Information Technology Worker Recruitment: An Empirical Examination of Entry-Level IT Job Seekers’ Labor Market

This paper investigates two actors in IT recruitment: IT job seekers and IT employers. Signaling theory and image theory inform this research. Signaling theory suggests that there are unique groups of IT job seekers and IT employers. Image theory explains the implications of groups of IT job seekers’ have images of firms. Based on a closet qualitative study, we identify three images that IT job seekers use to classify employers: IT consulting firms, IT vendors, and non-IT-oriented firms that require in-house IT workers. To evaluate these images, we conduct two studies. Study 1 evaluates job seekers. Analysis of data collected from 491 entry-level IT job seekers suggests that unique groups of IT job seekers exist that possess distinct preferences for IT employers, firm and job characteristics as well as report different levels of preparatory job search activity. Study 2 focuses on the IT employers’ perspective. We segment IT employers based on the IT job seekers\u27 images. Results from a survey of 412 firm recruiters indicate that IT employers do not prefer different types of IT job applicants or engage in significantly different recruitment activities. Taken together, our studies provide a rich understanding of how IT job seekers view employers and how employers view job seekers

Workgroup Embeddedness and Professionalism among IT Professionals: Impacts on Work-Life Conflict and Organizational Citizenship

Over the course of their careers, IT professionals become embedded in their workplace. In the organizational behavior literature, research has found that job embeddedness provides direct, positive benefits for employers, including lower turnover intentions, lower levels of withdrawal behaviors, lower actual turnover, and more. In this paper, we present a more nuanced view, namely that embeddedness among IT professionals may influence the development of professionalized mindsets, which, in turn, has a mix of positive and negative consequences. To understand these relationships, we introduce a concept called workgroup embeddedness (WGE). WGE captures how IT professionals become embedded in their organizational workgroup or unit. We report a multiphase study that (1) developed a measure of WGE, (2) established the validity of WGE, and (3) evaluated the implications of WGE among 150 IT professionals using data collected at two points in time. We found that WGE drives an increase in professionalism, which, in turn, increases work-life conflict. Also, we found that both WGE and professionalism positively influence organizational citizenship behaviors. These findings indicate that WGE may play a role in socializing and driving more professionalized mindsets among IT professionals, such as professional identification, which leads to positive outcomes like citizenship behaviors but may come at the expense of negative consequences in professionals’ nonwork lives. Post hoc findings highlight that belief in public service and identification with the IT profession influence work-life conflict and organizational citizenship. We conclude with implications for research and practice

High resolution temporal transcriptomics of mouse embryoid body development reveals complex expression dynamics of coding and noncoding loci.

Cellular responses to stimuli are rapid and continuous and yet the vast majority of investigations of transcriptional responses during developmental transitions typically use long interval time courses; limiting the available interpretive power. Moreover, such experiments typically focus on protein-coding transcripts, ignoring the important impact of long noncoding RNAs. We therefore evaluated coding and noncoding expression dynamics at unprecedented temporal resolution (6-hourly) in differentiating mouse embryonic stem cells and report new insight into molecular processes and genome organization. We present a highly resolved differentiation cascade that exhibits coding and noncoding transcriptional alterations, transcription factor network interactions and alternative splicing events, little of which can be resolved by long-interval developmental time-courses. We describe novel short lived and cycling patterns of gene expression and dissect temporally ordered gene expression changes in response to transcription factors. We elucidate patterns in gene co-expression across the genome, describe asynchronous transcription at bidirectional promoters and functionally annotate known and novel regulatory lncRNAs. These findings highlight the complex and dynamic molecular events underlying mammalian differentiation that can only be observed though a temporally resolved time course

On the link between Earth tides and volcanic degassing

Long-term measurements of volcanic gas emissions conducted during the last decade suggest that under certain conditions the magnitude or chemical composition of volcanic emissions exhibits periodic variations with a period of about 2 weeks. A possible cause of such a periodicity can be attributed to the Earth tidal potential. The phenomenology of such a link has been debated for long, but no quantitative model has yet been proposed. The aim of this paper is to elucidate whether a causal link between tidal forcing and variations in volcanic degassing can be traced analytically. We model the response of a simplified magmatic system to the local tidal gravity variations and derive a periodical vertical magma displacement in the conduit with an amplitude of 0.1–1&thinsp;m, depending on the geometry and physical state of the magmatic system. We find that while the tide-induced vertical magma displacement presumably has no significant direct effect on the volatile solubility, the differential magma flow across the radial conduit profile may result in a significant increase in the bubble coalescence rate at a depth of several kilometres by up to several multiples of 10&thinsp;%. Because bubble coalescence facilitates separation of gas from magma and thus enhances volatile degassing, we argue that the derived tidal variation may propagate to a manifestation of varying volcanic degassing behaviour. The presented model provides a first basic framework which establishes an analytical understanding of the link between the Earth tides and volcanic degassing.</p

Time-dependent seismic tomography of the Coso geothermal area, 1996-2004

Local-earthquake tomographic images were calculated for each of the years 1996 - 2004 using arrival times from the U.S. Navy’s permanent seismometer network at the Coso geothermal area, California. The results show irregular strengthening with time of the wave-speed ratio VP/VS at shallow depths. These changes result predominately from progressive relative increase in VS with respect to VP, and could result from processes associated with geothermal operations such as decrease in fluid pressure and the drying of argillaceous minerals such as illite

Long noncoding RNAs in neuronal-glial fate specification and oligodendrocyte lineage maturation

Background: Long non-protein-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are emerging as important regulators of cellular differentiation and are widely expressed in the brain.Results: Here we show that many long ncRNAs exhibit dynamic expression patterns during neuronal and oligodendrocyte (OL) lineage specification, neuronal-glial fate transitions, and progressive stages of OL lineage elaboration including myelination. Consideration of the genomic context of these dynamically regulated ncRNAs showed they were part of complex transcriptional loci that encompass key neural developmental protein-coding genes, with which they exhibit concordant expression profiles as indicated by both microarray and in situ hybridization analyses. These included ncRNAs associated with differentiation-specific nuclear subdomains such as Gomafu and Neat1, and ncRNAs associated with developmental enhancers and genes encoding important transcription factors and homeotic proteins. We also observed changes in ncRNA expression profiles in response to treatment with trichostatin A, a histone deacetylase inhibitor that prevents the progression of OL progenitors into post-mitotic OLs by altering lineage-specific gene expression programs.Conclusion: This is the first report of long ncRNA expression in neuronal and glial cell differentiation and of the modulation of ncRNA expression by modification of chromatin architecture. These observations explicitly link ncRNA dynamics to neural stem cell fate decisions, specification and epigenetic reprogramming and may have important implications for understanding and treating neuropsychiatric diseases

My Baby, My Move+: Feasibility of a Community Prenatal Wellbeing Intervention

Background Excessive gestational weight gain (EGWG), insufficient prenatal physical activity and sleep, and poor psychological wellbeing independently increase risks for adverse maternal and infant outcomes. A novel approach to mitigate these risks is utilizing peer support in a community-based prenatal intervention. This study assessed the feasibility (acceptability, demand, implementation, and practicality) of a remotely delivered prenatal physical activity intervention called My Baby, My Move + (MBMM +) that aims to increase prenatal physical activity, enhance mood and sleep hygiene, and reduce EGWG. Methods Participants were recruited through community organizations, local clinics, and social media platforms in the Fall of 2020 and Spring of 2021. Eligible pregnant women were randomized to either the MBMM + intervention or the control group. Each group met over Zoom for 16 sessions (twice weekly for 60 min over 8 weeks) to learn either behavioral change and wellbeing knowledge and skills (MBMM +) or knowledge and skills related to parenting (control group). Multiple methods of evaluation to better understand the feasibility of the intervention were conducted. Results A total of 49 women (25 MBMM + intervention, 24 control) completed both pre- and post-survey assessments and were included in the analyses. A subsample of 19 (39%) intervention participants completed a combination of semi-structured interviews/surveys to assess acceptability, demand, implementation, and practicality. Participants expressed positive feedback regarding acceptability (satisfaction and intent to continue use) and were extremely likely or likely to recommend the program to a friend (demand). Implementation metrics were assessed by observation and feedback forms completed by peer leaders and demonstrated high-quality control. Findings suggest that the intervention was practical due to remote sessions and cost-effectiveness. Conclusion The MBMM + intervention was deemed to be a feasible intervention with high acceptability, demand, implementation, and practicality. These findings can be used to inform the scalability of the intervention and implementation of a larger efficacy trial

Colon cancer risk and different HRT formulations: a case-control study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Most studies have found no increased risk of colon cancer associated with hormone replacement therapy (HRT), or even a decreased risk. But information about the effects of different HRT preparations is lacking.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A case-control study was performed within Germany in collaboration with regional cancer registries and tumor centers. Up to 5 controls were matched to each case of colon cancer. Conditional logistic regression analysis was applied to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Stratified analyses were performed to get an impression of the risk associated with different estrogens and progestins.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 354 cases of colon cancer were compared with 1422 matched controls. The adjusted overall risk estimate for colon cancer (ColC) associated with ever-use of HRT was 0.97 (0.71 – 1.32). No clinically relevant trends for ColC risk were observed with increasing duration of HRT use, or increasing time since first or last HRT use in aggregate.</p> <p>Whereas the overall risk estimates were stable, the numbers in many of the sub-analyses of HRT preparation groups (estrogens and progestins) were too small for conclusions. Nevertheless, if the ColC risk estimates are taken at face value, most seemed to be reduced compared with never-use of HRT, but did not vary much across HRT formulation subgroups. In particular, no substantial difference in ColC risk was observed between HRT-containing conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) or medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and other formulations more common in Europe.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Ever-use of HRT was not associated with an increased risk of colon cancer. In contrary, most risk estimates pointed non-significantly toward a lower ColC risk in HRT ever user. They did not vary markedly among different HRT formulations (estrogens, progestins). However, the small numbers and the overlapping nature of the subgroups suggest cautious interpretation.</p

Parkinson's disease may disrupt overlapping subthalamic nucleus and pallidal motor networks.

There is an ongoing debate about differential clinical outcome and associated adverse effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) targeting the subthalamic nucleus (STN) or the globus pallidus pars interna (GPi). Given that functional connectivity profiles suggest beneficial DBS effects within a common network, the empirical evidence about the underlying anatomical circuitry is still scarce. Therefore, we investigate the STN and GPi-associated structural covariance brain patterns in PD patients and healthy controls. We estimate GPi's and STN's whole-brain structural covariance from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a normative mid- to old-age community-dwelling cohort (n = 1184) across maps of grey matter volume, magnetization transfer (MT) saturation, longitudinal relaxation rate (R1), effective transversal relaxation rate (R2*) and effective proton density (PD*). We compare these with the structural covariance estimates in patients with idiopathic PD (n = 32) followed by validation using a reduced size controls' cohort (n = 32). In the normative data set, we observed overlapping spatially distributed cortical and subcortical covariance patterns across maps confined to basal ganglia, thalamus, motor, and premotor cortical areas. Only the subcortical and midline motor cortical areas were confirmed in the reduced size cohort. These findings contrasted with the absence of structural covariance with cortical areas in the PD cohort. We interpret with caution the differential covariance maps of overlapping STN and GPi networks in patients with PD and healthy controls as correlates of motor network disruption. Our study provides face validity to the proposed extension of the currently existing structural covariance methods based on morphometry features to multiparameter MRI sensitive to brain tissue microstructure