Human Capital Indicators and Academic Success in Executive MBA Programs: A multi-program study

This paper investigates various human capital indicators as predictors of academic success for students in Executive MBA programs. Previous literature has focused on student performance in traditional full-time MBA programs and typically only for a single school. Data was examined from two different universities, with over 130 Executive MBA students. Undergraduate GPA had a statistically significant, positive relation to academic success in the Executive MBA program, while other factors, including GMAT scores and age, were not found to be as important in predicting academic success in the Executive MBA programs

Managing Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts In Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Relative Effectiveness Of Suppression, Focused-Distraction, and Acceptance

Suppression is one of various mental control techniques that people may use to manage unwanted thoughts. Evidence suggests that it is at best unsustainable and at worst counterproductive. This leads to the question: If suppression is a futile way to respond to unwanted, intrusive, thoughts, what is a more effective alternative? In the current study, we evaluated the relative effectiveness of suppression and two alternative mental control techniques—focused distraction and acceptance—on the frequency of intrusions and distress associated with them. Results support the claim that suppression is a counterproductive technique for dealing with unwanted, intrusive thoughts in OCD. However, the harmfulness of suppression was reflected primarily in the magnitude of distress and not in intrusion frequency. Focused distraction and acceptance were the more effective techniques for managing clinically significant intrusive thoughts. We discuss implications for the cognitive treatment for OCD.Psycholog

Breaking Them In or Eliciting Their Best? Reframing Socialization Around Newcomers’ Authentic Self-Expression

Socialization theory has focused on enculturating new employees such that they develop pride in their new organization and internalize its values. We draw on authenticity research to theorize that the initial stage of socialization leads to more effective employment relationships when it instead primarily encourages newcomers to express their personal identities. In a field experiment carried out in a large business process outsourcing company in India, we found that initial socialization focused on personal identity (emphasizing newcomers’ authentic best selves) led to greater customer satisfaction and employee retention after six months than socialization that focused on organizational identity (emphasizing the pride to be gained from organizational affiliation) or the organization’s traditional approach, which focused primarily on skills training. To confirm causation and explore the mechanisms underlying the effects, we replicated the results in a laboratory experiment in a U.S. university. We found that individuals working temporarily as part of a research team were more engaged and satisfied with their work, performed their tasks more effectively, and were less likely to quit when initial socialization focused on personal identity rather than on organizational identity or a control condition. In addition, authentic self-expression mediated these relationships. We call for a new direction in socialization theory that examines how both organizations and employees can benefit by emphasizing newcomers’ authentic best selves

RyR1-targeted drug discovery pipeline integrating FRET-based high-throughput screening and human myofiber dynamic Ca2+ assays.

Elevated cytoplasmic [Ca2+] is characteristic in severe skeletal and cardiac myopathies, diabetes, and neurodegeneration, and partly results from increased Ca2+ leak from sarcoplasmic reticulum stores via dysregulated ryanodine receptor (RyR) channels. Consequently, RyR is recognized as a high-value target for drug discovery to treat such pathologies. Using a FRET-based high-throughput screening assay that we previously reported, we identified small-molecule compounds that modulate the skeletal muscle channel isoform (RyR1) interaction with calmodulin and FK506 binding protein 12.6. Two such compounds, chloroxine and myricetin, increase FRET and inhibit [3H]ryanodine binding to RyR1 at nanomolar Ca2+. Both compounds also decrease RyR1 Ca2+ leak in human skinned skeletal muscle fibers. Furthermore, we identified compound concentrations that reduced leak by > 50% but only slightly affected Ca2+ release in excitation-contraction coupling, which is essential for normal muscle contraction. This report demonstrates a pipeline that effectively filters small-molecule RyR1 modulators towards clinical relevance

A Search for High-Energy Counterparts to Fast Radio Bursts

We report on a search for high-energy counterparts to fast radio bursts (FRBs) with the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM), Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT), and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory Burst Alert Telescope (BAT). We find no significant associations for any of the 23 FRBs in our sample, but report upper limits to the high-energy fluence for each on timescales of 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 s. We report lower limits on the ratio of the radio to high-energy fluence, $\frac{f_{r}}{f_{\gamma}}$, for timescales of 0.1 and 100 s. We discuss the implications of our non-detections on various proposed progenitor models for FRBs, including analogs of giant pulses from the Crab pulsar and hyperflares from magnetars. This work demonstrates the utility of analyses of high-energy data for FRBs in tracking down the nature of these elusive sources

Study protocol for the Anesthesiology Control Tower—Feedback Alerts to Supplement Treatments (ACTFAST-3) trial: A pilot randomized controlled trial in intraoperative telemedicine [version 1; referees: 2 approved]

Background: Each year, over 300 million people undergo surgical procedures worldwide. Despite efforts to improve outcomes, postoperative morbidity and mortality are common. Many patients experience complications as a result of either medical error or failure to adhere to established clinical practice guidelines. This protocol describes a clinical trial comparing a telemedicine-based decision support system, the Anesthesiology Control Tower (ACT), with enhanced standard intraoperative care. Methods: This study is a pragmatic, comparative effectiveness trial that will randomize approximately 12,000 adult surgical patients on an operating room (OR) level to a control or to an intervention group. All OR clinicians will have access to decision support software within the OR as a part of enhanced standard intraoperative care. The ACT will monitor patients in both groups and will provide additional support to the clinicians assigned to intervention ORs. Primary outcomes include blood glucose management and temperature management. Secondary outcomes will include surrogate, clinical, and economic outcomes, such as incidence of intraoperative hypotension, postoperative respiratory compromise, acute kidney injury, delirium, and volatile anesthetic utilization. Ethics and dissemination: The ACTFAST-3 study has been approved by the Human Resource Protection Office (HRPO) at Washington University in St. Louis and is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02830126). Recruitment for this protocol began in April 2017 and will end in December 2018. Dissemination of the findings of this study will occur via presentations at academic conferences, journal publications, and educational materials

Examination of BDNF Treatment on BACE1 Activity and Acute Exercise on Brain BDNF Signaling

Perturbations in metabolism results in the accumulation of beta-amyloid peptides, which is a pathological feature of Alzheimer’s disease. Beta-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) is the rate limiting enzyme responsible for beta-amyloid production. Obesogenic diets increase BACE1 while exercise reduces BACE1 activity, although the mechanisms are unknown. Brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) is an exercise inducible neurotrophic factor, however, it is unknown if BDNF is related to the effects of exercise on BACE1. The purpose of this study was to determine the direct effect of BDNF on BACE1 activity and to examine neuronal pathways induced by exercise. C57BL/6J male mice were assigned to either a low (n = 36) or high fat diet (n = 36) for 10 weeks. To determine the direct effect of BDNF on BACE1, a subset of mice (low fat diet = 12 and high fat diet n = 12) were used for an explant experiment where the brain tissue was directly treated with BDNF (100 ng/ml) for 30 min. To examine neuronal pathways activated with exercise, mice remained sedentary (n = 12) or underwent an acute bout of treadmill running at 15 m/min with a 5% incline for 120 min (n = 12). The prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were collected 2-h post-exercise. Direct treatment with BDNF resulted in reductions in BACE1 activity in the prefrontal cortex (p < 0.05), but not the hippocampus. The high fat diet reduced BDNF content in the hippocampus; however, the acute bout of exercise increased BDNF in the prefrontal cortex (p < 0.05). These novel findings demonstrate the region specific differences in exercise induced BDNF in lean and obese mice and show that BDNF can reduce BACE1 activity, independent of other exercise-induced alterations. This work demonstrates a previously unknown link between BDNF and BACE1 regulation.Brock Library Open Access Publishing Fun

Printable microscale interfaces for long-term peripheral nerve mapping and precision control

The nascent field of bioelectronic medicine seeks to decode and modulate peripheral nervous system signals to obtain therapeutic control of targeted end organs and effectors. Current approaches rely heavily on electrode-based devices, but size scalability, material and microfabrication challenges, limited surgical accessibility, and the biomechanically dynamic implantation environment are significant impediments to developing and deploying advanced peripheral interfacing technologies. Here, we present a microscale implantable device – the nanoclip – for chronic interfacing with fine peripheral nerves in small animal models that begins to meet these constraints. We demonstrate the capability to make stable, high-resolution recordings of behaviorally-linked nerve activity over multi-week timescales. In addition, we show that multi-channel, current-steering-based stimulation can achieve a high degree of functionally-relevant modulatory specificity within the small scale of the device. These results highlight the potential of new microscale design and fabrication techniques for the realization of viable implantable devices for long-term peripheral interfacing.https://www.biorxiv.org/node/801468.fullFirst author draf

Anthropometric Factors Associated With Bone Stress Injuries in Collegiate Distance Runners: New Risk Metrics and Screening Tools?

Background: Lower limb bone stress injury (BSI) of the pelvis, femur, and tibia is prevalent in collegiate track and field distance runners. Bone mineral density (BMD), body composition (BComp), and anthropometric parameters before initial collegiate injury have not been compared between runners with BSI and their noninjured counterparts. Purpose: To characterize bone health in relation to BComp and anthropometric measurements from total-body dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans in collegiate male and female distance runners before BSI and develop BMD prediction models. Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Distance runners (N = 79) from a single university track and field team were retrospectively enrolled into this study. The runners completed a DXA scan during the fall season (August-November) and participated in sport activities before the scan. Three months after scanning, electronic medical records were reviewed for the occurrence of BSI. An independent-sample t test was used to compare BMD (total and regional [spine, pelvis, and legs]), BComp (% body fat, fat mass, and lean mass), and anthropometric measurements (shoulder width and leg, arm, and trunk length) between runners with versus without BSI (included subgroup analysis by sex). Multiple linear regression with stepwise removal was used to determine variables most predictive of BMD. Results: Of the 79 enrolled participants (42 male, 37 female), 18 runners (22.8%; 11 female, 7 male) sustained a lower limb BSI. Compared with the noninjured group, injured runners had lower total and regional BMD (P < .001 for all) and shorter leg and arm lengths (P < .05 for both), whereas injured male runners had lower fat mass and injured female runners had lower lean mass in the legs (P < .05 for both). Injured runners’ age-matched total BMD Z score (-0.1 ± 0.6) was considered clinically normal. BComp and anthropometric measures were predictive of total and regional BMD (P < .05; R 2 = 0.64-0.80; percentage error = 3.8%-4.8%). Conclusion: The DXA scans of injured runners prior to incidence indicated lower BMD compared with noninjured runners. Shorter limb lengths, lower fat mass (male), and lower leg lean mass (female) may also be indicative of risk. Certain BComp and anthropometric measures were predictive of BMD