepts and approaches to explain phenomena in aquatic sciences that are aligned to the NSES. The course will be developed for distribution to teachers after rigorous evaluation.Intellectual Merit of the Center: This thematic center focuses on creating and evaluating a series of interconnected tools and techniques designed to broaden understanding of the ocean in the context of the earth and solar systems. Results will be translated into innovative multimedia products that showcase the ocean in the earth-sun system. Educational resources will be evaluated for science and education impact, and gaps in these resources will be identified and filled. A new undergraduate course to teach about ocean phenomena will be developed, tested, and disseminated nationally. The proposed Center will help COSEE reach inland and rural audiences. Broader impact: This Center will serve as a learning organization to deliver excellent products, models, and information that can be applied virtually anywhere. The final products, publication of Best Practices (a document that describes the value of system context in terms of learning) and Strategies to reach inland audiences will be disseminated throughout and beyond the COSEE network

Empirical Performance of the Czech and Hungarian Index Options under Jump

This paper analyses Czech and Hungarian index options that are traded on the Austrian Futures and Options Exchange. We find that the Poisson jump-diffusion and not the GARCH (1,1) process lends statistical support for the data description. We estimate that approximately four-fifth of 4 percent underpricing (for the Czech Index) and 18 percent overpricing (for the Hungarian Index) biases reported for the short term out-of-the-money call options can be explained by the Jump option pricing model. However, we question whether the mispricings from the jump model are operational, especially, in these emerging financial markets.Leptokurtosis, Poisson jump-diffusion, GARCH, Equity index

Emerging Translational Opportunities in Comparative Oncology With Companion Canine Cancers: Radiation Oncology.

It is estimated that more than 6 million pet dogs are diagnosed with cancer annually in the USA. Both primary care and specialist veterinarians are frequently called upon to provide clinical care that improves the quality and/or quantity of life for affected animals. Because these cancers develop spontaneously in animals that often share the same environment as their owners, have intact immune systems and are of similar size to humans, and because the diagnostic tests and treatments for these cancers are similar to those used for management of human cancers, canine cancer provides an opportunity for research that simultaneously helps improve both canine and human health care. This is especially true in the field of radiation oncology, for which there is a rich and continually evolving history of learning from the careful study of pet dogs undergoing various forms of radiotherapy. The purpose of this review article is to inform readers of the potential utility and limitations of using dogs in that manner; the peer-reviewed literature will be critically reviewed, and current research efforts will be discussed. The article concludes with a look toward promising future directions and applications of this pet dog "model.

SENSORS: Collaborative Research: ALOHA Mooring Sensor Network and Adaptive Sampling

The PIs propose to develop a moored deep-ocean sensor network that will first be installed at the Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT)/ALOHA Observatory (AO) and then at other cabled observatory sites as they are implemented. This moored sensor network is based on a profiler that will move between near-surface and fixed abyssal sensors under program control. The PIs feel that this project will demonstrate the scientific potential of combining adaptive sampling methods with a moored series of profiling sensors. The PIs will also develop optimization software tools to maximize overall information return given the constraints of competing scientific objectives, the continually changing environment that will be observed, and the physical limitations of the observing sensors and network. The power and two-way real time communications capability provided by the recently funded cabled ALOHA Observatory is essential to the sampling improvements and sensor network proposed here

Quantum sensing with arbitrary frequency resolution

Quantum sensing takes advantage of well controlled quantum systems for performing measurements with high sensitivity and precision. We have implemented a concept for quantum sensing with arbitrary frequency resolution, independent of the qubit probe and limited only by the stability of an external synchronization clock. Our concept makes use of quantum lock-in detection to continuously probe a signal of interest. Using the electronic spin of a single nitrogen vacancy center in diamond, we demonstrate detection of oscillating magnetic fields with a frequency resolution of 70 uHz over a MHz bandwidth. The continuous sampling further guarantees an excellent sensitivity, reaching a signal-to-noise ratio in excess of 10,000:1 for a 170 nT test signal measured during a one-hour interval. Our technique has applications in magnetic resonance spectroscopy, quantum simulation, and sensitive signal detection.Comment: Manuscript resubmitted to Science. Includes Supplementary Material

Our exciting journey to ACT-451840

We describe our work resulting in the selection of ACT-451840 ( 38 ) as a novel antimalarial drug with a novel mode of action. The compound was broadly characterized in vitro as well as in vivo in rat PK experiments as well as two different mouse malaria models. In the P. berghei infected mouse model cure could be achieved at oral doses of 300 mg/kg over 3 consecutive days. ACT-451840 was clinically investigated up to an experimental human malaria infection model, where therapeutic effects could be shown