Maximizing flow rate in single paper layer, rapid flow microfluidic paper-based analytical devices

UNLABELLED: Small, single-layer microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (µPADs) offer potential for a range of point-of-care applications; however, they have been limited to low flow rates. Here, we investigate the role of laser cutting paper channels in maximizing flow rate in small profile devices with limited fluid volumes. We demonstrate that branching, laser-cut grooves can provide a 59.23-73.98% improvement in flow rate over a single cut, and a 435% increase over paper alone. These design considerations can be applied to more complex microfluidic devices with the aim of increasing the flow rate, and could be used in stand-alone channels for self-pumping. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10404-023-02679-8

C-Suite Succession Failures: Causes, Effects, and Prevention: Results of the 2015 HR@Moore Survey of Chief HR Officers

This year’s HR@Moore Survey of Chief HR Officers examined traditional aspects of the CHRO role. It also examined the weaknesses of a CHRO’s predecessor and what current CHROs believe determine success in the role. The survey also examined the processes associated with succession failures among members of the C-Suite (CEO, CFO, CMO, CIO, CHRO, Business Leaders etc.); this report concerns this last issue. We began by interviewing 7 CHROs each of whom had over 10 years experience in CHRO roles, and most across different companies. These interviews consisted of the critical incident technique where we asked them to recall and discuss a C-suite hire (one an internal promotion and one an outside hire) that within 6-9 months it became apparent that this person was the wrong hire. Based on the interviews, we developed questions we then asked participating CHROs in the 2015 HR@Moore survey of CHROs. CHROs estimated in the survey that approximately 12% of external C-suite hires failed (compared to 30-50% estimates in our interviews) and that roughly 9% of internal promotions to C-suite positions failed (compared to 10-20% estimates in our interviews). The combination of our interviews and the survey also revealed that while it is typically clear within 6-12 months that a succession mistake occurred, the individual often remains in the position for more than two years, likely compounding the mistake. The survey results also make it clear that mistakes for outside hires are more costly than mistakes associated with internal hires. Our findings also show that the primary cause of failure unique to internal promotions was an inability to scale an executive’s capabilities to the requirements of a new, more demanding, role. The primary cause of external failures appears be an inability to develop trusting relationships, particularly with members of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT). Results also indicated that failures were also likely (for both internal promotions and external hires) if there was a mismatch of the job requirements and the person. Our interviews and surveys also revealed that the succession process is often adversely affected by decision-making biases. By combining the role that decision-making biases play in creating failures with the reasons why promotions or new hires fail, we develop specific suggestions for how to improve the process. These suggestions are in the general categories of building the job profile, assessing the candidates, and the process by which decisions should be made

The Chief HR Officer Role: Results of the 2015 HR@Moore Survey of Chief HR Officers

This year’s HR@Moore Survey of Chief HR Officers examined some traditional aspects of the CHRO role such as the time spent in various sub-roles, time spent with the board on a variety of topics, the CEO’s agenda for the CHRO/ HR, and how the CHRO, CEO, and CFO came into their roles. In addition, it examined the weaknesses of a CHRO’s predecessor and what current CHROs believe determine success in the role. In terms of time spent, consistent with past surveys, CHROs reported spending the most time as the Leader of the HR function, followed by Talent Architect, Strategic Advisor and Counselor/Confidante/Coach. They also reported spending more time in the Workforce Sensor role than in past surveys. They similarly continue to spend most of their time with the board on executive compensation, CEO succession, and executive succession. They also reported spending more time on “other” things than in previous years, the most popular of which involves diversity and inclusion issues. Talent continues to dominate the CEO’s agenda for the CHRO and the HR function. Finally, CHROs continue to be hired from outside far more frequently than either CEOs or their CFO peers. In the major new findings, it appears that building a relationship of trust with the board, CEO, and ELT plays the most critical role in CHRO success, followed by having strong business acumen and a strategic perspective. Talent issues seem to be important, but while lack of technical skills can be a cause for being replaced, talent differentiation does not seem to be the primary mechanism that distinguishes good from great CHROs

Building the C-Suite Talent Pipeline: Insights from the 2015 HR@Moore Survey of Chief HR Officers

The HR@Moore Survey of Chief HR Officers probed 143 CHROs regarding their strategies for building the C-suite talent pipeline. CHROs reported that they place the greatest importance on practices aimed at developing this talent, followed by those focused on retaining this talent. Specifically, firms provide individuals in the C-suite talent pipeline with significant access to the senior leadership of the firm, so that these individuals can begin to understand C-suite roles and so firm leaders can assess individuals in the talent pipeline. CHROs also emphasize using stretch assignments/job rotation and special projects as means of both developing broader skills/perspectives and assessing those individuals in the pipeline regarding their potential to handle jobs of increasing scale and complexity. In addition, firms use formal assessments to identify skill gaps and behavioral styles that need to change in order to succeed in C-suite roles. The use of formal assessments for identifying those that should be entered into the talent pipeline and the development of internal executive development programs emerge as opportunity areas that firms can leverage to more effectively build the pipeline of C-suite talent

Fatigue behavior of materials for the sst - electron fractographic studies final report

Electron microscopic fractography to determine fatigue behavior of materials for supersonic transport - titanium, aluminum, molybdenum, and vanadiu

Interacting mindreaders

Could interacting mindreaders be in a position to know things which they would be unable to know if they were manifestly passive observers? This paper argues that they could. Mindreading is sometimes reciprocal: the mindreader's target reciprocates by taking the mindreader as a target for mindreading. The paper explains how such reciprocity can significantly narrow the range of possible interpretations of behaviour where mindreaders are, or appear to be, in a position to interact. A consequence is that revisions and extensions are needed to standard theories of the evidential basis of mindreading. The view also has consequences for understanding how abilities to interact combined with comparatively simple forms of mindreading may explain the emergence, in evolution or development, of sophisticated forms of social cognition

Codes of Fair Competition: The National Recovery Act, 1933-1935, and the Women’s Dress Manufacturing Industry

Controversial issues prevalent in today’s ready-to-wear apparel industry include the right of workers to join unions, the proliferation of sweatshops and sweatshop conditions, and design piracy. The idea of forming codes of conduct to establish criteria of ethical business practices is not new to the apparel industry. Indeed, the women’s dress manufacturing industry discussed and debated codes of fair competition under the New Deal Policies of the National Recovery Act (NRA) of 1933 to 1935. Primary sources for this study included governmental hearings in the establishment of the NRA Dress Code, The New York Times, Women’s Wear Daily, and the Journal of the Patent Office Society. The history of the NRA codes implemented in the U.S. women’s ready-to-wear apparel industry provides an important case study highlighting the difficulties and complexities of creating and achieving industry-wide standard practices through self-regulation. The failure of the NRA demonstrates that even with the joint cooperation of industry, labor, and consumer groups and the backing of the force of law, codes of fair competition proved impossible to enforce

The plight of the sense-making ape

This is a selective review of the published literature on object-choice tasks, where participants use directional cues to find hidden objects. This literature comprises the efforts of researchers to make sense of the sense-making capacities of our nearest living relatives. This chapter is written to highlight some nonsensical conclusions that frequently emerge from this research. The data suggest that when apes are given approximately the same sense-making opportunities as we provide our children, then they will easily make sense of our social signals. The ubiquity of nonsensical contemporary scientific claims to the effect that humans are essentially--or inherently--more capable than other great apes in the understanding of simple directional cues is, itself, a testament to the power of preconceived ideas on human perception

Evidence for Emulation in Chimpanzees in Social Settings Using the Floating Peanut Task

The authors have no support or funding to report.Background: It is still unclear which observational learning mechanisms underlie the transmission of difficult problem-solving skills in chimpanzees. In particular, two different mechanisms have been proposed: imitation and emulation. Previous studies have largely failed to control for social factors when these mechanisms were targeted. Methods: In an attempt to resolve the existing discrepancies, we adopted the 'floating peanut task', in which subjects need to spit water into a tube until it is sufficiently full for floating peanuts to be grasped. In a previous study only a few chimpanzees were able to invent the necessary solution (and they either did so in their first trials or never). Here we compared success levels in baseline tests with two experimental conditions that followed: 1) A full model condition to test whether social demonstrations would be effective, and 2) A social emulation control condition, in which a human experimenter poured water from a bottle into the tube, to test whether results information alone (present in both experimental conditions) would also induce successes. Crucially, we controlled for social factors in both experimental conditions. Both types of demonstrations significantly increased successful spitting, with no differences between demonstration types. We also found that younger subjects were more likely to succeed than older ones. Our analysis showed that mere order effects could not explain our results. Conclusion: The full demonstration condition (which potentially offers additional information to observers, in the form of actions), induced no more successes than the emulation condition. Hence, emulation learning could explain the success in both conditions. This finding has broad implications for the interpretation of chimpanzee traditions, for which emulation learning may perhaps suffice.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Are chimpanzees really so poor at understanding imperative pointing? Some new data and an alternative view of canine and ape social cognition

There is considerable interest in comparative research on different species’ abilities to respond to human communicative cues such as gaze and pointing. It has been reported that some canines perform significantly better than monkeys and apes on tasks requiring the comprehension of either declarative or imperative pointing and these differences have been attributed to domestication in dogs. Here we tested a sample of chimpanzees on a task requiring comprehension of an imperative request and show that, though there are considerable individual differences, the performance by the apes rival those reported in pet dogs. We suggest that small differences in methodology can have a pronounced influence on performance on these types of tasks. We further suggest that basic differences in subject sampling, subject recruitment and rearing experiences have resulted in a skewed representation of canine abilities compared to those of monkeys and apes